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April, 1944
A CRYING NEED FOR BIBLES New Testaments and Gospels wherewith to satisfy the heart-hunger of millions for the Word of God, must be met right away. And NOW , in the midst of war, preparation must be made by prayer and effort to meet the post-war situation. There will not only be the reinstatement of Missionary workers and the provision for their support, but many of them will have Lost everything they possessed, and will need help to re-establish their homes. 3 There will be a clamant call for RELIEF FUNDS to succor the teeming multitudes of starving, suffering peoples in lands now un der enemy occupation. Any existing Prayer Houses will need^ re pair and new ones will have to be provided for preaching of the gospel. - W e commend the matter to our friends, confident of their prayers, that the Lord will lay, this challenge upon their hearts and in cline them to cooperate with us. RUSSIAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY, Inc. Rev. F. J. MHes, Intern*!. Secretary 1844 W. Monroe St., Rm. 2, Chicago 12, III. In Canada: 106 Wlnnett Ave., Toronto 10, Ont. For information about our work read our magazine “ The Friend of Russians,” sample copy free . For Men in Q | i | l V I P F * and Others too! m J u A W I v l l , Five NEW TRACTS . . . Appealing message. A o f amazing power. Beautifully printed in national colors. True soul-winners. Popular in Camps and Overseas. Samples FTtEE. w Order NOW—have on hand when needed. ^ Only 8c a doz.: 50c a 100. Write today. Faith, Prayer & Tract League ^ Dept. KB2, Muskegon Heights, Mich. * LtaU INSURANCE S MINES, MacKEIGAN & HILKER 3757 WHshire Blvd. LOS ANGELES 5, CALIFORNIA Room 205 Phone FE. 2139
God may have to bear in this life, it is light when compared to the weight of eternal glory which awaits him when he comes into possession of his new body. 4. "If our earthly house of this tab ernacle were dissolved" (5:1). The “if” in this phrase suggests that not all believers will go through the ex perience called death. A generation of believers will never go through this dread experience. Christ will come while they are living and w ill instant ly change them into the likeness of Himself (1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:15-17). But for those who are called upon to go through the valley of the shadow, there will be no loss, for they shall afterward come into the posses sion of an eternal body from heaven. Dissolution does not mean extinction. 5. "Willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord" (v. 8). These words clearly set forth the status of believers who die before the resurrection of the just. They are with the Lord, though not yet in possession of their glorified bodies. This definitely does away with the erroneous doctrine of soul-sleep ing. We cannot conceive of Paul de siring to be in the state of soul-sleep rather than living and witnessing for Christ. But we can readily understand why he would rather be in the pres ence of Christ than in the midst of earth's sufferings.
This confidence comes by faith. We walk by faith, not by appearances. The appearance of a matter may be wholly contrary to the knowledge that we have from God concerning it, but that does not alter the reality of the ful fillment. Knowing, on the strength of God’s own Word, what awaits us in the future, “we are of good courage” (v. 8, R. V.), and are not only un afraid to die, but actually willing by preference “to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (v. 8). V. His N ew C r e a t io n (5:14-19) new creation, of which verse 17 speaks, comes into being as a direct result of the atoning work of Christ (vs. 14-16). When the death and resur rection of Christ are appropriated by the individual believer, that moment he becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus. This new creation is distinct from the old (or it could not be “ new” ), and brought about by a creative act. Its purpose here upon the earth is^ the proclaiming of the good news “that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them” (v. 19). God has made provision for the removal of the sins of the world, imputing those Sins to His beloved Son upon the cross (cf. 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 John 4:9, 10). Every Christian is to tell this glorious truth to others. Points and Problems 1. "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and our selves .your servants for Jesus', sake" (2 Cor. 4:5). The minister’s business is to exalt Jesus as Lord, and to recog nize himself as the servant pf his con gregation, not lord over them. When the minister is through preaching, his hearers ought to be impressed with the wonder of Christ, not with the appearance, delivery, or manner of the preacher. 2. "But though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is re newed day by day" (v. 16). Attention is here focused upon man’s twofold nature. He is a physical being, and a spiritual being. The “ outward man” is man’s body, his flesh, his visible na ture. The “ inward man” is the spirit ual man, the real man, This is the part of man that fellowships with God and lives eternally. The “outward man”, is only the house. 3. "Light affliction . . . eternal weight of glory" (v. 17). A vivid con trast is here presented between the "affliction" and the "weight of glory." The first is temporal as to its dura tion. The latter is eternal. No matter how severe the affliction the child of T h e
Golden 'Text Illustration 2 C orinthians
An English officer, riding over the battlefield with his servant, noticed a wounded enemy soldier. “Give the poor fellow a drink of water,” he said. As the servant stooped down, the soldier fired and missed. Stepping Patronize KING’S BUSINESS Advertisers THE ADEQUACY of CHRIST In These Days of Separation and Sorrow by CLARENCE E. MASON, Jr. We urge individuals, groups, and churches to order quantities of this booklet to distribute to those they know in service and their loved ones at home. 26 pages. Attractive cover Each, 25 cents - - - 25 for $5.00 Order through your bookseller or from ZONDERVAN PUBLISHING HOUSE 847 Ottawa Avenue, N.W. Grand Rapids 2, Michigan
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