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to Him as our Father, Are you willing to own Him as your Father? By faith, that is a possibility. Why not make it an actuality? f. - “Is there anything too hard for me’ (Jer. 32:27)? . Having once taken us into His family, He is “able to do abundantly above all we ask or think.” He is “able to save to the very uttermost.” That which is hard for the individual is easy for God. See Matt. 19:26. g. “How shall I give thee up” (Hosea 11 : 8 ) ? God has pledged Himself that, once we become His children, we shall never be lost. See John 10:27-30. There need be no fear that you may not be able to hold on in your Christian life. God. challenges : “How shall I give thee up?” “He is able to keep that which I have committed un to him against that day” (2 Tim. 1:12). 3. God’s Questions in Regard to Service. a. “Where is . . . thy brother” (Gen. 4:9)? The Christian is responsible for reach ing his fellow man for Christ. Andrew found his brother and brought him to Jesus. See John 1 :41, 42. God holds us responsible for the winning of others to Himself. b. “Wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face” (Josh. 7:10)? There is a time to pray and to humble oneself before God, but there is also a time to be up and doing. Read Ex. 14: 15. There is danger in spending all of our time on introspection, thereby griev ing our Lord. Let us work while it is yet day for “the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4). c. “Can these bones live” (Ezek. 37: 3)? Sometimes the question is asked as to whether our testimony is of any value in the rousing of men and women who are dead in trespasses and sins, and the trans forming of them into living, moving pow ers for God. The answer to this question is found in John 1:4 where we read: “In him was life.” Christ is able to use our testimony to bring life out of death. d. “Is not my word like as a fife” (Jer. 23:29)? The secret of bringing dry bones to life is through the application of the Wo-d of God., Wp read: “My word . . . shai; not return unto me void” (Isa. 55:11). When we use the Bible, we are using the “sword of the Spirit,” God’s means of piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. e. “Cannot I do with you. as this pot ter” (Jer. .18:6)? The secret of real service is surrender. We must yield ourselves unto God, that He may mould Us as the potter does the clay. God is asking that you allow Him to mould you. f. “What is that in thine hand” (Ex. 4:2)? • How easy it is for us to prate about our lack of talents and attainments, when we are challenged with service for God! It is a comforting thought to know that God will endow you with the needed re sources to meet every requirement. He has placed within your hand the means whereby you can accomplish all that He demands of your life. Are you willing to turn everything over to Him?
c. “How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me” (Ex. 10: 3)? , I I WÊÊ Self-pride and self-exaltation are two of the worst characteristics of the aver age person. Having answered the former question as to how far you have fallen from the perfections of the life which is to be found in God, the next question is whether or not you are willing to bow humbly before Him, asking that He may instruct you in His ways. d. “How lonig will it be ere they be lieve me” (Num. 14:11)? Unbelief is the. unpardonable sin. The one requirement for eternal life is that we believe with our hearts the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s question here in the Old Testament is a pertinent one. Have you considered it carefully ? e. “Can any hide himself . . . that I shall not see him” (Jer. 23:24)? We read in Prov. 15:3: “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Here is a' question that should cause everyone to pause and think. God sees and knows. You may be able. to hide your sin from your fellow man, but God knows. In the light of this thought, what should be the charac ter of the life which we live? 2. God’s Questions in Regard to Salva tion. a. “What aileth thee” (Gen. 21:17) ? There is one question which everyone must ask himself if he is to receive the salvation which God offers, and that is, “What- is it that I really need?” The answer to that question is to he found in Christ Jesus, “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” b. “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread” (Isa. 55 : 2 ) ? ■ w ê ■ m ê ê ê m m i Many are placing their dependence for salvation upon religious forms which bring no strength or satisfaction. Why do you set your affections upon things which are perishable and which leave your spiritual life unnourished? Why labor to establish your own righteousness when, after you have dône your very best, you have gained nothing but filthy rags? c-. “How shall I pardon thee for this” (Jer. 5:7)? .V One of the greatest questions which the Bible seeks to answer is how God can pardon the sin of mankind. : The only method which God can accept is “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son” that “cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). d. “How shall I put thee among the children” (Jer. 3:19)?' •Closely allied to the preceding question is this one : How can God put the children of disobedience among His own sons? In one sense, there is a brotherhood of all mankind. But the Scripture seems to dif ferentiate between those who are of the family of sin and Satan, “children of their father, the devil,” and those who are members of the family of God. The on ly way in which one may gain access to the family of God is by a new birth. See John 3. After we receive the new life in Christ, we receive His Spirit into our hearts, so that we may truthfully cry, “Abba, Father.” Read Gal. 4:4-6. e. “Wilt thou not . . . cry unto me, My father” (Jer. 3:4)? After we become children of God- through the new birth, we can cry un
quotations from the Bible, but are also questions asked by God Himself. The last Sunday of the month is us ually missionary Sunday. The heart of the missionary enterprise lies in the mes sage which is presented. The effort is made in this week’s lesson to suggest the only message which will solve the prob lem in the mission field. In the discussion of the subject matter for this week, try to show how these various questions and their answers can be applied in the work of witnessing for Christ both in the home land and abroad. 1. God’s Questions in Regard to Sin. a. “Adam . . . Where art thou” (Gen. 3:9)? The Bible is. always extremely personal in its dealing with mankind. God, through His Spirit, is searching out individuals. Discuss the personal application of this question. Where are you?? What are you doing? How are you living? Why try to cover conscience and hide from the presence of God by engrossing yourself in pleasure and the busy activities of ev eryday life? b. ‘‘What is this that thou hast done” . (Gen. 3:13)? Have you ever stopped to analyze your failures in the light of God’s holiness? Is it not well occasionally to take inventory ? jl/lis S E A T U S E S 3 SEAT ENDS & COMMON l “äBOARDS BOARDS USED in above p o rta b le sea t no t c u t o r nailed— sim ply clam ped on. SEAT ENDS m ade of galv. steel; w t. TVz lbs. S eats a n y len g th to 18 ft. T h o u san d s a l read y in use. H eartily en d o rsed a s MOST ECONOM ICAL, MOST C O M F O R T A B L E , MOST SUBSTANTIAL SEAT ON TH E MAR KET. E a ste rn o rd e rs filled from P hila., Pa. A d d ress ID EAL MFG. CO., 6817 S a n ta M'onica B lvd., HOLLYW OOD , CA LIF. Friends o f the Bible Institute SAVE 10% On Electrical Merchandise Mention T his Ad When You Purchase Iro n s — T o a ste rs W arm in g P a d s — H e ate rs Etc. G. E. M azda L a m p s ----H o t P oints Ja c k so n Bell a n d W estin g h o u se R adios — R ep airin g HOOKER’S ELECTRIC SHOP 700 W . 6 th St. C o rn e r of H o p e A c ro ss th e S tre e t from B. I. Los A ngeles, C alif. SOLOS—DUETS---QUARTETS 11 New Songs — Only 25c (Send Stamps or M. 0.) Bilhorn Bros., 29 W. Lake St., Chicago C hurch furniture Everythingfor Churchand Sunday School( me. FromFactoryto Yon.Finecatalogfree.' D eM otslin Bros« & Co* 1 1 5 1 iSouth 4th St., Greenville* Illinois MADE WITH IDEAL SEAT ENDS
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