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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
J an u a ry 1925
JANUARY 11, 1925 How to R ead th e Bible Helpfully Psa. 19:7-14; Matt. 7:24-29 We must read the Bible REVER ENTLY and PRAYERFULLY. It is the etern al Word of th e A lmighty God, and m ust he approached w ith reverence. It is a sp iritu al Book, and m ust be in terp reted by the Holy Spirit. We need to pray, not so much for the Lord to illum ine the Bible, but to illum ine our minds. (1 Thess. 2 :13 ; Psa. 119:18; Jno.. 14:26; 1 Jno. 2: 27.) HONESTLY and OBEDIENTLY, w ith an earnest desire to know the tru th , and a willingness to obey th e tru th revealed. God gives ligh t in ratio to our endeavor to live up to th e lig h t already received. John 7:17 is one of the keys to unlock the treas ures of the Bible. CAREFULLY and ACCURATELY. The Bible is verbally inspired, so we must weigh each word. ' Since every jo t and tittle has its significance, we m ust study carefully even th e gram matical construction. Most of our mis understanding of th e Bible is due to shallow and careless reading. COMPREHENSIVELY a n d CON SECUTIVELY. Study th e Bible as a whole, beginning w ith Genesis 1 and reading th rough th e Bible again and again. Get a comprehensive view of the en tire Bible and its g reat salient features. Note the plan and program of God, and w itness His stately tread a s ,th e ages are unfolded before us. (Luke 24:27.) ' COMPARATIVELY. C o m p a r e Scripture w ith Scripture. The Bible is its own lexicon and commentary. Each Scripture should always be in ter preted in th e light of o th er passages and no t by itself. (2 Pet. 1:21.) A good chain reference Bible, a large concordance, and the T reasury of Scripture Knowledge are very helpful in th is study. TOPICALLY. Note how God uses certain topics or subjects, such as Sin, Salvation, Repentance. ANALYTICALLY and SYNTHET ICALLY by books. Take a book of the Bible a t a tim e and outline it, division by division, noting the teaching of each division or verse. Then go th rough i| th e Book again, collecting the teachings of the book under v ar ious topics, noting all the book has to say on these various topics. MEDITATIVELY. Take a verse or a portion of a verse and meditate upon it. This is almost a lost art, bu t is highly profitable, especially to th e veteran studen t of the Bible.
JANUARY 18, 1925 F riendliness as Expressed th rough Medical Missions' Acts 14:8-18; Matt. 4:23, 24 The tru e m issionary goes w ith a h ea rt of love to those to whom he has been sent w ith the message of the Gospel. He a t once finds th a t one of th e first essentials is a point of con ta c t w ith those who are unevangelized, and th a t it is necessary to break down th e b arriers of fear and prejudice and hate. The medical m issionary shows his good will and expresses his kind ness by his medical work. His friend liness, th a t is manifested by th e desire to relieve pain and suffering, often makes possible the expressing of th a t highest form of friendliness for an other— th e endeavor to win th a t one to the Lord Jesus Christ. The first principle of medical mis sionary work is th a t th e helping of the body is a means to a definite end, a work for th e souls of men. JANUARY 25, 1925 Our Society’s P a r t in Our Denomi n ational P rogram Rom. 12:3-13 (Denom inational Day— Beginning C. E. Week) Every C. E. member should take a whole-hearted, enthusiastic p a rt in the program o f his denom ination, except when it conflicts w ith the pledge and constitution of the Christian Endeavor Society. The Scripture passage should logically include th e whole of Romans 12, for it has to do w ith th e every day exemplification of consecration. Surely the beginning of the new year and th e beginning of C. E, Week is an appropriate tim e for every Endeavorer to follow the injunction of verses one and two, and by th e' power of a su r rendered life practice the principles laid down in th e rest of th e chapter. Su rrend er to th e Lord— Our Ra tional Offering, v. 1. Separation from th e world— Our Requisite Act, v. 2. Service for th e Lord—Our Real Business, vs. 3-8. S tandard of Conduct— The R ight Life, vs. 9-21. 1. The E xho rtation to Consecra tion. “Beseech.” 2. The E ssen tials of Consecration. “Yielded bodies” , separated lives, transform ed minds. 3. The E ffect of Consecration. Proving how good and tru e and kind is God’s will. 4. The Exemplification of Conse cration. The m anifestation of the consecrated life. Verses 3-8, some service directions, and verses 9-21, some social duties.
Verses 3-8 we are. to serve, Humbly. W hat we have and are we owe to His grace. Soberly, in regard to the g reat need of a wicked world. H a r moniously, for th e re are many mem bers in the body of Christ, w ith varied gifts and responsibilities. Conscien- ciously, attending strictly to th e work allotted. Simply, give of service or substance, quietly and w ithout osten tation. D iligently, w ith earnestness and singleness of purpose. Cheerfully, w ith hilarious joy in His service. 9-21, we are to live, in real love w ithout hypocrisy, to loathe all evil and love the good, to be kindly affectionate one to another. Humbly, fervently, energetically, joy fully, hopefully, patiently, earnestly, prayerfully, generously, Sympathetic ally, honestly, peaceably. FEBRUARY 1, 1925 C hristian Endeavor as an Expression of F riendliness Phil. 2:1-11 (Christian Endeavor Day — Decision Service) N aturally and logically, Christian Endeavor is an expression of friend liness toward those w ithin and tow ard those w ithout. The common faith in Christ, th e binding tie, th e one aim and purpose, th e m utual work, and the same problems, produce a sp irit of kindly affection one for ano ther as b reth ren in the Lord. The indwelling Christ in the h ea rt of th e believer pro duces friendliness and compassion for those outside of Christ, and th e fel lowship of many Christians in an Endeavor Society tends to increase the sp irit of friendliness tow ard those within. The Scripture lesson is one of the g reatest chapters of the New Testa ment. The theme is— Christ the Believer’s P attern . The P lea fo r Unity, vs. 1-4. This applies especially to th e topic. The P erfect Servant, vs. 5-8. The P erfect Servant is set fo rth as the most beautiful illu stration of, and powerful argum ent for, hum ility ever given to man. The P reem inence of Jesus, vs. 9-11. Exaltation followed hum iliation. The P rinciple and P ractice of Sal vation, vs. 12-16. Salvation is God w ithin us, the indwelling Christ. The practice of salvation is simply yielding to Him and tru stin g Him to work out th rough us in our daily work, what He first works in us. The P a tte rn Exemplified, vs. 17-30. Three men of like passions as we— Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus— dem onstrated th a t it is possible to live a real life, and by th e power of the indwelling Christ e x e m p l i f y the P attern .
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