King's Business - 1918-08

THE K I NG ' S BUS I NESS Gladly received the Word. 2:41. Herod, HEARD the Word gladly, but these glady RECEIVED it.—Henry. Added unto them. When we take God for our God, we must COMMENT take His people to be FROM MANY o u r people.— Henry, SOURCES Three thousand. Fit­ ting inauguration of the new kingdom as an economy of the Spirit.— Jamieson. God cares little for numerical increase in church member­ ship but much for all real additions to Himself and His mystical Body in Christ, and to such Body, the Holy Spirit only can make any real addition.— Pierson. No such effect followed Jesus’ own preaching and His promise that they should do greater works- (Jno. 14:12) was thus fulfilled (Mt. 4 :19 )— Torrey. Nowadays it takes three thousand preachers to get one soul.— Sunday. v. 42. Steadfast in apostles’ doc­ trine. Until our teaching is right, our life MUST be wrong. We must have the pure bread, pure water, the undefiled Bible. Out of such nutritious food there will come the proper results, such as fellowship, sacrimental communion and common prayer.— Parker. No one can be a strong Christian, or a happy one until they make conscience of the study of God’s Word and continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.fe-Maclaren. v. 44. All things common. This was not the brotherhood of man but the brotherhood of believers.— Sel. Not socialism which says virtually, “ what’s yours is mine” , but Christianity which says “ whats mine is yours” .—K. L. B. The Christian sense of stewardship,'not the abolition of the right of property is the cure for the hideous facts which drive men to shriek, “ property is theft.” —Maclaren. v. 48. Fear upon every soul. Mockers were silenced by what they saw and heard and were deterred from further opposition, though they did not heed the call to repentance.— Camb. Bible. Would to God there was written over the

703 door of every church in letters of flame, the word “ Mystery” because of the pow­ erful working of the Holy Spirit within it.— E. G. Sawyer. v. 46. With Gladness. How happy they were. They had Christ and that was enough. No system of theology, creeds, set of forms or any such things — nothing but Christ— . Gaebelein. Singleness of heart, is to have but one end in view, that the faith of Christ should be spread abroad as widely as possible.— Camb. Bible. v. 47. The Lord added. He adds to the church, not we, not our preaching, eloquence, fervor or efforts. These may be weapons in His hands, but the hand that wields the weapon gives it all its power to wound and to heal, and it is Christ Himself, who by His present energy, is the agent of all good that is done by any Christian community.—- Maclaren. v. 33. Gave witness with power. When God withdraws His hand of power, how our mouths are proportion­ ately closed. We cannot speak boldly if He does not work mightily, for His working is the confirming of our wit- ness.—Pierson. 6:2.' Called the multitude. Didn’t try to run a steam roller over1 the church.—-L. R. Elliott. There can be no permanent difficulties in any church in which the spirit of love is supreme. The church is not a religious debating soc­ iety merely.' If the church would meet to pray, to bring a thousand hearts into confluence, to dismiss every dividing force, the devil of debate would be burned in his native fire.— Parker. Serve tables. We must rid ourselves of the mischievous sophism that some kinds of service are menial. There is no menial service in the Church unless you make it menial by an unwor­ thy spirit,4^-Expos. Bible. Too many preachers are neglecting the Word of God, being occupied with temporal things. If you are leaving all the detail work of the church to the pastor, dont

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