King's Business - 1921-10

T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S

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founded and commit them to th e faith ­ ful pastors. It was on th is journey th a t he was collecting money for the poor saints a t Jerusalem . Luke does not mention a single town visited. He includes all in th e word Greece, a word no t found elsewhere in the New Testament. Only one incident is noted. P au l was intending to sail to Syria and th u s save months of tim e in reaching his destination. The hostile Jews were ready to attack his vessel and to avoid them he had to ta k e th e long and tiresome over­ land route. This is th e first exper­ ience in th a t long delay th a t the Apostle was to suffer in reaching Rome, a delay caused by th e hatred of Isra e l against th e Gospel. TUESDAY, October 18. Acts 20:13- 27. The Meeting a t Miletus. The ship th a t bore P au l on his way tow ard Jerusalem stopped a t Miletus. There he sent for th e elders of the church a t Ephesus and spake to them some earn est words of farewell. He knew thaf he would suffer bonds and afflictions a t Jerusalem bu t th is did not deter him nor daun t him. His life was of value for one purpose only, th a t he m ight do his Master’s will and fulfil his mission. Life is w orth living only when it is devoted to duty. P aul counseled the elders to tak e heed to themselves first of all. Our first busi­ ness is to watch ourselves. We m ust not neglect our own garden in caring for th e gardens of others. P aul puts a g reat price on the church because a g reat price was paid for it. Christ purchased, it w ith His own blood. Then we belong to Him and should live for Him alone. If our souls are so dear to God, we ought to care for them and keep from anything th a t m ight tend to dishonor or degrade them . WEDNESDAY, October 19. Acts 20: 28-38. i n Affectionate P arting . Life is filled w ith meetings and p art­ ings. Fellowship in service and in Christ forms a strong tie th a t makes it h ard and sad to separate. P aul does not intentionally make it hard er th an otherw ise it would be. He tells the elders of th e sorrows th a t are before him and inform s them th a t they are looking upon his face for th e last time only to move them by w orthy regard for him to conserve and care for the work th a t was so near to his heart. Analysis can no more do justice to th is touch-

SATURDAY, October 15. I Cor. 3:1- 11. .Laborers w ith God. It is a blessed privilege to serve in any capacity under God. It is an un­ speakable honor to work for Him. W hat words can describe the joy of being laborers togeth er w ith Him? Here is fellowship in service. Obviously the work is not ours b u t His. He must prescribe it and determ ine it as well as dictate in w hat manner it must be performed. Ought any other work to engage our atten tion or elicit our devo­ tion? The though t of th e passage rises to a higher plane even th a n this. “Ye are God’s husbandry, (titled la n d ), ye are God’s building (po em ).” T h at is to say, we are th e work on which God is expending time, thought, patience, skill. He is still the Creator. His workmanship did not cease when we were made in secret and curiously w rought in th e lowest p arts of th e earth . We are not yet a finished pro­ duct. “The Lord will perfect th a t which concerneth me,” “Forsake not O Lord th e work of th ine own hands.” SUNDAY, October 16. I Cor. 3 : 12- 23. The Christian’s Title-deed. God gives us a quit-claim deed in fee simple to th e entire universe. Owner­ ship implies possession. “ I am the owner of th e sphere, of th e seven stars and th9 solar year.” Not only the teachings of Paul, Apollos and Cephas, bu t th eir experiences are ours. The past, present and fu tu re belong to us. Occupation and use belong to owner­ ship. Of w hat avail is it to own a book if we do not read it? W hat good is a house th a t nobody lives in? How few believers enter into th e ir in­ heritance in Christ! How few even apprehend it! “Eye h ath not seen nor ear heard, neith er have entered into the h ea rt of man th e th ing s th a t God h ath prepared for them th a t love him .” We are nothing and have nothing in our­ selves. All th e blessings th a t become ours when we are saved, come from ' Christ. H is treasu res of wisdom are pu t so freely into our hands, th a t we are- told if we lack wisdom we haye only to ask of Him in faith and it shall be given unto us. MONDAY, October 17. Acts 20:1-12. S tarting fo r Jerusalem . Having stated how the sted fast pur­ pose to see Rome was formed, Luke shows how P aul set out on his journey. Rome is the goal bu t before sta rtin g P au l must see the churches he has

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