March, 1940
THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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25. A Living Sacrifice “I beseech you therefore,, brethren, . . . that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” (Rom. 12:1). The bodies of the animals offered in sacrifice by the Hebrews had to be in the best possible condition to be accept able to God: if, through fault of ours, these bodies of ours are not in the best possible condition, will He be pleased with the “living sacrifice” ? The body is not to be pampered, nor given the ascendancy; neither is it to be despised, misused, or neglected . . . Grieve not the Holy Spirit, whose temple the body is.—George H. Seville. 26. Prayer That Transforms “As he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered” (Lk. 9:29). You will remember that St. Luke tells us that it was while Jesus was praying, that He was transfigured before them. It is prayer that changes both men and things. But it is not the prayer that merely asks for things, but the prayer of fellowship, communion, and surrender to the will of God . . . Now, if our Lord needed to pray, how much more His disciples! If He was transfigured when on His knees, may it not be that we shall be changed while in the same at titude of devotion?—J. A. Broadbelt. 27. Burdens "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee” (Psa. 55:22). We burden ourselves with cares and flurries which, if we had trusted more, would never have needed to preoccupy our attention. Wise indeed was the testimony of the dear old saint who said, in review of her past life, “I have had a great many troubles in my life, especially those that never came.” —A. B. Simpson. .28. Credentials “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” (Gal. 6:17). The world will look for credentials. Thomas cried, , “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails . . . I will not believe.” And he but voices modem unbelief. Unless the world sees in us, too, very definite evidences of the print of the nails, it, too, will not be lieve . . . God grant us the insignia of the cross, in our bodies, in our hearts, in our lives.—Northcote Deck. 29. Caught Up! “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:17). Caught up! Who can picture it? While the men and women walk the busy streets they shall be caught up! While they bow in the secret chamber of prayer they shall be caught up! [ Continued o* Page 117]
ice under the banner of his King, and thereby forfeits unspeakable joy in the present, and undreamed of reward in the future.—J. Oswald Sanders. 22. The Cleansing Power “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive . . . and to cleanse” (1 John 1:9). Sin is a desperate reality. How, then, am I going to meet it? I know of one and only one way—walk in the light, step into the place of obedience, and when you do, the blood of Jesus Christ goes on cleansing you. Oh, do not be afraid to speak of the blood of Christ! There is nothing vulgar about it, except the vulgarity of your sin that made it necessary.—A. Lindsay Glegg. Shut Up to Faith “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and greeted them from afar” (Heb. 11:13, R. V.). God kept Abraham in the sphere of faith, living as seeing Him that is in visible. Thus the man who had begun life in a polytheistic household became the father of all those whose trust is stayed on the eternal God. All those who entrust themselves to the Ever lasting Arms and seek the heavenly city shall recline with “Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.” For “God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”—William C. Robinson. 24. The Wisdom of God Manifest “We preach Christ crucified . . . the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:23, 24). When I see a company of men and women who were lost, and now are found, who were dead and are now alive, passing into the presence of God by regal right (“a royal priesthood” ), interceding there, talking with God face to face, without fear, I tell you I know that that cross, which all human at tempts to understand is foolishness, is, nevertheless, the wisdom of God. —G. Campbell ««ergan. 23.
blessed Lord could say, “He wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned” (Isa. 50:4). Think of Him, the holy, spotless Son of God, feeding on the Word. And yet you and I imagine we can get along without it!—H. A'. Ironside. 19. Looking unto Jesus “Let us lay aside every weight . . . looking unto Jesus” (Heb. 12:1, 2). A man may be aware of some special weakness in his character, and have given himself carefully and patiently to try to fortify himself against it, and, lo! all at once a temptation springs up from the opposite side; a foe that he knew nothing1about came storming be hind him. There is only one way to stand, and that is not merely by culti vating careful watchfulness against our own weaknesses, but by keeping fast hold of Jesus Christ. —Alexander Maclaren. 20. Our Opportunity “And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me” (Mk. 10:47). Your need is His opportunity, and His nearness is your opportunity. The ques tion is whether you will seize this op portunity by an utter surrender of your life to Him, by receiving Him, by giv ing Him complete freedom to do all He desires to do. To do that Is to know and experience heaven begun here be low, and to be on the right road that leads to heaven hereafter. —H .'J. Barker. 21. Obedience "Ye should earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude 3). In time of war, when recruits are called for, the man who does not enlist is not deprived of the rights of citizen ship. He merely refuses to respond to the country’s call to service. So, in these days of aggressive spiritual con flict, the Christian who fails to recog nize and respond to Christ’s lordship is not deprived of the rights of his heaven ly citizenship; he simply refuses serv
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