very loath to give God credit for His works. In Exodus 4 through 11 we note the various plagues befalling the Egyptians. At the end of this time there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that the God of Israel was the God of heaven and earth. The false deities of Egypt were powerless to help in any wise. Salvation thereby was brought to the house of Israel. This further illus trates Romans 9:18, “Therefore hath he (God) mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he harden- eth.” Don’t read this passage careless ly. Do not get the impression that God is sitting up in heaven making some people’s hearts favorable to Him and others to hate Him. Salvation is not some kind of a divine sport. The Lord never hardens hearts a r b itr a r ily . There isn’t a line in Scripture to sug gest such teaching. We rather see how God has every right to condemn people to hell, but rather, it is His eternal purpose to display His mercy and grace through His Son, Jesus Christ. In Genesis 6:3 we have a quotation of interest: “And the Lord said, my spirit shall not always strive with man.” This was because of the ex treme and gross wickedness of the human race. God hardened the hearts of men. This was not out of a mere
arbitrary caprice, for He is not will ing that any should perish. When hearts are tender they come to hear the Word. When people reject the truth and men live in sin, their hearts become hardened. The same sun that causes plants to grow and bloom will harden the clay with its continued bright rays. The sovereignty of God is a blessed truth by which to warm our hearts, to the end that we might bring forth precious fruit for the Lord Jesus Christ. SAVED TO SERVE There are some people only interested in working in the church if they can have the key job or be the committee chairmen. The Lord Jesus said, “Who soever will be great among you let him be your servant.” During the American revolution a sergeant was commanding a small squad of men giving them orders as they sought to hoist a large timber to the top of a military structure being repaired. Because it was so heavy the men were not quite able to lift it. The sergeant angrily shouted, “Come on, you men, get under that and heave! Strain a little bit; put your shoulders under it. That’s' the only way to get it up!” While not in his recognizable uniform, an officer happened by. He quickly observed that what the men needed was really another pair of hands. He asked the sergeant, “Why don’t you help your men? They’d have no trouble if another man lifted." Indignantly the pompous response was, “What do you mean ? I ’m in command! I’m the sergeant!" The unrecognized officer sa id no more. Dressed as a civilian he removed his hat and coat and joined the men. With his help the log was quickly raised. Then he spoke politely, “Mr. Sergeant, when you have another difficult job to do without enough men to help, just send for your Commander-in-Chief. I ’ll be glad to come back and serve." What a shock for the proud and arrogant sergeant. He had been giving orders to none other than General George Washington. God meas ures greatness not by expressions and sentiments but by acts of truly humble service. Go, labor on; spend, and be spent, What joy to do the Father’s will; It is the way the Master went, Should not the servant tread it still? —H. Bonar 4
Studying medical charts is but one phase of the unique preparation received by students enrolled in the Biota School of Missionary Medicine. Young people who are planning on foreign service for Christ have the opportunity of training in several of the major Southern California hospitals.
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