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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
January, 1935
GEMS OF GOLD—
What an opportunity to tell the story 1 And that is what Peter did. He was no longer afraid to be Jesus’ friend. He stood up and told of the works of Jesus. He told how Jesus had given Him self up to His enemies. He told o f His death, of His resurrection. He told how He had appeared to them, how He had as cended into heaven, how He reigns in heaven, and how He had sent them the Holy Spirit. When the people heard this wonderful story, they cried: “What shall we do?” Peter knew how to answer this ques tion. Bravely he cried: “Repent, and be baptized.” Three thousand people answered that call. What a wonderful day that wasl And how truly Peter showed that deep down in his heart he did love Jesus I
compass which tells the traveler the direc tions. The other is a weathervane which tells the way the wind is blowing. It changes with the wind. The compass al ways points toward the region of the north star. Unsaved people are very much like this weathervane. They are changed by every wind. They are very sensitive to the winds of the world. The things that others are doing are the things they want to do, re gardless of what God thinks. There was a time in the life of Peter when he was like this weathervane. He warmed himself by the world’s fire, and found it easy to deny his Lord. He was changed by the wind o f the world. . Peter was a true follower of Christ, and he did not continue to be a man blown by every wind. After the coming o f the Holy Spirit on the day o f Pentecost, Peter was different. He became like this compass. You will notice that the compass does not change, no matter how hard I blow against it. It points constantly to the region o f the north star. After Pentecost, Peter steadily pointed to Christ. His great sermon in the second chapter o f Acts shows how he pointed steadfastly toward Christ. He was never again so blown by the winds o f the world that he would deny Christ. Christ is not pleased with His _followers when they are blown by every wind of the world, just as He was not pleased when Peter denied Him. Christ wants us_ to point to Him, just as this compass points toward the north star. By which are you controlled this morn ing—the winds of the world—or Christ, the bright and morning Star? Are you a compass or only a weathervane ? concern, and all that would be harmful to that condition is to be henceforth put away. Peter called these injurious things “ fleshly lusts.” , The word “ lusts” is really “desires.” In other words, Peter declared that the desires o f the flesh, or the old nature, were to remain unsatisfied, to be counted as evil, and to be put away. The Christian is to abstain from all that would feed those desires. Christians have other “desires” connected with their new coun try and their new nature, and these new longings are to be given the uppermost place. Peter exhorted believers to adopt a manner o f life which would be a “seemly” (R. V .) one among the Gentiles, that is, among those with whom the believers necessarily had to live. These “Gentiles” were speaking evil o f the Christians be cause of the new-found religion. It was in matters of religion that the Gentiles found fault—the religion which caused those who possessed it to cease from satisfying their fleshly desires and to give themselves to those things which nourished and built up the new life. The high moral and spirit ual standard of Christianity has always been an offense to the world. The very character of such living is a continual con demnation of the world. Hence, it becomes the object o f ridicule and bitter com plaint, leading to evil speaking on the part of the world. But in spite of this opposi tion, believers are to live in such fashion that the enemies,' beholding the good works, will be forced to glorify God in “the day of visitation.”
f o r t h é N e w Y e a r DR. H. A. IRONSIDE, Pastor Moody Church, Chicago, says: “ Not since Spurgeon’s ‘Morning and Evening Readings’ were published years ago, have I seen as delightful a volume of original matter for day by day meditation as this rightly named volume by R. E. N eighbour . The poetry is of a high order and deeply spiritual, and the prose comments are like all of this writer’s produc tions, lucid and instructive. I cannot recommend this book too highly.” DR. GERALD WINROD,^Editor and Publisher, says: “ One of the most inspirational books ever struck from a printing press.” DR. WM. L. PETTINGILL, Nation-Wide Bible Teacher, says: “ Packed full of golden gems. A valuable addition to any library.” Just off the press. 648 poems and 365 prose writ ings all by DR. R. E. NEIGHBOUR. 380 pages, St/2 ins. x 7f6 ins. Bound in beautiful imitation leather, stamped in gold, a gift book that will scat ter sunshine each day of the year. Place your orders now. $1.50 per volume; four for $5.00. Gift-wrapped and sent to one or four addresses postpaid. Send for descriptive circulars. Elyria, Ohio iailllllllllllC31lllllllllllC3IIIIIIIIIIIIC3IIIIIIIHlliail UNION LESSON HELPS ! On the International Uniform Lessons Backed by more than a century of experience, and based squarely on 1 the B ib le . Inspiring, 2 practical, sound. A m erica n S unday -S chool U nion 1816 Chestnut St. Philadelphia, Pa. hioiiiiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiiioH iiiiiiiiiiaiuuiiuiiiaii A postcard will bring you a complete set of specimens free. Write today! i i ; T he S ubjection to A uthority (2:13-17).’ The fact that he is a stranger and a pil-j grim in the world does not release the Christian from the duties connected with earthly relationships. The motive for sub mission to the constituted authority is “ for the Lord’s sake” (v. 13). The Christian is subject to Christ, and for this very reason is to be subject to the authority constituted and ordained by Him. We sometimes forget that the powers that be are appointed by the Lord and are, in their own sphere, as much the “ministers of God” (c f, Rom. 13) as the preacher in the pulpit. The one has a ministry from the Lord in civil affairs, the other in spiritual affairs, but both are truly ap pointed o f God. I f the Christian expects to be heard when he speaks of spiritual things, he should be ready to obey when the voice o f the civil authority is heard. Thus all civil duties become transformed into spiritual obligations, to be performed as unto the Lord. Except when the com mands of the powers that be are contrary to the plain Word o f God, the man who talks much o f obeying the Lord, and who at the same time disobeys the powers that be, is an ignorant Christian. Recognizing that the civil authority has been established by the Lord, we are to recognize the office, rather than the par ticular man who may be occupying that o f fice. It is to the office that we are to be obedient. It might easily happen, even as was the case when Peter wrote these words, that an evil man may be in office. But that fact does not lower the dignity nor diminish the authority o f the office. If the person occupying the office does not THE McMILLEN-NEIGHBOUR PUBL ISH ING COMPANY 219 Court Street
Objects: A compass and a weathervane. (An imitation weathervane can be cut from cardboard.) Lesson: I brought two strange-looking things with me this morning. One is a
FEBRUARY 17, 1935 PETER TEACHES GOOD CITIZENSHIP (Temperance Lesson) 1 P eter 2:11-17; 4:1-5
Golden T ext: “ Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the ful filling of the law” (Rom. 13:10). Outline and Exposition I. T he S eemly B ehavior (2:11, 12). T he position o f the Christian on earth is that of a “stranger." He be longs to another country; therefore he is actually an alien on earth. By the fact of his being “born again” by faith in Christ, the believer has lost his citizen ship here and has gained a citizenship in another world. Because o f this relation ship, he should adopt a practice worthy of his high calling, a practice seemly to a pilgrim. A pilgrim is one who is merely passing through the present scene, waiting to be taken from it. The one who has been born from above is not, as he once was, at home in the world. T o the new creature in Christ, the con dition of the soul is to be the uppermost BLACKBOARD LESSON
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