539
December 1931
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
nor tarry at the cross, but let us be prepared to receive the crowned Christ, who “shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” On His head shall rest the diadems of the nations of this world. He shall have dominion from sea to sea. The Prince of Peace shall bring world peace, for “God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name that is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Then shall all redeemed creation stand forth and sing. All hail the power of Jesus’ name, Let angels prostrate fall; A Zarephath Experience O ne of th e Field Representatives of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles was calling at the home of a friend of the Institute. In this home were several sick people in the care of a godly nurse. They all listened eagerly to the outline of the program being carried on at the Bible Institute. After a while, the nurse said, “I would like to give something to help the work along.” So she wrote out a check for $25.00, remarking as she handed it to the representative of the Institute, “Well, I guess I ’ll have to ask the Lord to replenish my stock pretty soon.” No one knew all that the statement conveyed. It seemed almost as if she were making a bargain with the Lord and giving the $25.00 on the condition that it be refunded promptly. Nevertheless, the representative accepted it, with many thanks, realizing that the Lord knew all the cir cumstances in the case. And then he went on his way to meet a luncheon engagement with another friend in the same town. ■While he was at the table, the telephone rang. Some one was asking for him. To his astonishment, he heard the voice of the nurse saying, “Do you know, since you were here, I have received $25.20 in payment of an old debt which I had long ago given up as hopeless, never expecting to receive the money!” This godly woman had paid out perhaps all she had on hand at the time, and realizing, as no one else did, that the “meal” and “oil” were exceedingly low, she looked to the Lord to honor her obedience, as He did that of the widow who ministered to Elijah, and to replenish her supply. He is “the same yesterday, today, and for ever.” God Loveth a Cheerful Giver Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. —Luke 6:38. Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all.
the great crisis in His life—“they saw Jesus was dead” (John 19:33). We have been beholding the group which stood around the cradle. There was another group which stood around the cross. Thirty-three years ago, Mary and others were looking down into the cradle; now she, with others, is looking up at the same Jesus on a cross. About the cross were three groups. The one, the sol diers, were apathetic. The second, the priests, were antipa thetic. The third group, John with the women, were sym pathetic. Christendom finds Christmas at the cradle only. Chris tians press on to the cross. Outside the city walls—some six miles from where He found His cradle—Christ found His cross. So there He died, a King crucified, To save a poor sinner like me. Oh, how different this scene from the cradle scene! But Jesus said, “For this cause came I into the world.” At this Christmas time, where are you standing? At Bethlehem’s cradle, or at Calvary’s cross? We have never properly known Christ until we have seen, in the Christ of the cradle, the Christ of the cross. Beneath the cross of Jesus,
I fain would take my stand— The shadow of a mighty rock Within a weary land, A home within the wilderness, A rest upon the way From the burning of the noontide heat And the burden of the day. Upon the cross of Jesus, Mine eyes at times can see The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me. And from my smitten heart, with tears, Two wonders I confess, The wonders of His glorious love And my own worthlessness. T h e C rown of C hrist
We look now beyond the cradle and the cross of Christ, and our eyes behold the crowned Christ—“I saw . . . on his head were many crowns” (Rev. 19:12). Here we behold the Child of the cradle, the Man of the cross, a crowned King. Jesus was born a King, He died a King, and He is the coming King. Earth has not yet seen all of Christ. A.t the cradle of Jesus, the heavens opened and the angels sang. At the bap tism of Jesus, the heavens opened and the Father spoke. At the stoning of Stephen, the heavens opened and the dying martyr saw the exalted Christ. And on the Isle of Patmos, the exile John saw heaven open and Christ crowned with many crowns. Never, until we have seen the incarnation, the cruci fixion, and the exaltation of the Son of God, can we truly put Christ into Christmas. Viewing such scenes, we are led to take Christmas seriously, to make Christmas a holy day. From the cradle, we trace our way up the hill of Cal vary to the cross of our Lord. There we lift our eyes to the skies from whence we look for the glorious appearing of the crowned Christ. Let us not merely stand at the cradle
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