THE KING’S BUSINESS
349
the possessive is “God’s” and we see it before the word prophet, we rejoice with these men have large right to be heard. Some of them tell us things that are yet to be, some speak of things that were fu ture but have since been made into history, others told of things that were then history. Every one of them has a local interpreta tion which will explain 'the large part of their utterances, but every one has a broader meaning than that which belonged to their immediate surroundings and age. You will catch their meaning by the aid of God’s Spirit, but not otherwise. If the circumstances about those who were first addressed are about you, then you can claim the messages; if general principles are declared they are yours; if unfulfilled pre dictions are recorded they are for your study. Which are your favorites among the prophets’ verses? Why do they stir your heart? Look up those that Jesus quoted and see how He applied their mes sage. Inquire of yourself what appeal these writings have been making to you. Be sure to ask your Teacher what appeal lie wants them to make to you. The chapter you have just read is one of the strongest in the Old Testament. The prophet speaks in verses one to three and nine; God speaks directly in' four to eight. Information Sunday, July 27. For six months we have studied the mis sionary situation on the field. Now we turn
toward ourselves to see what we need to fill our places in the great enterprise. “In formation,” “Prayer,” “Giving,” “Going” are the four big words for the next four months’ missionary Sundays. Then we turn to the field again to apply those words and thus get at our full duty. We will lay the four words before the Home Mission field first and then before the foreign field. God grant to each of us that we find the mind of the Master. For we must know His will before we can do it. And so we begin with “Information” in this personal study. That is what Paul is doing in the chapter before us this afternoon. That is also what the Spirit means by the quotation. Infor mation means report from the field: it will let us into the conditions and accomplish ment* But information means report from the Book of Orders : it will let us know what the Head of the Church has decided about the campaign. We have divine au thority for our mission study classes. Def inite news from the returned missionaries is exactly following up Paul’s lead. There are th'us three questions for us to ask and to have answered in getting our informa tion : 1st. What does our Lord say about this work? 2nd. Where is there need? 3rd. What line of conduct is He blessing? The mere satisfying of curiosity, the listen ing to gossip about Other peoples’ habits and destitution, study of geography for geography’s sake, or history' for history’s sake—these are not missionary informa tion.
Jun ior E n d e a v o r T o p ic s By J. H. S.
Putting Off the Great Decision. July 20.—Acts 24: 24, 25. 1. Paul Before Felix. Paul was an innocent prisoner at Cesarea. Felix' was the governor and his judge. Felix and his wife Drusilla were worldly and godless. Paul had a chance before them to plead for his liberty, but he used it to preach the Gospel to them,, for he would
rather save their souls than to be saved. 2. Paul Preaching to Felix of Judgment. He showed them that they ought to live holy and sober lives, and that a judgment day was coming when they would have to give an account to God. Then Felix trem bled. He shook with fear, for he knew that he deserved God’s eternal displeasure, and that he would have to spend eternity
Made with FlippingBook HTML5