October 1931
473
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
TUESDAY: Look up the following references in the Psalms: Psa. 30:4, 12; 75:1; 92: p 2; 95:1, 2; 97:12; 105:1-5; 147:7. Write out as many as you can in your notebook; memorize one or more. WEDNESDAY: Read David’s psalm of thanksgiving in 1 Chronicles 16:7 to 43. Compare it with Psalm 105. List the things for which David thanked the Lord. Can you match his list with causes for thanksgiving in your own life and ex perience? THURSDAY: Carefully examine the first chapter in each of the Church Epistles of Paul. Note that all but one, Galatians, open with thanksgiving. List these references in your notebook, noting the reason for thanksgiving in each case (Rom. 1: 8; 1 Cor. 1:4; Eph. 1:16, etc.). FRIDAY: Study the following passages, noting some of the things for which Paul was thankful. Analyze and copy the follow ing in your notebook: Rom. 1:8; 6:17; 2 Thess. 1:3; 1 Cor. 1:4; Col. 1:3-6; 2 Cor. 8:16; 1 Thess. 2:13. SATURDAY: Write out in your notebook and mem orize 1 Thess. 5:18; Phil. 4:6; Col. 4: 2; 1 Tim, 2:1. SUNDAY: Select for, yourself any passage in the Bible dealing with the subject of thanks giving, which you can use as the basis for a short devotional talk or personal testimony. Prepare your message, and give it at the earliest opportunity. Expression I. G od ’ s U nspeakable G ift “Thanks be unto God for his unspeak able gift" (2 Cor. 9:15). How easily and how glibly people thank God for sending Christ into the world! But if we pray aright, and with the proper appreciation of its meaning, we can find no greater cause for thanks than that which is found in Christ, our Redeemer. He is truly the unspeakable, the inexpressible Gift. Every day we should praise God for His goodness, His mercy, and His love, in sending our Lord into this world of woe that He might re deem us and set us free. Upon this gift depend all others, for in Him we have all things. Why should we not set aside a definite time this Thanksgiving week, in which to praise God for the marvelous revelation of Himself given in His only begotten Son? P S elf -C entered and C hrist -C entered T hanksgiving “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself , God I thank thee, that I am not as other men” (Lk. 18:11). It is well for us to analyze carefully the motives back of our petitions. How often we fail to have our prayers answered, be cause they are self-centered! Analyze the prayer made by the self-righteous Phari see in this parable. I. The Object o f His Thanksgiving. He “stood and prayed thus with him self.” Here we have an example of the prayer life of all unbelievers, for in their case the psychologists are right—
their prayers are merely petitions to their own subconscious minds. Selfishness in prayer results in self-prayer, and as a consequence, “ye ask, and receive not, be cause ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (Jas. 4:3). II. The Ground o f His Thanksgiving. Ip the case of the Pharisee in the par able, the basis for his thanksgiving was his own righteousness. He sought to jus tify himself by his own works. Note his statements: 1. “I thank thee that I am not as other men are.” Here we find the negative plea: “I am not as bad as the others.” 2. “I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” He pleads his own goodness, presenting the ritualistic and philanthropic activities in which he engages. His attitude is very . similar to that of those who seek to jus tify themselves by the statement: “I at tend church regularly, and I do my bit in giving to the Community Chest and va rious benevolent organizations.” How often this type of thanksgiving is based upon self-conceived virtues—not thanking God for His virtues, but asking Him to credit us on His books with ours! III. The Subject o f His Thanksgiving. Again, we find the Pharisee doing the same thing that we so often do. He speaks of himself, his attainments, his posses sions. Five times in two sentences we find the personal pronoun “I” used. Note in detail that he thanks God fo r: 1. His superiority. He says that he is “not as other men are.” Ho;w often we thank God that we are educated Americans, and that we have culture, wealth, and position, and all kindred benefits! 2. His morality. We thank God that we are not ex tortioners, that we are honest; not unjust, but broad-minded and will ing to cooperate with others; not adulterous, but clean, and, at least so far as the world knows, upright. 3. His virtues. The ritualistic “I fast twice in the week” and the philanthropic “I give tithes” sound very much like our own talk, in our self-centered, smug, virtuous-attitude. 4. His possessions. “I give tithes of all that I possess.” How easy it is, in the time of pros perity, to speak about what we own and what we have and what we a re! In contrast with this attitude of the Pharisee, study carefully the prayers of thanksgiving that abound in the Scrip tures, especially noting the list of things for which Paul was thankful, as suggested under Friday’s preparatory material. In almost every instance, you will see that his thanksgiving was for that which God had done for others—and here we have the keynote of true thanksgiving. It is Christ- centered and unselfish, or it is not true thanksgiving. Pray that your giving of thanks may be centered in Him from whom comes “every good gift and every perfect gift.” Discussion 1. As the first exercise for the dis cussion this week, work out on the black board or on paper a list of all the dif ficulties and problems which you are fac
ing. Beside this list, make a second col umn, setting forth all-the blessings which you can call to mind. Discuss the rela tive importance of these two lists. 2. Discuss some of the commonplace blessings of life: our homes in which we never stay, our parents whom we do not appreciate, our food that we never taste, the air which we breathe, but for which we never thank God, the health which we never value until we lose it, our min isters who christen us, marry us, and bury us, but for whom we s.eldom have much use at any other time, and so on. 3, 4. Discuss some of the uncommon subjects for thanksgiving. Have you ever thanked God for your mental health as well as for your physical health? Have you ever thought of expressing gratitude for the trials, difficulties, and hardships which you are allowed to endure and hy which you are enabled to grow stronger (cf. Jas. 1 :3) ? Have you ever thanked God that you do not have everything that you want, and that you are not given every thing you desire? Some of the most un happy people in all the world are those who have everything that money can buy. 5. D i s c u s s all the verses you can find in the P s a l m s , which deal with the subject of thanksgiving, What are the principle things for which David gives thanks to God? Are they things which apply to us in this day and generation? G O S P E L S I N G E R S Y our nam e, th e nam e a n d a d d re ss o f th ree o th e rs w ho sin g Solos, D uets, o r T rios, w ill e n title yo u to a FR EE co p y of th e 60c song “THE PILOT OF THE SOUL” Send th e se nam es to d ay , th e offer is lim ited. A d d ress: HERBERT G. TOVEY 4940 C ollege View A ve., L os A ngeles, C alif. THE COMING GOLDEN AGE WHEN LOST EDEN WILL HAVE BEEN RESTORED. AND GOD’S REDEEMED FAMILY SHALL REIGN ON THE EARTH. By A. Sims. Just published. 25 cents. Also the following nine books on Prophecy by same author. All up to date. Having a great circulation. 25 cents each. Startling Signs of Great World Changes—The Coming Great War—Daniel’s Prophetic Image—The Harlot Wo man on the Scarlet Beast—Satan’s Last Dread Counter feit-Antichrist: Who is He?—The World’s Desperate Cry for a Superman—Socialism Exposed—The Coming Crash Between Capital and Labor. A Sims. 5 Simpson Ave., Dept, K, Toronto. 6. Ont. PERSONAL PRIN TED 1200SingleSl»eb J STATIONERY f 100&rr«ki**.L/ I rS High grade, watermarked bond paper In a handaomo box with your name and address £ rlnted in a rich dark blue with copperplate othlc 'type on sheets and envelopes. Name and address printed on top of each sheet and on,flap of envelope. Send Cash with Order. Agents Solicited. ■ For Christian W orkers, if desired, we can print one of the following Scriptures across the top; Acts 16:31, Psalms 119:18; Pro- Verbs 3:6: Romans 5:6. Faithful Words Pub. Co., 1500-10 California Avo. | ____________ Depf. K.B.I.. Sf. Louis. Mo. BIG BARGAIN PIPE-TONE FOLDING ORGANS tauqua and Folding Organs. Send for catalogue and prices. A. L . W H IT E MFG. CO. Dept. K., 215 Englewood Ave. Chicago, III., U. S. A. roHMUNioNW are of Q uality V In Aluminum or Silver Plate V ’BEST MATERIALS -LOWESTPRICES ' v FINEST WORKMANSHIP Sendfor IllustratedCatalog INDIVIDUAL COMMUNION SEitVlCI^CO. ROOM 366". 1701*03 CHESTNUT STREET, PHILADELPHIA.PA. Special: For limited time we will sell a 5 Octave Victor Fold ing Organ at price of a 4 Octave. 21 Styles, School, Chapel, Chau
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