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July 1927
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
The name Methuselah (Gen. 5 :22) means “His death shall bring.” What did his death bring? The flood. His life was a probation period, and he was permitted 'tqsllive longer than any other man. —o— There are few words in common use that are at once more meaningful and meaningless than the little word “Amen.” It ought never to . be meaningless. In itself it is full of a beautiful significance. It is simply a way of saying, “Let it be so 1” ■The Chinese rendering ■of it is, “The,heart wishes exactly sol” •. —o— Mr. Mallis calls' attention to the fol lowing translation of 2 Cor. 12:10: “I take pleasure in being without strength, in insult, in being pinched, in being chased about, in being cooped up in the corner, for when I am without strength I am dynamite.” What a white peak of vic torious experience we have outlined here. May the Holy Spirit teach us how to climb it. - —o— Three falls: (1) Demas fell through the world (2 Tim. 4:10). (2) David fell through the flesh (2 Sam. 11:2-4). (3) Peter fell through the devil (Mt. 16:22-23). V------ —----------------------------- :---- POINTERS FOR PREACHERS l — :-------■--------■ ■•■- - — — — 4 “Cracking skulls is not the way of opening minds.” —o— If after kirk ye bide a wee,. There’s some would like to speak to ye, If after kirk ye rise and flee, We’ll all seem cold and stiff to ye. •—Lines found in an old Scotch church. ■ —o—• Dr. Mullins says that every. Sermon needs to be brooded over. The mother- hen broods over' her nest, and a child comes forth with wings. So from the brooding o f the preacher over his ser mon, there comes forth the winged truth upon which we fly to incalculable heights. — o — Rernember that the present-day capac ity for sustained attention is small, there fore the preacher cannot afford to waste words nor time. Everything should count. Stay on the subject. Let nothing distract:) — o — A Lancashire clergyman recalls an in cident of his London days. ' On one oc casion he was going to preach, when he met a gentleman who took hold of him by his coat and said, in reference to the fact that he was about to dispense the Bread of Life, “Cut it thick this morning, Mr. ----- ; cut it thick—I’m very hungry this morning.” Assuredly, one worshipper would leave church that day with a well- fed soul. —o— One- telephone girl turned to another and said, “He’s , a patient man. I was flustered, and gave him the wrong num ber four times, and he said so kindly, ‘You gave me the wrong number four times, operator. Try once again,’ I’d like to meet that man.” And the other inquired, “What is his number?” When she was told, she said, “I know him; he is, my minister.” Then said the other, “I’m going to hear him preach,”
“Not to be out and out for Christ usually means to be down and out.” We would not say, that every person who does not testify with the lips concerning Christ is unsaved, but we do know that the normal order .is, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh,” and “Whosoever believeth shall not be ashamed.” Failure to witness of Christ is in nine cases out of ten due to fear of man and this is a snare of the devil (Prov. 29:25; -see also Jn. 12:42, 43 ; 7: 13; Jas. 4:4). Many persons.who make timidity their excuse for not testifying are not known to be lacking for speech on other subjects, a fact which shows that the enemy is fobbing them of one of their greatest blessings. We notice what you have to say on the question of future punishment. Of course you are aware that there is much in the preaching of'Christ and the apos tles concerning the wrath of God. There are many who would never be jarred loqse from their sins except for these truths, and the declaring o f , the whole counsel of God involves this, though it should always be preached in love. It is true that the cultured modern mind rebels against the idea. People become weak and sentimental, forgetting that God is a God of justice as well as love. If there is no administration of divine jus tice except what we see in this life, it is a failure and evil doers may well laugh at sin with impunity. God has promised to undertake the administra tion of strict justice, punishing men ac cording to their works. There is no vindictiveness about this and if the truth is properly presented, any thinking per son must admit that God is absolutely justified. — o — Is Christ Now Spirit Only? To W. A. W. Have noted your question concerning Luke 24:39. There- can be no doubt that Christ still existed as a man, not simply a spirit, after His resurrection and that He as man is still in heaven. That His human body was changed we c a n n o t doubt for He was glorified, and as you say. His body was no longer flesh and blood, the blood having been shed. Nevertheless, He is still referred to as the Son of man. Stephen saw Him as man in the glory (Acts 7:55-56). He is the man Christ Jesus throughout the present age (1 Tim. 2:5) and comes as glorified man in His second appearing (Mt. 19:28). This means that He did not cast His lot with mankind just for 33 years of His earth residence, but that He became man forever and on the throne bears the image of man. . —o— “When Satan goes to church, he goes to prey.” And when he leads any there, it is that he may make them more surely his own. God’s idea in sending the Holy Ghost was to reach the ends of the e a r t h through you. If God has a gigantic task to be per formed, faith gets the contract. Future Punishment To F. S, M.
B I B L E B R I E F S p — ---------------------------------------------- 4 The Revised Version of Phil. 2:4 is, “Not looking each of you to his own things, but . . . to the things of others.” Conybeare gives it: “Seek not your private ends alone, but let every man seek his neighbor’s good.” — o — It is remarkable that Christ’s opening (Matt. 4:17) and closing (Luke 24:47) messages .-carried with them the teach ing of repentance. If we are to teach all nations what He taught (Matt. 28:19, 20 ) how can we leave repentance out? A suggestive reading of Heb. 12:1 is, “Laying aside the weights and the Sins that are in good standing.” “He brought me up out o f a horrible pit.” If you’re in a pit, said Dr. John McNeill, don’t wait for evolution to get you out. It is only the dead lift of grace that does that.
The First Psalm, Revised Blessed is the church member who walketh not in the way of the worldling, nor standeth on the baseball ground on Sunday, nor sitteth in the seat of a card player. But his delight is in the wor ship of the church and to thè services he goeth morning and night. He shall be like a worker in the vineyard of the Lord; who bringeth his f r i e n d s unto Christ; his influence also is for good, and whatsoever he doeth is open and above board. The indifferent church mem bers are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of. God, that ye may be able to. withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand,” Eph. 6:13. Says Dr. Weymouth : “Stand your ground in the day of battle, and having fought to the end, remain victors on the field.” —o ^ The Jews have no title for the first book of the Bible, but call it by its first word, “Beresith” (in beginning). Greeks call it Genesis (origination). .—o—■ “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground” (Gen. 2 :7). “Aphar” is a refined word, and does not mean the mud of the, swamp, or the dust of the street, but “fine soil”—the soil of a beautiful garden. — o- — “Sheep may fall into the mire; swine wallow in it.” Herein is a great differ ence between a fallen believer and a sinner.acting according to his evil nature. The swallow may touch the stagnant pond with his wing, but he- is Soon up in the air : the duck revels in the foul element, for he is another sort of bird.
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