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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
April, 1940
Virgin Mary” , and "I moreover under take to renew my consecration on the first Sunday in each month.’* A “ Consecration Service” is a mis nomer. This fact is recognized in the Christian Endeavor Society in Great Britain where the service is now known as “The Monthly Covenant' Service.” What Man Yields, God Consecrates The- three essential factors in Scrip tural consecration were stated by the late A. T. Pierson to be: 1. Separation from the world. 2. Dedication to God. 3. Consecration by God. self 'and is “full of power.” Life be comes life abundant—a cumulative life- friendship with God. The Bible becomes a new Book, the pages aglow with Christ as the Old Testament illustrates the teaching in the New. He is able easily to make contact with his fel lows, and finds in his life, a joy hitherto unknown. He has entered into peace— the consciousness of unlimited resource. God has given Himself in love that no human philosophy can c o m p r e h e n d (Eph. 3:19). Thus he demonstrates that what man yields unreservedly to Him, God will consecrate and use. A Fourfold Testimony to Jesus Christ Mark 1 By E. HARLAN FISCHER* Hempstead, Long Island, N. Y. B HE Gospel of Mark covers ap proximately three years of time and deals properly with the earthly ministry of our Lord. Thé book risen a greater than John the Baptist” (Lk. 7:28). And ye.t this great man felt himself too unworthy even to un loose the latchet in the shoes of Jesus. Great though John was, yet Christ was mightier! It is as necessary to distinguish be tween these operations as it is between sanctification and consecration. The former is to set apart, to sever, to •separate (cf. Lev. 20:8, 24,_26). When, in man, all desire toward the lusts of the world is dead, in whole hearted cooperation with God, he dedi cates himself to God.. This act is the expression of his love in response to the love of God shed abroad in his heart. He reckons himself as dead to sin and alive to God, and every member is joy fully yielded to Him as a weapon of righteousness. He is set free from him-
was the meeting place of the early church. Mark went with Pául and Bar nabas on the first missionary journey, but for some unknown \ reason turned back at Perga (Acts 13:13)‘. He was the cause of a rift in the early church when Paul and Barnabas separated on the second great missionary tour (Acts 15:36-40). From Paul’s later Epistles, we learn that afterwards Mark was fully restored in the good graces of the Christian leaders. “Take Mark,” he writes, "arid bring him with thee; for he is useful to me for ministering” (2 Tim. 4:11, R ..V .). In 1 Peter 5:13, R. -V., we read, “Mark my son” “saluteth you.” Peter acted as a spiritual father to Mark. In fact, Mark' received much of thè information for his Gospel from Peter. Mark himself was not one of the twelve apostles, but he came in contact with' those who. were. Heneé his testimony is reliable and presents the evidence of one very close to the actual event» re lated. Mark’s testimony is that Jew» is the Son of God. John the Baptist’s Evidence The second important testimony in the first chápter of 'Mark is from the lips of John the Baptist. "There corn etti one mightier than I after me” (v. 7). John called Jesus “the Lamb of God” and uttered these humbling words, “He must' increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). John came at a time when there was great expectancy on the part of the people. There was great joy, for God once again was speaking to them through a prophet. John served as a herald, going before and announcing the coming King. He himself was just a witness, but con cerning him Jesus said, “Among them that are bom of women there hath not
opens with the baptism of the Lord Jesus and closes with the ascension. It is generally believed Mark wrote this Gospel while in Rome with Paul and that its message is primarily for Gen tiles. rather than for Jews. One note worthy characteristic is that almost every paragraph or sentence begins with the word “and.” This word usage shows the rapid sweep of the book. In this Gospel, Jesus is set forth as the Mighty Worker. John Mark’s Testimony In the opening chapter, we have a fourfold testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ. The first is from the pen of Mark himself, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” This verse gives the title of the whole book. It is the good news about the Saviour who is the anointed Son of God. Here Mark sets forth his belief in the deity of his Saviour. Is his witness re liable? Let us observe Mark’s oppor tunities for learning the facts. The first mention of Mark in The Acts occurs in chapter 12, verse 12: “He [Peter] came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose súmame was Mark; where many were gathered to gether praying.” Here we learn that the Gospel writer’s full name was John Mark and that he came from a Chris tian home. His family apparently was wealthy and influential, as his home *Pastor, First Baptist Church. Mr. Fischer was graduated from the Bible Institute of Los Angeles in the class of 1926.
A LIVING ENDOWMENT 0 Through more than thirty years of national prosperity, panic, de pression, and recession, the Bible Institute of Los Angeles has had no monetary endowment, fund. Biola has stood firm on the prom ises of God and for the Word of God, and has stood strong in the faith that He who called into be ing this great institution would meet its every need. The total amount of money ex pended in a whole year to carry on this work might be provided easily in a single gift by one of thousands of wealthy men of our country. But it has pleased God to send us a multitude of smaller gifts, and also an army of loyal friends who follow their offerings with their prayers. Biola consid ers itself richly blessed with a LIVING ENDOWMENT more pre cious than gold, in the Tove of these faithful stewards of the Lord. You. may have a very definite and Important part in a worth while piece of work for God. Write' Elmer 1. Peterson, Business Man ager, the Bible Institute of Los. Angeles, -Inc., 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles, Calif.
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