June 1927
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Bible Food for Preacher and Teacher
He filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. Psalm 147:14
F inest o f
the Wheat
t»-------------------------------------------- <* OUR MAIL BAG f, ----------------------------------- -------------- ----------4, Conflicting Interpretations To M rs . L. H. M. You ask why two different Christians seem to get different meanings for the same passages of Scripture. It is diffi cult for us to say just who has the greater measure of the Holy Spirit’s illumination and in matters where we were dependent upon any human interpretations, we would be guided by the number of devout persons who agreed upon a certain mat ter, although in some cases even this would not be safe. When a person gives an interpretation that will not bear the light of all other portions of Scripture, it is always certain that he needs further light. Our Lord Jesus had the Spirit without measure and so was infallible in His interpretations, but unfortunately the influence of the Spirit of God is only partial with most of us and He gives us light just so fast as we live up to the light that He has already given us . — o — New Wine In Old Bottles To Miss M. M. P. Mt. 9 :17. Oriental bottles are made of the skins of sheep and goats. Old bot tles would crack and leak. The new wine evidently refers to the new Gospel of freedom of Christianity which Christ was preaching. The old bottles are those who, trained in Judaism, cannot receive the new law but assert the old is good enough (see Lk. 5:39). Jesus by these meta phors shows that the new message can not be limited by the conditions of the old. Christian faith and life could not be put under the rules of the Pharisees, or even of John’s disciples. He had not come to patch up Pharisaism or to pour His doctrine into the rigid forms of Juda ism. — o — Bruised Reeds To M rs . W. C P. Mt. 12:20. A reed is not of much ac count. You see hundreds of them encirc ling a stagnant pond and bending before the breeze. A bruised reed is still more worthless to the eye of the world. Yet the Master does not. despise a bruised or broken reed. He bends over it and tries to restore its shape. Flax does not burn readily. It only smoulders. The spark runs feebly up the fibres, and anything like a flame is impossible. Such is our poor love. It sometimes seems but, a spark, yet Jesus does not despise it. So far from quenching it, He breathes on it, places it in the oxygen of His love, and screens it from the wind that would ex tinguish it. How gentle, quiet, unobtru sive is our Master’s way. He is so care ful that nothing be wasted, so eager to make the most of us. It is out of such materials that He makes His ever-vic- torious army.
Salvation and Crowns To Miss E. D. N.
Forsaken of God To M r . M. O.
We have noticed your question con cerning the cry of our Lord from the Cross—“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” We believe that in that moment He was literally forsaken of- the Father. Sin causesi'separation.from God and the penalty of sin not repented of is eternal separation from God. We read in Habakkuk that God cannot look upon sin and then in the New Testament we learn that Jesus was made sin for us as He hung upon the Cross. As our substitute, He suffered that infinite separation from His Father in order that all who believe in Him might not have to be forsaken qf God forever. We believe that the physical; agony of His death was nothing in com parison to this terrible mental agony of being separated from the Father, consid ering the fact that He was in Himself absolutely sinless.
You will find that the word “crown” is used in thé New Testament in a sym bolic sense and speaks of the rewards which believers will receive for various kinds of service in Christ’s, cause. Re wards are not included in salvation as you suggest, but are something beyond salva tion. Salvation is a present possession (John 5:24). Rewards for service are future (2 Tim. 4:8; Mt. 16:27). Salva tion is a free gift (Rom. 6:23) while rewards have to be earned by faithful service (Rev. 22:12; ;Mt. 10:42). We have our salvation on the basis of ac ceptance of Christ’s finished work but there will be degrees of reward in heaven even as there will be degrees of punish ment in hell. 1 Sam. 28. The Scripture is clear that dealing with the spirits of the dead is impossible and that attempts to communi cate are forbidden (Deut.-8:9-11, 20; Isa. 8:19; Lev. 19:31; 20:6). Evil spirits have the power to counterfeit the spirits of the departed and we have no way of know ing in spiritualistic experiments whether or not the communication is genuine. The Bible clearly teaches that the spirits of departed human beings are not roam ing about in space. In the case of Sam uel, an exception seems to be made. The chapter plainly teaches that he really ap peared, that is, his spirit, but note that he did not come at the call of the witch of Endor. She was frightened and as tonished when he appeared. He came by the command of Jehovah. The importance of the crisis in the affairs of Saul and the nation is the only reason we can see why this exception should have b e e n made. I am sure that if it was a mere vision, the Scripture would have made it clear in this case as in other cases. — o — God’s Guidance To M r . G. L. We pray that you may be guided clear ly in regard to your future service. F. B. Meyer was once asked how one may sure ly recognize the will of God. He re plied, “This question was answered for me once as in the very dark night we were entering Hollyhead harbor. I asked the captain how he goes about finding the narrow entrance to the harbor at night. He said, ‘See yonder three rocks? When these are in line I am in the right chan nel. So it is with the will of God. When the Word of God, the impulse of the Holy Spirit in my life, and the outward cir cumstances are in harmony, then I am convinced that I am in- accord with the will of God.” Remember the Psalmist’s words, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” I feel sure that His Witch of Endor To M r . H. G Z.
The Twenty-third Psalm in Indian Sign Language 'T’HE Great Father above a Shepherd Chief is, I am His, and with Him I want not. He throws out to me a rope, and the name of the rope is Love, and He draws me, and He draws me, and He draws me to where the grass is green and the water not dangerous, and I eat and lie down satisfied. Sometimes my heart is very weak and falls down, but He lifts it up again and draws me into a good road. His name is Wonderful. Sometime, it may be very soon, it may be longer, it may be a long, long time, He will draw me into a place between moun tains. It is dark there, but I’ll draw back not. I’ll be afraid ■ not, for it is in there between those mountains that the Shep herd Chief will meet me, and the hunger I have felt in my heart all through this life will be sat isfied. Sometimes He makes the love rope into a whip, but after wards He gives me a staff to lean on. He spreads a table before me with all kinds of food. He puts His hand upon my head and all the “tired” is gone. My cup He fills till it runs over. What I tell you is true, I lie not. These roads that are “away ahead” will stay with me through this life, and afterward I will go to live in the “Big Tepee” and sit down with the Shepherd Chief forever.
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