King's Business - 1912-08/09

Prayer enables God to open eyes to see the need (Eph. 1:18). Prayer prepares the heart to respond to God's call to service (Acts 13:1-4). Prayer moves the soul with compas- sion and opens the purse (2 Cor. 9:1-2). Prayer prepares the hearts of men and women for the message (Acts 10:4-6). What men pray for, they work for; it is impossible to make a genuine prayer for the spread of the gospel without putting ourselves at the Lord's disposal for the answer to the prayer (2 Cor. 8:5). When we make a real prayer that the Gospel may be given to Africa, we • will mean that what we have and are, are at God's command for that work. So He said, "Pray ye the Lord of the harvest," and they did. LESSON 11. Golden Text, Matt. 11:28. From the awful judgment pro- nounced upon the cities of Galilee, the Lord turns and gives a personal invi- tation to the sons of men. He knows the hearts of men. This is but the echo of the call given to Israel (Isa. 14:3, 28:12). To those who find the world a weary place He now gives His graci- ous invitation. This is the turning point in the life of our Lord. He is not only the King of Israel, but He is the Son of God. The Call to Comfort. Come to me. Surely no one but God can give rest. Men need rest of conscience from sense of sin and guilt, rest of soul in contem- plation of eternity. The world cannot give it, the church cannot give it. Mary the mother of Jesus never said come to her. Mrs. Eddy cannot give it. Philoso- phers never, pretended to give it. There is but One who ever offered it and He gives it. It is a world-wide Invitation to all men in all ages. This voices the heart cry of the Son of God, He wept over Jerusalem because they would not come. He longs for the people of the cities of Galilee, for Pharisee and Scribe, for publican and sinner. The one universal panacea for all earth's ills is to be found in Him as He says, "Come:" No works are to be wrought, no promises made, no prayers offered, just come. Come in your guilt and sin, come with your broken hearts, come law- burdened Jew and merit-seeking Gen- tile, come from your self-righteousness, come just as you are. Only One who had been touched with a feeling of our infirmities (Heb. 4:15), and who was acquainted with our griefs could give such a call. Take My Yoke. By nature we are

yoked to Satan and his service that is. what makes life such a burden. God's yoke is easy and His burden light; not easy or light for Him, but for us who- wear it with Him. His yoke of fellow- ship is lined with love. When the head is bowed, the heart surrendered, the will yielded and we enter into the sweets o f . fellowship with the rejected Son of Godj our souls are refreshed. We know His peace, His comfort, His strength and; life; our service with Him is humble, restful, joyful. Come to Him, poor, tired pilgrim; come and find rest for your sin-sick soul. LESSON 12. Golden Text. John 6:35. The world is a barren desert, there is nothing in it to satisfy the soul of man. We are unable, in ourselves, to do any- thing. We have but a few poor barley loaves. How hopeless the outlook! He says, "Bring them to me." He takes us, into His own hands, blesses us, breaks us, bestows through us, His own life. There is sufficiency in Him for all of the want of the world, both sout and body. He would gladly supply t he the life if He could find the channels through which to do it. He might do without us, but he has ordained it otherwise. We are always questioning as to resources. What we need is not a larger store house but a fuller faith. Moses does not need eloquence or an army, only a rod. Joshua needs but a few rams' horns. Gideon a few lamps and pitchers. David a sling and a stone. Daniel a clear-eyed -vision of his God. How inadequate it all seems. A few fishermen, a crucified Leader, but He came down from heaven to give life to a world (Jno. 6:33). From Cal- vary flowed the blood, adequate for all sin, for all time. From the tomb came a man, sovereign in His Sonship. From heaven came the Spirit, potent in power. The frag- ments of His broken body and the drops of His shed blood have been passed on and on through the centuries. What- ever the failure here, we know and recognize the cause to be in the failing faith of His followers, never in our God. What a beautiful picture is here. The King, mighty, merciful, humble.' The multitude in companies, suggesting order and fellowship of the churches; the chosen disciples, meekly,, joyfully, ministering: all fed—all filled. The whole scene suggests that we, first see the need—get a vision; second, recognize the call; third', bring our re-

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