THE K I N G ’ S BUSINESS aware. In a qualified sense every Christian may be called a prophet inas much as he has taken sides with God against an apostate and rebellious world. He must therefore bear the odium and opprobrium of those against whom he testifies. Acts 7:52. As a prophet gets his commission from God, his qualifications and recompense must come' from God also. FRIDAY, Nov. 19. Acts 8 :1-8. The Church Persecuted. It is a curious fact abundantly con firmed by history, that any cause wor thy or unworthy will thrive under op position and persecution. The natural explanation may be that persecution serves to advertise the cause and war rants the implication that there must be something excellent in an institution to call forth such efforts for its sup pression on the part of those who have selfish interests at stake. Acts 19 : 34 . Periods of persecution in the church have been times of great spiritual prosperity and of numerical growth. Never in the history of Christianity have converts multiplied so rapidly as when it was the exception rather than the rule for a Christian to die a natural death. The ten persecutions in the Roman Empire during the first three hundred years of the church’s history prepared the way for the abolition of Paganism and the establishment of Christianity by imperial edict. “ The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” SATURDAY, Nov. 20. John 4:31-38. White Harvest Fields. For everything except evangelization preparation is necessary. Foundations must be laid before a building can be erected. Seed must be sown and the soil must be tilled before a harvest can be gathered. A world lying in sin is ripe for the sickle of the reaper. The average man does not need to be con vinced of sin before being told of a Saviour. Conscience accuses and con demns. Experience has brought fail ure and defeat. The disease has ad vanced so far that nothing remains but the application of the remedy. The con dition of a lost world without hope and without God is the strongest argument and appeal for missions. No social emollient or political expedient can be a substitute for the Gospel. Christ alone can save the world but Christ can not save the world alone.
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SUNDAY, Nov. 21. Is. 4Q:1-11. Comforting Promises. These promises, while spoken pri marily to Israel, may be appropriated by any believer since God i is no re specter of persons, and the principles of Divine dealing are fundamentally i^he same to all people and in every age. The message to be proclaimed tq the sorrow-stricken everywhere, the remedy for trouble of every kind is “ Behold your God.” In the vision of God as Father, Saviour, Helper, ever present and never failing, is relief from all. anxiety, deliverance from all de feat and strength in the hour of weak ness and need. We need not pray for anything else for all lesser prayers would find an answer in the beatific vision of the glory of God in the fi&e of Jesus Christ. “ Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice: for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely.” MONDAY, Nov. 22. Matt. 11:1-6. How Jesus Was Received. The earthly ministry of Jesus was not so much the formal presentation of a kingdom to Israel as the presentation of Himself as Ring. “ He came unto His^own and His own received Him not.” The actual rejection comes later, John 19:15, but morally and substan tially the rejection was complete in Matt. 11 and 12, the nation being tested in sample places like Capernaum and Bethsaida. The powers of the kingdom were manifested to prove the Davidic descent and Messiahship of Jesus. The rejection of David’s Son did not set aside his royal rights nor nullify God’s covenant. He was raised from the dead and will come again to build the Da vidic dynasty. Meanwhile scattered Is rael is hidden from all but God, but is reserved by Him for future restoration and exaltation. TUESDAY, Nov. 23. Matt. 11:20-30. Warning and Invitation. Adversity is the test and disclosure of character. To. face reverses cneer- fully and to endure opposition with for titude shows true strength of charac ter. The bearing of Jesus is most im pressive in the increasing difliculties and perplexities that beset Him. Geth- semane even more ‘ than Hermon re vealed His purpose and power. The shadows brought out what the glory of transfiguration could not. The an swer that Jesus sent to John was sim ple and sympathetic. The very works
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