Kansas City Bible College - Armour Bearer Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

Page 74 text:

PAGE SIX -- THE COMMENTATOR . if Q ev! E sys .2 fm Mgr sa wha 'ii gfiafwe sr df? iw A ezerersggarar-'-:Gi'vs-' 'Q-2354: ,. -.. , 4:,1, .,,- at ,... :salaries 2259 5135-Q rt'NPwi'v: '-sf: . -' . '- .Si 1' -:C 'L. :sv-Ay.-Q- - .1 -rAa2F'9e4.f, . 3' -' ,::,, . 'ire ,sl i. 1 , v some because they Sunday School Lesson Notes By Dr. Walter L. Wilson President, Kansas City Bible College DECEMBER 2- A Doubting and Diso- bedient People? Numbers 14:1-11. Golden Text: I John 129, People weep for many reasons. Some weep because of their sins and others because they were caught in their sinsg have sinned against God and others b them as they well deserved. In our lesson the people were weeping ecause God punished because they seemed to be up against an impossible situation. They had forgotten that God had given the command to go across Jordan and invade the land of Canaan in order to possess it, and that He had promised to fight their battles for them. They saw only the walled cities, the giants, and the chariots of iron. God did have two men, however, who saw differently. While the people saw the dif- ficulties and hindrances, Caleb and Joshua saw the living God. Ten of the scouts were unbelievers while two of them were believers. It is usually sog most of God's dear people, even though redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, never get to know God very well nor to trust Him with very much of their lives. Yet God always has His witnesses whose faith He honors. We read that the people murmured against their lead-er. Although Moses was a man of faith and presented God's plans to the people, they were ready to desert his leadership and to turn back to the iron furnace of Egypt. It is often so in the present day when a godly minister insists that his people live separated lives and that the church be a holy sanctuary for the presence of God. Instead of responding to the faith and courage of Joshua and Caleb, the con- gregation would have none of their counsel and leadership and were about to stone them. They had forgotten the bitterness of Goshen and remembered only the fish, onions, garlic, melons, leeks, and cucum- bers. Perhaps there is a significance in the fact that all of these leave a disagree- able odor behind them. DECEMBER 9- Moses' Charge to the People. Deuteronomy 30:15-31:33 33: 27-29a. Golden Text: Deuteronomy 33:27. Any servant who is a God-sent man will bring before the people the Word of God, by which the very mind of God is reveal- ed to His people. Moses is here an ex- ample to every Christian leader in that he proclaimed God's message to the people. There are always two paths open to every man, woman, and child- the path that leads to life and the broad way that leads to destruction. One is the path of goodness and righteousness, God's path, and the other is the way of sin and wick- edness, Satan's road. Every person must choose for himself which way he will go. There must come a time in the life of each person when he decides which path he will take. The Lord goes before on the narrow path to straighten out the crooked places and make the rough places smooth. On the broad road Satan goes before to prepare enticing traps with which to catch and wreck the heart and destroy the soul. He makes his road appear to be smooth and lovely, but that which looks beauti- ful proves to be a delusion. On the narrow path there are pleasures forevermor- a quiet heart, a peaceful mind, and heavenly joy. On ,the broad road there are the pleasures of sin which last but for a season and those seemingly happy moments which leave dissatisfac- tion, misery, and finally a broken heart. On the narrow road is an eternal God who never destroys, never fails. He pro- tects and preserves those who belong to Him and is their refuge in the time of storm. He is able to minister richly to the heart as well as to the body and feeds the soul on the heavenly manna. The ungodly are not so- they have no helper when the storm comes, no comforter when the heart is broken, and no relief when the pressure crushes. Therefore choose life CDeut. 30:19J. DECEMBER 16- Into a New Land with God. Joshua 1:1-73 6: 1-5, 20. Golden Text: Joshua 1:5. Those who become born again enter into a new life, a new relationship, a new experience with God. They are no longer of the world or its affairs. They become a people separated to God and to His serv- ice. God does not leave His people without proper guidance. Israel was not to quit because Moses was dead. They were to enter into the new land under a new lead- er. Although this land was filled with giants and with well armed soldiers, al- though the cities were walled about and the enemy had Chariots of iron, the Israel- ites had God with them. Joshua was a leader who trusted God and walked with Himg and because of his life, the men un- der his guidance became men of strong faith. Joshua had an inexhaustible promise from God, I will not fail thee, nor for- sake thee CJosh. 1:55. With this assur- ance he could boldly enter the enemy's land and expect a glorious victory. If God was with him, it mattered little who was with the enemy. Because of the integ- rity of the God who gave the promise, he could attack any hostile force with con- Hdence. God warned him, however, that these blessings would be conditioned by the faithfulness of his walk and by his love for the Word of God. I-Ie was to read the Scriptures and meditate upon them con- stantly in order that he might know what God said in His Word and that with earn- estness and zeal he might press forward for God. Jericho was to be the first object of attack after the miraculous crossing of the Jordan. Joshua had arrived before this great city and made camp when sud- denly he saw a strange man. This man was the Holy Spirit, who told Joshua that He had come to take charge of the ight. Under His direction the victory was easy. We, too, should let the Holy Spirit take charge of our lives if we would be vic- torious Christians. DECEMBER 23- The Promise Fulfilled in Christ. Luke 1:46-553 2:1-7. Gold- en Text: Isaiah 9:6, 7. All through the Old Testament days the women of Israel were hoping for and ex- pecting the Messiah. Each one hoped that she might be the mother of that won- derful person who would come to Israel. A barren woman was a reproach because she knew she never could have this prom- ised child born in her family. The years rolled by and disappointed mothers throughout Israel died without realizing the fulfillment of their hopes and desires. Finally the day came when an exem- plary young maiden named Mary heard from an angel a message which caused her heart to leap for joy. Though the little one had not yet come, she believed the angelic message and rejoiced in the prom- ise. She gave God a new place in her life when she said, . . God my Saviour. Not only was her soul to be saved by the coming of this wonderful baby, but her life was to be saved from reproach. She herself was to be the fulfillment of the prophecy for Israel, that of being the channel through whom the Messiah was to come. She realized that this unborn babe was to be the sovereign Deliverer of Israel, who was to save His people from their sins, to overcome the proud, to con- quer the enemy, and to show mercy. Her heart could hardly contain the wonderful truths revealed to her. When the time came for the birth of this priceless baby, Mary must have been without assistance, for we read that she wrapped Him in the baby clothes and laid Him in the manger. The animals that were there had used that manger as a source of their food, and We are reminded that the Lord Jesus came to be the source of food for the souls of His people. As in the time of His birth, there are still those who shut Him out because they do not want Him to be their Lord. We may properly expect that some day He will shut them out of His presence for- ever. DECEMBER 30- Taking a Stand for God. Joshua 24:1-8, 14-18. Golden Text: Joshua 24:15. It is well for each of us to present our- selves before God for His examination and then present ourselves before the world for its examination. If we pass the first, there is no reason why we should not pass the second. Joshua had all the tribes of Israel present themselves before God while he rehearsed in their ears the victories of former years. Let us note the repetition of God's L He says, I took, I gave, I sent, I plagued, I did, I brought, I have done. The emphasis is on the doings of God rather than men. Paul, also, when he returned from h' journey, told the disciples what God ha wrought through him. It is always a mar of true humility and g-enuine faith to de- clare among the people His doings. The result of meditating upon the work of God is to lead us to love Him more an trust Him more fully. Joshua knew Is rael would have a difficult time of it ' Canaan, and he therefore prepared the for it by relating the victories of the past

Page 73 text:

TI-IE COMIVIENTATOR PAGE FIVE Bad Eggs By Mrs. D. E. Wisner Child Evangelism Instructor PREPARATION This story might well be told by the Hash card method instead of the flannel- board for a change. 'I'he Hash cards should be egg shaped, and covered with construc- tion paper of various pastel shades. The first one should be egg shell color bear- ing the title of the story. Others should have pictures of: Charles walking down the street, a bicycle in a store window, a woman standing on a porch holding an open letter, a dog, a hen and little chicks, a red barn, a nest of eggs seen behind stacks of feed, Charles sitting on a stool with pockets bulging, Charles kneeling before a stool, and Charles standing beside a bicycle. Pictures taken from magazines or color books may be used, or sketches may be made directly on the cards. PRESENTATION Boys and girls, I want to tell you a story about some bad eggs. CShow title card.J Well, you say, that's a queer title for a story! Yes, but the little boy in my story was a bad egg, and he got mixed up with some bad eggs, and, ac- cording to Dr. Harris Gregg, who has now gone to be with the Lord, we are all bad eggs, so perhaps the story will be more interesting than it sounds. WV? J. . ,. an mga l il itil- N--ff? L A W- x f-gif? fl il 4 +0 .Q Dr. Gregg was scheduled to speak to a group of high school students. When he arrived at the school, he noticed that someone had erased the g and r from his name on the bulletin board, making an egg of him. When he was introduced he said, I see that one of the fellows has made an egg of me by removing part of my name from the posterg but that's quite all right, for I a.m an egg and a bad one at that, and so is each of you. Then he proceeded to show them from God's Word how bad they really were. Since Adam and Eve sinned in the Gar- den of Eden and became sinners, all have been borh sinners. When we receive Christ as Saviour, we become saved sin- ners. Even then we have no goodness of our own to boast of, but God imputes to us, or gives to us, the goodness of Christ, so that whatever goodness we have is His goodness. Charles was walking down Main Street with his lips puckered up trying to whistle. CShow Charles walking down the street.D But he could only make a funny noise be- cause there was a lump in his throat that felt as big as a football. He had just passed Mr. Pratt's window, and for the twenty-third time that week he had look- ed in at the streamlined bicycle that stood window.J there. CShow bicycle in store No, I can never have it, so there's no use to want it, he said aloud as he walked slowly toward home, looking back every few steps. As he turned down his own street, he saw his mother on the porch with a letter in her hand. CShow woman on porch with letter.J Here is a letter from Aunt May, she said as he ran up the porch steps. She says she would like to have a boy visit her this summer to help Uncle Fred with the chores and take care of the chickens. Do you know of one who would like to go-?n The football vanished from Charles' throat. Oh! She means me! She means me! Doesn't she, Mother? he shouted, jinnping up and down with joy. Charles was very busy the next few days. He asked Daddy hundreds of ques- tions about the farm. He even asked what kind of cows gave buttermilk, and if eggs grew on eggplant! He surely needs to go to the farm and iind out some things for himself, said Daddy to Mother one night after Charles had gone to bed. When Charles arrived at the farm, Pal the dog came bounding out the front gate barking joyously, and they were fast friends from the first. CShow dogj With Pal at his heels he had soon explored every nook and corner of the farm. Every day he fed the chickens, Cshow hen and chickensl, gathered the eggs, helped his uncle with the chores, and hoed in the garden. One rainy morning when Charles could- n't hoe, he went to the barn to play. CShow the barn.J I'll pretend I'm a sea- captain, he said to Pal. This barn will be a robbers' cave, and you can be the first mate of my ship. Now I must find where the robbers have hidden their treasures, he Whis- pered to Pal as he prowled among the grain sacks, poking behind them with an old broom handle. With a loud squawk a hen Hew out, and Charles peeped in be- hind the sack and saw a nest with twelve lovely eggs. CShow nest behind sacks.J Oh! he exclaimed. Pearls! I've found the robbers' treasure, and I'll take it to Aunt May. He began to gather the eggs as he spoke. Then he remembered the bicycle in Mr. Pratt's store window and stopped. Pal, he said at last, I do want a bi- cycle so. If I would save these eggs and then take a few out of the nests every day and sell them, by the end of the surn- mer I'd have enough money to buy a bi- cycle. I could hide them in the hay and Aunt May would never know. Charles filled his pockets with eggs. He was just ready to climb the ladder to the hayloft when he heard a voice calling his name. He didn't have time to take the eggs out of his pockets but ran to the house just as he was, his overalls bulging out in funny lumps. Charles, said Aunt May, will you please sit right down and shell these peas for dinner? CShow Charles on stool.J ':Surely, Aunt May, he replied, trying to make his voice sound as if nothing were the matter, and he took the pan and climb- ed on the high kitchen stool. Just as he sat down, he heard a cracking sound and soon a stream of yellow and white be- gan soaking through the pockets of his overalls. Immediately a horrible smell began to fill the kitchen, for some of the eggs were rotten! ' Why, Charles! exclaimed Aunt May, hearing the noise and seeing the look of dismay on his face. What is it? And slowly, with burning cheeks and down- cast eyes, he told her. I don't think you will ever do such a thing again, will you, Charles? she said when he had finished. lu I 2 j l L 2-'Sv ,R I i' l!lZ1lx 4 ' C QD Oh no! he cried eagerly, Not even to get the best bicycle in the world! Now, then, we must get you cleaned up before Uncle comes home from town, she said, hurrying upstairs to get his clean. clothes and praying for Charles as she Went. When Uncle Fred came in, Charles told him all about it. 'Tm sorry, Uncle Fred, he said, and I won't do anything like that again, ever. I believe you mean what you are say- ing, Charles, but you are going to need Someone to help you keep that promise. It is a sin for anyone to want things so much that he would cheat and steal to get them. This is not the only sin you'Ve ever done either. You have sinned many times and so have I, and God says sin must be punished with death. But the Lord Jesus came and died on the cross in order to pay for all our sins, and He wants you to receive Him as your Sav- iour. Then He will live in your heart, and when you are tempted to do wrong, you can ask Him to keep you from doing it.' Oh, Uncle, may I ask Him to come in now, and save me right here in the kitch- en. Certainly, Charles. Then Aunt May and Uncle Fred bowed their heads while Chafles prayed. CShow Charles kneel- mg. Dear Lord, I'm so ashamed of what I've done. Please come into my heart right now and take away my sins. Thank you for dying for me. Amen. Charles, said Uncle Fred a few weeks later, 'KI brought home a piece of ma- chinery this afternoon. It's in the truck. Will you get it out and put it away? I think you can manage it. Yes sir! I'll do it now, he answered, running out to the truck. CCo'nti'n.'u.ed on Page 73

Page 75 text:

TI-IE COMMENTATOR PAGE SEVEN On many occasions the enemy outnurn- bered the people of God, but God was there. Joshua reminded them of this so that their faith and trust might not be in the resources of men. Having prepared the hearts of the peo- ple, Joshua proceeded to set forth the claims of God to their loyalty. Many of those whom he was addressing had been rebellious in their spirits against God and had questioned His justice and goodness. Others still served idols and indulged in forbidden pleasures and lusts. He appeal- ed to all of these by mentioning former deliverances and blessings from heaven. As he described these wonderful inter- ventions by God, their hearts were stirred, and they covenanted to walk with God and to serve Him only. BOOK REVIEWS World Crises and the Prophetic Scrip- tfwres, by Wilbur M. Smith fMoody Press, Chicago, 384 pages, 33001. This book fills a two-fold need which Bible loving Chris- tians feel. It gives a great deal of factual information about conditions and negotia- tions in the world today- a source book of the contemporary history with which prophecy deals. Perhaps what is more valuable, it also gives the prophetic pic- ture of Scripture as related to these events and their Biblically assured outcome. Notes on the New Testament, James- Jude, Volume X, by Albert Barnes CBaker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 404 pages, 53.001, The century old Barnes commentaries are classic among Bible ex- positors, and this volume of the new edi- tion, prepared by Dr. Robert Frew, is now off the press. The Notes are ex- haustive and devotional in character and will be invaluable as study or reference material. PROVIDE -nm-r Ano-rl-len .sHou1.D nun -fm -ru: mics AFTER you! ff'-st. , 9603-A 1 ff3'.'w 'P I 1' f 1 5 X it-' lx' Y J f H!-1' En g - A . ,-as ei- - - ' 1 W 1--gg U T V. I UK Us T T UN 'Q 3 'il 'iz I vi 5. ?- 3 ?- ?- 'V A bequest to the Alumni Association of the Kansas City Bible College will assure you that after your labors have ceased another will carry on in your stead, taking the glorious news of God's grace and mercy to those who have not heard. Write Anita Welch, Financial Secretary of the Alumni Association, 3326 Brown Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas. ATOMS AND COMMUNISTS fContinaecl from Page 11 Democracy, the second revolutionary idea, springs from the first. Democracy can flourish only under Christian mono- theism. One God made all of usg all are equal before Him- a truly breath taking thought This one God, the Lord Jesus Christ, is interested in a person because he is a person. The history of mankind is a continuous story of one group of men exploiting another group. The idea that all are free and equal before God was, and still is, a fresh discovery. No one ever made clearer the dignity of all men be- cause they are men, than Christ. If there are many gods divided into geographic compartments, then men are not free and equal. Some are better than others if they have a god who is better or more powerful. Man has shamefully abused the democratic ideal, but, nevertheless, he has held it out as his ideal, fighting for it when necessary. Our God, the Lord Jesus Christ, having created men free and equal, was enough interested in them to die for them at Calvary. Christ does not want anyone to be a slave, whatever form that slavery might take- moral slavery to sin, politi- cal slavery to a state, or religious slavery to a ritual. Christ knew what He was about when He died for sinners. Because He could not create men and then leave them slaves to sin, He died for all that anyone might be free. Our prayer and our aim should be that the communist threat shall not blot out these self evident truths from before us. BAD EGGS CContinuecl from Page 51 A very happy little boy was soon back in the kitchen, dragging a bicycle with him. CShow Charles with bicycle.1 Oh, Uncle Fred- Aunt May! he gasped. Oh, what a beauty! It's the very one I want- ed! Did you get it at the Pratt Hard- ware Store? Yes, I bought it from Mr. Pratt, him- self, for a good farmer boy at my house. Do you like it? asked Uncle Fred, his eyes twinkling. Do I? Just look! Streamlined, built- in headlight, real speedometer, built-in tool box, and oh, everything is just grandln cried Charles getting things all mixed up in his excitement. Then he looked up soberly, But- but I don't deserve it, A11nt May, he said. We don't deserve a great many things our Heavenly Father gives us, she said softly, but He is good and kind to us, anyway. APPLICATION Are any of you boys and girls like Charles? Are you thinking of the many sinful things you have done? You can have your sins washed away just as he did because the Lord Jesus said, If we confess our sins, h-e is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnessn CI John 1:91. Why not pray just what Charles did: Dear Lord, I'm so ashamed of what l've done. Please come into my heart right now and take away my sins. Thank you for dying for me. This story comes to us from Mrs. Clyde Ellis of the Oregon Child Evangelism Fellowship and is used with her permission. MUSINGS ON ISAIAH 53 fContinued from Page 41 is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ J esus. His cross lifted the unbearable burden of guilt and made possible the Father's smile. Yes, these suf- ferings were eifectual. They brought life and peace and liberty to countless thou- sands, and our world holds within it mul- titudes of souls who are living evidences of the power and efficacy of the cross. THE QUESTION BOX CContinued, from Page 31 characterize the close of this present age CII Tim. 3:21. James and Peter both de- clared that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble CJ:-is. 4:6g I Pet. 5:51. The apostle John says that pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world CI John 2:161. The dictionary defines self-respect as a proper regard for one's character, a be- fitting sense of one's own value, commend- able self-esteem. This word does not occur in the Bible, but the thought is certainly there. The Lord Jesus expressed the idea of human worth time and time again. He declared that man was of more value than many sparrows, that the hairs of his head were all numbered. Indeed, He declared that man was worth more than all the world beside. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? CMark 8:361. Paul's statement in Romans 12:3 seems to mark the difference between proper self-respect and pride. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to thinkg but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Pride as used in the Bible is thinking more highly than we ought to think of of ourselves. Self-respect is thinking as one ought to think, soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the meas- ure of faith g that is to say, a befitting sense of one's own value. QUESTION! Do Christians or angels 'reap God's harvest? ANSWER: In the Bible both angels and men are assigned to this work but in two different respects. Christians are to reap in the sense of winning souls to Christ. The Lord Jesus said to His disciples, I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours fJohn 4:381. But at the end of the age the final reap- ing is to be done by the angels. In the parable of the tares as recorded in Mat- thew 13:39 the reapers are the angels. In verse 41 the Lord declares, The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity. Again He declares in Matthew 24:31, And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Accordingly, when it is said that the har- vest of earth is ripe in Revelation 14:15, we read in verse 19 that the angel thrust the sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth.