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

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PAGE six Q: THE COMMENTATOR Sunday School Lesson Notes A,, ' By Dr. Walter L. Wilson A, President, Kansas City Bible College MARCH 2- Barna- bas, a Good Man. Acts 4:36, 37, 9:26, 275 11:19-26: 13:1-3. Golden Text: Acts 11:24. It is not often that a ,4 5 man's lovely charac- ter invites his friends to give him a name that indicates that character. In this case, however, Barnabas fthe son of con- solationh was such a delightful Christian, so devout and so devoted, that he received 'this special recognition from those with whom he worked. He was not a native- born Palestinian, but he was of the priest- ly family. He had moved into another country where idolatry prevailed, but somehow he had heard the precious gos- pel and had turned his heart heavenward as he trusted Jesus Christ. His was not just an empty profession of being a Chris- tian as was proved by his sacrifices. He sold some property and brought the full amount to the apostles as a gift to the King of kings. He was no half-way dis- cipleg he gave his all. Not only was Barnabas a godly man, wholly devoted to his Lord, but he was also a separated man. Separating himself from the world, he sought out the company of those who walked with God and who could heya blessing, to his soul. His keen discernment recognized Saul as a truly horn again man. His help to Saul at this time proved that Barnabas was the brother born for adversity. The beautiful description given of the character of this man should stir our own hearts to want to be like him. He rejoiced in the blessing that God had given through the preaching of others and the growth in grace of God's people at Antioch. When he had led these saints as.far as he could, he resigned and sent for Saul to teach them deeper truths. The Scripture records three character- istics rarely attributed to meng Barnabas is called good, full of the Holy Spirit, and full of faith. No wonder the Holy Spirit selected this man to be one of His chosen vessels. MARCH 9- Paul, a Prisoner of Christ. Philippians 3:4b-17. Golden Text: Philippians 3:13, 14. - Paul was one of God's giants in intellect. He was unsurpassed in devotion, unex- celled in Christian character, and above reproach- but without Christ. He lists seven enviable characteristics in his life which in the eyes of the world would make him acceptable to God, but he had no eternal life. He might have been well satisfied with his beautiful character were it not that he had met the risen, glorious Christ on the road to Damascus, and the light of that Person eclipsed forever all of these personal, religious attributes. Aft- er rneeting the Saviour and being redeem- ed by Him, he discounted in a vigorous way all of the things which he had for- merly trusted as a basis for salvation. He could not get rid of them quickly enough. He used only the filthiest word to describe st? . 5 rx 5 if .A,f2,g, Kits . V . : 553 : ,g.,5:, 2:12, f-,f .I ., g '-,., mg? 1 ai H -1. .. V .. i. , B at -sa 'Y f as,r,e.gQ1,',.' - .- -- - V r fr,-.e::a':-:::::-'ea2 1 . -, ,,. , - these religious characteristics in which he had trusted for salvation, because now he was saved by faith in the precious Person who alone can make us fit for heaven and then take us there. He had been spending his time studying the multitudinous de- tails of the law. Now, however, he would know Christ Jesus and all of the wonders of His work and the witness of His sacri- fices. He wanted to he moved and stirred in his soul by the resurrection of this mmdered man whose blood had been shed and whose heart had been pierced. Paul had a unique experience in his life, as is suggested in verse 11, when he was stoned to death at Lystra, went out into eternity for a short time, where he saw the wonders of heaven and hell, and then came back to pr-each as no other man has preached. What he saw out there made him leave everything else behind in his intensive search for all of the blessings of God. He invited others to join with him in the finest and the best that could be obtained from the living God. MARCH 16- Timothy, a Dependable Fol- lower. Acts 16: 1-35 Philippians 2: 19-24: II Timothy 2: 1-5. Golden Text: I Timothy 4:12. Paul had a human heart that loved fel- lowship. Silas was his churn for a while, and before that Barnabas. Timothy, how- ever, seems to have been the one who understood Paul best and stayed with him the longest. It is well for young men to become associated with older saints who know God's Word and His ways, because they save themselves many difficulties and perplexities thereby. Timothy sought first the things that are Jesus Christ'sg and, like Paul, he had a shepherd's heart. God is still looking for those whose hearts are moved and stirred by the needs of the church and who care for the growth of the believers in spirituality. Paul had found Timothy when he visited Derbe and Lystra. This young man had a good reputation among the Christians there, in that he was ambitious and' had a real desire to grow in grace and in usi- t e fulness. Paul had led him to know Saviour and therefore called him his soma an in the faith. He traveled with Paul saw the working of the Spirit of God and learned to know the path of faith as God's path for His servant. Let us consider some of the wonderful truths brought to Timothy in the last passage in our lesson. Paul calls this young man in verse 1, his song in verse 2, a sol- dierg in verse 6, a husbandman or carpen- terg in verse 24, a servant who is to carry out the will of his master. He was a son in relation to his Father. He was a soldier as to his activity in attacking the enemy. He was a husbandman in that he sought to produce fruit for God and establish something stable for God's glory. He was a worman in that he could examine and explain the Word of Truth so that others could understand God's will, God's wav, and God's mind. He was a servant as to his ministry for and around God's dear people. Paul did not fail to encourage Timothy by reminding him that if we suf- fer we shall reign. What a teacher, and what a pupil! . MARCH 23- An Open Heart and Home? Acts 16:6-15, 40. Golden Text: Pro- verbs 31:30. Paul believed implicitly in being led of the Spirit whether He commanded to go or not to go. In each case he acted without hesitation and with full assurance. The Holy Spirit is the Lord of the harvest, to whom we should pray about harvest activities. It was a man who called Paul to Ma- cedonia, but when he arrived there, it was a woman that he met. The man said come help us, but his first meeting was with a group of women at the river bank. The man who called him to Macedonia was probably the Holy Spirit because it was He who knew that Lydia's unsatisfied heart was seeking relief. He knew also that Paul had the message she needed, and thus the seeking sinner led by the sovereign Spirit met the servant of God whom the Spirit had brought. We rejoice to see the way that the Holy Spirit un- tangles the web, arranges the impossible program, and reaches through the dark- ness and the unbelief to find a woman's heart. The Word tells us that the Lord opened her heart, and she opened her house. Thus it is always that those who re- ceive Christ receive Christ's people and de- sire their fellowship. Lydia was not asham- ed of these who had brought her the gos- pel but she welcomed the servant of God openly. Paul's zeal and earnestness at Philippi brought him into much trouble. The magistrates removed Paul's clothes from him to hold him up to shame and scorng then they had the soldiers beat him with 39 stripes, and after this they cast him into prison. The Lord delivered him, and we find in the closing verse that he went right back to the house of Lydia where he was comforted and helped. May there he many more Lydias. MARCH 30- How Luke Served His Lord. Luke 1: 1-49 Acts l:1, 29 16:6-105 Col- ossians 4: 14. Golden Text: Acts 118. Luke was a physician, whose books are so accurately written that it is easy to see his medical mind. In writing to Theo- philus, he mentions that he was an eye- witness. The thought found in this very interesting Greek word is that of autopsy. ln order for the doctor to really know what caused the patient to die, he must open up that body and End these fatal changes that 'took ploe in the brain or the heart or some other susceptible portion. Having made an autopsy on the body, he can then tell accurately the de- tails concerning the suffering and death of the patient. Luke said he did this with the record of Jesus. He examined every detail of everything said and done about Jesus and by Him. We may therefore receive with open heart his revelation, knowing it is absolutely true. Before Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles, these truths also were definitely examined before he presented them. We are not told whether Dr. Luke was with the one hundred on the day of Pentecost, or what reception the Word of God had through his lips as he traveled with Paul. We don't know whether he preached or won any souls for Christ. Evidently, Dr. Luke went with Paul on his journeys, and probably he often returned to his home weary. Paul calls him the beloved physician and indicates that he was much in love with God's people and desired

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TI-IE COMMIENTATOR .PAGE Captain Robert Wins A Wctory UESTI0' i v ox I Child Evangelism Instructor PREPARATION baby and torn book and later Robert standing as in the first scene.J Many of BY Mrs. D. E. Wisner All the action of this story may be shown against a single background. Any living room scene including a door and window may be used. The Bgures are: Robert, about 8 or 10 years of age, with his face pressed against a window: Motherg Robert facing Mother, two hands with fingers opened out: two eyesg two ears: a mouth showing tongue, baby Carol sitting on the floor: a book with torn pagesg an appleg and Father with hand at salute. These figures may be found in magazines or may be sketched on construction paper. They should be backed with outing flannel and cut out. PRESENTATION Robert was kept indoors by a severe cold. As he Battened his nose against the window pane, he sw a company of soldiers marching by. lShoW Robert at Windowj He was fascinated by their uniforms and the way they kept step. He watched un- til the last man disappeared around the corner. Then he turned to his mother with a sigh. CRemove figure of Robert at window and place Robert and Mother fac- ing each other.j I would like to be a soldier, he said. Very well, said his mother. Then I would be. Robert stared at her a few minutes, won- dering whatever she could mean. Then he said, Would be what? Why, a soldier. Isn't that what you said you wanted to be? b ':,Yes, Mother, but- well, how could I e. e Oh, that's easy enough- that is, if you put your mind to it. A soldier's life is never an easy one, of course. But, Mother, I don't know what you mean. You don't? Have you forgotten the verse we talked about so long, that tells us that he that ruleth his spirit is greater than he that taketh a city CProv. 16:32J ? It takes real soldier-like Hghting to rule a spirit, I tell you. Oh, said Robert as he once more flattened his nose against the pane while he thought about what his mother had said. But, Mother, I didn't mean that kind. I would like to be a captain and have soldiers under me. Nothing easier, said his mother. There are your ten fingers, and your eyes, and your ears, and that troublesome tongue that hates to obey. CPlace each figure be- tween Robert and Mother as mentioned.J I'm sure you will have soldiers enough to control. I pity any captain who has more troublesome ones. Robert stood a good while thinking about what his mother had said. Then he de- cided that he would be a captain at once and that his soldiers should obey per- fectly. He wondered what orders he would have to give them irst. Poor Robert! In less than ten minutes he knew. CRemove all figuresb When he went to read his new adven- ture book he had received for his birth- day, he found that baby Carol had been there before him. CPlace figures of the the pages were torn out, and some of the best pictures torn into pieces. Oh, how angry was Captain Robert! He wanted to run after Carol and slap her naughty fingers. She was almost two years old and ought to know better. He wanted to cry out with angry voice that Carol be spanked. He wanted to bury his face i.n the sofa cushions and cry aloud. Why did he do none of these things? Because he remembered in time that he was a cap- tain and had soldiers that must obey. lrnleh KE ' N1 1 , - ,. fa-tv'- -r Halt! he said to his feet, as they were about to rush at little sister. Stop! he commanded his eyes, as the tears began to rush to them, and back went all the tears except one little straggler that rolled down his nose and was instantly wiped out of existence. In short, Robert proved himself a good captain, for that time at least. He even sent his feet out for a rosy-cheeked apple for Carol. fRemove the book and place the apple beside the baby.J Then he bade his arms give her a loving hug, which they immediately did. CRemove all figures except Robert.J Mother found out about Robert's victory and reported it to Father when he came home. Father gave Robert a snappy sa- lute. CPlace figure of Father before Ro- bertj Captain Robert, I am proud to sa- lute you. I hear you have fought a battle and won a victory today. Robert was very happy, but he knew that he could never have won that battle alone. At each step he had to call on his Com- mander-in-chief for help. You see Robert was a Christian boy, he had a wonderful Saviour living in his heart, and he could call on Hi.m for help in time of need. APPLICATION Would you like to be a captain and rule over your soldiers: hands, feet, eyes, ears, and tongue? Then you had better ask the Lord Jesus to come into your heart and cleanse it from sin. He will gladly do this for you because He died to pay the penal- ty for all your sins and He longs to come into your heart and save you from them. Then you can look to Him every moment of every day to give you the victory over every one of these troublesome soldiers. This little story is taken from The Shcmty- man, and is used by permission of the pub- lishers in Toronto. Canada. Greatness is a two-faced coin, and its reverse is humility. A 'man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back to the crowd By Rev. Wade K. Ramsey Dean, Kansas City Bible College . In this column Mr. Ramsey will be r glad to answer questions sent in by our readers which concern Bible in- - terpretation or application and are of general interest. -Editor QUESTIONI Why was Moses told to smite the rock for water in Exodus 17: 6 but only. to speak to the 'rock in Numbers 2018? ANSWER: The rock, as I Corinthians 10Z3, tells us, was symbolic of Christg the smit-' ing of it, therefore, typified the smiting of Christ upon the cross for our sins.. In symbol God was saying to the peo- ple that only through the crucified One, the smitten One, can a person have the water of life. Thus in Exodus 17:6 He commands Moses to smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people 'may drink. But in Numbers 20:8 He says, Speak ye unto the rock before their eyesg and it shall 'give forth his water. The reason for this is that since the rock symbolizes Christ, it needs to be smitten but once, for Christ was crucified but once. His own offering was abundantly sufficient to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by I-Iim. We read also in Hebrews 10:12,f But this man, after he had offered one' sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God. Then in verse 14 of the same chapter, For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. After Christ was smitten at Calvary, all we need to do is to turn to Him by faith and request the water of life. Consequently, when Moses smote the rock the second time, he disobeyed God and marred the significance of the type. Therefore, God punished him by refusing to allow him to bring the children of Israel into the land of promise. QUEs'r1oN: What is the nature of the sin of Nadab and Abihu which caused their instant death by the hand of God? ANSWER! Nadab and Abihu were the sons of Aaron, their sin was the offering of strange fire before the Lord, a sin in holy things. Such sins seem to he the most heinous in the sight of God. At any rate, His judgment upon them is often instant and direct. It is instructive to note that in every instance in the Bible where God intervenes and directly takes life as a judgment, it is because of sins in holy matters. Beside the example be-. fore us, there are several other similar instances. There is the case of Korah and Dathan and Abiram who tried to set up a new priestly order, not only without divine order, but in direct op-- position to the order God had already setr up. Their swift and horrible fate ish recorded in Numbers 16:32-35, And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed: QCo'n.tinued on Page 7D I

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THE, COIVEMENTATOR PAGE greatly to see their blessing. Not much is given of his spoken ministry, but a great deal of space has been given to his written ministry, for his book is the long- est in the New Testament. God sovereign- ly selects for us the' kind of work He wants each one to do. Somehow He knows our intellects, our capabilities, and our inabilities, and arranges the kind of serv- ice we can render to best advantage. TI-IE QUESTION BOX CContinued from Page 55 them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that pertained unto them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congrega- tion. And all Israel that were round about them Hed at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also. And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense. Then there is the case of Uzzah who in- truded the flesh into holy matters by put- ting forth his hand and taking hold of the ark of God when it was being brought back to Jerusalem by David. His act and instant death are recorded in II Sam- uel 6:6, 7. Then there are the New Testament ex- amples of Ananias and Sapphira and Her- od. Ananias and his wife were struck dead for lying to the Holy Spirit in the matter of their offering fActs 5:1-115 while Herod was smitten by the angel of the Lord for taking glory to himself which belonged unto God CActs 12: 231. In God's sight, then, the sins which are directly against Himself are the most reprehensible and deserve the swiftest and severest punishments. According to our Lord, the one sin which is unpardonable of this type is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. QUESTION: Are all unbelievers in bond- age? ANSWER: Yes, the Bible teaches that all unbelievers are in bondage notwithstand- ing their often vaunted freedom. Their bondage arises out of two sources, namely, ignorance and sin. Our Lord said to the Jews in John 8:32, And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free, implying that to be ignorant of the truth is to be in bondage. All unbelivers, there- fore, are in bondage to their ignorance, but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually dis- cerned CI Cor. 2: 141. This ignorance sometimes leads to the bondage of law as was the case with the Jews of whom Paul speaks, who being ig- norant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteous- ness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God CRom. 10:35. Then it leads to the bondage of super- stition as was the case of the Gentiles in Acts 17:22. In Ephesians 4:18, the apostle speaks of the unbelieving Gentiles as hav- ing their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through ig- norance. Of course, it is to be under- stood that the ignorance here referred to is the ignorance of spiritual things and not the things of this world, for many unbe- lievers are highly enlightened in matters pertaining to this life. Our Lord said the children of darkness are often wiser in their generation than the children of light The second source of their bondage is their sin. In John 8:34 we read, Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the ser- vant Ibond-servantj of sin, and Peter teaches us that while the false teachers among unbelievers promise others liberty, they themselves are the servants of cor- ruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage CII Peter 2:19J. The kind of freedom which these teachers promise is the freedom from righteousness, as Paul says, for when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness CRom. 61201. So while the men of the world pretend to have free- dom and liberty, they are in reality hope- lessly in the grip of an unbreakable bond- age. Only Christ can set them free: con- sequently, only the Christian enjoys true freedom. ' A MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL CContinuecl from Page 11 as commendable as it is, will not be con- ducive to a well rounded Christian life. It could and may actually be producing born again believers, like the seed that -fellamong stony places, but it does not grow up into a fruitful life. God's cause is certainly not helped when, among groups of- His own people, basic virtues of kind- ness, compassion, longsuffering, honesty, thrift, and moral cleanliness are not prac- ticed. When bitterness, schisms, back- biting, petty crimes, sexual promiscuity are seen among such groups, is it because the pulpit has failed to sound forth God's standards on these subjects? Obviously those who claim to be saved by the blood of Christ should be peerless examples of what Christ can do in one's personal testi- mony to the world. MY TESTIMONY BY CAROLYN Wacom-:R Student, Kansas City Bible College I wonder what others must surely think Of the Lord I love and praise, As they see my actions day by day Which may a question raise. Christ did not have a bitter tongue Nor thoughts of shame and sin, But His heart has longed to share with us The love of God within. My life should be a lighted lamp To burn and not grow dim, For the life I live with others, I live it now through Him. O Gocl.' Forgive me for the times I've fallen and lost my way, And seemed to shatter the 'rays of light And even failed to pray. O gracious God who never fails, Thou hast answered my prayers again! For my light will shine through the darkest night When I put nothing first but Him. A 1'RANQulLl rY BY Louisa B. EAVEY I do not ask to leave this lonely road, If here Thine own acquaintance be more sweety Why shouliil I seek a pleasing, crossless pat When Thy choice led Thee forth to pierced feet? For poignant stings thrust by a hating world There flows from Calvary Thy healing balmg For sudden storms without- and in my heart- Thy Peace, be still restores the quiet calm. But little matters on this pilgrimage From earth to heaven, if, by plenteous grace, My pardoned soul may, mirrored in Thy Word, Behold fresh glimpses of Thy loving face. I claim Thy sovereign power to plan my course. Content to let Thee choose, come joy or pain, With footsteps planted deeply in Thy Word, Assured, my Lord, I cannot trust in vain! -Moody Monthly One Step Sometimes the path ahead seems rough, and oh, so dark! A way to climb its 'rugged steeps I can- not see: But God is ever walking by my side, and so I need not know the trail- one step's enough for -me. --Irene Judy New yearh pesolulions ' P . ' I. Q? . Q1 J ' - -. 'i' Q, ' 1' l . 2. nm. -V. - . S .vah!f f,,,n.,, f R1 Xsx ? 51 ilruf ,glxxrl-lx, 1 . ' Li-a: - ,A A 1'Q'1L-if-sie' 5 A 'x ' ' 'f 1' X' -- ,., ,. , Ts, if :' iff!! ' -v...,4-.aQJ Remember your good resolutions to sendl regular contributions to the Alumni Scho- larship Fund. You will benefit Gocl's ser- vants-in-training, the needy peoples of the world, and yourself. Start your gift on its way today to Ani- ta Welch, Financial Secretary, Alumni As- sociation, 3326 Brown Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas.