The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-06
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VI, FIRST QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. 7.

ID. NJ. Stearns.
32. "And the multitude of them that
believed were of one heart and of one soul"
1t was whole hearted surrender to Christ
or all they were and all they had; a full
recognition that they were not their own,
but bought with price to be q special
people unto the Lord Il Cor. vi, 10, 90;
Titus ii, 14). This was as truly the work
of the Holy Spirit ms was the boldness of
Peter and John before the council, or their
boldness in verse 81 Imagine the llnan-
cial condition of the churches and mission.
airy societies If all Christians would say,
whatever the Lord wants of me or mine
He Is welcome to, for all am and have Is
surely His. -
49, "And with great power gave the
apostles witness of the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them
all " The grace was the grace of God, and
the power was the Spirit of God. "Not by
might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,
saith the Lord of Hosts" Czech. iv, 81.
"a, 80. Neither was there any among
them that lacked Distribution was made
to every man according as he had need "
1t Is the Lords plan that those who are
His and serve Him should lack no good
| thing FPS. lxxxiv, IL; Math. vi, 33; Phil.
Nv, 10; Luke xii, 35).
Make thou His service thy delight;
Ho'll make thy wants His care.
In this case the supply came from the
willing contributions of those who having
property, sold it and brought the proceeds
J to the apostles When the tabernacle was
built, the superintendent supply came
from the willing offerings of the people
| (Ex. xxxvi, 90; but whether in these
ways, or by ravens, or by increase of oil or
meal, God will supply His peoples need.
86, 81. And Joses, having land, sold
| it and brought the money and laid it at
| the apostles feet" Here Is one example
of the many who did thus. His other
name, Barnabas (son of .consolation), was
certainly true of him when he stood by
Saul at the time the other disciples were
afraid of him (Acts TX, 26, 27).
Chapter v, 1, g. but certain man
named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife,
sold possession and kept back part of the
price" These were professedly followers
of Christ and perhaps really so; but, like
so many today, they were not whole heart
ed in service. They saw Others selling
property and giving the proceeds to the
apostles for the general good, and they
seemed to do like the Others, not thinking
that God saw their hearts and their dis
honesty. They did not act upon the pre-
cept, "Whatsoever We do, do it heartily as to
the Lord, and not unto men. Nor did
they think of the eyes of the Lord behold
ing the evil and tho good (Col. Iii, %;
Prov. XIV, 81.
8. "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath
satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy
Ghost?' When any one receives Christ
the Holy Spirit is given to instruct, guide
and control in all things that life, and
when there is complete submission to the
Spirit there will be life greatly to the
glory of God, but when the old life-tht
flesh, the carnal mind-which still remains
in the believer is allowed to have its evi
way-lor it is only evil-thcn the Spirit Il
grieved (Eph. iv, 20 32).
4. ''Thou hast not lied unto men, bu
unto Cod" Here is proof of the oneness
of the Father and the Spirit; to lie to thu
one is to lie to the other The propert!
was Ananias and the proceeds OF the prop
erty when sold were his also, and he wa
ut liberty to give to God all orr part or nom
, without committing sin, but to profess t.
give all and yet give only part was u lie
We are saved freely through Christ with
| out money or ppice. We are then to re
member that we are bought with a price
the precious blood of Christ, and yield full.
TO Him for His service (Rom. xii, IL, bu
; Il must be honestly and cheerfully done T.
be accepted.
8, 6. "And Ananias, hearing thes
words, fell down and gave up the ghost.
, Instant death for a lie. This seems YER
severe, but it was evidently, in the sigh
of God, necessary discipline for the he
levers. cannot conclude that this ma
and his wife were out and out hypocrite
and lost souls without concluding that a.
who today keep back part of the price ar
also lost souls, and II that be 80 what
] host of professors are lostl Ii all sue
Q should be cut off as these two were, ther
, would not be undertakers enough to see :
{ the burying.
> "And It was about the space OF thre
hours after, when his wife, not KNOWN
what was done, came in" She did nc
know that she was n widow, she did nc
D know that her guilt had been found out
i she probably came looking for her hui
4 hand. She came knowing In her heal
9 that she was acting lie as to the price
a the property, but not knowing Gods oil
a Measure with such conduct What cor
. trast there is in this "not knowing" to th
:. "not knowing of Abraham In Heb. xi,
s. "And Peter answered unto her, lie
me whether ye sold the land for 80 mucl
}. And she said, Yea, for so much Al
i other lie, the Spirit grieved, loss incurred
J., The devil is the father of lies, and TIT
!. early in the history of the church he got
}. some of his devilish work. He did SON
!, of the same kind-I mean lying-througs
. Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekai
Jacob and Rachel, and II he never accom-
. plished any through you, my friend' yo
have great reason to praise God Tor IL
grace which has kept you.
IS O ssThen Peter said unto her, How
" a. that ye have agreed together to tenn
/. the Shirt of the Lord?" What constern'
n tion must have seized her as she heard tf
g exposition of her guilt. and In Peters hc'
= words the tidings that hor husband wa
dead and buried, and that she must q
% tool What an awful illustration OF u
o words i'm Mum. xxi, 23-"Be sure 70!
d ain will find you out" May we keep
10 mind that God desires truth in the inwai
|, ports. and let our hearts be saying :
/. Lord thou hast searched me and know