The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-02-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
The sixth Of the First Quarter, In.
ternutiOna1 Series, Februnry 2.

peiioved were Of ono heart and Of one soul ,,
IL was whole hearted surrender to Christ
Oh all they were and oil they had; full
recognition that they were not their own,
but bought with prico to be special
people uEto tho Lord Il Cor. vi. 10. 90.
Titus II, 14) This was as truly the work
OF the Holy Spirit as was the boldness Of
Peter and John before tho councr{<or their
boldness In verse 81. Imagine tho flnup
cial condition OF the churches and mission.
airy societies If all Christians would saw.
Whatever tho Lord wants Of me or mine
He Is welcome to, for all am and have IA
surely His"
33. And with great power gave the
apostles witness OF the resurrection Of the
Lord Jesus and great .,rncc was upon them
all " The grace was the grace Of God, and
tho power was the Spirit OF God. "Not by
might, nor by power, hut by My Spirit,
saith the Lord of Hosts" Zach iv, g.
81, S5. Neither was there any among
them that lacked. Distribution was made
to every map according as he had noed. -
II Is the Lords plan that those who IRE
His and serve Him should lack 10 good
thing (Ps. lxNxiv, IL; Math, vi, 80; Phil.
iv 10; Luke xii, So
Make thou Ills service thy delight;
Hon make thy wants His caro-.
In this case tho supply came from tho
willing contributions OF those who, having
property, sold 1t and brought the proceeds
to the apostles When the tabernacle was
built, the supcrGbundant supply came
from tho willing offerings of tho 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.
a nd L.. "A
1t and brought the money and laid 1T at
tho apostles feet. - Hero is one example
of the many who did thus. His other
name, Barnabas (son of consolation), wns
certainly true of him when he stood by
Saul Mt the time tho other disciples were
afraid of him (Acts tx. 20, 27).
Chapter v, |, .. =" But certain man
named Annnias, with Sapphire, his wife.
sold possession and kept back part of tho
price. These were profosscdly 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 tho proceeds to tho
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 net upon the pre-
cept "Whatsoover ye do, do it heartily as TO
| tho Lord, and not unto men" Nor did
they think Of the eyes Of tho Lord behold
ing tho evil and tho good (Col. Iii, 49,
Prov. Ky, 81.
8. "But Peter said, Aranas, why hath
satan filed thine heart to lie TO the Hol'
Ghost" When any one receives Christ
Tho Holy Spirit is given to instruct, guido
and control in all things that life, and
when there is complete submission to the
ss,i rtt h.. 1.- 80
glory of God, but when the old life-the
flesh. the carnai mind--which still remains
| in the believer is allowed to have its evil
way--for it is only evil---thcn the Spirit is
grieycd (Eph. iv, 2o-32)
4. Thou hast not lied unto men, but
unto Cod" Here Is proof of the oneness
of the Father and the Spirit; to lie to tho
one is to lie to the other, The property
was Ananias' and the proceeds Of the prop
crty when sold wero his also and he was
ut liberty to give to God all orp part or mono
| without committing sin, but to profess TO
| give all and yet give only part WAS lie.
| We are saved freely through Christ with
out money or price. We arc then to re-
rnomber that we are bought with n price,
the precious blood OF Christ, and yield fully
to Him for His service (Rom. xii, y, but
it must be honestly and cheorfully done to
| 30 accepted.
3, 6. And Ananias, hcaripg these
words fell down and gave up the ghost.
| Instant death for lie. This seems very
severe but it was evidently, in the sight
| of God, IL necessary discipline for tho be-
levers. | cannot conclude that this man
and his wife were out and ont hypocritcs
and lost souls without concluding hat all
who today keep banl; part of the price arc
also lost souls, and ii that be 50 what
host of professors arc lost IL all such
| should be cut OF as those two woro, there
would net bc undertakers enough to SEQ to
the burying.
T. "And it was about the space of three
hours after, whom his wife, not knowing
what was done, came in. She did not
know that she was widow, she did not
| know that her guilt Lad been found out;
she probably came looking for her hus-
| band She came knowing in her heart
that she was acting lie AS to the price of
the property, but not knowing Gods dis
pleasure with such conduct. What con,
! trast there is In uhis not knowing" to the
mot knowing" OF Abraham in Heb. xi, &.
s. And Potter answered unto her, Tel
mo whether We sold the land for so much
| And she said, Yen, for SO much. " An
other lie the Spirit grieved, loss incurred.
| Tho devil is the father of lies, and thus
| carly in tho history OF the church he got in
some of his deyilsh work. He did some
Of The same kind mean lying--through
| Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and lsebcllah,
Jacob and Rachel, and if he ncvor accom-
plishcd any through you, my friend, you
| have great reason to praise God for Ills
grace which has kept you.
o. "Then Peter said unto her, How is
it that ye have agreed together TO tempt
the Spirit of the Lord" What constena-
tion must baye seized her az she heard tho
exposition OF her guilt, and In Peters next
words the tidiugs that hor husband was
dead and buried and that che must die
tool What an awful illustration OF the
words in Mum xxi, go" BE sure your
sin will find Won out. =" May wo keep in
mind that God desires truth in the inward
parts, and let our hearts be saying, 80
| Lord thou hast searched me and known
me- Ops. Ii, G; cxExi1, ~
10 "Thcn fell she down straightway at
his feet and yielded up tho ghost. - An