The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-10-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson ll.-Fourth Quarter, For
Oct. 10, 1909.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

are raul tesufying before the Jewish
council and his being sent to Felix,
the governor of Caesarea. The chief
captain, having rescued him from the
Jerusalem mob and having given him
/ permission to speak to them from the
stairs before being taken into the cas-
tie was greatly perplexed when, after
time Of great silence and patient
| listening. the multitude suddenly be-
came full Of frenzy because Of some
thing he said AS Paul had spoken In
Hebrew the chief captain knew not
what he had talked about nor what
stirred them so. He was about to ex-
tort from the prisoner by scourging
the reason of their outcry when Paul
| told him he was a Roman citizen.
Paul's first utterance drew forth a
rebuke from the high priest and a
command to smite him ON the mouth.
Jesus was probably smitten thus John
xviii, %, but he answered meekly,
Paul not so meekly at first. Perceiv-
ing that some of those present were
Pharisees and some Sadducees, Paul
acknowledged himself Pharisee and
said, ''Of the hope and resurrection OF
the dead | am called in question" for
the Sadducees say that there is no
resurrection. neither angel nor spirit
but the Pharisees confess both oversees
6, 81. This led to a strife between the
two parties. the Pharisees taking
PauPs part and crying: 1--WE find no
Tok
against God" The strife between the
two parties was so great that again
the chief captain was compelled to
rescue Paul from them by force and
bring him into the castle.
Can you wonder that the church as
seen by the world today does not
draw men to God through Jesus
Christ? All sorts Of religion, Trini-
tartan and Unitarian, Calvinist and
Armenian. post-mtllennial and pre-miI-
lennial. are in the eyes Of the world
just SO many opinions of men, one as
good as another and none good for
much, for where is He seen who has
all power in heaven and on earth. the
Righteous One, the Prince OF Peace
will such religion ever win the world to
Christ? The Scriptures do not so teach
us. but God has a plan which He has
revealed to us in His word, and every
purpose Of His shall be performed
Qsa xiv, 24). Verse IL is certainly a
light above the brightness OF the sun |
in the midst Of the surrounding dark |
ness, not simply the darkness of the
natural night. but the spiritual dark |
ness of the times. 1.-THE Lord stood |
by him." and he never could forget !
it. Hear him as after many years. |
when he felt that the time of his |
departure had really come, he says. |
THE Lord stood with me and strength
ened me" OH Tim. TX, ID; BE Of
good cheer, Paulr' Imagine, If you
can, the events of the past day or
two and put yourself in Paul's place
and say what such a visit from the
Lord Jesus and such words might |
mean to you. Was Paul beginning to
see that perhaps his coming to Jerusa-
lem was a mistake, to say the least,
and that he had brought all this on
himself by not needing the voice Of
the Spirit and the counsel of his breth-
rem and was he cast down and dis
couraged? Well. here is his blessed
Lord. who loves to the uttermost and
to the end, the one who said to Simon
Peter: Verify, verify, say unto you,
the cock shall not crow till thou hast
denied me thrice. Let not your heart
be troubled" Oh, He is so full OF
compassionI He knows us thoroughly
and loves us Notwithstanding all the
sin and weakness He sees in us. What
ever may have been your failure. dear
reader, II you are truly His and do
really desire to please Him. He is say
ing to you. "Be of good cheerg' Con-
slider the other Eve places where Jesus.
and He only, used this particular
word, one word in the Greek Matt
TX, 2, %; xiv. 81; Mark K, 40; John xvi
33). and whether you are utterly help
less physically. OF your life seems
surely going from You, or you think
you Will perish, or you can't see any
thing. or your trials seem too great.
He is saying, BE OF good cheer
The mob might howl and the re
ligious ones contend but the Lord in
heaven had heard Paul testify to Him.
IL by word and deed we are testifying
of Him, then 1t is truly the work OF
the Spirit in us John XIV. 90. Paul is
assured that he must bear witness OF
Rome also, as he had desired. "The
Lord viii fulfill the desire OF them
that fear Him" (Ps. cxlv, 19 aDe-
light myself In the Lord, and He shall
give thee the desires Of thine heart !
Cps. xxxvii 4)--this verse is lesson !
enough for lifetime. But let as look +,
further. During the night Paul re !
ceived these assurances from the Lord {
In the morning his sisters J
son brings, him word that more than :
forty men have sworn that they WIN !
neither eat nor drink till they have
killed bin God and the devil. Tie !
hat sitteth In the aeavens shall laugh: i
he Lord shall hEse them Iii derision. t
wonder how long they tasted ere !
hey discovered the vanity of their
bath and purpose. Paul did not dis y
regard their purpose. but through the
boy made II known to the authorities !
md then rested In the Lord TO work
int His purpose. part Of which was /
-tssa~-*ss -s1 ',f-ss y, ~ e-ara.4 I
There's some money to be made iii q
enting furnished rooms if some az il lF