The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-10-12
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson iIl.-Fourth Quarter, Fol-
Oct. IS, 1911.
THE international SERIES.

THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Ezra j, III; ii, o.
70-Memory Verses, !, 8, 4Goiden |
Text, Mic. vii, documentary Pro-
pared by Rev. D. M. stearns.
AS we turn to the story of the re-
turn from Babylon some words come
to mind such as these: Every pur-
pose of the Lord shall be performed
whatsoever the Lord pleased that
did He." HE worketh all things after
the counsel of His own will' DER. Ii,
%; Ps. cxxxv, 6; Eph. i, III.
Compare the previous chapter.
verses p, %, and the words of the
Lord Jesus in Luke xiv, Al, "Al'
things must be fulfilled which were
written in the law Of Moses and in
the prophets and in the psalms con-
corning Me-" All the predictions con-
corning the captivity - .;@ael ana
Judah were fulfilled, and now under
Ezra and Nehemiah the predictions
concerning the return from captivity
are to he fulfilled, God controlling the
hearts Of kings to bring it about Just
as surely shall all predictions concern
ing still future restoration b. fai-
flied, and they shall then be ps:lck@d
up no more nor see evil any more.
Neither shall they weep any more
(Amos il, Is: Zeph. iii, 10; lisa. XXX,
19). The Lord shall be their eveFlast-
ing light, and the days of their mourn
ing shall he ended elsa. TX, 20).
He is quite able to accomplish all
that He has purposed, and it is our
privilege to walk with Him and see
Him do it. If we are abiding in Him
He may use us, but He will work out
His eternal purpose, and He cannot
| fail nor be discouraged (Eph. iii, IL;
| lisa. xiii. ~. He may use Cyrus or
| Darius. an Ezra or Nehemiah. but
| He is ever saying, II will work. and
who shall hinder it?' Qsa. xiii, 49,
Cyrus is one of the seven men men
toned by name before they We're born.
Isaiah speaks of him as Gods chosen
one over $50 years before he came Oh
earth lisa. Xiv, 28; xiv, IL, just as
Josiah was mentioned by name and
4 some things that he would do about
300 years before he was born q Kings
i xiii, 2; II Kings xiii, 15-1D. How in
4 spring are the words, II am God. and
there is none else; ! am God, and
there is none like Me, declaring the
end from the beginning, and from an
cient times the things that are not yet
done, saying, My counsel shall stand
and l will do all My pleasure >
"Known unto God are all His works
from the beginning of the world usa
XVI, Oil; Acts XIV, 49,.
It was the Lord who stirred up the
spirit Of Cyrus, the king, to send Ere
and the people back to Jerusalem tt
build the house Of the Lord God Of
Israel, and it was He who stirred III
the hearts of all who went bacl
verses 1, 81. Cyrus acknowledged
that it was the Lord God of HEAVIER
who had made him ruler over TIL
l
charged him to build the house a
J Jerusalem (verses 2-4), and he caliet
/ for volunteers to go up and do this
commanding those who did not go t.
help In every way those who went
II 1t is all important to notice this, TO
the church seems to have forgotten
and is giving itself up to schemes 0
every kind to draw money from pee
pie who are not interested and VIII
have no part in the Lords work. no
being children of God. Notice in Ez
xxxv. 500: xxxvi, Z, that the ma
terial for the tabernacle had to b
willingly offered, and they brought S
abundantly that Moses had to as
them to stop bringing, as more tina
enough had come in for all the work.
: Concerning the temple, David sale
II have prepared with all my Nigh
!, for the house of my God, because
have set my affection to the house 9
. my God" He also said, "Who am
It and what is my people that we shoul
d be able to offer SO willingly after thi
10 sort, for all things come Of Thee, all
It of Thine own have we given Thee
y Il Chron xxx, 2, 3-1D. A willin
> mind is everything. and God asks II
- one to give or to do that which Fl
# does not give them the ability to Civ
g or do Oh Cor. viii, II; Pet ". II
ID The love of Christ is the one col
straining power.
le Think of the 5,4OO vessels of gol
y and silver which had been sevent
years in the hands of the enemy, no
about to be restored to Jerusalel
J. {verses 7-11)! Notice also the nearl
$1,000 people verses 64-65), and COZ
slider the restoration that Is to be fro
all lands, both before and after tt
coming of the Messiah in glory, til:
Israel may blossom and bud and f
the face of the earth with fruit (EZe
( xxxvi. "a, 25; lisa. TX. 8; xvii. 6; P
, Xvii, Ia.
id In chapter ii, $500, we see the II
q, cessity Of being on the books and CO
10 understand better the force of Lul
~ x, 20; Rev. Xxx, Is. If not registers
n on the Lambs book of life there is l
~ kingdom for us. But ''whosoey
a. will'' may take the water of life FIRE
to ~. and him that cometh" shall IL
e. be cast out, so that all who ha,
at heard may be registered if willin
ia Vessels suggest people, for we a
. spoken Of as earthen vessels. and We
as sells meet for the Masters use uI &c
", Z; II Tim. ii, 2D, and we must
as content to be earthen as to be s
yer or gold. to be second sort as W.
~c 0,~,k fohc,%o~ IN f1N nv,n,.