The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-01-18
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson III.-First Quarter, For
ian. Fl, 1912.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

COiiic. AOt huOWA uutO OOO oA0 al IAo
works from the beginning Of the
world" (Acts ", 49,. He declareth
the end from the beginning and doeth
according to His will both in heaven
and on earth. turning the kings heart
whithersoever He will lisa. Xvi. 10:
Dan. iv. S5; Ps. cxxxv. 6; Prov.
xxi. Il. So it came to pass that the
world rulers decree was used by the
Lord Of all the earth to fulfill His pur-
pose and to cause the Prince Of the
kings Of the earth. the King Of kings
and the Lord of lords to be born at the
long before appointed time and place.
But so out of harmony with God Is
this world which He made and the
people who inhabit it that there was
no room for the Creator in the world
which He had made and no welcome
for Him, There was no room for
them in the inn Verse u. Does the
thought of it lead you to say. "Oh.
come to my heart. Lord Jesus-there
is room in my heart for Thce?" II 80
then you may rejoice in the comfort
of John i. p; Rev. Iii. 20.
The story of the shepherds takes us
back to Abel and to Moses and David
and Amos, and the darkness makes us
think Of the darkness that now is and
will be till He shall come again in His
glory Elsa. *, 49, The night is far
spent. The day is at hand. and the time
for our new bodies and the redemp
ton Of Israel Is ever drawing nearer
(Rom. xiii. II. II; Luke xxi. 30. The
shepherds were doing just az they had
always done, watching over their
Hocks. when the angel Of the Lord
came suddenly upon them, and the
glory of the Lord shone round about
them verse 81. Moses and David and
Amos were keeping their flocks. Elisha
was blowing. Peter and John and 9th
ers at their nets. Matthew ut the re-
ceipt of custom, when the special call
came to them. 1t Is required Of some
that they leave their former calling
and Of others that they continue where
they were and therein abide with
God q Cor. vii, %. 24). Note the
visits of the Lord to. such lowly peo-
pie as Hagar. Manoah and his wife.
Gideon and others and In lisa. lvii.
Is. His two dwelling places. To Zach
arias and Mary and the shepherds
there was given the heavenly "Fear
not" Verse 10; !, IS. 3O). It was also
the angels message on the resurrec-
ton morning Matt. xviii. o. How
can we explain our slowness to tell to
all people the good tidings of great
joy? Is 1t because the tidings hare
never brought us the joy unspeakable
Of Pet. /. 8? The lepers of II Kings
vii. 8. 8. put US to shame. What can
we say to Christ? Suddenly multi
tudc Of the heavenly host Is heard by
the shepherds saying. "Glory to God
in the highest and on earth peace
good will toward men, Verse lA.
Listen to the testimony of more than
& hundred millions of angels in Rev
v. II. u, and then IL you know that
you are redeemed join more heartily
in the song Of Rev. Y. 0, 10.
The Lord Jesus in all His life on
earth never sought His own glory nor
His own will. and it must have been
with joy that He said to His Father IN
His great prayer, Il have glorified
Thee on the earth" John vi, 3S; viii.
80: xvii. ~. Our motto should be.
that God in all things may be
glorified'' Il Pet. iv, II: Cor. K.
3D When the Lord Jesus shall have
become the peace Of Israel and shall
have spoken peace to the nations
through Israel then quickly shall the
whole earth be filled with the glo.
ry Of the Lord (A1ic. '. 8: Zech. tx.
10: Mum. xiv. 21). His people shall
be willing in the day Of His power
Cps. OK. 81, The angels. having ex-
ecuted their commission. went away
into heaven: simply went home. How
easy it sounds. how wonderful and
glorious 1t Is. that we have ever with
us these ministering ones who behold
the face OF our Father III heaven
(Heh j. IA: Matt. xviii. lO,. The
shepherds did not seem to question
for on. moment the good news they
had heard. and they considered the an.
gels MS the Lords messengers. for
they said. Let us now 60 even unto
Bethlehem aud see this thing which is
come to pass. which the Lord hath
made known unto u.s. (verse l5). They
did not delay. but made haste. and
found Mary and Joseph. and the babe
lying in Il manger. as they had been
told verses II. 1G). 1t was not any
kind Of tigurative manger. but liter.
ally place from which cattle ate
their food. As rule. the statements
of Scripture are plain literal state
ments. and unless the language Is
plainly figurative. us when our Lord
said. Il am the vine" Il am the door.
TIE trees of the field shall clap theil
hands," we must take 1t to mean Just
what it says Accepting this babe as
the Saviour. Christ the Lord. they
made known what was told them con
corning this child verses II. III, Witt
the artlessness Of simple minded PEG
pie they just believed what they hai
heard and told what they had seen
making MS think Of Peter and John
. who said long afterward concerning
the same person. we cannot bn
speak the things we have seen"
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