Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1912-07-04
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson I.--Third Quarter, For
July 7, 1912.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of the Lesson, Mark Iii, 2o-35.
Memory Verses. %, 2o--GoIden Text,
John iii. f9-commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
This lesson is found In Matt. I'll as
well as in Mark iii and is a sample Of
their treatment of Him whom they
should have welcomed as their Mes
siah. but of whom It is written "He
was in the world, and the world was
made by Him, and the world knew
Him not. He came unto Ills own, and
His own received Him not John i, 10,
III. In our lesson, verses 81, %, it is
written that they said: HE is beside
Himself. He hath Beelzebub and by
the prince of the devils casteth he out
devils They frequently told Him
that He had devil John vii, 20; viii,
81; K, 20l, and as early in the record as
Matt. xii, IA, it is written that "the
Pharisees went out and held council
against Him, how they might destroy
Him. 1t was the old story of Ps
lxxxi, II, MY people would not harken
to my voice, and Israel would none of
me-" Even In the days of Enoch, the
seventh from Adam, we read of the
ungodly and their words and deeds
dude 15). It is also written that at
the end Of this age, to which we are
fast Fastening, there shall be only
form of goodness without the power
and sound doctrine will not be endured
CT Tim. iii, 1-5; w. 81. The great adj
versary, the father of lies, who to Eve
questioned the word of God and made
God liar, will yet gather the nations
to make war with Gods people, Israel,
and the Lamb of God Himself, but
beast and false prophet shall go alive
to the lake of fire and the devil to the
bottomless pit (Rev. xvii IA; xix, 10,
20; Xxx, 1-3; Zech, xiv, /. 2.
Like the multitudes who chung to
Him when here In humiliation and
upon whom He always had compass
sion, there are multitudes now who
would listen to the gospel If they could
hear it, but many of the religious lead
ers of today are as much against the
gospel of God concerning His Son, Je-
sus Christ, as were the seribes and
Pharisees against Jesus Christ Those
who today believe that Jesus is God,
the Creator of all things, who died for
us, bearing our sins in His own body
on the cross, rose from the dead, as
cended to Heaven and is coming again
to set up His kingdom of righteousness
and peace on this earth, are accounted
unlearned ignorant, behind the times,
narrow and all else that unbelieving
words can describe. But his approval
is everything How utterly foolish
seemed their accusation in the light of
His question, How can Satan cast out
Satan?'' Verse 23.) How great and far
reaching His saying in verse 81, mo
man can enter into a strong mans
house and spoil his goods except he
first bind the strong man." The devil
is the god of this world. binding the
minds Of all unbelievers The whole
world lieth in the wicked one. And it
was not wholly an untruth when he
said to our Lord as he showed Him all
the kingdoms of this world and the
glory of them, "All that is delivered
unto me, and to whomsoever will
give It," CT Cor. ", 4; John V, 10;
Matt. ", s; Luke iv. g. Those who
talk Of winning the world for Christ
do not seem to believe these truths nor
consider the necessity of getting rid Of
the devil, but it stands, as our Lord
said-the strong one must be bound
before his goods can be taken.
The objectionable sin of verses 20,
80, makes us think of | John V, IS:
"There is a sin unto death | do not
say that he shall pray for it, Let us
not forget verse % of our lesson, "Ali
sins shall be forgiven unto the sons Of
men and blasphemies wherewith So
ever they shall blaspheme," and also
John 1, Z, '"The blood of Jesus Christ
cleanseth from all sim" What, then.
can this sin be that hath never forgive
ness, but the persistent refusal to listen
to the voice of the Spirit. whose de-
light is to point to Jesus Christ, who
alone can forgive sins? AS there is
none other name (Acts iv, 12), if that
name is refused or dishonored there
can be no forgiveness, but only eternal
damnation verse 30)
AS he was told that His mother and
His brethren were without, desiring to
speak to Him. He stretched forth His
hand toward his disciples and said,
Behold my mother and my brethren,
for whoever shall do the will of my Fa-
Their, which is in heaven, the same is my
brother and sister and mother" verses
31-35; Matt xii, 1850 On another oc-
casion He said, MY mother and my
brethren are these which hear the word
of God and do it" duke viii, 2n
When a certain one spoke of the bless
edness of being Els mother He said,
'Yea, rather blessed are they that hear
the word of God and keep it, duke
XIV, 2S). We cannot but think of His
words on the last night concerning
such as keep His words becoming
mansion in which both He and His
Father wOuld dwell At the same time