The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-10-05
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Fourth Quarter, For
DOT. 6, 1912.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

by Rev. .. N. StsaFas.
This incident is recorded by Matthew,
Mark and John, the latter telling US
that when the people saw His mighty
works they were inclined to take Him
by force and make Him a king, so He
departed into a mountain Himself
alone John vi, 15). They saw a man
OF unusual power under whose rule no
one need ever be hungry or sick or
die, and soune thought He might be the
looked for Messiah, and they would
therefore proclaim Him king. They
did not know that He was really the
God appointed King Of the Jews and
did not understand that the rulers had
rejected Him and were only watching
their opportunity to kill Him. He knew
all things and could wait His time,
saying, Even so, Father, for so it
seemeth good in Thy sight" Here is
another perplexing item to little faith.
He sent the multitudes away in peace
to rest, but sent these weary disciples
out to a night Of toll and into a storm,
while He went up into a mountain
apart to pray. Again let us say and
hold 1t fast, "As for God His way is
perfect" "Just and true are Thy
ways, thou King of nations" ops.
xviii, 30; Rev. XIV, 81 If we are His by
His precious blood we must be willing
to learn the necessary obedience for
service in the kingdom by suffering,
even as He did. Heb. Ii, 10; v, 8; Phil.
{, 29) Trials r essential as part OF
our training. q Pet. w., II, 13.) Verse
4S says that the wind was contrary. In
John vi, Is, 1t is said that 1t was a
great wind, and in Matt. xiv, "a, that
they were tossed with the wave
Some n has said that, while the
feeding Of the 5000 sets before us our
great commission to give living bread
to the hungry multitudes, the boat In
the storm with Jesus away on the
mountain top is wonderfully suggestive
OF another feature of this present age,
the conflict of the church with the
world, the flesh and the devil, while the
Lord Jesus is at the right hand Of the
Father on behalf of His tried and
toiling people. We are certainly In a
great conflict, not with flesh and blood,
but against principal1ties, against pow
ers, against the rulers of the darkness
OF this world, against wicked spirits In
heavenly places (Eph. vi, 12), and we
need the whole armor of God to stand
against the wiles Of the devil. One
great trouble is that we are too igno-
rant Of his devices and are apt to be
deceived by his religious activity and
think it to be Of God. Everything that
does not honor Jesus as God and rest
only on His great sacrifice for the for
gtveness Of sins, however religious 1t
may seem, cannot be Of God and must
therefore be Of the devil.
Consider, then, the hold that he has
upon the vast majority of the people
in the world; not only all In heathen-
dom, with their many religions, but a
great part Of Christendom, including
all the tsrns which deny the s~upernat-
ural birth Of Jesus, His deity, His spot
less life, His death as our substitute,
His literal resurrection from the dead,
His present ministry at the right hand
OF the Father and His coming again
to set up His kingdom Of righteous
ness and peace on the earth. Truly
the winds are contrary, and, though the
storm is not yet as great as it will be,
1T Is already quite severe. In our own
land Just now the highest among the
people are devoted to Unitarianism and
Roman Catholicism, and it is far from
wise In the eyes OF many to say q
word against either.
1t Is a good time for such as Daniel
n his friends, for such as will bow
to none but the living and true God.
It looks like the time when the adver-
sary shall speak great words against
the Most High and shall wear out the
saints of the Most High, and many
shall be purified, made white and tried.
dan. vii, 25; xii, 10.) 1t also looks to
many as 1t did to the disciples in the
boat, as If the Lord neither saw nor
cared. How comforting, then, are the
words, HE saw them toiling in row-
ing" (4s). When it seemed dark as
midnight to Israel because of the OPP
preston of the Egyptians the Lord
said to Moses, II have seen, I have
heard, I know, I am come down to de-
liver" eek. iii, Z, g. When Peter was
in prison, after James had been be-
headed, and unceastng prayer was
made by the church unto God for him,
1t was not until the last night that the
angel delivered him, but he was not
too late and never is.
In the morning watch Jesus came
walking on the sea, and when they re-
ceived Him into the ship the wind
ceased, and Immediately they were at
their destination Verse 81; John vi, 21).
So it will be again. In that morning
that is drawing near He will come, and
instantly His people shall be with Him
In the air, their toll and conflict forever
ended. Let us all be patient till the
morning. Gil Sam. xiii, 4; Ps. xix,
IA; cxxx, g. To their fears He said,
BE Of good cheer; it is I; be not
afraid" verse SOY. He Ia ever the
same and is saying the same words to
all our fears. May we have ears to
hear. BY His power Peter also walk.
ed on the water and might have walk.
ed farther II he had kept his eyes on
Jesus and had not thought Of wind or
waves. The one thing always lacking
on our part is faith. The admonition
we constantly need Is, "Have faith In
God" "Be nos afraid; only believe"
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