Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-11-24
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
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Text of the Lesson, Amos V, LIS.
Memory Verses, IA, 15-GOlden
Text, Jer. XIII, 2S-Commentary
Prepared by Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.


Text, Jer. XIII, 2S-Commentary
Prepared by Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.
The message OF Jonah was to gen
tiles, suggestive Of foreign missions;
that of Amos was TO Israel, and there.
fore home mission lesson reminding
US OF the need OF the church today to
be awakened to see her privileges and
opportunities and responsibilities. The
sins of Israel and her needs were not
different from those of believers now
They bore the name of Jehovah, but
were false to Him and worshiped idols
They know not to do right, saith the
Lord iii. 10. There was self and sin
In al their worship Therefore the
Lord said. Offer sacrifice Of thanks
giving with leaven. for this lik-
eth you CIV. 4, -. Leavcn is always
"a type of evil. Because of the sin IN
their prolesSed worship Of God He
said, Il haze. deSpise your feast
days" ! Will not accept nor regard
your offerings ". 2l-23l. Although
they outwardly kept new moons and
Sabbath days their hearts were long
ing for them to be over that they
might sell corn and wheat and grow
rich by fraud. giving small measure
and taking in as much money as pos
sible viii, 4. -.
Consider the growing rich by fraud
that abounds today even among those
who hold high positions in the church.
the oppression Of the poor, the formal.
ity in worship. the false teaching that
all are children Of God. that Jesus
Christ was only one of the sons of
God, better than the others, but not
God; that there is no hell, no lake of
fire; that If people are not saved in
this life they can be In the next and
that God of love will never allow
any one to perish eternally: the Bible
cannot be taken literally, it does not
mean what il sayS-cOnsider all these
horrible things and then think how
God in His mercy sent forth Il Daniel
Crawford from the heart of Africa and
a William Sunday from the baseball
field TO show His people their sins and
TO uphold the honor of His word
How does the Lord plead by Amos
He reminded them how He had
brought them out of Egypt, led them
forty years in the wilderness, given
them the lands of others, raised up
prophets and Nazarites from among
their sons and revealed to them His
purposes by His prophets Iii, 10, IL;
iii, 1: tx, -, therefore He would have
them seek Him and live, assuring them
Of an abundant pardon If only they
would turn TO Him with the whole
heart ", 4, 6, IA; lisa. ", q. y. He
also pointed them onward, as He al
ways did and still does, to the future
glory, for In spite Of all the sin Of
Israel It Is the purpose of God to re-
store Israel and bless all nations
through them. He will raise up the
tabernacle OF David Qx, IL. and James
said at the great council at Jerusalem
that would be after He had gathered
the church, or. as he put 1t. taken out
Of the Gentiles people for His name.
Then he said that all the Genties
would after that be gathered (Acts XIV.
1919. Note how In the very last
words of Amos prophecy the Lord said
that He would bring again the captivi
ty of Israel. that they would build
their waste cities and inhabit them:
that He would plant them upon their
land and that they would no more be
pulled up out Of II 0y. l3-15). Abra-
ham was encouraged and sustained by
the assurance of the city-Moses by
the recompense OF the reward. David
by the kingdom. Paul by the glory to
be revealed and our Lord Himself by
the JOY set before Him. | know Of no
way by which the church of today can
he turned from its worldliness and in
difference so successfully as by set
ting clearly before her the great love
OF God I'm Christ Jesus, the greatness
of the salvation He has provided and
the glory OF the kingdom TO which we
are called.
Men are trying 30 remedy the evils
that exist. to reform or uplift the race.
TO bring kingdom OF peace on earth
by their own efforts. but ''They know
not the thoughts OF the Lord, neither
understand they His counsel (Mic.
Nv, 12). They do not know that the
babe of Bethlehem was born to rule in
Israel and that there can be no king
dom of peace on earth till He shall
come again (Nlic. V. 2-D. People are
so filed with their own thoughts and
ways. just as Israel was. that they will |
not be agreed with God and therefore
cannot walk with Him amos iii, -. |
Because many preachers in pulpits and
teachers I'm seminaries are turning !
away from God to the wisdom Of men |
there is famine Of hearing the words |
of the Lord (Amos wifi, IL. As in the |
last lesson. those who have knowledge |
Of God are disobedient and asleep and |
must be awaked. As IL Is written In |
Eph. v, II. Awake thou that sleepest. |
and arise from the dead. and Christ |