The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1916-03-10
INTERNATIONAL.
.SUNDNSC[lOOL
LESSON
(By E. O. SELLERS, Acting Director Of
Sunday School Course. Moody Bible
Institute)
Copyright 1916. Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR MARCH IL
HEROES AND MARTYRS OF FAITH.

leCIOT OIL our 1alIn.-HeD III z
There are two kinds of heroism fo
which medals are awarded in thil
country. Congress confers a media
Of honor for distinguished services
and extraordinary heroism in war
The Carnegie hero fund in peace
bestows medals and pecuniary recog
milton for heroic deeds performed il
preserving and rescuing human life
and the first medal thus issued was
given to a boy for rescuing another
boy from drowning.
!. Faith Defined, v. l. This is per
haps the most quoted and succinci
definition we have of faith. What fol
lows is but the illustration and ap
plication of the fact. Faith is an "as
surance" Or. W. The ground of this
assurance and conviction is the word
of God. (See Rom. 10:17. The only
sure ground for dynamic and intel
ligent faith is Gods word: put to the
acid test of experience it never fails.
II. Faith Declared, w. 4, 5. Faith
had been declared and manifested by
many illustrations before the death of
Stephen:
(a) Abel, at the risk Of his brothers
anger, obeyed the unseen God and
earned his approval; his heroic, mar
tyred spirit still speaks to men w. A.
(b) Enoch, the diligent seeker after
| God, in world of lawlessness lived a
life well-pleasing to him through a
faith that made his presence real wv.
5, g..
(c) Noah (v.7), lonely man of faith
Gen. 6:5), chose the unseen God and
avoid the ridicule of his neighbors.
Noah reckoning the invisible as tan
gible, continued to build his ark and
became blessing to the race
(dD Abraham and Sarah (S-12). Not
knowing whittier they went, by faith
these lonely pilgrims unerringly fol-
lowed an invisible God to an unseen
country; but faith greater still led
them to dwell in the land" and not
possess it ". 10O. Their faith re-
deemed them from the mere emigrant
character. They looked for a city.
which had foundations, whose builder
and maker is God"
(e) Moses 1929 showed his faith
by right choice. He weighed values
and had respect unto the recompense
of reward" His faith endured, as
seeing him who is invisible" Moses |
saw by faith the "reproach of Christ
that which Christ suffered for the re-
demption of the world, as being of
greater riches than the treasures of |
Egypt
These, and others not mentioned,
are summarized by their having ac- |
ten different things (32- !
400. They performed great deeds of |
heroism (32-34); they endured great I
suffering and persecution $3.50. All
Of this suffering was TO issue in
greater reward with the glory that
vas to come (Rom. S:18, II Cor. AIT, !
49,. All these men of faith obtained
4 good report
Ill. Faith Demanded, IL: I, 2. The
Holy Spirit has given us this long list
If heroes as an exhortation to stir up
hose living to the performance of
heir duty. The roll call of triumphant
leroes is not yet completed All these
mentioned are witnesses, not onlook-
rs. These are they who have testi-
led to God and to the truth of his
vord. In the light of this testimony
nd on the same ground of their tes-
imony, we are to do several things:
l. To LAY aside every weight" No /
unner carries any weight beyond that
rhich is needful Some things are {
urdens that are not necessarily sins. Z
very such thing hinders our running
nd should be laid aside.
2. 1.-THE sin that doth so easily beset
S :" Literally, that wrap themselves Z
bout us as an ill-ftting garment, and S
hich trip or impede the runners c
rogress. These sins (not SIM are C
lose little devil habits and practices s
hich must, for that reason, be laid {
side.
3. Run with patience the race set
efore u.s." There must be steadfast-
ess and endurance. If church mem
RS were as faithful in following up L
the average business house is, we S
ould have less of lapsed church mem Il
rs and fewer boys and girls who n
lit away from the Sunday school, Al
Looking unto Jesus" This is the II
ynote to this entire epistle and to :,
is category of heroes He is our
le~leader" and the perfector of our p
It'll. Once we get our eyes off him q
J will stumble and fall in the race m
or the joy Literally equal fellow tn
ip with God) set before him, he en-. al
red the cross" (Phil 1863. If we al
uld win the race, we must despise co
, sin which lies in the path of abso-
e loyalty to God.
The work of Jesus and the bestow- OF
, of the Holy Spirit who is always of
h us, is the source, the author of of
; faith. or
here Is far too much easy going Sc
ristianfty and too little self-sur- Of,
der~and almost no privation in our !.
dern church life
UGH a passionless Christianity has Ao'
duood - iudiAorork -ovYd