Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-03-01
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR MAR. s
SECURED EXCLUSIVELY By THE
RAINIER FOR ITS MANY
READERS
ACCORDING TO THE 4
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Text of the Lesson, Acts VII, 50. to
VIII, 3-Memory Verses, SO, CO.
Golden Text, Rev. III. 10-Commen-
tary Prepared by Rev. ID. M.
Stearns.

VIII, 3-MemOry Verses, 90, bO--
Golden Text, Rev. III. 10-Commen-
tary Prepared by Rev. ID. M.
Stearns.
stephen seems 10 have remained n
lent before his accusers until the high
priest asked. Are these things soY
Then, beginning with the appearing or
the God OF glory TO Abraham. he traced
the history or Israel down TO the time
Of Solomon and the building OF the
temple. passing from that 10 Him who
spoke OF Himself as the Temple. which
He said if they destroyed He would
raise II up the third day oversees 5l-53;
John II, 10. 21i He referred 10 the de
lay In the fulfillment OF the promise TO
Abraham. the sutferings and deliver.
apce OF Joseph. the peoples refusal OF
Moses. bur Gods choice OF him as de
iiverer. and then accused them of con
summarizing all the iniquity OF their
fathers 10y numbering the lust One,
who had been promised TO Abraham
and Moses and foreshadOwed In Isaac
and Joseph AMI Moses and Solomon.
Although Joseph aud Moses were re
fused for time, God used them when
the time came. and SO He will use the
rejected. crucihed and risen Christ at
the appointed time. AS truly as Joseph.
came 10 the place of power and Moses
delivered Israel. SO surely shall Jesus
Christ come to the throne Of David and
be king over redeemed Israel when
the fullness Of time shall have come.
As usual. the accusation Of being the
murderers or their Messiah cut them
TO the heart (chapter V. 33J and made
them angry enough 70 kill Stephen.
which they succeeded la doing. AS
they CRASHED on him with their teeth
verse 54) he was seemingly oblivious
to IL all, for he saw Jesus In glory. The
expression 'gnashing OF teeth" was
used just seven different times by our
Lord concerning the torment OF the
lost and always concerning those who
were professedly religious. but not
really His Matt viii. IL; Kill. AZ, so;
xxi. 10; xiv, 81; XIV. 80; Luke xiii. 2S)
Stephen was filed with the Spirit TO
testimony. and now In his great hour
OF need to see Jesus Christ In glory and
die triumphantly wi. 3. 5, 8. 10; vii. 50.
tS0l. To be filed with and controlled by
the Holy Spirit Is our great and su.
preme need for every occasion and all
manner OF service. for only thus shall
we look up steadfastly and see the
glory or God and Jesus at His right
hand. something which we need to do
in order 10 be steadfast in service and
ready 10 live or die This upward look
and steadfast beholding OF Jesus at
the right hand OF the Father. always
80 necessary were never more needful
than now In these awful days OF the
European conflict. and this very morn
ing MAY 8. 1879. as the papers an
nounce the sinking OF the Lusitania
yesterday by torpedoes near Queens
town. with the loss OF perhaps 1000
lives. we surely do need TO look up
steadfastly. With the earth so full Of
unrest and the rage OF the devil. the
destroyer and murderer, so manifest,
there can be no peace OF mind unless
we see heaven opened and the Son OF
Man on the right hand Of God and
hear Him say. BE still and know that
| am God: l will he exalted In the
earth" and remember that He alone
can make wars 10 cease on earth Cps
XVI OLD. Stephens discourse began
with 'the God OF glory" and ended
with ''the glory OF God" verses ., So
and we must see the God OF glory and
rejoice in the hope of the glory OF God
II We would be patient In tribulation
and run with patience the race set be.
fore US rom. v. 1-3; Heb xii, 49,. |
am always helped and enabled TO look
up better by study OF the passages
where heaven is opened and we see
visions OF God. for there Is no rest OF
soul In things that are seen, but only in
the unseen and eternal Gen. xviii.
i2-l5: Eek. 4. /. Pops; Matt I'll. is. IL;
John 1, 81: Acts VII. Sc; K. IL; Rev. ~,
|. ?; xix. 11-16l. Ii is restful 10 remem-
Der that there Is One on the throne no
Is always quiet and unmoved and can
do as He pleases and has all power,
aeA0 ~ hAOtkhN Va LIS Nhn NC nln0tlGd
lisa vi. ! Ps. cxxxv. @; Job Kill. 2
marginJ
He has told us not 10 be afraid TO be
killed, for TO the believer to die Is gain.
to depart is 10 be with Christ, which IL
very far better; TO be absent from the
body Is 10 be present with the Lord
Matt I. %; III Cor. V. 8; Phil. l. 21-23).
Our Golden Text does not tell Us that
we will be saved II we continue faith
full till we die. bur that as believers,
saved and kept by His faithfulness,
we must expect the hatred OF the devil.
and If we are faithful. even though we
die for 1t. we Will receive a crown Of
life, which is the special reward for
patient endurance. See also JAS 1, II.
Stephens testimony as 10 what he
saw led these servants OF the devil TO
stop their ears at whnt they consider
ed his blasphemy. rush upon him, cast
him out OF the city and stone him to
death. Then he saw indeed that which
he had seen a few moments before
from his mortal body. and be was for
avar with hta ord far hayon1 fho