The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-03-11
LESSON FOR MARCH IL
HEROES AND MARTYRS OF FAITH

! |
looking unto Jesus. the author ana per
fector of our faith.-Heo. III. :.
There are two kinds of heroism Tor
which medals are awarded III 'ni1
! country. Congress confers 'medai
| of honor" for distinguished services
and extraordinary heroism in war.
| The Carnegie hero fund in peace
bestows medals and pecuniary recoe
milton for heroic deeds performed III
preserving and rescuing human hfe'
and the first medal thus issued was
given to a boy for rescuing announcer
boy from drowning.
|, Faith Defined, v. I. This is per
haps the most quoted and succlncl
definition we have of faith. what Ioi-
lows is but the illustration and ap-
pIication of the fact. Faith is an as
; surance" Or. W. The ground of this
assurance and conviction is the woru
of God. (See Rom. 1O:1D. The only
sure ground for dynamic and intel
Ugent faith is Gods word: put to the
acid test of experience it never fails.
Faith Is not fatalism. To believe GOO
is to rely upon him unhesitatingly WIN
an unfaltering assurance as to the tui-
fllment of his promises. Il John DIV
John 5:24; Act. 27:22; Rom. 4:l9-Zl.
u. Faith Declared, w. a, .. Falth
had been declared and manifested by
+ many illustrations before the death or
{ Stephen:
, (a) Abel, at the risk of his brothers
! anger. obeyed the unseen God and
= earned his approval his heroic, mar
g tyred spirit still speaks to men ". A.
4 (b) Enoch. the diligent seeker after
9 God. in a world of lawlessness lived
t life well-pleasing to him through
s faith that made his presence real wv
). 5, g..
d (c) Noah (v.O, lonely man OF faith
@ (Gen. $50, chose the unseen God and
4 preached righteousness rather than
g avoid the ridicule of his neighbors'
n Noah reckoning the invisible as tan
n gible, continued to build his ark and
d became a blessing to the race.
l. Id Abraham and Sarah (S-12). Not
e knowing whittier they went, by faith
" these lonely pilgrims unerringly fol-
4, lowed an invisible God to an unseen
< country; but a faith greater still led
e them to dwell in the land" and not
h possess it ". 1O. Their faith re
T. deemed them from the mere emigrant
Ie character. They looked for a city
which had foundations, whose builder
Is and maker is God"
is eel Moses (23-2S) showed his faith
o. by a right choice. He weighed values
in and had respect unto the recompenst
y. Of reward" His faith endured, al
ly seeing him who is invisible" Nose:
IL saw by faith the ''reproaeh of Christ,
to that which Christ suffered for the re
C. demption of the world, as being o
It, greater riches than the treasures o
in Egypt"
n These, and others not mentioned
OF are summarized by their having az
complished ten different things (3l
4O). They performed great deeds
no heroism (32-34); they endured grea
he suffering and persecution (35,36). A
he of this suffering was to issue In
of greater reward with the glory tina
re- was to come rom. 8:18, ii Cor. Al
at 49,. All these men of faith "obtaine
Sc, a good report" These saints had wi
zig ness borne to them through their faitl
IN Truly witnessing, their names an
in deeds are recorded for our good, ye
even they did not receive the promise
it i. e., all that had been promised b
of God haA not been fulfilled in then
re- Such promises were only futile
no | CLr;1t Tho Messiah carna Som
We thing better than they had receive
ill came when he came, and without h
coming they were not made perfec
of They did not receive, but the promi:
dill of God had not failed. They will "
os- receive his fulfillment when the re
ad- of the heroes of faith is perfected, ar
Il, we, together with them, shall
as made perfect" wv. 80, 4O).
III. Faith Demanded, IL: I, 2. tt
~ Holy Spirit has given us this long Ii
of heroes as an exhortation to stir ,
20 those living to the performance
~ their duty The roll call of triumpha
ID heroes is not yet completed. All the
mentioned are witnesses. not onloo
. ers. These are they who have ties
~ fed to God and to the truth Of b
ioo word. In the light Of this testimol
10 and on the same ground Of their t.
i'r timony, we are to do several things:
90 1. To LAY aside every weight"
runner carries any weight beyond tn
- which is needful. Some things a
burdens that are not necessarily sill
Every such thing hinders our runni
and should be laid aside.
q THE sin that doth so easily bes
u.s." Literally, that wrap themsely
IN about us as an ill-fitting garment, a
the which trip or impede the rune
red progress. These sins mot SIM 9
GUS those little devil habits and practit
100 which must, for that reason. be /;
'oih aside.
Cost 8. Run with patience the race
'ph' before u.s." There must be steadfe
are ness and endurance. If church me
'ne bers were as faithful in following
ih'o as the average business house is,
.ney would have less of lapsed church me
ups !, bers and fewer boys and girls "
'io" drift away from the Sunday school