Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-02-23
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR FEB. q
SECURED EXCLUSIVELY BY THE
BANNER FOR ITS MANY
READERS

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ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Text of the Lesson, Acts Nv, 80, to
v, 5. Memory Verses, "a, SIS
Golden Text, i Pet. /, 22-C0m-
mentary Prepared by Rev. ID. N.
Stearns.
Increase Of numbers. even In or
binary church membership. does not
always tend to increase or even con-
tinuance of peace. especially II 1t
means pleasing more people, as Is
often the case, though It should not be
so. Pleasing people is not the business
Of the preacher or the session or the
vestry or the committee; not pleasing
men, but God, like the apostles In the
last lesson. IL our lesson, while the
number OF the disciples was multiplied,
troubles multiplied also, for some were
neglected or felt that they were In
the daily minlstration. Today some
people are not happy If they think the
pastor seems TO neglect them in his
pastoral calls or In not noticing them
after church or on the street, and no
committee can rcctify this.
The twcNc decided, wisely or un-
wisely. certainly for their own com
fort. than tie could not attend TO this
business Of serving tables. but must
continue 10 give themselves TO prayer
and Bible study and teaching the
Word. When compared with some
other lines of service that of prayer
and teaching would be to many a de
lightful preference, but ordinary serv-
ice must be attended to also and often
requires more grace. The preachers
wife may need more grace and pa
tience for the housekeeping than he
does for the preaching, but any kind
the Holy Spirit.
A committee of seven Spirit filled
men OF honest report was chosen for
this special ministry the first two Of
whom we shall become better &C
quainted with as we go on In our
studies. Stephen, the first of the sew
en-, occupies the prominent place In
this chapter and the next, while Philip
is the most prominent I'm chapter viii,
We do not hear OF Peter again until
chapter viii, IA, and that is the last
mention OF John in the Acts except In
xii, 2, where he is mentioned as the
brother OF James, who was killed with
the sword 1t is possible that some
others may have wished that they had
been among those chosen as apostles,
but here are two OF seven seemingly
ordinary men honored above some OF
the apostles. 1t Is well TO remember
that the Spirit gives to every one sever.
ally as He will and to be content to
| fill any place be it's service small OF
great
1t is written OF Stephen that he was
a man full OF faith and OF the Holy
Ghost, full OF faith and power; that
he did great wonders and miracles
among the people, and they were not
able to resist the wisdom and the
spirit by which he spake verses 5, s
| 1O); also that by the word OF God the
number OF the disciples In Jerusalem
multiplied greatly, and a great com
pany Of the priests were obedient t.
the faith verse y. In chapter v, "A
we heard the high priest and Others
wondering where unto this movement
would grow, and we still see II grow
ing even unto this our day, but II does
look as II we had now come almost Il
the completion OF the growth OF HI
body, the church. The one thing e
do Is to be full OF faith and the powel
OF the Spirit and faithfully and fear
lessly witness unto Him and His sal
walton and His coming again until W.
are called out OF the body or up In the
air to meet Him. The power of Stepher
In overcoming those who disputed will
him verse 10) was In accordance will
our Lords assurance In Luke xxi, 10
IL will give you a mouth and wisdom
which all your adversaries shall not b'
able TO gainsay nor resist"
This and similar assurances, such a
Eek. Nv, u; Jer. 4, 10: John xiv, l3, II
Nv, z. are all for US today II we VII
stand for Him as Stephen did, for His
eyes are still looking for hearts thai
are whole toward Him, that He may
hold strongly with them Oh Chron
XVI 0, margin). II we stand for Hin
and with Him, as Peter and John and
Stephen did, we must expect to know
something OF the hatred of the adver
sary as they did, for we cannot know
the power OF His resurrection without
knowing also the fellowship Of Hii
sufferings Phil. iii, 10). Those wh'
could not gainsay nor resist the truth
OF God I'm the power of the Spirit BY
the mouth of Stephen could hire L en-
to falsely accuse stephen and make
him out a liar and dangerous man tc
be about
That Is one Of the wiles OF the devil
which he has practiced SO long that
he Is very skillful In IL. He tried II
even upon our Lord Himself, and we