Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-11-30
LESSON FOR DECEMBER 8

LESSON FOR DECEMBER 3
Lesson Title: "Jesus Christ, the
First and the Last"
Lesson Text: Rev. 1: 1-S, 1920.
Memorize vss. As.
Golden Text: "Fear not; l am the
first and the last, and the Living one;
and I was dead, and behold, am alive
forevermore."- Rev. l: 1918. /
|. Fear Not"
Fear is one of the most difficult and
dangerous things to overcome. 1t af-
fects our health, particularly our di-
gestion. 1t affects our character, par
ticularly our initiative and action. 1t
affects our hopes, particularly in sor-
row and in disaster.
To everybody who has any tempta-
ton to fear there comes the admoni
ton of the Gospel message, reiterated
by John, the beloved disciple: "Fear
not; l am the first and the last, and
the Living one; and l was dead, and
beheld / am alive forevermore." If
you think of the prime causes of
fear, you will see how Jesus meets
every one of them. He never ignores
any fear which comes to human life.
He does not get rid of it by denying
it's existence. He has no false phil
osophy to bring to the children of men.
Every man has some pet fear. 1t
lives with him in spite of his reason
and of his faith. Sometimes it is as
inglorious as the fear of the little child
who was found crying in the middle
of the night. His mother said to him:
"What is the matter, Charles"
He replied: "Iwas afraid when l
grew up that l wouldn't have money
enough to pay my taxes"
What right has a christian to fear?
No harm from God can come to him
on ocean or on shore!
III. The Churches of Asia"
The book of Revelation is message
thru the apostle John "to the seven
churches that are in Asia" The seven
churches mentioned are located at
Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thya-
tira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodi-
cea. This is the section in which
many thousands of the Armenians
have been living, together with many
thousands of Turks. The Armenian
nation was one of the first to accept
christianity. 1t is now sealing its
testimony to christian things by the
blood of countless martyrs, including
men and women and even little child
rem! He who studies world conditions
at the present time cannot fail to be
impressed with what is going on in
this old Bible territory.
Suppose John were to write let
today. What message do you think
that he would give them? Look over
the messages to the seven churches Of
Asia, as given in the first three chap
ters of Revelation, and see how they
fit churches today. There is a time
illness and modernness about the
Bible which is almost startling.
Human nature is practically the
same today that it was in John:
time. We need the same admonition
that were necessary for people then
The question is whether we have th'
grit to apply them to ourselves ant
to our own church
iii. 1.-The Living One"
When John saw the mighty messen
ger who spoke to him, the Record say
that he "fell at his feet as one dead
Then there came to John a great dec
laration as this messenger said, "Fea
Not; l am. the Living one"
l like the declaration of the mes
senger; 81 am the Living one" Co
is not dead! Luther was comforted il
his time of danger and despair, whel
his wife asked him point-blank: 81
God dead?" And Sojourner Truth
the old slave woman, helped Lincoll