Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-10-06
Sunday School
Lesson
tBy BEN NEW sOMEj.


| Lesson october ID, zen. 10 81 /
| 1859
In our first lesson for October we
! began the study Of the life Of Abram,
recording his journey 10 me
west 10 seek new country A. the
orders Of the LORD. with a promise
! that the Lord had set him apart 10
| be the father Of "A great nation. We
are persuaded that II was not 40
| much the promise that caused Ahram
| TO obey without hesitation as II
was his innate sense OF fidelity TO
| God. This man was a faithful man,
| and honest man, an unsclfish man,
I and above all he was distinguished
| for "A great and unmOvablG faith in
| Jehovah. We may well look upon
| him az the grand old man" OF the
| Old Testament
The frst test we are shown OF
| thesr CuTumendable Characteristics -
| IN" treatment he accorded hia
| nephew. Lot They were both SUI
| frring from an embarrassment of
prosperity, and, as might be expect
| I'd their hired men began to squabO!e
over the respective rights OF his mas
| ter. But Abram believed there
was plenty of room In the world, so
| he preferred to separate from his
| kinsman rather than that their proX-
| unity should be the cause OF un-
| friendly feelings. This prompted his
offer 20 divide the land with Lot, but
| the extraordinary thing is that he
gave lot the first choice. He should
80 which way he chose. and Ahram
would 20 the other. This was highly
unselfish
The agreement was carried out
without hitch. but the trouble came
| from the fact that Lot tried Ia get
| what he thought was the best OF the
| bargain. lie choose the best and
| most enticing region OF the Jordan
valley and left his uncle to live in
| the hills From business stand
point we might give Lot credit for
good judgment, but this life IN not
all made up of good business juds-
ment--aor is the best and most inn
portant part OF IL. Lot secured an
apparent present Advantage, but in
the long run his selfish choice
brought him into a lot OF trouble.
Then Il was that Abram showed
his nobility Of spirit by going to the
rescue of his relative. So Abram
was not only unselfish IN business
deal. but he held no grudge because
his nephew took an unfair advantage
Of his kindness.
There are plenty who will tell us
that the moral teachings OF the Bible
are good for theory. and might have
worked well in one age, of the world,
hut that they are unsuited to present
times. IL Is true that fundamental
principles must be given new APP
plications to suit changing circum-
stances and modes of thought: but
1t still remains true that those princi'
| tln ,tNh igh in ~
day are just as imperative in the
present. II the business methods Of
the present are at vaTlance with
them, that Is the fault Of the business
methods. What is right is right, and
no changing circumstances can make
] II wrong. The only way we err Is m
! failing to apply the old principles to
new circumstances. 1t Is Just as true
now as then. that the reward OF self
ishness, Notwithstanding its tempo
rary advantage, is in the long run
misery and trouble. and II is just as
true that honesty, kindness and un-
selfishness bring ultimate prosperity
and a satisfaction that is worth far
more than riches. Besides. 1t Is bet
ter to have less In this world and
make a record that will stand before
the Great Judge in the last day than
l
here at the cost of a jeopardized
eternity
There arc many cases OF big busl-
ness men going on In that kind Of
| life and yet retaining to the full
tho sense OF moral obligation which
they owe to God and their fellow
man. 1t Is not necessary that pros
perity should cause us to forget God.
| yet such Is too often the case. Many
man is pious mainly from a sense
OF his own impotence before the
problems OF this life. He knows he
needs Gods help, but as soon as
some turn OF fortune has placed him
where he feels Independent he is
prone 70 think that he no longer
needs Gods help and proceeds to
| forget him. Lot found himself
! thrust In among a people who knew
not God. who lived for the gratifi-
! cations OF this world. and ere long
| he too became tainted with the virus
| OF woridliness More than that, his
outstanding prosperity raised up
envious enemies. who, but for the
timely help of Uncle Abram, would
have wiped him off the earth, The
simple life OF the shepherd grew
tame and he became city dweller.
and in time had to give up all his
riches and flee for his life. Selfish
ness leads to worldliness and brings
the disaster that always comes from
! forgetting God
The contest between the Abrams
and Lots of every age have kept up
| the record. We have with us today
| the problems Of labor and capital
which are an outgrowth OF the same
spirit. The labor problem Is not
new one---lt is the same old question
, in a new form. Strikes and loCkouts
are the principle OF selfishness car
| ried to a logical condition. and war
is selfishness carried to tho last de-
gree. 1t is the Lots OF this world
who make the trouble. Whether II
| be the employer striving to get the
last ounce OF service from his men
for the least wages; whether II be the
laborer determined to get all he can
for his work without regard to justice
| or the economic results of his con-
tentions; or whether IL be an ego
tistical monarch reaching out to eN-
plot the whole earth for a royal
playthlng, It is still the same spirit
which prompted Lot to choose the
richest land and leave his Kind uncle
to exc out an existence where 1t was
less promising.
A great railroad man is quoted as
saving: THE principles OF Christi
anity must be and can be applied 10
k,,Izo A., Tho on, Dloyar rnngt think