The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-04-04
LESSON FOR APRIL 6
GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY.

LESSON TEXTS-Genesis IL, q; Psalm.
103:l-14; Matthew 6:A-34.
GOLDEN TEXT-Our Father who ar,
in heaven. hallowed be thy name.-Mat'
thew SO.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL-Deutero
my 6:4, S: Psalms 145:1-21; Isaiah 6:1-3
Matthew 22:35-3S: John 4:2i; John 4:7-l6
PRIMARY. TOPIC-The Heavenly Fa-
theirs care for his children.
JUNIOR TOPIC-God our Creator and
Father.
INTERMEDIATE ToPIc-what we
owe to our Father in Heaven.
!. God the Creator (Gen. IL, 27).
God was before all things. God the
uncaused cause Is the cause Of all
things. Before the mountains were
brought forth, or ever thou hadst
formed the earth and the world, even
from everlasting to everlasting, thou
art God" psalm 90: :2J. The uni
verse came into being by the will and
act of the personal being called God.
In verse one is enunciated the sub
lime philosophy Of every right life. In
the beginning of all science and philos-
ophy-God; in the beginning Of every
life-God; in the beginning of every
year-God; in the beginning Of every
day-God; in the beginning Of every
business-God; in the beginning of ev-
cry thought, plan and human relation
ship-God. Conviction as to this sets
one free from the false philosophy Of
the age. Man himself Is creation of
God, not an evolution. Man was Gre
ated in the likeness and image Of God
This precludes the foolish idea that
man ascended from and through a
brute. He came into being by a spe-
cial creative act Of God, having, been
preceded by special council Of the
Godhead (Gen. 1:26, 27). Those who
believe this record sepudiate the OAR
winian theory Of mans origin as not
only human vagary, but a vicious
philosophy inspired by the devil. When
man came forth from the Creators
hands he was neither a savage nor
baby; he possessed the powers Of
mature man. As an example Of the
maturity Of his intellect, he named the
animals ~ they passed before him.
H. God the Preserver (Psalms 103:
1-14).
All created things would perish were
It not for the preserving mercies of
God. It embraces the following grac-
ious beneficial acts: 1. Forgives all
iniquites ". 81. Pardon Is the prime
necessity If moral things are to be
preserved. 2. Healeth all diseases ".
81. This refers to the healing Of the
body and the soul. Renovation Of
mans moral nature Is necessary. 8.
Redeemeth the life from destruction
". ~. Redemption implies the pay.
nent Of all demands against the debt.
or. God in Christ performs the part
which the individual failed to perform,
and crowns him with the full right of
citizenship in his kingdom. 4. "Sat-
isfieth thy mouth" VS.. This means
that God satisfies all legitimate desires
and thus the youth Is renewed. The
original capacities are restored to their
native vigor. 5. Executeth righteous
ness and judgment wv. 6-14). The
wrongs of life are righted and thus
man is relieved Of the burdens which
they entail. He extends his pity to-
ward US.
III. God Our Father (Matt. 6 :24-34)
Christ came to reveal the Father
The subjects Of the kingdom will love
him as child loves its father.
1. Undivided affection ". 24). The
child Of the heavenly Father makes the
Qpequivocal choice between God and
the world, for unless God has the first
p,aee he has no place.
2. Not anxious about food and cloth
ing tvv, 25-a2,, {1) It is useless ".
-. Anxiety can BRING nothing. MY
God will supply all our needs" (Phil.
4 4:1el. t2) It shows distrnst of the
Father wv. 2s-3O). In the measure
that one Is anxious about these things
lie shows his lack Of faith In the abil-
ity and love Of God. If we would
nlease God we must come to him in
faith (Heb, II ~. The birds and flow
ers shame us In this wv. 26-2s). tS)
It is heathenish (v. 32). We do not
wonder that those who are ignorant Of
God should manifest anxiety, but for
his children to do so is to play the
heather. He knows that we have need
of temporal things and If he cares for
the flowers and birds he will surely
not allow his children to suffer.
8. He diligently seeks the kingdom
of God wv. 33, 34). He subordinates
temporal things to things of the spirit.
This shows the right relationship that
q child Of God is to sustain to secu-
lar affairs. This does not mean that a
child of God does not exercise proper
forethought in making a support for
himself and family. The warning Is
not against legitimate forethought.
but anxious worry.
Forgetfulness Of Self.
A true perception OF the Gospel is
.ha .ntire forgetfulneSs Of self. utter