Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1939-11-30

SIh say CoIne.-heVelation 22.l7
"BeWllderment." That is the
word which the president of great
American university recently said
accurately described the present
condition of the minds of men. Lit.
tie wonder that the men of the world
are bewildered, for they are like
mariners who sail an unknown sea
after having thrown away map and
compass. Without Christ and with.
out Gods Word men cannot be any.
thing but bewildered.
That which gives US even greater
concern is that many who are Chris
tians, who really know the Guide
and who have the Guidebook, are
also declaring themselves to be ut
terly bewildered. What is the rea-
son? Obviously that they have not
read the Book and have not talked
with their Lord.
Our lesson for the coming Lords
Day touches on one Of the problems
which causes many Christians to
question Gods love and care. They
find that their efforts to testify for
Him by word or life meet with a
violent reaction from a bitter
world, and they discover that such
a life involves personal sacrifice and
frequently results in even the men,
bers Of their own families turning
against them. Can this be Gods
way of dealing with His people?
The answer is found in His Word.
The Christian is to be
I. Fearless in q Hostile World wv.
24-28. 80, 3S.
Note carefully that he is not to
be silent wv. 80, 33). We deny our
Lord when we fail to speak for Him
when we ought to do so. Christi
anity is not something to be hidden
in ones own bosom. a fire to warm
ones own soul. 1t is good news
which is to be proclaimed even from
the housetops.
But. someone win say, when l
do speak there is opposition; they
call me names. they threaten to kill
me. Yes, and what Of it? 'The
disciple is not above his master,
nor the servant above his Lord" w..
2D. They called Jesus a devil.
They even crucified Him. Should
we then expect to be borne 70 glofy
on fiowery beds of ease? God
knows all about this, yes, even
about the hidden and whispered
plottings of evil men ". 26). He
will deal with them and judge them
in due season.
We need not fear men. The most
they can do is to kill the body.
Let us consider the eternal God,
who not only may take the life out
of the body. but is also able to cast
both soul and body into hell ". 20.
God is not as a theory, a bit Of
pious imagination. He is real, He
is all-powerful. Why then should
we be fearful if we serve Him in
faithful devotion?
ii. Fearless in Personal Life wv.
29-3D.
1t is one thing to be bold in the
midst Of battle. 1t is quite an
other thing to be fearless in the
quiet Of ones own room, or Of ones
own heart. Satan is expert at that
point. He comes to us with his
humiliating accusations Of our I'M
worthiness, yes, Of our worthless
ness. Sadly enough our own knowl-
edge Of ourselves confirms his dis
NAL judgment.
But waitl II we are Christians
we are not our own. We are bought
with price, the precious blood OF
Christ. We belong to Him. He Is
our advocate with the Father. Let
Him meet our accuser. What does
He say? He tells us that He has
numbered the very hairs Of our
head ". 800. that even dying
sparrow concerns Him, and that we
are worth more than many spar
rows ". 80. We are His and He
is our Saviour, Friend and Brother.
Let us look up and be without fear.
III. Fearless in the Family Circle
wv. 1880.
Here, after all, is the acid test OF
discipleship.
Christ did not come in order to
stir up needless strife between
members of the family, but He well
knew that divisions would come as
the result Of true discipleship. Men
who are ordinarily kind and cul-
tured in their dealings with their
friends and families but who do not
know Christ, can become like YER
table demons against any one in
that circle who hears the call OF
Christ and follows Him. s
No human tie, no matter now III
innate or precious, is to be permit
ted to stand between the individual
and his devotion to Christ. II 1t
does, Christ is evidently no longer
first. He is no longer Lord Of all In
the life, and if He is not Lord OF
all, He is not Lord at all.
While 1t seems almost paradoxicai
to say it. Scripture teaches and ex-
perience demonstrates that II you
keep your life for yourself and your
own interests, 1t will die in your
very hands and you win lose it.
If you give your life in glad aban
don to God. on the other hand. you
win receive it back from Him trans