(Helpful to Sunday School Lesson of February 1, 1920, Acts 8:4–39)
“Scattered abroad.” This sounds like a calamity; but what looks like a calamity to the world is God’s method of sowing the seed. Men who knew nothing about seed would say the farmer is throwing it away as he reaches into his bag and scatters it abroad; but it will come up if it die and bear much fruit. Persecution has always been followed by power in the Church. They put Jesus to death, but fifty days from His death one hundred and twenty were filled with Him and …
“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”—Ephesians 6:15
This chapter of Scripture tells us that we wrestle against principalities and powers, and whenever the Gospel is preached there are onslaughts from the devil. If I were to talk tonight about gasoline engines, men’s interest would be aroused, there would be no darkness in their minds at all, and they would be quick to comprehend my meaning. If I were giving a travel lecture on Alaska, describing it as the pictures were thrown upon the screen, there would be no veil over men’s minds. Now comes …
(Helpful to Sunday School Lesson of January 25, 1920, Acts 5:1–11)
“Kept back part.” Primarily this lesson is on lying to the Holy Ghost, but the reason for the lie is in these little words. Many are lying to the Holy Ghost who are not killed in our day; but they started by keeping back part. They promised to go all the way with Christ. They said they made a full surrender, but they kept back part. Oh, examine your heart. Have you kept back part?
“Satan filled thine heart.” Remember Satan hates us, going about as a roaring lion. …
We climb the mountain by stepping from rock to rock; but the soul makes its way in faith by stepping from one word of the Lord to another. Some think that Peter walked on the water, but if you will read the passage you will find Peter really stepped on the little word, “Come,” and was safer on that little word “come” than any man is in an ocean liner. Peter would have been foolish to have stepped on the water without this little word of Jesus, “Come,” beneath his feet. Faith cannot plant its feet in certainty except the …
(Helpful to Sunday School Lesson of January 18, 1920, Acts 4)
“Then Peter, filled—” One of the marks of the fullness of the Holy Ghost is boldness. There is a vast difference between boldness and “brass;” there is a difference between courage and boldness. We speak of it as “holy boldness.” When we are clean, when sin is put away—confessed and washed in the precious blood—there comes a rich, racy, red-blooded feeling to the heart of the child of God that sensitizes every nerve and removes all feeling of shame. If there is any trust of ourselves this boldness cannot …