Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-12-29

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text from the Bible)
Christ Ascending.
Under this head we may have two minor
divisions: ]. Christ leaving the earth.
Here the reader will naturally picture the
scene: the eleven las is probableD in that
upper room where they ate the paschai
supper, and which became the headquar-
ters Of the infant Church (see 18th verse;;
then Jesus coming and leading them
out duke "a. 5Q) by the old familiar read,
over the Kedrou. past Gethsemane. up
Olivet, over toward Bethany; his farewell
lnstructionS-in connection with which
their peculiar functions as witnesses un-
TO him" (Acts |. - will be explained and
Illustrated by witnesses in law courts.
ETC.; and then his sudden rising into the
air. waited upward from their midst, and
lost in the encirciing clouds. The predic-
ton Of the angels will be specially
noticed Verse 11l--"shall so come in like
manner as ye have seen him go. In
what manner? % With clouds (see Rev
j. y; t9 Blessing his people (see Luke
q 81; Matt. %. 81, 81. 3 Christ entering
heaven. Can we picture that? Wen. we
have an inspired picture of it. See Psalm
"a. 1-lo. The ascension took place quietly
enough on Oivet The great men OF
Greece and Rome knew nothing of II.
Even close by, in Jerusalem. Pilate
Herod, Caiaphas, little dreamed what was
going on. But in heaven it was a grand
event. The Son On God had come back.
Yes. and more than that; he did not re-
turn to heaven as he left it, He left it as
God; he returned as both God and man.
He had stopped TO be "lower than the
angels now ne was exalted far above
all principalities and powers. and every
name that is named See Heb. 2. 8: l
Peter 3. %: Phil. 9. 7-ll: Col l. 20-22. He
left to seek and to save the lost sheep:
he returned, as II We're, with his redeemed
people laid upon his shoulder rejoicing.
He left to fight the great enslaver OF
mems souls. he returned leading captiv-
tty captive" There was joy i'm heaven
when he was born on earth; but how
much more now!
Christ Ascended-Under this head the
reader may dwell on one or more of the
four aspects in which his mediatorial
work at Gods right hand is regarded in
Scripture. !. Our High Priest. The Jew
ish high priest went once every year
within the veil, into the Holy of Holes.
taking with him % the blood of the great
sin offering of the Day of Atonement;
90 incense to burn before God. vivid
picture of Christ's work. See Heb. 4. IA;
6. 10, 20 s. l; .. HIP, "a; 10. IL. He offered
himself. the lone sacrifice for SINS" AMI
then went into the presence of God for
us, to present. as il were, ca his blood,
and % the incense of his intercession.
=. Our Advocate. We a-e like prisoners at
the bar of Justice Satan. the accuser OF
his brethren Czech. g. 1; Rev r. 10), lays
grievous charges against us. and we have
no answer to them.. for we are verify
guilty. But Christ is our Advocate. and
pleads our cause: and he cannot fail. for
he has himself paid the penalty. See !
John .. l; Rom. s. "a: Heb. T. %. 3. our
Elder Brother. Heaven is called the in
h.a.f
Peter l. ~. How comes il to be theirs
II is for the heir and his brethren. Jesus
is the heir (Heb. I. -. He is mot
ashamed to call us brethren (fIeb. .. III
so we are joint heirs CRom. s. II: Gal.
4. -. And he, the Elder Brother. has
gone before to take possession to "pre-
pare place for us" (. Our King He
| Is upon his throne. His proclamation has
gone forth, with the promise of free par
don to all rebels who viii return to their
| true allegiance. Have we yielded up our
! selves. our souls and bodies, TO our King?
And are we doing what we can TO extend
| his kingdom?
We are to carry on "an that Jesus he
| gan. He promised that mightier works
than he did his followers should do The
gospel story was not fully told when hc
| assembled TO glory: the Christly life was
not fully lived. If the early Christian.
We're Paufs best epistles. known and read
OF all men, with surer reading
| than was ever given to his man.
1 uscripts, we i'm our personal lives
| should regard ourselves as Christ's
| epislles - his letters sent to chez,
| this world. We are his gospels, too a.
| Well as his epistles: for the gospel is the
| story of Jesus's life. and we are living IL
the world to-day in Christs stead There.
! fore every humble Christians life shout,
/ ttNr
AFRAID that you will lot be read No boob
has as wide a circulation as man OF
| woman or child. Few alas, read the Bible
| not everybody even reads the newspapers
| but everybody reads his next-door neigh.
| Dor. You are the next-door neighbor OF
somebody whose only conception of Christ
is got from your life: and by holy liv,
| Ing only can you fulfill the doing ano
| teaching" which Jesus began
The verify OF the resurrection of Christ
should be emphasized Skepticism per
vades our mental atmosphere as deadl,
contagion sometimes pervades the air
| unadvertised and not guarded against il
| does deadly work. Let us emphasize tn,
l cardinal truths of our faith 1t was 10,
"infallible truths that Christ SHOWED
himself alive" after his passion. Ever,
Lords Day is commemoration of tn,
| first Easter-tide,
ihe glst or the Gospel is that Jesus
| Christ lives to-day and personally al
| reefs his followers.-He who regard,
| Christianity as merely q reformatory in
| iluence, or the Christian Church as ;
| bridge for souls to pass over from carti
to heaven. has utterly misunderstood tn
| Gospel story.
| what Jesus talked about as q pertlnen
| thought.-fou need not be long employee,
IN an Office or shop to discover whethe
| your fellow-worker is a Republican or ;
| Democrat III he does not show signs "A
iitst when reading his morning uewspape
he will inevitably show them by the tim
| election day comes around. Jesus tnlkc,
"of the things pertaining to the kingdom
| OF God"