Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-07-09

q j IL II VI i u vi w n
slant and to be constantly received.
They are to be received day by day,
nour by hour, not only on Sabbaths
when we are in Gods house, but ev-
erywhere and at all times the illumin-
alton from Christ should be spreading
throughout our souls.
Use the Supply.
The use of the constant daily sup.
plies is the Christian secret of hap
Ply life. We cannot be happy Chris
tians if we interrupt them. Nor can
we be useful Christians. Let us be
careful to use the supplies of the Holy
Spirit.
The Light Must Shine.
Third, the light must shine. 1t is
through the spirit of man, Illuminated
by Divine truth, that God would speak
many, if not all. of his saving mes
sages to the children of men. To his
apostles, Jesus said, Eye are the light
of the world" and he exhorted them
to let their light so shine that others
might see their good works and glori-
flying their Father in heaven. And TIC
all Christians come the words, eye are
all children of light, children of the
day" "But now are ye light IN the
Lord; walk as children of light Here
then, are the two things: first, the pos,
session of light and second, the she'd
ding forth of light.
Light VS.. Darkness.
The light of Christians is to illu-
mine and scatter the surrounding
darkness. In the moral and spiritual
realms, this means war, and war to
the death. What communion hath
light with the darkness?' asked Paul.
Light cannot have communion with
darkness. 1t is the implacable enemy
of darkness. There can never be mo-
raj and spiritual peace until the dark
ness of sin has been overcome, be-
cause honesty aggravates dishonesty,
purity challenges impurity, righteous
ness opposes unrighteousness.
BusheI-covered Christianity.
DR.. G. n. Parkhurst has truly said:
''The only Christianity that can get
along in the world without harrassing
and worrying ungodliness is what
Christ called the 'bushel-covered
Christianity. ''If We were of the
world, the world would love it's own;
but because We are not of the world.
the world hateth you. If they have
prosecuted me, they will also perse.
cute you
Exterminate Darkness.
There can be no comparison of truth
with falsehood. of righteousness with
wickedness, of light with darkness.
The only proper attitude is that of op-
position and war. No form of sin is
to be given quarters. The battle is to
go until peace is purchased by con-
quest. or rather determination. Light
can have no communion with dark
ness.
True Christianity.
And yet, we need to keep in mind
the distinction which God in his loving
redemption work for mankind has
made known to us. God commend
eth his love toward us in that while
we We're yet sinners, Christ died for
JUS" God hates sin, but he loves the
| sinner He loves to reclaim the sim
ner from his sin. This mind should
be in all Gods believing children.
/ True Christians cannot be haters of
men.
Power of the Light.
Let us notice for moment the pow
er of Christian light. 1t is the power
of God working into salvation, first
in the hearts and lives of those who
receive it and then through them in
the hearts and lives of others. A
Christian full of light is an unanswer-
able argument, living witness, a
convincing demonstration, laureled
conqueror. The world has nothing
/ that is able to stand before d faithful
/ Christian.
Christianity UnconquerabIe.
A pure, light-giving Christianity is
never conquered. This gives abund-
in the prophecies of Zachariah this
day of small things?" When the
day of small things in Israel. Zerub-
babel, the leader of Israel, was not a
| strong man. But the Lord said that
great things should be done at that
time, and here is the resaon that he
4 could say it: mot by might, nor by
power chat is: not by armed forces
I VI iueuJ puI ny my Spllll, Sdllu lnS
Lord of hosts.
The Day of Small Things.
From the worlds point of view there
was another day Of small things, when
our Lord chose unlettered fishermen
to be the heralds Of his truth. We
must remember, "The day of small
things is especially Gods day." tina;
His strength is made perfect in weak,
ness. He raised Joseph from the pris-
on, David from the sheep-fold, Daniel
from slavery and converted the world
by the fishermen and the tentmakers
having Himself first become the car
penter.
Learning, culture, organization. in
genuity are valuable only as the spirit
of God can use them, as the light oil
Divine Truth can shine through them
Otherwise they are powerless to save
the world. They are as unknown ton
CUES.
i Again, the life of shining for God is
the only truly blessed life. AS We are
the Lords we can shine, each in his
or her place. We may not be able tc
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