Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-12-19

ness of purpose is not keeping the
gates to the city of eternal possibili-
ties below, the crisis will come un-
expectedly and take your city of de-
sire and drive you out, perhaps for
ever. The crises come to every Chris
tan. They have come in my life.
have seen them come into the lives
of others. All, how I remember the
crisis that came in my life years ago
when my conscience was asleep and
the desire of se1f-gra tifcation ruled.
I had given myself to God for His
service. I had promised to walk
along the will of His purpose for me.
And I did, and it was blessed, but L
let conscience go to sleep. and care
less indulgence of selfish desires was
let loose in my life. God tried TO
waken me to sense of the impend-
ing crisis. He always does. He is so
merciful and patient. His hand
stayed off the crisis as long as posi-
BILE. in longing hope that I might
arouse to consciousness that it was
coming. But I went heedlessly on.
1t came. I was unprepared to meet
it. Oh. the anguish of soul and the
| darkness that filed the years that
followed! Only God knows. Only
His hand of mercy stayed the hand
of desperation that would have taken
the life that He had given. No one
but God knew it. I went on with my
Christian service, and others behold
| ing, thought I had comfort and de-
| light in it. But I did not. I realized
| a crisis had come in my life, that L
| had failed, and that I was rejected of
God. And as the years rolled heavily
| by began to pray: ooh, God, give
| me another chance!" And He did.
He whose mercy is from verlasting
to everlasting and whose forgiving
love is as inexhaustib1e as the ocean
| always gives poor, miserable. failing
man another chance. And thanks be
to God and the faithfulness and keep
ing power of my Saviour, when the
| next crisis came, as it always does,
and as then I realized it would, had
conscience up in the watch tower
with my Saviour, and I had steadi-
ness of purpose below at the gate
with my Saviour, and with His help
I passed the crisis and kept the city
of my desires for God! And other
crises have come since then, and
have found they have nearly always
come along the line of previous fail
ures. Set a lookout and watch for
the crises.
And crises come in the experience
of nations. The fate of Solomon'z
extensive kingdom rested in the de-
cision of his son Rehoboam. who
faced the national crisis when ennis
| 10 r, 49,
of Israel and complained of oppreS-
sive burdens. And every nation be-
fore and since Rehoboam's day has
had it's crisis to face. Set a lookout.
oh! ye nations, for the crisis will
surely come and determine your des-
tiny. And crises come to churches.
The calling of new pastor, the
building of new structure. the adop-
ton of new policy. the method of
raising funds and disbursing them
are conditions which may come as
the determining crises in the life of a
church. There comes to my mind the
history of one little church to which
the crisis came years ago in the Sc
lection of a pastor. It was a newly
organized church, and was vigorous
and active. God sent them man
after His own heart as pastor. For
three months he did a magnificent
work among them, and then God sud.
denly took him from earth. Then
came the crisis. A man came, not
sent from God. Little was known OF
him. He came from a distant par:
of the country. There were rumors
heard that should have caught the
ears of the officials in the watch tow
err of the church if they had been at
their post and keen to catch the
warning sound. The crisis was on
The mans preaching was faultless
He captivated the people. The off
Gals allowed the rumors to be Gov
cred up and explained away. This
man, not sent from God. was called
as pastor. And, oh! what that
church has suffered in not being
watchful for the crisis and prepared
to meet it. The church was blasted
in it's early bloom, but it was not
wholly wrecked. 1t survived the ex
perience of those dark days. God has
mercifully spared it for a large mis-.
sion of usefulness in the days t.
come. He gave them a man who has
under Divine guidance, healed the
cruel wounds made by the other pas
tor. and God has led along the line
of the previous failure to another
crisis. The church is looking for an
other pastor. VIII it set its watef
in the tower? Will it be prepared
to meet the issue? 1t will if it will
do what the children of Israel did as
they faced their crisis before the Red
sea. If it will wait until the clear
and certain command of God Is
heard: $50 forwardi"
The Test of Waiting.-It comes in
|