Arizona republican., 1909-09-06

was lost Turn to the fifteenth
chapter of Luke and you find that ii
was the things which were lost that
caused the concern. The woman for
gets the pieces of money safe in heI
purse and lights her candle, and
sweeps her house until il is found
The shepherd seeks the one sheep
that is lost and the father rejoices
over a lost son returned There isn't
a question but that. in the teachings
of the Master, this is a most i'm
portant precept, Thy kingdom come.
In proportion az we pray this proyer,
will we bring down upon us as indi-
viduals and as a church the blessing
of God. Show me church that Is
making it its first purpose to go out
into the highways and byways to
bring the lost into the fold, and
viii show you Il church that is ad-
vancing by leaps and bounds. If we
will but bring all the tithes into the
storehouse. God will pour us out the
blessing. Prayer always tells i'm the
salvation Of men and in the blessing
of the church. Jacob overcame and
was called Israel because Of his
earncstness and determination To win
the victory. Seek t. make yourself
earnest in pleading with God that
his Kingdom may come, as was the
prophet of which we read in the
ninth chapter of Daniel, o Lord,
hear: o Lord, forgive; o Lord,
hoarken and do; defer not. for thine
own sake. o my God; for thy city
and thy people are called by thy
name You ask What do you mean.
This, dear friends. that you and /. in
the coming months and years. may
understand the purpose Of the church.
There is no excuse for the existence
of the church unless she is doing
that for which she was called into
existence. saving men and leading
them into more perfect ways of life.
we may proy for the sun to shine,
but we can not do one thing to
make it shine. We pray for God to
make the grass grow. but we cannot
make il grow. Those things are in
the hands Of Almighty God: but il is
not so with the petition. Thy king
dom come We verify can help God
in answering this petition. God has
part 10 play in the salvation Of
the world and. without it, the world
cannot he saved. Man has a part to
play in the salvation of the world
and. unless that part is performed
the world cannot be saved from ever
lasting death. II is Gods part to
enlightcn the mind. to prepare the
heart, and to persuade men. II j.
mans part to preach the gospel to
live it. to pray. and TO seek to help
men to find the way into the king
dom. So. l want that we may help
to answer our own prayers in the
months that are to come.
bet us not be discouraged in the
presentation of this petition before
the throne Of grace. Never be dis
couraged. Men say, What is the
use; Satan has the power; men have
turned their backs upon God The
Psalmist says, If the foundations be
destroyed, what can the righteous
do2 But, the foundations have not
been destroyed. The Psalmist an
swers his own question, for he says
at once, The Lord is in his holy
temple He is noe dead; he is with
us and he is assuring us Of victory.
1t is our unwilingless to put our
selves in the way of that blessing
that keeps it from us. Don't be
discouraged, Never cease to pray.
Cease to doubt. Get into such close
communion with God that you can
say, 1 know it will turn out Gods
way
Il want. as | present this thought
this morning. to get it fixed in your
minds and hearts and in my mind
and heart that there must not come
over us in the coming months, in the
least degree. anything that will tempt
us to say. WI IS the useg' If there