The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-11
USES LOT FAMILY
AS BAD EXAMPLE
Rev. Brown Points Out Signs
of Waywardness
CHURCH WAS PACKED
Evangelist Begins Services at the First
Methodist and Uses Some Vigorous
Language Talking to 'Half-
Hearted, Christians

The TWO weeks extension or the BrOWu
and Curry revival services started at the
First Methodist church last night, and
If the first meeting may be taken as an
indication, it is safe to say that the SER
vices are going to be a great success.
Evangelist brown and Gospel Singer
Curry are widely known over the counr
try. Their home is at Sloan Springs,
Ark. but they have conducted services
in all of the larger cities in the United
States.
The pastor DR.. l.. c. Branscomb,
preached yesterday morning at the II a.
m. service. In the evening Mr.. Brown
opened tine revival with a sermon on,
Lot, the Backslider," to a congregation
which filled the auditorium to its ca
pacity. Many people were turned away
because of no seating room in the church.
On the inside every seat was occupied,
people were sitting on the gallery steps
and in the windows. The Rev. Browns
talk was a general discourse to luke
warm and half-hearted church members
and backsliders. With Mr.. Curry at the
head of a large choir, the singing was ex-
ceptionally good and of high standard.
The first meeting last night gave every
promise OF a successful series of meet
ings. The meetings will continue two
weeks and probably longer.
Evangelist Browns Sermon
The Rev. Brown stated that he would
take no special text for his sermon, but
would give a running comment on the
character OF Lot and his resemblance to
many people of today. He read a pass
age from Genesis, u: Now the Lord said
mt hpaf1 of
try, and from thy kindred and from thy
fathers house, unto a land that I will
show thee. And Abram took Sarah, his
wife, and Lot his brothers son, and they
went forth to go into the land of Canaan
The evangelist then told how Abram
and his wife and nephew dwelt on the
border of the promised land, but refrained'
from crossing the border. MANY of us
today do as they did, he said when
God called to us to go into the land of
peace and righteousness We obeyed, or
started to obey. But when the question
arose, "Shall or shall l not make a full
surrender and cross the line?" we had
an argument with the Lord and, seeing it
was of no avail, sought to compromise,
expressing ourselves willing to give up
this worldly pleasure, and to keep that.
But God says all the wayo none. We
were unwilling to make a full surrender.
sible without actually crossing it. To
those who profess to have crossed the line
| have words not of denunciation but of
pity. The hardest and saddest Of lives Is
the Christian life without Christ. I adj
wise them either to surrender in full or
get out of the church.
'Then, there are those among us who
have crossed the line and strive to stick
as close as possible on the other side. But
the WA n live a Chriafiar life 10 IN lix.a
In the center of the garden of God.
when trouble came about between the
herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen
of Lot, Abram said to him, We be breth-
rem and advised that they part to avoid
trouble. AS a result of this compromise
Lot chose the well-watered plains OF Jor-
dan and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
So men are wont to compromise today,
but let me say to you well-meaning pa
rents, avoid compromising to save your
loved ones. GU can't get Yyour loved ones
out of hell by jumping into hell with
them.
Lot Would Give Reasons
'If Lot had been approached as TO his
reason for dwelling in Sodom, he would
doubtless have said: IF Uncle Abram
wants to have his altar on the plains,
we'll and good, but such is not for me.
| don't see things as 1 once did. I have
become more liberal in my views And
that is the argument that is put up today
by church members who dwell in a world
ly Sodom. They swear vows which
would make an angel pause, and yet stick
to their Sodom. Let me tell you, you
can't afford to be inconsistent to such
degree If you don't see things as you
once saw them, get back TO where you
once stood. Lot might also have said
that his residence In Sodom was in
spired by a desire to better the day of
the jewellers in Sodom. 1t has been SO
suggested today, that the church go into
worldly places beautiful theory but
an impossibility in practice.
Lot was a blackslider. When he dewitt
on the plains he had his family altar
but he dwet in Sodom for 20 years and
never prayed. He was blinded by the
things of the world. BY his fellow-citi-
zens he was doubtless accounted a pros
porous and honorable man, and admired
as a successful business man. / believe
he was even made judge by the politi-
clans of Sodom. 1t was the custom in
those days to choose men so highly re-
spscted to rule over the cities al judges.
And so we will take a look at Judge Lot
and Mrs. Lot and the Misses Lot; and a
gay lot they were. Old Judge Lot was
liberal man, and took his toddy when
he wanted It; broad and liberal man,
a financial pillar in the church. And
Mrs. Lot didn't believe in revivals; she
was also broad and liberal. She never
went to prayer meeting, and never went
to church at the Sunday evening serv-
ices. 1t Is safe to say she went in the
morning. however, and went dilSed out
like a Christmas tree with the presents
on it, She was on hand at all ice cream
fetes and oyster suppers, where she was
parfarflxr willing TO contribute two bits
Whole Lot Family Among Us
for the conversion of the heather.
"In this age it is becoming popular to
sheer, like Mrs. Lot, at revivals. We
have our Judge and Mrs. Lots in the
Methodist church, church born at a
revival, Graded at REVEALS, and feeding
all other denominations by it's revivals.
I, too, would sneer at revivals If lived
liked 900 out of 1000 of the church men,
bers who sneer at REVEALS.
Sister Lot didn't believe in revivals,
and the Misses Lot went off to school
and had their voices plowed. that Is to
say. cultivated. They wouldn't sing In
the choir, but performed with great will
lngness when an opportunity was offered
them to show off their voices and them
selves. And so we have the Lot family;
the Misses Lot who wouldn't sing in the
choir; old Sister Lot who wouldn't be-
leve in revivals. and Judge Lot. whose
motto was Pour out the red lemonade,
shoot off the skyrockets, and waltz we
around again, Willie.
but, in all seriousness, we have too
many Judge Lots and Mrs. Lots and
Misses Lots today. There is too much
fooling with religion Too many join the
church without knowing what it means,
a life of suffering a life of hardship and
f,,o{ hot