River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-01-13

more ready to give heed to it than
the Judean-J Jews. The latter, in
contact with the snowy Journalism
of an earthly priest with gorgeous
garments and magnificent temple
more grand than that Of Solomon,
were less inclined to hearken TO the
offer of a spiritual kingdom. To
the latter the outward and snowy
prosperity of their system was a
delusion and snare which hinder
ed them from seeing. Thus it has
always been. The message of Gods
grace finds some of its most earnest
friends amongst the poor and de-
spised.
The Kingdom of heaven was at
hand in the sense that Jesus was
present to make a formal tender of
the Kingdom to Abraham's natural
seed. When they rejected the King
they rejected the Kingdom. He
nevertheless blessed all who accept
ed him and as pre-intended and
promised they became the nucleus
of his spiritual Kingdom, to COM
plete the number of which conse-
Grated believers from the Gentiles
have since been "called." In
word, Gods arrangement is first to
elect a spiritual class, Royal
Priesthood, to be associated with
Jesus in his Kingdom and then at
the end of this age to establish that
spiritual Kingdom IN power and
great glory and to bless natural
Israel with the great light and op-
portunity, and through her to bless
all the families of the earth.
Peter and Andrew, James and
John, fishermen, were invited by
the great prophet to be his follow
ers, to be associated with him in his
work of calling the "elect" and, if
faithful, subsequently to sit with
him in his throne as part Of the
elect" They left all to follow
him. These were his terms, IF
any man will be my disciple, lei
him deny himself and take up his
cross and follow me-" The Lord
does not open the door of opportun-
ity to all of his disciples throughout
this Gospel Age to become promi
nent ministers of the Truth after
this manner. Yet he accepts none
as his disciples except those who
forsake all to follow him. In their
hearts they must give up all else.
The preaching of Jesus was that of
his apostles also = the Gospel
| (good news) of the Kingdom" To
his apostles he gave the same power
over disease that he himself exer
ciseG-even to the casting out of de-
mons. These miracles were merely
to attract attention to the Prophet
and his message. 1t was not the
intention to heal all the sick, nor to
awaken all the dead. But those
miracles manifested forth before
hand the glorious blessings which
his Kingdom when established, will
exercise amongst men,-John 2:11.
Thus the fame of Jesus spread.
| The sick were brought to him and
healed, and amongst his followers
were to be found deyout men from
every province of Palestine. Truly
the benighted Galileans were bless
ed in the great light which shone in
their midst. But it tested them as
Truth, Light, always does. The
few children of the light were mani
tested and separated from the chill
dren of the darkness, the children
of disobedience. And similarly we of
to-day, living in the great light now
shining as an arch-light upon the
Word of God, have increased re-
sponsibilities and are taking our
stand either as children of Light as
| its advocates, or as children of
darkness in opposing it.