The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1911-02-16
The Chain Of A
Christian Life
By REV. TREL0RE
Pastor Of Calvary Bspti., Church.
Houston, Tesss

full OF bloody crimes, and the city 10 full
Of violence Ezekiel 7:23.
Ezekiel is about to pronounce doom
upon the people OF the upper classes.
and in the last part OF the verse he
speaks of general conditions of the
land and city.
! do not propose to discuss the
things they were in the days of the
prophet. But would take the express
sion, Make a Chain" and let Jesus
speak to us as we examine the differ
ent links in the chain. knowing as we
do so that no chain is stronger than
its weakest link
| would point out to you then the
different links In the chain OF Chris
tian life and, II possible, strengthen
those links so our work the coming
year might be more steadfast and as
church and people we might I'LL the
place our Father has assigned US In
this part OF the city.
First, would let the links repre-
sent things in our individual lives,
know that no church can be stronger
intellectually, spiritually or morally
than are the members Of that church.
Here is a link. we will call 1t the
link OF love. DO we have II in our
lives? God is love"
John said. Little children. love one
another" Our usefulness as Chris
tians will be determined by our love
for God and his cause. BY It our work
for the church is measured. II the love
Of God is In our hearts we will be as
David when he said Il was glad when
they said unto me. let us go into the
house OF the lord" Men shun Gods
house and never enter 1t because they
do not love God.
Here is link we will call personal
work. How much It is needed in our
church to keep the members of the
church busy, this should not be neces-
sary and would not be needed II we
were all alive TO our opportunities.
A great field for personal work lies
| outside the church, we can go out and
| find Bible school scholars and bring
| them in. What a great improvement
| 1t would be II every member OF our
church capable of teaching a class in
the school would go out and find the
| class and bring them into the Bible
school and teach them.
This link we viii call home mission.
| II is sometimes misunderstood; we
| think of our Mexican work or the
work In the western states. But while
this is true and that is a part OF the
home mission work, yet would bring
you face to face with the homes in
our community, many OF them are in
need Of words of sympathy, some are
needing the bread and butter to sus-
tain physical life, others have never
accepted Jesus as a personal savior.
Home missions would carry us TO
tho needy communities around us
where Bible schools could be organ
lied and chapels built. churches or.
ganized. etc.
This much needed work done would
mean more for our city, state and ma
ton than we can imagine, brethren.
Make a chain and bind together all
the important features of our work.
| would put in a link here in the
chain which | hope will be strong
enough to bring our church up to self
support and pay of our debt. ! wish
we might all adopt the Bible plan OF
giving one-tenth Of our income to the
Lords work, and In a short time our
debt would be gone and home ex
penses met and we would be looking
for new fields to enter for Jesus sake
may have left out many links
which should be in the chain, but
weld these and many others together
with the great love of God and the
power Of God. and you will have a
chain strong enough to rescue the per
ishing soul and to make your influ
ence felt around the world.
What use would | make of the
chain?
We. as individual members OF this
church. are links in the great chair
that holds this church here in this
community. as the great ship is helt
in place in yonder gulf the anchors
power is measured by the weakest
link in the chain that holds the ship;
so the power of this church is meas
ured by our strength as individual
] members Of the church.
The church is anchored. a might!
storm is brewing, sins N all kinds ar,
J endeavoring TO wipe ON the influenc,
I Of the church.
The saloon, which csrries with 1
the bulk OF all crimes arc makes an,
land or city. such as the prophet saw
when he said In this verse, The iant
is full of bloody crimes, end the cit!
is full OF violence" This greatest o
} all foes against the individual, tn
home, the church and our patton. ha
J been crowded out OF nor.h Texas
west Texas, central Texas, and her,
} on the very banks Of the Gull Of Mex
co the saloon will make its f.aal fight
| God grant that his people wiu maxi
! the fight of all fights and drive from
I our city and state this great esamy o
mankind with all its kindred vices
Q and may the church of Jesus Chris
: prove true TO all that has been inrrusi
, ed to II.
Cleanliness.
A cake OF soap Is a means of grace