Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1912-12-21

Church. the Gospel has the right of
way If some claim that people no
longer attend Divine service. there are
three reasons why they will not.
"a During the Dark Ages the Church
lost the Gospel. and few Christians
have recovered it. Gospel signifies
good tidings, a message of joy; but the
message handed down from the Dark
Ages has been bad tidings of great
misery for nearly all mankind No
wonder the majority reject this horri-
BILE presentation of the creeds- Man
kind have trials enough in the present
life. and need encoura cement to hope
for better things hereafter.
(2l Responding to the growth of in
telligence. ministers have ceased to
preach eternal misery for all but the
very elect Nearly all ministers lost
in the theological seminaries their
faith in the Bible as the inspired Word
of God. and accepted the findings of
unbelief-Higher Criticism. So they
preach those things which they ought
not to preach, and leave unpreached
those things which they ought to
preach. How can such ministers avoid
foolish preaching?''
t3) Having undermined faith in the
Bible, these ministers mix their higher
critical. evolutionary views with di-
luted morality. and serve this instead
of the Gospel. Whoever thinks such
preaching will convert from sin and
unbelief to faith in God is deceived
The Gospel of Christ is glad tidings.
Jesus died to bring mankind into har-
mony with God. Nothing is said about
an eternity of torture at the hands of
fre-proof demonstrating to discredit
the Wisdom. Justice. Love and Power
of God. 1t acknowledges that man
kind are under a just penalty-death.
but sets before them a glorious hope
of coming time when the curse of
death will be removed. According to
the Scriptures. New Day is, dawn
ing a glorious prospect for all desiring
to come into harmony with God, but
stripes upon wilful sinners
The True Gospel includes the Mes
sage that during this Age God is Sc
lecting Church. to be joint-heirs with
our Lord in the honorable work. of
blessing all the families of the earth.
The number who attain this position is
a Little Flock, to whom it is the
Fathers good pleasure to give the King
dom
Is Gospel Preaching Logical?
fers to preaching the Gospel as fool
ishness." not in his own estimation. |
but in that of the worldly-wise. That |
a man of Jesus ability should go
about With few disciples. performing
some miracles and inviting chiefly the |
poor to follow Him. seems foolish to |
the world They ask. Why did He not |
make friends with Scribes. Pharisees |
and Doctors of the Law. whose influence |
with the people would have counted?
In reply, he asked. If our Lord had /
done thus. who would have crucified
Him? How would Gods Plan have |
been carried out? 1t is well for the /
world that Jesus did not follow the |
suggestions of worldly wisdom. Truly. |
the Wisdom of God is foolishness with
the world. even as worldly wisdom is
foolishneSs with God
From the worlds standpoint. it seems
foolish for God to invite any to serve
Him-for an au-powerful God to en-
treat where He could compel obedi-
ence. Earthly kings enforce their
commands; in fact. every one executes
his own will The Bible explains. how
ever. that God seeks those to worship
Him who do so in spirit and in truth.
Therefore these must be given oppor
tunfty to disobey. If they choose to do
so; and prosecutions. uibula lions and
attacks from the world. the flesh and
the Devil are permitted to test them
All of Gods people are ordained to
preach The begetting influence of the
Holy Spirit is the only ordination nee
essary. and without it no one has Di-
vine authority to preach. Gods Book
makes no division of His people into
clergy and laity- Let us declare Gods
message in its purity and simplicity.
Let us not be disappointed that the ,
consider it foolishness.
and that it brings odium. as it did upon
the Lord and His Apostles
God will find the peculiar people ,
whom he seeks As Messiah's associ- .
ates they viii declare the decree Ali !.
shall be brought to a knowi-
edge of the Truth the incorrigible de
stroyed- and every knee bow and every
tongue confess. to Gods glory. II