The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-29
Present Is Best Time

Just as the text says, the fields are white unto the harvest that somebody else has sowed, and it Is now your bus mess to sow. The present is the best possible time that you could have lived and wrought and unless you believe this, you are liable to let slip opportunities to do the part in this worlds civiliza- ton that has been assigned you. I am of the opinion that this realization of the chances that today has opened for you to fulfill the purpose for which we are created is the gist of life's most precious wisdom. I have nearly ceased wishing that l might live 50 years from now or even 25 for I earnestly think that the present and the consecutive 10 years are the ones meant for me to work and that the existing in the present is the whole thing
 Life is opportunity and the highest service is reaping the harvest, which stands ready in the heather fields of the world and which will bring the thanksgiving time with its accomplish
 ing. Serving Christ should be done not only because it is right or our duty,
 but because it is our opportunity to do something splendidly great and potential
 to the race. I hear much talk about
 problems of today, about this and that.
 with little action taken to right them. A
 theory about the solution of the so
 termed modern problem can be thought
 out in a study or in the forest, but the
 way to actually reach the answer is
 to seize the opportunity before it becomes
 problem. A problem is but an over
 ripe opportunity and we have no right to send down the problems of this age to the children of the next generation.
 because we will not grapple with our opportunities.
 Then I have seen a group of men or congregation become agitated over a cer-
 tain matter by saying that it is critical period in their history and become greatly | disturbed as to the outcome of this crisis | But crisis is only an over ripe problem l and if we solve the problem by utilizing | the opportunity we will not have any | crisis There never was a time in the cen l turies of the worlds existence that more | opportunities flourished for right than | now; an empire is molten into fusinry metal waiting to be shaped into the right | pattern and it rests with lis just hoy l much of our ideals of Christianity and
 right living we stamp upon the forming | republic
 Next Decade in China
 | 'rhe next 10 years will decide the ex- | tent of the impress of western religion | and civilization to be carried into the new nation of China and 1t bshooves us Meth odists to be at our work betimes. All the | leaders of the Chinese revolution have | been touched in some way by the infiu- ence of Christian religion and there are none who have more influence than the southern Methodists.. The doors of the Chinese are opened unto us and their hearts are receptive because they trust
 the United States as they do no other country of the world.
 '"rhe harvest has meaning other than that of material reaping for it is divine gift It is the lineal successor of the first grain of wheat ever sowed in the Garden of Eden by Gods hand and represents the opportunity for Him to do great things in our lives. The harvest is not only a divine gift for it is a human achievement as well. Men have been working for ages to make better universe and you are now inheriting what others have done
 making it your opportunity to keep up their beginning with commensurate deeds You have received from the bloodstained d record of a pioneer ancestry this great up- portunity for the world wide Christ, anu you cannot leave the .next generation to shift for themselves You are entering into other peoples lorA E daily and the op-
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