Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1912-09-07

place for you. |
will come again and receive you unto
Myself. that where | am there We may
be also. John xiv 16.
The error of supposing that men are
alive when they are dead lies close to
the foundation of every theological err
ror the world over We have all erred
in taking the guess of Plato instead of
the Word of God. and we can get rid
of our difficulties and theological en-
Engagements only by retracing our
steps.
The Bible alone, of all religious
books. teaches that a dead man is dead.
and knows nothing. and that his only
hope is in the Divine arrangement
through Christ. by a resurrection of the
dead-''both of the just and of the I'M
Just Acts XIV 10.
"No Man Hath Assembled to Heaven"
Here note our text. In it the Master
says not word about our going to
Him at death. but quite to the contrary
that He would come again and re-
ceive us unto Himself. And are we not
told that this will be an instantaneous
! change? Is it not styled an awakening
: from the sleep of death?
But. says one. does not the second
coming of Christ take place whenever
His holy ones die? Does He not i'm
mediately come to receive them unto
\ Himself?
! Surely only very lame theory could
seek to bolster itself up by such a per
version of the Scriptures, If Christ
| were to come every time one of His
sanity ones die. would it not mean
4 MANI cOmiHgS instead Of merely a second
comiRg9 And even if His faithful were
very few indeed. would it not seem
/ that this would keep the Redeemer
/ busy coming, and departing every few
minutes?
| Hearken again to Jesus words. NO
man hath assembled up to heaven"
! Gohn iii. 49, Only the Son of Man
had ever been in heaven He has as
4 cended up where He was before. with
additional glory and honor
The Case of the Dying Thief.
But. says some one. did not the dying
| thief go with Jesus to Paradise the
very day in which they both died?
! No, we have made a stupid blunder
and misinterpretation of our Redeem
er's dying words to the thief. The
wrong thought being in our minds we
misinterpreted in harmony herewith
And our Interpretation has done an
immense amount of harm. Thousands
| of people have been encouraged TO
continue a life of sin. trusting that
with their dying breath they may have
the opportunity of saying. God be
merciful to me-" and then be immedi
ately ushered into glory. honor and i'm
mortality.
| Let us see what Jesus really said
Note the circumstances. Jesus hung
| ha+ of hntt
heart than the other honestly admitted
his own guilt and that of his comrade
We paraphrase His words, Lord. |
have defended you against an unjust
attack Remember this poor thief if
4 you ever have an opportunity to do
| kindness to me in return. I heard you
before plate say that you have a
Kingdom. but not of this Age: some
heavenly Kingdom l therefore pre-
sumo. My request is. Remember me
when Thou contest into Thy King
DOM
To this Jesus replied. Verify. verify
Cor. so be it. so be it. as you have asked
Verify | say unto thee this day'-this
! dark day. in which it would appear
that have not a friend in Heaven or
on earth-this dark day in which am
crucified as a malefactor. falsifier
and bfaSphemer--l say unto thee
this day. Thou shalt be with Me in
Paradise
Paradise has not yet come. Messi-
abs Kingdom has not vet been eStnb-
lished: and it must come first before
, Paradise Lost can be restored and the
I whole earth be made Gods glorious
? footstool. as He has promised But
, when the time, shall come. when the
, Kingdom shall be established when
Paradise conditions shall be introduced
, the resurrection of that thief will be
: In order. for all that are in their
graves shall hear the voice of the Son
D of Man aud come forth."-John V. 2S
7 %. r. V
81 But Jesus arose from sheoI. from
, hades. from the tomb. from the state
of death. on the third day. He had not
been to Paradise. for Paradise was not
yet in existence. He had not been &c
heaven. for He had been dead Let
us hear His own words to Mary on the
morning of His resurrection: II have
not yet assembled to My Father
r and your Father. to My Cod and your
a God" John XIX III Could anything