Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-01-03

mainly have their
time and place. But
I'm the Church the Gospel has an exclusive
right of way. VI some claim that people
no longer attend Divine service. he replies
that there arc three reasons why they will
not.
% During the Dark Ages the Church
lost the real Gospel. an,. few Christians
have yet recovered it. The word Gospel
signifies good tidings. Il message Of JOY.
The message handed down iron the Dark
Ages. however. has been bad t!dings of
great misery for nearly all mankind. The
great majority reject the horrible prcscn-'
tatsons of the crccds: for mankind have
difficulties enough in the present life. and
need encouragement to nope for better
things hereafter
C9 Responding I" The growth of intelli-
gencc, ministers have ceased to preach
baa tidinSs OF eternal misery for all but
the every icleat.' Nearly an ministers
graduated within the las; 20 years lost IN
the thcorogical scni.narieS their faith in
the Bible AS the inspired Word of God.
and in its stc;ld have accepted the findings
of unbeIcf-Hig!.cr Criticism. AS a re-
suit, they preach those things which they
ought not to preach. and leave urprcachel
those things which they ought to preach.
Not many OF their hearers care for scien-
titic d.squisitioHs or essays on good NOR
ais. So how can such ministers avoid
foolish rrcaciins?,"
30 Having undermined the faith of the
people i'm tho Bible as the Word of God.
these ministers mix their higher critical.
cvolutionary Vows with diluted morality.
and serve this mixture for tho Gospel of
Christ. Whoever thinks that such preach
ing Will convert a mind from unbclief to
faith il God acccives himself.
NO Gospel Without Redemption.
The Gospel OF Christ is glad tidings.
Jesus died To bring mankind back into
h~armony-with God. The True Gospel con-
tairs nothing about an eternity of tor
turc at the hands OF tirc-proof demons
nothing which would discredit the Wis
DOM, Justice, Love and Power of God.
1t acknowledges that mankind are under
a just neutrality-suspicious. sets before
them a glorious hope. According to the
Scriptures. a New Day is dawning for ali
who desire to come into harmony with
God.
Tho True Gospel. sad the speaker.
teaches that during the Gospel Age God
is selecting from among men a Church.
to- be joint-iieirs with our Lord in the
work of blessing .'all the families OF the
earth The number attaining to this
Kingdom is limited. Our Lord called them
a Little Flock.
Is Gospel Preaching Logical?
st. Paul refers TO Gospel preaching as
'foOiishness.' not in his own estimation,
but in that of the worldly-wise. That a
man of Jesus ability should go about with
a lew ClSClplCS, peri Ofln1l& some miracles
and inviting chiefly the poor to follow
Him., seems foolish ia the world. They
say, Why did He not make friends with
the Scribes and Pharisecs. whose infiu-
ence with the people would have counted?
If our Lord had thus done. who would
have crucified Him? How could the Plan
of God have been carried out? 1t Is we'll
for mankind that Jesus did not follow the
suggestions of worldly wisdom. Truly the
Wisdom OF God is foolishness with the
world, even as the wisdom of the world
Is foolishneSs with God.
From the worldly standpoint. it seems
foolish for God to invite any to do right
and serve Him. for an all-powerful God
to entreat where He could enforce
obedience. Earthly kings execute their
wi Wills. The Bible explains that God
seeks those who worship Him in spirit
and in truth" To test their loyalty, they
must be given opportunity to disobey, if
they so choose.
The special work which God designs for
the Church during the next Age requires
loyal, faithful souls. ready to sacrifice
even their lives In the service. During
the Gospel AGe God is selecting this class
and testing them severely, in order that
they may bs fitted for the glorious work
OF the future. To test their faith and
obedience prosecutions, tribulations. at
tacks from the world, the flesh and tho
Devil are permitted to come against them.
To the world. this seems foolish: for they
cannOC see why GOD should permit His
consecrated people thus to suffer.
BY and BY II Will Be Different.
The Divine Plan outlined i'm the Bible
for the New Age is different. Under Mes
siah's Kingdom all darkness, ignorance
and superstition will speedily pass away
No longer will it require faith to under
stand that there is a God, that the Bible
is the Word of God, and that the trials,
difficulties and adversities of life are bless
tngs in dtsguise The way of righteous
ness will no longer be a narrow way. On
the contrary. We are assured that the
righteous shall prosper and that evil-doery
shall be cut off. Faithfulness will bring
the Divine reward of freedom from weak
ness, and an increase of strength-mental.
moral and physical.
Furthermore. the speaker said that the
Bible clearly indicates that the Adamic
against our race will be
fully offset by the merit of Christ's sacri-
flee, and fully lifted. But every trans
gression not purely of inherited aknes
will be charged to the account of the
transgressor and must be met by him..
All of Gods people are ordained to
preach. The begetting influence of the
Holy Spirit is the only ordination neces-
sary, and without 1t no one has Divine
authority to. preach. Gods Book makes
no division of His people into clergy and
laity. Let us declare Gods Message In it's
purity and simplicity. Let US not be dis