River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-11-12

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llPASIOR RUSSilL)I them for fear. and
for looking after
those things that are coming on the
earth" luke q 20, 261 He said in
part:
Never was there such war as there
is at the present time. Peculiar con-
ditions have arisen. more SO than has
ever been known before in the history
of the world. With the utter destruc
ton of civilization impending. pres
ent conditions seem to take on a pc
culiar force as we think of what rela-
tionship God has to all these matters.
On every hand prayers for peace are
ascending to God. Some are praying
for the success of the allied armies
which means the slaughter of the Ger
mans, Austrians and Hungarians; 9th
ers are praying for just the reverse;
still others are praying that the war
shall not go on. All this shows great
confusion Of thought. How could all
these prayers be heard? The Master
has told us that we are to pray in ac
cord with the Word Of God. There
fore, before praying on the subject, it
would be well to determine what are
Gods purposes In regard to this war
in order to pray in harmony with His
arrangements. Instead Of telling the
Almighty what to do, we should all
hearken to His Word, and take note of
what He says about this war and the
terrible Armageddon which will follow
1.-THE '"Time of Trouble such as was
not since there was nation"
As read my Bible with clearer eyes
than once | read it, | see so many
things different from what once |
thought that | have great sympathy
with people who are confused on this
matter. As | read the Bible, God has
foretold this very war and has indi
Gated just what is happening today.
Through the Prophet Joel He has said
to all nations, Let the weak say. |
am strong Let the nations be
wakened. and come up to the Valley
of Jehoshaphat"-t the Battle of the
great Day Of God Almighty. If God
prophesied this war of nations, then
we need not pray that He stop a war
which He has foretod would take place.
Surely, SO far as the present war has
gone, it has brought greater number
to the grave than has any previous
war. Many. doubtless. will be shock
ed at the declaration that this war and
the still greater calamity to follow are
of Divine arrangement Nevertheless,
the gathering of the nations to the
present struggle is referred to in the
Prophets words. where the weak ma
tons are called upon to assert their
strength and to go down, all of them,
to the Valley of Jehoshaphat-other
wise the Valley of Graves.
In harmony with this prophecy. the
nations have for years been beating
their ploWshares into swords. and
their pruning-hooks into spears in the
sense that money has been spent for
military purposes which should prop
erly have been spent in agricultural
implements and developments APP
parently all the nations Of the world
will yet be involved. Happy would it
be if our own land should escape! We
are very glad to note that our Presi-
dent and our Secretary of State are
men of peace, and will surely do all in
their power to avoid complications and
war itself Nevertheless, it is reason
able to expect that the great nations of
Europe. realizing how much they viii
be weakened by the war, will do all
in their power to ensnare these United
States. lest at the conclusion of the
war we should tower too much above
the other nations in financial strength
and in every other way.
Seen In Gods Plan.
But to the majority it is very con
fusing to think that God would bring
about any great war There is surely
something wrong or there would not
be such perplexity; for the Lord tells
His people that they will not be in
darkness. Speaking about this Time Of
Trouble. st. Paul says. But We. breth-
rem. are not in darkness that that Day
should overtake you as a thief. Ye are
all the children of the light, and the
children of the Day u Thessalonians
5:1-6l Gods people should have gen.
eral information regarding His plans,
purposes and arrangements.
Only as we look at the Divine Plan
as a whole can we understand Gods
/! relationship with this bloody war-and