Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-07-25

as his God should find here a sanctu
airy. Should captivity overtake them
they should turn then to this holy
place and pray for deliverance. Al
ways II was first the consciousness
of sin, repentance and prayer for for
giveness, and the mercy Of the Lord
was to respond. For this was a peo-
pie that had been separated and called
out from among the races of men to
be the prcseryers Of the law and the
worship of Jehovah through all the
years until the Messiah should come
and make the final omnipotent sac
Ifice for the redemption Of all man
kind.
Building Grand Churches.
When we read of the magnlficence
Of this temple and the tremendous
cost of it's construction, we are led to
think that Solomon was one of those
who belie,e that the best is none too
good for God. InasmuCh as God has
given us all that we have, and it is
all his by right, only placed in our
keeping for a few brief years, it is not
dt all out of place that we should put
up beautiful and costly buildings i'm
which to carry on his worship. While
true piety does not depend on the
nagnificence of the church, and while
we are sometimes tempted to a vain
glorious rivalry in their erection, yet
the really piOus soul will rejoice in
paying homage to Almighty God by
putting his hard-earntd dollars into a
Creditable house Of worship. We can
not find any excuse for those men
who, while themselves living i'm man
sions, begrudgc the money necessary
to make the house Of God a place Of
honor to him as to size, location and
beauty There are many among us
who deplore magnificence in a house
OF worship, looking upon It either as
q waste of money that might be more
usefully expended or as a vulgar dis.
play that does not harmonize with
genuine devotion. They argue on the
same plan as those disciples who OBJ
tected to the precious ointment that
was used on the 'SaviOr's head by a
devoted woman, Contending that the
valuable oil should have been sold
and the proceeds Sdevoted to relieving
POVERTY and distrSss But it is right
that we should honor God by liber-
ality toward the visible elements Of
worship. although that does not re-
heve us OF any degree of responsibility
for the care of the poor and needy
We usually get the most help i'm
the most considerate OF the poor,
while it is the man who ignores the
sorrows of his fellows who makes the
foudest objection TO church magnif-
icence.
Build for Gods Glory.
But the temple was not to be in
itself an object of worship nor was
II built to rebound to national pride,
nor was it to be an exclusive sane
tuary for the favored few. On the
contrary, 1t was visible reminder of
Jehovah. a conserving center Of the
true religion. and was open and free
10 all worshippers Of the true God.
whether rich or poor, Jew or Gentle,
and 1t was built for the glory of God,
not of man. We are SHINING when
we go In debt for a fine church build
Ing just to keep somebody else from
outdoing us in magnificence We are
insulting God when we make his
house a millionaire's club where the
meek and lowly of earth have no
place and no welcome We are misled
when we expend literally of our
means TO maintain the pride of our
community or the glory of our de-
nomination. We should build un-
stintedly. nor for human pride or
glory. but first and all the time with
an eye single to the glory Of God and
the promotion of his kingdom. There
are many other avenues Of Gods serv-
ice that call for our money, and the
needs of our building fund should not
lead us TO retrench on missions or
benevolences. The finest church we
can build, the best preacher we can
hire, the most perfect instruments