The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-19

tnOSe attending services at the
First Baptist Church yesterday.
Having transferred the after
noon service from the park to
the church building. DR.. NJ. E.
Dodd, of Shreveport, La, the
evangelist, spoke more at length
to the congregation than has
been his habit in the open air.
That the change was for the
better was evidenced by the in
creased attendance, the main
auditorium of the church being
well filled yesterday afternoon
to hear DR.. Dodd, on the "Sec-
ond Coming OF Christ and the
Signs of the Times"
I'm the beginning said DR..
Dodd, ''let me say that this doc
trine, or subject of the second
coming of Christ is one of the
most important in the whole BIZ
bic. We Judge its Importance,
first by the space given to it.
3I8 verses of scripture in the
New Testament are given to its
discussion and it is the only
single subject that has whole
chapters devoted to it. One out
of every twenty-five verses in
the Bible discusses this great
] subject and it is the sole subject
Iof the 24th and 25th chapters OF
Matthews, the 18th of John, and
the entire book of Revelation
from 4th chapter on. With this
abundance of material for study
there is absolutely no need
whatsoever for men going off at
a tangent in speculations, we
have the plain teachings. Again,
let us note that its Importance is
shown by the fact that it is the
one teaching of Christ which He
links on to one of the only two
ordinances which he left to the
church. There are only two or
dinances, Baptism and the
Lords Supper, and Christ said,
as often as we do eat this bread
and drink this cup We do show
the Lords death till He come
Now let us not confuse the Sec
ond coming of Christ with other
things like a great many have
done. The spiritual manifesto
ton of his presence to dying
men. concerning which we dc
have abundance of testimony, is
not the second coming of Christ,
that is our going to Him.
Neither is His manifestation of
power in the hearts and lives of
His people, nor His presence in
providential dealing with the
world to be confused with His
second coming. These are. all
spiritual manifestations. Christ's
second coming is not to be a
spiritual affair merely, we are
plainly told that. in His very
body, in which He left the
world, He is coming again, in
that very body, to this earth to
rule all nations of the world for
a period of a thousand years,
Now then let us first establish
the great fact of His second
coming. Three scriptures will
suffice, Ist Thessalonians. q:
10, For the Lord Himself shall
descend from Heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the arch
angel, and with the trump Of
God, and the dead in Christ
shall rise first. then we that are
alive, that are left, shall be
caught up in clouds( the best
translators omit the word the"
just before clouds, thereby leav-
ing the impression that we shall
60 up in great crowds or clouds,
rather than meet Him in the
clouds) to meet the Lord in the
air, and so shall we ever be with
the Lord. Wherefore comfort
one another with these words
These are the words of Paul.
Acts /: 10, II. And as they
were looking steadfastly into
heaven as He went, behold two
men stood by them in white APP
parel who also said unto them
I've men of Galilee why stand ye
looking into heaven. This Jes
us who was received from yor
up into heaven shall so come IL
like manner as We have seen Hin
going up into heaven Thes'
are the words of the angels
] John IA: 3. And if go and pre-
pare a place for you com
again and shall receive you un
to myself that where | am Their
We may be also These ar
Christ's word. There we hav
a tripl testimony to this grea
teaching. the words OF the apps
: tie, the words of the angels an
the words of Christ Himsel
Isn't that testimony enough?
, The second main division c
E my discussion this afternoon wi
be the practical value of the SCI
) ond coming of Christ. VIII;
: use is it? First and foremost
think it has immense value
that it produces patience, Ho'