South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-09-13
HEAVEN NO PLACE
FOR DEAD BEATS
Rev. Decker in Sermon on
debts" Says No Credit SyS-
tenn Allowed by God.

God doesn't like dead beats any
more than the merchants on Michigan
st. do. Here is a place there the old
trick won't work You can fool a
butcher or grocer or furniture deal
er. but it will not work when dealing
with God" said Rev. c. A. Decker,
pastor Of the First Baptist church,
Sunday morning in his sermon on the
subject Debts"
lone cannot walk into Gods store
house Of blessings, fill up a basket and
say to the angel who waits on him,
charge IL please. He will tell you we
do not run a credit system up here.
This is a cash business. Pay US as
you go is the rule. We must pay our.
debts to God or we cannot have His
blessings. Paid debts equal promises
delivered.
story of the Widow.
"A widow was in debt and appealed
TO the Prophet Elisha TO help her. The
prophet told her to take the vessel
OF oil she had in the house and pour
il out into other vessels. She did as
she was told and filled all the vessels
she could borrow OF her neighbors.
1T is not our business to doubt nor
apologize for the miracles of the old
Testament. but to find the truth in the
story and preach it, We may not
have a repetition of the miracle in
this day but we can have an applica-
ton of the truth.
THE woman suffered a common af-
fliction-debts. We can all sympa-
thize with her fer we all have them.
And il is not a disgrace to have debts,
but it is a disgrace not to pay them.
As long as we are in the world we
will owe something. However, we
may stand on this matter among men,
we will always owe a debt TO God.
1t is a debt of gratitude. Nobody
escapes this, though many fail to ac-
knowledge il. And it is one of the
sad failures of human life that so
many people do not recognize the
greatest Of all our creditors, Our
Heavenly Father.
God Demands Honesty.
THE woman Acknowledged the debt
and set about to find a way to pay
the obligation, 1t meant that she
must find some way to pay or give
her sons in bondage for the debt, un-
til the year Of jubilee. Her sons con-
stituted her very life. 1t is this way
with us We can pay our obligations
to God or forfeit life and power. God
does not give spiritual life to people
who are not honest with him.
when one is really anxious about
the matter God finds some way to
meet our ODnSatlOnS. Elisha lOunu
way for the woman. 1t was unusual
but effective. l do not believe God
will go back on anybody who tries to
meet his honest obligations. Gods
great promissory note. Bring all the
thithes into the store house and I will
pour you out a blessing, has always
been honored when presented. Here
is a bank that is always solvent and
the doors are never closed.
n~n Cnt1lC
to take God at his word. They have
a little oil but they fear to pour it
out lest it will not multiply and all
Will be lost. Well, il will never in
crease by keeping it in the jar. In
fact. it will become stale and rancid.
Let me ask you a question. Did the
money you have kept back from God
ever do you any good? Suppose we
try Gods method of running our
financial affairs?
THE woman found EGsha's method
effective When the vessels were filed
he said, Take what is necessary and
pay the debt, and you and your sons
live on the rest Thus God provides
for our debts and our needs"