Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-03-26

upon to meet such a test, although
most Of them have some kind OF a
choice to make Mt some period OF
their career, but unless your religion
is OF the kind that overtops all other
considerations. unless you are willing
to give up anything else before you
would yield one Jot of your faith. your
religion is only fad. and not saw
ing faith. Not all of us may be test
ed like Job, who declared enough
he slay me. yet Will | praise him.;
nor are we all called on to give up our
lives at the stake as "a testimony to
our fidelity. Yet 1t is we'll for each
one OF us to take a spiritual inventory
and see whether we would. if neces-
sary. give up everything else before
we would give up our faith in God.
There would be "A great many of us
who would get cold feet IL COM
Lclled to choose.
A Chosen Vessel.
Paul went out into the world after
his startling experience at Damascus
with II definite commission. He was
not only to be shown how great things
hc must suffer for the sake of the
name of the Lord, but he was Il chos-
on vessel to carry the gospel of Christ
to the GENTLE world and should be
called on to plead his cause before
kings and TO wake up the slumberins
picty of his own race. Paul was
never Negligent of carrying out this
commission with II cheerful disregard
of consequences to himself, and even
esteemed the personal suffering he
was called on to endure as special
mark of divine favor. This his COM
mission was given him at first hand
from the Savior himself was a fact
that he never lost sight of. In this
he was placed on an equality with the
original body of the apostles. The
eleven mad been the companions OF
Jesus in his earthly campaign ana
had been commissioned by word OF
mouth to carry the gospel message to
tho uttermost parts OF the earth.
faul, too, had met the Savior. al
though that meeting was a conflict in
which the proud young lawyer of the
iharisees came out captive to the
power he had sought to destroy. The
Lord personally told him to go on
into the city and there he should be
told what to do. Ills authority came
direct from Jesus and not by the lay
ing on of mans hands. SO he never
failed To inject the personal note INTO
his testimony. He spoke, not as one
repeating the teachings Of another,
but as one who had personal knowl-
edge OF what he proclaimed. lie tells
us in his own writings OF a so1ourn
in Arabia following his conversion,
and no doubt he mad divine intercourse
and instruction there to more COM
rlctCly fit him for the great work
he was destined to do How is ii with
you, my brother? Are YOU depending
tor your eternal welfare altogether
ON what some good man has told you?
Have you undertaken to figure out
religion as a system of theology that
can bo analy2ed and explained by
rules and logic2 Are you placing
your reliance ON a theory that can
be oXpounded on intellectual lines?
or have you spiritual acquaintance
with "a personal Savior who has full
power To lead you into lie eternal?
lIo warned and take your religion,
not from the lips OF men alone. but
from communion with the Holy Spirit.
| Re not one of those who hopes he
| is Christian, but have Il personal
| knowledge that no enemy can assail
and no doubts becloud.
4 Zig subject.
The lesson for this day opens up
such a big subject that II is hopeless
to undertake to do 1t justice in this
one exposition. The writer confesses
that he feels lost in attempting to
say all that Is in his heart, but must
refer the reader to future disserta-
tons. The majority of the lessons for
the remainder of the present year
have to do with the career and the
teachings of this brave servant OF Goa
and we can derive much profitable
instruction II we follow him carefully.
faul was undoubtedly an able man. n
great thinker, powerful preacher,
and an apostle and writer inspired Of
God. Yet wo cannot afford to lose
sight OF the fact that he was n human
being. We cannot afford to clothe
him with infallibility. nor to forget
that he wrote with special Wow
to the needs OF his own time and
without knowledge OF the conditions
and problems that would confront
Gods people in tho centuries to fol-
low. He has conscientiously and WISE
~ laid down an exposition OF the