Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-04-30

cleaving to the Lord. The Lord is too
far away from us. We look upon re-
ligion as Il good thing, a necessary
thing. but in our individual affairs 1t
has taken a place OF secondary in
ter. ST. The great American fault
the Needless chase Of the elusive dol
lar-is our greatest distraction. Some
of us put business, some pleasure.
some social duties, some personal am
bition-all good and proper things In
their proper relatior-first in cur
plans, in our thoughts and in our
cndeavors. We are leaving the Lord
as n secondary consideration. We are
not cleaving unto the Lord. making
him our personal GCd our guide and
friend That is why we are deficient
in power in influence, in spirituality.
The blessings of the Lord are not for
those who make him second choice.
Our purpose of heart must be first
and foremost to consider Gods will
and his service-all the other good
md proper things fall in behind and
are subject to this supreme purpose.
We need to beware of the distractions
of life, that they do not tempt us
away from our primary allegiance.
God must come first.
The Hand of the Lord.
II is said of these first teachers in
Antioch that "the hand of the Lord
was with them" This is the one
requisite of real and permanent sue
cess The goddess may flourish like
q green bay tree. but their success is
ephemcral and we know they are not
happy in il. The success of the child
of God is one thai counts through
all eternity; he is happy in the serv-
ice of his Master and has a greater
happiness laid up for him in the
home beyond the grave. The hand OF
the Lord is only with those who are
doing his service. We cannot look
for divine help when we are going
counter to his will or when we are
indifferent to his plan. These Jewish
refugees who fled to Antioch to es-
cape the vengeance OF Herod were
not looking for the opportunity to
enrich themselves in their now home.
hut they had a consuming zecl that
these brethren in Antioch Should hear
the glad news that had set them free.
They were unselfishly eager that
others should share the blessing they
lad found. When we are able to put
self behind us and look first for the
good Of our fellow-men. when we are
ready to work without reward II need
he that some other soul shall find the
way to the cross-thon we are in line
to receive powerful assistance from
above. Scfishness is abhorrent to
the Holy Spirit. We must put God
first. and ,hen our fellow man ahead
Of ourselves. When we can do this
we may expect that the hand of the
Lord will he with us and our wcrk
will prosper.
Wide rs the World.
There is no exclrsivencss Of set
among Gods people When one man
gets to believing he is made of su-
rerior clav frori his brother. or when
he thinks the favor Of the Lord is the
prcrogative only of himself and his
set. he is getting a very long way
from God The Lord allows ro limits
or bounds to be set to his mercy. and
his gracious love Is big enough and
broad enough to take in the whole
human race. The call is universal
il is net for us to set limitations. The
church at Antioch made IA brave start
toward evaneelizing the world. but
the work IL vet incomplete and 1t is
our business to see that II goes
ahead There are no places on earth
where the service is not needed.
China and Japan. the South sea
islands. Africa. the poems of Mexico,
the remnants of the Incas and their
degraded European fellow citizens,
the slums OF our American cities
and last. but not least. many of our
neighbors and ow-citizens in this
land OF bibles and churches--nll are
waiting FOR the coming OF that joyous