Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-07-19

According to the Pastor, not only
our Lord Jesus Christ, but every IN
dividual member of His Church, has
suffered violence in some form dur
ing their earthly course. All VINO
are of this class have taken firm
stand for God and His Truth, and
have rejected all theories and doc
trines which are unscriptural. AS
result, they have been opposed, ma
ligned, misrepresented and persecut-
ed, not only by the worldly, but
chiefly by those who have a form or
godliness while denying the power
thereof. This condition Will not al
ways obtain, however.
Our earth is the only part OF the
Universe in rebellion against our
Creator, the speaker explained. That
rebellion has continued ever since
rather Adam disobeyed Gods COM
mand, and brought upon himself and
his pCsterity a sentence OF death
not eternal torment. That sentence
was. Dying, thou shalt die" no mat
ter how much we may have oeen
taught to the contrary. (Genesls
I2:17; Romans 6:23; Ezekiel 1874,
l2O: etc. God has permitted sin TO
take its course during these six
years, in order that mans experience
with its results shall be valuable
lesson to all Gods intelligent crea-
lures throughout eternity, demon
strating the unwidom Of disobedl-
enca to the Divine Law.
But God has also purposed to give
1.-THE entire human family one full OPP
portunity as individuals to return TO
harmony with Him. This fact is the
essence of the Gospel. (Luke 2:1O:
Galatians 3:S, 16, 20; l Timothy
I2:5, 60 st. Peter declares that this
opportunity will be given during tine
Times (yesrs) of Restitution" (Acts
|3:19-21.) Other Scriptures show
that this will be during the Messianic
Kingdom, When Satan shall be bound
and when everything will be under
Messiah's control for the purpose OF
Graduating sin, helping mankind up
out of their fallen condition back TO
the image of God and to harmony
with Him. Corinthians 15:24-2S
Violent Opposition to the Kingdom
In due time God sent His Son, the
prospective King of earth, into the
world to tell mankind that God has
Imercy on them and wishes to bless
them. Although He came to the
most favored nation of that time, yet
they rejected and crucified Him
Thus violence was done to the King
dom of Heaven; for Jesus was the
Irightful-King. He gave up His life
permitted it to be taken from Him
knowing this to be the Fathers VIII
Thus He humbled himself, ''even un
to the death of the Cross. Wherefore
also God hath highly exalted Him.
Phil. 2:S-11.
After our Lord assembled on High
the Kingdom continued to suffer
violence; for there was a class es
tablished who had accepted Hi
terms and were walking in His foot
steps. All down the Gospel Age this
Church class have suffered with thel
Lord; and in them, as representa-
tives of the Kingdom, has the King
dom suffered violence. OF Jesus ant
His disciples it was said that the!
were under the power OF the AdVer
sary: and so it has been said OF God
people ever since. Matthew 1929.
THE religious people of the Master
day said that He had a devil merel!
because He did not join in with thel
Headers, the Pharisees. Jesus stoo'
for God and the Truth, and therefore
could not endorse their theories, thell
doctrines, and could not walk in theiI
ways. AS a result, they opposed, ma
Iligned and prosecuted Him.
There is a wide and radical differ
lence between the worlds ideas ano
1.-THE Divine Program. Consequent!
the Kingdom class have suffered VIC
J lence throughout the Age, sometime!
| in one form, sometimes in another
! Many good people have had miscon
ception of things. They have though
that the Kingdom is already here
that it was set up centuries ago
t There has been a duplicate Kingdom
, in existence for over a THOUSAND
years. The founders of this dupli
cate Kingdom thought that they were
doing Gods will in setting 1T up; bu
THE Adversary deceived them. Oul
Lord is not now reigning over th'
world; and the Church has been sur
fering violence at the hands o.
earth's rulers. But the time is a
hand when our Lord will take His
great power, and set up the true King
dom.
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