The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-01-21
REVIVAL At CUMBERLAND
PRES. CHURCH GROWS
IN INTEREST

Yesterday those who attended the
services at the Cumberland Presby-
terian church enjoyed a feast of
good things.
There is some characteristic about
all eminent preachers that stands
out prominent. Some attract by
their flights of oratory, and one is
held spell-bound by admiration;
others attract by their abusive and
sometimes coarse, language, and
their hearers are more drawn to see
what surprises are in store than by
desire for an outpouing of grace.
But r. Fooks' most prominent char
acteristic seems to be his deep spir-
ituality. He is proving more and
more to those who hear him that he
is. indeed, a spirit-filled, consecrated
man of God who can bring to his
audiences rare treats in his sincere,
earnest, heartfelt sermons.
The morning service yesterday
was well attended and much inter
est shown. At the song service, an
especial treat was the beautiful solo
by Prof. Clark, who has won such
reputation as an evangelist singer
He promises to favor the congrega-
lions repeatedly with these delight
full solos Miss higgins, the efficient
choir leader, who is so favorably
known as local singer, also gives
frequent solos so those who are mu-
sically inclined enjoy treats from
that branch of the service.
DR.. Fooks' subject at the morn
ing service was, THE Master Is
Come and Calleth for Thee" choos-
ing his text from John 11:2S. He
very strikingly compared the resur-
rection of Lazarus, dead man, to
the awakening of the church, spirit
ually lifeless. He most wildly por-
trayed the sad scene in the home Of
the two sisters whose much-loved
! brother had so recently been taken
from them by the hand of death. In
their sorrow they turn to Jesus, their
best friend, who loved them with
such an earnest love. This love of
the Great Physician, who can heal
| broken hearts and cure sin-sick
souls, was their solace in their grief.
The ground of the worlds pleading
today is not so much it's love for
Christ as Christ's love for the world
| Just as the first step in the resur-
rection of Lazarus was their sending
for Jesus, so must we, in attempting
to revive our churches, invite God to
come into our midst. DR.. Fooks said,
1.-THE revival does not so much depend
upon the sending for the evangelist,
nor upon his ability. but the send
ing for Jesus. We cannot bring into
Lakeland within the next forty
eight hours, preachers enough to
work up a revival, but Jesus must
be brought in. :"
The awakening of churches is
brought about only through personal
effort. Just as in the forty-seven in
stances in the Bible where the sick
were healed by Jesus, all but seven
were brought to Him through the in
strumentality of others; so sinsick
souls are put in touch with Christ
by the personal effort of some one
else. God can work without human
Intervention, but He chooses to have
1T.
Not until a Christian worker has
gone to God in prayer and put him.
self in touch with His love can he
benefit anyone else. We must be
willing to become the humble chan
nels through which Gods love flows
out and touches other lives. This
cannot be done until we have re-
moved from our hearts the stones of
Indifference, pride and selfishness
At the evening service he said that
these meetings are not for Cumber-
land Presbyterians alone, but for all
who want to do good, be good and
get good. He especially welcomed
the pastors of other local churches
who were present He spoke most
I highly of the local daily papers, ex-
pressing his appreciation of their aid
by giving so much space, thus al
lowing those who could not be pres
ent to get some idea of what is be-
ing done at these meetings.
During the day DR.. Fooks visited
one of Lakeland's schools, and, al
though in the past it has been part
of his official duty to have oversight
of certain educational institutions
connected with the church, in vari-
Gus States, he says he has never seen
better system and organization than
is shown here and that Lakeland
should be justly proud of it. He was
unstinted in his praise of our
schools.
His text last evening was taken
from Habakkuk 3:2 and his subject
was Revivals-Their Needs, Hin
H. le