Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-07-05

IGOd that many noble souls are re-
PEELED from the Bible, and are vain
ly searching elsewhere for Truth
He declares that those who, turning
from all manmade Creeds, are look
| ing into the Bible for themselves are
finding there a God whom they can
reverence and adore, a God whose
loving kindness is beyond human
comprehension, God who is practic-
ally unknown by many who profess
10 worship Him.
1t is difficult for us to realize how
much harm has been done by the pro-
mitigation of doctrines which mis-
represent the Divine character. AL
though many people call themselves
Christians yet only few profess 10
be fully consecrated to God. For the
most part the majority are mere pro-
fessors, knowing little enough about
our God and His Christ. After all
these centuries OF preaching, one
would naturally expect to see better
results than what we see. But the
trouble is that during all this time
| there has been very little real Gospel
preached. Early in the history OF the
! Church, the doctrines OF demons
entered, and suDverted the simple
Truth as taught in the early Church
when thousands of Jews and Cen
tiles turned to the Lord.
Noble Christians they were, not
merely formal professors of religion.
st. Paul tells of some who endured a
great fight of Affections, who suf-
fered great loss for Christ's sake; and
others became companions of those
thus mistreated. (Hebrews 10:32-34.)
Under the Emperor Nero and others,
many Christians suffered fCf loyalty
to God 1t requires strong character
I to suffer willingly even unto death
for righteousness sake. Had this
spirit continued, where do you sup
pose Christianity would be today?
the speaker querled.
The Great Apostasy.
Experience has taught the Pastor
that many people in both so-called
Christian lands and heather lands
are feeling after God and wishing TO
find Him, but are bewildered by the
creedal Misrepresentation OF the
God of the Bible. False doctrines have
driven people away from the Lord;
and Christian people, under the de-
fusion of these false doctrines, have
shown anything but a proper Chris
| tian spirit AS in the case of st.
James and st. John, they have not
known of what manner OF spirit they
were.-Luke 9:51-56.
Like these disciples, Christendom
has had wrong focus. We have not
understood our Heavenly Father, nor
His Plan for human salvation. We
| had a devilish idea, engendered by
the doctrines of demons. During the
Dark Ages millions were burned at
the stake and put through various
forms of torture, all in the name or
religion. What a terrible mistake!
Such proceedings did great injury to
those who perpetrated the crimes as
we'll as to the world at large. All this
resulted from lack of knowledge OF
Gods character.
But now, by the grace of God, the
light is shining clearly upon the BIZ
BILE. We have come to time when
our conceptions Of God are more rea-
sonable. We are awakening from
the sleep of the past. We are get
ting our eyes of understanding open.
But while some of us are looking in
the right direction, many others are
Hooking in the wrong direction
away from Gods Word, and toward
Evolution, Theosophy, New Thought.
IChristian Science, etc. They are
searching for Truth, not knowing
where to go to obtain it.
In all these theories God is regard
ed as a principle, not as person. To
those who accept them, God is mere
lily a great law of nature, principle
lof good which operates everywhere
and in everything. They worship the
principle, instead of the great Source
of the principle They adore the Law.
not the great Author of Law. In
such a god there is neither intelli-
lgence nor loving sympathy.
But we who are looking in the
fright direction see in the Bible liy-
ling, personal God, whose heart re-
sponds to ours, whose love and sym
Ipathy go out to us, and to whom we
can go in every time Of need. Gods
people, whether learned or ignorant
according to the worlds ideas, are
Hooking in the right direction-to the
East, for the sunrise of Gods great
, Plan, when Messiah shall inaugurate
His Millennial Kingdom for the
blessing of all the families of the
learth. Only through the Bible can
lany know of the lovingkindness OF
our God. That loving-kindness has
provided, through Christ Jesus, a
future life for us, far better than the
lpresent unsatisfactory existence