Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-12-21

Moody. II / can live fifteen years by
the side OF neighbOr and believe he rs
on the road TO hell and never ask him
to be a Christian, there is something
wrong with my life. ! am going to Chi
cago to see Moody,
And all the good that afterwards
came out of the life of William Rey-
nolds would have been lost if Moody
had been riding in the smoking car
playing cards with some fellow.
There is something for a lot of you
old half-baked elders and stewards and
vestrymen and prudential committee
men to think of. Don't you see how
1t would change the world if everybody
was intent, in season and out of sea-
son, always looking for a chance to win
somebody for Christ?
What would Jesus do if He taught a
Sunday school class. Would He put as
little heart into 1t as some of you do?
Would lie go to prayer meeting as lit
tie as some of you go and would He
testify as little as some of you testify?
Would lie do as little personal work as
some of you do? Would He spend as
much on Himself and give as little to
the cause of Jesus Christ as some of
you do? Would He pray as little as
some of you do? Would He do no more
TO answer your prayers than some of
you do? Your prayers are not worth a
picayune in the sight of God, more than
the effort you're willing to put forth to
how much are you willing to give? How
much God thinks about your layer
Am / a follower or a faker? Am
a inger-board pointing to the cross or
to the world? All that is being done
to bring this old sin-cursed world to
the feet of Jesus Christ is being done
by the spirit of God working through
men and women like ourselves. You
are robbing God and you are robbing
the world if you are not giving the
Lord a chance to work and speak
through your personality. You are a
robber. you are a robber and a Stacker.
All that Jesus Christ expects you to
do, He stands pledged to help you to
do, SO don't think you get to do it by
your own effort. Whatsoever We shall
ask the Father in My name, that will
1 do"
That is a blank check that you can
fill out up to the limit of your needs.
IF you ask anything in My name,
will do it" He signed it, fill in what
ever you want and He will bless you.
The first step to follow Jesus Christ
is that there must be a deliberate, def
mite decision about it. just the same
as there is in an important matter in
business. And so you've got to decide
to go into business, you've got to de-
eide to get married or you never viii.
There has got to be definite decision
about anything. You've got to decide
you will go to heaven or to hell, that's
all. You've got to decide the whole
business. A young man decides he
won't give up his bad company and
that's the reason he dies an old man
in prison. You've got to do it.
Didn't Come TO Drive
People Into Heaven
Jesus didn't come to drive people into
the kingdom of heaven. He came to
force the question upon every man and
woman, and you've got to decide the
matter for yourself. 1 can't decide it
for you no more than 1 could eat or
sleep for you. The doctor could cut
me to pieces and that wouldn't keep
you out of the coffin if you had ap-
pendtcitis. .-.....
So, what shall do with Jesus, which
is called the Christ? And you can't
escape the question that comes to every
body. IF any man will come after
Me, let him deny himself and take up
his cross and follow Me-" Every one
must decide first whether he will be a
Christian. Second you must decide
what kind of a Christian you will be.
There would have been no revolution
airy war if there had been no Declare
ton of Independence. We wouldn't
have been in war with Germany if we
hadn't declared war with Germany.
You've got to make a declaration to
begin with. One reason why we've got
so many milk and water, cider-chalk-
and-vinegar good Lord-good devil,
pliable, plastic, weak people sitting
clean cut for Jesus Christ and His
truth.
The rich young ruler came running
after Jesus and fell on his knees, and
that looked like a clear case of CONVEX
sion, but il wasn't. How far you go
with Jesus depends on what you take
with you when you start. One reason
why lot of you have not made more
progress you have been trying to lug
too much of the DEVILS goods with you
when you started out. You are not
making much Roadway. in a few min
utes 1 find him turning his back on Je-
sus Christ forever
The scribe said, Master, 1 will fol-
low You wherever You CO."
Now that sounds fine, but he didn't
mean it no more than lot of card
playing beer guzlers, novel readers, gin
fizZlers mean it in the church today.
sight. He thought it would be fine to
be associated with a man that was so
popular / suppose some people think
that Joining the church will help them
to sell boots and shoes; some think they
might sell more groceriesNI don't know,
but Jesus read their heart and He killed
the selfish motives within them.
He turned to this fellow and said,
You say you will follow me wherever
I go" He said, THE birds of the air.
sir. have their nests, and the foxes have
Enles, but the son of man hath nowhere
to lay his head"
why" he said to Jesus, "I thought
you had a limousine. You've got to
walk? Good night!'
Kills Selfish Motive
In Heart of Man
Jesus killed the selfish motive that
was in his heart. When Jesus leads
He don't take you around the valley of
the shadow. He will take you right
through. If you are not ready to walk
through it, don't ever start to follow
J esus Christ.
Another said, "I will follow you, but
I've got something else to do first"
That would be a good deal like fell !
low getting shaved, after they told him
his house was Attire. That would be like
a fellow stopping and getting his boots