The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-21
MaIachrs Message to Men Today.

Preparedness is the great word OF
modem times. In newspapers, maya
zines, books, on the hustings, in legis-
lative halls, in the pulpit, that word
is being megaphoned into mems ears.
1t is a proper word, too. But God
was the first to speak it. Trace the
word prepare thru the Bible and an
study. will be the result.
God has prepared His kingdom
CInherit the kingdom prepared for
you.'s Matt. 25:S4), and in that king
dom "a city whose Architect and
Builder is God" and in that city
mansion, In my Fathers house are
many- mansions" and for that man
sion a feast ("behold, I have prepared
my elmer" Matt. 22:4)
THY salvation which thou hast pre-
pared" Luke speaks of, and this sal
walton was wrought out for the world
thru the Messiah's divinely prepared.
human body "a body hast thou pre-
pared me-" Heb. 10:5) and in the les
son of today the word prepare occurs
yet again in the message of the last
of the Old Testament prophets, Mala-
chi, Behold, l will send my messen-
ger, and he shall prepare the way be-
fore me-
An Authority on Messengers.
Messengers have a vital mission in
Gods preparedness plans. The name
of the writer of the book from which
this lesson is taken, Malachi, means
My messenger. AS the last Oh the
Old Testament prophets he was in an
especial sense Gods messenger, leav-
ing a word of hope from God that
was to tide over heavens silence to
formal, covetOus, GOd-fOrgetting Is
"a Ell, a silence that was to be I'M
broken for 400 years and his name is
Suggestive of the mission of the long
line of the prophets that preceded
him. Malachi, the messenger, seems
to- be divine authority on messen-
gers, for he foretells the coming of
three other messengers: John the Bap-
tist, Elijah, and our Lord himself.
A right and proper message, in the
divine economy, is evidently an I'M
portant thing. May we not be re-
minded by all this that we have an
unusual opportunity today to send
messages of cheer to the soldiers and
sailors who are offering their lives
today in defense of their country?
In the terrible environment of the
world war, a letter from the home
land, from parents, sweetheart, friend,
means more than words can express.
A worker among the soldiers in Eu-
rope said that a French mail carrier
was so touched with pity over the
never satisfied desire of a soldier to
get letter from somebody somewhere,
that he, the mail carrier, forged a let
ter once fortnight and delivered it
to the desperately expectant trooper.
Are you writing to your friends at the
front, and are you remembering what
an unusual opportunity this offers, to
include in your letter message of
eternal hope by pointing the soldier
to Christ?
Messenger for. 'StonewaII'' jackson.
God did raise up a wonderful mes
senger to prepare the way for His
Son. Jesus said of John the Baptist
Among them that are born of wom-
en- there hath not risen a greater"
A trustworthy messenger is a treas
ure. Gen. "Stonewall'' Jackson real
lied this when at the beginning of
the Civil war he chose for his chief
of staff a preacher of the Gospel, the
Rev. r. l.. Dabney- The seemingly
eccentric choice fully justified itself.
Mr.. Dabney'S alertneSS as a messenger
probably won one of the great battles
of the war for Jackson. Dr. Dabney
told the story for the first time in his
last public lecture at Davidson college,
North Carolina, years ago.
The battle had been raging for
some time, and was coming to a
crisis jackson, determined to throw
of staff and said: Ride down the line
and order every reserve brigade to
charge Immediately" Noticing, how
ever, that his aide was pale and i'll,
he said, Major Dabney, you are too
ill to deliver this message. I will send
someone else" And so he did. But
Dabney followed the messenger, and
found that he had misunderstood his
orders So, sick as he was, he rode
down the five mile line and told each
brigadier that Jackson had ordered an
immediate charge. One general was
inclined to protest. II have Just re-
ceived contrary ORDERS" he said The
chief of staff explained the situation
Major Dabney, what would you do
in my placer" asked this commander
Il would charge as soon as 1 could
give the order" was the reply Il
will do so them
Soon afterward the long line of re-
serves were flung into the fighting.
and the .wavering battle became a
| confederate victory. Il rode up to
Jackson Immediately after the battle
to tell him the story" said Dr. Dab
ney. but his first comment to me
was, Major Dabney. I am worn out.
Find me place to sleepl' And I did
not get a chance to tell him until
months afterwards"
Are we equally as Jealous as am
! bassadors for God in passing on the
/ message to a lost world that God is
reconciled to sinful man thru Christ =?
/ The Christian world is celebrating
now the four hundredth anniversary
of a faithful messenger of God-the
leader of the Reformation, Martin
Luther.
wherein" Seven Times.
Malachi was. a contemporary of
] Nehemiah, and the prophecy gives
! Gods moral Judgment on the Jews
returned to Jerusalem from the
1 Bahylonian captivity under Ezra and
! Nehemiah and who, in spite of the
restored temple were offering a for
NAL and insincere worship. Malachi
was SO modest. and so utterly sub
merged himself in his message, that
we know scarcely anything about
him.
Both the first and second advents of
Christ were in the vision of the
prophet as he wrote, but he does not
see the long period of time in between.
AS usual the prophets message was
not popular in the age in which he
lived.
Rev. DR.. G. Campbell Morgan has
written probably the best modern in
depreciation of the prophecy, and he
! finds. the keXnnta to he the word