The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-02-05
At The Baptist
Church Sunday

Considering the strained relations
existing between the United States
and other nations and the war cloud
hanging over our beloved land, and
believing in the efficacy of fervent
and concerted prayer. our pastor
called the church to prayer. For as
Gods people, we believe God moves
il the government of nations. our
hearts are stayed upon His as the
Tcler of the universe. Feeling as
sured in our hearts that He doeth all
things we'll. earnest prayers ascend
ed to the throne of grace that in this
crisis of our nation that cruel war
might be averted and that those in
Authority be guided Alright endued
with the Spirit of the Father and
that the banner Ct peace be over our
fair land and the peace of God abide
| in our hearts. In the short sermon
of the morning, some beautiful
truths were brought out and lessons
taught from the story of the healing
of the impotent man, by the Master,
a, the pool of Bethesda AS this
man looked to Jesus as the motive
power of his life, so must we, for
that life gives the largest returns
which is governed by Jesus. The
waters Of Bethesda. type of Christ
in its cleansing power The sym
puthy of the Master is stirred by the
helplessness of this man and He de-
sires to minister to him So He de-
sires to minister to you Jesus will
furnish the strength If you will only
be willing to accept Him. He will
crown your life with blessings.
There is the place of suffering and
affliction in the life and through this
door God often enters into the life
Then there is time for silent COM
rluIion with self-the heart is sof-
tened and mellowed and ready to re-
ceive the words of life. Affections
often come as the result of sin-as
in the life of this man, and when
Jesus is revealed in all His purity
then is the blackness OF sin in our
lives revealed and We turn away
from our former selves in abhor-
renee and our desire is to be like our
Lord and Master. Then we will be
witnesses for Him, telling the story
of the wonderful things He has done
for us and pointing others to tn.
Christ.
Text upon which the sermon OF
the evening hour was based-John
:24-"Verily. verify, say unto
you, he that heareth my word and
believeth on Him that sent me. hath
everlasting life. and shall. not come
into condemnation: but g passed
from death unto life" First char
acteristic of the Christian is that he
must hear the words of eternal life.
and. through hearing, be capable of
understanding Just as necessary
TO close the ears to heresy as to have
the ears open to Gods truths. As we
hear the words of Jesus we believe.
ana as we believe so we are in our
daily lives. Jesus reveals God in
the message which He brings.
Through faith we have eternal life
salvation Neutrality-suspicious. we
may grow more in His likeness by
daily following in His footsteps and
looking to Him as our example we
srow in grace and in the fulness of
God. We have the promise that we
shall not come into Judgment. Bv be-
lief we are transformed. passing
from death unto life. Belief in God
means belief in Jesus-the oneness
of the Godhead. knowledge and
faith bring us into vital and close
relation TO God and to Christ the
Son. Closing thought that this ext
is Gospel. Proclamation within it
se'f and will lead men into this new
life. One member was received by
1pffar nrnnnrrp