Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1918-08-16

III ~ AudIleTS. more
serious, by far;
however, is the internal cause or the
church's neglect of the means of grace.
1he tendency of fire is to 60 out. The
pest hre in the world will 20 out in "a
nouns II you neglect to put on fuel.
Even so, the fire of devotion in the
hearts Of Gods people tends 70 %
out unless 1t is fed with fuel, and the
only fuel thet will feed this flame is
the fuel Of Gods Word.
The average Christian does not read
the Bible enough to keep himself in
spiritual health. The consequence is
that he loses ground gradually until
the fire dies down, and is almost ex-
t1nct. When this becomes general in
a church. it is necessary to resort to
speclal measures to restore life to the
church; and these special measures
usually consist of nightly meetings in
which the fuel Of Gods Word is piled
on the slumbering embers until they
Degln to blaze and burn and give out
hght and warmth, which is the nor
NAL condition of a church.
Notice that the words. awake
awake; put on thy strength, o Zion,"
are not an exhortatiOn, but
positive, peremptory command. Chris.
t1ans sometimes speak of their
spiritual weakness as a misfortune.
but God regards it not as misfor-
tune. but as a sin, as needless as if
IS disastrous. "Be We strong in the
Lord, and in the power of his might"
is just as binding as any command
ment in the Decalogue.
A Christian has no right to be weak
God has provided strength in abund.
ance. and he holds us accountable for
the use of it,
The real mission of the church is
not educational, though it does edr-
cate people continually; not to fur
nlsh soup, soap and potatoes, though
1t may do this kind of work when nee.
essary; not to furnish entertainment
Tor the community, though it may
wisely have an oversight of such mat.
tiers, and see that pernicious enter
talnments are kept out by providing
some of better quality. No, the real
mission of church is to proclaim the
Gospel, to WELD spiritual forces. to
bring down power from heaven to
subdue proud minds and stubborn
Wills and passionate tempers. This is
the real work Of the church from
which she is never excused.
And for this work she is we'll
equipped. There is work enough to do,
and power enough to do it with. God
Is ever calling her to do things which
are impossible in her own strength
but Which are easily possible to those
who know how to avail themselves of
Gods strength. There is good illus
tration Of this in John 6. A great
crowd had followed Jesus out of the
city to listen to his marvellous teach
Ing. The day was far spent, and there
was no place where the people could
obtain food. Under these circum-
stances the apostles suggested to
Jesus that he send the people away to
the villages round about that they
might buy food.
But Jesus answered and said unto
them, "Give We them to eat. How
many 1oaves have ye?" And when
they had canvassed the company they
reported that all they could find was
little lad who had five biscuits and
two small fishes; and this amount Of
course was utterly inadequate. New
erthless the Master babe them bring
him what they had, and arrange the
people for supper. And when they
had finished distributing the pieces
which the Master broke off from those
five biscuits they found that they
had fed five thousand men and had
twelve baskets full of fragments left
over.
And when the church really recog-
niZes her mission as the spiritual
teacher Of the community, as the open
channel through which Gods grace is
to flow to the unsaved around her;
when she realizes what power can be
obtained through prayer, what con-
viction can be carried to impenitent
hearts. she will begin to see those
who are spiritually hungry coming to
her doors, and the lame, and the blind,
1 the oppressed 1ocking to her for
:omfort, and guidance and deliverance
from the. power of sin. Thirsty boys
know where the cool springs are, and
goddess people soon find out where the
water of life can be had, and uncon-
;cfously are drawn thither.
Salvation.