Phoenix tribune., 1918-11-16
MAN BUYS 100000 WORTH BONDS
OUR GOD CALLING HIS
PEOPLE TO THEIR KNEES
BY Rev. G. D. griffin, Tampa, Fla.

BY Rev. G. D. Griffin, Tampa, Fla.
Watch We, therefore, and pray al
ways, that we may be accounted wor-
thy to escape all these things that
shall come to pass. and to stand be-
fore the Son of man.
Take heed to yourselves, lest at
any time your hearts be overcharged
with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and
cares of this life. and so that day
come upon you unawares."
History shows that people have
never been able to stand prosperity
but so long. Somehow they forsake
and forget God from whom their
prosperity comes, and soon become de-
fiant and independent. They allow
the cares and pleasures of the world
to choke to death the seed of grace
that might grow in their hearts, and
they become idle, careless and luke
warm. until finally they lose all sense
of Goodness and righteousness.
At first a sin appears loathsome,
but after a period of indulgence, it
becomes less heinous until finally it
loses it's sinful things altogether.
After being often committed, the
participant becomes callous in con-
science and can, without fear, or
feeling of remorse, continue in vice
&C If If ruora n uirt,1o
1t is awful to get into such a state,
and yet, judging from the recklesness
of their lives, great majority of the
people of the present age are in that
plight. l do not expect everybody to
agree with me in this sweeping asser-
tion, but evidence an da multiplicity
of examples will Justify the fact.
This is conspicuously an age of for
malism, pretention and subterfuge.
The description that our Saviour
gave of the Scribes and Pharisees in
the 23rd chapter of Matthew is appli-
cable to a large number of the So
called Christian people of today.
I hope not to offend anybody, for
what l am saying is general. / have
no reference whatever to any partic-
ular person or case, but necessity is
laid upon me ,as it is upon every
watchman who stands upon the wall,
to warn the people of the coming dan
ger, and woe is me if l fail to warn
them.-Ezek., 33rd chapter.
l said this is an age of Journalism,
etc. We have beautiful forms Of wor
ship; for example, we have costly
edifices, lavishly furnished with every
modern convenience, trained and in
some instances paid choirs, but what
about their lives as to their spiritual
health? What do the people for whom
they sing every Sunday think and say
about their Christian department? Do
they go to the choir stand from their
knees, or do some of them go there
from the theater, or dance hall? Some
of u sknow, and others of us have
reasons to believe that the latter is
true in many cases.
Then we have eminently prepared
ministers woh go in and out before
the people. ministers who can rattle
off their Hebrew and their Greek and
whose eloquence can move their audi
ence to shouts and to tears. But in
too many instances there is shame
full lack of that zeal, earnestness, tone
of sympathy, spiritual fervor and pow
er that should characterize every
preacher of the gospel.
1t is fact that must be admitted,
even by us ministers, that many Of
us are woefully beyond the limits;
some vain and even profane. Many
of us take so much interest in sec
ular affairs that we cannot give the
time necessary to our ministry. We
are tied up in everything. If God
called us to preach the gospel, and we
have accepted the call, we should give
our time, thought, energies and pow
ers to that work and let the other
people attend to the secular affairs.
The people are perishing for the word
of life, while we the busy here and
there" in other affairs, or fussing
and quarreling over some office or big
place for worldly popularity. This
may be a serious indictment, but the
fair-minded must admit it's truth.
Whenever the minister descends to
the game of speculating and chiseling,
he blunts his sense of justice and
righteousness and is no longer inter-
ested in the best welfare of the peo-
pie, hence they suffer. We cannot, in
fairness, put all the blame on the lai-
ty; we ministers, or rather some of
us, are guilty too. In view Of these
fN0ntfnuad on napa o.