Jackson County journal., 1919-07-04

human lives! The winds of fortune,
as the saying is, have been too much
for them, and they are simply drift
ing. The vast majority do not seem
to care whether the drift ends disas-
trously or not.
Possibly the majority do not think
of the power of the influence about
them that causes the drift. 1t is not
fair to God to charge him with be-
ing so arbitrary In his sovereign con-
troll that man is without responsible
ity. Whatever may be the destiny |
that shapes our ends, man is in a true
sense master of his own fate.
Seeking after pleasure is strong |
wind that is blowing and carrying null
titudes before it. The great theaters,
as a rule, are packed for practically
every performance. In the saloons,
men are standing two or three deep
before the bars. Where ices and
sweet-meats are served, the tables will
all be taken. Go to the great athletic
fields, and thousands will be found.
The spirit with reference to pleasure
seems to be, "Let us eat, drink, and
be merry, for tomorrow we die"
Is the church caught III any drift?
A way to the world is the movement in
many churches, and not only congre-
cations but entire denominations are
diligently using the methods of the
world in order to successfully put
over" certain great denominational
schemes. Sad is tile condition of the
day!
What about the drift of Christian
teaching? Twenty-Five years ago men
were asking with some concern if the
teaching of the great German theolo-
gians might not be ultimately dam
gerous. Quickly came the reply:
"These men have truth and are the
heralds of day Of religious and
spiritual enlightenment for which the
world has been hungering." The same
question was asked in later years, but
the power of false teaching continued,
and the church Of God, caught in the
drift, went ca until the great world
war was like searching light making
everything plain. That drift has not
stopped, and many days, yes, possibly
years, may pass, before the church
reaches some Isle of Ielita, where it
may possibly 70 to pieces on the rocks,
, but Gods peyple in it be saved.
What is the great lesson from such
, drift? First keep where the wind OF
doubt and criticism may not catch
!, you. It is SIMPLY not true that the
oh An tO
Christian teaching and living, is bet
: ter than former day. Spiritual val
ues cannot he calculated in terms OF
. dollars and cents, nor in steam and
. air pressure, dead weight or voltage
> How foolish it Is to think that the
scientific attainments of men can solve
: spiritual problems. Germany's science
!. was said to have been given by God
! IN order that she might rule the world
:, The blast Of the Lord came to Ger
many, as it came to the hosts o
Sennacherib.
= If possible, do not get into tn
drift. There are plenty of godly mel
und women today who fully escape'
y the skeptical drift Of the last quar-
ter OF century. Keep close TO III
truth Of the Word Of God, and no
only yourself but your cause will b
- saved.
10 How easy Il is to get into the drif
a' Of immortality. The gross sins ar
not committed at the first. The eatin
s. of the forbidden fruit by Adam an
- Eve was not a grosa sin at all; indeed
IL It was not sinful in itself, but it wa
an act of dstrust and ultimately
ei .lisobediencC1 and thus became sill
~ But there s something more impo
- tant than hi.sh morality. There is
IS drifting ava; from the personal Co.
q, The only return to God is by pc
~ yonal surrender to Jesus Christ.