Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1920-08-12

powerful gospel sermon at the
church here last Sunday evening,
basing his address upon the words
of Agrippa to the Apostle Paul
Almost thous persuadest me to
be a Christian He spoke as
follows:
Acts &c; % Then Agrippa said
unto Paul., Almost thou persuad-
est me to be a Christian
almost But Missed, Did Not"
We cast our minds eye upon a
mighty scene, Paul presenting to
the great king--for he was great
in his day-the great love and
power of the Christ in the nature
and to the degree in which and to
which it had become a part Of his
life, he-Paul-small of statue, and
as tradition states, deformed of
body but a man of great mind, a
man of thorough learning in all
the doings of his day. one sent by
authority to do particular work.
A man Of earnest devotion to
activities Of life, man whose soul
burned with a spirit which sought
to do the greatest and best works
possible unto him.
Picture him as he stands before
Agrippa, pouring forth his great
message of the love of the Lord
he so much loved, bring your
thought into pictured scene of
that hour, Paul and the king and
those who were with him. Listen
please to the proclamation, to the
appeal, listen to the anxious cry
of the great hearted man of God
as he set forth his plea to the
mind of the king, see, hear how
he is reaching for the soul life Of
the king that it may reach the
greater life made possible only
through the Christ of Calvarys'
Cross, for that same one of the
cross said 4 have come that they
might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly. "
Could we have been present we
would have been deeply touched
with the earnesmess of the kings
reply, the deep tone of concern,
the soul-struggle going ON within
and painted in the outpouring of
his words, listen, hear him, a king,
a thinker, a man Of great affairs,
has but to speak and all obey,
honored, the peoples FASTENED 10
do his bidding, Hail King Agrip-
pa" and this king in this hour of
soul test listening to, thinking up
on the Tightening message of
truth, finds the greater man with
in struggling for acceptance Of the
new life presented by the prisoner
messenger, and he is forced to eX-
claim paul, your words trouble
me, they have brought me to think
and if men will only take time
to think, they will like the king
be persuaded of The power Of the
Son of God and will desire 20 ac-
cept him-my thinking has brought
a burning desire to my very soul,
! am fully convinced of the power
of your Christ, | am almost of a
mind to accept him NOW, HERE.
Consider what a different story
we would be reading of King
Agrippa had he said rather than
"Almost" Paul, | am persuaded,
| accept your Christ henceforth |
will serve him, | will send forth a
decree to all the people Of my king
dom to accept the Christian faith,
what a change would have been
brought to the every walk and
way Of that people = Agrippa
reasonably good as a ruler-yet
what the Christ life linked with
the great opportunities of his
kingship could and would have
done for all the people over which
he ruled? The spirit of official
dom would have change, burdens
lightened, homes made greater,
society elevated, all resulting in a
greater kingdom, because of a
greater king and people, for no
life, be it king or peasant can
know the power of Christianity
without becoming greater. It was
God sent, Christ given, Paul brot
opportunity, to the king and the
mighty speaking of his soul spoke
ant ,n,,;n,, 90 Du,1 4 -, ,I,,o.l 800,