The Nevada County picayune., 1921-10-27

The question is often asked does the church truly represents the ideas and teachings of Christ today and some say Chat it does not. and that it has fallen far below the requirements of the Master. while others assert that 1t does in all essential points carry out His ideas and correctly represents what ihe Head of the church would have done. Now. it is not hard to see which k correct and we have but to com pare the commandments and teach ings of Jesus with the deeds and tea achings of the church and the cor rect conclusion can be reached. The church is no secret society, does not belong to any k. K. K. or other secret organization but all is done openly and before public view and as the doors of the church always swing open and all are admitted to the ser vices so the acts of the church are to be mnutely examined and scru- tinized.
 What then, are some of the main things that Christ requires and what dtd He mainly ask the church to do? He commanded that the Gospel should be preached and that is the main business of the church, to preach the gospel and teach the people the ways of God. We must keep this in mind for some have tried to sidetrack the church and get her committed to of public improvement which are all good in their place but that is not the business of the church. Is the gospel then preached and do the peo- pie get the message from the pulpit about sin and Salvation2 This is un disputed in this section of the world at least and the main criticism iS that the church will not take other ques- tions and confines 10 the gospel issue alone
 This gospel means that man k a lost sinner and on the way to ruin and will not save himself even if he could and that God in mercy sent his Son to he sacrifice for sin and that 1 the Son made the complete sacrifice and paid the penalty and through the atonements accomplished salvation and that this salvation is perfect and com plete and that all who will accept it will be eternally saved.
 The directions were to preach this gospel to every creature and to all the nations and so the main body of the church today have their heralds all over the land preaching to every crea- ture here in America and the home
 fields are being looked after very care
 fully and multitudes have been led to
 Christ and the new life by the faith
 ful preaching in our home fields. We
 must begin at Jerusalem, but not stay
 there for we must go to Judea, Sa-
 maria and the uttermoSt parts of the cath to fulfill the great command. Is
 the church doing that and does she
 send the gospel to the ends of the
 earth? Yes, the foreign mission work
 of the churches has aStOundcd the
 people in these last days and the
 heathen by tens of thousands have
 been converted and there is not a
 nation on the face of the earth now
 but what has the gospel preached in
 il. II is true that the entire member
 ship does not do this but there are enough who do to make if succeed
 and the church has long since dis covered that if she keeps the gospel at home and refuses to send il to the uttermoSt parts of the earth that she will decline at home and will finally
 that are doing extra home mission work are very active in foreign work and those doing nothing for the hea- 1 then are gradually passing away in i the home fields The only way to keep the gospel at home is to send l il away from home.
 Christ commanded to heal the sick and many do not know that this com mand iS ohcyed hut the church has hundreds of hospitals and medical missionaries and trained nurses and they are healing vast multiudeS of poor afflicted people. In one hospital
 in India last year over 25.0oo poor poople were treated and the great ma