Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-04-19

been asked by editors and prom
inent men and women Of all walks
OF life, especially since the war
What is the matter with the
churches2" When L was In the
contracting business, delivered
the message from some of the best
pulpits OF. the United States and
Canada, but, since coming to Sa-
lem almost a year ago, / haven't
been invited into the pulpit but
once, and that was by accident.
SO | ask for the opportunity to get
some truth before the public
through the columns Of your pap
.er.
The greatest trouble with the
churches today is the lack OF
faith and spirituality, and rope
is no stronger than It's weakest
point. That point In the church
is the pulpit. The preachers have
been humdrumming on the Golden
Rule and morality, instead Of
talking about the mysterious
spiritual birth. The truth about
salvation, and salvation, is what
the people need today, and not to
be lectured about their behavior.
or course. the law is our school
master to bring us to Christ, but,
II person is born of the Spirit
of God, they will be moral. Moral
ity Is result of the spiritual
birth, but not all moral people
are born of the Spirit. Preachers
all these years have been preach
ing Mothers Day, Fathers Day,
Chlldren's Day, Washington,s
Day, Lincoln's Day, and every
thing else under the heavens al
most but the Gospel, till people
have got to worshipping the crea-
ture rather than the Creator, and
they have been talking religion
of Christianity.
While Christianity is religion
yet not all religions are Christian
lty.
l went into the Oregon theatre
yesterday noon, to the noon meet
Ing, but when the speaker began
to talk about the Golden Rule
concluded that | could get, or do,
no good. so came out.
The people today are looking
for spiritual truth and they want
to know how to get that spirit
ual birth, and what you mean
when you say, Come to Jesus.
But when they go to church and
get filled up on everything else
but that, they conclude that there
is nothing in it and go off some
where that is entertaining. I'm
belief was, in the time of Christ
and Is today the greatest sin there
Is. Christ couldn't then, nor can
He now, do many mighty works
because of unbelief, and the
great trouble wltn the majority
of preachers today is they don't
believe the whole Bible. It's anus
ing and interesting to hear preach
ersc talk about the Resurrection
OF the body and then say that the
days of miracles are past, and that
the power to heal the body was
only given to the Apostles and
Disciples. l heard a preacher from
Portland, last night, in the Bap-
tist church, say mat he could fill
the church to overflowing IL he
would announce that he would
pronounce the benediction stand
ing on his head. | have bet
ter way than that to"ftll a church
II that same preacher, who be-
lieves In the healing of the body,
as l understand he does would
lay his hands on the sick and heal
them by Faith, there would be a
definite work of grace done and
he would soon have to build an
addition to his church.
Now, l am not running away |
with the idea that the healing
of the body is salvation. But do |
claim that It is the greatest work |
outside of the cross of Christ and
the spiritual birth. Should l come |
before an assembly of ministers
and tell them that Just recently
we have the written testimonies
OF ministers Of all denominations.
including the priests to the fact
that one, Mrs, MacFerson. had
laid her fingers ON the eyes of
people who are stone blind and
prayed that Jesus would open
their eyes, and they received
their sight instantaneously, and
that tho deaf were made to hear
and the lame, walked, there would
be very few of them that would
believe It,
But II preachers had even faith
enough to cast out the devil. they
have to chase the people
TO get them to come to church,
but the people would be chasing
them. Neither would they have TO
resort TO basket picnics to get
them to prayer meeting. nor to
church sociables to raise money,
fnr M Christ easa ssNrbn.. a.