Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-25
Golden Text: "They shall utter the
men DRY of thy great goodness;
And shall sing of thy righteousness"
Psalm 1851

Sdiiil 1901.
There never was a time when the
world needed Christ more than now
Sometimes we hear over.enthusiastiC
Christians cry out, 1.-The World fol
Christ" 1t would be delightful l.
true. A more careful study of theil
Bibles would make them change theil
cry to Christ for the World
There can be no question but thai
the world needs Christ; but when the
world will recognize its need and turn
to Christ as its leader is another
question and a far-off one, if we
judge by the present rate Of speed.
Everyone is recognizing that there
is nothing but the principles OF
Christ that can solve the worlds
problems. Publicists, statisticians
bankers, manufacturers, thinking
men among the laboring classes
unite with religious leaders in say
ing that. True, they have a variety
of ways of bringing this about-some
would legislate, some would educate
some would propagate: but all are
looking to the same end.
And many who face the problems
at close range and see how all these
methods have failed are standing
aghast and wondering what will be
next, what the coming generation will
be unless things change; for they see
about them a growing spirit of evil
in all ranks and classes. Crime is on
the increase in every part of the
world. Disregard for law character
ICES every country; every group,
whether it be of the uppercrust of
society (of both sexes) Or. the lower
crust of the criminal element; every
age, from the student to the septi-
genarian; every occupation, from the
professional man to the politician
sworn particularly to keep the laws
OF the land. The spirit of lawless-
ness is seen not only in the admins
tration of the civil laws, but also in
educational and religious circles. The
tendency to break away from every
thing traditional is noticeable. Par
ticularly is this true of religion. The
newspapers are full of the differences
between the modernists and the fun
damentalists, the modernists having
broken with the old faith, the ortho-
dox beliefs that have been held since
the days of the church of the first
generation after Christ.
Lawlessness is not new; it Is es-
sentially rebellion, rebellion against
God, and that has been dominant
since the days of Adam and Eve. The
new thing about it is the blatantness
of today, its open revolt and rapid
ie I,of nj CT q n n
exa ggeration of the ego: an insist
ence on the individuals right to
choose for himself regardless of any
thing or anybody else. 1t is a will
full determination to have ones own
way, and a resentment of any inter-
ference from constituted authority.
Specific instances of these might
be given but they are not necessary;
the important thing to recognize is
the enormous increase of the spirit
of lawlessness that is rampant now,
and that has brought the world into
such an alarming state of need. Re-
Gently we'll known speaker uttered
these words, II am student and
teacher of history Hear me there
fore, when L say to you that never
in the annals of man has there been
such a crisis as that through which
we are now passing. England is
trembling like leaf; France
breathes every breath with fear;
Germany is starving; you know the
pitiful state of poor Russia" He
then went on to plead that the only
solution was for the Christians to
have the heart of Jesus; that Chris
tians must be like Jesus; that the
principles of Christ must animate
men if the worlds need is met.
Yes, the world is in desperate need
Of Christ, and doesn't know it.
The DEVILS Effort
: And the reason is expressed by
Paul. I'm whom the god of this
world hath blinded their eyes lest
they should come to a knowledge of
the truth
All through the ages the devil has
been active in his efforts to keep the
world from having Christ. When
he was cursed in the garden of Eden
he was told that the seed of the
woman should bruise his head. Trace
his efforts to prevent that catas
trophe to himself. Turning mems
hearts away from the Spirit Of God
until the devastation of the flood re-
duced the number to eight souls; aft
err the selection of Abraham and the
promise of the seed through Sarah,
trying to corrupt that in Abimileck,
and Peter in the same way in the
person of Rebekah; then by driving
Jacob away, and his experiences in
Haran; then the Egyptian bondaged;
the murder of all the male children
then, when through the murder of
the kings sons only a baby boy hid
den by his aunt, and unknown to the
devils tools, was the only link to
keep the promise of God from being
fulfilled. Later the various attempts
he made on the person of Mary and
her unborn babe, his attempts to
take the life of the babe and the
Man after He entered public life, I'M
til finally he did bring about his own
undoing in the apparent triumph on
Calvary.
How the devil hates the very name
Of Jesus the Christ! If he can do
anything to keep men from knowing
that He alone can meet their every
need, he will leave no stone unturnnd
to accomplish it. If he can turn
the thoughts of people to any other
solution, he will gladly and subtly 90
it. Not Christ, but education; not
Christ, but civilization; not Christ's
blood but His example; not Christ's
sacrifice but His principles-these
are some of the precious arguments
he offers as substitutes for the truth.
And now that he knows that his time
is short, he is putting forth supreme
efforts-the result is that sad state
of the world TODAY
How Given
How are we to Illustrate his eff
forts? How are we to give the
world the knowledge that it's SUI
preme need is Christ? How are WE
to make the world realize it's sad
plight and that He alone can solve
its problems and bring it out Of
chaos and confusion to order and
peace?
Let us answer these questions
negatively first, that the positive
answer may impress us more forci-