Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-17

Christianity had its beginning in
movement started by John the Baptist.
Luke, with a historians spirit, connects
the ministry of John with his time by
naming i've political rulers and two
high priests who were IN authority
when the Baptist, under the urge OF
the Holy Spirit, emerged from the school
Of the desert to arouse the nation by
his message.
and despair when John dramatically
appeared along the Jordan. Society
was rotten with vice within and
veneered over with self-deceptive re-
ligiosity without. The nation was en-
shaved. the upper classes devoting them
selves to selfshness and skepticism, the
teachers and chief professors OF religion
lost in mere shows of ceremoniallsm
and Boosting themselves the favored OF
God, while their souls were honey
combed with self-deception and vice; the
body of the people miSled by false ideals,
and seething at the bottom of society a
neglected mass Of unblushing and unre-
strained sins" John was clothed in
camels hair garments fastened by a
leather girdle. He stirred the masses
| by courageously pointing out the cause
of their sorrow and It's cure. He re-
vived the prophetic Office in a manner
strikingly like Elijah, who pointed out
the nations infidelity and restored the
! worship of Jehovah: The Baptist grip
ped the nation by his sincerity, fearless
ness and spiritual power. He was man
with a message, that made religion real
and a living force.
Prophetic Preaching.
His summons to the nation was sharp,
pointed and brief. It's startling power
| was gathered up in one word, Repent;
its motive expressed in one sentence,
THE kingdam of heaven is at hand"
In his demand for them to repent"
John called for something more than
mere sorrow for sin. He insisted that
, men should get right with God. He re-
uuired all who accepted his teachings to
publicly confess their sins when they
were baptized by him in the Jordan. He
knew that selfishneSs was mans greatest
| sin. Their greed and indifference to
others sealed their doom. He insisted
that all his converts should demonstrate
| the genuineness Of their changed rela-
tons with God by social service which
should prove to all men that their spir-
itual experience was true. He taught
them to share their possessions with
the less fortunate. so that there would
not be any wanting food or raiment.
teaching that "the Kingdom of Heaven
| Is et hand"
Johns power as a preacher was mar
velous. Instead of going to the cities,
the centers of population, he attracted
! the nation to him in the sparsely set
/ tied sections, where he delivered his mes
| sages The people were aroused by the
boldness of the Masters forerunner.
His directneSs stirred the conscience of
all classes. The power of the Baptist,
like that of every preacher, was his per-
sonality. His life of Righteousness, in
tegrity and poverty gave force to his
virile sermons. His sincerity and spir-
! ituality helped him to make his religion
real to the masses. His soul was on fire
for God. He was filled with the Holy
| Spirit, so that he courageously con-
demned ,Herod's immoral marriage His
words cut deep and made his hearers
realize their own sin.
The Prophets Message.
In the two sermons that have come
| to us we see how he called the COM
pany, probably made up of Pharisees