The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1947-08-07
CERTAIN RAMPARTS
By REV. FLATH

Pleasant City, Ohio
Matt:10:39 'He that findetn his
life shall loose it," "And he that
loseth his life for my sake shall
find it."
The world is divided between two
camps, those who have vasj
amount of privileges, and those
who seem to have very few. We who
profess to be the followers of Christ
have one great priviledge in com
mon, it is the greatest privilege
that any human being can possess
1t is the great privilege of making
Christ known. 1t is a priviledge
which carries responsibility, foy
we are obligated to bring this priv
Hedge which we enjoy to the other
peoples of the world. Selfishness in
this matter has no place, for selfish
ness is contrary to all ideas and con-
cepts of the Christian teachings. We
dare not make an attempt to keep
1t just for ourselves or we will plant
seeds in our personality which like
weeds will choke out what growth
in the grace of Jesus Christ we do
have.
Jesus was very frank about this
matter to those who came to him
during his life upon earth. He talked
frankly with his disciples about
their assigned work and what it in
volved for them. They were to tell
the story of Jesus and to live up to
the laws of His kingdom. He admon-
ished them that He expected them
to be worthy of Him, even though
it might mean and undoubtedly will
mean bearing a cross. Under no cir
cumStances were they to neglect the
spreading of the Good News-the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. That
is our task
1t is difficult task, it is growing
more difficult every day. The open
Bibles of many countries are being
closed, the church is being pushed
out if its rightful place in society.
Many things right here in our own
country are attempting to under
mine the very existence of the
church. There is no place for and
there can be no such thing as an
easy going Christianity. Those who
have been in the van of the fight
against the forces of WordlinesS
have never had an easy time of it.
Many on our lists of lapSed men,
bers in all our churches have been
caused by the fact that individuals
have joined the church for other
reasons that that of joining a vast
crusade to stamp out the evils of
the world. Come what may, even
though it be a cross that lifts them
up. Too many come into the church
to be comfortable sociably, comfort
able in SNUG complacency, instead
of putting Christ first in their lives,
they have used the church as a
shield to protect the self and to put
self first in their lives. The church
never can be, it never was intended
that it should be just another social
club or a means to attain social
benefits, it was intended to be and
forever must remain a real battle
ground against sin with the divine
Saviour of the world as its one and
only leader. Christ would be all to
us or nothing. It is these ramparts
we watch
If we are living our lives as
though riding in our own compart-
ment of pullman with the curtains
pulled, shutting out the rest of the
world, then we are living as many
in the church have been living in
the past. We cannot completely isol-
ate ourselves from the rest of the
world. The things which the real
church of Christ has to offer will
relieve many of the needs which
you and / see on every hand, the
cry of needs which scream out to
us from the headlines of the news
papers, which call to us from every
newscast. Surely no one who pro-
fesses to be follower of the Christ
can hear of these things and still