734
THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S dominion forever and forever” —everyone would be eternally bragging of their own virtues and victories, and indeed they would have a perfect right to. Heaven would be an eternal ‘ ‘ stove pipe committee.” But the Bible tells us there will be no ‘ ‘ wind-jammers” in heaven. There will be no mutual admiration societies. There will be no comparisons. No one will be able to say, “ I am here because I did so-and-so or because I did not do so-and-so.” There will be no rivalries. All who go there, what ever church they may have belonged to on earth, will have to give all praise and glory to Jesus Christ, and join in that great chorus of the redeemed “ Unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” Those who cannot do that here and now, so surely as the Bible is true, will never reach heaven. —K. L. B. JAZZ SEVEN DATS In The Week Ragtime religion is the big thing now. A New York paper a short time ago told of a pastor who had introduced a jazz band into his services. The minister was quoted as follows: “ I tried something new in our services Sunday. We had a vaudeville service. Mr. Reef, the banjo king of the jazz band players attended our services and played his regular program accompanied by our organ. The success was greater than you can imagine. Our program was arranged like that of a high class theatre and the people enjoyed the treat along with hearing a Gospel sermon. I have some thing further along this line for coming Sunday evenings. If the people want life I am going to mix it with the Gospel and then I am sure they will come to church every Sunday.” Lord, help the man! What will the next stage of that church be? What if the jazz band gets to be a “ chestnut?” What will the brother do to draw the multitude? A clog dance, a tight rope stunt across the galleries, dancing girls, balloon ascension, fireworks—or what? Are we not going to have our hands full if we are to cater to the thoughtless crowd? Why is it necessary ? Has the simple Gospel story lost its power ? God forbid! Wherever it is proclaimed and religion is experienced in the heart, men and women are still turning away in disgust from these very things that are now being brought into the church to draw the crowd. Whence come these things? The pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, New York, had the courage in a Sunday sermon to come out and say: “ The tap root, the greatest, longest, and most powerful of all feeders of rag time religion is the presence of the question mark in the pulpit of today. Doubt among the ministers has caused these unfortunate results. Some are not just certain where they stand. They no longer have a positive, definite message. Their faith in the authority and sufficiency of Holy Writ has been so shaken by super ficial study of the higher criticism, that they really have little left that they can proclaim with fervor, earnestness and convicting force. When the blind lead the blind, shall not both fall into the ditch? No wonder Jesus warns the church that if it becomes thus lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, He will spew it out of His mouth.” He who attempts to fight the devil with his own weapons will certainly find him an overmatch. Oh believing Christians, spend time in prayer for the ministers of today that they may cease to lean upon the arm of the world. —K. L. B.
Made with FlippingBook HTML5