September 1925
TH E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
381
days to play a winning game with many deluded souls through their smooth, soft speeches and exhortations to be loving and kind towards those who deny the fundamental doctrines of our faith. Do not be deceived. True love has a strong, sturdy arm that can strike in defense of the Word of God. True love is manifested in a willingness, if need be, to die the martyr’s death, and it is splendidly illustrated by the reply of the three Hebrew children to Nebuchad nezzar : “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to th e king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are n o t careful to answer th ee in th is m atter. “If it be so, ou r God
“ God so loved the world that He gave.” Through it the history of nations has been changed, and here in our own land, a nation has been built upon the founda tion of the Word of God, prospered and blessed beyond measure. The Bible has had the place of prominence which it deserves. But—“ pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Satan, with his undying hatred of Christ and His Word, slowly but surely, with his seductive power, has eliminated the Bible from the schools and has even entered the professing church and snared the preachers. He has turned a tide of world
liness upon the church that has stifled its life. Secular movements, worldly amusements, Bible-less pulpits, the dance, the card table, the socials, the smok ing rooms, the movies, - -‘have a large place in the life of the poor emaciated church. Now, as a climax, the devil has taken his seat in the sanctuary of the colleges and seminaries with the purpose of eliminating, every vestige of confi dence in the Bible as the infallible Word of God, and the poor c h u r c h is crushed under the load and pants for the breath of the Holy Spirit. Once t h e church bells were heard sing ing out with a call to t h e communion of saints, and b o w e d heads reverently lis tened to the prayers which were made in
whom we serve is able to deliver u s o u t of th in e hand, O king. “BUT IP NOT, be it k n o w n un to thee, .O king, th a t WE WILL NOT S E R V E T H Y GOBS, n o r worship th e g o l d e n im age which t h o u h a s t set up ” (Daniel 3 :16 -18 ). CRUSHING THE If you have read the B i b l e you are familiar with the de tails of the founding of the C h u r c h of Ch r i s t . You have walked w i t h Jesus over the roads of Pal estine, t h r o u g h the rough byways, o v e r hills and valleys. You have seen the gather ings of the flock from the throngs of the “ common people who heard Him gladly”— received by the few, rejected by the many. C H U R C H OF CHRIST
THE “LAST STRAW”
The church was founded upon the faith of believers in the personal Christ, and it was knit together by the bonds of love for Him whose love was manifested in laying down His life in their behalf; in bearing their sins in His own body and washing them away by the blood of the cross. His followers rallied to Him after His resurrection and gazed upon His scarred body as it ascended into the glory. Through His chosen leaders, the little band grew. In simplicity of life without the burden of forms and ceremonies, eager, loving, they toiled and traveled, telling out the story so sweet to our ears today.. What a priceless penalty they paid! Their lives were not precious to them, but His life was beyond price. The seed was sown in the hearts of men and women and bore fruit in the multiplied lives of others. Down through the centuries the message has come,—
the name of the crucified, risen Lord; eager ears were alert to the reading pf the precious Word of Truth,, and its exposition by saintly men of God was received with joy and thankfulness, while all voices acclaimed glad hallelujahs of praise. Now the seats of learning are centers of a repudiation of the Bible which has given place to “ science” (?). Now youthful tongues gabble glibly of “ protoplasm.” Life is a joke. Sin only provokes a smile. Heaven is a dream and hell is only a “ fireless kitchen.” The great mass of people are altogether churchless, the majority of church members are practically Christ- less, and surely the greatest enemies of both are the so-called “ learned professors” who seek to undermine faith in God. Will there be a change ? Can the load be lifted? How can it be done? Who will do it? What do you say?
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