Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 149, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1913 — OUR ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OUR ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER

No Approach to God Except by ilesus, Says Pastor Russell.

Man Needs God—Not In Affliction Merely—Also to Perfect Joy—Many Repelled by Erroneous Creeds—Broken Hearts Wounded Hearts. Yearning Hearts—The Gospel Message Is to Such: —It Speaks Peace. Reconciliation Joy Newness of Life —Christians God’s Ambassadors.

Vancouver, B. C., June 22.—Our city is once more honored by a visit from Pastor Russell. We report one of his addresses, on a topic of vital interest to thoughtful people —How may sinners come into relationship with God? His text was, “We have an

Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.”—! John 2:1. Impressively the Pastor reminded us that humanity is so constructed' as to have a longing for God and for superhuman care and guidance, especially in life’s difficulties. He declared that, phrenologically, veneration and spirituality are located in the crown of the head, as though they properly should dominate the entire being. Notwithstanding the impairment of our race through the fall of man, humanity still worships, however much misled into worshiping unworthily—an image, an Idol, a creed, another human being. The Pastor showed conclusively from the Bible that Satan, man’s great enemy, has in various ways attempted to separate us from God and the Bible, and proportionately, tfi darken our understanding with human traditions, creeds, superstitions. In the light of our wonderful day, however, God’s time has come for binding Satan and liberating his prisoners.

Here We Meet a Danger. The moment we begin to exercise our reason, the Adversary seems to redouble his energies to hold us back from the truth. As St. Paul points out. Satan is an adept at putting “light for darkness and darkness for light” When his dupes begin to think and inquire, his methpd seems to be to pose as a reformer, to mislead them into theories, speculation, or into occult systems. Thus many today, the Pastor declared, have stepped out of ignorance and superstition merely to be entrapped by other superstitions, or by Agnosticism, Evolution, Higher Criticism. He urged his hearers to hold fast the Word of God. The Pastor declared the trend of modern thought to be away from the Bible, from thought of personal sin, personal condemnation, a personal Redeemer and personal salvatiolf. The tendency is to of and discuss civic righteousness, outward moralities, political progress—a social salvation, to be accomplished by moral and intellectual forces. The Pastor would not be understood as opposing any humanitarian work. He declared that even anwise efforts prove beneficial to their movers, even though failures in themselves, on the principle that no man can attempt a good work for another without being himself blessed. * A Personal God and Savior.

The Pastor .then showed that modern education has not only undermined the Word of God, but has in many instances destroyed faith In a personal Creator, and abolished the thought of the boul’s need of a personal Savior, in the Biblical sense. Hence many pose as Christians and declare their faith in a “god of Nature”—whatever that may be. Similarly, their highest conception is that Jesus was a great Teacher, with an uplifting, civilizing message. All this is unsatisfactory to a hungry soul—mere chaff. We need to get back to the Bible. We need the Bible presentation that God can have no sympathy with sin, and no dealings with sinners, in the way of recognizing them, giving them everlasting life, etc. We need also to see something of the Love of God, manifested through Jesus. From Him we hear the Message of the Kingdom—that God intends that ultimately Messiah shall become the great King of earth, authorized to lift mankind up out of sin and degradation. and to restore all the willing and obedient to human perfection In a world-wide Eden. Then comes the Gospel invitation t<f all believers, to become joint-heirs in that Kingdom which Is to bless all the families of the earth. This, the Pastor said, is what St Paul calls “our high calling of God in Christ" Jesus assures us that this class will sit with Him In His Throne and share His glory, In the First Resurrection. I am convinced, said the many hearts are longing for G W It Is one thing to know about God and Jesus, about the Divine Plan, the selection of the Church, and the Millennium, in Messiah will bless and uplift all mankind, but It Is quite a different matter to know how to come to God and be of the Church class. The Pastor realizes that he has a greater responsibility than any other minister because of the twelve millions of Intelligent people who -read his sermons weekly. He Invites correspondence from such. v v* " 7