Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 303, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 December 1914 — FAILING INTO INFIDELITY "IN THE EVIL DAY” [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FAILING INTO INFIDELITY "IN THE EVIL DAY”

“A Thousand Shall Fall at Thi Side.”

The Blind Lead the Blind—lßo,ool Preachers Fallen—Others In Danger. Laity Also In Danger—What Must Be Done —Divine Provision Abundant For the Willing and Obedient.

Dec. 20.—Pastor Russell spoke today at the 1. B. S. A. Temple. His text was, “For the time is edme when Judgment must be gin at the House of God.”—l Peter 4:17. His text, the speaker declared, was one of those prophecies picturing the inaugura-

tion of Messiah’s Kingdom. Like all other Scriptures bearing upon this subject, it implies that the transition from the Reign of Sin and Death to the Reign of Righteousness, from the dominion of Satan to that of Christ, will be a great Time of Trouble. Satan and his deluded, Subjects will not quickly and mqekly renounce their claims to earthhr dominion and submit themselytes loyally to the King of kings. This will necessitate the breaking in pieces of these systems. The Pastor has already pointed out that this breaking and shaking are coming from every quarter, and are described In the Scriptures as a great whirlwind. Other Scriptures picture the winds of war, to be followed by the earthquake of Socialism, which will be succeeded by the fire of anarchy. Still other Scriptures show the conflict between the people in general and the princes of the world—merchant princes, manufacturing princes, religious and political princes and kings—showing that eventually there will be two great divisions in the conflict, and that the whole earth will be devastated by the ensuing anarchy. The Evil Day Upon the Church. For nearly forty years the Church has been undergoing severe trials and testings. During this period Theosophy, Christian Science, Spiritism, Higher Criticism, Evolutionism and various other confusing teachings, have come forward. Each contains fragments of truth and masses of error. According to Scripture they are brought forward by the Adversary, with a view to leading people away from the Truth.. Satan is represented as being especially active at present for the reason that this is the time when special light upon the Divine character and Plan is due to come to the Church. Seeing that people are awakening to more intelligent thought on religious subjects, the Adversary brings forth a host of philosophies to mislead, putting darkness for light and endeavoring to make the light of the dawning New Day appear as darkness. Only those who have put on the whole armor of God have been able to stand In this evil day and to help others to stand, In a time when thousands have been falling into error, some being turned aside from the simplicity of the Gospel of Redemption through the death of Christ, and others having their faith shipwrecked. What a sad spectacle presents itself on every hand! How perplexed the world in general is with what we see, and how few have any real comfort or encouragement to offer! For forty years the world has cried, Peace! Peace! For forty years two hundred thousand professed representatives of Christ have been telling the world that Christ has been reigning and conquering the earth, and that soon every knee will bow to Him—perhaps deceiving themselves while others are being deceived. Now, as the grand climax of all this misrepresentation of God’s real character, the war .is thundering, the world is' amazed, and<heW armies are continually being formed. As the newspapers declare, there is a great conflagration in Europe—a beginning of a corroboration of St Peter’s declaration that the social earth is to be consumed. Falling into the Ditch of Infidelity. Out of two hundred thousand professed ministers of Christ probably one hundred and eighty thousand declare privately, if not publicly, that they have no faith in the Bible as God’s inspired Message to His people. The other twenty thousand are sadly confused, while still clinging to the Bible as the Divine Word. The trouble is that these ministers have given heed to the creeds of the Dark Ages and have neglected to study the Bible. If such conditions prevail amongst ministers, what may we expect of the Christian people who pay them for instruction and who, like their leaders, are falling into the ditch of unbelief? Only comparatively few of God’s people have followed the Apostle’s advice and put on the whole armor of God. . / The Pastor declared that he was seeking to sound an alarm, noy for the benefit of those who have fallen, but for those who are in danger of falling. The Divine provision for our day is so wonderful that even the “babes in Christ*' may quickly come to a clear knowledge of the Divine Plan. He urged God’s people everywhere to begin afresh a study of the Word of the Lord, not through the old creedal spectacles, but permitting the Bible to interpret itself. <■

PASTOR RUSSELL