Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1919 — The Quickening Word [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Quickening Word

By REV. HOWARD W. POPE

Moody Bible Institute, “—--Cfeicago

TEXT—For tha Word of God is alive and powerful.—Heb. 4:12. It has been well said of the Bible, that there are many books wplch in-

form, some few that s reform, but this book transforms. Here is a striking Illustration of it: A man arose tn our inquiry meeting one night and said that his two sons had been converted the night before, and he wished the Lori could do someth i n g ■for=him.' He was a confirmed drunkard, according to

the testimony of all who knew him. I showed him from Revelation 3 :20 that Jesus stood knocking at the door of his heart, and that if he would surrender to him absolutely, Jesus would enter fiis heart and enable him to live a victorious life. : I showed him -from Hebre that Jesus was able to save to the uttermost ; from Jude 24, that he was able to keep, him from falling; and from I Corinthians 10:33, that his temptation was not peculiar; and furthermore that “God would not suffer him to be tempted above that he was I explained to him. that God had made provision* for all the possible temptations that he could meet, and that not only was he able to give him victory over them, but he guaranteed to carry him through life successfully, and to present him at last “faultless.” Upon inquiring as to how he would know that Jesus had entered his life, I showed him from John 14:21, that if he would obey the commandments of Jesus, Jesus would reveal himself to him, that he would know that he had entered his life and was actually reproducing his own glorious life in him. With this explanation the man knelt down and accepted Christ as his Saviour. That was twenty-five years ago, but I have reason to believe that he has never touched liquor frpm that time to this. On tne other „hand, he began to grow in grace and spiritual power. He led his wife to Christ and his two daughters. He led his brother to Christ, who was as hard a drinker as he himself was. He began to read the Bible, and wherever Tie found a promise, he accepted it as the Word of God. Wherever—ha., found h commandment he made it his business to obey it. His aim seemed to be to live out the Word of God literally in his own daily conduct and conversation. Finding a passage which told him that his body was the temple of the Holy Ghost, he said, “If rrfy body is a temple of the Holy Ghost, what right have I to defile it with tobacco?” And straightway he threw away his pipe and tobacco. No one, had spoken to him about the subject, but the Holy Spirit. Reading Matthew 5:22-24, he said, “I have one enemy, but he is a desperate fellow. He would be liable to shoot me if I should enter his house. However, I must go. for this is the Word of God.” The first day that he could get away, he went and knocked at the door of his enemy’s house. The latter saw him coming and locked the door in his face. Finding that he could not enter, he spoke through the closed door and said, “You are my enemy. I have been converted and have become a Christian. My Master tells me that if I have an enemy, it is my duty to seek him out and try to effect a reconciliation. I have come for that purpose.” The mai£ could not meet that kind of argument, and at once opened the door, and in a little while aredoncillation was effected.. He was especially successful in per-, sonal work, and he kept constantly at it In fact, one of the most earnest Christians in the community told me he thought that this man did more personal workthan any other Christian in the community, not excepting the ministers. *• About two years ago I was on a train in Connecticut when I was surprised to hear my name mentioned. Turing about I saw my pld friend, the one-time drunkard. He- told me flat he did a good deal of tevangelistic work, although he still continued working In The factory. He said that he had been holding meetings in a nearby .city, and God had greatly blessed him in the matter of conversions. He had a tent which he took with him, and his daughter accomA ganied him ps his singer, ahd he introduced me to the lgtter,..a, .fine, intelligent looking young woman. The change in this man’s life ’was as much a miracle as the "healing of the lame or the blind.by the Master, but®lt was brought about by the simple Word of God, and anyone -can work miracles of this kind. Why should we preach the vain reasonings and speculations of men when we have the .transforming Word of &OdT ~ ■ J A ' ■A' :