Official Organ of THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES. Incorporated
FEBRUARY 1942 10 CENTS
Raising the Colors above United States Island Territory — H A W A I I )
America— Remem b e r ! By HELEN FRAZEE-BOWER 2 Chronicles 7:14
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Though tempests toss the Stars and Stripes,
Unless America leaves God.
f
And rock the ship o f state,
He knows. He hears. He sees: Oh, seek His face •. . They, only, stand
;
Photo from Pan Pacific Press
God will not leave America
Abandoned to her fate,
Who fall upon their knees.
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"I MUST HELP THE JEWS" “Everything I have seems going or gone—yet I Must Help the Jews.” Thus wrote a child of God.whose soul had been stirred to its depths be cause of the tragic condition of the Jews throughout the world. “ I Must Help the Jews!” Deaf child of God, they are still God’s people, beloved for the fathers’1 sakes; and because you have been born again, you love what He loves; and you know that He still loves Israel with an everlasting love. “I Must Help the Jews!” Driven like cattle and h u n t e d animals, through the fields and forests of Europe; Jewish girls mutilated, the borderlands of Germany teeming with thousands of Jewish refugees who have stumbled their way through the bloody attacks of Nazi hate to any possible spot somewhere in the wide, wide world where the least and slen derest hope of shelter might lie,- but always told to “move on!”—what a Christianity for the Jews to gaze upon! “I Must Help the' Jews!” In the face of such a crisis, may God_help His true Church to awake! May we who are truly His fill to the full our ipeaspre of duty in behalf of a peo ple now facing the spectacle bf a world civilization organizing in solid mass for the greatest outburst of Jew-hate the world has ever known! Dear Reader, will you say “I, Too, Must Help the Jews” ? Help us to tell them “These things you ha\e suf fered are not things which Christians do!” This is an S.O.S. It is Israel’s eleventh hour. So swiftly does the world, cataclysm move, this may be the last call before the trumpet blows, and you will be face to face with a Christ who may look into your eyes and ask, “What have you done for these, my brethren?” Matt. 25:40. AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSION’S TO THE .JEWS, INC. 31 Throop Avenue Brooklyn, N. V. I do want ,to help the Jews. Here Is $.................................. Use It as God directs, to rwajte known - the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ‘to Israel.
February, 1942
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE SS The King i Business The True-to-the-Bible Family Magazine The Official Organ of THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Inc. LOUIS T. T A L BO T • M IL D R E D M. COOK E d lto r-In -C lile i M an agin g E d itor
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M otto: “ Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood " / (Rev. 1:5).
Volume XXXIII
February, 1942
Number 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Ransom D. Marvin, Staff Artist America Enters 1942.................................................................................. 42 Around the King’s Table— Editorial. .................................................... . 43 Significance of the News — Dan Gilbert ................... .............................. . 43 Beginning at the Sknctuary— E. Schuyler E n g l i s h ......................... 45 An Uncertain Financial Future — Arnold Grunigen, Jr,.. ........................ 46 Shall a Christian Go to Law?— R. G, L eT ourneau as told to Albert W , Lorimer ............. 1.................................................... .............. 48 ‘‘The Bible for Today ”— Editorial Book Review......... ............................ 51 International Lesson Commentary..,............ ........................... .................... . 52 Notes on Christian Endeavor —-Paul R, Bauman, Vivian R. Weld, ■Wilda A . M iller , Jeannette B. Kraft, and Wilbert A . Regier........ 64 Junior King’s Business — Martha S. H o o k e r .............................. .............. 69 Daily Devotional Readings....................... .......... :............................ .............. ^ 1 Bible Institute Family Circle..................................................... ......... 76 Our Literature Table............................... ......... .— ....— ......... ........... ........ 77 SUBSCRIPTION PHlCifli "T h e K in g ’s B usin ess" is published m onthly, $1.00—-bn e yea r: $1 50— tw o y e a rs ; 50 ce n ts—six m on th s; 10 cen ts— sip g le cop y . C lubs o f th ree or m ore at special ra tes: w rite fo r détails. C anadian and fo re ig n su b scrip tion s 25 cen ts extra. It req u ires one m onth fo r a ch an ge o f address to becom e e ffe ctiv e . Pi]ease send both old and new addresses. REMITTAJMCI ü — P a ya b le in advance, should be m ade by ban k d ra ft, exp ress or p ost o ffic e m oney ord er paya b le to "T h e K in g ’s B usiness.” D ate o f exp ira tion will show plain ly each m onth on ou tsid e w rapper or co v e r o f m agazine. A D V E R T IS IN G— F o r in form a tion w ith referen ce to a d v e rtisin g in "T h e K in g 's B usiness,” address the A d vertisin g M anager. 558 South H ope Street. Los A ngeles, Calif., or our eastern rep resen ta tive, R elig iou s Press A ssocia tion ; 1601 C hestnut S t, Philadelph ia, Pa. MANUSCRIPTS-— " T h e -K in g ’s B u sin ess” câ n n ot a ccep t re sp o n sib ility fo r..lo ss or d am age to m an u scrip ts sent to it fo r con sid era tion . \ E ntered as se co n d -cla ss m atter N ovem ber 7, 1938, at the p ost o ffic e at Los A n g e le s C -iliforn ia,^un der the A ct o f M arch 3. 1879 A ccep ta n ce fo r m ailing at special raté o f p osta ge provided fqi in the A ct o f F ebruary 28, 1925. em bodied in paragraph 4,‘ s e c tio n -538 P. L. and R., au th orized O ctober 1, 1918, and N ovem ber 13, 1938. THE KING’ S BUSINESS 5 5 8 South Hope Street • Los Angeles* California INFORMATION FOR SUBSCRIBERS
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February, 1942
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE SS
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America
A DAY of prayer, of .asking forgiveness for our shortcomings of the past, of consecration to the tasks of the present, of asking God’s help in days to come” — Thus, in part, did President Roosevelt characterize New Year’s Day of 1942 as he proclaimed it a day of prayer throughout the nation. Appreciating the privi lege-ra re in these days— of living in a nation that officially calls its people to prayer, Christians through out America responded in their homes and in public gatherings. T o many Christians of the downtown
lutely no value in America’s praying as a nation today unless we are willing to turn from the liquor-drinking, the gambling, the loose living that have been so preva lent in our nation.” Confidents prayer, in which" Christians of widely varied denominational affiliations were united by the Holy. Spirit, revealed the underlying unity of true be lievers in the. Lord Jesus Christ. There was earnest prayer for all members of the Body of Christ, for the rulers of the nations, for generals charged with respon sibility in the armed forces, and for missionaries
area of Los Angeles, the day’s serv ices in the Church of the Open Door, of'which Louis T . Talbot is pastor, gave opportunity for fel lowship with a host of believers. In opening the first session, Robert P. Shuler, pastor of Trin ity Methodist Church, Los An geles, declared, “ T h e .most heart ening thing in the proclamation is the fact that President Roosevelt has called Upon us to ask God to forgive us our shortcomings. God has promised, ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall hum ble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways;• then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land’ (2 Chron. 7 :1 4 ). There is, abso. . Therefore, I, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, do hereby ap point the first day of the year 1942 as a day of prayer, of ask ing forgiveness for our shortcom ings of the past, of consecration to the tasks of the present, of asking God's help in days to come. "W e need His guidance that this people may be humble in spirit but strong in the conviction of the right; steadfast to endure sacrifices and brave to achieve a victory of liberty and peace.”
throughout the world. The group asked not so mUch for mere gifts at the Lord’s hand as that they might be able to pray in line with His will and purpose as revealed in His Word. Sealing their day of prayer by observing the memorial which the Lord has commanded “ til) he come,” the assembled throng par took of the Lord’s Supper. The appropriateness of this climax was apparent to all. It is at the com munion table that men acknowl edge their sin— national and per sonal— that made the Saviour’s death needful. And at the altar, at the place •of repentance and trust, is thp source of America’s only hope for true national safety. May God keep us at His altar1
w Repent „ and turn yourselves from all your transyres - sionsi so iniquity shall not be your ruin9 (E zek . 18s30).
February, 1942
THE , K I N G ’ S BUS I NE SS Around the King's Table LOUIS T. TALBOT, Editor-in-chief
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house of God? Do we think He fails to judge us for what we place""in an envelope to send for the support of some Christian institution? “This poor widow hath cast in more than they all,” said the Master (Lk. 21:3). The true estimate of human ac tions is on the basis of their quality, not the quantity. There may be little of it, but much in it. Not only is this recognized by our Lord, but it is also something more and more appreciated by institutions like the Bible Institute of Los Angeles in these days when the great bulk of the contributions comes in small amounts from those who we know have given: themselves with their gifts. It is self-denying givers who make the best prayer supporters. In the temple at Jerusalem, the rich out “of their abundance” (lit., "the overplus” ) had made their offerings. But the ¡essence of character is sacri fice. Too many these days give mites out of their abundance. A wealthy man, when solicited for. a contribution for Christian work, said: “Well, I sup pose I should give my mite like the widow.” “ I would have been satisfied with half of that,” said the representative,' “for the widow’s mites were her all.” God never refuses the poor offerings Of the poor, but He is not pleased with the poor offerings of those who are well-to-do. “She . v . cast in all the living that she had.” What a cutting rebuke to the calculating prudence which even the world despises! For patriotic motives, men are ready these days to give their all, even their lives, for their country. What is ad mirable in the lower sphere is funda mental in the higher. In these days when the gospel testimony is more sorely needed than ever before, are there those who, out of thankfulness to God for the blessings of freedom, are ready to cast in their all, to keep the doors of sound Christian institu tions open?—Keith L. Brooks.
Afraid to Die Leonard Lyons, the columnist, re cently reminded us of an incident in the life of the late Justice Louis Bran déis. “When" France surrendered, a troubled gentleman visited the home of the Justice. ‘What do you think the future will bring?’ he asked the venerable jurist. ‘What’s going to happen to the' world?’ . . . Brandéis shook his head sor rowfully', and sighed, ‘It looks dark, and there is little hope. Peo ple are afraid to die.’ . . . A few months later, after the Nazi bomb i ng , of London, Plymouth, and Coventry, that same man returned to Brandéis’ home and asked,"‘Do you still think our civilization is doomed?’ . . . ‘Oh, no, on the con trary, Nazism must lose,’ said Brandéis, ‘for ah last there are a people who are not afraid of dy ing.’ ” , Afraid to die! Not afraid of dying! Let us think of these two classes for a moment or two. While war cheapens life and hardens the heart of man as to the act o f dying, the fact remains that multitudes of unsaved people are mortally afraid of death. They shud der at the thought of eternity. And; well they might tremble at the dark prospect awaiting them. How terrible it is to die without Christ! Are you . afraid to die? Can -it be that you are not right with God and ready for eternity? Well, turn to the Saviour, and let Him deal with the load of your sin, thus causing you to be no longer fearful of the grave. Tt is only thus that you will be able to face the future with the song of con fidence: “The fear of death has gone forever, No moré to ¡cause my heart to grieve; There is a place, I do believe, In heaven for me beyond the river.” Not afraid of dying! While death is a foe to the-sinner.and a king'of ter rors, it is a friend to the saint, for all who know the Saviour realize death has no sting, the grave no victory. ■ “Open the door1, and let in more of that music,” said Jacob Bohme when he was dying. “And pow,” he went on, “I go to be with my Redeemer and King in Paradise.” And for every dis ciple, “the best is yet to be”—“ the new wine’s foaming flow, the Master’s lips aglow.”
Do you recall Sir Noel Paton’s pic ture of "Lux in Tenebris," the girl who walks through the V a l l e y of the Shadow with her hand clasped in Christ’s hand? Trust is conquering terror in her face, and she grows con fident that no enemy will vanquish her. So may it be with me, what time I enter the ravine and breast the chill ing floods. By His death Christ con quered Death, and ended Death’s des potism and dominion, and as I .trust myself to Him, the last adversary is powerless to retain me in his grasp. When I pass over the river, it is with the Pilgrim’s watchword on my ilips, “Farewell, nightl Welcome, day!1* Mite Givers Between some of our Lord’s sternest predictions we find an exquisite little •incident, full of beauty. He saw rich men casting their gifts into the treas ury. Mark’s account tells us that the contributions were large. But much larger than the amounts they were giving were those they were keeping for their own indulgence in pleasure. Giving a thousand dollars is nothing for a man who is keeping a million for himself. The Lord sees what a man-keeps as well as what he gives. The giving of a tithe is com monly a test of stewardship, but another test is the use one makes of the principal. Our Lord fixed His eyes upon a poor widow who was casting in her two mites. Do we think we are unobserved as the offering plate passes us in the
Significance of t|ie News By DAN GILBERT Wash ington, D. C , and San Diego, California
MIRACLES AND SCIENTIFIC SPECULATION: • Christmas, 1941, brought — along Vntn other things—-a new series of scientific speculations calculated to “throw new light on the puzzling solar phenomenon that ' marked Christ’s birth.” The astronomical publication, Sky and Telescope, contained an article by
Jesse A. Fitzpatrick suggesting that the planet Vends may have been the famed star of Bethlehem. In support ' of this claim, attention is called to the fact that: “Astronomical records show that in the year of Christ’s birth Venus was particularly brilliant at thé' time when He is said to hâve been laid in the manger. Venus was
February, 1942
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S
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ual house clearly enough for the Wise Men to have found it. “He calls attention to the fact that there is no record that any others saw the phenomenon. In fact, he' declares, if others had seen it, agents of Herod probably would have had it called to their attention and would have fol lowed the moving body the few miles that led to Bethlehem, and then the massacre which came afterwards would not have taken place.” THE SUPREMACY OF THE SUPERNATURAL • Dr. Alter does not attempt to define or describe the miraculously produced star seen by the Wise Men. But one fact is obvious: It was unique. It was totally dissimilar to “natural heavenly bodies.” It was supernatural, not natural. ' A real menace to the faith of youth must be recognized in the unceasing attempts being made to “naturalize” the miracles of God. There are some scientists, and other theorizers, who even endeavor to “naturalize” the vir gin birth of Christ. Their intentions may be good, but the effect of their endeavors is pernicious. There is no “biological explanation” of the virgin birth, any more than there is an “as tronomical explanation” of the Star of Bethlehem. Science is correct in saying that the virgin birth of a hu man being is “biologically impos sible.” But all things are possible with God. ^ That is the meaning of miracles. They occur according to supernatural plan and power. They cannot occur according to Nature. They are “im possible” from the standpoint of the potencies and possibilities of Nature. They are literally acts of God. They are unique acts of God which He de liberately keeps shielded from the un derstanding of man. When God works through Nature, He permits men to observe and understand His opera tions. That is the purpose of science: to throw light upon God’s ; operations through Nature. But when God oper ates outside Nature, He leaves the curious mind of man without a clue. A miracle is not a violation, of natural law; if it were, man could observe and “ check up on it.” A miracle oc curs in the supernatural sphere— out side Nature: in a realm where man cannot investigate and observe. By miracles, God shows His infinite superiority to Nature; He demonstrates the supremacy of the supernatural. By miracles, God-humbles and baffles the inquisitive mind of man. Miracles mean, not only the suprem acy of God over Nature, but the su premacy of God over the mind and im agination of men. .
sensation would explain every de tail of the story.” , Dr.' Alter wisely rebukes those who insist upon a “natural explanation” of supernatural miracles. He com ments: “Many people have been wor ried because astronomers have not found an explanation for a story which probably did not seem connected with astronomy in the mind of the original narrator. The attitude of the average churchman who is asked for his reaction to the conclusion that the Star of Bethlehem was a mir acle and not an astronomical oc- . currence is generally that it strengthens rather than weakens his faith. It puts the whole thing on a higher plane:” , Naturalistic scientists may attrib ute this “puzzling solar phenomenon” to "an explosion of gases." But sound thinkers will find the simple fact of God a better explanation. Scientific speculators may seek for the answer in the “astronomical record” ; but suc cessful seekers after truth will find it in the mysterious but manifest will of God. Scientific theorists may en deavor to find the explanation in a fanciful conception of “a conjunction of two or more planets, overlapping in -the sky” ; but Scriptural thinkers will find it all made clear in the Revelation of God. THE FAILURE OF THE NATURALISTS • Dr. Alter very,plainly shows that all naturalistic explanations are un availing. “In citing arguments to suggest the star might have been a nat ural object such as a comet-, nova, or unusual grouping of planets, astronomers and others, according to Dr- Alter, have neglected or / side-stepped passages in the lat ter part of Matthew’s account which disproved any natural in terpretation. “He points out that no star or object as high as five miles over head could mark out an Individ-
brighter then than this year, due to a more favorable position in her orbit with respect to the earth.” In summarizing ' “ scientific ideas” regarding the star of Bethlehem, the Wide World press service stated: “Other explanations of the star which the Magi followed to find Christ are a comet and a nova. If it was a comet, then that comet has not since appeared, for, com- $ ets’ coming can be traced both into the future and into the past if they appear more than once. “ A nova is literally a new star caused by an explosion of gases big enough to engulf the entire solar system. The explosions oc cur in old stars and sometimes in stars too faint to be seen normal ly with the naked eye. A nova appears only once; hence .there •would be no astronomical record other than the tale of the Wise Men. “A conjunction of two or more planets—that is, apparent over lapping in the sky of these stars— is another explanation. But none of these star gatherings came nearer than six years to the date of Christ’s birth.” • Light upon the “solar phenomenon that marked Christ’s birth” must be found in the Word of God rather than in the “astronomical record” ; it must be conceived and understood as a supernatural, not a natural, phenom enon. This is the conclusion reached by Dinsmore Alter, astronomer at Griffith Observatory, Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California. The publica tion, Our Sunday Visitor, states that Dr. Alter “ reached this conclusion af ter years of study of the subject in view of the latest findings of astro nomical science.” According to Dr. Alter: “The star of Bethlehem which guided the Wise Men of the East , to the birthplace of Jesus could not possibly have been any known natural heavenly body and must, instead, have been created by a miracle.” He declares: “This conclusion neither adds • nor detracts from the probability of the Biblical story, if the birth of Christ itself was miraculous, it is only reasonable tp assume that the Personality behind all of it might wish to acquaint the Wise Men with the fact by impressing the appearance of the star on their minds. Such a non-astronomical MIRACLES AND THE SUPERNATURAL:
February, 1942 45 Beginning at the Sanctuary I N EVERY Christian heart there is the seed of longing for a more holy life and for the souls of lost By E. SCHUYLER ENGLISH* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania lege is our responsibility. The more active our service in His name and the more we are jntrusted with the Word of His grace, that much more should the self-judgment be operative. \ . THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S
He must work through empty and un sullied channels to effect His full min istry, and theft are very few such channels. The fact that we do not see more conversions is due to no lim itations set by our Father God, but to the circumstance of the inconsistency of our Christian walk in comparison with our most holy profession. There should be, therefore, a con stant searching of our own hearts on the part of all of us who name the name of Christ, lest unawares there may have crept in there those things which quench the Spirit of God \or that form impediments against His, outflow. And it is a significant thing that in both the Old and New Testa ments there is the clear implication that exactly in proportion to our privi
men and women. This must be so inasmuch as the Christian is the tem ple of the Holy Ghost whose mission is that those whom He has sanctified may experience practical sanctifica tion, and that the world may be con victed of sin and brought to the feet of the Saviour. We say that there is the “seed” of longing for sanctification and souls, for it is a sad commentary upon the church of Christ that the fruition is very rarely Seen. Upon the part of many there is a certain desire to ex perience the inworking and outwork ing of the Spirit, and upon the part of some the desire has grown into a deep longing; but the latter state, the burning and constraining burden that we shall be holy and acceptable unto God in our walk and fruitful in our witness, is far too rare among us. Apathy in the Sanctuary Even in the sphere of Christians who are well-taught in the Scriptures, who know how to divide the Word aright—yes, and among those who are engaged in what is often termed “full time Christian work,” that is, preach ers, pastors, missionaries; evangelists, and in the cases of Sunday-school and Bible class teachers as well—there is a distressing carelessness in respect to the purpose of our calling. God’s purpose is that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, and that we should bear much fruit. To be sure, this is not a studied in difference, but rather a thoughtless and unconscious and irresponsible neglect of God’s Word and His will for our lives. Such an attitude is to be noticed most glaringly perhaps in the walk and witness of some who hold positions of prominence because of their platform ministry or executive calling, but it is an attitude which is common in the church as a whole. Is it any wonder, then, that the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the power of God unto salvation to them that believe, seems to be ineffective from the lips of many Christians? Its power has not diminished. The Holy Spirit is still the perfect Enabler. But *Associate Editor o f Our Hope Magazine,
You will, recall Ezekiel’s vision of the slaying in Jerusalem, wherein the man clothed in linen, who carried a writer’s inkhorn by-his .side, was to set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sighed and cried because of the abominations of the city. There after, .he was to smite with the sword those who bore not that mark—and hg was to begin at the sanctuary of the Lord (Ezek. 9:6)! Even there would be found those who were not con cerned over evil, whose profession of allegiance to the Lord was empty, in spite of their nearness fo His sanc tuary. In a like manner, the Apostle Peter declared to first-century Christians that the time had come for judgment to-begin at the house of God (1 Pet. 4:17). And that time is here npw, as it has been present in every day. The time is short! Ere long our earthly journey may be over. It is incumbent upon us, therefore, to redeem the hours, counting it not shame to suffer for the sake of the Lord, and further, reckoning it all joy to be conformed more and more to the image of the Saviour and to be used of Ylim to bring others into the blessed place of salva tion and peace. Particularly among those of us who have heard His “Go yfe” and have heeded the command, it is high time that we remind ourselves of His “Lo, I” and Search our hearts. For the power of our witness is not ours but H is.' In how far are we tapping, the spring of that power? How much do we feed on His Word? How close do we walk with the Lord? There are numerous criteria by which we may determine for our selves the answers to these questions. But space will permit us to look at only the three indicated below. I. Daily Washing. As the Aaroriic priesthood had per force to wash their hands and their feet at the laver of brass (Ex. 30:17- 21) before ministering in the taber nacle, so we who have been made a kingdom of priCsts need to have our hearts sprinkled (Heb, 10:22) daily, [ Continued on Page 50]
February, 1942
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.What Can a Christian Do About-
An Uncertain Financial Future? I N THE twenty-five years that this writer has spent in the financial marts, he has never seen a time By ARNOLD GRUNIGEN, Jr. San Francisco, California money making. Well might they take this position. “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you” (Jas. 5:1). How vividly it applies today!
“nervous Nellies.” Assets, money, se curities, and real property do not im part peace, calm, and quiet. What stirring and straining we note daily! We who are in the “Christian w it-* nessing” business have secured un limited sermon material f r o m the' frustrated minds and hearts of unre generate men. Conditions in the business world give a reason for our added enthu siasm these days concerning the truth of Joel 2:1: “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.” In brief, this command tells us that our only real business these days is to make Christ known. All else that we do is merely to make it possible to pay expenses. Our task is to bring the message of eternal hope in Christ to unsaved men who have every reason to be fearful of the unknown future they face.
when the possession and management of a million dollars was- a less en viable job than men find it today. Even our young men and women are very generally putting far more stress on their interest in security than on [As Chairman of the Christian Busi ness Men's Committee of the San.Fran cisco Bay Region, M r. Grunigen has been a leader in a far-reaching ministry. It will be remembered that among other important activities, this orgpnization of laymen sponsored the “ Sermons from Science " exhibition at the World's Fair at San Francisco,in 1939 and 1940. In the-business world, M r. Grunigen is with Weeden & Co., a national invest ment house, , and is a. member of the Executive Committee of the Investment Bankers Association of America, Cali fornia Group .— E ditor .]
Worldly mindedness is no rosy path way for the materialist. The question of inflation control is a weighty one with him. It was never easier than it is today for a Christian to justify his or her interest in the church, the Bible, and prayer. Respectful atten tion is given the personal worker from nearly all quarters. This is proof posi tive that we are in an emergency. When unregenerate man is sure of himself, when everything is going, well, he nearly always dismisses with the shrug of'a shoulder and .a decided smirk any attempt made to reach him spiritually. TheSe are days for Bible Christians with a virile, burning tes timony! Christian business men have had a liberal education in these recent months. The financial district is a choice place to come in contact with
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NES S
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spot.” On every side, risky, unin formed, unplanned moves are' being made by people with large and small amounts of worldly goods.- Frustra tion is Common; worry runs rampant. Serenity is at a premium, except at the Wednesday night prayer meeting, where, eyen in 1942, you find an over whelming percentage of folks of the old-fashioned type, who, in the lan guage of 1 Timothy 2:2,- “lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” AH, this comment is not intended to mean that the financial future will be easy for either Christians or unbe lievers, particularly those in many “white-collar” occupations. For in stance, eggs could go to 92 cents a dozen, sugar to 26 cents a pound, flour to 8 cents a pound, butter to 76 cents a po,und, and pork chops to 50 cents a pound. They all reached these prices in 1920. In certain European countries cur rencies were terribly injured by World War I deficits. Fifty dollars in Ameri can money changed into marks at Munich was worth only five’ dollars seven hours later in Frankfort. Reck less Conduct in monetary affairs de veloped out of the insane confusion of monetary and fiscal affairs. At tempting to pay impossible sUms, Germany made recourse to the print ing of money. Paper marks were printed until.the paper mache house collapsed and at the end marks were worth more as paper than as money. What Can the Nation Do? With Washington lies your protec tion and mine for any fruits of thrift or industry. Congress and the credit agencies with prudent fiscal policies and p r a c t i c e s are our S a f e g u a r d . T h e American p e o ple w i l l learn the meaning of t h è transition from ,“ butter to guns.” As a na tion we cannot escape a deficit for some years to c o m e , but we must escape a sprawling, uncon trolled deficit. Price control will be helpful. There are many obstacles, many . diverse factors, and. tatfeS must get at income where it is most rapidly expanding. Voluntary savings must really take hold. Tighter credit Control must come; installment buying must be cut further. Hoarding already in evi dence must be headed off. Inflation, the enemy that paves the [ Continued on Page 77]
here to stay. But here as always the Bible.-: believing Christian has the “ edge.” He kno&s of a great leveling that > took place at Calvary nineteen hundred years ago. The Christian finds that the regenerated man is 'able to stand more leveling as far as this world is concerned, with less con fusion and hysteria, with more, calm and assurance than any one else in the world. Men are uncVer tremendous pressure these days. In a recent train wreck investigation, the railroad official in terviewed frankly stated that it "was his opinion that world turmoil, plus the- railroad strike then impending, resulted in a confused state of mind on the part of the crew members,-so that, even the trainmen who were in volved, old, seasoned, conservative workers, were not themselves. Con tinual strikes in other industries, the effects of conscription on the homes, together with numerous other prob lems, put them in a mental state that made impossible good railroading. “They reel fp and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end” (Psa. 107:27). What Can Men Do? Humanly speaking, there is no real hedge against inflation. Business is “ subject to change without notice.” People must plan ahead for a rising price level. There is seemingly no way by which an individual can with reasonable surety protect himself against an inflationary process. So cial-economic developments, changes now on foot, can impair the worth of all property. What to do about inflation? The man in the street wants to know.
Causes of Inflation Fear — with the reality — of infla tion is already abroad in our' land. Food, clothing, rent—all of the budget is UP! Meat, potatoes, bread and vege tables, suits, dresses — groceries and wearing apparel are UP! Re-arma ment! And now war! The decision to re-arm was the event that brought on rising prices. Armaments, Army food, uniforms,- shoes, and building mate rials—these are in added demand, and that by train and by shipload. So, on to the side track and into curtailed production go automobiles, refrigera tors, washing machines, metal furni ture, household fixtures, and many items of consumer goods. Government buying reminds you of “Alice in Wonderland.” Millions of yards of flannel shirting, millions of bath towels, hundreds of thousands of Army shoes, and a similar number of yards of serge, cloth! Then an amaz ing array of tires and brushes, tents and blankets, utensils, gadgets by the million! That all brings about dis tension, abnormal expansion) short ages, and inflation. -Why bring that up? Because you, Christian reader,, will be affected! What do we mean by inflation? With more money to spend irt the hands of the average person, due to the fast- rising wage scale, the “demand pot” is boiling. The supply of goods is the same or even smaller. We have been •helping to feed and equip Britain, China, Russia, and portions of France as well as Some of the occupied coun tries. Fully 60 per cent of our total in dustrial capacity must be employed in our war effort. Tanks and ships, planes and guns, shells and cannon are on the assembly and production
lines. We face a r e v o 1u t ion in production and Consumption, as well as in buy ing habits and income distribu tion. No m o r e business as us ual! Among oth er factors, more money plus less goods equals in flation.
Only the most unusual can escape the consequences! The requisites for successfully pulling through a period of inflation with worldly possessions intact are: speculative agility and judgment in the highest degree; fore sight equivalent to the mystical “sixth sense,” and courage that quails be fore no conceivable^ risks. Individuals with such capabilities are rare, one in a million. Through all this emergency, the Christian possessed of sanctified com mon sense finds himself in a “top
Effects upon Men So now, “both low and high-, rich and poor, together” (Psa. 49:2) you, all of us, are facing complex, conflict ing forces and desires. Farmers qnd Labor, both with important lobbies in Congress-, exhibiting the expected amount of selfishness, are pulling and hauling, every one trying to come out of this maelstrom with as few injuries as possible. A great leveling process has been going on among our populace; it is
February, 1942
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE SS
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R. G. LeTourneau (left) whose busi ness has mounted to $20,000,000 annually, Is, first and foremost, God’s servant and God’s steward.
had.” In his church was another man who had had experience in highway 'construction work, a Christian, whose equipment, added to Robert’s, would be equal to the handling of the-con- tract. He sought this man out and suggested to him that they bid for the work “as partners.” They did so and secured the contract. Shortly after the work was under taken, difficulties revealed them selves. Progress was slow, and it began to look as though they might lose some money on the contract. Robert’s associate was one of the worrying kind. He began to find fault with on“ thing after another and fi nally said to Robert, “The trouble with this job is that you have too many of your own relatives working for you.” The charge concerning his relatives was true to the extent that he did have a lot of them working for him. But he maintained that they were all “ doing their stuff” and he didp’t want to lay them off, as skilled labor was not always available when it was needed and he thought he would have work for all of them on future con tracts after the present one had been completed. As was his custom when in doubt about God’s will for him in a situa tion, he went to prayer. He asked God to show him what to do. It is one of Robert’s convictions that when a child of God is doing the best he can, he has a right to ask the Lord to help him; but he does not believe in telling the Lord to bring it on a silver platter.
Therefore, he prayed and things be gan to happen. He got an invitation to bid on an other contract from a private concern which never sent out public bids. The execution of this contract, like the State highway job he was handling with his fellow church member, would require machinery that he didn’t have. He went to his machinery, manufac turer and asked for credit. He got the credit and entered his bid. He and two other contractors were within a few cents of one another with their bids, and Robert, thinking he was un known and without prestige and therefore hardly in the running, was happily surprised to be awarded the contract. He went back to his State highway construction job and transferred every one of his relatives to the new con tract, appointing his brother-in-law as superintendent. They went through with it according to schedule and made a nice profit. Not long there-
i d striking book recently released from the press is entitled God Runs My Business: The Story of R. G. LeTour neau, by Albert IV. Lorimerl The vol ume describes the amazing growth of the firm of R. G. LeTourneau, Inc., large-scale manufacturers of earth-mov ing equipment and other heavy steel products, a growth achieved in the years since the president of the company defi nitely invited God to become the Senior Partner in his business. Two of the early tests of faith and obedience are described in Chapter V of the book, from which this present article is taken. The first portion treats Specifically of a matter which many of the Lord's people have had to face in their dealings with fellow ' believers. Throughout the book, the author speaks of M r. LeTourneau as “ Robert" and endeavors to present his personality in a very “ human" and intimate way. The book is published by Revell Co., New York, price $1.00. — E ditor .] O NE OF the severest testings in ner, he was laying the foundation of his business. He had been engaged in highway construction work for some time when, as he says, “I got my eyes on a piece of State highway construction which was a little too big for me to handle with the equipment and men I then
the life of ¡R. G. LeTourneau came to him during the period in which, with the Lord as his Part
S 0 U N D A D V I C E :
February, 1942
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NES S Shall a Christian Go to Law? By R. G. Le TOURNEAU as Told to ALBERT W. LORIMER
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after, the State highway Job was com pleted, and contrary to expectations, there was a nice profit on .that, too. A Disagreement Between Christians With the: profits made on both con- I tracts, all of Robert’s obligations to creditors could have been met. B^it his human “partner” on the State highway job had a different idea. His idea was that because Robert had made a profit on the second con tract, all of the profit on -the State highway contract should go to the “partner.” That profit was $40,000, and it was to have been split $20,000 to each. . Stunned by the stark unreasonable ness of such a proposal from a Chris tian and fellow church member, Rob ert went to see his -lawyer. His lawyer told him, “Don’t worry. He hasn’t a leg to stand on.” I But Robert did worry—for a differ ent reason. It was not because he - feared he couldn’t collect in court but because the .man and he, besides be ing Christians and members of the same church, were both on the official board of that church.; Though con vinced that the man indeed hadn’t “a leg to stand on”—either ethically "or legally—Robert still had great cause for concern. What would happen to the church if two of its leading mem bers should/engage in a lawsuit? He was familiar with the Scripture which 1 forbade Christians’ going to law with Christians but thought he -knew how to work it so that the other man would have to take the initiative and be I the one to go to law. Robert felt that then he could persitade more people in the church to side with him than with his erstwhile “ partner.” Robert often says of himself at this time, “I was not exactly lamblike of disposition. I
liked to take the bull by the horns. I said, ‘Lord, that money belongs to my creditors. I’ve got to pay them.” ’ Then the Lord spoke to his heart: “How much dp you love Me? How* much do you love My people? How much do you love My church?” The Outcome Robert did what he has confessed was the hardest thing; he ever did in his life. He went to that .man and said: “Brother, we’re not going to have a lawsuit over this thing. If you insist upon having'all of the profit, you can have it. If the Lord doesn’t want you to have it, He can take it away from you. If He wants me to have my share, He can give it to me-” He thought that his saying this might cause the man to change his mind. It didn’t. He took the entire profit, and Robert let him have it. A short time after this incident, that map secured another contract. And a short time after, - Robert secured an other contract. On the contract which the- other man took, the entire $40,000 was lost, while Robert made enough on his contract to make up for the profit he had sacrificed. Not always does God r e w a r d or punish thus openly and promptly, but in jb is par ticular instance the outcome was. con spicuously evident. A favorite expres sion with Robert is: '“Don’t obey God because it pays, for then it won’t pay. But obey Him because you love Him, and then it will pay.” A Promise to God Another severe testing that came along abbut, this time, and ,the way in- which Mr. LeTourneau met it; was to have far-reaching consequences in his business.
During these Stockton days li. e., when the manufacturing was centered at Stockton, Calif.]-the business was small, employing about a dozen men. A piece of work of considerable im portance was in the shop and had to be completed on the following day. One vital part for this machine was needed which had not yet been de signed. It was not until the end of the day that Robert realized his men would have to start on the making of that important part the first thing on the following morning in order to com plete the work next day. Up to that moment, he had not. the slightest idea What the designing of the part in volved or how long it would take him to work it out There was nothing else for him to do but spend the eve ning over his drafting board with slide rule and pencil. Suddenly he realized he had an other engagement for that evening. It was the evening upon which a group of young people of the church took charge of the meeting in a certain gospel mission of the town, and he had promised his Lord to accompany them and do his part in the service of song and testimony. He said, “Lord, I can’t go to the mission; tonight. I’Ve got to figure this thing out.’’ The still small Voice he knew so well said to him, “Did you mean it when you promised to serve Me no matter what the cost?” The temptation to skip the mission service, moreover, was intensified by the reflection that he was not on the program for aiiy special part in the service and that the young people would be able to get along very well without him. The struggle was a hard one, although, as- he said later, it [ Continued on Page 75]
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"Don't- obey God because it pays, for the* it won't pay. But obey Him \ because you love Him, and then it will pay."— R. G. LeTourneau. V|fJ
February, 1942
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S
50
as "worldly.” For while other Chris- tians may be impressed, by the fact that we do not go to the movies, un saved men and women may be im pressed in quite another way by our scsfhdalous or unkind remarks. It is the law of society that the deeds of the disciple are placed to the account of his teacher (cf. Matt. 12:1, 2; Mk. 7:1, 2, 5). Thus our own in consistencies as Christians reflect; in the world’s judgment, upon the Sav iour. Let us, therefore, be careful of our daily walk, that it shall be in the Spirit in . truth. ■and not ac cording to the lusts of the flesh. III. Daily Witnessing While in the great family of the redeemed there are many who áre faithfully witnessing to óur blessed Lord, by their lives as' well ás- by their lips, and we thank God for them, it is to be feared that there are many others of us-whose obedi ence to our Lord’s command is want in g /’Yes, we do speak to an individ ual now and then—but how many do we fail to speak to in the course of the day, in office, in school, in church, in the home, and in the neighborhood! If we should go back oyer the past, week and ask ourselves how many souls we have tried to win for Christ in all our contacts, what would the count be? And even among those of us who teach Sunday-school classes,, or are on the mission field, or who have platform ministry, it is to be feared that we may fall into a lethargy of fruitlessness at times. We are inclined to become very professional in .our witness—much repetition of the same messages, prayerless preparation and speaking, the desire to please our au diences with lightness or to impress them with our eloquence. .Instead of drawing upon the power of God by prayer, instead of being burdened in soul for the needs of a sleepy church and a sin-si.ck world, we take our task in a careless way. Oh, that we might be on fire for the Lord! That we might be willing to pay the price of worn-out knees, of.yearning hearts and truly separated living for the sake of the Saviour and the message of His saving and enabling grace! We need to be stirred in our daily witness. Yes, dear Christian friend, it Is time for judgment to begin, at the house of God. It is time that there should be self-judgment, beginning at the sanctuary. Let us be entirely sepa rated from darkness and walk stead fast in the Light, that our fellowship with Christ may be perfect, and ¿hat, cleansed by His blood and' by the daily washing, our, walk and witness may redound to His honor and glory alone, to the winning of souls from death to life, and to the praise of His unending glory.
more clear than' that our reasonable service is that we should present our bodies living sacrifices unto Him, con: formed not to this world, but trans formed by His grace and in His strength. We are not even to touch the unclean thing, lest we be defiled. And while -.the body of Christ as a whole is v^ell aware of the demands for holy living, there is a tendency to denote as things “worldly” only those amusements and habits of the flesh in which the world indulges so freely—moving pictures, the theater, dancing, and the using of liquor and tobacco. - ■ , Yes, these things are worldly, it is true. But the world doe's other things than these. A critical spirit is “world ly” ; and so are such practices as slothfulness in business, and shady business practices. Lying is a sin of the world, and has no place in the Christian life. Slander and uri- kindness certainly cannot be classed as Christian virtues; they belong to the world—yet how. often these very sins are found to be part and parcel of the daily conduct of the Chris tian! Indeed, much more could be said —of pride, of vaiii conversation, of uncleanness, of deceit, of self-center- edness, and so on. If we are truly separated people, let us remember that we must be free from all the practices of the world, and not only from the few outward habits which aré popularly classified "All My Springs Are in Thee" l*salin 87:7 By MILDRED JEFFERY Lord of life, and of well-being. Great physician of the soul— "All my springs are in thee," Saviour; Surge through me and make me whole! Fountainhead of every blessing. Surge through me, and over flow— Cause Thy fruitfulness to spring forth ,i Everywhere Thy waters go. I the channel cleansed and emp tied. Thou the flood of love and Joy: "All my springs are in thee," Jesus, All my life at Thy employ! " O Gad, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsieth for thee, ftiy flesh long- eth for thee in a, dry and thirsty land, where no water is;. "T o see thy power and (hy glory, so as 1 have seen thee in the sanctuary” (Psa. 63:1, 2 ).
BEGINNING AT THE SANCTUARY .[Continued from Page 45] by the washing of water by the Word. It is not to the study of the Bible for- examination or for message pre paration that I refer, but to the de votional reading day by day. We can become so occupied in service’ that we. fail to meditate upon the Word, .and to let the Spirit speak to our hearts through the Word for our own reproof and cleansing and growth. As the child needs to feed on strengthen ing food for normal development, so the child of God must feed upon Him. As the natural being must be cleansed if the individual is to be healthy, so the supernstturally born needs cleans ing for spiritual health and strength. How can we hope to live lives of holiness in this evil world if we neg lect the source of all purity and power? How can we expect that Christ shall be seen in us if we fail to feed upon Him? How can we Show forth the quiet peaceableness of the Lord unless we are saturated- with the counsel of His will? It is through His Word -that God speaks to us; in it He points to our shortcomings and sins; through it He cleansgs us; by it He makes us strong in Himself and leads us on in the way of holiness. The daily washing—how we need it! How often we fail Him — in 'f: thought, by our lips, and through our acts! The unholy thought, the unkind or critical word, the un-Christlike act —it is through the Word that these are revealed to our souls in their true light, so that we need to fall once more at the feet of our blessed Lord and claim once again the Cleans ing power of the blood ~of Calvary. No Christian, no matter how prom inent his place of testimony may be, can neglect the daily washing without having his witness stifled. II. Daily Walking When the Scripture speaks of our walk, it refers, of course, to our con duct. And if our lives are to count for the Lord, how careful we must be that our conduct shall be consist ent with our profession! The reader who does not find that the Bible teaches that God demands separation - __ of His people does not understand the Word of God. For from its beginning to its end, the Book declares that God’s own are a separated people. Before He first said, “Be fruitful, and rpulti- ply,” God separated the light from the darkness — and we might well realize that before we can expect much fruit in our lives and testimony, this separation must be complete. The mark of circumcision upon the Israelite, and his keeping of the Sab- bath—these were signs to the, outside world that God’s people were differ ent, a separated people. And^ for the child of God today, nothing could be ;T'•
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