King's Business - 1941-01

V IfJ,

Official O rgan of THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES# Incorporated

JANUARY 1941 10 CENTS

NEW YEAR WATCH By HELEN FRAZEE-BOWEB |As the shades of evening lengthen, lAnd the way grows long and dim, /ith the simple faith of childhood, fh ro u g h th e d a rk , I watch for Him. soon a ll e a rth -b o rn clouds will scatter, |3oon I'll ris e to m eet my Lord: pven now I glimpse His coming ^Through the window of the Word.

Photo by H. Armstrong Roberts

Don’t

Dream ! m Act NOW

Photo by H. A rm strong R oberts

25 cents extra in Canada and foreign countries.) Gift cards will be sent in your name if you re­ quest them. Or, you may have FREE a set of six beautiful reproductions of favorite KING’S BUSINESS covers, printed in colors, suitable for framing.

There is still time to enter subscriptions as holi­ day gifts. If you delay—you may lose forever some precious opportunities for bringing bless­ ing to others! While you think of it, why not renew or extend your own subscription and sub­ scribe for a friend? ($1.00 a year in U. S .;

THE KING’S BUSINESS

558 South Hope Street

Los Angeles, California

FEATURE ARTICLES FOR FEBRUARY: 0 Kenneth M. Monroe, Dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, discusses: “WILL AMERICA, LIKE GERMANY, SUF­ FER DEFEAT?” Helen Frazee-Bower (see front cover, this issue) contributes more heart-stirring verse and, later, S. S. lessons for children. Herbert Lockyer compiles, from corre­ spondence from intimate associates in England, an article entitled: “BRITAIN BRAVE AMONG BOMBS.”

Dr. Lockyer

Mrs. Bower

Dr. Monroe

January, 1941

T H S K I N O ’ S B U S I N E S S The King's Business The True-to-the-Bible Family Magazine The Official Organ of THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Inc. LOUIS T. TALBOT, 0 M ILDRED M. COOK, Editor-In-Chief M anaging E ditor

1

HT0THEJEWFIRST" This is the bedrock of the Jew­ ish Mission appeal to every Bible- believing soul. “To the Jew first” is as basic in Missions as faith in Christ is basic in Salvation. Every January brings us an increasing number of gifts “To the Jew first.” And many letters tell us, “Thank you so much for calling my atten­ tion to my duty and privilege. I want to start the New Yeaj1right.” Think it over, for some day you too will join this blessed host and you too will say, “I want to preach God’s Gospel in God's way—to the Jew first.” Was there ever a time in the world’s history when this precious privilege, “To the Jew first,” was more imperative than in this present hour? With Israel in the caldron of demon hate, with the world being driven by Satan himself to exterminate, if that were possible, the people whom God has called His very own, can any true child of God withhold the heart and the hand of pity ? Ought we not while He still tarries, reach out with a ministry of love to those sorely harassed and dis­ tressed people, who know not which way to turn? "To the Jew first” indeed has a potent mean­ ing in such an hour as this! Our work merits your every con­ fidence. Our field is not only the 4,000,000 Jews of America, but, under divine impulse, we are at grips with the problem of reaching a world Jewry with the Gospel. In America, branches are maintained in the larger cities. In the war- torn countries of Europe we are doing our utmost to bring comfort and help to many weary and broken Jews who are the victims of Nazi hate. Through affiliated missions and missionaries, our Yiddish publications are being dis­ tributed in the important Jewish centers of the world. Your help and prayers are al­ ways needed. “ T H E C H O S E N PEOPLE,” loved by Bible Students for its helpf.ul information on Prophecy and the Jews, is sent to contributors. MAY WE HEAR FROM YOU? AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS TO THE JEWS, INC. 81 Throop Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. Here is my offering, $.............. “To Oie Jew First.” May the Lord bless this gift for Israel’s salvation. * Name.......______ _________ ___ _

Motto: "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood ” (Rev. 1:5).

Volume XXXII

January, 1941

Number 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Ransom D. Marvin, Staff Artist

Around the King’s Table— Editorial .... .......................... .......____...___ _ 2 Significance of the News— Dan Gilbert ........ ........................................... 3 Hunan Refusing .to Retreat— Charles A . Roberts __ ____ ....................... 5 Torrey, the Man— Herbert Lockyer __________ .................._________ 6 How the Army Grows _____ _________ ................._........................... 8 The Invasion of Palestine— Louis T . Talbot: ...................... .................. 10 The Incarnate Word and Our Redemption— H . A . Ironside .......... 11 Junior King’s Business— Martha S. Hooker. ............................................. 13 International Lesson Commentary_____ _______________________ ___ 15 Notes on Christian Endeavor— Lyman A . W endt _________ .....__ ...... 27 Daily Devotional Readings_____ ...__ ......______ .......__...__ ..........___ 32 Bible Institute Family Circle____ ............___36 Our Literature Table........ ......................................................................... 39 SUB8CBIPTIOJÍ ÍB IC E : “The K ing’s Business” is published monthly. $1.00—-one y e a r; $1.50—two y ears: 50 ce'ritS—six m onths; 10 cents—single.co p y ..Clubs of five or more a t special r a te s ; .w rite for details. C anadian and foreign subscriptions 25 cents extra. I t requires one m onth for a ohange of' address to become effective. Please send both old and new addresses. REM ITTANCE—Payable in advance, should be m ade by bank d raft, express or post office money order payable to “The K ing’s Business.” D ate of expiration will show plainly each m onth on outside w rapper or cover of m agazine.' ADVERTISING—F o r inform ation w ith reference to advertising in “The King’s Business,” addre!^ the A dvertising Manager, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, Calif., or our eastern representative, Religious P ress Association, 1108-10 Colonial Bldg., 13th and M arket Streets, Philadelphia, Pa. MANUSCRIPTS—“The King’s B usiness” cannot accept responsibility for loss or dam age to m anuscripts sent to it for consideration. Entered' as second-class m atter November 7,. 1938, a t the post office a t Los Angeles, California, under the Act of M arch 3, 1879. Acceptance for m ailing a t special rate of postage provided for in the A ct of F ebruary 28, 1925, embodied in paragraph 4, section 538, P. L. an d R., authorized October 1, 1918, and November 13, 1938. THE KING’S BUSINESS 558 South Hope Street * Los Angeles, California INFORMATION FOR SUBSCRIBERS

City......——■——■■■.State—.

January, 1941

T B S K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S

*

Around the King s Table E D I T O R I A L

Wherein we fail, however, is that we depend upon ourselves or on others. We are unwilling to lean hard on Him whose strength is unlimited. But “when my weakness leaneth on His might, all is right,” 4. Divine Cooperation. "I.1will help thee.” * The sweet and practical thought resi­ dent in this particular revelation of God is that if the burden is too great for us, our divine Helper will graciously assist' us. He offers to carry the heaviest end of the load. And is it not blessed to know that we can boldly say, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” ? Are you in need of help—spiritually, physically, or ma­ terially? Well, help has been placed upon One who is mighty. So, throughout this New Year, let there come a daily appropriation of the proffered help of the Almighty God. 5. Divine Security. “I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteous­ ness.”^ What an encouraging promise this is for 1941! What more do we need as we face the unknown future? Surely it is wonderful to realize that we can be held in the grasp of the very hand that formed and upholds the world! The hand of righteousness, so full in the dispensing of rewards and punishment^, is laden with the security and sus­ tenance we will require as the days of another year slip by. Upheld with His right hand! Then, how can we sink, or fail, or fall? Under­ neath are the everlasting- arms. Hand in hand in God! Is there any greater privilege than this ? We stand at. the portal of another year, and the, way before us may be hard and perilous. What experiences are to - confront us are graciously hidden from our eyes. We do not know the way,- but we do know the Guide, and with our hand in His we believe that safety will be ours as we journey over the dusty lanes of earth.—Louis T. Talbot. Carry On! “Moses answered and said, But, be­ hold, they will not believe me, nor hearken to my voice” (Ex. 4:1). Often in these days of increasing apostasy and unbelief, servants of God, as clearly commissioned as was Moses, entertain some such thought as the above.

A New Year Prayer

A Great Prom ise fo r 1 9 4 1 , In the goodness of God we have been privileged to come to another year. What it holds for each one of' us, our heavenly leather alone knows! We can, however, rest in the fact that He has anticipated every need that will non* front us and has made provision accord« ingly. His prdcioua Word assures us of His unfailing care. Here, for example, is a wonderful promise for the days ahead: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isa. 41:10). The New Year opens with the nations of the earth locked together in a grim struggle. All the horrors of war are being carried over into 1941. In fact, the turmoil of et&th becomes mors manifest as time rolls on. Yet, for the child of God, there is no cause for fear. Fear is the child of unbelief. Faith is the offspring of a confidence bom of God. Fear leads to failure—faith to vic­ tory. From the marginal note on our verse we find th a t the command, “Be . not dismayed,” can be translated, “Look not around thee.” And what practical advice this is! There is not much to en­ courage us in the chaotio condition of the earth. Anxiety, perplexity, and dis­ may are all around. So we are not to look around, but to look up to where God rules and overrules. The storms may be raging around, but above, the sun Is shining. We must look up, for our redemption draweth nigh. Let us think of the fivefold encour­ agement the Prophet Isaiah’s word from God holds for our troubled hearts. L Divine Presence. “I am with thee.” God promises to be with us, not merely in times of trouble but also when the seas are calm. Without the Lord so near, we have every reason to be afraid. As a child is comforted, even in the dark, when he knows that his mother is near, holding his little hand, so the presence of Jesus Christ is our consolation when the dark and difficult hours come. Let us take hold of His promise to be with us always, as we step out on the untrodden pathway of an­ other year. 2. Divine Assurance. “I am. thy God.” Our great God assures us that His infinite resources are a t the disposal of the weakest of His children. He stoops to each one’s need, mighty as He is. He

"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee . . a’*

"Looking unto JESUS a a a”

“Till he « 00 ) 6 ’'

will not stand by and see with indiffer­ ence any of His followers injured or overcome by thé enemy. Our foe is His foe. Satan hates God and all who love Him. Yet the Lord Jesus Christ has vanquished the devil, and by His power we are well able to tread him under our feet. And is it not blessed to realize that each of us can' claim God as his very own? “I am thy God” ! Do you believe that all He has in strength, wisdom, and provision are at your disposal? De­ termine to make 1941 a year when you will prove God. 3. Divine Succor. “I will strengthen thee.” We are far too slow to learn "that the secret of strength is often the con­ sciousness of Our own weakness. “When I am weak, then am I strong.” Through the power of Christ resting upon them, the weakest of God’s people win the mightiest victories. Mantled with His power, one is able to chase a thousand and to put ten thousand to flight.

{January, 1941

T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S

*

Significance of the News By DAN GILBERT Washington, D. C , and San Diego, California Humanly speaking, there are insuper­ able difficulties in the way of preaching the Word of God. We run against the rankest of unbelief. Men challenge us with: - “How do you know God has spoken ?” We are called visionary and unscientific. Our first thought is to sit down with Moses and lament the skep­ ticism of our congregation, knowing what a lot of stiffnecks they are. “They will not believe me.” What’s the use ? Alas, many an eminent serv­ ant of God, today finds himself at times utterly depressed over the situation. Only one thought can rouse us to carry on. The spiritual laborer has less to do with the unbelief of his yhearers than he has with the instruction and authority of the Word of God. The Word itself is “quick, and powerful.” Did we not know this, we would never get to first base in spiritual work. Every preacher, teacher, and soul- winner must understand that doubts will be cast upon his authority, but it does not devolve upon him to meet un­ belief with ingenious replies. His busi­ ness is to keep witnessing with a “thus saith the Lord” in the power of the grace of God. The Spirit of God works when we use His Sword. Here is one of the most difficult les­ sons for preachers, teachers, and lay workers to grasp. It is God alone who [Continued on Page 37] Most of our state school systems are officially “godless.” Religion has no place on the teaching curricula. God is not recognized; He is ignored. Eighty per cent of our school children are spir­ itually and Scripturally illiterate. Nei­ ther a t home, nor in school, nor in church do they receive any religious instruction whatsoever. We spend bil­ lions to teach young people how to make a living and how to use guns and how to be “good citizens.” The totalitarian countries do the same—Italy, Germany, Japan, and Russia; they teach their youth to serve the State. Nazi, Fascist, and Communist countries are officially “godless” ; they design to bring up a young generation that owes supreme allegiance only to the State. Is it, also, part of our way of life that youth shall grow up in godlessness and paganism? Lawlessness, materialism, godlessness, paganism, immorality—are these to be considered elements of America’s way An Outstanding Conference With Outstanding Preachers! Inspiration of the Conference— OUR WAYWARD “WAY OF LIFE”: • We live in an age in which men think widely and loosely, broadly but seldom deeply. Slogans and catch phrases are endlessly repeated, but infrequently un­ derstood or thought through. At the moment, we hear a great deal about mobilization for the “defense of our way of life.” But neither before nor since the election have we heard any clear and concise answers to the natural ques­ tion : What is our way of life ? The thoughtful citizen must pause and wonder. The Department of Justice in­ forms us that four million of our citizens have prison records. Crime is our larg­ est single industry, costing fifteen bil­ lions of dollars a year. Is lawlessness an element in our pattern of life ? One out of every four marriages ends in di­ vorce; the rupture of marital relations and moral standards is accepted, appar­ ently, as permissible behavior. The Sur­ geon-General of the United States ad­ vises that millions of our citizens are victims of the plagues associated with immorality. Is moral paganism a part of our way of life?

The Torrey Memorial Bible Conference revolves around the Fundamentals of the Faith that Reuben Archer Torrey ably preached and taught as Dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, 1912 to 1924. Period of the Conference— January 19 to 26, 1941. Seven wonderful days. Sessions in forenoon, afternoon, and evening of each day except Saturday. Center of the Conference— The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, California. All roads lead to South Hope Street where our stately buildings stand.

Preachers of the Conference— F. John Scroggie of London, England R. E. Neighbour of Elyria, Ohio. Theme of the Conference—

James McGinlay of London, Ontario, Canada

Many other speakers.

“Things Which Cannot Be Shaken'”

Hope of the Conference Committee— That thousands of Christians, including YOU, will attend.

Alumni of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles are especially invited to return to the school for the entire week, not merely for Alumni Day, January 24. This is to be an alumni conference as well as a program for present students and Los Angeles residents. TORREY MEMORIAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated 558 South Hope Street Lot Angeles, California

Jan u ary , 1941

T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S

«

• " T h e Am e r ica n t ra d it io n lead s • » of life? I t Is not so much a matter of preserving as purifying our way of life. We need not so much a defense as a restoration of our traditional way of life. This American way of life has been un­ der attack, from within rather than from without, for decades. One some­ times wonders how much of it is left to “defend.” . True Americanism must be revived rather than conserved. In Ms proclamation of March, 1799, President Adams set forth the reasons for reliance upon prayer. Here is one of the best statements ever made of the fundamentally religious character and Christian convictions which identi­ fy the American way of life:

The following year, he issued another proclamation: “It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgres­ sions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repent­ ance will -lead to mercy and par­ don, to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that thos? nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord . . .” _ “Those nations only are b l e s s e d whose God is the Lord’’—would that this truth might be Impressed upon those who, while singing “God Bless America,” have no comprehension of how God deals with men and with na­ tions, according to His own inspired revelation! Lincoln concluded thus: "And, inasmuch as we know that by His divine law nations, like in­ dividuals, are subjected to punish­ ments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war that now desolates the land may be but' a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins . . . ? * We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of HeaVen; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gra­ cious hand which ‘preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, In the deceitful­ ness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, We have become too self- sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. “It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before-the offended Pow­ er, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and for­ giveness . . Historically and- traditionally, prayer has been the American way—to peace ahd prosperity, to the preservation of liberty and justice. If we are to con­ tinue as a free nation, if America is to remain American, we must return to the path of prayer the fathers trod.

“As no truth is more clearly taught in the Volume of Inspiration, nor any more fully demonstrated by the experience of all ages, than that a deep sense and due acknowl­ edgment of the governing provi­ dence of a Supreme Being and of the accountableness of men to Him as the searcher of hearts and the righteous distributor of rewards and punishments are conducive equally to the happiness and rectitude of Individuals and to the well-being of communities; as it is also most rea­ sonable in itself that men who are made capable of social arts and relations, who owe their improve­ ments to the social state, and who derive their enjoyments from it, . should, as a society, make their ac­ knowledgments of dependence and obligation to Him who hath endow­ ed them with these capacities and elevated them in the scale of ex­ istence by these distinctions; as it is likewise a plain dictate of duty and a strong sentiment of nature that in circumstances of great ur­ gency and seasons of imminent dan­ ger, earnest and particular suppli­ cations should be made to Him who is able to defend or to destroy . . LINCOLN’S CALL: • Abraham Lincoln was the greatest President we ever had—or could hope to have—in time of dire trouble. Signif­ icantly, Lincoln asked for the prayers of the people more frequently than h®8 any other chief executive; and he asked for them in words which revealed his (jeep belief that the Bible is the Word of God, In his first proclamation, it was stated: “Whereas, it is fit and becoming in all people a t all times to ac­ knowledge and revere the supreme government of God, to bow in hum­ ble submission to His chastisements, to confess and deplore their sins and transgressions in the full con­ viction th a t the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and to pray with all fervency and contri­ tion for the pardon of their past offenses and for a blessing upon their present and prospective ac­ tion . .

TQE REAX AMERICAN WAY: • Prayer was the source of strength up­ on which the Pounding Fathers relied. Prayer has an Impregnable place in American history. Indeed, the Amer- can tradition leads our people to their knees- In times Of crisis, this nation has always turned to God. As we con­ template the present program for “na­ tional defense,” we wonder whether this important factor is hot being neglected. During the administration of John Adams, American communications and commerce were seriously interfered with by the warring nations of Europe. Our country was in the shadow of despotic aggression from abroad, in much the same way as it is today. President Ad­ ams’ prayer proclamation, in part, called for: “A day of solemn humiliation, fasting, and prayer; that the citi­ zens of these States, abstaining on th a t day from their customary worldly occupations, offer their de­ vout addresses to the Father of Mercies agreeably to those forms or methods which they have severally adopted as the most suitable and becoming; that all religious congre­ gations do, with the deepest hu- ’ mility, acknowledge before God the manifold sins and transgressions with which we are justly charge­ able as individuals and as a nation, beseeching Him at the same time, of His infinite grace, through the Redeemer of the World, freely to remit all our offenses, and to in­ cline us by His Holy Spirit to that sincere repentance and reformation which may afford us reason to hope . . BIBLE BASIS OF AMERICANISM: • In recent years, there has been an increasing tendency, in governmental as well as educational circles, to ignore the Biblical foundations of America. E'fren executive proclamations calling the people to prayer, when infrequently issued, have usually omitted all refer­ ence to God’s Word, confining them­ selves rather to empty generalities.

o u r peop le to th e i r h n e e s 99 •

• • • o o o •

• e

January, 1941

THE K I N O ’S B U S I N E S S

5

Hunan Refusing to Retreat By CHARLES A . ROBERTS Changsha, Hunan, China

H UNAN is a large and mountain­ ous province. It is rich in grain, antimony, and tungsten. The type of people. Many of the great statesmen of China have come from within the borders of Hunan Province. And among present-day Communist leaders, Hunan is also well represented. The people as a Whole are energetic and enterprising, as has been witnessed 'ln the present emergency. In the autumn of 1938, seventy per cent of Changsha, the provincial capital city with a nor­ mal population of half a million, was destroyed by fire, following an order of the "scorched earth” policy. Today the shops on the main streets have been rebuilt or temporarily repaired, and a thriving business is being carried on. In two years three complete evacuations of the city have taken place, and on one occasion the writer actually walked through the heart of the city and saw no living person. And, almost unbe­ lievable fact, today Changsha has a re­ turned population of over a quarter of a million! Changsha is well marked in Chinese history as the home of its famous de­ fender, Marquis Tseng Kuo Fan, a great military strategist who drove the Tai- ping rebels from the city’s gates. A grandson of the Marquis is a well-known educator today, and a fine Christian. Changsha is also the city where that noble missionary, Hudson Taylor, died. Having determined to visit the prov­ ince that was the last to surrender to the preaching of the gospel, the aged missionary reached the capital during a hot summer. One day, having climbed the highest vantage point on the city wall, known as the Tower of the Heav­ enly Heart, where the famous Marquis had also stood while directing his at­ tack against the rebels, the missionary viewed the mountains, plains, and river surrounding the city. His heart was satisfied, and he returned to the Mis­ sion compound. The next day he "was not,” for God took him Home. In Changsha today, where forty years ago practically no missionary work of importance was being carried on, there are seven missionary societies, two Mis­ sion hospitals, and two union Mission high schools. In the numerous cities and small towns throughout the prov­ ince, many Missions and Gospel Halls are located.

The P ressu re of a Great Need But let it not be thought that Hunan has been wholly evangelized. On the contrary, there are many regions which have not been touched, and millions still live in Hunan without the slightest knowledge of the Saviour. One of the greatest contributions to the missionary endeavor in Hunan has been the combined work of evangelism conducted by the Biola Evangelistic Bands, and the training of men and women for Christian service a t the Hu­ nan Bible Institute in Changsha. For financial reasons, and because of war area evacuation necessities, the Hunan Bible Institute has been closed since the summer of 1937. A dearth of new work­ ers for the local Chinese churches has now become acute, and this writer is continually asked whether it will be possible to reopen the Institute in the near future. Meanwhile, the correspon­ dence course department, with its Sco­ field Course excellently translated into Chinese, continues with a large enroll­ ment. And the Biola Evangelistic Band work continues uninterrupted. This au­ tumn after a very strong Bible con­ ference a t Changsha, thirty-eight evan­ gelists and leaders set out in six bands for another year’s work. P ioneer Evangelism The outstanding characteristic of the Biola Evangelistic Bands is thé empha­ sis on and determination to reach the unevangelized. These Bands are not of the “revival” or “refresher” type that work in and around churches already established. On the contrary, they en­ ter unevangelized districts, plowing up the fallow ground and creating new centers of worship and service. The following is taken from the monthly diary of Band No. 4, working in the past year in south-central Hunan: “Last May we moved into the district of White Mountain in the prefecture of Shaoyang. It seemed to us as we started work that never had we worked in a district where people were so lpst in the mist of superstition. Large and small tem­ ples erected to all sorts of gods abounded like trees in the forest. “When we saw the spiritual con­ ditions that existed, our faith was tried not a little. But we went to prayer and grouped ourselves by [Continued on Page 27]

Hunanese are a proud and revolutionary

• As the sole foreigner representing the Bible Institute of Los Angeles.In the large Hunan Bible Institute compound a t Changsha, Hunan, China, Charles A. Roberts carries a tremendous responsi­ bility. Of necessity, Mrs. Roberts and the children are a t present in America. Unbelievably complex details of admin­ istration, as well as choice opportunities for Christian witness are crowding Mr. Roberts’ days in the superintendency of this China Department of the Bible In­ stitute of Los Angeles. With one Chinese assistant, a retired leader of one of the Biola Evangelistic Bands, to care for certain minor details in the compound at Changsha, Mr. Rob­ erts has entire supervision of the eight Biola Evangelistic Bands and their rec­ ords. Added to this task are many speaking engagements in the city and the general care of the Institute prop­ erty in Changsha. This extensive group of buildings has become the refuge of a number of other organizations as the city of Changsha, long a target for bombing, still remains a part of “free China,” ninety miles from Japanese- occupied territory. Though war conditions have stopped the use of the Institute buildings for their original purpose as a train­ ing center for leaders of the Chinese church, these buildings are still serv­ ing the cause of Christ. Workers and patients from the China Inland Mission’s Hudson Taylor Hospital and the sixty students of a school for blind girls con­ ducted by the same mission are housed a t the Institute. In addition, a large number of refugee children and many aged Christians are being sheltered. With all this opportunity, there needs to be a great volume of prayer for the one whom God has intrusted with a task for which human wisdom and strength would be utterly inadequate.

January, IMI

* H H S l i f O 7! B U 8 I N B S 8

REUBEN ARCHER TORREY

Born January 28, 1856 Died October 26, 1928 Dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles 1912 to 1924

Torrey,

the Man

3 Fresh "Appreciation of a Great Teacher

By HERBERT LOCKYER

E HAT movements ever revolve around men is the evident testi­ mony of Scripture. “There was a John.” A force implies a figure—-a pro­ gram, a personality. And, without doubt, Reuben Archer Torrey, the divinely ordained successor of D. I* Moody, was a man called of God to exercise a much-needed ministry in a time ripe for instruction in the deep things of the Word. It is a distinct loss that no official biography of R. A. Torrey exists. His dear widow, still happily with us, writes me that her gifted husband did not de­ sire any account of his labors recorded. The only sketch of his life extant is the revealing volume, Reuben Archer Torrey: The Man and His Message, by his friend Robert Harkness, who was very closely identified with Dr. Torrey in his great evangelistic campaigns. And it is upon this valuable biography we must depend for much of our ma­ terial. The main outline of Torrey’s life is fairly well known' to KING’S BUSI­

reacted to his message. His responsibil­ ity, he believed, was to preach a God- given message, and then to leave the Holy Spirit to produce results. We are told also that Dr. Torrey was ever thorough and exact. He never did things by halves. And what he gave he expected. With his hours and life fully disciplined, he was stern when it came to discipline among students. Laziness he abhorred. Endowed with an iron will, Dr. Tor­ rey was firm and unbending in his atti­ tude toward sin and in his defense of the truth. Some there were who thought him somewhat severe. But as he could not tolerate sham, pretense, or mere make-believe, Dr. Torrey thundered out against all hypocrisy. This man of God was likewise bless­ edly saved from mercenary motives. While ample reward came to him at certain periods of h|s ministry, greed for money never limited ‘his influence nor beclouded his vision. Punctuality was another conspicuous trait of his. His watch,kept accurate time. Jeremy Taylor reminds us that

NESS readers—his severe conflict be­ tween doubt and faith while attending Yale University; the victory in answer to his mother’s prayers; the years as a superintendent of- city missions in Minneapolis, Minn.; the periods as Superintendent of the Moody Bible In­ stitute from 1889 to 1908 (serving as pastor of the Moody Church for twelve years) and as Dean of the Bible Insti­ tute of Los Angeles from 1912 to 1924 (and as pastor of the Church of the Open Door during most of that time), and the great evangelistic tours in America, Europe, and the Far East. Qualities of a Leader Those who knew this valiant defender of the faith pay tribute to his upright­ ness and sincerity. Although he was only a man, yet he ever sought to be a true man, sent and used by God. He was clear and transparent. For example, he lived above the praises and plaudits of men. Bricks and bouquets often came his way, and he took them all without apparent concern. He believed that he was not responsible for the way men

man sent from God, whose,name was

January, 1941

Y

THE) K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S

on« evidence of a holy life Is the strict economy of time. Dr. Torrey knew how to redeem his hours! Yes, and In an age cursed with super­ ficiality, It Is well to remember that Dr. Torrey was the enemy of anything mean or cheap. He was never a show­ man. A commanding dignity, bom of prolonged meditation upon the trans­ cendent attributes of God, enabled him to commend the gospel. Particularizing, we- can say that Dr. Torrey was: 1. A Man of Undaunted Faith. Once young Torrey emerged from the night of doubt that he had experienced in his university days, he had no hesi­ tancy about trusting God implicitly for all his needs. While in .Minneapolis, he determined to trust God, believing that the One he had come to know through a close study of the Scriptures was well able to cftre for him and his work. Thus, like George Muller, that apostle of faith whose work In Bristol is known the world over, R. A. Torrey, the mission superintendent, took all re­ quirements to the Lord. Faith, of course, received many a severe testing, but temporal and spiritual needs were all met. And faith in God’s ability to care for- His own dominated Dr. Torrey’s life. In all the important decisions he had to make, - faith developed for him a healthy, spiritual ambition. And it was his utter dependence upon his unfailing Lord, fortressed, as his faith was, with a clean, yielded life, that enabled him to Inspire faith in others. He could preach about faith, seeing that he practiced it. In his counsel ■to converts, he ever sought to Impress upon them the neces­ sity of thrusting themselves and all their cares wholly upon the Lord. 2. A Man of Unceasing Intercession. Perhaps one of the most enlightening; books dealing with the believer’s prayer life is the volume by Dr. Torrey en­ titled Ho\v to Pray. But he not only preached and wrote' about, prayer. It was the atmosphere of his own life, and, saturated as his mind was with the truth of God’s Word, his prayers were ever Biblical in expression. In the world-wide ministry this spir­ itual giant was called upon to exercise, he had need of frequent access to the Throne. And no matter how pressing his work, seasons of communion were never neglected. - Prayer to him was more important than work. 8. A Man of Deep Convictions. After his triumph over doubt, while a student a t Yale and in Germany, Tor­ rey never swerved from his faith in the infallibility of the Word of God. In­ tellectual and spiritual battles success­ fully fought brought him to a divine dogmatism regarding the truth. And it was this unshaken confidence of his that helped to make him a rich blessing to many of his day who were swayed by the •‘faiths” and “lams” of that time.

As a true soul-winner he knew how to tru st the Holy Spirit to produce con­ viction. Torrey believed that if he preached the gospel faithfully and fully, the Holy Spirit would see to the results. He never tried to coax people into the kingdom. False incentive, superficial appeals, or mere sensationalism were not in Ms line of things as an evangelist. Like the Spirit-anointed heralds of the early church, Dr. Torrey respected the Lordship of the Holy Spirit. 4. Torrey preached a saving message. An evangelist implies an evangel, and Dr. Torrey had a full gospel to pro­ claim. And his was a gospel' for which he never apologized. Knowing the Christ of the gospel, this mighty soul-winner kept his ministry Christo-centric. He first brought Christ to men, then men to Christ. Realizing that the heart of man was deceitful above all things and desperate­ ly wicked,- this teacher-evangelist bent all his energies in a twofold direction; namely, the utter depravity of the hu­ man heart, and a crucified Christ as the only hope of sinners. In his evangelistic sermons Dr. Tor­ rey covered all the fundamental truths of Holy Writ. A striking text and half a dozen sob stories never satisfied this passionate evangelist who knew how to' teach, teach, mark you, transgressors their ways. Believing that the whole Bible was the inspired Word of God, With masterly clarity and conciseness he discoursed upon all the aspects of the divine character, trusting the Spirit to produce conviction as he preached. 5. Torrey declared the eternal des­ tiny of souls. With the lost condition of men ever before him, Dr. Torrey was frank in his rebuttal of sin—brutally frank, some thought. Few men have been able to expose sin in all its ter­ ribleness as did R. A. Torrey. A friend of mine who listened to Dr. Torrey preach on “Prepare to Meet thy God” told me that such a piercing message made one tremble, yet in the delivery of the message the preacher seemed to be somewhat cold, unemotional. At

Torrey, the Evangelist While R. A. Torrey will go down to posterity as a Christian educator, yet the fact remains that he was essentially an evangelist, arid his methods of evangelism were ideal. Records prove that he made full proof of his ministry as an evangelist. Dr. Torrey was not suddenly thrust into evangelistic work. His advent was prepared, and his spiritual power was a matter of gradual development. His success as an evangelist, therefore, was not due to any mere chance, but rather was the result of years of preparation and experience. I t will be worth our while to examine the underlying causes of his success as a soul-winner, causes, be it known, that must ever be evident if one would do the work of an evangelist: 1. Torrey experienced the grace of God with a deep heart experience of regeneration. Dr. Torrey knew what the Lord would be able to do for others, for the foundation of his stirring evan­ gelism was his own personal salvation. A preacher who is merely religious can never function as a soul-winner. When . Jesus has found us, then, and only then, can we tell others the story. 2. Torrey shared Christ’s passion for souls. Living near to the heart of his Lord, Dr. Torrey manifested his Mas­ ter’s concern over lost men and women. In Christ’s stead, he was ever beseech­ ing the unsaved to be reconciled to God. Although somewhat cold, austere, emo­ tionless, R. A. Torrey was yet impelled by heaven’s love for the lost. And like his Lord, this divinely equipped evangelist believed in personal dealing. WMle he had power to sway masses, he loved the individual. He did not content himself with the preaching of those •masterly evangelistic sermons of his in great campaigns. He was ever alert, snatching every opportunity of witnessing for his Lord as he met indi­ viduals .in daily life. 8. Torrey relied upon the work of the Spirit. Eminently gifted, Dr. Torrey knew how perilous it was to depend upon his natural talents, even upon his

unique knowledge of t h e Scriptures. Of course, h e believed that the Holy Spirit ever rides triumphant­ ly in His own chariot, and therefore his mes­ sages were saturated with the Bible. Me knew, however, that even the letter can kill and that the Spirit alone can give life. "Holding fast the faithful word.” “Holding forth ihe word of life.”

times it would seem as if he were too hard or brusque. Such, how­ ever, was not his real nature. In his inmost heart, the perilous con­ dition of souls ever constrained h im to warn sinners in. the plainest of language. Believing that souls dying without Christ are lost forevermore, he never trimmed his message. He gathered

£Continued on Page 37]

'

January» 1941

THE! K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S

S

How the Army Grows Although it reads like fiction, the fol­ lowing account is true in its every detail

F i r s t

w

in a M G rou p

o f CHARACTER SKETCHES •

Why did they live? Why did he live? He wondered. He did not know. Nelson stopped a t his superinten­ dent’s home to eat. Pungent odors were issuing from the little kitchen. A nor­ mal boy in the mountains has an apall- ing appetite, and Mrs. McDowell had cooked a hearty meal. Nelson disposed of his share with hungry dispatch be­ fore going on to his own little cabin. The evening was his. He pulled a chair up to the table by the window facing the dark outdoors—dark in con­ trast to the lighted room, light in con­ trast to the darkness of his heart. He reached for the book—his cherished birthday book of Schopenhauer’s essays, the book that might a t long last lead him to the truth. Truth! How his young heart yearned for it! For hours he read, fascinated, enthralled. He turned the philosophic pages, sucking up the poi­ son of despondency, sucking it up as he had a t every free moment of his mountain stay. There were but two elements in life, pain and boredom: pain for the lowly, boredom for the rich. The more the intellect could expand, the more the boredom would decrease. Nelson was neither low nor rich. Where did he fit in? Pain he had felt. Boredom he knew. His intellect was growing, developing in strength and power. But boredom only grew as well. What was life ? The young man pushed on to the last page, ever looking for the answer. Life was but a mystery. There was no goal. There was no hope. Soul-sick, disappointed, he shoved the book away and dropped his head on the table. With all the urge to something higher, something to achieve, was there no goal? He thought of Aunt Flo. She had had a faith he knew not. There had been a radiance, almost sacred, about her passing to the great beyond. Was there no hope for her ? For him ? Was Schopenhauer right? Again he did not know. Somehow he found his way to bed, only to sob out his disappointment to the unresponsive night. He thougK back over the varied circumstances in

which this strange thing called life had found him. Born into a home where God had no place, taught in schools which ridiculed His Word, this boy had grown to ‘•manhood, maturing in body, maturing in mind, a mind that was formed for high attainments. But his spirit was stunted, stained, groping in the dark. As he had left high school and en­ tered the university, he had begun to do .some serious thinking. He must choose a career. He must choose one which would make him financially secure. Civil service with the United States Bureau of Fisheries had appealed to him. He had selected a zoology major and thrown ail his untamed energies into study. Never doubting his professors, he had been soaked in evolutionary, atheistic teachings. He had had a friend. Bob West was his name. They had been real pals— that is, until Bob had spoiled it all in their sophomore year by accepting Christ as Saviour, as he had explained it. To Nelson, it was apparent that Bob had gone to seed on that obsolete thing called th* Bible. He had had a one- track mind from then on. Constantly he had quoted from that Book. Per­ sistently he had urged his friends to follow his belief. Nelson was disgusted. He began to avoid Bob. Poor, deluded Bob! Yet Nelson was impressed. It was good to have an established philosophy of life. He would search for one him­ self. Never a boy to do anything by halves, Nelson had made the search in earnest, his inward yearnings ever growing more intense. He would learn the mystery of life. He would seek its goal. He would find a philosophy that satisfied. He had devoured the works of Plato the Greek, Spinoza, Clarence Darrow, H. G. Wells, Van Dyke, and many others. They had stimulated thought but confused his soul. He had gone to fellow students and professors—they did not agree among themselves. No one ceuld help him. Schopenhauer had been his last re­ sort. If he failed then Nelson knew not

indicating the background from which the Lord has enlisted recruits for His “training camp” at the Bible Institute of Los An­ geles. S UNSET CLOUDS and woodland was the most restful spot in all the north of Washington—a t least so it seemed to Nelson Crash* as he gave the tiny fish their last feeding for the day. Two weeks of mountain air and out-of-door work had erased the tell-tale marks of strain left by his final year a t college. He walked back to the rustic cabin with the spring of youth and anticipation in his stride. Just a few more weeks, then he would be sailing over the waves to Hawaii— his summer’s earnings would pay the fare. There he would plunge into a whirl of activity, fun a t the beaches, work a t the university, as he would learn and teach and earn his master’s hood. His friends said it was sheer luck to fall into a place like that. A shadow crossed the strong young face. There was a weight on his heart of something he could not understand —not that he believed in sin. (Sin was nothing more to him than a breach of social relations.). His conduct had al­ ways been above reproach, yet there constantly returned to him a sense that he was guilty. Guilty of what? Before whom? He did not know. ' He thought of the young fish he had just been handling—wee silver specks of life. He never touched the tiny wonders without thinking, questioning in his heart, wondering in his soul a t the mir­ acle of LIFE. Was his own life bound up in the same bundle with those little living things ? Some one must have made them—yet the books said, “No.” * Actual names of persons and small towns mentioned tn this article have been w ithheld from publication.

scents cast a spell of magic about the mountain clearing that was known as Crest View Fish Hatchery.* It

f

T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S

January! 1941

do with the Christ of the cross deter­ mines what God will do with you,” Nelson had a sudden conviction that this was truth. The two young men talked long and earnestly into the night. Nelson's every question was met with verses from the Book, the same Book that captivated him a t Crest View- The sense of guilt returned. Now he knew that his guilt was unbelief. He be­ gan to be afraid. About one o’clock, he turned abruptly to his cousin. “Phil,” he said, “I want to follow Christ,” Agnosticism was gone. Doubt was gone. Now he knew, as Paul had known, “to live is Christ.” That was life. He had found, not a philosophy, but a Sa­ viour. Nelson became a new creature in Christ. A drastic change had taken place in his interests and motives, his whole outlook, in fact. All the ardor of his youth was offered to his Lord and things began to move with light­ ning rapidity. “Phil, I can’t go,” he announced the next morning. Not go to Hawaii! Why the boat was sailing tomorrow! Nelson loathed the thought. He longed for Biola, nothing else. “Go and pray about it,” Phil advised. Qff alone went Nelson that very af­ ternoon, up in the hills by Parkburn. Where should he pray? How should he pray? He climbed on a huge rock. Should he go down on his knees? Pride' asserted itself. A battle was on. Only his Lord knew the throes of that hour —a struggle beside which his night of sobbing in the mountains was but a fit of ehlldish whimpering. Then the wres­ tling ceased. There came to the stillness of his heart a whisper, “Go, and I will be with you.” He left the rock with his eyes on the goal. He made short business of cabling Hawaii, selling his ticket, and recover­ ing his baggage. Later he wrote to the president 9? the Hawaiian university. [Continued on Page 37]

lish “thee’s” and “thou’s” to modern pronouns. Mother and sister, too, were charmed. Occasional visits to a mod­ ernistic church were all the family had ever known. Th* Book was new to them. The following week, Nelson acquired a cabin mate, a chemistry student, slightly younger than himself. The two found much in common, as they ex­ changed views. The newcomer was an atheist, brilliant, proud of it, confirmed in his fiery arguments. Together through the summer days they worked. Together they enjoyed the phenomena of nature, the northern lights,, the wild life about them. And together they talked and argued until the Book had lost its charm. It became just another milestone on. the long road of disappointments. By September, Nelson had embraced the philosophy that was to hold his al­ legiance. He was an agnostic. He did not know, one could nof know, the why of life. He would fling convention to the winds. He would follow every impulse —slide as low ns he liked. There was pleasure in the thought. This was sat­ isfying. This was life. In high spirits, he boarded his bus for San Francisco. He would run over to visit hist father’s brother before he sailed for Hawaii. Adventure was ahead of him, travel, fun, success, a Ph.D. from Harvard in the future, maybe. His pulse quickened a t every-new sight on the southward trip. Life was glorious! A branch line led into Parkburn, forty miles from the Golden Gate. His Cousin Phil was the first to spot him and carry him pff to the waiting car, The boys had pot been together since they were small. There was much to talk about in the short four days. Phil had completed one year at a school which he called Biola—the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. He was an­ other Bible boy like Bob West. But somehow Nelson liked him and his fresh, enthusiastic comments, To Phil, Biola meant the Bible, and the Bible was in­ variably connected with Bipla. He couid speak of neither without the other. He incessantly talked of poth. The third night a t the supper table, Phil picked up his knife and fork, held them' as a cross against the wall, and looked his cousin in the eye. “Nels,” he said, “this cross is what stands between you and God. What you

where to turn. Now he had failed, mis­ erably failed. The despondent pessimism was too much for the overwrought boy, Man that he was, his tears flowed freely in the tlark. But what about Aunt Flo? Was there an answer? What next? The chirping insects and the flowing river outside but echoed the refrain of despair in his heart—“no goal, no hope— no hope, no goal.” He sobbed himself to sleep—-fitful sleep that held him light­ ly till a new-bathed dawn called him forth to work again. As he stepped outdoors, he saw his superintendent’s wife coming from a near-by cabin. “ ’Morning, Mrs. MacDowell,” he called with assumed cheerfulness. " 'Morning, Nelson,”, she answered, looking ait him closely. Her motherly in­ stinct detected something wrong, “I see by your lights that you read quite a bit,” she added. “Yes,” he said. “What are you reading now?” Some, thing in the kindly Scotch eyes W

Only his Lord knew the throes of that hour.

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44

Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker