1945
MARCH
Official Organ of THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES. Incorporated
K . .enJ 9 olliens 1 1 . ttttttttt Your group of ten can have a great time this fall and winter. Plan to meet once a week to study the Bible together. O r g a n i z e A Moody Correspondence Class , Who'll be the teacher? Easy! With this plan you need only a class leader. The course you choose will'direct you, lesson by lesson. Text books furnished . . . ex aminations graded. The leader can be you or any other Christian in the group. Regular Course Fee Cut in Half . . . for each one in the class. Of course don't limit your group to ten , . . that's the minimum. Enroll as many as you like. Your choice of fifteen courses. Write to day for all details.
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The Young Shall See Visions The world needs young 'people aflame with the fire o f Heaven: Firebrands who know the Bible and believe it, the whole o f it, and who1are willing to be spent in telling out its great message o f redemption. * West
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These three splendid books rec ognize women’s vital place in religious activities, help them perform a greater service for Christ and Church. Every woman church worker needs these books. Devotional Talks forWomen, 78 Pages, 50c More Devotional Talks for Women, 108 p a g e s...............................................50c Women and the Church, 160 pages. .60c T o inspire women members, make all three books available for careful study.
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Mardi, 1945
PROPHECY MONTHLY
Drs. Brooks and Kellogg, Editors This official monthly handbook of American Prophetic League, Inc., gives the world picture for the pro phetic student, with the spiritual vita mins Christians need in these trying days. Meat of the Word in every page. New features in 1945. $1 yr. in U. S., $1.15 foreign. 4 mo. special trial 25C. Simply address PROPHECY Box BB, Eagle Rock Sta. Los Angeles, 41
Will this Easter day mark the deep ening of your devotion to the resur rected, living Christ?
WHERE DID IT HAPPEN?
The Officia] Organ of THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Inc. "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood " (Rev. 1:5)*
The Bible will become a living and interesting Book to you and your Sunday School class when y ou know jusj where a certain event took place; where Abraham or the Apostle. Paul journeyed; or where Jesus Christ spent the dif ferent p e r i o d s o f Hi s earthly ministry, This knowledge may be gained by enrolling in BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 127 Pages 30 Maps 6 Examinations. Price $2.50 Available through the Correspondence School of the Bible Institute o f Los_Angeles Please enroll me as a member of the Correspondence School in the Bible Geography Course. Enclosed find $2.50 Q Name . . .................................................................. (Mr., Mrs., Miss) Street ......................................................................... C ity ............... ...................State .......................... How Long a C hristian
THE KING'S BUSINESS’ „„T 1 Appointments Announced ........... ....................— -............-------- -------------- 82 Current Business — Editorial .................................................................... .... 83 Postwar Missions— Robert*H , Glover —.... ...................... —~—...... 84 Easter Evangel —Herbert Lockyer .......... ................................................. 85 Tested—The Chaplain and His Men — Chaplain Harold V oelkel ------ 87 Dr. Talbot’s Question Box ........................................................................... 88 Easter at Willard Junction— Ken Anderson ............................................... 89 Biola Family ___ ;........................................ -.................-.............................. 92 Junior King’s Business —Martha S. H o ok er ..........................................— 93 International Lesson Commentary................... i ............................,.............. 95 Christian Endeavor —Leonard Gaylord, Josephine Hume, Nettie Campbell, Muriel P. Taggart, Homer Sperling .................107 Daily Devotional Readings ............ ........... .........................-....... ..............112 Literature Table ............................................................................................119 S U B S C R IP T IO N IN FO RM A TIO N— “ The King’s Business" is published monthly; $1.50, one yr.; $2.00, two yrs.; 75 cents, six months; 20 cents, single copy, Clubs of three or more at special rates. Write for details. Canadian and foreign subscriptions 25 cents extra. It requires one month for a change of address to become effective. Please send both old and new addresses. R E M IT T A N C E —Payable in advance, should be made by bank draft, express, or post office money order payable to “ The King's Business." Date of expiration will show plainly oh outside wrapper or cover of magazine. A D V E R T IS IN G —For information, address the Advertising Manager, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 13, Calif., or oSr eastern representative, Religious Press Association, 51 No. 52nd St., Philadelphia 39, Pa. M A N U S C R IP T S —“ The King’s Business” cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts sent in .for consideration. Eatered as second-class matter November 7, 1938, at the Post Office at Los An geles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at spe cial rate of postage provided for in the Act of February 28, 1925, embodied in para graph 4, section 538, P. L. and R., authorized October 1, 1918, and November 13,, 1938. ADDRESS: The King’s Business, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 13, Calif. LOUIS T. TALBOT, Editor-In-Chief MILDRED M. COOK, Managing Editor WILLIAM W. ORR, Associate Editor RANSOM D. MARVIN, Staff Artist
TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I NE S S
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Appointments Announced
DEAR FRIEND OF BIOLA: It is a real pleasure to me, as Chair man of the Board of Directors of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, to wel come the coming of these two young men into our official Institute Fam ily. Most of you friends who have followed the history of Biola know that the past ten years have brought some very serious problems, but also some wonderful victories. Today we praise God that the future of Biola seems brighter and it is our earnest desire that under God we might en large our usefulness and intensify our ministry. To this end we have called Dr. Bauman and Dr. Orr to help us. Both of these men are fitted educationally and spiritually for this work. Both have given clear testimony as to the blessing of God upon their ministry. Both have been connected with the Bible Institute of Los Angeles for some years. May I warmly recommend these men to you, and ask you to include them in your prayers for the Bible Institute Family? And, if our Lord should tarry, we sincerely believe that under the human leadership of our president. Dr. Talbot, and with the able assistance of Drs. Bauman and Orr, the Bible Institute of Los Ange les will go on to new heights of use fulness for the praise and the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithfully yours, RAY A. MYERS, Chairman of the Board. Extension Department Notes Dr. Louis T. Talbot, the president of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles will be .able to accept a limited number of speaking engagements in Califor nia, Oregon, and Washington during the months of September, October, and November of this year. If you are in terested in having Dr. Talbot speak in your church, please write to the Institute, care of Dr. William Orr, vice-president. Dr. Paul Bauman will be able to accept a number of engagements dur ing the coming summer, in the states of Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York. He will be giving a very valuable series of lectures on Biblical Archaeology which is especially help ful to young people. Requests f o r meetings may be addressed to D r. Bauman in care of the Bible Institute.
William W. Orr The Board of Directors of . the Bible Institute of Les Angeles is pleased to announce the appointment of Rev. William W. Orr, D.D., as vice- president in charge of extension, ef fective January 1, 1945. Dr. Orr was for some years a businessman in Pasadena, California, later graduating from the Dallas Theological Seminary of Dallas, Texas. Following his graduation, Dr. Orr became the Director of Christian Edu cation at the Church of the O p e n Door in Los Angeles. Later, he ac cepted a call to become the pastor of the Calvary Church of Placentia, California, of which Dr, Charles E. Fuller was the founder. A feature of his Work during these years was the organization and promotion of the Sunrise Hills Bible Conferences for young people. It is planned that Dr. Orr will head up a new department in the work of the Bible Institute to be known as the Extension Department. This will include the radio ministry, the young people's conferences and Bible and missionary conferences. In addition to this, Dr. Orr becomes the Associate Editor of the KING’S BUSINESS. To a limited degree, Dr, Orr will be available for speaking engage ments in Southern California. How ever, all inquiries concerning possible meetings and conferences should be referred to him.
Paul R. Bauman The Beard of Directors of the Bible Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of Rev. Paul R. Bauman, D.D., as vice-president, effective Sep tember 15, 1944. Dr. Bauman is a native of Long Beach, California, where his father has been pastor of .the First Brethren Church of that city for many years. He is a graduate of the University of Southern Cali fornia and the Ashland Theological (now Grace) Seminary. Dr. Bauman’s ministry has Included a teaching fellowship at the Univer sity of Southern California during the years 1931-32; the pastorate of the Second Brethren Church of Los An geles from 1934-42, and a professor ship in the department of Theology and Apologetics at the Bible Institute since the Fall of 1939. Dr. Bauman is a member of the American Scientific Affiliation, which is an organization of Christian men of science. His hobby has been the intensely interesting field of Biblical Archaeology where he has assembled a number of valuable lectures in de fense of the historical accuracy and inspiration of the Scriptures, The ministry of Dr. Bauman will include both the day and evening school and he will be available locally in Southern California during th e school months for his lectures. In the summer months he will be touring various portions of the United States. His book on archaelogy ■frill soon come off the press.
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p a l l i n g decrease, for some of the churches as high as twenty per cent.' .. “The head'of the Federal Bureau of Investigation attributes the alarming increase in crime, especially among youth, to the lack of conscience, and says that that in turn comes from a lack of religious training. ‘When men,’ he says, ‘do. not know God or His justice, they do not respect His laws.’ ” And when men do not know God in Christ, the only Saviour from siri; their deliberations, whether in peace or in war, can be fraught with nothing but failure. He Faileth Not By Annabel Lee Crumly God faileth not: *Twas He who made creation. His power. His might Encompass all the earth. Divinely swayed, f Each heav’nly constellation Bears witness to the truth: He faileth not. God faileth not: In love He wrought salvation; From doomed jnankind He lifted sin’s dread curse. Upon the cross in fullest expiation He took man’s place— and died. He faileth not! God faileth not— O wondrous consolation! Jehovah’s love The surest comfort brings. Sing! ye that mourn— Kneel low in adoration! His empty tomb proclaims: He faileth not!
Current Business LOUIS T. TALBOT, Editor-in-Chief
Th'e enrollment for the 1944-45 year is 757 as of February 12. Training in the Word of God is offered without tuition charge, the purpose being to equip young men and women spiritually and to send forth them with the gospel to the needy comers of the earth. Christian stewards who haVe a part in 'this ministry will rejoice in .what the Lord is doing. Fruit That Abides In some 300 cities in the United States today, youth rallied are being held eaeh week. Scores of enthusiastic young, people are making decisions for the Lord Jesus Christ. These rallies are meeting a nation-wide need for the evangelization of high school and college young people. Each Saturday night in the audi torium of the Church of 'the Open Door—to mention just one of the cen ters—over 4,000 young people ’ gather. The meetings are geared to youth and conducted by youth, with the continual exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ. To those individuals who may refer to the danger that exists when a work is built primarily on inspiration, it is gratifying to be able to say that the most careful effort is being put forth to 'establish these young people in the Word of God; to create within them a love for it and a devotion to it, which alone can make for growth. “ If we are to have ‘fruit that abides’ from these youth rallies,” declares one of-the leaders, .“the secret lies in the thoroughness of the prayer and Bible study which must accompany the rally.” load to Ruin "America scan win the war ana yet lose its own soul. A nation is losing its soul when it is losing its Religion, and when its youth are sinking into crime.” Thus declared Clarence Edward Macartney recently in an address in Pittsburg on the question, “Is Amer ica on the Road to Ruin?” He stated: “No one can question that the moral and religious pillars of American life are being fiercely attacked and seriously shaken. The Protestant churches over a period of years show little growth in member ship, and, as a rule, the older and larger the c h u r c h e s the less the growth. . . Nearly all show an ap
An Easter Thought When I behold a starlit sky, Or watch a flaming dawn Unfold into a new-born day, All fear of death is gone. For in these gleams and fragments, I trace the hand of God— I If He can make a day and night— He can transform this sod! —Li. DeveaUx. Torrey Conference It has been the custom now for ten years; iii the: last week in January which embraces the birthday anniver sary' of Reuben Archer Torrey, to hold a week of intensive meetings in the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, for the purpose of reaffirming the funda mentals of the Christian faith for the strengthening of believers. The conference this year was parti cularly well attended; in fact, accord- irfg to many reports it has become the outstanding winter conference in .the nation. Among the speakers who came from a distance were: Donald Grey Barnhouse, Pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian -C h u r c h, Philadelphia, Pa., and editor of the magazine, Revelation; Herbert E. Kann, Pastor of Oliver Presbyterian Church of Min neapolis, Minn.; Roy L. Brown, well- known Bible teacher; Torrey M. John son, Pastor of Mid-West Bible Church, Chicago, 111., and director of Youth for Christ, International; and J. Ren- wick McCullough, P a s t o r of First Presbyterian Church of Tacoma, Wash. A number of Local ministers and teachers also took part in these meet ings, which were held morning, after noon, and evening at the Institute, and afternoon and evening in churches in Pasadena and Long Beach. Already plans are being made for next year’s conference, and churches as far distant as Santa Ana, California, have re quested the privilege of being in cluded in the schedule for simul taneous meetings. Praise God! At th e beginning *of last fall’s semester at the Institute, the report was made that the' enrollment' was the largest in the history of the school. Now another semester has begun tre- gistration days haying been on Jan uary 29 and 30), and it can be pointed out, with great praise to God, that not only has the earlier1figure been maintained, but the number of stu dents actually has been increased.
Photo by Kirkpatrick
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TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
Postwar Missions By ROBERT H. GLOVER Philadelphia, Pa.
B HE OUTBREAK of the present world war saw the missionary enterprise at the most ad-' goal of the church’s God-given task Of carrying the gospel to the whole world, while still a considerable dis tance off, was nearer and more clear ly in view than-ever before. Among contributory factors to this hopeful situation and outlook may be mentioned: (1) the cumulative effect of past missionary efforts; (2) the vèry vvide expansion of the field and work of missions; (3) the great in crease in the translation and circula tion of the Scriptures; and (4) the steady development of indigenous churches and leadership. Thus when the present war1began, .the mission ary movement had reached its very zenith of opportunity, advance, and achievement for all- time. The present war’s effect upon mis sionary work and interests has been unquestionably far greater than that of any previous war in history. It has meant the cutting off of all Eu ropean missionaries from their home bases; the diversion of men and money to the fighting forces; the dis ruption of transportation to and from Home Director Emeritus of the China In land Mission, Dr. Glover is one of the greatest living missionary statesmen. A Doctor of Med icine, he served as a missionary in China. He has been also a missionary executive, visiting scores > of mission stations and dealing with their problem ». He has taught missionary subjects, in BWle Institutes and written a lexib&vk, Tîi^ Progress of World-Wide Mis- sions. Throughout a lifetime of missionary service, he has. been a far-seeing, wise and warm-hearted exponent of world evangelism.
the fields; the turning of many mis sion areas into battlefields; the enor mous destruction of mission property; the interning of hundreds of mission aries and putting other hundreds to perilous flight; the subjection of workers in still open fields to no little hardship from insufficient food, un controlled banditry, outrageous rise in living costs due to currency inflation, and many other problems. This makes a very dark picture and may seem like the triumph of the enemy. But there is another and a brighter side which quite outbalances it. God has answered the prayers of His people, has made the wrath of man to praise* Him, and has turned weapons formed against His cause into’ means for promoting it. Reports come of a wonderful revival and de velopment of indigenous churches in Ethiopia during the enforced absence of the 1missionaries. The story of God’s mighty working in China dur ing the war years is a thrilling epic. The’ ministry of the missionaries to Chinese war sufferers has newly com mended Christianity to the masses. Similar favorable features in i other mission fields could be cited. Thus the adversary’s greatest efforts to frustrate the work of missions by means of this war have signally failed, and from the highest point of view there has been gain instead of loss. Coming now to the direct consider ation of postwar missions, let us note some of the salient factors to be reck oned with when the long-prayed-for end of the war comes, and the door swings open for resumption of full m's Favoring Factors Better opportunities than ever be fore. of reaching arid influencing the peoples of m o s t mission lands will confront us because of the new favor missionaries have won by their splen did ministry to the temporal and spir itual needs of those ppoples during the war. Moreover, the sufferings and losses of the war period, have had a chastening effect and made hearts more susceptible to the gospel mes sage. A remarkable change in this re spect has come over even the edu cated class in China. Hitherto proud, materialistic, and anti-foreign, they are now seeking friendly relations with the missionaries and showing a genuine spirit of inquiry into Chris tian truth. In Latin America a simi lar increased respect for the evangeli cal missionary and an open-minded ness to his message are in evidence. Of vital significance also is the fact that the supreme rulers and other high officers of State in several mis sion lands are confessed Christians and openly» sympathetic with mis sionary work. The phenomenal advance in means of transportation and increase of ma terial facilities 'of every kind consti-' tute a factor •of tremendous value. N6w railroads and motor highways have been constructed in all parts of the world. God has even used the bitter enemies of His missionary cause to contribute unwittingly to it, as in the case of the building by the Italians of a military road' in Eth iopia which has reduced the journey to a southern section of the field f nv Pnoe 117T. vanced stage it had ever reached. The March, 1945 Easter Evangel By HERBERT LOCKYER T HE HEART of Christianity is the Bible,—the heart of the Bible is the cross—the heart of “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” Surely Paul is the greatest exponent of Calvary’s E v a n g e 1, for all his writings drip with the blood of the Redeemer. What an incomplete, partial revelation we would have if the Epis tles of Paul were removed from the New Testament! “The Lamb, the Lamb, the bleeding Lamb” was Paul’s pre-eminent theme. The cross was the center of his theology. Corinth received the declaration, “I determined not to k n o w anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” * Galatia read the Pauline utterance, “Who gave himself for our sins”— “The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me”—“God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Rome,, the proud mistress of Paul’s world, was reminded that “in due time Christ ’ died for the ungodly.” Thessal’onica had those who, through the apostle’s ministry, believed "that Jesus died and rose again.” Eph$i&&. to o , was reminded that there aranRthose within the city who had off from God but who were nigh by the blood of ChiistriS^SB The sSihts in Philippi were exhorted to share Paul’s ambition to .“know [Christ], and the power of his res urrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings.” Colosse also was enjoined to re member that redemption was only “ through his blood.” Revelation of the Evangel Paul was not the author of the Easter Evangel. This disclosure came upon him as a distinct revelation from God. He was merely the re cipient of this great truth, as he is careful to emphasize: “I neithef re ceived it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:12). “By revelation he made known unto me the mystery” (Eph. 3:3). While the gospel of redeeming grace is for the earth, it is not earthy. It ever remains a revelation. The Spirit of God must reveal the need of the sinner, ánd the ability of God to meet that need at Calvary. There are many aspects to the glorious theme; of the cross and the - resurrection. But there are three parts . which ever must remain the sub stance of the gospel. First, “Christ died for our sins.” The fact and purpose of the cross are here proclaimed. '“Christ died.” This is an indisputable fact directly mentioned some one hundred seventy-five times in the New Testament. And being an historical fact as well as a Biblical one, it cannot be contradicted. “Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate, was .crucified, dead and buried.” Jesus did not die as a martyr or as a herd. The testimony of all the 'Scriptures is that Christ was mani fested to destroy the works of the devil. Upon the cross we see Jesus as the sinless Substitute dying for sin ners. Second, our Lord “was buried.” To be buried in a grave was the depth of humiliation for Christ. Think of it! He came from the highest heaven into the heart of the earth. But as He made His grave with the wicked and with the rich in His death, He carried our sins far away. Third, He “rose again the third day.” The resurrection was God’s receipt for Calvary. The ’empty tomb: declares that the sinner’s debt has been paid, and that God is completely satisfied with the death and work of Christ upon the cross. The resurrection is also God’s seal upon our Lord’s life and labors. Furthermore, it was necessary for Christ to rise again for our justifica tion. The cross delivers the sinner from the guilt of sin, but by rising again from the dead Christ makes the cross a blessed reality in Christian expe rience. This is what Paul meant when he wrote, “We shall be saved by his life,” tha.t is, Christ’s risen, glorified, throne-life. Thus, it is wrong to wor ship a crucifix with its limp form of a dead Christ. Both 'the cross and the tomb are empty. Description of the Evangel In the ¡ntroduc ion to his resurrec tion discourse in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul refers to such a message as “the gospel” he had received to preach. A “gospel” is the glad announcement of good news. Gospel is “God’s spell,” spell being the Saxon word for “story.” the cross is the very heart of God. 86 TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I NE S S Thus the "gospel” before us is "God’s story.” What a story, to tell to the na tions! It is the story from God,'for it originated with Him in a past eter nity. Before the foundation of the world, "Love drew salvation’s plan.” It is also the story about God, in that it reveals His love and grace. Studying the context of 1 Corin thians 15, we find a combination of terms, all related to our declaration of the gospel which the death and re surrection of Christ made possible. It is a pre-eminent message. “First of all” (v. 3). Paul’s principal message was the cross. In all our preaching and evan gelization today, the cross must have first place. It must be pre-eminent, because the death and resurrection of Christ are indispensable in the forgiveness of sins. Obliterate these cardinal truths, and we have no gospel to preach. It is a proclaimed m e s s a g e . "I preached unto you” (v. 1). The church at Corinth was founded as the result of gospel preaching (Acts 18:1-11). Paul determined to know nothing among the Corinthians save Christ and Him1 crucified. The word “preach” is related to our word “evan gelist,” that is, one who announces glad tidings: Certainly, there is no story-as joyful as the one Paul told at every opportunity. It is a persistent message. “I de clare” (v. 1). Paul was forever reminding his hearers and readers of "the old, old story of Jesus and His love!” Calvary’s gospel bears repetition. It can never grow old. Persistently we must fling the cross into the face of a godless world. It is a proved message. “I delivered . . . that which I also received” (v. 3). The word “deliver” here means “alongside of” and infers that Paul only preached to others what he him self had proved. Having experienced the regenerating and transforming power of this Evangel, 1the apostle persuades others to receive it. Know ing in whom he had believed, Paul had no hesitation in beseeching those around him to be reconciled to God.. It is only the truth which we have experienced that can influence others as we proclaim it. Application of the Evangel Another cluster of phrases, gathered from Paul’s resurrection sermon, in dicates that the work of Christ and His cross is only effectual as applied by the Spirit of God on the basis o'f faith. We have reception. “Ye have re ceived” (v. 1). While Christ died, dnd by dying made our redemption possible, it is only our reception of His salvation that'can make His death actual in our experience. We become children of God only as we receive the cruci fied One as our personal Saviour (John 1:11, 12). We have foundation. “Wherein ye stand” (v. 1). The cross is the center and circum ference of all. It Is not only our start ing point, but also our way of life. John’S Apocalypse makes it clear that ultimate triumph will be Christ’s Sis the Lamb. Modernism is out to destroy this foundation. It despises all preach ing of the blood. This “slaughter house” gospel, as it has been called, is repugnant to cultured minds. But,' “We have;no other argument, we have no other plea, It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me.” We have salvation. “Ye are saved” (v. 2). Actually this phrase is cast in the present tense, "Ye are being saved.” This implies not only initial deliver ance from the penalty of sin, but also a daily, perpetual emancipation from the power and practice of sin. We have retention. “Ye keep in memory” (v. 2). In instituting the Memorial Feast, Jesus urged His disciples to use the bread and wine not only as symbols of His sacrifice, but also as incentives to remembrance. “This do in remem brance of me.” Once we lose grip of the cross, our spiritual life is im poverished. Like Mary, we must ever stand by the cross. We have rejection. Believing “ in vain” (v. 2). How can one believe in vain? The answer is, when a person believes in an historical Christ, and yet remains ignorant of His efficacious death on his behalf. Later on Paul speaks, of grace being in vain (v. 10). Alas, it would seem as if all the anguish of Calvary were in vain, when we see how Christ is blatantly rejected! May grace be ours ever to rejoice in the shed blood of the Redeemer, and to exhibit the spirit of the cross in all our ways, enabling Jesus Christ, who brought the ^Easter Evangel, to see the travail of His soul and be satisfied! Easter for the Saved One Your penalty for sin has been paid; “His own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree. .. by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Pet. 2:24). You are justified before God. “Who [Christ] was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:25). Your resurrection will be to eternal life. “Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also” (2 Cor. 4:14). “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). Your glorification is assured. “ If children, then heirs... with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified” (Rom. 8:17). If you want these resurrection blessings, receive Christ as your risen Redeemer and be a “saved one.” “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom. 10:9). 8? March, 1945 Chaplain Yoelkel, seen at the left of the accompanying pic- t u r e as he distributes Testa ments to U. S. airmen, is out standing in God-given ability to impart to others his own love for the Word of God. A fre quent speaker at the Bible In stitute of Los Angeles, Chaplain Yoelkel was for several years a missionary to Korea. Photo Courtesy 17. S . Arnfy Air Forces Tested—The Chaplain and His Men By CHAPLAIN HAROLD YOELKEL, United States Army Air Forces W AR ¡TESTS men. Spiritually as well as militarily, the events of war time prove what ever underlying strengths there are. As Told to MILDRED M. COOK my sermons the invitation for men to accept Christ as Saviour. It has been a great encouragement to see the wholehearted response. Seldom have I held a service at which someone did not accept Christ. or eight weeks, raw recruits must be trained and' conditioned, and after a strenuous daily p r o g r a m of drill, marching, and study that begins at .5:30 in the morning and continues through the day and frequently into the night, the Chaplain will find that even the devoted rookie will be tempted to catch up on his sleep and lie in bed Sunday morning. Or after a whole week on the post, the boy will decide to make a visit to town and attend the church of his denomina tion there.. Consequently only a hand ful will be present for the chaplain’s message. The condition is discourag ing. It tests the man of God. The chaplain who visualizes his men as streaming into the services on Sunday m o r n i n g will experience painful disillusionment. A few spir itually minded soldiers will of course be on hand with their Bibles. But for the most part it will be necessary for the chaplain to get busy early Sun day morning, making announcements over the amplifier, visiting the bar racks to wake up late-sleepers, and in one way and another go out “into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in”—compel them not by force, but by the winsomeness of the Lord Jesus Himself. The men will come. Then, praise God, we have the thrill of preaching to them the unsearchable riches of Christ. Right from the start I have felt that I always should give at the close of Millions of men have been uprooted suddenly from the. quiet routine of their homes and have been sent to military camps where conditions re quire tremendous adjustments in every area of their lives. I have been in some of those camps. I know. In my own case, gathering war clouds forced us out of the Orient where for twelve years we had the privilege of witnessing for Christ. But God revealed the harmony of His providence in an appeal from the army chaplaincy. Asked to “give prayerful consideration to the great need,” We complied, gladly, _ being aware also that there would be per sonal testing for the chaplain as well as for the men. The Test of Rigorous Training No better preparation for,the chap laincy could be asked than the equip ment which years on the mission field can furnish. The rough-and-tumble environment of an army camp is so different from the ordered procedure of civilian life that it cannot help but be disturbing to the “padre” who is accustomed to the nice decorum of his home town or country parish. The missionary has known pioneer condi tions; he is used to them. Things on a military post are in a whirl. Speed and urgency are de manded by the desperate need. In six I recall one man in particular, so broken in spirit that he could not stop weeping. Through his tears he sobbed, “This is in answer to my mother’s prayers.” Yes, God Is answering prayer in army chapels—but to do that He re quires faithfulness on the part of the thaplains as well as on the part of the men. The Test of Limited Time A chaplain cannot content himself with Sunday services merely. At the same'time, it must be borne in mind that little time is available in the busy schedules of the men during thè week. Opportunities for presenting the gospel therefore must be made. On “ breaks” between classes or drill periods and at the noon recess, the alert chaplain can contact his,men. I have found this to be a good time to make a few direct remarks about God’s Word and to offer the men New Testaments. On a single day it has been my joy to, have as high as three hundred men, raise their hands re questing copies of the Word. And they read them. One day a man came to my office to tell me that his barracks bag had been stolen in which, among other things, was a Testament I had given him. 88 THE K I N G ’ S B U S I NE S S “May I have another?” he asked. “I have been in the same barracks with this same bunch of men for six months, and I know that a number of them are reading Testaments for the first time—copies you gave them.” A married sergeant stopped me. one day to say, “Chaplain, my wife and I read the Testament you gave me on the rifle range. She’s gone to the hos pital to have a baby, and we decided that she should take the book with' her.” A man who had come to my tent on bivouac one night in great spiritual anxiety found the Lord and took with« him a Testament. Several days later he returned to tell me how God was speaking to him personally through His Word. “Look,” he said, “what God has shown me about myself”—and he pointed to verses‘he had underlined. Over a period of five months I was privileged to distribute over 8,000 New Testaments. The Test of Varied Problems ’ activity. He makes himself available for private counseling, and men share with him a wide-variety of needs. For example, a youngster j u s t eighteen came with a question that was clearly a smoke-screen for.loneli ness. It is hard for a soldier to ac knowledge nostalgia, and I felt I could spare him added agony by merely suggesting offhand that on occasions many people in situations like his had found it helpful just to cry things out. That word was all he needed; he broke into weeping, and before long the ten sion was eased and he felt better. We knelt in prayer to thank the Lord for home and loved ones and to rejoice in the precious fellowship we had. with them in Christ—something that can be neither dimmed nor disturbed by separation or distance. I have found that whatever diffi culty it may be that leads a man to the chaplain’s office, it can be made ultimately an opportunity to present the Lord Jesus to him. A soldier came once whose buddies had all been shipped, and he won dered why he was being so greatly de layed. We checked with the proper authorities and, after getting the de sired information, turned logically to the larger question of God’s leader ship in every detail of one’s life. "Are you a Christian?* I asked him. "I don’t understand just what it im plies,” he answered. . He needed someone to explain things to him. How happy I was to open the Scriptures and lead him to a personal faith in Jesus Christ! We knelt in prayer to confirm the com mitment, and as we arose from our knees he took my hand and said, “This means a lot to me.” With grateful heart I assured him that it also meant a lot to me. •I re membered that heaven echoes with song over one sinner who repents. The chaplain’s influence reaches an ever-widening circle as, by the grace of God, he gives himself to the work. But here too he is tested; for even to him, there is a course of least resist ance. If he will, he touches the lives of his men in the chapel, on the rifle range, and at bivouac. He contacts the people in t h e nfearby towns through services in the local churches, and he reaches out, through corres pondence, to the families and friends of soldiers who are far scattered. This • latter ministry is especially gratifying. In my chapel services I regularly ask men to give me the names and addresses of parents, wives, pastors, or Sunday school teachers to whom they would like me to send word— just a mimeographed letter—telling of their attendance at the service that day. From the sheaf of replies I quote two that are typical. [Continued on Page 119] The public ministry of the chaplain —important as it is—is not his only Dr. Talbot's Question Box Questions for answer in this depart ment should be sent to the Editorial Department, THE KING'S BUSINESS, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles, 13, Calif. QUE.: My Sunday school teach er often illustrates the lesson with» stories t a k e n from the “ better type” movies. Is it right for the Christian to attend the movies? To illustrate any portion of God’s Word from outside sources is need less. The Bible is the most up-to- date book in the world, and there is no human experience of today for which a parallel cannot be found within its rich store of incidents and facts. The Scripture is a commentary on itself, and the greater mastery one gains of the truths contained therein, the more fascinating the study will become, the greater the personal blessing, and the more spiritual fruit the teaching will bear. If one musi resort to choosing illustrations from current movies, it is questionable whether his appreciation of the Word of God is very deep. Furthermore, the length of time given to the actual study of the Word in the majority of Sunday schools is forty minutes or less. This brief peri od is all the time which the average student gives to a contemplation of the Scriptures! Therefore, to fill the hour with the presentation of God’s sacred truth should be the aim and accomplishment of every born-again teacher. It may be argued that class room discussion of the movies is no more than the utilizing of a point of contact—a principle of teaching which Jesus Himself employed. But there is this difference: When Christ spoke of familiar things, the subsequent teach ing always led to Christ as Saviour: Light (John 8:12); Bread (John 6:35), etc. Can the “movie story” likewise 1pad one auicklv to the Saviour? This comment does not purport to be a criticism of movies, as such. Neither does it attempt to distinguish between the “better type” and any other kind. We point out only that the movies, as a whole, are produced by people who disregard the Lordr His Word, His commandments, and His standards. Any fair-minded person would agree that they are “of the world.” The honest Christian cannot afford to allow his personal relation ship to Christ (cf. 1 John 3:1), his “holy” calling (cf. 2 Tim. 1:9; 1 Thess. 4:7; 1 Pet. 1:15, 16), and his respon sibility of influence among men (cf. 1 Cor. 8; Rom. 14:21-23), to be dam aged by carelessness or willfulness in regard to so-called worldly amuse ments. QUE.: What does the B i b l e teach about the fallen angels? Two New Testament passages speak plainly: “God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment” (2 Pet. 2:4). “The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6). It has been conjectured that perhaps the fallen angels sinned when Satan exalted himself as God, and wanted to be worshipped as God. He evidently had a following in these now fallen angels. We do not know, because the Bible does not tell us. Therefore, we dare not go beyond the revealed truth of God’s Word. Matthew 25:41 would lead Us to associate these fallen an gels with Satan: “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, De part from me, ye cursed, into ever lasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” 89 March, 1945 You have known people like this. You have h e a r d their folksy talk and have seen into their hearts. Therefore it will m e a n something to you to spend . . • Easter at Willard Junction By KEN ANDERSON Alf didn’t laugh. He said, “It’s the most a man can do for the boys these days—goin’ to the Lord’s house regu lar, I mean. Our Clinton always asks us to keep on prayin’ when he writes.” “Now listen, Alf.” “I’m serious.” “I know you are.” John chuckled again. -“But I reckon I’ll be open for business as usual. It’d be the f i r s t Good Friday in twenty-three years of business, if I wasn’t. What’d my boy think down there in the South Pa cific, if he knew his Dad . . . ?” “He’d be mighty proud of you, John. These boys ’re thinkin’ serious these days—about their souls. Clinton writes about that a lot.” “Oh, maybe a few are gettin’ re ligious—scared into it, probably. But the boys are still buyin’ lots of beer, an’ I’m havin’ a time keepin’ my to bacco shelf stocked.” He winked. “They ain’t all saved!” “Your boy’s in danger, an’ you owe it to him to give the Lord your heart an’ be a prayin’ father.” “Yep,” the farmer said, “you’ve got a nice business here. Johnny’s got a right dandy postwar job, like the radio men say, waitin’ for him.” John stood in the doorway as his customer inspected the tires of h is trailer, and made sure the sacks of chicken feed purchased at John Craw ford’s General Store wouldn’t topple off on the way home. Then he got into his car and drove away. John was alone in the store but for a moment, when the door opened and Alf Barkley, the depot agent, entered. “I hurried over before you’d closed,” he said. “We’ll need some things be fore tomorrow.” “You could’ve picked ’em up this afternoon,” John replied. “You’re closin’ up for the Good Fri day services, aren't^ you? They’re at 2:30. Reverend Jackson’ll have a good sermon—mighty good.” “Now, Alf,” John chuckled, “I didn’t give that a second thought. You don’t reckon I’m gettin’ religious, do you— in my old age?” > ERE, John, let me give you a hand.” John Crawford hoisted a one- hundred-pound sack onto his frail shoulders. His face, lined by fifty-five hard years on the dry Nebraska prai ries, contorted from the strain. Bu t with only a slight extra effort he said, “I’ll make it all right, Ed. Folks been increasin’ their egg business these days, so I’m gettin’ used to totin’ sacks of feed.” “It’s been like starting in business air over again, hasn’t it, John? You almost retired before your Johnny left.” “That’s about right,” John said. A confident twinkle lighted the store keeper’s blue eyes as he said, “My boy’s loaned to the government, you know. He’ll be back in a year or so. Before that, like as not. Then I’ll retire for good an’ let him take over the busi ness. He was learnin’ fast before the Army got him. An’ he likes Willard Junction—takes well with folks, too." THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NESS 90 John laughed outright. “I reckon Sarah, his mother, has sent up more prayers for him than the good Lord’ll I have time to sort out an’ classify an’ answer for another ten years . . . Were t h e r e some groceries y o u wanted?” Alf laid a slip of paper on t h e counter, and John quickly filled the order. He was totaling the bill when the telephone rang. , “For you, Alf,” he said a' moment later. “Your wife. She wants y o u back to the station right away. Sounds important.” A lt turned to go. “He r e , take your groceries. I’ll charge your bill.” In a few minutes, John locked up for the noon hour and sauntered down the street. “No mail,” the girl at the’ post of fice told him. “The truck isn’t in yet. Muddy roads, I guess. It’s been quite a while since you heard from Johnny, hasn’t it?” “Two weeks,” John said, as he left the post office. * He tried to be casual about those two weeks, for there had been delays that long before. * • * “No mail from Johnny?” his wife asked, when he entered the house. “Mail truck ain’t in yet.” “I’m troubled.” “Now don’t you go frettin’, Sarah. ■Johnny’s all right.” *T know his body’s in danger, John. I—I’m thinking about his soul.” Photo by Kirkpatrick read between the lines of her boy’s letters. John is burdened about h is soul. An’ he .needs encouragement an’ prayers—your prayers. You know he does.” Sarah cried. It wasn’t often that she shed tears in John’s présence, but she couldn’t help herself today. John, deciding to go back-to th e store early, ate his meal in a hurry. When he was ready to leave, a frenzied rapping sounded on the front door and Alf Barkley came bursting in. “À telegram for you!” he shouted. “Oh, the Lord be your comfort! I was afraid I wouldn’t %have the Strength to deliver it!” He handed the envelope to Sarah and left. Sarah stood trembling, and received it. “O-open it,” John stammered. Tearing at the envelope, S a r a h saW the words, “The War Department regrets to inform you that Private John A. Crawford was killed in the service of his country.” John read the telegram. “Sarah! There’s a mistake! There’s got to be! I thought you was prayin’ for him! Why did he get killed then? Killed! . . , Johnny!” The neighbors came to offer their sympathy. The minister came, too. He laid a strong hand on John’s quaking shoul der, looked squarely into his eyes, and said, “This . is a sinful world, John. The outlook cannot help but be dark to those who do not h a v e Christ.” “It ain’t right,” .John declared. “You folks had Johnny’s name on t h e church list, didn’t you?” “We prayed for him constantly, along with the other boys,” the min ister replied. “We prayed that each young man would find Christ as his own personal Saviour out there. And then we prayed that God would have His will in each life.” “You prayed he’d be safe, didn’t you? But he ain’t. He’s dead! My boy! Yoùr prayers didn’t get answered!” “You need the Lord, John. Earthly condolence can’t . . . ” “The Lord?” John sneered. “What’d He do for Johnny—let him die, that’s what! Sarah prayed all the time for Johnny. What did .it get her? That telegram!” He waved his h a n d angrily. '“Don’t talk about the I%rd to me!” • * * That evening when they were alone Sarah said, “If only we had hope . . . ” “Hope? He’s dead! There ain’t no doubt about that!” “I mean hope about his salvation.” John was silent. ■ Saturday came. Sunday came. Peo ple arrived and departed, scarcely no ticed by John and Sarah in their sor row. 1 John seldom argued with his wife on any subject. She usually wouldn’t commit herself until she was sure what was right. Then in a qujet, kind way, she held to her convictions. He never had been able to debate spiritual things with her; not that he admitted she was right, but because there ex isted no possibility of convincing her that she was wrong.; At times in the past he even had feared she might be able to convert Johnny. But he had succeeded in keeping his o n l y child from making a fool of himself, as he expressed it, at the, rousing re vival meetings held biannually in the church. He took pride in this accom plishment. “I’ve had a strange feeling,” Sarah said. “Now don’t talk that ag’in, just be cause we ain’t heard for a while. Like as not he’s bein’ moved. Sunday’s Easter. You an’ me’ll go to the county seat tomorrow night an’ get you all decked out in new spring feathers. How does that sound to you?” “Are you closing the store all after noon?” “Nope,” J o h n evaded. “Yes, sir, Sarah, we’ll go to the . . . " “But it’s Good Friday.” “Let’s not discuss that ag’in t h i s year.” “But I thought—with Johnny out at the front—I thought maybe, John, you’d soften to the Lord, an’ . . . ” “Now listen, Sarah!’,’ “You know I’m right. A mother can 91 March, 1945 “God does answer prayer, John!” Sarah wept. “ Praise the Lord, o u r boy’s alive—present with the Lord!" John tried to talk, but the words piled up. “He wants you to trust the Lord, too, John. He wants you to be raised out of sin, and you will be if you trust JesUs Christ as your own Saviour. Won’t you, John?” Looking into his face, Sarah could see the hard lines soften, as the light of a new answer to prayer began to appear. see how normally he went about his work. His sense of humor was miss ing, but everybody expected that. However, they did not know t h a t down in his heart, John Crawford was waging a relentless war against God. He felt that Sarah blamed him. for she had said something about things like this eo...iiig «.o i o f the brevity and uncertainty of life, and this angered him all the more. Yet he could not dismiss the sub ject. Conviction of his sins—sins of unbelief and blasphemy—had come to him forcefully during the years. In spite of his philosophy of life, he had no peace in his heart. As usual, when he locked up at noon, he stopped by the post office. He went from habit, knowing full well that there would .be no more let ters from Johnny. “I reckon the governmental b e sendin’ particulars,” he said to the girl. “It’d help Sarah if we knew a mite more. We don’t even know for sure where he was—ain’t heard in nigh onto three weeks.” “Didn’t he say anything in that last letter—the one you got Friday?” “We didn’t get no letter Friday, not from Johnny.” “Yes, you did. I sent it over with Mr. . . . ” “Hey! ’ We ain’t seen any mail! Must’ve got put up! Maybe there’s news!. Maybe Johnny’s all right!” He rushed home. “John!” Sarah met him. "I tried to get you at the store. I just found a letter.” “From Johnny! Let me see it!” , “The telegram said he was dead, John, but the telegram,” she sobbed convulsively, “was wrong! Johnny isn’t dead!” John took the letter. “But this was postmarked a week before the telegram.” “Read It, John. Praise the Lord! You’ll see!” The father skimmed the letter until he came to these words: . . . and Dad, I wish you’d do the same thing. This is a tough old world. A fellow can’t make, the grade by him self. He has to have Somebody to save him from sin and help him. And you know, a fellow can’t really live in this world. The sooner we die, the sooner we can be with Christ—t h e One who died to save us—and t h a t will be really living. “They say we’ve got rough going ahead. M a y b e my number’ll be called. I don’t know. Anyway, if it is and I don’t see you again, thanks, Mom, for praying. And let’s s '1 t in heaven. Lovingly, Johnny.” “We should' go to church—together,” Sarah said. “If only we had hope.” Until this time John had kept most of his resentment silent. But now he burst forth in fury. “If your prayers couldn’t save Johnny, what use i s there to put stock in religion? There’s no use. It God couldn’t save Johnny from . . . ” “That’s just what I don’t know,” Sarah interrupted. “I wish I could know whether Johnny was saved . . . if . . . Oh, John, I need your help in prayer so much, but . . . " “Don’t carry on, Sarah! What lit tle prayin’ I’d done wouldn’t h a v e counted much alongside yours. Think reasonable, Sarah. I ain’t so wicked as you make out. I’ve treated you right, haven’t I? Take the deacon, old Joe Williams—he fusses his •wife around a sight worse than I ever did you. Ain’t that right?” “Please don’t talk so. It’s Easter— the resurrection—O God, I pray we’ll be together again—our family—at the great resurrection! Johnny’d want us to.” , “Now you know he wasn’t never one to take to religion, Sarah. I reck on you’ve got me to blame for that. Don’t go pinin’ away wondering about the resurrection, an’ . . . ” “I never repeated to you w h a t Johnny told me when he left to go overseas,” Sarah interrupted. “He said,” she fought back the tears, “ ‘Mom, I can’t take the Lord now, but i know I need Him, and I’ll ac cept Him some day. I know it’s the right thing.’ Those were his words, John. I’ll never forget them. I’ve treas ured them in my h e a r t—repeated them over and over in my prayers! I believe Johnny kept that promise before—before he died. But if only I could know for sure.” John was silenced. “He knew he needed the Lord, and you know you need Him, i too. Don’t you, John?” A full minute passed befox'e h e said, “I don’t want no more t a l k about it. It ain’t been proved to me, this religion business. It don’t hold water,” Sarah went-to church alone. It took every ounce of her courage to s i t through the singing of the hymns, but she never had missed an Easter service, and she couldn’t now. T h e Reverend Mr. Jackson saw her, for the church was small, and he wove a little messag£ just for her into h i s sermon. “The glory of Easter,” he said, “will never be fully known until we reach the other shore and see the full measure of Calvary’s harvest.” * * * On Monday John reopened the store. People came in and were surprised to Your Scrapbook Prayed Wings The bee flies in defiance of the laws of gravity. According to experts she ought not to be able to fly at all; her wing-area is too small. But she does and, furthermore, is one of the swiftest flyers we know. Her “lungs” permeate her whole body, supplying oxygen to every part, and in the thorax are two huge pipes which can supply un limited oxygen direct to the wing- muscles. So, small as they are, she can move these wings at incredible speed without fatigue. And when the wings become frayed she has only to move them a little faster to fly as quickly as she did before. . . Breathe on me, Breath of God. Be power in me, and life, and love, and fortitude and stedfastness, that I may carry on even with frayed wings, —Amy Carmichael. .If 1. “If” of Salvation (Mk. 9:23). 2. “If” of Christ’s Voice (Rev. 3:20)., 3. "If” of Forgiveness (1 John 1:9). 4. “I f ’ of Fellowship (1 John 1:7). 5. “ If” of Prayer (John 15:7). 6. “If” of Reward (Gal. 6:9). —Harold A. Johanson, Biola ’34. Built by the Plummet Jesus is evermore watching the erec tion of His. spiritual temple, that it may be built securely and well. We are for haste, but Jesus is for judg ment. He will use the plummet, and that which is out of line must come down—every stone of it. Hence the failure of many a flattering work, the overthrow of many a glittering pro fession. It is not for us to judge the Lord’s church, since Jesus has a steady hand, and a true eye, and can use the plummet well.—C. H. Spurgeon.
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