Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peaces Hail the Sun of Righteousness! 11 Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings. WagBSk Mild, He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die, ’ 4 Born to raise the sons of earth, -M m B Born; to give them second birthf^Pla
DAY by DAY wi th JESUS for 1949 A Calendar for Family and Private Pevotions Prepared by DR. WALTER A. MAIER Internationally Famous Radio Speaker
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COME OVER INTO CHICAGO- Insistent calls have come to us to send full-time workers into Chicago, Philadel phia, Chattanooga and Indianapolis, and to expand our work in New York. Our missionaries are now laboring fruit fully in New York, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Seattle, Tucson and Phoenix, Santa Monica and Venice, and in Mexico. The Lord has gloriously met these needs. We believe He is calling us to widen our search for the “lost sheep of the house of Israel,” and will enable us to meet these new calls! Pray for the Jews—DAILY. And pray for us, earnestly and unceasingly. Harry A. Ironside, Chair-man of the Board Hyman J. Appelman, President Write AMERICAN ASSOCIATION - FOR JEWISH EVANGELISM f WINONA LAKE, Dept. KB., INDIANA fteu> NON -CHR IST IAN RELIGIONS C O U R S E Wow Available by Correspondence • Through home study* get a better understanding of the religions of the world. • Be enabled to lead their followers out of darkness into the light of the gospel. Compiled into almost unbelievable compactness this comprehensive study of Non-Christian Religions includes Animism Hinduism Buddhism Confucianism Shintoism Mohammedanism Judaism Also Christianity Price $3.50 Adaptable for individual or group study (This study is equivalent to two units of credit at the Bible Institute of Log Angeles.) Prospectus of 18 courses hy mail available on request. Write Correspondence Department M M ’
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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Official Publication of The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated
Louis T. Talbot, D.D. Editor in Chief
Betty Bruechert Managing Editor
William W . Orr, D.D. Associate Editor
Copyright, 19US, The K ing ’s Business No part o f th is magazine may be reproduced w ithou t permission. A ll R ig h ts Reserved. Vol. 39 December 1948 No. 12 Christmas Number CONTENTS Editorially Speaking............................................................................... 4 The Bible in the News, William W. O rr ........................................... 5 Dr. Talbot’s Question Box.......... ......... ................. ............................... 6 The Minister’s Sunday Morning................................................... .. 6 Tidings of Great Joy, D. L. Moody ........................................................... 7 His Birthplace, Giovanni P ap in i ..................................... .. *.................... 8 Unshakable Things, Louis T. Talbot ............................... ................... 9 The Genealogies of Jesus Christ, W. C. S teven s .............................. 11 Christmas Joy, Cora Mae Turnbull ...................................................... 11 Junior King’s Business, Martha S. H ooker ........................................ 12 The Cross Is Shining, Ruth Hahn P e te r s ....................................... 13 Biola Family Circle................................................................................. 14 I Will Remember Thee........................................................................... 16 Young People’s Topics, Walter L. W ilson ............................................ 17 Scripture Clues, Vernon H ow a rd ..................................■...................... 17 The Home E ternal. . '................................................................................ 22 Sunday School Lessons, Homer A. Kent, Allison A rrowood ............ 23 Spurgeon and Smoking, L. Sale-Harrison ................................................. 28 Object Lessons, Elmer L. W ild e r ......................................................... 29 SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION—“The King’s Business” is published monthly; $2.00, one year; $1.00, 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. REMITTANCES—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 on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. ADVERTISING—For information, address the Advertising Manager, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 13, California. MANUSCRIPTS—“The King’s Business” cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts mailed to us for consideration. Entered as second-class matter November 7, 1938, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, Cali fornia, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in the Act of February 28, 1925, embodied in paragraph 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, California
Cover: Ewing Gallotvay, New York
/9lt t tfjis Cfjrigtmas time toe toisï) for X A our reaberg nnb subscribers a ijoltbap season ralliant toitb ttje con scious presence of ©im tofjo saib of himself: “ 3 ant come a Ugljt into ttje toorlb tfjat tofjosoeber beliebetij on Jîle sfjoulb not abibe tnbarfeness.” 3 s tfje sijabotos beepen upon tije eartb, stron ger groins tfje ptesseb ©ope in Chris tian hearts, anh beliebers eberptohere re-echo the ferbent praper of the Apos tle Hiohn; “ Cben so, come, ©orb Siesus.” Cbitorial, 3bbertising anb Circulation Department# of d je icing’s business. -K -K -K THE NATIVITY A LL praise to Thee, eternal Lord, Clothed in a garb of flesh and blood; Choosing a manger for Thy throne, While worlds on worlds are Thine alone. A little Child, Thou art our Guest, That weary ones in Thee may rest; Forlorn and lowly is Thy birth That we may rise to Heaven from earth. Thou comest in the darksome night To make us children, of the light, To make us, in the realms divine, Like Thine own angels, round Thee shine. All this for us Thy love hath done; By this to Thee our love is won; For this we tune our cheerful lays, And sing our thanks in ceaseless praise. —Martin Luther.
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D E C E M B E R , 1 9 4 8
ceived at His first coming. This recep tion forms a powerful, skillful com mentary on human character. Herod, the king, and his government took the news of Jesus’ birth with jealousy and ill-concealed hatred. Immediately, be cause of the threats upon their graft- ridden rule, they conspired to do away with the newly-born King. The scribes, Pharisees, and religious leaders of the day received the informa tion with a cold, academic aloofness. Without difficulty, they found the pre-: cise foretelling Scripture, ' but their hearts had no interest in a possible new King, even God’s own King! Their con cern embraced only the continuing sta bility .of their own selfish leadership among the people. The people of Jerusalem were troubled by the arrival of the embassage, pos sibly thinking such might mean war or strife with neighboring kingdoms, but apparently the interest was short-lived, speedily giving way to mere indifference after a few years. The Bethlehem innkeeper seemed con cerned for the comfort of his more im portant guests. For the One of whom it was prophesied of old that He was to be born in David’s city, there was but little room grudgingly given. Such is the human mosaic of the reception of Christ! But there is a brighter side! There were a few humble shepherds, appar ently not wealthy and surely unedu cated, within whose breasts beat sincere hearts. These plain men welcomed the King with deep humility and great won der, thanking God for His goodness and mercy. There were also Wise Men who mani fested their interest by a long journey to bring rich gifts and to worship low before the Saviour King. It is passing strange that the same pattern of human behavior manifests it self in all centuries. The sons of men are either carelessly indifferent, academ ically calloused, or insanely jealous of the Lord Jesus Christ. But, thank God, there are a few simple folk, like the shepherds, who receive the good news of God with gladness, and joyfully jour ney into the presence of God’s Son. Thank God there are some Wise Men who recognize true and lasting values, and, leaving less important pursuits, they humbly journey to bring gifts to the King of kings. The holiday season is now upon us, and again the wheels of commercialism will grind out bells and baubles for the Christmas trade. There will be frantic buying of gifts and lavish feasting. But in this season one thing alone is neces sary, which is that into the human heart there might come a true reception of God’s greatest Gift. Eternal destiny as well as present peace of mind depend wholly upon the right reception of this Gift. May God give us grace to be hum ble people whose hearts are sincere, and. whose minds are heavenly wise, as we again this year worship at the manger throne. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Dr. Talbot Resigns T HE resignation of Dr. Louis T. Tal bot as pastor of the Church of the Open Door in Los Angeles, to take effect January 1, 1949, has been accepted by the church with deepest regret. Dr. Tal bot concludes 17 years of faithful minis try having come to the Church of the Open Door in January of 1932, from the Philpott Tabernacle in Hamilton, On tario, Canada. Born in Australia and arriving in this country, at the age of twenty, he gradu ated from Moody Bible Institute in 1912. He assumed his first • pastorate at a small church in Paris, Texas, and from there went on to Oak Park, ,Illinois, Keokuk, Iowa, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Hamilton, Ontario. Dr. Talbot came to the Church of the Open Door at a time of great need. The depression was a great burden both to the Church and the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. The indebtedness was great and faith was small, but Dr. Talbot proved to be God’s man for this place. Through his instrumentality over a period of a seventeen-year pastorate, God wrought a mighty work. Today, the large church building with auditorium and school classrooms, as well as the two thirteen- story dormitory buildings in the heart of downtown Los Angeles are absolutely free of all indebtedness. The church membership, which in 1932 was 1200, is now 3500. Since 1939, Dr. Talbot has also held the Presidency of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles whose student body has more than doubled over the years and now exceeds 900 in the day school alone. Dr. Talbot leaves the Church of the Open Door in order to devote his entire time to the Bible Institute of Los An geles. He will continue with his radio ministry which is heard locally in South ern California, and also over the Pacific Coast network?. The call to succeed Dr. Talbot as pas tor of the Church of the Open Door was extended to Dr. J. Vernon McGee, pastor of the Lincoln Avenue Presbyterian Church in Pasadena, and for the past three years a member of the faculty of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. Dr. McGee will take up his new duties on January 1, 1949. Members and friends of these twin institutions are earnestly requested to bear these men up in pray- Page Four
er, asking God for sufficient strength and wisdom to lead both Church and Institute into a greater degree of use fulness under God than ever before. As President of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Dr. Talbot will continue as editor-in-chief of THE KING’S BUSI NESS. — W.W.O., Associate Ed. ☆ New Flag In Los Angeles P ERHAPS the most significant fact in 19 centuries, prophetically speak ing, occurred with dramatic suddenness a few months ago as representatives of the Jewish race proclaimed a new na tion under an old name and in an ancient land. Today in Los Angeles a new flag flies! It flutters from the brand-new Israeli consulate office in downtown Los Ange les. This office of the Israeli government will be headed by Reuven Dafni who will have charge of Israel’s affairs in the seven western states. Five Jewish youths from the University of California at Los Angeles officially presented the consulate with a new blue and white Israeli flag. Reception ceremonies were held at which time more than 12,000 persons, including consular corps from eleven other nations, attended. Bible students will do well to ponder prayerfully the tremendous prophetic implications of the re-emergence of Is rael as a nation. The Jew has always been God’s time clock which, although silent for 19 centuries, has once more begun to tick loudly enough for every one to hear. Many of God’s wisest saints feel that the hour of the return of Christ will soon strike. ☆ His Reception? The Gospel by John does not give a detailed account of the birth of Christ. This is quite in line with the avowed purpose of this Gospel as set forth in John 20:31. The entire story of the coming of Christ and His treatment at the hands of - man is sorrowfully con densed in the statement, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” However, both Matthew and Luke were guided by the Holy Spirit to write the full story of how Christ was re
No Houdini ■JX It will be remembered that at the time of his death, the celebrated magi cian, Harry Houdini, promised that if it were possible after death he would communicate with his wife by using a secret formula known only to her. Until she herself died, .Mrs. Houdini repeat edly tried to reach him without success. Recently thirteen magicians seated themselves in a dimly-lighted hotel room in Springfield, Mass., to make one last attempt to communicate with the spirit of Harry Houdini. When the lights were turned on, it was evident that they had failed again. Two sets of locked handcuffs which Houdini had promised to unlock were undisturbed. In the sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke the solemn fact is taught that there is no intercourse between the liv In a recent meeting in Paris, the So cial, Humanitarian and Cultural Com mittee of the United Nations pondered the proposal advanced by Brazil, that, in their declaration on human rights, the statement: “All beings were created in the image and likeness of God” be in cluded. However, due to an objection from Russia, Britain, China, and India, it was decided to leave God out of Article I. “Such a proposal,” said the Russian delegation, “is very much disputed in the Soviet Union.” I n te llig e n t Bible-taught b e lie v e r s gravely wonder how any good can come from a United Nations organization which so consistently dishonors the very name of God. Mosaic Law Again JX It is no secret that there are two widely-differing philosophies in the new Israeli government of Palestine. One is agnostically irreligious and includes most of the younger set. The other con sists of more mature citizens and is strongly orthodox. For instance, Is rael’s Minister of Religion, Judah L. Fishman, asks for a strict enforcement of the Sabbath, adoption of Biblical Law as a basis for Israel’s legal system, and government observance of dietary laws. This is all intensely interesting in the light of prpphetic Scriptures which teach a widespread national swing to careful observance of the centuries-old Mosaic code before the return of Christ. More Confirmation JX Many modern skeptics have lifted unbelieving eyebrows and smiled scorn fully at the Old Testament reference to the unicorn, which is a translation of the Hebrew Reem, and is described as “a rather wild, roaring ox of ferocious character.” “This,” said the critics, “is another proof of the Bible’s mythological origin.” Now Willy Ley, author of The Lungfish, the Dodo and the Unicom, implies that the Scriptures are right again. Geologists have found the bones of such a super-bull, and there is every good reason to believe that it is the D E C E M B E R , 1 9 4 8 ing and the dead. Leave God Out
turers of Chesterfields, are spending money recklessly to furnish; free of charge, brilliant eight-page football pro grams for high school football games. These programs are beautifully and vividly colored, and in the center ap pears a large ad for Chesterfield ciga rettes. Any high school can obtain as many of these programs as desired if they merely agree to use them through out the season. Detailed instructions as to their use are given to the high school athletic departments, with such ex hortations as: “Make your program a real souvenir, one that the students and townspeople will be proud to keep as a permanent remembrance of your games.” The idea behind all this is to place cigarettes in the mouths of the 12 to 17-year-old high school students. More than that, Liggett & Myers Co. con fidently expect 5,000 or more high schools to accept their offer. What n4xt? Plenty for Pleasure JX There is no doubt in the mind of anyone that the United States of Amer^ ica is an exceedingly wealthy nation. A recent glance at the estimated expendi tures for 1947 reveal that for alcoholic beverages a total of more than 9 bil lions was expended; for tobacco, nearly 4 billions; for gambling (1946) approxi mately 12 billions; the cost for crime, 15 billions; for advertising, 4 billions; for jewelry, soft drinks, beauty parlors, 2 billions; and for all church contribu tions, including home and foreign mis sions (1946), pastors’ salaries, "new churches, literature, etc., $1,250,000,000; or less than 1% of the total expendi tures. While the United States government will accept for income deductions a total of 15% for church and charity, the ac tual gifts from Americans reveal only a sad one-tenth of that amount. What is to happen to the nation that is so abundantly blessed *of God, yet cares so little for Him that they give prac tically nothing for His work? Page Five
same as the Biblical unicorn. Its appear ance seems to be identical with the Babylonian pictures sculptured on the Ishtar Gate of that ancient city. To the Uttermost JX A most unusual assignment was that given to Chaplain Henry F. Ger- ecke, U.S.A. It was he who was ap pointed to be the spiritual advisor at Nuernberg, Germany, to the high Nazis on trial for their crimes against human ity. For almost a year, this godly chap lain ministered spiritually to the twenty- one defendents. With a sincere heart and heaven-sent wisdom, almost daily he entered the cells with the simple story of the love of God as manifested in Christ. Generally speaking, the reaction was excellent. Mr. Sauckel, who was the German labor chief, prayed, “God be merciful to me a sinner,” and meant it. Fritsche, Von Schirach and Speer earn estly asked God’s forgiveness for Jesus’ sake. Admiral Raeder became an ardent Bible student. Chief of Staff Keitel, with tears in his voice, said, “May Christ; my Saviour, stand by me all the way.” Some, like Ribbentrop, were courteous, but cool, concerning the Christian faith. Goering, apparently, resisted Christ to the end. Such is the story of the last days of the German war lords. How gracious is God’s provision, en abling these men, whose hands were drenched with human blood, to be given these opportunities to receive the Sav iour who came from Heaven’s glory to save such sinners! Cigs lor Teens JX There is no doubt that cigarette man ufacturers have done a most remarkable (although diabolical) job of selling their product to the women of America. Now they plan to ensnare the school chil dren. The campaign, of course, is ex ceedingly subtle, but very clever. Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company, manufac
miliar with the Bible at all, you know that it tells of Noah and a great flood. So as well as being descendants of Adam and Eve, we are also children of Noah and his three sons. Now we know how nations came into existence. At the Tower of Babel, God in judgment con fused the tongues of people, thus break ing them into fragments or nations. He did this for a purpose, but just how or why there are different races, I am unable to say. However, I believe that most scientists who have studied this matter agree that there are three gen eral racial groups in the world. This would link up very closely with the des cendants of Noah’s three sons. -X -X -X
Dr. L. T. Talbot
What happens to people who reject Christ? Are they punished eternally, or do they cease to exist after so much punishment? There is no reasonable doubt as to what the Bible teaches in regard to this matter. The person who is saved is promised an eternity of bliss with God and with Christ. On the other hand, the unsaved ones must spend a conscious eternity away from God, from light and from love. It is th'e most solemn teaching in all the Bible that one may be lost eternally, yet this is the truth of God. Were the prophecies about Elijah’s return fulfilled in the coming of John the Baptist? There is in Scripture what is known as “the law of double reference”. We find that on some occasions prophecies were partially fulfilled which were to be more fully realized at a future time. Now there is no question but that the Lord Jesus, in Mark 9:12, 13, indicated that the prophecies regarding Elijah were fulfilled by the ministry of John the Baptist. I believe, however, that there is a larger meaning to the pro phecy of the coming of Elijah as fore told by Malachi 4:5, 6. In the testimony of the two witnesses in the book of Revelation (11:3) there is a description of the future work of Elijah in pro claiming the Second Coming of the King. Very often both comings of Christ are encompassed in a single verse in the Word of God. If you will refer to a Bible dictionary, you will find many of these simple things cleared up. The word sod in Scrip ture, merely means to cook or boil; it is the past tense of the word seethe, an old English word for boil. Of course, the King James or Authorized Version of our Bible was translated nearly 350 years ago and many of the words which were in common usage at that time are now obsolete. Every Bible student ought to be in possession of a good Bible dic tionary. My church teaches that the rock spoken of in Scripture is Christ. An- Page Six What is the meaning of the word sod, in Genesis 25:29?
other prominent group teaches that when the Bible speaks of the rock, it refers to Peter. Which is correct? In First Corinthians 3:11 we read, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Of course, Christ is the rock and the entire structure of Christianity is built upon His person. The only connection that Peter had with it is that his name means a little rock or pebble. While I have great admiration for the Apostle Peter, I would not want my Christian life to be built upon him or any man. “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” In fact, Peter himself has a word to say in this regard; he ought to be a good witness: “To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is con tained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, pre cious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same ’is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed” (1 Pet. 2:4-8). What is the significance of the num ber “666” in Revelation 13:18? The number 666 is the number for the Antichrist, for 6 is the number of man, while 7 is the number for deity; 7 stands for completeness and 6 for in completeness. The 666 indicates Satan’s best effort to attain what he wants but, of course, this falls far short of God. If all mankind descended from one pair of parents, why are there so many races? It is true that all mankind did de scend from the same parents. The story of Adam and Eve in the Scripture is not a. legend or a myth; it is a fact of history. All of our two billions of people on earth today are descendants of Adam and Eve. Now if you are fa
THE MINISTER'S SUNDAY MORNING
This is my opportunity! I stand, O God, ’twixt these and Thee; Grant me Thy light that I may know How best the seeds of truth to sow. The weary man, the little child, The vigorous youth, the mother mild, Lift up their eyes and wait for me; What shall I say to them for Thee? Theirs is the struggle and the strife, Mine are the peaceful paths of life, They are of deeds, I am of thought, How shall I teach them as I ought? We are close brothers, all we men Sin, and are sorry, sin again, And climb and slip and yet aspire; Thou, only Thou, canst bear us higher. Lord, I will talk to them of Thee, Let mine eyes Thy salvation see, And with the tokens of Thy love Uplift their hearts and mine.above. Give me, 0 gracious Master, power To read the signs and seize the hour, Nor let these people empty go Because I may so little know. Lord, unto Thee I lift my eyes, Inspire me, make me brave and wise, And give me faith that I may see How wide and large Thy precepts be. 0 God, inspire me, make me strong, 1 will not do Thy people wrong To hide whate’er Thou givest me, Nor put myself ’twixt them and Thee. Give me Thy message now; not mine The words they need, but only Thine; O Lord, these people wait for Thee, Thine is this opportunity. —ANON T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Photograph by Ewing Galloway, New York
C^liriôtmaô ^ S é ermon
EHOLD, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10). Every heart ought to be lifted up with joy today. At this Christmas season, millions of people in the world have read this second chapter of Luke. Many eyes have fallen upon this tenth verse: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is bom this day in thte city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Hearts without number were filled with peace and joy at these words. I have often wondered what God could have given us in the place of Christ; what better gift He could have provided. Suppose He had given us the choice; what could we have selected that was better? Some of you have been wonder ing what presents to give your children. You have listened to their conversations to try to find out what they would like. Perhaps, you have heard Charlie or Johnny saying they would like a sleigh, a drum,, a horse, or a trumpet. Perhaps you’ve gone and bought these things, and have them hidden away in your houses now, and on Christmas morning they will be brought out. So God looked at us, and He found in every heart there was written—want, want, want. He saw what we wanted, and that was His own Son, and He gave us just what every one of us needed. If man had chosen something himself, from Adam all the way down, he could not have selected anything better than a Saviour. Nothing that could be chosen compares with Him. God who never makes a mistake, saw what we needed: what every man, woman, and child in this world needed. Not a man or woman can get into the kingdom of God without taking this Gift. Therefore it is good tidings when we read, “For unto you is bom this day in the city of David a Saviour.” . He is a gift for every one. God gave Him up freely to us all, and all we have to do is to take Him. During war time, we used to pray for peace. You could not go into a church but what you heard the cry: “Peace, peace.” In every home where there was a family' altar, D E C E M B E R , 1 9 4 8
the prayer was “Peace.” That is what we all want. The angels told the shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem that they brought real peace: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” How that ought to fill every soul with gladness! There is no true peace till Christ comes into our hearts. This verse announces that this gift of peace is ready for us. There is not a thirsty soul but who can have peace if he will only take Him, because that is what He came to bring. During the Revolutionary War, when things were very dark indeed, our country sent some commissioners to Eng land to see if a reconciliation with the colonies could not be effected. They were gone six months and no word was heard from them. At last the news came that the vessels were off Sandy Hook. People were anxious to learn whether the war was ended. The news spread through the city that day that the commissioners were coming, but the day .passed into the night, and it looked as if the vessels would not be able to reach port that night. So the people went to bed. But the vessels came up, and the boats were lowered. The commissioners got into the boats, and the sailors, in the darkness, pulled for the shore. When they got within hear ing distance, they could not contain themselves, and cried out: “Peace! peace!” Men, women, and children came from their homes and took up the cry, and it echoed throughout the city. The cannons were booming, and the bells were ringing, and all New York was full of the joy of that peace. It was what the people wished. The war was over, the English army was withdrawn, and we enjoyed peace in this blessed land for nearly one hundred years. If we have been at war with God, here is reconciliation. Yes, my friends, it is good will to men. If you have been at enmity with Him, that enmity can cease today.- We can be reconciled to God; we can have peace for time and eternity, for the message is: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Page Seven
If God does not want us reconciled to Him, why did He send Christ? If He does not want tfs reconciled, why did He come? Why did He leave Heaven if he did not want to bring peace to men? He came for this purpose, and we, as His commissioners, beseech men to be reconciled to Him. How sweet it is to be reconciled to God, to be at perfect peace with .Him! You who have been at war with God all your lives, you who have been at war with your neighbors, with your friends, with yourselves, will you not accept His peace now? What could be more acceptable to a man in prison than his liberty? Once in England a man was to be hanged at eight o'clock upon a certain morning. The black flag, in dicating that a soul was to be launched into eternity, was waving from the prison where the man was incarcerated. A great many of the ministers in the churches took for their subjects this condemned man’s fate. Everyone'every where was talking about the execution, and the whole town was excited. Thousands were praying for him; a great many were weeping, for he had been greatly liked. Petitions for his release had been sent to the Queen, but apparently without effect. The gallows was erected inside the prison; the poor captive could hear the carpenters at work. As they struck blow after blow, they seemed to beat upon his breast, for every nail brought him nearer to his doom. The final hour was approaching. Darkness hung over that prison. How dark it must have been in that cell! The man knew he was to die upon the gallows in the morning. About mid night, the prisoner heard the footsteps of the sheriff as he came to his door. He knew the hour had not yet arrived, and he began to tremble. “Is he coming before my time to take me out and execute me?” The door was unlocked, and the sheriff said to the condemned man, “I bring you good news—a pardon from the Queen!” What do you think were the feelings of that man? Who can imagine his joy? My friends, the black flag of death may be waving over you, and hell is rejoicing that you will soon be there, but Christ comes with a pardon today by which your sins are blotted out, by which all your iniquities are taken away, by which you may become a child of God, and be made fit for His kingdom. Is not this good news? If anyone is living under sin, he is condemned, but he can receive a pardon. The Son of Man has come into the world, and you are offered a pardon from Him as a Christmas gift. Will you take it, or will you send back an insulting message to God, saying that you do not want Jesus Christ as the Saviour of sinners, that you do not feel any need of Him, that you have no room for Him? My friends, He has the gift by which every one may be liberated from sin if he will only accept it. Look at that prison in Jerusalem where Barabbas was confined. He had been tried, sentence had been rendered; he was to die the death of the cross. Only the worst prisoners died by the cross. The day was set, the hour was drawing near when he was to meet death and judgment. The poor man trembled at the thought. Strange news reached him. He heard that Christ, the Galilean prophet, was going to be executed with him, and that He was to be put between two thieves. Then a rumor reached him that Pilate was going to liberate either Christ or himself; that he was going to let the people choose between them. If some one had gone and told him this, he would have said, “Why, of course, they will not choose Christ and allow me to be liberated. I have taken men’s lives all my days, while He has given men life; I’ve robbed men of all they have, while He has only given them blessings; I’ve destroyed men’s peace all my life, while He has only given men joy and happiness, and of course they will liberate Him.” It might have been that he had a family living in Jerusalem, and in the morning before his execution his wife and children came to bid him farewell. The farewell between the family of the criminal and himself is one of the saddest things conceivable. Per haps at a funeral you have seen a loving mother come up and imprint a last kiss upon the marble brow of her boy, and one member after another of the family come up and take the last look at the loved one. This is very sad, but what is it to the grief of that heart-broken wife who bade Page Eight
d 3 ir tlip lcace J ESUS was born in a stable, a real stable, not the bright airy portico which Christian painters have created for the Son of David, as if ashamed that their God should have lain down in poverty and dirt. And not the modern Christmas Eve “Holy Stable,” either, made of plaster of Paris, with little candy-like statuettes, clean and prettily painted, with a neat, tidy man ger, an ecstatic ass, a contrite ox, and angels fluttering their wreaths on the roof—this is not the stable where Jesus was born. A real stable is the house, the prison of the animals who work for man. The poor, old stable of Christ’s old, poor country is only four rough walls, a dirty pavement, a roof of beams and slate. It is dark, reeking. The only clean thing in it is the manger where the owner piles the hay and fodder. Fresh in the clear morning, waving in the wind, sunny, lush, sweet-scented, the spring meadow was mown. The green grass, the long, slim blades were cut down by the scytjie; and with the grass and beautiful flowers in full bloom—white, red, yellow, blue. They withered and dried and took on the one dull color of hay. Oxen dragged back to the barn the dead plunder of May and June. And now the grass has become dry hay and those flowers, still smelling sweet, are there in the manger to feed the slaves of man. This is the real stable where Jesus was born. The filthiest place in the world was the first room of the only pure Man ever born of woman. The Son of Man* who was to be devoured by wild beasts calling themselves men, had as His first cradle the manger where the animals chewed the cud of the miracu lous flowers of spring. It was not by chance that Christ was bom in a stable. What is the world but an immense stable where men produce filth and wallow in it? Do they not daily change the most beautiful, the purest, the most divine things into excrement? . . . They say they are “enjoying life.” Upon this earthly pigsty, where no decorations or perfumes can hide' the odor of filth, Jesus appeared one night. farewell to her husband in that dell in the Jerusalem prison, knowing that in a few hours he was to die on the cross. You can see him kiss her for the last time, and bid farewell to each of his children. Poor Barabbas; how he must have been full of sorrow as he looked forward to the death he was to die, and thought of those he was leaving behind. By and by he hears a footfall upon the corridor. Nearer and nearer it comes. “Are they going to take me to execu tion now?” he asks himself. The bolts are pulled, the door is swung open, and the officer says, “Barabbas, you are free; go where you please!” I can see that poor, condemned man looking at the officer. “What! What do you tell me— I am free? Do you mean to say that the people have chosen Jesus of Nazareth to be executed instead of me?” “Yes, they have, and you are free.” I can see him leaving that cell; he goes down to his wife and children, and he draws that wife to his bosom. “I’ve got good news for you; I haven’t only got my life prolonged, but I’ve got my liberty. Christ has died in my stead.” That is the Gospel. Christ died for every sinner. That’s the glorious Gospel of substitution. He died, “for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.” Will you say at this Christmas time, “Christ is nothing to me; I see no beauty in Him; I see no reason why I should love Him” ? God gave Him up for you. Not only was He given up for us and born in a manger and lived a life of toil and hardship, but He died an ignominious death. Will you accept. Him today who made your peace for time and eternity? If you do, this will be the most joyful Christmas of your entire life. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S From LIFE OF CHRIST by Giovanni Papini, translated by Dorothy Canfield Fisher, copyright, 19SS, by Harcourt, Brace and . Company, Inc, Reprinted by permission of the publishers.
In these "troublous times" we all need reassurance about
i J n â L a L a l i e ^ J k i n r
. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain — H ebrews 12:27. I T has been laid upon my heart to write about some un shakable things that stand in the midst of all the confusion and changing scenes of this present day. No other word describes conditions everywhere like the word shaken. Every thing has been shaken to its very foundations; this is true no matter where we turn, or into what realm we may enter. It is true of the financial wprld. People who, a few years ago, computed their wealth in six figures today have no fortune and barely the necessities of life. In these financial crises which are about us everywhere, more than one indi vidual came to feel that the only way out of his dilemma was the unhappy way of self-destruction. A survey of the political world will reveal the same con ditions. Nothing is more unstable than present-day govern ments. Think of the situation in Palestine and China. Con sider the odds against which the UNO is laboring. Likewise, in the religious world many are at a loss to know what to believe in regard to the great doctrines of our faith. Few of the great verities for which multitudes have fought and bled are any longer considered worth con tending for. The world of religion is a place of confusion, and similar to the financial and political worlds, is like a ship at sea without a rudder. My friends, these conditions in the world present an un paralleled opportunity to those who know God to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It would be a tragedy for anyone to go out of this life to stand before. God without having used his time and talents in an honest effort to point men and women to “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Christian people need not be perturbed, no matter what the future may hold. There are some things that are unshakable—as unwavering today as they ever were, and I want, as an ambassador of the King of kings and the Lord of lords, to urge you to link your life with these verities so that you may be as the rock of Gibraltar—unmoved in your faith and a shining light to others. The Throne of God The first of these unshakable things upon which I wish to dwell is the throne of God. In Hebrews 1:8 we read, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.” We have seen other thrones topple and fall during two great world wars. Those that remain are becoming more and more insecure. We do not know what a day may bring forth. But there is a throne that is as unshaken as ever, and that is the throne of God. No matter what may take place in this world, or in the starry universe above, the throne of God in the center of the universe stands forever and cannot be shaken. Whatever his capabilities or lack of abilities may be, the man who acknowledges that throne and yields allegiance to it, will, even in this day, be as Mt. Zion which cannot be moved. The man who refuses to reckon with that throne, however learned and polished his life may be, will be a spiritual bankrupt today and part of the chaos of the Christ-rejecting world. The trouble with our nation and the world is that we have turned away from God. All of our national and local D E C E M B E R , 1 9 4 8
By LOUIS T. TALBOT, D.D. Pastor of the Church of the Open Door and President of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles
—Photo by Gerta, Monkmeyer Press Photo Service, New York City
problems are the inevitable result of our departure from His government. I submit to you that when men depart from the realization that they are under the personal con trol of the living God and that they must give a personal account for every word and every deed to Him, they natur ally gravitate to the law of the jungle which says, “Do as you please, satisfy the desires of the flesh without regard for anybody. Let us eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” That is the philosophy of life when God is for gotten, and behind the fact of a forgotten God there stands the explanation of crime and kindred ills that are sweeping our nation today. A man was riding along the road one day in a Ford when something went wrong and the car would go no farther. He looked at the engine, but could not find the trouble. He stood at the side of the road and stopped the first car that came by. It happened to be a Lincoln, and its driver said, “Well, what is the trouble?” “I cannot get this car to move,” the Ford owner replied. The man removed his gloves, took off his coat and made a few moves beneath the hood and said, “Now start the car.” And sure enough the Ford was functioning again. The man had started back to his Lincoln, when the one in the Ford said, “Pardon me, but what is your name?” “My name,” said the man, “is Henry Ford.” In this crisis hour we need the Creator of the world. The only hope is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In fact, we must choose between Him and chaos. Page Nine
The Word of God The second unshakable thing is the Word of God. We read in Psalm 119:89, “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.” There was never a time when the Bible was attacked so fiercely as today, yet there was never a time when people had more reason to believe it to be the Word of God. Think of its fulfilled prophecies—prophecies concerning Christ, the Jewish nation, and the Gentile na tions. Think of its marvelous unity. Think of its power to lift men from sin to fellowship with God. Water cannot rise any higher than its source, and the Book that can lift men up to God must come from God. Think of its indestruct ibility. All down through the ages men have been attempt ing to destroy the Bible, but it cannot be destroyed, because it came from God and therefore, like God, is eternal. The most scientifically correct book that this world has ever seen is the Bible. Science will never be able to disprove the divine order of the creation as recorded in the first chapter of Genesis. I love to look at those words cut into the stone outside of the Bible Institute building: “For ever, 0 Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.” In this day, when people have more reason to believe the Bible to be the Word of God than ever before, if a man says to me that he does not believe the Bible to be the Word of God, I immediately class him as an ignoramus. The Bible is the world’s best seller. I wish to urge you to build your life upon the Word of the living God. The Church of God The third unshakable thing I wish to mention is the church of God. My authority for this statement fell from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord made this statement after questioning His disciples as to who the people in that day considered Him to be: He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and hlood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock 1 will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matt. 16:15-18). The Lord Jesus built His church on the great central fact of Christianity, which is His deity. That is where the church stands: not on the example of Christ, nor on Christ as a good Man, or a great Teacher, but on Christ as the eternal Son of the living God. And because of that ever lasting foundation, the church is secure for time and for eternity. Every local assembly worthy of the name church has that foundation. Liberal bodies that deny the deity of Christ are not churches but simply clubs. The one and only church, the church which Christ is building, is made up of men and women who confess Christ as the eternal Son of God and are washed in His precious blood. It stands forever. Christ’s church is called “his body,” to illustrate the mystical union between Christ, the Head, and His people. One day _I boarded a streetcar and sat beside a man who was reading his Bible. We began to talk and the man said, “To which church do you belong?” I answered by asking, “What is your church affiliation?” He replied, “I am a Methodist, I was born a Methodist and I will die a Methodist.” Then he repeated his question, “What is your church?” My answer was, “I belong to the church which is His Body.” The man looked puzzled as he said, “That is a nefr one. I never heard of it before. When was it organ ized?” My reply was, “It was organized 2,000 years ago.” When he asked, “Where are its headquarters?” ’ and I an swered, “In heaven,” the poor man thought I had taken leave of my senses. When the Lord returns and the church is raptured, the only one that He will recognize will be that church. The Child of God The last unshakable thing that I wish to discuss is the child of God. “He that doeth the will of God abideth for Page Ten
H fjj The off1 rings of the Eastern kings of old Unto our Lord were incense, myrrh and gold; Incense because a God; gold as a king; And myrrh as to a dying man they bring. Instead of incense, blessed Lord, if we Can send a sigh or fervent prayer to Thee; Instead of myrrh, if we can but provide Tears that from penitential eyes do slide; And, though we have no gold, if for our part We can present Thee with a broken heart, Thou wilt accept, and say those Eastern kings Did not present Thee with more precious things. 9 ever” (I John 2:17). That was D. L. Moody’s favorite text, and he endeavored in life to. put the will of God for him into execution. If you, by the grace of God, determine to do the same thing, you will abide forever. You ask, “What is the will of God for me?” The will of God begins with believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour. The Lord said to certain ones, “This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life” (John 6:40). After you have come to know Christ as your Saviour, then you may speak to Him in regard to the sphere of your service. It may be that God will have you go to Africa, or India, or China, or to some other needy field. The will of God is not only the holiest place but also the happiest place in which to dwell. It is said that following a consultation with a specialist, at which time he had been informed that he was the victim of an incurable disease, and had only a few months to live, Dr. W. B. Hinson, the great Gospel preacher, walked out into the garden of his home, which he loved. Looking at the mountains reaching their majestic heads heavenward, and gazing in the direction of the mighty Columbia River, watching the sun as it slipped behind the everlasting hills, he said, “When the mountains have forever ceased to be exalted in towering strength above the cities of the earth; when the river has run its last mile; and when seas have passed forever from this universe; when the sun has risen and set in all its beauty and glory for the last time; yea, when the moon and the stars have forever ceased to give their light; when the mighty trees of the forest have shed their last leaves, and all nature has departed to its final rest, I shall live on, yes, I shall live on.” We have also read of the great sadness that came into the heart of a noted English pastor who had shepherded his flock for forty consecutive years. With deep emotion and with quivering lip, the pastor had resigned his pastor ate amid the shedding of many tears in his congregation. The next day the sexton was standing under the gallery in the great auditorium, when he saw the pastor come out and step behind his much-loved pulpit. For a moment he stood there in profound agitation, and then with a trembling but confident voice, he said, “I must sever my connections with this church.” Then, looking to heaven and thinking of his eternal union with Christ, with, upraised hand, he added: But this I do know, We two are so joined, These are dark days, possibly the darkest we have known for many a year. Let us lay hold as never before with a firm grip of unwavering faith upon these unshakable things, and spend our lives making them known with all of their meaning to a popr, lost, dying world. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S He can’t be in heaven, And leave me behind. § § S S 3 § $ 3 § j§ s § 1 3 s 1 3 Nathaniel Wanley
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