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
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