NOVEMBER
SheBible family îitayajme
Golden harvests gleaming In the autumn sun; Drowsy Nature dreaming O f a tas\ well done! And if Want and Terror Grip the human heart, Man must own the error: G od has done H is part . "HE ABIDETH FAITHFUL" B y R obert C rumly
Photo by Adelbert Bartlett
N O W R E A D Y / 1934 Scripture Text Calendar
Th e I D E A L H om e C a l e n d a r This Scripture Text Calendar on the wall helps to bring into the home that something so essen tial and yet so easily forgotten, in these days of rush and struggle for the necessities of physical existence. The beautiful religious pictures by fa mous artists leave their impression for right and the scripture verses speak daily of the higher, better and truly essential things in life. It is the Ideal Home Calendar. SPECIAL OFFER to Churches, Societies and Agents Messenger Scripture Text Calendars are nationally adver tised so have a ready market. Over a million copies were sold last year. Each former user is a satisfied customer and a good prospect for one or more new ones. Every Scripture Text Calendar placed in a home is a good deed as it helps to make that home a more desir able place in which to live. Complete Selling Instructions Furnished Complete sales plans accompany each order of 100 or more calendars and are a great help to individual agents as Well as Ladies Aids, Sunday School Classes, Missionary and Young Peoples Societies. This is an approved method of raising funds for special purposes and the margin of profit is unusually large. An early start brings best results Order at least one or more copies,today for your home and remember a Scripture Text Calendar is the ideal gift costing no more than a high quality Christmas Card. Prices— Single copy, 30c; 4, $1.00; 12, $3.00; 25, $5.75; 50, $9.00 All prices slightly higher in Canada Cost Sell For Profit 100 calendars......... .........$17.00 $30.00 $13.00 200 calendars......... ......... 32.00 60.00 28.00 250 calendars......... ......... 40.00 75.00 35.00 300 calendars......... ......... 45.00 90.00 45.00 — better place your order today. Suitable Christmas Gift Se ll Sc r ip ture Text Ca lendars
Size of Calendar
x 15 94 inches
S p e c i a l H om e I n t e r e s t F e a t u r e s Foreign language editions printed in German, Swedish, Norwegian, Italian and Spanish contain all the special features of the English edition. 1. Three-month-on-a-sheet calendar pads— current month in large type, preceding and month fol lowing in smaller type. Very convenient. 2. Thirteen beautiful full color reproductions of reli gious pictures. Suitable for framing. 3. A scripture verse for every day of the year. 4. Illuminating story of each picture. * 5. Church and patriotic holidays noted. 6. Illustrated “ Go To Church Sunday” sign on nearly every sheet. 7. Schedule showing how to read the Bible through in a year. 8. Flowers and Birthstones of each month. 9. Golden texts for International Sunday School Lessons. 10. Sunday School Lesson text and Devotional Read ing for International Sunday School Lessons.
11. Phases of the moon illustrated. 12. Weekly “ Prayer Meeting” text. M E S S E N G E R C O R P O R A T I O N . Auburn, Indiana MAIL THIS COUPON TODAY G e n tlem e n :—-K in d ly ship at on ce-----------¿ .«M e s s e n g e r S cripture T e x t C alen dars fo r 1934. E n closed please fin d rem ittance in the sum o f $>_...____ Ship to:— ...----------_________________•_______ i l l f c - i - ^ ^ B - A d d n ss ^ „________B ■__ ■ S ___ „ j S ____________I W I City„._____..___.._._______.__.__.____.-------- ------------- - J M g L - -___-______ State.._________ ' __ .__ __________ ' C h u rch O fficer______ ......jB w a j v - _________ j a p j j H r a : '-i•" IMPORTANT: If you do not have a charge account with us at present— send cash with order or if you desire 30 days’ credit, send three business references. Calendars not returnable.
e A PENNY A MEASURE! A n o t h e r NRA is coming. . Not only will wages be raised, but everything you buy ; will be price-fixed. “ A mea sure o f wheat for a penny, and three measures o f barley for a penny!” Rev. 6 :6. And if you are not “ in the graft” you will be able neither to buy nor' to sell! “ No man might buy or sell, save he that ha^f the mark . . . o f the beast.” Rev. 13:17. But thank God, you will not be here in that awful hour, if you are a child of God. For He has promised to take you out before the Great Tribulation! But the Jews will be here! Upon them God counts to be the remnant through whom sal vation will come to a hope-lost world. And that is why we are bringing now to your attention the privilege God has given you in these last days of apostacy, to evangelize Israel, to gather out those who must still com plete His body ere He comes, and to prepare the rest o f the nation to be the witnesses, the 144,000, in that hour o f horror and desolation known as the time o f Jacob’s trouble. W e cannot ask you for your help. That would dishonor the Lord Who put us here. But we can place the work and its needs before you, and then leave the matter to His leading. Our work merits your every confidence. It is a program of world wide Gospel testimony to the Jews. Your fellowship in prayer and gift is always wel comed and appreciated. The Chosen People is of course sent to all contributors. American Board of Missions to the Jews Inc. 31 Throop Ave. Brooklyn, N.Y. Ask for our free booklet “Jewish Mission Annuity Bonds."
®fcc S ih le Tantiiy O îta^^ine M otto: “ Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood "— R ev . 1:5.
Volume XX IV
November, 1933
Number 10
TABLE OF CONTENTS “ Stand Still and See the Salvation of the Lord” ............................ ....370 Around the King’s Table— Paul W . R ood ........................................371 Precious Saviour—Harold F. Graham........................................... ....372 Why Give Thanks?—-H. L. Sthengaard............................................375 Is Christianity Unique?—Will H. Houghton...................................377 Present-Day Fulfillment o f Prophecy— Louis S. Bauman.........,....379 Girls’ Query Corner—‘Myrtle E. Scott..................... i.........................381 Bible Institute Family Circle.................... ............................................383 Junior King’s Business— Martha S. Hooker..................................... 385 Our Literature Table.................. ............. .....................................;.......387 When Lowly Tasks are Glory Crowned.......................................... .388 Living Lessons— Roy Talmage Brumbaugh.................................. .....390 Notes on Christian Endeavor—Mary G. Goodner................... 391 International Lesson Commentary.........................................................394 Daily Devotional Readings..................................................................... 403
SUBSCRIBERS’ INFORMATION
ADVERTISING: For information with reference to ad vertising in THE KING’S BUSINESS address the Re ligious Press Assn., 325 North 13th St., Philadelphia, Pa., or North American Bldg., Chicago, 111. Entered as Second Class Matter November 17, 1910, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage pro vided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized October 1, 1918. TERMS: Single Copies.............................................. 15c Annual Subscription ....................................................$1.50 Two-year subscription or two annual subscriptions 2.50
Five annual subscriptions..........................................$ 5.00 Eleven annual subscriptions........................................ 10.00 Subscriptions in countries outside of U. S. require 25c extra. REMITTANCE: Should be made by Bank Draft, Ex press or P. O. Money Order, payable to “ Bible Institute of Los Angeles.” Receipts will not be sent for regular subscriptions, but date of expiration will show plainly each month, on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. MANUSCRIPTS: THE KING'S BUSINESS cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts sent to it for consideration. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please send both old and new address at least one month previous to date of desired change.
POLICY AS DEFINED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES (a) To stand for the infallible Word of God and its great fundamental truths, (b) To strengthen the faith of all believers, (c) To stir young men and women to fit themselves for and engage in definite Christian work, (d) To make the Bible Institute of Los Angeles known, (e) To magnify God our Father and the person, work and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; and to teach the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in our present practical life, (f) To emphasize in strong, constructive messages the great foundations of Christian faith. 554-558 So. Hope St., BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Los Angeles, Calif.
Others not shown: Stewart P. MacLennan, Harry Straub, D.D.S., F. Stillwell Moore, Helen Agnes Palmer, Harry W. Boyd, M.D., and John B. Trowbridge. T hird Row: Carlton C. Buck, W. R. Hale, James A. Vaus, Cutler B. Whitwell, Charles E. Hurlburt, J. Franklin Kelly, M. D., Paul Pritchard. FACULTY OF THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES 1933 (Left to right) F irst R ow , seated: Mrs. Edith P. Youngken, John A. Hubbard, President Louis T. Talbot, Dean Elbert L. McCreery, Herbert G. Tovey, Mabel M. Culter. S econd R o w : E. R. Black, Mrs. Ruth Ray Buerge, Lucy M. Kil gore, M. D., Mrs. A. L. Dennis, Mrs. Hugh B. Evans, Jr., Mrs. Margaret Pinkerton Mathews, lone Lowman, Mrs. Dorothy Marie Bruns, Gordon E. Hooker.
M M — M .THE SALVATION OF THE LORD”
is the most thrilling sight, the most wonderful experience in my whole Christian life— to see the miracle that God has wrought for the Bible Institute in the past three months.” Among those on the platform were members o f the Board of Directors and the faculty. These earnest, self- effacing men and women have laid aside many personal tasks, for among them are doctors, educators, pastors, and business men, with already crowded programs o f Christian activity. President Louis T. Talbot,, pastor of the Church o f the Open Door, opened the meeting and presented Dr. E. L. McCreery, Dean o f the Faculty, as the presiding officer. As an introduction to his remarks, the Dean submitted his aim for the school for the ensuing year: “ That we may know God’s will wholly, and that we may be given strength and courage to do that will as it is revealed to us.” Dr. Stewart P. MacLennan, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, and a member of the Institute fac ulty was invited to direct the devotional thought o f the con gregation, and he did so, first, by calling for the singing of that beautiful prayer hymn of the Gipsy evangelist, “ Bread of Heaven,” and then by the use of Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians: “ That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father o f glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge o f him.” Lifting the whole inspiring service to a never-to-be- forgotten climax, the guest speaker, Dr. Charles G. need o f every child of God. He said in part: “ Have you ever had a bone out o f joint— a dislocated elbow, wrist, or even finger ? If so, you know how painful it was, and how helpless you were. You know, too, the intense relief that came when the surgeon snapped the dis location back into place. It may have hurt at the time, and there may have been some aching afterward; but when the dislocation had been made right, the bones and muscles o f the joint could function properly again, the blood could circulate, and you could perform again the duties that you wished to- do. Trumbull, Editor o f the Sunday S c h o o l T im es, pictured “ the ad justed l i f e ”-||the
o t alone to the days o f Old ■*“ ^ Testament history belong
the accounts o f unerring guidance and miraculous deliver ance for God’s people. There have been many later in stances, and one o f them found a setting in Los Angeles, in the summer and early fall months o f 1933. The straggling potential Hebrew nation emerging from Egypt, with desert on one side, mountains on the other, Pharaoh’s hosts behind them, and the Red Sea before them, faced no more baffling perplexities and experienced no greater thrill than that which the Bible Institute o f Los An geles has known and felt as it has watched the waters part, making possible, in late September, the most optimistic opening that has been witnessed here in many years. For the Bible Institute, like God’s pursued people o f old, recog nized that, in this day o f acute financial distress, from Him alone could come needed help and victory.. Near the close o f the school year in June, 1933, T he K in g ’ s B u s in e s s concluded an article with these faith- filled words: “ Dedicated ‘unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood,’ Biola will, by His grace and His enabling, swing wide its wel coming arms on September 21 to every young person whose purpose makes him qualify. How it is possible in the face o f humanly insurmountable difficulties is God’s problem; ‘our eyes are unto him.” ’ And He has never failed! spoken to His an cient people, “ The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace,” they came again to those who watched this.Chris tian stronghold with prayer and faith. There were several days o f student registration. Then, on September 25, the day of the formal opening o f the fall semester, a miracle-loving Heavenly Father displayed 'His answer to the .problem o f the past when He drew to gether a company of over 800 praise-filled Christians to witness and partake in a service that featured the largest student body in the Institute in eleven years. The lower auditorium and adjacent classrooms made available for the occasion were crowded to capacity.. One member o f the staff spoke for many when he said: “ This
As truly as the words were HaveYouReadtheStoryonPages388and389?
[Continued on page 390]
371
November, 1933
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
■ rounJ T H E KING ’S TABLE
failures, our pride, jealousy, bitterness, and destructive criticism, our sins o f omission, as well as our sins o f com mission. When we are broken before God, the Holy Spirit can convict the unsaved. A study of real revivals will show that they began with humiliation and confession on the part of God’s children. A revival comes in answer to prayer. “ Praying Hyde” prayed, and revival came to India. Abel Clary prayed, and revival broke out in Finney’s ministry. David Brainerd prayed, and the Indians were evangelized. Evan Roberts prayed, and revival came to Wales. A city missionary prayed in New York, the Fulton Street Prayer Meeting was started, and the great revival o f 1857 came to America. Aunty Cooke prayed, and D. L. Moody was filled with the Holy: Spirit and became the flaming evangel. Prayer is the greatest power on earth. “ Prayer changes things.” Prayer releases the resources o f God and gives the Holy Spirit a chance to work. Prayer brings conviction. The greatest thing we can do for God is to pray. The greatest thing we can do for man is to intercede. A day of prayer was followed by the greatest revival the writer has seen in his ministry. Are we willing to give ourselves to prayer for revival ? A passion for souls is necessary, if we are to have a revival. Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Do you ever weep over your city ? Have you a vision o f a lost world ? Have you a vision o f Calvary and what it cost God to redeem lost men? Do you echo the prayer o f Moody: “ Oh, God, stir the cities of America once again” ? Can you say with Paul: “ Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved” ? Are you ready to pray: “Lord, lay some soul upon my heart, A surrender to God that will result in the infilling of the Holy Spirit will bring a revival. W e are talking about something that is sane and wholesome, something that gives a cool head and a hot heart, not a hot head and a cold heart. We are talking about an experience that is normal and genuine, and that produces fruit in the life and min istry. Moody had this experience, and so has every real man o f God: It is an experience that glorifies Christ and makes one’s life speak and work in the energy o f the Holy Spirit. It comes in response to an attitude o f surrender and trust. “ The world has yet to see what God can do through one man who is wholly surrendered to Him,” was the state ment made in the presence o f Moody, and he determined by the grace o f God to be that man. The world knows the result! It is said that through Moody’s ministry, a million souls came to God. “ What is the secret of your life ?” asked Chapman of General Booth. “ God has all there is o f me,” was the answer. “ God is looking for a man to whom He can entrust more power than He has yet given to any man,” said Moody. Can God trust us with power ? Shall we not pray: And love that soul through me, And may I humbly do my part To win that soul for thee” ?
[The follozving items were written by Dr. Paul W. Rood, President o f the World’s Christian Fundamentals Association dur ing an exceptionally fruitful series o f evangelistic services in Oc tober in the Church o f the Open Door, Los Angeles .— E ditor .] Let the Fire Fall! ar v is it to Yosemite National Park, the wonderland o f the Pacific Coast, is a never-to-be-forgotten experience. It is intensely interesting to visit Mirror Lake, when the sun is rising, and to see the surrounding mountain peaks re flected in the still waters, then to visit Bridal Weil Falls in the afternoon, when the sun is setting, and' to see all the colors of the rainbow reflected in the waterfall that sways hither and thither in the summer breeze like the veil of a bride. A climb up the one-and-a-half-mile trail to Glacier Point is rewarded by a view o f the High Sierra peaks, the waterfalls, and the valley below. One o f the outstanding memories o f a visit to this place o f unsurpassed grandeur is something that takes place every evening at nine o’clock. At that hour the program at Camp Curry suddenly ceases. Every eye is riveted upon a great fire burning on Glacier Point. Some one has gathered material for it during the day. The onlookers gaze silently, awe-stricken. At length, the stillness is broken by the announcer at Camp Curry, who cups his hands and cries ou t: “ Hello Glacier.” The man on Glacier Point calls back: “ Hello Camp Curry.” Then, from the announcer comes this command: “ Let the fire fall!" One then beholds a scene that beggars description, and that can never be erased from the walls o f memory. The bonfire is pushed over the cliff, and it descends from those dizzy heights like an illuminated waterfall. Some o f us, who watched this scene, walked quietly to our places of abode with a prayer on our lips: “ Lord, let the fire fall in my heart.” Is not this what is needed in the heart o f every believer and in every assembly of believers? Do we not need the purging fire that will burn up the dross o f selfishness and indolence and indifference ? Shall we not pray that the fire o f God may fall upon our churches, that revival fires may burn in our communities! Oh, for a genuine, heaven-sent, prayed-down, sweeping revival all over our land and in the regions beyond! Let the fire fall! How Can W e Have a Revival ? I I i n n e y used to say that- God’s people could have a re- J L " vival whenever they were willing to pay the price. Certainly the difficulty is not with God, or with the Holy Spirit, or with the gospel. God still loves lost men, the Holy Spirit still convicts of sin, and the gospel is still the power of God unto salvation. Moody’s, Wesley’s, Fin ney’s, Edwards’ God is our God—-living, omnipotent, and loving. The difficulty is with men. Can God find a chan nel through whom He can work? Are there sufficient numbers o f believers in any given community who will meet the conditions of a revival? How can we have a revival ? A genuine revival is some thing costly. There is no easy method by which to obtain it. It costs repentance, tears, and confession on the part o f God’s people. It must begin with us. W e must remove hindrances. W e must humble ourselves and confess our
“ Lord send a revival, Lord send a revival, Lord send a revival, And let it begin in me” ?
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
November, 1933
cÇJrecious C^Ja reci ^ sa v io u r Unto you therefore which believe he is precious” (1 P eter 2:7). / \ f f r -------T A k B y the late HAROLD F. GRAHAM
His S aviourhood was D ivinely E xpensive The saviourhood of the Lord Jesus Christ was divinely ex pensive; it robbed heaven o f its glory. It must have been this fact
. re you not a lto g e th e r taken by surprise at finding these words on the lips o f Peter ? Had it been John, the beloved one, the tender-hearted one, the one who laid his head upon the breast of the Lord Jesus, who had called Christ precious, you would not have been surprised. Had David, the sweetest singer o f all Israel, the one who set down the deepest emotions o f the heart on the pages of the Psalms, written that C h ris t is precious, you would not have thought it strange. But the words set strangely upon the lips of Peter, the hardened, burly fisherman o f the sea. On the night when Christ was betrayed, '■
o f which the psalmist was think ing, when he wrote: “ Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: . . . All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out o f the ivory palaces.” “ My Lord has garments so won drous fine, And myrrh their texture fills; Its fragrance reached to this heart of mine, With joy my being thrills. His life had also its sorrows sore; For aloes had a part: And when I think o f the cross He bore, My eyes with teardrops start.” Myrrh and aloes and cassia— the fragrance of these were upon His garments, for He came from the ivory palaces o f glory to a world of sin, god lessness, and death. He who was the brightness o f God’s glory and the express image of His per son had to veil Himself in a robe o f human flesh. His saviourhood not only cost heaven its glory, but, in a stranger way, it cost earth its pride. If the Father sent the Son to be a Saviour o f the world, then the world must need a Saviour. The world must know itself lost, ruined, and eternally smitten under the power o f sin. This saviourhood o f Jesus Christ cost an unwilling world all its pride. It dashed the proud, self-righteous Jew to the earth; it destroyed all the wisdom, culture, and self-refinement o f the Greek. It told the world that it had already been judged by God, and that its sin was known; its secret parts were uncov ered, and God knew o f its filthiness and had de clared it all to be a stench in His nostrils. If He is to be your Saviour, He will rob you o f your pride likewise. You shall have to drop your little pretenses o f being good enough with out Him. You shall stand still in your own help lessness, before you advance in His strength, see ing your little air castles o f self-realization and self-sufficiency tumble and crumble about you. You shall realize your utter helplessness without Christ. YoUr pride will be destroyed and broken, and you shall then stand ready for this next revelation— all glorious it is— concerning the saviourhood of Jesus Christ.
I have prayed for thee'
there were no tears on the face o f Peter, but there were curses from his lips. Yet it is from the same lips that we have these sweet, tender, winsome words: “ Unto you therefore which believe he is precious.” O f how many things in your life could you use this word “ precious” ? You count your h e a l t h precious, or at least you do after you have lost it. You count your possessions precious. The dear companion o f your life is precious. You look down into the smiling blue eyes o f your baby boy, and you say he is precious. But nearer and dearer than all o f these is the Christ o f our redemption. So we look at Him with loving, glistening eyes, and our hearts respond with unutterable emotion, as we hear these words o f Peter: “ Unto you there fore which believe he is precious.” What makes a thing precious ? Surely its cost liness determines this. I could place in your hand a diamond, and you would say it is a precious stone. That is because it is costly. Then if I could place in your hand the Hope Diamond, world famous as it is, you would say also that it is precious— and infinitely more precious—because there is none other like it in the world. Perhaps, then, if we take just such simple, earth-bound standards as these, we shall be able to under stand why we must speak of the Lord Jesus as our precious Saviour. E ditor ' s N ote : Last year, about this time, the busy young pastor who wrote the accompanying article was serving as an instructor in the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. The Editor of T he K ing ' s B usiness asked him for a sermon outline to be used on the homi letical page of the Thanksgiving issue. Mr. Graham graciously responded by sending the manuscript of the sermon, “ Precious Saviour,” which, while it does not deal directly with the subject of thanksgiving, focuses meditative attention upon the divine Source of it. It was felt that to condense so inspiring a message into the narrow bounds of an outline would be to lose much of its richness and beauty; it has therefore been held for use, unabridged, in the present issue. Since the message was penned and preached, its ardent author has glimpsed in Glory the beauty of the precious Saviour whom on earth he loved. *
November, 1933
373
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Stand Tonight before "the cross o f Christ’s agony, and ask the Son o f God how much you cost Him. You cost Him every drop of His life blood. You are precious to Him, as He is precious to you. That is why we must behold Him in en raptured vision, and call Him precious Saviour, because His saviourhood is so divinely expensive! His S alvation is U tterly E xclusive What gives the most priceless gem in the world its great value? Is it not the fact that there is not another like it on earth? For the same reason Jesus.Christ is our precious Saviour. “ For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” “ There was none other good enough To pay the price o f sin; He only could unlock the gate
Not only did the saviourhood of Jesus Christ cost heaven its glory and earth its pride, but it cost the Son o f God His life blood. In speaking of this, Peter applies that strange, tender adjective, “ precious,” when he says, “ Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold. . . . But with the precious blood o f Christ, as o f a lamb without blemish and without spot,” During the Indian Mutiny, some o f the English were defeated, and a number of them were cap tured and taken prisoners to what was then the headquarters o f the Sepoys. Among the captured was a man who was badly wounded and bleeding. He was lying helpless on the floor when an Indian
officer came in and started to wrap a long chain about each o f the English officers. When the Indian ap proached the man lying on the floor, so weak from loss o f blood that he could not move, and started to wrap and lock the chain about him, a brother Englishman, named Baird, leaped to his feet and pushed the Indian officer back, until he went staggering against the wall, and said: “ Man, have you neither heart nor sympathy? Don’t you see this man is suffering from his wounds, and is so weak now that he cannot stand? He could make no attempt to escape if he wanted to. You are not going to add to his burdens by compelling him to lie there with a chain wrapped about him !” Said the Indian officer: “ There are as many chains as there are prisoners, and every chain must be worn.” Then said Baird: “ You
O f heaven and let us in !” Had Jesus Christ not be come our Saviour, the whole race would have been swal lowed up in the abyss o f its rebellion against God. Can you imagine any other form in the universe bound, to that cross atoning for sin? Can you imagine the Angel Gab riel nailed to the tree of Cal vary? Can you think o f an other being in all the vast em pire o f God that would be good enough to offer such precious blood in our stead? You cannot! Then hail Him precious Saviour. He alone is all the hope, and all the plea for saving grace, and all the glory o f the soul that trusts in Him. The world has seen many teachers and in structors in religious ideals, but the world has seen but one Saviour. A desert traveler is dying of thirst. His pockets may be bulging with gold. His saddlebags may be packed
Crucified, L iv in g , and Coming Again [May be sung to the tune “ Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes” ] By R ussell E. K au ffm an From heaven’s glory, Jesus came To die upon the tree; Dying, to save eternally, A sinner lost, like me. He took my place, He loved me so, His sacrifice divine Hath reconciled my soul to God, And made His mercy mine. Death could not hold the Lord of L ife; . In triumph H e arose; Victor forever o’er the tomb, And Conqueror o f His foes; He lives again, the Christ o f God, No more to bleed and die; He hath ascended unto God To dwell with Him on high. Some day the trump of God will sound, And Jesus shall descend; Coming to claim His chosen bride — The age of grace to end. O day o f days, when loved ones meet, In yonder home so fair; Come then, dear Lord, and call Thine own To dwell forever there!
may put two chains on me; I will wear mine and his.” It was done. His captors locked two chains around him, carried him out, and dropped him into the infamous well of Calcutta. The other man, unchained, went back to England. Until the day he died, he never tired o f sounding forth the praises o f the man who, by wearing his chain, had made it possible for him to creep back again into the arms o f his wife and children. Perhaps, all of your life, you have heard such stories o f substitutionary suffering, as we poor,, stammering preachers o f Christ try to find some way of telling you how infinitely costly was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf. W e try to make you understand how infinite was the price He paid for our ransom. None other could ever pay such a price. That is why Jesus Christ is precious!
with bacon and flour and sugar. The one thing needful is water. Without water, he must die. A man is dying o f starvation. His eyes stand like burning lamps in their hollow sockets. His bones stand out beneath his shrinking, shriveling skin. No matter what else he has, he must have food, for without food he will die. Food is the most precious thing on earth to him. A man is dying in sin. His soul sinks under the condemnation o f God upon his sinfulness. The works o f his righteousness are all destroyed; he shrinks and quails before the blazing light of God’s purity. He must have Christ. 'Without Christ, he dies. Jesus Christ is precious to the soul, because there is salvation in no other. Did He not teach us so? “ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. . . . I am the
November, 1933
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
374
the heart softens, and a sweet tenderness creeps into the voice. Are not such things faint illustrations o f the precious ness o f Jesus Christ? No matter how far we may go into the depths of Christ, His love is always as fresh as the dews of Hermon. Each newborn morning, as we rise and look into His face, we vow His presence was never before so sweet or His mercy so tender. Were it not for Him and His promise, the faded letters would be our despair, rather than our jo y ; and the little photograph would be but a re minder of our eternal bereavement, rather than our glad hope o f reunion by and by. Most o f all, H e is precious; and when He leads His peo ple home at last, we shall spend eternity in exploring the unsearchable riches of Christ. His love is eternally expan sive, exhaustless, and boundless. A century ago, in northern Europe, one of the grandest buildings in all that land was one o f the marvelous old cathedrals. Upon one of the arches o f that cathedral was a sculptured face of wondrous beauty. It was long hidden, and no one knew o f its existence, until one day the sun’s light, striking through a slanting window, chanced to re veal its matchless features. Ever after that, upon the days when it was thus illuminated for a brief time, crowds came and eagerly waited for the opportunity to see that face. That wondrous face o f stone had a strange history. When the cathedral was being' constructed, an old man, broken with the weight of years and care, came and be sought the architect to let him work on the building. Out of pity for his age, but fearful lest his failing sight and trembling hand might mar some fair design, the architect set him to work in the shadows of the vaulted roof. One day they found the old man asleep in death, the tools of his craft laid in order beside him, the cunning of his right hand gone, and the face upturned to the marvelous face which he had wrought— the face o f one whom he had loved and lost in his early manhood. And when the artists and sculptors and workmen from all parts of the cathedral came and looked upon the sculptured face, they said: “ This is the grandest work of all, for love wrought this.” That is what shall make heaven glorious. When our hearts fail us at the glory He has prepared, we shall see, wrought into every design in glory, the love o f Christ, which led Him to Calvary for us. Those blessed hands today are busy at the wondrous labor o f God, working His love into mansions o f light for us. That love never fadeth, and that love never faileth. Precious Saviour! A Day of Prayer T he Christian Business Men’s Committee, sponsoring noonday gospel meetings in the downtown theater district o f Chicago, invited Christian people to set apart October 5 as a day for fasting and prayer. Not alone for the work of the committee, but on behalf of the nation as a whole, prayer was urged, for the following and other reasons: 1. There is great unrest, distrust, confusion, and even defiance of God all over the world in every nation. 2. The testimony of Christians is weak. 3. Real prayer and intercession are unknown to most be lievers. Friends in or near Chicago were invited to meet in the Garrick Building. Writing of the gathering, E. G. Zorn, executive secretary, stated: “ With regard to our day of prayer and fasting which began at 5 p.m. last evening and will conclude at 5 p.m., D.V., this afternoon, we are glad to report that this has been a great demonstration of inter est and intercession. No better time could have been chosen for a day and night of prayer and waiting upon God, and we have had as high as ISO in attendance, with not less than thirty all through the night and morning hours.”
door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: . . . I am the d oo r: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved. . . . The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to. kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” On another occasion, our Lord said: “ I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” And again, “ He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life : and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life ; but the wrath o f God abideth on him.” Just as a man dying o f starvation needs food, so the soul of man needs Jesus Christ. Without Him, one dies! That is the one thing about Jesus Christ that maddens men. Most people will admit He is good, in fact, much better than they. They will admit the beauty o f His teaching and the fragrance o f His character. They will assent that He pointed the way to eternal life. Some will even admit His claim that He is the way. But when He claims to be not only the way, but the only way to God, they hiss His name and repudiate His claims. But this same utter exclusiveness of His salvation makes Him precious to us who believe. W e know that if it had not been for Jesus Christ, and our acceptance o f Him as the only way to God, we should never have known the meaning of salvation. Like Wesley, who, whenever he saw a dissolute, repulsive character, and was tempted to turn aside in disgust, would say, “ There, except for the grace of God in Jesus Christ, is John Wesley,” we, too, know the depths from which we have been lifted. His L ove is E ternally E xpansive Again, the Lord Jesus is our precious Saviour because His love is eternally expansive. The riches of His grace are exhaustless; the depths o f His love are unsearchable; and we shall never come to the end of the revelations of His glory. How much credence would you give to any one who should say: “ I have tasted of the water of life ; I have ex plored the depths o f God’s grace; I have tasted of the sweet ness o f His love; the fragrance of the Rose o f Sharon has been in my nostrils; the powers o f the age to come have swept over my soul; there is nothing about the Lord Jesus Christ which I have not seen and experienced; my soul, is surfeited with Christ; there is nothing new in Him for me” ? You would know that such an one had never known Christ or seen Him at all. But we who know Him and have seen Him by faith are coming more and more to realize that His love is past finding out. Some of you have treasures, and their charm never fails to thrill your heart. You turn to them when all other things o f life fail. One of them may be a bunch o f old let ters, tied with a bit o f faded ribbon; you pick them up when you are tired of the world and its noise. You turn again the pages which are well-thumbed and stained in places by the splash o f tears. You hear the old, familiar voice; you know every accent in that voice, though it was hushed long ago in silence. For you such letters are your great treasure. They are precious. I have sometimes gone into a home where a parent will take down a little photograph and hand it to me and say: “ This is our precious baby.” And I say, “ Where is she? I did not know you had a little girl of that age.” Then the voice trembles with the answer: “ Baby is in heaven now.” That photograph is precious, and no matter how hard the day has been, or how keen the disappointments, or how annoying the trials, when a parent looks at that photograph,
November, 1933
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
375
W H Y GIVE THANKS ? S & I v / 0 £ B y H. L. STHENGAARD* Cambridge, Mass.
“ In every thing give thanks : fo r this is the will o f God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thess. 5 :18). the seven yearly feasts instituted by Jehovah for His ancient people, the feast described in Exodus 23 :16 resembles most nearly our Thanksgiving Day. The Bible speaks o f this joyous occasion as “ the feast of harvest, the first fruits o f thy labors, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast o f ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy .labors out of the field.” Year after year, God’s people assembled thus to acknowledge His goodness. It may be that some o f David’s psalms o f thanksgiving were written for these feast days. For whatever use they were originally intended, they are invariably the expression of a deep sense o f gratitude to God for all His blessings—an attitude o f heart which ever characterized the sweet singer of, Israel. It was David,
S on : In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:12-14). For to us, as well as to those believers o f an earlier day, comes the reas suring w ord : “ The joy o f the Lord is your strength,” liter ally, “ stronghold,” “ fortress” (Neh. 8 :10 ). T hanksgiving in S pite of C ircumstances We are told to “ rejoice evermore.” Joy is the fruit o f the Spirit; it is not dependent on environment or cir cumstances. It is the measure of the fullness of the in dwelling Spirit. This explains how Paul and Silas could sing praises to God in the prison. Like them, when" provi dential circumstances would tend to discourage us, we should encourage ourselves in the Lord, trust Him fully, and rest assured that Romans 8 :28 means exactly what it says. How is this possible? In Philippians 4 :6 and 7, we are
you remember, who, on the happy occasion of the return of the ark after its capture by the Philistines, “ appointed cer tain o f the Levites to minister before the ark o f the Lord, and to record, and to thank and praise the Lord God o f Israel” (1 Chron. 16:4). What an altogether proper thing to do at a time like this! Perhaps it was through David’s example that Nehemiah, at the dedica tion o f the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem, appointed two great companies o f singers, who, standing on top o f the wall, sang praises to God, and gave thanks. All these, and many other saints o f Bible times, needed no examples to prompt them to gratitude. T h e ir inspiration and illumination by the Holy Spirit, and the revelations of God, filled their hearts with joy and thanksgiving. An even greater revelation is ours in Christ. No people on earth ought to be more thankful than those who have been born of the Spirit, and who are con scious o f salvation and eternal security in Christ. From the heart o f every redeemed one should forever issue praise: “ Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” Like the Apostle Paul, we should be
told to “ be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanks giving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace o f God, which pass- eth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” You do not need to pray for the ex perience o f vepse 7, if you meet the conditions o f verse 6 ; and you cannot obtain the one without the other. As we are joyful and prayerful, we shall be praiseful. W e are told, “ In every thing give thanks”— under all circumstances, whether persecution, or bereavement, or any other affliction. Paul could say, and we may say, “ I have learned, in whatso ever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instruct ed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strength- eneth me” (Phil. 4:11-13). Hundreds of years earlier, the prophet Habakkuk had learned the same lesson, when he could say : “ Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall the fruit be in the
THANKSG IVING B y B ruce M. M etzger O LORD, for all Thy blessings past and now This day our knees in grateful thanks we bow, And gratitude like incense clouds we raise. Not only in the blessings Thou hast sent, In tribulations, too, do we rejoice ; Since oaks grow great while they in storms are bent, In trials, too, we thank Thee for Thy voice. Most holy God, we bless Thee most of all That we, though sinful—lacking merit—yet To Thee may come, receiving at Thy call From Calvary free pardon for our debt. With hearts o’erflowing, praise to Thee we sing, That through all days shall make the echoes ring. To Thee we owe and give all heartfelt praise;
ever “ giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers o f the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power o f dark ness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear
vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God o f my salvation” (Hab. 3 :17, 18). Have you reached that position in Christ? Or do the things o f earth make you so anxious that you cannot
*Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church.
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
376
November, 1933
offer believing prayer with thanksgiving and obtain peace ? On one occasion, when H. B. Gibbud, a Christian worker who went to be with the Lord several years ago, found his flour barrel empty and his wife tempted to anxiety, he suggested that they have prayer about the need, and that they sing the Doxology into the empty flour barrel. This they did, and peace settled down upon their souls. The next morning, Mr. Gibbud found a barrel of flour on his back porch, and he never knew how it got there! God had met His two believing children as they stood— the empty flour barrel between them— upon the promise of Philippians 4 :6 and 7. W e have learned much o f grace when we can give thanks fo r all things. But are we not on higher ground when we can give thanks in spite o f all things ? Some who are without Christ may be grateful; but many others have reached the place described in Romans 1:21. The Christian should be as thankful without things as with them, remem bering that to have the One who blesses is of far greater value than merely to obtain a few blessings. O ur E xample in T hanksgiving Thanksgiving was a characteristic o f the Lord Jesus Christ, even in circumstances o f adversity and sorrow. When the people of certain cities rejected Him, He said: “ I thank thee, O Father, Lord o f heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight” (Matt. 11:25, 26). When about to break the bread symbolic of His body broken for us— an act reminding Him o f His imminent death—He gave thanks. When He took the cup, He also gave thanks. His thanksgiving arose, not from congenial circumstances, but from the knowledge that in His adversities, the will of His Father was being accomplished. Christ’s circumstances made Him a man of sorrows. His submission to God made His heart glad even in the face o f death. He not only taught His disciples to rejoice, to pray, and to give thanks, but He was Himself the per fect Example in these things. His conduct and His message together were revelations of the will of God to the world. The exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 5 :18 recurs with added emphasis in Ephesians 5 :20: “ Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the'Father in the name o f our Lord Jesus Christ.” The name of the Lord Jesus suggests His character, and therefore His example; while the title given to God, “ Father,” suggests, first of all, His com passion : “ Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust” (Psa. 103:13, 1 4 ); and then, His care: “ Your father knoweth what things ye have need o f ” (Matt. 6 :8 ). Faith is encouraged to abound in thanksgiving, and those who believe are to be “ rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving” (Col. 2 :7 ). “ And let the peace o f God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body: and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name o f the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Col. 3 :15-17). G od ’ s W ill for H is O wn He who can say “ amen” to the will o f God, will always be able to say “ hallelujah.” Frances Ridley Havergal de clared : “ Once the will o f God was to me a sigh, but now it has become a song. When we are in tune with that sweet will, it becomes easy to sing praise.” Thanksgiving is the
expression of joy Godward; and like joy, it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the heart o f the believer. It is ever the will o f God that we should be joyful, prayerful, and praiseful. By this we understand that this is His gracious design, rather than our determined resolve. God’s purpose for us in redemption is that we should yield our will and respond in glad obedience and praise, but even here, He remembers that we are dust. Thanksgiving has many contributing factors. Look, for example, at the life o f Paul. We admire the great apostle because o f the richness of his life in Christ;' There is an intensely human touch in the account concerning him, given in Acts 2 8 :1 4 ,15: “ We went toward Rome . . When the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us, . . whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage/’ Was Paul depressed in spirit, perhaps through ill health, or the exertions and strain o f the voyage and wreck ? Did he need these greetings from Christian friends to encourage him? Do you recall the occasion which prompted him to send Titus to Corinth in order to calm his anxieties con cerning the Christians there? It was not till the good report came back that he could say: “ Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour o f his knowledge by us in every place” (2 Cor. 2 :14 ). Paul had suffered much in order to give forth the gospel in Corinth. Yea, in all his journeys he had met poverty, persecution, and distress; yet as Titus re ported the success o f his ministry, he received new joy and courage. In a very definite sense, we may contribute to the thanksgiving o f another child o f God. Are we fail ing him, and failing God, in this ? S acrifice , the H andmaiden of T hanksgiving Our Lord Jesus Christ is worthy o f perpetual praise. “ By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice o f praise to God continually, that is, the fruit o f our lips giving thanks to his name” (Heb. 13:15). Thanksgiving and sacrifice go together. Peter speaks o f spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Christ Jesus. This expression cannot mean that the sacrifice o f Christ was not sufficient for us. It may be explained, rather, in the light o f Hebrews 13 :16: “ But to do good and to communicate forget n o t: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” “ To do good” will often awaken praise to God when every cause for it seems lacking. A minister one Sunday preached a sermon about heaven. The next morning, on his way to town, he met one of his older, wealthy members. The brother stopped the preacher and said: “ Pastor, you preached a good sermon on heaven; but you didn’t tell me where heaven is,” “ Ah,” replied the preacher, “ I am glad for the oppor tunity this morning. I have just returned from the hilltop yonder. In that cottage, there is a member o f our church. She is sick in bed with a fever; her two little children are sick in another bed. She has not a bit o f coal, nor a stick o f wood, nor flour, nor meat, nor any bread. If you will go down and buy a sovereign’s worth o f good things—good provisions— and send them up to her; if you will go there and say, ‘My sister, I have brought these provisions in the name o f our Lord and Saviour’ ; if you will ask for a Bible, and will read the Twenty-Third Psalm, and will then go down on your knees and pray—- if you will do all that, and you do not see heaven before you get through, I will pay the bill.” The next morning, the man met him and said: “ Pastor, I saw heaven yesterday, and I spent fifteen minutes there!” The day is coming when we who trust in Christ will enter into the “ many mansions” that our Lord has gone to prepare. A foretaste o f that coming glory may and should be ours today. Thanksgiving and thanks-living will make it ours. They will bring heaven itself into our souls.
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs