“ Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all gen erations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psa. 90:1, 2).
Courtesy, Yosemite Park and Curry Co.
International Leader Sees Revival at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles
"Confidence in Biola Is Going Up, Up, IJp”
In his fifth and latest book, This Is the Victory, J. Edwin Orr devotes a whole chapter to the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. The author is an international figure. A zealous young Ulsterman, he has been greatly used in Britain, Russia, Palestine, and Canada in awakening Christians to sense their need of spiritual revival. Mr. Orr visited the Bible Institute of Los Angeles in January of this year and took part in the Institute’s conference on evangelism. Although a young man, Mr. Orr is no novice as a speaker and writer. He has traveled more than 50,000 miles preaching the Word, and many a gracious, Spirit-sent revival has followed his ministry. Over 185,000 copies of his travel books are in circulation. O f the 100 strenuous days that Mr. Orr spent in the United States, when he traveled over 10,000 miles and spoke in every state of the Union, Mr. Orr stayed about a week in Los Angeles. The comments made by this keen observer were wholly unsolicited and most significant.
J. EDW IN ORR Visiting Speaker
/ ^ \ F all the people that I met [writes J. Edwin Orr in This Is the V ictory }, I was most impressed with Dr. Paul Rood. I would gladly have crossed the Atlantic to gain his friendship. In the early days of his ministry, Paul Rood was associated with Swedish-speaking groups, and I heard his Seattle work well spoken o f in every way. He traveled around a bit, made many friends and few enemies, and was in a Chicago pastorate when the call came to the presidency o f the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. Biola had been passing through testing times, for as it is upon a faith basis, students are given free tuition which is covered by free-will gifts, and the depression affected Biola. For a financial policy, Paul Rood announced that his main plan was spiritual revival. “ I f we get a revival,” said he, “ we shall have fewer money problems.” Such a policy, if rare, is very logical. From the moment of Dr. Rood’s arrival, a new spirit entered Biola. Nobody is jealous of him, for he is too friendly to hurt any one. Confidence outside and inside Biola is going up, up, up; and one is compelled to describe the turn as revival. I learned the details of Dr. Rood’s success from various sources, but I caught a glimpse o f the man’s ambitions for
God from the conversations that we had ourselves. The sane logic and spiritual fervor of the Keswick message has deeply impressed him, and he is praying much that Biola through stressing the Keswick outlook may develop still more as a beacon o f light in the Far West. California especially is noted for confusion o f tongues, and is crying out for a more positive leadership such as only Biola is being equipped to give. Who is to be used to make Biola an even more aggres sive weapon for revival and evangelism is not a question that worries Paul Rood, but one is convinced that while he is President o f the Institute he will go to the limit to see his God-given ambition realized. The record o f Biola is one long list o f subjects for thanksgiving. What Biola may yet become calls for vision, faith, and sanctified energy. N ot one of these qualities is lacking in Dr. Rood’s make-up. The President o f Biola is one o f the most humorous men in Christian work. One could not describe his laugh as ultra musical, but it is the merriest, most infectious laugh that one could hear. Some one ought to make a gramophone record o f it and sell it as a tonic for depression! His sympathy is unfailing, and his kindness is natural. I hope my readers will pray for this humble-minded brother in Christ— a better investment could not be made.
®
See page 396 for plan o f obtaining Mr. O rr’ s books with the K IN G ’S BUSINESS
*
" I N E V E R K N E W I S H O U L D G IV E T O T H E J E W S ” | A dear sister in Christ writes : I am so sorry I never knew b e fore that I should and could give to His brethren— the Jews. I am grateful for the privilege and opportunity of giving my mite as often as possible from now on. And in the same mail an other sister writes :—-
2 f t e $ i W e T a m i l # T l a j ^ i n e Motto: “ Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood .”—R ev . 1 :5.
Volume XXV II
October, 1936
Number 10
I’ve been wanting to do som e thing for G od and hope these few tithes m ay be a beginning o f doing something for God’s chosen people. I believe, to be a sincere child o f God, we must love His chosen people. Per haps some o f us learn this too late in life. I hope I can con tinue to work for Him because H e does so much for me.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Around the King’s Table— Paul W . Rood..........................................371 Give God Everything—R. G. Le Tourneau......................................... 373 A Clarion Call to Missionary Advance— Robert Hall Glover..........374 A Borrowed Body— W. D. Herrstrom................................................ 376 Bible Institute Family Circle................................................................. 378 International Lesson Commentary.........................................................381 Junior King’s Business—Martha S. Hooker........................................389 Notes on Christian Endeavor— Mary G. Goodner............................. 391 World’s Christian Fundamentals Association.......r.................... 399 Evangelistic Notices................................................................................ 399 Daily Devotional Readings................................................................... !.400 Girls’ Query Corner—Myrtle E. Scott—..................................... 406 Our Literature Table..............................................................................407
Then, as though the Lord would add to our encourage ment, He led still another donor to bring us comfort and understanding when He caused him to write us :
It must be increasingly difficult to evangelize am ong the He brews in face o f the intensive propaganda that is b e i n g spread to incite race hatred in these days.
Yes, it is increasingly diffi cult. Satan is busy day and night stirring up hate for G od ’ s covenant people, Is rael. We hope that you as a true child of God will take your side with Him and that you too will experience the awakening— “ I n ev e r knew before I should give to the Jews!” The time is short. Israel needs your help NOW — in these day s o f ra ce hatred and persecution. THE CHOSEN PEOPLE , lo v e d by many Bible students for its helpful in fo rm a tio n on Prophecy and the Jews, is sent to all contributors. May we hear from you? American Board of Missions to the Jews, Inc. 31 Throop Avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y. Dear Friends: I do want to help the Jews. Here is $.........— ......... Use it as God directs, to make known the saving power o f the Lord Jesus Christ to Israel. NAME.........^___ ______ .................._______ ADDRESS...........______ ___________________ CITY..,;..._____ _____ ...STATE______
I N F O R M A T I O N F O R S U B S C R I B E R S
T E R M 8: Single Coplel............................................................ 15c Annual Subscription.................................................................$1.50 Two-year subscription or two annual subscriptions. 2.50 Fire annual subscriptions..........................................................5.00 Eleven annual subscriptions................................................... 10.00 Subscriptions in countries outside of U . S. require 25c extra. REM ITTANCE: Should be made by Bank Draft, Ex press or P. O. Money Order, payable to *'The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated.** Receipts will not be sent for regular subscriptions, but date of expi ration will show plainly each month, on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. CHANGE OF A D D R E S8: Please send both old and new address at least, one month previous to date of de sired change.
AD VERTISIN G : For information with reference to advertising in TH E K IN G 'S BUSIN ESS, address the AD VERTISIN G M ANAGER, 558 SOUTH HOPE STREET, LOS ANGELES, CALIF., or our eastern representative, Religious Press Association, 825 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, Pa., or 38S N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. 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. MANUSCRIPTS: TH E K IN G 'S BU SIN ESS cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts sent to it for consideration.
POLICY AS DEFINED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TH E BIBLE INSTITUTE OF L 08 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. THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, INCORPORATED 558 South Hope Street Los Angeles, California
Steadily ÿïfoving
E a s t w a r d -
Interest in Biota's P raye r Circle has extended to 37 states, besides Alaska, Can ada, and Mexico. On the ac companying map, tacks with tags indicate the states in which Biola's prayer warriors reside. R ib b o n s show the boundaries of the Standard time zones of the nation.
Prayer Circle Covers the Nation
T h e c orrespon den ce that reaches the Secretary of Biola’s World-Wide Prayer Circle is so faith-inspiring that one wishes all the members o f the prayer circle could be present and hear each letter read aloud. O f course, this is not practi cable, but it is possible to make some brief quotations from a few o f the letters, with out violating any confidence or giving the names o f the writers. Surely every reader will rejoice in the sacrifice and faith and Christlike spirit shown in these extracts.
Praying and Giving A very practical suggestion comes from an energetic member o f the circle in New England. Hudson, N . H . Dear Dr. Rood:
at D--------. He has been the means of bringing my boy, along with eighteen or twenty other young people, into the church and to a closer walk with God, just at a time when they were beginning to drift out into the world. My boy became so thoroughly inter ested that he went to the Daily Vacation Bible School which was led by the brothers o f Mr. W -------- and by several others from Biola. He now is at the ----------- camp for boys, and from what he writes, I believe there is a real Chris tian work going on there. The fact that my son has, through the work of the Bible Institute, been started definitely' on the road that leads to life eternal will through the everlasting years 'make me grateful for the work of that Institute. May God abundantly bless you. We need this great school for training in God’s service in this state and in the world. I promise to pray often for you and your work and to contribute the little that I can from time to time. Yours for a great service for our Lord until He comes, Explanation: Friends who desire membership in Biola’s World-Wide Prayer Circle are invited to select one hour in the week (day or evening) when they will pray for the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. When the hour has been chosen, and the Institute has been informed of this fact, a gold star will be placed on the official prayer chart, and a number will be assigned to the new member. All names will be kept in absolute con fidence. Remember, enlistment is “ for the war” ; that is, prayer is to continue until the members are notified that a sum sufficient has been received to pay all operating expenses of the school year. Application: I hereby volunteer to act as a “ BIOLA WATCHMAN” and will pray one hour each week until the sum needed is received to carry on the work of Biola for the present school year. Name...... ....................................................,... Address....___ ........................... ......... A.M . Hour selected.................................. o’clock P.M. (Cross out one) Each___ ______ _______ _....__......_ (Day of the week) BIOLA’S WORLD-W IDE PRAYER CIRCLE
I will take the hour from 7 to 8 A.M . on Sundays to pray for Biola’s needs. I will give £ l.00 at each recurrence of my prayer hour, or the equivalent of that amount from time to time; that is, I will endeavor to send £20.00 to cover the 20 weeks of the fall semester. If, for each hour of the prayer circle, there would be an average of 10 persons at prayer, there would be 240 persons praying every day, or 1,680 for the seven days of the week. And if, in addition to praying an hour a week for Biola, each person would give £1.00 whenever his chosen hour of prayer recurs, this plan would mean a total of £1,680 received by the Institute through the prayer circle. Twenty times £1,680 would give £33,600 for the work. Such giving would carry through in “ good measure” the £30,000 asked for. Twice 1,680 would be 3,360. This number of persons giving 50 cents each prayer time would give the same total amount— £33,600— to carry on the work of training young people who will go forth to labor for our Lord Jesus Christ. Surely there are friends of the Insti tute, Christians who will willingly work in unison for the continuance of this great ministry. The command is, “ Bear ye one another’s burdens” ; and thus would we obey the Word. Yours in Him,
Secretary.
From a Blind Missionary At Port Angeles, Wash., near the north ernmost boundary of the United States, there lives a devoted missionary who, though blind, is doing a work for the Lord through prayer and personal witnessing. Port Angeles, Wash. Brethren:
In response to your request, I am en closing my slip, giving the hour and the day that I wish to set aside for prayer for Biola. I always pray for Biola, but I will send this in to doubly assure you. Though I have not been a regular stu dent of the Institute, the school is very dear to my heart, ana I would not think of going to bed without praying for Biola. I used to go to the Fishermen’s Club whenever it was possible for me to do so. The instruction and inspiration that came to me from those meetings have never left me. I now have another interest in praying for the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. There is a very fine sister from this c*ty who is attending there. She is at home for the summer, but will be back in the fall,'SO'she tells me. She has been an inspiration to me ever since I have known her. She certainly comes back praising Biola. I have no money to send with this letter, but I assure you that I will be praying for Biola. Yours in the Master’s service, The Blind Missionary.
Praise for Transformed Lives In many instances, God has been pleased to grant blessing in the lives and homes of Biola prayer helpers, through the con secrated ministry o f Bible Institute stu dents. Turlock, Calif. Dear Dr. Rood:
After reading your letter in the July issue of the KING’S BUSINESS last night at about ten o’clock, I was led to write you and assure you of my prayer and send you this small mite. What Biola is doing has especially im pressed me this winter since Mr. W ------- (a Biola graduate) took the little church
371
October, 1936
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
c Around the Fang’s ‘Tables By P a u l W. R ood
W ofd and God’s purpose are not in danger, but people and nations are in danger— that is why we need to “ con tend for the faith.” Rejection o f the faith brings collapse and judgment. H ow shall we contend fo r the faith? First, we contend for the faith by accepting it. No one is saved apart from believing in the physical resurrection of Christ (Rom.. 10:9). This doctrine involves every fundamental doctrine. Not only is it necessary to believe in order to be saved, but it is necessary to believe in order to be used in the Lord’s service. Scholarly intellectuals having no positive, dy namic, authoritative message are failures, while more com mon and less brilliant men with powerful .messages are successes. Secondly, it is necessary to stand for this faith without compromise. Many people are tempted to compromise because of promises of position and honor. Let us stand as firmly for the truth of God as the rock of Gibraltar has stood through the ages. This does not mean that we should be like a bull in a china closet or that we should call every one a modernist who does not agree with us in matters o f interpretation. The shepherd of the sheep must warn against the wolves that would destroy the sheep. He must analyze books and movements in order that he can effec tively expose that which is false. But we must be sure of our facts— know twice as much as we tell, then speak fear lessly. Thirdly, we must live the faith. It must be not only in our heads, but in our hearts. W e must possess a subjective apprehension o f objective truth. There must be an emo
As we hearken to the injunction o f Jude Contend for to “ contend earnestly for the faith which the Faith41 waa once for all delivered unto the saints,’;’.; there are three questions which arise. These questions a fe: 1, What is “ the faith” ? 2. Is "the faith” in danger ? 3, How shall we contend for “ the faith” ? What is " the faith” ? The faith means the body of Christian truth held by the historic church; it is that truth upon which evangelical Christians are united, These his toric doctrines are: the infallibility and inerrancy of the Word o f God, the virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious atone ment, physical resurrection, ascension, and personal, vis ible return o f our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the trinity o f the Godhead, the deity and personality o f the Holy Spirit, the lost and undone condition o f every child of Adam apart from Christ, the necessity o f the new birth, the eternal punishment o f the unsaved, and the eternal bliss of the saved. “ The faith . . . was once for all delivered unto the saints.” It was not invented or discovered by man, but delivered by God. Paul could say that he had “ kept the faith” ; that is, he had been true to the great doc trines of Christianity. Our Lord foresaw the apostasy of the end time and suggested that there would be a wide spread denial of the faith upon His return. “ Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith in the earth ?” Is the faith in dangert “ No, a thousand times no”— one of D. L. Moody’s favorite expressions. The Bible is not in danger. “ For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.” W e keep carbon copies of our writing; God
tional, volitional, and ethical response to the truth o f God. Sin must not be tolerated or ex cused. Antinomianism is blasphemous. A New Testament standard of Christian living must be maintained, the Holy Spirit being our dy namic and the living Christ, our victory. Lastly, w < m u s t
keeps the original copy of His Word in heaven. If every Bible in the world were to be de stroyed by God-haters and Christ - rejectors, the original copy would not be touched. Fur thermore, the Word of God lives in the memo ries o f the children of God. I f every Bible was destroyed, God’s revelation to man could be reproduced from the memories o f those who had hidden His Word in their hearts. In spite o f skeptics, critics, and blasphemers, the old Book stands. Apostasy and lawlessness do not cause God to quake. When the enemies of God counsel together against Him, “ He that sitteth in the heavens
propagate the faith. It is not sufficient to hold the truth; it must be preached. There must be a passionate and de termined effort to make Christ known. W e are present in the world in o r d e r to introduce Christ. Men are dying; souls are perishing; hearts are hungry. Our chief business in life is to win souls. The prodi gal world must be evangelized, and those believers who hold “ the faith” must obey the Great Commission!
To make clear the standards, and to declare publicly the doctrinal position of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, an impressive and sacred service was held September 8, 1936, at the opening of the fall semester, at which time the members of the Board of Directors and of the Faculty signed the Institute's statement of faith which appears in the central column of the following page. A part of the group may be seen in this picture. Paul W . Rood, President (extreme right), and R. G. Le Tourneau, newly appointed member of the Board of Directors and the author of the article on page 373, are shown signing the statement and defining their beliefs.
delivered at the opening o f the fall semes-
*Synopsis o f a message ter at Biola.
372
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
October, 1936
Paul, standing on the A Good threshold o f eternity, looked Fight upon his past career and affirmed that he had “ fought a good fight.” What did he mean? The answer is found in that remark able Ephesian passage in which Paul described the warrior, his armor, and his foes. Our battle, today, is not against human beings, but against Satan and his demons. W e need to “ put on the whole armor o f God” in order “ to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Paul knew the tricks of the devil and could say: ‘W e are not ignorant of his devices.” Many Christians are ignorant of Satan’s devices and do not recognize him when he approaches as an angel of light. What are the wiles o f the devil that make it so necessary for the be liever to put on the whole armor? The answer, found in Ephesians 6:18, is the climax of that warrior passage, “ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all per severance and supplication for all saints.” The subtlety o f the Adver sary is directed to keep us in a state o f prayerlessness; we, therefore, need the whole armor in order to be vic torious in the prayer closet. Satan endeavors to cause doubt concerning the importance and efficacy o f prayer in order that we might be induced to neglect prayer. When we do enter into the labor o f prayer, he seeks to distract or interrupt that work. Satan realizes the potency o f prayer and fears the effect of our prayer min istry. A prayerless Christian is a defeated and an impotent man; a praying Christian is a victorious and power ful man. Paul was a man o f prayer. He was clothed with the “ whole armor of God.” He consequently overcame the false philosophy concerning prayer which intimates that prayer has no effect upon God, but affects the reflex value upon the one who prays. Paul was victorious in his prayer life, therefore, he was victorious in every sphere of life. When Paul prayed, something happened, for the Spirit of God indited and energized his pray ers. He prayed for his companions, his converts, and the churches which he had established. He believed in prayer, he asked for the prayers of others, and he taught his converts the importance o f prayer. Because o f his steady walk with God he could view his years o f fellowship with the Lord and say, “ I have fought a good fight,” “ I have been a prayer warrior.” When we come to the end o f life’s
journey and stand at the judgment seat o f Christ, we will regret that we have been so negligent in prayer. Shall we not recognize the place of prayer in the program o f God, and give ourselves more to prayer, in order that we may be able to say at the end of the journey, “ I have fought a good fight” ?■ B io la has definite Biola’s doctrinal standards. Our Standards statement o f faith on this page reveals where we stand doctrinally. This statement was signed publicly by all members o f the Board o f Trustees and all members of the Faculty on the opening day of school. No one can serve on the Board or the Faculty who does not hold, teach, and preach these historic doc-*; trines o f the Christian church. Biola has ethical ■ standards. Rules and regulations that are the result of years of experience in dealing with youth are presented to students, and where there is disobedience, discipline follows. Biola has scholastic standards. High school graduation, or its equiva lent, is required o f applicants for the Bible Collegiate Course. A number of Institute students are university grad uates. A diploma from this school stands for much more than the mere completion o f a course o f study; it indicates also that there has been growth in grace, a development of Christian character on the part o f the recipient. The degrees offered by the Institute—B a ch e lo r o f Theology, Bachelor o f Christian Education, and Bachelor o f Sacred Music-—must be earned by completing a carefully plan ned four-year course in the field in dicated. In every course, thorough work is demanded. Biola has spiritual standards. We seek to maintain a spiritual atmos phere, and spirituality is emphasized. The importance o f prayer is accentu ated. The possibility o f a victorious life through our indwelling Lord is taught. We opened our school year with daily revival meetings which had for their objective the spiritual adjust ment of the students. In connection with this campaign, we had a day o f prayer. Biola has practical standards. We constantly affirm that the student is not only preparing for Christian serv ice in the future, but that he must engage also in such service during the period o f his Institute training. Through the Practical Work De partment, students are assigned to definite Christian work. Our objective is : “ Every Biola student a winner o f souls.”
BIOLA'S STATEMENT of FAITH I. The Bible, consisting of all the books of the Old and New Testaments, is the Word of God, a supernaturally given revelation from God Himself, concerning Himself, His being, nature, character, will and purposes; and con cerning man, his nature, need, duty and des tiny. The Scriptures of the Old and New Tes taments are without error or misstatement in their moral and spiritual teachings and record of historical facts. They are without error or defect of any Lind. II. There is one God, eternally existing and manifesting Himself to us in three Persons— Father, Son and Holy Spirit. III. The Lord Jesus was supernaturally conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin— Mary, a lineal descendant of David. He lived and taught and wrought mighty works and wonders and signs, exactly as is recorded in the four Gospels. He was put to death by crucifixion under Pontius Pilate. God raised from the dead the body that had been nailed to the cross. The Lord Jesus after His crucifixion showed Himself alive to His disci ples, appearing unto them by the space of forty days. After this the Lord Jesus ascended into Heaven, and the Father caused Him to sit at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him to be Head over all things to the Church. IV. The Lord Jesus, before His incarnation, existed in the form of God, and of His own choice laid aside His divine glory and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. In His pre existent state, He was with God and was God. He is a divine person, possessed of all the attributes of Deity, and should be wor shiped as God by angels and men. "In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." All the words that He spoke during His earthly life were the words of God. There is absolutely no error of any kind in them, and by the words of Jesus Christ the words of all other teachers must be tested. V. The Lord Jesus became in every respect a real man, possessed of all the essential char acteristics of human nature. VI. By His death upon the cross, the Lord Jesus made a perfect atonement for sin, by which the wrath of God against sinners is ap peased, and a ground furnished upon which God can deal in mercy with sinners. He re deemed us from the curse of the law by be coming a curse in our place. He Who Him self was absolutely without sin, was made to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. The Lord Jesus is coming again to this earth, personally, bodily, and visibly. The return of our Lord is the blessed hope of the believer, and in it G od's purposes of grace toward mankind will find their consummation. VII. The Holy Spirit is a person and is possessed of all the distinctively divine attributes. He is God. VIII. Man was created'in the image of God, after His likeness, but the whole human race [Continued on page 405] •
THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
373
October;, 1936
Give GOD Everything By R. G. i j i TÒÙRXKAU . ' : iPeoria, Illitifris ; i( m P .«»fgl-jhntiriU . - >
' S T c t u
want me to return to my old plant and to my own interests. Because he wanted me to give him all that I had in time, skill, and planifiug.ffie, Je}t tbgt'bt yj^\.e^uotuybO-\pay a ¡high price for ntyi\eqmpmept,nlh^§ffiefil^?(in?,ffi35(ah€iffiipt1 On the work for which Twas, being\epgaged, The experigp^e ,tahS^Ì, mé,.,vthis,, gtpat,',leaspn;:,, Gpd demands that eacfip f ^khVciWe-AmUSt have no side issues,, )Iiis i'salyattopi\i?iWOrt:h you and I must, relinquish eyery .qther, possession,,and. be willing to give op^s^ly^s whwX hihth and, to^TTis work.:., / ìhì A' For more than a year I worked for the man about whom I have bedh;^pe'akiHgi‘ (Thèri;mfe't^hy:dp.èhéd!.fdrJ.niy coming to Biola: 'Afteh'sOrhiè’tihiìéìhfiil'felapédd', I left the Institute to go ba'ck’into bus'ifieds;1knowing that that .Wah what God’ wantètì’ tóie* tói'dO',)lfó r T ’h'àd-‘prayed-about1thte matter definitely.' ! promised 'Himtnat’i’ri alt-things I"wdtild seek to give) ChHsfbhe'pféemiUéficiè.«11' I had not befitt back ‘atrffiy -work‘‘tetfy •long/Whfeh* téSt came. Ourl yourlg {peOpld 1 had« beCte !gPitog ' regularly to à mission to hold 1 a (gospel sefkicd. IbsèCmèd to md that the ;least that à ■Bioja:'Student Cdtlldfdo 'WOuld 1 be ■ to''help With a program of that'hdtuue^só ¡every time thé'yoUfigcpèòfilè were sehédtì'ledjfòh a;meeting: I Went with them. ■Ohe night :I had 1 'Sóffie 1 spbelalwdrkup do1) it«niàsialso'the nightpf'thfe regular(mfesioa■ meétìrig.. I was,' operating a‘Small factory a t’ctheHimej: dnd/machinery’had'to:'be 'built thè nèxt dày f o r Which'li had'to taaké ¡the'dèsigrt/.thatmight in'-order that •a>erewi of imdntonfCOhtract dould build¡it 1 the; next 'UiOrriing. Howoèould- I "db my work"and( ¡attend thccmcetitigtat'the mission? . .ooitir/bx; v; ;;!The ) Lord and ;I; had ,quite ;a: struggle While I was trying to !decide :what, tip do, I reasoned that the group could get along nicely, without me. I iwas. just one man.,/It .didn’t ,seem: ineeessaryo f or ;m e,to gtì; f etriT ¡had no, spedai -pa^t ,in thes.programv But the, I.ord, said; “ You carde iback; into business pfofnijsingKMiei ithat tyou iWould; ¡serve Me. imbusi- nèss«” :) jj av/olloh itoil'.I.’ ” . . . ¡olili ,¡,1 said, “ YeSiifc-ord, 1 did, and I meant it.”(!> ’' Althtnigh I could■not understand,
[The following is a stenographic report o f an informal ad dress delivered at the opening of the fall semester at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, September 8, 1936, to. approximately 700, Irtstituie students* and'fHdHdsl The- speaker['R lG , Le Tourneau, a/Christian ibusine$Si ifagnj ihas rfrcetyfly({accepted appointment to ■the Board gfs Direcfpr.s, o f ,th$ Institute.; ^ E dik ®,] I : n 1 tetirpiiNlfat&W1 the > Institute • -for1 this ’opening session b f the sChttohyeap,1^ 1am.eortling'W& former student. About'nine years :ajgo/;due;td'a' series of ¡unexpected cir- currtstdricfeSI my ;wife'.ahd I found it possible to come to Ebs AfigeleSTor'k 'short time ’and- tt/enroll as students at Biolaj I1 will not doom forget'that experience, for there is in mythealrt a continual’expression o f’gratitude to God for what f le taughtme; WhiieT ’WUS'a'student'here. I am glad to ;,:be’ identified-' again! withuBi’Ola-ffithis«'time in a new capacity—-mud‘T-am here today1to’ bear testimony to the marvelous grace of God. ,;:i
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October, 1936
A Clarion Call to MISSIONARY
*
B y ROBERT HALL GLOVER Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“ Enlarge the place o f thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains o f thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the le ft; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Fear not; fo r thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; fo r thou shalt not be put to shame” (Isa. 54:2-4). I fully recognize that the primary appli cation o f this passage is to God’s earthly people, Israel, and that its final fulfill ment is still in the future; nor am I one of those who would rob the jew o f the prom ises that are rightly his and give them away to the church. And yet I believe there is a very legitimate and most significant appli cation of these words to the Christian church and its present-day missionary enterprise. Indeed, this was the text from
sion began to be carried out, and the gos pel spread in Jerusalem, then in Judea and Samaria, and thence on and out toward the uttermost part of the earth, the tent has had repeatedly to be enlarged, its cords lengthened, its stakes strengthened, its can vas extended. And yet we need to remind ourselves that the task is not completed; the “ people for his name” (Acts 15:14), pre pared for His return, have not all been reached and brought into the fold. Advance is still called f o r ; the clarion call still sounds: “ Enlarge the place o f thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes” (Isa. 54:2 ). That other call also comes to us today that was spoken to Israel long after they had entered the land of promise, but were yet far short o f having made it their complete possession: “ There remaineth yet much land to be possessed” (Josh. 13:1). “ How
Robert Hall Glover
which William Carey, the “ Father of Modern Missions,” nearly a century arid a half ago preached that epoch1making sermon at Kettering, England, which ushered in a new period o f Christian missions. From this text Carey deduced that famous missionary motto, “ Expect great things frorri G od ; attempt great things for God.” And so the text comes to us this morning as a stirring call and challenge to mis sionary advance. A critical study of this text would reveal several bal anced couplets. First of-all, we have a prayer injunction coupled with a gracious promise— the injunction: “ Enlarge the place o f thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains o f thine habitations,” and the promise: “ For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles . . .” Then follows a couplet expressing the means to be used to this desired end : “ Lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes”— “ Lengthen thy cords” setting forth the extensive factor in missions, relating to the far-flung battle line overseas; and “ strengthen thy stakes” the intensive factor, relating to the home base of missionary support. Finally there are two short, sharp imperatives: “ Spare not” (otherwise translated “ grudge not” ) — a word o f admonition to the home base; and “ fear not”-—a word o f encouraging assur ance to the soldiers on the field. The central thought of the whole passage is enlargement, expansion. We have here the quaint picture o f one o f those brown mohair tents of the Bedouin Arab shepherd on the hills of Palestine or Syria. I. The Enlarged Tent and the Lengthened Cords When the Christian church began at that first Pentecost, a tiny “ tent” sufficed to enfold it, but as the great commis- *An address delivered at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, by the Home Director for North America o f the China Inland Mission.
long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God o f your fathers hath given you?” (Josh. 18:3). Now there are two factors in this process o f enlarge ment: the lengthening of the cords and the strengthening o f the stakes. When we consider the appalling proportions o f the unfinished task of missions, there is surely no room for self-complacency. We have not completed or fulfilled as we ought the Master’s last expressed wish and uttered command. II. The Stakes in Need o f Strengthening Experience with a tent teaches one the danger in length ening the cords without proportionately strengthening the stakes. Collapse and disaster are likely to follow ; the two processes, so inseparably related, must go together. With regard to the lengthening of the cords, we may well rejoice in the continued faithfulness and efficiency of those who represent us overseas, for a finer body of de voted Christian men and women does not exist on earth. The key to the missionary problem, my brethren, lies at home, not in the lengthening of the cords, but rather in the strengthening o f the stakes. Success or failure in missions depends upon the attitude and the action of us who remain in the homeland. In this message a few o f the stakes of this missionary tent that need strengthening are given. T he N eed of the G ospel The first stake is the sound conviction of the necessity of the gospel, and an understanding o f the utter need of men and women everywhere for Jesus Christ the Saviour. If we really believe that the world is lost, that Christ is its only Saviour, that the preaching o f the gospel is its only hope, then surely a profound sense o f responsibility will be felt. That word “ lost” is strangely absent from mission ary appeal in many quarters of the church today, and its absence marks a vital weakness.
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devoted, Spirit-filled, compassionate disciple and witness for Jesus Christ. And it was just in the measure in which he had realized the power of the gospel in his own heart and life that he had confidence in it to reach and save other lives, and so he was enthusiastic to preach it as much as in him lay. T h ^N eed of P lacing M issions R ightly Another stake which needs emphasis is the right con ception of the place of missions in the will of God and in the life and work o f thd'church. Many people have the altogether erroneous idea that missions are a side issue, a kind of a hobby of a few overly pious folk, and that the desire and purpose on the part of the few young people to become foreign missionaries is nothing more than a notion and predilection of their own. Away with such an un worthy idea! World-wide missions are the great central task, the supreme business of the church, the one thing to which everything else relating to the church is meant to be subordinate and contributory. “ Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” is the church’s marching orders, and it should be its one absorbing aim and objective. T he N eed of S acrifice There is one other stake to
The New York papers not long ago devoted much space to the incident o f a little child o f that great city being lost. The immediate family, then the neighbors, and finally the whole community devoted themselves day and night to searching the woods and scouring the highways in an effort to locate that little lost girl. The Word of God makes it altogether plain that the world is lost, apart from Christ the Saviour. That most familiar of all gospel texts, John 3:16, speaks of the alter native of believing in Him or perishing. The great mission ary, Paul, wrote: “ If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds” (2 Cor. 4 :3 ). Jesus Himself said: “ The Son o f man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk. 19 :10). The Acts of the Apostles tells us that “ Nei ther is there salvation in any other;: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4 :12 ). The only alternative to saved is lost. If we really believe that all people are lost who are without Christ, how can we remain short of a passionate concern and endeavor for their rescue? The attempt of some people to dissociate these two is foolish and futile. I am firmly o f the opinion that the
waning of missionary interest and resultant shrinkage in finan cial contributions is correctly to be traced to this primary cause rather than to the economic de pression. The depression has sorely tested many o f God’s peo ple, and yet there are some Mis sions which have not halted; on the contrary, they have gone steadily forward through these years of depression. They have been the Missions which were and are actuated by the motive of deep concern for lost souls, on the testimonjr'of God’s Word which they implicitly accept. T he N eed of V ital C hristian E xperience A s e c o n d stake is vital Christian experience. Doctrinal conviction is important; it is fundamental; but greater is the actual personal experience of
be mentioned because it is a stake which every Christian, however far he may have gone in his spiritual experience, how ever faithful and active he may have been along the line of God’s will for the world, needs to drive home still more firmly. That stake is sacrificial devotion to Jesus Christ and to His cause, real sacrificial devotion. The completion o f the task of world evangelization within this gen eration is a sanely practicable task. It will never be easily ac complished, for God did not in tend it to be easy to carry out this great commission of His Son, the taking of the message of redemption to all the world. We shall never obtain the right view of missions until we have
Beautiful in God’s Sight By MABEL M. SEVERN How beautiful the feet of those who go Bearing Good News, the gospel overflow! How firm their stride, sustained their pace; Loaded with fruits of His perennial grace! How beautiful the feet of those who go, Obedient feet and swift as mountain roe! How beautiful the hands that take the bread And break it in the gracious Master's stead; Toil-hardened hands that many duties grasp, Yet tender hands in fellowship's warm clasp! How beautiful the hands that take the bread And serve it in the gracious Master's stead! How beautiful the hearts that feel the woe And, love-constrained, into their closets go! What battering-rams of faith-inspired cries Attack the yielding fortress of the skies! How beautiful the hearts that feel the woe And, love-constrained, into their closets go!
stood at Bethlehem’s manger and beheld that wondrous scene o f the incarnation—God incarnate descending from the ivory palaces down to this world of sin and woe in utter self-emptying and humiliation, until we stand in dark Gethsemane, that antechamber to Calvary, and behold the bloody sweat of Christ’s agony in prayer, until we stand at Calvary and hear those awful words, “ My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?” The price o f our redemption was costly indeed, and only as we contemplate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ shall we get a right view o f missions. God laid the foundation for world evangelization in the price less sacrifice of His dear Son. He is not going to complete that work in any other spirit or by any other means out of keeping with the incarnation and the cross of Calvary. Sacrifice has ever been the very soul of missions. As we read the story of missions the world over and the centuries through; as we think o f that long line of worthy pioneers, martyrs, and devoted laborers for Christ in the foreign mission fields; as we reflect upon the heroic death of John and Betty Stam in China, and ponder the fact that they werite pot. the first and second martyrs, but ; [Continued on page 395]
spiritual truth. Head belief must give way to heart belief, rather lead to it. W e must go deeper than logic or theory. Having been engaged in missionary deputation work for forty years, long ago I discovered that the only satis factory basis for missionary appeal is spiritual life in those to whom one speaks. Where there is cold, feeble spiritual life, there is little or no response to missions. If Jesus Christ means very little to you, if you think of Him at best only on Sunday, and that not very much, you are not going to be enthusiastic to introduce Him to some one else. Only as Jesus Christ is a living, bright reality, a precious Sav iour, a loving Friend, your All-Sufficiency, your very life, your hope for eternity will you be zealous to carry the mes sage of His love and grace to others. When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “ I am not ashamed o f the gospel o f Christ” (Rom. 1:16), it was. out of personal experience. Why did he have such confi dence in the gospel that he was willing to face even im perial Rome? It was simply because of what he had himself experienced of that gospel’s power. The gbspel had found that proud, haughty, Christ-hating, ehurch-persecut- ing Saul of Tarsus and had changed him into a humblg,
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October, [936
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
■ hr*!*] A BORROWED Body <): b ' y 'W'^b ^ k E R R S T R O M ■ Findlay, Ohio. .
I jwis^jI^qulcJ 'Imp^ow yaijrhody. or that.pf .a.commbfi .spftjiert.:?©.,i'.cbt}|4,:§?fi jttie things you haveseen, vis« both.fforit?,. 'is goingjon.V Tim? spojfe,Musspbni, ,accof¡brig to.,a report by ,Chaplin ^rij;i|ig..for. [Uniyershf ¡¡¡j$ryipe.!,: ,,.,1^33 naan,,oi wo.rid.renown evey given, yitter- ang?, t9 suqhphHrtiipg. yfpralpir,^ussplim.rsthei mp-st power ful, .yraffd,(1}Qd$y,, Everything ahqiit thnn,j§ sprjpu^^i,^ yhiLpf .{ftysffTjfti | Ijtif rife ,tp; power, .was, ¡as sudffep .-?p$fWfflPe# e8; ps aj phdft p f 0li^tn!ng,,1crras(ning thropgh, spacer itpfxif.a. t9lo,uclies^,|Slfyr ..'hhSnWftfla. stands aglu$ iia^ jh isp iJ^^epa l ¡ffjs ..bsaWffih fflfa i W now gazing covetously upon three continents. Witll.tJije calmness and confidence with which we plan a Sunday- school picnic'; Mussolini ¡¡makes plans which will change half;pfi the mPPbiPf ttfe.jyqrld. In 1927 he said: ■’We ’miisF be^riiaidy,1; at a ^iveij; momeritt\t
nqt ¡with ¡menvAnot;' with ¡Miissofini ; ■hot; with Hitler ; not with ;StaJin,¡but, with, fallen spirits under the ¡¡dibebfióil'jjf Satan'., These,spirits actuate hten..... ,?iThe..,nHimer in'; which Ihis i’s .accpmjphshed is clearly stafed ' hi ¡Revelation i1,6:13\ and 1'4 hhAn'd. i l . saw, three' un- clpan spirits,hhp frogà coifieput p i the mouth of thè dragon', ahd .opt o f,me mouth bf 'the hyahh,4P.d. out.of the'hiohth of %;■; false,.prophet; 1,,’Fof i.they ‘ aye,"the,' spirits \oi ,'4eyils fdenipns ] f. working nìfraclés;,which go’,f orth unto the king? of the,.earth ,ahd of thq whole hdfld. fo, gamer theihfp thé battle of that great day o f God, Almighty/’. , ‘ IS tì MR ììtìoìììaì StAéihfe . 1 Satan’s objective, is evidently'. international" suièidè. Satan will make a desperate effort to .ffuptfate.fhe 'hlan, the purpose, and the pripgnùn.plModiPy- attètribtìiig''t0 slay every \person op earth. The extent', ió which he will be suc- e'essfill is ihdièàted in Reveiatioii 9 :l8 m tvhich. it is declared that pne-third of the wPrld’s ’pÖpuMiqh,?vill l?é killed as.'a result of some future tyarl Speaking, ò f ‘the peripcl o f 'the G f èaf Tribtil.atiön, our !Lord said; '“ And except.fhose; .days shquldjbe, sfióftened, there should rioffiesn he säyea': but ,fòr,;thhiPJépt’s-;.sake those days, shall bef shortened” fMatt. ■24t:22;)u';At Hislreturn in glory, qur'Lord,'will;mfefyene in time :to’f shwe- thè world- from.''in.terhhtionai ^suicide,' Israel will,be.saved, Wars will cèase, 'S‘atan'will/be hound for'a ithhh^^d.yh^fs^h11^ our Lord .will tjàice. the rèins o f govern ment ¡(cLoIsa.';,9:6, 7).|] i flt-isi easily possible1 thdt .Mussólmi may .havé.a.'prpmi- nehf bifti'n'hftting the;Stage for thè cpming'world dictator ’who würbe’ Satan incarnate. ./Mussolini’s; statement, “ I wish 1 ;F could borrow your bodifA'; indicates-; that hè believes that ¡mari is more than a bPdhH^tHat the, body is riierely the, habitation o(f a spirit. He ./.¡eviheritly beliefes imat what he has suggested ip not impossiblelj Mussolini’^ startling, utterarifri only, adds .to the already long , fist p f ; ^arl^s j pf, thq, cqming Antichrist,., (MiihTtihYiNp. ^E^sbir^Ltipf
31pst startling o£-all, ip; the-fact that the Bible cleanrly teaches that what Mussolini de sires is;possible,! and, fha;tduring the reign of the Antichrist such, a thing.will actually take place. ;YSatan,is npt¡omnipotent., i le is powerful, bjut not ;.aUTppwerful. iiHe; isi mighty, but ¡not almighty, 1le .is, among the wisest ,o f all
creatures, but he is not -omniscient 1 He ■ is occu pied,with “ going to and fro, jn; the earth//; and “ walking, up and down ip it.” (Job 1 :7y, but he iS not omnipresent. Be cause ¡¡he-is not iomni- present, he desires to multiply personality. He [Continued on page 404]
heavenly plapes,’;’ From this, .scripture it ¡will be seen that our conflict is , {The ntufciter .. ofi > this] article is , well-knotun qs a Bible teacher, evangelist, brtd author o f the '"Bible Blue Books” and other bdoksihMr; Herrstrom Hsi now touring the f orty-eight states in Bible conference work. — E ditor .]
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