Someone is to sit in the presidential chair for the next four years. He will be a man possessed.of mere human wis dom, prone to make mistakes. To a large degree he will be at the mercy of the various forces, influences, pressures that go with the office. If ever a man needed wisdom like that of Solomon it is this man. But there need be no lack, for just as surely as God stood ready to add almost supernatural wisdom to the ancient king, so He is willing to give to present-day leaders both courage and wisdom for the exceptional demands of their office. If the leaders will go to God in true humility and request such wisdom, God will give it. Or if the people of God who understand the ways of God will unite in beseeching God for wisdom for our president, God will hear and answer their prayers. So to a great degree, whether or not the American people have a good presi dent depends largely upon the praying habits of those who know how to touch the throne of grace. We can have a good president if we will remember to lay hold on God for him in prayer. Coming Feast of Good Things T HE 18th Annual Torrey Memorial Bible Conference is to convene in Los Angeles and surrounding com munities from January the 18th to the 25th. This annual banquet on the riches of the Word of God was founded to honor Dr. Reuben A. Torrey, one of the early leaders of the Bible Institute. Each year outstanding Bible teachers and preach ers are invited to come to Southern California and minister from their study of the Scripture. This year the Conference is to be honored in having Dr. Curtis B. Aken- son, pastor of the First Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minn.; Dr. Charles Fergu son Ball, pastor of the First Presby terian Church, River Forest, 111.; Dr. Sam Bradford, pastor of the Beth Eden Baptist Church, Denver, Colo.; Dr. Jose Fernandez, former Roman Catholic priest, from Philadelphia, Pa.; Dr. T. Leonard Lewis, president of Gordon College, Boston, Mass.; Rev. John Lin ton, evangelist from Minneapolis, Minn.; Dr. S. Franklin Logsdon, pastor of Moody Church, Chicago, 111.; Rev. Hu bert Mitchell, Secretary for World Evangelization for Youth for Christ, International, Chicago, 111.; and Dr. Walter Wilson, pastor of the Central Bible Church, Kansas City, Mo. The conference sessions will be held not only in the large auditorium of the Bible Institute and Church of the Open Door, but there will be concurrent ses sions in other communities such as Ful lerton, First Baptist Church, Dr. E. Woody Hodson, pastor; Glendale, Chevy Chase Baptist Church, Dr. James T. Martin, pastor; Long Beach, First Brethren Church, Dr. Charles W. Mayes, pastor; Monrovia, Calvary Bap tist Church, Rev. James O. Henry, pas tor; Ontario, Temple Baptist Church, Rev. Robert F. Dennis, pastor; Pasa dena, Lincoln Avenue Presbyterian T H E K I N G 'S B U S I N E S S
certain ways and to fasten them once more on the greatest event that has ever taken place, even the coming into the world and the taking on of human flesh of the Son of God Himself. Good Presidents Y OU will be reading these words after the national presidential elec tion has taken place, but they are be ing written before Election Day, at which time the American people decide which candidate they desire to occupy the highest office in our government. No matter which party wins and which candidate is elected, it is certain that the task of being a leader to 150 millions of peoples is a tremendous one. We very seriously doubt if there is any man upon the face of the earth who is of himself endowed with enough wisdom to lead this nation safely along the peril ous path that it must take. For while our elected officials are honored and dignified by titles and degrees, the truth is that underneath they are still quite ordinary people and possessed of just about the average amount of intelli gence. But we believe the Scripture to indi cate that God has a special and adequate supply of supernatural wisdom available for leaders, if they are humble enough to request it. Consider the case of the wisest king who ever lived. On the au thority of Scripture itself, never before in all the history of mankind and never after was there a king with the wisdom of King Solomon. But he was just an ordinary fellow, the son of King David and Bathsheba. Up until the time of his coronation, we hear nothing whatever concerning him. However, he was God’s choice of all the sons of David to reign after his father. At the time of his coronation God spoke to him in a dream, offering to give him whatever he would ask. At this point Solomon, realizing his own inadequacies for ruling, prayed for wisdom to judge his people righteously and to rule courageously. The account states that God was so pleased that He gave him not only an abundance of wis dom but wealth and honor besides.
The Gospel According to Gabriel O NE of the delights of heaven will be a more intimate acquaintance with those intelligent and mighty beings whom we call the angels. Until that time we must content ourselves with ex ceedingly interesting and informative suggestions the Scriptures alone reveal. Among other things, we find that the task of the angels is to guard and help the heirs of salvation. The Scriptures also indicate that the angels are in various ranks with leaders. One of these mighty leaders is the Arch angel Gabriel. It was to him that the delightful task was given of announcing our Lord’s birth to Mary. Gabriel was sent by God to the city of Nazareth to a young maiden named Mary, espoused to Joseph, with the most thrilling news in all the world. It is an axiom that we may safely believe the word of an angel. There have been those who have doubted the testi mony of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; but here is the Gospel according to Gabriel. Here is the word of a celes tial being sent directly from the throne of God. Here is the greatest good news that could possibly be spoken into the ears of the sons of men. What is it? Well, that first of all Mary, apart from another human being, was to become the mother of a Son whose name was to be Jesus, Saviour. This Son was to be called the Son of the Highest and was destined to oc cupy the kingly throne of David. But His kingdom was to know no end, for He shall reign forever. And how was all this to be brought about? The key to the understanding is in His name, for as the prophets had spoken and the poets had sung, this Jesus was by His own sacrifice to save the people from their sin. Here then is the Gospel according to Gabriel, which we may safely believe, in which we may place our entire trust. Some say that to those whose ears are sensitive to the sound of celestial voices that Gabriel is still whispering the good news. He is still urging the sons of men to lift up their eyes and hearts from the dissatisfaction of earth’s un
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