August 1927
504
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
It is just so in the mad chase for the vain things of this world. They are visions that fade and bubbles that burst upon touch. Poor indeed the man who has sought them at the sac rifice of life’s nobler attainments.—W. E. B. IMM - ate ate Another David In the Desert F ROM time to time most touching appeals come to the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, revealing something of the heart- hunger of souls in far away corners of the earth. From Aleppo, Syria, there came this past month a letter from an Armenian young man who learned of ùs through copies of “The King’s Business”: passed on to him by a friend. The help requested in the letter ha/s been provided, but we present sortie excerpts simply to show how God still works in human hearts, even as He did of old. This young man’s ex perience as a shepherd slave, reminds one of David’s schooling in the backside of the desert : Praise His name that in the world in every country there are His devoted servants and children by them. His light is shining into the dark world. I am an Armenian (22 years old). God called me to His work three years ago. My mother is a Christian worker in His field since 20 years and she has lent me to the Lord when I was a child as Hannah did her child Samuel, 1 Samuel 1:28: “Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord: as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord.” Praise His name as the result of her twenty years of prayer God called me. But we had no' time or opportunities for preparation. When we study the lives of workers in-the. Scriptures we see that before they worked they gave time to preparation. I f a man runs to God’s field beforé being prepared it will be harmful, both for himself and for the work. For example, Moses, etc. Now-a-days, God also calls Armenian young people to work in His vineyard, but our difficulty is the lack of opportunities. When I felt my call to work I knew I was not ready to work. I understood that if I ran into it it wotdd be harmful for me and for the work, and by this reason I waited and prayed for God. Since three years I am studying English language that I might study English precious books as, “What the Bible Teaches,”(“How to Work for Christ,” though now I do not have any of them, but I am praying that maybe I am sent one of them in future. You know the {conditions of poor Armenian people since about 12 years are scattered among nations as Israelites. We do not have any precious books in the Armenian language nor Bible Institutes, etc. During exile about 3 years, I remained among Arabs as a slave servant. In 1914, I was eleven years old, I was selected as ohé boy to be sent away to school from our village. Afterward, I was to be sent to a theological seminary to become a preacher. My clothes were- all packed, even my food was all cooked, ready for the journey, but God suddenly changed that plan, laying it com pletely aside. I was sent' into exile. Miserably I spent three years in mountains among wild Arabs. I was among a people whose language I did not know (but then learned). There were no schools, no training, no Word of God, no churches, and no preachers, separated from my father and mother, they dressed me as an Arab boy and made me a shepherd barefoot..; I lived as an animal among the flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. What now had become of the plan to make Khachair a preacher? Yet now I thank God, that miserable shepherd life was bet ter for me than an education in some of the present day colleges. For what reason, because I might now have been one of those who fail to preach some of the fundamental truths of the old Gospel. I believe God is going to use me in His service, the same God who clothed Paul, Luther, George Muller, Mr. Moody, Dr. Torrey, etc., for the work will also put the garment of service upon me. I f I write about my life it contains many, many pages. ' I am anxious to study spiritual books. Specially about work ers, therefore, I hope that you will send gladly your corres pondence lessons to help me as your weak but desirous brother in Him. If I had money I would gladly pay for that purpose. When I read, the list of the books in The King’s Business (Biola Book Room) my heart- is burning within me toward them, but'it is impossible for me only I am looking for free books in it. I look forward to their (the lessons) arrival— excuse me for expression mistakes because I am not able to express in English as well. Yours in Him, (Signed) Khachair Kasparian.
Dr. W. E. B iederw o lfs Illustrated Texts For Preachers
Achilles Su lk ing
D uty , S elf I nterest B efore P atriotism , L ack of S h irking C h r istia n s :
t i t • r~r in rlis l e n t *
Eph. 2 :4 ; Col. 3:14; Mk! 11:26; 1 Cor. 16:13 Church members who give themselves to nursing some little personal grievance while the interests of the Church and the Kingdom call in vain for their loyalty and their help, remind me o f Achilles sulking in his tent while the cause he had enlisted to defend suffers defeat at the hands of its Trojan enemies. Homer makes Nestor, the “wondrous old man,” say of this piqued and peeved warrior, “Achilles with unactive fury glows, And gives to passion what to Greece he owes.” Agamemnon, Comander-in-Chief of the Grecian forces, had insisted that Achilles yield to him a beautiful maiden \vho had fallen to his share in the division of the spoils.^ Achilles grew sullen, retired to his tent, and declared that he would take no further part in the war. In the battle which followed, the Greeks were driven from the field. They sent an embassy to Achilles telling- him of Agamemnon’s offer to give the maiden back, with ample gifts to atone for the wrong he had done to the great warrior. But Achilles was deaf to their entreaties, and great hero that he was, all that was praiseworthy about him is forgotten when you think of him pouting away in his tent while out in the thick of the battle his brave comrades are beaten back and slain. And it is like this with some church members, some professing Christians; no matter how much the Church needs them; no matter how much the Kingdom is calling for support; their mighty issues and destinies are as nothing compared with the wounded personal feelings, the little slight, the real or fan cied wrong. Something the preacher said; a neglected pastoral call; the majority vote; or, perhaps, the sermons do not please^ for these and other trifling and unworthy reasons many a pro fessed Christian will forsake his church and forget his obligation to the Kingdom of God. In heaven’s name, why do we go to church! Let us hope it is to worship God, and with this these things have nothing to doS-W. E. B. —-o— Apollo and P leasures of W orld Daphne D isappointing Eccles. 2:1-3; Job 20:12-16; Titus 3 :3 ; Prov. 21:17 Things are not always as they seem. One’s whole soul may be wrapped up in the excitements of this world. You may get enjoyment there and dream of the satisfaction you think supreme in the pleasures of tomorrow, but some day these same pleasures will be to you as Apples of, Sodom, full of ashes and bitterness, and you will then know something of what your hurry for them has cost you in the loss of better things. The story is told that Cupid, angered by an insult from Apollo, shot an arrow into the heart of this god, that fired him with an uncontrollable passion for Daphne, a beautiful nymph whose delights were in the sports of the woodland and the chase. Cupid had also, by an arrow of lead, poisoned the heart, of Daphne with a fatal dislike for Apollo. Apollo loved her and longed for her. He had never seen any to be compared with this beautiful maiden with her eyes bright like the stars, her hair flung loose over her shoulders, and her arms and breast bared to the kisses of the breezes. He followed her, but she fled like the wind; he called to her but she would not stay. He said, “I am the god of medicine, and know the virtue of all healing plants, but I suffer myself from a malady that no balm can cure; it is for love that I pursue you.” But she fled the faster. Apollo, vexed that she should spurn his offer, determined all the more to gain his prize. He threw himself into the race, and was soon quite near. He was sure that this, sweet soul was to be all his own,.but just as he threw his arms about her a strange thing took place. She called upon her father, Peneus the river God, to change her form. Scarcely had she spoken when a stiff ness overspread her body, her limbs were rooted to the earth, her breast was enclosed in bark, her arms were turned to branches, and her flowing hair became the leaves of a tree.
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