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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
January, 1936
c_ Around the King’s Tables B y P aul W . R ood
This issue of the K ing ’ s B usiness is A . Torrey dedicated to the memory o f Dr. Reuben and Biola A. Torrey, who was Dean o f the Bible Institute of Los Angeles from 1912 to 1924, and who has marked the school indelibly. Dr. Torrey was an internationally known character through his years o f association with the Moody Bible Institute and the Moody Church; through his campaigns in Australia, Great Britain, and in various parts o f the United States; and by the widespread circulation o f his books. It is no wonder that “ Torrey Bible Institute” be came the unofficial but commonly accepted name of the Bible Institute o f Los Angeles. Dr. Torrey once said to his w ife : “ I have given twelve o f the best years o f my life to Biola.” Recognizing this out standing Christian leader’s great contribution to the Insti tute, we are honoring his memory, not only through this issue o f the magazine, but also by a memorial service to be held on Dr. Torrey’s birthday, January 28. On that occa sion, a bronze tablet honoring Dr. Torrey will be dedicated. It is to be placed on the front o f the building. The Annual Bible Conference of the Bible Institute, January 26 to February 2, will cover this date, and we expect that thousands who knew and loved Dr. Torrey fvill be present. “ Evangelism” is to be the theme o f the conference, and specialists will deal with various aspects o f this important subject. In honoring the life and ministry of Dr. Torrey, Biola desires also to convey to the world that it is still and ever will be in hearty accord with the doctrines taught by this outstanding Christian leader and with the principles that characterized his life and ministry. Dr. Torrey believed! in reverent scholarship, doctrinal soundness, deep spirit uality, and aggressive evangelism. Biola, today, stands on -1 this platform. In another sense, it is true that God buries the work man but continues the work through another chosen serv ant. The mantle o f Elijah fell upon Elisha. In that sense, R. A . Torrey was the successor of D. L. Moody. With his wonderful gift of discernment, Moody saw the qualities o f Torrey and chose him to be the head o f the Bible Insti tute which was later known as the Moody Bible Institute. Dr. Torrey became also the pastor o f the church now known as the Moody Memorial Church. In the provi dence o f God, he took up Moody’s mantle in the evangelistic field. Dr. Torrey’s ministry was world-wide, and multiplied thousands were saved under his preaching. Torrey’s con verts sat under Biblical preaching and were soundly con verted and Scripturally instructed in regard to the basis and assurance o f salvation, so that the results of his cam paigns were permanent. In one sense, Moody had no successor. When God made Moody, He threw away the mold. The same thing could be said about many great leaders. Moody*s Successor
Dr. Torrey was a rare combination o f scholar, teacher, and evangelist. Few men in the history of the church have had possession o f such a combination o f gifts, and few have exerted such a world-wide influence as did this man of God.
The outstanding need o f the hour is a revival that will stir the nation from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and that will speedily evangelize the regions be
The Challenge of the Hour
yond. The solution o f our problems is an old-fashioned, heaven-sent, prayed-down, Holy Ghost revival that will make^God and eternity real. Even Tolstoi, the humanist, sa id ,“ The distinctive mark o f this age is its lost sense of God.” Men have forgotten God, and therefore we face a national crisis. History teaches us that every nation that forgets God must perish. What we need is a manifestation o f the presence and power o f God. This divine demonstra tion can be brought about only through earnest, impor tunate prayer that releases the resources o f heaven and brings back a God-consciousness to the children o f men. God’s challenge in the present crisis is found in Jere miah 33 :3 : “ Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” God will answer prayer if we will meet the conditions. We must be on praying ground by confessing and forsaking every known sin. We must believe God. I f we will pray according to God’s conditions, marvelous things will takp place. Prayer is the greatest power in the world. “ Prayer changes things.” Something happens when we pray that would not happen if we neglected to pray. People are depending on our prayers. There will be people in heaven because we have prayed, Prayer makes it possible for the Holy Ghost to convitifjyf sin. Prayer creates an atmosphere in which the Third Person in the Trinity can work. Only praying men and women can be used in God’s service. grayer is_a.duty, and to neglect to pray is a sin. The tragedy o f the present hour is that there is so little prayer. We have allowed Satan to blind us. W e are depending on talents, machinery, and organization instead o f depending on God. It is because o f spiritual laziness that we neglect to pray. Satan knows that his kingdom loses many sub jects whenever God’s people pray earnestly. It is Satan’s ^strategy to keep the church in a prayerless condition. W e need a revival that will make closet prayer common, restore the family altar, and make the public prayer meet ing largely attended. W e need a compassion for souls that will give us a burden o f prayer. W e need to spend hours— yea, whole nights— in prayer. Every true revival that has ever come to this world has come in answer to prayer. Abel Clary prayed, and Charles Finney led multi tudes to Jesus Christ. Aunty Cook prayed for D. L Moody, and a million souls were born into the kingdom of God. Hudson Taylor prayed, and the China Inland Mis sion was brought into existence. George Muller prayed and $10,000,000 came into his hands to care for the or-
“ Every true revival . . . has had its earthly origin in prayer.” — Torrey.
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