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“ Blessed is the man that tmsteth in the Lord . . . For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river."

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(Junior or Intermediate)............ 15c Picture—Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler Bible verse on reverse side, John 3:16' New Missionary Series, each....... 25c In attractive colored board covers Black and white illustrations throughout Twelve different titles: Heroes in Madagascar Abel of Kwato Gilmour of Mongolia John Williams Mackay of Uganda Robert Moffat James Hannington Wilfred Grenfell David Livingstone James Chalmers Pandita Ramabai William Carey His Birthday— A Christmas Sketch 40c Attractive booklet Among the Hills with Ellie.......... 60c For all boys and girls who like true stories The H ouse That Jacksons Built..... 60c Pen drawings throughout Peter Bingo and Those Others..... 60c The Special Messenger; Companion to Peter Bingo... ..... 60c Outdoors Indoors and Up The Chimney.......................$1.25 Interesting nature studies Philus, The Stable Boy of Bethlehem 1.50 Children’s story sermons Pilgrim's Progress .........—.......... 1.50 Children’s edition. Numerous pen sketches Tell Me a Story of Bunny Blew..... *1.50 Colored illustrations Hurlbut's Life of Christ............. 2.00 200 illustrations The Expected King, by author of "Go-To-Bed" Stories.................. 1.00 The Book of Airplanes............ 1.00 A book on aeronautics for American boys Heidi, by Johanna Spyri............. 1.00 Illustrations on every page A Little Child's Life of Jesus....... 1.25 Containing 16 plates in color The Katy Kruse Dolly Book.......... 1.50 Colored picture book

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I T IS A Long • In October, 1894, the foun­ dations of the A m e r i c a n Board of Missions to the Jews, Inc., were laid, under God’s guidance, by Leopold Cohn, who had been converted from Rabbinical Judaism, and had given himself to the Lord in abandoned obedience to His leading. • Thirty-nine yeafs is a long time, more .than a generation; and so far as we know, this is the only Jewish Mission in America that has been under the same leadership for all of these thirty-nine years, with­ out a break. Without blare o f truthpets, this work has gone about the King’s business, and has tried faithfully to bear witness to the truth; first, to the Jew, with a message of salvation through the shed blood o f the Lamb of God. And second, to the Church, with an earnest plea that the Jew shall be restored to the place which God laid out for him in His divinely appointed missionary program. Both o f these testimonies the Lord has honored, and it has been our delight to know that we were doing His will. • W e say all this, not boast­ fully, but in humble gratitude to the Lord who has put us here and who has cared for us through all these years. There comes a time when it is good to say, “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us 1” It is good also for the Christian stew­ ard to stop and think o f these things when he is considering a place for the investment o f the Lord’s funds; for we are living in a day o f shifting sands, much bombast, the un­ certain sound of trumpets, all of which lead to confusion and instability. In such an hour it is best to tie to God, and to “strengthen the things which remain.” Perhaps we are nearer the age-end than most o f us think. AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS TO THE JEWS, IRC. 31 Throop Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y.

She 3lble Tamil# 3ta#$£ine Motto: “ Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood .”— R ev . 1 :5.

Volume XXIV

October, 1933

Number 9

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Around the King’s Table—Charles E. Fuller............,........................331 The Clouds, the Rainbow, the Return— Charles G. Trumbull........332 The Joy that was Set before Him—Arthur D. Cashman.................. 335 Youth for Christ, or Youth for Atheism—Maud Howe...... ,.......... 337 The Hidden King and the Usurped Throne—W . H. McCreery...... 339 What Wilt Thou?— Andrew Murray................................................ „341 Girls’ Query Corner—Myrtle E. Scott................................... „............. 342 The Coming of the Lord Draweth Nigh — Stewart P. MacLennan.......................................................343 Bible Institute Family Circle................... 346 Biola Builds for Eternity,.........................................................................348 Our Literature Table..... ................................................ 350 Junior King’s Business— Martha S. Hooker................................ .......351 Living Lessons from the Book o f Life and Everyday Life —Roy Talmage Brumbaugh..................................................353 Notes on Christian Endeavor—Mary G. Goodner............................. 354 International Lesson Commentary.........................................................357 Daily Devotional Readings...................... 364

SUBSCRIBERS’ INFORMATION

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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 Lgs 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.

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' T V P l h p r t C* TVfrCrpprM whoforthreeyearsheldthef osition°fDean r e t r y , t 4 ^ Fa^ o f ^ B^ lns^ ^ re^ ing to Los Angeles to again ta\e over the work of this office, beginning with the opening of the fall semester, on September 21. This is good news indeed, especially to present and prospec­ tive students, for wherever Dr. McCreery has served—whether at the Moody Bible Institute, as director of the pastor’s course, at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, as able teacher and wise executive—he has endeared himself to the hearts of students and faculty alike. 3* 'Dr. McCreery is a graduate of Monmouth College, 111., and of Xenia Theological Seminary, then located at Xenia, Ohio. He spent nine years as a missionary in Africa, giving the Sudan­ ese a written language into which he translated the gospel. A ssociated w ith D r . M cC reery on the F acu lty are the following who will teach subjects in the general course: E. R. Black, Mabel M. Culter, Mrs. Anna L. Dennis, John A. Hubbard, lone Lowman, Stewart P. MacLennan, Paul Prichard, Louis T. Talbot and J. A. Vaus. Subjects in the medical missionary course will be taught by Lucy R. Kilgore, M.D., J. Franklin Kelly, M.D., Harry Straub, D.D.S., and others. The music course will be directed by Herbert G. Tovey. He will be assisted by Dorothy Marie Bruns, Carlton C. Buck, Ruth May Buerge, Gordon E. Hooker, Margaret Pinkerton Mathews, F. Stillwell Moore, Helen Agnes Palmer, and JohnB. Trowbridge. Cutler B. Whitwell and Mabel M. Culter are the superin­ tendents of men and women, respectively. Mrs. Edith Palmer Youngken is registrar.

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thirsting in a parched and dusty lane! When the power is grounded, rooms and hearts are darkened, and wheels that should be whirling are standing lifeless. Try hours for Christ, and hours for the Word. Spend hours on your knees. Have obedient hearts, with yielded, separated lives, and see what God can do, by getting His power at work in the world. Like Samuel, let us be determined to let none of His words fall to the ground. Your Fruit in Your Season “ That bring'eth forth his fruit in his season” (Psa. 1 :3) . I n t h e first psalm, God gives us .a picture of what He desires every believer to become. In the first verse, He desires that we should not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor-sit in the seat o f the scornful. There is one thing, however, He does desire, and that is that we should meditate upon His Word day and night. V , „ , • , , If a believer will meditate, then God tells him that he will become like a planted tree—planted where God knows he will bring forth the most and the best fruit, whether it be at home or abroad. He will be planted, or set out, and rooted, that he may not be carried about, or tossed to and fro, by every wind of doctrine, but be built up in the faith planted by rivers of water, rivers of love, joy, and peace. God’s, great desire is that His children shall be fruitful and multiply, to bring forth fruit, more fruit, and much The third verse o f the first psalm speaks of “ his fruit.’ Each individual member o f the body of Christ is expected not only to be fruitful, but to bring forth his fruit, such as no one else can bring forth. You, my friend, can touch some souls and bring them to Christ, that no one else can bring. Paul speaks; of certain believers as his joy and crown.” No one but Paul could have touched those souls. Are there still some without the knowledge of Christ, be­ cause you and I have not fulfilled the conditions of verses one and two? . . , . Notice also that the believer will bring forth this fruit “ in his season.” Carey, Payton, Spurgeon, Wesley, Moody, and Torrey all came upon the scene in God s appointed time, and brought forth their fruit in their season. Who knows but you have also come to the kingdom for just this special time! It is a time of unusual stress and strain, a time of depression, of spiritual lukewarmness and indif­ ference. It is a time when we all need to be stirred up to bring forth our fruit in our season. . This fruit is not produced through self-ettort. i ne word “ bringeth” suggests a power outside of self. W e may plant and water, but it is God who gives the increase. Fruit bearing, on the part o f a meditating believer, is perfectly natural. It is the result of an abiding, planted life, for it we are planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall also share the likeness o f His resurrection— that life that produces fruit unto His glory and honor. I Not H but Christ,” Paul tells us. “ For without me [the Lord Jesus Christ] ye can do nothing.” Heavenly Father, may we all become more yielded, planted, letting Thy power bring forth fruit through us. There are many withered souls about us, with no strength and beauty of their own, because they have no life in Christ. W e need not be like them. W e are in Him, rooted and grounded in love. May we bear fruit abundantly, for His glory. Amen.

[The devotional comments enjoyed this month, around the King’s table are furnished by Dr. Charles E. Fuller, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bible Institute. Dr. Fuller, graduated from the Institute in 1921. He is now giving his full time to the radio ministry,, as managing director o f the Gospel Broadcasting Associa­ tion, which was organized this past year. Plans are now being formulated which will make possible the carry­ ing forward o f this ministry through the facilities o f radio stations KHJ and KFI, Los Angeles, beginning in October.r-E.v>rrou.] Short-Circuits

C harles E. F uller

“ And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and. did let none o f his words fall to the ground (1 Sam. 3 .19 ). c zy f om etim e ago, on a summer vacation trip, I came upon jC j a group of men at Huntington Lake. These men were gathered around a table, in deep consideration of some very difficult problems. Blueprints were scattered over the table. The men, who were in the employ of the Edison Company, were studying and discussing how to deliver to the various homes and places o f business in Southern California the maximum of electric energy with the mini­ mum of loss. Various types of insulators were under dis­ cussion. Their aim was to construct, and install the best type of insulator, thus preventing any appreciable loss of power, or the short-circuiting of electrical energy. O f what use would it be to have the finest water turbines, the bright­ est polished switches, the best reinforced concrete power houses, if the electrical energy there generated became dis- sipated or short-circuited in transit? It could not thus ac­ complish what was expected of it; namely, to light the darkened rooms of countless homes, to turn the wheels of industry in the manufacture o f useful products and articles of food, and to pump water for irrigating the thirsty land. While meditating on Samuel, and his life of usefulness and power, this incident came to mind. Samuel caught the vision of power. He became a good insulator, in that he let none of God’s words fall to the ground, to become short-circuited, or dissipated. Samuel was a channel through which light was brought to Israel, in some of that nation’s darkest hours. His name finds a place in the Westminster gallery o f faith (the eleventh chapter o f He­ brews) as one of God’s chosen vessels. What was the heart o f Samuel’s secret of power ? It is told in one word— obedience. Do you desire to be a chan­ nel through whom God can bless the waiting, perplexed, hungry multitudes in these trying times? Do you desire to bring light and salvation to them ? Be a good insulator, by letting the Word dwell in you richly, by meditating upon it often, by being obedient, even in the smallest thing by being separated, touching not the unclean thing, by letting none o f God’s Word fall to the ground Be a good insulator by giving the Word o f God first P(ace m vour life. First study to know God’s will, then obey it. All this takes time. Spurgeon said: “ W e take hours for the world_moments for Christ!” What a shame, what a waste and loss o f power, when the people all about us are

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October, 1933

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THE CLOUDS,

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B y CHARLES G. TRUMBULL* ■ Philadelphia,-T’a.

[The world around, Dr. Trumbull is known and loved as the able editor of one o f the oldest, sanest, and most fear­ less Christian periodicals published to­ day. He is a great son o f a noble father, and the S unday S chool T imes is, and always has been, a credit to them both and an honor to their Lord. Recently, a series o f speaking engagements brought Dr. Trumbull to the Pacific Coast—to Portland, Mt.Hermon, Tacoma, Los An­ geles, San Diego, and other centers. It was while in Los Angeles, speaking on Sunday afternoon, August 27, in the Church o f the Open Door, that the ac­ companying address was given. As this stenographic report is read, it is not dif­ ficult for one to feel himself a part of the congregation o f several thousand people who listened, and who rejoiced. —E ditor .] Mrs. Trumbull and I had been driving south during the past week from Mount'Hermon, and as we were driving from Santa Barbara on Wednesday afternoon, we ran into a bit o f a storm, a most unusual thing for Southern Cali­ fornia in August. We saw heavy clouds ahead, and won­ dered whether we were going to run into them. We did, and the rain pelted down on us in the open car in which we were driving. Then we saw glimpses o f beautiful blue sky and then a rainbow. I am sure some o f you shared the ex­ perience with us. First, we had just a glimpse o f a beauti­ ful rainbow; then it grew longer and longer; and finally the arc, which at first was very small, swept the entire sky from one horizon to the other— one of the most beautiful rainbows we had ever seen. We just had to stop our car by the roadside and have a bit o f a praise and prayer ser­ vice together. Mrs. Trumbull said to me that this was one o f our red-letter days, and we must remember the date—what date was it ? I answered that it was August 23, and then it came to me that this was my mother’s heavenly birthday, the day she had been taken Home to be with the Lord, many years ago when I was a junior at college. I told my wife what a precious anniversary it was to m e; and then, to my surprise, she said she had been thinking of my mother, whom she had never seen, that very afternoon, but had said nothing to me about it. Neither-of us knew the other was thinking o f this loved on e; then came this glorious rainbow which made us think very specially o f the Lord. The dark rain clouds—while some were still there— began to give way to the most glorious fleecy white clouds, and through it all the rainbow was shining. Rarely in my life have I seen such glorious clouds or so beautiful a bow in the heavens as we saw that afternoon. Another car was driving our way, filled with children and young people; they stopped by the roadside to look at the heavens, as we did. As we watched the clouds, I thought, “ The Lord is coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” He will bring our loved ones with Him when He comes— Mrs. * Editor, the Sunday School Times. C has . G. T rumbull a s t w e e k the Lord gave me a very gracious and per­ sonal experience that I want to share with you, as we take up together the subject o f our Lord’s return.

Trumbull’s parents as well, as mine, and a mighty host of others. What a wonderful Old Home/Day and reunion that will be! W e wondered if the clouds o f His coming will look anything like those clouds we saw that afternoon. O t h e r C l o u d s I have been thinking of other kinds of clouds that a great many o f my dear friends have been passing through during the past few years. I wonder if any o f you know anything about clouds o f “ depression,” clouds o f discour­ agement, that have been settling down over the entire world — clouds o f uncertainty and of darkness. Let us never for­ get, dear friends, that as Dr. Scofield used to say, “ The clouds are the dust o f His feet.” The Bible has a great deal to say about clouds. The rainbow that we saw last Wednesday afternoon reminded us o f what God said in the ninth chapter o f Genesis, just after the flood, to Noah,: “ This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token o f a covenant be­ tween me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud : And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature o f all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature o f all flesh that is upon the earth.” Another very beautiful rainbow I saw a dozen years

Clouds, as they appeared from the Ventura Boulevard, twenty miles north of Hollywood, on the day to which the author refers.

ago in China. We were in northern China, and after a storm, a glorious rainbow appeared above the Yellow Sea, the waters o f which are very blue. The Chinese cook, a devoted and elderly Christian, came out on the front porch with us, and as we looked at the rainbow together he said, with the light o f the Lord Jesus shining in his fa ce : “ God says, ‘No more flood.’ ” He knew the truth as we know it. And I want to remind you, if any o f us have known any­ thing o f dark clouds in the past few years, or months, or even days—-God is in the clouds, the Lord is coming again in the clouds, and even now the rainbow is there in the cloud, in God’s plan and purpose and promise.. T h e S e c r e t o f t h e M ir a c l e o f J o y I have not time to speak of the miracle of joy that

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tell you. This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven.” It was not a rebuke, but an explanation. It implied not censure, but commendation. The disciples were doing the right thing, looking in the right direction. There is only one safe look, and that is the upward look. What the disciples did as the Lord was taken up from them in His ascension is what the Lord wants us to keep doing until He comes again— for this same Jesus is com­ ing again. G r e a t e s t o f A l l

has been manifested in the lives of a great many of my dear personal friends, as they have been passing through the clouds—a testimony for which I shall always thank God. But I do want to pass on to you the secret of their joy, the secret of “ joy unspeakable and full of glory,” so that we may rejoice alway and again rejoice, no matter what is happening to us. And the secret is this— that we look away from these things, these clouds, these circum­ stances, these testings, look away “ unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.”

I came across a statement recently that called attention to the fact that the Greek word translated in the King James Version “ care,” or “ careful,” in such verses as, “ Be careful for nothing” ( “ In nothing be anxious” ) , or, “ Casting all your care upon him”— that word for “ care,” or “ worry,” means in the Greek “ division.” This means that a worrying heart is a divided heart—divided be­ tween trusting God and looking at cir­ cumstances. God wants us not to have a divided eye or heart, but an eye and heart looking to Him only. As I took my Greek Testament and looked up the various passages translated “ care,” I made a discovery that made my heart re­ joice. In 1 Peter 5:7, “ Casting all your

I had a bit of a surprise a while ago in connection with a question that was put to me. I want to ask you the same question, and see what answer you will give in your own mind. “ Who is the greatest man living today?” If you were asked that, what would you say ? Who is the greatest man living today ? Is it Mus­ solini, that miracle man o f Italy who has brought to pass marvelous transforma­ tions in that country ? Is it Hitler, who has taken control o f Germany? Is it our own President Roosevelt, who is doing such remarkable things? Is Stalin of Russia the greatest man living today ? The surprise I had was this— though

it should not have sur­ prised me at all. The title of the tract that raised the question was, “ The G r e a t e s t Man Living Today: Who is H e? Where is H e?” It began this way: “ If some one in whom you had confidence should tell you that a man, a very remarkable man, was living today in a material body o f flesh and bones, and is now over 1,900 years o f age, would you believe it? The greatest Man living today is the Lord Jesus C h r i s t . ” My d e a r friends, is it not true

care upon him; for he careth for you,” the Greek words translated “ care” in the English are different w o r d s . “ Casting all your divi­ sions upon him’'— the d i v i d e d heart that would make you worry, just cast it upon Him, “ for he careth for you,” — and now the Greek word for “ careth” is not “ division” at all, but an­ other word entirely!. Let us cast our worries upon Him, let us sur­ render our anxieties to Him. The thing that is causing us to have a di­ vided heart— cast it up­

qi/OQBg B y R obert C rumly “ Caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” (1 T hess . 4 :17). Caught up in the clouds to meet Jesus! ’ Tis written, And thus it shall b e when H e comes fo r His own; And though, o’ er a world grief-stricken, war-smitten, The clouds may hang low, yet the Spirit hath shown —• That t h e s e shall not hide Him from you, the true-hearted, Who wait fo r the sight o f that glorious throng — That cloud o f bright angels and loved ones departed! 0 vision o f rapture! How long, Lord— how long? -

on Him, and He will care for us in the midst of the clouds today, whatever they may be; but His care for us is not with a divided heart; He cares for us with His whole heart. That rainbow in the cloud means He will utterly deliver us. The way to fix our gaze upon the Lord Jesus Christ is to look up. “ Keep looking up”— that is our theme this afternoon. T h e R e a s o n f o r t h e U p w a r d L o o k Do you remember a comment that Dr. A. J. Gordon made upon Acts 1:11? The Lord Jesus Christ had just been taken up from the disciples. While they stood there, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. Then two men in white apparel said,,“ Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” It has often been said that the angels rebuked the disciples for gazing into heaven, but Dr. Gordon says it was not a rebuke at all; it was an explanation. It was as though the angels said to the disciples: “ Do you know why you are gazing up into heaven? You do not know, but we will

that we often forget that our Lord is a Man? We know that He is the Son o f God, God the Son, as no other man has ever been; but I am afraid there is a tendency to re­ member His deity and forget His humanity— that sinless humanity that He took by the Virgin birth—that He is today literally a Man as well as God, the only God-Man in the universe, and that He is living in that human body in which He lived for thirty-three years and was crucified. That body in His resurrection was changed; it is the same, yet different; but it is the body in which He walked and talked with His disciples here on earth and then ascended— His crucified, raised, glorified body. The . greatest Man living today is sitting on the right hand o f God in heaven and is coining back again. That was the gracious and blessed message the rainbow gave Mrs. Trumbull and me last Wednesday as we looked up and saw the storm, the clouds, and the rainbow. N e a r e r t h a n E v e r B e f o r e Is the Lord’s return near? Yes! Let us not be in any doubt about that. It is not only nearer than it ever has been before— that has been true through each passing

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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S

October, 1933

year since His ascension—but the Lord’s return is near today in a sense in which it has never been before. It was always imminent. But we know, not by the speculative opinions o f men, but by the infallible Word of God which cannot be broken, that the Lord’s return is near today. When our Lord had prophesied the destruction o f the temple in Jerusalem, the disciples asked Him, “ When shall these things be ? and what shall be the sign o f thy coming, and of the end o f the world?” (Matt. 24 :3 ). The Lord answered in the Olivet discourse, and He gave very definite signs o f the end of the age; first, signs o f the destruction of the temple, which were fulfilled some forty years later; then, signs o f the end o f the age, which have not yet been fulfilled, but which are being fulfilled now for the first time since He uttered those words. People say we should be very careful not to say that the return of the Lord is near, because other equally sin­ cere Christians have said the same thing in earlier years and have been mistaken, and so we may be mistaken. They said, for example, at the time of the Napoleonic Wars, and at the time o f the French Revolution, that the Lord was coming. In both cases they were mistaken; what right have we to say that we know any more than they ? The difference is that, at the time of the Napoleonic Wars, and at the time o f the French Revolution, and at every earlier time before this present generation, many of the scriptural signs of the end had not occurred. Today, for the first time, practically all of the signs are synchronizing. This has never happened before. The Lord said in Luke 21, referring to events that should indicate His return, “ Nation shall rise against na­ tion, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences.” A little later He says: “ And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” We have had this fourfold sign in a single decade. The greatest earthquake in the his­ tory of the world, the greatest war'* in the history of the world, the greatest famine in the history of the world, and the greatest pestilence in the history of the world, all occurred within the ten years from 1912 to 1922. The greatest war was the World W ar; there has never been another one like it, but there will be another greater one. The greatest famine was that in Russia. The greatest earthquake was one in China, that destroyed hundreds of thousands of lives and moved mountains. The greatest pestilence, o f course, was the “ flu” epidemic at the close of the war that took more lives, especially among young peo­ ple, than the entire war. T h e S ig n o f t h e F ig T r e e “ Behold the fig tree,” said the Lord. The fig tree repre­ sents Israel, and the Lord, among other signs, gives us the sign o f the fig tree, which is beginning to be fulfilled before our eyes in Israel’s awakening and return to her land. When a Jew arrives in Palestine, he registers his name as they had to register when Joseph and Mary came to Bethlehem. “ It is wonderful,” writes a Jew, “ after all o f these years o f hard work, to be registered as a citizen o f my own land, with a Jewish clerk in the government office that respects my religion, in my own Hebrew tongue, with blanks in Hebrew, sworn to on the Hebrew Bible.” Hebrew, for the first time in nineteen centuries, is now a spoken language in the land o f the Hebrews. F a l s e C h r is t s The Lord says that “ there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” There are many false Christs now coming to the front. But more subtle than the individual characters that are appearing are the false Christs being offered by

professing Christian movements and even groups o f mis­ sionaries. There are leaders today who talk much about “ Christ” ; one o f the outstanding cases, of course, is the “ Christ” of Christian Science, of Mary Baker Eddy. The Christian Science “ Christ” is not the Christ of God, nor is the “ Christ” of certain modernists who leave out the offense o f the cross. Let us be on our guard against any false teaching concerning Christ. M u l t ip l ie d W e a l t h Another of the signs that is being fulfilled before our eyes is that of great wealth. You remember what James said: “ Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you . . . Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.” Just before the de­ pression, the wealth o f many individuals was unbelievably large. I read a newspaper article saying that if the busi­ ness o f Ford continued as it was then going, four or five years ago, it would not be long before his income would be one million dollars a day. The depression ended that, but he and others may see great riches again. Only this week, I heard of a business man who says he has no ques­ tion that the values o f securities within a short time will exceed the values before the depression. God only knows whether these statements are true, but we know that God has permitted many men to become very rich, and that this is one of His predicted signs of the end o f the age. And the great wealth o f some individuals today is being used liberally to make possible the propagating o f false religion and o f the apostate church. T h e Y o u t h M o v e m e n t The youth movement o f today is a sign being fulfilled before our eyes— the rising o f children and young people against their elders, against government, against parental authority, against self-control in any way. Self-expression is their slogan. It is startling to see the way the Scriptures foretell this as a sign o f the end o f the age. “ This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers o f their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents; . . . Without natural affection” (2 Tim. 3 :1 -3 ). Away back in Isaiah’s time, we have a prophecy o f the same sort, in the third chapter: “ And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.” . Older people, as far as children and young people are concerned, might just as well not exist! The young people today are asserting their “ right,” as they call it, to entire freedom from any control or restraint or parental authority. There is lawlessness in the home. Children revolting against parents, parents revolting against government, and government revolting against G od ! It is all the spirit of lawlessness, and it will be identified with “ the lawless one” who will head up the age in the final revolt against God. I m m o r a l it y The immorality of today is another sign of the end of the age. The Lord prophesied that, as it was in the days o f Noah, so it would be at the time of His return. Those days stood for immorality of the lowest and grossest form that has ever been known in the human race; and the strange, shocking, and tragic fact is that immorality of just that sort is a commonplace among young people and older people today. Some who try to be optimistic in regard to these times say: “ Oh, sin has always existed; immorality has always existed.” But here is the strange fact about the immorality o f today: While immorality has always existed, it has been condemned in earlier years by parents and teachers and by the professing Christian church. Today immorality is encouraged by teachers in oUr colleges, in many o f our schools, and even in the home. [Continued on'page 336]

October, 1933

T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S

335

"Ç o d F irst, Others Second, S elf F a st” H!

QHR l í T T ñÜ UFE-

‘H . 'Æ , that was

SET BEFORE

By ARTHUR D. CASHMAN* Los Angeles^Calif.

herefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud o f witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher o f our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand o f the throne o f God” (Heb. 12:1, 2 ). In this familiar passage o f Scripture, the preferred translation o f one little preposition changes the meaning from that which is usually given to it. T h e M e a n in g o f “ F o r ” In the phrase, “ who for the joy that was set before him,” we usually think o f the preposition “ fo r” as carrying the idea “ for the sake o f.” Consequently, the “ joy . . . set before him” is commonly thought of as His anticipation of a host o f redeemed humanity being with Him in glory through eternity, and the conception is that this joy caused Him to endure the cross, despising the shame. Let it not be thought for a moment that that element o f joy was not present in the mind of the Lord Jesus when He went to the cross; but this passage has a different truth to emphasize. The Greek word which is translated “ for’lin this verse is anti and means, primarily, “ instead o f,” or “ in the room o f,” having the sense of “ instead o f.” It is the same word which is used in Matthew 2 :22, where Archelaus is spoken o f as reigning “ in the room o f ” his father Herod. Thus Hebrews 12:2 might well be read as follows: “ Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who instead o f the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame.” T h is r en d e r in g

context in verse one, we may hardly be accused of specula­ ting on this point in our answer. Who is it who would have us to “ lose patience” in the Christian race ? It is none other than our adversary, the devil. He would discourage us in the race by besetting us with sin and hanging weights upon us. He does this by setting before us attractive things which have their appeal to the human heart, affording a certain kind o f joy. This is exactly what Satan did to our Lord, unto whom we are told to look when we are tempted. In the fourth chapters o f Matthew and Luke, we have the record o f Jesus being tempted o f the devil in the wilderness, in a threefold temptation. All three appeals were most enticing, but let us consider only the one which is undoubtedly referred to in Hebrews 12:2. It reads thus: “ And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms o f the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory o f them: for that is delivered unto m e; and to whomsoever I will I give it.” Matthew records this additional w ord : “ All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” There is no doubt as to what kingdoms the devil offered to Jesus, for the word “ world” in the Greek denotes the civilized world in its present order. On two different occasions, Jesus spoke o f Satan as “ the prince o f this world” (cf. John 12:31; 14:12). Paul recog­ nized him as “ the god o f this world,” so that there is no question about his having the right to offer the kingdoms of this world to our Lord. There need be no

confusion h e r e with passages l i ke Psa lm 24:1, where we are told that “ the earth is the Lord’s and the ful­ ness thereof.” We must keep in mind that the Lord gave the jur­ isdiction o f the world to Adam and Eve and to those who were to come after them, but that they sold out to Satan in the fall (Gen. 1:28-30; cf. Rom. 6 : 16), Satan offered to return the jurisdiction of the kingdoms of this world to the Lord when He was in the flesh. But Christ re­ fused Satan, although, no doubt, it had a joy ­ ous appeal to His hu-

Ghrist’s Love for Me.

would teach us that the joy that was set before the Lord Jesus Christ was some joy in the past, and not one that was in the future. If this is correct, what joy was it that was set before Him, which He refused to a c c e p t , choosing rather the cross with all its suf­ fering and s h a m e ? And who was it that set this j o y before H im? In the answers to these questions there must be a wealth of spiritual truth. C o n s id e r in g the

Estella E. Howes Har. by Herbert orTTövey

Louie M. Howes

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d— J 1 * ~ di. -T 2--^ 5— ü * m ■ U^-5— #• w w 0 I B a — «— JJ M Ë m 1. Christ’s preciousblood has boughtmy soul And in His sight I now am whole; 2. The Lord who is the Truth, the Way, Seeks us who’ve wandered far a - stray; 3. For - ev -er we will praise His name-Our Lord who ev - er is the same; , s m A i . * i t

i l

T

t Saved from the woe I shall not know: He died because He loved me so. 'Come un - to Me,” I hear Him call, “Give Me thy heart, I gave Thee all. ” A - hove ten thousand He is fair, No o th -er can with Ilim compare. -!*— f > . P~ , , > — P »j • — • --- A iftF==fc l Ü ^ I

*Pastor, Second Brethren Church .

Copyright, 1933, by Estella E. Howes

October, 1933

336

T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S

from the second chapter of Philippians, we discover these words: “ Let this mind be in YOU , which was also in Christ Jesus.” Peter enjoins us to follow in the steps o f Christ (1 Pet. 2 :21 ). In Hebrews 12, immediately following the phrase that speaks of Jesus’ exaltation at the right hand of God, we read, “ For consider him that endured such con­ tradiction o f sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” In other words, these passages are recorded to safe­ guard the believer against the program of Satan with which he sought to influence the Lord Jesus Christ. The tempter seeks to spare the child of God suffering and self-denial that is brought about by obedience to the will of God and love and concern for others. By setting forth glowing offers which look like personal advantages, he would have us evade the^path o f duty and Christian responsibility. When these temptations o f Satan come to Christians, each must make his own decision. To accept Satan’s temporary benefits regardless of how valuable they appear to the flesh is to follow the line o f least resistance, which will rob us of greater blessings and advantages that would other­ wise be ours. . Just as the kingdoms of this world are redeemed, every true Christian has been redeemed from the possession o f Satan, through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. But just as Satan continues to usurp dominion over the king­ doms of this world, so he seeks to usurp dominion over every born-again soul who is now the property o f God. But by “ looking unto Jesus the author and finisher o f our faith,” we can refuse to give the enemy dominion over, us, and claim the power o f the indwelling Christ to adhere to the will of God in spite o f all it may cost. As a result, even the kingdoms of this world will be ours, for we are “ joint- heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8 :17 ), and when He returns to reign on earth “ till he hath put all enemies under his feet,” we know that “ if we suffer, we shall also reign with him” (2 Tim. 2 :12; cf. Rom. 8 :14-18). May we, as followers o f our divine Lord, thrust aside the impulse to embrace the transitory joys dangled before us by the arch-deceiver of the ages; and may we, like Moses, have so great a “ respect unto the recompense o f the reward” that our hearts may impell us to choose “ rather to suffer affliction with the people o f God.” Apostasy in the church is crippling evangelization, espe­ cially in foreign missions, as the larger denominations today are controlled by modernists who are sending to the foreign mission field as missionaries those who do not believe the whole Word o f God. Here is a leaflet issued by the American Red Cross, that splendid humanitarian organization which does so much to alleviate suffering. This leaflet shows the rising curve o f disaster in the United States— disaster not caused by man, but in the natural world, such as earthquakes, floods, cyclones, and the like. The increase is startling. These are some of the reasons why we believe the Lord’s return is near. His return is called the blessed hope, the purifying hope. “ And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” Are we think­ ing today o f the Lord’s return in such a way that our lives are purified, so that at His coming we may not be ashamed ? He may come at any time; He may come today; He is coming soon. So the beloved apostle writes to us a il: “ And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” T H E C L O U D S [Continued from page 334]

inanity, in that the acceptance o f it would have spared Him the agony of the cross, with all the humiliation and shame that preceded His crucifixion. T he C hoice of O ur L ord The writer o f Hebrews must have had this in mind when he wrote the words in chapter 4, verse 15, informing- us that Jesus “ was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Just as there are those who would magnify, the humanity of Christ Jesus to the exclusion of His divin­ ity, so there are those who would magnify His divinity to the exclusion of His humanity and have us think of His temptation as a mere form ; but the Hebrew writer, moved by the Holy Spirit, would impress us with the fact that the temptation o f our Lord was as real as ours, and that the joys offered made their appeal. We must remember, too, that Jesus never used His divine nature to minister to His own physical needs. According to our text, then, we have in His person a perfect demonstration of that familiar motto of the Christian, “ God first, others second, and self last.” Jesus refused to think merely of Himself. It was not like Him. When Satan set before Him the kingdoms of this world, there were two things uppermost in His mind : first, the will o f the Father in heaven, for He remembered that He came not to do His own will, but the will of Him who sent Him. He was determined that He would carry out that will, cost what it would—and He well knew that it would cost Him His life. The second thing that was on His mind was the sinful humanity He was sent to redeem from all that was lost in the fall of Adam. So we may say that, because of the unspeakable love He had for both God and mankind, He was Constrained to turn down Sa­ tan’s offer with all of its seeming personal advantage to Himself. The final statement of Hebrews 12:2 informs us that, because Jesus refused the joy that was set before Him by Satan and endured the cross, despising the shame, He was “ set down at the right hand o f the throne o f God.” A more complete description o f all the honor that was heaped upon our Lord because He put God first, others second, and self last is given in the second chapter of Philippians : “ Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God : but made himself o f no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men : and being found in fash­ ion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient untò death, even the death o f the cross. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth ; and that every tongue should con­ fess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Instead o f receiving the kingdoms of this world from Satan as a gift, Jesus redeemed them to Himself (and con­ sequently also to man who lost them to Satan) by His death on the cross, for according to Colossians 2:15, “ And hav­ ing spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” While Jesus Christ triumphed over Satan on the cross, He has not fully exercised His rights over the one whom He conquered. This He will not do until He comes back to the earth in person. Until then, Satan will continue to usurp power and authority over the kingdoms of this world, although only in the permissive will o f God. But after the Lord returns, the prophecy given in 1 Corinthians 15 :24 and 25 will be fulfilled, ,in that He will “ put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.” 7 T he P rinciple A pplied to the B eliever In the verse preceding the great passage just quoted

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