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“ Through cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me!”
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THE FIRST BIOLA ANNU ITY W a s i s s u e d on the Ylth day o f November, 1917, to Julia A . Goodnow in the amount o f $3,000.00. During the fifteen years which have elapsed since the issuance o f the first annuity, there have been Annuity Agreements written aggregating $1,462,012.00 Ito
HOME OF THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES 536-558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, Calif. Through Two Major Depressions and for Fifteen Consecutive Years
holders of Biola Annuity Agreements have received without exception their periodical checks in full on or before the date stipulated in the agreement. There have been few investments to parallel this record.
The Stability of a Biola Agreement
has been proven; and should therefore be a very attractive investment for those desiring to be conservative. Funds placed in this worth-while work will relieve one of theworries that come with uncertainty as to one’s income.
A B io l a A n n u it y is one w ay o f complying w ith the (fr ea t Commission^ "(jO 'ye into a ll the world and preach the gospel to every creature.'j’
W illiam P. W hite , D.D., E ditor
Published Monthly by and Represent ing the Bible Institute of Los Angeles
It’s A Long Time In October, 1894, the foundations of the American Board of Mis sions 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 aban doned obedience to His leading. Thirty-eight years 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-eight years, without a break. Without blare of trumpets, 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 o f salvation through the shed blood of the Lamb o f 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 of these testimonies the Lord has honored, and it, has been our delight to know that we were doing His will. We say all this, not boastfully, but, in humble gratitude to the Lord\ Who ha;* 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!” It is good also for the Christian steward to stop and think of these things when he is consider ing a place for the investment of the Lord’s funds; for we are living in a day o f shifting sands, much bombast, the uncertain sound of trumpets, all o f which lead to con fusion 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.
ïïht% Idle Tamils 3ta$^ine Motto: “ Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood ."— R ev . 1 :5.
Volume XXIII
November, 1932
Number 11
TABLE OF CONTENTS Thanksgiving—Robert Crumbly .......... ............................................. 462 Crumbs from the King’s Table—The Editor....................................463 What Is Christian Thanksgiving ?—Henry Ostrom......................... 465 All of Us Need Friends—Roy Talmage Brumbaugh................ .......466 Tuning Your Thanksgiving Harp—John Bunyan Smith..................467 God . . . Promised—Flora Reid Coate................................................469 On Camel’s Back to the Pyramids—J. A. Huffman........................472 Present-Day Fulfillment of Prophecy—Louis S. Bauman................474 Studies in the Epistle to the Hebrews—John C. Page...... .............476 Heart to Heart with Our Young Readers — Florence Nye Whitwell ............................................................ 478 Homiletical Helps ......... 481 Our Literature Table ......................................................................... 482 Junior King’s Business—Martha S. Hooker......................................483 International Sunday School Lesson Commentary....... .................... 485 Notes on Christian Endeavor— Mary G. Goodner.........................492 Daily Devotional Readings..................................... ■............................. 496
SUBSCRIBERS’ INFORMATION
ADVERTISING: For information with reference to ad vertising in THE KING'S BUSINESS address the Re ligious Press Assn., 325 North 13th St., Philadelphia, Pa., or North American Bldg., Chicago, 111. 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. 15c Annual Subscription ...................................................$ 1.50 Two-year subscription or two annual subscriptions 2.50 TERMS: Single Copies.............................................
Five annual subscriptions.............................................$ 5,00 Eleven annual subscriptions ...................10.00 Subscriptions in countries outside of U. S. require 25c extra. English and Canadian exchange accepted at par. REMITTANCE: Should be made by Bank Draft, Ex press or P. O. Money Order, payable to "Bible Institute of Los Angeles." Receipts will not be sent for reg ular subscriptions, but date of expiration will show plainly, each month, on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. MANUSCRIPTS: THE KING'S BUSINESS cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts sent to it for consideration. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please send both old and new address at least one month previous to date of desired change.
Am er ican Board of Missions to the Jews Inc. 31 Throop Ave. Brooklyn, N. Y.
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 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.
536-558 S. Hope St„ BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Lo* Angeles, Calif.
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(S rum h sfrom THE K IN G ’S TABLE . . . By T he E ditor
leadership just because he may be able to bring in the money to meet our obligations, the Institute is gone, and there is no question about it. But if we trust Him who says, “ The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,” there is nothing whatever to cause alarm over our present financial con dition. If God has use for the Bible Institute, He can find a million dollars in these days of depression when a dozen financial agents cannot find a million cents! The greatest argument for our continued existence is the need God has for such a Bible school as the Bible
The Opening of the Institute
T he B ible I nstitute began the school year on the morning of October 3, 1932 with as large a student body as ever assembled on a similar occasion. Twenty-five faculty members were on the platform. Most of them will give their services for one dollar a year. Dr. Charles E. Hurl- burt was at his best in his address, which we hope to pub lish in T he K ing ’ s B usiness soon. Following this, came the opening address by the President, whose resignation
Institute of Los Angeles. The de mand of the church is for a Bible teaching leadership. It demands a trained ministry, a ministry that knows the Word and how tp use it, a ministry with a holy purpose and the vision of a world lost in the darkness of sin. The church calls for men and women with a convic tion that the gospel of the grace of God is the power of God unto sal vation to every one who believes and that it meets the need of a lost world. It calls for men and women with a message of hope for a com ing Deliverer who will rule the world in peace and righteousness. The church needs men and women so yielded to God that He can use them— anywhere; it may be in China, Japan, India, Russia, Cen tral or South America, Africa, or the isles of the sea. Every conti nent today is a “ dark continent,” and every continent is a challenge to our Bible Institute. He can use you as His sacri ficial ministers in our own western country. How I should like to take forty or fifty of' you young men into the neglected fields of this coast, going back as far as Denver, or Albuquerque, or away across Montana! Here are your own peo ple, who speak your own language, and yet they never hear a gospel sermon, or a Bible lesson as you are taught here to teach it. There are thousands o f men and women with out God and hope at our very doors. We need a Bible Institute on the Pacific Coast with a definite program of Bible teaching and everything accompanying it that prepares a servant of God for being a workman unashamed. Trained leaders for the present hour —that is the immediate need. So far as our orthodoxy is con-
will be in effect October 16, and whose position in the Institute thereafter sha ll be “ P re s id en t Emeritus and Editor of T he K ing ’ s B usiness .” Because of ur gent requests from members of the Board, teachers and students, the address is published instead of “ Crumbs” in this issue o f T he K ing ’ s B usiness . The Address No one in this presence can be happier than I as I look into the faces of the splendid young men and women who compose this great student body, and the teachers who compose our faculty, for I am not ignorant of what it has cost to pro duce this scene. Under God, it is the fulfillment of a great dream. It is the answer to the prayers of tens of thousands of God’s people scat tered throughout the world. The need of a safe, sane, pro gressive Bible Institute here is not questioned. The last great stand of organized, orthodox Christianity will be on the Pacific Coast, and the Bible Institute will be its head quarters, if its leaders are yielded wholly to the will of God. She faces today the greatest opportunity of her history. Her doctrinal position is not criticized. God has graciously answered prayer for money to carry on this school. The gifts during the month of September that has just closed are almost equal to the gifts in Sep tember of last year, while the budget for the month is almost $10,000.00 less, on account of heavy cuts in salaries and wages. There is noth ing for the friends o f this Institute to fear, if we put our trust in the living God, and lean not on an arm o f flesh'.’ I f we trust in any man as our leader, who is elected to
President White Resigns T T r a meeting of. the Board o f Directors f 'll on September 16, 1932, Dr. William P. White presented his resignation as President of the Bible Institute o f Los Angeles, the resigna tion to take effect October 16, 1932. The Board unanimously elected him President Emeritus. He will also remain Editor o f T he K ing ’ s B usiness . Dr. White took charge of the Institute cus its President three and a half years ago, and dur ing this whole time, the Institute has been recog nized by its host of friends as having an unques tioned testimony on the fundamentals of the faith. Dr. White came to the Bible Institute o f Los Angeles after a long period in pastorates and faithful service on the staff o f conference teach ers of the Moody Bible Institute. Through this ministry, God fitted him for the particular ser vice he rendered here. The position to which he was called was fraught with many perplexing problems and heavy burdens, but he bore them with patience and fortitude, declaring almost daily that “ the Institute shall not die but live and declare the works o f the Lord." He has reorganized the Institute since last commencement, having added fourteen new members to the faculty who will give their ser vices free. As T he K ing ’ s B usiness goes to press, there are 375 registered students, with more applications coming in. The school is in a splendid condition. Dr. White has done his work well. Dr. White has had no vacation since coming to Los Angeles. In view o f this and preparatory to an extensive program of Bible conference work throughout the United States and Canada, he is being given a three-months’ vacation. The executive duties will be performed by a cabinet consisting o f Dr. Charles E. Fuller, chairman, Pastor Calvary Church, Placentia, Calif.; Dr. Stewart P. MacLennan, Pastor First Presbyterian Church, Hollywood, Calif.; Dr. Walter E. Edmonds, Pastor First Presbyterian Church, Glendale, Calif.; and Rev. Louis T. Talbot, Pastor Church of the Open Door, Los Angeles, Calif. We, as a Board, ask the united, effectual, fer vent prayers of God’s people in these last days for the continued success o f our efforts in train ing young men and women for definite work in the body o f Christ. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairman.
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cerned, there is no doubt in the minds of either modernists or fundamentalists as to our rating. We are not only true to the old Book as the infallible rule of faith and conduct, but the members of this faculty also agree on the great fun damentals of interpretation. As to our attitude toward the churches and pastors, we are not here to tear down, but to build up. When you students go out to help in the different churches o f this city, or anywhere else, please remember that the pastor of the Church is in charge. You are to go with a positive mes sage. Be courteous, no matter where you go. Never trim your message, never dishonor your Lord, but declare your message with the sweetness, the joy, and the poise that will attract instead of drive away. This Institute must not stop. It was founded by men of God. It was dedicated to “ him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” It must not go down. It cannot fail. This great body of students before me, and this splendid faculty, are a token from God, and can mean nothing else than that the Bible Institute must go on in her splendid work, and palsied be the hand that interferes with the onward progress of this chariot of God! There is one necessary condition for our success: This Institute will live and accomplish its mission, only as there is perfect harmony among the students, the faculty, and the Board of Directors. Each student, teacher, employee, mem ber of the Board must yield to the Spirit of God as He pleads: “ Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice,” and “ grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” God cannot bless us unless we are willing to live together as brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. We are going to prayer for a few hours, and there will be no recitations today. May it be a time of heart-searching, a time of confession, a time of getting closer together in the Lord. If any one has been injured by another, why not fix it up today ? Why try to carry on when the Spirit is grieved ? Why not be kind, tender-hearted one toward another, for giving each other, even as God for Christ’s sake has for given us ? It is possible for us to start a revival today. God is willing, and He is waiting for us. Oh, would it not be a great day, a great start for a great year, if ,we would hum ble ourselves before God and each other, and surrender everything, including personal ambition, that interferes with God’s blessings being poured out upon u s! What a Bible Institute this would be this coming year if we all would yield to the impulses of the Holy Spirit today! We can start something here that will set the Western Coast on fire for God. I tremble for the outcome if we fail to do i t ! With this vision in mind, I am more than willing to step down from the President’s chair to a humbler place, in order that some young man with collegiate education, for he must have that; with splendid culture, for he must be a gentlenfen; with a strong body, for he will need that; with a keen mind, and he will need that; with a love for young folk, and a great vision for them; and above all, one filled with the Holy Spirit— I say I am more than willing to yield the heavy responsibility to such a man. It is the pur pose of the Board of Directors, of which I shall remain a member, to secure such a leader, and may I welcome his coming soon! I want, under God, to render every assist ance I can to the Board, to you teachers, and above all, to you dear young people, for whom I would gladly yield my life, if such a sacrifice would encourage you to put forth your best efforts this year to prepare for leadership, and go out to lay down your lives as stepping-stones in the brook
of time, that on them the Son of Man might walk in His triumphant progress around the world to call out for Him self a church which is His body.
Bible Readings in Schools According to the Victoria [B. C.] Colonist, the Min ister o f Education in Ontario has approved a series of graded Bible readings in three volumes for use in the public schools of that province. Volume one is for the use of children under nine years of age, volume two for children from nine to ten, and volume three for the use of older children. There are readings for each day of the school year. Rev. R. A. Hiltz, writing in The Canadian Journal, says: “ The fundamental difference between these readings and other lists referred to in the regulations is that these readings are selected in harmony with the needs and inter ests of pupils concerned.” What remains before these readings can be made a part of the public school curriculum is the approval of the Board of Education. Presumably, however, that is a pure formality, because the Minister of Education has given his consent, and the volumes have been published on his author ity. No matter how circumscribed the readings may be, it is a step forward in the truer purposes of education that Ontario should have decided to inculcate the highest prin ciples of morality in its public schools. It is only a question of time before other provinces will follow suit. Spiritual Amnesia This Thanksgiving season ought to be a great time for curing people of a certain disease of which I have read. The disease is called “ amnesia.” This disease is a comparatively rare affliction— for tunately so. Its main feature is forgetfulness. There are cases on record in which men have forgotten their own names, the date of their birth, their family relations—in a word,' cases in which memory had become a complete blank, and the past was utterly blotted out. Such is amnesia. Physically, it is fortunately a rare disease; but spiritually, it is not rare. Not in vain does the Psalmist call upon his soul, “ And forget not all his bene fits.” Kipling has, as the refrain of his immortal “ Reces sional,” the words, “ Lest we forget, lest we forget.” Ingratitude is nothing but a form of spiritual amnesia. It stands for a voluntary or involuntary blotting out of the memory of the past. The mind is no longer sensitive to past benefits bestowed. It is as if these things had never been. And thus ingratitude becomes a spiritual menace. God’s own people are very apt to suffer from this dis ease, and we forget past mercies in the face o f present emergencies, as if they had never been. Now, as we have said, this Thanksgiving season ought to be a great time for curing people of amnesia. Let us forget not all His benefits. Let us bring them to mind. And also, let us talk about them. “ O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good ; for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the re deemed of the Lord say so.” They, above all others, should say it, sing it, shout it. Do not keep it in. Do not be silent about it. If you feel gratitude to God, say so. “ Forget not.” Get over your amnesia. You can if you will. And “ speak out your praise.” “ O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good ; for his mercy endureth for ever.” —G. B. F. H allock .
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Q Ê lia ils CHRISTIAN HANKSGIVING? By HENRY OSTROM ^ j ^ Greencastle, indiana
^ _ wo good publications of late have had articles in them calling attention to Daniel’s thanksgiving. One is by a godly business man who, having had recent business reverses, seeks to cheer his fellows, and perhaps heartens himself, by quoting the following: “ Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he . . . prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime” (Dan. 6:10 ). The writing alluded to ordered Daniel to be cast into the den o f lions. Normally, of course, that writing would have been a death warrant. So Daniel was giving thanks after the death war rant was signed, as he did before it was written. Did thanks giving prophesy heavenly protection, or did even a godly Jew in that day know enough about God’s unfailing good ness to know that he must thank Him, even if lions should make a repast o f his poor body ? And if Christian light and life are vastly above the shadows of the Jewish faith, shall the Christian be thankful only for governmental protection, harvests o f food, and general physical well-being? If he may not see it, can he not, and should he not, trust that the goodness o f God to him would not be in the least reduced if governmental failure is substituted for governmental pro tection, and if the fields are barren and physical welfare is jeopardized ? The Christian does not require payment for being thankful. Just to have Christ is to have grace to the extent of an “ unspeakable gift,” and the Christian’s thoughts are so filled with Him that surely, if all these in cidentals might fail, he gives thanks as aforetime. The speed of our day, if nothing else, may justify our inquiry into the real significance of thanksgiving. Casual “ thank you’s” may be counterfeits of real thankfulness. When the proclamation is given, in Isaiah 9, that our Lord Jesus will reign in peace on the earth, the first title applied to Him is “ Wonderful.” That it will he during His reign that this earth will thrill with thanksgiving is more than hinted in the word “ Wonderful” alone; for thankful ness is never the child of cold calculation. Calculation has to do with contracts and profits. It is not until wonder is asserted that the heart begins to sing praises. Wondering at God’s goodness in His providences, wondering at His ac cepting the homage of redeemed sinners, wondering at the wonderful salvation wrought for us in the blood of the cross, we are ready to bid calculation adieu and to thank our God, not reckoning and scarcely considering analyzed circumstances. We thank Him. Our hearts overflow to Him in homage and adoration, neither of which could be without gratitude, and that in turn cannot be without wonder. C hristian T hanksgiving is an O bligation Thanksgiving is one of man’s original obligations. Its absence marks a great and serious loss. The first step re corded in man’s condemnation and ruin is described thus: “When they knew God, they glorified him riot as God.” And the second step reads thus: “Neither were thankful.” The lesson is this, that to have become ungodly is to have become unthankful ; and the inference is clear, that glorify
ing God implies thankful ness, and being godly neces sitates it. Tracing the mention of the fruit o f the Spirit in the believer and noting the ef fects of grace reveals a striking classification, of thanksgiving. It sounds the depths o f personal obliga tion as if to guarantee that it must be, actually must be, if the person knows God. The fruit of the Spirit with all that grace accomplishes is truly dependent upon knowing God, yet there is som e th ing in gratitude which so emphatically waits upon knowing God that it is not mentioned in this list which gives the fruit of the Spirit. Does not this assert powerfully the obligation to gratitude ? In the mentioning of the nine cleansed lepers, the same fact appears. He “ fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: . . . And Jesus answering said, . . . There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.” Then there was an obliga tion upon the nine to have given thanks. And what shall we say of the much- used words, “ In every thing give thanks” ? Why? “ For this is the will o f God.” It is not in everything know the future, describe the out come. This is a gift of which man has not been the possessor. Only God pos sesses that power— hence the miracle o f Bible proph ecy. No, it is “ give thanks” ; it is rather a heart-gift, and man should exercise it. In deed, man may become a
Ploughing the Subsoil 2 Jt I hen 1 was a ladj 1 learned a l e s s o n L about plowing that 1 have not forgotten. I saw a little, sharp-pointed p l o w , drawn by a single horse that walked in the furrow imme- J diately after a turning plow that was drawn by two horses. The little plow was cutting the furrow deeper, and I was informed that it was "subsoiling." I was told that beneath the shallow plowing o f the turn ing plow, the soil had become so compact that the roots of. the growing crop could not penetrate to a sufficient depth, and the crop failed be cause o f lack o f moisture. The continued shallow culti vation, year after year, had so impoverished the surface soil that it needed the fertil ity of the deeper soil, and the little plow was breaking up the subsoil and adding fertil ity to all that was above it. In other words, it was a kind o f an agricultural revival. The application is not hard to make. That there is a spir itual dearth throughout the land, who can deny? Plow ing has been done, but we have not stirred the subsoil. We have been so occupied and consumed with the su perstructure o f things that the subsoil o f great gospel truth has been neglected. We are still plowing, but the sur face soil has lost much of its fertility. In some instances, we_ have stirred the surface soil to the dryness o f an ash- bank . . . and the yield has not been sufficient to keep us from discouragement and debt. The time has come when we need, in a measure not approximated within at least more than a decade., to turn again to the subsoil plow o f the glorious gospel. —C harles T. A lexander .
self-exhorter to exercise it : “ Bless the Lord, O my soul.” Dead in trespasses and sins, he cannot do it. That death spells separation from God; but when he is horn anew and risen with Christ, thanksgiving is an obligation.
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and to our Lord, while those living creatures hard by speak their tribute about Him. Here we see a long step upward, for redeemed sinners’ praises. Here it is that weeping turns to singing, and singing to our Lord—not only about Him but to Him. Here the tribute rises to “ the Lamb that was slain.” (And forget not that these living creatures, too, give glory and honor and thanksgiving to the Lord God almighty.) Neither can the tribute of redeemed sinners to “ the Lamb,” nor that of the “ living creatures,” be told out without the words “ for ever and ever.” Ages on ages can not exhaust the thankfulness either of the high defenders of God’s throne or of redeemed sinners. Then, surely then, having entered upon that life with Him, wonder will be heightened and deepened and broad ened, until thanksgiving will come forth, an overflowing from pure hearts whose murmuring and fretting have been banished never to return. The fact that God’s “ unspeakable gift” means God’s gift not fully expounded, and that this gift is a special prompt ing to thanksgiving calls us on to the further and eternal expounding of that gift. If now we give special thanks for it, when could we ever exhaust the thanksgiving ? When the gift is further expounded, the thanksgiving must be fur ther expressed. And if the gift forever reveals its added richness, then surely the thanksgiving will forever increase. A ll of Us Need Friends B y R oy T almage B rumbaugh man lived nearer to God than Paul. He had grasped the hand of his Bosom Friend in eternal grip. The apostle of the Gentiles leaned heavily on God, yet he felt the need of human sympathy and succor. Aged, in prison, be reft of friends, he sent this call to Timothy, the young preacher: “ Give diligence to come shortly unto me” (2 Tim. 4 :9 ). The greatest sometimes collapse in weakness. The weakest have oft, by strong affection, made fainting giants herculean. Every ear searches the ether for love’s wave- notes. Every hand eagerly awaits the friendly grip. Every shoulder longs for affection’s pat. Every heart yearns for fellow feeling. The recluse is less than a man. David and Jonathan together are stronger than one hundred men indi vidualized. Mutual burden bearing is the fulfillment of the law of God. Real friendship has a spiritual foundation. Vital union can not be manipulated. Social and political leagues soon strike the rocks unless the Spirit of God throbs through them. Worldly friendships, like leaves in autumn, fall away as winter approaches. In times of drought, like the bed of a frivolous brook, from earthly alliances' flow no re freshment. Friendship in Christ Jesus is ever green. Its leaf does not wither. Like a stream fed by inexhaustible springs, it is full to the brim and overflowing in drought as well as in time of freshet. Gentle as a mother, strong as the arm o f the law, vigilant as a nurse, pure as tried silver, zealous as a furnace heated over seventy times seven is the relationship possible through Christ Jesus our Lord. Take the “ friend that sticketh closer than a brother,” even Jesus Christ, into your heart by faith. Be friendly with those who are friends of the Friend. Oh, men and women, why seek ye elsewhere for that which can be found only in the church and in the service of Christ ? Seek ye first Christ and His people, and everlast ing friendships shall be added unto you.
C hristian T hanksgiving is an E xaltation Thanksgiving cannot be born, and it will not condescend to live, on the dead level. Its realm is the realm of the ex alted. Wonder, display, boast, psalmody, singing, harping — these are words which have to be articulated when we un dertake to describe thanksgiving: harping and singing be cause, when the soul cannot be content by lifting the tribute in cupfuls of saying, it calls for and demands the artesian- ism of singing and reaches for whatever added pressure may be found in harping. It is this way, “ I said it, but let me sing it; I said it, but let me employ melody to wing it.” Display and boast—not display of ourselves, or boast ing of ourselves—how befitting is the use of the word “ display” when applied to the goodness of God to His creatures! Few mysteries in all the field of man’s earthly existence can equal the mystery of music and fragrance and flavor and a mother’s love left in a world of sin. Combined, what a display they constitute! Yet all the outreachings and downreachings of grace are to be added before we reach even a rudimentary estimate of the-goodness of God. And » it is thus that the boast begins. “ Cast not away therefore your boasting [Sp. Trans.] which hath great recompence of reward.” It is not pride, not pomposity, not the flow of character dropsy; rather, it is stepping into that Wonder realm where we undertake to appreciate the goodness of God. Appreciate! That is a word we need just here in our subject; for thanksgiving would suffocate without it. Appreciation furnishes the lungs of which thanksgiving is the song. Appreciative peo ple see more than those who lack it. They see deeper and higher and brighter. As friends, they are exalted and ex alting. Among acquaintances or in the family, the appre ciative become specially dear. The/reader may have often observed this. ’ Moreover, to all this exalting quality of thanksgiving there is a “ why.” Why such goodness to me ? Why should God remember even me ? Why should He trust such as me with tokens of love? Why should He seek a lost sinner such as I to glorify Him forever? Truly, pride puffeth up -—but this is lifted up. C hristian T hanksgiving has D uration No holy pages tell, in the least degree, of thanksgiving among lost souls. When our Lord gives the account of Lazarus and the rich man, there is the request of the rich man that his brothers be prevented from coming to the place of torment. Whether he means to spare them the awfulness of the suffering there, or whether he imagines that they might disclose further deeds of his own guilt which would increase his own distresses, the record does not state, but neither does it disclose the first note of thanksgiving. If we could find it at all among,the lost, we should have found it in this incident. But the saved! They are set forth to view almost as an embodiment of never-exhausted thanksgiving. They are set forth with exultation and praise, remarkable, superla tive. Behold, for instance, the description o f the New Jeru salem accompanied with the statement that “ nothing com mon shall enter there.” Is this a reason why so much is made of melody there? Speech might fairly be classified as common (and sometimes grossly common), but adoration set to music is something above the common. These de scriptions in Revelation 19, in the first six verses, contain four “ hallelujahs,” suggesting an antiphony to the last five psalms of the fifth book of Psalms, for they each end in “ hallelujah.” Observe how priestly saints from earth are seen enthroned around our enthroned Lord. Note how they break forth into singing, and how they sing both o f
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y^uning C l/c ou r T H A N K S G IV IN G **— I« ............. -
B y JOHN BUNYAN SMITH* San Diego, Calif.
hanksgiving D ay is the harp of the American home year. It is the day when we sing our songs o f praise to God. It is the day when the flood tide of American history comes in. Thanksgiving Day is a memorial to that generation which had courage enough to thank God, even though their ship did not come in. The pilgrims sang in the midst of appalling poverty. They were in a strange land, meeting strange situations in life. I f any reader wishes to find a story of human privation and deprivation at their limits, let him read the records of the pilgrim saints who inaugurated Thanksgiving Day. They suffered perils of Indians, perils of cold, perils of famine, perils of disease, and perils of death. But they for got their hardships and lifted their voices and sang praises unto God. S ongs in S trange P laces Do we sing only when we are happy? Psychologists now declare that the first response made to any experience is not reflected in one’s mood, but in one’s gesture. When I triumph, I begin to sing. My singing, plus other physical reactions, makes me happy. “ How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” wailed the captive people of God as they hung their harps sadly on the willows, while their captors taunted them with sneering demands for one of the good old songs of Zion. But the song which begins with a sad question ends with a pledge never to forget Jerusalem, the city of the great God. The first Thanksgiving song in the Bible is the song of Moses at the Red Sea—a song o f deliverance. Paul and Silas, suffering in the prison, could still sing praises and thank God. God heard them and sent down a special messenger to them. That great angel took hold on a corner of the old. jail and shook the prisoners out. This year, of all years, is one in which the believers in Christ should tune their harps and strike up a song. In order to awaken music in our hearts, let us tune up and touch some Thanksgiving harp strings. M editation Let the first string be meditation. “ My meditation of him shall be sweet.” Meditation is almost a lost art in our generation. It was while the prophet mused that the fire burned. Let us meditate upon the history of America. Fol low the march of the pioneers from the Tiber to the Thames and ftom the Thames to the Mississippi and on to the Pa cific seaboard. The hand of Providence guided Columbus across the
GRATEFUL MEDITATION HAS BECOME A LOST ART, A BROKEN HARP STRING.
boundless deep. That same hand turned the prow of his boat, which was pointed straight for the Virginia coast, southward to follow a flock of land birds which took that direction. Thus North America was saved from the domin ion o f Spain and the cursed Spanish inquisition. Columbus named the new country at its birth “ San Salvador”—the land of the Saviour—and now it is spoken o f as, America, America, In the great migration of the seventeenth century, men and women of character and education turned to the new world. God was sifting the old world for choice grain to sow into the new world. Never was there a movement with which the almighty dollar had less to do. Pilgrims came seeking religious liberty, and they found it. Thank God, that blessed heritage still remains to us, their children! Strike this string of meditation, and listen to the sweetness of its music. G ratitude Let us touch the second Thanksgiving harp string, which we may call gratitude. Gratitude is so splendid a medicine, that it should be taken in large doses. Shake speare has well said, What sharper than a serpent’s tooth It is to have a thankless child! The Arab can teach us a very useful lesson. When he breaks his leg, he thanks God it was not his neck. We may well emulate the example of the old Southern mammy who said, “ I have only two teeth in my head, but thank the Lord, they hit.” Whose freedom knows no bars, Where the air is full o f sunshine And the flag is full o f stars.
*Pastor, First Baptist Church.
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Christianity sings not only in the day but also in the darkest night. Songs in the night are signs of the morning. Such songs defeat despair, recommend our faith to a song less world, and are a great lubricator for the frictions of life. Let us praise God that, though we may be poverty- stricken, He is not. Too many Christians are singing a dirge. Let them take their Thanksgiving harp and sing. The night of despair and disappointment, disease and death, may have beclouded and befogged our pathway. Thanksgiving season is the time to sing our songs of hope and praise in the night. Such singing of our thanks brings joy in the morning. Let us join with that great group of noble souls who have started us singing.. Thank God for Matheson, who sang in the gathering gloom, “ O Love that will not let me go” ; for Lyte, who struck a responsive cord in human hearts with,“ Abide with me, fast falls the eventide, when the walls of his life were crashing in ruin about him; for Fanny Crosby, who, her blind eyes jeweled with tears, car oled, “ Draw me nearer, blessed Lord” ; for Mattaniah, who in Old Testament days, used his priestly office to teach the people to sing; and for Jesus Christ, who walked bravely out of the upper room into the garden of grief and death after “ they had sung an hymn.” Shall we not tune up our Thanksgiving harps and join together in singing an old. song of praise on this new Thanksgiving Day?
Another saint of God, who in everything was giving thanks, said, “ I was going home with some meat for supper. I stopped to tie my shoe string and a dog stole the meat, but thank God I still have my appetite left.” Thanksgiving turkeys are roosting too high for mil lions of Americans, but let us be thankful that we can still masticate and digest the plain foods God gives us. Thanksgiving is the time for those who are living on Grumbling Alley to move over onto Thanksgiving Avenue. Tune up your Thanksgiving harp, strike the string of gratitude, and begin to sing : Count your blessings, Another string we may strike upon our Thanksgiving harp is that of praise. “ I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live.” We live in a world of discords. Nature sings in the minor key. Christianity is the only religion which sings in the major key. If that be true, is it not high time for the children of God to lift their songs of praise? Thanks giving is the season for such singing. Perhaps some of us who belong to the household of faith have hung our harps on the willows. Then let us take our silent harps, tune them in harmony with our Father’s will, and sing again the songs of the redeemed. i s e ALPHABET o f SCIENCE i d is for chemistry, in the simple primer of modern information and research which we have begun to assemble. As was pointed out in the two preceding articles in this series, we are able today to use the very latest discoveries of the most careful sciences to survey the accuracy of the Bible, and to watch the Book pass through this peculiar process of investigation with flying colors. In this brief suggestion, we dare to ask the Scripture to meet the exact ing requirements of the most absolute of all sciences— chemistry. This is the most mathematical of sciences, as well as the most exact, for the whole procedure of chemistry is based on mathematical formulae. From the simple symbol, “ H 20 , ” on up to the most complicated expression of chem ical combinations it is possible to assemble, the mathemat ical method rules in the world of chemistry. It is above all others the science of creation, as it deals with the vital and physical make-up of all existing forms of matter. In the dim Teachings of the past ages, when men sought for wierd powers in the realm called alchemy, this science had its first origin. Men began to notice certain phenomena constantly recurring under the same conditions, always giv ing the exact results without deviation, and gradually Name them two by two, And it will surprise you What the Lord will do. P raise ■A A J J L a n d
lite INSPIRATION o / B BIBLE*
By HARRY RIMMER, Lés Angeles, Calif. Copyright by Research Science Bureau, Inc.
chemical knowledge became the heritage of man. What chance, humanly speaking, would a book writ ten by men some thousands of years ago, have of passing the rigid scrutiny o f the most advanced chemists of this age? The answer must be, “ None at all.” And such an answer would be absolutely correct. If, then, the modern chemist finds the volume we now deal with chemically ac curate after these many centuries and millenniums, the con clusion must be that it is of more than human origin. Knowing that the Bible is the Word of the living God, the Word that lives and abides forever, we come with great boldness to submit it to the acid test of chemical in vestigation. T he M iracle of C reation We will quote as our first authority the late eminent Edwin E. Slosson, who, until the time of his death recently, was editor of Science Service o f Washington, D.C. Dr. Slosson was a chemist of international repute, and he is noted for many books and articles popularizing science and teaching chemistry to the masses. Perhaps his most famous book is Creative Chemistry, but one of his most interesting works is called Sermons o f a Chemist. In this book, the author asserts:
[Continued on page 471]
*Last o f a series of three articles.
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G O D . . .
r o m i s eis 1
B y FLORA REID CQATE Los Angeles, CalifT
.N the first chapter of the book of Titus, there are five words that enhance the value of every one of the 32,000 promises contained within the covers of the blessed Book : “ God, that cannot lie, promised.” Back of any particular assurance, any promise that we particularly need and would like to claim, are the integrity and the power of a holy and omnipotent God. Knowing this, we can come to the mercy seat with the utmost confidence, assured that, if we have met the divine conditions, heaven’s storehouse is wide open to us, and the Lord of all the earth is ready to grant our request. Even a superficial study o f the prayers of the Bible yields some interesting and profitable suggestions to those who are eager to learn the secret of prevailing with God, and of seeing things brought to pass for the glory of His name. For instance, there are various illustrations of the truth that a special manifestation of God’s power is fre quently prefaced by thanksgiving or praise. One of these is found in the very familiar account of the fall of Jericho. T he W all of J ericho It is interesting to note, in the first place, the prepara tion of the people for the great victory which God was about to give them, and the foundation that was laid for faith. Not until the children of Israel had been circumcised and had partaken of the Passover, did the “ captain of the Lord’s host” reveal himself to Joshua. There was neces sarily real heart preparation before the Lord made the an nouncement to His servant, “ See, I have given into thine hand Jericho.” Note the tense. Although the city was still in the hands of the enemies of Israel and was surrounded with its protecting walls, it was not will give, but have given. Then followed detailed instructions to compass the city once on six successive days and seven times on the seventh day, with the final injunction and promise, “ All the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat.” Day after day, for six days, all the “men of war” tramped around the city, not seeing even the shadow of a result, marching simply because God had commanded them to march. And even on the seventh day, when they had faithfully compassed the city seven times, there was not so much as a crack in the wall: It towered above them as sternly and uncompromisingly as ever. That was a test of faith. What would we have done? Turned a microscope on the wall, trying to find a bit of evidence that the wall was about to crash? And failing to find this evidence, would we have called a prayer meeting, and begun to cry, “ Lord, give us Jericho. Dear Lord, please give us Jericho” ? Or would we have risked the howl of derision that was sure to come from within the walls in the event that the Lord had failed us, and would we have shouted “ with a great shout” before we had a grain of evidence to bolster up the word o f the living God ? Jericho was Israel’s from the moment Jehovah had spoken, but
they had to shout in faith before the walls fell flat. Had they fail ed before this test, the walls of that memorable city might have stood until the present mo ment— if they were built of sufficiently dur able. material. W hen J ehoshaphat S tood S till Consider the marvel ous answer to prayer accorded to Jehosha phat, King of Judah, following the discipline that came through the restoration of the pure worship o f God and the c a r e fu l administration of justice throughout the realm. The people were carefully prepared for a test of faith and a demonstration of the power of God. It came when the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir invaded Ju dah. Jehoshaphat im mediately called his peo ple to prayer. He mag nified the name of Jeho vah ; he reminded the Lord of former favors received at His hand; he called attention to the sanctuary built for di vine worship, and to the fact that they had counted on divine help in the hour of need ; and finally, in a few words, he made his supplica tion. The answer came
He Can Make No Mistake T hrough the inky blackness o f many a night of trouble and stars o f faith and hope and re joicing; and whenever they appear, the night is transformed. Not every eye, alas, can see them. It required the pointing finger of a little son to trace their glories for a distracted father, a Christian business man, who had unexpectedly met with heavy losses and had, begun to doubt the wisdom and love of God in allowing these trials to overtake him. Returning to his home one even ing in a despairing state o f mind, he sat down before the open fire place in his library, tossed with tempest of. doubt and destitute of comfort. Presently his little boy, a child o f six or seven summers, came and sat on his knee. Over the mantlepiece was a large illuminated card containing the words, "His work is perfect.” The child spelled out the words, and pointing to them, said, “Papa, w h a t d o e s 'Perfect’ meant” - And then, before the father, who was somewhat staggered, could make a reply, there came another question from the little prattler: “Does it mean that God never makes a mistake?” This was just the thought that the troubled father needed to have brought before his mind. Clasp ing his little one in his arms, he exclaimed, “ Yes, my precious boy, that is just what it means!” That father’s confidence in God was revived, the radiance of an un faltering trust again lighted up his soul, and his heart was filled with the bright glow of thanksgiving. God had promised; He could make no mistake.
perplexity, shine forth the eternal
immediately: “ Be not afraid . . . the battle is not yours, but God’s . . . Stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” God had promised. Praise took the place of prayer. The king organized a praising corps that should sing unto the Lord and “ should praise the beauty of holiness.” The singers might readily have objected that it was no time
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prayer is answered before the prayer itself is finished— before we have ‘done speaking.’ This is because God has pledged His word to us that whatsoever we ask in Christ’s name . . . and in faith, shall be done. As God’s word cannot fail, whenever we meet those simple conditions in prayer, the answer to our prayer has been granted and completed in heaven as we pray, even though its showing forth on earth may not occur until long afterward. So it is well to close every prayer with praise to God for the answer. He has already granted; He who never forsakes His loving kindness and His truth.” Possibly the children of God have never needed, as they do today, the wonderful assurance given in Philippians 4 :19: “ But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches.” Missionary organizations need this assurance. With the usual sources of supply drying up day after day, what are the missionaries o f the cross to do ? Those whom God has called to preach the gospel o f the kingdom in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and whose every heart-throb is for the neglected ones who are starving and dying for lack of the Bread of life—shall these be called home because of the lack of funds, or shall we, in place of crying, “ Lord, send us bread for the hungry multitudes,” rather say, “ Lord, we thank Thee that Thou hast heard us” ? The promise is there, with all the power of high heaven back of it, and it is our glorious privilege to praise through when we cannot pray through. H enry F ord ’ s B acking — and G od ’ s If Henry Ford, with his multiplied millions, should say to the leaders of any foreign missionary society, “ I will for one year supply all the need of your organization, accord ing to the wealth that I have in my possession,” and if, as an earnest o f his good faith, he should give an indefinite number of blank checks, signed with his name; do you sup pose that organization would have to consider retrenching ? And would the leaders of the work periodically spend an hour or two, or a whole night, with Mr. Ford, asking him, please, to supply the need? Would they not rather send him from time to time a warm note of appreciation and thanks for his gracious promise and his kindly care of the precious work in the Orient or elsewhere ? But one infinitely greater than Mr. Ford has spoken, One whose resources are exhaustless, and whose love for heathen souls is boundless. Shall we feel less secure to have the name of Jesus Christ signed to our checks, the name which is bound to be honored at heaven’s bank so long as a need remains, or until beaven is bankrupt ? Chil dren o f the Lord o f all the earth, depending on His own gracious promise, need have no fear that He will fail. “ God, that cannot lie, promised.” A D efinite A ct of C omm ittal . It is our privilege in these days when “ men’s hearts are failing them for fear,” to commit into the Father’s hands every circumstance, every condition, every individual for whom we feel personally responsible. The challenge comes to each of us, “ Commit thy way unto the Lord ; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” or, briefly ren dered, “ Commit . . . trust . . . he worketh.” What a blessed relief'it is to be able, by a definite act of committal, to place on Him the responsibility o f our friends and loved ones, of hopeless situations or circum stances and, leaving them all with Him, to go our way with out a worry or a care. Our part is to commit and trust ; His part is to bring things to pass for the glory o f His name. And while there may be no immediate evidence that [Continued on page 473]
He Faileth Not B y A nna H oppe All the way thy gracious Lord will guide thee, Lead thee gently by His tender hand, Valiantly defend when ills betide thee, In thy sojourn in this pilgrim land. No matter what thy daily need may be, An all sufficient Christ sustaineth thee! Be not dismayed; let earthborn fears not grieve thee, Earth’s friends may fail—H e still abides the same. Ne’er for a moment will His watch-care leave thee; Zealous is He who calls His sheep by name! Eternal life is thine; His blood has bought thee; No power can take thee from thy Shepherd’s hand. Blessings abound with Him whose love has sought thee; Each day brings glimpses from Immanuel’s land! Rejoice, dear heart! Till thou His face wilt see, Goodness and mercy still will follow thee! to praise. Why not wait until there was some indication of victory ? Every Ammonite, every Moabite, every inhab itant of Mount Seir still stood in his place—what was there to shout about? But the record reads, “ When they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, . . . and they were smitten.” The men of Judah praised in faith before there was the slightest manifestation of the power of God, and at the moment when they offered this sacrifice, He marvelously fulfilled His promise. The answer came when they prayed, but the manifestation came when they praised. A t the B eginning of D aniel ’ s S upplication How interesting from this standpoint is the record of Daniel’s intercessory prayer, given in the ninth chapter of the book called by his name! The record reads, “ I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplica tions, with fasting,-and sackcloth, and ashes.” The prophet first confessed the sins of his people, with whom he identi fied himself; he then extolled the righteousness of Jeho vah ; he acknowledged the justice of God’s judgments upon Israel and earnestly supplicated the throne on their behalf. While he was yet speaking, God’s emissary, “ the man Gab riel . . . being caused to fly swiftly,” touched him and gave this bit of information, which is a source of much encour agement to all who read the record, “A t the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee.” All the time that Daniel waited before the Lord in earnest supplication, the answer was coming as speedily as God could get it to him. And when we read in the tenth chapter of this same book that Daniel prayed and fasted three full weeks, we also read the assurance that was given to him at the moment the answer came: “ Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, . . . thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.” Interference on the part o f the “ prince of the kingdom of Persia” had delayed the answer, but it was coming from the first day of Daniel’s long period of intercession. W hen the A nswer C omes When does God answer? He answers “ before ye call,” or “when ye pray.” Some one has said, “ Every right
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