October, 1939
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
372
Table
Around the Kings E D I T O R I A L
eration of the faith that saves. But some schools still remain true to the glorious gospel of the grace of God. These institutions merit the full sup port of the Lord’s people. Will you not pray that the ministry of every school of this kind may increase in scope until the Lord shall come, and that the Bible Institute of Los Angeles in particular may be enabled to fulfill its divinely assigned mission in this age of apos tasy?—Louis T. Talbot. Shaken—Unshakable I do not know a word that describes present-day conditions everywhere like the word “shaken.” Everything has been shaken to its very foundation. This description is true no matter where you turn, or what realm you may enter. It is true in the financial world. Men and women who a few years ago com puted their wealth in six or seven fig ures, today have no fortune and barely the necessities of life. A survey of the political world will reveal the same condition. Nothing is more unstable than present-day human government. Since 1914 the map of Europe has changed many times, and dynasties that were founded hundreds of years ago have passed away. Commu nism and Naziism are shaking their fists and threatening the stability and the integrity of every nation in the world. This shaking process has reached even the religious realm. Few of the great verities for which martyrs have shed their blood are considered worth a con tinuing struggle. The religious world is a place of confusion. In the midst of such a situation as this, it is blessed for the child of God to remember that over against these shaking scenes there are some things that are unshakable. The first of a few of these unshak able things is the throne of God. In Hebrews 1:8 we read, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.” Other thrones topple and fall; this throne stands se cure and eternal. No matter what may take place in this world or in the uni verse of God, the throne of God, which stands in the center of this universe, stands forever, and it cannot be shaken. Another immovable thing is the Word of God. The Psalmist declares, “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled In heaven” (Psa. 119:89). And the Lord Jesus Christ affirms, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). Still another permanent entity is the church of God. In Matthew 16:18 the [Continued on page 403]
also work, making it our chief business in life to be the right kind of am bassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ. —Louis T. Talbot. Bible Institutes—A Bulwark On Tuesday, September 5, the Bible Institute of Los Angeles opened its fall term with the largest enrollment in recent years. The young men and young women who have registered represent many states of the Union and several foreign countries. I have just completed an itinerary that has taken me to all parts of our great nation. I have preached on an average of twice and three times a day, including Saturdays. After careful study of the religious situation, I am of a fixed opinion that the Bible Insti tutes of the world are, under God, the bulwark of the church today. Everywhere I went, I found young men asking where they might go in order to receive a knowledge of the Word of God that would equip them for the gospel ministry at home or abroad. Some of these young men had studied in seminaries and had found that the influence ,of the type of instruction given there' had paralyzed rather than developed their Christian life, denying to them the only authority that a Chris tian may claim—“Thus saith the Lord.” The greatest modem tragedy is that many branches of the Protestant church have discarded faith ip the Word of God. Meanwhile, the pernicious doc trines of these groups have been dis seminated widely by the help of unwary individuals who think they are giving to the cause of Christ. What right has any Christian steward to give a penny for' the advance of false teaching? In stitutions like the Bible Institute of Los Angeles cling to the old Book and to the old faith. -They provide courses of study in historical .Christianity, and they proclaim and prove that the gospel is still “the power of God unto salvation.” It becomes more and more necessary for men and women of God to ask the question:' “Is this cause, to which I am giving my money, loyal to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the whole Word of God?” On this point, Biola wel comes careful investigation. The more than four hundred young men and young women who enrolled this fall present limitless possibilities. Their Textbook is the Bible; their Teacher, is the Spirit of God, speaking through the Word and through the Lord’s servants. It is true that modernism is sweeping through many of our institutions oi learning today, robbing the rising gen
, The Doom of Human Government
The deterioration of human govern mental power is clearly foretold. In Daniel 2, where we have the most com plete prophetic picture of the character, course, and consummation of the times of the Gentiles, we find it emphasized that, in the affairs of thé times of the Gentiles, there will be a downward ten dency in political control—descending from an absolute monarchy to Commu nism and Bolshevism. Gold, silver, brass, iron, clay—this is the order. It is in teresting to réad history and to observe how this great prophecy in regard to the decline of governmental power from Nebuchadnezzar’s day to ours has been fulfilled just as it was prophesied. The symbolism of the clay in the feet of the great image comes to mind forc ibly as one watches the trend of af fairs in the world today, especially in the nations that occupy the territory of the old Roman Empire. The clay repre sents democracy, not as America knows the word, but as Russia knows it. The iron representing imperialism is seen in the rise of dictators who hold the des tiny of millions of people in their hands. The conditions of the world are a call to Christians to press the battle and to make every use of opportunities that the Lord is now giving us to make known His gospel. God’s purpose for this age is the calling out of the church. One day, how soon we do not know, the last member will be added. The body of Christ will be complete, and there-*will occur immediately the translation of the' church. Then will appear the “man of sin,” a man after Lenin’s type, who will weld the chaotic forces together and will bring into existence the Roman Em pire in its final form. How conditions today should solemn ize our hearts! In the light of 2 Thessa- lonians 2, however, we believe that the church will not see the Antichrist. The hindering power that is holding in check the forces of sin and lawlessness, and is preventing them from reaching their climax in the person of the coming man of sin, will one day be removed. This restraining power is undoubtedly the blood-bought c o m p a n y of men and women, baptized into one body of which Christ is the Head, and indwelt and em powered by the Holy Ghost. Believers will be above the clouds when the storm breaks. During the present time, however, the mystery of iniquity is now working, pre paring the world for the devil’s man. Let us who name the name of Christ
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