China’s Open Door Closes W ORD reaches us that Commu nist China has ordered the con fiscation of United States property within its borders, which includes missionary property as well. With this order will come the possession by the Communists of many a hospital, or phanage, leprosarium or other Chris tian benevolent institution. Mission aries numbering more than 2,000 have been ordered to evacuate, and apparently a Protestant missionary enterprise of more than 200 years is about to be terminated. China’s open door is closing. Bible students have long interpreted the sixth of seven letters, from the risen Lord to the churches found in Revelation 2 and 3, as a message to the missionary church of the present day. Among other things which Christ spoke to this church of Philadelphia was a word of encouragement. He promised “ Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.” The open door gave access to all nations under the sun for world wide missionary effort. While many countries have not welcomed the preaching of the gospel with open arms, still there has been universal admittance for the messengers of the cross, and the Word has been preached to the far corners of the earth. Due to internal strife, or religious pressure, from time to time doors have been closed for a season. Mis sionaries have had to flee and the work by foreign missionaries has been abandoned temporarily. But al ways in God’s good time the door has swung open again, and the work been resumed. Times without number the missionaries have prayed to God on the basis of His promises, and God has answered their prayers and pro vided new entrances. But never be fore in all the history of missions have the forces of God come face to face with the forces of a militant, defiant, atheistic confederation such as the Soviet. Missions have battled paganism and heathenism, but never complete atheism. Will the door open again? Is this present move by Satan to be overruled by God? Does the promise of Revela tion 3 :8 cover this situation too? The answer is dependent upon our near ness to the end of the age. If this is God’s time for the rapture of the Church, then the door to China will not be re-opened. But if the coming of our Lord is to be delayed, then most assuredly Chinese missions will continue, and the door will swing open again. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
goods and hidden them in the earth under his tent. A court of inquiry pronounced him guilty, and at God’s command he was punished by death. Now, with consciences again clear the armies of Israel once more knew the sweetness of victory. Is there an analogy here to the situation in our own beloved land of America? It is true that American arms wrought a great victory for God in World War II. On every front our brave men were victorious. Against an enemy entrenched and determined, the Stars and Stripes were carried to glorious victory. That God was on the side of the American legions is clearly evident to every serious student of military strategy. But Korea? And now the lowly Chi nese? With armies hardly worthy of the name, with equipment almost absurd in these times, and leaders utterly lacking the “know how” of modern warfare, these countries have given the powerful American forces a bad time. What has happened to Amer ica’s charmed life ? What has happened to the favor of God we experienced during the dark days of the last war ? Could it be, as in the case of Jer icho and Ai, that we are turning our backs to our enemies because of sin in our camp? Is it because America is not right with God? Are we who are left behind miserably failing in our obligations to live honestly and uprightly before God ? Are .we the “Achan” which caused the inglorious debacle of Korea? Now is the time for each American to examine the innermost recesses of his own heart. From the greatest in our country to the least, let us confess our own sins, and the sins of our country. Let us cry to God for mercy and pardon. Let us pray to God to punish the evil-doers and restore us to the swfeetness of His fellowship and favor. God help us to do so!
Jericho and Ai D O you remember the story of Jer icho? The children of Israel had just stepped onto the new land which God had promised them. The Jordan River had been crossed. The years of wandering were ended. The Israelites were free at last to advance and pos sess. But a real barrier confronted them in the walled city of Jericho. What were they to do? They were relatively untrained in the arts of warfare while the men of Jericho were warriors from youth. In addi tion to this disparagement in num bers, the city was surrounded by high walls and capable of withstanding quite a siege. The story is well known, especially the strange unorthodox march around the city, the upheaval of the walls on the seventh day and the complete sub jugation of all the inhabitants, with the exception of the family of Rahab. Truly it was a great victory and God’s children rejoiced greatly in this triumph. It had been so easy, and God’s presence had been so manifest. The Israelites thought j f this was to be a sample of the conquest of the entire land, there would be absolutely nothing to it. The next city was a more insignifi cant one named Ai. Guided by the ease of conquest as in the case of Jericho, it seemed the part of sound military strategy to dispatch only a small battle force to level this city to the ground. So a small party boldly approached Ai expecting a repetition of Jericho’s defeat only to find bitter, stinging opposition from the men of the city, and a resounding repulse to the army of God. What had. happened? Those who have read the account remember that it was a sin in the camp at home that brought about this humiliating defeat. Against God’s specific command, an Israelite named Achan had stolen Page Four
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