JUNE 1941 10 CENTS
LET THE POWER FALL By HELEN FRAZEE-BOWER There is a great primeval song By humans yet unsung. Where water, like a mighty shout. From heaven has been flung. From unseen heights the power falls. And crags of solid stone Are clothed with grace, and softened by A beauty not their own. Lord, fling the water of the Word On stony hearts today: Christ's beauty for men's sin-sick eyes. His power for the way.
Multnomah Falls, on the Co lumbia River Highway, Ore.
Photo by E. J. Hazelton
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The King's Business The True-lo-lhe-Bible Family Magazine The Official Organ of THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Inc. LOUIS T. TALBOT • M ILD R ED M. COOK Editor-In-Chief Managing Editor
“Next Fall May Be Too Late” • In the welter of a world gone mad, of nation rising against na tion, of the terror that stalks in the night, of the arrow that flleth by day, of pestilence, of destruc tion, of the elements in commotion, is there not a warning in the stark realism of these few sentences taken from a letter recently sent us: “ I was going to send the money this fall; but the Lord said, Send it now; next fall may be too late. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if He came this Feast of t h e Trumpets, the ingathering of the Harvest! God does all things in order.” • And here is something for the earnest child of God to t h i n k about. What and if He should come at the time of the blowing of the trumpets on the first day of the Month Tishri? What-and if you were then suddenly caught up to be with Him ? Do you not think it would please Him wonderfully that you should now have your part in a testimony that warns Israel of the wrath to come? And do you know a better way to please Him than to snatch a few brands from the burning, a few Jewish souls that will be your trophies when at last you lay your burden down and meet Him face to face? » • The time is short. That is why we keep reminding you of the privilege of sharing with Him in His yearning over the lost sheep of the House of Israel; and that is why so many of the Lord’s choicest saints are counting it a joy to fellowship with us in our God-given task of these last days. Perhaps if you will make it a mat ter of earnest prayer, He will lead you also to become a burden bear er with us; and from experience we can assure you it will be a happy day for you. AM E R IC AN BOA Kl) OF M ISSION S TO T H E J E W S , INC . SI Throop Avenue, Brooklyn, N . V. Dear F rien ds: Gladly do I enclose $ .*.............. *.............. m y gift for Israel’s salvation, “be fore It is too late.”
Motto: “ Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Rev. 1 :5 ). -
Volume XXXII
June, 1941
Number 6
TABLE OF CONTENTS •
Ransom D. Marvin, Staff Artist Around ,the King’s Table — Editorial .......................................................... 211 Significance of the News — Dan Gilbert ..................................... ............... 212 Good News for China’s Leaders — Charles A . Roberts _______________ 213 Arise 1 —Vance Havner ....................................... ............................................ 214 Making Family Worship Profitable — Esther Wilson Turner ........ 215 Lessons from a Wedding— H . A. Ironside .............. ........ ...................... 216 The Basis of Progressive Sanctification — Ruth Paxson .......................... , 218 W ar in Which There Is No Discharge — Herbert Lockyer ........... ....... 220 Junior King’s Business -—Martha S. Hooker ........................... ................. 223 Bible Institute Family Circle........................... ...................................... .......225 International Lesson Commentary................................................. ......... . 226 Notes on Christian Endeavor —Nadine K . Warner, Mrs. Harry J. Hill, Dan Gilbert, and Lyman A . Wendt ........_................................ 236 Daily Devotional Readings........................................................................... 240 A Statement by Bob Jones.........:........... ..................................... ......... 244 Our Literature Table............................................................................. ...... 246 SUB SCR IPTION E B IC E i “The K ing’s Business” is published monthly. $1.00— one year; $1.50— two years: 50 cents— six months ; 10 cents— single copy. Clubs of five or more at special rates; write for details. Canadian and foreign subscriptions 25 cents extra. It requires one month for a change of address to become effective. Please send both old and new addresses. R EM ITTANCE-—Payable in advance, should bo made by bank tdraft, express or post office money order payable to “The King’s Business.” Date of expiration will show plainly each month on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. A D V E R T IS IN G — For information with reference to advertising in “Thè K ing’s Business,” address the Advertising Manager. 558 South Hope Street, Los .Angeles, Calif., or our eastern representative, Religious Press Association, 1108-10 Colonial Bldg., 13th and Market Streets, Philadelphia, Pa. M AN U SCR IP T S— “The K ing’s Business” cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts sent to it for consideration. Entered as second-class matter November 7. 1938, at the post office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in the Act of February 28, 1925, embodied in paragraph 4. section 538, P. L. and R.. authorized October 1. 1918, and November 13, 1938. THE KING’S BUSINESS 558 South Hops Strsst • Los Angeles, California INFORMATION FOR SUBSCRIBERS
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'June, 1941
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Come to Southern California this Summer
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PRACTICAL PIANO PLAYING —Alice Gra ham. A' non-fee piano class open to all ^reg istered students. PUBLIC SPEAKING— Wm. Harllee Bordeaux, Th . D . Instruction in the use of the voice • in public speaking. RECREATIONAL LEADERSHIP— Nadine K. Warner, B. A . A study of planning a well- rounded program of recreational activities for youth. Private Work in Voice, Piano, and Organ by Music Instructors.
ANALYSIS — John A . Hubbard, D. D. tailed study of the Acts of the Apostles. BIBLE and SCIENCE —-Paul R. Bauman, Th. B. An apologetical examination of the rela tionship between the Bible and scientific facts. C ON D U C T IN G— Elmer Baer, B. Mus. A study of the use of rhythms and the technique of the baton and the hands in directing of music. D ISPENSAT IONAL H ISTOR Y— S. H . Suth erland, Th. B. A dispensational review of Biblical history from Genesis to Revelation. H Y M N P LA Y IN G— Alice Graham, B. Sac. Mus. A group study of the art of playing hymns and gospel songs (50c a lesson). A de
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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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June, 1941
Around the King's Table LOUIS T. TALBOT, Editor-In-Chief
zel F. Tunstead begins an article on “The Menace of the Comic Magazine” in The Church School Promoter*: “ ‘Daddy, is it better to kill a man with a gun, a dagger, a blackjack, or a big dose of poison?’ "Upon inquiring as to where the child had b e c o m e familiar with these modern terms of the under world, the father found the child had been reading comic magazines. His childish mind was confused as to the best method of getting rid of his friend—for some magazines seemed to use one method more than the others, yet all were suc cessful!” ¡The author goes, on to prove that the rise of the comic magazine has been amazing. In only a few years, one or two magazines of this type have been multiplied into 108' publications; the circulation is 12,000,000 copies a month. The average parent—even the Christian parent—is often unaware of the danger that lurks behind these seemingly harm less pages. Sterling North, literary editor of the Chicago Daily News, puts the matter plainly: . v"Virtually every child in America is reading color comic magazines—• a poisonous mushroom growth of the last two years . . . A careful examination of the 108 periodicals now on the stands shocked us into activity. At least 70 per cent of the total were of a nature no respect able newspaper would think of ac cepting. . . . We found that the bulk of these lurid publications depend for their appeal upon mayhem, murder, torture, and abduction— often with a child as the victim . . . The shame lies largely with the par ents who don’t know and don’t care what their children are reading. .... . The antidote to the comic mag azine poison pan be found in any library or good book store. The parent who does not acquire that antidote for his child is guilty of criminal negligence.” And the worst negligence of all is the withholding of the Word of God; with all its purifying and challenging and satisfying elements, from the boys and girls who would respond to its teaching if they were but given a chance. , m *Reprints of the article may be obtained at the office of the publication, 800 North Clark Si.,.. Chicago, 111., at five cents each.
When God Takes a Census America has just recovered from the. gigantic task of numbering her mil lions. The official figures indicate that there are over 132,000,000 people in the United States. Facts emerging are: That the total represents a seven per cent gain over ten years ago; that this is the smallest percentage of increase since 1790, and that California has reg istered the greatest growth in "absolute amount” of, any state. A noted sociologist, Constantine Pa- nunzio, has asserted that America’s population will continue to increase for some decades to come, even though it is slowing up. He makes this computa tion: “It will be about 141,000,000- in 1950, 150,000,000 in 1960, 155,000,- 000 or 160,000,000 in 1970, and in . all likelihood it will become sta tionary at perhaps 175,000,000 or so in the latter part of the present century.” All of this is very interesting. But has it ever occurred to the sociologists that God has His census? Here it is: “The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there” (Psa. 87:6). The American census includes only those beneath the Stars and Stripes, but the divine census covers souls the world over. God takes an exact account of all men and makes a strict registry. But His census differs from that of any na tion, for those whom He counts many a nation disowns, and He leaves out others whom a country is only too willing to include on its books.. It was deemed a great honor to-have one’s name inscribed in the Golden Book of the Republic of Venice. Kings and, princes paid dearly for the honor. A rarer dignity, however, a w a i t s those whose names are written upon the im perishable scroll of the Book of Life. Is it your happy lot to be numbered among God’s royalty? Have you the spiritual birthright qualifying you for inclusion ? A mere enrollment in God’s world wide family is not sufficient. One must be begotten into the ranks of those counted up by the Lord. Not only so, but names are entered one by one just as the signing up of a census paper is an individual experience. "This man was born there.” This is how the late Alexander Smel- lie expressed the thought:
“One by one, the vast muster roll is written and completed. One by one, men are forgiven, enlightened, purified, made perfect. Ah, those separate entries in God’s long list of His sons and citizens—is mine among them? Have I crossed His threshold? I cannot enter with the crowd. I must go in alone. •" ‘There are two good men,’ the uncompromising Chinese proverb says. ‘One of them is dead, and the other is not yet born.’ Nay, there is 1a third. It is he who is bom again. And God grant that this third may be I.” Are you sure that your name is writ ten down? Whether you have merit or misery makes little difference to the mivine Census-taker. All that you are asked to do in order to be included among the aristocracy of heaven is to repent and believe the gospel. Parents Guilty of Criminal Negligence In the month of June, Children’s Day is observed in many churches.. Any spe cial effort that will emphasize the re sponsibility of Christian adults for the spiritual care of boys and girls is to be commended. And yet, in reality, in terest and vigilance must be shown, riot on one day merely, but throughout the entire year. Certain types of danger are being faced by the youth of today, of which earlier generations k n e w very little. For example, there is the subtle im planting ur their minds of ideas so vio lent- in their outworking as to alarm any Christian parent. The following is an illustration in point with which Ha
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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June, 1941
Significance of the News By DAN GILBERT Washington, D. C., and San Diego, California
Trifling with God The name of Deity is dreadful and glorious. It is given His people for a great refuge: “The name of the Lord is , a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” To trifle with that hallowed name is exceedingly dan gerous, yet how many there are today who do not hesitate to use it as a sanctimonious front for the promotion of all kinds of personal ambition! The commandment says: "Thqu ghalt not take the name of the Lord thy God .in vain.” The original text can be more forcefully translated: “Thou shalt not . -take the name of the Lord thy God to attest falsehood.” A thousand cults to day do not hesitate, to give the sanction of almighty God to the most damning of falsehoods. But we are wondering whether there are not those outside these insidious cults who cannot be held guiltless of the charge of trifling with the divine name! Serious reflection along this line will not be amiss. They tal$e His name in vain who pub licly profess to be defenders of ortho doxy, while, on the side, they engage in deceptive practices. There are those Who toy much with the name of the blessed Holy Spirit, but they do not hesitate to resort to ungodly methods of advancing their own interests. It is possible for one to- talk of his “baptism” in public, using the divine name as a smoke screen to hide something in the private life which will not bear scrutiny, C. E. Showalter, in a recent article, said: “A hypocritical man cannot make a good speech. What you are gets there before you. Only the personal knowledge that you are sincere, .honest, and genuine can get the confidence which every speaker de sires. If he lacks these inner assur ances, he will feel hollow, be hol low, and sound hollow, rto matter how good his material or how art ful his delivery.” Such is the certain result of trifling with the name of Deity. Is it not possible, alas, that one well versed in fundamental truth may have so long trifled with the name of ‘God that he does not realize that his spirit ual sense has been destroyed ? It might be said of a fundamentalist, as was said of Samson, that “he wist not that the Lord was departed from him,” and that the inner light had failed. . The pathetic story of the atrophy of conscience is being re-enacted in so many pulpits today that it behooves all who are “set for the defense of the gos pel” to take time with God for search ing of heart. Qne soon loses his right to leadership when he uses the name of God as a camouflage, and tricks of* psychology cannot for long stand one in good stead. —Keith L. Brooks.
WEAKNESSES IN OUR NATION’S DEFENSE: • Marshal Petaijj attributed the fall of France to alcohol, immorality, and irre- ligion. He pointed out that the under mining of the nation’s strength had been parried on for decades by these forces of paganism. “For over fifty years,” he declared, “France had been in process of becoming a nation of broken homes.” In his program for the rehabilitation of France, Marshal Petain has suppressed the liquor traffic, restricted the Issuance of “easy divorces,” and reintroduced re ligious instruction in the schools. Even Nazi Germany and Communist Russia have come to recognize the re lationship betweenocommon decency and national defense. Following the Bol shevik revolution, a system of “free love” was legally sanctioned in Soviet Russia. The youth of the land were en couraged in iporal laxity. In the early nineteen-thirties, Stalin set seriously about the task of building to maximum strength the Soviet Red Army. One of the first things noted with alarm by the generals and doctors was the wide spread wreckage of the health of young men by loose living. To combat this condition, Stalin enforced stringent laws against birth control and abortion, which formerly had been practiced legal ly. Although Karl Marx and Lenin de manded the abolition of the family in the name of Communism, Stalin has en deavored to reinforce the foundations of Russian home life. It would be folly to suppose that Stalin is a “convert” to Puritanism or Christian morality. He is still looking forward to the world revolution which* will make paganism world-wide. But, in the present emergency, he recognizes that the home is an indispensable unit of national defense. Hence, even Com munist youth is being taught moral re straint and common decency. Upon coming to power, Hitler put the German nation on a strictly military basis. But to make Germany strong in a military way, he recognized the need to restore sobriety and moral health in the ranks of youth. As in the case of Stalin, it would be a mistake to be lieve that Hitler really cares about the purity of youth for its, own sake. But he, too, realizes that a people given over to self-indulgence are on their way to self-destruction. ALCOHOL: THE ENEMY OF NATIONAL STRENGTH: • The war was on for nine months before Hitler’s soldiers marched in and
subdued France. During that period, the French and German soldiers faced each other, behind their respective forti- -fications, only a few miles apart. For eign commentators observed that while the French soldiers drank freely, the German soldiers were committed to total abstinence. No wonder that Marshal Petain is following the lead of Germany and Russia in restricting the alcohol traffic as a primary measure of national reconstruction! If the French and Germans and Rus sians can, in the main, give up alcohol as a contribution to the national wel fare, why cannot the Americans? Dur ing the coming years, Americans will be obliged to undergo many sacrifices. Mil- lipns of young men will give a, year of their lives to government service. They w ill.sacrifice a major share of their personal liberty. Is the liberty to drink to. be maintained alone, while other rights and freedoms are being sacri ficed in the cause of national defense? CORRUPTION FROM WITHIN: • More dangerous to our national safe ty and well-being.than enemy bombing bases, are the thousands of dens of vice which beckon day and night to Amer icans of all ages. Billions of dollars, as well as the vitality of multitudes of our people, are squandered in roadhouses, night clubs, cocktail lounges, and other centers of degradation. That these should operate for their set purpose of destruction, while the nation is prepar ing for vital defense, appears to be a stultification of Uncle Sam. As H. C. McGinnis has written' in a widely circulating religious magazine; “National defense is more than a mobilization o f a nation’s armed strength. •To mobilize manpower and train it in the use of the latest * gadgets of war without properly protecting the morals and spiritual ity of the trainees is to invite de feat from within.” Commenting on the national situation, he says, “Reliable persons who have in vestigated moral conditions sur rounding these army camps report, for the most part, most deplorable conditions. Some have seen truck- loads of boys returning to camp in various stages of drunkenness; . others have seen the vice districts so crowded that they resembled county fairs at their worst. Near one camp there are twenty-three [ Continued on Page 222]
June, 1941
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Trapped b y e v e n t s o v e r which they have no control, China’s r e f u g e e mas s e s , young and old, look to their national leaders for escape.
T AO-LIAG"' Arrived! Standing- on the banks of the mighty Yang tze River, you gaze at the city with its streets in tiers—stadium-like— and you wonder whether there has been any essential change in „the soul and moods of this part of the world since the dim past of the Chow and Han dynasties. But climb to the topmost street of this hillside city and get a panorama of the river and the mountains on the op posite side. You see foreign gunboats lying at anchor all bottled up; you pick out flags flying in the distance identify ing the embassies, and overhead, you see the mighty airships, coming and go ing in a great hurry, from Hongkong, from Hami in the northwest, and from Rangoon in southern Burma. Then you feel the thrill of being in the wartime capital of a grand old nation. And you realize its spirit, graphically expressed
dreamed of when I started for Chung king from the school in Hunan which is the China Department of the Bible In stitute of Los Angeles. Foremost on this trip were the opportunities to witness to official and military men of China. There were invitations to preach the Word in the newly built homes, many of modern bungalow style, nestled away in pine-covered hills which surround the capital. There were many personal interviews often lasting into the late hours of the evening, when we gathered around the Word. These will never be forgotten. But most precious of all was the consciousness of the Holy Spirit’s regenerating work in our midst. Each Sunday morning a meeting was held in the home of an official who, like others of this class, had moved his family from the city to a country sanc-
by huge c h a r a c t e r s written on two tall pillars, all that remains of a once modern and magnificent building in the heart of the business section of the city: “Bomb! You can’t destroy our spirit of resistance. Burn!. You can’t quench our determination to win.” How ever, the interest of our visit is not carnal, but spiritual. Among China’ s Officialdom My visit to Chungking was' by invita tion, and my Chinese host, a devout brother in the Lord and an official jn the Ministry of Finance, had made all arrangements for my comfort. The lu nar New Year season, or Spring Festi val, gave the needed lull in the work in Changsha for such a trip to be made, and the weather proved excellent. To seek first the kingdom of God was our motive from the first, and my stay of three weeks was altogether too brief for all the opportunities g i v e n us — un
of Chungking rising toward the sky
[ Continued on Page 222] China s Leaders Eager For The Gospel By CHARLES A . ROBERTS Superintendent, Hunan Bible Institute Changsha, Hunan, China
s u
THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
June, 1941
Arise!
By VANCE HAVNER Greensboro, North Carolina
who had given them the- Law, who had rejoiced in their victories, prayed w h e n they sinned, r e p r o v e d them •in their disobedience — M o s e s was dead. What should they do now? should t h e y give up and go b a c k to Egypt? Should they give up and s e 111e in the wilder ness? Should they give up and stroll on Jordan's stormy banks and cast a wishful eye to Canaan’s fair and happy land where their possessions lay? God’s word was, “Now therefore ARISE, go over this Jordan” ! For us the lesson is: AFTER YOUR SORROWS, ARISE! There is a place for sorrow. The Israelites wept thirty days for Moses (Deut. 34:8). There is a time to weep and a time to mourn. But now God says, in effect, to Joshua, “Moses is dead, but I am not dead, and you are not dead, and My work must go on!” Moses’ death was not an excuse for de spair. It was a call to action. Our very sorrows are a challenge to ARISE. Some believers live only in the past, petting an old wound. They never have learned to forget the things that are behind. But they do forget that in the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw thè Lord. They forget that David, arising from the earth as he heard the news of the death of his son, was able to say, “Wherefore should I fast? . . . I shall go to him, but he shall not re turn to me.” Joshua must go over Jordan, for there remained much land to be possessed. When God takes your Moses, He has a promised land ahead for you to con quer. Moses is gone, but you h a v e Joshua; and Joshua stands for Jesus, the Captain of your salvation who leads you forth to victory in the good fight of faith. Too often have churches stayed at the grave of Moses, satisfied to be custodians of a past instead or con-, querors of a future. And too often have the saints lamented their losses, living as caretakers at the sepulchers of the
dead, when they might be dwelling in the promised land! AFTER YOUR SOR ROWS, ARISE! After Discouragements The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, exhausted under the juniper tree, “ARISE and eat” (1 Ki. 19:5, 7). Poor Elijah! One day he stood on Carmel and prayed down fire from heaven; the next day he ran as fast as his legs could carry him to the tall timber to escape from a woman. The man of God is showing up poorly under the juniper. But he is overwrought, his nerves are on edge, and God does not reprimand him. Rather, He feeds the prophet and puts him to sleep. The journey is too much for Elijah, and he needs to learn that to rest for God is often as impor tant as to work for Him. For us the lesson is: AFTER YOUR DISCOURAGEMENTS, A R I S E ! Are you under the juniper ? Every saint has had such seasons. Robertson of Bright on had the blues and felt like resigning from the ministry. Spurgeon was often in the grip of Giant Despair. You will hear Jeremiah threatening to stop preaching and John the Baptist puzzled about his Lord. Paul had no rest at times: “Without were fightings, within were fears.” If you are under the juniper, “ARISE AND EAT” ! Feed on the Lord, the Bread of Life. Encourage yourself in the Lord, your God. Wait on the Lord and renew’ your strength. The journey is too great for you; rest in the Lord and let Him lead you to Horeb and the “still small voice.” Elijah went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights. The heavenly Manna will sustain you to the end, for - “as thy days, so shall thy strength be.” Remem ber that Mr. Despondency, Mr. Ready- to-Halt, and Mr. Much-Afraid reached the Celestial City as well as Christian. They should not have been as they were, but at least they did not give up under the juniper. Do not wallow in self-pity
"Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He RISETH from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he pour- eth water into a basin, and began to' wash the disciples’ feet” (John 13:3-5), "V TOU WILL observe from the rec- y ord that Jesus did not merely sit 1 at supper congratulating Himself that the Father had given all things into His hands. He rose'; He acted. Through out the Word of God, we believers are bidden to arise and translate doctrine into duty. But before we can obey any of the commands we are about to consider, we must first have heard and heeded Ephe sians 5:14: “Awake thou that sleepest, and ARISE from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” We must begin with that. Then, if we have passed from death unto life and Christ has given us light, we are ready to move on and hear God’s further challenges to ARISE. After Sorrows God said to Joshua, “MoseS my serv ant is dead; now therefore ARISE, go over this Jordan” (Josh. 1:2). It was one of the dark hours in Jewish history. Moses, the spokesman of God, who had led the chosen people put of Egypt,
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and ask to die. AFTER YOUR DIS COURAGEMENTS. ARISE ! After Visions On the Mount of Transfiguration, our Lord said to the frightened disciples, “ARISE, and be not afraid” (Matt. 17:7), Peter had wanted to build three tabernacles. He wanted those moments to last forever. But one cannot live al ways on the mountain top. . "We canhot kindle when we will The fire which in the heart resides; The Spirit bloweth and is still, In mystery our soul abides. But tasks in hours of insight willed Can be through hours of gloom fulfilled.” For us the lesson is: AFTER YOUR VISIONS, ARISE! The demoniac needed Jesus down in the valley; and He left His glorification on 4he mountain top to go down to him—and later to face the cross. Can you bring your vision down the mountain? When the Emmaus disciples saw thé Lord, they went back the seven miles they had just traveled to tell others. They did not keep their revelation;, they shared it. Luke says of Paul, that “after he had se,en the vision, immediately we endeavored to go” (Acts 16:10). The vision led to the venture. It is wonder ful to have a mountain-top experience, but it brings a heavy responsibility. So, AFTER YOUR VISIONS, ARISE! There is a demoniac down in the valley who needs you. After Instruction In John ,14:31, our Lord said to His disciples, “ARISE, let us go hence.” This order follows -the great message of our Lord, so precious to all weary hearts, beginning with, “Let not your heart be troubled” and ending with His bequest of peace. For us the lesson is: AFTER INSTRUCTION, ARISE! Our Lord was no arm-chair philoso pher. After meditation, He wanted ac tion. “Dreaming in order to do is right; dreaming when we ought to be doing is wrong.” Do not be a sermon-taster, hiding the Word in your notebook i n s t e a d of your heart, running around with “l o a d s o f l e a r n e d lumber” in your head but building noth ing with it. Our Lord said to the Phar isees, “Go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.” The Pharisees had quoted that all their lives; they knew where it was, but they knew not what it was. In the Great Commission, our Lord bade us teach converts TO OBSERVE all things that He commanded. It is one thing to know doctrine; it is quite another thing to do it Ef we know great truths, happy are we if we do them. After doctrine, duty; after creed, deed. AFTER INSTRUCTION, ARISE! "See ing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be ? . . .” If you are occupied with His coming, prove it by occupying till He come,
Lord’s enemies are on every hand! Do not rush madly forth as Peter did, to slash off ears in misdirected zeal. Some of \is keep the Lord busy putting' back the ears we lop off in a frenzy of “de fending the truth” ! But if we have failed the Lord, slept when we should have prayed (and how often we have!), He does not dismiss us—He gives us another chance. Confess your failure and do not wallow in the’ remorse of it: To dig up old failures is like rummag ing in garbage cans. Forgetting the things that are behind, press on! My brethren, let Us arise! Thé night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us not sleep, as dor others, for '-‘it is high time to awake out of sleep.” After our sorrows, after ôur discouragements, after our visions, after our instruction, after our failures, let us ARISE! Making Family Worship Profitable By ESTHER WILSON TURNER circumstances, I would suggest: First, have an aim. Put in writing what you hope to accomplish in a year; then divide it into months and the months into weeks. Prepare a daily outline and adhere to it as faithfully as pos sible, always allowing for the leading of the Holy Spirit. Do not think it matters little if you miss a day. It matters tremendously. The childs knows instinctively what the parents regard as of value. And he unconsciously will imitate your evaluation. Show him by your actions and your preparation that this spiritual meal is as important as the food you carefully provide for his body. Again we urge the morning hour be fore breakfast i f ,it is .at all possible. Then your boys and girls can incor porate in the day’s living the thoughts you bring to them in the morning. Also, you can remind them of truths -they have learned, if you mention them tact fully at opportune intervals, such as meal times or just before bedtime. When a. child begins to read books and to use pencils and. paper, a new .world opens to him. On the part of the parent, facilities for teaching are great ly increased. Therefore, let each school- age child be provided with a Bible, note book, and pencil. A blackboard at hand is a valuable adjunct. "Participation” is the key-word now. Remember that what the child does is absorbed to a far [ Continued on Page 246]
After Failure Finally, our Lord said to the sleepy disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, “RISE, let us be going” (Matt. 26:46). They had failed Him. They slept on the Mount of Transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane. It seems to me that if ever I would have stayed awake, it would hgve been then! But-we live in a glass house; we dare not throw stones. We ask, “How could they sleep ?” But how do we? Our Lord said first-to them, “Sleep on now, and take your rest,” and that is about the only thing He said then that we take literally today! But He said next, “RISE, let us be goihg” ! Are you a sleeping Christian? Have you failed the Lord when He needed you most ? Then let not that failure be an excuse to sleep some more. AFTER FAILURE, ARISE! Awake, for your
A S PARENTS, we must realize that the “set-up” of our family wor ship period must change to fit the new needs of the growing child. Many a parent fails at this point, say ing, “I wonder why. our boy isn’t in terested in1Bible study any more.” Is it not because the father and mother have ceased to challenge ‘ his interest, have failed to appeal to new developments in his mental life? The parent must pre pare for these .changes. That prepara tion costs time, study, and patience. But the price will be paid by parents who are sufficiently concerned about the spiritual life of their children. And unless parents thus minister to their families during these early years, the opportunity slips from them and is gone forever. Here is a letter that states the prob lem: “Although I’m not a mother, I have five lovely nephews and nieces under my care. Since their own mother died, I have tried to be a real mother to them. “I realize how important Chris tian training is, but I know that I do hot have the best way to give it, to make it interesting and living rather than a bore. Could you help me with suggestions for our daily worship, also getting the most out of their Bible readings? My chil dren are three boys, ages 18, 16, and 14; two girls, ages 12 and 7.” To this friend, as to others in similar
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Lessons from A Wedding
Because Christ Came To Our Wedding
John 2:1-11 By H . A . IRONSIDE* Chicago, Illinois
® HERE is the record, in John 2, of that which was at once a simple w e d d i n g and . a great word translated “miracles” means signs. There are only eight such signs men tioned in this Gospel. Each one is for a specific purpose, as when, for instance, Jesus healed the palsied man hy the pool of Bethesda. We see in Him there the One who has almighty strength, able to impart power to those who have none of their own. An'd here in this first sign recorded in the Gospel, thè Lord Jesus is seen in a definite character. He comes before us as the Creator of all things. John already has told us that fact,
• Fifty-four years ago, on the twenty- second day of July,, we invited the Lord Jesus to our wedding, and just as in that earlier day in Cana, He came to the marriage. We asked Him to abide with us in our new home, and He did. There have been many problems— some too big for human wisdom. But He knows how to turn water into wine and to meet every need. Our years together have proved that He can be “touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” He un derstands and can help us to under stand. We have come to see clearly that although a carpenter can build a house, It takes the Lord Jesus to make a home. — P. W. PHILPOTT, Pastor and Evangelist, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. t Happy as was our wedding day, each succeeding day seems to have been a more blessed one— all because the Lord Jesus Christ was present on that memorable day more than twenty- seven years ago. His presence has sanctified every hour and given grace to meet every need. It has long been my conviction that a happy married life begins before the wedding day; it goes back before the „days of courtship, and only as His will is ascertained and followed may we expect Him to be present to add His benediction when “they twain shall be one flesh.” It has been comforting as well as assuring to sense His pres ence in the home life and In the rear ing of our five children, all of whom have found Him in personal salvation and are active in His glorious service. Paul could say, “ By the grace of God I am what I am,” and we can say that our home life is what It is by the same wondrous grace. —-R. S. BEAL, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tucson, Arizona. • “ But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” (I Cor. 11:3).
we read that Nathanael was of Cana of Galilee; so evidently, in the course of their journey up to Judea, Christ and His disciples stopped at Nathanael’s home town where this wedding took place. Some persons have supposed that it was the marriage of Nathanael him self, but there is no proof of this. The names of the bride and groom are not given in the Word. The important thing is that, when our Lord accepted the invitation to the wedding, He placed His approval upon that intimate relationship of marriage which is very frequently dishonored today. Alas, that in our day marriage, should often be degraded through the willfulness and wickedness Heavenly Bridegroom By J. Hudson Taylor T RUE LOVE cannot be station ary; it must either decline or fears of our . poor hearts, Divine love is destined to conquer. The bride exclaims: “Thine ointments have a goodly fra grance; . “Thy name is as ointment poured forth; “Therefore do the virgins loVe thee.” grow. Despite all the unworthy Drawn to the
miracle. Throughout John’s Gospel, the
d o ctri nal l y, when he said: “In the begin ning was the Word, and the W o r d w a s with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the be ginning w i t h God. All things were made by him; and with out him was
not anything made t h a t w a s made.” But now in this sign, we have a vis- i b 1e manifestation of this truth—the putting forth of His creational power so that He does in one m o m e n t of time what ordinarily is done in weeks and months. Notice the occa sion of the miracle. “The third day [aft- . er the c a l l i n g of Nathanael] t h e r e was a marriage' in Cana of G a l i l e e ; and both Jesus was called, and his dis ciples, to the mar riage.” In John 21:3,
There was no such ointment as that with which the High Priest was anointed: our Bridegroom is a Priest as well as a King. The trembling bride cannot wholly dismiss her fears; but the unrest and the longing become unbearable, and she de termines to surrender all, and, come what may, to follow fully. She will yield herself to Him, heart and hand, influence and possessions. Noth ing can be so insupportable as His absence! If He lead to another Moriah, or even to a Calvary, she will follow Him. “Draw me: we will run after thee” ! But ah! what follows? A wondrously glad sur prise. No Moriah, no Calvary; on the contrary, a KING! When the heart submits, then JESUS reigns. And when JESUS reigns, there IS rest. —From Union and Communion* *Published by Morgan & Scott; China Inland Mission . distributed by the
* Pastor, Moody Memo rial Church,
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of men and women! How careful we as Christians should be to recognize its sanctity! At this wedding, the mother of Jesus also was present. That fact would sug gest that she was well acquainted with the family. In fact, she seems to have had a certain measure of responsibility. We notice the conversation between Jesus and His mother. We read: “When they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine, Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the serv ants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” A Practical Need That Christ Supplied We shall not go into any lengthy dis cussion about the use of wine in the country of Palestine. Let it suffice to say that the wine in those days differed from that in use today. The word “oinas” was used to cover various kinds of products of the vine. We read of new wine, wine that maketh glad the * heart of man, and also of wine that is a mocker., Wine was the common drink of the people where the water could be used only sparingly because of its pollu tion. We hear Paul saying to Timothy, "Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities” (1 Tim. 5:23). Many Un old toper likes to point to that pas sage as his authority for using wine as a beverage. The trouble is that these old reprobates already have been using too much! “A little wine” would do(their stomachs no good at all, for already they have been burned up with over- indulgence. The apostle was writing to a young man who was not given to the use of wine. Before you try to apply that particular Scriptufe passage to, yourself, you had better be very sure that your name is Timothy and that your suffering is the same as his. The word "wine” covers just the pure grape juice. You remember the words: "As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it” (Isa. 65:8); that is, there is a blessing in the wine that is in the cluster, not the wine thaf has undergone fermentation. It was this unfermented beverage that was used commonly among the people at their fegsts. They were also in the habit of using sour wine which had only begun to work and was no longer very pal atable. We do not know what was used here, but we are quite sure of this: When our Saviour made wine, i t ,would not poison anybody. We are told that the supply of wine was giving out. The mother of Jesus turned to her Son and said, “They have no wine.” We can believe that she al ways had longed to see Him manifest His power. She had been waiting for the time that *this wonderful Being, whom she had carried beneath her heart aa a babe, should manifest Himself as
indeed the Son of God, and it is very probable that she saw here an opportu nity for Him to do this. But Jesus turned to her and said, “Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.” Some people have thought that the Lord spoke a little bit roughly, but we may be sure He never did that. We may be quite certain that He never said one word to His mother that the most duti ful son might not have said. What He did say loses a little by our translation. We distinguish between “lady” and “woman.” “Lady,” at one time, was simply the wife of a lord or knight. The word “woman” in our day has come to seem a little less respectful than the word “lady,” and thus we think of the Lord’s saying, “Woman, what have I to do with thee?” as though He were reproaching His mother. The term He really used was one that any woman might glory in. He said to her, “My lady, what have I to do with thee?” or really, “What is there between thee and Me?” That is, “What is it that you would have of Me? What is the thing that you have in your hieart?” And then He adds, “Mine hour is not yet come” (v. 4). A Coming “ Hour” That Christ Foresaw All through this Gospel, He has be fore Him this “hour.” He had brothers after the flesh; arid one time His brothers wanted Him to go up to the feast, but Jesus said to them, “My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready” (John 7:6). And we read in John 8: “These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the tern-' pie: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.” And again: “Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of ¿nan, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.” They were going to lift Him up, but the hour had not yet come. Then in John 12:23, when the Greeks had come, saying, “We would see Jesus,” He answered: “The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glori fied.” In their coming to Him, He recog nized the beginning of the hour when His glory was to be manifested follow ing His crucifixion. In chapter 13, when He was about to wash His disciples’ feet, we are told: "Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father.” And in chapter 17, where He spoke to the/ Father, we read: “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that ,thy Son also may glorify thee.” He had in mind the hour in which He was to go to the cross, when He was to bear the sin of the world, when He was to be raised up upon the tree, and following that, when God was to
Le, I Am With You Always By MARTHA SNELL NICHOLSON “ Lo, I am with you always.” Softly the promise steals Like sunlight into my shadows, And brightens and warms and heals; Heals my anguish of spirit, And horror of loneliness, Flooding my heart’s darli chambers— Words that comfort and bless. “Lo, I am with you always.” He, my Saviour and King, Making my heart His palace! I, though a broken thing, Am housing my blessed Master; Together we sup and dine, Together we hold sweet converse Over the bread and wine. And always He goes before me On my thorn-strewn paths of pain, Never will He forsake me Nor leave me alone again. Sweet is His voice in the twilight As the evening shadows blend: “Lo, I am with you always, Even unto the end!” raise Him from the dead and glorify Him openly. It is clear, then, that the occasion at Cana of Galilee was not His “hour.” To His own dear mother who was try ing to press Him to act ahead of time, as it were, He said in effect: “What is there between thee and Me? Mine hour is not yet come.” It is evident that His mother, know ing His general attitude toward her was not the least disturbed over His answer to her. She turned to the serv ants and said to them: "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it,” May we point out to those who pray to the Virgin and ask her to intercede for them, that her own Son did not immediately grant to Mary th§ petition she asked of Him. And, accepting this refusal, Mary said to the servants: “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” In other words, the mother of Jesus does not serve as a mediator; she claims no part in the matter, but turns us away from herself to her blessed Son, Jesus Christ. Glimpses of Glory That Jesus Gave We read: “And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, contain ing two or three firkins apiece.” Each one held about a barrel of water. They had to do with Jewish ceremonial cleansings. They were connected with outward purification. They were all [ Continued on Page 245]
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