tas
June, 1941
TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
proceeded, but I found my final thrust which brought an admission when he r e a d with me J o h n 1:1-18 and ^ve turned to John 20:30,31. He had never before grasped the truth that -Jesus is the Son of God- The next day I. had an interview with a Chinese pastor who is a graduate of a university in China and also of a well- known theological school in America, but only comparatively recently has he found Jesus as his personal Saviour. We were speaking of a certain high person age, whom we both knew would be diffi cult to reach. “ So-and-so was with him for a long time,” the pastor remarked, “but missed the opportunity to lead him to a saving knowledge of Christ.” The words caught me like a , chilly wind in late autumn. And as I left Chungking by plane for Changsha the next morning, I seemed to hear high up in the clouds the voice of the ancient prophet: “WATCHMAN, W H A T OF ' THE NIGHT? . . . THE MORNING COM ETH.” taverns in a town of only 3,600 pop ulation. In another there are fif teen such places in one block, all competing for the soldiers’ trade.” Well may thoughtful Americans pose the question: What will it profit our nation to preserve her military defenses and lose the souls of her youth? What can the nation gain by building military fortifications if spiritual defenses are neglected ? THE CRISIS AND ITS CHALLENGE • The present crisis supplies a unique opportunity to the people of God. The nation is thinking in terms of sacrifice, o f consecration, of loyalty. Thinking .along these lines logically leads to a recognition of the supremacy of spir itual values. Now is presented a unique opportunity to direct the thoughts and eyes of our fellow Americans to the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. God promises in His Book to be the strength and the might of those who love and serve Him. In thle center of His will is the only real secur ity for the individual or for the nation. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NEWS [ Continued, from Page 212]
now engaged in important work in the capital, telephoned my friend in the Ministry of Finance, and asked whether I was^still in the city. “Then tomorrow evening I shall invite him to my home, and after dinner he shall ‘preach the gospel to us,’ ” hq said. The evening proved to be one of the high lights of my visit. Twelve guests from among his friends were invited, and after a sumptuous dinner we re tired to the drawing room and for over two hours we enjoyed the most precious fellowship and study around the Word of God I have yet experienced in my missionary career. There was not a word concerning the things of earth, but the time was spent in meditating upon things that pertain to the spiritual. Our basic Scripture was John 3. I shall never forget the testimony of Mr. L------ , a wealthy businessman who recently had returned from America by the China Clipper, given in simple language. And Dr. M——, who finds it no difficulty to converse with you in English, French, op German, spoke earnestly of how he had lost everything in the Nanking me lee, ,to find everything in Christ. The evening drew on, but my host urged me to continue. I knew the Lord had been dealing with him, and I was encouraged by s e v e r a l questions he asked which revealed the true state of his heart. The final moments in prayer were like the hush of an evening hymn, and as we parted, the Governor, as we all called him, gripped my hand and said, “I verily believe in Him.” A Confueianist Faces the Claims of Christ One evening I was invited to the home of a Christian military officer, to preach the gospel to a number of his colleagues from the Military Staff Col lège. Twenty-six, including the Vice- Principal, squeezed into the guest hall. They were men of high rank, and all had seen action on one front or another. Grim and determined were the outlines of their faces as they listened to the • claims of Jesus Christ. In the general conversation afterward, the Vice-Prin cipal boldly took the offensive and said, “I am a Confueianist, but I think we might rightly say that Jesus who was bom after Confucius is his friend.” It was a challenge! Could I let it go at that ? For thirty minutes a friendly duel
CHINA’ S LEADERS EAGER FOR THE GOSPEL [ Continued from Page 213]
iuary from air raids. Their guest hall was nicely arranged for a worship serv ice, and people came in from far and near—-pot the usual countryside people, but lovely ladies in satins and furs, their escorts in well-made suits of Chi- . nese or Western style. There was no ostentation, but a quiet gathering to hear the Word of God. Among the num ber, a few had been soundly converted; others, like Nicodemus, were seekers af ter the new doctrine, and would know the truth.. Some mornings the g r o'u p reached over fifty, and as we ministered to these shepherdless folk our hearts were knit together. We sang, we prayed, we preached, and with what freedom! Most of the group had come because of the lives and testimonies of my host and his wife. And I found many such groups seeking help all along the way. Mission aries may be forced to evacuate because of changing conditions; foreign mission ary organizations and enterprises may see their eclipse, but there will be a continuing and living witness for Christ through His own in China. Choice Opportunities for Witnessing At the close of one of these Sunday morning meetings, a Christian Tai-tait invited us to call at her home that after noon. Her husband is a well-known scholar but was uncertain about the Christian faith. We were most courte ously received, and for one and a half hours we sat together around the din ing room table discussing the questions our friend had in hfs mind. I was amazed at the frankness with which this scholar of the old school threw aside the usual tedious form of his class to get his questions cleared up. His old mother who hadvbeen quietly listening to our conversation ventured a remark toward the end of the interview. ‘‘This is the true doctrine; I believe it!” she said firmly. There was no difficulty about asking her w h e t h e r we might close with prayer; it was readily granted. One morning a former Governor of one of the Provinces of China, who is
t Term of respect for a Chinese Indy.
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