pel work. Don’t be too readily impressed by oratory, nor by proposed new insight into the Bible. Be very suspicious of any man or movement that speaks ill of men of God with years of honored serv ice. A mature Christian knows his doc trine, he knows sound principles of Christian service. Whether the winds be small or great, he maintains his steady course, unswerving and unmoved by the constant shifting winds of doctrine. Avoid the foolishness and spiritual trag edy of giving your name, your alle giance, your attendance, your money, to winds of doctrine that are only eddies for a moment and die away, soon for gotten, and leaving no good and lasting impress upon the world or the church. —B.R. The one hundred and third Psalm is one of those all-comprehensive Scrip tures which are a Bible in themselves. It could almost serve as the hymn-book of the church. It is all praise and not one petition is to be found in it. From the first two verses we learn that this praise is to be Godward, personal, spirit ual, wholehearted, purposeful, and in telligent. If we follow the Psalmist we shall find that he enumerates the five chief benefits of every believer. First, he notes forgiveness. The picture here is that of the Judge in the courtroom. If sin is not first forgiven, we can know nothing of the rest of the benefits mentioned. Some one has well pointed out that forgiveness is IN God (“there is forgiveness with thee” ), FROM God (for no one else can grant it), and LIKE God (full, free, and everlasting). Secondly, he mentions healing. The picture here is that of the Physician in the sick room. God is the Jehovah-Rapha and removes every soul disease. Thirdly, he points out redemption. It is the pic ture of the Protector in the time of danger. God has preserved the soul from the penalty of sin, but the Psalmist is thinking rather of the many deliverances in life from besetting dangers. The Lord watches over His own. Fourthly, he in dicates coronation. The scene is one of the King in the coronation room. lie crowns the saint with lovingkindness and tender mercies. Through His grace He makes us crowned sons of the King. Lastly, he sets forth satisfaction. The Psalmist is thinking of the Provider in the banquet room. He does save, He does keep, but He also satisfies. The heart was made by God and for God, and only He can meet its deepest needs. In the world the unbeliever may be sati ated, but he is never satisfied. Remember Kibroth-hattaavah (Numbers 11). For the benefits of forgiveness, heal ing, redemption, coronation, and satis faction let us exclaim: “ Bless the Lord, O my soul . . . and forget not all his benefits.” To be thinkful is to be thank ful. Praise the Lord! —C.L.F. Wholehearted Praise Psalm 103:1-5
“suffered for sins, the just for the un just, that he might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18). The subject of one’s relationship to God which seems so clear to Christians may be utterly unknown to the people with whom we rub shoulders day by day. The part of real wisdom is to take nothing at all for granted but start at the very beginning of spiritual things as we witness to our friends of salvation provided by the Lord Jesus Christ. Winds of Doctrine It is to the perpetual dismay of this writer that there is a constant stream of little one-man, or little-handful move ments constantly arising within the body of professing Christians. Each of these little movements has a special or unique emphasis. The zeal of Christians is diverted from a healthy emphasis on the major truths of the faith, and the chief business of the church and is dis sipated by propagating the little wind of doctrine of the little group. Further, very precious and valuable money ur gently needed for the major functions of the church at home and abroad is directed out of the usual channels into these little groups and there lost in al most meaningless efforts. Paul tells us not to be “children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14). It is a good sailor that tacks his way through a wind and keeps to his course. The amateur soon finds himself and his boat beached. So a good Bible-taught Christian is not one to be easily moved when the doctrinal winds blow. A soundly-taught believer is settled, root ed, and grounded. Don’t, dear Christian, be gullible. Don’t yield your allegiance readily to anything new. Don’t give precious tithe money to unworthy proj ects. Be a steward of your allegiance. Be a steward of your time and money. Value your name and only put it behind truly Biblical and soundly-operated gos
How Many People Really Know?
We always enjoy our friend Tom M. Olson’s page in his newsy publication Now. Recently Mr. Olson quoted from “ The Inquiring Fotographer” of New York’s Daily News who asked the fol lowing questions of seven persons: “ What are your chances of going to heaven when you die?” Judging from their answers, only one out of the seven had the faintest idea of the way to heaven, and even he confused it with his own good works. The first person said she had no per sonal chance but because her father was such a good man, and because he would put in a good word for her, she felt she had “ a great chance.” The second person made a joke of the question, and answered that his chances were “pretty slim because I can’t play a harp.” The third person, for some reason or other, said her chances were “ about one out of twelve.” The fourth said she spent so much of her time in taxicabs and has had so many close calls that her chances of being hit and going to heaven “ seem to be excellent.” The fifth said his chances were not so good because the requirements for ad mission into heaven were beyond his “ poor human limitations.” Yet this same person declared, “ However, the Bible holds out one big hope for all us poor sinners, and that is if we do go to heaven, we will get there by the grace of God.” The sixth person asked: “ How can I possibly tell ? Why not ask my hus band?” When the husband was asked, he said: “ An excellent chance because she joined the church of her own ac cord.” These answers reveal the sad fact that all seven persons are ignoring the Sa viour. One would think they had never heard of the Lord Jesus Christ, who
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