1944
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
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travels with his Bible Through a home study course . . . this salesman finds time to' learn more of the Bible as he travels about. O f the Great Epochs of Sacred History Course he says . , . “ I so much regret that I did not hear of your course sooner. I have lost much because I did not” No matter where your work takes you, it will prove worthwhile to increase your usefulness by taking one of the 17 Moody home study courses. Write today to Dept. ^ CO R RESPON D EN C E SCHOOL
1945 L et Standard’s 112-page B ible Teacher and Leader help you in your Sunday school teaching in 1945. Magazine section, superin tendent’s page, 7 big pages on every week’s Uniform Lesson. Send 25c for sample. The Standard Publishing Co. 8th and Cutter Streets, Cincinnati 3, Ohio
I * A T T E N T I O N * | G O S P E L S I N G E R S JUST OFF THE PRESS
A 36-page song book containing s p e c i a l a rra n g em e n ts f o r women's voices.
y Bible Institute J .153 INSTITUTE PLACE • CHICAGO J
B e a u tifu l melodies; soul-touching w o r d s by such well-known song writers as Love less and Bittikofer. Single copies, 50c each, plus 10c for postage and handling. UNIVERSAL PUBLISHING COMPANY 4403 Sheridan Road Chicago 40, Illinois
A Wounded Japanese*
1 / ^ PI PE "TON E U "l*fOLD ING ORGANS . . . the LAS T WORD in substantial, convenient folding organs. Marvelous volume, resonance a n d purity of tone. Tropically treated. Famous over the. world for 35 years. Write for free catalog. A. L. WHITE MFG. CO.
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FOR HIM ....
BUT he clings tenaciously to his New Testament/ Many prisoners of war place a similar value on God’s Word! Never in its 125 years of service has the American Bible Society done a more Christ-like service than in supplying the scriptures to prisoners of war, whether wounded or physically fit. More than 440,000 volumes, in 39 lan guages, have already been distributed, and the cry comes for more. Send your contribution today. Or if you would like the facts of how you can help this great work, and receive a good income for yourself or a friend at the same time, send for the booklet "A Gift That Lives” which tells of a plan that has helped thou sands to gratify a lifelong ambition to do good for mankind, while receiving a "double profit” for themselves. URGENT! MAIL THIS COUPON TODAY! □ Please send me, without obligation, your booklet 'KB-5Z entitled “A Gift That Lives!* Q I enclose $........... to provide Testaments for prisoners of war. Name. Denomination. American Bible Society, Bible House, New York 22, N.Y.
and many oilte^A like, him . . . no Christmas furlough this year! You'd like to make his Christmas cheerier, his future more purposeful— let us suggest:
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December, 1944
DEAR CHRISTIAN FRIEND:
“Let them shout for Joy, and &e glad, that f a v o u r my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually. Let the L o r d be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant" (Psa. 35:27). •RECORDS BROKEN. Here are the exact figures of this term’s enrollment at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. The Lord h a s sent us the largest number of students in the history of our be loved Bible school, 649 in a l l - 163 men, and 486 women. • RESPONSIBILITY ADDED . The Board of Directors, the fac ulty, and the employees are fac ing heavier responsibilities, and are accepting them as a chal lenge from the Lord. The Bible Institute charges no tuition. Yet it costs the Institute $125 to train each student for one year. • COOPERATION N E E DE D . Multiply that minimum figure of $125 by the 649 young people in school now. You will see im mediately the problem that fac es us.v Yet we dare not fail one young man or young woman whom God has called now. Many of you will want to make it possible for one or more students to continue at Biola. A gift of $125 will do Just that. Smaller gifts are likewise welcomed. Won’t you ask the Lord what part He would have you take in this g r e a t task of equipping young people for Christian ser vice?
The Official Organ of THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Inc. “ Unt'6 him that lobecC us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Rev. 1:5).
THE KING'S BUSINESS v£x5iV Currents Business I ............................................... ..........................................395 Seven Babies-—and Christmas —Doris Coffin Aldrich........ ............ ...........396 Immanuel, God with Us — William L . Pettingill ........ ..................... .......399 Reaching Youth for Christ —M e l Larson .... ...............................................400 The Gospel Sowers —Anne Hazelton. .................>........................ ............ .402 Private Joe’s Black Eye — Captain Philip B. Marquart.. ...... .....................403 Dr. Talbot’s Question Box ................... ......................................................404 Junior King’s Business........ ............................^............................................405 International Lesson Commentary ............................................ ..................407 \ \ Christian Endeavor -—Edward Nash, Velma B. Pickett, Edward Schellenberg, Myrtle Anna Brown. ..........................."............................419 Biola Family .... .............................................. ...............................................424 Daily Devotional Readings...... i.................................................................... 426 Literature Table ....................... .-............................................... .'...................430 SUBSCRIPTION lNFORMATION-+-“ The King’s Business” is published monthly; $1.50, one yr.; $2.00, two yrs.; 75 cents, six months; 20 cents, single copy. Clubs of three or more at special rates. Write for details. Canadian and for eign subscriptions 25 cents extra. It requires one month for a change of ad dress to become effective. Please send both old and new addresses. REMITTANCE—Payable in advance, should be made by bank draft, express, or. post office money order payable to “ The King’s1Business.” Date of expiration will show plainly on oufside wrapper or cover of magazine. ADVERTISING —For information, address the Advertising Manager, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 13, Calif., or our eastern representative, Religious Press Association, 51 No. 52nd St., Philadelphia 39, Pa. MANUSCRIPTS —“ The King’s Business’’ cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts sent in for consideration. Entered as second-class matter November 7, 1938, at the Post Office at Los An geles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at spe cial-rate of postage provided for in the Act of February 28, 1925, embodied,in para graph 4, section 538, P. L. and R., authorized October 1, 1918, and November 13, 1938» ADDRESS: The King’s Business, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 13, Calif. LOUIS T. TALBOT, Editor-In-Chief MILDRED M. COOK, Managing Editor RANSOM D. MARVIN, Staff Artist
Rejoicing in Him, LOUIS T. TALBOT
Here Is $----- as my fellowship with you in the training of .young people for a world-wide gospel ministry.
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Christmas Wish
By HELEN FRAZEE-BOWER
^
I wish -I had been the star that pointed., Down through the long, long years , T o the Christ who should come for sin’s'atone ment— Making an end of tears.
Though all the night had been dark around me, Though other stars grew dims I should have shone with a special splendor-*- Knowing I shone for Him. ~ r
I wish I had been the heart of Mary, " Simple and undefiled—- Waiting the long, long watch with Joseph, .Eager to hold God’s child; Though all the world had been filled with music— Voices the shepherds heard, I should have leaned my ear to hearken Only the Word, the Word. The star and the barn are an ancient story, Clothed in the mists of time; And Mary has gone the way of women, A fter her task sublime; But I am alive, and wishful thinking Happily I dismiss: I am alive to shine and shelter . . . And. there is need of this.
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Current Business LOUIS T. TALBOT, Editor-in-Chief
Bible Reading throughout the Nation A Nationwide Bible Reading Cam paign, from Thanksgiving to Christ mas, in which millions of American servicemen and women and t h e i r families and great numbers of other Americans will join, is being spon sored by the American Bible Society.* Cooperating with the Bible Society aré two national sponsoring commit tees composed of leaders in various fields: former President H e r b e r t Hoover, John Foster Dulles, Admiral Ernest J. King, Ambassador John G. Winant, and others. Now as never before men and wom en in the armed forces and civilians at home are finding the Bible an in spiration and a guide. By a more ex tended and simultanéoüs reading of the Word of God by those in the serv ice and by loved ones at home, a spir itual bond will be created—a price less contribution to faith and hope. Through a nationwide poll of pas tors and Army and Navy chaplains, Bible passages most helpful, for times like these have .„been chosen. The passages receiving the largest number of votes have been designated one for each of the thirty-three days between Thanksgiving and Christmas:
Thursday ___________ _______ .Psalm 37 Friday ___ L ......... ..... ...............John 1 Saturday .„......... ...........Revelation 22 Sunday, Dec. 2 4 ___ ________ Psalm 90 Christmas, Dec. 2 5 ..... ..............Luke 2 A joint resolution of Congress, des ignating this period for Nationwide Bible Reading has been introduced. Its sponsors are Senators Byrd and Capper in the Senate and Representa tives McLean and Voorhis in t h e House. A number of state governors have promised to include a paragraph in their Thanksgiving Day Proclama tions. Several million printed l i s t s of Scripture passages will be distributed through .chaplains, pastors, and in other ways. Everything possible will be done to make America Bible-con scious as it never has been before. W ill you help to this end? Praise God for This Just concluded in Los Angeles are city-wide evangelistic meetings which have left an impress for God upon this whole region. / To the “ big top,” a fireproof tent erected oh a block-square c i r c u s grounds, between 5,000 and 6,000 peo ple came night after night in t h e three-weeks’ campaign. The work was directed‘by the Christian B u s i n e s s Men’s Committee whose members had prayed and labored for this project for riiore than a year. In cooperation with many other churches and groups of Christians, the Bible Institute of Los Angeles and the Church of the Open Door were glad to have a part in this endeavor. Grateful observers praised God that the flame of twentieth century revi valism kindled through campaigns in the East—particularly in the memor able meetings in Philadelphia tw o years ago—-now had spread-to t h i s spiritually needy region on the Pacific coast God’s messenger w a s the warm hearted, zealous Jewish Christian, Ny man Appelman. Invariably his words struck home. "God’s hand is raised against Amer ica in her sin,” he told his audience in his opening message. “We must get right with God if we are to have a world peace which only He can give.” Hammering home the importance of “America Back to God” and the lost condition of a people living in a land which was founded upon the “ faith of our fathers.” but which has lament
____ .Psalm 103 ______ John 14 _____ .Psalm 23 _____ .Psalm 1 ___ .Matthew 5 _____Romans 8 Corinthians 13 ........ Psalm 91 ¡1___Matthew 6 __ .........-John 3 _____ Isaiah 40 __......Psalm 46 ..... Romans 12 .....Hebrews 11 ___Matthew 7 .....__....John 15 _____Psalm 27 .........Isaiah 55 ....... Psalm 121 ...Philippians 4 ...Revelation 21 ........„.Luke 15 ... Ephesians 6 .... At....John 17 .........Isaiah 53 Corinthians 15 ___........John 10 ........ Psalm 51
Thanksgiving, Nov. 23.. Friday ------- ...---------- Saturday---- .'...--------- Sunday, Nov. 2 6 ------- Monday ------------------ Tuesday______________ _ — Wednesday _________ T Thursday ___ i Friday ------------------- Saturday ..........— ...... Sunday, Dec. 3 ........— Monday__.i,».......... ,— Tuesday ..................... Wednesday —........... Thursday ____________ Friday .....________......— Saturday _____ _______ Sunday, Dec. 19___.___ , Monday _______ _______ Tuesday ____ .....—....... Wednesday __________... Thursday .....i._________ Friday _____ __________ Saturday...... „ ............. Sunday, Dec. 1 7 ... ..... Monday _________ .1 Tuesday ......... ............ Wednesday ................
ably ignored that faith, Dr. Appelman showed himself fearless in his dec laration of the Bible’s demands. Each service «aw hundreds responding to the invitation to accept Christ as Sa viour. Dr. Appelman’s program of aggres sive evangelism continued in the noonday s e r v i c e s held Monday through Friday in the Philharmonic Auditorium. At this central location in the heart of the city, busy working people gathered.apart from the hustle of the world, to enjqy a time of meditation with the L °rd and to hear soul-stirring messages. On Saturdays in the tent, youth rallies and chil dren’s meetings were conducted. From the pulpit, press, and radio, Los Angeles was awakened to eternal truth: “Whosoever believeth on him [the Lord Jesus Christ] should not perish, but have everlasting life.” And once more it was proved to the joy of every believing Christian, -that the day of mass evangelism is not .past. Praise God for this.
* fo r bookmarks listing the passages and for helpful suggestions on how to get* the most from this reading , write thé American Bible Society, Park Ave. and 57th St., New York 22, N. Y. Literature will be furnished in large quantities to churches and chaplains without charge .
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MAt our house, we try to give to the Lord Jesus the one thing we think He wants most— our love.”
Seven Babies—arid Christmas By DORIS COFFIN ALDRICH
I T REALLY begins on Mommie’s birthday, for it is on that day that we decorate the tree, a week before Christmas. Four pairs of eager hands reach into the box labeled “Christ mas Tree Ornaments,” and four pairs of shining eyes decide just where to hang the treasures. Three other pairs of hahds are too tiny for these tasks. Dr. and Mrs: Willard C. Aldrich not only have a large family, but also the reputation of hav ing a truly gracious Christian home. Dr. Aid- rich is President of the Multnomah School of the Bible, Portlaiid, Ore., and his versatile wife, who still finds time for Bible teaching and for writing, was the class speaker for the women in the graduating Class of 1930 at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. Shp is the writer of the vMixing Bowl** in the 15borsfep' Evangel of which her husband is the editor.'
The lower branches -are reserved for the Children. Mommie stands; on a chair and trims the top of the tree. Jane, the oldest, feels the resp'jbnSi- bilify for proper distribution of scarlet and blue balls, silver rain, and frosty icicles. Jon, the next in line, finds his interest in the lights. The small size and the bright colors are entranc ing. Joe and Becky take pleasure in hanging the most on the least possible area. “What will the twins think, Mom mie, when they' see the tree?” one may ask, and the ethers will pause to consider. The twins were .too young last Christmas to have remembered. . “ And what will Annette do?”
“Oh, Annette won’t remember. She wasn’t even borned last Christmas,” Jon may remind them. “ She will like the lights.” Then, as a serious after thought: “Does Annette know about the Lord Jesus’ birthday, Mommie?” “Not yet, son, but she will some day. She’ll learn about it the way you did.” Christ’s birthday—that is what Christmas really is. Sometimes in the rush of things the fact has been ob scured. To be forgotten on one’s birth day’ is to feel a special kind of pain. To awaken with a feeling of anticipa tion, to go through the day and find that nothing happens-—that no one
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we have.” (And maybe they w ill be a bit blurry to Him, even as they are to Mommie arid Daddy at the sight of seven shining little faces all'intent on the loveliness of candlelight and the happiness of His day.) Christmas Day begins for Mommie and Daddy the night before. It takes a bit of time to see that every last gift is wrapped and placed under the tree all ready for morning. Last year the paint on the little boats Daddy made was hardly dry in time/, and we hung them by strings from the clothes rack over the heater ,and put them under the tree the very last thing. Mommie has to see that all the clothes are in order for the morning: the best everyday polo shirts for the boys, flower-sprigged d r e s s e s fo r . Becky and Jane, and the new-for- Christmas house dress for herself. Last year it was almost inidnight before the mending was finished and every thing proper for Christmas morning. The breakfast table must receive special care on Christmas Day. Mom mie takes the left-over fir bopghs and fashions a small tree for the center of the table. There is a Christmas card for each place because Auntie Bessie always did it that way when Mommiè was a little girl. The simple practice forms a “ path of remembering” back through the years. Mommie wonders: W ill her girlies do this too in the years to come, and in the doing feel the warmth of home and thé special ness of His birthday? After everything is finished a n d Daddy has g o n e out to his study, Mommie turns o n ,the Christmas-tree
“Yes, He’d like that ... . most of anything,' little girlie. He wants our love /for His birthday. He wants it so much that He g a v e Himself to get it.” dh, the ache of a heart that gives and does not receive love! “ He came • unto his own, and his own received, him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power [or the right] to become the sons of God” (John 1:11, 12). I Christmas at Our House At our 'house, we make Chiistmas . as lovely a time as we can, and we ..remember that it is His birthday. As the Christirias gifts arrive, we put some up high over the windows where they can be seen but not handled. .Many are,;the speculations as to what bach gaily wrapped package, contains. We bake cookiesf Some o f them are cut with a heart-shaped cutter, be cause Christmas is a loving time. Arid if eager little hands shake the col ored sugar all |n one pile on a cookie /-instead of sprinkling it just so and evenly, it doesn’t matter. We like them that way. We ■ talk about His birthday. “But Mommie, how; can..we trim a birth day chair for Him, and would He like a cake?” “We can trim all the chairs, and He will see, and be glad to have. it so, because it means we each love Him specially on His day. And we can have a cake, and He will see, and w ill hear us sing ‘Happy birthday, Lord Jesus, happy birthday to You.’ And we c.an put on all the candles
says “Happy Birthday,” that no one seems to be remembering . . . this is loneliness. Do you suppose the Lord ever feels forgotten on His day? Perhaps He is not forgotten so much as He is over looked on this day of tinsel and gifts and shining Christmas trees. Birthdays, and the Gifts of Love At our house we make a special thing of birthdays all through the year. They not only build a path of remembrance for> later years, but they also look forward to that greatest birthday of the year, our Lord’s. We decorate the table, we tie festive crepe paper bows to the “ birthday chair,” and we pile our gifts in the center of the table. The gifts are very simple, most of them from the ten- cent store: a jar of paste, a package of crayons, a color book—lots of gifts to open, but not much money in volved. When Jon was three he wrapped up a fence staple in an orange wrapper, tied it with a piece of string, and laid it on the pile of gifts for Daddy’s birthday. It was given and received with love. His eager, shining eyes were on his Daddy’s face, waiting for the bright smile/of approval that was soon forthcoming. Watching that scene, one could not help but think of the heavenly Father and of how much every expression of love must mean to Him. It isn’t the gift that matters; it’s the heart, that gives it. • We were talking one year about what we could give the Lord Jesus for His birthday. “I’ll give Him a wiggle-bug,” said Jon (meaning himself, perhaps!). A wiggle-bug, to Jon, was a most desir able treasure. “ And I’ll give Him a bag of candy, and climb on His lap and put my arms around Him and love Him,” added Jane. “Would He like that, Mommie?”
★
Dr. and Mrs. Willard Aid- rich and* their seven children are p i c t u r e d at home— a home which exalts the Lord.
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the quietness one finds time for a bit o f fellowship with the Lord, and for remembering. How near the Lord seems just then! It is as if there were two of them, there by the tree. It is His birthday . . . and she loves Him . . . and He knows. They talk together. “ Lord, may these children whom Thou hast given come to know Thee and love Thee with all their hearts— know Thee in that way wherein Thou art real to them: real in everyday liv ing, Lord. May Christmas Day be joy ous to them in their childlike pleasure in the gifts and all. And as they grow older, may Christmas be increas ingly precious to them because Thou art increasingly real. Thank Thee for the gifts we’ve been able to get for them. May they see each one as a part of Thy birthday . . And Lord, Thou knowest what all this .means to me as a Mother; Thou knoWest—and I love Thee.” Morning comes, ' and' wA~ dreSs in our Christmas clothes and have break fast. It is a special breakfast, with no oatmeal mush. Then we gather round the tree. We sing,' eJesus doves
me, this I know,” for the children are too young for carols. Four-year-old Joe will have it, “Jesus loves me, I don’t know,” and Becky w ill echo, “ me I know.” Daddy reads the Christmas story from the Bible’, and we “have a pray,” thanking the dear Lord Jesus for His love for us, and telling Him that we love Him on His day so specially. And then the gifts—my, the delight, the eager little hands that struggle with wrappings and ribbons, the oh’s and ah’s! “Oh, look, Jon! . . . Joe, what did you get? . . . Here, Becky, let me undo it for you . . . O Mommie, look what I got! . . . And see those things for the twins, Daddy.” *•'’ We are almost up to the knees, in tissue paper, and some of it is in the buggy for baby Annette to play with. Each gift is admired before the next one is given out .by Daddy. The first thing you know, it’s time for Mommie to start the chicken for dinner. And chicken raised in one’s own backyard tastes just as good as >, turkey when there are seven babies and Christmas. It would seem that some folks have turkeys and some • have babies, but few have both at Christmastime! But if there are seven children, then there is a sevenfold joy at Christmas, and a sevenfold responsibility. Right now they are all small, and their de light is centered primarily in the toys and the fun. It is; our pleasure to make this day for them as happy as we can. What of the responsibility? Where in does it lie? Perhaps in this: These children soon will be grown and their adult p o i n t o f_ view w ill depend largely on the experiences of these early years. To help them to feel that Christmas is “His birthday . . . and I love Him” is worth any amount of effort. And what\>f Santa Claus? We have been so busy with the birthday theme ,that we have not thought much about him. He does not seem to be needed, and the children do not ask about him. We have nothing against Santa Claus, and the hanging up of stock ings, but we seem to find such plea sure in our Christmas Day as it is that we have not missed him. We concentrate on giving to the Lord Jesus the maximum of plea sure on His day. And what makes a happy birthday for Him? Is it all the gifts, all the decorations, all t h e church programs and the entertain ments? No, not these. The one thing He wahts is our love. So, at our house, each of us with his or her own degree of understanding, looks up into His face to say: “I love Thefe, Lord Jesus, and this day *iy heart is warm with Thy love to me, Thou who didst give the greatest Christmas gift—Thyself.”
Virginia and Timmie— the twins
lights again and draws up the black rocker. With a cup of tea in hand (one is a bit weary by midnight) there in
HAVE YOU RECEIVED? GOD'S GIFT OF LIFE: "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:28). "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and J e s u s Ch r i s t , whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3).
GOD'S GIFT OF PEACE: "Peace I leave with you, my'.peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).-
GOD'S GIFT OF REST: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find test unto your souls" (Matt. 11:28, 29).
If Not
WHAT WILL YOU GIVE in exchange for your soul? "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mk. 8:36).
SALVATION IS A GIFT: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8, 9). "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
By WILLIAM L. PETTINGILl
by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3). He revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush as the eternal “I AM” (Ex. 3:14); and in John 8:58 He said: “Before Abraham was, I am.” And again He revealed Himself to Moses in Exodus 6 as JEHOVAH, This mysterious name, occurring more than seven thousand times in the Old Testa ment, is preserved for us in the com monly used King James Version only seven times, the word being generally rendered LORD or GOD, in capital letters. Its probable meaning is “He that shall come” (Of. Matt. 11:3; Heb. 10:37). So in His second manifestation to Moses, the eternal I AM revealed Himself as THE COMING ONE. Finally He came. “With us is God.” “Hail, all hail, Immanuel!” He is frequently called God in the Old Testament and also in the New. In Psalm 45:6, 7, the Father addresses Him as God, as is proved by the quo tation of these verses in Hebrews 1:8, 9: “Unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is fo r ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteous ness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” [•Continued on Page 425]
A T ^ H E PREDICTION hete referred to in Matthew 1:18-25, “which JL was spoken by the Lord through the prophet,” Is recorded in Isaiah 7:14. The prophet had offered the apostate King Ahaz “a sign of the Lord thy God... either in the depth, or in the height above,” and when the king re fused tO ask for the sign, the prophet gave a sign, not for the king, but through him for the house of David. And this was the sign: “Behold, a vir gin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his hame Immanuel.” There was the sign, and there it stood for seven and a half centuries before it was fulfilled. “ Immanuel” means “With us is God.” "Jesus” is “Jehovah the Saviour.” Apart from Him, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” - (John 1:18). All the Old Testament appear ings of God are preincamate appear ings of the E t e r n a l Son. “ In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9). “All things Were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3). "By him were all things created . . . all things were created by him, and for him . . . and in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:16, 17, R. V. Marg.). He upholdeth “all things
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Reaching Youth for Christ By MEL LARSON*
B HICAGOANS—saved and un saved—still are gasping over the God-blessed “Victory Ral dium on the night of October. 21, 1944, in what is believed to be the largest indoor independent evange listic meeting in the history o f Chi cago. And what a testimony fdr Christ that meeting provided! Though scof fers had said no religious service in that city would draw any sizable at tendance, some 28,000 people crowded into the Stadium—hundreds of them being willing to stand for hours—to take part in a service which, f r o m beginning to end, magnified one Per son alone: the Lord Jesus Christ. On streetcars and elevated railway platforms,, notices of the coming Sta dium meeting had been posted. Pas sengers- saw them, but perhaps were not greatly impressed. But when the city’s transportation system was sorely taxed, as it was on the night of Octo ber 21 in its effort to accommodate 'Assistant Editor, The Evangelical Beacon, Chicago, SL,
the crowds, ev^n disinterested observ ers were awakened to the fact that Christians evidently «were going some where! A Climax and an Introduction Held under the auspices of Chicago- land Youth for Christ, the Stadium meeting was both a climax and an in troduction to a new phase of the or ganization’s activities. For twenty-one weeks, Youth for Christ—directed by Torrey Johnson, Robert Cook, a n d Douglas Fisher of the growing Mid west Bible Church in Chicago—h a d been held in famous Orchestra Hall on Michigan Boulevard. , God had saved many, many souls in those meetings. There, on a Saturday night in, September, the President of t h e Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Louis T. T a l b o t , addressed audiences so large that it was necessary to hold two meetings that night. When the contract for the use of Orchestra Hall was about to expire, and when it seemed probable that the best place for the winter ^ssions would be the even larger Moody Me
morial Church on Chicago’s northside, the Stadium evening was planned. Huge' banners decorated the hall: “Redeemed by the blood of Christ,” “ Not ashamed of the gosoel.” “Christ died for our sins,” “Ye shall he wit nesses unto me.” Here, in this huge auditorium that so recently was the scene of two na tional conventions, Christ was exalted; His saving blood, His keeping power, and His call to service were gloriously emphasized. A choir of 3,200 voices filled the entire rear of the building to sing out the old-gospel story in songs such as the Stadium rarely had heard. Solos, trios, and ensemble se lections featured musicians of high rank—all of them outstanding Chris tians. NÓ one “preached.” Scripture-filled, youth-directed testimonies of young men and leaders in the fields of busi ness, sports, and the military services held the audience spellbound. From sports came Gil Dodds, world champion miler and winner of the Sullivan award, and Robert Finley, undefeated champion of the 155-pound division of intercollegiate boxing, now
ly” which filled the Chicago Sta
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Photo by Kaufmann and Fabry
student council president at the Uni versity of Virginia. Representing business were Philip A. Benson, president of the Dime Sav ings Bank of New York, Herbert J. Taylor, president of Club Aluminum of America, and Robert F. Nelson, vice-president of thé Arma Corpora tion in Brooklyn. From the mission field—past, pres ent, and future—came Clarence Jones, co-director of radio station HCJB in Quito, Ecuador, and Peter Stam III, nephew of ' martyrs John arid Betty Stam and himself hesrtled for. Africa next spring, the Lord willing. From the military services came Paratroop Chaplain William Conley from Fort Benning, Ga., and Lt. Col. Erwin Stolle, of Chicago, who is liv ing today because of prayer . . . and plasma . . . after several years in the Southwest Pacific. The testimonies were straight from the shoulder. They merged with two strong evangelistic appeals by Tor- rey Johnson and by Evangelist Mer- vin Roselle of Rochester, Minn. Hun dreds of hands went up and hun dreds of names -were signed to in dicate decisions for Christ that night. Born in Prayer Youth for Christ leaders are men of prayer and vision. “O God, we want this kept on a miracle basis. We want everyone to know that God’s hand is
on this ‘movement. We want folks to see that this is too big and too great for any man or group of men to ac complish by themselves. We want all to say, “GOD DID IT !” That'petition was at the very foun dation of Chic'agoland Y o u t h for Christ. It had been the heart cry also of Jack WYrtzen. of New York in whose mind the idea of city-wide y o u t h movements originated months ago. Wyrtzen used to s t a n d in Times Square on Saturday nights, his heart ' aching for the thousands of young people—unsaved and unreached. As he prayed for them, there came the realization that he must dp some thing about the situation. He obeyed God—and youth meetings began. On April 1, 1944, Youth for Christ in New York City filled Madison Square Gar den with 20,000 people. God had been, looking for a man,-and He found Jack Wyrtzen. The same thing happened in In dianapolis. Roger Malsbary, a minis ter on the outskirts of the city, felt a burden for the hundreds of young people within his reach. On May 27, 1943, Youth for Christ was launched at the English Theater in Indianap olis. Ifi Washington D. C., God f o u n d Glenn Wagoner, former all-American football star—and He used him.
More than 28,000 “Youth for Christ” enthusiasts packed the Chicago Stadium on Oc tober 21. Scene of some of the greatest national a n d sports events, t h e Stadium this time rang w i t h only praise to Christ.
In Chicago, in April of 1944, Torrey' Johnson said, “Lord, I believe You want me to start this thing here. I don’t know where the staff or t h e place or the program or the money are coming from, but I’ll trust You.” Now throughout the country this Youth for Christ movement continues to progress. Groups are flourishing in New York, Washington, D. C., Indian apolis, St. Louis, Detroit, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and Boston (5,000 at the first meeting). Cities which might easily be hold ing meetings when t h i s article is read include Moline, 111.; Miami, Fla.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Tampa, Fla.; Atlanta and Augusta, Ga.; Columbus and Toledo, Ohio; La'Crosse, Kenosha, Milwaukee, and Racine, Wise.; Bel- videre, Chicago Heights, and Rock ford, 111.; Gary, lin’d ; Sunnyside, |Continued on Page 432]
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On a different kind of battlefield, In a leper colony where the mission aries battle against disease and the “ powers of darkness” to make Christ known to the dark-faced natives, maimed in body and in spirit, a missionary was distributing Bi bles to those who had qualified for them. The lepers crowded around, ea-* ger to receive a precious Book from the White Teacher who was not afraid to live among them. That inight the missionary wrote ‘to thè president of the Gospel Sowers: “The Hausa Bibles which you let us have are now in the Garkida Leper colony. I never s aw people more eager and hungry for God’s Word. You are doing a' great \^ork.” * » • In a crowded ward of a large city hospital, a young girl turned away im patiently as a hospital worker tried to tell her the way of salvation. Quiet ly the visitor left a Gospel of John on the bedside" table. When she ap proached her again a few days later, she found the girl eagerly reading the Gospel and anxious to hear more of the "good news.” It was not long until she had accepted the gift of Life, and another had reason to thank 1the Gospel Sowers who had purchased the Gospel portion that had shown her the Way: * * * A roll call around the world1would reveal many other instances where the hands of the girls who compose the Gospel Sowers Association h a v e reached, in the form of Bibles, Tes taments, and portions of the Word, to bring life to others. Letters on file from South America, Ch i n a , Cuba, Mexico, England, Africa, Peru, and from many separate fields of work within the borders of the United States —hospitals, prisoners in jails and pen itentiaries, and from those who work among youth—are evidence sufficient. Just before the outbreak of war a shipment of Gospels had been sent to Wake Island. The girls have often wondered whether they fell to the captors or the prisoners. Bibles have been sent to Chaplains in New Zea land as well as to many camps here in America. How They Began Amy Flink and Gunhild Carlson had just left a meeting of the Gideons one November Sunday afternoon in 1939. They had sat in the service and listened to the accounts of*the power of the Word unto salvation as the Gideon Bibles in hotels and else where brought conviction of sin and need. The longing that they, too, might have opportunity to serve the Lord grew to fill them with- a kind of hunger. Employed in domestic po sitions as they were, it was impos-
I T WAS the Christmas season as a group of .young women gathered in the Social Hall at the Bible In stitute of Los Angeles for their De cember meeting. By very contrast to 'the wartime Christmas rush of t h e city about them, the serenity, quiet purposiveness, and real joy of t h e group spoke eloquently. There was work to be done when the .Gospel Sow ers—girls employed in domestic posi tions in homes in the city—could get together, even at a combined Christ mas and birthday meeting. There was the Father’s business. They had enjoyed a program of Christmas carols and special songs, sung in Swedish, Norwegian, German, and English, a longer program than normal, for this meeting marked the fifth birthday for the group. Now the moment for business had arrived—a time always looked forward to. . “Madam Chairman,” one said, “ I move we send fifty Bibles to . , . .” * - * ' * The scene changes. There was no thought or time for Christmas on the
narrow strip of beachhead the Marines were holding tenaciously against Jap anese resistance in the cold gray light of dawn. Behind them their own ships poured shells into the jungle foliage and upon the almost indestructible pill-boxes of the enemy. Before them towered the sinister fringe of coconut trees that concealed Japanese snipers, while overhead, fighter planes an d bombers dove to rake the island with machine-gun fire and bombs. At the very'edge of the beach, the Chaplain moved carefully from o n e wounded man to another. Suddenly •his heart lifted as he saw one boy— then another—lying horribly wounded, yet calmly reading a New Testament while waiting for the stretcher bear ers, seemingly unmindful either of the crescendo of the heavy guns’ , thun der, the chattering machine guns, fol his own wounds. More than one was to give thanks for the peace that was his because of the Word read that day —from a gift Bible that was made pos sible by the Gospel Sowers Associa tion. * * *
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In October, 1942, in response to let ters of request from girls working in domestic positions in New York, Elsie MacDonald (one of the founders of the Thursday group) went to N e w York to guide in forming a n ew branch. There .are now twenty mem bers of that branch and* new fields of witness are opened to them almost daily. The ranks of the Gospel Sowers have been thinned somewhat, as in other gronps during these war. years. .Some girls have gone into other work: de fense, office, teaching, nursing (there are two. cadet nurses from the Gospel Sowers); some have married, and sev eral are preparing for the mission field by study at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Taylor University, Northwestern Bible Institute, Nyack Missionary Training Institute, and other schools. Thare still is a member ship of 100 in the Thursday group, 24 in the Wednesday group, and 20 in the New York group. Something of the combined work for foreign countries is glimpsed in the following figures: From the Thurs day (original) group have gone 491 Bibles, 4,811 Testaments, and 81,002 Gospels totaling $2,585.85.
or to a group working am'ong high school youths. All the while eyes are fixed on the tabulated score kept to see how much money is left. All that has been received one month is sent out the following month. Nothing is kept over. Quite frequently more than $100 is dispensed in one meeting—the average for this year being $135 a month. When the money is gone, heads are bowed while the Lord’s blessing i s asked upon the gifts and portions of. the Word that: “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isa. 55:11)— the motto chosen by the Gospel Sow ers from the first. Ail money that is received goes to purchase the Word. A ll incidental expenses are paid out of the girls’ pockets, as it we r e , through their birthday banks. Branching Out Girls who were free on Wednesday, instead of Thursday, became inter ested in the Gospel Sowers and de sired a like opportunity to fellowship together and to serve the Lord. On March 21, 1941, .eight girls met to form the Wednesday group. This is a much smaller group because fewer girls are free on Wednesdays, but en thusiasm runs high and a real work is being accomplished.
sible for them to serve in the usual channels: Sunday school classes, and other organized groups. They could not even attend church regularly when they were free, only on alternate Sun days. Suddenly Amy exclaimed: “Why, that’s it! Why can’t we have a work ing girls’ organization and do some thing like this? Give Gospels and Testaments to places where they are needed and not available!” Awed by the sudden vision of op portunity ahead of them, Gunhild agreed. They went to meet another friend, Elsie MacDonald, and eagerly told her their plahs. The three pledged themselves, to,wait upon the Lord for His leading. Immediately, there were brought to their attention places needy for Gospel distribution and they were certain this was His seal upon the plan, When they met on January 18, 1940 in their first organized meeting, they already could report that ,153 Gospels of John and'four Testaments had been given out, and that there were 200 Gospels on hand. The Gospel Sowers Association already was in progress. At that meeting nineteen girls attend ed and ;Six became charter members. Every -month- the membership in creased, until at the end of their first year there were forty-two members. “And They Brought Their Gifts'* Since the majority of girls doing domestic work have Thursday as their “ day off,” the girls organized to meet on the second Thursday of e a c h month, alternating between Los An geles and Pasadena where the Lord had Opened to them the two meeting places, the Bible Institute in Los An geles, and Layne Memorial Taber nacle in Pasadena. Each month the strains of “ Sweet Hour of Prayer” call the Gospel Sowers together to ask God’s blessing and guidance on the meeting,, the work, and upon each member. A thrill runs through t h e audience when the president rises to preside at the business session. The treasurer-buyer reads her re port and the very interesting letters right from the fields where the Gos pels or gifts of money have been sent, and the girls review what has been accomplished the previous mo n t h . Then comes one of the most enjoyable parts of the program—when the mon ey that has been received since the last meeting is voted out to the field in financial gifts or portions of the Word. “Madam Chairman, I move we send $25 to South America,” one may say. When that has been voted upon, another rises to make her motion/ perhaps to send a number of Testa ments to the Pasadena Juvenile Hall:
The Wednesday group (three years old) has given $180 for 543 B i b l e s , 3,603 Testaments, and 9,792 Gospels. [Continued on Page 425] Private joe’s Black Eye By PHILIP B. MARQUART* Captain, Medical Corps
y r OE,” exclaimed the charge nurse, “why have you let me down this mj way by coming late to duty? There are temperatures to be taken—” Private Joe hesitated uncertainly at the door of the nurse’s office, his head hanging. “Why, Joe,” resumed the nurse, “ something’s happened to you! Where did you get that black eye? And those abrasions on your knuckles? . . . Come'here and let me touch them with mercreoin . . . Hold your hand stjll. Why, you poor boy; you’re trembling!” * Captain Marquart has furnished for NG’S BUSINESS readers a series of meai- [ and psychiatric case studies of soldiers i om he knows professionally and person- y. This is his third and concluding article, the subject. A graduate of Harvard Med- il School, trained in neuro psychiatry the ctor is an outstanding Christian and effect
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Standing near by, I observed all this. “Joe;” I said, “come into my office. I Want to talk to you.” "Yes, Sir,” said Joe, and followed sheepishly. “Something has happened to you,” I proceeded gravely, “and I want to see, whether I can help you.” Joe seemed ready to talk at- once. “Here’s how it is, Sir. I’m techni cally under arrest. That’s why I didn’t come to duty on time. The Colonel was . . . You see, Sir, I beat un a Lieutenant, ,a —— _ i _ —. M.A.C.” “You don’t mean it, Joe,” I ex claimed. “Why, that’s serious—an enlisted man assaulting a commis sioned officer! How did it happen^ Were you drinking?” “Well, I had to drink a little, Sir, in order to get courage enough to do it. But it had to be done. You haven’t done anything like that since I entered the Army. This Army sorta makes a fellow think twice before he continues doing rotten things.” “Are you a Christian soldier, Joe, or the other kind?” “Well,” blushed the ward boy, “may be I don’t always do like I should, but I was saved once—way back when I Was fifteen.” “Can you prove that you began to be saved then?” , “Yes, Sir, I can, Captain. I took Jestr-as my Lord and Saviour, then.” “Is Lillian a Christian, too?” . “Why—why,,- Sir, I don’t belieye I ever Stopped to inquire whether she is or not.” . “ You mean that you have known this girl almost two years, and you’ve been married to her a year—and you don’t even know whether she’s a Christian?” "I—I guess the Captain can see I haven’t been living as—as a Christian should. I was so happy when I was converted—I thought I was just going to be good always. I thought' life would be a bed of roses until i would be wafted into heaven—and then . . . and then, I began slipping.” “No, Joe, the Christian life is no.bed of roses. It’s a fight—but not the kind you’ve just engaged in. You have to fight the good fight of faith, not in your own strength; but in the pow er of the Lord. You’re saved through faith in Christ, you know, .but that isn’t all. The Christian ought to keep on living by faith. The Lord will en able you to do that, but if you don’t u e s t i o n Box records Christ’s genealogy back t o Abraham to whom God gave the land. (See Matt. 1:1-16: cf. Jer. 23:5.) Since Mark’s key verse is: “ For the Son of man came not to be ministered ■unto, but to minister,” we knpw that in this book our Lord is presented as the Servant (Mk. 10:45; cf: Zech. 3:8). Indeed, the recorded- genealogy of a servant is unnecessary. Luke reveals Christ, as the perfect Son of Man, whosejjenealogy is traced back beyond Adam to God; for the body of the Lord Jesus was not only real and human, it was a body that God had prepared (Lk. 3:23-38; cf. Zech. 6:12; Heb. 10:5). John is writing to prove that Jesus of Nazareth always was and ever shall be the eternal Son 'T God (cf. John 20:30, 31). And who -would presume to say that, as eternal God, our Lord I had a beginning? (See John 1:1-14.) He is the Creator of all things: He [ Continued an Page 425] try, He will punish you. Don’t you want to come back to Him and start over again?” “I certainly do. I ’d give anything if I could!” '"“Then let’s do what it says in 1 John 1:9—confess it all to Him.” “I ’m ready,” exclaimed Joe. "But let’s get on our knees. Somehow that seems like the only way I ought to face Him.” Joe sobbed: “O heavenly Father, I ’m sorry I ever did all those awful things against You, and against Lilli an. I’m sorry I haven’t read your Worf; haven’t gone to o" r.vch .’as' 1 . should, and that I haven't prayed to You for wee s I didn’t speak to Lillian about her soul before this. I ’ve made a mess of my life, Lord—and—and I just don’t want to be like this any more. I thank You for bringing this trouble on me, so that You could bring me back to You again. And—O Lord—bless that Lieu tenant, and don’t hurt him. He needs You, too. Please grant me the privi lege to lead Lillian to Thy Son y saved me.” The prayer ended abruptly. The tears were glistening througn a von- derful smile on Joe’s face. “I ’m not afraid, now, Captain,” ex ulted Joe. “L know the Lord will make a Way for me. And I ’m not going to be ashamed to tell any one what He’s done for me. I was happy when I was first converted, but ft’s, nothing com pared to the way I feel right how,” Joe meant what he said, and proved it. And the Lord did undertake for him in a most remarkable way. Time passed, and then, one day Private Joe and the Lieutenant arose •to attention. The commanding voice of the Colonel rang out: “Private Joe, I haye never been more convinced of your genuine de cency than I am today. We all un derstand why you made this serious military mistake. No charges will be pressed against you. You will proceed on a special mission and will rejoin your unit at another post. "Lieutenant,” the Colonel continued, addressing the other man, “your con nection with this hospital unit is here by severed. You will proceed to a tour of duty at another post as soon as the orders are printed.” He paused, and the tone of his voice changed as he added, “Private Joe, your wife is waiting to meet you at the Red Cross building.” Lillian was glad to be embraced again in the arms of her soldier hus band. But she was especially radiant when she came out of that Red CrosS building a few minutes later, a new born Christian, ready with her hus band to enter into the joys of a daily walk by faith.
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