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Christ.” Throughout the whole period of this pastor ate, he was identified closely with the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, in recent years serving as the chairman of its Board of Trustees. He gave time, thought, and energy to the Bible Institute, the school which occupied a large place in his heart. As we think of Dr. Edmonds, we are reminded of the words of David concerning Abner, recorded in 2 Samuel 3:38: “Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?” Dr. Edmonds was “a great man.” Any minister who can come to a church of less than 200 members, see its membership grow to include more than 3,000 believers, and remain in the same pulpit for a quarter of a century is a man of no ordinary pro portions. Dr. Edmonds was a great leader, and his quali ties of leadership were recognized not only by his church and community but also by his denomination in which he served as Moderator of the Presbytery and of the Synod. The words of Malachi 2:6 are also applicable to Dr.
should he eat” (2 Thess. 3:10). Laziness in the spiritual realm is just as abominable as it is in the mental and physi cal realm. Every child of God is called to ,be a worker for the Lord. We should write letters and go on errands for Christ. We serve the Lord by serving one another. Our Christian activity should not be confined to going to church on Sunday morning. Tell your pastor that you want to cooperate with him in making Christ known and that you are willing and eager to begin work. Every mem ber of the body of Christ is supposed to function. Every one has at least one talent. There is something for you to do. Will you allow the Lord to show you your place in the vineyard? “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” Industry in America is in tur- Breakdown of Law moiL In various parts 0f the coun- I n Am erica try, employees not only refuse to work but also take possession of the property of their em i j » t
Edmonds: “The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.” He was a fundamentalist who believed and preached the infallible Word of God and all the verities held by evangeli cal Christians. For forty-three years —sixteen years as General Secretary of the Young Men’s Christian Asso ciation, and twenty-seven years as a pastor—-he waged an aggressive and unceasing warfare against evil in every form. Speaking to the students of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles in a baccalaureate service a number of years ago, Dr. Edmonds declared, characteristically: “Many today are afraid of the word ‘dogmatism’ . . . The dogmatic note needs to be sounded as touching the sin question. . . . The theology appropriate to this hour is above all else the theology of sin—God’s hatred of it, God’s salva tion from it, God’s inexorable justice upon it—all in the light of the mercy, love, and atonement of Jesus Christ. A man ought to tremble before the wrath of God if he stands up in the
ployers so that no one else can work. It is evident that most of the strikers are the victims of professional agita tors who are instigating these strikes in order to further their own ends and the purposes of certain Socialistic and Communistic leaders who are de termined to control the nation. It is very significant that the agitators claim to have the support of the New Dealers and that no protest against this charge has been expressed by those who are in places of authority within our national government. The hunger for power has not been satis fied by getting control of Congress, but now the Supreme Court must be packed with second-rate lawyers who will do their masters’ bidding and will allow the White House to domi nate not only the making of our laws but also the interpretation of these laws. All of these developments are of course in harmony with the ten dency toward dictatorship which now prevails throughout the world. We now can understand readily how one man will be able to get control of the nations and to rule the world. The stage is set and everything is in readi ness for the appearance of the super
Walter E. Edmonds 1869— 1937
man for whom the world is looking in its confusion. The essence of the Communist-inspired sit-down strikes is of course lawlessness. Jesus Christ foretold that lawless ness would abound in the end time. Certainly lawlessness abounds in our day. Crime is rampant, and there is little respect for law and order. Property rights are n'ot re spected, and consequently confiscation of property is not considered stealing. The commandments of God are Routed, and men are throwing off all restraint. “There is no fear of God before their eyes,” .and “where there is no vision, the people run wild.” The world is rapidly ripen ing for judgment, and soon the solemn scenes described in the Book of Revelation from chapter 6 to 19 will take place. The Word of God cannot fail of fulfillment. , Walter E. Edmonds, for twenty-five years the pastor of the Glendale Presby- w ith th e L o rd ter;an church, Glendale, Calif., slipped away quietly on the morning of February 22 to be “with _
pulpit today and fails to preach against sin.” His was an evangelistic vision; consequently, soul winning was emphasized in his ministry. At the beginning of his Glendale pastorate, he prayed that at least one soul should be added to the membership of the church on con fession of faith at each communion service; that prayer was answered, in the mercy of God, far beyond the pas tor’s power to anticipate. Our brother was a faithful servant in the vineyard of the Lord. Filled with love for Christ, he labored inde- fatigably. He is now resting from his earthly labor and is enjoying conscious bliss in the presence of the Lord. He awaits the fulfillment of the promise of 1 Thessalonians 4:16: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” When Christ comes, our brother will receive his resur rection body which will be like unto Christ’s glorified [Continued on page 132]
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