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JANUARY 1942 10 CENTS
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'Nevertheless we, ac cording to his prom ise, l o o k f or new heavens and a new e a r t h , wh e r e i n dwelleth righteous ness. 'Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless." (2 P eter 3:13, 14).
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January, 1942
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
The King's Business The True~to-the-Bible Family Magazine The Official Organ of THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Inc. LOUIS T. T A L B O T ' • M IL D R E D M. COOK Editor-In-Chief Mnnagrln« Editor
GOD REVEALS IT, STALIN KNOWS IT, HITLER DOES IT! WHERE DO YOU STAND? We mean God’s irrevocable in structions with regard to world missions—“To the Jew First.” The devil believes this, brother, and together with Hitler, prac tices it! For has not" the Jew been always first in every ex plosion of world hate? Is it not upon the Jew that the denril has ever concentrated his fiercest fires? "When the Pharaohs sought slave labor for the rearing of their pyramids, “To the Jew First” was the passion which possessed their wicked souls. “To the Jew First” likewise possessed the soul and body of such an arch fiend as Haman. Callous indeed must he be who in the face of an Israel going through such hellish agony as she has never known in all her long dark years of torture, will still deny the Gospel ministry “To the Jew First!” If the world has put the Jew first in its scheme of hate and destruction, then in the name of all justice where should the Church put the Jew in her scheme of love and Gospel ministry? Ever eternally fixed, whether you accept it or not, dear reader, stands God’s order, “To the Jew First!” , We are astride the world, at grips with the most gigantic tasks that ever a 1 Jewish Mission Society faced. If ever trie Mace donian cry needed to be shouted out, it is now. In our own coun try, across the seven seas, in the lands of Nazi oppression, in the land of Arab hate, almost wher ever the sun shines, this Mission of yours is trumpeting the call to\ the last remnant of Israel for the final shout which we all await with bated breath. Your fellowship in this God- given task will prove rich be yond compare. “THE CHOSEN PEOPLE” loved b y , Bible stu dents for its helpful information on Pfophedy and the Jews, is sent to contributors. - MAY WE HEAR FROM YOU? AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS TO THE JEWS, INC. 31 Throop Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y. Here is my offering, $.............. ‘To the Jew First.” May the Lord bless this gift for Israel’s salvation. Name....,..................... .—---- ------ Street....... ......................................- City.......... .........„....State........... .....
Motto:, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood1’ (Rev. 1 :5 ).
Volume XXX III
January, 1942 ■
Number 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS . •
'Ransom D : Marvin, Staff Artist What Has the Church to Offer Youth Today ?— Frank E. Gaebelein.. 2 Around the King’s Table — Editorial ............................,................-........ — 3. Significance of the News —Dan Gilbertft .............. -................................. . 4 The Secret of a Happy New Year — Herbert Lockyer ............................. 5 Early and Final Impressions of R. A . Torrey — Oscar E. Sanden ........ 7 Can Inflation Be Controlled ?— Erlinq C. Olsen ............ ......................... 8 ♦ Those Finer Things—Lore« S,.Hanna....„ ................................................. 10 Bible Institute Family Circle —......... .............................................. 13 International Lesson Commentary..............................................................:. 14 Notes on Christian Endeavor —Morena Holmes Downing and Richard kF, Hightower ........................................................ .......... ... 26 Our Literature Table...,-:..............................................-------------....!..-------- 32 Daily Devotional Readings.........— ......... ........... ................................... :..... 33 Junior King’s Business —Martha S. Hooker — ..........— ............ 37 SUBSCRIPTION PRICE* “ T he K in g ’s B usin ess’ - is published m onthly. $1.00— one y e a r: $1.50—-tw o y e a rs ; 50 cen ts—six m on th s; 10 cen ts— sin gie cop y . C lubs o f th ree or m ore at sp ecial ra te s: w rite fo r details. • C anadian and fo re ig n su b scrip tion s 25 cen ts extra. It requ ires one m onth fo r a ch an ge o f address to b ecom e e ffe ctiv e . P lea se send both old and new addresses. R EM IT T A N C E— P a yable in advance, should be m ade by ban k d ra ft, exp ress or p ost o ffic e m oney ord er p ayable to “ Tile K in g ’s B usiness.” D ate o f exp ira tion w ill sh ow p lain ly each m onth on outside w rapper or co v e r ,of m agazine. .. A D V E R T IS IN G— F o r in form a tion w ith referen ce to a d v ertisin g in "T h e K in g 's B u sin ess.” address the A d vertisin g M anager. 558 South H ope Street, Los A n geles, C alif., or ou r eastern rep resen ta tive, R e lig io u s P ress A ssocia tion , 1601 C hestnut St., P h iladelph ia, Pa. M ANU SCRIPTS— "T h e K i n g s B u sin ess” ca n n ot a cce p t resp on sib ility fo r loss or d am age to m an u scrip ts sen t to it fo r con sid era tion . E ntered as se co n d -cla ss m atter N ovem ber 7, 1938, at the p ost o ffic e at Los A n geles, C aliforn ia , un d er th e A nt o f Marcl# 3, 1879. A ccep ta n ce fo r m a ilin g at sp ecial rate o f p o sta g e p rovid ed fo i in the A ct o f F eb ru a ry 28, 1925, em bodied in p a ra gra p h 4, section 538, P. L. and R., a u th orized O ctob er 1, 1918, and N ovem ber 13, 1938. THE KING’S BUSINESS 558 South Hope Street • Los Angeles, California INFORMATION FOR SUBSCRIBERS
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Jânuary, 1942
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
Now that the United States is at war with Japan and the A x i s powers, this article is more timely than ever.
What Has the Church to Offer Youth Today?*
By FRANK E. GAEBELEIN Stony Brook, Long Island, N. Y .
F OR TWENTY YEARS it has been my privilege to be Headmaster of a college preparatory school along with its academic aims to the great purpose of making the evangel ical Christian faith real to its stu dents. During those years I have lived and worked With hundreds and hun dreds of boys from almost every state of the Union and from at least twenty different countries. I have seen boys graduate from school and go on into college. I have seen them* graduate from mllege and enter into business and professional life. And in some cases it-has been my privilege to fol low their development and their ca reers in a fairly intimate way. You will understand, therefore, that this subject of youth and the church today, is one that is very close to my heart. Youth Under Totalitarian Leadership Let me begin by relating a portion Of a conversation which took place in my home several weeks ago. The speaker was a man of brilliant intel- M ja d io address delivered on November 4, IPIP over radio station WENY, Elmira, N. Y, Dr. Gaebelein is Headmaster o f Stony Brook School for Boys,
lectual attainments; a Doctor of Eco- nomics_ from Heidelberg University, he had been head of an important indus rial plant. Now in this country as a refugee, he is working as an automo bile mechanic. My guest was speaking of the fu ture of his native land. When the war is won, he was saying, in order to insure the future of Europe, one thing must be done. The totalitarian nations must be closely supervised for at least a generation. They must be supervised not because all the people are bad, for they are not, but because the youth have been ruined. They have been hopelessly led astray, and only when a new generation of youth arises, unspoiled by the dangerous doctrines that have been propagated, will Europe be safe. “Yes,” you say, “that is true of some European youth. But what has it to do with this topic as to the church and youth today? What has it to do with our own American youth?. Our Amer ican youth'are not following any evil dictator. Theirs is the privilege of liv ing in a democracy and fighting for liberty.” '
All very true! Nevertheless, there is a connection, a very vital connec tion, indeed. The world is now wit nessing what is perhaps the most gigantic conspiracy Of evil in history. That conspiracy is based on the prin ciple that the state as represented by the dictator is everything. It says that the individual belongs, body, mind, and soul, to the state. Men call it the totalitarian principle; and' more and more it is revealing itself not just as a political way of life but as a new religion. The Only Final Answer to the Totalitarian Challenge What, then, has the church to offer our youth? It is able to offer them, and should offer them, the answer to totalitarianism. Make no mistake about it. I believe in democracy with all my heart. But I am none the less convinced that d e m o c r a c y needs spiritual aid in fortifying our youth against the tremendous onslaughts of false politics and false philosophies and false religion. Where democracy, with all its noble idealism, ktops, the church must step in. And it must say [ Continued on Page 31]
for boys, a school seriously committed
January, 1942
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NES S Around the King's Table LOUIS ,T. TALBOT, Editor-in-Chief
Beginning 1942 Well How should Christ’s church begin 1942? ‘‘Watch Night, a time of review and preview of the church’s condition and that of the world, is an appro priate time for the church to go down on her knees before God,” reminds the Great Commission Prayer League, of which Ernest M. Wadsworth is the Director. It is not a “social” time or a boasting of prosperity that is needed at the close of this terrible year of the world’s history. This ' is God’s call: “If my people, which are'called by my name, shall humble them selves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14). The Wesleyan Revival was born on a Watch Night, and the great revival of 1857 also was the out growth of special intercession on the part of the Lord’s people.' A tri-color poster and printed copies of a bulle tin on how the revival of 1857 began are available to those who write, en closing postage, to the Great Com mission Prayer League, 808 No. La Salle St., Chicago, 111. What if Christ Should Not Return? That the Lord Jesus will leave the ■ place that He nbw occupies at the right hand of God, to receive His people unto Himself, to sweep the earth clean" with His purifying judg- , ments, to execute justice upon the wicked, and to institute His ever lasting and universal kingdom, is as clearly set forth in the Word of God as is His first advent. Let us consider for a moment the question, If Christ should not return, what then? First —Not a grave would ever be opened. The Wofd of God teaches that a day will come when the dead in Christ shall rise. "The dead in Christ” are everywhere; they are in church yards and marked graves, and be neath the waves of- the sea. We are assured of a coming day when they shall rise, every man in his own order;/and as the stars differ one from another in glory, so shall also the resurrection of the dead be. Every promise in the Word of God that assures a resurrection is bound up with the coming of the Lord. Take away the truth of the Lord’s coming, and you may write “Never more” on every headstone that marks the rest ing place of a child of God.
A Last-Minute Word Most of the contents of this issue were set in type before the world« shaking events of December seventh transpired. Yet the appropriate ness of the messages herein contained is strikingly apparent. You will appreciate especially the comments of Dr. Lockyer (page 5), Mr. Olsen (page 8), Mr. Hanna (page 10), and Mrs. Downing (page 29). THE KING'S BUSINESS belongs entirely to "him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood." Once more, in these pages. He has provided encouragement, comfort, and spiritual instruc«. tion for His people when the special need for these ministrations could not have been foreseen by even the most watchful editor. To His name be all the glory1 Until He Comes, this magazine will con«' tinue to give to the Lord Jesus Christ preeminence In all things. In these times of war and stress, we earnestly ask our Christian readers to respond to the appeal on the back page of this magazine and to provide for their friends a strengthening of spiritual "defenses" which are so greatly needed today. THE EDITORS.
their spears into pruning-hooks, when righteousness shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. But how are these conditions to be brought about? Not by the legislation of men, not even by the preaching pf the gospel, although the gospel will accomplish that whereunto God has sent it; namely, the calling out of the church. Creation’s deliverance can be brought about only by the return of the Lord as the earth’s right ful King. Fourth—If Christ should not return, wicked men may go on living in un righteousness and the most disgusting typés of sin with nothing to fear, for there will be no judgment and there will be no judgment ' day. When the Word of God speaks of a judgment day, it is always in connection with the return of the Lord. Paul wrote -to the Thessalonians: “And. to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall. be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:7, 8). Matthew wrote: “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory” (Matt. 25:31).
Second —If Christ should not return, not a child of God will ever be re warded for any service he has ren dered for Him during His absence, for, Christ says, “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his wôrk shall be” (Rev. 22:12). The Word of God teaches that we are saved to become sons of God. We are to be rewarded as servants of God. Christ has instructed us to occupy till He comes, and has given the assurance that everything done in His name, even to the giving of a cup of cold water, shall be rewarded to the full. If Christ does not come, those rewards will never be given. If Christ fails to return, Paul will never realize the hope he described in writing to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:7, 8). All rewards for believers are bound up with the truth of the Lord’s cording. Third —If Christ should not return, •the creation will never be delivered from all ills which beset her as a result of sin. Thorns and briers will still cover the earth. Wars and rumors of wars shall persist. Famines, pesti lences, and earthquakes will continue to be written into the history of the nations. All the prophets and apostles have spoken of a day when this earth will be delivered from its curse. They saw a day when the nations would beat their swords into plowshares and
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January, 1942
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
Unless Jesus comes, \ there cannot be & day of reckoning. Unless He comes, the deyil will never be bound. The Jewish nation •will never know its Messiah. The earth will never know a millennial glory. There will never be a new heaven and a new earth. But He will return, for He has given us the assurance Himself (Matt. 24:30; 25:31; John 14:3, etc.). Angels have given us the same promise : “This same Jesus, which Is taken up from you into heaven, shall so còme in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts l : l i ) . Because He, will cóme—and it may be very soon.—we can ""speak with assurance that the dead in Christ shall rise. The saints of God shall be rewarded for service. The nations shall not always write their history in blood and tears. We know also that there will be a judg ment for the ungodly, and there will be a millennial reign. And finally,' the eternal day shall dawn, with a new heaven and a new earth, “where in dwelleth righteousness.”—L. T. T. Take It All Back , Recently in a prayer, offered by an earnest brother, we caught, this expression: “Lord, get all the religious rubbish out of our way, so that, we can get to real business for Thee.” That reminded us of the case of Job, who for days and weeks had to listen to the preaching of three earn est friends who thought their partic ular philosophies could be made to fit any situation. It is quite apparent that they did not know how to present God to Job,- for they failed- to lead his conscience into the presence of God. To be sure, they said many fine things with great eloquence. But- it was all in the garb of legality, tradi tion, and personal experiences.- Jt led into a field of argument that had no fences; and round and round the track they went-r-a torrent of words that only ministered to the spirit .of self-justification in Job. At last they ran out ef words, and God Himself spoke to Job. When Job. was through with controversy, he be came a penitent, and God could then arise as his Justifier. Then God took occasion to rebuke.the wisdom of the wise, telling them they needed to offer sacrifice for the sin of all their useless words (Job 42:7, 8). In all their preachments, .' there was “no answer’’- (Job 32:3). Religious rubbish! .Yes, God still has to deal with men and women who honestly think they have been representing Him, How easy it is for us as Christian workers to misrepresent God! Like Job’s com-
forters, we need to confess our own sin. It is too bad that many suppose they are speaking for God when they are only vexing Him (Job 42:-7). To use a modern expression, “They are talk ing through their hats.” They make themselves believe they have all the answers in their own reasonings and are able to perform the whole job of vivisection on any one who has a problem to present. Like Job’s friends, -they argue themselves into open re buke from God. In these days we have a day or a week set aside for every imaginable kind of cause. The editor of the Pathfinder recently suggested that we have a “Take-it-all-back Week.” We ’ thought it would not' be a bad Significance By DAN Washington, D. C., an< THE MYSTERIES OF SCIENCE: • The Reader’s Digest has given wide circulation to an article. by Bruce Bliven in the New Republic, enumer ating “The Eight Greatest Mysteries of Science.” The Writer interviewed a number of leading scientists, asking them to list what they considered to be the eight most baffling scientific mysteries. The results of this survey supply an interesting insight into the so-called “scientific mind.” Two of the “eight greatest mysteries of science,” according to the vote of the scientists; concern the manner in which evolution'occurred. But if they are mystified .as to how evolution took place, how do they know that it took place at all? They Still subscribe to the e v o 1u tio n a r y ,th e o r y , even though they confess themselves to be totally baffled to explain it or account for it. The -scientists consider spontaneous generation the greatest of mysteries, yet they fantastically cling to the pre sumption that it did happen. Says Mr. Bliven: “Scientists look back across mil- ■ lions of years to the time, when, among the inert - chemicals of which all matter’ is composed, the first cell must [bold-faCe type mine] have arisen and developed its power of multiplying by di vision, which is the fundamental fact of growth.’ How did that cell appear? “The fundamental stuff of the cell-and of inert chemical matter
idea for many a preacher and Chris tian worker to set aside- a special season for that purpose. There are many of -us who need to stand before our congregations and say: “Folks', I’ve ■been wasting your time. I have been giving you too much hot air and not enough of the Word of God! I have been giving you false comfort, wrong directions, and a lot of talk that means nothing for God and eternity.” What a blessing to the churches if many of the members would begin 19.42 with a “Take-it-back Week,” doing .all possible to recall the stream of talk which carried no blessing for' any one, served no constructive pur pose, and only displeased God! —Keith L. Brooks. of the News GILBERT . i San Diego, California is the same; but the cell is able to act upon itself to produce more cells — each exactly like itself. From' this natural phenomenon come all the complicated forms 'of life—fish, .animals, men. But how did it start?'It is impossible for scientists to. think life always existed. What incredible concate*4 nation of/circumstances brought •the first cell into being amdng the atoms of such substances as hydrogen arid oxygen?” , If it is “incredible,” hoW can sci entists be so certain that” some “con catenation of circuiristances” brought life into being? Is it not more 'Cred ible’ - to take the position that a cre ative act of the living God was re sponsible for the beginning of .life? THE MYSTERY'OF UNBELIEF: • Some of the scientists listed “the common cold” as among the eight greatest of mysteries. Medical science cannot prove it, but the assumption' is that the common cold is the prod uct of a “filterable virus.” However, man himself is a greater mystery than any virus which attacks him. The greatest of all mysteries per? taining to man is that which sur rounds the bottomless depths of de pravity in which the n a t u r a l man lives. Man’s perversity is nowhere more mystifying than in the realm of unbelief. Why do men prefer to turn their backs upon God? Why do they profess to believe the impossible [Continued an Pagt 39]
January, 1942 THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NES S The Secret of a Happy New Year By HERBERT LOCKYER Philadelphia, Pa.
I N THE GOODNESS of God, we stand at the portal of another year. The Old Year has rolled into eter nity, and what a year of anguish and horror it proved to be! It may be that as far as our own personal lives are concerned, we would like to recall the vanished months in order to put a few wrong things right. Words were spoken we would like to withdraw; acts were committed we have a desire to undo. But the beginning of another year is here, and with it, the assur ance that the God of our years waits to make us victorious where we were defeated, strong where we were weak, hopeful where we were fearful, holy whe;re we were sinful. 'W ith hellish forces let loose upon1 the earth, and with the prospect of a year of unprecedented woe and tribulation, we must have some in spiring message which will yield the secret of a holy, happy New Year. Meeting our present need, our Lord reveals Himself in a fourfold way in His exhortation through the prophet Isaiah as He speaks to us: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: ,1 will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteous ness” (Isa. 41:10). God’s Prerogative There are two “nots” we will have to observe carefully if we want a year of unbroken peace. “ Fear thou not . . . be not dismayed.” Fear and dismay! These are the enemies lurk ing within the shadows to rob us of trust and confidence. And, because of His ability to see the end from the beginning, God possesses the sov ereign right to command us to have a year without dread or depression. One of the blessed things about God is that He graciously supplies what He commands. It was this aspect of the divine character that led St. Augustine to pray, “Give what Thou commandest; then command what Thou wilt.” God’s appeal, therefore, is not merely negative. He waits to fortify our mind with His grace, so that we will not succumb to any glqom the year may hold. “ Fear 4hou not” ! Fear is in deed something to dread. Fear is the child of doubt; faith is born of God. Fear ends in fail
cheerless world. Multitudes of Indi viduals have committed suicide rather than face the future as. slaves ruled by a cruel despot. The enslaved •na tions, are without song.. For the words,’ “ be not dismayed,” the Revised Ver sion margin gives us the suggestive reading, “Look not around thee.” Men have sad hearts and faces because of what they see as they look around. Our eyes, however, must not be upon our environment. Neither must we look back. If we do, past sins and failures will add to our dismay. Guilty of transgres sion though we were, we must not brood over our shortcomings. If they are under the blood of the Lord Jesus through our genuine repentance and
ure; faith leads to victory. To have, then, a year without fear, we must have a year of ever-increasing faith in Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we could ask or think. “Be not dismayed” ! War breeds depression. We find ourselves in a
"Fear thou not; for I am with theei be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteous ness" (Isa. 41:10).
January, 1942
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NES S
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“When my weakness leaneth on His might, All seems light’’ In a characteristic letter, William R. Newell, the well-known Bible teacher, requested the writer to pray that grace and strength would be his for some Chicago meetings. Much physical weakness was his portion at the time he wrote, and this was his comment: “I remember one day in the Coliseum meetings in St. Louis in 1901, when after speaking on 2 Corinthians 12:9, ‘My strength is made perfect in weakness,’ I called for a time .of prayer. One brother prayed, ‘Lord, we’ll furnish the weakness if You’ll fumiSh the strength.’ Now all I can provide'at this time is weak ness, but,‘through your supplications’ I shall, l hope, find strength.” May each* of us prove the Lord to be the strength of our Christian life! There is the "1 will" of sympathy. In His promise of help, God offers to take the heaviest end of our load and assist us in carrying it. As we are moved with sympathy if we see a child struggling beneath a burden , too heavy for its little arms to cariy, so the Lord offers Himself as our Helper. And the help we will need and receive will not be something but Someone. With boldness we will declare,1“The Lord is my Helper.” We' can, therefore, greet the New Year with courage, “for no matter' what loads may be ours, the heaviest among them will be light indeed to Him for whom nothing is too hard.” Finally, there is the *T will" of support. Precious indeed is the three fold cord that holds us: “I will strengthen thee . . .1 will help thee . . . I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Strength—help—righteousness! What more could we ask? If this promise does not produce a happy New Year, then nothing will. Think of it! To be upheld by the hand that formed, and upholds the world in its grasp—the hand that is full of righteousness in Its dispensing of rewards and punish ments! Why, here is power beyond our utmost thought, and yet at our disposal. “You know the trysting place,” James GilmoUr said to his.comrade, “the right-hand side.” In ancient courts, the pleader stood oh the right hand. The Bible presents the right hand as the place of power and the position of highest honor. Thus the promise that the right hand will up hold us suggests the support of omni potence. Furthermore, “The Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee” (Isa. 41:13). Hand in hand with God! May this be our constant attitude in the New Year, as its days run their course]
us, He will be in the darknesj say ing, “O heart I made, a Heart beats here,” and the assurance of His in effable tenderness and abiding com panionship will inspire confidence and impart comfort. God’s Power With our hand on the latch of the door of the New Year, we, can enter its days with boldness, knowing that God’s infinite resources will be at the disposal Of the weakest of His saints, “I am thy God”—yes, your God! He is the God of Mary Smith or Tom Jones, just as He was the God of Jacob. .“God,” the primary name of Deity, is made up of ”E1," meaning the Strong One, and "Alah," meaning to, bind oneself by an oath* so implying faithfulness: Therefore, the' God who declares that He will be with us is the Strong One, who will carry out every- promise on our behalf. God’s Provision It will be noticed^ that our New Year’s promise» contains three “I will’s.” , There is the "I will" of strength. We shall not travel far into the New Year without learning that the secret of strength; is the consciousness of weakness. When we are weak, then are we strong. Our greatest victories will be won as -the power of Christ covers our impotence, for:
trust in Him, then let them stay there. To look within is likewise harmful to our faith. Introspection is very apt to .become morbid. Tpo much self- examination is likely to create unwar ranted remorse in a child of God. It is true, as Plato has reminded us, that “the unexamined life is not worth having.” But the only safe and profitable investigation is the divine examination of self. No, the only way is to look UP. Not around, nor behind, nor within, but up to Him who is omnipotent! Look up •—God reigns, and over unaccus tomed paths He will lead us into deeper experiences o f . His love and power. Look up—for amid any storm that may rage He will be at hand to sustain with His peace. Look up—for our salvation is nearer than when w e .believed. We must look up and thus be ready to go up. God’s Presence For the two “nots” there are two “I am’s.” ”1 am with thee" —the con sciousness of God’s presence means a life without fear. "I am thy God" —the realization of God’s p o w e r means a life without dismay. Many precious friendships are ours as we commence another year, but as time rolls on, one here and there will drop out of. the procession. But here is One who promises never to leave us. In the dark hours that may befall
S-eventh Annual TORREY MEMORIAL BIBLE CONFERENCE ' of the
Bible Institute of Los Angeles . nuary 25 to February 1, 1942 '
Planning to come from a distance, to speak at this seventh annual Torrey Memorial Bible Conference, are H. A. Ironside, pastor of the Moody Memorial Church, Chicago, 111., and Harry McCormick Lintz, evangelist and Bible teacher. They are to speak daily, emphasizing the need today for Bible exposition and evangelism, A number of speakers from the Southern California area also will be heard. Other Speakers ^ Paul R. Bauman P a stor, S econd B rethren C hurch - L os A n geles, C alif. R oy L, Brown B ib le T ea ch er W . W . C ath erw ood ^ |/ - Past or, F irst B ap tist C hurch ■' R iv ersid e, C alif. L. David Cowie P a sto r V erm on t A venu e Pres. C hurch - .. L os A n geles, C alif. W eek-D ay Sessions 8.39 A. M. „ 9:3 0 A .M . . 10:30 A .M . 2:00 P. M. 3:00 P. M. ,7:00 P .M . 7:40 P .M . 1 3 S ervices on the Sundays
J, Vernon McGee
1H om er W . Grime«
P astor, L in coln A ye. P resb yteria n C hurch P asadena, C alif.
. P astbr, B a p tist C hurch H erm osa B each, C alif.
Louis T. T albot
P resid en t, B ible In stitu te o f L os A n geles
| For programs, information regarding accommodations, etc., ad dress; Torrey ^Memorial Bible Conference Committee S58 So. Hope St. Lot Angeles, Calif.
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January, 1942
Early and Final Impressions of R. A. Torrey
By OSCAR E. SANDEN San Antonio, Texas
M Y FIRST impression of R. A. Torrey came to me at the early age of fifteen. It was occasioned by the fact that the Amer ican Issue published a brief account of an essay contest into which I had entered, writing on the assigned sub ject, “The Bible Teaches Temperance for the Individual, State, and Nation.” My only “fan mail” consisted of a letter from the famous Dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles—and I was a schoolboy in southwest Louisi-' ana. Threp years later, after the Lord IMr. Sanrlen, who was graduated from the Bible Institute of Los Angeles in the Class o f 1923. has been Pastor of the Alamo Heights Presbyterian Church of San Antonio. Tex. He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the Texas Academy of Science . In frequent evan gelistic meetings and in lectures to young eople on “ The Correlation o f Science and eltgioh.” ite has been widely used in reach ing high school and college youth. He expects in the near future to give full time to this evangelistic ministry. Though the methods he employs are unique and modern, discerning hearers know that Mr. Sanden seeks to use them only as a means whereby he may "preach the Word."— E ditor .]
really be that we were to have the privilege of sitting at the feet of this Gamaliel! The impressions he left with me that »morning are with me yet. While I was to hear him, see him, confer with him innumerable times after that, a few very vivid im pressions stand out, some of which I shall mention t First of all, there was that unfor gettable Sunday night in the Church of the Open Door. The great congre gation, led by the able John B. Trow bridge, was singing, “Hallelujah for the Cross!” Dr. Torrey, dressed in his immaculate Prince Albert, stepped to the front and said, “Mr. Trowbridge, let me lead that song!” And how he led it, and how they sang! I can still hear the Words: “Hallelujah, hallelujah, Hallelujah for the cross . , . It shall never suffer loss.” Then he broke into the chorus of “O That Will Be Glory for Me.” How Mr. [Continued on Page 12]
had given me my call to preach, a second letter from Dr. Torrey reached me. Evidently he had made an ac count of the matriculation age! He must have kept careful records. Influences of Student Days at Biola In September, 1920, I enrolled at the Bible Institute. Dr. Torrey was not at the school during the first weeks of the fall term, but we daily anticipated his coming. Then one morning, at the Doctrine lecture hour, he entered the hall. I can see him now—white trim med beard, white rim of hair about his massive head, the eyes of a prophet, the springy step of an athlete. His gray suit, white tie, his heavy watch chain, all were just as one would ex pect. The students and the faculty members arose. While We. stood, he pulled out his watch—it was just time for the lecture. He spoke, “Let us pray,” I must confess that I stole a glance or two while he prayed. There was God’s man—God’s marked man. Could it
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THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NES S
January, 1942
• Linked with the word "war” in many minds has been another dread symbol of hardship, "inflation.” From the pen of a Christian of wide experience in the financial world comes this answer to a vital problem that is both material and spiritual.
Can Inflation Be Controlled? By ERLING C. OLSEN New York, N. Y. I LIVE IN SCARSDALE, New York, which is a suburb twenty - five miles from the heart of New York
But it may be interesting to observe at least one figure. The United States Government compiles an index* on the cost o f living. That index has been steadily rising from a post-war low of 92.4 during the year 1933 to 98.1 during the relatively typical re covery year of—1935. Today it stands roughly about 10 points above that mark and, as I believe, is heading higher. What Js Inflation? When one talks about “inflation,” he is obliged to determine just what is inflation and what is meant by the use of the term. To the average wage or salary earner, thg farmer or small business man, the word “inflation” carries- a definite suggestion, even though each may not be ready with a definition nor' be prepared to define his understanding of the word. But taking the country by and large, it is safe to say that the average indi vidual looks at inflation from the point of view of the higher cost of living. The economist would put that phrase into more formal language. He would call it “commodify price infla tion.” It is self-evident that there is a very close relationship between the price level of commodities and the cost of living. Furthermore, the changes in the price level of commodities are re flected sooner or later in the total of weekly or monthly living expenses. Most of us men havfe been hearing *The Governm ent’s index o f living costs is computed by the United States Department of Labor, fo r the purpose o f measuring the trend of essential expenditures o f the salary and wage earner. It is based on a study o f how the .small man’s budget is actually distributed. From this study they found that food cosjs repre - seht about 3fi;% o f the budget, miscellaneous expenses about 27%. rent about 18 % , clothing 11% , fuel and electricity 6%, and house fur nishings k% . The m iscellaneous group in cludes transportation, recreation, medical services, and so forth. The average o f 1935 to 1939 is taken as the base point.
from our wives, if not daily, at least two or three times a week, of what it is costing at the neighborhood store for the food that is placed upon our tables to eat. Our clothing is costing more. Rents are higher. There is hardly a thing we can buy but we find it costs more than what it did even a few months ago. Recently, I attended a Board meet ing of a certain Christian work in the East. On that Board is a gentle man associated in an executive posi tion with a branch of a large mail order house. He reported that business was flourishing. I inquired how much of an increase they had experienced. He responded that the increase of the past six months was about 50% com pared with the preceding Six months. I asked whether that increase ' was based largely on dbllar value or in creased sales. In other words, were more goods sold, and if so, approxi mately how much? My friend answer ed that about 15% of the increase represented increased prices, but they would have been able to increase their business at least another 10 or 15% if they had had the merchan dise to sell. He added that in their largest store in this particular city (and it is a vast store), there was only one washing machine in the whole building to sell. I asked about possible further rises in prices, and he answered that by the spring of the y e a r , he thought the increase would total approximately 25%, He immediately added, “We are not prof iteering—that increase is represented by the increase in the cost of goods to us, and in the final analysis, labor is getting it.” My personal opinion is that while my friend was correct in his statement as far as he knew, I have serious doubts concerning the accuracy in fact. Far too many con cerns, in my judgment, have taken advantage of the inflationary “bug” to increase prices to an unjustifiable level. They have supposed that- they could do this without serious detec tion or restraint.
City. Close by the railroad station runs the Bronx River.‘ The other morn ing I was unusually impressed by a sight that caught my eye which can be witnessed almost every morning during the fall season. There was a flock of wild ducks swimming about in the river and coming up on the banks to enjoy their morning break fast. They were being #fed through the generosity of a few suburbanites. Some of the birds were so tame that they came right up to their benefac tors and snapped the bread out of their hands. I watched that scerié for a few mo ments while awaiting the arrival of the train, and as I did, I thought of the words of our Lord when He said to His disciples: “Ye cannot servé God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” (Matt. 6:24-26). As far as any one of us knows, it did not make any difference to those ducks who fed them—what hand the Lord used, since in the final analysis our Lord said it was1 our heavenly Father that fed them. With the above incident as a back ground, let us examine our subject, bearing clearly in mind that our Lord said, “Ye cannot serve God and mam mon.” That we are in the midst of an inflationary period is too evident to need statistics to support the asser tion. [ Having been for som e lime the Executive Vice President o f the Fitch Investors Service, one o f the largest nationally recognized firfns o f fin'll' ‘ '"'l '«'////*■ f : turns a sid e , from his custom ary business o f giving advice about investm ents to make a spiritual application of the facts he sees. — E ditor .]
January, 1942
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But our subject is “Can Inflation be Controlled?” Our Government is at tempting to control it. -We should emphasize the word "attempting." Possibly the word I am about to use has never appeared in the pages of THE KING’S BUSINESS. Nevertheless, it will undoubtedly be understood by all of its readers. A prominent Wash ington news weekly discussed the sub ject of stopping inflation and particu larly the talk that was going on in Washington toward that end. That “chatter,” it said, was “just so much bunk.” I Speaking now from a purely, econo mic viewpoint, divorced entirely from my faith in God and in His Word, I would say that inflation can be controlled, but there is danger tiiat it will not be controlled, and that un doubtedly it will be permitted to run its course. I do not mean that that course must necessarily end in the manner experienced in Germany after Woild War I. We are far from that end—but no one Who krioWs anything about economics and finance would risk his reputation/'as a forecaster. ' The-debacle in 1929 after the infla tion of the late twenties would appear in retrospect as merely a break in- trend, in comparison to what could happen. At least it is interesting to observe what is going on in Great Britain- where the Bank of England has been obliged to constantly in crease its “Fiduciary Note Issue,” a high-sounding phrase for paper which has no backing but hope in the future. Accompanying this increase in “fiat money” to a total now approximately L780,000,000, there have been hoard ing and a spiral-like rise in prices. If it should be claimed that our own Congress has authorized a “green back” issue of the same amount—at least it has not yet been used. And then we still have twice as much gold (based on present value) as Great Britain has. We regret to confess that there are forces at work so definitely selfish as to be concerned entirely with what they can get momentarily. The greed for power far outweighs the greed for wealth and in my judgment is the major factor to be considered. What Are Christians to Do About This Situation? Under the present circumstances, should Christians bury their Lord’s money (it is never “their” money) in the earth as did the wicked and selfish servant whom the Lord severely re buked? (Matt. 25:26, 27). That of course hardly would do any of us any good, since the money we, now have is merely paper. Our Government already has taken the gold (including gold certificates)' away from us and
has buried, it in the earth. Now, should we pull in our purse strings and stint on supporting the Lord’s work in the Lord’s way? The answer to that question was likewise given by our Lord:> “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34). We may never expe rience what believers- in other coun tries are now experiencing, but who knows whether in the near future we will be deprived of the opportu nity to support and sustain the Lord’s work? But some one may say, This all sounds so nice—it is good in theory, but I have to support my own family and I must look after my own needs. True! the Lord never told us to be indifferent toward our own situation, or family. In fact, the Word of God tells us that if w e ,do not look after our own, we are worse than infidels. Nevertheless, “ there is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but It tendeth to poverty” (Prov. 11:24).
God’s Resources Happily for us, we have several instances in Scripture o f‘inflation. No problem ever confronted a Christian individually or the Christian church collectively, but faced believers in other ages. The answer to every prob lem is to be found in the Word of God. We shall note two cases of in flation from the Scriptures. Inflation may result from famine, war, and/or economic disturbances. When Joseph was a prisoner in Egypt, God revealed to Pharaoh through his- prisoner that a famine was coming in the land for a period of seven years, but that it would be preceded by an abundance for seven years. All are' acquainted with what happened. With g r e a t ingenuity, Joseph “cornered” the grain market. As the famine continued its course, the price of bread went up to prohibi tive levels; in fact, there was no bread [ Continued on Page 26J
January, 1942
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THA ILAND— prominent in the war news of today— has been Mr. Hanna’s field of service for many years. There he has had charge of two schools with a total enrollment of 800, but his main activity has been evangelistic. From what is now a storm center, he sent, prior to Thailand’s occupation, this penetrating meditation with its dramatic conclusion. Those Finer Things By LOREN S. HANNA
V
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He knew that he was entirely re sponsible for the condition that had come about, but still in his e’gotistical pride he would not acknowledge his sin, even to himself. He defended him self by blaming his wife and son. He knew that they prayed for him, but even that made him angry; he de clared he did not need to have. any one pray for him. He could take care of himself; he could drink or let it alone. He was as good as any one in church. He could pray, too, if he wanted to, and some day he would, but not just, now. His pride kept him from repentance and a return to the Lord. Little did he realize^ the expe riences into which he was going to plunge himself, his wife, and his son before this resulLcould be achieved. The relationships between men', in their finer implications, are the most precious and at the same time the most delicate thing in the human life. Brutality, coarseness, vulgarity.—all these shut the ’door of the heart ■against the best things of life, and fellowship. Ridicule can not encour age mutual confidence. Selfishness dulls the heart to love and sympathy. ! Pride belittles those who should be | our closest companions. , Insincerity and doubt make intimacy impossible. ' I If all this be true in regard to our human relationship, how can it but be true in regard to man’s relation ship with God? The finest things in
of a few moments before! She knew that her husband was accustomed to ridicule his wife and son before' his brutal and foul-mouthed companions, and that he had no desire for the fel lowship of his family. At one time the husband and wife had been greatly devoted to each other. The husband had taken an in terested part in the activities.of the church and of the young people. He was always happy and clever in enter taining friends. There was the family worship .every morning. When their son was old enough to go to school, the father accompanied him to the school gate every morning for the first year, and he helped him with his home assignments when the boy advanced to that Stage. But temptations came. There were companions who offered him' enticing positions, but there were social com promises involved. First he consented to smoke cigarettes with them, then to take just a sip of liquor. Then the family worship began to be neg lected, and church attendance. Before long all the old ties were dissolved, and new habits of life formed. Plead as she might, the wife’s pomforts and the fellowship of the home life were ignored. The companions who tempted him deserted him after his money was gone and he ceased to be a brilliant entertainer. He became- dull, Coarse, vulgar, repulsive. His family came to suffer want.
I. A MOTHER and her young son, a boy of fifteen years, were at X A. home together. The mother sat at the piano; the lad was playing the violin. He was improvising, and strains of musical beauty came from the strings. Occasionally the' music was interrupted by conversation re garding school, about beauties of nature, or concerning the love of God. There were signs of poverty; yet there was a light of joy in the faces of mother and son as they spoke of eter nal things in the grace of Christ. Suddenly heavy f o o t s t e p s were heard on the verandah; the mother’s face turned pale; the brightness faded from the face of the lad. A drunken, brutal-faced man came into the room. He noted a change in the room; he knew there was something from which he was excluded; he knew that he was excluded by his own foulness, his own brutality, his own sinfulness. Yet to be conscious of the fact made him revengeful. The boy put his violin away, the mother left the piano, and a curtain of separateness fell upon them. The father glared at the lad, and then at the mother. “You think that you are too good to' play for your father, do you?” he exclaimed. The boy’s face hardened; tears were ip the eyes of the mother. What a contrast between this scene and that
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