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B I O L - A . broadcaster Monthly Publication of the BIOLA FELLOWSHIP Voi. 2 No. 12 DECEMBER, 1962 GOD'S BEACON OF TRUTH ...... 3 THE BEGINNING OF LIFE ........ 5 EVOLUTION .......................... 8 WHEN LIFE EXPLODES ........... 11 M IRACLES TODAY ...................14 PARABLES AND PEARLS .......... 16 BIOLA IN PICTURES -V ............18 LIFE'S REST ...........................20 W HAT DOEST THOU HERE? ...... 22 PANEL DISCUSSIONS ...............25 THE PASSING OF MISS PRAYER MEETING ...............27 A MENU FOR THE M IN D .........28 TUESDAY — THURSDAY BIBLE STUDIES .................... 33 COVER PICTURE: Dr. Louis T. Tal bot, Biola Chancellor, looks over some of the hundreds of cards which were sent to him by you listeners at the ob servance of his birthday recently. He deeply appreciates the sentiment and love which has been expressed by his many friends during his recent ¡11- •ness and operations.
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GOD’S BEACON _ OF TRUTH
I n t h i s , the first chapter of a series, let us think together of one of the choice things of God’s grace which bursts forth from the great heart of the Father to usward. Many lose the beau ty of this field of thought because of the sea of controversy by which it is surrounded. When you read what the Word of God says about it, ,you’ll like it too — that is, if you want to be a Christian, or if you are already one with Christ and want to be more like Him. In the light of either thought we want to turn to Romans 8:29 and read “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predesti nate to be conformed to the image of
his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren . . .” God’s Word says we are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Now I wonder if you sense the depth of that? I also wonder how many who are reading this would like to be as near like the Lord Jesus as it is possi ble for a redeemed sinner to be. Our nearness to Him is the seed plot of our growth in grape — would you like that? Or, have you been so absorbed in just thinking about hell, punishment, and judgment, and how to avoid it that you have somewhat lost sight of His beautiful purpose of your possible fruit- (continued on next page)
came up to me to check my needs. In the course of our conversation he used the name of Christ many times — but always in. profanity. Finally, I went over to him and put ting my hand on his shoulder said, “Tom, you know I have never heard anyone talk about Christ so much as do you, you must love Him very much.” You should have seen how red his face turned at my words. Never again did I hear him use the Lord’s name in vain. Our Saviour was a Bible student and He knew how to open the Word where it would meet the needs of the des perately wicked human heart. Are you, too, a faithful student of the Word so that you can rightly divide the Word and thus show yourself to be approved of God as is suggested in II Timothy 2:15? Are you conforming to His image in these great respects? Then we read in God’s Word how the Saviour never went down to the beach and attended to the things He had to do and let those who were without God and without Christ in this world continue in their wayward course without speaking to them. Do you carefully and tactfully make a way of conversation with such folk and leave the seed of the Gospel in their hearts, or are you indifferent to their salvation? Christ was not waste ful of His opportunities to bring men to know the truth savingly. Our Lord wept over sinners -— He sat on the Mount of Olives and looked down on Jerusalem and wept. Now I was on the Mount of Olives one time and do you know what I thought — “Why don’t I have tears? Why don’t I weep as our Lord wept over that lost city?” That city, walled as it is, is in the hands of Mohammedans and they have no interest in Christ at all. They do not want Him or His Bible. They are only interested in making a bit of money and having a good time. But Jesus wept over the city. Do you want to be made “to conform to the image of His Son”? And do you trust yourself to Him? Do that and He will make you like Himself! 4
GOD'S BEACON (cont.) ful years? The Scripture just read says we are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son — to be like the Lord Jesus. Now the Saviour prayed all night, you remember, over and over again. Is it your longing to be like that, to be so close to God and so intimate with the Lord that you would want to talk with Him all night long? There are so many, many things about which we should be talking with Him — our home, our business, the children, the wife, and the health, wealth and edu cation surrounding our home. Then our relationship to the church and to our government. Are you predestined to be like the Lord Jesus, and do you say “hallelujah, that is my desire; I want to be con formed to His image as closely as pos sible?” In Christ’s atonement lies our salvation, and in His daily walk lies the path of our Christian action. Well, if you are going to be like the Lord Je sus you will have to be apart from all those pleasures of the world which, if present, must hang upon question marks on the walls of our hearts. You see, Christ changes all of these things when He saves us. He gives us the gift of eternal life so that we will love His Word and find in it the many wonder ful truths that are there for the lifting of tears from our eyes when sorrows come, and the bringing of sunshine after the rain into our souls. In these experienced actions of His love we have hope instead of depression. The Word of God has in it everything that the human heart wants. The Sav iour knew His Bible and He was con stantly quoting words of comfort to men and women. The Bible is full of wisdom, things which must give direc tion to the lives of folk and He was al ways transferring these words from the printed page to the hearts of men. But what of the witness of some who speak Christ’s name? You know, one time I went into a garage to have my car repaired and a gentleman, having the name “Tom” machine embroidered on his overalls,
The Beginning of Life/ty Dr- Walter L. Wilson A s t h e s e v e n t h i n g s that began in Genesis run clear through and
first. How did it start if there is no God? And you know those of you who have studied chemistry, there are four other combinations of oxygen and ni trogen and they are poisonous; they’d kill you. If God didn’t keep that pro portion you and I wouldn’t live. And then did elephants begin the same as pansies? And did carrots be gin the same as snakes and did human beings begin the same as mosquitos? Tell me about that. O, how foolish men are to believe that kind of non sense, that’s what it is. Well, we read in Revelation 20, verse 11 “the heavens and the earth pass away.” They are full of sin, wicked ness, and evil. God just wipes it out. That wouldn’t be anything new be cause stars are going to pieces all the time. We don’t know from whence they come. We don’t know where they originate but they all have the same chemical composition: 95% iron, 4% nickle and 1% of a mixture of cobalt and magnesia. (continued on next page) 5
end up in the book of Revelation, so all through the Bible you have seven lines of thinking that culminate in the Revelation. Now the first is the begin ning of this earth. You get that in the first 25 verses of Genesis chapter 1. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Now, beloved, I’m glad He said that because there are so many people trying to tell you how things began but you know I have noticed that these evolutionists try to confine their ideas to animal life. They don’t tell you where gold began, nor silver, nor platinum. There are 103 chemical elements in this earth that I know about — there may be more now due to new findings —but there are 103 that are recorded. Now how did they begin? Who first made chlorine, fluorine, hydrogen, oxy gen, or nitrogen? Where did they come from? Now air is 21% oxygen, 79% nitrogen and God made that mixture
be the subject of God’s grace and he begins in Genesis 1:1, verse 26. God made him out of the dust of the earth. Now we don’t read he came out of a protoplasm. “ ’Twixt you and me is a mighty chasm, my friend, You at the begining—I at the end. The protoplasm made reply, as he winked his embryonic eye, Well, when I look at you, old man, I’m very sorry I began.” You see man began with God’s hand and some of these days if I get a chance I’m going to tell you about how won derful the human body is. It couldn’t possibly have just happened by evolu tion or development. Then in Revelation 20 and verse 15 we read about the end of the wicked man. In Revelation 22:4 we read about the end of the righteous man so we know where he began in Genesis 1 and how he ended up in Revelation. And then third, the beginning of sin for that’s to be the cause of God’s grace. If there was no sin He wouldn’t need to show grace. That’s in Genesis 3, verse 6 where Adam and Eve believed what the Devil said rather than what God said; and that’s still true. Do you know men will believe any kind of religion and swallow it and always come along with no trouble at all. But when you come along with the sweet story of Calvary of the risen Christ and of the love of God and salvation from sin, you preach, and preach and preach and beg and carry on trying to get people to believe the truth. You know when the sons came back to Jacob and said Joseph was tom in pieces by beasts, he believed it right away. He made no effort to find out if it was true. But when those same fel lows came back about 14 years later and said Joseph’s the ruler of all Egypt, he said, “You’re crazy. I don’t believe a word of it.” When they told him the truth, he wouldn’t believe it, but when they told him a lie, he swallowed it down whole. It’s exactly the same way today. Well, a lie is the beginning of sin. Then the end of it is in Revelation 6
BEGINNING OF LIFE (cont.) Well God made the earth. That’s the beginning. It ends in Revelation 20 when God gets rid of the whole busi- PEACE FOR OUR PATHS I do not always know what lies be fore me, Or what a trial or test may be in store; M y steps are ordered, God will do the choosing. He knows the way I take — need I know more? I do not know the reason for each testing The lessons I must learn, I cannot tell, Or why I'm led through valley deep and lonely— I only know He doeth all things well. If the path I walk seems steep and rugged, And I must labor long to reach the goal, There's always one close by my side to help me; He brings sweet rest and comfort to my soul. And from the pages of God's Book before me, He speaks the words that all my fears dispel, And though I do not know now why or wherefore, I can be sure He doeth all things well. Then I will rest in Him and take fresh courage, And trust His promise not to leave me e'er— New strength supplied to carry on the battle, New hope that I the victor's crown shall wear. It is enough to be of God beloved. To have the Lord within my heart to dwell, To have the peace that passeth understanding. Content to know He doeth all things well.
ness. Tlien the earth is to be the sphere of God’s grace. That’s the reason He tells us how it began. Man is to
21, verse 27 We see where sin of every kind is shut out of heaven. Then there’s the beginning of sacri fices for that’s to be the means of God’s grace. That’s the way He shows grace. The sacrifice of the animals in the Old Testament and the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus in the New Testament ending up in Revelation 22, verse 3 where the sacrifice had stopped. The results of it are completed and no more Sacrifice is needed and the sacrifice is something you do constantly. Now today, tonight or the next morning you have some thing to eat at the table. Everything you eat is dead. It died for you. The cow died for you, the chicken died for you, the rabbit died for you, the fish died for you, and the beans died for you. Everything died for you. It’s sacrificed for you. Then the Saviour came and gave His life for you so you could take Him and live. You may con sider a table loaded with the finest things in the world and starve to death if you don’t eat. So you can hear about the Lord Jesus, think about Him, read about Him and sing about Him but you have to take Him, beloved. When you take this living Christ who was dead and now alive forevermore, then your soul is saved. Your heart is relieved. Then there is the beginning of the nation of Israel which happens to be the channel of God’s grace. You see everything God has for us has come down through Israel and you get it in Genesis 12:2, “In thee and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” Now the end of that is in Revelation 21:12 where Israel comes to an end. You go into a new city and end up there nationally. They join in with everybody else all around the throne of God and of the Lamb. Then the beginning of the nations is there, Genesis 11:8, because that’s to be the scope of God’s grace. Every kin dred and nation and tongue and people anywhere, everywhere in the world, they can have this lovely Saviour. They can trust this lovely Lord. They can belong to Christ and live here for Him and then go over there and live with Him. We walk with Him here and so
we walk with Him there. In this na tion, or no matter who they are any where in the world, people can trust the Lord Jesus. Their lives are changed. You know it’s a wonderful thing to me that anybody would turn away from Christ where the results of trust ing Him are so wonderful, so beautiful, so successful. The reason our nation has become so great in education, re ligious things and all sorts of bless ings—music, the arts and sciences—is because we were founded on the Scrip tures and our forefathers were reared according to the Word of God. They loved the church, they went to church and took their children with them. Well the nations become the scope of God’s grace. He doesn’t care whether they are black, white, red, yellow, or brown — “Whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely.” And then the life of faith is the 7th beginning, Genesis 12, verse 4, and that’s to be the result of God’s grace. First we get the earth the sphere of His grace, then man the subject of His grace, then sin the cause of His grace, then sacrifice the means of His grace, then Israel the channel of His grace and the nations the subject, the scope of His grace, and the life of faith the result of His grace. And all this life of faith is the result of believing God. Then we begin taking God’s path. God’s way. We believe His Word and we want to walk with Him and do what He says because we believe in Him and His program and His way of life and His way of death and His way of eternity. We live a life of faith as did Abraham, Paul, Moses, Mary, Martha, James, and Jude. All of that ends up Revelation 22 and verse 4 where the life of faith isn’t needed any more for they see Him by faith there— it’s wonderful to believe God! He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and Calvary is applied to your heart and soul and life when you trust that lovely Saviour. So I just advise you to come to Him, make Him yours, trust Him with your life and heart and soul now. 7
Evolution by Dr. Walter L. Wilson
A MESSAGE FOR TODAY
N ow I t h i n k we should have a les son on Evolution. What do you think about it and did you ever hear of the theory of Evolution? It comes in various forms, packages, and sizes and you can help yourself to it you know. There is the Mendelian form — that is evolution by heredity; the La marckian form — evolution by en vironment, then there is the Darwinian form — evolution by selection and no one of them agrees with the other. As a matter of fact and interest, in all my travels to universities and col leges in this country and other schools in foreign countries, I have found no two evolutionary hypotheses that agree. Well, how can they? These theories are all a frameup of the human mind and imagination. I saw in the paper a short time ago where they found a jawbone, or some other bone, that is 500,000,000 years old. It is remarkable that these fel lows know exactly how old this bone is. Of course, it might have been 498,- 000,000 years old, but what would 2,- 000,000 years mean to an evolutionist? Parts of a skeleton were found in the Neanderthal Valley of the Rhine Pro vince, so the evolutionist took some wax and some imagination, then deter mined that the few bones were those of a man and he fashioned what he called the Neanderthal Man. Let us turn to some other interesting matters. When God gave the elephant hind legs that bend forward, isn’t it strange that when the camel came along, supposedly through the same evolutionary process as declared by evo lutionists, their hind legs bent back ward. Then when God made cows — 0, excuse me — when cows and horses “evoluted,” their hind legs bent back
ward but when the elephant came along the dear protoplasm got the idea that the thing to do was to make the hind legs bend forward. Of course, he didn’t have any idea that the elephant was going to be so big that he couldn’t get up off the ground without using all four legs. He didn’t know that, this poor protoplasm, and so just by chance the hind legs were made to bend for ward. You see the elephant is so big and heavy, he never could get up on two legs. Now the cow gets up on her hind legs first so she won’t be sitting on her udder, and the horse gets up on his front legs first, and the elephant gets up on all four legs at the same time. Now you tell me how this protoplasm knew all about that. I can’t figure that out. Then don’t you know I read in a school book that some of my children brought home from school, that the reason the giraffe has a long neck is because originally it had a little short neck like a turtle but it developed an appetite, somehow, for leaves and so started reaching up for dandelion leaves and his neck got a little longer and it reached up for potato plant leaves, and its neck got a little longer, and then it reached up for those bush leaves and its neck got a little longer and through the millions of years reaching up after leaves the dear thing developed a long neck like a giraffe. Then, of course, its legs had to develop, too, because the little turtle has short legs and this thing had to have long legs so its neck could reach the leaves on the top of this tree. Wonderful and so do you know what I did? I took that thing down before the Board of Education and I read what the book said and you should have seen those 11 men and 8
1 woman look at me. You would have thought I was manufacturing that stuff out of my own head. As a matter of fact I read it out of the book from which they were teaching our children. I said, “Gentlemen, I was taught in school that things that were unculti vated returned to their natural state. They returned, to the original size, shape or form. Isn’t it a fact that if you develop tomatoes you get a great big fine ponderosa but if you leave them alone they go back to nubbins? Isn’t it a fact that you develop an orchard of apples, pick out all the bugs and spray them and everything but if you leave them alone they go back to nub bins? If you take a team of great big beautiful Percheron horses out in the woods and leave them alone, don’t do anything to them and the third or fourth generation you will have a min iature of what they used to be? Every thing reverts to type, you know that, and this yam about the poor little gir affe, with short legs and tiny neck be ing developed into long legs, long neck — do you believe that? Do you think anybody with common sense would be lieve that?” And then one time I got interested in the nice black soil that is used for raising vegetables and so on and I tell you some of it is so rich it just pro duces lovely plants. So I got the idea that maybe I’d start a factory and sell nice black dirt to the people that had clay land and so I wrote to three agricultural colleges and I said, “Gen tlemen, will you please tell me how I can grind up rocks and mix water with them in order to get nice black dirt to sell to the farmer? I read in one of the school books that the rea son we have this nice black soil is that through millions of years the rain fell on the rocks, the original rocks of this earth and the wind came along and blew the dust of the rocks over on to the land and it became nice black loamy soil. Now, gentlemen, I want to find out how to do that because I can make a fortune selling this nice black soil to folks that don’t have any.” They said, “Well there isn’t any
such thing. You can’t make nice black soil.” I wrote back and I said, “There must be some way of grinding up rocks. You tell me what kind of rocks to get and I’ll pour water on them and get nice black soil and sell it to the farm ers.” And they wrote back and what they said to me wouldn’t look good in a Sunday school paper. “They told me where to get off.” So I took these let ters down and read them to the Board of Education. Now listen, I read to them what these fellows wrote back and what the school book said about how we got our nice rich black soil. Do you see how foolish that is? By the way, do you know that every thing that has a neck has seven bones in it, except a blue whale, it has six bones? But the sparrow has 7 bones and the stork and the swan have seven bones and the giraffe has seven bones in the neck and so does the little tur tle and the dog and cat. In fact you do too. Everything that has a neck has seven bones in it except the blue whale and I don’t know why it fell out because it only has six. Now you tell me how did the protoplasm know that the neck would work best on sev en bones? The giraffe has big neck bones and other animals have great big ones and the little animals have little ones and little birds have little ones, all seven bones. Tell me how did the protoplasm know about that. Wasn’t it wonderful the way they developed by heredity, by environment, or by natural selec tion. That’s just marvelous. I believe what God says. In the be ginning God made the heavens and the earth and He created the whales and He created the animals and He created the birds and He created the fish and I believe it. No other power in the world, no evolutionary power, could produce the marvelous things we find in nature. My hobby is outdoor life and I love it because the more I see of animal and bird life, the more I’m astonished at the mar velous things I see. For instance, one time I was in Mobile, Ala. preaching. (continued on next page) 9
EVOLUTION (continued) I was talking to the Kiwanis Club- there about marvelous things in na ture. When I finished a dentist came to me and he said, “Dr. Wilson, I’m so glad you took that subject. I learned so many new things today and yester day. I learned something maybe you don’t know about.” And I’m sure of that. Nature has so many things to tell us about. He said, “I was out fishing in Mobile Bay and I saw a gull com ing down into a bunch of reeds. I rowed my boat over into these reeds and I found a nest of this gull. It was about as big as a great big dinner plate and on three sides of it that bird had woven a reed around an upright reed to make a runner or slide. When the tide came in, that nest would rise up. When the tide went out the nest went down again. I couldn’t tow it away because it was anchored to these three reeds.” He said, “Tell me, Dr. Wilson, how in the world did that bird know enough that the tide would come in and go out and that that reed had to be an chored and it knew how to do it?” I said, “Oh, the protoplasm told them that. Yes, the protoplasm told them all about it and through development that bird tried over and over again to build a nest and after a hundred mil lion years of trying, it finally got the idea that if she built her nest with three of these loops around the slides, then it would slide up and down.” Did you ever hear such foolishness in your life? Well, I believe God. I believe what God says. He made the things that are made and He gave each one its own nature. If I had time I’d tell you some things that you’d just want to shout, Hallelujah, what a Saviour! The Lord Jesus made the thing a n d they were made by Him and for Him, not for you and me. You and I get them by grace. This lovely Lord has made these wonderful things and He fills your heart with gladness as you see what He did. And when you place your life in His hands that you may “smile back” a Thanksgiving to God!
A FAITHFUL TEACHER A Sunday School Teacher I don't know his name, A wonderful teacher, Who never found fame. So faithful, so earnest When I was a boy— He stuck to his task, Tho' I tried to annoy. He never was missing In cold or in heat; A smile his face lighted The moment we'd meet. He taught by example As well as by word, This splendid old teacher Who honored the Lord. He helped my young life More than ever I knew. Later years I remembered And tried to be true. I suppose he has gone now To join heaven's ranks. As I meet him in glory
May I give him my thanks. FAITHLESS PRAYERS If you had been living, when Christ was on earth, And had met the Saviour kind, What would you have asked Him to do for you, Supposing you were stone blind? The child considered, and then re plied, " I expect that, without doubt, I'd have asked for a dog, with a collar and chain, To lead me dally about." And how often thus, in our faithless prayers, We acknowledge with shamed sur prise, We have only asked for a dog and a chain. When we might have had— opened eyes. — M. Cooley
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FEATURED NOVEMBER RADIO MESSAGE
When Life Explodes
by Thomas E. Steele
A l i s t e n e r
recently wrote . . . “My husband has the reputation of- be ing a most kind and sympathetic per
He does delight, to live through them with us. He wants to be in us, all that we need, to be completely victorious in the face of these compounded prob lems. Let’s take a closer look at the specific problem of hostility and the part that PRAYER plays in dealing with it. One psychologist defines hostility as a basic biologic force which varies from person to person in intensity, indul gence, and forms of expression. Physio logically we are told that when chal lenged there is a feeling of anger which arises in the hypothalamus, which in turn stimulates certain glandular and muscular responses. Most of the . . . reactions connected with the emotions of anger and fear release a supply of sugar to the blood and muscles and tend to put the body into a more efficient state for violent and strenuous activity. If we fight or run away, either physically or emo tionally, relaxation and resumption of normal bodily functions will result. (continued on next page) 11
son at his place of employment. The folk at the church really love him and he is extremely popular. But when he comes home from work we never know what to expect. He is sometimes very cruel to myself and the children and often very morose and moody.” Thé situation which she describes I’m sure is not at all uncommon. It is an illus tration of the age old problem of hos tility. A husband who cannot complain, who cannot criticise or speak back to his employer — though he may be seething within—allows these feelings of hostility and aggression to be redi rected upon the very people whom he loves most dearly. As believers we are not escapists; that is we still face and experience the same emotional pressures, we live un der the same tensions and stresses to a degree as those who are not Chris tians. God has not promised to deliver us from these, but He has promised, and
problem in his own personal life? First, let me say that the Bible gen erally has much to say on this subject. For instance we are told to “Be ye angry and sin not . . .” (Eph. 4:26). It would seem that these passages in dicate that certain types of hostility can be a definite force for good, when di rected against the forces of evil or on behalf of a good cause such as defense of home and country. We have an illustration of hostility properly di rected and without sin when our Lord literally drove the money changers out of the temple. A careful examination of this story reveals that there was good cause for His hostility, that it was properly directed, and that it had the desired result. When situations arise that provoke us and stimulate anger within us, we need first to carefully examine our mo tivation. We need to see clearly why we are offended. Mi>st of the time 'we will find, if we are really honest with ourselves that we have been offended or angered because our pride, or our sense of adequacy has been attacked. Immediately we are on the defensive, we must defend our pride and not al low anything to damage our self image. Many times we attack the person or people who we suppose have offended us. We retaliate with a cutting remark, an outburst of angry words, a bit of gossip to someone else about that per son, or perhaps even physical violence. And, if the situation does not permit oui^ retalliation directly, we just boil inwardly until the next opportunity to unleash our vindictiveness on someone else or some other object. The Scrip ture gives ample indication that such unbridled expression of hostility and anger breaks fellowship with God ant} brings judgment from God. Others of us smile outwardly, but inwardly we repress and suppress our anger without giving any expression whatsoever to it, until emotional or even physical dis orders develop. W. L. Northridge in his book Disor ders of the Emotional and Spritual Life (Epworth Press, London) points out that such repressed hostility “poisons 12
PRAYER (continued) However, if we suppress outward be haviour — particularly, if we keep go ing over and over the stimulating in cident in our imagination, the result will be to maintain the physical state of anger for hours. If the situation is repeated day after day or even year after year, this may get to be a chronic state which results in actual tissue dam age and disease. (Aggression, John Paul Scott, U. of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1958, P. 66) Dr. Leon Saul (Random House N. Y. 1956, The Hostile M ind). Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine states that “Hostility can take almost limitless forms. It can range in intensity from a glance or a breath of gossip to vindictiveness, violence, bru tality and murder. It can be conscious or unconscious. “Another has stated THE BETTER GIFT "Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord, Once it was the feeling, now it is His Word Once His gifts I wanted, Now the Giver own. Once I sought for healing. Now Himself alone. Once it was my working. His it hence shall be. Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me." that the tendency toward hostility is an innate independent, instinctual dis position in man and the most powerful obstacle to culture.” Hostility can be hate or simple ang er. In its serious or misdirected forms it is a disease of the personality, trans- mittable from person to person, group to group, and by contact, from parents to children, and even from generation to generation as in the case of certain family or racial groups. Hostility has given rise to dispute with families, broken homes, murder, crimes of all types and on a larger scale to war between nations. But one may ask, since anger or hostility is something which we all experience, what is a believer to do about the
the entire personality; it is one of the factors bringing about ill health. In somnia is frequently due to emotional conflict arising from hostility. Alcohol ism may be traced often to buried hos tilities, as are high blood pressure, ul cers, and hives, in some cases.” Unfortunately there are some who permit their personal hostilities to find expression even within the Church, to the extent that personality differences generate into full orbed church fights which give occasion for the expression of group hostilities. So we need to ex amine carefully the reason for our feel ings of anger and offense. Secondly we need to remember that even if we are genuinely offended, our attitude ought to be one of understand ing and forgiveness. It is said of our Lord “when he was reviled, he reviled not again.” We are told not to be strik ers (I Tim. 3:3), to resist not evil (Mt. 5:39). And that vengeance upon our enemies is rightfully our Lord’s per- rogative (Deut. 32:35). How much grief and unpleasantness we would save if we simply made an honest ef fort to understand the reasons behind the actions of others. We do not know the tensions under which others live, the complicated problems that another might be facing which perhaps has giv en rise to an offensive remark or ac tion. Most of us usually do not really seek to understand. In Ephesians chapter 4, verses 31 and 32, we read “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” In the prayer which Jesus gave His disciples we arc told to pray, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” The parable of the unjust steward found in Mt. 18:21-35 teaches us that forgiveness when we have been actually wronged or offended is a Christlike virtue to be cultivated. Indeed we learn from Mt. 5:23-25 that when we do not forgive, the Holy Spirit is grieved, our commun ion with the Lord is broken and our
spiritual life dwarfed and warped. It seems so hard to control our anger, to understand, to forgive. It is precisely here that prayer comes into the pic ture. It is indeed difficult to forgive in fact, in some cases it is absolutely im possible, unless we learn the blessed ness of taking even our hostilities to the Lord in prayer; asking Him to bring us to thé place where we can truly pray for the individual whom we feel has “despitefully used” us or of fended; asking God to root out all the seeds of anger and ill feeling that would defeat and dwarf us in our spir. itual life; asking God to direct us in giving expression to those feelings, in healthy and constructive ways. Our Lords’ attitude during the cruel agony of the cross when He prayed for his persecutors, “Father forgive them . . .” indicates that He both understood the motivation that was driving them to crucify Him, and that He forgave. It was the realization of this truth that enabled many of the first century mar tyrs to “revile not again,” but to pray, through the cruelties of the arena and the torch, for the very ones who were seeking to destroy them. But how do you handle your hostilities? Such improper direction of our feelings of hostility is a further expression of the flesh, and Paul reminds us that as be lievers that when we are walking in the spirit it is not necessary to fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). But, perhaps you say, “I live under com pletely impossible circumstances. No one understands me, I can’t possibly keep sweet in the face of all of the pressures which I face.” Paul points out in the Epistle to the Romans that the answer is the indwelling person of Jesus Christ who is completely adequate to meet us at the point of our need in every circumstance. May we experi ence the effective working of the mighty promise given in II Cor. 3:5 “Our sufficiency is of Christ.” The dis ciples asked of Jesus . . . “Teach us to pray.” Today let us ask him “Teach us to pray for those who despitefully use us.” 13
T h e r e i s a w o n d e r f u l I think, perhaps, we shall draw some new truths from it here. You see, we go to an old spring to get fresh water — so, why shouldn’t we go to an old thought? The verse that I am considering is John 3:16 — how well we all know that verse: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Now there are five miracles in that verse. I want you to notice them for they are most interesting and profit able, too. First, we notice there is the miracle of universal love. “For God so loved the world.” In my various contacts with folk, I have met some whom I know I could never love, and I have wondered how God can love them — but He does. And then I have been along the docks in New York City, and if you want to see the lowest form of humanity in the world, it seems to me, you can find them along the docks of any great harbor. These people are so very ill kempt, so profane, so unlovely, and yet God so loved the world! You couldn’t do that and I couldn’t do that, no one on earth could do that but God and He had a reason — He wanted to give them eternal life. God wanted to save them and make them fit for heaven in His righteousness. That is the first miracle and one that no one can duplicate in this world. Then the second is a miracle of univer verse in the Bible that so many folk know, and
sal gift. He gave His only begotten Son. Now you know, very well, that you do not have in your thinking a single gift you could give to anyone — from the age limits of the cradle to the grave — that would be pleasing and worthwhile to the person. You give a rattle to a baby, but you would not give that to your father or mother. Sometimes I receive two or three gifts of the same kind and so, being a wee bit Scotch, I wrap them up and send them to someone else the next Christmas because I can not use three or four of the same thing — don’t you see? But here is the Lord Jesus and God gives Him to little children. I have seen little kiddies six years old trust the Saviour and have their lives changed. Then I saw three men, 82 years old, take that Gift and their lives were changed. I saw a creature who had been preaching 50 years and during that pe riod had written songs that were in every hymn book, I suppose, that you have had in your house or church. I saw him get saved when he was 70 years old — he had never been saved. This man was just a professionally re ligious man and when he finally saw God’s Great Gift, the Gift suited him and it suits men and women, old and young, rich and poor of every color and there is not another gift in all the world that would suit everyone, every where. That is the second miracle. Then the third miracle is that whosoever believeth on Him. Now as far as I know that is the only thing in all the world anybody could do between the cradle and the grave. If salvation 14
might be had for a quarter, there are just lots of folk who never see a quar ter. Millions of people who live in the heathen countries have no money. And if salvation might be had for the walk ing of ten feet, the paralyzed man could not have it. Or, again, if salvation might be had for the saying of some thing, the dumb could not gain it. You see the only thing that all can do is to believe God. What a miracle that God has based salvation oil this one thing. The ill man who must lie in bed, the baseball player who is intensely active, and the bank president who is engrossed in the economic success of the individ ual and the country, can all believe on Him. God loves us so deeply that He has couched salvation in the simplest possible way — “. . . that whosoever be- lieveth on Him.” HE KNOWS IT ALL He knows it all— the winding path, The sky o'ercast and grey, The steepness of the mountainside, The roughness of the way; He knows it all— the haunting fear, The doubting that distress, The wond'rings and perplexities, And all the strain and stress. He knows it all— each troubled thought, Each anxious wave of care, i And every burden, every grief, Or cross that thou dost bear; He knows it all— thy weight of woe, Thine often tear-dimmed eye, The stabbing pain, the slow, dull ache, And sorrow's broken cry. He knows it all— be His to choose, And thine to take His choice! He knows it all! He planned it so! Then trust Him, and rejoice! The fourth miracle is should not perish. Now while he does’not single out any one gift or talent that you might possess when you are saved, he does mark the fact that you — your body — shall not perish. Now'God saves you, your body, your talents, your efforts, your money and your time, for all of these you will spend on things that will be to His glory as a true child of God. When we stop to think of the mil
lions of dollars that are spent upon pre serving things, such as cosmetics to pre serve beauty, medicines to preserve health, the various means to preserve the soil of the land. Then we spend other millions on boxes and means of freezing to ship foods across the coun try and across the seas. This matter of preserving “things” is tremendous, but here is something that will preserve “you.” We ought to be preserved, for the Devil doesn’t like us and he, through sin, brings every means at his disposal to destroy our soul and our spirit. I knew a very beautiful girl who sang with such accuracy and such qual ity of tone that she became one of the lovely soloists of Metropolitan Opera in New York — but she did not care about her soul, and, as a consequence, did nothing about preserving her body and death took here at the age of about thirty years. She was a dear, sweet girl and everyone loved her, but she did not love God, Christ or the Bible. This girl had no use for spiritual things, and so she lost her body, for she had never found her Saviour who was God’s gift for the preservation of the soul and body of the Christian. There was an athlete in the school which 1 attended and he was an ex cellent young man in that he had won all the letters and honors that an ath lete could win. He was tops in every thing, but he did not care about his soul. He. did nothing to preserve his soul or his life. He never went to the Saviour, nor did he ever go near a church for worship. He was solely oc cupied with developing his body, which body he lost at the age of 26. I felt so badly about his death, and to think that turning to the Saviour would not have prevented him from becoming the great athlete that he worked so hard to be — it would have been so defi nitely in his favor. Now as we come to the fifth miracle —a wonderful one— but have everlasting or eternal life. God grant that you may trust the Saviour for the glory of His Name and for the blessing of your soul! 15
parables and pearls
(AS FEATURED OVER THE BIOLA HOUR)
"God loves His people when He strikes them as well as when He strokes them." * * * Witnessing For Christ A Christian is to be a witness for the Lord Jesus. Why is it that when we gather together, we. talk about all manner of things and yet some how never get around to discussing the truths of God’s Word. It was said of the early Christian church that after the day of Pentecost, they gathered together not only to break bread but to talk of the things of their common faith. A near-sighted woman had been called a fanatic concerning the things of the faith. She was heard talking about Christ to a wooden Indian in front of a cigar store. People laughed at her for such an undignified act and she staunchly replied, “Well, I’d rather be a Christian talking Christ to a wooden Indian, than a wooden Christian who never talks Christ to anyone!” And she was so right. What about our lives? Are we using them to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “He that winneth souls is wise.” Yes, “they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteous ness as the stars forever and ever.” * ' * * "The eagle that soars in the upper air is not worrying itself as to how it has to cross rivers." •k h h Acorns or Pumpkins The Bible says that in the last days scoffers shall come, those who ridicule the Word of God and those who even cast scorn upon the crea tive handiwork of the Lord. Like the atheist who one day rested under neath an oak tree. A t his feet not
"The extent of our committment to the Saviour depends upon the depth of our communion with Christ." h * h Never Asleep or Busy The Los Angeles Times carried an astonishing report the other day about a women in the Hollywood hills who awakened suddenly one night to hear a strange noise at -her door. Hastily she got up to see if anyone was there. Sure enough, twisting the knob was a stealthy figure. Quickly she reached for the phone to call the police. The an swer she got was most unusual. A voice declared “This is a recording. You have reached the police depart ment, however, our lines are full. Please wait a few moments.’’ She waited. But still nothing happened. Again she dialed the number. But still no response . . . The same thing occurred six times. Then in despera tion she screamed for help to arouse neighbors, arid the intruder finally ran away. It may be impossible for us to get attention from human sources of help and protection . . . but in a spiritual vein think of the fact in a moment of urgency . . . a problem . . . a need . . . a tempta tion . . . at all times, we may call upon the Lord. He tha t keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. “Call upon me and I w ill answer thee and show thee great aria m ighty things which thou knowest n o t’’ * * * "To worry is to doubt,and to doubt is to not trust, and to not trust is. sin." * * * "He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep, togain that which he cannot lose."
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far distant there grew a pumpkin vine w ith its large swelling fruit. As he looked upward into the oak and saw its tiny fruit, the acorn, he said to himself, “Why if I’d been the Creator, 1 would have hung the pumpkin upon the tall oak being a tree much more suitable to bear fruit of so large a size.” No sooner had he given ve&t to his thoughts than an acorn fell from one of the loftiest boughs of the tree and hit him on the face as he gazed upward. He couldn’t help but think, had it been a pumpkin it would not only have been unwise but also unmerci fu l of the Creator. The ways of the Lord are indeed right and the Chris tian acknowledging his belief in the Creator seeks to know more of the Lord and His ways that he may better obey Him. Thais what the Bible means when we read, “Teach me O Lord the way of Thy statutes, and I shall keep them unto the end.” "Many people plan to accept Christ at the 11th hour; however, they die at 10:30!" A Bright', But Not Right, Choice When life possesses us w ith its fullness, we seldom stop to realize that death is actually just one heart beat away. Perhaps too many people are like the little girl who in Sun day school heard the Gospel account of the rich man and Lazarus. Laza rus was the poor beggar, who through life had very little, but when he died he went to be with the Lord in the bosom of Abraham or “paradise.” But when the rich man died, a man who had all the world could ever offer (yet his name is not even recorded), he went to the abode of the wicked dead. The teacher completed the les son and then asked her pupils, “Which would you rather be, Laza rus or the rich man?” This one little girl scratched her head a moment, then replied brightly, “Oh that’s easy, I’d like to be the rich man-in this life, but Lazarus in the next.” Amusing perhaps, and yet, these
sentiments are true of some people who are even professing Christians. After death there is no second chance, our destiny is settled here during life, where by our oum deci sion we choose either eternal death, separation from the Lord, or blessed eternal life as the Scriptures prom ise, “If children then heirs of God and, joint heirs with Jesus Christ: if so be that we suffer with Him that we may be also glorified to gether.” * It * "Some who think they're pilgrims on the road to heaven, are really merely tourists." * * * The Frustrations of Life “Perplexity” seems to be the watchword in the events of inter national affairs for no one knows in which direction to go. Naturally frustration results. It is much like the man who drove into a filling station and said, “Give me enough gasoline to get to Springfield.” The attendant scratched his head for a moment and then responded, “Well, which Springfield do you mean, Ohio? Illinois? Missouri? or Ore gon?” The perplexed driver pon dered a moment and then answered, “I don’t know■ whichever one is closest.” Typical of the confusion which is so evident in the world. It’s like the mother who was doing early Christmas shopping. Examin ing a toy she asked the clerk, “Isn’t this rather complicated for a young child?” The clerk quickly respond ed, “Oh, no, it’s an educational toy Madam, designed to adjust a child to live amid life’s crises. You see, any way he puts it together, it comes out all wrong.” Almost too tragic to be funny. The Lord Jesus has said, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man corneth unto the Father but by me.” The Saviour has said, “He that heareth my Word and believeth on Him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.” 17
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