June, 1935
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
227
them instead of upon the blood o f the Lord Jesus Christ. And where you would think there would be the deepest piety, there was an indifference that kept the tears in my eyes most o f the time and in my heart all of the time. Even among the pastors that are true, there is often a pride o f intellectuality and o f language which robs the gospel of its simplicity and therefore obscures the message given. When a Frenchman speaks o f any message, it is not what the speaker has said that seems to be of first impor tance, but it is the kind o f French he spoke. I asked an intelligent Frenchwoman who attended a meeting of a conference for young women, “What kind of a message did you have?” “Well, it was spoken in perfect French; the language was good, but I haven’t a ghost o f an idea what the man was trying to say.” This was the message o f one of the outstanding orthodox young preachers in France. What is the use of being so intellectual that a person does not know what you say or what you mean by what you say? There are said to be 800,000 Protestant Christians in France. But what does that mean? I went one day to speak where there were one thousand Protestants in the parish. When the pastor went there three years before, just five persons came to church on Sunday. He told me three times with tears in his eyes and voice, “I have worked and prayed so hard for three years, and there are about sixty that come to church on Sunday now.” As we were going along another day, there was a funeral in a church. All of thé men were outside. “Why are the men outside?” I asked. “They won’t go inside the church even for a funeral,” was the answer. E urope -—U nevangelized There are approximately 375,000,000 peo ple in Europe that could almost be called unevangelized from the standpoint of real salvation—as many people as there are in India. The late Dr. Inwood o f the, Kes wick movement in England, after a visit to Spain and to the other countries in Eu rope, wrote: “ Christianity is on trial in Europe as in no other land. The drift from God, from the supernatural, from the truly spiritual, is appalling. People are turning with disgust from Christianity be cause they confound it with a political and immoral clericalism. I would not utter one word to divert a gift or a prayer or a ministry from heathen lands, but the neglect of Europe in this fateful hour is criminal and ought to cease.” Friends, I can say the same thing. I be- long to China. I long to see young men and women go to China. I long to see prayer offered for China and gifts made for China, and I would not divert a single one for anything in this world. But I have traveled from Spain through Switzerland France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Nor way, and Sweden, and I would say exactly what Dr. Inwood says : “The neglect o f Europe in this fateful hour is criminal and ought to cease.” R evolution th e P enalty for P rayerlessness I wonder how much thought, how much prayer, you have given and offered for Europe. I must make a confession. I have my home country on my heart. I have China on my heart. Yes, I have prayed for India and other mission lands,
but I did not have Europe on my heart, nor haye I prayed for it as I should. We are all afraid of Europe and afraid of what is going to come out of Europe. We are afraid of another war that may take our husbands, our brothers, our children. We are afraid of Europe. Have we prayed for Europe? Have we expected anything to come out of Europe but war? 1 am afraid we have not. And we might just as well face it: If there is not a real Spirit-born, Spirit-guided, Spirit-empow ered revival in Europe, there will be a Satan-begotten revolution in Europe. And you and I cannot keep out o f it. W e can keep out of the League of Nations. We can keep out o f entanglements and alliances. But as far as revolution is concerned, if a war breaks out in Europe, we will have to have a part in it. This world is bound up in one bundle o f life. We are living too close together in these days to keep aloof. The revolution that is being planned today has its headquarters in Europe. It is not a Continental revolution; it is a world-wide revolution. That is the devil’s plan.. And if that upheaval occurs before the coming of Christ, you and I will be in it, and we cannot help it. The only possible thing that can even stave it off is a Spirit-born, Spirit-empowered revival. S topping at R om an s 5 As with sorrow and apprehension I viewed conditions in' Europe, I thought of other days when these very countries were the scene o f mighty triumphs. In order to understand the past history of the church in Europe better, I read D ’Aubigne’s story o f the Reformation. I was stirred to the depths o f my being to be on the spot where such glorious vic tories for the gospel had been won at such terrific cost. But as I laid the book down, I wept.. Why did the church stop so far short ? Why did the church o f the Refor mation stop with justification by faith? Why did it stop with Romans 5 ? The or ganized church o f Europe has not gone be yond Romans 5 yet. And that is the rea son it is in the sad predicament that we see today. Do not misunderstand me. I want to say right here that there are individuals, there are individual churches, there are groups o f people, and there are institutions of whom that declaration is not true. They have gone far beyond and have entered into the fullness o f the abundant life in Christ. D o not mistake my meaning. I am speaking about the organized church of Europe, I am speaking about the church in general in Europe when I say that it has not gone beyond the Reformation. Dr. Karl Barth has said that if Protes tantism is not to be utterly destroyed in Europe today, it will have to get back to the truth of the Reformation. But the truth o f the Reformation will not save Protestantism. The church will have to get clear beyond that point if it is not to be destroyed It must go on into real opint-b°rn, Spirit-empowered revival that will take it right on into the full salva- tion and abundant life in Christ. That is what must come to the church in Europe to preserve it. I am seeking not merely to give infor- rv^10u ,a u Ut, E“ f°Pe- I am longing that God, the Holy Ghost, may lay upon your hearts a burden for Europe that will call torth intercession, continuous intercession prevailing intercession, powerful interces sion, that there may be a truly Spirit-born revival in Europe. [To be concluded ]
’WOR L D F A I R ’ ’ GO SPEL S O N G S A N D C H O R U SE S “ New Singable Son g s” 32— with “ Isn’t it Grand to be a Christian.” Twenty-five cents, postpaid; 25 copies $3.25, net. “New Singable Songs Leaflet” 3 Choruses— Ten cents, postpaid; 25 for $1.25, net. CAM PAIGN CHORUS BOOKS of the CALIFORNIA PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION EVANGELISTIC CAMPAIGN May 29th to Nov. 10th - - San Diego, California Published by: H A R O L D A L E X A N D E R Exposition Campaign Song Director K— BOX 321— STA. C - LOS ANGELE8, CALIF. HOME OF ONESIPHORUS TAIA N , SHANTUNG, CHINA Largest Christian Orphange in the Orient Write for new booklet describing the growth of this work, established and maintained by faith for seventeen years. Read of the wonders of God’s grace in rescuing neglected children and hopeless men and women brought to Christ by means of the Home. Worthy of your interest, aid and prayer. Write for this new illustrated book today. Sent FREE. Address: HOME OF 0N E SIP H 0R U 8, AM ERICAN OFFICE Drawer II 3131 Llneeln Ave.. Chicago, ill.
S T O P ical and sustaining, than the current p Agents wanted.
coffee m ise ry . D rink MATE, famous Paraguay tea. Healthful, econom- Our price one third less rice. By mail 20 oz. $1.
PAN AMERICAN TEA COMPANY 1553 West Jefferson, Los Angeles P I A N I S T S !
A beautiful, artistic piano arrangement of “ There’s A Wideness In God’s Merey.” Unusual harmonies; striking cadenzas: brilliant variations by Gordon E. Hooker, pub lisher of “ Songs of Grace, No. I,” Excellent for solo— prelude— voluntary: fingered for teaching. Appeared first in “ Sacred Musician” by Robert Harkness. Other sacred piano solos forthcoming. — Price 35o Postpaid Order From SACRED MUSIC PUBLISHERS Room 902 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles, Calif.
T T T o a t G wr> „ Jeachew H9J CJullgospelQuarterly Once used, you would never be without it FEATURES: Introduction, by Professor George Shaw B.D The Lesson Verse by Verse, by Rev. David J. Fam. Jr Lessons from the Lesson, by Rev Ira E. David, Ph.D Side Lights on the Lesson, Selected from Many Authors 6 The Beginners' Class, by Eleanor M. Jones and Martha L. Fesmire, The Primary Class, by Stella M . Rudy TheJunior Class, by Addie Marie French. Suggestions for the Superintendent, by Rev F L. Squires Send only 10c in stamps (one-half price) for current issue.
C h r is t ia n P ue T u & t ìo n s ? 1506 THIRD 8T . HARRISBURG, PA.
Phone: VAndike 9483 E R I C K P E T E R S O N FIRST CLASS SHOE REPAIRING 730 W. Sixth St. Los Angeles, Calif.
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online