sonal return of the Son of God for those who are His. Of this day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels in heaven; therefore no one can fore tell the exact time. However, through God’s Word we do know the signs which point to the nearness of this event, and all these signs are present on today’s horizon. Many godly men are agreed that 1951 looks more like the year of Christ’s return than any year since He went away. If this be so, then what manner of men and women ought we to be? Let us put to the very best use every ounce of our strength, every moment of our time, every beat of our hearts. Even so, come Lord Jesus! Louis S. Bauman — Present With Christ I N the December issue of The King’s Business magazine appeared the last of a series of articles from the pen of Dr. Louis S. Bauman, for many years a warm and cherished friend of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles and a contributor to the col umns of this magazine. It is with a sense of deep personal loss that we inscribe upon our pages a final trib ute to the courage, faithfulness, stead fastness and ability of this servant of God. Louis S. Bauman was born on No vember 13, 1875, in Floyd County, Iowa, and went to be with Christ, November 8, 1950, in Washington, D. C. He entered the Christian min istry at the age of 17 years, being ordained in the Brethren Church. It was at the turn of the century that Dr. Bauman became the pastor of the First Brethren Church of Philadelphia, coming in the fall of 1912 to a small group in Long Beach, California. Out of a meeting which he held, a church was organized which he pastored for 34 fruitful years. At the time of his resignation in 1947, this small group had expanded to over 1800 members. Dr. Louis Bauman was one of God’s able servants, with many tal ents. He was truly a pastor to his own people but was also in great demand throughout the country as an evangelist. Each summer saw him busy with many conferences, and to each of these conferences he carried his unswerving loyalty to world-wide missionary interest. Another ministry which will continue to bring dividends for years to come is the influence of his writings. Author of a score of T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
of serving God, or the substitution of good things for the best. The growing good must of necessity be that work which has the Lord Jesus Christ as its center, and the performance of the sole will of God as its aim. 1951 will undoubtedly also show additional adaptation of the land of Israel to its new inhabitants. More displaced Jews will find a home—- more money will be invested in that ancient land. The government will be come stronger and the economic sys tem will be more sound. Perhaps new mineral wealth will be uncovered and new formulae developed to salvage chemical treasures. The land will continue to blossom as the rose. 1951 may also bring the dissolution of the United Nations into two groups, one comprising the Western Nations and one including the Soviet Empire and its satellites. Both of these great coalitions will strengthen themselves, and from each will emerge a very strong character who is to dominate endtime events. Bible students will identify these as the Antichrist and the Prince Gog. Christian people will continue to know times of difficulty and hardship, which however will never be too dif ficult nor too hard, God always pro viding a way of escape. God’s children will continue to feel the power of Christ exhibited in their dedicated lives and the comfort of the Ever lasting Arms in times of need. Mis sionaries will continue to go forth through open doors that God Himself keeps open. Souls will continue to be saved and the Word will be preached. Of these things we are certain. There is one event which could hap pen in 1951 and, oh, what joy our hearts would know were this event to take place! It, of course, is the per
1 9 5 1— By The Grace Of God A S many editors did, when the time came to write these words, we looked back over the editorial pages of January 1950, to see what had been written. There we read that the unfolding of the New Year could bring with it joy or sorrow, peace or war, but that one thing was certain: we were drawing much nearer to that greatest of all events when God Him self should step into the human pic ture and bring to pass that chain of events leading to the glorious consum mation of the Son of God’s enthrone ment over the kingdoms of this world. Now 1951 is here, and looms before us. What will it bring ? Several things seem sure to come. First of all there will be either actual war or the un nerving, fearful uncertainty of it. We have searched the Bible through care fully, asking ourselves: does the Scripture point to the type of world war of which our political prophets have spoken—an all-out, bitter, world- encircling and city-flattening type of war with fatalities numbering in the tens of millions rather than in the hundreds of thousands? We find no where in Scripture the indication that God will allow men to absolutely destroy themselves. Do not misunder stand. 1951 will probably be filled with little wars, skirmishes, disagree ments between nations, the building up of more destructive engines of warfare and, saddest of all perhaps, many deaths—but not a world war. 1951 may also bring the continued paradox of growing evil along with growing good, not that it must needs be of the blatant, brutal, obscene type. Evil can be the indifference of re spectable people, the deliberate choice of several charitable objects in place Page Four
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