worldliness (Matt. 24:48-51). The point of departure ef the evil servant came when he said, “My Lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken.” The neglect of a study of prophecy will result in the cherishing of false hopes, such as the gradual and peaceful approach of a Man's Eternal Choice Mark 10:23-45 To Jesus came a rich young man. Said he, "I've done the best I can; To keep the law I've always tried. Now tell me what to do beside, That I eternal life may win, And Heaven's gate may enter in." The Master's loving voice was grave: "You lack one thing. Sell what you have; Give to the poor, that yours may be Eternal wealth. Come, follow me." The young man turned with downcast face; "Th ings" occupied his heart's chief place. Christ and the Twelve watched as he went, Then spoke the Lord, "Riches prevent An easy entrance to the road Wherein walk those whose King is God." (The Twelve, amazed, could scarcely savor That wealth not always proves God's favor.) Again He spoke, "Children, 'tis hard To choose not Earth's, but Heaven's reward. A camel through a needle's eye Can easier pass than they who fry By riches happiness to win, And in themselves can see no sin." "Who can be saved?" they question then. Not so with God, for in His love, All things are possible. So they Who truly choose to walk M y Way, Who leaves lands, parents, children, brothers, For Me, to bring good news to others, Shall blessings have, a hundredfold In this life; and rewards untold (Though persecutions here they face,) When Heaven they enter, by God's grace." Who turns upon the world his back, Shall find for all his needs no lack. Who loves not wealth by coin to measure, May store in Heaven eternal treasure. Who brings no "goodness" in his hand, Clothed in Christ's righteousness shall stand. — Ruth Whitaker E d ito r ’ s N o t e : Mrs. Whitaker wrote this poem after hearing her pastor. Dr. William C. Thomas, First Baptist Church of West Los Angeles, speak on the above Scripture. blissful period apart from judgment. This, in turn, leads to the adoption of unscriptural methods and makes way for a social gospel. The world seeks to expedite the ar rival of this blissful period by the means and appliances of science, philosophy, political economy, etc., and to this the Christian adds the gospel. In such program, the world and the church join in one common phalanx to make the world better and to build a new world order. No prophetic "It is impossible with men To earn inheritance above.
student with a sincere motive would ever be found part ner in such an unholy union. The neglect of prophecy leads to perplexity in the hours of uncertainty. “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken” (Luke 21:26). An awareness of God’s plan for this age has a sobering and stabilizing effect. The neglect of prophecy has left many with a Bible practically closed and much misunderstood — a Bible without symmetry and continuity. One unac quainted with prophecy and dispensational truth must constantly face the problem of apparent contradictions in the Word of God. This is absolutely unavoidable apart from some concept of God’s dispensational plan. The final result coming from a neglect of prophecy finds expression in the dissipation of the natural desire to know of the future, preparing the way for spiritism, fortune telling and heresies which lead astray the un learned and unstable. The Practical Bearing and Effect of the Study of Prophecy It is understood that a requisite to the study of the Bible and to an understanding of its truth is an assurance of salvation and consciousness of the indwelling Spirit. Only the redeemed may know the deep mysteries of our God. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (I Corinthians 2:14). God reserves His mysteries for those who walk in separation and devotedness to Him. Before God brought judgment upon the wicked cities of the plain, including Sodom and Gomorrah, He made known His purpose not to Lot, who was directly concerned and entangled in the affairs of the wicked city, but to Ab raham, the lonely man of the hills, when He said “ Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?” Again our Lord said unto His disciples, “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord do- eth; but I have called you friends: for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” (John 15:15). A study of prophecy makes the Christian the child of light (I Thess. 5:2-6). “ For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” This brings the individual into an understanding of the present world order and conditions and teaches him to wait in patience for the unfolding of a divine, unfailing providence. The study of prophecy has a practical bearing upon the Christian’s life and goal. The Bible becomes a new book. This cosmos about us is seen and understood in a new light, fears are dissipated, hopes stimulated, errors avoided and the waste of energies corrected. Belief in the imminent coming of Christ does something for the individual child of God that nothing else in the world can do. We readily admit that this brands one and brings him into disrepute with those who do not dare adhere to a faith and program that is scriptural. This need not surprise us if we will only stop to reflect the attitude of the religious world towards Christianity in the days of the apostles and the centuries that followed. “ If God be for ns, who can be against us?” *President, Piedmont Bible College Pastor, Salem Baptist Church. Winston-Salem. North Carolina
APRIL, 1963
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