u I r% CM
sO m OS 111 z D
3 WAYS OUT Enclosed in struggles
and defeats, the vic
torious life seems to remain an unrealizable ideal. see page 13
Milestones in Modern Missions
1792 — Triumph over the indifferent Church William Carey & world-wide Missions
1865— Triumph o f faith missions — Hudson Taylor & the China Inland Mission
1908 — Triumph o f Christian Education in West — The Bible Institute o f Los Angeles founded.
1956 — T r ium ph over tragedy — McCully, Fleming, Elliott, Saint & Youderian
TODAY BIOLA SCHOOL OF MISSIONARY MEDICINE OFFERS:
/ Preparation for further advance in Modern Missions / Accredited training in Nursing, Dentistry, and Dispensary / A passport to more effective service on the foreign fields 4 Unique m issionary medical training for men and women
Tuition free. Offered ^ to graduates of colleges ^ or Bible schools. Write V today for free catalog, y Meaningful Missionary Medicine BIOLA SCHOOL OF MISSIONARY MEDICINE a school of The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Inc. 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, Calif.
Have you gone without food for even one day? One little Greek boy told us he stole, simply because he had to live. He had no parents to watch over him. His mother was dead—he had no knowledge o f his father. War and persecution have inflicted a terrible shock on many o f the Greek boys and girls. A fortunate few are taken in by aged grand parents. They live in damaged buildings, living monuments o f war. As the children grow their appetites increase but there is little increase in their food ration. What a tragedy it is to read reports that there are four hundred thousand orphans and ne glected children in Greece? And what a tragedy to see them— as I have — and then to have to leave them forsaken and forgotten. But thank God The European Evan gelistic Crusade and its missionaries in Greece recognize the overwhelming physical and spir itual need o f these children. This summer it is our urgent desire to send these neglected, underprivileged children o f Greece to a CHRISTIAN SUMMER CAMP right in Greece. In this camp, children who have suffered so much physically will be given a pleasant change from their drab surroundings.
We desire to feed and clothe them properly, but best o f all we long to tell them o f the wonder ful love o f God as revealed in Jesus Christ. Here is a challenge to God’s people. This Summer CAMP will only be possible if you catch the vision o f this tragic land and put your shoulders to the wheel. We cannot do it without your prayers and without your help. These children have no one to guide their steps aright. Here is your opportunity to be come both father and mother to some Greek child. You will have a far happier vacation if you know that some needy boy or girl is at our Christian Summer Camp because o f you. Twen ty dollars ($20) will help send one child to a summer camp for one whole month ($ 5 a week). Would you be willing to invest this amount, or part o f it? Your gift will give a Greek child at least one chance o f happiness and at least one oppor tunity to hear the message o f our Saviour’s love.
GREEK CHILDREN'S FUND Rev. Douglas G. Stewart, F.R.G.S. European Evangelistic Crusade, Inc. (Member Mission I.F.M.A.) 811 Westview Street Dept. K Philadelphia 19, Pennsylvania
YES, I want to have a part in the Christian Summer Camp for neglected children of Greece. Enclosed is my gift of $............................................ Name_________ ........................................................................... Address -------- -------------------------------------------- ,— ................. City________________ 5.................... State..................................
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m eaction Corrections
RITA FINDS CHRIST AT CAMP "I shall never forget the days I spent at the Christian Youth Camp,” testified Rita Delyiannidou. "That last night was the greatest of all because it was the night I accepted Christ. We were sitting around the fire which kept leaping higher and higher. As the flames rose, so did our enthusiasm and we began to sing hymns. Then our Pastor, Rev. Argos Zodhiates, began to pray. At the beginning two girls confessed Christ and then a real miracle broke out. One after another the young people were confessing the Lord. It was as though the windows of Heaven were opened and God Himself were standing before us, bidding us to come to Him through His Son. Jesus Christ put His hand on my heart as well, and I dedicated it to Him. I said, 'Lord, I give you my heart; I know that You can lead it best.’ ” This testimony could be multiplied over and over in the lives of the under privileged Greek children who attend our Macedonian Youth Camp by the sea. They come there pale and under nourished; they leave with rosy cheeks and firm flesh. They come with all their childish sinful habits, acquired in the haunts of the very poor; they leave with Scripture verses and Christian choruses on their lips instead of careless oaths. And best of all, they leave with Christ in their hearts and the Word of God in their possession to take back to homes which in many instances , are transformed by their testimonies and changed lives. This year we are expanding our facil ities, putting up new buildings, pur chasing new equipment. But how will these things become a reality, and how will these poor children be able to attend this "bit of heaven on earth,” unless we as Christians open our hearts to them and give them a month at camp this summer? In America such a project would seem far too costly, perhaps, but in Greece it can be done for only $15.00. Think of it — your little boy or girl (in spirit, at least) to be transport ed from the crowded, dirty streets and poverty-stricken homes of the cities to the beautiful mountainous region bor dering the blue Aegean Sea! Only $1.00 will provide 20 lbs. of nourishing U.S. Surplus food for these children. Ask the Lord what He would have you do. Send in your gift now. And it may be that Rita’s testimony will be echoed by some other child who has found salva tion through Christ this summer because you cared. Write to the American Mission to Greeks, Inc., Dept. K, P.O. Box 423, New York 36, N.Y., Rev. Spiros Zodhi ates, General Secretary. (In Canada write to 90 Duplex Ave., Toronto 7, Ont.) 4
Sirs: Thank you for your reference to my new work with International C h r is tian L ead e rsh ip [People, M ay ]. But there is a correction. ICCL, which is International Coun cil for Christian Leadership, is separate from ICL. Senator Price Daniels is president of ICL; Senator Carlson of Kansas is president of ICCL. Abraham Vereide continues as secretary-general of ICCL; I become executive director of ICL. Hollywood, Calif. Rev. Richard C. Halverson Sirs: We would appreciate it if our box number [Missions Directory, April] could be corrected to read Alaska Missions, Inc., Box 756. Anchorage, Alaska Marvin O. Webber Alaska Missions, Inc. Sirs: I would like four copies of the April issue. I am Ed McCully’s sister and have been making scrap books for his three sons on all the material printed on the martyred Sirs: Thank you for your April issue. Mrs. Fleming was my neighbor in Seattle- when a young girl. Carnation, Wash. Kathrin K. Torrey Sirs: I was happy to see the article by my own pastor, Dr. Munger [March]. Thank you for all the w o n d e r fu l articles which have helped me, a fairly new Christian. Berkeley, Colif. Hazel K. Merritt Sirs: Here is one of the results of the story on our work [March]. The Phelians Bible Club of San Fer nando adopted us as their project, giving us a chance to speak to many folks. They had tickets and reservations at the “ Queen For A Day” program where Mrs. Day was selected second place. They wanted to know where we got the name Cotton-picking Preacher, so she explained over TV it was from T h e K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s magazine article. Bakersfield, Calif. Rev. Leon Day I Mission to the Migrants i Auca Story missionaries. Wauwatosa, Wise. Mrs. Wm. Erickson Munger Article Cotton-picking Preacher
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THE KING 'S BUSINESS
A publication of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Inc. Louis T. Talbot,' Chancellor
- S. H. Sutherland, President
•
Ray A. Myers, Chairman of the Board
JUNE In the year of our Saviour
Vol. 47, No. 6
Nineteen Hundred and Fifty-Six
Established 1910
Dedicated to the spiritual development of the Christian home
ARTICLES IN CHRIST IS LIFE — Christ & You & Power.............................. I I HOW I W A S APPREHENDED BY CHR IST— How Christianity Works 12 THREE W AYS OUT — The Victorious Life — Timothy Fetler ....... 13 M A K E ROOM FOR MYSTERY — A. W. Toxer ............................ 16 HIGHER EDUCATION — George H. Moore ................................ 17 PRAYER A N D NEHEM IAH — J. Sidlow Baxter ......... .............. 19 A DAY IN J U N E— Poem — Martha Snell Nicholson ................. 34 GRATITUDE — Poem — Ruth Margaret Gibbs .......................... 37 FEATURES READER REACTION .............................. 4 PEOPLE — A monthly column of names in the news ................ 6 UNDER THE PARSONAGE ROOF — Althea S. Miller ................. 8 FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK .................... 9 JUNIOR K ING 'S BUSINESS — Zaba and the Bundle of Grain — Carolyn London 22 WORDS FROM THE WORD — Charles L. Feinberg ..................... 24 THEOLOGICALLY T H IN K IN G — Gerald B. Stanton ................... 25 SEARCH ING THE SCRIPTURES: LUKE — Chester J. Padgett ....... 27 BOOK R EV IEW S— Donald G. Davis ..................... ................... 31 M ISSION S — The Well Called Rehoboth — Arthur Mouw .......... 33 DR. TALBOT'S QUESTION BOX ................................................ 40 TA LK ING IT OVER — A psychologist answers — Clyde Narramore 41 ADVERTISERS' INDEX ............................................................. 42 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION HOW TO M A K E A FILMSTRIP — Photo story — Loraine Burdick .. 35 THE BIBLE A N D THE PRESCHOOLER — Betty McCullough ....... 36 OBJECT LESSONS — Elmer L. Wilder ....................................... 38 COVER Most Christians who are well-acquainted with the Word are painfully aware of the difficulty of living a consistent victorious life. We can get much advice on the problem but rarely any genuine help. Dr. Timothy Fetler, in his deeply rich article, "Three Ways Out," throws some new light on this situation. It's an article we think all of you will want to read (see page 13). Design & Photo : Lloyd Hamill
bJO a t H o a 0 oa a
S. H. SUTHERLAND: editor
LLOYD HAMILL: managing editor LUCY BARAJIKIAN: editorial assistant STELLA KINTER: circulation manager SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION — "The; King's Business" is published monthly: $2.50, one year; $1.25, six months; 25 cents, single copy. Clubs of three or more at special rates. Write for details. Canadian and foreign subscriptions 25 cents extra. It requires one month for a change of address to become effective. Please send both old and new addresses. REMITTANCES — Payable in advance, should be made by bank draft, express, or post office money order payable to "The King's Business." Date ot expira tion will show plainly on outside of wrapper or cover of magazine. ADVERTISING — For information address the Advertising Manager, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 17, California.
ROSE HARDIE: copy editor
MILTON R. SUE: advertising manager J. RUSSELL ALLDER: business manager MANUSCRIPTS — "The King's Business" cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts mailed to us for consideration. Entered as second-class matter November 7, 1938, at the Post Office of Los An geles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in the Act of February 28, 1925, em bodied in paragraph 4, section 538, P.L. and R., authorized October 1, 1918, and November 13, 1938. Printed in U.S.A. by Church Press, Glendale, California. ADDRESS: The King's Business, 558 S. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, California.
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peop A monthly column of names in the news. In Wheaton, 111., Dr. V. Raymond Edman announced a fortnight ago that the fund for the wives and children of the five martyred Ecuadorian mis sionaries (K.B. April) now amounts to more than $50,000. A three-fold use of the money has been outlined: 1) Meeting any immediate needs of the widows and their nine children. 2) Meeting emergency expenses such as sickness, surgery and hospitaliza tion. 3) Providing high school, col lege and graduate-work tuition for the children as they reach school age. Meanwhile in Fullerton, Calif., Missionary Aviation Fellowship has announced that a replacement plane left on May 1 for Ecuador. Pilot Hobey Lowrance has volunteered to car ry on the work of Pilot Nate Saint, one of the five missionaries killed by Auca Indians. In Chicago, the Evangelical Mission Covenant Church of America this month disclosed that $l-million has been earmarked for expanding their denominational North Park College from a two to a four-year school. In New York, the 131-year-old American Tract Society reports that production reached 17-million pieces of literature in 1955. At the same time the Society disclosed the Rev. Frank E. Gaebelein has been elected president and Henry G. Perry re-elected executive secretary. Gaebelein is Headmaster of Stony Brook School, Stony Brook, N.Y. and publisher of Our Hope magazine. In an easy gulp, Unusual Films of Bob Jones University took the lion’s share of awards presented by the Na tional Evangelical Film Foundation this year. Included in the gulp: 1) best actor, 2) best producer, 3) best director, 4) best film. The film is the university’s student production of “Wine of Morning,” starring Al Carter and directed by Katherine Stenholm. Wheaton College’s well-tried (42 years) summer school this year will have an added attraction for would- be-writers. On hand to give her know-how will be Margaret London, author of Anna and the King of Siam, the famous book turned into an even more famous Broadway play ( “The King and I” ). In New York, Jack Wyrtzen's sum mer camp program is celebrating its 10th year by featuring such evangel ical notables as Charles E. Fuller, Billy Graham and Harold J. Ockenga.
RETIRED RAILROAD MAN PUTS HIS LIFE’ S SAVINGS INTO MOODY ANNUITIES!
I just can ’t praise the Lord
enough that all of my lifers savings are invested in Moody Bible Institute Annuities! §
RAILROADING IS A GREAT BUSINESS .. .
says Mr. M. of Missouri, “ but it doesn’t begin to compare with the greatest business in the world—that o f winning lost souls for Christ.” As a telegrapher and station agent, Mr. M. tapped out all kinds of messages, but he says that none were as important or urgent as the spreading of the gospel message . for which he has invested his life’s savings!
His Satisfaction with Moody Annuities . . - There Are Two Good Reasons for
1. Generous Income , , . He knows that he is assured of a generous, un changing income as long as he lives. His savings are secure, because they are backed by all the resources of Moody Bible Institute. 2. Peace of Mind . . . He knows that his savings are doing business for God now, and will continue to work through the Institute and its many soul-winning ministries—long after he has gone to be with the Lord.
M A IL CO U PO N TODAY
WRITE: Carl J. Frlxen, Department of Stewardship MOODY BIBLE INST ITUTE 820 N. LaSalle Street • Chicago 10, Illinois
Dept. K-56-27-4
□ Please send me double dividends , the story of the Moody Annuity Plan. O Please send folder, You Can Take It With You, relating to stewardship and wills.
FREE BOOKLET The interesting booklet, DOUBLE DIVIDENDS, gives complete information, including rate return, tax savings and details concerning special types of annuity agreements. Send for your FREE copy—there is no obli gation.
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6
THE KING 'S BUSINESS
0 Now ’s the time to plan 'your summer vacation. Enjoy the great outdoors, make new friends, tempt your palate with delicious well prepared meals . . . and most of all delve deeply into God’s Word. Write to any of the beautiful well- equipped-to-meet-your-need confer ence grounds below for information about coming conferences.
In, tU (X/ftflt cfe Mt. Hermon Fiftieth Anniversary Family Conference. July 22-29 MT. HERMON ASSOCIATION Mail: Box 413B Mt. Hermon, California or Hume Lake Family Bible & Missionary Conference— Also Children's Camp, June 30-July 7 HUME LAKE CONFERENCE CENTER Mail: 155M Van Ness Avenue Fresno, California or Forest Home Young Adult and Family’ Conference Aug 19-25 FOREST HOME CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE CENTER
Mail: 4940K Vineland Avenue North Hollywood, California
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7
Under the Parsonage Roof by Althea S. Miller
■
E V E R Y B O gets to know the Bible
i in our Sunday j School Classes! We use ASSU
FAITH n ear Jesus, don’t let little Mark get the measles or chicken ‘pops,’ ” the four-year-old prayed in family wor ship that morning. “ But if he does, we’ll ‘be care’ of him. Jesus’ sake, amen.” The prayer was short and sweet and definitely to the point. Mother heard a small titter around the room from the older children as Althea exploded, “Mark’s already had the chicken pox, Ardyth!” “ Let’s get our heads bowed, chil dren, and back to prayer. We’re wait ing for you to go ahead, Althea.” When prayer time was finished Mother asked what was wrong with Ardyth’s prayer. “Mark already had the chicken pox,” Kent offered with the air of a sage. “She- didn’t know he’d not get them again,” Dorotheann defended her small sister. “ I can’t see how her prayer was wrong.” “Of course she is a little young to know that he’ll likely not have a re currence of the pox,” Mother agreed. “There is one thing I want you to see, however. She asked God not to let Mark get measles or chicken pox, and then she added one word which changed the entire picture. What was it?” “ I know,” Sharon almost shouted. “She said ‘but if he gets it we’ll take care of him.’ ” “That ‘but’ showed lack of faith, didn’t it?” Dorotheann was compre hending the lesson. “That’s it, honey. We couldn’t ex pect one so small as Ardyth to under stand all that having faith means. But you older children want to learn right now to ‘ask in faith, nothing wavering.’ We must ask in simple faith and never add any ‘buts’ to our requests. Open your Bibles to James 4, verses two and three. Let’s read to gether the last of verse two and all of three: *. . . ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask and receive not, be cause ye ask amiss. . . .’ Lord, help us to believe when we ask.”
L E S S O N S HELPS!
Easy-to-learn Scripture lessons for b e g in n e rs— the deepest
Bible doctrines for adults. With A S S U Les son Helps, Sunday school students of every age get Bible-centered lessons. A S S U Lesson Helps and periodicals are written by experts and carefully age- graded, to meet the specific needs and in terests of your students.
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American Sunday-School Union 1816 Chestnut St., Philadelphia 3, Pa. Dr. Narramore Has a New Book see page 41 DIVINEHEALERS Countless thousands, throughout the world, are flocking to hear and see "deliverance ministry" healing evangelists — such men as W IL L IA M FREEMAN ORAL ROBERTS O. L. JAGGERS W IL L IA M B R ANH AM and numerous others. These men and their work are thoroughly examined In "The Mod em Tongues & Healing Movement," a 40,000 word book by Rev. Carroll Stegall, Jr. Some of the headings are: History and Origins; Pentecostal Healing Techniques; Are There Genuine Healings?; "Though I Speak With Tongues . . . " Price $1.00 Order from Box 41-198, Los Angeles 41, Calif.
• THE ABC NETWORK 9 a.m. Mountain Time 8 a.m. in all other time zones • THE MUTUAL NETWORK 10 a.m. Eastern Time 9 a.m. Central Time 8 a.m. Mountain Time 9 a.m. Pacific Time Subject for June: THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY Write today for your FREE radio log THE RADIO BIBLE CLASS P.O. Box 22 Grand Rapids, Michigan
Send to Prayer Time, The King’s Business maga zine,558 So.Hope, LosAngeles 17, California.
COAST TO COAST OVER TH E ABC AND M U TUAL NETWORKS
8
THE KING'S BUSINESS
fromtheeditor’s desk
Christian Education I t has been said that all learning may be divided into three classifica tions: 1) God — including all phases of religious study; 2) Man — including all phases of study pertaining to the humanities, such as history, language, philosophy, the various arts, etc.; and 3) the W orld -— including all of the phases of scientific study, the natural sciences such as astronomy, geology, chemistry, etc., and the life sciences, biology, zoology, etc. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in developing secular colleges and universities in an effort to teach young people more about the humanities and the sciences. But, alas, the secular institutions leave out the first and by far the most important of these great divisions, namely a recognition of God and His ways with man. Even in many Christian institutions so much emphasis is placed upon the general studies of man and the sciences that comparatively very little time is left to learn of God and His relationship to man. It is tragic to see so many young people cheated out of a well-rounded training by attending schools where God is never recognized or where He is relegated to a place of secondary significance. The entire Bible'college movement throughout the country has been developed in recent years in an effort to combine proportionately these great areas of study. For Christian educators are of the conviction that the subject of God and His relationship to man is the most important study that can possibly engage the attention of students. Not only is this subject treated in detail in specified classroom work, but in every course of study God is given His proper place as Creator and Moral Governor. And He is recognized as being actively imminent in the life and affairs of mankind and indeed all of His creation. We believe this to be the true purpose of all Christian education. Parents whose desire it is to have their young people receive the very best and most complete educational training possible, and young people themselves who have such a desire in preparing for their life’s work, are urged to consider prayerfully the college which offers the most thorough and truly Christian education. • • How You Can be a Better Witness ¥¥Te never permit an issue of T h e K in g ’ s B u sin e ss to be planned with- WWout including several “must” features. One of these is material to ■ ■ help our readers give a better witness for our Saviour. Many of you have found our “ In Christ Is Life” feature each month a definite help in this business of witnessing. You will recall that this feature was started three years ago. Then this January we started an other feature designed to reach the non-Christian, “How Christianity Works.” This month you will find these two special monthly features on pages 11 and 12. W e have placed them back to back so that by cutting out only one page you will have them both in handy form to pass along to your friends and loved ones. Let us know if you like this arrangement. By the way, we still have copies of the special “ This Thing Called Christianity” issue. This issue is packed from cover to cover with attrac tive presentations of the claims of Jesus Christ. Price is just 25c each or five copies for $1, postpaid.
teaching made clearer, easier, and more inspir ing through Gospel Light "Correctly Graded” Les sons. These are typical:
DAYTON, OHIO— "Your mate rials aremost excellent—beautiful and scripturally sound.” ANACORTES, WASH. — "Our attendance has more than doubled, we give credit to your material.” NEW YORK CITY— ". . . our Sunday School won five TV Bible quiz contests since studying Gos pel Light Lessons.” SPENARD, ALASKA— ". . . we find a new life throughout our Sunday School.” UDORN, THAILAND — " . . . children are learning the solid facts of Christianity.” KEESEVILLE, N. Y — "I like your material because it is Christ—and Bible-centered.” W ILMORE, KENTUCKY — "Your literature is absolutely the finest on the market.” Gospel Light Lessons can re vitalize your Sunday School 1. Gospel Light Lessons teach the whole Bible, adapted to the language and experience of the individual pupil. 2. When the course of study is con cluded, the pupil has received a com plete Bible course. 3. The lessons are "child concerned” making the teaching very personal. 4. As in public school, lessons are graded for each year, which provides a gradual teaching program geared to the ever-changing needs of the pupil. See For Yourself— Go to your nearest Christian bookstore or write direct for information. ¡ GOSPELLIGHTPRESS If 1214 S. Brand Blvd. Glendale 4, Calif. V 65 Central Ave. Mound, Minnesota PLEASE SEND FREE FO LD ER - Dept
giving complete details on Gos pel Light Lessons and a chart on “How To Organize Your Sun day School."
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Name------------------------------------------------ Address_______________________________ City___________________ Zone___ State___ Position in S.S. or Church-------------------------------------- Church-----------------------------------------------
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BIOLA Summer Conferences
MOUNT HERMON, CALIF. AUGU S T 19th to 26th
The following speakers will be featured: Dr. Louis T. Talbot, Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland, Dr. Clyde Narramore (prominent Christian psychologist), Mr. Dick Hillis o f Orient Crusades (just back from Formosa), and Mr. Al Sanders. Mrs. Al Sanders will be at the organ and Dr. Gordon Hooker will be at the piano. Other features o f special music will be heard throughout the week. For reservations write: Mount Hermon Association, Mount Hermon, Calif. Make your summer a complete one this year! For a memorable and very enjoyable experience participate in the Biola Bible Conference at the beautiful, rustic Mount Hermon Conference Grounds deep in the heart o f the Redwood country. Dr. Louis T. Talbot, Chancellor o f Biola, opens the Conference on Sunday at 3:00 P.M. in a mass meeting on a prophetic sub ject. Services at night begin with a singspiration and there will be broadcasts o f the Bible Institute Hour originating on the grounds to be taped Sunday, Monday and Tuesday afternoons.
Dr. Talbot
Mr. Hillis
Dr. Sutherland
Dr. Narramore
BIOLA CAMPUS CARAVAN For almost half a century the Bible Institute o f Los Angeles has served the local churches particularly in the Pacific Coast area by training their young people for Christian work. Biola is now entering into another phase o f service by taking the Biola Classroom into local churches strategically lo cated in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. This summer the faculty o f the Biola Bible College and Talbot Theological Seminary will be ministering in Bible Conferences in a dozen churches in the beautiful Northwest. Any pastor interested in having the Biola Campus Caravan come to his church during the month o f August, write to:
Rev. Kenneth B. Daniels, Director Biola Summer Conference Program 558 South Hope Street Los Angeles 17, California
IN CHRIST IS LIFE
CHRIST & YOU & POWER
T he Bible says this of Jesus Christ: “ But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” This business of power is a fairly important thing. I had a chance to observe just how im portant it is while driving across Arizona re cently. I had been on a camping trip on the desert south of Gila Bend along the Mexican border. On the way back I swung through the Papago Indian Reservation and at Covered Wells stopped to chat with Felix Ramon who used to run the trading post there. Felix is a delightful person and often his soft guitar play ing adds enchantment to the desert evening. From there I drove through Tucson, Phoenix, Wickenburg and home to Hollywood. Just west of Wickenburg, U.S. 60 is narrow and winds across rolling hills. I had pulled out into the oncoming lane to pass a car and a truck. For added power I floored the accelerator to get out of the overdrive gear. And as I did the engine on my little ’49 Studebaker stopped. Nothing like this had ever happened in all of the more than 98,000 miles I’d driven this car. It was a frightening experience. Going uphill, in the oncoming traffic lane, with a huge truck and a car blocking your lane — and a dead engine. And traffic has a way of moving rather fast on the desert. The woman driving the car I was attempting to pass saw my predicament and dropped back, permitting me to coast in between her and the truck. I soon found the trouble. The distributor cap had come off and the little 60c rotor dropped out. A dead, power less engine had nearly caused a bad accident and had left me stranded in the desert. And I stayed stranded until I caught a ride back to Wickenburg where I was able to buy the part.
Spiritually our lives are powerless apart from Jesus Christ. Deep within us our soul is strand ed in a wind-swept and lonely desert. W e find ourselves powerless to discover and travel that narrow path that leads to God. But then we are confronted with these simple words with their message of eternal power. “ But as many as re ceived him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” Here is the solution for man’s universal pre dicament. Man alienated from God, lost in the dark slavery of sin is given power from a source outside himself to come to God. This is Chris tianity! Only in Judaism and Christianity does God seek man. All other religions represent man searching for God. This is a wonderful truth. Our seeking and searching is ended. Jesus Christ said, “ I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Through Jesus Christ and through Him only can we have power to come to God. This means we cannot become a Christian by doing good. This means we cannot become a Christian by going to church. W e become Christians by receiving Jesus Christ, that is by believing that He is God and that He died for the sins of the world. When we receive these facts by faith then Jesus Christ gives us power to become the sons of God. Of course you can’t understand it! But you’ve tried other things that haven’t worked and now you’re willing to re ceive Jesus Christ and the power He alone can impart to your struggling, seeking soul. By coming to Him now you are making .that time less transaction of the soul that millions have made before you. And each who has made it has received power to become the son of God. —L.H.
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HOW CHRISTIANITY WORKS
About the. author. J. V. Melchizedec is 35 and lives in Madras State, South India. His father was a convert from Brahmanism to Christianity, a rare thing in India. In this first-hand account Melchizedec tells how he, like his father, found in Christ "a kind of daybreak, a wondrous dawn and hour of revelation and vision."
How I was Apprehended by Christ
D uring my early age I was brought up in Christian nurture and discipline in the schools of Burma and India. I grew in the knowledge of the Bible as the only Word of God and Christ Jesus as the only way of salvation. But at 22, with a certain amount of education, I began to forsake all the ideas of the Christian religion as crude and illogical in the light of modem science and progressive thought. I had lost all hopes about Christ’s virgin birth and the bodily resurrection of our Lord. There was a growing fancy within me to rely more on the verdict of science than on Biblical revelation. I seemed heading swiftly toward skepticism and life had lost all meaning and purpose. I had considered a creature on earth is ushered into existence apparently to eat, grow and reproduce its kind. After that, its life’s part played out, it is swept off the stage by death. Life was but an “ eternal sport” and I was involved in the game by blind chance. Many critical ideas baffled my mind for solution and I found all my preconceived Chris tian ideas had been destroyed. The world appeared to me to be full of injustice, cruelty, greed, hate and other evils, the existence of which logically led me to a strong disbelief in God. For had He truly existed could anything dark or evil ever have flourished? Doubt upon doubt assailed me like black shadows dogging one’s footsteps. I found my self disinterested in religion. The very word became a synonym in my mind for a clever ruse to delude the credulous of the world. I had a good library of books on various subjects and I used to rummage among them during my leisure times. M y mind was full of different
ideologies such as Theosophism, Philosophic Hinduism and Marxism. But nothing offered me any real solace, peace and inner joy. M y mind took on the aspect of turbulent waters. While I was passing through this stage of mental turbulence a striking phrase came to my attention in an article in one of the Chris tian journals published in England. The phrase was God has answered everything in Christ and Christ is God’s answer. T h is phrase brought a flood of light and wonderful relief within my soul and thus opened to me the gate to eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The famous text in St. John 3:16 became a reality: “ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” I found that I was firmly gripped by the supernatural saving hand of our Lord. I saw what I was and what I was not. The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to apprehend the true nature of my fallen condition. He showed me that nothing could meet the longing of my soul until I had come into personal contact with Christ. Thus I, a sinner by nature and practice, became acquainted with God’s holy Son. New desires took possession of me and I wanted to live for and serve the one who had laid down His life on my behalf. His Spirit entered my heart and operated within me. The experience was so real that it was impossible to account for it apart from divine working and purpose. It is enough to say that Christ is a beacon to me of consolation and courage in this dark and dreary world of illusion, sorrow and suffering.
For each real-life, unpublished account of How Christianity Works, The King’s Business w ill pay $10 upon publication. Entries should be under 1,000 words in length and addressed to: How Christianity Works, The King’s Business, 55 8 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, Calif. 12 THE KING'S BUSINESS
by TIMOTHY FETLER
WAYS OUT
The Christian in search o f a victorious life has
F or we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against princi palities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places .” As a born-again Christian you have tasted of the heavenly gift and your eyes have been opened to the marvelous light the world does not see. Yet, enclosed in struggles and defeats, the victorious life seems to remain an unrealizable ideal. You have yearned for great er spiritual realization, for the ca pacity to transcend the state of defeat. Your desire has been to live on a plane of spiritual vitality, to live a challenging, meaningful and victorious life. Yet you are finding it impossible to spontan eously affirm with Paul “ . . . for getting those things which are be hind . . . I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” At times you have thought that this may be your own particular problem, but you have found that most Christians seem to have the same difficulty. On the one hand, conflict and defeat, on the other, complacency and indifference, and you are finding it increasingly im possible to adjust to either of these
opmental laws. Once the Spirit of God has entered the Christian heart, a dynamic development begins. In regard to this development an “ either-or” reasoning (either saint or sinner), may very well lead to discouragement. Often the zeal and devotion of St. Paul, the love and compassion of Christ, are held up to the young C h r istian and the question is asked: “Does your life manifest such a zeal, such a love and such compassion?” Knowing that this is quite unrealistic as far as his actual life is concerned, the young Chris tian tends to isolate these virtues to the plane of theory and abstraction where they are believed in but where they also remain unrelated to actual life. Or, if he does make a serious attempt to relate them he becomes easily discouraged because of the gap between the actual and the ideal. In dynamic terms, however, the Christian may be able to evaluate his progressive spiritual growth constructively. By understanding that the development necessarily includes both victory and defeat, fluctuations and periods of consola tion, he will retain more stability and singleness of purpose in contin uing on the spiritual path. CONTINUED 13
states. Your soul seems to sense that nothing short of the victorious life will suffice and yet these fruit ful fields still lie beyond. And though sometimes you feel like giving up, you are nevertheless compelled to keep on trying. The Actual and the Ideal Your sense of inadequacy and d is cou ra g em en t has been also sharpened by the continuous con trasting of what you are and of what you should be. As a Chris tian, you are supposed to live a spiritual life of victory; as a human being you find yourself living on a plane of defeat. It becomes in creasingly difficult to relate these two planes realistically and you find yourself gradually living in two different worlds, the one held up for you as a spiritual ideal, and the one you actually find yourself in. An "Either-Or" Reasoning " As evangelical Christians we be lieve that Christians cannot be de veloped, they are bom. It is a case of “ either-or” and could be defined as a static notion. However, it is also important to understand that all life, including the spiritual, grows according to dynamic devel
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3 ways out
has used to keep him in bondage. The Discrepancy in Theory and Practice The average young Christian sel dom understands this and is fur ther confused by the discrepancy he finds between his continuous failings and the victorious life con stantly held up to him as a norm. Realizing that he is living a dual istic life, he withdraws into his own shell to fight his battles alone, and joins the group in their for mal and conventional religious ex pressions. These have a certain value for him, giving him a feel ing of group solidarity, but they often do not reflect realistically the true inner states of the individual members. With this, true Christian fellowship is broken, for communi cation on a meaningful spiritual level becomes impossible. Superfi cial communication is maintained, but the main element in “ Koino- nia” (Christian fellowship as un derstood in the early church) is lost. The resulting state of hypocrisy and superficiality has to be resolved. The solution, the attempt to inte grate the conflicting elements, may come in one of three ways: Three Ways Out DEAD ORTHODOXY. By developing a theology of complacency which avoids any spiritual travail man is encouraged to accept his lack of spiritual vitality. Any travail of the soul is interpreted as a lack of faith. This amounts to accept ing defeat as normal and leads in time to dead orthodoxy character ized by formalism, legalism and verbalism. Actually struggle in all life is inevitable, and even the Christian is faced with much of it. The struggles he faces, however, are meaningful and supported by faith, while those of the non-Chris tian are meaningless. It is not the tragedies of life themselves which are so significant as the attitudes with which they are accepted, the act of faith which in cheerful obe-
Total Commitment or Compromise? Out of this practical problem two main attitudes seem to emerge. On the one hand there are those who, having been powerfully tested by God, come out triumphantly and proclaim: Christianity is an “ either- or,” a total commitment and has no place for compromise. On the other hand, you have those who, faced with the impos sibility of living victoriously, feel compelled to advocate theological or practical modifications to this “ all or nothing” emphasis, if for no other reason than to escape the dualistic and hypocritical implica tions resulting from the conflict be tween belief and practice. And in the middle, we find our young Christian, anxious ■to live victori ously, yet, often finding it impos sible to move beyond Romans 7, finally accepting a solution which falls short of the victory ideal. The Functioning of Man's Inner Life God created man with a soul, an inner part which, like all organ isms, must he fed. The soul can not exist in a vacuum, hut must receive food from one of two pos sible sources: 1) The Spirit of God; 2) The Spirit of this world. These two spirits are engaged in mortal combat, and it is man himself who decides which source of nourish ment he will prefer. Now, the only way the Spirit of God can feed the soul is when man of his own free will renounces the food offered his soul by the Spirit of the world, which usually hap pens only after he has learned to recognize the destructive conse quences of this spirit and its sin ful nature. The answer to the Spir it of the world is not a legalistic sum of “ don’ts,” but is related to anything at all that has the poten tial of intruding between man and God. Conversely, if man is domi nated by the Spirit of God, there are many legalistic group “ don’ts” which do not apply to him if he is sensitive and willing to accept
About the Author Timothy Fetler is head of the philoso phy department at the Biola Bible College in Los Angeles and minister of music at the First Baptist Church in Fullerton. The son of an exiled Bussian missionary, he is a composer, conductor and linguist, speaking five languages fluently. He holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern Univ., is working on a second Ph.D. at USC and has taught at both of these universities. Other articles by Dr. Fetler include: “ C h ristian A p o lo g e t ic s and Modem Thought” (T he K ing ’ s B usiness , Septem ber 1953), “ Tozer, A Prophet for our Times” {His, December 1954), “ The Agnostic and Christ” (T he K ing ’ s B usi ness , August 1955), “ Beality and Christ” (T he K ing ’ s B usiness , March 1956). the guidance of the Spirit. Many spiritual people are led, however, to accept some of these group “ don’ts” for the sake of group sol idarity, quite apart from their spir itual implications. A total commitment to God has to be made, but an understanding of the full meaning of a total com mitment is seldom possible without some development by which man is thoroughly exposed to the limita tions of his own efforts. The will not being totally committed, how ever, throws man back on his own resources and insures his defeat, for God gives sufficient strength to meet any temptation only upon the total commitment o f the will, which in practice means doing all that is within man’s own potential to avoid sin. This total commitment does not defeat sin, but is the necessary prerequisite for sufficient power from God to insure victory over sin. Not that man will not fail occasionally, but he will be given victory over his particular besetting sin which has con s titu ted his “ Achilles’ heel,” and which Satan
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it. For the true Christian suffers as much from broken fellowship with God, as he enjoys moments of spiritual consolation. Through all this he will learn that the victorious Christian life is not a myth, but depends on the actual state of the surrendered will. Many Christians think they are surrendered, but are proven wrong whenever temptation strikes. God, however, never fails to honor an actually surrendered will with the necessary grace to meet any situa tion. The work of the Spirit is primarily an unconscious process, leading and molding man into the image of Christ. But sooner or later, this unconscious process man ifests itself in new desires and in certain conscious effects, of which the most common are: a desire for prayer, a desire to study the Word, a desire to witness and a need for Christian fellowship. A recent study by Dr. Ernest White ( The Chris tian L ife and. the Unconscious, Harpers) makes an excellent at tempt to analyze this process. Spiritual Transparency This in turn will lead to a state of spiritual transparency, to “Koin- onia,” to fellowship and communi ca tion on a meaningful level. Christians will not be afraid to share their victories or defeats, for love, not fear, will be dominant. “ If thine eye be single, thy body shall he full of light,” said Jesus. You will be simple, transparent and in genuine fellowship with man and God. “ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” The issue is clear; which will it be? The Spirit of God, or the Spirit of the world? “ 7 call heaven and earth to wit ness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse: there fore choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed.” END.
Holy Spirit. This leading of the Holy Spirit is the only antidote against an impossible burden, the attempt to live a victorious Chris tian life in the face of the over whelming impact of the Spirit of the world. When this spiritual element has been lost, however, the young Christians often welcome this lib eral solution as an opportunity to give vent to pent:up resentments against existing hypocritical situa tions. Of course, in this case inte gration of belief and practice is not achieved until the young Chris tian is in the liberal camp. For as long as the doctrinal core is ortho dox, it will conflict sharply with the standards of natural man. This is the general pattern in which most Christian schools have actual ly developed, from orthodoxy to liberalism. SPIRITUAL ORTHODOXY. As we have already seen Christians are bom, not made. But once regeneration has occurred the development of the victorious life depends on the re sponse of man to the indwelling Holy Spirit. This will lead to a daily challenge of total surrender (I die daily), to a realization that trials, temptations and even fail ings, though sometimes unavoid able, should never become norms for compromise, but rather, means by which man’s dependence on God is strengthened. This could be furthered by a Christian fellow ship of such an open nature that it would strengthen man’s desire to have any broken fellowship with God restored as soon as possible. For close Christian fellowship is always conducive to spiritual res toration. It leads to the insight that discouragement in itself is sin which Satan constantly uses to de feat the children of God. It teaches that man can learn as much from failings as from victories; the first provides him with negative, the second with positive, verifications concerning the reality of the Spir
dience accepts the cross. The theol ogy of complacency, however, tries to avoid spiritual endeavor. The Christian has to develop some way or other, but the “ growing process” is interpreted in terms of the in crease in amount of intellectual doctrinal knowledge. This process, may sooner or later lead to doc trinal clashes on unessentials, since the inner life of the Spirit and the absolutely essential qualities of love and humility have not de veloped p r o p o r t io n a lly . “ And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing” (1 Cor. 13:2). Smug ness, bigotry and pharisaism are often the results. Of course, a basic doctrinal core is absolutely essential to evangeli cal Christianity. There is always, however, a point in the intellec tual analysis of doctrine beyond which the spiritually sensitive per son will be afraid to venture dog matically realizing its unproduc tive and destructive potential. The revolt against this dead orthodoxy in turn leads to liberalism. Histor ically the sequence has always run from spiritual orthodoxy to dead orthodoxy to liberalism. LIBERALISM. By accepting the Spir it of the world as normative, an attempt is made to use the social sciences, psychology and sociology, to explain away feelings of guilt as being results of wrong religious conditioning. Of course, psychology has done a lot to enlighten man’s conscience on a naturalistic level, and to free man from much mean ingless and often harmful condi tioning. However, psychology deals exclusively with statistical surveys of behavior patterns found in un regenerate natural man and knows nothing of the reality of the Spirit. However, it is the born-again man who is led on many vital issues in terms of pleasing or grieving the
JUNE, 1956
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it is a privilege to wonder, to stand in delighted silence before the Su preme Mystery and whisper, “ O Lord God, thou knowest!” The pitiable attempt of church men to explain everything for the smiling unbeliever has had an ef fect exactly opposite to that which was intended. It has reduced wor ship to the level of the intellect and introduced the rationalistic spirit into the wonders of religion. No one should be ashamed to ad mit that he does not know, and no Christian should fear the effect of such a confession in the realm of things spiritual. Indeed the very power of the cross lies in the fact that it is the wisdom of God and not the wisdom of man. The day we manage to explain everything spiritual will be the day that we have (for ourselves) d e s t r o y e d everything divine. Let it he known that in this mat ter the Christian is definitely not on the defensive. Let the wise of this world insist that we Christians explain our faith and they put into our hand a sword with which we can put them to headlong flight. W e have but to turn and ask them to explain this world and we shall see how confused they can become. Jesus said on one occasion, “ If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” If we are compelled to explain, so are they, and we both do a poor job of it, for mystery lies all about us from the atom to the soul of man, and all any of us can do is to bow and say, “ O Lord God, thou know est.” Probably David lying on his back on the green meadow at night, brooding over the mystery of the moon and the stars and the little ness of man in the total scheme of things, worshiping the God who had made him only a little lower than the angels, was a truer man than the astronomer who in his high pride weighs and measures the heavenly bodies. Yet the astronomer need not despair. If he will humble himself and confess his deep inward need, the God of David will teach him how to worship, and by so do ing will make him a greater man than he could ever have been other wise. END.
''They fear nothing so much as to appear to be in doubt about anything.”
Make Room for Mystery by A. W . T ozer
S o finely are the lines of truth drawn, so delicately are the scales of wisdom balanced, that it is not a wonder that some tender- minded Christians become confused and adopt a discouraged attitude toward the Word of God. The beginner in Christ will not have read long in the Scriptures till he comes upon passages that appear to contradict each other. He may check the various versions or, if he is fortunate enough to read the Scriptures in the original languages, he may consult all the lexicons and still be forced to acknowledge the contradiction. As far as he can see it is there and there is no avoiding it. Now what? Well, he may do one of several things. He may, for instance, quit in despair and conclude that he can never understand the Bible and that there is no use to try; or he may worry over the contradictory pas sages until he gets himself into a dangerous state of mind; or (and this is the worst of all) he may con sult some of the rationalistic-ortho dox theologians who in fancied near-omniscience presume to re solve all Biblical difficulties with a wave of their typewriter. This last is sure to he fatal to true spiritual ity, for the whole heart attitude of these expositors is wrong and they cannot but lead their d i s c i p l e s astray. They belong to that class of persons mentioned by Cicero, who “ fear nothing so much as to appear to be in doubt about anything.” They proceed on the false assump tion that everything in heaven and earth can he explained. Nothing could be more glaringly false. Far better than the attempt to understand is the humility that admits its ignorance and waits quietly on God for His own light to
appear in His own time. W e will be better able to understand when we have accepted the ' humbling truth that there are many things in hea ven and earth that we shall never be able to understand. It will be good for us to accept the universe and take our place in the mighty web of God’s creation so perfectly known to Him and so slightly known to even the wisest of men. “ The meek will he guide in judg ment: and the meek will he teach his way.” To those who have (unintention ally) degraded their conception of God to the level of their human understanding it may appear fright ening to admit that there are many things in the Scriptures and more things about the godhead that tran scend the human intellect. But a few minutes on our knees looking into the face of Christ will teach us humility, a virtue whose healing qualities have been known by God’s elect from time out of mind. Coleridge gave it as his consid ered belief that the profoundest sentence ever uttered by human lips was the spontaneous cry of the prophet Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones when asked by the Lord whether those bones could live: “ And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.” Had Ezekiel an swered yes or no he would have closed off his heart to the mighty mystery which confronted him and would have missed the luxury of wonder in the presence of the Ma jesty on high. For never forget that
About the Author Mr. Tozer is the pastor of a Christian & Mis sionary Alliance church in Chicago and editor of "The Alliance Weekly." This article is in cluded in "The Root of the Righteous," Chris tian Publications, Inc., Harrisburg, Pa.
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