June, 1940
TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
202
Around the King s Table E D I T O R I A L By Members of the Faculty of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles
mark, Dutch East Indies, England, Francé, Germany, Greece, Greenland (Danish Colony), Holland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Rpssia, Sweden, and Turkey. The page, heavily freighted with news of the Asiatic and European holocaust, covers America in eight items: Presi- •dential primary in California, Red Prop aganda in Hollywood films,. the Presi dent’s billion dollar W. P. A. fund, ill ness of the San Francisco mayor, in crease of the - United States Navy, a blizzjjifad in Colorado, rain in Chicago, and sr hew lemon scent perfume in th e. printer’s ink giving a novel advertising appeal. What a contrast! Bill Henry, columnist and commenta-- tor on the Los Angeles Times staff, closed a recent luncheon address before one hundred.men with these significant words, “I would not bet fifteen cents that America •will not be in the war before the year is over.” The fulfill ment of this suggestion-is certainly not in keeping with the wishes of those who are Christian. Every right-thinking man views with dread the prospect of the suffering that war entails. Arid American participation in war would rapidly change the tenor of America’s news items. We are not yet out of the days the Son of Man had in mind when He said, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see (hat ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and k i n g d o m against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earth quakes, in divers places.” —Kenneth M. Monroe.
ed much, and rightly so, have failed; and because of this fact, some have turned aside from allegience to their Lord. In this connection we do well to remind ourselves of such Scriptures as 2 Timothy 2:13, R.V.: “If we are faith less, he abideth faithful,” and Jeremiah 2:5: “What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me?” and again, Micah 6:3: “O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.” We can tes tify against others, but never against Him, and He is the One we are to follow, not others. Doubtless many people would have great burdens lifted from their souls, many would be living lives of joy and usefulness if, in spite of the faithless ness and failures of others, they would constantly heed this word of our Lord, “What is that to.thee? follow thou me.” —John A. Hubbard. A Shrinking World This old world is certainly shrinking! The significant events of every nation are published in the larger cities of the civilized world the same day on which they transpire. Almost before the smoke of battle clears in the Trond heim region in Norway, the newsboy is shouting, “Extra! Extra!” at the corner of Seventh and Broadway in Los An geles. On the front page of a recent Los Angeles paper, comments were made in volving diplomatic conflict or actual war in the following nations and colo nial possessions: Belgium, Canada, Den-
The Believer’s Chief Concern "If 1 will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me” (John 21:22). The Lord Jesus had just revealed the fact that Peter would suffer martyr dom. At that point, Peter saw John and asked the Lord, "Wha&dfejhall this man do?” In reply Jesus' spoke the words used above: “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.” Of course, this instruction does not mean;,that we are to be indifferent to the course and fate of others, but the thing <>f supreme importance is that at all costs we are to obediently follow Him, regardless of what others may be called upon to do or may choose to do themselves. We are to follow Him in the line of service to which Hé calls, regardless of what others may be called to do. Believers are members of the body of Christ and h a v e différent functions, just as members of the human body havël Thé service of one may be’ seem ingly easy, ours very hard. The min istry of others may seemingly be large and fruitful, ours small and apparently barren, but the word of our Lord comes to us, “What is that to thee ? follow thou me,” and, obediently following in His service, we may find that what He accomplishes through us is far more fruitful than was apparent at first. This fact is illustrated by the more or less familiar story of a company of church officers who were waiting on their pastor and in the spirit of com plaint were calling his attention to the fact that during the whole year only one person was converted in the Church, “and that only a boy,” The dear old pastor was almost broken-hearted as he confessed, “Yes, only one saved, and that only a boy.” But that boy was none other than Robert Moffatt, whom God wonderfully used in later years as a missionary in Africa, and 'whose in fluence for missions is still going on. We are called upon to follow Christ faithfully in the circumstances In which He places us, regardless of the circum stances of others. Other people may be rich and have much; we may be poor and have little. They may be popular and we little known, but again we hear Him saying to us, “What is that to thee? follow thou me.” We are to follow Him faithfully re gardless of the failures of others. In this respect many have been caused to stumble. Those of whom they expect
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“Your hoar is come!” A dictator may road his men with this Drospect of conquest. He may ride reck lessly o v e r t h e right* of others. But “THY hour is come,” will before long be the Father's word to His beloved S o u , whose right it is to r e i g n . come. Lord. Jesus.’ 9
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