1 9 3 4
MARCH
She Bible Tamil# 3Ha#a^ine PUBLISHED BY THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES
Courtesy Aggeler and Musser Seed Co.
S P R I N G
“ As rays of light from yonder sun The flow’rs of earth set free, So life and light and love come forth From Christ living in me.”
Prophetic Hour on KFI LOU IS T. TALBOT Pastor-Teacher
THIS BROADCAST IS SOLELY SUPPORTED BY THE FREE-WILL OFFERINGS OF G O D 'S PEOPLE
L O U IS T. T A L B O T President Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Pastor Church of the Open Door.
O his thousands of friends scat tered over the United States and Canada, President Louis T . Talbot of Bible Institute of Los Angeles, announces an important Radio broadcast to be known as “ THE PRO PHETIC H O U R .” These messages will deal with current events reverently interpreted in the light of Scriptural prophecy and will be of national importance. A series of preliminary talks on this subject has recently been deliv ered by President Talbot over a local station (KM PC ). It aroused so much interest on the Pacific Coast that Mr. Talbot has felt that such messages would, if extended in range, subserve a national need among Christians. Be sure to listen in and tell your friends to join you. The talks delivered on this broadcast will be arranged in printed form and mailed to those desiring them, who will send their names and addresses to the address below. EACH S U N D A Y AFTERNOON (BEGIN NING FEBRUARY 2 5 ) from 3 :0 0 to 3 :30 Pacific Standard Time; 4 :0 0 to 4 :3 0 Mountain Standard Time; 5 :0 0 to 5 :3 0 Central Standard Time; 6 :0 0 to 6 :3 0 , Eastern Standard Time. For Daylight Saving Time, reckon accordingly. This broadcast is a FAITH WORK and its maintenance will depend upon the prayers and gifts of GOD ’S STEWARDS everywhere. If you receive a blessing from these talks, help us to extend their influence. LOU IS T. TALBOT, President BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES. 558 SOUTH HOPE ST., LOS ANGELES. CALIF.
Radio messages reach the siek.
Sunday real at sea.
On invisible wings they reach tropic isles.
They penetrate the lone liest desert.
Are heard under the Northern lights.
pass or keys.
Are heard in churches at home.
Ships at sea provide an audience.
Travelers hear ra d io messages.
“ But What • Have You Done for His House?” A dear child of God sent us a letter so thought-provoking that we must pass it on to others of His true children: Herewith is check to be used as the Lord directs among His people “ according to the flesh.” I have been greatly concerned about “ my house” and resting on Acts 16:31, I have been praying for the individual members. The other evening, your advertisement caught my attention and immediately it came to me—“ But what have you done for His house?” I trust it may be my privilege to be greatly concerned about “ His house” from this time forth “ until He come.” Surely the Holy Spirit works today. How else can you explain His leading, one by one, just such saints of God to see the need and place of Israel, “His House” in these last days o f grace? And whát about His House? It lies desolate, and Israel cannot see Him again until they shall say, “ Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lordl” Some day He will lead you, too, to ask yourself, “What have I done for His House?” Then remember that we are here, your servants in behalf o f that Jewish remnant, ac cording to the election of grace, that is to be saved into the Church before He comes. Our work merits your every con- fidence. Our field is not. only the 2,000,000 Jews o f New York but the 4,000,000 Jews of America. And through co-operating missionaries we aré represented, and our Yid dish publications are being distri buted, in all the important Jewish centers of the world. In America, Branches are being established in the larger cities as the Lord gives us the means "and the workers. Your help and prayers are always needed. “The Chosen People,” loved by many Bible students for its helpful information on Proph ecy and the Jews, is sent to all con tributors. May we hear from you? • American Board of Missions to the Jews Inc. 31 Throop Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. Ask for our free booklet, “ Jewish Mission Annuity Bonds.” ,
SheSihle Tamili*3tta$a^ine Motto: “ Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood .’’— R ev . 1 :5.
Volume X X V
March, 1934
Number 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS Around the King’s Table— Louis T. Talbot...................... -..................83 The Power o f the Resurrection—John Bunyan Smith.........................85 A Day o f Vision and Victory—Albert Hughes................................... 86 An Easter Sunrise in Church Song—Herbert G. Tovey.................. 89 The Mastership o f Christ—William Evans..........................................90 ^ The Great Red Dragon and the Woman’s Child— in 1934 BBgi-Louis S. Bauman.................. .................................................. ........93 Girls’ Query Corner—Myrtle E. Scott................. .............................. 96 Bible Institute Family Circle.....................................................................97 Our Literature Table.................................................................................. 99 Junior King’s Business—Martha S.Hooker........................................ 101 In the Jewish World—J. A . Vaus.........................................................103 Biola at Work in “ Jerusalem” and “ Samaria” ......................................104 International Lesson Commentary......................................................... 106 Notes on Christian Endeavor— Mary G.Goodner..............................116 Helps for Preachers and Teachers— Paul Prichard................... p.....121 Daily Devotional Readings...................................................................... 123
I N F O R M A T I O N
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POLICY AS D EFIN ED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TH E B IB LE INSTITU TE OF LOS A N G ELES (a) To stand for the infallible Word of God and its great fundamental truths, (b) To strengthen the faith of all believers, (c) To stir young men and women to fit themselves for and engage in definite Christian work, (d) To make the Bible Institute of Los Angeles known, (e) To magnify God our Father and the person, work and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; and to teach the transforming power ,of the Holy Spirit in our present practical life, (f) To emphasize in strong, constructive messages the great foundations of Christian faith. 558 So. Hope St., BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Los Angeles, California
i
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From a Sunday-school w orker: “ Have received T he K ing ' s B usiness for a year, and.found its lesson exposition so superior for the adult student that I had no trouble persuading the stewards to place it in the Sunday- school for 1934.” Used in pastoral calls: “ I enclose check for $10.00, for which I wish you would send me twenty subscriptions to T he K ing ’ s B usiness . I believe it is an extremely valuable magazine. In fact, it has greatly, im proved of late. My thought is that it would be well for me to receive twenty copies a month, which I could place in the homes of my people as I make my pastoral calls.” From a Washington clergyman: “ I am enclosing my check for $22.50 for forty-four sub scriptions, two of them forefgn, in accord with the offer you extended some little time ago. I have just announced the offer from my pulpit. I wish to know whether the club can be renewed in the same way.” From a Kansas reader: “ I am just in receipt of your February [1934] number, and oh, it is like the wine that Jesus made at the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee—your last seems best. Thank God for so many able writers . . . . Thank you for such a soul feast as your February number gives.”
“ The whole paper is well edited and attractive and invites reading when one is tired. That is quite necessary for us mis sionaries, as we often get to our reading only when tired and ready for bed. If a magazine is long and weighty, it is likely to fall out of our hands unread. Another feature that we appreciate is the fact that your notes on the Sunday-school lessons come out a~month ahead, and bring us their help in time. Some of us have to translate helps into Spanish for our people and must do so several weeks ahead of the Sunday for which the lesson is pre pared. Many valuable helps are worthless to us because they come too late.** From a Honolulu reader : “ For years it [ T he K ing ' s B usiness ] has been a great source of blessing in our home. . . . We should not want to be without it.” From an Ohio club organizer: “ It might be of interest to you to know that these subscrip tions, together with those I sent several weeks ago, were secured principally because of the articles on prophecy. The people in this section are hungry for prophetic teaching. It is a pity more of our evangelical ministers do not realize this.” From a Washington reader : “ I enjoy your magazine and am satisfied it does the King*'s business.*’
Far more important than the remarkable increase in circulation is the testimony of readers as they tell of the ministry'of T h e K in g ’ s B usiness in their own lives and service. The offer of club prices for subscriptions, appearing opposite page 128 of this issue, is an opportunity requiring immediate decision.
March, 1934
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
83
c Around the King’s ‘Tables B y L ouis T . T albot
ETÆST r£H_
The Resurrection of Christ in Relation to the Promises of God
^T* hese are days when the people o f God have opportu- X nity for learning the worth o f the many promises that are given in His Word. There are promises for every experience that a person can have as he journeys on his life’s pilgrimage, and there are assurances that give a hope beyond the grave. For every need, God’s Word is sufficient. W e are now approaching the
the number o f promises in the Word o f God exceeds six teen thousand. There are promises for life, for death, for the time o f sorrow or perplexity.' There are promises of - forgiveness, o f enduement, o f immortality. And the resur rection means that the Son of God guarantees the worth o f all these pledges, and that Christians can rest upon these
promises as being absolutely truejjl-a i? I have in my possession an in- 7* A- surance policy. It is beautifully A* * embossed. Its first sentence be gins, “ W e promise to pay . , . , ” and then there is a sum o f money named. But alas, as a result of the depression and financial col lapse, the policy is not as valuable as the paper which carries the promise, for the firm issuing the policy has failed utterly. The promises will never be realized. The promises o f God. are not o f that kind. Christ is pur assur ance of their validity, “ For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen” (2 Cor. 1 :20). If there was ever a time when - the people o f God had -opportu nity to put God to the test, it i s . the present moment. [This is the day when God is allowing us to verify in our own experience the promises which we have been con fidently preaching for many years. Recently I received a letter
time when the thought o f the world is centered upon the great est event that ever took place— the resurrection o f Christ. That event was not only the greatest but also the most glorious and most hopeful in all o f history. Calvary was the scene o f the darkest hour the world has ever known. When the body o f the Son o f God was withdrawn from the cross and placed in the tomb o f Joseph o f Arimathea, hope died in many hearts. If the seals upon that tomb had remained un broken, death would have -been for all men an endless separation from God, and all the promises for this life would have been an nulled. But we can say with the Apostle Paul, “ Now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep,” and we can sing in tri umph : “ Because He lives, I too shall live.” . But how is the resurrection of Christ connected with the prom ises o f God? The connection is th is : T h e W o r d o f G od is proved to be true. For hundreds o f years before Christ rose, it was prophesied that He would rise after His crucifixion. The psalm ist foretold this event, as did
A ll Glory to the Risen King! B y R obert C rum ly -
“ He humbled himself,~and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:8, 9). All glory to .the risen King, All glory and all praise! Let earth His exaltation sing In glad, triumphant lays; For He who suffered in our stead Hath bruised the cruel serpent?s head, And lit the caverns o f the dead With life’s eternal rays. When from high heaven He came to bear Our grief , our guilt, our doom, A dying race hung with Him there In dark Golgotha’s gloom; A; id when they bore Him from the tree, Our cherished dream of victory — Our hope of immortality — Went with Him to the tomb. But, lo!— that tomb could not confine The Christ, whose light shall blaze ■ With truth and love and life divine Through all the coming days! Then let a song of triumph ring, While angel choirs join in to sing: ALL GLORY TO THE RISEN KING, ALL GLORY AND ALL PRAISE.
from a woman who told me that the savings o f twenty years had been swept away; but she added that now for the first time she could pray from the heart and in reality: “ Give me this day my daily bread.” The prayer which, in days gone by, had consisted only of words, had become a living force to her") 3 - x i /$//•> tX I f this issue of the King’s Business finds you similarly situated, with increasingly great problems to be solved, re member that God has given the thousands o f promises in His Word for just such an hour as this, and that the resur rection o f Christ guarantees the worth o f all o f them. Christ is risen; therefore the Word o f God is true. You can rest upon God’s promises in absolute confidence.-frL.T.T. Band Number Four, and two of its members in particular, Mr. Lin and-Mr. Hu. Dr. Keller writes: The December report o f this band has just come to hand, and we feel sure that you will be cheered and in spired by two o f the many experiences which are reported. One evening, two men dropped ,in for the evening service at the band headquarters, a Mr. Tsou, seventy years o f age, and a Mr. Tu, fifty-five years of age. These
Isaiah and Daniel and other prophets. Christ Himself also stated that He would rise (John 2:19, 21, cf. Matt. 2 7 :62- 64). Now if Christ did not rise, then those prophecies were not true. But if He is risen from the dead, then they are not only true, but they also guarantee the truth o f all the other promises o f God. What limitless and blessed truth opens for our contemplation! [it has been found that Evangelism in China A letter from Dr. Frank A. Keller, the superintendent o f the Hunan Bible Institute, the China department o f the Bible Institute o f Los Angeles, contains in teresting informtaion which should be shared with the readers o f the King’s Business. The letter concerns the work of one o f .the Biola Evangelistic Bands, known as
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men 'were greatly interested in the service and tarried after . the close o f the meeting. Mr. Lin and a colleague, Mr. Hu, seeing the interest o f the men, gave them special attention and sought to lead them to a definite acceptance o f Jesus Christ. Later, the two inquirers attended the evening service regularly every evening, and finally came to a position of definite faith in Jesus Christ. They then asked our evangelists to go to their homes and preach the gospel to their families and neighbors. Mr. Lin and Mr. Hu were very glad to go. The seventy-year-old gentleman invited many of his neighbors to come into his home, and the room was quite filled when the evangelists arrived. They report that the meeting in that home seemed to them like the experience Peter must have had in the home of Cornelius I Another very touching experience was that o f a Mrs. T ’an, a woman sixty years of age, who was working as a servant in one of the homes in which Mr. Lin and Mr. . Hu visited. As the evangelists were telling the gospel story to the members o f the family, Mrs. T ’an also heard and seemed especially impressed. When the evangelists had completed their message, she exclaimed: “I truly realize that I am a great sinner, but today I have heard from you o f the saving grace of Jesus, that all who believe in Him will, be saved from sin and from its bitter results and will obtain eternal life. From this moment, I put my trust in Him.” She stood with the evangelists, confessing her sins, declaring her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and joining with them in prayer. When the evangelists made subsequent visits to this home to help the inquirers in their new life, the employer of Mrs. T ’an testified to the fact o f her earnestness in prayer and of her growth in grace. Not long after her conversion, she went to be with the Lord. What a joy it is to Mr. Lin and Mr. Hu to have been used of God as His messengers to bring this precious news of salvation with convincing power to Mrs. T ’an, when she was so near to the end o f her earthly pilgrimage. Having received at the Hunan Bible Institute a thor ough training in the Word o f God and in practical methods o f personal work, the members o f the Biola Evangelistic Bands are being used o f God in a remarkable way to the salvation o f many o f their countrymen. This work "in China should have the prayer support o f every missionary- hearted Christian.— L. T . T. The Church in Germany AVSTT hat is to be the future of the churph of Christ in L \ \ Germany, since she is face to face with the regime that,has come in with Hitler? What is the estimate that is to be placed upon this strange figure that has arisen in that land ? In the first place, it is clearly evident that Germany was faced with Bolshevism. In a recent article on Ger many, Ernest Gordon says: The church was slated for martyrdom; lists of the victims were drawn up. In the impact between the two conflicting parties, there was crashing and grinding and much suffering therefrom, and one cannot wonder at the gratitude of those who escaped a worse fate at the hands , of the Reds. Hitler is to be commended for preventing an orgy of bloodshed and destruction, the object o f which would have _ a great degree o f liberty throughout all these centuries? Here is found a great difference of opinion. There are multitudes o f the German people who believe that Hitler is their saviour, and well they may look at it from this standpoint when they recall that they were slated for -martyrdom. On the other hand, grave fears have been created that Dr. Muller, who is the chosen bishop o f the Nazi govern ment, is seeking to make the church absolutely subservient to the state. There is also the fear that Dr. Muller’s ex pressed purpose indicates that he might so limit the free dom o f the church that it will scarcely be given the liberty
which is necessary to preach the gospel o f Christ un hindered. There are some two thousand clergy who have formally protested against the seemingly tyrannical and revolution ary revision o f the church’s constitution, and it is evident that there are also multitudes o f German Christians who have a like mind. There are in Germany today, stalwart souls who are willing to pay any price that may be de manded o f them in order to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. They have openly and persist ently declared that they will not be subjected to the de crees o f the Hitler government as outlined by Dr. Muller, and that it is their purpose to stand for religious liberty at whatever cost. Among these is Dr. Karl Barth, who, while his theology is not fully evangelical in its outlook, is yet so opposed to this new order that he hurls.his defi ance at the present government in the following words: My rejoinder is an absolute NO without reserve to both the spirit and the letter of this teaching. It has no abiding place in the evangelical church. I f it prevails, it will end the Christian church. Better that the church be reduced to a little group and go back to the catacombs. With this conviction o f the necessity for freedom for the church, I most thoroughly agree.-isfRALPH C. N orton . The Time Is Short T he greatest revival o f the twentieth century took place on the Ivory Coast in Africa, when God raised up William Harris, a colored man, to be a prophet. He had only one message: “ Repent and believe the gospel.” In a period o f only three months, 100,000 lost souls accepted Christ and were born into the kingdom o f God. William Harris told the converts to build churches, to place a Bible on the pulpit, and to wait for the coming o f the white men, who would teach them the way o f God more perfectly. Harris disappeared, feeling that his ministry had been rendered. A delegation from England came to the Ivory Coast to investigate conditions. The men arrived in a village at midnight, they were escorted to the church, and they found it filled with people who listened patiently, while the white man, with the aid o f a candle, expounded the Word through an interpreter. The delegation searched for W il liam Harris, and at last found him in a hut, possessing only a robe, a staff, arid a Bible. They asked questions, but William Harris had only one statement to make, and this was the declaration: “ But this I say, brethren, the time is short” (1 Cor. 7 :29). ELhe time is short, and Satan is busy. He is the god of this age, the prince o f this world, and “ the whole world lieth in the. evil one.” He comes as an angel p f light to shed abroad false light. He blinds the minds o f the un believing. Xh^tatem pnt accounts for the phenomena of modernismjfSOTan w am /fo Keep men away from the cross. The time is short, and Christ is coming. “ This hope is on almost every page o f the New Testament,” said Shaffer New Testament, every ten minutes as we read we would hear our Lord saying, ‘I ’ll be back some day!’ ’’ ¡Jhe signs o f His coming are multiplying. Surely every scripturally instructed and spiritually minded believer realizes that Christ is coming soon. The time is short, and the night is coining when no man can w o r k .-W ia t we are going to do for God should be done soon j Tms paganTnation o f ours must be evan gelized immediately, and we must bring the gospeLspeedily to the twelve hundred million in the regions beyond who have not heard the good news o f salvation through Christ. —P aul W . R ood .
^ ______J j B ___________ ___ __ been the annihilation o f the people o f God in that lancQ^gMatthews, and, m°this instance we quote with approval However, the question arises: What is to be the future f, this recognized authority among modernists. Some one status o f the church in that land o f Luther, where the T-1*has said: “ I f the teaching on the second Coming were church has been so powerful and where she has had such equally distributed throughout the Old Testament and the
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the ,RESURRECTION
TheTower of
B y JOHN BUNYAN SMITH* San Diego, California
blood and makes the blood separate into red corpuscles and white serum. With what awe and humility we enter into this truth, for John’s careful statement proves that our Lord died o f a broken heart— not from the mere pain of the crucifixion. Did Christ die? All who stood about the cross were convinced. The centurion in charge thought Christ was dead, and thus it was not necessary to break His legs in order to dispatch Him, as in the .case of the two men who were crucified ,with Him. But nevertheless, to make the matter certain and beyond challenge, the spear was thrust into His side. His friends thought Christ was dead. Joseph and
^ h r i s t i a n i t y rests upon three miracles: The Cradle .of Christ. The Cross o f Christ. T h e C o r o n a tio n o f Christ. A t the cradle o f Christ, we behold a supernatural birth. At the cross o f Christ, we
find a supernatural redemption. A t the tomb of Christ, we discover a supernatural res urrection. Easter celebrates this third supernatural fact— our Lord’s resurrection. D id -C hrist D ie ? The fact o f our Lord’s actual death is denied. Men have declared that Christ did not experience death upon the cross, but that He only fainted. In a swoon, He was taken from the cross, carried in to the tomb, and buried while in a state o f sus pended animation. In due time, He was resuscitated by the coolness o f the tomb, and since He had never died on the cross, He' was able of His own accord to escape from the tomb by walking out. Others have declared that the women were halluci nated ; that they had never seen our Lord actually in death; or that they merely thought they had seen Christ alive, and then went and spread the story which His followers ac cepted as a historical fact. Over against such denials, Scripture places four essen tial facts: Christ was crucified. Christ was dead. Christ was buried. Christ arose from among the dead. - Those standing around the cross beheld a broken Man / —His head, His hands, His feet, His side.. The actual cause o f Christ’s physical death was the breaking o f His heart. Christ did not die by the hands o f men. He had declared that no man had power to take from Him His life : “ I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” It was this great act o f self-surrender that took place at Calvary and at the tomb. When His task was finished, “ He gave up the ghost.” He released His Spirit from its house of, clay; He ended His life in the “ likeness o f men” which He-had taken in His virgin birth. Even “ Pilate marveled if he were already dead” (Mk. 15 :44). A faithful eyewitness, John the beloved, testifies to all this. “ But one o f the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water” (John 19:34). A rupture o f the heart causes a release of
N ic od em u s o b ta ined permission to have His, body, .took it down from the cross, and bur ied it. H is enem ies thought Christ was d e a d ; they went a w a y fr om t h e c r o s s fu lly con vinced that H is ea rth ly l i f e had ended”and that He h a d b e e n d u l y buried. D id C hrist R ise ? Jesus had d e - -
dared His own res u r r e c t iom : “ De stroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. . . But he spake o f the temple o f his body.” No event in the Bible is more fully attested than the resurrection of our Lord. Note three out standing proofs. T he R isen C hrist AND THE E mpty T omb The tomb was found empty. Either God raised Christ’s body out o f the tomb or else men stole His body. Who possessed the body o f Jesus? Did His enemies possess it? They rejoiced in His crucifixion and burial and consequently did not desire His body. They bad in sisted that a guard be placed so that His body might remain within the tomb where they knew His friends had buried it. I f His foes had the body o f Jesus when it was declared the tomb was empty, why did they not produce it and thus [Continued on page 120] JO H N T E N E IG H T E E N I fall to trembling when I think o f how H e made the blood-tipped thorns That marred His brow, He made the very cross On which H e died, The cruel, shining steel That pierced His side, And not a man o f all That jeering crew Could draw a breath unless H e willed him to! — M arth a S nell N icholson .
*Pastor, First Baptist Church.
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c A r.Day 0 / VISION
VICTORY
B y ALBERT HUGHES* Toronto, Ontario, Canada ‘ Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord” (John 20:20).
“ 'T p he same day at evening”—this was X the resurrection day, the greatest day in all history. The last week had been a very wild and bewildering one. Scene after scene had come afld gone, leaving the disciples more perplexed than ever. It had been three days since they had seen men kill Jesus Christ, and, assured that He was dead, they had begged His body and bor-J rowed a tomb and lovingly laid Him away. Everything seemed normal up to the close o f the second day. The tomb was closed and sealed, and it remained shut until the Jewish Sabbath was over. Then some one reported that the stone
and tax-gathering. They had expected much from the future, and it seemed really His fault that they looked forward so keenly to those golden opportunities. Through the events at Calvary, the disciples’ expectations had been dashed cruelly to the ground. They had forgotten much that He had told them and consequently entirely misun derstood the purpose o f these happenings. I have no criticism o f them. I am sure I should have been much worse than they were. Their minds and hearts had received a fearful shock, and recovery was going to be very difficult. A P lace of F ear
"Blessed be the God and Father o f our Lord Jesus Christ, who a ccord ing to his great mercy be gat us again unto a living hope by the r e su r r e c tion o f Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1 :3 ).
was rolled away and the body gone. The disciples were puzzled and worried. This was the evening o f that day, and events that had occurred throughout the hours of this first day o f the week had increased the mystery rather than helped to explain it. Little did these men realize that this first day was the beginning o f first days which would set millions worship ing and praising on that very day o f the week throughout
Their faithlessness to Him made them a bit fearful. Sirqon had much to be sorry for. Some had reported that they had seen the Lord. Doubtless Simon was torn between conflicting thoughts o f whether he wanted to see Him or not. Perhaps his soul-need made him long at times to meet his Lord, and then again his heart made him afraid. The other disciples too were not in a very admirable condition, for “ they all forsook him, and fled.” Then also they feared that
all generations. They were too close to the actual occurrences to realize all the wonder and glory that was wrapped up in them. The Tlace^ “ The disciples were assem bled”— somewhere in Jerusa lem. In all probability, they were met together in the upper room, that we have heard so much about before and will find prominent again. Here the first Communion had been cele brated. Here the church was born, for it was here the mother o f all churches came in to being. In this blessed place, the disciples now met. A P lace of R estlessness It is not possible for us to imagine all that passed through the disciples’ minds and hearts.
their lives were in peril. The tomb was empty. It was being reported around that they had stolen the body away-while the soldiers slept. O f course, there was no truth whatever in the charge, but it was going to be difficult to prove themselves in nocent. Any one connected^ with Jesus o f Nazareth would have a hard time proving any thing before those rulers and Pharisees who were blinded with rage.' The disciples ex pected that at any moment the fury which had . burst upon their Master would descend upon them. They were afraid too at thè thought o f what might have happened to the body o f their Loved One. The tomb was empty ; o f that they were sure. Certain folks had reported see ing Jesus alive, but these stor
Their experiences o f the days which had just passed are foreign to us. They undoubtedly felt that they had buried all that was worth living for, when they buried their Mas ter. Three years before, they had left their regular routine o f life, and through those years o f companionship they had just become adjusted to the new pathway' o f living and serving, when suddenly He left them, allowed men to take Him away and crucify Him. These men felt that it was going to be a most difficult task to go back to their fishing
ies were mere hearsay : “ Certain women . : . made us as tonished . . . saying. . .” ; “ they had also seen a vision o f angels, which said . . . ” How much truth there could be in these accounts, they were not sure. Such reports looked just like women’s stories and. dreams. But on the other hand, what had happened to the body ? Because they could not answer, they were afraid. The Lord had tried again and again to help them to grasp the glories o f resurrection truths, but it seemed as if they could never understand, and slowness to grasp the truth left their hearts open to fear.
*Home Pirector, Sudan Interior Mission.
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A P l a c e o f j S e c l u s io n “ The doors being shut”— this seclusion was for self- defense, “ for fear o f the Jews.” W e should o f course commend them for gathering at all, but they ran the, danger o f missing their Master. They never for one moment
that He could go from place to place unobserved and un announced,, and no barriers blocked His way. His coming was unavoidable. There is no stopping Him who is now the Lord o f glory. This is the secret o f the resurrection. The Christ may be inexplainable, but He is unavoidable and irresistible. He can penetrate all the walls
dreamed that He could come in through locked doors. It is evident they were not expect ing Him. What if the shut door could have kept Him away? Barriers are often raised unwittingly against His com ing to us. Across many o f the paths we pursue, there are bars that hinder His coming. We shut the doors o f our minds and hearts so often by the com pany we keep, the books we read, the places we go, the plans we make. There may be many things, harmless in them selves, that become barriers to • the best because we permit them to have the mastery o f us. We are afraid of disfavor, and in shutting out “ the Jews,” we shut out the Lord Jesus Christ. There may be something very small-in your life and mine, but which, if persisted in, will lock the door against the entrance o f the Lord. How many there are who rebelliously bar the door against the Son o f God! The Tenons “ Then came Jesus . . . and stood in the midst.” There are three important points to note in connection with this com ing: the vision, the voice, and the value o f the vision and the voice. T h e V is io n , He came. And in His reve lation of Himself to His anx ious disciples there was not only the element of surprise, but also a great purpose—a de sign to bring rich blessing. His coming was unexpect ed, unannounced, but unavoid able. It is clear the disciples were not expecting Him. They had made no preparations for His coming. They gazed in be wilderment and fear at Him. The room was secure, yet there He stood. There had been no opening o f window or door, yet He had come in, and very quietly and suddenly He had appeared before them. He had a visible, tangible body as they looked upon Him. One re markable feature o f the resur rection body o f our Lord, was
of prejudice and fear, which we build. It is utterly impossible to avoid seeing Christ,, unless we have definitely determined to have nothing whatever to do with Him, and even then He stands before us at every turn of the road and we must give an answer to Him. You can pull down the blinds of your home to the sunlight, but you cannot completely close your life to the Bright and Morn ing Star. There was a great purpose in this vision o f the risen Christ. His revelation was to give to His followers their message. His identity was proved by the marks o f sacri fice. This was to be their evan gel. “ He showed unto them his hands and his side.” This fact became the bur den o f their testimony. They went out preaching “ that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” “ Be it known unto you therefore, that through this man is preached unto you the forgive ness o f sins.” Seeing the nail marks be came the great reality of all their preaching. Rather than deny that vision, they would die. With that vision, they shook the pagan world to pieces, turning city after city upside down. They had seen Him in many forms before: asleep in the ship, walking the waves, transfigured with glory, cleans ing the temple, blessing the children, delivering the demon- possessed, enduring the mock ery o f a trial, nailed to a tree, laid in a grave. But they had never seen Him like this—alive from the dead and carrying the marks o f crucifixion. He stretched forth His hands and revealed the nail marks'. He drew aside His robe and showed them His spear-thrust side. It was the same Jesus they had seen cruelly mur dered, and now He was alive from the dead. This great fact became the burden o f their message, the glory of their lives. More than that, it became
The Kiss That Was Told in a Cross By F. HOWARD OAKLEY, Madras, South India
C i TN this was manifested the JL love of God toward us, be cause that God sent his only be gotten Son into the world . . . Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (I John 4:9, 10). "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” (John 3:1 6 ). The lines which follow were suggested by the story of an aged African woman who, on heating the pas sages quoted above, protested: “ That’s not love! That’s not love!” and who, when pressed for her meaning, ex plained that the word ’’love” was not strong enough to express what was involved in the gift of an only Son.
A father one day to his own little son A letter of love had penned, H e could scarcely read, so young he was, So just at the very end, "T o show'him my love," the father said, "I will close iti with a kiss, That simple sign he will surely know” And he made a sign like this—X Yes, right at the end where he signed his name, H e added a simple cross, And the letter was sent, And he knew what it meant, The kiss that was told in a cross. And God wrote a letter, a wonderful book, H e wrote it o’er earth and sky; A book that the humble in heart could read When lifting their ' heads on high, And looking at stars so far-away, And looking at flowers so near, They noted the care-free birds’ sweet song, In them God’s care did hear. Yes, over it all H e signed His name, On sea, on earth, and on sky, And the letter was sent, And they knew what it meant, Who lifted their eyes on high. And then when the course o f time had run, A letter o f love God sent; It was writ so plain that all might read And know what the Sender meant.- For there at the end, where all might see, A sign that they could not miss; H e placed in the language o f childhood’s day The sign o f a child’s pure kiss , But why if it told us o f God’s great love, Oh, why was there only one? M y eyes fill with tears—I sob as I see ’ Twos the cross o f His only Son, And the letter was sent, Do you know what it meant,' God’s love in the cross of His Son? Copyright, 1934, Bible Institute of Los Angeles.
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message we may all preach, because the crucified Christ is risen from the dead. The power to present this message is given to us, not through apostolic succession, but by the Holy Spirit. He alone gives absolution. The Word of Proclamation: “ As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” This is an astonishing word, not only linking Christ to the Father, but also linking us to Christ. Here are these great words, “my Father,” “me,” “ you.” Our task is analogous to His. This appointment is not merely for the ordained, but for every believer and not only for men, but for women as well. Christ’s mission, then, is ours— a mission of revelation and redemption. He revealed God to a world lost in sin and shame. The record o f that revelation we have in the Word. The church is to witness that revelation to all men. The Lord’s mission also was to show God’s hatred for sin and to do the work of loosing man from his sin. He ramp to seek and to save that which was lost. W e are joined to Him in that task also. It is ours to make known that saving message. He delivers unto us the ministry o f reconciliation. T he V alue of the V ision and the V oice “ Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. This simple record speaks o f transformation and triumph. Transformation: “ Glad.” What a change came over these men in a few minutes! Their doubt disappeared. Their garments o f heaviness were put off, and they were decking themselves in praise and rejoicing. Their destroyed hopes were being quickly revived, and new life came to each o f them. The secret o f it all was the vision and the voice. These downcast disciples became the staunch heralds of grace, fearing neither devils nor death. Out they went to bring about in all the cities those revolutionary changes for which they were famous in the early days o f the Chris tian church. Triumph: The greatest triumph that can come to any soul is to rejoice in the Lord alway. Only a vision o f Him and the sound of His voice can bring this victory. Instantly, the suffering o f those disciples was turned into singing. Fear fled from their faces and hallelujahs filled their hearts. A sudden spring o f joy burst through their souls, and they went forth in great triumph to declare Him risen from the dead. It is a gladdening thing to see the Lord. Always it is so. In no other way can real joy and abiding gladness come. The great need o f the church at-this hour, in order that she might have new hope and heart, is a new vision o f her Lord and the clear hearing o f His voice. Our need is not more money or greater organization or better buildings, but to see the Lord and know that He is able to meet us in our great need. May the Holy Spirit bring this vision afresh to our hearts and minds today, so that we may go forward to new triumph in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to new transformation in heart and life. Do Not Doubt God Think it not a light matter to doubt Jehovah. Remem ber, it is a sin, and not a little sin either. The angels never doubt Him, nor the devils either; we alone, out o f all the beings that God has fashioned, dishonor Him by unbelief and tarnish His honor by mistrust. Shame upon us for this! Our God does not deserve to be so basely suspected; in our past life we have proved Him to be true and faithful to His Word, and with so many instances o f His love and of His kindness as we have received and are daily receiving at His hands, it is base and inexcusable that we suffer a doubt to sojourn within our heart.— C. H. S purgeon .
the background of their memory. Think of what that vision meant to them in later life as they looked into the face of bitterness and encountered suffering. Looking back to this evening in the upper room always strengthened their hearts for any trial. When word came that James had been beheaded in Jerusalem and Peter was cast into prison, the disciples must have encouraged each other; saying, “ Well, we saw the Lord, and we remember the marks o f His suffering.” Whatever they were called to pass through, doubtless they strengthened themselves and encouraged each other with the memory of this vision of Jesus, alive, with the nail marks in His hands. W e miss much these days by not talking more to each other about these great facts. Have we seen Him and be held the nail marks? Let us talk much about it to each other. W e are so prone to complain about our aches and pains and sufferings. Let us talk more o f His. That em phasis will help us to forget our troubles, as we view them in the light of God’s plan for our daily walk. T he V oice Accompanying the vision was the voice. Jesus spoke to His own. The word uttered was the word o f peace, of power, and o f proclamation. The Word o f Peace : “ Peace be unto you.” Twice the risen Lord uttered these words that same evening. The expression is the regular Eastern form, o f salutation. Visitors in yonder land today hear it often. It is the “ good morning” o f that side of the world. But from the lips o f the Lord, the salutation was far more than a general greeting. It came with tremendous significance, quieting the disciples’ hearts and minds concerning their own affairs, giving them confidence in the Friend they thought they had lost for ever. He certified Himself by the marks of the nails and spear and allayed His followers’ fear with His word of peace. He repeated the comforting words, as if the down cast hearers •did not clearly comprehend them the first time. Through His repetition, the message came with greater glory and mightier majesty. The word o f peace is the message Christ brings to a broken and troubled world today. Apart from Christ, this world will never know peace. Peace cannot come by the way of the League o f Nations or disarmament confer ences. The President of the United States and the Prime Minister o f Britain may confer again and again, but peace does not come that way. All these human endeavors will fail. Only Christ’s word can succeed, and it succeeds through hearts that yield to Him and experience His peace. Christ’s presence brings peace. There is a secret quiet ness experienced by all who dwell before His face. No confusion or bewilderment can disturb us. W e can be more than conquerors against the greatest odds when Christ’s gracious greeting has gripped our hearts. Only in this quietness and confidence can we face life’s tasks aright. There is no substitute for personal relationship with Christ. In Him we taste a peace_ which is o f God. It is permanent, and the gift can be received by all. The Word of Power-. “ Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.” This was a new authority given to His own. There is a sense, I believe, in which every one o f us, through our ministry and testimony as Christians, may have this same power. There is a function o f the Holy Ghost that may be ex ercised in every believer on behalf o f sinners. In the power of the Spirit we can preach the gospel to men telling them that if they turn from sin to the Saviour their sins are re mitted, but that if they refuse, their sins are retained. In Christ forgiveness is gloriously possible to every son o f Adam. It is a matter, o f believing with all the heart. This
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ANfaster Sunrise IN CHURCH B y HERBERT G. XPVEY* Los Angeles, California
SONG
'Before the Dawru,
tions o f the world, provided an ever-darkening view. The . scene finally became so black that the splendor o f the sanc tuary gave way to the glitter o f heathen revelries, the prophet’s voice ceased, and the music o f Jehovah’s people was silenced by the clamor o f the songs o f a sensuous world. Thus the darkest hour before the dawning came, and the waiting world quivered in an expectancy that was evi dently born o f Jehovah o f the Hebrews—-the Eternal One, who through prophetic vision repeatedly dealt with His people to point them to their coming Messiah. Throughout all their history, there, was never a time when the faithful in Israel were not looking for the coming Messiah. The Sunrise ._> A.nation may be judged by its music, not only the text o f song literature, but also the character o f melody and harmony. Looking backward, the student o f music ob serves the world singing in a mournful minor key. Out of this condition— the silence o f the prophet’s message, the warning o f the psalmist’s voic.e, and the disintegration o f the sacred instrumental service, dominated by the somber strain o f failure—came a change o f key that burst upon the world with a joy never before experienced. This change
H e b r e w s never invented a musical instrument. There was not an instrument among them that had not its equivalent among older nations in civilization .’*---Edward Dickinson. The Chaldeans and the Egyptians in fluenced Hebrew musical systems, which were in turn shaped for the service of the temple and general religious observ ances. History records no Hebrew na tional creative enterprise— they had no architecture, no sculpture, no painting, because o f the Sinaitic command that
H erbert G. T ovey
they should not make “ any graven image, or any likeness o f any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath . . . ” Their tabernacle was planned for them to the minutest detail by Jehovah, and they received the com mand to abide by the law o f Moses, written by the finger o f God and interpreted by priest arid prophet. Genius, however, is not always seen in the liberation of creative ability, for, although their national neighbors pro vided most o f the material with which God’s chosen people worked, the Hebrews’ glory—not the glory o f an earthly attainment, but the glory o f an unrestricted national joy— ou tsh on e them all. The creations of
manifested itself in song, and from that day the w o r ld in w h i c h C h r i s t is known has literally sung in the major key. The coming o f Jesus Christ was the beginning o f the sun rise— breaking o v e r the black hills o f the world’s experience— that was to b u r s t forth in all its full ness o f glory "on the r e s u r r e c tio n day, w h e n t h e l o n g - looked-for Hope of God’s chosen people should rise trium
Old Hebreui Chart t
the H e b r ew s were those o f the heart rather than o f the mind. David’s out bursts o f praise, his e x p r e s s io n o f sor row, and his por trayal o f Jehovah’s majesty, seen in the psalms o f the Old Testament, give an inkling o f the cap a b ilitie s o f G o d ’ s chosen people. The eyes o f the Hebrew people look ed beyond their cir cum stan ces. T h e
XonOS PeredrinUS a i « chant £
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God’s Grace.
H. G. T.
Herbert G. Tovey
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Grace, grace, God'sgrace, poVrful enough for me; Coming from Cal - va - ry. ---- * -* - 1 ê - Ï — V - International Copyright, 1926rhy Herbert G. Tovey
phant, never again to be hidden from His own. There was an Easter sunrise in hymnody. The coming, the rising, and the ascension o f our Lord gave to the world a new “way,” and the blood of beasts offered on altars o f stone gave way to the tender sacrifice o f “ a broken and a contrite heart” (Psa. 5 :17 ). Spontaneous praise re placed worship characterized chiefly by awe ; thanksgiving for complete salvation triumphed over ceaseless supplica tion for forgiveness. O f necessity, such a joyful change o f spirit influenced the arts of its day, and the result o f the new life was that the early church became dissatisfied with the forms o f song they had at their disposal. In fact, it would appear that they did not even wait to consider the [Continued on page 95]
condition o f Proverbs 4 :25 : “ Let thine eyes look right on,” provides a picture o f a people whose inspiration came from the thought o f a future event. They even recorded their prophetic utterances in the past tense (Young’s Literal Translation), accepting the Word o f God given through the prophets as absolute and established. Because they were the recipients o f a divine revelation, the Hebrews were a shining light behind the hills o f Time, accentuating the darkness o f an idolatrous world. Before the dawn, the vacillating experience of the Hebrews as they rose and fell in their relationship with Jehovah, to gether with the coming into prominence of the other na-
*Director o f the Music Course, Bible Institute o f Los Angeles.
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