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Biola 1 Hour BROADCASTER Monthly Publication of the BIOLA FELLOWSHIP Vol. 7 No. 6 JUNE, 1967 STAFF President .... ,..... S. H. SUTHERLAND Editor ..................... AL SANDERS Production ......... JILL EHMANN Printing ............... CHURCH PRESS Published monthly by the Radio Dept. B IO L A S C H O O L S & C O L L E G E S 13800 Biola Avenue La Mirada, California 90638 Wm. C. Thomas ........... 3 SORROW — John Hunter .... 5 BARRENNESS — John Hunter ........... SIN — John Hunter ... THE FUTURE — John Hunter .......... AN X IET Y — John Hun LONELINESS — John Hunter ........ FEAR — |John Hunter... TEMPTATION — . 7 9 .i i .13 .15 .17 CONTENTS THE PR IMACY OF LOVE—
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COLOSSIANS 2:14-23 — Lloyd T. Anderson ........ 29 Controlled circulation postage paid at La Mirada, California
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YOUR CHR IST IAN WILL Did you know that there is a way to invest in Biola for the training of students while saving costly estate taxes! Ultimately you may be able to leave more money for your loved ones. As a Fellowship member you are under no obligation when you write for information or counsel. B IO L A S T E W A R D S H IP D E P A R T M E N T
by W illiam C. Thomas Pastor, 1st Baptist Church West Los Angeles
THE PRIMACY OF LOVE
L et us begin with the B i b l i c a l proposition t h a t “God is love,” as we read I John 4: 8. What do we mean by that sim ple sentence ? We do not mean that
really gripped and held him captive. This brings us to our next point. God has not left us without an idea of what pleases Him. He has not left us to dig around and try to find out by the trial-and-error method what is required of us. He has re vealed it to us in His Word. This brings us to the subject of Christian ethics, or the behavior of a Christian who belongs to the Lord and whose ambition it is to please Him. Ethics cover all of our life, all our behavior, personal and social. Love must be the motive of our actions. Love will determine what we do and how we do it, how we act, how we serve the Lord and our fel low-men. But we can really separate law and love? Are they mutually ex clusive? Is our concept of love al ways the highest form of love, the agape love which is the pure love of God? The answer is No. In true Chris tian ethics love is not divorced from law. Love recognizes the necessity of divine revelation of God’s require ments. Law and love are comple ments. God has given us His will, and in the form of law — the Ten Commandments, for example — and in love we respond in obedience. Paul says God’s inspired Word is given to reprove, correct, to instruct in righteousness, that the man of God may be completely equipped for the performance of good works (II Tim. 3:16, 17), which simply means that we cannot be pleasing unto God apart from the knowledge of and the ministry of the Word of God. The key passage is Matthew 22: 36-40, in which the Lord Jesus de clares that the first commandment is to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart . . . all thy soul . . . all thy mind . . . and the second is like 3
Dr. Thomas love is God, f o r that would be altogether impersonal. Love is an attribute of God. Love is God in action. Love is the way God deals with sinful humanity. It is God acting in grace toward sinful men through Jesus Christ. “God so loved the world that He gave His Son. . . .” Let us put that thought beside another Biblical tru th : Man is made in the image of God. What do we mean by that? Certainly we do not mean that man is made in the physi cal image, for that would not be possible, but rather we mean that the image is spiritual. Therefore, we can rightfully say that man is able to respond to the revelation God gives of Himself and thus have fel lowship with God. God communicates. Man receives. Again, God is justified in making certain moral demands of men, so that man knows he is to live in har mony with the will of God and be obedient to God’s Word. But, we ask, is this all that God requires, just to love Him and to love one another? Yes, and No — it depends on our definitions. What do we mean by love? What are the normal results when we love God? To put it briefly, when we really love God, we seek to please Him in all things. Paul writes in II Corin thians 5:9 that his ambition was to please the Lord. This was his ambi tion because the love of Christ had
ously, so that there is a well-used channel of communication. We take all things to God in prayer — and make no decision without prayer. “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not to men, know ing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:24). For us as believers in Jesus Christ, God Himself is at the center of our ethics, not man, not self. It is not a question, then, in any situation, what shall I do that will please myself, or please men, but what will please God ? The weakness of modern ethics, the so-called new morality, is that it moves God away from the center to the periphery of life, and makes everything man - centered. In t h e words of Plato, “Man is the measure of all things.” “Not so,” cries the Christian, “Christ is the center of all things. We must measure our selves by Him. In all things He must have pre-eminence.” Here is a problem for our homes, for there our children first learn what is right and wrong, and why some things are right, and why some things are wrong. They will not be satisfied with simply the word of their parents — yes, at first, but not as they get into their teens. They want to know why is stealing wrong? why is pre-marital sex wrong? why is cheating wrong? Are you pre pared to tell them? Yes, there are rules of life, and like the Ten Com mandments, they begin with God. This is basically why we lead our children and youth to know God per sonally, not to obey certain rules — but to know God, to love the Lord, and thus to make it their ambition to please Him. Love God . . . and then you will want to be obedient to His will. Law by itself is inflexibly rigid. Love by itself is sheer sentimental ism. Law and love bring the individ ual into perfect harmony with the will of God. Let love rule, and let God be the one who rules through love.
unto it: love thy neighbor as thy self.” Then he went on to say that on these two commandments —- the commandments to love God and to love men — hang all the law and the prophets. Now, modem ethics, called situa tion ethics, which is the basis of the so-called new morality, lays heavy emphasis on the second of these commandments: love thy neighbor. Love is the only absolute. There are no legal absolutes. Love is the only thing that has value in itself. Suppose we ask the question, “Is it right to steal?” God’s Word says, “thou shalt not steal.” That’s an ab solute command. The situation ethic- ist, however, puts that aside and de clares there can be no absolutes. It answers, “It all depends. Anything can be right or wrong according to the situation. If love says it is right, then stealing is right. Never mind the command of God. That is not absolute. Do what love requires in any given situation.” But, we reply, is that really love? Do we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind when we set aside the law of God? Certainly not! for when we love the Lord, we wel come His Word, we delight to obey Him. “To obey is better than sacri fice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (I Sam. 15:22). This word of God given through Samuel to Saul is still true. Love requires obedience. Yes, love is supreme. We agree. But we cannot set aside the law of God, for our love is so inadequate, so defective, and at times rather selfish, and hence we need the revealed law of God to provide the content of love. What can we do in ethical situations where decisions have to be made? We can know the Word of God, know what God requires. We hide God’s Word in our hearts so that we do not sin against Him. God’s Word is a vital factor in our ethical deci sions. Our high view of Scripture is the basis for our high ethical standard. We can take prayer seri
T hese are days when many people are confronted with sorrows. Heartaches have a way of cutting us all down to size. Tragedy hits both rich and poor, the extremely intelli gent and the ordinary person. The Lord has a real answer to grief. There are some wonderful words of encouragement for us in II Corin thians 1 :3-6. Here we learn that our Lord is the great Comforter. He con soles our hearts that we may profit by the experience and comfort others who may be called upon to go through similar difficulties. The word tribulation is most de scriptive, for it refers in Latin to a Roman’s farming implement. It was what the farmer used to thresh the corn or wheat as it was brought in from the fields. The tribulant was two sticks fastened together by a leather hinge. Holding one stick, the farmer swung the other over his head, bringing it down with crash ing power on the ears of the wheat. As he flogged and flogged, the grain come forth and separated from the worthless chaff. A tribulation, there fore, is something that beats, cuts and pounds. This resembles sorrow, doesn’t it? But, you see, the beating was for a specific purpose. The farm er couldn’t get the pure grain with out the punishing blows. God is not allowing you to suffer just because it pleases Him to see you in sorrow; not a bit of it. Out of this grief will come that which will enrich your own soul as well as enabling you to go on and be a blessing and delight to others. How else could you expe rience the comfort of God? Comfort comes through tribulation. Every Christian knows the love of God, but not every believer has experienced the comfort of God. This comes by drawing near to Him and
feeling His power. A woman who had gone through all sorts of griefs testified to me, “You know, it was worth going through the valley of sorrow because I came to know God in such a tremendous and wonderful way.” Sorrows are God’s wonderful way of drawing near to us in a new way. The second reason for God’s com fort is that we might be a spiritual help to someone else who has the same trouble. Tribulation is trouble magnified and repeated. As well as experiencing the comfort of God yourself, you are to be able to share His compassion and mercy with those similarly weighed down. As an example, has God drawn you close to Him because of the death of a treasured loved one? The staying power He’s provided has been fur nished so that you might be a help in some future day to someone else
Dr. John Hunter (left), member of the Torch- bearers Fellowship in England,has an oppor tunity for felowshipwith Biola President, Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland. Dr. Hunter is featured this month in a seriesof messages concerning God's answerto man's problems. He and his wife wil be guiding a Biola Tour to Europe and the Holy Land May of next year in co operation with the Fellowship of Torchbearers, Capernwray Hall, England.
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who will have a similar experience. If you turn to God, seeking His com fort, you will find a supply sufficient for your own need, as well as to help another. Grace has a ready way of multiplying. “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort where with we ourselves are comforted of God.” Turn to the Lord in a new way! Truly look to Him for comfort and strength. Experience His won drous and promised grace and then go share it with others for a life of fruitful victory. * * * Where prayer focuses, power falls. * * * EXAM INATION TIME Do you know that we all, young and old alike, have an examination sched uled today? That’s right, as we go out into the world, other people will he examining carefully our lives to see if in practice they really measure up to what we may profess spiritually. How much time do you spend prepar ing for this examination? When the widow of the famed composer Schumann was asked to perform any of her hus band’s compositions, she would always spend several days preceding the con cert reading over the love letters he had written her before and after their marriage. She explained that before she even attempted to perform his beautiful melodic selections she wanted to have his life again possess and permeate h e r every thought. Only thereby could she rightly interpret his moods in music. Even so, we need con tinually to feast upon the Bible, read ing Christ’s words of love, until His divine life enters into o u r every thought. Then, when the world exam ines us, even in all our imperfections, actually it will be seeing Him. The exhortation of Scripture is rightly, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and ad monishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.’’
THE SAME HOUSE
Jesus had brothers and sisters, The house was crowded and small With not enough room for them nearly. But they didn't mind at all For He was their elder brother, He must have been dear, so dear To all of the younger children Who grew up together there. I wonder if He remembered The home where He used to live. Where things were so lovely and different; If so, I think He would give The least little sign for remembrance; But I'm sure that they .never knew Him to be discouraged And never impatient, untrue. I wish I'd been in that family In that precious and simple way, Just to be living with Jesus In the same house day after day. But some day I shall be living, Oh, it makes me catch my breath, In the same house with Jesus, my Saviour, And this is what men call death. — Martha Snell Nicholson JUDGING ANOTHER We cannot judge by what we see, I can't judge you, you can't judge me. Because I smile and hide my pain And seem day after day the same. It doesn't mean that I go through life, Without sorrow, care or strife; I've learned to hide them in my heart And to keep my sorrow there apart. There's sorrow for us all, dear one, Yours may not be as hard as some We cannot see into the heart, It may be bleeding, it may smart. It may be behind that smile so bright, That tears flow freely through the night; But just a word of friendly cheer. May lift the load or dry a tear. No matter how our hearts may ache, Let's hide our grief for others' sake And point to Him who gives us grace To wear that smile upon our face. The Man of Sorrows, acquainted with grief. Will bring such blessed, sweet relief And we'll awaken some glad day To find our clouds all blown away.
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BARRENNESS
by John Hunter
H ow LONG have you known the Lord as your Saviour? During this time has your life been fruitful for Christ? As I have the privilege of counseling with people, I am amazed how many have confessed to being spiritually barren. Let me as sure you that the Lord has a real and vital answer to your need in this important area of your daily existence. The difficulty comes in that you love the Lord and want to be useful for Him. There are friends and neighbors for whom you are bur dened and yet you don’t know how to reach them. It may often be a case of fear. Has this ever been true with you? Notice the helpful exhortation of II Peter 1 :8, “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We need to see what these things are which should be in us so that we will be able to abound. The answer to what “these things” are is to be found in verse three where we are told, “Ac cording as his divine power hath given unto us all things." We need to keep in mind that life is fruitful ness. Every living thing reproduces itself. Since this may be the very thing lacking in your life it is para doxical in the light of this verse of promise. You see there isn’t some thing you need added to your Chris tian life for you already possess it. The moment you found Christ as Saviour, His divine power gave you all things pertaining to life and god liness. It is the quality or the amount of the reality of your knowledge of Christ which enables you to be fruitful rather than barren. The more you know of the Saviour,
the more you are able to be fruitful in service. In verse four, there is the wonderful assurance, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine na ture.” How much are you taking con fidence in the fact that you are a “partaker of the divine nature” ? Before you became a Christian, it was just you and your old human nature, full of all of its failures. When you became a Christian, by personal faith you received the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart, thereby actually being made a partaker of the divine nature. Now there was the old you as well as the wonderful new indwelling Spirit of Christ. It is the knowledge of Him, knowing
Biola's Arizona Bible College has enjoyed the opportunity of the presence of a number of students from Hawaii. Pictured above from left to right (seated) are EmallaKeohokalole, Dennis Domen, and Jo Ann Kahikina.Standing are Gwen Kuni, Mrs. Josephine Manner, Ailin Goo, and Teresa Goo. The ArizonaBible Col lege has youngpeople attending not onlyfrom many of the states, but also from several foreign countries.
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more about the indwelling Christ, that enables me to be fruitful and powerful for God. It is what the Lord can do through you. You know about the vine and that the branches actually don’t produce fruit, they rather that they bear the grapes. The fruit is produced by the life of the vine. Therefore, to be fruitful means that there’s nothing you can try for beneficial results. This only comes as the indwelling Christ abounds in your life. He wants to take your life and by His Holy Spirit speak through you as an instrument for His glory. T h e n things begin to happen. This can be illustrated in the case of an artist painting a picture; with the canvas before him, he picks up his brush to dip it into the color. Now, who really painted the picture? You say, “The artist did.” But actu ally the brushes painted it. That’s a pretty fine point, but the artist held the brush to make the picture. You and I are brushes in the Lord’s hands. We are His tools. When you see yourself this way, you don’t need to worry about being barren or un fruitful. Just simply thank the Lord, for it is His business as long as we are faithful to His Word. Here is God’s wonderful answer to your bar renness. * * * The minutes you put in at the table don't make you fat; it's actually the sec onds. * * * MEAN WHAT YOU SING Have you ever been singing a hymn and all at once realized that while the melody was familiar, the words were not actually true in your heart? Let me give you an example of the forth right way this affected the well-known theologian and Bible teacher, Dr. Louis Sperry Chafer. As he entered a church on a Sunday morning, the congregation was singing heartily, “For you I am praying, for you I am praying, for you I am praying, I am praying for you!” Quietly he nudged the man next to
him, asking seriously, “Tell me, who is it you’re praying for?” The man stopped singing, looked in bewilderment at his questioner as though he might be mentally unbalanced, and responded, “What do you mean?” Dr. Chafer very kindly explained, “Well, I heard you singing that you were praying for someone, and I wondered just who it was and what his need might be.” The fellow soon got the point. He had to admit he really wasn’t currently pray ing for anyone, except for himself. The real message of the song was just so many words. Think about this in the light of the hymns we sing in church. There’s nothing wrong with the songs. The real trouble comes with the practical application to our own hearts. Help us, Lord, to live the way we pray, as well as the way we sing! * If you keep your heart full of the oil of the Holy Spirit, you'll soon have a faith to "match" it. * * * LOOK WHO'S LOOKING A s parents, we may sometimes for get that our children a/re constantly watching us. They want to see signs of our approval as well as to observe a pattern of life which they may fol low. Once a father and son, riding along a country road, crossed through a watermelon patch just off the high way. Pulling his car to the side, the dad looked around to see if anyone was in the field, or coming along the road from either way. When the coast seemed clear, he said, “Son, you watch here and if anyone comes, you honk the horn. I’m going to get us some melons." Hurrying into the field, he eagerly searched for the best looking fruit. It wasn’t long before he had a prize beauty. He shouted to his boy, “How about it, Son, is anyone coming? Be sure to look both ways.” The little fellow replied with wisdom beyond his years, “You mean, Daddy, I should look up, too?” So often we fail to real ize the Lord’s eyes are never taken from us. He sees not only everything we say and do, but also that which we even think. What kind of actions and re-actions are yours? How do you be have when you know no one else is looking except God? * *
S I N
by John Hunter
probably quote this verse from mem ory, yet too frequently does it be come so common that we miss the detail that has such pertinent mean ing for our lives. All we can do is to confess our sins. We can’t work penitence for them. (There’s no such word in the Bible.) We do one thing and God, in return, does two things for us. The Bible says that if we will confess our sins “He will forgive us, and He will cleanse us.” The reason He does this is because He is faith ful and just. The Lord Jesus Christ in heaven is our Advocate. Through His shed blood He forgives us our sins. The wonderful part of it is that when God forgives, He completely forgets. In the sight of heaven, that which
H ave you realized God’s answer to the sinfulness of a Christian? In I John we find some extremely helpful thoughts concerning t h i s matter, particularly 1:5 to 2:2. You see, the Bible wasn’t originally writ ten in chapters or verses. While they help us to find portions, sometimes the result in reading is that we miss the context and continuity. This is why this entire section should be read as a unit. First of all, this portion is writ ten to believers. That this is the case is clear from the first five verses. While it is true that Chris tians sin, yet this is not to be the practice or norm of their lives. In no sense is the Spirit of God making it easy for Christians to sin, as some have erroneously suggested. Notice the first verse of chapter two which declares, “These things write I unto you that ye sin not.” What the pas sage does is to give us God’s answer for sin, should we become involved in it. It is interesting to notice how John speaks with the personal pro noun always in the plural form. Sin is universal. John was perhaps the last living link with the Lord Jesus Christ. What a wonderful saint of God he was! One could almost under stand if he had looked down from the pillar of his great height in Christian living to say, “You poor things! If you sin, there’s an answer for you.” But John never intimated he was so holy, but rather that we all need to find God’s answer. None of us are perfect; no one has ever been exempt from sin. God’s an swer to your sin is found in the words, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just for forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Most of us can
Pictured aHove are some of the foreign stu dents who are members of this year's student body. Seated from left to right are May McLeod, Trinidad; Grace Ko, Formosa; Ruth and Esther Tsai, Hong Kong, China; andYosco Yoshi- zaki, Japan. Standing are Jacobus Durieux, Holland; Simeon Ngugi, Kenya,- Dave Sedaca, Uruguay; and Alfred Ndegwa, Kenya. Through "Operation Firebrand" Biola is able to bring youngpeopleto this land, to prepare them in the study of God's Word. They are then thrust forth into the whitened harvest fieldsof their own country where, already knowing the lan guage and able to speakwith an understand ing of the culture, they are literally"fire brands" for Christ.
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stood against you is completely eradi cated; the record is expunged. God’s being just is revealed in the fact that what the Lord forgives in heav en, He also cleanses on earth. The sin on your heart need no longer be a burden to you. If you will come with childlike faith, confessing your sin, your life will be cleansed be cause of the justice of God. Having received forgiveness from God by simple faith, we claim the cleansing in our own hearts, through the justice of God. You can say, “Heavenly Father, my sin is forgiven through the precious blood of Christ. But now, dear Lord, I can come be fore Thee with a quiet spirit of in ward peace, rejoicing because what Thou dost forgive in heaven, Thou wilt cleanse on earth. I worship and adore Thee for all that Thou hast done for me.” Why don’t you claim t h i s forgiveness a n d cleansing; above all, thanking Him for all that He has done for you? • It's not right that millions living here have never cared when millions dying there have never heard. * *
A PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, in the quiet of the morning hour I come to Thee for peace, wisdom, power To view the world through love-filled lives. Be patient, understanding, wise, to see Beyond what seems to be, and know Thy Children as Thou knowest them, and so Naught but good in anyone behold. Make deaf my ears to slander that is told; Silence my tongue to all that is un kind. Let only thoughts of peace dwell in my mind, Let me so kindly be, so full of cheer That all I meet might feel Thy Presence near. Oh clothe me in Thy beauty, this I pray, Let me reveal Thee, Lord, through all the day.
JOY BEYOND HAPPINESS How many people do you know who are really contented with life and sat isfied with the place which God has given them? Happiness is always con ditioned by outward circumstances; however, true joy is based on the knowledge that we have the indwelling presence of God’s Holy Spirit. It may seem like a paradox. Yet what a bless ing it is for the true believer to face the pathway of life, though surfeited by trials and testings, with that set tled joy and confidence that cannot even be shaken by the disappointments of life. As we rest in the love and keep ing power of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can rejoice that God holds our hand. Remember, it’s not a case of hanging onto Him, but the security of His having a hold on us, as this blessed verse of promise assures us in the words of the Psalmist, “Nevertheless, I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.” 10
Dr. Charles L. Feinberg (seated), dean of Talbot TheologicalSeminary, looks over copy for a future "Bulletin" published quarterly by the Seminary. With him is Dr. James Ross- cup (right), one of the associate editors of the publicationand a member of the Talbot Theological Seminaryfaculty, and Mr. Ken Far- son, managerof Church Press (the firm which not only prints the Bulletin but also THE KING'S BUSINESSand the BIOLA BROADCASTER.)
THE FUTURE
by John Hunter
A re you interested in what might happen to you tomorrow and the days ahead in your future? Did you know that God has a wonderful answer to man’s questions in these vital areas of concern? So often we are filled with questions and fear be cause we don’t know what’s ahead of us. II Timothy was the last Epistle which Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote. Knowing of the certainty of his death through execution, he pens, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand” (4:6). Even with the prospect of being with the Lord, it is still not thé easiest thing, humanly speaking, to face death. Let’s see what Paul’s total attitude w a s towards this whole situation. He said at the start of this won derful letter, “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have com mitted unto him against that day” (1:12). Paul could look at his suf fering in relation to his service for the Lord. You see, he knew whom, not what he believed. The center of Paul’s faith was a living, resurrected Christ who dwelt in his heart. Every thing else was related and subordi nated to this fact. It is not enough just to have your faith related to the church. That might sometime fail and disappoint us and we would be hopeless. Our salvation must be based wholly upon our confidence in Christ. Let’s consider for a moment why God “is able to keep.” I believe He is able because of His presence, for our Saviour rightly declared, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” If you should live to the end of the age, the Lord would still be with
you. In addition He is able to keep because of His power. Christ could say, “All power in heaven and earth is given unto Me.” What a tremen dous linking for our benefit of His presence and power! If you are a child of God, His Holy Spirit in dwells you, and “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Very simply, if the Lord doesn’t dwell in your heart, then ac cording to scripture, you are none of His (Rom. 8:9). There is no one, and no thing more powerful than the Lord. Another blessed truth to enrich our hearts is that Christ is able to keep you because of His peace (John 15:27). He gives us peace unlike anything the world has ever known, or even in its saner moments has ever been able to bestow.
New dining room facilitieshave recently been completed at Biota's Phoenixaffiliate, the Ari zona Bible College. Pictured above are some of the students as they move through the cafeteria line.
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Paul wants us to be assured of the fact that the Lord keeps what we commit. If you choose to worry your way through a situation with anxious care and distress, no one will stop you. If, on the other hand, you turn it over to Him, then it be comes His concern. In a friend’s house, the other day I saw a little whimsical motto card, which bore the legend, “Why pray when you can worry?” It’s supposed to be humor ous, and yet it seems to be the way many Christians live. Actually, it’s not a case of worrying as opposed to praying, or vice versa, but of committing everything to the Lord. This is the only way you can rid yourself of the future’s fears. Just pray, “Lord, there’s nothing I can do about this situation. I’m not go ing to fight or struggle, anxiously worried and distressed. Here and now I am going to commit this mat ter to you. You have promised that you are able to keep that which I turn over to You. In childlike faith, while I may not fully understand it, yet I simply trust You.” Can you say with the Apostle Paul, “I know, I am not ashamed, I am absolutely confident” ? May it be the joyous realization of each of our hearts un til the Lord Jesus Christ comes again and all these earthly shadows flee away. FAITH CAME FROM SINGING ("He hath put a new song in my mouth." Psa. 40:3) Faith came singing into my room, And other guests took flight; Fear and anxiety, grief and gloom. Sped out into the night. I wondered that such peace could be, But faith said gently, "Don't you see, They cannot really live with me!" Grant me this faith, 0 Lord, I pray, Leading to vict'ry day by day, Opening wide heaven's gate to me, Flooding the soul with melody.
* * The man who lives it up, will soon find out that he must also live it down! * * * Too many people are trying to shine for Christ without first of all burning for Him. * * * LOVE IN ACTION Many years ago, Samuel Stokes, an American missionary, walked through the villages in the darkest part of India. He carried only a water bottle and a blanket. He wholly trusted the native hospitality through the gracious providence of God. In one particular area, the people were not receptive to his message. Instead of the usual will ingness to share their food and furni ture, no matter how primitive, these people were just plain rude and un thinking. Stokes was left to eat their garbage. When he kindly asked if he might nurse their sick, teaching them of Christ, they hurled horrible insults, and scorned him contemptuously. Still he persisted, for he had felt God’s di rection for service. The food they grudgingly gave him was not really fit for animals. Still he thanked them courteously. A fter about three days of such treatment the chief came forward, and without any hesitation, placed his turban at the feet of Samuel Stokes. He explained that the members of his tribe has been interested in knowing whether or not Christianity was really practical. They had read the Bible’s exhortation that when a believer was reviled, he was not to turn around and strike back, but rather give a silent witness of the Saviour. The hearts of these men had been so touched by the exemplary witness of the missionary that they came to know Jesus Christ as Saviour. It may be that no one will give you a few stale crusts today, nor spit in your face, but just the same, the world’s watching y o u intently. Scripture says that we are to be “living epistles known and read of all men.” * The chip on an angry man's shoulder is often no more than merely bark. * * * A person who kicks continually will soon lose his balance. * * * 12 * * *
A N X I E T Y
by John Hunter
fect peace. I don’t have peace at all. I’m tense and nervous all the time.” Have you forgotten that all of the promises of God find their “yes” in Him? Take this answer. As your mind is stayed on God, you can enjoy the perfect, unruffled peace which He has promised. Are you interest ed? Is this what you want? Do you want to exchange anxiety for peace? We read, “Thou wilt keep him,” not give him. Some would be glad if they only had a snatch look at peace, for a few moments would be better than the soul’s usual misery. Let me ask you: how does one keep on trust ing in Jesus? How did you trust Je sus at the very beginning ? When you came to the cross, and your sins were forgiven, you were bom again. God offered the Lord Jesus Christ as your
O ne OP the most blessed prom ises of Scripture, which should encourage all of our hearts, is: “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (II Cor. 1:20). In the Amplified New Testament we re ceive further light on this verse: “For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes (an swer) in Him, (Christ).” Still an other translation assures us, “in Him it is always the divine yes.” Here is the key to unlock doors of blessing throughout the entire Bible. As you read through God’s Word, and find a promise, you can say to yourself, “Ah, what a wonderful truth! Lord, I claim it for myself.” This is how you can apply the Scripture to your heart and life. This is all possible through the Lord Jesus Christ to those who belong to Him. How important it is for us to find God’s answers to all of the problems we face daily. Think, for instance, about the matter of cares, worries and anxieties. Do you ever become distressed concerning the circum stances of life? I find today that no matter what a person’s age or posi tion in life, cares constantly seem to beset him. This seems to be univer sally true with young and old alike. In Isaiah 26:3 we discover God’s an swer to our anxiety, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” The verses 12 and 13 tes tify, “Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. 0 Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had do minion over u s: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.” How precious are these thoughts! Think of having “perfect peace.” Someone may say, “I don’t even have imper
Biola maintainstwo full time Christian radio stations, KBBI, Los Angeles,and KBBW, San Diego. Pictured above from left to right is Mr. Al Sanders, vice president of Public Relations for Biola, Mr. Roger Booth, general manager of KBBW,and seated at the controls, Mr. Bob McKeehan, a member of the staff of the San Diego outlet. Please pray for the continuing outreach of the Gospel programsover our fine radio stations.
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Saviour, and in simple faith, you took Him as your Redeemer. “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” (John 1:12). Believing is re ceiving. I have found that many people who trusted the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross, now don’t tr u s t Him day by day. They believe and are able to quote Scriptures, but their trusting seems to be only a mental attitude. Too many have ac cepted Christ at the cross and then go and try to fight the battles of life alone. This is foolish. The answer to your anxiety isn’t reading books, or taking special pills, or even doing a lot of praying. These are all very wonderful in their proper place but God’s perfect answer is the Lord Jesus Christ. All the promises of God find their “Yes” in Him. This perfect peace can be yours as by simple faith you come trusting in Christ. As an example, what’s your prob lem now? Is it domestic — concern ing your family? Is it your health? Is it the pressure of business or is it some financial manner? You know in your own heart what it is. You also realize how impossible it is for you to meet these situations and come forth in spiritual victory. Remember, you’re not alone. The Lord Jesus Christ is with you. He has assuredly promised this. He dwells in your heart, in the person of His Holy Spirit. He’s not millions of space miles away. All you have to do is to breathe up to Him, “Lord Jesus, this is I again; Lord, I with all of my anxieties, problems, and fears. But, Lord Jesus, I’m remembering again that all of the promises of God find their ‘yes’ in You. Lord, I want peace. Your Word promises that You will keep me in perfect peace if I remain trusting You. So, dear Lord, this is exactly what I’m going to do. Lord, I’m going to claim the promise now. With all of Your power give me peace, the gift of Your divine love.”
IS Y O U R H E A R T IN T U N E W I T H G O D ?
We have a wonderful Biola radio friend, Glen Millett by name, who lives at the Sunset Nursing Home in Albany, Oregon. Brother Millett is completely paralyzed from the neck down, only able to move his head. He has been completely dependent upon nurses to feed and care for him like a new-born babe. It's not some thing new; he has been like this for about thirty years. Yet with a smile on his countenance, he testifies that he was not a Christian when the affliction came upon him. So, if this is what God had to do to bring him to Christ, in his own words, he says, " I am glad He did it.'' What a tre mendous testimony and humbling wit ness this is! Is your heart in tune with God, Do you love Him as you should? Are you thankful for the rod. Would you shun it, if you could? Do you glorify the Lord By the way you live each day? Do you magnify His Word, By the things you do and say? Let the Holy Spirit guide you. He will always lead you right, He will ever walk beside you. If you walk by faith— not sight. — Glen Millett T H E W O R T H O F A B O Y Nobody knows what a boy is worth A boy at his work or play, A boy who whistles about the place Or laughs in a carefree way, Nobody knows what a boy is worth A boy with his face aglow, For in his heart are secrets deep Not even the wisest know. Nobody knows what a boy is worth And the world must wait and see, For every man in an honored place Is a boy that used to be.
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LONELINESS
by John Hunter
Look what I have for you. I will not, I will not, I will not leave you alone.” Will you let the Lord say this to you? Christ declared, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world [age].” These wonderful prom ises can come true for you. Remem ber our key verse, “All the promises of God find their ‘yes’ in Him for you.” This promise of being with you is fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. When you trusted Him as Saviour, He came to dwell in your heart and life through the person of the Holy Spirit. This is the mean ing of Revelation 3:20. Do you want to catch a picture of a really lonely man? Look at II Timothy 4:6 where we find the words of Paul written from a Roman prison. He testified without hesitation, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.” In verse 16 he explains further, “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.”
I T IS VERY INTERESTING for me to realize that as I counsel with Christians, there is an almost com pletely neglected group of older peo ple who sometimes are forsaken. Maybe you are one of these, not as young as you used to be. Perhaps you have lost your husband or wife. While you’re brave, yet you say to me, “Nobody understands; I try to be brave, but things are so lonely.” In Heb. 13:5, we read, “Let your conversation be without covetous ness ; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” How few people today are really content with what they have. Satisfaction seems to be a very elu sive commodity. In the Amplified New Testament we find this perti nent translation of this verse: “Let your character or moral disposition be free from the love of money [in cluding] greed, avarice, lust and craving for earthly possessions — and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He (God) Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you, nor give you up nor leave you with out support. [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless, nor forsake nor let [you] down, [relax My hold on you]. Assuredly not!” Isn’t that a tremendous word? The original has three negatives or “I will nots’.” The Father won’t leave you alone; the Holy Spirit won’t leave you alone; the Son won’t leave you alone. How can you argue with that? It’s just as if God had you by the shoulder and was looking square ly into your eyes saying, “Now listen, I want you to understand this. You’ve been feeling too saddened and lonely, worrying about yourself.
Misionaries participating in the annual Arizona Bible College Missions' Conference come from all parts of the world. Pictured above are James Walker,serving with the Wycliffe Bible Translators in Mexico, and Miss CorabelleWiest of Grants Pass, Oregon whodoeschildren's work in Brazil. Missions carryan important empha sis for the Gospel in all of the Biola schools.
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Under the sentence of death, appar ently he was completely alone and forsaken. Does this sound anything like your circumstances ? Listen then to verse 17, “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strength ened me.” What a precious truth that Christ wants to be with you in your darkest moments of loneliness. God’s answer to loneliness is the presence and the power of Christ. Let me ask, do you realize that the Lord Jesus Christ is with you? Do you have His presence? The Saviour wants to strengthen you by the right hand of His might and power. Re member the name by which the Lord called the Holy Spirit? His special word was “The Comforter.” This
means the one who comes along side- with power to give you strength. While the circumstances in your life may not alter, don’t forget the promise of God is eternal. As long as you live, you have this truth that He will never leave or forsake you. Just as God strengthened Paul, He can sustain you. Stand strong as a child of God. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pities them that fear Him. You are God’s child, however old you may be; you are in His hands. Just thank Him for what He has done in giving you His presence and love. Take your eyes off your circumstances, away from all of your loneliness and self, and fix your hope on Jesus.
(Remove from magazine and mail to Biola.) The Biola Fellowship Plan If you are not receiving copies an extra copy of this publication, of the BROADCASTER monthly, please pass it along to a friend so you may have them come to your that he may also enroll in the Plan, home or office automatically by be- and receive these helpful monthly ing a member of the Biola Fellow- features from the broadcasts, ship. This is a group of faithful Since all materials from the donors who invest monthly in the Biola radio programs are included distinctive m in is tr ie s of Biola in the BROADCASTER, publica- schools and colleges. tion is generally completed near Specific monthly amounts are not the end of the specific month. Your set; this is a matter between you patience is greatly appreciated, and the Lord. In maintaining this T . 58-year-old work for the Saviour, ^ ^ wolv “, b®come a mem- we have found that faithfulness on °er °* ^ 10'a Fellowship, the part of God s stewards is the Biola Fellowship Members re- lmportant thing. ceive a packet of envelopes (24 You are invited to become co-la- to expire in two years for monthly borers with us in this vital testi- contributions), mony. The investment you make will bring you this publication I am enclosing $.............................. monthly, hereafter, without your this month, and would like to send request. If you are already a member of *.................................... monthly for the Fellowship and have received the ministries of Biola. Name ........................................................................................................ Address ....... ......................................................................f ................... City and State ........................................................................................ 16
F E A R W ho hasn ’ t at sometime in his life been fearful ? One very familiar and blessed portion of Scrip ture is I Thessalonians 5:16-24. In verse 18 we have the familiar exhor tation, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” For years, when I read that, I understood that when things go wrong I should give thanks, praising God for troubles. Notice, however, it doesn’t say, “For everything give thanks,” but rather “In everything give thanks.” You see, the Spirit of God is extremely careful, even about the preposition in Scripture. It’s not “for” our cir cumstances, but rather “in” our cir cumstances that we are to praise the Lord. Now, think about God’s answer to your fea rs. When situations arise over which you have no per sonal control, give “thanks” not for the situation, but “in” it. The reason is, “For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Have you realized this ? God’s will for your life is that in everything you should give thanks, whether it’s in the good things, the happy things, or in the sad, fearful, and sorrowful things. You may be wondering how this is accomplished, especially with mount ing fears. God’s Word tells us, “Now just stop where you are. In this situ ation give thanks.” You thank peo ple for what they give you, don’t you? Thank God for what He has given you. Consider first of all, there’s eter nal life, forgiveness of sins, but, most of all, His only begotten Son (John 3:16). In II Corinthians 13: 5 we are exhorted, “Examine your selves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus
by John Hunter
Christ is in you, except ye be repro bates?” You see, you can examine and prove and know. The result will be that you will discover that Christ dwells in you by His Holy Spirit. When you invited the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart to be your Saviour, you came to the cross and received Him into your life. He has been there ever since. Romans 8:9 clearly states, “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” If you do not have the Lord Jesus as your Saviour dwelling in your heart, then you don’t belong to Him. The proof of salvation, you see, is that Christ dwells in your heart. Not only did He die for you on the cross; He also came to indwell your heart by His Holy Spirit. Do you have fear? It may be a letter you opened this morning caused you to be cold with fear. Maybe it is some distress of a loved one, or a finan cial crisis which is impending. There seems to be no end to the types of fear which grip the human heart. God tells us that in the midst of the turmoil we are to give thanks. You are not alone, for Christ is within and is your perfect strength. Having established the presence of Christ through the giving of thanks, then move ahead in the power He alone gives. You may say, “Lord Jesus, I am frightened, I cannot do anything about this.” But you can! You are not alone. The question is, In every thing will you give thanks, or only in some things? Let’s say a prayer together. “Heavenly F a th e r, we thank Thee for Thy precious Word and for all of its promises. Here and now I praise Thee that Thou dost dwell in my heart. Blessed Saviour, in the midst of my fear, I stand still, thanking Thee for the Lord Jesus)" 17
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