N O V EM B E R 1971
mmm
N O V EM B E R 1971
V O L U M E 1
N UM B E R 11
OCTOBER RADIO FEATURES
President. . .
Managing Editor. . .
EVELYN GIBSON
J. RICHARD CHASE
Editor . . .
Biola Hour Host. . .
DON RANSON
HAROLD PENROSE
C O N T E N T S Thanksgiving: A Quality of Life . . . . J. Richard Chase Fiber of a New N a t i o n ......................................6 Billy Graham Great Commission . . . . . . 23 Conflict of The A g e s ...............................................32 Lloyd T . Anderson The Lever of Power Awaits the Pull . . . 50 McCandish Phillips Israel and Prophecy . . . . . . 58 Charles L . Feinberg 4 12 Paul B. Smith Panel Discussions . . . . . .
Cover Photograph by Pete Schwepker
Student Photographer — Kirk Potter WHEN REQUESTING EXTRA COPIES OF THE BIOLA BROADCASTER, PLEASE ALLOW TIME FOR DELIVERY.
Second Class postage paid in La Mirada, California. Printed in U.S.A. by Penn Litho graphies, Inc., Whittier, California. Address: Biola Broadcaster, 13800 Biola Avenue, La Mirada, California 90638.
TORREY MEMORIAL BIBLE CONFERENCE January 30 - February 4 FEATURED SPEAKERS:
Dr. Ralph L. Keiper, Faculty Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary Denver, Colorado David L. Larsen, Pastor First Evangelical Covenant Church Rockford, Illinois Dr. Lloyd M. Perry, Faculty Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Deerfield, Illinois Dr. Al Sanders, TV Host and Executive Producer Day of Discovery (TV ministry of Radio Bible Class) Grand Rapids, Michigan Dr. Lehman Strauss Bible Teaching Ministry Dr. Andrew Telford Evangelist Dr. Bruce K. Waltke, Faculty Dallas Theological Seminary Dallas, Texas Vander Warner, Jr., Pastor Grove Avenue Baptist Church Richmond, Virginia Dr. Roy B. Zuck Executive Vice-President Scripture Press Ministries Lee W. Toms, Pastor Arcade Baptist Church Sacramento, California
David D. Allen, Jr., Pastor Church of the Open Door Muskegon, Michigan Dr. Charles W. Anderson, Pastor, Brookdale Baptist Church Bloomfield, New Jersey Dr. Myron S. Augsburger, President, Eastern Mennonite College and Seminary Harrisonburg, Virginia Dr. Malcolm R. Cronk, Pastor Church of the Open Door Los Angeles, California Loren Fischer, Faculty Western Conservative Baptist Seminary North American Director Capernwray Fellowship of Torchbearers Dr. John Hunter Honorary Field Representative Capernwray Fellowship of Torchbearers Dr. Torrey A. Johnson, Senior Minister Bibletown Community Church Boca Raton, Florida Portland, Oregon Robert G. Hobson
Page 3
Œfjanfesgibittg
J. RICHARD CHASE
What is thanksgiving? Is it simply giving thanks, or even doing so with a great deal of ferver? Not really. True thanks giving, in the Biblical sense, is more a matter of d o i n g some thing than just saying something. In both Philippians 4:6 and Colossians 2:7 it is clear that the Christian ought to offer thanksgiving. On the surface this suggests that we should be thankful for God's blessings in our life. But thanksgiving is much more. It really means we are to live a certain way. At the heart of the Greek word for "thanks giving" is the idea of m a k i n g o u r s e l v e s p l e a s i n g o r a g r e e a b l e t o a n o t h e r p e r s o n . It is a quality of character, far more than just an appropriate prayer. As you may know, the Lord's Supper is also known as the Eucharist. The word eucharistia is the Greek word of thanks giving that we have been discussing. At the Lord's Supper we are not merely to say something; we do something. As we are reminded in both I Corinthians 11:24 and 25, we do this in remembrance of Christ. In a similar vein we have a fine lesson on the nature of thanksgiving in Hebrews 10. The first part of the chapter em phasizes the forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ. And our response is a course of action not just a word of thanks. After the transition of verses 19-21 we have a series of responses: Page 4
A QUALITY OF LIFE
"Let us . . . Let us . . . Let us . . . " We are to do something. Our pattern of living is to demonstrate our thankfulness. Words wear thin and become trite if the life does not back them up. A husband who constantly tells his wife he loves her, but never really shows it in his pattern of life does not know the f u ll meaning of love. A Christian who offers his routine prayers of thanksgiving, but daily lives for himself misunderstands the Biblical concept of thanksgiving. True thanksgiving is showing by our life — our pattern of living — that we acknowledge and appreciate what God has done for us. We would do well to follow Paul's advice in Ephesians 5 where he urges Christians to be "followers of God" and to "walk in love as Christ hath also loved us. . . ." Our life of thanksgiving becomes a life of love, of concern, of discipline. A life that is not sensitive to the discrepancies between God's will for our lives, and certain personal de sires will hinder Christian growth and hurt others. In short, it is walking and living wisely as earnest Christians (Ephesians 5:15-17). With clear implications, Christ spoke to the multitude and said, "And why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:4) Our pattern of life will clearly demonstrate the thanksgiv ing of our hearts! Page 5
Artwork by Jon Moseley
Page 6
ation
by Dr. Billy Graham
stalked them but they never wav ered in their purpose. If these Pilgrims could stand here today and observe our troubled world with its disillusioned out look, its rebelliousness and its ero sion of traditional values, they would be not only dismayed but shocked. I am convinced that we have much to learn from them. Certain things have not changed. There is still lust, greed, hate and prejudice in the human heart. There is still persecution and war in the world. With all our multibillion- dollar complex of churches and universities we would do well to come back to the school and church in early Plymouth to see what those sturdy pioneers can teach us. First, the Pilgrims have left us an example of their deep, unwaver ing religious convictions. What were these convictions? They believed in Christ and His Kingdom. They found fulfillment in Him. They had purpose in their lives. They had encountered the liv ing Christ and they knew it. They feared neither monarch nor men, only God. Because they belonged to God they had a deep faith and confidence in themselves. They be lieved in their own dignity, were confident that their cause was just, and walked with an uprightness that only fearless and free men can display. In our day much of the world believes little or nothing. Men are broad but shallow. Agnosticism, an xiety, emptiness, meaninglessness have gripped much of our world— and even the church. Our youth are desperately searching for a pur pose and a meaning in their lives. They are searching for fulfillment
FIBER OF A NEW NAT ION ............. Emerson once said that "all his tory resolves itself. . . into the bi ography of a few stout and earnest persons." It is appropriate this year that we honor "a few stout and earnest" Englishmen who left their native land in search of freedom to worship Cod. In this day of cyn icism there are those who would try to destroy every hero and every tradition that Americans have cher ished throughout their history. Yet no amount of ridicule or cynicism can ever take away the glory of what the Pilgrim Fathers did 350 years ago. Flistorians call the Mayflower's voyage to the New World a "sur vival test" on an epochal scale. The passengers had sold their posses sions and had agreed to work for years to pay for their passage. The ship had no heat or plumbing. A main beam cracked in mid-ocean; storms raged. At one point William Bradford wrote, "The ship could not carry sail and lay drifting for days on end." But after more than two months on the North Atlantic, this amaz ing band of 102 people arrived in Massachusetts just before Christ mas, 1620. Bradford wrote in his journal, "Being thus arrived at a good harbor, and brought safely to land, they fell on their knees and blessed the Cod of heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean and delivered them from all the perils and mis eries thereof." What a Christmas that must have been! But just after Christmas a serious sickness broke out. In the first three months al most half the Pilgrims died. The seed they brought yielded only a small harvest. Hunger and illness Page 8
which they are not finding in sex and drugs. By contrast, these Pil grim forebears stand as shining examples of men who were narrow but deep, certain of what they believed, unswerving in their loy alty, and passionately dedicated to the God they trusted and for whom they would willingly have died. I sincerely believe that a return to the Biblical faith and conviction would have a great impact at this hour. It is true that many of our youth are turning away from the organized church structures, but they have not rejected Jesus, God or the Bible. One of the hopeful signs I see in America is that thou sands of students and young people are turning to Christ. This factor has not been given extensive cov erage by the mass media, some of which seem to be preoccupied with a small minority of radicals, dem onstrators and slogan shouters; but I can assure you that there is anoth er side to the coin. Second, the Pilgrim Fathers left us an example of disciplined living. They were Puritans who were ready to order everything — per sonal life, worship, the church, bus iness affairs, political views, and even recreation—according to the commandments of God. The word "Puritan" itself was coined in the popular mind to identify those who followed a strict and closely regu lated life. A hundred years later Jonathan Edwards said of them: "This practice of religion was not only their business at certain sea sons . . . but the business of their lives." They did not mind being called narrow by the religious and civil establishment of the day. They re membered that their Lord had said,
"Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." The ethic of self-mastery and spiritual discipline falls strangely on the ears of today's generation. What a contrast between the conduct of the Pilgrims and the permissive ness and hedonism of our day! Tl ird, they have left us the ex ample of freedom under law. The Mayflower Compact forged by these Englishmen before they left the boat was the wedge that opened the door to "government of the people, by the people, for the people," that has endured in America for 350 years. Most his torians agree that their document was the forerunner of the Consti tution of the United States. This little band of people also experimented with economics and searched for an equitable manner of
Dr. Billy Graham
Page 9
law. The lawbreakers, malcontents, dissidents and criminals of our day would have been rejected by the Pilgrims. To them freedom under the law meant judgment for the lawless. To them retribution was not only a tenet of their faith, it was also the practice of their com monwealth. They made laws in keeping with Biblical convictions. They not only feared those laws and their judges, they also obeyed them. If they did not, they could expect a certain penalty. In an hour when crime and vio lence are sweeping the country we should read again Ecclesiastes 8:11: "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." The Scriptures teach that any delay in the trial of the accused—or any miscarriage of justice — leads to more violence. Anyone looking at the American judicial system today must realize that we need drastic changes if the crime rate is to be lowered. Fourth, the Pilgrims left us their example of a people who had keen social concern. They believed that every man was made in the image of God, that each one was of infinite value and worth in the sight of God. Though the Pilgrims knew they were citizens of another world, they sought to improve the world they were passing through. They learned to live with the Indians, who had a different religion, a dif ferent skin color and a different culture. In March of 1621 Samoset, an Indian chief, visited their vil lage and a peace treaty was signed which lasted for many years. It was a treaty with high social and ethi
earning a living and for a way of sur vival. At first they tried the com munal life. But greed, jealousy and pride kept it from working. In Gov ernor Bradford's Plymouth Planta tion, he lamented the communal plan: "This communal system con ceived by Plato was found to breed much confusion" (paraphrased). When communal living failed, they assigned a parcel of land to every family; with individual enterprise, prosperity came to the colony. There is a philosophy today in our world that we would prosper only if all private property could be taken away. If everything were owned by the state, we are told, then all would be equal, free and happy. But it is interesting to note that in many parts of the world where this is now being tried, peo ple have to be held together by force. We have only to remember recent events in Czechoslovakia and Poland to remind us of the failures of that system. Across the Western world there are bands of roving, rebellious young people living in communal style, enjoying what they call "ab solute freedom." They are free to take narcotics, free to experiment with uninhibited sex, free to go unwashed and free to dress as they please and do what they like. But they remind me of a man in a hos pital who because of his illness must be fed through a tube. Hav ing tired of the tube with its dis comfort he tears it away from his body and declares he is free. Free? He is free only to die, because he has removed himself from his one hope of life. The freedom exercised by the Pilgrims never degenerated into license. Theirs was a liberty under Page 10
They dreamed of a haven for them selves and for their children. They dreamed of religious freedom. They dreamed of a world where God would rule the hearts of men. They lived and died with these hopes. For many today there is neither vision nor hope. Despair is the mood of our day. The Pilgrims' strength of spirit was forged by a personal faith in Christ, by tough discipline and by regular habits of devotion. If we so chose, we too could become Pilgrims. We could regain hope. We could offer a thrilling challenge to our young people at this hour. We could recover the spiritual and moral strength that we have lost. But we would have to be willing to take up the same cross they bore, and to carry it. We would have to put our faith in the same Christ they did. We would have to make the same lifetime commitments they made. I say to you, 350 years after the Pilgrim Fathers landed in the New World: Dream great dreams, em brace great principles, renew your hope; but above all, like them, be lieve in the Christ who alone can give total meaning and an ultimate goal to your life. "For in Him we live, and move, and have our being." From DECISION, © 1971 by The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
cal content, showing the deep concern these people had for the social, political and spiritual needs of their neighbors. The Pilgrims made their new world better, not by tearing down the old, but by constructive toil and fair dealings with their neigh bors. Though they had strong res ervations about the intolerance in "the old country," they did not shoot the judge, blow up the court house, burn their nation's flag, or shout obscenities and profanities. Fifth, the Pilgrim Fathers were evangelists who set us an example in sharing their spiritual and ma terial blessings with others. In the Mayflower Compact they committed themselves to the "ad vancement of the Christian faith." The Pilgrims at Plymouth were fol lowed by the Puritans at Massa chusetts Bay. Together they built churches and schools. In 1636 Har vard College was founded to train men for the ministry. Later Dart mouth College was started for the Indians. By 1663 the first Bible was printed in America, the Algonquin Bible, for the Indians in their own tongue. These settlers came to the New World not only to find freedom for themselves but also to share their faith with the aborigines. The de emphasis on evangelism, the apos tasy in theology, and the preoccu pation with social and political is sues in the churches of the last ten years are at least partially respon sible forthe decline in North Amer ica's church attendance. Sixth, the Pilgrim Fathers were men of vision and hope. For "where there is no vision, the people perish," says the Bible. The Pilgrims dreamed great dreams.
Page 11
After a great deal of traveling around the world, coming in con tact with Christian brethren all ov er, I have become thoroughly con vinced that although we often dif fer on some issues, spiritual Chris tians agree in the practical outcome of their lives. The real difference is between those who are spiritual and those who are carnal. The Cal vinist who is spiritual is grateful to God for his eternal security. There by he does everything within his power to live a life pleasing to God. The Arminian who is spiritual does not want to fall from grace so he too lives for God to the best of his ability. Carnal men do just the opposite. The carnal Calvanist uses his eternal security as a license to live as he pleases. The carnal Ar- minian becomes discouraged be cause he may lose his salvation. He throws up his hands in de pair. He makes no more attempts whatsoever to live for God. Paul told the carnal Corinthians, "For ye are yet carnal, for there is among you envy, and strife and divisions" (I Corinthians 3:3). When it comes to the meaning of the Great Commission there can
The Imperative There should always be kept be fore us the words of our Lord in what is known as the Great Com mission. We find this in Mark 16:15, as well as in the other gospels, and in the book of Acts. We are told to go "into all the world, and preach the gospel to every crea ture." This admonition is not sim ply a "maybe"; it is a must! In the Bible, there are some verses about which so-called high er critics have raised questions. Too often we allow pseudo-intellectuals to shake our faith in the assured truths of Scripture. The fact re mains that the Great Commission is a positive command. It has nev er been repealed by God, regard less of what men say. Even if we should erase all of these references in the New Testament we can see the truth of it in prophetic form in the Old Testament. The Psalmist said, "Declare His glory among the heathen; His wonders among all people." Yes, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature" is still the Great Commission which no born-again believer can avoid or set aside.
Great
Page 12
be no difference of interpretation. There is no "maybe" about the meaning. The words are simple and direct: "Go ," "world," "preach," "gospel" and "every creature." Whatever your denominational af filiation the imperative of the Great Commission remains the same. I have had people ask me if they should be "missionary-minded." My response is that if you are not you are not living in the will of God. No church has any reason for its existence if it is not a mission ary church with a world-wide em phasis. The promised power of the Holy Spirit is not given that a Christian may enjoy some unusual religious experience. It is given that we may take the Gospel to the world (Acts 1:8). People will generally answer, "My Jerusalem is my home town. I will do my part to evangelize it. Someone else may pick the USA as his goal, while still another will plan to go to the uttermost parts of the earth. All sorts of choices are made. The fact is, however, that there is no real choice. Jesus did not say, "Ye shall be witnesses, either in Jerusalem, or in Samaria, either unto the ut
termost parts of the earth." What we have is a bold command situ ation. What is a man in the will of God but one who is located phys ically in one place, whose heart beats, whose prayers go forth, whose gifts are used, so that in some way and by some means he does his job properly in his own area, while still reaching out and wrapping his arms around the world. This is God's vision and program. Remember these four words: "Not maybe, but must!" The Urgency As far as we know, the last words Jesus spoke to men here on earth were to His followers in the Great Commission. He has told us through them that it is our task to get the Gospel to the world. The verb of the Great Commission is not "done" but "do." The fact is we have not done the job which re mains to be done. This is from the standpoint of place, population, and publication of the Word. We have not completed our Lord's fin al orders. Even in Canada there are vast stretches of snowbound land where men and women live that have not seen a missionary. There
Commission by Paul B. Smith
Page 13
duce Indian languages to writing, translating the Bible into these tongues. The one who knows any thing about linguistics realizes that there is a language of the lips, of the head, and of the heart. Going to a foreign country one quickly memorizes enough words and phrases to find his way about. He certainly has not really learned the language. It is only when he be gins to think in the foreign lan guage that he can really commun icate. Now matter how fluently a man may learn to speak and think in a foreign language it still has to become the language of his heart. This is where the impact can truly be made. Before you become a Christian the tense of the Bible is past. There is nothing to do, only believe. The moment you accept Christ as Sav iour the tense changes. When Je sus gave the disciples the Great Commission the verb was not "done" but "do." This task has not been completed. May these four words challenge your heart: Not "done," but "do." The Enemy There is a great struggle which every Christian must face (Ephes ians 6:10-18). Our fight is not against other people. That is why we need to put on the whole ar mour of God. Paul is essentially saying, "What you need in the battle of world missions is to real ize that you are up against satan, the ruler of the darkness of this world." The principle applies not only to the work of the mission ary but also to the work of the Christian at home. When we give, our purpose is that satan may be defeated. When we witness by life
is no glory, glamour, or pleasure about ministering in places like these. They are hard and getting even harder. In some sections there are no crowds and very few con verts. It may be a ministry from tent-to-tent, igloo-to-igloo and shack-to-shack, with hundreds of miles of torturous trails between them. Geographically, the task has not been completed. Consider, too, the problem of population. Not only have we failed to go to all the place geographi cally, but also we have failed to reach people in more densely pop ulated areas. There are probably over three billion people in the modern world. Over half of them have not been evangelized. This is despite the fact that the Church has had her orders for nearly 20 centuries. We used to think that there were approximately 2000 spoken lan guages in the world. Most recent surveys have revealed that there are at least 3000 languages, and perhaps even more. Wycliffe Bible Translators tell us that only about 206 of these have the entire Bible in their language. Another 260 have the New Testament, with 620 hav ing less than the complete New Testament, and 100 less than one book; just a few chapters or verses. Just think, there are at least 2000 individual languages used by peo ple who have yet to see the first verse of the Word of Cod in their own tongue. In New Guinea there are 626 dif ferent languages, 200 more among the tribes of Australia, another 200 among the islands of Indonesia, with 320 found on other Pacific Islands. Here in our own land mis sionaries are working hard to re- Page 14
satan. Would to God we could re member when we pray, "The battle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities." A missionary's job is not to preach himself, his civilization, or his culture. He is to preach Jesus Christ. Perhaps one of the greatest dangers in all missionary enter prise, is to turn from evangelism to education; from preaching Christ to promoting civilization. Paul said we are to "preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord." The Christian is not told to minister in Japan so that he may teach the Japanese to sit on chairs rather than mats and stools. His call is to take Christ to them. The obliga tion of the Great Commission is to take the message of Jesus Christ to the peoples of the world and let them develop their own variety of Christian civilization. There are climatic conditions, geographical differences and variances in racial origins. At the same time I do not know of any missionary who is not involved up to his eyebrows in the social needs of the people among whom he works. Our church has a little share in the support of over 400 missionar ies. Some of them are educators, doctors, nurses, farmers, technic ians, and general missionaries. We believe in social work. Every evan gelical does or he is not true to the Word. Do you realize that without the conservative evangeli cal church there would probably be no ministry whatsoever among the lepers and other underprivi leged of the world? The danger, however, is to put the cart before the horse. No matter what, our first job is evangelization. Consid er these four vital words: "Not civilization, but Christ!" Page 15
and word our target is not to tear down systems, but that Satan may be fought. Not long ago I was driving north on one of our Canadian highways with a friend. He was driving and it was late at night. There was a steady stream of holiday traffic go ing both ways. The car immediate ly in front of us was being driven quite normally. Ahead of him was a small delivery truck which started careening back and forth across the road. The driver was obviously inebriated. Cars coming from the opposite direction were in great danger. It seemed that a head-on collision could not be averted. That truck had to be taken off the road. Human life was in danger. We passed the car in front of him. The truck was moving in a rather serpentine fashion along the high way. We at last managed to get by. With gradual application of brakes we were able to force the truck to a stansdtill. We might stop the truck temporarily but how to stop it permanently. We could not do it by scratching the fender, kicking in the lights, disconnecting the horn. What good would such activities do? Our job was to re move the man from the driver's seat. With a little persuasion this was accomplished successfully. The man sat by the road while we called the police to look after him and his truck. It is sad that a great deal of our Christian effort is nothing more than pounding fenders, breaking glass, and scratching paint. We have got to go after the one who is in the driver's seat. We do not send our missionaries to North Af rica to wage war against another religion. They are there to fight
the Lord has entrusted to our hands. Governments of the world, such as Russia, China and India have vast literacy programs. Nearly a million people every week are becoming literate. How do we face the chal lenge of these people who are looking for something to read? The Communists have been smear ing the world with tons of litera ture. They openly boast that they conquered China with the printed page. Think of the tons of mate rials produced by the false cults. An individual who has just learned to read is not particular about what he reads. It is like a hungry man who does not care what he eats. He will scrounge garbage heaps to satisfy his hunger. We must put the Gospel in their hands. The battle is won by the man who gets there first. If we fail to gather the har vest, the enemy will come in and destroy it. It is essential that we realize that the task of world evangelization cannot be left until the indefinite future. If we do not do it in the immediate present one entire gen eration will be lost. Consider these four words, "Not indefinite, but immediate." The Methods In the Sermon on the Mount our Lord compares His care for the grass of the field to His matchless concern for us and our individual needs. We do not need to worry about what we are going to eat, drink, or with what we will be clothed. His words were, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. It is a matter of proper priorities in life.
The Time Element It is most interesting to note the interview our Lord had with the woman at the well (John 4:34-38). Christ concluded His testimony by declaring, "My meat is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish His work." Then He urges, "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, 'Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already unto harvest." The work of world evangelism cannot be left until some time in the indefinite future. It must be done in the immediate present which is our opportunity. The missionary faces some hu manly insurmountable obstacles the moment he arrives on the field. Heathenism walls him in on all sides. The demands are exacting, the multitudes are bewildering, and the opposition devastating. Today, the ingenuity of the 20th century has made world evangelism a pos sibility within a single generation. There are tools to help us fulfill the command. Think of the field of aviation which allows the most remote area to be only a short dis tance away. Planes can transport valuablefood and medical supplies, as well as necessary equipment. Modern medicine has changed the picture, too. It has opened up in numerable doors to reach others for Christ, to say nothing of pro tecting the missionaries' lives. Then there is radio and more recently the possibility of television to com municate the Gospel. Literature and the printed page reaches peo ple in their own language. These are but a few of the implements Page 16
The Kingdom of God is not any one city or nation. It involves the entire world including every peo ple, land, tribe and nation. God does not want our charity but our choice. Most Christians decide on their prayer time by checking the day's activities and giving the Lord that which cannot be used for any other purpose. We have treated God as if He were knocking at the back door of our lives asking for a handout. When we have a special mission in our church I ask our busy peo ple to do for God and His church what they would do for themselves and their personal vacation. They should block time well in advance. Let nothing interfere. It is sad that we only give God what we are through with. We do the same thing with our stewardship. We do not give God the firstfruits or the best. We give Him the money we have left over after we have used all we want on ourselves. A young man had just arrived in India. He was walking along the banks of the Ganges and passed an Indian woman. In her arms was a fat, healthy baby girl. By the hand she was holding an anemic little boy. It was obvious he would not live very long. His body was contorted with disease. An hour la ter the young missionary returned. There stood the same woman with her boy. The fat, healthy baby girl, however, was gone. He asked her what had happened to the child. The tired mother said proudly, "I threw her into the river. It is part of my religion." The missionary was confused. It may have made little sense to ask but he said, "If you were forced to sacrifice one of your children why did you not
keep the healthy one?" She re sponded with a note of triumph, "Sir, our gods can have the best!" I do not know of any incident which points out such contrast more vividly. While we give God our charity the heathen give their gods first choice. Pagan religions demand the best of their follow ers. For generations we have been trying to do the work of spreading the Gospel around the world with the handouts of God's people and the leftovers of the church. Old pianos, used medical instruments, old clothes, old cars and old money. What a transformation there would be if we would keep the charity for ourselves and give God the choice. We can summar ize it in these four important words, "Not charity, but choice!" The Origin Have you ever thought about the qualifications of a missionary? What does he have to be and where does he come from? Basi cally his origin is not religion, but regeneration. In Philippians 3 we have a whole chapter based on the personal experience of Paul. In the first few verses he strikes a com parison between the religious man and the one who has been regen erated. The Apostle describes the one who is religious by three words: "dogs," "workers" and "concision." On the other hand the regenerated believer is spoken of as: "in Christ," no confidence in the "flesh" and "circumcision." The word "dog" was used by the Jews as a term of contempt for the Gentiles. Jewish people are very particular about their food. Certain items, according to law, Page 17
William Carden, Dean of Admissions, assisting students with schedules during registration.
Paul had previously depended upon his works for salvation. Now he had no confidence in the flesh. No one could refuse his claim of being an ardent religious worker. He was desperately zealous in his attempts to withhold the work of the early Christian church. The re ligious man works ardently preach ing another gospel and sowing tares among the regenerated man's wheat. Paul's work was building the Kingdom of God, while the evil workers, of which he had been a part, were tearing it down. From that day to this the powers of dark ness have been attempting to do the very same things. If the devil can succeed in rob bing the Christian of his childlike faith in Jesus Christ, causing him to rely upon form and ceremony of mere religion, he will have ac complished his purpose. When the Puritans came to America in the 17th century they did so that they might be free from the ritual and ceremony of a powerless church.
are clean while others are not. When you see the word "kosher" written on the front of a store it means that the food sold there is ceremonially clean. Most of us eat any kind of meat, in any form or combination, without real discrim ination whatsoever. Dogs were lit erally scavengers, and this is the way some of us eat. Theologically, in the New Testament, the term "dog" was applied to anyone who was outside of Christ and not a believer. We find this in Revela tion of those who will not be in heaven. Therefore, Paul says in essence, "Avoid the man who is religious, but who is outside of Christ." As a religious man Paul was lost; but as a regenerated man he was saved. The regenerated man is in Christ in the sense of that mystical union which can only be partially described in such terms as the branch and the living vine, stones forming a part of a living building, and members of an in tricate living body. Page 18
They did not have the actual marks of circumcision. As members of the true circumcision they were in vi tal contact with God through Jesus Christ. The essential virtue of the Christian religion is not to be found in its symbols but in its Saviour. The man who is merely religious is lost; he is an "evil worker." The four words which summarize these thoughts are: "Not religion, but regeneration!" The Robe Many stories have been told about the clothing of a mission ary, but the important thing to remember is that his robe is not goodness, but rather godliness (Philippians 3:4-11). As Paul con siders what he was before the Da mascus Road conversion, he is able to boast of a great deal more than the average religious man of his day. In his seven reasons for pos sible boasting, four were his by in heritance and three by accomplish ment. He was circumcised the eighth day. This elevated him above the heathen or the proselytes. Th,e Jew, circumcised the eighth day, was considered spiritually super ior to all others. He had the cove nant relation with God. Paul added that he was of the stock of Israel. Other nations had descended from Abraham and Isaac claiming the distinction of circumcision. Only the Israelites had descended from Jacob and could claim the promise of God's covenant with him. Paul was further elevated in the minds of his readers when he said he was of the tribe of Benjamin. It was from this tribe that Saul emerged as Israel's first king. Benjamin nev er wavered from their allegiance to the house of David. Jerusalem Page 19
They rightly wanted to worship God scripturally. Churches must be built, they must be organized, the clergy must be educated, but history has proved that with the development of such a machine there is the danger of a lack of power. Most of the regular denom inations of our day were born in the midst of revival fires. In a great many cases, however, the devil has been successful in sowing the tares of ritualism, formalism, lib eralism and scholasticism to such an extent that the fire has been put out. Paul speaks about the regener ated man as "having no confidence in the flesh." He was talking to a group of people who were proud of their racial background. Many depended on it for their salvation. The Apostle had a superior racial background of which to boast. Yet he testifies, "I have no confidence in the flesh." "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us." Paul, as a religious man, prac ticed an empty formality. When he was transformed by God's grace he worshipped God in Spirit. Most Jewish people had on their bodies the marks of the circumcision. Such were set apart as God's spe cial people. The important thing, however, is not the circumcision, but contact with God. This is true in any sphere of life. The religious people of Paul's day still had the mark of circumcision although they had lost the reality for which the mark stands. Some of the early Christians were Jewish, and actu ally had in their bodies the literal mark of circumcision. Many of them had come from the pagan world.
the top. The rancher told me the story. The mother had given birth to triplets. She was not able to take care of all of them and this one was left. The ewe it seems had lost her own lamb, but at first she would not have anything to do with the strange-smelling orphan. The rancher took the skin from her own dead offspring and wrapped it around the living lamb. Now the problem was solved. The bereaved mother smelled the coat of her own babe and took care of the or phan who had the skin on. What better illustration of what Paul meant when he said "And to be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, but that which is through faith in Christ." We can find favor in the eyes of Cod be cause we are clothed in the right eousness of our Saviour. How hopeless would be our condition before God if we had only the merits of our own righteousness to present. God looks at us favor ably because of His Son. How wonderful it is to have this relationship and to know Him. There are three ways we may know a person. We may know someone who does not know us (This is the way we know most famous people in the world.) Unfortunately, this is the way some people know God. It is a long distance relationship. Jesus talked about people who will one day say, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name cast out devils?" The Lord will have to respond, "De part from me, I never knew you." What a sad and tragic picture. If you only mean that you know who and what God is, this is not Chris tianity at all.
was built as one of their cities. The fourth thing that was his by inher itance was an Hebrew education. He was able to say that he was "an Hebrew of the Hebrews." He had been reared in a home which maintained all of the proper cus toms. There were in Paul's day a few families so utterly orthodox that they adhered to the oldest of Jewish regulations and provisions. Paul's first four distinctions were his by inheritance. Next are the things which were his by choice. As touching the law he was a Pharisee. This was the strictest religious sect of the day. Since they were the most spiritual and orthodox, this is possibly why Christ so often upbraided them. The Bible tells us, "Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth." Many of the early converts to Christian ity came from among this group. Paul was so zealous that he de lighted in contending for his faith by persecuting the Christians. They constituted a threat to the whole Pharisaical system. According the Jewish standard of righteousness the Apostle was able to say that he was perfect. This was true cer emonially for he had observed all of the ordinances. The contrast is shown in the fact that all of these, being of the flesh, could not be trusted. A number of years ago I visited a sheep ranch in the hills of New Zealand. In the homestead we no ticed a small enclosure where there was one large ewe with a very small lamb. What caught my eye was the fact that the lamb was skipping about the pen wearing an overcoat. Not only did it have its own fine covering of wool, but there was another lambskin over
Page 20
picnic, we all know what a race course is. The Philippians were fa miliar with this sport. Paul used it as an analogy to the Christian life. We know that certain attitudes are essential. Have you ever thought that dissatisfaction is the first step toward spiritual progress? Paul says, "I count not myself to have apprehended" (Philippians 3:13). He was not dissatisfied with his material or physical position but rather with his moral and spir itual progress. It was only because someone became dissatisfied with living in a cave that today we live in houses. So it is with everything we have. If the world had not be come dissatisfied with the horse and buggy we would not be driv ing cars or riding in airplanes to day. If there is no dissatisfaction spiritually there will never be any progress. The important thing is not the victories we have already won but what still needs to be done. If we dwell on the blessings we have al ready received, there will be little incentive to reach out for the mul titude which are still to be claimed. If we relax after we have won one soul, we will never win a score of souls. We must focus our atten tion upon what still needs to be accomplished. The second word is obliteration. The Apostle declared, "Forgetting those things which are behind." There is a sense in which memory can keep us humble before Cod. There is another very real sense in which it can also impede our progress in the future. Repentance of sin is one thing while repining over sin is another. If God forgets how much more should you and I? Progress on the race course de- Page 21
The second way you can know someone is by virtue of a formal introduction. Most of our acquain tances are of this type. It is a cas ual relationship. There are some people who, when they say, "I know Cod through Christ," mean, "I have been introduced to God. I know who Christ is." Perhaps one hour a week, at a certain place in the city, they stop to tip their hats in the direction of Cod. To many that is really all Christianity is. But this is not what the Bible means when it says that a man can know God. The last way is to know some body intimately. A man knows his wife in this manner. This knowl edge involves feeling, sympathy, understanding. It is the kind of friendship that stems not from an introduction, but from a long pe riod of close communion. This is what Paul meant when he declared, "That I may know Him." It is not so much a knowledge of the head as it is of the heart. A Christian who thus knows the Lord can sing, "And He walks with me and He talks with me And He tells me I am His own. And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known." When I got up this morning the first thing I did was to talk to Cod. He was right there with me. Do you know Him in this way? The robe of the missionary is "not his goodness, but Christ's godliness!" The Attitude Whether you have actually com peted in a miracle mile, or simply run a three-legged contest against your neighbors at a Sunday school
weak and incapable." Thank God, he did not say that. He was willing to obliterate the past. The power of God fell upon him in such a way that when he spoke 3,000 men and women responded to the Gospel. The final word is concentration. Both "dissatisfied" and "obliterate" are negative. This third term should characterize our lives if we are to be successful in reaching the mark for God. Paul put it simply, "This one thing I do." The Apostle lived for only one thing. He wanted to be a witness to the saving power and grace of God. Everything else was secondary. He had a single ness of purpose. The reason many people do not succeed is because they try to do too many things. The Christian needs to realize that he has been left in the world for one purpose: that he might be a wit ness to the saving grace of God. We must concentrate upon fulfill ing this calling. How is it with your life? Have you something held in reserve? God must have everything. If the church and we as individuals are ever going to reach the world with claims of Christ this has to be our attitude. Think and pray about these four words, "Not compla cency, but concentration!" Rev. Smith is the Minister of The Peoples Church, Toronto, Canada. His Bible teach ing ministry has been featured on many outstanding Bible Conference programs including Biola's 1971 Torrey Bible Con ference.
pends upon forgetting those things which are behind. There are some Christians who base their hopes for the future on the statistics of the past. Since they failed last year, they expect to fail the next. Since they have always lived a defeated Christian life they expect they will always do so. If you are this kind of Christian then remember that the power of God can change the course of your sta tistics. God can transform failure into success. He can change weak ness into strength. Where would some of the great characters of the Bible have been if they had based their hope on the past? In Jonah 3:1 we read, "And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time." If the disobedi ent prophet had been like a great many modern Christians when God gave him a second chance he would have responded, "There is no use. I was called once but I did not go. I am a failure and I will always be one." If Jonah had done that there might have been 600,000 people in the city of Nineveh who would never have received God's mes sage. Are you not glad he was able to forget the things that were be hind? Perhaps the most broken-hearted man in the world at the time of the crucifixion was Peter. He de nied his Lord in the face of the crowd. He was defeated and dis couraged. Approximately 50 days later, on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit of the Lord came upon this same man and told him to stand up and preach. Suppose the Apostle had said, "Find somebody else. I am a failure. I cannot rise to a po sition of leadership because my actions in the past prove that I am Page 22
Dr. Charles L. Feinberg
Dr. J. Richard Chase
Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland
PANELDiscussions Q. Spokane, Wash. " Can you please explain simply the subject of tith ing?" the Lord has blessed us. Certainly the tithe is a good standard at which we can begin but we need not stop there.
A. First of all, keep in mind that all things belong to the Lord. This is the meaning of true stewardship. It is the realization that Cod en trusts us to handle that which He has given in a manner which will bring honor to Him. This is the basic fact all too few people act upon. There are those who believe that the tithe only began with Is rael in the tabernacle and temple worship. While this was a part of it, the principle began long before then. In Genesis 14:20 we find the first mention of the subject. This period was long before the Law was given. As New Testament be lievers, we are told that our re sponsibility is to give according as
Q. Arroyo Grande, Calif. "Should the amount we tithe from our in come be based on what we actually get, or the amount earned before taxes?" A. Again, we are not under law. This is a matter between the in dividual and his Lord. It does seem that Cod should not get any less of an interest than the govern ment. Giving, after all, should not be what we have to do, but what we want to do for the Saviour. It is a very insidious thing, this bus iness of how much we need to pay off our bills. Remember, we have an obligation to God's work, too. As we have pointed out, it is ten Page 23
disinterested in missions as well.' Perhaps it would be best described in Paul's words, "having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof." Talk to the pastor in Christian love. Tell him frankly and honestly your concerns. Unless there is some misunderstanding, and reason for the situation, it would be best for you to affiliate with a fellowship where these and other cardinal doctrines of Scrip ture are emphasized. This is a mat ter which must be determined by each individual as he feels led by the Holy Spirit. Q. San Diego, Calif. "In countries where the custom is for men to have several wives, what happens after they become Christians? Do
tenths that belongs to the Lord. He graciously allows us to use our own love for Him as the criteria of what we give back for His min istry. Q. Sacramento, Calif. "As a Chris tian I pay my tithe and love offer ings to my home church; howev er, the church is asleep in its soul winning endeavor. Will I be held accountable if I continue to put the Lord's money into this 'dead horse'? I am torn between trying to help the church and going to a church with real zeal for souls." A. Such a question cannot always be answered categorically since we do not know all of the facts. If the church does not have an evangel istic effort, it is probably dead or
Dave Humphrey from the Dean of Students office and freshman, Kay Oestreicher, registering new students. Page 24
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60Made with FlippingBook Annual report