me, seeing how tormented in my mind I was; they said all men were sinners and I should not worry so much. But my heart had no rest. One day some Christians conducted a street meeting in front of our house. One of them preached on the text, “ This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” It went right to my heart. But how could I, a high caste Hindu, accept Christianity, which was a hated foreign religion fit only for untouchables? I did nothing about it at the time. But three months later, still in great distress of heart and mind, it seemed that someone spoke to me, asking, “ Why do you not read about
at Madras where I had wonderful comradeship and opportunities for serv ice. I was seventeen years of age when in 1936 I accepted Christ as my Saviour. Since that time He has been leading me every day, giving me victory over sin, providing for all my needs, and helping me to grow in grace. I served the Lord as an evangelist for about twelve years. As I visited many mission stations, I saw the great need of a Bible institute for training Indian Christians to evangelize their country. So for this reason I have come to the Bible Institute of Los Angeles for further training. I hope, in the will of
N. Paul V. Gupta, First Year Indian Student: I WAS born in an orthodox Vaisya family at Dugganapalli, Cuddapah District, India. My parents were high caste Hindus who reared me faithfully in that religion. They often went on pilgrimages to obtain noksha (deliver ance from sin) and frequently I ac companied them. When I was fifteen, I was sent to a high school away from home, and there fell in with bad com panions and learned evil habits such as d r i n k i n g and smoking. Since my parents were quite well-to-do and gen erous with me, I extorted money from them to spend on my corrupt tastes,
Mr. Gupta
God, to return to India to open a Bible institute where there are 3,000,000 pro fessing Christians. If they are trained for the work, they can cover the whole land of India. My Christian wife and little son are still over there. Pray that God may lead us step by step in His will. Joseph Cooke, Senior: I WAS born in Muchengpo, Yunnan, Southwest China, in 1926, of mis sionary parents (both graduates from Biola, 1918). As soon as I reached school age, I left my parents, and en tered a school in Chefoo, Northeast China, conducted by the China Inland Mission. It was there that I received all of my early education (with the ex ception of one year when I came to the U.S.A., while my parents were on fur lough), b.ut I was not quite able to complete high school on account of the war. Shortly after the war broke out, I was placed in a concentration camp along with the other foreigners in Chee- foo. The Japanese treated us very well, and it was not long before I had the opportunity of returning to this country on the Gripsholm in an ex change of internees between America and Japan. Not long after arriving in this country, I entered Salinas Junior College and attended there for a year. Then the Lord led me to the Bible In stitute of Los Angeles which I have
Christ? Did you not hear that He came into the world to save sinners?” I bade my servant secure a Bible from a Chris tian home, and he brought back a New Testament. As I opened it, the first verse my eyes fell upon was Matthew 11:28: “ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” I felt as if it had been written just for me. I read it again and again and then went on through the entire book. I found out that Jesus Christ had died on the cross to save sinners like me from eternal death, and I put my trust in Him as my Saviour. I then asked a Christian teacher to ex plain about baptism, and I was baptized as a testimony to what the Lord had done for me. I began to read God’s Word, and to pray, and to attend Chris tian services regularly. The darkness had disappeared and I was walking in the light. Although my parents were glad for the great improvement in my character, they were unhappy because I had be come a Christian. I witnessed to my friends and soon began to preach the gospel in public as well. This led to persecution, to blows and abuses; some relatives even spat upon me. My par ents sent me away from home. But the Lord comforted me with Romans 8:32: “ He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” A Christian gave me lodging and food. After a while I was led into the Layman’s Evangelical Fellowship
and became very irregular at school. Eventually my father came to know this state of affairs and took me home, bitterly disappointed in his ambition for me to become a lawyer to aid him in his business as a money-lender. He taught me to keep accounts and placed me in a relative’s place of business. But there I falsified the accounts and stole money and in course of time was again taken home by my father who novfr declared that my reprehensible conduct only made me fit for hell. I was much ashamed and began to won der who could redeem me from the punishment that must be mine for karma (my sins). I asked older Hindus what I should do. They said I should go on pilgrimages and read holy books. I did so, but they brought no change in me and gave me no peace in my heart. Day by day I grew more miser able. One day an honored Guru (priest) came to our house and I poured out my heart to him, begging him to tell me how to get rid of my sins. He sug gested several works of righteousness, among them the reading of Bhagavad- Gita, which I did read and meditate upon faithfully. But no peace came to my heart. When I read in chapter 4, verse 8, Krishna’s claim that he came into the world to punish the wicked and to save the righteous, it disturbed me very much. I knew I was a sinner who deserved punishment. “Who shall save me from the wrath of God?” I wailed. Even my parents now tried to console
T H E K I N G 'S B U S I N E S S
Pago Twelve
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