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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
February, 1940
the automobile and the radio—have had much to do with revolutionizing the whole picture of our lives. The bounda ries pf our activities and interests have been greatly enlarged, and today every one is in a hurry, rushing to and fro, doing things of really little importance if viewed in the light of eternity. Soon after the automobile was in general use, the radio came along, car rying into our homes and even into our cars, blaring noises and many undesir able things along with the beautiful and desirable. People have been wearied by rushing about, and they have been glad also to sit by their radios and listen. Christian ministers have taken advan tage of this opportunity, and now religious programs are carried over the ether waves all over the country at nearly every hour of the day. Many of these programs present the gospel which is “the power of God unto salva tion.” More and more people are turning away from the usual popular programs and are listening to the Word of God and gospel music as it is carried into their homes. over the radio. I believe the radio is being used of God to help bring the revival which is to come in the last days. Personal Preparation fo r Revival Now, in closing, may I give a word to those who long for a revival in their own hearts? Many long for some help, some instruction, which if followed will bring them individually into a plaee of closer fellowship with our Lord, so that they may be used in helping to bring in a revival in these last days. In the First Epistle of John, the Holy [Continued on Page 79]
evangelists, who work so faithfully, to gether with the few deeply spiritual members of the various churches, do keep the flickering revival fires burn ing. But, sad to say, in these days a large percentage of the churches do not welcome the evangelist—do not believe in or approve of evangelistic campaigns. How Can Revival Come in Our Day? Can we again look for great revival campaigns carried on as those were in the days of Spurgeon, Moody, Torrey, Sunday, Chapman, and others? I think not, for while I firmly believe that there will be a great ,revival before Christ’s return, I believe it will come partly in a new way, because times have changed. Let us look back a few years, and offer a personal illustration. I grew up in a Christian home, and lived on an orange grove in California. Our family then belonged to a certain church in that community, and when J was a boy, it was a warm, spiritual church where revival fires burned. About once a year we had revival services, and for weeks of preparation there were cot tage prayer meetings. Christians all attended and worked hard to get the unsaved there. It took our family two hours to drive to and from the meetings with a horse and buggy, but we Would not have missed them for anything. The altars were often filled; sinners were saved, and believers were warmed and built up spiritually. But the great change has come since those days. Many factors contribute to the change, but I think two inventions—
down In the eleventh chapter of He brews — the Westminster Gallery of men and women who believed God and took God at His word. In these days we need strong faith in God as Caleb and Joshua had. When in the old days men like Isaiah, David, Gideon and many others obeyed God, revival came. God used a left- handed man, Ehud, for His glory in one of the darkest periods of Israel’s history, and today He still can use men that are “left-handed,” figurative ly speaking, men of faith. He has promised: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble them selves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14). God will hear and answer today, as then, if we are obedient. And how comforting it is to know that God can use the weak things of this world for His glory! This is a great comfort to me in my ministry, for if ever there was a “left-handed” preacher, I am one. Present Conditions in America In the past three years I have been privileged to hold evangelistic meetings in some of the large cities in the United States and Canada—in Chicago, Detroit, Bpston, New York, Washing ton, D. C., Omaha, Seattle, and iii Van couver and Victoria in B r i t i s h Columbia. In all of these meetings I have been impressed by three things: First, there is the indifference, care lessness, even godlessness, of the world at large. Truly it does seem that we are living in a time comparable to the days of Noah; the world is becoming more indifferent and wicked. Second, I have seen on the part of the average church member a tendency to smugness, self-satisfaction, being neither hot nor cold—feeling rich and in need of noth ing, as prophesied in the letter to the Laodicean Church in Revelation 3:14-19. Third, I have rejoiced to see on the part of the true church a deep spiritu ality. In the real born-again Christians I have seen great love for God, a deep heart desire to win souls, a great power in intercession. Yes, wherever we have been permitted to hold meetings, I have been gladdened to see the large number in each church or group who have not yet bowed the knee to Baal. In this group who love the Word and the souls of men there is a continual revival fire burning. Now there are also faithful evangel ists in these days, who go to the various churches, wherever they are called, to hold meetings of from two to four weeks’ duration. These men often leave their families and homes for months at a time, and preach night after night—warning sinners of the wrath to come, and pointing them to Christ. Their work is harder in these days than ever before, but there is always fruit, and often the altar rails are full. These
America's Most Extensive Single Broadcast By the grace of God, simple gospel programs under the direction of Charles E. Fuller have won the fore most rank among all single releases in American radio broadcasting. R. H. Alber, the head of the Alber Com pany, has charge of contacting and making contracts with the networks and single radio stations involved in the Gospel Broadcasting Associa tion’s nation-wide programs. In writ ing to Mr. Fuller shortly before Oc tober 1, 1939, the fifth anniversary of the Old Fashioned Revival Hour, Mr. Alber stated: cial releases as Amos ’n’ Andy, Tex aco Corporation, Ford Symphony Hour, and other top-notch commer cial broadcasts. Ib is is truly a tes timony to God’s work, and He is certainly blessing the Old Fash ioned Revival Hour in a wonderful way.”
Charles G. Trumbull, Editor of the Sunday School Times, writes con cerning this broadcast: “Its full hour in the heart of every Sunday evening, twelve months of the year, is entirely on paid-for time . . . Sure ly we should all pray, persistently and importunately, that God will keep this Gospel ministry on the air in spite of the tremendous difficulties and obstacles that inevitably confront such a work, and in spite of what must be the fierce opposition of Satan himself, ‘the prince of the power of the air’ (Eph. 2:2), who hates God and Christ and the Blood Gospel and the Blood-bought Church,”
“Beginning with the first Sun day night in October, the Old Fash ioned Revival Hour will be using the facilities of 162 radio stations, which means that the Gospel Broad casting Association will have the largest single release of any radio broadcast in America. This means that the Old Fashioned Revival Hour has now topped such commer
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