A century ago an eastern tenderfoot arrived in California in search of gold. He asked a gold-laden sourdough the secret of his success. The shifty-eyed sourdough rubbed the butt of his pistol. “ I lets guys like you find the stuff and then I jumps their claim’.’ Well, things have changed in California. Out of its rich and exciting past has grown a stable, healthy economy. And with this growth has come a new kind of Christian higher education. The Bible Institute of Los Angeles has pioneered in developing a Christian education program that meets the need of today’s Christians everywhere. Biola is made up of a Bible college offering a B.A. degree and elementary teaching certificate, a two-year Bible Institute, a one-year post-graduate school of Missionary Medicine, a three-year post-graduate theological seminary (Talbot).
Bible Christian Education Education
English H istory M u sic
COLLEGE MAJORS:
Philosophy Psychology (with emphasis on guidance and counselling)
You are invited to write for free literature. THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 17, California BIOLA GRADUATES INCLUDE SUCH SPIRITUAL LEADERS A S : Percy Crawford, Dick and Don Hillis, Irwin Moon, Charles E. Fuller
why this magazine? M any of you have received this issue of The King’s Business Magazine through the courtesy of a friend. And naturally you want to know why. And you want to know what kind of a magazine The King’s Business is. Here are the answers to these questions along with a word about this month’s cover. 1) Why did you get this particular issue? As you look through it you’ll note that there is a wide variety of articles presenting the claims of Christ, plus three real-life accounts of how Christianity works in practice. When we announced we were planning such an issue our regular subscribers thought the idea was so interest ing that they wanted many of their friends to share this month’s issue with them. Actually we’re rather pleased that so many extra copies were ordered. W e believe you’ll find some really worth while reading whether you are a church-goer or a non-church goer. And we’d like your reaction to this special issue. Does it meet a need? How could it be improved? You may address your comments to The Editors, The King’s Business, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, Calif. 2) What kind of a magazine is The King’s Business? The magazine has been published by the Bible Institute of Los Angeles since 1910. (The school is one of the West’s oldest Christian colleges and was founded by T. C. Horton and Lyman Stewart, founder and president of the Union Oil Company.) The maga zine has an international circulation and is completely independent of any one church group. The editors and writers for this issue represent a wide cross-section of church backgrounds: Baptist, Christian, Church of England, Congregational, Methodist, Mis sion Covenant, Presbyterian. The editors are trained journalists (Univ. of Calif., North western Univ.) and strive to present objective fact as free from personal bias as possible. W e believe a fresh review of the claims of Jesus Christ can bring genuine benefit to any life. And that’s the reason we designed this month’s cover around the idea that “An unexamined life is not worth living.” We be lieve all of us want to examine the basic.issues of life for ourselves.
THE K IN G 'S BUSINESS
3
Under The Parsonage Roof
Educational-Type Gospel Light BIBLE Lessons w i l l r e v i t a l i z e y o u r S u n d a y S c h o o l !
by Althea S. Miller
Paint Can M other moaned in an agony of disbelief. Those two paint- covered children couldn’t be her’s. Hadn’t she d i s c i p l i n e d them just yesterday when they had broken into that tile red paint can? Hadn’t they promised they’d never get into any paint again after she had reasoned with them? Could they so soon forget? A thousand e m o t i o n s raced through Mother’s breast as these two pint-sized bundles of hu manity stood before her, dripping paint. Yesterday they had barely splashed some of the red stuff on their hands, and just a little on the grass. Prompt application of a gentle paint remover erased all evidence of their escapade. Today’s story was different. Hair, nails, shoes, overalls, dress, cement walk, grass, bore vivid testimony to the devastating ef fects of this infraction. A guilty look on little faces spoke elo quently of the fact that Kent and Althea knew judgment must fall. Mother wept. She had reckoned without the fascination of that pretty red paint. Sin is like that. It'is ever fas cination to man’s sinful nature. A little discipline for that first infraction of God’ s law , or man’s, is to be expected. W e’re w illing to accept the consequences be cause the sin was delightful to the senses. But we know how to handle ourselves! W e ’ll never go any farther down the path to deep sin. “ Come now, let us reason to gether . . . though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow . . .” (Isa. 1:18). God’s plea to reason together is ignored, and one sad day the fascination o f sin’s “ paint can” overcomes. W e find ourselves caught in the flood-tide of destruction. Judg ment falls both in this life and the next, unless we heed the call of Jesus Christ: “ Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth . . .” (Isa. 45:22) “ Behold, now is the accepted time; . . . now is the day o f sal vation . . .” (2 Cor. 6 :2 ). Accept His salvation now.
Gospel Light Sunday school lessons will help your Sunday school achieve definite spiritual goals! F irst a n d fo rem o s t, you want to give your pupils the basic message o f the W o rd o f God. Bible-centered Gospel Light lessons promote this objective above all others. They pre sent the Scriptures clearly and pow erfully to win pupils to Christ and establish them in radiant Christian living. S e c o n d , you want to fix perma nently in the minds o f your mem bers an orderly view o f the entire Bible. Built on sound educational principles, Gospel Light lessons un fold the W o rd gradually, logically, and systematically. Thus they will help you end forever the tragedy o f having young lives in Sunday school
but stimulating and satisfying to teachers as well. W ith Gospel Light lessons teachers rejoice because o f p erson a l im p rovem en t in their teaching ability. New assurance and spiritual victory often follow . Fou rth , you want to prepare your pupils fo r vital service: in your church. Gospel Light lessons de velop church consciousness and loy alty which lead to church member ship and to faithful cooperation in the program o f the church on a strong spiritual level. U se G o spe l Light m aterials and give yo u r S u n d a y school a fresh spiritual uplift! E x am in e Go spe l Light S u n d a y school le ssons at your local Christian bookstore or write for further information. > Please send me complete details including chart on "H o w to O r ganize Your Sunday School." Dept. KB-8 Nam e_
fo r ten to fifteen years who gain only a vague and inadequate grasp o f the Scriptures. W ith Gospel Light lessons your members will ac quire what many leaders have called the equivalent o f Bible institute training. A ll materials are correctly graded, meeting year by year the changing needs o f the pupils. T h ird , you want to provide inspira tion and encouragement to all asso ciated with your Sunday school. Gospel Light materials are not only fascinating and helpful to pupils
Street-
_Zon e___ State-
City___
Position in S.S. or Church- Church________ i ------------------
1214 So. B rand Blvcl. * G len dale 4, Calif.
THE K IN G 'S BU SINESS
4
Official publication of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Inc. Louis T. Talbot, Chancellor S. H. Sutherland, President ® Ray A. Myers, Chairm an of the Board
Vol. 46, No. 8
AUGUST, 1955
Established 1910
Dedicated to the spiritual development of the Christian home
ARTICLES
W H Y TH IS M AGA Z IN E ? ......................................................... 3 THE COLLEGE STUDENT A N D CHRIST ......... 7 I HATE GOD ..................... 10 JESUS CHRIST A N D HOW TO COME TO H IM ........................ 10 BLUEPRINT FOR A M EAN INGFU L LIFE — James C. Upshaw ...... 12 HOW CH R IST IAN IT Y WORKS — A Housewife— Colleen Evans .... 14 HOW CH R IST IAN IT Y WORKS — An Athlete— Primo Villanueva I 15 HOW CH R IST IAN ITY WORKS — A School Teacher— Tena Thomas 16 HOW TO TAKE AN A IRPLANE RIDE ..................................... 17 PLAIN CH R IST IAN ITY — J. B. Phillips ..................................... 18 ARE YOU SAVED? .................................... 20 HAVE YOU BEEN BORN AGA IN ? ............................................ 21 W H A T DO YOU T H IN K OF CHRIST? — Francis S. Downs 22 THE AGNOSTIC A N D CHRIST — Timothy Fetler ....................... 35 THE RICH M A N A N D LAZARUS .......................... 38 THE TEENAGER A N D CHRIST — James Rayburn ..................... 40 HAVE YOU CONSIDERED H IM ? — Wilbur M. Smith ................. 42 BUT A N D IF — Washington Gladden .............................. ..... 47 FEATURES UNDER THE PARSONAGE ROOF — Althea S. Miller ................. 4 H YMN S YOU LOVE — Phil Kerr ............................................. 6 OUT OF THE LAB — Donald S. Robertson ....................... 34 ADVERTISERS' INDEX ............................................................. 50 COVER The theme for this issue is "A n unexamined life is not worth living." It is from Plato's "The Trial and Death of Socrates." You recall that Socrates was on trial because he publicly taught that men should make an unflagging search after truth. He was keenly aware of the necessity of sifting and examining plausible arguments. And for this he was sentenced to die by drinking a cup of poison. His last words were to his friend Crito: " I owe a cock to Asclepius; do not forget to pay it." Thus died a great seeker of truth who lived some 400 years before Christ. — Art & Design : Marvin Rubin
editor S. H, SU T H ER LA N D
m onaging editor LLO YD H A M IL L
copy editor ROSE H A R D IE
advertising manager M ILT O N R. SUE
circulation m anager STELLA KiN T ER
business m anager J. RUSSELL ALLDER
editorial board Donald G. Davis •• Jam es O. Henry * M argaret Jacobsen Donald S. Robertson Gerald B. Stanton
Charles L. Feinberg M artha S. Hooker • Chester J. Padgett • Oran H. Smith
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION, — ' The King's Business" is published monthly: $2.50, one year; $ 1.25, six months; 25 cents, single copy. Clubs of three or more at special rates. Write for details. Canadian and foreign subscriptions 25 cents extra. It requires one month for a change of address to become effective. Please send both old and new addresses. REMITTANCES — Payable..in advance, should be made by bonk draft, express, or past office money order payable to
"The king's Business." Date of expira tion will'; show plainly on outside of wrapper or cover of magazine. ADVERTISING— For information address the Advertising Manager, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 17, California. MANUSCRIPTS—-"The .King's Business" cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts mailed to us for consideration.
Entered as second-closs matter November 7, 1938, at the Post Office of Los An geles, Californio, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing of special rate of postage provided for in the Act of February 28, 1925, em bodied In paragraph 4, section 538, P.L. and R.> authorized October 1, 1918, and November 13, 1938. Printed in U.S.A. by Church Press, Glendale, California, ADDRESS: The King's Business, 558 S. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, Colifornia.
LETTER ABOUT A 14-YEAR- OLD BOY ON THE ISLAND OF CRETE, GREECE
Plan now to attend INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON PROPHECY November 6 - 13,1955 at the Calvary Baptist Church 123 West 57th Street New York City • To break the doubtful silence left by the Evanston assembly on such vital subjects as: The true meaning of the Kingdom of God The nature and sphere of the Kingship of Christ The validity of the promises made by God to Israel • T o clear the air with reference to: The Hope of the Church The imminency of Christ’s return The final destiny of the redeemed The doctrine of the Rapture The Great Tribulation 25 renowned Christian leaders will discuss these themes in the light of the revealed Word. COMMITTEE
You Love by Phil Kerr Just: As I Am
I am writing this letter to you from the sanitarium of Canea on the Is land of Crete. I am an old man suf fering from tuberculosis, but I am not writing for myself, but for a poor, forsaken 14-year-old boy, Andrew Kountourakis, in this same sanitarium. Andrew’s parents have nine other children. They are extremely poor and are trying to make a living by farm ing the rocks. Undernourishment and hard work on the farm ever since he was a little tot have caused Andrew to contract this horrible disease. He has a continual high fever and is con stantly spitting blood. The public wel fare is unable to help him and he will certainly die unless Christians come to his assistance. Because I know you are good Christians, I beg of you in the name of Him who gave His life to save us from our sins, to help this poor, uncared-for child. He has gone all through the winter without a coat to wear. His shoes are made of rags. The doctors have great hope that they can save him if they are able to treat him with Streptomy cin, Rimifon and PAS tablets. Un fortunately, these drugs are not free at this institution and his parents are too poor to buy them. I beg you, therefore, to send the drugs that will save his life. It is a pity for such a young child to die just because no one cares. I need medicine myself, but I am quite willing to die, if only help can be procured for this wonderful little boy. When I told him I was writing to you, he said, "Tell them I’ll pray that the Lord will lead them to help me.” This is an opportunity for you, my beloved, to prove that you care just like our Lord. With gratitude, A. SPITALIORAKIS * * * , * * N ote : It was certainly wonderful of this old man to take such a compas sionate interest in this boy. To send Andrew the medicine will cost $35. W e would also like to send him a clothing package which will cost $6 to ship. And shall we do nothing for the old man? Such heart-rending ap peals reach the office of the American Mission to Greeks by the hundreds. As the Gospel is presented to the souls of these people, so must their bodies be reached with healing. If you wish to help, please address your contributions to: Rev. Spiros Zodhiates, General Secre tary, American Mission to Greeks, Inc., Dept. K, P.O. Box 423, New York 36, New York. (In Canada: 90 Duplex Ave., Toronto 7, Ontario.)
Words by Charlotte Elliott Music by Wm. B. Bradbury
C harlotte Elliott was born in Clapham, England, March 18, 1789. As a young woman she began to attain fame as a writer of humorous verse and as a por trait artist. A t the age of 32 she was attacked by an illness which made her a bed-ridden invalid for the remainder of her life. A few months later she was led to Christ through the efforts of Dr. Cesar Malan, a well-known evan gelist who was a close ffiend of the fam ily. It has been said that Dr. Malan said to her, “ Come to Christ just as you are ,” and that this statement inspired the writ ing of “ Just As I Am ,” but this story cannot be historically sub stantiated. The song was written 10 years after her conversion. One day, in 1834, the entire fam ily attended a church bazaar, leaving Miss Elliott at home alone. Feeling despondent, and handicapped by her helplessness, she asked God to make her use ful, even though she was bed ridden. W hen her loved ones returned from the bazaar, they found that she had written a hymn-poem, “ Just As I Am .” Headed with the text, “ Him that cometh unto me I w ill in no wise cast out” (John 6:37), the poem was first published in 1836 in the Invalids’ H ymn Book, to which Miss Elliott contributed more than 100 poems. When she died (Sept. 22, 1871), it was found that she had received more than 1,000 letters thanking her for having written “ Just As I Am .” The well-known Woodworth tune, by Wm . B. Bradbury, was not originally written for “ Just As I Am .” It appeared in 1849 in Hastings-Bradbury’s T h ir d Book of Psalmody, as a musical setting to the hymn beginning, “ The God of love w ill sure in dulge.” It was Hastings, several years later, who discovered that Bradbury’s tune was admirably suited to Miss Elliott’s words.
D r . W illiam C ulbertson D r . V. R aymond E dman D r . F rank D. G aebelein D r . J ames M c G inlay D r . A lva J. M c C lain D r . J. P almer M untz D r . J ohn S. W imbish
P reced ing the Congress — THE W IN O N A LAKE CONFERENCE ON PROPHECY AN D THE JEWS 1955 Dates, Aug. 29 - Sept. 5 is America's unique annual institute for the study of the Prophetic Word in an atmosphere of natural beauty and spiritual renewal. Ministers and lay people from everywhere come to this end-of-season conference for in stru c tio n and inspiration. Drs. William Culbertson, V. Raymond Edman, Alva J. McClain, Walter L. Wilson, Robert L. Powell, James McGinlay, Hyman J. Appelman are among this year's teachers and preachers.
Write for full information:
DR. A. B. M A CH L IN AM ER ICAN ASSOC IAT ION FOR JEWISH EVANGELISM Dept. K Winona Lake, Indiana
THE K IN G 'S BUSINESS
by BILL BRIGHT
a basic thirst fo r truth is causing college students to exam ine their faith
THE COLLEGE STUDENT & CHRIST
S ome time ago it was my privilege to chat with a student body president of oiie of the great universities of America. Though he was only in his early twenties, he had served his country faithfully in World War II, was a captain in the Air Corps with some 50 missions over Germany, a handsome young man with tremendous personality and drive. We spoke to him concerning God’s plan for his life and how Jesus Christ, God’s Son, had said, “ I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” And we told him how Christ had gone to the cross to pay the penalty for sin which man himself could never pay. He replied that this was all new to him. He had gone to church and Sunday school only a few times in his life, and he knew nothing of the Bible, of Christ and of God.
However, as we talked, he expressed a sincere desire to know personally the One about whom we spoke. The following Sunday he was in church. We met again and again in the weeks that followed. There were many questions, much study and always an open, receptive spirit. Finally one night three months after our initial contact, this young man. knelt with me in my office and asked Christ to become his Saviour and Lord. In the days that followed, we saw his life change, and others were awakened to their need of Christ because of him. In the last five months, it has been my privi lege to speak to many thousands of students on some 30 campuses across America. As the claims of Christ have been presented, we have seen many hundreds, like this splendid young CONTINUED
Christ and the college student continued
student body president, trust their lives to Christ and begin a new adventure with Him. In four years of working with college students we have seen many student body pres idents, beauty queens, All-Ameri cans such as Donn Moomaw, Bob Davenport, Jack Ellena, Primo Vil lanueva and others, give Christ priority in their lives. These out standing leaders, plus hundreds of splendid young men and women who are not so well-known, but just as important in the eyes of God, have found that the applause of the crowds, the thrill of the grid iron, the honors and popularity of collegiate life, are not enough to satisfy; for basically, as St. Augus tine said many centuries ago, “ Thou hast made us for Thyself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” More recently, Pascal, the great French physicist and philosopher, said as he described the longing in the heart of each man, “ There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be sat isfied by any created thing but only by God, the creator, made known through Jesus Christ.” To some of you who are reading this article, there comes this ques tion, “How can a man who lived almost 2,000 years ago make life more meaningful for a collegian to day; or for that matter, for anyone, no matter what his age, color or creed? You say, tell us about Him, Who is He, what is He like? His name is Jesus of Nazareth. He was bom in Bethlehem of Judea nearly 2,000 years ago. For hundreds of years the great prophets of Israel had foretold His coming. The Old Test ament, which was written by many individuals over a period of 1,500 years, contains over 300 references to His coming. His vocation was that of a carpenter. At the age of 30, He began His public ministry. Space will not allow for details ex cept to say that in the three years
that followed, He gave man the formula for a full and abundant life now, and for a life to come. The life Jesus lived, the miracles He performed, the words He spoke, His death on the cross, His resur rection, His ascension into Heaven —all point to the fact that He was not a mere man, but more than man—as He Himself claimed. He said, “ I and my Father are one; he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” Will Durant, one of the most popular philosophers and historians of our time, was asked what he felt to be the apex of history. His reply: “ The three years that Jesus of Nazareth walked the earth.” Napoleon, during the days of his exile, was speaking to some of his friends concerning the life of Jesus something like this: “ Charlemagne, Caesar, Alexander and myself have conquered great empires by force. Jesus of Nazareth conquered by love. Today millions would die for Him.” It is interesting to note that the Encyclopedia Britannica has over 40,000 words about the life of About the Au thor Bill Bright is a young business man who devotes most of his time to a nation wide organization called “Campus Cru sade for Christ.” During student days Bright was editor of his college yearbook, later president of the student body, member of Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities and recipient of numerous other awards and honors. Upon graduation from college, he taught at Oklahoma A. & M. College and resigned his position to go to California where he started his own manufacturing business. He became a Christian in 1945, and beginning in 1946 until 1950 he attended Princeton Theological Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary while oper ating his business. He has never been ordained, yet uses his theological and business training as a unique combination in preaching the gospel.
Jesus. Arnold Toynbee, one of the most eminent historians of all time, gives more space to Jesus of Naza reth than any six great men who ever lived, including Mohammed, Caesar, Napoleon, Alexander. Phil lips Brooks once said, “ I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever were built, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as power fully as has that one solitary life, the life of Christ.” It is interesting to consider that here is a man who claimed to be God, He claimed to be the author of a new way of life; and, interest ingly enough, wherever this mes sage has gone, new life, new hope and purpose for living have re sulted. Either Jesus of Nazareth was who He claimed to be, the Son of God and the Saviour of mankind, or He was the greatest imposter that the world has ever known. Now, some of you may say, “Why do you tell us about Jesus? We believe all this, and frankly, we see nothing to get excited about.” I know what you mean, for as a young man I grew up in a church, and was baptized at the age of 12, and was very active in a young peoples’ society. Yet, when I went away to college, I left my religion behind. I didn’t really lose my faith, for I later discovered that I had none to lose. There is a vast difference between being religious and being a follower of Christ. Be- ligion is man’s fruitless searching after God, groping in the darkness, seeking, ever seeking, but never finding. On the other hand, Christ is the revelation of God Himself. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is actually God in human form. There’s a story I like that illus trates why God came into time and history in the form of a man. A naturalist who was walking along a field’s edge found a huge ant hill.
8
TH E K IN G 'S BU SINESS
He was fascinated by these ants and suddenly, as he observed, he saw the farmer plowing the field. He was aware that shortly the ant hill would be plowed up with the rest of the field. In his concern, he was searching for a way to com municate a warning to them. It would be impossible for them to hear his voice or heed his warning. The only way for them to hear his voice or heed his warning would be if he could become an ant. This was impossible. This is exactly what God has done for us. God has come to earth in the form of a man, Jesus of Naz areth, in order that man might understand how to be restored to fellowship with the God who loves him and in turn yearns for his love. As one studies the various re ligions, one discovers that religion shackles men. It becomes the opiate of the people, restricting, limiting, inhibiting man. On the other hand, Christ sets man free, bringing new life and new hope. We are not writing this article to emphasize the values of religion or even the benefits of Christian ity; but rather, we are writing in order to introduce men and women to a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. Sometime ago, Arnold Toynbee was speaking at Stanford, and he said, “ The average person has not rejected Christianity, but a carica ture of it—a poor imitation.” This was my experience. When I went to college, I discovered that what I had was no longer adequate. It was not until later that I found out whv. My religion had been but a caricature — Churchianity, no t Christianity. It was not adequate for my needs. Almost 10 years ago, after sev eral vears of agnosticism, I heard a message similar to what you are reading now. Immediately I real ized how wrong I had been. You see, I had never before really heard
the truth concerning Jesus of Naz areth. Doubtless, many of you have had the same experience. You say, “This is interesting. Tell me more.” The Bible tells us of a holy and righteous God, One Who is eter nally aflame with goodness and love. The Bible also tells us that man was created to have fellowship with this God, but because of man’s stubborn self-will he broke this fellowship to go his own indepen dent way. This independent spirit resulting in broken fellowship with God, the Bible defines as sin. And the Bible says that, “ A l l have sinned and come short of the glory of God . . . [And] The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.” You will observe, we are not say ing that sin is getting drunk or kill ing or being immoral. These are only the results of sin. I think when we come to under stand this our problem is vastly narrowed. To come to God we need not battle the mistakes and failures and despair of the past. Since sin is going our own way, the solution to our problem is simply to be will ing to be willing to go God’s way. And God’s way is Jesus Christ. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life and that no man can come to God but by Christ. Thus Christ frees us from hav ing to pay the penalty of our sins and likewise frees us from being slaves to the results of sin, enabling us to live lives that are honoring to God. Now you say, “ This is what I need. I have been like a man on the desert, thirsty for water, and al ways before me there has been the mirage of a clear, cool, sparkling oasis; but when I arrive it is only the parched desert sand. How can I find Him?” you say. In Revela tion 3:20, Christ says, “ Behold, I stand at the door [the door of your heart and of your life] and knock: if any man hear my voice, and
open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Then in John 1:12 we are told that to as many as received Christ, God gave them the power (or right) to become His sons. It is not enough to believe about Christ; one must know Him per sonally. In the third chapter of John, Christ is speaking to Nicodemus, a religious leader of his day. As far as the law was concerned, he was without reproach. He was moral and ethical. He came seeking help from Jesus and in reply to his searching question, Christ told Nic odemus that the only way he could see or enter the kingdom of God was by being bom into this spirit ual kingdom. He went on to say that we were born once in flesh, but to enter the kingdom of God, we must be bom of the Spirit. Take for example a caterpillar crawling in the dust, an ugly, hairy worm. One day this worm weaves about its body a cocoon. Out of this cocoon emerges a butterfly. We do not understand f u l l y what has taken place. We only know that where once a worm has crawled in the dust, now a butterfly soars in the heavens. So it is in the life of a Christian. Where once we lived on the lowest level, we now dwell on the highest plane, experiencing a full and abundant life. Perhaps a better way to illustrate one’s commitment to Christ is the analogy of marriage. Suppose you are in love. You believe this one to possess all those qualities which make for a perfect mate. Will the fact that you believe these things be sufficient to consummate the ceremony? No, it is consummated only when you both stand before the minister and each commits his life to the other . . . when you say “ Yes” to the minister’s inquiry. Are you ready to say “Yes” to Christ now? This is the most im portant decision you will ever make. END.
9
THE K IN G 'S BU SINESS
" I HATE GOD”
Jesu i
I t was the terrifying roar of a wide-open jet fighter in an al most vertical dive. There was the moment of impact, then the silent, ugly column of black smoke surging skyward. There on foreign soil a young captain died in the service of his coun try. And back home in Penn sylvania the captain’s wife read the telegram. Her pain was be yond tears and her full young lips trembled only slightly when she spoke the full feeling of her heart: “ I hate God.” Here’s a problem that is as old as man. If God is a loving God why does He allow tragic incidents? To some degree we have all experienced what this young captain’s wife experi enced. Something happens to us or a loved one and we clench our fists and cry why? why? why? And there is no complete an swer. By definition God is that which nothing greater can be. Our minds cannot understand God. We cannot take in the over all scheme of things. But God has not left us alone in a vast and friendless universe. While in this life we will never under stand many things, still we need not despair. We need not hate God. We need not fear Him. Though we cannot understand
Him we can understand all we need to understand about Him as revealed in Jesus Christ. This is the reason God came to earth in the form of a man—that we might understand what we need to know about God and be right ly related to Him. If we would understand God we must come to Christ. Listen to Christ speaking as recorded in the Bible: “ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” “ I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” “ I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” “ Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground with out your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all num bered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” “He said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man con demned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” This is a picture of God. He cares about every single event that has or will ever happen in our life. Why tragedy then? We don’t fully know. But perhaps part of the answer is that be cause He loves us, He has given us the wonderful gift of freedom of choice. And often the conse quence of our choice is tragedy. But no tragedy is hopeless if we but cast ourselves on Him. We can either choose to clench our fists and go it alone, or come with every care and problem and sorrow to Jesus Christ. When no one else understands He does. He loves us with a love that is big enough to meet our deepest need. END.
I n the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the begin ning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in dark ness; and the darkness compre hended it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 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: 13 Which were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. T here was a man of the Phari sees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by
THE K IN G 'S BU SINESS
Christ and how to come to Him FROM TH E BIBLE John, Chapters 1 & 3
night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be bom when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be bom? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is bom of the flesh is flesh; and that which is bom of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be bom again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is bom of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son
of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have ever lasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that be lieveth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth com eth to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. 22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. 23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. 24 For John was not yet cast into prison. 25 Then there arose a question
between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. 26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. 27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. 28 Ye yourselves bear me wit ness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly be cause of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. 32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. 33 He that hath received his tes timony hath set to his seal that God is true. 34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. 35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. END.
11
TH E K IN G 'S BU SINESS
4
meaningful life Life fo r you should never be meaningless, never be boring , never be without lasting purpose
B Y JAMES C. UPSHAW
I remember seeing a number of years ago a movie of the life of Eddie Rickenbacker, in which there was one scene I have never forgotten because it so clearly illus trates the way many of us are living today. The scene occurred when Rickenbacker was in his early teens, interested in building, in putting things together, in mo tion—but not yet mature enough to harness that motion to a useful purpose. The boy built a machine that ran beautifully, turned lots of wheels, made much noise and gave the impression of important activi ty, but it accomplished nothing. He proudly exhibited the machine to his father, who looked it over care fully, observed all its activity, and said very simply, “ Son, if you can’t hitch it to something, don’t build it. Many of us, if we stop and think, will find that we are building lives like this young man’s machine — lives that are terribly active with lots of things to do and places to go, lots of people to meet, but lives which are not producing anything that has lasting value. Lives that are not hitched to anything. And if we look close enough at our lives
we may find that much of our ac tivity is carried on simply to keep us from thinking about the fact that we are living on a treadmill. I remember reading in one of our national magazines an article by a night club owner who said that he had to have two orchestras —- one in each end of his night club, each playing a particularly dis tracting kind of music because, he said, if the people who were his customers ever stopped to think, they would get up and leave. It would serve us well every once in a while to stop and ask ourselves “what am I building—what good is it—how long will it last—is the path I am walking a highway that leads somewhere — somewhere im portant, or is it just a treadmill?” There is a passage in the Bible that has helped me a great deal in pointing to a meaningful life. Let me share it with you. It is Luke 2:41-52. It is the story of an inci dent that took place when Jesus was about boy scout age. His parents had taken Him to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. They had celebrated the feast and were returning home, thinking that Jesus was somewhere in the company, with some of the
cousins, or playingwith friends from the home town. But they found after a day’s journey that Jesus was not in the crowd, so Mary and Joseph had to return to Jerusalem and search for Him there. They found Him after three days, we are told, in the Temple, talking with the great teachers of His day, asking them questions and giving them an swers which surprised them. When His mother asked Him why He had stayed in the Temple He didn’t understand why she should expect Him to be anywhere else. “Did you not expect Me to be about my Fa ther’s business?” He said. Then He went back home and was subject to His parents, living with them for another 18 years until He began His public ministry. There are several things that this story points out which are impor tant to me and I trust to you also. One of these things is that there is a tremendous danger in making false assumptions. In the case of Mary and Joseph they assumed that Jesus was in the company, not bothering to check, not stopping to ask questions, just supposing that He would be there. In your case and mine, we may falsely assume
12
THE K IN G 'S BU SINESS
that the crowd is right, that the way we are living today is the way we ought to live, that life is sup posed to be what it is to many of us . . . a series of opportunities, trials, successes, failures, seeming to be important, but upon closer examination contributing to noth ing that really matters. Might it just not be true, as the Bible says it is, that somehow the crowd has gone wrong? Another thing this story tells me is that the real purpose in life is not where we first expect to find it. “ After three days they found Him in the temple.” I am sure that this is not the first place they looked. Who of us looking for a 12-year- old would seek him first in church? Surely they went to the market place, thinking He would be ob serving how to drive a shrewd bar gain. Perhaps they even looked for Him over at the camel races. Well, there are many places you and I might look first for real pur pose. We might look for personal success, fulfillment of our ambi tions, social position, power of one kind or another over people around us. But we see today men who have these things, and when we come to know them well enough, we see that many of them are still missing the real purpose. So let us look else where, let us look in the Temple where Jesus was found facing the basic issues of life. Now by the tem ple, I mean the temple of our own hearts—that place where we stand in solitude before God and ask our selves some fundamental questions: who am I, who is God , what is my relation to God? When we find the answers to these questions we will have also found the answer to an other question, what am I doing here? And these are the answers for which our hearts cry. Who am I? I am a living per sonality, born with the possibility of becoming a child of God. Who is God? He is the One who created and keeps in order this universe and what other universes there mav be, and He, the living God, wishes to be my Father. I begin to suspect that life can have real meaning. This meaning comes to life if we see that we can have a right rela
tionship with God, a relationship of Father-child; that God is not dead nor far off, but that He is here and alive and is a God who an swers. But how can we see this; how can we establish a relationship that will make our lives meaning ful? In two ways, I think. One is accepting ourselves for what we are, and the other is accepting God for what He has revealed Himself to be. When we do this—find our selves and find God—then we have found life, and we have found it to have a thrilling purpose. Finding God may not be so diffi cult; He has done everything in His power (except violate our free dom of will) to show us what He is like. At one time in history He ac tually became a man and walked this earth , teaching, preaching, h e a lin g and h e lp in g , h a v in g patience with people, loving them, forgiving them and finally dying for them. This is the picture of God. This is what God is like. This is God in terms that we can under stand. Jesus the carpenter of Naza reth was God become man in order that men might know God. Jesus Christ said, “ I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” This is the only point of view from which the New Testament makes sense. And if you will take the Gospels and the Letters and read them as though they told about God becoming man so that we might know that He loves us and He has a purpose for us, then you will see those writings take on tre mendous significance. But this business of accepting ourselves and our circumstances is where the difficulty really comes. You see, if we accept God as being the kind of personality that Jesus Christ reveals Him to be, then that means that we have been missing the point in life — that we have About tbe Au thor Visitors to the First Presbyterian Church of Walnut Creek, Calif, (near San Fran cisco) are often surprised to find the pastor of this large church is a young man with a crew-cut and the dynamic vocabulary of a college student.
been going out on our own little mission and accomplishing noth ing, when God means us to be on the team doing His will, following His plan and accomplishing His purpose. But no matter how hard it is, this we have to do, for while it is true that we have missed the point, it is also true that God is forgiving. Will not He who forgave all humanity for crucifying Christ also forgive you and me for miss ing His point? Let us then face ourselves, ad mitting our faults and our weak nesses, realizing tha t they are there, but asking God for help in forgetting them, and let us look in faith to Jesus Christ to make up what is lacking. Then let us go on with this diffi cult business. Let us accept our present circumstances as coming from Him and not seek so much to change our circumstances as to do what we think the God who re vealed Himself in Jesus Christ would have us to do in the midst of these circumstances. Let us also seek the fellowship of others who are finding their purpose in Jesus Christ, and here comes a pleasant surprise—we find that we are not alone in our search—not at all— that others are seeking God and finding Him also in Christ. We find others, many others, who feel just as we feel, who are weak just as we are weak, but who, through their faith in a living God are be coming strong and finding life by Christ’s standard to be full of new significance. I know I am talking about what is hard; I know I am talking about a life that may be demanding. It is certain to be challenging, a life that will require us to choose be tween important things, leaving some important things undone, that we might do things that mat ter more. It is a life that will force us into growth and into the accep tance of responsibility, but in this life there will be the ever-growing conviction that Jesus Christ is liv ing, and that He is with us today, that He is guiding us according to God’s plan. This life will never be meaningless, never be boring, nev er be without purpose . . . real, live, true, lasting purpose. END.
TH E K IN G 'S BU SINESS
13
H OW CHR IST IAN ITY WORKS — 1
A Housewife By Colleen Townsend Evans and us as individuals, to Himself through Christ His Son. Now I had gone to church most of my life, and I know I must have heard that story before, and yet I had never heard the words in a way that I could understand them clearly. I had never been able to grasp the gospel; and, what is more, I had never seen it presented in a way that attracted me to it. But these young people I met, spoke the message clearly, emphasizing it with Scripture, such as Jesus said, “ I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Fath er, but by me.” I could see by their lives that what they said they meant with all their hearts. They were not empty words but words that had changed their very lives, had revolutionized everything about them. I was desperately hungry for what these young people had, and so one week-end I went away to a conference with them. After thinking about the things I had heard, and the claims of Christ, I got up very early one morning and went out for a walk. I felt a tre mendous tug at my heart, a tug that kept saying, “Give God a chance in your life,” and although I knew very little about prayer, I got down and prayed. I told God that if the message I had been hearing was true, if Christ was really who and what He claimed to be, and if He could do what these young people said, I wanted to give Him my life completely. I wanted Him to be my Saviour from the self that was eating at my heart, from pride, and from the selfish ambition that was coming into my life. I wanted Him to be my Lord; to take over everything, and to give me what He had given these other young people. The moment I said “ Yes” to Christ, something wonderful hap pened. There was no fanfare of
S even years ago I was in a position where many of my friends would say to me, “What an excit ing, happy life you live! You have everything in the world to make you happy.” And in the eyes of society, I suppose I had. I had just signed a contract with a film studio, and although it was by no means the largest contract in Hollywood, it was a promise of more money than I ever thought I would make; and with it a promise of a certain amount of fame and prestige and a place in a creative profession which I enjoyed. Yet, in the moments when I was really honest with myself, I knew there was a restlessness within, a deep need within my heart for something more important than self, and my own career, and self ish ambition. Then I met a group of young people in a Hollywood church, and through them I heard the most glorious story of all, the story of God reconciling the world,
emotion, no visions and voices, but for the first time God became real to me, and I knew that Christ was what He claimed to be. I felt won derful—clean and fine for the first time in my life. And I had a hap piness that I had never known be fore. I found that to give your heart and life to Christ is the most excit ing, thrilling experience in the world; it is to find a happiness and peace that I never knew I could have until that moment. I have found that to follow Christ is a challenge and a thrill, and it is not always easy. It means that I can no longer stand back and be as it were a mere spectator of life; I have to get into it, and help to do something about its need, as Christ Himself did. We read in Matthew’s Gospel how He had compassion on the multitudes and on people who were ill and in distress. I found that I cannot just look on at the world and its problems—the hatred among nations, and between races —that I must no longer be part of the problem; I have to be part of the answer to the problem. I would appeal especially to young people. Respond to the call of this Saviour Christ who can revo lutionize your life, who not only asks you to follow Him, but who gives you the power to be a good soldier for Him. He asks you to align your life with His, and He will give you a peace that the world can never understand. If you are hungry in heart, as I was a few years back, not for money or fame or prestige, but for something deep er, hungry for a happiness that does not depend on material things, and a peace that passeth all understand ing, I urge you to give Christ a chance. Seven years ago I did that, and now I am more convinced than ever before that the only life worth living is the Christian life. The only One who is worth following in these days is Christ Himself.
TH E K IN G 'S BU SINESS
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 52Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs