JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY OFFERS A COURSE IN
• S ke tch e d a b o v e , 4- bay FM antenna. At left, “ Consoletfe " studio con trol panel.
I N LABORATORY, class room, and in actual practice John Brown University is offer ing the most complete training available in America today for young people inter ested in Radio. KUOA, the 5000-watt Voice of the Ozarks, is the John Brown Univer sity voice of the air. Soon John Brown University will be on the air with a completely new and powerful FM station. This statioh will be used in the training of radio workers as is the present station KUOA. Courses are being added in the engineering department that will teach the technical phases of FM broadcasting. For young people interested in this type of training, John Brown University offers the finest. John Brown University ADDRESS ALL INQUIRI ES TO DR. JOHN E. BROWN, SILOAM SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
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"M'OT what, but Whom, I do believe, ^ That, in my darkest hour of need, Hath comfort that no mortal creed TOmortal man may give;— Not what, but Whom! For Christ is more than all the creeds, And His full life of gentle deeds Shall all the creeds outlive. 'M’OT what I do believe, but Whom! ' Who walks beside me in the gloom? Who shares the burden wearisome? Who all the dim way doth illume, And bids me look beyond the tomb The larger life to live?— Not what I do believe, But Whom! Not what, but Whom! —JOHN OXENHAM (Used by permission) OUR AU THO R S TH IS MON TH T\R. WALTER "WILSON, known as “the beloved physician,” is Pres ident of the Kansas City Bible Col lege of Kansas City, Missouri; Rev. Vance Havner of Greensboro, North Carolina, is an evangelist; Dr. Nor man B. Harrison is a well-known Bible expositor and writer; Rev. G. Coleman Luck is Superintendent of Goodland Indian Orphanage of Hugo, Oklahoma; Mr. J. Russell Davis is on the staff of the Hunan Bible In stitute at Changsha, China, and a co-worker of Dr. Charles Roberts; Dr. Keith L. Brooks is the Editor of Prophecy, founder of the American Prophetic League, and author of many religious books. FO RTH COM ING FEATURES YJUR March issue will introduce sev- eral new writers, among them Richard Seume, J. B. Marchbanks and Edwin Raymond Anderson. In addi tion, there will be included a tri bute to the “schoolhouse church” by the Dean Emeritus of the Graduate School of U.S.C.; a playlet by a Biola student; and articles by Northcote Deck and Ernest Kemp. We are grateful for suggestions from our readers as to the kind of material desired. We invite contri butions to our Miscellanea depart ment; in all cases, the source must be given. The items should be short, with a spiritual implication. Watch for a strikingly beautiful cover by our artist, Ransom D. Mar vin, for the Easter number, and for a series of interesting Bible games. It is our plan to continue to fea ture the best photography obtain able. In this connection, we are most grateful to Mr. George R. King of Los Angeles for the use of many of his excellent pictures taken in all parts of the world.
THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S Official Publication of The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated Louis T. Talbot, D.D. 'Betty Bruechert William W. Orr, D.D. Editor in Chief Managing Editor Associate Editor Copyright, 1947, The King’s Business No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission. All Rights Reserved. VoJ. 38 February, 1947 No. 2 Christian Life Number Editorially Speaking............... :.......................................................... ............. 4 Gamaliel, the Appeaser, Vance Havner... ................................................. 6 Chosen Destinies, Rachel Stevens. .............................................................. 8 Peace in 1947, Norman B. Harrison ........................„ ......................... ....... 9 An Honest Jeweler, J. Russell Davis ................... ....................................... 11 The Certain Way to Get Rich, Keith L. Brooks ....................................... 12 “ For Such a Time As This” ............ ..................... ............. ,...................... 13 The Church That Suffered, G. Coleman Luck ......................................... 14 Miscellanea ..................................................... ............................................... 16 The Art of Church Ushering, Dr. Walter L . Wilson ............................. 17 Etchings Against the Sky, Martha Snell Nicholson ................................. 17 The Bible in the News......................... ........... ............................................ 18 Dr. Talbot’s Question Box..................................... ............................... . 19 The Unlocking of Ancient Civilizations, Paul R. Bauman .................... 20 The Bible Institute Hour.___________ _______ ___ .'................ ................... 22 Junior King’s Business, Martha S. Hooker ___________________________ 23 From Darkness to Light................................................................... ............. 25 Biola Family Circle ..................................................................................... 28 “ Lo . . . Alway,” Sallie D . Park ___ ..._____,...................................... . 29 Young People’s Topics.---------------- ------------------- --------- - ........................ 30 It’s An Idea, Carlton C. Buck -------- ------------------------------------------ 31 Sunday School Lessons................................ ............. ............................. ...... 35 Book Reviews, William W . Orr. ..................................................... ......... . 41 Object Lessons, Elmer L. Wilder. ------------------ .'.------------------------ --------- 42 SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION —"The Kina’s Business" is published monthly; |2.00, one yr.; 21.00, six months; 20 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. REM ITTANCES —Payable In advance, should be made by bank draft, express, or post office money order payable to "The King's Business." Date of expiration will show plainly on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. ADVERTISING —For information, address the Advertising Manager, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 13, California. MANUSCRIPTS —"The King's Business” 3 FEBRUARY, 1947 tional income was concerned. From that time to the present, and through the prosperous years of the war, church giving has been decreasing. This is a significant object lesson in two respects. First, it appears that God’s program thrives best dur ing years of adversity. Apparently, the Lord is delighted to show His power to do things when man’s abil ity is at the lowest ebb. How won derfully the Lord Jesus Christ dem onstrated this principle when He fed the multitude with a small boy’s lunch, and turned the world upside down with a dozen poor and un learned men! God’s program does not depend upon financial success. In the second place, we are im pressed from these statistics that when God’s blessings are abundant, man forgets Him as the Giver of the good gifts. Invariably, in the good times men think about their own pleasure, and disregard God. It seems logical, then, that since God would have mankind look to Him, He is forced to send trouble for the good of their souls. While we do not ask that such trials should come upon our nation, the innermost urge of our hearts is that our land should turn to God. To this end we long that a great enterprise should be launched by all of God’s people, in which hands and hearts should be joined, not to bring in the Kingdom which only God’s Son can do, but to carry to all men on earth the story of the crucified and risen Saviour. Thus only shall we escape the cer tain judgment of our faithful God. Under Water for Months A NEWS item which apparently originated in the Chicago Tribune gives the rather astonishing informa tion that the atomic age submarine will be able to travel under water at the speed of forty-five knots, and to remain submerged for months at a time. It will not be necessary for this underwater craft to come to the surface except to replenish its sup plies. It is general knowledge that these “tin fish” can accommodate as many as one hundred men. It has always been a mystery to the writer to meet people who be ☆ lieve without question such news items, and at the same time profess inability to believe the Biblical story of the prophet Jonah. Such folks are not all inclined to doubt the ability of men to construct a submarine ca pable of swallowing one hundred men, keeping them enclosed for months, and then disgorging them without ill effects, but they are un willing to credit God with the skill and intelligence to create a subma rine of flesh in order to teach His faithless prophet a lesson. We have no doubt but that the basic fault lies in the failure of men to estimate ade quately the awesome power of our great God. AS WE go to press, there is being widely discussed the recent broad cast in San Francisco, on which an avowed atheist was given free time to air his convictions. The story in brief is that for a number of years a certain Robert Harold Scott of Palo Alto, California, has been requesting free time over local radio stations in order that he might present his athe istic views. All stations refused, so Mr. Scott petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to re ject their licenses. The decision of the Commission was merely that sta tions must allow both sides of any question to be broadcast. Consequent ly, KQW of San Francisco permitted Mr. Scott a half-hour on Sunday morning, November 17. The result was an avalanche of letters. When these were segregated and counted, they were found to be four to one opposing Mr. Scott’s right to broad cast disbelief in God. Some of those in the minority twenty per cent were only in favor of the radio station's allowing the broadcast, not believers in his atheistic doctrines. The statis tics of the case are being forwarded to the Federal Communications Com mission. We are not now discussing the matter of such disbelief. How any one with intelligence can behold the millions of environmental miracles, and still be an atheist, is beyond our comprehension. But we do maintain that the quickest and best way to deal with folks like Mr. Scott is to give them opportunity to broadcast T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S ☆ Four to One A Continuing Ministry W ITHOUT fanfare, and without great publicity, week after week, a real work of God among the Lord’s ancient people Israel goes on in Los Angeles. We refer to the Jewish de partment of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles which, under the direc tion of Mr. Daniel Rose, a godly, con secrated Hebrew Christian, continues to reach, out lovingly to the thou sands of Jews, not only in this great City, but all over our land. Incidents like the following occur again and again: A Jewish man about forty years of age came into the office of the Jew ish department. He was so upset that for several minutes after he sat down he wept with uncontrolled emo tion. His life had been strangely gripped by the demon of gambling. He had actually shipped his family off to some relatives and sold his home and automobile, in order to prosecute this terrible sin. Now, when he was broke, and utterly hope less, he came to us, because someone had told him that friends at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles would take an interest in him. After prayer for wisdom, the kind worker told him the old story of God’s love through His Son for the whole world, and particularly for a man in trouble like himself. The result of this interview was that another of God’s ancient people acknowledged Jesus Christ as his Messiah-Saviour, and passed out of death into life. It is true that Jewry is not turning in great numbers to Jesus of Naza reth, but, thank God, here and there five, ten, or a score, are being led out of darkness into light by means of personal visitation, tract distribu tion, public meetings, and prayer. Most blessed are those who thus have a part in the evangelization of God’s chosen people. ☆ Paradoxical, but Shameful "TiROM 1933 to 1946, contributions to P the churches in the United States fell off more than a billion dollars. Strange as it may seem, the high peak in financial receipts was the year 1932, which was the worst year of the depression so far as the na 4 Los Angeles has sponsored a confer ence in this delightful vacation spot. We are determined that it shall be an unforgettable event. A tentative list of speakers includes Dr. Louis T. Talbot, Dr. Vernon McGee, Dr. Harry Rimmer, and Dr. William Evans. ence division, which sent out thou sands of pieces of Christian literature all over that great land. This offi cer did not allow his war duties to prevent his continuing this Bible course. It had its effect upon his life as well, for all of his spare time was spent preaching the Gospel in the surrounding villages. Reports like this will be particu larly encouraging to the faithful group of God’s children who for many years have remembered in their prayers the Hunan Bible Insti tute and its ministry. This work is now facing its greatest challenge to do a great work for Christ in China. ☆ Third Highest T HE completed report of the serv ice rendered by chaplains during the war has been released. It ap pears that the majority of these men not only accomplished a very credit able piece of work, but exhibited great heroism in their service. Of some 81,000 padres, one out of every four won a decoration for valor or meritorious service; one out of every twenty received the Purple Heart; 84 were killed in action, and, in spite of regulations forbidding their accom panying air combat teams, ten won air medals. Furthermore, next to the Infantry and Air Corps, the Chap lains Corps had the highest casualty rate in the Army. We thank God for this record, which proves the inherent bravery and stability of these men of God. However, we would like a glimpse into the Heavenly records to find out how many servicemen were brought into personal knowledge of God’s Son through these “sky pilots.” We would like to know how many moth ers’ sons were influenced by their chaplains to resist tetnptation and to be strong for the right. We would like to see the statistics on the faith fulness in preaching the pure Word of God in public and in private by the men who wore the sign of the cross on their lapels. Some day these ad ditional figures will be known. it Vacation TT MAY seem early to be thinking of summer vacations, but it is a well-known fact that vacation plans which mature in the summer gener ally result from seed thoughts plant ed in the early spring. At any rate, we want to suggest to the readers of The King’s Business that they con sider the possibility of attending the Bible Institute Hour Conference at beautiful Mt. Hermon, California, the last week fn August of 1947. This is the first time the Bible Institute of their wealth of ignorance. This has been amply demonstrated by the case in point. ☆ Still No Prayer fl/TOST of us have been surprised and a little irritated by the pau city of results from the meetings of the United Nations Organization. From press reports, there seems to have been plenty of wrangling over insignificant matters. The. settle ments which have been publicized seem of little or no moment when viewed in the light of the tremendous issues still unsolved. A news item in a recent edition of Time notes that “the United Nations’ General Assem bly meeting in New York last week was not opened with prayer. Offi cial reason: Too much diversity of faith.” It will be remembered that in no session of either the United Na tions Committee, or its larger body, the Assembly, has there been any official recognition of God, even though several South American coun tries earnestly petitioned that His name appear in the preamble to the constitution. Their suggestion was stricken from the records at the re quest of a committee member from the United States. Is it surprising that the United Nations Organization should be almost barren of any real accomplishment when the Maker of Heaven and earth (to say nothing of our Saviour Jesus Christ) is not even recognized in their sessions? How different the story will be when there will be established an other united nations organization, headed by Christ Himself, as Chair man! Strange as this may seem to the conceptions of the unconverted, this is exactly what will take place when God indicates to the nations of this earth that He has had enough of their attempts to rule themselves, and places the reins of government in the hands scarred with nailprints. i t Bread on the Waters A RECENT letter from J. Russell ^ Davis, a member of the faculty of the Human Bible Institute, the China branch of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, gives an unusual news item. Mr. Davis tells of his acquaintance with a very interesting person, a lieutenant commander in the Chinese Navy, who recently finished the Sco field Correspondence Course in Chi nese, which he had secured from the Hunan Bible Institute prior to the re cent conflict. Before the war, one of the large departments of this evangelical school located in the heart of China was its correspond- FEBRUARY, 1947 ☆ First T HE first General Conference of the Evangelical Methodist Church convened in Kansas City, Missouri, late last year. This movement is a protest against the rising tide of liberalism in the Methodist Church. Twelve states and two foreign coun tries were represented, and the out come of the meeting was a consti tution for the new church, making it congregational in its form of gov ernment, with but only enough su pervision from its officers to unify the group. The report from this Con ference indicates that great spiritual power characterized the sessions. i t It Can Be Done rPHE occasion was the morning service of a large city church. A family of missionaries was leaving to take up service on a foreign field, and they took their turns testifying to their faith in Christ and their de sire to be used of Him. Mother, father, older sister had spoken, when little brother, aged three, came to the platform. Instead Of giving his testimony, he repeated from memory the Christmas story from Luke’s Gospel. The writer has listened to many a sermon in his day, but rarely has he been as impressed as he was by this Christmas message preached out of the mouth of a babe. Stumbling a bit at the words he did not under stand, and in something of a hurry to get to the end of his long “piece,” the little fellow went on and on to the very end of the twenty verses, with almost no prompting. God spoke through the words, and the thousands seated in the auditorium, and doubtless thousands more over the air as well, could not restrain a hearty "Amen—God bless him!” This is not the end of the story. Stored away in the heart of this child, who will one day be a man, is the imperishable Word of the liv ing God. As he, God willing, follows in the footsteps of his missionary parents, he will have many an occa sion to quote from memory the ac count of the Babe of Bethlehem. His life will be enriched, and the lives of others benefitted, by the Scrip tures which have become a part of him. Let no one say that it cannot be done—Scripture memorization. 5 tfam a iiet t / i e r f f r f c e a â & i Vance Havner N OBODY ever called the Acts of the Apostles a dull book. Something Is happening in it every minute. The early Christians, on fire for God, tackled the world, the flesh and the devil in a head-on collision and soon got into plenty of trouble. By the time we reach the fifth chapter, the account indicates that their tribulations had assumed several forms. The chapter begins with trouble inside the church: “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sap- phira his wife.” The church has always been harmed most by difficulty within. However, at that time, she was not so anaemic as now, and the poison was soon cleared up. The outward trouble looms up again. Peter and the apostles are again brought before the council, the reli gious authorities. True Christianity through the ages has always clashed with organized religion. Peter and the apostles did not mince their words. Their speech is classic: “We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his wit nesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” No wonder the council was “cut to the heart” ! A sermon like that, with the Trinity in it, Calvary in it, the resurrection in it, repentance in it, forgiveness in it, the gift of the Spirit in it, plainly charging the rulers with murder and boldly claiming that the disciples were Christ’s witnesses—and all in four verses!—a sermon like that was bound to cut to the heart even a religious council, often the hardest crowd on earth to move. Trouble within, trouble without. And now comes an other kind of trouble in disguise, trouble on the fence. Dr. Gamaliel, learned and famous teacher of the law, stands up. He cautions them to be careful what they do with these disciples. He cites the case of two men, Theudas and Judas, who had led popular movements that came to nought. He advised suspended judgment. “If this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God." ■There was a time when I was much impressed with Gamaliel. I thought he made a great speech. It sound ed sober, sane, and sound, level-headed, reasonable. But the years have changed my convictions about many men and I have had a radical change of mind about Gamaliel as well. The fact is, Gamaliel was an appeaser, and he com promised this meeting into a Munich. If Peter was an apostle of Christ, Gamaliel was an apostle of compro mise. He was one of the first protagonists of that tol erance which has left its blot upon the pages of history throughout the centuries. There is no excuse for Gamaliel. He was a teacher in Israel and knew the truth of these things. He knew the Scriptures about Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ had come and fulfilled these Scriptures right in Gamaliel’s vicinity and time, for this thing was not done in a corner. It was no time for suspended judgment. There was nothing about which to suspend judgment. Gamaliel should have taken his stand with these apostles. While there is a tradition that he became a Christian, it is more likely that he lived and died a Pharisee. It is to his eternal disgrace that, like Meroz, he came not to the help of the Lord against the mighty. Of course, he would have had to pay a price if he, a teacher of reputation, took his stand with the despised Galileans. Gamaliel decided to be neither for nor against. He took to the fence and there the record shows him sitting as the first of a line of “straddlers” who have perhaps caused the church more grief than all other tribulations within or without. God would rather have a man on the wrong side of the fence than on the fence. The worst enemies of apostles are not the opposers, but the appeasers. Gamaliel made three mistakes. First, he made a .false comparison. Although the apostles were immedi ately in mind, he was really comparing Jesus Christ with Theudas and Judas since it was Jesus who had started this movement. You dare not compare Jesus with Theu- T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S 6 das or Judas or anybody else. Jesus Christ is Jesus Christ. There is a popular tendency today to airily measure Jesus in the same mold one uses for ordinary men, and to compare the Christian movement with man made religions and enterprises. Some of it has a very scholarly aroma and an honest sound, but it is really ut terly beside the point. Paul wasted no time comparing the Gospel with current religions and trying to convince his hearers that the Gospel was the best answer to the world’s ills that had as yet come along. He declared it to be the only answer that ever had come along or ever would come along, all in a class by itself, with all com parisons out of order. Jesus is first and last. Without Him nothing can be done about salvation. With Him nothing more need be done. Theudas and Judas and all men and movements may be compared to each other, but never to Him. God has spoken, God came to earth, lived and died and rose again in His Son. That is final ity and all Gamaliels who try to liken something else or someone else to Jesus Christ are trying to compare the incomparable. Furthermore, Gamaliel suggested a false criterion. “We will measure this movement by the success of it. Time will tell.” Now success may be the standard gauge of this world where “nothing succeeds like success,” but earth’s yardstick does not apply to Jesus Christ. Accord ing to the viewpoint of His time, Jesus was a failure. He died in disgrace the death of a criminal and His fol lowers were dispersed. Nineteen centuries have gone and today it still appears that Caesar, not Christ, is on the throne. The world, the flesh and the devil have had things pretty much their own way. And, instead of the world’s being converted, we know that the Lord Himself said: “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” That certainly is not success as this world measures it.. Nor is it true in the things of Christ that “time will tell.” But eternity will tell and we await its verdict. The man who postpones taking his stand for Jesus Christ until he sees how the Gospel movement is going to succeed will live and die with Gamaliel. Visible suc cess has never been the proof of the approval of God for Jesus or His followers. They have been the scum and offscouring of the earth. If God blesses true Christians with wealth and advancement in things material, it is purely incidental, and not necessarily an indication of superior spirituality. He who tries to use this world’s textbooks on success in the things of the Spirit will end up like the man who offered a set of books entitled How to Succeed for a month’s room and board! It just doesn’t work. Finally, Gamaliel arrived at a false conclusion: “Re frain from these men, and let them alone.” But you can’t let them alone! You cannot play "hands off” in the cause of Jesus Christ. “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scat- tereth abroad.” You cannot suspend judgment and do nothing. You are either dead or alive, and you are either a Christian or you are not one. This polite busi ness of waiting to see how it all turns out, adding up all the evidence and making up our minds when we think all the facts are in, puts man on a pedestal before whom Jesus must stand trial in the hope of meriting his approval. The fact is, we are guilty and condemned sinners with the wrath of God abiding on us, with mercy offered. Until we definitely trust Christ, we definitely reject Him. “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” That admits of no fence-sitters. You can not assume indifference to Jesus Christ or His cause. You are with Him or against Him, gathering or scatter ing, condemned or justified. FEBRUARY, 1947 So Gamaliel was utterly mistaken in what at first glance seems a sound and sane position. He was right when he made the statement that if the Gospel move ment were of men, it would come to nought, but, if it were of God, it would not be overthrown. But if we do not get beyond those “if’’s, we shall die in our sins. Until we decide that the Christian cause is ofGod and join it, we are opposing it. We are on trial. A man in a European Art Gallery severly criticized the works of the old masters, as he walked out of the door. The old door keeper replied, “If you please, Sir, those pictures are no longer on trial, but the spectators are!” Christ and the Gospel have proven themselves. Who are we to take the judge’s seat and pass upon them? God offers sal vation as a free gift: take it and you are saved; leave it and you are lost. Until you take it, you leave it. But Gamaliel’s policy has many ramifications. As we said at the outset, he was an appeaser, an opportunist, who would not commit himself. We are reminded of the crowd on Carmel upon whom Elijah called down the fire of Heaven. Seven thousand in Israel had not bowed to Baal. There were present four hundred and fifty priests of Baal. Both of these groups had taken a stand and could be numbered. But when Elijah challenged his congregation: “How long halt ye between two opin ions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baalj then follow him . . . the people answered him not a wo,rd.” They would not commit themselves; they would not take sides. They would wait to see how things turned out. This is an age of appeasement. It begins in the home where the rod is spared and the child is spoiled. It continues in school where right and wrong have be come relative instead of absolute. It shows up in na tions as it did at Munich. And it has infected the pro fessing church. There is no forthright declaration like Peter’s to cut to the heart the opposition. It straddles the fence with Gamaliel and dismisses the assembly. Erasmus was a typical appeaser in true succession to Gamaliel. It has been written: “He (Luther) dwells on the ingenious carefulness of Erasmus to avoid deci sive utterance, attempting always to shade down his ‘Yes’ till it is almost a ‘No,’ and to burnish up his ‘No’ until it might almost pass for a ‘Yes.’ Erasmus is a Proteus! He is an eel ... . in the debate . . . people Cathedral Spires, Yosemite 7 oi academic culture, of speculative disengagement and serene intellectual indifference, sided with Erasmus. The moderates throughout Europe, the gentlemen of courts, the semi-skeptical intelligences of the universi ties, told the golden-mouthed apostle of compromise that he was in the right . . . The heart of Christianity beat with Luther instead.” This is the age of Gamaliel and Erasmus when, in the name of tolerance, men halt between two opinions and answer not a word. In the church it shows up in a Laodicean lukewarmness, a little too hot to be cold, and a little too cold to be hot, a condition that even nauseates the Lord. The Gospel used to make men mad, sad or glad, but today we walk out of our churches neither sad nor mad nor glad—we just walk out. Gama liel was not affected either. Peter was glad in the Lord, and his audience was mad, but Gamaliel was just Ga maliel, tolerant and nothing more. Such a spirit shows up in our pulpits where Gama liels flourish and apostles are few. Joseph Parker, writ ing about Nathan the prophet who told King David “Thou art the man,” states: “Definite statements are manageable, but'vague charges are never to be enter tained. He is always a false accuser who makes a gen eral charge; he is a learned false witness, skilled and cunning, who says he will not go into the case; he will say nothing about it;, he thinks it better to hold his tongue. Would God his tongue had been cut when he said that! He has said more by not saying than he could have if he had told the truth . . . No man makes progress who deals in generalities.” But Nathan belongs to the category of Peter, John the Apostle, John the Baptist, Paul and Luther—and the Lord Jesus Himself. The issue is too clear-cut for mid dle-of-the-roaders, fundamental modernist and modern istic fundamentalist—neither fish nor fowl. The issues are life and death, Heaven and hell, and the case does not call for suspended judgment. The devil never had a greater ally than this modern atmosphere of genial, amiable, pleasant tolerance in which nothing is bad, everything is good, when with a “tra-la-la,” black and white are smeared into an indef inite gray. Nothing matters if everybody is in a good humor. Let us not get excited over Peter and John and their Jesus. We will not stoop to take sides. We will sfe how it works out. Well, the church is still marching on, but nobody ever got anywhere with Gamaliel. Get ting mixed up with an unpopular movement is not the worst thing, one can do. I would rather have lost my head with James than kept it with Gamaliel. This mod ern brand of tolerance has put our age into a stupor. Nothing is important enough to contend for. The devil does great business when the moral sensibilities of men have thus been doped. Even liquor ads make much of this “America of kindliness, of friendship, of good-humored tolerance.” Well did Gresham Machen declare: “The most important things are not those about which men are agreed, but those for which men will fight.” But the fatigue and languor of this age have got us. Everybody is too dead tired to line up with Peter and the Gospel. It is much more comfortable to sus pend judgment and go home to bed. To be sure, some men have made mistakes on the side of Peter and the Gospel. Peter made some himself. But he never made the supreme mistake of waiting to follow Jesus until he saw how it was going to turn out. He threw his blundering, impetuous self into the Sav iour’s cause from the very beginning. Although for g while almost everything he said and did was a mistake, his heart was not on the fence. He even -denied his Lord, but he came back. The other disciples too for sook their Lord and fled. But they ended up, all but Judas, faithful through imprisonment and scourging and martyrdom and lonely exile. They paid the price. GU&ijen ^ b e iiin ie l Rachel Stevens Luke 12:16-21 For me to live is wealth. Tear down my barns And build me greater: in this my soul shall rest. Eat, drink, be merry. I have much in store For all the years to come— what need I more? Who says I have not chosen what is best? Thou fooll This night shall God require thy soul, And parted From its treasure by a breath, It goes alone into eternity. Then whose shall thy hoarded splendor be, The soul gone forth to death— eternal death? John 12:12, 16 For me to live is fame— the pride of life: “Spare Him and thou art not great Caesar's friend!’’ Strange how the rabble cry comes back to me, While there He stood in silent majesty— One word— for me it could have meant the end. I’ve wagered all to be great Caesar's friend, And now death summons me, and I must go. Both king and galley slave obey that call, But when I stand before the Judge of all. How shall I answer Him? I do not know. Philippians 1:21 For me to live is Christ. That I should grow Into His likeness all of my desire; Forgetting that which now behind me lies, I press on boldly toward the mark, the prize, Urged forward by the Spirit's inner fire. An Hebrew of the Hebrews, born and bred— All this I count but nothing to attain, Yea, fellowship in His last awful hour, A knowledge of His resurrection power— For me to live is Christ, to die is gain! This poem was inspired bp a Navy chaplain’s sermon. Down through the centuries, a worthy succession has followed in their train. And along that road, they ever met their opposition within and without the church. But the church never suffered as much from antagonism as from appeasement. The apostles have had their enemies, but a thousand times more dangerous have been the appeasers. We can thank God that Gamaliel had one pupil who did not follow in his steps. Paul started out an opposer, and ended an apostle, but he never lowered himself to become an appeaser. You could always tell on which side of the fence he was. Whatever he was for, it was with a vengeance. When he was against Christ, he was really against Him. When he was for Him, he was for Him! He never sat on the fence with his famous teacher. Paul never could forgive himself for persecuting the church, but he never had to confess that he appeased the opposition. The opposition slew him, but he out lived it just the same. God help us to follow him as he followed Christ! 8 T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S Norman B. Harrison, D.D. W ILL 1947 be a year of peace? Hardly! We hear a chorus of protests: Look at conditions today: China in a sustained state of civil war; India lenting violence; much of Europe on the verge of col lapse through inability of the victors to write a peace treaty and move toward a restored prosperity; the UNO, posing as the guardian of peace, itself the theater of bickering ill-will and distrust; our fair United States almost wrecked by the internal clashes of class inter ests. Long since the Christian, whom we are addressing in this appeal for peace, living as he does in a world which our Lord warned would be characterized by “wars and rumors of wars,” 'even with the Prince of Peace of fered as the solution of its ills—should have learned to turn from the world’s persisting, unsolved problems to an experience of personal peace of which we only of all human beings hold the secret. When the angels made their announcement of our Saviour’s birth, they drew this distinction (sadly obscured by a false rendering). torn with factional strife; Palestine the scene of unre The translation of their words should read: “Peace on earth among men of His good pleasure.” Of those who will not accept that Saviour as God’s one way back into His favor, it is solemnly warned: “No peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (Isa. 48:22; 57:21). And as for men’s efforts to establish peace among themselves, Scripture dooms all such attempts to failure: “Even unto the end shall be war” (Dan. 9:26 K.V.). The Christian’s duty, his high calling and privilege are clear. He is placed in a world such as ours to radiate a peace which he alone possesses. Let us imagine for the moment that even darker days are ahead of us; suppose, for our purpose, that they prove to be the darkest in history. What should that mean for the Christian but his supreme opportunity? Instead of re flecting the world’s woes and fears, it will be his chance to prove the sterling worth of the Christian faith, there by commending it to his fellows. G od E xpects I t Peace is a major theme of Scripture. God has made with His people “a covenant of peace.” Every epistle to the churches bears the salutation, “Grace and peace be unto you,” as a reminder that the Christian life, rightly lived, is an experience of peace. Many are His exhortations to a life of peace; and when one fails of it, the Lord has His words of reproof for him: “O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river” (Isa. 48:18). We have every reason to believe that our failure to live in a constant, unbroken experience of unperturbed peace is a great grief to our Heavenly Father. C hrist S upplies I t It is not that we are thrown upon our own resources to attain peace: that would only insure failure. Our blessed Lord lived it, under the most devastating circumstances, and left it with us as our basic resource for true living: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.” And that we may know its practical value as an antidote to all of our feverish worry, He adds, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). But, someone says, “I am so situated that I cannot help being upset and troubled.” Of course you cannot; tnat is the reason Christ left you His peace—yours will not stand a single day of real testing. But His! Where was He when He said, “My peace” ? Under the shadow of the cross, with the hatred of men engulfing Him and the world’s woes descending upon Him. Tried and proven, His peace is invincible; it flourishes in the face of any circumstance. And it is ours by His bequest. But more. To make it presently and practically available, T he H oly S pirit P roduces I t The statement of our Lord that “He shall glorify me” is most revealing as to the Spirit’s ministry in our lives. If Christ wants us to live out His peace, the Holy Spirit makes it His business to see that we have it in un failing supply. “The fruit of the Spirit is . . . peace” (Gal. 5:22). As we live the abiding life, drawing our very life from Christ Himself, a relationship without which we must ever fail, the resulting fruit is flavored with His peace (John .15:5). Now, fruit is not the result of effort; it is the product of vital forces. When people say that they are trying to be calm and unworried, it is evident that they are seeking to secure peace by self-effort. In so doing they are brushing aside the divine Producer of peace. When their effort has spent itself, they are back in their old rut— worry. Self has failed them again; and they are left wondering why the Christian life does not satisfy. The truth is, they have not learned how to live it. Abiding in Him, not in self, it works. 10 M eeting a W orld N eed Undoubtedly, the persisting absence of peace is the outstanding symptom of world need. The possession of peace is the Christian’s pre-eminent equipment for supplying that necessity. The one should fully match and provide for the other. Let us ask ourselves, For what purpose is a Chris tian? Can we answer in terms of the want all about us? For what purpose is coal? Recent events bring a practi cal answer: to supply a thousand social and industrial needs. Is a Christian less useful? It is my conviction that the Christian life, rightly lived, is the most practical thing on earth for meeting human need. He has the answer: Christ’s life lived over again in him. For Chris tians to recognize peace as the world’s lack, and not to care for all that privation, is sheer, shameful selfish ness. If we are guilty, we have missed our calling. Listen to this! "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body” (Col. 3:15 R.V.). The peace of Christ—the peace He left us—we are constantly to express as the ruling, dominant note of our lives. This is our calling—“in one body,” the mystical body of Christ representing (or misrepresenting) Him in the world today. Dear reader, you and I had no right to take our place in that body of believers unless We were willing to divorce our hearts from the world’s worries and confusion, that they might be reserved for Christ, as substations through which to pour His peace, relaying that peace to our modem world. To do less is treasonable to our Lord. Suppose that every Christian were true to this call ing. The world over, a Christian would be known as one who never worries. What would this do to the men of our day, those who have turned their backs upon Christ and His church? It would arouse their attention at once; they would be asking: “Where did these folks get what we so sorely lack?” Our churches would be filled with folk searching for our secret. A Christianity demonstrating its practical worth in terms of peace would be in great demand. Failing in this our testimony, having nothing to contribute to the world’s emergency, what are we good for? T he T wofold S ecret Self and the Spirit are the answer. They are con trary to each other, as we read in Galatians 5:16, 17. They are the two poles of a battery: the one is negative —it must be denied; the other is positive—it must be exalted. That which robs us of peace is the self-life. So long as we are self-centered and self-conscious, we are sub ject to all sorts of fluctuations of feeling. We want this, and we want that. We fear this will happen, or that it will not happen. The self-life is the citadel of worry. It never can be otherwise. Hence, Christian teaching unequivocally calls for its renunciation, as the root cause of our failures and defeats. Read and ponder: Luke 9:23; 14:33; Romans 6:6, 11; 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15; and Galatians 2:20; 5:24. Then the Holy Spirit, no longer resisted by self, takes over. Now He is free to produce His fruit. Now come, almost unbidden, the love, the joy, the peace of a normal, natural yet supernatural, life. Hence God is not satisfied with any child of His who stops short of His command, “Be filled with the Spirit.” When self is once for all renounced as the principle of life; when the Spirit is allowed to come to His fullness, with perfect freedom of expression, peace will be the dominant, un wavering note of the life. Why? Such an one can say, “To me to live is Christ” ; and Christ in the believer never worries. Be our life in the world ever so troubled, our life in Christ is unbroken peace. T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S Group of refugees at Hunan Bible Institute in Changsha on the Chinese New Year’s Day A n cttotte& tflew ele/l J. Russell Davis / IT WAS time for the Marine plane ✓ to take off from Kiangwan air port in the outskirts of Shanghai. All of the passengers had been checked; the baggage was loaded; and all was ready for the plane to sweep down upon the long concrete runway and take off on its trip to Tsingtao, four hundred miles up the coast of China. As the flight officer prepared to announce that the pas sengers should proceed to board the plane, a phone call interrupted him, which meant a few minutes’ delay. A Naval Commander had telephoned that he was driving out to the air port with a Chinese passenger to be flown to Tsingtao on orders of the Admiral. We did not have long to wait until they arrived. I was glad to see that the Commander was a friend of mine from Tsingtao, ac companied by a neatly dressed Chi nese- After a word of greeting, we boarded the plane and took off on our trip. The Commander told me that if I ever wanted to buy any jew elry, Mr. Kan was the man to con sult. He was a merchant dealing in jade and other precious stones who had such a fine reputation for hon esty and trustworthiness that the Admiral was having him flown up to Tsingtao in order that the officers of the Seventh Fleet could make pur chases without being cheated by un scrupulous dealers. I thought this rather unusual, because of the pre vailing tendency among merchants to cheat Naval and Marine officers, and to overcharge them for very in ferior products. I was happy to see that real honesty was being recog nized and rewarded in this way. A few days later, back in the UNRRA office in Tsingtao, one of my fellow-employees expressed the de sire to buy some jade, and wondered where he could purchase it without being cheated. I immediately thought of Mr. Kan, the jewelry dealer whom I had met on the plane, and it took only a phone call to the Officers’ Club to locate him. The next day he called at my office, and showed his wonderful collection of precious and semi-precious stones, and many other items of jewelry to the group of employees there. A few sales were made, and Mr. Kan stayed a moment after the others had left to express his appreciation that I had asked him to come to the office and had allowed him to display his merchan dise there. We had talked for only a moment when Mr. Kan asked if I knew Chi nese, and upon my reply that I could speak a few Chinese words, he asked me if I was a missionary. When I replied that I was, he ex pressed great joy in meeting one who was engaged in this great work. Then his next question greatly surprised me: “Do you know Dr.' Keller?” “From Changsha?” I asked, and he replied, “Yes, from the Hunan Bible Institute, which is my old school”’ Questions then flew thick and fast, and I was delighted to find that this one to whose honesty and integrity high Naval officers had paid tribute, was one of the graduates of our own school. He in turn was happy to find that I was connected with his school, and he hoped that before long we would be in Changsha helping in the work of the school- A purely business call rapidly turned into a very friend ly visit, and news of Dr. and Mrs. Roberts and others whom he had known in his school days in Chang sha was most welcome to Mr. Kan. Thus the quiet consistent testimony of one of the graduates of Biola in China has brought glory to the name of the Lord, and has re-emphasized the value of the work being done by the Hunan Bible Institute. The train ing of Christian leaders and Chris tian business men is a great work for the Lord, and is worthy of the earnest prayers and sacrificial gifts of God’s own in the homeland. Though the tide of war and destruc tion swept' over and well-nigh en gulfed BIOLA in China, leaving it a shattered shell of empty ruins, this tide has now receded and the work of reconstruction has begun. A few buildings have been repaired and a small group of students have been gathered together. We have begun anew the work of seeking to lead these young Chinese into the full stature of men in Christ Jesus, so they will be able to take their places with other BIOLA graduates who have gone before them, as living wit nesses to the saving and keeping power of Christ, and to the value of the work of BIOLA in China. FEBRUARY, 1947 11 *7h e G esiiain fli/au *7a (je t RjcU Keith L. Brooks, D.D. T IS a natural human impulse to “lay up” for a rainy day. It is certainly legitimate that, if possi ble, we Christians should make some reasonable financial provision for the future. But our Lord warned His followers against amassing great treasure in this world, giving as one argument against it that either the forces of nature, or dishonest human beings, would make away with it in the end. He was using no mere fig ure of speech when He instructed His children to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Matt. 6:20). Some Utopian dreamers appear to think that the ideal toward which so ciety should work is an equal division of earth’s resources to all peoples. Such a system, in a society com prised of individuals of different ca pacities and ambitions, is not only contrary to nature, but ever brings about utter confusion. Wherever an attempt to work out this ideology has been tried, it has only increased the injustices and inequalities of earth. Not even in Heaven itself will there be a common level, although all who reach that land will be as happy as they are capable of being. The Scriptures clearly teach that In this life we have the power to fix our status in that which is to follow. The use we make of present oppor tunities will have much to do with the development of future capacity for happiness and eternal service. Failure to grasp this teaching con cerning the believer’s reward for service means terrific *loss to the Christian. The average Christian thinks only of the gift of eternal life through grace as his future reward, whereas Scripture clearly teaches that he may, and is expected by God to, attain much more than his salva tion. Dr. Harry H. MacArthur states: “The appreciation of Heaven will be according to the depth of our experi ence on earth. We cannot live here according to our own wills, neglect ing divinely-sent opportunities, and then suppose we will be permitted to enjoy the highest possible bliss yon der. As there is a difference between the glory of the sun, the moon and the stars, there will be differences in the resurrected saints. ‘One star differeth from another star in glory.’ There will be great diversity, not only in their bodies, but in their attain ments and their capacities to enjoy the resurrected state.” Have you stopped to think that while salvation itself is free (John 4:10; Rev. 22:17; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8,9), rewards are offered to Chris tians for all service rendered in Christ’s name? Even the giving of a cup of cold water for His sake will be recompensed in Heaven (Matt. 10:42). The Scriptures are plain: "My re ward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Rev. 22:12). “Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:14). “The Son of man shall come In the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works” (Matt. 16:27). “After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them” (Matt. 25:19). “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8). So, while salvation is a present possession (John 5:24), rewards are a future attainment, not to be received until the coming again of our Lord. Again, salvation is by grace (un merited favor) through faith, but for rewards we must labor. "Every man shall receive his own reward accord ing to his own labour” (1 Cor. 3:8). These rewards to be earned are held before true Christians to attract them away from the lures of the world and to sustain and encourage them in devoting their energies to things spiritual and eternal. God promises to those who have the gift of eternal life: a crown for enduring temptation (Jas. 1:12); a crown for living a temperate life (1 Cor. 9:25); a crown for winning souls (1 Thcss. 2:19); a crown for loving His appearing (2 Tim. 4:8). The crown refers to the laurel wreath of honor which was given to the win ners in athletic contests. It signifies reward for real accomplishment. Paul deals in detail with the sub ject of rewards in 1 Corinthians 3:11- Dr. Brooks 15. There assurance is given of the fireproof foundation—Jesus Christ, the Rock of our salvation. “Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11). On this Foundation alone can one build enduring works. But, unfortunately, some try to use perishable materials in building upon this Foundation. “Gold, silver, pre cious stones,” stand the test of fire, and, in fact, may be even beautified by fire. But “wood, hay, stubble,” are inflammable and will not last. They indicate works, which are merely the product of human wisdom and energy, and not the result of the Holy Spirit’s work in and through the believer. “Every man’s work shall be made manifest” (v. 13) when Christ comes for His own. The true character of what he has built will be proven. “It shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort [quality, not quantity] it is.” This is not a reference to hell-fire or a fictitious purgatory, as some claim. As the materials are figura tive, so is the fire. We are told that when we see Him at His coming, His eyes will be “as a flame of fire” (Rev. 1:14). The reference is to the pierc ing scrutiny of His look which will make every man conscious of all his failures. “The Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. The Lord trieth the righteous” (Psa. 11:4, 5). “If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon [that is, on Christ], he shall receive a reward. If any man'% work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be sdved Tbecause he is on the Foun dation]” (1 Cor. 3:14,15). 12 T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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