<| God sent His only Son into the world,
Great men before Him lifted scepters high, And great men since— but how their names recedel Himself was lifted, for our sins to die, His body broken for our human need— And where scant months their meager glories dim, Full nineteen hundred years have left us Him.
And in His hands He placed a power to bless;
I Upon His brow was peace, about Him curled The glorious garments of His righteousness. He walked the way of men, and, like a man, He wept with sorrow and with ¡oy He smiled; I Though He was God, and God's redemptive plan, He was more humble than a little child. IP
— Helen Frazee-Bower.
H IS M O N U M E N T
OUR CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP SERIES
B E Q U E S T S
b y
w i l l
There is a certain peace o f mind that comes to the Christian having his earthly affairs in order while awaiting the upward call— and an added satis faction to the one who, in his bequests to be distributed after his decease, remembers the need o f evangelism, and the need o f affording young peop le the opportunity to prepare themselves for this evangelism. W H Y NOT REM EM BER THE B IBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES IN YOUR W IL L ? If you have been blessed with earthly means, and if you feel so prompted, Biola asks to b e remembered in your will. W e are confident that a gift to this Institute is an investment in kingdom work that will reap a rich reward.
The form to be used in your will should read as follows:
L E G A L F O R M O F B E Q U E S T I give and bequeath to THE BIBLE INSTITUTE O F LOS ANGELES, IN C O R PORATED under the laws of the State of California.............................. ....................................................................................... Dollars, and I direct that the release of the President of the Board of Trustees of The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated, shall be a sufficient discharge to my executors in the premises. (SEAL) .................................................................................
For Counsel in Any Puzzling Question Regarding Estates, Address: BUSINESS DEPARTMENT THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, INCORPORATED 558 SOUTH HOPE STREET LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
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February, 1937
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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T H E K I N G S B U S I N E S S
HIS BREAKFAST FOR A NEW TESTAMENT Here is the letter from the Jew ish young man in Cairo, Egypt: Dear Sirs of the Beth Sar Sha lom of Brooklyn: First I beg not to refuse me the sending every month of your valuable "Shepherd of Israel," because it is difficult to get it from a friend in Jerusalem. I could get it here too, but I don’t dare to get it for fear of the Jews. Furthermore, I would ask to please send me a New Testa ment, in Yiddish or in He brew. I would like to learn the same. Am sorry not to be in a position to send money for it because I am not working over two years as a result of illness that I suffer. Please send the New Testament in a closed wrapper, (not open) that my family should not see and know of it. It is over two years that my family aids me materially. Please an swer me, because I have very little money and cannot often write and pay postage. The postage which I pay for this letter, I will miss for a break fast. And, of course, we sent him the New Testament, and with it a letter of cheer and encouragement in the Lord. But we tell you the story here, that you might Icnow of the far reach the Lord has given to this Mission; for, like the description of the heavens in Psalm 19, our tines too have "gone out through all the earth." And God has blessed beyond human calculation the testimony you have enabled us to give to a world Jewry, for the Lord Jesus Christ. Would you not love to have fellowship with such a ministry? AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS TO THE JEWS, Inc. 31 Throop Ave. Brooklyn, New York Dear Friends: Yes, I want to fellowship with you In your world-wide testimony to Israel. Hare is t. --------------- Name_______________________ ______ Street__ _________________________ _____ City--------------------------------State...................
©heSibleTamil#üîla^^ine M otto: "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood ."— R ev . 1 :5 .
Volume XXVIII
February, 1937
Number 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Around the King’s Table— Paul W . R o o d ...................................... 45 In the Hollow of God’s Hand— S. H . Sutherland . . . . 46 Shall Christians Bow the Knee? — Samuel Fisk . 48 The National Election Viewed Beneath the Searchlight of the Prophetic W ord— Louis S. B a u m a n .....................................................50 Bible Institute Family C i r c l e ....................................................................51 Our Literature T a b l e ................................................................................... 52 W orld ’s Christian Fundamentals A ssocia tion ............................................. 52 Junior King’s Business— Martha S. H o o k e r ............................................. 53 International Lesson C o m m e n t a r y ............................................................ 55 Notes on Christian Endeavor— Mary G. Goodner ......................................66 Girls’ Query Corner— M yrtle E. S c o t t .....................................................69 Daily Devotional R e a d in g s ............................................................................72 Evangelistic N o tic e s ........................................................................................... 79
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TERMS: Single Copies_______ ______$___________ J 5 c Annual Subscription _______ . . . _________________$1.50 Two-year subscription or two annual subscriptions 2.50 Five annual subscriptions_______ _____ ___________ 5.00 Eleven annual subscriptions______________________ lo!oo Subscriptions in countries outside of U. 8 . require 25c extra. REMITTANCE: Should be made by Bank Draft. Ex press or P. O. Money Order, payable to “ The King's Business.** Receipts will not be sent for regular subscriptions, but date of expiration will show plainly cadi month, on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. CHANGE OF ADDRES 8 : Please send both old and new address at least one month previous to date of desired change.
ADVERTISING; For information with reference to advertising in THE KING'S BUSINESS, address the ADVERTISING MANAGER, 558 SOUTH HOPE STREET. LOS ANGELES, CALIF., or our eastern representative, Religious Press Association, S25 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, Pa., or 833 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Entered as Second Class Matter November 17, 1910, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage pro vided for in Section 1108. Act of October 3, 1917, authorized October 1, 1918. MANUSCRIPTS: THE KING'S BUSINESS cannct accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts sent to it for consideration.
POLICY (a) To stand for the infallible Word of God and its great fundamental truths, (b) To strengthen the faith of all believers, (c) To stir young men and women to fit thomselves for and engage in definite Christian work, (a) To act as the official organ of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. Incorporated, (e) To magnify God our Father and the person, work and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: and to teach the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in our present practical life, (f) To emphasize in strong, constructive messages the great foundations of Christian faith. THE KING’S BUSINESS 558 South Hope Street Lo* Angele*, California
February, 1937
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
44
The School in the Golden West
Thompson Photo Service Student body of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, October 31, 1935, receiving Testaments especially arranged for personal work, given through the Pocket Testament League. Would You Become THE IDEAL CHRISTIAN WORKER? The Equipment
140,000,000 souls in Africa grope in the dark ness. 64,000,000 weary hearts in South America are bound by superstition and idolatry. H And in the United States, thousands in out-of- the-way places and millions in busy cities are literally unreached by the Good News of God’s love for them. The Training School BIOLA TRAINS YOUNG PEOPLE without tuition charge to them, to be pastors, mis sionaries, evangelists, church and Sunday-school workers. Biola-trained graduates are stationed all over the globe, doing effective service for Christ. Will you be one of this number?
“ The ideal Christian worker will be, first of all, one who has a definite Christian experience . . . one who is in vital contact with the Son of God. “ The ideal Christian worker will be one with a posi tive message . . . to preach, that men and women are l os t . . . men and women need Christ, the only panacea, the only cure for the problems of the human heart. “ The ideal Christian worker will be one with a pas sion . . . to win souls . . . with the greatest mes sage about the greatest Person.” P aul W . R ood , President, Bible Institute o f Los Angeles . The Field 400.000. 000 people in China still wait for the gospel story. 350.000. 000 neglected human beings in India need to be told of Christ.
Send for free prospectus of courses to I Office of the President THE B IBLE INST ITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, INCORPORATED 558 South Hope Street . ........................ . Los Angeles, California
46
February, 1937
THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Around the King's Table
By PAUL W . R O O D
^ _ It may be a shocking statement to say What Is a tjlat njnety per cent 0f the worldly people Christian ! i;v;ng au about us do not know what it means to be a Christian, and yet a simple experiment will prove the truth of the affirmation. Go to a prominent cor ner of your city, stop the first ten people that pass you, and ask the'question, “ What does it mean to be a Christian?” Nine out of the ten will answer in one of the following Ways. They will say that it means to be honest, to be a good neighbor, to be a good lodge member, to obey the Golden Rule, to be confirmed, to be baptized, or to join the church. Not one of them has come within a million miles of the true answer. The tragedy of the situation is that even a majority of the people in the church are self-, deceived; they think they are right with God because of decency, respectability, membership in an organization, or mental assent to a creed. A ll of these four things are good and commendable, but they do not make a person right with God. W ho is a Christian, and how can a person be right with G od? A Christian is one in whom Christ dwells: “ Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1 :27 ). A Christian is one who has been made a partaker of the divine nature (cf. 2 Pet. 1 :4 ). A Christian is a new creation: “ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5 :17 ). A Christian is one who has had a miraculous experience of the new birth so that he has passed from the realm of death into the realm of life and has received eternal life: “ Ye must be born again” (John 3 :7 ). A Christian is one who has the witness of the Spirit in his heart that he is a child of G o d : “ The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16, R .V .). A Christian is one who, by his life, reveals that he has a new nature, a new disposition, and a new objective in life. His supreme desire is to honor and glorify Christ by conduct and testimony. It has been said that a Christian is one who believes what Christ believes, hates what Christ hates, and loves what Christ loves. What does Christ believe? A study of the New Testament will answer that question. The individual who has the divine nature will of course be lieve what Christ believes regarding the Bible and con cerning God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. What does Christ hate? He hates sin in all its forms, and the person who has a new nature will share that hatred. What does Christ love? He loves truth and righteousness; He loves men and women, boys and girls. The one who has Christ dwelling within will love the souls of his fellow men. A Christian is a person with a supernatural experience of Christ’s miracle-working power in his life and minis try ; he is right with God and in contact with God, and he is on his way to God’s eternal home. Let me ask you frankly and tenderly : Are you a real Christian ? Has the Holy Spirit done a real work in your heart? Do you know that you are born again? The question naturally arises: How can one become a Christian? God has the answer: “ That if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom. 10:9 ). Tw o conditions of salvation are stated here. First, it is necessary to believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. That trust in the risen Lord involves, of course, belief in the atoning death of Christ: “ Christ died for our sins ac cording to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15 :3 ). If the ques tion be asked, “ What does it mean to believe in Christ?” the answer is found in John 1:12: “ But as many as re ceived him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” T o believe on Christ is to receive Him as a personal Saviour. It is a heart apprehension and acceptance of the atoning death of Christ as our only hope. Realizing that we are but sinners by nature and practice, and that we are lost and on our way to hell, we come to Christ, confessing our condition and our need, our utter dependence upon Him. W e accept Christ as the One who took our place and died in our stead, and we rest in His finished work of redemption accomplished for us on Calvary’s cross. W e say, in the words of the hymn writer: Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come! I come! When we so accept Christ, the Spirit of God through the Word of God performs the miracle of God that makes us the children of God. W e then rest in the word of our Lord: “ Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6 :37 ), and we meet the second condition of salvation, which is to “ confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,” for the Word of God says: “ With the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10). Have you received Christ and confessed Him as your Lord and Saviour? tacts w i(-h this remarkable personality. The first was in Omaha about;, twenty-six years ago. Mr. Smith was speaking to a capacity audience of men in the Civic Auditorium. After a stirring message, several hun dred indicated their desire to begin the Christian life. The next contact that stands out was in Los Angeles a few years ago. M r. Smith was one of the speakers at a modernistic conference; he was not giving an evangel istic challenge on this occasion. A change had taken place in his attitude. He stated that we were now living in a new world. He declared he would sell all the sermons he preached before 1914 for fifteen cents. These sermons must have been the evangelistic messages M r. Smith had used in his great mass meetings for men. There was an ache in the writer’s heart as he listened to this statement. There was something winsome about Smith’s personality. One could not bear to give this man up. He was a good [Continued on page 51] T l T The recent death of Fred B. Smith j P° * f nCe calls t0 the writer’s mind several con- ot M od e rn ism
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February, 1937
Mount Wilson Observatory
In the Hollow
and
God's H
In these two views of the great galaxy in Andromeda, the lower picture shows the entire galaxy as seen on its edge, and the picture above reveals the central portion of the galaxy. Although it appears in the heavens as but a speck of light, it is in reality composed of thousands of millions of suns. This is but one of millions of galaxies, all of which are held as in the hollow of God's hand. Although God is concerned with these big things, yet He is evidently far more in terested in the spiritual condition of comparatively infinitesimal hu man beings, for He explicitly states that there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repents (Lk. 15:7).
By S. H. SUTHERLAND
(J
Los Angeles, California T HERE are few subjects more fascinating than the study of the stars. The man of the world observes the stars from one point of view ; the Christian views them from an entirely different standpoint. A very wholesome effect comes upon one as he forgets compara tively little things— such as the economic condition of the country or the unrest that is prevalent throughout the world— for indeed the world itself seems relatively very small and unimportant when one lets his mind roam throughout the vastness of God’s universe. The psalmist gives expression to the feelings of the aver age person when he says: “ When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Psa. 8:3, 4 ). Volumes have been written in speculation concerning the origin of things as they are; but nothing in all the realm of literature can compare with the simple majesty of God’s own revelation as to the ultimate origin of the universe. W e read in Colossians 1:16, 17: “ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, [The writer of this article, who is the Secretary of the Extension Department of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, wishes to express appreciation to E. C. Bower, Ph.D., lecturer in the Griffith Observa tory and a member of the American Astronomical Society, for his valuable help in providing much of the scientific data contained in this article. A t the request of Mr. Sutherland, Dr. Bower read the complete manuscript, and has stated that the facts and theories contained therein are in accord with the latest discoveries in the science of astronomy .— E ditor .]
and by him all things consist.” M o s t C h ris tians have real ized that Jesus Christ is infinite in H is person; but the majesty, grandeur, lim it less power, and wonderful l o v e of this One with
whom we have to do are comprehended more and more fully as the child of God contemplates God’s handiwork in creation. “ The heavens declare the glory of G od ; And the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language; Their voice is not heard” (Psa. 19:1- 3, R. V .) . “ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1 :3 ). It is one thing to know the stars by name, to know the constellations, the galaxies, and all of the “ big things” of the universe, but it is a far more wonderful thing to know the One who holds all these as in the hollow of His hand. D e a lin g w it h F igures of S taggering I m m e n s it y One is lost in the effort to grasp the meaning of the stupendous numbers that are presented by men of science who endeavor to describe the distance in intergalactic space. If it seems that the moon is a great distance away from our earth, 238,000 miles, it must be realized that it takes light less than one and a half seconds to reach the
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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
February, 1937
for fifty-six years! This “ boy” would be seventy years old when the bullet returned. If Betelgeuse were to replace our sun, we would find the orbit of the earth completely inside this giant ball itself. Indeed, Mars would be inside, for the surface of Betelgeuse would extend clear out be yond the orbit of Mars. But it must be remembered that by comparison with really big things, such giant stars as Antares and Betelgeuse are as drops of water are to the ocean. L ik e a G ig a n t ic W a t c h A t one time, all the stars in the sky were conceived to be within the Milky Way. But scientists tell us that this hypothesis is far from the truth. Instead, the Milky Way marks the boundary of but one of many island universes or galactic systems which may be observed in the heavens. I f we could observe our own Milky W ay system from
earth from the moon. If we could imagine ourselves on a space ship, taking a little journey out and away from the earth, we might begin to fathom the meaning of distance. Such a ship, traveling on a beam of light, would take about eight minutes to reach our sun. And if, traveling at the same rate of speed, we nosed our ship out into space, heading for the nearest star, we would need to travel for four years and three months before reaching that destina tion, Alpha Centauri. Arriving there, and looking back from whence we had come, we would see our sun itself as but a tiny star. The planets revolving around the sun would have completely disappeared from view; and as our space ship would draw closer to this neighbor star, we would see that this “ star” is another sun much larger than the one we left, and possibly having planets revolving around it as in our own solar system. A ll of the stars, in cluding our sun, would appear to be as far away from Alpha Centauri as they are from our own earth. O r imagine that we
a star in one of these island universes, it would be dis covered that this system is but another spiral galaxy. In order to comprehend something of this fact, let us imagine that it were pos sible for us to hold this galaxy in our hands. W e would see that it might well be compared with a gentleman’s pocket watch, being approximately ten times greater one way than it is the other. The actual distance from the stem of this giant “ watch” to the opposite side is approxi mately 100,000 light years — or the distance that light would travel in 100,000 years, while proceeding at the velocity of 186 000 miles a second. The dis tance from the crystal to the back of the “ watch” be comes, therefore, ten thou sand light vears. If, while holding this galaxy in our hands, we could put our finger on this earth of ours, we would discover that it is located about where the second hand is connected with its own stem. When we are looking up at the Milky Way on a clear
W H ER E W O N D E R S O F C R EAT ION ARE REVEALED G RIFFITH Observatory and Planetarium were conceived and provided for by the late Colonel Griffith J. Griffith, a Los Angeles philanthropist. His thought was to grant the deep desire of the layman to view the marvels of the heavens. Located on the south slope of Mount Hollywood, this structure of modernized Greek architecture presents a striking appearance with its three copper domes. Beneath the great south dome is mounted the Optical Planetarium, where the movements of the heavenly bodies are demon strated. The smaller domes contain the twelve-inch refractor, with which visitors may view the solar system, and the triple coelostat for observing the sun. In 1936 an average of 1,800 people a day visited this observatory. As the vast reaches of the universe are progress ively unfolded, the Christian has the more reason to utter in awe and worship the verse which is found in the Foreword of the Griffith Observatory Handbook: "The heavéns declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork" (Psa. 19:1).
were going to Polaris. W ho is there who has not looked out into the heavens on a clear night with a feeling of pride and satis faction in being able to dis cover for himself the Pole Star by means of the giant dipper with its two point ers? If we were to travel from the earth to the Pole Star, we would need to take along much equip ment, for, traveling at the speed of light, we would not reach our destination until we had traveled forty-four years. T o com pute the distance in miles, one must multiply 186,000 by 60 by 60 by 24 by 365 by 44. The resultant figure does not mean much to us; we know only that it repre sents many, many miles. But these stars are our next-door neighbors, as tronomically speaking. One of the bright stars of the heavens is Arcturus. Astronomers tell us that this giant star is forty light years from the earth. Arc turus at one time was con sidered a big star, but other
Courtesy of the Griffith Observatory Photo by Starrett
stars have been found to be much larger. Our sun is ap proximately 863,000 miles.in diameter, but the star Aldeb- aran is thirty-eight times the diameter of our sun. Betel geuse is a variable star with a diameter from 210 to 300 times the diameter of our sun. And the super-giant, An- tares, is 450 times the diameter of the sun. T o aid us in understanding the immensity of these heavenly bodies, let us consider them in another way. Suppose a boy fourteen years of age should stand on Betelgeuse and fire a bullet from a high-powered rifle, and suppose that somehow the bullet were enabled to con tinue traveling until it completely encircled this giant star. Suppose, further, that this youth were to wait until that bullet returned to its starting point. Well, he would have a rather tedious wait, for he would need to stay there
dark night, we are looking toward the outer rim of the “ watch,” which forms a ring completely around us. Practically all of the stars that we see with the naked eye are suns, most of them being much larger than our own. It is when we look out horizontally that we ob serve the flat sides of the “ watch”— or the galaxy— and hence do not see so many suns. Within this Milky W ay galaxy there may be found about forty thousand million suns. If the globular star clusters are included in the figures dealing with our galaxy, we must double the figures which have been given regard ing its size. At one time these star clusters were believed to be within the Milky Way. Recent evidence has revealed that they are on the outer edge of the galaxy, and yet they [Continued on page 78]
THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
February, 1937
48
Should Christians Bow the Knee?
A Religious Crisis in Eastern Asia
By Samuel Fisk* Siloam Springs, Arkansas
the Imperial office lays claim not only to divine sanction but to divine origin as well. A writer for a department of the Japanese Government Railways speaks of "the pres ent Emperor who, like his successive divine predeces sors, occupies the Throne by divine right, representing di vinity in humanity . . .” This belief accounts for the sa cred esteem in which the emperor is held. Anything like caricaturing His Im perial Majesty is looked upon as sacrilege, and is bitterly resented even abroad, while of course it never occurs at home. S u ppo r tin g N a t ion a l ism w it h R eligious F ervor Practically every one is familiar with the fact that at the present time Japan is endeavoring to maintain a strong policy in the Far East. In order to accomplish this and the ends she would achieve by it, she desires not only com plete internal harmony but also absolute submission to the national government and its policies. Taxes and other government demands are becoming a great burden to the people. T o meet the situation, the party now in power is strengthening all national forces which, directly or in directly, tend to foster patriotism and national prestige. This policy becomes very evident to the careful observer of conditions in Japan, especially if he has the opportunity to view circumstances at close range in Japan and her territories. Modern means of shaping public thought are being used to secure loyalty to Japan. For years there have been Shinto shrines and Shinto temples throughout Japan. Today we observe that their * Director of the Bible Department, John Brown University. Mr. Fisk is a former student of the Bible Institute of Los An geles. He has traveled in the Orient and obtained first-hand information of the matters of which he writes.
Above: Huge bronze Buddha, or Diabutsu, Kamakura, Japan, founded A. D. 1252. Bud dhism, throughout its history, has always been ready to adapt itself to changing conditions. Many Japanese have long paid their respects at both Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Right: Torii (arched gateway) at the beau tiful Miyajima Shrine, Inland Sea, Japan. T HERE has been considerable concern lately, among those interested in the cause of Christian missions in the Far East, because of new developments on the part o f Japan with regard to her attitude toward certain religious issues. As Japan’s political dominance and influ ence is spreading in the Orient, the crisis is becoming of more widespread concern. What are the present conditions, and what is the future outlook? The ancient religious cult of Japan is known as Shinto. It was indigenous to Japan and heretofore has never been regarded as a missionary religion. Its basis lies in a primi tive mythology with legends about an “ Ancestral Sun- Goddess” who bestowed special blessings upon the found ing of the Japanese empire. Her great-great-grandson, so the tales run, became the first emperor of Japan. The Japanese people are exceedingly proud of the fact that they are the only nation in the world which can lay claim to one unbroken line of rulers, the present emperor being able to trace his succession back to the first em peror, Jimmu Tenno, about whom much of this ancient lore centers. They somehow consider this a great contri bution to modern civilization, and already prepartions are being made for an enormous International Exposition to be held in Tokyo in 1940 commemorating, as they claim, the twenty-six-hundreth year of the founding of the em pire. Through this relation with the gods of mythology,
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February, 1937
THE K I NG ' S BUS I NESS
cerning this problem. Is State Shinto a religion or not, and what should be and will be the attitude of Christians toward its demands? The answer to the first question of course might depend principally upon how we define the term “ religion.” But
place throughout the land is very prominent. Since their lore centers about that which is regarded as bound up with the origin of the nation, and since in their worship the national guardian spirits are invoked, the present govern ment of Japan sees the important part these holy places
without entering into a discussion of tech nical definitions, it may be said that re ligion is usually, if not universally, char acterized by certain elements and forms. Among these would be regard or rever ence for forces (whether gods or spirits, personal or impersonal) above man, whose favor man m’ght wish to gain through worship in the form of rever ence and homage, and the offering of prayers. All of these qualifications we find, in one form or another, in State Shinto. The spirits of ancestors, heroes, or emperors are believed to be residing in or about certain shrines. The Japan Year Book (1935) states that in the shrines “ gods, who represent the Imperial ancestors or personify natural powers, are installed” (p. 809). The guardian spirits of the nation are called upon, and their favor and blessing are invoked. W or shipers reverently bow in the sacred presence. Priests elaborately garbed for the occasions officiate. At one of the larg est temples in Kobe we witnessed, one Sunday, am:d elaborate ritual, the presen tation of offerings to the ancestral spirits. What would we call all of this if not seme form of religion ? Surely these activ ities are more than saluting the flag or decorating the grave of a loved one. Further, the government itself, in spite of a few assertions to the contrary, shows bv its attitude that it regards State Shinto as a religion. In the Japan Year Book to which we have already referred, State Shinto is considered along with Buddhism, Sect Shinto, and Christianity, in the section devoted to Religion. In the booklet on Shintoism issupd bv the Board of Tourist Industries of the Japanese Government Railways, State Shinto is re peatedly referred to as a religion and is so treated throughout. Thus it is stated, “ Shinto as the national faith is . . . both ethical and religious” (p. 15). On the other hand, “ An Official Guide to Japan,” published by the Japanese Gov ernment Railways, states, “ The official cult is not a religion but public institu tion, enjoining the worship of ancestors enshrined in the . . . shrines which num bered 111,739 at the end of 1930.” Here in the same breath in which they would deny that the cult is religion, they ad mit that it includes “ the worship of an cestors.” C h r is t ia n P a r t ic ip a t io n in S ta te S h in t o C eremonies This religious significance brings us to the second and more serious question, that of whether or not a Christian should rightly submit to participation in the [Continued on page 77]
fill in strengthening the devotion with which the people regard the Imperial house. Furthermore, it recognizes in them a force capable of bringing the whole land to support the national cause with all the fervor which religious zeal can instill. The above-quoted writer states, “ The National Shinto faith cul minates in the form of Emperor-worship and patriotic loyalty . . . which is suf fused with religious zeal and enthusiasm.” The government therefore is taking a very definite hand in regulating and pro moting Shinto in order to achieve these ends. “ S ect S h in t o ” a n d “ S tate S h in t o ” D istin gu ish ed T o trace the past history and develop ment of the Shinto cult would here be outside our purpose. There have arisen, however, in comparatively recent times a number of Shinto sects, the Japan Year Book listing thirteen. But in the presence of this sectarian form of Shinto there still remain certain national festival oc casions of larger import than any of the diverse sects. There have been also certain national shrines such as those erected to eminent emperors, mythological heroes, and even soldiers and patriots of the pres ent day; these shrines belong to all of the people. The government cause is little concerned with sectarian differences, but finds in this larger Shinto a great poten tial means of national allegiance and pa triotism. It is therefore making a dis tinction between “ Sect Shinto” and “ State Shinto.” declaring the latter to be less religious than patriotic. The recent policy of the government is to demand of every one absolute allegiance to the National or State Shinto. Other religions, however, have all the while been present in Japan. Prominent among these has been Buddhism. Chris tianity has held a considerably minor place, numerically, in the Islands. In the case of Buddhism some of its adherents have been perfectly willing to pay hom age on national days and festival occa sions to the state shrines. If any de murred, the government stood ready to assure every one that State Shinto was only national patriotism and that a per son could be a good Buddhist, Sect Shintoist, or Christian and at the same time pay his respects to the national shrines. And thus homage is being de manded wherever the flag of Japan flies, in Korea and other territories as well as in the Island Empire itself. Is J a p a n ’ s S ta te S h in t o a R eligion ? Some very serious questions arise con
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February, 1937
THE K I N G ' S BUS I NES S
The National Election Viewed Beneath the Searchlight of the Prophetic Word
By LOU IS S. B A U M A N * Long Beach, California
N O W that our presidential election has been history for more than two months, and the sovereign people have had time to cool off a bit and reflect, we have summoned sufficient courage to discuss the subject: “ The National Election Viewed Beneath the Searchlight of the Prophetic W ord .” If, as a host of devout people believe, we are dwelling in the twilight of the present age, then surely the economic, social, political, and spiritual trends within the mightiest, the richest, and the most influential nation on the face of the earth cannot be with out some significance. And nothing can more clearly reveal those trends than can a national political campaign. A C orrect P red iction a n d I n ter pre tation Prior to the recent election, we read the campaign pre dictions of nearly all the famed interpreters of politics. And the one we picked as the most nearly correct was, strange to say, that of a communistically inclined woman! Dorothy Thompson, writing for the New York Herald Tribune Syndicate, said: It looks as though he [President Roosevelt] will be reelected. And I do not think that it will be a purchased vote, purchased by the bounties of the Federal Govern ment. . . . Nor will it be the fact that the country is recovering, that business is on the up-swing. No one believes that this process would be retarded by the election of Mr. Landon. . . . This election will be decided less by thought than by instinct. But instinct is telling a great many people that Mr. Landon stands for Government doing as little as possible; for trusting to the free play of economic forces to get and keep this country stable and progressive; and that Mr. Roosevelt stands for Gov ernment setting objectives, giving direction and actively doing something. I believe that the people of this country, the majority of them, and by no means the least patriotic and the least intelligent, want Government to take direction, want leadership, want action. 1 believe that the whole course of history is in this direction, and that it is as inevitable as that the sun will rise tomorrow. And if Mr. Roosevelt wins, it will be for this reason. He will not win for his achievements, not for his person ality, not for his radio voice, not for his statesmanship, but because he has shown himself more keyed to the temper and the yearnings of the world as it is today. “ T h e G o v e rnm e n t to T a k e D irec tion ” Note it carefully: "T h e people . . . want Government to take direction, want leadership, want action. . . . I t is as inevitable as that the sun will rise tomorrow. And if M r. Roosevelt wins, it will be . . . because he has shown himself more keyed to the temper and the yearnings of the world as it is today." And for once at least, Dorothy Thompson was right. The “ temper and the yearnings o f the world as it is today” are everywhere calling for “ Government to take direction.”
And whether or not a supposedly yet free citizenry realizes it, calling for the “ Government to take direction” means, in its final analysis, calling for dictatorship. In a majority of the nations in Europe, “ Government” is taking “ direc tion” not only of the bodies, but also of the very souls of men. With the possible exception of Britain, America is the world’s last great stronghold of freedom. And yet, Columbia, with eyes wide open, galloped up to the ballot- box on November 3 and overwhelmingly approved the most intensely personal government, clothed with the vastest punitive power that America has ever known. A F ear a n d D ang er of “ S h a ck l e s " Frank R. Kent, famous political columnist and in terpreter, truly says: Men of industry and finance are at the mercy of the government to a degree that would have been incredible three years ago. . . . The basic one [fact] is that the governmental power to punish exists today to an extent never dreamed of in this country., Formet United States Senator James A. Reed, of the same political party as President Roosevelt, and erstwhile seriously considered within the ranks of that party as a potential candidate for the Presidency itself, declared. “ A vote for M r. Roosevelt is a vote for governmental chains upon every citizen of the United States,” and he said further, “ This New Deal has from first to last . . . its purpose . . . to set up a government which regiments and controls and dictates to every person in the United States.” If Senator Reed seems too severe, let us recall that M r. Roosevelt himself, on January 3, 1936, in his Annual Message before Congress, calmly said: They [ “our resplendent economic autocracy” ] realize* that in thirty-four months we have built up new instru ments of public power. In the hands o f a people’s government this power is wholesome and proper. But in the hands of political puppets of an economic autocracy, such power would provide shackles for the liberties of the people. Let us fondly hope that our benevolent American Dicta tor-President, admitted by all men to have greater power centered in his hands than any other man on earth pos sesses, will ever remain “ benevolent,” and will only make “ wholesome and proper” use of his newly created “ instru ments of public power.” Let us also pray that with a change of the wind, these shackle-making “ instruments of public power” shall not fall into “ the hands of political puppets of an economic autocracy” whose number may prove to be “ 666” (Rev. 13:18). However, the important thing to note is that the President readily confesses that “ instruments of public power” that can easily “ provide shackles for the liberties of the people,” now exist. W e are made to wonder why, for one hundred and sixty years, American freemen had no need of these “ instruments of [ Continued on page 69]
*Pastor, First Brethren Church.
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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
February, 1937
Biola World-Wide Prayer Circle Bv C hristina J. B raskamp As a remembrance from the Bible Insti tute of Los Angeles, over 500 copies of
The Bible Institute FAMILY C IRCLE
China for five years. She and her hus band are in charge of a small church. They have a lively boy of three years who loves to sing and speak in Chinese. The mail ing address is P. O. Box 734, Hong Kong, China. Christians in centers of political un rest in China need prayer during these days. Married Harold Walter Hilts and Ethel May Godbeer, Jan. 9, Los Angeles, Calif. Born To Joe R. ( ’25) and Mrs. Hoffman, a daughter, Mary Louise, Dec. 12, Los An geles, Calif. To Jacob P. (’26) and Mrs. Kliever (Freda Neufeld, ’30), a daughter, Anne Celeste, Nov. 13, Ashland, Ohio. T o Frank and Mrs. Knoy (Edna Cris- man, ’34), a son, Albert Franklin, Jan. 9, Long Beach, Calif. T o Hamilton (’33) and Mrs. Morrow (Emily G. Moses, ’34), a son, David Alex ander, Jan. 1, Pasadena, Calif. T o David P. (’28) and Mrs. Quiring (Myrtle Belle Reneau, ’27), a son, David Hayes, Dec. 24, Los Angeles, Calif. With the Lord Mrs. Edwin E. Cory, whose husband was a member of the class of 1933 at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, went into the pres ence of her Saviour on January 1, from Shanghai, China. Af t e r an em ergen cy operation for appendicitis in October, Mrs. Cory was unable to rally sufficiently. Mr. and Mrs. Cory, members of the China In land Mission, had been stationed for sev eral months at Kian in Kiangsi Province. Institute friends will wish to share through prayer the burden of Mr. Cory and the Chinese church in their loss. Word has come that Mrs. Herbert E. Grings, whose husband was graduated from the Institute in the class of 1916, was called Home from her sphere of service in Africa on June 21, 1936, after an illness caused by black-water fever. With Mr. Grings, she had been serving under the Congo Gospel Mission, Itsiku Plain Mis sion, Lokolama, via Oshwe, Congo Beige, Africa. It seemed impossible for Mr. Grings to continue itinerant preaching among the native villages, but the Lord has definitely enabled him and the five children to arrange for this work, with the participation of the older children. Mrs. Bertha Payne, ’24, who for several years hajl worked in the Government In dian Sanitorium in Dulce, N. Mex., went to be with the Lord on November 21, after a severe case of influenza. Mrs. Payne in her contact with girls from the Indian reserva tion found her Bible Institute training of great blessing to her own heart as she sought to minister to spiritual as well as material needs of the girls under her supervision.
Planting and Watering B elieved to be the only “ Flying Evan gelist with a Gospel Ship,” L. C. Robie, ’ 18, Union Springs, N. Y., has found that the use of his own airplane provides a wonderful point of contact with air pilots and mechanics as well as with the congregations in the churches in which he holds evangelistic services. The story of his escape from serious injury in a plane crash has led many to recognize the Lord’s protecting care. Frank J. ( ’29) and Mrs. Martens (Mary Lou Karber, ’33) have moved to Herbert, Sask., Can., where Mr. Martens has been serving on the teaching staff of the Herbert Bible School. Elmer L. Wilder, ’26, pastor of the Im perial Community Church, Imperial, Calif., is conducting a radio broadcast over Sta tion KXO, El Centro, Calif., on Monday evenings from 8:30 to 9:00 p . m . Marguerite Rouse, ’25, sailed in August to return to serve as assistant treasurer of the Nanking Theological Seminary, Nan king, Kiangsu, China. John C. (’31) and Mrs. Wiebe (Nancy Tupman, ’32), who have been in Minna, Nigeria, W . Africa, under the Sudan Inte rior Mission, write encouragingly of their progress with the language since their arrival there in May. ,They request prayer that they may continue in health despite the trying climate. They tell of the great need for evangelization there, closing with the appeal, “ Come over into Nigeria and help us.” Mrs. W . A. Bruce (Mary MacDonald, ’23) writes of her joy in the Lord’s work in Valleyfield, Prince Edward Island, Can ada. She is a busy mother on a farm, and is active in missionary and Sunday-school work in the church in which she has been serving. She writes: “ It is truly a joy to serve in some small way. I am thank ful for a Christian home and parents and that they sent us to such a place as Biola. I shall always be thankful for the oppor tunity of having been a student there.” Glenn (’34) and Mrs. Whitaker are serv ing the Lord at the Portland Mennonite Mission, Portland, Ore., where Mr. Whit aker has been appointed pastor and super intendent. Carl H. Andersen, ’ 30, after three years of Christian work in the slums of Copen hagen, Denmark, is now going out to hold gospel meetings in country districts in the various churches which invite him to hold services. Mr. Andersen may be reached in care of Mr. Gesner, 1+2 Gl. Kongevey, Copenhagen, Denmark. Alma McLain, ’26, Quincy, Calif., is teaching school. The community, located on the Feather River, is in the high Sierras and is frequently snowbound for much of the winter. Lillian C. Curtis, ’ 19, is serving at Biola as secretary to Miss Beatrice G. Prosser, Superintendent of Women. Mrs. Henry L. McCune (Gladys White, ’29), Tsung Fa City, China, has been in
E. J. Pace’s cartoon, “ Faith’s Prayer- Ground,” were mailed to the members of the Biola Prayer Circle—the faithful friends who spend an hour each week in prayer for Biola. Letters of appreciation have come from many grateful recipients. One friend in California writes: “ Kindly send me two more prayer posters which I wish to give to two churches, knowing that the inspiration which came to me when I received mine will come also to other friends when they see the posters on the wall and are reminded that ‘prayer is work, prayer works, and prayer leads to work.’ ” Another Biola intercessor com ments: “ I cannot express in words the blessings which have come to me since I have set aside one hour each week to pray for the Bible Institute.” - Will YOU join Biola’s World-Wide Prayer Circle? A copy of.Dr. Pace’s draw ing will be sent to you gladly, if you desire it. Address: Miss Christina J. Braskamp, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles, Calif. man who had been led astray. He must be brought back into fellowship with the Lord and become again an evangelistic messenger. From that day, Mr. Smith was often remembered in private prayer. The cry, “ Oh, God, bring him back; use him as in days of yore,” came from a heart stirred with compassion. Not long ago in Chicago, newspapers an nounced that Fred B. Smith was going to speak at a union ministers’ meeting at the Y. M. C. A. The writer saw and heard this dynamic and lovable man for the last time. Mr. Smith told a story from his own experience that caused the joy bells to ring in the heart of an intercessor. This is the story: “ I was brought up in a little town in Iowa. We had an old- fashioned church in that town. Every year we had a protracted meeting that lasted from corn-husking time until seeding time. There were some remarkable conversions in these revival meetings. “ A few years ago I was in China. I had a speaking engagement in the Union Church of a leading city, and I was invited to meet the missionaries. In the com- AROUND THE KING’S TABLE [Continued from page 45]
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