TRAVEL WITH A PURPOSE Offering a tour and departure date to meet nearly every situation, Unusual Tours, Inc. has openings for travel to The Holy Land, European countries, and South America. Holy Land tours feature outstanding Bible scholars including Dr. Charles L. Feinberg, Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland, Dr. Lloyd T. Anderson, Dr. Edward B. Cole, Dr. John Hunter, Mr. Al Sanders and others. Visit the land where Bible prophecy is being fulfilled today. Departures available April 29, June 3, July 15, September 2. Fifteen days — $890.00 (N.Y. to N.Y.) Price includes all meals, tips, etc. OPTIONAL EXTRAS: Scandinavian countries (July tour only) $255.00; England and Swit zerland (all tours except April 23 which will visit Turkey, Switzerland, Germany) $168.00.
EUROPE OUR CAMPUS— Academic Tour Three specific tours of three weeks each. Departing late June, July 8, and July 29. Visit England, France, Germany, and Denmark on late June tour; Italy, Germany Austria, France and England on July 8 tour; Switzerland, Italy and Greece on July 29 tour. Just $795.00 for tours one and two; $895.00 for tour three (N.Y. to N.Y.).
SOUTH AMERICAN TOUR Departing in February, the tour will be led by Dr. Van Eddings, and will be concentrated in Venezuela and the work of the Orinoco River Mission. Dr. Eddings lived there for many years.
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"A N D WE BEHELD H IS GLORY " — W. Robert Smith .............. 8 THANK SG IV ING STREET ........................................... '0 IF THOU HADST KNOWN — Vanee Havner .......................... H A FAITHFUL SERVANT A N D A DESERVING REWARD ............ 14 HOW TO PRAY FOR M ISSIONAR IES ....................................... 18 GOD'S WEAPONS — L. E. Maxwell ....................................... 1* FORMULA FOR A BURNING HEART — A. W. Tozer .............. 22 CHR ISTMAS G IV ING — Walter Cronklte ................................. 23 CHR ISTMAS OBJECT LESSON ................................................ 29 GOD PROTECTS H IS PEOPLE — Truong Van Tot ..................... 32 CHR ISTMAS PLANN ING ......................................................... 35 F e a t u r e s MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR — Samuel H. Sutherland ............ 7 CHRISTIAN WORKERS' C L IN IC — C. Chester Larson ............... 16 BOOK REVIEWS — Arnold D. Ehlert ....................................... 26 DR. TALBOT'S QUESTION BOX — Louis T. Talbot ................. 28 TALKING IT OVER — Clyde M. Narramore ............................ 30 JUNIOR K ING 'S BUSINESS ..................................................... 36 SCIENCE A N D THE BIBLE — Bolton Davidheiser ..................... 29 CULTS CRITIQUE — Betty Brueehert ....................................... 39 OVER A CUP OF COFFEE — Joyce Landorf ............................ 41 C o l u m n s PEOPLE IN THE NEWS .................................................- ........ 5 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE ................................................... 42 C o v e r Riffel-Lake with Matterhorn in background, Switzerland. Photo by Klopfenstein.
goes with each one of these MBI graduates— trained for His service!” —said an annuitant of the Imagine the thrill that was hers . . . know ing that her annuity funds had helped to provide tuition-free training for these young people. Now they were being graduated—pre pared for Christian service—some called to the mission field . . . others to engage in Christian education work in churches . . . others prepared to enrich the music ministries of churches . . . and still others to continue their studies in prep aration for pastorates. Year after year, for more than three- quarters of a century, this has been the history of the Institute. . . . and as an MBI annuitant, a little bit of YOU, too. can go with every graduate, with the millions of pieces of literature, science films, and the many other Christ-honor- ing ministries of the Institute. And in addition . . . you 'll receive a generous, guaranteed lifetime income! Rates up to 9.09%, depending on your age. Mail coupon Institute at last year’s graduation exercises.
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DECEMBER, 1967
PeoplefotheNews
love those ’ n o j . c B p ' ballpens *Undy°
William Cameron Townsend, founder of the Wycliffe Bible Translators, celebrated his 50th anniversary of missionary service in Guatemala October 4-6. Several Latin American countries were officially represented at the ceremonies which took place in Guatemala City. Townsend first
testimonial banquet recently held in Los Angeles in honor of Dr. Bob Fierce, president of World Vision Interna tional. Hosted by William C. Jones at the Los Angeles Statler Hilton, the testi monial banquet attracted some 600 invited guests. The event was actually a double celebration, for it was 20 years ago — 1947 — that Dr. Bob Pierce began the overseas ministries which led to the founding of World Vision in 1950. Light of Life Bible correspondence courses have reached nearly two and a quarter million people, reports The Evangelical Alliance Mission. Sixty countries in which the courses are used show an average total increase of 13,000 new contacts a month. Dr. Hugh R. Murchison, who served as president of the Union Rescue the Hindustan Bible Institute, and the Narramore Christian Founda tion. The Christian and Missionary Alliance will transfer its international head quarters from Manhattan to a new location at Nyack, New York. Or ganized by Dr. A. B. Simpson in 1887, the C&MA has maintained its offices and missionary receiving home in New York City since that time. Dr. Nathan Bailey, president of the organi zation, said that plans are being drawn up for new office buildings and other facilities which will be housed on the site. Floyd W. Thatcher, formerly of Zon- dervan Publishing House, has been appointed Senior Editor of Word Books, Inc. of Waco, Texas. Former positions held by Thatcher include publisher and president of Cowman Publishing Company of Los Angeles and more recently vice president in charge of publications at Zondervan. He has been active in the Christian Book Sellers Association and is au thor of two widely-used manuals, “ The Countdown for Christian Sales Success in the Christian Book Store” and “Who’s Minding the Store?” THE KING'S BUSINESS Dr. Murchison Mission from 1941 to 1966, p a s s e d away suddenly at his home Oct. 24, 1967. The 71-year old Christian stew ard was active in the work of the Gideons, and served on such boards as Westmont College,
arrived in Guate mala in O ctober, 1917. He had come to serve as a Bible co lp o r teu r under the Bible House of Los Angeles. His Bible selling trips took him through many of the Indian
Dr. Townsend areas o f Central America. Impressed with the inabili ty of missionaries to communicate with the Indians, he determined to translate the New Testament for the 150,000 Cakchiquel speaking Indians. His translation of the Cakchiquel New Testament was accepted and published by the American Bible So ciety in 1931. The acceptance of the translated Scriptures, and the rapid growth of the Cakchiquel church, in dicated to him the feasibility of using this same method of transla tion evangelism to reach other tri bal groups. In 1934 he began a mis sionary lin g u is tic course called “ Camp Wycliffe” at Sulphur Springs, Arkansas. At seventy-one, Townsend, whose Guatemala vision now extends to 420 tribal languages in 19 countries, con tinues actively as the General Direc tor of Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer Institute of Linguistics. Los Angeles Baptist College of New- hall, Calif., has reported, a 20% in crease in enrollment this semester. Representing 21 states, the school has a total of 251 students attending the college and seminary. There are five fine faculty and staff members. The newest appointment is the Rev. An drew Acquistapaee as director of Pub lic Relations. Dr. Billy Graham will open the Eighth Inter-Varsity Missionary Convention December 27, 1967, with the keynote address entitled, “ Commitment and Discipleship to God and His Word.” The session will be held in the As sembly Hall of the University of Illi nois — Urbana at 7:30 p.m. "Honoring 30 years of Christian min istry” was the theme for a special
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LET GOD BE GOD in your aloneness
We try to reach you by radio every day but Sunday. With a flick of the switch we can come in to remind you that you are never alone, unless you choose to be. Jesus Christ promised: "I, will never leave you nor forsake you." We're more than a broadcast. We're friends in Christ and you don't have to be satisfied with a one way friendship with us. Our purpose in broadcasting is to help you learn how to let God abundantly fill your aloneness. You can sing with us and write us. And we'll not only answer your letter, but we'll pray specifically with you about your pressing concerns. Write today for our station log and let God come in to your aloneness. Back To The Bible Broadcast Box 233, Lincoln, Nebraska * Box 10, Winnipeg, Manitoba
You shop for groceries, iron sh irts, vacuum floors, chauffeur your children and friends to lessons and luncheons. You are locked away in the confines of a woman's world . . . and personal mean ing seems to rush right past your door. In the darkness you lie abed . . . in the dawning you butter toast. And the silent questions swirl about you, "Is this all?" You feel alone with your dissatisfaction, your weariness, your repetition of femi nine tasks. You're rarely by yourself. . . but you're often alone, no matter where you go. You're surrounded by a hub-bub of people and sounds, but you remain un reached . . . haunted by the whisper in side you that somewhere there must be somebody who can love you enough to fill the emptiness.
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DECEMBER, 1967
A TR IBU T E A s o n e p i c k s u p the newspapers o f today, or reads articles in the various weekly and monthly magazines, there is every reason to become alarmed, frightened or down-right mad with what we dare to say is a righteous indignation at the trend o f the times spiritually, morally, politically, economically, and in almost every way that could be imagined. It appears that any individual who is opposed to these trends feels extremely lonely and is inclined to say to himself, with the prophet Elijah: “ I, even I only, am left.” But as one travels about the country in Bible Conferences and Christian camps, there is the encouraging realization that comes that we have in our beloved land the "seven thousand” who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Because so much is going on in our land for which we must be profoundly ashamed, it is refreshing once in a while to consider the faithful remnant o f God’s people who are standing true to the fundamen tals o f the faith, once for all delivered unto the saints, and who are utterly opposed to the headlong downward course o f our American society. In great numbers o f churches scattered across the length and breadth o f our land, God’s W ord is proclaimed and the members still hold to the truths found in the W ord o f God. Hundreds o f other people are true to the faith, but for reasons known to themselves, remain in churches that have in large measure departed from the faith. They are endeavoring to purge the church o f the leaven o f unbelief by staying and fighting from within. Others in previous years made this same noble effort only to fail. As a result they have pulled out, leaving friends, loved ones, years o f toil, sweat, tears, money, and their church home to those who deny the faith and who preach "another gospel” which certainly is not another but a crass perversion o f God’s Word. Perhaps, in time, these too will realize the futility o f staying with "the establishment” and will seek fellowship with those o f like mind, “ without the camp.” Thousands o f outstanding young people may be found in the various Bible Colleges and Christian Colleges, as well as thousands on the campuses o f secular institutes o f higher learning connected with organizations such as Campus Crusade for Christ, Inter varsity Christian Fellowship, and other thoroughly Christian groups. They are not found among the beatniks, the "hippies,” the civil righters, and other "way out” groups who are seeking THE KINQ'S BUSINESS
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actively to destroy our American way o f life. These splendid Christian young people face problems in their generation which we o f the older generation never confronted nor could imagine. These are times to test men’s souls and the numbers o f young peo ple who are remaining true to the faith are indeed an inspiration and blessing to all o f us who come in contact with them. O f course, this great company o f individuals o f which we have been speaking constitutes a very definite minority in every gen eration from the days that our Lord walked the earth even to the present. Yet their influence has been far greater than mere numbers would indicate. There may be added to this impressive list o f real Bible-believ- ing Christians another lengthy list o f those who have been influ enced directly or indirectly by the great doctrines and principles found in the Word o f God and who are at least decent, moral, upright citizens. We devoutly pray that they may come into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. A t least we would hope they would stand with us for high, noble, moral and civic principles o f the communities o f which they live. They are found in the various trades and professions. Some are dedicated officers o f our police departments who also want to see these high, moral, patriotic and civic standards upheld. There are honor able members o f the legislative bodies at all levels o f our gov ernment who are making an honest effort to keep the Christian American way o f life predominant in our generation. There are those in the judicial branches o f our government too who like wise are endeavoring to uphold the laws and standards o f our beloved land. A great host o f fighting men in our armed forces, who refused to burn their draft cards, constitute what has been termed the finest fighting force for its size in the history o f our country. There is a great host o f individuals in the office, the factory, the shop, on the farm, and a magnificent number o f housewives and homemakers who are quietly going about their business, living as true Americans should live. O f course, it must be understand that merely living like a patriotic American does not assure one’s eternal salvation. This can only come through personal acceptance o f Christ as Saviour. We pray that somehow this great group may be touched with the Gospel so that they too will know the joy o f salvation and the assurance o f eternal life. A t least we are thankful that they are not succumbing to the immoral trends o f the times. It is high time to express a sincere word o f appreciation to all o f these and to encourage Christians everywhere to maintain a positive and aggressive testimony for our Lord Jesus Christ. W e need to do everything possible to maintain a free America where we may continue to worship God according to the dictates o f our hearts and consciences. America has not yet gone down the drain, but it could happen here and it could even happen in this genera tion so that our children and children’s children would never know the blessing that we and our forebears have experienced in our beloved America. God forbid! DU
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7
DECEMBER, 1967
“And We Beheld His Glory” by Dr. W . Robert Smith Professor, Bethel College
■ was having lunch with the college president. * He said to me, “ Professor, did you notice in chapel today, in the balcony to your left, a young man leaning over the balustrade, listening intently to what you were saying?” I said, “Yes, I did. About the third man in from the end, as I remember.” The president said, “Yes, that’s the man. He is our chief atheist on campus. He professes not to believe in God, and takes delight in troubling the minds of some of our younger students who have never met with this kind of obstacle.” I watched that place in chapel. He was there every day through the week and every night. Fri day afternoon he came for a chat into the office that I had been given. He said at once, “ Sir, I am an atheist. At least I have professed atheism and I have had a bit of fun trying to shake the faith of some of these young men who have come to school. But this week I have been troubled, and I’m not so proud o f it. “ I remember the only time I ever was in church, 20 years ago as a little fellow. I’ve been out in the world for a while and now I’m back in school. I was reared in a family where we had a disdain for the things you are talking about this week, but after hearing you I have a deep hunger in my soul.” We talked for a while and I said, “Let’s as
sume that there is a God. What would you say if you could believe that this God created all things that you see, the heavens and the earth, the sea and the land, and even life itself; that this God was so concerned about your personal life that looking from afar into our lives and into this world, He decided He would come among us as a man? He would be bom as a human being, not giving up His deity, but just the exercise of the glory o f deity. He would live among us to set before us an exam ple, to demonstrate His marvelous power and then because of our sin and the judgment o f His own righteousness against us, He would die for us, and in three days be risen from the dead, and then come to your life and say, ‘My son, I love you and I came for you. I would like to make you my friend, adopt you into my household and teach you and guide you and empower you.’ What would you say to that?” He said, “ Sir, if I could believe that, I would say that that’s the greatest idea I have ever had in my life.” I said, “ Son, that’s what it’s all about. God loves you in Jesus Christ. He wants to do for you what you cannot do for yourself. He wants to forgive you, to give you grace, to love you into His family and to take you at last home that you might fulfill the purpose for which you were created.” We hear the good news o f Christ so often. We
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
distance. Millions of stars and suns so far away that by the time they reach your eye they coalesce into one little dot of light. How vast is our universe? Dr. Einstein said that light travels in circles, not in straight lines, because light is bent by mass. If you projected a beam of light out into visible space, it would go on and on and finally transcribe a great cosmic circle and come back upon itself. How fast would the light travel? 186,000 miles a second — 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, 365 days a year, at the rate o f seven times around our earth in one second. At that rate of speed, light would go and go and go and finally come hack to its starting point, but it would take between 200 and 500 billion years to make the circuit. Inside that great circle are all the heavenly bodies created by Christ. How many are there? Says Sir James Jeans, “ If every sun were like a grain of sand, and you took all the heavenly bodies and reduced them to a grain of sand and spread them out on the earth it would cover the British Isles hundreds o f yards deep. And then contem plate that our little earth is one-millionth fraction of one such grain of sand and you get some faint idea of the vastness of the universe.” How many heavenly bodies are there? Astrono mers say there are more suns than there are grains o f sand on all the seas and oceans on the earth. How big are they ? Some so small you could put a million into our sun. Some so vast that you could put 25 million suns inside of them. If they were to take the place of our sun, they would be larger than the orbit of our earth. If some of the suns of the universe were put in place of our sun, we would freeze to death. Some are so hot that if they were put in the place of our sun, the temperature on earth would go up to 7000 degrees. Some are so heavy that you could not lift a fragment the size of your hand. Some are so gossamer thin that you could lift the Matterhorn with the touch o f the little finger. What did the Psalmist say? “When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy finger. . . . ” Our Lord, when He created all things, did not have to put His mighty power behind all the worlds that we see, but with the fingers of His divine majesty and power He tossed off another island universe, an other galactic system, another world. T he I nvisible W orld What about the invisible world of mysterious emptiness? If you took all the space out of your desk and reduced it to only molecular material, you could not even see it. The density of the molecu lar structure of a piece o f metal is no greater than the density of interstellar dust that you see out in the heavens. If you were to take all the space out of our earth — 8000 miles through and 25,000 miles
sing it in our carols. We read it from our pulpits. We glibly speak it on our tongues. We love to hear the message, but sometimes I think we lose the amazement of it all—that God the sovereign, the eternal creator, should become a man and live among us. Jesus is God and He did come to earth. Read what Paul said in Colossians: “He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities — all things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” And in Hebrews: “ In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days He has spoken to us by a Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world. He re flects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of His nature, upholding the universe by His word o f power.” C reator of the S tars Have you ever gone out in the darkness o f a night and observed the Milky Way — that lovely little path that goes from the southern part o f our hemisphere to the north? What are you looking at? You are looking at the edge of our galactic sys tem—only the edge. The earth and its planets are about two-thirds of the way out towards the edge of this great spiral galactic universe. Millions and millions of stars, and the Milky Way is just part of them. The inter-stellar dust has clouded so that you cannot resolve the individual stars with the unaided eye. But you see the glow of these billions of stars. How many are there in our little universe called the Milky Way? There may be as many as from one hundred thousand to one hundred fifty thou sand million suns. And how many other Milky Ways? There are literally millions of them. The universe is unbelievably vast. If you were to view one o f the pictures of our galactic system taken by the 200-inch telescope on Mt. Palomar, and if you wanted to see anything the size of the earth, you would have to enlarge the picture until it covered the whole continent of Asia, before the earth would be visible under the most powerful microscope. And then you would have to remember that there are millions of galactic systems like this in the universe. Do you remember the nursery rhyme, “ Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are” ? What is that little twinkling star? Just a star? It’s an island universe, in which from one edge o f that little dot to the other edge, there are some times thousands and thousands of light years of
DECEMBER, 1967
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around—and compress it until it was just molecular material you would have a ball 200 feet across. Blow it back up and you have countless billions of molecules. One of the main thrusts in physical science to day is to understand the nature of the molecules and their atoms. The linear accelerators and cycla- trons are hurling billions of electron volts to the center of an atom to see what it consists of. And what do they find? Just particles o f energy. You might call it electricity or light or radiation. The only difference between metal and your flesh and the water you drink or any other substance is the number and relationship and arrangement of the electrons that go around the nucleus, all of which are just little particles of energy. God’s Word says all these things are held together by Jesus Christ. E very K nee S hall B ow Friend, do you really love Jesus Christ? Is your heart filled with worship for the One who created this amazing universe? Do you personally know the One whose creative power made the uni verse, who became a babe in the Virgin Mary’s arms and pillowed His head in the straw amidst the oxen and asses, who lived and labored and finally died on the tree that you might be forgiven? The Saviour who displayed this love can take your selfish, soul and transform it, can wash out of your life all the bitterness and hatred and envy and jealousy. He can enable you by His Holy Spirit to see the majesty o f His person and the greatness of His power and the vastness o f His omnipotence. Hear these words: “ Though He was in the form of God, He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being bom in the likeness of men. And being found in human form He hum bled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.” When He comes again, you will kneel. You will not be able to refrain from it. Will you kneel in fear? In terror? Will you kneel in adora tion and love because He is your Saviour, your Redeemer, your King? The angels, surrounded by the very stars cre ated by the One whose birth they announced, told the shepherds they would find their Saviour in Bethlehem. Led by a star created by Christ, the Magi came to Bethlehem and worshipped the One bom King of the Jews. If the newborn Son of God merited such adoration and praise, how much more should we give our love and allegience to the One now enthroned in the heavens. DU Reprinted, from THE STANDARD, December 1966 with permission of its Editors.
THANKSGIVING STREET
I knew a man whose name was Homer Who used to live in grumble corner Grumble comer in crosspatch town And he never was seen without a frown. He grumbled at this, and he grumbled at that, He growled at the dog. He growled at the cat. He grumbled at morning. He grumbled at night, And to grumble and growl was his chief delight. He grumbled so much at his wife that she Began to grumble as well as he. And all the children, wherever they went, Reflected their parents’ discontent. If the sky was dark and betokened rain, Then Mr. Homer was sure to complain. And if there was not a cloud about, He grumbled because o f a threatened drought. His meals were never to suit his taste— He grumbled at having to eat in haste. The bread was poor, or the meat was tough— Or else he hadn’t had half enough. No matter how hard his wife would try To please her husband, with scornful eye He’d look around and then with a scowl At something or other he’d begin to growl. One day as I walked down the street, My old acquaintance I chanced to meet Whose face was without the look of care And the ugly frown that had drifted there. “ I may be mistaken” perhaps I said As after saluting I turned my head. “ But it is, and it isn’t the Mr. Homer Who used to live on grumble comer.” I met him next day and I met him again In melting weather and in pelting rain When stocks were up, and when stocks were down, But a smile, somehow, had replaced the frown. It puzzled me much, and so one day, I seized his hand in a friendly way and said, “Mr. Homer, I’d like to know What can have happened to change you so?” He laughed a laugh that was good to hear For it told of a conscience, calm and clear. And he said with none of his old-time drawl, “Why I’ve changed my residence, that is all. “ Yes,” said Homer, “ It wasn’t healthy on grumble comer “And so I’ve moved: twas a change complete, “ And you will find me now on Thanksgiving Street.”
THE KING'S BUSINESS
10
IF THOU HADST KNOWN
by Dr. Vance Havner
O ne OF the saddest laments ever to escape hu man lips is the oft-repeated cry, “ If only I had known!” The motorist who drove to tragedy on the railroad tracks means “ If only I had been the train!” Hospitals are filled with wrecks who would have lived more moderately if only they had known. No man means to be a drunkard or to de stroy his body when he sets out in the way of sin. If we realized the consequences, we would do some thing about the cause. Many a pauper, if he had known, would have made preparation for the rainy day. Think o f the tragedy of lost youth. Many an old man has said, “ If I had known then what I know now, I would have remembered my Creator in the days of my youth.” If only youth knew how to live and old age could! I f we had known that dear ones would be so suddenly snatched from us we would have been kinder: “What use for the rope if it be not flung Till the swimmers grasp to the rock be clung? What worth is eulogy’s blandest breath When whispered in ears that are hushed in death? No! No! If you have a word o f cheer, Speak it while I am alive to hear.” Consider a more serious application. Our Lord is weeping over Jerusalem. He has come to the lost sheep o f the house o f Israel and they have not recognized the Shepherd. He has come unto His own and His own have received Him not. Now He laments, “ IF THOU HADST KNOWN, even thou,
at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes.” Then He describes the coming destruction of Jerusalem, fulfilled to the letter forty years later: “ For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and com pass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another, BECAUSE THOU KNEWEST NOT THE TIME OF THE VISITA TION.” “ IF THOU HADST KNOWN . . . THOU KNEWEST NOT THE TIME OF THY VISITA TION” : therein lies the sad story o f Israel’s re jection and misery to this day. Therein lies a seri ous message for us as well. THEY DID NOT KNOW HIM WHEN HE CAME THE FIRST TIME IN THE VISITATION OF GRACE. How oft would He have gathered His people but they would not. He came to Nazareth and could do no mighty works because of their unbelief. He came to Gadara and they were more concerned over the loss of hogs than the presence of God’s Son. Strangely enough, the scribes, the religious experts of His time, the Scripture stu dents, the prophecy specialists, were blindest of all. There stood one among them whom they knew not, as John the Baptist said. Think o f the Son of God growing up in your town, preaching in the neighborhood, performing miracles before your eyes, and yet you do not know the time of your visitation! So it was and so it will be when He comes
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DECEMBER, 1967
again. MOST PEOPLE WILL NOT KNOW THE TIME OF THEIR VISITATION WHEN HE COMES IN GLORY. He Himself said it would be as in the days of Noah. Then they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark AND KNEW NOT until the flood came and took them all away. Our Lord, in that same discourse, said, “But know this that IF THE GOOD MAN OF THE HOUSE HAD KNOWN in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.” When men say “ Peace and safety” sudden de struction shall come. Scoffers today make light of His coming and know not that in denying the signs, they are a sign themselves! Just as the re ligious experts missed Jesus the first time, some who should know better but are wilfully ignorant, will not know the time of their visitation when He comes again. God would not have us ignorant. The day and hour we cannot know but we can know when His coming draweth nigh. Just as men did not know Him when He came first in the VISITATION OF GRACE, and just as men will not know the day of HIS VISITA TION IN GLORY, it is also true that many do not recognize Him when He comes in other visita tions of blessing. He has come often in REVIVAL and often those who should have been the first to know Him have been blindest. When God visited England in the great Wesleyan revival, a leading churchman declared that he was unable to perceive any great work of God going on anywhere. Mr. Wesley said, “ I don’t believe the good man did see anything.” He knew not the day of his visitation. Just as the scribes missed Jesus, there will be even Bible scholars and prophecy experts and rock- ribbed fundamentalists who will miss Him today, because His visitation is not according to their blueprints. God is working today and it has upset the calculations of some who declared there never could be another revival. I have read o f a man saying to his companion as they stood in front of a pet shop: “Look at that stuffed bird in the window. Whoever fixed him up was a poor taxidermist. No bird ever stood on a limb like that.” At that moment the bird flew down! The bird is flying down these days to the discomfiture of not a few experts. God is moving today and, just as in our Lord’s day, He is bypassing the Pharisees and leaving the ecclesiastical set-up behind to call to Himself through plain apostles the hungry multitudes. He has done it before as in the days of Wesley and Whitefield and Finney and Moody. He will set aside our pet programs and disregard our little arrangements and demonstrate that it is not by might nor power but by His Spirit. Our gigantic official religious world is too busy putting its own
projects over. God is going over their heads, call ing sinners to repentance. True, He works as al ways through His church but He has not always been able to work through the imposing organi zation that calls itself His church. Through the years He has been calling to Himself in all our churches those who meant business, faithful be lievers who have been praying and working for revival. They have made mistakes and blunders and failures such as mar any work in which poor human flesh engages. But God is honoring our faith though it has been weak and our prayers though they have been feeble and now He seems to be gathering what may be a final harvest be fore the curtain of the age rings down. He is working according to His own pattern. “ The wind bloweth where it listeth.” He will not
THE MONKEY SAYS Three monkeys sat in a cocoanut tree Discussing things as they're said to be. Said one to the other, "N ow listen, you two, There's a certain rumor that cannot be true— That man descended from our noble race: The very idea is a disgrace. No monkey ever deserted his wife, Starved her babies and ruined her life. And you've never known a mother monk To leave her babies with others to bunk. Or pass them on from one to another Till they scarcely know who was their mother. And another thing you'll never see, A monk build a fence around a cocoanut tree. Forbidding all other monks a taste. And let the cocoanuts go to waste. Why, if I'd put a fence around the tree, Starvation would force you to steal from me! Here's another thing a monk won't do— Go out at night and get in a stew Or use a gun or club or knife To take some other monkey's life. Yes, man descended, the ornery cuss, But brother, he didn't descend from us!
— Author Unknown
send a revival made to order, planned after our little diagrams. God is sovereign; His ways are not our ways. It matters not what preacher He uses. One plants, another waters, but God gives the increase. The important thing for us is to know the time of our visitation. Pity us if we talk re vival for years and don’t recognize one when it comes! God help us to be ready when Jesus comes by in revival! Let us not be like some orchestras that take more time to tune up than to play! Let us be ready for His visitation. We do not have to wait until a big campaign starts or a much-herald ed preacher arrives. Now is the day for individual revival as well as for salvation. Indeed, we are not to be gullible; we are to try the spirits whether they be of God but, on the other hand, let us not be so stubborn as to miss a blessing rather than
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
give up a prejudice. God grant us the grace to sit at any man’s feet if we may learn the way of the Lord more perfectly! There is another way in which Jesus passes by in a visitation of blessing. He visits us daily in the privilege and possibility of KNOWING HIM BETTER. Remember how, when He came to the dwelling-place of the Emmaus disciples, “He made as though He would have gone further.” He did not force Himself upon them. He would have passed on but He longed to manifest Himself and must have been delighted when they constrained Him to tarry. Have we not, in the company o f one beloved, moved as though we would be going, while inwardly we hoped that we would be asked to re main? Jesus is passing by. He is a gentleman. He will not abide uninvited. If we are to know Him better, we must constrain Him. The deeper things of God pass on if we do not lay hold upon them. Jesus always makes as though He would go fur ther. He does not compel us; we must constrain Him. Yet He longs to abide as our Guest that He may become our Host as He did at Cana. He would sit at our table that we might sit at His; He would sup with us that we may sup with Him. Jesus is passing by day 'by day and life’s greatest privilege is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suf ferings. Let us buy up the opportunity! If a little of God’s grace makes us as happy as it does, why do not we want all we can get? Some have been Christians for years and yet know Christ but little more than at the start. We ought to make our supreme concern to know Him and to make Him known. We waste enough time on trivia to gain a working knowledge of the Bible. We miss enough daily opportunities of prayer, meditation, witness ing, to make mature Christians of us, yet we are babes on milk when we should be on meat. It takes time to know God. This age of aspirin tablets and stomach ulcers does not lend itself to the deeper life. Very few are interested in it. At most we are so busy with the good that we miss the best. Jesus is passing by but He makes as though He would go further. Let us avail ourselves of the time o f His visitation! This closer walk is the other side o f revival. In fact, if we attended to this, we should not need revival. Most Christians and churches need a periodic stirring up but it should not and need not be so. God never meant that His people should live by fits and starts in an up-and-down experience. Some husbands and wives live that way with alternate spells of quar reling and making up again. How much better is that steady and constant companionship, not per fect, but faithful and dependable day by day! With churches on every corner, why should we have to have a special reviving every year?
If we walked with God and kept up to date with Him in our hearts, we should never need to call in a preacher to get us back to normal. True re vival is simply normal New Testament Christian ity, not an occasional religious spree. Enoch did not need a “ revival” every year to keep him going. If we had a daily “ vival,” we should not need a yearly revival. Let us walk as children of light and we shall not need to be awakened every now and then. Let us cultivate spiritual health all the time and we shall need no spiritual shots in the arm at any time. Finally, Jesus is passing by in salvation and men do not know the time o f their visitation. Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation. “ Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near.” That verse clearly indicates that there will come a time when He may not be found, a day when He will not be near. To the woman at Jacob’s well, Jesus said, “ IF THOU KNEWEST the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink, thou would- est have asked of Him and He would have given thee living water.” If only you knew the Gift and the Giver! Today men seek satisfaction at broken cisterns that can hold no water while our Saviour says, “ If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.” To Thomas He said, “ IF YE HAD KNOWN ME, ye should have known my Father also.” To day men say “God is nowhere” but through Christ, we who believe can say “God is now here” ! Philip said, “ Lord, shew us the Father and it sufficeth us.” Our Lord said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” For He is Emmanuel, God with us. “ IF THOU KNEWEST” . . . “ IF YE HAD KNOWN ME.” Today Jesus is passing in salvation in a visitation of grace. There is coming a day when He will visit us in judgment. God help us to know the day of our visitation! A certain king liked to visit his subjects in cognito, dressed as one o f them. One day a stranger appeared at the home of a peasant, was rudely treated and presently departed. Soon another peas ant hurried over to that home. “What did the King give to you?” he eagerly inquired. “ The King?” asked the puzzled man who had treated his guest so badly. “Yes, the King. He came from your house to mine, gave me his blessing and left a present!” From then on the wretched peasant who had spurned his guest could only say, “ If only I had known it was the King!” The King passes among us today. Shame on us if we know not the time o f our visitation! ‘‘Pass me not, O gentle Saviour, Hear my humble cry; While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.” B e ]
DECEMBER, 1967
13
Special Recognition
A Faithful Servant and a Deserving Reward
Miss Celestia Churchill
E ver since she came to Los An geles, nearly half a century ago, Celestia Churchill has had a burden for homeless girls. Bom in 1885 in South Dakota, she moved with her family to Minne sota a few years later. Her work following school was teaching in North and South Dakota before attending the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. She was graduated from Biola in 1917. During her study for the Lord's work, she volunteered for Christian service wherever the Lord might lead. God’s call seemed to be rural mis sionary work in the mountains of Kentucky so she began a six- months’ course in obstetrics at Crittenden Home in Los Angeles. Homeless girls continued to weigh heavily upon her mind. So many were moving to the area who had no place to stay. One day a girl in need, Harriet Ransom, stopped at the office of Biola where Miss Churchill was work ing. She wanted to know if there was any possibility o f securing a room. This was the very begin ning of a work God has blessed for more than half a century. It soon blossomed out into the Mary Martha Home. When it was apparent that ex pansion was impossible at Biola, a small home was rented in High
need over her forty-five years of faithful ministry. At least two thousand homeless girls received help and s p ir itu a l counsel through the years. Their ages ranged from fifteen to twenty- five. Many, of course, came from broken homes. As a result of the ministry, many of them came to know Jesus Christ as personal Saviour. Because o f her failing health, recently it was necessary for Miss Churchill to retire from her life long love and work: helping oth ers in need. She is now residing at the Hollenbeck Home in Los An geles, not too far from the head quarters of her former work. When the property was sold, Miss Churchill wanted to see that at least a part o f it be used for the preparation of young men and women at her alma mater, Biola. We thank God for this faithful servant who was honored recent ly by the City of Los Angeles for her signal service rendered on be half of the community and Christ her Saviour. Miss Churchill is pictured above in the garden at Hollenbeck Home holding the citation which was given to her at a special lunch eon at which time Councilman Gilbert Lindsay made the presen tation. EE
land Park. This was used for a year or more. Transportation, however, proved to be a problem and the women began praying for a home closer to downtown Los Angeles. One was finally located at the comer of Chicago and Michigan in the Boyle Heights district. It was owned by a Jew ish man by the name of Abra- hamovitz. He was moved by the purpose Miss Churchill had in mind and the facility was rented. Even with the newer home, so many calls for help came it was apparent more permament steps would have to be taken. Miss Mary Walthers, a former mis sionary to China, had saved a hundred dollars from her meager income. This she offered as a part o f the down payment on the much-needed larger home. Other gifts came in, including a thou sand dollars. Soon there was enough to begin the purchase of a large twenty-room house located at 632 Brittania Street. As the years progressed and the work increased, three addi tional buildings had to be added. Every need was met through prayer, such as the obtaining o f a new roof, general repairs, plumb ing, and maintenance. Miss Churchill testifies to the fact that money came in for every
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