J A N U A R Y 1 9 2 0
Bible Institute ofLosAngeles (INCORPORATED) LOS ANGELES , C AL IFO RN IA , U. S. A .
Free Training School for Christian Workers
DIRECTORS
Lyman Stewart, president J. M. Irvine, secretary T. C. Horton, superintendent H. A. Getz
R. A. Torrey, vice-president Leon V. Shaw, treasurer William Evans J. O. Smith
Nathan Newby
DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
We hpld.to the Historic Faith of the of Evangelical Christendom and including: The Trinity of the Godhead. The Deity of the Christ. The Personality of the Holy Ghost. The Supernatural and Plenary authority of the Holy Scriptures. The Unity in Diversity of the Church, the Body and Bride of Christ. The Substitutionary Atonement.
Church as expressed in the Common Creed The Necessity of the New Birth. The Maintenance of Good Works. The Second Coming of Christ. The Everlasting Existence of the Spirit. The Resurrection of the Body. The Life Everlasting of Believers. The Endless Punishment of the Impenitent. The Reality and Personality of Satan.
SCOPE OF THE WORK P U R PO R T ? • Kigi Institute trains, free of cost, accredited men and women, in the knowledge and use of the Bible. DEPARTMENTS* LD ^The Institute Classes held daily except on Saturdays and Extension work. Classes and conferences held in neighboring cities and towns. Evangelistic. Meetings conducted by our evangelists. Spanish Work. •Personal work among Spanish speaking people. Shop Work. Regular services in shops and factories. Jewish Evangelism.. Personal work among the Hebrews and mission for Jews. Bible Women. House-to-house visitation and neighborhood classes. Oil Fields. A mission to men on the oil fields. Books and Tracts. Sale and distribution of selected books and tracts. (10) Harbor Work. For seamen at San Francisco harbor. m m Bio*a Hall. Daily noon meetings for-meni in the down-town district, with free reading-room privileges. Evangelistic service every evening. (12) Print Shop. For printing Testaments, books, tracts, etc. A complete establish- merit, profits going to free distribution of religious literature. (2) (3) (4) (5) ( 6 ) (7) ( 8) (9)
THE KING ’S BUSINESS MOTTO: “ 1, the Lord, do keep it, I will water it every moment, lest any hurt it, / will keep it night and day. 'ar--.Tr--,' :■■■ ,■ — ------------■—■■■........'■"?= Isa. 27:3 i................ .— ...............s :: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ , ........ \.sss PUBL ISH ED M O N T H L Y BY TH E BIBLE IN S T IT U T E OF LOS A N G E L E S Rev. T . C . H O R T O N , Editor in Chief Rev. K EITH L. B R O O K S, Managing Editor Entered as Second-Class Matter November 17, 1910, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California djL under the A ct of March 3, 1879 K m Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, A ct of October 3, 1917 U S? authorized October 1, 1918. Volume XI January, 1920. Number 1 Editorials: To The Kings Business Family (3) A Cool Refreshing Re vival (4) The Case of Dr. Case (4) Business Men Sense the Need of the Hour (6) Onward Christian Soldiers (7) Profit ing from the Money of the Profiteer (8) Why Tarry the Wheels of His Chariots? (8) The Real Reason the Gospel is Turned Down (9), Sentence Sermons (12) Evangelistic Stories from Real Experience (65) Fundamental Studies for Young Christians (72) Notes on the Jews and Palestine (75) Homiletical Helps (77) Thoughts for Unsaved People (79) International Sunday School Lessons (81) Daily Devotional Readings (112) Present Day Fulfillments of Christ’s Words, by G. C. G. (119) Good Books (122) PLEASE When sending subscriptions, address correspondence to Office of The King’s Business, Bible Institute of Los Angeles, 536-558 South Hope Street. Checks may be made payable to Bible Institute of Los Angeles. Do hot make checks or money orders to individuals connected with the Bible Institute. Y E A R SUBSCR IPTION PRICE— In tke United States and Its Possessions and Mexico, and points in tke Central American Postal Union, $1.00 per year. In all otker foreign countries, including Canada, $1.24. (5c. 2d.) Single copies 10 cents. See expiration date on tke wrapper, IBLE INSTITUTE OF 536-558 South Hope Street - . . . LOS ANGELES Los Angeles, California The Apostasy —Dr. A. C. Gaebelein (13) Saved— Sermon by Dr. R. A. Torrey (20) A Ride With a Russellite— By Rev. Wm. H. Pike (27) Bible Institute Happenings (30) Special Anniversary Supplement (33-64) O N L Y O N E D O L L A R
A Kiev?T ear isUponUs with new duties, new conflicts, new trials and new opportunities. Will you start on this journey with Jesus, to w alkwith. Him. Work forHim Win Souls forHim? .Consider the brevity of time. The moment we began to live, that moment we began to die. The departure of time means the departure of our life. Time is what we all want most and what we usually use worst. God is the only Being who has time enough. He allows us a little that we may prepare ourselves and others for Eternity. Eternity will not be too long to regret the loss of our time if we have failed to make it count for God. We are very apt to forget, unless reminded by some startling circumstance, that we are not moored here, but that every minute we are gliding down the stream of time. Every minute brings us one step nearer, either to the grave or the coming of the Lord. Be Sure of This If it is given you to see this,New Year through, you will be able to say it Tyas a happy one, only in case you have, in every path of trial, up every hill of difficulty, over every sunny height,—marched on in close fellow ship with the Lord Jesus. Why not, then, determine now, that come what may, you will have
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C H R I S T E V E R Y D A Y Christ in His Word—Christ in Prayer-—Christ in the Services of His Church—Christ in Constant Fellowship.
E D I T O R I A L
THE DAILY TASK FOR THE YEAR Praise the Lord Daily. Psa. 72:15. “ Daily shall He be praised.” Pray to the Lord Daily. Psa. 86:3. “ I cry unto Thee daily. Ponder the Scripture Daily. Acts 17:11. Please the lo rd Daily. Prov. .8:84. Profess Your Discipleship Daily. Duke 9:23. Persist in Brotherly Exhortation Daily. Hebrews 3:13. Preach the Gospel Daily. Acts 5:42. afe
(l) ( 3 ) (s ( 4 ) (5) ( 6 ) ( 7 )
T O T h e King’ s Business Family WE WISH YOU ALL------
What shall it he? A Happy New Year? Yes, but Something more; isomething fuller, deeper, more satisfying,-—a Joyful New Year. Full of joy? Is it possible? Of course it is. It is a part of our heritage. Everything is possible that God has said is possible for the believer. How can it be pos sible to have a life full of joy?' Always, every day of the new year, by jlkimple obedience to the law of joy. The Lord always works according to jfwell-defined laws and this one is simple and plain, but not easy perhaps. l “ If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love; even as I have i . erf my Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things have I I en unto you that my joy might remain (or be) in you, and that your f y j might be full.” (John 15:10, 11.) Read the context. Abiding in the vine, which is Christ, keeping in touch with Him; doing His will; surrender ing your will to His will.- He speaks of His joy while the shadows of the >ss were upon Him. Jus before Him looms the cross with its awful tragedy. No human word can describe it, yet e speaks of joy, “ The joy which was set before Him.” He was perfectly obedient to the will of His Father. His soul was full of joy, in spite of the Garden of Gethsemane with its bitter trial, its awful gloom and lonesomeness and the cross where the face of God would be averted from Him ; full of joy in the conscious surrender of His w’jl to the will of His Father.' And He says, and it must be true, that the same joy,—His joy,—will fill us and our joy will be full, if we make the absolute surrender to Him of our wills. His joy will be in us. Our sorrows will be turned into joy, (John 16:20,) and best of all no man can take it from us, (John 16:22.) Don’t, allow any soul-destroying, joy-destroying higher Critic to entice you. Don’t allow any subtle temptation of Satan to allitce you. Don’t allow1 the flesh to snare you. Keep yourself in the love of Cod. Go through this article of death daily and let the joy of the Lord, th$l*>strange, wonderful joy of His, fill you and be your strength. This is our New Year’s wish for every member of our King’s Business Family. Nehemiah 8:10: “ The joy of the Lord is your strength.’ ’^ T . C. H.
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THE K I NG ' S BUS I NESS
A C O O L Refreshing Revival
Here is the way one secular paper sees i t : “ The devil is in a corner with his back against the wall. He was never harder pressed since the time he fell from the battlement of high heaven at the point of Michael’s flaming sword.” Of course this is news to us who read the Bible. Peter says the devil is going around like a roaring (hungry) lion seeking whom he may devour. He runs politics in the world and often among the ecclesiasts. He runs the Higher Critic Schools. He runs the false systems of Mormonism, Russellism, Spiritualism, Eddyism, New Thought, Theosophy, Unitarianism. So it must be a kind of fantastic devil that this editor saw,—but listen to some more of the same sort: “ The greatest wave of religious enthusiasm the world has ever known is now in full swing. It is not confined to any country, to any single race or to any denomination of the Christian faith. It is universal and envelopes the earth from end to end. There have been great waves of religious enthusiasm before, but never any thing to compare with this. In the time of the Crusades, and in the days of St. Francis of Assisi, there were great religious revivals, but they were more or less hectic and neurotic. This revival is cool, serene and steady. It moves not like waves of fire, but like the glacier, crushing onward over everything that stands in its path.” Its cool all right,—just off the ice, where Satan keeps his revival waves. Nobody has been warmed up by it yet. No camp fires in this revival; it ’s a kind of an ice cream variety. But listen again: “ The Methodists furnish one of the amazing features of the situation. One million Methodists in this country signed away one-tenth of each of their incomes for the next five years to the church for missionary work. The enormous sum of $200,000,000.00 has been raised already.” Yes, yes, we understand; going to beat the devil with hard cash; going to give him a run for his money. Of course the devil has no money nor friends; just a poor, outcast devil, fighting all alone! Now for the climax: “ Yes, sir; if you see sparks flying, it is old Satan lashing his tail. They have him running and are beating him over the head. It is the hardest fight the devil has ever had on his hands.” Here you have the paper-picture, but there is another picture more definitely true. The devil can laugh at all the slurs cast upon him. He is the god of this age. He is playing a great game through the organization of the church. Many of his chosen servants are found in the high religious circles. Oh, yes, he’s at bay, but he has his eye on that $200,000,000.00, don’t forget that, and he cornered some in the great Columbus pageant, they say some $750,000.00.—T. C. H. T H E C A S E o f Dr. Case This good Doctor is greatly exercised about the boogyboo or “ bogy,” as he calls it, in the book of Revelation, and he wants it squelched right away, so as to bring about vast social and natural changes. He is quoted in an Associated Press dispatch November 7, as saying:
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NESS
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How Not To Do It “ Fear of the end of the world in the last 2,000 years has been a palsy on the human spirit,” said Dr. Shirley Jackson Case of the Chicago Divinity School at the University of Chicago. “ It has made millions of human beings exist in a sort of ‘What's the use?’ frame of mind, and has been of no good to Christianity or any thing else.” Doctor Case explained that the revelations of the New Testament were written by John at Patmos when he and fellow Christians were refugees from Roman persecution and that his writings were intended only to predict the fajl of the Roman empire. Now the revelation is not John’s, hut the “ Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, ’ ’ and, of course, if it only referred to the destruction of Jerusalem, as Dr. Case asserts, then Rev. 1:7 cannot or co\ild not be true. “ Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, any they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.” Nor is there anywhere in the Book of Revelation any suggestion of Jerusalem. It speaks of worldwide plagues and disasters, of an open heaven, of the mystery of Babylon the Great, the Mother of harlots and abominations of the earth (17:5) and that all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. It speaks of God’s judgment upon her. (19:2). It gives a glimpse of the Son of God as King of kings and Lord of lords. It tells of the angel from heaven with a key to the bottomless pit into which he thrust Satan and bound him for a thousand years. It tells of the beast and false prophet being cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. It tells of a first resurrection, and a thousand years of millennial reign, of Christ and His Church, of a general reign, and eternal fires of hell, of a heavenly Jerusalem, and,—for
6 THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NESS Dr. Case’s benefit,, we warn him,—it tells of the peril of adding to or sub tracting anything from the words of this book. (22:18-20). It may be a bogy to Dr. Case because of the awful truths set forth there which verify other parts of the scripture, which, no doubt, he would be glad to eliminate. He might read the 24th of Matthew, verses 29-31, and the 25th of Matthew, vs. 31-46, and find a bogy there. He will find a bogy in the third chapter of 2nd Peter. He might find one in Jude and would do well to meditate upon verses 16-18. It is a fearful condition which confronts the Church when men in high places in divinity schools and seminaries are used of Satan to deceive the student committed to them by the Church with such silly, senseless state ments and hoodwink the ignorant, unsaved people concerning the solemn statements of God’s Holy Word. We pity him, we pray for him, we warn him Our Lord says it were better for such a man that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. “Where ignorance is bliss, it were folly to be wise.”— T. C. H. sfc? a » B U S IN E S S M E N Sense tke N e ed o f tke Hour Richard H. Edmonds of Baltimore, Editor of the Manufacturer’s Record, an industrial magazine of national reputation, says in an editorial of August 28: ' ' ; ■ ■ H H I “ Above all else this country needs a nation-wide revival of old-fashioned prayer meeting religion; a religion that makes men realize that if there is a heaven there must also of necessity be a hell; a religion that makes a man realize that every act is recorded on his own conscience and though it may slumber it can never die; a religion that makes an employer, understand that if he is unfair to his employees and pays them less than fair wages, measured by his ability and their efficiency and zeal, he is a robber; a religion that makes an employee know that if he does not give full and efficient service, he too is a robber; a religion that makes a man realize that by driving too hard a bargain with his servant, his employes’, his merchant, he can be just as much a profiteer as the seller or producer who swindles by false weight, false packing or false charges. In short, we need a revival of religion which will make every man and woman strivS in every act of life to do that which on the great judgment day they will wish that they had done, as with soul uncovered they stand before the judgment seat of the Eternal.” , / On September-2, in the Babson’s Barometer Letter to Merchants, Bank ers and Investors, Mr. Babson of Boston published an editorial entitled, “ The Need of the Hour” from which we quote the following: “ The need of the hour is not more legislation. The need of the hour is more religion. More religion is needed everywhere,— .from the halls of Congress to the factories, mines and forests. It is one thing to talk about plans and policies, but a plan and policy without a religious motive is like a watch without a spring, or a body without the breath of life. The trouble today is that we are trying to hatch chickens from sterile eggs. We may have the finest incubator in the world, but unless the eggs have the germ of life in them, all of your efforts are of no avail. The solving of the labor situation is wholly a question of religion. The wage worker will never be satisfied with higher wages and shorter hours any more than you and I are satisfied with more profits and a bigger house. Things never did satisfy any one and never will. Satisfaction and contentment are matters of reli gion. . Meanwhile what is happening to our churches? They are going to seed: The ministers are paid starvation wages and the whole church industry lacks pep and imagination. And yet the church is the only organization in existence for generating right motives in man. Schools develop intellect, theaters and novels
TUE K I NG ' S BUS I NESS 7 foster passion, but the church is the sole organization which develops those good motives of love, sympathy, hope and inspiration on which the industrial salvation of the world depends. But that organization is asleep, and other agencies which develop hate, jealousy and fear are running rampant.” Here are two prominent business men at almost the same time voicing almost the identical solution of the nation’s need,—sound, practical busi ness men. We do not know whether they are Christians or not but we do know that they have hit the nail squarely on the head. You can never solve the problem of the nation’s need with fife and drum and pageant parade. You can never solve the problem with surveys and resolutions. You can never solve the problem with the 20th Century methods of Christian work. You can pever solve the problem by legislation. You can only solve the problem by the use of God’s ordained means; the preaching of the Gospel of Grace, the Gospel of a crucified, resurrected Christ who, through faith in Him, can impart to men the power to live aright, to love their fellow-men aright. This has been proven to be the solution. Why does not the church apply it ? Why fiddle around with all sorts of schemes and endeavors which have been found to be unavailing? Why waste time when the call is so imperative and the conditions,so imperilling? Why not come back to the old fashioned Gospel and try it only for a year or so? We have tried every thing else until the church people have lost heart and are simply marking time in a perfunctory, indifferent way; putting the money into the same old grist mill that grinds away and yields so little grist. Where the old Gospel is preached and the good old Gospel is believed, you can find the holy, happy saints as of yore. You can find devotion to Christ-; separation from the world; practical application of the love of God in deeds of kind ness. There never was but one cure for the world’s feverish unrest, the cure that is offered'by the Man of the Cross,—“ Come unto Me, I will give you rest.” We know that this is true. We found it so for ourselves. We have found it so with men and women of every known walk in life. We don’t need anything more. We have the remedy, the Bible, God’s own and only rentedy. We need to be sensible, practical and apply it. The commis sion of the church from the lips of its Leader is the God-given remedy for all human conditions and needs. It is up to the Church to obey the command of the risen Lord and to occupy (do business) until He comes. Let us try it.—T. C. H. O N W A R D Christian Soldiers Let us make glad the heart of our Lord by joining with thousands of our fellow believers in prayer for a world wide revival in the body of Christ. Join with the Great Commission Prayer League of Chicago; with the call issued through the Sunday School Times for “ 50,000 which could keep rank” ; join with all saints everywhere in the earnest desire for the revival of the true church. Let us also answer our prayers by a definite effort for the saving of souls. Why not make 1920, if the Lord tarry, the greatest year of our lives in the matter of seeking to save some out of the wreck? Every reader is urged to join in the effort. Let us give ourselves with unstinted devotion to this work,—the work which He has committed to us ; the work which He took the joy in doing; the work which brings joy, in the presence
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THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NESS of the angels of God, to our Lord Himself. We will take pleasure in re sponding to any one who would like some simple suggestions as to practical methods of doing this work, and assure you it is the greatest privilege ever accorded the saints and has the largest possibilities in fruitage. “ Let us work while it is called today, the night cometh.” —T. C. H. P R O F I T I N G From the Mone;? o f the Profiteer Rev. Dr. Samuel Zane Batten has issued the following statement: tEvery Baptist Church should know whether any of its members are engaged in this nefarious business of profiteering,” said Dr. Batten. “ The church should refuse the dirty money of these people. No self-respecting church would tolerate in its fellowship a person known to be guilty of highway robbery or horse stealing and the sin of profiteering is meaner, blacker and more sinful than either of these The church must make the will of God very plain on this subject.” Good for Dr. Batten. We say “ Amen” and trust that the Baptist churches will respond cordially to the call. But there is another meaner, blacker, more dastardly business than this of the profiteers and that is the business of using the money of devoted Christ-loving people; money that has built churches and institutions; hard earned money put upon God’s altar for the glory of His Son,—the using of this money for Satanic purposes, turn ing these churches and institutions over to higher critic teachers and preachers and missionaries to do the devil’s work of undermining the faith of boys and girls, young men and women and older ones also; using these funds for the propaganda of another gospel which is not a gospel; a gospel which God Himself through the Apostle Paul, declares brings with it the Anathema. Against thig business let every loyal follower of our Lord cry out: “ Don’t waste any of your money on this profiteering business. If you do you will have cause for sorrow, for against this business God has declared a curse. ’ ’ Now let every true believer who reads this say “ Amen.”—T. C. H. ^1^ ^ ¡^ H Y T A R R Y the Wheels of H is Chariot? In Deborah’s song of triumph, (Judges 5:28) there is a poetic and pathetic allusion to the expectant mother of Sisera as she looks through her latticed window and listens for the rumbling wheels of her son’s returning chariot. The singer conceives her as saying, “ Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels o f his chariots?” She had doubtless sent him forth with maternal misgiving and offered many prayers to her gods for his safe return. Alas, she was foredoomed to disappointment. Her warrior was lying dead in the tent of Jaei the wife of Heber the Kenite, slain not in battle but in slumber and by a woman’s hand. The church o f Christ like a lonely virgin has waited long and patiently for the coming of Him to whom she has plighted her troth. He went away into a far country to receive a kingdom, leaving with her a promise of His return. Like another Mariana in the moated grange, the flight‘of years has deepened her disappointment. ‘ ‘ My life is dreary, he cometh not, she said. ’ ’ “ Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?” His saints like those who waited for Zacharias, have marvelled that he tarrieth so long in the temple. (Luke 1:21).
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NESS 9 Various reasons have been suggested by way of reply. Has the promise of His return been misinterpreted or misunderstood? Have the powers of darkness gained some victory in the unseen? Has the purpose of God been thwarted to any extent and the plan of the ages changed? The delay of nearly two thousand years cannot.be accounted for by any of these supposi tions. Blended with the New Testament exhorations to watchfulness and pre paredness for His coming are veiled intimations of delay. “ While the bride groom tarried.” “ After a long time the lord of those servants cometh and reckoneth with them.” A certain writer has said, “ Take away the certainty of the fact of Christ’s coming and tell us that He may never return and at once the wing of hope is paralyzed and the eye of vigilance closed. Take away the uncertainty as to the time of Christ’s coming and tell us that a thousand years of millennial blessedness stand between us and the advent, and the watchman’s vigil will cease and the virgin’s lamp be quenched.” The wise combination of the known and the unknown factors in prophecy maintain our expectant watchfulness and save us alike from presuniption and despondency. Our great High Priest has passed behind the cloud curtain of the heav enly sanctuary, as.of old the Hebrew high priest on the great day of Atone ment went into the most holy place, Since sin and salvation both begin in heaven, redemption must include both and the Redeemer must belong to both. ' Christ not only belongs originally to the heavens but He has a work in the heavens after becoming man. That work He is now performing previous to His more complete work in the earth at His second advent. Redemption must first be completed in heaven rather than in the earth since heaven rules the earth. Satan and his angels must be cast out of heaven but not until the church is caught up thither. (Rev. 12:5, 9). When the work of the Jewish high priest behind the veil had been accomplised, he came forth to bless the people. (Num. 6 -.24-26).^ Christ has not entered into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. When His work there is accomplished, since the heavenly things themselves must be purified with better sacrifices than the Old Testa ment prescribes, He shall appear the second time unto them that look for Him, to pronounce and dispense the blessings of the millennial age (Heb 9 :23-28>.—F. W. F. T H E R E A L R E A S O N the Gospel is Turned DovJn One argument tjtiat has been heard from the lips of many so-called church' leaders since the war is that Christianity has failed because people do not believe the facts as presented to them. Their reason and their sense of justice, we are told, have been greatly offended by the teachings of the Bible and intelligent people therefore cannot longer identify themselves with the church unless there comes a sweeping away of the old dogmas. But is this the real reason so many do not accept the Gospel and have no use for the church? Is it a fact that people are now compelled to reject the old Gospel because, having carefully examined the testimony of God,
IO THE K I NG ' S BUS I NESS they have come to the conclusion it is quite illogical and unreasonable? Have they really weighed the facts concerning the death and the resurrec tion of the Lord Jesus Christ and found them to be unreliable? Do they mean that these intelligent folks have put Jesus Christ to the test in the way prescribed by the Word of God and have found the challenges are empty ? They mean nothing of the kind. The fact is that people “ believe not the truth because they have pleasure in unrighteousnss” (2 Thess. 2:12). The vast majority of people are living careless lives. They do not want the blessings held out by the Gospel although most of them fully intend some time to turn to the Savior when they have had their fill of pleasure. For the present they do not want to part with their sins and live that life they well know belongs to those who have truly embraced the Gospel. There is that innate objection in the human heart to having to do with God and His Son Jesus Christ. “ They will not come to Him that they might have life” — and that is the real answer to these assertions. It should be remembered that the Gospel of'the cross of Christ was never thrown down before men that they might look it Over and pass judgment upon it. It is not for men to say what God ought to do and ought not to do or what God would or would not do. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. The Gospel has made its progress in the world because of its power to meet the deepest need ,,of souls, and the men who are at present claiming that thinking men cannot logically accept it could as easily settle the question of the truth as the humblest sinner were it not for the natural pride of their hearts.—K. L. B. jWj. S&y A W O R D to the W ise A California Sunday School has for the past year supplied its 2,000 members with The King’s Business every month in place of the Sunday School quarterlies formerly used. The Lord has marvelously blessed this school and the spiritual growth seen in its members has satisfied the officers that the investment was a golden one, and the order has been renewed. The monthly visitor that has sup plied these Christian people not only with safe and practical lesson helps, but with daily devotional studies, choice Bible outlines, solid studies by renowned teachers and editorials on vital religious themes, could not do otherwise than tone up the spiritual life of the Sunday School and the whole church as well. It will be said that only a wealthy church could put through such an enter prise. How was it done? A large number were persuaded to subscribe for them selves and the balance was subscribed by two or three persons of means who saw the opportunity to make a definite investment for Jesus Christ. Great joy has come to these donors as they have beheld the result of their investment and as the Sunday School grows they will no doubt continue to share the burden of the expense. Have you thought about The King’s Business for your Sunday School? It can be done. We make a special price of 75c a year on subscriptions sent in from Sunday Schools. Get your teachers to subscribe and as many others of the adult scholars as will. Then for the needs of your Home Department and young people, ask the Lord to lay the matter on the hearts of those in your church or community who are able to foot the bill. For our part, we will do our best to furnish ouf readers with the most pointed lesson material and the most practical and spiritual Bible helps.—K. L. B.
Make at Least O n e o f Tour Christmas Gifts a Subscription to T H E K I N G ’ S B U S IN E S S
THE K I NG ' S BUS I NESS ANOTHER YEAR FOR JESUS What if it be my last! I’ll fill each year with service sweet My willing tasks He will complete While fly the glad hours past. —Nell R. Rolfe.
. 11 wisdom religion” and wasting their breath and energy babbling about karma, illusions, astral projections, etc.; etc., would spend a little more time keeping their houses clean and their children tidy they would be laying up treasures both on earth and in heaven, whereas now they are only building cobwebs in their mental attics.— L. A. Times.
COBWEBS IN THE ATTIC If some of these women who are dab bling in so-called mysticism, wearing their eyes out reading books on “ the
Send T h e “ K . . B . ” For Ckristmas
Dr. Case Fails to Prove His Case But Incidentally Helps to Fulfill Prophecy DECRIES FEAR OF WORLD CATACLYSM DR. CASE SAYS OLD SUPER STITION HAS CAUSED MIS BIBLE WARNS OF WORLD CATACLYSM ALSO SAYS LATTER-DAY HIGH BROWS WILL REFER TO THE BELIEF AS AN* “ OLD BOGY.” (Peter by the Holy Ghost) ERABLE FATALISM. (By A. P. Night Wire)
CHICAGO, Nov. T-SThe belief that the world will end in a catar clysm by the hand of' God was ttermed an “ old bogy’! that had caused unrest and despair by Dr. Shirley Jackson Case of the Chi cago Divinity School at the Uni versity of Chicago today. He spoke in explanation of the New Testament’s book of Revelations, which, he said, was the only scriptural basis for the generally accepted belief in a final world catastrophe. Dispel the “ bogy,'” he said, and vast social and ma terial changes might follow. “ Fear of the end of the world in the last 2000 years has been a palsy on the human spirit,” said Dr. Case. “ It has made millions of human beings exist in a sort of ‘what’s the use?’ frame of mind, and has been of no good to Chris tianity or anything else.”
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying. Where is the promise of his coming ? 1for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a' thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath* but to ^obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. »
CASE N O W IN THE H A N D S OF THE JURY
Lire so as to be missed. Don’t forget that victory is by sub mitting. The crosses we fear are heavier than the crosses we bear. When Fear knocks at the door, send Faith to answer and you will find no body there. We can tickle people’s ears but only the Holy Spirit can prick men’s hearts. The cynic is one who never sees a good quality in a man and never fails to see a bad one. Beware of having the wheel-barrow religion— the kind that moves only when pushed. None eyer became either holy or use ful by chance. The Cross is the only ladder to Para dise. Error runs down an inclined plane. Truth has laboriously to climb its way up hill. We do not always know the dangers that we are guided past. The way to do a great deal for Christ is to keep on doing a little. The cross is easier to him who takes it up than to him who drags it along. A prudent man is like a pin: his head prevents him from going too far. You can be a lamp in the home if you can’t be a star in the sky. He is truly valiant who can wisely suffer. The most expensive thing in the world is sin. The thickest cloud brings the heav iest shower of blessings. The shedding of tears n'ever saved a soul. Even our tears need washing in the blood of Christ before they can be acceptable.
True sacrifice consists, not so much in giving up great things as in daily re linquishing personal enjoyments for the sake of others, without looking for love or gratitude in return. Faith is rudimental; prayer is monu mental. One is a cornerstone on which all is built; the other a capstone in which all that is built reaches a climax of completeness. Don’t be too easily scared. The devil uses a good many blank cartridges. You don’t have godliness in triumph unless you can carve contentment out of God’s providence, whatever the dish is that is set before you. Pray for others. By making an er rand to God for them, you will get something for yourself. A more glorious victory cannot be gained over another than this, that when the injury began on his part, the kindness should begin on ours. You may get men interested in re ligion by preaching the supremacy of Christianity, but you can only get them saved by preaching the efficacy of the blood of Jesus. There are some people whose friends are more to be pitied than their enemies. Wisdom is ability to use knowledge aright. The Holy Ghost is the foun tain of true wisdom. If you are “ sealed by the Holy Ghost” as the property of your Master, there will be no need for anyone to ask, “Whose is the image and super scription?” God demands a whole heart but He accepts a broken one. Consecration, not perfection, is the mark of a saint.
The Apostas^ Sweeping
0\)er the Churches
A n Address Delivered at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Sunday Afternoon, Aug. 17 , 1919
By DR. A . C. GAEBELEIN Editor o f **Our Hope”
Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-17. The greatest evidence that man has a darkened mind and a corrupt nature is not the existence of the gambling den, nor the house of ill fame. The greatest evidence is unbelief; the fact that thé human heart definitely and positively refuses to listen to the voice of God; that there is a heart which hates the light and loves darkness; and the greater the light which is rejected and refused, the greater the darkness, and finally God who is Love and Mercy can do nothing else. In fact, He must mete out judgment for a race which re fuses to listen to His voice. That has been the story of the race from the be ginning. God did not leave man, after he had transgressed, without light. Man had the light of creation and though there was not a written word, yet there was the Word of God nevertheless, and yet as you follow the Divine Record, you find that man’s evil na ture was evidenced by turning away from that Light. And though in 1650 years of the first age of this earth, they builded cities, invented instruments, were lovers of art and music,— the race wandered away from God, the earth became filled with violence and vile ness, the voice of God was rejected and finally God had to bring a judgment upon this earth. And let no one imag ine that that judgment, the deluge, is a myth; it is not. It is written in the Book and it is verified by science, by geology and by tradition. When you look to the favored race,, the people of Israel, you find the same
evidence of the darkened mind and cor ruption of human nature. The nation which received the tokens of God’s grace and mercy, were led out of Egypt, miraculously delivered from the hands of the enemy, seeing the demonstration of the power of God, the giving of bread out of heaven and water out of a rock and “Witnessing miracle after miracle,, listening to the voice of Jeho vah at Mount Sinai. A little time after, behold them bringing their ear-rings and making a golden calf, stripping themselves naked, dancing about this calf, saying, “ These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” Think of it! Thpugh God had given the highest manifestation of His presence,1 His power, His mercy toward His people, yet they could plunge into this apos tasy and if you follow their history, you will find, that it is made up of re vivals and apostasy, and revivals and apostasy, ^ always turning .finally against God, against His \Yrord, and sinning against, the Light until you find this Divine Record in 2 Chronicles 36: 15 and 16. And the Lord of their fathers, sent to them by his messengers rising up betimes and send- m g; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his prophets, ♦•iiWS?tlx of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.” Finally when the Lord of Glory came to that nation, educated in the very school of God, with a history of miracle behind it and promises of glory before, they rejected the Lord of Glory and, instead of giving Him the Throne,
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NESS ■ s - ' J H - the New Testament scriptures. ) I wa,nt to show you the forecast first before we reach the very fulfillment of that fore cast and demonstrate that the race to day is just as rotten as it was five thou sand years ago. Let us listen to the Lord Jésus. We put Him first. What had He to say about the conditions of this age and of the race? In a parable, He tells us how He, the Son of Man, brought a good seed and another one brought a bad seed and the good and bad seed grew up together until the harvest. In another parable, He tells us about a woman taking leaven and cor rupting'the truth of God by it. Twice He uses past history to give a prophecy about this age when it is go ing to end, “ As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be when the Son of Man comes." “ As it was in the days of Lot, so it shall be when the Son of Man comes.” And then the question “ Nevertheless, When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find the faithful upon the earth? Then listen to His great ut terance prophetically given when He describes the events preceding His com ing, speaking of man becoming more unrighteous, lawless, the age finally to end with a time of great trouble. There is not a word as to what theologians teach about the world growing better through the process of evolution, etc., and not a word about righteousness and peace, but the Son of God predicts apostasy as it was in the days of Noah and as it was in the days of Lot. Wher ever these learned men get their mes sage from, we don’t know; they don’t get it from the Word of God nor from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice again what the apostles have to say about the conditions of this age and what the last days of this age are going to bring forth. Who were these apostles? If they had been uninspired men as they tell us today they were, (not more inspired than Socrates,
14
Dr. A. C. Gaebelein
they gave Him the Cross. But what about the age in which we are living? Has human nature changed? Is it different today from what it was before the flood or amongst the people of Israel? What does the Word of God say about it? This “ Christian” age, as we call it (though not quite scripturally) has brought forth the greatest Light, the greatest Revelation and the greatest Offer which Goff has ever made to man. God at last exhausted the omnipotence of His Love in the gift of His Only be gotten Son and in the gift of His Son, He has shined forth" in the clearest light, in the purest light, and given a revelation -Which outstrips every other revelation in that He comes to •His creature—man— on the simple condi tion of accepting this offer— nothing to pay, nothing to do— an offer of taking man from his deplorable depths of mis ery and making him a child and an heir of God. What is man going to do about it? What is man going to do about this Light, this revelation and this offer of the grace and of the love of God?! The New Testament gives an answer. It tells us how this present age is go ing to act about the Light, the Revela tion and the offer of God as given in Jesus Christ and by the Holy Spirit in
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NESS
15
Ruskin and Shakespeare)— if they had been uninspired men who invented a new religion or a new system Nof theol ogy, they would have done what every ' uninspired man has done when he said something nice and beautiful— they would predict that their messages and what they taught would ultimately be accepted by the whole world and sweep the whole world, but their inspiration is evidenced by the fact that they pre dict the very opposite to that which a natural uninspired man would have predicted. Think .of the apostle Paul, when he said farewell, to the elders at Ephesus (Acts 20:28): “ Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with His own blood. v. 29. For I know this that after my depart ing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.” He did not say, “ You are going to ' have a big revival and everybody is go ing to be converted and everybody is going to join the church; but, “ after my departing shall grievous wolves en ter in among you, not sparing the flock.” \That was very pessimistic, was it not? He did not speak about a great revival but said, “ Listen, the worst is coming, the worst is coming-—what is going to happen in Ephesus?” and then let me read what Paul has to say in the second chapter of Thessalonians, verse 3, “ Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” So take note that Paul says before the day of Christ comes, there will be a falling away and that man of sin is going to be revealed. Then I read from 1 Timothy 4:1: “ Now the Spirit- speaketh expressly that in the ■latter times some shall depart from the faith, igiving heed to seducing spirits and doc trines of devils.” And ( 2 Timothy 3:1-5): V. 30. “ Also of your .own selves shall men . arise speaking perverse things to draw away dis ciples after them.”
This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, , blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, etc., etc. Listen again to Chapter 4:2-4: Preach the word, be ihstant in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heaR to themselves teachers having itching ears. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables. They sometimes tell me Paul was a sour pessimist, but was he the only pessimist of New Testament Scriptures about the condition of this age? Listen to James in the 5th Chapter where he speaks to the rich man in verse 4: Behold the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.” Here you have the root of the mat ter of the high cost of living. It is sim ply a number of deacons and elders in some church who are storing up and ’ storing up and defrauding the poor. Now listen to Peter (2 Peter 2 :1 ): “ But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruc- tion. And John (1 John 2 :18 ): “ Little children it is the last time and as ye have heard that anti-christ shall come, even now are there many anti-christs whereby we know that it is the last time.” And once more let me read you a testimony of one who was not an apos tle but a servant of Jesus Christ (Jude 1 : 11 ) : _ “ Woe unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the erro.r of Balaam for reward and perished in the gain- • saying of Core.” And if you continue reading in the book of Revelation, you will find that the Lord Jesus Christ predicts that the last of His professing church on earth will be Laodiceans and that1 the Laodi- ceans will finally make a confederation with the world and become the world church domineered over by the harlot Rome, rejecting every bit of the re vealed truth of God. This is the fore cast of the New Testarhent and no man
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who believes the Bible can challenge these things for they are written here black on white; human nature has not changed one hit. The same unbelief exists, the same hatred of light and the Great Light rejected must become the greater darkness, and this day, dear friends, has come and we are right in the midst of it. All over this land, in Can ada, England, Australia, New Zealand, in the Mission Fields of China, in the Mission Fields of India, everywhere are evidences of the fulfillment of this pré diction. “ Oh,” somebody says, “ this is simply sporadic.” If you say that, you know very little about what is going on. Denying Christ is a universal thing today as it never was before in the his tory of the church. It is an apostasy which defies God, defies His Word, which rejects and blasphemes the most precious things which God has revealed to man. Now then, let me tell you about this apostasy. The cornerstone of it is the rejection of this Book as the authority of God making known to man the truth which man is to know and by which He is saved. The rejection of the inspira tion of the Bible, that it is the Word of God, is really a rather recent thing. Of course, the Devil has always re jected it, although he knew better; and blasphemers, heathen and infidels have always done so. Study the Reforma tion and there is the clearest note as to the authority of this Book; in fact the belief in this Book produced the Re formation and gave birth to Protestants ism. It is only during the last hundred years that you can trace the deliberate Satanic attack upon the Word of God to rob the Bible of its divine authority! and as soon as that is done all is lost. Mark it, all is lost. Everything rests upon the cornerstone— the Bible, the revelation, the infallible Word of God. Destroy this cornerstone and the whole collapses and that has become the pop ular thing in Christendom— to attack
the Bible, to belittle the Word of God, to show up its errors and rob it of its authority. Some months ago, some one in New York grabbed me by the arm and said, (I didn’t know for the moment who the man was) “ Gaebelein, do you know you are a back number?” and turning around I found it was my friend Dr. Burrell, Pastor of the Collegiate Church, and he said: “ Don’t you know that you and I, who stand four-square on the Book, are back numbers and out of date?” Then he told me what they say about him, yes, what they say about any other man who still holds to the inspiration of this Book and who takes his faith, his courage, out of this Book. And do you know, it is the big men of learning who have the popular message for the world and the starting point of the apostasy is centered in the so-called Christian institutions you are backing up and which are supported by the cash of people who believe the Bible. In these institutions is the stronghold of this infidelity. Let me take you on a trip. We will start in Boston as the hub, the city I know for I have been going there for a month during the Winter for at least twenty years; the city which used to be famous for its men who preached the gospel'and the Word of God. There is Boston University of the Methodist Episcopal Church— one of the rankest hot-beds of the rejection of the Word of God. Harvard is another institution where the Bible is absolutely rejected and put upon thé same level with other good literature. Then there is Newton Theological Seminary of the Baptist Church equally teaching error. Go down to Providence and you will find the same story in its universities and colleges— the professors teaching that the Book of Genesis is a myth, and that evolution is still the thing which ex plains the existence of this universe. Then go to New York City and you will
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