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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
August, 1935
^Around the King’s Tab ltj By Louis T. T albot
in this school shall go forth with an increasing devotion to Christ and to the whole Word of God.—L. T. T. The Haven of Rest “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30). T h e world needs rest more than it needs any other bene fit. Christ has come to give rest. But few individuals, comparatively speaking, can sing with understanding the beautiful old hymn: I’ve anchored my soul in the “Haven of Rest,” I’ll sail the wide seas no more; The tempest may sweep o’er the wild, stormy deep, In Jesus I’m safe evermore. Nineteen hundred years ago, the Lord Jesus Christ said, “Come unto me, . . . and I will give you rest.” And, thank God, the invitation is as urgent today as it was in the day it was uttered. Have you ever thought that the words recorded in Mat thew 11:28-30 prove the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ? No human—though he be the best person in the world, a man with a great heart and sympathetic nature-—could promise rest, and then completely fulfill his word. But the Lord Jesus Christ not only makes the claim, but is able also to substantiate it. He is able to say to all the sinning men of earth, all the sorrowing, all who have hearts that are broken: “Come unto Me; I am the Haven of Rest. Come unto Me, and I will give you rest.” And whoever believes and accepts the message finds the words abundantly true. Among the causes of unrest in the world today are, first, an accusing conscience. Nothing in the world will age one so rapidly as will a troubled mind. What suffering it can cause! But for every one who is thus afflicted, there is promised peace, for the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, can cleanse from all sin. But some one may say, “It is not a clouded conscience that robs me of peace. My burden is one of sorrow. I have just lost a loved one.” Brother, if your heart is broken over the fact that you have been separated from one who was as dear to you as life itself, the Word of God invites you and the servants of God intreat you : Come to the Haven of Rest, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will fill the aching void. He will give you a joy that, thank God, can flood even the death chamber with light, giving hope of a resurrection morning. Is your burden one of unemployment, of financial diffi culty? To you, as to all others, the Lord Jesus Christ says: “Come unto me.” Obeying the word, many a man and woman has proved, in these days of acute testing, that God means just what He says. In my home city, Sydney, Australia, there lives a man who, a short time ago, was worth approximately $150,000. [Continued on page 320]
Dr. Rood’s Message to Graduates A ddressing a vast company in the auditorium of the Church of the Open Door on the evening of June 13, Paul W. Rood was the speaker at the twenty-fifth annual commencement of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. Earlier that same day, the Board of Directors of the Insti tute had extended to Dr. Rood a unanimous invitation to become the President of the Institute. It had long been felt necessary that the pastor of the Church of the Open Door be relieved of the executive duties connected with the presidency of the Institute—responsibilities which he had been unable to care for properly because of the growing demands of a great metropolitan pastorate. Space forbids the reproduction in full of Dr. Rood’s excellent and timely message, but the following excerpts will give an indication of its significance and forcefulness. Speaking on the subject of “The Ideal Christian Worker,” he said: The ideal Christian worker wi|l be, first of all, one who has a definite Christian experience. No one should presume to name the name of Christ and to go out in work for Him, who has not had a personal, vital contact with the Son of God. Be sure that you have the experience of salvation received by faith. Be sure that you have the in filling of the Holy Spirit. Be sure that you are in fellow ship with the Lord, with the dew of heaven upon you, so that you can go into the presence of the waiting company with the assurance that you are God’s man, that you are in touch with God, and that you have a fresh message from the Lord for the people who listen to you. In the second place, the ideal Christian worker will be one with a positive message. Why should you preach if you have no authoritative word? What right have you to stand behind the sacred desk in a building that has been built by the sacrifices and tears and prayers of people who believe in God, who believe in His Word, if you do not have a message from that Word to deliver? Man is by nature and practice a sinner. Every child of Adam who has not experienced salvation is undone and alienated from God. His understanding is darkened. Do not forget, * young people, as you go out to preach, that men and women'are' lost. Do not forget that men and women need Christ, and that He is the only answer, the only panacea, the only cure for the problems of the human heart. Of necessity, then, yours must be a gospel message. And it must be a dogmatic message as well. As you go out from this institution that stands upon the Rock of Ages, go with rock-riven convictions that Christ is the only solution for the problems of the human heart and the problems of the world. In the third place, the ideal Christian worker will be ong with a program. Do not go without a program—and be sare-^hat you have God’s program, not a man-made one. Finally^ the ideal Christian worker is one with a passion. Paul said: “Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” He realized his responsibility to a lost world, as well as to his crucified and risen Lord. You are going out into a world of confusion.. You are going with the greatest message about the greatest Person. I beseech you: Win souls. That is your business, your only business. . The truths that Dr. Rood voiced in his message to grad uates at the Institute are needing emphasis in every pulpit in the land. May the coming of this man of God to the Bible Institute of Los Angeles mean that students trained
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