The Scofield Bible student deserves this easily-carried Concord ance edition of the Scofield Reference Bible. French Morocco. Minion type. Ultrathin Oxford India paper. Handy size, 4% x 71ie, only % " thick. In B lack , B lue or R ed . $14.00
Mother and Dad will ever cherish the superb Presenta tion Bible (KJV). Natural Grain Mo rocco, silver stamped. Ultrathin Oxford India paper, silver edged. 53A x 8%, only 1" thick. Gift boxed. In W hite or B lack . $25.00
Favorite aunt (or uncle) will especially appreciate this Scofield Reference Bible, with Concordance. Natural Grain Morocco. Brevier type. Ultrathin Oxford India paper. Large size, 5Vi x 8Vs, only % " thick. In U lack , B lue or R ed . $22.00
That special child will take special pride in use of this de luxe “adult” Bible (KJV) with many helpful features. Marrakesh Per sian Morocco. Easy-to-read Jasper type. Ultrathin Oxford India paper. 5 x TVs, only Wio" thick. $10.75
04434x
Your minister will welcome this de luxe Concordance edition of the Scofield Reference Bible. Marrakesh Persian Morocco. Brevier type. Ultrathin Oxford India paper. Large size, 5Vi x 8Vs, only % " thick. In B lack or R ed . $21.00
The bride-to-be could wish no finer Bible than this lux urious Jade Text edition (KJV). White Natural Morocco, with silver stamping. Ultrathin Oxfctrd India paper, silver edged. 4Vs x only Ys " thick. Gift boxed. $9.50
The teen-ager will particularly value this self-pro nouncing Brevier Concordance Bible (KJV), with all the words of Christ printed in red letters. Morocco Grain Calf. Ultrathin Oxford India paper. 5 x 714, only % " thick. $11.75
O KffftjcL America's Gift Bible since 1675
a t yo u r bookseller
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS/New York
T h e K i n g © B c i s i n e e © A PUBLICATION OF THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, INCORPORATED Louis T. Talbot/ Chancellor • S. H. Sutherland/ President • Ray A. Myers, Board Chairman DECEMBER, in the year of our Saviour Vol. 55, No. 12 Nineteen Hundred and Sixty-four Established 1910 Dedicated to the spiritual development of the Christian home /Met C H R IS T M A S A N D C A L V A R Y — Vance Havner ........................... 10 C H R IS T M A S A T C H A P IN G O — Ken Stroman ............................. 12 D A Y S P R IN G A N D D A Y -ST A R — Charles L. Feinberg ................. 14 T H E BIR TH QF C H R IS T — A. W . Tozer .................................. 15 C R O W D E D OU T — W ilbur Nelson ............................................ 16 IS T IM E RO BB IN G Y O U R LIFE — Leonard Ravenhill ................... 17 T H E V IR G IN B IR TH — J. Oswald Sanders .................................. 18 I'M ST IL L QU ITE SH A K E N ................................... 20 B U R N IN G IN M Y SOUL — Jerome Hines ................................. 22 CO U RA G E TO C L IM B — Dick Hillis .......................................... 26 P R A Y IN G TH E LO RD 'S PRAY ER — W . M . Gass ......................... 28 G R O W IN G C H U R CH E S ..................................................... 41 J U N IO R K IN G 'S BU SIN E SS ........................................................ 44 C H R IS T IA N LEADER HONO R ED .................................................. 46 Ff/rfu/lM M E SSAG E FROM T H E ED ITO R — Samuel H. Sutherland ............. 8 CU LT S C R IT IQ U E — Betty Bruechert .......................................... 24 DR. T A L BO T 'S QU EST ION BO X — Louis T. Talbot ................... 30 T A L K IN G IT OVER — Clyde M . Narramore .............................. 32 PER SON AL E V A N G E L ISM — Benjamin Weiss ............................ 33 BOOK R EV IEW — Arnold D. Ehlert ............................................ 34 SC IEN C E A N D THE BIBLE — Bolton Davidheiser ....................... 36 W O R LD N EW SG R A M S — James O. Henry ................................ 37 Colunia READER R EA C T IO N ...................................................................... 6 PR ESEN T IN G T H E M ESSAG E ........................................................ 31 PEOPLE IN TH E N EW S ................................................................ 48
CHRISTIANWORKERS NEWTESTAMENT
_________________ ST. JOHN, 3 must the Son of man be lifted q 15 That whosoever believeth is him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 5 For God so loved the world, that he gave hi« only begotten Son,
him i ever! 17 1 the a but t might
Indexed and marked in red on every subject connected with the theme of salvation
H andy for pocket or purse x 5". P rinted on thin, w hite, opaque paper— cross referenced — self-pronounc ing. Includes Psalm s.
An incomparable help when you want to find a passage on the theme of salvation quickly. It is clearly keyed to subjects such as Faith, Repentance, or Judgment through the use of boldly printed red let ters in the margin that are easy to spot. A “ where-to-find-it” reference you’ll come to depend upon. Now in four fine bindings from $1.50 to $4.95. at your bookstore ZONDERVAN Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506
for that TRIP OF A LIFETIME WH E A T O N T O U R S
TO . . . 1. Spring Holy Land 2. Summer Holy Land 3. Europe 4. South America 5. Scenic America 6 . Fall Holy Land > Write today tor FREE BULLETIN Specify which to'ur
Experienced tour planning, details handled by tour leader, lectures en route, outstanding sights, places of special interest to Christians, fine fellowship, new friends, annual tour reunion, happy memories for a lifetime. Addr.ss: Dr. Joseph P. Free
— A ll Rights Reserved —
S. H. SU TH ERLAN D: Editor A L SANDERS: Managing Editor BETTY BRUECHERT: Copy Editor
PA U L SCHW EPKER: Controller
JAN E M. C LAR K: Circulation Manager V IR G IN IA SCHW EPKER: Production Manager
ED ITO RIA L BOARD: William Bynum, Bolton Davidheiser, Arnold D. Ehlert, Charles L Feinberg, James O. Henry, Martha S. Hooker
W H E A T O N T O U R S BO X 468 Dept. K124 W H EATO N , ILLIN O IS
M EM BER
E V A N G E L IC A L PRESS A S S O C IA TIO N
SU BSCRIPTIO N IN FO R M A T IO N — "The King's Business" is published monthly. U.S./ its possessions, and Canada, $3.00 one year; $1.50 six months, 30 cents, single copy. Clubs of three or more at special rates. Write for details. Foreign subscription 75 cents extra. It requires one month for a change of address to become effective. Please send both old and new addresses. R EM ITT A N C ES — Should be made by bank draft, express, or post office money order payable to "T he King's Business/'
ADV ER T ISIN G — for information address the Advertising Manager, The King's Business, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 17, California. M A N U SC R IP T S — "T h e King's Business" cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts mailed to us for consideration. Second-class postage paid at Los An geles, California. Printed in U.S.A. by Church Press, Glendale, California. ADDRESS: The King's Business/ S58 So. Hope St./ Los Angeles 17, California.
BIBLE t e l l s m e
so|
| for t h e
New film strip by Ethel Barrett is a dram atic yardstick to m easure your Sun d ay School. An inspiring experience for Sun d ay School leaders. Color sound. F R E E USE. Gospel Light |Publications, Glendale, Calif. Dept. K 1141
5
DECEMBER, 1964
Superin tendent’s
^Thousands of Sunday-School Superintendents use this handy Guide—the only volume of its kind covering the entire year. Leader guidance material. Pro gram helps, order of service, desk lesson material, pages for records and other aids. Interna tional Sunday School Lessons.
A CHRISTIAN RETIRAL CENTER IN AR IZONA k V - â -Af j£ > k
Guide—
New 1965
Edition
Pocket size, 3 V 2 x 5 V 2 . 92 pages. $1.00 _
American Sunday-School
TH E BIB LE'S IN F LU EN C E I just wanted to write you a note to express my thanks for the article in the October issue of THE K ING ’S BU S INESS written by a teen-ager, Judith Diane Claassen, “ The Bible’s Influence on the Modern World.” I do not think I have ever read a more interesting article, and one that was so well put together. There is one sentence that I especially like: “ If we believe it, (the Bible) whether it is true or not, we have nothing to lose, but if we do not believe it, and it is true, we will have eternity to regret for that dread ful mistake.” Mrs. Ernest S. Delvey, Pacific Grove, California M IL IT A R Y C H A P L A IN S Could I please enlist your support in this very vital matter concerning our service men? A letter to our leaders in cluding Secretary of Defense Mc Namara could help. A s you may have read, the American Civil Liberties Union through our courts are attempting to have our chaplains thrown out of the military services. Being the widow of a navy career man and with three branches of military services represented in our family, we have had the occasion to call on chaplains help several times throughout the years. Aside from the spiritual, these chaplains have at times gone beyond their call of duty to help. This is why it was and is a great source of comfort and consolation to me to know that my young Navy son was not alone in his dying hours last year. Having just been released from the hospital with heart attacks, I was not permitted to be with him, but the chaplain stayed right with my son. Now, with a grandson and two nephews in the service and with several more coming into military age in our family, I cannot help but being concerned about this. Mrs. Irene E. Callen, Long Beach, California QU EST ION BO X I read your question and answer page regularly in THE K ING ’S BU S I NESS , which I have been reading for the past forty years. Mrs. G. A. Godshall, Parkasie, Pennsylvania I have been enjoying your magazine for some years now, and find solace and comfort in the answers you pass on to the readers. The covers are very nice and decorative. I find THE K ING ’S BUSINESS to be one of— and really the best of— all religious magazines. I pass them on to our church librarian. Mr. Iva L. Papworth, W inter Haven, Florida
1
sóp«»»*'nJe"l’S
1 ]
Union
Dept.KSG64
1816 Chestnut St. Phila., Pa. 19103
g u , d e
)
• A com pletely new series of one and two bedroom units • Fully air conditioned (heated and re frigerated) • Lease available com pletely furnished or unfurnished - • Complete recreational facilitiesy club house and chapel • Three miles from center of Phoenix. New shopping centers close to door for a descriptive brochure, write: SHARON GARDENS 3025 West McDowell Road Phoenix, Arizona
BIBLE CENTERED PREACHING • Evangelist • Bible teacher • Special
ministry to youth
B.D., M.A., Th.M. Has completed one year's course work in Speech towards Ph.D. at USC. P.O. Box 1441, Whittier, Calif., Ph. 333-9184 BRUCE BOWER OPPORTUNITIES UNLIMITED in Pakistan, India, Japan To proclaim the Gospel of
Reach Children!
6 pagai — 3 calan 50 for $1.00 pestpeM 1080 foe $17.SO pttpmìé C H U R C H F R I S S Bex SSI Glendale, California
JESUS CHRIST. Urgently Needed
Fo Hospital Service Elementary, secondary
Doctors Nurses Technicians T eachers
Evangelists and Bible schools Town and Village Outreach Write for information and literature MISSIONARY SOCIETY 156 Fifth Ave., New York, N .Y . 10010 Founded 1860 Woman's Union
M O N EY FOR YO U R TREA SU RY O VER 2,000,000 SU NFLOW ER DISH CLOTHS
W ere sold in 1963 by members of Societies, Clubs, Groups, etc. They enable you to earn money for your treasury, and make friends for your organization.
Sample FREE to Official SA N G A M O N M ILLS, INC.
Established 1915
Cohoes, N.Y. 12047
THE KING'S BUSINESS a perfect gift for friends
B R A I L L E BOOKS, PAM PH LET S, T R A C T S Evangelistic— Devotional FREE to the Blind (as the Lord provides) 'T h a t those who see not may see" Write: Christian Fellowship for the Blind International, Inc. M ail Address: 1864 W. 92 St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90047
Land of Promise Heavens Declare Broken Fragments George Muller Story Crisis in Morality India's Sorrow Siam I Saw Petra Land Time Forgot Missing Missionaries M y Life to Live Africa Awakes Red Terror in Malaya Teen to Teen Luther Catalogue BIOLA FILMS SSJSrJS. Martin Write for Phone: 691-1163
THE K IN G 'S BUSINESS
6
CHRISTMAS X A . the Father’s M S *
Almost always we look at the Christmas Story from our viewpoint. Seldom, perhaps never, have we thought of it from the viewpoint of God the Father. My favorite from all of the Christmas texts, Old Testament and New, is Romans 8:32. The late Paul Rader expressed it graphically in the following poem:
That Christmas Day, if you were God, And that was your Son on that stable sod. Wrapped for death with its sin cursed sting, Would you have made the angels sing? Would you have sent a lovely star To guide the wise men from afar? While weaklings did what haters bid? Our loving Heavenly Father did. On the Calv’ry road, if you were God And that was your Son ’neath the scourging rod Bearing pain and bitter loss Would you have nailed Him to the cross?
y Î N
4 : J
¿1
Would you have let Him suffer so That sinners might salvation know? While this He did their sins to rid? Our loving Heavenly Father did.
Fellowship between Father and Son had been inexpressibly sweet through all eternity and also in the days when our Lord was here on earth. Often He went out before the break of day to pray and hold communion with His Father. He spent nights in prayer. Often there was praise upon His lips, saying, “ Father, I thank thee!” Always there was the utmost of confidence in His Father on the part of the Son. There was implicit obedience, for He had come to do the will of Him who sent Him. The Lord Jesus had come to die. He was the lamb of God, slain from the founda tion of the world in the foreknowledge of God, to take away the sin of the world. So, at this Christmas season, share with the Wheaton College family throughout the world the eternal truths of Romans 8 :3 2 ... “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also give us all things?”
'Y - Q s
PRESIDENT We at Wheaton thank you who have -WHEATON COLLEGE shared in helping us to proclaim , the Father’s viewpoint of Christmas “For Christ and His Kingdom” . . . Since 1860 , , . , , , 6 throughout the world. W H E A T O N , I L L I N O I S GRADUATE SCHOOL . CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC • NURSING PROGRAM • HONEY ROCK CAMP . BLACK HILLS SCIENCE STATION • WHEATON ACADEMY DECEMBER, 1964 7
a messagefrom the editor Ä
HOW CAN THE
JEWknowCHRIST STIMULUS
A Jewish man heard the witness from an A. M. F. Missionary in Florida. Patiently, with an open Bible the worker focused upon the need for peace in the human heart. Then pointing out some of the 333 prophecies about the Messiah, which were fulfilled in Jesus, he turned to Isaiah 53. RESPONSE The Jewish man read of the one who was "wounded for our transgressions" . . . and by whose stripes “we are healed.” Amazed that this was not the New Testament, but his own Jewish prophet Isaiah, his preju dice was overcome. He found his own condition portrayed. Best of all he found the One upon whom the iniquity of all was laid. 365 days of the year by personal contact, by tracts, and by radio, A. M. F. missionar ies are reaching Jewish people with the message of salvation. Archie A. MacKinney, Director THE CONVERSION CENTER Inc. A soul-winning mission to Roman Catholic priests, nuns and people. 500 million Roman Catholics lost without love, trapped by traditions, paralyzed by popery, deceived by the Devil. 47,000 priests, 118,000 nuns dedicated to “ MAKE AMER ICA CATHOLIC.” W ill you help keep America free to evangelize the world? Pray, give, write for .soul-winning material. 18 W. Eagle Rd.# Havertown, Pennsylvania Rev. Alex O. Dunlap, Director AMERICAN MESSIANIC FELLOWSHIP 7448 N. Damen Ave., Chicago 45, III.
V
BY DR. SAMUEL H. SUTHERLAND ^PRESIDENT, THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, INC.
€
i < l ö \ a ' \ \TC3 V/ç NT’ s o , MODERNISTIC SUBTERFUGE
I
O m o s t diabolic tricks of unbelievers, regardless of their theological stripe, is to take theological words and terms and use them but apply them with an entirely different meaning. All too frequently this traps the unwary reader who finds him self caught in the meshes of doubt and unbelief because of the persuasiveness of the author’s articles, the familiarity of doctrinal terms employed, and the apparently innocuous conclusions reached. A good illustration of this type of theological subterfuge is found in the theology of the rather well-known modern theolo gian, Rudolph Bultmann. In the August 2 issue of the Los Angeles Times there appeared an article on this Professor Bultman. This, in large measure, con sisted of an interview with Dr. Helmut Koester, a Lutheran min ister and presently Professor of New Testament studies at Har vard Divinity School. Dr. Koester is a former student of Professor Bultmann’s and ever since has championed his cause. In a tribute to his old professor, Koester states that Bultmann’s theology may be summarized'as follows: "Mankind is unable to redeem itself from its sins, which makes life here intolerable. But faith in God is possible, bringing new life and new freedom from this world. This faith is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ but found only with difficulty in the Gospel as we presently have it.” On the surface nothing appears particularly wrong with this summarization of Professor Bultmann’s theology. He talks about mankind’s being unable to redeem itself from sin; he speaks about faith in God being required to bring new life and new freedom. He refers to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These remarks are all very well and good. But one must look further to find out what really is meant by these particular statements, and here is where the damage comes in. Bultmann’s great concern has been to make the Gospel not only acceptable but understandable. He went to work to "de-mythologize” the New Testament. Bultmann’s studies led him to the conclusion that "the Gospels could not be considered historically reliable and such supernatural accounts as miracles, raising of the dead, the virgin birth, the resurrection, and others could safely be labeled 'mythical.’ ” Bultmann, "rejects n e o f t h e
x.
HO. 9-5883
766-2479
on CLEANERS
d j a b u f t
ORIENTAL RUG
Largest in the West 545 N. Western Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. SY. 7-5173
CHRISTIAN COUNSELING CENTER
A staff of eight dedicated Christian psycholo gists and professional counselors. Evaluation and therapy for personality, emotional, behavioral, spiritual, pre-marriage, marriage, parent-child, vocational, and educational problems. Fees are minimum. DR. CLYDE M. NARRAMORE, Director PHON E M U 1-5669 THE CHRISTIAN COUNSELING CENTER 35 So. Raymond Pasadena, Calif.
8
THE K IN G 'S BUSINESS
DO YOU HAVE
the view that the resurrection was an event that actually hap pened to Jesus as a person, something that happened to Him after death and which does not concern us.” He talks about the resurrection, but he holds that "the Lord rose into proclamation — so the risen Lord is present in the proclamation of the Gospel and identical with it.” However, he holds that the physical resur rection of our Lord was not actually a fact, but merely a myth, and he thinks, "the appearances of Christ to His disciples after His resurrection were in the nature of visions.” It is strange, indeed, the extent to which men will go in their efforts to discredit the plain statements found in the Word of God. Instead of being thoroughly honest and simply saying they do not believe the Word of God and then proceeding to build their own system of theology, they take the well-known Scrip tural terms and apply to them a meaning entirely foreign to the evident intent of the Scriptural statements themselves. O f course, these unbelievers realize that if they were honest and repudiated the Word of God altogether, they would not be able to get any thing like the hearing that they now so thoroughly enjoy. It would be ludicrous if the results were not so tragic that men like this who live more than 1900 years after the events took place as recorded in the Scripture find it so easy to discredit the eye-wit nesses and those who were present during the recorded events themselves, making them out to be liars while at the same time asking people to believe the modern heretics. W e dare to declare that the Apostle Paul had as great a mind and was as profound a scholar and thinker as any of these modern, unbelieving intellectuals. How refreshing it is to read First Corin thians 15:1-20, where Paul simply states pointedly, emphatically and unequivocally: "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures; And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve; After that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this present. . . . And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God . . . ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead.” Yes, He actually arose from the dead with the self-same body, in a glorified condition, which was laid away in the tomb. And, "because He lives, we too shall live.” Thank God, when we stand beside the graveside of a loved one who has died in the Lord, we do not have to depend upon a dessicated theological treatise such as that presented by Rudolph Bultmann. Instead, we are able to claim and proclaim with abso- (continued on page 39 )
300 , *
500 , »
1000 ,
»
or more to invest?
would, you like to put these funds into effective and profitable use? Then, you should know about MOODY ANNUITIES Christian men and women are often concerned about the matter of investing their funds. Some do not wish to become involved in stocks and bonds because of the fluctuation and uncertainty of economic conditions. But they are interested in security and an as sured income. Moody Annuities meet both of these requirements. This is what you should know about Moody Annuities: (1) . . . they assure an income up to 8.6 per cent (depending on your age) and this for as long as you live. To support this guarantee are the resources of Moody Bible Institute. In more than 55 years, the Institute has never missed an annuity dividend payment. And in addition, this extra dividend . . . (2) your annuity funds are carefully put to work in the great program of Moody Bible Institute, and thus you share directly in the blessings of this world-wide gospel ministry. WOULD YOU LIK E TO RECEIVE DOUBLE DIVIDENDS ON YOUR MONEY? We’ll be happy to send you the FREE booklet, DOUBLE DIVIDENDS, which
explains the Moody Annuity Plan in detail. It contains a chart showing income rate for all ages, explains tax benefits and tells you all about the many ministries of Moody Bible Institute in which you’ll have a share.
Clip and M ail Coupon Today! WRITE: Annuity Department
Dept. 12K4
MOODY BIBLE IN S TITU TE 820 N. LaSalle Street • Chicago, Illinois 60610 O Please send me, without obligation, dou ble dividends , story of Moody Annuity Plan. □ Please send folder, w h e r e th e r e ’ s a WILL, relating to stewardship. Name ______________________________ Age, ___ A ddress ------------------- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ C ity _________ - State ----- Zip Code^
DECEMBER, 1964
9
Christmas and Calvary / by VanceHavner T h e c o m in g o f C h r is t m a s brings along with it nowa days as never before a flock of fellow-travelers to
had forgotten who remembered them last year. Come Christmas and a nation of nervous wrecks whose minds have been in stores for weeks are in poor condition to warm their hearts in church. Santa Claus starts coming to town earlier every year and whereunto this mania will grow we dare not prophesy. Smothered as it is in buying and selling, the true meaning of Christmas suffers not only from COM MERCIALISM but is almost hopelessly lost in PAGAN ISM. Any informed person knows that the early church did not celebrate Christmas. Our Lord never said any thing about commemorating His birth. He asked us to
which most Bible believers may have become resigned but with which they by no means can be sympathetic. The scandalous commercialization of our Lord’s birth gets under way by late summer. By Thanksgiving it has been stepped up for the deafening crescendo that increases by the day until frantic shoppers are com pletely buried under an avalanche of sales talk. Re minded by the hour how many shopping days they have left, they drive their exhausted frames to make the deadline with that exchangeable tie for somebody they
10
THE K IN G 'S BUSINESS
remember His death and we do this in the Lord’s Supper. Christmas as a religious festival probably got started after the “ conversion” of Constantine, that calamity from which we have never recovered. Multi tudes of heathen professed to become Christians and joined the church. Along with them they brought the luggage of their old life including most of the para phernalia with which we observe Christmas. Of course we all know that we have to go far afield from the New Testament to find Santa Claus, Christmas trees, Yule logs, lighted tapers and other pagan trappings. The secular world today brazenly celebrates Christmas with out Christ and even the church loses Him often in a jungle o f heathenism which it inherited from the un godly in a drive for more church-members. We paid dearly for what Constantine brought us and nothing cost us more than when we borrowed from the devil the stage setting in which to celebrate the birth of our Lord. Even when we get around to the star of Bethlehem, the shepherds, the Magi, and the manger, we sometimes miss the point in what amounts to mere SENTIMEN TALISM. Witness the strange sermons about peace on earth, good will to men. Jesus who came to teach us brotherhood, Jesus the Example, Jesus whose teachings in the Sermon on the Mount answer all our problems— thus far they get and no farther. But if that is all His birth brought to us, we are of all men most miser able. Whenever Jesus was born . . . and it may have been nowhere near Christmas . . . He came to do a vastly greater thing than to preach the Sermon on the Mount or live a perfect life. He came, not just to live, but to live and die and to live again. Of course Easter wears perhaps even more of the garments of paganism than Christmas; and bunny rabbits, colored eggs and spring bonnets have hidden the Resurrection even more effectually than Santa Claus has obscured the Incar nation. But the Incarnation is not the sole message of Christmas. Along with Emmanuel, God with us, God’s Son carried another name. “ Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” That was His mission, to deal with sin once and for ever. Christmas points not only to a manger but to a cross. You do not hear much about that at Christmas time. It is foolishness to this world. You will hear a lot about peace on earth and good will but not about the real reason why God gave His Son. There is something subtle there that shows up more times than at Christ mas. People are willing to have you talk about peace and joy, the Golden Rule and the Sermon on the Mount. They are willing to accept the benefits of the cross but they are not willing to accept the Cross. Christmas without Calvary! Tell them why He was born and they say you are getting off into theology. Some poor souls even say, “ Give us the simple gospel” who never have discovered that the gospel is “ Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” Just as at Easter we wander off into “ immortality of the soul” and “ survival of personality” and totally miss the resurrection of the body, so at Christmas we dodge the cross in a lot of lavender-and- rose-water sentimentalism about peace and brotherhood. Of course it is the age-old ailment of the human heart. Men will talk about anything but their actual
trouble. The ugly sin question comes up and who wants to hear about sin at Christmas time? But the Bethlehem Babe was given His name Jesus because He was to be the Saviour from sin. Tt does not read that “ He shall teach the people peace and good will and brotherhood,” “ He shall preach the Sermon on the Mount,” “ He shall be the Perfect Example.” That was not His main busi ness. He came to save us from our sins because unless something is done about that, Christ the Teacher, the Preacher, the Example, will avail us nothing. We have too many dear souls now talking about peace and good will who are still in their sins. It is shameful to face church congregations on Christmas, many of whom will not return until Easter, and give them Christmas with out Calvary. What goes for the Christmas spirit is all too often a happy holiday mood of human cheerfulness, a hollow and pitiful mockery of the joy of the Lord. Any old sinner can be worked up into a religious frame around the twenty-fifth of December and mistake the whole thing for spiritual reality. No matter where you start thinking about Jesus, if you follow through, you are coming to a cross and an open grave. You are headed for a crown of thorns and Gethsemane and a gory, bleeding sacrifice for sin. For that was the purpose of His coming. It is not popular these days. It never will be. When Simeon blessed the baby Jesus in the Temple he said, “ This child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be SPOKEN AGAINST” (Luke 2:34). When Paul arrived in Rome; his hearers said, “ As concerning this sect, we know that everywhere it is SPOKEN AGAINST” (Acts 28: 22). The Saviour and the saints are unpopular, you will observe. If the preaching of the Cross is to the world foolishness, quite naturally the people of the Cross will be to the world fools. But just the same we ought to make sure that at Christmas time we see to it. that the Manger points to the Cross. That does not mean that Christmas for the Christian is a sad and solemn matter or that we saints are to sit around in a dour sanctimoniousness grumbling at the way Christmas is celebrated. There is no joy on earth like the joy that grows out of the true message of Christmas. Our Lord’s intent was that His joy might remain in us and .that our joy might be full. The gospel is good news. The birth of our Lord was a joyous occa sion. The song of the angels was a gladsome chorus. Men are still singing about it. “ Ye blind, behold your Saviour come; And leap, ye lame, for jo y !” If we get no farther than merely complaining about the commercialism, the paganism and the sentimen talism that have spoiled so much of Christmas, we shall be no good. We are bearers of Good Tidings of Great Joy which shall be to all people for there was born one day in the city of David a SAVIOUR, which is Christ the Lord. But mind you, it says there was born a SAVIOUR. We hear much of “ putting Christ in Christmas” and surely He needs to be given His rightful place. But the Christ of Christmas is not only the Babe of the Manger but the Saviour of Calvary and the Victor of the Empty Tomb. Let us proclaim Him for all that He is, Lord, Saviour, Messiah. And let us declare to all men, “ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”
DECEMBER, 1964
11
ABOVE: Author Sfro- man with a few of the children at the Chapingo orphanage.
The cover illustration on King’s Business this month shows toy-filled Christmas stockings being distributed to children housed in the orphanage at Chapingo, in San Carlos Canyon, twelve miles south of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. As the boys and girls receive their gifts, they are unaware of the background events which brought the " Centro de Amparo” into being. And they are only dimly aware of the love and interest of many Christians in the U.S.A. whose assistance has given them not only the necessities of life, but more important — the opportunity to find the way of salvation through the shed blood of Christ.
RIGHT: Water was a major problem in San Carlos Canyon until the assistance of U.S.A. Christians made p o s s i b l e a well and this wind mill.
BELOW: To k n o w t h e m is to love them. Closeups of a lew of the children in "Centro de Am- paro."
by Ken Stroman
"' iv e y e a r s a g o , on an April Sunday evening, down a dusty road cut deep with ruts, jogged a car carry ing two men. Along the road here and there children played and an occasional dog jumped out at the wheels of the moving car. It had been a busy day for Dr. B. H. Pear son, President of World Gospel Cru sades and Ken Stroman, Staff Artist of World Vision, Inc. Their destina tion was the adobe house which was the original site of the orphanage. In a few minutes, the car pulled up in front of the house. Several chickens were warming themselves in the few rays of sun which still reached like long fingers up into the canyon. This wasn’t a church, but here were people waiting to hear the Gospel. Looking into the darkened room, the two men could see the brown faces peering up at them as THE K IN G 'S BUSINESS
From this humble beginning in I9 6 0— roofless mud brick walls— has come the present Christian home environment for more than 50 needy children.
Across America hearts were chal lenged, hearts were spoken to, and money was sent in for Mr. Stroman to help the needy ones in the canyon. With the nearly $900.00 which was received, the Mexican Fellowship was incorporated in the State of Califor nia as a non-profit corporation. The organization was established to lend a helping hand to the sick and home less of Mexico and to further the Christian witness to our neighbors south of the border. Working hand in hand with the Mexican Fellow ship is Confrdtemidad Mexicana, an organization registered in Mexico City so that the operation is carried on in an official legal, business-like way. A small piece of ground with only some adobe walls left standing was purchased. It wasn’t long before a roof was raised and Gospel services were held regularly in the yet un finished dirt-floor building. During the years that followed, these serv ices continued and tons of clothing and food were distributed to the needy families in the Ensenada area. It wasn’t long before children were being brought to the mission to be cared for. And so God laid it on the hearts of the Mexican Fel lowship and the workers at the mis sion to build an orphanage. From this humble beginning, Centro de Amparo ( “ Center of Refuge” ) be gan. In building an orphanage, many obstacles such as water, housing, had
the coal oil lantern flickered in the darkness. Because of such darkness as this inside a too tightly crowded room, the people soon emptied the building and sat down upon the hill side. There they watched with fas cination the Gospel pictures drawn and listened intently to the message God had laid on the heart of Dr. Pearson. Two such pictures were painted and two sermons were preached before the sun buried itself into beautiful Bahia Todos Santos ( “ All Saints’ Bay” ). Finally the chill of the night air forced the people to return into the adobe building. The hours clicked on and before the service ended that night, four hours had slipped past. The eagerness of these people to hear the Gospel and their evident joy in their singing brought tears to the eyes of Mr. Stroman as he sat and watched and listened. The service was long and the singing loud, but the voice of the Holy Spirit was speaking even more loudly to Stro man, “ You must come back and help. You must come back and help.” So it was that henceforth he made regu lar trips to visit the folks in the San Carlos Canyon. Upon return to the United States, Ken Stroman wrote a story about “ A Week End Missionary Journey,” which was published in the World Vision Magazine, solely as a mis sionary story without any appeal for funds. But God had a different plan. DECEMBER, 1964
to be overcome. Water for drinking was carried by bucket for nearly a mile. Many of the crops were poor and inadequate. Everywhere were signs of poverty. Many children had not had the proper food and their clothing was ragged and dirty. To meet the water problem, water rights to an abandoned well were purchased and the superstructure of
Benito Banaga, burned in a bonfire accident, was brought to the hospital in Monrovia, California. Through the help of Drs. William Baker and Ted Moeller, he was given adequate treatment. a windmill, provided by a Sunday school class in Sierra Madre, was trucked to the canyon to meet this very needy problem. Mr. Stroman also laid out blueprints for a whole complex of buildings on the small mesa at the entrance to the Canyon. The master plan calls for dormitories to house a hundred homeless chil- (co n tin u e d on n e xt p a ge 43 )
13
A t c e r t a in s e a s o n s o f t h e y e a r , words of Scripture which are always meaningful receive added atten tion and emphasis. Such are the words now under con sideration. At Christmastide the believing heart may well contemplate Christ under the concepts contained in dayspring and day-star. Dayspring is the translation of shachar in Job 38:12 and of anatole in Luke 1:78. In the Job passage the Lord is questioning Job whether he has “ caused the dayspring to know his place.” The ref erence is to the dawn. The place of the dawn is that point on the horizon where the sun rises on a given day. Because it changes with the changing seasons, the dawn does not always have the same place. At one time in the year it appears on the equator, then on the north, and on the south of it. Though.its position varies, the laws of its appearing are determined by God. The Lord’s question to Job was meant td underscore his insignifi cance in the light of God’s creation and the consequent need on his part to exercise humility as well as faith in God’s providential dealings with him. See Psalm 74:16 and Isaiah 45:7. When we come to the New Testament citation, we find it in the song of Zacharias at the birth of his son, John the Baptist. He exults in God’s faithfulness to His promises to His people Israel to send them salva- ' f c i H e - -
joicing as they realize that the herald of the coming day is not far ahead o f the glorious sun itself which shall soon be filling the whole horizon with its light. With prophetic insight Zacharias saw that with the coming of Christ, the spiritual comfort and splendor of the Mes sianic age were being inaugurated for Israel and the whole of mankind. Thus there is a telling connection between the last Messianic prophecy of the Old Testa ment in Malachi 4 :2 and the last prophecy before the incarnation of God the Son. The word day-star is found in Isaiah 14:12 (where it is the translation of held ben shachar ) and in 2 Peter 1:19 (where it is the rendering of phosphoros, whence we get our English phosphorus). Apart from the sun and moon, Venus is the brightest of the stars. For this reason many commentators feel Isaiah is com paring the brilliance of the king of Babylon to Lucifer, son of the morning. There are those who think it quite unfortunate that day-star ever came to be associated with Satan. The connection is said to stem from the references in Luke 10:18 and Revelation 9:1 if. The fact is that the identification of Satan with Lucifer neither stems from the poets o f the Middle Ages nor from ignor ance as Calvin maintains. Jerome in his Vulgate trans lation of the Bible translates day-star as a name for the V Q V\Q J2 \ IH M
Dayspring and Day-Star by Charles L. Feinberg, Th.D., Ph.D. Dean, Talbot Theological Seminary
tion and the remission of their sins. The agent for these incalculable mercieá is none other than the Dayspring from on high who has condescended to visit us. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the LXX ), the word anatole is used to translate the Hebrew word for branch, a well-known name for the Messiah in Jeremiah 23:5 and Zechariah 6:12. Profane Greek does not use the word in this sense at all. What is the meaning of the word in Luke 1 :78? The opinion has been advanced that the reference is to John the Baptist as the forerun ner of the Messiah. The entire passage in Luke would forbid the reference to mere man. The ultimate aim of godly Zacharias was not to magnify his son, privileged though he was, but to extol God for the sending of the Hope of Israel, Messiah the Lord. What is the concept behind the figure thus used for the Saviour? Man in his sin and condemnation is in deed in the darkness of sin and the valley of death. To him in such need the Redeemer comes as the Dayspring. One New Testament interpreter has suggested that the picture is taken from a caravan which has missed its way in the desert. Night overtakes the unfortunate trav elers and they resign themselves to certain death. Sud denly a star appears brightly above them and they are heartened at the sight. They leap to their feet with re
devil. Tertullian and other church fathers, even in the third century, were of the same mind. The passage in Isaiah 14, coupled with the testimony of Ezekiel 28, will not allow the reference to stand for the king of Babylon alone, but for the energizing power behind him and his infamous ways. The occurrence in 2 Peter 1:19 is not open to such difference of opinion. The Apostle Peter is declaring that the Mount of Transfiguration episode corroborated the Messianic prophecies and underscored the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus the prophetic word is a light amid the increasing darkness which fortifies the believing heart. That light will guide and will suffice until the Day-star arises in our hearts. None other could be meant than Christ Himself. He later speaks of Him self as “ the bright and morning star” in Revelation 22:16. How heart-warming, then, the truths contained in the words dayspring and day-star. The first refers to the glory and light of His first coming to earth; the second points on to His coming for His own in the Rapture. See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Rejoicing in the accomplishment of the first, let us strive to be faithful till He comes for His Bride. “ Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
14
THE K IN G 'S BUSINESS
~ '
K1 « ¿A '
T H E
B I R T H
O F
C H R I S T
by A. W. Tozer
Third, God indeed spoke by the prophets. The priests and scribes who were versed in the Scriptures could inform the troubled Herod that the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem of Judaea. And thereafter the Old Testament came alive in Christ. It was as if Moses and all the prophets hovered around Him, guiding His footsteps into the way of the prophetic Scriptures. So difficult was the Old Testament gamut the Mes siah must run to validate His claims that the possibility of anyone’s being able to do it seemed utterly remote; yet Jesus did it. His coming confirmed the veracity of the Old Testament Scriptures, even as those Scriptures confirmed the soundness of His own claims. Fourth, man is lost but not abandoned. The coming of Christ to the world tells us both of these things. Had men not been lost no Saviour would have been required. Had they been abandoned no Saviour would have come. But He came, and it is now established that God has a concern for men. Though we have sinned away every shred of merit, still He has not forsaken us. “ For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Fifth, the human race will not be exterminated. God did not visit the race to rescue it; in Christ He took human nature unto Himself, and now He is one of us. For this reason we may be certain that mankind will not be wiped out by a nuclear explosion or turned into subhuman monsters by the effects of radiation on the human genetic processes. Christ did not take upon Himself the nature of a race soon to be extinct. Sixth, this world is not the end. Christ spoke with cheerful certainty of the world to come. He reported on things He had seen and heard in heaven and told of the many mansions waiting us. We are made for two worlds and as surely as we now inhabit the one, we shall also inhabit the other. Seventh, death will some day be abolished and life and immortality hold sway. “ For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil,” and what more terrible work has the devil accomplished than to bring sin to the world and death by sin? But life is now made manifest by the appear ing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
“Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. . . . Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” T h e a n n o u n c e m e n t of the birth of Christ came as a sunburst of joy to a world where grief and pain are known to all and joy comes rarely and never tarries long. The joy the angel brought to the awe-struck shep- herds was not to be a disembodied wisp of religious emotion. Rather it was and is a state of lasting glad ness resulting from tidings that there was born in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. It was an overflowing sense of well-being that had every right to be there. The birth of Christ told the world something. That He should come to be born of a woman, to make Him self of no reputation and, being found in fashion as a man, to humble Himself even to death on a cross— this is a fact so meaningful, so eloquent as to elude even the power of a David or an Isaiah fully to cele brate. His coming, I repeat, told the world something; it declared something, established something. What was it? First, that God is real. The heavens were opened and another world came into view. A message came from beyond the familiar world of nature. “ Glory to God in the highest,” chanted the celestial host, “ and on earth peace, good will.” Earth the shepherds know too well; now they hear from God and heaven above. Our earthly world and the world above blend into one scene. It is little wonder that they went in haste to see Him who had come from above. To them God was no longer a hope, a desire that He might be. He was real. Second, human life is essentially spiritual. With the emergence into human flesh of the Eternal Word of the Father the fact of man’s divine origin is confirmed. For God and man to unite they must be to some degree like each other. It had to be so. The Incarnation may indeed raise some questions, but it answers many more. The ones it raises are specu lative; the ones it settles are deeply moral and vastly important to the souls of men. Man’s creation in the image and likeness of God is one question it settles by affirming it positively. The Advent proves it to be a literal fact.
k
t
*
1
y
T
i
*
k
*
T
k
15
DECEMBER, 1964
Uto
I ■ ■ A CROWDED OUT
hath not where to lay his head.” He was a home less wanderer. Jerusalem welcomed Him as a King, but hissed and hooted and crucified Him when He refused earthly dominion. He trod the winepress of wrath and suffering and sorrow alone and, at last, hung on the cross, isolated between heaven and earth—naked, forsaken and alone. We may design dainty, picturesque ceremonies and reverent and dignified movements, elaborate and impressive symbolism, noble music and fra grant censers and all the rest that goes with ele gant religious activity. Or perhaps we may dis card color and banish everything that is ornate and beautiful, eliminate all the glitter and pageantry, keep our music very simple, keep everything severe and plain and unadorned. But whether our ceremony be elaborate or severe, we say, “ Here, Christ, here is a ritualistic dwelling. Take up Thy dwelling here.” But again He an swers, “Give me thy heart.” Sometimes we think we can please Him with our creed—a stately and beautiful thing, all the more venerable and respected because of its age and majesty. The weather stains of centuries only add to its significance and glory and we say, “ Here is a creed for Thee, Master.” Creed is important. There are those who say, “We have no creed.” But, in saying so, they state their creed. You cannot get away from credal position. But what the Saviour wants more than credal statements is personal faith. He solicits, not my creed, but my person; not my words, but my heart. So let us look at our own lives in the light of this text and truth. Our trouble today is ju s t' what it was when Christ came. There is not room; for Him in many of our lives. We are busy with other things. There are heavenly songs in the air, heavenly messengers about us, but we neither hear nor see. Why? Because we are so wicked, so willfully base and mean? No . . . because we are taken up with other things. Why do men keep Christ out of their lives? For one thing, because they are preoccupied with the affairs and occupations of life, as I have suggested. Like Pharaoh’s lean cattle, they swal low up everything else. Another reason is be cause of the cares of life. We become so absorbed with our cares that we are careless about Him. Our pleasures also keep Christ out. We become numb to spiritual values as we dwell in the pleas ures of sense. Above all, because of our sin. Sin crowds Him out. But, if He is allowed to take over our lives, He will crowd out sin. Today make room for Christ. Not only make room for Him, but turn the whole of your life over to Him; let Him become Master and Lord.
W h a t e v e r ELSE of the Gospel history men forget, there is a fact stated in Luke which lingers—the fact of the manger birth. Listen to these words: “ And she [that is, Mary] brought forth her first born son and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, be cause there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7.) It is a fact which suggests to us man’s indifference to God- I know there are many who deny the truth of the nativity account. But the man who has been led by the light of the world across the wastes and through the dark places of life does not have to ask the astronomers for permission to believe in the star of Bethlehem, even though astronomy testifies to the presence of that brilliant star in the sky. The man to whom that manger-born Prince has been a personal and vivid and blessed reality need not seek the approval of the historian as to the fact of His coming, although His com ing is as well authenticated a fact as history affords. The man who understands by faith the mystery of creation and believes that God made the earth, the heavens, man, and woman from the rib of man, needs no doctor to tell him whether ¡ or not the virgin birth could be possible, although this man, Luke, who gives us this account, was a doctor of medicine himself. So, our purpose is not to prove the facts of the manger birth; it is to ponder those facts and to seek the spiritual truths which they suggest. Let us begin with that sentence, “ There was no room for them in the inn.” I am told that in such vil lages and in those days, the inn was not much better than the stable. They say the real differ ence was in the company, rather than the accom modations, and that the manger was a safer, cleaner crib for the holy Child than the crowded floor of the guest chamber. But this does not alter the fact that when the Lord of Glory came to be born on this earth, not even a crude, com mon guest chamber could be found for Him. Why? Because those people were base and cold and cruel and evil? No. . . because they did not know who He was and, worse, they didn t care. They were like men today — concerned about taxes, independence, a world empire and not much concerned about where babies were born. It’s a painful fact that, not only at His birth, but also throughout His life, Jesus endured this forsakenness; He was despised and rejected of men. There was no room for Him in the world. When He preached at Nazareth, where He was reared, they threw Him out of the city. At Caper naum they besought Him to depart. He passed though Samaria, and the Samaritans would not receive Him. “ The foxes have holes,” He said, “ and the birds have nests: but the Son-of man
l n 9 U * *
■
r u n o a m
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker