Driving west in downtown Los Angeles on Fifth (a one-way street), after one passes the Public Library, he is rather shocked by a sign of huge proportions on the blind wall of an exposed build ing. Formerly the sign had portrayed a brand of ginger ale, but now it is a whiskey bottle of heroic proportions. Alongside this sign moves the daily din of heavy, noisy traffic. The columnist points out that if you are coming east on Sixth (another one way street), your upturned eyes are met with another sign atop a building which reads, “ JESUS SAVES.” Of course it is the Bible Institute of Los Angeles building, a spiritual oasis in the desert of the downtown section of a great city. Thus it has always been during this age! The whiskey sign and the Jesus Saves sign, good and evil side by side, wheat and tares growing in the same field. Thus God never leaves Himself without witness, and no one will ever be able to say, “ You did not warn me.” Americans and God Recently a most significant survey dealing with the religious beliefs and habits of the American people was spon sored by the Ladies Home Journal. The result is most startling. The poll showed that 95%- of our citizens believe in God, with 76% describing themselves as church members; 90% stated that they pray, with 56% adding that they pray frequently. Nearly Y\ of our citizens think of God as their judge and a like percentage profess belief in some kind of after-life. In the realm of living, the United States citizen thinks pretty well of himself! 91% asserted that they were honestly trying to live a good life, with some half-admitting that to do so was difficult. The Journal found itself somewhat in a dilemma in endeavoring to reconcile the high percentage that seem to ap prove of their individual lives and the very observable deficiency of their actual lives. The gap between what Americans think they do and what they actually do is a sizable one. This furnishes us an opportunity to call attention to the fact that it is never enough to bel’eve in God, in an after-life, or in the Golden Rule. Christ declared emphatically that even the de mons so believed in God, and trembled. The ■point of approach to a holy God today is by one means only. There is but one door to heaven. The l ord Jesus Christ Himself solemnly stated that He rlone was the way. Peter reiterated in h:s sermon that there was no other way whereby men must be saved. The issue today is not belief in God, but belief in Christ. It is not a question of admitting the overwhelming evidence as to the existence of a Creator, but rather that all men are lost without a Saviour, and that they can be saved only on the basis of individual, personal, faith in the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world! T H E K I N S ' S B U S I N E S S
Another Year, Perhaps? During the past twelve months a most strategic prophetic milestone has been reached. Those who are at all familiar with the clear emphasis of Bible proph ecy are aware' that the ever-recurring joyful theme in the Old Testament con cerns itself with and depends upon the return of God’s ancient people to their own promised land. This return is clear ly shown to be a regathering from all the lands under heaven to which God has scattered the Jews. The prophets, speaking under the Spirit of God, are careful to distinguish this going back from any other in this history. For as long as this writer can re member, we have looked forward with great anticipation to that day when the Jews as a nation would be back in their own land. We have been vitally inter ested in this matter because this is the opening event of a series of occurrences which will succeed each other until that day when the heavens part and the Son of God comes forth as King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:11-16). It may be that the sands in the hour glass of 1949 will be allowed*to run their full course. It may be that twelve more months will unfold themselves be fore our watchful eyes. It may even be that God’s people will be permitted to look into the year 1950. But, praise God, it is possible that ere this coming year concludes, the most stupendous event of all the ages—the resurrection of saints who -have died, and the translation of the saints who are alive—will take place! Even so, come, Lord Jesus! If you have work to do for Christ, you had better accomplish it now! If you have souls upon your heart to deal with in regard to their salvation, do not delay a moment longer! If there is any thing that needs to be made right in your life, now is the time to take care of it. For as far as we can see, there is absolutely nothing to hinder our precious Lord from returning this year. So let us lift up our eyes, for our redemption draweth nigh! Painless Giving Many circulars reach the editor’s desk. Recently one arrived from a large Page Four
printing house, advertising a book en titled, “ How Tax Laws Make Giving to Charity Easy.” Set forth in this valua ble volume was a wealth of information showing how the tax laws of the United States were designed to offer induce ments for supporting worthy charitable enterprises. These statistics impressed us : In 1932, which will be remembered as just about the bottom of the depres sion, the .national income totaled 44 bil lion dollars, of which sum 5.3% was contributed to church work. Compared to that, in 1948, with a national income of the astronomical figure of 211 bil lion dollars, only 1.5% is being shared with the church. So it would seem that God and His cause fare better in days of poverty rather than in times of pros perity. However, let it not be forgotten that God too, notes these figures. It is a dan gerous thing for our national life that we should receive almost incalculable blessings at the hand of God and yet fail to express in a tangible manner our gratitude. Let our people ponder this serious matter. 14th Torrey Conference Again this year, January 16-23, an other Bible Conference will be held in the great auditorium of the Church of the Open Door to honor jointly the men of God who were led to found the Church and the Bible Institute, Mr. Ly man Stewart, Mr. T. C. Horton, and Dr. R. A. Torrey. Speakers for this year will include: Dr. L. Sale-Harrison, Dr. John G. Mitchell, Dr. Leo H. Lehmann, Dr. Charles J. Rolls. Dr. Fulton C. Lytle, Dr. Torrey M. Johnson, Rev. Bob Pierce, Dr. Charles L. Feinberg, Dr. .T. Vernon McGee and Dr. Louis T. Tal bot. Director of the Conference is Dr. William W. Orr. Services will be held in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena, Santa Ana, San Gabriel and Pomona.
Depends On Which Way You’ re Going
It was a columnist in the Los Angeles Times who entitled his article, “ Moral Tone Changes with Flow of Traffic.”
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