Report on Indo-China photo story
What is a Christian Witness? Wesley Nelson
f pBU S IN E S S Ü
AUGUST 25c
D r . Talbot: In Africa, a Launchiny see page 17
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TH E
BIBLESTUDY
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Some of America's o u tstan d ing Bible scholars: • Dr. and Mrs. J. Lester Harnish, Temple Baptist Church, L.A. • Dr. and Mrs. J. Henry Hutch ins, Lake Ave. Con gregational, Pasadena. > Dr. and Mrs. J. Vernon Mc Gee, Church of the Open Door, L.A. • Tour Conductors: Dr. and Mrs. James T. Martin. m Five Guided Tours of the Islands — Two Optional Inter-Island Air Excursions. Conference Sessions each evening — Visits to Mission Stations — Hawai ian "Luau." 4 1/ 2 Days Aboard Palatial S.S. Lurline with finest food and sea travel.
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4
THE KING'S BUSINESS
Official publication of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Inc.
Dedicated to the spiritual development of the Christian home
Voi. 45, No. 8
AUGUST, 1954
Established 1910
chancellor LOUIS T. TALBOT
ARTICLES A REPORT ON INDO-CHINA . ............................................................... 12 WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN WITNESS?— Wesley Nelson .................. 14 LAKEWOOD AND MERV ROSELL ......................................................... 16 LAUNCHING ON VICTORIA — Students buy a boat ....................... 17 THE PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD — Brother Lawrence .. 18 YOU GO TO A MISSION MEETING — C. P. Stathas .......................... 45 FEATURES READER REACTION ...................................................................................... 6 FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK ...................................................................... 8 PEOPLE — A monthly column of namds in the news ............................ 11 WORLD NEWSGRAMS — James O. Henry _.......................................... 20 OUT OF THE LAB — Donald S. Robertson ........................................... 21 WORDS FROM THE WORD — Charles L. Feinberg ............................ 22 PHILOSOPHY IN LIFE— Paul M. Aijian ................................................ 24 THEOLOGICALLY THINKING — Gerald B. Stanton ............................ 25 JUNIOR KING'S BUSINESS — Martha S. Hooker ................................. 26 BOOK REVIEWS — Donald G. Davis ....................................................... 28 TALKING IT OVER — A psychologist answers — Clyde Narramore .. 30 THE SCOPE OF MISSIONS — Oran H. Smith ..................................... 31 FINEST OF THE WHEAT — Glenn F.O'Neal .......................................... 36 IN CHRIST IS LIFE — This Game of Religion .................................. . 41 HYMNS YOU LOVE — Phil Kerr .............................................................. 44 UNDER THE PARSONAGE ROOF — Althea S. Miller ....................... 49 ADVERTISERS' INDEX ................................................................................. 50 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION LOOKING AHEAD IN CHRISTIAN ED— Margaret Jacobsen ........... 37 YOUNG PEOPLE'S TOPICS — Chester J. Padgett ................................. 38 SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS— Homer A. Kent, Allison Arrowood .. 40 OBJECT LESSONS — Elmer L. Wilder ..................................................... 48 COVER When Biola Chancellor Louis T. Talbot arrived back in California from his around-the-world missionary trip recently he* delighted all listen ers with a tall yarn about a hippopotamus hunt his party engaged in. While the story sounded dubious in spots the good doctor did have one piece of empirical evidence of such a hunt — an 18-inch-long hippo tooth! For stories on his trip see pages 17 & 32. Photo : Lloyd Hamill. „ BIOLA FAMILY CIRCLE . ... 34 DR. TALBOT'S QUESTION BOX ................................................................... 35
editor S. H. SUTHERLAND
managing editor LLOYD HAMILL
copy editor ROSE HARDIE
editorial assistant LUCY R. REDMOND
advertising manager MILTON R. SUE
circulation manager STELLA KINTER
business manager J. RUSSELL ALLDER
editorial board Paul M« Aijian • Charles L« Feinberg MarthaS. Hooker « Glenn F. O'Neal * Donald 5. Robertson Gerald B. Stanton
Donald G. Davis • James O. Henry ■ Margaret Jacobsen Chester J. Padgett • Oran H. Smith
Entered as second-class matter November 7, 1938, Nat the Post Office of Los An geles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in the Act of February 28, 1925, em bodied in paragraph 4, section 538, P.L, and R., authorized October I, 1918, and November 13, 1938. Printed in U.S.A. by Church Press; Glendale, California. ADDRESS: The King's Business, 558 S. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, Californio.
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Sirs: You folks are a bunch of fanatics. I’m referring to that article in the July issue on how God healed Georgia Lee of an ulcer. I’d rather go along with Aristotle, that God is far too in finite to deal with finite things—like ulcers. We’re just specks in a vast universe and if we think God has time to answer one person’s prayer then we think too much of ourselves. E. W. Johnson Trenton, N.J. BEATS TV ON TEEN HIT PARADE Sirs: I thought your July issue was the best ever. In our home it even won out over TV! Our 16-year-old baby sitter usually spends most of the eve ning watching TV but last Saturday she told us that she became so fas cinated with this issue of K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s that she spent the entire eve ning reading it. Mrs. Art Peterson San Francisco, Calif. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHANGES MADE Sirs: The K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s has changed a great deal in format since Dr. Tor- rey’s day but the old message is the same. I like the growing custom of using more pictures and shorter arti cles. Arthur B. Towle, Dean Buffalo, N.Y. Buffalo Bible Institute MAKES THE ROUNDS Sirs: The magazine makes the rounds at FROM GREENLAND'S ICY MOUNTAINS Sirs: A friend of mine in the United States has been sending me K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s for some months. It’s passed along to my Christian friends in the squadron. In this place one can’t express his thoughts freely along the religious lines. The fellows here just don’t take it. But the magazine has helped us so much in this land of MORE EMPHASIS ON EDUCATION Sirs: Just glanced through the June is sue. I like the topical idea; the arti cles are timely. J especially appre ciated the emphasis on education. Perhaps this section could be made more consistent in all the depart ments. A. H. Yetter, Acting Pres. Denver, Colo. Rockmont College this station! Florence Dirks No. Nigeria, West Africa Sudan Interior Mission ice and snow. T/Sgt. Fred Gott Thule, Greenland
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6
THE KING'S BUSINESS
They
Waitfor Peace
T oday restless Korea is still patrolled by for eign troops and planes. The courageous people of this war ravished land are still waiting for a permanent peace. The Film De partment of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles has produced one of the finest documentary films available today on Korea. Here is an unusual presentation of the dramatic story of struggling Korea coupled with the great message of salva tion and hope in Jesus Christ. Here is what Christian Life magazine film editor Harry Bristow wrote about this film: "The
production They Wait for Peace, released by the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, is without ques tion the finest documentary on Korea yet re leased . . . I like this film because of its direct personal appeal both on salvation and challenge to Christian service. The film should find un limited use with excellent missionary emphasis.” This film is now available for your church or group on an offering basis. Thirty minutes in color. For free information write to Virgil W em - mer, Film Dept., Bible Institute of Los Angeles, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, Calif.
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A U G U S T 1 9 5 4
fromtheeditor's desk
Learn W lJre«^ Bible Truth by listening to
Peace From The Prince o f Peace IlT o rld conditions are becoming increasingly discouraging from the VW human point of view. It is indeed wonderful to be able to turn to God’s Word and to see there the glorious assurance that as conditions worsen, we are to look up, knowing that “ our redemption draweth nigh.” As this editorial is being written, newspapers boldly announce that the once great British Empire has become so weak and anemic in its moral fibre as well as its military might that it now suggests a division of Indo nesia, with one of the three states going over to the Communists and the other two remaining free. Thus another “ Korea” seems to be in the making. If the Communists cannot get entire countries at once, they will pick them off piecemeal and the so-called free world is standing by, raising futile and rather sickly objections, then allowing the Communists to go on with their hellish enslavement of peoples and nations. Peace at any price is an awful price to pay for peace. The student of the Word of God recognizes however that there can be no true peace until He who is the Prince of Peace comes again. And so our hope is not in govern ments, armies or men. Our hope is in Him; and while governments may fail and nations may fall into decay, our King of kings and Lord of lords is coming soon to clean up the whole sordid mess that we find in indi vidual, national and international affairs. And then will righteousness cover the earth as the waters cover the seas. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus. A Fruitful Summer ummertime is Bible conference time. Summer Bible conferences have A come to be an integral part of the Christian life of America. It is a *^time when a determination is made to put inspiration into action. Of course the very first result of our Bible conference experience should be a more intimate walk with the Lord Jesqs Christ. This means that there will be evidence of a real growth in our own spiritual life. To maintain this growth we should give ourselves earnestly to intensive prayer, to thorough study of the Word of God, to faithfulness in doing the things which the Lord sets before us to do; and we must be so busy with our own spiritual life and development that we do not have time to find fault with others. In this way summer vacation can become a year around blessing not only to ourselves but to all with whom we come in contact. F ree fo r Y ou r Friends Please send a free copy, of this issue to the following: Name............................................................................................................................................ Street............................................................................................................................................. City................................................................... Zone.............. State...................................... Name............................................................................................................................................. Street............................................................................................................................................. City................................................................... Zone.............. State...................................... C lip & M a il T o d a y : The Editor's, King's Business 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, Calif.
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what should such a course consist? — We found u four-fold answer. A t Music — and lots of it, both in theory and performance ★ Bible — a book-by-book study of the complete Word of God ★ Liberal arts — additional academic requirements to round out the training program « Practical application — numerous Christian service assignments, recitals, and a one-year apprenticeship in a local church These findings led as to our final question: Can such a course be created which will be academically sotmd. doc- trinally fundamental, and vocationally practical?
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A U G U S T 1 9 5 4
9
How to Have a Winning Church Most pastors of success ful churches report that all it takes to have such a church is a group of B ible -believing , hard w ork ing , d isturbed
the nation. Another ministry has been our month ly magazine, the K ing ’ s B usiness . This summer we are sponsoring a subscription contest that will make it possible for your church to win some practical prizes to help in the ef fectiveness of its ministry. There are 25 prizes— typewriters, scholarships, tape recorders, projec tors, etc. And the grand prize is a free two-week trip to Hawaii for the pastor of the winning church. The trip will be next January and he will go with a group of other Christians who are making up a Bible Conference Cruise. For complete details of how you can help your church be a winning church, write today to: Contest Editor, K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s , 5 5 8 So. Hope, Los Angeles 17, Calif. Why not tear this page out right now while you’re thinking about it and hand it to your pastor this Sunday? By the way, we’ve planned the contest so even the smallest church has equal opportunity of winning. END.
members. Disturbed in the sense of not being satisfied un til their
church is doing its very best to tell the people of the community the plan of salvation through the shed blood of Christ. Is your church a winning church? Perhaps you can help it be even more of a winning church than it is today. W e here at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles have been working with churches since 1910. Working to give them ideas and methods and information. O f course our main contribution has been the training of thou sands of young people from churches all across
memo from Dr. Talbot's office re: Biola Family Conference Mt. Hermon, Aug. 15-22 Always the high point during the summer months are the eight days of spiritual feasting upon the word of God at beau tiful Mt. Hermon Con ference Grounds, nestled among the big trees just a few short miles from scenic Santa Cruz, Calif. This year, Dr. Louis T. Talbot, BIOLA Chancellor, who in May returned from a six-month missionary tour, will be speaking and showing his dramatic colored films. Dr. Samuel H. Suther land, BIOLA President, will be Dean of the conference and featured speaker. Other speakers will include Dr. Clyde Narramore, Christian psychologist, Dr. Chester Padgett, member of the BIOLA faculty, the Rev. Don Hillis, missionary to India and Mr. Earle H. Hulin, as musical director. For information and reservations write Mt. Hermon Association, Mt. Hermon, Calif. P.S. Watch for BIOLA Campus Caravan in your city: Coos Bay...... July 26-28 Prineville, Ore. ............ July 29-31 Lewiston, Ida....Aug. 2-4 Spokane, Wash....Aug. 5-7 Everett, Wash...Aug. 9-11 Yakima, Wash...Aug. 12-14
mw A monthly column of names in the news. In Hollywood 14-year-old Renee (rhymes with bay) Martz this month was having her chance at big-time record making. The widely traveled child singer and evangelist was no ticed by ABC talent scouts when she appeared on the coast-to-coast Fred Jordon Soul Clinic radio and TV pro gram last spring. On this program the low-voiced Renee sang the south ern mountain hymn “ Peace In The Valley.” Within hours Renee was rushed to ABC recording studios for test records. Roy Roger’s manager made his bid for the child singer and two Broadway producers who sat in on the test record cutting promptly offered Renee the title role in Cin derella for its Broadway run. All but the record offers were turned down and late this month Renee’s records are scheduled to go on sale from coast-to-coast. The first releases will be four popular religious songs with •the ABC orchestra furnishing music. His Imperial Majesty, Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, stopped off in Chicago on his recent American trip long enough to receive a full-length color film from Moody Bible Institute. Dr. S. Maxwell Coder, dean of education at Moody, presented the film, “Prior Claim,” to his majesty “ as an expres sion of our interest in the Christian emphasis the Emperor is putting on education in Ethiopia.” On the West coast the Seventh-Day Adventists stole the show from other Christian groups when they entertained the Emperor at their Glendale headquarters. Billy Graham's five-month long Euro pean tour was marred in its closing days when the young evangelist was stricken with a kidney ailment in Germany. After a short period of hos pitalization Graham was allowed to continue his speaking engagements. The 88-year-old China Inland Mission has just named a new general direc tor. He is J. Oswald Sanders, 51-year- old Australian. For 20 years dean of Auckland (N.Z.) Bible Institute, San ders is also well known as a Bible teacher and author. In Berkeley, Calif. Dr. Gerrit Verkuyl is busy working with a staff of He brew scholars in producing an evan gelical version of the Old Testament. His Berkeley New Testament has been widely acclaimed by evangeli cals and it is expected that the forth coming Old Testament will have tre mendous reception.
Train up a Child . . . for ETERNITY WITH 2 n 3 TIME BIBLE NURSERY COURSE For the Child Full-color pictures illustrate each Bible story which 2 and 3 year olds easily understand. Quar terly Bible story series available in book or leaflet form. Suggestions given with each story to encour age parents that are reviewing stories with children.. A purposeful activity and handwork packed planned for this special age level. Tots delighted with simple, intriguing projects. Teachers will have another aid in doing the most for these children. For the Teacher Steo-by-step guide book for nursery teacher and supt. Outlines weekly lesson plans, and instruc tions for building a successful Nursery Depart ment. Course complete in every detail provides teaching methods, music, projects, Bible stories, etc. Large teaching pictures in full color representing each Bible story during the quarter. Same as smaller ones in child’sbook. Excellent for framing. For the Parent A friendly letter explaining Nursery Sunday School and making suggestions for happy rela tionship of home-child-nursery. Printed on sta tionery, ready to mail to parents of each child when he enters the Nursery Dept. Teaching Two n Threes NURSERY HANDBOOK All material in TWO-N-THREE TIME BIBLE Nursery Course is on quarterly basis except this manual. This book is basic to the entire course, procedures in department, characteristics of child, helps for teacher, organization of department, etc. For information on this Nursery Course go to your Christian Bookstore or write • GOSPEL LIGHT PRESS, DEPT. NKB - 8 • Please send literature to Name----------------------------- t -------- Ä Street_______ t ------------------------- # q City____________________State. • Church------------------- :---------------- • Pastor______________S. S. Supt.. • Dir. Ch. Ed.________ Ï __Teacher____
A U G U S T 1 9 5 4
A Report On
Indo-China
Gordon and Laura Smith
T his summer Christians were having good cause to ponder the course of affairs in Indo-China. After more than seven and a half years of war many were wondering if Christianity could survive between the squeeze of Buddhism and Communism. But missionaries on the field were openly optimistic and this summer one of these missionaries was travel ing across Canada and the U.S. lecturing and showing a feature-length film on this troubled spot in south east Asia. The missionary: Mrs. Gordon Smith. The film: “ New Horizons— the Indo-China Story,” pro duced by Vision, Inc. The Smiths have been laboring since 1929 in Indo-China under the Christian and Missionary A lli ance. Protestant Christian growth has been slow and up to now there are only an estimated 35,000 con verts out of a population of some 28 million (total for the Associated States of Viet Nam, Laos and Cam bodia) . But the most encouraging aspect for Christian activity in Indo-China according to Mrs. Smith is that the native tribesmen are eagerly open to the message of the gospel. They have not been indoctrinated by either Buddhism or Communism to any great extent and their jungle paganism has created a genuine thirst for a way of life that embodies solid spiritual values.
m gscaufe; ; v', ,v -
In 80 years before World War II, the French had invested $2 billion in Indo-China, 2 8% of it for such public works as 900 health institutions, 12,600 schools. They reduced in fant mortality by 5 0 % ; they built 13,800 miles of improved roads, railroads and canals; their irrigation projects brought 13 million more acres under cultivation. To preserve this investment and fight off the Communist march the French have suffered some 40,000 killed and another 40,000 wounded.
12
THE KING'S BUSINESS
This is one of 56 native evangelists who are working with the Smiths in 12 tribes.
There are some 150 tribes in Indo-China and these husky natives are from the Steing tribe. They are considered to be the most primitive in the area according to Smith.
This tribal sorcerer spends much time in praying to the demons for health, crops.
Bandages rolled in America for the Indo- China Leprosarium under Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
Leprous mother and her children. Proper treatment will save children from disease.
Educational missions are a part of the Christian work in Indo-China. Here are bright little leper boys learning the three Rs while undergoing treatment for leprosy. The new sulphone drug DADPS is a great help. Missionaries figure it takes 15 cents a day to care for a child.
A U G U S T 1 9 5 4
A gaunt, angular, clumsy man grasped my hand. He was a son of the soil, who would never in his life feel comfortable in a suit and a tie. He was at ease and re laxed in conversation when on his farm, but he would always be tense in a formal meeting. I also knew him to be a jewel of a Christian. I had just finished a sermon in which I had described the qualifica tions of a Christian witness. I had set the standard high, stressing not only a dependence on the Holy Spirit, but also a rather complete knowledge of the Scriptures as well as an under standing of human nature. “Tell me, Pastor,” he said, “how can I get to be like that.” The moment he said it, the truth dawned on me like a flash: he could never get to be the kind of man I had described. My whole sermon had been completely theoretical and vis ionary. For him to become the kind of witness I had described would have required that he be made into something superficial and complete ly unnatural for him. I began to re-think my whole concept of Chris tian witnessing. Many people refrain from witness ing because they think it is some thing particularly difficult, that it requires certain skills or abilities and special knowledge. Witnessing does not consist neces sarily in knowing and quoting Scrip ture passages. It is not giving out information about the Christian life or the way of salvation. It is not presenting any argument for Chris tianity or the gospel. Witnessing is not something which requires the ability to answer the objections of un believers. Witnessing is not the same as soul winning.- To be outstanding as a soul winner does require a certain amount of knowledge and ability to explain the way of salvation. Christians who love the souls of men will have the ambition to win as many as possible t® Christ and will try to improve their ability and knowledge in soul winning. However, we must face the fact that some will be much more adept at soul winning than others who are just as consecrated and sin
cere, and some will find it almost im possible. This fact need not be a cause of frustration, for witnessing is not subject to all the pre-requisites of soul winning. A witness speaks out of his own experience. The apostles witnessed out of their personal experience of Christ, His earthly ministry and death on the cross, and particularly of His resurrection (Acts 1:22,3:15, etc.). We do not have the same kind of contact with the earthly life of Jesus, but the commission to witness has nevertheless been given also to us. One irrefutable answer to those who contend that this commission was given only to the apostles is that the command calls for witnessing “unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The apostles themselves did not get to the uttermost part of the earth, and as long as there is a single dark heart in any part of the earth, the commission to witness is still applies able to believers. Christian witnessing is not the re lating of experiences of special provi dences of God. Suppose you have been in an accident. Your car rolled over four times. On the fourth time around, the door flew open, you were thrown 30 feet and landed in a hay stack just five feet across, without a scratch. You may consider this sensa tional experience a miracle and tell it with real appreciation to God far His intervention. Your neighbor, whose fine Christian son was killed in an accident somewhat like yours, will wonder why you landed in the haystack and his son landed on a block of concrete. Couldn’t God pro vide a haystack for him too? This does not mean that we should never tell of such miraculous deliverances. It does mean that they must be recognized as special providences of God which are not directly a part of His redemptive pattern for all His children. Such experiences should be told carefully. They must never leave the impression there is something special about us, or about our faith, that merits God’s special attention. Sometimes we tell things, because of. our love of the sensational, or of the heroic limelight, which had best be left untold. A good rule to fol-
W hat
low is to refrain from telling any thing which might need, or be im proved by some such phrase as, “ of course I’m ' saying this for the glory of God.” If this is not obvious from your telling of the incident, you had best leave it untold. Such a phrase only gives you a pious excuse for bragging. Fundamentally, we are called to be witnesses of the redemptive work of Christ. Witnessing and confessing Christ as Saviour are very much alike. Our confession of Christ as Saviour goes further than a testimony of our initial conversion experience. It is normal to have a continual stream of experiences of Christ’s deliverance from sin. Growth in grace is the product of the continuous redemptive work of Christ. Growth in grace is growth in righteousness. Every new development in Christian liv in g should make sin appear more sinful and more specific and should give us a higher standard of practical right eousness. This will be our confession, and this will be the subject of our witness. This is an over simplification, but for the sake of an illustration, let us assume that, in the normal process of Christian growth, the following mat ters were brought to your attention by the Holy Spirit and were dealt with in the order indicated:
Your Prayer Request Each morning at nine the editorial staff of King's Business magazine gathers for prayer. Over the years God has answered the heart-cry of thousands. Should you have a request we would count it a privilege to take it to the throne of grace. Your request will be held in the strictest confidence. Address: The Editors, King's Business magazine, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, Calif.
14
THE KING'S BUSINESS
a Christian W itness
B y W e s ley Nelson
1. You have a bad temper, which needs to be corrected. 2. You are inconsiderate of your family, and are unwilling to be help ful at home. 3. You are sharp and dishonest in your criticisms. 4. You are self-righteous, Pharisai cal and prudish in your judgment of others. Some time soon after the Spirit has dealt with you about the first lesson, concerning your temper, you may be speaking with'-the person with whom you work about your experiences in general. You have the opportunity to say something like this: “Do you know that the Lord showed me something the other eve ning as I was thinking about the Christian life? He showed me that my bad temper was the result of my own stubbornness. I am so glad He has forgiven me for it. I asked Him to cleanse me of it and help me to overcome it. I realize I have lost my temper several times here on the job and have made it quite difficult for you. I hope you will forgive me and help me to overcome it.” When you have learned your sec ond lesson, concerning your relation ship to your family, you may have the occasion to say to your wife: “Honey, when I was praying the other evening, the Lord spoke to me A U G U S T 1 9 5 4
about my inconsistencies here in the home. I hadn’t realized how bad it was until the Lord called it to my attention. Of course I’ve asked Him to forgive me, and -I know He has. Now, I’d like to ask your forgiveness and your patience with me, and your help in suggesting ways I can over come this bad habit.” You won’t say it the way it is Writ ten here. You will say it in your own way as you speak naturally about your other experiences. When you do this, you are witnessing. Let it be emphasized that this is not a con fession of sins. It is a confession of Christ as your Saviour. Your sin -comes in, as inconspicuously as pos sible, to make clear how specific His salvation is. Some times you may not even say what your sins are. You are witnessing to Christ’s redemptive work and the emphasis must always be there. This requires no special ability and is not dependent on sensational experiences. It is awfully humbling, but the way of the cross is the way of humility. As you go on with God, humility should become a way of life for you. This kind of witnessing may be prosaic, but it is practical. You are not even giving advice to others, you are telling what God is doing for you to work out His pur pose in redemption. The Spirit will
use your humble testimony, and oth ers will become hungry. You may find, sooner than you think, that you will have the opportunity to lead some needy soul to the Saviour, and you have become a soul-winner as well as a witness. It is true that witnessing in this way has its pitfalls. You may be tempted to excell even in humility, to glory in how sinful you are in order to make God’s redemption more sensational, or to think you enjoy witnessing when you just enjoy talk ing about yourself. However, a close walk with God is the cure for this too, and even the escape from this pitfall will redound to the glory of God because it is a part of the re demptive work of Christ. All Christians can be witnesses. If this were not the case God would not have called all Christians His wit nesses. Witnessing does require hon est dealing with God and a continual sensitivity to sin. However, these are the requisites for Christian living in general and are not special qualifica tions for witnessing. It is true that we don’t get much glory for this kind of witnessing, but that is what makes it so effective. END.
The Rev. Mr. Nelson is pastor of the Mission Covenant Church, Oakland, Calif. 15
Lakewood and Merv Rosell W hen the Merv Rosell Crusade, with scores of churches in the Long Beach, Lakewood, Bellflower (Calif.) area cooperating, got underway in the mammoth can vas cathedral recently, California’s Governor Goodwin J. Knight was on hand to officially welcome evangelist Rosell and his musical artists. Crusade officials reported large and enthusiastic crowds each night dur ing the endeavor, the first of its kind in the “miracle city” of Lakewood, located between Los Angeles and Long Beach. Lakewood, five years ago, was a bean patch, but now is a thriving city of 100,000 population, and still growing so fast census takers have to scramble to keep up with the new comers. It is reported that 17,000 new homes have been built in the past three years. Religious leaders call it one of the outstanding home mission fields in the nation. Young married couples, average age 33, make up more than 95 per cent of the popu lation, with the average child age of six. Before beginning the Lakewood campaign, Rosell and team conducted an historic series in Moline, 111. with churches from no less than six cities on the Mississippi River united for revival. Large crowds and over 1,300 decisions were reported for this cam paign, held in 5,000-seat Wharton Fieldhouse. Dr. Ray Honeywell, pas tor of the First Methodist Church in Moline, was general chairman. Following the Lakewood crusade Rosell and his party journeyed to Topeka, Kan. where on July 11 they opened another meeting in the Mu nicipal Auditorium. The next Rosell campaign is sched uled for Eugene, Ore. from August 8 through 22. END.
EVANGELIST AND FRIEND In California, a Governor prays.
In an attitude of prayer, Governor Goodwin J. Knight, (left) of California, stands with bowed head beside evangelist Merv Rosell at the United Church Crusade held in a mammoth canvas cathedral near Long Beach, Calif. As he brought greetings to the thousands gathered for the occasion, Governor Knight said, “ I commend you all for your courage in going forward in this spiritual endeavor, and that you will he sustained by the Holy Spirit. I know that the effort put forth will make this a better world, a better state, and a better community in which to live. May God’s blessing rest upon Merv Rosell and his team.”
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
L a u n c h i n g on V i c t o r i a T he average college student has always found it touch-and-go when it comes to finances. But a phenomenon of human nature is that the poorest are often the most generous givers. Last year in Los Angeles the students of B iola , as they do each year, did some extra giving for a special project. The project: a boat for the Africa Inland Mission. Cost: $ 10 , 000 . This spring B iola Chancellor Louis T. Talbot was on hand in Tanganyika when the partly-finished boat was christened on Lake Victoria. In the photo below Mrs. Ed Arensen swings vigorously at her christening task and Hamilton Morrow, field director for AIM, keeps up a running commentary even in the face of splashing water. B iola ’ s mission director Oran Smith watches at far right. A Canadian couple, Mr. and Mrs. Don McKenzie, will operate the boat for AIM. McKenzie was a former member of the Canadian Merchant Marine.
DR. TALBOT From his students, $10,000.
Letters on the
Practice of the Presence
M adame: Since you desire so earnestly that I should com municate to you the methods by which I arrived at the habitual sense of God’s Presence, which our Lord, of His mercy, has been pleased to vouchsafe to me, I must tell you that it is with great difficulty that I am prevailed on by your importuni ties; and now I do it only upon the terms that you show my letter to no body. If I knew that you would let it be seen, all the desire that I have for your advancement would not be able to determine me to it. The account I can give you is: Having found in many books dif ferent methods of going to God, and divers practices of the spiritual life, I thought this would serve rather to puzzle me than facilitate what I sought after, which was nothing but how to become wholly God’s. This made me resolve to give the all for all; so after having given myself wholly to God, that he might take away my sins, 7 renounced, for the love of Him, everything that was not His, and I began to live as if there was none but He and I in the world- Sometimes I considered myself before Him as a poor criminal at the feet of his judge; at other times I beheld Him in my heart as my Father, as my God. I worshipped Him the oftenest that I could, keeping my mind in His holy presence, and recalling it as often as I found it wandering from Him. I found no small pain in this exer cise, and yet I continued it, notwith standing all the difficulties that I en countered, without troubling or dis quieting myself when my mind had wandered involuntarily. I made this my business as much all the day long as at the appointed times of prayer; for at all times, every hour, every minute, even in the height of my business, I drove away from my mind everything that was capable of interrupting my thought of God. Such has been my common practice and though I have dorle it very im perfectly, yet I have found great advantages by it. These, I well know, are to be imputed solely to the mer cy and goodness of God, because we can do nothing without Him, and I still less than any. But when we are
faithful to keep ourselves in His holy presence, and set Him always before us, this not only hinders our offend ing Him and doing anything that may displease Him, at least wilfully, but it also begets in us a holy free dom, and, if I may so speak, a familiarity with God, wherewith we ask, and that successfully, the graces we stand in need of. In short, by often repeating these acts, they be come habitual, and the presence of God rendered as it were natural to us. Give Him thanks, if you please, with me, for His great goodness to ward me, which I can never sufficient ly marvel at, for the many favors He has done to so miserable a sinner as I am. May all things praise Him. I am, in our Lord, Yours,------ The Divine Presence Madame: I have taken this op portunity to communicate to you the sentiments of one of our Society, con cerning the wonderful effect and con tinual help which he receives from the presence of God. Let you and me both profit by them. You must know that during the 40 years and more that he has spent in religion, his continual care has been to be always with God, and to do nothing, say nothing, and think noth ing which may displease Him, and this without any other view than purely for the love of Him, and be cause He deserves infinitely more. He is now so accustomed to that divine presence that he receives from it continual succor upon all occasions. For about 30 years his soul has been filled with joys so continual, and sometimes so transcendent, that he is forced to use means to moderate them, and to hinder their appearing out wardly. If sometimes he is a little too much absent from that divine presence, which happens often when he is most engaged in his outward business, God presently, makes Himself felt in his soul to recall him. He answers with exact fidelity to these inward draw ings, either by an elevation of his heart toward God, or by a meek and loving regard to Him; or by such words as love forms upon these occa sions, as for instance, my God, behold me, wholly Thine: Lord, make me THE KING'S BUSINESS
the Lord, who reposes in it, and He will quickly calm the sea. I have taken the liberty to impart to you these good thoughts, that you may compare them with your own. It will serve again to rekindle and inflame them, if by misfortune (which God forbid, for it would be indeed a great misfortune) they should be, though never so little, cooled. Let us profit by the example and thoughts of this brother, who is little known of the world, but known of God, and abundantly blessed by Him. I will pray for you; do you pray instantly for me. I am, in our Lord, June 1, 1682 Yours,---------- Emptied for God Madame: I have received today two books and a letter from Sister ------ , who is preparing to make her “pro fession,” and upon that account de sires the prayers of your holy society, and yours in particular. I perceive that she reckons much upon them; pray do not disappoint her. Beg of God that she may make her sacrifice in the view of His love alone, and with firm resolution to be wholly de voted to Him. I will send you one of these books, which treat of the Pres ence of God, a subject which in my opinion contains the whole spiritual life; and it seems to me that whoever duly practises it will soon become spiritual. I know that for the right practice of it the heart must be empty of all other things, because God wills to possess the heart alone; and as He cannot possess it alone unless it be empty of all besides, so He cannot work in it what He would, unless it be left vacant to Him. There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual walk with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it; yet I do not advise you to do it from that motive. It is not pleasure which we ought to seek in this exercise; but let us do it from the motive of love, and because God would have us so walk. Were I a preacher, I should, above all other things, preach the practice of the Presence of God. Ah! knew we but the need we have of the grace and assistance of God, we should never lose sight of Him—no, not for a moment. Believe me; this very instant, make a holy and firm resolution nevermore wil fully to stray from Him, and to live the rest of your days in His sacred presence, for love of Him surrender ing, if He think fit, all other plea sures. Set heartily about this work, and if you perform it as you ought, be assured that you will soon find the
effects of it. I will assist you with my prayers, poor as they are. I recom mend myself earnestly to yours and those of your holy society, being theirs, and more particularly 1685 Yours,--------- Resolve to Persevere To the Same: I have received from Mdlle. ------ the things which you gave her for me. I wonder that you have not given me your thoughts of the little book I sent, to you, and which you must have received. Pray, set heartily about the practice of it in your old age; it is better late than never. I cannot imagine how religious per sons can live satisfied without the practice of the presence, of God. For my part, I keep myself retired with Him in the very center of my soul as much as I can; and while I am so with Him I fear nothing, but the least turning away from Him is to me insupportable. This exercise does not much fatigue my body; yet k is proper to deprive it sometimes, nay often, of many little pleasures which are innocent and lawful, for God will not permit that a soul which desires to be de voted entirely to Him should take other pleasures than with Him: that is more than reasonable. I do not say that therefore we must put any violent constraint upon ourselves. No, we must serve God in a holy freedom; we must do our business faithfully, without trouble or disquiet, recalling our mind to God meekly, and with tranquillity, as oft en as we find it wandering from Him. It is, however, necessary to put our whole trust in God, laying aside all other cares, and even some particular forms of devotion, though very good in themselves, yet such as one often engages in unreasonably, because these devotions are only means to attain to the end. So when by this practice of the presence of God we are with Him who is our End, it is then useless to return to the means. Then it is that abiding in His holy presence, we may continue our com-; merce of love, now by an act of ador ation, of praise, or of desire; now by an act of sacrifice or of thanksgiving, and in all the manners which our mind can devise. Be not discouraged by the repug nance which you may find in it from nature; you must do yourself vio lence. Often, at the onset, one thinks it is lost time; but you must go on, and resolve to persevere in it to death, notwithstanding all the diffi culties that may occur. I commend myself to your prayers. I am, in our Lord, November 3, 1685 Yours,------ END. 19
of God
according to Thy heart. And then it seems to him (as in effect he feels it) that this God of love, satisfied with such few words, reposes again, and rests in the depth and center of his soul. The experience of these things gives him such an assurance that God is always deep within his soul, that no doubt of it can arise, what ever may betide. Judge from this what contentment and satisfaction he enjoys, feeling con tinually within him so great a trea sure. No longer is he in anxious search after it, but he has it open before him, free to take of it what he pleases. He complains much of our blind ness, and exclaims often that we are to be pitied who content ourselves with so little. God’s treasure, he says, is like an infinite ocean, yet a little wave of ifeeling, passing with the moment, contents us. Blind as we are, we hinder God and stop the cur rent of His graces. But when He finds a soul permeated with a living faith, He pours into it His graces and fa vors plenteously; into the soul they flow like a torrent which, after being forcibly stopped against its ordinary course, when it has found a passage, spreads with impetuosity its ,pent-up flood. Yes, we often stop this torrent by the little value we set upon it. But let us stop it no longer; let us enter into ourselves and break down the barrier which holds it back. Let us make the most of the day of grace; let us redeem the time that is lost, for perhaps we have but little left. Death follows us close; let us be well prepared for it; for we die but once, and a miscarriage' then is irretriev able. I say again, let us enter into our selves. Time presses, there is no room for delay; our souls are at stake. You, I believe, have taken such effectual measures that you will not be sur prised. I commend you for it; it is the one thing needful. We must, nev ertheless, always work at it, because not to advance in the spiritual life is to go back. But those whose spirits are stirred by the breath of the Holy Spirit go forward even in sleep. If the vessel of our soul is still tossed with winds and storms, let us awake
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