we’ll keep him poor!” No, there’s no great benefit in being poor, yet, at the same time, there are a great many dangers in becoming rich. It was J. D. Rockefeller himself who made the declaration that the poor est man in all the world is the fellow who has only money. Why is it then that we seem to admire this sub stance so greatly when it has brought such degradation and misery to so many? Lurking in temptation’s shad ows is this which we seem to crave. God help us to show no preference to one person above the other just because of money. I realize it all too readily that the highest and holiest privilege I could possibly have is to work for an or ganization like Biola. We know this isn’t the only organization that’s do ing a job for the Lord today. Seeing the Lord’s working here, however, has made us Biola-oriented. My par ents were trained here; my wife and I received our education here; our older daughter is now a Freshman here as a third-generation Biolan. As we look about us, we see so many organizations which are torn asunder because one or two leaders are get ting all of the benefits and the hum ble workers along the line are mis led and cheated. It’s tragic that Christians should be so gullible and undiscerning. Make no m istake, though, there are many wonderful organizations God has ordained for this important hour in which we’re living. We always would urge you first of all to support your own local church, where the Gospel is being preached and God’s Word held high. Then, we think of schools such as Moody Bible Institute, Multnomah School of the Bible, our friends at 19 The only possible preparation for to morrow is the right use of today.
point in which James asks, “Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?” The world does this constantly. Look at the letterheads dispatched by va rious fund-raising o rgan iza tion s. You’ll see the names of those on the sponsoring committees made up of people who are in the public eye. Suppose individuals such as we are had our names on those lists, gen erally being unknown. It wouldn’t make much of an impression on any one. Organizations realize that they need such “name power” to attract others. What James is saying here in the Bible is that one of the sins of this age is snobbery. Verse five continues, “Hearken, my beloved brethren. Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love Him?” What a question with which to be faced squarely. Consider the sin of giving preference to some individuals above others. If all of this sounds as though we’ve been speaking against rich people, please disabuse your mind of that immediately. The Bible reminds us that God is “not willing that any should perish.” Scripture doesn’t say that the rich will not have the op portunity of ipheriting eternal life. It doesn’t say “not any rich,” but it does say “not many rich” shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. That latter “M” from any to many makes all the difference in the world. I have an idea that we’re talking to prob ably very few millionaires on today’s broadcast. So, let me also say this. Being poor doesn’t mean that we automatically have the blessing of God upon our lives. We Christians are sometimes misled in this direc tion. In no sense is this indicated in the Word of God. Unfortunately, sometimes our philosophy is like the people of a certain church who prayed, “Lord, send us a poor hum ble preacher. You keep him humble,
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