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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
July, 1941
an estimated million souls to the Sav iour. There come before my vision now other lives that I have known who are God-touched. Some are evangelists, some pastors, some missionaries, some prayer warriors, some obscure saints of whom the world knows nothing. But in every case, the influence of their lives has .extended far beyond their immediate circle and has made the name of Jesus Christ real and precious to others, They have lived for eternity, not merely for time, and their reward will be given at the judgment seat of Christ. Will you, my dear young fellow Chris tians, be among their number ? Will 1? For Glory and For Beauty Exodus 28 By ANNA GERTRUDE PARKER Costly and beautiful the robes they wore— God's priests of long ago; Of linen fine they were, and broidered well, And hung with many a tiny golden bell, With colors glorified, enriched with gems— For God commanded so. ’Twas this same God who strewed the earth with flowers, Made stately palms and pines; He stretched the heavens, a canvas broad and fair On which to paint, in colors wondrous rare, His glorious designs— Sunsets and rainbows, shapes of fleecy cloud, Aurora’s banners bright. He set its jewels, sun and stars and moon— Tints of the morning, splendors of the noon Are daily His delight. All lovely things that ever were or are, The story tell abroad— Of how He cares for music and sweet sound, Coler and grace and fragrance, where’er found— Our glorious King and God. What precious lessons He would have us learn From Aaron’s priestly dress— The beauty of Christ’s perfect holiness, The wonder of His grace! And He would have us bring Him, day by day, Fruit of the Spirit—ripening alway— And praise, like golden bells.
glory, and the atmosphere of the sanc tuary was charged with the power of God. Men and women would weep over their sins and would cry out, “What must I do to be saved?” In those days, preachers believed toe whole Word of God and proclaimed fearlessly^ “Thus. saith the Lord.” They preached on sin, righteousness, j u d g m e n t , and hell, scorning the cautious and fearful man ner of those who would say: “You must repent as it were, and be converted in a measure, or you will be damned to some ’ extent.” Our schools have been affected also by the modem trend. Some of us remember when there was not only a Bible on the teacher’s desk in the classroom, but when the teacher also would read from it daily, and would lead in prayer, and would have us boys and girls join in the Lord’s Prayer and the singing of one of the great hymns of the church. Now, instead of the reading of the Word of God, there is the teaching of the anti- biblical and antichristian theory of evo lution in many tax-supported schools, and the puritanic standards of living are held up to ridicule. There was a time when men who be came leaders in the affairs oft state were God-fearing, praying men. There are still some of that caliber, thank God. But the public official with convictions of this kind is now the exception rather than the rule. As a nation we have for gotten God, and judgment is inevitable unless we repent and turn to Him. But how can a nation possess or re store God-consciousness ? It .w i 11 be readily agreed that this condition can be brought about only through indi vidual lives that are God-touched. A community or a nation becomes God conscious when its citizens awaken to their personal need of Him — and not before. May God stir every believer to a realization of his or her individual responsibility to others in this regard! The Means by Which God Touches Lives How can we have God-touched lives? First of all, the miracle of regeneration gives us a touch from God, and one that can come to us in no other way. Ac cepting the truth that “Christ died for our sins,” we are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. We be come new creatures in Christ Jesus. We receive eternal life through faith in Him. For us is fulfilled the scripture: • “The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16, R .V .). We have a heart warming experience when we come to Jesus Christ as lost sinners and accept Him as our personal Saviour. Oh, let us rejoice forever in this gracious touch of God upon our lives! Furthermore, the touch of God upon the life is experienced as we read the Word of God and feed upon it. Thus it becomes possible for us to say with the
• The accompanying address was delivered by Dr. Rood, the President of the World's Christian Fundamentals Association and a former President of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, at the Baccalaureate service of the Institute to a graduating class of fifty- five members. Of these, nine were graduates of the four-year degree courses, one student receiving the degree of Bachelor of Sacred Music, two the degree of Bachelor of Chris tian Education, and six the Bachelor of Theol ogy degree. The service was held in the auditorium of the Church of the Open Door, Sunday evening, June I, 1941. On Thursday evening, June 5, Charles E. Fuller delivered the commencement address. (See Page 243.) Psalmist: “My heart was hot within me; while I was musing the fire burned" (Psa. 39:3). We must not devote our selves to the technical study of the Bible to the exclusion of the devotional read ing of the Word. The Word must grip our own s o u l s if our teaching and preaching is to grip other hearts. In the measure in which we are occupied with the Lord and with His Word we shall be' men and women of faith, for “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God4’ (Rom. 10:17). The Evidence of God’s Control God-touched lives will bless mankind. It is a tragedy for any one to go into Christian work witnout God’s touch upon his soul. There is a peculiar anoint ing upon the one who is truly .filled with the Holy Spirit. This divine en- duement makes a man effective as a w i t n e s s for the Lord Jesus Christ, whether in dealing" 'with individuals or in speaking to multitudes. People coine under conviction for sin and their hearts are made hungry for Christ as thev come in contact with the Spirit-filled servant of the Lord. The one whose life God has touched is true as steel to the old gospel, yet he adapts himself to any situation he may have t® face. He is characterized by vision and zeal. He is in blood earnest. He is concerned about the glory of tne Lord and the salvation of souls. He is willing to bum out for God. May God grant that from th£s graduating class there shall go forth those who can be thus described. The extent of the influence of a God- touched life is immeasurable. This fact was brought freshly to my4mind a few days ago, when, passing a restaurant opposite the City Hall in Boston, I chanced to see a plaque which read: “D. L. M q o d y, Onrisuan evangelist, friend of man, founder of the North- field Schools, was converted to God in a shoe store on this site, April 21, 1855.” As I read those words, I praised God for the Sunday-school t e a c h e r who, years before, had found courage to walk into that store and lay his hand on a lad’s shoulder and lead him to Jesus Christ. Surely those two lives were God- touched! I thanked the Lord anew for the ministry of D. L. Moody, who led
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