196
April 1929
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
May 5, 1929 Service a Way to Leadership Matt. 20:20-28 (Consecration Meeting) Daily Readings
playing the organ, thus leading the band of music as well as the choir boys. But in the midst of it all she became so fasci nated with the fine execution of the band, and so delighted with the singing of the choir boys, that she ceased playing herself, and listened. All at once her husband rushed up to her, exclaiming, “Don’t you know that you are leading? They are waiting for you.” In an instant her hands were on the organ, and she resumed the leadership. We all of us have some little circle who are depending on us for their inspiration and leadership. Their hearts will faint if we do not give them encour agement. A certain college president was elected a bishop. A friend advised him not to accept, saying: “If you stay here you can make twenty bishops from among these young men.” Twenty-six missionaries of the American Board have come from Michigan University. When we remem ber that James B. Angell, an earnest Christian minister, was for long at the head of the University, and that his son has recently become president of Yale, we understand the kind of leadership that gets followers for Christ. A poor, childless old couple living in England, on a rocky farm, with their humble house almost in the road, formed the habit of supplying travelers with re freshing drinks from a cold spring in the nearby hillside, and giving fragrant apples from, their trees. Sam Walter Foss was once thus ministered to by them, and it inspired him to write the beautiful poem, “The House by the Side of the Road.” The old gentleman explained to him that they were too poor to give money, so took this way of adding their mite to the world’s well-doing.- A space only thirty-four inches wide and sixteen feet long between two build ings in New York, was utilized, for a rental of $600 a year, by a man who es tablished a job-printing office on the strip. The plant is in the path of heavy travel where hundreds of thousands pass to and fro, and, because of the convenience of location and the good work done, it pays well. If you have a humble position where many come and go, it may be your good fortune to render them a helpful service denied to more pretentious per sons, and in turn bring you a joy that any one might cherish with gratitude. When can a person render humanity the best service? Gorham Esterbrook pre sents an argument in favor of youth, by citing a number of instances: Newton, formulating his law of attraction at twenty-two; Napoleon, made chief of ficer of the day at twenty-seven; Lafay ette, declaring himself the friend of the American colonies at nineteen; Marconi, developing wireless telegraphy at twenty- four; Adoniram Judson, declining a flat tering call from a Boston church at twenty-two, and dedicating himself to missionary work in Burma; David Liv ingstone, at twenty-one, deciding to de vote himself to missionary work. “And so the story runs.” On the other hand, Elbert Hubbard calls attention to John Bigelow, at ninety-four, taking an active interest in political and social problems almost to the day of his death; Bowman, a bishop at ninety-two; John Tenniel, car toonist at ninety; and, after mentioning many others active in old age, says: “Dozens of men can be named between
eighty and ninety who are taking a very practical interest in the world of politics, business and literature.”
A Few Up-to-date Observations Concerning the Bible 1. If the Bible contains “lies,” it con tains the most truthful lies of any book, since men in court have to swear by its veracity. 2. The fact of the great battle of in tellect over its pages gives it a place of unique authorship. 3. The Bible is a huge mirror, and every grin that you make at it laughs back at you in a most uncomfortable manner. 4. There is not much evidence that since we have scrapped the Bible for the speculatipns of scientists, society has be come more ordered; human life more se cure; the churches fuller; the jails emptier; suicide blotted out, or mental asylums become a memory of those past sad days. 5. Produce a better Bible, and you will at least be. sure of one thing; that you have established one important link in the chain of evolution. 6. lit would seem a paradox that since the churches have relegated the Bible to the rear because it no longer attracts the masses, the movies have taken it up be cause it fills the theaters as do no other dramas depicted on the screen. It will be a pity when we turn churches into fac tories, and all the Bible that folks know comes from the movie world. 7. Why do not these great minds who have been so disgusted with the (so- called) discrepancies of the Bible for years, cease to bother with it? It has been ruled out of court, anathematized, laugh ed at and placed on the back shelf; but it refuses to stay there. It is quite uncanny! After we have been assured that it has been well and securely killed (supposed ly) its ghost stands up to terrorize its opponents on their deathbeds. Like a huge gun, it is tested to the maximum, but after the din ahd smoke have subsided, the old gun comes back to the place of rest, ready to fire again. Like an ancient mummy in a museum witnessed by thousands, it suddenly be gins to smile in the same old way, to the consternation of the learned biologists and the public at large.— Geo. Hall. Winona School of Theology The prospectus of this well-known in terdenominational, evangelically orthodox Summer School indicates that the 1929 session will extend from July 10 to Au gust 15 next. The faculty this year includes, in addi tion to Dr. W. E. Biederwolf, director, and Dr. J. A. Huffman, dean of the School, such well-known instructors as Dr. Leander S. Keyser, of Hamma Di vinity School; Dr. John E. Kuizenga, president of Western Theological Semi nary; Dr. Melvin Grove Kyle, president of Xenia Theological Seminary; Dr. George L. Robinson, of McCormick The ological Seminary, and Dr. Robert H. Glover, Assistant Home Director of the China Inland Mission. Courses are applicable to regular the ological degrees. Prospectus may be had upon application to the Dean, at Winona Lake, Indiana.
Apr. 29. Learning to Serve. Acts 16:1-5. Apr. 30. How Joshua Learned. Exod. 17: 9-16. May 1. Thrust into Leadership. Exod. 3:1-10. May 2. The Great Servant. Luke 4:16- 20 . May 3. David “Served.” Acts 13:36. May 4. Training Leaders. Matt. 10:1-8. Lady Henry Somerset, whose philan thropies and eloquence in the cause of hu manity have won for her a world-wide fame, tells us of her life and the change that came to her. She was in earlier life a woman of the world, given over to fashion and pleasure. She inherited im mense wealth, and so had the power to gratify every desire, but in the squander ing of the money on herself she soon failed to find satisfaction, and in saving it she found neither pleasure nor peace. She continued to squander and to save by turns, and became more and more dissat isfied. _She turned to the Bible and studied it earnestly, and soon felt the need of Christian consecration. She desired it, but with the heavy spirit of criticism about her she could not find courage to take the formal step she hoped might be the step to liberty. Faith seemed to. weaken and doubt clouded her mind with its perplexity, but still she searched the Scriptures and, like Nicodemus of old, served God the best she could in secret. Then one day as she was walking in her gardens she heard a voice say distinctly, “Act as if I were, and you shall know that I am.” The voice was not audible to the material ear, and yet Lady Henry declares that she heard the words in her soul as distinctly as though they had been spoken into her ear. She took courage and continued to follow the counsel of words and soon was able to stand in the Holy of Holies, where God was to be seen. She was able now publicly to turn from her former life. She entered a life of blessed, 'blessing benevolence, and the world knows of her life of faith and faithfulness. Charles Kingsley used to say that it was better to wear out than to rust out It would be well if there were many in our midst like Christmas Evans—the old Welsh preacher, who for years rode about on his little white pony over the Welsh hills. When he lay dying, unconscious of those round about him, he was still in thought riding on his pony; and, with quivering lip and dying breath, he said, “Drive on! Drive on!” The first principle of Christianity is to forget one’s self. When Wilberforce was straining every energy to get his bill for the emancipation of slaves passed, a lady once said to him, “Mr. Wilberforce, I’m afraid you are so busy about those slaves that you are neglecting your own soul.” “True, madam,” he replied; “I had quite forgotten that I have one.” That remark contains one of the deepest truths of Christianity.— Add. by Prof. Drummond. Mrs. Margaret Bottome repeats a story which a friend of hers, who is a musician, related. This friend’s husband had ar ranged a musical entertainment for the benefit of some charity, and the wife was
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker