A FEW OF BIOLA'S "49'ERS" iCLASS MOTTO: "INSTRUMENTS OF GOD"
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Presents a CLOSELY GRADED Comprehensive Coverage of the Bible Through Lessons Prepared for Each A g e L e v e l ★ CHRIST CENTERED ★ MODERN IN METHODS ★ ALL BIBLE and ALL OF THE BIBLE ★ SCIENTIFIC ★ NOT DATED The purpose of this fine Sunday School lesson series is to present the.Gospel of Christ to each grade level and give a comprehensive knowledge of the Bible. There is no waste of material because lessons are not dated. Use \) y C o r r e c t ', left-over books next year with a new class. HENRIETTA C. MEARS - Editor - l e Z •k General Sunday School Catalog THE COSPEL LIGHT PRESS 1443-A No. Vine Street, Hollywood 28, Calrf. 1 SUMMER SELECTIONS FROM REVELL "Attractive Folder of detailed informa tion outlining the content of Gospel Light Series of Sunday School Lessons.
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Here is a publishing event to make all sermon-loving Chris tians stop, look and read! These are the gospel sermons, the finest in the field, as preached by such old pulpit masters as D. L. Moody, G. Campbell Morgan, Sam Jones, Gipsy Smith, R. A. Torrey, J. H. Jowett, Charles G. Finney, and the con temporary masters, Vance Havner, Hyman J. Appelman, John R. Rice, Billy Graham, H. A. Ironside, Bob Jones, Sr., Harold J. Ockenga and many others. Two invaluable volumes of sermons for preachers yearning for power and for laymen seeking hope and assurance. VOLUME 1—Classic VOLUME li—Contemporary
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An absorbing novel combining the elements of faith and romance, conveying a vital Christian message to all young people. This is the story of one man’s quest for the full happiness and fruitfulness of the Christian life, a quest which leads him through many heartbreak ing experiences to a new life in Christ and gains, him the love of a beautiful missionary candidate. This great novel comes as a blessing to young people who face much trial and tribulation in casting aside evil ways and walking in the light of the Lord, in this all too material istic world. $2.50 At All Bookstores FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY, NEW YORK 10
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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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Official Publication of The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated
Louis T. Talbot, D.D.
Betty Bruechert Managing Editor
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Copyright, 19b9, The King’s Business No part of this magazine may be reproduced, without permission. All Rights Reserved. Vol. 40 JUNE, 1949 No. 6 EDUCATION NUMBER CONTENTS Poem, A t Evening, Martha Snell N icholson ............................. ............... 3 Editorially Speaking ............................................... .'...................................... 4 Dr. Talbot’s Question B o x ........................................................................ 5 One Little Key, F . B. M e y e r .......................................................................... 5 The Bible in the News, William W. O r r .................................................... 6 Biola’s 49’ers .......................................... 7 Reaching Them Young ................................................. 8 Why are not More Christian Young People Going to the Mission F ield? Samuel H. S u th erla nd .................................................................... 10 What the Bible Says About Heaven, Louis T. Talbot ........................... 11 Junior K ing’s Business, Martha S. H ook er ............................ .............. 12 The Muskrat, Walter L. W ilson ................................................................... 12 Biola Family Circle ............................................................... .■.......................1 3 . Sunsets, George R.K in g ................................................................................. 14 The Daily Grind, Vance H avn er ............................................... .................... 14 Success in Soul-Winning, R. A . T o rrey ............................. ...................... 15 Biola Extension Notes .................................................................................. 16 Giving that Counts, Eugene Poole ..... ........................................................ 17 Sunday School Lessons, Hom er A . Kent, Allison A rrow ood .............. 19 Bible Quiz ...................................................... 19 Young People’s Topics, Walter L. W ilson ................................................. 24 Object Lessons, E lm erL. W ild er .................................................................... 28 Book Reviews .......................................... 30 SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION—"The King's Business” is published monthly; $2.00, one year; $1.00, six months; 20 cents, single copy. Clubs of three or more at special rates. Write for details. Canadian and foreign subscriptions 25 cents extra. It requires one month for a change of address to become effective. Please send both old and new addresses. REMITTANCES—Payable in advance, should be made by bank draft, express, or post office money order payable to “ The King’s Business.” Date of expiration will show plainly on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. ADVERTISING—For information, address the Advertising Manager, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angieles 13, California. MANUSCRIPTS— "The King’s Business” cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts mailed to us for consideration. Entered as secon,d-class matter November 7, 1938, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, Cali fornia, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in the Act of February 28, 1925, embodied in paragraph 4, section 538, P. L. and R., authorized October 1, 1918, and November 13, 1938. ADDRESS: The King’s Business, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 13, California.
AT EVENING W HAT have you done for the Lord today? Can you think of the vanished moments and say “ I spent them every one for my Lord, I started the day with His precious Word. “ Then I lifted my heart in prayer to Him Till Heaven was real and earth was dim, And my Saviour was personal and dear, And all day long I could feel Him near. “ He guarded my tongue, my feet, my ears, Dispelled my worries and stilled my fears; He showed me that only those things would last Which I did for Him, and that time sped fast. “ He taught me that nothing was ever too hard If it was done in the strength of the Lord-. And all through the hours, as the moments sped, I the body, and He the Head. “ I lived so that all whom I met could see His Holy Spirit shining through me.” 0 friend, is this what our hearts can say As we sit and think at the close of day? —Martha Snell Nicholson Dear Christian Friends: For several months I have been receiv ing THE KING’S BUSINESS through the kindness o f a Women’s Missionary Society in the State of Washington. Each issue brings great blessing to me personally, and also supplies stories, sug gestions, and pictures that are most help ful in my work among the Brazilian peo ple. It is one of the loveliest presents I could receive. May our Lord continue to bless you in your world-wide ministry. Yours to make the Saviour known, —MYRA JEAN ARNOLD. Caixa Postal 89,, Teresina, Piaui, Brazil March l$k 19b9
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God as long as God Himself lives. The believer’s responsibility rests on this position. His life is no longer his own; his aims and his ambitions are submerged in the river of God’s will. His future is forever joined with the future of other saved people and with their Sav iour. Consequently, every act that the Christian does is to be directed by the motive of advancing the cause of Christ. There is no other reason for the continu ance of life except to honor by life and lip the One whom he serves. This, then, is the meaning of asking in the name of Christ. It is to ask for the sake of Christ; it is to ask for the fur therance of His great cause. It is the complete absence of self, and the com plete dominance of the Lord’s cause. It is to ask only that Jesus Christ might receive the honor and the glory. Do your prayers which close with “ for Jesus’ sake” come up to this standard? Do your petitions, when voiced, measure up to this test? Penicillin and Hyssop According to the National Geographic, all the penicillin used during the first years after its discovery by Sir Alex ander Fleming “ descended” from a spore which blew in through a window at St. Mary’s Hospital near Paddington Sta tion in 1928. Fortunately for mankind, the plate was not cleaned or the mold thrown away, and so out of this chance happen ing came the vastly important discovery of penicillin. Some time after its dis-. covery, the mold was identified as peni cillin notatum, a species found in decay ing hyssop, which is a low European mint, or an aromatic herb formerly used medicinally, and well known to Bible readers. It must be very stimulating to Flem ing and to all his co-workers to recall the words of the Psalmist, David, “ Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean” (Psalm 57:7). Noah’s Ark Again Once again the famous boat which God commanded Noah to build before the .flood has come into the news. Egerton Sykes of Great Britain, and Dean Aaron J. Smith o f North Carolina, planned a trip to Armenia to endeavor to run down the nersistent rumors that the ark, or a portion of it, still remained encased in snow and ice, high up on the slopes of Mt. Ararat. But the projected expedition took a peculiar turn, with the Russian editors o f Moscow Pravda claiming that the “ ark trio” was a cover-up for spy activi ties in the Near East. To this Sykes re plied, “ Anyone who thinks I’m going to climb that mountain and sit on top amid the ice and snow spying on Russia through a telescope, must be insane. Be sides,” he added wistfully, “ if the secret service were behind me, I wouldn’t have so much trouble raising money.” T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
basis of fair and honest government, and the foundation for a true and liv ing faith in God whose promises never fail.” The General went on to say that 30,- 000,000 copies of the Scriptures were needed to bring Christ to Japan and that an opportunity o f this magnitude, pre senting an opening to turn an entire na tion to God, comes only once in the his tory o f the world. Now is the time for Japan because the people have lost all faith in what they had believed, and faith in a new religion must be implant ed in their hearts. The General then asked, “ You are going to back me up in this, aren’t you? You are not going to fail me in this job, are you?” It is a question whether the Christian people of America fully realize the tre mendous opportunity that Japan pre sents at the present moment. China, with its far more threatening background, of fers a striking contrast. There, current happenings may result in a tightening of restrictions upon missionary endeavor and in the distribution of Christian lit erature, but today Japan is open. May God stir the hearts of the Christian peo ple o f the world to respond to this chal lenge. Tt was the last night of our Lord’s life before the crucifixion and He was giving vital instructions to His disciples. Among other things, He told them that while hitherto they had not asked in His name, now all their petitions were to be after this manner (John 16:23. 24). What does it mean to ask in the name of Christ? Does it mean merelv to close each prayer with the formula. “ This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen” ? No. for that would become a mere meaningless +al;s- mao such as the nagans use. The truth of the matter is that a«0 Good-bye and God Bless You Graduation time is always a sad-glad time. This year the Bible Institute of Los Angeles bids Godspeed to the class of 1949, numbering 208 young people, in cluding 27 graduates of the School of Missionary Medicine. This is the largest group ever to be graduated from the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, and a group whose high scholastic averages and spiritual attainments seem to indi cate that they will have a large and im portant place in God’s economy. But of this we are absolutely sure, that never in the history of the world have there been such tremendous oppor tunities for genuine, unselfish, stick-to- it-ive service. Many sections of our land are without resident pastors. New fields of gospel preaching are constantly open ing, and the mission field, to a greater or lesser degree, is wide open. But we have confidence in you. We be lieve that you have the spiritual forti tude and the Biblical training that will make you fleming evangels in God’s needy world o f today. Our nrayer is that the Lord o f the harvest will give you the privilege of not only sowing and tending, but of reaping many precious sheaves to lay at the feet of our adorable Lord. 30 ,000 ,000 Scriptures Needed A letter is on our desk from Glenn Wagner, Foreign Secretary of the Pocket Testament League. It tells of a visit by Mr. Wagner and Timothy Pietsch, Ja pan’s Field Secretary, with General Douglas MaoArthur in Tokyo. These servants of Christ, engaged in the large scale distribution of the Holy Scriptures in Japan, went to General MacAr+^'ir for his endorsement of this r>roinct. The re sult was that not only did the General give a fine letter of endorsement, but added a splendid statement concerning his belief in the Scriptures and in the Christ which they present. Here is the General’s statement: “ It gives me great pleasure to com mend the reading o f the Bible, God’s immortal gift to the human race, for in its pages there is revealed that righteousness which exalteth a nation. In the sacred Scriptures you will find the Saviour of the world who is the chief cornerstone of all liberty, the Page Four 1 have been a church member fo r sev eral years, but have been saved only four months. I was baptized as an infant, and our two children were also, but I cannot find any basis for infant baptism in the Bible? Please make this clear. In the New Testament we find that the first requisite for baptism was that the person be a born-again believer. Nat urally this would not apply to infants. However, often the baptism of infants is merely intended as a service of dedica tion, when the parents publicly covenant with God that they will rear their chil dren in the ways of the Lord, which is right and proper, and those who thus baptize babies do not consider the rite a means o f salvation. When the child reaches the age of discretion the parents should do all in their power to lead the child to a real saving faith in Christ. Then after the child has been saved, he should be baptized. Why did Satan come into the Garden o f Eden in the form of a serpent? Apparently this was done to increase the deception, for the Biblical record leads us to believe that the serpent was then earth’s most beautiful creature. But with the curse of God upon it as an in strument of Satan, it became the crawl ing serpent we know today, eating the dust o f the earth. Is it all right fo r Christians to hold fashion shows to secure funds fo r the church? Decidedly not! In the New Testament Christians are admonished to give regu larly, systematically, and cheerfully on the basis o f what God has given them. If believers would follow this plan and be generous with God, there would be no lack of funds for carrying on the work of the church. Reading the eighth and ninth chapters of Second Corinthians will throw much light on the subject of Christian giving. I am confused over the question o f the “Jews" and the “Israelites.” Are they one and the same? There are three terms used in the Bible to describe God’s ancient people. The term “ Hebrew” has the root mean ing: “ those who cross over.” God called Abraham to leave his home and kindred and to go into a new land. So the chil dren o f Abraham are really Hebrews. The term “ Israel” is the new name that God gave Jacob, meaning “ a prince with God.” Thus the descendants of Jacob are called Israelites. The term “ Jew” orig inates from Judah, one o f the sons of Israel; Judah means “ praise.” The Lord Jesus Christ was born of the fleshly line o f Judah. But in the New Testament, and in common usage today, these three terms are synonymous, all meaning God’s ancient chosen people. Is there any scriptural teaching on the keeping of Lent? No, there is not. The Christian prin ciples of self-sacrifice which are sup posed to apply to Lent ought to be the everyday rule in the life of the Chris tian. We should love the Lord as sin cerely in December as we do in the weeks preceding Easter. J U N E , 1 9 4 9 the Holy Spirit inspired the human writer to make the record. Why did the Lord condone the lie told by Rahab in Joshua 2:5,6? Is it possible to tell a lie to the glory of God? Nowhere in the Bible is it implied that God approved o f Rahab’s telling an un truth, even while assisting the spies to escape from their pursuers. However, God did see the great faith of this wom an in spite of her heathen background, and honored her belief in Him by listing her name among God’s heroes in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, along with Noah and Abraham, Joseph and Moses. ONE LITTLE KEY O NE night I knelt and I gave Him the key ring of my will with all the keys of my life on it (except one lit tle one). Then I heard Him say, “ Are they all here?” “ Yes,” I said, “ all but one, the key of a tiny closet in my heart of which I must keep control.” “ But if you don’t trust Me in all, you don’t trust Me at all.” I tried to make terms: “ Lord, I will be devoted in everything else, but I can’t live without the contents of that closet.” I believe that my whole life was hov ering in the balance, and, if I had kept the key of that closet and had mistrust ed Christ, He never would have trusted me to give out His blessed Word. He seemed to be receding from me, and I called Him back and sobbed, “ I am not willing, but I am willing to be made will ing.” It seemed as though He took that key from me and went straight for that closet (I knew what He would find there, and He knew, too) and opened it. Within a week He had cleared it all out. But He filled it with something so much better. Why, what a fool I had been! He took away the sham jewels and gave me the real ones. He took away the idol that was eating out my life and gave me Himself. — F. B. Meyer. Page Five How do you reconcile Exodus 2U:10: “And they saw the God of Israel . . .” with John 1 :18: “ No man hath seen God at any time” ? Upon several occasions in Old Testa ment times God was seen of men. These pre-incarnation appearances are called “ theophanies.” For example, God ap peared to Abraham and talked with him. It is clear from study of the Hebrew titles for God that these were all mani festations of the Second Person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus. It is God the Father whom “ no man hath seen at any time.” Is it wrong for Christian fellows to play baseball on Sunday afternoon? Please suggest some Scripture to read in this connection. There are some things which appar ently are harmless in themselves, but which a Christian cannot do without spoiling his testimony. A Christian must order his life in a different manner from an unbeliever. Of course no Scripture bears directly on this subject, but the principle laid down in First Corinthians 10:31 and Colossians 3:17 will settle such problems for the true follower of the Lord. When the Bible mentions SHEEP, is it always referring to the Jews? I have thought that Psalm 23 and John 10 might include me. Which is correct? It is true that the Jews were God’s people, and David as a son o f Abraham said, “ The Lord is my shepherd.” But it is also true that we may have the same assurance, for there is but one Saviour and one Shepherd of the sheep, as stated in John 10:16: “ Other sheep I have . . . and they shall hear my voice . . . and there shall be one fold and one shep herd.” If Moses was the writer of the Book o f Deuteronomy, how could he tell of his own death? In John 5:46 Christ states: “ Moses . . . wrote of me,” referring to the Penta teuch. However, the Holy Spirit was the true author of the Word, although He used men as instruments. Likely the last chapter of Deuteronomy was written by Joshua, Moses’ successor. In both cases, bones could have been found by some en terprising evolutionist and so furnished “ proofs” for another missing link. Too often we forget that there is always un limited capacity for variety among God’s creatures. H. J. Res. 181 ■Jt Honorable Albert Cole o f Kansas re cently introduced into the House o f Rep resentatives a bill which would acknowl edge the rights of Almighty God as a party to the Constitution o f the United States. The argument is that the rights of man have always been of paramount interest and are safeguarded by the first Ten Amendments, but what of. the rights of God? Is there any relation be tween such recognition and the recog nition of the rights of men. The forego ing resolution aims to clarify this mat ter. Now Jerusalem A United Press dispatch tells of the moving of the Israeli Government De partments from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in what was said to be the opening step to make that Holy City the capital of the new Jewish state. More than one thou sand government workers have already been transferred although the move is said to be hotly contested by the Arab forces. We feel that this is another important step in the great chain of events which must culminate in that coming corona tion day when the heavens will part and the feet of Christ. Israel’s long awaited and then recognized King, will stand upon the Mount of Olives. Prayer Room ■Jt in what is said to be the first official act of deference to the concept o f a Su preme Being, there is to be set up in the United Nations building in Manhattan a prayer room. Orders are given to the architects to install a simple undenomi national prayer room in a sequestered area of the six-block project where the faithful o f 'all religions can prav for guidance as their diplomats search for peace. This is the one bright spot in an otherwise gray and dismal picture of this Jt There is a very patient scientist at the University of California in Los Angeles who has worked for a quarter of a cen tury in an attempt to find out if man is capable of creating life. He reports that it is quite possible that the mysterious force we call life is nothing more than a cunning combination of electrical forces which result from the atomic structure of protoplasm. So, he declares, if a man determines all the factors in protoplasm and the manner in which they are put together, eventually he may 'have na ture’s blueprints for the origin of life. To this we reply that the Word of God teaches that life is a quality o f the per son of God which is loaned to man for the purpose which God has planned. We need not fear that any scientists or com bination of scientists may produce that which is the breath of God Himself. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S organization. Creole Liie? William W . O r , D.D. Science Comes Nearer «5* According to Howard W. Blakeslee, the Bible story of creation is receiving new support from science. While mod ern science and the Bible differ greatly on the subject of the origin of man and the earth, there have been three revolu tionary changes in scientific thought, moving toward the Genesis position. These are: first—that the heavens and the earth did come into being simulta neously as stated in Genesis; second— that the essential creative act was per formed in a very brief period of time rather than in the billions of years for merly believed ; third—that emergence of light may have been the first step in creation. These widespread admissions on the part of foremost scientists are indeed victories of the first order. Let Christian young people take cour age in their determined stand upon the ' truth of revelation. The day will come when every scientist will bow the knee and with his tongue confess the absolute veracity of the unerring Word of God. To Cure Worry One of America’s leading psychiatrists from Connecticut, discloses that it is now possible to surgically operate on victims of chronic anxiety, with surprisingly suc cessful results. He reports that it is now possible to look at brain cells and ac tually see a mental disease which may subsequently be treated with physical means. Surgeons are now said to be able to reduce anxiety with the aid o f a local anesthesia, followed by a simple brain operation disconnecting some o f the “ wires” so that the patient mav be Back at his classes, or at his work, the follow ing day. Upon this technique to cure worry we are unable to comment, yea or nay. What we do know is that the Lord promises to keep in perfect peace those whose mind is stayed on Him (Isaiah 26:3 ), and that when the Lord is our Shepherd we shall not want (Psalm 23:1). A perfect antidote for all forms o f worry is to be found in Philippians 4:6, 7. Read it and believe it! Page Six RCC in the News The Roman Catholic Church makes the headlines regularly. Recently a Cleve land priest invented a device by which Catholic motorists may say their rosaries while driving in their cars. Plastic clips are fastened to the horn ring which take the place of the usual beads. One may thus “ pray” and drive at the same time. In all the furor raised about the con version of Claire Booth Luce to Catholi cism, almost no mention was made of the fact that her mother was a Roman Catholic. To this the American Protes tant states that only one comment is nec essary : “ The apple does not fall far from the tree.” Occasionally the Pope makes pro nouncements of current and enduring value. Now he calls for a return to the preaching of hell fire and damnation, saying that it is more urgently needed today than ever before. To which, of course, we reply that such Bible teaching definitely excludes the absolutely unbibli- cal doctrine of purgatory. Large headlines called attention to the reported “ weeping” of a Catholic plaster image o f St. Anne in the hands of an eleven-year-old girl at Syracuse, New York. It is quite understandable that a child with an active imagination might make up such a story, especially after the plaster image had spent some days in a damp trash can. What is amazing, however, is that adult men and women by the thousands should blindly rush over to the spot of the reported miracle and almost trample on one another to get near the scrap of painted pottery. This is the result o f the blind superstition fostered by the Roman Catholic Church. Midget Cow & A full-grown cow, said to be the small est in the world, is to be found near Everett, Washington. She is three feet long and two feet high, weighs about ninety pounds, and is considered by the veterinarians to be between two and three years old. While there has been some dispute about it, the owner claims that she is “ all cow.” It is too bad that this cow didn’t live a hundred or more years ago so that the B IO LA S 4 9 ers countries. About 100 have foreign service in view; 39 home service; others plan additional education or are undecided with regard to the future. Those who plan to go to the foreign field have the following countries in view: Africa, 24; Central Asia, I; China, 14; French Indo-China, I; Hawaiian Islands, I; India, 4; Japan, 6; Mexico, 4; Mongolia, 3; Philip pines, 2; South America, 19; So. Pacific Islands, I; Tibet, I. The class officers are: President, Joseph Cooke; Vice-Presi dents, Gerald Hawthorne and John Shigekawa; Secretary, Ruth Brown; and Treasurer, Ruth McCormick. The class speak ers are: Seminary, Carl Brydon; Institute, Gertrude Cutler; and School of Missionary Medicine, John Shigekawa. The Bible Institute of Los Angeles is grateful to God for the honor bestowed upon it in being allowed to train such a promising group of Christian young people. May God's rich est blessing be upon every life as they go into all the world with the gospel of the Risen Christ. f j NE hundred years ago, California was invaded by the 49'ers, lured to the West Coast by the promise of great fortunes in the newly-discovered gold fields. While it is pretty obvious that the Biola 49'ers have not found any earthly treasures during the three or four years they have been "prospecting" at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, they agree unanimously that here they have found "some thing more than gold"—spiritual wealth of inestimable value, through the study of God's Word. They in turn go out from Biola to seek other precious hidden treasures—the souls of lost men and women in all parts of the world. Their class motto, based upon Romans 6:13, seems particularly appropri ate: "Instruments of God." As such, they cannot but make an ineffaceable impression for God upon their time and gen eration. The 208 graduates (33 Seminary, 27 School of Missionary Medicine, 148 Institute), represent 31 states and 3 foreign J U N E , 1 9 4 9 Page Seven BM i. Jn,0° H P * ’' 4)0.1 C' ■ I t * n o\ 0 f « S B T t o v » u v u -iV6J V '! ^11 given in every grade, interwoven with history, science and other studies. Such subjects as: “ How we got the Bible,” “ Synthetic Study of the Bible,” “ Great Bible Doc trines,” “ System of Scripture Memoriza tion,” “ History of the Jews,” “ Bible History,” “ Life of Christ,” “ L’ fe of Paul,” “ The Dispensations” and' “ Books of the Bible” (chapter summary meth ods) are covered, so that when the pupil has finished the course, he will have covered a wide variety of subjects and will have an excellent background for a Christian layman, or a good start as a full-time Christian worker. Two busses, accommodating 55 and 44 passengers each, convey the children who are unable to come by local bus, bicycle or on foot, to and from their homes. Cost of transportation is covered by special offerings; no assistance what ever is received from the state for this purpose. In the field of sports, a creditable athletic department is being built up. Already the boys have competed with the Lutheran School and John Brown Academy in basketball, while the girls .have played Culter Academy at volley ball. Two-thirds of an acre of ground is fenced off for a playground. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S . v o ^ V stucco building housing tV> first nine grades of the Brethren Day Schools, under the able supervision of teachers who are more interested in giving their pupils wholesome Chr stian instruction than in the larger salaries which they could earn by teaching in public schools. Onlv teachers who are fundamental Christians, holding the pr'millennial position, and thoroughly orthodox, are engaged for this important work. Scho lastically, they are requ'red to possess qual'fications of the same standard as for public schools, in' addition to a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. However, the school is not limited to members of the Brethren Church, but is open to children of any denomination. Twelve pupils are enrolled from preach ers’ families representing six different denomna-ions. “ We have more appli cations,” says Dr. Mayes, “ than we can possibly care for with cur present equip ment.” All subjects are taught from the Christ’an viewpoint and with an evan gelical emphasis. Instruction in Bible is F IRMLY believng that he best pos sible time for training children in Christian knowledge and practice is in the early formative years, the First Brethren Church of Tong Beach, Cali fornia, has dince September, 1947, con ducted its own day school, coverng grades from the fir~t to ninth inclusive, with a plan to add a grade each year until a full h gh school course is covered. Since taking over the pao orate of the First Church, nearly three years ago, Dr. Charles W. Maves, enthusiastic, earnest and capable, with the aid of an efficient and cooperative board, has di rected this project from its beginning. This is a striking example of what can be done in the matter of real Chris tian education if the leaders have vision, and are willing to work hard, sacrifice freely, and give generously of their means. As one drives along Orange Avenue in North Long Beach, he comes within sight of the modern, light blue-tinted A glee club has been formed, which meets in the Second Brethren Church building across the street from the school grounds, until the buildings can accom modate this class. The year-old building in which the school is now conducted is owned by the Second Brethren Church and leased to the First Brethren Church with the latter completely responsible for the administration. The school is maintained by free-will pledges, augmented as necessary by sponsorships and gifts from those who have no children in the school. The cost per pupil is about $12 a month, and in addition a small charge is made for the books, paid in annual installments for three years, after which they become the property of the school. At present the school has an enroll ment of 160 pupils, with a staff o f ten, headed by Albert L. Flory, superin tendent, formerly both a student and member of the teaching staff of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. Driving two miles farther north on Orange Avenue, the spacious ten-acre site of the proposed high school—second unit of this growing Christian day school —comes into view. This new building, now ready for the roof and equipped with the most modern radiant heating system by which hot water circulates through pipes in the cement floor, is to be finished in time for school in Septem ber. This building now under construc tion will accommodate about 200 pupils. About 50 different volunteer workers have assisted at various times in the work of the new building. The drafts man, head carpenter and practically all the workmen have been members of the First Brethren Church, although some friends from other congregations have helped. This new building will have five regular classrooms, including space for chemistry, physics and library. Later it is planned to erect an audi torium-gymnasium on the grounds, but the buildings will not be mushroomed into being, only erected as need requires, thus avoiding too much financial respon sibility at one time. This second group of buildings now under construction is estimated by the county building department to cost $66,000, but the actual outlay will be around $40,000, owing to saving in buy ing material, and to the willing volunteer helpers who contribute their labor. The objective of the school is to give the boys and girls a fully-rounded pro gram of education, based upon the Bible as originally committed by God to His people. History shows that for centuries education was promoted by the church through Christian people; “ but,” said Dr. Mayes, “ for the last century this job has been turned over to the state. It is common knowledge now that due to the recent action of the Supreme Court o f the United States and trends in general, very little Bible is allowed in the average public school.” J U N E , 1 9 4 9 THE PLASTIC YEARS They pass so quickly, the days of youth, And the children change so fast, And quickly they harden in the mould, And the plastic years are past. Then shape their lives while they are young. This be our prayer, our aim, That every child that we meet shall bear The imprint of His name! —Martha Snell Nicholson Charles W. Mayes, D.D. Pastor of First Brethren Church, Long Beach, Calif. Dr. Mayes maintains that any evan gelical church with a vision can start such a day school, provided it has a building to begin with, for the cost of approximately twelve or fifteen dollars per month for each pupil. With thirty pupils for each teacher, the operating expenses can be well met. “ It is our hope,” stated Dr. Mayes, “ that other Christian groups throughout the country will be encouraged to launch out on this much-needed kind of educational pro gram for reaching the young with the Gospel first before subversive elements gain control over their young lives.” The present school is conducted in this building, completed in the summer of 1948 with a floor space of about 4,000 square feet. L eft to righ t: Joyce Squires, teacher o f third and fourth grades; Vivian Showalter, school nurse and teacher o f classes in health; Kathryn Rogers, teacher of ninth grade with some classes in seventh and eighth; Albert L. Flory, principal and teacher of seventh and eighth grades with some classes in the ninth; Lawrence Thon, director of athletics, buildings and grounds; Wilma Price, teacher of fifth and sixth grades; Ruth Nelson, bookkeeper and office secretary; Mary Mulloy, teacher of first and second grades. This hew building with 10,000 square feet o f floor space will open fo r high school in September, 1949. A large patio is in the rear between the two wings. A temporary tool shed is seen in front. Page Nine WHY are not more Christian yogng people going to the mission field? trunkloads of equipment would suffice in those days, mission boards are now requiring that more and more equip ment be transported to the fields, in cluding the latest in radio broadcasting devices, sound amplification, and mov ing pictures. Consequently, mission aries are loaded down with one to two tons of equipment which they must pur chase at a much higher price than be fore. Transportation costs too are high er and foreign governments are requir ing substantial deposits before mis sionaries can get into many areas o f the world. In addition, whereas the faith mis sion boards do everything that they possibly can to get the attention of Christian people in behalf o f young out going missionaries, yet it is a well- established fact that mission boards consider it a token of the Lord’s leading if the candidate can raise, in large part, his outgoing expenses and support for at least one term. Where is the young would-be missionary to secure such support ? The young men and women who are eager to go to the mission field are be ing trained faster than the older mis sionaries are retiring. The conservative churches are already supporting as many missionaries as they can afford to sustain. It then becomes a grave problem to the young people how this support is to be provided. It is easy to say, “ The Lord will provide!” He does, but He must do so through human channels, and with real dollars and cents. Many of these young missionary can didates endeavor to make contacts with churches, but without any special “ pull” they find it quite impossible to get started, through absolutely no fault of their own. Therefore they settle down to some type of Christian or secular work in this country because they must have means in order to live. Alas, only a favored few are ever able to realize their hopes and ambitions and actual ly get out into foreign missionary serv ice. What is the solution? It is not the purpose of the writer to endeavor to present any ideal solution to this very complex problem. An effort is being made merely to set forth the picture as a whole. Certainly it is not the fault of the Christian institutions which are ( Continued on Page 17) T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S Women of San Salvador, Central America. —Photo by George King A DISCERNING DISCUSSION O F A DIFFICULT PROBLEM By Samuel H, Sutherland, D. D. Dean of the Bible institute of Los Angeles W ITHIN a few weeks, hundreds of young people will be gradu ating from Bible Institutes, ^Bi the Lord’s appointment for him and since candidates for foreign service were not numerous, he would be quite readily' accepted by a denominational mission board or one of the growing “ faith” missions. Then he would pack up his belongings in two or three trunks, engage passage on a freighter, bid a fond farewell to loved ones, and in due course o f time he would find himself on foreign shores ready to do service fo r the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a far cry from the conditions which exist today. In the first place, while there may be in the conservative churches, which are almost the only churches supporting foreign missions today, a greater num ber of missionary-minded Christians than there have ever been, yet the de mands upon their resources have in creased to a point never before experi enced in the history of Christian giv ing. With hundreds of radio programs and special “movements,” all worthy in themselves, drawing funds from the same sources, the foreign missionary cause is no longer paramount in the budgets of some of the most spiritual and fundamental churches. In the second place, there are more missionaries on the foreign field than there were a generation ago. In the third place, it costs much more to main tain a missionary which means that fewer churches carry a greater load than ever before. The young people themselves are confronted with problems which mis sionaries of a former generation did not have to face. Whereas two or three ble Colleges, and other institutions of higher learning, with their faces set to ward full-time Christian service in for eign fields. The months will pass by, and many, if not the greater number, of these young people will become dis couraged in their efforts to get to the foreign field. Consequently, some will settle down in pastorates or other types of Christian service in the homeland and others will find employment in secular work and become lay leaders in their own home churches. Thus they will be lost to the great foreign missionary enterprise and to thé evangelization of the heathen in their time and genera tion. The question will be asked: “What is the matter with our young people ? Have they lost their missionary vision and zeal?” Or the question may be expressed this way: “ What is wrong with our . Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges ? Why are they not sending more young people into foreign mis sionary service?” This problem is greater than it may appear at first glance, and it cannot be dismissed in a moment by resorting to thoughtless criticism. It must be first borne in mind that as our whole world has been practically “ turned upside down” within a genera tion, so the situation with regard to foreign missions has altered according ly. Things are simply not what they once were. Years ago, a young man might decide that the foreign field was Page Ten First in a New Series of Messages By Louis T. Talbot, D.D. O NE cold wintry day during a pas torate in the Middle West, I was asked to call at the home of a woman who was said to be dying. All the occupants of the home were stran gers to me. On entering the house, I was met by a man who proved to be the hus band of the dying woman, and also by her mother and father who were there— and the attitude of all of them was one o f bitterness and resentment. When I introduced myself as a min ister o f the gospel, they cried out with vehement rudeness, “ If you have a God, He must be a monster to permit what is going on upstairs!” They declared in one breath that they did not believe in God and in the next that they did—but that they had no con fidence in His love, His mercy, or His justice. “ If you want us to believe in your God,” the husband blurted out, “ let Hftn now restore my wife to health.” “ Yes,” the parents chimed in, “ let Him raise our daughter from this death bed.” I tried to speak calmly. “ My friends,” I replied, “ I know there is a God, and that He is merciful as well as just. His Word says so. But you can never get anything from Him by approaching Him in the belligerent attitude you are show ing. “ And now,” I added, “may we go to the patient’s room?” Not too willingly, someone led the way. When I entered that bedroom, it seemed to me I was passing from Satan’s terri tory into Heaven itself, for the one whom I met there had that sweet, confi dent restfulness which belongs only to the children of God. I sat by her bedside and spoke to her of the Saviour and of Heaven. I am not sure how many Scrip tures I read to her—precious passages on which she and every other sinner must rest his or her faith—but the fol lowing must have been among them: “ For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18). “ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). J U N E , 1 9 4 9 When I asked the question, “ Are you sure that when you pass out of this world you will go to .b e with Christ?” she replied with beautiful confidence, “ I know that my redeemer liveth.” Just then the husband came into the room and the wife beckoned him to come near. She put her arms around him and told him that she was going to Heaven. She tried to express to him what Christ meant to her, how He had enabled her to live victoriously and was empowering her to die triumphantly. She told him also that if he would put his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and accept Him as his Saviour, they two would meet again. A few moments later, the father and mother who had said such hard words against the love and mercy of God, also entered the room. Their daughter spoke to them persuasively o f the grace and love of God, and reminded them that she had earnestly endeavored to lead them all to Christ. “ It may be,” she said, “ that this is God’s way of bringing you to give heed to those things that are really worth while.” Two hours later, she passed into the presence of the Redeemer whom she loved. That afternoon, I had the privilege of leading the husband and also the father and mother to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Their lives dur ing the years -which followed revealed that a real heart change had taken place with each of them. “ Just think,” they often would exclaim rapturously, “ now all of us are going to be ‘ever with the Lord’ !” Yes, the destiny of every child of God is to be “ ever with the Lord.” His ever lasting home is to be the new earth with its New Jerusalem. The consum mation of his hope is to be the fashioning of his own body like unto that of Him who redeemed him. His highest vocation is to share the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Christian passes through this world as a pilgrim and a stranger, by faith looking ahead to the “ city which hath foundations, whose builder and mak er is God.” When he enters that eternal abode, his pilgrimage is over and he is at Home. The perfection of God’s provision of a home for His redeemed children is be yond all human understanding. Eloquent descriptions of Heaven have come from the gifted pens and lips of renowned writers and preachers—utterances based upon the revelation in God’s Word. But when once we reach the presence of God and see the King in His glory, when we gaze upon that glorious place in which we are to reside, our confession will be like that of Solomon’s visitor: “ The half was not told me.” Here, in the twilight of earth, the heart yearns for the sunnier clime of Heaven. Trials, losses, tears, and graves create a longing for the land never rav aged by the sorrows and sins of this mortal life. We long for complete deliv erance from a groaning and travailing creation. Death, as it touches some loved one of ours, turns our thoughts heav enward, perhaps more than any other experience. When a dear one, trusting in Christ, has been snatched from our side, we wonder what our departed friend is doing.in the life beyond the grave. We shall never know the full story until we arrive and see for ourselves. How ever, the Bible gives us a sufficient though a partial revelation o f that tear less, sinless, deathless home which God is preparing for all who love and trust Him. It is pleasing to Him that we should desire to know beforehand the information He has given about where we are to spend the eternal ages. The prospect of going to a new home always creates a special interest. For example, before I left Australia to re side in America, I spent a great deal of time gathering information about this country. Every atlas in my father’s home was consulted and marked. The time-ta bles of American railroads were eagerly perused, and literature pertaining to the United States was studied carefully. You see, I was planning to live here, and I wanted to know about my new home in advance of my arriving here. My friends, if God has invited us to spend eternity in another realm and with Him, then it is to be expected that He has recorded important facts in His Word about that “ . . . land o f pure delight, Where saints immortal reign.” (Continued on Page 18) Page Eleven
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