505
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
November 1930
Institute, know something of the constituency of the latter all over the country. They have worked among that con stituency and are aware that it offers prepared soil for the sowing of the good seed of your work. In fact, their enter prise has already led them to engage in such seed-sowing, and where it is done honorably and above board, the Moody Bible Institute would be ashamed of itself before God and man if it raised opposition to it. Moreover, so far as such seed-sowing is in the line of evangelistic or Bible conference work in the region of the Great Lakes, you may call on the Moody Bible Institute for any reasonable aid it can render you, and it will not be denied. That is how we feel toward you. Therefore, I conclude this brief utterance by accommo dating the words of the apostle Paul in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, only substituting another name for Titus to whom, he refers, and I say, “ Whether any do in quire of Dr. White, he is my partner and fellow-helper concerning you; or our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers of the churches and the glory of Christ. Wherefore show ye to them and before the churches, the proof o f your love and of our boasting on your behalf” (8:23,24). they have felt it of sufficient value and importance to be made known to a larger group for discussion. This is the question—what will become o f the vast wealth held by the stewards of Jesus Christ in the event o f the rapture of the church? May we not expect that after that event there will be a scramble for church property as well as the prop erty of individuals who have been taken away ? Who will obtain it— the State, or some designing group or groups of people; or will church properties go into the hands of some sort of church left behind? Will it make any differ ence where it goes? It is my feeling that those who look for Christ to come should plan just as carefully for the disposal of their property in case of their rapture when He appears as they would plan to dispose o f it by bequest to loved ones after their death. Therefore, I have for these several years advocated that in the event of the rap ture of the church all church properties and all funds in the hands of Christians should go to the orthodox Jews. Those of us who are looking for the coming of the Lord believe that there will be a titanic struggle eventually be tween the Roman Catholic Church and the Jews. Surely the Bible would lead us to sympathize with the Jews, even though their attitude at present is that of unbelief, for ultimately they will be convinced o f their guilt in crucify ing their Messiah, and Israel as a nation will be converted and restored. Others have come to share my convictions. I know of at least one woman of wealth who has made her will to read that in the event of the rapture of the church her holdings will go to the Zionist Movement. Is not God already working in the hearts of His people? He is asking them to set their house in order, not in the expectation of death, but because they may at any moment be changed in the twinkling of an eye and caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
again will invite their Alma Mater to hold an evangelistic meeting or a Bible conference in their churches. They will invite the Los Angeles Institute to do so, and we shall be glad; but they will invite the Moody Bible Insti tute also to do so, and we shall not be sorry. At this present date, there are some three churches in this neighborhood, all pastored by Moody Institute men who are desirous of our holding a Bible conference under their auspices. Circumstances may prevent our doing so for some time to come, but were it otherwise, our coming ought not to be understood as an unbrotherly gesture towards your work. Do you think it should ? The same is true of our financial support. Donors to the Moody Bible Institute have resided here on the coast practically during the whole forty years of its existence. And within the last decade or so they have increased great ly as winter residents. They are now likely to. become more and more interested in your work as they are as sured that you and we are one, but comity hardly requires that we should cease all solicitation of them henceforth. Do you think it does ? And now about reciprocity. Three out of the five men now on your staff, and formerly on the staff of the Moody T he K ing ’ s B uslness permits the expression o f the personal views o f its contributors, with the understanding that these views do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Editors. Mr. Umstead’s appeal and argument are unique, to say the least. W e can agree heartily with his feeling that God will hold His children responsible fo r the way in which they use their money .— E ditor . « ast wealth is found in the hands of Christians. What is to become of it ? Such a question may f seem trivial or useless, but it is more impor tant than most Christians have imagined. Some who possess wealth are now dis tributing in Christian work all their income except their living. This is undoubtedly the wisest use we can make of money that God has put in our hands as stewards. When cries for help are heard on every side, and nearly every church, missionary society, and religious institution is either retrenching or struggling to keep its work at normal strength, how can the Christian who loves his Lord shut his heart to such clamant need? None of us can hide behind the excuse that we do not know the need, for we are constantly made aware of it by radio, through magazines, and through letters written by Christian work ers—written ‘almost in tears. Very often these appealing letters are filed in the waste basket, perhaps unopened, at least unconsidered. Hearts are steeled against the cries of the needy. Great institutions which God has planted are allowed to be crippled or destroyed before our very eyes. Will not God call us to serious account for this, when the means of relief for His servants is in our possession ? God’s stewards will surely be charged with misappropria tion of funds, in the day which we feel is not distant, when the church will meet her Lord. For the past six years, another thought has been on my heart. I have mentioned it to some of my friends, and c -e f u
1P • - ' ÉÈ Q iristian Stewards and the Lord’s Coming B y O wen 'U mstead (Redondo Beach, California) Jfe
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