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, r . v SragPflpP ^ FEBRUARY 1966 . (With features from the Jafttiary ,_ *-r / ! jX * V „■ ^ f \ ■ -.- ^‘Bioia Hour.” broadcasts.)
Biola S BROADCASTER
CONTESTS PERSONAL EVANGELISM ................. 3 THE PRESENTATION .......................... 5 THE IMPORTANCE ................................ 7 THE EXAMPLE ...................................... 9 THE COMMAND ....................................11 THE ADVANTAGES ..............................12 THE EXCUSES .............................................14 THE PLACE ................................................16 TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS .........18 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ........ 21 WHERE BIOLA STANDS .................... 26 PARABLES AND PEARLS ................. 28 INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL .........31 COVER: Pictured on this month's cov er is the Rose of Sharon Prayer Chap el, one of the newest facilities on Biola's Campus. The structure pic tured in the far distance is the music building, Crowell Hall.
Monthly Publication of the BIOLA FELLOWSHIP Vol. 6 No. 2 FEBRUARY, 1966 STAFF President _______ _____.$. H. SUTHERLAND Editor_____________ ______ .ALSANDERS Production ............. ......VIRGINIA LUBER Photography .............. .... JILL EHMANN Printing _________ _____ ...CHURCH PRESS Published monthly by the Radio Department BIBLE IN STITU TE OF LOS ANG ELES 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90017
Controlledcirculation postagepaid at Los Angeles, California.
TOOK CHRISTIAN WILL Did you know that there is a way to invest in Biola for the training of students while saving costly estate taxes! Ultimately you may be able to leave more money for your loved ones. As a Fellowship member you are under no obligation when you write for information or counsel. BIOLA STEWARDSHIP D EPARTM ENT T H E B I B L E I N S T I T U T E H O U R CA LIFO RN IA Arroyo Grande-San Luis Obispo KOAG 1280 ----- Bakersfield-Wasco 9:00 A.M. MTWTF KAFY 550 4:00 KWSO 1050 9:30 Chico-Marysville KHSL 1290 8:30 Fresno-Dinuba KRDU 1130 8:30 Lodi-Stockton KCVR 1570 8:00 Los Angeles KBBI 107.5 (FM) 8:30 KTYM 1460 9:00 Los Angeles-Long Beach KGER 1390 KGER 1390 Oxnard-Ventura-Santa Barbara KOXR 910 Redding-Red Bluff KQMS 1400 San Bernardino-Riverside 11:00 A.M. MTWTF 10:30 P.M. MtWTF 8:00 A.M. MTWTF 8:00 A.M. MTWTF Santa Maria KCOY 1440 Turlock KCEY 1390 KHOM 93.1 (FM) OREGON Albany-Eugene KWIL 790 KWIL 790 Ashland-Medford KRVC 1350 Coquille-Coos Bay KWRO 630 Portland KPDQ 800 KPDQ 93.7 (FM) 8:00 A.M. MTWTF 3:00 A.M. MTWTF 8:30 A.M. MTWTF 8:30 A.M.MWF 11:30 A.M. MTWTF 11:30 A.M. MTWTF W ASH INGTON 7:00 A.M. Sun. 10:30 A.M. MTWTF 9:00 A.M. Sun.
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PERSONAL EVANGELISM
by D . Stuart Briscoe
H aving had th e privilege of travel ing in the United States and meet ing so many wonderful people, it is a privilege to have this contact and out reach once again. My first and nat ural concern is for the spiritual wel fare of you friends. A basic question is, “Are people being converted to Christ through your witness?” It is amazing and alarming to me to realize that there are many Christians who have never led another individual to the Lord. If this is true of you, then among other things you are missing a tremendous blessing for your life. One who is not witnessing is not really fulfilling the function for which he himself was converted. One of the most vital dimensions is missing. To start with, let us consider a def inition of what we mean by personal evangelism. The term, of course, re fers to dealing with individuals rather than the masses. God has been bless ing the ministry of His servants as they have had extensive meetings at
tracting huge crowds. This is a very specialized field. The Lord, however, has put a major emphasis upon the contact and testimony on a “man-to man” basis. It is when one person ex plains the Gospel message and the other listens. It is simply the personal presentation of the evangel, which is another word for Gospel. Unfortu nately, however, there are many peo ple who don’t seem to be clear on a definition of the Gospel. Writing to the Galatians, Paul told them to be on guard against those who would come in and try to preach some other “gospel.” Listen to how strong he makes it, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” For added empha sis on this vital point, the Holy Spirit has him say it once again. Anything else which is given to people is not to be trusted whatsoever. So, personal evangelism is a man-to-man presenta- 3
tion of the Gospel. Again, this is what Paul meant in declaring, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salva tion to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). (See I Cor. 15:1-4.) Let us never lose sight of the first imperative, in that the Gospel is the power of God. It alone can revolution ize men’s lives. There is nothing else available to remedy sin and to settle the eternal destiny of a human soul. In addition, the Gospel is the power of God to mend broken hearts, to set right personal relationships, to work miracles in broken homes. Any mes sage not demonstrating the dynamic of Almighty God is not the Gospel. Therefore, it must follow that any witnessing which pretends to be wit nessing must equally demonstrate the power of God. Ask yourself these important ques tions: “Am I being a witness? Have I been presenting the Gospel ? Has the power of God been in evidence in my life? Has an impact been made on lives simply because God took hold of me and used me?” This is what we mean when we talk about the subject of personal evangelism. It must re veal the power of God. The second thing Paul says is that the message has the power of God unto salvation. What, however, do we mean by salvation? A little Salvation Army girl was sitting in a railway carriage opposite a minister. She thought to herself, “Now this is a good opportunity. I’ll have a talk with him and see about his spiritual state.” With considerably more enthusiasm than tact she leaned over and asked, “Preacher, are you saved?” The min ister looked benignly on the young lass and responded, “Young lady, do you mean have I been saved, or do you mean, am I being saved, or do you mean will I be saved?” To complicate matters he gave each of these terms in Greek. The poor girl was completely out of her depth. The minister had a point. There are many people today who feel that being saved is all in the
past tense. There is much more to the message than that. The victorious Christian can say, “I have been saved from sin’s penalty. I am being saved from sin’s power. I will be saved from sin’s final judgment.” All three of these blessed truths must be a part of the salvation you enjoy, or your life will be miserable and discontented. Un- IF I FORGET Lord, if I forget the heartache and the pain. The grief and sorrow Thou hast borne for me— Teach me to climb Golgotha's hill again To find the Cross of Calvary. If I should lose the blessing of Thy smile Because my eyes are blinded by the light— Then may I touch Thy pierced hand awhile Until I have regained my sight. If I forget the Pathway trod for me— If I forget Thine agonizing prayer— Guide, Thou, my feet to dark Gethse- mane That I may find Thee waiting there. And if I ever falter with the load, Or groan beneath the crosses I have borne— May I remember Thou did'st walk a road Wearing Thy mocking crown of thorns. If I forget it is not death to die— If I forget the promise of the spring— Lead me unto Thine empty tomb, that I May find my risen Saviour-King. — Ruth Gibbs til you fully understand these precious truths, you will not be able to share them with others. So, this question which burdens my heart for the many friends we had the privilege of meet ing in America, “Are you presenting these basic facts to others; are you using what God has given you in obey ing His commission for your life?” 4
PERSONAL EVANGELISM SERIES
by D. Stuart Briscoe
THE PRESENTATION
O NE OP THE MOST BASIC FACTORS about personal evangelism is the understanding that the Gospel must demonstrate the power of God. It is intended to bring the blessing of sal vation. This is, as we suggested, em bodied in the scope of the past, pres ent and future deliverance which the Lord has for us. It is our joyful privi lege as children of God to present this thrilling message to those with whom we come in contact day by day. Salvation can only come to those who believe. Therefore, the Gospel brings the blessing of salvation only when faith is emphasized. Those who are engaging in evangelism, whether on a mass or personal basis, must always bear this in mind. Every hu man being has a mind in addition to a will. He has certain emotions. Some preaching is directed to him simply through his mind. It is merely intel lectual. If my presentation of God’s truth is purely aimed in this direc tion, there isn’t likely to be much blessing. Then again some preaching is purely emotional. It is possible for a minister, telling the right kind of stories, to work upon one’s emotions. Again, this will result in little lasting effectiveness. It is also possible for a ministry to be aimed purely at the will. When an individual has a very strong personality it is possible that the listener, who may have a weaker will, may give in and be dominated and captivated by the other. They may be led to do something they had never intended to do. Evangelism must be directed to the mind. Instruct people in the truth concerning the Saviour, as well as the truth concerning their own sinful selves. They need to be taught in such a way that they will be moved by what they hear. Plainly tell them of the love of the Lord. Speak to them frankly about the awfulness of sin and the greatness of salvation. From
your own experience let them know the thrill of the real Christian life. When they have understood, and are moved by what they understand, chal lenge them with the next step, seeing if they are ready to do something about it personally. This alone will cause a person to exercise faith. A few days ago I was talking to a young man who told me that he works with another Christian in an office which has three men in it. Both Christians have been witnessing to the third individual. He now knows all there is to know about salvation since he has been “attacked” from both sides, as it were. While he has been challenged, moved, and instructed, still he has never been converted. I in quired of the fellow who came to me, “Did you ever arrive at the point of asking him if he would like to accept the Lord Jesus Christ?” There was a
D. Stuart Briscoe of the Torchbearers' Fellowship, Capernwray Hall, Lancashire, England, is this month's featured speakeron "The Biola Hour." His penetratingand helpful series on Personal Evangelism will be continuedfor several of the broadcasts in February.
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pause, then he told me that neither he nor his friend had done so. They had been “pumping” him with truth, but not carrying through. It seems that both of these men had been afraid or reticent in asking him to i / take the most important step of faith. Ask yourself a question, “Have I ever instructed someone concerning the Lord Jesus? As a result, did they have a desire to do something about it? Did I help them and lead them finally to the Lord Jesus Christ?” This is the way by which permanent work for the Saviour is accomplished. Here is a verse which is intended to be a tremendous encouragement to you. It is James’ epistle and frankly, I am so sorry we tend to neglect James. While he only wrote five chapters, I wish he had given us at least 25, for these which the Holy Spirit gave us through this faithful witness are full of tremendously practical truths. Have a good look at them. Read the book all the way through sometime. The last verse tells us, “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” Notice it doesn’t say “a body” from death, (but rather a soul. Here he is talking about spiritual death. The Bible makes it quite clear that it is possible to be spiritually dead while one is physically alive. Paul wrote to Timothy, “She that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth.” This is what is wrong with some won derful people all of us know. They are dead while they live. They are phys ically alive to the world and others about them; however, they are dead to God. If an individual lives his life dead to God, he will die this same way and will be in eternity dead to God. This doesn’t mean that he will be ex terminated. He will be spiritually separated from God in hell. If you are on the job, the Lord can use you to be a means of saving peo ple from spiritual death. Can you think of any higher vocation than that? This, however, is not all. It says that “he shall hide a multitude of sins.” All sin has to be accounted
for. We tend to think of past sin as being forgotten. God is eternal, how ever, and ail past sin is ever present before Him. How can this be dealt with and forgiven? God works a won derful miracle. You personally can be the means of having a multitude of PROSPECT Though darker, rougher, grows the way And cares press harder day by day, And nothing satisfies, The promise sure before me lies Of that blest place beyond the skies Where Jesus waits for me. With sight too dim to visualize The scene, though spread before my eyes, I know it will be fair; Eye hath not seen; ear hath not heard The things that are for us prepared, And Jesus will be there. Though absent, I have known His love, And by His mercies daily prove The wonders of His grace. He, whom not having seen, I love, Will call, and in His home above I'll see Him face to face. With patience in His love I'll rest, And whisper that He knoweth best, And I am satisfied. y'Then, clinging to that guiding hand, A weakling, in His strength I'll stand, Though I be sorely tried, l Though burdened with a load of care, He's promised me the strength to bear The trials that appall. So, hinding pain away from sight, I'll let my life be fair and bright While waiting for His call. — Robert R. Pentecost past sins blotted out. Do you see your privilege? Have you been engaging in personal evangelism? Have you taken the privilege of presenting the Gos pel to others in a manner they can understand? Have they been moved by it and exercised faith thereby? 6
PERSONAL EVANGELISM SERIES
by D. Stuart Briscoe
THE IMPORTANCE
N ow, it may be that you are not altogether convinced that personal evangelism is your privilege and re sponsibility. Maybe you haven’t come to the point of agreeing with me that this is so tremendously impor tant. Let me share some reasons with you out of the Bible. First of all, God has ordained that every believer is to be a personal evangelist. Most of us are aware of II Corin thians 5:17 but we tend to stop with, ✓ '“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Don’t overlook the next verse, J'AM things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the min i s t r y of reconciliation.” We are rightly thrilled to know that we are in Christ and have become new crea tures in Him. The Word of God clearly says, however, that if we are new creatures then to us has been en trusted the ministry of reconciliation. The Lord alw ays does exceeding abundantly above all we ask or want. The simple fact of the matter is. that many who have been reconciled to God have no conception of the fact that He gives us two thingsyOne is the gift of reconciling and the other is the gift of the ministry. We are happy to be reconciled but not always too happy about engaging in a ministry of reconciliation. This, however, is the way by which God ordained it. Do not read through this verse too quickly. Let it challenge your heart and life that you may seek the Lord’s will in personal evangelism. One other word from this passage. We are quite naturally brought to verse 19, “God was in Christ, recon ciling the world to himself, not im puting their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” There is too much muddled thinking on this subject.
Whose responsibility and privilege is it to present the ministry of recon ciliation? Some will say, “the preach er’s!” Or, “Isn’t that why we bring in evangelists ?’V The responsibility, however, rests upon every one who is a child of God. This is the way God has . ordained it. Perhaps you have been a Christian for many years, knowing that you are a new creature but not realizing that God has given you a sacred ministry. If you have never done it before, go out today and engage in this privilege. Tell some one about the Lord Jesus Christ! L/The second reason for personal evangelism is that Christ engaged in soul winning. The Saviour is indeed our example. He made it quite clear that to follow Him would not be easy. Yet, Hi s divine promise was that through His Holy Spirit He would come to work in and through us. Studying Christ’s ministry we see that He fed 5,000 people with only five loaves and two fishes. He walked on the water and performed all sorts of miracles by raising the dead and giving sight to the blind. While He preached to multitudes, however, let us not overlook the fact that He spent a tremendous amount of time talking to individuals. The Saviour turned away from the big crowds to concen trate on individuals. Since the Lord is our example we will do well to fol low Him in this aspect as well. Jesus sought out individuals to deal with them concerning their souls. His words moved them greatly. They were prepared to exercise faith. Think about the woman of Sama ria. He spoke to her frankly. Perhaps you are a little afraid of starting a conversation with someone. Study the Lord’s techniques. God has ordained that you should be engaged in per sonal evangelism. When I was in the armed forces I never had very much respect for an officer who told me
to do things which he himself was not willing to do. If he did it himself, however, this was another matter. I was then quite willing and delighted to identify myself in the act re quired. The Lord Jesus Christ never tells us to do anything which He didn’t do Himself. He never tells us to do anything He cannot work out through us. ' There are no two ways about it: God ordained personal evangelism. He tells us that if we are a new crea tion then we are to get on with the job. If you have been reconciled, exer cise your ministry. Wherever the Lord Jesus Christ went, He presented the claims of His heavenly Father. People were blessed because of it. Are others blessed because of your Godly life and testimony to them? Will you say, “Lord Jesus, here I am. I’m ready to go wherever you wish today to present the truth about you. Now work through me for your glory.” God will do just this, if you ask Him. Make certain you are honest with the Lord, however, and when the oppor tunities come, don’t let them slip through your fingers. God will richly and abundantly bless as you, moment by moment, seek His perfect will!
M IN ISTRY OF MUSIC In your leisure moments, spiritual growth can s o m e tim e s be indicated through the melodies you sing, hum or whistle to yourself. Are they the secular tunes, as well as the commercial ditties which actually do nothing to elevate the soul? While riding along on a train, a little boy’s singing of a familiar Sunday school chorus spoke to the heart of the drunken father of Joseph Parker. The man never drank again, saving the money to send his brilliant son to col lege. Later he became one of the most forceful preachers of the Gospel mes sage. While ploughing in a field, a Chris tian farmer sang at the top of his me lodious voice. A mother, in despair, standing on the bridge of a nearby river, was kept from committing suicide. Her preacher son was used of the Lord to turn multitudes to Christ. He de clared, “All that I am for God I owe to that humble Christian plowman who sang the praises of the Lord as he did his menial task.” It may seem that there may not be much you can do today. You may feel that what you have to offer the Lord is valueless and that no one even knows that you are around. God says, however, that a merry heart doeth good like a medicine. So may you and I be found, “Giving thanks always for all things^unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” W A LK IN TH E LIGH T In some remote sections of the Orient, where electricity is still unknown, na tives use tiny lamps in the toes of their shoes. This provides just enough light to relieve darkness along the way, allow ing them to walk from place to place seeing the pathway ahead. What a prac tical illustration for us as God’s chil dren. We are told to “Walk in the light, even as He is in the light,” for “In Him is no darkness at all.” I f life is confus ing, perplexing and frustrating, if we cannot see the Lord’s clear hand of guid ance, we may be out of fellowship with God. Conscious-known sin will keep one from living in the light of the Saviour’s presence( R ep en ta n c e and confession brings God’s forgiveness and will re store His light to our pathway. Obe dience to the Lord’s known will keeps that light burning. Don’t let some trans gression blow it out. For, “I f we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to for give us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 8
John Glover (standing), Biola student from Gar dena, California, looks over leson text with Charles Hahn, asistant Dean of Men, from La Mirada.
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PERSONAL EVANGELISM SERIES
by D. Stuart Briscoe
THE EXAMPLE
personal evangelism simply because they are too afraid. Stop to consider our position, however, and realize that there is absolutely nothing to cause us concern. The Saviour promised be fore He went away^'Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” This being true, what have we to fear? Our responsibility is to make sure that we are obedient. IN T H Y PRESENCE Lord, what a change within us one short hour Spent in Thy presence will prevail to make! What heavy burdens from our bosoms take, What parched grounds refresh us with a shower! We kneel, and all around us seems to lower; We rise, and all, the distant and the near, Stands forth in sunny outline brave and clear; We kneel, how weak; we rise, how full of power! Why, therefore, should we do our selves this wrong, Or others, that we are not always strong. That we are ever overborne with care, That we should ever weak or heart less be, Anxious or troubled, when with us is prayer, And joy and strength and courage are with Thee! What a wonderful thing it is to realize that the first disciples were contacted through personal evange lism. In studying any organization one must go back to its inception and meet its original leaders. While Chris tianity is not just a movement, but rather a living, vital organism, it is important to see how the Lord worked through this small but faithful band. When John the Baptist declared, 9
OD has ordained that all who come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour should also fulfill a ministry of presenting their experience to oth ers. If we have no other reason for promulgating God’s truth through personal evangelism than the fact that Christ was also so engaged, it would be quite sufficient. There can be no alternative. We need to get on the job. More than this, however, is the fact that the Lord commanded soul win ning. Look at Acts 1:8, a most familiar portion, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” The Saviour did not say that when the Holy Spirit comes upon one he can talk about the things of eternity occa sionally. Speaking about the Lord is to be the consuming purpose of our hearts. His precious words here are given in the form of a command. When I was in the armed forces, I had some men in authority over me. They were most precise and explicit when asking me to do things. It was not a case of wishing me to, or hop ing that I would, but they told me in no uncertain terms; they left no doubt in my mind as to their desires. We need to take the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ much more serious ly- The word “witnesses” comes from the Greek from which we get our word “martyr.” You know what a martyr is, but did you ever link it to being a witness? The two go together so beautifully. If you would be an effec tive witness for Christ anything can happen and probably will. You are to be ready for each possible circum stance as we read in I Peter 3:15. There is no doubt about the fact that many people do not engage in
went back to reach his callous brother. Peter was confronted with the Lord Jesus Christ and the transformation resulted. Christ in return made him a rock. In these first days of our Lord’s ministry He went about con tacting individuals. If we were to launch a new church, we might be tempted to have a campaign. A better way to do it might be to get a little group of people together who know and love the Saviour. Get them on fire witnessing and you will see a miracu lous change in your life as well as in theirs. When the Lord is ready He may send you to the uttermost parts of the earth. First of all, however, have you started at home with your own brother, seeking to lead him to Christ ?
“Behold the Lamb of God!” he was engaging in the most simplified form of personal evangelism. Here was one man saying to two men, “Look, there is God’s promise to us. He is the One who can meet our need.” When the two disciples heard Him speak they followed Jesus. Knowing He was being followed, the Lord turned around and asked, “What do you want?” They were a little embarrassed and uttered what must have been the first thing to enter their heads, “Where do you live?” He invited them, “Come and see.” They were converted, but, of course, this is not the end of the story. Can you imagine having Simon as your big brother? Think of living in the same house with such a man. The first day he was converted Andrew
Featured on "The Biola Hour" Thursday, January 6, was a special anniversary program.It highlighted eventswhich have transpiredover the past ten yearssince the martyrdom of the five missionaries in Ecuador. ("Auca Triumph" is available to churcheson a free loan basis, as the suply lasts.) Pictured below, at the place in theCurarayRiver wheretheir father was killed, are two of Marj Saint's children, Kathyand Steve, who werebaptised by several of the former killers. On the bankstandingalone is Rachel Saint, sisterof Nate, oneof the five slain in 1956. Also on the bank are Mrs. Saint withheryoungestson, Phil, and Dayuma, whowas used of the Lord in the translation of her native Auca language.
PERSONAL EVANGELISM SERIES
by D. Stuart Briscoe
THE COMMAND
I f for no other reason we should certainly want to engage in per sonal evangelism because the Lord • commanded it. His very last recorded words, before ascending to the right hand of His Father, were, “Ye shall be witnesses unto me.” He didn’t say that they might be, or that if they had nothing else to do, they should be. He told them in no uncertain terms. The first disciples were contacted through personal evangelism. In the days of the early church soul winning was faithfully practiced. This is why it grew so phenominally. There is no other way to describe the results of their faithful efforts. They had evangelized the majority of the then known world. They did a job that by and large is not being done today. They suffered tremendous persecution. The devil didn’t intend to leave them com fo rtab le, satisfied, and settled down. The people were scattered all over as a result of the persecutions they endured. Wherever they went they preached the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a great danger in settling down, folding our hands in our little evangelical community. This is the story of many churches today. People are content and satisfied with their church, never bothering to move out side the sphere of activity in their cloistered atmosphere. I wonder, have you ever had some fat catch fire in your kitchen? In your effort to ex tinguish the blaze, you poured some water on it discovering, to your hor ror, that instead of extinguishing the blaze, you had spread it all over the kitchen. In a way, that is what the devil did with the apostles. He thought he would e x tin g u ish Christianity through p e rsecu tion . Instead, he caused it to grow and spread. The hand of the Lord was upon this faith ful band and a great many believed. In Acts 8:1 we learn that the apostles
were not the ones to be scattered but rather the general church members. The big names stayed in Jerusalem. Don’t you be waiting for some big name Christian, or your pastor, to do the job you are supposed to be achiev ing. Be sure you are taking your part. (In these early days of the church it wasn’t the pulpit that was preaching, it was the pew. This is how these faithful witnesses rightly practiced evangelism. Would this be a good de scription of your church? As far as personal evangelism is concerned Christian experience com pels it. If you read your Bible care fully, you will always find that the blessings God has available are in tended to be made possible through you. How many Christians there are who just soak up and never give out. They are always going to, meetings and listening to sermons./They read all the Christian books, ready to tell you how blessed they have been. God told Abraham that he would not only bless him, but also that He would make him a blessing^ The Lord Jesus Christ declared, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” The Saviour says that when we are thirsty we are to come to Him and drink. The reason for that is so He can make rivers of living water flow from our lives. This is the basic principle of Christian experience. God blesses you so that you might be a blessing in return. You see, the privi lege is to be blessed while the respon sibility is to be a blessing. In summary, here are the basic rea sons for the^ importance of personal evangelism ^God ordained it, Christ engaged in it, the Lord commanded it, the first disciples were contacted through it, the early church practiced it, and Christian experience compels it. Can we, dare we, do anything less?
PERSONAL EVANGELISM SERIES
by D. Stuart Briscoe
THE ADVANTAGES
T here are some very wonderful ad vantages co n c e rn in g p e rson a l evangelism which we should consider. The first is that it can be done by lVanyone. It doesn’t require an especial ly gifted evangelist to make the proc ess successful. If such a ministry of reconciliation could only be done by the specialized and gifted bold evan gelist, then the potential of reaching the lost would be greatly limited. ■Every bom again believer, however, J should be a soul winner. This is God’s norm for the Christian. Consider for a moment the story of Naaman who was a great and mighty man of valor. He was a re spected and brave soldier serving as a leader in the army. His problem had to do with contracting leprosy. Every one was sorry for him, but there was nothing anyone could do to help. There was a little girl in his household who was a prisoner of war. She served as personal assistant to Naaman’s wife. Lonely, and far from home, she too, became concerned about Naaman’s disease. She opened her mouth and began to speak. She told her master of a man who was able to heal him. Who would listen, however, to a little prisoner of war in such a subordinate position? What an exaggerated claim
for anyone to make. After all, Naaman was incurable. The little lass, however, would not be quiet. She kept right on. There were many lepers during the time of Naaman but he alone was healed. How did such a girl know that it could happen to him? It was noth ing less than God at work in her heart. People began to listen to what she said. He acted on what he heard and was healed of the disease. Now, if God can use a little child in such oppressed conditions think what He could do with your life. This should be a solemn thought.PThe Lord will take anyone who is ready and willing to be used. Through them He will pour untold blessings. One day the Lord Jesus Christ was walking through Samaria. This was unusual since, from a human stand point, He was a Jew and the Jews had no dealing with the Samaritans. He sat down at the well of Sychar and started conversing with a woman who, from her appearance, could be seen as an individual of ill-repute. He told her the truth about herself and she got converted. She was understand ably so excited about it that she left her water bucket and went back home to tell others what had happened. Sychar’s well can still be seen in the holy land. It is approximately one mile from the village itself. How long has it been since you walked a mile? (My last recollection of the United States is that people seldom walk anywhere. Being an Englishman, occasionally I wanted to walk here and there. People thought I was ill. Someone told me that in the future there may be a real danger of American babies being bom with wheels instead of feet.) Such a hike can take about 20 minutes. When she arrived in the community she met some men who had been her weakness. Christ, however, had dealt with her weaknesses already. She went straight to them and testified, “Come, see a 12
Dr. and Mrs. Bolton Davidheiser are picturedbe low at a recent faculty-student reception. Dr. Davidheiser is head of the ScienceDepartment for Biola College.
man who told me all that ever I did. Is not this the Christ?” She was on the job with the result that a tremen dous blessing was given^Many people believed on the Lord because of what they heard this converted woman tell them. The Lord used a little slave girl, a fallen woman, and a poor demon- possessed maniac to do personal evan- AS THE TWIG We, the youth who shock you so, Ask, "How much did you help us grow?" You gaze at us with astonishment. Where were you when the twig was bent? If you wanted saplings tall and straight, Why did you wait? Why did you wait? You gave us bread. Did that atone For the days and nights we were left alone? You laughed our heroes from their height And left them worthless in our sight. They lost their standards in the dust; Their weapons dulled with bitter rust. And when we asked for God, you turned Our answers back with doubt that burned. We watched you tempt the hand of fate • The world plunged into war and hate In mockery of brother-love; Nothing on earth, nothing above! You blame us for Skirting danger's brink— We want to feel, for we dare not think. Who asks good fruit from a well- grown tree Must take the time for husbandry. — Gertrude Ryder Bennett gelism. None of these had ever been to Bible school or seminary. Don’t ex cuse yourself for lack of training, un less you are just trying to find an excuse. Personal evangelism is some thing in which every believer must engage. ^All you need is a brain in your head, a tongue in your mouth, and Christ in your heart. If you have all three then you qualify.
Hitting the ceiling is no way to get up in the world. * * *
NO PEACE There can be no peace while the na tions wrangle. And great on the small their will impose; While some are jealous and some suspicious, And weak ones reckon the strong as foes; While their trust and hope is in more munitions, And the gods of force are their only stay— Though the hearts that sicken at nameless horrors May plead and ponder and plan and pray. There can be no peace in this age of bloodshed. Of strife and hatred and deep dis trust; The bow and the spear shall not be broken, The sword in the scabbard shall never rust, Though kings take counsel and states men promise, Though people with people a pact shall make, They can sign no truce that they will not sunder, And swear no oath that they will not break. There can be no peace till the King of glory Comes down to earth from the heavens above To rule the world with a rod of iron, To judge in justice and reign in love; Till the throne of David is set in Zion, And all the kingdoms of earth are , one; V No peace till His righteousness shall flourish, No peace till the will of God is done. — Annie Johnson Flint
Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble. 13
PERSONAL EVANGELISM SERIES
by D. Stuart Briscoe
THE EXCUSES
A most wonderful aspect of per sonal evangelism is that it can be done by anyone. When we talk like this, some people aren’t too happy about it. Right away excuses come to mind. We are either convicted by such statements or we try to fight against them. If you have been making an excuse, I have some good news for you. In all probability your excuse is not a new one. No doubt it was made by someone in the Scriptures. One of the interesting things about reading the Bible is that it gives us the mistakes great men have made. Take Moses for instance. When God told him to talk to Pharaoh he began looking for a way out. He said, “They will nc>t believe_jne, nor harken unto my voice; for they wiltsay, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.” Isn’t that an excuse we make in these days ? We say, “I can’t talk to anyone be cause he would never believe. I know him. Why, the person about whom I’m thinking is an unbeliever.” Remember this, however, the only people who can become believers are unbelievers. Thereforef/if you know someone who is an unbeliever, he is automatically a potential believer. How do you know he won’t believe ?(,If God tells you to go and speak to someone, whether he is a believer or not isn’t your concern. While you can’t make someone believe, you can tell them the good news. .Your responsibility is to do just that./ The second excuse Moses made was that they wouldn’t harken to his voice. I used to make this excuse with re gard to some of the tough young teen agers that we have in our part of the world. One day the Lord told me to talk to about a thousand of them. I discovered to my utter amazement that under their ragged, long hair and shabby exteriors, there were in quiring minds. Hearts longed to know the reality of life. All the time, how ever, I had been saying that they
wouldn’t listen to me. My problem was that I just hadn’t gotten to them. Be ware of making that mistake! The third excuse Moses came up with was, “They will say the Lord has not appeared unto me.” Moses felt the people would not accept the fact that God had revealed Himself to him. It is this way today. People want some thing they can handle and see, so that they can rationalize everything. If the Lord tells you to speak don’t you worry about what others may or may not think. God specializes in taking the foolish things to confound the wise. Thetitord has carefully chosen people sometimes who don’t know all the answers for this very reason. Moses continued as he complained, “0 my Lord, I am not eloquent.” May I ask you, when did God say anything about eloquence ? This was another feeble excuse. Some people seem to think that if they are going to be witnesses then they have to speak in old-fashioned English, the King James variety. They feel that to be success ful they must get all their “thees” and “thous” in the proper place. The voice has to take on a pious tone, too. Don’t
Carolyn Lam ers of Crescent City, California, points out a Campus activity to Allse Crawford of Fontana, California. In the background are two other California girls, Ellen Seger, Baldwin Park, and Vivian Stanley, Los Alamitos,picturedat one of theentrances to Biola's newWomen's Residence Hall.
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you believe it! The whole point of talking to people is that you might communicate effectively. In all proba bility the less eloquent you are, the more effective you will be. Incidental ly, when Moses said he wasn’t elo quent the next two words he used were “neither” a n d “heretofore.” That is pretty good for a man who can’t speak very well. Listen to Moses’ next problem, “I am slow of speech.” Does the Lord ever say how fast one has to talk? No one has to rattle off like a machine gun. Sometimes a slow, thoughtful ouiet voice does more good than the high powered professional approach. Here Moses was trying to tell the God who made his tongue how fast it was supposed to work. The Lord answered Moses in no uncertain terms. He asked, k^Who made man’s mouth? Have not I, the Lord? Now, therefore, go Moses. Stop making ex cuses and just get going.” Jeremiah was another young man who was prone to make excuses. God gave direction to him as he was about to make his debut as a prophet. See the wonderful introduction in 1 :5. You know it is interesting to have the introductions American chairmen give one sometimes. O ccasionally when they introduce me I have to look around to see who the preacher is talking about. The description doesn’t seem to fit me. When God introduces someone, however, it must be thrill- ing.i^’Je rem iah , come forth and speak.” The firs}; words to come from his mouth areV' Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak.” He was able to talk on many subjects but when it came to the Lord he was speechless. So many people know all about sports, the new cars, television programs, but when it comes to speaking about God they just don’t know what to say. Do you have this problem? Beware of making excuses. It is so much easier to learn from other people’s mistakes. That is why they are recorded for us in Scrip ture. Study them for yourself and then make up your mind to be a use ful, ready witness for the honor and glory of our blessed Lord.
GOD IS TH E AN SW ER We read the headlines daily And we listen to the news, We are anxious and bewildered With the world's conflicting views, We are restless and dissatisfied And sadly insecure, And we voice our discontentment Over things we must endure, For this violent age we live in Is filled with nameless fear That grow as we discuss the things That come daily to our ears. So, instead of reading headlines That disturb the heart and mind, Let us open up the Bible And in doing so we'll find That this age is no different From the millions gone before, y'But in every hour of crisis God has opened up a door For all who sought His guidance And trusted in His plan, For God provides the answer That cannot be found by man. And though there's hate and violence And dissension all around. We can always find a refuge That is built on "solid ground" If we go to God believing That He hears our smallest prayer And that nothing can befall us When we are in His care.
BIOLA HOUR RADIO LOG (Continued from page 2) O TH ER STATES
Billings. Montana KURL Caldwell-Boise KBFM KBGN Denver, Colorado KBFM KBGN
730 8:00 A.M. MTWTF 8:30 A.M. MTWTF 7:30 P.M. MTWTF 910 8:30 A.M. MTWTF 910 7:30 P.M. MTWTF 990 12:00 Noon MTWTF 1510 11:00 A.M. MTWTF 1230 3:30 P.M. Tues. 950 9:00 A.M. MTWTF 9:00 A.M. MTWTF 1280 9:00 A.M. MTWTF 9:00 A.M. MTWTF 1220 9:30 A.M. MTWTF 970 8:30 A.M. MWF 1490 8:00 A.M. MTWTF 1490 12:30 P.M. Sun. f P.M. MTWTF 11:00
94.1 (FM) 94.1 (FM)
KLIR
Kansas City. Missouri KCCV Lapeer, Michigan WMPC Miamisburg, Ohio
WFCi
93.7 (FM)
Newton, Kansas KJRG Phoenix, Arizona
KJRG KHEP KHEP WRIB
92.3 (FM)
101.5 (FM) Providence, Rhode Island Pueblo-Colorado Springs KFEL
Tuscon, Arizona KAIR
KAIR
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PERSONAL EVANGELISM SERIES
by D. Stuart Briscoe
THE PLACE o
O NE OF t h e most tremendous ad vantages of personal evangelism is that it can and should be done by every believer. God does not provide a specialized evangelist for this task, it should beleveryone’s privilege. Soul winning can be engaged in ■enywhere. If such were possible only in church, some people would never find the Lord. God ordained that His message should go forth on the high ways and the byways, wherever hu man beings are to be found. The Lord is not limited in the times and places His Word goes forth. As soon as Matthew, the publican was converted, he sought out his business associates to tell them the good news. He was on the job. Those with whom we work is a fertile field for evangelism. Let ns remember, however, we are paid to work not to preach. A lack of care on this point could bring disrepute on the Gospel message. Don’t ruin your witness by being unfaithful to your work. Always remember that witness is two-sided.Vrhere is the witness of the lips and the witness of the life. Let us consider this latter for a mo ment. So many will say, “I have a testimony with my life.” This is well and good, however, what good is your faith to others if you don’t explain it to them by your lips? On the other hand, if you are expert at witnessing with your lips but your life is no good, you do great harm to the. truth. The two aspects must be in perfect bal ance. Another excellent place for personal evangelism is the hom&f^Do you have a real burden for those who are near est and dearest to you? What about the neighbors next door or those homes which you frequently visit. Take every advantage available in such a place of sowing the seed. VTraveling is another oppo rtune place for testimony. Many people have found Christ as Saviour while jour
neying to various areas. Christians need to be alert and “buy up” every available moment for the Lord./Wher ever there are two people you have an ideal place for personal evangelism. f God wants us to be at work all the '■time for His glory. JSome of the most thrilling opportunities I have had in personal evangelism have been in the middle of the night. One occasion I was driving home after taking a series of meetings up in the northeast corner of England. It was late at night when I started home. I heard over the radio that the police were looking for a murderer in the area. Not too long after I started on my way, I saw a shadowy figure picked un by my headlights. He was looking for a “lift.” Something inside me said, “Keep going Stuart, he might be the one the police are hunting.” Some thing else told me, “Stop and pick him up!” This is what I did. As we drove through the night, I found he wasn’t a murderer at all but rather a fellow desperately seeking the truth. We talked for about two hours along the way. When I came to the road he needed to take, I pulled off the high way. We kept talking about the things of the Lord and as a result I spent the whole night talking to him. It was well worth it to see a soul born again. While preaching in Berlin a young student came up to ask a question. We talked about the Lord for several hours. A friend of mine volunteered to take him home. The next morning when I saw him he looked decidedly tired. He explained, “I didn’t go to bed last night.. We stayed up until six talking about the way of eternal life. You see, God is not limited to a serv ice on Sunday morning to reach peo ple. jWe must be ready to buy up opportunities anywhere and any time. * * * Those who think it permissible to tell white lies soon grow colorblind. 16
Shiv'ring by night when the day's course is run; Snipping at enemies as planes roar o'erhead; We succor the living; we bury the dead. Down in the rice paddy, death all around. Planes in the blue sky, bombs on the ground; Terror and darkness are with us at night, Evil stalks everywhere in broad daylight; No hope for a respite when the day is done, No place out of range of the rifle or gun. Down in the Viet swamp, far from our friends, The flash of a rifle— another life ends. Fever and fatigue wrack body and soul. Life is a torture in this dismal hole; Yet we're buoyed up in our terrible plight; For God is still with us, and our cause is right. Down in the swamp hole with one life to give; Freely it's given that freedom may live; Closer and closer we cling to the earth Dreaming of home and the land of our birth; We stand by our comrades, no foes can divide; We're true to our buddies who fight by our side. Down in the rice paddy, under thè rain, Hoping our efforts will not be in vain; Bearing the brunt of unending fight, Doing our utmost for God and the right. Americans, pray for your sons on the line; Be true to your country; seek guid ance divine. — by an American serviceman stationed in Vietnam
A T TH E CLOSE OF DAY Was I empty, Master, when You needed me today? Was I wholly yielded, as a vessel made of clay? Was I fully consecrated, ready at Thy hand? Was I waiting, Master, to go forth at Thy command? Was I burdened, rather, with a load of worldly care? Was I doing this and that, or rushing here and there? Was I busy seeking pleasure, after my own choice? Was I so engrossed with self I could not hear Thy voice? Oh why did I waste this day I held within my grip? Oh why did I carelessly ignore it, let it slip? Oh why did I fail to hear, dear Lord, Thy soft request? Oh why did I fail to go, and do, at Thy behest? What if this has been my final chance to do Thy will? What if, ere the morning dawns, this heart lies cold and still? What if, at the break of day, I stand before Thy throne? What if, stripped of earthly things, I stand undone, alone? Master, bend Thy loving ear and lis ten to me pray! Master, blot out all of the idle follies of today! Master, should Thou yet see fit to us$ this life of mine! Master, help me walk with Thee, and keep my hand in Thine. — Alvy E. Ford IN SOUTH V IETN AM : 1966 Down in the swamp paddy under the sky, A place full of horror to live or to die, Burning by day in the heat of the sun,
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TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS James 1:12-15
by Al Sanders
W HEN WE STUDY GOD’S WORD we need to realize that there are some words which have been trans lated the same in English. Actually, however, they are vastly different in the original. Such is the case with “temptation” which has two meanings in James 1:12-15. In one form or an other the word appears seven differ ent times in these three verses. Temptation does not always imply a solicitation to evil or an enticement to do wrong. In 1:12 we find the statement, “Blessed is the man who endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” The individual who patiently endures testing, for this is what is meant in the original, is to be considered “well off” or in a fa vorable condition, it appears to the world as a paradox. This contented state is the possession of the one who accepts his trials and burdens pa tiently, knowing that the Lord’s grace is sufficient for every need. An other interesting point is the fact that our word “endure” comes from pa tience in the original. Isn’t it true that when difficulties come, we seem so ready to get upset, discouraged, and perplexed instead of patiently waiting upon the Lord? Some time ago when we were mov ing our office to the Biola Campus from our former location I had two of our three children helping me. One was 8 and the other 12 at that time. Each would see who could carry the heavier load to impress their daddy. I would give them the things to carry out, such as books and the like. Care fully they scrutinized what each other was doing. My son Jimmy was just heading for the car with a stack of things when he met his older sister on the way back. She said to him, rather disdainfully, “Is that all you can carry?” Proudly he continued on
his way, calling back over his shoul der, “Daddy knows how much I can carry.” I had to smile at that. Think ing of the trials, frustrations, diffi culties and problems all of us must face, we can say with assurance of heart, “God knows how much of a burden I can carry.” We also see that the believer who endures testing through the grace of God will receive the crown of life. Ultimately, then, here is the reason why the one who patiently endures trials may be considered well off. We must always keep the end view in mind. Would you be envious of a man who is able to order anything he wants, such as filet mignon, roast pheasant under glass, pressed duck, lobster on the half shell, or some other rare delicacy? Why should he be so fortunate while we have to settle for beans or macaroni? Would you still be envious, however, if you knew that this man is actually a condemned pris oner on death row? As his last re quest on earth he may order anything he chooses. He will have only a few short moments to enjoy it. Which one of us would want to trade places with him? This is what James is telling us. As we look at the believer, we consider him “blessed” or “well off” because of the end view: a crown of life is wait ing for him. James 1:14 tells us, “Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” “Enticed” is a fisherman’s term. It speaks of the bait being snapped up eagerly by the hungry fish, with no thought of the consequences. Some thought comes to us and it enters our hearts as the hook in the fish’s mouth. Spiritual de feat is the certain result. How blessed it is to realize, however, that every temptation overcome in the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, means being drawn closer to God. In the long ago ancient warriors used to believe that 18
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