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February 1943
I slept in a room with sixty other men. We had a high class of fellow internees representing a wide variety of professions. Among them were missionaries, educators, doctors, law yers, tin miners, bankers, importers and exporters, representatives of large American and European businesses. But we lived under most intimate and extremely trying circumstances. Dur ing all those-days, Isaiah 58:11 was made specially real to me: “The Lord shall guide thee continually, and sat isfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of waten whose waters fail not.” How wonderfully He satisfied my soul in that concentration camp! I would not for anything else have missed that satisfying of my soul that came to me there. Our date for departure for America was set and postponed many times. Finally, the seventy-eight Americans bade farewell to their disappointed British and Dutch fellow internees. We sailed from Bangkok, together with the Diplomatic Corps, making ninety-one in all, on a small Thai steamer built to accommodate twelve passengers. At Saigon we were trans ferred to the Asama Maru and from thence made our, way through the. Sundra Straits between' Sumatra and Java where recent battles had taken place, and thence to Lourenco Mar ques in Portuguese East Africa. This was the exchange port, and the place where we Americans were first set free. We spent about six days in that port before the Gripsholm with her 1500 passengers (900 missionaries) be gan her voyage around the Cape of Good Hope and thence to Rio de Jan eiro and on to New York City. What a thrill it was to see the Statue , of Liberty, to see the New York City skyline, to be officially welcomed back to America, and to set foot on unconquered soil! Comfort for Those Left Behind Before leaving Thailand we made all the provisions we could for the continuance and maintenance of the work of the Christian and Missionary Alliance under full Thai leadership. It was impossible for us to leave the brethren funds, because all of our personal and Mission funds and be longings were confiscated by the gov ernment. We have been greatly en couraged by the reports of the faith ful and heroic work of the precious workers left behind in the church in Thailand. They have, and I have also, the precious promise: “As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Josh. 1:5). Thank God for His Word, and for His eternal faithfulness!
Dr. Talbot's Question Box Questions for answer in this department should be sent to the E d i t o r i a l Department, THE K ING 'S BUSINESS, 558 So. Hope Street, Los Armeies, Calif.
eration; we can neither explain it nor work to attain it. God accom plishes it within us when we believe; it is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the wash ing of regeneration, and the renew ing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5). Stop “trying” and trust (Prov. 3:5, 6). QUE. : Please explain Revelation 2 :1 0 : “ Ye shall have tribulation [ Continued on Page 79]
QUE. s I do not know when I was saved; does that mean that I never have been converted? There are many truly born-again people who accepted Christ in their youth, and they cannot remember any of the details of that day when they received the Saviour into their hearts. Of course, it is pleasant to know the very spot, and the day and hour when this transaction for eternity took place. The vital thing, however, , is neither the where nor the when. It is not w h e t h e r we were saved, but whether we are saved. And that question is determined by our ac ceptance of such Scriptures as Ephe sians 2:8, 9; Romans 10:9, 10; John 1:12, etc. A woman came to me, worrying because she did not know when she was saved. I ..said to her, “Do you believe now, today, that Jesus Christ is the Son o f God who died for you, and is He your personal Saviour?” Her face brightened and she said, “Oh, yes, I do believe that.” “Then stop worrying about what you cah not remember, and rejoice in your' present salvation.” . QUE.: Why should the new birth be necessary w h e n a person has spent his life’ trying to do the will of God, confessing his sins, loving others, etc.? The things you mention are the re sult of the new birth. That is, you are wholly unable to do the will of God, you cannot truly appreciate the enormity of sin, and you cannot actu ally love others until you have re ceived the new nature that only God can impart. You may think you are doing these things, but in reality you are' not. No amount of “trying” will avail anything. The new birth is dis cussed in John 1:12, 13: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but .of God.” We can not understand the miracle of regen
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