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T H E
K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
April 1924
A U T H O R IT Y O F T H E SC R IPTU R E S (Continued from Page 201) rationalistic >critic that we are at least trying to be fair in establishing the validity and authority of the Word of God. How Did Isaiah Know? The same argument is the only answer as to how Isaiah could possibly know, 700 years before the birth of Jesus, that he was to be born of a virgin (we will take up the arguments against this passage in the next sermon, which is to be on the Virgin B irth ); that He would be “the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace.” How could he know of the atonement— that the Lord would lay on Him “the iniquities of us all?” How could he know that He would be born of David’s royal line, that “there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of His roots?” •: Can any one answer these questions save by the fact that these things were divinely revealed by the inspiration of God? How Did Micah Know? In the same way let me ask: How could Micah know that He was to be born in Bethlehem of Judea? How could Jeremiah know that Herod would slaughter the Innocents? How could David know that the Resurrection of Jesus would take place? Yet all these men knew, from 500 to 1,000 years before the birth of Christ, that these things would definitely occur. What is the explanation? The only explanation is that which God gives to Jeremiah: “Behold, I have put my words into thy mouth.” God, by special re velation, made known these things to his prophets and then, by special inspiration, put the words into their mouths, whereby they might tell it rightly to others. No Natural Qualification A second argument for the inspiration of the Scriptures is: The writers of the Bible had not the literary gifts nor the mental qualifications, of themselves, to write as they did. With the possible exception of Moses at the beginning and Paul at the end of the prophetic line, the writers of the Sacred Word had no special human endowments for speak ing or writing. Even Moses himself told God that he was not fitted for the prophetic office, but God said “Now, there fore, go and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say.’’ Jeremiah, when commanded of the Lord to go and prophesy, said: “Ah, Lord God! Behold I can not speak for I am a child!” But the Lord said: “Before thou earnest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee and or dained thee a prophet unto the nations for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.” Isaiah cried, in extenuation of his un preparedness, “Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lip s!” But when the angel touched his lips with a live coal from the altar and the Lord cried: “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?” Isaiah promptly replied, "Here am I, send m e!” David, sweet singer of Israel though he was, felt utterly inadequate for the work before him. He had been a sheep herder, the youngest of his father’s house, the one his father and his family felt was least likely to be chosen for the prophetic or the kingly office, yet God chose him, and David, realiz ing his own limitations and the need of the spirit of God to prosecute the office laid upon him, cried: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. * * * * * Uphold me with thy free spirit. * * * * Then will I teach transgressors thy way and sinners shall be converted unto Thee.”
Rally to the Firing Line!
Over five hundred “Defenders of the Faith” have already enrolled in the movement to fight the destructive deniers of the Word of God, and have received their “ ammunition,” which in cludes some soul-saving tracts and leaflets. We wish you could read some of the letters received telling of the joy of the “Defenders” have had in using the “ammunition” and of some souls which have been brought to the Lord as a result. We are planning in an early issue of The King’s Business to begin a series of simple lessons in personal work especially for the use of “Defend ers." Watch for them. Meantime, if you have not enlisted, send in the coupon below and your “ammunition" will be sent at once.
T . C. HORTON ,
¡536 S. H o p e Street,
L os A n g eles, Calif.
D ear Friend: P lease enroll m y nam e as a m em ber of the m o v e m ent to fight the d estru ctive d eniers of the W ord of God and send m e su g g estio n s for carryin g on the b a t tle in d efen se of the h on or of our Lord, our hom es and our childreu.
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MAY CUMM ISKY BLISS CHART EVANGELIST Interdenom inational Every su b ject handled w ith large hand pain ted c h arts. “E ducated, P ark College (M o.) N ebraska W esleyan Univ. A. B. *90; C hicago T raining School, *91; F our y ears C hautauqua Course; Field L ecturer. W om an’s H om e M iss. Soc. M. E. Ch. M ember Gen. Confs. ’04, '12, (alt. ’16). Official B oard Saginaw Ch. (D etroit C onf.). N ational Officer W om an’s H om e Miss. Soc.’’J Q uoted from “W ho’s W ho in Am erican M ethodism 1916.“ A ddress M elrose H otel - - - - - - - - - 120 S. G rand Ave., Los A ngeles, Calif.
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