BUSINESS
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Aye, call it holy ground, The soil where first they trod; They have left unstained what there they found Freedom to worship Sod;"
"What sought they thus afar—
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Bright jewels of the mine? The wealth of seas? the spoils of war? »They sought a faith's pure shrine.
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Frorn “ The handing of the Pilgrims“ by Felicia Herrians.
Is it Nothing to You?" Do you hnotv . . . • That 6,000,000 Jews have died in 15 years without Christ? • That Palestine is about to flame with war? • That 10,000,000 Jews know not whither to 3 3 S
“Now Thank We All Our God”
Hyman J. Appal- man, President “ • THE NEED IS GREAT! , ] l r n 9
THE TIME IS RIPE!
DOORS ARE OPENING TO US WILL YOU PRAY? WILL YOU GIVE? WILL YOU INTERCEDE? Will you invest in souls for eternity? Write AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR JEW ISH EVANGELISM Incorporated Winona Lake, Ind. THE BEST IN VISUAL AIDS NOW IN Beautiful Rich Colors at Reduced Prices
A Hebrew Christian mother in Ger many, who went through the fiery fur nace of inhuman suffering, and with a flock of little hungry ones to feed, sends the following words of thanks giving: “My husband has already written to thank you in the name of the whole family, and yet as a mother who knows the burden of providing the daily bread for my little ones, I feel a special need to thank you out of the fulness of heart for what you have done for us. “How often did I hear my children come 'to me and say , 7 am so hungry I cannot bear it any more* and yet / could do nothing to still the hunger of my dear ones. But now our table is bountifully spread and there is joy in our hearts. When we sit down to par take of a meal it is more like a divine service. Out of our hearts comes the song, ‘Now thank we all our God.99 At this time of thanksgiving when we here in this country, especially as Christians, remember the Lord’s boun tiful mercy toward us, let us not forget those who still today are hungry, with out clothing, weary, and homeless. We show forth our true thanksgiving to God by sharing His goodness toward us with these suffering people, many of them Jewish Christians. Food, clothing, medicine, and the Word of God go out day by day to the darkest and saddest places in the world. Help us bring sunshine and the mes sage of His eternal love in word and in deed. The Friends of Israel M issionary and Relief Society, Inc. 728-K Witherspoon Building Philadelphia 7, Pa. President Joseph M. Steele Dr. Joseph T. Britan General Secretary Treasurer Rev. Victor Buksbazen Treasurer for Canada: Rev. Bruce Millar, B.A., B.D. Principal, Alma College St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada Our quarterly magazine, ISRAEL MY GLORY, a specially fine missionary magazine, sent to all contributors and also on request.
You will want this new movable realistic picture method o f telling Bible stories or preaching illustrated sermons. Holds your class spellbound. Discipline problems solved. Give it a try in your class. You’ll be surprised at results. Children want to learn and they clamor for this new way of presenting Bible truth. You will double your attend ance. Write for free folder telling all about this new method o f teaching, to—
ONE AGREEMENT to end financial worries! By the simple act of subscribing to an American Bible Society Annuity Agreement you do two great things: 1. You provide your old age with a steady, generous, unfailing income. (Through good times and bad, for more than 100 years, American Bible Society An nuity checks have never failed to arrive on time.) This sure income, moreover, entitles you to certain income tax exemptions. 2. You help in the increas ingly important work of enlightening and unifying mankind through the world-wide distribution of the Bible. Mail this Coupon Today Without Fail!
American Bible Society, 450 Park Ave., N. Y. 22, N. Y. □ Please send me, without obligation, your booklet K B -9 8 entitled “ A Gift That Lives!’
Send for the in teresting booklet, “ A G ift That Lives” which tells how you can give and receive gener ously at the same time.
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Name..... Address.. City........
Official Publication of The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated
Louis T. Talbot, D.D.
Batty Bruechert Managing Editor
William W . Orr, D.D.
Editor in Chief
Associate Editor
Copyright, 1948, The K ing’s Business No part o f this magazine may be reproduced without permission. AU R ights Reserved. Vol. 39 November 1948 No. 11 Thanksgiving Number CONTENTS Editorially Speaking ..................................................................................... 4 The Bible in the News, WiUiam W. Orr ............................................... 5 The Cup o f Salvation, Edgar F. Reibetanz .......................................... 6 Poem, Bring Us the Light, John Oxenham .......................................... 7 China’s Little-Ones ................................................................................•• 8 Anglo-Israelism— True or False? Louis T. Talbot ........................... 9 The Twin Elements in True Thanksgiving, A. W. Tozer. ........ 11 Now I Do My Act for God! Edwin L. Matter ...................................... 12 Biola Family Circle .................................................................................... 14 Dr. Talbot’s Question Box ........................................................................ 15 Junior King’s Business, Martha S. Hooker ............................................ 16 Little Chipmunk Learns About Thanksgiving, Betty Bruechert... 16 The True Church, J. C. Ryle ................................................................... 18 The Need o f the Holy Spirit, Charles H. Spurgeon ........................... 21 Young People’s Topics, Walter L. Wilson ........ ..................................... 22 Sunday School Lessons, Homer A. Kent, AUison Arrowood ........... 25 Clues, A Bible Quiz ........................................ .. 25 Picture Credits : Cover, Harold M. Lambert Studios, Philadelphia, Pa. This is the famous statue o f “ The P ilgrim ” by the eminent sculptor, Augustus St. Gaudens, in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, presented to that city by the New England Council in 1919. Page 7, Photograph by Carew o f Monkmeyer P ress Photo Service, N ew York. N . Y. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION—“The King’s Business” is published monthly: 12.00, one year; $1.00, six months; 20 cents, single copy. Clubs of three or more at special rates. Write for details. Canadian and foreign subscriptiins 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 offiice 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 Angeles 13, California. MANUSCRIPTS—“The King’s Business” canhot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts mailed to us for consideration. Entered as second-class matter November 7, 1938, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, 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. Page Three
For the gifts we have had from His hand Who is Lord of the living, Let there ring through the length of the land,
A Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving!
—CLINTON SCOLLARD
AN INFIDEL'S TESTIMONY “ Did I firmly believe, as millions say they do, that the knowledge and the practice of religion in this life influences destiny in another, religion to me would be everything. I would cast aside earth ly enjoyments as dross, earthly cares as follies, and earthly thoughts and feelings as vanity. Religion would be my first waking thought and my last image be fore sleeping. I would labor in its cause alone. I would take thought for the morrow of eternity alone. I would esteem one soul gained for heaven worth a life of suffering. Earthly conse quences would never stay my hand or seal my lips. Earth, with its joys and its griefs, would occupy no moment of my thoughts. I would strive to look upon eternity alone, and on the immortal souls around me as soon to be everlast ingly miserable or everlastingly happy. I would go forth into the world and preach to it in season and out of season, and my text would always be: ‘What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?’ ” These words made such a tremendous impression upon the great cricketer, Mr. C. T. Studd, that he threw up his legal career to go to the dark places of earth as a missionary. He said, “ They decided me at once to live only and utterly for Christ.” —THE TABERNACLE BULLETIN, Omaha , Nehr. N O V E M B E R , I 9 4 8
Post reporting the earnest views o f a young theology student who straight forwardly spoke his reasons for entering the ministry. We quote the statement of student Findley: “ Our religion is an unembellished Bib lical Christianity. To us (veterans) a Christianity diluted to any palatable strength, served up with any chosen sauces, as if it were ice cream at a soda fountain, is at best morality and ethics. It isn’t the Christian religion. “ We accept Christ as the Divine Son o f God. Therefore, we accept Him as having the powers of God. We believe above all that we must realize and ac knowledge our sinfulness before God- and, through Christ’s atonement for our sins as our Saviour, be forgiven and go on afresh. And we believe deeply in the indestructibility o f the human soul and a life beyond the one we now are living. We believe in the validity and practi cality of Christ’s teachings, and w.e know that a constant effort to stand loyally by them is the only hope o f put ting our world in order.” Again this year between Thanksgiv ing and Christmas, the American Bible Society is sponsoring an invitation to the world to read some of the choice portions o f the Bible. Free bookmarks are available from denominational head quarters which list Bible selections centering around the reading theme, “ The Book of all Nations.” The pro gram is being conducted in 34 foreign countries as- well as in the various branches of the armed forces. , There is no doubt but that this mat ter of reading the.Word of God is both the most potent means of convicting men of sin, and also the most powerful force to edify the saints in the Christian life. God has guaranteed to bless only one book and that Book is the Bible. Anything that can be done to promote its wide distribution and wider useful ness will most certainly receive the in comparable favor of God’s blessing. Not Necessarily More than a year ago, quite a stir was made over a Federal Communica tions Commission ruling which appar ently advised broadcasters they must accept atheistic as well as theistic pro paganda. This was warmly contested by Don Petty, counsel for the National As sociation o f Broadcasters, who warned that the Government is telling the broadcaster what he must put on the air, which is a violation of the First Amend ment. Now further clarification from the FCC advises stations that they need not feel under any obligation to accept or air athéistic doctrine. Just where this places the mind of the average manager o f a radio station is hard to determine. However, this much seems clear, that there are very few atheists with a yen to broadcast their senseless unbeliefs. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S Fifth Annual World-Wide Bible Reading
Church, was represented. Some have said that this was the greatest church meeting since the Reformation, and quite naturally, everyone' has been ask ing “ What was accomplished?” It is far too soon to give any kind of a complete evaluation, but most re ports are disappointing. It may be that everyone expected too much, but at least it is true that a meeting was held and that an informal world organization was formed. The Council will have headquar ters in Geneva, meeting in plenary ses sion every five years. Between sessions, business will be conducted by a ninety- member central committee and a smaller executive committee. There are to be six co-presidents, including the American Bishop Oxnam of the Methodist Church. What else was accomplished, and more than that, what was accomplished spiritually? News magazines report that the talk at Amsterdam was on the com paratively low level o f diplomacy; what was heard sounded very much like a United Nations’ session. Of disagree ments there were many. Of evidences of another Pentecost there were none. Does such a monumental meeting have any prophetic meaning? Is there" any significance whatsoever between this be ginning and the world church predicted of tribulation days? Let Bible students ponder this question. Well Stated! Most conservative, Bible-taught read ers have long since given up any hope o f finding the simple fundamental posi tions of Christianity clearly stated in the public press. All that has appeared which has come to our attention is a watered-down version of Christian ethics or ideals. Editors of newspapers and magazines seem only to accept the pret ty-pretty social service views o f liberals with emphasis only on good citizenship or character building. Noticeably absent is any virile statement o f the truths un derlying the great doctrines of our faith, any declaration of the desperate lost condition of mankind and the an swer to this is the sacrificial substitu tionary death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Absent too is any delineation o f that miraculous heavenly metamorphosis of genuine regeneration. It was refreshing therefore to find the editors of the Saturday Evening
“ Neither Were Thankful ” In that tremendous indictment of the entire human race, given in the first chapter o f the Epistle to the Romans, one of the complaints' of God against man was that they were not thankful. Because of this sin and others, God solemnly announced His decision to abandon such ungrateful creatures, leav ing them to the consequences of their own wickedness. There is no doubt that for ten bounti ful years' America has enjoyed God’s favor. Harvests have been exceeding all records; bumper crops have been the rule; catastrophies have been noticeably absent; the weather has been mild and moisture abundant. Reports from the Department of Agriculture point to the present year as the greatest in Amer ica’s agricultural history, and now at the harvest season we come once more to a day set apart for national thanks giving. But will this day be merely a day of feasting and football? Will America’s sons and daughters gratify their own appetites for food and pleasure to the point o f completely ignoring the Giver o f all good gifts? Will the voice of praise and thanksgiving be silent in the majority o f American homes this year? God forbid! It is an astounding fact, but never theless true, that God, who is both Creator and Sustainer of all things, looks for gratitude from us, the objects of His creation. Having bestowed upon mankind the priceless benefits of health and harvest, God watches closely to see if there will be a consequent apprecia tion. If such appreciation is not forth coming, there will be most certain pun ishment brought to bear upon this na tion-, great as it is. Let us take heed and, from President to peoplg, let there be put forth sincere notes of praise to the God that has made America great. By now the Christian world has heard reports concerning the historic gather ing recently held in Amsterdam, Hol land. No less than 147 churches from 44 countries gathered for prayer and planning. Every major branch of Chris tianity, with the exception. o f Roman Catholic and the Russian Orthodox Page Four Accomplishments at Amsterdam?
International Council Too Jt While the projected World Council o f Churches sponsored in America by the Federal Council was meeting in Amsterdam, another group called the International Council sponsored by the American Council of Christian Churches was meeting at the same time in Am sterdam’s historic “ Kloosterkerk.” This is the church where the pilgrims wor shiped prior to their coming to America. Sixty-four denominations and mission ary and church organizations partici pated in this second meeting. The stated purpose o f the International Council was to preserve the evangelical Protes tant faith, to aid Europe’s spiritual re covery, to lend assistance to world mis sions, and to promote genuine world peace. "G od " Was Permitted <£ Now the story can be told how nearly the name o f God came to being omitted in the recent Jewish Declaration of In dependence. There was a real struggle between religious and secular Zionists for controlling influence in the new state. The secular élément very strongly opposed the inclusion of any mention of a religious faith, and, as a compro mise measure, it was agreed to refer to God as the “ Rock of Israel.” However, when it came to translat ing this into English, it was feared that the world would not understand who was mentioned, and upon the advice of a typist, the phrase “ Almighty God” was substituted instead. This surprises Bible-believing Chris tians not at all. Prophecy seems clearly to indicate that the return of the Jewish people and the re-establishment of the Jewish nation are to be in complete un belief. "I Will Return!" & Jacob DeShazer was one of the bom bardiers of Jimmie Doolittle’s raiders who carried out that first daring raid on Tokyo in April of 1942. Following that, he was one of four who spent forty unspeakable months in Japanese prison camps. Now, after graduating last June from Seattle Pacific College, Mr. De Shazer, with his wife whom he married in 1946, will return to Japan where they hope to spend the rest of their lives as missionaries to the Japanese. DeShazer returns to Japan this time not with bombs, but with a Bible, not with hatred of the enemy, but with the love o f God burning in his heart for the salvation o f the lost. The prospects for evangelism in Japan constitute one of #the bright spots in a dark world. Japan, perhaps more than any other nation, is earnestly groping for a new faith. No Hebrew Race Recently in Seattle, Washington, a Superior Court judge ruled that there was no Hebrew race today. The decision was made in a will case, where the pro visions barred beneficiaries from shar ing if they married persons outside the Hebrew race. The Court ruled that since
William W. Orr, D.D.
ence is the over-population of the world. It is clear that mankind cannot go on multiplying and eating up the planet on which he lives. This is a real prob lem, according to Fairfield Osborne, President o f the New York Zoological Society, who points out that within only three centuries the population has in creased five times and is now increasing at a net rate that will double the popu lation in another seventy years. The greatest danger is seen to be the Orient where relatively inexpensive health services have greatly reduced deaths. Be this as it may, there is a definite sign in this problem pointing to the im- minency of the Lord’s return. The earth is God’s planet we are sure, and His watchful eye overshadows it. Many Bible students believe this to be a defi nite token of the nearness of the con summation of this age. College Facts «Jt With an estimated 32,000,000 stu dents in school this fall, colleges are again filled to capacity. Yet, in a recent survey o f 655 Liberal Arts Colleges in the United States, more than half of the students will drop out before grad uation. Part of the blame, according to Archibald Macintosh, Vice President of Haverford College, should go to the stu dent who enters college merely through pious sentiment. Most of the blame, however, should rest upon the colleges themselves who grind out students with little or no personal attention to the kind of character they are producing. In this connection, it has been noted that the 50th Anniversary Edition of “ Who’s Who” reveals that those who at tend a small college have a four-to-one better chance of being catalogued in this famous publication, than those who at tend a college with more than 1,000 en rollment. Christ chose only twelve dis ciples ! ’ Certainly here is the perfect illustra tion that quality not quantity is what really counts.
the fall of Jerusalem there has been no distinct Jewish nationality. Perhaps what was meant by the jurist was that there has been no Hebrew na tion since the fall of Jerusalem, but the perpetuation of the Jewish race has been one of the most easily proven facts and is in God’s great plan (Jer. 31:35- 37). Valuable During the recent Golden Bible An niversary in New York City, there was on display at the Grand Central Palace, a copy o f the Gutenberg Bible belonging to the New York Public Library. An es pecially built steel cabinet with shatter proof glass contained the precious vol ume, and while on display the Bible lay on blue velvet with a brilliant beam of light playing on it. To insure its safety, an insurance policy of half-a-million dollars was carried, with an armored car and special detectives to guard it. This Bible was printed in Germany in 1440 and was purchased 100 years ago for $2,600.00. However, one may go to the ten cent store and buy a Bible for 39c which will contain the same wonderful words of life and which will be as mighty to save as the $500,000.00 Gutenberg on blue velvet. FMF From December 27-31, on the campus of the University o f Illinois, another student foreign missions fellowship, sponsored by the Inter-Varsity Chris tian Fellowship, will be held. Many will remember the thrill and blessing o f the last meeting at Toronto, and much prayer is being made and more prayer being requested for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the proposed meeting. More than fifty mis sionaries, representing all types o f gos pel enterprise, and a thousand earnest
students will be present. Standing Room Only!
«5* One o f the worries of the American Association for the Advancement of Sci
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N O V E M B E R , I 948
By Edgar F. Reibetanz
was the mercy of God. We see something of this in verses 5 and 6 of this Psalm: “ Gracious is Jehovah, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. Jehovah preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he saved me.” You can .see, then, that it is out o f this experience of his own sinfulness and the realization of the graciousness of God that David utters this cry—“ What shall I render unto Jehovah for all his benefits toward me?” Let us face the question. What is it possible for us to render? I f we search the Scriptures, we will find very little encouragement to make us believe that there is anything we can render. For example, God’s Word makes clear to us that there is no righteousness in us. It plainly tells us that our righteousness is as filthy rags before God. There is no understanding; there is no seeking after God. We have all turned aside unto our own ways, and we are together become unprofitable. We are told that there is none that doeth good. The record of God’s Word makes it clear that we were weak, we were ungodly, we were dead in trespasses and sins. We were “ separate from Christ, alienated from- the common wealth o f Israel, strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” This is the record of the Word o f God, not our word. These things being true, what then could we possibly render unto God for all His benefits toward us? Someone asks, “ What about church membership? What about being active in the affairs of the church? What about teaching a Sunday school class, or taking part in the work of the women’s missionary society? What about being chari table? What about living a good, clean, moral, upright life?” What about these things? They are all works—and the Bible declares that a man can never be justified before God by works. In the matter o f salvation God is not at all inter ested in what we do until we are interested in what He has done. And what has He done? He has given the Lord Jesus Christ, .His beloved Son, to be the propitiation for our sins; He has laid upon Him the iniquity o f us all, in order that we, through faith,in Christ as our sin-bearer, may be freed from the guilt and the penalty which is rightfully ours, and that thus we might stand justified before God. There is nothing— absolutely nothing — that we can render unto God for all His benefits toward us. What, then, can we do? The continuing words of the Psalmist give us the answer. “ What shall I render unto Jehovah for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation” ! “ I will take the cup of salvation” ! That cup—how-signifi cant it is! It speaks of suffering; it speaks of shed blood; it speaks of death. God provided that cup, filled to the brim with the suffering of Calvary, and Christ drained that cup for you and for me. We are all familiar with the incident in the Garden of Gethsemane when our Lord went apart and kneeling down, prayed, “ Father, if thou be willing, remove this' cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” That cup, dear friends, had within it the treachery o f one of His own inner circle of friends. Into that cup was poured the shame and humiliation of Pilate’s hall. Mingled with al], else were the thorns that cut their way into His brow. In that cup were the lashes across His back, the mocking, the purple robe of scorn, the scepter o f .derision. Into that cup were the nails that drove their cruel way into His precious hands. Into that cup was poured the railing of the thieves, the cries o f the mob about the foot of the cross. Into that cup went the spear that brought blood and water from His wounded side. Into that cup, beloved, were your sins and my sins, and the sins of the whole world! And what happened? The Lord Jesus Christ, the gift of God’s love for your redemption, drained that cup to its bitter T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
L ift not up your horn on high; Speak not with a stiff neck.
For neither from the east, nor from the west, Nor yet from the south, cometh lifting up. But God is the judge: He putteth down one, and lifteth up another. For in the hand of Jehovah there is a cup, And the wine foameth; It is full o f mixture, And he poureth out of the same: Surely the dregs thereof, A ll the wicked of the earth shall drain them, And drink them. (Psalm 75:5-8 ASV.)
S OME time ago I had an opportunity to hear the funeral service of a very high-ranking clergyman in a large eastern city. The one who was in charge o f the service prayed fervently for the soul of the departed, calling upon all the host of heaven to intercede for him. In the midst of all the pleading he quoted the words of David from the 116th Psalm: “ What shall I render unto Jehovah for all his bene fits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of Jehovah.” Now, this rather startled me. While pleading for the peace o f the dead, this man had quoted the words of one who sang o f God’s grace and mercy. It was difficult to understand. “ What shall I render unto Jehovah fo r all his benefits toward me?” These words are taken from a Psalm which is described as a thanksgiving for deliverance from death; and we have to concede that they are very appropriate words for a funeral service. However, I wonder if their tremendous import was realized that day by the man who used them. Truly David was a man after God’s own heart, and he sought to serve -God. And yet, David knew what sin was in his own life. He had experienced the fearful consequences of sinning against God. Because of this he saw how utterly ineffectual were his own efforts to be right before God—and this led him to see how great was the grace, how marvelous
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BRING US THE LIGHT
dregs. The cup which should have been mine, He took, He drank. And when that cup of suffering and death had been drained of all these bitter things, it was filled to the brim with the elixir o f forgiveness, o f pardon and cleansing, of love, of life—and that newly-filled cup, by God’s grace, is held out to you in the name o f the Lord Jesus Christ, and all you need to do is to take it! But, there is something to be offered, for the Word tells us so. If you will follow down the Psalm to verse 17, you will see this: “ I will offer to thee the sacrifice o f thanksgiving.” Here is the only sacrifice we can offer to God—the sacrifice o f thanksgiving. This is all that He wants. There has been one sacrifice for sins, and that is altogether sufficient. In the tenth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, verse 11, one discovers how utterly insufficient are all other sacrifices. “ And every priest indeed standeth day by day ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, the which can never take away sins.” And then, in glorious contrast to this, there is the complete sufficiency o f the one sacrifice which God has provided for us. Notice it in verse 12: “ But he [that is, the Lord Jesus Christ], when he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand o f God; henceforth expecting till his enemies be made the footstool o f his feet. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” I want you to see still further the complete surety of that one sacrifice. Look at verse 19: “ Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.” And then the crowning fact o f all, that with that perfect and sufficient sacrifice we have a high priest, and only one, in the person of Christ, who has completed His work. See verse 21: “ And having a great priest over the house of God [that is Jesus Christ]; let us draw near with a true heart in fulness [or in full assurance] of faith.” “ What shall I render unto Jehovah for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup o f salvation, And call upon the name o f Jehovah.” We need only to call upon Jesus— then take the cup o f salvation from His hands. We need Him, and Him alone. Paul, writing to Timothy, said “ there is one God, one mediator also between God and men,” the man Christ Jesus. There He stands, your Mediator and my Medi ator. We need Him, and Him alone, fo r He is the only One who avails for us. In full Paul declared: “ There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for us all” ! We can offer no sacrifice, we can give nothing, for He gave Himself as our sacrifice. Today God wants us to take the cup of salvation, the gift o f His love and grace—and then to offer the sacrifice o f praise, o f thanksgiving, and of obedient hearts. Charlotte Arnold wrote some lines on the theme o f the Scripture we read:
i hear a clear voice calling, calling, Calling out of the night, O , you who live in the Light of Life, Bring us the Light! We are bound in the chains of darkness, Our eyes received no sight, O , you who have never been bond or blind, Bring us the Light!
We live amid turmoil and horror, Where might is the only right, O , you to whom life is liberty, Bring us the Light!
We stand in the ashes of ruins, We are ready to fight the fight, O , you whose feet are firm on the Rock, Bring us the Light! You cannot—ryou shall not forget us, Out here in the darkest night, We are drowning men, we are dying men, Bring, O , bring us the Light!
“In the hand of the Lord there is a cup.” His holy justice holds it up To my deserving, sin-stained lips And from its brim His fierce wrath drips. But, lo, there stood Someone between — An Israelite o f lowly mien, Who took the cup and drank for me To bitter dregs, sin’s penalty! It was the Son o f God who drank The cup of wrath from which I shrank. I shall forever praise His name For Jesus drank my sin and shame.
John Oxenham
GENUINE CHRISTIANITY IS REVEALED: In the home—by love and unselfishness. In business —by honesty and diligence. In society—by purity and courtesy. Toward the weak—by patience and kindness. Toward the lost—by interest and .effort for their salvation. Toward the believers—by understanding and helpfulness. Toward God—by reverence and obedience.
Are you going to drink the cup o f God’s holy wrath against unforgiven sin—or are you going to take from the hands of Jesus Christ the offered cup of forgiveness, o f peace, o f love, o f eternal life. You must make the choice. What will it be?
N O V E M B E R , I 9 4 8
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CHINA'S LITTLE ONES The newest and most intriguing branch o f our China work
YAUR orphanage is the newest and most interesting min- ^ istry o f the Hunan Bible Institute, the branch o f the Bible Institute o f Los Angeles which has been maintained for over thirty years in Changsha, Hunan, China. Young people from all parts of that great land have been trained in much the same courses as those offered by the Bible In stitute o f Los Angeles. But through the dire needs growing out o f World War II this new work for orphans has started. Already one hundred and fifty orphans have been accepted. These war orphans resemble little children the world over, all appetite, energy, and fun. They and the other little ones are the hope o f China, and, as such, they present a real op portunity for Christian missions and schools. I f early in their lives they are trained in the things o f God, and if they feel their responsibility to their own people, they may become, under God, flaming evangels to light fires throughout China.
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It is a well-known fact that today the financial plight o f China is des perate. The government has little or no funds with which to care for their war orphans. Therefore, the entire re sponsibility for their food, clothing, medical care, and education falls upon people o f more favored lands. This is
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a real missionary work, per haps the most enduring form o f missionary enterprise in the world, for the seed sown in young hearts will not only produce saved souls, but lives yielded and dedicated to God. The Bible Institute of Los Angeles asks the prayerful interest o f God’s people in this worthy enterprise. The cost o f caring for a war or phan is only $10.00 per month, or $120.00 per year. Further information may be secured by writing the China Depart ment, Bible Institute o f Los Angeles, 558 So. Hope Street, Los Angeles 13, California.
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Page Eight
ANGLO-ISRAELISM—True or False?
Third in a Series of Revealing Articles by Louis T. Talbot, D.D.
S OME of the misinterpretations of the Word of God by the Anglo- Israelites are more serious than those already given, bordering on blas phemy. For instance, the glorious Mes sianic prophecy in Daniel 2 concerning “ the stone” which “ was cut out of the mountain without hands,” and which smote the image of Nebuchadnezzar, clearly representing the Messiah and His glorious rule, is made by them to mean the British people and Britain’s king. Britain, which is one of the Gentile world kingdoms, and one which the Bible clearly teaches will be a part of the ten confederate kingdoms of the Antichrist, is made out to be identical with the throne of God, and the British people are said to be “ the saints of the Most High” to whom all the kingdoms of the world will be given. It has even been declared by some Anglo-Israelites that the smoke which ascends from the blaz ing furnaces and the steam engines of London is identical with the Shekinah glory. From Heresies Exposed, by Wm. C. Irvine, we find that one of the great Messianic prophecies—Romans 11:25,26 — is said by Anglo-Israelites to be ful filled in one o f their men, Edward Hine. The prophecy reads: I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your• own conceits; that blindness in part is happened 'to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. An Anglo-Israelite, writing in the magazine Life from the Dead applies this great prophecy to Edward Hine, de claring it fulfilled in him. These are his words: “ Are the British people identical with the lost ten tribes of Israel? And is the nation, by the identity, being led to glory? If these things are so, then where is the Deliverer? He must already have come out o f Zion. He must be do ing his great work. He must be amongst us. It is our impression that, by the glory of the work o f the identity, we have come to the time of Israel’s nation al salvation by the Deliverance out of Zion, and that Deliverer and Edward Hine are identical.” When Hine could publish in the paper, o f which he was editor, a statement of this kind, it reveals his readiness to be lieve almost anything. It would require too much space to explain how Anglo-Israel advocates wrest the Scriptures to make Old Testa- NT> V E M B E R , I 9 4 8
crime, then the system o f Anglo-Israel- ism completely disintegrates. What Saith the Scriptures? We want first to show that hundreds of years before Christ, shortly after the division of Israel into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, large numbers of the people of the Northern Kingdom migrated into the Southern Kingdom, until thousands of representatives o f the ten Northern tribes were to be found in the Southern Kingdom. Let us see how this came to pass. After the death of Solomon, civil war divided the house of Israel into two kingdoms, Jeroboam and Rehoboam be coming the rulers of these separate king doms. The kingdom of the North re tained the name, Israel, while Judah was the name of the Southern Kingdom. The Kingdom of Judah had the advan tage over the Northern Kingdom be cause the city of Jerusalem was located there, and God had stated clearly that sacrifices were to be offered there and there only. This command had been given in the days o f Moses: But unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come: And thither ye shall bring your burnt- offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave-offerings o f your hand, and your vows, and your freewill-offer ings, and the firstlings o f your herds and of your flocks: And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in,all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee (Deut. lZ :5-7). Jerusalem was where God had placed His name (John 4:20-22). The only place where the. passover could be observed was Jerusalem, as Deuteronomy 16:2, 5, 6 plainly states: Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the pass- over unto the Lord thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the Lord shall choose to place his name there . . . Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee : But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover. If any question arises with regard to Jerusalem’s being that place, Isaiah 18:7 clarifies that matter: The place o f the iiame of the Lord of hosts, the ■mount Zion. (Continued on Next Page) Page Nine
ment prophecies, which have to do with the millennial reign of our Lord, fit in with their amazingly idiotic schemes. The Deciding Question Were the twelve tribes of Israel in the land of Palestine during the earthly min istry of the Lord Jesus Christ, or were
We cannot speak our gratitude For all that Thou hast done; For every good and perfect gift Provided through Thy Son. For peace with Thee, for peace with men, For work, for food, for sleep; For sweetened sorrow, and for love, For joy secure and deep. We cannot praise Thee as we would, In our poor, earthly way; But with sincere and humble hearts — W e keep Thanksgiving Day. — Betty Bruechert. only Jews, members o f the tribe of Judah, present at that time? Upon the answer to this question the complete theory of Anglo-Israelism stands or falls. I f we can show from Scripture that the twelve tribes or representatives of the twelve tribes were in Palestine during the earthly ministry of our Lord, and that not Judah only, but the whole house of Israel, were gathered together at the crucifixion of the Messiah, that Ephraim, Manasseh, Naphtali, Asher, Dan, and all the rest were equally guilty of that
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From these verses, the evidence is clear that the “ lost” ten tribes are not lost at all, and that the contention of the Anglo-Israelites that the people o f the Kingdom of the North remained separate from the Kingdom of the South is with out Scriptural support. Let us now turn to the New Testa ment and see how plain are the state ments that the twelve tribes were in the land of Palestine during the life of the Lord. Let us see how this fact complete ly annihilates the position of the Anglo- Israelites which is based upon the sup position that only Jews, people of the tribe of Judah, were in the land at that time: And there was one Anna, a proph etess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser [A sh er]: she was of a great age, and had lived with an hus band sbven years from her virginity (Luke 2:36). How did it happen that Anna of the tribe of Asher was in Palestine at the time, when, according to Anglo-Israel- ism, she should have been in Great Britain or Ireland? Further proof: He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt. 15:24). The house of Israel was not lost phys ically but spiritually, and when the Lord Jesus Christ came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, He found them in Palestine and not in Britain. In Matthew 10:5, 6 we find the twelve disciples com missioned by the Lord. What were their marching orders? These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way o f the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep o f the house of Israel. They were not sent to the lost sheep of the house o f Judah, merely, but to “ the house of Israel.” Where did they find the lost sheep of the house o f Israel? In Britain? In Denmark? In the Darda nelles? In Ireland? In the United States? Surely not! They were in Palestine, and to the twelve tribes the twelve disciples ministered. Numbers in the Bible have a significance,- and the disciples were twelve in number, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The fact that twelve disciples were sent by the Lord to the house of Israel is evidence that the twelve tribes were in the land of Pales tine at the time. Let us read Peter’s message at Pente
cost, observing how the theories of An- glo-Israelism are overthrown: But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men o f Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and won ders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the deter minate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have cruci fied, both Lord and Christ (A cts 2 :l t , 22, 23, 36). In these verses Peter calls those who were listening to him Jews and Men of Israel and all the house of Israel. How can Anglo-Israelites declare then that only those of the tribe of Judah were responsible for the death o f Christ, in the light of Acts 2:36? Stephen’s message before the San hedrin, recorded in Acts 7: 51-53, also undermines this theory: Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the com ing o f the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers. These charges were made against the whole house of Israel and not against Judah only. A fter reading these verses, to say that Israel did not crucify the Son o f God is either to be grossly ignorant of the Word o f God, or to twist the Scriptures deceitfully. For further proof that the twelve tribes were known then and were in Palestine, read a portion of Paul’s de fense before Agrippa: My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after, the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Phavisee. (Continued on Page SO) T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Under these conditions, we can un derstand the feelings of the people in the Northern Kingdom at the time o f the approach of the feast days. The kings of the North attempted to establish places of worship within their own bor ders, but these would not satisfy the hearts of the men and women of the Northern Kingdom who studied the book of the law and desired to obey its com mands. Jerusalem was the only place where worship could be given accepta bly; consequently, there were thousands among the northern tribes who crossed the border, journeyed to Jerusalem, and dwelt thereafter in Judah. Thus all the true worshipers from all o f the twelve tribes were located in the Southern King dom, leaving only apostates in the North. Note how God later addresses the twelve tribes in the South: Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solo mon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin (2 Chron. 11:3). Consider the order in which the people came from the Northern Kingdom into the South. First, those of the tribe of Levi: The Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: fo r Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest)s office unto the Lord: . . . And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came to Jerusa lem, to sacrifice unto the Lord God of their fathers. So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon (2 Chron. 11:14, 16, 17). Later, during the reign of Asa, another great company came from the North: He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Sim eon: fo r they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him (2 Chron. 15:9). Page Ten
THE TWIN ELEMENTS IN TRUE THANKSGIVING By Rev. A. W. Tozer* U NDERLYING the whole Christian religion is a broad foundation o f fact upon which it rests and up from which it rises. This is the rational element in Chris As for the philosophy of thanksgiving, there is nothing very profound about it. Just get a few facts straight and immediately the mind will be convinced.
tianity. It is this rational element which constitutes that “ form of doctrine” which was once for all delivered. It is this also which the church has condensed into her noble and justly honored creeds such as the Apostles’ Creed and those known to us as the Nicene and the Athanasian. Because this rational element is present as a large and solid part o f all genuine spiritual experience, God does not hesitate to call reason over onto His side, as when He says in Isaiah, “ Come now, and let us reason together.” The bases o f revealed religion are so reasonable as to be self-verifying. Divine truth confounds the human conscience by carrying its own proof with it and forcing the hearer to admit (at least secretly) the soundness of what he has just heard. Back o f everything in the Christian faith there are ade quate reasons; not all those reasons, however, can be known to or understood by the human intellect. Not everything God would say to us can be said in words. Some things by-pass reason altogether and, if known at all, are known to the heart only by the revelation o f the Spirit. Here enters the suprarational element in religion, and here Christianity goes over into the spirit and becomes essentially spiritual in its content. In true faith there are qualities which, as David says, are “ too high” for us and can only be referred back to God with the hush-voiced exclamation of Ezekiel, “ O Lord God, thou knowest.” Yet the power over us o f the things we cannot understand may be as great as that o f the things we do, for they may be “ spiritually discerned.” Since the faith o f Christ has in it these twin elements, two things will always be true of every bona fide Christian: He will possess a philosophy of truth and he will be possessed by a spirit ' of truth. The one he can grasp with his reason and cast into words; it will constitute his total creed, the body o f his Christian witness. The other will be known to him in and by the Holy Ghost. It will reveal itself as a kind of inward mystery, a delightful wonder which will elude his reason even while it warms and illuminates his heart. While his mind rests in the forms of truth, his soul will be filled with the spirit o f truth and he will know by an inward miracle what eye has not seen nor ear heard, and what has not by any human process entered into the heart of a man. This rather formidable introduction is placed here as a backdrop against which might be set the truth I wish to emphasize. It is simply that Christian thankfulness is both reasonable and spiritual. The facts require us to be thankful. The circumstances being what they are, thanksgiving is a rational act; yet, unless the heart is possessed by a spirit o f gratitude, no real thanksgiving will be possible.
For instance,. the best man that ever lived, whoever he might be, deserves from God exactly nothing at all. One sin is’ enough to forfeit forever all claim upon God’s providential care. Once that sin has been committed (and what man sinneth not?) every gift of God from that moment is a gift of pure grace. Every natural benefit, every common blessing, flows as surely out of grace as salvation itself does. In strict justice we rate nothing, not a moment o f life, not a day of health or happiness upon this earth. All this notwithstanding there are still millions of people who in spite of a long record of aggravated sin are sourly convinced that God qwes them everything, and are ready to strike back at Him savagely if they do not get it. Such as these cannot be made thankful by presidential decree. Sin has upset their moral reason and, holding the philosophy they do, gratitude would be for them not only impossible but. positively irrational. The true Christian, however, knows himself too well to believe that he deserves the benefits which are daily showered upon him. He has been smitten with a deep sense of his own unworthiness, and reverently accepts his daily bread and every temporal arid spiritual blessing as the unmerited gifts o f a kind and forgiving Father. Considerations such as these make up the reasons back of the act o f thanksgiving whether that act be one o f private devotion or o f public celebration. Without such a philosophy Thanksgiving Day is no more than a time o f feasting and animal gratification. Now, the other element in true thanksgiving is the spirit o f thankfulness. This is an inward thing. It is more than a conclusion drawn from facts. It affects the heart as a radiant sense o f gratitude, felt rather than understood. Without this all our reasoning will fall short of producing real thanks giving in the soul. The mind may be convinced that it should praise the Lord, while at the same time the heart lurks sullenly in the shadows, refusing to come into the sunshine and join in the doxology.
AH our dutiful efforts to celebrate Thanksgiving will fail without a true spirit of gratitude; and such a spirit is impos sible apart from the Holy Ghost. So dark and low is the human spirit that it can never of itself rise to those sunlit heights where praise is normal and spontaneous. The spirit o f thankfulness accords with the facts but does not. spring out of them. It descends as an independent thing-in-itself; it is the Spirit o f the very God singing in the human breast, and that song will often be heard bursting ecstatically forth when for the time all the external circumstances are against it. In the spirit o f thankfulness Job praised God on the ash heap, David worshiped in the wilderness and Christ sang on His way to Gethsemane. Like every other gift of God the spirit o f thankfulness, if it is not to die o f suffocation, must |£be given external expression. The psalmist sensed this need j^ f o r vocal overflow when he exclaimed, “ Oh, that men would *Pastor of the South Side Christian and Missionary Alliance^ßprsiise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works Tabernacle, Chicago, III. Ü ito the children o f men.”
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