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Feed The Hungry During my recent visit to Europe as General Secretary of The Friends of Israel Missionary and Relief Society, Inc., I looked into the faces o f weary and hungry people in desperate need of food, clothing, shelter, and the barest essentials o f life. And yet their pathetic hunger for the Word o f God, the spiritual starva tion of a people who sit in darkness and despair, this is what grips and burdens the hearts of Christians. THE FRIENDS OF ISRAEL MIS SIONARY AND RELIEF SOCIETY, INC., is laboring among the dis inherited, uprooted, and displaced Jewish remnant in Europe, as well as in every part o f the world. Thousands o f parcels of food and clothing are sent to the needy to alleviate their distress. Our missionaries and representa tives in Poland, Germany, France, Belgium , England, North A frica , Palestine, and the United States, wit ness to them con cern in g Christ, bringing faith and new hope and comfort into many a darkened and tragic life. Will you help them in the hour of their great affliction for His sake? The Friendsof Israel MissionaryandRelief Society, Inc. 728-K Witherspoon Building Philadelphia 7, Pa. President Joseph M. Steele Treasurer General Secretary Dr. Joseph T. Britan Rev. Victor Buksbazen Treasurer for Canada: Rev. P. S. Dobson, M.A., D.D.. Alma College, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. $10.00 will supply a family o f four with essential food to keep them tfrom starving for one week. $50.00 will make possible a Christian testimony among these people for a month.
The Hymnal for your Church Hymns of the Christian Life
504 songs. Responsive readings. Complete indexes.
A large dynamic hymnal. Used in many of America’s great churches.
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Bible Conferences, Missionary Conventions, Evaftgelistic Cam paigns, Youth for Christ Rallies. Palms of Victory Reinforced manila binding. Covers in two colors. 138 songs. $22*50 a 100. Single copy, 25c* The New Crusade Songs 107 numbers. Reinforced manila binding. $17.50 a 100. Single copy, 20c. A t your religious book store. CHR ISTIAN PUBL ICAT IONS , Inc. 1507 No. Third St., Harrisburg, Pa. J
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Page Two
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Official Publication of The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated
Louis T. Talbot, D.D.
Betty Bruechert Managing Editor
William W. Orr, D.D.
Editor in Chief
Associate Editor
Copyright, 1918, The King’s Business No part o f this magazine may be reproduced without permission. All Rights Reserved.
Vol. 39
APRIL, 1948
No. 4
QtfypWill pie 20one We see not, know not; all our way Is night—with Thee alone is day; From out the torrent’s troubled drift, Above the storm our prayers we lift Thy will be done! The flesh may fail, the heart may faint, But who are we to make complaint, Or dare we plead, in times like these The weakness of our love of ease ? Thy will be done! We take with solemn thankfulness Our burden up, nor ask it less, And count it joy that even we May suffer, serve, or wait for Thee, Whose will be done! Though dim as yet in tint and line We trace Thy picture’s wise design, And thank Thee that our age supplies Its dark relief of sacrifice, Thy will be done! And if, in our unworthiness, Thy sacrificial wine we press: If from Thy ordeal’s heated bars Our feet are seamed with crimson scars, Thy will be done! Strike Thou, the Master, we Thy keys, The anthem of the destinies! The minor of Thy loftier strain, Our hearts shall breathe the old refrain, Thy will be done! —John Greenleaf Whittier Be Ye Also Ready A RE these the signs of His coming That loom over sea and land, That darken the earth and the heavens? Is the day so near at hand ? We know not; He hath not told us This secret of the Lord, But all we need He hath left us To read in His sacred Word. Sweet as a silver trumpet Through tumult and clamor clear: “Watch, be ye also ready, For the time is drawing near.” —Annie Johnson Flint By permission of Evangelical Publishers A P R I L , 1 9 4 8
CONTENTS Editorially Speaking .......................................................................................... 4
L ife ’s Seven Greatest Facts, William W. O rr ........................................... 5
Palestine, Russia and Ezekiel 39, Louis T. Talbot .................................. 8
The Hunan Evangelistic Bands .................................................................. 9
Can Communists Be Christian? Bernard Ramm ...................................... 10 My Conversion from Mormonism, Einar Anderson ..................................11
Junior K ing’s Business, Martha S. H ooker ................................................. 12
A re You Bold Enough To Be A fra id ? LeRoy A llen ................................13
Dr. Talbot’s Question B o x ......... *......................................................................14
The Bible in the News, WiUiam W. O rr ......................................................15
Biola Family C ir c le .....................................
17
It’s An Idea, Carlton C. Buck .......................................................................... 18 Young People’s Topics, Walter L. W ilson . ................................................. 18 Sunday School Lessons, Homer A. Kent, Allison Arrowood ................22 Object Lessons, Elmer L. Wilder .................................................................... 28 Picture C redits: Cover, Eva Luoma, Hollidays Cove, W. V a .; Chamber o f Commerce, Los Angeles County, p. 7. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION—“ The King’s Business” is published monthly; $2.00, one year; $1.00, six months; 20 cents, single copy. Clubs of three or more at special rates*-Write for details. Canadian and foreign subscriptions 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 office 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” cannot 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
Dr. Culbertson, New President o f Moody I N a recent announcement by Mr. Thomas S. Smith, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Moody Bible Institute, it is learned that Dr. William Culbertson has been appointed President of Moody Bible Institute to fill the place of the late Dr. Will H. Houghton. Dr. Culbertson has been Dean of Education since 1942, and was for merly Bishop of the New York and Philadelphia Synod of the Reformed Episcopal Church. The King’s Business takes this opportunity to offer sincere congratulations to Dr. Culbertson, and to assure him of our prayerful interest in the great work which, under God, he has undertaken for Him. ☆ Give Attention to Reading M ODERN America has more pages of reading material offered than any other nation of any age in the world’s history. It is also true that the American people are voracious readers. For instance, we learn from a news item that the average family spends three hours and eighteen minutes reading the daily newspaper. The man of the family spends an hour and a half, the wife an hour and twelve minutes. All this time is spent in reading one medium, the newspaper. When we consider also how many magazines are currently sold, and how many cheap books are printed, the total amount of time spent in reading is a startling one. There is no doubt that as a civiliza tion reads, so it becomes, and if our land of America is to remain strong and clean there must be a decided change in the reading habits of our people. There is, thank God, a fine increase in the number of good books being printed today. Also the demand for copies of the sacred Scriptures seems to be insatiable. Would it not be a patriotic gesture of the highest sort to continually press upon Americans the value of reading good books and, above all, the Book of books ? Contrary to a generally-accepted no tion, the Bible is not so large but what it can be read in the same manner as one would read an ordinary book. For instance, in the volume lying before me, the book of Genesis covers approximately fifty pages, and could be read easily in an hour and a half. The Book of Exodus similarly has approximately forty pages and but little more than an hour would be required to enjoy its rich truth. Per haps there has been a real fault in the matter of reading by chapters, with people taking the Bible in doses as they would medicine. What a revolution would take place in the lives of men and women if each family were to spend at least three hours and eighteen minutes in prayerful perusal of the Word of God!
lieve,” ‘ “ It is said,” and “ A claim is made.” Then the sponsors of this adver tising, without attempting to disprove the truth of these rumors, merely pooh- pooh them as beliefs which are impos sible to hold in this enlightened age and advanced country. However, if one has had even a smattering of history, there is no doubt in his mind that these current views are held, and have been held, by the Roman church throughout the centuries. Pronouncement after pronouncement by the hierarchy can be produced to show that the Catholic church believes these false doctrines and worse. The results which will come from such advertising, will be two-fold. First, the Bureau of Information of the Knights of Columbus will be flooded with inquir ies, and some guileless, uninformed Protestants will be drawn into the meshes of this system. But the larger results will be that of a decided reaction by the thinking Protestants of this land, resulting in the production of documen tal, factual information which will both refute and defeat this Catholic defense of their position. I NTO the offices of The King’s Business come many requests for free subscrip tions. Some of these reach us from ear nest Christian people in our own land who are caught between high living costs and the inadequacy of their incomes. Other requests come from mission fields the world around suggesting how de lighted the missionary family would be to receive this Christian family magazine regularly, but telling how impossible it would be to pay the subscription costs. The King’s Business has always main tained a Free Fund to meet such requests and many are the letters which express gratitude for the blessing received from the magazine. This Free Fund has been maintained by the gifts of friends who have considered this a real ministry. The fund at the present time is in need of replenishment. Those who are interested in helping this worthy cause may send their gifts to: Free Fund, King’s Busi ness Magazine, 558 S. Hope St., Los Angeles 13, California.
What Do You Think About in Church? T HERE is no question but that the Sunday morning worship service is the most important meeting of the week. The pastor has prepared his message prayerfully. The choir has practiced the anthem. The church sanctuary is Com fortable and quiet. The worshipers are assembled in the pews. All of this is in preparation for that important and sacred hour when the heart of man reaches out for the heart of God. What a tragedy it is when, after all this preparation, the minds of the worshipers are allowed to wander. Perhaps in his mind the busy father is going over the construction of a new bam; the mother mentally may be sewing clothes, for her flock. The office worker is punching a mental typewriter; some young people are reliving the pre vious night’s party. All this is going on while the Word of God is being expound ed and when the priceless privilege of united intercession arid worship is being offered. What can be done? Perhaps a few well-chosen words spoken from the pul pit will help, or a warning against wan dering may be inserted in the bulletin. Maybe the pastor could include an ex hortation along this line in his pastoral communication. At any rate, something should be done in order that hearts might be ready to receive and respond to the precious seed of the Word of God. H Catholic Advertising W E have witnessed, during the past month or so, a rather strange phenomena, that of official newspaper and magazine advertising by the Roman Catholic church. No doubt this is being brought about by the widespread reac tions in Protestant circles and in the Protestant press against recent Catho lic encroachments upon our liberties. We have before us a sample of this adver tising which is intended to be subtle and effective. In one two-thirds page spread the Catholic propagandist suggests that what is being said about the Roman church is untrue. Sprinkled throughout the advertisement are such phrases as “ You hear it said,” “ Some Catholics be
Page Four
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Man possesses life. He did not create it, seek it, isolate or manufacture it. Life comes only from pre-existent life. It is a quality of the Person of God, and has come to man from God alone. Conscience too is man’s possession. It is that force in his breast which forbids evil and seeks to lift man to higher levels of life. It is a recognized law that the higher can never come from the lower. Therefore, conscience has been implanted in man’s heart by a just and righteous God. Man, too, is a creature of God. He did not make himself. He was designed and placed here by God. The body which God has given him is the crowning piece of creation. The longer one studies the human body, the more he is amazed at its harmonious complexity. For instance, the human brain contains more than fourteen billion brain cells. The retina of the eye has millions of light-sensitive conical nerve ends. The hand is a tool of a thousand uses. The envelope of skin covering the body registers heat, cold, pain and pressure sepa rately. Surely all of these inexplicable mysteries are but the hallmarks of a Master Craftsman. Man’s environment is still more convincing. The atmosphere we breathe is composed of certain parts of nitrogen and oxy gen suited perfectly to our lungs. The distance of the earth from the sun and moon is scientifically correct for the main tenance of life, health and happiness. The perpetuity of the rain and snow make the earth fertile. The tides of the sea keep the shore clean and fresh. Vitamins necessary for bodily existence are provided in abundance. Laws and forces of nature stand ready to be harnessed for man’s use. Surely this minute agreement between man’s needs and his environmental provision gives evidence of a miracle-working God. Nor does nature exist merely on a subsistence basis. God has filled the earth with beauty and charm. There are majestic mountains and verdant valleys. There are tall trees and lush carpets of grass. The moonlight, the stillness of the desert, the melodious trill of songbirds, all witness that God has made the earth for our pleasure. Food for man grows plentifully and beneath the soil are abundant minerals and oils for tools and fuel. But man is not just a body. He is a spirit possessing the body. The spirit of man is that factor which differentiates Page Five God Made Man! (Fact No. 2)
There Is A - God! (Fact No. I) H ONESTLY now, can you doubt the existence of God? Is it possible to live in this modern age of discovery and science and not see clearly the unmistakable handiwork of the Maker of the universe? Surely you can’t believe that the marvels revealed by the microscope and tele scope could just “happen.” Is it not a blow to our intelligence to accept blindly the answer that a “fortuitous combination of accidental circumstances” brought into being this intricate and amazing world in which we live? Why, that there is a God is the most demonstrable fact in all of life. Everything we know is built on adequate cause and result ant effect. The watch on your wrist is an effect whose cause was an expertly trained watchmaker. The clothes you are wearing are effects whose cause includes a cloth manufacturer, a stylist and skillful tailors. The cause of the home in which you live comprises an architect, a builder, a plumber, elec trician, gardener and more. None would be so foolish as to think that these things just “happen.” There is intelligence behind them all. Tell me, then, who is the cause of this mighty, complicated, sprawling universe? Tell me, what has brought into being this effect so vast that with even modern scientific equipment we are unable-to measure its extent? Surely the only satisfying answer is that an all-powerful, all-intelligent, Almighty God created these things after the counsel of His own will! The honest seeker after truth will agree readily. Life is beautiful with design, but design did not happen either. The painting which hangs on your wall indicates knowledge of color harmony and skill of a trained artist. The automobile which you drive, with its thousands of mov ing parts, confesses a master mechanical engineer. The radio receiving set in your home testifies to years of painstaking research by radio technicians. No one doubts that design denotes intelligence. But dwarfing all these facts into comparative insignificance is the amazing design of the world in which we live. The atmosphere we breathe is designed for human lungs. The long tongue of the humming bird is formed to sip the deli cious nectar from the inner recesses of the blossoms. The rain with its ceaseless round of evaporation and precipitation is planned for continual fertility. Who has reasoned and fash ioned all of these things? Who is the Master Designer? There is only one reasonable answer: this is God’s world. A P R I L , 1 9 4 8
him from all other forms of life, the God-given quality which is eternal. Man is capable of knowing, appreciating and worshiping God through his spirit. He is able to please or offend God according to his obedience or insubordination. No other creature of God is so endowed. Man alone is able to lift his head and look into the face of his Creator. God made him thus.—in His own image. The spirit of man is eternal. It is part of God, imparted to man by God, and must return to God at the moment of death. Man’s spirit is destined to exist forever. Then what uttter folly it is for man to forget that he is a creature of God’s hand! What madness for man to seek earthly wisdom only, leaving God out of his thinking! What a misuse of intelligence to study the mysteries of the opera tion of the human body and neglect the reason for which the body and spirit were created! What criminal blindness to look at all the delightful mysteries of our environment and fail to see in them the Divine intelligence and aim! These facts demand a recognition of God in our living and thinking. We must acknowledge that God has a transcendent purpose in the world, and desire above all things to learn His will. This is the reason for all of life. With one notable exception, all men must die. This fact is obvious. There are too many cemeteries, funeral homes and published obituaries to deny it. In the midst of life, death is on every hand. We sojourn on this earth at the longest for our “ threescore years and ten” and then we die. Despite the commendable advances in modern science in conquering the ravages of disease, the length of man’s life does not increase. The organs of the body wear out; the eye dims; the joints grow stiff; the hearing dulls, and, at the appointed time, life terminates. At last men must stand personally before God. Life is full of inequalities. The thief cleverly conceals his ill-gotten gains and spends them in “ riotous living.” The im moral scoundrel seduces the innocent girl and vanishes, leav ing her to a life of shame. The murderer.commits the “per fect crime” and with diabolical cunning eludes the arm of the law. But is there to be no retribution? Will a just and right eous God allow such crimes to go unpunished forever? Will men and women who have sinned and gone free in this life also evade the justice of God? No, every man must give an account to God. This conception is held universally. The ignorant Hottentot in the jungle knows that a time of judgment is approaching. The befurred Eskimos of the Arctic are aware that all deeds must be accounted for. The legends of ancient peoples invaria bly show their belief that this life is not the end, but that all men must some day stand before the bench of the Supreme Being of the universe. Deep within the consciousness of every living person today is that unalterable conviction that in the future God and he must encounter one another. Life is too complex to be finished in seventy years. God has expended too much on man, his environment and his re demption, that he should die as a dog expires. Within the body of man dwells an undying spirit, which came from God and which will go to Him. God has endowed man with intelligence above the rest of creation. The primary motive of _jman’s intellect is to recog nize God’s place in the universe—to be assured that all things which our hands hold and all things which our eyes behold are the handiwork of God. and subsequently to reason that since God created the world and all that is therein, He had a purpose in it. -Then, man should follow the plan of God in his individual life. This is the highest purpose of bestowed intelligence, and God will require it of all men. Man has been equipped to do things. His varied talents are all God-given. His tongue is formed to speak, his throat to sing. His feet are created to run, his eves to see. His hands can fashion, his mind can organize. These abilities present opportunities for lasting service for God. Some day God will solemnly judge every man as to his use or abuse of these capacities. Page Si* God Holds Men Responsible! (Fact No. 3)
God Has Written A Book! (Fact No. 4)
It is not strange that God should write a Book. In what better way could God communicate His will to man who is His creature? Woven into the intricate structure of His Book is the oft-repeated, insistent claim that God alone is its Author. Surrounding the Book is abundant evidence that the internal claims are completely substantiated. Look at the marvel of its structure: The theme of the Book is one even though nearly forty men collaborated in its production, which took over 1600 years. Its languages vary, customs differ, and occupations are diverse among its human authorship. Everything argues against its unity, but from Genesis to Revelation there is complete unity of purpose, coherence of logic and progression of thought. Contradictions there are none, though, humanly speaking, there is every reason for them. Nothing essential to man’s spiritual well being is omitted, and no question in life is unanswered. The Bible, on one hand, is the oldest Book in the world and yet the most up-to-date. Its teachings are unique. Full infor mation is furnished on such mysteries as angels, Satan, de mons, heaven, hell and eternity. No book has teachings of such high morality. Sin is revealed in its true heinousness. Righteousness is seen to exalt both men and nations. Trans parent honesty of authorship is exhibited as the writers freely tell of the faults of its heroes. Nor does the Bible fail to look into the future. With minute ness of detail, it schedules future events, not in the gen eralities of some pseudo-prophet. With boldness it challenges history to prove it correct in its predictions. Truly it is the Book of books! Evil men of all ages have sought the complete extermina tion of the Book. Kings have declared against it; nations have attempted to stamp it out. But in spite of all the devil’s effort, the presses of today’s world cannot supply the demand for it. Good men and true have ever been on the side of the Book. Noble men have proclaimed its message. Thousands have died rather than deny its truth. Men deep in sin and degradation who have opened their hearts to the good news of the Book have had their lives transformed into lives of beauty and purity by God’s power. No other book can do this. Many other proofs of the Bible’s genuineness could be added. Its historical data are accurate. When it deals with science, it makes no errors even though it was not written by scientists, but rather by those who lived far in advance of modern scientific research. It is strictly an Oriental Book, yet it meets the needs of Occidentals completely. It is superb literature, containing incomparable teaching. Its truth is inexhaustible, its influence immeasurable. There are counterfeits—many of them. Other books, the works of men’s hands, purport to set forth the will of God. But when they are compared with the Bible, men will be soon convinced that the Bible is majestically alone the Book of God. God Gave His Son! (Fact No. 5) A magnificent star over Bethlehem announced the gift. To a world that was dark with ignorance, hatred and fear, God sent light and hope in the birth of the Babe to a virgin mother. This was the mystery of the ages, God clothing with human flesh the Son whom He had given. The course of the world has been different from that day; forgiveness, new life and immortality are available to the sons of men. Many wonders surrounded the life of this Son of God. The words which fell from His lips were those that no other ever spoke, filled with the wisdom of the third heaven, words of divine comfort, of deathless hope and of eternal righteous ness. His words will exist when our civilizations have crum bled into dust, for they were words of life. But He was a Doer of deeds as well. With compassion He ministered to the needs of the multitudes. Tenderly His hands were laid on the sick. Without fear He cleansed the leprous. With ringing authority He cast out the demons and com manded the raging storm to be still. He even called back the dead from the gates of death. These were the deeds of the Son .of God. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
But one day, while the sun hid its face, sin-blinded men condemned and nailed to a cross of shame the Son which God had given. While the earth quaked, men sat down to blas pheme and jeer as the Creator suffered the tortures of cruci fixion. This was no ordinary death, but the culmination of the greatest mystery in time or eternity, for this was the Son of God freely giving His life for the transgressions of man kind. The story does not stop there. Three days He lay in the borrowed tomb. Three days earth, heaven and hell waited. Then dawned the resurrection mom as the Son of God came forth a conqueror over sin, death and the grave. Indisputable evidence surrounds His resurrection. The graveclothes, the empty tomb, the stricken soldiers, the many appearances, the consternation of the Jews, the new hope of the disciples, were undeniable proofs. Thinking men accustomed to weigh evidence declare the resurrection to have been overwhelm ingly authenticated. The joy in every Christian soul stems from the fact that God’s Son lives today. He lives within the hearts of those who have welcomed Him. He lives to empower, to teach and to beautify life. He lives to remind one constantly of the day of His personal return. It is not possible to be intellectually honest and not consider the facts about the Son whom God gave. His marks are on every hand. The date we pen on letter and document witness to His birth nineteen centuries ago. The art, literature and music of the world are full of Him. The year’s joyous holidays commemorate His life. God has demanded that no one forget His gift. Have you considered Him? All Men Are Lost! (Fact No. 6) The story of Adam and Eve is no legend, but a factual account of one of the most terrible events in human history. Our first parents were created sinless and perfect in the image of God. Despite God’s warning, they deliberately chose to disobey His will, with dreadful retribution following inexorably. Their natures, which had been without taint of sin, were now completely permeated with evil. Their children born of sinful parents promptly demonstrated the sinfulness of their hearts. From that day to this, with one exception, every baby born into this world is a sinner. All infants show definite pro pensities for disobedience, and determination to follow their own will. Wise parents realize that every day they must warn their children of the consequences of sin, and punish them because of infractions. One of the most alarming signs of our present day is that a large per cent of criminals are in their teens. Beardless boys and scarcely-grown girls are guilty of the most heinous crimes. Nor is this only true of so-called heathen countries. All races are equally guilty; all nations have the same problems. Our own yearly cost for crime in dollars and cents is a stupendous sum. Hospitals, sanitariums, prisons and asylums are filled to capacity with sin-wrecked humanity. Armies of peace officers must be maintained the world over to curb sin by advertising the certainty of punishment. The national conscience of nations winks at sin because of the inherent evil of the human heart. For barely a score of years in its life history has this sad old planet known peace between nations. War has been the universal pastime though intelligent men know certainly that war settles nothing, but only breeds hatreds and impedes progress. But nations can never be at peace with one another because the men who compose those nations are at enmity with God. A good moral life or a benevolent attitude toward others will never change the nature of man. Nor is it a matter of balancing sins with meritorious deeds. All sin is against God, and God’s law demands death as the penalty. There are ho remedial purgatorial fires to lessen sin’s consequences. No second chance is given. Sin is universal, death is certain, and there are no exceptions. What a desperately pitiable plight it is to be lost, to be removed from God who is the Source and Author of all light, A P R I L , 1 9 4 8
Fern Dell, Griffith Park, Los Angeles life and love. To be away from all you have ever loved; to be tormented.continually by stabbing memories; to be alone in the black midnight of eternal despair forever—this is hell. To be lost is the inflexible penalty of sin. It is the sentence which hangs over the head of every human being. Far from being a future sentence that God may, or may not, pass upon you, the sentence is already passed! Sinful humanity stands condemned and lost—now! You Can Be Saved! (Fact No. 7) What we are endeavoring to say is this: that everyone needs to be saved. This matter of personal salvation is the biggest thing in time or eternity. There is nothing in all of life that compares with it in importance. God desires you to be saved. Christ came, lived, died and rose again for the purpose of making salvation available. The Holy Spirit is in the world today in order to guide you into acceptance of Christ as your Redeemer from sin. All the provisions are made. There is nothing to hinder you from being saved, if you want to be. The good news of the gospel simply stated is, that Christ died on the cross o f Calvary for you! His place on the cross was your place. His suffering was your suffering. His death was your death. We know that God the Father accepted the substitutionary offering of the death of His Son because He raised Him from the dead. Millions of saints both living and dead can testify to the reality of salvation in Christ. You do not have to pay anything. Jesus Christ paid the entire penalty for sin. You do not have to do anything for salvation is offered absolutely free. You do not have to be anything for Christ died for old and young, rich and poor, educated and uneducated. Some think of salvation merely as the removal of one’s guilt. It is that, and our sins will most certainly be remem bered against us no more forever, but there is much more to salvation than that. We are born into the family of God; we are made heirs of God. We are commissioned as ambas sadors and co-laborers with Christ. We are justified—that is, we are given a new, unassailably righteous standing before God. We are given new hope, new peace, new joy. We are made members of His body and His bride. We are branches in the Vine, stones in the living temple, sheep of the Good Shepherd. You can have all this by simply being saved. How can you be saved? Siriiply, it is this: You are lost; you need a Saviour; Christ died on Calvary’s cross as your Substitute. Will you receive Him into your heart and life as just that? Here is the A, B, C of the Gospel: A “ All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). B “ But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). C “ Come unto me . . . and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Page Seven
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Seventh in a Series of Prophetic Messages
By Louis T. Talbot, D.D.
I N these studies* we have covered Ezekiel 36-38. In chapter 37 of this prophecy, we saw foretold the disper sion and restoration of the nation of Israel and her coming period of glory. In chapter 38 we got a glimpse of the snarling wrath of the coming dictator of Russia against God’s chosen people, his yet future expedition of hate into the land of promise, and God’s sovereign judgment upon him. We ended our study of this chapter with an outline of the manner in which God will one day de feat and overwhelm the legions of Gog, in order to rescue His people, Israel. Now we are to study chapter 39 to note the details of the defeat of Gog’s army, in that coming day, when God’s ultimate triumph will bring about the full con version of the nation of Israel. A Brief Review of Ezekiel 38 Let us go back for a brief review of the thirty-eighth chapter of Ezekiel, so closely linked with chapter thirty-nine. Gog, you will remember, is the mighty prince of the great northern confedera cy, which will embrace not only the far- flung Soviet Empire, but also Germany, the northern European states and some southern allies. This monster combina tion is to be opposed in world politics by the revived Roman Empire with the dictator of Rome at its head; and by the vast and almost innumerable hordes of the kings of the East, which probably will include Japan, China, and India. Palestine, it would seem, at this time will enjoy a period of semi-independ ence, with a large group of the world’s wandering Jews back in the land origi nally given by God to Abraham. This measure of independence will be guar anteed by a pact between the leaders of the Jews and the head of the Roman Empire. With this impetus of semi autonomy, the land of the Jews will blossom forth into fabulous wealth, in cluding the raising of agricultural and botanical treasures, as well as the un covering of mineral and chemical stores. Into the mind of the dictator of the great northern confederacy will come a thought of swift conquest with incal culable booty and spoil. With incredible swiftness he will send his legions south ward toward “ the glorious land.” Thou sands upon thousands of infantry, jug gernaut, fire-belching tanks w i t h o u t number, armored air - birds darkening the sky—all these will swoop down on the land which will have erected no de fenses because of the joint pledge of the nations of the world to respect her terri torial integrity. No doubt poison gas, Page Eight
germ warfare and atom bombs will also be utilized. Protests will doubtless be lodged as this demoniacal crusade gets under way. The world’s press, in all probability, will point out the reason for the expedition as one of thievery and rape. Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and
sibly Great Britain and Italy, each aligned with four sm aller, more de pendent nations. Certainly Italy and Great Britain cover part of the terri tory occupied by the old Roman Empire, and will be in the revived confederacy ruled over by the Antichrist in that coming day. “ Sheba” and “ Dedan” rep resent the peoples south of Palestine, doubtless in the Arabian peninsula. And if “ Tarshish” represents Great Britain, as many believe, then in all probability Egypt, backed by England, will join forces with Sheba and Dedan in oppos ing Gog when he enters “the glorious land,” in order “ to take a spoil” (Ezek. 38:13). This widespread protest to the inva sion of Palestine by Gog and his mil lions will apparently fail to stem the tide of the raid for spoil. But there is One who will not only be righteously in dignant against this rapacious dictator, but who will do something about it! God will speak, and terrifying atmospheric elements of hail, lightning, and wind will war against the Russian thieves. God will speak, and the earth will trem ble as mountains tumble into valleys, and as cities are razed to the ground, burying alive the despoilers of Israel. God will speak, and the livid spectre of pestilence will steal health and even life from the invaders, covering the ground with pale corpses. Thus, in and through this answer of Jehovah to Gog’s threat of extermination of Israel, the name of God will be magnified, and the nations of the world will be led to realize that Israel’s God lives! The Destiny of the Vast Army of Gog Chapter 39 continues to unfold the prophecy of chapter 38, adding many details concerning God’s victory over the satanically - inspired forces of Gog. The whole scene is one of unspeakable so lemnity, and brings us to a realization of how terrible this time of the end will be. Let us note that the chapter begins as does chapter 38; we read verse 1 from the Revised Version: And thou, son of man, p r o p h e s y against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, 0 Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. In our former studies in this series, which are now in print, we showed that “ Rosh” is “ Russia,” and that “Meshech” and “ Tubal” are clearly “Moscow” and “ Tobolsk.” The prophecy goes on in verses 2-6, to reveal the destiny of the vast army of Gog: And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Dome of the Rock Jerusalem, Palestine
a group called the “young lions there of” (verse 13) will condemn the pro ceedings ; but apparently the protest will be but a verbal one, not backed with armed intervention. Many have wondered who “ Tarshish” and “the young lions thereof” are. While we cannot be dogmatic, it seems that this combination of nations best de scribes Great Britain with her coterie of colonies. Some Bible students have come to this conclusion, after a careful comparison of all the Old Testament references to “ Tarshish.” The picture of the revived Roman Empire given us in Daniel’s prophecy is under the symbol of the two feet of the great image. That this empire is to be the one of the latter days is made sure, because the stone “ cut out without hands” indubitably refers to the return of the Lord Jesus, when He will smite the feet of the image. Apparently there will be in this revived Roman Empire two divisions with five kingdoms lining up on each side, yet confederated into one. This is suggested’ by the five toes on each foot. And if we press the sym bol a little further, we see that, as there is one great toe on each foot, with four smaller ones, so there may well be, in this confederacy, two great nations, pos
THE HUNA EVANGELISTIC
cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: and I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Thou shalt fall up on the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God. And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the Lord. Here we see that what has been told us in the preceding chapter is repeated, with added details concerning the over throw of the Russians and their allies. A most terrible slaughter is pictured; for you will remember that Gog and his allies will have a vast army. Already dictators of the Soviet Union have threatened to have an army of twenty million men in the field within a com paratively short time; and this is not at all impossible today. But picture, if you will, the army of that coming day, when not only the resources of the Soviet Union are marshaled; but when Ger many, the northern European states, and “many people” are included. In fact, this army will be so vast that not a move will be made by the rest of the world except to utter a feeble protest. Let us suppose, for the sake of visuali zation, that this army will reach the ex tent of twenty million men. That would mean that five-sixths, or nearly seven teen million, would be destroyed by the hand of God. This does not seem the least fantastic since the atom bomb was developed. Judgment upon Russia and Her Borders Let me call to your attention verse 6, where it is stated that God will not only bring judgment upon the army of Gog, which at that time will be marching upon the land of Israel; but He will also send fire upon Russia herself. Sev eral instances in the Scriptures show us that God is able to send devouring and destroying fire in judgment. Sodom and Gomorrah were so judged. And in Ezekiel 39:6 we read that God will not only deal with the army of Gog, but also upon the land of Gog severe judgment will fall. The word translated “ isles” might bet ter be translated “ coasts” or “borders,” and undoubtedly refers to the countries which will be in league with Russia in this nefarious business. The result an ticipated by this extension of judgment will be that “they shall know” that God is the Lord! Thus the annihilation of the armies of invasion, together with .the vast and far-reaching judgment up on the land of the invaders, will produce certain chaos in the northern confedera cy, rendering these lands defenseless against aggression by other powers. ■*Beginhing October 1947. (Dr. Talbot will continue the exposition of the thirty-ninth chapter in the May issue.) A P R I L , I 9 4 8
BANDS M OST of our readers know that another complete Bible Institute in Changsha, Hunan P rov in ce, China, is owned and operated by the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. The work, which was closed during the war years, is again getting into full-scale opera tion. Pictured here is the im portant work of the Evange listic Bands. From the very beginning, one of the phases of the work at the Hunan Bible Institute has been the training and sending forth of groups of na tive evangelists into the sur rounding territory. These evan gelistic groups hold meetings in co-operation with local pas tors, and also do a great deal of work in the market places and homes of the people. There is no doubt but that today China is being stirred by the gospel. More interest in God’s Word is being manifest ed than for many years. Let us pray together that God will use every means to bring be fore the millions of China the Good News concerning His Son. The work in the new or phanage is progressing very well. God’s blessing is upon every phase of the work. Al though the Institute lies in the danger zone of Communist ac tivities, God has protected our workers and buildings. Prayer is asked that our work may continue in peace and safety till Jesus comes. -K Photographs reading from top to bottom: Reaching children for Christ
Evangelizing by the roadside
Giving the Gospel in the homes
Teaching a Bible lesson
Preaching to hungry crowds
Page Nine
in philosophy, and (b) preoccupied en tirely with things —items made of mat ter—as far as values are concerned. Bread, butter, clothing, cars, homes, are the real things. Heaven, immortality, absolute right and wrong, salvation, God, Christ, are but fictions. (2). Revolution. Progress is by con flict! Communism envisions a world state. The world cannot be half com munistic and half capitalistic, therefore, there must be one great conflict in which the deathblow is dealt capitalism. Con sider these words: The fight cannot ultimately he won until the control of the agen cies of production has been wrested from the hands of private owners, and until the bourgeois state has been completely crushed. And here history has shown, says Marx, that no class ever surrendered its power and property without violent resist ance. The workers must not be de luded by the vain hope that capital ism will consent to its own destruc tion. When finally threatened, it will use every agency at its com mand . . . to keep itself in power. Workers must therefore be prepared for a final revolution, a mass up rising which will end in the extinc tion of the capitalistic state.2 Its Conflict with Christianity .Since some so-called Christian men have spoken quite favorably about com munism, are we right in rejecting and fearing it? Are we prejudiced or are we engaged in a genuine warfare? It is true that there are many Christians in Russia living under their form of government who must disagree violently with the basic philosophy of commun ism. (1). Soul liberty. In that there is an official Russian philosophy—dialectical materialism—there is an official view about religion, and life. In almost every other country of the world, politics is one thing, religion and philosophy are another. In our Republican party are idealists, realists, Catholics, Jews, and Protestants. The same is true of the Democratic party. The basic document is the constitution which does not pre scribe any official philosophy or religion. Now,. the historic Protestant view, granted by all to have been most con sistently championed by the Baptists, but now part and parcel of most de nominations, is that God has given gov ernments the right to rule and wield the sword, and the church the right to preach the gospel. The church is not to use the sword; and the state is not to wear the cloth. The direct corollary to this is that each man has the soul liberty to decide his religious convictions. There fore, any government that (a) proposes an official religion, a” d (b) thereby eliminating soul liberty, is anti-Chris tian, and on this point must be opposed. (Continued on Page 16) T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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® HE rise of communism from a theory in books to the position of second world power in less than thirty years is one of the most unusual events in the entire scope of world his tory. Communism has become a world wide scare, a daily press item, and a menace to the Christian church. What is it? Communism is generally misunder stood because it is considered to be either a politico-economic system, or an athe istic philosophy. Neither of these defi nitions penetrates to the root of the matter. Communism is not simply bellig erent atheism, nor is it the poor m
Secondly, instead of believing that the conflicts of history were responsible for greater development in religion, art and philosophy, as Hegel did, Marx recog nized the conflicts of history only as economic conflicts. He considered feudal ism necessary as the successor to the system of the Roman Empire. Feudal ism fought to hold off capitalism, but
Spring in I/uxembourg capitalism came. Capitalism fights to hold off socialism, but socialism is now coming. Socialism will fight to hold off communism— finally realized when all political, economic, and racial conflicts are resolved. Russians do not claim to have communism now, but rather the step between communism and capitalism —socialism with a dictator. But what are the consequences of. Marx’s revamping of Hegel’s idea of progress through conflict? First, history is to be considered pri marily a record of economics and poli tics; second, the story of the conflict between opposing economic forces; and third, an account of violence as a means of overthrowing existing order. Its Concepts (1). Materialism. Communism is ma terialism, which means that all there is in the universe is matter, and its func tions. Above nature there is nothing; hence, God and religion are out; moral ity as based on future reward or judg ment is out; immortality is out. Com munism is thus (a) officially atheistic
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