I ^ E that goeth forth and v?eepeth, bearing precious seed , shall doubtless come again v?ith rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:6
T ake from my heart its love of sinning; Place i n its stead a zeal for winning Some human soul its life beginning A n eternity with God
A N N U A L SOU L -W INN ER S ’ N U M B E R - Ju n e 1920
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A N N O U N C E M E N T
■A NEW CORRESPONDENCE COURSE
B O O K S T U D Y THROUGH THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR BY. REV. W. H. PIKE, BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES y r OIJ W ILL WANT THIS COUBSE. Nothing exactly like it has ever been prepared. It will take yon through the entire Bible giving you a compre hensive view o f each book. Fourteen points on each bpok are treated and the same outline is held to through out the whole Bible. 1. The Key Words 2. The Key Verse 3. The Key Chapter 4. The Writei or Writers 5. To Whom Written 6. Date Book Written 7. Scope of the Book 8. Summary of Book 9. Gist of Teaching I0. Practical Teaching 11. The View of Christ I2. Dispensational Setting 13. How to Master the Book 14. Setting of the Boot Begin this valuable study at once. Total cost only $3.00. Full benefits of our Correspondence School and a Bible Institute Certificate when course is successfully finished. Write for circulars of other courses. Secretary Correspondence School BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES
T H E K IN G ’S B U S IN E S S MOTTO•“ I the Lord, do keep it, I will water it every moment, lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. = = = = = = = Isa. 27:3 ------1 P U B L IS H E D M O N T H L Y B Y T H E BIBLE I N S T I T U T E O F L O S A N G E L E S Rev. T. C. HORTON, Editor in Chief Rev- KEITH L. BROOKS, Managing Editor Entered as Second-Class Matter November 17. 1910. at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California t under the A ct o f March 3, 1879 r _ , _ Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, A ct of October 3, 1917 fcgj authorized October 1, 1918. CONTENTS Editorials: Saved to Serve (539) Let George Do It (540) The Pot and the Kettle (540) Modern Sneers at Ancient Seers (541) Ancient Ancestry (542) Canned Goods (542) Win the One Next to You (543) Light Is Breaking (545) High Price of Eddyosity (546) Sentence Sermons (547) Inter-Church World Movement—By Dr. A. C. Dixon (549) Dealing with One Soul— By Rev. John MacNeil (553) The Compulsion of Love—By Rev. B. Davidson (555) The Missionary’s Qualifications— By Rev. Oliver M. Fletcher (557) God’s Method of Preserving Faith— By Rev. Wm. H. Pike (5601 Notes on Jews and Prophecy (563) Homiletical Helps (565) Evangelistic Stories from Experience (568) Bible Institute Notes (576) Thoughts for the Unsaved (578) These Pessimistic “ Pre's”— By Dr. R. A. Torrey (581) International Sunday School Lessons (583) Daily Devotional Readings—By Dr. F. W. Farr (605) A Broad-minded, Back-boneless Ministry— By Rev. Will Houghton (613) Instability of Modern Criticism—By Rev. James Lawson (615) Volume X I June, 1920. ___________ Number 6
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INSURE YOUR INVESTMENTS FOR THE LORD The world is the field. The work is definite. What the Lord has laid upon your heart to do with your funds you should have the joy o f doing, and we will gladly help you to do this by giving you the benefit o f our years o f experience in studying the world field, the work and the workers. W e are in touch with missionary enterprises in this and other lands, where loyal-hearted men and women are laboring with unfeigned faith in the whole W ord o f G od , and with unfail ing devotion to the souls o f the lost. Don’t waste a penny! Make it go as far and as fast as you can in the saving o f souls out o f a ruined world. W e will joyfully serve you in the matter without any charge, and put you in touch with dependable agents and agencies. Write us for any desired particulars. OPPORTUNITY SPELLS OBLIGATION
BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES. T. C. Horton, Superintendent.
Motto: “ I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some.” 1 Cor. 9:22. , _ By reason of my acceptance of Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lora, i am constituted
A servant, (1 Cor. 4:1— first clause). A steward, (1 Cor. 4:1— last clause). An ambassador, (2 Cor. 5:20). A witness, (Acts 1:8). A missionary, (John 17:18). A business man, (Luke 19:13—-“ do business” ) A fisher of men, (Matt. 4:19). .1 recognize as essentials for the work: A clean life. Daily reading of the Word. Daily prayer. A prayer list. Personal conversation with individuals. The use of appropriate tracts. Letters to individuals. My daily prayer: “ Lord, make me a soul winner.”
3K ';V Jfer ' JBjr
S a v e d t o serve Upon his acceptance of Jesus Christ as Saviour every believer is con stituted a personal worker. There are some glaring misunderstandings concerning the purpose for which men are saved. In the first place,—men are saved that God may be glorified. His glory is first in all things. The saints are the riches of the glory of His inheritance. Men are saved to serve. No man can be like God who is not a soul-saver. The first picture of God after man’s sin is as a seeking Saviour, coming down to the Garden to seek and save Adam and Eve. The Old Testament is the story of God’s eternal purpose to save souls. The New Testament bears the same testimony. ‘ ‘ The Son of Man is come to seek and save the lost. ■ ’ ■ The life of a believer is the life of Christ, and that life was characterized by ceaseless effort to save the lost. That is the meaning of His walk and work down here in the flesh; the meaning of the cross and of the open tomb. The life of Christ is evangelistic. The first impulse of a born-again one is to save someone else. The testimony of the early church is that they went everywhere on a soul-saving mission. AVere it not for the cold, calculating, critical, censorious condition of the church today, believers would be every where doing the very thing for which they were saved, and for which they are preserved down here.
540
T HE K I N G ’ S B US I NE S S We have a commission direct from the lips of the Lord “ As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” Missionaries of the Cross! Our business is soul-winning. “ Occupy (do business) till I come.” “ Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Not to be at the task assigned is to be recreant to the most sacred trust, for we are stewards of the mysteries of God. Do not try to evade the responsibility. We are told to rejoice not in miracle-workings, but to rejoice that our names are written in Heaven,- and that there is joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth. Let us be at the business given us to do. No matter what others may or may not do, let us glorify the name of our blessed Lord by seeking to save that which is lost. _jw Q4 h . JsSk I ^ j p L et GEORGE Do It This is a homely phrase, well suited to the attitude of the church toward the Lord’s command to give the Gospel to every creature. We all believe that the Lord meant what He said “ Go ye into all the world” ,—but somehow we do not believe that the application was meant to be personal. We believe the Gospel is good news and are glad we have it. We believe the sinners around us and the heathen beyond us should have it, but when it comes to the “ who?” then “ Let George do i t !” That is, let someone else do it. The preacher, for instance, he is George. The officers of the church, they are George. The Sunday School teachers (if you can find them) they are George. “ Tell us how much you want, and we will have a drive for the money, then—let us alone!” Page George. ‘ ‘ Where are you, George?” He won’t be paged. He can’t be found. He is an imaginary missionary and personal worker. The preacher talks about him. We have a banquet and the expert comes and tells what George is expected to do, and how to do it; but, George, that mysterious George, does not materialize. We need a Nathan with a long, lean finger, to come along and put that finger upon us and say “ Thou art George. Thou are the guilty slacker. You didn’t enlist. God now drafts you. Come out into the open, George, and confess your Wrong doing.” God says “ Go work today!” Go talk to the servant in your house, and servant, go talk to your friends!' Go, talk to your employees, and— employees, talk to your comrades! Pewholder, bench warmer, arise and go forth! The day is far spent; the night cometh. The message is God-given to every man and woman, “ He that winneth souls is wise. ’ ’ —T. C. H. ^¡( 5 . ¿ 1 ^. ife i 1 T*HE POT and the Kettle A once celebrated preacher, who forsook the fold of the faithful and went out to exploit old, worn-out, devil doctrines against the authenticity of the Bible and the Virgin Birth of God’s, only Son,-—has turned up in the Middle West and is getting quite a little cheap notoriety by attempting to clean up the movies.
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THE K I N G ' S B US I NE S S He speaks the truth about the immoral effect of many moving pictures, and When he says that they are as had or worse than the saloon, he does not say all that could be said along that line. But supposing some wise movie man gets a move on himself and asks the preacher if he remembers the old adage of the pot calling the kettle black? __ Is there anything blacker than a wolf m. sheep s clothing, ge g living from a Protestant church, and then denying the Lord that bought him? There is one thing about the movie people. They make no profession of righteousness, and this preacher does. He makes a move agamst the movies, but he cannot make good with God by a camouflage. The demai of Christ’s deity is the sin of sins. Pity him, and pray for him. — 1. O. H. MODERN SNEERS At Ancient Seers This heading was suggested by a good minister from Denver who had preached on the theme “ Modern Sneers at Ancient Seers.” It has become a habit now with many so-called preachers ot the Lospel to vent their unholy spleen upon the Word of God, and upon those writers who—according to the Scripture—were borne along by the Holy Spirit as they penned the infallible Word. . , A godly teacher of a Bible Class recently, after referring to Peters testimony, was compelled to hear the pastor, (who had been in the c assJ, afterwards take occasion in the pulpit to say “ I do not believe what Peter said. Peter said a good many things I don’t believe.” _ A young man, relating an incident which happened m a University class in this city recently, said that the teacher was denying certain Bible texts, and a young Christian man challenged him, quoting from Psalms, whereupon the teacher replied: “ There are a lot of rotten things m the Psalms ^ , _ Many preachers and professors take a Satanic delight in slurring the Scriptures, making light of God’s holy Book. Most of them do not know
The Seers and Sheers
542 THE K I N G ’ S B U S I NE S S much of anything about it, and take refuge by sneering at it. If they would read it, they might be more careful. Pharaoh said “ Who is Jehovah?” and he found out who He was as the waters of the Red Sea covered him. Jonah-—whom Christ signally honored—is the laughing stock of these brutal servants of the devil, whose supreme delight seems to be found in making light of the Book they are sup posed to honor. One must be possessed of a good deal of the grace of God to be able to speak tolerantly of such men whose ignorance is only excelled by their unholy audacity. Peter well describes them in 2 Peter 2 :15: , Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteous- ness. rp q j j a ? AMCIEMT Ancestry At u recent meeting of ministers, the question was raised as to the origin of the Interchurch Movement, and the writer was led to suggest that it had the odor of the University of Chicago, where so many things have originated that have had for their objective the destruction of the faith of men and women in the Word of God. We can remember some twenty-five years ago when that institution sought to dominate the International Sunday School Association, and at that time failed. It then turned its attention to the denominational S. S. litera ture and there found a comfortable nesting place, and such lesson‘helps are tor the most part very destructive. The schools and universities became an easy mark, and their doors were readily opened to the emissaries of this university which had a devilish determination to dominate the culture of the land. Then the Chautauquas and Summer Conferences just had to have some of these eloquent professors upon their programs: And so the game has gone on from year to year until the professing church has been honeycombed with the poison of their infidel teachings. | And some of the leaders in the present propaganda are among the dis tinguished notables who have been playing the chief role in movements of a similar character which have had high-sounding titles but are of unsound tradition. __*p q jt ' . |sl|| | m C amm ed Goods A one time highly honored representative of the Y. M. C. A., a personal friend of the writer, was used of God in a wonderful way in Men’s Meetings. Few men have had the privilege accorded him. Hundreds of men confessed through his ministry. His work was followed by the prayers of many of God’s servants who loved and honored him. Now he is quoted as saying recently in an address at St. Paul, Minnesota, that his former addresses were “ canned goods” which he would now sell for a dollar and a half. That he was then saving drunkards one by one, but he now proposed to save men by communities.
THE K I N G ’ S B US I NE S S 543 Would it not be a fair proposition to make to this gentleman to request the refunding to the Y. M. C. A. of the money he took in in the “ canned goods” business? Whatever reputation he has gained has been in the “ canned goods” business, and this is what gave him a place in the “ Men and Religion Movement” , and now gives him an opportunity to exploit his community program which is unauthorized and unwarranted by the Word Would it not be a fair question to ask him, “ Were you playing the fool when you were in the ‘ canned goods’ business? When you had men praying for you and with you? Was it a bunco game to give you a little prestige? What has brought about the change? More education? More enlighten ment? A holier life? Some new revelation from God? Were you hoodooed in those good old Gospel days when men sobbed their way to the Cross? Or has some shadow come between you and the crucified Christ whom you used to revere and honor? There is some reason for the change. Men were saved and are now rejoicing in the glorious Gospel you preached.” “ Are you getting any communities saved now? Are any communities rising up and calling you blessed? We are warranted in thinking that your heart must be full of pity for Knox and Wesley, for Moody and Sankey, for Whittle and Bliss, for Munhall and Towner, for Needham, for Torrey, for Alexander, for Rader, for Trotter and a hundred other good evangelists who have and are now giving out ‘ canned goods’.” “ You pity, of course, Brooks, and Gordon, and Spurgeon, and Pierson, and Dixon, and the other poor preachers of that sort who have been fooled into giving out ‘ canned goods’.” “ And the Apostles and poor Paul,—they lost so much time in the ‘ canned goods’ business! And the early church—poor, deluded saints— how much of time and sacrifice they might have saved had they known about the ‘ community’ business! And the martyrs,—such useless sacrifice of life, had they only known that the Lord made a mistake when He said ‘ Go ye’ ; when He should have said ‘ Get the community together; give them community houses, movies, cards, dance halls, lovely libraries, higher culture and higher criticism, and the angels will open the door wide into heaven for you !’ ” “ Its all so wonderful to us! You are in the great Interchureh Move ment now. The New Era has dawned upon you. How much is there in it? We judge the ‘ community’ business must be worth more than the ‘ canned goods’ business. Why not tell us why and how comes thé new revelation? Is it from God? Show us where you found it in the Book, or have you another book? Don’t keep us in ignorance of the great revelation. Give us your authority and the message, and let us speed it on to a thousand com munities where The King’s Business goes with its antiquated message. Everybody is entitled to the good news ; let us have it, at any price. Nothing of God.
—T. C. H.
is too good for the saints.”
WIN THE ONE Next toYou “ He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubt- • . . . i • • i • i i n less come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. ’ ’ It is not great sermons, eloquence or polish that make successful soul
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Used by Inter-Sunday School Ass’n.
Shall W e Put Up a Fence or Use an Ambulance?
winners. It is not great “ drives” , campaigns or world movements that Jesus is waiting on. The primary thing is a heart burden for the lost on the part of God’s people—a burden so great that one is not even ashamed to weep over the souls of those who are perishing. Come, let us look at a soul winner. Jesus was content to deal with men outside the formal gatherings of the synagog. He demanded no tabernacle, no committees, no organized choir, no brass band, no advance advertising or financial guarantee. He won the one next to Him wherever it happened to be. Out of forty specific cases in the Gospels, only six came to Jesus on their own feet. Either Jesus went to them or someone else brought them to Him. If we would take lessons in evangelistic methods, is there any better school than the school of Christ? It is said that seventy per cent of the trade in the United States is brought about through personal salesmanship. This is just the idea Jesus tried to introduce into the church, for he said, “ Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Nowadays men are talking about saving society whole sale, and we are getting nowhere. Try Jesus’ plan. Suppose fifty persons
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THE K I N G ’ S B US I NE S S make one effort a week (whether by personal conversation, writing a letter, giving a tract or signing someone up in the Testament League) and suppose that nine-tenths of all these efforts fail, still 260 souls would be saved. Most pastors would drop dead if such a thing happened m one year—even m some of our largest city churches. Yet it could be done—if Christians would do what their Master tells them to do. | . . . . . A salesman is one who goes out after customers. A clerk is one who lets customers come to him. Are you a salesman or a clerk m God s business! An old lady, zealous as a soul winner but quite near sighted, one day spoke to a wooden man in front of a cigar store, and offered a tract. A churc member who saw the incident started to annoy the old lady about it, when she replied, “ I would rather talk to a wooden man^about Christ than be a wooden Christian like you and never talk to anyone. ’ ’ —K. L. B. | m m m LIGHT IS BREAKING But Where From? There is a new giant denominational publication, the result of the consolidation of nearly all of the periodicals of that denomination under one head. The neck that turns this head is a certain University of the “ Windy City” . This is what this new publication tells u s : “ The light is streaming from the cross with a new radiance and its beams will soon brighten the whole world. We are coming into a day of order and the New World Movement will bring it to pass. In college, m the home and in the business world, the morning light is breaking. ” The Bible tells us that we are going to have a day of order, when the beams from the cross will reach to every nook and corner, but for the life of . us we can’t find where it says anything about the New World Movement bringing it to pass. The Bible seems to teach that only the coming of Jesus in power will bring order out of the increasing chaos of the closing days of the age. Mere men, money or movements will not do it. Nor can the church expect to have success in its mission of calling out a people for ms name so long as its ministers and members fail to recognize the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and the fact that they must be baptized with fire and nower in order to meet their responsibilities under the Great Commission. We say A-men to any movement in which consecrated men, united in the great fundamentals of the Bible, are bent on preaching salvation to a lost world Any other kind of a movement is bound to fail. And that the morning light is breaking in the colleges and homes and in the business world, is all news to us. It had seemed to iis that the times were becoming more perilous. According to Dr. James H. Leuba of Bryn Mawr College, only forty-one per cent of the leading American scientists, historians, sociologists and phychologists believe m a personal God. Of those who do believe in a personal God and profess some kind of religio , many are so affected by evolution and other philosophies that they utterly reiect the cardinal doctrines of the faith. The colleges carrying the new and revolutionary creeds are not the minor schools but the vaster ones like Har vard Yale Princeton, Chicago, Columbia and Cornell. In these institutions, free ’thinkers rioting in the mere license of opinion and hungering for notoriety are passing out their denials of the Bible, not to mature men
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THE K I N G ’ S B U S I NE S S eapable of disputation, but to youthful minds accustomed to take what comes from the scholar in the chair as the unchallenged gospel. Is this the morning light that is breaking? , ?—K. L. B. •SfX- J/M S. m m m THE HIGH Price of Eddyosity A Canada minister tells of being summoned to a hospital to see a returned major who was ill. A friend who had been (or thought he had been) healed by Christian Science had been urging him to try Science The major said he would much like to please his friend as well as to recover and asked the minister what he would advise. M .“ f thLnlf ther,e is a very good chance of your being restored if you try Christian Science , was the unexpected reply. “ Then would you advise me to try it?” asked the major. Yes, said the minister, “ but I would advise also that you consider the price one has to pay.” Priee to getting one’s health back?” asked the major, then the minister explained, “ You might be healed by Science,” he said, but you would have to give up the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Christian Science denies evil, Satan and sickness as realities and ence has no need of an atoning Savior. If you care to pay this price, you may well try Bddyism. ” ’ J „ Tj16 “ Laj° r had been brought up to believe on Christ as the Eternal Son ot Cod and Sm-bearer of the world, through the prayers of a godly father__ and he decided the price of Science was too much. He has since been healed through the prayers of Christian friends. The above method of dealing with this ism is worth trying. We believe it would be more effective than discussing Mary Baker Eddy plus her num erous husbands. Draw up a statement embodying the great fundamentals of Christian faith as taught by the Bible and closing it with the statement I am now ready to cast on tbe scrapheap all these Bible doctrines in order to embrace Eddyism” , and ask your friends if they are willing to sign. —K .L .B . M i M i Mi GREAT REASONING
the members, in all the evangelical churches who believe in their own stan dards, but narrow enough to exclude those who do not. They have found common ground on the fundamentals of the faith. “ Their claim to being interdenomina tional is grounded on the fact that the organizations embrace members of all the evangelical denominations, who are bound together for common service with a common ground of faith, such founda tions being in accord with the funda mental faith of the Church with which they continue their relationship.”
The Northwestern Christian Advo cate, referring to the fact that a meet ing of representatives of the Bible In stitutes springing up all over the coun try, is shortly to be held in Chicago at which it is proposed to adopt a com mon doctrinal statement which it terms a “ Creed,” says: "With the adoption of such a ‘creed,’ all legitimate claim to in- terdenominationalism vanishes.” Dr. W. H. Griffith-Thomas says: “ This is great reasoning. Most of the Bible Colleges had doctrinal state ments, broad enough to be approved by
S E R M O N S
REMARKABLE REMARKS G A T H E R ED FO R BUSY READERS
after the same degree of grace in our selves. Leave tomorrow’s trouble to tomor row’s strength; tomorrow’s work to to morrow’s time; tomorrow’s trial to to morrow’s grace and to tomorrow’s God. The torch of religion may be lit in the church but it does its burning in the shop and on the street. When faithfulness is most difficult, it is most necessary. Many people would reform but for the thought that they would have to refund.
Christ never told His disciples to stay at home and let sinners come to them. If we are dumb when God speaks to us, we shall be dumb when we try to speak to Him. Some of our worst falls are not those which the world sees. If you watch yourself narrowly, you will not be apt to pay yourself many compliments. More people are ready to shrink from sinners than they are from sin. It is so much easier to admire the grace of God in others than to pant
It is better for our professions to come short of our perfor mances than for our performances to come short of our profes sions. Perfect valor is to do without witnesses what one would do be fore all the world. If one has a propen sity for falling into the Are it is well to stay off the hearthrug. Prayer is not a de vice for getting our will done through heaven, but a desire
that God’s will may be done on earth. Patient waiting is often the highest way of doing God’s will. Right or wrong, the world will judge our doctrine by our deeds. No sermon seems too long to the woman who is wearing a new hat to church for the first time. The very best way to secure our own interest is to look after our Master’s. Half way to Christ is a dreadful place.
^ n niiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiii^
| “ Folio* Me | 1 And I | 1 Will Make I | Y O U | Fiskers of M en”
rulers are always sneering at emotion alism in religion. When a church makes a failure at being religious it begins to cultivate aesthetics. The secret of the Lord is imparted to those who have no secrets from Him. There is nothing the body suffers which the soul may not profit by. A sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use. The best interpreter of the love of God is the love of man. Trust not to appearances; the drum which makes much noise is filled with wind. Let the testing time be a trusting time. -
The wife spoken of as the “ weaker vessel” should remind us that we our selves are the weak. The furnace of affliction is one of God’s meeting places with His people. The great believers have been the un wearied waiters. Anxiety springs from the desire that things should happen as we wish rather than as God wills. Grace is better than ability and love of souls is better than talents. He who would fight the devil with his own weapons must not wonder if he finds him an overmatch, A revival never comes within shout ing distance of a church whose chief
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promised to run all of it— sometime. What we have will last us nearly ten years. We like good poetry, but please don’t sit up nights writing it especially for us, because we can’t guarantee to run it— unless it is very short. A YOUNG ENTERPRISE Arthur R, Young, a young evangelist of our acquaintance at Cobleskill, N. Y., is not asking for “ fields.” He is tired of organizing and organizing and com mittees and committees, and is starting out on the Scriptural plan. He sends out a circular letter announcing that he is getting a big truck to carry his four workers and is going from town to town with the story of Christ and Him cruci fied. He expects the Lord to lay it on the hearts of some of His people to sup port the enterprise, so that no mention of money will have to be made in any town. Mr. Young is a powerful preach er, true to the Word of God. Would that more like him would cut loose and go to the people. Those who have money to invest in Christian work could not use it to better advantage than to put workers of this kind into the field. DON’T GO BY THE TITLE “ The Return to Faith” is a little book by the Methodist Publishing House, described on the cover as most helpful, attractive, conclusive; it tells us the Bible is full of errors of all kinds, even the words of Jesus being contra dictory and His ethics imperfect. Can it be possible any author is such a fool as to call acceptance of these and other blasphemous pages full of such utter ances “ faith” ?—Eastern Methodist. Y E S ------------------------- ^ y °ur life speak for Christ— i ^ J-S* nCt your kps ke silent about Christ.
We don’t often blow our own horn__ you’ll have to admit that. But here’s something we want you to think about. Put The King’s Business to this test. Take the leading Bible study maga zines. Count the number of pages of actual reading matter in them. No tice the size of type in which they are printed. Notice the little schemes used to save composition— the white space wasted. Now look at The King’s Busi ness. What are you getting? How much are you paying? We have before us six of the best orthodox monthlies. We recommend them all. Here’s one— $2 a year— 72 pages of reading matter. Another— $1.50 a year— (set in large type)— 62 pages of reading matter. Another— $1 a year— 55 pages of reading matter (14 of which are concerning the institution which publishes it). Another— $1 a year— 62 pages— (set large, short lines, much white space). THE KING’S BUSINESS— $1 a year— 80 pages of solid Bible material, set in eight-point type, every available inch utilized. . CAN YOU BEAT IT? To the Poets and Poetesses Just a word. A great many have lately been going from bad to “ verse” . Our poetry box is stuffed full. We have
The Inter- Ckurch.
World Movement
Shall We Fall in Line? What is Its Basis? Who are It? Leading Lights? Whither Does it Tend?
D R . A . C . D IX O N
Many Ministers and Christian Workers have written asking the position of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles toward the Inter-Church World Movement. The article by Dr. A. C. Dixon of the Bible Institute Faculty probably states the views of most of the Bible Institute Teachers. The position of Dr. R. A. Torrey, Dean of the Institute is briefly defined in a note in the hands of the Editor. He says: “ Our attitude toward the Interchurch World Movement is that we think the Movement is very largely worldly in its methods and its weapons carnal. It aims to unite people who are too far apart to be united and we do not feel at liberty to go into the Movement. Nevertheless, if it can accomplish any good we rejoice in it. It seems to me personally very much like the ‘Men and Religion Movement’ which made great profession and spent a large amount of money, but as far as I could see, accomplished nothing, and in many places was an absolute hindrance to the work. I do not believe in this way of raising money for God’s work and I am confident there is something far more needed than money or even men in this present time and that is, God’s power obtained in answer to persistent prayer. It seems to me the whole tendency of this movement is to get people’s eyes on men rather than on God.” T HERE are five reasons why no evangelical Christian should co operate with the “ Inter-church”
countries are not missionary territory and missionaries from Catholic coun tries, like South America even, there fore, were refused recognition in that convention. This proves that John R. Mott has lost his evangelical vision, and no evangelical Christian can safely fol low such a man, however great may be his genius for leadership. It is also evident that the Young Men’s Christian Association under the leadership of John R. Mott as International Secretary, has apostatized from the evangelical spirit and policy of its founder, Sir George Williams, and its great promoter, D. L. Moody. A few secretaries are still faith ful to evangelical principles, but as an organization, the Y. M. C. A. has de generated into a merely social, educa tional, amusemental and humanitarian movement, without a trace of spiritual purpose. Its war record leaves it a dis credited institution in the evangelical world, and even those with high ethical
Movement. 1. It has no doctrinal basis. 2. The word “ evangelical” was stricken out of its declaration of pur pose and “ Christian” substituted. A Methodist bishop withdrew from ■ the movement on this ground. This shows that the purpose of the leaders is to federate all churches, liberal, sacerdotal and evangelical. Unitarians, Christian Scientists, etc., were omitted “ for the present” . 3. The leaders of this movement are not men whom evangelical Christians can safely follow. John R. Mott, whom we have learned to esteem and love for the great work he has done, stands at the head. But John R. Mott at the Edinburgh Missionary Convention co operated with other leaders in the move ment to declare that Roman Catholic
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standards are embarrassed when called upon to defend It. A final proof of its apostasy from evangelical standards is the fact that its leaders are now seeking to open its doors of membership to Roman Catholics, Jews and Unitarians. If John R. Mott succeeds in doing for our churches what he has done for mis sionary conventions and the Y. M. C. A., evangelical Christianity will be discred ited if not destroyed; and we cannot, therefore, longer follow his leadership. Another leader, almost equal in influ ence to John R. Mott, is Fred B. Smith, in whose mighty evangelical work we rejoiced a few years ago. His powerful Gospel addresses won thousands of men to Christ and led them to confess their allegiance to Him. Under the spell of the “ Men and Religion” movement, Fred B. Smith became an evangelical wreck. He lost the Gospel evangelistic note, and now he is avowedly anti-evan gelical. In St. Paul, Minnesota, a few weeks ago, he made an address in the interest of the “ Inter-church” Move ment in which he referred to his for mer evangelical addresses as “ canned goods” which he would like to sell for a dollar and a half. Time was, he de clared, when we sought to save drun kards one by one, but that time has passed. Now we are seeking to save so ciety and make such an order that no more drunkards will be made. Of course he does not expect to save so ciety by means of the “ canned goods” Gospel which he has discarded. We have, therefore, a leader in this “ Inter church” Movement whose program is to cease all efforts to save individuals, while he seeks to save society without an evangelical Gospel. Can we follow such leadership without falling into the ditch ? Another Inter-church leader is John D. Rockefeller, Jr., a nice young man who teaches a Bible class on Sunday and has heavy burdens of business dur
ing the week. When I was in New York a few Sundays ago his subject was “Honesty in Business” , and he is doubt less helpful to men who attend his class. But John D. Rockefeller, Jr., is not con tent to keep within the circle of the things he is in daily touch with; but he has been telling us through the press what kind of a church he would like to see established in the world, and those who have devoted their lives to Bible study see at a glance that the young man has no Biblical vision of the Church which Jesus Christ founded. One wonders whether he has ever in his busy life taken a systematic course of Bible study. And without such ballast of Biblical knowledge he has been near enough to the Chicago University to be driven by its rationalistic winds upon the breakers of Destructive Criticism. Though we are glad that such a young man shows a willingness to give money and time to useful things, he is not a safe leader of evangelical Chris tianity. As reported in the daily press he said, “ This Inter-church movement must succeed,” by which he doubtless meant that he would furnish enough money and organizing ability to insure its success. But if such success means the surrender or neutralizing of evan gelical truth it will be the most tragic failure that has ever come to the church of Christ. 4. The purpose of this “ Inter- church” movement seems to be to make a great ecclesiastical machine which will dominate all smaller bodies. It is an at tempt to form a papacy without a pope; and, if evangelical truth is to be sacri ficed or compromised, such a papacy without a pope will be no improvement upon the present ecclesiastical machine which has its center in Rome. Indeed, that machine cannot be improved if we desire to do things through an organ ization without the Spirit of God work ing through evangelical truth.
T HE K I N G ’ S B US I NE S S Dr. J. H. Shakespeare is trying to organize in England a “National Chris tian Church” with the avowed purpose of ultimately uniting with the Estab lished Church and thus wipe noncon formity from the face of the earth. And if any leaders of the “ Inter-church” movement have in view the making of an ecclesiastical organization which will render it easy to unite with the Church of Rome and thus annihilate Protestantism, they could not pursue a better policy than the one they have adopted. But we cannot follow them. 5. The autocratic spirit and policy of the “ Inter-church” movement does not harmonize with the democracy of the New Testament Church and is en tirely out of harmony with the demo cratic spirit of the times. A few men of brains and money have conceived the movement and are doing all they can to whip the people into line. Mighty is the power of both brains and money. A friend of mine, a few days ago, was in a railroad station waiting for a train, when he overheard two preachers discussing a third who had refused to come into the movement. “ Just wait,” said one of them, “ till we put on the thumb-screws and he will come in all right.” That smells of the Inquisition, and yet it is only an exaggerated state ment of the attitude of some leaders in this movement who are determined to thumb-screw men and churches who will not come in under more gentle pressure. For these reasons we cannot endorse the “ Inter-church” movement, and earnestly advise all Christians who love evangelical truth to keep out of it. a » DANGER SIGNALS In connection with the above article by Dr. Dixon, we wish to quote from an article recently published in “ The Friends Minister” under the head “ Some Danger Signals of the Inter
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church World Movement.” Edgar P. Sims is the author of the article. He says: “ One danger signal is the assumption which the ‘leaders* of the movement have taken; to pattern after the recent war activity leaders and with no official sanction from any religious body, start a movement to involve every church member, and every pastor, without their knowledge or consent; and boastfully saying, any ‘petty opposition’ they might bring will not stop a wonderful program. Who cannot see in this the domineering spirit of the age being man ifest in the ecclesiastical world, as it was in the political world when a prom inent official assumed to entangle his country in the league covenant stating: “ The American people are overwhelm ingly in favor of it.” Here in this move ment we have the same presumptuous, domineering spirit manifest.” Another danger signal to which Mr. Sims calls attention is as follows: “ In the Inter-church Bulletin of Jan uary 24th there appears an article stat ing that thirty schools for rural pas tors in thirty states are already planned. The course of study is surely enough to startle even the ‘sleeping’ believer: ‘Bible Study,’ ‘The Church in Commun ity Service,’ ‘Rural Sociology,’ ‘Church Promotion,’ ‘Church Methods,’ ‘Organ ized Play,’ ‘Illustrated Lectures on Bet ter Crops,’ ‘The Housefly and Health,’ ‘The Delco Light System,’ ‘Along the Border,’ etc. Courses especially pro vided for pastors’ wives are: Home dec oration, health and morals, family prob lems, poultry raising, marketing pro duce, baby clinics, church dinners, etc. “ If you know the kind of teaching that the College and Theological Semi nary near you puts out, you can sur mise whqt kind of teaching these pastor- students will have, for the Bulletin says: “ The faculty in each school will be drawn principally from colleges and theological seminaries in the area from
552 which most of the students will come.’ “ Under date of January 31 the Bul letin seems much elated over the fact that the movement has won the approv al and praise of Shailer Matthews, whom we understand to be an open and avowed Higher Critic, and head of the Biblical Department of Chicago University. Mat thews is quoted as saying: ‘The denomi nation that fails to join in the move ment may get reputation for stubborn separation, but it will be losing more than it can ever get by exclusive inde pendence.’ That sounds like the ‘roar ing lion’ the apostle Peter writes about.” i l l MS BET HIM BOOSE! The Christian Fundamentals League, with U. -S. headquarters in Los Ange les, is doing a splendid work in curbing the progress of modern isms. They have been receiving requests for liter ature from all parts of the world, and most encouraging letters from those who have been delivered from the snares into which they had fallen. Dr. Robert Hadden, the General Secretary, has se lected the most efficient line of liter ature for exposing the doctrines of the different cults and is limited in the good he can do only by the lack of funds. Not only is the league definite ly meeting the- arguments of the cults, but it is daily sowing the seed, God’s Word, and sending out tracts contend ing for the fundamentals of the Chris tian faith. Christian Scientists and Rus- sellites have no trouble in getting funds to carry on their propaganda. We pray that Dr. Hadden’s hands may not be tied. “ Loose him and let him go.” If there are those in your town who would like to do some definite, work in meeting the isms in your town, write to Dr. Hadden, form a local organization, put up ' some literature boxes and get after the situation. He will help you.
THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S The Fundamentals League was orig inally organized under the name “ In ternational Christian Truth Investiga tion Society,” but this unwieldy name was changed. The League has no head quarters in Chicago, nor any responsi bilities in connection with the organ ization there that has advertised itself under the name originally used by the Los Angeles society, and setting forth a program of activities not endorsed by the Fundamentals League. Dr. Had den’s office is locatedat Room 207, Van Nuys Building, Seventh and Spring Streets, Los Angeles.
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OUTBURSTS OF EVERETT TRUE — A M O FU R N IS H C S A T H C M e INT»M/4Te.<_Y IDeNTlHe-D WITH T H G O C oS lC A L , . rrs iNTievcATC . r a h ific a tio h s . /fc3 'pABrDON N S , B TÎO TH Ô R D R Y e , B U T \f* ' Yo«J must reevA*r> yoor ■sei^ttON-s/ x Bcuev® TH<5 M A JO R ITY C \- T H e O o k < S R «S G A T(O M iv o v c o r a t m < s R Y o u *© r « e a t > t n & m o u t Mac in Los Angeles Record Tke Importance of Taking Lessons from the Master Soul-Winner of A ll Times By REV. J O H N M A C NEIL O NE thing about the Master as a Soul-winner that strikes me is that in His working, He is con tent to deal with the individual. The woman at the well, Zaccheus, the tax gatherer, one fisherman, another fisher man, another fisherman, John, Philip, Nathaniel, Andrew, one after another, not in formal ways, not in gatherings. The Master as a Soul-winner is a rebuke to many. He did not ask for meetings nor committees. Oh, dear friends, if Christians would only begin to copy the Master. When you meet people in the same neighborhood going to the well for water, to the shop for food, do as He did— say a word and it will bring on another one and He will be behind it. But we don’t do it. It is a very prac tical thing if we would only take up the idea. If we went on as He did, with the eye in our head and the word on our tongue for salvation— in a natural, in dividual, true way— it would tell. Be fore forty-eight hours things would be gin to mend in a way which all your organizing could not accomplish. I want not your organizing. I am tired of it. I don’t find much about it in Christ or in Paul’s epistles. He had one formula with a very simple illustration of the Gospel. I sometimes think he would take those three crosses—Christ in the center, a dying man in sin on one side, a man dying out of sin into life on the other side. He would tell the people they were either one side or the other and fasten their gaze on the central cross. Look at Levi. Could there be a more unlikely specimen? I suppose that many of us who are, through God’s grace, soul winners, if we had seen this man busy at the public place, at official duty, taking taxes and giving receipts, would have said, “ Well, now, I saw that man in the meeting last night; he looked interested— but we must be wise —we, must beware of zeal without dis cretion.” We get so wise and cautious — on the wrong side of things. We say: “ There is that tax gatherer. I would like to have a word with him, but not now. It would only scare him, and I would stand in my own light.” Talk that to me, and you may, but I am deal ing with the Master, and I will show you how to be a soul winner. You will need to work. You will need to risk comfort. You will need to be a fool for Christ’s sake. The trouble with us all is that we want to be so wise for Christ’s sake, and wisdom and prudence have become a drug on the market and no takers. Ev erything must be done decently and in order. But all that is torn to pieces when the Master Soul-winner goes up to a man in his office in the morning. Ven ture a bit. Go ahead! Why be so mod est? ph, man, get some snap and heart. I often say when I look at some peo ple on Sunday, “Why do you look so wise and respectable and grave and dig nified?” and I feel to be faithful we should preach a message that is rather rough on edge— not a smooth message. When I see people looking so gruesome and grave, I think—-you are overdoing wise as you are looking; you are over doing it and somebody should come and give you a sharp word. 554 THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S I heard a person say the other day that they spoke to someone and they got such a warm rebuke, they declared they would never speak to the person again. Stop that! Some of you are here and out of hell and on the road to heaven because somebody was not easily shaken off when you did not want to be spoken to. Says one: “ At last I stood upon my dignity.” My dear fel lows, come off it. You never looked smaller— never. It’s a shaky stool. The Lord may let you down with a shock, and you deserve it— standing on your dignity! Oh, friend, why not venture some for Jesus Christ? Try the Mas ter’s plan before you sleep tonight. Try the intellectual person. Try the thing that seems to break through convention. Jesus broke through it. The worst of all is to be so conscious of the difficulties as never to do it at all. Try it tonight. You live at 'the same house, sit at the same table with the lost. Time is flying. Christ is soon coming. God help you friend— rouse a bit! Break through as Jesus broke through and intimately accosted the public offi cial at his public work and said, “ Fol low me”— and it worked. The man was ripe and ready, and maybe twenty of US' would have passed him by saying we were doing the wise and proper thing and talking about the dangers of zeal without discretion. What we want is more zeal without discretion, rather than so much discretion without zeal. We are fairly stuck with it. Just look at that case again. What did Jesus say? “ Follow me.” Two words—and it detached him from sel fishness and things that were holding him down. Must we stand and preach all we know for forty minutes, and twenty minutes and sixty minutes and then hold an after-meeting and spend another hour in a private room— and even then they won’t get landed. What has gone wrong? Two words! “ Follow me.” My Lord— show me how to do it! \ . Levi left all forever. Two words swept like a sword through every bone. He left all and rose up. Oh, Lord Jesus, why is it that we preach, and talk p e r sonally and privately and then so little done? Oh, Master, Master, come back to us and fill us with your Spirit. 1 have known one word in the Master's power, to rouse a sinner’s heart at once. One word— but it must be the Master’s word and the Master’s power. That’s our need. THE WORK THAT WORKS Our Lord never saves en masse. We talk about the redemption of society as if we expected the Lord to reach out somehow and take the whole race into His arms as one man, and lift them up. My brethren, we will never lift society except as we lift the individual who makes it. Salvation must begin with the individual and extend to the individuals before the mass is uplifted. Now, if that was the purpose of Jesus in coming to this earth, and in living His life on it and- dying His death for it, what is our purpose? Our text declares that: “ As the Father hath sent me, even so I send you.” That is to say the mission that Jesus had we have. And if that be true, the supreme purpose of the Church, and every man and woman in it, is salvation; and the church which is not evangelistic is not evangelical. We satisfy ourselves too frequently with the. thought that we are evangel ical. That is not what the Lord wants. He wants more than that. We should be evangelical and evangelistic, saving the lost, and if we are not perpetually doing that business we have no right to claim to be the Church of Jesus Christ. More and more I realize that this is the fact, therefore more and more I lay stress upon the specific work of soul winning.— Dr. Len Broughton.
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