“Jesus saith . . . Feed my lambs.”
M A Y • 1936
The Jews Are Going Home “I will whistle for you.” So says God to Israel, in Isaiah 5 :26 (literal Hebrew). And the whistling has begun. It is no exaggeration to estimate the number of Jews in the Holy Land today at 400,000. F ROM Poland they come; from Ger-. many,, Austria, Roumania, America. They seek a placé of' refuge from an ism ?;:Shall we say, with specious philos ophy, “It is ’all as God foretold, and so we shall do nothing about it ?” So indeed might Pharaoh have said; but he foS d to the tragic record of two millenniums of dispersion and world agony teach a differ ent moral.
ever rising tidç of Jew-hate th ||| world over, and they think they will find it in the’ land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They know not that they are soon,to face in Jeru salem the greatest outburst of Jew-hate the world has ever known, such a time of trouble as has aièyer been, nor w e i will; be again, a time which a merciful God has' promised will be shortened, “for the-elect’s’ sake”—the, time of Jacob’s trouble,; which will find its blessed culmination in the sud den,.’appearance of the Lord Jesull Christ on that hill so full of poignant Bible history, the Mount of Olives.’There it will be that Israel shalLacclaim with penitence and joy Him against Whom they ignorant ly shouted 2,000 years ago, “We will not have this man to rule over us !”- And what must the Church do ? “Com fort ye, comfort yef my people,’fits Hisl command , for this hour of prophetic awakening; And again, “Take , no rest and give Him no rest, until He shall establish Jerusalem a pratse:Jn the earth” (Isa. 62:7). God’s interests are , centered in Israel. Where are yoursfSShall she not,-.while it: is yet.day, impregnate and saturate Israel with the message; of salvation, before the night of darkness come upon us? Is this a time to talk of. “social justice,” and of a “reconstructed social order,”-when God is speaking through thunder and earthquake and pestilence, that the clock of Israel’s destiny is about to;strike ? ■ Shall We be guilty of an abandoned fatal-
, Will God’s statesmen awake? Or, shall it beisaid of the Church in that great day o f reckoning, “Alas/she knew not the day of her 'visitation!” God grant the awaken ing may come before it is too late!.. £i2£he. American Board of Missions to the Jews provides an efficient channel through which the Gospel message may be heralded to Israel of the world dispersion. We are in Jerusalem; we are in Poland, in Latvia. And we. have been forwarding financial sustenance to Jewish Christian brethren in hate-ridden Germany and in blasphemous Russia. All these world undertakings in addition to a nation-wide and well inte grated system of Gospel preaching here in America. We do not believe the true child of God 066 #$' to be asked to fellowship in prayer and gift in so important a ^sector of His work and program. On the contrary, we are convinced that ignorance, of God’s pur poses for Israel is the only reason why any child of God does not help Jewish Mission work. Sooner than we think, we .shall be ..caught up to be with Him in the air ; and together with the mystical 144,000 of the twelve tribes of Israel, we shall Join in that beautiful celestial chorus, thè song of Moses and of the Lamb. And our fellow singers in. that heavenly choir will be Jews ! And our blessed Lord will look to us with eyes ■ so pitiful, Jewish eyes, and ask, “What did you do for my brethren?” Then think of your joy, when you will be able to say, “Yes,, thank God, when I was down on the earth, I did love them, I did pray for them, and I did help with my money to tell them of their Messiah !” Use the coupon if the Lord so leads you. You will receive “The Chosen Peo ple” regularly each month, and thus be kept in touch with the work all the year round. May God reveal to you His will concerning the seed of Abraham, the scattered sheep of the House of Israel. AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS TO THE JEW S, INC. 31 THROOP AVE., BROOKLYN, N. Y.
The Jews Wailing Place, on Friday his everlasting spfrow, that God had to be reckoned with. So’ might the .Jew have said, when rejecting Christ 2,000 years ago, “It is all prophesied, I can’t help it!” But
American Board of Missions to the Jews, Inc. 31 Throop Avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y. Brethren in Christ : God bless you, and we pray for your testimony. Here is $.................. Use it for His glory among His people. Faithfully yours in Him,
Nàme-.iühi-U,
IS A CHILD W O R T H SAV ING? T here are a t least 27,000,000 boys a n d girls in Am erica today who do no t know Jesu s C h rist as th eir personal Saviour. THERE ARE 383 STU DENTS AT THE BIBLE IN STITUTE OF LOS ANGELES __EVERY ONE OF THEM ALIVE TO THE SITUATION. Biola young people are y o u th ev an gelists now— m eeting boys and girls each week an d leading m any of them to the Saviour. M oreover, these stu d en ts are receiv ing the b e st possible train in g for m ore extensive evangelistic w ork am ong children. Suppose ju st one little child w ere suffering pain an d w eakness, an d it w ere in y o u r pow er to bring th e healing rem edy. Could you stan d by com pla cently an d do n othing? Surely you could not! How m uch m ore acu te would be th e situ atio n if th e incident w ere re p eated several m illion tim es! AMERICA’S CHILDHOOD IS SUFFERING TERRIBLY— SPIRITUALLY. BIOLA STU DENTS ARE DOING SOME- - THING ABOUT IT. WILL YOU HELP THEM? Believing, a s th e W o r d of God teaches, th a t “all have sinned, and com e sh o rt of th e glory of God,” and th a t “God com m endeth his love tow ard us, in th a t, w hile we w ere y et sinners, C hrist died for us,” Biola rep resen ta tives are urg in g boys an d girls an d men and wom en to face th e ir personal re sponsibility an d to receive C hrist who cam e “to seek an d to save th a t w hich w as lo st.” The following tw o pages tell th e story. IN HELPINGTHE INSTITUTE TO T R A I N AND SEND FORTH T H E S E WILLING WORKERS, ONE IS HELPING TO PROVIDE F O R LAN GUISHING AMERICA THE ONLY REMEDY SUFFICIENT FOR HER SPIRITUAL ILLS. Shall we n o t consider th e appeal of the children an d send help speedily? MY PART IN WINNING THE CHILDREN The Bible In stitu te of Los A ngeles, In co rp o rated I hereby agree (1) to pray for the work of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles; and (2) to contribute........................................per month for a period of three, six, twelve (..................j months. You may apply $....................of my gift toward a subscription to the KING’S BUSINESS, send ing the magazine for......................months. (If you donate $1.00, 25 cents may be applied as a three months' subscription. If you donate $2.00, 50 cents may be. applied as a six months’ sub scription, and if you give $5.00 or more, 75 cents may be applied as a year’s subscription. The United States Post Office requires that persons may receive the KING’S BUSINESS according to this plan ONLY when they make request for it in writing. Use the coupon provided.) Name............................................................. ,r. City......................... ................... State. . . . . . . : . ; , . . . Street Number. ............................................i , , j D ate..................... .Amount Enclosed. . •>. 558 S outh H ope S treet Los A ngeles, C alifornia
£he Sidle ^amilii Äcia^me Motto: “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own b lood — R ev . 1 :5.
Volume XXVII
May, 1936
Number 5
TABLE OF CONTENTS Biola Wins Children for Christi-Mildred M. Cook....................... 162 Around the King’s Table—Paul W. Rood........................................ 164 How to Win and Hold Children—Ethel S. Low ................... 166 Child Evangelism—The Testimony of Experience —J. Irvin Overholtzer.................................................................169 When Two Parents were Awakened—Esther Wilson Turner..... 170 The Child in God’s Plan—Richard W. Lewis................................. 173 Winning Boys and Girls—Erank A. Miller............ ........ ............... -175 World’s Christian Fundamentals Association........... ...... .............. 176 Our Literature Table...................................................... -...... -........... 178 Bible Institute Family Circle— .................................... ............. - 179 Junior King’s Business—Martha S. Hooker,..................................181 Girls’ Query Corner—Myrtle E.: Scott....— ...... ....................... ......183 Hunan Bible Institute......................................................... -............. 184 International Lesson Commentary......................... ............. ^.... ....... 186 Notes on Christian Endeavor—Mary G. Goodner......... ................. 194 Daily Devotional Readings.................. ..................... ...................... ..198 Evangelistic Notices ..................... ........... ................. ....................... 203
The picture on the cover is used through the courtesy of Borden’s Dairy Delivery Company, Los Angeles.
I N F O R M A T I O N F O R S U B S C R I B E R S
A D V E R T IS IN G : For information with reference to advertising in THE KING'S BUSINESS, address the ADVERTISING MANAGER, 558 SOUTH HOPE STREET, LOS ANGELES, CALIF., or our eastern representative. Religious Press Association, 325 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, Pa., or 83$ N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Entered as Second Class Matter November 17, 1910, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage pro vided for in Section 1103, Act of October S, 1917, authorized October 1, 1918. M A N U SC R IP T S: THE KING'S BUSINESS cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts sent to it for consideration.
T E R M 8 : Single Copie*.............................................. 15c Annual Subscription......................................................$1.50 Two-year subscription or two annualsubscriptions. 2.50 Five annual subscriptions................................................ 5.00 Eleven annual subscriptions........................................10.00 Subscriptions in countries outside of U. S. require 25c extra. R E M IT T A N C E : Should be made by Bank Draft, Ex press or P. O. Money Order, payable to “The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated." Receipts will not be sent for regular subscriptions, but date of expi ration will show plainly each month, on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please send both old and new address at least one month previous to date of de sired change.
PO LIC Y A S D E F IN E D BY T H E BO ARD OF DIR EC T O R S OF T H E B IB L E IN ST IT U T E OF L08 A N G E LE S (a) To stand for the infallible Word of God and its great fundamental truths, (b) To strengthen the faith of all believers, (c) To stir young men and women to fit themselves for and engage in definite Christian work, (d) To make the Bible Institute of Los Angeles known, (e) To magnify God our Father and the person, work and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; and to teach the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in our present practical life, (f) To emphasize in strong, constructive messages the great foundations of Christian faith. THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, INCORPORATED 558 South Hope Street Los Angeles, California
May, 1936
J i A J X ^ A S ^ X Biola Wins
Each week, at least forty children among those contacted in this way are brought to a definite decision for Christ. In addition to the personal dealing with boys and girls out of doors, Sunday-school classes and week-day Bible clubs are taught each week by two hundred or more students of the Institute, reaching approxi mately 1,800 children a n d young peo ple each week. Every student teacher is shown how to present the plan of salva tion clearly and effectively—and he or she is impressed with the great responsibility to “make disciples.” As a consequence, the weekly report blanks of Biola students record many conversions, especially among boys and girls. Every summer, at least two hundred of the students of the Institute spend all or part of their vacation in directing or assist ing in Daily Vacation Bible Schools, either in their home churches or in neglected communities. Many other students are planning to engage in this work during the coming summer. Large numbers of Biola representatives serve under the American Sunday-School Union as vacation helpers, and, in some cases, as full-time workers.
S eeking the C hildren In the vicinity of the In stitute, students are going out two by two to deal with children about their souls’ salvation. One young woman wrote to the Presi dent : -“Praise the Lord, I am so glad the Lord has opened my eyes to see the need of going out in the streets of Los Angeles to tell the children about the Lord Jesus Christ. Before we two students go out, we pray definitely that the Lord will lead us to some
Photos (above) H. Armstrong Roberts; (right) A. Bartlett. T h e r e ’ s a b o y overboard !” every shouted at once; “Well, why doesn’t somebody get him ?” The question was ut tered mechanically with a shade of irritation in the tone. Somebody did get him. body in the c r o w d
Somebody brought the lad, limp and unconscious, and laid him on the shore. And the man who at first had spoken listlessly, in a moment was completely changed. As he looked into that white upturned face, he cried, “O God, it’s my boy.” A sense of kinship had effected the dif ferènte in attitude.When it was his boy who was in danger, the father sprang to the rescue, calling earnestly to others to help in saving that precious life. There is an infinitely more tragic story than that of the drowning boy. Its scene is modern America. It concerns the 27,000,000 children of this nation (a conservative esti mate) who are today without any personal knowledge of the Word of God and the Saviour that every soul needs.. Twenty- seven million boys and girls without Christ ! Who cares—if they are lost? Biola stui- dents care. Who will rise Up, with the yearning of a parent’s heart, and declare, “They are mine —mine to pray for, mine to win; they must be Saved” ? These words echo constantly in the hearts of represen tatives of the Bible Institute of Los An geles who are giving their lives to the work of evangelism.
children. One day, after having dealt with several, on our way home we met two girls, eleven and thirteen years old, and before we left they had both accepted the Lord Jesus Christ. After we had given each one a Gospel of John, we truly went rejoicingly on our way. The Word in hearts and their hands,, the’children rejoiced also.”
What Is Salvation Worth to You? What would it be worth to you to have some earnest young Christian talk to YOUR boy or YOUR girl, and lead that dear one of yours to Jesus Christ? Perhaps such a gentle word as a Biola student might speak would be all that is needed, in addition to your faithful prayer and testimony, to lead your child to a joyous acceptance of the Lord. Biola^ students are yielded to God to be used as soul-winners. In their training, evangelism is constantly in view. Not only following their graduation—but NOW, during student days—these young men and women are winning souls for Christ. How much is this ministry worth to you personally? Biola charges no tuition. The school is unendowed. The estimated cost to the Institute of training a student is as follows: For the entire school year.... 1; • ... • ___..._____ 5150 For a semester....v.L^A\^u.....;..:.U...J $75 For a week: i -JADl i ■1 *;1;:• ■'■ ' ■ ‘ ili1 1 ■''* For a month_____. 20 For a Hay ~ __'.___ /...................... I WHAT SHARE W ILL YOU HAYE IN THIS EQUIPMENT OF POTENTIAL EVANGELISTS?
A BEAUTIFUL REPRODUCTION OF THE COVER PICTURE OF THIS MAG AZINE, SUITABLE FOR FRAMING, W ILL BE SENT WITHOUT COST TO ANY DONOR WHO REQUESTS IT. LEFT: Little people drink in the truth as the gospel is presented by a Bible Institute student, who illustrates the message by quick strokes with colored chalk. UPPER RIGHT: Every year, when sum mer weather sends vacationists to the seashore, Biola students engage in definite evangelistic work among the children on the beach. Last year, the average daily attendance for a month at these outdoor meetings was between sixty-five and one hundred. LOWER RIGHT: "E u o d ia g irls "— members of the weekly Bible study clubs which are sponsored by the Bible Institute^ and held in high schools and ¡unior high schools of Los Angeles and vicinity—are an enthusiastic company at their annual conference held at Pa cific Palisades.
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May, 1936
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Children for Christ
By Mildred M. Cook
W ork A mong Y oung G irls For that energetic company composed of girls of high school and junior high school age, the Euodia Club has been formed—-the name taken from the Greek word meaning “fragrance.” There are at the present time forty-five individual clubs among high schools and junior high schools in Los Angeles and vicinity. In one month, the total attendance in Euodia meetings was 2,700. Classes meet weekly in schools or near-by homes. The arrangement of the study course takes a girl through her Bible in four years of Euodia Club attendance. These classes are taught by Institute Bible Women and their helpers. The response that these girls give to the gospel, and the glorious results that follow their acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, constitute a story that cannot be understood in all its gratifying details until “the books are opened.” E vangelistic W ork on the B each For five consecutive summers, the Bible Institute of Los Angeles has carried on a full program of evangelistic activities among children' and young people in one of the popular beach towns near Los An geles. The first day of the first year the attendance was eighteen.. Last year, the average daily attendance for a month was between 65 and 100, with as many as 160 attending on one day. The plan of operation is simple. Living for a month in a rented house near the ocean front, the group of seven Institute representatives, five of whom are students, go to the beach each week-day morning with folding organ, parasols, and banner marked “Children’s Special Service Mis sion.” The young people begin to Sing and play, and their music ahd happy faces inter
School and week-day church school), and Recreational Leadership. The degree of Bachelor of Christian Education will be conferred upon students who satisfactorily complete the four-year course in Christian Education. Not only for ,students of the Christian Education Course, but for every young man and woman enrolled in the school, classes in Personal Evangelism are held., A merica ’ s C hallenge . While over half the children of the United States receive no Christian educa tion whatever, there remains a field “white already to harvest” “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers arei few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, \ that he will send forth laborers into his har vest.” The Bible Institute of Los Angeles
est the boys and girls who come from all directions and sit down on the sand around the organ. There follow object lessons, chalk talks, or lessons worked out on the sand. Last year, 188 meetings were held on the beach, which resulted in the conver sion of fifty-four persons,, and the con secration to Christ of twenty-one others. >1. -S pecial T raining O ffered Preparing students for efficient and spiritual work among children and young people, the Institute offers in the Christian Education Coursé the following special su b je c ts: Departmental Specialization, History of Christian Education, Curricu lum Making, Practice Teaching, Sunday- School' Supervision and' Administration (which1 includes1 Daily Vacation Bible
determines, by the grace of God, to advance boldly and quickly into this great untouched field, im pelled by the sense of per sonal responsibility for the eternal welfare of the nation’s youth. Who will share in the burden and in the challenge? Who will help to train Institute st udent s that they may go forth to win souls? Remember—there are twenty-seven m i l l i o n growing up in sin, with out Christ. What differ ence would it make in your attitude t o w a r d these thousands of unre generated young people if of one of them you must say, “O God, he is my boy, she is my girl” ? Constrained by everlast ing Love, will you not choose to have a part in the gracious ministry now going on as Biola wins children for Christ?
May, 1936
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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G ro u n d the K ing’s Tables B y P a u l W. R ood
This issue of the K in g ’ s B u siness is de voted to the subject of Child Evangelism. No theme should be regarded as of greater importance to the church and the nation. The greatest need of our nation is that of
5. Moreover, he seemed more interested in Socialism than in Salvation. 6. And the hearts of the people were heavy, for they longed for the Old-fashioned Gospel. 7. And, behold! they sent a delegation to the minister and asked him to preach something they did not read about six days out of seven. 8. And the minister was angry and said, I believe in the Freedom of the Pulpit. I know what you need much better than you know yourselves. I shall continue to preach the Social Gospel. If you do not like it, depart unto Gehenna. 9. And the hearts of the people were sore, but they held their peace. 10. Now the minister had purchased a farm in a far country, where the owner had starved to death, but there was a very fair set of buildings on the farm. 11. For the minister had said within himself, It may come to pass when I am old and well stricken in years, that no church will desire me, and I shall stand all day idle in the market place; so I will buy this farm as a place of refuge against that day. .T2. And, behold! he and his fatnily did spend their summer vacations there. 13. Now the buildings on the farm sorely needed paint, and the minister agreed with a local painter for two shekels a day to paint the buildings white. 14. And when the bill came in, the minister did send his check to pay it. 15. And in due time the minister visited his farm, and lo ! instead of painting the buildings white, the painter had painted them red. k 6. Arid the minister was very wroth and he sent for the painter and said unto him: 17. Thou wicked and deceitful painter! Did T not agree with thee to paint my buildings white, and, lo ! thou hast painted them red. 18. And the painter answered and said, Go to now! It is true thou didst order me to paint thy buildings white, but lislelieve in the Freedom of the Painter! Red is a much better color than white,” Moreover, it seemeth to be a popular color at this time. 19. And suddenly there shined around about the min ister a light from heaven, and he said, I do see my sin this day. Why should I rebuke this man for painting my build ings red when I commanded him to paint them white, when I am called to preach Christ and Him crucified and I preach the Social Gospel? 20. I will return to my people and I will say to them, I know now what Jesus meant when He said, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. C. McPheeters, pastor of Glide Memorial Church, San Francisco, Calif. Mrs. Glide is a Christian philanthropist who has built not only the Glide Memorial (M. E. South) Church but several other churches and institutions as well. Among these are the Mary Elizabeth Inn, a home for girls in San Francisco; Epworth Hall, a dormitory for girls attending the state university in Berkeley, Calif.; and a similar dormitory at Asbury College, Wilmore, Ky. She has established the Glide Foundation for the promotion of the work of the Glide Memorial Church. This foundation has recently acquired the Hotel Californian in San Fran cisco, a seventeen-story building having three hundred rooms,, one of the finest hotels in the city. This hotel is be- The Life Story of Lizzie H. Glide is the title of a book which has just come from the press, written by Julian Lizzie H. Glide
ls It
Well with the Child?
homes in which Christ is on the throne and in which boys and girls are brought into fellowship with the Lord Jesus in early childhood. Less than ten per cent of the homes in this country have a family altar. We greatly need a revival in America that will restore the broken-down family altar. The father is the priest in the home, and it is his respon sibility to see that family worship is maintained. If the father is not a Christian, the believing mother should gather her children around the Word of God and pray with them and teach them to pray. Parents should by precept and example show the value and importance of godliness. It is also the responsibility of parents to win their chil dren for the Lord. Inasmuch as eighty-five per cent of Christians have been converted before the age of eighteen, we can understand the necessity of emphasizing child and youth evangelism. The tendency in the average church has been to minimize the importance of the conversion of chil dren. This is a tragic mistake. Childhood is the normal time for conversion, and a child can have a genuine experi ence of regeneration at an earlier agSthan is generally assumed. Those who are converted in childhood escape the scars that many carry who are converted in later life. The converted child can have a long life of usefulness and blessing. There is significance in the quotation: “Win an adult and you win a un it; win a child and you win a multi plication table.” The way to evangelize a nation is to evangelize the chil dren of thfe'ination. The call of God in this hour is to His church to evangelize the twenty-seven million unreached children and young people of the nation. Pastors, evangel ists, Sunday-school teachers, church officers, parents, and Christians in general must catch this vision and give them selves in a new way to this, the supreme task of the church. May the careful study of this issue of the K in g ’ s B usiness contribute to this end and help bring in a revival of Child Evangelism. Meeting in Chicago some time ago, a A Parable group of laymen from one of the largest For denominations in America urged the minis- Preachers ters of their denomination to leave social and economic questions alone and preach the gospel. A pamphlet, “A Parable for Preachers,” written by Edgar Warren, which we quote in full, is being sent to the preachers by the laymen. 1. Now it came to pass in those days that a church called a certain man to be its minister; and the church agreed to pay him two thousand shekels in silver, a house., and a leave of absence each year. 2. And, lo 1the man was glad to accept the call. 3. Now the minister prided himself on being very much up to da t e and after a while he said to himself, This church is behind the times and it needeth the Social Gospel. 4. So instead of preaching Christ and Him crucified, he preached Old Age Insurance, Unemployment Relief, the Abolition of the Profit Motive, and Reduction of Armaments.
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laymen, who are ready to be used-as soul-winners and whose efforts God is pleased to honor in the conversion and edification of many. It is encouraging to receive from The King’s Business our readers reports of blessing in the that has come to them through the Regions Beyond K in g ’ s B u s i n e s s . Numerous expressions of this kind reach us from time to time, but the following letter from a mission ary in India is typical of them all. 1 have been receiving the K ing ’ s B usiness for several years, and I suppose my subscription was paid by some friend of the Institute. I have appreciated the magazine beyond words of description. Its monthly visits were like that of a beloved guest from a distant homeland. Next to the Bible it has been a source of spiritual food and uplift. Just what this means to a person living out in the mission ary district, to one who is surrounded constantly by heathenism and its results-, not seeing any other mission aries but two fellow workers who are on the same station, nor any other white faces, you will hardly be able to realize. The copies of the magazine serve not only for the spiritual good of the missionary, but the Indian preachers and teachers relish them as much as we do. Those that are able to read English will go through all my old numbers of the magazine and read the articles and copy sermon outlines. Most of the preachers have practically no study helps in addition to their Bibles from which to gather material for sermons, and thus these outlines are a great help to them. The Sunday-school notes;,also have been,-.of great assistance to me. Published a month ahead of tíme, théy get here in time, or sometimes we miss one lessop. Having the work of superintendent of the Sunday-school here, I often have used the illustrations and object léssons.' I have not received any numbers of the K ing ’ s B usiness , ¿ 'since September and am at a loss without the magazine. Our allowance for support is not enough to permit my keeping up a subscription. We have notified the writer of this kind letter that through the generosity of friends we are enabled to restore her name to our lists, and that the magazine will be sent her henceforth. Undoubtedly, there are readers who would like to make a donation to our Free Fund in order that other missionaries may receive the K in g ’ s B u sin e ss . The cooperation of our friends in this matter will make it pos sible for us to gladden the hearts of workers in “the regions beyond.M® Johnson had his Boswell, and Spurgeon his Bush ^ Day. A classic biography of Spurgeon, entitled Aglow j ’/jg Shadow of the Broad R im * has been writ ten by Richard E. Day, pastor of the Hamilton Square Baptist Church, San Francisco, California. The term “classic” is used advisedly in referring to this analytical biography. It is not an ordinary book. Dr. Day is now engaged in writing a biography of D. L. Moody, entitled Bush Aglow. Dr. Day is a born biographer. His writings show unusual literary merit. Bush Aglow makes plain that the secret of Moody’s ministry was a transforming experience of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The story of the steps that led to this ex perience have never before been presented in such a de tailed way. Two godly women were praying for Moody. They were present in his meetings, and their presence made him uncomfortable, and yet their absence worried him. At last one of them said: “Lad, Jehovah is dealing with thee.” It was after the great Chicago fire that Moody in Brooklyn made the great surrender that caused the bush to glow with divine fire; and when he came back to Chicago and preached his first sermon, the interceding friend, [Continued on page 175] *Judson Press. Price $1.50.
coming the recognized headquarters for Christian travelers who visit San Francisco. The fact that Mrs. Glide was converted in early child hood makes it pertinent to refer to this godly philanthropist in this particular issue. Years ago, during revival meetings conducted by Sam Jones in Sacramento, Mrs. Glide sur rendered her life wholly to the Lord and entered into a deeper spiritual experience. Her life then became fruitful, and .she was used in the winning of souls. It was as a resuit of this deeper experience that she came to realize her responsibility as a steward of the wealth committed to her hands, and from that day to the present, she has sought to be faithful to God in the administration of her funds. Bishop James Cannon, Jr., reveals the spirit of Mrs. Glide’s benevolences in relating that he once asked her for five thousand dollars to be used to complete a church build ing. Mrs. Glide asked questions about the work of the church. “Do you say that souls are being saved in that church?” she inquired. Upon receiving assurance that such was the case, she wrote a check for the requested sum, and, handing the check to the bishop, said, “I give it because you say that souls are being saved.” Would to God that more Christians of wealth would be characterized by similar insight and discrimination and give to enterprises that are distinguished by soul-winning ac tivities ! _____________ __ „ Consecrated Christian business men of N°on. San Francisco were used of God in arranging Meetings f0r a series of gospel meetings to be held at the “ ° a,i noon hour in one of the downtown theaters,I Francisco ^ Fqmarte, at 160 O’Farrell Street. During this campaign of one week, conducted in March, the Presi dent of the Institute spoke daily, and other Institute repre sentatives also took p a rt: Gordon Hooker, Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Whitwell, and Woodrow Rood. Through the cour tesy of radio station KYA, the messages were broadcast, and many letters were received telling of changed lives and renewed vision. The San Francisco Bay Region Christian Business Men’s Committee holds a weekly meeting for prayer, seek ing guidance especially for the next step in the work to be undertaken. Christian friends everywhere are urged to remember in their intercession this fine group of California
Crowd leaving the Filmarte Theater, San Francisco, Calif., at the con clusion of a noon gospel meeting. The inset shows the members of the San Francisco Bay Region Christian Business Men's Committee, with Dr. Rood and other leaders who took part in the March campaign.
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May, 1936
How to WIN AND HOLD Children By ETHEL S. U )W Modesto, California
M y sub ject is a big one: “How to Win and Hold Children.” I am going to start out with present con ditions. Let us look them over fairly and squarely. I have some facts here. With some of them you may not agree. First, only about one-half of the children of America ever have any religious training whatever. Only about one-half of this number have any religious training that could pos sibly be called Christian when we are very charitable. About seventy-five per cent—you may not agree with this —of the so-called Christian education i s 'worthless, ab solutely worthless and worse than worthless. I wonder how many of you people know anything about your Sunday-school literature. (I am not going to say nice things ; I want to stir you up.) I wonder how many of you know what your children in your Sunday-schools are study ing. I venture to say that ninety-nine per cent are not studying the Bible, but quarterlies or various Sunday-school helps. How many of you know what is in those helps ? A few months ago, a woman came to me and said, “I want you to read this paper.” It represented a great de nomination, with the stamp of that denomination on it. It was a paper for teen-age young people. In that publication there Was a continued story on Soviet Russia. Soviet Russian life was pictured as beautiful and wonderful, and this Russian youth movement was set forth as being just these dear young people’s search for the Lord. I know that some of you belong to the denomination that issued this literature. Do you know what is being distributed ? That sample of reading matter is a part of so-called Christian education. Here is something else with which you may not agree. In so-called Christian education, about seventy-five per cent of that twenty-five per cent that is orthodox is worth less because it is powerless. It is orthodox, but the ortho doxy is dead. U n b elief T hroughout t h e P ublic S chools Our public schools are antichristian. I do not know about public schools on the Eastern seaboard, but I do know that California public schools are antichristian from the *An address, stenographically reported, delivered at the Confer ence on Evangelism at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. Under Biola’s auspices, Mrs. Low is available for speaking appointments and the conducting of Sunday-school institutes. She may be addressed at the Institute: 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles, Calif.
kindergarten to the university. I have had some children’s classes, and when I started to teach boys and girls about th creation, one boy said, “But what about the cave man ? When did the cave men live?” Do you realize that your babies are taught about the cave men and the tree dwellers and all those theories—as facts ? When some one comes to tell them the story of creation, their minds are filled already with this other teaching. This influence goes right on throughout the school curriculum. I am thinking of a girl who was in the elementary grades. At school her teachers asked her what she was going to be, and she said, “A mis sionary.” The cynical reply was, “Oh, never mind, you’ll get out of that foolishness before you’re grown.” How many mothers have come to me with the same sad story! The outline is pathetically similar: “My girl was an active, devout Christian until she went to such-and-such a college, a Christian college supported by Christian people supposedly. When she came home—well, she and her col lege chums didn’t believe any of the miracles, they didn’t believe the Genesis story of creation, and consequently they have lost their Christianity entirely.” I wonder how many of you know that right at the door of your public schools in many cities the young communists are giving out to children invitations to communistic meet ings right at the school. Atheism, communism, paganism —they are all the legitimate children of unbelief. It is not a very good picture, is it? Evidently we are not winning and holding our boys and girls. Now, why are we not? W ha t H a ppen s W h e n C h r ist ia n s S leep You remember that Christ said: “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way” (Matt. 13:24, 25). Oh, children of God, it was our field in which Satan sowed tares. And today we are beginning to see the harvest. “While men slept”— and the tragic thing about it is that about ninety per cent of our Christian people have not awakened yet! They are still asleep. They do not know any thing about this catastrophe, and it is the hardest thing to make some of them believe. When I was in a northern state, a young woman, a Biola graduate, asked me to talk with a girl in a neighbor-
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ing city. This younger girl said, “I am all upside down. I don’t know what to believe about Genesis.” I took my Bible and talked to her. And then she said, “Why isn’t the teacher teaching this? She speaks altogether differently. Why don’t our church people stop it if it isn’t right ? Our people don’t do anything about it.” I sent her some literature. And I was so concerned that I wrote to the man and the woman who were sponsoring the group of young people of which she was a member. I was told that I was an alarmist, that the girl was at the age where she was trying to be dramatic, that she really believed the Bible, although she had led me to believe that she was in great darkness concerning it. Later the Biola graduate wrote to me again, saying that this girl was in a terrible
him.” If you lack wisdom, ask of God. In Zechariah 4:6 we read: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” We have put methods in first place, and they do not belong in first place. W h e r e in H ave W e F a il ed ? A great cause of our failure is that we do not know God’s Word. It is not at all unusual for a Sunday-school teacher to come to me and say, “I wish you could help me about my Sunday-school class. I really don’t know any thing about the Bible.” How can you possibly teach a Sun day-school class if you do not know anything about the Bible? A woman said to me in a class, I was teaching on the tabernacle, “Isn’t it funny! I’ve taught this tabernacle to
spiritual condition. There were this man and woman sound asleep; they could not imagine that Satan would try to come in and get one of their flock. That case is typical of the benumbed con dition in which many Christians are today. Why is it that we have lost ground as we have—because you have to admit that we have lost ground. You go into the ave rage Sunday-school, and the Primary and the Kindergarten Depart ments are overflowing. There are many Juniors, too. But something happens then. Your Intermediates—your early
my Sunday-school class over and over. We have even built one. And I didn’t know those things meant anything.” I was not only sorry for her, but ashamed of her as well. David said: “The entrance of thy words giveth light” (Psa. 119:130). If you do not know God’s Word, give up your Sun day-school class. But there is no excuse for one’s not learning God’s Word, not the slightest excuse. Nothing in all of life’s activities is so important as know ing God’s revelation to man. Then, another hindrance is that we do not pray. Oh, yes, we do pray—we
# Because the Sunday-school seems to them to be childish and inadequate, the vast majority of boys and girls of adoles cent age and older are forsaking the house of God. The challenge of the athletic field, of the classroom, or of the highway of pleasure is being accepted heartily by young people whose spiritual leaders have allowed them to substitute these and other attractions for the satis faction of personal regeneration through Jesus Christ. Alas—some one has failed 1
say prayers, anyway. Do we really pray? You have a child. If that little one were lying at death’s door, you would be telephoning everywhere asking people to pray for that child. Why? You would be deeply concerned,.because you would not want that child’s life to go out. But I know Christian fathers and mothers that are not one bit disturbed when their children are without spiritual life. They say, “They are just having a little fling, and they are going to be all right.” These parents begin talking about what a good boy Johnny is and what a darling Mary is, and seem to think that God is going to give some special dispensation and that they will go to heaven. But we cannot do anything. The Lord Jesus Christ has done everything: If you ask people how to get to heaven, what will they tell you? Nine out of ten of them will say, “Be good.” You ask even born-again but untaught Christian people how they are going to get to heaven, and all too often the answer is, “Be good.” All right, how good? Legalism is grievously
teen—how very few there are! And in the late teens the loss is even more startling. One of the reasons for this condition—and perhaps the greatest reason—-is that we have been depending merely on methods. M ethods O ut of P lace The most powerful electric motors would be absolutely dead without electricity. Our best methods are just as dead without the Spirit of God. In one Sunday-school that I visited last summer there was everything anybody had invented to entertain,, amuse, and instruct children. And yet it was dead, just dead. We have put methods in the wrong place. I do not for one minute dedry methods. I believe God expects us to use the very best comrhon sense, pedagogy, and psychology of which we are capable. But my motto for Sunday-school teachers is James 1 :5: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given
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prominent in their thoughts, and that is the reason they are not concerned enough about their children to really pray for them. Furthermore, we do not believd God. Theoretically in our hearts we believe. But I wonder whether we truly believe this statement in John 3:36: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life : and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” We read that declaration repeatedly, and then we go right on, and we let these children slip out past us into eternity, and we do not say a word. Can you by any stretch of your imagination realize what the wrath of God means ? Thank God, those of us in Christ Jesus never will know what the wrath of God .means. But these unsaved ones— the wrath of God is on them now. And then, we do not obey God. God gave the Great Commission and told us all to go out and preach the gospel. I used to console myself that I did not have to do personal work because my ministry was to edify the saints. But one day a word utterly upset that complacency. A man said to me, “Well, you have a special dispensation, then, haven’t you? The Great Commission does not apply to you.” It made me go home and think. And if any of you are on that edifying bench, I beg you to move and get on the fisher men’s bench. T h e G od -G iven R emedy What is the remedy for the danger and disaster into which our failure has brought us? First, we must believe God and obey God. I like this word in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”’ Do you believe that promise? Why do we not do this that God requires? How we hate to humble ourselves! “And pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways . . .” Remember, God is talking to those who are called by His name: “. . . and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear.”
It all rests with us. Every particle of the blame is ours. Then, too, we are to study and to teach God’s Word. Many people do not believe this statement, but children would far rather have you teach them out of the Bible than out of the quarterly. Children love to read the Bible. Whether your class is a primary group, junior, teen age, college—whatever it is, read the Bible in your class. Some of you would rather tell the story. I think God told the story very much better than I can, and I think He told it a good deal better than you can. Have your pupils read God’s Word in the class. P oints C oncern ing I ntercession Next to God’s Word in importance is the ministry of intercession. First, intercession must include love for the children, whether they are big or little. This is a commonly expressed complaint: “Oh, I am so disgusted with young people now. Young people are not what they used to be. They are just so giddy and so worldly. I haven’t any patience with them at all.” I heard a Sunday-school teacher of a class of high-school girls say that. She does not have much influence with her girls-—-and no wonder ! One has to love them. I want to bring just a word to those whose hair is as gray as mine. Young people are exactly the same today as they were when we were young people. But never in the history Of the world has Satan had all his cohorts massed against youth as he has today. Had we had to face the things that our children face today, we would have found out we are built of the same material that they are. Don’t get a self-righteous streak and think that you are good and they are bad. They have the same heart, the same express ions, the same desires, the same loves and hates—and a thousand times more temptations. Therefore, if you can not love young people, do not teach a Sunday-school class. Do not do it, because they know how you feel about them just as quickly as}you come into the classroom. If you cannot sympathize with them, get down on your face before God and pray until'He gives you a love for modern youth. In teaching boys and
girls, do not give them stale comments. How would youliketo be served for your meals something that had been prepared a couple of weeks ago ? When you have six or seven Bible classes a week, you think, “I used that the other night. I be lieve I could just give, it again.” But be sure that your message is new and vital in your own heart. And if you do not know every single thing about that les son, study it again on your knees. Your class wants something fresh and living, and God will give it to you. Is your intercession per sonal?. Have you a prayer list with every member of your class on that list? If you have not, what is wrong? Is any one being saved in your class? If not, there is something wrong, and the fault is not with God. [Continued on page 174]
CHllDRCn UIHO R ece iv e some R6LIGI0LK TRAininG. CHILDRen WHO Receive Any K i n c > O-F* ■MB! ÉDUCAT ION ORTHODOX C H R I S T I A N T R A I N I N O CHILDRCn UIHO Receive ortho dox CHRISTIAN & DU CATION M TH€ POUUCft OF TH€r HOLY9IRIT
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C h ild EVANGELISM—
THE TESTIMONY OF EXPERIENCE
B y J. IRVIN OypRHOLTZER*
I
Chicago, Illinois
I N EARLY CHILDHOOD, I was often conscious of the guilt of sin—of some special sin. I knew I was not right with God, and my fear of meet ing Him was very real. My parents were earnest Christians and faithful to their church. When I was twelve years old, I became so burdened over my sins—my whole sinful nature— that I could scarcely eat or sleep for thinking of my unfitness to meet God. I knew I should get rig h t w ith Him; but I did not know how. I
have been oh, so easy to have led me, as a child, to Christ. In fact, I would have come to Christ long before I was twelve years old, if some one had shown me the way. And what a difference that early acceptance of Christ would have made in later life ! S purgeon ’ s E x per ience Charles Haddon Spurgeon’s experience in seeking Christ in his childhood was similar to my own in some respects, yet very different in other ways. Unlike Spurgeon, I lived in the country and was shut up to thejinfluence of my limited environment, with only one churchlto attend. Spurgeon’s father and grandfather were ministers, and the boy was told how to be saved—that simply by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ he could have salvation. But he did not know how to believe, or what to believe. At a very early age, he, too, was burdened with a sense of sin, but he could find no one to help him. Soon after he was twelve, h e . asked permission to visit different churches in the city in which he lived. His parents had lit tle thought of what was the purpose behind the request. But Spurgeon was searching for some one to tell him how to exercise saving faith. At first his quest was fruitless. No sermon dealt with his question, and no one thought to talk with a “little boy” about accepting Christ. One Sunday he started to go to a large church (thinking, no doubt, that the larger the church the better the teaching), but was unable to reach his desti nation because of a heavy snowstorm. Because he could go no farther, he entered a little chapel. Only a few people were present, and the minister failed to come. A layman, a shoemaker, attempted to preach. He took for his text Isaiah 45 :22: “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” The sermon was very short, for the shoemaker had had little experience as a public speaker. In the course of his re marks he said something like this: “All you have to do to be saved is to look—a look of faith. Look to God—to Christ—He alone can save you. Don’t look at yourself; don’t look at your feelings; just look to Christ. He died to save you.” Spurgeon sat at the back of the chapel, and the preacher called out to him: “You seem miserable; why don’t you look?” Spurgeon says that then and there he understood what it meant to believe for salvation. He “looked,” and was saved that moment. His own sad experience as a small boy was no doubt the cause of his great desire for clarity in pre senting the plan of salvation in every sermon he preached. In the twenty-four volumes of his messages that I have read, I have not found one sermon in which he has not la bored to explain how to believe and be saved. When the great child evangelist, Hammond, was in London, time after time Spurgeon invited him to his great tabernacle, where there were as many as 3,000 children at one meeting, and hundreds of children were converted. [Continued on page 172]
Mr. Overholtzer
knew that Christ had died for me, but I did not know how to appropriate the benefit of His death for me. I tried to follow the commands of God and the teachings of Christ, as I knew them, but I knew that I was always falling short of full obedience. I believed that in order to have God’s favor and bless ing, I must do what was right. Since I knew I was never wholly right, and sometimes terribly wrong, I never felt that I had God’s favor. I was taught to say my prayers, and I did pray with some degree of faithfulness. But I do not recall that I received a single answer; I do not think I expected an answer. No one told me that I could be saved if I accepted Christ. No one tried to help me to believe on Him. I was told constantly to “be good.” And while my dear mother and others often told me that I was a good boy, I knew I was not. I had seen other people join the church, and I felt that, in some way, that action would save them. But I had never known a child, of twelve to join the church. In their con versation and teaching, my parents did not seem to regard religion as a personal matter. How could I bring myself to speak to any one about my soul agony, my need? When it seemed that I could bear the burden no longer, I went to my mother and asked her whether I might not join the church. She replied, “Son, you are too young.” With the utterance of those words, it seemed to me that my last ray of hope had vanished. Despair settled down upon me, and a feeling of desperation took hold of me. I felt that it did not matter much if I did keep on sinning, for since I was already lost, a few sins more or less could not matter. I know now that my dear mother was limited by the teaching prevailing in her environment. She shed many a tear over her wayward boy before I finally accepted the Saviour, at the age of twenty. I also know that it would * Director, Child Evangelism Fellowship, an interdenominational organization whose object is the winning for Christ of the 27,000,000 boys and girls who are unsaved in America today. For Christians who are awake to their responsibility and are eager to receive help for the task of winning the boys and girls, Mr. Overholtzer has written a valuable booklet entitled “Teacher's Introductory Bible Studies." See page 178 for a review of this publication.
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