sult was that for many generations the people of Israel plowed their land and sowed their grain heartlessly, for they knew that they were only pre paring nourishment and provision for their foes. Their morale was broken, and the people of God became physi cal and spiritual cowards, hiding constantly from the enemy, and not daring to claim their own possessions. This was the direct result of being in league with those whom God had commanded them to destroy. Perhaps every one of us today can trace in our lives the history of one unconquered sin that has become a real thorn in our side: and by experi ence we have proven that God does not drive out of our lives that which we will not rouse ourselves to drive out. The final result is that our whole life remains, not like a peaceful land, a God-protected land, a fruitful land, but like wild distracted country, in which there may be an occasional deed of bravery and valor, but which for the most part moans with oppres sion. What really becomes ours is what we fight for inc1- by inch; meeting the foe, and killing him on his own soil, so that the property is left to us uncontested; God’s grant is useless to us, if we will not draw the sword and conquer it, if we will not wield the axe and clear it. We war not against flesh and blood; but when it comes to our own lives we are to give no quarter to sin; we are to proclaim no truce with sin; we are to constantly labor to destroy the body of sin. “We live, therefore we seek the things that are above: We are dead, therefore we mortify our members which are upon the earth.” All spiritual blessings are ours in Christ; but we cannot enjoy them apart from the conflict of faith, and apart from the appropriation of them one by one. “ But upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance; and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob s ha l l possess t h e i r possessions,” (Obad. 17). END.
plete Old Testament picture of the working of the gospel which is the power of God unto salvation. Operation: Fallen Walls Observe the method of warfare on the part of Joshua. A few priests marching silently around the doomed city: apart from the blowing of ram’s horns, there was no noise, no imple ments of war, no show of military strength, no feats of prowess or brav ery; just silent marching around the city once a day for six days, and then on the seventh day, seven times marching around the city, a blast on the trumpets, a shout by the people and Jericho came down! It was nothing but the power of Jehovah. Just so was the early preach ing of the Church of Christ. Alas, that we have lost so much of that power today. We seem to have lots of other things, but very little power. May God revive the hearts of all. 2 )Th e experience o f-th e Christian in appropriating spiritual blessings and overcoming the spiritual foe. In the apostolic church this was much in evidence. In the very beginning we read concerning the pitiful case of Ananias and Sapphira, who sinned against the Lord through their lies and hypocrisy. Very often we get taken up with some of these Bible stories and miss the significant part that the Spirit of God would have us see. Right after these two were taken out and buried it says that, “ of the rest durst no man join himself to them.” That means that the power and presence of God was so awful and so manifest among the Christians that no unsaved person dared to join them even by a profession! Evidently the early Church had powers of re pulsion as well as of attraction! Alas, that it has not continued thus. We are not disappointed When we turn to the Book of Joshua for an il lustration of this second thought. In the fifth chapter of Joshua we read of the place c a l l e d “ Gilgal.” Israel made their last camping ground there: from here on in it was all
Your Prayer Requests Each morning at eight the editor ial staff of King's Business magazine gathers for prayer. Over the years God has answered the heartcry of thousands. Should you have a re quest we would count it a privilege to take it to the throne of grace. Your request will be held in the strictest confidence. Address: The Editors, King's Business, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, Calif. fighting and appropriation. Note the significance even of little words: “ At that time” (5:2), they had to circum cise themselves! What does t hi s teach? Simply that self must be dealt with first! Before Israel could use the sword against others, they had to use it on themselves. And that was the greatest secret of all their warfare afterwards. As Israel advanced into the land they soon became too careless and too cowardly to subdue some of the Canaanites. Just as failure appeared early in the Christian Church, so it came early in Israel’s case. Witness the tragedy at the place called Ai. See Joshua seven. Thorns For the Canaanites And these Canaanites that Joshua and the people failed to subdue were used by God as their scourges, and left as thorns in their sides. Read Num. 33:55 and Josh. 23:13. In process of time these w i l d foes were spotted all over the land; in all places of vantage strong bands of un subdued Canaanites lurked, and from time to time they swept over Israel’s possessions like locusts, leaving no green thing behind them. At no time did Israel push their conquest back into the vastness of the mountain fortresses. It was there that fresh y o u n g t r o up s o f w a r r i o r s we r e continually growing up and being trained in guerrilla warfare. The re
^ Photo story for September will take you behind the scenes of Good News Publishers of Chicago. You’ll see in pictures how God has used Clyde Dennis to become one of the world’s top producers of attractive gospel tracts. And you’ll learn just how effective a tract ministry is. ^ Now for a word about October. You’ll be interested in learning that Dr. Louis T. Talbot is writing more of his popular articles on the leading cults and false religions of our day. The first article in this new series will be featured in the October K in g ’ s B u s in e s s .
JULY, 1955
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