N O V E M B E R 1 9 3 6
The Bible Family Magasine
T h a n k sg iv in g By HELEN FRAZEE-BOWER Thanks be untò God for his unspeakable t" (2 Cor. 9:15). Not for our fleshly triumphs, Lord, For deeds of valor done. Not for the courage that sustained In battles lost or won, . We bring our heart’s best gratitude But only for Thy Son. Not merely for the body’s strength, The vigor and the vim, Nor for the harvest’s golden yield, With bums up to the brim, We thank Thee, Lord, for these, of course— But most of all for Him. For, lacking Him, all lesser gifts Must fade and disappear, While knowing Him, and having Him, This Christ, whom we hold dear, Brings gratitude for every day— Thanksgiving all the year.
m m
mwffm I I M m m
Photograph by Ewing Galloway, N. T.
You will be paid $10 for sending us ten annual Subscriptions for The King's Business at $1.50 each. This allows you $1 on each $1.50 you collect
EACH 5 0C each 7 5 c
A N N U A L SU B SC R IPT IO N S in Clubs of 10 or more
A N N U A L SU B SC R IPT IO N S in Clubs of 3 to 6. . . .
(Add 25c for Canadian and foreign subscriptions to cover cost of extra postage)
“MORE A MINISTRY THAN A MAGAZINE”
FOR THOSE W HO SEND THE KING'S BUSINESS TO OTHERS. T HE KING’S BUSINESS i, a popular gift. Thousands of copies are mailed by us monthly for Christian stewards who use this practical method of greeting their friends, and of assisting missionaries and shut-ins** as well as of serving in this ministry to those who would otherwise be unable to take the magazine. Scores of letters received each month prove that this is a fruitful service greatly blessed of God. The management of this magazine is deeply interested in making possible the widest distribution of THE KING’S BUSINESS. With this object in view, it is will ing to furnish the magazine at the lowest possible price to those who will cooperate by subscribing for groups of friends. During the winter of 1935-36, special inducements for such Club Subscriptions were offered— reducing the price in clubs of ten and more as low as 50c per annual subscription. Once more it is possible, for a limited time, to offer this remarkably low price. Friends who know the value of THE KING’S BUSINESS will rejoice in the opportunity thus given them. Sample copies and other supplies will be mailed upon request—but don’t wait. BEGIN TODAY, using this magazine as a sample. Be first in your community. ADDRESS CIRCULATION MANAGER TH E K IN G 'S B U S IN E S S 558 SOUTH HOPE STREET LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
TH E KING’S BUSINESS is n o t published fo r profit. It is concerned w ith th e bu si ness of th e King. Its pages, conceived a n d assem bled in p ray er, seek above all else to fulfill, under th e d irection of the K ing H im self, its purpose a s sta te d on th e C ontents p ag e of every issue. TO M ISSIONARIES— This m agazine will be a welcom e g ift to th o se w ho spend lonely y ears in far-aw ay lands, longing fo r sp iritu al food a n d up-to-the-m inute m essages. As a special featu re for re a d ers in d ista n t lands, TH E KING’S BUSI NESS p rin ts its Sunday-school a n d C. E. m aterial far enough in advance so th a t th ey reach d ista n t su b scrib ers before the m aterial is o u t of date. TO YOUNG PEO PLE— T hose w ho are activ e in C. E. societies w ill w elcom e the excellent helps to be found in N otes on C hristian E ndeavor. The G irls’ Q uery C orner, conducted by a lover of girls, has given help an d encouragem ent to m any a perplexed o r d iscouraged young woman. TO TEACHERS— T he In tern atio n al Sun day School Lesson C om m entary furnishes a n exposition by a stu d en t of th e W ord, a tre a tm e n t of th e lesson fo r children, by a teach er w ho loves an d un d erstan d s little ones, o.bject lessons, p ith y com m ents on problem s raised by th e lesson, an d a p t illu stratio n s.
Our Club of Ten Offer Expires January 30,1937
E KING’S BUSINESS Presents the Biola Family to Its Readers
¡¡llg
‘Dedicated unto him that loved us} and washed us from our sins in his own blood. REVELATION 1:5. WORDS CARVED ON BIBLE INSTITUTE CORNER STONE
uerors
THE BIOLA FAMILY SHOWN IN FRONT OF THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES PRESIDENT PAUL W. ROOD in the center o f picture (third row from bottom )
ROMANS 8:37. THE MOTTO OF THE GRADUATING CLASS OF 1936
TIME-LIMITED OFFER for Economical Group Subscription Buying O ffer g o od u n t il J a n u a r y 30 , 1937 ANNUAL subscriptions to The King’ s Business may be^purchased now in CLUBS OF TEN at $5 .00 (50c each subscription). Clubs of 3 to 6 will be received at 75c per subscription. Please add 25c for each Canadian and foreign address, to cover extra mailing costs.
Pastors, Sunday-School Workers, and Church Workers, Attention!
will mail The King’s Business to them in your name, using an attractive gift card timed to arrive in the holiday season —with the first issue, if you so direct. If your list contains 10 names, we will send 120 copies of this beautifully illus trated, doctrinally sound magazine—10 copies to 10 ad dresses for 12 months for the small sum of $5.00—50c for each subscription. To "Personal Workers” and Home and Foreign Missionaries: The King’s Business is an effective aid in your spiritual warfare. Every issue is a gospel issue. Every number is a potential soul-winner. On almost every page, there is a word to the unsaved, the careless, and the indifferent. The message of The King’s Business is really the gospel, and it is presented in attractive form, phrased in simple language, arranged for all ages. Examine the special children’s articles, the illustrated object lessons, and anec dotes that unfold spiritual truth. Send The King’s Busi ness as a Christmas gift to your fellow workers. Remember that this offer cannot be long in effect. Unless extended by notice in the December issue of The King’s Business, it will be withdrawn on January 30, 1937. Therefore, send in your order at once, using the form below as your subscription list. Write for additional sample copies and worker’s forms if desired.
Act as an organizer in your church, town, or city. Form a King’s Business club in your church, Sunday-school or adult Bible class, at these low prices. Remember, The King’s Business is a 40-page illustrated Christian magazine g-printed on excellent paper, with departments for every Christian group, Sunday-school, and mission, or for home reading. Look through any copy and note the regular monthly departments: International Sunday-School Lesson Commentary; Junior King’s Business; Christian Endeavor Motes; Daily Devotional Readings, and numerous other sections. Add to these the many feature articles, sermons by famous evangelists, and articles by Christian scholars—■ and we believe that you will agree that no such value in Christian reading is available elsewhere. Be first in your community. Begin today to organize your club. F or a Club o f 3 to 6, Send 75c Each . F or a Club o f 109Send $5.00 . To Christmas and New Year’s Givers: _Give a worth-while gift this year! Make up a list of friends whom you would remember—not only at Christmas or New Year’s but every month of the coming year! We
(DETACH ON THIS LINE)
Special "King’s Business” Club Order Form
THE KING’S BUSINESS 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles, Calif.
S ent by
Please send T he K ing ’ s B usiness to each of the. following subscribers, for which I enclose $___ I am retaining $____...._____ as per your offer.
A ddress
..... •,! & (25c additional for postage for each Canadian or foreign subscription.) NAMES ADDRESSES
TO BEGIN
1.
2. 'S.
4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. ,
November, 1936
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
410
OUR CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP SERIES
Cares of Property Management
Many Christians are burdened with details of the care of property. They have willingly dedicated the whole or a portion of their estate to God’s service after their death, but the income is important to them during their lifetime. Just how this can best be arranged is often a problem. To sell and re-invest in annuity funds may involve an unnecessary sacrifice. To dispose of the estate by will does not meet the need of present care and leaves the possibilities of estate litigation still unsolved. CONTRACT GIVING SOLVES THIS PROBLEM Under the simple plan adopted by the Bible Institute all or a portion of the donor’s property may immediately be placed under Institute direction. At once the problems of its care fall from the shoulders of the giver upon the Trustees of the Institute who are often better able to make important decisions regarding an estate than the person most affected can, even in his own interests. Contracts of this character work both to the advantage of the Institute and of the individual who desires to have all or a large part of his estate go to the Institute after he is gone. Death automatically releases the Institute from the contract. Since the deed is an executed gift, property so given belongs to the Institute without further legal process or expense. Our Business Department will be glad to enter into correspondence with any friend of the Institute who has a special personal problem in the handling of his estate, and WHO IS CONCERNED ENOUGH TO INVESTIGATE CONTRACT GIVING AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION. All inquiries are of course in absolute confidence, and as each case has its special features, the plan submitted will be adapted to individual needs.
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LO S ANG ELES INCORPORATED 558 SOUTH HOPE STREET LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
November, 1936
411
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
c/ n ever g o to sleep u n til ¿ 7 p ra y fo r J Vou ' ★ So a brother in the Lord wrote us recently. And he added, “I love the little messages you mail me (The Chosen People). They are a means of grace to me.** And another dear brother said to us personally, “During the last ten years, I have never failed to remember you by name in prayer, twice a day!“ And we replied, “No wonder the Lord has so wonderfully blessed the testimony of this Mission, so that its lines have gone literally around the world. When He sur rounds us with such a host of friends who labor and pray, and sacrifice, it means only one thing — that Israel’s salvation is very precious in His sight.“ We thought also of the assur ance and exhortation of Isaiah 62:6-7:— I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night; ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, And give Him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.“ And we feel we must invite, and even urge, many many more of His faithful followers to join the blessed host who are “taking no rest and giving God no rest,“ in Israel s behalf. There is a special blessing to those who bless the seed of Abraham. Will you put Him to this test just once? American Board of Missions to the Jews, Inc. 31 Throop Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. Yes, I w ish to be counted a rem em b ran cer of th e L ord’s people. H ere is $ a s a b it of fellow ship w ith you m H is w ork. W ith it go m y p ra y ers an d love fo r Israel.
She S lh le Tam ii# ^ l a ^ m e Motto: “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own b lo o d ^ - R ev . 1 :5.
Volume XXVII
November, 1936
Number 11
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Biola’s Prayer Circle Enrolls a Member in Shanghai . . . 412 Around the King’s Table— Paul IV. R o o d .............................. 413 The Gospel In Industry— Donald M . Taylor and Mildred M . Cook 414 Thanksgiving In Adversity— K. Owen White . . . . . 418 When Redeemed Hearts Make Melody— Walter Lewis Wilson . 420 World’s Christian Fundamentals A s s o c ia tio n .....................................422 Junior King’s Business-— Martha S. H o o k e r ............................................ 423 International Lesson C om m e n ta ry ........................................................... 425 In the King’s Business-—Of Course! ..................................... ....... 432 Notes on Christian EndeavorH-ibfary G. Goodner . . . . 435 Daily Devotional R e a d in g s .................................................... 439 The Bible Institute Family Circle .................................................449 Our Literature T a b l e ................................................................... . 452
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 ER T ISIN G : For Information with reference to advertising in THE KING'S BUSINESS, address the ADVERTISING MANAGER, 588 SOUTH HOPE STREET, LOS ANGELES, CALIF., or our eastern representative. Religious Press Association, 325 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, Pa., or 333 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 3, 1917, authorized October 1, 1913. MANUSCRIPTS: THE KING’S BUSINESS cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts sent to it for consideration.
TERM S: Single Copies___________________— 15c \nnual Subscription ----------- -—.— — ---------- $1.50 Two-year subscription or two annual subscriptions 2.50 Five annual subscriptions----------- ------- -—— . 5.00 Eleven annual subscriptions_________— . . . — 10.00 Subscriptions in countries outside of U. S. require 25c extra. REM ITTANCE: Should be made by Bank Draft, Ex press or 1*. O. Money Order, payable to “The King’s Business.” Receipts will not be sent for regular subscriptions, but date of expiration will show plainly °ach month, on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. CHANGE OF A D D R E SS: Please send both old and new address at least one month previous to date of desired change.
N am e...................................................................
POLICY (a) To stand for the infallible Word of God and its great fundamental truths, (b) To strengthen the faith of all believera (c) To stir young men and women to fit themselves for and engage in definite Christian work, (d) To act as the official organ of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated, (e) To magnify God our Father and ttie person, work and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; and to leach 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 KING’S BUSINESS 558 South Hope Street Los Angeles, California
S tre e t........................................................................
C ity .......................................................................... Ask for our free booklet “Jewish Mission Annuity Bonds.**
412
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
November, 1936
Leaving fo r China
On the platform, bidding farewell to Ruth Liu, brilliant Chinese student and consecrat ed Christian who has spent more than a year in Bible study at Biola, are President Paul W . Rood, presenting flowers to the departing student, and Miss Beatrice G . Prosser, Superin tendent of Women. Below is Miss Liu's letter to Dr. Rood, written in Chinese and in English, in which she promises to pray for the Insti tute as a member of Biola's World-W ide Prayer Circle.
B i o l a ’s ^P r a y e r C i r c l e enrolls a member in S h a n g h a i
lìgk u.
O N THE morning of September 30, when Ruth Liu left Los Angeles, returning to China as a mission ary to her own people, she said goodby at a surprise gathering of students, to all of whom she had unconsciously endeared herself. In her farewell mes sage, she expressed an earnest desire to continue the happy fellowship that she had enjoyed at the Institute during the more than a year that she had been enrolled as a student, and she volunteered to give to God, expressly for Biola, one hour each week to be spent in prayer for the needs of the school. Enrolling as a member of the Biola World-Wide Prayer Circle, Miss Liu chose the hour between eleven to twelve o’clock on Friday night. That hour in Shanghai, will be seven o’clock Friday morning in Los Angeles. Her prayer for Biola, Miss Liu ex plained, will always be uttered in the spirit of deepest thanksgiving. Al though she came to the Institute aca demically well equipped (being a grad uate of the University of Shanghai and a leader in educational groups in China), it was at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles that opportunity was given to her for that intense study of the Word of God which has enriched her own life for service in China. HOMESICK FOR BIOLA A few hours before the ship sailed, bearing her to her homeland, Miss Liu
remarked naively, “Already I’m home sick for Biola—for the fellowship.” At her work at Bethel Mission in Shanghai, to which this choice young woman goes to serve among the 500 students at her Lord’s command, she will continue to have the kind of fel lowship which characterizes Biola for “our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” Prayer is the bond that unites believing hearts though miles may intervene. May God increase the number of Biola prayer warriors to include repre sentatives of every nation, so that in tercession for this school literally may girdle the globe. At the present time, members of the Biola Prayer Circle are located in 37 states, besides Alaska, Canada, and Mexico. WHY PRAY? True prayer is a cycle, originating in heaven, in the heart of God, brought to earth by the Spirit who touches the human heart that is yielded to Him, uttered in the name and for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ, and borne back by the Spirit to the Father who accepts and answers according to His will. The eyes of the Lord have “run to and fro throughout the whole earth” (2 Chron. 16:9) to find men and women to whom could be entrusted the min istry of intercession for Biola. They have responded willingly to Him—
hundreds of them—and the Lord has been pleased to work through them to the meeting of the Institute’s urgent needs. Advance may be noted in the growth of the student body, in the ad dition of several new departments, in the provision of funds for the opening of the fall semester, and in the grow ing number of friends who have pledged themselves to pray and give. PRAYER CIRCLE COMMENDED Friends who have followed with in terest the work of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles are writing to com mend the plan of the Biola Prayer Circle. A. B. Prichard, who has been in touch with the activities of the Institute since its beginning, has ex pressed his joy over the Institute’s adoption of the plan for a world-wide prayer circle. “Anything that stimulates interest in or _promotes regularity in Prayer and Bible Study is to be commended,” he writes. “Our spiritual exercises must be regular, habitual, and vital. “For this reason the PRAYER- CLOCK recently adopted so widely by friends of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles has very distinctive value. Every one who enlists in the service signified by it, stimulates and strength ens his own prayer habits. Its very exactions put one under discipline, arouse attention, awaken desire, and [Continued on pagft 451]
November, 1936
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
413
Around
the King's By PAUL W. ROOD
Table
— pH
Satan an d F inances
Some time ago, a friend sent us an article having the adjoining caption. The title of the article was indelibly impressed upon the
Why We Are T h an k fu l
“In. every thin? give t.^lanlcs : for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concern- ing you” (1 Thess. 5:18). The Thessa-
lonian Christians were admonished to give thanks because thanksgiving was the will of God for them. I t is also the will of God for us. Thanksgiving pleases and honors God. In our prayers, thanksgiving is too frequently neglected and our needs and present desires occupy the whole of the prayer. The command and lesson for us to learn is to thank God for everything. The true saints in all ages have been thankful—we are inspired to follow their example. David understood the importance of praise and made this holy resolve: “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psa. 34:1), In singing the doxology we unite in fellowship with the saints of history, now in glory® as well as with the contemporary saints. When we realize that all blessings, both spiritual and temporal, come from God, and when we acknowledge our utter dependence upon Him, we cannot be other than thankful. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (Jas. 1:17). We have a tendency to take'things for granted;- we need, therefore, to heed the Psalmist’s plea to “forget not all his benefits.” The depression has taken nothing from us. The beauties of nature, the sunsets, the rainbows, the rivers and water falls, the trees—these have not been destroyed. No real friend has been lost because of the depression. As a mat ter of fact, most worth-while assets possess the same value as ever. God makes no mistakes in dealing with His children. “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God” (Rom. 8:28). God is still on the throne; it is He who controls the circumstances and experiences of life for the purpose of enhancing our spiritual welfare. We, therefore, ought to be thankful. During these trying days we are privileged to learn new lessons. We are learning to trust God, and we are proving and finding that our God is faithful. Philippians 4:19 is still in the Bible: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Paul’s God is your God and my God; He is able and willing to care for His own. We have reason to thank God for the institutions and churches which are standing true to God in these days of apostasy. For the opportunities which we have to serve the Lord, we should offer much thanksgiving. . Above all, we should thank God for His unspeakable gift, the cruci fied, risen, ascended, and coming Lord. He will be con queror over all of His foes, and He it will be who will win the battle which is now raging between light and dark ness, truth and error, righteousness and unrighteousness. We are on the winning side when we are soldiers in Christ’s army. Therefore, in a world of pessimism we should be optimistic; in a world of ingratitude, we should be thankful. Let us thank God and take courage.
memory and has led to meditation, while the content has been forgotten. Certainly Satan is interested in finances. He is the god of this materialistic age and is the source of the materialistic philosophy that dominates our day. The adversary seeks to so absorb people with material and tran sitory things that they will not have time or inclination to think of spiritual and eternal values. Some people are willing to sell their souls in order to secure material gain because Satan has blinded them to eternal riches. Many are kept from Christ because of their love for the pleasures, philosophies, and wealth of this world. What the Word of God says in 1 John 2:15-17 is pertinent to this discus sion : “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” Not only is the unbeliever kept from Christ by the love of money, but frequently the believer is tempted to seek first the things of this world, and secondly “the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.” The Bible is filled with warnings against materialism. Many Christians have lost their testimony and influence because of their preoccupa tion with material gain. Some professing Christians have even become unscrupulous in their desperate attempts to secure more filthy lucre. Others who are not deliberately dishonest have allowed an inflamed imagination to lead them to urge friends into speculative investment projects which have been failures, and have caused bitterness and broken friendship, and. have ruined the testimony. Other Christians have failed to recognize their responsibility as stewards, robbing God of tithes and offerings. Some people are dominated by avarice, a characteristic with which Satan is well pleased. If every Christian would study the teach ings of Christ concerning money and stewardship, and act accordingly, no evangelical church or enterprise would lack funds. Satan is not only active in keeping Christians from giv ing, but when he finds a Christian with true conceptions and earnest convictions concerning his duties as a steward, he endeavors also to divert the gifts into philanthropic enterprises not affiliated with God’s program, or into formal religious organizations having no evangelical mes sage. The devil is very active in these matters. Why are modernistic schools and churches heavily endowed while evangelical enterprises find it difficult to carry on? The answer is at hand. The adversary has induced Christians to place their money in such undertakings and enterprises as will further his purposes. When will evangelical Chris tians awaken to their responsibility in giving, and exercise discrimination with regard to where they give, and into what they place God’s money? Satan desires to destroy every evangelical school, spiritual enterprise, and church [Continued on page 451]
414
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
November, 1936
Aerial view of the Le Tourneau manufacturing plant, Peoria, III., where heavy grading equipment is built. Since the spring of 1935, when this company began business in Peoria,'the plant has been enlarged twice, and its present length is 1,200 feet. Inset at upper left: R. G. Le Tourneau, President and Manager, who believes in g iving the gospel to the workingman. Lower right: Another view of the plant, showing its location on the Illinois River. w? * The Gospel In Industry By DONALD M. TAYLOR and MILDRED M. COOK
Y OU are an executive in a manufacturing concern. You have heard about gospel meetings being held at the Le Tourneau plant in Peoria, Illinois. You have seen or heard a little about some dedication services for a new addition to the plant—the second doubling of its capacity since it started in the Middle West in early 1935. A friend of a friend of yours himself heard M r. Le Tourneau talk at a luncheon club, heard him tell about some of his experiences and insist that the phenomenal growth of the business, from the time about four years ago when the creditors were debating whether to clamp down, liquidate and take a few cents on the dollar, to its present size and prosperity, employing 850 to 900 or more men, was all due to God. Naturally, you want to see this plant and this man yourself. V iewing the P lant Arriving in Peoria early, around 8 a . m . you telephone the plant to learn when M r. Le Tourneau will be down and when will be a good time to see him. “He must be here now, somewhere about the plant,” says the telephone girl, “because he always gets here at 7 o’clock.”
“Is he likely to be there long?” you ask. “In all probability, he’ll be here at least until 7 or 7 :30 tonight, probably 9 or 10, unless he has a date to speak somewhere or is going to church. Do you want me to ring him for you?” “Never mind, I ’ll come out.” You approach a long brick-faced building, across the railroad tracks, just below Adams Street at Grant where the athletic field is located. A small squat appendix near the front end of this structure is labeled “Office.” “Is that M r. Le Tourneau?” you ask the girl who greets you as you enter. “Yes,” says the girl, “that’s M r. Le Tourneau. Which one did you want to see?” “Well, I- guess this is the one.” He comes your way and you make yourself and your business known. • “I t ’s Bob you want to see,” he says. -“ I am Bill Le Tourneau, his brother—J. W . You want R. G. (Later you learn Bill is general sales manager and secretary-treas urer.) Do you care to walk out through the shop and lqok around? We’ll probably find him out there. Here is a pair of dark glasses to protect your eyes from the- arcs.” You follow him into a blast of heat, a glare of sputtering blue flames. Seven or eight hooded men are bending over
415
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
November, 1936
a long rather thick piece of steel, all welding at once. The steel, you are told, is a reversible Scraper blade, hot out of the furnace, and while it is at the proper hejt, a hard facing is being welded on, in order to give long life to the cutting edge. On your left are the furnaces. On your right a little farther along you stop to watch an automatic cutting torch, or rather three cutting torches working in unison, hissing quietly' as they bite three circles simultaneously out of heavy steel plate. You turn left to watch the battery of saws behind the furnace, rather harshly singing their way through heavy rounds and bars, •automatically slicing off predetermined lengths. Beyond the saws, toward the front of the structure, two carloads of steel are" being unloaded. Here is part of the steel storage. You look up and down the shop and find yourself in a forest of jib cranes. If you count as you go, you will find more than forty in the building and in the yard on the north side. W ith your guide, you start down the plant toward the far end. ‘ “There’s Bob,” his brother tells you—and you see a large man, who looks even more like the picture you saw than does Bill. The man for whom you are looking does not see you. He is speaking rapidly, his arms waving, his instructions coming in authoritative tones, for R. G. Le Tourneau is trying out the first of his new Type U 2-bucket 18-yard Carryalls. Presently the tryout is over, you meet M r. R. G. Le Tourneau, and you go with him on past men perched high on upturned scrapers, kindling little blue fires with their electric torches, until you stand finally at the far end of the plant. And now you can read the lettering on the banner stretched across the end, and you realize it has been left there from the week of evangelistic services in which this new addition was definitely dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ. You read aloud:
UN ITED CRUSADE FOR CHR IST “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”
Upper right: Helmeted workmen in the welding department of the Le Tourneau plant in Peoria. Center: Super Carryall Scrapers, oper ating in tandem— one of several kinds of earth-moving equipment manufactured by R. G. Le Tourneau, Inc. Below: Part of the crowd attending the dedication services held at the Le Tourneau plant, August 30 to September 4, 1936.
416
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
November, 1936
• M r. Le Tourneau leads you into his office to tell you what the Lord has done for him and his business (which he says is the Lord’s business), and what He can do for you and for your employees. A U nique U ndertaking You are forced to admit (at least to yourself), that the sight of that banner has given you something of a jolt. It is such an extraordinary thing to see in a big industrial plant. You have always held that business and religion do not mix, that a man may be a Christian without parading the fact. Le Tourneau reads your thoughts, and when he speaks, you know he is not criticising you, not boasting. I t is the utter genuineness of the man and of his method that wins your heart. “You never heard of a factory’s being dedicated to the Lord, did you ?” he laughs. “No, not until I heard of yours,” you reply. “I want you to tell me how you did it, and why.” He runs through the facts quickly: The addition (600 x 160 feet) was to be ready for occupancy by the end of the summer. Before it was used as a workroom, as it is now, a section of the new unit was supplied with benches to accommodate at least 3,000 people. To pastors in Peoria and vicinity, letters of invitation were sent, announcing dedicatory services to be held at the plant from August 30 to September 4, 1936, and urging Christian people to co operate in an intensive evangelistic effort being put forth in a unique environment. Fifty thousand copies of the shop paper with announcement of the meetings were dis tributed from door to door and to workmen in other plants. The townspeople and hundreds of outsiders came. The shop employees came also—although they were in no way pressed to attend. Three remarkable meetings were held on the opening Sunday, at one of which, in a prayer of dedication, the factory was consecrated to God. From Monday to Friday, evangelistic meetings were held each evening at 7 :30. An evangelist from Omaha was the chief speaker. Mr. Le Tourneau and others took part. One night, called to the platform by Mr. Le Tourneau without previous notice, twenty or more employees gave their testimonies, tributes to God’s power. The room rang with the music of the Shop Men’s Chorus—a group of thirty or forty workmen, with a few of their Christian friends, organized and trained by one of their number, who is a graduate of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. This choir director, with three other Biola men, all Le Tourneau employees, compose the King’s Messengers’ Quartette, which sang repeatedly to the great delight of the listeners. For a week, work ceased in the shop every evening at 7:15, and was not resumed until 9:30 or later. The night crew, thus released, attended the meetings in a body. If any employee was disinterested, he might spend the time in the shop as he chose; he was paid as though he had been working. “Now you know the ‘how’ of the story,” Mr. Le Tour neau concludes. “The ‘why’ may be stated very simply. This business belongs to God because I belong to Him and I want Him to have it. That being the case, every one of my employees has a right to expect me to give him an opportunity to accept as Saviour the One who, I say, has done everything for me. The week of special meetings gave that opportunity—and about fifty of my men and visitors indicated their acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. The frequent noonday gospel meetings in the plant furnish other occasions for practical evangelism, and we plan before long to have two a week, at noon and at midnight. Eventually we hope to have shop meetings' noon and night five days a week.”
L e T ourneau ’ s B usiness S uccess What can you say? Here is a man with a vision—one that unmistakably is being honored of God. You find it a bit difficult to say anything, because you have never given much thought to matters of this kind. You decide to talk about something of which you have more intimate knowledge, and you begin by stating a fact that no one disputes: “You have enjoyed phenomenal suc cess, M r. Le Tourneau.” You are thinking of his 150 agencies in the United States and of the nearly 200 abroad; of the fact that England has Le Tourneau units working on all types of public works, reservoirs, playgrounds, sea wall, housing projects, aircraft factory sites, and airports; that France has built fourteen airports using Le Tourneau machinery; and that in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Trinidad, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Iraq, Cape Province, Dutch East Indies, Kenya Colony, and the Hawaiian Islands, Le Tourneau equipment is constantly in use. You have not forgotten that contractors are using products of this Peoria plant on the Golden Gate Bridge north approach in Marin County, on Bonneville Dam, Grand Coulee Dam, Trans- Florida Ship Canal, All American Canal, the Chingford Reservoir in England, the Kut Barrage in Iraq, and on hundreds of other earth-moving projects. You are think ing that most men to have achieved anything near such success as this would have required a lifetime in which to do it. You ask, “How long have you been manufacturing earth-moving equipment, Mr. Le Tourneau?” “Sixteen years,” he replies. “Began in 1920 when I was doing a bit of farm leveling. Not satisfied with the capac ity of the available equipment for moving dirt, I began with cutting torch and welding torch to revamp the machin ery in order to haul more dirt in less time. Through various stages, the 12-yard Carryall Scraper of today was developed.” “And the Le Tourneau Carryall has practically revolu tionized the work of grading, excavating and leveling!” you remark. • G iving G od the G lory “Yes, the Lord has prospered the plan,” Mr. Le Tour neau answers, and you know by the way he utters the words that here is a man who definitely chooses to put God first, in life and in business, not because of any ma terial benefit he might reap from the relationship, but be cause he loves God with his whole heart and believes He is worthy to be honored and fully trusted. While you are making your own appraisal of the man, he surprises you by quoting from the Bible. “You know the verse, ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ I believe that,” he says. “The ‘all things’ that you see in this plant—the evidence of progress that you very generously call phenomenab—have come as gifts from God Himself, not earned, mind you, or merited, or any thing like that. But one day in Portland, Oregon, when I was sixteen years of age, I took Jesus Christ to be my Saviour. By His grace I have determined in more recent years to put Him first in everything. God has blessed me, not because of that determination, but because He is God — my Father through faith in Jesus Christ.” He seems very much in earnest as he continues, “One matter must be kept clearly in mind. The preaching of the gospel in this plant is not used as a wedge for entrance into the favor of the Almighty. I t is not a clever scheme -for the increasing of efficiency and the doubling of output. The gospel is preached solely for the purpose of honoring
November, 1936
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
417
God and making the employees acquainted with the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever business successes have accompanied this plan—and there have been many—are merely by products.” You have never before heard a business man talk like this, and you realize that you are conversing with no man of small affairs, for the Le Tourneau plants in Peoria, Illinois, and Stockton, California, represent a total physical valuation of $550,000.00 including machinery and real estate, and because of patents, Le Tourneau genius and good will, Le Tourneau stock has a market value of $12,000,000.00. You recall that one 12-yard Type Y Carryall Scraper with Power Control Unit for operating it, sells for $5,425.00 and that other items are listed at prices not lower than $850.00. Le Tourneau is a man of big business—there is no doubt about that. You swing the conversation once more into technical lines and find Mr. Le Tourneau delighted to answer your questions. In fact, you have seldom met a more approach able, genial individual. “What is the advantage of the Carryall over old methods of earth moving?” you inquire. Mr. Le Tourneau smiles. “Well,” he explains, “whereas by past methods, earth moved in any quantity was handled several times by several vehicles, the Carryall Scraper loads, transports, unloads, and Spreads the earth itself.” You discuss other items of equipment—Bulldozers, for use in clearing trails, making pioneer roads through brush, stumps, and fallen trees; Angledozers, Rooters, Buggies. How the P lan W orks You are impressed with the clear thinking, the energy, of this man. He knows what he is talking about! You have almost forgotten about his reference early in the con versation to the Lord Jesus Christ, but he will not let you forget. He interjects: “There is a gospel meeting today at noon. You will stay for that, won’t you?” You accept the invitation heartily, for you have wanted to see this phase of the work. And you conclude that since the conversation seems bound to drift into this channel of thought, you had better take the opportunity to satisfy your curiosity on a number of points. In your mind is the memory of problems in your own personnel department; you seek advice from the man who, in the Le Tourneau organization does practically all of the interviewing of new employees. You ask, “Is religion discussed with the men prior to their employment? Do a man’s religious views affect his appointment ?” “I very seldom ask outright whether a man is a Chris tian,” Mr. Le Tourneau replies. “If he can do the work we require, or if he can learn to do it, he is employed. I never want the impression to be given that a man must be religious in order to get a job here. No record whatever is kept of a man’s religious connections. We have found that twenty-four years of age is the average for our
The King's Messengers' Quartette— all graduates of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles and employees of R. G. Le Tourneau, Inc. Left to right: Pete Rutschman, Orrin Rutschman, Norman Dirks, and Bill Eitzen. The men assist with gospel meetings and personal work in the plant, and are heard, with Mr. Le Tourneau as speaker, in church and conference gatherings. personnel as a whole. The reason for this choice is twofold: first, practically every man hired must learn at least one of the trades used in the shop (our methods being a departure from the ordinary), and younger men are more apt at learning. In the second place, we choose young men be cause they have years before them, in the natural order of events, and if won for the Lord Jesus Christ in their youth, they may spend a lifetime of service for Him.” You want to know: “Do you find that a higher type of workman comes to you because of the fact that the Le Tourneau plant is known as a Christian institution?” “Yes,” Mr. Le Tourneau replies emphatically. “In these days of Bolshevism and Red agitation, when class hatred is being freely disseminated, our modern industries need young men with a high purpose in life. The Christian young man has a purpose in living that the average young man of the world does not possess.” Mr. Le Tourneau continues: “There has never been a single industrial uprising here. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches the employer to be fair to the employee and the employee to be honest and faithful to his employer. The gospel makes for contentment, and contented employees are poor prospects for a union agitator. So far as efficiency is concerned, the growth of the plant has been so remarkable that there is no past record on which to base present results. It is significant, it seems to me, that we are able to operate a plant of this size which ordinarily would require 100 per cent skilled labor, with employees averaging less than a year’s experience.” You are just about to launch upon a discussion of other details that vitally interest you, when a young man, a stranger to you, is announced. You meet him, through Mr. Le Tourneau, and learn that he is an evangelist passing through the city, and that Mr. Le Tourneau has asked him to speak to his men at noon. You excuse yourself, to browse about the plant and to read the several letters and copies of the weekly shop paper, NOW , which Mr. Le Tourneau has said might interest you. You understand that these letters contain comments, unsolicited by Mr. Le Tourneau, from men who were saved either in the plant or through the work of Le Tourneau employees outside of the factory. S ignificant T estimonies The first letter contains the testimony of a welder, the message being written in pencil on cheap yellow paper. It reads: “I have been in your employ for fifteen months. It was at the plant that I found the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I was saved on the last night of the special meet ings held when the new addition was dedicated. Testi monies were given, and my foreman spoke. I was greatly moved by what he said. A little later, one of the men said to me, ‘Don’t you want to accept Christ?’ and I said I surely did. Since I took Jesus as my Saviour, my work is more enjoyable, my home is a happier place, and with the help of the Lord, all my burdens are lighter.” [Continued on page 442]
The Shop Men's Chorus, composed of workmen et the Le Tourneeu plant, trained by a graduate of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Norman Dirks (extreme left, first row). The men receive numerous Invitations from Christian groups in Peoria and vicinity.
November, 1936
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
418
Thanksgiving in Adversity
By K. OWEN WHITE* Atlanta, Georgia Illustrations by Ransom D. Marvin
arose from the hearts of these two servants of Christ. If it be doubted that adversity is the mother of thanksgiving, then let it be remembered that full appreciation of our blessings rarely comes until we are deprived of them. No man recognizes the value of even one finger until that finger is crippled; then he realizes how much he uses i t ' without being conscious of doing so. No man can fully appreciate the glory of the dawn apart from the blackness of midnight. Who is there that has not sighed with relief at the rising of the sun after a wearisome night vigil at the bedside of the sick? It is impossible to rightly value the peaceful calm of a perfect day except after tbe fury of the storm, or to know the refreshing, life-giving power of a drink of cold water except after burning thirst. Only the man who has passed through the blizzards and snow storms of the winter can fully appreciate the soft, warm breezes of spring. T aught T hrough S uffering The life either expands and blooms under adversity or is blasted and shrivelled by it. It is God’s plan that men should grow in adversity, and that out of the deepest darkness should come the highest glory. Have you learned the way to thanksgiving under such circumstances? Have you learned to see in trials, not the way to despair and defeat, but the way to the highest joy? Some one may say, “I am perfectly willing to suffer shame for Christ’s sake. I am ready to bear any persecu tion or undergo any trial for the honor of His name or the glory of His kingdom, but my suffering has been so needless and meaningless that I cannot understand it.” No suffering is needless or meaningless—not even that which is brought upon us by our own selfishness or sin. Somehow God cannot build a life apart from suffering, and, strangely enough, much of our suffering comes from the most unexpected sources. I t is not by the harsh words of atheists or infidels that we are most deeply wounded, but by the words of those who name the name of Christ. It is not from without that bur most serious opposition arises, but from within. It was from the inner circle that one went forth on that dark night long ago to sell his Lord and to betray Him with a kiss. Christ was “wounded in the house of his friends,” and we shall be also, for “the servant is not greater than his Lord.” I t is vain to suppose that we shall know the meaning of every trial that comes, or that we shall always see immediately God’s purpose in every trial. There are times when the clouds hide His face, when His voice cannot be heard, when, indeed, the heart cries out,
A dversity is the mother of thanksgiving. Happy is the /"A man who has learned to rejoice, not in spite of trials, but because of them. I t was this view of life that the Lord urged upon His followers when He said, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad” (Matt. 5:11, 12). A t that time, the disciples may not have fully understood what He meant, but the day was to come when they would demonstrate this principle in their conduct. Being unjustly and shamefully abused, they “departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41). Two other followers of the Lord later demonstrated the same spirit in their reaction to injustice and suffering. These two had dedicated themselves to the Lord and were faithfully fulfilling their commission, yet they were arrested, beaten, thrust into the stocks, and left with raw and bleeding backs in a foul and filthy dungeon. “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them” (Acts 16:25). At midnight! Mark you, it was at midnight, during the long, dark hours, that a spontaneous anthem of praise * Pastor, Kirkwood Baptist Church. Dr. White was graduated from the Bible Institute of Los Angeles in the class of 1922.
Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne.
It is then that, faced with the mystery of suffering, we can only take refuge, in faith, in the love of “him who worketh all things after the coun-
sel of his own will” (Eph. 1:11). His way is perfect. We must en c o u rag e our hearts with the Master’s state-
Does a man find his satisfaction in God, or does he seek it in that which the world seems to offer? Suppose a man is rejoicing in the material pos sessions which are his; what will he do when such things are gone?
419
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
^November, 1936
iment, “What I do thou iknowest not now; but thou shalt know here after” (John 13:7). The secret of peren nial thanksgiving lies in a man’s attitude toward
The life either expands and blooms under adversity or is blasted and shriveled by it. When fierce disaster strikes, only those whose joy is in God rather than in earthly posses sions can know the trust which issues in thanksgiving.
God and toward his life in general. This world has little to offer but disillusionment and disappointment. I t is a mirage which lures men onward with the promise of ecstasy and delight, but which seems to constantly recede and leave the heart unsatisfied. Be it fame, pleasure, money, power, or success that a man pursues, even if he achieves them all, he will find them but of meager satisfaction in ful filling the desires of his heart. The things of this world are a very poor source of thanksgiving, for even at their best they cannot meet the needs of the soul. Suppose a man is rejoicing in the material possessions which are his; what will he do when such things are gone? Where will be his thanksgiving then? S till R ejoicing Let me illustrate. On the fifth of April, 1936, it rained all day in the city of Gainesville near the Blue Ridge Mountains in northeast Georgia. It was Sunday, and the most faithful Christians and loyal church members went to church as usual. After the night service, the people went to their homes and to bed. Monday morning dawned, dark and gloomy, with an unnatural stillness in the air, but the city was fresh and beautiful after the rain. I t was a peaceful scene. A great dark cloud gathered slowly in the west, and suddenly, when the stores were just opening and the children were going to school at about 8 :30, with an indescribable roar, a devastating, death-dealing tornado swept through the very heart of the town, leaving behind it over 200 dead, $15,000,000 in property damage, and a scene of awful desolation and human misery. Over 900 homes were destroyed. After the storm came long days and nights of cold, drizzling rain which completed the destruction of much personal property and filled the cup of suffering to the brim. In the days following the storm, I endeavored to find our people and help them in their distress, for at that time I was pastor of the Central Baptist Church at Gainesville. On the second morning, I came to the place where one of our deacons had lived. There was nothing left but a pile of kindling—house, furniture, clothing, car, garage—all were gone. He was there with his family trying to salvage what he could, and as he saw me, he hobbled to meet me with tears running down his face, shook my hand with all his might, and said. “Well, it’s all gone, but that doesn’t matter; the Lord has sure been good to us, and we are all alive.” In the midst of the confusion, chaos, and loss, we went to the church at the Wednesday evening prayer meeting hour and found there a fair gathering of people waiting. Practically every one had suffered loss in one way or another; hut we never experienced a prayer meeting in which there was more genuine thanksgiving and gratitude. Things were gone, swept away in the space of three minutes, but God remained and faith in Him was unshaken, and, as though to express their confidence in Him and their gratitude toward Him. the people of the church brought more tithes and offerings to the Lord the follow ing Sunday than for weeks before the storm. This they continued to do through the trying days that followed. But there were those in the city who were interested only in things; they were wrapped in the affairs of this life. Some grew bitter; some blasphemed the God who would allow such tragedies to occur; some denied the existence of God altogether. There was the business man who
declared that he would rebuild in such a way that his building could not be destroyed again! There was the prominent citizen who called his friends together during the first week and indulged in a great “booze party” urging them to make merry and forget it. There were those who almost despaired. Dark days were they for the man who had never learned to “delight” himself “in the Lord” and in Him alone. We are prone to read the Bible thoughtlessly and care lessly. A great man in Old Testament times said, “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall be continually in my mouth.” We read such a statement and frequently pass on with no thought. As a matter of fact; -if a man can truthfully say that, he has climbed to the heights of Christian experience. “I will bless the Lord at all times." This involves times of sickness as well as times of health, times of poverty as well as of affluence, times of sorrow as well as joy, times of injustice as well as times of equity, times of unexpected emergency as well as times of peace. How to M aintain the S pirit of T hanksgiving Some one will say, “This is the desire of my heart. How deeply I have longed for the spirit of thanksgiving at all times! How can I attain this high standard of Christian experience ?” First, there should be the abiding conviction that, for the Christian, nothing matters except the will of God. We are to follow the example of those who, above all else, were ambitious to be well-pleasing unto Him. How much of our anxiety, our jealousy, our vanity, our selfishness will be swept away when we are dominated by the thought that the onlv thing of importance for us is that we shall do H is will regardless of what circumstances may arise.
To do Thy will, yes, that is all, To do Thy will, obey Thy call; To follow, Lord, where Thou dost lead, To do Thy will is all I need.
What does it matter, then, if we are poor? Many of those who “obtained a good report through faith” were poverty-stricken all of their lives (Heb. 11:37-39). What matter if we are oppressed by physical weakness and pain? Out of suffering and hardship faith grows strong. Witness Job and Paul, and observe their unconquerable faith. [Continued on page 4+8]
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4-5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs