JANUARY, 1962 (WITH MATERIALS FROM THE DECEMBER BROADCASTS) broadcaster
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B I O L A b roadcaster Vol. 2 No. 1 JANUARY, 1962
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Areas & Station
Location
Time Days
CALIFORNIA
Bakersfield-Wasco KAFY
7:30 A.M. Sun. 10:30 A.M. MTW TF 9:30 A.M. MTW TF
550
101.5 (FM)
KQXR KWSO
1050
Chico-Marysville RHSL Fresno-Dinuba KRDU Los Angeles KBBI
8:30 A.M. Sun. 9:30 A.M. MW F
1290
1130
CONTENTS
8:30 A.M. MTW TF 9:00 A.M. M TW TF 11:00 A.M. MTW TF 12:30 A.M. MTW TF 9:00 A.M. MTW TF 8:30 A.M. MW F 10:30 A.M. MW F 8:00 A.M. MTW TF 8:30 A.M. MTW TF 7:30 A.M. Sun. 8:00 A.M. MTW TF 7:30 A.M. Sun 10:30 A.M. M TW TF 9:00 P.M. MTW TF 9:00 A.M. MTW TF
107.5 (FM)
KYTM 1460 Los Angeles-Long Beach KGER 1390 KGER 1390 Los Angeles-Burbank KBLA 1490 Oxnard-Ventura-Santa Barbara KOXR 910 Sacramento KEBR (FM) Reddinq-Red Bluff KQMS 1400 San Bernardino KITO 1290 KFXM 590 San Diego XEMO 860 KDEO 910 San Francisco KEAR 97.3 (FM) KGO 810 KOFY 1050 Santa Maria KCOY 1440 Turlock KHOM 92.9 (FM) KTUR 1390
RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTETH A N AT ION .......................... 3 ILLU STRATION S ...................... 6 A N D IF W E SHOULD LOVE? ..... 7 THE CH R IST IAN A N D H IS GO VERNM ENT ............. 9 PRAYER M E A N S NEED .............. 13 QUESTION A N D AN SW ERS ....... 15 BIBLE STUDY OUTLINES .......... 20 A LETTER TO SA N T A C LAU S ....22 THE BIOLA FELLOWSHIP PLAN -2 3 W HO DO YOU OW E? ............... 24 IN THE WEB OF SIN ............... 27 SIGNS OF THE TIM ES ..............30 FASH ION S FOR '62 ................. 32 COVER: Courtesy of Alpha Omega Productions.
8:00 A.M. Sun. 7:00 A.M. MW F 1:00 P.M. MW F
OREGON
Albany-Eugene KW IL Ashland-Medford KRVC Coquille-Coos Bay KWRO KW IL
8:00 A.M. MTW TF 3:00 A.M. MTW TF
790 790
8:30 A.M. MTW TF
1350
8:30 A.M. MW F
630
Portland KPDQ
800 11:30 A.M. MTW TF 11:30 A.M. M TW TF
93.7 (FM)
KPDQ
WASH INGTON
9:00 P .M . Monday through Friday 50,000 watts
KG0 810 kc
Blaine-Vancouver B.C. KARI
550 11:30 A.M. MTW TF
Pasco
8:30 A.M. MTW TF
1340
KPKW
Seattle-Tacoma KGDN
630 11:30 A.M. MTW TF
Spokane KCFA
STAFF President ... .S. H. Sutherland Editor .... . . ......Ruth D. Gill Supervision ..Thomas E. Steele Production ......... Al Sanders Printing ..... .....Church Press Published monthly by the Radio Dept. BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES 558 S. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, Cal.
1330 11:30 A.M. M TW TF 5:30 P.M. M TW TF 1330
KCFA
Walla Walla KTEL
8:00 A.M. MW F
1490
OTHER STATES
Caldwell-Boise KBFM
8:30 A.M. MTW TF 8:30 A.M. MTW TF
94.1 (FM)
910
KBGN
Denver KLIR
8:30 A.M. T ues.-Thurs
990
Lapeer, Michigan WMPC Miamisburg, Ohio
3:30 P.M. Tues.-
1230
9:30 P.M. MTW TF
93.7 fFM)
Pueblo-Colorado Springs KFEL 970
8:30 A.M. MW F
Phoenix KHEP Tu'con
8:00 A.M. MTW TF
1280
9:00 A.M. M TW TF
1490
KAIR
DECEMBER RADIO MESSAGES # v righteousness , exalteth .
nation
Romans 13:1-2
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I n a world of chaos and in times of conflict, we must evaluate our re sponsibility to the nation in which we live as citizens. There are some people who have frankly stated, “We don’t think you
should discuss patriotism or such things. These are not of primary im portance to the Christian, for after all, it is the devil’s world; let him run it.” The fact of the matter is, however, this (continued on next page)
be obedience to the state or constituted authority. On two different occasions, first the one where Peter caught the fish to pay the Lord’s expenses, and the oth er when presented with a coin and asked the question of whose it was, He said, “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things which are God’s.” It was Daniel Webster who rightly declared, “What ever makes a man a good Christian also makes him a good citizen.” A Christian does not have to step out of character to be a good citizen. It is true, as Paul tells us in Philippians 3:20, that we are primarily citizens of heaven; however, while we are pil grims and strangers here, we are not to conform to this world, yet we have a responsibility to be examples to oth ers concerning God’s perfect righteous ness. In the long ago, there was an Ebionits sect which taught that all civil government was in the devil’s control, such theories are.certainly not taught in the Bible. Verse one of Romans 13 forcefully declares, “Let every soul be subject un to the higher powers. For there is not power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” Since this Epistle is directed to believers, “every soul” means every true born-again Chris tian. Perhaps you, as have I, heard some political leader try to take this verse to inspire patriotism. This por tion of the Word, however, is far more than political; it is spiritual. The idea of being “subject” is from a military term it speaks of the soldier who is in obedience to the commanding offi cer. The soldier may not agree with his superior at all t i m e s , yet he remains under his constituted author ity. The kingdoms in the days of the Apostle Paul were largely pagan. Nero himself had come to power by poison ing Claudius and seeing to it that Caligula met a very violent death. Not for several centuries were the Chris tians allowed to worship according to the dictates of their hearts and to the Word of God. Now, it is true that there 4
is not the devil’s world. It is true that the whole world, speaking of unregen erate man, lieth in the lap of the wicked one, but the Bible teaches us that the earth is the Lord’s and the ful ness thereof. Satan may be the god of this present age, we see this exemplified on every hand, but the Lord is still on the throne. Those of us who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ have much for which to thank God here in America. This season of the year should only give a greater rise to such an overwhelming persuasion. What other country of the world would welcome a man like a Leon Johnson, who had a serial number burned into his arm by Hitler’s gesta- po? Hunted, and hated by both Nazis and Communists, this man started a small business in a Brooklyn flat after his safe arrival in the United States. Five years later he had turned it into a seven million dollar business. Now, no other country of the world would have given him, and hundreds like him who have been so fortunate, such a privilege of amassing a fortune. I realize there are certain' things about which many of us complain, but in what other country of the world is there such freedom of press, radio and television? Perhaps our officials have been too lax in giving out more in formation than they should, and yet the basis of freedom is certainly there. Look at the educational facilities with which we are blessed, Remember the freedom of worship. In our land men may worship the sun, a sacred cow, or any other object, and some do; or they may worship that which so many oth ers worship, namely self. Yet there are no laws legislating against it. One may become a millionaire although un fortunately, the exploitation of this fact I think is causing much of the' moral decay, covetousness, dishonesty, payola, and cheating which is apparent on every hand. Romans 13 is the Christian Citizen ship chapter of the Bible. Certainly the Lord Jesus taught that there should
Before t h e L o r d instituted hu man government, there was a divine injunction given against touching the murderer, Cain. But in Genesis 9:5-6 we have the dispensational dealing of God, His economy, which is summed up in the statement, “Whosoever shed- deth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” Here is civil authority blood be shed.” ■Verse two declares, “Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves dam nation.” I noticed a man one time, who looked rather furtive, and when he spotted a police officer, he quickly ran the other way. Perhaps we are some times like this. Does our conscience bother us so that we have to study the rear view mirror while going down the highway. Do we have a guilty con science? One of the evident tokens of the last days, a real sign of the times, is a complete disregard for the enforce ment agencies of law and order in the nation. When we find people turning against police officers who are trying to apprehend a prisoner; when riots break out as attempts are made to establish order, we have here a clear indication that people do not actually want crime punished for they know of the wicked ness, in their own hearts. The failure of the courts to impose proper punish ment is often because the public is looking for an escape, feeling that some day they too might possibly need such an excuse from justice. Did you know that we have more murderers in the United States than we have preachers or ministers of all creeds, faiths and denominations. As our Los Angeles City Attorney recently stated, “Amer ica is probably the most lawless nation in the world.” And so it was with ancient Rome. These that resist the law shall receive damnation. This does not necessarily mean damnation in the sense of God’s eternal punishment, but it reflects on judgment or condemna tion, which should follow wicked and corrupt practices and crimes. 5
is a time to resist. And as thousands did resist in the long ago, should such perilous times ever confront us, we would need to take a similar stand. There is a threefold position to re member. First, we should resist if the state requires that which violates Chris tian conscience. I am not talking about pacifism, but rather refraining from those things which are contrary to the teaching of Scripture. Second, we must resist should we be commanded to worship idols. Third, we must resist should we bd commanded to do that which is immoral. Moses resisted, Daniel resisted, Paul resisted, Luther resisted, the Hugvenots left France to go to England in resistance, as did the Pilgrims in leaving England for Amer ica. In studying this portion of Scripture, we need to distinguish between that which is spiritual and that which is divine. Powers or magistrates which have been ordained are divine. For the Christian, certain things have been instituted by the Lord and as such are spiritual: baptism, communion, the church itself are the Saviour’s spirit ual institutes. For all men, however, divine institutions would include such things as marriage and civil govern ment. Just because there are cruel abuses by the government does not in validate their divine charter, any more than a man violating his marriage vows robs the act, as a whole, of its sacred ness. Think what the world would be like without any marriages, vows, and without any civil law. Powers are per mitted of God, some ordained in that sense, sometimes for judgment on the wickedness of a nation. And let us not think that God owes America some special favors. We have departed from a concept of true Chris tianity and are fast becoming a nation of practical atheists, these are those who live as if there were no God. God ordains or permits civil authority. The Psalmist rightly reminds us, that God is the judge, “He putteth down one aind setteth up another.”
through the branches. Then, Chris tian missionaries brought the people the true message of our redemption. They learned that they should wor ship the Creator and not creation. So the trees were set afire and the cus tom became an annual observance in the burning of the yule log, remind ing us that we must so destroy the gods in our lives — the gods of ma terialism and pride, of anger, lust, and jealousy that the true God may be crowned in our hearts as King of kings and Lord of lords. A NEW COPYWRITER for a well known soap company started work ing the first of the year and he de cided he would set the proverbial “woods afire” with his new ideas so here is what he penned: “The alkaline elements and vegetable fats in this soap are so perfectly blended as to secure the highest quality of saponification, y e t with a specific gravity which prevents it from sub merging, so the bather need not be annoyed by groping about the bath tub to retrieve the elusive bar.” Well, the older and wiser advertis ing manager took one look at the effort and crossed it out, writing in the two simple words . . . “IT FLOATS.” Whether this story is true or not, it, at least, illustrates a must for the Christian who is giving the message of salvation to one who is lost; he must tell the message of truth in sweet simplicity and not in high sounding phrases for the Son of God came to seek and to save that which was lost. That message of redemp tion is stated in words of one sylla ble. 6
THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON FINDS US interested, more than ever, in man getting into outer space and on the moon. The effort has caused the word “trillion” to become a word very common to our vocabulary. It is going to take a great many dol lars of our taxes to make any inter planetary travel a reality. We boast of our gross national product as be ing about one half trillion dollars, and experts tell us that if this num ber of one dollar bills were stacked in a pile it would reach about 40,000 miles high or 1 /6 of the distance to the moon. That is pretty high and yet no amount of money can possi bly take man into the presence of God. His sphere is higher and great er than the moon. Giving to the poor, or our own righteousness can not take us into His presence; only that which Christ has already done saves us and makes us fit for His presence. A man-made rocket to outer space — perhaps! But a man made salvation into the presence of God is impossible. Christ says, “/ 'can the way, the truth and the life, 'no man comeih unto the Father but by me.” ONE VERY PICTURESQUE CUSTOM of this season is the lighting of what is known as the yule log. This gives us a picture of what the power of Christ can mean in human lives. Years ago, large and unusual trees were frequently worshipped as symbols of the mystery of life or as manifestations of the gods. Many legends grew around these trees. Terror stricken worshippers huddled together to listen for weird voices of their gods — actually, it was only the wind with the sound of moaning
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DECEMBER RA D IO
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^¡SHl W hat would happen to America if someday a foreign power seized control of our Government? How would we, as Christians, react? Just how close is the United States to a war which would bring chaos to our nation and homes? Looking at these questions what should be our position as Chris tians? With your Bible opened to Romans 13, let us see what the Spirit of God has here for our admonition. Verse 3 reads, “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same.” Let us state first that this verse is not talking about spiritual salvation or eter nal life. The term “good works” which is mentioned, does not refer to regen eration by means of our own vain ef forts to labor for salvation, for man has, and is, and ever w ill be saved only by one means, and that is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His fin ished work on Calvary’s Cross. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteous
ness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” This is what Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has put before us in the 10th chapter of the same Epistle. In fact, the entire theme of the book is that liberating truth which Martin Luther discovered in the long ago, “The just shall live by faith!” The good works, then, which are given here signify the behaviour and exemplary manner which marks the life-of the believer—the way in which he lives through the days of the week amid the numerous trials and vicissi tudes which beset him on every hand. The Bible tells us that rulers are not a terror—that is a general statement. Of course, history records the Hitlers who have sadistically slain and brutal ly tortured countless thousands. But generally speaking, rulers will not punish those who are living as the Lord intends they should. If you obey traf fic regulations you need not fear the officer of the law whom you see in your rear view mirror. However, if you have been speeding, have committed other infractions of the law, or do not have your driver’s license in your pocket— your conscience will bother you. It is interesting to note the com-
IF WE SHOULD LOSE? (cont.) ments of some of the so-called higher critics. They state that the Bible is not inerrantly inspired since Peter and Paul were not in total agreement. They did have some theological differences, but the very words of Scripture bear out the fact that Peter’s message is exactly the same as that of the Apostle Paul. Both of these great men were led by the Holy Spirit. In the first chapter of First Peter the servant, perhaps in bondage to the licentious Nero, is told—“For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully”—verse 18. Then, “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil do ing.” All too frequently Christians bring reproach upon the name of their Saviour because of the sins which they commit and these sins draw public re percussion. As to our relationship with our Government, let us always strive to do good works that any praise that might be given w ill accrue to that of our Saviour. Now let it be clearly understood that the word “power” — in the original — always denotes all type of power: monarchy, aristocracy, or democracy. In looking at verse four may I take the liberty of bringing in a personal incident at this point. I had just come from a meeting, the hour was late, the streets empty, and I wanted to reach home as soon as possible. Before I knew it a red light flashed behind me and shortly a police officer reminded me that I was dring 40 miles an hour in a 25 mile zone. Under the condi tions of the late hour I had not noticed my speed but I soon possessed a traffic ticket. Now I did not feel like calling this officer a minister at that moment. And, by the way, did you know that police officers are ministers? The next time you get a ticket address the officer as “minister” and see what happens. Let us refer to this verse in reading, “For
he (the protector of the law, the gov ernor, magistrate, or the authority) is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” Then some will ask, “Do you consider corrupt police officers or such persons as Hitler or Khrushchev servants or ministers?” Our answer is, Certainly not, for a person is only a minister when he recognizes and respects the authority of God, if he repudiates that he repudiates the right of holding office. We find in verse four that a minister of God has two duties or responsibili ties: to protect the innocent and to punish wrong doers. His sword is an instrument of both justice and judg ment. This verse does not speak of the minister of the Gospel. For here in the case of the authoritarian, it is the mat ter of maintaining law, order and jus tice. Since God instituted human gov ernment, the magistrate, sayed or un saved, is a servant in regulating the affairs of the human race. This verse four also teaches that capi tal punishment has never been done away with. Some countries, states, or ganizations and pressure groups have either done away with it or would have it restricted. However, capital punish ment, given to men when God insti tuted human government as such, has never been abrogated or done away with. It is, at least, some consolation to know that our chiefs of police, dis trict attorneys—even the head of our FBI, Mr. J. Edgar Hoover, recognize the fact that capital punishment is a deterrent to crime and murder. But more than this, it is a holy, divine order of God as succinctly stated in Genesis the ninth chapter, “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” And in this connection we read in Romans 13:4, “For he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” 8
I n the B ook of Matthew, we are told that two signs of the end of this age will be those of pestilence and famine. Two very interesting signs, indeed, and which we may yet see with our own eyes. I recently heard an atomic scientist state that one of the greatest dangers to mankind, following a nuclear war,
think in terms of famine seems para doxical. Yet, we must remember that we are faced with a population explo sion. Then look at such countries as India with their great population in crease and not nearly enough food — they have a gnawing, ever-present famine. It could happen here. So we see that we are looking at two
DECEMBER RA D IO MESSAGES / by Al Sanders
The Christian and His Government
Romans 13:5-7
of the possible and literal fulfillments of prophecy. Not that these w ill actual ly come to pass but they are a realistic picture at which we must look. This should cause each believer to look up and know that his redemption draweth nigh. Such things should become in tensely interesting to us as we study Biblical prophecy, as well as the clear teachings of God concerning the Chris tian’s proper responsibility to h i s government. As a basis for our study we turn again to Romans, chapter 13 which is (continued on next page) 9
might not be the fall-out, but rather the over-running of disease carrying pests such as rodents, insects et cetera. These tiny creatures are not affected by atomic radiation, and such devastating explosions would only serve to drive them out of their hiding places. They would multiply and their development would not be impeded in any way. Pestilence, a sign of the times, is now before us as a marked possibility. Secondly, famine. Recently, while traveling through the great midwest, especially through Kansas—I saw great granaries, filled to overflowing. To
fr. . . 75% cheat on their income tax”
His wonderful provision. Our house is thirty-three years old and this year our tax bill increased 100%, so that our taxes were upped accordingly. No doubt many of you have experienced a simi lar situation. That is why when it comes to talking about taxes or tribute, such as we have here in verse 6 of Romans 13, it comes home most force fully. In looking at the early Christians we find they had many remarkable traits. One was that they sang always: they sang when in worship or sang under torture; they sang when facing the lions in the arena or when weary under their masters. They confounded unbelievers when they sang at the time of paying •their taxes. Now this is not given for amusement of thought, rather it is given as a testimony which is our heritage of the years back of us. I think it a wonderful fact that the Holy Spirit of God used the matter of taxation to literally fulfill the prophecy which was uttered many years before the birth of our Lord. “For to pay the tribute, Joseph and Mary went to Beth lehem where Jesus was bom of a vir gin.” Now, in verse seven of Romans 13, we find the reason given for this, “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.” As we stated earlier in the series, our Lord Jesus spoke of this very principle when He walked the streets of men. When the Pharisee tried to confuse Him our Lord took a coin and said, “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things which are God’s.” He instructed Peter in the method of catching a special fish which would have in its mouth a coin with which Peter was to pay the Lord’s taxes. In every avenue and walk of life the Lord Jesus has set us the per fect example. 10
tlio Christian citizenship chapter of the Bible. Verse 5 reads, “Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wroth, but also for conscience sake.” The Apostle tells the Christians that they need not be fearful of a ruler if they have obeyed the laws of the government. Our reason for doing that which is right in the sight of the* au thorities, is not just because we are afraid of the judgment which might come for our wrong doing, but be cause of our Christian conscience. In illustration may I say that if my children behave only because they fear a spanking, then I, as a father, have failed in my teaching, for I want them to behave because of their love and respect for their parents — it should transcend the fear of punishment. Even so a Christian’s love for his Lord should transcend punishment or infractions of the various laws. We are told that about 75% of the people cheat on their Income Tax. At the same time, we are told that 90% of the people attend church—so that means that some church members are cheaters. Now, if I refrain from cheat ing on my Income Tax because I want to live up to the principles of God’s Word and do not want to bring re proach upon His name, then I am liv ing up to this verse: “Ye must needs be subject, not only .for wrath, but also for conscience sake.” Now the sixth verse causes me to re flect for a moment. Let me tell you a personal incident. About four years ago, a very wonderful Christian woman, one who has known me all of the days I have lived, came> and asked me, “Would you like to buy my house in Los Angeles?” She had been renting it. Naturally my wife and I had never thought of owning a home since we are in Christian service and would not be able to make such a purchase. But this lady made it possible and we thank the Lord each day for her kindness and
A TRIP TO THE HOLY LAND 'Twould be a joy if I could see it, That land where the Saviour walked; The quiet roads in the gloaming, The hills where He sat and talked. M y heart would be ever searching For some dear trace of Him there; His footprints in the meadows, The tones of His voice in the air. M y hand would be ever questing, With fingertips athrill, For an ancient wall or a rock where His touch might linger still. M y feet would falter in anguish At the place where my dear Lord died; M y very soul would be sobbing, M y heart would be crucified. Yes, 'twould be joy could I see it, But my cup is filled to the brim With the hope that soon I'll be see ing Not the land where He dwelt— but Him! — Martha Snell Nicholson nedy—as a Christian my responsibility, according to the teaching of this verse, is to uphold the one who has been chosen to govern us. The Bible admonishes us to pray for those in authority. I am the first to say that I might not be in accordance with the measures of the president, and per haps some members of his party, and maybe his own cabinet are not either, but that does not remove my responsi bility to fear or to have a conscientious regard and honor for him. I hope I have njade this point clear. May there not be any misunderstanding. Peter reminds us to honor our leader; to have a veneration and esteem for him. I wonder what would happen in his life, and in the life of our nation if more Christians prayed more earnestly, and complained and criticized less. I can not help but wonder, and I know my own heart needs to be convicted on this very point.
GIFT FOR CHRISTMAS What can I give to men whose empty eyes Trouble my thinking at this Christ mas tide? Lord, make me humble, loving, strong, and wise, That I may give them Christ, the crucified. Let me not choose the lesser gifts of earth, That pass in dust and are futility: Lord, at this sacred season of Thy birth, Let me turn from giving things, to giving Thee. What can I give to Thee, oh, God above? (There is so little that our God could need) And yet, in all my dreams, Thy heart of love Is wounded still: I see it break and bleed With naught to staunch the flow — except I bring Some ransomed soul, called home from wandering. — Helen Frazee-Bower CHRISTIAN AND GOY. (con*.) Tribute here symbolizes the taxes which one would pay to his govern ment . . . such as personal and property tax. Custom was the tax which was levied on that which was brought in and sold. It would not be stretching the translation to state that this represents our present sales tax system. You see, the Holy Spirit is careful to show that what belongs to this world should not be of consuming interest to the Chris tian; rather he is to set the example and follow the Lord in all his walk and holiness before unbelievers and believ ers as well. Fear means a conscientious regard for the one who is ruling over us. These programs do not delve into the realm of politics, nor do these messages carry any political overtones; however, I want to make this frank statement, that while I did not vote for President Ken
PRAYER and POWER: So many Chris tians are powerless today because they need the faith of the little girl who went to the prayer meeting of her church—it was a meeting espe cially called to ask the Lord to send some much-needed rain. It was in teresting to note that the little lass was the only one who acted upon her faith and took an umbrella. She went to pray w ith a believing faith. * The lass was quite unlike the man who found himself falling off the roof on which he was working. He shouted out, “Lord save me!” Just as he was sliding down his trousers caught on a nail and held him safe ly. So he relaxed and said, “Never mind, Lord, I’m all right after all.” We read in God’s Word, that “Without faith, it is impossibe to please the Lord, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” IN BOSTON, SOME YEARS AGO, the mayor, near Christmas time, let his beard grow for days, then put on a soiled, wrinkled suit' of clothes and went out to see “how the other half lived.” He scouted through the slums of the city and. eventually landed in a flophouse for the night. The next morning he was told that since he had no money for lodging he would havS to splil wood. It was obvious that he did not know, how to handle an ax, and a young man looking on, asked for the ax, and volunteered to help him. The mayor reached in his pocket and said, “Here son, take this. Be sure to come to see me at 4:00 o’clock this after noon.” The young man smiled to
himself feeling sure that he was just another person who assumed a title, which his early desires had caused him to crystalize the thought. But, curiosity got the better of him and he went to the mayor’s office. To his surprise he was ushered in to meet the mayor and was given a position as promised. He was told to keep quiet about it, but he told a “friend” and so it got around and finally the newspapers carried a headline, “Greatest Social Stoop in the world.” To many it might have been a bending low, but it was palid com pared to the bending down of our blessed Lord who humbled Himself and became obedient even unto death on the cross. This, then, is the true message of Christmas. JUST BEFORE VACATION, tests are usually given. In one of our classes a student was writing a paper which was to include two subjects, with one half hour given to each subject. The topics assigned were The Holy Spirit and the devil. This particular student became so carried away w ith the thoughts he had on the first subject that his time for the second was all but used up. So he hastily wrote in, “I am sorry but I guess I was so full of the Spirit that I didn’t have time for the devil.” That brought a smile to all of us, but how we should put such an attitude into pracjtice.' These are busy days, these pre-Christmas days, but if our hearts are occupied with the things of the Lord, there can'be little time, if any, left for the devil—Shun the devil and he w ill flee from you! 12
MONTHLY PRAYER MESSAGE
I n this our Prayer Message for De cember, let us look at the text together: “And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went un to him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was going down, his servant met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then en quired he of them the hour when he began to mend. And they said unto him, yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth; and himself believed, and his whole house” . (John 4:46-53). In the story recorded here we have the unique picture of God’s dealings with an individual. Therefore, for the individual there are some very basic
principles in this account that pertain very difinitely to the subject of prayer. In this story we see need, petition, faith, and submission to the w ill of God, and God’s direct response. I would call your attention first to this man’s need. He was greatly con cerned about the physical condition of his son and rightly so. Having heard of the miracle performed by Jesus at an earlier time at Cana, and of other miracles done in Jerusalem and its en virons, there arose within him the hope that Jesus could cure his son. It was a hope bom of desperation. One thing that impresses me strongly is the fact that this nobleman was a man of action for he made straight for Jesus Christ, who was ministering about thirty miles from his home, to solicit His help. We ,must not miss the fact that this man’s recognition of his NEED was important. How many have desperate spiritual needs but in their blind stub bornness and self-sufficiency refuse to accept and acknowledge their plight. All too many often make prayer a sort of “last resort” in their desperation. Prayer should be our first natural im pulse in response to a crisis in our (continued on next page) 13
affairs. Whether the matter be large or small, “in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6). Secondly, it will be fascinating to look at the steps in the development of this man’s growing faith, for faith is the keystone of successful prayer. This man had a rather guarded hope that Christ could do something for his son, because of what he had heard. How small a degree of faith but it was the mustard seed that motivated him to search for Christ. Verse 48 points out that his was not a satis factory faith. When he was in the great presence of the Lord, his faith grew until he was willing to return to his home without the Lord when He said, “Go thy way, thy son liveth.” Do not forget that this nobleman could have compelled Jesus to go with him, but he did not—he was convinced. His faith had now grown to conviction out of which was born a definite act of obedience to the words of Christ for the Scripture says, “and he went his way.” The final step in his growth of faith takes place when he arrives home and finds that his son is healed. His very enthusiasm was sufficient to bring about the conversion of his entire house hold for we read, “. . . himself believed, •and his whole house.” This resulted in the fact of this man coming to believe in everything Christ said or claimed to be. Now 1. is a pointed question for you, reader: Is your faith a growing faith? Does it produce obedience to the commands of Christ? This is real faith for it neither loses its enthusiasm nor becomes static! In the third consideration I would like to call your attention to Christ’s concern—this is both significant and important in His dealings with men. Doesn’t His answer to the nobleman seem strange to you? Here this dis traught and broken hearted man had come to the Lord Jesus who, in address
ing not only the nobleman but the entire crowd, said “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye w ill not believe.” In order to understand this we must look at a similar situation where Jesus “did not commit himself to them, because He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for he knew what was in man” (John 2:24, 25). Jesus knew the heart of this man and was more concerned with his heart for the moment. He had every inten tion of healing the man’s son, but His chief concern was that of revealing to the man the inadequacy of his own heart and motive. And reading with sharper searching we find that He gave the man a chance to believe right then without a sign upon which to justify his faith. Now do you see a lesson here? Jesus Christ is concerned with your need, and your petition. The nobleman’s son was healed gloriously. But notice that Christ did not do it m the way ex pected. The nobleman had petitioned that the Lord come to his house. But Jesus said, “Go thy way, thy son liv- eth.” Another lesson arises high above the recounting of this simple fact related —it is that we are all too prone to tell the Lord how we want Him to answer our prayers! But has not God told us that His ways are not our ways, and that His thoughts are not our thoughts? How much better it is that we tell Him our simple or urgent needs and then react, as did this nobleman, for our text says that he “believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.” One thought more. Jesus did not have to go to the bedside of the dying lad— He was thirty miles away at Cana, but when He spoke distance meant abso lutely nothing. How powerful and how limitless is our God! Truly, “His love hath no limit, His grace hath no meas ure, His power hath no boundary known to men, but out of His infinite riches in glory He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.” 14
they are in torment eternally. And Christ died to prevent this thing! Q. San Bernardino, California. This ques tion from San Bernardino is one that fascinates scores of folk. It is, “If a per son should fall under the sins of the flesh, such as adultery after being bap tized and filled with the Holy Spirit, would this be considered blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?” A. Since this expression “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” is found nowhere in literature except the Word of God, then that is the place to find the meaning of it, and you w ill find it in Matthew the 12th chapter. When the Lord healed the man so that he could both speak and s«Se, the/ multitudes said, “Could this be the Son of David?” But the Pharisees did not want the Lord to have the impact of His Miracles for they were proof of His Messianic claims. So the Phari sees said, in effect, don’t be fooled, He isn’t casting out demons except by Be elzebub. This was the name of a heath en god in the Old Testament now transferred to Satan. So the Pharisees claimed that the Lord Jesus was casting out demons by the power of the devil. Thus, they were equating the power behind Christ — which power is the Holy Spirit — with the devil. It is tan tamount to calling the Spirit of God, Satan. That is what you mean by blas phemy. The Scripture reference is Matthew 12:22 to 32. Q. Lawrence, Oregon. Is the point of ori
Q. Bend, Oregon. We have been asked that where the Bible speaks of the fam ine of hearing the Word , doesn’t this mean that the enemy w ill again cause the Bibles to be burned? The listener comments that they understand it was true in Communist countries. A. It could be very definitely that Com munism, rationalism or unbelief will have taken over the pulpits of Protes tant churches to such an extent that the hearing of the Word will be a very unique thing. Ministers w ill be preach ing everything under the sun except the message of the Word of God. We are inclined to think that that is the reference to the famine of the hearing of the Word at the end of the age. Q. Tucson, Arizona. One who is quite in terested asks, “W ill sinners who are dead live on after the second death?” A. In reply to this question we say with a heavy heart that sinning indi viduals who reject the Lord Jesus Christ in this life, w ill live on throughout eternity in that place that has been pre pared for the devil and his angels. It is called hell in the Word of God. It is also called the lake of fire. They are there in a conscious condition through out eternity. So, the dead who die out of Christ, die physically; that is the first death. Then, as we read in the 20th chapter of the Revelation, they stand before the Great White Throne for judgment and whoever is not found written in the Book of Life is cast into the lake of fire — that is the second death and
gin of this question. They ask, “In 1st Samuel 16:21 why didn't Saul know David? A. Actually First Samuel 16:21 reads: “And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.” The implication here is that Saul did not recognize David although he had been the one who had slain Goliath earlier. The facts are that this is an indication of the truthfulness of the record, be cause Saul, like many folk, was under great pressure at this time of war and there were umerous matters of state which required his care. I am not so sure but that Saul, all through his life, was not troubled with some kind of mental difficulty, and that makes it en tirely credible. It is true that David would need to be introduced to Saul a second time. This is definitely a mark of the truthfulness of the record. Q. From Eugene, Oregon comes this query: “Do you believe that Commu nism is the beast power that is to rule for the short time in the end of times?” A. I would suggest that the phrase might better be termed “at the end of the age.” All Bible scholars that we know anything about are quite agreed that Ezekiel 38 refers to Russia, the king of the north, and it is spoken of in Daniel 11:40 whore we read that the king of the south shall push at him, and the king of the north shall come at him — that is the antichrist — like a whirlwind. As to Communism, No, it is not the antichrist, but it might well be the king of the north, one of the four great powers that w ill emerge at the end of the age. The antichrist will overcome ithe king pf the north, the king of the south, the armies of the east and he w ill become the world power. Q. A Long Beach listener would like to know if the antichrist w ill be a Jew? A. The answer to this question rests upon the identification of the antichrist.
Many take him as a political leader — the first beast •— Revelation 13. Here he would be the head of the revived Ro man Empire and would be a Gentile. However, some think he (the anti christ) equals the false prophet and he is a religious leader — the beast of Revelation 13:11 to the end. The one that comes up out of the earth is a re ligious leader, and is the one in II Thessalonians 2. He sits in the temple of God saying that he is God. The political leader w ill be at Rome. The religious leader w ill sit in the tem ple at Jerusalem claiming that he is God. Both w ill be demon-inspired and Revelation 13 indicates they w ill be dominated by Satan. Q. An interesting letter comes from Denver, Colorado and the writer would like to know if belonging to a secret organization would have a definite ef fect upon a believeds testimony. A. Since I do not belong to a secret or ganization, and am therefore ignorant of their vows I do not know-that I can answer this question in its entirety. Perhaps it is the better part of Chris tian wisdom to belong to the body of Christ, the true organization or organ ism, and then our testimony w ill not be handicapped in any way. However, there have been many very wonderful men who have belonged to a secret or ganization and we would not discount that fact. But it might be better not to be tied in with such an organization. Q. A t Walla Walla prison there is a splen did Bible Class of men. This listener asks about a statement from a book which says that Paul must have been two different men because of Galatians 1:15-22 that he did not communicate with the Apostles upon his conversion but that in Acts 9:18-20 and 26-50, he states that he joined them immediately. A. This is one of those cases where, if the truth is not stated in exactly the same words it is thought to be invali dated. Now read carefully Acts 9:18-20 16
of God. These are wonderful preserva tives, they used to be called the means of Grace. I would go to the brother, as Scrip ture indicates and tell him his fault and seek to restore this one in all due love. Of course, I Corinthians 11 tells us that he ought not wait for others to judge him, let him judge himself. Q. Tucson, Arizona. A listener writes from Tucson asking “Is there any Scripture which gives us an indication that the races should not intermarry? A. The background of this question would make interesting reading, but I would say there is no single definite word that says you must not marry “so and so.” We realize that Moses married an Ethiopian wife but there is no statement that says he should not. The statements here would indicate with the general testimony of Scripture that men are happiest in the same na tional bracket, even in the cultural bracket in which God has placed them. And no believer should think of mar rying an unbeliever — you would just be asking for trouble in a coming day. Q. Bakersfield, California. This writer states, “I have always been puzzled as to how Cain knew what kind of an offering to bring if God did not tell him. Does the Bible indicate that God actually did tell him?” A. In answering this question we shall have to say that Abel knew what of fering to bring and Cain apparently refused to bring that kind of an offer ing. Our own sense of justice and right would help us to understand that sure ly God would let Cain know what kind of an effering he should bring or He would not condemn him for not bring ing that type of offering. God made a covering for Adam and Eve of animal skins to cover their shame. An animal had to be sacrificed for this and it speaks to us of the sac rifice of blood. This tells us surely that Cain must know of God’s requirements when an offering is made. 1 7
and Acts 9:26-30 and you w ill find that is the basic document by Dr. Luke the trustworthy historian. Luke tells us in Acts 9 about what Paul did immed iately after his conversion. He joined himself to the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ who were going to Damas cus. In verse 26, “When he came to Jerusalem he assayed to join himself to the disciples. They were all afraid of him not believing that he was a disciple.” The point is he first joined himself to disciples gbing to Damascus. When they came down to Jerusalem they were a bit leery of him háving known his previous history as a persecutor of the church of Christ and were not w ill ing to accept him immediately. The passage in Galatians indicates that he did not communicate with the Apostles immediately after he was saved. That is exactly what Luke says for he stayed up in Damascus. While they were leery of him at first down in Jerusalem, aft erward they said that a ministry of witnessing to the Gentiles has been giv en to this brother and they gave him the right hand of fellowship. Q. A San Bernardino, California listener says, “The Bible tells us that adulterers w ill not inherit the kingdom of God — I Corinthians 6:9. Therefore, should an adulterer be permitted to partake of the Communion Service? A. I imagine that this friend from San Bernardino is assuming that the adult erer is also a believer. I would not see any reason why a non-believer would want to take Communion unless it was that he would seek a false sense of security. I Corinthians 6:9 does state that those in this deep sin w ill not inherit the kingdom of God. It is even possible for a believer to fall into that deep sin — David did, but the Bible does not indicate that as a normal Christian life and it gives us any num ber of safeguards: the indwelling Spir it of God; the Word of God; fellowship with the people of God, and the house
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erfend greets Rev. Vernon Synder aw gr< thl First Baptist Church, of/teoga Park.
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w San G tudents to Biola Instead of candy, Biola' studdntr^at^pptes f wide home-tike atmosphere. Pictured below two Turlock students.f i Dormitory surroui pPee-hundred students ride" these buses 50 miles ^ M p M a y M o Attend classes on the Campus. Dormitories are urgently Reeled now. Exterior view of strategic Campus Dining Room. dentistry Is Tuesday- Thursday Bible Studies V b y Dr. ' I lLloyd T. Anderson J Pastor, Bethany L Baptist Church, i W est Covina, THESSALONIANS Chapter 2 I. Paul attests to the purity of his motives —I Thess. 2:1-12. Erdman, “the first chapter of the epistle is in substance a thanksgiving based on the knowledge of the divine election of the Thessalonians. This election is proved by the apostle’s mis sion and by the conduct of the believ ers. But Paul now enlarges on the na ture of this mission (w . 1-12).” A. Paul was clean, bold and error free -2 :1 -6 . The purpose of Paul in dwelling more fully upon his ministry there, is evidently to meet the criticisms of his accusers as reported to him by Timothy. The word “For” in v. 1 links what follows with what precedes, but on this occasion it goes back to 1:9. In I Thess. 1:9, Paul cited “outsiders” as .witnesses to his ministry, but now he says he needed no outsiders to bear wit ness, for they could-d 9 that very thing of him. Rutherford, “the word ‘your selves’ is emphatic—‘you, at any rate, have no need to be told.’ ” The word “ brethren” as used in 2:1 is very in teresting and means “from the same womb” — all believers are united through the new birth in a new bond of affection. This section (2:1-12) is a veritable manual for pastors. Here, Paul opens up his heart and reveals his motives and thrusts. He had been ac cused of insincerity and love of money. Morris, “Paul’s emphatic calling on the Thessalonians to witness, did 2 things: 1) It showed his confidence in them. 2) It revealed that all the facts for'his vindication were common knowledge to all. His ministry (2:1) was spiritual ly productive and proved his sincerity and (2:2) his courage and boldness were well known. In I Thess. 2:3 he refers to the vera city and truth of his message. “Exhor tation” means “appeal”; “ deceit ” means “not out of error as a source”; “un cleanness” means “moral impurity” — Paul was clean of all sensual sins and “guile” which means “to catch with bait — as a trap.” B. Paul was tender, affectionate and prayerful — 2:7-11. He was not ex cathedra, selfish or crafty in his approach to them. “Nurse” means “a nursing mother” — Paul helped them as a mother her child. Paul was “affectionately desirous” — (v. 8). (Moulton & Miligan) the verb is rare and occurs only here in the New 20
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