King's Business - 1942-05

THE KING'S BUSINESS Official Organ of THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Incorporated

MAY 1942 10 CENTS

YOUNG MOTHER By HELEN FRAZEE-BOWER This wonder, welling in the heart. Another mother knew. When lesus lay upon her breast: For Mary loved HIM too. Yet, when they came to Calvary, Her love would not deter His steps. She knew that He was God's, And only loaned to her. Nor is this child com pletely mine. O. Father, help me see That mother fails who does not bring Her children up for Thee.

Photo by Ewing Galloway, N. T.

TWO WAYS TO MAKE 1942 YOUR BEST DVBS Send today for copy of Brand New Va cation Bible School Handbook by Nel son: co v e rs every phase of DVBS ac

1 /

VACATION BLE SCHOOL MxuiAhook

tivity from preparation .tel actual teaching of the lessons. Excellent training course for work ers. 128 pages, 20 chapters, 60c per copy. STANDARD COURSES VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL are outstanding in their Bible association; timeliness of subject matter; ^beauty of ex pression; interest and enthusiastic response. Courses cover Kindergarten, Primary, Junior, Intermediate grades Descriptive Prospectus, FREE on request. Dept, 5 THE STANDARD PUBLISHING CO.| 8 TH a CUTTER SJS.................. CINCINNATI, OHIO

OFFICE O F THE CHAPLAIN F. A . Replacement Center Fort Bragg, N. C.

March 21, 1942

Circulation Manager, “ The King’s Business,” Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Calif. Dear Sir:

We are planning to open a reading room in connection with the chapel. It will be open to the general public, but will especially serve the men assigned to this chapel. This means that several thousand men will be served by this read ing room each year. Our desire is to furnish this room with con temporary religious literature. Would you be so kind as to assist in this proj ect? We would like to have a subscription to “ The King’s Business.” Many thanks for the favor of an early re sponse. Sincerely yours, (Signed) GEORGE L. YOUMAN, Chaplain.

A grand boy! Think how his whole future life will be influenced as he regularly receives a check from the American Bible Society! The American Bible Society Annuity Agreement has never failed in 100 years to pay its holders the agreed upon return. And when you guard and influence this young man through the years, isn’t it a stirring thought to realize that you are taking part in the increasingly impor tant work of making the Holy Bible more widely available throughout the world? Let us send you “A Gift That Lives”—a booklet that tells how this Plan will work for you! TODAY -------- 1 Please send me, without obligation, your booklet K B -21 entitled “ A Gift That Lives” MA I L THE C O U P ON American Bible Society, Bible Bouse, New York, N. Y.

$3.00 WILL PROVIDE FOUR COPIES OF “ THE KING’ S BUSINESS” FOR USE IN CAMPS OR READING ROOMS OR BY MISSIONARIES. Gifts of any amount are earnestly sought, because the need is very great. Names and addresses of military centers or of missionaries that will receive and use THE KING’S BUSINESS are also desired. Please write today. THE KING'S BUSINESS

Name .............................................. Address .......... ............................... City .................................... State...

558 South Hope Street

Los Angeles, California

161

May, 1942

THE K I N G ' S BUS I NE SS

ftfola SUMMER BIBLE SCHOOL for Leadership and Training

Fellowship

with

Grounded in the Word of God

Six Weeks—June 22 to July 31,1942 College students desiring a Christian background.

Laymen wishing to be effective workers. Those preparing for home or foreign fields. COURSES OFFERED

BIBLE: Analysis o f Acts —John A. Hubbard, D.D. Biblical Archaeology —Paul R. Bauman, Th.D., D.D. Prophecy —S. H. Sutherland, Th.B., D.D. CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: 1 Bible Geography, Customs and Manners— Christian Psychology —lone Lowman, Ph.D. HISTORY: Landmarks o f Church History — W. H. Bordeaux, Th.D. CLASSES AND CREDIT: Classes each morning, Monday through Friday. Five hours of instruction in each subject per week. Full Day School credit Regular faculty. RECREATION: Afternoons, evenings and Saturdays. (The Institute is conveniently sit uated in the heart of the city for all transportation lines.) Nadine K. Warner, A.BL

MUSIC: Conducting I Herbert G. Tovey, D.D., Mus.D. History and Appreciation o f Music Helen Y. Rich, Mus.B. VOICE: John B. Trowbridge, M.A., Mus.D. Aleonora Nielson PIANO: Mary Vasey, Mus.B., Mus.M. Mrs. Rich Cost-No Tuition Charge Registration fee: For credit—$10.00 for term; auditor—$2.00 weekly. (Maximum auditor’s fee—$6.00.) Cost of private music lessons is extra. Rooms per week: Singly, $3.00; double, $4.00, or with bath, $5.50. Board at popular prices: Cafe terias, tea rooms, and restaurants.

Write for Application

w & s m

THE

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES

i t j g

Incorporated

UL&J'C

. t

¡ ¡ » m a J i l l S. H. Sutherland, Dean

558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, Calif.

May, 1942

THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S

162

AWAITING

THE RAPTURE How Shall I Make My Will? It is the puzzle of the hour. Some of the Lord’s most devoted servants are bewildered as they strive to pierce through the dense clouds of a world aflame, to dis cover a ray of light that shall say plainly, “This is the way! Walk ye in it !” We believe we have the answer, given to us of God, as the reward for diligent search into His Word. But, our solution is not final, neither infallible, n e i t h e r dog matic. We simply have tried to dig into a problem that has been a burdensome stone .to many; and we only seek to make our contribu tion to what thinking has been done along these strategic lines. Our answer will be found in broad outline, comprehensive, de tailed, in the April issue of "The C h o s e n People.” Our thinking was dominated by two challenging questions: 1. Who will be God’s Witnesses on e a r t h when the Church is gone? 2. What means the increasing blackout of Chris tianity among the nations of the world? "The Chosen People” is yours’ for 10 cents. Or, if you feel it would honor the Lord Jesus Christ for you to send a gift for the far- flung work of this, the largest Jewish Mission Society in the world, you will receive the paper free, and your gift will be wel come as of His provision for our ever growing needs. But, it is not necessary to send a gift to secure your copy of the paper—10 cents will do. Use the coupon below.

Volume XXXIII

May, 1942

Number 5

The True-to-the-Bible Family Magazine

Motto: “ Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own .blood” (Rev. 1:5),

TABLE OF CONTENTS Ransom D . Marvin, Staff Artist

Around the King’s Table— Louis T . Talbot —....................163 Significance of the News— Dan Gilbert..: --- ..------ — ..............— ....164 A Present-Day Tragedy— And an Answer— W . Neill Hawkins..\(A Why I Love America— Hyman Appelman .......... ............................165 As Little Children— Vance Havner ................................................ 166 When Dop Maxwell Was Aroused........................... -...................... 168 Called to the Witness Stand— Allison Selioay ......,........—............171 The Power of Influence— Douglas White — .................................. 173 Junior King’s Business— Martha S. Hooker ....................................175 International Lesson Commentary------ --------------- „ —- 177 Notes on Christian Endeavor;— Reid McCullough, Mildred M , Cook, Conard Sandy, and Irene M . Hunter ..... ....'........... .....188 Daily Devotional Readings..................... ........— .— ------ ..............192 Bible Institute Family Circle*....^— ----------------- „.196 Our Literature Table--------- ——....--------------------------------------- 198

American Board of Misrlon# to the Jewa> Inc.

31 Throop Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y . Dear Friends,

I enclose 10 cents; please send me a copy of the April, 1942, issue of .-“The Chpsen People.,, 1 enclose $ ................... . my fellow ship with you in the God-blessed work you are doing for Israel’s salvation. . . . . . . . . . •••••• . .

Name

The Official Organ of THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Inc. L0EdIitorT:.„T-Chie?T • Information for Subscriber, on Pag* 200 • THE KING’ S BUSINESS, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, Calif.

Street •••••••»••% C ity...••••••••••• • State

May, 1942

THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S

163

Around the King's Table LOUIS T. TALBOT, Editor-In-Chief

Finally, band instruments require living players. Trumpets, even silver ones, are useless unless living lips are behind them. How ridiculous it would be for a bandmaster to try to get musicr from instruments that had no players! And yet, in the spiritual realm, we are guilty of this very folly. We try to live and labor without the empowering of the Holy Spirit. Self- produced and self-directed activities are always fruitless. How slow we are to learn that without the living Lord we are nothing! » On Memorial Day and on other occasions, the music of a band will stir human emotions. May God grant that the parallel spiritual lessons also may grip hearts and strengthen lives.

snatched,from him. “I lost sixty-five of my best lambs last night,” he said: “Wolves got in.” The sympathetic pastor expressed his own grief over this great loss of his friend’s. “And how many sheep did they kill besides?” he asked. The shepherd looked surprised. “Don’t you know,” he answered, “that a wolf never will take an old sheep so long as he can get a Iamb?" The “lambs” are feeing c r u e l l y ruined by the enfemy of souls today. •Who is there with the shepherd heart to weep over this loss, to set about to bring to the lambs and the sheep the protection that is to be found only in Christ? Lessons from the Band There is something inspiring about martial music. Weary marches are robbed of much.of their drabness if the soldiers can move forward to the beat of swinging music. Have you ever thought of the lessons that can be learned from a band? First of all, a band is made up of many different instruments. The bass drum is not all the band, although it may be large enough to hold within itself a dozen 'smaller instruments. Our difficulty is that we are not con tent to play our small part. Diotrephes (3 John 9) who loved to have pre eminence among his brethren, had no room for other “players” ; he wanted to be everything! Alas, there are oth ers like him. Then, too,, there must be unison. The word “band” means “bond,” and carries with it the thought of binding together. Harmony results when there is oneness of purpose among the players, and when every one does his part. At Pentecost, the disciples were in one place and were of one mind— and we know the glorious results that followed. If your “instrument” is silent when it should be heard, the music of united testimony for Christ cannot sound forth in perfect cadence as it should. Furthermore, a band must be con- ' trolled by one master. It is fascinat ing to watch the bandmaster’s move ments and to observe the players as they follow his directions. Utter con fusion would result if two men were attempting to lead the" same band at the same time. Alas, as Christians we are wretched “players,” when we fail • to wait on the Master! We refuse’His leadership and thus bring discord into the music.

"Christian” America According to Life magazine, in one ■ defense boom town there aré 308 night clubs and not even one Protes tant church. The condition in the nation as a whole, while happily it does not re flect the same proporñoo, as that which has been cited, is still far from encouraging. It is reported that tljere are 210,000 churches in the United States as a g a i n s t 430,000 places licensed to sell alcoholic drinks—in a land that still has the boldness to label itself “Christian.” America needs a mighty awakening, a turning to God in genuine repent ance. And unless this beloved nation witnesses such a change as this very soon, it is impossible to estimate how . desperate and far-reaching will be the effects of evil influences on the prom- ising youth of today. “Christian” America need Christ. >

An Appeal for Logic These days, even in journals that do not purport to be religious, solemn words are being written that stress the nation’s spiritual need. The writ ers are not, by any means, all staid evangelicals. For example, in Red- book for April, A. J. Cronin, in offer ing a “Prescription for War Time,” declares (bold face type ours): “ We shall not, we cannot win this war, without the maximum of Sacrifice, the merciless annihil ation, by each of us, of self. We cannot buy our way ,to victory. Masses of men, preponderance of planes, weijght of steel alone will not bring us to the clear horizon - of a happy peace. This is a war ofsthe spirit. . . - “It is not given to all of us to lead the van in* battle. At least we can- pray for those who do. Alas! the mention of the word is dangerous. Prayer has become the target of the cynic, the scoffer, the smart sophisticate who would sooner stand upon his head in a crowded street than kneel, in sol itude, before the altar of his God. That is but another symptom of our moral lethargy. . . Even if we are without faith, let us be logi cal: If we fight to preserve the Christian ethic, the least that we can do is to give it a chance in our own lives." \ - . - [ Continued on Page 198]

Taking the Lambs In a sense, every issue of THE KING’S BUSINESS is a Youth Number. The imperative need for winning young people and boys and girls for I Christ is stressed in these pages con.- tinually—as it should be. But once a year a special number is planned, like the present one, which centers attention particularly on this vital and often-neglected mipistry. The importance of emphasis upon youth was pointed out strikingly by that veteran pastor and teacher, W. B. Riley, as he spoke recently in the Church of the Open Door. Dr. Riley told of spending a brief vacation years ago on the premises of a Scotch ;heep herder. His host had met him .■ourteously at the station, but in the long drive to the ranch had seemed strangely disinclined to talk. There had seemed to be a heavy burden on his heart. Pressed for the reason for l\is silence, the old shepherd had wept as though his own children had been

May, 1942

THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S

164

OUR GREATEST ALLY: • Military analysts are continually impressing upon'America the impor tance of our allies. Without these helpers, we would be thrust into a most difficult if not desperate posi tion. National allies are important— but there is One who is more impor tant than them all. “A mighty Fortress is our God,” to use thé words of militant Martin Luther. God is our “Bulwark never failing.” God is “our Strength in ages past, our Hope in years to come.” Human and national allies some times prove untrustworthy. Look at France! But God is not like them. He is the Strength and Hope, of the persecuted Christians, of Norway, of Poland, of Greece, of Czechoslovakia. He is the Refuge of all who put their trust in. Christ and His righteousness. The tragedy is that' God — our greatest Ally — is widely ignored in our own country. We are. told what we must do and should do in order to keep the friendship of neighbor nations. But few of the “experts” , consider the importance of pleasing, and honoring God in all these rela tionships. With Gëd, ultimate victory is cer tain. Without Him, victory is impos sible. Let us therefore honor God in our thoughts and lives. Let us live in obedience to His will. God will not fail us, if we do not forget Him. ment speaker who ridiculed the idea of foreign missions.” The group of students who heard th t story listened as they would lis ten to the explanation of a tragedy. Some of them knew that three dec ades previously this country had sent out almost 1,500 new missionaries yearly for several years. And they knew the decline that had set in until only 250 new,- reinforcements yearly, just a sixth of the previous number, far from enough to replace thinning ranks, was a good average, even be fore war closed many doors. It was tragedy indeed, the tragedy of dereliction of duty in the church of Christ, due in part to a liberalistic gospel in nominally Christian schools, But yet another problem lay behind that record. Facts That Shock “Our mission board can’t send us out. Finances are too low,” explained a group of seminary students in the [ Continued on Page 197]

Significance of the News By DAN GILBERT Washington, D . C., and San Diego, California

condition dependent upon such moral and mental factors as zeal, spirit, hope, confidence . , , It ought to be plain that a sound morale must test upon the solid foundation of Christian faith and morality. Belief in God is the only sound basis for belief in America. Belief in the Bible is the only substantial foundation for belief in democracy. Faith in the triumph of the Cause of Truth and Righteous ness cannot be founded on anything except faith in the coming Of Him who is Himself Truth and Righteousness—' the Lord Jesus Christ—God manifest in the flesh. ' Can there be a high and lasting morale without an undergirding of Christian conviction? Can there be a sound morale which does not rest up on Christian morality? This war cannot be won with a morale which is stimulated by jazz, “jitterbuggery,” and cheap entertain ment. True victory can come only on the-wings of an unconquerable morale which grows out of prayer, consecra tion to Christ, and devotion in the hearts of our people. a HERE WAS a note of sadness in the. young missionary’s voice as she spoke to a group of col Mater. It had had a worthy record in the past of graduates in front-lihe service on-the mission field, but now —“I returned to school that year af ter a conference o f the Student For eign Missions Fellowship. The Lord had spoken to my heart, and with joy I heard His call to serve in unreached fields. “Full of that joy, I told my friends the news when I returned. They were impressed, and the word spread. But before long I had an invitation from the Dean, who set herself to change my purpose. - She .used every argu ment she knew, Told me I would be wasting my life and talents foolishly, and urged me solemnly to reconsider. “The purpose was from God and was. not shaken, but in my own grad uation I had to listen to a commence- •General Secretary, Student Foreign Missiont Fellowship,

THE WAY TO VICTORY • “The peoples with the most health, vigor, fitnéss, sobriety, and devotion to a common cause will win the war; America must throw away its ‘night club’ habits, loose thinking and health-destroying tendencies to be. on the winning aide.” ¿ Thus declared Ray* Lyman Wilbur, President of Leland Stanford Univer sity, according to reports of an ad- dregs before the American Association of School Administrators. It is time that, as President Wilbur suggests, we stopped thinking exclu sively In terms of mechanics and mathematics, and began to think in terms ¿ f men rather than machines. The popular idea, has been spread that the war will inevitably be won or lost in the factories of America. If we can produce more and better planes, guns, and ships than our ene mies—fien , so the theory runs, we are bound to win. Guns, planes and ships are impor tant But men are more important. The war will be* won — or lost-—in the homés, schools, and churches of Amer ica, quite as decisively as in the fac tories of the nation. The kind of men our nation produces is as important as the kind of machines our defense industries turn out “Shoddy brain work,” Dr. Wilbur declared, “in time of war, either at home or at the front, is worse than de fective ammunition.” He might" have added that defects of character will destroy a people more rapidly than will the lack of military equipment: Moral force is still a stronger poweK than military force. The way to the most wide-sweeping victory for Amer ica lies in calling our youth to Christ —the Source of true character, con viction, and courage. THE WAY TO BUILD MORALE: • Building “morale” is a more diffi cult task than manufacturing muni tions. A great deal of discussion in Washington and elsewhere centers upon the necessity jot “elevating the morale of our army and people,” The discussion springs from good intentions, but much of it has de scended to the level of the ridiculous. Everything from movies to tap and fan dancing has been recommended. Elaborate programs are formulated to stimulate a spirit of fun and frivolity, all in the interests of “morale.” The dictionary defines morale as “a

A Present-Day Tragedy—And an Answer By W . NEILL HAWKINS* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

lege students concerning her Alma

May, 1942

165

THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S

New Opportunity to Preach Christ

HYMAN APPELMAN is a Jew who has found Christ, his Mes siah, and speaks of Him with passionate fervor. During evan gelistic meetings at which he was the speaker in the Church of the Open Door, Los Angeles, the pas tor of the church, Louis T. Tal bot,* asked for and received per mission to have charge of a half- hour period in Pershing Square, the tiny park in the heart of the city’s business district, which has been transformed into a National Defense center since the Pearl Harbor incident. Sensing that here was an un usual opportunity for the preach ing of the gospel, Dr. Talbot ar ranged for his Russian Jewish *Also President o f the Bible Institute of Los Angeles and Editor-in-Chief of this magasins* Dr. Appelman’s warm love for America, rooted in the God-hon oring principles on which this nation was founded, naturally stimulated patriotic zeal among the listeners, and the sale of Gov ernment bonds and stamps that day reached a record peak. But the desire to exalt Christ was prominent, as the following ex cerpts from the speaker’s burning message will indicate. Why I Love America By Hyman Appelman friend to speak to the several thousand people who assembled in the park that day. At this popular civic center, widely dif fering programs are presented almost continuously in the day time hours—but this was the first one that had for its primary purpose the honoring of the Lord Jesus Christ.

B ORN in Russia, I came to the United States when I was twelve years old. I cannot tell you in crimson drop of blood in my body carries that affection. ■ I love America because of its great ness. It is great in territory, great in resources, great in man strength, great in woman beauty, great in child sweetness. It is great in achievements, in accomplishments, in activities that have led the world in every line and sphere of human venture and adven ture. It is great in its history. Wash ington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Wilson, giants who stand out above the run of even the m i g h t y ! America has never lost a war, never dipped its flag in any sort of defeat. From Bunker Hill to the Argonne, Old Glory has been covered with honor and praise. I love America because of its gra ciousness. America has shared its wealth, its scientific discoveries, its medical accomplishments, with all mankind. Pleas for help for many quarters of the world have been heed ed. Belgian children lived because American food ships landed on their shores. German babies have grown in to manhood (God forgive them for their ingratitude) because with the signing of the Armistice in 1918 American relief lifted the hunger bans of that luckless land. Starving Rus sians and emaciated Chinese knew

hallowing Valley Forge is my answer. The laconic report of Commodore Perry on Lake Erie, “We have met the enemy and they are ours . . .” is my answer. The Texans’ cry, “Rememher the Alamo,” is my answer. Abe Lin coln’s “with malice towards none, with charity for all, with justice fn the right as God gives us to see the right . . .” is my answer. The bloody Meuse, Chateau Thierry, the Argonne, the tomb of the Unknown Soldier is my answer. The handful of Marines on Wake Island holding back the yellow horde is my answer. Douglas MacArthur and his sweat-stained, blood-soaked heroes in the fox holes of the Philippines is my answer. You ask me why I love America? My grammar school, my high school, my university is my answer. You ask me why I love America? My home, my wife, my two babies, living unashamed, unafraid (I weep as I cry this) is my answer. You ask me why I love America? My Bible, my church, my Christ is my answer. You ask me why I love America? I am à Jew! I am a Christian! Let the deep, fathomless depths of grati tude out of the very innermost being of my life, on my knees, on my face, thanking God for Christ, for the Con stitution, for the Declaration of In dependence, answer you, shout to you, rejoice with you—I love America.

hope when American soup kitchens lined them up for .charity. Japanese cities were rebuilt; Japanese homes were reestablished; Japanese men, women, and children were given a new lease on life when the American Red Cross crossed the wide Pacific to bring help and hope. I love America because, at terrific sacrifice, it has been the world’s big brother. I love America because of its gifts to me and to countless* others. It gave me an education that I should never have had in Russia. It gave me a chance at freedom denied me as a Jew almost everywhere else in the world. I love America most of all because it gave me Christ and salvation. Here the gospel was preached to me. Here the cross of the Lord Jesus was lifted up before me. Here salvation was proffered me as the gift of God’s grace backed up by yearning, loving anx iety of Christian hearts. Here waters of baptism laved me. Here the church welcomed me. Here the theological seminary opened its doors to me. Here I was and am, praise God for ever, given the right to preach the burning conviction of my soul that Jesus Christ the Son of God came into the world to save sinners. You ask me why I love America? The blood-marked sentry of George Washington’s r a,g g e d Continentals

detail why I love America, but every

May, 1942

THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NES S

166

By VANCE HAVNER Greensboro, North'Carolina

•

But peace is hot found merely in a cottage by a babbling brook nor by reading pleasant treatises on the sim ple life. “It takes more than a better grade of china to heighten the flavor of indifferent tea,” and it takes more than environment to rest the soul. Distinguishing True Childlikeness Our Lord gave us the secret - of heart rest in our text, and it con sists in conversion arid childlikeness. In the light of this verse, humanity falls into three groups. First, there are the CHILDREN: “And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them.” Some one has said, “Only children and the childlike are genuine; all others are clowns.” One of the tragedies of our day is our vanishing childhood. Children are no longer allowed to be children; they are as sophisticated at teri as we used to be at thirty. There is indeed a sort of natural wisdom about children, for sometimes they are better judges than we sus pect. Beware of a man who repels children. Conversely, there is some thing fine about a man whom thé children love. You can fool a pro fessor any day, but it is pretty hard to fool a boy or a dog. But our Lord was not thinking of your modern pre cocious youngster with cynicism writ ten all over his face and his mouth ever ready to say, “Oh, yeah?” What -a pity to drop the naturalness of childhood for the Saul’s armor of a strained, stilted grown-uppishness! Then, we have the CHILDISH: “Whereunto shall I liken this genera

"Except ye be converted, and be come as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18:3). TT HAVE never heard a sermon from this text. The silence on this JL theme has b e e n so profound that one could almost suspect that the subject has been avoided on pur pose. Some Christians certainly .would be more comfortable if the Lord Jesus had used a businessman or a scholar or a popular hero for His model.'We have been advised to be like our par ents, like our teachers, like George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. These have occupied the center of the stage while the children havg taken the outer fringes. But here the tables are turned. Here comes One who puts the child in the midst, upsets our pet standards, and says in effect, “Parents, be like your children.” That is dreadfully upsetting to us adults who like to act as though wisdom would die .with us. Here we certainly have a call to simplicity, and we Americans are in no mood for that. The complexity of these times is so bewildering: “The World is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.”' Men have built a civilization which now has turned on them and threat ens to drive them crazy. More than one millionaire would gladly ex change his skyscraper for a country cottage by a babbling brook if with It he could secure* peace of heart,

We need to recover the sense of wonder that little children h a v e , expecting that TODAY the God of in finite s u r p r i s e s will do some wonderful thing for us.

May, 1942

THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE SS

167

tion? It .is like unto children . . (Matt.'11:16), No word could better describe this generation than “childish.” Ameri cans pride themselves on their clev erness, but of all the fretful, petulant, peevish, hard-to-please generations, this one takes the prize. They were childish in Jesus’ day. They did not like John the Baptist* Who came fasting nor Jesus who came feasting. We encounter the same spirit today evpn among Bible Christians who have heard all kinds of preachers and end up discussing the relative merits of their favorite Pauls, Apolloses, and Cephases. The American people have b e e n enter tained for so long that they expect it from the pulpit, and even Bible meet ings can become glorified Chautau- quas and religious shows. One reason that there are so few real Christians among us is that we have become accustomed to being ministered unto and we find it hard to humble our selves and minister. It is not easy for the childish to become childlike! And how this childishness shows up even among the saints! It reveals itself in the spirit of Diotrephes who could work only at the top; in bellig erent souls whose speech is seasoned with vinegar instead of salt; in a soul with the martyr complex who, like Elijah under the juniper, im agines he is the Vanishing Saint; in porcupine Christians, who have lots of good points but you can’t get near them; in professional come-outers and veteran resigners, incurably anti minded, who never seem to realize that the contents of the bottle are not improved by changing labels. The only cure for all these distressed and distressing individuals is a genuine change from childishness to child- likeness. So, in our text, we come to the CHILDLIKE. Here is life’s true second childhood, the. childhood of the spirit. Ponce de Leon sought for a fountain of youth, and in Florida I drank from a so-called fountain of youth but came away none the younger. God can say again today, “My people . . , have forsaken me the fountain of liv ing waters, and hewed them out cis terns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13). Men have sought rejuvenation in fads and isms, tricks Of the subconscious, and the cure-alls of psychology. We have tried to make time turn backward in its flight and have sought the schoolgirl complex ion and the schoolboy heart. But in Christ Jesus alone is found the secret of eternal youth. Whoso ever lives and believes in Him shall never die, and as we live in Him, though the outer man perish, the in ner man is renewed from day to day. It is a life that is beautifully simple

and simply beautiful. And it is summed up in our text in conversion and childlikeness. Consider the sim plicity of it. The Simplicity of Conversion f Look first at the simplicity of con version. This is the human side, our side, o f regeneration. We are all God’s children in the sense that He has created us all. But if we are ever to enter the second childhood and the eternal youth gf the Spirit, We must be born again, born f r o m a b o v e through faith in Christ by the opera tion of the Holy Spirit, that we might become partakers of the divine na ture. That gives us eternal life, eter nal in duration because eternal in na ture, the very life of God Himself. . YoU see, this childlikeness requires a new nature capable of it. The Ghi- nese say, “You cannot carve rotten wood”-; and you cannot develop from corrupt human nature what our Lord had in mind in this text. There are attractive imitations of childlike faith and character on the market, but while they have whiteness, they do not have light; being born only of the flesh, tliey are still flesh. Yet how simple is Christian con version! There is plenty of mystery there. Nicodemus asked, “How can these things be?” (John 3:9). On God’s part it is sublime, but on our part it is simple. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should riot perish, but have eternal life.” It is a matter of turning from sin to the Saviour, receiving Him into the heart, depending on Him for sal vation. Then, after we Come in con version, we become as little children. The inborri new nature must be cul tivated and exercised, and we grow spiritually as we grow naturally by

food, rest, and exercise: the food of the Word of God, resting in the Lord, and exercise in Christian service. And what are these Characteristics of the childlike Christian? Not per fection, of course! A child is not per fect. But while a Christian is not faultless, he may be blameless. A child’s letter to his mother may not be faultless, but if that child wrote as best he could» he is blameless. One may get a perfect report in the third grade at school, but that same degree of achievement would not do for the fourth grade. We may live in the will of God up to the light we have, but there is always more .to learn. *A Life of Trust One mark of; the childlike Chris tian is simplicity of trust. Sometimes we misapply the word “ simple faith.” A certain grown-up Christian boasted that he still < prayed,:“Now I lay me down to sleep.” Now that is a good prayer for a child, but a grown-up Christian should have advanced to better praying than that. If you were to tell this individual that he had the mind of a child, he would be in sulted. If he had. the body of a child he would be a monstrosity. But he seemqd proud over having the spir itual development of only a child! A condition like that is not child likeness but childishness. Like the little boy who fell out of bed, he went to sleep too near the getting-in place. But there is a childlike confidence in the Father’s care. The Old Testa ment puts it, "Trust in the Lord, and do good” (Psa, 37:3). The New Testa ment states it thus: “Take no thought for your life, what ye Shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on . . . for your heavenly Father knoweth that [ Continued, on Page 174]

May, 1942

THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE SS

168

When Don Maxwell Was Aroused

(

A True Story of Soul-Winning on a High School Campus

“Have you heard about Bud?” How ard gasped. “No. W-wfcat is it?” Don asked jerkily, a cold hand closing tightly on his heart. “Bud committed suicide last night,” Howard said abruptly. “He . . .” But Don heard no more. He felt his face go white and he staggered as under a physical blow. “Not Bud,” he tried to say, but his lips were stiff and cold and he could only cry from his heart, “No, Bud! You couldn’t do that. Bud—Bud. . Minutes later, Don found himself still standing there in the empty hall. Classes had begun, he knew, but he didn’t care that he was late. It didn’t seem important now. A heavy numb ness had taken possession of him. The poplar tree visible through the open door at the end of the hall seemed to beckon him, and he moved slowly for ward and stood on the steps again, his eyes on the spot under the tree where he and Bud had sprawled, re laxed, just two days ago. It seemed much longer. And it couldn’t be true that Bud was gone. But it was true, and Don grew older in that moment as he faced the fact that Bud was gone and that he had missed—forever—the opportunity the Lord had given him to make sure that Bud knew the way of salvation. It was too late, now. All his regrets could hot bring Bud back. There would be no other time. If ever a fellow had had an opportunity to speak to an other aboutJiis soul, that opportunity had been his. . “And I muffed it,” he whispered bitterly. He wished he could forget, but his mind, like a cruel tormentor, relent-

b e e n p a 1 s, through the ele mentary school, Junior High, and now, when the two boys were still t o g e t h • er in B-10, he never had felt this queer fore boding if Bud w e r e a b s e n t from s c h o o l . W h a t w a s wrong with him, anyway?

The first bell already had sounded its shrill warning, but Don lingered a moment longer, still hoping to See Bud’s tall, familiar figure swing up the walk. He tried to throw off the sense of disaster that chilled him. Bud must be sick. Maybe that was what had been wrong with him on Tuesday. That would account for the queer way he had acted. Don straightened impatiently, de termined to forget the disturbing question Bud had asked that day, de termined, too, to put out of Ms mind his own sense of failure because his lips had been sealed. Why was it so hard for a Christian to talk about his Lord, he wondered. The next time he and Bud were alone, he’d make up for that failure. With this decision he turned and went inside. But halfway down the hall, a hand grasping his shoulder stopped him. He spun about to see Howard Grant staring at him, an ex pression of horror on his face. In stantly all of Don’s fear crystallized into a still certainty that something was wrong.

■ ^HE SOUND of laughter echoed through the wide h a l l s and I about the grounds of a Califor nia high school as the students, gath ering for another day at school, ex changed gay greetings. But there was no answering laughter^ in Don Max well’s heart. His usually clear, friend ly eyes were shadowed, now, with anxiety. From his vantage point at the top of the steps to the main building, he watched the hurrying students. The taut feeling in the pit of his stomach seemed to shut him far away from the gay crowd around him, and ati the same time it made him more aware of them. And the vague un easiness that had hung like a cold weight on his mind since Tuesday afternoon, deepened. Bud was not coming. Somehow, Don had known he would not, known it with a sickening certainty even as he wondered at himself for that knowl edge. In all the years that they had [Fictitious names have been^ substituted for the actual names of the students whose story is told on these pages. — E ditor .]

May, 1942

THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S

169

lessly held before him the memory of B that last hour that he and Bud had had together. • • • They had left the chemistry class together that Tuesday afternoon. The exam had been a stiff one, and it had seemed good to sprawl on the grassy terrace for a bit before they went to their homes. “Whew! that was an exam and a half,” Don had exclaimed, “but I’m sure glad it’s over.” He was mildly surprised when Bud did not answer, and he turned his head a little to look at him. Bud might have been asleep, stretched there so still, one arm flung across ■ his eyes to shade them from the sun. And Don remembered, a little uncom fortably, that Bud had failed in the examination that afternoon. Funny Bud didn’t get on better in chemistry. He had the brains, certainly, and he liked to make things. He ought to make a good mechanic some day— he loved machinery. Across the street, football practice was in full swing, the dull thump of the pigskin interspersed with cheers from the loyal few who had turned out to watch the afternoon practice. But it was quiet where they. were. “Now is the time to speak to Bud," the small inner voice, which had been 1 more active of late, urged Don. He stirred uneasily. There it was again. For weeks he had' had this burden for Bud. And it was growing heavier every day. As a child of six years, Don had accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour. Simply and eagerly he had taken his stand, realizing that he wanted to belong to Christ, to be His sheep and not one of the goats, outside the fold of God. Only recently, however, had he begun to awaken to his inheritance in Christ. With this fuller knowledge of what salvation meant, the natural desire that Bud should belong to his Lord had strengthened into a feeling of I . urgency that Bud, his pal, must know ’ the way to eternal life. “Bud knows I’m a Christian,” Don argued slowly with himself. But he had to admit that he h a d n e v e r spoken to Bud about salvation. He had invited him to church and to Christian Endeavor, but he had never done the real thing, had never wit nessed verbally to Bud and asked him to accept Christ. Last Sunday night, the pastor, had stressed that v e r y thing, and Don had felt that he was preaching straight at him. But how did a fellow begin, anyway? Bud stirred and sat up. “Guess I’ll jog along home,” he muttered. But he made no move to pick up his books. His long, slender hands rested idly across his knees, his whole attitude one of dejection. And then he said

the words that would be engraved forever on Don’s memory. “Say, Don, do you ever wonder where we’ll be this time tomorrow— this time next week? Boy, I have.” Don almost gasped In his amaze ment; Could Bud have known what he had been feeling? Here was the moment he had been waiting for. He wanted with all his heart to speak. But something held him back. Was he ashamed? Was he afraid he would hurt Bud’s feelings by telling him he was a sinner? Would it break their friendship? Don hesitated as he al lowed these questions to defeat him because he was not willing to face them—and the moment was lost. When he turned back, Bud was get ting to his feet. “Well, So long,” he said. He smiled at Don, a strange dark look in his eyes, and walked away. “No, Bud! Wait a minute,” Don had called when he could find his Voice. But Bud had not heard. * * * With an effort Don came back to the present and realized with a new maturity of mind that the business of the day must be gone through with. Regrets were in vain. God had warned him, but he had failed. And Bud was gone now. Sighing heavily,- he made his way along the hall to his classroom.

the memory of that lost opportunity would never be forgotten. He had re ceived challenges before, many times, but this was different. As he knelt before his Lord, he definitely “pur-, posed in his heaft” to allow the Lord Jesus Christ to use him unreservedly in personal work a m o n g his own classmates in high school. * * * The first few weeks after Don’s de cision to work for the Lord on the school campus were not easy ones. But gradually he found other Chris tian fellows, and they organized a daily noon prayer, group, praying about their own spiritual needs, and asking also for the salvation of their fellow students. Conscious of his oWn handicap in npt knowing how to witness to Bud, Don began to study the Word, mem orizing verses that would be effective in personal work. His heart lifted int praise to God- when a few of the oth ers of the prayer'group began to fol low the same plan fof themselves. It would have been easy to count this enough of a witness and prepara tion for a busy student to make. But if Don were tempted- to take this course of a passive witness, the mem ory o f Bud’s death and of his own sealed lips held him to his purpose, a purpose to witness to the Lord’s

“Oh, God,” he cried that night on his knees in his own room, “Bud is in hell tonight, and it is my fault. I failed You and I f a i l e d him. I missed the opportunity You gave me — missed them all—and now it is too late. Oh, God, for give—forgive . . . he pleaded. God had promised for giveness f o r confessed sin, and He gave it that night. But it was also given Don to see what it meant for one soul to die without Christ. As he knelt t h e r e , i t

saving power not only by' his own actions, but by his personal testimony. Always before him ,was the prayer that God would give him more oppor tunities. And the Lord granted his request. He learned that “the prepara tions of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.” . He did not pass up his oppor tunities now. * * • It was nearly two years later and Don was wondering how he c o i f Id safeguard his time so that the work of the Lord that he loved might: not be crowded out.. He tried to spend each afternoon after school hours in mingling with the fellows bn the prac-

seemed as though the curtains of time Were drawn aside and he could see Bud standing before God in judg ment. Then Don fancied he heard the Father’s voice asking, ‘¿Bud, why did you not accept My Son when you were on earth?” And his heart stood still as, in im agination, he coiild hear Bud’s dis mayed question, “Don, why didn’t you' tell me?” - The words seemed to beat through the room and through Don’s heart— over and over they came, “Don, why didn’t you tell me?”—even after the peace of the Lord’s forgiveness came to him. And he knew that should he live to be seventy—or even eighty,

May, 1942

THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE SS

170

They had not talked long before Don realized George wanted to say something but evidently c o u l d not find a way..Quietly, asking the Lord for guidance and help, Don asked, “By the way, George, are you a Chris tian?” .. To his amazement, he saw relief fill George’s eyes, as if he had just been waiting for the subject to be opened. “Well, I think I am, I thought I was . . .” George answered slowly. “But I-I don’t know. How can you be sure, anyway?” Then without waiting for Don to reply, he unburdened his heart. “This summer I went up to a conference at Tahquitz Pines,” he began. “At first, I felt a little strange there. It was a different conference from any I’d ever been to before. It took me about two days to get into the spirit. And then—oh, boy, I really got uplifted. It was grand! The candlelight serv ice, especially, was great. I felt like I was way up on a mountain top— happy as I’d never been before. Then, somehow, after I got home, that feel ing wore off. I kept reading my Bible and trying to pray. But it was no use. I just haven’t any joy any more, and the fellows are razzing me, now, for losing my salvation. Have I?” “You weren’t really saved, were you?” Don asked quietly. “ ‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast,’ ” he quoted. “Salvation doesn’t depend upon our feelings or our joy,” he went on. “These may change with our circumstances or sur roundings, but we don’t lose our sal vation.” George was listening eagerly—the Holy Spirit was working—and it was not long before George was rejoicing in thè assurance of his salvation— “through faith.” And Don realized, in a new way, the importance of being ready for the voice of the Lord to point him to those whose hearts had been prepared. * * * To the world, the climax of Don’s high school career might seem to have come in the announcement, at the class commencement exercises, that he was not only valedictorian of his class by reason of his scholastic attainments but was also selected by the faculty as the most valuable stu dent of the year in the entire high school of 2,200 students., But to dis cerning Christians present in that at tentive audience, the high point came in the conclusion of Don’s valedictory speech. In a message entitled “An Impregnable Foundation,” he forth rightly brought evidence that both modern science and modern education, in spite of their worth and in spite of all that they promise, have been di* [Continued on Page 198] . .

Jerry were walking home together. Though no opening had been given in their conversation, Don suddenly felt that he should speak to him about Christ. It was one of those days when no ideas would come as to how to begin. Finally, he simply asked, “Jerry, are you a Christian?’’ “Why, I guess I am,” Jerry replied, a little startled. “I’ve been raised in the church, and I read my Bible and pray every day.” But his voice ended on a question. Clearly Jerry was none too sure of his spiritual standing. En couraged, Don opened his Testament and began to show Jerry something of the plan of salvation. Gradually it was brought home to Jerry that just feeding on Christian food will never make ■one a Christian, that t h e r e needed to be the rebirth before one could become a child of God. Before he reached his home, Jerry had made the decision and knew that he was a member of the household of God. Others had been led to ask ques tions when they saw the change in Jerry, and, slowly, the group of Chris tian young people on the high school campus grew in numbers. Truly, be ing in business for the Lord paid rich dividends in satisfaction and joy, Don thought as he looked back upon those months. He pulled in to the curb at the gro cery store and swung from the car. “ Guess Dad isn’t here yet,” he said to himself, glancing hurriedly over the store. He saw George, one of the high school fellows, at his place at the vegetable stand where he worked after school. Don returned his greet ing with an easy, “Hi there,” but he turned back to the car. He didn’t really want to spend time talking to day. He had a long list of Bible verses he wanted to review. He could do that while he waited for Dad. But George’s voice stopped him. “Hey, Don,” he called. “Stick around awhile; maybe we can talk—between customers.” Something in his voice impressed Don, and, swiftly, the thought came that there was a purpose in this en counter. He sauntered over and joined George.

tice field or about the grounds, using any opening he was given for per sonal work. This afternoon he had had to leave early to keep his appoint ment with Dad at a certain grocery store in town, and if he didn’t hurry he’d be late. Boy, you sure kept busy when you were a senior in High, he thought. The teachers seemed to de light in piling on the home work! And his duties as Student Body President were not light. Slowing his car for the traffic, Don thought again of his complete aston ishment when he had learned of his election to that office. That the stu dents should have selected one whose main purpose in life was so foreigii to theirs amazed him even yet. He did not realize fully how even those who privately thought he was throw ing away his life, nevertheless re spected and liked him; liked his un-. failing friendliness, his infectious smile, his sense of humor, and his steadfastness of purpose. At first, he had refused to run for the office, remembering the various activities and school dances in which he could take no part. But he had been assured that he would not need to concern himself with those things, if he were elected. In the end, he had accepted the nomination, little dream ing he would ever be elected. The fellow running opposite him was very popular in school. He played in the dance band and was well liked. The election was as good as settled, Don reasoned. His surprise was all the more „complete, therefore, w h e n he learned that he had been elected as President of the High School Student Body—and t h a t by a three-fourths vote! Now, looking back over the weeks he had served as President, he realized that God’s hand had been in it. Surely the fact that he held this office had meant much in opening up opportuni ties for witness. There was Jerry, for instance, just one amopg several that his duties as Student Body President had enabled him to meet. It was at the close of a program at which Don had been pres ent because of his office. He and

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 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

Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker