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Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands, Robed in the blooming garb of spring, Jesus is fairer! Jesus is purer! Who makes the woeful heart to sing
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The Oriental Missionary Society, Inc. O F F IC E R S A N D T R U S T E E S JAPAN President: MRS. CHAS E. COWMAN (Compiler of “Streams in the Desert” ) FORMO SA |//snr a First Vice-President . . . . . . . . REV. E. L. KILB01JRNE kvl I P I A Second V ic e -P re sid e n t.............................................................. REV. H. F. WOODS M /\INV*nU R l/\ C H IN A S ecretary-T reasurer........................................................................... ' REV. E. O. RICE RUSSIA Rev. Juji Nakada Rev. E. R. Munroe Rev. P. E. Haines Rev. R. P. Adams ,------- -------------- S p e c i a l i z i n g i n ----------------------- , ON E M E S S A G E # O N E M E T H O D , O N E M E D I U M The Whole Bible Direct Evangelism A Trained Native Ministry W E PREACH THE GOSPEL, THE W HO LE GOSPEL A N D N O TH IN G BUT THE GOSPEL
Read the following Figures and Rejoice with us in seeing •’ W H A T G O D H A T H W R O U G H T ” in l Year’s T im e th ro ugh a N a tive M in is try in the O rien ta l Missionary Society . . . . T otal n um b er m eetings h eld ............................
o u r stu d en ts in train in g in o u r Seoul, K orea, Bible In stitu te.
135,918 T otal n um b er atte n d an ts all m eetings.......... 3 ,7 56,577 P ra y e r m eetings h eld ............................................ 48,081 P ra y e r m eeting a tte n d a n ts............................... 5 60,667 O pen-air m eetings held....................................... 11,087 O p en -air m eetings a tte n d a n ts....................... 70 5 ,2 3 8 Sunday School m eetings held.......................... 16,511 Sunday School m eeting a tte n d a n ts............... 6 6 5 ,0 4 4 T o tal n um b er seeking souls a t a lta rs.......... 8 3,372 T otal n um b er re g u la r m ission statio n s....... 429 T otal n um b er o u tstatio n s.................................. 600 T otal am o u n t native offerings...............U.S., $ 1 7 0 ,8 7 5 .0 0 N um ber of Bible In stitu tes............................... 5 N um ber of Bible Institu te stu d e n ts............... 325 All glory be to the Lord who hath made it all possible!
Read these Subjects for Prayer and pray with us for these great needs. Perhaps God would have YOU to have a definite share in the great victories we are seeing. W E ARE PRAYING for su p p o rt for 60 n ativ e stu d en ts in our Bible In stitu tes. T his is an u rg en t need NOW . $7.50 p er m onth will su p p o rt a n d tra in a stu d en t. A photo, testim ony, an d reg u lar q u arterly rep o rt will be sen t to each su pporter from his o r h er student. W E ARE PRAYING fo r su p p o rt fo r 40 train ed n ative w orkers a t from $10.00 to $25.00 per m onth. They a re w onderful soul w inners. R egular m onthly rep o rts sen t from w orker to su p p o rter. P hoto also sent. W E ARE PRAYING for $30,000.00 w ith w hich to launch great te n t cam paigns from o u r m ain cen ters in K orea an d China th is Spring. A sy stem atic cam paign is on to reach every hom e in K orea an d China, as has already been done in Jap an . W ith the te n ts we a re going sy stem atically to every m ark et tow n, pitch the te n ts and v isit every hom e in all th e su rrounding villages
and then m ove on to the next m ark et town, and so on and on until these lands are lite r ally covered w ith th e know ledge of C alvary’s redem ption. DO YOU NOT WANT TO HAVE A SHARE IN TH IS GREAT EVANGELISTIC CAM PA IGN ? For $25.00 we can p itch th e te n t in a m ark et tow n for ten d ay s’ m eetings an d for $5.00 o u r w orkers can go to villages an d pu t th e p rin ted w ord in every home. Each m arket tow n is surrounded by a b o u t 25 villages so a m ark et tow n te n t cam paign and every home in tw enty-five villages can be evangelized for $150.00. Make a whole, or a p a rt of one of these m ark et tow n cam paigns YOUR sh are in C hina’s evangelization.
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Convention G roup a t o u r Shanghai, C hina Bible In stitu te.
M A Y WE HEAR FROM YOU TODAY? The O R I E N T A L M I S S I O N A R Y S O C I E T Y LOSNANH^ELEST c T u FORN,|A See Our Advertisement on Page 167 Concerning Books published by the Oriental Missionary Society
It Is Obvious
ïïht $!WeTamil#3ta$a^me Motto: “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his ozvn blood "—R ev . 1:5.
\ \ T HEN you go f ish - VV ing , go where the fish are ¡ W h e n Go d opens your eyes, and you decide to help Jew ish Mission work—then re member, help the Jews where the Jews a re ! They are in New York —2 ,000 ,000 of them. Every third man in New York is a Jew. It is the largest assembly of Jews ever gathered in one spot since the sun began to shine. There are more Jews in New York City than in all the rest of the United States pu t to gether. Think this over and ask God, “What wilt T hou have me to do?” Then, let us hear from you. We’ll welcome your help and your prayers. Our work merits your eve ry confidence. O u r field is not only th e 2,000,000 Jews of New York, but the 4,000,000 Jews of America. And through co-operating mis sionaries we are repre sented, and our Yiddish publications are b e i n g distributed, in all the im portant. Jewish centers of the world. In America, Branches are being estab lished in the larger cities as the Lord gives us the means and the workers. Your help and prayers are always needed. “The Chosen People,” loved by many Bible students for its helpful information on Prophecy and the Jews, is sent to all contributors. May we hear from you ? American Board of Missions to the Jews, Inc. 31 Throop Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y, Ask us for our free booklet, Jewish Mission Annuity Bonds.
Volume XXIV
April - May, 1933
Number 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Around the King’s Table—The Editor...... ........... ........ ......... ..... 122 The Flower—Peter Plotkin..... ............ ............ ....... .................. .....125 Golgotha’s Three Crosses—Milo F. Jamison............................... ..... 126 The Oxford Movement—Louis T. Talbot............. ........... ............... 128 Easter in Jerusalem—Adelbert Bartlett...A.i ......„........... ............. 130 Will this Body Live Again—Carl G. Westerdahl.......................... .132 God and Gog and 1937 ( ?)—Louis S. Bauman............................. 133 Girls’ Query Corner—Myrtle E. Scott...... ............................. .........136 Jinsaburo’s Journal—Opal Leonore Gibbs......... ............................. 137 Bible Institute Family Circle—Cutler B. Whitwell................ ...........140 Living Lessons from the Book of Life and Everyday Life —Roy Talmage Brumbaugh....... ....-....................... ................... 141 Junior King’s Business—Martha S. Hooker....... ............................. 143 Notes on Christian Endeavor—Mary G. Goodner.................... .......145 International Sunday School Lesson Commentary.:............ '............149 Daily Devotional Readings............................. ................ ............. 162
SUBSCRIBERS’ INFORMATION
ADVERTISING: For information with reference to ad vertising in THE KING’S BUSINESS address the Re ligious Press Assn., 325 North 13th St., Philadelphia, Pa., or North American Bldg., Chicago, I1L Entered as Second Class Matter November 17, 1910, at the I*ost Office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage pro vided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized October 1, 1918. 15c Annual Subscription ....................................................$1.50 Two-year subscription or two annual subscriptions 2.50 T E R M S: Single Copies..............................................
Five annual subscriptions..........................................$ 5.00 Eleven annual subscriptions........................................ 10.00 Subscriptions in countries outside of U. S. require 25c extra. R E M IT T A N C E : Should be made by Bank Draft, Ex press or P. O. Money Order, payable to “Bible Institute of Los Angeles.” Receipts will not be sent for regular subscriptions, but date of expiration will show plainly each month, on outside wrapper or cover of Magazine, M A N U SC R IPT S: THE KING’S BUSINESS cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts sent to it for consideration. CH A N G E OF A D D R E S S : Please send both old and new address at least one month previous to date of desired change.
POLICY AS DEFINED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES (a) To stand for the infallible Word of God and its great fundamental truths, (b) To strengthen the faith of all believers, (c) To stir young men and women to fit themselves for and engage in definite Christian work, (d) To make the Bible Institute of Los Angeles known, (e) To magnify God our Father and the person, work and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; and to teach the -transforming power of the Holy Spirit in our present practical life, (f) To emphasize in strong, constructive messages the great foundations of Christian faith.
554 -5 5 8 So. H o p e St., BIBLE INSTITUTE O F LOS ANGELES, Los A ngeles, C alif.
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■ rounJ THE KING’S TABLE . . . By the E ditor
to His own is seen in the words, “They worshipped him.” Who would not want to worship and adore the Conqueror of death, the Victor over the grave, and the One through whom we may now say, “O death, where is thy sing? O grave, where is thy victory” ! But He is not only the object of our worship, He is the Lord of our life and the director of our service. “Go tell” was His word of command. In view of the fact that two-thirds of the world’s inhabitants have not yet heard “the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation,” how significant-—how imperative—is this, com mand, “Go tell” ! Truly this is the day for personal evan gelism and missionary effort. Let the Easter message of the risen Lord come to us again and afresh, and then “go tell” ! The Hausa Bible n n event of unusual interest is recorded in the Feb ruary issue of the Evangelical Christian. The Bible has been translated into the Hausa language and is now avail able to the twenty-seven million Africans comprising that tribe. Many years of hard work on the part of missionary workers preceded this glorious result from which the reap ing of a great harvest is expected. There is one possible hindrance, however, and of this hindrance Dr. A. P. Stir- rett, the veteran missionary of the Sudan Interior Mission, speaks. Concerning the Hausa Bible, he says: It will, however, be a “hidden” treasure to many be cause of their inability to read its precious truths, and hence our urgent appeal for missionaries who will give themselves entirely to the work of teaching the youth of this vast multitude to read for themselves the wonderful Book. No subjects need be taught other than reading the Hausa Bible and understanding it. And as soon as a few can read and understand its precious truths, and especially if they give evidence of conversion, they will not be kept indefinitely employed about the mission as cooks, boys, helpers, etc., but will be prayerfully sent away with the Word of God in their hands and the Christ of God in their hearts, to go wherever God may lead them to teach others to read the Book now so dear to themselves. Others are then to be taken into class and in due time sent away also, similarly equipped, thus sending away succes sive contingents of young men armed with the Sword of the Spirit and with a testimony altogether independent of the white man’s money or of missions. The only ex pense in connection with such young men is during the time in which they are being taught to read, and even this expense may be curtailed if a little work can be found for them to do. One hundred missionaries, male and female, who will consent to do such humble work as teaching young people to read for themselves this precious Book, are what our Mission needs, and that right away, so as to get a good knowledge of the Hausa language and then begin teach ing at once. Our readers will rejoice to know that, during the past year, six students from the Bible Institute of Los Angeles have gone out to Africa under the Sudan Interior Mission Board. Others are ready to go as soon as the necessary money for passage and equipment is in hand. Some of these will doubtless have a part in the necessary instruc tion of those who are to be evangelists to their own people in the great Hausa tribe. Here is another opportunity for the friends of Biola to cooperate by prayers and gifts in preparing workers for this great harvest field.
At the request of the Board of Di rectors of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Dr. John C. Page, of the Institute faculty, has assumed the edi torial work of T he K ing ' s B usiness .
J ohn C. P age
A New Name
o ur readers will notice a slight change in the caption at the head of this page. Instead of “Crumbs from the King’s Table,” it reads “Around the King’s Table.” The change will suggest the idea of spiritual fellowship as well as spiritual food. Oftentimes in “grace before meat” the one who offers thanks asks also “ for blessing on this food and fellowship.” Have you not heard this phrase repeated ly? Such a petition may well be offered by our readers as we gather month after month “around the King’s table.” We trust that the table will be well spread and the provision appropriated so that sustenance and strength may be derived for the King’s business. The Power of His Resurrection a s suitable to the Easter season, we print the follow ing paragraph from Dr. R. P. Wilder, who for many years was the leader of the Student Volunteer Movement. Dr. Wilder has traveled extensively in both Roman Catholic and Protestant countries and has had the opportunity of observing various types of Christianity and the different planes of Christian experience. His words illustrate the scripture in Ephesians 1:17 to 20, which scripture shows that the resurrection power of God is now available to the Christian believer: I remember that after I had worked in university cen ters in Portugal, I went from there to Norway, and I was a little impressed by the difference among the people. I wondered how one could explain it. Then I remembered that every representation I had seen in Portugal of Jesus Christ was that of an infant in arms, or else some one crucified. We glory in the fact that He was an infant in arms, or else some one crucified. We glory in the fact that He was an infant in arms, for everything depends on the incarnation; we glory in the fact that He died on the cross. But the first painting I saw on reaching Nor way was that of the empty tomb, the three women, and the angel. “He is not here; he is risen.” The thought came to me, “May that not explain possibly some of the difference in the types of Christianity in Portugal, and in Norway?” He is risen, and the power of His resurrection is available for you and for me. “Go Tell” ^ I he C hristian life may find full expression through the two avenues of worship and witnessing. On the resur rection morning, our Lord greeted some of His disciples with the words, “All hail!” This was a message of joy with a note of triumph ringing in it. The first effect of this revelation of the risen Lord and His triumphant greeting
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light, even though heavy in itself and especially so for those who suffered most. From a daily paper published in Los Angeles, we learn that in the San Francisco earth quake of 1906, 452 lives were lost; in the quake of central Italy in 1915, nearly 30,000 people were missing; and in a similar disaster in Japan in 1923, 99,331 persons perished. The oft-discussed question has been again raised; namely, does God send earthquakes? Our answer is no, He does not. God is not the Author of physical evil, even as He is not the Author of moral evil. Wars, pestilences, cyclones, and earthquakes are not from Him, even though He may use them or overrule them for the fulfillment of His purpose. The world is not as God made it. In spite of all that man has done or can do, this is a world of sin and death. “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin.” As a consequence, nature is in disorder, or, to use the words of Scripture, “the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” Every earth quake is a testimony to this fact. Not only so, but increased frequency of such phenomena may be expected toward the end of this age. Our Lord Himself referred to earth quakes as marking the beginning of travail pains denoting the ushering in of a new age. The book of Revelation dis closes the occurrence of “a great earthquake, such as was not since there were men upon the earth, so great an earth quake, so mighty” (cf. Rev. 16:18; 6:12-17). The disorders in the world because of sin, both physical and moral, have never been met and overcome save by one Man, the God-Man, Christ Jesus. In the eighth and ninth chapters of Matthew, we find Him confronted with disease in all its forms, with demons in all their malignity, with death in its grip upon life, and with disorder in nature caused by wind and wave. As a result of a word or a touch from Him, disease was vanquished,, demons fled, death re linquished its grip, and the winds and waves were stilled. Until He returns to reign, we shall have to contend with This condition, however, is only temporary, and in the very near future Christian stewards will re new their gifts and the work of the Lord will go forward. In the meantime, the only commendable course open to us is to live within our means and refuse to borrow money, even if that were possible. This necessitates a proposition which our readers will readily endorse; namely, to combine the April and May issues of the magazine, thereby effecting a sufficient saving to enable us to meet the present emergency. This very necessity may prove to be a blessing by suggesting to our readers the need of their prayerful and financial cooperation in carry ing on this important work. There will be no loss to any subscriber to T he K ing ’ s B usiness in combining the April and May issues o f the magazine. Every subscription^ now on our files will be extended one month, so that twelve issues will be mailed to every paid-up subscriber.
“Strange Days” ^ ll he subscription manager of one of our leading news papers, in a recent letter addressed to subscribers, wrote these words. You are living in strange days, such as no mortal ever expected to witness. We are in a midst of peace and plenty, not in war and want, and yet the world seems to be closed up like a clam. A pile of history is going to be made within the next year. Things are not going to stand still as they have for several years past. Events are going to move so swiftly that the best of us will be hard put to it to keep pace with them. These words, though not cast into the mold of Bible language, are so strikingly in harmony with revealed truth that one wonders whether they sprang merely from obser vation of things as they are, or whether they are colored by the teachings of Scripture. If you want to know what the Scriptures really teach concerning these “strange days,” read the articles by Dr. Bauman on “Present Day Ful fillment of Prophecy” regularly appearing in T he K ing ’ s B usiness . The Earthquake in Southern California O n the evening of March 10, without a moment of warning, the earth began to quake in the Southern Califor nia area, and although the first shock lasted but a few seconds, those who passed through it will not soon forget the experience. Exaggerated reports were at first given to the outside world, but when these reports were brought down to the basis of actual fact, it was necessary to modify them. Even in this modified form, it was clearly seen that the loss of life and the damage to property made the dis aster one of major proportions in our national history. As compared with other major earthquakes of the Twentieth Century, the loss both in lives and property was
N NOU N C EME N T T he policy of T he K ing ’ s B usiness is stated in every issue of the magazine imme diately below the table of contents. Every evangelical believerwill heartily endorse
the six points in this policy. The mission of T he K ing ’ s B usiness is to min ister to others, rather than to be ministered unto. The magazine is published at a loss financially, but with immeasurable gains spiritually: The letter's that pour into this office prove that every issue of the magazine is freighted with spiritual instruction and blessing. For this;reason, the financial loss has been willingly met by the sacrificial giving of the friends o f the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. The ability of these friends has now been limited by the events of the past few weeks, so that dona tions are seriously curtailed.
April-May, 1933
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N - E S S
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A Terrible Indictment he American.Association for the Advancement of Atheism recently issued a bulletin in which we read the startling paragraph: Much as we dislike modernists because of their illog ical compromising, we must recognize that for many, modernism is but a stop-over on the road to atheism. Per haps we should have a little more patience with these our weaker brothers who are unable to go straight from orthodoxy to atheism without resting at the camps of lib eralism along the way. Modernism being no abiding place for the reasoning mind, some of them will yet arrive. Was there ever written a more terrible indictment for treason against the Christ ? A Suggestion uring a recent visit to Chicago, the Editor attended the noonday theater meetings in the loop district. The seating capacity of the theater was taxed to the utmost, and the blessing of God was abundantly manifested both in the message and the results that followed. These theater meetings are the outgrowth of nine months of concerted prayer by a group of Christian busi ness men. They are evangelistic in character. The preach ing of the gospel is followed with an invitation and oppor tunity to receive and confess the Lord Jesus Christ. The messages are broadcast, Monday to Friday, over the Moody Bible Institute radio, thereby extending the gracious min istry to thousands of people in radio land. No collections are taken during the week, but a basket is placed in the lobby where those who desire to give for the maintenance of the work may do so as they pass out. Money is also sent in by mail from those who have been blessed, either in the meetings or over the radio. The movement has spread to other centers, and revival fires have been started. Many of the Christian business men among our readers may find in this brief record a suggestion and incentive to initiate meetings of a similar nature in order that the gospel message may be presented to the unchurched people in their communities. God honors the faith of His people. Prayer and faith will overcome all obstacles. Blessing in Portland ^ lP h e following letter from Dr. W. H. Rogers will be read with interest by our subscribers. Dr. Philpott was for three years the pastor of the Church of the Open Door, and he has a host of friends in Southern California: “Dr. P. W. Philpott has just closed a three-weeks’ gos pel ministry in Portland, in which twenty-eight churches cooperated. From the beginning of.the campaign to its close, this splendid man of God commanded the confidence of the pastors and churches, and has left them happy and grateful to God. “During the three weeks, he has earnestly plead for the consecration of church members and has poured out his spiritual energies in behalf of the lost souls he has yearned to see saved. He has now^gone, but the influence of his soul-stirring messages andTthe echoes of his passionate pleas will remain. His ministries have been wonderfully stimulating; Christ has beer|exalted; the Word has been magnified; sovereign grace has been proclaimed; souls have been saved; backsliders have been reclaimed; indif ferent ones have been awakened and restored; revival fires have burned in our midst, and every'day has been fruitful in the spiritual instruction we have received. It will be easier for the pastors and churches to crftry on because of his spiritually constructive messages.” »
the adverse forces of a world in disorder through sin and death. In the meantime, God stands with us against our sorrows, our sobbing, our sighing, and our sins. He does this by the offer of a pardon—full, free, and eternal—a par don as free as the air we breathe, yet not cheap ; a righteous pardon, proclaimed for us by the blood of the cross, and to be received and enjoyed by faith. This is followed by His peace : the peace of sins forgiven, the peace of a cleansed conscience, the peace of a satisfied heart; the peace of a surrendered will. Then again, He stands with us in the comfort of His Word and the power of His Spirit. “He sendeth his word, and healeth them.” There is spiritual healing in that word. Moreover, God stands with us in His promise of a time when all disorders shall be overcome, when sin shall be no more. For “there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain : for the former things are passed away.” To those who sorrow because of recent loss, we com mend these promises and say, “This is the victory that over- cometh the world, even our faith.” I The Appraisal Report h r is t ia n evangelical believers everywhere will rejoice to know that a new association has been formed to protest the Appraisal Report of the Laymen’s Foreign Missions Inquiry Commission. Christian leaders from the various denominations, both ministers and laymen, are found on its executive com mittee. In announcing its organization, the association has made the following explanation : The authoritative nature of the Appraisal Report has seriously disturbed the confidence of many in the whole missionary enterprise. At a time of deep religious depres sion, it comes to dampen ardor and to discourage faith. Realizing the necessity of facing the distinct modernism of the report and the dire need of repudiating its misin terpretation of missions as a human enterprise, we have formed a group of representatives of many denominations and assemblies to reaffirm our faith in and support of Christian missions. We have also engaged to promote a wider knowledge of and a more sacrificial interest in the cause of world evangelization. We stand against the Laymen’s Foreign Missions Inquiry Appraisal Report be cause it is a humanist appraisal of a distinctly spiritual project. The good it contains is a borrowed good, since its recommendations are largely in operations carried on now. The aim of the association is to rally to the standard of Christian missions every loyal Christian in the land, and its hope is a revival in the denominations and assemblies of Christian knowledge, zeal, and sacrifice for world evan gelization. World’s Christian Fundamentals Convention O ne of the outstanding events of the year in evangel ical circles will be the sixteenth annual convention of thè World’s Christian Fundamentals Association, to be held in the Moody Memorial Church, Chicago, June 25 to July 2. Fundamentalists are urged to mark this date on their cal endars, to pray very definitely for the convention, and if possible to attend. Bible teachers, pastors, evangelists, and other Christian leaders who plan to attend should com municate with the president of the World’s Christian Fundamentals Association, Dr. Paul W. Rood, Turlock, California. T A Word of Thanks h e illustrations appearing on pages 137 and 138 are used through the courtesy of the N. Y. K. Line, 551 Market Street, San Francisco, Calif., to whom grateful thanks are expressed. This famous steamship line serves five continents, operating 150 modern steamers in world wide trade.
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B y PETER PLgJK IN Los Angeles, California
He takes the flower from me and gives it to one of the workers, and I see it begin to go through a strange process of change. From one worker to another it passes, instru ments are set in motion, chemicals poured, gases released; and presently I can no longer see a flower at all. After a while, the scientist returns. But instead of a flower, he car ries a number of tiny tubes, each containing some cloudy fluid or gas. “Where is the flower?” I ask. “If it was only an opti cal illusion, it was nevertheless beautiful to the sight and sweet to smell.” I take the little tubes to ex
[Dr. Plotkin is a Russian Jew. When he was a lad of ten, his family was massacred before his eyes, but he was rescued by Tolstoy. A rich Jew educated him, and he became a great painter. For many years, he was entangled in false and godless phil osophies, until he was liberated through the saving grace of God.— E ditor .]
I hold a flower in my hand. I look at it, and my eyes are refreshed and delighted with its form and color. I press my nose to the flower and smell its delicate fragrance. But suppose I take this flower to a great factory—a place of man-made things. I find in the factory a door over which there is a sign that r e a d s ‘‘Chemical Laboratory.” I go in. Everywhere I see the great machines of man’s in vention—all of the intricate paraphernalia of the'sci^ntist— test tubes, and bottles gleaming with the colored chemicals and imprisoned gases, scales and shining microscopes, and complicated instruments without number. All over the bare and colorless walls I see written the scientist’s cold formula of tru th : “Two and two are four-—two and two are four.” There is a great noise as the throng of workers moves here and there, swift and precise, like well-oiled automa tons, pouring the chemicals, adjusting the scales, feeding the burners. And now and then loud explosions shake the foundations of the great plant. The atmosphere of the place is dry, and gray, and monotonous. Walls and machines and workers are all of this same drab color. And the workers, with cold, expres sionless faces, move about mechanically or stand like the bottles on the shelves—short bottles, tall bottles, fat bot tles, slim bottles, blending into the scene like so many cogs and wheels in a vast machine. I turn with relief to the fresh flower that I hold in my hand—the one splash of lovely color in the surrounding ugliness—one spot of beauty in this chaotic desert of color less beings and colorless things, scarcely distinguishable one-from the other. A man, stiff and expressionless like the others, ap proaches me and says: “My name is Logic; I am also called Reason.” He stares with cold contempt at the little flower in my hand, that from time to time I have been pressing to my nose to keep from choking in the dry atmosphere of the
amine them, and from each a bitter and repulsive odor arises, filling the air about me with the smell of death. Suddenly, I dash the vile tubes to the floor, and rush ing out to escape the suffocating atmosphere, I cry out, with tears in my eyes: “They have stolen my flower and given’me nothing in return but vile and bitter gases. What do I care for their scientific analysis? I want the lovely flower in its freshness and beauty!”
So it is with the Bible. The Bible is that sublime and beautiful flower, re vealing to the questioning eyes of hu
manity the simple truths of God’s power and goodness and mercy. Pointing us to perfection, it is sufficient for our needs, and in it alone is found the assurance of peace and happiness and eternal life for every creature in God’s earth. This is my challenge to the statesmen and sages and law givers and philosophers of all the ages: What can you add to this Book to make it a better guide for humanity ? And what do you dare to take away from it? If you tear out a page, you must replace it with a better one. If it is not essential, what will you give instead? And if you cannot give a better hope and a better doctrine for the aching hearts of men, beware that you do not take this from them! Be careful, I say. Don’t touch my beautiful flower—this flower, this Book that even Time, who is called the great destroyer, cannot destroy, for Christ has said to u s : “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall endure for ever.” Safe Among the Lilies In the south of France, the lily of the val ley grows over wide areas. While it blooms, hunting ceases, for the fragrance of the lilies completely destroys the scent of the animals. Deer and gazelle roam the fields in perfect safety —a picture of the Christian who companies with the divine Lily of the Valley and is kept safe.
place. His voice is cracked and dry like the rattle of seeds in a withered pod, and from his hard, dry eyes the light of-«, hard,,dry soul is shining. “Heh, heh,” he laughsisarcastically. “What do you have there—amower ?” “Yes,” I answer. “No,” says the dry' and brittle voice. “It is not a flower' at all. It is' an optical illusion. If you really want to know what it is, wait here, and I will snow you by scientific analysis.” ; '1
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B y MILO F. .JAMISON* Los AngelëSTCalif.
m few years ago while in Philadelphia, I was privileged to visit the private gallery in the John Wanamaker store, in which is hung the great painting, Christ on Calvary, by Michael de Munkacsy. The reality of the scene at the cross had never been so meaningful to me as when I stood for some time alone gazing upon that mag nificent canvas, twenty-three feet long by fourteen feet wide, which has been viewed by hundreds of thousands of people in Europe and America. The three crosses, as they stand upon Calvary’s hill— Christ in the center illumined by a shaft of light coming through the dark clouds, and the two malefactors on either side, one repentant and the other re jecting the Lord of Glory—impressed me as have few pic tures I have ever had the privilege of viewing. Let us examine these three crosses of Golgotha to dis cover their meaning and message. T he C enter C ross Dr. A. C. Dixon says, “The tragedy of the crucifixion is one thing; the deeper meaning of the cross is quite another. In its tragedy, it is repulsive; in its deeper mean ing, it is the most attractive thing in all God’s universe.” Externally, we there see Jesus of Nazareth nailed be tween two thieves, dying an ignoble death—a martyr and a perfect example of heroic self-giving. The trouble with many people is that they stop here and never see deeper into the mystery and tremendous significance of Calvary. Here died the holy, spotless, perfect Man of all the ages, •the only pure, untainted human being that ever lived; but here also died Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, and on the center cross we learn two tremen dous lessons. To measure the human heart, we must see Calvary. The cry of the crowd, “Crucify him,” has been the cry of the ages. “When man preferred a robber and a murderer to the Son of God, he proved that he would rather have rob bery and murder than light and love.” The measure of man’s sinful heart is demonstrated by his rejection and crucifixion of. the only perfect Man that ever lived. Some may argue that the world today would not reject Christ, that we have made too much progress in the past nineteen centuries. True, the influence of Christianity has been *Director of. University Bible Clubs, Inc.
marked, but a mere casual glance at the trend of the day will display the fact that, in the mad rush of today, few have time for the meek and lowly Jesus, the Man of Calvary. Not only do we see man’s heart and its sinful blackness, but we see God’s wonderful love for man. This same cross measures both the hatred and the sin in the heart of man, and the compas sion and tenderness of a merciful God. Here God and sin met; God triumphed. Man here displayed the height of his enmity against God, God the height of His love for man. This is the bright side of the cross. “God so loved.” Jesus’ first word on the cross is tremendously significant, “Father, for give them.” Oh, the tenderness, the graciousness, the su preme heart-yearning! The center cross shows us the blackness of our sin. It also shows us a forgiving Saviour crying to a lost world, “Come unto me.” Here we can understand Paul’s declaration, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Christ of God on Calvary is the measure of God’s love for us. Superficially He is acclaimed; actually He is crucified afresh every day in the lives pf countless millions. His ethics and principles are acknowledged as very good, but men and women draw back from His death on Calvary’s cross. The skeptics and agnostics scorn the cross. The rationalists and modernists ridicule and make light of it. The religionists and moralists shudder when it is mentioned. The indifferent pass it by without a look. The deluded glibly explain it away. And they all reject the One nailed to its rugged beams. The cross judges man’s heart and discovers it deceitful and desperately wicked; and the cry today, as at Pilate’s Hall, is, “Away with Him, we do not want a bloody reli gion ; we can be saved by our own works. We do not need a sacrifice for sin; an example of heroism is enough—-not this man, but Barabbas.” And by the cross, we are judged as all being sinners before God. “I see the crowd in Pilate’s Hall, I mark their wrathful mien; Their shouts of, ‘Crucify,’ appall, with blasphemy between; And of that shouting multitude I feel that I am one; And in that din of. voices rude I recognize my own. “I see the scourges tear His back, I see the piercing crown, And of that crowd who smite and mock, I feel that I am one; Around yon cross, the throng I see, mocking the Sufferer’s groan, Yet still my voice it seems to be—as if I mocked alone.
M ílo F. J amison
April-May, 1933
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“’Twas I that shed the sacred blood, I nailed Him to the tree, I crucified the Christ of God, I joined the mockery; Yet not the less that blood avails to cleanse away my sin, And not the less that cross prevails to give me peace within.” T he P enitent T hief There were three crosses on Golgotha that day. What of the other two? We find here pictured the two great classes into which the human race is divided for time and eternity. We have here those who receive and those who reject the Son of God, those who believe and those who believe not, those who accept and those who refuse the grace of God. But what of this man? He was a guilty sinner before God and man. He was under condemnation. It should be noted that there was
There was nothing the thief could do to merit salvation. This is clearly evident. He could not be saved by-living the golden rule or doing his best. He had done no good deeds. He had not even been baptized or joined the church. His case was hopeless so far as he tyas concerned. His hands and feet were nailed fast. He could do nothing to merit life. Note in the third place that the thief was willing to acknowledge his guilt. In answering the railing of the other, he says, “Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemna tion? And we indeed justly; for we.receive the due re ward of our deeds.” This is the first step in true repent ance: “We indeed justly are condemned.” There can be
no salvation until there is first a sense and acknowledgment of guilt before God. We are not saved by repenting, but we must repent if we are to be saved. The Bible order is “repent and be converted.” But this man did not stop with mere repentance. He acknowledged Christ as Lord and King, bore testimony to His spot less character, and placed himself in His hands. His hands and feet were nailed to the cross, but his tongue and heart were free. Listen to his confes sion : “This man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” Truly we see here the influence of the majestic Son of God. That He should be acknowledged as King and Lord when dying the crim inal’s death is a remarkable fact. “Lord, remember me,” cries the thief ■—and thus comes salvation. “Whoso ever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” “For with the heart man believeth unto righteous ness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10). Christ’s reply gives assurance and hope to all who repent and cry to Him: “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” T he U nrepentant T hief
no essential difference between the two men crucified on either side of our Lord—nothing which points to difference in nature, in action, or in the circumstances which would ex plain their different attitudes. In fact, in Matthew 27 :44, we read, “The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.” Also in Mark 15 :32 we are told that “they that were crucified with him reviled him.” A significant fact! They were both sinners and guilty before God and man. Indeed, Paul says, “There is no difference: For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” And while there are many who
Praise for the Cross “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14).
How sad and lonely was the road That Jesus, our Redeemer, trod! He laid His glory down to be Our Substitute on Calvary, How can we dwell upon the stene? Lord, may Thy passion to us mean That melted we will count all loss, And glory only in the cross. Oh, costly love—the price He paid; Sin and the curse were on Him laid; And as a criminal there He died; God’s holy Son was crucified. Oh, make the vision clearer still; We would see Jesus on the hill O f Calvary, and Him adore, Who ever lives to die no more.
are outwardly more moral than these condemned malefactors, yet inwardly human nature is the same. As Dr. Macintosh says, “The human heart is the seed plot in which may be found the seed of every crime that has ever stained the page of human history. If the seed has not germinated and fructified, it is not owing to a differ ence in the soul, but a difference in surrounding circumstances and influ ences.” And it might be added that the fact that many who read this arti cle have not gone the limit in moral and spiritual degeneracy and brought forth a corrupt fruit as the thief, the murderer, and the adulterer is due to the surroundings and circumstances rather than to their nature. Self-righteousness is leveled by the sweeping state ment, “There is no difference. . . all have sinned.” One has said, “Grace levels all distinctions now; and judgment will level them by and by. If we are saved, it is in company with Magdalenes and Samaritans; and if we are lost, it will be in company with such likewise.” There is a point which should be made clear in these days when morality, evolution, education, legislation, and similar means are suggested as ways of saving the race. The Bible is emphatic that there is no good thing in the natural man, and the honest man will admit that it is true. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desper ately wicked.” “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication; thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” They are there, and every sincére man must face the fact. Our reputations may be blameless before men, but what of our true character before God? We cry with the apostle, “O wretched man that I am !” Our case is hopeless; the more clearly we recognize this fact, the better we can accept God’s wondrous love gift of salvation.
We p raise Thee for redemption’s plan, Thought out by Thee for ruined man, And to the blessed One-in-Three Our praise shall rise continually.
—N ellie A. M oves .
There was a third cross! And where the way of the man on the second cross shows that salvation is open to all who repent and believe, the way of the man on the third cross is the way of condemnation and eternal death. There are only two attitudes which can be taken toward Christ. We must either accept or reject Him. From the record, the man on the third cross was no worse than the one on the second. Both had sinned, both were paying for their sin; both had reviled Jesus; But one re pented and confessed Christ as Lord. The other said, “If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.” The little word, “If,” has been the stumblingblock of the skeptic and rationalist in all ages. It spells the difference between heaven and hell, between an eternity with God and eternity with the damned. Oh, the horror of the thought—to go to everlasting doom within an arm’s length of the Saviour of the world! Yet thousands today, with churches in their city and Bibles in their homes, are going to everlasting death because they will not believe. Golgotha’s three crosses: On one the Son of God, the Saviour of the world; on one a repentant and a Christ- saved sinner; on one a skeptical, blaspheming, and self- damned unbeliever. And you?
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“If any man shall say unto you, Lo, here ts Christ, or there; be lieve it not. For there s h a l l a r i s e false Christs, and f a l s e prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were pos sible, they shall de ceive the very elect ” —Matt. 24:23,24.
o t F O R o & # o u p . { n w e m c t o T
IS IT OF GOD OR IS IT AN ANGLO-CATHOLIC MOVEMENT? B y LOUIS T. TALBOT* Los Angeles, Calif.
1. The Eternal Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1-3; Micah 5 :2). 2. The Atoning Nature of the Death of Jesus Christ (Col. 1 :20; Heb. 10:19; Rev. 7 :14, 15). 3. Regeneration by the Holy Spirit (John 3:7). 4. The Resurrection of the Body of Christ (John 14: 19; 1 Cor. 15). These are the standards by which to measure the scrip tural position of those who present themselves as teachers and leaders of the church of Jesus Christ. We realize that immature Christians may not know very much about these things, but no man is qualified to be a teacher and guide un less he is well grounded in these fundamental principles of saving faith. During the visit of the Group to the city, I not only attended a number of their meetings, but also met with some of their leaders in a private conference in order to ascertain their attitude toward these fundamental princi ples and to obtain other information that would enable one to judge fairly the merits of this Movement. I went with an unbiased mind; I came away more convinced than ever that the criticisms of the Movement that have come from all parts of the world are just and merited. C ommendable F eatures A s in all movements of this kind, there are, of course, some things to be said in favor of the Oxford Movement. Its members emphasize some vital things that the modern church fails to stress and which not a few churches deny. No fossilized preacher or dead church should criticize the Oxford or any other group. They might well profit from them. In the first place, the members, of the Oxford Group believe that God can do something for a man, which fact is sadly denied today in many circles. They believe also in the supernatural in the human life. Of course, all real evan gelicals have believed all this and have proclaimed itthrough the ages. We believe and proclaim it in the Church of the Open Door. If there is a man or woman who is in bondage to any kind of sin, I want you to know that there is a great ■God who loves you and who is able to deliver you from that bondage, no matter what it may be. In this congrega tion, there and many men who at one time were drunkards, thieves, morphine addicts; but God has marvelously deliv ered them. Talk about lives transformed! Come any Wed nesday night and hear their testimonies. There are also men and women who have never committed the particular sins mentioned, but they have come to realize that they, too, need to be born again, and have been delivered from their self-righteousness through faith in Christ as Re deemer, Lord, and Coming King. The Oxford Group also believes that the most important thing in a man’s life is his responsibility to Almighty God.
^ i P h e great prophecies contained in the Olivet Discourse were uttered by our Lord just prior to His crucifixion on Calvary. As He sat on the Mount of Olives, where in the future His feet shall stand in the day of His manifestation, He prophesied the destruction of the magnificent temple building, and His disciples questioned Him, saying, “Tell us when shall these things be ? And what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the age?” In answer to that question, our Lord cast His all-seeing eye down the age toward its close and pointed out to His people certain unmistakable signs by which they might know when the age was drawing to a close. Among other things, the Lord warned His disciples of the religious condition that would prevail in the end time. “False Christs, and false prophets, shall arise,” He de clared. So great will be the delusions at that time that “if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” The inspired writers of the Epistles, Paul, Peter, and James, echo the same note of warning. To Timothy was written, “In the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giv ing heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Tim. 4:1). Peter warns against false prophets who shall “deny the Lord that bought them” (2 Pet. 2:1). Jude urges that we “contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” John adds a word of ex hortation, as well as of warning, that we “try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4 :1). In view of these and other scriptures, no pastor should be charged with uncharity who examines the theological position of those who come to be the teachers and the guides of the church of Jesus Christ. There was never a day when it was so important to require leaders to furnish their credentials as it is today. A pplying the T est of the W ord God has given us a standard by which we may measure the scriptural position of movements and men. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isa. 8 :20). The way to put any movement to the test and dis cover its worth or worthlessness is to bring it under the lens of Holy Writ. In the Church of the Open Door, we believe that the Bible is the Word of God; that it is the supreme authority, and the only court of appeal. We shall not ex amine the Oxford Movement or any other movement in the light of our interpretations of* the Bible, but rather in the light of those principles that all evangelical Christians throughout the ages have recognized as fundamental to saving faith. These principles are four in number: * Pastor, Church of the Open Door.
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