December, 1933
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
428
L I F E
F R O M T H E B O O K OF L I F E A N D E V E R Y D A Y B y R o y T a l m a g e B r u m b a u g h
enamored o f the negligible countercurrents that he fails to see in which direction man kind is moving. Educationally, commercially, socially, and scientifically, the world is getting better, but what are these eddies compared with the moral and spiritual drift o f the day? THE CROWD—Teaching, preaching, healing 1 And the result? Fame and crowds I But later—“many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:66). Brother, put not your trust in multitudes. Today they cry, “ Long live the king.” Tomorrow the same lips hiss, “Down with him.” Walk with God, and the music of His “well done” will ever sound in the ears o f your soul. But the more the Egyptians afflicted the Jews, the more they multiplied and grew. Difficulties promote progress. Persecution o f the church after the martyrdom of Ste phen resulted in the scattering of witness ing believers everywhere. God heard the cry o f His oppressed peo ple, and in the fullness o f time, He led them out of the land o f bondage with a high hand. The plan which Pharaoh thought to be a wise one brought plagues, pain, and death to Egypt, but deliverance to the ob jects o f his wrath. “ They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowl edge” (Jer. 4:22). Industry is slowly learning that it is poor business to keep laborers in bondage. The body is limited in strength and endur ance, yet this fact has been ignored by or ganized greed for millenniums. Until re cently, moneyed interests seemed to ig nore the fact that every man, even an un learned workman, has a soul. The centuries have been made dismal by the wailing of oppressed labor—and yet oppression was labeled wisdom. “I will destroy the wis dom o f the wise . . . hath not God made foolish the wisdom o f this world?” (1 Cor. 1 :19, 20). FIRST—The apostles gave themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word. These should come first in the life of every preacher. Other voices call and other re sponsibilities beckon, but the man who sees very clearly what God wants him to do will concentrate upon prayer and the min istry of the Word. Such men never grow stale. Such men constantly grow in grace and in the knowledge o f God, in preaching power, as well as in consistency in Chris tian living. The congregation which per mits its pastor to concentrate thus is wise. The congregation which does not permit its pastor so to do is unwise, and will find itself naked, poor, and blind, with God say ing to it, “Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.”
Those who serve are great. Those who serve faithfully are numbered among the chief ones in the kingdom of heaven. “Even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto [served], but to minister [serve], and to give his life a ranson for many.” Be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. THE MOUNTAIN TOP—I was stand ing one day beside Commencement Bay. I looked toward Mount Tacoma. The base o f the mountain was hidden from view by smoke and by a dense mist. I looked higher, however, and I saw that the sun was playing on the peak. The summit of Mount Tacoma was light-crowned and sun-kissed. Along the lower levels o f life, there is sordidness; there is the dense mist o f ra tionalism ; there is the soot of communism, and the darkness of unbelief. However, those who are strong in God will rise above the low standards of life and will be found above the soot and mists of the earth, light- crowned by the Son of righteousness. THE FOLLY OF WISDOM—“ Come on, let us deal wisely with them,” said Pharaoh. This display of wisdom resulted in the affliction of Israel. The wisdom of the world is at variance with the wisdom o f God, and a sworn foe of the people of God. Unspiritual wisdom is an intolerable tyrant. SIMON OF CYRENE—The Lord’s physical strength was rapidly leaving Him. He staggered under the cross. The weight was too great for His ebbing vitality. The Roman soldiers therefore compelled Si mon of Cyrene to bear the cross for Christ. What an honor I What distinction I A man unknown heretofore had his name re corded in the immortal pages of Holy Writ. Many humble followers o f Christ are still honored thus. Are you bearing His cross? Have you followed Him to Golgotha? Have you been crucified with Him? Are you now at the right hand of God in Him? THE MAIN DIRECTION—P e o p 1e standing at Point Defiance and looking out over “ The Narrows” will see the main drift o f the tide. However, if one goes down to the water front far below, he will be attracted by the countercurrents and the eddies along the shore. These, of course, move in a direction contrary to the main current o f Puget Sound. As one stands on the eminence of real statesmanship, he will see the main direction of national life. Those who stand on the low level o f current politics see merely the countereddies. The prophet stands on the mountain peak of divine revelation and sees the main drift o f the age. The evolutionist stands by the shore of his generation and is so
SALT—“Ye are the salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13). Christ exalted the common things of life. The heavenly Alchemist
transforms dust into gold, and salt into a significant symbol. Sal t p r e s e r v e s food; Chr i s t i ans preserve society. The
absence of salt may mean putrefaction. Moral rot and spiritual decay prevail when and where Christianity is absent. Salt flavors the substances with which it is mixed; Christianity imparts its spirit to city, state, and nation. The policy o f the United States of America was once fla vored by the influences of the church of God. Salt may lose its preserving and flavoring properties ; the church may lose its spirituality. This also may be true of the individual Christian. Has the church lost its savor? Have you? Have I? LIGHT—“Ye are the light of the world” (Matt 5:14). Light reveals: Christians make visible the sinfulness p f sin and the abundance of grace. Light guides: Chris tians lead the unenlightened into the truth. Light cheers: Christians bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, the first o f which are love and joy. Men do not turn on the light, and then cover it with opaque ma terial. God does not call Christians out of darkness into light to live in the world incognito. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven.” AS A CITY—“ A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid” (Matt. 5:14). The spiritual believer is just like that. He stands out. His way of living, turn of mind, and sta bility under trial make his God conspicu ous in him. Surface peculiarity is a farce; holy singularity is a force.
CHRISTLIKE—The standards of the kingdom are out of reach o f the human. It would be easier for a fish to live the bird
way than for an un regenerated man to live “the Jesus way.” A man must be born all over again before he can follow Christ
in anything. Intellectual judgment will not understand these words. To spiritual dis cernment, this truth will be recognized as a basic principle of the kingdom. WORKS—Christians are God’s work manship. We are created unto good works. Faith without works is dead. Creed is the dynamic o f conduct. Conduct is the fruit o f an adequate creed. Higher criticism is the nursing mother o f a low morality.
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