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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
December, 1933
When a Life Becomes a Gift ^ “What does So-and-so really want for Christmas?” How often have you heard the question? Gifts that are wanted are precious gifts. Have you ever asked yourself, ' What does my Lord really desire?” If you have, and if you have been still enough to hear His answer, you have learned that, perhaps more than anything else, He longs to have men and women accept the salvation that was purchased with His own life blood, longs to see the last member added to "the church which is his body,” that He, the returning Bridegroom, may claim His own. Are you giving the King the gift He wants most? Remember, it is “ one sinner that repenteth” that causes heaven’s courts to resound with joy. Can you point a poor sinner to Christ, the Saviour ? Stu-
“ Oh, how he needs the Saviour!” somebody said. And another added, “ Y e s ! And if there is joy in the presence o f the angels over one sinner that repents, don’t you im ag in e there would be special rejoicing if one, like our friend here, gave his heart as a Christ mas gift to the King?” The reply was inaudible. “ It seems to me,” one of the boys said, after a long
they not read and believed: “ In all thy ways acknowl edge him, and he shall direct thy paths” ? Unitedly, they had prayed that some oppor tunity for witnessing to His soul-saving power might re sult from their digression from the beaten course; silently now every man bore on his heart the need of the one before them, a need of which only God knew all. The meal finished, one of
STUDENT BODY AND FACU LTY A T BIBLE IN STITU TE OF LOS ANGELES, 1933.
pause, “ that I just can’t stand it, if somebody doesn’t find Christ as Saviour this Christmastime!” True, there had been souls saved all along the way on the trip thus fa r ; but so worthy was the Lord to receive increased glory and praise, that past trophies of grace were not to be count ed. All night long, huddled together in the cr ow d e d quarters that the humble home afforded, the words rang in the hearts o f five young men: “ Some soul to be a Christinas gift for Christ!” About midnight, rain, cold and dismal, began beating on the roof. “ Some soul to be a Christmas gift for Christ!” it seemed to say. Changed from thought to p ra y e r, all night the words went winging from burdened hearts up to the throne o f God. “ W e will speak to him
dents of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles can, and do. They are in daily contact— as you may not be— with lost souls in a great city. You may enter into partnership with them. There are more than 435 students at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles at the present time. Every one of them is, or wants to be, a soul-winner. For the fulfillment of this God- given desire, the Bible Institute offers to the student, absolutely free, classroom instruction which costs the Institute approxi mately $75.00 per student per semester. It does this, confi dently believing that the cost of training (exclusive of board and room, which are furnished at cost) will be met, as it has been met through the years, by Christian stewards who wel come the opportunity of claiming as their representatives young men and women who are learning of Christ to be “ fishers of men.“ Will you enter into partnership with one student, volun teering to pay for the cost of his or her training? For a semester...................................................$75.00 For a month..................................................... 25.00 For a week......................................................... 6.25 For a day......................................................... 1.00 O beloved, for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave His life for sinners, for the sake of suffering humanity in des perate need of a Saviour, for the sake of the continued minis try of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles as a soul-saving sta tion, I urge you to consider this matter prayerfully! Shall the Christ of Bethlehem and of Calvary receive at this Christmas season the gift for which His loving heart yearns? If you would like a student to be your partner in witness ing for Christ, mark your gift “PARTNERSHIP ACCOUNT and send it to the TREASURER of the Bible Institute, 558 So. Hope Street, Los Angeles, Calif. Yours for Christ and for souls,
the boys asked if they might not read a chapter from the Bible. It was their evening custom, he explained. Ever so slightly, their host in clined his head in silent as sent, and the reading began. “ He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.” With gratitude, five men prayed, as they heard the words; one, who could not pray, bent his' head sadly. “ All we like sheep have gone astray, we have tu rn ed every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Five men knew that by ac tive faith, this Sin-Bearer had become their personal Saviour; one did not know it, and sorrow wrenched his heart. He might ignore the Christ whom he saw in the lives of those about him, but he could not escape the en treaty o f the Christ of the living Word. Lower his head bent, and he did not attempt to lift it.
again in the morning,” one o f the boys whispered hope fully. “ Perhaps he will be ready to yield then.” But morning brought the reply, crisp and unchanged, “ No, it’s not for m e !” The parting over, the boys moved on, silently. Grief and longing gripped their hearts. How many times, they wondered vaguely, had the same scene been enacted in the life o f this man— the Word understood, the claims of Christ presented, the heart’s door still securely barred. As Old Age had followed Youth, so sullen indifference had [Continued on page 418]
As simply as Andrew told Simon, the way to Christ was explained by those who had found Him themselves and were glad. But feet grown calloused on the rocks o f human effort are not easily turned into the paths o f righteousness. “ No, it’s not for me,” he said at length, sadness and rebellion commingled. “ All right for you fellows; you re young. But life’s been hard—mighty hard— and there ain’t no way to better it now.” Abruptly, he left the room and walked into the night.
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