King's Business - 1941-02

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A M E R I C A ’ S H O P E By Helen Frazee-Bower

O bright, against the clouded sky, The well-loved banner gleams; Its silken folds the ancient hope Of all our patriots' dreams. Yet never, through the troubled years, Has love of land sufficed: That nation, only, shall endure That bows to Jesus Christ.

FEBRUARY 1941

TEN CENTS

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Have YOU an answer for unbelievers? THE FUNDAMENTALS

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J.he peace of mind which comes from a regular income and provision for the future may add years to your life. Figures prove that owners of annuities are longer lived than the average person . As a holder of an Annuity Agreement of the American Bible Society you receive a check at stated intervals, regardless of disturbing or perplexing world conditions. Such checks have never failed though they have been issued regularly for more than 90 years. Yon enjoy protection in old age through a steady income. You enjoy also the permanent satisfaction of taking part in the increasingly important work of making the Bible more widely available throughout the world.

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M a y vo e send you “ A G ift That Lives, a little hook- let that ex­ plain s the plait and how you may enjoy its two-fold advantages?

_ Denomination _

-L.

February, 1941

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The King's Business The T'rue-to-the-Bible Family Magasine The Official Organ of THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Inc. LOU IS T . TA LBO T, 0 M ILD B E D M . COOK, Editor-In-Chief M anaging Editor

"I Changed My Mind on Good"

We sent some Christmas money to a number of Jewish Christian refugee boys. One of the “thank you” letters was so revealing of the tragic psychology into which some of these suffering Jews are being driven that we think you will want .to read at least a few sentences: To make clear my apprecia­ tion concerning the gift, I want to describe in short, a few words,—my Christmas. When Christmas vacation began, the students of my school apart themselves, many went home, others went to friends, also the poor Russian boys have friends where to go, and to spend their vacation time in happiness; and the Jewish . . . This made me think . . how is about the Jew­ ish ? Having no family, no friends. So that I have not to expect of somebody any friendly word, because nobody cares about Jews, or maybe Christmas doesn’t belong to me. However I have to spend my time during Christmas vacation in loneli­ ness. And when I opened your letter . . . And of course I changed my mind on good. “Nobody cares about Jews!” But the dear brother found that he was wrong, and so he says, “I Changed my mind on good!” Some­ body did care. You who read these lines, you care, and thou­ sands of others of the Lord’s choicest children, they care, and they send us their heart prayers, and their money, and with their money we come to grips with this terrible condition of Jewish star­ vation,“ heartache and agony of soul, the world over. So, when you become a partner with us, you are a sharer in that ministry that touches God’s people Israel at the point of their desperate need. And all of this for the purpose of glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ, and making His name known. If the Lord so leads you, we will wel­ come your fellowship in such a worldwide and vitally important ministry for these last days. AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS TO THE JEWS' 31 Throop Avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y. I do want to help the Jews. Here is $.................. .' Use it as God directs, to make known the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ to Israel. Name ___________________________ Address .... .................................... .... City........................ State.... ............

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

Volume XXXII

February, 1941

Number 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Ransom D. Marvin, Staff Artist

Around the King’s Table — Editorial ...................................................... 42 Significance of the News — Dan Gilbert ....................................... ................43 Britain— Brave Amid Bombi —Herbert Lock.yer ........... ............................. 44 W ill America, Like Germany, Suffer Defeat ?—Kenneth M . Monroe.... 46 The Holy Spirit, in the Life of the Believer — Ruth Paxson .............. . 49 Prayer Widens the Circle— A Grateful Observer ...................................... 51 Life Out of Death -—Grace Livingston Hill ................................................. 52 Bible Institute Family Circle.................................................................. L...... 54 International Lesson Commentary.............. ................................................ . 56 Notes on Christian Endeavor.........—.................... ................................ ......... 68 Daily Devotional Readings......................... ........ ..................... ....... ................ 72 Junior King’s Business —Martha S. Hooker.. ....................... ........................ 77 Our Literature Table....................... . ......... ................................. '.. .............. 79 SU B SCR IPTION P R IC E : “The K ing’s Business” is published monthly. $1.00— one y ea r; $1.50— two yea rs; 50 cents— six m onths; 10 cents— single copy. Clubs of five or more at special ra tes; write for details. Canadian and foreign subscriptions 25 cents extra. It requires one month for a change of address to become effective. Please send both old and new addresses. R EM IT T A N C E— Payable in advance, should be made by bank draft, express or post office money order payable to “The K ing’s Business.” Date of expiration will show plainly each month on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. A D V E R T IS IN G — For information with reference to advfertising in “The K ing’s Business,” address the Advertising Manager, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, Calif., or our eastern representative, Religious Press Association, 1108-10 Colonial Bldg., 13th and Market Streets, Philadelphia, Pa. M AN U SC R IP T S— “The K ing’s Business” cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts sent to it for consideration. Entered as second-class matter November 7, 1938, at the post office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in the Act of February 28, 1925, embodied in paragraph 4, section 538, P. L . and R ., authorized October 1, 1918, and November 13, 1938. THE KING’S BUSINESS 558 South Hope Street • Los Angeles, California INFORMATION FOR SUBSCRIBERS

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Around the King s Table

LOUIS T. TALBOT, Editor-In-Chief

ton Ross,. now a pastor in Glendale, California. Surely in these days of apostasy, those who, by the grace of God, can look back upon a ministry in which they have made the Bible its own com­ mentary, and thus have been kept from the dangerous' sidetracks injurious to their testimony, have the best of reason for giving praise to His name! It is certain that God wi(l stick to those who stick to His Word. When the psalmist rejoiced that he had “stuck” to-the divine testimonies, he used a word he had just used in another connection (Psa. 119:25): “My soul cleaveth unto the dust.” There is a very real connection between the two statements. Though cleaving to the dust’ of affliction and sorrow, he had kept fast hold upon the divine Word. He had stuck to it for life, come what might. He was not removed from it by any of the reproaches of those who de­ spised the way of the Lord. Is this your experience; my brother? Can you say: ‘“ I-have stuck unto thy testimonies’ ; I have not put new inter, pretations on old truths” ? The heart of our message is the cross. When everything centers about Calvary, there will be a message which is always bread to the soul. Let us “stick” to this truth!—Keith L. Brooks. Exclusive and Unique “Neither is there salvation dn any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, where­ by we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). The case is stated plainly in the texts cited above. Christ uses the definite article to declare Himself to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and He unequivocally affirms, “No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Peter asserts with equal clarity and emphasis, “Neither'is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” One of the essential characteristics of truth ini any field is its almost- haughty aloofness, its inflexible, rigid­ ity, its regal uniqueness.. Of necessity, truth is invariably exclusive, intol­ erant. If that which claims to be truth advertises itself as being broad and tolerant, it is only falsehood at a mas-

“They climb the steep ascent of heaven Through peril, toil, and pain;, O God! to us may grace be given To follow in their train!” .“ I Have Stuck” , “I have stuck unto thy testimonies” (Psa. llih siK At a little service of praise the other evening, I heard the first student to be enrolled in the Bible institute of Los Angeles give glory to God that in more than thirty years of public ministry, he, and others whom he could name, had not wavered from those foundation truths of the Word of God which 'were made so clear to him in his Institute days. The speaker was Brit­ Prayer for Israel By. CLARA BERNHARDT Not just today, but every day, For wand’ring' Israel should I pray! Driven and homeless, lonely too, Their only crime to be born a Jew, Driven and homeless, needing God, Treading the path their Fathers trod, Jesus my Lord was born a Jew! He is my Saviour, and theirs too; All that I am and hope to be, Christ purchased once at Cal­ vary; In Him is victory and life, Comfort and joy and peace from strife. Father above, the debt I owe Should cause my prayer to ceaseless flow -For this •poor, suffering, needy race. That they may know Messiah’s face; Give me the vision, Lord, to see That love for Jews is love for Thee.

Modern Martyrs Few, even among non-Christians, could read the stirring article in the issue of December 23 of» Time maga­ zine, entitled “German Martyrs,” with­ out án awakened sense of the power o f religious convictions in the midst of an iron rule in a totalitarian state. And to believers in the I^ord Jesus Christ, who know why the issue be­ tween state paganism and loyalty to Him can admit no compromise, the re­ cital of the sufferings faced by Chris-; tians in concentration camps is an ur­ gent call to prayer on behalf of these fellow believers. . Declaring that “moré than 80%, of the prisoners in the concentration camps are not Jews but Christians,” Time stated: < “This second Christmas of Hit­ ler’s war finds Niemoller and up-,* wards of 200,000 other Christians (some estimates run as high as 800,000) behind the barbed wire of the frozen Nazi concentration camps. Here men bear mute wit­ ness that the Christ—whose birth the outside world celebrates un­ thinkingly at Christmas—can still inspire a .living faith for wpich men and women even now endure im­ prisonment, torture and death as bravely as in centuries past . . . Though the Nazis have jailed over . . 10,000 pastors, priests and monks for long or short periods, and an unknown number have been beaten to death, the churches stand - far higher in German esteem today than they did in the easy-going '20s. Church congregations have grown remarkably. Sales Of the Bible have . shot up from 830,000 copies in 1933 to 1,225,000 in 1939, topping Mein Kampf by about 200,000.” It is significant that for its Christ­ inas issue, this news magazine which is read by thousands, chose to present, in colors, an artist’s portrait of Martin Niemoller, Hitler’s most famous pris­ oner, shown against a background of Bethlehem angels and a gruesome pris­ on scene. The startling ' caption was simply “Martyr of 1940.” The clear im­ plication is that suffering, for Christ’s sake, is not banished from the earth, that men and women still regard as a privilege the necessity of sealing their testimony in their very life blood, that His praise may be glorious.

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querade party. When ultimate truth is involved, tolerance .can only be the handr maid of a feeble intellect and a plea for broadmindedness the bleat of stu­ pidity. The religions, of the world are the monuments to man’s attempt to expiate his sin and to avoid the punishment which he rightly feels to be impending after death. There is no emotion more persistent or universal in mankind than the fear of death and its aftermath. Conceding the existence of a benign and omnipotent Creator who has enacted natural laws for His material creation so far transcending the powers of man that only a very small part can even be comprehended, and considering that He has endowed His animate creatures with instincts and powers sufficient for meeting the conditions that confront them, to assume that He would endow the choicest specimen of His handiwork —man—with a capacity for God-con­ sciousness and communion with Himself and then would mock him by providing no sure means of exercising these lofty powers, would be to violate the prin­ ciples of logic as well as to impugn the character of the Creator. This writer has spent many years as a missionary, has delved somewhat into pagan religions and philosophies, has conversed at length with their dev­ otees, and has observed the religious incantations of their votaries. We hjive found nothing but traditional and me­ chanical attachment to external forms usually accompanied by crass commer­ cialism, and have noted an utter lack of assurance, joy, peace, and hope. We have further noted, especially among the followers of polytheistic re­ ligions, a great tendency toward in­ clusiveness. It is perfectly possible for a man to declare himself to be a be­ liever in three or four religions at the same time. We were reading an in­ scription in Chinese on a stone tablet set atop a hill overlooking a brOad plain, by a man who had come to full faith in Christ and who left this testimony: “I was formerly a believer in the three religions, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism; now I have found the Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus who died on Calvary’s cross to save me from my sins.” When this Orien­ tal scholar found Christ, human reli­ gions went overboard. The Lord Jesus Christ is true, and His way of salvation as revealed in „ the Holy Scriptures is utterly exclusive and final. The cross of Calvary and the blood shed there constitute the one and only method of cleansing for guilty sinners, and their only means of justi­ fication in the sight of the holy God rf the men of every race and color. The thought that men of different races, colors, and conditions could be granted access to God on their own terms is an absurdity on the face of it, and an

insult to the intelligence and consist­ ency of God. • If there is any one reading these lines who has not come humbly to God by Christ the Way—the oqly Way, or who has not believed on Christ the Truth—the only Truth, or has not re­ ceived of Christ the Life—the only Life, then, my friend, I solemnly warn you, you are yeL in your sins and headed Significance By DAN Washington, D. C , am THE NEW WORLD ORDER: • The popular pastime of the political scientists and economists of all nations is the plotting and planning of “the new world order.” No matter how the war in Europe ends, some grandiosè attempt to establish a “new world ;order” is almost certain to eventuate. Hitler has frankly stated the German war aim to be the establishment of a “new, universal” system under which the “blessings of Nazi culture” will be extended to all nations. Mussolini has long harbored the dream of reviving the Old Roman Empire and making of him­ self a modern Caesar. The fixed policy of Soviet Russia has been “world revo­ lution,” and the Third International has functioned as the world-wide agency of Stalin to advance international Soviet- ism. , Recently, a vast volume of propa­ ganda has been exerted toward the end of directing the democracies, as well as the dictatorships, along the path o f '“ a new world order.” It is freely predicted in diplomatic circles that a British vic­ tory over the Axis powers will lead, not only to an entirely new order in Europe, but throughout the entire world as well. The blueprints of the “new world order” are naturally vague, although a whole series of books have been written on the general subject. Clarence Streit’s Union Now was the lead-off, but H. G. Wells’ The New World Order is perhaps the most popular. Wells contènda that the present European war is “a stupid conflict upon secondary issues, which is delaying and preventing an overdue world adjustment.” While opposing Hit­ ler’s design for “world revolution,” Wells proposes one of his own. He calls for a social revolution “profounder even than the revolution attempted by the Communists in Russia.” ABOLISHING A M E R I C A N INDE­ PENDENCE? • The United States, of course, is not left out of these designs for a new world set-up. In fact, Uncle Sam is scheduled to play a leading role. Even

for eternal destruction and death. But, praise God, the way of grace is still open, His truth is still ayailable, and the water of: His life still flows freely. You may drink of it now, believe on Him now, and be saved to all eternity through this one, exclusive, God-given Way. Will you not kneel and accept now? —James R. Graham, Jr. of the News GILBERT I San Diego, California in Congress, one hears a great deal of discussion regarding the manner in which the United States will be called upqn to “underwrite” - a new interna­ tional economic system after the war. The more extreme proposals involve the abolition of American independence. All nations and boundary lines would be wiped out, and all the world would be incorporated into one gigantic com­ bine. Modifications of this plan would permit all nations to retain their iden­ tity and some degree of independence, but they would be subject to the su­ preme command of a centralized au­ thority. Nations would assume the status of states in a world union. Pending the completion of the war, wide agitation is being carried on to amalgamate the United States in a limited form of Federal Union. Under the widely advertised “ Federal Union, Inc.” plan a “great Republic” would be formed of the United States, Erigland, Canada, and Ireland. After the war, pre­ sumably, other nations of the world would be invited to join the “great Re­ public,” which eventually would include all countries. THE TREND TOWARD INTERNA­ TIONALISM: • it is quite clear that an irresistible sweep toward internationalism is seiz­ ing control of the thinking of the lead­ ers of men everywhere. Even the Nazi and Fascist leaders, who gained power by exalting nationalism, are using that power to obliterate nationalistic lines on an ever-widening scale. What is behind this drive in the direc­ tion of a more radical form of interna­ tionalism than has previously been popular in this century? In the case of the totalitarian rulers, of course, it is greed for more land and more subjects and more wealth. In the case of the statesmen and politicians of the democ­ racies, the drift toward international­ ism is motivated by the widespread ide that this is the way to permanent peace. The theory seems to be accepted with [ Continued on Page 79]

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R ECENTLY I attended a church banquet, held in the basement . of the building. While en­ ed in the fellowship of the evening, instinctively my mind roved over the Atlantic to Britain where I knew that thousands of brave men and women, including many of my personal friends, .were spending hours in basements where conditions are wretched. Rush-; ing to their catacombs as darkness falls, untold numbers •are obliged to remain in these cramped quarters, with their stone floors and wooden benches, until the “all clear’’ signal is sounded. The. state of these underground shel­ ters and the results of using them are causing the authorities great concern. The air is heavy' and close, vitiated with body odors and the smell of fu­ migating chemicals. Colds and rheu­ matism are afflicting hundreds. Fighting for their life and for the life and freedom of the world, multi­ tudes of Britishers appear to be taking sacrifice and hardship in their stride. From the ruins of castle and cottage alike we hear brave souls saying, “We can take it.” Thousands of Americans are anxious to know just how the peo­ ple feel as they watch their homes and loved ones being destroyed. A late report from London tells of a visit King George paid to the terribly scarred city of Birmingham. The King was picking his way around bomb craters less than- twelve hours after the third big German attack on that important Midlands industrial center. A crowd had formed around the mon­ arch as he surveyed damaged buildings and flattened houses. “We’re not down-hearted, Your Maj­ esty—it is nice to be alive," said a Mrs. Ashford who had just dug her­ self from the ruins of her home. “It is indeed,” the King replied.

joyed the sumptuous feast and deligh

That such a magnificent spirit gen­ erally prevails in all the cities and towns is evident from letters received from many dear ones who are up against the savagery of pagan forces. A friend of mine, who is obliged to gather up a few sheets after his day's work and seek the supposed safety of “ BRUISED BUT NOT BROKEN, BLASTED BUT STILL A BLESSING”— these words on # a sign outside a bombed church in England indicate the determined t r u s t in God # which is itself a victory.

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... Brave Amid Bombs By HERBERT LOCKYER

Relatives in Danger My sister-in-law, living in London, has had some harrowing experiences. She describes widespread destruction all around her. “ Our little home has been shat­ tered, but when I look around at other houses, I am grateful that our house is still standing, and that dear R ........... [her husband] is still living. The last few nights have not been so good, but we thank God as each new morning comes around that we have been spared to face Hfe together . . . I have not had my clothes off for almost two months.” Our own dear d a u g h t e r , whose home life and happiness, with that of thousands of others, have been serious­ ly disrupted, sends us encouraging let­ ters. When she had been married a year, the war came, and her husband had to leave home and business. When we left for America some eighteen months ago, our children decided to remain in our home and care for it while Mrs. Lock* yer and I remained in this hospitable land. But plans have gone to pieces. Liverpool has been badly broken by constant air raids. A bomb dropped just outside our garden but did not ex­ plode. Houses and buildings . around are in ruins. Our daughter, being alone, decided to close up the house and live with friends in a safer town. She writes: . “If I were not a Christian at a time like this, I would go mad. But I leave e v e r y t h i n g with God, • knowing that He will care for me . . . He is on the throne, and will remember His own . . . Our church has two big holes in its roof, and services have been suspended . . , Hundreds do not know what it is to go to bed. They are in shelters from seven at night until five the next morning. How we are going to face the winter concerns many of us.” Here are one or two lines from my sister’s long and welcome letter: “We have not been to bed now for six weeks. I do not know if we shall get in between the bed clothes this side of Christmas . . . We thank God He has spared us all and our loved ones . . . All our windows are out and the tiles are gone from the roof. We are all boarded up. Houses all around have been reduced to ashes . . . The shelters are difficult places to rest in, as they are not very big. One can only sit up in them. My .knees are almost black with cramps and rheumatism . . . God gives us strength and courage to face danger . . . Pray! Pray! Pray! God hears and answers pray­ er.”. My spiritual father, who led me to [Continued on Page 50]

a shelter, writes that he would go mad if it were not for the Lord’s sustaining grace. Expressing that great comfort is his in passages like Isaiah 26:3, 4, he goes on to quote the lines: “No bomb above, nor mine below, Need cause my heart one pang of woe. The Lord of Hosts encircles me, He is the Lord of earth and sea.” And, truly, people with a faith 'and confidence like that are unconquerable. Bombs may destroy their homes, kill their dear ones, and demolish their historic and beautiful buildings, but they can never extinguish their spirit. From one of our dear Liverpool friends comes another courageous mes­ sage, in* which she tells us of our own home church being bombed, and of members whom we knew being killed. Here are some excerpts from her letter: , “As one sits down to answer let­ ters, the sirens blow and we have to get ready for the shelter. . . Another warning, so I shall have to stop and finish your letter some other time. We cannot cook a meal or even eat one without be­ ing disturbed. . . We have been “-in the shelter every night this week. . . . It is cruel to see our homes broken up. . . Sunday afternoon— and we have just had another air warning. This morning at church the minister asked us to sing the following lines , to the tune of ‘Looking this Way’ : ’God is our refuge, be not afraid; He will be with you through all E the raid. When bombs are falling and danger is near, He will protect you till all is clear.’ . . . When the bombs fall, they al­ most knock you off your feet. . . , We try to be brave. God is still on the throne.” In Bradford, England, was my last pastorate, so it was with deep interest that I received a descriptive note from a member of my former charge. In it she told of how the beautiful church we ministered in for many years had been badly damaged by bombs. This friend herself is one of those brave city missionaries who, amid constant danger, are exercising a marvelous ministry of comfort. She writes: V

“We had the raiders here . . . Shops, mills, and houses have been destroyed. All the windows round about were blown out. Your church is badly hit . . . The Lord certainly worked a miracle, for there was only one woman killed and a few badly injured . . . I think it will be at the Saviour’s feet that we shall meet next time. Thank you for your prayers. I do need them.” The Plight of the Aged From a retired Liverpool missionary, -who is now almost eighty-three years of age, a sweet letter came the other day. After describing the anguish of things in my home city, he says: “We must keep looking tip and be brave . . . So many need a word these days . . . The ministers are giving us faithful messages. The meetings keep up fairly well . . . I am too old to write more now.” Beloved, let us pray for the aged people in Britain who are not able to stand up to the strain of things. It is hard for those who are infirm to be robbed of peace and comfort. The suf­ ferings of the old are beyond descrip­ tion. As we have aged parents in London, you can imagine our eagerness to hear from them. Mrs. Lockyer’s mother lives in the London area. She is more than fourscore years of age, and she finds it hard going to stand up against the nightly onslaught of enemy bombers. About three miles from her, my parents are located. Mother and Father are showing wonderful courage. Father writes: "Just a line to let you know how ’ we are keeping and bearing up in this terrible war that is raging here. There is nothing but destruc­ tion of innocent people and children. We have had a bad time of it. Night after night we have to run to our shelter. Yet we are grateful to the Lord for sparing us. We never know who are to .be the next victims. We can only keep praying that the good Lord will soon bring us through this grim struggle vic­ torious . . . I am making night lights out of old tin cans for people to use during the blackouts. So I am doing my bit for the old coun­ try . . . Keep on praying that the Lord will continue to guard us.”

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When rationalism, pessimism, and superman philosophy supplanted the Word of God on German students’ study tables, seeds of defeat began to produce a terrible harvest. The same seeds are bringing forth a rank growth in our own America today.

Will America, Like Germany, Suffer Defeat?

By KENNETH M. MONROE* Los Angeles, California One by one, they tower and are gone.” Were it possible to have a panorama of six thousand years of world his­ tory pass before our eyes, we could see nation after nation rising to prominence, glory, and power, abiding an hour, and then mingling its ashes with the dust of time. During the first half of the third millennium' before Christ, the Pharaohs of the Old Kingdom of Egypt were building the great pyramids and the Sphinx.- These structures still stand as silent but eloquèht witnesses to a civil­ ization that disintegrated. And then, like the Egyptian mythical phenix of Heliopolis, civilization rose again from its ashes, young and beautiful in the Empire Period (c .'1600-945 B. C.). Dis­ integration followed again and Egypt passed from the picture. The Assyrian Empire rose to prom­ inence under Tiglath-pileser IV, a great warrior and a great statesman, who ruled 745 to 727 B. C. He was suc­ ceeded by Shalmaneser V, who besieged Samaria of Israel for three years. Then came Sargon, who took the ten tribes into captivity, from whence they never returned; Sennacherib, whose anny at

the gates of Jerusalem was destroyed by the angel of Jehovah (2 Ki. 19: 35); Erarhaddon, who rebuilt Babylon; and Asharbanipal, who brought in the Augustan Age of Assyria. He collected a great library at Nineveh, which lyas found by Layard and Rassam about eighty-five years ago. These kings brought great glory to Assyria, and especially to the capital city, Nineveh, by their conquests. Yel, in all the glory and wealth and power, Assyria suffered a lingering death and fell at last to the Babylonians. In the year 625 B. C., Nabopolassar established the Neo-Babylonian Empire, extending his reign from the Euphrates to Carchemish. Nebuchadnezzar, his son, of Bible fame, raised Babylon to a height of power which rivaled that attained under the great Hammurapi. Nabuna’id and Belshazzar ruled for a period and then lost their empire to Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Per­ sian in 53g B. C. The world empire of the Medes and Persians fell before the young con­ queror, Alexander the , Great. Th« Grecian kingdom established by Alex­ ander lasted from 333 B. C. to the com-

P art T. fn p ^ H E PASSING of nations, as well as of individuals, is no more strik- X ingly portrayed than in Poussin’s painting, “The I Arcadian Shepherds,” long shown in the Louvre of Paris. The idyl depicts shepherds and shepherd­ esses while at play coming upon a crumbling tombstone partially hidden by an old tree. While the others .look on, one in the group is tracing-out the half-obliterated Inscription, “Et in Ar­ cadia Ego”—“I too have been in Ar- cady.” A shadow is- cast upon their gaiety as the passing ,of life is thus called to their attention. One is touched by the same sadness, moving among the pyramids and tem­ ples of Egypt, picking his way over littered sands of Tyre, musing amid the solitude of Jerash, Baalbek, and the Roman forums, disturbing the jackals of Babylon and Nineveh, and striving to envision the Panathenaea circling the Parthenon.

“Their mighty shadows cast, The giant fqrms of empire On their way to ruin,

*Oean, Bible Institute o f L ot Angeles,

February; 1941

T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S

47

ing of the Romans in 63 B. C. under Fompey the Great. For over five hundred years Rome ruled the world, and then, because of seeds of disintegration within, Rome fell before the onslaughts of the wild north­ ern Gothic tribes. The Romans formed the last world empire, but since their day nations have flared'up like rockets, occupying the attention of the world for an hour and then falling back into the darkness. The Rise and Fall of Nations As soon as ' we open the discussion, one question thrusts itself to the front. Why have powerful and brilliant civil­ izations, the products of centuries and apparently destined to outlive the mil­ lenniums, gradually degenerated? Why does dynamic power, the creative energy that builds and maintains for a time colossal empires, dry up? Historical epistemology factually dis­ cusses the rise, progress, and decline of communities, states, and nations with the utmost"volubility. But it is with evident limitations and considerable dif­ ference of opinion that it catalogues the causes and the necessary reasons of every fact. When the pure historiog­ rapher has completed his task of re­ cording events in their proper relation, the metaphysician can begin to philos­ ophize, attempting to explain the “why" of the known “what.” Accepting the facts of the historiographer, it Is our purpose to seek out their under­ lying causes, and, if possible, to con­ struct a causal master key which not only will unlock the “why’s" of the past but which also may turn the locks of both “what’s” and “why’s” of tomor­ row. The philosophy of history is our problem, and it is one of no mean di­ mensions. The providence of God is His govern­ ment by which He causes all events of the physical and moral universe to ful­ fill the design with which He created it. His government is both microscopic and telescopic, extending, according to the Scriptures, over even the free acts of man with respect to good and evil deeds. The •providential medium of the Trinity is Christ, who upholds and bears on all things “ by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3). One phase o f God’s providential gov­ ernment has to do with the affairs of nations. In support of this statement, we submit a brief discussion of five Scripture passages. 1. Psalm 66:7, R. V., reads, “He ruleth by his might for ever; His eyes observe the nations: Let not the rebellious exalt themselves.” The nations of this world constitute the objects of His efficient rule, which con­ tinues ever the same. His eyes con­ tinually make a testing survey of the nations, and none are to suppose them­ selves secure in their egotistical rebel­ lion against the Almighty.

2. “He changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings” (Dan. 2:21). The second chapter of Daniel records the dream image of Nebuchadnezzar, which symbolizes nations of the times of the Gentiles: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the future nations of the revived Roman Empire. This verse is a portion of Daniel’s prayer of thanksgiving to God for revealing to him the meaning of the .king’s dream, and it also contains a preparatory in­ timation that the dream is concerned with the succession of kingdoms. The “times” are the phases and periods of duration of these empires, and the “sea­ sons” designate their consummation, de­

the King of heaven; for all his works are truth, and his ways justice; and those that walk in pride he is able to abase” (v. 37, R. V.). 4.' Paul, in revealing to the Hellen­ istic philosophers their “Unknown God,” says of Him, “He made of one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation” (Acts 17:26, .R. V.). The word “determined” is not to be thought of in its secondary verbal sense, but in reference to both time and space marking the boundaries of nations. “Seasons” are the turning points in a nation’s history, and “ bounds” define extent. Paul only claims' for the Most

cline', and fall. Jamieson, Faus- set, and Brown c o n c l u d e that t h i s v e r s e teaches, “ T h e v icissitu d e s o f states, with their times and seas- o n s , a r e n o t r e g u l a t e d by chance or fate, as the heathen thought, but by God.” 3. “The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will . . . and he doeth accord­ ing to his will in t h e a r m y o f h e a v e n , a n d among the in­ habitants of the e a r t h " (Dan. 4:25, 35). T h i s chapter clearly teaches that God sent a malady, thought to be hypochon­ driacal insanity, upon Nebuehad-' nezzar w h i c h drove him, under fancy that he was a beast, to dwell “with the b e a s t s ” until such a time as he should realize that God in His providence h a d given him the kingdom. When h is understand­ ing returned to him, he, profit­ ing by his exper­ ience, said, “Now I, Nebuchadnez­ zar, praise and extol and honor

Courtesy, The American Bible Society, N , T.

MARTIN LUTHER’S GERMANY In all his lionlike boldness when facing excommunication, imprisonment, or even death, Martin Luther did not ohce claim self-sufficiency. He was not the “superman” but the humble servant of Christ. Pictured above is a copy of the first edition of Luther’s German translation of the Scriptures, open at Psalm 46. “ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psa. 46:1)! “Let me then be refuted and convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by the clearest argu­ ments, otherwise I cannot and will not recant. . . . Here I take my stand; I can do no otherwise, so help me God! Amen,” said Martin Luther at the climax of his trial at the Diet of Worms. As, the “source book of the German language,” Luther’s translation of the Bible into the German vernacular in 1534 tremendously influenced the unification of the Germanic peo­ ples. But when faith in the authority of that Book was under­ mined in German thought life, there grew an exaltation of man’s reason that made the term “German rationalism” known around the world as a symbol of unbelief.

48

February, 1941

T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S *

gested that Moses in Genesis made use of older documents. By way of evi­ dence, he suggested Moses’ use of differ­ ent divine names, such as “God” (1:1 to 2:3), “Lord God” (2:4 to 3:24), and “Lord” (4:1 to 7:24). During the next century, increased liberty was taken with Scripture, cul­ minating in Wellhausen’s Prolegomena to the History of Israel, which appeared in 1878. This work consistently applied the principle of literary and historical development to the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi. The same principle was also applied to the New Testament by Baur of Tubingen University. There was a growing belief that the books of the Bible were of human rather than divine origin. At first, such ideas were promulgated only by those occupying academic chairs, but shortly those trained in the German schools carried them into the pulpits of the land. The result was twofold: First, increased liberty was taken in reconstructing Scripture, with the dele­ tion or rationalization of all marks of divine origin, such as miracles and prophecy. Second, extreme liberty was taken with books of sacred Scripture by the higher critics of Germany, and then by those of other countries, all of whom automatically removed the Bible from its place of authority in faith and practice, which place it had occupied in Protestant ecclesiastical circles subse­ quent to the days of the Reformation. * When ministers preached to the people of Germany what they them­ selves had been taught, their hearers readily deducted that two plus two equaled four. By this we mean that when Biblical books are considered to be only the product of the human mind, the “thus saith the Lord” of Scripture vaporizes. Why should modem thought life, which is behind all action, be guided by the thought life of one or more mere men who lived two or three thousand years ago? The people im­ mediately saw what the German clergy failed' to see, “If that'is all there is to the Bible, there is nothing to it, as far as we are concerned.” Gradually, the one who used the ser­ pent in Eden of old applied his age-old question to more and more of Scripture. That question expressed in Genesis 3:1 was the root of the German liberal movement: “Yea, hath God said . . . ?” So-called scholars of Old and New Tes­ tament languages and literature an­ swered in the negative. Reason took the place of revelation. The scalpel of crit­ icism thus either deleted or rationalized all marks of divine origin. To cover this great betrayal, the critics endea­ vored to magnify the Bible as a beauti­

High His natural gubernatorial prerog­ ative in opposition to the Stoical fate and Epicurean chance. 5. Romans 13:1, R. V., advises “sub­ jection to the higher powers’’ that exer­ cise the reins of government over man, “for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God.” “There is no power but of God”— this is a very comprehensive proposi­ tion. Evidently, God delegates all hu­ man power; and therefore, of course, rulers of every age and every land have only been invested with their power. It would seem proper to conclude that God has given two things to every nation: revelation and opportunity. And also, the continued existence of that nation, under His blessing, has been measured by the degree of obedience to the dictates of His revelation. Of course, there is an outstanding excep­ tion to this. Prosperity is often given to a nation, even to the wicked, to the end that it may be an instrument of judgment in divine hands. In turn, it suffers what might be called a post­ poned judgment. The Book of Habak- kuk is the best commentary,.of those with which we are acquainted, on this consideration. At times, evil men be­ come servants through whom God car­ ries out His purposes. An example of a man and nation that God has used to execute judgment was Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, of whom the Lord’s prophet said “concerning all the people of Judah” : “Therefore thus saith the .Lord of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadrezzar 1 the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them, against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these na­ tions round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make .them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations” (Jer. 25:8, 9). A similar leader raised to power was Cyrus, of whom the prophet brought word from the Lord as recorded in Isaiah 44:28 to 45:1. Rationalistic Roots of Defeat The defeat of Germany has been gradual and, obviously, has not yet been consummated. It began in her theolog­ ical seminaries and her universities and has subsequently spread throughout her entire structure. Johann G. Eichhorn, Professor at Got­ tingen, Germany, has been well named “the father of Higher Criticism.” In 1782 he published his Introduction to the Old Testament, in which he sug­

ful and wholesome' piece of literature. More recently the Nazi New Testa­ ment has been put in circulation. The Gospels are so Written as to suggest that Jesus lived in Germany. There are flattering allusions to Hitler’s Mein Kampf. One reviewer summarizes the work thus: “The chief ’ purpose of the book is to dilute the message of JesuS, but a second purpose is to delete every reference to the Jews. All reference to Jesus’ ancestry and all mention of the Jews are omit­ ted. Jesus is represehted as en­ tirely human. AH reference to His divine origin and nature is sup­ pressed.” Philosophies That Deny the Creator The ideology of modern Germany has its roots not only in higher criticism as applied to the Bible, but also in the philosophic skepticism of Schleiermach- er, the pessimism of Schopenhauer, and the animalism of Nietzsche. The lat­ ter’s superman philosophy, with a “might is right” attitude toward life, laid the psychological foundation for the World War. It was Nietzsche who remarked that man, that is, his super­ man, had three great curses: “Civiliza­ tion, woman, and Christianity.” It seems that I can hear a feminine voice observe, “No wonder he was insane the last decade of his life.” The mind of- the -Bible student is carried back to Nebuchadnezzar’s experience recorded in Daniel 4. A coiitemporary missionary of inter­ national reputation keenly observes: “Study history and learn one thing: He who thinks he can cheat a moral God in a moral universe is a moral imbecile. It simply cannot be done. Evil carries the seeds of its own destruction within it. The uni­ verse is not built for the success of lies. They break themselves on the moral facts of the universe. The Lord God reigneth—whether that reign is acknowledged or not. Every wrong breaks itself upon the fact of God.” When the moral Governor of the uni­ verse is no longer recognized, when man’s ancestry is traced back to brute creation, when national heroes, of whom some are even mythical, are worshiped, when collectivism trans­ cends individualism, then we may ex­ pect that over that civilization will be written, “God also gave them up” (Rom. 1:24). Then, though the nation may linger with a semblance of power and glory, the end is clear and certain. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psa. 9:17). [T o be concluded ]

"T h e r e is no power but o f God 93

February, 1941

T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S

49

The Holy Spirit In the Life of the Believer By RUTH PAXSON Introduction

that they also might be sanctified through the truth” (John 17:17, 19). It is the Spirit’s Work: “God hath from the beginning chosen you to salva­ tion through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thess. 2:13). The work of the Father, Son, and Spirit would be incomplete and inade­ quate apqrt from our sanctification.- The Meaning of Sanctification The primary meaning of the word “sanctified” is ’“set apart unto God.” The root idea is separation. This fact is seen in God’s first use of the word in Genesis 2:3: “God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.” God separated the Sabbath .day from other days and set it apart as belonging'to Him. God sanctified.persons for the same reason: “ Sanctify unto me all the firstborn . . . both of man and of beast: it is mine” (Ex. 13:2). So ,the primary meaning is something or some one set gpart wholly unto God, dedicated to God alone for His possession, control, and use. The secondary meaning gives the thought of purification. That which is sanctified must be purified. We become what we are, as will be seen in the dis­ cussion below. We were chosen by God to be holy; therefore we should be holy. “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation [R. V. ‘living’] ; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:15, 16). The Method of Sanctification Sanctification is a gift as everything in our. Christian life is a gift. It is the gift of Christ as our Sanctification (1 Oor. 1:30) and the gift of the Spirit as our Sanctifier (1 Pet, 1:2). What is the time, thè place, and the means of the believer’s sanctification? When, where, and how does his sanctifi­ cation take place ? On these points there is much confusion which leads to delusion regarding the. truth and de­ ception regarding the experience. Both could be avoided by keeping to the Scriptural meaning of the truth and the Scriptural manner of the experience. According to Scripture, the method is threefold: positional, progressive, and perfected. Positional sanctification

takes place the .moment Christ enters the life. As Saviour He separates us from Satan and all that pertains to his kingdom and separates us wholly unto Himself and all that relates to His king­ dom. The moment we believe on Christ, we are in Christ, and having been placed in Christ, we are set apart as Christ’s. Christ is thereby made our Sanctifica­ tion and the Holy Spirit our Sanctifier. Our progressive sanctification takes place as Christ abides. It becomes actual and experimental through the continu­ ous work of the Holy Spirit as our Sanctifier. We become progressively like Christ as He becomes experimen­ tally our Sanctification and our life. Our perfected sanctification will take place the moment Christ returns. Our entire sanctification will be consum­ mated then in our glorification when we shall become absolutely like Christ in spirit and in body. Let us then first consider our posi­ tional sanctification. God is primarily concerned with where we are because where we are determines what we are. Our position decides our condition. The Bible shows us there are just two posi­ tions in which any human being can be —one is the position of the sinner, the Other that of the saint. These two posi­ tions are radically different, as the ac­ companying chart shows. The sinner is

S ANCTIFICATION is a precious word—yet it is shunned. It is a glorious truth—yet it is feared. This is due to ignorance of the Word, refusal to have God’s best, or unscrip- turai teaching on this glorious truth. But there are. four reasons clearly given in Scripture to show that the sanctifica­ tion of the believer should be preached and taught as truly as his salvation. It is''God’s Will: "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:3). It is God’s Purpose: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:23). It is Christ’s Prayer: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth . . And for their sakes I sanctify myself, [Beginning with this issue, T H E K IN G ’S BUSINESS brings to its readers a series of practical studies on the work of the Holy Spirit. This first portion is presented only in outline form as provided by Miss Paxson, whereas the Subsequent articles are to be pre­ pared from stenographic notes taken when Miss Paxson delivered the group of messages in the Church of the Open Door, L o s A n g e le s . Following her twenty years of missionary service in China, Miss Paxson has been greatly used in a Bible teaching ministry on the general theme dealt with in these ar­ ticles, and has addressed women’s meet­ ings at Keswick. England. — E ditor .1

in Satan, in the world, and in the flesh. As a re­ sult, he is under the dictation . of the devil, the di­ rection of the world, and the domination o f

C H R I S T

Satan

Christ

the flesh (Eph. 2:1-3). The sin­ ner’s life is Sa­ tan - cen tered, world-conformed, and flesh-controlled. The sinner is part of this trinity of evil and hate. Satan. Satan is a person inherently evil and irreconcilably hostile to Christ and His Church. His names and his works show him to be the enemy of God and the adversary of those who are Flesh Church. Spirit World

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