May, 1945
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most vital daily task. Let it take Acts 1:8 as its church verse and live it all year long. ★ ★ Rockefeller Pamphlet A small brochure has recently come to our desk giving the substance of an address by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., before the Protestant Council of the City of New York. We understand that these pamphlets have been given nation-wide distribution in the hope of promoting Protestant unity and stirring up interest in a concerted forward movement. Many of Mr. Rock efeller’s statements are commendable. He deplores purely denominational em phasis and earnestly pleads for unity in vital spiritual principles. Very significant however, is the ad mission that the bulk of this same address was given during the years of the first world war. This adds up to acknowledging that in the last three decades little or no progress has been made. We wish that we might follow the path to Protestant unity pointed out in all sincerity by Mr. Rockefeller, but as usual God’s most important truths are omitted. There is no recog nition of the absolutely lost condition of humanity,'no mention of the Sav- iourhood of the Lord Jesus Christ, no upward looking for the return of earth’s rightful King. Rather, the sug gested conclusion is that, when all of Protestantism finally sees the light and unites, the door will open to that golden age of peace, prosperity and happiness. Not thus does the New Testament read. We look for man’s best efforts to end in dismal failure. The day will come when God will call a halt. Then the heavens will part, and God’s well beloved Son will come forth to set up that glorious Kingdom which shall never be thrust down. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. ★ ★ Thrilling Story Truth is stranger than fiction, and all of God’s miracles did not end with the last chapter of the Book of the Acts. In our current issue we bring you a timely article from the pen of Mr. F. D. Lockman. Brother Lockman, an orange rancher from Orange County, California, is a big man in many ways. But the greatest part of his character is his absolute determina tion to trust God. It was back in 1931 that the Lock- mans were penniless, in debt and dis couraged. One day they covenanted with God to faithfully give back into
His work ten cents out of every dollar earned. Through trying depression years, they kept books with God and, while other ranchers round about were going into bankruptcy, God’s bless ings to the Lockmans only increased. The story reads like fiction. The current chapter shows the Lockmans prospering, with a million dollar orange producing concern, and turn ing over ninety per cent of their in come into the Lord’s work! Brother Lockman’s heart is a large one, but his special delight is in ministering ,to children the story of the love of God as found in Christ. Would that God would raise up to Himself many of this type of mod ern Boaz! We are sure that there are untapped other millions waiting for the men who will trust God, and who will do business for Him. ★ ★ Postwar Students Dr. Louis T. Talbot, President of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, has just returned from an extensive tour in the East. Among other things, he reports many conversations with men and women of our armed forces. There is a definite trend of thinking on their part with regard to their postwar oc cupations. Many who have been overseas and have witnessed the dire need of foreign peoples for the gospel of Christ have expressed themselves as desiring to return to these lands, armed with the Bible, to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. This desire of service men and women is not a thing of vision, for they understand that in order to go to these lands as missionaries they must have adequate Bible training. Some are ready now to enroll as stu dents in the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. Surely this is a hopeful sign and something that merits the prayers of God’s people. There will be op portunities for 50,000 missionaries to go forth in the decade following the close of World War II. Do not mis understand us. We do not look for even this great number to bring about any permanent peace. Our hope is that, if God delays the coming of His Son, He will be giving America—par ticularly America—a last great oppor tunity to fulfill that great commis sion to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. A There is no denying that war, though terrible beyond man’s worst imaginings, and greatly to be regret ted by every Christian, has opened remote lands to the gospel messenger. Let us get him there before the ene mies of the Lord claim those benight ed souls.
God Bless Our Mothers What a priceless heritage is a godly home presided over by a godly mother! In all of life’s blessings, there is nothing comparable to it. So it is good to have this day once a year when attention is directed to tnoui to whom we owe so much. What de lights Christian mothers far more than candy or flowers is the joy of seeing their children grow into stal wart men and women who know the Lord, and who faithfully attend to the means of growing in grace. However, we are saddened to see in many cases, a sickly sentimen talism growing up about this day. Sharp merchants, seeing an oppor tunity for marketing their wares, are smothering what is high and noble under a cloak of commercialism. Praise is being lavished on modern mothers a l m o s t unworthy of the name. Some of today’s mothers are a shame and a disgrace, with their utter disregard of restraint and their insatiable appetite for godless pleas ures. True ideals for motherhood are found only in God’s Book; paganism and atheism degrade motherhood. Where Christ is known, there are found mothers lovely in character. God give us a revival of that type bf Mother’s Day. ★ ★ Tonic For Churches The Annual Missionary Rally in Los Angeles at the great Church of the Open Door has just closed. For eight wonderful days the vital cause of world-wide missions has been ad vanced by speaking, by displays, by motion pictures and by personal so licitation. This has been a period of great heart-warming for the saints and a fine impetus for the cause of missions. Other churches would do well to emulate this special effort. In fact we believe that the love and promo tion of missions is God’s divinely given tonic for the church. Invariably you will find that the church, de nominational or otherwise, w h i c h lays great stress on the importance, support and call of the mission field is the church that includes truly spir itual people and that contains real workers. On the other hand, the church without the missionary vision is gen erally cold, lacking in cohesion, prone to quarrel over petty things. The mis sionary church is the one which is free from debt, that pays its bills on time, and has funds available for every God-sent purpose. A rally once a year will not bring about all these blessings. Rather, the church should consider missions its
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