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THESE STIRRING TIMES
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VOLUME 80, NO. 38
OCTOBER 13, 1953
HOW TO BE HAPPY
C
your Bible Questions finsuiered
Man's Sinful Nature
Does the Bible teach hereditary depravity, or
that we are born in sin, since Adam sinned?
Mrs. L. 0.
Editor
Arthur S. Maxwell
Assistant Editor .
. Charles D. Utt
Volume 80, No. 38
October 13, 1953
CONTENTS
YOUR BIBLE QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Russell H. Argent
THESE STIRRING TIMES
GREAT IN LITTLE THINGS
1 H. lowett
How TO BE HAPPY . .
Harold Shryock, M.D.
LEAD ME THERE! (POEM)
Hazel Hartwell Simon
IN THE NEWS
Donald W McKay
MEN OF PEACE
William H. Bergherm
THE BEST WAY (POEM)
• Mary Gustafson
THE MYSTIC REALM OF DEATH
Carlyle B. Haynes
SOMETHING GOD CANNOT Do .
• . Albert E. Neil
CAN HATRED BE A BLESSING ?
. Taylor G. Bunch
RELIGION IN ACTION . .
M. Carol Hetzell
Dallas Youngs
A TEST OF LOYALTY
SO MUCH FROM SO LITTLE
▪ . Gordon Dalrymple
THE INESCAPABLE CHRIST
•
H. G. Woodward
2
3
4
5
5
6
7
7
8
9
10
11
12
15
16
M
•
OUR COVER
Guests cross the top of the highest hydroelectric
plant in Europe, inaugurated July 4 by French President
Vincent Auriol. Built in the Rhone Valley, the plant
is capable of producing 543,000,000 kilowatts in power,
to be increased to 700,000,000 kilowatts in the near
future. Such developments in various parts of the
world emphasize the amazing accomplishments of
science foreshadowed by the prophet Daniel for the
latter days. See "These Stirring Times," by Russell H.
Argent, on page 3 of this issue.
H. K. CHRISTMAN
CIRCULATION MANAGER
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The Scriptures teach man's sinful nature.
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into
the world, and death by sin; and so death
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
"For as by one man's disobedience many were
made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall
many be made righteous." Romans 5:12, 19.
"But the scripture hath concluded all under
sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ
might be given to them that believe." Galatians 3:22.
All of Adam's descendants inherited a sinful nature. This being true, all are prone to
sin, and the seeds of sin soon germinate. The
tendency to sin is so strong that no human
being has been able to resist it without divine
help. However, though "all have sinned, and
come short of the glory of God," there is
redemption in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23, 24.
C. D. U.
Gathered to His People
In Genesis 49:29 Jacob is reported as saying,
"I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me
with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of
Ephron the Hittite." This mystifies me. C. B. G.
The questioner also cites Genesis 25:8 and
35:29, where the deaths of Abraham and Isaac
are recorded.
Of Abraham's death the record says, "Then
Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a
good old age, an old man, and full of years;
and was gathered to his people." Isaac's death
is recorded in almost the same words. Three
equivalent expressions are used referring to
the deaths of both patriarchs: "gave up the
ghost" ("breathed his last," Revised Standard
Version), "died," and "was gathered to his
people."
The statements made concerning the deaths
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob should be understood in the light of the general teaching of
the Bible that the dead are dead, and not alive
in another state of existence. The Bible writers
had various expressions referring to death, as
we have now. Because we do not like to use
the words "death" and "die," we coin such
euphemisms as "pass away," "breathe his last,"
"if I'm not around," "if anything happens to
me," etc. In Genesis 48:21 Jacob said, "I die."
That is what he meant when he said, "I am to
be gathered unto my people." Jacob wished to
be buried where his grandparents, his parents,
and his wife had been buried. Genesis 49:30,
31. When Jacob thought that Joseph was dead,
he said, "I will go down into the grave unto
my son mourning"—not that he expected to
go to the same grave or the same locality, because at that time he believed that Joseph had
been killed and devoured by a wild beast and
was not in a grave at all. He simply meant
that he would enter a state of death, as Joseph
had done.
If "gathered to his people" means that Abraham—and, later, Isaac and Jacob—joined his
ancestors in a spirit world, there is no assurance that he went to heaven, for his people had
been idolaters. Joshua 24:2. In life God separated Abraham from his father's house in order
to make of him what He wished him to be.
Therefore it is not likely that he would be in
the same place with them in a supposed spirit
C. D. U.
world after his death.
SIGNS of the TIMES
These Stirring
TIMES
Their Coming Climax
by RUSSELL H. ARGENT
HAT is there among the list of strange and unexpected events, that has not occurred in our time ? Our
lives have transcended the limits of humanity; we are born
to serve as a theme for incredible tales to posterity."—
Aeschines, Orations Against Ctesiphon, 33o B.c., quoted
by Grote, History of Greece, A.D. 1857, V01.12, p. 258 (ch. 95)
Aeschines was speaking to the citizens of Athens in 33o
B.C., but he might well have been speaking to Americans
in 1953. The tale of this stunned and bewildered generation is incredible beyond anything that has gone before.
Americans born fifty years ago in the benign twilight of
Pax Britannica have been eyewitnesses through the years
of events so strange and unexpected that in comparison
the past fades into insignificance.
In 1913 Senator Theodore E. Burton, writing in The
Saturday Evening Post, ventured to predict, "Wars for the
aggrandizement of rulers have ceased.... Conflicts caused
by popular uprisings against an existing order, and for
freer government, and more liberal institutions are becoming less frequent." Dec. 6, 1913. Some six months later
an Austrian archduke and his wife lay dead in their carriage on the main street of Sarajevo, and the fuse which
ignited one of the bloodiest wars that history has known
was already spluttering.
What strange events have Americans not seen since
then ? Demagogues which make Alexander and Genghis
Khan seem but pale shadows in contrast have strutted
upon the world scene, mouthed their phrases, wrought
their havoc, and passed into the mists of history.
The greatest war of all time has ripped across the
world with the ferocity of a tornado, searing and destroying all with which it came in contact. From 1939 to 1945
eight million people were slaughtered in six years of
agony, and six million soldiers were laid beneath the soil
of France and Germany. The figures numb the senses.
Imagination recoils in horror. Only as we realize that
these men who marched to battle were not a shadowy
host, but living people who laughed and talked as they
passed, can we realize something of the cost of these incredible days. Truly "our times have transcended the
limits of humanity."
Changes so rapid and of such magnitude have occurred
that we cannot keep pace with them. The Constitution,
when adopted in 1787, allowed four months for the President to travel by road to his inauguration. In 1953 anyone
can reach Washington from any part of the United States
for OCTOBER 13, 1953
UNITED PRESS
Page Three
The amazing
scene in the
United States
sector of Berlin
when hundreds
of people from
East Germany
flocked to purchase
the cut-rate food
supplies provided
after they had been
refused permission
to receive the
free "Eisenhower"
food packages.
UNITED PRESS
within a day. The first Queen Elizabeth
when she came to London in 1558 rode
on horseback. The second Elizabeth
flies by jet-propelled Comet to visit her
subjects on the other side of the globe.
Yet many can remember the excitement
of seeing an airplane for the first time.
Something has happened to the world,
something radical and revolutionary.
For centuries in the past, life moved
slowly. Work was done with tools similar to those used when Egypt and Babylonia ruled the world. Men used the
same methods of trade and finance current in ancient times. Modes of travel
were little different from the days of the
Roman Empire.
Then came the age of industry. Faster
and faster the wheels turned. Science
became all-powerful, the gauge by which
progress alone could be measured. The
world woke up and shook itself from the
sleep of ages. Methods of living changed.
The globe shrank. No longer were
mountains and oceans barriers to man's
conquest of the earth. Today the Atlantic Ocean is crossed as easily as is the
English Channel.
It was said at the close of the second
world war that the year 1945 should be
called 2945, for in that year, when the
atomic age was born, mankind leaped a
thousand years. This incredible era!
Like Aeschines we echo, "What is there
among the list of strange and unexpected
events, that has not occurred in our
time ?"
Yet according to the clear indications
of the word of God the climax of this
amazing century will be even more incredible. In these very days the Lord
Himself has promised to return to the
earth to establish His kingdom. At "the
time of the end" spoken of in the book
of Daniel, the prophet revealed that
Page Four
"many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Daniel 12:4.
We are living in the days of this tremendous upsurge of activity, activity which
will increase until the prophecy of the
Revelation is fulfilled, "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see
Him." Revelation 1:7. To the vast majority of people on the earth the event
will be "strange and unexpected." The
apostle Paul foretold, "The day of the
Lord so cometh as a thief in the night"
and solemnly warned, "Therefore let us
not sleep, as do others; but let us watch
and be sober." 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 6.
The last chapters of a story are always
the most gripping. It is when we reach
the last pages that we see the complete
picture that the author intended, when
the whole network of event and counterevent falls into place and the great climax
builds up of all that has gone before.
So it is as the last chapter of earth's
amazing tale is being written. The whole
picture of the conflict between good and
evil is revealed, and Satan, the great
deceiver, stands unmasked. Soon the
divine Author will write The End to the
page of human history.
The "strange and unexpected events"
of this century all point to this one glorious event, the coming of the Lord in the
clouds of heaven. Everywhere voices of
warning point out the signs of the times;
in the newspapers, over radio and television, swelled into a mighty chorus by
statesmen and educators.
This is the crowning hour to which
all history points. This is the supreme
moment of time. Let us be ready to take
part in the final scenes and share in the
happiness of the day when Christ shall
come again.
Great in Little Things
I THINK that the folks who are faithful
in that which is least wear very radiant
crowns. They are the people who are
great in little tasks. They are scrupulous
in the rutty roads of drudgery. They are
the folks who, when they are trudging
"through the valley of Baca make it a
well." They win their triumphs amid
small irritations. They are as loyal when
they are wearing aprons in the kitchen
as if they wore purple and fine linen in
the visible presence of the King. They
finish the obscurest bit of work as though
it were to be displayed before an assembled heaven by Him who is Lord of
light and glory. Great souls are these
who are faithful in that which is least!
Our Lord Jesus lived for thirty years
amid the little happenings of the little
town of Nazareth. He was in the carpenter's shop. He moved amid humdrum tasks, and petty cares, and village
gossip, and trifling trade, and he was
faithful in that which is least. He wore
his crown on other than state occasions.
It was never off His brow.—j. H. Jowett.
Czech garage
mechanic Uhlik
(top left) with
wife, children,
and friends, take
a last look at
the homemade
armored car
in which they
made their daring
escape from
Czechoslovakia.
July 25.
UNITED PRESS
SIGNS of the TIMES
Lifc's Most Enduring
Joys Await the
Unselfish
DEVADEY
by HAROLD SHRYOCK, M.D.
T IS natural to want to be
happy. Almost every decision a person makes and
most of the activities in which he engages are in the interest of obtaining
happiness, either now or in the future.
There are two vast groups of people
who are striving toward happiness, but
in very different ways. The first group
is interested in the supposed happiness
that appeals to the senses, that brings
momentary excitement, and that gratifies selfish interests. The second—perhaps a smaller group—is interested in
the more enduring kind of happiness
that comes as a by-product of successful
and unselfish living. This kind of happiness may not be as flashy, and may not
carry as much tinsel, but it is much more
satisfying and more enduring.
The devil's strategy has always been
to offer a counterfeit for true happiness
in the form of allurements that appeal
to the senses and to the desire for momentary gratification. The majority of
the human race have yielded to this strategy, only to have their supposed happiness snatched away from them when it
seemed to be well within their grasp.
Wars have been waged in the hope of
gaining happiness for the victors. Exploits of plundering have been carried
on with the same motive. Search for
treasures and world commerce have
seemed to bring happiness to many, but
it has been that elusive kind of happiness that has to be bought with a price.
The Bible contains many stories of
men and women who had to make the
L
for OCTOBER 13, 1953
same decision that you and I must make:
Will life's energies be spent in quest of
the happiness that promises momentary
pleasure, or will there be patient striving toward the genuine happiness that
fadeth not away?
Esau was Isaac's first-born son and
therefore rightly entitled to the birthright. In the days of the patriarchs the
son who held the birthright became the
priest of the family. On the death of his
father he received a double portion of the
father's wealth. But Esau was indiffer-
LEAD ME THERE!
by HAZEL HARTWELL SIMON
I've heard the tree bears many fruits,
Each month a different sort!
A river there, whose name is Life—
It is a sweet report!
We have not seen this lovely land,
Our hearts are sore with grief ;
I've heard that yonder all is joy
And heartache finds relief !
I've heard all tears are wiped away,
That illnesses and death
Come never, never to that land
Of sweet, immortal breath!
I've heard no sin shall enter there;
The flowers never fade!
Oh, lead me to that Paradise
Where no one is afraid!
Be sure I shall not miss the way,
Or faint before I rest
Within the safety of that land
Where all who come are blessed!
ent to the advantages of his birthright.
Particularly was he not interested in its
spiritual connotations. He found his
happiness in feasting, in reveling, and in
self-indulgence. Personal freedom and
sensual pleasure meant more to him
than any long-range claim on spiritual
influence and eternal welfare.
Not so with Jacob, who was Esau's
younger, twin brother. He placed a high
premium on the things that endure. To
him the birthright with its high privileges and sacred responsibilities was a
steppingstone to lasting happiness.
Then came a day when Esau returned
from a hunting expedition, weary and
hungry—so hungry that he bargained
with his brother to bring him a meal.
Jacob, quick to seize such an opportunity, offered a dish of red pottage in
exchange for the birthright. Esau, motivated only by his -appetite, reasoned,
"What profit shall this birthright do to
me ? . . . And he sold his birthright unto
Jacob." Genesis 25 :32,33.
Esau represents those who, even today, are trying to find their happiness
in personal gratification. Such are willing to sell their birthright, figuratively.
speaking, for carnal indulgences. They
sacrifice everything—health, mental
alertness, spiritual welfare—for the
thrills of ephemeral pleasure.
The experience of Moses in turning
his back on the glories of the court of
Egypt is an example of a decision in
favor of enduring happiness. "By faith
Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
Page Five
daughter; choosing rather to suffer
affliction with the people of God, than
to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
esteeming the reproach of Christ greater
riches than the treasures in Egypt: for
he had respect unto the recompense of
the reward." Hebrews I :24-26.
The necessity of choosing between the
two kinds of happiness starts in early
childhood. Of course, during these tender years, the parents exert a strong influence in guiding their children. Perhaps it should be said that the parents
make the early choices for their children.
The young child who lives only from
one bag of candy to the next ice-cream
cone is, even at his early years, building
the type of character that favors selfish
gratification and pleasures of the moment in preference to the enduring
values of life. Rather than finding his
childish satisfactions in those things that
appeal to the taste and that stimulate the
desire for selfish concessions, a young
child should be encouraged to follow a
way of life in eating, playing, and sleeping that is conducive to good health.
Such foundations will have their influence in contributing to a more stable
character in later years.
The grade-school child is naturally
very curious about life. He wants to
know about people. He is a keen observer of habits and customs. The comicbook writers have taken advantage of
these traits and have designed their
comics in ways that hold his interest.
But, unfortunately, .the ideals presented
in comic books are not high. These
books play up phases of human living
which are sometimes tragic, sometimes
ridiculous, and sometimes unfortunate.
They do not form a reliable foundation
for character development. But because
of their appeal the child absorbs them
avidly and incorporates their sentiments
into his code of living. Their effect is
to encourage the child to choose those
activities which have momentary appeal
to the senses and which provide a transient thrill.
As a substitute for the comic-book
habit, parents would do well to encourage their children to be interested in
actual biography. There are many biographical sketches which are written in
such a simple and interesting fashion
that the child himself can read them.
Biography portrays life as lived, not the
fiction of an author's imagination. Biography teaches the natural consequences
of decisions, both wise and unwise. With
the child's interests properly guided,
wholesome stories can satisfy his curios-
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Travelers Spending
Americans Owe $82,000,000,000
American travelers spent about $1,000,000,000 touring the world last year, according to the Commerce Department.
About $822,000,000 was spent in foreign
countries-4'00,000,00o more than in 1951
—and about $175,000,000 was paid to foreign ships and planes for fares. United
States international carriers also collected
$180,000,000 in fares from American travelers last year.
Expenditures by foreigners for travel in
the United States and for passage on United
States ships and planes amounted to $600,000,000 last year.
The Department of Commerce reports
that Americans owe $82,000,000,000 on
mortgages, installment purchases, and
other short-term debts. This compares with
$72,000,000,000 a year ago and $24,000,000,000 at the end of World War II.
The current volume of consumer mortgage and short-term credit is equivalent
to about 35 per cent of the $245,000,000,000
consumers have for spending a year, after
paying taxes.
Asthma Relief
Thirty-three of forty-five persons with
chronic bronchial asthma obtained effective relief through a prescription drug
called Phenarsenide, Dr. Aaron E. Fishman, St. Agnes' Hospital, Philadelphia,
writes in Medical Times. He says it aided
some persons not helped by other antiasthmatic drugs, whose asthma was due to
foods or drugs, bacteria, dusts, molds, or
pollens.
Page Six
Noise of Jets
The roar of jet-powered airplanes has
reached frequency ranges so high and so
wide that it not only causes fatigue and
nervous strain, but can break down human
tissue, it was revealed at a recent meeting
of the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences.
"The noise has little or no effect on the
pilot," said M. H. Slud of the Cornell
Aeronautical Laboratory at Buffalo, "who
sits forward of it, but is a serious problem
for service crews on the ground and for
persons in the vicinity of a jet that is warming up."
ity about the world in which he lives.
They can be the means of incorporating
such ideals as will help him to choose
wisely along lines that will assure him of
genuine happiness in the future and in
the hereafter.
Children, youth, and adults who frequent the movies are schooling themselves in superficial responses to life's
realities. Life as presented in the movies places emphasis on the sensual and
commends a program of indulgence as
being innocent and attractive. The policies on which our popular movie productions are based are not designed to emphasize the foundations for the kind of
permanent happiness that results from
unselfish ministry to others.
Admittedly there is a genuine need
for recreation. The ideal recreation is
wholesome as well as pleasant. It should
be adapted to the needs of the individual.
In the average case, recreation should
incorporate physical activity as well as
mental. Outdoor activity is definitely
preferable, whenever the weather permits. Hobbies, gardening, hiking, nature study, camping—many of these provide ideal recreation while contributing
to wholesome character development.
Many adults spend their lives slavishly
pursuing wealth in the hope that this
will ensure happiness. The acquiring
and maintaining of wealth may absorb
one's total interest so much that he neglects more important things. In getting
wealth, there are many temptations to
engage in shady practices. When a person's yen for the dollar becomes so great
that he compromises in matters of conscience, he lays the foundation for future
unhappiness.
But wealth is uncertain. A person may
be wealthy today and poverty-stricken
tomorrow. When wealth disappears, it
carries with it that portion of life which
has been invested in accumulating what
is now lost.
How much more secure in the affection of his friends, how much more
secure in the prospect of eternity, how
much more secure in genuine wholesome happiness, is the person who
spends his life's efforts not in selfishly
piling up dollars and property, but in
spending himself for the betterment of
mankind. "Lay not up for yourselves
treasures upon earth, where moth and
rust doth corrupt, and where thieves
break through and steal: but lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and
where thieves do not break through
nor steal: for where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also." Matthew
6:19-21.
SIGNS of the TIMES
MEN OF
PEACE
Christian
soldiers
find peace
of mind
even on the
front lines.
Strong, Calm, and Poised,
They Draw Their Strength
From God
by WILLIAM H. BERGHERM
ROBERTS
OES God mean what He nel and powder burns, but he did not
says ? Can a man bank seem to mind. He carried a fellow corpson the promises of the man on his back for nearly a mile to
Bible ? Ask these men a first-aid station when he ought to have
of peace. They are put- been carried himself. I could say a lot
ting Him to the test every day and dis- more about that doc, and it would all
covering that He is true and faithful a be true."
A three-star general said to me one day
thousand times over. They are so sure
that God means what He says that they as I visited his headquarters in Korea,
don't even bother to carry guns. They "I know the Seventh-day Adventist men.
are so busy in their work for others that We can count on them. They are all
they leave their rifles in the barracks. right. I wish we had a whole battalion.
Most of them don't even draw them Tell them to go to church all they can."
from the company arsenal in the first These officers know soldiers must carry
something with them besides hand greplace.
I talked to one of their officers, a major nades and steel. They know good solof the 558th Medical Collecting Com- diers must have faith. Yes, they need
pany. Said the major: "I have twenty- faith to believe that God means what
four men in my company who refuse to He says; that there is nothing that can
bear arms, but they are surely making separate them from His love.
The apostle Paul once asked a very
a contribution toward the work of the
United Nations over here. They are important question. "Who shall sepaamong the best workers I have. They rate us from the love of Christ ?" He
do not smoke, drink, or gamble; and followed this with another, "Shall tributhey are not sissies either. Never had to lation, or distress ?" He might have
place any of them on report for infraction added, Shall contact with the enemy in
of rules. When it comes to religion, they the Army, Navy, or Air Force? His anwant to go to church every Saturday in swer is a glorious one. "Nay, in all these
the chapel—couldn't keep them away if things we are more than conquerors
we tried. So, we don't even try."
Yes, these "CO's," as they are sometimes erroneously called, are even mixed
up with the Marines. A technical sergeant from the First Marine Division
THE BEST WAY
volunteered some information to me
about one of them: "Though I am no
by MARY GUSTAFSON
'CO,' I am an admirer of any man
Trust Him when the shadow
who has faith in God. One such man
Turns the blue to gray
And all the sorrow of the world
here in the First Division was recently
Seems hastening your way.
awarded a silver star for his bravery
Trust Him, He'll send comfort
and courage. He never carried a gun.
To the sorrowing and sad,
He was wounded the other day, but
And He will make the way ahead
The best you've ever had!
returned to the bitter fighting to care
for his buddies after his own wound
had been dressed. They hit him twice
again, and he was injured with shrapfor OCTOBER 13, 1953
through Him that loved us. For I am
persuaded, that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things
to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35,
37-39.
The Revised Standard Version puts it
even stronger. Instead of "any other
creature" we read, "anything else in all
creation." Then why need we fret and
worry ? Why should we be afraid of tomorrow ? There is nothing in all creation that can remove us from God's
tender care and love. A good example
can be seen in a soldier's name and his
service number. These two are, by law,
never separated. A soldier's assignment,
his rating, his specialty number, his organization, his material, and almost
everything else a soldier is issued is subject to change or withdrawal at any time,
and frequently does change. One thing
stands by him—his service number. AR615-30 states emphatically, "The service
number originally and properly assigned
to an enlisted person will not, under any
circumstances, be assigned to another individual. It will continue to be his number throughout his enlisted service in the
Army or Air Force."
(Continued on page 11)
Page Seven
the iiirtpstir Realm at Death
What the Bible Says About Life Beyond the Grave
First of a New Series
by CARLYLE B. HAYNES
HEN a man dies, what becomes of him ? That is
the question which has
confronted the human race from its beginning. It is the question which hovers
in the background of every man's thinking during his entire life, and becomes
more insistent and important as he advances toward the end of life.
For life does end for all men. That is
the most positive and inevitable thing
in. the world. We become increasingly
aware of it as our years multiply. We
come to be more conscious of our need
of an answer the nearer we come to pass
from life to death.
We know something of life, what it
is and means and holds. But death—
what does it hold ? A great adventure—
or endless silence and oblivion ?
On no other question have men advanced and toyed with so many theories
or engaged in more speculation. For
most of mankind it has remained in the
realm of theory and mystery.
The religions of the world have done
their share of speculating—and few of
them really answer the question of the
ages, "Man dieth, and wasteth away :
. . . and where is he ?" Job II. :io.
What awaits us in those shadows
ahead ? One replies, Heaven. Another,
Hell. Still another, Purgatory. Yet
another, Oblivion. But who knows?
Which answer is right? Or is there another answer altogether ?
What we need is the testimony of
One who lived on the earth and then
died, who not only experienced death,
but entered and passed through its dread
realm and returned to the realm of life.
Do we have any such testimony ? We
do. There is One who knows, and who
knows because He has died, who is now
alive, and has spoken; who has disclosed
all that men need to know about death.
All men die. Few have ever returned
to life. But One has. It is to Him we
turn for knowledge. When He speaks
of life and death, He knows.
He it is who accurately described His
Page Eight
own qualifications to speak on this subject by the impressive statement: "I am
the First and the Last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am
alive for evermore; ... and have the keys
of hell [the grave] and of death." Revelation i :17, i8.
The words "life" and "death" are
among the few which require no definition. They designate and describe
phenomena with which all are familiar.
Life is a phenomenon of nature. It is
everywhere visible. So is death. The one
is set over against the other. Consequently they are called antithetical
terms. They explain each other.
Death, however, is not merely the antithesis of life, as darkness is of light,
and cold is of heat. It is more. Death
implies a previous life. It denotes the loss
of what was once possessed. It would
not be accurate to predicate death of a
stone or a lump of clay. They were never
alive. Consequently they never died.
"Lifeless" is the proper negation of "life."
Death, too, is an absolute term. We
cannot predicate degrees of death as we
can of many other terms. Nothing is
dead that contains any life. It may be
almost dead, or about to die, or dying,
but it is not dead until all life is gone,
completely extinguished.
No words of the Bible have suffered
more than these two words, "life" and
"death." They are among its most important words. If they are allowed to
have their plain, obvious meaning, we
shall experience no difficulty in ascertaining the meaning, nature, and condition
of death. But when the literal and ordinary meaning is taken out of them and
they are tortured into meaning something else, then confusion and error are
bound to ensue.
Why should anyone be unwilling to
believe that the Bible means exactly what
it says when it employs the words "life"
and "death"? It sets forth death as the
certain result of sin. It declares perpetuity of life to be the portion only of the
righteous. When God promised Adam
perpetuity of life on one condition,—
obedience,—He meant what He said
and what Adam must have understood
Him to mean.
Adam could not have understood these
words in any other sense than simple
life and death. Nor did he understand
them otherwise until the great deceiver
suggested another meaning, a figurative
meaning, which is not the true meaning
at all, but which has come to be accepted
by most of Adam's descendants and, unfortunately, has found its way into the
theology even of Christian churches.
God plainly meant, and Adam understood Him to mean, that when men die
as a consequence of sin, they actually die.
They do not live on somewhere else.
They die. Death is the exact opposite
of life.
But the devil's philosophy meant, and
still means, that God was wrong, that
man would never die, but live on with
a perpetuity of life like that of God.
"Ye shall not surely die: ... and ye shall
be as gods," he said.
The devil taught that man is a deathless being; that he is not mortal and
transitory like all other things in nature
with which we are acquainted; that he
The promise of life
beyond the tomb
has been a source
of comfort to saints
of all the ages.
•• 4.
•,*
SIGNS of the TIMES
cannot lose his life; that whether sinful
or holy, saved or unsaved, he will live on
and on so long as God Himself shall live.
Tat teaching originated with the
devil. It is taught now in Christian
churches. But it is as much the devil's
lie now as it was when he originated it
—wherever it is taught. It was a lie to
begin with. It has been a lie ever since.
It is a lie now. No amount of acceptance
in the creeds of Christendom will ever
make it anything but a lie.
For the Holy Scriptures teach the
exact opposite—and they teach the truth.
In the plainest possible words they teach
that man, though he might have lived
forever, had he lived without sin, fell
under sentence of death the moment he
sinned, and became a mortal, transitory
creature, like all other earthly creatures.
When death overtook him as a consequence of sin, and he passed into its
realm, he did not go to live somewhere
else, he did not live on in torment and
misery, he did not live at all, in any condition whatever, good or bad.
The Scriptures plainly teach that all
those who die unredeemed, all the
wicked, shall be "cast away," shall be
"blotted out of the book of the living,"
"shall be destroyed," "shall be burned
up," "shall be consumed," "shall utterly
perish in their own corruption." This
is taught in every variety of language
possible, throughout the whole Bible,
from beginning to end, and in the plainest possible words that can be used.
The Scriptures also plainly teach that
man, with this mortal, transitory nature,
possesses no hope at all of a continuing
life save through redemption from death
by a divine Saviour; that though under
sentence of death he may nevertheless
find a new life through Christ, who died
(To be continued)
in his stead.
The, philosophy
which teaches
that man never
dies was originated by Satan,
the great deceiver.
CLYDE PROVONSHA, ARTIST
NAPOLEON set out to conquer
Egypt, he had some thirty or
forty thousand soldiers in five
hundred sailing vessels. While crossing
the Mediterranean, he and his officers
were sitting on the deck of a ship one
clear starlit night. The officers, most of
whom were skeptics, were arguing about
God. Napoleon sat listening, then said
to them, "Gentlemen, your arguments
are ingenious, but" pointing upward as
he spoke, "who made them and what
keeps them there ?" The officers remained silent.
Yes, "the heavens declare the glory of
God; and the firmament showeth His
handiwork." Psalm 19:1. If you have
any questions about God's existence and
omnipotence, then on the first clear night
look up into the heavens and ask yourself how the planets, suns, and universes
AS
for OCTOBER 13, 1953
move him from the earth. But before
sending the Flood upon him, God gave
him another chance to repent through
the
preaching of Noah. However, only
by ALBERT E. NEIL
Noah and his family were saved. Why ?
Because the rest of the world chose to
came to be, and who keeps them there. follow their evil ways.
God cannot save man unless of his
Although the Almighty created all
things, yet the Bible tells us that He can- own volition he chooses the way of life:
not do everything. When He made If our heavenly Father could not spare
Adam and Eve, He gave them the power the antediluvians, and the inhabitants of
of choice. They could eat of every tree Sodom and Gomorrah, how can we exin the garden except the tree of the pect Him to save us if we reject His
knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2: love ? Paul gives us excellent advice
when he says, "Whatsoever things were
16,17. He did not put a guard about
it; He did not hide it. He placed it in written aforetime were written for our
the center of the garden. Thus He gave learning, that we through patience and
our first parents the opportunity to obey comfort of the Scriptures might have
hope." Romans 15:4. May we accept
Him or not, as they might choose.
After man sinned and his wickedness salvation through Jesus Christ and rebecame great, it became necessary to re- ceive heaven's gift of eternal life!
Something God Cana Do
Page Nine
Another Bible Paradox Clarified
by
TAYLOR G.
BUNCH
CAN HATRED
Bea
BLESSING?
T
HE fact that hatred can be both
despicable and praiseworthy is one
of the paradoxes of life. Hatred
of the ignoble variety is one of the byproducts of sin. It is listed among "the
works of the flesh" and is a product of
the lower nature.
As signs of His return, Jesus said:
"Many . . . shall hate one another," and,
"The love of many shall wax cold." He
also declared that anger and hatred have
in them the seeds of murder, and that
because of his hatred and jealousy of
Christ, Satan was "a murderer from the
beginning."
There are three kinds of hatred which
are a blessing rather than a curse. The
first is the world's hatred of Christians
because their godly lives are a constant
rebuke to it. Their persecution becomes a blessing in disguise. Jesus said:
"Blessed are you when men shall hate
you and exclude you from their society
and insult you, and spurn your very
names as evil things, for the Son of
man's sake. Be glad at such a time, and
dance for joy; for your reward is great
in heaven; for that is just the way their
forefathers behaved to the prophets."
Luke 6:22, 23, Weymouth, third edition.
Why rejoice? Because it is an evidence
of Christlikeness. Jesus said: "If the
world hate you, ye know that it hated
Me before it hated you. If ye were of the
world, the world would love his own:
but because ye are not of the world, but
I have chosen you out of the world,
therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The
servant is not greater than his lord. If
they have persecuted Me, they will also
persecute you." John 15:18-2o. Paul declared: "All that will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Timothy 3:12.
Page Ten
Genuine Christians have never been
popular in this world because their lives
and characters have ever been a rebuke
and irritation to the ungodly. Jesus was
crucified, not because He was bad, but
because He was good. It is a mistake to
think that if you are good the world will
love you. Whether we like it or not, the
world has always hated and persecuted
the children of God. If Christ should
visit the world today as He did nineteen
centuries ago He would be as unpopular as He was then. It is a strange paradox, and for this reason the apostle said:
"Marvel not, my brethren, if the world
hate you." He had just said that Cain
slew his brother "because his own works
were evil, and his brother's righteous."
John 3:12-15.
The unrighteous will always hate the
righteous because of their righteousness.
The apostles all suffered persecution
and, all but one, martyrdom. This was
demonstrated also during the pagan
Rome persecutions of the second and
third centuries, and again under the
domination of the papacy during the
Middle Ages. Nor are these persecutions all in the past. We are told that the
dragon power of Satan will exhibit its
wrath against God's remnant people who
will come "out of great tribulation" with
character robes washed and made white
"in the blood of the Lamb." Revelation
12:17; 7:14.
The church has always been at its best
and made its greatest progress during
times of persecution, and at its worst
spiritually in times of peace and popularity. There can be no enemies while
the church compromises with the enemy. There can be no battles if Christians have already surrendered. There
can be no hatred of those who preach
unless they preach the truth. There will
be no animosity against professed Christians unless they live godly lives.
The second kind of commendable
hatred is that of self. Jesus said: "He
Why Did Jesus
Say, "Blessed
Are Ye, When
Men Shall
Hate You"?
that loveth his life shall lose it; and he
that hateth his life in this world shall
keep it unto life eternal." John 12:25.
This means that self-centered persons
will lose everything in the end, while
those who deny themselves will be
blessed with eternal riches. Jesus said
that only those who deny themselves
and bear His cross can be His disciples
and inherit the kingdom of glory. After
the patriarch Job had a vision of God,
he said : "Wherefore I abhor myself, and
repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:6.
"Lovers of their own selves" is one of
the nineteen sins which will characterize
the last days, according to 2 Timothy
3:1-5. Only those who despise themselves can be meek and humble, and
Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek: for
they shall inherit the earth."
The third type of virtuous hatred is
hatred of sin. The psalmist said: "Ye
that love the Lord, hate evil," and in a
later psalm said, "I hate every false way."
Psalms 97:1o; 119:104, 128. An ancient
prophet gave wise counsel when he said:
"Seek good, and not evil, that ye may
live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts,
shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
Hate the evil, and love the good, and
establish judgment in the gate." Amos
5:14, 15. The apostle Paul put it this
way: "Abhor that which is evil; cleave to
that which is good." Romans 12:9. "Let
your love be a real thing, with a loathing for evil and a bent for what is good"
is the Moffatt translation, and "Regard
with horror what is evil" is the Weymouth.
This is Christlikeness. It is the secret
of a godly life, for of Jesus the Father
said: "Thou hast loved righteousness,
and hated iniquity; therefore God, even
Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the
oil of gladness above Thy fellows." Hebrews 1:9. Here we are told that hatred
of sin is also the secret of happiness.
Those who abhor sin as did Jesus will
be anointed with "the oil of gladness"
SIGNS of the TIMES
above their fellows. This kind of hatred
is godlike. It is virtuous. Victory over
any sin becomes easy as soon as we cease
to love and fondle it, and begin to hate
it. It is not hard to forsake the sins and
weaknesses which we abhor. Pet sins are
the most dangerous because of our affection for them.
The eyesalve mentioned in Revelation
3:18 is that spiritual discernment which
enables God's remnant people to see the
wiles of the enemy and shun them, and
to detect sin and abhor it, to see ourselves
as God sees us. Only the Holy Spirit can
convince men and women of the exceeding sinfulness of sin and put into their
hearts an intense hatred for the sins that
nailed the Son of God to the cross. While
hating sin in ourselves or others, we must
be like Jesus and continue to love the
sinner. It seems difficult for man to make
this distinction, but to do so is Christlike.
It is genuine Christianity, and without
it there is none worthy of the name.
here, and we must fulfill that purpose
and let our light shine out to these men.
Many times the fellows ask me how I
can have any fun without drinking and
smoking and doing the other things-they
do. They don't understand the calm,
peaceful attitude that a Christian takes
toward life."
Calm on the front lines! Deliverance
from fear! Do you, dear reader, ask
how? An artist was once asked to paint
his conception of peace. Instead of a
quiet meadow and a smooth-flowing
river he showed a mad, rushing torrent,
leaping and foaming. In an overhanging branch of a great tree directly overhead was a little bird peacefully sitting
upon her nest. Peace amid distraction,
joy in the midst of confusion. Is it possible ? The testimony of these men from
the battle front assures us it is possible.
It can also be yours. Neither height nor
depth nor things present nor things to
come can separate you and me, my
friend, from enjoying this peace through
the riches of God's love.
by M. CAROL HETZELL
Men of Peace
(Continued from page 7)
So it is with the Christian soldier.
There is something that goes along with
him wherever he goes, which isn't separated from him by death itself. That is
the love of God. You and your Redeemer's love are not separable. Talk about
the dusty rocks testifying, and brittle
papyri of antiquity bearing witness to
God's word, why not look to the reassuring tests which living men are demonstrating every day? God is faithful. You
can bank on it.
As I write these lines I open a letter
from a young man who says:
"I could tell of many times when I
know that the Lord protected me from
all harm and danger. I sometimes wonder how men can go out to face the
enemy with only a weapon made of
metal in their hands. When I go out I
know I have the Lord with me, and I
have experienced no fear whatsoever as
yet. I have completely resigned my life
to God, and I know that whatever happens, it will be His will.
"Please pray for me and the other men
over here that we will have courage to
stand up for our Lord under all circumstances and that we will have wisdom
to know how to care for the wounded
and dying. At times I almost feel helpless
when I see a man lying there wounded
and in pain, but the Lord always helps
me to do the best I can to ease his suffering. The worst part is that there are so
many of these men who are going to
Christless graves. I am sure that there
is a divine purpose in some of us being
for OCTOBER 13, 1953
• Jewish parents throughout the United
States observed September 8 to October 5
as Jewish Education Month. Special emphasis was given the promotion of Jewish
culture in order to achieve a spiritual future
for their children worthy of a past rich in
memory and achievement.
• Summer residents of the Newfound
Lake, New Hampshire, area this summer
attended a type of church service more than
1,90o years old. A Methodist clergyman
delivered a sermon from a boat pushed out
a short distance into the lake, reminiscent
of Galilee.
• Buddhism, ancient religion of the Orient, is falling rapidly before the advances
of Christianity in Korea. The battle-scarred
country is now the most open mission field
in the world, with Christianity making
more progress than the United Nations,
according to a recently returned missionary.
• In Heilbronn, Germany, stands an intercreedal chapel called The Chapel of the
Three Stones. Built to accommodate service men of any faith, the chapel derives its
name from the fact that its altar is built of
three stones—one taken from the ruins of
a Jewish synagogue, another from a
bombed-out Protestant church, and a third
from a war-damaged Roman Catholic
church.
Bible. At the invitation of the Federation
of Protestant Churches and Associations
of Geneva, twenty-four churches of various
religions will participate in the festival.
• Americans stretched church contributions to an all-time high of $1,296,000,000
in 1952, or $25,000,000 a week. While this
figure passed by a small margin the amount
spent on moving pictures, it fell behind by
$50,000,000 expenditures on cosmetics and
toilet articles, and came to only half the
amount spent on television.
• A recipe book called Parties With Punch
is the Methodists' approach to the task of
selling temperance to teen-agers. Attractively designed with orange and blue colors
and cartoons, the book contains forty nonalcoholic punch beverages bearing such
tides as "Cranberry Cheer," "Grape Glamour," "Golden Anniversary." It also gives
poetic tips for successful parties.
• The governor of New York recently
commuted the sentence of a convicted murderer in order that he might enroll in a
theological school. The prisoner, who had
served sixteen years of his sentence, had
developed an interest in entering the ministry as a result of assisting the prison chaplain and studying a Bible correspondence
course.
• The needs of the aged received consideration at a meeting of sixteen Protestant
denominations recently at Lake Geneva,
Wisconsin. Some 120 representatives explored ways in which churches can minister
to the constantly increasing numbers of
older adults in the United States.
• Rosemont, Ohio, Church of the Nazarene has begun its new church building
from the top down. It has a shiny new bell
to call members to worship, but no steeple
to hold the bell and no church house upon
which to build a steeple. However, the
pastor and members are advancing in faith
with work on. a foundation.
• October 25 will be observed by all Christian churches of Geneva, Switzerland, as
the 5ooth anniversary of the Gutenberg
• Two and a quarter million Bibles and
Testaments passed from the hands of the
Gideons to the hands of readers in 1952.
Page Eleven
QUIET HOURS WITH THE BIBLE
ONSfisimagaina,§11511111111114mer
NENSENIGNOMMINIMINIMIUSIkm,
ISMININUMMIONINNIMMOSINnw
-:Igialeilinglallairesetataindslom
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lest of Loyally
by DALLAS YOUNGS
JE Lord is my partPIP4
ner I shall not be
troubled about
temporal prosperity. He maketh me to
live upon the fat of the land; He leadeth
me away from bad investments; He restoreth my confidence in Him; He leadeth me to know the blessings of Scriptural giving. Yea, though I pass through
a season of business depression, I will not
fear for the outcome, for Thou, 0 Lord,
wilt not permit our enterprise to fail.
Thou preparest a way and a will to enjoy
spiritual blessings more than ever I have
known before in all my Christian experience. Thou causest Thy fund to contain enough money and still some for
every work of Thine. Surely real prosperity—of the heart as well as the purse
—shall continue with me as long as I
confidently do my part and let Him
prove what He can do; and together we
build up His kingdom into everlasting
clay."—E. A. Stanistreet, The Tither's
Psalm.
Who lays claim to the earth and all
that is in it?
"The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that
dwell therein." Psalm 24:1.
"The silver is Mine, and the gold is
Mine, saith the Lord of hosts." Haggai 2 :8.
"Every beast of the forest is Mine, and
the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know
all the fowls of the mountains: and the
wild beasts of the field are Mine. If I
were hungry, I would not tell thee: for
the world is Mine, and the fullness
thereof." Psalm 50:10-12.
Note A: God's claim to the earth and
all things in it rests upon the fact that
He made it—that He is the Creator. This
fact is basic to all ownership, but in a
peculiar sense to divine ownership. Both
the Bible and our own common sense
testify to God's ownership and our conPage Twelve
sequent stewardship. Stewardship in its
completest sense means that we hold and
manage goods that are the property of
another—even God's; therefore that
which we commonly think of and speak
of as being ours is not ours in fact, but
God's.
Note B: "If we trace back the title
deeds of all estates to the original ownership, we find 'in the beginning God.' He
has never renounced His proprietary
rights to the things He has created.
Across every title deed executed is written in indelible letters, 'The earth is the
Lord's, and the fullness thereof ; the
world, and they that dwell therein.'
Psalm 24:1. The Most High has never
conveyed away His right and title as
absolute owner. He has allowed many
generations to use His possessions, but
has never surrendered His ownership.
They are all to be held at the call of
the Owner. That is the starting point
of stewardship. Everything relating to
the handling or use of money is to be
looked at from that point of view."—
L. E. Froom, Stewardship in Its Larger
Aspects, pages 9, 1o.
Those who give tithes and offerings to the Lord become partners with Him,
and He blesses their faithfulness and loyalty.
THREE LIONS
SIGNS of the TIMES
God's Plan of Church Finance
How much of man's income does
God claim as His?
"All the tithe of the land, whether of
the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the
tree, is the Lord's : it is holy unto the
Lord." Leviticus 27:30.
"And concerning the tithe of the herd,
or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy
unto the Lord." Verse 32.
Note: The "tithe" is the "tenth" of the
increase. Therefore we see that the
amount of the tithe rests upon the integrity of the steward and the degree of
God's blessing in field and herd. Nothing could be fairer. If there is no blessing, no increase, then no tithe is owed.
On the other hand, if there is increase,
then the tithe is in direct ratio to the
amount of it.
In farming and in business the tithe
is not paid upon the gross income, but
on net increase. If a businessman sells
in the course of a week the amount of
$2,000 in merchandise, but his costs
amount to $1,800, he would have a net
increase of $2oo, and upon this latter
figure he would pay his tithe. If a farmer
in the course of a year sold farm commodities to the amount of $io,000, and
his costs amounted to $7,000, his net gain
for the year would be $3,000, and upon
this he would pay his tithe of $300.
What use is to be made of the tithe?
"Behold, I have given the children of
Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve,
even the service of the tabernacle of the
congregation." Numbers 18:21.
Note: In Old Testament times the
tribe of Levi was set apart, dedicated, to
the service of the tabernacle. They were
the clergymen of their day. The commandment of the tithe made them independent of the uncertain liberality of
their constituency. It put the work of
God upon a dignified and stable basis.
The payment oethe tithe may not be
considered a "liberality" toward God.
The tenant is not liberal when he pays
the landlord his month's rent. He is
only honest.
What is said about the support of
the ministry in New Testament times?
"Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things
of the temple ? ... Even so hath the Lord
ordained that they which preach the
gospel should live of the gospel." 1 Corinthians 9 :13, 14.
Note: It is perhaps better established
today than ever before in the world's
history that "the laborer is worthy of his
for OCTOBER 13, 1953
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Street
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State
hire." Never before has the laboring
man been so well off. The minister is
a laborer along with others—a laborer in
the proclamation of the good news of
the plan of salvation. As the industrial
worker lives from the industry in which
he is employed, as the farmer lives from
the production of his farm, so is the man
who preaches the gospel to live of the
gospel.
Did Christ make any statement relative to the tithe during His ministry?
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and
anise and cumin, and have omitted the
weightier matters of the law, judgment,
mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have
done, and not to leave the other undone."
Matthew 23:23.
Note: The leading Jews of Christ's
time were strict in the paying of the
tithe. Most carefully did they compute
the value of the least garden herbs—
mint, anise, and cumin. But together
with this scrupulous integrity they drove
sharp bargains, robbed the poor, and
perverted judgment in the courts. Jesus
directed their attention to their exactness
in the tithe and then said in effect: That
is good; "these ought ye to have done."
In other words, they should have paid
the tithe and been merciful and just as
well. They should have done both.
the most high God, which hath delivered
thine enemies into thy hand. And he
[Abraham] gave him tithes of all."
Genesis 14:18-20.
What solemn promise did Jacob
make?
"This stone, which I have set for a
pillar, shall be God's house: and of all
that Thou shalt give me I will surely
give the tenth unto Thee." Genesis 28 :22.
How serious a matter is it to fail to
bring the tithe into God's treasury?
"Will a man rob God ? Yet ye have
robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have
we robbed Thee ? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse : for
ye have robbed Me, even this whole
nation." Malachi 3:8, 9.
Note: Even in this world of crime and
lawlessness, robbery is considered a grave
crime. Appropriating to our own use
that which is the property of another is
a serious offense. It is sin—the violation
of the eighth commandment.
It is a well-recognized fact that God,
in the Garden of Eden, tested Adam and
Eve, tested their loyalty. It is less well
recognized, but nonetheless true, that
God today is testing the loyalty of professed Christians. How? By the time
and money which they are willing to
devote to Him.
How particular is God about the
How and when did Abraham recog- tithe?
nize God's ownership of all?
"Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase
of
thy seed, that the field bringeth forth
"And Melchizedek king of Salem
year
by year." Deuteronomy 14:22.
brought forth bread and wine: and he
How will God reward the faithful
was the priest of the most high God.
And he blessed him, and said, Blessed titbepayer?
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storebe Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be house, that there may be meat in Mine
Page Thirteen
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house, and prove Me now herewith, saith
the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you
the windows of heaven, and pour you
out a blessing, that there shall not be
room enough to receive it." Malachi 3:10.
Note: Will God do what He says ?
Will He open the windows of heaven to
the faithful tithepayer ? He will. This
has been and is being proved over and
over again. From the very beginning of
his career as a successful merchant, John
Wanamaker, the well-known merchant
of Philadelphia, dedicated one tenth of
all his increase to the Lord. It is said that
Mr. Colgate of the Colgate-PalmolivePeet Company paid into the church
treasury very much more than the
amount of his tithe. Then there is the
distinguished violinist, Fritz Kreisler,
who declared, "I never look upon the
money I earn as my own. It is only a
fund entrusted to my care for proper
disbursement."
Arthur A. Everts of Dallas, Texas, at
a recent Christian Endeavor convention,
as reported in the El Paso Times, stated:
"The man who does not give his tithe to
God, . . . and I mean actual money, is
a God robber. Such a man cannot hope
to be successful and prosperous. This is
the reason why forty out of every hundred Americans at sixty-five are either
wholly or partially dependent."
Then he referred to the Mormons by
stating: "They are tithers, and less than
nine out of every hundred are broke at
sixty-five."
In speaking of the Seventh-day Adventists, he continued by saying: "The
total for the Seventh-day Adventists is
less than six out of every hundred. They
add something to the tithe. Out of 352
Seventh-day Adventists in business, only
eight went broke in seven years, and not
one of those eight was paying his tithe."
Freewill Offerings
PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION
Mountain View, California
Gentlemen:
I would like to know more about the book Bible Readings for
the Home. Please send me information. This does not obligate me
in any way.
Name
Page Fourteen
What should the Christian do in
addition to paying his tithe?
"The Lord spake.: unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel,
that they bring Me an offering." Exodus 25:1,2.
In what spirit should the offerer
present his gifts to God?
"As for me, in the uprightness of mine
heart I have willingly offered all these
things: and now have I seen with joy
Thy people, which are present here, to
offer willingly unto Thee." 1 Chronicles 29:17.
Note: In addition to the tithe, the
Christian is given the opportunity of
bringing gifts unto God. He is invited
to be liberal—to give gifts to the One
who gives gifts to him.
SIGNS of the TIMES
OR weeks the blazing sun had
beaten down unmercifully. Fields
were hard, scorched, and cracked.
Great forests were dry as tinder, the
fernlike grasses composing their floor
covering brown in contrast to their usual
green.
Rivers were down, water supplies
dwindling, and many smaller streams
and creeks were completely dried up. In
the wooded areas only the towering
evergreens with their roots branching
deep beneath the soil's surface gave any
evidence of life.
Logging crews had been alerted to be
especially careful in their operations; because of the high humidity all crews had
to be out of the woods by early afternoon. Numerous signs and warnings
cautioning campers to extinguish fires
and to be careful with matches were
posted along highways and roads which
laced their way among the vast tracts
of forest territory. Every effort was
made to preserve the millions of board
feet of timber worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and constituting a vital
part of the area's economy.
Speeding along the main thoroughfare which wound through the forest, a
motorist flipped his cigarette out of the
window as he commented : "Carelessness with fire is what ruins great wooded
areas of this kind every year." The partially extinguished cigarette landed by
the roadside. For a moment it smoldered, almost going out; then a few
wisps of dry, tinderlike grass ignited.
The blaze was so small it could have
been stamped out. It widened in extent,
gradually fanning out in all directions.
Then it really began to take hold.
A forest ranger peering from his lookout located high in the mountains observed a trace of smoke. Training his
powerful field glasses on the spot, he
verified his first alarmed conjecture. A
forest fire had begun! Fire fighters
hastily piled equipment on their trucks
and headed for the scene as alarms went
out all through the valley.
In the meantime the small blaze was
growing into a roaring, raging inferno.
Racing along at express-train speed, it
ignited everything in its path. Great
trees crashed to the ground in a storm
of smoke, fire, and flame as the blaze
licked voraciously at everything which
came in its path, including dwindling
streams which soon vanished in the wake
of the holocaust.
Courageous fire fighters, convinced of
the impossibility of extinguishing the
fire, labored valiantly to bring it under
control. Huge bulldozers mowed down
wide swaths in a move calculated to iso-
F
for OCTOBER 13, 1953
SO MUCH
FROM SO LITTLE
by GORDON DALRYMPLE
late the fire so it might burn itself out.
Explosives were used for the same purpose. The unexpressed fear, uppermost
in the minds of all, was that the fire
would "crown," that is, spread to the
tops of the trees as well as the lower
part of the forest. Should this happen,
it would rage with new fury, creating
a tremendous wind which would spread
it still farther and wider.
Then it happened! As the fire had
been isolated, it crowned and quickly
bridged the man-made gap so laboriously constructed. Pandemonium broke
loose as men fled from the scene, forced
to leave valuable equipment to the mercy
of the fire. Animals scurried from the
area at top speed, oblivious of natural
enemies.
As One Cigarette Stub May Destroy a
Forest, So the Smallest Word or Deed
May Have Tremendous Consequences.
For days the fire burned, destroying
thousands of acres of timber worth millions of dollars. The area's lumber industry was wiped out. Today the towns
and cities in and surrounding the forest
are only ghosts of their once-populous
selves. Only a few people remain. And
all because someone was careless!
Many years ago the apostle James
said: "Behold, how great a matter a little
fire kindleth!" James 3:5. A partially extinguished cigarette, little, insignificant,
apparently harmless—but what a world
of destruction and misery it caused!
Likewise, what a vast potential for
good or evil is possessed by the little
things of life! Small, insignificant, seemingly powerless for either good or bad,
they can change the direction of a life,
alter concepts, ideals, and character, and
transform the whole picture of things.
A kind word, a thoughtful act, an expression of love or sympathy—what rejuvenating, uplifting power these little
things have! And as we never know or
dream many times of the sorrow, grief,
and heartache all about us, it may never
be fully possible for us to realize how
much our kind word of encouragement
may have meant. Solomon said, "A word
fitly spoken is like apples of gold in
pictures of silver." Proverbs 25:11.
Time and again when the great Minister to the spiritual and physical needs
of men was speaking, He emphasized
the importance of little things. "A cup
of cold water," clothing for the needy,
visitation of the sick, food for the poor,
and numerous other acts of kindness and
love were all emphasized by the Saviour
as being among the "little things" that
make for truly great Christian living.
"Inasmuch," He said, "as ye have done
it unto one of the least of these My
brethren, ye have done it unto Me."
Matthew 25:40. The spirit of Jesus was
the spirit of service. Self-seeking may
bring temporary satisfaction, but it can
never be conducive to that lasting peace
and happiness which come from using
"little things" to bring a blessing to
others.
On the other side of the picture, of
course, incalculable harm can be done
by being careless in the little things of
life. An unkind comment, a half-true
statement, an overbearing, haughty attitude—these can do untold damage in the
lives of others. Someone has said that
falsehood travels around the world while
truth is putting its boots on.
It is no less than tragic to blast and
ruin the lives of others by being careless
about little things. It is no less than
glorious to make life a long chain of
golden memories by utilizing the blessings which care in little things can bring.
Page Fifteen
REVIEW PICTURES
The Inescapable Christ
by H.
G. WOODWARD
A WORK of fiction portrays Pontius
Pilate as entertaining a friend in his beautiful villa.
During a lull in the conversation the friend turns to his
host with the question, "Did you ever hear anything
more concerning that Jew who was brought to trial
before you some years ago? I think His name was
Jesus, and He professed to be the Christ."
Pilate knew full well to whom his friend referred,
but the subject was an embarrassing one, which he
wished to forget. He therefore claimed no remembrance of the affair. "Jesus ? A Jew ? No, I don't remember any such case," was his reply.
How could Pilate forget that day ? His sense of
Roman justice; the urgent message of his wife, "Have
thou nothing to do with that just Man;" the guiltlessness of the Prisoner—all made duty clear. But, calling
for water, he sought to wash his hands of the affair.
Pilate had evaded the issue; and now, removed from
office and in disgrace, he is faced once more by the
gentle Jew. Indeed he was being constantly faced by
Christ and found himself unable to escape Him.
Long years before, a famous ancestor of Christ had
expressed the impossibility of evasion. Declared David,
"Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit ? or whither shall
I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven,
Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou
art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell
in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall Thy
hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me. If I
say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night
***
shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not
from Thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee." Psalm
139:7-12.
Christ does not pursue us as an inexorable avenger;
His persistence is actuated by love. He binds us to Him‘self "with bands of love," and when we chafe to be free,
He cries, "How shall I give thee up ?" Hosea 11:4, 8.
When He most needed them, "all the disciples forsook Him, and fled." Matthew 26:56. But upon His
resurrection we find Him back again with those who
had been so unfaithful. No words of condemnation or
rebuke were His. "Having loved His own which were
in the world, He loved them unto the end." John 13:1.
Francis Thompson has expressed something of the
persistent pursuit of Christ in his poem "The Hound of
Heaven." He sought to show the utter futility of seeking to escape Christ. As a hound refuses to be turned
aside in its pursuit until it has achieved its purpose, so
the supreme purpose of Christ is the capture of those
who are fleeing from Him.
With unhurrying chase
And unperturbed pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
They beat—and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet—
"All things betray thee, who betrayest Me."
"The Son of man is come to seek and to save that
which was lost," He said. His unending search continues, even today. Seeking the lost. Seeking you.