Jewish Contributions to Christmas - Christian and Missionary Alliance

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NATHAN BAILEY 

JULIAN A. BANDY 

ROBERT W. BAlTLES 

BERNARD S. KING 

H. ROBERT COWLES 

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ANITA M. BAILEY MANAGIUG ED~TOR 

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VOLUME 107, NUMBER 26 

This issue of THE ALLIANCE WITNESS 

contains Miss Edith M. Beyerle's final 

"Meditations in the Word." 

Miss Beyerle, who is convalescing in 

her Asheville, N.C., home after serious 

illness earlier this year, has but one regret. 

"I shall miss the many wonderful 

letters I have received down through these 

many years," she says. 

"These many years," believe it or not, 

have been nearly thirty-eight. She began 

editing the Mcditations page in February, 

1935. 

Miss Beyerle, the oft-quoted "Pameii" 

of the Meditations pagepameii is her 

Chinese name; she sewed in China from 

1916 to 1923-is not yet opting for uninterrupted 

leisure. "I am looking to the 

Lord for my next step," she says, adding, 

"but if I attempt any writing, there will 

be no deadlines!'' 

I surely speak for thousands of appreciative 

readers in expressing thanks to 

Miss Beyerle for her faithful service. 

Next issue in this column we shall announce 

the successor to her "Meditations 

in the Word" page. 

H. ROBERT COWLES 

Editor 

The heart of Christmas is God's 

gift of His Son. Only those who 

have received Jesus Christ into 

their lives knqw the real meaning 

of Christmas. To each ALLI- 

ANCE WITNESS reader we wish a 

Christ-centcrcd Christmas. 

IN THIS ISSUE 

3 He Identified with Sinners 

Puul F. Bubnu 

5 Jewish Contributions lo 

Christmas 

Solomon Birnbaum 

6 You Can Live Above Envy! 

Leslie B. Flynn 

9 Target: Thailand! 

Somdee Poosawfsee 

15 1 Visited Puerto Rico 

Beverly Boon 

17 A New Face for the 

Bobo-Dioulasso Church 

Mrs. Milton Pierce 

24 Christmas in the Ivory Coast? 

DEPARTMENTS 

11 The Religious Caravan 

12 Lately: Presstime Paragraphs 

14 With the New Books 

19 The Alliance Family 

22 Meditations in the Word 

23 The Editorial Voice

IDENTIFIED WITH 

This Christmas message was preached in Saigon's International Protestant 

Church while the writer, now pastor again in Minneapolis, served that 

pulpit in South Viet Nam's capital. 

HE HAD to be made like these 

brothcrs of his in every way, so that 

he might he merciful and faithful as 

their high pricst before God" (He- 

brews 2: 17 NEB). 

Simon and Garfunkel produced a 

song several years ago during the 

Christmas season that is taking its 

place among the growing repertoire 

of secular Christmas music: "Silent 

Night and the Seven-O'clock News." 

The recording presents a soft, flow- 

ing, folk rendition of the carol "Silent 

Night" while in the background therc 

drones the voice of a news commen- 

tator chronicling man's awesome in- 

humanity to man. Atrocities in Vict 

Nam, strife in the Middle East, riots 

on campuses, violent strikes, crime in 

the streets, corruption in government, 

hatred, grecd, murder. 

The incongruity of Christ the 

Prince of Peace in a world yet filled 

with hatred is not a new idea. Henry 

Wadsworth Longfellow voiced this 

same problem a century ago in a 

Christmas poem written six months 

after the bloody battle at Gettysburg: 

I heard the bells on Christmar Day 

Their old, familiar carols play, 

And wild and sweet 

The words repeat 

Of peace on earth, goodwill to men. 

By PAUL F. BUBNA 

And in despair I bowed my head; 

"Thcm is no peace on earth," I said; 

"For hate is strong, 

And mocks the song 

O/ pence on earth, goodwill to men!" 

Onc woman called hcr local radio 

station to protest the playing of the 

Simon and Garfunkel song. "They 

have no right to make such a record," 

she contended. "After all, the news 

is onc thing and Christmas is an- 

other." 

And that is fairly typical of peo- 

ple's responsc to the birth of Christ. 

To most folk Christmas symbolizes 

the lofty but unattainable ideals of 

love and brotherhood, the consider- 

ation of which, for a brief time, gives 

us an escape from the unpleasant 

reality of the seven-o'clock news. 

In truth, h,owever, nothing is 

more relevant to Christmas than the 

seven-o'clock news. Christmas de- 

clares that God stepped into history 

and identified with man-not man as 

he ought to be, hut man as he is. 

Hatred, prejudice, sickness, grief, re- 

jcction, misunderstanding, suffering, 

de~ath-these are the ingredients of 

the seven-o'clock news, and it was 

these which marked the life of our 

Lord from thc manger to the cross. 

John did not include in his Gospcl 

the wonderful events surrounding 

Christ's birth as did thc other writers, 

but he interpreted those events when 

he boldly declared, "The Word was 

made flesh, and dwelt among us" 

(John 1:14). 

The first two chapters of the Epis- 

tle to the Hebrews gives a detailed 

statement of this mystery of the In- 

carnation. Chapter 1 tells who the 

Word is, and chapter 2 plumbs the 

depths of what it meant for the Word 

to hecome flesh: 

"In this the final age he [God] has 

spoken to us in the Son whom he 

has made heir to the whole universe, 

3

and through whom he created all 

orders of existence: the Son who is 

the effulgence of God's splcndour and 

the stamp of God's vcry being, and 

sustains the universe by word of 

power" (Hebrews 1 :2-3 NEB). The 

poet summed it up in the carol: "The 

Virgin's sweet boy ,' Is the Lord of 

the carth." 

The Word is God the Son, the vcry 

creator and sustaincr o'f the universe, 

that One in whom creation finds its 

purpose, its bcginning and its end. 

It was this most exalted Being, thc 

eternal Son, who was enfleshed as the 

Son of Mary. 

It is the second chapter of Hebrews 

that speaks to the point of God's 

identifying with fallen man. He be- 

came ilcsh to idcntify with sinners. 

God had intcndcd (2:s-8) for 

.4dam's race to bring naturc into 

subjection and to rule His creation, 

but sin brought frustration and with 

1111 his ingenuity man has continually 

hccn completely at odds with himself 

and his environment. 

Then into thc human prcdica- 

ment came Christ to sharc with us the 

common bond of human nature. The 

writer reminds us (Hebrews 2: 11-12) 

that a consecrating priest and those 

he consecrates are always from the 

same stock. If Christ thcn was to 

minister as a priest to the needs of 

our fallen race He must be our 

brothcr. The psalmist prophesied 

(22:22) that the Messiah was to be 

a brothcr to our race. 

We arc confronted here with pro- 

found mystery. Christ is not two 

persons hut one; how thcn two na- 

tures? The ancient creed reminds us 

that what is mystery is not neces- 

sarily confusion, for it states simply 

that these natures "are not mixed or 

confused, nor divided or separated." 

We must stand in holy awe before 

such mystery, and we must not miss 

its glorious message. God, the Son, 

has taken our naturc and shared in 

our predicament that we might par- 

take of His naturc and sharc in His 

glorious inheritance. Paul says that 

rvc arc "heirs of God, and joint- 

heirs with Christ" (Romans 8: 17). 

He is not ashamed to call us brothers. 

The writcr to the Hebrews reasons 

that since children of a family share 

thc snmc flesh and b ld, Christ took 

upon Himself flesh and blood as our 

brother (2:14). He had to share our 

cornnion .substance. Thus Christ's en- 

try into history involves not only 

mystcry but miracle-the virgin birth 

by which He was ablc to sharc our 

Rcsh and blood without our sinful 

State. 

"Veiled in flesh the Godhead sre; 

Hail the incornate deity, 

Plea.rcd a.r Man with mrn to dwell, 

Jesus, orlr E,nnianuel!" 

Emmanuel-God is with us. The 

end of this identification with fallen 

man was that He might sharc with us 

a common experience. 

The Hcbrcw Epistle statcs that it 

was fitting that He who was going to 

lead many sons to Glory should he 

made perfect through suffering (2: 

10). That the mediator of sin must 

hc pcrfect was taught by bo~th type 

and precept all through Scripture. 

The Tsraclitc was required to bring 

for a sin sacrifice a lamb without spot 

or blemish. The Passover lamb was 

to be kept in close observation for 

thrcc days to he sure it was perfect. 

Wc can thcrcforc understand why, if 

Christ was to he the Saviour of our 

race, He had to be pcrfect. 

But to say that He was madc per- 

fect through suffering raises immedi- 

ate questions in our minds. The 

writcr, however, does not say that 

Jesus was imperfect and then be- 

came pcrfect through suffering. 

Rather he says that perfection which 

has not been tested or demonstrated 

is without meaning. 

A coach tells me that his team has 

not becn scored upon. I am greatly 

impressed until I find out that they 

havc not played any games. But if 

they play the whole season and arc 

not scored upon then thcir defensive 

pcrfection has been demonstrated. 

If Christ, thc spotless ~amb ol 

God, has come to lead man out of 

his hopeless predicament, His perfection 

must be demonstrated in 

tcrms that man can see and know. 

Thus Christ was called to suffcr and 

Hc expcricnced the whole gamut of 

human tragedy. He was rejected by 

His own and misunderstood; He 

knew poverty; He endured humilia- 

tion, Ioncliness-and in all He ex- 

hibited pcrfect obedience and sub- 

mission to the Father. 

In taking our flesh and blood, 

Christ had to subjcct Himsolf to 

death. By His resurrection the fear 

of death (2: 14-15) that has held 

man in bondage has bccn broken. 

Our Brother went to the other side of 

the grave and returned victorious. 

Thcrc is hope, and that hope is be- 

lievable. 

The writcr concludes that Christ 

had to he like His brothers in every 

rccpcct (2:17). It was not for romantics 

that His life among men began 

in 3 manger and ended on a 

crms. Hc camc to idcntify completely 

~ith sinners that He might be a faithful 

and merciful High Priest in atoning 

for thcir sins. 

Having becn tested through suffcring 

He is ahlc to help those who are 

king tempted. "Ours is not a high 

priest unable to sympathize with our 

wcakncsscs, but onc who, because of 

his likeness lo us, has been tested 

zvcry way, only without sin. Let us 

thcrcforc holdly approach the throne 

of our gracious God. where we may 

rcccivc mercy md in his grace find 

timely help" (Hebrews 4: 15-16 

NEB). 

No, there is no incongruity in our 

singing about the Prince of Pcacc 

hcing born, even though the sounds 

of war are all about us. The Prince 

camc not to remove His 08wn from 

the presence of strife hut rather to 

suffcr with them and to exhibit His 

grace in enabling them to be men of 

pmcc in thc midst of a broken world. 

Whcn redemption is complete we 

shall be dclivcrcd from this bondage 

of corruption. But until then we are 

called to be conquerors in the midst 

of it through Christ who came down 

to idcntify with us in our need. 

So while you listen to the scveno'clock 

news sing another vcrsc of 

Longfcllow's carol: 

T1wn pealed the hells more lo~rd and 

derp: 

"God is not dcnd; nor doth He sleep! 

The Wron,q shall fail, 

Thr Right prevail, 

With pmcc on mrflr, podwill to mcn!"

Jewish Contributions 

to Christmas 

A beloved Jewish believer, onetime director of the New York Messianic 

Witness and now with the Lord. cites four Jewish contributions to our 

Christian holiday. 

THE two feasts, Hanukkah and 

Christmas, originated in the same 

land and among the same people. It 

is therefore not surprising that they 

exercise a powerful influence upon 

each other and contributed liberally 

to each other in several ways. 

The first contribution, though not 

the most important one, is the date. 

It was the Jews who set the date for 

Christmas. When Judaism instituted 

the feast of Hanukkah, a festival of 

lights, it was on the 25th day of the 

winter month called Kislev and was 

in accord with the lunar calendar. But 

whcn the Western world adopted the 

solar calendar thc result was that the 

25th of Kislcv and the 25th of De- 

cembcr parted company. But the day 

of the month, the 25th. rcmaincd as 

the date on which the Christian world 

celebrated Christmas. 

This does not mean that Christians 

all over the world arc convinced that 

Christ the Saviour was born on the 

25th of December. In the New Tes- 

tament, or in any other authentic 

record, no particular day is registered 

as the date of Christ's birth. 

The most important concern for 

us is not the date, but the fact of the 

Saviour's birth. 

Christmas is not merely a memo- 

BY SOLOMON BIRNBAUM 

rial of somc incident in the past, or 

the remembrance of somc pcrmn 

who lived and died two thousand 

years ago: it is an affirmation of 

faith in a present living Saviour. In 

the hcart of every believer Christ is 

born ancw. This is wh~at makes a 

person a Christian. This is what is 

meant by the new birth. This new 

birth and not the noise and revelry 

of December 25 is the true Christmas 

for the individual. 

Another important Jewish contri- 

bution to Christmas is the kindling 

of li,&~ and thcir symbolic identifi- 

cation with thc Light of the Torah, 

the Word of God. From the bcgin- 

ning, light has been regarded as the 

appropriate symbol also for Christ- 

mas. Jcsus, the Messiah, said, "I am 

the lizht of the world: he that fo- 

loweth me shall not walk in dark- 

ness. hut shall have the light of life." 

Likewisc, whcn the devout Jew, 

Simem, took the infant Jesus in his 

arms, he liftcd up his voice in praise 

to God, saying, "Lord. now lettcst 

thou thy servant depart in peace, ac- 

cording to thy word: for mine eyes 

-- 

This mesrase in tract form is aunlabie from 

Herrnon House, 56 Second Aye. New York, N.Y. 

10003. af a cost of $2.00 ner hundred It is uxed 

hcrc by kind llemirrinn of the New Y0.k Mes- 

sianic witnew. 1nc. 

have seen thy salvation, which thou 

hast prepared before the face of all 

people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, 

and the glory of thy people Israel." 

The greatest contribution to Christ- 

mas was, as the name indicates, 

Christ Himself, the Messiah. The Jew- 

ish prophets heralded Him as the 

great Light which was to shine in a 

land of utter darkness. He was born 

in Bethlehem in the land of Judah. 

He descended from the royal line of 

David. The hopes and aspirations of 

the Jewish people were ccntcred in 

Him. He spent His whole life among 

the Jews, and performed His work 

of mercy within the borders of Pales- 

tine, the land of the Jews. 

Isaiah, foremost among thc Jewish 

prophets, composcd the first and the 

most widely known Christmas carol. 

The words arc as follows: 

"The people that walked in dark- 

ncss 

Have seen a great light: 

They that dwell in the land of the 

shadow of death, 

Upon them hath the light shined. 

For unto us a child is born. 

Unto us a son is given: 

And the government shall hc upon 

his shoulder: 

And his name shall be called Won- 

dcrful, Counsellor, The mighty God, 

The everlasting Father. 

The Prince of Peace." 

The Light, the Child, the wonder- 

ful Name, the Mighty God, the 

Prince of Peace! All thcsc treasures 

of hcavcn and carth are fused in this 

niatchlcss outburst of prophetic song. 

It is a song of praise to our Mes- 

siah. It is the song of Christmas. 

And in the song of Christmas not 

only do men upon the carth lift up 

thcir voiccs in praisc to God but even 

the choirs of the angels of heaven 

join with them together in the song: 

"Glory to God in the hixhest, and 

.OII earth peace, ~ood will toword 

men." 

Christmas, thereforc, is the most 

Jcwish, the most spiritual, the most 

hcavenly feast of joy. It had its birth 

in the hcart and mind of God. And, 

because of that, it has become the 

feast of joy of all mankind. W

LIVE ABOVE ENVY! 

A well-known pastor and author, in an article copyrighted by the Con- 

servative Baptist Press and used by pumisrion, talks very practically about 

one of man's most common sins. 

WHY do we envy others? Because 

in some area they possess greater 

eminence or excellence than we. 

Envy is a backhanded compliment. 

Its presence tacitly admits inferiority. 

Someone said, "You have to be little 

to belittle." Envy reveals "I'm not up 

to you. You're a better soloist. 

You're a pretticr woman. You're a 

more persuasive salesman. You're a 

more efficient pastor." 

Many a church member has chafed 

in envy because someone else was 

selected chairman of a oommittee or 

emcee of a banquet, or a deacon or an 

elder. Students have been known to 

react with sarcastic bitterness against 

fellow students who made the honor 

roll they missed. 

As the favored son, his status 

openly proclaimed by the coat of 

many colors, Joseph became the object 

of envy (Genesis 37:3). So have 

many class presidents, star athletes, 

leading actors, beauty queens and 

recipients of honorary degrees. 

The Pharisees' love of prominence 

helped arouse jealousy when Jesus 

came on the scene outteaching and 

outperforming them. They wanted the 

honor He was receiving, bemoaning, 

"Behold, the world is gone after 

him." We try to blow out the other 

fellow's light when it shines more 

brightly than our own. 

The Sanhedrin persecuted Jesus' 

By LESLIE B. FLYNN 

disciples when traditional ccclcsi- 

astical popularity was threatened by 

apostolic progress. "Filled with jeal- 

ousy they arrested the apostles and 

put them in common prison" (Acts 

5:17 RSV). Onc commentary calls 

this "general jealousy on the part of 

human power of any great move- 

ment not emanating from itself." 

All envy has not been confincd to 

the first century. A missionary in 

Panama related that when a new 

group of believers was offered a piece 

of land on which to build a chapel, 

the folks in whose home the church 

was currently meeting objected. Un- 

derlying reason for thc objection, ac- 

cording to the missionary: these folks 

"believed they would not be the big 

'I' in the work if we built on land 

not owned by them." 

A mother of four was talking about 

her neighbor who had eight children. 

"She's amazing! Her house is always 

neat as a pin; she's a wonderful cook 

and does her own sowing. Her chil- 

dren are polite and well behaved. She 

is activc in PTA and helps with the 

Brownies and is a den mother for 

the Cub Scouts. She is pretty and has 

loads of personality. She makes me 

sick!" 

When someone can do some- 

thing better than we, we may envy 

them for their ~erformancc. Or we 

may envy thcm for something we 

cannot db. Because Leah had given 

birth to four sons, the barrcu "Rachel 

envied her sister" (Genesis 30: 1). 

Psychologists tell us that the dom- 

inant emotion of children suffering 

from physical defects is that of jeal- 

ousy. Seeing friends play sports, the 

deformed or sickly child is plagued 

with envy. He feels cheated out of 

a normal body, potentially resentful, 

bitter, lonely. Fortunately most con- 

ditions can be at least partially re- 

stored during the first five years of 

lifc before the child enters school 

where he would experience the great- 

est mental and social reaction. 

The ncwspaper pictures a neighbor 

and his wife on a Caribbean island, 

cnjoying a winter vacation mid sun 

and warmth. The reader, momentarily 

stabbed with envy, may wish the 

island would be hit by a hurricane or 

tidal wave or disappear into the 

ocean. Why should they loaf cm trop- 

ical beaches for four winter weeks 

while all the vacation he gets is two 

wccks in the summer? 

A lady who lived al'one was 

piqued because her neighbors had 

not invited her to join them on a 

picnic. However, on the morning of 

the outing the neighbors asked her 

to come. "It's too late," she snapped, 

"T've already prayed for rain." ! 

Sometimes the evil envy the righ- 

teous. Why did Cain kill Abel? "Be- 

cause his own works were evil, and 

THE ALLIANCE WITNESS 

!

his brother's righteous" (1 John 3: 

12). Divine acceptance of Abel's 

blood offering drew the envy of Cain 

whose offering, though doubtless 

bcautiful to behold, was rejected by 

the Lord. 

Strangely, not only have the bad 

envied the good, but the good have 

envied the evil. The psalmist warns: 

"Neither be thou envious against the 

workers of iniquity" (37:l). 

Socrates called envy the daugh- 

ter of pride. Pride is basically com- 

petitive. Subjection to secondary spot 

may cause hurt pride to lash out at 

the person at thc peak. 

A husband complained that his 

wife always captured the limelight in 

social gatherings. If she was not play- 

ing the piano, she gathered others 

around her by her sparkling conver- 

sation. Perhaps the wife needed some 

help for her overdesire for attention. 

Likely thc husband's jealousy could 

be explained by C. S. Lewis's obser- 

vation: "We dislike the big noise at 

the party because we want to be the 

big noise." Bacon wrote: "Those are 

most subject to envy which carry 

their fortune in an insolent and proud 

manner." 

In modern usage envy and jealousy 

are frequently synonymous. Tech- 

nically a distinction exists. Let us 

pause in our dissection of envy's in- 

gredients to note this difference. 

Some jealousy is justifiable. Warn- 

ing against idolatry, Jehovah said: "I 

the Lord thy God am a jealous God" 

(Exodus 20:5). The Lord will not 

take second place in our interests, 

rightfully jealous of His prerogative 

of first claim in our lives. Likewise a 

husband can be legitimately jealous 

over his right to exclusive devotion 

of his wife. 

However, most jealousy is unjusti- 

fiable, creeping too easily into Chris- 

tian circles: the pastor who cannot 

accept the possibility that his assistant 

may outpreach him; the veteran or- 

ganist who cannot bear the thought 

that a newcomer to the church may 

play as well as she; the deacon who 

does not wish to give up his office 

to that capable gentleman who was 

a deacon in the church from which 

he just came. Like envy, jealousy 

involvcs potential inferiority and 

wounded pride. 

Some dictionaries list covetou.7 

and envious as synonyms. Though re- 

lated, they differ. We covet things; 

we envy people. Covetousness usu- 

ally precedes envy. Covetousness 

longs for another's possessions. Un- 

less checked, this covetousness results 

in envy stabbing out at the owner of 

the objects we covet. 

Covetousness and envy often co- 

exist but usually one predominates. 

If our desire focuses on thc acquisi- 

tion of position, power, prestige, 

money, achicvcment or pleasure, cov- 

etousness is the main element in our 

preoccupation. When Judas sold the 

Master for thirty pieces of silver, 

covetousness was his downfall. But if 

our feeling is aimed at the person 

possessing these coveted items, envy 

is the principal componcnt. Whcn the 

Pharisees delivered Jesus to Pilate, 

The Star in the East -and Jesus 

though coveting His power, popular- 

ity and accomplishments, the domi- 

nant factor was envy striking out at 

His person. 

Abasement at another's superiority 

need not lead to cnvy. It may stir 

to emulation. A person who says, "I 

cnvy you. I wish I had what you 

have. But I'm glad for your sake," 

misuses the word envy. Genuine envy 

involves ill will, whereas the preced- 

ing remark expresses only good 

wishes. If acknowledgment of an- 

other's superiority leads to harder 

work for greater success to equal or 

surpass this friend with no wish or 

intent to downgrade him, this is per- 

missible emulation, not poisonous 

cnvy. 

Ambition to forge ahead is not 

wrong. Emulation is a noble trait, 

consisting in imitation of something 

excellent, scorning to fall short of the 

copy. However, in striving to outdo 

it, cmulation does not malign or de- 

press its copy but puts the emphasis 

"Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" the Wise Men asked 

King Herod. "We have seen his star in the east, and an come 

to worship him." 

The star had produced an amazing change in these men. It tore 

them from their chairs, drove them out from their observatories 

and made them do things quite foreign to their profession. 

It sent them out on a hazardous mission, for they could see 

the star only at night, and they were compelled to traverse those 

dangerous Oriental roads in the darkness. 

That wonderful star was prophetic of what Jesus does to peo- 

ple. Christ breaks into people's lives in a most revolutionary way. 

He tears us away from the anchorage of old habits. He breaks us 

away from ecanomic and materialirtic securities to make us 

breathless adventurers in the world. 

Yes, Christ is the Divine Disturber! But He will not spoil your 

life. He will give you life's true nectar. His converting influence 

in your life will make you a better husband, a better wife, a 

better citizen, neighbor, worker. You will become trustworthy, 

easy to get along with, full of divine love that will work seven 

days a week. 

Let Him do it far you now!-William E. Allen. 

If you need spiritual help, contact your local CBMA pastor or wrire 

THE ALLIANCE WITNESS 

260 West 44th St., New York, N. Y. 10036

on perfecting itself. Emulation in- 

spires man to noble endeavor to 

make himsclf useful and as accom- 

plished as possible. 

Change one letter and zeulous 

becomes jealous. How easy for emu- 

lation to gearshift into envy. If in a 

race a runner finds a rival passing him, 

tries to jostle or trip him, honorable 

rivalry has becn replaced by con- 

temptible conduct in thc athlete who 

is no longer zealous but jealous. An 

old English poet put it: "Envy, to 

which the ignoble mind's a slave, / 

Is emulation in the lcarned and 

brave." 

Pat had a deep-seated grudge to- 

ward Mikc. In waking hours he was 

obsessed with how to add to Mike's 

woes. One night an angcl appeared 

to Pat, offering him whatever he 

wished. The angel added: "You 

should know this-whatever you ask 

will bc given you. But twice of the 

same thing will be given Mike." 

After :I moment's pondering Pat 

asked, "You mean that if I ask for a 

Cadillac 1 will get it, but Mike will 

havc two just like it?" The angcl said 

yes. 

"If I ask for a mansion, Mike will 

gct two mansions?" Pat continued. 

The angel nodded. 

"Then." said Pat, "I know what I 

want; 1 wish to he blind in one eye." 

Sympathy makes us "rejoice with 

them that do rcjoicc, and wcep with 

thcm that wcep" (Romans 12:15). 

Envy reverses this practicc, making 

us rcjoicc when others weep and 

wcep whcn othcrs rejoice. Envy is 

that nasty fecling of gratification 

whcn you learn that your neighbor's 

new car had its front fender dented, 

or that thcir new appliance has some 

dcfcct, or that his business is not do- 

in: so well, or that thcir brilliant 

child failed to win a scholarship. 

Even if we do sympathize with 

thcm in thcir sorrows, cnvy makes it 

difficult to exult with thcm over their 

successes. The girl who learns that 

her fricnd has been scarred in an ac- 

cidcnt can ache in sympathy. But if 

she hears that her friend has been 

selccted homecoming queen, an honor 

which she herself covcted, her con- 

pratulations may havc a hollow ring. 

The envious man feels that others' 

fortunes are his misfortune; their 

profit, his loss; their blessing, his 

bane; their health, his illness; their 

promotion, his demotion; their success, 

his failure. Phineas metcher said 

of envy, "Sick of a strange disease, 

another's health." 

1 Welcome, New Subscribers! i 

For many of you, favored by a 

gift subscription from a Christian 

friend or relative, this will be your 

first issue of THE ALLIANCE WIT- 

NESS. 

THE ALLIANCE WITNESS has 

been around for a long time. 

Ninety years, to be exact. It is a 

journal of Christian life and mis- 

sions and its Bible-centered con- 

tent has earned it a reputation that 

literally is worldwide. At last 

count, we had readers in 109 

countries. 

We want very much for the 

magazine to contribute to your 

life If you havc suggestions, we 

1 welcome them. If you have com- 

ments, we arc glad to receive 

thcm. They may be sent to us at 

the address on the back cover. 

Above all, pray for us and for the 

mag:izinc. THE ALLIANCE WIT- 

YESS seeks to be a voice for God 

in a very cxciting age. 

THE EDITORS 

- -- 

Often people consider sins of the 

ksh such as adultery and drunken- 

ness as more heinous than sins of the 

spirit such as pride and envy. Such 

classification is a radical miscalcula- 

tion. In reality, sins of the spirit are 

more serious. No sin of the flesh put 

Christ on the cross. Rather. Pilate 

"knew that for cnvy they had dcliv- 

crcd him" (Matthew 27:18). 

More than one New Testament 

passage ranks the envious person 

with the debauched and the drunkard 

(Romans l3:l3; Galatians 5: 19-21 ). 

Thc medieval divines recognized the 

severe wickedncss of envy whcn they 

counted it among the seven deadly 

sins, second only to pride. 

Recognized traditionally as a part 

of moral theology, the seven dcadly 

sins give structure to Dante's Purga- 

tory which follows their order, and 

are discussed in Chaucer's Parson's 

Tale and in Marlowe's Doctor 

Faustus. 

In his essay on envy Francis Bacon 

calls it the "vilest and the most de- 

praved affection, the proper attitude 

of the devil, who is called the En- 

vious Man, that soweth tares among 

the wheat by night." Envy has been 

termed "the four-lettered demon." 

But because it is not a gross 

fleshly sin, but rather slinky and sub- 

tle, envy can conceal itself under the 

guise of friendship, visiting in peo- 

ples' homes, dining with them, chum- 

ming with them and all the time en- 

vying thcm. Or it can worm its way 

into church with little trouble. 

If someone suffers a temper tan- 

trum in churoh, everyone around gets 

the benefit. The fellow who staggers 

into church drunk advertises his in- 

ebriation. But someone could envy 

repeatedly during a church service- 

singing a hymn, during prayer. Bible 

reading, the choir number or sermon 

-and not a single soul would be the 

wiser. 

Because it is so subtle. envy is 

often found in the Lord's work. Jeal- 

ousy in the Corinthian church drew 

Paul's rebuke. One noted revivalist 

said that among the half-dozen out- 

standing lessons he came to learn was 

this sad truth-even in Christian 

v,ork "effectiveness of service usually 

memt envy and opposition on the 

p.lrt of some." 

HOW easv to cnvy! No one need 

enroll in a school to master envy: 

it springs from the unregenerate hu- 

man heart as weeds on a lawn. Paul 

describes fallen man as "full of cnvy" 

(Romans 1 :29) 

How we need to live above envy! 

In his probing wny revivalist Charles 

Finney wrote, "Look at the cases in 

which yon were envious of those you 

thoqht were above you. Have you 

not so envied some that you had been 

pained to hear them praised? It has 

becn more agreeable to you t~ dwell 

upon thcir failure than upon their 

success. Be honest with yourself, and 

if you havc harbored this spirit of 

hell, repent deeply hcfore God." .

Phaitoon Hathamart in front of the International Student Fellowship 

House in Minneapolis where he first came in contact with the gospel 

Can Thailand be won fo Christ by 1980? Phaitoon Hathamart says "Yes!" 

and he is hard at work to prove his point. A fellow Thai, currently studying 

in Minneapolis. tells his story. By SOMDEE POOSAWTSEE 

THE first Protestant missionary to 

Thailand rcturncd homc in despair a 

few ycars aftcr his arrival in 1828. 

As prospective converts to Chris- 

tianity, thc Thai scemed hopeless. 

Later other missionaries laborcd 

nineteen long years before thc first 

Thai acknowledged Christ as his per- 

sonal Saviour. Even now, aftcr 144 

years of missionary work in Thai- 

land, less than 1 percent of the popu- 

lation is Christian. 

Can Thailand bc won for Christ? 

Phaitoon Hathamart, a recent con- 

vcrt from Buddhism, says "Ycs!" His 

faith is cvidcnce of the impossible 

which is about to happen in his 

homeland. 

Thc name Phaitoon means lapis 

lazuli. Phaitoon's parents chose the 

name with the hope that his future 

would be as bright as that semi- 

precious gem. 

The hope proved well founded. 

Phaitoon excelled in school and was 

awarded a five-year scholarship at 

the university. There he studied agri- 

cultural economics and graduated 

with top honors in his class of several 

thousand. 

He worked for a while as an as- 

sistant to a marketing technician for 

the United States Operation Mission 

to Thailand. But he was not satisfied 

and he strove for greater achieve- 

ments. 

While holding a teaching position 

at the university he was awarded the 

coveted Royal Scholarship to do grad- 

uate work in Australia. Upon his re- 

turn to Thailand he was granted a 

professorship at Kasetsart University. 

His father-in-law, a prominent gov- 

ernment official, made a path for 

Phaitoon into the socially elite circle. 

His success was highlighted by audi- 

cnces with the King of Thailand and 

special missions for him. 

Phaitoon traveled halfway around 

the world bcfore he met the King 

of Kings. In July, 1969, he and his 

wife and older daughter stepped onto 

the soil of the United States. In his 

possession was a Rockefeller Founda- 

tion scholarship for pursuing a doc- 

tor& at the University of Minnesota. 

Hc expcctcd to rcturn to Thailand 

with prcstige, expertise and status. 

Rut one evening in October of that 

year his phone rang. Phaitoon was 

surprised to hear the voice of a 

stranger inviting him to the bimonthly 

meeting of the International Student 

Fellowship. He was even more sur- 

prised to hear himself agreeing to go. 

He went once, twice, many more 

times. On Christmas Eve a Filipino 

student first presented the Person of 

Jesus Christ to him. Phaitoon went 

home with a mind deeply perplexed. 

"1s Jesus real? Did He love me 

enough to die for my sins?" 

Later at the New Year's Eve 

watch-night servicc Phaitoon had the 

awesome sense of an unseen Pres- 

encc surrounding him. That same 

night, as hc watched a television 

showing of "The King of Kings," he 

was startled and appallcd by the pic- 

ture of the loving Christ hanging in 

agony on the cross. In thc heavy 

silence of his room he knelt down

and reached out to Christ in sur- 

render. 

Through Bible study, worship and 

fellowship with other Christians, 

Phaitoon matured spiritually. Unable 

to contain the love of Christ within 

himself, he let it flow out by sharing 

the Good News with others. A year 

later his wife also opened her heart 

to Christ. 

(he evening, returning home late 

after finishing his studies, he turned 

his mind from figures and formulas 

to decp soul-searching. "0 God, my 

Heavenly Father," he cried out as he 

senscd the presence of God envelop- 

ing him, "if only I can bring just one 

of my countrymen to You, I will be 

more than happy to forsake my pur- 

suit of a degree and return to Thai- 

land now." 

The sense of urgency to reach 

Thailand for Christ increased. Thus 

when Campus Crusade for Christ 

asked him to be their pioneer repre- 

sentative in Thailand he readily con- 

sented, thankful to God for opening 

a door. His professors and friends 

registered shock and unbelief over his 

decision to forsake his former dream 

of a Ph.D. degree, hut he did not 

falter. 

He arrived back in Bangkok late 

one evening and very tired. But hc 

could not rest until he had told his 

wife's family about Jesus. That night 

about two in the morning two of his 

relatives knelt to receive Christ. 

A week later he traveled north to 

visit his own family. He spent no 

time describing the United States or 

the coldness of Minnesota winters. 

He spoke only of Christ. That week- 

end thirty-one of his family and 

friends became subjects of the King. 

One who listened to Phaitoon that 

weekend was his eighty-four-year-old 

grandmother. As a devout Buddhist 

she had traveled to all regions of 

the country searching, searching for 

the way. Through fasting and medi- 

tation she had struggled to throw off 

the yoke of sin. 

"Grandma, have you found the 

way yet?" Phaitoon asked. At first 

there were only silence and tears. 

When she finally replied, her answer 

was solemn and devoid of hope. 

"No, Son," she said. "I have not 

found the way and I am old and 

about to die without the truth." 

Phaitoon took her hand gently in 

his. "I have found thc way, and I 

want to share it with you." As Phai- 

toon outlined the way of salvation 

through Jesus Christ, the old grand- 

mother's wrinkled face turned radiant 

with peace and joy. She had found 

the Way and the Truth-before it 

was too late. 

The coilegc campus was phi- 

toon's second major drive. "Jesus can 

he real to today's students," he de- 

clares with conviction. He has seen 

it happen. 

One student, who in cooperation 

with a friend had made a productive 

living by showing pornographic mov- 

ies in the dormitories and hotels, re- 

ccivcd Christ as his Saviour. He re- 

fused to help his friend show the 

movies any longer. 

Angry, his friend told him he was 

stupid to quit whcn the business was 

growing and money was so easy to 

make. At the same time the friend 

was curious to know why hc had 

changed so much. 

After Phaitoon shared the four 

spiritu31 laws which tell of God's 

love, man's sinfulness, Christ's aton- 

ing death and man's necd to repent 

and to receive Christ personally, he 

too confessed his sin and opened his 

heart to Christ. Now when people 

ask him for movies he tells them he 

has something much better and pro- 

ceeds to share Christ with them. 

Another student destroyed the 

spirit house where his family had 

worshiped over the years after he and 

his family became Christians. Christ 

had taken fear of spirits from him. 

Phaitoon has also shared his 

Saviour with Buddhist monks. When 

he and some students could find no 

public lodging in the small town 

where they had gone for an outing, 

the group put up in a local Buddhist 

monastery. When the abbot learned 

that Phaitoon was a Christian, he in- 

vited him to speak to the monks so 

that they could acquire knowledge 

about this religion. 

After speaking for over two hours, 

Phaitoon invited all who were inter- 

ested to come for a personal inter- 

view. Six monks gave their hearts to 

Christ. 

Later he heard someone reading 

thc Bible aloud. Like Philip with the 

Ethiopian, he found the monk and 

askcd if he undcrstood what he was 

reading. 

"No," the monk replied, "but I feel 

oeace in mv heart whenever I read 

it." As Phaitoon explained the gospel, 

two other monks came to listen. All 

three prayed. One of them went to 

another village to share Christ with 

his monk friends. 

At another time one of the five top 

proselyting monks in all Thailand 

challcngcd Phaitoon to a debate. 

Phaitoon lost the debatc but he won 

;. victory. Two months later his dc- 

bating partner came to him confess- 

ing that he now believcd in Jesus and 

wanted to follow Him. Hopefully he 

will use his speaking skills, whioh 

formerly helpcd to spread Buddhism. 

to preach Christ. 

Now Phaitoon has heen back in 

Thailand for more than a year. He 

has remarked that in this year of 

ministry he has not seen any lame 

made to walk or any blind made to 

see. But, even more important, he has 

seen lives changed. On record arc 

768 decisions for Christ. 

Phaitoon prayerfully has laid down 

a strategy to reach all of Thailand 

for Christ by 1980. That means at 

least 36,000,000 people. He has 

asked God for 10.000 Thai who arc 

totally surrendered to Christ and who 

will enlist themselves in Thailand's 

Great Commission Army for Christ. 

More than a hundred enthusiastic 

students are enrolled already. 

He look5 to cell groups as the basic 

working units. His first target is the 

60.000 students on various campuses. 

Will Thailand be conquered for 

Christ by 1980? Phaitoon believes 

so with all his heart. He needs the 

prayer backing of Christians who love 

Jesus and who desire to see people 

won to Jesus Christ. 

Faith is the evidence of things not 

vet seen. Believe God with Phaitoon 

for the harvest.

AT HOME 

Tract Society names director: The American Tract So- 

cicty, with headquarters in Oradell, N.J., has named Rcv. 

Philip P. Gammon ncw general director, to assume office 

in January. At presmt pastor of the Northern Valley 

(N.J.) Evangelical Free Church, Mr. Gammon succeeds 

Mr. Stephen Slocum, who has taken a post at Dallas 

Theological Seminary. 

Clergyman has "Ark fever": Dr. John Warwick Mont- 

gomery, a Lutheran clergyman who teaches at Trinity 

Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Ill., says that 

he has "a full-fledged case of Ark fever." Dr. Montgom- 

ery, who wcnt to Turkey in 1970 to climb Mount Ararat, 

has writtcn a book titled The Quest for Noah's Ark. 

The author maintains there is solid evidcncc that on a 

remote mountain ir; eastern Turkey "a substantial vestige 

. . . if not the Ark's massive hull itself" remains. It is 

belicved to be frozcn in glacial ice, but occasionally at- 

tains the surface whcn the ice cap recedes under the 

blazing August sun. 

Women post "Feminist theses'' at church headquarters: 

Reminiscent of Martin Luther, a group of women posted 

a list of grievances on the door of United Church of 

Christ headquarters in Pasadena, Calif. The theses, taped 

neatly to thc front door, were directed to all Christian 

churches, charging that the church "exploits women 

through volunteerism, stereotypes the sexes in Sunday 

schools and treats women as 'chattels' in marriage cere- 

monies." 

Largest budget for Southern Baptists: The Southern Bap- 

tist Foreign Mission Board approved the largest budget 

in its history-$38,891,996-and appointed eleven new 

missionaries. 

Rate of family breakup continues to climb: Divorces and 

annulments in the Unitcd States now cqual more than one- 

third of all marriages each year, according to a study 

made by the Department of Health, Education and Wcl- 

farc. Actually, both marriages and divorces arc at an all- 

time high. Last year 2,196,000 couples were married and 

768,000 were divorced. The divorce rate is climbing 

faster than both the increase in marriages and the risc 

in the population as a whole. 

International linguistic center opens in Dallas: Wycliffe 

Bible Translators opened the International Linguistic Centcr 

in Dallas, Tex., and the Summer Institute of Linguistics 

began classes this fall with thirty-four students. 

Fifteen miles southwest of downtown Dallas, the center 

will provide year-round linguistic training. Affiliated with 

the University of Texas at Arlington, it will also serve 

as the WycliRe Center for the central United States area. 

ABROAD 

Salt church for Colombia: Excavations into salt mines in 

Zipaquira, Colombia, have resulted in more than twelve 

miles of tunnels and made possible a massive church 

sanctuary 1,300 feet anderground. The total temple area, 

dedicated to the Virgin of Guasa, is 8,000 square meters, 

approximately the same dimensions as those of Notre 

Dame in Paris. It car. accommodate 10,000 standing worshipers. 

Its four naves stand sixty feet high. 

Missionaries killed in Laos: At least two young first- 

term missionaries lost their lives when North Vietnamese 

and Pathet Lao forccs overran their station in southern 

Laos October 28. The bodies of two young women, be- 

lieved to be Evelyn Anderson, of Quincy, Mich., and 

Beatrice Kosin, Fort Washakie, Wyo., were found in the 

ruins of a burned-out house, their hands bound. Miss 

Anderson was a nurse and Miss Kosin a teacher. Two 

young men, Samuel Mattix, of Centralia, Wash., and 

Lloyd Oppel, of British Columbia, are still missing. All 

four young people were assisting Mr. and Mrs. Wesley 

Chopard, of Christian Missions in Many Lands. The 

Chopards and seven Filipinos working at Operation 

Brotherhood Hospital escaped. They lived in another part 

of the town of Kengkok. 

WRC hospital loses doctors: One of three American doctors 

serving at the World Relief Commission's Hoa Khanh 

Children's Hospital in Viet Nam succumbed to viral pneumonia 

following an attack of Asian flu. He was Dr. 

David Alvarcz, an orthopedic surgeon. His wife, a pediatrician 

who served with him, has returned to the Statcs 

with their two preschool children. 

PEOPLE 

Mrs. Oswald J. Smith, who with her husband founded 

The Peoplcs Church,.Toronto, Canada, died on November 

I. She also traveled extensively with her husband in his 

worldwide preaching ministry. 

0 

Mel Larson, editor of the Evangelical Beacon (official 

publication of the Evangelical Frce Church), died on October 

29. Fifty-six years old, he was the author of twentythree 

books and numerous articles. 

11

PRESS?IME PARAGRAPHS for your INFORMATION and INTERCESSION 

senricemen's Retreat Draws Good Attendance Despite Storm: A raging winter storm 

which swept over northern Europe November 17 failed to deter approximately eighty- 

five servicemen and their dependents who traveled to Berchtesgaden, Germany, for a 

Home Department-sponsored four-day retreat. Chaplain Thurman S. Doman, Jr., helped 

to coordinate the program at which Dr. Nathan Bailey, C&MA President, Rev. L. W. 

Pippert, Home Secretary, and Mr. Adriaan Stringer, Holland director, spoke. Also 

present was Chaplain Richard Perkins, whose radio communication following the 1968 

Tet offensive in Viet Nam broke the news to the world of the Banmethuot massacre. 

A similar retreat is planned for November 5-9, 1973, at the Berchtesgaden center. 

Harveys Conclude Year of Evangelistic Ministry: Dr. and Mrs. 

Richard H. Harvey have now concluded a year of evangelistic - 

ministry that has taken them throughout the Orient and Middle 

East. In most places there was unprecedented response to Dr. 

H~N~Y'S ministry. Of 1,146 who registered decisions in Southeast 

Asia, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong during the three months 

he was in those areas, Dr. Harvey estimates that approximately 

40 percent were non-Christians who desired to receive Christ. 

Operation Mobilization Ship Stirs Kupang Community: The M/V Logos with its crew 

of witnessing young -. people stirred the town of Kupang, Timor, when it paid a call 

- 

to that ~ast-Indonesian port. Crew members assisted in the local C&MA church and 

in daily children's meetings. At least fourteen have prayed to receive Christ as 

a result of t h e m ministry, among them a church elder's renegade son who had 

turned gang leader. Currently the Kupang church is without a pastor. Many visitors 

in the services indicate an underlying cornunity hunger for God. 

MAF Test-lands Three New Airstrips on Flores: Missionary Avia- 

tion Fellowship has successfully test-landed three new air- 

strips on the island of Flores in East Indonesia. The island 

is largely Roman Catholic, but there are also many animists. 

No Protestant foreign missionary currently resides on Flores. 

Church in Nagoya, Japan, on Way to Reality: Six months of pioneer ministry in Na- 

goya by Miss Susan Dyck has resulted in eight decisions for Christ and attendances 

of about twenty in home meetings. Christians from other C&MA churches, now living 

in Nagoya, have given assistance. These include two university students. There 

are three large universities in the area. Miss Dyck hopes soon to begin meetings 

in a huge apartment development housing thousands of people. 

New Gabon Pastor Faces Difficult Assignment: John Paul Massala 

has his first church assignment: Pana--a brand-new model town 

in the Koula Moutou area of Gabon. He has no farm to help sup- 

ply food, and the church members are poor. The government has 

granted the congregation an ideally located lot, but with the 

stipulation that a building of prescribed architecture be con- 

structed within a stated time limit.

Hetty Bossert Returning to Ivory Coast: Mrs. Charles Bossert, critically injured 

eight months ago in an auto accident, will rejoin her family December 23 in time 

for Christmas following surgery on her crushed foot and convalescence in France. 

Mr. Bossert teaches at the French Bible Institute in Yamoussoukro. 

Bobo-Dioulasso Revival Spreads to Many Districts: Revival 

which began in the Neil1 Foster meetings in Bobo-Dioulasso, 

Upper Volta (see article this issue), has spread to many parts 

of that West Africa field. Three strategic preachers conferences 

at Dedougou, Ntorosso and Sangha at which Mr. Foster spoke did 

much to spread the flames of revival in Upper Volta and Mali. 

Twenty-six Hundred Make Decisions in Mooneyham Crusade: In the Stanley Mooneyham 

evangelistic crusade November 20-26 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2,681 made decisions 

for Christ. The Palenno Brothers ministered to 22,000 students in nineteen schools 

in precrusade appearances. "Pray for the follow-up," cabled Rev. Merle Graven. 

Maranatha School, Clinic Are Encouraging: A day of prayer at 

Maranatha Bible School, Khon Kaen, Thailand, has brought spiri- 

tual advance to many of the students. At the nearby clinic 

several patients have received Jesus Christ and are being fol- 

lowed up by local Christians. Recently Miss Edna Hooper, a 

registered nurse, joined the Maranatha Clinic staff. 

Two Hundred New Believers in Pleiku and Phu Bon Are Result of Revival: As a direct 

result of revival in much of the tribal area of South Viet Nam, 200 new believers 

recently have been added to the churches in the Pleiku and Phu Bon areas. Rev. 

Pham-van-Nam and Rev. Franklin Irwin, codirectors of Evangelism Deep and Wide, will 

visit the area to assist in starting a follow-up program for the new converts. 

New Church Building in Tranqueras, Uruguay, a Reality: Despite 

economic distress, rampant inflation and the cold of winter, 

Uruguayan Christians have erected a new sanctuary in Tranqueras 

in record time. Volunteers traveled from as far as Montevideo 

to assist in the project. The congregation, a result of the 

Argentina church's missionary outreach, is without a pastor. 

Evangelistic Meetings Slated for Curitiba During January: A month of evangelistic 

meetings is scheduled for the three Alliance churches in Curitiba, Brazil, during 

January. "There are a few details left to be worked out," says Rev. Thomas Kyle, 

"but we know God is going to bless this ministry as we build the church in Brazil." 

Emmit Youngs to Initiate Evangelistic Effort in Porto Alegre: 

If all goes according to schedule, Rev. and Mrs. Emmit Young 

will leave Curitiba, Brazil, about January 1 for Porto ~le~;e, 

southernmost capital in Brazil, where a nucleus of believers 

from Uruguay are a ready-made church congregation (see 10/25 

issue). Mr. Young is convalescing from final surgery required 

as a result of a nearfatal auto accident earlier this year. 

Peru Missionary Plans VBS Schedule: Miss Joyce Houck has been busy selecting girls 

from the Bible Institute in Huanuco to comprise the three or four two-lady teams 

who will hold vacation Bible schools during Peru's summer months of January, Febru- 

ary and March. "They will travel from church to church," Miss Houck says, "teach- 

ing without pay, but with the satisfaction that they are doing it for the Lord." 

DECEMBER 20, 1972 13

Tomorrow in Missions 

Frontiect in Missionary Strategy, by 

C. Peter Wagner. Moody Press. 223 

pages, $4.95. 

Chnrch/Mission Tensions Today, ed. by 

C. Peter Wagner. Moody Press. 238 

pages, $4.95. 

Crucial Issues in Missions Tomorrow, 

ed. by Donald McGavran. Moody Press. 

272 pages, $4.95. 

Kudos to Moody Press for this trio 

of missions books! Moody ought to 

consider offering them as a set at a 

come-on price. But even at $4.95 each 

they are very worthwhile. 

If your idea of missions is still stereo- 

typed hy a piih-helmeted Dr. Wowis 

talking to nakcd savages, you are many 

years behind the times. Exciting 

changes are taking place in the big 

picture of missions-changes which 

make many observers very optimistic. 

Not only will these three books bring 

you up to date, they will let you have 

u look at tomorrow. 

In Frontiers Peter Wagner, associate 

professor of missions at Fuller Theo- 

logical Seminary School of World Mis- 

sion, tackles the whole subject of mis- 

sionary strategy-the how of world 

cvangclism. By thoughtful Scripture 

cxcgesis and pertinent example he puts 

to rest some of the time-honored mis- 

conceptions that have resulted in little 

church growth and outlines a course 

for the future. 

Wagner is also editor of Church1 

Mission Tensions Today, in which more 

than a dozen missions leaders explore 

the gamut of church-mission relations 

against the perspective of our world 

mission. The book takes up where the 

celebrated 1971 Green Lake confer- 

ence of missions leaders left off. It is a 

worthy supplement to the stimulating 

discussions at Green Lake. 

Crucial Issues, edited by Donald 

McGavran, dean of church growth 

theory and study, looks beyond today 

to tomorrow. "The long look character- 

izes the chapters of this book," Dr. Mc- 

Gavran says in his Introduction. "We 

are describing aspccts of Christian mis- 

sion which will be here till our Lord 

returns." 

The contributors to these last two 

volumes read like a who's who in 

n~issions. They include Louis L. King, 

C&MA Foreign Secretary; T. G. Man- 

gham, Jr., Alliance Area Secretary for 

Southern Asia; and Jack F. Shepherd, 

C&MA Education Secretary. 

If you want a comprehensive look 

at the new face of missions and an in- 

14 

troduction to the evangelical leaders 

who are in the vanguard of thesc cx- 

citing changes, get these thrcc books 

and read them. They are hrrongly rec- 

ommended for pastors, concerned lay 

people, prospcctivc missionary candi- 

dates and collegians.-H. ROBERT 

Cow~.rs. 

The Problems Facing Us 

Ethics: Alr~moriv~~ and Issrc~~.s, by 

Norman L. Geisler. Zondervan Publishing 

House. 270 pages, S6.95. 

Books dcaling with the structure of 

Chrihtian behavior in view of a scriptural 

commitment have been few and 

far between-especially thow dcaling 

with the analysis of ethical principles. 

The work of Norman Gislcr, of Trinity 

Evangelical Divinity School, is 

therefore a welcome addition to the 

evangelical literature. 

The book is divided into two parts. 

It deals first with the philosophical 

analysis of ethical alternatives at the 

level of theory and then with a series 

of specific ethical issues, all of which 

are contemporary and relevant: \elflove, 

war, social responsibility, scx, 

birth control and abortion, mercy killing, 

suicide, capital punishment and 

ecology. 

In an analysis of six possible theories 

for Christian ethics, the author takes a 

position for "hierarchicalism," by which 

he means that the good is on a relative 

scale from the least to the most good. 

Often there is an overlay of rclativc 

goods and thc higher good alway~ provide\ 

an exemption fnm i-esponsihility 

to the lesser good. Geisler distinguishcs 

this carefully from situationalism. 

There are several problems in the 

argument of the book. While the gen- 

eral thcory of a hierarchy of values is 

shown to be Biblical, the specific tests 

for this hierarchy are not supported 

clearly by Scripture. Thus individual 

ethicists might disagree about the prin- 

ciples for testing the highest good. 

Further, the specific interpretation of 

situations can easily fall into question- 

able analysis, such as the case with 

Commander Lloyd Bucher of the 

Pueblo. Geisler sees Bucher's lie as 

valuable in saving many lives-yet 

home still believe that truth is worth 

dying for! One further problem is the 

ar~thor's remote application of some of 

his scriptural texts. 

In spite of these questions, this book 

is important to the evangelical commu- 

nity and should be read widely by our 

church people.-PA~JL D. COLLORD. 

How to Use the Scofield Bible 

A Companion lo the New Scofield 

Reference Bible, by E. Schuyler Eng- 

lish. Oxford University Press. 165 

pages, $4.50. 

As the title indicates, this book is 

intended to be a guide to those using 

the New Scofield Bible. The first two 

chapters are a study of the Bible in 

its general nature. The first chapter ex- 

plains the use of the New Scofield Ref- 

erence Bible (NSRB). A helpful but 

hrief chapter concerns the origin of 

our common English Bible and this is 

followed hy a good chapter on the in- 

spiration of the Scriptures, a tenet of 

doctrine held by editors of the NSRB. 

Next Dr. English describes the doc- 

trines of Scripture: God, Satan, angels, 

creation, ctc. Unfortunately the old 

scheme of the dispensations and cove- 

nants is still adhered to, despite the 

- 

careful cxeeesis which has been done 

in recent times. 

The chanter on the "Christ Event" 

is really the climax of the book. The 

NSRB maintains its original position on 

eschatology: it is tribulational and pre- 

millennial. 

It would seem that this book would 

have little value apart from the Bible 

it was designed to be a companion to. 

-JOHN F. GATES. 

Books in Brief 

The Pructire of Prayer, by G. Camp- 

hell Morgan. Baker Book House. 128 

pages, $1.95. paper. 

Thii is the second in what is planned 

to be a series called The Morgan Li- 

hrary-reprints of the prominent writ- 

ings of this outstanding Bible expositor 

and preacher. The Missionary Mani- 

jesto appeared earlier. 

THE ALLIANCE WITNESS

An Alliance church in San Juan. Note symbol obove windows, 

I VISITED PUERTO RlCO 

How does the Alliance work in Puerto Rico look to an outsider? A Spanish- 

speaking South America missionary, privileged to be there, relates her 

impressions. By BEVERLY BOON 

THE month I spcnt in Puerto Rico churches and found thc cxpericncc exparticipating 

in Alliance missionsary tremcly enjoyable. In Pucrto Rico I 

conventions was an eye-opener. Mr. saw the possibilities for truly indigc- 

Jose Rivera, the Pucrto Rican mis- nous church devclopmcnt throughout 

sionary to Vcnezucla, and I were Latin America. 

the speakers. For sevcral years I have dreamed 

I spoke in eighteen Puerto Rican of having Pucrto Kicans helping in 

South American missionary work. 

After my month in Pucrto Rico I am 

more convinced than ever that my 

drcam can bccome a rcality. 

In sumc Latin countries our work 

has been among the less afflucnt peo- 

ple because there the response to the 

gospcl was grcatest. After seeing our 

Puerto Rican churches filled, many 

of the members being professional 

people, I havc greater faith to belicvc 

that one day we will see something 

of the samc farther south. 

In Vcga Baja, for example, wherc 

the Alliance has a beautiful church 

building, there are some forty school- 

teachers in the congregation. The 

gentleman who lent me his fine pro- 

jector for the month works for CBS- 

TV. Thcse and other similar cxam- 

ples indicate the ministry the Alliance 

is having among the professional class 

in Puerto Rico. 

I was impressed as well to realize 

that the Puerto Ricans are proud of 

the Alliance distinctives of faith. The 

Society emblem appears on many 

church buildings. In some sanctuaries 

the Alliance seal is in evidence. The 

Christian and Missionary Alliance 

seems to be highly respected through- 

[iut thc island, and few are unfamiliar 

with its name. 

The oldest Protestant ohurch build- 

ing in Puerto Rico belongs to the 

Alliance. It is hoped that one day it 

will he a national landmark. 

For the most part our church 

buildings are contemporary and well 

maintained. They have adequate 

Christian education facilities and 

beautiful musical instruments which 

arc put to good use. One church has 

twenty-six Sunday school classes. 

Thc Alliance has at least two radio 

broadcasts each week in addition to 

the Alianza en Marcha program from 

Ronaire, which is heard with good 

results in the southern part of the 

island. 

Puerto Rico has its own full-time 

director. Rev. Ramon C. Diaz has 

a gift for administration. Hc is con- 

stantly busy visiting the churches. He 

spends a week in each church to dis- 

cover any problems thc congregation 

may be having and to help them over- 

come their difficulties. 

Several times when I made unan- 

IS

A New Face for the 

Bobo-Dioulasso Church 

You prayed as Canadian Evangelist Neill Foster ministered in Mali and 

Upper Volta last October. A missionary on the scene reports how God 

answered in Boba-Dioulasso, 

G o D has givcn life, eternal pcacc 

and a great love to me," sang the revived 

church of Bobo-Dioulasso, 

hands raised to heaven and smiles 

of joy on every facc. 

The words of the psalmist echoed 

in our hearts: "This is the Lord's 

doing; it is ma~ell~ous in our cycs." 

For many months wc over here in 

West Africa had been reading of revival 

in Canada, the United States, 

Viet Nam, Indonesia and elsewhere, 

and we longed to see the Lord shonu 

His power in Upper Volta and Mali. 

Rev. K. Ncill Fostcr, Alliancc 

cvangclist from Beavcrlodge, Alberta, 

was being sent by the Lord to this 

field to minister during the month 

of October, and we prayed that this 

would be the beginning of a work of 

the Spirit here. Many ALLIANCE WIT- 

NESS readers and others werc praying. 

During the first week God moved 

in a mighty way among thc preachers 

and missionaries at a conference for 

pastors in Mali. Eighty-nine preachers 

and eighteen missionaries spent 

five wonderful days hearing the Word 

clearly presented, confessing sin, recciving 

cleansing-and loving one 

mother. 

Ministry continued the second 

wcck in Bobo-Dioulasso, a city of 

By MRS. MILTON PIERCE 

80,000 pcople, where our Mission 

headquarters is located. The church 

in Bobo-Dioulasso was weak, power- 

less, full of problems and unconfcsscd 

sin. But many were concerned. Num- 

hers of Christians were praying for 

revival. And God answered prayer! 

Two African evangelists, Allaye 

Duyon and Enoch Hani, werc part 

of the team, leading the singing and 

counseling. 

Mr. Fostcr preached a simple, 

straightforward mcssagc and invited 

pcoplc to make things right with God 

and others. And pcople camc-ma- 

turc Christians, many teen-agers, 

young mothers with babies, and pas- 

tors and missionaries. People of all 

,walks of lifc-farmers, teachers, a 

politician, an electrician, homemakers, 

students, businessmen, a bailor, cooks, 

clerks. 

Husbands and wives apologized 

publicly to each other. Many con- 

fcsscd to had attitudes, lying, dis- 

honesty, the practice of witchcraft, 

unbelief, lack of love, not tithing. 

As hearts and lives werc emptied 

of self and sin and filled with the 

Holy Spirit and love, the entire facc 

of the church changed. By Sunday 

night countenances glowed with the 

joy of the Lord; singing was spon- 

taneous and hcautiful, accompanied 

hy handclapping and a drumbeat. A 

n~iraclc had happened right hcfore 

our cycs. 

Sunday night an opportunity was 

given for testimonies. Pcople lined I 

the front of the church waiting to tell \ 

what God had donc for them during 1 

this week. 

A young tailor. $on of a pastor, 

testified to having been saved and 

filled with thc Spirit. A primary 1 I 

The messages of Rev. Neill Foster 

Ir.1 were translated into French by 

Pastor Tite Tienou II.1 and into 

Dioula by Pastor Thomas Tessougue 

17 

~ I

Block Bobo pastor Etienne Sonou 

was among many touched by re- 

vivol of Bobo-Dioulasso 

school director said he had been likc 

a donkey tied to a wagonload of huge 

stones which were his sins. But God 

h;~d forgivcn him and filled him with 

lovc and joy. 

A pastor confessed his lack of faith 

and a had attitude, but he said God 

had given him a new outlook. A 

young girl in secretarial school told 

of living a false life for ycars, pretending 

shc was a Christian. Noa 

she was savcd and she knew that she 

would bc among those who go to 

heavcn when the Lord Jesus returns. 

During the daytime also many peo- 

ple have been coming to ask forgive- 

ness and to pray. A carpenter re 

turned fivc hundred francs ($2.00 

US) which he had bcen overpaid. A 

young man confesscd to a bad atti- 

tude towards missionaries. 

Unbelicvers are coming too-to 

be saved. A missionary prayed with 

two young men for salvation at two 

o'clock in the morning! 

Love-for God, for eaoh othcr and 

for unbelievers--has been the out- 

working of thc rcvival here. Each 

day an outdoor meeting was held 

in the marketplace. The African 

cvangclists and Mr. Fostcr prcsented 

Christ to fasting Muslims and pass- 

ing pagans. The "good news" of the 

Christians is the current topic of con- 

versation in many parts of town. Pco- 

plc stop us on the street to ask about 

it all! 

We arc bclicving God for new 

churches throughout the city. Our 

hearts are expecting the Lord Jesus 

to continue to perfect His Bride and 

add to it here in Bobo-Dioulasso. 

As wc scc what God is doing here 

we know that "the Lord (our) God 

in the midst d (us) is mighty; hc 

will savc, he will rcjoicc over (us) 

with joy; hc will rest in his Iovc, he 

will joy over (us) with singing" 

(Zephaniah 3: 17). 

A street meeting during the Foster carnpoign draws on interested crowd 

I8 

Athletics Are Good 

I have iust finished readine and rereading 

the' two recent articles concerning 

athletics as a tool for evangelism: 

"Bxketball Evange,lismW ( IOill issue) 

and "Chribtian Athletes Visit Bouake" 

(9/27 issue) 

My heart rejoices in the faot that our 

Lord is interested in the total man and 

th?t the editors of THE ALLI~NCE WIT- 

NESS are willing to relate this kind of 

message. 

REV. P~uL. R. GUNTHER 

Huywnrd, Culif. 

An Excellent Editorial 

Thank you for the excellent editorial, 

"It Is Not Unspiritual to Think (10'25 

issue). I wish it cou~ld be published in 

everv evaneelical maeazine in the USA. 

T;O many have gven in to the au- 

thoritarian approac'h. They no longer 

think for themselves. But I can't bdieve 

thc Lomrd is going to let us off that easy. 

He will require an answer from us for 

cach talent He has given and for any 

tru,th He has revealed to us. 

RALPH R. BELL. 

Escondido, Calif. 

Accepting God as He Is 

Much of our difficulty as seeking 

Christians stems from our unwilling- 

ness to takc God as He is and ad- 

just our lives accordingly. We insist 

upon trying to modify Him and to 

bring Him nearer to our own image. 

The flesh whimpers against the rigor 

of God's inexorable sentence and begs 

like Agag for a little mercy, a little 

indulgence of its carnal ways. It is 

no use. We can get a right start only 

by accepting God as He is and learn- 

ing to lovc Him for what He is. 

As we go on to know Him better 

we shall find it a source of unspeak- 

able joy that God is just what He is. 

Some of the most rapturous moments 

we know will be those we spend in 

reverent admiration of the Godhead. 

In those holy moments the very 

thought of change in Him will he 

too painful to endure.-A. W. TOZER 

in The Pursuit of God (Christian 

Publications, Inc.).

To the Fields 

To PERU: Miss 

Betty M. C. 

Sproxron, R.N., 

November 16. 

v. and Mrs. 

arold KIasren 

Sproxron 

Peru and Mark, on November 

16 for 

their first term of 

service. They will study the language 

in Bandung. 

Both Mr. and Mrs. Klassen are 

memhers of the Alliance Chapel in 

Dawson Creek, B.C. They, attended 

Canadian Bible College, Mr. Klassen 

receiving a diploma in missians. and 

Mrs. Klassen the' B.A. degfee in religious 

education, Mr. Klassan was 

pasto'r of the lU'liance Church in Fort 

Nelson, B.C., for four and %half years. 

To WEST IRIAN: Rev. 'and Mrs. 

John A. Wilson and their children, 

David and car61 return* to West 

lrian on Novpnher 25. Mrs. Wilson 

is hemginning hbr ,third tem'of service 

and Mr. Wilson his second.,?hey will 

have the oversight of the Sinak 

District and extension ministry at 

Turumo. 

To THAILAND: Rev. and Mrr. MI& 

colrn B. Cush and children, Rolh and 

Judith, left November 27 fur their 

third term of service. They will be 

stationed in Udon, engaging in rural 

work and also warking withthe international 

community and semimen's 

center. 

With the Lord 

Mrs. Mary D. Dunn died OL-tober 2 

from injuries suffered in an auto acci- 

dent. A native of Syracuse, N.Y., she 

was a member of the Alliance in that 

city. In addition to her work as a 

teacher she gave much time to pre- 

paring materials for teaching overseas, 

with particular emphasis on literatore, 

music and education. 

She is survived by her husband, 

Winfield; and three daughters: Miss 

Virginia Dunn. Boston; Mrs. George 

Hobhs, Emmett, Mich.: and Miss 

Cheryl Dunn, Bernhards Bay, N.Y. 

Mrs. Lucilk Brllig Best, wife of Rev. 

Harold M. Rest, went to he with the 

Lord on October 28. She was sixtyseven, 

and had been ill for several 

years. The Bests had recently moved 

to he with their daughter, Mrs. John 

S. Kissee, in Sacramento, Calif. 

Mrs. Best was horn in Williamsport. 

Pa., and following their marriage in 

1924 she and her husband attended 

Nyack College. L.ater they served 

churches in Lewistown, Girurd and 

Sharon, Pa.: Jamestown. N.Y.: Bloomfield 

Park, Md.; and 1.0s Angeles. 

Calif. They also served at Simpson 

College. 

Besides her husband and daughter 

she is survived hy a son. Dr. Harold 

M. Best, Wheaton, Ill.: and by two 

hrotherc. Rev. .I. Kirnber Bcllie. Madison 

~ights. Mich.: and ~e;: J. M. 

Bellig. Castro Valley, Calif. 

Mrs. Mary B. Pcocock went to he 

with the Lord on Octoher 23. She 

was ninety-nine years of age. One of 

the founders of thc Sheraden Alliance 

Church in Pittsburgh, Pa., she scrved 

as its pastor for twenty-one years 

(1925-46). She taught Sunday school 

for seventy-six years, retiring frcm 

this ministry just three years ago. 

She is survived hy a daughter, Mr?. 

Eleanor Manchester. and two sisters. 

Her pastor. Rev. Charles E. Wisscr. 

conducted the mcmorial scrvicc. 

'The New Generation 

To Rev. and Mrs. Jerry A. Torgrrson, 

Laos, a son, JeRrey Ross. on June 27. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Arden Adrian, 

Regina, Sask., a daughter, Anessa 

Kim, on July 13. 

To Mr. und Mrr Hurry Boi*~,yn, 

Shaunavon, Sask., a son. Corcy Cal- 

vin, on August 14. 

To Rns. and Mrs. Gordon Bidcuk. 

Calgary, Alta.. a son. Marshall Dean. 

on Scptember 21. 

To Rev. and Mrs. D. I>. Dlile. Tuc- 

$on. Ariz.. a son. Timothv

Carl M~~ascll 

Cenrrul Pacific 

W. I. Tiiornpson 

South Porific 

R. H. Mangham 

Sourh Allontie 

Superintendents Elected 

Three new district superintendents will 

take up their responsibilities in lanuary. 

Each is elected fo,r a three-year 

term. 

Rev. Carl Measell, pastor of the 

Tara Hills Alliance Church in San 

Pablo, Calif., was elected superintendent 

of the Central Pacific District. 

Thc founder of the church in Saginaw, 

Mich., Mr. Measell also pioneered in 

Price, Utah. He has served churches 

in Lompoc, Fresno, and Richmond, 

Calif., as well as in Ogden, Utah, and 

was assistant superintendent of the 

South Pacific District. The headquarters 

of the Central Pacific District is 

in San Jose. 

Dr. Warren J. Thompson will serve 

as superintendent of the South Pacific 

District with headquarters in Fullerton, 

Calif. Dr. Thompson has served 

churches in Pound, Wis., Minneapolis, 

Minn.. Pasadena. Calif.. and Winston- 

~alem: N. C. HL has also served on 1 

~ ~ 

the~~dard or Managers of the Society. 

Rev. R. Harold Mangham, new 

superintendent for the South Atlantic 

District, recently returned from Thailand 

where fo; three years he was 

pastor of the International Church in 

Bangkok. Prior to his overseas service 

he served churches in Alabama, 

Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. 

He is the son of Dr. and Mrs. 

T. Grady Mangbam, Sr., and has 

three brothers in the ministrv also. 

Charlotte, N. C., is the head4arters 

of this district. 

Evangelistic Meetings 

Errst McKeesporf, Pu. Rev. A. T. Hihbard 

reports that much blessing resulted 

from evangelistic services conducted 

by Rev. Nathan Penland in 

September. A number of prayer cells 

meeting prior to the services brought 

a genuine moving of the Holy Spirit. 

People were at the altar every evening, 

a number of them for salvation. 

"The whole church is revived and a 

new sense of God's presence is evident. 

One noticeable outcome is that 

the prayer meeting attendance has 

doubled," Mr. Hibbard wrote. 

Sidney, N.Y. Rev. James Thompson 

conducted a family gospel crusade 

here October 15-20. Mn. Thomoson 

ministered in illustrating gospel songs. 

Rev. Chester A. Logue, pastor, reports 

that prayer preceding the services 

resulted in salvation and blessing. 

Six persons professed faith in 

Christ, and others prayed through to 

victory. Excellent attendance marked 

each service. 

Anniversary for Chicago Church 

The Southwest Alliance Church, Oak 

Lawn, Ill., celebrated fifty years of 

faith with special services October 22- 

29. Speakers were Rev. Ord L. Mor- 

row and Dr. John Haggai. 

The church actually had its begin- 

ning in 1921 when Rev. R. R. Brown, 

district superintendent, arranged a six- 

week evangelistic campaign with Luke 

Rader, Christian Eicher and others. 

Organization of an Alliance branch 

with sixty-seven charter members took 

place on March 2, 1922. Early meet- 

ing sites included Elim Church, Car- 

penter Hall, Thornton Hall, Engle- 

wwd Husiness College and a tent at 

Englewood and Union Avenues. A 

church at 70th and South Union Ave- 

nue was ~~~ dedicated ~ in 1941. The 

church occupied its new building in 

Oak Lawn in 1961. 

Pastors included Rev. H. F. Meltzer 

and Joseph Hogue and Rev. A. W. 

Tozer, who became pastor in 1928 

and served the church until 1959. 

Rev. Elmer H. Murdoch and Rev. 

James Cunningham followed Dr. 

Tozer, and Rev. A. Paul McGarvey 

answered the call in 1970. 

Thirtv-five missionaries have eone 

from this fellowship to serve the cord 

around the world. 

Van Buren, Ark. Ground was broken on 

Oclober 22 for u new sarrcruary for 

Parkview Allioncc Cliurcit. Taking part 

in tlw cercmorry were Rev. E. N. Niclwn, 

disrrict superirttendrrzi: Bili McBridc. 

cirrrirman of brrildinfi commirree; Rce. 

M. I1 Olson, paslor; Sam Lilllcron, mmtbur 

of r,wecrciive comn~irtee: Mr. Allen 

Tootl~~ker., mayor; and W. C. Kesner, 

co~ttracro~. 

Church Burns Mortgage 

Aminiboiu, Sask. Rev. W. Norman 

Morris reports that the Alliance 

Church celebrated its freedom from 

debt with the burning of the parson- 

age mortgage on October 22. Rev. 

A. H. Orthner. district sunerintendent 

and first pastor of the church, was 

the guest speaker. 

The church is lulfilling its local re- 

sponsibility through a program of sat- 

uration evaneelism in the AI.LIANcE 

Project Lists for 1973 

Now ready are lists of projects-sup- 

plies for clinics, used stamps for Co- 

lombia and India, used literature and 

books for the Philiooines-which in- 

dividuals and groups' may participate 

in during 1973. 

A copy of any or all lists will he 

sent upon request to the Foreign De- 

partment, The Christian and Mission- 

ary Alliance, 260 West 44th St., New 

York. N.Y. 10036. 

Please include an addressed legal 

sire (long) envelope and 8 cents 

postage. 

Rw. and Mrr. M. 8. Cash o,,d chiidrcn 

Tltnilnnrl

Personnel Changes 

TRANSFERS 

Rev. R. M. Ayers, on retiral. 

M. R. Brnton, from Winston-Salem 

to Christian education director, Rockwell, 

N. C. 

Rev. W. B. Blmklord, Nassau, Bahamas. 

Rn,. I.. L. Brookrr, from Pontiac, 

Mich., to administration, Shell Point 

Village, Fla. 

Rev Pnrrl Buhna, from Vie1 Nam 

to Minneapolis (North Brook), Minn. 

Rev. J. F. Conner, from Wenatchee, 

Wash., to Mcdford, Ore. 

Rer,. G. G. Corneliils, from Clearfield, 

Pa., to evanrclist. - Southern District. 

Rev. Harry Ellis, from Birmingham, 

Ala.. on retiral. 

Rev. W. W. G'urdner, from Fort 

I'tlyne, Ala., to further study. 

M. 11. Carer, fronl Ho'uston, Tex., 

to assistant pastor, Greensboro, N. C. 

Rev. H. R. Grove, from Mina Corners, 

N. Y., on rctiral. 

Rev. Philip Heztr~ulhrrlcl~, from Valley 

Farms, Ariz., to associate pastor, 

Napa, Calif. 

Re,,. Kola~rrl /foi.ppncr, from Estevan, 

Sak, to Spruce Grove, Alta. 

Rev. W. U. Junkrr, from Jeannette, 

Pa., to Ellwood City, Pa. 

Rev. T. W. Larwn, from Cable, 

Wis., to Swanville, Minn. 

Rev. R. E. Lirhgow, from Beaver, 

Pa., to assistant superintendent, West- 

:rn Pennsylvania District. 

Rev. N. L. Lon#, from Muncie, 

Ind., to Reidsville, N. C. 

Rev. C. D. Manghmn, from Washngton, 

D. C.. to Atlanta (East Point), 

;a. 

Rev. C. J. Mason, from district 

;uperintendent, on retiral. 

Rev. Keirh Meerdink, from Chi- 

:ago, Ill., to Vancouver (West), B. C. 

Rev. E. H. Mink, from Coalport, 

'a., on retiral. 

Rev. E. E. Ringer, Jr., from North 

3essemer to Cambridge Springs, Pa. 

R. C. Rosweli, from Brantford to 

'embroke, Ont. 

Rer, 0. E. Schluegel, from Alipippa, 

Pa., to Montgomery, Ala. 

Rev. R. G. Short, from Orlando, 

:la., to Asheville, N. C. 

Rev. Glenn Smith, from Augusta, 

Lia., to Houston, Tex. 

Rev. B. G. Smith, from Lima to 

ipringfield, Ohio. 

Rev. Cyril Steinmann, from district 

upermtendent to pioneer work, Lilurn, 

Ga. 

Brian Thorn from Red Deer to Callary 

(First Alliance), Alta. 

Rev. Roby Thompson, from Chi- 

:ago, Ill., to St. Petersburg (Bayhorel. 

Fla. 

~ev: S. C. 7hornhil1, from Flint, 

aich., on rctiral. 

Rev. Herhert Wormer, from Bir- 

ndngham, Ala., to Pensacola (Water- 

front Mission), Fla. 

NEW WORKERS 

. . 

., 

L. E. Bookl, Fort Jones, Calif. .. ? 

Rev. Loren Cdkin.~, Bainhridgi Is- -,? 

land, Wash. 

tf. R. Duncan, Truro, N. S. 

Jirrl Edwurdr, assistant pastor, Chilliwack. 

B. C. 

~ick Fisk, assistant pastor, Orrville, ;, 

Ohio. 

R. J. Gome:, Brownsville, Tex. ;& 

F. A. Holey, assistant pastor, Chico, 

Calif. 

Rev. Ben Herman, Vancouver (Fraserview), 

B. C. 

Erlwin Iferrold, assistant pastor, 

Hilliard, Fla. 

firnothy Hixson, assistant pastor 

De Land, Fla. 

Rrv. Ralph Knupp, Dallas, Tex. 

Rev. A. J. Liden, assistant pastor, 

Chico, Calif. 

Rev. H. 7'. Lindsey, Holland, Mich. 

Rev. R. W. Marks, Jr., Lexington, 

Kv. 

Roherr Nohr, assistant pastor, Appleton, 

Wis. 

Dnvid Quatn, Highmore, S. D. 

D. L. Rtrrup, special assignment, 

Lima, Ohio. 

C. B. Stack, assistant pastor, Fremont, 

Calif. 

W. D. Thomas, Haverhill, Mass. 

Dwight Williatns, evangelist, Northwestern 

District. 

ORDINATIONS 

Rev. T. P. Bonowo, Rev. V. C. 

Borchert, Rev. R. 0. Brown, Rev. 

L. J. Curey, Rev. Neil Dean, Rev, W. 

B. Duluney, Rev. R. A. Giles, Rev. 

G. 0. Gorrett, Rev. Ernest Gray, Rev. 

James Gunzel, Rev. H. L. Harmon, 

Rev. C F. Howe, Rev. L. B. Mc- 

Cauley, Rev. J. P. McCloskey, Rev. 

P. L. Newmeyer, Rev. E. W. Peace, 

Rev. G. A. Peterson, Rev. Wayne 

Peterson, Rev. R. C. Rube, Rev. G. 

D. Sirnms, Rev. L. D. Smith, Rev. W. 

L. Sternen, Rev. H. E. Toenjes, Jr., 

Rev. Arnold To~ws, Rev. I. H. Voss, 

Rev. R. B. Watson, Rev. Robert Wil- 

~i~an, Rev. John Wong, Rev. I. W. 

Zuvers. 

Scripture Calendars Wanted 

Several missionary prayer groups use 

outdated Scripture text calendars to 

make picture albums on the Life of 

Christ end Old Testament stories. 

These are used as teaching aids on 

the mission fields. 

Only Bible picture calendars can 

be used. They s'hould be addressed to 

Mrs. Henry Miller, 19 Berkeley Ave., 

Colonia, N.J. 07067.

Sunday 

JAMES 4:l-10 (verses 7-8) 

Prayer does not mean that 1 am to bring 

God down to my thoughts and my purposes 

and bend His government according 

to my foolish, silly and sometimes sinful 

notions. Prayer means that I am to be 

raised up into feeling, into union and design 

with Him; that 1 am to enter into 

His counsel and carry out His purpose 

fully. . . . God knows better what is best 

fur me and for the world than I can 

possibly know.-AN~NYM~WS. 

Monday 

LUKE 2:s-20 (versc 16) 

This is the inauguration of the world's 

redemption. Not in palace halls and amid 

pageants of earthly grandeur, not with 

prmces leading the inaugural procession, 

but with a company of shepherds at their 

nishtly task as the first witnesses. And 

the Saviour Himself ib introduced with a 

lowliness and poverty in keeping with the 

calling of the shepherds and the condition 

of the sinful world to which He came. 

A . R. SIMPSON. 

Tuesday 

hlnRK 9:1-13 (verse 1) 

Christ and John had both preached that 

the kingdom of Gad was at hand. . . - 

Christ said that it would be in the lifetime 

of same who heard Him that the kingdom 

uould come in powcr. That could mean 

nothing else but that when He, as King, 

had ascendcd the throne of the Father, 

the kingdom would be revealed in the 

hearts of Hi\ disciples by the power of the 

Holy Spirit.-ANDREW MURRAY. 

Wednesday 

MATTHEW 6:X-15 (verse 10) 

'l'i,cn~ is a me~kne~r frv~ from pridc 

Tit01 fccls no uwer rise 

Ar dighrs or liarc or ridicrrk, 

Bur o.ossr.7 cou,,Ir ii prizc. 

7lrerc is a pnfiencc lltul endurcs 

Wirltoul n fr~l 01 cme, 

Birr joyful si,i,ys, "Thy will he rlorre," 

My Lord's s+wcr ,?raw I sitare. 

-SELI CTI D. 

Thursday 

I'KOVLRUS 27: 1-10 (verse I) 

The only preparation for the morrow is 

the right use of today. The stone in the 

hand of the builder must be put in its 

place and fitted to receive another. The 

morrow comes for naught if today is not 

heeded. Neglect not the call that comes 

to thee this day, for such neglect is nolh- 

ing less than boasting thyself of tomorrow. 

-GEORGE BOWEN. 

Friday 

J~HN 13:33-38 (verse 34) 

In repairing a church in one of the Boston 

wards the inscription upon the wall behind 

the pulpit was covered up. The first 

Sunday after repairs a little five-year-old 

whispered to her mother: "I know why 

God told the paint man to cover that 

22 

pretty vcls: up. It was because the people 

did not love one another." The inscription 

was, "A new commandment I give unto 

you, That ye love one another."-D. L. 

MOODY. 

Saturday 

Jnm 8:24-29 (verse 29) 

Jesus never wavered in His choices. His 

rule of life in everything was to please 

God, regardless of what His natural de- 

hire might be (Matthew 26:39). God's 

ill was the most important thing in life. 

God never needed to coerce Him: the law 

of absolute obedience was the guide-star 

of His decisions. And God honored it. 

God's will led Him to the cross. If God's 

children fallow Christ's example it will 

lead them to thc cross also (John 12:24). 

PAMLII. 

Sunday 

M,~K l0:35-45 (verse 45) 

Jesus gave to His disciples a law of love 

higher even than that of the Old Testamcnt. 

It is no longer "Thou shalt love thy 

neighbour as thyself," but it is "Love one 

another; as I have loved you." His birth 

in Bethlehem, His toiling youth, His life 

of constant self-surrender, sacrifice and 

privation, His ministry of benevolence and 

unceasing blessing, and His death of voluntary 

shame and agony . . . all have 

lifted up a flaming protest against the selfishness 

of man.-A. R. SIMPSON. 

Monday 

PSALM 23 (verse 2) 

A rcrtlcss mind is a mind that cannot act. 

A restless heart is a heart that cannot 

love. A restless or wavering will is a will 

that cannot decide. It is only when the 

soul has begun to "lie down in green 

pastures" that it is able to walk in the 

paths of righteousness. It is not said, 

"Walk and you will gel rest"; it is "Walk, 

and ye shall find rest." The rest is there 

already; it simply waits to be revealed.- 

GLl1Rr.L MATHESON. 

I uesday 

PSALM 119:137-I44 (verses 140, 142) 

The Bible is a vein of pure gold, unalloyed 

by any earthly substance. This is a star 

without a speck; a sun without a blot; a 

light without darkness; a moon without 

its paleness; a glory without a dimness. 

0 Bible! . . . We can declare all wisdom 

is gathered up in thee, without a particle 

of folly. This is the judge that ends the 

strife, where wit and reason fail. This is 

. . . pure, unalloyed, perfect truth.-C. H. 

SPURGEON. 

Wednesday 

SONG OF SOLOMON 5:9-6:3 (5:16) 

Srill, still, wirhour ceasing, 

I feel ir increasing, 

This fervor of holy desire; 

And ofren exclaim, 

Ler me die in rhc Aome 

Of a love rhar can never expire! 

This Fail!,, in the dork 

Pursuing irs mark, 

Through many slrarp lrials of Love, 

Ir rite sorrowful wnsre, 

Ihnr is ro be passed 

In rile way to the Canaan above. 

-MADAME GUYON. 

Thursday 

1 PETER 1: 14-25 (verse 23) 

How tragic that we in this dark day have 

our seeking done for us by our teachers. 

Everything is made to center upon the 

initial act of "accepting" Christ . . . , and 

we are not expected thereafter to crave 

any further revelation of God to our 

souls. We have been snared in the coils of 

a spurious logic which insists that if we 

have found Him we need no more seek 

Him. This is set before us as the last word 

in orthodoxy, and it is taken for granted 

that no Bible-taught Christian ever be- 

lieved otherwise.-A. W. TozEn. 

Friday 

J~HN 15:l-14 (verse 7) 

The way to trust Christ is to know Christ. 

You cannot help trusting Him then. By 

knowing Him faith is begotten in you, 

as cause and effect. To trust Him without 

knowing Him, as thousands do, is not 

faith, but credulity . . . . We should pray 

. . . that we may be able to fulfill the 

conditions, and then, when we have fulfilled 

the conditions, the faith necessarily 

follows. The way, therefore, to increase 

our faith is to increase our intimacy 

with Christ. We trust Him more 

and more the better we know Him.- 

HENRY DRUMMOND. 

Saturday 

PSALM 145 (verse 18) 

My prayer is not my cry to Thee; it is 

my flight to Thee. My wish is my way; 

my longing is my locomotion. I sail by 

every sigh; 1 near by every need; I am 

winged for Thee by every want of Thee. 

Through the voidness of my soul without 

Thee do I voyage to Thy home; every 

stage of my joy is a stage of my journey. 

The movement of my heart is a short 

road to Paradise; there is no space to them 

that fear Thee.-GEORGE MATHESON.

SALVATION TODAY: QUEST OR FACT? 

From December 29 through January 8 some 250 invited 

participants from all over the world will he convencd in 

Bangkok under thc auspices of the World Council of 

Churches Commission on World Mission and Evangelism 

to consider thc topic "Salvation Today." 

In small groups and plenary sessions they will wrestle 

with the broad question: What is the salvation which 

Jesus Christ offers mcn today? 

Evangelicals who suppose that this kind of a topic 

signals for the World Council a significant swing from the 

liberal tendencies of the past half-century may he destined 

to disappointment. As Donald A. McGavran, writing in a 

recent issue of Church Growth Bulletin, wryly observes, 

"All the advance publications concerning this meeting indi- 

cate that the World Council is making a massive effort to 

reinterpret the classic meaning of salvation so that 'being 

saved' will come to mean having more food, more justice, 

more clothes, more freedom, more production, less dis- 

ease, more brotherhood, more peace, in short, more this- 

worldly inzproveme~~ts." 

Dr. McGavran has reason to mistrust the WCC leader- 

ship, for as he goes on to say, other essential expressions 

such as mission, evangelism and convcrsion have hccn 

"devalued in the same direction." 

"Mission" is no longer the propagation of the gospel 

but simply that which God wants done by Christians and 

nonChristians. "Evangelism" is no longer the persuasive 

proclamation of Jesus Christ hut rather the restructuring 

of society in the direction of justice, rightcousness and 

peace. "Conversion" is no longer the turning from idols 

to serve the living God hut the turning corporately from 

faulty social patterns to those emphasizing hrothcrhood. 

And now, Dr. McGavran concludes, " 'salvation' is 

apparently going to he put through the same, rolling mill 

and brought out flattened and focused on temporal im- 

provements." 

Evangelicals do not deny the validity of social concern. 

Jesus "went about doing good" (Acts 10:38). His min- 

istry was marked by healings, the casting out of demons, 

the feeding of the hungry. 

DECEMBER 20, 1972 

The Scriptures admonish us who arc His followers to 

a similar concern for the temporal needs of our fellow- 

men. "Let us do good unto all men" (Galatians 6:lO). 

"Charge them that arc rich . . . that they do good, . . . 

ready to distribute" (1 Timothy 6: 17-18). 

Evangelicals traditionally havc been in the vanguard 

of social concern. Antislavery legislation, the prohibition 

against liquor, the founding of rescue missions, orphanages 

and homes for unwed mothers-all have largely bccn thc 

work of evangelical Christians. 

Overseas, evangelical missionaries have promoted hos- 

pitals, schools, orphanages. They havc crusadcd against 

slavery, against the throwing of babies into so-called holy 

rivers, against the burning of widows on their dead hus- 

bands' funeral pyres. 

But Jesus in His ministry on earth not only went about 

doing good. He also proclaimed the Good Nenvs and called 

men to repentance. And it is clear that His chief mission 

was not man's temporal hut his spiritual and eternal wel- 

fare. Jesus came to minister and to give His life a ransom 

for many (Mark 10:45). 

Even a cursory reading of the New Testament will in- 

dicate that this same priority obtained for Christ's follow- 

ers. While not neglecting temporal aid to suffering hu- 

manity, they saw their primary mission as spiritual. Paul 

talks about the reconciling of the Colossians in the body 

of Christ's flesh through death, and says that it was this 

good news which he was callcd to minister (1 :21-23). 

If salvation-to come hack to the term under study 

(and undcr fire) at Bangkok-re'fers to temporal bctter- 

ment, the picture is bleak. Paul Bartel, reviewing J. Ver- 

kuyl's Mesmge oJ Liberution in Our Age, a book that 

purports to bring the Bangkok issues into focus, finds 

Verkuyl walking "a tightrope" between conservatives and 

univers~alists. 

"Somehow," Bartcl says, "I get thc feeling that he re- 

fuses to acknowledge the bankruptcy or our society with 

its dope, scx perversions, pills, hitter racism, abortions, 

women's lib, breakdown of the homc, increase of crime, 

adult delinquency. 

"All of this is due to man's rejection of thc salvation 

God has provided. God's goal has been and will always 

be to crcatc and rc-create men in His own image-making 

godly men and women as opposed to carnal, natural, 

human, sinni'ng men." 

There is the crux of the issue. Social hettermcnt is not 

an end hut a by-product. Gudlikcncss is the goal. God- 

likeness begins with a radical spiritual transforma,tion of 

the individual. That transformation comes when the indi- 

vidual turns from his sin to God, receives by faith the 

finished work wrought by Christ on Calvary, and is born 

again by the Spirit of God. Apart from such an experience 

in Jesus Christ there is no salvation. 

To the one who has participated in that experience, 

salvation is a fact-both today and tomorrow.

Fred Polding 

African-style cdche in o Bouoke cathedral 

CHRISTMAS IN 

THE IVORY 

COAST? 

t xcept for a few big towns where civiliza- 

tion has commercialized Christmas, it is very 

different over here in the lvory Coast. 

There will be no snow, no Santa Claus, no 

reindeer, no red-nosed Rudolph. No Christmas 

trees, no candles, no tinsel and strings of lights. 

No saturation program of Christmas music, no 

shopping sprees, no greeting cords or exchange 

of gifts. No family soforis to grandmother's 

house, no turkey dinners, not one stocking 

hanging in place. 

The atmosphere will be hazy with clouds of 

matter that the breezes loft upward from the 

parched earth to suspend in the quivering, 

shimmering heat. Everything will be dry, dusty 

and dirty brown. 

The great fields of toll elephant grass will 

dry out and be burned off to add eye-smarting 

smoke to the dust. Multitudes will apply a deep 

blue medicine to their dehydrated lips to soothe 

the nasty cracks that develop and torment. 

At night the temperature will plummet all the 

way to 65 degrees or the harmatton-the cold 

winds off the Sahara-travel across the land. 

Unaccustomed to the change in temperature, 

lvorians will complain of the cold through dry, 

raspy sore throats. Definitely, the Christmas 

season is the least festive period of the year. 

And yet Christians anticipate and enioy the 

Christmos season. In the many churches scat- 

tered throughout the grasslands or the jungle 

Africans will celebrate the birth of Jesus in 

countless African ways. 

There will be plays and skits, all completely 

original but based on the New Testament ac- 

count as they envision it. There will be angels, 

kings, wise men, shepherds, camels, sheep, 

Joseph and Mary-all in on African context. 

New songs will be born and there will be 

much joyful singing. There will be African- 

style caroling, meaning the whole church 

marching through town with banners flying- 

not at night but during Christmos day. Almost 

everywhere the service and program will con- 

tinue through the night and into the next day. 

Christmas is coming to lvory Coast! 

In forty-one nations and territories proclaiming Emmanuel-God with us 

THE CHRISTIAN AND MISSIONARY ALLIANCE 

260 West 44th St., New York, N.Y. 10036 125 Panin Rd., Burlington, Ont.

Jewish Contributions to Christmas - Christian and Missionary Alliance

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