Kansas City Bible College - Armour Bearer Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

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PAGE TWO THE COMMENTATOR The Fruit of The fruit of the Spir- it and the gifts of the Spirit are not identical. There is much confu- sion at this point with the result that there is much failure in liv- ing. The Christians in the church at Corinth had the gifts of the Spirit, but the fruit of the Spirit was sadly missing. Paul wrote to them, Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. CI Cor. 1:6-77. Later on in his first epis- tle he enumerates the nine gifts of the Spirit: Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differ- ences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of opera- tions, but it is the same God which work- eth all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spiritg to an- other faith by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of healing by the same Spiritg to another the working of miraclesg to an- other prophecyg to another discerning of spiritsg to another divers kinds of tonguesg to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsarne Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will CI Cor. 12:4-113. The manifestation of the Spirit is not al- ways the same. There is a manifold va- riety of operations and manifestations of the one Spirit. These often are according to temperament, according to capability, and according to function. The Holy Spir- it is the One who determines where and how the child of God should serve. He it is who designates the believer's service, for He divides to every man as He will. The Corinthians had been richly blessed with many gifts, which Paul acknowledg- ed, but the nine-fold fruit of the Spirit was woefully lacking. Paul had to rebuke them severely for their carnality. He wrote against the divisions and schisrns in the church. Some were claiming to be fol- lowers of Paul, others of Apollos, some of Cephas, and still others of Christ. It was not friendly rivalry betwen them, but bit- terness and backbiting, censoriousness and ugliness. At such times they were seek- ing after worldly wisdom and not after the wisdom which is in Christ. There was the condoning of sin in their midst and going to law against one another, and that before heathen judges. Grave disorder al- so prevailed at the Lord's table for which some had received severe rebuke by God in the form of sickness and even physical death. The nine-fold fruit of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control CGal. 5: 221, was not manifested in their lives although the nine gifts of the Spirit were present. It is, therefore, very possible for Chris- tians to have the gifts of the Spirit while the Spirit and The Gifts of the Spirit By Dr. Robert H. Belton Executive Vice President, K. C. Bible College lacking the fruit of the Spirit. Have we not seen Christians of many gifts and tal- ents with whom it is very hard to get a- long? They have ability for God, and yet, they are sharp and bitter, censorious and ugly. In their everyday living there is very little of Christ-like love, gentleness, longsuffering, patience, rneekness, and self-control. In fact, as one searches his own heart, he is too often conscious of the lack of the fruit of the Spirit. Dr. Samuel Chadwick in his very help- to Pentecost, has a on this very subject. rather extensively: not identical. Fruit gifts are enduements ful book, The Way most helpful chapter Let me quote him Fruit and gifts are belongs to character, of power. Gifts are an evidence of the Spirit: but they are no proof of holiness. Gifts are according to the elections of the sovereign will of the Spirit of Godg fruit is the manifestation of cultivated life. Gifts are for service, fruit is for character. Gifts are functional, fruit is a quality of life. Gifts are bestowed, fruit is a manifesta- tion. Gifts may be immediate and com- plete, fruit is implanted and of gradual development. Both are of the Spirit and are intimately connected with one another, but thev are inseparable, much less iden- ital. The gifts of the Spirit are given to people who are elect according to the sovereign will of God, who by His Spirit divides to every man severally as He will. Love, in which is included all the fruit, is not in the list of spiritual gifts. Fruit is for all, gifts are for those for whom they have been prepared. All may not proph- esy, but all must love. We may covet gifts, but we must bear fruit. Gifts can- not take the place of fruit. Spiritual gifts are no proof of spiritual- ity. Gifts are not substitutes for grace, and ignorance and carnality have made them a menace to holiness of heart and in- tegrity of character. Do we not often seek for the manifes- tations of the gifts of the Spirit and are not concerned about the cultivation of the fruit of the Spirit? Yet it is the fruit of the Spirit which glorilies God. In John fifteen the Lord Jesus Christ is talking to His disciples about the necessity of bear- ing much fruit. He tells them that He is the vine and they are the branches and that if a branch bears some fruit the Fath- er prunes it that it may bring forth more fruit. When the branch brings forth much fruit then is the Father glorified. The fruit referred to here is the fruit of the Spirit. Later on in the chapter He tells them that they have been chosen and or- dained to go forth and bear much fruit which will remain. This refers to souls saved and saints edified. It stands to reason that the gifts of the Spirit manifested in a life where the fruit of the Spirit is missing will bring no glory to God and will with difficulty woo an unbeliever into the fold. But a Christ-like character filled with love, joy, peace, long- suffering. gentleness, goodness, faith, meek- ness, and temperance will witnessvto the reality of the presence of Christ in the life and will be a tremendous influence in bringing others to Christ. What is the condition in our lives? Be- cause some gifts of the Spirit manifest themselves, do we rest content feeling that we are on good terms with God? How about the fruit of the Spirit? Is there love, joy, and peace with relation to God: longsuffering, gentleness, and goodness with relation to our fellowmeng faith, meekness, and self-control with relation to ourselves? At the beginning of this new year let us bow low before God and ask Him to empty us completely of self, fill us with His Holy Spirit and produce a Christ-like character within us. Herein is my Fath- er glorified, that ye bear much fruity so shall ye be my disciples. The proof of real discipleship is fruit bearing. May the Lord make us healthy branches this year. 1952 CCo'n.timLed from Page 15 the pierced hand of the Son of God, the prize pf the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.' There are three other desires that Paul mentions here: That I may win Christ, and be found in him, and that I may know him. Our first thought is that sure- ly this man already belonged to the Lord Jesus, and how could he then win Him? He might have gone in for winning money, for he was an astute man with a gifted mind. He might have gone in for a life of letters, for he was an able man with his pen. He was, however, not striving to gain. fortune, but to win Jesus Christ. He de- sired that all those whom he met should find him wrapped up in the Saviour, liv- ing with his identity hidden in Christ. And did not Paul already know Christ? He was not interested in knowing politics, or world problems, or questions of agricul- tureq but he was determined to go on to know Christ. The Lord grant that this may be the purpose, the ambition, the desire of every one of God's children. May the God, of all grace fill you with all joy and peace through believing. It will give you much of joy and little of sorrow, much of His blessed presence and little of darkness in the coming year of 1952. THE COMMENTATOR JANUARY, 1952 Volume 14, Number 1 Dr. Walter L. Wilson, Editor Grace T. Belton. Associate Editor Ona E. Woodward. Circulation Manager Price, single subscription, 75 cents a year: Canada and foreign, 85 cents. Two or more subscriptions. 50 cents each:- Canada and foreign 60 cents. Published monthly by The Kansas City Bible College P.O. Box 7035, Country Club Station Kansas City 2. Mo. School location: 75th lk State Line Road Entered as a second-class matter June 26. 1942 at the Post Office at Kansas City. Mo. und the Act of March 3, 1879.

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Published by The Kansas City Bible College JANUARY, 1952 A Missionary Ministry For the Last Days BY BRUCE C. Donn Pray ye therefore the Lord of the har- vest, that he will send forth labourers in- to his harvest. Matthew 9:38. These were the words used of the Lord to change a local tract ministry into a world-wide missionary organization with special opportunities for service during this, the end of the age of grace. One day the Holy Spirit brought the writer to the conviction that the Lord wanted him to be a harvester' of souls rather than a sower of the Word. He felt that the mass dis- tribution of tracts, in which he had been engaged for twelve years, was more of a sowing than a reaping process, and accord- ingly he sought the Lord's leading in using tracts basically to harvest souls for Christ. The change from sowing to reaping lies in the fact that the distribution of tracts is now organized on a follow-up basis. It is not expected that a tract will do the entire work of leading a soul to Christ, but that it will simply catch the attention of the receiver and serve as an introduction and preparation to a personal visit and witness. The tract distribution is carried on as a mailing program. Personalized letters are written once each month to a very large mailing list. The Big Brother Tract Band members do not choose these names them- selves. They invite earnest Christians to supply the names of unsaved loved ones and friends. These persons whose names are supplied receive each month a per- sonal letter, a gospel tract, and a com- panion blotter. The letter mentions the business in which the individual is em- ployed and makes an appropriate comment related to the Word of God. The tract deals with some subject of everyday life and its application to the Word of God. The blotter with its art work and Scrip- ture quotation serves as a reminder of the message of the letter and tract, should they be discarded. For example, the following letter was sent to a grocer: As a grocer you are doubtless interested in the appetites of your customers. It is a won- derful grace from God that they become hun- gry three times each day and are reminded of their need to patronize your store. It is too bad that people do not grow him- gry three times a day for the Bread of Life. It is a shame that there are people who have never been spiritually hungry in all their lives. ecause of this fact we publish a monthly blotter and tract dealing with the things of ur everyday life and their relation to the THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE The training of young lives in the use of the Word of God, is a priceless privilege. The church often suffers loss from the actions and the ministries of those who do not know their Bible or who do not use the Scriptures wisely. Our College is a great training center where students receive much prac- tical experience in using that which they learn in the classroom. The ' graduates of this college are occu- pying important positions through- out the world and are yielding splendid dividends to those who help to train them. We invite your prayerful consideration of the needs of this fine student body. Word of God. We mail them to English-spealb ing people around the world. You have been added to our mailing list, and the enclosed pamphlet entitled Who and Why explains the reason. We hope that the tract and blotter accomp- anying this letter prove helpful to you, and that you will be looking forward to our mailing each month. Because of Calvary, The Big Brother Tract Band With this letter went a tract and blotter combination entitled Hungry Months with Matthew 5: 6, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled , and Psalm 23:1, The Lord is my shepherdg I shall not want, as the message. After six monthly mailings the director or one of the missionaries makes a per- sonal call upon the prospect to determine his interest. Those known not to be in- terested are dropped. Others remain on the list and are visited twice a year until they confess Christ as Saviour and Lord, or definitely reject the witness. These calls are made anywhere in the United States or Canada. The one who supplies the name for the mailing list is called a sponsor. His name is never reveal-ed, either by mail or dur- ing the calls, until the person accepts the Lord. The sponsor receives copies of all correspondence and pays the cost of mail- ing, which is S5 per year per name. Vlfhile the charge to the sponsor does not begin to meet the expense of the ministry, it means that those who submit names sup- ply only the names of those for whom they 1Continued on Page 75 1952 BY DR. WALTER L. WILSON President, Kansas City Bible College What shall be my goal for 1952? Paul stated his ambition in Philippians 3:7-14, and we shall do well to examine it care- fully. The apostle, looking forward in his life, was conscious of great honor to be obtained and great rewards to be earned from his blessed Lord. With the goal in mind he said, This one thing I do. He was not concerned with the ambition of another but confessed to the world what his own purpose and plan of life was. Such an open confession is profitable, because folks will then not bother you about going into sinful practices, or worldly pleasures, or activities that would waste your time or your ministry. All this was not a dream that Paul was havingg it was a great reality in his life. He did not say, This one thing I hope to do g rather, he said, This one thing I do. He purposed in his heart that when eter- nity came that he would have a place with his Lord, with a crown on his brow, a happy heart in his bosom, and a memory that didn't hurt his soul. First, the apostle purposed to forget the things that were behind. He was not go- ing to run the race in the new year with the weights and the griefs of the old year hanging around his neck. He determined to forget the sorrows, the troubles, the wounds, those experiences in the jail, the way the mob beat him, the way that his message and ministry were rejected by his own brethren. Next, Paul would reach forth to those things which were before. He saw that there were heights and breadths and lengths and depths of the love of God and the grace of Christ and the things of heav- en that he had never yet tasted, and his purpose and desire was that he would ob- tain all that he possibly could of the things of God on earth. He stretched out his arms as far as he could to get as much as possible of this treasure, for he wanted in his life the richest blessing that he could possibly obtain from his blessed Lord's storehouse. Not only did he look forward, but he said. I press toward the mark. The things of God are worth pressing forward for, and the children of God should this day have the same purpose of heart- to press toward the mark for the prize. This prize -great, rich, and valuable- is given by fCo'n.ti'nfued on Page 21

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THE COMMZENTATOR PAGE THREE CHRISTIAN SERVICE REPORT BY Rav. W. JACK WILSON Director of Christian Service There has been a- mong fundamental Christians for some time a mild contro- versy over whether we prefer our mu- sicians and other Christian workers to be talented or con- secrated, assuming, in many cases, that we cannot expect them to be both. Too often a poorly prepared mes- sage or an unrehearsed musical number is expected to be excused by the fact that the performer really loves the Lord. It should be made very clear that we aren't interested in hearing anyone sing about our Lord who has never met Himg that is nothing but hypocrisy. And God's Word makes very plain the attitude of the Lord toward those who do anything for any other purpose than for His glory. I am sure that David, the sweet singer of Israel, never needed such excusing. True, he was singing from the depths of a grate- ful and trusting heart, but it was good, and it thrilled and impressed all who heard it. The Christian Service Department is upholding the definite policy of the Col- lege concerning our students who partic- ipate in any public service, either as mu- sicians or as speakers. Every student whether performing for a mission service attended bythe derelicts of skid-row, or for the morning service of the First Church of a large city, must have his musical proficiency checked and approved by our music faculty. Every preacher or other speaker from our College is expected to know how to use his Bible as well as a doctor knows how to use the contents of his little black bag. We are dealing with souls, and we cannot afford to be crude or uncertain. Although each must learn by doing, it is possible for even a freshman student who has only one sermon, to de- liver it forcefully, intelligently, in the power of the Holy Spirit to reach menis hearts for Christ. The pulpit is no place for apologies, and we trust that our stu- dents never need offer apologies for their spirituality, consecration, or the quality of their performance for the glory of God. Kathleen Jane arrived on December 16 to gladden the hearts of her parents, Rev. and Mrs. W. Jack-Wilson, and her sister, Sharon Sue. IN CHAPEL During the Youth for Christ confer- ence held at nearby Gray Rock for high school Bible club workers, the College as privileged to have two of the lead- ers as chapel speakers. Mr. Lacey Hall resented the peculiar need of his state f Florida, where pleasure seeking is too ften over-emphasized and where the oung Christians too often find indiffer- nce and even open rebellion to their test- ony. Mr. Herbert Tyler, who recently eturned from an evangelistic tour of Eu- ope pictured the pathetic need for the ospel all over that continent. Both of hese men presented a vital challenge to ose seeking the Lord's place for them in he harvest field. ALUMNI 'NEWS John and Pauline Prnden C505 be- came the proud parents of a baby girl, Grace Marie, on December 6. The Pru- dens with their son, John Daniel, are in Winona Lake, Indiana, this winter where John is attending Grace Theological Sem- mary. Lois Bowen C495 has received accept- ance for service in Italy under the H.O.P.E. Mission. Lois will be in the Kansas City area during January and February in dep- utation work. Alice Woodward, night school '45, has been appointed chairman for 1952 of the Kansas City Chapter of the Christian Bus- iness and Professional Women's Council of America. The appointment was made by the national chairman- of that organiza- tion and founder of Youth Home Missions, Mrs. Helen Duff Baugh. Leora Chard Moberly, former student, with her husband and two daughters vis- ited on the campus for a few hours re- cently. They expect to leave soon for the Philippines where they will serve our Lord under the Berean Mission. They will trav- el with John and Ruth Hausmann, former Ettifilents, who will also be serving in that e . Q l The above photo shows Bill Baum C505 with a group of orphans in a missionary's home in Nenana, Alaska. Since gradua- tion Bill has been Working in Washington, Oregon, Canada, and Alaska, speaking at Youth for Christ rallies, church banquets, Christian Business Men's Committees, ra- dio broadcasts, Bible conferences, and high school assemblies. He expects to go to Japan in the spring under the Far Eastern Gospel Crusade. CEditor's note-- Bill paid the College an unexpected visit after the above article went to press and told us that he has been accepted by the Crusade for missionary work in Japan. He is already engaged in language study and expects to sail about August, 1952.5 THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY BY HORACE BRELSFORD U Senior K.C.B.C. Student Paul, in writing his first epistle to the Thessalonians, concerned himself with presenting the truth about the rapture of the saints. Then, because of wrong con- ception in 'the minds of the Thessalonians concerning the time of the day of the Lord, he wrote the second epistle. The Brst was to show Christ coming for His ovsm, the second to show Christ coming with His own to accomplish the end of Satan. Before the first coming there is to be a great apostasy, then the church is to be removed and the man of sin revealed. This man of sin is Satan's man, the anti- christ, whose distinguishing feature is sin, whose crime is treason, and whose aim is to set himself up as God to be worshiped as God. It is outward rebellion against God, or lawlessness at its height. But Paul goes on to say that this program of Satan is already working. For the mys- tery of lawlessness doth already work CII Thess. 2:7 R.V.5. John, in his first epistle, says, Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now there are many anti- christsg whereby we know that it is the last time CI John 21185. The mystery of iniquity, then, is the program of Satan that stands in opposi- tion to Christ and His program. -It is man- ifested in the hearts of men by the spirit of rebellion to Christ, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Cpeople who do not accept the Lord Jesus are spoken of as disobedient5. Jesus Him- self said that many would come in His name, saying, I am Christ, and would deceive many CMatt. 24:55. 'I'his program of Satan can be traced back to his rebel- lion and fall in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28, and to the entrance of sin into the human race in Genesis 3, where we see man Brst rebelling against the commandment of God CRom. 5:125. It may be seen in the many times that Satan tried and succeeded in leading Israel away from God, his attempts to stop the Saviour from coming i.nto the world, and finally to the time of Christ, when he inspired the world to crucify the Lord Jesus. At the cross Satan was de- feated and his doom was sealed, but, since he is still allowed to promote his program of rebellion against God, the mystery of lawlessness now is working. There are three main spheres of operation: 1. It is working in the field of govern- ment. In Ephesians 6:12 Paul speaks of the rulers of the darkness of this world. Today, in government circles lawlessness is very prevalent. The government of Russia is, of course, opposed to Christ and His church. Our own government has re- cently removed the Bible from our public high schools. The newspapers every day tell of the lawlessness of government of- ficials. Satan is molding the thinking of the people toward a universal govern- ment of which he plans to be the head. The United Nations is a tendency in that direction. 2. Then, it is working in the social realm. Paul says in II Tim. 3:1-5, This know al- so, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, un- thankful, unholy, without natural affec- CConti'n.ued on Page 75