Dr. Robert Sumner passed away in December 2016. The Biblical Evangelist newspaper is no longer being published and the ministry of Biblical Evangelism has ceased operation.

The remaining inventory of his books and gospel tracts was transferred to The Baptist Tabernacle of Los Angeles and may be ordered here.

Off the Cuff (Part 1 of 3)
Evangelist Robert L. Sumner

We think you will enjoy this issue. Along with all the good columns there is a seasonal message about the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ written by one of the founders of Fundamentalism – he wrote several chapters in the classic series The Fundamentals, from which the movement got its name. An excellent Bible expositor, Arthur T. Pierson also served as pastor of prominent churches on both sides of the Atlantic, including Spurgeon’s Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. The latter was significant because Pierson was a Presbyterian-turned-Baptist (just the previous year) and the Tabernacle, of course, was distinctly Baptist. A prolific writer, in addition to his articles in The Fundamentals, he edited a magazine, Missionary Review of the World, and authored more than a dozen books – our favorite being Many Infallible Proofs.

In our Bible Study Corner is a study by the highly esteemed Systematic Theology professor – at Tennessee Temple and Florida Bible College, for example – Mark G. Cambron. He gives, in expanded outline form, a study on the Millennium, the 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth. He was a friend and supporter of this ministry.

And a friend of many years, Dr. Gerald V. Smelser, long active in Jewish missions, is the author of a message on Messiah’s coming, based on the statement of a 12^th century Jewish leader, Moses Maimondies. It is a radio message he preached while directing a ministry to Jewish people in the Cleveland area. It will warm your heart.

There is also an excellent message from the pen of our friend, Harold Rawlings, taken from Dr. Rawlings’ excellent book, Basic Baptist Beliefs.

And since the Obama Administration – joined by many state legislations and courts, plus almost all of the media – is promoting sodomy gung-ho (and even some unscholarly and unenlightened evangelicals are joining them) we are printing a biblical message in this issue by Tom Hill. A graduate of Wayne State University (BS) and Luther Rice Seminary (MA in Ministry), he directs Master Ministries and began writing a newsletter in 1981, starting a blog on his website in 2008. In 2009, he published a book, Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing. We reviewed it highly in our November-December 2009 issue and closed that review, “We are always glad when any preacher or writer sounds a clear alarm about false prophets. No one will go wrong following the biblical advice in this readable volume.”

Wolves is available online and from his website, including Kindle and eBook formats. His offering is a strong, powerful, biblical message and Hill does not even mention the strongest passage in the Bible condemning homosexuality/lesbianism: that New Testament passage is Romans 1:18-31.

Also, if you lined up a dozen preachers against a wall and asked each to define the unpardonable sin, you would probably get at least eight or nine different answers. It is one of the most controversial subjects, perhaps, in the Bible.

The editor is dealing with it in this issue, not especially to give his understanding – although he does exactly that – but in particular to emphasize what it is not. So many folks are fearful that they have committed it and all opportunity to be saved has passed them by forever. Others, confused by a misunderstanding of election, feel their case is hopeless because they are not one of the elect.

To both of the latter we will prove such is not the case, and prove it by the Word of God. If you know anyone troubled by this matter, urge them to read the editor’s sermon.

MEMORIALS

He was one of the finest soul winners I ever knew, on a par with our friend C. Sumner Wemp. In short, he had a deep and compassionate love for the Lord ... and for people! I knew him as Jim, but his full name was James Keith Norton, who went to be with the Lord in early August of 2013, at age 86. An honored graduate of Bob Jones University, he started preaching at age 19 and spent his ‘service life for Christ’ ministering in Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun. In fact, he served as a missionary in that country for nearly a half-century, establishing seven solid churches during that time, as well as preaching throughout Japan as an evangelist and seeing many, many souls come to Christ.

He also traveled as a missionary evangelist to other countries such as the Republic of the Philippines and South Korea. A prolific gospel tract distributor, he was influential in getting the late John R. Rice’s famous sermon booklet What Must I Do to Be Saved? printed in Japanese.

Jim was also a talented poet, writing approximately 3,900 poems which, as we noted in our July-August 2009 issue, put him in the class with Fanny Crosby, Avis Christiansen, Isaac Watts, Grace Noll Crowell, Charles Wesley and some of the other gifted greats. He was a member of the International Society of Poets (where he was recognized as ‘a distinguished member’) and many of his poems were published in book form. He frequently sent us some of that fruit from his gifted pen and while we rarely publish poetry in this paper, we did print several of his over the years. If you would like an insight into his passionate heart, read his poem that we printed in the July-August issue, “Give Me Japan, Lord,” in our Off the Cuff. He even wrote one poem in glowing tribute to your editor, which modesty prevented us from printing.

His beloved wife Audrey survives him as do his four sons, Jimmie in Alabama; Thomas (wife, Sheila) in South Korea; Bryce in Michigan; Joseph (wife, Mary) in Ohio; and daughter Kathleen (husband, John) in Hong Kong; 16 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by four brothers and a sister. His memorial service was conducted at the Fundamental Baptist Church with Pastor Tim Rader officiating and burial was at the Kinross Lakeview Cemetery.

A great and godly man has departed from our midst. May the dear Lord raise up others to fill the empty rank he leaves.

***

Dr. Elmer L. Towns, of course, is the co-founder with Dr. Jerry Falwell of what is now Liberty University. His wife of six decades, Ruth Jean Forbes Towns, went to be with Christ two weeks and one day before Christmas, barely two weeks shy of her 81^st birthday. Born in Springfield (MO) on December 26, 1932, the daughter of Elton B. and Elvira Gayle Forbes, she went to the Columbia Bible College where, I believe, she and Elmer met. Ruth eventually received a Bachelor’s degree in counseling and a MA degree from Liberty University.

Mrs. Towns served as counselor for the Liberty Godparent Home and had the joy of placing 242 babies into the arms and homes of happy, thrilled and excited new parents. She also taught a ladies class at the Liberty University School of Religion.

Her son, Stephen “Sam” Towns, preceded her in death and, in addition to Dr. Towns, she is survived by two daughters, Deborah Jean Barnard (husband, Roy) and Polly R. Wooldridge (husband, Tyree); a daughter-in-law, Karen Towns; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Her memorial service was conducted at the Thomas Road Baptist Church with Pastor Jonathan Falwell officiating. Interment was at the Liberty University Founder's Circle. Those wishing to make memorial contributions should consider the Liberty Godparent Home, 124 Liberty Mountain Drive, Lynchburg, VA 24502.

***

He was one of my successors at the California Heights Baptist Church at Long Beach (CA) and always treated me with kindness and respect as one of his predecessors. William D. Brown was born of godly parents, Richard and Regina Brown. Bill came to Christ at an early age. It seems the Sunday School Superintendent presented an object lesson on Hell and when he returned home, the concerned lad asked his mother to explain how to be saved and he trusted Christ at that time, never doubting his salvation from that hour on.

From then on – childhood to youth to old age – Bill had a deep concern for souls. Not surprisingly, at age 11 he felt a call to full-time Christian service and while he tried to put it out of his mind, it was a conviction that got stronger as he matured. The Brown family attended the Calvary Baptist Tabernacle in Los Angeles and it was there he met Donna Walder, who eventually became his wife and they became the parents of two sons, William Lee and Mark.

The Tabernacle has a ‘Fisherman’s Club’ on Monday nights and Bill, with his dad, became very active – also going with his youth group on outings to Long Beach, Santa Monica and Venice Beach to witness and pass out tracts, sometimes holding street meetings.

One summer, when he was 11, Bill worked at a fruit stand and earned $15. He went to a Christian bookstore and bought his first Scofield Reference Bible, which he studied diligently. After graduation from high school, he went one year to the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (now known as BIOLA), then transferred to the Los Angeles Baptist College and Seminary. He and Donna married in 1952 a year before he received his undergraduate degree.

On graduation from seminary they were called to their first church, in Northern California, the Vina Community Baptist Church in Vina, between Chico and Red Bluff (it had a reputation of ‘graveyard for preachers,’ but Bill stayed seven year – more than twice as long as any pastor previously). Altogether Bill led five churches, all in California, including the Calvary Baptist Church in Larkspur; Berean Baptist Church in North Long Beach; the Bible Baptist Church in Santa Monica; and the California Heights Baptist Church in Long Beach.

After two heart attacks forced his departure from the pastorate – never in good health, he had a total of 13 heart-related surgeries – he put his energies into his Nursing Home Ministries which he started while still in the pastorate. That was his ministry until last July when he became so weak he was unable to walk the halls.

Wherever he was, whatever ministry he was in, soul winning was his main concern. He never lost his passion for souls. His wife, Donna, has written a fascinating account that she titled, “The Life and Times of William Donald Brown,” that includes a number of his experiences,

His wife and two sons survive him. Because he always considered flowers a waste of money, memorial gifts may be made in his name to the Shasta Bible College and Graduate School, 2951 Goodwater Avenue, Redding, CA  96002.

A great lover of our Lord and souls is now in Heaven. He will be missed by all who knew him.

***

Paul Crouch, who, with his wife Jan, founded the Trinity Broadcasting Network in 1973 and built it into one of the world’s largest Christian broadcast networks, succumbed to degenerative heart disease shortly after Thanksgiving. He was 79.

***

As we were getting ready to go to press, we learned that the second daughter of the late Dr. John R. Rice, Mary Lloys Rice Himes had gone to be with Christ. Lloys, as nearly everyone called her, met and later married Charles Himes in college and they planned to minister as missionaries in Tibet, but ill-health prevented the fulfillment of that dream. Instead they spent their ministry with Charles pastoring small churches in America, then working for his father-in-law at the Sword of the Lord.

Mary Lloys, named for her mother, gave birth to five children, three girls and two boys: Lloys Jean, Faith, Andrew, John and Joanna. John, like his friend Jim Norton mentioned above, has long been a faithful missionary in Japan.

MILESTONES

The end of a legacy? The direct descendent of the founder, Stephen Jones, submitted his resignation as president of Bob Jones University at the December 13 meeting of the Board of Trustees – effective at the conclusion of the May 9 commencement festivities – citing health reasons as preventing him from functioning in the position adequately. He has served in that capacity the past eight years.

In his statement, Dr. Jones said: "The persistence of my health issues over the last three years is preventing me from providing the leadership the University needs at this time and prompted my personal decision to resign. The BJU mission is more important than I. Serving the BJU family for over eight years has been one of the great gifts of God to my wife and me, and I am looking forward to serving here in whatever new role God has for me."

 Larry Jackson, chairman of the trustee board, said his group would immediately set up a search committee and seek God’s man for the job. He stated, "The Board of Trustees is completely committed to the historic position and mission of Bob Jones University and to maintaining the University’s firm stand on the absolute authority of Scripture," promising the board would "seek a new president equally committed to our mission and biblical position."

 While the new president may not be a Jones, the school serves the same God it did when it was founded by Dr. Bob, in 1926.

***

The trustees of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBC) recently honored R. Albert Mohler Jr. on his completion of two decades of leadership at that institution and especially for “recovering the founders' vision for the seminary.” Dr. Mohler is a strong, faithful inerrantist and an equally strong Calvinist, the latter keeping us from recommending his school to students seeking advanced degrees.

He became president of Southern in 1993. He is a good man.

***

January 17, 2014, was a special day for Louis Arnold. This evangelist, author, radio minister finished a full century on planet earth and started his second century. Dr. Arnold is widely known in Kentucky and environs as an effective preacher of the old-fashioned type. His radio ministry was very effective – the late B. R. “Bascom Ray” Lakin, former pastor of the famed Cadle Tabernacle in Indianapolis, turned his huge radio ministry over to Arnold when he no longer felt he could handle it – and in the latter part of life, he began writing popular Christian fiction. We salute him.

***

We also salute our friend, Ed Reese, and his good wife, Margaret, on completing, at Thanksgiving time last November, 60 years of wedded life. What a testimony to the grace of God! Dr. Reese is the compiler of the Encyclopedia of Christian Biographies¸ a huge volume containing brief data on some 5,500 Christian leaders since the time of Christ, a book we have found very helpful in our editorial work. He is also the editor of the Reese Chronological Bible, and the author of various other books.

Approximately a year ago Ed was diagnosed with acute Myeloid Leukemia, a dangerous fast-moving cancer. Pray for this fine, godly couple.

GOODBYE TO A FRIEND!

In this issue we have the final column of ‘Camp Virtue,’ Stories for boys and girls by Naomi and Brett Williams. While Brett, who is the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Austin (MN), gave story suggestions and other advice from time to time, the column was actually written by his wife, Naomi. She did a terrific job.

This final story, about the boy Max’s illness, is true-to-life. The Williams’ 5-year-old daughter (six on February 5), Lily, was discovered to have Type One diabetes last Thanksgiving time and things were very serious for a time. She was rushed to the nearby Mayo Clinic in Rochester and experienced several days of testing and treatment. Everyone is home again now and the family is learning to live with this troublesome disease. Pray for them, especially Lily.

It is understandable that Naomi, already a busy mother and pastor’s wife, would have to lighten up on outside responsibilities. Pray for us as we think about a replacement for this popular children’s column.

OTHERS MAY,

YOU CANNOT

The following has been quoted and re-quoted in evangelical circles for well over a century. While I am not positive, it seems to me I had it in tract form at one time back in the 1940s or 50s. A copy was found in the effects of the late scientist/theologian, Henry Morris, but he did not know the source.

Actually, it was written by G. D. Watson (1845-1924), a Wesleyan Methodist minister and evangelist based in Los Angeles. His crusades took him to England, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Korea and the West Indies, and he was the author of several books. This classic was apparently written in the mid-1880s and is now public domain. Readers should feel free to copy it and pass it on, giving Watson credit as the author:

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24, 25).

If God has called you to be truly like Jesus in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility. He will put on you such demands of obedience that you will not be allowed to follow other Christians. In many ways, He seems to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.

Others who seem to be very religious and useful may push themselves, pull wires, and scheme to carry out their plans, but you cannot. If you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others can brag about themselves, their work, their successes, their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing. If you begin to do so, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others will be allowed to succeed in making great sums of money, or having a legacy left to them, or in having luxuries, but God may supply you only on a day-to-day basis, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, a helpless dependence on Him and His unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward while keeping you hidden in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade.

God may let others be great, but keep you small. He will let others do a work for Him and get the credit, but He will make you work and toil without knowing how much you are doing. Then, to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work which you have done, this to teach you the message of the Cross, humility, and something of the value of being cloaked with His nature.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch on you, and with a jealous love rebuke you for careless words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as He pleases with His own, and that He may not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you.

God will take you at your word. If you absolutely sell yourself to be His slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love and let other people say and do many things that you cannot. Settle it forever; you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue or chaining your hand or closing your eyes in ways which others are not dealt with. However, you know this great secret of the Kingdom: When you are so completely possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of Heaven, the high calling of God.

Share this classic with others.