What Goes On Here???
In the August 24, 1954 issue of the Firm Foundation, Brother Alan M. Bryan of the Broadway Church in Lubbock revealed some things that I must admit are "news" to me. I had no knowledge of a concerted movement such as, and I quote: "A large number of congregations throughout the country have set September 12 to set a new record in Bible study attendance." Further, he wrote, "Probably over a thousand congregations in all will make extra effort to break existing records on this day." He then continues in the attempt to show that, "The value of setting one day for all members of the congregation to put forth extra efforts is apparent from several standpoints." Concluding that paragraph, he said, "The world needs to see members of the church 'on fire for the Lord'." In the next paragraph he said, "The values of making the effort for a set day cannot be understated!' In this phase of it he concluded, "Consequently, it is much easier for all members to be stirred up." More than this he wrote, but this is enough for now.
It would be interesting, indeed, to learn what prompted over a thousand churches "throughout the country" to "set" the second Lord's day in this September as the day to "break existing records" of Bible study attendance. Does Brother Bryan and the Broadway Church know anything about how this came about? When did it become proper to advance the idea that Christians could work as hard as they should each week for the coming Lord's day assembly and Bible study and have time and energy left to make "extra" effort for a Lord's day several weeks away? I suppose that I am just not "in the swing" of things, but it is news to me that the Lord has given brethren the right to "set" days for special spiritual uplift. If there is anything peculiar to a certain "set" day that the scriptures indicate, then why is it that most congregations of saints "throughout the country" failed to realize it? Why the need for special exhortation from one brother in one congregation to call it to the attention of all the rest and so earnestly plead that all should practice it? If he were pleading for brethren everywhere to observe the teachings of the scriptures in any certain matter that was being neglected, I would join him instantly and help save as many as possible from punishment. I found in his article much human wisdom (and it was as good as any other human wisdom, too) to recommend such a "goal" as he suggested, but nothing even remotely resembling kinship to the scriptures. To say the least of it, some more "church universal" thinking is in evidence. Do "coming events cast their shadows before"? They do and they are.
All such movements for action of the "church universal" are started by some man, or group, and have no origin in the scriptures, and no right to exist if we are to honor God and His word. Since they are outside the authority of the scriptures he who promotes them, if he has any measure of success, "leads disciples away" after him — Acts 20. Coming events DO cast their shadows before.
Although I feel sure that the statement was made through some mistake, when Brother Bryan's article contained the words, "The values of making the effort for a set day cannot be UNDERSTATED" (caps mine, CRM), it contained the absolute truth. You could OVERSTATE the value of such, but it would be absolutely impossible, in the light of the scriptures, to UNDERSTATE it. Such a movement has no value for good in the churches of our God.
It is without the sagacity of man to understand how that in this year 1954 over a thousand congregations, without promotion of anything besides the scriptures, "set" the same day, September 12, as the day for which they were to exert special efforts. It just didn't "happen" to be that way. If it is proper that all the rest of us practice it in unison with all the rest, somebody must be able to take the scriptures and prove it. If such can be proven, then it is not without the realm of possibility that because of Brother Bryan's far reaching reputation among the churches (about a thousand, at least) for good, he could have been chosen by these churches as their "messenger" in this matter. It is evident that somebody has played a major role in getting this great movement started and a present going thing. What part has been played by whom, and why?
Recently I heard a much younger preacher than I make a very fitting statement in his sermon. It concerned the faith of some people. He quoted James, saying, "the devils believe, and tremble." The devils, said he, believe. and because they know that they are wrong and condemned, they tremble in indescribable fear. From this he concluded that some people had no faith whatever, regardless of the fact that they claimed to have much faith, for they would brazenly do most anything, even without God's approval, and not be one whit afraid of God. In such cases, if the New Testament is true, and of course it is, there are other "coming events" (at judgment) that are casting their shadows before.