God has always demanded separateness of His people, but this demand has at times met with rebellion. The people of God and the world in which they have lived must at no time live at peace with one another! There must be warfare at all times if God's way in the matter is respected.

During the reign of Samuel, the fifteenth Judge in Israel, the people met him at Ramah and demanded, "Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations" (I Sam. 8:5). At this the Judge was grieved much. He remonstrated but to no avail. "Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they, said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; that we also may be like all the nations" (I Sam. 8:19, 20a).

This was a beginning of sorrows!

I am reminded of this account as I read about an effort being made by the Madison, Tenn. elders and Ira North. The Christian Chronicle, Oct. 26, 1970, p. 3 carries a story about their plans. It says: "They plan to have a Sunday morning Bible school of 10,000 housed in a 10-story building and a yearly budget of $1,000,000.

"Forty members of the congregation, led by minister Ira North and. elder Ray Holt, visited the 'world's largest Sunday School' at the Cathedral of Tomorrow directed by Rex Humbard and the Akron, Ohio, Baptist Temple.

"The purpose of the trip was to 'learn several important things in the methods of transportation and communications which are being considered by our elders to help us reach more with New Testament Christianity,' said North."

May God help us reach more people with the gospel of Jesus Christ! But if these brethren entertain the idea that they can follow the pattern and get the results of Rex Humbard and it be "New Testament Christianity," they should have another thought! Brother North can get the same size crowds that Billy Graham gets when he is willing to preach the doctrine (?) Billy preaches.

When the people of God must go to denominational preachers like Humbard to get the work of Bible study done in the congregation, it looks like a repeat of the demand of Israel to Samuel.

Wonder what it would be like to have a real gospel lesson preached in the Madison church - one, say, on authority - Bible authority for the work of the church?

The same article tells us the secret to such "big things." It says: "The key, he said, is the energetic minister who leads his flock like a president runs a corporation."

TRUTH MAGAZINE, XV: 8, pp. 4-5
December 24, 1970