The Ohio Independent Baptist, February 1953

THE OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST - - ]' 1Jrunry lH!'i ~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~---·~ ENTERTAINMENTISM '1'11is 111t1cl1 11e0cl cl r ,·,1l11(1t io11 of· J)I'r: 0111 cla.,· 111etl1ocl. of e,·c111ge)i. 111. ,,·ritt e1 11 I>}· n ft)r111 r 11c1~t<.)r i11 ()l1io \ so<'i,1tio11 iq l1ci11g· li. tril)11t cl a: a t,,·rl,·<. 1 -1)av.·r 1rac,t, b,\' f.,,1itl1 i111cl "\\Torl{. . :... ~~ (Tro,..e ..c\,· 1111 . ~or,yall<, Ol1io. The t1·aet i a,·ailal lr to ·l1t1rc·h- e.. a11cl i11te1·e._ t d peo11le. (Eclito1' ) 4\ (\'),,· 1110111e11t~ of so l)rr reflec– tio11 ,,·ill cio11 ,·i11ee c111 , .. s01·io11:- ~ 111i 11d tl per --011 t l1a t ,,·e li,·e i11 a l1ig·l1-11re .. 111·e a~·e. ...\cl,·e1·tise1 .. tl1i11l~ 0111~'" i11 tel'lll. of s111)e1·lati,rc' 110 tat 111e11t i too ext1·a,..ag·ant fo1~ t l1e })l11 ..,·eyo1'.. of con1111011lJP 11 eel eo111111odi tie . c111d e11te1·tai11111e11t i. tl1e ,,·atcl1,,·01·d of the hot11·. Re– ga 1·c1le of ,,·l1icl1 field of l11.11na11 e11dea,"01· we choo e to inve tigate ,·re hall 0011 beco111e awa1--e of tl1e 11i1·it of the tin1e 1Vhich clom– i11ate tl1e hio'h-p1--e tlre cen e, ancl ,,·hich we l1all call, E11tertai11- 111enti m. ' ' Tl1at tl1i la1--gel}r co11tl'Ol the ,,·01·lc1 cat1 e" tl 110 amaze1nent, for tl1e c1~i1)tt1re have clea1~l}'" a11- 11ot111cecl that the encl-time wot1ld be characterizecl 1)}.,. 111e11 becoming ~ 'lo,·e1._ of plea llre more than lo,,.e1" of TOCl. Bt1t tl1at thi !)i1'it l1011lcl in,Tade the a11ctitJ" of X ey~" Te ta1nent ht11"cl1 method a11cl e,"en 11 t11 .. p the po. ition of leade1' hi IJ in e,"a11geli m, e pecial- 1,... -n·l1e1·e :V'"Ol1tl1 are co11cerned ~ .. cau e 110 little cli mav. .. 01ne time ago, an acl,rerti ement of a11 e,rangeli tic ervice came ... to hancl i11 '\\ 1 hich the tar per- £ ormer· wa clescribecl a ' ' t1pe1·b ' ' · · treme11clou. and ' ' wonderft1l.' ' ...!\11othe1· wa l)illecl a bei11g alJle to el1 ..a"· ca1'too11. with hand anc1 feet . im11ltaneot1 l·y,. Thi li. t .. ·01tlcl be e11la1·gecl to i11cl11de tallc- ino· ho1 .. e , preachi11~: ac1·0bat a11c1 all 111a1111e1· of e11 atio11al a11d m}.,. - tjf~·i11g demon. tratio11 of human kill i11 practically e, Ter~T field. Tot 111t1cl1 ober reflectio11 i 1--eq11ired to cli ce1·11 that thi tate of tl1ing: i1a , har .. cll~... 1ram1 in i11. piratio11 f1·om the patte111 of the Book of .~c·t . J a1ne. ~ '1te\'\·a1 .. t l1ru '\\ 1 ell . aid of thi.... pi1·it i11 ot11-- chu1 ..che:. ' ' 'l'o– c1a~.,.. 1 ata11 i. o·i,Ting· 11: a fal. e ·\vorl{ of e,..a11g-eli. 111 i11 orcle1· that ,,,.e - 111igh t lJe cleeei,.,eel a11cl ·a ti. fie cl a11cl 110 lo1Jg·e1~ :v·ear11 fo1· the 1·eal tl1iug. 1\focler11 e,,.a11geli. 111 oftr11 e1e1)e11cls 011 t]1e J) ~·c}1o}Og}r of the \'"Ol'ld i11 teael of on the IIol}r } 1 pi1· it. It (·a1111ot clepe11d 011 both.' ' I11 a i111ila1· 111a1111e1 .. tl1e 1nu i · of . 11cl1 1neeti11g ha. frec111e11tlJ.. 11ffe1"ecl the a1ne fate. ,J azz1T ~ e l101·l1 e , 1 011tai11 i11~: 11111cl1 1·l1yth1n c111Cl J'11COI)atiOll l)llt , re1"~.. little of tJ1e sati. fJTi11g t1·uth of the W 01·cl, l1a,re ofte11 lon1i11atecl the ce11e. o p1·e,·alent ha tl1i l)eco1ne tl1at 011e ee acl, 1 e1 ..ti eel i11 widelv di.. - .. . eminatecl 111a~;azi11e , ' ' TO pel Ilit hort1 e. , ' patte1·11ed after' the popt1la1· ,,·01·lc1ly n1t1 ic 11tilizecl i11 1 .. adio and TV how . irix togethe1· a11 t111e11cling· pa– rac1e of tar pe1 ..f orn1e1.. who e no– to1--iety ha been achieved t1pon ,,,,I1at the1r can do 01 .. have done .. acld a liberal qt1a11tity of )r11co- l)atecl 1"h~y·thm a de cribed abo,..e, ·pice the mixture with clev"er quip l1igl1- cl1ool la11g-, ancl a ge11erot1 1)1·i11l{ling of jol{e prepa1--e the potio11 l111de1· . t1ch l1ig·l1-1)1·e u1--e a11c1 extra,Tag·a11t adve1ii i11g a be– fit~ IIoll} 7 ' ' 1 oocl, a11cl tl1e 1,e t1lta11t lJ1·ew i ' 11fficie11t to effect11all,r .., th,,,.art all atte1111)t at c1"ipt111·al revi,Tal a11d t1--t1e e,Ta110-.eli m. Yet• i11 almo t e,Tel,J" cli1•ectio11 toela~r \\Te ob er,re tl1i. te11de11c,T i11 ,Ta1,iou .. . tage of ele,"elop111e11t . }JOl{e11 of a the lee}'" to the itt1atio11. .. IIo,, 1 hea1ie11i11g· to tt11--n to the ... c1·iptt11 ..e a11d fi11d ocl l)a tte1 .. n for the cht1rche. i11 thei1· p1·og1·a111 of eva11gelizatio11. Tl1i 1)atter11 is g·i,re11 c1t1ite c learl~T a11cl J)l'eci:e l~· ,,·11 1--e ,,Te . ]1011l el ex1)ect to fi11d it– i11 tl1e Bool< of .._.\ct. , a11c.l 111)011 tl1P l)i1 ..tl1claJ.. of tl1e l1111·ch. 111 th ;..,eco11 l · l1a1)te1· the1·e are se,re1·al <)11t.· a11c1i11g- le111e11t .. , each one of ' ' }1icl1 11111 ·t be p1·e:e11t i11 a113r oe11- 11 i11e e,ra11g·01 i. tic ef£01·t t(} i11s111--p its » ·1·i ptt1ral co11f01 ..mity. 1. It beg·a11 ,,·it11 tl1e filli11~: of tl1e Ilol)T.. l)irit ( ,·. -! ) . \\' e ob. e1·,·r1 that i11 olJeclie11c:e to 0111· Lorcl 's ('0111111a11cl t l1e1r 11 acl a.. e111l)lec1 a11d .. t11at afte1· t 11 cla,·. it 011lcl b e .. . cl ic.1 of tl1e111 Tl1a t t l1e,,. ,,,.er e a 11 .. 11·itlz rJJlf accorrl i11 011e Jllc1ee. ,, hil ,,·r lo 11ot rx1) ct a re1 eti– tio11 f tl1e acl,·e11t of the TTol,· • S]) irit, it is .afe to .a~ .. tl1at thr fir. ·t . te1) i11 tl1e cli1~ertio11 of t1·t1e l'e, 1 i ,Tal a11c1 e,•a11ge li 111 I 11011lcl l)e t l1 e elea1·i11g a,,·a~~ of J)ettJ.. 111i. - 1111cler· ·ta11 li11g·, 1 .. i,ralrie a11cl j eal- 011. ie. a111011g: tl1e 111e111lJe1' of local <·l1lll'che:, ,,l1i ·h l)l'e. e11tl3.. a1·e o rffectivel}r l1locl{i11g tl1e Lo1 ..d' p1 .. o- g1·a111. We 11111. t a1 .. ri, 1 e at a 11nitJ", a :tate of ''011e arcorcl. ' .._ co1·c. of di g1~t111tleel i11elivid- 11,1l. who e11jo~,. 11othi11g· lJetter tha11 a . elf-1·igl1teot1 po11t o, 1 el' ome i111ag·i11ec1 .11 ight 01" cli agreement cat1 fo1--. alte thei1· 1·i~htf11l po ition i11 their o\,·11 local chl11·ch and ve1')' piot1 ls.. attend and . t1ppo1-t a re– lig·iou e11te1"tainment in the name of 1·e, rival 01· evangeli m. All of thi i clo11e , ..e1·3r anctimoniously, a11d in,,.ariablv the a embly that i t, " left i co11 iclered the offending baclt licle1·. Ho,,,.e,Te1·, the road– bl0ck on the wa,,. to true revival .. 1·en1ai11 11nn1oved and will con- ti1111e o l111til the1·e i 1 .. epentance a11d co11fe ion. 2. It cle,"elopecl into pe1 .. onal ,,·it11 . ·i11g· 011 t11e 1)a1"t of the mem– her. of tl1e a. e1n 1)1} 1 ( '\' \ 7 • 6 11) . Thi ,,·a 110 1)1·og·1·a1n of ente1·tai11- 111e11t b),. l1irecl 1)e1 .. for111e1" . The l)Ol)t1la1· 1)1·og·1"a1n of 0111 .. clay eem to l)e tl1at l1t11 ..che a11d judi,Tidt1al a r :1 ,,·illi11g' to e11gag·e omeone to clo thei1· wit11e ing for them both l)lll)liC'l}· a11e1 l)l·i,rat el} 7 • a con- er1t1e11ce a . l)irit of p1,ofe io11al– i. 111 ha pe1·,{a :led tl1e atmo phere among Goel people "Thich i ,,hol– l,\.. f 01"eig~11 to tl1e ·pi1·it of the .... Te,, Te ta111e11t. 811cl1 ''"'a not the t,1.·e i11 tl1e 11a ·:age t111cler co11 ider– atio11. Tl1e e .._ 1 i1,it-filled belie,rer lrit11es:ecl to tl1e ,,·011cl rf11l wo1·l{. of -rocl lJefo1·e tl1e 1lll aved. 3. It heacle 1 i11to a11 expo ito1·~,. 111i11i. tr,... of tl1e "\\T 01--cl ( ,·,T. 14-36 ) . • ,,.\ . a 1·e. lll t of t lie f aitl1f11l witne . - it1g· effectecl lJ)"' tl1e people ,,.,ho ,,..01·e f illec1 " ritl1 tl1e 1 pi1·it. a la1'ge e1·0,,·cl gatl1e1·eel to lea1'n more of the. tl1i11g· . l T1)011 thi occa io11 F>ete1· ex1)01111decl ,._ r 1·i1)tt11,e to them i11 a ( •h1·i t-ce11te1·ec1 111e ag·e. We tli. co, .. e1~ tl1at l1i. ~1)i1--it-clire ·tetl 111 i11i. t1~,.. ,,Ta. la1·o'el\" a matte1· of • • p:i,?i11Q tl1e n1ea11i110· ancl applica- tjo11 of tl1e \"\-r 01·cl of (}od. "\Ve 1·ead 110 a ·eol111t of a 1 ..e ·ital of hi pa t ~i11.· i11 l111·icl f 01·111 f 01· the ,·ica1·io11 · i11 cl11lge11ce of a elf-1·ig·hteo1: l>t1t f le 11 l }" 111i11 cl eel ro11g1·eo·atio11 eel<– i11g fo1' eco11cl-l1a11cl tl1r·ill . ... T eith- 1· lo ,,·e clis o,re1, a11,.. 1·efe1 ..e11ce to .. aerobatic 01· l1ai1·-1·ai ing· epi ocle , tl1011gh }1e n1io·ht ha, .. e held hi