Evening star., 1912-09-07
Missions, Message, Methods.

He sends the twelve who had been
faithful in petitions for the Lord To send
forth laborers to help answer their own
prayers. The reason why many fail To
pray as they ought Is frequently caused
by their own unwillingness to help an
swer their own prayers. Whenever God
places the burden of prayer upon soul.
he is apt to summon that soul to help
answer his prayer. The quickest way 10
secure answers to our petitions Is 10
put our labor back of our prayers. lie
sends them forth in pairs upon their
fivefold ministry-to. preach. heal the
sick. cleanse lepers, raise the dead and
cast out demons. Their commissions
called for them to preach the gospel or
the kingdom. but their credentials con-
sisted of their power to heal all manner
Of disease. The most successful work
among the various missions at home ana
abroad today has been marked by some
institutional or social effort.
The great revival in India among the
Telegus was started during the famine
period, when Clough contracted TO con-
struct q canal to secure food for the
stricken multitude. More than one mis-
sion field owes its success to being opened
up by the point Of a lance used by some
missionary. Their message was simply
the old rally cry of John the Baptist.
THE Kingdom of Heaven Is at hand,
which was TO be delivered to their own
Israel, which was home mission work.
1t Is sometimes easier to preach To
strangers than il is to preach to those
who know us best. The reason for their
limited field was probably due to the fact
that their experience only qualified them
for work among the Israelites. Jesus was
not opposed to work among the mongrel
Samaritans, for the first time that he re-
vealed Himself the Messiah was to
the woman at the well of Sychar. So
later he extends their commission to the
Gentiles. The Master placed the same
limita tons upon their work as He did
upon His own. His work, like theirs was
for the Jew first. We must never forget
that the children of Israel are Gods
chosen people, through whom Christ came
to us. The disciples needed a richer re-
ligious experience before they could enter
sympathetically into foreign work.
They were not to carry anything with
them, no scrip for food. no purse for
money, no change OF clothing. In fact.
they were to make no special prepara-
tions for the journey. They were not
even to secure an extra staff travelling
shoes in place of their ordinary palm
bark sandals for their mission. which was
to be self-Supporting. They were not to
make a business Of their religion. Their
services were to be offered free, but they
were to accept the hospitality of the
community. for the laborer is worthy or
his maintenance. Like our southern hos
pitality, the best homes in the east are
always open to the stranger, so that there
was no need of financing the campaign
when they went two by two into any
worthy town with the message of peace
But they were not TO tarry where the
homes rejected their message of the gos-
pei of the kingdom.
The results of their campaign brought
large returns. While the quantity was
great, the quality may have been meager.
This may have been due to the limita-
tiOns of their knowledge concerning the
for the people We're very much
when they sought In short
time to make Christ King. Their mis-
tour may have been marked as
all revivaIs (some OF the greatest seen in
the world are the quadrennial presidential
elections. when all the elements that
mark the religious revival are presently
are, by tthe songs discussions and public
bearing fruit. Reyivals are
the hope of the church and the nation.
The principles of missionary endeavor
given by Christ should be carefully con.
sidered They fall into three great
groups each one of which will furnish
themes for many sermons. They con-
tain the fundamental principles OF all
successful missionary or evangelical en-.
deayor Three facts We must not over
look are presented. We each have the
to be fellow-worker with
God. Jesus desires to say to US. as much
YOU forth" This furnishes US the great
est possible chance TO make the most OF
life for II means that by our life we can
represent Christ. The truth in the golden
text. emphasizing the need OF spiritual
power in our work for Christ and the
church still holds when We go on the
Kings business His ambassadors that
'he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that
sent Ne"