The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-01-25

oAAAS Va ASooSA
ing and excuse
making, all of which silently but
surely test the solidity of the hearts
consecration.
You may ask. after all, why should
this question trouble me, | have no
call?" Have you forgotten that when
you accepted Christ this was includ-
ed among the items for your consid-
GRAFTON? You have passed it by. If.
in the church where you are a mem.
der a notice was read from the pull
pit inviting every member to attend
a social the following evening, would
you be foolish enough to afterward
insist that you had received nc in
vitation and refuse to attend? The
opposite would be the rule, for any
candidate for membership, expecting
to unite soon, would expect such a
purpose sufficient ground to entitle
him to be present. Thus your church
membership and mine involves our
Fesponce to the call of the Great
Commission.
|; The plan of God for appointing and
directing the work of his children is
a most natural one. When a person
Is converted, God would have him
come to the bureau of divine commits
sions and there receive his appoint
ment for service. one can rightfully
excuse himself, for. when he accepts
the benefits of the salvation Of Christ
he thereby obligates himself to obe-
dience in the service of Christ.
Y God could no have a book on earth
containing all the names of Christians
throughout the age n giving the
life work of each; for our free agency
would then be lost. God chose the
better plan: to have each child come
to him In prayer n talk his life
work over. Do not ask, and run
away, but tarry until your conviction
has become settled, for it is this Di-
vine conviction which constitutes
Gods call. Many have committed spir-
itual suicide by fastening away with
some impulsive conclusion before God
had a chance to speak. Such people
have often wondered why they make
sh1pWreck in their faith life or why
spiritual things seem closed to them.
1t is no mystery. Divine teaching and
guidance are given only tt those who
follow closely the instruction of the
Teacher in Gods school of learning.
Deception n delusion always follow
self-will in gaining spiritual things.
Every Christian should therefore def
nitely present himself before God for
the assignment to his life work. Have
you? Public sentiment, however,
seems to have laid this responsibility
only upon those who go as mission
aries.
Dare you say that it is not really
necessary for every Christian to OBJ
tain from God a conviction as to what
he should do with his life. The logi-
clan will at nee take the words from
your lips and declare 1t is then not
necessary for any Christian. Wisdom.
like water, floats everything on a
level surface. Bring these false the
ories concerning missionary work be-
fore your better judgment, and &C.
cl%esiastlcal distinctions and privileged
classes will sing to the bottom, leav-
Ing all Christians on al even footing,
and each responsible before God for
his share Of the evangelization of the
world.
Public sentiment has poisoned the
atmosphere with SO much antt-mlssion.
airy sentiment that many children
have grown up with no little prejudice
against becoming missionaries. When
r. oore@- In1o m fvor, -
these children see so many tears and
hear SO many words of regret thew
feel that going to oe a missionary is a
misfortune. This adds very material.
ly to the difficulty God encounters In
human wills in trying to secure obe-
dience in enough of his children to
e%vangelize the world in this genera
tion. All this prejudice and bitter
pess must be worked out Of the mind.
and a transformation wrought, before
sympathy and love for the heather
will be entertained and a conviction
of personal obligation can be possi-
BILE.
Crushing such a conviction of per-
sonal responsibility to take the Cos
pal to the heather, Ia a spiritual
crime. 1t affects every spiritual
nerve just as girdling a tree affects
every branch and leaf. The one who
disobeys his call to the foreign field
J finds himself strangely paralyzed in
his work here at home. especially in
his pleas for foreign missions.
The question Of today Is not, will
you be a missionary" but will you
present yourself before God for ap
pointment to any work, to any field;
wherever he knows you can do yo:,r
best life work?