Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1950-01-27
When Men Delay

When Men Delay
TIP TO NOW. the church has
- been playing around with Jesus
command. Very few denominations
are actually putting any large
amount of money or manpower into
obeying Christ's command to 20
into all the world.
One fairly typical American de-
nomination contributed last year
to all benevolences, that is to all
causes not In their own local con-
gregations, the sum of S9.l37. 065.
That sounds like lot, but divided
10y the total number OF members
IT boils down to $l403 per member
for the year. or less than five cents
y day.
! And Of course not all that
big sum Of five cents went to
missions Of any sort. Yet that
denomination gives more per
capita to missions than most
others do. When . man who
gives less than five cents q day
to carry the good news Of
Christ Into the wide world
sings Coward, Christian Sol
dsers!" or prays "Thy King
dom GOMEZ" how much does
he mean II? Not . nickers
worth!
Or take the question Of man.
power. This same denomination
sends out as missionaries, every
year. as many men and womep as
are sent by some denominations
three times its size. And yet, even
so. the total number Of ordained
ministers In that denomination
who are foreign missionaries is
only 4 per cent Of their total mum.
Der Of ministers.
Go into all the world" said the
Master. -Four per cent of us will. :"
We reply. the rest Of US will stay
pt home"
When Men Obey
rs A MATTER OF FACT, even
- the earliest church was slow
10 pay real attention to Chrisrs
command. Forward Men are
strange creatures. And one Of the
strange things about US 10 that we
often have to be scared into doing
our duty.
II took the persecution set off by
che death Of Stephen to move the
Christians In Jerusalem out along
the roads south. north. east any.
where to get away from the city Of
death. Everywhere they went, they
told the story Of Jesus.
But al first II was all rather
breathlcss and informal. why
are you here?" one Of these
DPS would be asked. as he
was passing through Samaria
or Antioch or Alexandria, per-
haps In the bread-line, perhaps
looking for a place TO work and
settle down. "Pm . refugee
from jerusalem" he would
say. But why?" "wcn. I'm q
. Christian" whats THAR"
So the story would be told all
over again. the good news about
Gods grace in Christ. So the
church spread. Today. though an
enormous part Of the worlds pop
'ulation is still unwon, there are
Christians in so many lands that
the Bible-all or parts Of it--has
had to be translated into more than
one thousand different languages
and dialects.
Unto All Men
NNE OF THE MOST interesting
~ and surprising little books Of
recent years is called "They Found
the Church There" by H. p. Van
Dusen. II is the dramatic story of
how the American CT. TO his great
establishment. found Christians In
the most unexpected places.
Il Is tremendous mistake
10 think that the Christian re-
ligion Is only for English-speak-
Ing peoples. or for Europeans,
or for white people. II began
among people whom most read.
ers Of this column would set
down ~ foreigners"
Christ can be as much al home
In an igloo or wigwam as he Is
In an American farmhouse or in an
efficiency apartment on the city
boulevard. He comes TO all men,
and as Peter found out. the Lord is
mo respecter Of persons.