The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1915, Page 6

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6 The Lutheran Pioneer.

tion in the same year. It has a mission of its own
in Montana, which-it supports to the extent of $700.
In addition it maintains a missionary of its own
in India, and raises about $300 for the work of
Inner Mission in its city besides. —If that spirit
had animated the Christian lands of Europe, rivalry
to get first to the heathen with the Gospel would have
prevented the present rivalry to get first to the
battle-field with the most cannon. Let the nations
withhold the wealth and strength that would win
the world for Christ, and the insatiable, bottomless
maw of war or vice will swallow it. The relations
of nations will be fraternal in proportion as com-
mercial and intellectual progress is directed by
Christ. Hell will always claim sooner or later what
is withheld from Christ. And she’ll get it.
Lutheran Youth.

JAVA AND CHRISTIANITY. — A new day seems
to be dawning on Java. This island, which has
always been a very barren field for Christian mis-
sions, is beginning to hold out promises of a harvest.
The inhabitants of Java are largely Mohammedans,
the most difficult people to Christianize. But re-
cently the Javanese Mohammedans have become
readers of the Bible. They are buying more Bibles
than any other book. A Chinese colporteur in Java
sold 12,800 copies of the Bible during the past year.

THE BrbBLeE In Burman.— The Bible is also
finding readers among the Moslems of Burmah. A
colporteur recently reported that he had sold a Bible
to an orthodox Burmese Mohammedan, who had
been his bitterest opponent. When this man was
asked what he wanted with a Bible, he confessed
that he had secretly read a copy of the Gospels
belonging to his servant, and that he found so many
good things in it that he now wanted to read the
whole Bible.

Are You a Missionary?

The missionary call comes to every true follower
of Christ. As soon as he has learned to know
Christ, he cannot refrain from telling it to others.
The woman of Sychar had no sooner learned Jesus
to be the promised Savior than she must needs leave
her pitcher at the well to go and tell her fellow-
townsmen the good news, and invite them to come
and learn to know Him, too. As soon as Andrew
had found the Savior, he looked for his brother,
and when he found him, he brought him‘to Jesus.
Simple-minded Philip felt compelled to tell his

‘before nor after meals.

friend Nathanael as soon as he had found Jesus.
And though Nathanael offered an objection which
Philip could not answer, the latter insisted upon
his friend’s coming and seeing for himself. Philip’s
insistence succeeded; Nathanael came and was won.

Now, just as the missionary call came to these
as soon as they learned to know Jesus to be their
Savior, so it comes to every true follower of Christ.
It may not call you to distant lands, as it did Paul,
but it will call you to work for the kingdom of
Jesus. It summons you to subordinate your worldly
and temporal plans to the great work of saving
men from sin and bringing them to Christ.
Mothers in the home may be missionaries to their
children, those children may be missionaries to
their schoolmates, the father may be a missionary
in the office, store, or workshop, or the call may
come to carry the Gospel to India or China.

A missionary you must be as sure as you are a
Christian; if not a foreign missionary, then one
at home. To bea Christian, a true Christian, means
to be a missionary.

Read and Take Heed.

There are many people in Christian countries
that never thank God for their daily bread, neither
This makes it more hu-
miliating when we see the heathen thank their
dead idols.

Travelers in Africa tell us that the negroes
never have a meal without sacrificing some of the
food to ‘the idols, —their way of showing their
gratitude.

The Indians and the tribes of Siberia throw
the first piece of meat into the fire, in order that
the blessing of the gods may rest upon the re-
mainder while they eat.

The Chinese first place their food before the

* altar, in order to offer the god a bite of it. Before

they clear the table after meals, they again con-
duct their devotions before the image of their idol.
The Nubians repeat a prayer both before and
after meals. ;
The heathen in Madagascar bow deeply when
they rise from their meals to “greet the spirits.”
The Lapps clap their hands and cry: “O gra-
cious God, be Thou praised for this good food.”
The Mohammedans never sit down to eat with-
out saying: “In the name of the gracious and
merciful God.” — Sel. :