The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1924, Sheet 51

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Che Lutheran Pioneer.

A. MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PUBLISHED BY THE

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNODICAL CONFERENCE oF Nortu AMERICA.

REv. F. J. LANKENAU, EDITOR.

Published monthly by Concordia Publishing House, St. Louls, Mo.
Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at St. Louls, Mo.,

Subscription price, 50 cts, per annum, payable strictly in advance,
under the Act of March 3, 187!

Acceptance for malling at special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 5 5, 1918.

Vol. XLVI.

ST. LOUIS, MO., JULY, 1924.

No. 7.

OUR MONTHLY MISSIONARY MOTTO.

“Sing unto the Lord, all the earth;

show forth from day to day His salvation.

Declare His glory among the heathen, His marvelous works among all nations.”’
1 Chron. 16, 23. 24.

Individual Missionary Work.

When we read our Bible for examples of mis-
sionaries, we learn that all classes of people, even
beggars and children, have had their share in doing
successful missionary work. There is no one so
humble, no one with powers so limited, that he
should consider himself not called to do missionary
work. The little captive Jewish girl in the land of
Syria told her mistress of the prophet in Samaria
who could help her husband, the mighty Naaman,
who was a leper. The four lepers who found the
spoils in the deserted camp of their country’s
enemies, realizing the fact that they were not doing
the right thing by keeping the news of their dis-
covery to themselves and selfishly providing only
for their own wants, carried the good news to the
porter of the city, who, in turn, told it to‘the king’s
house within. And it was because of the personal
testimony of the woman of Samaria who had spoken
with the Lord Jesus at the well that many: of the
people of Sychar believed and accepted Jesus as
the Christ.

To whom did these people go with their
message? To their friends, acquaintances, and
associates. The little captive maid brought her
message to her mistress, to whom she had personal
access. The lepers were barred from the city, but
this did not prevent them from bringing the good
news. as near to Samaras inhabitants as it was

possible for them to do. So those with whom we
have personal contact are they whom we should
regard as the people to whom we should first bring
our message. They know us, and if we live truly
Christian lives, they will have confidence in us; and
thus our efforts to reach them with’ the good news
of Jesus’ Gospel will very probably accomplish more
than if we expended the same effort on strangers.
When the Lord had driven out the legion of devils
from the man of Gadara, he said to him, “Return
lo thine own house and show how great things God
hath done unto thee.” In his own country, in his
own city, in his own family, among the people who
knew him, there he was to testify.

Remember, it is the privilege of every Christian
to be a missionary, Each congregation should be
a missionary center; each minister should be filled
with missionary zeal and activity. But it would be
wrong were the members to think that they had no
missionary responsibilities as individuals. Let every
member regard himself as a missionary and not
leave the work of bearing testimony to the minister
alone. Go to your unchurched neighbors and tell
them what great things God has done for you and
invite them to attend services. This is your priv-
ilege and duty. Do not leave this to others, but
you do it. .

The Holy Spirit is a missionary Spirit, and as
surely as He has called you by the Gospel and en- ~
lightened you with His gifts, sq surely has He done