The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1927, Page 172

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172

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

The Book now made up for its long inactivity.
The converted Indians taught others. Presently
there was a demand for a chapel. It was built by the
villagers themselves and at their own expense.
Exquisite care was spent upon it, and it is more
finely constructed than the best house in the village.
From it the new faith is radiating, and there are
now many Bibles in the village. But the patient
brown volume which was willing to bide its time for
fourteen years and then accomplished so much has
now been brought to the United States, where it is
being used in telling the story of need and oppor-
tunity in thousands of villages such as this.

Like a seed, a copy of the Scriptures was left in
a small community of the Araguaya valley, Brazil.
Years passed; how many we do not know. At last
a missionary happened to visit the community. He
found a group of fourteen people, earnest Chris-
tians, because of the ministrations of that Book.

A young working man of Ohio was handed the
Gospel of St. John. Without opening it, he put it
in his overalls pocket. But the little book was not
offended. Its patience was unruffled, its story was
unspoiled. / It waited. -The overalls were stuffed
into an old locker and forgotten. Eight months
passed. The young man fell into difficulties and
desperately needed help. Despondent, he decided
to quit his job and leave town.

He began to gather his belongings and, in doing
so, came upon the little book. Now was the time
of testing for all that there was of comfort and
power in its pages. The Gospel did not fail him.
The young man who read it from beginning to end
in one night did not leave town. He faced his
problems with new courage and has since been
instrumental in bringing new spiritual courage to
thousands. ‘The little book had waited to good
effect.

It is a peculiar virtue of the printed Word that
it can wait — wait until its opportunity comes.

From The Voice and the Book.

My Debt.

An aged Christian was lying upon his deathbed.
His pastor came to strengthen and comfort him.
“Praise God, I have peace with God through our
«Lord Jesus Christ,” said the dying believer. “But

_ Ihave a debt which is weighing heavily upon my

heart and which I would like to pay before I die.”

__ “What debt?” asked the pastor. “My debt to the

work of missions,” answered the dying man. “Last

ot -

night my sons were at my bedside, watching here
and lovingly attending to me. That made me think
of the poor heathen, who in their old age are often
sold, turned out, yea, even buried alive by their own
children. What is the reason that I am being
treated differently? I owe all this to the Gospel.
Oh, if the early Christians who brought the Gospel
to my forefathers had not shown more zeal in mis-
sion-work than I have done, what would my death-
bed be like? Forsaken of my children, without
comfort, without light, without hope, I would soon
have to enter eternal damnation. I now realize and
feel my great debt to the work of missions. I am
reaping and harvesting the fruit of the holy mis-
sions without having done much towards planting,
watering, and cultivating. I desire now, to some
extent at least, to make up for what I have neg-
lected.” Thereupon he handed the pastor a liberal
sum of money for mission-purposes.

Dear reader, are we not all deeply in debt as re-
gards the work of spreading the Gospel of our Lord
and Savior, the holy work of missions? Let us,
therefore, regularly, liberally, and cheerfully con-
tribute towards this glorious work of saving im-
mortal souls! Let us pay, and keep on paying, this
our debt while we have time, opportunity, and the
means to do so!

“LY Are You Excused?

Horace Bushnell once made an interesting list
of all who might be excused from giving to mis-
sions. Here it is: —

Those who believe that the world is not lost and
does not need a Savior.

Those who believe that Jesus Christ made a
mistake when He said, “Go ye into all the world and
preach the Gospel to every creature.”

Those who believe the Gospel is not the power
of God and cannot save the heathen.

Those who wish that missionaries had never
come to our ancestors and that we ourselves were
still heathen.

Those who believe that it is “every man for
himself” in this world, and who, with Cain, ask,
“Am I my brother’s keeper ?”

Those who want no share in the final victory.

Those who believe they are not accountable to
God for the money entrusted to them.

Those who are prepared to accept the final
sentence: “Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the
least of these, ye did it not unto Me.”

Do you belong to the Mission or Omission Band?