The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1928, Page 38

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38

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

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creature,” says the Lord. Again: “Ye shall be wit-
nesses unto Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea
cand in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the
-earth.” We know that less than one-fourth of the one
Dillion six hundred million people of the globe are at
present provided with the means of grace; we know
‘that less than half the people of our own country
‘are connected with the Christian Church; we know
‘that twenty-five million children of our country are
receiving no Christian training and instruction
whatever. And each unconverted soul in the world
‘is a mission opportunity for the Church of the pure
Word and Sacraments. . Each one is an opportunity
indeed; for few countries to-day deny admission to
‘Christian missionaries.

Truly, the door is open for mission-work, open
everywhere. Not only the usual mission oppor-
tunities are challenging us, but also some very un-
usual ones. Some heathen people are literally plead-
ing with us to send them teachers and preachers.
The Negroes of the Southland, among whom we
have now successfully labored for fifty years, are in
‘ever-increasing numbers inviting our message.
Ethiopia is stretching out her hands unto God.
‘Over in India a group of people numbering six
hundred thousand, tired of its ancient heathen
religion, is applying to us for missionaries. And
these are but a few of the unusual mission oppor-
tunities which we have.

Of course, there are enemies of the holy cause of
missions, who do not want us to enter the open door
of mission opportunities. What St. Paul said con-
cerning Ephesus at his time is true also regarding
our mission-field, the world, to-day: “A great door,
and effectual, is opened unto me, and there are
many adversaries.” 1 Cor. 16,9. There is Satan.
He is not a friend of our mission-work; for by
means of it his kingdom is destroyed and Christ’s
kingdom established in its place. ‘There is the
‘world. The world is no friend of our missions.
Although it welcomes civilization and the other
blessings that follow in the wake of Gospel-preach-
ing, it has no use for the Gospel itself. And there
is our Old Adam, one of the most troublesome of
enemies of the work of missions. How often he
‘stands in the way of our praying and laboring and
giving for missions! And yet, in spite of all these
adversaries, the door of mission opportunities is
‘open, “and no man can shut it.” Rey. 3,8. And the
location of the open door? It is everywhere —in

‘our homes, in our community, in our nation, in the
_ whole world, wherever there is a single soul still
¥ outside of the kingdom of Christ.

How Entrance through the Open Door
is Accomplished.

But how do we enter the door of mission oppor-
tunities which has been opened unto us? The
answer is simple: Generally speaking, we enter it by
praying for missions, by laboring for missions, and
by giving of our substance for missions.

Pray for missions, for the work of saving souls.
Pray the Lord to send laborers into the mission-
fields. Pray that He may make use of you in the
glorious work. Pray without ceasing. Pray
fervently; for the effectual fervent prayer of
a righteous man availeth much. Pray with con-
fidence; for the Savior says: “All things, whatso-
ever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall
receive.” “All things” includes the success of
mission-work.

Such prayer will be coupled with action. The
man who properly prays for the success of missions
will also properly labor for the success of missions
in his home, in his community, and in the whole
world. Such a man will not ask the Lord to do
what he himself is able to do, although he will im-
plore the Lord at all times to bless his personal
efforts to gain souls for Christ and heaven. Such
a man will bear witness for Jesus before all men and
will not weary in so doing. Christ says to such a
man: “Even as My Father hath sent Me, so send
I you”; and such a man will say with his Master:
“T must work the works of Him that sent Me while
it is day; the night cometh when no man can work.”

If thus we Christians work for missions as our
Master did, we shall also give for missions as our
Master did. Christ gave according to His mis-
sion’s needs. These needs were great. He was
compelled to give His all, His life’s blood, under
unspeakable suffering. Look to Calvary and see
how true this is. It was not an easy matter for
Him to give so much. In Gethsemane He first
prayed His Father, if possible, to remove the bitter
cup from Him. However, because He knew that
it was necessary for Him to drain the cup to its
very dregs in order that man might be redeemed,
He did it cheerfully. Being Christ’s disciple, will
not you, dear reader, do likewise? will you not enter
the open door of mission opportunities by giving
according to the needs of your missions? Surely if
you are filled with the true mission-spirit, you will
give yourself if need be; you will give your son if
need be; you will give your all if need be. You
will then never ask your Old Adam: How much
ought I to give for mission-work? how much of
my time? how much of prayer? how much of my