July 1930
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
364 “all things to all men” that he might “by all means save some.” This should be the dominating spirit of all mission work. Industrial missions are worth while be cause they often prove a means o f con tact with the people whereby the unsaved are won to Christ. The primary object of the true servant of Christ is to preach the Gospel. He will use every proper avenue of approach, whether offered by industrial missions or other forms of ser vice, to press the claims of Christ upon his hearers. * * * S ide L ights “How can they hear without a preacher?” That question remains un answered. It has been well said that every Christian should consider himself or herself called to be a missionary unless he or she has a distinct call to remain at home. The burden of proof is on the Christian if he stays at home. Today missionary work is so varied that all kinds of ability can be used—Bible-read- ers, doctors, teachers, industrial workers, printers, and so on, as well as evangelists. The mission boards always have more places to be filled than they have suitable men and women to fill them.— 'Christian Endeavor World. A group of Africans watched the mis sionary make a table from rough timber. One o f them said, “Master, I thought God made these things and gave them to you white men; now I see you do the work yourselves.” “I told him,” said the missionary, that our ancestors were once savage and knew nothing of handicraft, but through our contact with God, we had been given wis dom to do these things.” Then at onCe the African asked, “Master, if you have done this, why cannot we?” There is no limit to the opportunities through which the power of the Cross can reach a dark ened mind.— Ida L. Moulton. The parents of Alexander Mackay in tended him for the ministry, and were dis appointed that he cared more for ma chinery than for theology. He offered himself as a missionary, but the proposi tion met with little favor, for how, it was asked, could he combine missions and en gineering? He wrote: “I hope to connect Christianity with modern civilization, . . . I expect to execute public works, as rail ways, mines, etc. . . . It is more to help the missionaries already there that I go, than to supplant them; also to prepare the way by which others more readily can go there and stay.” When the King of Uganda wanted a flagstaff, Mackay set it up. “ I have no wish to spend time oyer such baubles, but when work o f this kind helps, in ever so small a degree, to re move prejudice and promote good feel ing toward the mission, I do not regard the time as lost. All our feeble powers can be turned to account in the Master’s work.” He lived to see Uganda evangel ized, largely the result of his labors. His last message to England was an appeal to prepare the wetjy of the Lord in Africa by the building o f railroads, and other means of transportation and communication. •— E. M. T. Critchlow.
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Daily Devotional D{eadingi A Message for Every Dag of the Month I_________ _
impending rock. May we not go? Is it not time to strike our tents? Have we not suffered to the point of utter collapse? May we riot exchange the glare and heat for green pastures and still waters ? There is no answer. The cloud tarries, and we must remain, though sure o f manna, rock-water, shelter, and defense. God never keeps us at a post without as suring us of His presence, and sending us daily supplies. Wait, young man, do not be in a hurry to make a change. Minister, remain at your post. Until the cloud clearly moves, you must tarry. Wait, then, thy Lord’s good pleasure \—Commentary. —o— July 12— “ Be silent to the Lord and wait patiently fo r him” (Psa. 37:7, Margin). It is a soul silent unto God that is the best preparation for knowing Jesus, and for holding fast the blessings Hie bestows. It is when the soul is hushed in silent awe and worship before the holy Presence that reveals itself within, that the still, small voice of the blessed Spirit will be heard. How slow many are to learn that quiet ness is blessedness, that quietness is strength, that quietness is the source of the highest activity, the secret of all true abiding in Christ! Blessed is the man who learns the lesson of stillness, and fully ac cepts God’s W ord : “In quietness and con fidence shall be your strength." Abide in Christ! Let no one think that he can do this if he has not daily his quiet time, his seasons of meditation, and waiting upon God. May each one of us learn every day to say, “Truly, my soul is si lent unto God.”— Abide in Christ. —o— July 13—“ Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of. the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Hab. 3:17, 18). Observe, I entreat you, how calamitous a circumstance is here supposed, and how heroic a faith is expressed. It is really as if he said, “Though I should be re duced to so great extremity as not to know where to find my necessary food, though I should look around about me on an empty house and a desolate field, and see the marks o f the divine scourge where I had once seen the fruits o f God’s bounty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” Methinks these words are worthy o f be ing written as with a diamond on a rock, forever. Oh, that by divine grace they might be deeply engraven on each o f our hearts! Concise as the form o f speaking in the text is, it evidently iriiplies or ex presses the following particulars: That in the day o f his distress he would fly to God; that he would maintain a holy com posure o f spirit under this dark dispensa-
July 9— “ What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mk. 11:24). Jesus desires that we shall be definite in our requests, and that we shall ask for some special thing. “ What will ye that I shall do unto you?” is the question that He asks o f every one who in affliction and trial comes to Him. Make your re quests with definite earnestness if you would have definite answers. Aimlessness in prayer accounts for so many seemingly unanswered prayers. Fill out your check for something definite, and it will be cashed at the bank of heaven when pre sented in Jesus’ name. Dare to be defi nite with God.— Selected. —o— July 10 —“ God, my Maker, who giveth songs in the night” (Job 35:10). How many there are who have gone through the fires of affliction and trouble, and have come out o f them unscorched, saying: “Jesus has been faithful to His promise. I have suffered, but no more than was for my good. He has comforted and sustained me, and I am as happy now as a sweet little child in the arms of its mother.” I am constantly called to funerals. Some mourn for wl\om I am especially sorry. Their rain is turned to ice. Grief is beautiful as,, in winter, ice-clad trees are beautiful when the sun shines upon them; but it is dangerous. Ice breaks many a branch; and so I see a great many per sons bowed down and crushed by their afflictions. But now and then I meet one who sings in affliction, and then I thank God for my own sake, as well as for His. There is no sweeter singing than a song in the night.—A City Pastor. —o— July 11— “ When the cloud tarried . . . then the children o f Israel . . . journeyed not” (Num. 9 :19). This was the supreme test o f ' obe dience. It was comparatively easy to strike tents, when the fleecy folds of the cloud were slowly gathering from off the tab ernacle, and when the cloud floated ma jestically before the host. Change is al ways delightful; and there was excite ment and interest in the route, the scen ery, and the locality of the next halting place. But,.ah, the tarrying! Then, how ever uninviting and sultry the location, however trying to flesh and blood, how ever irksome to the impatient disposi tion, however perilously exposed to dan ger, there was no option but to remain encamped. The Psalmist says, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” And what He did for the Old Testament saints He will do for believers throughout all ages. Still, God often keeps us waiting. Face to face with threatening foes, in the midst o f alarms, encircled by perils, beneath the
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