THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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PLAYING AT MISSIONS There used to be (perhaps they are no longer held since th e w ar has neces sitated conservation) little parlo r mis sionary meetings where society women nibbled nabiscos and sipped lemonade while they listened to th e reading of some m issionary book, each paying her dime fo r membership each month. It was certainly a “ d ry ” time. Then th ere is the m issionary m eet ing w ith th e retu rn ed m issionary who spends all the tim e telling of th e queer customs, th e odd dresses, th e hideous religious customs of th e people of dis ta n t lands. A kind of morbid curiosity is aroused, b u t whoever knew of a mis sionary being called in such a meeting? Between the driving sense of some indefinite duty to th e heath en th a t pulls a few pennies ou t of a listless crowd, and a desire to know how th e people of d istan t lands worship th e ir gods, the real object of m issionary work has been overlooked in many so-called m ission ary meetings. There was once a g reat meeting held a t Jerusalem . It is described in the 15th chapter of Acts. The object was p rim arily disciplinary, b u t th e re was a m issionary num ber on th e program . It is described in th e 12th verse: “Then all th e m u ltitude k ep t silence, and gave audience to B arnabas and Paul, declar ing w hat m iracles and wonders God had w rought among th e Gentiles by th em .” T h at g rea t company was «held spell bound as these retu rn ed m issionaries gave th e ir testimony. And w h at was th e content of th e ir addresses? All they said is no t given; bu t the Holy Ghost has seen fit to record only “w hat m iracles and wonders God had w rought among th e Gentiles by them .” Noth ing said about th e heath en customs of th e Gentiles; no mention made of the kind of clothes they wore; no thing said abou t any little idols they b rough t to show th e folks w h at they worshipped before; no tales of hun ting expeditions engaged in du ring vacation periods; no
hair-b read th escapes to th rill th e crowd none of these, b u t ju s t an account of w hat God had done. Now review in your m ind th e mis sionary addresses you have heard, and see if th is is no t th e difference: the one th a t lacked zest and power was the one th a t dwelt on w h at any trav eler could tell about as well as a m issionary; th e one th a t stirred th e soul and brough t folks to the a lta r to dedicate life or possessions was an account of w hat God had done, w hat no mere trav eler could tell, b u t only a faith fu l am bassador of Jesus Christ. The first was interesting, th e world ling would say, b u t th e re he would stop unmoved to any ado ration of God. But th e o th er was such an address as the Holy Ghost could sanction and p u t His power upon, and h earts were moved by it. The form er will add a little to hum an history, b u t th e la tte r will add to heavenly histo ry and move men till Jesus comes.— F rie n d ’s Minister. RELIGIOUS PIRATES One of our subscribers, a m inister, w rites concerning an address given at a denom inational association by a theo logical, professor who occupied th e tim e in an attem p t to get rid of several of th e fundam ental teachings of Christian ity. The w riter refers to th e speaker as a “religious p ira te ” and says, “ such men rob people of th e ir faith in God’s Word and leave them a d rift on life’s sea w ithou t a rudder, let alone a boat. These “ higher k ickers” would take away the C h ristian ’s compass in these days of troubled seas and perilous shore lines.” There is an increasing number of men who are preaching th e “gospel of d irt” ra th e r th a n th e Word of God. Too many are ap t to boast, “ I read so many chapters today.” L et us ra th e r say, “ I stored away so much of th e Word of God in my h ea rt today.”
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