THE SCOPE OF MISSIONS
F or every man, woman and child in the world, the Communists have printed two pieces of their Marxist literature. Last year the Knights of Columbus spent a reported $700,000 in their printed page effort to win men and women in America to the Catholic faith. They have re ceived 1,600,000 requests for further literature as a result of their adver tising program down through the years. It is reported that the Seventh- day Adventists spend $15,000,000 an nually in their printed page ministry. As a result, they have today the world’s largest correspondence school with over 3 million students. Their literature is sent out in 200 languages. The world’s largest religious print ing press is contained in a 9-story building in Brooklyn, N.Y., in which religious literature in 40 languages is printed. This press is owned by the lehovah’s Witnesses. Covetous and selfish men in Ameri ca who would traffic in the souls of our young people are printing maga zines that are flagrant in their dis play of the lust of the flesh. These are devoured by our youth at the rate of 90 million copies a month. Communism, ma t e r i a l i sm and many other “isms” are capitalizing on the printed page as never before. The Bible and centuries of church history combine to bear witness to the fact that the printed message of God’s love is a sharp threshing instru ment in the hand of the Lord of the harvest. Unto the church has been given the sure promise of God that His Word would not return unto Him void but would accomplish that whereunto He sent it. While others have worked, the evangelical church has but dabbled in printer’s ink. The Power of the Poge Missionaries are today alert to the place in which the printed page must be placed if mass evangelism is to be accomplished around the world. This is vividly illustrated in the es tablishment of the “ Light of Life” correspondence school program. This ministry, though not yet six years old, has reached over 250,000 students with its Bible study courses. The 24- lesson study on the Gospel of John is going into homes in 28 countries of the world in 20 different languages.
An 18-lesson course on the Book of Acts is used as a follow-up course. Original contact with the student is made through newspaper evange lism. In this program, paid insertions on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ are placed in the various ver nacular newspapers. This has proven to be a very economical way to in troduce millions of people to Christ. This method of mass propagation of the gospel is proving effective in sev eral countries of the world, with thousands applying for the free cor respondence course on the life of Christ. Every insertion ends with the offer of this course. 44,300 Graduates At present the correspondence school is adding over 12,000 new students a month to its outreach. Its courses are sent out in 15 languages in the sub-continent area of India. It is being used in every one of the 21 Latin American republics. It is in three languages in Africa and three languages in the Fiji Islands. It is used in Japan, Thailand and Ger many. Already over 44,000 students have completed the 24-lesson course on the Gospel of John. By Their Fruits Abundant is the evidence that God is using these Bible studies in the sal vation of souls. Dr. John Piet of the Tamil language course in India says, “ Last year we had over 600 baptisms in my district—-largely through leaf lets and the correspondence course.” Rev. Antonio Martins, Portugal’s leading Baptist pastor and evangelist says, “ This work is the greatest means of evangelizing Portugal that has yet come to us.” Lila Ross of Cuba adds, “ The re sponse is astonishing and heart-warm ing. The course has a tremendous ap peal for the young people.” Rev. Don Phillips of Brazil writes, “We have received over 200 requests for gospels and the correspondence course this week. We will need 40,000 more this year.” The following personal testimonies of conversion should encourage the hearts and increase the faith of all in the fact that His Word is quick and powerful and sharper than a two-
sharper than the sword
by Don Hillis
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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