THE SCOPE OP MISIONS H O W I ASCERTAIN THE W ILE OF GOD George Muller I set at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given mat ter. Nine tenths of the trouble with people is just here. Nine tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord’s will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is. Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If I do so, I make myself liable to great delusions. I seek the will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. I f the Holy Spirit guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them. Next I take into account providen tial circumstances. These often plain ly indicate God’s will in connection with His Word and Spirit. I ask God in prayer to reveal God’s will to me aright. Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment accord ing to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions I proceed accord ingly. ' In trivial matters, and in transac tions involving most important issues, I have found this method always ef fective. THE PENHULLM SWINGS M odernism went to seed on social find institutional work to the point o f excluding the gospel. The fun damentalists on the other hand, over looked the value of social and insti tutional work in their eagerness to preach the gospel. At the present time the pendulum is swinging again and fundamental ists are becoming aware of the need for a well-balanced missionary pro gram. In some cases Bible prepara tion is being slighted in, order to pro duce specialists along certain lines. Let’s have both. O.H.S.
Edited by Oran JOT. Smith
Chairman, Dept, of Missions, Biola Bible College
HOMEGOING Of G. A . LUNBMARK T he beloved president of the Home of Onesiphorus was called to' be with the Lord from Paris, France, July iO, having just completed the first part of a journey to the Near East for conference with mission workers on their expansion program. The Home -o f Onesiphorus was founded in 1916 by thé late Rev. L. M. Anglin, with the purpose of bringing relief and the gospel to refu gees in China and the Near East. Rev. G. A. Lundmark has ably car ried on the work in recent years and will long be remembered for his gra cious Christian manner and his dy namic presentation of the missionary challenge. TW EN TY -F IVE YEARS OF PROGRESS T en new missionaries were recently commissioned for service in the South American and Far Eastern fields of the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism, climaxing its twenty-fifth annual meeting recently in Philadelphia. This brings the pres ent missionary family up to 152. The ABWE started twenty-five years ago with five workers in Iloilo on the Philippine Island of Panay where it immediately established its Doane Evangelistic Institute for the- training of nationals as part of its indigenous policy in the full work of evangelism. The next year work was started in the capitol city of Manila with the establishing of the Manila Evangelistic Institute, which since the war is known as the Baptist Bible Seminary. Through the years new work was opened in South China, Ceylon, Bra zil, Colombia and Peru. During this twenty-fifth year, ABWE has sent its first, missionaries to its new field in Chile, in South America, and Japan, in the Far East—with several new appointees soon to follow. Plans are made to enter a new section of India this fall, God willing, with four new appointees. “ Committing your way unto the Lord, and yielding youE will unto Him, you should have such a con fidence that will lead you to be lieve He will not allow you to make a mistake.” Prov. 3:5, 6. B. B. Sutcliffe CONTINUED ► 27
A PLEA FOR MEN OF FA ITH
Dr. Lionel Gurney, Aden, South Arabia T hank God that He can and does supply our needs straight from heaven. It is a thrilling and rest ful life, eating out of our Father’s hand! Hudson Taylor and George Muller pioneered the way and God has called a few to follow in their steps. It bothers me a little, and I want to share this with you, that so few missionary candidates are prepared to step out of the boat and, at Christ’s personal command, come to Him across the waves of apparent uncer tainty in matters of finance. Why can’t they follow Him—some of them
South Arabian Christians
—putting all their weight on His dear promises? Daniel 11:32 comes to mind. “The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do ex ploits.” As the three friends of Daniel changed the King’s vow, so men of that calibre will change the situation on the world’s mission fields today, but where are they? Our lack of faith is an insult to the heavenly Father who fed Elijah, led Paul about on all his missionary journeys, did not fail Joseph and increased Jacob. His name is Faithfulness, and He still wants to add to the glory of that Name! He faithfully delivered Daniel out of the lion’s den and He will still faithfully deliver us out of all our afflictions and trials. But where are the young men and women who will prove Him faithful? Amerita still is young and vigorous. Make it your aim to prove the faith fulness of God, to live and to work by faith, individually and as a group. It is a wonderful experience.
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