King's Business - 1964-04

A n intercessory F oreign missionary is a “ laborer” who cannot go in person to the foreign field. H e sets himself apart to pray for the definite details of the foreign missionary work. He alone is entitled to the name who enters upon an engagement to work for definite fields, an engagement as real as an appointment by a foreign mission board. His striking peculiarities are that he is working in the realm of “ the heavenlies” instead of among visible men; that there are no restrictions as to the number who can be intercessors, to the places of their residence, or to the variety, sweep, and complete­ ness of the results accomplished. N ecessity for I ntercessory F oreign M issionaries That mission field which has the largest number of missionaries (faithful intercessors), whose names are not in the published lists, will always be the most success­ fully harvested. This is so for the following reasons:

1. Because of the nature of missionary activity. Ephesians (6:10-20) reveals the facts clearly, concisely, and completely, showing that we are not primarily over­ coming the prejudices and superstitions of men, but “ principalities, powers, world rulers of this darkness, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenlies” ; these are various grades of rulers organized into invisible kingdoms of darkness. In Daniel 10, some of these princi­ palities are mentioned by name: “ Prince of Greece,” “ Prince of Persia,” “ Kings of Persia,” etc., while Christ calls the head of all these kingdoms the “ Prince of this world.” Other forces are revealed in “ the horses and char­ iots of fire round about' Elisha,” and the “ twelve legions of angels” mentioned by Jesus. Thus revelation shows missionary activity to be a spiritual warfare between the forces of Christ and those of Satan, not man trying to reform and civilize man. This war is waged for the pos-

THE KING'S BUSINESS

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