Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

not."good."BIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 11, 1955WitnessVOLUME LV, NO. 8 TOPEKA, KANSAS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1955Christian Missions: The Quest For ANormal WorldBy Rev. George S. LauderdaleTHE missionary program instituted by the LordJesus Christ aims to bring the world to normality. It is not right that man should not know andlove God, his Master, through Christ, God's Son Whohas died for the sins of the world! Satan is doinghis best to convince us that men are all right andthings are as well as can be expected, that we shouldtherefore make the most of life, eating, drinking,making merry. The Gospel declares that men arelost in sin, that wars, sickness, and trouble are notGod's standard for us, and the daring enterprise ofpreaching the Gospel to every creature thereforeexposes Satan as a liar; this is one of the reasonswhy he opposes world missions.Because evangelization is the only way bywhichthe abnormalworld, morally insane in sin and foolishly rebellious against God, plunging on to theeverlasting fires of hell, can be healed and saved,world missions is not optional. No local church cansay, "It is all right if we support foreign missionsand it is all right if we do It is not all rightif a church is not seeking every year to raise thepercentage of its gifts to missions. It is not all rightfor parents to neglect offering their children to Godas missionaries and training them for this work.We must not neglect to pray for God's missionariesand their work. These things must be done for thesame reason that doctors must tend their patients ;the world is not well but sick and our Saviour JesusChrist is the only Physician.If one's eyes are abnormal, he gets glasses tocorrect his vision. If the brakes on his car will notwork right, he has them adjusted. Some havebraces on their teeth and backs, and rouge on theircheeks, while others undergo plastic surgery,all insearchof normal health or appearance. Govermentsestablish homes for those whose mentality is toolow. But the most important of all quests for normality is that of believers in Jesus Christ: throughthe preaching of the Gospel to every creature weare seeking to turn the whole world right side up!God has promised eventual success to this missionary program: "And it shall come to pass, thatfrom one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before men, saith the Lord." Isaiah 66:33. Thatchurch, shameful symbol of this sub-standard world,the nearly empty church at prayer meeting time,will be forever removed! The Bible declares, "Allthe ends of the world shall remember and turn untothe Lord." Psalms 22:27. From the least to thegreatest all men shall trust Jesus so that none willhave to go to his neighbor and say, "Know the Lord."The knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth asthe waters cover the sea !When God created the heavens and the earth byHis word, He saw that everything He made wasgood. "And God saw everything that he had made,Genesis 1:31. Itand, behold, it was verywas sin's entrance which damned mankind andmarred God's perfect world. But thanks be to Godfor His unspeakable Gift, the Lord Jesus Christ,the Conqueror of sin, Satan, death and hell, and forthe privilege of working in the name and power ofsoul on it toChrist to restore this planet and everytheir proper relation to God. "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God." Romans 8 :19.Associate Reformed Presbyterian.