And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:14.
Not upon the ordained minister only rests the responsibility of going forth to fulfill this commission. Every one who has received Christ is called to work for the salvation of his fellow men. “The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come.” Revelation 22:17. The charge to give this invitation includes the entire church. Every one who has heard the invitation is to echo the message from hill and valley, saying, “Come.”
It is a fatal mistake to suppose that the work of soulsaving depends alone upon the ministry. The humble, consecrated believer upon whom the Master of the vineyard places a burden for souls, is to be given encouragement by the men upon whom the Lord has laid larger responsibilities. Those who stand as leaders in the church of God are to realize that the Saviour’s commission is given to all who believe in His name. God will send forth into His vineyard many who have not been dedicated to the ministry by the laying on of hands.
Hundreds, yea, thousands, who have heard the message of salvation, are still idlers in the market place, when they might be engaged in some line of active service. To these Christ is saying, “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” and He adds, “Go ye also into the vineyard.” Matthew 20:6, 7. Why is it that many more do not respond to the call? Is it because they think themselves excused in that they do not stand in the pulpit? Let them understand that there is a large work to be done outside the pulpit, by thousands of consecrated lay members.
Long has God waited for the spirit of service to take possession of the whole church, so that every one shall be working for Him according to his ability. When the members of the church of God do their appointed work in the needy fields at home and abroad, in fulfillment of the gospel commission, the whole world will soon be warned, and the Lord Jesus will return to this earth with power and great glory.
The Faith I Live By p. 308
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Prayer Requests
—-A close friend’s grandson & family are being seriously challenged by 4yr old’s Type 1 diabetes… Please pray for his healing & and the families courage & faith! RL
—-Requesting prayers for my mom, Lila. In ER with apricot lodged in esophagus.. praying the injection will help so she can swallow.. Diane
—-Please pray for Brother and Sister O. Sis O has pneumonia and is still in the hospital. Bro O has dengue . Please pray for their daughter Grace who is taking care of them. Kay
—-I am asking prayer for my friend David who has tinnitus so bad that it may cost him his CDL driving position. And whether God heals him or not, that this will lead to his conversion. DB
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Dear Friends,
When we lived in Wilmington, North Carolina, we lived across the street from our church. One day, Ron noticed a man wandering around the church yard. After watching him for a few minutes, he went over to talk to the man, who appeared to be in his 30’s and discovered that he could not talk. He communicated by writing on a pad of paper that he carried with him. He wrote that he was hungry and in need. Ron felt sorry for him and brought him to our home. Even though at that time we barely had enough for ourselves, we fed him. He seemed to appreciate it.
As he and Ron “talked” we discovered that this man had once been able to speak, but that his mind had become unbalanced. He had decided that since he could not speak the English language with perfect grammar, he would not speak at all. He had withdrawn from friends and family, had not spoken in about two years, and had traveled the country as a homeless wanderer. For several days, this man came back, and we and Ron’s parents tried to help him. No matter what help was offered, no matter how much counsel given, this man continued to refuse to speak.
We found that he had not contacted his family in California, so one day while at Ron’s parent’s house, Ron called them. This man’s parents were overjoyed to know that their son was still alive. Even though his parents were on the phone, this man would not speak to them, he would only whistle into the phone. His parents were very disappointed, but joyful to know that he was “ok.”
Ron then talked with the man’s parents, who told him that their son had been very well educated, but had somehow gotten out of balance. Speaking correctly had become an obsession to him. Then one day he had disappeared. They were afraid that he was dead. They were devastated by their son’s mental illness. They wanted him to get treatment for his mental state, but before arrangements could be made, he had left the area and continued his wanderings throughout the land.
We look at this man, and shake our head in wonder. This man’s unbalanced mind not only affected him, but it affected his family, his former friends, everyone he came in contact with. Yet when we refuse to share the good news of salvation with others, are we not doing the same as this man? We live our life selfishly, without a thought of the perishing ones around us. We become as Isaiah described, “His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.” Isa 56:10-12
Our Great Creator reminds us, “I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.” Eze 33:7-9
Our Dear Saviour promises us as He promised His disciples so long ago, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8 He declares, “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.” Isa 43:10
Paul tells us, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Rom 10:13-17 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” 2 Tim 4:2
Let us “cry aloud, spare not, lift up [our] voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” Let us “loose the bands of wickedness, ..undo the heavy burdens, and …let the oppressed go free, and …break every yoke.” Let us “draw out [our] soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; for if we do, we have the promise, “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am….then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.” Isa 58
Rose

The Gospel to All the World