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Text Sermons : Classic Christian Writings : The Lost - A Pressing Priority By Lois J. Stucky

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With time passing so rapidly into Eternity, it is important for us Christians to have our priorities right if we want to give good account to God. Very surely, "We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ...Every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:10,12). Who of us does not want to give good account!

Dr. T. T. Shields, in the front page article of this issue, reminds us it is our "solemn obligation" to be witnesses to our Lord's saving power and grace. Many of us have to acknowledge that we have not been as earnest and zealous about this as we should have been. Some of us have to face to our shame the unpleasant fact that we actually have been lazy along this line. We have been negligent and unwilling to exert the effort it takes to speak up for Jesus.

One brother tells how he used to consider himself exempt from this responsibility because of his personality. He had a quiet disposition and found it difficult to start conversation with new people. He convinced himself that God had given him another "ministry." But he came to realize that even shyness and inability to approach people as easily as some Christians do, does not excuse us from being a faithful witness. All of us are to be free from the fear of man, which is often what keeps us from speaking up as we ought.

God help us to "roll up our sleeves" and with fresh inspiration and with courageous determination, endeavor to be more faithful and bold in speaking to others of our Lord. Moishe Rosen in his article on page 3, reminds us that holy boldness is reliance on God's strength and wisdom. It is being led by the Holy Spirit.

Then, too, there is the important responsibility of praying for the unsaved. This is something the shy can do as easily as the bold. Praying as well as witnessing takes a stirring up of our faith, hope and love for souls. The love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit is a big secret to being faithful.

Along with praying for the unsaved, we must pray for the new converts. This is brought vividly before us as we pray for the 10/40 Window countries this month. In answer to prayer, laborers are going to give the Gospel to the unreached, and glory to God, there are those who are putting their faith in this wonderful Savior, Christ Jesus! The road before these new converts is not easy. Most of the unreached places of the earth are areas where anti-Christ forces are entrenched. Pressures from family and community are often very great for those who forsake the traditional religion and put their trust in Christ. Truly such new converts are as lambs in the midst of wolves. They need our prayers that they will stand firm and not fall back.

Prayer For Our Families

Many Herald readers are burdened for unsaved family members. Florence Meek, a former Herald worker and prayer warrior, counseled many who wrote with this burden, to make much use of the Blood of Jesus in praying for the unsaved, pleading the Blood of Jesus on their behalf daily, and using the Blood as a weapon against the enemy of their souls who holds them in his sway.

An appropriate promise she urged writers burdened for souls to lay hold of, is from Isaiah 49:25: "The prey of the terrible shall be delivered...I will save thy children." "Children," she pointed out here means not only our own kin, but all those for whom we travail in spirit for salvation.

Might God help us to make the salvation of souls a leading priority, through witnessing and through prayer. We send out this issue of Herald of His Coming with the prayer that it will be helpful to this end. Let us agree that through these messages the Holy Spirit will impress deeply upon our hearts the necessity to be bolder witnesses for our Lord and Saviour, counting not our lives and our reputations dear to us, but having a heart set above everything else, on obeying the Lord Jesus Christ: "You shall be witnesses unto Me" (Acts 1:8).

Herald Prayer Force

How we appreciate those who write us that they have committed to pray for Herald of His Coming daily for five, ten or fifteen minutes or as the Lord enables! It is strengthening to us in spirit to know you are one with us in heralding these messages far and near, and you are willing to invest time and effort in prayer as an indication of it. In answer to prayer, practical help comes as well. We invite others of you to write us if God puts it on your heart to pray for Herald of His Coming daily, and we hope you will.

As I write this, a friend from Germany, Dan Tracy, is taking leave after almost a week with us. He cleared up some minor problems on the computers and initiated some new procedures to help us serve you readers better. It has gone well and much was accomplished through his being here.

We asked Brother Dan to share with us during our devotional time one morning, and we pass on to you the encouragement he gave us to "ask." Christ told His disciples in those significant hours before He left them for the cross and for Heaven--to ASK. He repeated that instruction several times:

"He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall He do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father. And whatsoever you shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it" (John 14:12-14).

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be My disciples" (John 15:7,8).

"Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you. Hitherto have you asked nothing in My name: ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:23,24).

"At that day you shall ask in My name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father Himself loveth you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from God" (John 16:26,27).

Who of us understands fully God's purposes in commanding His people to ask? Nevertheless, let us be obedient! We don't have to have the education nor the natural abilities others do in order to have a vital part in God's work. Each of us can ask. Let us not give in to Satan's insinuations to us that we are wasting time in prayer or that other things are more important. He perhaps realizes better than we do the key place prayer has in God's plan of accomplishing His purposes here on earth.

Friends, we are all aware that this is an hour of unspeakable needs. It is also an hour of God's great willingness and great power to do exceeding abundant things, above all we ask or think. Let us not be lazy in prayer! Let us uphold one another that we will be zealous and faithful in prayer, in spite of all the efforts of Satan to discourage and hinder us.

We were privileged recently to have also a brief visit from a missionary reader of Herald of His Coming, Godfrey Dawkins, who ministers in Kenya. Brother Godfrey, and his missionary father before him, have been readers and distributors of Herald of His Coming for around 40 years. We were glad to have Brother Godfrey share with us of the victories and the burdens on his heart as he labors diligently with his wife among young Africans. Many of them are destined to take places of leadership in that land.

While we lament the tremendous problems in America, consider that African countries have similar or greater difficulties and less resources to meet them. The burdens on the hearts of sincere, caring missionaries are heavy. Use opportunities, yes, make opportunities to talk with missionaries that you might understand better how to pray for them, and thereby help them fulfill their God-given calling. Help them carry these heavy burdens. This is one way of loving one another as Christ commands us to do.

Praise God!

* For precious, eternal fruit coming forth through the Holy Spirit's working in the hearts of Herald readers.

* For the fellowship of those who pray, write us, distribute Herald papers and send their donations to make the continuation of this ministry possible.

* For God's great mercy and goodness to this area, for protecting locally from storms that have swept across Kansas, and for giving Kansas the biggest wheat harvest on record.

Please Pray!

* For Jewish souls to receive Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. Remember the Los Angeles area, where a zealous friend is mailing many Hear, O Israel Salvation heralds to Jewish homes.

* That God will raise up new friends with zeal to become regular supporters of Herald of His Coming, replacing ones who have passed off the earthly scene or for some reason are unable to continue sending donations.

* That readers who receive a notice to write us if they wish to continue receiving the paper, will not be negligent and be cut off from receiving, though they are benefiting from it.

* That God will stir more friends to become part of the Herald Prayer Force, praying daily for the ministry.

* That readers will be led of the Holy Spirit to send us names for the Herald mailing list, of ones who are needing the messages and would gladly receive and read them.

* For all pastors on Herald of His Coming mailing list, that they will be able ministers of the Word of God and effective in feeding their flocks.

* That the copies of Herald of His Coming going to personnel in the service of their country will be of much encouragement and help to those who live for Christ amid many who do not love and serve Him. Pray their lives will manifest the spirit of Christ and that others will be drawn to Him.

* For scattered Herald of His Coming readers who are displaced or refugee people, finding life difficult and lonely in strange and unsettled surroundings.

* For the hearts of all of us, God's people, to be humble before Him and tender toward Him, not allowing any sin in our lives to make us vessels unfit for His use.

* That God will hasten the day when the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit will reach to all flesh as spoken of in His Word (Joel 2:28-29), and that we will do our part in faith and prayer that it shall come to pass quickly. Praise God for His mighty works in the earth today!





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