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.A MISSIONARY )IONTHLY.
----------Punus11ED DY TUE E,•,\NCJEUCM, L uT11E1t,\N Si'NODICAL CONFERENCE OP
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.A., rERICA.
n. A. n1scHOFF, E»1Ton. . Entorcd nt lllo t•ost Onlco 11t St. 'Lonas, Mo., n&sccnnd-clnss m11tu:r.
Vol. XXXlll.
ST. LOUIS, MO., JA.NUARI, 19ll. J e BUS.
Jt;sus l shnll our wnLchword be II
As tho New Yenr's d1Lw11 sprcnds o'er us; ,le us' 1111mo nlonc will wo ,.\ s our tnml:ud boar before 11 ; l n H is co,·cnnnt we sLnnd, ,Journeying lo tho Fromisccl Lnnd. ,Tt:sus• nnmc nnd Jc us' \Vord
Shn11 resound in Iulhist 11u:11s11rc Ju our churches, nmt be hcnrcl. 1\C:ly we trcn,I H is cour ts with plens uro, 'J'hnt our J1cn.rt11 through gmco nnow l)a·o,·c n. holy temple, too. JP.SUS' 11nmo shall lighten pnin, .And in nil our ills rclie,·o us; . Losses thus shall turn to gain · .And to blessings what seemed grie,·ous. Jesus' nnme is Sun nnd Shield, Hore must nil our sorrows yield.
n. 8c1,molkc.
One Thing Needful. At the beginning of n ne,v ·yenr it is well to remember the Sn.vipr's words: "One thing is need:!ul." He spoke these words in the home of the two sisters Mnrthn. n.nd l{o.ry. Martlm wns busy, "cumbered nbout much serving;" but Mary "sat nt J csus' feet nnd l1eard His word." When l\fortha complained that she was le:£-t to serve nlone, Jesus said to her: "Martha, Martha, thou nrt careful and troubl0<l about. many things; but one thing is needful; and l!ary hath chosen thnt good part, which shall not be taken away from her," Luke 10, 41. 42. The one thing needful, which Mary l1ad chosen ns tl1e good pn.r t, was the l1enriog of Jesus' words for her soul's salvation. One thing is needful I Words of warning not to neglect· the heari~g of God's Word, the Gospel of Jesus, in which salvation is brought to us and
No. 1.
by which we are lecl to !nith in the Snvior nnd also kept in the true fnith until our enrthly pilgrimage is ended ! The passing years remind us thnt we also shnll pnss away. Every ·year brings us nearer the grave nncl the judgment. What folly to neglect or reject the Gospel o·f Jesus nod thus neglect nncl reject salvation I What fools are they who seek only the ricl1cs, the honors, the pleasures of this pnssiug worlcl nnd neglect the eternnl welfare o[ their immortal souls! How snd will be the lot or him who wns nil his life "careful and troubled about many things/' while the "one thing needful" was forgotten! "Whnt is 'a man profited, i:f he shall gufo the whole world and lose his own soul? · Or • whn.t shall a man give in exchange for his soul P''. liatt. 16, 26. One thing is needCul ! Words o.f comfort for God's children ! They know not whnt the ne,v year will bring them. It may bring earthly losses and sorrows and sicl...-ness nnd death. But they can be of good cheer. Having the one thing needful, they will have a hnppy DC\\' year, though all that the world calls happiness .be tnken from them. In the Gospel of Jesus they ha,,e the assurance that their sins are forgiven ; that they are heirs of heaven; that Jesus is their Guide even unto death, and that He "'ill receh•e them to glory when life's little day is ended. One thing is needful I Words of encouragement in all our mission work I In bringing the Gospel of Jesus to perishing sinners, we bring them the one tl1ing needful, not a mere earthly blessing; but a heavenly blessing for their overlnsting salvation. There cannot be a more important, a more blessed work for thoso who, like Mary, have learned at J esur feet the blessedness of the one thing needful.