Jesus was constantly compassed by multitudes whom He saw as confused, leaderless people, as sheep without a shepherd.   Matthew 9:36.   Jesus saw these people as a harvest of souls, but the laborers were few.   Matthew 9:37.   Jesus told the disciples to pray for the Lord to send forth laborers into the harvest of souls.   Matthew 9:38.   Fishermen were needed to be sent into this lake of humanity to fish for souls, to lead men to a knowledge of Jesus Christ as Savior.

     Jesus immediately called the twelve disciples to His side.   He gave them special powers we don't possess today.   Matthew 10:1.   The first four of those disciples were the same ones He called earlier to be fishers of men (Peter, Andrew, James and John).   Matthew 10:2.   Now eight more were going to be assigned the same task.   Matthew 10:3-4.   The primary task of those men was to "go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" and preach to them, bear WITNESS of Christ and fish for their souls, to see if they would receive Christ as their Savior.   Matthew 10:5-7.

     NOTE;   Think back now for a moment.   Jesus wanted His disciples to be fishers of men.   He saw the multitude of people, His people, Israel, as floundering souls needing a WITNESS among them.   He sent the twelve to FISH for their souls, to proclaim a Savior among them who could give them rest and peace for their souls.

     Christ's disciples of today, YOU and ME, are to be FISHERMEN as well.   We are to GO to every creature and WITNESS about our Savior, whom every man needs.   Mark 16:15.

     HOW SHALL WE FISH FOR MEN?   How do you fish for fish?   You go where the fish are.   You use the right kind of bait, and you have patience.   SO IT IS IN FISHING FOR MEN!   We must fish for men where people are found.   Our FISHING HOLE is all around us.   People on our jobs, in our neighborhood, our friends, acquaintances and relatives are all prospects for FISHING.   We have VISITATION in order to FISH for men whom we would not ordinarily meet or become acquainted with.   We MUST be where the fish are because it is our responsibility to GIVE THEM a testimony in behalf of our Savior whom they need.

     We must use the right kind of BAIT.   Jesus said in Acts 1:8, "Ye shall be witnesses unto me (with reference to me).   The BAIT we fish with is the PRECIOUS TRUTHS about what Jesus did to purchase the salvation of men's souls.

     We give WITNESS about Jesus in two ways:   (1)   Our personal testimony ~~ EVERY believer should be able to tell about their own salvation experiences.   Some are concerned about HOW to tell their own salvation experience.   Our personal testimony should contain three elements:   What I was before I was saved, How I was saved, and what Jesus has meant to me since I was saved.   Let us suggest this:   Write out your personal testimony using the three points above as divisions for relating your salvation experience.   Why write it out?   Many people are scared to death, when they think about giving their testimony because they say, "I don't know how to start and what all to say."   By writing out your testimony you know exactly where to begin and what you are going to say and with what you are going to conclude.   Keep the written testimony and review it occasionally.

     (2)   A Bible WITNESS~~ using your Bible to give scriptures about our lovely Savior.   A very simple Bible witness is as follows:   All men are sinners, Romans 3:9-12.   Sin causes men to come short of God's desires. Romans 3:23.   The payment for man's sin is death. Romans 6:23.   Christ died for man's sin to save man from eternal hell.   We also see it as an expression of God's love for sinful souls. Romans 5:6,7.   Men can believe in Christ as their Savior from their heart. Romans 10:9-10.   God promises to save any man who will call upon Him, repenting of his sin, and believing in Christ as his Savior. Romans 10:13.

     We must have patience after we have laid out the message of Christ to men's hearts.   Our responsibility is to GIVE THEM the WITNESS about Christ.   It is the HOLY SPIRIT'S WORK to use that witness to convict them of sin and burden their heart to believe Christ as their Savior.   It is the LOST MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY to ACCEPT or REJECT Christ as his or her Savior.

     Conclusion:   Jesus asked His disciples to see the fields of men's souls as white, ripe for harvest and to go labor among them to see some saved.   John 4;35-36.   WILL YOU WITNESS FOR CHRIST?   WILL YOU GIVE GOD A CHANCE TO USE YOU TO REAP A SOUL FOR CHRIST?

     Oh!  Where are the reapers, my Father?
          And why are the laborers few?
     The field is so white unto harvest!
          O Father, there's so much to do.
     "The reapers are plenty," He answered;
          I have called forth to harvest a host;
     A few have responded.   The others
          Are sadly neglecting their post.
     One lingers at home for a living
          For fear I will not supply.
     Another shrinks back with 'I cannot!'
          And even refuses to try.
     Another is lost in earth's pleasure,
          Forgetting the sorrow and pain
     Of sad, sinful multitudes dying.
          Another is bent on earth's gain.
     I have called, but my call is unheeded."
          Oh!   Awake, ye slumberers, I pray!
     Awaken!   God hasn't forgotten
          The call that He gave you.   Away!
     Must the Father remain disappointed
          In the work He expected of you?
     Must it ever be thus, "I have called many,
          But those who answered are few."?

     ~~Mary J. Helpingstein.

Link

     Sister Cathy Jones writes:   We received the work permit for the camp yesterday and are ready to get started.   We plan to finish up the work by the end of July, spend a couple of weeks for inspections, and then comes the permit we've all been working towards- back in 'business'!!!  To read more about camp, click on the link above.

     Yesterday, while you were in church, the congress passed the health care bill.   If this was a righteous health care bill, then why did they have to wait until Christians were in church to pass it?   It was not by chance that this bill was passed on Sunday when congress, like everyone else, should have been in church.

Letters To The Editor

     At this time I would like to give my testimony.   My father, the editor of this paper, was a missionary in Japan when I was growing up as a child.   I went to a church where Japanese was the language that was spoken.   As I wasn't fluent in that language, what I knew I learned in a Sunday school class my mother taught.   Other than that there was an interdenominational English speaking service we attended on Saturday nights called the "G. I. Gospel Hour".   At this "G. I. Gospel Hour" missionaries of various denominations would preach often on man's lost condition and some were good at preaching on hell.

     I soon came to know that I was lost and bound for hell.   There were many nights when I climbed into the top bunk bed in the room I shared with my younger brother and tossed and turned worrying about hell.   I prayed that God would save me because I didn't want to die and go to hell.   I did not find any relief in praying that prayer.

     Then one Sunday, September 22nd 1963, my mother was teaching about Zaccchaeus (Luke 19).   My mother told how Zacchaeus was a little man who couldn't see over the crowd so that he climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus.   He thought that Jesus would just pass by there and he would have a chance to see One who had healed the sick.   But Jesus came right up to where Zacchaeus was up in the tree and He said, "Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at your house."   My mother explained that there aren't any chance encounters with Jesus.   Jesus knew all about Zacchaeus.   He knew his name, He knew he was lost and needed a Savior.   Jesus had come especially to tell Zacchaeus how to be saved and He comes to each of us and pleads with us to be our Savior and we must not reject Him when he does.   She told how Jesus had to die and paid an awful price for the sin that Zacchaeus had committed.

     It was about this time that I saw the awful price that Jesus had paid for my sin.   By faith, I could see the nail holes in His hands.   Like doubting Thomas I was invited to place my hand in His riven side, and at last I knew it was because of my sin God had sent Him to die.   In tears of grief and true repentance I kneeled and repented of my sins to God and put my trust in Jesus as my Savior.  

     With tears of joy I told of my salvation to the Gospel Baptist Church of Yokohama, Japan and they voted to receive me into their fellowship by baptism the next Sunday.   The next Sunday I was baptized by the authority of Gospel Baptist Church.   I wish I could say I have been faithful ever since but that is not the case.   However, Jesus has always been faithful and it is wonderful that my salvation depends on what He did on Calvary and not on anything I have done.

     You, too, can have Jesus as your Savior.  Just looking for a fire escape won't do though.   You must repent of your sin to God.   His holiness demands your death yet He gave His only begotten Son to pay that price for you.   You must trust that what Jesus did for you on the cross paid it all.   Every convict is looking for a way out but they have no concern for trouble they have caused.   As sinners we cause God a lot of trouble and our meager lives cannot pay.   We must truly repent and trust Jesus as the only One who can pay.

     Folks if you want to respond to something you have read in "Baptist Landmarks" please E-Mail your response to edit@BaptistLandmarks.org   Your response will be printed here.

the long-shanked church hopper

     This strange looking bird never stays in one place long enough to put down roots.   He will jump around if offered a job teaching a class, given responsibility, hears of a preacher with more 'pizazz', a church with a better choir, more social activities or are not in a program of missions or building with need for more funds.   Most of the time he isn't really concerned with whether it is doctrinally sound as long as it fills his 'needs'.   He is usually outgoing and friendly but never makes any strong bonds of friendship.   They might cramp his style.   He wants a church that is real 'spiritual' but not too strong on doctrine or christian living.

     WILL YOU TAKE A POSITIVE STAND FOR LANDMARK DOCTRINES, HISTORIC BAPTIST INDEPENDENCE AND DIRECT MISSION PRACTICE?   THEN SIGN UP FOR A SUBSCRIPTION TO THIS PAPER AND SPREAD THE TRUTH AS IT IS IN THE WORD OF GOD.