A Going Concern (No. 2)
Not only will a successful church achieve her aims, but she will plan and work. How much business would any corporation get if the planning board didn't use this principle in its fullness? All the planning in the world, no matter how fine the plans might be, would be of no avail toward the advancement of the company's business, if they didn't follow through. A successful business concern will plan her work and work her plan. The same principle will apply toward the church. The local church must work at the task before her. No man made missionary society, benevolent, nor edification society is necessary, because they are all without authority. What is that task? It's the same task that confronted the early disciples. It's the task that confronts every church of Christ in the world. It's the task that will ever and always be before you as long as you still have the breath of life within you and as long as this old world shall exist. It's the task of preaching the gospel is every creature in order that you might glorify God, while at the same time saving your own soul. Stop and think just for a moment. Man's only purpose on the earth to glorify God, and this he must do in the church,
The greatest desire of every individual Christian and every congregation in the world should be to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. Perhaps one of the greatest opportunities that will be presented to us in our generation is offered to us right now. That is, the preaching of the Gospel in Mexico. Mexico is a nation of 38,000,000 souls without Christ and without God. A nation that for hundreds of years has been steeped in ignorance and is under the yoke of the Roman Catholic Church. Mexico is tired of Catholicism and will throw off this yoke when they have heard and believed the glad tidings, the good news, the simple Gospel story of Jesus Christ, Why? Because this great story sets men and women free of their sins after they have heard and obeyed it. Simple, New Testament Christianity is appealing to the Mexicans, because they are hearing us. The seeds we planted in 1954 are beginning to bring forth fruit. Due to "backwardness and indifference" on the part of North American congregations standing for the truth we lost Tijuana (temporarily) to the liberal crowd and this was due to ignorance possibly more than anything else. But today, this has all changed. Brethren standing for the truth are supporting the preaching of the Gospel in Mexico, and as a result of this, there are three congregations along the far U.S.-Mexico border, Tecate, San Luis, and Sonoyta, who are standing like brick walls against liberalism. But brethren, we need the help of more of you! We are fighting spiritual wickedness in high places, and the way we can fight error is with the truth. The only way that the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth will be proclaimed today, is by brethren who love the truth and have taken their stand for it. This is what faithful brethren everywhere are doing, and the list is growing by leaps and bounds. The Gospel Guardian is a Journal that loves the truth and fears not to declare it, shouting It from the housetops. (Those of you who read this page should send one or two year subscriptions to at least ten brethren who need to be taught the truth. We should send in at least 10,000 new subscriptions. In other words, what I am trying to say is, that if you love the truth and if you stand for the truth, you should come out and be counted and hold up the hands of those that are holding up the banner of truth! CFH)
But again, we have a favorable government with us, and the fact that works have been started along the U.S.-Mexico border makes it easy and convenient for you to see for yourselves. You don't need to go overseas. You don't need to cross oceans. We can preach the Gospel to our own neighbors right here in our own back yard. In the ten towns along the U.S.-Mexico border within Mexico, there are now five congregations. There are still five more of these towns yet to be reached with the Gospel. The workers in Mexico are establishing congregations along the border just as fast as Gospel preachers can be trained by the local church, and support for them can be arranged. You need to write for our regular mimeographed reports, which will keep you informed about the work along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Yes....Plan and Work. That's what big business does. That's what the biggest business in the world needs to do. If every congregation of the Lord's people would do this, the truth would spread faster, error would be put to flight, and the Lord would be glorified in the only institution for which He ever intended glory to be received.
Plan with Mexico in mind, and work toward that end. Mexico today is truly the land of opportunity for spreading the Gospel of Christ.
— P. O. Box 641, San Luis, Arizona