The Testimony of Foreign Missions to the Superintending Providence of God

SharperIron

(About this series)

CHAPTER I: THE TESTIMONY OF FOREIGN MISSIONS TO THE SUPERINTENDING PROVIDENCE OF GOD

BY THE LATE ARTHUR T. PIERSON

God is in creation; cosmos would still be chaos with God left out. He is also in events; the whole of mission history is a mystery until read as His story.

We are now to look at the proofs of a Superintending Providence of God in foreign missions. The word “providence” literally means forevision, and hence, foreaction—preparation for what is foreseen—expressing a divine, invisible rule of this world, including care, control, guidance, as exercised over both the animate and inanimate creation. In its largest scope it involves foreknowledge and foreordination, preservation and administration, exercised in all places and at all times.

For our present purpose the word “providence” may be limited to the divine activity in the entire control of persons and events. This sphere of action and administration, or superintendence, embraces three departments: first, the natural or material—creation; second, the spiritual or immaterial—new creation; and third, the intermediate history in which He adapts and adjusts the one to the other, so that even the marred and hostile elements, introduced by sin, are made tributary to the final triumph of redemption. Man’s degeneration is corrected in regeneration; the natural made subservient to

6 The Fundamentals

the supernatural, and even the wrath of man to the love and grace of God.

Discussion

Hints for Pastoral Visitation

TylerR

I think visitation is important. I am trying to get around to visit everybody in my congregation with my family, to get to actually know them in their own homes, rather than just in the church. I was never “taught” how to do visitations, so I thought I’d ask what you folks have found useful in your ministries:

Discussion

Do you think music has become an idol in our churches?

Ed Vasicek

(This is about what you THINK, not what you can prove)

Poll Results

Do you think music has become an idol in our churches?

Yes, in most churches Votes: 8
Yes, in many but not most churches Votes: 9
Yes, in some instances but not commonly Votes: 4
Unsure Votes: 2
No Votes: 1
Other Votes: 0

Discussion

Church facilities

Kevin Miller

What are the facilities like at your church? Do you worship in a chapel setting with pews attached to the floor, an organ up front, and stained glass windows? Or do you worship in a large all-purpose room that has removable chairs and platform, so that the space can also be used as a cafeteria or recreation room? My church has the latter set-up.

How much of a difference do you think a setting makes in regards to worship on a Sunday morning?

Discussion

Skipping Verses in Hymns

Ron Bean

I had a secretary who would occasionally and humorously say, “Sometimes I feel as neglected as the third stanza in a hymn.”

When you sing hymns in your church, do you sing all the stanzas in the hymns? If you omit some, why do you do it?

Discussion