MITLAEUFER ( Fellow Traveller or Traveler)

The German word MITLAEUFER comes to my mind lately quite a bit.

But before I carry on writing let me say that the German language is my mother tongue. I don’t want you to say when you have finished reading this, “The guy does not know what he is talking about.” I was born in Germany and resided almost 27 years in that country before  I left for Thailand, to work there as a missionary.

Remember the word Mitlaeufer is on my mind. And today when coming back from the Saturday market in Kaitaia I grabbed my big Collins German Dictionary and looked up the word Mitlaeufer. According to the dictionary the meaning for the British is Fellow Traveller and for the Americans the meaning is just Traveler.

I think one of the most difficult jobs is translation work.

Let me tell you now what I think the ‘real’ meaning of the word Mitlaeufer is. When a real German hears the word Mitlaeufer all those people come to mind who are not really with it. That are those people who do not really know what it is all about. They are running with the real ones  – but they are just not real!

I hope you know what I am on about.

Let me explain:

You find the Mitlaufer in the churches. They are going to church. They are singing the church hymns. They are listening to the word. They are praying.  They are getting into church offices. They are preaching from the pulpits. This list can be continued. They are religious!

But the LORD has done nothing in their hearts. They are still dead. They are still in darkness. THEY ARE NOT BORN AGAIN!

I like that German word Mitlaeufer and don’t tell me I don’t know what I am talking about.

PRAY FOR THE MITLAEUFER!

Sermon Outline OT (NIV)

“For I resolved to

know nothing

while I was with you except

JESUS CHRIST

and him crucified.”

_____________________________

SOLOMON

First Kings 11:1-43

Intr.:

“King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women….

**********************

A. ….Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, HADAD the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom.

B. …. And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, REZON son of Eliada,…

C. ….Also, JEROBOAM son of Nebat rebelled against the king.

********************

End:

Then he rested with his fathers and….”

Golden Nugget

“When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple.” –

First Kings 8:10,11