The word comes
to me in the night “season to speak to the churches that
know the truth:
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is
risen upon thee.”
Isaiah 60:1.
The words of the
Lord in the fifty-fourth chapter of Isaiah are for us:
“Enlarge the
place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine
habitations:
spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; for thou
shalt break forth
on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit
the Gentiles,
and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Fear not; for thou
shalt not be
ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to
shame.... For
thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is His name; and
thy Redeemer the
Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be
called.” Isaiah
54:2-5.
And the words of
Christ to His disciples are also for His people today:
“Say not ye,
There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold,
I say unto you,
Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white
already to
harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit
unto life
eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice
together.” John
4:35, 36.
God’s people
have a mighty work before them, a work that must
continually rise
to greater prominence. Our efforts in missionary lines must
become far more
extensive. A more decided work than has been done must be
done prior to
the second appearing of our Lord Jesus
23
Christ. God’s
people are not to cease their labors until they shall encircle the
world.
The vineyard
includes the whole world, and every part of it is to be worked.
There are places
which are now a moral wilderness, and these are to become
as the garden of
the Lord. The waste places of the earth are to be cultivated,
that they may
bud and blossom as the rose. New territories are to be worked
by men inspired
by the Holy Spirit. New churches must be established,
new
congregations organized. At this time there should be representatives
of present truth
in every city and in the remote parts of the earth. The whole
earth is to be
illuminated with the glory of God’s truth. The light is to shine to
all lands and
all peoples. And it is from those who have received the light that
it is to shine
forth. The daystar has risen upon us, and we are to flash its light
upon the pathway
of those in darkness.
A crisis is
right upon us. We must now by the Holy Spirit’s power proclaim
the great truths
for these last days. It will not be long before everyone will have
heard the
warning and made his decision. Then shall the end come.
It is the very
essence of all right faith to do the right thing at the right time.
God is the great
Master Worker, and by His providence He prepares the way
for His work to
be accomplished. He provides opportunities, opens up lines of
influence and
channels of working. If His people are watching the indications
of His
providence, and stand ready to co-operate with Him, they will see
a great work
accomplished. Their efforts, rightly directed, will produce a
hundredfold
greater results than can be accomplished with the same means
and facilities
in another channel where God is not so manifestly working. Our
work is
reformative, and it is God’s purpose that the excellence
24
of the work in
all lines shall be an object lesson to the people. In new fields
especially it is
important that the work be so established as to give a correct
representation
of the truth. In all our plans for missionary operations these
principles
should be kept in mind.
Certain
countries have advantages that mark them as centers of education
and influence.
In the English-speaking nations and the Protestant nations of
Europe it is
comparatively easy to find access to the people, and there are
many advantages
for establishing institutions and carrying forward our work.
In some other
lands, such as India and China, the workers must go through a
long course of
education before the people can understand them, or they the
people. And at
every step there are great difficulties to be encountered in the
work. In
America, Australia, England, and some other European countries,
many of these
impediments do not exist. America has many institutions to
give character
to the work. Similar facilities should be furnished for England,
Australia,
Germany, and Scandinavia, and other Continental countries as the
work advances.
In these countries the Lord has able workmen, laborers of
experience.
These can lead out in the establishment of institutions, the training
of workers, and
the carrying forward of the work in its different lines. God
designs that
they shall be furnished with means and facilities. The institutions
established
would give character to the work in these countries, and would
give opportunity
for the training of workers for the darker heathen nations.
In this way the
efficiency of our experienced workers would be multiplied a
hundredfold.
There is a great
work to be done in England. The light radiating from
London should
beam forth in clear, distinct rays to regions beyond. God has
wrought in
25
England, but
this English-speaking world has been terribly neglected. England
has needed many
more laborers and much more means. London has been
scarcely
touched. My heart is deeply moved as the situation in that great city
is presented
before me. It pains me to think that greater facilities are not
provided for the
work throughout Europe. I have sore heartache as I think
of the work in
Switzerland, Germany, Norway, and Sweden. Where there are
one or two men
struggling to carry forward the different branches of the cause,
there should be
hundreds at work. In the city of London alone no fewer than
one hundred men
should be engaged. The Lord marks the neglect of His work,
and there will
be a heavy account to settle by and by.
If the workers
in America will impart to others of their great mercies, they
will see
prosperity in England. They will sympathize with the workers who
are struggling
with difficulties there, and will have the heart to say, not only
in word but in
action: “All ye are brethren.” Matthew 23:8. They will see a
great work done
in London, all through the cities of England, and throughout
the different
European countries.
God calls upon
us to push the triumphs of the cross in Australia. New fields
are opening. For
want of workers and money the work has been hindered, but
it must be
hindered no longer. Of all countries, Australia most resembles
America. All
classes of people are there. And the warning message has not
been presented
and rejected. There are thousands of honest souls praying
for light. God’s
watchmen are to stand on the walls of Zion and to give the
warning: “The
morning cometh, and also the night”—the night wherein no
man can work.
While the angels are holding the four winds, the message is to
enter every
field in Australia as fast as possible.
26
The
strengthening of the work in these English-speaking countries will
give our
laborers a hundredfold more influence than they have had to plant the
standard of
truth in many lands.
While we are
trying to work these destitute fields, the cry comes from
far-off
countries: “Come over and help us.” These are not so easily reached,
and not so ready
for the harvest, as are the fields more nearly within our sight;
but they must
not be neglected.
The poverty of
the missions in Africa has recently been opened before me.
The missionaries
sent from America to the natives of Africa have suffered and
are still
suffering for the necessaries of life. God’s missionaries, who carry the
message of mercy
to heathen lands, are not properly sustained in their work.
Our brethren
have not discerned that in helping to advance the work in
foreign fields
they would be helping the work at home. That which is given to
start the work
in one field will result in strengthening the work in other places.
As the laborers
are freed from embarrassment, their efforts can be extended;
as souls are
brought to the truth and churches are established, there will be
increasing
financial strength. Soon these churches will be able not only to
carry on the
work in their own borders, but to impart to other fields. Thus the
burden resting
on the home churches will be shared.
The home
missionary work will be farther advanced in every way when
a more liberal,
self-denying, self-sacrificing spirit is manifested for the
prosperity of foreign
missions; for the prosperity of the home work depends
largely, under
God, upon the reflex influence of the evangelical work done in
countries afar
off. It is in working actively to supply the necessities of the
cause of God
that we bring our souls in touch with the Source of all power.
27
Although the
work in foreign fields has not advanced as it should have
advanced, yet
that which has been accomplished affords reason for gratitude
and ground for
encouragement. Much less means has been spent in these fields
than in the home
fields, and the work has been done under the hardest pressure
and without
proper facilities. Yet, considering the help that has been sent to
these fields,
the result is indeed surprising. Our missionary success has been
fully
proportionate to our self-denying, self-sacrificing effort. God alone can
estimate the
work accomplished as the gospel message has been proclaimed
in clear,
straight lines. New fields have been entered, and aggressive work has
been done. The
seeds of truth have been sown, the light has flashed upon many
minds, bringing
enlarged views of God and a more correct estimate as to the
character to be
formed. Thousands have been brought to a knowledge of the
truth as it is
in Jesus. They have been imbued with the faith that works by love
and purifies the
soul.
The value of
these spiritual advantages is beyond our comprehension.
What line can
sound the depths of the word preached? What balances can
correctly weigh
the influence of those who are converted to the truth? In their
turn they become
missionaries to work for others. In many places houses of
worship have
been erected. The Bible, the precious Bible, is studied. The
tabernacle of
God is with men, and He dwells with them.
Let us rejoice
that a work which God can approve has been done in
these fields. In
the name of the Lord let us lift up our voices in praise and
thanksgiving for
the results of work abroad.
And still our
General, who never makes a mistake, says to us: “Advance.
Enter new
territory. Lift up the standard
28
in every land. ‘Arise,
shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is
risen upon thee.”’
Our watchword is
to be: Onward, ever onward. The angels of God will
go before us to
prepare the way. Our burden for the “regions beyond” can
never be laid
down until the whole earth shall be lightened with the glory of
the Lord.
*****
The missionary
spirit needs to be revived in our churches. Every member
of the church
should study how to help forward the work of God, both in home
missions and in
foreign countries. Scarcely a thousandth part of the work is
being done that
ought to be done in missionary fields. God calls upon His
workers to annex
new territory for Him. There are rich fields of toil waiting
for the faithful
worker. And ministering angels will co-operate with every
member of the
church who will labor unselfishly for the Master.
*****
The church of
Christ on earth was organized for missionary purposes, and
the Lord desires
to see the entire church devising ways and means whereby
high and low,
rich and poor, may hear the message of truth. Not all are called
to personal
labor in foreign fields, but all can do something by their prayers
and their gifts
to aid the missionary work.
An American
businessman who was an earnest Christian, in conversation
with a fellow
worker remarked that he himself worked for Christ twenty-four
hours of the
day. “In all my business relations,” he said, I try to represent my
Master. As I
have opportunity, I try to win
29
others to Him.
All day I am working for Christ. And at night, while I sleep, I
have a man
working for Him in China.”
In explanation
he added: “In my youth I determined to go as a missionary
to the heathen.
But on the death of my father I had to take up his business
in order to
provide for the family. Now, instead of going myself, I support
a missionary. In
such a town of such a province of China, my worker is
stationed. And
so, even while I sleep, I am, through my representative, still
working for
Christ.”
Are there not
Seventh-day Adventists who will do likewise? Instead of
keeping the
ministers at work for the churches that already know the truth, let
the members of
the churches say to these laborers: “Go work for souls that
are perishing in
darkness. We ourselves will carry forward the services of the
church. We will
keep up the meetings, and, by abiding in Christ, will maintain
spiritual life.
We will work for souls that are about us, and we will send our
prayers and our
gifts to sustain the laborers in more needy and destitute fields.”
Why should not
the members of a church or of several small churches
unite to sustain
a missionary in foreign fields? If they will deny themselves
of selfish indulgences,
dispense with needless and hurtful things, they can do
this. Brethren
and sisters, will you not help in this work? I beseech you to
do something for
Christ, and to do it now. Through the teacher whom your
money shall
sustain in the field, souls may be saved from ruin to shine as stars
in the Redeemer’s
crown.
REFFERRENCE
Testimonies for the Church,Volume Six
Ellen
G. White,1901,page 23-30
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