Consistent With Our Profession
By Arthur G. Daniells
THE plan for Seventh-day Adventists to make what may be called a Fourth-of-July offering to foreign missions is surely consistent with the solemn profession we make. Believing and professing what we do regarding the time in which we live, the work committed to us, and the terrible crisis just before the world, how could we do anything else? During the Fourth-of-July celebrations millions of dollars will be spent by the American people for pleasure. Much of this will be worse than wasted. How can Seventh-day Adventists take part in this waste? Knowing and professing what we do, we must turn away from the world's manner of doing, and set an example of sobriety, devotion, and self-sacrifice consistent with our profession. To do this is not only a duty; it is an exceedingly great and precious privilege. What would we take in exchange for the third angel's message, for this glorious, soul-inspiring, heart-cheering message? It is far more to us than the honors, pleasures, and riches of the world. But, brethren, this cause is no more to us who know it to-day than it will be to some dear soul who will embrace it to-morrow. It is this wonderful fact that calls us who know the message to earnest, continuous service and sacrifice for those who do not know it. How many of us have witnessed the changes through which people have passed as they have come to a saving knowledge of this truth? At last what joy and gladness filled their hearts as they decided to obey the truth. And following this what earnest efforts and self-sacrifice they made in behalf of others to give them the message. Thus it has been from the day the first pioneers became identified with this cause. Now we are nearing the end. For more than half a century we have been sowing the good seed. This has been a time of preparation. The truth has taken root here and there. It has extended on the right hand and on the left until it has encircled the world. Facilities have been provided, workers trained, countries entered, and doors opened everywhere. Never since this cause started has the outlook appeared brighter and more encouraging than to-day. But the work is not done, the needs are not all met, and the end has not come. We must still pray and struggle on. We must continue to give our means and our service to our fellow men. The call of this hour is service for God in behalf of humanity. Nothing can take the place of this. Prayer, praise, Bible study, joy in the message, are all good and necessary, but they can never take the place of earnest labor and giving in behalf of the perishing. We should rejoice in God that we have this great privilege. No greater honor can be bestowed. How it cheers us to see earnest, devoted, cultured men and women so cheerfully offering their lives to any and all of the mission fields of the whole wide world! How it thrills our hearts to see parents consecrating their sons and daughters to these far-off lands! How it strengthens our hands to see our brethren and sisters who are toiling summer and winter on farms and at work-benches, in shops and stores, cheerfully giving away their hard-earned means to meet the traveling expenses and support of these workers who can go! What is being done is grand, and it must be continued and increased until this message is preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then, O then, the end will come!—the end of the cruel reign of sin, the end of sorrow and suffering to all living creatures. The greater our devotion, the larger our giving, and the more earnest our service, the sooner that long-looked-for end will come. Sabbath, July 1, will be upon us in a few days, and the opportunity to make a gift to the cause of our needy, destitute missions will be here. Seventh-day Adventists can make an offering of twenty-five thousand dollars on that day without doing themselves any harm. And O what a lift that would be to the missions! In closing may I not appeal to our ministers, church officers, and brethren and sisters to take this seriously to heart, and make an offering at this time that will place our funds where the Mission Board will not be obliged to cut down the appropriations as they have supposed they would be compelled to do? The Lord has blessed us with great light, great responsibilities, and great resources. No other people are so highly favored as we are. 'Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For verily7I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.'
May God reveal to us the full meaning of these words, and make us the earnest, consecrated people we should be. Sabbath, July 1, there will be read in all our churches in America the memorial presented by the foreign missionaries to the recent General Conference. Many of the delegates were in tears when the reading of this memorial was finished. We send this memorial to all our people, praying that it will touch a responsive chord in every heart, and thus help to make a large offering to our missions. In no other way can we so practically answer this call from all lands. This July offering can, and should, be the largest midsummer offering we have ever made to the cause of missions. May it be even so.