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A Missionary Revival

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 11, 1913

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 90, No. 50.

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A Missionary Revival

By Mrs. A. E. Ellis

When we speak of a missionary revival, our thoughts instinctively go back in our denominational history to the time when missionary work was the businessof our churches; when every one who accepted the truth which separated him from the rest of the Christian world expected to bring that truth to the notice of others, and win them also to its acceptance; when, failing to find words to express his doctrinal belief, the ever-ready tract was slipped into the hand of acquaintance or friend, with a prayer that the Spirit might give it power; when into every letter the “silent messenger” found its way, not carelessly sent, but winged with the consciousness and delight of imparting a knowledge of new-found treasures; when not only the dollars of the well-to-do were freely given, but the scanty pennies of the poor were hoarded to “help the cause;” in short, when people were really born into the truth, and with their first spiritual intake of its essentially missionary atmosphere, were mightily moved to impart what they had received; when missionary enthusiasm began at the bottom, and by the inevitable law of growth spread itself and gathered strength in denominational activity and direction.
What we call a decline in the missionary spirit is not true in a strictly denominational sense. Our work is moving grandly onward, and continual opportunity and importunity are thrusting upon our leaders the necessity of the forward march through all the world. But the vital strength of the denomination is in the hearts of its individual members; and if these in any degree fail or become discouraged, the denominational work is proportionately weakened.
Has there been a falling off in individual missionary activity? Then the place to begin the missionary revival is in the hearts of our people,—in the home churches, where their lot is cast and their lives are spent. Many have fallen into the habit of regarding missionary work as an enterprise, and not as the direct outgrowth of Christ in the heart.
A dying missionary was visited by a friend, who, thinking to comfort him, said close to his ear, “I know in whom I have believed.” The old saint opened his dimming eyes, and, fixing them on his visitor’s face, replied: “I cannot have even a proposition between me and my Lord. ‘I know whom I have believed.’ Let us get up to that level; ‘let the great baptized heart of the church get up to that level of intimate, faithful union with Christ,’ and we shall have a perennial missionary revival.”
The trouble is, as one writer says, “We are vessels half full, trying to run over.” We need, as truly as did the woman of Samaria, to hear the divine voice saying to us, “The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” The unfailing spring of missionary activity is within us, a perpetual miracle wrought by the hand of our Lord; and if the channel is kept free, the tide of life will flow strong and sweet, and we shall learn the true meaning of God’s “whatsoever.”
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,” sets aside all fine-spun theory and brings the child of God face to face with his daily life, its homely tasks, its uninspiring routine, its chance meetings and partings, as well as its higher aims and more far-reaching plans. Not a single ministration in the home, the church, or the neighborhood, can escape that insistent “whatsoever.”
“Ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good.” Here is a field declared by the Lord himself to be ever open to missionary effort; and in this line of Christian Help work are great possibilities for utilizing a variety of talents, and for enlisting and holding the interest of old and young.
Of blessed memory is a little Help Band to which the writer once belonged, and which for years scattered blessings both near and far. In its friendly meetings every week the dear old grandmothers could indulge without stint their passion for piecing quilt blocks; younger and stronger hands prepared many a box of bedding and barrel of comfortable clothing; and the children were more than happy to sit with the older ones and fashion iron holders, wash-cloths, and dish-towels, or paste scrap-books for some bed-ridden child. The husbands and brothers could do their part on collection day, or at some needy person’s wood-pile. Some who had thought themselves of no use developed good talent in gathering loads of second-hand clothing; and one dear sister said she had only one gift, and that was for patching, but she was thankful she could use it for the Lord.
Everywhere there are the sick to be cared for and the sorrowing to be comforted. We are apt to look upon all this as very humble work, but it was not too humble to occupy the time and thought of our Saviour.
There are other things we can do. As long as there are people who do not know the good news of Christ’s soon coming and the kindred truths with which this is associated, and as long as there are papers and tracts in which these things are plainly and attractively presented, so long will the Lord want to use his children as the connecting link to carry to those who know it not his saving message. Is there any one who cannot help in this? And if every one would do even a little, how many publications might become saving messages to those whom God loves and whom he longs to reach and save!
No one who has stood by the mammoth printing-press of today and noted its wonderful mechanism, its marvelous possibilities, and the almost human capability with which its work is done, can doubt that it is one of God’s prepared agencies for the finishing of his work; and when we consider with it the stupendous mail system, reaching the remotest corners of the earth, where is our loyalty if we cannot gladly give the use of our hands in intelligent cooperation to send the printed pages everywhere?
We should remember that not in this favored land alone are publications a means of grace, but that in many of our far-off mission stations papers and tracts are most helpful in spreading the gospel, and that the hearts of our workers who are struggling under untold difficulties to publish in other tongues the last message, would be cheered and lightened if the churches at home would share their burdens by sending means to help scatter the precious pages.
The time in which we live is justly called “the age of books,” and Satan knows well how to utilize the almost universal desire for reading. Surely we cannot leave the field to him, but should rather emulate his zeal and industry as we scatter the books containing the truth for this time. The special effort of our enemy never ceases; and the real strength of our work depends largely on the measure of the “continuing spirit” which we possess, on the steady, never-failing spiritual energy which characterizes those only in whose hearts the fires of true missionary consecration are kindled.
“Every one must learn to work and to stand in his place as a burden-bearer. Every addition to the church should be one more agency for the carrying out of the great plan of redemption. The entire church, acting as one, blending in perfect union, is to be a living, active missionary agency, moved and controlled by the Holy Spirit.”
The money invested for God; the stock dedicated to him; the missionary garden; the honest, earnest effort to keep in touch with God’s work at home and abroad; the fervent, effectual prayer, never forgotten nor neglected; every gift, every ability, every resource possible to any human being, are swept into that all-embracing admonition, “Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
A noted Christian worker says, “We want in this age saints—more saints. We need to believe that in Christ there is all power in heaven and in earth, to make us live here a heavenly life, living among men as those inspired by God and filled with the divine presence.”
These words of Spurgeon’s are true today: “O, how we want all power now! We all have our theories of the condition of the churches just now. I do not know what yours may be; mine are not very bright. But I have this one belief in my soul, that what is wanted most of all is a great revival of spiritual life, a wonderful downpour of the grace of God from heaven to flood all our churches. It seems to me we get very much like the barges and the vessels down yonder at London Bridge when the tide is out. There they lie on the mud. You cannot move them. What is to be done? Now, will you great engineers tell me how much horse-power and how much steam-power you want? There is nothing wanted but the tide. When the tide rises, every old barge begins to walk the water like a thing of life, and every vessel moves right readily. When the heavenly tides of spiritual blessing come up, nothing can withstand them. Come up, O heavenly tide! Nothing can stand against thee!”
In a comment on the verse, “All power is given unto me,” I read this: “Perhaps some one says, ‘I will do what I can.’ But this is not enough. Any one can do that. He that believes in Christ does what he cannot do, attempts the impossible and performs it.” It was said of Luther, “There goes a man who can have anything of God he likes.” O, for more Luthers! If we were indeed what we profess to be, if we were all alive and endued with the Spirit of God, and “germinating mightily with the inner life,” there are enough of this people to shake the world from end to end, and make it burn and glow with the light and glory of the last warning message. God grant that the missionary revival in this denomination be not long delayed.
“Is not thy grace as mighty now As when Elijah felt its power? When glory beamed from Moses’ brow, Or Job endured the trying hour?“Remember, Lord, the ancient days; Renew thy work, thy grace restore; And while to thee our hearts we raise, On us thy Holy Spirit pour.”
MRS. A. E. ELLIS.