p. 22 | An Impetus Needed

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 9, 1902

An Impetus Needed

The time is ripe for a definite forward movement by a people who have professed for many years that the Lord would come in this generation. If our position is correct, the world must be quickly warned. Some tremendous inspiration must arouse and electrify our people to go to work as never before.

Full Consecration

When there were five thousand men to feed, and only five loaves and two little fishes with which to feed them, these were unreservedly given into the hands of the Master to use as he chose to use them. He was given the sole right to divide and distribute as he thought best. These amounted to very little toward satisfying the hungry craving of the great multitude; but that little was consecrated fully, unquestioningly, and unreservedly to his service, and Jesus received them thankfully. So we read that he took the few loaves and fishes, and “when he had given thanks, he distributed” till “they were filled.”

So, dear brethren and sisters, though we are small and insignificant when compared to the great need, if the little we are is unreservedly consecrated to his service to be used in any way he shall see fit, will he not “give thanks,” and will not the little thus placed in his hands, and thus thankfully received by him, suffice for the needs of the great, perishing world multitude?

Christ’s Interests Ours

O, then, let us first of all yield ourselves wholly and unreservedly into his hands, there to lie passively for him to use as he sees fit! Let us cease from our own works, cease from having any interests separate from those of our Lord. “Christ’s interests and those of his followers should be one.”

And what are his interests? He had but one object—soul-saving. He came “to seek and to save that which was lost.” He “went about doing good.” So we, if we love him, shall be found doing the work he wishes to have done, the work he would do if he were now here on earth;