Is It Not Time to Do Great Things for God? by A. G. Daniells

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 13, 1907

Is It Not Time to Do Great Things for God?

By A. G. Daniells

It is certainly very appropriate that Seventh-day Adventists should each year make a fourth-of-July offering to aid in proclaiming the third angel’s message to the world. This is consistent with the character of our message. On the fourth of July the American people will spend many thousands of dollars for drink, tobacco, races, dances, and fireworks. The most of this large sum of money will be worse than wasted. And this while the great river of lost humanity is pouring over the falls into an abyss of eternal ruin.

Jesus died for every one of these poor sinners. He is now offering his life of mediation for them, and many of them do not know it. Their lot has been cast beyond the light of the glorious gospel. The third angel’s message is that gospel revealed in all its fulness. It is now to be proclaimed to all the world—every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. It has reached our hearts, and it now calls upon us to make it known to our fellow men in every land. The fourth-of-July offering is to be one of the expressions of our response to this call. Will that response be general, whole-hearted, and large? Will it be in keeping with the importance of the need and the ability God has given us?

This offering this year is to be applied on the $150,000 fund, and that fund is to be used in providing most important and greatly needed facilities for hastening this cause to its close. Surely the time has come for Seventh-day Adventists to arise and do something large. We have come to the place where the people must act. This is the only solution of this problem. Many hours and days and weeks of anxious thought and earnest prayer by the most experienced and devoted men in our ranks have been given to the various facilities to which this offering is to be devoted. They have seen that these facilities are absolutely necessary for the advancement of this cause. The question of calling for this large fund was most carefully considered in all its details by the General Conference Committee. All agreed that it be done. Whether it will be raised, and when, must rest now with the people.

It certainly looks as if when a careful and prayerful decision is reached by those chosen by the people to lead out in the work, to do a definite, specific thing, all the people should loyally step forward as one man and do it. Unless this is done, what is there to encourage the leaders to devise any definite plans for progress? The prompt, hearty, united response by the people of God when they are called to service, may be illustrated by the following story told of some British soldiers who were called to suppress a rebellion among the Ashanti tribes on the west coast of Africa:—

One morning the officer in command came to speak to the soldiers as they were drilling on the level stretch of land. He said: “Soldiers, I have a dangerous enterprise on to-day. I need so many men. Every man that goes may lose his life. It is as serious as that. I am telling you frankly. I could draft you, but I don’t want to. I would like to ask for volunteers. I want those who will volunteer for Her Majesty’s sake to advance a pace.” They were drawn up in a straight line, and thinking the men might be influenced by his look, he swung on his heel, and off, then back again, and looked. The line stood as straight as before. His eye flashed fire. “What, not a single man to volunteer!” Then a fellow standing at the end of the line next to him saluted and said, modestly, “If you please, sir, every man has advanced one pace.”

This is the way the believers in the third angel’s message should step forward when duty calls. Then the work would be hastened, and the end, for which the surviving pioneers in this cause, and many younger ones as well, so devoutly long, would come.

A. G. DANIELLS.