p. 15 | Spiritual Finance by I. H. EVANS

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 22, 1906

Spiritual Finance

By I. H. EVANS

I. H. EVANS

(Reading for Thursday, December 20)

“He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”

In these words Jesus teaches us how our Heavenly Father regards the service we render to others. “He that receiveth you receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.”

Thus Christ identifies himself with his laborers, and gives to those who receive his messengers the blessing that he gives to those whom he sends. Not only does he give the blessing, but he also gives the reward; for we read: “He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man’s reward.”

Could language be more strong or more encouraging than this assurance that the Lord takes cognizance of every act of kindness that we do in his name? If a prophet is received in the name of a prophet, the receiver, the one who receives the prophet, shall receive a prophet’s reward. “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”

One would think that to give a cup of cold water to a thirsty, weary pilgrim in the name of a disciple, would be the smallest act of kindness that one could bestow, yet the Lord takes notice even of this. Think you that he who notices all these smaller matters will forget the sacrifice and devotion that his children make in behalf of the interests of the cause of God in the earth?

When we carefully read the Word of God, we find in it examples of two classes of people. One class live for themselves, and consider only their own needs and desires. The other class forget themselves and their needs in service to their fellow men.

Think for a moment of a few men who have lived only for self,—Cain, the murderer, who in a jealous rage slew his brother; Esau, who sold his birth-right for a mess of pottage; Balaam, who was anxious even to curse the people of God for the gold of the Moabites; and Judas, who betrayed his Lord for a few pieces of silver.

In what contrast to such characters as these stand the lives of such noble men as Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, Paul, and hosts of others, who were willing to surrender all their hopes for gaining advancement in this life, in order that they might please the Lord.

We almost shudder to mention the names of those who have lived and died with no higher aim in life than the acquirement of property, fame, or worldly honors. Those who follow such an aim in life generally develop the evil traits of their hearts until their lives become a menace to all that is godlike, and thus they often become a source of grief or terror to those whom they should love.

Not so, however, are the lives of those who follow the Master. Everywhere by his example and precept we are taught not to live for self or worldly gain; but that our lives are to be spent in loving service for others. Let us read Matt. 25: 31-46 inclusive. Here we are plainly taught that whatever we do for others in the name of Christ, we do to him. “For I was an hungered,” he says, “and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” Whatever we do, then, to our fellow men in the name of Christ, Christ reckons as a personal service to himself.

Could anything be more plain than that God puts a great value on the service we render to our fellow beings in his name? “Which is love? To do God’s will, or merely suffer it? I must headlong into seas of toil, leap forth from self, and spend my soul on others.”

Who can comprehend the great privilege of being a worker together with God in the wonderful work of soul saving? And yet, in God’s plan, every child born into the kingdom of grace can become a soul winner. It is true we can not all go into the regions beyond, and become workers in a public way to win souls to Christ; yet there are ways in which we can become workers together with God. Let us not forget,— “Still shines the light of holy lives Like star-beams over doubt; Each sainted memory, Christlike, drives, Some dark possession out.”

Though we may not go to a foreign field, yet we may still be messengers sent of God to rescue souls from sin. The strongest influence that man can exert on men’s hearts, is the influence of a godly, consecrated life.

Again: we may become workers together with God by the consecration and proper education of our children. Why should not every Seventh-day Adventist child be dedicated to God and to his service for the spread of the third angel’s message? Should not a people who believe that they are living in the very closing hours of time, with a mighty, thrilling message to go to all the world, gladly give their sons and daughters to the work of God? Is the sacrifice too great to give our all to advance the kingdom of God in the earth? In our children, may we not become laborers together with God in the great work of soul saving? Is it too much to expect that in the near future there will be a great army of young men and women encircling the whole earth, teaching the thrilling gospel of the great advent message for our day? These young, strong, stalwart soldiers of the cross, “fired with a zeal peculiar,” will carry the news of a soon-coming Saviour to all the world.

Has not the time come when our young people must rise up and buckle on the armor, for battle in distant lands? Our older men, tried and true, are falling one by one at their posts of duty. Nearly every nation under heaven has within its keeping the last remains of some pioneer of the third angel’s message. Shall not this consecrated ground, made sacred by the devotion and sacrifice of precious lives, be an inspiration for others, young and strong, to enter into the warfare, and carry the battle to the enemy’s gates? Let us all learn to sing from the depths of the soul that old Moravian war song,— “Blessed be the day when I must roam Far from my country, friends, and home, An exile poor and mean. My fathers’ God will be my Guide, Will angel guards for me provide, My soul in danger screen; Himself will lead me to a spot Where, all my grief and cares forgot, I shall enjoy sweet rest; As pants for cooling streams the hart, I languish for my heavenly part, For God, my refuge blest.”

Is it not time for this people to arise and say, “We will go up and possess the goodly land?” Does it not seem, from all we hear and see and know, that Beulah land is only a little way beyond? The shining angels are there, waving the palm branches of victory, beckoning us homeward. The marriage supper of the Lamb is ready, only waiting because of the tardiness of the invited guests.

Earth’s nations are arraying themselves for the last great fray; and we are not ready for the last command of our blessed Lord: “Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”

With such a mighty work before us, is it not to be wondered at that God’s people should say to themselves,— “My soul is not at rest; there comes a strange And secret whisper to my spirit, like A dream at night, that tells me I am on Enchanted ground. Why live I here? The vows of God Are on me, and I may not stoop To play with shadows, or pluck earthly flowers, Till I my work have done, and rendered up account.”

The Spirit of God is striving with hearts everywhere. It is truly God’s awakening hour for his people, that they may prepare for the speedy accomplishment of his closing work.

But with this rapidly increasing army of workers, there will of necessity be an increasing flow of means. God always provides the means as he prepares the workers. One will not long outrun the other. While the heavenly visitors lay the burden of going to other lands

upon many hearts who have been trained and educated for public labor, the same divine influences will arouse God’s people to furnish the means for their support.

Already there seems a mighty awakening among our people to furnish the means for the rapid extension of the third angel’s message in all lands. Look at the wonderful gain in tithes in one year. In 1905 there was an increase in tithes paid by this denomination over that of 1904, of $168,195.58. This is a tremendous gain for one year. The total amount of tithe for the year 1905, as paid in by our people, amounts to $858,014.91. Should this ratio of increase continue through the year 1906, the tithes of our people would pass the million mark.

Not only have our people increased their tithes, but the conferences have most generously donated from the tithes they have been receiving, to the work in foreign fields. This past year they have contributed for foreign mission work outside of local conferences, the sum of $97,696.89. In the history of our message there has never been such a spirit of liberality on the part of our strong conferences to assist from their funds in extending the work in other lands, as at the present time. It is truly marvelous how God is working for the extension of the message.

Besides the tithes, the offerings for foreign missions for 1905 were the largest ever made by our people in any one year. Taking our work as a whole, 1905 was the banner year in our denominational history for progress in missionary work.

By co-operating in the plan of weekly offerings for foreign missions every believer can assist in extending the message. A small donation of only ten cents a week from each member of our faith, means a large sum for mission work. Does it not seem as if we could give as much as $5.20 a year for the gospel in other lands, if once we should set our hearts diligently to do it? This would mean the large sum of $312,000 a year from our people in the United States alone for foreign mission work.

The furnishing of means to advance the cause of truth is one of the most interesting parts of God’s work. It is not a burden, it is not a tax, but it should be a great privilege for us to contribute liberally for the advancement of God’s work. God should be a partner in all we do. Not only should we love him, and pray to him, and keep the Sabbath, but we should also honestly pay our tithe, and make our offerings for the advancement of his truth. He should have a share of every dollar that comes into our possession. In this way we can ask his precious blessings upon the labor of our hands, that prosperity may attend all that we do, that we may have more means to contribute to his cause.

God can as truly be with the farmer, and the tiller of the soil, as with the man on the frontier who is preaching the truth. Each may have the blessing of God, and a fulness of Christian experience, and surely every one should have a part in helping on the cause of God.

Those in far-away countries are doing their best to help give this message to other lands. From one field came the cheering word, “Our boys are determined to help carry the gospel. If they have no money, they go without one meal on Sabbath, and ask us to put the price of the meal into the mission treasury.”

The other day from one of the darkest parts of God’s heritage came a donation for another, an equally needy field. A few weeks ago a union conference that had been exempt from helping to raise the $150,000 fund, voted a petition to be permitted to join in raising this large fund.

OFFICERS AND FIELD SUPERINTENDENTS OF THE GERMAN UNION CONFERENCE

Only this week a letter came from South Africa containing an offering of one hundred and seventeen dollars that had been given in that field to assist in replacing the loss by fire in the Pacific Press, and from a lone worker and his wife in West Africa, ten dollars for the same purpose.

When the $100,000 fund was being raised, the money came in so fast that the clerical force in the office could not attend to the business, and to the surprise of all, the amount did not stop at $100,000, but went with a bound to over $115,000, and those in charge of the work had to cry, “Enough and more! The fund is raised.”

These things make one think of the days of Moses when he built the tabernacle in the wilderness. The people brought so much that Moses had to restrain their liberality. And the record reads, “So the people were restrained from bringing, for the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.”

Are these not the days to which our eyes have long been looking? Are not these experiences the beginning of the close of the latter rain? Are we not treading in the border land of the apostolic days of giving, when men and women sold all their earthly possessions and gave them to the advancement of the cause of God?

Truly the signs are cheering. The spirit of giving is a true thermometer of the spiritual condition of the church militant. With the experiences of the past, the pentecostal days seem not far distant, and for their speedy arrival let us pray daily.

Should this denomination not raise the battle cry, “A million a year for the souls of men in other lands”? It is not a large sum. Is it any too much for this people to give to spread the glorious news of the soon coming of the Saviour? With a membership of about eighty thousand scattered throughout the world, the raising of a million a year would mean the sum of $12.50 from each individual.

Can it be done? We believe it can. Not this year, nor next, perhaps, but shortly this people can pass on to the regions beyond, year by year, the sum of one million dollars.

So let it be, and to this glorious end let us work and pray. And in all this effort for others, let us remember,— “The meal unshared is food unblessed, Thou hoard’st in vain what love should spend; Self-ease is pain, thy only rest Is labor for a worthy end.”