GOD-GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES.
By David Paulson
This can be done without taking the least advantage of the efforts that others have made to gather in the people. Here is the place to let the truth shine out in the life rather than by words, unless we can consistently speak words that will cheer some of the earnest souls in the good work they are trying to do. There are thousands of ministers in other denominations whom God loves for their work’s sake. They are sincere, praying men, and have love for humanity in their hearts. Instead of avoiding these men, let us seek to become personally acquainted with them, inviting them to our firesides. The following words ought to bring this home to our hearts with special force: “Our ministers should seek to come near to the ministers of other denominations. Pray for and with these men, for whom Christ is interceding. A solemn responsibility is theirs. As Christ’s messengers, we should manifest a deep, earnest interest in these shepherds of the flocks.” — “Testimonies for the Church,” page 78. There are multitudes of solid, substantial business men who are both earnest and upright, and who have secured the position which they now maintain because they possess clear brains and sound business sense. Many of these men, when they discover that the love of humanity really pulsates in our being, and that we are helping others in a practical and sensible manner, will take hold to assist us in a substantial way. It will, however, take something besides talk to impress them favorably, for the world is full of that, and they have no reason to believe that our talk is any better than that of others. They must see the life of Christ acted out. How beautifully our duty is expressed in the following quotation: “Those who bear heavy responsibilities in public life, physicians and teachers, lawyers and judges, public officers and business men, should be given a clear, distinct message. . . . Thousands of wealthy men have gone to their graves unwarned, because they have been judged by appearance, and passed by as hopeless subjects. But, indifferent as they may appear, I have been shown that most of this class are soul-burdened. There are thousands of rich men who are starving for spiritual food. Many in official life feel their need of something which they have not. Few among them go to church; for they feel that they receive no benefit. The teaching they hear does not touch the soul. Shall we make no personal effort in their behalf? Some will ask, Can we not reach them with publications? There are many who cannot be reached in this way. It is personal effort that they need.” — Id. This shows plainly that if we depend exclusively upon our literature to do all our missionary work for us, some of the choicest element in society will never be reached. With lives overflowing with the love of Christ, we must come in touch with them through some of the other channels; and when we are apparently accomplishing the least, we shall often be doing the most. Why not make a special note of the names of certain ones, and then present them daily at the throne of grace, and seek every way that we can to be a real help to them? God would bless us in this work. A certain amount of effort at the right time and in the right place will be a hundredfold more effective than if performed in the wrong manner, at the wrong time, and in the wrong place. The following quotation shows us plainly that we are not continually to remind people that they are wrong, even if it is so: “The Lord wants His people to follow other methods than that of condemning wrong, even though the condemnation be just. He wants us to do something more than to hurl at our adversaries charges that only drive them farther from the truth. The work which Christ came to do in our world was not to erect barriers, and constantly thrust upon the people the fact that they were wrong.” — Id., page 121. May the Lord help us to heed this suggestion. We have so great a work to perform that we cannot afford to erect barriers that God has not bidden us to rear between us and the people. There is an extensive work to do in medical missionary lines. In view of the following words it is incomprehensible how any one can be tempted to believe that this branch of the work has been overdone: “In every city where we have a church, there is need of a place where treatment can be given.” And why should we not have a church in every city? “A place should be provided where treatment may be given for common ailments. . . . It is the Lord’s purpose that in every part of our world health institutions shall be established as a branch of the gospel work. These institutions are to be His agencies for reaching a class whom nothing else will reach.” — Id., page 113. What are you personally doing to encourage our young people to secure such a training as will prepare them to lead out in planting some of these new enterprises? Many of them are training themselves to engage in purely worldly enterprises, instead of putting all on the altar of service. There are some who imagine that because the end is near, we ought not to have established and properly equipped our medical missionary college; that we ought not to establish any more medical institutions, or to plant any new missionary enterprises. But if such would simply take one broad view of the field, and see how little has yet been accomplished, they would readily recognize that the fact that the end is near is the best possible reason why we should do these things, and do them speedily. Upon this point nothing is so helpful as these words: “A great work must be done all through the world, and let no one conclude that because the end is near, there is no need of special effort to build up the various institutions as the cause shall demand. . . . When the Lord shall bid us make no further effort to build meeting-houses and establish schools, sanitariums, and publishing institutions, it will be time for us to fold our hands, and let the Lord close up the work; but now is our opportunity to show our zeal for God and our love for humanity. . . . Institutions for the treatment of the sick must be established in foreign lands, and medical missionaries must be raised up who will be self-denying, who will lift the cross, who will be prepared to fill positions of trust, and be able to educate others.” — Id., page 440. There are many who fail to recognize the extensive educational work that is required to counteract the great tide of evil habits that is bearing humanity down, and they think that this whole work can be accomplished without connecting with it definite and positive instruction and definite and positive work. Those who are actually at the front of the battle will appreciate the force of the following quotation: “Use your means to create, rather than your influence to diminish, agencies for good. Let no one listen to the suggestion that we can exercise faith, and have all our infirmities removed, and that there is therefore no need of institutions for the recovery of health. Faith and works are not divorced. Since the Lord is soon to come, act decidedly and determinedly to increase the facilities, that a great work may be done in a short time.” — Id., page 441. Another great opportunity that we have, and one which has been strangely neglected, is the State, county, and city prisons all over our land. There are many excellent men in these prisons, and the Lord will open up the way for us to come in contact with them if there has already been created in our hearts a genuine desire to do for them what society is not willing to do, that is, to extend to them a helping hand as they leave the prison doors. The number of wicked men outside of prison walls is far larger than is the number confined within the prisons. Our experience in dealing with prisoners has impressed us again and again with the fact that there are many whom the Lord was unable to impress with the gospel before they got into prison, but their experience while there was such as to bring them into a state of mind in which they could be reached by the gospel. The Lord has signally blessed the Life Boat in prison work. It has received the unqualified indorsement of prison officials all over this broad land. Why should not our churches everywhere see that the smaller prisons are supplied, first with this paper, and then with other publications as the way may open, and then follow that with personal work and gospel meetings as providence may indicate? May the Lord help us speedily to become a people who have a realizing sense of our God-given commission, and a sanctified eyesight to recognize our God-given opportunities.