THE FIELD IS THE WORLD
By Estella Houser
In no mistaken terms the Saviour has repeatedly stated that “the field is the world.” “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me . . . unto the uttermost part of the earth.” “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.” “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. . . . And there followed another angel. . . . And the third angel followed them.” The same message comes to us through the Testimonies of God’s Spirit: “We have a work to do which but few realize. It is to carry the truth to all nations. There is a broad field for laborers in foreign lands as well as in America.” “Missionaries are needed to go to other nations, to preach the truth.” “The gospel is to be preached to all nations. The Bible is to be opened to the people. A knowledge of God is the highest education, and it will cover the earth with its wonderful truth as the waters cover the sea.” “Our world is a field of missionary toil.” “Those who enter the work later to find things ready to their hand should at least attempt to pay the debt they owe the Lord, and the workers who went before them, by carrying the truth into new territories, until it has gone to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.” “The work all over the world is to receive consideration. New fields are to be entered.” “The Third Angel’s Message is to go to all parts of the world.” Surely, our work will not be completed until we have fulfilled our Saviour’s last commission to the letter. Not until then will the end come. What has been accomplished gives courage. The very fact that the Christian Church everywhere is becoming aroused, is increasing her force of laborers, and laying broader and more comprehensive plans to prosecute her work in foreign lands, is evidence that the Lord is going before us and gathering out a people to whom the closing message will be due. With few exceptions, every country has been entered by the gospel. The Third Angel’s Message has made some progress during the last twenty-five years. A review of the field shows a large number of countries entered. Without considering the vastness of these countries and the meagerness of our efforts, we are almost led to conclude that already we have encircled the globe. But some of the most extensive fields have only one or two mission stations at the most; while many are yet to be entered, and our work in every place needs re-enforcements. For more than a year we have been studying the field. The progress, the difficulties, and the needs have each been considered. Many times our hearts have been drawn out to exclaim, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? We have now reached a crisis in our work. Laborers—the best that can be supplied—are needed in almost every field. Those who have studied the past year will readily call to mind the need of a superintendent for Japan, one for India, and one for the Mediterranean field. They will remember Elder Munson’s plea for two teachers in Sumatra, and Elder Mead’s urgent call for at least two families to join the force in Matabeleland. They will also recall the need on the west coast of Africa, where the few native Sabbath-keepers have been left for more than three years without help, Elder D. C. Babcock’s appeal for British Guiana, and the dearth of laborers in Argentine. These fields ought to be supplied at once, besides others that might be materially strengthened if help could be provided. We have said nothing of the fields unentered, for it seems necessary that the work already begun be first strengthened.” What can we do?—With the needs before us, we can seek the Lord earnestly during the General Conference, that He may lead in the deliberations, and that He may especially direct in its relation to the foreign work and in the selection of laborers. We have thought to devote our second Sabbath service of April 13 to prayer for the General Conference, and especially for the selection of workers for these needy fields. Among the very few instances where the Saviour told His disciples definitely for what they should pray, we find Him telling them, in view of the plenteous harvest and the dearth of laborers, to pray the Lord of the harvest that He will send forth laborers into His harvest. Thus He placed within our reach the power that will secure the necessary re-enforcements to carry forward His work. From the beginning, the progress of the gospel has been marked by prayer. All the possibilities of the Church are hidden there. It is the key that will unlock the storehouse of heaven. It had a prominent place in the early Church. Pentecost was ushered in by prayer. Workers were appointed only after prayer. When they were sent forth, the Church assembled for special prayer. The first work among the Gentiles was inaugurated by prayer. If persecution came, the Christians met to pray. The more carefully we study the subject, the more apparent it becomes that what was accomplished in the apostles’ day was largely due to the fact that they knew and employed the omnipotent power of prayer. If we are to continue the work begun by the disciples, how necessary that our every effort be permeated with prayer! A larger, deeper, wider spirit of prayer should be cultivated among us. This alone will give impetus to the work which is to culminate in the closing up of earth’s history. “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest.”