A LAST APPEAL by George A. Irwin

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 25, 1900

A LAST APPEAL

By George A. Irwin

At the time of the reading of this article, you will be well along in the Week of Prayer, and I trust will have had a large measure of God's Spirit and blessing. But before you make your offering, I ask you to notice carefully this final appeal.

In order to meet the demands upon us at the present time, our annual offerings should be three times as large as on any former occasion, because there are three objects before us at this time, any one of which, taken alone, should receive an amount equal to, or greater than, our last annual offering:—

First, and foremost of all objects in this offering, is the securing of sufficient money for the proper maintenance and enlargement of our work in foreign fields. The reason and need for this is found in the universal character of our commission. Every nation, kindred, tongue, and people must know of the message before the Lord can come. The Spirit of the Lord has gone out before us, and as a result the Macedonian cry is heard from every quarter. Our time in which to do the work assigned us is very short, so what we do must be done quickly.

Second, the raising of sufficient money to enable the General Conference to meet the obligations it has assumed in behalf of the Christiania publishing house. The honor of the cause of God not only in Scandinavia, but throughout the whole world, is at stake in this transaction, and hence we must meet the obligation promptly.

Third, the obtaining of money with which to assist the Skodsborg Sanatorium over a time of crisis. This is the only institution in all Scandinavia that is teaching the true principles of health reform and rational treatment of disease, which is an essential part of the general reform inaugurated and promulgated by the Third Angel's Message. The work of this institution is rapidly coming into prominence, and is exerting a salutary influence in behalf of the truth in that field. Very little aid has been given this enterprise by the denomination at large, the work having been started and carried hitherto almost entirely by local aid and effort. A generous gift now upon our part would place the institution upon a more solid financial basis, and enable it by God's blessing to handle its own affairs, and accomplish the work He has given it to do.

The means we have in our possession, which we call our own, is only held in trust for the Lord, who is testing us through the objects and opportunities now before us; and He expects each one to be a faithful steward in giving back to Him, in willing offering, that which is His own. A failure to come up to the help of the Lord at this time will mean the loss of many souls, besides placing our own in jeopardy. Who can afford to take the chances, by being indifferent to the appeals now being made?

By previous arrangement, all offerings made at this time should be sent to the treasurer of the Foreign Mission Board, Room 1906, 150 Nassau St., New York, N. Y.; and it is expected that each contributor will exercise his right, when making his gift, to clearly state which one of the foregoing objects he wishes especially to aid by his offering. A careful note of preferences expressed should be made by the librarian or the one appointed to have charge of the offering in each church, and with the offering forwarded to the treasurer, for the guidance of those having the disbursement of the fund in hand.

May the Lord at this time give His people a spirit of liberal giving, and bless both the givers and the gift. GEO. A. IRWIN.