HOW SHALL THEY HEAR WITHOUT A PREACHER?
By W. H. Thurston
“There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek.” See Rom. 10:12–15. And it is just as true that there is no difference, in the sight of God, between the European, African, Australasian, South American, and the North American. “For the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.” We as a people believe in the second coming of Christ and the end of the world in this generation, but how are we showing our faith? The Lord has plainly told us that all the world, and all the people in all the world, are to hear the gospel before the end comes, but “how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” Our faith in this work, and our desire to see the Saviour appear in the clouds of heaven, are shown by what we do to help send the gospel to all the world. The Lord has spoken to the effect that at the present time there are fields waiting for us to bring them the gospel. Think of it, brethren and sisters: waiting for us to bring them the gospel of salvation! How much longer shall we keep them waiting? How much longer shall we delay the coming of the Lord by not living up to our privileges and doing our duty? Let all consider the following statement, and then ask the question, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” “Had the purpose of God been carried out by His people in giving the world the message of mercy, Christ would, ere this, have come to the earth, and the saints would have received their welcome into the city of God.” The Lord has not only given us the privilege of making offerings to help spread the gospel, but He has definitely set apart one tenth for that work, and calls it His. “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord.” All the tithe is the Lord’s: it is the Lord’s, not ours. How many feel that it is optional with them whether or not they pay tithes; and when they do pay, feel as if they had given that much to the gospel work? Why, brethren! the tithe does not belong to us. We have no more right to it than we have to appropriate our neighbor’s property to our use. The tithe, all the tithe, one tenth, belongs to the Lord, and we should be as careful and as accurate in figuring for the Lord as we are in figuring for ourselves. “In using my reserve fund to gratify your own desires, you have robbed souls of the light which I made provisions for them to receive.” “But,” says one, “I have always paid an honest tithe.” That is good, and it is true of some, but it is not true of the majority. A short time ago a man who is supposed to know told me that he did not believe there was more than a third of the actual tithe turned over to the Lord in his State last year. In another State I was told that probably not more than half of the tithe was paid, while in another State it was thought that two thirds of the actual tithe may have been paid. It cannot be denied that this is more or less the condition everywhere. What shall we do? Let us reform; let us put away our unbelief, and redeem the time by being strictly honest and intensely in earnest; and let us bring all the tithe into the storehouse. The Lord gives us another opportunity. “Return unto me,” He says, “and I will return unto you.” Mal. 3:7–10. Come, one and all, and let us hasten with the gospel to those who are waiting for us, and thus hasten the Lord’s coming.