Many missionaries at the beginning of the great Christian awakening period, their work seemed only to have increased results no matter the difficulties they faced, they conquered battle after battle and the fruits of their labors followed them. What were the main secrets to this kind of success? What methods did they use that gave such tremendous results? What was the main ingredient behind their work that made it spicy for the world to receive? Was it only the presence of the Holy Spirit or their minds also were open to the Physical avenues through which the Holy Spirit would work?
In our last article, we discussed the connection between mission work and business, this left a gap of questions as to whether this was the right method in which the Lord intended His work to be done, in this article, we shall explore the different historical methods that our Christian pioneers used in fulfilling the great commission. As we go through history, we find an irresistible fact of entrepreneur missionaries traveling the globe. The Advent movement valued institutions as the method by which they would expand and finish the work. From Adventist History we read.
“James and Ellen White, along with Joseph Bates, an Adventist preacher, urged the development of a plan for missions that included a focus on medical work to help meet the needs of people around the world.”
Seventh day adventist church, n.d.
Medical institutions were to meet the needs of the People, as we saw in the last article what it means to minister to people’s needs. Ellen G White one of probably the most influential in the history of the Seventh-day Adventist movement traveled to different parts of the world including Switzerland, South Africa, South America, the South Pacific, and Australia. The mission work wherever she went was in most cases combined with a trade or business to sustain it, she worked with different publishing houses and gathered teams to canvas different areas and distribute literature. Several of these areas began writing to the General Conference to request more missionaries! As the years went by, here are the records we see today.
“By the end of the 1870s, Adventist membership had tripled, passing 16,000 members. By 1901 there were 75,000 members worldwide, and the Church had also established two colleges, a medical school, 12 secondary schools, 27 hospitals, and 13 publishing houses. Eventually, the Church also organized regional administrative offices, such as divisions, unions, and conferences, to more efficiently oversee various operations in education, publishing, health, and mission work. (Seventh day adventist church, n.d.)
.”
Looking at these results, we can see what missionary work was about, the organization was formed in 1863 with only 5000 members, and by seven years they had tripled (1870) by 1901 membership was not just in America but worldwide, with medical schools two colleges, 12 secondary schools, 27 hospitals, 13 publishing houses. This is half a century, and they were almost encompassing the world.
This was indeed success in the work, our pioneers were encircling the globe for the master, with earnest hearts to reach souls for the kingdom, trades, and business was a great way to capture many, indeed they met people’s needs and the fruits testify of this fact. The poor were uplifted, the sick treated, the ill hospitalized, the hungry fed through farms, and the jobless were employed, thus introduced to the truth. This is how the work was started, and it is how the Lord intends to finish His work on earth. Let us make this point more clear.
Missionary work in the last days.
As we come to the close of this earth’s History, the way God wants to finish his work is finally linked to how it started, we should not expect to use different methods. As Christ’s coming drewth nigh, the more we should build institutions for the salvation of many, Quoting Ellen G White concerning business in the last days, the following is started.
“Some may say “If the Lord is coming soon, what need is there to establish schools, sanitariums, and food factories? What need is there for our young people to learn trades?”
It is the Lord’s design that we shall constantly improve the talents He has given us. We cannot do this unless we use them. The prospect of Christ’s soon coming should not lead us to idleness. Instead, it should lead us to do all we possibly can to bless and benefit humanity. (White, Medical Ministry , 1932) “
This sounds unbiblical, right? My first encounter with such readings sounded like the greatest heresy of all times, I had left everything to become a missionary and now this was the opposite. How could we prove these things Biblically? There is a clear example in the In Bible of how this was done. The history of the flood.
In the days of Noah, it would have been taken as a foolish act to build the most expensive ark which didn’t just take 2years but probably 120years to finish only to be destroyed after 40 days and nights, but this was the way the Lord had purposed to save His people, Christ himself referred to the last days in comparison to the end of the world.
“Mat 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (KJV BIBLE)“
We always take only the warning part of this verse but never give attention to the method used to prepare the people for the flood or to receive the gospel. We know the flood was another shadow of what will take place at the end of the world, and if this is true, then we know the methods which were used to preach during that time may apply to our time. Most likely as Noah was involved in what today we may term the world’s biggest project, he got the opportunity to share the gospel with the helpers in building the ark. He passed the germs of truth onto them. But how is Noah’s mission different from worldly ambitions?
Noah built the ark, the difference was the motive of why such an expensive project was built, the motive was not to make large profits from it and become the most famous gentleman of his day, it was for the salvation of souls. The ark was big enough that one would not have an excuse for entering it, space was not a problem. It was well established with all kinds of animals, a simple attractive zoo to draw souls from all the burdens of life and the worries of the days of the flood.
An expression of God’s mercy and love. The inside was surrounded by nature, birds, animals, and insects to attract the beholder, it was a little heaven amidst the decaying world of that time. Just for a moment imagine the contrast between the ark and the world after the flood. God made sure the salvation plan for the people at that time was much more appealing. So, God does not hate big projects, we may say this is selfishness, but it is not, it’s selfishness when we avoid establishing such initiatives for the salvation of souls. Let’s notice Ellen G White’s comment on such a spirit.
“The end of all things is at hand, and what is done for the salvation of souls must be done quickly. For this reason, we are establishing institutions for the dissemination of the truth through the press, for the education of the young, and for the recovery of the sick. But the selfish and money-loving inquiry “What is the use of all this, when time is so short? Is it not a contradiction of our faith to spend so much time in publishing houses, schools, and health institutions? (White, Review and Herald, 1882)”
There are no more profitable ways to multiply our means than aiding various institutions, this is because the power of the press and other institutions can hardly be overestimated. The many souls that can be reached through these ways cannot be estimated, could it be true that these are the ways to finish the work in the last days? Yes. From the book My Life Today we read.
”The Bible presents to our view the unsearchable riches and immortal treasures of heaven. Sometimes our impulses urge us to seek our happiness, and the Bible recognizes this desire and shows us that all heaven will unite with man in his efforts to gain true happiness. The Bible will reveal the conditions upon which this true happiness can be obtained which includes success in this life. Success is not just for our selfish motives but for the eternal interest, the true Bible student will soon recognize this kind of growth in life, they will be men who bear responsibilities, leaders in enterprises, and men and women who influence character.”
Is the Bible just a doctrinal book?
Sometimes we have thought the Bible to be just a doctrinal book without the right ways of living. This is not the case. From the above source we read.
“That blessed book will teach you to be honest, temperate in all things, frugal, industrious, truthful, and upright. Its counsels heeded will make you a faithful companion of youth, giving you an influence that will ever lead upward, to the purity of character; an influence that will lead away from sin, into paths of righteousness. Page 160.3 (White, My Life Today, 1932)”
In other words, the Bible builds a missionary in all aspects of life, imagine having a missionary who is frugal, industrious, truthful, and an influencer. Such a missionary is more of a treasure on earth, he is moving forward the work of our pioneers. We spend much of the time studying the only 3 last years of Jesus’ ministry but never the 30 years of His life. Christ never neglected His present duties on the presumption of God’s providences, He accepted the burden of this life. And if we don’t follow in this line, we are not being Christians.
“The emotional nature of some is easily affected. Christ would have everyone educate themselves to calmly contemplate His second appearance. They are to search the Word of God daily, but not neglect present duties. Some had listened to the earnest teaching of Paul regarding the soon coming of Christ and had overlooked their present duties to provide for their daily necessities, and in thus doing were a burden to their brethren. 12LtMs, Lt 28, 1897, par. 20”
Christ was not a burden to His brethren, and nowhere in the Bible is a missionary to be a burden to His fellow brothers, he is to help others to survive through this life’s problems, with all this being said how do we harmonize with the verses like Luk 14:26-27? Click here to understand the application of such verses.
However, in the series of books written to the early Seventh-day Adventist movement, this issue also was addressed or came to the attention of the prophet, in her response to whether the poor and others should sell their belongings and invest in the gospel, the following was given.
“There are poor men and women who are writing to me for advice as to whether they shall sell their homes and give the proceeds to the cause. They say the appeals for means stir their souls, and they want to do something for the Master who has done everything for them. I would say to such, “It may not be your duty to sell your little homes just now; but go to God for yourselves; the Lord will certainly hear your earnest prayers for wisdom to understand your duty.” –5T 733, 734. (White, Testimonies to the church Volume 5)”
Selling and giving away the little we have may not be necessary, Jesus in Luke 14:26-27 was not just addressing the belongings one has, he was addressing the love for the belongings one has that would make it so much a difficult to decide for their salvation, in this context He includes even family members, close ties, if one considers them beyond their salvation.
Then it’s a cross unto them which they must carry, this the Lord calls us to put aside, it’s the same when it comes to wealth building, as much as the Lord loves us to have great investments, He does not want us to love so much the investments that we forget the sole purpose of the possessions He has put into our hands. We should have fewer strings attached to money or any other possessions that when the Lord calls for everything, we are willing to give out at any cost. When the love of God is set in the heart, we can be rich yet still not love riches, this is the level that God is calling for all missionaries to possess.
Truth, set home to the heart by the Spirit of God, will crowd out the love of riches. The love of Jesus and the love of money cannot dwell in the same heart. The love of God so far surpasses the love of money that the possessor breaks away from his riches and transfers his affections to God. Through love, he is then led to minister to the wants of the needy and to assist the cause of God. It is his highest pleasure to make the right disposition of his Lord’s goods. He holds all that he has as not his own, and faithfully discharges his duty as God’s steward. Then he can keep both the great commandments of the law: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”
So, the reward for a rich man who is ready to use the riches for the king of heaven has a hundredfold reward, he has a double blessing in this world and the world to come. Of him, it can be said, “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” So, then what would be the appropriate method of finishing the work? The Bible encourages missionaries to be business-oriented. In this way, they enrich the needs of many, and their influence is enlarged. The review and held paper had an interesting article on this subject, here is a quote from the article.
“We are not warned against properly participating in business transactions, but against carrying to excess that which is lawful in itself, against allowing our minds to be so absorbed in earthly things that we shall not discern the important things that concern our eternal interest. We are warned against indulging in perverted appetite, against surfeiting and drunkenness. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Jude describes the condition of our world as we approach the close of earth’s history, and lifts the danger-signal, that we may understand the perils of our time. . (White, Review and Herald, 1896)
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. You are not to know the day or the hour of the Lord’s appearing, for this has not been revealed, and let none speculate on that which has not been given him to understand. Let everyone work upon that which has been placed in his hands, doing the daily duties that God requires. When the Lord shall bid us make no further effort to build meetinghouses 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. . (White, Tesitimonies to the Church Volume 6)
The fact that the Lord is about to come back soon it’s the very reason missionaries should be involved in more industrious work.
“Since the Lord is soon coming, it is time to put out our money to the exchangers, time to put every dollar we can spare into the Lord’s treasury, that institutions may be established for the education of workers, who shall be instructed as were those in the schools of the prophets. If the Lord comes and finds you doing this work, He will say: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: … enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”. (White, Tesitimonies to the Church Volume 6).
The last question would be, has the lord called some into full-time ministry? Yes. And not everyone is meant to be involved in this kind of work, remember the calling am addressing here is specifically of the apostleship or missionary calling. We have many other gifts of the spirits and various ways in which all those gifts empower Christians to finish the work. But when it comes to groundbreaking and preparing a harvest for the Lord, this is the method by which he ordains.
No responses yet