WORKING WHILE IT IS DAY
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Conscious of the great importance of His mission in behalf of human beings, Jesus expressed the urgency and need of His ministry, as follows: “I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” John 9:4.
There is much work done in the world, most of it human and carnal– work of disobedience and sin, which is only offensive to God. There is a need of a divine work, which is what Jesus did. “I must work,” Jesus said, underscoring His great mission for this world. I must work to bring life. I must act to radiate light as long as hearts are open, as long as prejudice has not drowned out the interest, and as long as sin has not yet darkened the spiritual eyes. When the darkness of moral and worldly corruption is complete, not only will there be no possibility to work but any work would be without meaning.
What does this mean for us? Is this not an earnest call to follow Him in doing His wonderful work? Now that we are coming to the end of all things, this is more and more urgently needed. The Lord is urging us to work wholeheartedly for the Master and for eternity–and without wasting time. A great recompense is promised for wholehearted service–even if only a few souls are saved through our personal efforts. The joy of that reward in eternity will be greater than our greatest happiness here on this earth.
Considering the great mission the Lord has entrusted to us, the General Conference Committee met in Ellecom, Holland, April 13-May 1, 1999, to seek ways to coordinate the worldwide work in a better way and make working plans for the days still granted to us. The Committee’s work included defining our vision, mission, and objectives, analyzing our strengths and weaknesses, and planning specific activities. Every union and field will soon receive an explanation of this, as well as guidelines to follow in preparing its own working plan. We hope in this way to contribute positively to a united effort and that this will be a blessing in the various areas.
Concerning the necessity for there to be a plan for missionary work in every local church, we read the following recommendation: “Everywhere the light of truth is to shine forth, that hearts now in the sleep of ignorance may be awakened and converted. In all countries and cities the gospel is to be proclaimed.…
“Churches are to be organized and plans laid for work to be done by the members of the newly organized churches. This gospel missionary work is to keep reaching out and annexing new territory, enlarging the cultivated portions of the vineyard. The circle is to extend until it belts the world.” –Ellen G. White, Evangelism, p. 19.
Following the spirit of the 1997 General Conference Delegates’ Sessions, in which the decision was made to have one vice president working with the English-speaking countries and another working with the Spanish-speaking countries, the General Conference Committee has worked on this idea and assigned certain brethren to supervise specific regions. Among other advantages, the Committee considers this way of working will be more effective, because the respective brethren, known as “Regional Representatives,” may thus concentrate their attention and energies within their own areas. They will seek to understand the needs and difficulties in the regions for which they are responsible and institute appropriate measures and plans to help the work be properly focused. They will also correspond with the union and field leaders directly by phone, fax, or letter. We earnestly ask the Lord to bless this important step.
Referring to the need to carry the message to the world, we read the following: “We are now living in the closing scenes of this world’s history. Let men tremble with the sense of the responsibility of knowing the truth. The ends of the world are come. Proper consideration of these things will lead all to make an entire consecration of all that they have and are to their God.…
“The weighty obligation of warning a world of its coming doom is upon us. From every direction, far and near, calls are coming to us for help. The church, devotedly consecrated to the work, is to carry the message to the world: Come to the gospel feast; the supper is prepared, come.… A world, perishing in sin, is to be enlightened. The lost pearl is to be found. The lost sheep is to be brought back in safety to the fold. Who will join in the search? Who will bear the light to those who are wandering in the darkness of error?” –Evangelism, p. 16.
Considering the multitudes of people and the vast territories where the light of the gospel has been introduced only partly or not at all, we see the great mission entrusted to us. We also see the need for experienced, consecrated workers who are willing to submit themselves to hardship and go to the countries and places to which the Lord is calling them. In this line, the General Conference Committee has entrusted the Regional Representatives with the task of gaining a thorough knowledge of the workers, making contact with them, giving them continuing education, coordinating their efforts, and helping them fulfill their part of this earnest mission.
Another urgent need faced in different countries is the development of the canvassing work. The message should be spread in different languages, and for this the printed page is necessary. Sometimes there are several languages in one country, and this makes the work expensive, slow, and difficult. But despite these obstacles, plans are being developed to coordinate the transfer of literature from one country to another and to encourage translation into local languages. It is also our great desire to use the wonderful potential of the youth living in various countries.
Dear brothers and sisters, we need your prayers in order to receive the necessary wisdom from above and do the best we can for God’s glory and the progress of His holy work.
And we can’t forget the financial needs. Requests are coming from almost everywhere and for many reasons–to help pay salaries, cover travel expenses, print literature, build churches, organize seminars and public conferences, conduct missionary training for young people, open new fields, have missionaries ready to answer the calls of interested souls, introduce missionary trainees into the work, and many other necessities. How are we to answer all these requests? Only God can provide the necessary funds, because the needs are rapidly increasing. In our petitions for the progress of God’s work, let us ask Heaven to give us abundant blessings so there may be means in the Lord’s storehouse.
The work should not be limited or stopped for want of means. Soon Sabbath keepers will no longer be permitted to buy or sell. Let us not bury our talents! “If we indeed have the truth for these last days,” says the Spirit of Prophecy, “it must be carried to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Erelong the living and the dead are to be judged according to the deeds done in the body, and the law of God is the standard by which they are to be tested. Then they must now be warned; God’s holy law must be vindicated, and held up before them as a mirror. To accomplish this work, means is needed.…
“Our message is world wide; yet many are doing literally nothing, many more so very little, with so great a want of faith, that it is next to nothing. Shall we abandon the fields we have already opened in foreign countries? Shall we drop part of the work in our home missions? Shall we grow pale at a debt of a few thousand dollars? Shall we falter and become laggards now, in the very last scenes of this earth’s history?… I cannot contemplate this question without a burning zeal to have the work go. We should not deny our faith, we would not deny Christ, yet we shall do this unless we move forward as the providence of God opens the way.” –Counsels on Stewardship, pp. 39, 40.
Dear brothers and sisters in all the world, let us work while it is still day. Darkness is coming already; hearts are closing and becoming unreceptive and uncooperative in some regions of the world. Let the light of salvation shine everywhere with zeal and love. And in all this, while we are going and spreading the precious seed of salvation in the different areas of the world, let us not forget the wonderful promise of the Lord: “To us also the commission is given. We are bidden to go forth as Christ’s messengers, to teach, instruct, and persuade men and women, to urge upon their attention the word of life. And to us also the assurance of Christ’s abiding presence is given. Whatever the difficulties with which we may have to contend, whatever the trials we may have to endure, the gracious promise is always ours, ‘Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.’ ” –Evangelism, p. 15.
–Antonino Di Franca, Italy
