Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9

Get Ready

“Behold, I come quickly,” Christ declares; “and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:12. The Lord at His coming will scrutinize every talent; He will demand interest on the capital He has entrusted. By His own humiliation and agony, by His life of toil and His death of shame, Christ has paid for the service of all who have taken His name and profess to be His servants. All are under deepest obligation to improve every capability for the work of winning souls to Him. “Ye are not your own,” He says; “for ye are bought with a price;” therefore glorify God by a life of service that will win men and women from sin to righteousness. 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20. We are bought with the price of Christ's own life, bought that we may return to God His own in faithful service. 9T 104.1

We have no time now to give our energies and talents to worldly enterprises. Shall we become absorbed in serving the world, serving ourselves, and lose eternal life and the everlasting bliss of heaven? Oh, we cannot afford to do this! Let every talent be employed in the work of God. Those who receive the truth are, by their efforts, to increase the number of men and women who shall be laborers together with God. Souls are to be enlightened and taught to serve God intelligently; they are to be continually increasing in the knowledge of righteousness. 9T 104.2

All heaven is interested in the carrying forward of the work that Christ came to the world to do. Heavenly agencies are opening ways for the light of truth to shine to the dark places of the earth. Angels are waiting to communicate to those who will take hold of the work that has been pointed out to us for years. Shall we not manifest an interest to set in operation ways and means for the opening up of city work? Many opportunities have been lost through neglecting to do this work at once, through failing to go forward in faith. The Lord says: “Had you exercised faith in the messages I have sent, there would not be such a lack of workers and of means for their support.” 9T 104.3

The coming of Christ is near and hasteth greatly. The time in which to labor is short, and men and women are perishing. Said the angel: “Should not the men who have had great light co-operate with Him who sent His Son to the world to give light and salvation to men?” Shall men who have received the knowledge of the truth line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, show but little appreciation of Him who came to the earth that His divine power might be the heritage of every believing soul? It was thus that the divinity of Christ was to become effectual in the salvation of the race, and the intercession of our great High Priest avail before the throne of God. The plan was devised in heaven. Shall those who have been bought with such a price fail of appreciating the great salvation? 9T 105.1

The Lord cannot commend the people who, professing godliness, professing to believe in the soon coming of Christ, leave the cities unwarned of the judgments that are soon to fall on the land. Those who do this will be judged for their neglect. Christ gave His precious life to save the souls that are perishing in their sins. Shall we refuse to do the work assigned us, refuse to co-operate with God and heavenly agencies? There are thousands who are doing this, who are failing of becoming one with Christ, failing of letting the great sacrifice of Christ shine forth in the life, in saving grace that reveals the truth in works of righteousness. Yet this is the work given to men by the sacrifice of the Son of God. Knowing this, can we remain indifferent? I appeal to our brethren to wake up. The spiritual faculties will grow weak and die if they are not exercised in winning souls to Christ. What excuse can be offered for the neglect of the great, grand work that Christ gave His life to accomplish? 9T 105.2

We cannot afford in the few days we have here on earth to spend our time in trifling and nothingness. We need to humble our souls before God, that every heart may drink in the truth, and let it work in the life a reformation that will convince the world that this is indeed the truth of God. Let the life be hid with Christ in God. Only when we seek the Lord as little children, when we cease picking flaws in our brethren and sisters, and in those who are seeking to carry faithfully the responsibilities of the work, and seek to get our own hearts right with God, can He use us to the glory of His name. 9T 106.1

We all need to come into a self-sacrificing position before God if our work is to be accepted by Him. Let us remember that profession is nothing unless we have the truth in the heart. We need the converting power of God to take hold of us, that we may understand the needs of a perishing world. The burden of my message to you is: Get ready, get ready to meet the Lord. Trim your lamps, and let the light of truth shine forth into the byways and the hedges. There is a world to be warned of the near approach of the end of all things. 9T 106.2

My brethren and sisters, seek the Lord while He may be found. There is a time coming when those who have wasted their time and opportunities will wish they had sought Him. God has given you reasoning faculties. He wants you to keep in the line of reason and in the line of labor. He wants you to go forth to our churches to labor earnestly for Him. He wants you to institute meetings for those outside the churches, that the people may learn the truths of this last message of warning. There are places where you will be gladly received, where souls will thank you for coming to their help. May the Lord help you to take hold of this work as you have never yet taken hold of it. 9T 106.3

Let us begin to work for those who have not had the light. “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth,” the Saviour declares, “and, lo, I am with you alway.” Matthew 28:18, 20. What we need is a living faith, faith to proclaim over the rent sepulcher of Joseph that we have a living Saviour, one who will go before us and who will work with us. God will do the work if we will furnish Him the instruments. There needs to be among us a great deal more of prayer and much less of unbelief. We need to lift up the standard higher and still higher before the people. We need to remember that Christ is always at our right hand as we proclaim liberty to the captives and deal the bread of life to hungry souls. When we keep before our minds the urgency and importance of our work, the salvation of God will be revealed in a remarkable manner. 9T 107.1

God help us to put on the armor and to act as if we were in earnest, as if the souls of men and women were worth saving. Let us seek a new conversion. We need the presence of the Holy Spirit of God with us, that our hearts may be softened and that we may not bring a harsh spirit into the work. I pray that the Holy Spirit may take full possession of our hearts. Let us act like children of God who are looking to Him for counsel, ready to work out His plans wherever presented. God will be glorified by such a people, and those who witness our zeal will say: Amen and amen. 9T 107.2

Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the Holy City.... How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. 9T 108.1

Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted His people, He hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord hath made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” Isaiah 52:1-10. 9T 108.2