Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 8 (1893)
Lt 8a, 1893
Brethren and Sisters in New Zealand
Gisborne, New Zealand
October 31, 1893
This letter is published in entirety in 11MR 7-12.
Dear Brethren and Sisters in New Zealand,
I have an appeal to make to our churches to attend the coming camp meeting in Wellington. You cannot afford to lose this opportunity. We know that this meeting will be an important era in the history of the work in New Zealand. There should be particular efforts made to get a representation of those who believe the truth to this meeting, for the very reason we are so few in numbers, and the additional help of every one is called for. The enemies of truth are many in numbers. On such an occasion as this we want to present as good a front as possible. Let not your business detain you. You individually need the benefits of this meeting; and then God calls you to number one in the ranks of truth. 8LtMs, Lt 8a, 1893, par. 1
I fear quite a number will say, It is expensive to travel, and I had better save the money to use in advancing the cause and work where it is so much needed. No, no! God calls for you to take your rank and file, and strengthen the work all you possibly can by your personal presence. Let not one say, I attended the camp meeting in Napier, and that will answer; I will remain and let somebody else go. We want you and the somebody else as well. Let no stay-away argument be used. We have need of every spiritual advantage we can possibly have. We know that believers are scattered, but we want you to make no excuses. 8LtMs, Lt 8a, 1893, par. 2
The Lord wants you to come to the meeting and to bring your families, except the little ones who would only tie your hands. Put forth extra exertions. Better, far better, let the business suffer than to neglect the opportunity to hear the messages that God has for you at this time. You need every jot of light you can obtain. You are acquainted with the truth in a measure, but you ought to become better acquainted with the reasons of our faith. Come with your Bibles in your hand, for you ought to have a better knowledge of the sanctifying influence of truth upon heart and character. You cannot afford to lose one such privilege as you are now favored with. You must not now disappoint us. We look to this time as important to have every one come up “to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.” Judges 5:23 8LtMs, Lt 8a, 1893, par. 3
We see that the forces of the enemy are strengthening, and that the ministers in every place are making earnest efforts to oppose the truth, and more so in Wellington than any place I ever visited. Everything is said to present Seventh-day Adventists as only a few in number, and inferior in every respect, possessing little influence. And shall we not on this occasion represent the believing rank and file the very best that we possibly can? Will our brethren not come up to the feast of tabernacles? How zealously should every one guard the way that leads to the city of God! If we treat the work as an indifferent matter, and the army of the Lord is not on the ground to represent the cause and work in New Zealand, God will not be pleased with your neglect. Will you plead excuses, and at such a time? 8LtMs, Lt 8a, 1893, par. 4
One of the reasons why we have the meeting in Wellington is because we have put forth much effort in that city, and ministers stood directly in our way by holding their congregations from coming out to hear us. Now we want to get the truth before the people of Wellington, and we want to make the very best impression possible upon them. The only way we could see to accomplish our purpose was to have a camp meeting appointed which would create an interest and call the attention of the people to the truth. We want every one should come, praying and making God their trust. These cities must be warned; and should we break down the existing prejudice which ministers of churches have created among the people of Wellington, then we have a key to unlock Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland, and other places. 8LtMs, Lt 8a, 1893, par. 5
The Lord calls you to put on the armor of righteousness, and come to this second camp meeting to be held in New Zealand. Come, brethren and sisters, if you have to make a sacrifice to do so. The Lord will bless you in your efforts. God holds you personally responsible for the advancement and honor of His cause in this country. Bear in mind God’s plan was that His people should assemble together to worship not less than three times a year. The Lord has not signified it to be your duty to do this, but he calls you. He wants you to come up “to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.” [Verse 23.] 8LtMs, Lt 8a, 1893, par. 6
The Lord has need of you. He does not do His work without the cooperation of the human agent. The truth, God’s down-trodden law, is to be uplifted; Christ and His righteousness are to be presented to souls that are perishing. The blindness, the spiritual blindness upon the people today is greater even than when Christ was upon the earth. The help of every man and woman is needed. Let us now rally around the standard, and angels which minister unto those who shall be heirs of salvation will accompany you. 8LtMs, Lt 8a, 1893, par. 7
Make every effort to get your friends to come, not in your place but to accompany, to stand on God’s side, under God’s command. At the very best our numbers will not be large, but if the individual members of the church will come to the Wellington camp meeting, with a mind and will to work to the best of their ability, God will do the rest. We cannot but see the schemes and workings of the enemies of our faith. Let the prayers go forth from unfeigned lips, “Hear, O our God; for we are despised.” “Think upon me, my God, for good.” “Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.” [Nehemiah 4:4; 5:19; 6:9.] 8LtMs, Lt 8a, 1893, par. 8
We must use every power with which God has endowed us to make this meeting a success, and every way adapted for all who shall come to the meeting. The work of the Lord is above every temporal interest, and the Lord’s cause, in any case, must not be misrepresented by those who claim to believe the truth. Watching, waiting, working is our position. There need not be any fainthearted ones. There will be unbelief and accusers in Wellington, but we fear them not if the Lord God of Hosts shall be with us. 8LtMs, Lt 8a, 1893, par. 9
Every soul needs now to awake out of sleep, to put on the whole armor. There is great need now to awake out of sleep, to put on the whole armor. There is great need of personal religion, and family piety, and then there will be a clear understanding of the part each one will be called to act in the grand and important work of building up the cause of God in our world, and vindicating His downtrodden law, and uplifting the Saviour as the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” [John 1:29.] 8LtMs, Lt 8a, 1893, par. 10
We want the Holy Spirit of God, that our works shall be consistent with our faith. Oh, what a work, what a sacred work is before us. The parents need enlightenment, a divine touch, that they may understand their work in the home life, to send forth from the home sanctuary Christian children, morally trained and educated to let their light shine forth to the world. We need to understand in regard to the work to be carried forward in New Zealand. There need to be subdivisions of labor combined with harmony of aim and execution of the work which is to be set in operation. 8LtMs, Lt 8a, 1893, par. 11
Each one is to concentrate his energies on the portion of the wall he is required to build, that no labor may be lost, that there may be no jostling of the workers, no crossing one another’s path on the part of the workers, and that the laborers together with God shall put forth consecrated tact to do their utmost without waste of means or energies, each individual rejoicing in the success of his fellow workers, with a full sense that they are co-operating to the advancement of the cause of truth under the generalship of Jesus Christ. “For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building,” each strengthening the hands of the other. [1 Corinthians 3:9.] 8LtMs, Lt 8a, 1893, par. 12
It is full time that our brethren and sisters made an advance move. Every form of opposition we will meet. Every hindrance will be placed in the way of the work, for history will be repeated. It is not evidence that the enemies and opposers of the truth want; they have fierce hatred of the truth itself, for they cannot controvert it. There are organized and sleepless adversaries from without who are determined to stop the work of God, but let us move forward with well-concentrated effort amid all the discouragements. We must reach the people. The reproach cast upon God’s messengers must be counteracted, and it will be. 8LtMs, Lt 8a, 1893, par. 13
I again urge you for the truth’s sake, for Christ’s sake, to come up to this meeting. Elder Olsen will be at the meeting and other helpers from America, and we want a heavenly sitting together in Christ Jesus, and a rich reward in blessing will come to the people. I leave these lines with you, and beg of you response. We want to see the salvation of God. There must be a waking up among believers. Each may be so imbued with the spirit of the work that he will be a Nehemiah, possessing holy energy and faith and hope, thus strengthening one another’s hands, depending wholly on God, the great and mighty Worker. 8LtMs, Lt 8a, 1893, par. 14