An Appeal to Our Churches in Behalf of Home Missionary Work

Co-operation with God

The upbuilding of the kingdom of God is retarded or urged forward, according to the unfaithfulness or fidelity of human agencies. Unfaithfulness to the cause of Christ makes manifest that love is lacking in the human agent. It was the love of Christ that constrained Him to come and seek and save that which was lost; but the love of Christ does not seem to constrain those who profess His name; for a death-like slumber is upon the human agents, and the work is hindered by failure of the human to cooperate with the divine. Men may pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven,” but they fail in acting upon this prayer in their lives. The living Christian in one who has not left his first love, and his candlestick is not removed out of its place. But those who do not maintain their consecration to God are blind, and cannot see afar off, and have forgotten that they were purged from their own sins. But though you may be weak, erring, frail, sinful, and imperfect, the Lord holds out to you the offer of partnership with Himself, inviting you to come under divine instruction. Uniting with Christ, you may work the works of God. “Without Me,” said Christ, “ye can do nothing.” PH007 20.1

Isaiah says, “Thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.” This is the righteousness of Christ which goes before us, and the glory of the Lord is to be our rereward. Ye churches of the living God study this promise, and consider how your lack of faith, of spirituality, of divine power, is hindering the coming of the kingdom of God. Were every one of you living missionaries, the gospel would be speedily proclaimed in all countries, to all peoples, nations and tongues. This is the work that must be done before Christ shall come in power and great glory. I call upon the church to pray earnestly, that you may understand your responsibilities. Are you individually laborers together with God? If not why not? When do you mean to do your God-appointed work? PH007 20.2