December 17, 1901

“Bring an Offering Unto the Lord”

EGW

“Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”RH December 17, 1901, par. 1

We need to realize the importance of consecrating our talents to God. We should give ourselves to Him, soul, body, and spirit, to do His will. Our talents are not our own; they are but lent to us; and they are to be sacredly employed in God's service. Let us not trifle with the responsibility of using them wisely. God will require them again at our hands.RH December 17, 1901, par. 2

In the parable of the talents, Christ has plainly declared the use He expects us to make of our endowments. “The kingdom of heaven,” the Saviour said, “is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.”RH December 17, 1901, par. 3

Read carefully the record of the use made of these talents. The one who had received five talents, and the one who had received two, put their money out to usury, and on the return of their master, they were able to give back to him the principal and interest. These servants were equally commended. To each the master said, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”RH December 17, 1901, par. 4

The servant who had received one talent did not appreciate the gift, but bound up his talent, and hid it in the earth. He did no good with that which his lord gave him. With murmuring and complaining he came to his lord, saying, “Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.”RH December 17, 1901, par. 5

Christ has made for us a complete offering, an offering without defect or blemish. Let us make an offering of whole-hearted service to God. Let us bring our money to God as a thank offering for what He has done for us, even as the wise men brought to Christ their offerings of gold and frankincense and myrrh. As we do our best, making our gift proportionate to our ability to give, God will accept our offering. Remember the offering that Christ made,—the offering of himself to a life of suffering, humiliation, and shame, in order to save a world perishing in sin. Had not this offering been made, we must have perished. How much do we owe to Him who gave His life for us? As we look upon the self-sacrifice of Christ, do not the sacrifices we are called upon to make for Him sink into insignificance?RH December 17, 1901, par. 6

Christ has compassion upon fallen man. He places himself in his stead, to suffer the penalty of transgression. Thus He has made it possible for sinners to return to their allegiance, to take their place under the royal standard of the Prince of life. But many in the world are perishing in sin. Careless and worldly, they give no thought to God or to eternal realities. They are dishonest in dealing with God's property. They love not the truth. They turn away from the righteousness of Christ to the beggarly elements of the world. They trample under their feet the precepts of God's law, especially the Sabbath commandment. The heart of the Saviour is grieved by their conduct. He desires to save every soul whom He has purchased. Oh that men would understand this, and place themselves in connection with the great Master Workman, making willing sacrifices to save their fellow men!RH December 17, 1901, par. 7

Soon the Lord is coming to this earth with power and great glory. The work that we are to do is outlined in the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah. Who is doing this work? Who is building the Lord's altars? Who is preparing the people for the great day of the Lord? Now, just now, every one who claims to be a child of God should bring his means to the Lord's treasury, that there may be a supply to draw from to supply His workers with facilities for entering new places to present the truth to those who have never heard it. From His storehouse God supplies all our necessities. Shall we be only consumers? Shall we not be producers, giving of our means that the truth may be presented to those who will accept the message, and in turn give back to God His own?RH December 17, 1901, par. 8

There is ever to be in the treasury of the Lord means to be used for enlarging the work, for entering new territory, and building sanctuaries where those who accept present truth may worship Him in the beauty of holiness. God calls upon His people to bring of their means, in tithes and freewill offerings, to Him, that His workers may have wherewith to establish memorials for Him in villages, towns, and cities. These memorials will constantly bear witness that after creating the world in six days, God gave the seventh day to His people as a day of rest, to be a sign between Him and them, that they might know that He is the Lord who sanctifies them.RH December 17, 1901, par. 9

We are not merely to receive God's gifts. With a full sense of our accountability, we are to bring to Him a return, that His workers may carry His message from city to city and from country to country. God's self-sacrificing workers must be provided with sufficient facilities to make their work a success. Let us not forget the work in foreign fields. The sight as it is presented to me is deplorable. There is great need of workers, and of facilities to enable the workers to do successful work.RH December 17, 1901, par. 10

“The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.” This earth is the Lord's storehouse, from which we are ever drawing. He has provided fruits and grains and vegetables for our sustenance. For us He makes the sun to shine and the rain to fall. The whole human family, good and evil, are constantly drawing from God's storehouse. It makes every difference with those so highly privileged how they receive the Lord's gifts, and how they treat the contract the Lord has made with them. He has made them His almoners, directing them to draw from His storehouse, and then make a return to Him in gifts and offerings, “that there may be meat in mine house,” He says.RH December 17, 1901, par. 11

In the third chapter of Malachi is found the contract God has made with man. Here the Lord specifies the part He will act in bestowing His great gifts on those who will make a faithful return to Him in tithes and offerings. To the selfish ones God says, “Ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”RH December 17, 1901, par. 12

There is no time to lose. Let God's people bring their offerings to Him, that they may worship Him with hearts full of rejoicing. Remember that God has imparted to you of His blessings, that you may have wherewith to give to Him. The Lord's work is now languishing because men do not realize the claims God has upon them. Our institutions in Europe are struggling under a burden of debt. The work of freeing these institutions from debt and embarrassment must be carried forward. They must not be left under a burden of debt.RH December 17, 1901, par. 13

Let the Lord see that His people are willing to make offerings of self-denial for the honor of His work; that they toil, not for selfish ends, but that under His prospering grace they may have wherewith to give to the objects in need of their help. Shall we not make an effort “to give to him that needeth”? Of what is there greater need than to release the Lord's instrumentalities from debt, and establish them upon a solid basis?RH December 17, 1901, par. 14

Just now we need to make special effort to help the departments of God's work which are in need of help. Those who are laboring in new fields should be encouraged to plant the standard in new places, to annex new territory for God. Camp-meetings are to be held in many places. Churches are to be raised up and organized. There is to be a pressing into new territory. Will not my brethren and sisters throughout the world consecrate themselves and their possessions to God? God help them to bring freewill offerings to Him who gave His only begotten Son to save them from eternal death! Let the believers in Christ deny self, take up the cross, and follow their Leader. Let them make decided efforts to place themselves under His discipline, to take His yoke upon them, and learn of Him. Those who do this will find rest unto their souls.RH December 17, 1901, par. 15

Let believers in the truth bring to God a faithful tithe. Let them bring Him peace offerings and thank offerings for the great love wherewith He hath loved them. Then there will be no dearth of means in His treasury.RH December 17, 1901, par. 16

How long shall the apathy remain that is upon the people of God? The words in the fifty-fourth chapter of Isaiah are for us: “Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shall not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called.”RH December 17, 1901, par. 17

Our time for work is short. We have not a moment to lose. Let us do something for Christ, and do it now.RH December 17, 1901, par. 18