First Sabbath Offering—Sabbath, May 3, 2014
Dear Brothers and Sisters around the world:
We are living in the last moments of the history of planet Earth--and for a long time our Lord has anxiously been waiting to take us home. The prophetic events that unfold right before our eyes tell us that the second coming of Jesus is near, even at the door. Unfortunately, the gospel message has not reached the farthest ends of the planet and not every creature has had an opportunity to hear the truth. “Men will soon be forced to great decisions, and they must have opportunity to hear and to understand Bible truth, in order that they may take their stand intelligently on the right side” (Evangelism, p. 25).
As members in God’s church, it is our privilege to represent His character and to carry the spreading of the gospel to its completion by committing to this special work our time, strength, and financial resources.
Thanks to our members and friends’ prayers and financial contributions, new missions are being instituted in many regions. These new missions still need our support until they are well established and become self-supporting, while other new fields are being opened. Every year we collect a special offering to supply the necessary means to spread the message throughout many parts of the globe.
“The Lord's heritage has been strangely neglected, and God will judge His people for this thing. Pride and the love of display are gratified by the accumulated advantages, while new fields are left untouched. The rebuke of God is upon the managers for their partiality and selfish appropriation of His goods” (Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 59).
Will you choose to unite your efforts with those of missionaries and their families by giving liberally from your resources so that the earth can be filled with God’s glory and that Jesus may come soon? We hope you will.
On behalf of a world in need,
Your brethren from the GC Missionary Department