First Sabbath Offering

Today, the timely message resounds:

“The missionary spirit needs to be revived in our churches. Every member of the church should study how to help forward the work of God, both in home missions and in foreign countries. Scarcely a thousandth part of the work is being done that ought to be done in missionary fields. God calls upon His workers to annex new territory for Him. There are rich fields of toil waiting for the faithful worker. And ministering angels will cooperate with every member of the church who will labor unselfishly for the Master.

“The church of Christ on earth was organized for missionary purposes, and the Lord desires to see the entire church devising ways and means whereby high and low, rich and poor, may hear the message of truth. Not all are called to personal labor in foreign fields, but all can do something by their prayers and their gifts to aid the missionary work.

“An American businessman who was an earnest Christian, in conversation with a fellow worker remarked that he himself worked for Christ twenty-four hours of the day. ‘In all my business relations,’ he said, ‘I try to represent my Master. As I have opportunity, I try to win others to Him. All day I am working for Christ. And at night, while I sleep, I have a man working for Him in China.’

“In explanation he added: ‘In my youth I determined to go as a missionary to the heathen. But on the death of my father I had to take up his business in order to provide for the family. Now, instead of going myself, I support a missionary. In such a town of such a province of China, my worker is stationed. And so, even while I sleep, I am, through my representative, still working for Christ.’ ”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, pp. 29, 30.

Now more than ever is the time to invest in the bank of Heaven through world missions. It will not get any easier, and later may be too late. Souls are perishing without Christ and the present truth, and the Lord has entrusted us with precious light to be spread all around the planet.

Please give generously, and may the Lord richly bless you and your gift. Thank you!

The General Conference Sabbath School Department