We each must "do our bit" to win souls.
The following is from a
booklet by C. T. Studd, a millionaire who gave away all of his money and
his life to bring Christ to those who had never heard of Him before.
Are we "playing" church or are we living firebrands of Christ in this
cold world such as C. T. Studd and everyone who followed him were?
The Open Sesame.
"Is there no 'Open Sesame' to unlock the hearts of God’s people and constrain them to go or to give, that God’s house may be filled? There is! The one word 'Quickly.'
"We love to hear Christ’s words, 'Yea, I come quickly.' We even make so bold as to reply, 'Amen, even so, come Lord Jesus.' Yet somehow we fail to catch the answer of Christ, 'Go quickly' 'unto the uttermost parts,' 'and compel them to come in, that My house may be filled.' 'The gospel must first be preached to all the world for a witness.'
Quickly if we please.
"'Do we all consider,' says the Rev. Hubert Brooke, 'that we can have a hand in hastening that coming of our Lord Jesus?' 'It is not only that you are to hasten unto it, but you may actually hasten its coming unto you.' 'It is laid upon our hearts to be speeding His coming, by spreading the gospel to the world’s end.' 'We must be labouring that this glorious day be hastened, by carrying the gospel to the world’s end, by bringing within the reach of every nation the salvation of His First Coming, and so being ready for and speeding on the glory of His Second Coming.' 'The times of the Gentiles are running out, and when the last souls out of the Gentile races have been gathered to Christ, the Lord will return.' 'He has told us that on the day the work is done He Himself will return.'
"It has been well said concerning this European War: 'The only sane and humane policy is to bring the war to a speedy and decisive conclusion.' But such words are yet more true concerning the war of God in the evangelisation of the world. That we can accomplish this if we please is evident.
"The original motto of the Student Volunteers proclaimed the fact that the gospel can be preached throughout the world in the present generation. Sir William Stephenson, a few years ago, at Newcastle, publicly declared that the Wesleyan Methodists alone, if they set their hearts on so doing, could put a girdle of gospel witness throughout the world in less than ten years’ time. And this very startling statement was confirmed by the President of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference a few months later. Then how much more easily can this be done if all believers in Christ join in so glorious a crusade.
"It is evident, therefore, that we can have Christ back, and that quickly. Do we really desire His speedy return? If we do not, are we genuine Christians? If we do, right well do we know how to bring it about.
"We must live for this present generation and not for the next. When Christ returns, money will be at a discount, while a large balance at the bankers will be not merely useless, but a great condemnation.
"If we live for a future generation we shall hoard and be eternal losers. If we live for the present generation we shall lay up our treasure in heaven, and make all haste to spend and be spent in His service. We shall not consider our own comfort nor profit, but only how we can increase our forces and our output of 'ammunition,' lest through our selfishness God’s war become a protracted one and the blood of many be required of us.
"I speak a word concerning bringing our King back, a feeble one no doubt. 'Tis a theme worthy of a better pen.
"But if human words avail not, hearken at least to those of God, for such we neglect at peril:—
"'He that hath ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit of God saith to the Churches!'
"'It is high time to awake out of sleep!'
"'Remember thy first love!'
"'Behold the Bridegroom cometh!'
"'Go ye forth to meet HIM.'
"'Unto the uttermost parts of the earth'
"'Quickly.'
"Fight! The fight will not be long,
Soon shall vict’ry be our song.
"Christian! Do your bit!
"Do it with all your might ! !
"Or Quit ! ! !"
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