What Are YOU Doing to Finish the Work?

[Ed Sutton]

It seems fitting to quote Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)

"Do not go gentle into that good night",  "Rage, rage against the dying of the light".

Has been updated   http://tenbookbucketlist.blogspot.com   
with bimodal capacity and added links.

     God has appointed His children to give light to others, and if they fail to do it, and souls are left in the darkness of error because of their failure to do that which they might have done, had they been vitalized by the Holy Spirit, they will be accountable to God. We have been called out of darkness into His marvelous light, in order that we may show forth the praises of Christ.--Review and Herald, Dec. 12, 1893.  {ChS 21.3}
 
     All who are consecrated to God will be channels of light. God makes them His agents to communicate to others the riches of His grace. . . . Our influence upon others depends not so much upon what we say, as upon what we are. Men may combat and defy our logic, they may resist our appeals; but a life of disinterested love is an argument they cannot gainsay. A consistent life, characterized by the meekness of Christ, is a power in the world.--The Desire of Ages, pp. 141, 142.  {ChS 21.4} 

     Those who should have been the light of the world have shed forth but feeble and sickly beams. What is light? It is piety, goodness, truth, mercy, love; it is the revealing of the truth in the character and life. The gospel is dependent on the personal piety of its believers for its aggressive power, and God has made provision through the death of His beloved Son, that every soul may be thoroughly furnished unto every good work. Every soul is to be a bright and shining light, showing forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. "We are laborers together with God." Yes, laborers; that means doing earnest service in the vineyard of the Lord. There are souls to be saved,--souls in our churches, in our Sabbath schools, and in our neighborhoods.--Review and Herald, March 24, 1891.  {ChS 21.5} 

     It is in working for others that they will keep their own souls alive. If they will become colaborers with Jesus, we shall see the light in our churches steadily burning brighter and brighter, sending forth its rays to penetrate the darkness beyond their own borders.--Historical Sketches, p. 291.  {ChS 22.1}
 
     "Ye are the light of the world." The Jews thought to confine the benefits of salvation to their own nation; but Christ showed them that salvation is like the sunshine. It belongs to the whole world.--The Desire of Ages, p. 306.  {ChS 22.2} 

     Hearts that respond to the influence of the Holy Spirit are the channels through which God's blessing flows. Were those who served God removed from the earth, and His Spirit withdrawn from among men, this world would be left to desolation and destruction, the fruit of Satan's dominion. Though the wicked know it not, they owe even the blessings of this life to the presence, in the world, of God's people whom they despise and oppress. But if Christians are such in name only, they are like the salt that has lost its savor. They have no influence for good in the world. Through their misrepresentation of God they are worse than unbelievers.--The Desire of Ages, p. 306.  {ChS 22.3} 

[V. Hahn]

Wonderful quotes, Ed. I should read these every morning.

[V. Hahn]

From the Amazing Facts magazine, "Inside Report (2006):

Someone ordered 100 copies of The Final Events of Bible Prophecy DVD and book set from Amazing Facts.  He was impressed to advertise the DVDs in The Flyer, a free family magazine distributed weekly throughout the Tampa Bay area.  The ad appeared like this:

"FREE-FINAL EVENTS Bible Prophecy DVD & book. 43 minute documentary leads you through end-time events, including signs of the end, the rapture, Christ's return, & more!  Call (phone number)."

The results were phenomenal!  From the outset, his phone was ringing off the hook.  He averaged about 25 calls a week, with requests from as far away as California and Montana. 

"When people called, they were very interested in the events occurring the world today, and they wanted to know what the Bible has to say about it.  There is extreme interest in the Final Events DVD because people are truly hungering for truth in God's Word!  In fact, a lot of people were worried that I had already run out of DVDs as they were so anxious to get a copy.  They were so relieved when I told them I had more available.  Some even requested multiple copies to share with others."

[V. Hahn]

Here is more from the same man who advertised the Final Events DVD:

"Two people called back after watching the video to tell me how much they enjoyed it, and then requested additional copies for co-workers, family members, and neighbors who are not Christians.  One lady even sent a thank-you card that reads, "Thank you so much for your ministry.  The Final Events DVD really blessed my life."

"Another lady told me that she's watching the video with several non-Christiian friends, who are totally enthralled by what they've seen.  She requested two more copies and said she was thrilled because the documentary brought Bible prophecy to life.  She was especially pleased with the way Bible texts run throughout the video.  She lamented that so many people today, including most Christians, don't really know what the Bible says about end-time events because they don't read the Bible.

"Three people requested not only the DVD and book, but also 'anything else religious' that I could send them.   One man indicated that he was not religious at all but wanted to know God.  Another said he had read the Bible through three times and is extremely interested in the book of Revelation, but finds it very difficult to understand.  So along with the DVD, he asked if I could send him anything else that would help him understand the Bible and Revelation in particular.  He also listens to a Christian radio station that discusses prophecy but he doesn't agree with everything they say and is searching for the truth from God's Word.  These calls will often lead to deeper spiritual conversations too!  I sent him, and others who request them, more prophecy information, a Steps to Christ book, a Hidden Truth magazine, and Doug Batchelor's 'Revelation's Rapture' audio CD.

[V. Hahn]

Dooms Day Preppers' Festival Booth Draws Crowds

What do four youth, two adults, 224 Bibles, 250 Final Events DVDs, 200 “Dooms Day or Distraction” tracts, 100 very nice military-grade bags, 170 string backpacks with the words “JESUS LOVES ME” written in bold lettering, 150 Bible Promise books, and persimmons (yes, I said, “persimmons”) all have in common? Evangelism 2012 for the Bedford Church youth group at the Mitchell, Ind., Persimmon Festival!

The Bedford Church youth group was challenged to come up with some way to share Jesus with their community. At the time, they were meeting every other week. They were asked by leadership to begin praying, and to pray every day during the course of the next two weeks, asking God what He wanted the youth group to do for Him this year. So that is what they did. When the group met again to discuss their thoughts two weeks later, they came up with an awe- some way to distribute God’s Word and help others come to the realization that the doomsday some people fear is really a day we should all look forward to.

The group decided to rent a booth at the Mitchell, Ind., Persimmon Festival and distribute what they like to call, “Dooms Day Kits.” They wanted to give the name to the team, “Dooms Day Preppers.” The goal was to educate the public about God’s plan for His created planet and children, and let them know what the Bible says about His second coming.

The Dooms Day Preppers spent countless hours and had many meetings to make decisions about what should be included in their Dooms Day Kits. Many felt that even the planning was such a blessing for everyone. They prayed countless times that God would lead, and that all would be done in His time and for His honor and glory.

More than a few roadblocks popped up for the Dooms Day Preppers but, every time, God led the young people safely around the obstacles. In short order, the booth was designed, created and paid for, bags filled, T-shirts created and ordered, ink pens and water bottle covers with Bible verses on them prepared, and there were four very nervous youth and two exhausted leaders ready to go!

The Dooms Day Preppers praised God! They never imagined they would be blessed as much as they were. Their booth was the popular one this year! Hundreds of people came to their booth each night, looking for their give-away bags. With a limited amount of bags, the Dooms Day Preppers only took a certain amount to give away each night. So, within half an hour of the tent opening each night, the bags were gone! The Dooms Day Preppers were at the Persimmon Festival Tuesday through Friday from 6:00–9:00 p.m., so the last two-and-a-half hours they gave away loads of Final Events DVDs (also exhausted their supply each night), ink pens, mints with Bible verses on them, lightsticks and lots of other literature they had purchased from the Adventist Book Center.

The last day of the festival, which happened to be Sabbath, Dooms Day Preppers gave away string backpacks with “JESUS LOVES ME” printed in big, bold letters. They were bright lime green and bright pink with black letters. Many people came and said they could see the bags all day on Sabbath up and down the streets! What an awesome Sabbath message to give to the people in Mitchell!

The one thing that meant the most to the young people, their leaders, and all who came to the booth were the prayer request cards. The amount of people who trusted the group with their personal cares and concerns was amazing to all involved. It is the group’s prayer that God will bless each and every person who stopped at their booth this year. They hope each one always will remember that the day Jesus comes to take us home will be the happiest day ever! The Dooms Day Preppers pray they will see many of these people in Heaven!

Through this experience, the young people and leaders learned that the group may be small but with God’s help anyone can do mighty things! I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13 NASB).

[V. Hahn]

Members Shed a Little Light on the Subject

Michigan—The St. Charles Church may be small, but its members want people to know where to look for Light. On a recent Sabbath afternoon, they prepared light bulbs with a sticker on each one that said, "Jesus is the light of the world. Compliments of the Seventh-day Adventist Church." They also included a Pocket Signs special issue with each bulb.
The next Sabbath they delivered the bulbs and pamphlets to residents of three apartment complexes. They hope the people who received the bulbs were blessed as much as the members who gave them.

[newbie]

there are as many ways to reach the world as there are seeds for various plants on this earth...

seed sowing comes in many different forms and ways...

[V. Hahn]

Here are some more!  From an editorial by Jay Gallimore…

1.  Christmas is coming.  Buy ten magabook Desire of Ages from the ABC.  They are only $1.95.  Go to your neighbors.  Wish them a merry Christmas.  Tell them how this book has blessed you and give it to them as a Christmas present. One survey showed that Ellen G. White is the third most read author by ministers of all denominations.

2.  Work with your pastor and plan a special prayer meeting night for neighborhood requests.  Go to ten of your neighbors and let them know that your church will be praying for your neighborhood on a specific night.  See if they have any prayer requests for your neighborhood prayer meeting.

3.  Or have a special home prayer meeting where you do the same thing.

4.  Teach your children to sing.  Take them Christmas caroling to ten of your neighbors.  Your neighbors will be touched.

5.  Hold a caroling night at your house with hot apple cider.  End it by reading the Christmas story from Luke.

6.  Rather than throw away those Little Friends, Primary Treasures and Guides, take them to neighbors who have children.  (Most people are very open to Christian character building literature.)

7.  Many people are lonely.  They are tired of the TV and the internet.  They will appreciate a short, friendly visit.

8.  Look for any excuse to visit your neighbors regularly.

Here is the secret.  Relax.  You don't visit your neighbors for what you can get.  You visit for what you can give!

I know we are all busy, but what about Sabbath afternoon?  Use that day for what it was meant to be.  As you visit, pray for the opportunity to draw everyone to Jesus.  There is no power like the genuine love of God.  Meek and gentle, and yet full of truth, God's love is like a magnet. It has power to change human lives.

Yes, you will find rejection.  But what if Jesus had let rejection stop Him from pouring His love into our hurting world?  He is our example.  If you will do this, the promises of Isaiah 58 will be yours.

You will be amazed at the happiness such a ministry will bring.  You will be astounded at how the divine powers will set up divine appointments.  Angels are waiting to open unbelievable doors of opportunity.  But they need you--converted, humble, and surrendered!

[V. Hahn]

As kids, many of us grew up singing "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine."  Now, we have a radically new way to actually put that into practice--by passing out GLOW tracts.  Though we may not see instant results, we are planting seeds.  Ellen White encourages us, saying, "More than one thousand will soon be converted in one day, most of whom will trace their first convictions to the reading of our publications."  (Review and Herald, Nov. 10, 1885).  In His mercy, God recently gave us a glimpse of this.  William Little learned about GLOW at the 2008 GYC, and decided to take some GLOW tracts back to his home state of Arkansas.  He and several other church members began to faithfully pass out GLOW tracts; and often call to order more.  Recently he called and asked if we had received any responses from Arkansas for Bible studies.  At that point we'd had none.  But the very next day we received a letter from Hope, Arkansas.  In it a man requested Bible Studies!  We instantly called William and told him about the letter.  He was thrilled to discover that the man lived just 30 minutes away.  William's home church will now be following up with that man.  It is just amazing the way God builds our faith in the work we are doing.  At the precise moment that William was asking if there were any interests, the letter was already on its way to us.  Praise God that He is in control of this work.  Many are being reached by faithful church members who distribute literature.

[V. Hahn]

"Tell them what wonderful things God has done for you."  Mark 5:19 (Living New Testament)

Tell them how you found Jesus and how blessed you have been since you gained an experience in His service…

"Tell them of the gladness and joy that there is in the Christian life."  Evangelism, p. 486

"As witnesses for Christ, we are to tell what we know, what we ourselves have seen and heard and felt, If we have been following Jesus step by step, we shall have something right to the point to tell concerning the way in which He has led us. We can tell how we have tested His promise, and found the promise true. We can bear witness to what we have known of the grace of Christ. This is the witness for which our Lord calls, and for want of which the world is perishing."  The Desire of Ages, p. 340

"There are many who want to know what they must do to be saved." Evangelism, p. 188

"Bring the people right to Jesus Christ, in whom their hopes of eternal life are centered…As you bring them the Word of God, presenting it in a simple style…You will have a harvest."  Evangelism, p. 178

"When we bring our hearts into unity with Christ and our lives in harmony with His work, the Spirit that fell on the disciples on the day of Pentecost will fall on us."  Evangelism, p. 697, 698

"If you don't tell them…who will?"

--From the back of the booklet, "Hour Times Personal Member Territory Guide"

[V. Hahn]

This is another older article that was reprinted from the Review and Herald Publishing Assoc., which is no more, but it is another idea how to spread the truth for this time!  I don't know if this initiative is continuing after the close of the R&H.

Big Plans for The Great Controversy

Jack Henderson of Hendersonville, North Carolina, used to sell The Great Controversy as a literature evangelist. Now he wants to give it away. To everybody! On January 12, he announced his "Great Controversy Project" on 3ABN's Today show. He plans to send Ellen White's book to every home in the country.

It's an ambitious goal, but people are catching the vision. Donors are calling with small and large gifts to support the project. Already, money has been raised to send several hundred thousand copies.

The staff at the Review and Herald Publishing Association (who prints the books for Henderson and mails them out) has been overwhelmed by calls. "The calls have been coming in at such a rate that as we deal with one call, three others have had to leave a message," says Howard Scoggins, an administrator at the Review and Herald. "The fire has spread to Australia, Canada and England."

A physician called who had worked her way through school selling The Great Controversy. She wanted to send the book to everyone in her zip code. Another caller wanted to blanket the area around his Utah home because this was the book that had brought him into the church.

Employees at the Review and Herald are so enthused that some have pledged as much as two or three week's salary to support the project, according to Scoggins.

Henderson likes to quote a letter written in 1905 by Ellen White in which she said "I am more anxious to see a wide circulation for this book than for any others that I have written; for in The Great Controversy, the last message of warning to the world is given more distinctly than in any of my other books."

"Seeing people respond from all over the world, tells me that people want to see this work finished," says Henderson.

[V. Hahn]

I copied this from an email from a ministry who has gospel tracts, and I thought it was a great idea!  Passing out Glow tracts to the people waiting in long lines on or around Black Friday would be easy and give them something to read while they are waiting.  Families could do it or a group from church could get together and hand them out.

"The real reason we hand out gospel tracts any time of year is because we love the lost and desperately want them to know how they can be saved. Black Friday is a once a year opportunity to give out hundreds of tracts in minutes. Why not pray about starting a new family tradition and head out to your local department store and reach many with the gospel. Black Friday is just two weeks away, but there is still time to prepare."

[ColporteurK]

Great Idea V. !   The worst thing that could happen is that someone in the store were to stop you. Likely, in most cases you could hand out a large number before that happens.

[ColporteurK]

Today on our drive to church we listened to Dr. Ed Reid, author, speaker, and former GC treasurer for many years. He spoke of seven signs that indicate that we are at the end. One of those signs is the gospel going to all of the world. Do you think that it is not going ? Listen to this. Adventist World Radio has been sending out messages by radio from Guam for years. Recently, they digitalized all of their 30 minute programs and put them on the computer where people all over the world can download them. Currently they are getting 128 hits per second and 11 million hits per day. The largest quantity of hits is coming from China. The second largest number of hits is coming from Arab/Muslim countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia ! All of this from just ONE ministry. At the same time angel's are appearing to Muslims and leading them to our message.

[Carl]

I don't know cp, I have doubts, but I could be dead wrong, I don't know enough about the bible. Is it not true, until every single soul in the world has had a chance to make a decision, the Lord will not return? If that's the case, then seems whatever number our people throw out to make it sound good, will have to take into account that number versus how many people are in the world today.

I'll also say again, it will take the major media to spread the word to that extent to cover every tiny village and hamlet. And this will only happen when the persecution of the remnant begins and they are brought into courts. At that time during the trials of the remnant, the world will learn WHY the remnant persist to keep the seventh day sacred. Something like the OJ Simpson trials.

Until that time, it's a piddly amount the church is doing today IMO.
Please, is this wrong or what?