282
Evangelism
Now I will just mention my experience. After I stepped on Amer-
ican soil, after coming from Europe, I did not go into a house but
went into a hotel and took my dinner, and then went to _____. There
was the place of all others where plans should have been laid to keep
somebody there to bind off the work. There were a wealthy people,
and deeply convicted. It was a wonderful interest we had there. The
people would come out to the meeting and sit and listen with tears in
their eyes; they were deeply impressed; but the matter was left with no
one to follow up the interest; but everything was allowed to go right
back. These things are not pleasing to God. We are either spreading
over too much ground and proposing to do too much work, or else
matters are not arranged as they ought to be.—
Manuscript 19b, 1890
.
Creating a Difficult Field for Others—Ministers who are not
men of vital piety, who stir up an interest among the people but leave
the work in the rough, leave an exceedingly difficult field for others to
enter and finish the work they failed to complete. These men will be
proved; and if they do not do their work more faithfully, they will, after
a still further test, be laid aside as cumberers of the ground, unfaithful
watchmen.—
Testimonies For The Church 4:317
(1879).
Result of Haphazard Work—Bind off your work thoroughly.
Leave no dropped stitches for someone else to pick up. Do not disap-
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point Christ. Determine that you will succeed, and in the strength of
Christ you may give full proof of your ministry....
Nothing is so discouraging to the advancement of present truth as
the haphazard work done by some of the ministers for the churches.
Faithful labor is needed. The churches are ready to die, because they
are not strengthened in Christlikeness. The Lord is not pleased with
the loose way in which the churches are left because men are not
faithful stewards of God’s grace. They do not receive His grace, and
therefore cannot impart it. The churches are weak and sickly because
of the unfaithfulness of those who are supposed to labor among them,
whose duty it is to have an oversight over them, watching for souls as
they that must give an account.—
Manuscript 8a, 1888
.