THE CHURCH OFFICERS’ GAZETTE 15
Spirit.
Reach Unbelicvers,” June 5, 1914.
MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER SERVICE BANDS
“po all who are about io take up special missionary work with the paper prepared for use in the Har-
vest Ingathering campaign, I would say: Be diligent in your efforts; live under the guidance of the Holy
Add daily io your Christian experience. . . . Lei us put literature into every hand that will receive
it. Let ns consecrate ourselves to the proclamation of the message, ‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for cur God.’ ”—Mrs. KE. G. White in MS., “Consecrated Efforts to
Prayer and Personal Workers’ Band
PrrsoNaL workers, the Lord, through His servant, says to
you: “Cultivate the habit of talking with the Saviour when you
are alone, when you are walking, and when you are busy with
your daily labor. Let the heart be continually uplifted in
silent petition for help, for light, for strength, for knowledge.”
—“Mimstry of Healing,” p. 511.
He also says that “nothing is more needed in our work than
the practical results of communion with God. We should show
by our daily lives that we have peace and rest in the Saviour,
His peace in the heart will shine forth in the countenance. It
will give to the voice a persuasive power. Communion with
God will ennoble the character and the life. Men will take
knowledge of us, as of the first disciples, that we have beon
with Jesus. This will impart to the worker a power that noth-
ing else can gwe’—Id., p. S12. .
May the practical results of the prayer life be manifested
daily in our livea! Let us earnestly pray for the pardon of
sin, for the daily baptism of the Spirit, for wisdom and
strength to do God’s work; let us pray for the salvation of
some special one, and then for another and another; let us
pray that the weekly young people’s meetings may have a soul-
saving influence on those who attend. And while we pray, lot
us not forget the necessity of bringing owr own hegrts into
harmony with God's will,
Suggestive Topics for Study and Discussion
1. Selfishness: (a) “Under the general head of selfishness came
every other sin’ T., IV, 384: 3. o) The spirit of selfish-
ness is the spirit of Satsn. A. A. 339: 38. (&) “Ht is the worst
phase of selfishness to fret and censure and complain” T., IV,
610: 1. (@) Jealousy and stubbornness are the natural fruits
of selfishness. T., XI, 545:1., (e¢) Gods work is hindered by
gelfishness in the lives of professed Christians. T., IX, 52:1,
(f) By Chuist’s help we can put selfishness out of our lives.
T., EI, 71: 1,
Personal question: Are my efforts for souls being hindered
because of fretting, cemsuring and complaining, jealousy and
stubbomness in my life?
2. Conversion: (a) Unless thoroughly converted, one may
despair of heaven, T., I, 158: 1. (b) Many think they are
Christians, but they have never been converted. T., II, 288: 1,
{¢) Measure yowr life with this description of a converted soul:
“He hates sin, . . . He renounces his former pleasures. He has
a new mind, new affections, new interest, new will. . . , The
works of holiness, which appeared wearisome, are now hig de-
light, The word of God, which was dull and uninteresting, is
now chosen as his study. . . . His thoughts, his words, and his
deeds are brought to this rule and tested. .. . The society of
the most godly is now chogen by him, and the wicked, whose
corapany he ence loved, he no longer delights in. . . . Self-love
and vanity are renounced, and he lives unto God, and is rick in
good works. This 4s the sanctification which God requires,
Nothing short ef this will He wecept”’—X., 11, £294, £95.
3. Qualifications of Personal Workers: (a) Kind and courte-
ous, C O. L,, 336:4. (b) Taetful, industrious, enthusiastic.
T., V, top of 276. (¢) Sympathetic and sociable. T. IV,
71: 3. (d) Courageous, T., V,187:4. (e) Unselfish. T., IX,
31:1. (f) Patient. T., IV, 132:2. (g) Humble, T., II,
144: 3. (hk) Full of faith in God. G. W. 262: 2.
Personal question: Am I always kind and courteous, tactful,
industrious, enthusiastic, sympathetic, sociable, courageous, un-
salfish, patient, humble, and full of faith in @&od?
4, Discuss the chapter entitled, “The Test of Discipleship,”
in “Steps te Christ,” pp. 61-70, MINNIE BE, DAUPHINEE.
Christian Help and Gospel Meeting Band
Evervoopy does Harvest Ingathering work in the autumn,
but you should plan te continue your regular band work just
the same. In fact, you may make your regular work help the
Harvest Ingathering, and viee versa. Xf you have a meighbor-
hood Sabbath school or Sunday school, ask that your band be
assigned that territory for Harvest Ingathering work. Get up
an evening program on foreign missions. Perhaps some one
ean give a stereopticon talk, or perhaps you can get a returned
missionary to take the meeting. Advertise it well. Af the
close tell the people about the Harvest Ingathering plan, and
that you will call upon them. Then do it enthusiastically.
You may need to do some yeadjusting this month. Some have
gone away to school. In churches where there arc academies
or colleges there ig a great increase of young people. Let the
young people in the home church determine to “carry on,” just
the same. We think of education as being obtained in school,
but as a matter of fact some of the very best of our training is
secured in just such practical work as this band ig doing, To
persevere and make a missionary band succeed when there are
difficulties, develops character; and that is education. Are
there not some Juniors just emerging into the Senior age whom
you can enlist in this band? Christian help work is something
the youngest ean do. Axe there not some of the more timid
ones who will fill in the gaps made by those who have gone
away to school? In some cases the depleting of your ranks
may be a blessing, for it will encourage others to fill in,
The autumn, when the days are getting erisp, and the sehoolg
are beginning, seems a good time to begin new missionary
work, Look over the possibilities for Christian help work,
Bible readings, and cottage meetings in your community, and
lay your plans. It may be best to begin one or two things at
a time and make them succeed. Plan something for every mem-
ber, and seek new members, MM. E E.
Literature and Correspondence Band .
“In your church and neighhorhood missionary work, let your
light shine forth in sueh clear, steady rays that no man can
stand up in the judgment, and say, ‘Why did you not tell me
about this truth? Why did you not care for my soul¥ Then
let us be diligent in the distribution of literature that has been
carefully prepared for use among those not of our faith,’—
Mrs. B. G. White, in MS., “Consecrated Efforts to Reach Un-
believers,” June &, 1914,
September is almost synonymous with the Harvest YIngather-
ing literature work in the Seventh-day Adventist denomination,
Those who havs been doing systematic house-to-house work dis-
tributing Literature have the way opened already before them.
Let each Missionary Volunteer cover his regular territory, Peo-
ple will more readily give to a young person who they know
15 doing Christian work as a part of his daily Christian living,
The Harvest Ingathering visit may open the way for discuss
ing the papers you have been placing in these homes. As you
go out, of course you will have a financial goal, but most of
all pray that God will help you to lead honest souls to see the
light of truth. Be sure to take down names and addresses of
those intercsted, and then see that they receive more literature
along the partienlar line Which will help them most, “In unity
there is strength,” is an adage old but true, and Missionary
Volunteers around the world are doing this Harvest Ingathering
work, many of them af this very time. The united prayers of
earnest youth surely will be answered by the Lord of the har-
vest, and souls will be in the kingdom as a result of this cam-
paign. E. E. H.
What M. V. Stands for
M. V. may stand for More Vim, More Vietorious, or Master’s
Voice. The last designation appeals to me. John the Baptist
was “a voice.” He prepared the way for Christ’s first coming.
We are to be our Master's voiee, preparing the world for His
second coming. Wonderful privilege, isn't it?
To be one’s voice or mouthpiece is to be a true representative
of the one we speak for—an ambassador. It ig a privilege te
serve as the representative of one’s country in a foreign land.
But we represent heaven and the King thereof. Wonderful
privilego!
To be able to represent the Master, we must know Him, we
must have heard His voice, we must have spoken to Him, and
we must keep in constant touch with Him, Some ambassadors
have private wires connecting their offices with their country,
so that they can have uninterrupted communication, We must
have a constant conncetion with heaven for uninterrupted com-
munication.
One must also be acquainted with the laws and customs of
his country, otherwise he fails in his mission. The law book
here is the Bible, We must know our Bible, We must hve
up to the laws of our country, and represent it in a most loyal
way.
It ig a privilege to be a Missionary Volunteer,—our Master’s
voice, His representative. May we ever be true to that calling.
G. ¥. Ror.
The Harvest. ¥ugathering is a soul-winning campaign.