Said one layman to another, at one of our camp meetings, "That man knows what he is talking about. You know, you can tell as soon as a man opens his lips whether he has anything to say or not. Some men have a message, and others do not."
An Army chaplain located in one of our Army camps had just finished conducting his morning service. The boys were leaving the chapel.
You could tell by the expression on their faces that they had been profoundly affected by the service they had just attended. One of the boys remarked, "Chaplain___ surely knows what he is talking about." Another boy said, "This is a quality rarely seen among chaplains today. I surely love to hear this chaplain speak, and I am not going to miss one of the services if I can possibly help it. He speaks with authority, and I feel as though I have really got something out of the service."
Did not the layman and these boys hit the nail on the head? Should not our ministers know whereof they speak, and speak as those having authority?
Christ held the attention and the interest of the congregation to the very close of the service. It is said of Christ, that after He had delivered His message, He "sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him." Luke 4:20. Referring to Christ's preaching, Luke remarked that the people "were astonighed at His doctrine: for His word was with power." Luke 4:32. The people were amazed when Christ spoke, for He spoke as one having authority, and as a result "the fame of Him went out into every place of the country round about." Verse 37.
It is this same power that our laymen expect their ministers to have. Is this standard set by laymen too high or too difficult of attainment?
We are confident that the readers of The MINISTRY will agree that the standard is not too high, and that our ministers should speak with authority and have a power in their lives that will attract the attention of men and women to this message. We are confident that our ministers everywhere are longing for this power in their own individual lives.
The question that arises in the minds of all is, How can I individually receive that power in my own life? Can I acquire this power through my own efforts, or is it something that is passed out by the Lord to a chosen few? Is this power something that lies dormant within me now, or does it come from without? If we take the view that it comes from within ourselves, some will say that we are trying to work out our own salvation. If, on the other hand, we take the view that this power comes from above and from without, the tendency will be to feel that the individual has nothing whatever to do with it—that the Lord has selected certain individuals and imbued them with this power, and hence, there is nothing that we can do about it.
Divine Power Surcharges Human Effort
Neither one of these answers is wholly correct, although there is a certain amount of truth in each, for the old saying that "the Lord helps those who help themselves" holds good in spiritual matters as well as in material things. No man can secure this power who is not living close to the Lord, the source of all wisdom. On the other hand, no man can secure this power who is indifferent, lazy, and indolent, or does not exert himself to the limit to acquire the knowledge and the wisdom that are so essential to success in religious as well as secular work.
The divine working through the human, and the human working in co-operation and under the direction of the divine—this is what produces power in a person's life. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me," should be the experience of every worker. The Lord will do His part if we will do our part, for He has promised to be with us even unto the end. This discussion will deal primarily with our part.
"We must not enter into the Lord's work haphazard, and expect success. The Lord needs men of mind; men of thought. Jesus calls for co-workers, not blunderers. God wants right-thinking, and intelligent men to do the great work necessary to the salvation of souls." —Testimonies, Vol. /V, p. 67.
What the Lord needs, then, is men of mind, men of thought—in other words, thinking men. How are men of mind, men of thought, thinking men, produced? and how long a period of time does it take to produce men of this kind? Can it be done overnight? Will a two-week course in a ministerial institute do it? Will a four-year college course accomplish it, or a term or so at the Seminary? Not necessarily. It is possible to attend hundreds of institutes, to complete a four-year college course, and pursue advance courses at the Seminary, and yet not acquire the ability to think—to think things through for ourselves.
The first essential to successful thinking is a bountiful supply of the materials used in thinking. The second essential is the tool used in thinking. The tool has been given to each one of us. That tool that does the thinking, or uses the materials that produce the thought, is the mind Ekch of us has that, but the materials that are used in thinking are acquired. The amount of materials that we acquire during our lifetime depends on ourselves individually. The tool which is used in thinking can, through exercise, be developed and become a mighty power, but, in order to become a mighty force, the mind must have an abundance of materials available. All things being equal, that mind which has the richest supply of materials used in thinking will produce the greatest and strongest structure.
Some individuals remind me of an old Chinese peanut vender who frequently passed up and down our street in Shanghai. He carried his entire stock of trade about with him. His whole outfit, including the peanuts, could be purchased for about a dollar. That was his entire capital. He had no reserves to draw upon. - My mind passes on to a great peanut dealer, a wholesaler, in North China. When I last saw him he was storing away peanuts in bags by the hundreds of thousands, in large warehouses. I had never before seen so many peanuts. He was ready for any eventuality. He had plenty of reserves on hand. When the financial panic swept over the country in 1933, the smaller dealers were wiped out. The man with the reserves, the capital, weathered the storm.
Are you, my fellow worker, prepared to weather the storm? Do you have the necessary reserves that will tide you over in the crisis? Should not every minister have at his immediate command a wealth of facts, data, illustrations, and experiences that he can, if necessary, draw upon at a moment's notice? The enemy is consolidating his forces. He will strike at the most unexpected time and in the most unexpected place—and strike at our weak point. Be prepared to call up your reserves when that occurs. It is not safe for an army to launch an offensive without reserves. And it is unwise, most unwise, for any minister to launch an evangelistic effort or to stand before the people without an abundant supply of reserves. Set aside a little time each day. Consider this time sacred time, and store up a supply of reserves that your mind can draw upon at any time and at any place. Be prepared for any emergency.
Our first task, therefore, is to acquire an abundant supply of materials—materials stored away in our warehouse. Strange as it may seem, even though the worker may not possess a large supply of materials, if he will exercise his mind and use these materials, if he will devise ways and means of securing more materials and keep up this habit, in time he will have acquired a storehouse well packed with the materials needed for successful thinking. His mind then becomes a powerhouse. All human energy comes from within ourselves. We are therefore our own powerhouse. "Oh. that everyone might realize that he is the arbiter of his own destiny. Your happiness for this life and for the future life—the immortal life—lies with yourself," we are told by the Spirit of the Lord. This in itself is a wonderful thought.
The reason many who are qualified to do excellent work fail to accomplish much in this life is that they fail to attempt much. They pass through life as though they had no great objective for which to live, no high standards to reach. These individuals, we are told through the Spirit of prophecy, "need to discipline the mind by exercise. They should force it to think. While they depend upon someone to think for them, to solve their difficulties, and they refuse to tax the mind with thought, the inability to remember, to look ahead and discriminate, will continue. Efforts must be made by every individual to educate the mind." —Testimonies. Vol. II. p. 188.
Be Earnest in Acquiring Knowledge
What efforts are you making to acquire the materials needed to develop as a man of thought? Over and over again the Spirit of the Lord has emphasized the importance of all our workers' spending a portion of each day in the diligent study and the acquisition of knowledge. "Men of God must be diligent in study, earnest in the acquirement of knowledge, never wasting an hour. Through persevering exertion they may rise to almost any degree of eminence as Christians, as men of power and influence."—/bid, Vol. IV, p. 411.
Knowledge is gained through observation, experience, and reading. One prominent educator once said that every man receives two educations—the one he receives from others; and the other, and most important, the one which he gives to himself. We are dealing primarily with the latter. What sort of education are you giving yourself? Are you observing? Do you learn from experience? What are your reading habits? Many facts, important facts, and much knowledge, practical knowledge, can be gained from developing right reading habits. Just what sort of reading habits do you have?
"The reading habits of clergymen," according to a study made by Harold Lancour, librarian of Cooper Union, "are slovenly, without plan or discipline, and fall short of the standard one would expect of a group with such a high educational background and so rich an opportunity for intellectual leadership." Mr. Lancour came to this conclusion after examining the answers to a questionnaire which he had mailed to the students of Union Theological Seminary. Eighteen Protestant denominations were represented in this survey.
Are the reading habits of Seventh-day Adventist ministers and other gospel workers slovenly, without plan or discipline? Do they fall short of the standard one would expect of a group of Seventh-day Adventist ministers? These are questions that should set us to thinking, for "the Lord needs men of mind, men of thought." "God does not want us to be content with. lazy, undisciplined minds, dull thoughts, and loose memories."—Counsels to Teachers, p. 506. To arouse the public, to hold their attention, . to create in them an interest in this message, demands a ministry that is wide-awake, a ministry that is keen, ministers who are deep students of His Word, the Spirit of prophecy writings, history, science, and current literature of the day. Events are moving with great rapidity. Great changes are taking place. Do we as God's representatives realize the solemnity of the days in which we are living? Do we comprehend the headlines that are appearing in the daily papers? Do we understand the currents that are sweeping over the world, the events that seem to be beyond the control of an' one man or group of men? Do you realize, my brother, sister, that these are the agencies that God is using to arouse men and women to a sense of their danger? When we speak, do we speak with authority and with power, or are our sermons listless and out of tune with the times in which we are living?
If workers will treasure each moment, will utilize the spare minutes waiting for meals and appointments, and the time spent in traveling about from place to place, knowledge can be acquired that will, if used, become a mighty factor and power in their lives. Let us follow the practice of keeping a book continually in hand —such as the new Ministerial Reading Course volumes—and using fragments of time for reading and careful thought.
"Men in responsible positions should improve continually. They must not anchor upon an old experience, and feel that it is not necessary to become scientific workers. Man, although the most helpless of God's creatures when he comes into the world, and the most perverse in his nature, is nevertheless capable of constant advancement. He may be enlightened by science, ennobled by virtue, and may progress in mental and moral dignity, until he reaches a perfection of intelligence and a purity of character but little lower than the perfection and purity of angels."—Testimonies, Vol. IV, p. 93.
Let us as workers in this cause strive to the utmost to reach the high standards set before us. If we will do our part, the Lord will do His part, and we will have the power in our lives that will influence men and women for Christ.
