Christ's Challenge to Work for the Jews

WE ARE not doing one twentieth part of what God requires us to do. There has been a departure from the simplicity of the work, mak­ing it intricate, difficult to un­derstand, and difficult to exe­cute. The judgment and wis­dom of man rather than of God has too often guided and controlled. Many feel that they have not time to watch for souls as they that must give account. And what excuse will they render for this neglect of the important work which was theirs to do?"—Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 11.

What a challenge! Although this para­graph was written eighty years ago, the statement, "We are not doing one-twenti­eth part of what God requires us to do" ap­plies to this solemn time in which we are living, and in particular to the insignificant work being done for the nearly ten million Jews living in the United States. What are we doing as a denomination to win souls for the kingdom from among them? I read in a book recently the startling accusation that the crime of evangelism is laziness. Many are praying for the conversion of the Jews, but prayer is no substitute for action in soul winning.

The Jews as a whole are fine, good, and sincere people. We find them among the great men in literature, philosophy, his­tory, and the sciences. Many of them are wealthy, men of influence in government and in social circles. The Lord wants to save them and to use their talents and means for the advancement of His cause. We have the promise: "Many will accept Christ as the Messiah."—Gospel Workers, p. 398. With that infallible promise of God we ought to go into action. Here are some suggestions that might be followed:

1. Let each pastor with his church board make an inventory of the Jewish families living in the community.

2. Assign able church members as vis­itors to these families, either to sell or give them a copy of our quarterly magazine Israelite. (The price is only 25 cents a copy or $1.00 for a yearly subscription.)

3. Let the same person go to the same homes from month to month with These Times, Signs of the Times, or other suitable literature, and each quarter with Israelite.

The cultivation of friendship by fre­quent contacts, with a burning passion that stirs passion, and emotion that kindles emo­tion, will make a lasting impression on the minds and hearts of our Jewish friends. The greatest power that will impel them to accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah proph­esied in the Old Testament will be the im­pression of truth through constant Chris­tian love manifested in little acts of kind­ness in the weekly or monthly visits. May the statement, "Many feel that they have not time to watch for souls as they that must give account," help us as ministers and church officers to wake up to our op­portunities, to remove the objections of the Jews, to dissipate their doubts, and to con­quer their prejudices. Yes, in the day of judgment we will have to give account for what has and has not been done for the salvation of the Jews in our communities. Let us accept Christ's challenge for the evangelization of the Jews in our country and in all nations of the world, working with never-ending patience, and many of them ultimately will join the church and prepare for the glorious return of our Lord. There is no need to invent "intricate, dif­ficult to understand, and difficult to exe­cute" plans. There is only one way to save the lost, and that is to go out and do it. And the one prerequisite: a love and pas­sion for lost souls.

W. S.