Bulletin, March 1925
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I I HE KI NGDOETOT.....FTEAVE KI.....IS"AI"H AN I)'
Mauch 1, 1925
Feed the Hungry
THERE is now a famine in the land for the hearing of the Word of the Lord, even as his prophet foretold. —Amos 8:11.
There are, ■ we believe, millions on earth who are really hungry for the truth and know not where to find it. It is a blessed privilege to point them to the food and to feed them.
Lift up a Standard for the People ,
The enemy (Satan and his cohorts) has come in like a flood in his desperate attempt to turn the people away from God, his Word and his kingdom. Those who have the spirit of the Lord will now, in obedience to the command, lift up a standard against him. (Isaiah 59: 19) That standard is the message of truth. It is the message that must be given to those of the world who desire to know the true God and his righteous ways. It is the food upon which the hungry must be fed. It is the balm of consolation that is needed by those who mourn. .
Our Commission
The anointed of the Lord are the ones on the earth to carry this message and feed the hungry. To them the Lord has said: ffYe are my witnesses . . . and my servant whom I have chosen. . . . Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.”—Isaiah 43:10-12.
Thy God Reigneth
This is a plain divinely-given commission to the saints this side the vail to represent the Lord and to. keep before the people that Jehovah is God, that his kingdom is at hand; and that he, through Christ, comforts all those who desire to be comforted and feeds those who desire to be fed. .
During the past few years the Church has been specially advertising the King and his kingdom. Great numbers have learned something about the truth by seeing it advertised and hearing public addresses. There are millions who have not heard, many of whom are hungry. There is a great work to do. Each one who has the spirit of the Lord will have a part in it according to the Lord’s command.
Comfort for the People
The Society is now publishing a booklet, “Comfort for the People.” It is a
ADVERTISE THE KING AND I HE KINGDOM I
brief statement of God’s loving provisions for the consolation of those that mourn. It is food in season for the'hungry.
If you' are one of the consecrated, therefore a witness and servant chosen by the Lord, then you should be energetic in putting into the hands of the people this message of comfort.
Why should not each one of those who are begotten and anointed of the spirit, and who desire to participate in lifting up the standard against the enemy, set aside so many hours each week and devote those hours energetically and lovingly to placing this message of comfort into the hands of the people? It is an easy matter now to engage anyone in conversation concerning, the trouble in the world. All know about it.
“Feed the Hungry”
Hcnicniber that your neighbor is one in need. Suppose you say to your neighbor something like this: “There is a great a— mount of distress in the world now, and yet the nations continue to prepare for more rvar,” thus opening the conversation. The response invariably would be in the affirmative. This will afford you an opportunity to say: “Here is a little book that tells the reason why. It is a comfort to read it.” Then take the name and address of each one who buys the booklet, and in a short time return and canvass them for the Harp and the Studies in the Scriptures.
When one is very hungry it is not well to give him too much at one time. Feed the hungry as they can assimilate the food. Those who desire to be comforted the Lord will permit you to reach. You will be doing them good, you will be performing your divinely-given commission as a faithful witness; and you will be proving your love for the Lord ' and his kingdom.
Let the slogan be: Advertise the King and the Kingdom-; Feed the Hungry; Comfort those who desire consolation.
METHODS OF WORK
Larger opportunities present themselves with the Spring and Summer weather. With the more favorable season of the year for work, 1935 has the advantage of finding the people more ready to read our literature. In past years for the most part our literature has been purchased by church workers or people interested in the Bible, but with the calamities and trouble upon the nations thus far experienced in 1935, together with the emphasis laid upon, this year by Christian people generally, we find a wider interest not only in the meetings but also in the literature.
Canvass for Sets
To take advantage of this, we recommend that a new combination be introduced in connection with your canvassing, and that the primary canvass be for the seven volumes and the Harp Bible St^idy . Course. We recommend canvassing for these volumes because'our experience has demonstrated that there are a greater number of sales made, and a larger number of homes reached.
It should be remembered that the signs indicate that our work will not long continue; and the people by having the 8 volumes in their homes have a library on Bible matters for reference after you, as a worker, can no longer serve them. Tailing, however, to place the 8 volumes, we .recommend canvassing for the Harp Bible Study Course, and failing to place the Harp Bible Study Course, offer the three booklets. Desirable Government, World Distress and Comfort for the People, at 25y. If no sale has been made then offer the Comfort booklet at 10^.
This combination we recommend only, however, if the class has a large stock of Desirable Government and World Distress booklets on hand. Otherwise we recommend substituting the Hell booklet, and Our Lord’s Beturn together with the Comfort booklet for 25(1.
8 Volume Offer Increases Sales
The sale of the eight-volume combination, reports we receive indicate, will exceed this year the distribution of Studies in the Scriptures of the past year. Experience in canvassing for the eight-volume combination naturally increases one’s ability to place them in the hands of the people, and surely the complete library is what should be left with them.
“The outlook for 1925 Is indeed encouraging; for even the church folks are showing a fairly good attitude towards the message of comfort. A man who said he had preached In the Christian Mission Church for twenty years listened with delight to the message, and at the end gave order for a full set of the books. Quite a few people come home to me to get information concerning ‘Millions now living will never die’, which opportunity I always use to place the volumes. An amusing fact Is that although most of the people do not see their way to leave the various churches, yet they constantly look to us for words of comfort concerning the threatening aspect of the times. One lady,' a Baptist, listened with breathless silence and at the end ordered the set.
“C. R. Laurent, Aux. colporteur.”
Comparison of Value
As a further testimony along this line note the increase that the following zealous colporteur has experienced in canvassing for the 8 volumes. Our mission is not particularly to place'a number of booklets. As compared with the value of the Studies in the Scriptures and the value of the booklets, the people are better served with Studies in THE Scriptures. Volume One of the Scries retails at 35d. If it were broken up into six booklets of 64 pages each and these sold at 10^ each, it would cost the people GQ$. The Harp, on the same basis, would cost the people 60(5. The booklets, it must be remembered, are used primarily to incite interest in the 8 volumes or the Harp Bible Study Course. Results that can be had from this canvass are ever being emphasized by those who- are working along this line.
“Not being much of a salesman personally,
I will let you know how many sets we want?’ I find that the Income from the sale of sets is the chief source of meeting my expenses, and that without canvassing for the set I would be unable to continue in the work without assistance from home. We rejoice in our privilege of advertising the King and the kingdom and working in harmony ivitli Ilie Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society.
“Gilbert Smith, colporteur.”
The Field, is Ready
Therefore, since last year has permitted the placing, of booklets in the hands of the people together with a good distribution of Indictments, the field is better prepared for the canvass for the. 8 volumes this coming Summer, especially when your work is Linked up with what has been done iu the past. Some means of associating past work with present calls will no doubt result as favorably as reported by the following letter:
“Although the weather during' the past couple of months 1ms not been very favorable, and I have not been as regular in the service as I would like to be, yet with the approaching Spring I am happily anticipating the blessings that are In store for all who go forth witli our beloved message. Since we are living close to the end of our privilege of service on this side the vail, I ask especially that I be remembered by you in your prayers.
“I have had some blessed experiences jum lately. In one home the mother ordered the IIabp Study Course and the Desirable Government. When I went to deliver them the daughter was home and she said, ‘When mother told me she was getting the Hart from you I was greatly pleased, as my grandmother has it, and I have only had the opportunity to glance at it.’ Then I said, ‘Since you are so anxious to read the Harp, I am quite sure you want the other seven volumes which complete the set.’ I explained their contents and as a result sold the seven volumes of Studies in the Sckiitubes in the home where the mother had ordered the Harp.
“Another place a colored lady had ordered the set, and when I went hack to deliver it she said, ‘We were talking about you and your books at our mission last night. One lady said that she ■ had talked with you; and now there are four or five who want the books. Will you give me your address and
I will let you know how many sets we want? Perhaps some of these folks are really anxious for the Truth.
"A man who bought the Habp from me about eight months ago sent for me to come back. He and his wife are deeply interested. Tie ordered an I. B. S. A. Bible, the seven volumes of Studies in the Scbiptuees, The Way to Paradise and the Watch Towes ; also the Tabernacle Shadows book. He was reared a Catholic, and he told me how angry lie used to become when anyone criticised the priests. He said, ‘Several years ago when you folks advertised one of your public meetings, I came home and told my wife of the crazy set of people who were believing in millions, etc., and every time we would hear of it we made fun.
“A mail who worked in our mill tola me of it and I thought he was crazy, too, but still I listened. Then one night I came home and said to my wife, I believe that millions now living will never die! Since that time I have been wanting to know more.’ This illustrates how some jieople who ridicule at first gradually learn to love the truth. This man is now a pretty regular attendant at our meetings. At our last prayer meeting he brought one of his friends that he had talked with. This friend testified and said, ‘I have been very much perplexed lately, and I prayed to the Lord to show me the right way. I went back to the Catholic Church to see if I could be satisfied hut it did not seem to fill the vacancy. Then I met this man who I thought belonged to the Catholic Church and he gave me the Truth.'
“Sister Esther Bignell, colporteur."
“Be Thou Faithful Unto Death”
Though all may not be situated so as to devote more than one day a week to the work; yet the persistent devoting of time every week will increase our ability to present the Truth properly to the people. The following letter is a testimony of what one sister did, and it holds before us what is possible when there is an earnest determination to engage in field service:
“I write you of the ‘faithfulness unto death’ of our dear Sister Wollam (Mrs. Z. A. Wollam) who finished her course February 6th. She was an auxiliary colporteur, averaging about twenty hours canvassing'each week, besides caring for her home and husband. She was sixty-seven years of age, iiitd of small stature, weighing about ninety pounds. But away she would go with her two heavy bags of books, day after day, as cheerful and happy as one could imagine. 'J’lio .joy of the Lord was her strength.
“Her memory was not especially strong, but her faithfulness and loving obedience to li^r heavenly Father were glorious! Sometimes she would get up at 3 a. m. so as to get her work done in time to .go out for the day with a canvassing auto party. For the year 1924 she sold more books than any other member of our Riverside Ecclesia, 1321 books; more than the 30 other members of the class put together, not counting the three colporteurs. While coming home in the rain, after a half day’s witnessing, about 6:30 p. m. February 6th, she was struck down by an auto and killed. ‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.’
“Director at Riverside, Calif."
Postage on Quiz Cards
Because of the increased postal rates it is necessary to rearrange the Harp Bible Study Course and it has been adjusted so that it can be completed in eight weeks time, instead of twelve weeks time, by allotting an average of 34 pages of reading matter to each week’s reading assignment. Therefore, even if the postal rates have been increased the price of the Harp Bible Study Course remains the same to the people..
Watch, Tower Bille <t Tract Society