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Verse:The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”... Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote —Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” —John 1:43–45, NIV
The August 4, 1853, issue of the Advent Review and Sabbath Herald carried an interesting note about the spreading of the Adventist message in Michigan.
It stated, “I have just returned from Hastings.
We had there five meetings. The Lord greatly blessed us with his Holy Spirit. The saints were comforted and refreshed. Sinners trembled and wept.
Two confessed the truth in meeting, and two more declared their intentions of keeping the Sabbath of the Lord our God, and more are under conviction that we have the truth... Some will be baptized the first opportunity... We think that the message of the third angel is fast rising here, and the Lord is opening the way for the loud cry.” Who wrote these words? They came from the pen of David Hewitt, the first Seventh-day Adventist in Battle Creek, Michigan. Interestingly, in 1852, when Joseph Bates decided to preach the Adventist message in Battle Creek, he used a unique strategy.
He went to the local postmaster, who supposedly knew everyone in town, and asked him who was “the most honest man in town.” The postmaster replied that David Hewitt was just such a person. So, Bates went to the Hewitts’ house and shared with them the Adventist message. They gladly accepted it, and, as confirmed by the note above, David became a dedicated Adventist missionary. In John 1:43–51, we read about Jesus calling Philip, who, in turn, called Nathanael. This illustrates the nature of the gospel mission: those who receive become givers! In reality, “Every true disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary. He who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life. The receiver becomes a giver. The grace of Christ in the soul is like a spring in the desert, welling up to refresh all, and making those who are ready to perish eager to drink of the water of life.” We cannot keep the gospel message just for ourselves as a hidden treasure; it must be shared with others (Matthew 25:14–30).
What are your personal plans to share this marvelous message?