Angels Are Preparing Me for Eternity

"Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared." Exodus 23:20

All heaven is engaged in the work of preparing a people to stand in the day of the Lord's preparation. The connection of heaven with earth seems very close. . . .
The heavenly intelligences are waiting with almost impatient earnestness to make Him known to the human agents, that they may be laborers together with these heavenly angels in presenting Jesus --the world's Redeemer, full of grace and truth. . . .
The first tear of penitence for sins creates joy among the heavenly angels in the courts of heaven. The heavenly messengers are ready to be on the wing to minister to the soul who is seeking Jesus. . . .
Grand and glorious things hath God prepared for those who love Him. Angels are looking forward with earnest expectation to the final triumph of the people of God, when seraphim and cherubim and the "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands" shall swell the anthems of the blessed and celebrate the triumphs of the mediatorial achievements in the recovery of man.
Jesus counted the cost of the salvation of every son and daughter of Adam. He provided abundant means that, if they would but comply with the conditions, none need perish, but might have everlasting life. . . . Every heavenly intelligence works as His agent to win man to God.
The angels of glory find their joy in . . . giving love and tireless watchcare to souls that are fallen and unholy. Heavenly beings woo the hearts of men; they bring to this dark world light from the courts above; by gentle and patient ministry they move upon the human spirit, to bring the lost into a fellowship with Christ which is even closer than they themselves can know.

~My Life Today page 307

Christ My Elder Brother

"Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." Hebrews 2:17

The Elder Brother of our race is by the eternal throne. He looks upon every soul who is turning his face toward Him as the Saviour. He knows by experience what are the weaknesses of humanity, what are our wants, and where lies the strength of our temptations. . . . He is watching over you, trembling child of God. Are you tempted? He will deliver. Are you weak? He will strengthen. Are you ignorant? He will enlighten. Are you wounded? He will heal. The Lord "telleth the number of the stars"; and yet "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds."
Whatever your anxieties and trials, spread out your case before the Lord. Your spirit will be braced for endurance. The way will be open for you to disentangle yourself from embarrassment and difficulty. The weaker and more helpless you know yourself to be, the stronger will you become in His strength. The heavier your burdens, the more blessed the rest in casting them upon your Burden Bearer.
Circumstances may separate friends; the restless waters of the wide sea may roll between us and them. But no circumstances, no distance, can separate us from the Saviour. Wherever we may be, He is at our right hand, to support, maintain, uphold, and cheer. Greater than the love of a mother for her child is Christ's love for His redeemed. It is our privilege to rest in His love; to say, "I will trust Him; for He gave His life for me."
Human love may change, but Christ's love knows no change. When we cry to Him for help, His hand is stretched out to save.
He desires us to realize that He has returned to heaven as our Elder Brother and that the measureless power given Him has been placed at our disposal.

~My Life Today page 297

My Guarding Angel

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Ps. 91:11

A guardian angel is appointed to every follower of Christ. These heavenly watchers shield the righteous from the power of the wicked one. This Satan himself recognized when he said, "Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not Thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?" The agency by which God protects His people is presented in the words of the psalmist, "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them."
I have seen the tender love that God has for His people, and it is very great. I saw angels over the saints with their wings spread about them. Each saint had an attending angel. If the saints wept through discouragement, or were in danger, the angels that ever attended them would fly quickly upward to carry the tidings, and the angels in the city would cease to sing. . . . They would bear the tidings upward, and all the angels in the city would weep, and then with a loud voice say, "Amen." But if the saints fixed their eyes upon the prize before them, and glorified God by praising Him, then the angels would bear the glad tidings to the city, and the angels in the city would touch their golden harps and sing with a loud voice, "Alleluia!" and the heavenly arches would ring with their lovely songs.
His angels are appointed to watch over us, and if we put ourselves under their guardianship, then in every time of danger they will be at our right hand. When unconsciously we are in danger of exerting a wrong influence, the angels will be by our side, prompting us to a better course, choosing words for us, and influencing our actions. Thus our influence may be a silent, unconscious, but mighty power in drawing others to Christ and the heavenly world.

My Life Today Page 303

Special Care of the Flock

Know ye that the Lord he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we
ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Ps. 100:3.

[Jesus] knows the wants of each of His creatures and reads the hidden,
unspoken grief of every heart. If one of the little ones for whom He died is
injured, He sees it and calls the offender to account. Jesus is the Good
Shepherd. He cares for His feeble, sickly, wandering sheep. He knows them
all by name. The distress of every sheep and every lamb of His flock touches
His heart of sympathizing love, and the cry for aid reaches His ear. One of
the greatest sins of the shepherds of Israel is thus pointed out by the
prophet: "The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that
which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have
ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that
which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they
were scattered, because there is no shepherd. . . . None did search or seek
after them." . . .

As Deity He exerts mighty power in our behalf, while as our Elder Brother He
feels for all our woes. The Majesty of heaven held not Himself aloof from
degraded, sinful humanity. We have not a high priest who is so high, so
lifted up, that He cannot notice us or sympathize with us, but one who was
in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. . . .

You will have many perplexities to meet in your Christian life in connection
with the church, but do not try too hard to mold your brethren. If you see
that they do not meet the requirements of God's Word, do not condemn; if
they provoke, do not retaliate. When things are said that would exasperate,
quietly keep your soul from fretting. . . . You must labor for the erring
with a heart subdued, softened by the Spirit of God, and let the Lord work
through you, the agent. Roll your burden on Jesus. You feel that the Lord
must take up the case where Satan is striving for the mastery over some
soul; but you are to do what you can in humility and meekness, and put the
tangled work, the complicated matters, into the hands of God. Follow the
directions in His word, and leave the outcome of the matter to His wisdom.
Having done all you can to save your brother, cease worrying, and go calmly
about other pressing duties. It is no longer your matter, but God's.

Do not, through impatience, cut the knot of difficulty, making matters
hopeless. Let God untangle the snarled-up threads for you. He is wise enough
to manage the complications of our lives. He has skill and tact. We cannot
always see His plans; we must wait patiently their unfolding and not mar and
destroy them. He will reveal them to us in His own good time. Seek for
unity; cultivate love and conformity to Christ in all things. He is the
source of unity and strength. . . . If you do as God would have you, His
blessing will come into the church (Testimonies, vol. 5, pp. 346-348).

~ Lift Him Up - Page 218

He Supplies Our Needs

Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Matt. 6:25, RSV.

He who has given you life knows your need of food to sustain it. He who created the body is not unmindful of your need of raiment. Will not He who has bestowed the greater gift bestow also what is needed to make it complete? {LHU 73.2}
Jesus pointed His hearers to the birds as they warbled their carols of praise, unencumbered with thoughts of care, for "they sow not, neither do they reap"; and yet the great Father provides for their needs. And He asks, "Are not ye of much more value than they?"
"No sparrow falls without His care,
No soul bows low but Jesus knows;
For He is with us everywhere,
And marks each bitter tear that flows.
And He will never, never, never
Forsake the soul that trusts Him ever." . . .



God's law is the law of love. He has surrounded you with beauty to teach you that you are not placed on earth merely to delve for self, to dig and build, to toil and spin, but to make life bright and joyous and beautiful with the love of Christ--like the flowers, to gladden other lives by the ministry of love.
Fathers and mothers, let your children learn from the flowers. Take them with you into garden and field and under the leafy trees, and teach them to read in nature the message of God's love. Let the thoughts of Him be linked with bird and flower and tree. Lead the children to see in every pleasant and beautiful thing an expression of God's love for them. Recommend your religion to them by its pleasantness. Let the law of kindness be in your lips.
Teach the children that because of God's great love their natures may be changed and brought into harmony with His. Teach them that He would have their lives beautiful with the graces of the flowers. Teach them, as they gather the sweet blossoms, that He who made the flowers is more beautiful than they. Thus the tendrils of their hearts will be entwined about Him. He who is "altogether lovely" will become to them as a daily companion and familiar friend, and their lives will be transformed into the image of His purity (Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 95-98).
[God] would adorn our characters with His own rich graces. He would have our words as fragrant as the flowers of the field (Review and Herald, May 19, 1896).

Lift Him Up Page 73 Pg 7

Totally Dependent Upon the Creator

For in him we live, and move, and have our being. Acts 17:28.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Here the conditions are plainly stated by Jesus Christ, the Sinbearer. When you deliberately decide to go contrary to the word spoken by Jesus Christ, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you," how can you expect to be religiously inclined?
To enlarge our views of His condescension and beneficence, He presents the picture of the judgment--the separation of the just and the unjust--and shows us He identifies His interests with suffering humanity. He is teaching in the open field where the eye can take in the beauties of nature and the creatures of God's creation. "Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap . . . : how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?" (Luke 12:24-26).


Here is presented definitely that man is dependent upon God for every breath he draws. The beating heart, the throbbing pulse, every nerve and muscle in the living organism, are kept in order and activity by the power of an infinite God. "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (for after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. 6:28-33).
Here Christ leads the mind abroad to contemplate the open fields of nature, and His power touches the eye and the senses, to discern the wonderful works of divine power. He directs attention first to nature, then up through nature to nature's God, who upholds the worlds by His power. He points to the opening bud. . . . He watches over little birds. Not a sparrow falleth to the ground without the notice of your heavenly Father. . . .
Christ represents the divine attention given upon [various elements of] His creation that seem so insignificant, and to the objects of nature which His own hands have created. Every lofty tree, every shrub, every blooming flower, the lily of the field, and the earth clothed with its garment of living green are kept in order and occupy their time and season to bear testimony that God loves man (manuscript 73, 1893).

Life Him Up Page 71 Pg 6

Yielding to the Master Potter

But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand. Isa. 64:8.

While the human agent is devising and planning for himself something that God has withheld him from doing, he has a hard time. He complains and frets, and has still increased difficulties. But when he submits to be as clay in the hands of the potter, then God works the man into a vessel of honor. The clay submits to be worked. If God had His way, hundreds would be worked and made into vessels as He sees best.
Let the hand of God work the clay for His own service. He knows just what kind of vessel He wants. To every man He has given his work. God knows what place he is best fitted for. Many are working contrary to the will of God, and they spoil the web. The Lord wants everyone to be submissive under His divine guidance. He will place men where they will submit to be worked into oneness with Christ, bearing His divine similitude. If self will submit to be worked, if you will cooperate with God, if you will pray in unity, work in unity, all taking your place as threads in the web of life, you will grow into a beautiful fabric that will rejoice the universe of God.



The Potter cannot mold and fashion unto honor that which has never been placed in His hands. The Christian life is one of daily surrender, submission, and continual overcoming. Every day fresh victories will be gained. Self must be lost sight of, and the love of God must be constantly cultivated. Thus we grow up into Christ. Thus the life is fashioned according to the divine model.
Every child of God is to do his very best to uplift the standard of truth. He is to work in God's order. If self is exalted, Christ is not magnified. In His Word God compares Himself to a potter, and His people to the clay. His work is to mold and fashion them after His own similitude. The lesson they are to learn is the lesson of submission. Self is not to be made prominent. If due attention is given to the divine instruction, if self is surrendered to the divine will, the hand of the Potter will produce a shapely vessel (The SDA Bible Commentary, Ellen G. White Comments, vol. 4, p. 1154).
The potter takes the clay in his hands and molds and fashions it according to his own will. He kneads it and works it. He tears it apart and then presses it together. . . . Thus it becomes a vessel fit for use. So the great Master Worker desires to mold and fashion us. And as the clay is in the hands of the potters, so are we to be in His hands. We are not to try to do the work of the potter. Our part is to yield ourselves to the molding of the Master Worker (Testimonies, vol. 8, pp. 186, 187).

Lift Him Up Page 65

Joseph Honored the Creator

The king . . . made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed, to discipline his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom. Ps. 105:20-22, NIV. {LHU 63.1}



From the dungeon Joseph was exalted to be ruler over all the land of Egypt. It was a position of high honor, yet it was beset with difficulty and peril. One cannot stand upon a lofty height without danger. As the tempest leaves unharmed the lowly flower of the valley, while it uproots the stately tree upon the mountaintop, so those who have maintained their integrity in humble life may be dragged down to the pit by the temptations that assail worldly success and honor. But Joseph's character bore the test alike of adversity and prosperity. The same fidelity to God was manifest when he stood in the palace of the Pharaohs as when in a prisoner's cell. He was still a stranger in a heathen land, separated from his kindred, the worshipers of God; but he fully believed that the divine hand had directed his steps, and in constant reliance upon God he faithfully discharged the duties of his position. . . . {LHU 63.2}
In his early years he had consulted duty rather than inclination; and the integrity, the simple trust, the noble nature, of the youth bore fruit in the deeds of the man. A pure and simple life had favored the vigorous development of both physical and intellectual powers. Communion with God through His works and the contemplation of the grand truths entrusted to the inheritors of faith had elevated and ennobled his spiritual nature, broadening and strengthening the mind as no other study could do. Faithful attention to duty in every station, from the lowliest to the most exalted, had been training every power for its highest service. He who lives in accordance with the Creator's will is securing to himself the truest and noblest development of character. . . . {LHU 63.3}
There are few who realize the influence of the little things of life upon the development of character. Nothing with which we have to do is really small. The varied circumstances that we meet day by day are designed to test our faithfulness and to qualify us for greater trusts. By adherence to principle in the transactions of ordinary life, the mind becomes accustomed to hold the claims of duty above those of pleasure and inclination (Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 222, 223). {LHU 63.4}
As a shield from temptation and an inspiration to purity and truth, no other influence can equal the sense of God's presence. "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." He is "of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity." This thought was Joseph's shield amidst the corruptions of Egypt. To the allurements of temptation his answer was steadfast: "How . . . can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" Such a shield, faith, if cherished, will bring to every soul (Education, p. 255).

Lift Him Up Page 63

"Faithful in That Which Is Least"

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much:
and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. Luke 16:10.

The active service of God is directly connected with the ordinary
duties of life, even its humblest occupations. We are to serve God just
where He puts us. He is to place us individually, and not we ourselves.
Perhaps service in the home life is the place we are to occupy for a time,
if not always. Then a preparation for that work should be obtained, that we
may do our best in service for the Lord.

The Lord is testing and proving us to see what sort of timbers, or
attributes, we are bringing into the character building. If we are listless
and indifferent, negligent and careless, in the small, everyday duties we
shall never be fitted for any other service for God. . . . He that is
unfaithful in that which is least would certainly repeat this unfaithfulness
if placed in higher positions of trust and given larger responsibilities. .
. . The service of God will be done in a haphazard manner. . . .



The importance of little things is underrated just because they are
small, but the influence of the little things for good or evil is great.
They supply much of the actual discipline of life for every human being.
They are part of the training of the soul in the sanctification of all our
entrusted talents to God. Faithfulness in the little things in the line of
duty makes the worker in God's service reflect more and more the likeness of
Christ.

Our Saviour is a Saviour for the perfection of the whole man. He is not
the God of part of the being only. The grace of Christ works to the
disciplining of the whole human fabric. He made all. He has redeemed all. He
has made the mind, the strength, the body as well as the soul, partaker of
the divine nature, and all is His purchased possession. He must be served
with the whole mind, heart, soul, and strength. Then the Lord will be
glorified in His saints in even the common, temporal things with which they
are connected. "Holiness unto the Lord" will be the inscription placed upon
them.

>From That I May Know Him - Page 331

Happy New Year!

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Ps. 90:12.
Another year of life is now in the past. A new year is opening before us. What will be its record? What will we each inscribe upon its spotless pages? The manner in which we spend each passing day will decide this question. . . .



Let us enter upon the new year with our hearts cleansed from the defilement of selfishness and pride. Let us put away every sinful indulgence, and seek to become faithful, diligent learners in the school of Christ. A new year opens its unsullied pages before us. What shall we write upon them? ...
Seek to begin this year with right purposes and pure motives, as beings who are accountable to God. Ever bear in mind that your acts are daily passing into history by the pen of the recording angel. You must meet them again when the Judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened....
If we connect with God, the source of peace, and light, and truth, His Spirit will flow through us as a channel, to refresh and bless all around us. This may be the last year of life to us. Shall we not enter upon it with thoughtful consideration? Shall not sincerity, respect, benevolence, mark our deportment toward all?
Let us withhold nothing from Him who gave His precious life for us. . . . Let us all consecrate to God the property He has entrusted to us. Above all, let us give Him ourselves, a freewill offering.
May the beginning of this year be a time that shall never be forgotten--a time when Christ shall come in among us, and say, "Peace be unto you." John 20:19. Brethren and sisters, I wish you, one and all, a happy new year.
"We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths;
In feelings, not in figures on a dial.
We should count time by heart-throbs. He most lives
Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best." Our High Calling page 7

Eternity Before Us

They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth
before God. Ps. 84:7.

All heaven has been looking with intense interest upon those who claim
to be God's commandment-keeping people. Here are the people who ought to be
able to claim all the rich promises of God, who ought to be going on from
glory to glory and from strength to strength, who ought to be in a position
to reflect glory to God in the works that they do. . . .


We have received the rich blessing of God, but we must not stop here.
We are to catch more and more the divine rays of light from heaven. We are
to stand just where we can receive the light and reflect it, in its glory,
upon the pathway of others. . . .

We need to drink deeper and deeper of the fountain of life. . . . You
may have a living testimony to bear: "Hear what the Lord has done for my
soul." The Lord is ready to impart still greater blessings. He permitted all
His goodness to pass before Moses. He proclaimed His character to him as a
God full of mercy--long-suffering and gracious, forgiving iniquity,
transgression, and sin. Moses was to represent this character to the people
of Israel, and we are to do the same. We are to go forth to proclaim the
goodness of God and to make plain His real character before the people. We
are to reflect His glory. . . . Let us declare the character of God to the
people as Moses did to Israel, both in spirit and life. We are to catch the
light of His countenance, full of compassion and love, and reflect it to
perishing souls.

I beseech you to keep reaching out after God, to keep drinking of the
fountain of living water. You may be as a tree planted by the rivers of
waters, whose leaf does not wither. You may be full of moisture, and may be
able to refresh others, and to give them grace and comfort. I love Jesus
now, and I want to know more and more of Him. I have only begun to know Him,
but there is an eternity before us in which there will be revealings of His
glory, and we shall become better and better acquainted with our divine
Lord.

>From That I May Know Him - Page 370

Watch! Watch! Watch!

Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house
cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say
unto all, Watch. Mark 13:35-37.

It is a time now when we cannot for a moment take the spiritual eye
from Christ Jesus. His admonition to us is, "What I say unto you I say unto
all, Watch." Is there one professed Christian who needs not the warning, and
whose heart will not bear watching? The heart must be kept with all
diligence, under constant watchfulness. . . .

Watch the stealthy approach of the enemy, watch against old habits and
natural inclinations lest they exert themselves; force them back, and watch;
force them back if need be a hundred times. Watch the thoughts, watch the
plans, lest they become selfish and self-centered. Watch and pray, lest ye
enter into temptation. Watch over the souls whom Christ has purchased with
His own blood. Watch for opportunities to do them good.

Like Mary, we need to sit at the feet of Jesus to learn of Him, having
chosen that better part which will never be taken from us. Like Martha we
need to be ever abounding in the work of the Lord. The higher Christian
attainments can be reached only by being much on our knees in sincere
prayer. . . . One fiber of the root of selfishness remaining in the soul
will spring up when least expected, and thereby will many be defiled.

We are in an enemy's country. He who was cast out of heaven has come
down with great power. With every conceivable artifice and device he is
seeking to take souls captive. Unless we are constantly on guard we shall
fall an easy prey to his unnumbered deceptions.



We are stewards, entrusted by our absent Lord with the care of His
household and His interests, which He came to this world to serve. He has
returned to heaven, leaving us in charge, and He expects us to watch and
wait and prepare for His coming. Let us be faithful to our trust, lest
coming suddenly He find us sleeping.

>From That I May Know Him - Page 351

Robed in His Perfection

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we
may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 1 John
2:28.

Jesus came into the world to save sinners, not in their sins but from
their sins, and to sanctify them through the truth; and in order that He may
become a perfect Saviour to us, we must enter into union with Him by a
personal act of faith. Christ has chosen us, we have chosen Him, and by this
choice we become united to Him and are to live from henceforth, not unto
ourselves, but unto Him who has died for us. But this union can only be
preserved by constant watchfulness, lest we fall into temptation and make a
different choice, for we are free always to take another master if we so
desire. Union with Christ means an unfailing preference for Him in every act
and thought. . . .



We are to consider ourselves as constituting the family of Christ, and
we are to follow Him as dear children. Adopted into the household of God,
shall we not honor our Father and our kindred? . . .

We must establish an unyielding enmity between our souls and our foe,
but we must open our hearts to the power and influence of the Holy Spirit.
We want Satan's darkness to be shut out and the light of Heaven to flow in.
We want to become so sensitive to holy influences that the lightest whisper
of Jesus will move our souls. . . . Then we shall delight to do the will of
God, and Christ can own us before the Father and before the holy angels as
those who abide in Him. . . .

But we shall not boast of our holiness. As we have clearer views of
Christ's spotless and infinite purity we shall feel as did Daniel when he
beheld the glory of the Lord and said, "My comeliness was turned in me into
corruption" (Dan. 10:8). We cannot say, "I am sinless" till this vile body
is changed and fashioned like unto His glorious body. But if we constantly
seek to follow Jesus, the blessed hope is ours of standing before the throne
of God without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, complete in Christ,
robed in His righteousness and perfection.

>From That I May Know Him - Page 361

Why the Lord Delays

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with
the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is
not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8, 9.

As I have labored since 1843 and 1844 I have felt so thankful that the
Lord has permitted time to last to do more fully the missionary work that
was needing to be done to warn our cities. O our wise heavenly Father made
the infinite sacrifice of His only begotten Son! He gave Him to our world
that the world might, through the merciful provisions made, accept the
Word--Bible truth--and prepare for the great event of His coming. That which
caused the believing church so much sorrow in their disappointment in the
time of His coming has been a reason of thanksgiving for the delay. Now the
angels of God are preparing the way for the truth to reach all nations.

There are thousands in the cities, in the byways and the highways, to
hear the warning message. Are we awake? Do we understand there is a world to
have the warning? The cities are all to be worked diligently. We must arouse
and do a great work. There are many more to hear the last warning message to
a perishing world. We have no time to delay, for Satan is doing his best to
destroy souls.

I now praise God for His long and merciful forbearance. The message has
been carried to many countries. It is a worldwide message. There is most
diligent work to do to warn our cities. We have had opportunity to send the
light to many thousands who have rejoiced in the truth and sacrificed their
time and their means to build up the sanitariums and churches in all parts
of America. Schools have been established and new fields are opening, many
in new countries. The work at times has moved slowly. . . . It is for the
need of the Holy Spirit that many more places are not hearing the last
message of warning. . . . Angels are waiting to fit up converted men and
women to do this work if they will consecrate their whole heart, mind, and
soul to the work. We have no time to lose.

>From That I May Know Him - Page 349

He is Coming Again!

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every
man according as his work shall be. Rev. 22:12.

Was Christ a false prophet when He uttered these words? More than
eighteen hundred years have passed since John heard this great truth, and
the Lord has not yet come to reign. But shall we give up looking for His
appearance? Shall we say, "My lord delayeth his coming"?

"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying,
Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints" (Jude 14). . . .
The doctrine of Christ's coming was made known at this early date to the man
who walked with God in continual communion. The godly character of this
prophet is to represent the state of holiness to which the people of God
must attain who expect to be translated to heaven. . . .

Shall we say we have been deceived in regard to the doctrine of
Christ's near coming? . . . Shall we say that all our work to make ready a
people prepared for His coming has been for nought? Never. . . . "Let us
hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; . . . and let us
consider one another to provoke"--unto doubts and unbelief, and apostasy?
No, but "unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, . . . but exhorting one another: and so much the more,
as ye see the day approaching" (Heb. 10:23-25).

We must have a knowledge of the Scriptures, that we may trace down the
lines of prophecy and . . . see that the day is approaching, so that with
increased zeal and effort we may exhort one another to faithfulness. . . .
Give up our faith? lose our confidence? become impatient? No, no. We will
not think of such a thing. . . . See how the specifications of the
prophecies have been and are fulfilling. Let us lift up our heads and
rejoice, for our redemption draweth nigh. It is nearer than when we first
believed. Shall we not wait patiently, filled with courage and faith? Shall
we not make ready a people to stand in the day of final reckoning?

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Now is the Time to Shine

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen
upon thee. Isa. 60:1.

We need now to arise and shine, for our light has come, and the glory
of the Lord has risen upon us. We have no time to talk of self, no time to
become like the sensitive plant, that cannot be touched without shrinking.
In Jesus Christ is our sufficiency. Will we talk faith? Will we talk of the
glorious hope, of the full and abundant righteousness of Jesus Christ,
provided for every soul? . . .

The whole heavenly universe is interested, and the love of God is
exercised in behalf of His faithful, commandment-keeping people. It is God
in whom we must trust. . . . God has the world in His hand. We have God on
our side. All heaven is waiting and longing for our cooperation. The Lord is
supreme. Why then should we fear? The Lord is almighty; why should we
tremble? In the past God has delivered His people, and He will be our helper
if we will arise in His strength and go forward.

The Bible and the Bible only is to be our refuge. God is in His Word.
"He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." That is
enough for us. "By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;
for he shall bear their iniquities" (Isa. 53:11). If the great and loving
heart of God is satisfied with the result of His mission in the souls saved,
let us rejoice. Let us work as we have never done before. Let us put self
aside and lay hold of Jesus Christ by faith. Let us reveal Him to the world
as the One altogether lovely and the chiefest among ten thousand.

"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before
the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in
their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which
sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb" (Rev. 7:9, 10).

>From That I May Know Him - Page 342

Sweet Music in Heaven

Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the
least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matt. 25:40.

Christ says to His redeemed people, "Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I
was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I
was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and
ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me" (Matt. 25:34-36). . . .


Prayers, exhortation, and talk are cheap fruits, which are frequently
tied on, but fruits that are manifested in good works, in caring for the
needy, the fatherless, and widows, are genuine fruits, and grow naturally
upon a good tree. . . . When hearts sympathize with hearts burdened with
discouragement and grief, when the hand dispenses to the needy, when the
naked are clothed, the stranger made welcome to a seat at your fireside and
to a place in your heart, angels are coming very near, and an answering
strain is responded to in heaven. Every act, every deed of justice and mercy
and benevolence, makes sweet music ring in heaven. The Father from His
throne beholds and numbers them with His most precious treasures. "And they
shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, when I make up my jewels." ...

Our heavenly Father lays blessings disguised in our pathway, which some
will not touch for fear they will detract from their enjoyment. Angels are
waiting to see if we embrace opportunities within our reach of doing
good--waiting to see if we will bless others, that they in turn may bless
us. The Lord Himself has made us to differ--some poor, some rich, some
afflicted--that all may have an opportunity to develop a character. The poor
are purposely permitted of God to be thus, that we might be tested and
proved, and develop what is in our hearts.

Every merciful act done to the needy, the suffering, is counted as
though it were done to Jesus Himself. When you succor the poor, sympathize
with the afflicted and oppressed, and befriend the orphan, you bring
yourselves into a closer relationship to Jesus.

>From That I May Know Him - Page 335

Christ is Our Message!

For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ,
and him crucified. 1 Cor. 2:2.

The burden of our message should be the mission and life of Jesus
Christ. Let there be a dwelling upon the humiliation, self-denial, meekness,
and lowliness of Christ, that proud and selfish hearts may see the
difference between themselves and the Pattern, and may be humbled. . . .

Describe, if human language can, the humiliation of the Son of God, and
think not that you have reached the climax when you see Him exchanging the
throne of light and glory which He had with the Father for humanity. He came
forth from heaven to earth, and while on earth, He bore the curse of God as
surety for the fallen race. He was not obliged to do this. He chose to bear
the wrath of God, which man had incurred.... He chose to endure the cruel
mockings, the deridings, the scourging, and the crucifixion. . . . "He . . .
became obedient unto death," but the manner of His death was an astonishment
to the universe, for it was even the death of the cross.

Christ was not insensible to ignominy and disgrace. He felt it all most
bitterly. He felt it as much more deeply and acutely than we can feel
suffering, as His nature was more exalted and pure and holy than that of the
sinful race for whom He suffered. He was the Majesty of heaven, He was equal
with the Father, He was the Commander of the hosts of angels, yet He died
for man the death that was, above all others, clothed with ignominy and
reproach. O that the haughty hearts of men might realize this! O that they
might enter into the meaning of redemption and seek to learn the meekness
and lowliness of Jesus! ...

The gifts of Him who has all power in heaven and in earth are in store
for the children of God. Gifts so precious that they come to us through the
costly sacrifice of the Redeemer's blood, gifts that will satisfy the
deepest craving of the heart, gifts lasting as eternity, will be received
and enjoyed by all who will come to God as little children.

>From That I May Know Him - Page 339

Trading on God's Gifts

And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one;
to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his
journey. Matt. 25:15.

The parable of the talents ... has a personal and individual
application to every man, woman, and child possessed of the powers of
reason. Your obligation and responsibility are in proportion to the talents
God has bestowed upon you. . . .

When the master of the house called his servants, he gave to every man
his work. The whole family of God are included in the responsibility of
using their Lord's goods. Every individual, from the lowliest and most
obscure to the greatest and most exalted, is a moral agent endowed with
abilities for which he is accountable to God. . . . The spiritual, mental,
and physical ability, the influence, station, possessions, affections,
sympathies, all are precious talents to be used in the cause of the
Master....

Let the businessman do his business in a way that will glorify his
Master because of his fidelity. Let him carry his religion into everything
that is done, and reveal to men the Spirit of Christ. Let the mechanic be a
diligent and faithful representative of Him who toiled in the lowly walks of
life in the cities of Judea. Let every one who names the name of Christ so
work, that man by seeing his good works may be led to glorify his Creator
and Redeemer. . . .

Those who have been blessed with superior talents should not depreciate
the value of the services of those who are less gifted than themselves. The
smallest trust is a trust from God. The one talent, through diligent use
with the blessing of God, will be doubled, and the two used in the service
of Christ will be increased to four; and thus the humblest instrument may
grow in power and usefulness. The earnest purpose, the self-denying efforts,
are all seen, appreciated, and accepted by the God of heaven.... God alone
can estimate the worth of their service and see the far-reaching influence
of him who works for the glory of his Maker.

>From That I May Know Him - Page 324