Earlier text: READINGS *for the* WEEK *of* PRAYERThe Personal Experience Called For
By Ellen G. White
(Reading for Monday, December 4) The Personal Experience Called For
Selections from the Writings of Mrs. E. G. White The advent movement of 1840-44 was a glorious manifestation of the power of God; the first angel's message was carried to every missionary station in the world, and in some countries there was the greatest religious interest which has been witnessed in any land since the Reformation of the sixteenth century; but these are to be exceeded by the mighty movement under the last warning of the third angel. The work will be similar to that of the day of Pentecost. As the “former rain” was given, in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the opening of the gospel, to cause the upspringing of the precious seed, so the “latter rain” will be given at its close, for the ripening of the harvest. “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.” Hosea 6:3. “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain.” Joel 2:23. “In the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh.” “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2:17, 21.—“The Great Controversy,” p. 611.12 Christ did not tell his disciples that their work would be easy. He showed them the vast confederacy of evil arrayed against them. They would have to fight “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Eph. 6:12. But they would not be left to fight alone. He assured them that he would be with them; and that if they would go forth in faith, they should move under the shield of omnipotence. He bade them be brave and strong; for one mightier than angels would be in their ranks,—the General of the armies of heaven. He made full provision for the prosecution of their work, and took upon himself the responsibility of its success. So long as they obeyed his word, and worked in connection with him, they could not fail. Go to all nations, he bade them. Go to the farthest part of the habitable globe, and be assured that my presence will be with you even there. Labor in faith and confidence; for the time will never come when I will forsake you. I will be with you always, helping you to perform your duty, guiding, comforting, sanctifying, sustaining you, giving you success in speaking words that shall draw the attention of others to heaven.—“The Acts of the Apostles,” p. 29. The labors of the apostles in the early Christian church were characterized by wonderful manifestations of the power of God in the lives of the believers. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, multitudes were brought to a knowledge of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. The needs of the world today are no less than they were in the days of the apostles. Those who labor for souls in these times of impenitence and unbelief, must yield themselves wholly to God, and work in unison with heavenly intelligences. The power of the Holy Spirit will accompany the labors of those who dedicate their energies and their all unreservedly to the completion of the work that must be done in the last days. Angels from heaven will coöperate with them, and many will be brought to a knowledge of the truth, and will gladly cast in their lot with God's commandment-keeping people. Means will flow into the treasury; strong laborers will be raised up; the unwarned fields of the great regions beyond will be entered; and the work will soon close in triumph.—Review and Herald, April 7, 1910. In the trust given to the first disciples, believers in every age have shared. God desires that every believer shall be an executor of the Saviour's will. Every one has been given sacred truth to impart to the world. . . . The members of God's remnant church in this our day depend too largely on the ministers to fulfil the commission of Christ to go into all the world with the gospel message. Many have seemed to lose sight of the fact that this commission was given not only to those who had been ordained to preach, but to laymen as well. It is a fatal mistake to suppose that the work of saving souls depends alone on the ordained ministry. All who receive the life of Christ are called to work for the salvation of their fellow men. “The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come.” This commission to bid others come, embraces the entire church, and applies to every one who has accepted Christ as his personal Saviour. Of those who receive Christ it is written, “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: . . . and of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” That which we receive, we are to impart. Every soul who has heard the divine invitation, is to echo the message from hill and valley, saying to those with whom he comes in contact, “Come.” From the moment of conversion, those who receive Christ are to become the light of the world. . . . The Holy Spirit, Christ's representative, arms the weakest with might to press forward to victory. God has organized his instrumentalities to draw all men unto himself. He sends forth to his work many who have not been dedicated by the laying on of hands. He answers objections that some may feel inclined to raise against this class of laborers, even before these objections arise. God sees the end from the beginning. He knows and anticipates every want, and provides for every emergency. If finite men to whom he commits sacred responsibilities in connection with the management of his work, do not bar the way, he will send forth many laborers into the vineyard. To every converted soul the Lord of the vineyard is now saying, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” In the field where the follower of Christ is already situated, or in a field close by, or, perhaps, in some field farther away, he is to begin a work for God. The work that some are able to do, may appear to be restricted by circumstances; but wherever it is, if performed with faith and diligence, it will be felt to the uttermost parts of the earth.—Review and Herald, March 24, 1910. Christ's work when upon earth appeared to be confined to a narrow field, but multitudes from all lands heard his message. God often uses the simplest means to accomplish the greatest results. It is his plan that every part of his work shall depend on every other part, as a wheel within a wheel, all acting in harmony. The humblest worker, moved by the Holy Spirit, will touch invisible chords, whose vibrations will ring to the ends of the earth, and make melody through eternal ages.—“The Desire of Ages,” pp. 822, 823. In some of the fields where, through the blessing of God, our missionaries have met with a measure of success, and have raised up a few churches, serious problems confront those who desire to see the work advance rapidly. Most of the brethren are poor, and as they look at appearances, it seems impossible for them to do much to sustain and extend the work. But let them remember that in the early days of the cause in the United States, similar difficulties had to be met. At first, there were very few who accepted the truth, and nearly all of these were poor. They were obliged to practice the strictest economy; they brought their needs into as close a compass as possible, in order that they might have even a limited amount of their hard-earned means to use in the advancement of the gospel message. Sometimes it seemed that the work must come to a standstill, and that the publication of the message must stop. But after sacrificing to the utmost of their ability, they cried to the Lord, and he heard them. Some one would be raised up to supply the necessity then pressing upon them, and as they moved forward, new strength was given them to advance. It is only by faith, self-denial, and persevering effort that the Lord's work in the earth can be carried forward. The great majority of those who have embraced the truth in foreign fields are poor people, and it seems ordered, in the providence of God, that these should be educated and disciplined to do that which, if they were to look at appearances, would seem impossible. In order to do the work before them, they must strain every nerve and arouse every power. All the mental and financial strength of those who believe the truth must be called into action. If they walk out by faith, as the pioneers in this work were obliged to do in the home field, God will coöperate with their efforts. When they have done all that they can do, and have gained the experience that God desires them to gain in burden bearing, then he will raise up others to help teach the truth, and also men of means to help carry forward the work. In most fields the work goes hard and slow in the beginning. The time of greatest difficulty is the time for the believers to bend their shoulders to the load, and do all in their power to carry forward the work. Advance they must, although the Red Sea be before them, and impassable mountains on either side. God has been with his people in the past, and has blessed their efforts. They must go forward by faith. “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” The missionary must pray, believe that his prayers are answered, and then work and trust. He should remember that there must be a beginning before there can be great advancement. “First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.” The work may start in weakness, and its progress may for a time be slow; yet if it is begun in a healthy manner, there will be a steady and substantial gain.—Review and Herald, April 14, 1910. We are to cherish as very precious the work that the Lord has been carrying forward through his commandment-keeping people, and which, through the power of his grace, will grow stronger and more efficient as time advances. The enemy is seeking to becloud the discernment of God's people, and to weaken their efficiency; but if they will labor as the Spirit of God shall direct, he will open doors of opportunity before them13 for the work of building up the old waste places. Their experience will be one of constant growth, until the Lord shall descend from heaven with power and great glory to set his seal of final triumph upon his faithful ones. The work that lies before us is one that will put to the stretch every power of the human being. It will call for the exercise of strong faith and constant vigilance. At times the difficulties that we shall meet will be most disheartening. The very greatness of the task will appall us. And yet, with God's help, his servants will finally triumph. “Wherefore,” my brethren, “I desire that ye faint not” because of the trying experiences that are before you. Jesus will be with you; he will go before you by his Holy Spirit, preparing the way; and he will be your helper in every emergency. “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”—“Life Sketches of Ellen G. White,” 1915 edition, pp. 438, 439. Children's Lesson — No. 3
The Bible tells us that the time will come when the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. Memory verse. Compare the royalty of earthly kingdoms with that of God's everlasting kingdom. (If it is desired to extend the lesson, dwell upon the beauties of the new earth and the capital city.) Heirs of the future everlasting kingdom are serving the King now. Rom. 6: 16. The kingdom will be set up when Christ shall judge the living and the dead. 2 Tim. 4: 1. The kingdom of God's grace is now being established, as day by day hearts are yielding to him, but the complete establishment of the kingdom of his glory will not take place until the second coming of Christ. The kingdom given to the saints of the Most High. Dan. 7: 27. How may we help to answer the prayer, “Thy kingdom come”? Matt. 24: 14. To Sinners } The Lord Says { Come
To Christians { Go A noted writer has said: “If you do not wish for His kingdom, don't pray for it. But if you do, you must do more than pray for it; you must work for it.” There are many dark places in the world where the gospel of the kingdom has not yet been preached. We may pray, give, and go. Here is the Patience of the Saints
By L. R. CONRADI
(Reading for Tuesday, December 5) “Here is the Patience of the Saints”
OUR people are all familiar with the text, “Here is the patience of the saints;” and yet how difficult it is to reach the standard it implies! All heaven has had to learn its lesson of patience. All mankind has failed on this point. God had a plan to fill his whole universe with free moral agents. If the angels had kept their first estate, and if Adam and Eve had kept theirs, the purpose of God would have been quickly fulfilled; but as they did not, about seven thousand years of patient toiling will have passed before man can enjoy the new heaven and the new earth, wherein shall dwell righteousness. To make this future blessing possible has cost the deepest suffering and the greatest sacrifice and the most patient forbearance on the part of a loving Father and of a tender Redeemer. The eternal gospel of salvation to man through the Seed of the very woman who had first sinned, was proclaimed immediately after the fall. When the “mother of all living” beheld her first-born, with a joy that only a mother can feel she exclaimed, “I have gotten a man from the Lord.” What bitter disappointment must later have filled Eve’s heart as she mourned over the body of Abel, slain by the very son at whose birth she had rejoiced! God provided in Seth another son, and with him the people began to call upon the name of the Lord. Abraham and Sarah waited patiently many years for the promised seed, but finally Sarah thought of a shorter way—and how many heartaches did the experiment cost! Years later, in accordance with God’s plan, Isaac was born. However, the greatest test of patience came after Isaac had grown up to young manhood. Abraham was asked to lay his son, with all his hopes, upon the altar. He did so, for at last he had learned to obey the divine will, and to look forward in faith to the day of Christ, accounting God able to raise Isaac from the dead. The heavenly Father honored such faith and patience, because he saw in Abraham the very patience he must exercise in giving up his own Son as the only availing sacrifice. Moses, when forty years old, being in the prime of life and a wise general, had his own plans concerning the way to deliver Israel from bondage. At twice this age he had become a wiser man; and at thrice the age he sat upon Pisgah’s heights, seeing the Promised Land only from afar—because the meekest of all men had once grown impatient. Job’s patience is proverbial, and yet he too once failed. God’s people waited four thousand years for the promised Seed. When he arrived, they did not receive him, because they had become impatient in the school of suffering, expecting a Messiah who by the arm of flesh would deliver them from the Roman yoke. The promised Seed, coming in the power of the Spirit, was tempted of the devil. Why should the Son of man be hungry so long? One small act,—turning a stone to bread, casting himself from the temple, or falling down and worshiping the tempter,—and all his task of wresting the usurped kingdom from the devil would be accomplished! This was the temptation. The Second Adam, however, had learned to wait, and by suffering he gained the desired end. Five thousand well-fed men, at the instigation of Judas, wanted to make Jesus king. But he sent the disciples away, and himself dismissed the multitude, instead of ascending a throne. John’s death presaged his own. He told his disciples about his own sufferings, but they were more troubled concerning the loss of a place of honor for themselves in his kingdom than concerning his drinking of the cup of suffering. And so, when the hour came, they slept—and failed. Even the Son of man had a fearful conflict in the garden, sweating as it were great drops of blood before he drank the cup to its dregs. What great expectations as to the bright prospects of their own nation must have swelled the hearts of the believing Jews during the Pentecostal days! But persecution dispersed them, and they were obliged to learn patience in carrying the gospel to the ends of the earth. Paul was hastening to Damascus, determined with fleshly weapons to stop the work of the Spirit, when light from the resurrected One shone into his heart. He entered the city a new man, and at once began to testify of Jesus. However, he must learn patience in the desert of Arabia. He returned to Jerusalem, but had to leave again. Quietly he went to Tarsus a wiser man, awaiting the call of God through leaders of the church at Antioch. By patient, sturdy toil and untold suffering, he became the mightiest instrument in God’s hand to carry the gospel to the Gentiles, as God had promised. Once more he went to Jerusalem, and many Jews believed. He told how thousands of Gentiles had accepted the glad tidings through him. He was seized in the temple, and held a prisoner for two years at Cæsarea. He underwent a terrifying journey by sea, spent several years in chains at Rome, testify-14 ing of Christ before kings and emperors. He had hoped to live and be changed when the Lord should come, but instead it was his lot to toil and labor and suffer, and at the end be a martyr at Rome for the truth’s sake. Even patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and saints have failed at times, to understand God’s providence and to learn the way of patience. The Reformers, instead of slowly building up a body of truly converted believers, thought they had found a shorter way, and created national churches, which had a name to live, though they were dead. Adventists were intrusted with the mighty gospel of the kingdom, but they grew impatient, and thousands failed. The writer’s first experience with Adventism was in Chicago. There he met a man who tried to impress his hearers by means of a wonderful chart which sought to make it clear that the Lord would come within a few days. Though that man and his flock failed, my own heart tasted later of the sweet love of Christ, was filled with joy at the advent hope, and gladly accepted the call to make it known to others. At a camp meeting in Dakota in those days, a brother preached a powerful sermon, stating that he thought the Lord would come in less than five years. He grew a bit impatient. A good brother asked my opinion, and was surprised when I hesitated because of thoughts of the millions in the Old World yet unwarned. A few years later I was called to Europe; but unlike one good brother, who left his family behind because he thought the mission upon which he was sent could be so quickly discharged, I took mine with me, in the depth of winter. This year I again preached in the same city where I raised up my first church in Europe. Thirty years had passed. Our people there, numbering about one hundred, now occupy a fine hall. I could tell them joyfully that we were not mistaken about the results attending the proclamation of this message, but that we had been impatient about the time. How it cheered my heart to see those loyal believers still pressing forward for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Their hair as well as mine has turned gray, but we rejoice more than ever because the results attained in preaching the message are the greatest sign that the Lord’s coming is near at hand. That same summer, thirty years ago, I went to the eastward—into Russia. As I was preaching one night, the windows came crashing in. I quieted the people by telling them that something worse might happen; and something more did happen to me before I finished organizing the church. During forty long days spent in prison I learned patience. Though I did not always sing praises of deliverance, as did Paul and Silas, yet deliverance came. Years ago some thought that representatives of all peoples would flock to the shores of America, and there hear the message, so that we should not have to go out and bear the brunt of the battle in other lands. This represented our impatience. But lo, as time went on, it was noticed that the truth made the most rapid advancement in countries where the people suffered from all sorts of persecution. This gave us courage; and the faster the message went, the more it aroused the people at home, until they also awoke to a greater sense of their own privileges, and the message gained power at home. This cheered the hopes of those in foreign fields. A few years since, the writer sat with others in the World’s Missionary Conference. Clever and deep plans were laid for an international work in all the world; but suddenly, like a flash of lightning from a clear sky, war was declared among the nations. Everybody thought that in such highly civilized times, war would last only a few months, and all would be over, and we should again be left free to carry forward the gospel. Hitherto, wars in Europe have had but little effect on mission work in foreign countries. But not long ago I sat with a mission director of a neutral mission society and listened to the tale of their woes. Out of four hundred missionaries, three hundred had been interned, some had been killed, and the society had forsaken one of its oldest fields, being no longer permitted to labor there. What availed all the wise counsel at Edinburgh about international mission polity? In our own work we have had to learn the lesson of patience amid trial. We have been cut off from some of the mission fields, where, before the war, hundreds were being converted and thousands of natives were flocking to our schools. The work must have been sadly hindered in some parts during these months. Visits to outlying fields have been more and more restricted. In Europe thousands of our members in the regions of conflict have been scattered. Untold misery was brought upon many, and death has had a rich harvest. Two years have passed, and the war still rages as we write. And not all our troubles on the continent of Europe have come from without. Some within became impatient, overbalanced by the stress and strain. They thought all would be ended in a few months. Some ceased work, and began to make trouble in our churches, trying to tear down what had been built up by patient toil. But with troubles on the right and on the left, from without and from within, the work of God has gone forward. Thousands in Europe have been converted to God and have accepted this truth during the last year. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Who can stop this work as long as God is for us? With fewer evangelical workers, with less liberty, in the midst of greater difficulties, the success of the consecrated individual worker has increased rather than diminished. The number of our colporteurs having been cut down, sisters have enlisted in the ranks, and despite the harder times, the work has gone forward. Our papers have had to be reduced in size, but the editions remain as large as ever. Times are growing harder. The cost of living is increasing. But the love of God so burns in the hearts of the believers that the Lord’s treasury keeps supplied. A number of our men are scattered in prison camps all over Europe. However, they write us of how they are improving the opportunities of sowing the seed among thousands whom they might not have been able otherwise to approach; and this seed is already taking root. Some have been torn from their churches, where they were elders and workers. They have been placed under new conditions, in touch with men who would never have attended our meetings, and there they testify of the hope that cheers their own hearts; and already we hear of cases where this testifying has had a telling effect. Our missionaries in parts of Africa have been cut off from us. They and their new converts from heathenism are passing through a fiery test. Some of the stations have been plundered and burned. We do not know what has become of them. Oh, how we shall rejoice to learn that all is well with them and with their dear families! From Western Africa we hear of new stations; of recently added converts in Nigeria; and on the Gold Coast and in Sierra Leone believers are being added. And far out in the Indian Ocean a church of over sixty has been raised up. The world is learning a lesson. Before the war, it rushed on in high living, intemperance, self-love, without restraint. Suddenly it has been stopped in its career. Rations have been curtailed, while temperance and simple living have been forced practically upon all. Men have been put under the most severe discipline. Women have now to do the work of the men, and children must assume many responsibilities in performing the labor usually assigned to adults. Millions have to endure suffering untold, and to face death constantly. They must leave their homes and families, and live in places where they once supposed existence impossible. Is there a lesson in this? Are some learning patience? Is God taking the nations in hand, and placing them in the hardest of schools? Are some workers being developed for our cause in a school in which we have thus far had no pupils? God alone knows. But we try our best to follow the lead of his providences. During such troublous times one appreciates the intercessions and good will of God’s children who are not suffering under the same hard conditions. We also solicit an interest in their sympathies and prayers for the future. And we who endure these troubles beseech you, our brethren, to learn the lesson of patience while it is well with you. Be patient in well-doing. Be patient in hope; patient in waiting. Exercise the patience of the saints. Let no one say, ‘My Lord delayeth his coming;’ for though he seems to delay, he waits for a purpose,—that many souls in all lands may be saved, and that we all may be tried, and be fully changed in the inner man, drinking the cup of suffering, bear-15 ing the cross in order that we may at last wear the crown and eternally drink of the joyful cup of salvation.