Thursday, September 24, 2020

1888 Message Study : A Step in Faith

"A STEP IN FAITH"

 

Memory text: "5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men." Philippians 2:5-7

In the teacher's edition of the lesson, the author of the lesson states this in the teacher's comments, "Philippians 2:5–11 is one of the most magnificent passages in the entire Bible on the condescension of Christ. Some authors call this passage "The Song of Christ." The entire book of Philippians focuses on three major themes—rejoicing, humility, and faith. Philippians 2 highlights the theme of humility. Jesus left the magnificent glories of His exalted state in heaven, divested Himself of the privileges and prerogatives as God's equal, entered the realm of humanity as a servant, and died the lowliest of deaths on the cross. The apostle Paul uses this example of Jesus as a model for Christian living. Christ's sacrificial life of unselfish ministry is the model for all Christian faith." I would like to tweak that a bit and say that Paul uses the life and death of Christ as his motivation for the way he lived his life which was a life wholly devoted to the "Son of God Who loved him and gave Himself for him." Hence our focus in this Sabbath School Insight will be our motivation for witnessing and sharing.

Most of us have sat through sermons in which we have been exhorted to go out and do more, witness more, and to share our faith more. Two types of responses can be elicited, enthusiasm or guilt. My mind goes back to a Sabbath morning, a few years ago, when I sat in a Sabbath School class in a church in the Northeast, where I was visiting because I was to give a presentation there. The Sabbath School teacher picked up a ledger type of notebook and went around the class which consisted of about 15-20 people and asked them to tell what they did for witnessing the past week. As I remember, only about two or three people shared and the information was carefully recorded in the "book." Most, however wished they had worn an outfit that matched the pews as they tried to be invisible. Others hung their heads in guilty shame. It occurred to me that this happened every week and a thought flashed into my mind, "they know the question is coming and week after week they keep coming with nothing." In case you think I am being judgmental, I am not. I was giving thanks that I was sitting behind a lady with a rather large hat and used this to my advantage, as I too had nothing specific nor earth shattering to share. Instead I gave thanks for the large hat and my choice of a seat.

On the other hand, some hear a wonderful gospel sermon and weep during the meetings, moved beyond measure and somewhere between their pew and the door, the fervor is gone and the fire extinguished. What happened on the way to the door?

Why is witnessing so hard? I am reminded of a quote by Ellen White in the Desire of Ages, "It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit." {DA 83.4} The author of our lesson does just that this week, giving us the reason and proper motivation for witnessing.

Our memory text, from Philippians, describes the "steps in faith" Jesus took, as He laid aside His rights. I always wonder why we begin in verse 5 because verses 2-4 describe His heart and mind as He was about to take His step of faith, and verses 5-8 describe the result. Philippians 2:2-4 says, "2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." Jesus acted by faith because He loved us.

Ellen White says it this way, "The spotless Son of God hung upon the cross, His flesh lacerated with stripes; those hands so often reached out in blessing, nailed to the wooden bars; those feet so tireless on ministries of love, spiked to the tree; that royal head pierced by the crown of thorns; those quivering lips shaped to the cry of woe. And all that He endured--the blood drops that flowed from His head, His hands, His feet, the agony that racked His frame, and the unutterable anguish that filled His soul at the hiding of His Father's face--speaks to each child of humanity, declaring, It is for thee that the Son of God consents to bear this burden of guilt; for thee He spoils the domain of death, and opens the gates of Paradise. He Who stilled the angry waves and walked the foam-capped billows, Who made devils tremble and disease flee, Who opened blind eyes and called forth the dead to life--offers Himself upon the cross as a sacrifice, and this from love to thee." {DA 755.1} Praise God that Jesus took that "step in faith."

This is what will allow us to be like Peter and John in Acts 4:20, "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Then when the brother at church gets out his ledger book and begins to record who shared, no one will seek a big hat to hide behind. We will be unable to stop talking.

EJ Waggoner's experience is worth reproducing here: "Many years ago, the writer [EJ Waggoner] sat in a tent one dismal, rainy afternoon, where a servant of the Lord was presenting the Gospel of His grace; not a word of the text or texts used, nor of what was said by the speaker, has remained with me, and I have never been conscious of having heard a word; but, in the midst of the discourse an experience came to me that was the turning point in my life. Suddenly a light shone about me, and the tent seemed illumined, as though the sun were shining; I saw Christ crucified for me, and to me was revealed for the first time in my life the fact that God loved me, and that Christ gave Himself for me personally. It was all for me. If I could describe my feelings, they would not be understood by those who have not had a similar experience, and to such no explanation is necessary."  {1900 EJW, EVCO 5.1}

"I believed that the Bible is the word of God, penned by holy men who wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, and I knew that this light that came to me was a revelation direct from heaven; therefore I knew that in the Bible I should find the message of God's love for individual sinners, and I resolved that the rest of my life should be devoted to finding it there, and making it plain to others. The light that shone upon me that day from the cross of Christ, has been my guide in all my Bible study; wherever I have turned in the Sacred Book, I have found Christ set forth as the power of God, to the salvation of individuals and I have never found anything else." {1900 EJW, EVCO 5.2}

The apostle Paul is one who "could not but speak." His description of why he was all in for Christ is found in Acts 20:24, "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." And again in 2 Corinthians 5:14,15 "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again." The love of Christ compelled Paul. He continues in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me."

I believe that for the Apostle Paul, "the faith of the Son of God Who loved him", was ever before him, He considered himself the chief of sinners, the least of all the Apostles, yet, like the experience that EJ Waggoner had that rainy camp meeting day, he saw Christ crucified for him personally and resolved that the rest of his life should be devoted to "making it plain to others.

Paul also understood the loss that all Heaven endured not only for the world but for him personally which caused him to write the following, "7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ." Philippians 3: 7,8

So, what about us? Revelation 14:12 describes a group of people with these words, "12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." This group not only keeps the commandments but have an added attribute, an appreciation for the "faith of Jesus" which is, in Paul's writings, shorthand for the cross.

The book of 2 Timothy records Paul's thoughts and testimony as he faced death at the hands of Nero. 2 Timothy 4:17 says "Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear…" Paul is facing death and has one concern…that "all the Gentiles might hear." My prayer is that we too will step out by the "faith of Jesus" as our motivation to share, because we have a message to tell to the nations that will turn their hearts to the Lord. May we see Christ crucified for us as Waggoner and the apostle Paul did. I pray that we will not hide behind a big hat but rather show forth the praises of Him Who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Blessings,

 

~Andi Hunsaker


https://www.1888msc.org/resources/ssi/2020-q3/a-step-in-faith

Thursday, September 10, 2020

1888 Message Study : Sharing the Story of Jesus

"SHARING THE STORY OF JESUS"

 

 

"These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."

1 John 5:13

 

As we contemplate the topic for this week's study, this quote from Ellen White comes to mind: "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." DA 195.2. Note what she says, "He who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life…The grace of Christ in the soul is like a spring in the desert, welling up to refresh all…". Sharing the story of Jesus is our privilege. As a church we believe that we are living in the time of the end, the cosmic Day of Atonement, the hour of the cleansing of the sanctuary. Therefore, we read Ephesians with the knowledge that we are living in a time of unprecedented crisis. We have been called to preach the everlasting gospel to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people for such a time as this. The fact is, the good news is better than we think and this week we start with Ephesians.

 

Ephesians 2:1-10, a favorite of every child of God says, "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

 

Having exercised his rights as a Roman citizen, Paul was taken to Rome as a prisoner and this book is written from prison in Rome. Ephesians 3:1, "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles" and Ephesians 4:1, "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called", confirm the Epistle was written from prison. During this time all manner of evil was rampant and amidst this chaos the apostle Paul was inspired to write this awesome book. In fact, this book has been called "the Alps of the New Testament". Speaking about the specific text in this week's lesson Ellen White says this: "God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, ... and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Such are the words in which "Paul the aged," "a prisoner of Jesus Christ," writing from his prison house at Rome, endeavored to set before his brethren that which he found language inadequate to express in its fullness—"the unsearchable riches of Christ," the treasure of grace freely offered to the fallen sons of men. The plan of redemption was laid by a sacrifice, a gift." 5T 730.1,2.

 

We want to share Jesus with the world and what it means to be saved by "the exceeding riches of His grace" and what it means that this salvation is "not of ourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works."

 

From Adam, we have all inherited a fallen nature. It was and still is the natural thing for us to "walk according to the course of this world". We "once conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh,…and were by nature children of wrath." "But God"! These are two of the most powerful words in Scripture. These two words set up a contrast. What is it that moves God to act? The apostle immediately answers. "But God, Who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us5 even when we were dead in trespasses…". Our misery called out His mercy! We were dead, BUT GOD; we were by nature children of wrath, BUT GOD; we were without strength, BUT GOD; we were His enemies, BUT GOD; we were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel BUT GOD, strangers from the covenants of promise, without hope, BUT GOD; Satan may seem triumphant, BUT GOD! The world needs to hear the story of Jesus. Paul was so amazed at this indescribable gift that his own testimony in 1 Timothy 1:14, 15 says, "And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief."

 

Another significant part of the good news is in verses 8 and 9. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. Note that the text does not say that we are saved by faith. If this was the case, we would be making faith into works. The text does say, "For by grace you have been saved through faith", faith being an appreciation of the grace of God, and that saving grace was revealed at the cross of Jesus Christ. Grace does not wipe out the reality of obedience to the commandments. "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age". Titus 2:11, 12. What are the dimensions of this grace? "Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 5:20, 21. This is why Paul could say in Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

 

A.T. Jones says this: "By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8By grace are ye saved, because it is the grace, that is the favor of God, that brings salvationThat favor being given freely and without measure to every one of us, bringing salvation to all, so the salvation of God is free to all men. To every one of us it is given freely, without measure and without reserve." ARSH April 24, 1894, page 264.1

 

"Though all this be true, the Lord will never compel any man to take it. God has made man free, too, and therefore every man is absolutely free to accept this salvation or to reject it, as he chooses. God does not want and will not have any unwilling service. And therefore it is that "by grace are ye saved through faith." Faith is for us to exercise. Therefore, it is written: "Choose you this day whom ye will serve." "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." ARSH April 24, 1894, page 265.1

 

"And God has given the faith too. For did we not read above that "by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God"? And is it not written in another place, "Looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith"? And yet again: "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"? Jesus Christ is the Author of faith; the word of God is the channel through which it comes; and God gave both Jesus and the word,—or rather, in giving Jesus He gave the word, and in giving the word He gave Jesus,—so that in every sense, faith is the gift of God." ARSH April 24, 1894, page 265.2

 

"And He has given faith to every man. For it is written: "Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above): or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead). But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach." Romans 10:6-8. "Think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." Chapter 12:3. Thus, God has put faith into the mouth and into the heart of every man." ARSH April 24, 1894, page 265.3 ATJ

 

All the forgoing is the basis of our testimony - what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. Importantly, of the 10 verses that we have focused on, only 3 are on our life before Christ. The remaining 6 verses of Ephesians 2:1-10 are focused on Jesus Christ and what He has done for us and wants to do in us. This gospel transformed the disciples. John together with his brother, were "Boanerges", the "sons of thunder." John would go on to say, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1. "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life — 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us — 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you…" 1 John 1:1-3. Peter could not help but share what he had received. "Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." He preached truth boldly at Pentecost and 3000 souls were added to them that day. It changed the man with the unclean spirit ravaged by demons, so much so that chains and shackles, "neither could tame him". After Jesus healed him, he was left "sitting and clothed and in his right mind". We all need what that demoniac received that day from Jesus. This is the story of Ephesians 2:1-10. The demoniac went out and shared the story of Jesus!

 

I John 5:11-13 says, "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. We have assurance today, as long as we "receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness."

 

Perhaps this passage from Paul in Ephesians 3:8, 9 is a good place to end. "To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God Who created all things through Jesus Christ".

 

"Our Lord designed that His church should reflect to the world the fullness and sufficiency that we find in Him. We are constantly receiving of God's bounty, and by imparting of the same we are to represent to the world the love and beneficence of Christ. While all heaven is astir, dispatching messengers to every part of the earth to carry forward the work of redemption, the church of the living God is also to be co-laborers with Christ. Jesus Himself, in His infinite mercy, is working on human hearts, effecting spiritual transformations so amazing that angels look on with astonishment and joy. The same unselfish love that characterizes the Master is seen in the character and life of His true followers. Christ expects that men will become partakers of His divine nature while in this world, thus not only reflecting His glory to the praise of God, but illumining the darkness of the world with the radiance of heaven. Thus, will be fulfilled the words of Christ: "Ye are the light of the world." 5T 731.1 Amen!

 

Let us share the story of Jesus!

 

~Lyndi Schwartz

Friday, September 04, 2020

1888 Message Study : An Exciting Way to Get Involved

https://www.1888msc.org/resources/ssi/2020-q3/an-exciting-way-to-get-involved

"AN EXCITING WAY TO GET INVOLVED"

 

 

"Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.' " Matthew 9:37, 38

 

This week's topic is close to my heart. Meeting together in small groups can be a real blessing to inspire, encourage, and grow believers in the faith of Jesus. In this week's Insights I'd like to share some of our personal experiences with small groups. 

 

We wouldn't have known about the 1888 message were it not for the invitation of a friend to attend a seminar on Romans and a subsequent invitation to attend a weekly Bible study in which the facilitator (an excellent teacher, by the way) introduced us to the major concepts of the 1888 message in a crowded apartment living room. With Bibles spread across our laps, we felt like the disciples on the road to Emmaus as we discovered Christ in the Word as we had never seen before. "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" Yes, theirs did. And so did ours. The thing that kept us coming back to that study week after week was a hunger for the righteousness of Christ. The fellowship was wonderful, too, but it was our shared appreciation of the 1888 message that forged deep bonds of friendship that now span more than three decades. We get the sense as we read Paul's letters that he, too, enjoyed fellowship with a core group of like-minded believers and evangelists who worked with unstoppable zeal to carry the gospel to distant lands. 

 

In our next stage of life, we relocated to a new community where many Adventists lived. Hoping to rekindle our previous experience, we started a Monday night study group at our home. We invited friends and fellow church members. They brought other friends. Attendance waxed and waned over the years. We were blessed to have Elder and Mrs. Donald Short present at many of these gatherings. His insights were succinct and profound. Eventually, we also planned activities for young children in the middle of the room, providing coloring pages and crayons so they could do something with their hands during the study. We did this for 11 years, seldom missing a night.  

 

The result? In retrospect, I am not aware of any real fruit for the kingdom of heaven that ensued from those meetings. Only eternity will reveal for sure. It just seemed like our efforts were unavailing. Our study was sabotaged on numerous occasions by emissaries of distraction. One older gentleman who attended faithfully seemed to have another agenda. Apparently representing an offshoot, he worked insidiously to draw people to the movement he was a part of. Others also came regularly to disrupt our study and push their own agenda. Several were adamant that God saved people one way in the Old Testament and another way in the New. Eternity will tell the rest of the story.

 

At any rate when we moved to another rural community with few Seventh-day Adventists, we decided to change our approach.  The first small group we started consisted of one couple from church and another couple who had not been active Adventists for more than 25 years. Our study format was simple. We decided to read through Patriarchs and Prophets together. After a couple of years of growing our friendship during our weekly meetings, our backslidden friends said, "You know, we really should go back to church." Their family had been through some very unfair and hurtful experiences at the behest of a church entity, and their trust in the organization had waned even though in their hearts they still believed the message. As we read Patriarchs and Prophets together, little did we know the work that the Holy Spirit was accomplishing in their hearts. They have been welcomed back into church fellowship with much joy, and they are now both among the most active members. 

 

There are many out there like these friends who have been hurt in the church or by the church. Often these grievances were never dealt with appropriately, and the wounds never healed. As we understand the gospel principle of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12), we can express corporate repentance for the wrongs committed on behalf of the church, even if those who committed the wrongs never personally apologize. If the hand strikes someone and injures them, the mouth (another part of the body) can confess the wrong and ask forgiveness. That's how a body works. Together. There's no use in pointing fingers at the body because we are one. 

 

In this new location, we found that even though we were no longer having a large study group in our home, the devil found other ways to attack. This time, prayer meeting at church was the target, again through unconsecrated individuals who interrupted the meeting. The most egregious example was a man (not an Adventist) who came for several months who became threatening to several participants in the class. Eventually, for everyone's safety and to stop him from continuing his work, prayer meeting was shut down. That was really unfortunate.

 

What to do? For me, the answer was sharing in the home with those of other faiths (and often one or two church members as well). Even then, there have been challenges, but personal, in-home Bible studies have produced the most fruit (apparently) more than any other approach I have experienced. As we sit at the table or by the fireside, I have learned to watch the face of the Bible student light up after reading a Scripture and exclaim: "Oh! I never saw that before!" The thrill of seeing heaven's light dawn on a mind is an experience I crave! I am helpless to generate it, but I can certainly see evidence of it when the Holy Spirit is working. 

 

Now we must admit that our church and our world are facing challenges the likes of which we have never seen before. Masks, social distancing, a stealthy disease and (worst of all) fear have changed how we live our lives and relate to each other. Is now the time to stop Bible studies? Is now the time to curtail personal ministries? To discontinue our health and outreach programs at church? To stop speaking to our neighbors? No!

 

This pandemic has the attention of the world. People are desperate for answers. Not a few want to know what the Bible says about what is happening now. This is a heaven-sent opportunity (not that God caused the disease but that He can work all things together for good) if we can open our eyes to see it as such. Let us not let this situation stop us from sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ! The world needs to hear and see, like never before, of the self-giving agape love of Christ. We should be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The antidote to the fear and injustice is the most precious of message of Jesus and His righteousness. Protests may effect outward reforms, but the gospel goes deeper and heals the wounds of the heart.

 

This situation has not caught God by surprise. He still has a work for us to do, and we will be doing this until every last soul on earth has heard the Good News:

 

"The plan of holding Bible readings [studies] was a heaven-born idea. There are many, both men and women, who can engage in this branch of missionary labor. Workers may thus be developed who will become mighty men of God. By this means the word of God has been given to thousands, and the workers are brought into personal contact with people of all nations and tongues." CH 192

 

And in our virtual age, personal ministry is still the best: "The more direct our labor for our fellow men, the greater good will be accomplished. Personal influence is a power. The minds of those with whom we are closely associated are impressed through unseen influences. One cannot speak to a multitude and move them as he could if he were brought into closer relationship to them." CH 192

 

"The best work you can do is to teach, to educate. Wherever you can find an opportunity to do so, sit down with some family, and let them ask questions. Then answer them patiently, humbly. Continue this work in connection with your more public efforts. Preach less, and educate more, by holding Bible readings, and by praying with families and little companies." CH 193

 

"Wherever you can gain access to the people by the fireside, improve your opportunity. Take your Bible, and open before them its great truths. Your success will not depend so much upon your knowledge and accomplishments, as upon your ability to find your way to the heart. By being social and coming close to the people, you may turn the current of their thoughts more readily than by the most able discourse. The presentation of Christ in the family, by the fireside, and in small gatherings in private houses is often more successful in winning souls to Jesus than are sermons delivered in the open air, to the moving throng, or even in halls or churches." CH 193

 

Heaven's methods are the best! "In visions of the night representations passed before me of a great reformatory movement among God's people. Many were praising God. The sick were healed, and other miracles were wrought . . . . Hundreds and thousands were seen visiting families, and opening before them the word of God. Hearts were convicted by the power of the Holy Spirit, and a spirit of genuine conversion was manifest. On every side doors were thrown open to the proclamation of the truth. The world seems to be lightened with the heavenly influence. Great blessings were received by the true and humble people of God." 9T 126

 

May it be us -- God's people in this generation -- that our dear messenger of the Lord saw in vision! 

 

In closing, I'd like to recommend a couple of resources that may be of value: The Glad Tidings and Waggoner on Romans. Written by E. J. Waggoner, both books contain many rich gems of gospel truth, present truth for us today. 

 

Amazon's description of Waggoner on Romans is as follows:

 

"Paul's Letter to the Romans proclaimed a gospel that turned his world upside down, set Europe ablaze in Luther's day, 'strangely warmed' Wesley's lukewarm heart in England's cynical eighteenth century, and ignited the soul of our (sic) young Ellet J. Waggoner just before this [20th] century began. Inspired by refreshingly unique insights into the Romans concept of Christ's active drawing of 'every man' and justification by faith, Waggoner proceeded to challenge the legalistic thinking of his revered elders in the ministry. His mature thinking crystallized into a year-long series of articles on Romans in the Signs of the Times from October, 1895, through September, 1896. Buried in the archives ever since, these studies now for the first time see publication in book form. Waggoner's The Glad Tidings, his verse-by-verse study of Galatians, has gladdened many hearts in recent years. This new companion book will meet with a hearty welcome from friendly thousands who have discovered what Ellen White discovered—something 'most precious' in his message."

 

If you are spiritually starved for food that will warm the heart and heal the soul, please check out these resources (Bookstore) and share with wisdom as God opens the way. And pray for the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers to His field!

 

~Patti Guthrie