Week of Prayer, December 6–15, 2013 - sdarm.ca

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sensual. Thus they were in ignoranceconcerning Messiah’s advent, and intheir pride and unbelief they rejectedthe Redeemer.” 8In the time of the disciplesAfter the ascension of Jesus and thefulfillment of the promised Holy Spirit,the disciples were able to testify aboutChrist with great power.“Christ filled [the disciples] thoughts;the advancement of His kingdom wastheir aim. In mind and character they hadbecome like their Master, and men ‘tookknowledge of them, that they had beenwith Jesus’ (Acts 4:13). . . . They couldspeak the name of Jesus with assurance;for was He not their Friend and ElderBrother? Brought into close communionwith Christ, they sat with Him in heavenlyplaces. With what burning language theyclothed their ideas as they bore witnessfor Him! Their hearts were surchargedwith a benevolence so full, so deep, sofar-reaching, that it impelled them to goto the ends of the earth, testifying to thepower of Christ. They were filled withan intense longing to carry forward thework He had begun. They realized thegreatness of their debt to heaven and theresponsibility of their work. Strengthenedby the endowment of the Holy Spirit, theywent forth filled with zeal to extend thetriumphs of the cross. The Spirit animatedthem and spoke through them. The peaceof Christ shone from their faces. They hadconsecrated their lives to Him for service,and their very features bore evidence tothe surrender they had made.” 9“In the days of the apostles theChristian believers were filled withearnestness and enthusiasm. Sountiringly did they labor for theirMaster that in a comparativelyshort time, notwithstanding fierceopposition, the gospel of the kingdomwas sounded to all the inhabited partsof the earth. The zeal manifested at thistime by the followers of Jesus has beenrecorded by the pen of inspirationfor the encouragement of believers inevery age.” 10God can only bless the soul whocooperates with Him“Like Christ, the messengers of theMost High today should take their“Children and youth should be missionariesat home . . . You can prove by faithfulperformance of the little things that seem toyou unimportant that you have a truemissionary spirit.”position in these great thoroughfares,where they can meet the passingmultitudes from all parts of the world.Like Him, hiding self in God, theyare to sow the gospel seed, presentingbefore others the precious truths ofHoly Scripture that will take deep rootin mind and heart, and spring up untolife eternal.” 11The Lord’s messenger warns us: “Iwas shown that if God’s people makeno efforts on their part, but wait forthe refreshing to come upon themand remove their wrongs and correcttheir errors; if they depend upon thatto cleanse them from filthiness of theflesh and spirit, and fit them to engagein the loud cry of the third angel, theywill be found wanting.” 12“We may be sure that when the HolySpirit is poured out those who did notreceive and appreciate the early rainwill not see or understand the value ofthe latter rain.” 13Who is to work? Everyone.“While all heaven is astir, dispatchingmessengers to all parts of the earthto carry forward the work of redemption,the church of the living God arealso to be colaborers with Jesus Christ.We are members of His mystical body.He is the Head, controlling all themembers of the body. Jesus Himself, inHis infinite mercy, is working on humanhearts, effecting spiritual transformationsso amazing that angels lookon with astonishment and joy.” 14“If ever the Lord has spoken by me,He speaks when I say that the workersengaged in educational lines, in ministeriallines, and in medical missionarylines must stand as a unit, all laboringunder the supervision of God, onehelping the other, each blessing each.Those connected with our schools andsanitariums are to labor with earnestalacrity. The work that is done underthe ministration of the Holy Spirit,out of love for God and for humanity,will bear the divine signature and willmake its impression on human minds.The Lord calls upon our young peopleto enter our schools and quickly fitthemselves for service. In various placesoutside of cities, schools are to be establishedwhere our youth can receivean education that will prepare themto go forth to do evangelical work andmedical missionary work.” 15“These women who are doing withready willingness what their handsfind to do, with cheerfulness of spiritaiding their husbands to bear theirburdens and training their childrenfor God, are missionaries in the highestsense.” 16“Children and youth should bemissionaries at home by doing thosethings that need to be done and thatsomeone must do. . . . You can proveby faithful performance of the littlethings that seem to you unimportantthat you have a true missionaryspirit.” 17“When the Spirit of the Lord worksupon the hearts of the parents, theirprayers and tears will come up beforeGod, and they will earnestly entreat,and will receive grace and wisdomfrom heaven, and will be able to workfor their unconverted children. As thisSpirit is manifested in the home, it willbe brought into the church, and thosewho are home missionaries will alsobecome agents for God in the churchand in the world. The institutionswhich God has planted will bear anentirely different mold.” 18Christ is waiting for you“The Lord calls for every talent30 The Reformation Herald, Vol. 54, No. 6
and ability to be put to use. When thereproach of indolence and slothfulnessshall have been wiped away from thechurch, the Spirit of the Lord will begraciously manifested; divine powerwill combine with human effort, thechurch will see the providential interpositionsof the Lord God of hosts,the light of truth will be diffused, theknowledge of God and of Jesus Christwhom He has sent. As in the apostles’time, many souls will turn unto theLord. The earth will be lighted with theglory of the angel from heaven. . . .“If the wilderness of the churchis to become as a fruitful field, andthe fruitful field to be as a forest, itis through the Holy Spirit of Godpoured out upon His people. Theheavenly agencies have long beenwaiting for the human agents, themembers of the church, to cooperatewith them in the great work to bedone. They are waiting for you. Sovast is the field, so comprehensivethe design, that every sanctifiedheart will be pressed into service asan agent of divine power. . . . Let allwho believe the truth for this time putaway their differences; put away envyand evil speaking and evil thinking.Press together, press together. ‘Seeingye have purified your souls in obeyingthe truth through the Spirit untounfeigned love of the brethren, seethat ye love one another with a pureheart fervently’(1 Peter 1:22).” 19“Those who make no decided effort,but simply wait for the Holy Spirit tocompel them to action, will perish indarkness. You are not to sit still and donothing in the work of God.” 20This is the prophecy for our time:“When divine power is combined withhuman effort, the work will spread likefire in the stubble. God will employagencies whose origin man will beunable to discern. Angels will do a workwhich men might have had the blessingof accomplishing had they not neglectedto answer the claims of God.” 21“The angel who unites in theproclamation of the third angel’smessage is to lighten the whole earthwith his glory. A work of worldwideextent and unwonted power is hereforetold. . . . Servants of God, withtheir faces lighted up and shining withholy consecration, will hasten fromplace to place to proclaim the messagefrom heaven.” 22Dear brethren and sisters, let uswork while there is daylight. It is notenough to accept the truth and to bepart of God’s remnant church. Let uswork while our Light “Jesus” is in theholy place. Let us work while the HolySpirit is working for us!If we do not work . . .“The period of great spiritual light, ifthat light is not sacredly cherished andacted upon, will be turned into a timeof corresponding spiritual darkness.The impression made by the Spirit ofGod, if men do not cherish the sacredimpression, and occupy holy ground,will fade from the mind. Those whowould advance in spiritual knowledgemust stand by the very fount of God,and drink again and again from thewells of salvation so graciously openedunto them. They must never leave thesource of refreshment; but with heartsswelling with gratitude and love at thedisplay of the goodness and compassionof God, they must be continuallypartakers of the living water.” 23“Self-righteousness is not truerighteousness, and those who cling toit will be left to take the consequencesof holding a fatal deception. Manytoday claim to obey the commandmentsof God, but they have not thelove of God in their hearts to flow forthto others. Christ calls them to unitewith Him in His work for the saving ofthe world, but they content themselveswith saying, ‘I go, sir.’ They do not go.They do not cooperate with those whoare doing God’s service. They are idlers.Like the unfaithful son, they makefalse promises to God. In taking uponthemselves the solemn covenant of thechurch they have pledged themselvesto receive and obey the word of God,to give themselves to God’s service, butthey do not do this. In profession theyclaim to be sons of God, but in life andcharacter they deny the relationship.They do not surrender the will to God.They are living a lie.” 24“How many will mourn for lostopportunities when it is eternally toolate! Today we have talent and opportunity,but we know not how longthese may be ours. Then let us workwhile it is day; for the night cometh,in which no man can work. “Blessedis that servant, whom his Lord whenHe cometh shall find so doing’ (Luke12:43).” 25“If you cultivate faithfully the vineyardof your soul, God is making youa laborer together with Himself. Andyou will have a work to do not onlyfor yourself, but for others. In representingthe church as the vineyard,Christ does not teach that we are torestrict our sympathies and labors toour own numbers. The Lord’s vineyardis to be enlarged. In all parts of theearth He desires it to be extended. Aswe receive the instruction and graceof God, we should impart to others aknowledge of how to care for the preciousplants. Thus we may extend thevineyard of the Lord. God is watchingfor evidence of our faith, love, and patience.He looks to see if we are usingevery spiritual advantage to becomeskillful workers in His vineyard onearth, that we may enter the Paradiseof God, that Eden home from whichAdam and Eve were excluded by transgression.”26 RReferences1Prophets and Kings, p. 70.2Ibid., pp. 687, 688.3Ibid., p. 688. [Emphasis added.]4The Desire of Ages, p. 255.5Ibid., p. 620.6Ibid., p. 527.7The Great Controversy, p. 378.8Ibid., pp. 377, 378.9The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 45, 46.10Ibid., p. 578.11Prophets and Kings, p. 74.12Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 619.13Testimonies to Ministers, p. 399.14The Review and Herald, December 24, 1908.15Testimonies, vol. 9, pp. 169, 170.16The Adventist Home, p. 245.17Ibid., p. 300.18The Review and Herald, March 14, 1893.19General Conference Daily Bulletin, February28, 1893. [Emphasis supplied.]20Christian Service, p. 228.21Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 118.22The Great Controversy, pp. 611, 612.23Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 135.24Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 279.25Testimonies to Ministers, p. 167.26Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 282.The Reformation Herald, Vol. 54, No. 6 31
Page 3 and 4: EditorialThe symbolic Elijah, the g
Page 5 and 6: that if they could take back and li
Page 7 and 8: pleased to talk sentimental nonsens
Page 9 and 10: shall return, gather His own, and t
Page 11 and 12: of darkness. Those that had profess
Page 13 and 14: God wants to restore our happiness,
Page 15 and 16: feeling it a duty that they owe to
Page 17 and 18: Experiencing doctrineGod loves His
Page 19 and 20: of “caveman-style” clothing, He
Page 21 and 22: what agreement hath the temple ofGo
Page 23 and 24: The real issue is not What you are
Page 25 and 26: and those who bear the sign of thek
Page 27 and 28: esting upon them, and that they mus
Page 29: Their only hope was for this gloom

Week of Prayer, December 6–15, 2013 - sdarm.ca

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