I was shown that the property left by the father had indeed been a root of bitterness to his children. Their peace and happiness, and their confidence in one another, had been greatly disturbed by it. Brother A Y did not need his father’s property. He had enough talents to handle that God had entrusted to his management. If he made a right disposition of that which he had, he would at least be among that number who were faithful in that which is least. The addition of the stewardship of his father’s property, which he had covetously desired, was a heavier responsibility than he could well manage.
(3T 127.1)
MC
VC
For several years the love of money has been rooting out the love of humanity and the love of God. And as the means of his father were within his reach, he desired to retain all that was possible in his own hands. He pursued a selfish course toward his brothers because he had the advantage and could do so. His brothers have not had right feelings. They have felt bitter toward him. He has in deal advantaged himself to the disadvantage of others until his course has reproached the cause of God. He has lost command of himself. His greatest object has been gain, selfish gain. The love of money in the heart was the root of all this evil. I was shown that had he turned his powers to labor in the vineyard of the Lord he would have done much good, but these qualifications perverted can do a great deal of harm.
(3T 127.2)
MC
VC
The brothers B have not had the help they ought to have had. A B has labored to great disadvantage. He has taken too many burdens upon him, which has crippled his labors so that he has not increased in spiritual strength and courage as he should. The church, who have the light of truth, and should be strong in God to will and do, and to sacrifice, if need be, for the truth’s sake, have been like weak children. They have required the time and labor of Brother A B to settle difficulties which should never have existed. And when these difficulties have arisen because of selfishness and unsanctified hearts, they could have been put away in an hour, had there been humility and a spirit of confession.
(3T 127.3)
MC
VC
The brothers B make a mistake in remaining at -----. They should change their location and not see this place oftener than a few times in the year. They would have greater freedom in bearing their testimony. These brethren have not felt freedom in speaking out truth and facts as they have existed. If they had lived elsewhere, they would have been more free from burdens, and their testimony would have had tenfold more weight when they did visit this church. While Brother A B has been weighed down with petty church trials and kept at -----, he should have been laboring abroad. He has served tables until his mind has become clouded, and he does not comprehend the force and power of the truth. He has not been awake to the real wants of the cause of God. He has been losing spirituality and courage. The work of keeping up systematic benevolence has been neglected. Some of the brethren, whose whole interest was once in the advancement of the cause of God, have been growing selfish and penurious instead of becoming more self-sacrificing and their love for the truth and devotion to it increasing. They have been growing less devotional and more like the world. Father C is one of this number. He needs a new conversion. Brother C has been favored with superior privileges, and if these are not improved, condemnation and darkness will follow equal to the light he has had, for the nonimprovement of the talents lent of God for him to improve.
(3T 127.4)
MC
VC
I saw that many who profess to be keeping the commandments of God are appropriating to their own use the means which the Lord has entrusted to them and which should come into His treasury. They rob God in tithes and in offerings. They dissemble and withhold from Him to their own hurt. They bring leanness and poverty upon themselves and darkness upon the church because of their covetousness, their dissembling, and their robbing God in tithes and in offerings.
(3T 269.1)
MC
VC
I saw that many souls will sink in darkness because of their covetousness. The plain, straight testimony must live in the church, or the curse of God will rest upon His people as surely as it did upon ancient Israel because of their sins. God holds His people, as a body, responsible for the sins existing in individuals among them. If the leaders of the church neglect to diligently search out the sins which bring the displeasure of God upon the body, they become responsible for these sins. But to deal with minds is the nicest work in which men ever engaged. All are not fitted to correct the erring. They have not wisdom to deal justly, while loving mercy. They are not inclined to see the necessity of mingling love and tender compassion with faithful reproofs. Some are ever needlessly severe, and do not feel the necessity of the injunction of the apostle: “And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire.”Jude 1:22.
(3T 269.2)
MC
VC
There are many who do not have the discretion of Joshua and who have no special duty to search out wrongs and to deal promptly with the sins existing among them. Let not such hinder those who have the burden of this work upon them; let them not stand in the way of those who have this duty to do. Some make it a point to question and doubt and find fault because others do the work that God has not laid upon them. These stand directly in the way to hinder those upon whom God has laid the burden of reproving and correcting prevailing sins in order that His frown may be turned away from His people. Should a case like Achan’s be among us, there are many who would accuse those who might act the part of Joshua in searching out the wrong, of having a wicked, fault-finding spirit. God is not to be trifled with and His warnings disregarded with impunity by a perverse people.
(3T 270.1)
MC
VC
I was shown that the manner of Achan’s confession was similar to the confessions that some among us have made and will make. They hide their wrongs and refuse to make a voluntary confession until God searches them out, and then they acknowledge their sins. A few persons pass on in a course of wrong until they become hardened. They may even know that the church is burdened, as Achan knew that Israel were made weak before their enemies because of his guilt. Yet their consciences do not condemn them. They will not relieve the church by humbling their proud, rebellious hearts before God and putting away their wrongs. God’s displeasure is upon His people, and He will not manifest His power in the midst of them while sins exist among them and are fostered by those in responsible positions.
(3T 270.2)
MC
VC
Those who work in the fear of God to rid the church of hindrances and to correct grievous wrongs, that the people of God may see the necessity of abhorring sin and may prosper in purity, and that the name of God may be glorified, will ever meet with resisting influences from the unconsecrated. Zephaniah thus describes the true state of this class and the terrible judgments that will come upon them:
(3T 270.3)
MC
VC
“And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil.”(Zephaniah 1:12) “The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy: for He shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.”Zephaniah 1:14-18.
(3T 271.1)
MC
VC
When a crisis finally comes, as it surely will, and God speaks in behalf of His people, those who have sinned, those who have been a cloud of darkness and who have stood directly in the way of God’s working for His people, may become alarmed at the length they have gone in murmuring and in bringing discouragement upon the cause; and, like Achan, becoming terrified, they may acknowledge that they have sinned. But their confessions are too late and are not of the right kind to benefit themselves, although they may relieve the cause of God. Such do not make their confessions because of a conviction of their true state and a sense of how displeasing their course has been to God. God may give this class another test, another proving, and let them show that they are no better prepared to stand free from all rebellion and sin than before their confessions were made. They are inclined to be ever on the side of wrong. And when the call is made for those who will be on the Lord’s side to make a decided move to vindicate the right, they will manifest their true position. Those who have been nearly all their lives controlled by a spirit as foreign to the Spirit of God as was Achan’s will be very passive when the time comes for decided action on the part of all. They will not claim to be on either side. The power of Satan has so long held them that they seem blinded and have no inclination to stand in defense of right. If they do not take a determined course on the wrong side, it is not because they have a clear sense of the right, but because they dare not.
(3T 271.2)
MC
VC