Evangelists and Pastors Needed—God calls for evangelists. A true evangelist is a lover of souls. He hunts and fishes for men. Pastors are needed [See also pp. 345-351, “Pastoral Evangelism.”]—faithful shepherds—who will not flatter God’s people or treat them harshly, but who will feed them with the bread of life.
(Ev 116.1)
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The work of every faithful laborer lies close to the heart of Him who gave Himself for the redemption of the race.—Letter 21, 1903.
(Ev 116.2)
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Evangelist-Pastor—One man usually performs the labor which should be shared by two; for the work of the evangelist is necessarily combined with that of the pastor, bringing a double burden upon the worker in the field.—Testimonies For The Church 4:260 (1876).
(Ev 116.3)
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Confidence in the New Laborer—Let not the laborer be fearful that because a new laborer is introduced to the people the interest will be interrupted and the work in which he is engaged will be marred.
(Ev 116.4)
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Keep your hands off the ark; God will take care of His work. Additional light will flash forth from the men who are sent of God, who are laborers together with God, and the original workers should receive God’s messengers cordially, treat them respectfully, and invite them to unite with them and speak to the people.—Manuscript 21, 1894.
(Ev 116.5)
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Motion Not Necessarily Life—It is not orthodox theories, not membership in the church, not the diligent performance of a certain round of duties, that gives evidence of life. In an ancient tower in Switzerland I saw the image of a man that moved as if it possessed life. It looked like a living man, and I whispered when I came near, as if it could hear me. But though the image looked like life, it had no real life. It was moved by machinery.
(Ev 116.6)
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Motion is not necessarily life. We may go through all the forms and ceremonies of religion; but unless we are alive in Christ, our work is worthless. The Lord calls for living, working, believing Christians.—The Review and Herald, April 21, 1903.
(Ev 117.1)
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Work Made Difficult by Useless Inventions—Men make the work of advancing the truth tenfold harder than it really is, by seeking to take God’s work out of His hands into their own finite hands. They think they must be constantly inventing something to make men do things which they suppose these persons ought to do. The time thus spent is all the while making the work more complicated; for the Great Chief Worker is left out of the question in the care of His own heritage. Men undertake the job of tinkering up the defective characters, and only succeed in making the defects much worse. They would better leave God to do His own work, for He does not regard them as capable of reshaping character....
(Ev 117.2)
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Instead of toiling to prepare set rules and regulations, you might better be praying and submitting your own will and your ways to Christ. He is not pleased when you make hard the thing He has made easy. He says, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”Matthew 11:29, 30. The Lord Jesus loves His heritage, and if men will not think it their special prerogative to prescribe rules for their fellow laborers, but will bring Christ’s rules into their life and copy His lessons, then each will be an example, and not a judge.—Manuscript 44, 1894.
(Ev 117.3)
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