Those who will gratify their appetite, and then suffer because of their intemperance, and take drugs to relieve them, may be assured that God will not interpose to save health and life which are so recklessly periled. The cause has produced the effect. Many, as their last resort, follow the directions in the word of God, and request the prayers of the elders of the church for their restoration to health. God does not see fit to answer prayers offered in behalf of such, for He knows that if they should be restored to health, they would again sacrifice it upon the altar of unhealthy appetite.—4SG 144, 145.
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The way in which Christ worked was to preach the word, and to relieve suffering by miraculous works of healing. But I am instructed that we cannot now work in this way; for Satan will exercise his power by working miracles. God’s servants today could not work by means of miracles, because spurious works of healing, claiming to be divine, will be wrought.
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For this reason the Lord has marked out a way in which His people are to carry forward a work of physical healing combined with the teaching of the word. Sanitariums are to be established, and with these institutions are to be connected workers who will carry forward genuine medical missionary work. Thus a guarding influence is thrown around those who come to the sanitariums for treatment.
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This is the provision the Lord has made whereby gospel medical missionary work is to be done for many souls. These institutions are to be established out of the cities, and in them educational work is to be intelligently carried forward.—Letter 53, 1904.
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The time is at hand when Satan will work miracles to confirm minds in the belief that he is God. All the people of God are now to stand on the platform of truth as it has been given in the third angel’s message. All the pleasant pictures, all the miracles wrought, will be presented in order that, if possible, the very elect shall be deceived. The only hope for anyone is to hold fast the evidences that have confirmed the truth in righteousness. Let these be proclaimed over and over again, until the close of this earth’s history.— The Review and Herald, August 9, 1906.
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The scene of Christ’s temptation was to be a lesson for all His followers. When the enemies of Christ, by the instigation of Satan, request them to show some miracle, they should answer them as meekly as the Son of God answered Satan, “It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”Matthew 4:7. If they will not be convinced by inspired testimony, a manifestation of God’s power would not benefit them. God’s wondrous works are not manifested to gratify the curiosity of any. Christ, the Son of God, refused to give Satan any proof of His power. He made no effort to remove Satan’s “if” by showing a miracle.
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The disciples of Christ will be brought into similar positions. Unbelievers will require them to do some miracle, if they believe God’s special power is in the church and that they are the chosen people of God. Unbelievers who are afflicted with infirmities will require them to work a miracle upon them, if God is with them. Christ’s followers should imitate the example of their Lord. Jesus, with His divine power, did not do any mighty works for Satan’s diversion. Neither can the servants of Christ. They should refer the unbelieving to the written, inspired testimony for evidence of their being the loyal people of God and heirs of salvation.—4SG 150, 151.
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I am so thankful for the medical missionary work, carried in gospel lines. It is to be taught, it is to be carried forward; for it is the very work that Christ did when on this earth. He was the greatest Missionary the world ever saw.
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You may say, “Why not, then, take hold of the work, and heal the sick as Christ did?” I answer, You are not ready. Some have believed; some have been healed; but there are many who make themselves sick by intemperate eating or by indulging in other wrong habits. When they get sick, shall we pray for them to be raised up, that they may carry on the very same work again? There must be a reformation throughout our ranks; the people must reach a higher standard before we can expect the power of God to be manifested in a marked manner for the healing of the sick....
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Section 5—Warning Against Spiritistic Sophistry
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Christ illustrated character building by a house built on a rock, against which storm and tempest were powerless, and the house built on the sand, which was swept away. We are living in perilous times. Amidst the changing scenes, with heresy and false doctrines coming in that will test the faith of all, the house built on the solid rock cannot be shaken. But when storm and tempest come, the house built on the sand will fall, and great will be the fall of it.
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Let us take heed, then, how we build. Let no one build unwisely. The word of God is our only foundation. Every semblance of error will come upon us. Some of these errors will be very specious and attractive, but if received, they would remove the pillars of the foundation that Christ has established and set up a structure of man’s building. There are those who seeing, see not, and hearing, hear not, and under Satan’s guidance they prepare false foundations for human minds.
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Christ’s lessons should be studied by everyone. The truth is solid, substantial. This truth is to be presented to all; for Satan will come in with his pleasing sentiments, which make nothingness of God’s word and turn aside minds from the truth to fables.—Letter 223, 1905.
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Spurious scientific theories are coming in as a thief in the night, stealing away the landmarks and undermining the pillars of our faith. God has shown me that the medical students are not to be educated in such theories, because God will not endorse these theories. The most specious temptations of the enemy are coming in, and they are coming in on the highest, most elevated plane. These spiritualize the doctrines of present truth until there is no distinction between the substance and the shadow.
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You know that Satan will come in to deceive if possible the very elect. He claims to be Christ, and he is coming in, pretending to be the great medical missionary. He will cause fire to come down from heaven in the sight of men to prove that he is God. We must stand barricaded by the truths of the Bible. The canopy of truth is the only canopy under which we can stand safely.— Testimonies to the Church Regarding our Youth Going to Battle Creek Obtain An Education, 32-33.
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When Dr. Paulson showed me the location that had been secured for sanitarium work at Hinsdale, I was thoroughly pleased; for this place answered to the representations that had been given me of places that would be obtained by our people for sanitarium work outside of the large cities. Time will show that such properties as this can be used to far greater advantage than buildings in Chicago; for the wickedness of Chicago is as the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was also represented to me that there were other places near Chicago, but away from the city, which the Lord would have His people secure. There are souls to be reached. The message must be proclaimed. This is the light that has been given to me.
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I have been given a representation of the preaching of the word of truth with clearness and power in many places where it has never yet been heard. The Lord would have the people warned; for a great work will be done in a short time. I have heard the word of God proclaimed in many localities outside the city of Chicago. There were many voices proclaiming the truth with great power. That which they proclaimed was not fanciful theories, but the warning message. While the solid truth of the Bible came from the lips of men who had no fanciful theories or misleading science to present, there were others who labored with all their power to bring in false theories regarding God and Christ. And miracles were wrought, to deceive, if possible, the very elect.
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I heard the message proclaimed in power by men who had not been educated in -----. Among those who were engaged in the work were young men taken from the plow and from the fields, and sent forth to preach the truth as it is in Jesus. Unquestioning faith in the Lord God of heaven was imparted to those who were called and chosen. “All this,” said my Instructor, “is a parable of what should be, and what will be.”
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For the present, some will be obliged to labor in Chicago; but these should be preparing working centers in rural districts, from which to work the city. The Lord would have His people looking about them, and securing humble, inexpensive places as centers for their work. And from time to time larger places will come to their notice, which they will be able to secure at a surprisingly low price.— Manuscript 33, 1906.
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