Let men who are truly converted offer themselves to the service of the Lord; for verily, he has need of them. Emptied of selfishness, they will be vessels unto honor. Partakers of the divine nature, they will be light-bearers in a world of darkness. Their influence will be a savor of life unto life.
(RH October 29, 1903, Art. A, 1)
God has appointed us to be laborers together with him, and we are to work zealously for the Redeemer's glory by bringing sheaves to the Master. Every soul saved will swell the triumphant anthem of praise that the redeemed will sing. Christ came to the world to “bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” The world is full of men and women who carry a heavy burden of sorrow and suffering and sin. God sends his children to reveal to them him who will take away the burden, and give them rest. It is the mission of Christ's servants to help, to bless, to heal.
(RH October 29, 1903, Art. A, 2)
My brethren and sisters, do we realize the importance of this subject? Why are we so listless and indifferent? why satisfied to remain so poorly fitted to work for the uplifting of humanity? The heavenly universe looks with amazement upon our Christless work. Neglect is seen in our borders. Slipshod work is tolerated and passed by. How long shall this continue? Shall we not arouse, and with determined effort redeem our neglect? Much is expected of us.
(RH October 29, 1903, Art. A, 3)
What are our young men doing? God calls for you, young men. He calls for armies of young men who are large-hearted and large-minded, and who have a deep love for Christ, and for those for whom he died. If you will place yourselves under the influence of the truth, if you will receive the truth into the heart, you will have confidence and power to present it to others. Christ will be made unto you wisdom and righteousness and sanctification. You will be laborers together with God, following Christ's guidance. Such laborers are as sharp sickles in the harvest field. They do not use their God-given powers in arguing and debating. Pointing to Calvary, they cry, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Like Moses, they endure the seeing of him who is invisible. Through their efforts, souls are won to Christ; for God is with them.
(RH October 29, 1903, Art. A, 4)
Young men, Jesus is saying to you, “Follow me.” Bear burdens in the Master's service. Our older ministering brethren must drop many of their burdens, or they will be crushed beneath them. The aged standard-bearers may act as counselors, but their younger, stronger brethren should bear the heavy burdens. John says, “I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, ... and ye have overcome the wicked one.” You whose eyes are not dimmed, who are not worn by long and constant taxation, should plan and execute, treating the aged workers with tenderness, and looking up to them as counselors.
(RH October 29, 1903, Art. A, 5)
Looking to Christ
I call upon the young men who are entering the ministry to search the Scriptures for themselves. Know for yourselves what is truth. Do not accept any man's theories as authority. This has been done by ministers to the injury of their experience, and it has left them ignorant and strengthless, when they should be wise in the Scriptures and strong in the strength of God. Take your Bibles, and weep and pray and fast before the Lord.
(RH October 29, 1903, Art. A, 6)
Do not fix your attention on some favorite minister, speaking his words and imitating his gestures, in short, becoming his shadow. Allow no man to put his mold upon you. Let the hand of God mold and fashion you after the divine similitude.
(RH October 29, 1903, Art. A, 7)
Do not seek wisdom from men. Those to whom you go may be bewildered by the temptations of Satan, and may plant in your minds the seeds of doubt. Go to Jesus, who “giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not.” He is unchangeable, the same yesterday, today, and forever; and he can not err. Has not his invitation reached your ears, and touched your heart? He says, “Come unto me, ... and I will give you rest. 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.” Go to the Lord with the simplicity and confidence of a little child. Tell him your needs and your troubles, withholding nothing. Ask him to teach you how to use your entrusted talents for him.
(RH October 29, 1903, Art. A, 8)
Long Sermons
I beg of you not to think that the preaching of long sermons is an unmistakable evidence of ministerial ability. Let your discourses be short. Long sermons will wear out both you and those who hear. Often if sermons were only half as long, it would be well. And remember that to be a true minister for God means much more than merely to preach. A minister is one who ministers. Put forth personal effort for the people. Visit them in their homes, pray with them, search the Scriptures with them, and you will bring them the blessing of heaven.
(RH October 29, 1903, Art. A, 9)
Carefulness in Speech
As you go forth to labor for Christ, keep strict watch over yourselves. Be careful of your words. Do not waste precious moments in foolish conversation. Live so near to Christ that you will always be ready to speak a word in season to him that is weary. Put away all pride, all selfishness, all lightness and trifling. Jesting and joking are an offense to God, and a denial of your faith. They unfit the mind for solid thought and earnest labor, making men superficial and inefficient. Be circumspect, and at the same time cheerful and happy, showing forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
(RH October 29, 1903, Art. A, 10)
How to Gain Success
In order to be successful in your work, you must feel the need of learning every day in the school of Christ. Learn of the great Teacher, and then go forth in the strength of him who has said, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Put your whole soul into your efforts, and never leave a work half done. Bind off your work thoroughly. Leave no dropped stitches for some one else to pick up.
(RH October 29, 1903, Art. A, 11)
Do not disappoint Christ. Resolve that you will succeed. Ask for divine grace and efficiency. You will not be left to labor alone. Christ will be with you, and you will receive precious souls for your hire.
(RH October 29, 1903, Art. A, 12)
Christ died that we might enter into possession of the eternal riches. With hearts filled with gratitude, let us improve the opportunities for service placed within our reach, that we may be prepared for the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for those who love him. Heaven is a holy place; into it there can enter nothing that defiles. But those who have washed their robes of character, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, will receive an abundant entrance into the heavenly courts.
(RH October 29, 1903, Art. A, 13)
At the last great day, Christ will say to those who have been true and faithful, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”“Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” They will understand the meaning of his words; for they will have done the work that Christ gave them to do. They have cooperated with him in the saving of those for whom he died, and they are prepared to share in his joy.
(RH October 29, 1903, Art. A, 14)
The Twelve Spies
EGW
Eleven days after leaving Mount Horeb, the Hebrew host encamped at Kadesh, in the wilderness of Paran, which was not far from the borders of the promised land. Here it was proposed by the people that spies be sent up to survey the country. The matter was presented before the Lord by Moses, and permission was granted, with the direction that one of the rulers of each tribe should be selected for this purpose. The men were chosen as had been directed, and Moses bade them go and see the country, what it was, its situation and natural advantages; and the people that dwelt therein, whether they were strong or weak, few or many; also to observe the nature of the soil and its productiveness, and to bring of the fruit of the land.
(RH October 29, 1903, 1)
They went, and surveyed the whole land, entering at the southern border, and proceeding to the northern extremity. They returned after an absence of forty days. The people of Israel were cherishing high hopes, and were waiting in eager expectancy. The news of the spies’ return was carried from tribe to tribe, and was hailed with rejoicing. The people rushed out to meet the messengers, who had safely escaped the dangers of their perilous undertaking. The spies brought specimens of the fruit, showing the fertility of the soil. It was in the time of ripe grapes, and they brought a cluster of grapes so large that it was carried between two men. They also brought of the figs and pomegranates which grew there in abundance.
(RH October 29, 1903, 2)
The people rejoiced that they were to come into possession of so goodly a land, and they listened intently as the report was brought to Moses, that not a word should escape them. “We came unto the land whither thou sentest us,” the spies began, “and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.” The people were enthusiastic; they would eagerly obey the voice of the Lord, and go up at once to possess the land. But after describing the beauty and fertility of the land, all but two of the spies enlarged upon the difficulties and dangers that lay before the Israelites should they undertake the conquest of Canaan. They enumerated the powerful nations located in various parts of the country, and said that the cities were walled and very great, and the people who dwelt therein were strong, and it would be impossible to conquer them. They also stated that they had seen giants, the sons of Anak, there, and it was useless to think of possessing the land.
(RH October 29, 1903, 3)
Now the scene changed. Hope and courage gave place to cowardly despair, as the spies uttered the sentiments of their unbelieving hearts, which were filled with discouragement prompted by Satan; their unbelief cast a gloomy shadow over the congregation, and the mighty power of God, so often manifested in behalf of the chosen nation, was forgotten. The people did not wait to reflect; they did not reason that He who had brought them thus far would certainly give them the land; they did not call to mind how wonderfully God had delivered them from their oppressors, cutting a path through the sea, and destroying the pursuing hosts of Pharaoh. They left God out of the question, and acted as though they must depend solely on the power of arms.
(RH October 29, 1903, 4)
In their unbelief they limited the power of God, and distrusted the hand that had hitherto safely guided them. And they repeated their former error of murmuring against Moses and Aaron. “This, then, is the end of all our high hopes,” they said. “This is the land we have traveled all the way from Egypt to possess.” They accused their leaders of deceiving the people and bringing trouble upon Israel.
(RH October 29, 1903, 5)
The people were desperate in their disappointment and despair. A wail of agony arose, and mingled with the confused murmurs of voices. Caleb comprehended the situation, and bold to stand in defense of the Word of God, he did all in his power to counteract the evil influence of his unfaithful associates. For an instant the people were stilled to listen to his words of hope and courage respecting the goodly land. He did not contradict what had already been said; the walls were high, and the Canaanites strong. But God had promised the land to Israel. “Let us go up at once, and possess it,” urged Caleb; “for we are well able to overcome it.”
(RH October 29, 1903, 6)
But the ten, interrupting him, pictured the obstacles in darker colors than at first. “We be not able to go up against the people,” they declared; “for they are stronger than we.... All the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”
(RH October 29, 1903, 7)
These men, having entered upon a wrong course, stubbornly set themselves against Caleb and Joshua, against Moses, and against God. Every advance step rendered them the more determined. They were resolved to discourage all effort to gain possession of Canaan. They distorted the truth in order to sustain their baleful influence. “It is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof,” they said. This was not only an evil report, but it was also a lying one. It was inconsistent with itself. The spies had declared the country to be fruitful and prosperous, and the people of giant stature, all of which would be impossible if the climate were so unhealthful that the land could be said to “eat up the inhabitants.” But when men yield their hearts to unbelief, they place themselves under the control of Satan, and none can tell to what lengths he will lead them.
(RH October 29, 1903, 8)
“And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.” Revolt and open mutiny quickly followed; for Satan had full sway, and the people seemed bereft of reason. They cursed Moses and Aaron, forgetting that God hearkened to their wicked speeches, and that, enshrouded in the cloudy pillar, the Angel of his presence was witnessing their terrible outburst of wrath. In bitterness they cried out, “Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!” Then their feelings rose against God: “Wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.” Thus they accused not only Moses, but God himself, of deception, in promising them a land which they were not able to possess. And they went so far as to appoint a captain to lead them back to the land of their suffering and bondage, from which they had been delivered by the strong arm of Omnipotence.
(RH October 29, 1903, 9)
In humiliation and distress, “Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel,” not knowing what to do to turn them from their rash and passionate purpose. Caleb and Joshua attempted to quiet the tumult. With their garments rent in token of grief and indignation, they rushed in among the people, and their ringing voices were heard above the tempest of lamentation and rebellious grief: “The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey; only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Fear them not.”
(RH October 29, 1903, 10)
The Canaanites had filled up the measure of their iniquity, and the Lord would no longer bear with them. His protection being removed, they would be an easy prey. By the covenant of God, the land was insured to Israel. But the false report of the unfaithful spies was accepted, and through it the whole congregation were deluded. The traitors had done their work. If only the two men had brought the evil report, and all the ten had encouraged them to possess the land in the name of the Lord, they would still have taken the advice of the two in preference to the ten, because of their wicked unbelief. But there were only two advocating the right, while ten were on the side of rebellion.
(RH October 29, 1903, 11)
The unfaithful spies were loud in denunciation of Caleb and Joshua, and the cry was raised to stone them. The insane mob seized missiles with which to slay these faithful men. They rushed forward with yells of madness, when suddenly the stones dropped from their hands, a hush fell upon them, and they shook with fear. God had interposed to check their murderous design. The glory of his presence, like a flaming light, illuminated the tabernacle. All the people beheld the signal of the Lord. A mightier one than they had revealed himself, and none dared continue their resistance. The spies who brought the evil report, crouched, terror-stricken, and with bated breath sought their tents.
(RH October 29, 1903, 12)
Moses now arose, and entered the tabernacle. The Lord declared to him, “I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation.” But again Moses pleaded for his people. He could not consent to have them destroyed, and himself made a mightier nation. Appealing to the mercy of God, he said: “I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy.... Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”
(RH October 29, 1903, 13)
The Lord promised to spare Israel from immediate destruction; but because of their unbelief and cowardice he could not manifest his power to subdue their enemies. Therefore in his mercy he bade them, as the only safe course, to turn back toward the Red Sea.—Patriarchs and Prophets, 387-391.
(RH October 29, 1903, 14)