The Personal Experience Called For
By Ellen G. White
(Reading for Monday, December 4) The Personal Experience Called For
Selections from the Writings of Mrs. E. G. White The advent movement of 1840-44 was a glorious manifestation of the power of God; the first angel's message was carried to every missionary station in the world, and in some countries there was the greatest religious interest which has been witnessed in any land since the Reformation of the sixteenth century; but these are to be exceeded by the mighty movement under the last warning of the third angel. The work will be similar to that of the day of Pentecost. As the “former rain” was given, in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the opening of the gospel, to cause the upspringing of the precious seed, so the “latter rain” will be given at its close, for the ripening of the harvest. “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.” Hosea 6:3. “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain.” Joel 2:23. “In the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh.” “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2:17, 21.—“The Great Controversy,” p. 611.12 Christ did not tell his disciples that their work would be easy. He showed them the vast confederacy of evil arrayed against them. They would have to fight “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Eph. 6:12. But they would not be left to fight alone. He assured them that he would be with them; and that if they would go forth in faith, they should move under the shield of omnipotence. He bade them be brave and strong; for one mightier than angels would be in their ranks,—the General of the armies of heaven. He made full provision for the prosecution of their work, and took upon himself the responsibility of its success. So long as they obeyed his word, and worked in connection with him, they could not fail. Go to all nations, he bade them. Go to the farthest part of the habitable globe, and be assured that my presence will be with you even there. Labor in faith and confidence; for the time will never come when I will forsake you. I will be with you always, helping you to perform your duty, guiding, comforting, sanctifying, sustaining you, giving you success in speaking words that shall draw the attention of others to heaven.—“The Acts of the Apostles,” p. 29. The labors of the apostles in the early Christian church were characterized by wonderful manifestations of the power of God in the lives of the believers. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, multitudes were brought to a knowledge of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. The needs of the world today are no less than they were in the days of the apostles. Those who labor for souls in these times of impenitence and unbelief, must yield themselves wholly to God, and work in unison with heavenly intelligences. The power of the Holy Spirit will accompany the labors of those who dedicate their energies and their all unreservedly to the completion of the work that must be done in the last days. Angels from heaven will coöperate with them, and many will be brought to a knowledge of the truth, and will gladly cast in their lot with God's commandment-keeping people. Means will flow into the treasury; strong laborers will be raised up; the unwarned fields of the great regions beyond will be entered; and the work will soon close in triumph.—Review and Herald, April 7, 1910. In the trust given to the first disciples, believers in every age have shared. God desires that every believer shall be an executor of the Saviour's will. Every one has been given sacred truth to impart to the world. . . . The members of God's remnant church in this our day depend too largely on the ministers to fulfil the commission of Christ to go into all the world with the gospel message. Many have seemed to lose sight of the fact that this commission was given not only to those who had been ordained to preach, but to laymen as well. It is a fatal mistake to suppose that the work of saving souls depends alone on the ordained ministry. All who receive the life of Christ are called to work for the salvation of their fellow men. “The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come.” This commission to bid others come, embraces the entire church, and applies to every one who has accepted Christ as his personal Saviour. Of those who receive Christ it is written, “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: . . . and of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” That which we receive, we are to impart. Every soul who has heard the divine invitation, is to echo the message from hill and valley, saying to those with whom he comes in contact, “Come.” From the moment of conversion, those who receive Christ are to become the light of the world. . . . The Holy Spirit, Christ's representative, arms the weakest with might to press forward to victory. God has organized his instrumentalities to draw all men unto himself. He sends forth to his work many who have not been dedicated by the laying on of hands. He answers objections that some may feel inclined to raise against this class of laborers, even before these objections arise. God sees the end from the beginning. He knows and anticipates every want, and provides for every emergency. If finite men to whom he commits sacred responsibilities in connection with the management of his work, do not bar the way, he will send forth many laborers into the vineyard. To every converted soul the Lord of the vineyard is now saying, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” In the field where the follower of Christ is already situated, or in a field close by, or, perhaps, in some field farther away, he is to begin a work for God. The work that some are able to do, may appear to be restricted by circumstances; but wherever it is, if performed with faith and diligence, it will be felt to the uttermost parts of the earth.—Review and Herald, March 24, 1910. Christ's work when upon earth appeared to be confined to a narrow field, but multitudes from all lands heard his message. God often uses the simplest means to accomplish the greatest results. It is his plan that every part of his work shall depend on every other part, as a wheel within a wheel, all acting in harmony. The humblest worker, moved by the Holy Spirit, will touch invisible chords, whose vibrations will ring to the ends of the earth, and make melody through eternal ages.—“The Desire of Ages,” pp. 822, 823. In some of the fields where, through the blessing of God, our missionaries have met with a measure of success, and have raised up a few churches, serious problems confront those who desire to see the work advance rapidly. Most of the brethren are poor, and as they look at appearances, it seems impossible for them to do much to sustain and extend the work. But let them remember that in the early days of the cause in the United States, similar difficulties had to be met. At first, there were very few who accepted the truth, and nearly all of these were poor. They were obliged to practice the strictest economy; they brought their needs into as close a compass as possible, in order that they might have even a limited amount of their hard-earned means to use in the advancement of the gospel message. Sometimes it seemed that the work must come to a standstill, and that the publication of the message must stop. But after sacrificing to the utmost of their ability, they cried to the Lord, and he heard them. Some one would be raised up to supply the necessity then pressing upon them, and as they moved forward, new strength was given them to advance. It is only by faith, self-denial, and persevering effort that the Lord's work in the earth can be carried forward. The great majority of those who have embraced the truth in foreign fields are poor people, and it seems ordered, in the providence of God, that these should be educated and disciplined to do that which, if they were to look at appearances, would seem impossible. In order to do the work before them, they must strain every nerve and arouse every power. All the mental and financial strength of those who believe the truth must be called into action. If they walk out by faith, as the pioneers in this work were obliged to do in the home field, God will coöperate with their efforts. When they have done all that they can do, and have gained the experience that God desires them to gain in burden bearing, then he will raise up others to help teach the truth, and also men of means to help carry forward the work. In most fields the work goes hard and slow in the beginning. The time of greatest difficulty is the time for the believers to bend their shoulders to the load, and do all in their power to carry forward the work. Advance they must, although the Red Sea be before them, and impassable mountains on either side. God has been with his people in the past, and has blessed their efforts. They must go forward by faith. “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” The missionary must pray, believe that his prayers are answered, and then work and trust. He should remember that there must be a beginning before there can be great advancement. “First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.” The work may start in weakness, and its progress may for a time be slow; yet if it is begun in a healthy manner, there will be a steady and substantial gain.—Review and Herald, April 14, 1910. We are to cherish as very precious the work that the Lord has been carrying forward through his commandment-keeping people, and which, through the power of his grace, will grow stronger and more efficient as time advances. The enemy is seeking to becloud the discernment of God's people, and to weaken their efficiency; but if they will labor as the Spirit of God shall direct, he will open doors of opportunity before them13for the work of building up the old waste places. Their experience will be one of constant growth, until the Lord shall descend from heaven with power and great glory to set his seal of final triumph upon his faithful ones. The work that lies before us is one that will put to the stretch every power of the human being. It will call for the exercise of strong faith and constant vigilance. At times the difficulties that we shall meet will be most disheartening. The very greatness of the task will appall us. And yet, with God's help, his servants will finally triumph. “Wherefore,” my brethren, “I desire that ye faint not” because of the trying experiences that are before you. Jesus will be with you; he will go before you by his Holy Spirit, preparing the way; and he will be your helper in every emergency. “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”—“Life Sketches of Ellen G. White,” 1915 edition, pp. 438, 439.