p. 2 | Review and Herald, Vol. 86, No. 46. (11/18/1909)

Review and Herald

Nov 18, 1909

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 18, 1909

The Latest Volume of the Testimonies

ORDERS are being received in almost every mail for the new Volume IX of the Testimonies. Those who have not yet received a copy of this excellent book are missing much. It is filled with the instruction that is so much needed by us at the present time. The following outline of its contents reveals its importance:—

SECTION 1.—“For the Coming of the King:” The Last Crisis; Called to Be Witnesses; Home Missionary Work; The Need of Earnest Effort; “Freely Ye Have Received, Freely Give.”

SEC. 2.—“Literature in Service:” Our Publications; Circulate the Publications; A Broader View; Camp-Meetings and Our Publications.

SEC. 3.—“The Work in the Cities:” Conditions in the Cities; A Present-Day Work; Methods of Labor; An Appeal to Laymen; Words of Counsel to Ministers.

SEC. 4.—“The Health Work:” Faithfulness in Health Reform; A Plea for Medical Missionary Evangelists; Loma Linda College of Evangelists.

SEC. 5.—“The Spirit of Unity:” Unity Among Different Nationalities; Unity in Christ Jesus; The Publishing Work at College View; German and Scandinavian Conferences.

SEC. 6.—“Among the Colored People:” A Call for Colored Laborers; Proclaiming the Truth Where There Is Race Antagonism; The Color-Line; Consideration for Colored Laborers; The Needs of a Mission Field.

SEC. 7.—“The Religious Liberty Work:” A Time of Trial Before Us; Sunday Labor; Words of Caution.

SEC. 8.—“Timely Counsels:” Faithful Stewardship; Beneficence; The Spirit of Independence; A Distribution of Responsibility; In Humility and Faith; To the Workers in Southern California; “I Am But a Little Child;” The Reward of Earnest Effort.”

The entire contents of this number will be of great encouragement and help to every individual who is in any way interested in, or associated with, the special message for this time; and the one section dealing with “The Spirit of Unity,” will be found to be of most vital importance to the church at this particular time. This one section alone is of sufficient present interest to demand its thorough study by every Sabbath-keeper. No family of believers ought to delay securing and studying this book. Orders may now be placed with tract societies.

Price, post-paid, cloth, 75 cents; limp leather, $1.25. Thin edition, Bible paper, in limp leather binding, $1.25.

The Second Number of “Christian Education” Now Ready to Mail

THIS new journal is issued for the promotion of a broad, thorough, and rational education, based upon true Christian principles, expanding and enriching the present conception of education to the harmonious development of spirituality: physical, mental, and spiritual powers.

It aims to reveal the correct view of all the duties and responsibilities of life, and to encourage the moral forces to rightly discharge them.

It advocates a system of education that builds up faith in God, and centers its highest aim upon moral character.

It plans for the individual growth, the betterment of the home, the improvement of the school, the development of the church, and the general advancement of ideal living.

It will educate for health, intellect, character, and service.

It will inspire confidence, and will keep the rank and file of the people in close touch with the advancement of our educational work. It will assist in elevating the standard of education in all our schools. It will develop an interest in the progress of our general educational system. It will encourage the science of true education, and will expose fallacies and fanaticism. It will help to establish higher ideals in school work. It will be a strong teacher, a good counselor, and a safe guide.

Prices

Yearly subscription, 50 cents. Foreign, 60 cents. Single copy, 10 cents. Five or more subscriptions to one address, cash with order, 35 cents each. Ten or more copies of any one issue, 6 cents a copy. Address Christian Education, Takoma Park, D. C.

Testimonials

I think Christian Education is “number one,” and ought to be in every Seventh-day Adventist home.

H. M. HIATT.

I have seen the Protestant Magazine, and I believe it is a timely publication. It presents to Protestants many things they are unable to collect from any other source. Am glad you have made a most encouraging beginning, and hope the magazine has met with good response. I am pleased to note it deals with the prophecies and the truths of the second advent movement, and at the same time will reveal the apostasy of Protestantism, holding up the gospel truth.

S. W. NELLIS.

THE WORK — AND — THE WORKERS

Who Was It?

BROTHER —— circulated tracts so faithfully in —— that some began to keep the Sabbath, and there was such an interest created that it was necessary for a minister to go there to hold some meetings, which resulted in a church being organized. Wouldn't you like to have a similar experience? Just send for our new tract order list, and make a selection from it and begin work. The list is free for the asking. A post-card request will bring it. Address Review and Herald Publishing Association, Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C.

Christian Education Subscription

I enclose 50 cents for Christian Education. I found the sample you sent was quite entertaining. I do not see how you could start another magazine with so much other work on hand in connection with other magazines, which seem to cover practically all the ground. But you have made the magazine, Christian Education, to fairly sparkle with good things. There is only one criticism I would offer: it is too cheap at 50 cents a year. It ought to be at least 75 cents. I feel quite sure that I will gladly raise the subscription price on my copy when the time comes for it to be increased.

S. E. JACKSON,

By S. E. Jackson

The interesting and instructive little sheet, Christian Education, came to hand some days ago. I intended to write you at once my opinion of the paper, as you requested me. I must confess that when the idea was suggested at General Conference of printing this new magazine, I did not regard it at all favorably, but was happily disappointed in receiving the first number, and can speak very highly of its contents; for I believe that it will accomplish a definite purpose in our school work, and will fill a long-felt want.

I had thought that the new magazine would be given to the theoretical largely, but have been happily disappointed.

While I know that not all that might be desired could be placed in this first issue, yet I believe it has made a good beginning, and if it is continued along these same lines, putting in practical suggestions, etc., with perhaps a little corner given to questions, or perhaps grammatical constructions of certain sentences, difficult problems, etc., it will be greatly appreciated by all.

S. E. JACKSON,

President Minnesota Conf.

On the King's Highway of Prayer

By Editor

Editorial

On the King's Highway of Prayer

Over the Gateway.— “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Luke 18: 1.

A Parent for a Child.— “A man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.” And the Master answered. Luke 9: 38–42.

A Sinner Finds Salvation.— “And the publican . . . smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified.” Luke 18: 13, 14.

United Prayer.— “Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. . . . And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison.” Acts 12.

Turning the Tide of Battle.— “And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; . . . And Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands.” Ex. 17: 11, 12.

All the People at Prayer.— “O our God, . . . we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.” And the answer came: “O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, . . . for the Lord will be with you. . . . Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.” 2 Chronicles 20.

The Praying Host.— “Ye that are the Lord’s remembrancers, keep not silence.” Isa. 62: 6. Pray for personal victory, for the unconverted or backslidden, for the gospel laborers and the work in every field, at home and abroad; and pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into the whitening fields. Some one has stated the blessed helpfulness of intercessory prayer in these beautiful lines:—

“The weary ones had rest, the sad had joy That day; I wondered ‘how;’ A plowman singing at his work, had prayed, ‘Lord, help them now.’ “Away in foreign lands they wondered ‘how’ Their single word had power! At home the Christians, two or three, had met To pray an hour. “Yes, we are always wondering, wondering ‘how,’ Because we do not see Some one, unknown perhaps, and far away, On bended knee. “A hidden one apart, but near to God, Was claiming victory, As they went forth to battle in his name, ‘Lord, be thou nigh!’ “For this thy praying host, who wait on thee According to thy word, Who plead by day and night within thy courts, We praise thee, Lord!”

The Call to Prayer

By F. M. W.

The Spirit the Motive Power

It is most natural for the mind of man to trust in material progress, numbers, and organization. Invading armies which came against Israel of old, trusted to their numerous legions to gain the victory, little realizing the power of the God of Israel, which was not dependent upon mighty hosts. The mistake of David in numbering Israel resulted from this dependence upon material strength, numbers, and national prosperity.

Organization has its place in the work of God. Government is of divine origin. God desires everything done decently and in order in connection with his church; but while all this is true, at the same time organization of itself does not furnish the power which God desires to see among his people.

It is a blessed thing to see men and women accepting this truth by the thousands, but increasing membership alone does not bring power; it may prove rather a source of weakness. It is encouraging that we see institutions built up in the various countries of the world, but these of themselves may be but monuments of brick and mortar, and not add one whit to the power of the work of God in the earth.

Our sanitariums may be filled with patients, our schools overflowing with students, our publishing houses running to their fullest capacity; but even this temporal prosperity will not bring the power of God into the lives of the men and women connected with these institutions. Often in the midst of religious activities, that power which is destined of God to move the world and prepare a people for translation is lost, and God is forgotten. It is not by human might or worldly power, not by planning and devising, not by organized and concerted effort, however perfect, but "by my Spirit, saith the Lord," that God's work is to be accomplished. These material means are valuable auxiliaries just to the extent, and to the extent only, that they become the agencies through which the Spirit shall manifest himself among men.

The secret spring of true power lies in divine contact. Spirit-filled men and women are God's ministers of light and blessing. These, by organization and concerted effort, can work more effectively than as separate and independent factors, but plans and methods must be but servants to the motive power of the Spirit.

Without God we can do nothing; with his Spirit leading and controlling, we can accomplish all things. So, after all, the vital, practical question is, Do we possess that measure of God's Spirit in our work which will energize all our undertakings? The prophet Ezekiel, in describing the movements of the throne of God, says: "The spirit of the living creature was in the wheels." This same spirit is the motive power which must be applied to the machinery of the denomination to make it effective. This

is the power which must go out from every institution, transforming it into a radiating center of light and blessing. In the sick-room it must be present to heal both body and soul, in the classroom to instruct, in the board or committee meeting to give sanctified judgment, and with the printed page to carry conviction to the heart. This is the power which must transform the hearts of the believers in this message if they are to be made like the three hundred men who followed Gideon, and not like the vast host that were sent home because of their indifference and lack of consecration.

The great and most important need of this people to-day is not more organization, not increased institutions; not more money and influence, but the vital, living power of God in the individual hearts of the believers. It is this, and this alone, which will cause the loud cry of this message to sound to earth's remotest bounds. It is this power which will fill the valleys and level the mountains, which will separate the seas and dam back the rivers, which will break down every stronghold of error, and remove every obstacle out of the way, giving free course to the great truths of this time. "If God be for us, who can be against us?"

When this experience of a living, conscious communion with God is realized, it will bring joy into every life. No man will hold his life or his possessions dear unto himself, but every soul will joyfully spend and be spent for the service of the Master.

There will be a breaking away from the spirit of settling down to ease and comfort. Alienation and bitterness will be laid aside. Criticism and evil speaking will be banished from every heart. Unholy ambition for office, and grasping for worldly goods will be supplanted by the spirit of humility and true sacrifice. Enlargement of the material part of this work and all missionary operations will be kept above the plane of commercialism and mere business activity, and done as unto God alone, and for his glory. O that God may baptize his people with this spirit of consecration! FOR THE DAY OF CONSECRATION MUST PRECEDE THE DAY OF POWER. God can not commit his power to unsanctified hearts and lives. He can not use as his oracles men and women whose lives are selfish and unconsecrated.

Upon whom does the burden of responsibility rest in leading out in this great work of complete consecration? Truly it must fall to the workers in this cause, to those who stand as leaders and teachers. When these dedicate their all to God, willing to follow where he shall lead, willing to sacrifice ambition, home, friends, convenience, every earthly possession, and if need be, life itself, to the promotion of this work, then shall we witness a Spirit-filled ministry, and this kind of ministry will beget a Spirit-filled church, who will willingly follow the example of complete consecration placed before them.

God is waiting, long has he been waiting, for us to come into that place where we could witness his marvelous workings. Let us open the door of our hearts and bid Christ welcome. Let us permit him to dethrone every idol, and remove from the life every stone of stumbling.

To his people to-day the call of God is the call to prayer, to earnest, prevailing prayer which shall know no denial. To his ministers the call is to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, weeping, between the porch and the altar, and pleading with God to spare his people and give not his heritage to reproach. The demand of this hour, so freighted with solemn responsibility, and so charged with possibility for service, is for holy living, for Spirit-filled lives, for power to walk and talk with God as did Enoch of old. Who will consecrate himself this day unto God, and take hold of the power which will transform his life, and make him a messenger of light and blessing to the world? With this spirit and this consecration possessing their hearts, God's people will soon witness the speedy triumph of this movement, and the glorious salvation of God in behalf of Israel. "Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord." Jer. 9: 23, 24.

F. M. W.

Committee Actions at the College View (Neb.) Council

In this concluding report of the council at College View we can give little more than the actions themselves, without comment, owing to lack of space in this number.

In Aid of Sanitarium Work

Concerning the relief campaign for the benefit of our sanitariums, it was recommended:—

1. That a missionary relief campaign for the sale of our health and temperance literature be inaugurated.

2. That this campaign be organized in each union conference, as its executive committee, in counsel with the General Conference Committee, may decide.

3. That we encourage the sale of an equivalent of two copies of “Ministry of Healing” a member, annually, for each union conference.

4. That we also encourage the sale for this purpose of five or more copies of Life and Health per member each year.

5. That the proceeds of such sales of “Ministry of Healing” and Life and Health be devoted to the relief of our sanitariums as each union conference may decide.

6. That this campaign continue for three years.

7. That we invite all our medical missionary workers to engage in vigorous personal efforts in the prosecution of this campaign.

8. That a field secretary be appointed by the General Conference Committee to connect with the general offices of the Medical Department, who shall devote his entire time to the promotion of this work.

9. That the field secretary’s salary and expenses, and the expense of the general printed matter required in the campaign, be contributed quarterly by union conferences on the basis of membership.

New York (Foreign) City Mission

Whereas, There is in Greater New York and other Eastern cities a vast foreign population of all nations and tongues, who must soon hear the truths of this message; and,—

Whereas, A considerable number of these foreign-speaking peoples have received the present truth already, and should be trained for work among the people of their own tongues; therefore,—

Resolved, That as soon as possible a city mission training-school for workers be established in the city of New York, where those who possess some talent to work for others may have training which will enable them to do efficient work for souls.

Foreign Mission Seminary

Whereas, The Washington Foreign Mission Seminary, which was established by the Grand Council, has already accomplished a good work in the preparation of men and women for gospel effort, and has demonstrated its value to our mission enterprises; and,—

Whereas, There should be in attendance at the Seminary a larger number of students of that age, education, and general experience which qualify them for a speedy preparation for active service in foreign fields; and,—

Whereas, This school must depend for its patronage upon the field at large; therefore,—

Resolved, That we hereby express our appreciation of the work already accomplished by the Seminary, and we reaffirm our belief in its importance, located, as it is, in connection with our mission headquarters, to the work of our Mission Board. And, further, to the end of making the Seminary of still more value, we urge our local conferences to work more earnestly in searching out those men and women who by means of proper courses of instruction may be quickly prepared for foreign service, and in encouraging them to attend this school, assisting them financially when necessary.

Miscellaneous

That we recommend the board of management of the Loma Linda College of Evangelists to secure a charter for the school, that it may develop as the opening providence and the instruction of the Spirit of God may indicate.

(Continued on page 24)

Readings for the Week of Prayer

By General Conference Committee

To Be Read in All the Churches in the United States December 11-18, 1909

Suggestions to Church Elders and Leaders for the Week of Prayer

THE week of prayer becomes more and more important as we near the end. It surely is a very fitting thing at the close of the year to set apart a week for especially consecrating our lives and all we have and are unto the Lord.

The one who presents the reading for the day should have time to study the subject and pray for God's blessing in his own soul. Each day's service will afford time for special prayer or testimony seasons. Encourage as many as possible to take part. We can improve our meetings for prayer by learning to make short prayers in public, coming to the Lord with definite, pointed, heartfelt requests, in which all can join in hearty “amen.” The young people should be encouraged to take part in the services. Pray for the wandering feet, and labor personally for the back-slidden and unconverted.

Some one adapted to work for the children should be appointed in each church in time to prepare for such work. The studies outlined for each day should be taken up, and the season thus be made profitable for our children.

The first Sabbath of the season—December 11—the regular church-offering envelopes should be passed out, and the announcement made that on the following Sabbath the annual offering to missions will be taken. See that absent members get the envelope. Encourage all to be liberal toward God,—to remember that this is a yearly thank-offering that we bring to him for the blessings and bounties of the year.

Let us make it in fact a week of prayer to God for his blessing upon our own souls, our homes, the churches where we live, and the great outlying needy world into which we are sent with the closing gospel message. It will then indeed be a week of real revival, a week of putting away sin, a week of coming near to the Lord. Such an experience we all need. May God make this the best week-of-prayer season we as a people have ever experienced.

GENERAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.

Continue reading: The Preparation Needed