Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)

Lt 133, 1897

Wessels, Sister

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

March 7, 1897

Previously unpublished.

Dear Sister Wessels:

We were very grateful this morning to our heavenly Father to hear the rain coming down gently but steadily. We have been praying for rain, for there was no rain for the sawmill, and the second building could not advance until lumber was sawed. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 1

I arose at 11 p.m., for I could not sleep. I seemed to be in travail of soul for your family. I would say to you my sister, Have faith in God. Do not be disheartened. Watch and pray, and wait and trust. The Lord has thoughts of mercy upon them all if they will turn them unto the Lord, and hearken to His voice, and seek Him with the whole heart. Be of good courage. Things that you do not understand will come up, and the enemy will seek to perplex your mind and worry you; but bear in mind that the whole work of God is in the hands of One who is mighty to save, even to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him. The powers of evil will not have everything to themselves. They will be watched over by the angels of God. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 2

The Lord provides for every trial that we are called to pass through. In your position of mother of a large family, you have great responsibilities. You serve in things temporal and spiritual. But you are to have help. The Lord will move upon the hearts and minds of your children. When chastisement shall have done its work, He will bring them to repentance. There will be influences to counterwork the work of evil, and divine interpositions. Sorrow, sickness, affliction, loss and disappointment are hard to bear. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 3

Shame, temptation, and sin will bring their sure result. But God has provided agencies to meet these things. God can break the spell of evil and infatuation. He would have you trust and be patient. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” [1 John 3:8.] 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 4

I speak to your children, who are dear to the heart of God. Will you not, Philip, Peter, and all the family, be molded by the Holy Spirit of God? Do not, I entreat of you, hurt and bruise the soul of your God-fearing mother. Do not diverge from the right track, and follow another leader than Jesus Christ. That which you sow, you will also reap. You may not realize at the time that you yield to temptation the pain that your wrong act has caused. Steps are taken under temptation which, when Satan’s spell is broken, you will give anything to have the power to recall. But you cannot do this, there is only One who can accomplish this work, even Jesus Christ, whose blood cleanseth from all sin. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 5

There is need of strict watchfulness and sobriety. It will not pay for one of you to live your life on the wrong side, for it only brings remorse and bitterness of soul. You are loved by your children, but you are so diverse in character, that there is little of that sweet harmony of spirit that the Lord would have cherished and cultivated. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 6

Jesus, whose purchased possession you are, is crucified afresh and put to open shame, because you do not represent Him in character, but follow your own will. Go to the great Physician. He knows exactly what is wrong with each one. He knows how to deal sympathizingly and pityingly with each soul. He has a balm for every wound that sin has made. He declares, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” [Mark 2:17.] Then come just as you are. You will never have reason to turn away saying, “He does not understand my case.” Christ looks into our inmost soul; He knows everything about us. There are no secret chambers to which He has not free access. Every thought, every feeling is seen and read by Him. We need not wish to hide away from the only One who is able to deliver us. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 7

Probationary time still lingers for every member of your family. They still have opportunity to be reconciled to God. They are His purchased possession, bought with a price, even the precious blood of the Son of God. But what preparation, from the eldest to the youngest, have they made for eternity? Should the folding doors of eternity open before you, should you meet your judge who gave His life for you, what excuse could one member of your family offer why they have refused the heavenly Gift, and neglected the great salvation offered? 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 8

I ask you as a family to let the life of folly and foolishness pass away. Awaken to a sense of your individual responsibility and accountability to God for your time, your privileges, your opportunities for doing God service, for being laborers together with Him. Let every thread of your influence be placed wholly and devotedly upon the Lord’s side. You have no moments to waste in self-serving. Souls are perishing in ignorance and sin. They know not God, nor Jesus Christ whom He has sent, whom He gave to die a cruel death for the life of the world. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 9

I make this appeal to you, for your peril as a family has been presented before me. Christ, the Majesty of heaven, came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. He is your example. Then live to work diligently and usefully, and be a blessing to the world. Christ came to take the sins of man, to bear his guilt, that man by faith might receive His righteousness, and stand innocent before God. O, how pleased Satan is to see men, not growing up into the full stature of men in Christ Jesus, but with all their powers devoted to self-pleasing and neglectful of the great salvation. Satan is playing a game of life for their souls, and winning away from them grace after grace. He is supplying the place with his own attributes. The fathers that are not patterns of piety are not teaching to their children what they know to be truth. So the evil of a divided and unconsecrated life is transmitted to the children. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 10

O, come to Jesus. Lay down the weapons of your rebellion against God, and put on Christ. Have courage to be just what you should be. The Lord reproved Israel because they did not keep the law which He had commanded them. Their present and eternal good was promised on condition of obedience. But the Lord was displeased because they “served not the Lord their God with joyfulness and gladness of heart.” [Deuteronomy 28:47.] This is a neglect that God will not permit to go unreproved or unpunished. He will not allow His name to be dishonored by the people He has separated from the world to serve Him. His own glory will He not give to another. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 11

The people who claim to know God are very much inclined to take glory to their individual selves. It is natural for us to be contented with the rich provision made for us in both temporal and spiritual things; but how many return their thank offering to God? How many inquire into the source of these favors enjoyed? So long as we have the good things of God so abundantly provided for us, we rest satisfied, unthankful, unholy. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 12

But one thing we must learn. God has declared, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” [Exodus 20:3.] He will never allow any people called by His name to bring reproach upon Him without punishing them. He is dishonored when they look to human agencies, and trust in and depend for counsel upon finite men. The Lord desires to be sought in council for the very things we need. He bears long with His purchased possession. He gives the ministration of angels to be their efficiency; but when men disregard His mercy and His love, and carry themselves proudly as if all things were their own, to do with as they will, He will remove the blessings and send adversity. He looks with abhorrence upon human pride. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 13

O how much misused material there is in our world. How few of the precious capabilities given us are used for our eternal welfare and for doing God service. It is not so much the great increase of capabilities that will qualify us for service for God as the consecration of the powers which we have, and the diligent application of our God-given talents. These with the use will increase the amount to use. If you had individually ten times the talent you now possess, it would not better you in the sight of God unless it is combined with a vital connection with God, who is Spirit and Life. Your souls need to be touched with the living principles of the being of Christ; your lips touched with the live coal from off His altar. You are wasting time and opportunities; you are neglecting your privileges. God must breathe into your heart and spirit His breath of life. He is ready to do it. He is ready to take you into partnership with Himself. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 14

The great transforming power of God is essential. Seek for it. Christ is standing at the door of your hearts, and knocking for admission. Will you let the heavenly Guest knock in vain? You need to take hold of the work in earnest. Do something, every soul of you, do it now. “While it is called today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” [Hebrews 3:13, 15.] Cry unto God with heart and soul and voice that you may have courage to receive Jesus. “For as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” [John 1:12-14.] 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 15

There are useless people in our world today because they have not employed the powers they already have. These, if they would, might, through Jesus Christ, have become an efficiency and power. The Lord is speaking to you through His servants. He is calling for volunteers. He wants you to become efficient workers for Him. The Lord has given to every man his work. Your head, your hands, your feet, are His workmanship; but it is at the heart, the center of the being, where the work must begin. Then, and then only, will it work outward. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 16

I ask every member of Sister Wessels’ family to be all that God designs they shall be. Do you cultivate the thought that all you have is a loan from God? Do you make an effort to comprehend your God-given responsibilities? Do you realize that you are stewards of His grace? Your temporal advantages comprise but a small portion of His gifts. And these temporal things you may allow to become a snare to your souls. Do you take in what is comprehended in your stewardship? Do you realize that the Lord has entrusted you with His goods? 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 17

God would have His precious treasure of truth accepted and appreciated. It is to be prized above silver and gold, above diamonds and earthly gain. “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.” [Verses 14, 1, 4, 5.] Shall the people who call themselves God’s people be among those who do not comprehend the light? 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 18

There is much you can all engage in doing. Gather up the divine rays of light in pamphlets and tracts, and put the Word of truth before thousands in their own language. Philip, in the place of feeling that he can only understand his duty by going round by Battle Creek, should have acted on the light given him by God—not in trying to run things after his order, but by taking up the work and consecrating himself to God; in using his energies in disseminating the precious saving truth to others. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 19

If men would not try to work the Holy Spirit, but let the Holy Spirit work them, the Lord would prepare them for the grand and solemn work of disseminating light to the world. The Lord had important work for Philip to do, and if he had in humility of mind trusted in God, if he had obtained his experience direct from God, if he had sought the Lord for the wisdom so essential for him and for every one of us, he would have had an experience that would have made him a steward of the manifold grace of God. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 20

But Philip was trying to fashion things altogether too much after the pattern of Battle Creek, and he has made a grievous mistake. The leaven that has been at work there for years is not good, and it has worked upon him as it has upon many others, until men have been placed where God should be. The idea prevails that Battle Creek should endorse every movement made in foreign fields. This is a mistake. It is not essential, and there must be an overturning of the plans and methods that are absorbing the minds of all who look to Battle Creek for an example. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 21

The Lord is just as accessible in South Africa as He is in Battle Creek. He has never told Philip, Peter, John Wessels, or any of His people to make Battle Creek their God. He would have His people in South Africa take hold of His efficiency. His word is, “Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.” [Isaiah 27:5.] The vein of silver must be worked; the shaft sunk deeper and deeper into the mine of truth. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 22

We must bear in mind that there is an aggressive warfare to be waged. We shall be compelled to do work amid hindrances and contention. We shall have to battle against ignorance and cheap earthly conceptions. The common, earthly fire, that has no connection with the sacred fire of God’s own kindling, duplicity and pride of opinion, will stand to bar the way of advance in the divine warfare. There will be perils by land and by sea; but the greatest of all perils will be brought in by false brethren. Privations, trials, discord, and strife will meet us to confuse and discourage. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 23

But the Lord has an experience for us to obtain as He had for Moses. Moses had all his work planned out for him at forty years of age, and he commenced it after his own devising. But the Lord had other plans for him. The responsibility was to be placed upon him of leading God’s people in their journey in the wilderness. But before the experience was gained, fitting him for the work that was waiting for him, he had, for forty years, to do the work of a shepherd. Moses had deep and severe lessons to learn, but he was not left alone. The divine Teacher was with him, to help and instruct. It was not until Moses had learned the lessons God had for him that He could place him where he should be the emancipator of his people. 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 24

And God has lessons for His people to learn today. He invites each of you, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, 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.” [Matthew 11:28-30.] 12LtMs, Lt 133, 1897, par. 25