Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 14 (1899)

Ms 197, 1899

Comments on Luke 8-10 and an Appeal to Dr. Kellogg

circa 1899

Previously unpublished.

Read Luke chapter 8. Read this whole chapter. This chapter is important. Read especially the parable of the sower, [beginning with] verse 4. All these words are important to us. 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 1

Here is brought to view, [Luke] chapter 9, the fact that there were evil spirits at work to confuse the minds—even devils—turned out of heaven to counterwork. But the Lord Jesus is the superior. “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.” [Verse 1.] There were fallen angels working to confuse and make the minds of the people darkened with Satan's counterworking power. But Christ appointed His disciples notwithstanding Satan's working. 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 2

Satan was the fallen angel [along with] his rebellious company. And now Jesus sent His chosen few to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Now a work is given to His disciples: “And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching” (Luke 9:3-6). Read this whole chapter. Here is where Christ makes His work counter to satanic agencies. This chapter brings to us assurance of the heavenly agencies working with Christ against satanic agencies. Here is the supremacy of the divine over the satanic. Read this revelation of the divine working of the heavenly. This whole chapter distinctly opens to us the agencies that are at work—one to save souls and [the other] the fallen order that were turned out of heaven. Read and be wise. 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 3

Luke 10, verse 21. Nothing rejoices the heart of the Lord Jesus so much as the progress of the Gospel and adding souls to the church of such as shall be saved. Conversion of souls from sin to holiness is Christ's joy—a full joy in [the converting] of even one soul. He rejoiced in spirit, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: for I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” Luke 10:21-24. 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 4

The Lord would have our people in Battle Creek take into their labors those who have not heard the message of warning which is for their soul's salvation to know. Plants have to be made in many places. Battle Creek is becoming congested. All who carry responsibilities and, in this perilous period of time, will bind themselves up with those who have had great light yet refused to accept it—where is their wisdom? When the terrible conflict shall come and the strength of Israel is gone, God inquires, What will you do, unfaithful shepherds, with the flock committed to your charge to protect and save from the ruin you have brought upon them because they have dishonored My name? What have you done with My flock, My beautiful flock? Where wilt thou take them for shelter? How can they escape the bewildering snares? You have bound them up with unbelievers. What deception will come upon leaders, educators, especially upon physicians! The Lord has given them warning but they heeded not His voice: “Thou hast brought men, transgressors of My law, to be captains and become heads.” 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 5

Hezekiah began to give himself away when he showed his treasures to the ambassadors of the king of Babylon, tempting him thereby to come and plunder his boasted possessions. Those who betray sacred trusts in alliance with unbelievers, and confide in them, make rods for themselves, having lost the favor of God in whom they should have trusted. They have brought a weakness of Christian example to other souls because they have not made straight paths for their feet, “because thou hast not trusted in Me, your God, fully, nor in the power of truth in perfect, full obedience to all My commandments.” Unfaithful stewards, your reward will be according to your works. 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 6

There is contention and strife marked in all your assemblies, and God is dishonored. There are voices that are unreasonable, judging one another, and then there is retaliation. The Lord is not pleased with physicians who are working in Chicago, who are spending money lavishly amid the lower classes and berating the ministers that will not do the very same work they are doing. This work is consuming and not producing. Very few [of those who] have all their lives been educated in sin will be saved to become true laborers to win souls to the truth. Labor is to be done for the poor as well as for the rich, but the means and talents of our ministers are not to be used to make a Salvation Army record. Let them attend to their work that God has given them to do, but the Lord has another class of work to be done at this period of this earth's history. 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 7

The voice was speaking, instructing Dr. Kellogg clearly in warning. Dr. K, you are carrying on this work heavily while fields are suffering for spiritual light. Come into line; [let] all come into line; ministers and physicians are to harmonize. You are making sad work, Dr. K. You are getting your arms about a class that will not be in any way wise leaders who can be trusted. Ministers are set aside. Because they are not prepared to leave their church work to follow your example, you have instituted a war against them. 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 8

You and your associates are making a mistake, a mistake. The work is being swayed in a way where much money will be consumed, but there will be very little, if any, producing. Your movements are not in the Lord's order and their [method of] carrying the work in America is not in right lines. You did start the work and should have an interest in it, but it has been made all and in all. The money you would draw to be expended is leaving the work in the churches without means to pay their ministers, and the very work God would have done is not done. The besotted drunkards, supposed to be reformed, listen to the words of Dr. K and his pressing down upon the Lord's ministers because they do not unite with him is out of place. This kind of irreverence for God's ministers is not inspired of God. It is something that God condemns. It is a lack of respect for the ministers that you, Dr. K, have no more right to [exhibit] than they have to do the same thing to you, as they see what lengths you are carrying your ideas to work in the slums. 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 9

God has not placed any such burden upon you to magnify that which you suppose to be failure in the ministers when working on the same plan. They see you carrying things to great extremes, and your masterful spirit is exercised without showing the proper respect to the Lord's chosen men to preach the gospel. You would gather means from every source possible to expend in a work the Lord has not appointed you or them to do, because the work in the highways will reach many more souls that have not ruined soul, body, and spirit, disqualifying them to have wisdom and judgment under your training. There is danger, great danger, in your appointing the medical students to do this work. 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 10

We have a work to do—house to house labor. We ask our people to save their means which now is so very scarce to support our camp meetings. We have all classes that come to these meetings, and there are appointed ones to look after high and low to see that the poor are fed and assisted, then instructed, and the papers and publications placed in their hands are received. This is our plan to work: to call them to our meetings, holding [the meetings] in localities near the cities and within reach of the cities. This is the way that is outlined before me that we should work. 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 11

God calls for the means being used so lavishly on the outcasts of our cities to come to us to be able to work these new fields that have never been worked, never heard the truth. O my brethren and sisters in America, why are things being swayed as they are with so little accomplished with the means that is being saved? You may suppose that you are being led by the Lord, but you have turned out of the way while you give so much time and money. There will be found men of splendid genius but lost in the quicksand of ungovernable passions and imbruted habits, detestable vices. 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 12

The Lord has instructed me to instruct you, Dr. K, that you are not appointed of God to carry things as you are doing. I must raise my voice against this. There is a great, ennobling work to be done to reach the higher classes. Men will be converted to become true laborers together with God. There will be conscientious workers. Your Gospel Wagon enterprise is a mistake. Well organized [labor] is needed in every place where the truth is brought to the people in our cities. I have seen the work of the Lord in this country, but there is so little means to do [it] with. Were my husband alive, I could speak to him and we [could] consult together in regard to the work and how it shall be carried. 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 13

Bro. John Kellogg, I speak to you. There are schemes you are devising to make your name a praise in all the earth, but you are in a position that God cannot work with you. You have in various ways worked out of God's lines, arm in arm with unbelieving ministers. Your works were greatly magnified, and their results. And then they put articles in the papers, and it was just as you told them, and you denied them to me when presented to you. But I did not say unto you all the truth in these matters. It was getting out of your line that is spoiling your experience, and it may be because of your pride of heart you will never see clear light again. We are calling and pleading for means that you handle so lavishly, and why do you not respond? 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 14

Your lessons are being learned in a school that is not of a character that will qualify you for the high and noble work worthy of God that would stand the test of the judgment. Men who are working with an eye single to the glory of God are men of humble prayer. You have done much with means to exalt JHK. There is an infidelity that is taking possession of your soul that you would, could you see all the outcome of your plans, despise yourself. I will leave much unsaid. I have diaries which make more definite statements. 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 15

I see you becoming an untruthful man. This bears down my soul with grief inexpressible. What can I say to help you? You are devising, you are planning, that Battle Creek shall bear the name of JHK as a remarkable man, but the curtain has been lifted. You are represented to me as seated at the marriage supper without the true significance of your state, and the Lord Jesus came in and said, “Friend, how comest thou in hither without the wedding garment?” [Matthew 22:12.] I do not want you to continue this kind of labor until our work shall be lowered into the dust. God has a most sacred work to be done and you are moulding minds not after the order of our Lord. 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 16

There was work to be done in all our cities in evangelistic labor, but [not] to sink the grand and holy work of God which is to stand before nations [by] the denominated people of God [who are] appointed to do a sacred work before the highest authority in temperance. Bringing converts to accept the work, to see saloons closed and one of the greatest evils no longer dealing out poisoned liquor that create madness and bloodshed, this kind of work can be handled at our camp meetings in a wise way. The truth as it is in Jesus, in all its bearings, to be proclaimed as represented in Isaiah 58, is all after God's order, but Dr. Kellogg began a warfare and encouraged students that they must have an education in the slum work of Chicago. While some good may be done, what amount of means is expended for so very little returns? 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 17

This has not been the Lord's way, while our camp meetings will reach all classes. God has not laid this burden upon Seventh-day Adventists to do this certain work, for then the means and time are spent that should be given to the cities to get access to the people, planning and working to reach the higher classes especially upon the subject of temperance. While the whole world is to be reached with the message of the law of God on the Sabbath question, means are being absorbed in various experiments that are consuming but not producing. The Lord looks upon the cities in America that are not having well-planned methods made [in their behalf]. Give the warnings to the world. I am instructed that the means that are consumed in this one place, Chicago, would carry the truth to thousands, and this ought not to be. But the withholding [of means] is because a variety of manufacturing is engaged in that the Lord has not ordained. 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 18

There needs to be altogether a different understanding in regard to the ministers and the physicians. This management is not altogether on one side, but if there was a true converting power of God circulating like the healthful current of blood in the body, great changes would take place. Ministers are not respectful to Dr. Kellogg in the matter of health reform. There is a position taken that creates disunion, and this is displeasing to God. This matter is an entering wedge, but Dr. K knows the light that has been given decidedly against tea, Java coffee, and flesh meats, and then he has felt altogether too much injured and he has despised the course of some of the ministers. The course of some has been decidedly against the light God has given, but Dr. K has felt too strongly. I have given my decided testimony against these indulgences; it was an injury to the ministers and worked up division, but Dr. K has borne down on the ministers as a body in an unjustifiable manner. 14LtMs, Ms 197, 1899, par. 19