Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 17 (1902)
Ms 237, 1902
Diary/“Lean Only On God”
NP
Circa 1902
Previously unpublished.
Christ in His human life gave us in this life a sample of what our life must be if we shall overcome. “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father upon his throne.” [Revelation 3:21.] Let every man who has accepted to take a prominent part to act in this cause for this time, in the last great closing up scenes of this earth's history, bear in mind that as we near the time of the end we are not to lose sense of the warnings given us to act our part faithfully, not boastingly. We must now have faith in God for our own selves. Let man not lean upon man, for the help of man and his human wisdom, unless sanctified, is vain. 17LtMs, Ms 237, 1902, par. 1
If we will as a people seek the Lord most earnestly, we will be blessed. We are to look to the faultless Pattern. Study the life of Christ diligently, for He is your Pattern. He is the Son of God, and His humility, His diligent spirituality, is to be studied by every believer. And His earnest work is to be copied. How can we make men in responsibility to understand the necessity of diligent work being done in every place, of losing no time and thus not encourage the loose, haphazard work that is sometimes presented and blocking their own way? Our cities are scarcely touched. Why? Because means must be appropriated to the work. But none can enter the cities of Australia and Europe and our unworked fields in America without men who are ready to work and [are] furnished with means. 17LtMs, Ms 237, 1902, par. 2
The words of truth are to come forth in the printed page. In all parts of our work if [we are] diligent to open new fields, angels of God will prepare the way. But managers, men in responsible positions of trust, are not to act as many are doing in America—placing forbiddings in the way. This they have done; forbiddings meet those who would carry the burden. I have not the slightest confidence in the forbiddings. God has a work to be done, and if He moves on men to take up this work after the directions of Christ, I am charged to say, Go forward, notwithstanding those in leading positions who will not follow the positive instruction and example of Christ to do the very work Christ has given them to do. Follow the light God has given me to encourage men to establish truth in the dark unworked highways and hedges. The work has been largely hindered in America and leaders must be changed. Because they have worked against God's plans, thousands still in darkness in our cities might have been reached with the message. 17LtMs, Ms 237, 1902, par. 3
I have encouraged them to go forward and heed not the blocking of the way by human devising. The work is far behind. The leaders will have an account to give to God for the neglect of fields that the Lord has kept before them and the preventive management of the work we found in America. The satanic agencies are all through our world. They are flattering the minds of many as Lucifer is doing, getting men into commercialism if they cannot carry the work to please their own human judgment. 17LtMs, Ms 237, 1902, par. 4
Go forward, put on the whole armor, serve the Lord with your whole hearts. We shall find not the futility of man power, but the sure strength of an Omnipotent arm. I call upon all who are graciously blessed with the precious light of Bible truth to walk humbly with God and do not exchange the counsel and wisdom the Lord gives for any supposed wisdom of any living man. If God has given human agencies wisdom, He has efficiencies in store for those who need it and will appreciate it. “If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not and it shall be given him.” [James 1:5.] Some are full of picking at defects and thus make themselves defective. 17LtMs, Ms 237, 1902, par. 5
“But let him ask in faith.” [Verse 6.] There is to be an understanding in the science of simple, trusting faith in God and not in human weakness. False science is to be abolished. Brethren, be cautious. Do not be led astray by any man's supposed wisdom. God is your helper. Trust in God. Be sure and bear in mind that we are God's little children to be led and guided of the Lord in every step. We must seek unto God. We must not let any man that lives decoy us from our steadfast faith in God to follow any other man's judgment. Man has no more wisdom than that which he obtains from God. Look to Him who is the source of all wisdom and then walk in the light of the Word of God. Read chapter one of First John and take it in its simplicity. The second chapter of First John is the best sermon we can all have to bring this instruction into our practical life. 17LtMs, Ms 237, 1902, par. 6
John, the aged servant of God, maintains his simplicity in speech all through his religious experience. It is a language of love. “My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” [1 John 2:1, 2.] Oh, why then does not every man who lives come unto God with full assurance of faith? I say to you, my brethren, have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Seek Him with the heart and be not turned away to some human being. Ask for your individual self and believe John's word that Christ who gave His life for you will hear your prayers. He will hear the prayers of all those who draw nigh unto Him with full assurance of faith. 17LtMs, Ms 237, 1902, par. 7
“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” [Verse 3.] Always bear in mind you are God's little children. We are never to swell to such big proportions that we shall think our individual wisdom is sufficient to lead any man who needs wisdom and counsel. Do we keep His commandments? Do we love Jesus Christ and are we working out His divine instruction in the simplicity of truth? Those who walk after the true Pattern will be perfecting a character after the sample given us and overcoming day by day every defective, selfish, covetous trait of character. 17LtMs, Ms 237, 1902, par. 8
I am charged to give the message as the Lord has given it to me whether men will hear or forbear. There is a special work to be done for this time in America. Lucifer the fallen angel is arming all who will use his methods. Wake up, brethren, Satan leads the way. We must search the Scriptures and be diligent students of the Word of God, else we will follow in some strange path after a false standard. Our only safety is in following the Light of Life. “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” [Verse 5.] Now let every one in these last days look unto Jesus Christ, and let our words to one another be words of genuine faith and love—words of love, of tenderness, and true brotherly kindness. “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He (Christ) walked.” [Verse 6.] This is our duty, to give to our fellow church members and to the world a Christlike example in character. 17LtMs, Ms 237, 1902, par. 9
“Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.” [Verses 7-9.] There is something in this statement that should warn any off the ground where many are standing today. Jealousy, suspicions, imagining evil, and creating evil by their own unbelief and imagining. When the confidence has been placed in human agencies and not on the divine, bitter are the disappointments which will be their portion. 17LtMs, Ms 237, 1902, par. 10
“Every day and every hour,
when skies are clear or tempests lower,
Lean Only On God.”
This is the lesson I am charged to give you. All who do not learn this lesson will be subject to disappointment. “He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.” [Verses 10, 11.] This whole chapter gives no sanction to the lack of love. 17LtMs, Ms 237, 1902, par. 11
One man must not suppose that position or learning or any intellectual standing will give him liberty to rule any other man's mind, and consider his counsel is as the Word of God, for it is not. The Lord's people have everything to gain by the love they should express in genuine acts of thoughtfulness to strengthen faith in the hearts of one another. The healing virtues that are exemplified in the life of Christ are just as essential to be manifest in the life of His followers. There is necessity for each member of the church to begin to closely examine his individual self to ascertain for himself if, in his life and character, he is copying the great model given him. 17LtMs, Ms 237, 1902, par. 12
Verse 12: “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.” Do we all feel that we are the little children that are to be constantly working and learning by practicing the art of living useful, helpful [lives] without asserting authority to control other human minds? Every human being is amenable to One who gave His life for the life of the world. The whole working of Christ in our world was that of compassion for souls ready to perish. His whole life was an exhibition of what Christ's followers must be in their practical life, as Christ has given an example in His life. Please, brethren and sisters, study the life of Christ. Do not, any one, set himself up as one to devise and plan for every other human being. Position does not qualify the man when he himself is wide of the mark of being a pattern of piety. Said John, “I write unto you because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.” Let the following words be carefully understood. “I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. [Verse 13.] 17LtMs, Ms 237, 1902, par. 13
I write to make these things plain that there shall not be the men who shall pattern after the angels who warred with God for the supremacy. Let everyone read in regard to Lucifer who, because of great glory given him, wanted the place of Christ. 17LtMs, Ms 237, 1902, par. 14