Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 20 (1905)

Ms 188, 1905

Sermon /Sermon at Mountain View, California

Mountain View, California

January 21, 1905

Previously unpublished.

Acts 1:1-4. Now here is a commandment, that “they should not depart from Jerusalem.” 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 1

But I want to go on to the second chapter. Acts 2:1. What had they been praying about? Christ had ascended to heaven, and now they had been praying for the Holy Spirit which was promised them. And if we would pray more, if we would be more instant in prayer instead of talking and gossiping about this one’s faults and that one’s faults, and somebody else’s faults, let me tell you we should be approved of God. He wants every one of us to have sanctified tongues and sanctified voices and sanctified brains, which means a sanctified heart. And when the sanctified heart is really as we should have it, then the sanctified brain, and all the powers of the being, will be in accordance with the will of God. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 2

The time is short now, and we have but a little while in which to proclaim the message of mercy to a fallen world. We want to be praying for the Holy Ghost, that we shall be prepared to receive it. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 3

Verses 2-5. It was a special occasion. There was the greatest gathering at Jerusalem. And why should not the disciples depart from Jerusalem until after the Holy Spirit had come upon them? This demonstration must be made so there should be publicly given to the Jews and all that assembled together that Jesus Christ had ascended to heaven. This is why the message must be first commenced at Jerusalem, for they had been so intimidated that they did not dare to take their position in regard to Jesus Christ. They were [one page missing here] 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 4

Persecution was permitted to arise to scatter from Jerusalem, to scatter them out into various places where the message of Christ would be proclaimed in new places that had never heard the message. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 5

And it is some marvel to many that our office of publication should be moved here to Mountain View. Well, it is because they knew that they must get out of the cities according to the directions that God had given. This seemed to be in every way a favorable place, and therefore they located here. Now as they have located here in this place, it is not that they should make a Jerusalem of it by any means, but that those who know and understand the truth, you have cities around here; you have places where you may go in. You are to consider that the world is to be warned. You are not to settle down with the idea that we have a cluster of brethren here together, and here we will abide. God wants everyone that is capable of giving the message to exert every power that He has given you, that the truth shall come to those who know it not. He is preparing hearts to receive it. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 6

Now, everyone that is connected with this office of publication here, and is interested in the works that may be established here in this place, is to consider that he must hold himself, while here, in a position of consecration and devotion to God, and prepare to take the message that God has given them to new places. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 7

Keep the work advancing, and never allow commercial business to come to any man that is a preacher, to devote his time part to preaching and part to commercial business. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 8

We have none of us too much brain power; we have none too much capabilities; we have none too much talent, for we are to meet others in the highways and we are to meet them in the byways, and we are to give them the message of truth. Everywhere that you can enter, where the truth of God should be proclaimed, you are, if they give you permission, to speak the Word of life. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 9

You need not attack their positions. You have a Bible, you can talk from that. You can go into the congregation Sabbath after Sabbath or Sunday after Sunday, and you may take the truth to them, and there are many that will listen to what you say. I can tell you that minds are stirred up and are troubled and worried about the wickedness and the judgments that are abroad in the land, and well they may be; for He that is to come will come, and will not tarry. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 10

Now, we want you to go from this meeting with a consecration to God that you never have had before. We want all evil speaking put away. We want everything like the old man to be crucified. “Ye are dead,” says the apostle, “and your life is hid with Christ in God.” There is where our life is. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things that are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” [Colossians 3:3, 1.] 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 11

We want to be working for the reformation of the unconverted. When you get in their society, see what you can do, and when you feel that you have got a commission to teach the truth, there is a whole world lying in wickedness. You can go from place to place as evangelists. You can enter into their houses with our books. You can become acquainted; you can bow your knees in prayer. You can sing the songs of Zion—two always going together—and you will find you will awaken an interest in hearts. What we want is this house-to-house labor as well as the ministerial labor that you may be called to perform. You want to get acquainted with your neighbors. You want to understand whether they have the truth or not. When we consider that in the judgment these will come right up to us and say, “Why didn’t you tell us these things?” 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 12

When I was at Nashville, I had been speaking to the people, and in the night season, there was an immense ball of fire that came right from heaven and settled in Nashville. There were flames going out like arrows from that ball; houses were being consumed; houses were tottering and falling. Some of our people were standing there. “It is just as we expected,” they said, “we expected this.” Others were wringing their hands in agony and crying unto God for mercy. “You knew it,” said they, “you knew that this was coming, and never said a word to warn us!” They seemed as though they would almost tear them to pieces, to think they had never told them or given them any warning at all. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 13

The next scene presented was a messenger in a house, who took a map, and showed them on that map where were cities, where were villages, where there were places that should be visited. And there were only a few places dotted here and there where they had visited. Here are those that can go forth, and will they go forth? He pointed to these places, to the cities and villages and the different places that have not been worked—scarcely nothing done in them. Here were men and women that knew the truth. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 14

They may not be ministers, they may not be ordained, but they know the principles of truth and understand the Word of God. And here this messenger of God pointed out the places, and work that must be done in the South. Here was the work right around them in the South. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 15

They came together to the meeting, and we had an excellent meeting. We had a sort of a conference meeting. I spoke some words. “Now,” said I, “I am not going to take up all this time. I am going to have you that are here, who have got a word for the Lord, to speak.” Well the ministers spoke short, and then the people began to bear their testimonies. We had a wonderful meeting; it was an excellent meeting. Well, why didn’t they preach all the way through? I will tell you why. On the Sabbath, as they assemble together, they have a short discourse, except on special occasions, and then give every one that feels a burden an opportunity to bear his testimony. It is their time. It is their time to bear their testimony. And it is their time to pray to God and get a fitting up, that they may go forth to take up the work that is to be done and that should be done—house-to-house labor in the evangelistic work that can be carried into neighborhoods and cities and villages. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 16

There is abundance to be done if you will only do it. Now there is where it is presented to me, with that map and those places. We feel intensely over these things, and we want to see the work of God done where there is nothing. How do you suppose they are going to be warned? Why do you suppose you have been converted to the truth? It is that you may become God’s messenger. You may go to one and another that you know. You may introduce the subject to those you do not know. You may carry these publications with you, and you may distribute these publications. There are works that you may do on the right hand and on the left. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 17

A few nights ago I was awakened with this, “They know not the time of their visitation.” [See Luke 19:44.] Why don’t they know it? Because nobody is there to tell them. God wants messengers, and He wants us to put on the whole armor of God, and having put it on, “to stand. For we war not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers in high places.” [Ephesians 6:11-13.] 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 18

Now all these things we meet. It is satanic agencies. Do you think that we have not any powers that are arrayed against every one of us to cultivate hereditary tendencies in every soul that does not seek to overcome as we should? Do you think Satan is dead? If you are hasty of speech, you must overcome that. If you have a violent temper, you must overcome that. And if you understand wrongly, and report things that are not true, you have got that to overcome. God expects that every one of us will stand in our lot and stand in our place. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 19

I have thought, What can I say, or what can I do, to awaken our people to understand that if you have the truth, the message, you can handle that message, even if you are not ministers. You can speak a word in season, one here and one there. And you may set the mind in a train of thought so that they will not rest until they search the Scriptures, and see for themselves what saith the Scriptures. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 20

I want to speak to you in Revelation. Now we know that the Revelation came to John, and John was one that was always speaking the truth. His faith did not change at all. There are men who come up and tell you some great fallacy. You just set them aside. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 21

1 John 1:1-5. Don’t you distribute our God through nature. He is not to be found in leaves and roots and trees. He ruleth in the heavens, and He imbues His people with light that shines into the chambers of the mind and illuminates the soul temple. John had beheld that light and he could not hold his peace. Even in his old age he would speak of what he had seen and heard. He was the oldest man living that had seen Christ. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 22

Verse 6. Will you bear that in mind? God wants us to catch every divine ray of light that shineth from the Word of God, and carry with us the publications, that they may impart light to every soul. See if you cannot deny yourselves in some way, and put a paper into their hands as a present, that they may have it with them and read some important things. Now, we have got to be wide awake. We have got to sow the seed in order to have the fruit manifested. You cannot expect fruit unless you plant the tree, or unless you sow the seed. Then you may expect that you will see some harvest. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 23

Verse 7. “as he is in the light.” You see it is our privilege, God wants us. Christ said, “He that will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” [Mark 8:34.] We have a living Christ, who says, “If I go to My Father, then I will send you the Comforter.” [See John 16:7.] Well, the Holy Spirit of God is to come to us in power, as soon as we have faith to embrace it, as soon as we recognize it. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 24

[1 John 1] Verses 7, 8. They had gotten tired of hearing that testimony. They tried to kill John. But God says, “He is my life, he shall live.” He had a work to do through John, and they could not kill him; therefore they took him on the barren isle of Patmos. They thought that if they put him there then his mouth would certainly be stopped. But now we read: 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 25

Revelation 1:1-5. Now I want you to mark all these points, how Jesus Christ did come to John as we shall see. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 26

Verses 6, 7. We do not want to be on the wailing side. We want every soul to be convinced with the Spirit of God that there is nothing that enters into the kingdom of heaven that defileth. We want you to understand that point. Those who enter in will be without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. And you want to teach it to your household. You want to sanctify your households unto God. You have no time to lose. We pierce Christ when we pierce His servants, when we say things and do things that will cut off their hope and courage. Let us not do that any more. It does not profit you any. It shows that your hearts are unconverted. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 27

Verse 8. Here is a personage brought to view distinctly. Every effort is going to be made to make a non-entity of Christ and of God. You will see that will come in to be met. You will have to meet all these things, and if you let the enemy come in, he will spoil your faith, and you will find, let me tell you, that you have got nothing to lay hold of to resist all these spiritualistic ideas. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 28

Verse 9. Everyone has a testimony to bear. We must have Christ in our hearts. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 29

Verses 10, 11. Here were the churches. All these things in Revelation represent the churches in the land. We find through the list of the churches that there is a call made. I cannot begin to tell it all, but the latest is the third angel’s message. It is to be proclaimed, and we are to carry the banner with the inscription, “The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” [Revelation 14:12.] That is what we are to bear. There is no such thing as these spiritualistic ideas that must come into our mind at all, that we have no personal Christ and we have no personal God. Brethren, hold fast to the sanctuary. Hold fast to Christ Jesus; hold fast to the Father. And every point of present truth that we have heard that we have experienced, we are to proclaim whenever we shall go. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 30

In the judgment you will have to give an account for the neglect, the much talking that you have among yourselves to find fault. Go out and take the truth to others, and you will find that you have not the disposition to find fault that you had. You just go in the name of the Lord. There is a work for you to do, and if you do that work the blessing of the Lord will be upon you. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 31

[Revelation 1] Verses 12, 13-16. He had a countenance, did He not? Yes; He had a personality and He had a countenance that was like the sun shining in his strength. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 32

Verses 17, 18. Praise God! Praise Him! Praise Him that He is alive forever more, and that He has grace and strength and power! He is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him than parents are to give good gifts unto their children. Think of these things. Study the book of Revelation. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 33

Verses 18-20. Chapter 2:1. Now you can see that every one of us has a connection if we are children of God. We have a connection with heaven by the angels that descend that ladder of shining brightness, and reflect the light and the glory of God. They are ascending and descending that ladder of shining brightness to give light, to give grace, to give strength. And when you neglect your prayers in your house, you say, We can do without you. That is what your conduct says. We want the living prayers going up to God that we shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. We must cling to that faith that is unto salvation. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 34

Verses 2-5. Now there is a love that is gone from us, and we had better cultivate the love of Christ in our hearts. We had better devote our strength to pleading with God in prayer that we may have a new heart. “A new heart,” He says, “I will give you.” [Ezekiel 36:26.] Then if He will give us a new heart, let us take it. Let us stop complaining and faultfinding and talking unbelief. Let us put on the whole armor of righteousness, and let us seek the Lord, and having done all, to stand. Stand firmly for the truth. Do not be wavering this way and that way, because some will bring a fallacious message unto you. We must hold the first message we had from the beginning. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 35

[Revelation 2] Verse 5. Chapter 3:1. I can only touch a point here and there. There are a good many who have a name to live, but they are dead. Why? Because the life-giving power is not in them. They are not connected with the Life-giver. When the life-giving power comes to us we are not dead. “If ye then be risen with Christ, by baptism, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God.” [Colossians 3:1.] 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 36

[Revelation 3] Verses 2, 3. Will you remember how you received the faith? what convictions did you have when you received it? Now they will come with their sophistries and tell you this story and that story. Be just like John, and hold fast what you have received from the beginning. Do not throw it overboard because somebody has a fallacious story or some sophistry or some science or hypnotism or any such thing as that. Cling to the Mighty One of Israel. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 37

Now here is something a little cheering. Verse 4. Do you not want to be among that number that have not defiled their garments by anything that they have done? And if they have, we have got a testimony to repent. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 38

Verse 5. Is that not what you want? We want a living, personal Christ. And those who are throwing Him away, or burying Him in the leaf or the tree or somewhere else—we want to tell you they do not know Him. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 39

Verse 5. Now you just take that, carry it home with you. Do not, I beg of you, take up the old magazines that are flooding our world, and pay your pennies out for them, and read and search these magazines and keep them so all visitors can get hold of them. Put them away; do not spend your money for them. There is not enough in these magazines that will pay for the reading. God help you that you may search the Scriptures. We have but a little time. We must not load down our brains with this stale food or such food as you may find in these magazines. We cannot afford it. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 40

We want the food that is the Word of God, that we can digest, and can impart to others the benefits of what we receive. We shall have that food that comes from the living Christ, who says, “I am the living water.” He says, “I will give to you the living water. I am the bread of heaven, that came down from heaven. If they eat My flesh and drink My blood they shall have eternal life.” He did not tell you to eat the food that is in these magazines and these romances. That is why there are nine-tenths of us having such little experience, and have so little to say about the Bible. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 41

Oh, in 1844 we searched it, and day and night we had our praying seasons. In the night season the power of God came in our midst, and the shouts of triumph would come up as we were waiting for our Lord. We are waiting for Him now. He is nearer than when we first believed. We want a rich experience. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 42

Verses 6-8. Don’t make complaints that you have no spirituality. Don’t make complaints of any one but just yourself. “Behold, I have set before thee an open door,” and what you want is to apply right to that open door, and you want the Holy Spirit of God to come right into your heart, and you want it to cleanse the brain temple from every thought that is a hindrance to the will of God. You want Him to take possession of the temple of the soul, and there you may have a healthy atmosphere, and your heart may be joyous. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 43

“I know Him. I know him,” saith the Lord, “for he followed Me. And here is the open door. No man can shut it.” “For thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name.” [Verse 8.] Shall we not have more strength? Shall we not draw from the living fountain? 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 44

Verses 9, 10.—“patience.” You have to have patience. What is His patience, can you tell me? O, if we would come up to our position that we had years ago, thirty years ago, I will tell you Christ would not have had to refer to patience. He is waiting and waiting for you to do your duty. He is waiting for you to carry the message, and when you have done your duty and the world is warned, Christ is coming, and He will take us to Himself. But this laziness, this indolence, this having no speech for God, let me tell you it is bringing condemnation upon our souls. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 45

“Thou hast kept the word of my patience.” [Verse 10.] You have not given it up. You have kept the word. Christ has the patience to wait till He can see the witness carried to all parts of the earth that He meant should be carried long ago, and then the work would have been completed. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 46

But here is the whole army of the powers of darkness, that we are warring against, to keep us from bearing the message of life and salvation to those that know it not. And cities are unwarned all around us. It keeps me awake. I cannot sleep after a few hours in the night. I am planning what we can do to get the message of warning before the people. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 47

Verses 10, 11. The devil is trying to get something else before us, that we shall lose that crown that is waiting for us in the heavenly courts. We have a personal Saviour, one who is pleading for us in the heavenly sanctuary, that we shall have the crown of life. It is not sophistry. It is not an idle tale. It is no story that Satan has connected that we shall give adherence to. It is the very light that God gave away back in 1842 and 1843 and 1844. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 48

And we know that every point was established by the miracles of God’s mercy at that times. I know, for I was in the message. I know, for I witnessed the miracles. I know, for I felt them upon my own person. And I can testify to you, we have a personal, living Saviour today that is pleading in our behalf in the heavenly courts, while Satan and his angels are working with all their power and determination to keep the world in sin, and to keep us so occupied with various things that we will not give the last message of mercy to a fallen world. Now, we had better sacrifice a great deal rather than to be found where we are deficient in doing our duty. There is a great work to be done in our world. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 49

The Southern field is to be looked after. And do not anybody, when means is passed in for that Southern field, pass it right out into somebody else’s hand to go to some other source. Don’t you do it. God will hold you to an account if you do. The field is wide enough, and it wants all that can be produced to carry on the work—not all that can be produced, but your share of it there. There is a great deal to be done, and we cannot afford to be extravagant in anything. We must come right to the point of self-denial and self-sacrifice. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 50

Verses 12, 13-16. Where is our zeal? Where do we see that we have a warmth of love to Christ that draws us out to the erring and those that are falling out by the way. Where, I ask you, is that energy and spirit that we should exercise to save perishing souls? Well, He doesn’t leave them there. He spues them out of His mouth. Verse 17. We are not all in that condition, but a good many of us are. We are not left right there to sink. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 51

Verses 18, 19. I bring to you today the repenting message. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, exercise your repentance. Confess to one another; pray for one another that you may be healed. Whoever has an occasion against any, go to him, pray with him, and the healing grace of God will go with you. Christ says, right there, Where there are two or three together in My name, there am I in their midst, and that to bless. It is the repenting and the confessing, and then Christ comes to relieve us. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 52

Verses 19-22. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 53

I have only touched upon a point here and there, because I wanted to carry through a train of thought. I want to tell you that we have got a great work to do, that where there is alienation, where there is strife, it is for you to repent, and do not go in that way, for so Christ Jesus is being pierced in the person of His saints. Do not go on in this spirit, but go right out in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out, that they will not remain. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 54

Now, that is what we want, and will we work to the point? Will we take hold of the work and do as we have never done before, to cleanse our garments and our souls, to get a white garment washed in the blood of the Lamb, to get the gold not obtained by any intrigue, not obtained by any dishonest action, but get that gold that is tried in the fire? Get that gold of character which is virtue and love for one another. Let me tell you you have not a liberty to do underhanded work in any line of transaction of business, but take your stand for God and for heaven. I wish you would do it before you leave the house. I think we had better be in earnest. 20LtMs, Ms 188, 1905, par. 55