Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 22 (1907)

Ms 75, 1907

God’s Wisdom to be Sought

St. Helena, California

July 29, 1907

This manuscript is published in entirety in LLM 220-223.

The Lord has given me a message for the laborers in the Southern California Conferences. The Lord Jesus wants us to believe that He is our Wisdom, and Sanctification, and Redemption. Influences are appearing among us that are decidedly opposed to the healthy development of the work which the Lord would have carried in straight lines. 22LtMs, Ms 75, 1907, par. 1

God has instructed me to say to conference presidents and to ministers, Teach every church in the conference to look to God for an understanding of present truth and duty. The Lord has not placed upon presidents or ministers the responsibilities of the position that He alone, as head of His church, can occupy. Church and conference organization do not give to man any such responsibility. 22LtMs, Ms 75, 1907, par. 2

Listen to the words of the Saviour, “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.] “My sheep hear My voice and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” [John 10:27, 28.] 22LtMs, Ms 75, 1907, par. 3

The exercise of authority has been carried to such extremes that it is now time to call a halt; for church members are receiving a false education. A mistake has been made that should be corrected before it is too late. Those who dare to accept responsibilities that are contrary to the gospel plan are in a dangerous place. They need to see its course of action in its true light. Their permissions and their forbiddings have fostered wrong ideas regarding the responsibility that individuals should carry and have led believers to look to man instead of looking to God. 22LtMs, Ms 75, 1907, par. 4

Brethren, the Lord will bless you in an effort to break up this wrong influence. Ministers will become weak and unchristlike if they continue to encourage this kind of work. God is to be the strength and wisdom of His people. Man power is not to rule the church of Christ. 22LtMs, Ms 75, 1907, par. 5

A Change of Heart Needed

The men who have accepted kingly authority need to be converted; for the self-esteem and self-exaltation they have manifested is dishonoring to God. The Word of God is to be exalted as the rule of faith and practice; for this Word reveals the standard of character we are to reach and teaches us our duty to love as brethren. Its requirements are to be strictly obeyed. At this time, when God is calling every man to put away his natural and cultivated tendencies to wrong, and to rid himself of his preconceived opinions; at this time, when satanic influences are coming into our ranks with such power, God’s servants must understand the way of the Lord. The word of man is fallible, imperfect, unreliable; but the Word of the Lord standeth sure and is done in truth and uprightness. 22LtMs, Ms 75, 1907, par. 6

The men bearing chief responsibility in our conferences must not seek to embrace too much authority. I have been shown that men receive ideas from men, and follow their own judgment and the judgment of their fellows, and that the Lord is not always their counselor. The work of setting up erring man to judge and dictate to their fellows is folly. When men suppose that they must watch God’s laborers, and exercise over them their human judgment, the sure result must be confusion, and dishonor to God. 22LtMs, Ms 75, 1907, par. 7

“The sweet psalmist of Israel said, The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.” [2 Samuel 23:1-4.] 22LtMs, Ms 75, 1907, par. 8

The work of judgment has not been given to any minister or conference president. “Judge not,” the Saviour says, “that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, and considereth not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?” [Matthew 7:1-4.] 22LtMs, Ms 75, 1907, par. 9

The God of power and glory, the Strength of Israel, is being put out of sight by man’s glorification of human capabilities. A change must be brought about. There is no need of so much of man’s devising. We are nearing the close of this earth’s history. God says: I will overturn, overturn, until man stands in his appointed place. I am the true Shepherd of My flock. The voice and judgment of man is not to be the voice and judgment of My people. Church members are to be educated, line upon line, and precept upon precept, to look to God for wisdom and counsel. 22LtMs, Ms 75, 1907, par. 10

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another,” the apostle Paul exhorts, “as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” [1 Peter 4:10, 11.] When the principles of the Word of God are brought into the life practice of the workers, we shall have men of God’s appointment. 22LtMs, Ms 75, 1907, par. 11

There are those who, had they placed themselves in a position where the Spirit of God could lead them, would have been a great help and blessing to God’s people; but they have hindered the work that God purposed to do through them by taking upon themselves responsibilities which God never required them to carry. To all who have thus exalted themselves, I am bidden to say, Let the principles of the Word of God find a place in your work. Let the strong traits of character, that would eclipse the attributes of mercy and love and compassion, be put away. Every principle of the Word of God is to stand magnified in the life of the servant of God. 22LtMs, Ms 75, 1907, par. 12