Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 25 (1910 - 1915)

Ms 27, 1910

Let Your Light So Shine Before Men

November 13, 1910 [typed]

This manuscript is published in entirety in RH 12/15/1910, 12/22/1910. +^Note

The enemy is just as perseveringly at work now as he was before the flood. By the use of various enterprises and inventions he is diligently working to keep the minds of men engrossed in the things of this world. He is employing all his ingenuity to lead men to act foolishly, to keep them absorbed in commercial enterprises, and thus to imperil their hope of eternal life. He devises the inventions that imperil human life. Under his leadership men carry through that which he devises. They become so absorbed in the pursuit of wealth and worldly power that they give no heed to a “Thus saith the Lord.” 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 1

Satan exults as he sees that he is successful in keeping minds from a consideration of the solemn, important matters that have to do with eternal life. He seeks to crowd the thought of God out of the mind and to put worldliness and commercialism in its place. He desires to keep the world in darkness. It is his studied purpose to lead men to forget God and heaven, to bring all the souls that he can under his own jurisdiction. And to this end he brings forward enterprises and inventions that will so occupy men’s attention that they will have no time to think of heavenly things. 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 2

The people of God must now awake and do their neglected work. Into our planning for this work, we must put all the powers of the mind. We should spare no effort to present the truth as it is in Jesus, so simply and yet so forcibly that minds will be strongly impressed. We must plan to work in a way that will consume as little means as possible; for the work must extend into the regions beyond. 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 3

Those who have received the light of truth are to speak the truth and pray the truth and live the truth. They are not to depart from the Word of God, as some are doing, in order to follow their own devisings. The Word that the Lord has given is spirit and life, and works for the saving of souls. It is the only Word in which we may safely trust. 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 4

Our ministers are not to permit their minds and their means to be converted into commercial enterprises. They are to use all that they have and are in the Lord’s service. They are not to work in accordance with their individual impressions, striking out into new lines in accordance with strange, human ideas. This has been the danger in the past. The mind of man deviseth many things. Unless the mind of the worker is sanctified, he will follow another leader instead of Christ, showing a preference for the methods that the enemy has devised. He will be led to try to show his own superiority. 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 5

Every capability that God has given us, we are to use in letting the light of truth shine forth. The cities are to be warned. The time of the end is near. We can see that the signs of Christ’s coming are rapidly fulfilling. “Say ye not, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white, already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto eternal life; that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor. Other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors.” [John 4:35-38.] 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 6

Read the whole of the fourth chapter of John, and seek the Lord with earnest prayer. Perilous times are upon us. It does not become any man or woman to be regardless of the working of the Holy Spirit upon human hearts. 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 7

“And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers. And He saith unto them, Follow Me; and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him. And going on from thence, He saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed Him.” [Matthew 4:18-22.] 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 8

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with diverse diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those which had the palsy, and he healed them. And there followed Him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan.” [Verses 23-25.] 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 9

Every believer is now to be wide-awake and intensely in earnest; for we are near the close of this earth’s history. We have no time now to act as worldlings. We are to seek and to save those who are lost. My brethren and sisters, take your candle out from under the bushel, and set it where its rays will shine forth to those who are in ignorance of what is coming upon our world. There are special things to be done in making special efforts to let the light shine forth from the Scriptures in clear, distinct rays. 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 10

A great work is to be done in foreign fields, and just as verily a great work is to be done in the home field. Why do we keep ourselves so much shut away from unbelievers? How much good would be accomplished if all who know the truth would make it known in every possible way and on every possible occasion. How many would be brought to Christ if all of God’s people would work for those who need so much to understand Bible truth. Heavenly angels, unseen, would help those to whom we speak, to hear and understand the things of God. 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 11

The word comes to me, Let those who understand the truth find opportunity to speak to others the words of Christ. Many places in many fields are destitute of workers. There are many in the crowded cities who know not the truth. In every city, in every town, in every village, there is a work to be done. How can we feel clear before God unless we do our part to make the truth known to those perishing in darkness? 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 12

In the day of judgment, when every one will be rewarded according to his works, many of the lost will charge their neighbors with neglect, saying, You knew the truth regarding the requirements of the Bible, but you did not stop to think that close beside your own door their were souls who were in error and who needed to be given instruction. 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 13

The judgment will reveal sins of omission as well as sins of commission. When Seventh-day Adventists know that the world is perishing in ignorance of Bible truth, why do they not go forth to hunt and fish for souls? If they do not do this, how will they be able to answer the questions that in the great day of reckoning will be put to them by the lost, Why did you not give us the warning regarding God’s requirements? 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 14

Let every Sabbath-keeping family awake and take upon their souls the work of making the truth known to those who are transgressing God’s requirements. 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 15

Not only are our ministers and other workers to heed and practice the lessons of Christ. Fathers and mothers are to learn lessons from the Word of God, and these lessons they are to teach their children. In a Christlike manner they are to educate and train their children. 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 16

“God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His own into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” [John 3:16-17.] 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 17

Parents, will you awake to the God-given responsibility resting upon you? Never speak harshly or angrily to your children or to each other. God expects you in spirit and word and act to be representatives of Him. He expects you to do what Christ would do were He in your place. Your words are to be well chosen, never showing impatience. You are to keep the tongue under restraint. Your lives are to reveal the sanctification of true godliness. Do not let Satan control your tongue. Be true missionaries in the home. Remember that the training you are giving your children is making them either Christlike in word and deed, or like the fallen angel Lucifer, who, because he was determined to have his own way and be above Christ, was cast out of heaven. 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 18

My brethren and sisters, as you read this article, will you determine to take heed to the lessons given in the Scriptures? Satan is striving to mold all into his likeness. Christ came to our world to give human beings power to resist the enemy’s temptations. Fathers and mothers, in the little time you have left—for the end of all things is at hand—will you be daily converted, that you may be the Saviour’s helpers, speaking and acting in such a way that the enemy can obtain no advantage in your family? Remember that if henceforth you work wisely, striving earnestly to glorify God, many of your neighbors will, by your example, be won to Christ. 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 19

Among us as a people, a great neglect of opportunities has become common. In your association with unbelievers, do you keep your lips closed regarding the truth for this time? Do they receive no light from you as to the best means of serving and glorifying God? There is a world to be warned. Will those who in the past have felt no responsibility resting upon them now realize that they are either working for or against Christ? Will you not let your light so shine before men that they, seeing your good works, may be led to glorify the One who gave His life in order that you should not perish, but have everlasting life? The Lord will help you if you will act your part intelligently. 25LtMs, Ms 27, 1910, par. 20