General Conference Bulletin, vol. 5

GOD’S HAND IN THE WORK

L. R. Conradi

Sermon by L. R. Conradi, Sunday, March 29, 10:30 A. M.

That is the most wonderful thing about this country. God has pictured it out for that reason in prophecy, and for no other reason. We read that as soon as the Declaration of Independence was made, it began to affect Europe. When France, though the most devoted child of the Papacy, heard of the principles of American liberty, it took hold of them, and this led them to throw off the yoke of the church. Not knowing any better, they went into infidelity; but even in their infidel condition I see the providence of God. While before that time they were devoted Catholics, they began now to say. “There is no God. We do not believe in the Bible; we will burn that book.” But God’s overruling power was seen. The very men who doubted the prophecies, who scorned the Word of God, were made the instruments to carry it out. And when the thing was done, or just after, in the year 1798, the president of that republic stated, in a speech, that they were carrying out the judgments upon that man in Rome. They knew it. They declared it publicly. No wonder that we now see, no wonder that at that very time expositors of the prophecies in Europe saw, that in the year 1798 such an important point was reached. The first men of Europe saw it and declared it; their eyes were opened. GCB April 1, 1903, page 38.3

It is no strange thing, therefore, that after that men began more earnestly to study the prophecies. And what follows, after God’s providence had prepared the way in this land?—We hear a mighty message going forth, “Fear God, and give glory to Him.” This was the very country that led in the movement. And it shook the country. Was it simply a recital of the prophecy, a chart hung up, or was there a power with it? The “Methodist Year Book” states that during the four years from 1840 to 1844, 256,000 conversions took place in America. They acknowledged it. How many the next four years? Their number diminished instead of increased. Then there must have been a power attending that awakening. That is wonderful; but still more. Did it affect Europe?—Yes. Men preached the message over there. One thing was fixed upon definitely, and that was that Christ was coming in their day. A mighty power went with this preaching, and souls were converted everywhere. GCB April 1, 1903, page 38.4

The hand of God was in the message, God setting His seal to it on both sides of the ocean. I can preach this message as freely across the waters as I can preach it here. GCB April 1, 1903, page 38.5

But after this the disappointment came. The believers were scoffed at and made fun of everywhere, and thousands left their ranks. Their numbers were reduced to a mere handful. Then testing truths came forth.—the Sabbath of the Lord, the Spirit of prophecy and other kindred truths. A little later on a little handful, of about forty, gathered in a barn, and began to study how they could begin to carry these truths to the world. Now their numbers have swelled into thousands all over the world. If we only had the same spirit, there could not be any difficulty. We would go on a little further. We want to see now the providence of God right in the wake of this message. After a time, we went over to England, to Scandinavia, to Switzerland, to the very country when the Reformation began. And as this message came from America over there, it began to bring new life into those fields, souls were converted, and churches were raised up. But there were other portions all locked up,—places where the government said, “You can not come and present this message here. No minister can enter this country; nobody is allowed to go here or there.” Walls were built up against the truth. Satan was beginning to build them up. But did those walls of Jericho last? Did they stand? GCB April 1, 1903, page 38.6

There is Russia, a country that has tried in every way to close her doors to this message. But God brought a man over from Russia, a simple, godly man, seeking freedom here to worship God. In 1880 or 1881, in response to a call from Elder S. P. Whitney, I was sent to South Dakota, to labor among the Russians who had settled there. Among those who embraced the truth was this man, an old gentleman, sixty years old. After receiving the truth, he said, “Brethren, I must go back to my home land; God calls me to carry the truth back to that country.” GCB April 1, 1903, page 39.1

He had a nice home here; but no; he could not rest. We felt at that time that he was not the man to go at all. What could a man of his age, with an impediment in his speech, and hardly able to speak, do in Russia?—He could not do anything; and you and I can of ourselves do nothing. But if Christ calls a man, He will make the weakest strong, if only he believes that Christ is with him. That man went forth; he did not have the power of speech, but he had Christ with him, and the message in his heart. So he set out for Russia. The only way he could finish his journey, after he had reached Russia, was to sell his good boots, supplying himself with a cheaper pair, thus obtaining enough money to continue his journey to the Crimea. Taking some of our little tracts with him, he would come to a person, and say, “Here, I am an old man; I can not read very well; will you please read this little tract for me, and oblige an old man?” They were glad to do it, and as they read the tracts they said, “What is this? We never heard of such a thing,” and they would ask for some of the tracts. He would say, “I will see that you get one.” And so in a little while all through that country the seeds of truth were scattered. People began to keep the Sabbath, and the pastors got together. They said: “What shall we do? What can we do? We can not take hold of the man; that would look too bad.” The truth seemed so weak and insignificant, but our Saviour above had chosen this poor, old man to carry the truth to that country. He was the man who got through the frontiers into Russia and sowed the truth; and even to the present time, when I go to Russia. I have people speak to me of that old man, who first brought those tracts and spoke to them about the truth. GCB April 1, 1903, page 39.2

Brethren and sisters, God calls every one of us into His service. Christ wants to come into us all, and use us to finish His work. If God could use an old man of sixty years, with stammering tongue, who of us can excuse himself from His service? GCB April 1, 1903, page 39.3

When I first visited Russia, about seventeen years ago, I knew the way was difficult; but the peasants flocked about me by scores. They sometimes remained as late as ten o’clock, although it was harvest-time. One night the windows crashed in. I said, “Never mind; it may be worse.” But I did not know what I said. A few days we were inside of a Russian jail. And the accusation was “Jewish heresy.” On the way to the place where the jail was, I asked a lawyer, “What does the Russian law say about this?” He said: “If your accusation is Jewish heresy, if that is the complaint against you, you go to Siberia without grace. That’s the law.” GCB April 1, 1903, page 39.4

Well, what could I do? The doors were locked behind us, and at night, when we knelt down to ask God to help us, a jailer who walked up and down would now and then look in through a small opening, and say scoffingly, “Your God does not hear you.” But we have a God who hears us. I am so thankful for that. He heard us then. And He had provided that the American minister to Russia should be a man from Detroit, Mich. Our people were not so well known in America seventeen years ago. That official might have been from some state where he would have known nothing of us. But coming from Michigan, he knew of our work. When his attention was drawn to the case, he said he would do his best for us. And when the authorities declared that we were Jews, teaching Jewish heresy, Mr. Lathrop said, “I know these people, and I know they are Christians, and believe in Christ.” And as he gave his testimony, the officials said, “Can you, on your honor, say that the Seventh-day Adventists are a Christian people?” And as he said it, the message flew over the wires to Petersburg, to the Crimea, “Let that man go.” The jailer and everybody said, “Your God does not hear you.” But the electric wire brought the message, “Let that man go.” And as that jailer let us out from the prison, he said to me, “I am not worthy to lead you.” I said, “Why?” “Oh, he said, “your God has heard you.” I am thankful to-day that there is a God in this message, that there is a Saviour who hears us. GCB April 1, 1903, page 39.5

Not only does He hear us, to open the doors in Russia, but to open the doors into every country in this world. GCB April 1, 1903, page 39.6

What is the condition to-day? In that very empire, in spite of decrees, though that empire is walled about, so to speak, there are to-day 1,300 Sabbath-keepers. They are in every part of that empire, not speaking German only, but representing half a dozen different languages. We have churches in the chief cities of the land, in Petersburg itself. GCB April 1, 1903, page 39.7

Just recently, since I came to this country, the message has come over the wires to the newspapers, “Religious liberty proclaimed for Russia.” What does it mean? Who brought it about? The angels of God have been at work. The Saviour has said that the barriers must come down. GCB April 1, 1903, page 39.8

O brethren and sisters, may we learn the lesson during this Conference that it is God who provides; that He is in the midst of His church always. There may be the early church, full of life, He is there; there may be the church persecuted, He is there; there may be a church lifted up, He is there; there may be a church smitten down, trampled upon, He is there; there may be a church having the name to live, and yet dead, He is there; there may be a church full of love, brotherly love,—Philadelphia,—He is there; and He is also with the Laodicean church, if we open our hearts, and let Him come in. He knocks at the door. He wants us to repent. He says to-day, “Open the door, and I will come in and sup with you.” Oh, that He may come in to you and to me, and sup with us, and give us the power of His Spirit, that we may, by His power, carry His message to the ends of the world, in this age, and at this time, to His name’s honor and glory, Amen! GCB April 1, 1903, page 39.9

“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” GCB April 1, 1903, page 39.10

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” GCB April 1, 1903, page 39.11