Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 17 (1902)

Lt 88, 1902

Shireman, Brother and Sister [D. T.]

Petaluma, California

May 29, 1902

Previously unpublished. +^Note

Dear brother and sister Shireman,—

I feel very, very sorry in regard to your case. I am now more than ever convinced that it will not do, under any circumstances, to praise any human being. In the place of giving all the glory to God, because when you were humble, He honored you by using you as His helping hand, His instrument to do His work, you and your wife have come to look upon yourselves as doing a great work, when it was God, not Brother and Sister Shireman, who was doing the work. He was the power behind you. He sustained you and wrought through you. But you have been deceived by the enemy, and your speech now greatly displeases the Lord; for you are taking glory to yourself. 17LtMs, Lt 88, 1902, par. 1

When you were humble, God worked through you. Now you have exalted yourselves, and while you refuse to hear the admonitions of the Lord, He cannot be your wisdom or your righteousness. Had you left yourselves in the hands of the Lord, He would have been your comfort, your strength, your defense. 17LtMs, Lt 88, 1902, par. 2

God showed mercy toward you and raised up for you friends who would not have allowed evil to come upon you without rallying to your defense. We all love you and want to help you. I feel so sorry to have you follow the course that you do, speaking words that make on the minds of others impressions that are contrary to truth and righteousness. The harm you are doing to the cause and work of God in Hildebran you will deeply regret when you are in a right frame of mind and view things in a correct light. You must remember that you do not own the souls and bodies of the students in the Hildebran school. These students belong to Jesus Christ. He has used you, in connection with others who love God and keep His commandments, to establish the Hildebran school. In regard to this school, I am instructed to say that you have carried it just as far as you can successfully. Now others must take the management of it and carry it on to more advanced stages. It is not to be left to your jurisdiction, because you are not capable of doing the advanced work that needs to be done. Will you allow the school to suffer by refusing to give up your perverted ideas? 17LtMs, Lt 88, 1902, par. 3

The Lord sends to you, through me, His servant, the message that you are not looking at things in a correct light. The enemy is very much pleased to have excited your jealousy and envy. At the time when you might in humility be doing God’s will, you are so blinded by the enemy that you are doing his will. The Lord wants to deliver you. He tells you through me that you are weakening your influence and injuring the future prospects of the Hildebran school. He desires to bring you once more into peace and harmony with Him; but not in your own way will His peace come to you. 17LtMs, Lt 88, 1902, par. 4

Stop talking, both of you, and give yourselves to prayer. The way you have marked out for yourselves is not for your best interests or the best interests of the school. The Lord bids you stop right where you are; for you are making yourselves miserable. How long will it be before you give up your own will and your own way and take God’s will and God’s way? Remember that angels of God and unbelievers are watching you. How long will you continue to yield to Satan’s temptation to glorify self? Thus you are greatly hindered in your work. 17LtMs, Lt 88, 1902, par. 5

God’s way toward the children of men is holy, just, and good. He will advance those who trust in Him. But He sees that for their own good they must, in some respects, receive a different mold. 17LtMs, Lt 88, 1902, par. 6

I beg of you, my brother and sister, not to mar your record as you have been doing. Unless you change, you cannot be fit temples for the Holy Spirit. The Lord is soon to come. Do you not desire to be among the overcomers? The Lord will help you both just as long as you keep humble and contrite in spirit. “Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a humble and contrite spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” [Isaiah 57:15.] “When Ephraim spake tremblingly, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.” [Hosea 13:1.] 17LtMs, Lt 88, 1902, par. 7

Brother and Sister Shireman, your dangers are presented before me. I entreat you to remember that you are grieving the Spirit of God. You are speaking words that are destroying your own happiness, and you are making false representations to your brethren and sisters in the church. Do not do this any longer. If you will see your error and repent, the Lord will pardon you and give you peace. Stop just where you are. Do not destroy yourselves. Give yourselves to God in humble faith. This is your only hope. Christ says, “Abide in Me.” [John 15:4.] Paul declares, “The life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” [Galatians 2:20.] By courage, by faith, by committing yourselves to God as unto a faithful Creator, you can conquer. Will you abide in Christ? 17LtMs, Lt 88, 1902, par. 8

What is worldly wealth to those who are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ to an immortal inheritance? Selfishness cannot live where faith in Christ is exercised. When Christ is all and in all, self does not assume large proportions. It is seen that self-exaltation is entirely out of place; for eternal life is the gift of God. 17LtMs, Lt 88, 1902, par. 9

Do not fear that your brethren, who in the past have loved you and helped you, will now deal dishonestly with you. The bond that unites believers with one another in Christian fellowship is the most noble and enduring affection known on earth. 17LtMs, Lt 88, 1902, par. 10

God has power to enable you to overcome despondency and doubt and discouragement. Have you been imprudent in the words you have spoken to believers and unbelievers? Just look to Jesus. By beholding, you will be changed into His likeness. Say, I will break this spell of the enemy. I will not continue to cherish these miserable feelings of jealousy against my brethren. In the Lord I will trust. He is my strength. Through Him I can do all things. But remember that without Him you can do nothing—nothing to be approved, nothing that God will acknowledge. 17LtMs, Lt 88, 1902, par. 11

If you keep on doing as you have been doing, you will bring into the school at Hildebran a condition of things that will greatly dishonor God and will hurt both the church and the school in that place. You are setting in operation a train of influence that will do great harm to the cause of God. 17LtMs, Lt 88, 1902, par. 12

All the testimonies you receive from worldly men will not be of the least consequence to you. A decided change must take place in your heart. You are building up opinions on a false basis. You are deceived. Will you not now come to the Lord and cease this sinful talking? Be assured that if you have been wronged, you will be vindicated. Do not make a fatal mistake by cherishing self. Let matters rest. Stop thinking and talking of disagreeable things; for you are becoming changed into the likeness of these things as your mind pores over them. You have lost out of your heart the happy influence of Christ. 17LtMs, Lt 88, 1902, par. 13

I write this letter to you because I love you, my brother and sister, and cannot bear to see you unhappy. I want you to have the peace of Christ, but you will never have this peace until you cease the talking that dishonors the Lord. You will never gain freedom by much talking or by trusting to feelings founded on imagination. Be entreated to lay down the things that have created so much wretchedness. 17LtMs, Lt 88, 1902, par. 14

Will you open your hearts to receive these words of warning and encouragement? God help you to break every yoke and stand free, praising the Lord. 17LtMs, Lt 88, 1902, par. 15

In much love. 17LtMs, Lt 88, 1902, par. 16