Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 14 (1899)

Lt 37, 1899

Brethren in the General Conference

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

February 1, 1899

Portions of this letter are published in 8T 166-171. +^Note

Dear Brethren:

I cannot sleep past two o’clock a.m., and I may as well take up my pen as to be so full of thought. I address those in responsible positions in the General Conference, and those who are interested, and all who work in medical missionary lines. I am commissioned to speak to the church in Battle Creek and to all the churches in the conference. While I have to say, in reference to medical missionary work, that there is danger of swaying things too heavily in one line, these words do not excuse those who have held themselves aloof from medical missionary work. These have not been in sympathy with the work, and therefore they should now be very careful how they speak in regard to it, for they are not intelligent on the subject. 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 1

Whatever their position in the conference, they should be very guarded in regard to taking upon themselves responsibilities and giving utterance to sentiments which will not help the conference. The position that Brother _____ and some others have occupied in reference to medical missionary work makes it impossible for their words on this question to have any weight. They are not clear-sighted. 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 2

There is necessity for every branch of the work. But every phase of the work is to be under the supervision of God. The medical missionary work is to the cause of God as the right hand to the body. It would not be right for all the strength of the body to go to the right hand, and neither is it right for the strength of the cause to be devoted to the medical missionary work alone, as a separate work. The ministry of the Word must be sustained, bound up with the medical missionary work, and there must be unity, perfect oneness, in God’s work. Those who have not felt any interest in medical missionary work are not walking in the light, they are treating the right hand of God’s cause disrespectfully. Let all such come into line. Let them speak as few words as possible until they come into a right position. Silence is eloquence when the intellect is not sanctified to discern spiritual things. 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 3

I am aware that at the present time there is great need of caution. Let all be swift to hear and slow to speak, slow to wrath. Let us heed the Word of God: “I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore in your behalf, but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.” [Romans 16:17-19.] What a change would be made if all who are in responsible positions would realize their accountability and that all are under the eye of an all-seeing God. 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 4

There is great need of an increase of knowledge in every line of health reform, and of bringing health reform into the practical life. Those who have had the privilege of hearing the truth are to give the trumpet a certain sound in proclaiming the third angel’s message, which embraces all included in the first and second messages. Special lines of work are to be taken up and carried practically, such as the medical missionary work. This work should be done in connection with the gospel message for this time. Those who cannot see the bearing of this work should not feel authorized to control any phase of it until they understand its bearing and can work in restoring and not tearing to pieces. 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 5

What is now needed is the working of the Holy Spirit on human minds and hearts. When the Holy Spirit molds and fashions us, we shall reveal the heartfelt thanksgiving expressed in the words, “I thank my Lord always on your behalf, for the grace of God which he has given you by Jesus Christ; that in everything ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you; so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in that day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 6

“God was faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, (why should we not, when we have a plain, “thus saith the Lord”?) and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” [1 Corinthians 1:4-10.] This is the will of God concerning us. Shall we obey it? “The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 7

“For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” [Verses 18-24.] 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 8

I wish to say decidedly that the Lord has done a great work, and that He has honored us in using Dr. Kellogg as His appointed agent. Everything has not been without a flaw, but the Lord will take supervision of His work, and see that it does not become disproportionate in this one branch. He says, Dr. Kellogg is My servant. The work will not be marred if the church will awake to view matters clearly and arise and shine because the glory of the Lord has risen upon them. This is the position the church is called upon to occupy. 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 9

The workers are to be purified, sanctified, ennobled. They are to rise to the highest point of excellency. They are to be molded and fashioned after the divine similitude. Then they will see that health reform and medical missionary work are one—the gospel in practice. The reason why church members do not understand this branch of the work is because they are not following step after step after the great Leader. The medical missionary work is the work of God, and bears His signature. For this reason let man keep his hands off the work and not desire to manage the work according to his own ideas, for they will become weak and inefficient. 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 10

Our message is a world-wide message. But while means must not be absorbed in one line of the work, so that the work cannot be carried into new fields, the medical missionary work is not in any wise to be demerited as an inferior work. The world is a lazar house of disease. It is corrupted under the inhabitants thereof, and misery is universal. The Lord has given Dr. Kellogg the work of preparing a people to stand in the great day of God, and if he works under the supervision of God, many things will have to be modeled more closely after the principles of God. 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 11

“Ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planted anything, neither he that watered; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one, and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are laborers together with God: Ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” [1 Corinthians 3:3-11.] 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 12

He who is appointed to act a part in the work is to feel the solemn responsibility devolving upon him. We are working for eternity, and if we feed on the bread which came down from heaven, we shall be Christlike in spirit and character. 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 13

“The bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.” But those who made this request did not understand what it comprehended. “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” [John 6:33-35.] We are to come to Christ and feast upon His Word. Then as we read the Scriptures we shall understand them as they read. Christ will commune with the soul. Precious beams of light will shine upon the Word, and by unseen intelligences the mind will be fed and refreshed. 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 14

We are living in an age when there is to be no idleness. Every soul is to be charged with the heavenly current of life. The question is asked, What is the cause of the dearth in the church? The answer comes, because we allow our minds to be drawn away from the Word. We are built up from that which we eat, and every day we must give the mind proper nourishment by eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God. 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 15

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. ... Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” [Verses 47-51, 54-57.] 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 16

We must abide in Christ and Christ must abide in us, for “we are laborers together with God; ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” [1 Corinthians 3:9.] Read the whole of the third chapter of First Corinthians. Every word in it is to be understood and appreciated. The Christian work is an individual work. Let no man feel that it is his duty to pick flaws in another man’s work. Cease finding fault. Improve yourself as you think your brethren should improve. It is your privilege to live in Christ, the bread of life. Those who do this will have a wholesome experience, and the light of God will go before them as they do the work specified in the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah. 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 17

Every branch of the work is to have recognition. “And he gave some, apostles, and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” [Ephesians 4:11, 12.] This Scripture shows that there are to be different workers, different instrumentalities. Each worker has his different work. No one is required to lay hold of another man’s work and, though uneducated and untrained, try to do that work. God has given to every man according to his several abilities. One man may think that his position in the work has given him authority to dictate to other workers. But this is not so. Ignorant of the work, he would enlarge where he should retrench, and retrench where he should enlarge, because he can only see the part of the vineyard where he is working. 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 18

Live for God. Eat Christ’s flesh and drink His blood, and you will have eternal life. Your pathway will be brightened by clear, shining light. You will have the heavenly anointing, and will be kept from making grave blunders. Do not be so intent upon the work you are doing in one portion of the Lord’s vineyard that you cannot appreciate the work another man is doing. He may be faithfully cultivating his talents, so that he can return them doubled to his God. 14LtMs, Lt 37, 1899, par. 19