When Israel was assailed by the Amalekites, Moses gave Joshua directions to fight with their enemies while he would stand with the rod of God in his hand, with his hand raised toward heaven in the sight of the people, showing to rebellious, murmuring Israel that their strength and power was in God. He was their might and the source of their strength. There was no power in that rod; God wrought through Moses. Moses had to receive all his strength from above. When he held up his hands, Israel prevailed; when he let down his hands, Amalek prevailed. When Moses became weary, preparations were needful to keep his weary hands continually raised toward heaven. Aaron and Hur prepared a seat for Moses, and then both engaged in holding up his weary hands until the going down of the sun. These men thus showed to Israel their duty to sustain Moses in his arduous work while he should receive the word from God to speak to them. This act was also to show Israel that God alone held their destiny in His hands, that He was their acknowledged leader. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.... For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” Exodus 17:14~16. “Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; how he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.” Deuteronomy 25:17~19. (2T 107.1) MC VC

As the angel of God presented these facts in the travels and experience of the children of Israel, I was deeply impressed with the especial regard of God for His people. Notwithstanding their errors, their disobedience, and their rebellion, they were still God’s chosen people. He had especially honored them by coming down from His holy habitation upon Mount Sinai and, in majesty and glory and awful grandeur, speaking the Ten Commandments in the audience of all the people and writing them with His own finger on the tables of stone. The Lord says of His people Israel: “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers.” Deuteronomy 7:6~8. (2T 108.1) MC VC

Chapter 41—True Conversion VC

Dear Brother P (2T 291) MC VC

While at ----- one year ago, we labored for your interest. I had been shown your dangers, and we were desirous of saving you; but we see you have not had strength to carry out the resolutions there made. I am troubled over the matter, and fear that I was not as faithful as I should have been in bringing before you all I knew of your case. Some things I withheld from you. While in Battle Creek in June, I was again shown that you were not making any advance, and that the reason you were not is that you have not made a clean track behind you. You do not enjoy religion. You have departed from God and righteousness. You have been seeking happiness in the wrong way, in forbidden pleasures; and you have not moral courage to confess and forsake your sins that you may find mercy. (2T 291.1) MC VC

You did not view sin as heinous in the sight of God, and put it away; you failed to make thorough work; and when the enemy came in with his temptations, you did not resist him. Had you seen how offensive sin was in the sight of God, you would not have so readily yielded to temptation. You were not so thoroughly converted as to abhor your life of sin and folly. Sin yet seemed pleasant to you, and you were loath to yield up its delusive pleasures. Your inmost soul was not converted, and you soon lost that which you had gained. (2T 291.2) MC VC

Personal vanity in your case, as well as in that of many others, has been a special hindrance to you. You have ever had a love of praise. This has been a snare to you. Your professed friends have shown a special pleasure in your society, and this has gratified you. Weak-minded, sympathetic women have praised you and appeared charmed with your society; and you have felt a fascinating power upon you in their company. You did not realize, while spending in pleasure seeking those hours which belonged to your family, that Satan was weaving his net about your feet. (2T 291.3) MC VC

Satan has temptations laid for every step of your life. You have not been as economical of means as you should have been. You hate stinginess. This is all right; but you go to the opposite extreme, and your course has been marked with prodigality. Christ taught His disciples a lesson in feeding the five thousand. He wrought a great miracle and fed that vast multitude with five loaves and two small fishes. After all had been satisfied, He did not then regard the fragments indifferently, as if it were beneath His dignity to notice them. He who had power to work so notable a miracle, and to give food to so large a company, said to His disciples: “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” John 6:12. This is a lesson to us all, and one which we should not disregard. (2T 292.1) MC VC

You have a great work before you, and you cannot afford to waste another moment without taking hold of it. Brother P, I am alarmed for you; but I know that God loves you still, although your course has been wayward. If He did not have a special love for you He would not present your dangers before me as He has. You have engaged in jesting and sporting with men and women who have not the fear of God before them. Weak-headed and unprincipled women have retained you in their presence, and you were like a charmed bird. You seemed fascinated by these superficial persons. Angels of God were upon your track and have faithfully recorded every wrong act, every instance of departure from virtue’s path. (2T 292.2) MC VC

Yes, every act, however secret you may have thought you were in its committal, has been open to God, to Christ, and to the holy angels. A book is written of all the doings of the children of men. Not an item of this record can be concealed. There is only one provision made for the transgressor. Faithful repentance and confession of sin, and faith in the cleansing blood of Christ, will bring forgiveness, and pardon will be written against his name. (2T 292.3) MC VC

O my brother, had you made thorough work one year ago, the past precious year need not have been to you worse than a blank. You knew your Master’s will, but did it not. You are in a perilous condition. Your sensibilities have been blunted to spiritual things; you have a violated conscience. Your influence is not to gather, but to scatter. You have no special interest in religious exercises. You are not a happy man. Your wife would unite her interest with the people of God if you would get out of her way. She needs your help. Will you take hold of this work together? (2T 293.1) MC VC

Last June I saw that your only hope of breaking the chain of your bondage was a removal from your associates. You had yielded to Satan’s temptations until you were a weak man. You were a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God, and were fast traveling the downward path. I have been disappointed that you have continued in the same indifferent state in which you have been for years. You have known and experienced the love of God; and it has been your delight to do His will. You have delighted in the study of the word of God. You have been punctual at the prayer meetings. Your testimony has been from a heart which felt the quickening influences of the love of Christ. But you have lost your first love. (2T 293.2) MC VC

God now calls upon you to repent, to be zealous in the work. Your eternal happiness will be determined by the course you now pursue. Can you reject the invitations of mercy now offered? Can you choose your own way? Will you cherish pride and vanity, and lose your soul at last? The word of God plainly tells us that few will be saved, and that the greater number of those, even, who are called will prove themselves unworthy of everlasting life. They will have no part in heaven, but will have their portion with Satan, and experience the second death. (2T 293.3) MC VC