The minister is using strange fire when he mixes storytelling with his discourses.... You have men of all classes of minds to meet, and as you deal with the Sacred Word, you should manifest earnestness, respect, reverence. Let not the impression be made upon any mind that you are a cheap, surface speaker. Weed out storytelling from your discourses. Preach the Word. You would have had more sheaves to bring to the Master if you had constantly preached the Word. You little understand the soul’s great need and longing. Some are wrestling with doubt, almost in despair, almost hopeless....
(Ev 210.1)
MC
VC
God is offended when His representatives descend to the use of cheap, trifling words. The cause of truth is dishonored. Men judge of the whole ministry by the man whom they hear, and the enemies of the truth will make the most of his errors.—Letter 61, 1896.
(Ev 210.2)
MC
VC
Hungry for the Bread of Life—Keep your stories to yourself. The people are not soul-hungry for these, but they want the bread of life, the word that liveth and abideth forever. “What is the chaff to the wheat?”(Jeremiah 23:28)—Letter 61, 1896.
(Ev 210.3)
MC
VC
Burden of Conviction Lost by Cheap Nonsense—After a good work has been done, the ones who have been awakened to a sense of sin should be taught how to take hold of the arm of the Lord. But if the good impressions made are not followed up with true, earnest efforts, no permanent good is accomplished. The result might be very different, did not a desire for amusement divert the mind from the contemplation of serious things....
(Ev 210.4)
MC
VC
The work which might have been pure, elevated, and noble, has been mingled with fallacies brought in by men. Thus the beauty of the truth has been marred. Nothing stands forth untainted by selfishness. The mingling of these fallacies with the work of God makes that which should stand out clearly and distinctly before the world, a jumble of conflicting principles in its practical working.—Letter 3, 1901.
(Ev 214.1)
MC
VC
Preach the Word—I have words to speak to the young men who have been teaching the truth. “Preach the Word.”2 Timothy 4:2. You may have inventive minds. You may be expert, as were the Jewish teachers, in getting up new theories; but Christ said of them, “In vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”Matthew 15:9. They presented to the people traditions, suppositions, and fables of all kinds. The forms and ceremonies they enjoined made it simply impossible for the people to know whether they were keeping the Word of God or following the traditions of men.
(Ev 214.2)
MC
VC
Satan is well pleased when he can thus confuse the mind. Let not ministers preach their own suppositions. Let them search the Scriptures earnestly, with a solemn realization that if they teach for doctrine the things that are not contained in God’s Word, they will be as those represented in the last chapter of Revelation.
(Ev 214.3)
MC
VC
Let those who are tempted to indulge in fanciful, imaginary doctrines sink the shaft deep into the mines of heavenly truth, and secure the riches which mean life eternal to the receiver. Precious treasure will be secured by those who study God’s Word with earnestness, for heavenly angels will direct the search.—Undated Manuscript 111.
(Ev 214.4)
MC
VC
Section 8—Preaching the Distinctive Truths
(Ev 217)
MC
VC
Rouse People to Preparation—We are living in the close of this earth’s history.... Prophecy is fulfilling. Soon Christ will come with power and great glory. We have no time to lose. Let the message sound forth in earnest words of warning.
(Ev 217.1)
MC
VC
We must persuade men everywhere to repent and flee from the wrath to come. They have souls to save or to lose. Let there be no indifference in this matter. The Lord calls for workers who are filled with an earnest, decided purpose. Tell the people to be instant in season and out of season. With the words of life upon your lips go forth to tell men and women that the end of all things is at hand.
(Ev 217.2)
MC
VC
Let us keep our souls in the love of God. The note of warning must be given. The truth must not languish upon our lips. We must rouse people to immediate preparation, for we little know what is before us. My faith is as strong as ever that we are living in the last remnant of time. Let every teacher present an open door before all who will come to Jesus, repenting of their sins.—Letter 105, 1903.
(Ev 217.3)
MC
VC
Proclaim It in Every Land—I have been instructed to trace words of warning for our brethren and sisters who are in danger of losing sight of the special work for this time.... In every land we are to herald the second coming of Christ, in the language of the revelator proclaiming: “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him.”(Revelation 1:7)—Testimonies For The Church 8:116 (1904).
(Ev 217.4)
MC
VC
We must have more than an intellectual belief in the truth. Many of the Jews were convinced that Jesus was the Son of God, but they were too proud and ambitious to surrender. They decided to resist the truth, and they maintained their opposition. They did not receive into the heart the truth as it is in Jesus. When truth is held as truth only by the conscience, when the heart is not stimulated and made receptive, only the mind is affected. But when the truth is received as truth by the heart, it has passed through the conscience, and has captivated the soul with its pure principles. It is placed in the heart by the Holy Spirit, who reveals its beauty to the mind, that its transforming power may be seen in the character.—The Review and Herald, February 14, 1899.
(Ev 291.1)
MC
VC
Conversion the Result of United Effort—In the recovering of lost, perishing souls, it is not man that effects the work of saving souls, it is God who labors with him. God works and man works. “Ye are laborers together with God.”1 Corinthians 3:9. We must work in different ways and devise different methods, and let God work in us to the revealing of truth and Himself as the sin-pardoning Saviour.—Letter 20, 1893.
(Ev 291.2)
MC
VC
Helping the Sinner Across the Line—“Be instant in season and out of season”(2 Timothy 4:2), warning the young, pleading with sinners, with the love for them that Christ has. When there comes from the lips of the sinner the cry, “Oh, my sins, my sins, I fear that they are too grievous to be forgiven,” encourage faith. Hold Jesus up higher and still higher, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”John 1:29. When the cry is heard, “God be merciful to me a sinner,”(Luke 18:13) point the trembling soul to a sin-pardoning Saviour as a refuge.—Manuscript 138, 1897.
(Ev 291.3)
MC
VC
Right Methods Produce a Soul Harvest—When in our work for God right methods are energetically followed, a harvest of souls will be gathered.—The Review and Herald, April 28, 1904.
(Ev 330.1)
MC
VC
Evil of Idolizing the Minister—The fact that a minister is applauded and praised is no evidence that he has spoken under the influence of the Spirit. It is too frequently the case that young converts, unless guarded, will set their affections more upon their minister than upon their Redeemer. They feel that they have been greatly benefited by their minister’s labors. They conceive that he possesses the most exalted gifts and graces, and that no other can do as well as he; therefore they attach undue importance to the man and his labors. This is a confidence that disposes them to idolize the man, and look to him more than to God, and in doing this they do not please God nor grow in grace. They do great harm to the minister, especially if he is young, and developing into a promising gospel laborer....
(Ev 330.2)
MC
VC
The minister of Christ who is imbued with the Spirit and love of his Master, will so labor that the character of God and of His dear Son may be made manifest in the fullest and clearest manner. He will strive to have his hearers become intelligent in their conceptions of the character of God, that His glory may be acknowledged on the earth.—Gospel Workers, 44, 45 (1892).
(Ev 330.3)
MC
VC
Converted to Man Rather Than Christ—Four years ago there was an effort made by Elder _____ in _____, and the people turned out in a wonderful manner to hear. If right plans had been made there might have been many souls brought to truth. Brother _____ was not working in the right lines, his main purpose was to get the largest kind of congregation by fanciful preaching, which differed vastly from the preaching of John, the forerunner of Christ. Many signed the covenant, but when he left it was demonstrated that they believed in _____, were attracted to the man and not to Jesus Christ. Many who signed the covenant were unconverted, and when left alone they withdrew their names.—Letter 79, 1893.
(Ev 330.4)
MC
VC
New Converts Thoroughly Instructed—Our efforts are not to cease because public meetings have been discontinued for a time. So long as there are interested ones, we must give them opportunity to learn the truth. And the new converts will need to be instructed by faithful teachers of God’s Word, that they may increase in a knowledge and love of the truth, and may grow to the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. They must now be surrounded by the influences most favorable to spiritual growth.—The Review and Herald, February 14, 1907.
(Ev 337.1)
MC
VC
Develop the Local Talent—Do the work of an evangelist—water and cultivate the seed already sown. When a new church has been raised up, it should not be left destitute of help. The minister should develop the talent in the church, that meetings may be profitably kept up. Timothy was commanded to go from church to church, as one who should do this kind of work, and build up the churches in the most holy faith. He was to do the work of an evangelist, and this is an even more important work than that of the ministers. He was to preach the Word, but he was not to be settled over one church.—The Review and Herald, September 28, 1897.
(Ev 337.2)
MC
VC
Visit New Members Often—The work should not be left prematurely. See that all are intelligent in the truth, established in the faith, and interested in every branch of the work, before leaving them for another field. And then, like the apostle Paul, visit them often to see how they do. Oh, the slack work that is done by many who claim to be commissioned of God to preach His Word, makes angels weep.—Testimonies For The Church 5:256 (1885).
(Ev 337.3)
MC
VC
Come Close to Hearts—Come close to your brethren; seek for them, help them; come close to their hearts as one touched with the feelings of their infirmities. Thus we may achieve victories that our small faith has not grasped. The members of these families should be given some labor to perform for the good of souls. Mutual love and confidence will give them moral force to be laborers together with God.—Manuscript 42, 1898.
(Ev 347.1)
MC
VC
Thorns Must Be Uprooted and Cast Out—Many who profess to be Christians are so engrossed with earthly cares that they have no time for the cultivation of piety. They do not regard true religion as of the first importance. A man may seem to receive the truth, but if he does not overcome his un-Christlike traits of character, these thorns grow and strengthen, killing the precious graces of the Spirit. The thorns in the heart must be uprooted and cast out, for good and evil cannot grow in the heart at the same time. Unsanctified human inclinations and desires must be cut away from the life as hindrances to Christian growth.—Letter 13, 1902.
(Ev 347.2)
MC
VC
Reprove and Exhort—There is pastoral work to do, and this means to reprove and exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine; that is, he should present the Word of God, to show wherein there is a deficiency. If there is anything in the character of the professed followers of Christ, the burden should certainly be felt by the minister, and not that he should lord it over God’s heritage. To deal with human minds is the nicest job that was ever committed to mortal man.—Manuscript 13, 1888.
(Ev 347.3)
MC
VC
You are in need of vital energy from heaven. We must in our work not only strike the iron when it is hot but make the iron hot by striking. Slow, easy, indolent movements will do nothing for us in this work. We must be instant in season, out of season. These are critical times for work. By hesitation and delay we lose many good opportunities....
(Ev 647.1)
MC
VC
That which stands most in the way of your performing duty is irresolution, weakness of purpose, indecision. May God help you to gird the armor on, and do your Master’s work.—Letter 13, 1886.
(Ev 647.2)
MC
VC
Diligence—Faithfulness—Obedience to Leadership—The interests of Christ’s kingdom call for diligence and faithfulness in as much greater degree as spiritual and eternal things are of more importance than temporal things. There must be no feeble working, no sluggish, tardy action, for this would imperil our own souls and the souls of others....
(Ev 647.3)
MC
VC
What general would undertake the command of an army while the officers, under him refused to obey until they had satisfied themselves that his command was a reasonable one? Such a course would mean loss to the entire army. It would weaken the hands of the soldiers. The question would arise in their minds, Is there not a better way? But even though there be a better way, the orders must be obeyed, or defeat and disaster would result. A moment’s delay, and the advantage that would have been gained is lost.
(Ev 647.4)
MC
VC