For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:11.

The Lord will not accept the work of any man that is not done in tenderness and love and kindness. He has not set us as rulers, to lord it over His heritage. Let others be moved by Christ, just as we desire to be moved by Him.

Night after night, scenes have been presented to me of little companies pleading with God. He would show them some idol they had been cherishing. Some would give this up, and some would not. But the light of heaven shone from the faces of those who would put away their idol. Then other idols would be shown to them, and again some would put these away. But the light of heaven shone upon all who would give up all for Christ.

We want to receive everything that God has for us in these days when wickedness is increasing so rapidly. Are we learning the lesson, as we see the increase of wickedness, that we must just as verily increase in righteousness? Do we understand that we must be growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, that we must be living upon the plan of addition? “Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

“For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-11).

Here is brought to view our eternal life insurance policy. We had better make sure that we are living on this plan of addition, and God will work for us on the plan of multiplication. He will multiply unto us grace and peace. Let us fix our eyes on the cross of Calvary, and behold the sacrifice of Christ to secure for us this life insurance policy—“If ye do these things, ye shall never fall; for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (verses 10, 11).—Manuscript 73, September 10, 1906, “The Work in Mountain View.”

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For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7.

Gird on the armor of the Lord…. Opposition will come. Unbelief will be manifested by those who do not encourage faith and hope. When you cannot tell which way to turn, rest the whole matter with God. Encourage in your heart the faith that works by love and purifies the soul….

The Lord has a work for you somewhere, but wherever that field may be, do not make an incomplete work of your consecration. Strive earnestly to glorify God, who has given His only begotten Son to save you. When you teach the Word, keep to the affirmative, and let the melting mercy of the love of God into your heart, and the quickening influence of His Holy Spirit into your mind….

Be of good courage in the Lord…. Now is our time to pray and to believe and to do earnest work before the church, the means of higher education, and the agency of the Holy Spirit. That agency is truly for your life. Christ, the Chief Physician, has the only wisdom that can apply the unfailing remedy.

I am instructed by the Holy Spirit to say, “All who believe the truth are to be the Lord’s messengers.” As disciples they are to learn continually of Christ, how to lift up their thoughts, to enlarge their expectations, and to have the loftiest conceptions of His excellence and grace, that the endowment of His Holy Spirit may compensate for the loss of His personal presence. This the Saviour sought to impress on the minds of His disciples.

Let there be more earnest prayer in seeking the Lord. “Every one,” said Christ, “that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth” (Luke 11:10). I am enjoined to urge upon every teacher of the gospel the need of multiplying and enlarging their conceptions of what Christ will be to them in carrying responsibilities. Capabilities increase wonderfully under the Holy Spirit’s power….

Will you seek the Lord most earnestly? Pray, pray as humble seekers. Do not put your ingenuity to work to prove that others are evil, but tell them in tenderness to probe deeply their own sinful hearts, and pray that the Lord will purge the soul temple of sins. Let each confess his own sins; then may he draw nigh with full assurance of faith.—Letter 296, September 9, 1906, to O. A. Olsen, at the time secretary of the North American Foreign Department of the General Conference.

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Thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. Isaiah 43:1.

Every obstacle to the redemption of the people of God is to be removed by the opening of the Word of God and the presentation of a plain “Thus saith the Lord.” The true light is to shine forth, for darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. The truth of the living God is to appear in contrast with error. Proclaim the glad tidings: We have a Saviour who has given His life that all who believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Obstacles to the advancement of the work of the Lord will appear, but fear not. To the omnipotence of the King of kings, our covenant-keeping God unites the gentleness and care of a tender shepherd. Nothing can stand in His way. His power is absolute, and is the pledge of the sure fulfillment of His promises to His people. He can remove all obstructions to the advancement of His work….

The church of Christ is God’s agency for the proclamation of truth, empowered by Him to do a special work, and if she is loyal to God, obedient to all His commandments, there will dwell within her the excellency of divine power. If she will honor the Lord God of Israel, there is no power that can stand against her. If she will be true to her allegiance, the forces of the enemy will be no more able to overpower her than is the chaff to resist the whirlwind.

There is before the church the dawn of a bright, glorious day, if she will put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness, withdrawing from all alliance with the world. The members of the church need now to confess their backslidings, and press together. My brethren and sisters, allow nothing to come in that will separate you from one another and from God. Talk not of differences of opinion, but unite in the love of the truth as it is in Jesus. Come before God and plead the shed blood of the Saviour as a reason that you should receive help in the warfare against evil. I assure you that you will not plead in vain. As you draw near to God, with heartfelt contrition and in full assurance of faith, the enemy who seeks to destroy you will be overcome.

Turn to the Lord, ye prisoners of hope. Seek strength from God, the living God. Show an unwavering, humble faith in His power and willingness to save. From Christ is flowing the living stream of salvation. He is the Fountain of life and the Source of all power.—Letter 199, September 8, 1903, to “My Brethren in Positions of Responsibility in the Cause of God.”

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Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? Isaiah 58:6, 7.

We are living in the last days of this earth’s history, and it is time we understood what we must do to be saved. The Lord will work intelligently for all who will work intelligently for Him. My brethren and sisters, there is something more for you to do than to sit in your churches Sabbath after Sabbath and to listen to the preaching of the Word. You have a work to do for [your] friends and neighbors. God requires … that you visit these families and seek to create an interest in the truth for this time. You are not laboring together with God if you neglect the work of helping others to take hold upon eternal realities.

Our ministers are not to be encouraged to hover about the churches to repeat to the believers week after week the same truths. We have a truth that is saving and precious. The Word of God must be planted in many hearts; the bread of life must be dealt out to many hungering souls…. It is a blessed work to lift up Christ before the world.

When the work of the judgment is finished and decisions have been made for eternity, it will be seen that it is those who have given themselves wholeheartedly to the service of God who will stand right with heaven. Some of these may not have been able to leave their families to go to some mission field, but they have been missionaries in their own neighborhood. Their hearts have been so filled with the love of God that their great anxiety has been to win souls for Him. This has been more to them than silver and gold and the precious things of this world. And as they have labored in simplicity to minister the Word of truth, the Spirit of God has sent home the Word to the hearts of the people.

My brethren and sisters, let us study the simplicity there is in the Word of God. Let us see what we can do to advance the cause of Christ in the earth. Christ was in this world as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. There were many who set themselves against His work. There will be those who will oppose you. But your work is to preach Christ and Him crucified; and when you do this, the salvation of God will be revealed in the conversion of souls….

Let the light shine where you are. Lay hold of the power that there is in Christ, and learn to overcome through the merits of His blood and the word of your testimony.—Manuscript 93, September 7, 1909, “Address to the Church at Salt Lake City.”

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Behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. Matthew 28:11.

The angels of the Lord excel in strength. One angel appeared before the Roman guard appointed to watch Christ’s tomb and caused them to fear and quake and to become as powerless as dead men. Yet the whole scene was forever stamped on their minds. A mighty angel with exceeding great glory descended from the heavens to the earthly sepulcher, and laying hold on the sealed stone, removed it as he would a pebble. Then the mighty angel, with a voice that caused the earth to quake, was heard to say, “Jesus, Thou Son of God, Thy Father calls Thee.” Then He who had earned the power to conquer death and the grave came forth, and proclaimed over the rent sepulcher of Joseph, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

The soldiers hastened to the priests, and with quaking hearts told them what had happened. The faces of the priests were as those of the dead. Caiaphas tried to speak. His lips moved, but they uttered no sound. The soldiers were about to leave the council room when a voice stayed them. Caiaphas had at last found speech. “Wait, wait,” he said. “Tell no one the things you have seen.”

A lying report was given to the soldiers. “Say ye,” said the priests, “his disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept” (Matthew 28:13). The soldiers sold their integrity for money. They came in before the priests burdened with a most startling message of truth; they went out with a burden of money and on their tongues a lying report which had been framed for them by the priests.

The lying report was spread far and near. But there were witnesses to Christ’s resurrection whom the priests could not silence. Certain of the dead who came forth with Christ appeared to many and declared that He had risen. And Christ Himself remained with His disciples for forty days after He rose from the dead, and before His ascension [He] gave them their commission, bidding them go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

In this age, a time of satanic wonders, everything conceivable will be said and done to deceive if possible the very elect. Let believers say nothing to extol Satan’s power. The Lord will distinguish His commandment-keeping people with signal marks of His favor, if they will be molded and fashioned by His Spirit, and built up in the most holy faith, hearkening strictly to the voice of His Word.—Letter 195, September 6, 1903, to W. C. White.

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