I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8:12.

There is no one who has pursued a wrong course whom Jesus will not pardon and receive and bless if he will come to Him believingly and cast himself, conscious of his weakness and helplessness, upon His sympathy and His strength….

What a comforting thought that Jesus is touched with the feelings of our infirmities! He has been tempted in all points as we are tempted, and just the right kind of help has been provided for us, that if we only put our feet in the prints of Jesus’ footsteps, we will be safe. He has hallowed the path His feet have trod. We hear His inviting voice, “Follow Me. I am the Light of the world. They that follow Me shall not walk in darkness. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (see Matthew 4:19; John 8:12; 16:33).

In actual experience Christ has overcome the world, and how great is His love to us when He invites us to come to Him in all our afflictions, distresses, heartaches, and perplexities, with the assurance that He will help us. He will bring health and brightness into our lives. If we place our hand in the hand of Jesus Christ, He will place our feet on solid rock, a better foundation than we ever had before. He will make us more strong in His strength and He will work with all our efforts.

Then when our own souls have experienced His healing touch we are brought into close fellowship with Jesus and we will be laborers together with God not only to restore the erring, to repair broken hearts and souls, but to impart courage and faith and confidence. This is the work of God’s laborers—to bring to Jesus souls who have gone away from His direct teachings and have apparently gone to pieces on the rocks and reefs of sin. These broken lives, which have been apparently hopeless, He promises to make whole.

It is more difficult to teach one who thinks he knows it all than one who feels his inefficiency and his ignorance. I speak understandingly when I say, The work of repairing souls broken down through errors, through manifest sin, is the most difficult we can do. Some pet sin has been cultivated which has taken the lines of control, one bad habit has not been vigorously fought and conquered, and oh, how hard [it is] to efface the bruises that soul has sustained….

I appeal to you to delay not, but to be a wise worker for God, to put forth every effort to redeem the time. Let nothing deter you…. The Lord will accept consecrated, devoted effort on your part.—Letter 56, May 28, 1888, to a private-practice physician who had lost his way spiritually.

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As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Daniel 1:17.

The light that Daniel received direct from God was given especially for these last days. The visions he saw by the banks of the Ulai and the Hiddekel, the great rivers of Shinar, are now in process of fulfillment, and all the events foretold will soon come to pass.

Consider the circumstances of the Jewish nation when the prophecies of Daniel were given. The Israelites were in captivity, the Temple had been destroyed, their Temple service suspended. Their religion had centered in the ceremonies of the sacrificial system. They had made the outward form all-important, while they had lost the spirit of true worship. Their services were corrupted with traditions and practices of heathenism, and in the performance of the sacrificial rites they did not look beyond the shadow of the substance. They did not discern Christ, the True Offering for the sins of man. The Lord wrought to bring the people into captivity, and to suspend the services in the Temple, in order that the outward ceremonies might not become the total of their religion. The principles and practices must be purged of heathenism, the ritual service ceased, in order that the heart might be revived. The outward glory was removed, that the spiritual might be revealed.

In the land of their captivity, as the people returned unto the Lord with repentance, He manifested Himself unto them. They lacked the outward representation of His presence, but bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness shone into their minds and hearts. When they called unto God in their humiliation and distress, visions were given to the prophets which unfolded the events of the future—the overthrow of the oppressors of God’s people, the coming of the Redeemer, and the establishment of the everlasting kingdom….

Daniel had companions, and they had a special work to do. Although greatly honored in this work, they did not become in any way exalted. They were scholars, being skilled in secular as well as religious knowledge; but they had studied science without being corrupted. They were well-balanced because they had yielded themselves to the control of the Holy Spirit. These youth gave to God all the glory of their secular, scientific, and religious endowments. Their learning did not come by chance; they obtained knowledge by the faithful use of their powers; and God gave them skill and understanding.—Letter 134, May 27, 1898, to J. H. Kellogg.

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Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. Ezekiel 3:17.

Last night, in vision, I was standing before an assembly of our people, bearing a decided testimony regarding present truth and present duty. After the discourse, many gathered about me, asking questions. They desired so many explanations about this point and that point, and another point, that I said, “One at a time if you please, lest you confuse me.”

And then I appealed to them, saying: “For years you have had many evidences that the Lord has given me a work to do. These evidences could scarcely have been greater than they are. Will you brush away all these evidences as a cobweb, at the suggestion of a man’s unbelief? That which makes my heart ache is the fact that many who are now perplexed and tempted are those who have had abundance of evidence, and opportunity to consider and pray and understand, and yet they do not discern the nature of the sophistries that are presented to influence them to reject the warnings God has given to save them from the delusions of these last days.”

Some have stumbled over the fact that I said I did not claim to be a prophet, and they have asked, Why is this?

I have had no claims to make, only that I am instructed that I am the Lord’s messenger…. Early in my work I was asked several times, Are you a prophet? I have ever responded, “I am the Lord’s messenger.” I know that many have called me a prophet, but I have made no claim to this title. My Saviour declared me to be His messenger. “Your work,” He instructed me, “is to bear My word. Strange things will arise; and in your youth I set you apart to bear the message to the erring ones, to carry the word before unbelievers, and with pen and voice to reprove from the Word actions that are not right. Exhort from the Word. I will make My Word open to you…. My Spirit and My power shall be with you.

“Be not afraid of men, for My shield will protect you. It is not you that speaketh; it is the Lord that giveth the messages of warning and reproof. Never deviate from the truth under any circumstances. Give the light I shall give you. The messages for these last days shall be written in books, and shall stand immortalized, to testify against those who have once rejoiced in the light, but who have been led to give it up because of the seductive influences of evil.”—Manuscript 63, May 26, 1906, “A Messenger.”

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Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 1 John 3:1.

“Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” It does not understand the principles that underlie our course of action. We must stand before God with a conscience void of offense. There are wonderful privileges for every one of us. God never places before us a requirement without giving us the power to perform it. He never asks us to take one step in advance of Him. He leads the way, and we are to follow after. Following Him, we are in no danger of going astray. Thus only can we perfect a Christian character as stewards of the grace of God.

To us have been entrusted the truths of the gospel for this time. It is a wonderful, wonderful treasure, and the Lord desires us to have our eyes enlightened and our hearts quickened. He desires us to be nerved and strengthened by the power that He will give us if we will only be true to Him. He desires every one of us to perfect a character after the divine similitude. The Christian who does not do this casts a reflection on God. He dishonors his Saviour. Those who have access to the words written in Scripture are without excuse if they do not apply these words to themselves, if they do not thus cleanse their hearts from sin. By the lights shining from the throne of God upon our pathway, we shall be judged at the last great day….

To have light shining upon the pathway in the clearness of the gospel of Christ, as it has shone upon our pathway, is a fearful responsibility. We are to follow on step by step, with our eyes fixed upon our Leader. He will not lead us one step out of the right way.

God gave Christ to our world to save us from eternal death. Behold Him, behold Him! Keep looking upon Him till you reflect His image. Do not accept the words of any man, unless you can see that he is conformed to the divine image, because if you do, you sustain him in doing wrong; you sustain him by asking his counsel and following his directions.

What we need is the pure word from the Holy Bible. Christ has bidden us conform our lives to His life. We are to know what it means to keep the commandments of God in truth and righteousness. The love that was in the heart of Christ is to be in our hearts, that we may reveal it to those around us. We need to be daily strengthened by the deep love of God, and to let this love shine forth to those around us.—Manuscript 66, May 25, 1905, “The Need of Home Religion,” a talk.

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Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. Revelation 3:4.

A few even in Sardis held fast their integrity. Their only hope was in holding fast to God, and in them the promise will be fulfilled, “I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir” (Isaiah 13:12)….

In the early Christian church there were men who were true disciples of Christ. They met often together where prayer was wont to be made. They could only work to advance those principles that bore the signet of heaven. They first talked with God, ascertained what spirit they themselves were of; then they could closely and critically examine every point, every method, every principle in the light reflected from the Sun of Righteousness. They did not accept strange fire. They took their fire from the divine altar. To them, holy and just principles were sacred, and by cherishing these they kept themselves unspotted from the world.

Ever looking to Jesus, they marked the spirit in which He worked and followed His example. They gave to others the pure principles of the Word of God. This Word was their counselor, their guide, their close companion. To them, the Scriptures were supreme authority. For every question agitated they had one standard to consult. It was not, “What saith men?” but, “What saith the Lord?”

Those who are constrained by the love of Christ will be faithful to the work and Word of God…. The true Christian is ever to feel that he is dependent upon his Maker. And he will not be ashamed to acknowledge his dependence. Like Daniel, he will not take credit to himself. He will give all honor to God, letting worldly men as well as his brethren know that he is depending upon the Lord, and weeding out of his life everything that would grieve His Spirit. Like Daniel, he will improve every opportunity of adding to his acquirements. He will trade upon the talents the Lord has given him, after the holy principles laid down in the Word. And this will give him multiplied ability….

If God gives a man wisdom, his course of action will be in harmony with the will of God, and those connected with him will have confidence in his wisdom to devise and plan for the progress and advancement of the work of God in saving souls that are ready to die. The apostle Peter says: “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:2, 3).—Manuscript 66, May 24, 1898, to the General Conference and our publishing institutions.

From The Upward Look – Page 158