And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. Revelation 14:9, 10.

The Lord desires to see the work of the third angel’s message carried forward with increasing efficiency. As He has worked in all ages to give victories to His people, so in this age He longs to carry to triumphant fulfillment His purposes for His church. He bids the saints to advance unitedly, going from strength to greater strength, from faith to increased assurance and confidence in the truth and righteousness of His cause.

Let us ever bear in mind that our work is to be one of advancement. We are to follow on to know the Lord. God understands the actuating principles of every mind. He has witnessed the persistent, rebellious course of some whom He has warned and counseled repeatedly. His all-seeing eye has noted the determined following of human devisings. The way of man is before the Lord. He knoweth the thoughts. “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). He looketh to the ends of the earth, and He seeth under the whole heavens. The Lord searcheth the hearts.

We are to stand firm as a rock to the principles of the Word of God, remembering that God is with us to give us strength to meet each new experience. Let us ever maintain the principles of righteousness in our lives, that we may go forward from strength to strength in the name of the Lord. We are to hold as very sacred the faith that has been substantiated by the instruction and approval of the Spirit of God from our earliest experience until the present time….

Arouse the people to the importance of the times in which we live, that they may be led to place themselves under the discipline of Christ. In His human life Christ revealed a divine nature; no defect appeared in His character. Beholding His life of self-denial and sacrifice that He might minister truth to the world, they may be changed in life, and learn to reflect His likeness….

Let us not be unconcerned regarding our responsibility to form righteous characters, but let us place ourselves under the molding influence of the Holy Spirit that we may form characters that will reflect the divine life.—Letter 66, August 28, 1911, to S. N. Haskell, president of the California Conference.

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But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel 1:8.

The first chapter of Daniel teaches the lesson that what we eat and drink has an influence upon the powers of the mind, and that if we would have healthful bodies and clear minds, we must be careful of our diet. If we are careless in this matter and eat simply to gratify taste, the digestive organs are impaired and the brain is confused, and neither can act their part as fully as God intended they should….

Daniel and his companions determined to banish from their diet everything that would defile, and a power from above worked in harmony with their efforts. As a result they had the privilege of following their own course in the obtaining of their education. And the education they gained was better than that gained by any of the magicians, astrologers, or wise men in all the king’s realm.

Those who desire to come into right relation to God need to study Daniel’s plan. That was a sum proved. You may take the sum and prove it also. There are many who think that those who adopt health reform suffer a loss of physical strength, but if these would test the matter for themselves, they would change their minds on this point….

Daniel stood in a very responsible position in the kingdom of Babylon. There will always be those who will occupy positions of lesser responsibility; but whatever our work, our example may be such that it will lead others in to right paths. We need to humble ourselves before God and pray to Him, and trust in Him….

We cannot afford to miss any opportunity for perfecting a Christian character. Whatever experience may come to others, remember that you, in your lot and place, will be tested by God. There will be times when you will be placed in unfavorable positions, but at such times plead with God, trust in Him, and walk in simple faith before the Lord. Then angels of heaven will impress your minds. Let not your minds be filled with self and self-interests.

The Lord is looking upon us in mercy and love today. Who will follow out the will of the Lord? Who will study to overcome the hasty temper, remembering that the words they speak are spoken in the hearing of heavenly angels? These heavenly agencies are continually ministering to us.—Manuscript 73, August 27, 1909, “Lessons From the First Chapter of Daniel,” sermon preached at Council Grove camp meeting.

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I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. John 15:1, 2.

When trials come to us, let us not dwell upon the greatness of the difficulties and feel that we cannot have joy in the Lord. It is true we will have changes of feelings. There will come to us times of discouragement and depression. But shall we live by feeling or by faith? When our brethren and friends speak unadvisedly, and cause us grief, let us not be cast down. Let us remember that we are in a world of trial and grief, of sorrow and disappointment. When these experiences come to us, they should drive us to Christ. If they do not, we meet with loss.

When tempted to give up under discouragement and difficulty, let us study the life and experiences of Christ. He had to contend against the powers of darkness that He might not be overcome. We have the same battle to fight, the same victories to win. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). It is our privilege to lay hold on the strength of One who is able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. He invites you to present your case at the throne of grace, and cast your helpless soul on Him.

The purging is not pleasant, but let us remember that Christ came to our world and took humanity that He might bear the afflictions that humanity must bear and be an example of faithful endurance under every form of trial. God wants us to realize that we are a part of the great human family, and that we must bear its tests….

Let your humanity lay hold of divinity. Go to the footstool of God’s grace, and say, “Lord, I hang my helpless soul on Thee. Help me to control my speech. Teach me to overcome.” Christ will give you a spirit of overcoming. “They overcame him,” we read, “by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11).

You may bear a testimony the opposite to that which Satan would have you bear. You may keep heart and mind sanctified by obedience to the truth. Look to Him, at morning and at noon and at night. Keep heart and mind fastened upon Christ. This is your privilege. The suffering and death of Christ has paid the price for your redemption, and through faith in Him you may overcome…. Let the love of Christ dwell in your hearts…. We must graduate sensibly in this life if we would be transferred to the higher school of the courts above.—Manuscript 79, August 26, 1909, “That I May Bring Forth More Fruit,” sermon preached at Council Grove, Kansas, camp meeting.

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Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13.

Satan is making every effort to bring in spiritualistic sophistries, to throw his deceptions over minds. Now is the time for every follower of Christ to be clothed with the whole armor of God, and to fight manfully against the encroachments of the power of darkness. Let not our soldiers be found asleep at their post. The world is to be warned….

There are strong men, precious in the sight of God, who are under a spell. They do not realize that they are represented by the foolish virgins. Scientific spiritualistic philosophy has taken the minds of some from the message to be proclaimed at this time. There are those who live merely to criticize. They have been associating with those who have learned from the great deceiver. Their hearts bear the sting of the serpent, and they are prepared to enter upon a campaign of unbelief.

Those who have fallen asleep at their post are now to awake and trim their lamps. They are to entertain not a vestige of doubt as to the truth for this time. The hypnotism of Satan must be shown in its true bearing. We are not to turn our steps toward Egypt, but toward Canaan, the land of promise. The Lord says to me, “I have strengthened you to bear a message for this time. Wake up the men who have been receiving sophistries. They are asleep as to the great importance of the present time and the dangers of the future.” Some who in the past have had a genuine experience will awake, because their lives have not been a continual contradiction of truth….

Our thoughts, motives, and desires are to be brought into obedience to the will of God. They are to be inspired and controlled by Him. We are to ask ourselves, “Am I exerting all my capabilities to keep my lamp filled with oil, and carefully trimmed, that from it may shine, brightly and clearly, the light of present truth? Am I awakening the world to its danger? Am I leading perishing souls to Christ? Am I arousing men to see that the end of all things is at hand?” …

Those who are represented by the wise virgins, those who in the past have had a precious experience in the truth, are now to arouse and trim their lamps. Let those who have listened to sophistry now cut every vestige of this out of their experience. Do not allow your time to be taken up in discussion regarding these sophistries. Do not remain in the fog of skepticism until it is too late for you to find your bearings. Entire consecration to God puts to an end all vain, foolish suppositions and imaginations.—Manuscript 80, 1905, August 24, 1904, “Arise and Trim Your Lamps!”

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Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. Luke 19:17.

If our active temperament gathers in a large amount of work that we have not strength nor the grace of Christ to do understandingly and with order and exactitude, everything we undertake shows imperfection, and the work is constantly marred. God is not glorified, however good the motive….

God would have us pay heed to His words. The carefully wrought service in the sight of God is of value although easily overlooked by human eyes, yet indispensable in this world where we are doing our work. God wants intelligent workers, doing their work not hurriedly, but carefully, and thoroughly, always preserving the humility of Jesus. Those who put thought and painstaking into the higher duties should put care and thought into the smaller duties, showing exactitude and diligence.

Oh, how much neglected work is done, how much leaving things at loose ends because there is a constant desire to take on greater work. The work is slurred over that relates to the service of God, because they pull so much work before them that there is nothing done thoroughly. But all the work must bear the scrutiny of the Judge of all the earth. The smaller duties connected with the service of the Master assume importance because it is Christ’s service. Selfishness and self-esteem should be guarded against as your bitterest enemy. But how easily self finds opportunities to exhibit itself, and how Satan exults at the exhibitions, and how sorrowful and ashamed are the angels of God of man’s foolishness. How unlike Jesus Christ; in what contrast to the example He has given us in His own life. How far removed from His requirements, to crucify self with the affections and lusts….

What will be our feelings when we shall stand on the sea of glass? Shall we look back on the hours of our impatience here? Shall we stand upon the eternal hills of paradise and take in the events of our past life and see how many unnecessary trials we had because we thought God was dependent upon us to do everything? God help us to see our own littleness and God’s greatness. God forbid that we should have exalted ideas of our own greatness, and exalt self. Magnitude of experience is no measure of worth. God has a standard so unlike human standards, and if we see God’s estimate of us, we would see value where we supposed was littleness, and littleness where we supposed was greatness.—Letter 48, August 24, 1886, to “Dear Brethren Engaged in Labor in Nimes” [France].

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