But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:6.

The possession of riches opens the way to great temptation to become covetous and selfish, to add riches to riches, and to bury in houses and lands the means that should be returned to God. Many use their means to gratify the demands of appetite, to follow the fashions, and to build for themselves grand houses. They do not follow the example of Christ, who gave Himself with all He had for the benefit of the world to deliver men from the power of Satan.

But if those who possess means will follow the example of Christ, their hearts will be filled with benevolence, and they may help in the proclamation of the truth in the cities, in the highways and the byways, and in carrying the gospel to all nations….

God’s work must be sustained by tithes and gifts and offerings. The Lord now calls for the means that He has entrusted to His stewards. There should be a constant stream flowing into the treasury, that the work may not be hindered. To some, God has entrusted earthly riches to be held in trust and to be returned to Him as they may be required to carry forward His work in the earth. He requires from His stewards a faithful tithe of all their capital, and in addition to the tithe, He calls for gifts and offerings.

The Lord Jesus requires nothing more from His followers than He Himself has performed. Those who practice self-denial and self-sacrifice for the cause of God are but following His example. He laid off His royal robe and kingly crown, and stepped down from His high command. He became poor, that through His poverty we might come into possession of the eternal treasures. He gave not only His riches, but His own life in self-denial and self-sacrifice, that He might remove every hindrance from those who seek an entrance into the kingdom of God.

Those who are not exposed to the temptations of those who are rich in this world’s goods have no reason to complain, for the Prince of life has shared with them a life of poverty. He was tempted in all points like as we are. In our behalf He placed Himself as one with us in poverty, to show us how we may withstand the temptations of satanic agencies….

The Lord Jesus invites us to become laborers together with Him. He is the owner of and has claims upon all that we possess. By our willingness to help in His work, we may now show our love for Him.—Manuscript 40, April 9, 1905, “Faithful Stewardship.”

From The Upward Look – Page 113

All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Matthew 28:18-20.

The lessons on the parable of the vineyard and of the two sons come close home to all who have had the light of truth…. The instruction contained in these parables is of great value. All who are bearing responsibilities, be these responsibilities great or small, should study this instruction carefully. God looks for fruit from His vineyard. This fruit is the result of the work of His laborers. Every soul who believes in Christ has a work to do for Him. No true Christian can be idle in this time of such solemn importance….

Have you become a silent partner? … There are in our world many large cities in which the truth has not yet been proclaimed. Why should not the people of these cities hear the gospel message for this time? Has not Christ purchased them with His own blood? Are they not of as much value in His sight as those who have already received the truth? Are these portions of His vineyard to be left unworked, while upon other portions blessings are poured so abundantly that they are not appreciated? The truth is not appreciated, not being mixed with faith in them that hear, because they do not arouse and give to others the light they have received….

Christ’s last words to His disciples show the importance to be placed on the work of spreading the truth. Just before His ascension He gave them the commission, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:19, 20).

Christ did not confine His labors to one place. Of His work we read, … “And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee” (Luke 4:43, 44).

Would that all who have the light of truth would follow the example set by Christ, and not expend their God-given time and ability and means in one or two places, when the light of truth is to go to all the world. The wonderful display of grace shown in the gospel message is to be carried to all places.—Letter 92, April 8, 1902. “To My Brethren in Responsible Positions in the Medical Missionary Work.”

From The Upward Look – Page 112

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; … for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. Hebrews 11:24-26.

Think of the life of Moses. What endurance and patience characterized his life. Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews says, “For he endured, as seeing him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). This character of Moses does not simply mean passive resistance of evil, but perseverance in a firm, consistent course. He kept the Lord ever before him, and the Lord was at his right hand to help him.

Moses had a deep sense of the presence of God. He saw God. He was not only looking down through the ages to a Christ that would be revealed, but he saw Christ in a special manner accompanying the children of Israel in all their travels. God was real to him and present in his thoughts. When called upon to face danger, to bear insult, and to be misunderstood for Christ’s sake, he was persevering to endure without retaliation.

Moses believed in God as One whom he needed, and One who would help him because he needed His help. God was to him a present help in every time of need. We have far too much dead, nominal faith, but the real trusting, persevering faith we do not have. God was to Moses a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Moses had respect unto the recompense of the reward. Here is another point in faith we wish to study, and if brought into the life and experience, it will enable everyone who fears and loves God to endure trials. God will reward the man of faith and obedience. Moses was full of confidence in God, because he had appropriating faith. He needed the help of God, and he prayed for it, and believed for it, and wove it into his life experience that God cared for him. He believed that God ruled his life in particular. He knew that God had assigned to him a special work, and he would make that work thoroughly successful so far as possible. But he knew that he could not do this without the help of God, for he had a perverse people to deal with. The presence of God, he knew, was strong enough to carry him through the most trying positions that a man could be placed in. He could see and acknowledge God in every detail of his life, that he was under the eye of an all-seeing God, who weighs motives, who tries the hearts. He looked to God and believed in Him for strength to carry him through uncorrupted every form of temptation…. This is the kind of faith we need, faith that will endure the test.—Letter 42, April 7, 1886, to “Brother Ramsey.”

From The Upward Look – Page 111

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. John 12:24.

In this age we can see the necessity of drawing men to Christ. This draws them to one another in that confidence, that love, that unity, for which Christ prayed in His last prayer with and for His disciples. This unity was essential for their spiritual growth. This world is a battlefield, upon which the powers of good and evil are in ceaseless warfare.

At the time when Christ’s work bore only the appearance of cruel defeat, when to the disciples the case seemed hopeless, certain Greeks came to the disciples, saying, “We would see Jesus” (John 12:21). This inquiry showed Christ, who was then standing in the shadow of the cross, that the sacrificial offering of Himself would bring all who believe into perfect harmony with God. By making this propitiation of man’s sins, Christ’s kingdom would be perfected and extended throughout the world. He would work as the Restorer. His Spirit would prevail everywhere.

None of the people, not even the disciples, understood the nature of Christ’s kingdom. They seemed to be unable to believe that Jesus would not sit on David’s throne, that He would not take the scepter, and reign as a temporal prince in Jerusalem, before His ancients gloriously….

Christ heard the eager, hungering cry, “We would see Jesus.” These Greeks represented the nations and tribes and peoples who would awake to their great need of a power out of and above finite power. For a moment Christ looked into futurity, and heard voices proclaiming in all places of the earth, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (chap. 1:29). This anticipation, the consummation of His hopes, is expressed in His words, “The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified” (chap. 12:23). But the way and manner that this glorifying was to take place was never absent from Christ’s mind. Only by His death could the world be saved. As the grain of wheat, the Son of man must be cast into the earth, and die, and be buried out of sight; but He was to live again!

[In] every harvest this lesson of the grain of wheat is repeated. Those who till the soil have the illustration of Christ’s words ever before them. The seed buried in the ground produces much fruit, and in their turn the seeds of this fruit are planted. Thus the harvest is multiplied. The harvest of the cross of Calvary will bear fruit unto eternal life. And the contemplation of this will be the glory of those who will live through eternal ages. With this lesson Christ connects the self-sacrifice we must practice.—Manuscript 33, April 6, 1897, “We Would See Jesus.”

From The Upward Look – Page 110

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3.

We do not always consider that the sanctification we so earnestly desire and for which we pray so earnestly is brought about through the truth and, by the providence of God, in a manner we least expect. When we look for joy, behold there is sorrow. When we expect peace, we frequently have distrust and doubt because we find ourselves plunged into trials we cannot avoid. In these trials we are having the answers to our prayers. In order for us to be purified, the fire of affliction must kindle upon us, and our will must be brought into conformity to the will of God. In order to be conformed to the image of our Saviour, we pass through a most painful process of refining. The very ones that we regard the most dear upon the earth may cause us the greatest sorrow and trial. They may view us in the wrong light. They may think us in error, and that we are deceiving and degrading ourselves because we follow the dictates of enlightened conscience in seeking for the truth as for hid treasures….

Our prayers for conformity to the image of Christ may not be answered exactly as we desire. We may be tested and proved, for God sees it best to put us under a course of discipline which is essential for us before we are fit subjects for the blessing we crave. We should not become discouraged and give way to doubt, and think that our prayers are not noticed. We should rely more securely upon Christ and leave our case with God to answer our prayers in His own way. God has not promised to bestow His blessings through the channels we have marked out. God is too wise to err and too regardful of our good to allow us to choose for ourselves.

The plans of God are always the best, although we may not always discern them. Perfection of Christian character can be obtained only through labor, conflict, and self-denial….

How inestimably precious are the gifts of God—the graces of His Spirit—and we shall not shrink from the trying, testing process, be it ever so painful or humiliating to us. How easy would be the way to heaven if there were no self-denial or cross! How worldlings would rush in the way, and hypocrites would travel in it without number! Thank God for the cross, the self-denial. The ignominy and shame our Saviour endured for us is none too humiliating for those saved by the purchase of His blood. Heaven will indeed be cheap enough.—Letter 9, April 5, 1873, to a “Sister Billet,” of San Francisco, California.

From The Upward Look – Page 109