moving_forward_by_faith

The main ideas from this information are: 1. We should advance in faith and let our light shine before others so that the truth may reach those who are seeking it. 2. We should not fear taking risks in the work of God, even if we do not immediately see results. 3. We need to connect ourselves closely with God's work and strive to make our work as perfect as possible. 4. We should trust in God and believe in the promises of the Bible, even when circumstances are difficult. 5. We should not unsettle the minds of others regarding the things that God has ordained for our prosperity and success. 6. We should leave the results of our work with God and trust that He will bring about fruitfulness. 7. Every conference and church should actively work towards preparing people for the coming of Christ. 8. We should not be afraid of the perils and challenges we face in the work of God, as His hand is on the wheel and His providence will continue Heading, moving forward by faith, subheading, advance in faith, means will come. Can we expect the inhabitants of these cities to come to us and say, if you'll come to us and preach we will help you do thus and so? They know nothing of our message. The Lord desires us to let our light so shine before men that His Holy Spirit may communicate the truth to the honest in heart who are seeking after truth. As we do this work we shall find that means will flow into our treasuries and we shall have means with which to carry on a still broader and far more reaching work. Shall we not advance in faith just as if we had thousands of dollars? We do not have our faith enough. Let us act our part in warning these cities. The warning message must come to the people who are ready to perish, unwarned, unsaved. How can we delay? As we advance the means will come, but we must advance by faith, trusting in the Lord God of Israel. Night after night I am unable to sleep because of this burden resting upon me on behalf of the unworn cities. Night after night I am praying and trying to devise methods by which we can enter these cities and give the warning message. Why there is a world to be warned and saved and we are to go east and west and north and south and work diligently for the people all about us. As we undertake this work we shall see the salvation of God. Encouragement will come. Manuscript 53, 1909 Subheading Follow God's Opening Providence If we would follow the opening providence of God, we should be quick to discern every opening and make the most of every advantage within our reach. It is a fearfulness to venture out and run risks in this great work, fearing that the expenditure of means would not bring returns. What if means are used and yet we cannot see that souls have been saved by it? What if there is a dead loss of a portion of our means? Better work and keep at work than do nothing. You know not which shall prosper, this or that. Men will invest in patent rights and meet with heavy losses, and it is taken as a matter of course, but in the work and cause of God men are afraid to venture. Money seems to them to be a dead loss that does not bring immediate returns when invested in the work of saving souls. The very means that is now so sparingly invested in the cause of God, and that is selfishly retained, will in a little while be cast with all idols to the moles and to the bats. Money will soon depreciate in value, very suddenly, when the reality of eternal scenes opens to the senses of man. God will have men who will venture anything and everything to save souls. Those who will not move until they can see every step of the way clearly before them will not be of advantage at this time to forward the truth of God. There must be workers now who will push ahead in the dark as well as in the light, and who will hold up bravely under discouragements and disappointed hopes, and yet work on with faith, with tears and patient hope, sowing beside all waters, trusting the Lord to bring the increase. God calls for men of nerve, of hope, faith, and endurance to work to the point. The True Missionary, January 1874. Subheading be resourceful. In these perilous times we should leave untried no means of warning the people. We should be deeply interested in everything that will stay the tide of iniquity. Work on. Have faith in God. Letter 49, 1902. Subheading not in our own strength. I appeal to you, my brethren in the ministry, connect yourselves more closely with the work of God. Many souls that might be saved will be lost unless you strive more earnestly to make your work as perfect as possible. There is a great work to be done in blank. It may seem to move slowly and hard at first, but God will work mightily through you if you will only make an entire surrender to him. Much of the time you will have to walk by faith, not by feeling. Whatever you are, however trying your circumstances, do not talk discouragement. The Bible is full of rich promises. Can you not believe them? When we go out to labor for souls, God does not want us to go a warfare at our own charge. What does this mean? It means that we need not go in our own strength, but God has pledged his word that he will go with us. Bible Sketches, p. 128-129, 1886 Subheading in the Early Days At God's command, go forward. We advance when the difficulties to be surmounted made the advance seem impossible. We know how much it has cost to work out God's plans in the past, which have made us, as a people, what we are. Then let everyone be exceedingly careful not to unsettle minds in regard to those things that God has ordained for our prosperity and success in advancing His cause. Letter 32, 1892 Subheading Leave Results with God The good seed sown may lie sometime in cold, wearly, selfish heart without evidencing that it has taken root. But frequently the Spirit of God operates upon that heart and waters it with the dew of heaven, and the long-hidden seed springs up and finally bears fruit to the glory of God. We know not in our life work we shall prosper, this or that. These are not questions for us poor mortals to settle. We are to do our work, leaving the result with God. Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 248, 1872 Subheading Help Working Churches Every conference, whether large or small, is responsible for earnest, solemn work in preparing a people for the coming of Christ. Those churches in the conference that are willing to work and are in need of help in order to know how to do effective work should have the needed assistance. Let every conference worker become wide awake to make his conference an intensely active agency for the up-building of the work of God. Let every church member become a working member to build up spiritual interest. In holy love, by humble prayer and earnest work, let the ministers act their part. Manuscript 7, 1908 Subheading God's Hand on Wheel Fearful perils are before those who bear responsibilities in the cause of God, perils the thought of which make me tremble. But the word comes, My hand is upon the wheel, and I will not allow men to control my work for these last days. My hand is turning the wheel, and my providence will continue to work out the divine plans, irrespective of human inventions. In the great closing work we shall meet with perplexities that we know not how to deal with, but let us not forget that the three great powers of heaven are working, that a divine hand is on the wheel, and that God will bring his purposes to pass. Manuscript 118, 1902 Subheading Favor Until the Work is Done A world is to be warned, watch, wait, pray, work, and let nothing be done through strife and vainglory. Let nothing be done to increase prejudice, but everything possible to make prejudice less, by letting in light the bright rays of the sun of righteousness amid the moral darkness. There is a great work to be done yet, and every effort possible must be made to reveal Christ as the sin-pardoning Savior, Christ as the sin-bearer, Christ as the bright and morning star. And the Lord will give us favor before the world until our work is done. Letter 35, 1895