meeting_sabbathkeeping_problems

The transcription discusses the fear and hesitation some people have in keeping the Sabbath due to concerns about losing their jobs and providing for their families. However, the scriptures teach that God knows and cares for His followers, and will provide for their needs. It is emphasized that keeping the Sabbath does not lead to starvation. It requires moral courage to take a stand for God's commandments, but He will never leave His followers to struggle alone. The importance of relying on God's word and trusting in His promises is highlighted. The enemy tries to deceive and discourage people from keeping the Sabbath, but they should not make excuses and delay their decision to obey God's law. Overall, the message encourages faith, obedience, and reliance on God's provision. Heading, Meeting Sabbath-Keeping Problems Subheading, No Cause to Worry or Fear Often when our workers present the testing Sabbath truth to the people, some stand hesitating for fear of bringing poverty and hardship upon themselves and their families. They say, Yes, I see what you are trying to show me in regard to the observance of the seven-day Sabbath, but I am afraid if I keep the Sabbath I shall lose my position and shall not be able to provide for my family. And so many keep their worldly position and disobey the command of God. But these scriptures, Luke 12, 1-7, teach us that the Lord knows all about our experiences, He understands about our inconveniences, and He has a care for all who follow on to know the Lord. He will never allow His children to be tempted above that which they are able to bear. Christ declared to His disciples, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, neither for the body, what you shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you, who is taking thought, can add to a statue one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Stand up before them the lily of the field, in its beauty and purity, the Saviour continued. Consider the lilies how they grow, they toil not, they spin not, and yet I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothed the grass, which is today in the field, and tomorrow's cast into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye doubtful of mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you. Christ is here teaching a precious lesson in regard to His service. Whatever experiences may come to you, He says, serve God. Whatever inconveniences and hardships you may encounter, trust in the Lord. We have no cause to worry and fear, if we take our position for the truth, that we and our families will suffer. To do this is to manifest unbelief in God. Your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things, the Saviour says. If we would study the word more faithfully, we would increase in faith. Manuscript 83, 1909 Subheading, Time to Extend a Helping Hand It is an important time now for these localities where an interest has been awakened. A large number are in the valley of decision. O that the Lord will give to His servants wisdom to speak to these souls such words as shall give them courage to confess the truth and surrender their will, their hearts and tired devotion to God. We pray that the Lord will inspire with faith these souls who are convinced of the truth, that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, and that they shall not confer with their own feelings and let the enemy lead them to decide that the sacrifice is too great. They will suffer loss in temporal matters, and a helping hand must not be wanting. Many ask, how can we support our families? We shall lose our positions as soon as we decide to keep holy the seventh day and do not work on the Sabbath. Our families, shall they starve? What can we save? Difficulty and want are seen everywhere, and honest souls know not what to do. They dare not venture out, yet they are fully convinced that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord. They know that God blessed the seventh day and set it apart for man to observe as a memorial of His creating of the world in six days and His rest upon the seventh. When we see the difficulty standing like mountains before their souls, the prospect of want to themselves and children staring them in the face, our hearts are pained. Many a one says, I want to observe the seventh day, but as soon as I state to my employer that I have decided to keep the Sabbath, I shall be discharged. Hundreds are waiting to step into any place made vacant. I am sorely troubled. All we can do is to encourage them to have faith and pray for them. Oh, sometimes I wish I had a million dollars. I could use every dollar in this work. Many become decided transgressors of God's holy law as the result of union, concord, and cooperation with companions who are instruments of Satan. God sends them light to undeceive them, but they refuse to take the word of God as it reads. They accept error, choosing the lies of Satan rather than a thus saith the Lord. And these advocates of error make it very hard for those who see the truth to obey it. Human sight can see nothing but starvation before those who keep the Sabbath. Manuscript 19, 1894. Subheading never results in starvation. Never need anyone fear that observance of the true Sabbath will result in starvation. Isaiah 58, 11, 12, Proverbs 7, 2, Isaiah 58, 14. These promises are a sufficient answer to all the excuses that man may invent for refusing to keep the Sabbath. Even if, after beginning to keep God's law, it seems impossible to support one's family, let every doubting soul realize that God has promised to care for those who obey His commandments. Proverbs 116, 1902. Subheading takes men of courage. It requires moral courage to take a position to keep the commandments of the Lord. An opposer of the truth once said that it was only weak-minded people, foolish, ignorant persons who would turn away from the churches to keep the seventh day as the Sabbath. But a minister who had embraced the truth replied, If you think it takes weak-minded persons, just try it. It takes moral courage, firmness, decision, perseverance, and very much prayer to step out on the unpopular side. We are thankful that we can come to Christ as the poor suffering ones came to Christ in the temple. Ye have not dared to trample underfoot the commandments of God, and have stepped out on unpopular truth. Let the results be what it may. Will the Savior ever turn away to leave you to struggle alone? No, never. But he never told his disciples that they should have no trials, no self-denial to endure, no sacrifices to make. The Master was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, how that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. We thank God that in your poverty you can call God your Father. Poverty is coming upon this world, and there will be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation. There will be wars and rumors of wars, and the faces of men will gather paleness. You may have to suffer distress, you may go hungry sometimes, but God will not forsake you and your suffering. He will test your faith. We are not to live to please ourselves. We are here to manifest Christ to the world, to represent him and his power to mankind. Manuscript 37, 1894. Subheading Time to Rely on God's Word In the wilderness, when all means of sustenance failed, God sent his people manna from heaven, and a sufficient and constant supply was given. This provision was to teach them that while they trusted in God and walked in his ways, he would not forsake them. The Savior now practiced the lesson he had taught to Israel. By the word of God, succor had been given to the Hebrew host, and by the same word it would be given to Jesus. He awaited God's time to bring relief. He was in the wilderness in obedience to God, and he would not obtain food by following the suggestions of Satan. In the presence of the witnessing universe, he testified that it is a less calamity to suffer whatever may befall than to depart in any manner from the will of God. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Often the follower of Christ is brought where he cannot serve God and carry forward his worldly enterprises. Perhaps it appears that obedience to some plain requirement of God will cut off his means of support. Satan would make him believe that he must sacrifice his conscientious convictions, but the only thing in our world upon which we can rely is the word of God. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Even in this life it is not for our good to depart from the will of our Father in heaven. When we learn the power of his word, we shall not follow the suggestions of Satan in order to obtain food or to save our lives. Our only questions will be, what is God's command and what is promised? Knowing these, we shall obey the one and trust the other. The Desire of Ages, page 121, 1898. Subheading and Appeal to One in the Valley of Decision. The enemy was telling you to wait for a more convenient season. He has been on hand with his devices, presenting to you the advantages you would gain if you did not keep the Sabbath and the disadvantages you would realize in keeping the Sabbath. He has prepared these various excuses why you should not make your decision to be obedient to the law of God. He is a deceiver. He falsifies the character of God, and you have accepted his temptation. All your imaginings have shown distrust of your Heavenly Father. You have thought when you could realize a certain prosperity in your business, then you would obey the Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment. But the Lord requires of every one of His subjects entire obedience. God's requirements were upon you, and you have been making terms with God. All the time Satan has been working to make it more and still more impossible, as you look at the matter, to decide to keep the Sabbath. You have been growing less and less susceptible to the movings of the Spirit of God upon your heart. The Lord has given me a message for you and for your children to take up your long-neglected duty to walk in the light as He is in the light. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength and with all thy mind. This do, said Christ to the lawyer, and thou shalt live. This is the voice of God to yourself and to your children. The law of God is good as well as just and profitable to all who obey, and you will show honor to Him whom you obey. When your mind is brought into conformity to the will of God, to obey His commandments, think you that the Lord will not have a care for you in your temporal interest? You have been almost persuaded but did not obey. You thought you would wait until the way cleared before you. The Lord has left every human agent responsible for his course of action. God's claims are to be your first consideration. Obedience to God is your first duty. You are to leave all the consequences in His hands. You have been hesitating because you do not now realize the strong convictions that you once had and would not yield to obey. You need not expect this forcible conviction again. You will have to obey God and take your position on the truth, feeling or no feeling. Your business now is to work decidedly from principle, to make your decisions irrespective of consequences. Letter 72, 1893. Subheading, live up to every ray of light that you have received. Your eternal interests are involved here, and that is why I say, cherish every ray of light. On your knees, ask Christ to impress your heart by His Holy Spirit and turn not away from His law. Manuscript 10, 1894. Subheading, better lose position than Jesus. Do not think that if you take your position for the Bible truth you will lose your position. You had better lose your position than lose Jesus. You had better be partakers of the self-denial and self-sacrifice of the Lord than to go in your own way, seeking to gather to yourself the treasures of this life. You cannot carry any of it into the grave. You will come up from the grave without anything, but if you have Jesus, you will have everything. Here's all that you will require to stand the test of the day of God, and is not this enough for you? Manuscript 20, 1894. Subheading, a decided stand. Men may raise up all the combativeness they please, but the commandments of God are the commandments of God still. We have decided to keep God's commandments and live and preserve His law as the apple of our eye. Let men rail out against the law of God and trample His commandment, keeping people under their feet. Can they do it and live? It is impossible. God has His measurement of character, and it is those who obey Him that live, and those who keep His law as the apple of their eye that He preserves. Manuscript 5, 1891. Subheading, offering positions to new Sabbath keepers. Among those who embraced the truth at blank last winter was a young man who left the school that he was attending in order to keep the Sabbath. He was asked what he expected to do for a living. He replied, God has given me physical strength, and I will work in any capacity rather than break His commandments. Some felt anxious that he should be given a place in the printing office, but one said, No. When he shows that he will obey God at any cost, then we know that he is the very man we need in this office. But if he has not principle enough to do this, he is just the man that we do not want. Elder Blank came to me and asked me if he ought to give the young man encouragement to think that he would be given a place in the office. I said, The God of heaven has presented before him the eternal weight of glory that awaits the overcomer. And if, like Moses, he has respect unto the recompense of reward, he will take this position decidedly on the side of truth. But it would do harm and not good to hold out before him any bribe or attraction. And yet your duty is to help him to see that he must walk out by faith, but do not leave him to wrestle this battle out alone, for Satan will tempt him, and you must render him every help possible. Manuscript 26, 1886. Subheading, Business Ties with Sabbath Breakers. There is need of Sabbath reform among us who profess to observe God's holy rest day. Some discuss their business matters and lay plans on the Sabbath, and God looks upon this in the same light as though they engage in the actual transaction of business. Those who are well acquainted with the Bible evidence that the seventh day is the Sabbath enter into partnership with men who have no respect for God's holy day. A Sabbath keeper cannot allow men in his employ, paid by his money, to work on the Sabbath. If for the sake of gain he allows the business in which he has an interest to be carried on on the Sabbath by his unbelieving partner, he is equally guilty with the unbeliever. It is his duty to dissolve the relation, however much he may lose by so doing. Men may think they cannot afford to obey God, but they cannot afford to disobey him. Those who are careless in their observance of the Sabbath will suffer great loss. Review and Herald, March 18, 1884. Subheading, One Kind of Employment for Sabbath Keepers. We find here the best class of people to work for, and for many of them it would not be difficult to keep the Sabbath. Blank is a place where a great deal of poultry raising is done. With almost every dwelling house on the outskirts of the city poultry yards are connected. The houses are not built in terraces, but stand apart from one another, often surrounded by several acres of land. Poultry of all kinds is raised, and the eggs find a ready market in blank, and blank, and are taken to the city by boat. I write this that you may understand the situation. In poultry raising, many families find a means of livelihood, and these could not raise the objection that many raised to keep the Sabbath, that it would interfere with their business. They could keep the Sabbath without fear of losing their employment. Chapter 113, 1902.