1909年12月24日
1909年12月6日写于加利福尼亚州疗养院
致在加利福尼亚州的主要传道人
亲爱的弟兄们：
11月22日，我夜里守望，似乎在一个聚会上作我的见证，会上有信徒和不信的人聚集。我向他们讲了关于要在地上迅速完成的工作，以及我们需要始终将主在我们中间的证据摆在世人面前。这个证据可以由赞美和感恩的话表达出来。“凡以感谢献上为祭的便是荣耀上帝”(诗50:23)。耶和华呼吁忠心的见证人。我们应当用言语和行为赞美祂。我们这班人已经从主得到特别的好处，但我们却没有向祂献上真诚的感恩。我们每一个人每天都应赞美祂。{PC 296.1}
我的注意力被引向以下对我们的研究有益的话：{PC 296.2}
“我是耶和华，在我以外并没有别神;除了我以外再没有上帝。你虽不认识我，我必给你束腰。从日出之地到日落之处使人都知道除了我以外，没有别神。我是耶和华;在我以外并没有别神。我造光，又造暗;我施平安，又降灾祸;造作这一切的是我耶和华。诸天哪，自上而滴，穹苍降下公义;地面开裂，产出救恩，使公义一同发生;这都是我耶和华所造的”(赛45:5-8)。{PC 296.3}
“耶和华如此说：在悦纳的时候，我应允了你;在拯救的日子，我济助了你。我要保护你，使你作众民的约;复兴遍地，使人承受荒凉之地为业。对那被捆绑的人说：出来吧!对那在黑暗的人说：显露吧!他们在路上必得饮食，在一切净光的高处必有食物。不饥不渴，炎热和烈日必不伤害他们;因为怜恤他们的必引导他们，领他们到水泉旁边。我必使我的众山成为大道;我的大路也被修高。看哪，这些从远方来;这些从北方、从西方来;这些从秦(原文作希尼)国来。{PC 296.4}
“诸天哪，应当欢呼!大地啊，应当快乐!众山哪，应当发声歌唱!因为耶和华已经安慰祂的百姓，也要怜恤祂困苦之民。锡安说：耶和华离弃了我;主忘记了我。妇人焉能忘记她吃奶的婴孩，不怜恤她所生的儿子?即或有忘记的，我却不忘记你。看哪，我将你铭刻在我掌上;你的墙垣常在我眼前”(赛49:8-16)。{PC 297.1}
“你们一切干渴的都当就近水来;没有银钱的也可以来。你们都来，买了吃;不用银钱，不用价值，也来买酒和奶。你们为何花钱(原文作平银)买那不足为食物的?用劳碌得来的买那不使人饱足的呢?你们要留意听我的话就能吃那美物，得享肥甘，心中喜乐。你们当就近我来;侧耳而听，就必得活。我必与你们立永约，就是应许大卫那可靠的恩典。我已立他作万民的见证，为万民的君王和司令。你素不认识的国民，你也必召来;素不认识你的国民也必向你奔跑，都因耶和华你的上帝以色列的圣者，因为他已经荣耀你。{PC 297.2}
“当趁耶和华可寻找的时候寻找祂，相近的时候求告祂。恶人当离弃自己的道路;不义的人当除掉自己的意念。归向耶和华，耶和华就必怜恤他;当归向我们的上帝，因为上帝必广行赦免。耶和华说：我的意念非同你们的意念;我的道路非同你们的道路。天怎样高过地，照样，我的道路高过你们的道路;我的意念高过你们的意念。雨雪从天而降，并不返回，却滋润地土，使地上发芽结实，使撒种的有种，使要吃的有粮。我口所出的话也必如此，决不徒然返回，却要成就我所喜悦的，在我发他去成就(发他去成就：或作所命定)的事上必然亨通。你们必欢欢喜喜而出来，平平安安蒙引导。大山小山必在你们面前发声歌唱;田野的树木也都拍掌。松树长出，代替荆棘;番石榴长出，代替蒺藜。这要为耶和华留名，作为永远的证据，不能剪除”(赛55:1-13)。
要连同这些经文研究《以赛亚书》第五十八章所赐的指示。要是传道人和教会肢体们愿意归正，采用基督的方式见证耶和华的能力，结果就会极好。{PC 297.3}
在许多地方，尤其是在加利福尼亚州南部，一直遵循的工作计划和方法已经阻碍了主的工作，以致那些蒙主赋予特别负担的人不能从事所指定给他们的工作。在某些情况下，监察员被派去限制工作，阻碍一些正在极其认真地推进工作之人的道路。不圣洁的计划被制定出来，行事与上帝的计划相反。这一切的事，耶和华都不喜悦，都是祂拒绝接受的行为。有些城市原能进入并且开始一番善工，却因缺乏信心而产生了相反的工作影响。由于不信，嫉妒就出现了，一些从事神圣的传道事业的人自己还需要经历上帝使人归正的能力，学习存谦卑的心与祂同行。{PC 297.4}
我给那些一直阻碍道路的人写出了所赐给我的指示，并将结果交托给主。担子很重，我担心我不会活着看到我努力的结果，就是努力折断人们正加在同工身上的那些轭。主以明确的画面叫我看到，要花上数年的时间才能根除将权柄放在有限之人手中来阻碍和耽搁圣工的恶果。反复的督责和劝勉的信息是必要的，好使主已指定从事特别工作的能干的人可以得释放，自由遵循上帝所赐的亮光。{PC 297.5}
在加利福尼亚州南部曾有一些强硬的人坚决反对主正赐给祂信使的关于要做成之工的亮光。他们是在随从自己的计谋和判断，危害上帝的圣工。我蒙指示，对付这一罪恶的惟一办法是将愿意受上帝的旨意引导、不会被那些缺乏信心之人带偏的人安置在受托的岗位。{PC 298.1}
主以一种非凡的方式来维护所发出的信息，以纠正正在做的奇怪的工作。邪恶已经被遏制，但它还没有被完全根除，如果没有主继续传给祂百姓的信息，人的意愿和方式就还会获胜，带来纠纷和争论，结果就使工作丑陋残缺。我蒙指示看见，人的能力在不断努力将自己交织进上帝的工作中。这就导致了行动的脱节和不协调。纯净而无掺杂的真理有被任性固执、未归正之人践踏的危险，他们行事摧毁人们对上帝所赐警告的信心，上帝会向祂子民的心发出警告，为要纠正错误，鼓励公义。{PC 298.2}
已经进入我们在加利福尼亚州和别处的大量困难之所以能进来，是因为担任公职的那些人在支配和统管同工的事上误解了自己个人的责任。被委以重责的人以为他们的公职包含的比那些使他们任职的人曾想过的多得多，结果就出现了严重的困难。{PC 298.3}
新约圣经中规定了简单的组织和教会秩序，主为教会的统一和完善而制定了这些命令。在教会任职的人，应该担任领导、顾问、参事和帮手，承担工作的负担。他应该成为向上帝奉献感恩的领袖。但他不应奉派去命令和指挥主的工人。主在掌管祂的产业。祂必引导祂的子民，只要他们愿意让祂引导，而不是僭取上帝并没有赐给他们的权力。让我们学习《哥林多前书》第十二、十三章和《使徒行传》第十五章吧。{PC 298.4}
负责的人要换位思考，在对待他们的同工时，要考虑他们若是助手，而别人是领袖，他们会希望受到的对待。救主宣布：“你们都是弟兄”(太23:8)。职位并不使一个人有王权。基督的柔和谦卑是赐给堕落世界的一个奇妙的教训。工人从大教师学习这种柔和谦卑，才会变得像基督一样。{PC 298.5}
好几年来，在加利福尼亚州北部区会一直有领导人运用一种他们以为他们的职位给他们的权威，按照他们自己的性情和判断控制工作。工作就变得混乱了，主便赐给我一个关于应该采取的行动的信息。由于区会中的奇怪状况，赫斯格长老要蒙召担任会长。{PC 299.1}
赫斯格长老夫妇已经从事圣工多年，他们对真理和圣灵所赐证言的信心是刚强的。他们按照主的任命一同服事，我们也设法支持了他们的工作。各教会的状况有了明确的改变，然而主已指示我看到，一些居于负责岗位的人还没有归正，他们既没有彻底归正，就无法以正确的路线进行工作。一些受到责备和警告的人还没有坚固和稳定下来，完全屈服于圣灵的引导能力。撒但还没有从一些人的头脑中被完全驱逐出去，不用多久就会重新产生十年前存在的状况。{PC 299.2}
上帝在奥克兰、旧金山和周围地方的圣工需要有坚定的基督徒品格的人，他们敬畏上帝，接受上帝的忠告，否则信徒就会被那些参加工作的人误导，他们想要按照人的判断和计划进行指导和控制。主希望藉着有清洁的目的和坚定经验的人来工作，他们会从圣灵的证言学习他们在哪里不符合主的旨意，且会归正。于是就会做出坚决的改变。威胁着工作的危险就会被看到，就会经历归正，我们的人就会预备好坚定地站立，与上帝团结一致地增进祂在地上的国度。{PC 299.3}
拒绝上帝之灵的教导的人，并不是在教会担任领袖的合适人选。那些没有彻底归正之人的教导有将别人带进歧途禁路的危险。我们在争取得到献身的领袖时，可以预料遭到反对，因为仇敌正在设法藉着身居要职的未归正的人来塑造工作，他的风险太大了，不能轻易失去他们的影响力。{PC 299.4}
许多人拒绝看见和接受亮光，因为他们不愿在上帝面前自卑，天天归顺基督。然而这必须成为凡藉着羔羊的血和自己的所见证的道得胜之人的经验。当人们谦卑己心，并且天天归正，效法耶稣柔和谦卑的榜样时，他们才有希望会在自己的宗教经验上变得明智。……{PC 299.5}
我看到我们前面有一场危机，主呼召祂的工人们要取得一致。每一个人现在都应站在比以往那些年更深刻、更真实献身于上帝的立场。{PC 300.1}
当上帝的子民有被那些不顺从真理之人败坏的危险时，上帝就纠正祂的子民。我已奉命要忠心地站在主已将我安置在祂子民中间的岗位，以便他们受到指教和劝勉。{PC 300.2}
我蒙指示看见，有些人帮助组建委员会，在教会中充任重要职位，他们是自以为义的，依照他们自己内心的谋算行事为人。这些自以为义的人和那些已经发挥影响损害上帝工作的人，现在都不应当被安置在重要职位;因为上帝的工作必因这种步骤受损毁。有一些人总是被欺骗。我们是生活在末后日子的危险中。要让上帝的道教导公义。让糠秕与麦子分开。{PC 300.3}
要是赫斯格长老和其他在奥克兰及附近地区工作的人没有被迫对付那些反对上帝为我们前面的最后斗争造就和预备一班人而赐下之劝勉的错误影响，他们的工作原能成为一种大得多的福气。{PC 300.4}
将那些正在行事反对主所赐为要造福和加强祂子民的信息的精神的人安置在我们各教会中很有影响力的岗位，这不符合上帝的计划。这种人不是帮助，而是障碍。他们的工作会让人心烦意乱，他们撒下的种子会发芽生长结出果子，使主已如此恩慈地赐给祂子民的劝勉无效。{PC 300.5}
Sanitarium, California December 6, 1909
To The Leading Ministers In California
Dear Brethren,
In the night watches of November 22, I seemed to be bearing my testimony in a meeting where believers and unbelievers were assembled. I spoke to them in regard to the short work to be done in the earth, and our need of keeping before the world the evidences that the Lord is in our midst. This evidence may be given in words of praise and thanksgiving. “Whosoever offereth praise glorifieth God.” The Lord calls for faithful witnesses. With our lips and in our works we should praise Him. As a people we have received special advantages from the Lord, but we do not render to Him sincere thanksgiving. Daily His praise should be spoken by every one of us.?{PC 296.1}
My attention was called to these words, which are profitable for our study:?{PC 296.2}
“I am the Lord and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord to all these things. Drop down, ye heavens from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it.”?{PC 296.3}
“Thus saith the Lord, in an acceptable time have I heard thee and in a way of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; that thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show thyselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them; for He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the spring of water shall He guide them. And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. Behold these shall come from far: and lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.?{PC 296.4}
“Sing, O ye heaven, and be joyful; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforteth His people, and will have mercy on His afflicted. But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she may not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.”?{PC 297.1}
“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto Me, hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given Him for a witness to the people, a leader and a commander to the people. Behold thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not; and nations that know not thee shall run after thee, because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.?{PC 297.2}
“ Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”(Isaiah 55:1-13)
(Isaiah 55:6-13) Let the instruction given in the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah be studied in connection with these scriptures. Wonderful would be the results if ministers and church members would be converted, and adopt Christ’s manner of witnessing to the power of the Lord.?{PC 297.3}
In many places, and especially in Southern California, plans and methods of labor have been followed that have hindered the Lord’s work, so that those upon whom the Lord has laid special burdens could not do the work to which they were appointed. In some cases watchers were sent to restrict the work and to hedge up the way of some who were laboring most earnestly for advancement. Unsanctified plans were laid that worked counter to the plans of God. All this was displeasing to the Lord, and it was work which He repudiated. There were cities that might have been entered and a good work begun, but through lack of faith there developed a counter working influence. With unbelief, jealousies arose, and with sacred missionary enterprises were linked up men who themselves needed to experience the converting power of God, and to learn to walk humbly with Him.?{PC 297.4}
To those who had kept the way hedged up, I wrote out the instruction given me, and trusted the result with the Lord. The burden was heavy, and I feared I should not live to see the results of my efforts to break the yokes which men were placing upon their fellow workers. The Lord presented before me in decided representations that it would take years to root out the evil resulting from placing in the hands of finite men the power to hinder and delay the work of God. Repeated messages of reproof and counsel were necessary,?that capable men whom the Lord had specified as the ones to do a special work might be set free to follow the light that God was giving.?{PC 297.5}
There were strong men in Southern California who stood decidedly against the light the Lord was giving His messenger regarding the work to be done. They were following their own counsel and judgment, and were imperiling the cause of God. I was instructed that the only way to counterwork this evil was to have placed in positions of trust men who would be guided by the counsel of the Lord, and who would not be turned aside by those who were deficient in faith.?{PC 298.1}
The Lord has wrought in a remarkable manner to uphold the messages sent to correct the strange work that was being done. The evil has been checked, but it has not yet been fully rooted out, and if there were not a continuation of the messages from the Lord to His people, the will and ways of men would yet prevail to bring in strife and contention, and a deformed work would be the result. I was shown that human power is constantly working to weave itself into the work of God. This brings in disjointed and inharmonious action. The messages of pure and unadulterated truth are in danger of being trampled under feet by self-willed, unconverted men who work to destroy confidence in the warnings that God would speak to the hearts of His people to correct error, and to encourage righteousness.?{PC 298.2}
A great many of the difficulties that have come into our work in California and elsewhere have come in through a misunderstanding on the part of men in official positions concerning their individual responsibility in the matter of controlling and ruling their fellow laborers. Men entrusted with responsibilities have supposed that their official position embraced very much more than was ever thought of by those who placed them in office, and serious difficulties arose as the result.?{PC 298.3}
Simple organization and church order are set forth in the New Testament Scriptures, and the Lord has ordained these for the unity and perfection of the church. The man who holds office in the church should stand as a leader, as an advisor and a counselor and helper in carrying the burdens of the work. He should be a leader in offering thanksgiving to God. But he is not appointed to order and command the Lord’s laborers. The Lord is over His heritage. He will lead His people if they will be led of the Lord in the place of assuming a power God has not given them. Let us study the twelfth and thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians, and the fifteenth chapter of Acts.?{PC 298.4}
Let the men carrying responsibilities treat those who labor with them with the same consideration that they would wish to receive, were they the helpers, and others the leaders. “All ye are brethren,” the Saviour declares. Position does not give a man kingly authority. The meekness of Christ is a wonderful lesson given to the fallen world. Learning this?meekness from the great Teacher, the worker will become Christlike.?{PC 298.5}
For several years there have been leading men in the Northern California Conference who exercised an authority which they supposed was theirs by virtue of their office, to control the work according to their own disposition and judgment. The work was becoming confused, and the Lord gave me a message regarding the movements that should be made. Because of the strange conditions in the conference, Elder Haskell was to be called to take the presidency.?{PC 299.1}
Elder Haskell and his wife have been engaged in the work for years, and their faith in the truth and in the Testimonies given by the Holy Spirit is strong. They have unitedly served according to the Lord’s appointment, and we have sought to sustain them in their work. Conditions in the churches have changed decidedly, but the Lord has shown me that some in responsible positions are not yet converted, and without thorough conversion, they cannot conduct the work in right lines. Some who have been reproved and warned are not established and settled, and fully yielded to the guiding power of the Holy Spirit. Satan is not yet fully cast out of the minds of some, and it would take very little to produce again the conditions that existed ten years ago.?{PC 299.2}
The cause of God in Oakland, San Francisco, and the surrounding places needs men of solid Christian character, who fear God and take counsel of God, or believers will be misled by those who attach themselves to the work, and who desire to guide and control according to human judgment and plans. The Lord desires to work through men of clean purposes and decided experiences, men who will learn from the Testimonies of His Spirit where they have not been in harmony with the Lord’s will, and who will be converted. Then decided changes will be made. The perils threatening the work will be seen conversions will be experienced, and our people will be preparing to stand firmly and unitedly with God to build up His kingdom in the earth.?{PC 299.3}
Men who repudiate the teachings of the Spirit of God are not the proper persons to be placed in office as leaders in the church. There is danger that the teachings of men who are not soundly converted may lead others into bye and forbidden paths. In our efforts to secure consecrated leadership, we may expect to encounter opposition, for the enemy is seeking through unconverted men in positions of trust to mold the work, and he has too much at stake lightly to lose their influence.?{PC 299.4}
Many have refused to see and adopt the light, because they would not humble themselves before God, and be daily converted to Christ. Yet this must be the experience of all who overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. When men humble their hearts, and are daily converted, following the example of the meek and lowly Jesus, then there is hope that they will become wise in their religious experience....?{PC 299.5}
I see a crisis before us, and the Lord calls for His workmen to come into line. Every soul should now stand in a position of deeper, truer consecration to God, than during the years that are past.?{PC 300.1}
God corrects His people when they are in danger of being corrupted by those who obey not the truth. I have been charged to stand faithfully in the position in which the Lord has placed me among His people, that they might be instructed and counseled.?{PC 300.2}
I have been shown that there are men helping to form committees, and men filling important positions in the churches, who are self-righteous, men walking after the counsel of their own hearts. Neither these self-righteous men nor those who have been influenced to hurt the work of God, should now be out in places of large responsibility; for the work of God will be marred by such steps. There are some who will always be deceived. We are living amid the perils of the last days. Let the word of God teach righteousness. Let the chaff be separated from the wheat.?{PC 300.3}
The work of Elder Haskell and others who have labored in Oakland and the near-by places might have been a much greater blessing, had they not been obliged to meet wrong influences in opposition to the counsels that God has given to build up and prepare a people for the final conflict that is before us.?{PC 300.4}
It is not in harmony with the plan of God that men who are working counter to the spirit of the messages that the Lord gives to bless and strengthen His people, should be given places of large influence in our churches. Such men are not a help, but a hindrance. Their work is to unsettle minds, and they sow the seed which will spring up and bear its fruit to make of none effect the counsels that the Lord has so graciously given to His people. -?{PC 300.5}
B.-140-November 5, 1909 Sanitarium, California
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