Reaser, G. W.; Burden, J. A.
St. Helena, California
February 6, 1908
This letter is published in entirety in LLM 347-348.
Elders Reaser and Burden
257 South Hill St.
Los Angeles, California
Dear Brethren:
I was very glad to receive your letter telling of your experience in Los Angeles. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and praise His holy name. This is a good work and one which the Lord would have go forward in every conference. I am more thankful than I can express that Elder Reaser is coming out of the perilous darkness into the light. 23LtMs, Lt 72, 1908, par. 1
There is a special work to be done in clearing away the malarial atmosphere that has been coming into our churches. There is only one way in which this work can be accomplished, and that is by leading the believers fully into the light. Let special meetings be held in the churches that shall be seasons of humbling the heart before God and of confession and cleansing of the soul. I pray that the believers in Southern California may improve this opportunity, and open the door of the heart to the Holy Spirit, that He may work through them without let or hindrance. If they will draw nigh to God, He will draw nigh to them. 23LtMs, Lt 72, 1908, par. 2
I am so thankful that this work has begun. Let it not cease until the whole conference shall feel the converting power of God. The Lord is waiting to be gracious to all who will take up the work of clearing the King’s highway. It is a work which should have been done in Oakland, but which a man-ruling power has prevented from being accomplished. 23LtMs, Lt 72, 1908, par. 3
I pray, Brother Reaser, that you may find an open door, that this may be made a pentecostal season in the churches. Encourage one another to put from the soul everything that would hinder the exercise of the grace of Christ. This precious privilege is now being presented, that all may receive the assurance of the grace and love of Christ. The Lord will be the hope and strength of His commandment-keeping people. Look for that grace that the Lord has in abundance for all who trust in Him. Believe, and receive the special assurances of His grace. The blessing of God is more precious than silver and gold. 23LtMs, Lt 72, 1908, par. 4
It was the unbelief of Israel, revealed in their repeated murmurings, that led Moses to plead with God, “Show me Thy glory.” [Exodus 33:18.] And in response the Lord set His servant in the cleft of a rock and caused all His glory to pass before him. 23LtMs, Lt 72, 1908, par. 5
“And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that everyone that sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that every man rose up, and stood at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshiped, every man in his tent door. And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again unto the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. 23LtMs, Lt 72, 1908, par. 6
“And Moses said unto the Lord, See, Thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people, and Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in My sight. Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight, show me now Thy way, that I may know Thee, that I may find grace in Thy sight: and consider that this nation is Thy people. And He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto Him, If Thy presence go not with me, carry me not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and Thy people have found grace in Thy sight? Is it not in that Thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and Thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. 23LtMs, Lt 72, 1908, par. 7
“And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in My sight, and I know thee by name. And he said, I beseech Thee, shew me Thy glory. And He said, I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee, and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy to whom I will show mercy. And He said, Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see My face and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock; and it shall come to pass while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of a rock, and will cover thee with My hand while I pass by.” [Verses 7-22.] 23LtMs, Lt 72, 1908, par. 8
There is need for professing Christians to act like Christians if they would maintain their connection with God. I ask you to study also the thirty-fourth chapter of Exodus. 23LtMs, Lt 72, 1908, par. 9
“And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone, like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto Mt. Sinai, and present thyself there to Me in the top of the mount. And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before the mount. 23LtMs, Lt 72, 1908, par. 10
“And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone. And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. 23LtMs, Lt 72, 1908, par. 11
“And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. And he said, If now I have found grace in Thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray Thee, go among us: for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Thine inheritance. 23LtMs, Lt 72, 1908, par. 12
“And He said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord; for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. Observe that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: but ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: for thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” [Verses 1-14.] 23LtMs, Lt 72, 1908, par. 13