- Foreword
- Preparation for the Final Crisis
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- Christ in All the Bible
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- Lessons from the Church at Ephesus
- The Result of Inaction
- Winning Souls the Chief Aim
- Begin with Those Nearest
- The Example of Philip with Nathanael
- The Family a Missionary Field
- Instruct the Church in Missionary Work
- Set the Church Members to Work
- The Uneducated to Be Workers
- Arouse the Idlers
- The Youth to Be Missionaries
- Let the Churches Awake
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- Out of the Cities
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- The Sabbath in Our Restaurants
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- Publishing Houses in Mission Fields
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- Sacredness of God's Instrumentalities
- Co-operation
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- The Work in Europe
- A View of the Conflict
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- The Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast
- Our Burden Bearer
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- Homeward Bound
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- Last-day Deceptions
- Pantheistic Theories
- Fanaticism After 1844
- Past Experiences to Be Repeated
- Beware of a Sensational Religion
- A Warning Against False Teaching
- Diverting Minds from Present Duty
- A Renewal of the Straight Testimony
- Seek the First Love
- The Word of God Our Safeguard
- Study the Revelation
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- The Reward of Earnest Effort
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- A Parting Word of Confidence
Acting in Christ's Stead
This statement holds its force in all ages. On the church has been conferred the power to act in Christ's stead. It is God's instrumentality for the preservation of order and discipline among His people. To it the Lord has delegated the power to settle all questions respecting its prosperity, purity, and order. Upon it rests the responsibility of excluding from its fellowship those who are unworthy, who by their un-Christlike conduct would bring dishonor on the truth. Whatever the church does that is in accordance with the directions given in God's word will be ratified in heaven.3TT 203.3
Matters of grave import come up for settlement by the church. God's ministers, ordained by Him as guides of His people, after doing their part are to submit the whole matter to the church, that there may be unity in the decision made.3TT 203.4
The Lord desires His followers to exercise great care in dealing with one another. They are to lift up, to restore, to heal. But there is to be in the church no neglect of proper discipline. The members are to regard themselves as pupils in a school, learning how to form characters worthy of their high calling. In the church here below, God's children are to be prepared for the great reunion in the church above. Those who here live in harmony with Christ may look forward to an endless life in the family of the redeemed. 3TT 203.5
God's love for the fallen race is a peculiar manifestation of love—a love born of mercy, for human beings are all undeserving. Mercy implies imperfection of the object toward which it is shown. It is because of sin that mercy was brought into active exercise. 3TT 204.1
It may be that much work needs to be done in your character building, that you are a rough stone, which must be squared and polished before it can fill a place in God's temple. You need not be surprised if with hammer and chisel God cuts away the sharp corners of your character until you are prepared to fill the place He has for you. No human being can accomplish this work. Only by God can it be done. And be assured that He will not strike one useless blow. His every blow is struck in love, for your eternal happiness. He knows your infirmities and works to restore, not to destroy.3TT 204.2