- 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
Passion for Love of Pleasure
The intense passion for money getting, the thirst for display, the luxury and extravagance—all are forces that, with the great mass of mankind, are turning the mind from life's true purpose. They are opening the door to a thousand evils. Many, absorbed in their interest in worldly treasures, become insensible to the claims of God and the needs of their fellow men. They regard their wealth as a means of glorifying self. They add house to house and land to land; they fill their homes with luxury, while all about them are human beings in misery and crime, in disease and death.3TT 327.1
By every species of oppression and extortion, men are piling up colossal fortunes, while the cries of starving humanity are coming up before God. There are multitudes struggling with poverty, compelled to labor hard for small wages, unable to secure the barest necessities of life. Toil and deprivation, with no hope of better things, make their burden heavy. When pain and sickness are added, the burden is almost unbearable. Careworn and oppressed, they know not where to turn for relief.3TT 327.2
The Scriptures describe the condition of the world just before Christ's second coming. James the apostle pictures the greed and oppression that will prevail. He says: “Go to now, ye rich men. ... Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.” James 5:1-6.3TT 327.3
This is a picture of what exists today. “Judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey.” Isaiah 59:14, 15.3TT 327.4
Even the church, which should be the pillar and ground of the truth, is found encouraging a selfish love of pleasure. When money is raised for religious purposes, to what means do many churches resort? To bazaars, suppers, fancy fairs, even to lotteries and like devices. Often the place set apart for God's worship is desecrated by feasting and drinking, buying, selling, and merrymaking. Respect for the house of God and reverence for His worship are lessened in the minds of the youth. The barriers of self-restraint are weakened. Selfishness, appetite, the love of display, are appealed to, and they strengthen as they are indulged.3TT 328.1