After Baptism
The vows which we take upon ourselves in baptism embrace much. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit we are buried in the likeness of Christ’s death and raised in the likeness of His resurrection, and we are to live a new life. Our life is to be bound up with the life of Christ. Henceforth the believer is to bear in mind that he is dedicated to God, to Christ, and to the Holy Spirit. He is to make all worldly considerations secondary to this new relation. Publicly he has declared that he will no longer live in pride and self-indulgence. He is no longer to live a careless, indifferent life. He has made a covenant with God. He has died to the world. He is to live to the Lord, to use for Him all his entrusted capabilities, never losing the realization that he bears God’s signature, that he is a subject of Christ’s kingdom, a partaker of the divine nature. He is to surrender to God all that he is and all that he has, employing all his gifts to His name’s glory.
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The obligations in the spiritual agreement entered into at baptism are mutual. As human beings act their part with wholehearted obedience, they have a right to pray: “Let it be known, Lord, that Thou art God in Israel.” The fact that you have been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is an assurance that, if you will claim Their help, these powers will help you in every emergency. The Lord will hear and answer the prayers of His sincere followers who wear Christ’s yoke and learn in His school His meekness and lowliness.
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3.
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. . . . And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” Verses 12-17.
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The Building of Meetinghouses
When an interest is aroused in any town or city, that interest should be followed up. The place should be thoroughly worked until a humble house of worship stands as a sign, a memorial of God’s Sabbath, a light amid the moral darkness. These memorials are to stand in many places as witnesses to the truth. God in His mercy has provided that the messengers of the gospel shall go to all countries, tongues, and peoples until the standard of truth shall be established in all parts of the inhabited world.
Wherever a company of believers is raised up, a house of worship should be built. Let not the workers leave the place without accomplishing this.
In many places where the message has been preached and souls have accepted it, they are in limited circumstances and can do but little toward securing advantages that would give character to the work. Often this renders it difficult to extend the work. As persons become interested in the truth, they are told by the ministers of other churches–and these words are echoed by the church members: “These people have no church, and you have no place of worship. You are a small company, poor and unlearned. In a short time the ministers will go away, and then the interest will die down. Then you will give up all these new ideas which you have received.”
Can we suppose that this will not bring strong temptation to those who see the reasons of our faith and are convicted by the Spirit of God in regard to present truth? It has to be often repeated that from a small beginning large interests may grow. If wisdom and sanctified judgment and skillful generalship are manifested by us in building up the interests of our Redeemer’s kingdom, we shall do all in our power to assure the people of the stability of our work. Humble sanctuaries will be erected where those who accept the truth may find a place to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience.
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Whenever it is possible, let our church buildings be dedicated to God free of debt. When a church is raised up, let the members arise and build. Under the direction of a minister who is guided by the advice of his fellow ministers, let the newly converted ones work with their own hands, saying: “We need a meetinghouse, and we must have it.” God calls upon His people to make cheerful, united efforts in His cause. Let this be done, and soon will be heard the voice of thanksgiving: “See what the Lord hath wrought.”
There are some cases, however, in which a young church may not be able at once to bear the whole burden of erecting a house of worship. In these cases let the brethren in other churches help them. In some cases it may be better to hire some money than not to build. If a man has money, and, after giving what he can, will make a loan, either without interest or at a low rate, it would be right to use the money until the indebtedness can be lifted. But I repeat: If possible, church buildings should be dedicated free of debt.
In our churches the pews should not be rented. The wealthy are not to be honored above the poor. Let no distinction be made. “All ye are brethren.”
In none of our buildings should we seek to make a display; for this would not advance the work. Our economy should testify to our principles. We should employ methods of work that are not transient. Everything should be done solidly for time and for eternity.
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The lax way which some churches have of incurring debts and keeping in debt was presented before me. In some cases a continual debt is upon the house of God. There is continual interest to be paid. These things should not, and need not, be. If there is that wisdom and tact and zeal manifested for the Master which God requires, there will be a change in these things. The debts will be lifted. God calls for offerings from those who can give, and even the poorer members can do their little. Self-denial will enable all to do something. Both old and young, parents and children, are to show their faith by their works. Let the necessity of each acting a part be most strenuously impressed upon the members of the church. Let everyone do his best. When there is a will to do, God will open the way. He does not design that His cause shall be trammeled with debt.
God calls for self-sacrifice. This will bring not only financial but spiritual prosperity. Self-denial and self-sacrifice will work wonders in advancing the spirituality of the church.
It is displeasing to God for our churches to be burdened with debt. “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, saith the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:8. When that gold and silver is used for selfish purposes, to gratify ambition or pride or desire for any selfish indulgence, God is dishonored. When the people chosen by God embellish their own houses and invest His money in selfish gratification, leaving His cause to languish, they cannot be blessed.
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When you place the Lord first, and determine that His house shall no longer be dishonored by debt, God will bless you. Every week endeavor to lay aside something for this object, something in addition to your tithe money. Have a box for this purpose. Explain to your children that it is the self-denial box, in which you place every dollar and every penny that is not required for actual necessities. It is for the Lord’s house, to lift the heaven-dishonoring debt from the place of worship. In making this offering, every member of the family will receive a blessing.
God reads every thought. He notes every action. Everything done with sincere purpose for the advancement of His work will be blessed by Him. The two mites, the cup of cold water, presented in sympathy and love, will be made effective in doing good here and will bring a reward hereafter.
The test question for every Christian to ask himself is: “Have I, in my inmost soul, supreme love for Christ? Do I love His tabernacle? Will not the Lord be honored by my making His sacred institution my first consideration? Is my love for God and my Redeemer strong enough to lead me to deny self? When tempted to indulge in pleasure and selfish enjoyment, shall I not say: No, I will spend nothing for my own gratification while the house of God is burdened with debt?”
Our Redeemer claims far more than we give Him. Self interposes its desire to be first; but the Lord claims the whole heart, the entire affections. He will not come in as second. And should not Christ have our first and highest consideration? Should He not demand this token of our respect and loyalty? These things underlie our very heart life, in the home circle and in the church. If the heart, the soul, the strength, the life, are surrendered wholly to God, if the affections are given wholly to Him, we shall make Him supreme in all our service. When we are in harmony with God, the thought of His honor and glory comes before everything else. No person is preferred before Him in our gifts and offerings. We have a sense of what it means to be partners with Christ in the sacred firm.
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The house where God meets with His people will be dear and sacred to every one of His loyal children. It will not be left crippled with debt. To allow such a thing would appear almost like a denial of your faith. You will be ready to make a great personal sacrifice if only you may have a house free from debt, where God can meet with and bless His people.
Every debt upon every house of worship among us may be paid if the members of the church will plan wisely and put forth earnest, zealous effort to cancel the debt. And in every case where a debt is lifted, let there be a service of thanksgiving, which shall be as a rededication to God of His house.
God tries the faith of His people to test their character. Those who in times of emergency are willing to make sacrifices for Him are the ones whom He will honor with a partnership in His work. Those who are unwilling to practice self-denial in order to carry out God’s purposes will be tested, that their course may appear to human eyes as it appears to the eyes of Him who reads the heart.
When the Lord sees His people restricting their imaginary wants, practicing self-denial, not in a mournful, regretful spirit, as Lot’s wife left Sodom, but joyfully for Christ’s sake, then the work will go forward with power.
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Children’s Meetings and Church Schools
At all our camp meetings, work should be done for the children and youth. A children’s meeting or Bible kindergarten should be held daily under the direction of teachers qualified for the work. In simple language, lessons should be given both from the Bible and from nature. Kindergarten methods and object lessons from nature will be of great advantage in interesting the little ones. At some of our camp meetings children’s meetings have been held twice a day. After the morning lesson, on pleasant days, teachers and children would take a long walk, and during the walk, by the banks of a river or in the grassy fields, a halt would be called and a short lesson from nature given. In such lessons as these the children can be taught the parables of Christ. The truth will be fastened in their minds as a nail in a sure place.
In our work for the children the object should be not merely to educate and entertain them, but to work for their conversion. We should ask the blessing of God on the seed sown, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit will take hold of even the little ones. If we exercise faith in God, we shall be enabled to lead them to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.
This is a work of the greatest consequence to the younger members of the Lord’s family. In these meetings even children who are favored with Christian instruction at home can learn much that will be a great help to them. If the children are taught in the simplicity of Christ, they will receive the knowledge; and as they return to their homes, they will bring forth from the treasure house of the heart precious lessons.
The youth should be given opportunity to become more fully instructed in the word of God. Bible truth should be made plain to them. Those who have an experience in the truth should search the Scriptures with them. This will be as seed sown in good ground.
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Such meetings for children and youth, if rightly conducted, will be attended by many who are not of our faith, and the lessons learned at the meetings will be repeated at home. Through the children the parents may be reached. At our camp meetings in Australia these meetings have been the means of great good.
Following is a brief account of work done in this line at an Australian camp meeting, as written out by one who had a part in the work:
“On the first Sabbath the children were organized into departments and classes, and the teachers began their work. At the beginning there were six children in the primary department and about fifteen in the kindergarten. As soon as the children living in the neighborhood learned of the meetings being held for them, they began to attend, and each day found many new ones added to the classes. The average daily attendance from the outside was between eighty and one hundred, and on Sundays there was a larger number present. Most of the children were very regular in their attendance. The same spirit of earnestness, attention, and order that characterized the services among the older ones marked the children’s meetings. Both in the classwork and in the general review exercises the work was so arranged that the children had a part in doing as well as listening, and in this way they soon felt at home, and their eagerness to bear some part in the work testified to their interest.
“Each lesson opened with a general exercise, which was followed by the class studies; and at the close all assembled for a brief review and song. In the opening exercises, after the song and prayer, the motto and all the memory verses previously learned were recited, either in concert or individually, or both. A short, appropriate reading or recitation was given by one of the children who had previously volunteered to prepare it. The “Scripture alphabet’ was learned and recited by the children, each choosing his own letter and verse. The selection and learning of the verses were done at home, and these responsibilities placed upon the children proved an additional incentive for them to be present the following day and to be regular in attendance.
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“The ready responses in the review exercises testified that the interest in classwork had been marked, and that many valuable truths had found their way into the minds and hearts of the children. As the children returned to their homes, the parents were surprised and pleased to hear them repeat the whole lesson. Many parents expressed, in various ways, their appreciation of the work that had been done for the children and regretted that the meetings must close so soon.
“Several teachers from Sunday schools attended the meetings and expressed themselves as greatly pleased and benefited by the work done. Parents sometimes came with their children and seemed as much interested as the little ones. Others, though not in harmony with our views, took the trouble to dress their children neatly and allowed them to come. Some parents remarked that they did not know what we did with their children, but one thing was certain, the children would come, and they could not keep them at home. Some of the children came long distances, and we have every reason to believe that much of the seed sown fell into good ground.”
The good seed sown in these meetings should not be left to perish for want of care. Many parents would rejoice if the instruction given to their children at the camp meeting could be continued. They would gladly place their children in a school where the same principles were taught and practiced. While the interest of both parents and children is awakened, it is a golden opportunity for the establishment of a school at which the work begun at the camp meeting can be carried forward.
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And as believers are raised up and churches organized, such a school will be found of great value in promoting the permanence and stability of the work. Workers in new territory should not feel free to leave their field of labor till the needed facilities have been provided for the churches under their care. Not only should a humble house of worship be erected, but all necessary arrangements should be made for the permanent establishment of the church school.
This matter has been plainly presented before me. I saw in different places new companies of believers being raised up and meetinghouses being erected. Those newly come to the faith were helping with willing hands, and those who had means were assisting with their means. In the basement of the church, above ground, I was shown a room provided for a school where the children could be educated in the truths of God’s word. Consecrated teachers were selected to go to these places. The numbers in the school were not large, but it was a happy beginning.
As the work was being pressed forward, I heard the voices of children and parents singing:
“Except the Lord build the house,
They labor in vain that build it:
Except the Lord keep the city,
The watchman waketh but in vain.”
“Praise ye the Lord.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
While I live will I praise the Lord:
I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
Put not your trust in princes,
Nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.”
“Praise ye the Lord from the heavens:
Praise Him in the heights.
Praise ye Him, all His angels:
Praise ye Him, all His hosts.
Praise ye Him, sun and moon:
Praise Him, all ye stars of light.”
Psalm 127:1; 146:1-3; Psalm 148:1-3.
Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6 pp. 99-108
