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Church Difficulties
[From the The Review and Herald, August 11, 1853.]
Dear Brethren and Sisters,
As error is fast progressing, we should seek to be awake in the
cause of God, and realize the time in which we live. Darkness is
to cover the earth, and gross darkness the people. And as nearly
all around us are being enveloped in the thick darkness of error
and delusion, it becomes us to shake off stupidity and live near to
God, where we can draw divine rays of light and glory from the
countenance of Jesus. As darkness thickens and error increases,
we should obtain a more thorough knowledge of the truth and be
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prepared to maintain our position from the Scriptures.
We must be sanctified through the truth, be wholly consecrated
to God, and so live out our holy profession that the Lord can shed
increasing light upon us, and that we may see light in His light,
and be strengthened with His strength. Every moment that we are
not on our watch we are liable to be beset by the enemy and are in
great danger of being overcome by the powers of darkness. Satan
commissions his angels to be vigilant and overthrow all they can; to
find out the waywardness and besetting sins of those who profess
the truth, and throw darkness around them, that they may cease to
be watchful, take a course that will dishonor the cause they profess
to love, and bring sorrow upon the church. The souls of these
misguided, unwatchful ones grow darker, and the light of heaven
fades from them. They cannot discover their besetting sins, and
Satan weaves his net about them, and they are taken in his snare.
God is our strength. We must look to Him for wisdom and
guidance, and keeping in view His glory, the good of the church,
and the salvation of our own souls, we must overcome our besetting
sins. We should individually seek to obtain new victory every day.
We must learn to stand alone and depend wholly upon God. The
sooner we learn this the better. Let each one find out where he fails,
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