Prejudice Broken Down
Bible Readings and Visitation Prepare for the Effort—The
work is to commence quietly without noise or trumpeting. It is to
commence by giving Bible readings and thus educating the people.
This plan will be far more efficient than starting in with sermons.—
Letter 89a, 1895
.
Opposition Avoided by Personal Work—In God’s service obsta-
cles must be met and difficulties encountered. Events belong to God;
and His servants must meet with difficulties and opposition; for they
are His chosen methods of discipline and His appointed conditions of
sure progress, advancement, and success. But I entreat the servants of
the Lord Jesus to remember that there is a work which may be done
quietly, without arousing that strong opposition which closes hearts to
the truth.—
Letter 95, 1896
.
Visitation Determines Wisdom of Public Effort—I tell you in
the name of the Lord that with your present force of workers, you are
not prepared to engage in work in a hard place where the prejudice
is strong. If half of the time usually spent in making public effort
were devoted to house-to-house teaching, till the people had become
acquainted with the religious sincerity of the workers and with the
reasons of their faith, it would be much better. After this work has
been done, it could be decided whether a more expensive effort would
be advisable.
Public efforts have been made which have accomplished good.
Some have responded and received the truth, but, oh, how few these
have been. The Lord desires that the truth shall come close to the
people, and this work can only be accomplished by personal labor.—
Letter 95, 1896
.
[446]
Tact Required to Break Down Prejudice—Nathanael was pray-
ing to know whether this was indeed the Christ of whom Moses and
the prophets had spoken. While he continued to pray, one of those who
had been brought to Christ, Philip by name, called to him and said,
“We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets,
385