Church’s Need
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multitude had been fed, the disciples themselves sat down and ate with
Christ of the heaven-imparted store. This is a precious lesson for every
one of Christ’s followers.
* * * * *
Pure and undefiled religion is “to visit the fatherless and widows in
their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
James
1:27
. Our church members are greatly in need of a knowledge of
practical godliness. They need to practice self-denial and self-sacrifice.
They need to give evidence to the world that they are Christlike. There-
fore the work that Christ requires of them is not to be done by proxy,
placing on some committee or some institution the burden that they
themselves should bear. They are to become Christlike in character by
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giving of their means and time, their sympathy, their personal effort, to
help the sick, to comfort the sorrowing, to relieve the poor, to encour-
age the desponding, to enlighten souls in darkness, to point sinners to
Christ, to bring home to hearts the obligation of God’s law.
People are watching and weighing those who claim to believe the
special truths for this time. They are watching to see wherein their life
and conduct represent Christ. By humbly and earnestly engaging in
the work of doing good to all, God’s people will exert an influence
that will tell in every town and city where the truth has entered. If all
who know the truth will take hold of this work as opportunities are
presented, day by day doing little acts of love in the neighborhood
where they live, Christ will be manifest to their neighbors. The gospel
will be revealed as a living power and not as cunningly devised fables
or idle speculations. It will be revealed as a reality, not the result of
imagination or enthusiasm. This will be of more consequence than
sermons or professions or creeds.
* * * * *
Satan is playing the game of life for every soul. He knows that
practical sympathy is a test of the purity and unselfishness of the
heart, and he will make every possible effort to close our hearts to
the needs of others, that we may finally be unmoved by the sight of
suffering. He will bring in many things to prevent the expression of