Counsels on Stewardship
363
feel like it and withhold when you do not feel like it. Give regularly,
... as you would like to see upon the heavenly record in the day of
God
[281]
Our Property and the Support of God’s Work
To those who love God sincerely and have means, I am bidden to
say: Now is the time for you to invest your means in sustaining the
work of the Lord. Now is the time to uphold the hands of the ministers
in their self-denying efforts to save perishing souls. When you meet
in the heavenly courts the souls you have helped to save, will you not
have a glorious reward?
Let none withhold their mites, and let those who have much rejoice
that they can lay up in heaven a treasure that faileth not. The money
that we refuse to invest in the work of the Lord, will perish. On it no
interest will accumulate in the bank of heaven.
The Lord now calls upon Seventh-day Adventists in every locality
to consecrate themselves to Him and to do their very best, according to
their circumstances, to assist in His work. By their liberality in making
gifts and offerings, He desires them to reveal their appreciation of His
blessings and their gratitude for His mercy
The Lord has shown me repeatedly that it is contrary to the Bible
to make any provision for our temporal wants in the time of trouble.
I saw that if the saints had food laid up by them or in the field in the
time of trouble, when sword, famine, and pestilence are in the land, it
would be taken from them by violent hands and strangers would reap
their fields. Then will be the time for us to trust wholly in God, and
He will sustain us. I saw that our bread and water will be sure at that
time, and that we shall not lack or suffer hunger; for God is able to
spread a table for us in the wilderness. If necessary He would send
ravens to feed us, as He did to feed Elijah, or rain manna from heaven,
as He did for the Israelites.
Houses and lands will be of no use to the saints in the time of
trouble, for they will then have to flee before infuriated mobs, and at
that time their possessions cannot be disposed of to advance the cause
of present truth. I was shown that it is the will of God that the saints
516
Testimonies for the Church 5:150, 151
517
Testimonies for the Church 9:131, 132