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The Publishing Ministry
I send this message to the workers in the publishing house.... I
am intensely desirous that they shall draw near to God, that He may
draw near to them. His light and presence will be recognized and
appreciated by all who seek Him with the whole heart. Please read
these words to the workers. Tell them that as they become one with
Christ, they possess the riches of His grace. They walk in His footsteps.
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They follow His example of love and sympathy, helping those who
needed help, lifting up the hands that hang down, and strengthening
the feeble knees, directing the gaze to Him who gave His life for the
life of the world.—
Letter 54, 1902
.
As Perfect Work as Humans Can Do—I saw that there was great
inefficiency in the bookkeeping in many departments of the cause.
Bookkeeping is, and ever will be, an important part of the work;
and those who have become expert in it are greatly needed in our
institutions and in all branches of the missionary work. It is a work that
requires study that it may be done with correctness and dispatch, and
without worry or overtaxation; but the training of competent persons
for this work has been shamefully neglected. It is a disgrace to allow a
work of such magnitude as ours to be done in a defective, inaccurate
way. God wants as perfect work as it is possible for human beings to
do. It is a dishonor to sacred truth and its Author to do His work in
any other way. I saw that unless the workers in our institutions were
subject to the authority of God, there would be a lack of harmony and
unity of action among them. If all will obey His directions, the Lord
will stand as the invisible commander; but there must also be a visible
head who fears God. The Lord will never accept a careless, disorderly
company of workers; neither will He undertake to lead forward and
upward to noble heights and certain victory those who are self-willed
and disobedient. The upward progress of the soul indicates that Jesus
bears rule in the heart. The heart through which He diffuses His peace
and joy, and the blessed fruits of His love, becomes His temple and
His throne. “Ye are My friends,” says Christ, “if ye do whatsoever I
command you.”—
Testimonies for the Church 5:553
.
Helping One Another—A deep and wide interest should be man-
ifested in helping one another. The Lord is not pleased when His
people draw apart. This is one defect in the office....
If men and women could see what trouble they make themselves
by this independence, by trying to do what they do not know how to do
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