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Christ the Ladder, August 30
They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and
condemn the innocent blood. But the Lord is my defence; and my God is
the rock of my refuge.
Psalm 94:21, 22
.
Planted firmly upon the earth, and reaching heavenward to the throne of God,
is a ladder of shining brightness. God is above the ladder, and His light is shining
along its whole length. This ladder is Christ. Every round that you climb, you
are coming step after step into fellowship with the sufferings of Christ, and are
becoming fashioned after His divine similitude. The angels of God are constantly
ascending and descending this glorious ladder. They will not let you fall, if you
keep your eye fixed upon the glory of God which is at the top of the ladder....
Satan is seeking to cast his hellish shadow across your pathway, that he may
hinder your journey heavenward. Act as though you had within you a power from
above, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth you may resist that power
which is working intensely from beneath. To have in the heart the sweet, mellow
Spirit of Jesus Christ is of more consequence than any amount of self-sufficiency
and self-exaltation, which separate you from Christ.
Christ teaches humanity never to be self-sufficient. He says, “Learn of
me; ... I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls”
(
Matthew 11:29
). Learn of the One who was meek and lowly in heart—the One
who has promised, “Ye shall find rest unto your souls.” This glorious experience
will come, and you can say, “I know Him! I know Him! I have tested Him; I have
proved Him, and He has never failed me.” ...
If you send up your petition to God, He says He hears you. What is your
evidence? Do you feel any better than before? Do you think of and examine
your feelings to see if some great change has taken place within? You should
step out on the Word of God, and go straight forward, knowing that He answers
your prayers, because He has promised to give, if you ask. Thus by exercising
faith, [you] bring about the answer to your petitions. As you work to answer your
own prayers, you will find that God will reveal Himself unto you.... Begin now to
reach higher and still higher. Prize the things of heaven above earthly attractions
and inducements.... Learn how to pray; learn how to bear a clear and intelligent
testimony, and God will be glorified in you. If you trust God, if you commit the
keeping of your souls unto Him as unto a faithful Creator, you will have the sweet
assurance of His love.—
Manuscript 85, August 30, 1901
, “Teachers to Have an
Abiding Christ,” talk given at a church school teachers’ institute, Healdsburg,
California.
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