"AS A LITTLE CHILD"INTRODUCTIONTime to Come HomeYou
can do it! It is not hard to do the right when you have the Lord on your
side. Far
better than living in a halfway house somewhere between God and the world. And
far too often you then slip on down into the miseries of the devil's camp. I
plead with you: Take this opportunity to break loose and come out Be
done with mediocre meaningless living uncertain as to what eternity holds
for you. Come
over to the cleft in the Rock, and crawl in. There is only room for a
little child inside. There
you will find the peace of heart you have always wanted. It is worth any
cost. And what do you set aside? Things not really worth keeping. And
what becomes yours? The sweetness of being close to your Father. Isn't that what you have always wanted? Deepening Your Walk with God"If
you will seek the Lord and be converted every day; if you will of your own
spiritual choice be free and joyous in God; if with gladsome consent of
heart to His gracious call you come wearing the yoke of Christ, —the
yoke of obedience and service, —all your murmurings will be stilled, all
your difficulties will be removed, all the perplexing problems that now
confront you will be solved." —Mount of Blessing, 101 "And
Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them.
And said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as
little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever
shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the
kingdom of heaven." —Matthew 18:2-4 This
is how the redeemed will live with God in heaven. Why not start now? Do
you dare wait till later to begin the deeper walk? Choose
the first circle around the throne. Why settle for less than the best? Do
you really know of a better way to live? Besides,
you are not being selfish in choosing the best. You will please your kind
Father, and help those around you. By your example, they will be more
likely to choose the better way also. Isn't this why you are here? What
do you have to lose? Complacency; cherished sins; busy nothingnesses; and,
deep down, a lot of emptiness in your life. What do you have to gain? A lot; a far happier, meaningful life for you and for others. —And, oh, how you will please God, if you really get serious about Him! This
book tells you how to do it. "If
we would give more expression to our faith, rejoice more in the blessing
that we know we have,—the great mercy and love of God,—we should have
more faith and greater joy. No tongue can express, no finite mind can
conceive, the blessing that results from appreciating the goodness and
love of God. Even on earth we may have joy as a wellspring, never failing,
because fed by the streams that flow from the throne of God. "Then
let us educate our hearts and lips to speak the praise of God for His
matchless love. Let us educate our souls to be hopeful, and to abide in
the light shining from the cross of Calvary. Never should we forget that
we are children of the heavenly King, sons and daughters of the Lord of
hosts. It is our privilege to maintain a calm repose in God. "
'Let the peace of God rule in your hearts; . . and be ye thankful.'
Colossians 3: 15. Forgetting our own difficulties and troubles, let us
praise God for an opportunity to live for the glory of His name. Let the
fresh blessings of each new day awaken praise in our hearts for these
tokens of His loving care. When you open your eyes in the morning, thank
God that He has kept you through the night. Thank Him for His peace in
your heart. Morning, noon, and night, let gratitude as a sweet perfume
ascend to heaven." — Ministry of Healing 252—253 PART
ONE - THE DEEPER EXPERIENCE Is
the Deeper Walk a Necessity? Spirit
of Prophecy: Submitting the Will to God Spirit
of Prophecy: The Possibilities Held out before Us Spirit
of Prophecy: More Sweet Promises Bible
Promises for Those Who Draw Closer Spirit
of Prophecy: The Father and His Children 1
— God's Love for His Children A
Spirit of Prophecy Blueprint for Coming to God 2
— Evidences of Genuine Conversion 3
— Godly Sorrow Worketh Repentance 4
— Repent and Turn Away from Sin 5
— Put on the Wedding Garment 6
— He will Make You a New, Obedient Child Spirit
of Prophecy: Preparing for the Future Postscript:
The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength PrefaceThe
power of this concept first came to mind in the summer of 1962, when I
helped deliver my second child in a country farmhouse, and it strengthened
over the following several months. The extremely close relationship of the
infant to its mother seemed to match several passages in the Bible, which
compared God's people to children who could throw their whole weight of
burden upon the Lord. At the time, with no financial backing, I was
preparing to begin the Great Controversy radio broadcasts, and needed such
encouragement. It
was obvious that the concept involved a fabulous submission and closeness
to God. In both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, I found indication that
only a few of God's people seem to push in for the closer relationship
with their heavenly Father. Amid
the passing years and the many perplexities, which they brought, the
concept dimmed somewhat in my thinking, but strengthened in the early
1980s, as I began writing. God
was my Father and I was His little child. I must yield my life to Him, and
obey and defend His Word, regardless of the consequences. Pilgrims Rest
was the result. As
my children grew up and gradually left my home, the experience continued
to deepen. All I had was God, and He was my wonderful Father in whom I
could trust. Surely,
I thought, this concept could be no secret; for it is clearly presented in
both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy. Yet I rarely heard a mention of
it—either in sermons, books, or magazine articles. However, the test
of time had, in my own experience, proved the concept to be a most solid
one. One could, indeed, be as a little child with His heavenly Father! A
deeper relationship was possible! This was especially confirmed by the
fact that, over the years, I had found no other approach to God as sweet,
close, and strong. At
this crucial time in history, how much God's people need the strength,
which the closer relationship imparts, to boldly defend God and His Word
in an evil. scoffing world. The
general silence on the subject eventually caused me to think: Could it be
that I am like the two lepers outside the walls of Jerusalem, who, having
found a rich treasure, suddenly said, "We cannot keep this news to
ourselves; we must share it with others" (2 Kings 7:3-10) ! So
here it is. If you wish to save time, set this book aside; simply read
Matthew 18:2-4 and do it. The whole message is there. Why should there be
anything startling in the concept? The problem arises in entering the
experience and maintaining it. It is not done very often. Yet anything
God asks of us, in His enabling strength, can be done. The
smaller we acknowledge ourselves to be, in our relation to God, the more
fully we are likely to submit to His plan for our lives; and the more
willing we will be to study His Word, obey His Inspired directives, and
defend Him. Why?
Because this concept enables us to enter a fuller reality: We are as
nothing in the universe; He is everything. All we have and are is to be
given to Him. Yet this can only be realized as, in utter humility, we
fall before Him and accept and acknowledge the truth: We are His little
children. And
Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them.
And said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as
little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. "Whosoever
therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest
in the kingdom of heaven." —Matthew 18:2-4 IntroductionThis
volume is not intended to be theological. It is practical, providing
information you can begin applying to your own life immediately. .Do
you want a deeper experience with God? .
Do you want an ongoing walk with Him? .
Do you want to overcome besetting sins? .
Do you want the sweet peace of oneness, which the relationship can bring? There
is a way it can be done, and it is entirely Biblical and in full
agreement with Spirit of Prophecy counsels. The reason it works so well is
twofold: .
First, it is the way God wants you to relate yourself with Him. .
Second, this relationship with God brings together the various phases of
Christian concepts and objectives needed in your every—day life. It can
do this because it is the most basic and fundamental aspect of Christian
experience. This
book is not the presentation of a dry theory, but a personal life
experience practiced for many years. The
present writer searched for a closer walk with God, and —in one way far
more than any other —he found it: the relationship with God described in
this little volume. What you will find here is the result of extensive
Scripture study, applied to personal experience. The result is a simple,
practical way to live closer to God. The
plan of this book is to rather quickly introduce you to this key, and then
afterward expand on it by showing how it is connected with other aspects
of experience and to God's Word. Truly, there is nothing complicated about
the matter. Indeed, you will probably say, "Well, I knew this all
along." However, the key to success is more than knowing about it.
It is making this attitude the consistent foundation of your contacts
with God. If
this little volume helps you do that, it will have fulfilled its mission. Some
walk closer to God, and some walk a little more distant. Some are fervent
while others are more staid. Yet both may sincerely love and serve God
and, in His strength, obey His law. Let none say that others will be lost
because they do not seem to have a certain depth of experience. This is
not for us to judge. Why
then seek the closer walk discussed in this book? Each can choose for
himself. Some will want it. For those who do not, this book is not for
them. |
