An Appeal in Behalf of Our Sanitariums in Denmark
NP
December 3, 1900 [typed]
See variant of Ms 66a, 1900. This manuscript is published in entirety in PH008 18-24.
At Skodsborg, a suburb of Copenhagen, our brethren have established a sanitarium. In this they moved forward hopefully, under the conviction that they were doing the very work God has enjoined upon His people. Our brethren generally have not taken that interest in the establishment of sanitariums in the European countries that they ought, and our dear brethren having the Skodsborg Sanitarium in hand have moved forward faster than the means in hand warranted, and now they are in difficulty and distress. 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 1
I am greatly troubled regarding the difficulties and dangers surrounding our institutions in Scandinavia. My mind is stirred to appeal to our people, not only in behalf of the Christiana Publishing House, but also for the Danish sanitarium. The enemy has been represented to me as waiting eagerly for an opportunity to destroy these institutions, which are instrumentalities of God, used for the redemption of mankind. Shall Satan’s desire be gratified? Shall we allow these institutions to be wrestled from our hands and their beneficent work stopped? Because our brethren have made mistakes, shall we leave them alone to bear the consequences of their miscalculations? Is that the way Christ has dealt with us? 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 2
As Christ deals with us, so we must deal with our brethren who are in difficulty. Brethren, it is time that we interested ourselves in behalf of these institutions. Our American brethren should rally to the rescue. Our Scandinavian brethren in America should be specially aroused to take decided action. And our brethren in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden should understand that this is their opportunity, and that now is the time for them to come up to the help of the Lord. 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 3
It often occurs that when one burdened with a heavy load is at the foot of a difficult hill, surrounded by discouragements and in need of cheerful, strong helpers to work with him in pulling up the heavy load, much time is wasted in criticism and scolding and fretting. But this does not help the situation; it does not move the load. The ones upon whom the pressure of the load rests most heavily do not need nor deserve the censure. This might fall more appropriately upon those who should have shared the burden earlier. But even then censure might be inappropriate, and it certainly would be useless. Our first thought should be, How can we unite in helping to lift the load? Time is precious. There is too much at stake to run the risk of delay. 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 4
I am stirred by the Spirit of God to sound an alarm to rally all of our people who love God and His cause to come to the rescue of His institutions in Europe, which are now suffering for help. Let those who trust in God and believe His Word study diligently to understand their privileges, their responsibilities, and their duty in relation to their brethren in Europe, who have been used by God to begin a good work. If we fail now to do our work as God’s helping hand in relieving the Scandinavian Publishing House and Sanitarium from their embarrassments, we shall lose a great blessing. 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 5
Patience, love, and Christian courtesy are to be brought into the work of helping our institutions in Europe. This will show soundness of faith and healthfulness of soul. If we should charge the managers of the Skodsborg Sanitarium, who are responsible for enlarging the work, with worldly ambition and a desire to glorify themselves, we would do them injustice. They were striving to work for the glory of God; and a work has been accomplished which is far-reaching in its influence for good, and which greatly displeases the enemy of righteousness. 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 6
Who will now place themselves on the Lord’s side? Who will be as His helping hand, living wholeheartedly? Who will encourage the oppressed to trust in the Lord? Who will manifest that faith that will not fail nor falter, but that presses forward to victory? Who will now strive to build up that which Satan is striving to tear down, a work which should be going forward in strong lines? Who will now do for their brethren in Europe that which they would wish to have done for them were they in similar circumstances. Who will thus cooperate with the ministering angels? 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 7
O, what a sight it would be for the angels to look upon to see the institutions established for the illustration and promulgation of the principles of reform and Christian living, passing out of the hands of those who can use them in God’s work into the hands of the world. The Lord’s treasures are at hand, lent to us in trust for just such emergencies. God’s people should serve Him in truth and righteousness. They should appropriate their God-given means to help their fellow workers in a time of need. All our churches should now act wholeheartedly and unitedly in this matter, determined to avert the great calamity threatening the cause through the crippling or loss of the Lord’s instrumentalities. Angels of God will cooperate with us in freeing from debt these institutions in Denmark and Norway, so that no reproach shall rest upon the Lord’s cause. 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 8
We need to cultivate the spirit manifested by Abraham and Moses. Then we shall manifest faith in God and compassion for the erring. Our brethren in Scandinavia, by enlarging their work beyond their means, have placed themselves in the bondage of debt. By this the future of the institutions and the honor of the cause are imperilled. Shall we add to the difficulties of the situation by criticism and censure, or shall we courageously grapple with the work lying before us, the work of freeing the publishing house and the sanitarium from their burden of debt? This can be done. Something would have been done before this, if human hands had not interfered and hindered. 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 9
The Lord calls upon His people to make offerings of self-denial. Let us all unite in making Him a New Year’s offering that will lift the heavy burden resting upon His institutions in Scandinavia. Let us give something which we intended to purchase for personal comfort or pleasure. Let us teach the children to deny self and become the Lord’s helping hands in dispensing His blessings. Let us send in our offerings with thanksgiving, and with prayer that the Lord will bless the gifts, and multiply them as He did the food fed to the five thousand. 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 10
I plead with my Scandinavian brethren to do what they can. We will unite our efforts with your work of love and helpfulness to restore the institutions which are now threatened with disaster. There is sufficient means in the hands of the Lord’s stewards to do this work if they will unite in tender sympathy to restore, to heal, and to bring health and prosperity to God’s instrumentalities. Have faith in God. Hold fast to the hand of infinite power, for the Lord has in the hands of His stewards a store of treasures sufficient to heal all the diseases of the institutions in Europe. 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 11
The sums which you give may be small when compared with the necessities of the work, but do not be discouraged. Take hold in faith, and that which seemed hopeless at first will look different. The feeding of the five thousand is an object lesson for us. He who fed five thousand men besides women and children with five loaves and two small fishes can do great things for His people today. 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 12
Read the account of how the prophet fed one hundred men. “There came a man from Baal-shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people that they may eat. And the servitor said, What, should I get this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat, for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof. So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord.” [2 Kings 4:42-44.] 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 13
What condescension it was on the part of Christ to work a miracle to satisfy hunger. He relieved the hunger of one hundred sons of the prophet, and again and again since then, though not in such a marked and visible way, He has worked to relieve human weakness. If we had clearer spiritual discernment, so that we could recognize more readily God’s merciful, compassionate dealing with His people, what a rich experience we would gain. We need to look beneath the surface. We need to study more than we do into the wonderful working of God. He has worked with men who are not united with us in acknowledging the truth, but whose hearts He will ofttimes move to favor His people. The Lord has His men of opportunity, like the man who brought the food for the sons of the prophets. 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 14
When the Lord gives us a work to do, let us not stop to question or criticize. Do not take time to inquire into the reasonableness of the command or the probably result of your effort to relieve the situation. The supply, judged by human estimate, may fall far short, but in the hands of the Lord it will be more than sufficient. “The servitor set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord.” [Verse 44.] 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 15
We need greater faith. Our spiritual life depends on the vitalizing power of the Holy Spirit. We should have a fuller sense of God’s relationship to those whom He has purchased by the blood of His only begotten Son. We should make efforts to help with cheerfulness, activity, and faith. We should exercise faith in the onward progress of the work of the kingdom of God. 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 16
Let us not waste time by deploring the scantiness of our visible advantages, but let us make the best use of what we have. Energy and trust in God will develop resources, even though the outward appearance may be unpromising. The power of God will enable us, if we use the very best facilities we have, to reach the multitudes who are now starving for the bread of life. 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 17
Why should we be surprised if the offerings we present to God in cheerfulness and love are increased by Him? We do not learn half as much as we should from the lessons of the Bible. The sanctified mind will see that God unites with the one who gives to Him with unselfishness, for such action is akin to heavenly benevolence. We need to take a far broader and more trustful view of God’s relation to this world and His people, through whom He is working to carry out His purposes. By the touch of His divine hand and the word of blessing from His lips, Jesus can increase the scanty provision. By His power He can multiply the scanty store until it is sufficient to place in the hands of His servants for the carrying forward of His work. 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 18
In the work of helping our brethren in Denmark and Norway, let us lift zealously and nobly, and leave the rest with God, with faith to believe that He will enlarge our offerings until they are sufficient to place His institutions in Europe on vantage ground. 15LtMs, Ms 66, 1900, par. 19