Kress, Brother and Sister [D. H.]
St. Helena, California
September 2, 1906
Portions of this letter are published in OHC 16.
Dear Brother and Sister Kress:
I have read your letters once, but shall read them again. I have no light concerning your removal from your present position. When the Lord raises up a man to stand by your side to share your responsibilities, then it will be consistent for you to share your burdens with him. But do not worry. Let the Lord indicate your duty. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself.” [John 14:1-3.] 21LtMs, Lt 290, 1906, par. 1
It is not profitable to conjecture what will be in the future. If we live by the Word of God daily, making it our counselor, we will reveal Christ in our character. We are to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord Jesus, whose life was a sacrifice. After He clothed His divinity with humanity, Christ died not a martyr, but a victim; not an example, but a sacrifice. As “never man spake like this man” [John 7:46], so never man lived like this man and never man died like this man. 21LtMs, Lt 290, 1906, par. 2
The Lord will open to us even in this life wondrous things out of His Word. What was the proof that Christ was risen? The Word of God says, “In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead; and, behold, He goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring His disciples word.” [Matthew 28:1-8.] 21LtMs, Lt 290, 1906, par. 3
The very best evidence that we have that Christ is the Son of God is our personal experience. That which our heart has felt, which confirms the inspired Word of God, makes our experience a living reality; and let not Satan in any way allure the mind or confuse the spiritual knowledge. We have Christ. We are not taught this evidence of man, but of the Lord Jesus Himself. He said to His disciples and mother, “Whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto Him, Lord, we know not whither Thou goest; and how can we know the way?” [John 14:4, 5.] Here unbelief comes in. 21LtMs, Lt 290, 1906, par. 4
Brother and Sister Kress, I hope we will, through the evidence that Christ has given us, revive our faith daily, through the Word. Be of good courage. I am only troubled as I see men who ought to know the Way, the Truth, and the Life, stumbling in uncertain paths and losing their faith in the works and ways of God. O what a treasure is the fifteenth chapter of John! It is full of encouragement and assurance and hope. I would advise you to talk faith and to lift others up on the platform of faith. 21LtMs, Lt 290, 1906, par. 5
“Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto Him, Art Thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of Me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered Thee unto me: what hast Thou done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is My kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto Him, Art Thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice. Pilate saith unto Him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in Him no fault at all. But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.” [John 18:33-40.] 21LtMs, Lt 290, 1906, par. 6
This is the very experience we shall have to pass through. But how rejoiced we should be that Christ is where He takes a view of all these things. It would be well for our people to brace up for Christ’s sake, knowing that every circumstance of our life is open before Him with whom we have to do, and He will sustain us. But we are to stand on the elevated platform of eternal truth. Every false platform will be shaken to pieces, and therefore we are not to trust any man or think too much of the words that they may speak, or afflict our souls on account of them just now in the peculiar circumstances in which we may be. Cling to the mighty One; lean not on man, but lean with all your faith and assurance upon Jesus. He will help and bless and strengthen you. We can see the evidence of our God and the proof of the great care the Lord Jesus has for those who accept Him as their personal Saviour. His Word is truth, and it is a power to every soul that walks humbly before God. The way we may become strong is to repeat and never tire of repeating how sure and steadfast we are in contemplating the truth as it is in Jesus. 21LtMs, Lt 290, 1906, par. 7
As we have been great receivers, let us magnify the Lord and be great givers. The plain duty we have to do is to lift up before the people the way of the Lord. Lift Him up in prayer by that faith which works by love and purifies the soul. We are to reveal the fragrance of the life of Christ in our lives. 21LtMs, Lt 290, 1906, par. 8
“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” [John 14:6.] What would be the use of a way direct and sure in its course to glory, if no light of truth shone upon that path that travellers should desire it? What would be the use of truth shining on the way if there was no life in the persons that walked in the way, in the pilgrims’ journey from the earthly to the heavenly? But having the statement of Christ, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” all who believe in Jesus, the Leader, may in confidence walk heavenward, sure that we are in the path outlined in the Word as the Way. There is safety in following this way of which it is stated, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Christ is the foundation of all spiritual life. As in God we live and move and have our being, we have our natural life through Christ in God. 21LtMs, Lt 290, 1906, par. 9
If possible, cheer up, Sister Olsen. I hope the dear soul will not get Elder Olsen unsettled. If it is best for him to leave his present field of labor, he himself will understand it. 21LtMs, Lt 290, 1906, par. 10