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D - Spirit of Prophecy

Love’s agencies have wonderful power, for they are divine. The soft answer that “turns away wrath,” the love that “suffers long and is kind,” the charity that “will cover a multitude of sins” if we would learn the lesson, our lives would be gifted with power for healing. Life would be transformed, & the earth would become a likeness & foretaste of heaven! Ed 114

If the heart is refined, softened, & ennobled, the words & actions will testify to the fact. When the soul has been entirely surrendered to God, there will be a firm reliance upon his promises, & earnest prayer & determined effort to control the words & actions. RH Sept. 1, 1885

There is wonderful power in silence. Words spoken in reply to one who is angry sometimes serve only to exasperate; but anger met with silence, in a tender, forbearing spirit, quickly dies away. GW 475

When unkind, untrue words are spoken to you, do not lose control of yourself. Remember that “a soft answer turneth away wrath” & that he that rules his spirit is greater than he that taketh a city. TDG 70

There is no use of putting harshness into the voice. 1888 1756

In every season of worship we are to cultivate the voice, overcoming all harshness & strange accent. 14 Lt Ms, Ms 68 1899

It is essential for you to soften & subdue your manner of address, else you will do harm. Do not exhibit your natural traits of character, but be clothed with humility. You have most powerful truth to present, & it will exert its influence if your life testifies to your close relation to Christ. 1888 1756

But there is about this new Teacher a power that holds them spellbound. The sweetness of divine love flows from His very presence as the fragrance from a flower. His words fall like “rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.” All feel instinctively that here is One who reads the secrets of the soul, yet who comes near to them with tender compassion. MB 6

Some are seen to come forth from their daily communion with God clothed with the meekness of Christ. Their words are not like a desolating hail, crushing everything before it; they come forth sweetly from their lips. They scatter seeds of love & kindness all along their path, & that all unconsciously, because Christ lives in their heart. Their influence is felt more than it is seen. 5LtMs, Ms 24, 1887

The sweet influence of His Holy Spirit is teaching & guiding our thoughts, leading us to speak words that will cheer & brighten the pathway of others. 6T 115

Wherever the religion of Christ works, it will brighten & sweeten every detail of life with more than an earthly joy & a higher than earthly peace. 6BC 1117

Christ stood at the head of humanity in the garb of humanity. So full of sympathy & love was His attitude that the poorest were not afraid to come to Him. He was kind to all; easily approached by the most lowly. He went from house to house, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the mourners, soothing the afflicted, speaking peace to the distressed. He took the little children in His arms & blessed them, & spoke words of hope & comfort to the weary mothers. With unfailing tenderness & gentleness He met every form of human woe & affliction. Not for Himself, but for others, did He labor. He was willing to humble Himself, to deny Himself. He did not seek to distinguish Himself. He was the servant of all. LLM 387

All self-exaltation & self-admiration are the result of ignorance of God & of Jesus Christ, whom he has sent. How quickly will self-esteem die, & pride be humbled in the dust, when we view the matchless charms of the character of Christ! The holiness of his character is reflected by all who serve him in spirit & in truth. If our lips have need of cleansing, if we realize our destitution, & come to God in contrition of heart, the Lord will remove the uncleanness. He will say to his angel, “Take away the filthy garments,” & clothe him with “change of raiment.” RH Dec. 22, 1896

Only the love that flows from the heart of Christ can heal. Only a person in whom that love flows, even as the sap in the tree or the blood in the body, can restore the wounded soul. Ed 113

If we give smiles, they will be returned to us; if we speak pleasant, cheerful words, they will be spoken to us again. ST Feb. 12, 1885

But those who are so busy in dissecting the words & acts of others to discover all that is objectionable fail to discern the good & pleasant things. They do not eat of the proper food to promote spiritual vitality & healthy growth. 2MCP 635

Do not allow your mind to dwell upon unpleasant things. 2BIO 431

Those who represent Christ will not speak harshly. Their words will be pleasant & helpful. “Speaking the truth in love,” we “grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ...” HP 321

We can manifest a thousand little attentions in friendly words & pleasant looks, which will be reflected upon us again. AH 428

Pleasant voices, gentle manners, & sincere affection that finds expression in all the actions, together with industry, neatness, & economy, make even a hovel the happiest of homes. AH 422

Kind, cheerful, encouraging words will prove more effective than the most healing medicines. These will bring courage to the heart of the desponding & discouraged, & the happiness & sunshine brought into the family by kind acts & encouraging words will repay the effort tenfold. Under the influence of meekness, kindness, & gentleness, an atmosphere is created that will heal & not destroy. ML 152

The grace of Christ leads men to speak right words under all circumstances. Bodily suffering is no excuse for unchristlike actions. 7LtMs, MS 19, 1892

Every kind & sympathizing word spoken to the sorrowful, every act to relieve the oppressed, & every gift to supply the necessities of our fellow beings, given or done with an eye to God’s glory, will result in blessings to the giver. Those who are thus working are obeying a law of heaven & will receive the approval of God. The pleasure of doing good to others imparts a glow to the feelings which flashes through the nerves, quickens the circulation of the blood, & induces mental & physical health. 4T 56

The Lord will help every one of us where we need help the most in the grand work of overcoming & conquering self. Let the law of kindness be upon your lips & the oil of grace in your heart. This will produce wonderful results. You will be tender, sympathetic, courteous. You need all these graces. The Holy Spirit must be received & brought into your character; then it will be as holy fire, giving forth incense which will rise up to God, not from lips that condemn, but as a healer of the souls of men. Your countenance will express the image of the divine. YRP 81

Kind words are as dew & gentle showers to the soul. The Scripture says of Christ, that grace was poured into His lips, that He might “know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.” And the Lord bids us, “Let your speech be alway with grace” “that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” GW 122

Never lose an opportunity to say a word to encourage & inspire hope. 5T 612

The words, the spirit, the attitude, determine the scale of usefulness. RH Mar. 22, 1898

In my younger days I used to talk too loud. The Lord has shown me that I could not make the proper impression upon the people by getting the voice to an unnatural pitch. Christ was presented before me, & His manner of talking; & there was a sweet melody in His voice. His voice, in a slow, calm manner, reached those who listened; His words penetrated their hearts, & they were able to catch on to what He said before the next sentence was spoken. By earnest prayer & diligent effort we are to obtain a fitness for speaking. This fitness includes uttering every syllable clearly, placing the force & emphasis where it belongs. Speak slowly. Many speak rapidly, hurrying one word after another so fast that the effect of what they say is lost. The Saviour’s voice was as music to the ears of those who had been accustomed to the monotonous, spiritless preaching of the scribes & Pharisees. He spoke slowly & impressively, emphasizing those words to which He wished His hearers to give special heed. Old & young, ignorant & learned, could catch the full meaning of His words. This would have been impossible had He spoken in a hurried way & rushed sentence upon sentence without a pause. The people were very attentive to Him, & it was said of Him that He spoke not as the scribes & Pharisees; for His word was as of one who had authority. 2MCP 580-581

Let the voice express sympathy & tenderness. Christ's voice was full of pathos. WM 94

Had he raised His voice to an unnatural key... the pathos & melody of the human voice would have been lost, & much of the force of the truth destroyed. Ev 55

The teachings of Christ were impressive & solemn; His voice was melodious. And should not we, as well as Christ, study to have melody in our voices? 2T 617

“His speech is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely.” Study the life that Christ lived while on this earth. He did not neglect the smallest, simplest duty. Perfection marked all that He did. Look to Him for help, & you will be enabled to perform your daily duties with the grace & dignity of one who is seeking for the crown of immortal life. We dwell much on the grandeur of Christ's life. We speak of the great things that He accomplished, of the miracles He wrought, of how He spoke peace to the tempestuous waters, restored sight to the blind & hearing to the deaf, & raised the dead to life. But His attention to small things is even higher proof of His greatness... The divine beauty of the character of Christ, of whom the noblest & most gentle among men are but a faint reflection; of whom Solomon by the Spirit of inspiration wrote, He is “the chiefest among ten thousand... Yea, he is altogether lovely”; ...the self-denying Redeemer, throughout His pilgrimage of love on earth was a living representation of the character of the law of God. HP 63

The Lord Jesus is our only helper. Through His grace we shall learn to cultivate love, to educate ourselves to speak kindly & tenderly. Through His grace our cold, harsh manners will be transformed. The law of kindness will be upon our lips, & those who are under the precious influences of the Holy Spirit, will not feel that it is an evidence of weakness to weep with those who weep, to rejoice with them that rejoice. We are to cultivate heavenly excellences of character. We are to learn what it means to have good-will toward all men, a sincere desire to be as sunshine & not as shadow in the lives of others. 3BC 1164

A great deal of mischief is wrought in the imagination of our own hearts & minds when we seek to carry our own way contrary to the law of kindness. Here is where many fail. We do not cultivate a disposition to kindness… He wants to encircle each of us with the atmosphere of heaven, that we may give to the world an example that will honor the religion of Christ. YRP 84

Your influence reaches the soul; you touch not a wire but that vibrates back to God.... It is your duty to be Christians in the highest sense of the word - “Christlike.” It is through the unseen lines that attract you to other minds with which you are brought in contact that may, if you are in constant connection with God, leave impressions that will make you a savor of life unto life. Otherwise, if you are selfish, if you are self-exalted, if you are worldly-minded, no matter what your position, no matter what your experience has been, or how much you know, if you are not having the law of kindness on your lips, sweet fragrance of love springing from your heart, you can do nothing as it ought to be done. ML 178

…we must have heaven. We must not let anything keep us from gaining eternal life. Be humble, meek, & lowly, kind, pitiful, & tenderhearted. Do not look at & talk of the failings of others. Remember that you become like that which you behold. Eternal life is worth everything to us. Let us talk about the goodness & power & glory of Christ. You can be a blessing in the church if you will let your light shine. By your example you may teach others how to shine. Do not bring in darkness by exalting the power of the enemy above the power of the Lord Jesus. All you have to do is to open your heart to the bright beams of the sunshine of Christ’s grace & glory. Talk faith, pure, sacred, holy faith. Bear no discouraging testimony, for this pleases the enemy. Talk of the goodness of God. Then let us not discourage others by talking of defects of character. Talk of the light. Heaven is full of light. Christ is the Light of the world. Speak hopeful words, strong, comforting words. Look away from the imperfections of others, & by your practical godliness show those around you the better way. UL 329

Let the tenderness & mercy that Jesus has revealed in His own precious life be an example to us of the manner in which we should treat our fellow beings.... Many have fainted & become discouraged in the great struggle of life, whom one word of kindly cheer & courage would have strengthened to overcome... We cannot tell how far reaching may be our tender words of kindness, our Christ-like efforts to lighten some burden. The erring can be restored in no other way than in the spirit of meekness, gentleness, & tender love. ML 235

The greater their influence, the larger is their responsibility, & the greater the necessity to comfort themselves as God’s stewards, that they may deal with Christlike tenderness & consideration, & reveal the fine feelings which should control men who occupy positions of trust. Those who are placed in responsible positions should be as fathers, - just, tender, & true. They should represent the character of Christ. RH Oct. 8, 1895

He asked His questions with a grace that charmed these learned men... Even in His childhood He spoke words of comfort & tenderness to young & old. BLJ 64

If the sinner repents because of your kind & loving admonition, work has been done for eternity. ...This is living the law of God. In thus dealing with our brethren, we may make an impression on others that will never fade from their minds. We may not remember some act of kindness which we do, it may fade from our memory; but eternity will bring out in all its brightness, every act done for the salvation of souls, every word spoken for the comfort of God’s children; & these deeds done for Christ’s sake will be a part of our joy through all eternity. RH Feb. 24, 1891

My brethren, let your hearts become broken & contrite. Let expressions of sympathy & love, which will not blister the tongue, flow from your lips. Let others feel that warmth which love can create in the heart… RH Jan. 2, 1894

Naturally we are self-centered & opinionated. But when we learn the lessons that Christ desires to teach us, we become partakers of His nature; henceforth we live His life. The wonderful example of Christ, the matchless tenderness with which He entered into the feelings of others, weeping with those who wept, rejoicing with those who rejoiced, must have a deep influence upon the character of all who follow Him in sincerity. The wonderful example of Christ, the matchless tenderness with which He entered into the feelings of others, weeping with those who wept, rejoicing with those who rejoiced, must have a deep influence upon the character of all who follow Him in sincerity. By kindly words & acts they will try to make the path easy for weary feet. MH 157, 158

This world is not heaven, but it is the workshop of God for the fitting up of His people for a pure & holy paradise. And while each one of us is to feel that he is a part of the great web of humanity, he must not expect that others in that web will be without a flaw any more than himself. Mistakes will be made, & if the erring are willing to be corrected, a valuable experience is gained, so that to heir defeat is turned to victory. You should consider that many of your own errors are not brought to light, & be careful not to make the mistakes & imperfection of others appear in their worst light, either to yourself or to others. TMK 186

Let your zeal be manifest, not in exposing your variances but in cultivating the precious plant of love, just as Jesus has told us to do. 15MR 300

He who manifests the spirit of tenderness, forbearance, & love will find that the same spirit will be reflected upon him... ML 84

There are many ways in which church members may give the message to those around them. One of the most successful is by living helpful, unselfish, Christian lives. Those who are fighting the battle of life at great odds may be refreshed & strengthened by little attentions which cost nothing. Kindly words simply spoken, little attentions simply bestowed, will sweep away the clouds of temptation & doubt that gather over the soul. The true heart expression of Christlike sympathy, given in simplicity, has power to open the door of hearts that need the simple, delicate touch of the spirit of Christ. 9T 30

The truth is designed to sanctify the receiver, to fashion & mold the entire man, externally as well as internally, by abasing pride & disposing his heart to be kind & amiable & condescending. Yes, the religion of Christ is a system of the truest politeness, & its triumphs are complete when a world may look on a people professing godliness with a united front, believers showing habitual tenderness of feeling & kindness of deportment & sincere regard for the reputation of each other. OHC 237

In order to perfect Christian character, the whole man must be molded after the standard of Heaven. Kindness & amiability are essential qualities in the child of God... Virtue, honesty, kindness, & faithful integrity make noble characters; they will win esteem even of unbelievers, & their influence in the church will be very precious. RH Sept. 8, 1885

The life of Jesus is full of kindness & love. AH 178

Everyone who claims to be a Christian should examine himself, & see if he is as kind & considerate of his fellow beings as he desires his fellow beings to be of him. When this is done there will be a showing that is after the divine similitude. WM 85

This is the way in which misunderstandings are to be settled. Speaking alone, & in the spirit of Christ to the one who is in fault, will often remove the difficulty. Show Christlike love for your brother by seeking to adjust the difficulty “between thee & him alone.” Talk quietly together. Let no angry words escape your lips. Present the subject in a way that will appeal to his best judgment. And if he will hear you, you have gained him as a friend. Whatever the character of the offense may be, this does not change the plan God has made for the settlement of misunderstandings & personal injuries. Act out the spirit of Christ. Take the recipe God has provided, & carry it to the spiritually diseased [one]. Give him the remedy that will cure the disease of disaffection. Do your part to help him. Feel that it is a duty & privilege to do this, for the sake of the unity & peace of the church, which is very dear to the heart of Christ. He does not want any wound to remain unhealed on any member of His church. All heaven is interested in the interview between the injured member & the one who has been guilty of error. After settling the difficulty, pray together, & angels of God will come to you & bless you. There is music in heaven over this union. UL 106

Learn to be as lenient toward others as you wish God & others to be toward you. Have the forgiving love of Jesus in your hearts, that Jesus may forgive you. The spirit of retaliation must be banished from the heart before the Holy Spirit can abide in the soul. 13MR 77

It is present religion we need, not an imaginary religion. It is a Saviour today to help us. It is to reveal Christ in our words today; it is to be kind, tender, & affectionate today; it is to esteem others better than ourselves today. Each separate word & action is to show consecration not to ourselves, but to God. Each day, each hour, let the heart go out after God: “Here, Lord, am I, Thy property; take me, use me today. I lay all my plans at Thy feet; I will have no way of my own in the matter. My time is Thine; my whole life is Thine. Thou hast bought me with a price.” Let the heart be constantly going forth to God for strength, for grace every moment. 21MR 306, 307

All murmuring, all complaining, will be put aside by the true Christian. ST November 14, 1892

When the Holy Spirit comes into the soul, there will be no desire to complain & murmur because we do not have everything we want; rather, we will thank God from a full heart for the blessings that we have. There is great need of more thankfulness among our workers today; & until they have this spirit they will be unprepared for a place in the kingdom of heaven. YRP 84

When one once gives place to an angry spirit, he is just as much intoxicated as the man who has put the glass to his lips. Learn the eloquence of silence & know that God respects the purchase of the blood of Christ. Educate yourselves; we must learn every day. We must come up higher & higher & closer to God. 2MCP 582

Cain brought his offering unto the Lord with murmuring & infidelity in his heart in regard to the promised Sacrifice. He was unwilling to strictly follow the plan of obedience, & procure a lamb & offer it with the fruit of the ground. He merely took of the fruit of the ground, & disregarded the requirement of God. 1SP 55

The blood of beasts was to be associated in the minds of sinners with the blood of the Son of God. The death of the victim was to evidence to all that the penalty of sin was death. By the act of sacrifice, the sinner acknowledged his guilt, & manifested his faith, looking forward to the great & perfect sacrifice of the Son of God, which the offering of beasts prefigured. 1SP 53

God had made known to Adam that without shedding of blood there could be no remission of sin. Cain was not particular to bring even the best of the fruits. Abel advised his brother not to come before the Lord without the blood of a sacrifice. Cain being the eldest, would not listen to his brother. He despised his counsel, & with doubt & murmuring in regard to the necessity of the ceremonial offerings, he presented his offering. But God did not accept it. Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock, & of the fat as God had commanded; & in full faith of the Messiah to come, & with humble reverence, he presented the offering. God had respect unto his offering. A light flashes from Heaven & consumes the offering of Abel. Cain sees no manifestation that his is accepted. He is angry with the Lord, & with his brother. God condescends to send an angel to Cain to converse with him. The angel inquires of him the reason of his anger, & informs him that if he does well, & follows the directions God has given, he will accept him, & respect his offering. But if he will not humbly submit to God’s arrangements, & believe & obey him, he cannot accept his offering. The angel tells Cain that it was no injustice on the part of God, or partiality shown to Abel; but that it was on account of his own sin, & disobedience of God’s express command, why he could not respect his offering & if he would do well he would be accepted of God, & his brother should listen to him, & he should take the lead, because he was the eldest. But even after being thus faithfully instructed, Cain did not repent. Instead of censuring & abhorring himself for his unbelief, he still complains of the injustice & partiality of God. And in his jealousy & hatred he contends with Abel, & reproaches him. But Cain hates his brother from the moment that God manifests to him the tokens of his acceptance. His brother Abel seeks to appease his wrath by contending for the compassion of God in saving the lives of their parents, when he might have brought upon them immediate death. He tells Cain that God loved them, or he would not have given his Son, innocent & holy, to suffer the wrath which man by his disobedience deserved to suffer. While Abel justifies the plan of God, Cain becomes enraged, & his anger increases & burns against Abel, until in his rage he slays him. 1SP 55

Those who are constantly at disagreement in the home life, who do not practice the words of the Lord, will not enter into the heavenly mansions, because they would find that which did not suit their taste even in heaven. Heaven is to be the home of those only who are sanctified, refined, & made meet for the society of the saints in light. If we manifest the character of Christ here, keeping all the commandments of God, we shall be cheered & blessed with glimpses of the pleasant home in the mansions Jesus has gone to prepare. Those who, through the grace given us, represent, not their own crude ideas, their own peculiar, hereditary, & cultivated objectionable traits of character, but the character of Christ, will be fit inhabitants for the heavenly city. Our ways, our will, are to be under subjection to God’s will, to be disciplined by his Holy Spirit. If we are courteous & gentle at home, we shall carry the savor of a pleasant disposition when away from home. If we manifest forbearance, patience, meekness, & fortitude in the home, we shall be able to be a light to the world. All murmuring, all complaining, will be put aside by the true Christian. ST November 14, 1892

Do your duty where you are. Make the best investments possible with your entrusted gift in the very place where your work will count the most before God. Put away all murmuring & strife. Labor not for the supremacy. Be not envious of the talents of others; for that will not increase your ability to do a good or a great work. Use your gift in meekness, in humility, in trusting faith, & wait till the day of reckoning, & you will have no cause for grief or shame. BLJ 88

We should seek to obtain the excellence of Christ. In the face of temptation, we should school ourselves to firm endurance, nor should we allow one murmuring thought to arise, although we may be weary with toil & pressed with care. Some have passed through afflictions with light undimmed. Their hope & faith are strong, because acquired through conflict. If it were not for these heroes of faith, who have learned to endure, & to suffer & be strong, the outlook would indeed be discouraging. How could we know how to sympathize with the burdened, the sorrowing, & the afflicted, & to afford them the help they need, if we had never experienced similar trials ourselves? BE June 25, 1894

Every word, every thought of complaining indulged in, is a reflection upon God, a dishonor to His name. We want our hearts attuned to His praise, full of thankfulness, talking of His love, our hearts softened & subdued by the grace of Christ, full of sweetness & peace & fragrance. Think much, & talk little of ourselves, but talk of Jesus; dwell upon His matchless charms. Talk not of our trials, brood not over our privations, but remember Jesus, the Son of God. 21MR 307, 308

God loves the followers of Christ as He loves His only-begotten Son. 1MCP 250

He who is imbued with the Spirit of Christ abides in Christ. Whatever comes to him comes from the Saviour, who surrounds him with His presence. Nothing can touch him except by the Lord’s permission. All our sufferings & sorrows, all our temptations & trials, all our sadness & griefs, all our persecutions & privations, in short, all things work together for our good. All experiences & circumstances are God’s workmen whereby good is brought to us. HDL 30

The apostle Paul, who had received many revelations from the Lord, met difficulties from various sources, & amidst all his conflicts & discouragements, he did not lose his confidence & trust in God. Under the special tuition of the Holy Spirit, his judgment was purified, refined, elevated, sanctified. The devising of human beings & of the enemy against him, were to him a means of discipline & education, & he declares that thus he gained most excellent knowledge, because he made the Lord Jesus his dependence. BTS Nov. 1, 1903

D - Spirit of Prophecy

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