Ellen
White and The Voice of
Providence
on Christmas
“A crisis is right upon us. We must now by
the Holy Spirit's power proclaim the great truths for these last days. It
will not be long before everyone will have heard the warning and made his decision.
Then shall the end come. . . . God is the great Master Worker, and by
His providence He prepares the way for His work to be accomplished. He
provides opportunities, opens up lines of influence, and channels of working.
If His people are watching the indications of His providence, and stand ready
to co-operate with Him, they will see a great work accomplished.--Testimonies,
vol. 6, p. 24. (1900) {Ev 703.1}
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Ellen White was giving the "voice of Providence," the
“voice of the great Master Worker,” and not her own opinion, per the
following article. Although there are some who will never cede their personal
opinions on the Christmas issue, it is not because of a lack of presentation
of clear truth on this matter by the Holy Spirit gift to the church. December 11, 1879 The Holidays “We
are rapidly approaching the season of the holidays, and many conscientious
ones are now questioning what course they may pursue that will be pleasing in
the sight of God. By the world the holidays are spent in frivolity and
extravagance, gluttony and display. It is the prevailing custom at this time
to make and receive presents. And it is no small burden upon the mind to know
how to distribute these gifts among friends so that none will feel slighted.
It is a fact that much envy and jealousy are often created by this custom of
making presents. {RH, December 11, 1879 par. 1} Thousands
of dollars will be worse than thrown away upon the coming Christmas and New
Year's in needless indulgences. But it is
our privilege to depart from the customs and practices of this degenerate
age; and instead of expending means merely for the gratification of the
appetite, or for needless ornaments or articles of clothing, we may make the
coming holidays an occasion in which to honor and glorify God. {RH, December 11, 1879 par. 2} Note: Is the following counsel
by Ellen White, indicative of the teaching of pagan custom? Some satanic
fanatics who are possessed by the spirit of Satan think this is paganism! And
this type of fanaticism does great harm to the church for it gives our
enemies cause to wrongly criticize Seventh-day Adventists because of a few
misguided persons who prize their own personal opinion more than the counsel
of the Holy Spirit to the church. End note. We
advise all our brethren and sisters to make a decided reform in regard to these
festal days. Those who appreciate the
gift of God's dear Son to save them from ruin, now have a favorable opportunity to give
tangible proofs of their gratitude by rendering to God their thank-offerings. Let old and young lay aside
their mites as sacred offerings to God.
If we would give to the cause of our Redeemer one-half as much as we have
bestowed upon our friends, we would do much good and receive a blessing for
giving. {RH, December 11, 1879 par. 3} Let us seek to faithfully represent Christ on the
coming festal days by imitating his example as he went about doing good. It is impossible to enjoy the approbation of God while
living for self. As Christians who profess a living faith in the near coming
of the Son of man, keeping all of God's commandments, let us make earnest
efforts to draw near to God through Jesus Christ, and make a covenant with
him by sacrifice. In our principles of action
we must be elevated above the customs and fashions of the world. Christ came to our world to elevate the minds of men to
the divine level, and to bring them into sympathy with the mind of God. {RH,
December 11, 1879 par. 4} As
every blessing we enjoy is brought to us through the condescension,
humiliation, and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we should render to him our best
gifts, above all not withholding ourselves. The infinite sacrifice which
Christ has made to free us from the guilt and woe of sin, should work in
every heart a spirit of gratitude and self-denial which is not manifested by
the world. God's gift of Christ to man filled all Heaven with amazement, and
inspired at his birth the angelic song, "Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will toward men." {RH, December 11, 1879 par.
5} Christmas day, precious reminder of the sacrifice made
in man's behalf, should not be devoted to gluttony and self-indulgence, thus
exalting the creature above the Creator. Let
us who are partakers of this great salvation show that we have some
appreciation of the gift, by rendering to God our thank-offerings. If we would indulge less in feasting and merriment
upon these occasions, and instead make them the means of benefiting humanity, we should
better meet the mind of God. It is a
pleasure and gratification to exchange gifts with our friends; but are
there not nobler and more glorious objects for which we may give our means,
and thus do good by shedding light upon the pathway
of others? {RH, December 11, 1879 par.
6} There are many who have not books and publications upon
present truth. Here is a large field where money can be safely invested.
There are large numbers of little ones who should be supplied with reading. The Sunshine Series,
Golden Grains Series, Poems, Sabbath Readings, etc., are all precious books,
and may be introduced safely into every family. The many trifles usually spent in candies and useless toys, may be
treasured up with which to buy these volumes. {RH, December 11, 1879 par. 7} Note: Ellen White is
advocating the giving of valuable gifts which may safely benefit every
family. Is this a pagan exercise? To some it is! End note.
Children need proper reading, which will afford amusement and recreation, and
not demoralize the mind or weary the body.
If they are taught to love romance and newspaper tales, instructive books and
papers will become distasteful to them. Most children and young people will
have reading matter; and if it is not selected for them, they will select it
for themselves. They can find a ruinous quality of reading anywhere, and they
soon learn to love it; but if pure and good reading is furnished them, they
will cultivate a taste for that. {RH, December 11, 1879 par. 8}
Especial efforts should be made to exclude from our homes that class of
literature which can have no beneficial influence upon our children. Many
times I have been pained to find upon the tables or in the book-cases of
Sabbath-keepers, papers and books full of romance, which their children were
eagerly perusing. {RH, December 11, 1879 par. 9} There
are those who profess to be brethren who do not take the Review, Signs,
Instructor, or Good Health, but take one or more secular papers. Their
children are deeply interested in reading the fictitious tales and love
stories which are found in these papers, and which their father can afford to
pay for, although claiming that he cannot afford to pay for our periodicals
and publications on present truth. Thus parents are educating the taste of
their children to greedily devour the sickly, sensational stories found in newspaper
columns. All such reading is poisonous; it
leaves a stain upon the soul, and encourages a love for cheap reading which
will debase the morals and ruin the mind.
{RH, December 11, 1879 par. 10} Valuable Presents
Parents should guard their children, and teach them to cultivate a pure
imagination and to shun, as they would a leper, the love-sick pen pictures
presented in newspapers. Let publications
upon moral and religious subjects be found on your
tables and in your libraries, that your children may cultivate a taste for
elevated reading. Let those who wish to
make valuable presents to their children, grandchildren, nephews, and nieces,
procure for them the children's books mentioned above. For young people, the Life of Joseph Bates is a
treasure; also the three volumes of Spirit of Prophecy. These volumes should
be placed in every family in the land. God is giving light from Heaven, and
not a family should be without it. Let the presents you shall make be of that
order which will shed beams of light upon the pathway to Heaven. {RH,
December 11, 1879 par. 11}
Anciently the children of Israel were commanded to keep three annual feasts
each year: the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of Weeks. The Lord gave directions that on these occasions their
gifts and offerings were to be consecrated to him, and none should appear
before him empty-handed. But in our day it
has become fashionable to observe these festal occasions in a manner that
would divert the mind from God instead of bringing glory to his name. Those
whom God has blessed with prosperity should acknowledge the Giver, and feel
that where much is given much will be required. {RH, December 11, 1879 par.
12} Our
holidays have been perverted from their intended use. Gifts are lavished upon
one another, and praise which should have been given to God, to whom all
these things belong, is bestowed upon poor mortals. {RH, December 11, 1879
par. 13} Our
houses of worship in Oakland and Battle Creek are under the pressure of debt.
The Dime Tabernacle belongs to us all; we should all have a special interest
in it. In order to accommodate the students at the College, the patients at
the Sanitarium, the laborers at the Office, and the large number of
worshipers constantly coming in from abroad, the erection of this spacious
house of worship was a positive necessity. Great responsibilities rest upon
those at Battle Creek, and also upon those whose arms should be reached out
to sustain these interests at the great heart of the work. Not in all the world is there a battle field for truth and reform
like this. Great interests are involved here. The Sabbath-school and College
are educating the young, and determining the future destiny of souls. There
is here a continual necessity of devising ways and means for the advancement
of truth and the conversion of souls. Our people are not half awake to the
demands of the times. The voice of Providence is
calling upon all who have the love of God in their hearts to arouse to this
great emergency. Never was there
a time when so much was at stake as today. Never was there a period in which
greater energy and self-sacrifice were demanded from God's commandment-
keeping people. {RH, December 11, 1879 par. 14} We
are now nearing the close of another year, and shall we not make these festal
days opportunities in which to bring to God our offerings? I cannot say
sacrifices, for we shall only be rendering to God that which is his already,
and which he has only intrusted to us till he shall
call for it. God would be well pleased if on Christmas, each church would
have a Christmas tree on which shall be hung offerings, great and small, for
these houses of worship. Letters of inquiry have come to us asking, Shall we have
a Christmas tree? Will it not be like the world? We answer, You can make it
like the world if you have a disposition to do so, or you can make it as
unlike the world as possible. There is no particular sin in selecting a fragrant evergreen, and placing it in our churches; but the sin
lies in the motive which prompts to action, and the use which is made of the
gifts placed upon the tree. {RH, December
11, 1879 par. 15} The
tree may be as tall and its branches as wide as shall best suit the occasion;
but let its boughs be laden with the
golden and silver fruit of your beneficence, and present this to Him as your
Christmas gift. Let your donations be
sanctified by prayer, and let the fruit upon this consecrated tree be applied
toward removing the debts from our houses of worship at Battle Creek, Mich.,
and Oakland, Cal. {RH, December 11, 1879 par. 16} A
word to the wise is sufficient. |
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