Why are God’s people destroyed?

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”
Hosea 4:6.

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. “
1 Peter 1:5-9.

Who are wiser than the children of light, with regard to temperance?
“And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.”
Luke 16:8.

Why do we eat?
“Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!”
Ecclesiastes 10:17.

What was Apostle John’s wish to our soul?
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
3 John 1:2.

Does God has yet many things to say especially in temperance?
“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.”
John 6:12.

What is the purpose of studying this subject of temperance?
“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”
1 Corinthians 1:10.

What is the object of the gospel ministry?
“The Body--the Arm--the Head. The medical missionary work has never been presented to me in any other way than as bearing the same relation to the work as a whole as the arm does to the body. The gospel ministry is an organization for the proclamation of the truth and the carrying forward of the work for sick and well. This is the body, the medical missionary work is the arm, and Christ is the head over all. Thus the matter has been presented to me.”
Medical Ministry, p 237-238.

What area of health reform where extreme position is taken to the detriment of individuals or churches?
“And since we have become active again, Mrs. White oftener feels called upon to speak upon the subject of health reform because of existing extremes of health reformers, than from any other reason… The complete overthrow of individuals, and the almost destruction of some of our churches, can be clearly traced to some extreme positions upon diet, injudiciously given in the review some time since. the results have been bad. while some have rejected the subject of health reform, because badly handled, others, prompt and conscientious, have carried out the most extreme positions, greatly detrimental to their health, and consequently to the cause of health reform.”
Counsels on Diet and Foods, p 496.

The dissension and disputation in the extreme view in health reform in our time has its counterpart in the times of the apostles. What was it?
“And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.”
Acts 15:1-2.

In what country do these extremes, fanatical views largely taught?
“The temperance question is to have special attention. Work in this line may be called medical missionary work, but that work in its relation to the work of the third angel's message is ever to be recognized as the hand to the body. In America it has been made the head and not the hand.”
Kress Collection, p 123.

A time of restitution of all things.
“And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.”
Acts 3:20-22.

What is Revival? Reformation?
“A revival and a reformation must take place, under the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Revival and reformation are two different things. Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from spiritual death. Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices. Reformation will not bring forth the good fruit of righteousness unless it is connected with the revival of the Spirit. Revival and reformation are to do their appointed work, and in doing this work they must blend.”
Selected Messages, vol 1, p 128.

In adopting tests or theories, what is our basis?
“Do not advocate theories or tests that Christ has never mentioned, and that have no foundation in the Bible. We have grand, solemn truths for the people. "It is written" is the test that must be brought home to every soul.”
Gospel Workers, p 309.

Are we to hide the truth?
“Not one feature of the truth is to be hidden or made of little account.”
Selected Messages, vol 3, p 21.

What are the conditions of receiving light?
“Purity and steadfastness of purpose are the conditions of receiving light from God. He who desires to know the truth must be willing to accept all that it reveals. He can make no compromise with error. To be wavering and halfhearted in allegiance to truth is to choose the darkness of error and satanic delusion.”
Desire of Ages, p 312-313.

Was Christ an extremist?
“Those who are close students of the Word, following Christ in humility of soul, will not go to extremes. The Saviour never went to extremes, never lost self-control, never violated the laws of good taste... Those who follow the example of Christ will not be extremists.”
Gospel Workers, p 317.

For what purpose was the Order of the Jesuits created?
“At this time the order of the Jesuits was created, the most cruel, unscrupulous, and powerful of all the champions of popery. Cut off from earthly ties and human interests, dead to the claims of natural affection, reason and conscience wholly silenced, they knew no rule, no tie, but that of their order, and no duty but to extend its power. The gospel of Christ had enabled its adherents to meet danger and endure suffering, undismayed by cold, hunger, toil, and poverty, to uphold the banner of truth in face of the rack, the dungeon, and the stake. To combat these forces, Jesuitism inspired its followers with a fanaticism that enabled them to endure like dangers, and to oppose to the power of truth all the weapons of deception. There was no crime too great for them to commit, no deception too base for them to practice, no disguise too difficult for them to assume. Vowed to perpetual poverty and humility, it was their studied aim to secure wealth and power, to be devoted to the overthrow of Protestantism, and the re-establishment of the papal supremacy.
“When appearing as members of their order, they wore a garb of sanctity, visiting prisons and hospitals, ministering to the sick and the poor, professing to have renounced the world, and bearing the sacred name of Jesus, who went about doing good. But under this blameless exterior the most criminal and deadly purposes were often concealed. It was a fundamental principle of the order that the end justifies the means. By this code, lying, theft, perjury, assassination, were not only pardonable but commendable, when they served the interests of the church. Under various disguises the Jesuits worked their way into offices of state, climbing up to be the counselors of kings, and shaping the policy of nations. They became servants to act as spies upon their masters. They established colleges for the sons of princes and nobles, and schools for the common people; and the children of Protestant parents were drawn into an observance of popish rites. All the outward pomp and display of the Romish worship was brought to bear to confuse the mind and dazzle and captivate the imagination, and thus the liberty for which the fathers had toiled and bled was betrayed by the sons. The Jesuits rapidly spread themselves over Europe, and wherever they went, there followed a revival of popery.”
Great Controversy, p 234-235.

What does Satan do to bind souls if he cannot keep them?
“We have found in our experience that if Satan cannot keep souls bound in the ice of indifference, he will try to push them into the fire of fanaticism.”
Testimonies for the Church, vol 5, p 644.

What path should we take to avoid extremes?
“You need not go into the water, or into the fire, but take the middle path, avoiding all extremes.”
Counsels on Diet and Foods, p 211.

Who are the most rigid in advocating extreme in diet?
“Those who have but a partial understanding of the principles of reform are often the most rigid, not only in carrying out their views themselves, but in urging them on their families and their neighbors. The effect of their mistaken reforms, as seen in their own ill-health, and their efforts to force their views upon others, give many a false idea of dietetic reform, and lead them to reject it altogether.
Counsels on Diet and Foods, p 198.

“Those who understand the laws of health, and who are governed by principle, will shun the extremes, both of indulgence and of restrictions. Their diet is chosen, not for the mere gratification of appetite, but for the upbuilding of the body.”
Counsels on Diet and Foods, p 198.

What is often the source of most church trials?
“The abuses of the stomach by the gratification of appetite, are the fruitful source of most church trials.”

Counsels on Diet and Foods, p 50.

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