MOUNT CARMEL'S NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

Having availed ourselves of an opportunity to come to Texas with an old friend and neighbor, my wife and I, after visiting and studying with some of the believers along the way from the east, are happy to be at Mt. Carmel Center just at the time when many Christians are making resolutions which, they hope, will serve as an incentive for reaching higher ideals in spiritual life. These resolutions are usually of a reformatory nature, and those who make them generally determine to exchange some bad habit for a good one.

Mt. Carmel Center's being established for the express purpose of setting the lead and directing in a reformation among God's people and moreover not desiring to "come behind in any good gift," we who man her batteries are also covenanting with God that we will, by His help, reach a higher standard during the coming year than we have in the past.

Some may say, "I do not believe in making pledges, promises, or resolutions," arguing that it is not right, but a close study of the Scriptures and the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy will reveal the fact that the outstanding characters of Bible times kept ever before themselves a goal -- a purpose or resolution -- and then subjected every other interest of life to this one end. Notable among these covenantors of the Bible is Daniel, who "purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank," thus being enabled to stand even that test which sent him to the den of lions, from which the angel of the Lord delivered him.

In like manner the three companions of Daniel, when brought to a test of their faith; expressed to the king their determined purpose to live a victorious life, declaring emphatically, "be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." As a result of their resolution, the "Son of God", Himself, came down to the furnace, which was heated "seven times more than it was wont to be heated," and delivered these young men who, in the very face of death as it were, had made such a resolution.

In the New Testament, we find the Apostle Paul, a man who always desired to attain to greater heights, realizing upon taking a retrospect of his pre-christian, or early life's labors, that they were not satisfactory either to himself or the Master Worker, declaring emphatically, "I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." As the burden of the work rests more and more heavily upon this veteran soldier of the cross, and as he realizes that there are still higher standards for him to reach, and as he desires not to be considered boastful, he humbly confesses that "I count not myself to have apprehended," after which he bursts forth in strains of holy zeal and eloquence, born of deep earnestness, resolving unto himself that "this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Then follows His admonition to the brethren, which clearly shows that those who were "thus minded" were to "walk by the same rule", being "followers together of" Paul in this determined purpose to make the future better than the past.

It was our privilege to speak to the workers at Mt. Carmel on a recent Sabbath afternoon, at which time the Lord directed our minds to some of the dangers always present among a group such as compose the staff here, and it seemed that the Holy Spirit took possession of the entire congregation, leading them into a renewed consecration, and virtually everyone present responded to the Spirit's call, by bearing a positive testimony that the new week just ahead must be a better one than any other in their Christian experience. This meeting made such a profound impression upon us that we felt impelled to enter into a solemn agreement with the Lord in respect to the New Year just ahead.

At the midweek prayer meeting, all present were of one mind, reaffirming their Sabbath decision to take an advanced step in the Christian life, and to encourage all our brethren by a resolution setting forth our determined purpose, under God, for the coming year, to drive on to the same end. Hence, all agreed that be it Mt. Carmel's New Year's Resolution:

"That we, the residents of Mt. Carmel Center, solemnly covenant with our loving heavenly Father, and with one another, that, by God's help, we will make the year 1937 better than the one just past, by 'talking less and praying more,' and by learning to be more 'kind and courteous and tender-hearted and pitiful,' one toward the other, and that when speaking of our brethren, we will take as our motto, in the words of Paul, that supreme and sublime injunction: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

In making the above resolution, we were mindful of what the servant of the Lord wrote to her son on his birthday, calling his attention to the fact that no resolution made and undertaken in his own strength would avail anything. The letter admonishes in part: "Your resolutions may be good and sincere, but they will prove a failure unless you make God your strength, and move forward with a firm determination of purpose." -- "Testimonies for the Church,'' Vol. 2, p. 262.

Biblioteca

(Waco TX) Mount Carmel's New Year's resolution