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God Still Leads-2
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Dec. 6 - God Still Leads-2

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In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Prov. 3:6.

Yesterday we left Ellen White with her "impossible" dreams of acquiring several properties in southern California. And it was an excellent time to buy such properties. Late in the nineteenth century others had built many beautiful sanitariums in the area. But then came prolonged droughts. Without water the institutions began to shut down. Those closings presented an opening for the Adventists. But even a good bargain isn't of much help to those without money.

Well, they did manage to dig up some. The first property purchased for the church was San Fernando College, obtained for $10,000 in 1902--less than one fourth its original cost.

The second was an inactive sanitarium in Paradise Valley near San Diego, consisting of a three-story building on 20 acres of land. Its developers had spent much money on the property, but hard times had come and the building had remained unoccupied for more than 10 years. When Ellen White first visited Paradise Valley, she was onvinced that the Adventists would purchase it.

The main building had cost $25,000, but now its owners offered the entire property for $12,000. But where could local Adventists get the money? They couldn't look to the General Conference. And the Southern California Conference with its 1,100 members was $40,000 in debt and had recently purchased the San Fernando property. Those amounts of money look small today, but for those times they were huge. No way could the conference raise $12,000.

Even when the price dropped to $8,000 and then to $6,000 it still seemed hopeless. But
when it went to $4,000, Mrs. White personally borrowed $2,000 from the bank at 8 percent interest, got a close friend to put up $2,000, and telegraphed to buy the property.
The first step had been taken toward establishing the church's southern California medical program. That first step, of course, was the easy one. And just how does God lead His church?

The short answer is by guiding individuals to see His vision of what can be done. He opens the doors. It is up to us to walk through them.


 

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"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." 1 Cor. 2:9. As the sinner, drawn by the power of Christ, approaches the uplifted cross, and prostrates himself before it, there is a new creation. A new heart is given him. He becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus. Holiness finds that it has nothing more to require(COL 163).
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