I was shown that with you, I and mine have come to be first. You have had so great a care for yourself that the Lord has had no room to work for you. You have given Him no chance. He has, in a great measure, given Brother L and yourself up to work according to your own judgment, that you might be convinced that your wisdom is foolishness. You have not worked for the interest of the widow and fatherless, as the Lord has especially enjoined upon His followers; neither have you made the cases of the Lord’s poor your own, by taking a special interest in them, nor have you sought to glorify God and magnify His name; therefore the Lord has suffered you and Brother L to pursue a course of your own choosing. He has permitted you to look out for yourselves. Your own selfish interests have been the foundation of your actions, and you will reap the harvest which you yourselves have sown. I saw that you would verily receive the reward that sooner or later follows the serving of your own selfish interest. “Give an account of thy stewardship,” must be heard by you. You are accountable to God for the work entrusted to you, which you have shamefully neglected in order to serve yourselves. {2T 569.3}

Gud forlanger ikke mindre af hans folk i disse sidste dage, i gaver og ofre, end han gjorde af det jødiske folk. Dem som han har velsignet med gode kår, skal, selv ikke enken og den faderløse, være glemt i velsignelserne. Især bør de som Gud har begunstiget give det til ham som er hans. De bør vise sig for ham med selvopofrelse og bringe deres gaver i overensstemmelse med de velsignelser som han har udbredt over dem. Men mange af dem Gud giver fremgang viser et grundlag for utaknemmelighed imod ham. Hvis hans velsignelser hviler på dem og han forøger deres gods, vil de gøre denne gavmildhed til bånd der binder dem til deres besiddelser; de tillader verdslige foretagender at tage sæde i deres kærlighed og hele deres væsen og forsømmer helligelse og religiøse privilegier. De kan ikke overskue at forlade deres forretninger og komme frem for Gud blot en gang om året. De vender Guds velsignelser til en forbandelse. De tjener deres egne timelige interesser og forsømmer Guds forlangender.