Daily Living

The Marian Phenomena

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The Marian phenomena, which consists of tens of thousands of sightings, or apparitions of Mary, the mother of Christ, is clearly known to Adventists to be a deception on a massive scale. With the knowledge of the Biblical teaching on the state of the dead we know that each and every sighting is a manifestation of the miracle working power of demons, since Mary, the mother of Jesus, is still resting in her grave awaiting the return of Jesus and the resurrection. Yet, the enormous numbers of sightings and the impact that the Marian movement is having, coupled with an understanding of last day events, as given in scripture and in the Spirit of Prophecy, compels us to examine this phenomena. This examination reveals astonishing events that lead us to believe that we may well be seeing the evidence of the devil’s overmastering deception that is calculated to deceive the world.

Both the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy are replete with warnings about deceptions that God’s last day people, His remnant church, will face in these closing days of the great controversy. In 2 Thessalonians 2: 8-12 we read: “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Paul is trying to tell us here that there is no middle ground. Either we know and love the truth or we will be deceived. “Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of truth will be shielded from the powerful delusions that take the world captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise.” The Great Controversy, 625.

We are warned of strong, almost overmastering delusions and told that if possible even the very elect should be deceived. “As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ . . . He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion.” The Great Controversy, 624, 625.

“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Matthew 24: 23, 24.

Today, Satan’s two great masterpieces of deception are at work to try to destroy God’s elect. Inspiration defines these clearly for us. “Satan’s masterpiece of deception is popery; and while it has been demonstrated that a day of great intellectual darkness was favorable to Romanism, it will also be demonstrated that a day of great intellectual light is also favorable to its power.” Signs of the Times, February 19, 1894. “Spiritualism is the masterpiece of deception. It is Satan’s most successful and fascinating delusion.” Signs of the Times, August 26, 1889.

Spiritualism and popery are the methods used by Satan to spread his two most seductive errors. “Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome. The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience.” The Great Controversy, 588.

Certainly the Marian apparitions are spiritualism. The dictionary defines spiritualism as, “A belief that spirits of the dead communicate with the living.” Through these apparitions, Satan is preparing the world for his ultimate deception which will take place when he personates Christ in a false second coming.

Books such as The Thunder of Justice, by Ted and Maureen Flynn and The Keys of This Blood, by Malachi Martin (both Catholic authors) tell us the history of the sightings of “Mary.” They also reveal the plans and goals, which have been clearly announced by Papal leaders or by the apparitions themselves, and give timelines of future predicted events. As we examine Satan’s timetable and plans, it is important to remind ourselves that Satan is a mighty foe but he is not in control of events in the universe. “But God’s servants are not to trust to themselves in this great emergency . . . The world is not without a ruler. The program of coming events is in the hands of the Lord. The Majesty of heaven has the destiny of nations, as well as the concerns of His church, in His own charge.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 753. [Emphasis supplied.]

The times are in God’s hands, not the devil’s. Satan, through his knowledge of scripture and his ability to manipulate events, is able to accurately predict some events, but he is not in control and his predictions are faulty. As part of his masterpiece of deception he works to counterfeit last day events. So, while we are waiting and watching, it is vital that we study to understand last day events so that we will be able to distinguish between the true and the false.

The History of the Marian Movement

“Mary” first appeared on May 13, 1917, to three children in Fatima, Portugal. According to the children’s report, she gave them instructions to say the rosary daily and showed them a vision of hell and told them, that in order to save poor sinners God wants to establish, throughout the world, the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

In October of 1917, 50,000-70,000 people were present when another sighting occurred in Fatima which was accompanied by wonders in the sky and miracles. The message was that a chapel was to be built at the site. A prediction was also made that World War I would soon end. Another prediction that was fulfilled was that two of the children would soon die.

Lucia, one of the three original children, was given a message for the pope. He was instructed that Russia could be saved if all of the bishops of the world would unite in making a consecration of Russia to Mary’s Immaculate Heart. In 1984, a Catholic bishop secretly made a consecration of Russia, while in that country. Not long after this, the Communist empire was broken up and the way was opened for the “conversion” of Russia.

The years since have seen many renewed calls for more adoration of Mary and declarations by the Catholic church that these apparitions were supernatural. Feasts have been instituted and a basilica built at Fatima, and the world, not just Russia, has been repeatedly consecrated to the immaculate heart.

The Marian phenomena is seen in visions, appearances, weeping statues, bleeding icons, cures, signs in the heavens and messages received by the uneducated for popes and presidents. Sightings have occurred around the world. These are claimed, by believers, to fulfill the words of Joel, that God’s spirit will be poured out upon all flesh.

Papal Devotion to the Marian Movement

On the anniversary of the first Fatima apparition, on May 13, 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot. He felt that he was saved by Mary, because, at the moment the gun was fired, he leaned toward a child who was carrying a picture of Our Lady of Fatima, and the shot, which was intended to be fatal, only wounded him. And so began his devotion to the Marian movement. During his recovery he exhaustively examined documents and questioned living witnesses and participants connected with Fatima.

According to the Catholic scholar, Malachi Martin, the pope believes that he received a vision from heaven giving him “the great design of God for the New World order.” The Keys of This Blood, 48. Also, he says, that in this vision, Mary told him he had been spared for a special mission to bring peace to the world. Under conviction that the messages of Fatima were not for a distant time, but that they had an immediate timetable, the pope began to carry out a program of world travel and redoubled his political efforts to prepare the world for the New World Order, with the Church of Rome as its supreme ruler. To show his devotion to “the virgin,” he wears an inscription on the side of his robe, in Latin, stating, “Mary, I’m all yours,” and has an M for Mary on his coat of arms.

According to Catholic sources, Pope John Paul II is waiting for the greatest of all apparitions when “Mary” will declare, from heaven, the day and the hour of Jesus’ coming. (God has told us that He Himself will declare the time of Jesus’ return in glory. In The Great Controversy, 640, we read, “The voice of God is heard from heaven, declaring the day and hour of Jesus’ coming.”) “Mary” is to appear as a woman clothed with the sun giving birth to a child who will rule the nations with a rod of iron.

What does inspiration say about these events? “Little by little he [Satan] has prepared the way for his masterpiece of deception in the development of spiritualism. He has not yet [in Ellen White’s day] reached the full accomplishment of his designs; but it will be reached in the last remnant of time.” Ibid., 561. “Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of the power of miracle-working demons.” Ibid., 624.

The devil will counterfeit every truth and end time event. God’s people will see many miracles and marvelous workings of Satan, but God has given us a source of knowledge that we need not be deceived, if we diligently study. “`To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.’ Isaiah 8:20. The people of God are directed to the Scriptures as their safeguard against the influence of false teachers and the delusive power of spirits of darkness. Satan employs every possible device to prevent men from obtaining a knowledge of the Bible; for its plain utterances reveal his deceptions. At every revival of God’s work the prince of evil is aroused to more intense activity; he is now putting forth his utmost efforts for a final struggle against Christ and His followers. The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested.” The Great Controversy, 593. “None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict.” Ibid.

There have been several predictions made by “Mary,” in different locations and at different times, that relate to the time when this event will happen. Lucia (the woman who saw many of the Fatima apparitions) was told that she would be alive to see the culmination of all these things. Also apparitions have said that the current pope will be the last. (Both the pope and Lucia are now very old.) The last decade of this century has been predicted to bring the completion of all things. However, some of the predictions made by these apparitions have already failed to occur. This alone would be evidence enough to prove that they are not of divine origin. For we know that God never fails!

Uniting the World

As Satan’s designs are fully accomplished, the world will be united. It seems very possible that it will be “Mary” who will appeal to everyone, according to their beliefs. She will say that the one whom they most need is coming to bring love, unity, peace, justice, and prosperity. All the world will wait in great expectation, hope and joy, for the coming of their Savior, who will actually be Satan in a counterfeit second coming.

“As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Savior’s advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13-15. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: `Christ has come! Christ has come!’ The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Savior uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying: This is `the great power of God.’ Acts 8:10.” The Great Controversy, 624.

By appearing in Fatima, the devil has planned a masterful deception to include the entire Moslem world. The Moslems now bow down to worship the images of Mary in the processions of the North African Catholics. It is believed that they will be led to worship her “Son” at his coming. If she were to appear as a woman clothed with the sun, as has been predicted, the pagan religions, based on sun worship, would be likely to join the multitudes in worship.

The Marian phenomena could be what will unite the world. For “Mary” could introduce the “second coming” to the Jews as their Messiah, and to the Chrisitians as Jesus Christ and to Moslems as their Iman Mahdi. Buddists might recognize their Buddha in his fifth incarnation. Hindus could find Krishna and the new age could find the Matryeia, the Cosmic Christ. All, but the very elect of God, will welcome Satan as their savior.

The Catholic world believes, according to Malachi Martin, that, at this spectacular appearing, “Christ” (really the devil in disguise) will hand over the keys to the pope. It will then appear that Satan, the Papacy, and the New World Order are the winners of the great controversy.

What will the condition of God’s people be at this time? “I saw our people in great distress, weeping, and praying, pleading the sure promises of God, while the wicked were all around us, mocking us, and threatening to destroy us. They ridiculed our feebleness, they mocked at the smallness of our numbers, and taunted us with words calculated to cut deep. They charged us with taking an independent position from all the rest of the world. They had cut off our resources so that we could not buy nor sell, and referred to our abject poverty and stricken condition. They could not see how we could live without the world; we were dependent upon the world, and we must concede to the customs, practices, and laws of the world, or go out of it. If we were the only people in the world whom the Lord favored the appearances were awfully against us. They declared that they had the truth, that miracles were among them, that angels from heaven talked with them, and walked with them, that great power, and signs and wonders were performed among them, and this was the Temporal Millennium, which they had been expecting so long. The whole world was converted and in harmony with the Sunday law, and this little feeble people stood out in defiance of the laws of the land, and the laws of God, and claimed to be the only ones right on the earth.” Maranatha, 209.

The Devil’s Goal

This pope has referred to this century as the “Marian times.” What does this mean? Ted Flynn, a Catholic author, explains that in Old Testament times God spoke through the prophets and in New Testament times Jesus spoke, but that now, God is speaking through “Mary.” (See The Thunder of Justice, 171.) It is the devil’s plan to put himself in the place of Jesus in the hearts of mankind. First he uses the guise of “Mary” and then he comes personating Christ.

Saying the rosary replaces praying to our Father in heaven. “Mary” is referred to as the
Mediatrix; yet, we know that the Bible teaches us, “For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5. “Mary” claims to be the refuge and ark, advocate and intercessor, and the mother of the church. There are even claims that “Mary” will place her “motherly seal” on all those who have consecrated themselves to her immaculate heart.

All this has been predicted, has it not? “The time is at hand when Satan will work miracles to confirm minds in the belief that he is God. All the people of God are now to stand on the platform of truth as it has been given in the Third Angel’s Message. All the pleasant pictures, all the miracles wrought, will be presented in order that, if possible, the very elect shall be deceived. The only hope for any one is to hold fast the evidences that have confirmed the truth in righteousness. Let these be proclaimed over and over again, until the close of this earth’s history.” Review and Herald, August 9, 1906.

Ecumenical Associations Ensnare Adventism

Pope John Paul II plans to unite the world by the year 2000. The pope has laid out specific plans for each year of this last decade of the century. There are special plans being made by thousands of organizations representing the United Nations, governments, businesses, educational and religious bodies for that special time. Inter-religious dialog is taking place under the guidelines of the second Vatican council.

Sister White wrote about this very thing in Christian Service, 50. “The world is a theater; the actors, its inhabitants, are preparing to act their part in the last great drama. With the great masses of mankind, there is no unity, except as men confederate to accomplish their selfish purposes. God is looking on. His purposes in regard to His rebellious subjects will be fulfilled. The world has not been given into the hands of men, though God is permitting the elements of confusion and disorder to bear sway for a season. A power from beneath is working to bring about the last great scenes in the drama,–Satan coming as Christ, and working with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in those who are binding themselves together in secret societies. Those who are yielding to the passion for confederation are working out the plans of the enemy. The cause will be followed by the effect.”

There have been worship services on the steps of the capital in Washington where Jerry Falwell said, “We must network together or we will lose this country.” Oral Roberts prayed for “miracles, healings, and deliverance.” And Benny Hinn held a “faith-healing ceremony.” Announcements are regularly coming in the press of union between various churches.

“When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman Hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.” The Great Controversy, 445.

How are these plans affecting the Seventh-day Adventist Church? The news is not good. The plans for dialog between various churches are seen reflected in Adventism. The Adventist Review reported dialog with the leaders of the Lutheran Church. Also, during 1998, the master plan of the pope called for an emphasis on the Holy Spirit in the developing spirit of unity. In the fall of 1998, the Adventist Review issued a special edition on the Holy Spirit. Because of the deep involvement with the World Council of Churches there are demands of cooperation with the ecumenical program as planned by the pope. In the year 2000, there are plans for all churches to be represented in Jerusalem, to celebrate the Eucharist together. Will the Adventist church be represented? If so, there is but one step left to embracing the Sunday law.

“Never did this message apply with greater force than it applies today. More and more the world is setting at nought the claims of God. Men have become bold in transgression. The wickedness of the inhabitants of the world has almost filled up the measure of their iniquity. This earth has almost reached the place where God will permit the destroyer to work his will upon it. The substitution of the laws of men for the law of God, the exaltation, by merely human authority, of Sunday in place of the Bible Sabbath, is the last act in the drama. When this substitution becomes universal, God will reveal Himself. He will arise in His majesty to shake terribly the earth. He will come out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the world for their iniquity, and the earth shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain.” Testimonies, vol. 7, 141.

How vital it is that God’s people be unified in the battle against this deceptive power. We must remember who the enemy is and fight together as an army under the banner of Christ, where there will be perfect order and harmony. “As we approach the last crisis, it is of vital moment that harmony and unity exist among the Lord’s instrumentalities. The world is filled with storm and war and variance. Yet under one head-the papal power-the people will unite to oppose God in the person of His witnesses. This union is cemented by the great apostate. While he seeks to unite his agents in warring against the truth he will work to divide and scatter its advocates. Jealousy, evil surmising, evil speaking, are instigated by him to produce discord and dissension. The members of Christ’s church have the power to thwart the purpose of the adversary of souls. At such a time as this let them not be found at variance with one another or with any of the Lord’s workers. Amidst the general discord let there be one place where harmony and unity exist because the Bible is made the guide of life. Let the people of God feel that a responsibility rests upon them to build up His instrumentalities.” Testimonies, vol. 7, 182.

We are seeing before us the union of the fallen churches. Papal documents have already called for worldwide enforcement of Sunday observance with violators to be punished as heretics. Surely the day is not far off when we will see the conclusion of all things. We are living in solemn times. God’s church will be united and ready. May each of us be part of that body.

Editor’s Note: The material for this article was gleaned from a series of sermons by Elder Lawrence Nelson, produced earlier this year under the title Spiritualism, 1-5. Much of his research was taken from The Great Controversy Endgame, by John Janiuk and Sunday’s Coming, by G. Edward Reid. You may obtain the entire series by writing: Keep the Faith Audio Tape Ministry, PO Box 808, Myrtle Creek, OR 97457. Condensed and edited by Cynthia Gaye Clark.

If My People Will Pray

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If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14.

In the early years of the Advent Movement, weeks of prayer were held frequently in our churches around the world. Special readings were prepared and published in the Review and Herald, so that all of the churches could share in the experience. These convocations were special times of communion with the Lord and of heart-searching, that wrongs between brothers and sisters might be righted. Sister White frequently attended these meetings, and she often wrote of the wonderful blessings that could be gained by participating in these special gatherings.

Today, as all around us we see signs that Christ’s coming is very near, is it not even more important that we join together in a special time of study and prayer, beseeching the Lord that we might be prepared for the days ahead? At Steps to Life, it is our earnest desire to strengthen and encourage those who are striving to remain faithful to the faith “once delivered to the saints.” With this purpose in mind, we have thoughtfully prepared this special week of prayer edition, so that your home church or study group, wherever you may be around the United States or the world, can organize your own special time to fellowship and pray together.

As you gather, consider this counsel from God’s prophet, especially written for early Adventists who gathered during weeks of prayer, “Get ready for the week of prayer by humbling your hearts before God.” “Let every worker, whether a child, a youth, or a person of mature age, put on Christ; that is, seek Him in prayer, and believe that his prayers are accepted of God, because He has charged all to watch and to pray without ceasing. Some pray during the week of prayer, and then suppose their praying may cease; and as they do not continue to pray, they do not continue to receive. They must continue to ask, that they may receive. Ask, and you shall receive. Seek Me, and you shall find Me close beside you, ready to shield, to help, to bless you.” Review and Herald, December 18, 1888; May 9, 1899.

These inspired words represent our earnest desire for the 1999 Fall Week of Prayer, “May the Lord graciously bless His people during this week of prayer. May all wrongs be righted, all sins confessed, and pardon be written over against your names in the books of heaven. Let the members of every church, of every household, seek the Lord, and humble their souls before Him.” Review and Herald, December 9, 1890.

Walking in the Light

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“Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5–7

The word of God is very clear that only those who walk in the light by the power of the Holy Spirit are His true disciples—the true and faithful. Those who are in the Laodicean condition do not know that they are wretched, miserable, poor, and spiritually blind.

“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see” (Revelation 3:16–18).

The disciples of Christ are called out of darkness into the marvelous light—developing a Christlike character through righteousness by faith and victory over all temptation and sin by the power of the Holy Spirit.

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

God has chosen us to be peculiar people, walking continually in the light of God’s salvation and His requirements—His sacred law.

What makes us His peculiar people?

It is perfect obedience to all truth without a single compromise with self.

It is seeking for all truth daily in the word of God. “And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

“Walk continually in the light of God. Meditate day and night upon His character. Then you will see His beauty and rejoice in His goodness. Your heart will glow with a sense of His love. You will be uplifted as if borne by everlasting arms. With the power and light that God imparts, you can comprehend more and accomplish more than you ever before deemed possible.” The Ministry of Healing, 514.

It is striving to imitate the character of Christ; not by what we can do, but by what God can do in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit working in us that brings justification and sanctification.

“I was shown that God’s people dwell too much under a cloud. It is not His will that they should live in unbelief. Jesus is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. His children are the children of light. They are renewed in His image, and called out of darkness into His marvelous light. He is the light of the world, and so also are they that follow Him. They shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The more closely the people of God strive to imitate Christ, the more perseveringly will they be pursued by the enemy; but their nearness to Christ strengthens them to resist the efforts of our wily foe to draw them from Christ.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 405, 406.

All who are now in the state of Laodicea are in spiritual darkness. They believe they are walking in the light, but they are calling their darkness light, and they are lost.

“The message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception. They know not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God. While those addressed are flattering themselves that they are in an exalted spiritual condition, the message of the True Witness breaks their security by the startling denunciation of their true condition of spiritual blindness, poverty, and wretchedness.” Ibid., vol. 3, 253.

They are not seeking with heart and soul to know the truth by the power of the Holy Spirit. All who retain the Laodicean spiritual blindness will be spewed out of the mouth of God, and lost for eternity. What a tragedy!

What does it mean to be spewed out—rejected?

“To those who are indifferent at this time Christ’s warning is: ‘Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth’ (Revelation 3:16). The figure of spewing out of His mouth means that He cannot offer up your prayers or your expressions of love to God. He cannot endorse your teaching of His word or your spiritual work in anywise. He cannot present your religious exercises with the request that grace be given you.” Ibid., vol. 6, 408.

Let us seek God with our whole heart and repent of our Laodicean condition while probation lingers a moment longer.

Our Firm Foundation, vol. 19, Number 5, May 2004, 2.

Uncertain Sounds

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Whether we like it or not, we are on the battlefield of a spiritual war. Bullets are flying all around us. Planes soaring above us are dropping bombs, and field artillery is shelling us. Orders are being shouted at us from all sides, and to make matters worse, the orders are confusing and contradictory. Many of them consist of uncertain sounds.

What is an uncertain sound? Let us begin at the beginning. Sounds communicate; they send messages. We can all agree on that. Paul directs our minds to sounds used in military procedures. These sounds are all produced by the same instrument, the trumpet, but they do not all mean the same thing. There is a sound that says “Wake up,” and a sound that says “Go to sleep.” There is a sound that says “Advance,” and a sound that says “Retreat.” There can be great confusion if, instead of these clear signals, the soldiers hear a sound that they do not recognize and cannot identify. If they hear two contradictory sounds, such as “Advance” and “Retreat,” at the same time, the situation is much, much worse. The poor soldiers will not know what to do. They will be the victims of uncertain sounds—Which brings us to the subject of Christian music. We are being barraged today by music that purports to be Christian, but it sends two contradictory signals, one sensual and one spiritual, at the same time. One who makes this observation and comments on it can expect to stop some bullets being fired at him or her by enthusiasts of the “contemporary music.” They forcefully, if not fiercely, insist that the music does not communicate anything in particular. According to them, it is only the words that matter. “If the words are religious,” it is said, “they can be sung to any kind of music with the same results.”

But is this true? Can this statement bear up under investigation? Do sounds actually not communicate any message of their own?

Sending Contradictory Signals!

If sounds do not communicate a message of their own, why do we find in written materials so many references to persons who spoke in angry tones, etc.? We have no difficulty understanding these words. We are sure that no man has ever proposed to a lady in angry tones. Even the words “I love you,” if spoken in angry tones, would be unconvincing. The words and the tone would contradict each other, resulting in an uncertain sound. The lady would be perplexed and would doubtless reject the proposal.

When I was a boy, our family had a Border Shepherd dog whose name was “Pat.” He was normally quite a well-mannered dog, and when I would say to him, “Pat, come here,” he would come bounding joyously toward me. But I found that if I were displeased with him because he had dug in a flowerbed, or something of that nature, the command would not work. I would use the same words, but he would tuck his tail between his legs and slink away in the opposite direction. The words were nice, but I was not fooling him. He was reading the tones, the sounds. The argument that “sounds do not communicate a message of their own” would have been lost on him.

At Interesting Experiment

What about patterns or arrangements of tones, into what we call tunes? You can conduct a simple experiment to satisfy your mind on this question. Hymns that have the same metrical patterns can be sung to the same tunes. (See the metrical index in the back of your hymnal.) All to Jesus I surrender (number 573 in the older hymnal) can be sung to the tune of Watchman Blow the Gospel Trumpet, (number 619) and vice versa. Try it. The results are ludicrous. Here is a short list of other exchanges that can be made. (All numbers are in the older hymnal.)

630 Some Day the Silver Cord Will Break

585 The Lord’s Our Rock

123 There Was One Who Was Willing

626 Will There be Any Stars?

Again, I invite you to try it. Do it both ways. Sing the words of each to the tune of the other. I have seen people burst out laughing when the words of Watchman Blow the Gospel Trumpet were sung to the tune of All to Jesus I surrender. It just didn’t make any sense. The message communicated by the music, the sounds, was altogether different from the message communicated by the written words. The result is a mixed signal, an uncertain sound. Hearing it, you do not know what to do. You are in the same quandary as the soldiers who are given the trumpet command to “Advance” and the command to “Retreat” at the same time. If you want to explore this subject further, try exchanging the words and tunes in these songs:

223 Come Ye Disconsolate

185 Heir Of The Kingdom

130 O Sacred Head Now Wounded

279 Live Out Thy Life Within Me

The results will range from the ludicrous to the utterly blasphemous. You have now discovered a very important principle of truth. Words and music can communicate different, even contradictory, messages. For a final bit of evidence, consider this situation. There is in the hymnal a song (167) that should be greatly loved, for two reasons. First, it is the oldest Christian song that we know of, having been written by Clement of Alexandria about the year 200 AD. Second, it expresses the church’s concern for its young people, as evidenced by its title, Shepherd of Tender Youth. But I have never heard it used, and I doubt that you have either. Why? Because, although the words are appealing, the tune is hopeless; it is just “blah.” But, try a comparison. Sing the words of this song to the tune of number 510, My Country ‘Tis of Thee. It immediately becomes very singable and satisfying.

Cultural Conditioning

But that will introduce another problem. You and I will not be comfortable with this combination of words and music, because we have so long associated the music with the words of our patriotic hymn, My Country ‘Tis of Thee. We have been culturally conditioned. But is this the entire truth? Are all of our responses to music just the result of cultural conditioning? We must admit that some are, but certainly not all. There is a distinct difference between responses to tones or tunes that are universal and responses that are cultural. Responses that are universal are true for all people at all times. This is not true of responses that are cultural.

While I was teaching at Atlantic Union College, I sometimes heard the students singing a song that they obviously appreciated, entitled, Search Me O God. I thought it was nice, but it did not mean the same thing to me that it meant to them, because in Hawaii I had first learned the tune as the Maori Farewell, with entirely different secular words. In Hawaii, at that time, the Maori Farewell and Aloha Oe were sung to close every social gathering. I never troubled the students about it, because it was not a universal principle, only my own cultural conditioning. I have the same problem when I hear the Christian song Down From His Glory, because I first heard the tune as O Solo Mio. Again, this is my personal problem, and not a universal truth, affecting all people alike. I have been told by a missionary who had served in Africa that in the area where he lived, someone had written Christian words to the tune of Old Black Joe. He could not appreciate it, because of his cultural conditioning, but the local people valued it highly.

So it would be foolish to deny that cultural conditioning exists, but it would be equally foolish to affirm it as a universal principle of truth, applying to all people at all times. It would be worse than foolish to argue that sounds are wholly neutral, communicating no message of their own. This would be an insult to our intelligence, flying in the face of the self-evident realities all about us. It would be like denying that fire is hot, or that ice is cold, or that water is wet, or that band music makes us feel like marching.

Music of Another Dimension

Consider, then, our present condition. We have churches that exist for the purpose of communicating spiritual messages. There are bars, nightclubs, and brothels that exist for the purpose of communicating vile, sensual messages. Both groups have, for centuries, used music to further their own ends, to help them accomplish their distinctive goals. The distinction between the two types of music has been clear and distinct. The churches have used words matched with tunes in such a way that there was no conflict between the two messages. There were no uncertain sounds. The bars, nightclubs, and brothels also used words matched with tunes in such a way that there was no conflict between the two messages. There were no uncertain sounds. But now…

Now we are confronted by an incredible intermingling of the two types of music. I do not mean that spiritual music is now being used in bars, nightclubs, and brothels. The devil, who presides over them, is not that stupid. But the musical forms that have for many years been used in the bars, nightclubs, and brothels are now appearing in churches!

Imitating Our Heros

How has this been accomplished? To a large extent through television. Television has introduced the musical forms, the instruments, the style of performing and the style of singing from the bars, nightclubs, and brothels, into our homes. Our children grow up with these musical forms and accept what they hear as the norm. Thus they become terribly confused. Then when asked to sing for Sabbath school or church, they imitate the singing style of the television artists to whom they have been listening. Witness the heavy breathing into the microphone held close to the lips, the sliding and slurring of notes, the meaningless hand gestures in the air, the facial contortions, the squalling, child-like tones, mingled with half-whispered tones, and the heavy sensual rhythm.

All of these things spell sensuality, which is exactly what the television people want. They are in league with Hollywood, and they are working on the principle that “sex sells.” That is why what they present is consciously and deliberately sensual. They know what they are doing, and they do it very well (from their standpoint). As an illustration of the problem that we are discussing, I once heard a young gospel singer tell of a singing institute that he was planning to conduct. He reported happily that he was going to have some singers there from Hollywood to do part of the teaching. I could scarcely credit my senses. Bringing teachers from Hollywood, the sensuality cesspool of the nation, if not the world, to teach young people how to sing in church! The devil must have been convulsed in hysterical laughter.

Christian Rock?

That is where we are on the battlefield. Some desperately confused church leaders are laboring diligently to bring this mingled music, with its mixed signals and its uncertain sounds, into our own church. Some of the members are deceived by it, while others are troubled but do not know exactly why. The leaders seek to disguise it with high-sounding words such as, “celebration music,” “contemporary music,” “culturally relevant music,” etc., but it is really nothing more than bar, nightclub, and brothel music. Thus the leaders practice deception on innocent church members, whom they mock, deride, and sneer at for their discomfort with the musical selections presented. They stubbornly insist that bar, nightclub, and brothel music can be combined with religious words and be acceptable worship to the God of purity and holiness. Some even go so far as to speak approvingly of “Christian rock.” This is a contradiction in terms. “Rock” music is consciously and deliberately vile. If there can be Christian rock, then there can also be Christian pimps and Christian prostitutes. But angry arguments notwithstanding, there is no such thing as “Christian Rock.”

A closely related phenomenon is the tendency for singers to mangle and mutilate the Christian songs they sing by omitting notes that were written by the composer and substituting notes of their own. This is like walking into a museum where beautiful, historic works of art are being exhibited, then seizing a paint brush and adding some strokes of your own. To do this is to demonstrate an enormous lack of respect for the original artist, along with an equal lack of respect for the people who want to see the work of the artist, not your work. I would earnestly appeal to those who are tempted to do this to write their own songs, and leave the musical treasures of the church alone. They do not need your touching up, your interpretation.

I once listened to a fine sermon on television, after which a singer came onstage. As soon as the pianist started the introduction, I recognized it as The Holy City, and I instinctively reached for the muting button. Then I stopped myself, thinking, “Surely he would not mangle and mutilate that grand old song.” But I was wrong. By the time he was finished I fervently wished that I had made use of the mute button.

In Spiritual Warfare, Content Counts

Let us remember that it is not the label that counts; it is the content. It is not the instrument that counts; it is the manner of playing it. There are many labels being used, such as Contemporary, Country, Nashville, Western, Celebration, Culturally Relevant, etc., and many different instruments are being employed. None of these labels or instruments necessarily indicate sensual music, but it very often appears in all of them. Let us train ourselves to quickly judge them by their content, and as quickly reject all music that is carnal and sensual, regardless of the words. We cannot afford to do otherwise. The issues are too great.

We are on a spiritual battlefield, and the battle is nearing its climax. This is no time for mixed signals, for uncertain sounds. This is no time for the church to listen to those who, in defiance of reality, stubbornly insist that spiritual messages can be communicated with carnal and sensual music. This is the time for messages in words and music that will keep us unperplexed and unconfused, and help us meet successfully the enormous challenges of the time of trouble such as never was.

For further information on this subject, I strongly recommend the two special journals dealing with music that have been published by Adventists Affirm. You can reach them at:

PO Box 36

Berrien Springs, MI 49103

The journals cost $3.00 each, and they are well worth it.

Facing the Crisis With a Surrendered Will

by

Let me begin with a true story told by Pastor Kenneth Oster, the Seventh-day Adventist in charge of mission work in Ethiopia during the time when the Communists invaded and overthrew the government. They were determined to destroy Christianity. Elder Oster tells how the native pastor of the church in Addis Ababa was faced with tremendous problems as he tried to shepherd his flock.

Arrested for Christ

Little did he realize the hatred of the Communist invaders toward Christianity and their determination to crush every person’s belief in God. One day as the pastor prepared to visit his members, he heard a loud knock. As he opened the door he faced two Soviet police who commanded him to go with them to the KGB Headquarters. When they reached the building, he was locked in a room for some four hours.

Then a KGB officer, together with a medical doctor who carried a small bag and was leading a dog, entered the room. The doctor opened the bag and took out a Bible. Then he asked the pastor, “Do you believe this to be God’s Book?”

The pastor answered, “I surely do.”

Then he was commanded to read the sixteenth chapter of Mark out loud. When he got to verse 9, which reads, “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week…” the doctor said, “Stop!” He then asked the pastor, “Do you really believe that Jesus, who was crucified, who died and was buried, was resurrected and is alive today?”

The pastor answered, “Most assuredly, I do.”

Then he was commanded to read on. When he reached verses 17 and 18, which read, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them.…”

“Stop,” cried the doctor. “Do you actually believe what you just read?”

“Yes, I do,” he replied.

Test of Faith

Then the doctor opened the bag again and took out a small vial. Calling the dog to him, he sprinkled several drops of the fluid from the bottle on the dog’s tongue. Then he opened the door and told the dog to get out, but before the dog reached the door, it fell over dead. Now the doctor turned to the pastor and continued: “Tell me, do you actually believe that your God can save you from this deadly poison that I just gave the dog?”

“Yes,” the pastor replied, “if God wills.”

Now the doctor took a teaspoon and filled it to the brim and commanded the pastor to open his mouth. He thrust the spoon filled with the deadly poison into the pastor’s mouth, and he and the KGB officer watched to see the pastor die immediately.

Victory in Jesus

Five seconds passed. Ten seconds, and then the doctor took out his watch. One minute. Two minutes. Five minutes. In amazement the doctor turned to the KGB officer, took out his Communist membership card, tore it to bits and said, “I no longer believe in Communism. I now believe in Jesus Christ.” Oh, what a victory in the power of Christ! What a God we serve!

I have been reading a new book entitled, Seven Conditions for Receiving the Latter Rain. The author, has graciously granted me permission to share some of the information with you.

Let us begin with a most important question. What is God’s will for us? Both the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy teach that it is possible, by God’s grace, to be totally committed, spirit-filled Christians, so we may overcome sin completely in this life.

What a glorious design! God’s will for us is that we sin not. Reading in 1 John 2:1 we are told, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Only those Christians who receive wholeheartedly the straight testimony of Jesus contained in Revelation 3:14-22 and overcome every besetting sin, reflecting the image of Jesus fully, will receive the Latter Rain.

The Counsel of the True Witness

“Those who come up to every point, and stand every test, and overcome, be the price what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness, and they will receive the Latter Rain, and thus be fitted for translation.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 187. Did you notice the counsel of the True Witness? First: Come up to every point. Second: Stand every test. Third: Overcome every sin, be the price what it may.

Of course, this is not all the straight testimony and the counsel of the True Witness. We need to remember there is also the gold of faith and love, the white raiment, or the robe of Christ’s righteous character, and the eye salve, which is the spiritual discernment of the Holy Spirit. The straight testimony calls sin by its right name and appeals to God’s people to repent and to forsake all sin and to come up to the standard.

As we strive to attain such an achievement, let us ever keep in mind that victory over sin is to come first. Then the gifts of the Spirit and the outpouring of the Latter Rain come after. This matter has been made very plain in Inspiration.

“I was shown that if God’s people make no efforts on their part, but wait for the refreshing to come upon them and remove their wrongs and correct their errors; if they depend upon that to cleanse them from filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and fit them to engage in the Loud Cry of the Third Angel, they will be found wanting. The refreshing or power of God comes only on those who have prepared themselves for it by doing the work which God bids them, namely, cleansing themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Ibid., vol. 1, 619.

The Secret to Attaining Holiness

Did you catch the meaning that we are to perfect holiness? Please do not be alarmed. You may be surprised to discover there is a secret to attaining holiness. Such a victory comes by the continual surrender of the will to Christ. Such surrender of the will is a continual deepening of self-denying; a surrender today is not adequate for tomorrow. The surrender of the soul to God must go deeper and deeper until we come to the point that, like Christ, we will say, “Not my will, but Thine, be done,” (See Luke 22:42.) even to the point of death.

Often we will have to fall upon our knees in despair saying, “Father, help my unbelief and make me willing.” Christ, our Example, knew the meaning of total surrender. Many of God’s children, who love the Lord, have not learned the lesson of continual deepening surrender. It is to be renewed day by day. They will discover that they do not know victory.

“Some who come to God by repentance and confession, and even believe that their sins are forgiven, still fail of claiming, as they should, the promises of God. They do not see that Jesus is an ever-present Saviour; and they are not ready to commit the keeping of their souls to Him, relying upon Him to perfect the work of grace begun in their hearts. While they think they are committing themselves to God, there is a great deal of self-dependence. There are conscientious souls that trust partly to God, and partly to themselves. They do not look to God, to be kept by His power, but depend upon watchfulness against temptation, and the performance of certain duties for acceptance with Him. There are no victories in this kind of faith. Such persons toil to no purpose; their souls are in continual bondage, and they find no rest until their burdens are laid at the feet of Jesus.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 353. [Emphasis added.]

Believing Satan’s Lie

Today God is raising up a remnant that keeps the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. (See Revelation 14:12.) But have we succumbed to the deceptions of the adversary? Do we, like the great majority of the professed Christians today, believe Satan’s lie that we cannot overcome? Beware, beware, it is being preached from some of our pulpits today. It is the father of lies who says that we cannot overcome.

For, beloved, we can overcome, and we can overcome entirely through the merits of Him “…who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. God has the power to give us victory. “Exact obedience is required, and those who say that it is not possible to live a perfect life throw upon God the imputation of injustice and untruth.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, 369.

If we believe that we cannot overcome, we are then echoing the voice of the adversary. Christianity is to be a life of overcoming. To many the thought of victory is as a rope of sand, intellectually accepted but never experienced. If we do not believe in victory and have never seen a clear demonstration of God’s power to save, then, I am sorry to say, we will not be able to receive the Latter Rain.

False Theology

Some of God’s people believe that at Christ’s Second Coming He will miraculously give us the victory over sin. As I prepared this article, a pastor of one of our large nearby churches preached that God would change our characters when He comes so that we would never sin again. Beloved, this is a false belief! This is a lie! The miracle of victory over sin is for today, and every day, that we might be a spectacle both to men and to angels.

“Satan is also watching his chances to lead astray. He will present attractions that will lead our minds from God. But shall we not watch his devices, and be constantly seeking the aid of God to keep us from Satan’s allurements? … We must not lay off the armor for one moment. You will hear the cry, ‘Only believe.’ Satan believed and trembled. We must have a faith that works by love and purifies the heart. The idea prevails that Christ has done all for us, and that we can go on transgressing the commandments and will not be held accountable for it. This is the greatest deception that the enemy ever devised. We must take our position that we will not violate the commandments at any cost, and be in that spiritual condition that we can educate others in spiritual things.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 97.

Restored to Eden’s Perfection in This Lifetime

Such counsel helps us to see our tremendous need. “The work of overcoming is to be the study of every soul who enters the kingdom of God.” Review and Herald, August 1, 1893. God will never be satisfied with anything short of perfection. Man was created perfect in the beginning, and God’s plan of redemption is designed to restore His children to that original perfection where they will once again reflect His image.

This restoration, which begins with the new birth, is a purifying, refining process that God can accomplish only when He has the confidence and the cooperation of the individual. It is possible to stop sinning, but not without suffering and dying to self, which is the sinful nature. If we really long to be rid of every trace of sin, we should welcome suffering if it is the necessary discipline God must use to set us free and make us perfect in Christ.

“Let the recording angels write the history of the holy struggles and conflicts of the people of God; let them record their prayers and tears; but let not God be dishonored by the declaration from human lips, ‘I am sinless; I am holy.’ Sanctified lips will never give utterance to such presumptuous words.” Acts of the Apostles, 561, 562.

Growing in Grace Through Trial

So, beloved, never should we forget that God’s way is the best. The trusting Christian does not look upon suffering and sorrow with an attitude of self-pity or resentment. He faces life’s conflicts as God-given opportunities to grow in grace. I am not suggesting here that the Christian perfection may be attained merely through sorrow and suffering, but because we came into the world with the fallen sinful nature, the process by which we are restored to an intimate fellowship with God requires the death of our very nature.

We must never forget that a sinful nature cannot cease sinning; consequently, God’s provision for victory over sin is a transformation of our nature. In order to possess the divine nature, we are required to crucify the flesh, and believe me, this is a more serious and painful process than many of us realize. We need to recognize that trials are one of God’s means in the perfection of our characters.

These trials are also for God’s glory, that He may show to others the power of the gospel as we respond to these trials with the same meekness and strength of Jesus. Remember the Ethiopian pastor who had such a faith experience with Christ that he believed in witnessing for God even when forced to drink deadly poison? He remembered that God promised: It will not hurt you.

“Conflicts and trials are the very means ordained or suffered of God to perfect the Christian character unto eternal life.” 1888 Materials, vol. 2, 489. If we would be ready for any test that God may send our way, we must prepare for victory by shutting every door of temptation.

By Beholding, We Become

“It is a law both of the intellectual and the spiritual nature that by beholding we become changed. The mind gradually adapts itself to the subjects upon which it is allowed to dwell. It becomes assimilated to that which it is accustomed to love and reverence. Man will never rise higher than his standard of purity or goodness or truth. If self is his loftiest ideal, he will never attain to anything more exalted. Rather, he will constantly sink lower and lower. The grace of God alone has power to exalt man. Left to himself, his course must inevitably be downward.” The Great Controversy, 555. [Emphasis added.]

So you can see, it is an impossibility to live the life of an overcomer while we participate in watching, reading or listening to that which is contrary to the Word and to the principles of God. Far too many Christians have a double standard and are considered by God to be double minded. For complete victory, we must rise up to a newness of life. Once we have done this, then a work for us is as follows.

We are to seek after God, setting our minds upon themes of heavenly origin and not only our thoughts, but also our lives, are to be taken up with God and with the work that He has for us to do. The admonition for God’s people is that we are to experience victory over sin. How? By beholding “…the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29.

Continued Effort with Christ’s Power Brings Victory

Here are the facts: Continued effort, combined with Christ’s power, is the means of our victory. Let me try to make this clear. Inspiration declares that he who truly and fully abides in Christ does not sin. “‘Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him.” 1 John 3:6. Again, “‘Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not.’ Here is the true test.” Steps to Christ, 61.

Keep in mind that the words “sinneth not” have to do with a complete victory over sin. “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” 1 John 5:18.

Now notice carefully, “The Son of God came to our world in human form to show man that divinity and humanity combined can obtain the victory over sin…. ‘Whosoever abideth in Him, sinneth not; whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him.’… God calls for complete consecration, and anything short of this He will not accept.” Signs of the Times, February 1, 1899.

Such an experience will make us perfect in Christ. The word perfect means complete, whole, accomplished, finished, sound, upright or undefiled. “…that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” Colossians 4:12. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:17.

“The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought. The yielding of self, surrendering all to the will of God and being clothed with humility, possessing that love that is pure, peaceable, and easy to be entreated, full of gentleness and good fruits, is not an easy attainment. And yet it is his privilege and his duty to be a perfect overcomer here.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 106, 107.

This means that we are to form characters free from sin. Note, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin…. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” Romans 6:6, 12.

“Brothers and sisters, we need the reformation that all who are redeemed must have, through the cleansing of mind and heart from every taint of sin…. We are to form characters free from sin—characters made righteous in and by the grace of Christ…. Our hearts are to be cleansed from all impurity in the blood shed to take away sin.” Counsels on Health, 633, 634.

It is Better to Die than to Sin

This requires a personal decision. “It is better to die than to sin.…” Testimonies, vol. 4, 495. We must grow spiritually until we continually have the determination to cease to sin. Does not God’s Word declare, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Romans 6:1, 2.

“As we behold Christ, pierced for our sins, we shall see that we cannot break the law of God and remain in His favor; we shall feel that as sinners we must lay hold of the merits of Christ and cease to sin.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 312.

Why No Latter Rain?

Now let me ask you a question, beloved. Why has the Latter Rain not fallen yet? The reason is because we, the remnant people, are not ready. We have not totally surrendered ourselves and forsaken all sin. “When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 69.

When will we, as a people, come to the place where we will believe the clear, explicit Bible and Spirit of Prophecy teaching concerning perfection and overcoming? When will we put aside our unbelief and lack of faith? When will we lay aside our half-hearted dedication and go all the way with God? How much longer is God going to wait for His people to become the victorious people so that He can pour out the Latter Rain?

We need to pray about this; for such a glorious day for God’s people will happen very, very soon and then, and only then, will we receive the Latter Rain and arise to give the Loud Cry and finish the work. We must not take these things lightly but repent with all of our hearts and seek most earnestly for the complete unbroken victory over sin, which it is our privilege to have.

True Christian Love

Soon, very soon, there will be a victorious people spreading the Loud Cry to every country of the world. Are you going to be one of them? I hope so. The Latter Rain will be poured out only upon a victorious people. Now I trust that you have made the decision to be victorious over sin by surrendering your will to divinity. The next step to be reached is to become a loving person, for God is love.

The English word “love” is altogether inadequate to express the depth and meaning expressed by the Greek word agape. Agape is true Christian love, which is not merely an emotional experience that comes to us unbidden and unsought; it is a deliberate principle of the mind and a conquest and achievement of the will. It may be described as a love bringing into play the higher powers of the mind and intelligence.

It is this kind of love that the Christian is to exercise, even toward his enemies. That is, the Christian is to treat his enemies with proper respect. We are therefore bidden to love our enemies, and why? So that we should be like God. And what is the typical action of God that is cited? God sends His rain on the just and the unjust and on the evil and on the good.

That is to say, no matter what a man is like, God seeks nothing but his highest good. Agape is the spirit that says, “No matter what any man does to me, I will never seek to harm him. I will never set out for revenge. I will always seek nothing but his highest good.” Now to make such a commitment it will take man’s all to achieve such Christian love. It takes not only his heart, it takes his mind and his will as well.

Today we are living in an age when the real meaning of love is no longer understood. The type of love that much of the human race displays is an emotional love based on selfishness. But true love is seen in good works. “He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21.

True Love is a Living, Working Power

This is the only true test of character in doing the will of God, that we give the best evidence that we love God and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent. The oft-repeated words of love for God are of no value unless that love is made manifest in the life practice. Love for God is not a mere sentiment. It is a living, working power.

“The man who does the will of his Father who is in heaven shows to the world that he loves God. The fruit of his love is seen in good works.” Signs of the Times, May 19, 1898. So the real meaning of love is a faith that works and is seen in the fruits of a Christian life. God demonstrates such love for us. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

God’s great love for the world is beyond our comprehension. His love for us is so great that He gave His only Son for our redemption. Such a love is unsurpassed. Love unexampled, unfathomable, immeasurable. The beloved disciple John tells us not to love the world. (See 1 John 2:15.) But he does tell us, in this same chapter, to “walk, even as He walked.” Verse 6.

If we follow closely His example, we, too, must love the people of this present evil world love them to such an extent and in such a way as to give ourselves for them as He did. It was an unlovable people whom Christ loved so much. They are no more lovable today than they were when Christ gave Himself for them.

Who has not walked down skid row of any major city and witnessed the drunkard and the derelict? Who has not seen these wrecks of humanity, degraded by drugs and drinking to a level below the brute, with a complete loss of all moral and physical control? These wretched souls sit or lie in their own filth. The stench of alcohol and excrement poison the atmosphere about them.

Loving the Unlovely?

Love them? Did you say, love them? We naturally feel repelled by them and want to turn from them in disgust. Yet, we thank God mainly that we are not like other men, while at the same time we are void of the love that gives a helping hand. The unlovely and the unlovable qualities of the world show up in many ways. It is found in religious belief, denominational affiliation, cultural differences, family background and national disparity. We join the national tendency to dislike those who are separate from us.

Christ was not unaware of the unlovely characteristics of the world into which He sent His disciples. He expressly had these conditions in mind when He commanded His followers, “Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.” Luke 10:3. Our mission, then, is to love with agape love. As God loves us, we must love mankind.

To love the unlovable, though, will take a miracle, and only God can work that miracle in us. There must be an entire renunciation of self. Only Christ can accomplish this work for us with our consent.

“Lord, take my heart; for I cannot give it. It is Thy property. Keep it pure, for I cannot keep it for Thee. Save me in spite of myself, my weak, unchristlike self. Mold me, fashion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Thy love can flow through my soul.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 159.

We must understand that God uses love to expel sin from the heart. According to the Scriptures, faith works by love to purify the soul. It is the love of Christ that constrains and moves the Christian to a life of self-denial, righteousness and obedience to God’s law.

Ellen White explains this so beautifully. “Love is power. Intellectual and moral strength are involved in this principle, and cannot be separated from it…. Love cannot live without action, and every act increases, strengthens, and extends it. Love will gain the victory….” Testimonies, vol. 2, 135.

“There can be no perfection of Christian character without that faith that works by love, and purifies the soul.” Review and Herald, October 18, 1898. Now this faith helps us to walk in love, for it is love and love alone, finding satisfaction in God, that satisfies the heart’s hunger and prevents all coveting. Love is really not a rule but a motive. Love does not tell the Christian what to do but how to do it.

Love must go to the Law of God to learn the divine will. Love is a principle. We are to become imitators of God as beloved children. That is to say, we are to walk in love just as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us. The source of Christian love is the Holy Spirit. As His control and transforming action increases in the life, the more clearly is the fruit of love discerned. The implanting of a loving attitude toward God and man, by the indwelling of the spirit, is related to the believer’s hungering and thirsting to know God.

Ingredients Within the Spectrum of Love

“Only by love is love awakened. To know God is to love Him.…” The Desire of Ages, 22. The spectrum of love has many ingredients. As we look at the Bible, you will see this demonstrated.

Patience. “…let patience have her perfect work.” James 1:4.

Kindness to godliness, brotherly kindness, generosity: “…It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35.

Humility, “…charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.” 1 Corinthians 13:4.

Courtesy: “doth not behave itself unseemingly.…” 1 Corinthians 13:5.

Unselfishness: “…love thy neighbor as thyself.…” Leviticus 19:18.

Good temper: “…is not easily provoked.…” 1 Corinthians 13:5.

Guilelessness: “…thinketh no evil.” 1 Corinthians 13:5.

Sincerity: “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.” 1 Corinthians 13:6.

“The divine love emanating from Christ never destroys human love, but includes it. By it human love is refined and purified, elevated and ennobled. Human love can never bear its precious fruit until it is united with the divine nature and trained to grow heavenward.” The Adventist Home, 99. How beautiful! The power of the gospel is the cross and the power of the cross is love. Herein is found another key to victory as it is written, “…love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:10. So you can see that God is ready to test our love for Him by the way we treat one another.

Take notice. “When the Latter Rain is poured out, the church will be clothed with power for its work; but the church as a whole will never receive this until its members shall put away from them, envy, evil-surmisings, and evil-speaking. Those who cherish these sins know not the blessed experience of love; they are not awake to the fact that the Lord is testing and proving their love for him by the attitude they assume toward one another. Christ says to us, ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another….’ When this commandment is obeyed, envy, evil–speaking, evil–surmising, and evil– thinking will not be indulged; they will have no part in the formation of character.” Review and Herald, October 6, 1896.

Such an experience will make the remnant people a loving people filled with brotherly love and in full unity and harmony. “The Spirit can never be poured out while variance and bitterness toward one another are cherished by the members of the church. Envy, jealousy, evil surmising,[sic] and evilspeaking [sic] are of Satan, and they effectually bar the way against the Holy Spirit’s working.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 42. (Emphasis added.)

Let us praise God that His remnant will be a surrendered and a loving people. To love with Christ’s love means to manifest unselfishness at all times and in all places by kind words and pleasant looks. These cost those who give them absolutely nothing, but they leave behind a fragrance that surrounds the soul. Their effect can never be estimated. Not only are they a blessing to the receiver but to the giver, for they react upon him. Genuine love is a precious attribute of heavenly origin which increases in fragrance in proportion as it is dispensed to others.

Preparation Day Reminiscences

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It is amazing how much children take in from the life-style around them and store in their minds as part of their patchwork of life. Things about preparation for Sabbath are very strong in my memories.

My mother and father had been to college, and many of the things that they did there remained through their married life. We often had people to lunch, and so the cloths for the table were checked and the serviettes pressed again to make sure the last creases were smoothed out. They had been starched, and how easily that starch went into yellow patches.

Preparing the House

Everything that could be done, ready for Sabbath, was done and left under clean tea towels. The vegetables were prepared and the gravy almost ready; it just needed to be heated. We often had tins of vegetables that only had to be opened, or a winter meal was a thick stew with chunky bread. Later it seemed to be a lentil soup that became a standard Seventh-day Adventist recipe in many homes of the day. The whole house was hoovered from top to bottom and dusted. Almost last of all was the bathroom and toilet, with smells of Harpic and Vim, shiny black and white floor tiles and bright chrome taps and towel rail. Everyone had their baths and hair washed and then the bathroom was cleaned. This was my job. My mother felt I was safe in there and would get on with the job. I had (and still do!) a problem that everything with print on it has to be read. That does not get the job done for a youngster. Bathrooms, fortunately, do not have much in them to read!

Preparing the Clothing

The next task was to put out all the clothes for the morning, examine the stockings for any snags, check to make sure the white gloves were spotless, and press Dad’s trousers. I had the shoes to polish, and I had that down to a fine art. You could have seen your face in the black toecaps of Dad’s shoes. Handkerchiefs would be laid out on the table, a crisp white cotton one boiled in Omo, and dipped in the ‘blue’, for Dad. Mum had one from Switzerland that she had been given, with pretty white embroidery and lace, always with a hint of lavender from the ‘scenty drawer’ where the best things were put. Along side these were our offerings in Sabbath purses with our tithe envelopes, Mum’s best watch, Dad’s special silver propelling pencil, and our lesson books, Bibles, and hymn books. Mum had a miniature leather, tan-colored suitcase as a Sabbath bag, and this was put ready too. Inside was usually hidden a Mitcham mint to curb a rumbling stomach in second service!

Sometimes I was sent on an errand to another member’s house, and there it seemed to be just the same. The smell of Lavendo polish met you at the door; fresh flowers were on the table, and there was always a smell of new made bread. I just knew it was preparation day there too. The next day, Sabbath, the same sister came quietly into church and knelt and prayed in her place as she entered the house of God. She had on her neat costume, little round hat and her fox fur with the satin lining round her shoulders. She was ready to come before God, and I knew that her home was like that too.

Secular Activities Out of Sight

Back at our house, papers and the Radio Times were hidden under the cushion of the easy chair by the fire; all toys and knitting were put away out of sight, and last thing of all, fresh towels were put in the bathroom. In the kitchen, crisp tea towels were hung on the hook, and a new roller towel with orange and green stripes was put in place, along with a snowy white boiled dishcloth on the sink. We had all worked to make the Sabbath a special day.

We often used to put up the speaker if he had traveled some distance, and so we frequently had company for Friday evening, which I enjoyed. Pastors did not travel on the Sabbath if this was avoidable. Sometimes we had returning missionaries home on furlough to stay with us, and it was a delight to look at the curios that they had brought back from distant countries. There were pictures made of blue butterfly wings, beads from India, a canoe from Brazil made of raw rubber, a hummingbird’s nest and other delights. Of course I had sneak previews before the Missions Appeal the next day.

Preparing the Heart

As it began to draw towards sunset, preparations were all finished, casual slippers were taken off and smart shoes put on, fresh clothes were donned and hair brushed. If Sabbath came in around the time of a meal, aprons were always taken off and laid to one side. My father offered prayer for us as a family, thanking God for the blessings and watchcare of another week and praying that the messages of the hour would be food for the people of God as we worked to hasten the coming of Jesus. He always prayed that nothing in our lives would dishonor the Sabbath in any way and remembered the groups meeting around the world during the sacred hours. We had a harmonium at home which my mother used to play well. Mum and Dad sang duets, tenor and soprano or alto, or we learned a new hymn. Visitors joined in choosing favorites, each singing parts. “Our God Shall Come” always seemed a special one. At the end of worship, different pretty Sabbath aprons were donned and tea served. Friday night tea was always salad, just like it had been at college.

Train Up a Child

Children absorb these details, and they remember the standards and the explanations that are told to them. The secret is consistency week by week. This gives security and purpose to the plan of life that God has given us. This preparation shows the importance and joy of the Sabbath, and the weekly anticipation adds to the reverence of the Sabbath day itself.

At home the ‘scenty drawer’ is still there on the left-hand side of the dressing table. When the clocks changed for the summer, it seemed to put out all the routines for us all. My mother phoned and said she had had a difficult Friday, and as a result, the wash hand basin, usually the last job now before Sabbath, had not been cleaned, and she did not feel right. Suddenly the time gap of 50 years had been bridged, the preparation was still vital, and my mother’s words prompted me to still higher standards about the Sabbath and the importance of our day with God.

Is Your Home Ready for the Holy Appointment?

[Editor’s Note: How is your Sabbath preparation? Have we become lax in the way we approach God’s holy hours? Perhaps this will give us a little nudge to make sure that we are “ready” in all aspects of our life when the Sabbath hours approach every week.]

The Monarchs

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I was walking and meditating, wanting the Lord to speak to my heart. I had something in mind, and as I was thinking about that, a little butterfly flitted right before me, and I watched as it passed. As I continued to walk, another one went by me and then another, and another, and another. It was then I noticed that these were Monarch butterflies.

We have all seen butterflies. They are one of the phenomena of God’s creation that is very interesting to observe. How does a butterfly get to be a butterfly? It goes through stages, does it not? Butterflies lay eggs, the eggs hatch into caterpillars, and eventually the caterpillar goes into a state of unconsciousness, in a cocoon, and comes forth in a matter of weeks, a beautiful butterfly.

This process has been compared to the Christian life; a wonderful illustration from God’s creation. The Monarch butterfly is all of these things, and this is what I saw in the field. They were flitting their little wings in the air, and they were going against the wind. It was September, and they were heading south.

Nature books tell me that in the springtime, April to June, the Monarchs are making their way from the south to the north. But during the month of September, you will see these lovely creatures, that God has created, winging their way south—destination, Mexico.

Lessons from the Butterfly

As I watched these marvelous little creations, the Lord began to speak to my heart. I want to share with you some lessons from the Monarch butterfly, lessons that God spoke to my heart. I have eight lessons to share with you, and then we are going to look at the parallels in the Christian life.

  1. As I watched, I was impressed with something. These butterflies had a purpose, a goal, that they were fulfilling, and they were not allowing anything to stop them. They had one purpose. They were going south. They had a goal to reach their destination.
  2. As I looked at these butterflies, however, I realized how far they had to travel. Here they were in Kansas. I do not know how far they traveled from the north to Kansas, but I know that from Kansas down to Mexico is still a considerable distance.
  3. As I looked at these butterflies, I noted that they were very fragile. Have you ever looked at a butterfly up close? Have you ever seen them fly in the wind and against the wind? They are so fragile it seems impossible that they would ever reach their destination or fulfill their goal.
  4. Then I noticed there were little yellow butterflies down on the ground. They were cute, like a little child is cute. And like a little child, these butterflies were playing. They were playing with the wind gusts. But they were staying down real low to the ground, while the Monarch butterflies were on their mission. They were fulfilling their purpose and continuing to fly, while the little butterflies on the ground just frolicked around, playing with one another.
  5. As I continued to walk, I saw one of the Monarch butterflies stop and land on the ground, almost as if it was resting. But it did not linger on the ground very long. It rested, but it did not linger.
  6. Another thing impressed me as I watched the Monarch butterflies. There are big trees that grow by the river near where I was walking, and they were headed right to those trees. Some of them were flying and flapping their wings very hard to get over and above those trees. They saw the obstacle in the way, and they were going to do something about it. It was not stopping them. Those trees did not stop the Monarchs and cause them to turn around and go back north. No, they flew over them, or they flew right through them.
  7. I was impressed by their determination. As it flapped its wings and the breeze came and blew it a little bit off-course, it continued to flap and fly in a southerly direction. Nothing deterred it. Why? Because it had its destination in view. It knew where it was going. It knew which direction to go, and it was going that direction. I asked myself, what gives this little creation, this fragile little piece of paper, as it were, flapping in the wind, the ability to do what it is doing? The only answer was that the Creator had put something inside that butterfly that made it do what it was doing.
  8. Do you know that the Monarch butterfly is the only butterfly, out of all the hundreds or thousands of butterflies in this world today, that makes a bird-like migration north to south and south to north every year? They are the only butterflies that do this. They are an elect group of butterflies.

Parallels in the Christian Walk

Do you see any parallels? Well, let us look at them from the Word of God. The Monarch has a determined purpose to fulfill its goal. Its goal is its destination. Our goal is also a destination, but before we reach that goal there is something else.

Look at what Paul says: “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but 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.” Philippians 3:10–14.

A Determined Purpose

Did Paul have a determined purpose in mind in his Christian experience? Brothers and sisters, that man was determined! What moved Paul? It was the love of God in Christ Jesus. What is moving you? Or are you moving? Are you pressing toward the mark, or are you stagnating in one place, only looking at the mark, only thinking about it, only desiring it? That is not enough.

We must be in the air, going in the direction of the goal, or we are going to fail of the destination. Paul was in the air. He says, I have not attained, but I am on my way. Are we on our way? Or are we just thinking about the way?

It must be a very sad thing for Jesus Christ to look down upon His professed people on this earth today and see so many doing nothing—thinking about everything that they want to do, everything they want to be, yet doing nothing—being satisfied to merely frolic upon the earth, to stay in the lowlands, as it were, instead of soaring to the high places where they can reach the current of heaven and be directed to their destination.

We are satisfied with too little, and many of us will be saddened in that day to find the gates closed. I write to you who are old enough to understand the reality of the unseen.

Life’s Impossibilities

God loves each one of us more than we can ever comprehend. Do you remember, as I looked at the Monarch butterfly, I saw the impossibilities. I said, There is no way that this two-winged piece of paper is going to make it to Mexico. It is too fragile. It is too weak.

But Paul said, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; . . . That no flesh should glory in His presence.” I Corinthians 1:26–29.

Brothers and sisters, what you see in me and what you see in one another is total weakness and total foolishness. But God, working in all of us, to will and to do of His good pleasure, can help us reach the destination. To the world it looks like foolishness. To the world it looks like weakness, but to us it is the power of God unto salvation!

The true Christian, no matter how foolish, no matter how weak he looks to the world, is going to reach his destination. The one who has a purpose and a goal in mind and who is determined to reach it, is going to reach his goal, just as surely as that Monarch. He is going to be there. And someday, at the second resurrection, the world will stand amazed. They are there! They made it! We could have, too.

Frolicking and Fun

Remember as I walked along I saw the Monarchs soaring, flying on toward their destination, and yet, what was playing near the ground? Some little butterflies. They were frolicking with one another, having fun, enjoying one another. They were having a good time close to the earth.

God has called us, the true and faithful, to something far greater than mere earthly pleasures. Ephesians 5:1–7 says, “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them.”

Paul said, I want you to be distinct. If we have the goal that God has set before us in Christ Jesus in our minds, we will be distinct from this world. We will not be frolicking in the pleasures of this world. We will not be satisfied with the things of this world. Our minds are somewhere else. Our minds are upon the destination to which God has called us.

We will be different from the world. We will act differently. We will talk differently. We will think differently. We will dress differently. We will be different, as different as is the Monarch butterfly, flying above those little yellow butterflies on the ground. Distinctly different.

We are not called to linger. Remember the Monarch butterfly. I do not know how long it had flown, but all of a sudden it lights on the ground and rests, but it has its mind set to take off again. It knows where it is going, and it is going to fulfill the goal. It rests, but it does not linger.

There is an experience found in the Bible that should be a warning to each one of us who profess the name of Jesus Christ. It is the experience of Ananias and Saphira. You see, Ananias and Saphira took off in the right direction in their Christian experience. They knew where they were headed; they had their goal in view. (See Acts 5.)

But they happened to linger at a rest stop too long. The temptation came, and they lingered upon temptation. Have you ever lingered where temptation is? When you linger with temptation, you will eventually sin. When that happens, we lose all the rest that we can have in Jesus Christ, because Jesus, “. . . wilt keep him in perfect peace” [or perfect rest], whose mind is stayed on Thee.” Isaiah 26:3.

When we linger with temptation, our minds are not on Christ. I know. I have been there. Each one of us has. Ananias and Saphira were tempted in regard to a pledge they made to give the proceeds from the sale of some property to God’s church. They sold the property, but they determined between themselves to hold back a certain amount. (See Acts 5:1–11.)

We know the story. Ananias and Saphira not only lost their physical lives, but they also lost eternal life. They will never reach the destination. Why? They yielded to temptation. There is no compromise with God.

God has made provision for us to reach our destination, and when we stop and linger and allow ourselves to be tempted into sin, we lose sight of our goal. We have lost the peace, the rest, and the vision. We have lost everything—just like Ananias and Saphira. But we may not know it right now.

God is Wearied with His People

Some day the professed people of God, who are not making their calling and election sure, will find out that they have short-circuited the power of God in their lives, and they have a form of godliness that is naked of the power of God. It is going to be one sad day. We talk about celebration today. There is no celebrating in heaven for what heaven sees today among God’s people.

I speak not only denominationally; I speak historically. God is wearied with the sins of His people. He is saddened with the lingering attitude of His people. There is no compromise with salvation. Look at Calvary. There is no compromise there, none! God is calling us to something higher than a frolic amid the pleasures of this earth.

Surmounting the Obstacles

Let us look at another parallel. Oh, that Jesus may be uplifted that we may catch a glimpse of the great reality and the great destination to which He has called us! Remember what the Monarchs did as the obstacle of the forest loomed up before them.

Some of them flapped a little harder, moved a little higher, and went over the trees. Some of them made their way through the trees. But the point is, the Monarch butterflies did not let anything stop them on their journey.

Paul says, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38, 39. Is that not marvelous? Are you in that love? Are you in that reality?

When you know Jesus Christ as it is your privilege to know Him, nothing will stop you from serving Him. You will surmount everything by His love.

Keeping the Vision

The next parallel from God’s creation, the God Who redeems us, is found in Proverbs 29:18. “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” As I saw the Monarchs flying, they seemed to constantly keep in view their destination. It seemed as though they actually knew where they were going, and they kept it in view.

Where there is no vision, the people perish. That means not only as a people, as a church, but also as individuals. When we lose the vision of our destination to which He has called us, even the city of God, there comes a lack. There is a short circuit somewhere in our experience, and we begin to take a downward trend instead of an upward trend in our experience.

I think all of us have had that experience at one time or another. Some of us may be experiencing it even now. We need to be constantly reminded, through the Word of God, through meditation, through prayer with Him, of our destination. We have to keep it in view.

Let us look at some people who did keep it in mind. Hebrews 11:13–16 says, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city.”

I am going to be there. I am determined to be there, by the grace of God. I do not just want to see it from afar. I am going to walk through the gates someday, by His grace. By His grace, each one of us can have that experience. I do not care who you are, you can have that experience, because He has made a way to give us everything. We must keep our destination in view.

A Determined Desire

As I looked at the Monarchs I thought, This is impossible. These two pieces of paper flying in the wind. It is impossible for them to reach such a destination so far away. And I came to a conclusion that what makes the Christian move, makes the Monarch move and vice versa. “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12, 13.

When you open your heart heavenward in faith, God is able to put in there a determined desire to do His will. When you and I take a step to fulfill that desire, as we open our hearts to Him, He puts power into our hearts to walk with Him. That is the Christian walk.

Just as surely as the butterfly has the ability to go all the way from the north to the south, hundreds of miles, flapping in the breeze, against every obstacle, God can put in your heart the ability to do the impossible.

One of the Elect

After I went home, I read about the Monarch Butterfly, and I found that it is the only butterfly, of all of the hundreds of thousands that God has created on this earth, that makes bird-like migrations every year. I realize that I am dealing with a butterfly that is, can I use the term, elect?

“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” Matthew 24:22. “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Verse 24. “And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other.” Verse 31.

God calls His chosen, His elect. Do you know why they are the elect of God? One reason is that they are walking in all the light that God has revealed upon their pathway. If you walk in all the light, you are the elect. If you walk in all the light, that means that you are making your calling and election sure, and that is what God wants.

He is looking for an elect. Are you willing to soar? Are you willing to soar above the earth? God is looking for you. Are you willing to keep the destination in view, and to fulfill the goal at whatever cost? God is looking for you.

God has made some wonderful promises to these Monarchs, as it were, on the earth. “And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of My mountains: and Mine elect shall inherit it, and My servants shall dwell there.” Isaiah 65:9.

There was a being who at one time dwelt in the mountains described here, the mountains surrounding the temple of God in heaven, but he is not there any more, because he chose to walk outside the light. God’s elect are someday going to walk the mountains that Satan once walked.

“They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of My people, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” Verse 22. Eternity stands before us, if we walk with Jesus Christ.

Eternity is a long time to enjoy the works of your hands. It is something not to ignore, and it is something for which to give up everything. Jesus described it. He said, If you have to pluck out the eye, it is better that the eye should go than the whole body should die. (See Matthew 5:29.) If you had gangrene on your hand, and the doctor said that in a matter of months your whole body is going to be dead unless that hand is cut off, does it make sense to cut off the hand?

I want the heart of the Monarch butterfly.

“Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” I Peter 2:6.

Monarch of the Monarchs

Jesus is not only called the Chief Cornerstone, but He is called the elect. May I say, He is the Elect of the elect? And I say this reverently, He is the Monarch of the Monarchs. Webster’s dictionary, on the word Monarch, says, “A hereditary sovereign as a king, queen or emperor. A person or things that hold a dominant position. A large, reddish brown butterfly having black and white markings.”

God is trying to tell us something. When you reach your destination as one of God’s elect, what is it going to be like? What will He call us to when we reach our destination? “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:5, 6.

Is He the Monarch of the Monarchs? Yes, He is the King of kings, and the elect of God are going to be kings and queens someday. God has positions for us in mind. Are we keeping it all in mind? It is in His mind and for it to become a reality, it must be in our minds.

Paul says, in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” If you and I want to fly like the Monarch, we must possess the mind of the Monarch. And He is willing and able to give it to us if we are willing and obedient to receive it.

Do You Want Freedom?

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Do you feel trapped? Are you weighed down with unwanted habits? Do you want freedom from smoking, overeating, a hot temper, etc.? Have you tried again and again to stop, but do not know how? Do you find yourself doing what you do not want to do, and not being able to do what you want to do? Well you are not alone; Paul expresses the same feelings, in Romans 7:15–18. “That which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I…for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”

Is this how you feel? Do you want to do good but do not know how? Do you feel like you are in bondage, a slave to habits? Paul goes on to say, “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” Romans 7:19–23.

Paul is saying there is within us a law or power holding us in bondage to sin. This is terrible. Is there any hope? Can you ever be free from this bondage? In the next verse Paul says, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

Christ is Our Deliverer

Paul goes on to say, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. . . . For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans. 7:25; 8:2. “If the Son therefore shall make you free [from serving sin], ye shall be free indeed. John 8:36.

To bring us freedom is the whole purpose of the life of Christ. When Jesus began His ministry, He announced His mission in the sanctuary, He read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” Then Christ said, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” Luke 4:18, 21.

Christ’s work is a work of deliverance and liberty. “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6,7.

Life in Christ is Freedom

“The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2.

Obedience to Truth (Christ) Makes us Free

“Jesus [said] to those Jews which believed on Him, ‘If ye continue in My word, then . . . ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” John 8:31, 32. “God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” Romans 6:17, 18. “[How] shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.” Psalms 119:9.

Freedom from the Bondage of Sin

“Ye also are become dead to the law by the body [death] of Christ.…” Romans 7:4. “We are buried with Him by baptism into death…our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Romans 6:3–7.

Buried with Christ — Surrender Thy Will to God

“…if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.” Romans 6:5. When Christ died, He prayed, saying, “‘O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.’” Matthew 26:42 “‘.…as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father.…’” John 5:30.

Surrender (Death to Self) — To Obey the Spirit

“…when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members.…But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit.” Romans 7:5.

Obedience to the Spirit — Freedom From Sin

“Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For…if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law [of sin].” Galatians 5:16, 18. “…sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law [of sin], but under grace.” Romans 6:14.

Through the Spirit Put to Death the Deeds of Sin

“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Romans 8:13. “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Galatians 5:24.

Jesus said “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself [die to self], and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” Luke 9:23.

Freedom Applied to Daily Living

Know and Claim Bible Promises

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4. “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” Hebrews 4:1.

Remember, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise.…” 2 Peter 3:9. And “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13.

Read the Bible Every Day

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” Luke 4:4. “‘Search the scriptures.’” John 5:39. “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Romans 15:4.

Guard Your Thoughts, Your Eyes and Ears

Temptation is stimulated by what you see and hear. “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.” Philippians 4:8. Keep your heart and mind stayed upon Christ. “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16.

Give Yourself to God and Run From the Devil

When temptation comes, give yourself to God. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7.

Resist Temptation with the Word of God

In Matthew 4:3–10 we read of Jesus being tempted of the devil again and again. And every time Jesus resisted, with a ‘thus saith the Lord.’ In verse 4 we read, “He answered and said, ‘It is written . . .’” In verse 7, “Jesus said unto him, ‘It is written again.’” In verse 10, “Then saith Jesus unto him, ‘Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written…’”

Be Prepared, Watch for Temptation Before it Comes

“‘Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape…’” Luke 21:36. Be prepared, watch for the things that trigger your habits (temptation). If the desire for a cigarette comes right after a meal, be prepared with prayer and Bible verses, and disrupt the habit with a change of routine. “Be sober, be vigilant [watch]; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8.

Total Abstinence

“Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” 1 Peter 2:11. Put away sinful indulgences (such as cigarettes) completely and immediately.

Do Not Put Yourself in a Situation to be Tempted

“Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.” Romans 13:14. If you are trying to stop smoking, throw away all cigarettes and do not purchase any. Do not “make provision” to be tempted.

Fellowship and Worship with God’s People

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…but exhorting one another.…” Hebrews 10:24, 25. “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16. “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak.…” Romans 15:1.

Continue to Grow — Add to Your Christian Experience

“Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience;…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.…give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.” 2 Peter 1:5–10.

Victory is Through Faith and Obedience

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him [faith], ‘If ye continue in My word [obedience], then…the truth shall make you free.’” John 8:31, 32.

Obedience to Christ Wherever He Leads

“Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16. “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men.…” Revelation 14:4.

Faith in Christ to Keep Us From Sinning

“…and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. “…and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” 2 John 5:4. “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” Jude 1:24, 25.

“…now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” Romans 6:22.

The Grace of Love

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Located within the pages of the Spirit of Prophecy is the heartbreaking story of a lonely soul who was neglected and forsaken by the professed people of God. This soul, precious in the sight of Jesus, was left to languish and perish in a hostile environment because the love of many had grown cold. Her name was Hanna More, and her story can be found in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, 666–680. If you have not read this story, you should. In it you will see the work of a people whose hearts are void of the love of God and the adverse affects such a people can have in the lives of those whom God has sent to them.

Meeting Cold and Indifference

Hannah More, who died near the age of ninety, had served the Lord as a missionary in Central Africa. It was there that she received the light of the Bible Sabbath and embraced it. Because of this, her services were no longer desired, and she returned to America, hoping to find employment and to find a home among the people who shared her newfound faith. Her journey brought her to Battle Creek, Michigan, but the reception which she received there was cold and indifferent. In need of a home and employment, Hannah was forced to travel to northern Michigan, where she secured both with acquaintances from her missionary work in Africa. It was in their company that this precious soul died.

Her last days, however, were spent sharing her new faith with her acquaintances and attempting to find a home with people who shared her faith. Though her heartfelt desires were never to be realized, neither her faith in God nor her love for His people wavered.

She resigned herself into the hands of God and sought to bring Him honor, either in life or by her death. Even the poor treatment shown her by the professed people of God could not dampen her love and desire for them. She died, as it were, in the wilderness, separated from the company of God’s supposed remnant people. It was not because of anything she did, but because this supposed remnant people had not the love of Jesus in their hearts.

Shame Brought Upon the Name of Jesus

It is the principle of this love which they violated, bringing shame upon the name of Jesus and contempt upon the name of His professed remnant church. Had they possessed the love of God in their hearts, they could not have rejected this child of God. They would have clothed her with the embrace of brotherly love and welcomed her into their homes and into their hearts. They would have rejoiced with her in her joy over the new light which she had received. This poor soul should have found among them the warmth she sought, and then perhaps she would have been spared the chill of winter which took her life. But it was not to be. This woman of God, for whom Jesus had given His life and to whom God had revealed light regarding the Bible Sabbath, who was anxious to prepare people for the Lord’s coming and referred to her new faith as “our faith,” considering herself a member of God’s remnant people, was in fact, rejected—just as Christ was rejected by those people whom He came to bless and save. Love was not to be found among them, and the records of heaven will speak out against them in the time of judgment.

Though this sad experience took place many years ago, the heart wherein the love of God dwells cannot but be moved with a deep sense of shame and sadness. When our very work, as a people of God, is to proclaim the Three Angels’ Messages, how can we not embrace and care for those who have received it? “In our benevolent work special help should be given to those who, through the presentation of the truth, are convicted and converted. We must have a care for those who have the moral courage to accept the truth.…Those who take their position on the Lord’s side are to see in Seventh-day Adventists a warmhearted, self-denying, self-sacrificing people, who cheerfully and gladly minister to their brethren in need.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 85.

History Repeats Itself

Yet history often repeats itself, and some say now, as many did then, “I do not see the need for making such a big fuss about Sister More.” But the voice of Sister White echoes down through the annals of time, saying, “It is much worse than we then supposed.” Ibid., vol. 1, 677.

It is much worse, because as a people, while we profess godliness, we have not the zealous love for Jesus and for our neighbor which is to distinguish His remnant people from those who worship the god of this world. We profess with our lips, but our hearts are divided. We compromise the commandments of God and fall into the snares which Satan has laid for us. If we refuse to love our neighbor, we cannot keep the commandments of God. “We need to guard against the first deviation from righteousness; for one transgression, one neglect to manifest the spirit of Christ, opens the way for another and still another, until the mind is overmastered by the principles of the enemy.” Ibid., vol. 6, 265.

It is the device of Satan to prevent us from having this divine principle at work in our hearts and lives. We must not be too busy to tend to the needs of those whom God has sent into our lives. We cannot let the things of this world steal away our affection for what is right and good and holy. We must not think it too much of an inconvenience to sacrifice that others might be relieved of their burden. We must discharge that duty which is before us and not let go by the opportunity for good. Jesus Christ is our standard. He has shown us how it is to be done. He did not think it an inconvenience to leave heaven and die upon the cross. No, His heart was filled with love for a perishing world, and He did what love demanded that He do. How can we, who profess to be His disciples, do any less? “Those who claim to believe in Christ are to represent Christ in deeds of kindness and mercy. Such will never know until the day of judgment what good they have done in seeking to follow the example of the Saviour.” Letter 140, 1908.

Have You Met Your Hannah More?

In every life there is a Hannah More. God has sent her to us, that by loving her and providing for her needs, we may grow in His love. It is the use of this holy grace that purifies the soul wherein it dwells. We must be in possession of it, or rather be possessed of it, if we are to enter heaven. “It is in the providence of God that widows and orphans, the blind, the deaf, the lame, and persons afflicted in a variety of ways, have been placed in close Christian relationship to His church; it is to prove His people and develop their true character.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 511.

It is the wisdom of God which calls us into the service of ministering to others. It is to perfect us for heaven, and we cannot afford to look the other way. Sin has extinguished the love that God placed in the heart of man, and sin will continue to strive against the love which is in the Christian heart. God knows that if we do not put to use the graces which He has given us, we will lose them. “I have loved thee with an everlasting love,” says the Lord of hosts. Jeremiah 31:3. It is this love, as manifested on the cross of Calvary, which seeks to perfect us. It will not hold back that thing which is for our own good. We, in perfect trust, must obey the word of God and the impression of His Spirit upon our heart, for they work together for our good.

Who Is My Neighbor?

We must learn to love the unlovable, those who appear to be destitute of any hope. It is not our duty to choose whom we shall love. We cannot see the heart as God does. We know not what work has gone before us to prepare this soul for the love of God. We must not ask, as that lawyer, “Who is my neighbor?” (See Luke 10:29.) We must not seek for ways to escape our duty, for this is not acceptable to God. “To become a toiler, to continue patiently in well-doing which calls for self-denying labor, is a glorious work, which Heaven smiles upon. Faithful work is more acceptable to God than the most zealous and thought-to-be holiest worship.…Prayers, exhortation, and talk are cheap fruits, which are frequently tied on; but fruits that are manifested in good works, in caring for the needy, the fatherless, and widows, are genuine fruits, and grow naturally upon a good tree.” Ibid., vol. 2, 24.

As children of God, this is the fruit that we will bear in our lives. Being rooted and grounded in the Lord, Jesus Christ, we cannot but bear good fruits which are manifest in good deeds unto others. “‘I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit.…’” John 15:5. (NKJV) So we see if we do not bear fruit, it is because we are not abiding in Jesus. And Jesus warns, “‘Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He [God] takes away.…’” John 15:2. (NKJV) Those branches which are taken away are cast into the fire, and they are burned.

So what is it that keeps us from abiding in Christ? What disease prevents us from bearing fruit? While God prunes us, it is for the purpose of bearing more fruit of a better quality. But if a branch is so diseased as to bear no fruit, He has no choice but to remove it, lest it infect the other branches. The work of pruning is accomplished through circumstances that manifest the selfishness which still indwells our hearts. We must go to God in true humility and “Pray that He will give you a heart of flesh, a heart that can feel the sorrows of others, that can be touched with human woe. Pray that He will give you a heart that will not permit you to turn a deaf ear to the widow or the fatherless. Pray that you may have bowels of mercy for the poor, the infirm, and the oppressed. Pray that you may love justice and hate robbery, and make no difference in the bestowal of your favors, except to consider the cases of the needy and the unfortunate.…” Letter 24, 1889. We must cooperate with the pruning process, or we will be taken away. We must give up self that the love of God may flow freely through us. This is the great work which is before us. But it is a work which will bring many blessings to those around us. We must be about our Father’s business and work while it is yet day. The end of probation will soon come upon us, and we must be ready. And unless our hearts are filled to over-flowing with the love of God, we cannot expect to receive the Latter Rain. We must have victory, complete victory over sin. This can only be accomplished by a complete surrender to God’s love. For it is love that “will gain the victory.…” Testimonies, vol. 2, 135.

Infinite Mercy and Love

“We should meditate upon the Scriptures, thinking soberly and candidly upon the things that pertain to our salvation. The infinite mercy and love of Jesus, the sacrifice made in our behalf, call for most serious and solemn reflection. We should dwell upon the character of our dear Redeemer and Intercessor. We should seek to comprehend the meaning of the plan of salvation. We should meditate upon the mission of Him who came to save His people from their sins. By constantly contemplating heavenly themes, our faith and love will grow stronger.” Review and Herald, June 12, 1888.

Love, that heavenly perfume which sweetens the lives of all who come within its holy fragrance, is the basis of all godliness; it only abounds in the heart when the entire self is merged with Christ. Then it will spring forward naturally, and then we shall know the perfect will of God. We must not let self corrupt that good thing which is in us through Jesus Christ. We must surrender all to God and we shall have success. Then on that marvelous day, when Jesus returns to claim His own, we shall be among them.

Worship and Music

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Worship, music and counterfeits. A definition of terms may prove useful to assure that all readers understand these words in the same way.

For purposes of this article, music is a gift of God. It is a wonderful gift, because He has given us a part of Himself. Everybody knows that God is love. And God gives us that love. What about music? In Exodus 15:2 and Isaiah 12:2 it says, “The Lord is my strength and song.” God Himself is my song, and He gives me music.

Everybody has their own ideas concerning worship, but a definition can be helpful. R. C. Leonard provides one: “Worship is the central focus of a vital Christian faith, and the most distinctive activity of the church of Jesus Christ. The biblical words translated ‘worship’ (Hebrew shachah, Greek proskuneo) mean, literally, to bow down or bend the knee. Such was the ancient gesture of honor to a sovereign and superior authority. To worship is to offer the oath of covenant loyalty to the Great King, and to affirm our faithfulness as His servants. For this reason, the worship of God, through Jesus Christ, lies at the heart of all Christian expression.” R. C. Leonard, Worship in the Church, January 1997, http://members.aol.com./laudemont/witec.hum. (April 15, 2001).

Now, consider counterfeits. One popular definition is that a counterfeit is a cheap imitation of the real thing. It is cheap, and it is an imitation. Whenever there is something important that comes from God, Satan has to counterfeit it. So if you notice a counterfeit, it is a good idea to look at the real thing, because it must be very important for Satan to bother counterfeiting it. Do counterfeits look nice? Do they sound nice? Certainly! They are glittery and beautiful and meant to attract. Counterfeits are not good things to have, because they are not worth much and can even be dangerous. You do not want to be found using counterfeit money, do you?

True Worship

All through history, worship has been conducted in different ways, true worship and counterfeit, pagan worship. Even true worship has varied at different times and in different cultural settings. This article does not have time or space to examine historical worships. Presently, we are concerned with worship in the last days, in our own time. God gives us information concerning the worship He requires in the final days. We find it in Revelation 14, in the Three Angels’ Messages. In fact, that is one of the basic things they are all about. God does not leave any significant chance of our misunderstanding what He wants.

Look at the Three Angels’ Messages in Revelation 14:6–12, and read them through. In the first message, verse 7, the angel says, “Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” There is that word—worship. We are commanded to worship, and who is to be the object of our worship? The Creator God. That is very plain. We are commanded to worship the One and only true God, the One Who, down through history, has repeated His covenant with us to be our God and to claim us as His people. This is the first big message for us.

The second and third messages tell us that there is someone we are commanded not to worship—the beast. The scope of this article does not include identifying the beast, but the angels’ messages tell us the consequences of worshiping the beast—nothing but bad things, horrifying things. The end of that message gives the identifying marks of those who worship the true God—they keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus.

It is reasonable to say that all of these identifying marks and commands lead to the conclusion that the worship of God is the true worship and the only true worship. Also, the worship of the beast is the false, or counterfeit, worship. Everything that goes with the worship of the beast is false or counterfeit worship. Some of the things this involves include the false sabbath and the false music. Although many other things could be included, the emphasis of this article is music, true God-based music and false, counterfeit music.

Where Does Music Come In?

Some may ask, Can you prove that music is a part of worship? There have been many people, throughout history, who have said that instrumental music should not be used. John Calvin, for example, claimed that the instrumental music used in the Old Testament times was meant for people who were tender and like children. “But in New Testament times Christ has come and the church has reached full age, it would only bury the light of the gospel should we introduce the shadows of a departed dispensation.” John L. Girardeau, Instrumental Music in the Public Worship of the Church, New Covenant Publication Society, Havertown, PA., 1983, 63, 64.

What about music in worship in the last days, in the setting of the Three Angels’ Messages? Consider the following statements:

“As a part of religious service, singing is as much an act of worship as is prayer. Indeed, many a song is prayer.” Education, 168. Many other quotations could be cited which include instrumental music.

“Singing is just as much the worship of God in a religious meeting as speaking. . . .” Selected Messages, Book 3, 333.

According to Mrs. White, music in worship includes speaking, prayer, and singing. Each of these aspects of music may be true worship or counterfeit worship. So music is an important part of worship, making it an important part of the Third Angel’s Message and what God wants from us in these last days. It does matter what our music is like. It shows our allegiance to God and our acceptance of His covenant, or it shows our allegiance to the beast. God does not accept any counterfeit in His worship.

The Roles of Music in Worship

Let us examine exactly what music accomplishes in the worship service. Actually it plays many roles:

  1. Music sets the mood. The thoughts, feelings, and emotions of the people are controlled by the music. Alertness or sleepiness may be caused by the music. Music creates a proper frame of mind for the rest of the service. If a minister wants to introduce strange ideas of theology, he can use what we call celebration music to put the people into a hypnotic state, and they accept and retain in their minds whatever he wishes—without even knowing it is happening.
  2. Music creates unity and harmony. People feel and think together because of the music. It is a kind of group entrainment. (That word is not entertainment.) What is entrainment? Scientists have discovered that when two rhythms are placed adjacent to each other they lock into each other and become the same rhythm. They first discovered this with pendulum clocks—back in the 1600s. If the clocks were close together, the pendulums would start swinging the same. Since then we have learned that we can control all kinds of body rhythms with music. Just play the music with the speed or vibration you want, and you can slow down or accelerate the heart rate, or any of the other rhythms in the body, including brain waves.

If you play fast, jazzy rhythms at the beginning of church, your whole body gears up to the same thing. Scientists have found ways to eject rhythms of whatever tempo they want, add certain tones into musical recordings, and nobody knows they are there, but their brains accept them and respond accordingly, maybe even slowing them down enough to become like zombies. One danger of this is that Satan can use his counterfeit in accompaniment tapes that vocalists buy, and nobody ever knows the difference. Recent research shows that group entrainment may take place. One study showed that, in a university class, the brain waves of the students entrained with those of the professor. This has serious implications for those who are using NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) to control others. “While preaching, praying, or conversing, some professed Adventists who had rejected present truth used mesmerism to gain adherents, and the people would rejoice in this influence, for they thought it was the Holy Ghost.” Early Writings, 44. Now the scientists are showing us it can really happen. Do not think it is foolish imagination. Satan is using his false, counterfeit worship and the music in it to control people’s minds. This fact makes it extremely important that we do not use Satan’s music in worship, and certainly not anywhere else either.

  1. Music creates a kind of people. You are what you eat; you are what you see; you are what you hear. You are the kind of music to which you listen.
  2. Music invokes the Holy Spirit and invites the presence of angels. “When the singing is such that angels can unite with the singers, an impression is made on minds that singing from unsanctified lips cannot make. . . . The songs in which every word is uttered clearly, in a musical tone, are the songs that they [angels] join us in singing. They take up the refrain that is sung from the heart with the spirit and the understanding.” Evangelism, 509, 510.
  3. Most important of all, music is an act of worship. This places it as a significant part of true worship, which then makes it an important part of the Three Angels’ Messages.

Praise Ye the Lord

What difference does it make what music we have in our worship services? If music is basically entertainment, why do we have music in worship at all? Many people have said that music is just a matter of preference. In other words, just choose what you like. The problem is there is a big difference. And it all goes back to God’s music for God’s worship and Satan’s music (counterfeit) for Satan’s worship.

A search of the Bible will reveal not only what God wants us to sing about but also how He wants us to sing. If music is an important part of the worship of God, He must have given us some instruction about it.

The thing mentioned more often than anything else is praise. “Praise ye the Lord. . . . Let them sing praises unto Him with the timbrel and harp.” Psalm 149:1, 3. “Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.” Psalm 147:1.

Offer Thanksgiving for His Goodness

The thing mentioned most frequently after praise is thanksgiving. “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O most High.” Psalm 92:1. Does God get tired of hearing us thank Him? No, He does not.

We should use joyful songs. “Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of His name: make His praise glorious.” Psalm 66:1, 2. “O let the nations be glad and sing for joy.” Psalm 67:4.

What Should Our Music Include?

Majesty—“They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord. . . .” Isaiah 24:14.

God’s Righteousness—“They shall abundantly utter the memory of Thy great goodness, and shall sing of Thy righteousness.” Psalm 145:7.

God’s Power—“Be Thou exalted, Lord, in Thine own strength: so will we sing and praise Thy power.” Psalm 21:13.

God’s Mercy and Judgment—“I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto Thee, O Lord, will I sing.” Psalm 101:1.

To God’s Name—“So will I sing praise unto Thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.” Psalm 61:8.

Other verses give us the following: To the glory of God, God’s goodness, Ways of the Lord, Science of Salvation, Psalms, Holy songs, Words of the Law, Prophecy, Songs of Triumph and Victory, Faith and Holy Cheer, Hope and Trust. And the final song for the future: the Song of Deliverance.

Music of the Word

It seems that God has given us plenty to sing about without resorting to the devil’s counterfeit songs about our own selves and our own feelings. It would be a good idea if we would try to practice now for the music of heaven.

I have a dream that some might like to share with me. Imagine a few Seventh-day Adventist churches here and there who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus and are doing all they can to avoid the devil’s counterfeit music, becoming serious about their music being God’s music. Even a church or two could start it. What if these churches started making the music of their church Seventh-day Adventist music? How, you ask, could you do that? Well, there is the previous list that God gave us. With that, suppose we sing songs about the Three Angels’ Messages, about Christ’s Second Coming, about the Sabbath, about the state of the dead, about the sanctuary, about the Spirit of Prophecy—the pillars of our faith. That is just a start. There are plenty of songs in our hymnal that we already know and more good songs that we could learn. For example, do you know the song about the judgment, “Christ the Lord, All Power Possessing,” found on page 415 in the new hymnal? The first verse is about Christ ascending to heaven; the second verse pictures the judgment; the third verse is about Christ coming back. The tune is an exciting, vigorous tune, and the song is well worth some effort to learn. After searching out all of the wonderful songs that truly tell of our own Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, we need to think about the words as we sing them and breathe new life into them. Our whole church will become invigorated!

Words with Meaning

Where Mrs. White wrote that song is an act of worship and song is prayer, she continues as follows: “If the child is taught to realize this, he will think more of the meaning of the words he sings and will be more susceptible to their power.” Education, 168. The older ones among us are not too old to learn the same lesson.

Are you and your church singing God’s music in your worship services, or is the devil’s counterfeit music sneaking in among you? Is your music preparing you for heaven?