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Current Events – Sermons Summoned by City

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“We are standing on the threshold of great and solemn events. Prophecy is fast fulfilling. The Lord is at the door. There is soon to open before us a period of overwhelming interest to all living. The controversies of the past are to be revived; new controversies will arise. The scenes to be enacted in our world are not yet even dreamed of. Satan is at work though human agencies. Those who are making an effort to change the Constitution and secure a law enforcing Sunday observance little realize what will be the result. A crisis is just upon us.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 753

Laws are being made to protect those who blatantly oppose God’s standard of moral conduct. These laws prohibit publicly speaking against sin.

City of Houston demands pastors turn over sermons

By Todd Starnes

Published October 14, 2014

The city of Houston has issued subpoenas demanding a group of pastors turn over any sermons dealing with homosexuality, gender identity or Annise Parker, the city’s first openly lesbian mayor. And those ministers who fail to comply could be held in contempt of court.

“The city’s subpoena of sermons and other pastoral communications is both needless and unprecedented,” Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Christina Holcomb said in a statement. “The city council and its attorneys are engaging in an inquisition designed to stifle any critique of its actions.”

ADF, a nationally-known law firm specializing in religious liberty cases, is representing five Houston pastors. They filed a motion in Harris County to stop the subpoenas arguing they are “overbroad, unduly burdensome, harassing, and vexatious.”

“Political and social commentary is not a crime,” Holcomb said. “It is protected by the First Amendment.”

The subpoenas are just the latest twist in an ongoing saga over the Houston’s new non-discrimination ordinance. The law, among other things, would allow men to use the ladies room and vice versa. The city council approved the law in June.

The Houston Chronicle reported opponents of the ordinance launched a petition drive that generated more than 50,000 signatures – far more than the 17,269 needed to put a referendum on the ballot.

However, the city threw out the petition in August over alleged irregularities.

After opponents of the bathroom bill filed a lawsuit the city’s attorneys responded by issuing the subpoenas against the pastors.

The pastors were not part of the lawsuit. However, they were part of a coalition of some 400 Houston-area churches that opposed the ordinance. The churches represent a number of faith groups – from Southern Baptist to non-denominational. …

Mayor Parker will not explain why she wants to inspect the sermons. However, ADF attorney Stanley suspects the mayor wants to publicly shame the ministers. He said he anticipates they will hold up their sermons for public scrutiny. In other words – the city is rummaging for evidence to “out” the pastors as anti-gay bigots. …

Rev. Dave Welch, executive director of the Texas Pastor Council, also received a subpoena. He said he will not be intimidated by the mayor.

“We’re not afraid of this bully,” he said. “We’re not intimidated at all.”

He accused the city of violating the law with the subpoenas and vowed to stand firm in the faith.

“We are not going to yield our First Amendment rights,” Welch told me. ‘This is absolutely a complete abuse of authority.”

Tony Perkins, the head of the Family Research Council, said pastors around the nation should rally around the Houston ministers.

“The state is breaching the wall of separation between church and state,” Perkins said. …We can no longer remain silent. We must stand together —because one day—the government might come for your pastor.

www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/10/14/city-houston-demands-pastors-turn-over-sermons/

Who Reigns Supreme?

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”When a comparison is made between the attitudes of those possessing high or low self-esteem and Lucifer’s attitude, which he displayed in Heaven that led to rebellion, it can be seen indeed that the principle of self-esteem originated with him and that it is anti-God in its nature. Lucifer imparted this devilish attribute to Adam’s fallen race. People possessing high or low self-esteem compare to Lucifer’s attitude.

Humans with High or Low Self-esteem …

  1. Live in a social world in which they believe that people value and respect them.
  2. Dismiss negative feedback as unreliable or biased. The motivation to protect feelings of self-worth leads to a rigid, closed mind-set that cannot tolerate alternative viewpoints known as ‘‘need for cognitive closure.’’
  3. Trivialize failures or attribute them to external causes.
  4. Take less personal responsibility for harmful actions and develop an inaccurate self concept, hindering growth and change.
  5. Become angry and aggressive toward those who threaten their ego.
  6. Want people to feel sorry for them, to pay attention to them, to comfort them.
  7. Engage in downward social comparisons, a process that underlies prejudice and discrimination.
  8. Sometimes engage in dysfunctional behaviors.
  9. See the world through a more negative viewpoint.

Lucifer’s Attitude that Caused Rebellion in Heaven:

  1. “He was beloved and reverenced by the heavenly host.” The Great Controversy (1888), 495.
  2. “Angels that were loyal and true sought to reconcile this mighty, rebellious angel to the will of his Creator.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 19.

“Satan refused to listen. And then he turned from the loyal and true angels, denouncing them as slaves.” Ibid., 20.

  1. “As one aggrieved, he related the preference God had given Jesus to the neglect of himself.” Ibid., 19.
  2. “But the warning, given in infinite love and mercy, only aroused a spirit of resistance.” The Great Controversy (1888), 494. “He persistently defended his own course, maintained that he had no need of repentance, and fully committed himself, in the great controversy, against his Maker.” Ibid., 496.
  3. “Lucifer allowed jealousy of Christ to prevail, and he became the more determined.” Ibid., 495. “… his heart was filled with envy and hatred. …

“He left the immediate presence of the Father, dissatisfied, and filled with envy against Jesus Christ.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 18.

  1. “He sought to create sympathy for himself, by representing that God had dealt unjustly with him in bestowing supreme honor upon Christ.” The Great Controversy (1888), 495.
  2. “He told them that henceforth all the sweet liberty the angels had enjoyed was at an end. For had not a ruler been appointed over them, to whom they from henceforth must yield servile honor?” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 19.
  3. “For all had heretofore been peace and harmony, and what could occasion this dissenting, rebellious voice?” Ibid., 20.
  4. “He claimed that in aspiring to greater power and honor he was not aiming at self-exaltation, but was seeking to secure liberty for all the inhabitants of Heaven, that by this means they might attain to a higher state of existence.” The Great Controversy (1888), 495. “He promised them a new and better government than they then had, in which all would be freedom.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 20.

Self-esteem!

The cardinal principle which governs Satan’s kingdom is self-esteem that says to all its subjects, “Look away from Christ and look to self!” It is self-centered. “For thou hast said in thine heart … I will be like the most High.” Isaiah 14:13, 14.

Self-denial!

The cardinal principle that governs Jesus’ kingdom is self-denial rooted in divine love which says, “Look away from self and look to Jesus!” It is Christ-centered. Luke 9:23 tells us, “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Lucifer Educates the Angels

  • “He left the immediate presence of the Father, dissatisfied, and filled with envy against Jesus Christ. Concealing his real purposes, he assembled the angelic host. He introduced his subject, which was himself. As one aggrieved, he related the preference God had given Jesus to the neglect of himself. He told them that henceforth all the sweet liberty the angels had enjoyed was at an end. For had not a ruler been appointed over them, to whom they from henceforth must yield servile honor? He stated to them that he had called them together to assure them that he no longer would submit to this invasion of his rights and theirs; that never would he again bow down to Christ;
  • that he would take the honor upon himself which should have been conferred upon him, and would be the commander of all who would submit to follow him and obey his voice. There was contention among the angels. Satan and his sympathizers were striving to reform the government of God. They were discontented and unhappy because they could not look into His unsearchable wisdom and ascertain His purposes in exalting His Son Jesus, and endowing Him with such unlimited power and command. They rebelled against the authority of the Son.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 18, 19.

Lucifer’s aim in the re-education of the angels of heaven was to change their “world view” of the kingdom of God! To create a paradigm shift in their minds. This is the same principle he follows through the educational institutions of earth.

“World-view” has to do with the overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world, a comprehensive conception or image of the universe and of humanity’s relation to it.

American educational institutions were founded upon the word of God. Therefore their “world-view” was defined by the Holy Scriptures.

Harvard University was founded in the year 1636 in Massachusetts by Congregationalists to train ministers of the gospel. Its educational philosophy was defined in two mottoes:

  1. “For Christ and the Church.”
  2. “For the glory of Christ.”

Harvard’s Directive to Students: “Let every student be plainly instructed and … consider well that the main end of this life and study is to know God and Jesus, which is eternal life (John 17:3) and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning.

“Everyone shall so exercise himself in reading the Scriptures twice a day that he shall be ready to give such an account of his proficiency therein.” (Source: The American Heritage Collection by David Barton, Four Centuries of American Education.)

Yale University was founded in the year 1701 at New Haven, Connecticut, by the Congregationalists for training ministers of the gospel.

Yale Counseled Students: “Above all, have an eye to the great end of all your studies, which is to obtain the clearest conception of Divine things and to lead you to a saving knowledge of God in His son, Jesus Christ.”

Yale’s requirement of all students: “All the scholars are required to live a religious and blameless life according to the rules of God’s word, diligently reading the Holy Scriptures … and constantly attending all the duties of Religion.” Ibid.

Princeton University was started in the year 1746 at Elizabeth, New Jersey, by the Presbyterians to train ministers of the gospel.

Princeton’s requirement of all students: “Every student shall attend worship in the college hall morning and evening … [and] shall attend public worship on the Sabbath. … There shall be assigned to each class certain exercises for their religious instruction … and no student belonging to any class shall neglect them.” Ibid.

The American educational system was founded upon three main elements namely,

  1. Religion
  2. Morality
  3. Knowledge

Religion was first. It formed the basis for the other two. It had to do with the fear of the Lord. Morality cannot exist without religion and the knowledge contemplated was the inculcating and incorporating of the principles of the Bible in education.

In the eighteen hundreds, the State of Kansas’ Superintendent of public education said, “If the study of the Bible is to be excluded from all State schools, if the inculcation of the principles of Christianity is to have no place in the daily program, if the worship of God is to form no part of the general exercise of these public elementary schools, then the good of the State would be better served by restoring all schools to church control.” Ibid.

In 1890 a survey revealed that over 90% of all state universities had chapel services. In the year 1860, 262 out of 288 college and university presidents were ministers of the gospel.

Dr. Benjamin Rush (1745-1813) known as the father of American Public School, said, “Without religion I believe that learning does mischief to the morals and principles of mankind. If you take religion out of education, education becomes a negative force.” (The American Heritage Series, David Barton, DVD #8)

As time moved on, Satan did to the educational institutions what he did in heaven, a re-educating. He caused a paradigm shift and a change of “world-view” in the philosophical principles of the educational institutions so that they would become his agents to promulgate the doctrine of “SELF-ESTEEM.”

Satan Used the Supreme Court

  • In 1962 the United States Supreme Court ruled that voluntary school prayer was unconstitutional in America’s public Schools.
  • In 1963 the United States Supreme Court ruled that Bible reading in America’s schools was unconstitutional.
  • In 1985 the United States Supreme Court outlawed silent prayer in our nation’s public schools.

The educational shift focused on an ego-centric philosophy where the end justifies the means. “Students are trained to use their minds but we will not teach any right or wrong, that is up to their choice whatever the students think is right or wrong. There is no absolute right or wrong.

“Nothing matters in this world but me so I am going to take what I learn to get what I want. That means that if you get hurt, if I need to lie to get what I want that’s fine.” Ibid.

The Fruitage of the Paradigm Shift in the Educational Institutions

  • An ego-centric education
  • An ego-centric individual
  • An ego-centric home
  • An ego-centric country
  • An ego-centric society
  • An ego-centric church
  • An ego-centric world

An article entitled, “The Problem With Self-Esteem” by Paul C. Vitz, highlights this point. “Today, the largest and most familiar part of American Psychology is the popular psychology of self-esteem, now found throughout American society. Self-esteem and the obsession that so many have with it, is familiar to almost all of us these days. Self-esteem programs affect the lives of countless school children, because this idea, really an ideal, has been taken and applied primarily in education.”

It continued by stating, “Self-esteem seems to be the common denominator pervading the writings of such varied theorists as Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, ego-strength psychologists, and moral educators especially recently. In any case, the concern with self-esteem hovers everywhere in the US today. It is, however, most reliably found in the world of education—from professors of education, to principals, teachers, school boards, and the television programs that are concerned with education, particularly those programs concerned with preschool education like Sesame Street.”

According to this writer “self-esteem is a deeply secular concept, not one with which Christians should be particularly involved. Nor need they be. Christians should have a tremendous sense of self worth. God made us in His image, He loves us, He sent His Son to save each of us, our destiny is to be with God forever. Each of us is of such value that the angels rejoice over every repentant sinner. But on the other hand, we have nothing on our own to be proud of. We were given life along with all of our talents, and we are all poor sinners. There is certainly no theological reason to believe that the rich or the successful or the high in self-esteem are more favored by God and are more likely to reach heaven. Indeed, blessed are the humble, blessed are the meek.”

William James, who coined the phrase “self-esteem” was not a committed Christian. His religious persuasion was western philosophy. In his biography these words are recorded: “His interest is not in religious institutions, ritual, or, even for the most part, religious ideas, but in ‘the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine.’ ” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

William James was a contemporary of Ellen White. Evidently this teaching of self-esteem was impacting the Adventist church as well as Christianity on the whole during that time. Accordingly Ellen White had to address it and expose it.

Ellen White Addresses the Evils of Self-Esteem

  1. The Spring of Self-Esteem – “The evils of self-esteem and an unsanctified independence, which most impair our usefulness, and which will prove our ruin if not overcome, spring from selfishness.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 92.
  2. The Results of Harboring Self-Esteem – “There is in man a disposition to esteem himself more highly than his brother, to work for self, to seek the highest place; and often this results in evil surmisings and bitterness of spirit.” The Desire of Ages, 650.
  3. Self-Esteem Leads Men Away From God – “It is self-esteem that leads men and women away from God and away from those who need their help and tender sympathy.” The Review and Herald, August 5, 1909.
  4. Those Who Cherish Self-Esteem are Ignorant of the Scriptures – “Men who turn away from the knowledge of God, have placed their minds under control of their master, Satan, and he trains them to be his servants. … Evil angels are ever on the alert that they may exalt before the minds of the youth that which will do them injury, and as books expressing infidel and pagan sentiments are read, these unseen agents of evil seek to impress those who study them with the spirit of questioning and unbelief. Those who drink from these polluted channels do not thirst for the waters of life; for they are satisfied with the broken cisterns of the world. They think they have the treasures of knowledge, when they are hoarding that which is but wood and hay and stubble, not worth gaining, not worth keeping. Their self-esteem, their idea that a superficial knowledge of things constitutes education, make them boastful and self-satisfied, when they are, as were the Pharisees, ignorant of the Scriptures and the power of God.” Fundamentals of Education, 168, 169.
  5. Self-Esteem a Poisonous Weed – “But when the garden of the heart is neglected, poisonous weeds of pride, self-esteem, self-sufficiency, obtain a rank growth. We individually must watch unto prayer.” Evangelism, 342.
  6. Self-Esteem Kills Spiritual Life – “Self-esteem and self-sufficiency are killing spiritual life. Self is lifted up; self is talked about. Oh, that self might die! ‘I die daily,’ said the apostle Paul. When this proud, boasting self-sufficiency and this complacent self-righteousness permeate the soul, there is no room for Jesus. He is given an inferior place, while self swells into importance and fills the whole temple of the soul.” Lift Him Up, 310.
  7. Harboring Self-Esteem, Christ is not in the Heart – “Let no one deceive his own soul in this matter. If you harbor pride, self-esteem, a love for the supremacy, vainglory, unholy ambition, murmuring, discontent, bitterness, evil-speaking, lying, deception, slandering, you have not Christ abiding in your heart. … You must have a Christian character that will stand.” Maranatha, 50.
  8. People Christ Does Not Countenance – “The one class that He would never countenance was those who stood apart in their self-esteem and looked down upon others.” The Ministry of Healing, 164.
  9. That Which Stands Between the Soul and God – “It is self-esteem that stands between the human agent and his God and impedes the vital current that flows from Christ to enrich every human being.” Our High Calling, 114.
  10. A True Christian Cannot Possess Self-Esteem – “If one is a follower of Christ, he cannot be sharp in deal, he cannot be hardhearted, devoid of sympathy. He cannot be coarse in his speech. He cannot be full of pomposity and self-esteem. He cannot be overbearing, nor can he use harsh words, and censure and condemn.” Ibid., 121.

How Can a Person Overcome Self-Esteem?

“As Christ the Pattern is constantly kept before the mind’s eye, new habits will be formed, powerful hereditary and cultivated tendencies will be subdued and overcome, self-esteem will be laid in the dust, old habits of thought will be constantly resisted, love for the supremacy will be seen in its real, despicable character, and will be overcome.” Ibid., 99.

Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

John 15:5 – “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

Luke 9:23 – “And He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Self-Esteem and Self-Denial Contrasted

Isaiah 14:13, 14 – “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

Galatians 2:20 – “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”

Man’s Perfect Example of Self-Forgetfulness!

“The religion of Christ uplifts the receiver to a higher plane of thought and action, while at the same time it presents the whole human race as alike the objects of the love of God, being purchased by the sacrifice of his Son. At the feet of Jesus, the rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, meet together, with no thought of cast or worldly pre-eminence.

“All earthly distinctions are forgotten as we look upon Him whom our sins have pierced. The self-denial, the condescension, the infinite compassion of Him Who was highly exalted in heaven, put to shame human pride, self-esteem, and social caste. Pure and undefiled religion manifests its heaven-born principles in bringing into oneness all who are sanctified through the truth.” Gospel Workers, 313.

Not I But Christ

Not I, but Christ, be honored, loved, exalted;
Not I, but Christ, be seen, be known, be heard;
Not I, but Christ, in every look and action,
Not I, but Christ, in every thought and word.
Not I, but Christ, to gently soothe in sorrow,
Not I, but Christ, to wipe the falling tears;
Not I, but Christ, to lift the weary burden,
Not I, but Christ, to hush away all fear.
Christ, only Christ! No idle words e’er falling,
Christ, only Christ; no needless bustling sound;
Christ, only Christ; no self-important bearing;
Christ, only Christ; no trace of I be found.
Not I, but Christ, my every need supplying,
Not I, but Christ, my strength and health to be;
Christ, only Christ, for body, soul, and spirit,
Christ, only Christ, here and eternity.

Fannie E. Bolton

Pastor Ivan Plummer ministers through the Emmanuel Seventh Day Church Ministries in Bronx, New York. He may be contacted by telephone at: 718-882-3900.

The Church Without a Pastor

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Do you know any churches that have no pastors? Are you aware of the fact that many of God’s faithful people attend churches that do not have a regular pastor? This situation is not going to get better in the sense that there are going to be more pastors; it is going to get worse. This is actually good news, however, because there are going to be more churches developing so fast around the world that there are not going to be enough pastors to care for them all.

Today many are meeting in homes or in unheated buildings because they have no other place to meet. There are some churches where the members are meeting in secret because of religious persecution, and most of these churches do not have a pastor.

By the way, how many people do you have to have to form a church? Have you ever thought that through? According to Matthew 18, you have to have two. In the book Upward Look, 315, Ellen White wrote an interesting statement about the church. It says, “God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations, it is the people who love God and keep His commandments. ‘Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ Matthew 18:20. Where Christ is, even among the humble few, this is Christ’s church. For the presence of the High and Holy one who inhabits eternity can alone constitute a church. Where two or three are present who love and obey the commandments, of God, Jesus there presides. Let it be in the desolate place of the earth, in the wilderness, in the city, enclosed in prison walls.”

Many people think it is a great calamity to be without a pastor, especially people who have attended large churches where they have had somone to preach to them regularly. They are used to going and sitting in a pew, listening to the choir, organ and piano, and listening the the speakers and sermons; and they think, “My, if we had no pastor, what would we do?” However, even if you consider it a calamity, it is certainly not nearly the worst thing that could happen to you. Do you know what is an infinitely worse calamity than having no pastor? It is having an apostate pastor. It is much better having no pastor than to have one who is an apostate. So, do not get to feeling too sorry for churches that have no pastor. They are not in nearly as bad as shape as they might be.

Every Christian today needs to understand what the Bible says about apostate pastors. Are you aware of how dangerous it really is? If you sit and listen to an apostate pastor, you are in danger of losing your soul.

According to the Bible, one of the primary characteristics of an apostate pastor is that they preach a peace and safety message. “Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone, is given to covetousness; and from the prophets even to the priests, everyone deals falsely. They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly saying ‘Peace, peace! When there is no peace.” Jeremiah 6:13, 14

It is the natural human tendency, when there is the belief that there is going to be peace and security, to relax and feel secure. A false sense of security, however, is not going to keep you from being destroyed.

Part of the peace and safety message is the concept that you cannot keep the law of God perfectly. When a person who has been taught this peace and safety message meets someone who knows what the New Testament truth of obedience is, it is a very shaking experience for him. His initial reaction is to go back to his pastor and to his fellow church members, who have been taught this same lie, and talk to them about it.

Now one of two things has to happen. When a person is confronted with the truth, they will either yield to the truth or decide to keep believing the lie that the Christian’s experience is one of sinning and confessing. If they choose to believe the lie, they will then feel the need to rid themselves of those people who keep troubling their conscience.

In Testimonies to Ministers, 409, 410, there is a prophecy. It was prophetic then, but it is taking place now. She said, “Many will stand in our pulpits with the torch of false prophecy in their hands, kindled from the hellish torch of Satan. If doubts and unbelief are cherished, the faithful ministers will be removed from the people who think they know so much. ‘If thou hadst known,’ said Christ, ‘even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto they peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes.’”

If you go to a church and listen to apostasy being preached, convicting yourself that you are strong and that you are going to do missionary work, you are committing the sin of presumption; and God will not work a miracle to save you. I cannot overstate how serious this is. It has to do with understanding how the human mind works. If you have studied psychology, you already know that if you tell someone something long enough, they will believe it. That is the way the human mind works.

There are going to be millions of people who sat in churches and listened to this type of smooth preaching, who will come to the Lord in the day of judgment, and who will be lost. We are talking about a serious matter. We are dealing not with life and death; we are dealing with eternal life and death.

So, if you are listening to false doctrines being preached that are not according to the New Testament, if you stay listening to that, you will eventually believe it, even if you do not believe it now. You might say, “My pastor is wrong.” Listen, if you know your pastor is wrong and you keep returning to listen to that error, the time will come when you will believe it. If you do not accept and follow all of the truth, eventually you will believe a lie and be deceived and be lost. This is very clearly spelled out in 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2.

“I was shown the necessity of those who believe that we are having the last message of mercy, being separate from those who are daily imbibing new errors. I saw that neither young nor old should attend their meetings; for it is wrong to thus encourage them while they teach new error that is a deadly poison to the soul and teach for doctrines the commandments of men. The influence of such gatherings is not good. If God has delivered us from such darkness and error, we should stand fast in the liberty wherewith He has set us free and rejoice in the truth. God is displeased with us when we go to listen to error, without being obliged to go; for unless He sends us to those meetings where error is forced home to the people by the power of the will, He will not keep us. The angels cease their watchful care over us, and we are left to the buffetings of the enemy, to be darkened and weakened by him and the power of his evil angels’ and the light around us becomes contaminated with the darkness.

“I saw that we have no time to throw away in listening to fables. Our minds should not be thus diverted, but should be occupied with the present truth, and seeking wisdom that we may obtain a more thorough knowledge of our position, that with meekness we may able to give a reason of our hope from the Scriptures. While false doctrines and dangerous errors are pressed upon the mind, it cannot be dwelling upon the truth which is to fit and prepare the house of Israel to stand in the day of the Lord.” Early Writings, 124, 125

The question remaining in people’s minds is how to start a church without a pastor. This is keeping any people from starting home churches which they should have started long ago but were afraid to. Yet in the New Testament, there were many churches that had no pastor; and before the end there are going to be many more. So, we are going to look at the divine counsel for a church that has no pastor. We are going to look at how to have a Sabbath school and how to have a church service when you have no pastor.

“On the Sabbath, the few friends here assembled in Edson’s parlor for Sabbath school. There are four families—twelve persons in all—who usually meet for worship. Edson conducts a Sabbath school when he is at home. After Sabbath school they either have a Bible reading or a prayer and social meeting.”

The first service you want to have on Sabbath morning, if you have a church without a pastor, is Sabbath school. Notice that for church they did one of two things. They either had a Bible reading or they had prayer and a social meeting.

Ellen White goes on to say, “The family altar should be established in every home; and if in any locality there are more than two or three of like precious faith, they should meet together.” Ibid.

You do not say, “Well, I do not have a pastor, or my pastor is preaching heresy, so I am just going to stay home and not go to church.” What does it say in Hebrews 10:25? “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Is the Day approaching?

We have more need to get together for worship now than we have ever before. I have been a pastor now for some years, and over and over again, I have observed that when people do not meet together and worship, their faith and love grow cold. If you go directly contrary to Bible counsel, you are guilty of the sin of presumption; and, as we said before, God is not going to work a miracle to keep the result from taking place. It is just like jumping off of a building and saying, “Lord, please keep the law of gravity from working now so I will not get hurt.” It is not going to happen.

Did you know that God writes down in His book which people meet together and worship Him today and which people do not? “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name.” Malachi 3:16. You must never think that because you have an apostate pastor and you cannot go to this particular church that you are to just stay home and have church. You have a worship service. Did you notice that she said they either had a Bible reading or prayer and a social meeting? Do you know what a Bible reading is? A Bible reading is when nobody preaches. Instead, you study the Bible together. It is something that anyone who is able to read can do. In fact, people who cannot read can do it if they can ask questions of people who can read.

“Well,” someone asks, “What should we study?” There is more than one subject that Ellen White lists that should always be included, but I am only going to mention one. This is never to be left out when you come together and worship. She calls it by two names; she refers to it in one place as practical religion and in another place she calls it practical godliness. What is practical godliness? It is “to see the necessity of religious principle and righteousness in everyday life.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 237. Practical godliness has to do with the way we live every day. You cannot read much from the Bible without getting into that subject.

Suppose that you are responsible for the church service and you cannot preach. Can you talk? Can you read? If you can talk and read, you can have a Bible study; and that is all that is necessary. In fact, Ellen White told our ministers that they were doing too much preaching. She said they would be better off, if when they went to church, they just had a Bible class.

Suppose that we had a Bible class for about ten minutes on the subject of practical godliness. Are there any passages of Scripture that come to your mind? What was the greatest sermon ever preached? The “Sermon on the Mount.” That whole sermon is about practical godliness.

In a sermon, if you ask questions and have the Bible texts to answer the questions you have time to go through about twelve to fifteen texts at the most. If you are in a home church, you do not have a preacher, and you have to prepare a Bible study, you do not need a hundred texts. Ten to fifteen is all you need on the subject.

By the way, you could have a Bible study on practical godliness every Sabbath for a year and you would never run out of material. You would have more and more and more; the more you started studying it, the more it would start opening up to your mind and you would have more and more material. Practical godliness is not something that happens in an instant; it is something that takes time.

Here is a passage you could read in a Bible study on practical godliness in 2 Peter 1:5-7. “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue, knowledge, to knowledge, self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.”

Peter goes on to say that if you do this, you are going to be saved. This passage is called Peter’s ladder. It is very practical. The top rung of the ladder is love. Do you know what love is? To understand what practical godliness means is to understand what God’s love is like and to partake of that love in our life. The Bible is just full of illustrations, stories, and examples on this subject.

If you understand this subject of practical godliness, then God can use you to start churches anywhere in the world that He might send you.

Every one of us here can look back into the past and remember a time when, if someone had not brought us the precious truth about Jesus and His soon coming, we would have been left in the dark. There are still some people out there friends. They are not going to drive one hundred or maybe not even fifty miles to go to a church. If we are going to save them, somebody is going to have to start some churches closer to where they are.

You do not have to have buildings and money and ministers. All you must have is an understanding of practical godliness. You have to be experiencing sanctification yourself and understand what the Bible teaches. Then share your faith with somebody else. You can start a home church if there are only two of you. Let us pray that the Lord will use each one of us to do this.

The End

Growing Up Into Christ

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“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Corinthians 5:17

Once an individual has consecrated his life to God and accepts by faith that God forgives him, the next step is the test of discipleship, and then to grow in a relationship with God.

How do we know that we are truly disciples of Jesus—that our old life is gone and a new life has taken its place? Many look at the change that was wrought in Saul who, after his conversion became known as Paul. This kind of conversion is not the only true conversion.

“A person may not be able to tell the exact time or place, or trace all the chain of circumstances in the process of conversion; but this does not prove him to be unconverted.” Steps to Christ, 57.

Although Saul had a dramatic, immediate conversion, this statement outlines another conversion process that is every bit as genuine and effective. Jesus talks of this type of conversion in John 3:8 where we read about Nicodemus’ night interview in which Jesus told him that the Spirit was like the wind. We can hear the wind, and we can see the effects of its moving, but we cannot see it. This is an illustration of the kind of conversion that Jesus spoke about while here on earth. “Like the wind, which is invisible, yet the effects of which are plainly seen and felt, is the Spirit of God in its work upon the human heart. That regenerating power, which no human eye can see, begets a new life in the soul; it creates a new being in the image of God. While the work of the Spirit is silent and imperceptible, its effects are manifest. If the heart has been renewed by the Spirit of God, the life will bear witness to the fact. While we cannot do anything to change our hearts or to bring ourselves into harmony with God; while we must not trust at all to ourselves or our good works, our lives will reveal whether the grace of God is dwelling within us. A change will be seen in the character, the habits, the pursuits. The contrast will be clear and decided between what they have been and what they are. The character is revealed, not by occasional good deeds and occasional misdeeds, but by the tendency of the habitual words and acts.” Ibid., 57, 58.

But there is some clarification needed here. Sometimes there is an outward change for the better that is not conversion. “It is true that there may be an outward correctness of deportment without the renewing power of Christ. The love of influence and the desire for the esteem of others may produce a well-ordered life. Self-respect may lead us to avoid the appearance of evil. A selfish heart may perform generous actions. By what means, then, shall we determine whose side we are on?” Ibid., 58. Here is the key. Here are concrete questions we can ask ourselves to determine if a genuine conversion has taken place in our hearts: are we truly a disciple of Jesus? Ask yourself these questions and answer them honestly. Remember God, Who knows all things, searches the heart. He will answer truthfully whether you do or not. “Who has the heart? With whom are our thoughts? Of whom do we love to converse? Who has our warmest affections and our best energies? If we are Christ’s, our thoughts are with Him, and our sweetest thoughts are of Him. All we have and are is consecrated to Him. We long to bear His image, breathe His spirit, do His will, and please Him in all things.” Ibid.

We are told if that change has taken place, it will be seen in our lives. “Those who become new creatures in Christ Jesus will bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, ‘love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.’ Galatians 5:22, 23. They will no longer fashion themselves according to the former lusts, but by the faith of the Son of God they will follow in His steps, reflect His character, and purify themselves even as He is pure. The things they once hated they now love, and the things they once loved they hate. The proud and self-assertive become meek and lowly in heart. The vain and supercilious become serious and unobtrusive. The drunken become sober, and the profligate pure. The vain customs and fashions of the world are laid aside. Christians will seek not the ‘outward adorning,’ but ‘the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.’ I Peter 3:3, 4.”

“There is no evidence of genuine repentance unless it works reformation. If he restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, confess his sins, and love God and his fellow men, the sinner may be sure that he has passed from death unto life.” Ibid., 58, 59.

And last, but certainly not least is the fact that once truly converted, these manifestations of change will not be a burden, but rather a joy. “When, as erring, sinful beings, we come to Christ and become partakers of His pardoning grace, love springs up in the heart. Every burden is light, for the yoke that Christ imposes is easy. Duty becomes a delight, and sacrifice a pleasure. The path that before seemed shrouded in darkness, becomes bright with beams from the Sun of Righteousness.” Ibid., 59. Jesus gives us joy in sins forgiven and confessed, the grace received. The resulting love, the duties fulfilled, and the sacrifices made on His behalf are a pleasure. We truly walk in the light of God.

If we have truly received the love of Jesus in our hearts it will flow out to others. How deep is this love? Well, of Jesus it is said: “So devoted was our Redeemer to the work of saving souls that He even longed for His baptism of blood.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 132. Have you considered Jesus’ “baptism of blood”? Have you contemplated what He endured that night in Gethsemane and the following day? Would you long for that experience if you knew that by it you could save a soul? Do you have that kind of love? That is the kind of love God wants us to have. First of all Jesus commands, “Love one another, as I have loved you.” John 13:34; John 15:12. And in the book, Our High Calling, 176, we read the same thing. “ ‘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 savour.’ Ephesians 5:1, 2. This is the height of the love we are required to reach. And the texture of this love is not tainted with selfishness.” It was for the goal of saving souls that Jesus longed for His baptism of blood. That is love.

But before you get discouraged by the high standard, read these words of Inspiration: “There are those who have known the pardoning love of Christ and who really desire to be children of God, yet they realize that their character is imperfect, their life faulty, and they are ready to doubt whether their hearts have been renewed by the Holy Spirit. To such I would say, Do not draw back in despair. We shall often have to bow down and weep at the feet of Jesus because of our shortcomings and mistakes, but we are not to be discouraged. Even if we are overcome by the enemy, we are not cast off, not forsaken and rejected of God. No; Christ is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Said the beloved John, ‘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.’ I John 2:1. And do not forget the words of Christ, ‘The Father Himself loveth you.’ John 16:27. He desires to restore you to Himself, to see His own purity and holiness reflected in you. And if you will but yield yourself to Him, He that hath begun a good work in you will carry it forward to the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). Pray more fervently; believe more fully. As we come to distrust our own power, let us trust the power of our Redeemer, and we shall praise Him Who is the health of our countenance.

“The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes; for your vision will be clearer, and your imperfections will be seen in broad and distinct contrast to His perfect nature. This is evidence that Satan’s delusions have lost their power; that the vivifying influence of the Spirit of God is arousing you.

“No deep-seated love for Jesus can dwell in the heart that does not realize its own sinfulness. The soul that is transformed by the grace of Christ will admire His divine character; but if we do not see our own moral deformity, it is unmistakable evidence that we have not had a view of the beauty and excellence of Christ.

“The less we see to esteem in ourselves, the more we shall see to esteem in the infinite purity and loveliness of our Saviour. A view of our sinfulness drives us to Him Who can pardon; and when the soul, realizing its helplessness, reaches out after Christ, He will reveal Himself in power. The more our sense of need drives us to Him and to the word of God, the more exalted views we shall have of His character, and the more fully we shall reflect His image.” Ibid., 64, 65.

What hope, what confidence we can have in God and in Jesus. “Although the human soul may cling to Jesus with all the desperate sense of his great need, Jesus will cling to the souls bought by His own blood with a firmer grasp than the sinner clings to Him.” That I May Know Him, 80. He will never let us go. He is there to help and aid in our growth to Him.

But from here, from a true, genuine conversion and discipleship, there is a continuous process of growing. After all, we are told that, “The work of sanctification is the work of a lifetime; it must go on continually.” The Review and Herald, June 17, 1890.

We learn of the truths of this process through the illustration of nature. When we plant a seed, it is not a mature plant overnight. It has to grow. And just as there is nothing that we can do to make the seed germinate, or make the plant grow, but rather it is God that gives the life and the growth, so the same is true in the Christian life. Steps to Christ, 67, 68 says, “As with life, so it is with growth. It is God who brings the bud to bloom and the flower to fruit. It is by His power that the seed develops, ‘first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.’ Mark 4:28. And the prophet Hosea says of Israel, that ‘he shall grow as the lily.’ ‘They shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine.’ Hosea 14:5, 7. And Jesus bids us ‘consider the lilies how they grow.’ Luke 12:27. The plants and flowers grow not by their own care or anxiety or effort, but by receiving that which God has furnished to minister to their life. The child cannot, by any anxiety or power of its own, add to its stature. No more can you, by anxiety or effort of yourself, secure spiritual growth. The plant, the child, grows by receiving from its surroundings that which ministers to its life—air, sunshine, and food. What these gifts of nature are to animal and plant, such is Christ to those who trust in Him. He is their ‘everlasting light,’ ‘a sun and shield.’ Isaiah 60:19; Psalm 84:11. He shall be as ‘the dew unto Israel.’ ‘He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass.’ Hosea 14:5; Psalm 72:6. He is the living water, ‘the Bread of God … which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.’ John 6:33.

“In the matchless gift of His Son, God has encircled the whole world with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air which circulates around the globe. All who choose to breathe this life-giving atmosphere will live and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.” That is a promise. “All who choose to breathe this life-giving atmosphere will live and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.” It doesn’t say maybe, or probably. It says “will.” That is a promise. “As the flower turns to the sun, that the bright beams may aid in perfecting its beauty and symmetry, so should we turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven’s light may shine upon us, that our character may be developed into the likeness of Christ.”

How beautiful are these truths that as we turn our faces to the Sun of Righteousness, and drink of the “living water” that only Jesus can provide, but that in abundance, He brings about the growth.

What does it mean “so should we turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven’s light may shine upon us, that our character may be developed into the likeness of Christ”? There is nothing we can do to “make” ourselves live right. Jesus Himself said, in John 15:5, “Without Me you can do nothing.”

“Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness—all depend upon our union with Christ. It is by communion with Him, daily, hourly—by abiding in Him—that we are to grow in grace. He is not only the Author, but the Finisher of our faith. It is Christ first and last and always. He is to be with us, not only at the beginning and the end of our course, but at every step of the way. David says, ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.’ Psalm 16:8.

“Do you ask, ‘How am I to abide in Christ?’ In the same way as you received Him at first. ‘As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him.’ ‘The just shall live by faith.’ Colossians 2:6; Hebrews 10:38. You gave yourself to God, to be His wholly, to serve and obey Him, and you took Christ as your Saviour. You could not yourself atone for your sins or change your heart; but having given yourself to God, you believe that He for Christ’s sake did all this for you. By faith you became Christ’s, and by faith you are to grow up in Him—by giving and taking. You are to give all—your heart, your will, your service—give yourself to Him to obey all His requirements; and you must take all—Christ, the fullness of all blessing, to abide in your heart, to be your strength, your righteousness, your everlasting helper—to give you power to obey.

“Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, ‘Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.’ This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ.” Steps to Christ, 69, 70.

When two people first meet each other, they can talk for hours about all kinds of things. What are they doing? They are getting to know each other. As they talk and get to know one another, often likes and dislikes are adjusted or changed.

In our relationship with God, the same principle takes place, only God is not the one who will change. James 1:17 says that God changes not. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” No shadow of turning; that means that He does not change. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” We are the ones who need to do the changing. This is the only logical thinking. Do you want to go to a heaven that is simply a continuation of what this earth is like? That thought is not even to be considered. Well, if we want heaven to be different from this earth, then those inhabiting it need to be different from those inhabiting this planet. In reality, it is other humans in our lives that make life like a heaven on earth, or like hell on earth. Our relationships are the most important part of what life is like.

Just think, if there were no greed, no selfishness, but rather generosity, concern, a thinking of others first, there would be no poverty, hunger, nakedness, or want. So what is necessary is that we do the changing and allow God to work the miracle in our lives of being brought into harmony with Him, with His character.

Do you remember the definition of the new covenant, the plan that established the kingdom of grace? It is simply “an arrangement for bringing men again into harmony with the divine will, placing them where they could obey God’s law.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 371.

We have studied this plan in previous articles, this kingdom of grace, sufficiently to gain some understanding of how deep, how broad, how beautiful and self-sacrificing it is. If we all had the same kind of love that fostered this plan, what a world it would be in which to live. In fact, that is exactly what has to happen in order for us to be prepared and fit so God can take us to be in His holy presence. This is what it means to “grow up into Christ.” It means to be changed into His likeness. How does this change happen?

“A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ. Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might. So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell upon self, but look to Christ. Let the mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection, of His character. Christ in His self-denial, Christ in His humiliation, Christ in His purity and holiness, Christ in His matchless love—this is the subject for the soul’s contemplation. It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness.

“Jesus says, ‘Abide in Me.’ These words convey the idea of rest, stability, confidence. Again He invites, ‘Come unto Me … and I will give you rest.’ Matthew 11:28. The words of the psalmist express the same thought: ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.’ And Isaiah gives the assurance, ‘In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.’ Psalm 37:7; Isaiah 30:15. This rest is not found in inactivity; for in the Saviour’s invitation the promise of rest is united with the call to labor: ‘Take My yoke upon you … and ye shall find rest.’ Matthew 11:29. The heart that rests most fully upon Christ will be most earnest and active in labor for Him.

“When the mind dwells upon self, it is turned away from Christ, the Source of strength and life. Hence it is Satan’s constant effort to keep the attention diverted from the Saviour and thus prevent the union and communion of the soul with Christ. The pleasures of the world, life’s cares and perplexities and sorrows, the faults of others, or your own faults and imperfections—to any or all of these he will seek to divert the mind. Do not be misled by his devices. Many who are really conscientious, and who desire to live for God, he too often leads to dwell upon their own faults and weaknesses, and thus by separating them from Christ he hopes to gain the victory. We should not make self the center and indulge anxiety and fear as to whether we shall be saved. All this turns the soul away from the Source of our strength. Commit the keeping of your soul to God, and trust in Him. Talk and think of Jesus. Let self be lost in Him. Put away all doubt; dismiss your fears. Say with the apostle Paul, ‘I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.’ Galatians 2:20. Rest in God. He is able to keep that which you have committed to Him. If you will leave yourself in His hands, He will bring you off more than conqueror through Him that has loved you.” Steps to Christ, 70–72.

Brenda Douay is a staff member at Steps to Life. She may be contacted by email at: brendadouay@stepstolife.org

Temptation

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Appetite is Satan’s strongest hold upon mankind. When somebody comes and gives messages in regard to how to break the hold that he has on man, I believe that he tells his demons, “Go and assail that ministry.” But friends, when we talk about appetite, the message could never be complete if I did not mingle it with the message on how to overcome temptation, what to do with temptation.

The Word of God says, “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden”?’” Genesis 3:1, 2. Notice that there is conversation going on here. Eve is parleying with the devil. “And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.”’ And the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’’ Genesis 3:3-5. And then the very famous verse, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:6 [All emphasis supplied]

Notice several things: Eve had left her husband’s side. She stepped out on her own. She sought her own way and found herself standing and staring at the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Now the serpent eagerly awaits his opportunity to strike and begins to lay his bait to entice his prey. His ploy begins with an effort to break Eve’s faith in the word of God, and he tries to instill doubt in her mind by the first question, “Hath God said?” As she began to think on those words, her trust in God’s word began to be broken.

“The tempter can never compel us to do evil. He cannot control minds unless they are yielded to his control. The will must consent, faith must let go its hold upon Christ, before Satan can exercise his power upon us. But every sinful desire we cherish affords him a foothold. Every point in which we fail of meeting the divine standard is an open door by which he can enter to tempt and destroy us. And every failure or defeat on our part gives occasion for him to reproach Christ.” The Desire of Ages, 125

What did Eve do with temptation? Instead of fleeing to her husband’s side, she parleyed with Satan. She became enchanted with the melodious voice of the beautiful, winged serpent until she craved the luscious fruit dangling from the tree. She saw the fruit to be pleasant and desirable. She took the bait that Satan held out to her, yielded her will to the tempter’s voice, and then enticed Adam to eat it also.

What is temptation? Of Israel’s experience, as they were coming out of Egypt, we read, “But they sinned even more against Him by rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness. And they tested God in the their heart by asking for the food of their fancy. Yes, they spoke against God: They said, ‘Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?’” Psalm 78:17-19

The Israelites tempted and tried God; but in the case of Eve, there was an enticement to sin. We read about this in James 1:14, 15. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.” So we see that temptation can refer to being tested and tried, or to being enticed.

Now let us look at another wilderness experience involving temptation. “Then Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’ But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”’” Matthew 4:1-4

Here the devil continues on the point of appetite. Christ had fasted for forty days and was in a greatly weakened condition. As he had overcome the first Adam on appetite, was it not natural that he would begin on the Second Adam at the same point?

In the same way, Satan watches you daily. He knows your weak points of character and he is going to fit his temptations to assail you in these areas.

Between the temptation of Eve and the experience of Christ, there are some parallels and some significant differences. With Eve, Satan tried to instill doubt in her mind by saying, “Hath God said?” He approached Christ in the same way, saying, “If Thou be the Son of God.” But Eve was defeated by the devil, while Jesus Christ came off conqueror. You see, Jesus Christ refused to parley with the devil or contemplate his suggestion. When temptation comes to you, when the first thought presents itself to do something contrary to the Word of God, that is when you must act. Right then, do not wait, do not parley with it, do not think about it, don’t allow it to enter your mind.

Christ met the father of lies with the truth. His weapon was the Word of God; the book of Ephesians says “The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Ephesians 6:17. When Satan came to Jesus Christ and tried to instill doubt with Him, Jesus did not parley with the devil in any way. He quoted the truth and the devil had to flee. “Not by even a thought did He [Christ] yield to temptation….so long as we are united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion over us. God reaches for the hand of faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character.

“And how this is accomplished, Christ has shown us. By what means did He overcome in the conflict with Satan? By the Word of God.” The Desire of Ages, 123

What did Eve do? She thought about it. She let her mind wander into it. She was enticed. She looked at the tree, and what did she see? A fruit, pleasant to the eyes. Now it became more lovely than ever, “desirable to make one wise.” She stood there and parleyed with Satan.

“Only by the word could He resist temptation. ‘It is written,’ He said. And unto us are given ‘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. Every promise in God’s word is ours. ‘By every work that proceedeth out of the mouth of God’ are we to live. When assailed by temptation, look not to circumstances or to the weakness of self, but to the power of the Word. All its strength is yours. ‘thy word,’ says the psalmist, ‘have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.’” Ibid.

The Bible says, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance.” 1 Peter 1:13, 14

What does it say? “Gird up the loins of your mind.” With what? “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth.” Ephesians 6:14. In other words, we need to fill our minds with the Word. In ancient times, a man would gather his fold of outer garments and tuck them into his girdle. So, likewise, we are to prepare our minds for the diligent study of the Word. As Christians we are to gather up the loose ends of our unprofitable thoughts and exercise our minds on the great truths of salvation.

Think about this: The temptation that comes to you is common to all men. You are not getting something that somebody else does not get, but it is proportionate to your faith. “Temptation is not sin, and is no indication that God is displeased with us. The Lord suffers us to be tempted, but He measures every temptation, and apportions it according to our power to resist and overcome evil. It is in time of trial and temptation that we are enabled to measure the degree of our faith and trust in God, and to estimate the stability of our Christian character.” Signs of the Times, December 18, 1893. The secret is to immediately pray, “Lord give me a greater measure of Your faith,” and not yield by even a thought.

She continues and says, “If we are easily jostled and overcome, we should be alarmed; for our strength is small. Let us consider the words of comfort that have been left on record for our instruction: ‘There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye be able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.’ God has apportioned the temptation in proportion to the strength He can supply.” Ibid. You know, that gives me hope. It means that I do not have to fall.

“Our heavenly Father sees the hearts of men, and He knows their characters better than they themselves know them… He puts these persons on trial and in His wise providence brings them into different positions and under a variety of circumstances, testing them that they may reveal what is in their hearts and the weak points in their characters which have been concealed from their own knowledge… To men, whom God designs shall fill responsible positions, He in mercy reveals their hidden defects that they may look within and examine critically the complicated emotions and exercises of their own hearts, and detect that which is wrong; thus they may modify their dispositions and refine their manners. The Lord in His providence brings men where He can test their moral powers and reveal their motives of action, that they may improve what is right in themselves and put away that which is wrong. God would have His servants become acquainted with the moral machinery of their own hearts. In order to bring this about, He often permits the fire of affliction to assail them that they may become purified.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 84, 85

Count it all joy when you enter into divers temptation. Rejoice glory in tribulation. God is revealing your defects of character and measuring and testing your faith.

When tempted, how will God supply the strength to overcome? In Psalm 50:15 we read, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

“When the first suggestion of wrong is hear, dart a prayer to heaven, and then firmly resist the temptation to tamper with the principles condemned in God’s Word.” Sons and Daughters of God, 164. When the thought comes, do not play with it. Dart a prayer to heaven; resist in the firmness you can have in Christ. Let the thought go or it will lead you right to the fulfilling of the lust.

“We know nothing about the strength of our faith until it is tried.” Review and Herald, May 19, 1891. You may think you are strong in the Lord, but when the trial comes, you really get to see how strong your faith is.

“Angels that excel in strength were on the battleground, guarding the interest of the tempted soul, and ready to resist the foe. This is always the case in the trial and temptation of any one of the human race; when man is assailed by the tempter, and the powers of darkness press upon the soul, the angels of heaven are on the ground to fly to the aid of him who would resist evil and follow after righteousness.” Review and Herald, April, 24, 1894. Just imagine, there are angels standing beside you, waiting to help you; but you have to make the choice.

“Will human beings now act their part in resisting the devil? If they will do this, he will surely flee from them. Angels, who will do for you what you cannot do for yourselves, are waiting for you cooperation.” Review and Herald, July 4, 1899. They are waiting for our cooperation, for us to cry out to God that we may glorify Him in overcoming.

She continues, “They are waiting for you to respond to the drawing of Christ. Dreaw nigh to God and to one another. By desire, by silent prayer, by resistance of satanic agencies, put your will on the side of God’s will. While you have one desire to resist the devil, and sincerely pray, Deliver me from temptation, you will have the strength for your day. It is the work of the heavenly angels to come close to the tried, the tempted, the suffering ones. They labor long and untiringly to save the souls for whom Christ has died. And when souls appreciate their advantages, appreciate the heavenly assistance sent them, respond to the Holy Spirit’s working on their behalf; when they put their will on the side of Christ’s will, angels bear the tidings heavenward. Returning to the heavenly courts, they report their success with the souls for whom they have ministered, and there is rejoicing among the heavenly hosts.” Ibid. Isn’t that beautiful? Here is a tempted, tried saint, and the angels are ready to fly. My Bible says in James 4:7 that if I submit to God and resist the devil, he will flee from me.

Friends, you may gain one victory, but that is not enough. We must gain victory after victory. You know, the Bible tells us again in James 1:12, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” You see, the man who faces the problems of life may at times regard himself as unfortunate and may be so regarded by others. However, the apostle James desires to correct this viewpoint and set before you a new perspective that envisions the result of faithful evidence as well as a clear view of how the trials began. He says, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation.” Do not think that this is a bad thing that has happened to you. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation.”

God allows the trials to come, again, to reveal our weaknesses and to remove our defects of character. He permits trials but never with the intent that any man should fall. Remember, He measures it, He looks at it, and gives it in proportion to the strength that we have. In allowing the temptation, He is seeking to reveal our weakness so that, by faith, we will learn to depend on Him. You see, it is God who is the Refiner, and the trials are the fire. Satan’s purpose is to defeat us; but it is God’s purpose to strengthen our characters, to build up our faith through exercise.

“Every one of us needs to have a deep insight into the teachings of the Word of God. Our minds must be prepared to stand every test, and to resist every temptation, whether from without or from within. We must know why we believe as we do, why we are on the Lord’s side. The truth must keep watch in our hearts, ready to sound an alarm and summon us to action against every foe. The powers of darkness will open their batteries upon us; and all who are indifferent and careless, who have set their affections on their earthly treasure, and who have not cared to understand God’s dealings with His people, will be ready victims. No power but a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, will ever make us steadfast; but with this, one may chase a thousand, and put ten thousand to flight.” Review and Herald, April 29, 1884

Gird up the loins of your mind with the Word of God. Exercise faith and prayer for the angels of God to aid you. Do not let anything worldly creep into your mind; guard the avenues of the soul and fill your mind, again, with the Word of God.

The End

Are You Ready?

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Do you believe that we are living in what the Bible describes as the last epochal period of earth’s history, the last days, or do you think time will continue in its present condition?

The Jewish leaders once came to Jesus asking that He show them a sign, something they continually asked for that they might know whether they could believe Him.

“Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, ‘When it is evening you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red”; and in the morning, “It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.” Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.’ ” Matthew 16:1–3.

Jesus reproved the religious leaders of His day, because they knew a lot about predicting weather for the next day, but they didn’t know how to tell the signs of the times. They missed the signs that told of certain prophecies in the Old Testament that were being fulfilled right before their eyes. There are approximately 60 different prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah, His mission, and what He would do when He came. For centuries they had all of that information, but they did not recognize that prophecy was being fulfilled right in front of them.

In the same way now, there are many prophecies in both the Old and the New Testaments concerning the events leading up to the second coming of the Messiah, which have been and are being fulfilled. Yet they go by unnoticed by the majority. Do you believe we are living in the last days? How can we know?

In the books of Daniel and Revelation we are told that after the coming of the Messiah, there was to be a great time of persecution that would last for 1,260 years. At the end of that period of time, the world would enter the last epochal period of earth’s history, called the time of the end or the last days.

We are told in Daniel 7:25: “He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time, and times, and half a time.”

A close look at the context of Daniel 11:30–35 clearly reveals that this period occurs after the coming of the Messiah. It says, “He shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame [they shall be burned at the stake], by captivity [put in dungeons] and plundering. Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.”

Notice, this prophecy says, very distinctly, that there would be a long period of persecution against God’s children, and when that time ends, the world would enter “the time of the end.” Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 24. And John corroborated it in the book of Revelation when he recorded, “Leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city [God’s church] underfoot for forty-two months.” Revelation 11:2.

God’s true and faithful people were to endure terrible persecution for 42 months, or for 1,260 days, or 3½ years, as we read in Daniel 7:25. Then in Revelation 11:3, it says, “And I will give power to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”

We find the same persecuting period mentioned in Revelation 12:6: “Then the woman [the church] fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.”

And again, in Revelation 13:5–8, talking about the anti-christ persecuting the true church, it says, “He was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.”

These prophecies have been fulfilled. It has been estimated that during the Dark Ages over 50,000,000 Bible believing Christians were martyred because of their faith in Christ. But Jesus said that toward the close of this period of the tribulation or persecution of Bible Christians that certain signs would appear in the heavens. He said, “In those days [the days of the tribulation or the persecution], after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.” Mark 13:24.

In Matthew 24:29, 30 we read another record of the same prediction by Jesus. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

Those events have happened. On May 19, 1780, there was an unexplained dark day and in November 1833, the greatest meteor shower that has ever been recorded occurred. These events can be verified by an encyclopedia or Internet search.

When we look at history and follow it right up to the present time, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we have been living in that period of earth’s history that the Bible calls “the time of the end” or “the last days” for approximately 200 years. We are living in that period of time during which Daniel predicted the Lord of heaven is going to come back to this world and set up His kingdom. (See Daniel 2 and 7.) There are certain events that are to happen before Christ returns.

Daniel 12:4: “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Two things are going to happen in the time of the end, according to this verse. Many will go to and fro. There will be much traveling in the time of the end. Today, there is more travel than in any previous time in earth’s history. A few hundred years ago, even just 250 years ago, the only people who traveled much were explorers, soldiers, sailors, or people who emigrated to some new part of the world. The average person then lived and died within a few miles of his or her birthplace. But today, at any international airport you will see people from all over the world, coming and going by the thousands. It was not that way even 150 years ago.

In the time of the end, “knowledge would increase.” Today, we live in the time of an information explosion. History reveals that this information explosion in technology and science got started about 200 years ago, in direct fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

Not all the things the Bible predicted for the last days are so wonderful. Jesus said, “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:37–39.

Noah preached for 120 years that a flood was coming but the world did not believe it. Jesus said that the same condition that existed prior to the Flood will prevail just before His return, but most will not believe. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14. Most people will not know what is coming. They will not know the signs.

There are millions of people today who boast that they do not believe in the Bible or in Bible prophecy. Nevertheless, Bible prophecy has an infallible way of being fulfilled right to the letter.

“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5. Every thought was evil continually; it was a time of great wickedness. One needs only to pick up a newspaper to see that today we are also living in a time of great wickedness. Jesus said this would be the condition right before He would come again. “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” Verse 11. Does that sound familiar?

Referring to the same subject in Luke 17:28–30: “Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”

Jesus said it will be just as it was in the days of Lot. They did not know that that was their last night on earth. The end came suddenly. So it will be when the Son of man is revealed. Life will go on day after day after day, and then suddenly, the Lord will return and people will not be ready.

In Ezekiel 16:48, 49 the prophet tells why Sodom was destroyed. “ ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘neither your sister Sodom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done. Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.’ ”

According to the apostle Paul, there will be great social problems in the world in the last days. He wrote to Timothy, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people, turn away!” II Timothy 3:1–5.

There will be lots of religion in the last days. There will be a form of godliness, but people will deny its power. The power of godliness is the power that is given to the Christian to follow Jesus in obedience, to live a righteous and holy life. “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.” Romans 6:17–22.

There will be many professed Christians in the last days with a form of godliness, but denying its power and manifesting all the social problems that the apostle Paul listed.

In the last days, there will be great natural disasters. In Luke 21:11 it says, “There will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines, and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.” And in verse 25, Jesus said, “There will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring.”

At the same time in the last days there will be a great international religious peace movement. This is very fascinating to study because there is no record in history of such a thing occurring, unless perhaps it happened in the days of Noah. But the prophets do predict clearly that there will be an international religious peace movement in the last days.

Isaiah tells about it in Isaiah 2:2–4. He says, “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” There is a similar prophecy in Micah 4:1–6. For a little over a 100 years, we have said that we are going to outlaw war. We have established an international court to rule on matters so that we will not have war anymore.

The Bible predicts that at the very time that there is this great international religious peace movement, there will be the greatest wars of all time. In Joel 3:9–14 it says just the opposite of what the people say. The Lord says, “Proclaim this among the nations: ‘Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, “I am strong.” Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord. “Let the nations be wakened and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow—for their wickedness is great.” Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.’ ”

These texts describe exactly the way the world is today. There are multitudes trying to figure out on which side of the great controversy they want to be. They are in the valley of decision, but there is not a lot of time for them to decide because the Day of the Lord is near.

We see in Joel 3 that Bible prophecy has a way of turning out to be accurate every time. In II Peter 3, the apostle predicted that in the last days there would be a time of great unbelief. People would not believe that the world was created by a divine Intelligence. In II Peter 3:3–5 we are told: “Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water.” They willfully forget, not wanting to remember that this world was created by the word of God. That is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

We are living in a time when there is the accumulation of great wealth in the world and at the same time the most abject worldwide poverty. This is also a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. James predicted that there would be oppression of the poor by the rich. He said, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.” James 5:1–6.

When people are not ready and are not looking for it, the end will come. Jesus said, “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matthew 24:44. It is going to happen friends. Most of the world won’t be ready, but what about you? Are you ready?

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church of Free Seventh-day Adventists in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Editorial – Uncertain Voices and Unsafe Paths

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  1. Eve lost paradise by listening to the voice of doubt, questioning and conjecture: “We must be careful not to listen to agents of the great adversary, who would guide our feet into forbidden paths, as our first parents were led into transgression.” The Signs of the Times, October 29, 1885.
  2. “Doctrines are being taught that lead into bypaths and forbidden paths; doctrines that lead men to act in harmony with their own inclinations and to work out their unsanctified purposes.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 231.

What are these doctrines?

  1. You can commit sin but be free from the consequences: “… the mass of humanity love a doctrine that permits them to commit sin, and yet frees them from its consequences. … Men … do not think it is in harmony with their dignity to inquire into the ways of God. Therefore they go into false ways, into forbidden paths, become self-sufficient, self inflated.” The Signs of the Times, February 19, 1894.
  2. higher criticism
  3. evolution
  4. spiritualism
  5. theosophy
  6. pantheism
  7. Practices that lead God’s professed people into forbidden paths.
  8. Attempting to control and rule fellowlaborers: “The man who holds office in the church should stand as a leader, as an advisor and a counselor and helper in carrying the burdens of the work. … But he is not appointed to order and command the Lord’s laborers. The Lord is over His heritage.” The Paulson Collection of Ellen G. White Letters (1985), 298.
  9. Seeking and following the counsel of counsellors not under the control of the Holy Spirit:

“The sins against which ancient Israel were warned have led modern Israel into byways and forbidden paths. The professed people of God have made those who are trampling under foot His commandments their counselors.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, 130.

  1. Participating in worldly amusement
  2. Studying skeptical and sensual literature
  3. Being very religious while the heart is somewhere else.

[All emphasis supplied.]

The Work of John the Baptist and the Stones That He Could Not Lay

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For a time, John the Baptist’s influence over the Jewish nation was greater than that of the priests or rabbis. In fact, if he had announced himself as the Messiah, people would have flocked to his standard. But the day came when the tide of popularity began to shift toward Jesus. Day by day the crowds around him lessened. As the disciples of John observed the growing popularity of Jesus, feelings of jealousy and envy set in and they stood ready to criticize Jesus. It was not long before a dispute arose with regard to the words that were used when a person was baptized. (See The Desire of Ages, 178.)

Even though the popularity of John the Baptist was waning, he still might have greatly hindered the work of Christ. Of John, as of his prototype, Elijah, we are told that he “had by nature the faults and weaknesses common to humanity, but the touch of divine love had transformed him. He dwelt in an atmosphere uncontaminated with selfishness and ambition, and far above the miasma of jealousy.” The Desire of Ages, 179. John clearly understood what each of us must come to realize. Any work that we may accomplish is something that comes from God. He said to His disciples, “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.” He manifested no sympathy with their dissatisfaction, but said to them, “Ye yourselves bear Me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him.” Ibid.

“John had been called to lead out as a reformer. Because of this, his disciples were in danger of fixing their attention upon him, feeling that the success of the work depended upon his labors, and losing sight of the fact that he was only an instrument through which God had wrought. But the work of John was not sufficient to lay the foundation of the Christian church. When he had fulfilled his mission, another work was to be done, which his testimony could not accomplish.” Ibid., 181, 182. This was not because John was a failure or out of tune with heaven, for we are told that God had given him his message. (See Ibid., 102.) We need to consider why, if God had given him his message, the work of John was not sufficient to lay the foundation of the Christian church.

What was the work of John? “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’ for this is He who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.”’…But, when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham to our father.” For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.’” Matthew 3:1-3, 7-9. The first work of John was to call the people to repentance.

For a number of years there has been a similar call for repentance in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. There has been a crying out against the NLP, the new theology, and the worldliness and sin that has crept in until it has well-nigh overtaken us. If we fail to bring forth fruit worthy of repentance, God will raise up others. He is not dependent upon any person or any group of people. He is looking for righteousness, for a people who will accept the call to repentance that has been going forth.

“The work of John the Baptist represents the work for these times. His work, and the work of those who go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah to arouse the people from their apathy, are the same in many respects. Christ is to come the second time to judge the world in righteousness. The messengers of God who bear the last message of warning to be given to the world are to prepare the way for Christ’s second advent as John prepared the way for His first advent.” Youth’s Instructor, May 17, 1900. Satan is working with all his forces, seeking to counterwork the influence of the work of God through His servants, but God still calls men to repentance.

“‘John was called to do a special work; he was to prepare the way of the Lord, to make straight His paths. The Lord did not send him to the school of the prophets and rabbis. He took him away from the assemblies of men to the desert, that he might learn of nature and nature’s God. God did not desire him to have the mold of the priests and rulers. He was called to do a special work. The Lord gave him his message. Did he go to the priests and rulers and ask if he might proclaim this message?—No, God put him away from them that he might not be influenced by their spirit and teaching….This is the very message that must be given to our people; we are near the end of time, and the message is, Clear the King’s highway; gather out the stones; raise up a standard for the people. The people must be awakened.” Selected Messages, book 1, 410 [All emphasis supplied]

Did you notice that it is not just a message to the world. This is the very message that must be given to our people. John laid the ax at the root of the tree. His work was to tear down the wicked, sinful desires of the human heart.

John the Baptist’s message was a message of warning. What was the warning? “And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:10-12. Notice that his message of warning was to God’s church. God is going to gather the wheat into the barn, but He is going to burn the chaff up. Now, John’s message was, “Repent!” Wake up so that you can be the wheat.

“The teaching of John aroused in the hearts of many a great desire to have a part in the blessings that Christ was to bring, and they received the truth. These saw the need of reform.” Youth’s Instructor, May 17, 1900

The message of John awakened in the people a desire for something that they did not have. If people cannot be brought to the place of seeing the need for reform, there is no prospect of change. This is the work we are called to do.

“The multitudes who were gathered about Christ had been witnesses to the work of John. They had heard his fearless, rebuke of sin.” The Desire of Ages, 218. In fearlessly rebuking sin, John was laying the ax at the root of the tree.

This quotation from the Spirit of Prophecy demands thoughtful reflection as we think of how best to meet the Pharisees of today. “The hearts of men around him were filled with every evil, with strife, envy, malice, and wickedness. They would not be impressed by a message of mercy and love. They were represented by John as a generation of vipers, and to them he gave scathing rebukes because of their self-righteousness. His voice rang out as a trumpet, crying, ‘Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Review and Herald, April 3, 1894

God knew what He was working with in the human heart, and He knew that the best way to save as many as He could was to send a message of “scathing rebukes” because their hearts would not be impressed by “a message of mercy and love.”

“The message of John the Baptist was a new and startling message, and could not be interwoven with the superstitions and traditions of the Pharisees. The disciples of John were not to think that his self-denial, his self-sacrifice, his prayers, his devotions, his fastings, were like those of the Pharisees. The Pharisees fasted in hypocrisy, and there was no vitality in their religious exercises. To seek to blend the pretense of the Pharisees with the devotion of John would be only to make more evident the breach between them. The work of John was to expose the character of the work of the Pharisees, to set their traditions and heresies in their true light before the people.” Ibid.

John did not try to work with the Pharisees. They could not work together because they were led in a different way. They had different goals, different thoughts. It would not work.

Today we hear a lot about criticism but are you sure that you know what the difference is between rebuke and criticism? John was not critical, but he was sent to expose the “character of the works of the Pharisees, to set their traditions and heresies in their true light before the people.” God, in His great love for the Pharisees, knew that the only way He souls save some of them was to come to them with a message of “scathing rebukes.” A message of love, friends, would not have touched them. God does not make a mistake; and if we try to improve upon His work, we are going to find out that it is we who are making the mistake.

“If the minister’s lips are touched with a live coal from off the altar, he will lift up Jesus as the sinner’s only hope. When the heart of the speaker is sanctified through the truth, his words will be living realities to himself and others. Those who hear him know that he has been with God, and has drawn near to Him in effectual, fervent prayer. The Holy Spirit has fallen upon him, his soul has felt the vital, heavenly fire, and he will be able to compare spiritual things with spiritual. Power will be given him to tear down the strongholds of Satan.” Australasian Union Conference Record, December 30, 1907

John was to tear down the stronghold of Satan. He opened to the people the true condition of their hearts. And yet, as great as John was, as strong as his call to repentance was, the Sprit of Prophecy says that the work of John was not sufficient to lay the foundation of the Christian church.

“The message that God had given him to bear was designed to startle them from their lethargy, and cause them to tremble because of their great wickedness. Before the seed of the gospel could find lodgment, the soil of the heart must be broken up. Before they would seek healing from Jesus, they must be awakened to their danger from the wounds of sin.” The Desire of Ages, 103. Here are revealed two different works that always go together. They must be “startled from their lethargy” and the ground of the heart, she says, “must be broken up” so that the seed of the gospel could be planted and flourish. It was a work that must be done before the people could be prepared for a further work.

Would Jesus take someone who had rejected John’s call to repentance and give them the work of laying the foundation of the Christian church? No. None who had rejected John’s message accepted the message Jesus brought. There undoubtedly were many who had not heard John and who later accepted Jesus’ message, but nobody that rejected the work of John accepted the work of Christ. Before anyone can accept the work of Christ in his heart, the work of John has to have done its work. You cannot lay the foundation of the Christian life until you have accepted the reproof and rebuke from the Lord. It is not enough to just want to be loving and kind.

“God does not send messengers to flatter the sinner. He delivers no message of peace, to lull the unsanctified into fatal security. He lays heavy burdens upon the conscience of the wrongdoer, and pierces the soul with arrows of conviction. The ministering angels present to him the fearful judgments of God to deepen the sense of needs, and prompt the cry, ‘What must I do to be saved?’ Then, the hand that has humbled in the dust, lifts up the penitent. The voice that has rebuked sin, and put to shame pride and ambition, inquires with tenderest sympathy, ‘What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?’” Ibid. 104. Until we fall on the Rock and are broken, we cannot see clearly. We are going to be confused.

“With the spirit and power of Elijah he denounced the national corruption, and rebuked the prevailing sins….He declared that those who claimed to be the chosen people of God were defiled by sin, and that without purification of heart and life they could have no part in the Messiah’s kingdom.” Ibid.

Notice that John did not just expose the character of the Pharisees; he denounced the national corruption. His message addressed the body as a whole. God could not use the Pharisees to give this message because the messengers of God must be saved by the same message that they give to others. God does not use actors. The loud cry is going to be given by a people who know by experience the loud cry message and have been broken on the Rock. That is why the Lord turns to the humble, to the lowliest of the earth.

It is not enough to point out the characters of the priests and Pharisees and the heresies that exist. A new tree needs to be planted in the heart, not just the old one pulled out. We must not only get rid of hatred, we must have love. We must not just get rid of anger, we must have joy. We must not just get rid of impatience, we must speak loving and kind words. We must not only give the message of rebuke; but beyond that, the Lord wants us to experience sanctification, to walk with Him in newness of life. He wants us to experience the power of His resurrection that is given to everyone who believes. He wants our hearts to throb with joy as He communes with us.

“Christ sifted His followers again and again, until at one time there remained only eleven and a few faithful women to lay the foundation of the Christian church. There are those who will stand back when burdens are to be borne; but when the church is all aglow, they catch the enthusiasm, sing and shout, and become rapturous; but watch them. When the fervor is gone, only a few faithful Calebs will come to the front and display unwavering principle. These are salt that retains the savor. It is when the work moves hard that the churches develop the true helpers. These will not be talking of self, vindicating self, but will lose their identity in Jesus Christ. To be great in God’s kingdom is to be a little child in humility, in simplicity of faith, and in the purity of love….All such will find Christ their rock of defense, their strong tower. In Him they may trust implicitly, and He will never fail them.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 130

We, at the very close of earth’s history, have the same work to do to prepare for Christ’s Second Coming as the apostles had in developing the Christian church. If all we have experienced is the work of John the Baptist, we are not ready for the Lord’s coming. In fact, we have more to preach than the message of rebuke against sin. We must show forth the fruits of the Spirit. “We have great reason to praise God that we have the inspired record that is given us in the Book of Acts, a narrative of the works of the apostles. We have the sure word of inspiration respecting the foundation of the Christian church. The Acts of the Apostles is full of instruction, and light, and knowledge. As Christ’s disciples living down in the last days, in the very close of earth’s history, we have the same work to do to prepare for Christ’s Second Coming as they had in developing the Christian church.” Youth’s Instructor, November 18, 1897. We must be led by the Holy Spirit because the teaching of the kingdom of God and the principles of how to live a righteous life must also go forward with power. We not only have the message to give to the world, the third angel’s message of warning, but those people who accept it have to be taught how to be Christians. We have a message of warning to wake people up; but there is much to do after that, and we must catch the vision of what we are called to do.

The End

Reformers and the Church

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In Matthew 16:13, Jesus asked His disciples who He was. This is an important question because a correct understanding can make all the difference between eternal life and eternal death. “And Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘blessed are you, Simon BarJonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.’” Now in verse 18 there is a play on words that does not come through in the English translation, so I would like to insert the Greek words. “’And I also say to you that you are [petros] Peter, and on this [petra] rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’” Matthew 16:18, 19. This is tremendous authority –not just earthly authority that has to do with eternal life.

Before we examine this question of church authority, let us look first of all at the text that says, “you are petros.” The word petros, which in Latin is the same as Peter, means a stone, while a petra is a very large boulder or rock.

On what rock is the church built? Let us allow Peter to give us his understanding of what Christ meant by the statement He made to him. “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.’ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,’ and ‘a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.’ They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.” 1 Peter is talking about Jesus Christ as the Chief Cornerstone.

This agrees with the apostle Paul, who said, “Now therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22

All through the Scriptures you will find that Jesus is described as that supernatural, living Rock in which His children hide and find security, stability, safety, and salvation. Jesus spoke of Himself as the Cornerstone when He said, “And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” Matthew 21:44

In Matthew 18:19, it appears that the keys were given to Peter, though, as we look in other Scriptures, it is evident that they were given to the rest of the apostles and to the entire church. (See John 20:21-23.) It was by the misuse of Jesus’ statement to Peter that the bishops of Rome attained authority over the nations of Europe during the Dark Ages. They said, “We have received apostolic authority from Peter. We have the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and we can shut you out and send you to hell, or we can give you eternal life.” When Bible-believing Christians dissented, before they were burned at the stake they were clothed with robes and miters on which there were painted demons, snakes, and devils. The church authorities would say, “Not only are you going to die, but we are consigning you to hell; and you are going to burn there forever.”

Before Jesus conferred authority on His apostles, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (See Ibid.) This is also clear from Jesus’ statement to Peter when He said, “for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” Only people who are filled with the Holy Spirit have the divine authority of the church.

The question of apostolic succession has agitated the minds in the Christian world for hundreds of years. Who are the successors of the apostles? The way to understand this is to ask a question that was commonly asked in Christ’s day. Who is the true church? Who are Abraham’s seed?
This is a question that agitated the minds of the Jews a good deal. The Jews told Jesus that they were Abraham’s descendants. (See John 8:33.) They believed that they were saved; but Jesus said, “You don’t live like Abraham, You’re not working the works of Abraham. Therefore, you really are not Abraham’s seed.” He denied that they were Abraham’s seed because they did not have a character like Abraham.

The Bible says that we are going to be judged according to our works. That is the same as saying that we are going to be judged according to our character. Historic Seventh-day Adventists still believe that judgment is on the basis of your works—your character. This is why Ellen White said that the day of God would be a day of bitter disappointment to most of the Christian world because they make a profession, but they do not have a character that goes along with it. In the day of judgment, they are going to find out that their profession is worthless unless their character coincides with the profession. (See Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 970.)

Now if you profess to be Seventh-day Adventist, you profess that you are a member of that church that is mentioned in Revelation 12:17 “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus.” You profess to be a part of that group of people that it talks about in Revelation 14:12 where it says, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” That is what you profess; but if you do not keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus, if you do not have the testimony of Jesus, what good is your profession going to do? It will do no good.

Where did the concept come from that the church is the congregation of goodly men only? It came from the New Testament. Wherever you have a group of people who are filled with the Holy Spirit and are living godly, righteous lives, when they meet together and assemble and worship, that is a church. The Reformers all taught this concept; the Waldenses believed it. By the way, if they had not believed it, they could not have had a church. There would not have been a Reformation. They could not have remained true unless they understood who the church was. That time is coming again. It is right upon us. If you do not understand who the church is, the pressure will be so great that you will not be able to remain faithful and true.

The Bible teaches that it is character that counts. Now do not misunderstand; you do not earn salvation. Salvation is a gift; but let me tell you, it is a conditional gift. If you do not have the character qualification, you are not going to receive the gift. The apostles Paul, Peter, James, and John are all clear about that.

This concept was clearly understood by the great Protestant Reformers. One of the early leaders of the church, Claude of Turin, said, “Know thou that he only is apostolic who is the keeper and guardian of the apostle’s doctrine, and not he who boasts himself to be seated in the chair of the apostle, and in the meantime doth not acquit himself of the charge of the apostle.” J.A. Wylie, The History of Protestantism, vol. 1, 22

There was a remnant of the apostolic church in the land of Italy known as the Waldenses. They were terribly persecuted; and if you read such books as Martyrs Mirror, you will find that one of the main issues in the understanding of the Waldenses was the issue of who and what the church is. The Waldenses believed that they were the spiritual descendants of the apostles, and, therefore, they were the church. They were a perpetual reminder of what the church used to be; and as long as they were around, they testified to how far professed Christendom had departed from the original faith. For this reason they were bitterly persecuted.

You see, the battle of the Reformation had largely to do with the vital issue of who and what the church is. As long as people were afraid that there was someone who could say, “I am going to shut the kingdom of heaven against you and send you to hell,” there could be no Reformation.
On one occasion Tyndale was in a debate with a Roman Catholic by the name of More. During this debate, More said: “We must not examine the teaching of the church by Scripture, but understand Scripture by means of what the church says.”

Tyndale: “What! Does the air give light to the sun? Or the sun to the air? Is the church before the gospel or the gospel before the church? [Now notice his reasoning] Is not the father older than the son? God begat us with His own will, with the word of truth. James 1:18. If he who begets is before him who is begotten, the word is before the church. Or to speak more correctly, before the congregation.”

More: “Why do you say congregation and not church?”

Tyndale: “Because by the word church, you understand nothing but a multitude of shaved and shorn and oiled, which we now call the spirituality or clergy, while the word of right is common unto all the congregation of them that believe in Christ.”

More: “The church is the pope and his sect of followers.”

Tyndale: “The pope teaches us to trust in holy words for salvation, as penance, saints, merits, and friars codes. Now he that has no faith to be saved through Christ is not of Christ’s church.”

Calvin went through a period of great struggle and doubt in his mind over this issue. “The doubts by which his soul was now shaken, drew in strength with each renewed discussion. What shall he do? Shall he forsake the Church? That seems to him like casting himself into the gulf of perdition. And yet can the Church save him? There is a new light breaking in upon him, in which her dogmas are melting away; the ground beneath him is sinking. To what shall he cling?….

“’There can be no church,’ we hear Calvin saying to himself, ‘where the truth is not.’…

“In fine, Calvin concluded that the term ‘Church’ could not make the society that monopolised the term really ‘the Church.’ Highsounding titles and lofty assumptions could give neither unity nor authority; these could come form the Truth alone; and so he abandoned ‘the Church’ that he might enter the Church—the Church of the Bible.” J.A. Wylie, The History of Protestantism, vol. 2, 152, 154

Of John Knox, the Scottish Reformer, it is said, “Knox’s idea of a Church was, in brief, a divinely originated, a divinely enfranchised, and a divinely governed society. Its members were all those who made profession of the Gospel; its law was the Bible, and its King was Christ.” Ibid., vol. 3, 496

Taussan was a Danish Reformer. He drew up a confession which became the confession of the Protestants in Denmark. In this confession it was declared that the Holy Scriptures were to be the only rule of faith, “and the satisfaction of Christ in our room the only foundation of eternal life. It defined the Church to be the communion of the faithful, and it denied the power of any man to cast any one out of that Church, unless such shall have first cut himself off from the communion of the faithful by impenitence and sin.” Ibid., vol. 2, 42

The church is where Christ is. There can be no church without the presence of the deity. “Where Christ is even among the humble few, this is Christ’s church, for the presence of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church.” The Upward Look, 315. The church is where the Holy Spirit is. It is where Jesus is, who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6. That is the spiritual building of the church. Now if I leave the truth, what have I done? I have left the church.

For many years Romanists have accused the Protestants of heresy and of separation from the true church; but Ellen White says in The Great Controversy, 51, that this accusation applies rather to themselves because they are the ones who laid down the banner of Christ and departed from the faith that was once delivered to the saints. And when you depart from the faith, when you leave the truth, you have left the church. The church stays right there with the truth because the church is “the pillar and ground of the truth.” The Great Controversy, 376. It was when Calvin began to understand this that it set his mind free. “‘There can be no church,’ we hear Calvin saying to himself, ‘where the truth is not.’… In fine, Calvin concluded that the term ‘Church could not make the society that monopolised the term really ‘the Church.’ High-sounding titles and lofty assumptions could give neither unity nor authority; these could come from the Truth alone.” J.A. Wylie, The History of Protestantism, vol. 2, 154. What is it that gives unity and authority? It is the truth; and if you leave the truth, you have no authority.

It is time for Historic Adventists to wake up to the reality that our profession must coincide with our character or our profession is worthless. (See The Desire of Ages, 107.)

Have you heard somebody say, “Well, the church is going through”? Well, I believe that. In fact, I believe that the church has always gone through. I believe that the church went through in Samuel’s time. Most of the professed people did not go with it. I believe the church went through in Jeremiah’s time and Daniel’s time, and I believe the church went through in the time of Jesus and the apostles. Who was the church in the time of Jesus?

Let me ask you a question. When Jesus came down to this world, do you think that He was here in the flesh? Of course He was. The church is His mystical body. He was the head of it then, and He is the head of it now. So who was the church when Jesus was here? It is very simple, friends; it was the people who followed Jesus. That is who it was, and that is still who it is.

 

A church is not just bricks and mortar or corporations or theology. A church is people who are filled with the Holy Spirit; and as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit, they are spoken of in the Bible as living stones, stones that emit light all around. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” Mathew 5:14

The Jews of Christ’s day called themselves the true church. Jesus said, “If you do not believe that I am the One, you are going to die in your sins.” That is about the most terrible thing that could happen to anyone. If you are a Christian, death is just a moment of silence and darkness. That is not the problem. But if you die in your sins, death will be forever. One of our greatest dangers is that we will be deceived, thinking that we are part of the church because we make a profession but not having a character to back it up. Unless we live the life, we are lost. The time is coming when every eternal destiny will be fixed. May the prayer of each one of our hearts be, “Lord Jesus, help me to have a character that will coincide with my profession.”

The End

The Eternal Weight of Glory

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To be prepared for the time into which we are entering, every treasured moment that we can spend with our Lord, we need to spend in drinking in the wonders of His love, His peace, His grace, and His goodness. Whatever may be the circumstances of the Christian, however dark and mysterious may be the ways of providence, however great the deprivation and suffering, he may look away from them all to the unseen and the eternal. The things of the present time are not considered worth mentioning when compared with the eternal weight of glory that awaits him when the warfare will be over. These very afflictions are God’s workmen ordained for the perfection of Christian character.

Paul says, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18

We have been blessed in America with the most amazing political experiment in the history of mankind, outside of the theocracy of Israel when it was obedient to God. Our constitution was established for a free people who believed in the Creator and who believed that men had certain inalienable rights granted them by the Creator, rights that no government can interfere with. What an outgrowth of the principles of the gospel! We have been so blessed by God.

When, however, an apostate Protestantism loses its understanding of the gospel and unites with the papacy, there will be a persecution like no other time in the history of humanity. Just as Jesus sought to prepare His disciples for His crucifixion, I believe that we need to face the reality of what lies ahead for us. When we realize the gravity of the hour in which we are living, it will make us sensitive to the urgency of treasuring up in our soul every ray of light and every experience of love and joy with our Saviour and our Redeemer. If, in viewing it, we keep it in perspective with the superior reality of the eternal weight of glory, we may know that whatever happens to us in this world, if we are faithful, the day will come when we will walk through those pearly gates and will cast our crowns at Jesus’ feet. We will walk by the river of life and see that crystal stream that flows out from the throne of God. We will see the trunk of the tree of life on either side of the river with its branches arching over the river of the water of life. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

What will it be like to experience the reality of worshiping in the actual presence of God and to live in a world of fadeless day, where there is no night? The light of the moon is as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun is seven times brighter than it is at noon time now. It is a world of incredible light. And, despite the fact that we have no merit coming to ourselves and that all of the works we have done have been done through His name, Jesus will honor us for them.

When a storm hits in the physical world, if you have not made preparation before hand, you are in trouble. We live in an area of the mountains where there are flash floods. One year while there was still snow on the ground, several inches of rain fell in a half-hour period of time up in the Black Hills. In some of the canyons, a torrent of water thirty feet high came rushing down. The dam broke and a flood of water, in which 272 people lost their lives, came down Rapid Creek. You have to be prepared for the storm when it hits. That is why we, as a people, must be treasuring this experience of the eternal weight of glory. If we will bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, the Holy Spirit will be given to us without measure.

There are many, many people who are going to lose their salvation because they have not learned to think correctly. There are some fundamental principles that we need to understand at this time in which we live. At the very origin of our thinking process, there must be the Word of God. The human heart must be fully in harmony with Christ and His gospel in order to understand some other very important things. If the character of Christ is not understood because our thoughts have not been brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, there are going to be a lot of misconceptions about other dimensions of human life.

One of those dimensions is the area of the nature of the church. Have you noticed that there are differing views and understandings about the church? I have a very interesting book by Reinhold Seeberg, a Lutheran scholar, who discusses Luther’s understanding of the church. It had come to the point in Luther’s day where the papacy was so controlling the minds of the people that they were like the Jews in Jesus’ day. They were afraid to even discuss certain things. You did not dare lift your head and acknowledge that you believed in the teachings of John Huss, who was burned at the stake. It was only after Luther had spent some time studying the Word of God that he finally said, “We have all been Hussites and we never even knew it.”

That Word led Luther to reexamine the whole idea of the nature of the church; and do you know what he found? He discovered the same truth that John Grosboll has been preaching for some time. He found that the foundational, non-negotiable element of the church is that inner union of a heart that believes in faith in Jesus Christ. IT is those who have this experience of salvation who make up the body of Christ. As Luther searched, he realized that, yes, there is a visible dimension to this church, but any legitimate, visible demonstration or exhibition of the church rests upon that non-negotiable foundation of the invisible union of the heart with Christ. It was the understanding that the church is made up of those who are united with Him, who are one with Him, that enabled him to break with Rome. It was because of this clear understanding that the Protestant Reformation was born.

Luther understood that a visible entity, calling itself the church but which was not grounded in this heart union with Christ, was a fraud. He went on to say that the thing which marks the true visible church is the preaching of the pure doctrine of the gospel. If false doctrine is preached, that is not the true church. This is a wonderful concept and one that we need to be anchored in.

Today we find that people are in a state of flux. The shaking is going on and it is shaking the entire movement. Those who have broken free from the human bonds in the glorious liberty of the sons of God have been advancing steadily, but they must understand that they must be solidly grounded in the Word of God so that the thought processes are correct. This has led to a division and separation from those who were content with Laodicea, satisfied with the structure.

Incidentally, I began doing a little research. Though I have not investigated this thing in depth, I found that the Roman Catholic Church talks about both a visible and an invisible church. I have a whole section on my shelves of the papal encyclicals for the last several hundred years, and I pulled down the encyclicals written by Pope Pius XII, who was the pope who signed the concordat with Hitler’s Germany. Pope Pius XII used the term “invisible” church. I found that the concept of the papacy is this: The visible head of the church on earth, which is the pope, controls the mystical body of Christ, which is the invisible dimension of the church. Whereas the Reformers said, No, Christ is the head of the church. It is the invisible union with Him that determines whether or not a person is a believer and a church member. Out of that group of believers, out of that body arises the visible church where the pure preaching of the pure doctrine of the gospel takes place and the correct administration of the sacraments.

People are confused today. What do you do with a structure that is not preaching the pure principles of the gospel, that is no longer preaching victory over sin? What do you do with a structure that teaches that one goes on in sin right up to the second coming of Christ, that it is impossible to obey? What do you do with the structure?

If you had been living in the time of Jesus, what would have been your reaction? You have listened to the leaders say, “This Man is a deceiver. He is motivated by Beelzebub. Pay no attention to Him. If you listen to Him and go along with Him, you will be thrown out of the synagogue.” Would you have had that vision of the eternal weight of glory and seen in Christ the character of the Messiah as described in the Old Testament and longed to possess it?

Before there can be an understanding of the nature of the church, there must be a deep personal experience of submission to the Word of God. Once we are thinking correctly, with our thinking founded on the Word of God, allowing nothing to divert us from submission to that Word, we are prepared to be stable and reliable in our commitment.

Do you want to be a theologian? Martin Luther said that there are three things that make a theologian. First you must have oratio. This refers to reading the Word aloud, as this makes a deeper impression upon the mind. Then you must have meditatio. You must meditate on the Word; that is when you digest the food of the Word. As Ellen White said, it is not enough to just read the letter of the Word, but the Word must be applied by the Holy Spirit. Then there must be anfechtung, a German word which refers to the application of the Word to the heart and all of the inner turmoil and struggle that take place when it runs into conflict with all of the natural tendencies as it is applied to the life. Luther said that the heart smarts under the application of the Word, but it is when the word of God is actually applied to the human heart that we really begin to have a correct theology.

When we have this experience of practical godliness, we are then prepared to understand the nature of the church. Only then are we prepared to do evangelism, to bring people to a knowledge of truth. If your theology is not right, if your experience is not right, how can you be an evangelist? You may launch out on an evangelistic project, but if there is not the inner correct thinking and understanding of bringing every thought into obedience to Christ, it may all collapse around you in ruins. The Jews crucified Christ because they had not learned to think in submission to the Word of God. They expected a different kind of Messiah, and they rejected Him because He did not meet their presuppositions, their preconditions as to what they believed the Messiah should be. In nailing Him to the cross of Calvary, the Jewish nation broke the bond of the theocracy with God.

What an awesome lesson about not digging deep enough. They did not dig deep enough in the Old Testament. They did not have the depth to understand what He was doing on the Sabbath day; therefore, they considered that He was a Sabbathbreaker. The whole book of Hebrews was written by Paul because of the misconception of the Hebrew people regarding the sanctuary and their failure, therefore, to realize that the sanctuary services on this earth were terminated and they had begun in heaven. Incidentally, because of incorrect thinking, virtually the whole Christian world have failed to correctly understand the book of Hebrews.

The Jews failed in not going deep enough to understand the kingdom, and John had to bring them a knowledge of the kingdom.

Jeremiah was sent by God to go to the very steps of the temple and tell the people that unless they started obeying God, they were going to go into captivity. (See Jeremiah 7.) He told them that to say that they had the structure as their security was a lying word.

The heathen had a perversion of the truth; but those who did inquire into the Hebrew economy, who wanted to know truth at all cost and were willing to dig deeply, came to an understanding of the knowledge of the truth, like the Magi who came to worship Jesus. At the end of time, the whole world will be shaken by the Sabbath/Sunday issue. The Sabbath will reveal those who have made their supreme allegiance to God, to his truth, to His kingdom, to all that is encompassed in the Word of God. And those who are prepared to go with man, to go with the flow of humanity in a direction that is alien to the Word of God, will accept the mark of the beast, the sign of submission to human authority over and against the authority of God.

So the whole world is going to be tested on whether or not it has gone deep enough in its experience with God. Our movement today of historic Adventism is being tested. Every individual is being tested. Ultimately, every individual in this world will be tested. Have they gone down deep and fastened themselves, riveted themselves to the Eternal Rock. Ellen White said that, “when the love of Jesus is abiding in the soul, many who are now but withered branches will become as the cedars of Lebanon ‘whose root is by the great water.’ The cedar is noted for the firmness of its roots. Not content to cling to the earth with a few weak fibers, it thrusts its rootlets, like a sturdy wedge, into the cloven rock, and reaches down deeper and deeper for strongholds to grasp.” Review and Herald, June 20, 1882

How is it with your life? Are the tendrils of the roots of your life going down into Christ? Down into the crevices of the Rock Christ Jesus, anchoring themselves? You know, rock climbers have to find ways of wedging their fingers and toes into the rock. They wedge pitons into the rock, and their life is suspended by such things. How is it with you and the Rock of Ages? Are you content with “a few weak fibers” like the palm trees that go over when the hurricanes come through; or are you like a cedar of Lebanon that has its rootlets going down like a sturdy wedge into the cloven rock, reaching down deeper and deeper for strongholds to grasp? How deep are you?

What a goodly cedar might not every follower of Christ become if he were but rooted and grounded in the truth, firmly united to the Eternal Rock. Yes, humanity is having to come to grips with how it is thinking. How deeply are you being anchored?

The End