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Current Events – Marriage and Sabbath Polluted

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While Seventh-day Adventists are debating over whether women should be ordained as ministers and the Supreme Court rules that the Constitution guarantees the right of same sex marriage, Pope Francis continues in his world-wide campaign of unifying the churches under the banner of Rome. He has become the first pope in history to visit a Waldensian evangelical church.

“During a two-day visit to northern Italy, Pope Francis attended the Waldensian temple in Turin and has asked Waldensian Christians to forgive the Catholic Church for historic persecution.

The Waldensian church, which was founded in the 12th century, was rejected by the Catholic Church and its members were brutally persecuted during the Middle Ages.

‘On the part of the Catholic Church, I ask your forgiveness, I ask it for the non-Christian and even inhuman attitudes and behaviour that we have showed you,’ said Pope Francis.”

www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2015/06/22/

In his talk to the Waldensians and representatives of the Methodist, evangelical, Lutheran and other Christian communities, the pope called for Christian unity by making sure people focus on God first and differences later.

Being brothers and sisters in the faith, like in a family, doesn’t mean being identical; it means “having in common the same origins,” he said.

Waldensian Pastor Eugenio Bernardini told the pope his visit represented climbing over a wall that had been erected “eight centuries ago when the Waldensian movement was accused of heresy and excommunicated from the Roman Church.”

The pastor asked: “What was the sin of the Waldensians? Being a movement of evangelization” by laypeople on the move, sharing the Bible in people’s native languages, rather than the Latin.

The pope told young people how to live out real love and hold onto hope in a world that disrespects, uses and deceives people.

www.todayscatholicnews.org/2015/06/pope-asks-waldensians-to-forgive-wrongs-urges-youth-to-love-chastely/

On the surface this unity seems good. After all, it was the theme of Jesus’ prayer in John 17 that “they all be one.” However, this unity can only come about on the foundation of truth. During the U.S. papal visit the pope intends to address Congress on environmental issues, promoting a day of rest—the weekly Sabbath—as a solution. The day being promoted is Sunday, the spurious Sabbath. Both marriage and the Sabbath have been polluted.

“There were two institutions founded in Eden that were not lost in the fall—the Sabbath and the marriage relation. These were carried by man beyond the gates of paradise. He who loves and observes the Sabbath, and maintains the purity of the marriage institution, thereby proves himself the friend of man and the friend of God. He who by precept or example lessens the obligation of these sacred institutions is the enemy of both God and man, and is using his influence and his God-given talents to bring in a state of confusion and moral corruption.” The Signs of the Times, February 28, 1884.

The Gospel in the Great Controversy

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There are many who say, “I have heard this message before;” but I ask, “Why has it not changed you? Where are you spiritually?” In The Great Controversy, the chapter called “The Snares of Satan,” Satan does not care whether you are praying, studying or attending church so long as you remain in an indifferent, careless state. While Jesus is in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary ministering on our behalf, we have the opportunity to repent and be cleansed of our sins. It is during this time that Satan wants us to remain careless and indifferent. The time is very short. Many are hearing message after message and are being convicted but not being changed. Many will say that the message was so powerful and I am so convicted; I see my sin and I am going to get it right. After a few days, however, they return to the same condition as before the conviction.

Martin Luther and John Wesley had similar experiences in which they began to study the Word and had a desire to surrender but did not know how. As a result, they failed many times until they had an understanding of righteousness by faith and came to a point where they had to make a choice and count the cost. This is the experience of many Christians today.

In John 6:25–29, it says, “And when they had found Him on the other side of the sea, they said unto Him, Rabbi, when camest Thou hither? Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto Him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.”

He goes on to say, “And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” Verse 40. “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” Verse 44. Jesus said, “I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us His flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me. This is that bread which came down from heaven.” Verses 48–58.

This group of disciples came to Christ after He had performed the miracle of the loaves and the people were filled. They came seeking another miracle and asked in verse 28, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” They were basically asking: “What can I do to secure my own salvation?” They wanted to know what work they could do to inherit heaven. Jesus was trying to tell them that there was nothing they could do. He said, “I am that bread that came down from heaven. Unless you eat of My flesh and drink of My blood you have no life in you. Those who eat of My flesh and drink of My blood, those are the ones that will be resurrected on the last day.”

To eat of the flesh and drink of the blood of Christ means to behold Him—to study the life of Jesus Christ and to live out that which you are reading. By beholding you become changed. Many of these individuals that heard what He said decided that it was too difficult to do these things and they left. Though they were called His disciples, they followed Him no more. Here was a crossroads. Jesus looked upon the few that remained and asked, “Are you going to leave as well?” They responded, “Lord where would we go?” (See John 6:67, 68.)

Each must make a decision. Each, as studying the word of God and seeing those things that are required of us, must sacrifice to drink of His blood. In the place of spending time with Him throughout the day, many would rather do a work or suffer punishment in a vain attempt to inherit eternal life.

Martin Luther

Martin Luther was a man that was very earnest and desired to know of God. As he began to read the Bible he became convicted.

“An earnest desire to be free from sin and to find peace with God led him at last to enter a cloister and devote himself to a monastic life. Here he was required to perform the lowest drudgery and to beg from house to house. He was at an age when respect and appreciation are most eagerly craved, and these menial offices were deeply mortifying to his natural feelings; but he patiently endured this humiliation, believing that it was necessary because of his sins.” The Great Controversy, 123.

He was trying to do a work in order to inherit salvation himself, but God was working with him.

“Every moment that could be spared from his daily duties he employed in study, robbing himself of sleep and grudging even the time spent at his scanty meals. Above everything else he delighted in the study of God’s word.” Ibid.

These things are examples for us. Everything that Luther experienced, we are going to experience. Luther’s experience needs to be ours. He delighted in the study of God’s word.

“He had found a Bible chained to the convent wall, and to this he often repaired. As his convictions of sin deepened, he sought by his own works to obtain pardon and peace. He led a most rigorous life, endeavoring by fasting, vigils, and scourgings to subdue the evils of his nature, from which the monastic life had brought no release. He shrank from no sacrifice by which he might attain to that purity of heart which would enable him to stand approved before God. ‘I was indeed a pious monk,’ he afterward said, ‘and followed the rules of my order more strictly than I can express. If ever monk could obtain heaven by his monkish works, I should certainly have been entitled to it. … If it had continued much longer, I should have carried my mortifications even to death.’ … As the result of this painful discipline he lost strength and suffered from fainting spasms, from the effects of which he never fully recovered. But with all his efforts his burdened soul found no relief. He was at last driven to the verge of despair.” Ibid.

Until Luther began to understand that it is by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ that one is fitted to accept the free gift of salvation, he did everything he could to secure his salvation. If he had stopped searching before that, he would have been lost, but he continued to search.

“When it appeared to Luther that all was lost, God raised up a friend and helper for him.” Ibid.

Pray for spiritual friends to walk with you! Do not be discouraged—whatever your situation. There are times God will allow things to happen in your life; you may experience discouragement, bitterness and trial so that you can see your need of Jesus Christ. Many do not see their need. If you are not searching and agonizing, what can He do for you?

God raised up a helper for Luther. “The pious Staupitz opened the word of God to Luther’s mind and bade him look away from himself, cease the contemplation of infinite punishment for the violation of God’s law, and look to Jesus, his sin-pardoning Saviour. ‘Instead of torturing yourself on account of your sins, throw yourself into the Redeemer’s arms. Trust in Him, in the righteousness of His life, in the atonement of His death. … Listen to the Son of God. He became man to give you the assurance of divine favor.’ ‘Love Him who first loved you.’ … Thus spoke this messenger of mercy. His words made a deep impression upon Luther’s mind. After many a struggle with long-cherished errors, he was enabled to grasp the truth, and peace came to his troubled soul.” Ibid., 123, 124.

Luther found the peace that God offers. Many are searching today but cannot find it because they are constantly looking at their sins and do not believe that Jesus pardons them personally. Focus on today and pray that God will give you His Holy Spirit and grace for today because you cannot do a work of a lifetime in one day. Do not focus on yourself. Look to Christ daily. Do not allow Satan to make you feel that you are not worthy. God came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

“To a friend of the Reformation Luther wrote: ‘We cannot attain to the understanding of Scripture either by study or by the intellect. Your first duty is to begin by prayer. Entreat the Lord to grant you, of His great mercy, the true understanding of His word. There is no other interpreter of the word of God than the Author of this word, as He Himself has said, “They shall be all taught of God.” Hope for nothing from your own labors, from your own understanding: trust solely in God, and in the influence of His Spirit. Believe this on the word of a man who has had experience.’ ” The Great Controversy, 132.

We are not to trust in intellect or human wisdom but in God. You need to believe that He will guide you into all truth. Ezekiel 36:25–27 says, “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.”

His judgments are His law. He wants to put in us His character. The Holy Spirit will cause us to walk in His statutes. God will write His law upon our hearts and that will cause us to walk in His ways. It was not until Luther had this understanding that he was truly converted.

“The Reformation did not, as many suppose, end with Luther. It is to be continued to the close of this world’s history. Luther had a great work to do in reflecting to others the light which God had permitted to shine upon him; yet he did not receive all the light which was to be given to the world. From that time to this, new light has been continually shining upon the Scriptures, and new truths have been constantly unfolding.” Ibid., 148, 149.

Luther did not have all the light—he had a small understanding. We have so much light with so many books yet many would rather read other literature. There is no excuse for those who have not read the Conflict Series or have not studied The Great Controversy. The messages they did not have then we have now. We need to be putting these principles into practice.

“From the secret place of prayer came the power that shook the world in the Great Reformation. There, with holy calmness, the servants of the Lord set their feet upon the rock of His promises. During the struggle at Augsburg, Luther ‘did not pass a day without devoting three hours at least to prayer, and they were hours selected from those the most favorable to study.’ In the privacy of his chamber he was heard to pour out his soul before God in words ‘full of adoration, fear, and hope, as when one speaks to a friend.’ ‘I know that Thou art our Father and our God,’ he said, ‘and that Thou wilt scatter the persecutors of Thy children; for Thou art Thyself endangered with us. All this matter is Thine, and it is only by Thy constraint that we have put our hands to it. Defend us, then, O Father!’ …” The Great Controversy, 210. [Emphasis added.]

There is no excuse for us to neglect prayer and study. We need to agonize over souls. The most polished instrument that Satan can use is an individual who is not converted, who does not pray, but appears to be a Christian. There are similar experiences like those disciples who left Christ after He said that the only way for salvation was to eat and to drink of Him. Those who stayed still struggled. They came to a full understanding when the Holy Spirit came and then they could teach others. In Acts 2:37 we see the response to their teaching: “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” There it is again, “what shall we do?” Verses 38, 39: “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

This is not just for them but for us. We need to fall on the Rock and be broken—we need to agonize even if we do not feel like it. Go to God and ask to be led to the Rock. If you have never experienced falling on the Rock and being broken, you will never experience repentance. You will never be converted and when Jesus comes, you will be lost.

John Wesley

Wesley had the same experience:

“Wesley and his associates were led to see that true religion is seated in the heart, and that God’s law extends to the thoughts as well as to the words and actions. Convinced of the necessity of holiness of heart, as well as correctness of outward deportment, they set out in earnest upon a new life. By the most diligent and prayerful efforts they endeavored to subdue the evils of the natural heart. They lived a life of self-denial, charity, and humiliation, observing with great rigor and exactness every measure which they thought could be helpful to them in obtaining what they most desired—that holiness which could secure the favor of God. But they did not obtain the object which they sought. In vain were their endeavors to free themselves from the condemnation of sin or to break its power. It was the same struggle which Luther had experienced in his cell at Erfurt. It was the same question which had tortured his soul—‘How should man be just before God?’ Job 9:2.” The Great Controversy, 254. [Emphasis added.]

This was the same experience that Luther had. Wesley had seen the righteousness of Christ and wanted to be holy.

“John and Charles Wesley, after being ordained to the ministry, were sent on a mission to America. On board the ship was a company of Moravians. Violent storms were encountered on the passage, and John Wesley, brought face to face with death, felt that he had not the assurance of peace with God. The Germans, on the contrary, manifested a calmness and trust to which he was a stranger. …

“In the midst of the psalm wherewith their service began, the sea broke over, split the mainsail in pieces, covered the ship, and poured in between the decks as if the great deep had already swallowed us up. A terrible screaming began among the English. The Germans calmly sang on. I asked one of them afterwards, ‘Were you not afraid?’ He answered, ‘I thank God, no.’ I asked, ‘But were not your women and children afraid?’ He replied mildly, ‘No; our women and children are not afraid to die.’—Whitehead, Life of the Rev. John Wesley, page 10.” Ibid., 254, 255.

These were individuals believing they are about to die. Some were singing with the peace of God in their hearts while others were screaming. When you come face to face with death, at that time you will know that you are right with God or not. Life is short. Are you hid with Christ in God? John Wesley realized that he did not have the faith in God that he had witnessed among the Moravians.

“On his return to England, Wesley, under the instruction of a Moravian preacher, arrived at a clearer understanding of Bible faith. He was convinced that he must renounce all dependence upon his own works for salvation and must trust wholly to ‘the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). At a meeting of the Moravian society in London a statement was read from Luther, describing the change which the Spirit of God works in the heart of the believer. As Wesley listened, faith was kindled in his soul. ‘I felt my heart strangely warmed,’ he says. ‘I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation: and an assurance was given me, that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.’ ” Ibid., 255, 256.

He finally began to understand Bible faith and to know what it means to “behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” He now understood that it was not by looking to yourself or anything you can do but it is by faith in Jesus. With that faith abiding in you, obedience will become the fruit. You will love others because this is the result of abiding in Christ and spending time with Him.

“Through long years of wearisome and comfortless striving—years of rigorous self-denial, of reproach and humiliation—Wesley had steadfastly adhered to his one purpose of seeking God. Now he had found Him; and he found that the grace which he had toiled to win by prayers and fasts, by almsdeeds and self-abnegation, was a gift, ‘without money and without price.’

“Once established in the faith of Christ, his whole soul burned with the desire to spread everywhere a knowledge of the glorious gospel of God’s free grace.” Ibid., 256.

Once Wesley had a personal experience with God, he had the desire to share, and that must be your desire. You must have a true burden for souls. Do you understand what it means to cry between the porch and the altar?

“He continued his strict and self-denying life, not now as the ground, but the result of faith; not the root, but the fruit of holiness. The grace of God in Christ is the foundation of the Christian’s hope, and that grace will be manifested in obedience. Wesley’s life was devoted to the preaching of the great truths which he had received—justification through faith in the atoning blood of Christ, and the renewing power of the Holy Spirit upon the heart, bringing forth fruit in a life conformed to the example of Christ.” Ibid., 256. [Emphasis added.]

Jesus prayed all night because He had a love and a burden for souls. Wesley’s whole life changed because it was now being led by the Holy Spirit to a similar burden. We must understand that Christianity includes that burden and that love. When we really begin to understand the work going on in the heavenly sanctuary, God will give us new motives, new thoughts, new feelings. When we are in Christ we have become new.

“Wesley declared the perfect harmony of the law and the gospel. ‘There is, therefore, the closest connection that can be conceived, between the law and the gospel. On the one hand, the law continually makes way for, and points us to, the gospel; on the other, the gospel continually leads us to a more exact fulfilling of the law. The law, for instance, requires us to love God, to love our neighbor, to be meek, humble, or holy. We feel that we are not sufficient for these things; yea, that “with man this is impossible” (Matthew 19:26); but we see a promise of God to give us that love, and to make us humble, meek, and holy: we lay hold of this gospel, of these glad tidings; it is done unto us according to our faith; and “the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us” (Romans 8:4), through faith which is in Christ Jesus.’ ” The Great Controversy, 263.

The law and the gospel are one. The law will show you your sins but it is not a remedy for your sins. It will convict but not convert. The law will point you to the gospel, which is Jesus Christ, and He will save you. His law will be fulfilled in us.

In many churches the law has been done away with—made void. When there is no law being upheld, no sin being shown, you cannot see Christ or the cross, or that the law cannot be fulfilled in us. Many want to feel good and not hear about sin. They want to be happy in their sinful condition, feeling that they are saved. The majority of Christianity believes that the law cannot be kept. This is a sad condition.

Many think that by going to church on Sabbath, wearing a long skirt, not eating meat, doing devotions, they are justified.

Galatians 2:16 says, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

“To those who urged that ‘the preaching of the gospel answers all the ends of the law,’ Wesley replied: ‘This we utterly deny. It does not answer the very first end of the law, namely, the convincing men of sin, the awakening those who are still asleep on the brink of hell.’ The apostle Paul declares that ‘by the law is the knowledge of sin’ (Romans 3:20); ‘and not until man is convicted of sin, will he truly feel his need of the atoning blood of Christ. … ‘They that be whole,’ as our Lord Himself observes, ‘need not a physician, but they that are sick’ (Matthew 9:12). It is absurd, therefore, to offer a physician to them that are whole, or that at least imagine themselves so to be. You are first to convince them that they are sick; otherwise they will not thank you for your labor. It is equally absurd to offer Christ to them whose heart is whole, having never yet been broken.” Ibid., 264.

You need to show people that they have a need and are not ready to meet Christ; otherwise they will not accept your message because they think that they are good and have no need of Jesus. In Isaiah 50:4 it says, “The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.”

“At the close of his long life of more than fourscore years—above half a century spent in itinerant ministry—his [Wesley’s] avowed adherents numbered more than half a million souls. But the multitude that through his labors had been lifted from the ruin and degradation of sin to a higher and a purer life, and the number who by his teaching had attained to a deeper and richer experience, will never be known till the whole family of the redeemed shall be gathered into the kingdom of God. His life presents a lesson of priceless worth to every Christian. Would that the faith and humility, the untiring zeal, self-sacrifice, and devotion of this servant of Christ might be reflected in the churches of today!” The Great Controversy, 264.

One man, through the power of the Holy Spirit, was able to win at least half a million souls to Jesus Christ!

We are at the last moment of earth’s history. Is it your experience right now that you are literally agonizing and praying for yourself and for others? The more we see what the condition of ourselves and God’s people are in, the more our time will be spent in prayer instead of looking for a fun church and fun things to do. Whatever you are doing you may incorporate God’s word, His Spirit of Prophecy, into your mind by listening to tapes or reading. Many get so caught up on social media and every other time-consuming habit that it cancels out the seed that God has placed within you and has no opportunity to germinate.

Ellen White said: “I had a dream once in which I saw a large company gathered together, and suddenly the heavens gathered blackness, the thunder rolled, the lightning flashed, and a voice louder than the heaviest peals of thunder, sounded through the heavens and the earth, saying, ‘It is done.’ Part of the company, with pallid faces, sprang forward with a wail of agony, crying out, ‘O, I am not ready.’ The question was asked, ‘Why are you not ready? Why have you not improved the opportunities I graciously gave you?’ I awoke with the cry ringing in my ears, ‘I am not ready; I am unsaved—lost! lost! eternally lost!’ ” The Youth’s Instructor, July 21, 1892.

Everyone will be speechless. There will be no excuses in that day. There were times when Ellen White said they were so burdened that they would pray for hours and hours until they felt in their soul that their burden was lifted and the peace of God came upon them. We need to know how to agonize as Jacob did. God is graciously allowing us this time. Probation is extended for you.

Luther and Wesley had to search until God showed them the way. Behold God, our loving Redeemer. Spend time with Him before time runs out.

Maria Cofer and her husband, John, have established a digital media company to create and promote video media teaching the unique message of Adventism using social media such as Facebook and YouTube. They are currently engaged in establishing training schools under the name, The Schools of the Prophets for the youth. She may be contacted via gospelofhealth.org.

Rivers of Living Water

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Pouring into Yosemite Valley are huge waterfalls that make lots of noise. In the Philippines I saw a roaring stream of brown water cascading over a waterfall and in Papua New Guinea are the most beautiful rivers that I have ever seen, as clear as crystal. The Bible describes you and me as being rivers. Some of us are fast flowing, some of us may be polluted and some of us may be quiet streams, beautiful and clear as crystal, but we all are described as rivers of water.

“Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people chided with Moses and said, ‘Give us water that we may drink.’ … And Moses said to them, ‘Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord,’ and the people thirsted there for water, and the people murmured against Moses, and said, ‘Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?’ ” Exodus 17:1–3 NKJV. The people were in a state of unbelief, though God had never forsaken them; He had always taken care of them throughout their journey.

“So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me?’ And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.’ And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ ” Verses 4–7 NJKV.

This was the first time that God brought water out of a rock. Moses was instructed to strike the rock to start the flow of water. The second time water was brought out of a rock is recorded in Numbers 20. Moses was irritated with the people and instead of speaking to it as he was instructed and glorifying the Lord, he struck it twice. As a result, he was not allowed to go into the land of Canaan.

David wrote, “He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.” Psalm 78:15, 16.

Isaiah wrote, “Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob. And they thirsted not when He led them through the deserts: He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; He clave [split] the rock also, and the waters gushed out.” Isaiah 48:20.

David again wrote about the miracle at Horeb in Psalm 105:41: “He opened the rock, and waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.” This time it says that water ran in the wilderness like a river.

Paul also makes mention of the wilderness wanderings saying, “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” I Corinthians 10:1–4.

While God was present upon Mount Horeb about to speak the Ten Commandments to the people, they began to contend with Moses, accusing him of bringing them out into the wilderness to kill them with thirst.

God gave Moses instruction to take his rod, go to the rock and strike it. The rock that Moses was instructed to strike was symbolic of Christ. Isaiah 53 says, “… yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions.” Isaiah 53:4, 5. From that rock in the wilderness came water, gushing water. Christ had rained down manna (Exodus 16), and because they complained about that, He gave them quail to eat. Millions had been fed by the manna that had rained down to sustain them and still they questioned, “Is the Lord among us, or not?” Exodus 17:7, last part.

They were guilty of unbelief and human nature is not any different today. Any time a complaint comes out of our lips we are asking, “Is the Lord among us, or not?” Complaining is unbelief.

Ellen White wrote, “The smitten rock was a figure of Christ, and through this symbol the most precious spiritual truths are taught.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 411.

It was not long before the children of Israel began complaining again saying, “Why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?” Numbers 20:4.

Exasperated at the continual complaining, instead of speaking to the rock as he had been instructed, Moses struck the rock twice. This act was not a representation of Christ, Who died once for all (Hebrew 9:28). Christ was not to be smitten twice and Moses did not give an accurate portrayal of what was going to happen to Him Who died once for the sins of the entire world.

Isaiah 12:3 says, “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” Zechariah 13:1 says, “In that day [when Christ would be pierced] there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced … .” Zechariah 12:10.

In John 19:28, last part, Jesus said, “I thirst.” We all need to thirst for those wells of salvation, thirst to draw from that fountain for sin and uncleanness. In verse 30, Jesus said, “It is finished!” He bowed His head and He gave up the Spirit. When the soldiers told Pilate that He was already dead He was surprised that a man could be dead after only six hours on the cross. In verse 34, it says, “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” When the rock at Mt. Horeb was struck, water flowed.

Christ’s blood was for cleansing from sin. In the Old Testament sanctuary, when the lamb was killed it took the penalty for the sin that the people had committed. The lamb had not done anything wrong. It was innocent, but a sacrifice had been made and the blood provided a means to atone for the person who had sinned against God and incurred the penalty of death, allowing him or her to live.

When Jesus, while on the cross, said He was thirsty, dehydration had set in and His tongue had swollen to such a proportion that He could hardly talk. When that soldier pierced His side, he pierced His heart. The pericardium that surrounds the heart contains serous, a water-like substance to keep the heart lubricated. When it was pierced, the serous fluid within flowed out. In The Desire of Ages, 722, it says, “But it was not the spear thrust, it was not the pain of the cross, that caused the death of Jesus. That cry, uttered ‘with a loud voice’ (Matthew 27:50; Luke 23:46) at the moment of death, the stream of blood and water that flowed from His side, declared that He died of a broken heart.” It wasn’t the cross, it wasn’t the nails, it wasn’t the thorns on His brow that killed Him, but it was our sins that crushed out His life. The guilt that pressed upon Christ’s mind, paying the penalty for the sins of every single person in this world broke His heart and extinguished His life.

“No matter what may have been our sins and shortcomings, there is a fountain open in the house of David for all sin and uncleanness.” The Signs of the Times, April 2, 1894. We can draw from that fountain for sin and uncleanness today and be cleansed. The fountain has been opened.

Isaiah 44:3–5 says, “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.” The water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 16:7, 8, “Nevertheless … it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter [Holy Spirit] will not come unto you. … And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”

Our hearts, according to the Bible, are desperately wicked, like clods. When I lived in Wichita, Kansas, I remember walking out into a field looking at the ground that gets so hard and dry there were cracks about two inches wide. When it rains the water closes them right back up.

“His heart is as hard as stone, even as hard as the lower millstone.” Job 41:24, NKJV. If our hearts are like clods, hard and beaten down, we need some refreshing. We need some water upon the dry grounds. This is what Christ offers us.

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of His belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake He of the Spirit.)” John 7:37–39, first part. The feast here spoken of is the Feast of Tabernacles that went back to that story at Horeb, reminding the people of the water that gushed out of the rock. Jesus is the living water, a fountain that is opened up for the one who thirsts. Only those who want it will be satisfied.

When the Holy Spirit is received into our lives, we will become rivers of life. In my travels around the world, I have always noticed that ancient cities are built upon river ways. Water brings life and you can become a well of water. This is not for the unbeliever but for those who believe. The Bible says, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14.

Think of yourself as a river today and ask yourself, What kind of river am I? Am I a muddy one, polluted, or a clear one? There are some that are quiet and beautiful, not making any noise, and there are big, gushy ones that make lots of noise. What kind of river are you?

John 4 records Jesus talking with a Samaritan woman at the well, even though it would have been taboo for a Jew to talk to a Samaritan. She had come to draw water and did not even notice Him except that He was a Jew. Thus there was no reason to try to engage Him. He arrested her attention by asking her for something to drink and began to engage in a conversation with her. Amazed at what she had heard, she left her pot and went back to the city to invite her friends to come and see this Man. Jesus was the gushing well of water and told the woman of Samaria that if she knew the One Who was asking her for a drink, she would have asked Him for living water.

Jesus makes it very clear that receiving the water that He gives, you will never thirst again but will be filled. The Bible goes on to say that the woman was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, whole-heartedly. Racing back into the city she told the people of the city of Samaria, “I found the Messiah.” I have found Him and He told me everything that I’ve ever done. He could read my heart.

The whole city came out. She became a flowing river. “She proved herself a more effective missionary than His own disciples.” The Desire of Ages, 195. Jesus said right there, the harvest is ripe. Why do you wait four months until the harvest? The harvest is ripe right now.

“Every true disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary. He who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life. The receiver becomes a giver.” Ibid. When there is no outlet for water to flow through, it stagnates. There are a lot of stagnant Christians. They are not wells or rivers, but stagnant ponds. To become rivers of water we need to receive more of God’s Holy Spirit and then give to others what we have received. We are not to be stagnant; the receiver becomes a giver. “The grace of Christ in the soul is like a spring in the desert, welling up to refresh all, and making those who are ready to perish eager to drink of the water of life.” Ibid. We need an experience that people will recognize and desire. Only then will we have something to give them because we have drunk deeply of the wells of salvation ourselves.

One of the signs of the end is found in Amos 8:11–14, which says, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst. They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.” This describes a day of spiritual famine when the word of God will not be found.

The solution to this problem is that you and I need to become wells of water, springing up into everlasting life, to go out and refresh the thirsty souls that are hungry and thirsty for the righteousness of God and do not know where to find it. If they see professed believers living in sin, talking and acting like the world, they will not want to come and drink from some polluted stream. They want to see a clear-flowing, crystal river.

In II Kings 2:19–21, it says that Elisha threw salt into the polluted water to purify it. Salt is a preserver. Jesus said, “Have salt in yourself.” Mark 9:50.

It is said of false teachers, those that claim to be Christians but bring damnable heresies into the church, “Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with a man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.” II Peter 2:15, 16.

Notice verse 17: “These are wells without water … .” These are people who have nothing to give. They are not wells of water springing up into everlasting life, but everlasting death because you cannot live at a dry well for very long.

God offers something to Israel. He says, come and drink of My waters from My well, My spiritual drink from the well of salvation. They were drinking from the rivers of Egypt, the rivers of Babylon, which is spiritualism and confusion. He says, “For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:13.

“Unless His grace transforms them into the image of Christ’s likeness, His Spirit will leave them as water leaves a leaky vessel.” Christ will leave us just like a leaky vessel, unless we have a Christlike character. “Their only hope is to seek God with all their mind, heart, and soul. Then they will lawfully strive for the mastery. Satan will steal the imagination and affections if you give him a chance.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 1, 102.

“Unless the people of God watch and pray, spirituality will go out of the heart as water out of a leaky vessel.” The Review and Herald, July 3, 1888. We do not want to be like Israel of old, and drink from the wrong stream when there is this Fountain opened before us. Are we hewing cisterns for ourselves?

“The mind is occupied with worldly interests, and as soon as they leave the church door, the impression is lost; for as water flows from a leaky vessel, so the truth leaks from the heart. The more preaching they have, the less they do to carry out the truth in practical godliness. They are glutted with sermons, and the truth fails to arouse them to a sense of their condition.” The Review and Herald, March 7, 1893.

Jesus has a fountain flowing for us today. This fountain flows into our hearts through the Holy Spirit dwelling within. Christ was smitten at Horeb. He opened up a fountain of His blood to cover our sin and uncleanness. The water is the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. This is what Christ wants to make us into, wells with water gushing out of us, rivers of living water. This will happen when we have gone to the fountain, to the Source, with all of our defects, our short-comings and our problems.

We are no longer to be leaky vessels. Even a slow leak, be it one drop at a time, will eventually result in an empty vessel. Watch and pray with an intense earnestness as never before to know God’s will and strive for the mastery to develop a Christlike character. Thank God for the cleansing stream that is still flowing to wash away our sins and uncleanness.

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

Mike Bauler was ordained into the ministry in 2005 and serves as pastor of the Historic Message Church in Portland, Oregon. Prior to locating in Portland, Pastor Bauler served as a Bible worker for Steps to Life Ministries. His goal is to help give the gospel to the greater Portland area with an emphasis in helping his Bible students discover the truths in Bible prophecy, which are so often neglected today. His wife, Amanda, a family nurse practitioner, and their daughters assist him in his ministry.

Clothes of Character

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One of the saddest chapters in the Bible is the third chapter of Genesis where it is recorded that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ So he said, ‘I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ And He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?’ ” Genesis 3:7–11.

It was customary for the Lord to meet with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. They knew He was coming and though He had created them, they were embarrassed to be seen naked by Him. So they took fig leaves and sewed them together. Some Bible translations describe the garments they made as aprons. They presented themselves wearing their fig leaf garments. However, God did not accept the way they were dressed.

There are some styles of clothing that are unacceptable to God. Often signs are seen outside churches that say, “Come as You Are.” God does call sinners to come, but He never leaves them in their initial state. Today, this “come as you are” is often interpreted that it does not matter how we present ourselves to have an audience with the King of kings. If you were invited to meet with the President of the United States, you would not come just as you are. It is a disgrace to the Christian religion to give less respect to the Creator of the heavens and the earth than we do to important people in this world. God called our first parents out, but notice what He did: “Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.” Genesis 3:21. God did not accept the way they were dressed and provided for them another type of clothing. One of the main problems with the way they were clothed was there was not enough of it and that is one of the main problems with modern dress.

Ever since that time, mankind has realized his natural nakedness of soul and has attempted to do something to cover it up. Fig leaves don’t work. There is nothing that you and I can make that will cover our spiritual nakedness. Throughout both the Old and New Testaments clothing is presented as representative of character. Matthew 22:11–14 describes the result of somebody who was not dressed properly. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And He was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.’ ” When Jesus uses the expression, “… there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” referring to the Day of Judgment, He is not talking about the infidels and agnostics, the atheists and the unbelievers. He is referring to the people who believed they would be saved, but when the end comes, they find out that they are not. The garment here referred to is not made of linen, wool, or cotton but is a symbol of character.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:26, 27, “That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” He speaks here of the garment of character that needs to be washed and cleansed.

In Revelation 3:14–18, it says, “To the angel of the church of the Laodicians write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God; I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew [vomit] you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, having become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” ’ ”

This church thinks it has everything, but the Lord says it does not know its real spiritual condition of wretchedness and nakedness. The people in this church are self-confident. They think they are ready to go to heaven but are warned there is something missing; they are naked and in need of a garment of covering.

When people are physically naked, they know they are naked, but they can be unaware of their spiritual nakedness and think everything is all right.

Revelation 19:7, 8 says, “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” The fine linen represents righteousness. All who desire to go to the marriage supper described in Revelation 19 must have on the wedding garment, representing the righteousness of the saints. The Bible says that we don’t have any righteousness. So what are we going to do? There is only One Who is righteous, and He invites us to come to Him for a change of clothing.

Remember the man who went to the wedding without the wedding garment. He remained in his citizen’s dress and was refused entry. Like other Bible writers, Isaiah also uses clothing as a symbol of character. “We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.” Isaiah 64:6. We are in desperate need of a change of clothing.

The main subject in Zechariah 3 is the need of taking off the filthy garments. It is this change of clothing or the wedding garment that Christ wants to give. Isaiah says, “Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments.” Isaiah 52:1. Those beautiful garments are the wedding garments, the righteousness of Christ.

In Revelation 16 is described seven last plagues that are to be poured out in this world before Jesus returns. In the middle of the sixth plague a pronouncement is made from heaven. “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” Revelation 16:15.

If you are planning to put on the wedding garment, you must not continue in sin. Ellen White states, “Every soul that continues in sin in the face of the light now shining upon our pathway, will be blinded and accept the delusions of Satan. We are now nearing the close of this world’s history.” The Review and Herald, March 19, 1895. Paul makes it very clear in II Thessalonians 2:1–12 that at the end, God is going to send strong delusion to people who did not receive the love of the truth and had pleasure in unrighteousness. All unrighteousness is sin (I John 5:17), and sin is the transgression of the law (I John 3:4).

In the end of time, all those who have pleasure in breaking God’s law will be deceived. Jesus is not the minister of sin (Galatians 2:17). Many Christians plan to give up all of their darling sins in the future, but not just yet. That is to be in an extremely dangerous situation, for some who are holding on to some treasured sin die before they give it up.

Time is short. Waste no more time; go to the Lord and say, Lord, I want to be rid of my sins; help me to stop sinning and clothe me in Your garment of righteousness. Some may believe there are so many sins in their life that there is not enough time between now and when Jesus comes to be rid of them. Don’t worry. Just make a full commitment to Jesus today and no matter your besetting sins—the things that hold you in bondage—the Lord wants to set you free. But He can only do that when you make a total commitment to Him.

We are living in a time when everyone is being weighed in the balance. After the birth of Samuel, Hannah prayed, “Talk no more so very proudly; let no arrogance come from your mouth, for the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.” I Samuel 2:3. God weighs actions and the motives that determine the weight of the action. Daniel told Belshazzar, “You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting.” Daniel 5:27. What balances were those? They were God’s balances.

God has a temple where Jesus is ministering right now as your High Priest. In that temple are balances. I do not know how to describe it other than the way that inspired writers have written about it. Both Daniel and Hannah talked about God weighing actions.

Ellen White wrote, “Every character is to be weighed in the balances of the sanctuary; if the moral character and spiritual advancement do not correspond with the opportunities and blessings, ‘wanting’ is written against the name.” The Review and Herald, March 19, 1895. Are you ready to be weighed in the heavenly scales?

In order to measure up and be found acceptable, a person’s character must be transformed by the Holy Spirit. We are counseled to study the Scriptures. In writing to Timothy, Paul said, “It will make you wise unto salvation” (II Timothy 3:15). In The Review and Herald, March 19, 1895, Ellen White wrote, “All who claim to be children of God should seek daily to understand why they believe by searching the Scriptures for themselves.” Do you know why you believe what you believe? There are many people today who cannot explain to you what they believe and why they believe it. “The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the church is looked forward to as in the future; but it is the privilege of the church to have it now. Seek for it, pray for it, believe for it. We must have it, and Heaven is waiting to bestow it.” Ibid. The Lord wants you to receive the Holy Spirit and be changed in character. Are you doing your part?

What is involved in putting on the wedding garment? In I Samuel 15, the Lord had blessed Saul with a great military victory, but the Lord had told him to kill everything, including the cattle. Saul did not obey. When he returned the prophet said, “What is this? I hear all these cattle out here.” Saul said to him, “We brought those things back to sacrifice to the Lord. We’re going to have a big worship service.” Verses 14, 15, literal translation.

Millions of Christians today, like Saul, are worshiping God in a way that He does not accept. Why? The answer can be found in verses 22, 23: “Then Samuel said: ‘Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice … For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.’ ” It is better to obey than to be religious. There are people who go through all kinds of religious rituals and ceremonies, and the Lord says, “I don’t accept that. You are disobedient.” The Lord did not reject Saul the first time he was deliberately disobedient. He gave him more than one chance. Obedience is crucial to being able to wear the wedding garment.

In Numbers 14 we are told about some people that did not enter the Promised Land. Canaan was a symbol of the heavenly Canaan. In Numbers 14:21–23 it is recorded that God said, “ ‘… but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord—because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it.’ ”

Notice, this did not happen after they had rejected the Lord over disobedience once, or twice, or even three times. The Lord said that they “have put Me to the test now these ten times.” They had a wrong spirit. But notice verse 24: “ ‘But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land.’ ” What kind of a spirit do you have? Will you follow the Lord wherever He takes you, or are you half-hearted?

When God speaks, do you, like Samuel, say, “Speak Lord, your servant hears” (I Samuel 3, literal translation). Whatever you say, I will do it. Or do you resist the Holy Spirit? Do you want to put on the wedding garment? Do you have an intense desire to cover your spiritual nakedness with the robe of Christ’s righteousness? All of our own righteousness is filthy rags. Writing to Seventh-day Adventists, Ellen White said, “We are far, far from being Christians, which is to be Christlike.” Special Testimonies for Ministers and Workers, No. 6 (1896), 24.

Today, just as it was in the time of Christ, there are many people who claim to be Christians and know Bible truth whose minds are actually under the control of Satan. The same thing happened to the religious leaders in Jesus’ time. He said, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” John 8:44.

The root of the devil’s problem is pride and selfishness. Therefore if I have pride and selfishness, then the devil is in control of my mind. I’m not putting the wedding garment on. In Upward Look, 51, we are told: “Today as in Christ’s day, Satan rules the minds of many. … Selfishness has perverted principles, selfishness has confused the senses and clouded the judgment. …

“If men would only give up their spirit of resistance to the Holy Spirit, the spirit which has long been leavening their religious experience, God’s Spirit would address itself to their hearts. It would convince of sin.”

Notice, the first work of the Holy Spirit is to convict of sin (see John 16:8). If you are not convicted of your sin, it is evident that you do not have the Holy Spirit. Pray that the Lord will convict you of your sins.

“God’s Spirit would address itself to their hearts. It would convince of sin. What a work! But the Holy Spirit has been insulted and light has been rejected.” Ibid., 51. This is called the early rain of the Holy Spirit. The Bible predicts in both the Old and New Testaments that just before Jesus comes again there is going to be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon this world such as has never been. It is referred to as the latter rain. If you have the experience of the early rain you will receive the beautiful garment—a Christlike character. However, if you do not have this experience, when the latter rain falls, you will not be ready for it and will not receive it. “We may be sure that when the Holy Spirit is poured out those who did not receive and appreciate the early rain will not see or understand the value of the latter rain.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 399.

This is a subject that I personally talk about to the Lord privately. I plead with Him that I will be aware of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. Paul simplifies this when writing about being ready for Jesus to come in Colossians 1–4. He says there are some things that must be put on and other things that must be put off. The filthy rags of our own righteousness must be put off and the robe of Christ’s righteousness must be put on. “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desires, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:5.

He then continues to say there are some things you need to put on. “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Colossians 3:12–15.

Have your garments been changed in preparation for Jesus to come? With all the strife and disunity amongst the believers today, it is obvious that Paul’s instruction in Colossians 3 has not been studied and understood. Families are fractured and churches are fragmented. These problems would disappear with a change of garment.

We pray that we might receive the Holy Spirit, and though that is an appropriate prayer, God cannot pour out the latter rain upon His people until certain conditions are fulfilled. Those conditions are so plain that Ellen White writes that a child will be able to understand. “Unless this converting power shall go through our churches, unless the revival of the Spirit of God shall come, all their profession will never make the members of the church Christians. There are sinners in Zion who need to repent of sins that have been cherished as precious treasures.” The Review and Herald, February 7, 1957.

If the Holy Spirit is speaking to you right now telling you that there is some sin in your life that you are not willing to put aside, it is to give you an opportunity to choose to be saved. But you cannot be saved as long as you cling to that darling sin. There are people who refuse to quit sinning because they enjoy it. They look at sinful things that they should be avoiding—on television, videos, DVDs or the Internet. They listen to and read sinful things and get so much enjoyment out of this “entertainment” that they refuse to give it up. They enjoy the pleasures of sin, but keep in mind, those pleasures are always temporary.

Ellen White wrote, “Until these sins are seen, and thrust from the soul, until every faulty, unlovely trait of character is transformed by the Spirit’s influence, God cannot manifest Himself in power.” Ibid. That is why we rarely see the powerful working of the Holy Spirit among us today because, “God cannot manifest Himself in power.”

The reason the outpouring of the Holy Spirit did not occur until the Day of Pentecost was that the disciples were not ready for it until they had been transformed by the Spirit’s influence. God wants to pour out His Holy Spirit on His people now, but He cannot, “Until every faulty, unlovely trait of character is transformed by the Spirit’s influence.” Ibid.

When the Holy Spirit works in the life, by His grace and power, every faulty, unlovely trait of character is going to be expelled. That is what is involved in putting on the wedding garment, the beautiful garments that Isaiah talks about in Isaiah 52. There will be no unlovely traits of character in heaven to risk a repeat of the misery of this world’s history.

“Are we striving with all our God-given powers to reach the measure of the stature of men and women in Christ [Ephesians 4:14, 15]? Are we seeking for His fullness, ever reaching higher and higher, trying to attain to the perfection of His character?

“When God’s servants reach this point, they will be sealed in their foreheads. The recording angel will declare, ‘It is done.’ ” The Review and Herald, February 7, 1957.

Then Jesus will come. The early rain of the Holy Spirit takes away the wrinkles and spots, leaving the garments clean. It can happen in your life and in my life if we will make a complete commitment to Jesus and say, “Lord, I’m going to follow You all the way. I want perfection of character. I don’t want to be just a Christian in name; I want to actually become Christ-like.” Let the Holy Spirit work on your mind and your heart. Reach out to the Lord and say: “Lord, I want to be saved. I want to have salvation; I want to be transformed by Your Holy Spirit and be clothed in the wedding garment. Fulfill your promise, that whenever I cry out to You, the Holy Spirit will come and answer my cry. Teach me and show me what to do to cooperate with the heavenly agencies so that I will be ready to enter into the Promised Land when You return.”

(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 – Rest

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Even a casual study of the life of our Lord during His incarnation reveals that, “Throughout His life on earth, Jesus was an earnest and constant worker. He expected much; therefore He attempted much. After He had entered on His ministry, He said, ‘I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.’ John 9:4. Jesus did not shirk care and responsibility, as do many who profess to be His followers.” The Desire of Ages, 72.

Before He entered on His ministry He was an earnest worker in Nazareth: “While on earth Christ lived in the home of a peasant. He wore the best garments His parents could provide, but they were the humble garments of the peasants. He walked the rough paths of Nazareth and climbed the steeps of its hillsides and mountains. In His home He was a constant worker, and left on record a life filled with useful deeds.” In Heavenly Places, 214.

“He commenced His life of usefulness in childhood. … Between the ages of twelve and thirty, before entering upon His public ministry, He led a life of active industry.” The Review and Herald, January 6, 1885. In His ministry, Jesus was never idle.

Jesus is still working for each one of us. His work is constant—He never sleeps or goes on a vacation. How long is He going to be doing this constant intercession? “Our need of Christ’s intercession is constant.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1078.

He will not stop until the case of every individual in this world is decided for life or for death. You and I each have a case pending in heaven; the Apostle Paul said, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” II Corinthians 5:10.

We have been given a time of probation so that we might prepare and be ready for the judgment. After the judgment is over, the whole universe will enter a period of rest. It is exciting to look forward to. Will you have a part in it?

“Not until every case is decided will Christ be at rest. …

“He came to redeem humanity, and He will continue to send message after message to save His flock from Satanic delusions. He will not cease to send His messages until the redeemed universe shall be at rest.” This Day With God, 91.

Bible Study Guides – Called for Service

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October 25, 2015 – October 31, 2015

Key Text

“No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62.

Study Help: Prophets and Kings, 217–228.

Introduction

“To everyone who becomes a partaker of His grace the Lord appoints a work for others.” The Ministry of Healing, 148.

1 “FAITHFUL IS HE THAT CALLETH YOU”

  • How did the divine call come to the prophets of God? I Kings 12:22; I Chronicles 17:3; Luke 3:2. Explain the difference between the true prophets and the self-appointed ones. Jeremiah 14:14, 15; 23:21, 32.
  • How did the prophetic call come to Elisha? I Kings 19:16. What attributes had he revealed before this call? Verse 19.

Note: “The prophetic call came to Elisha while, with his father’s servants, he was plowing in the field. He had taken up the work that lay nearest. He possessed both the capabilities of a leader among men and the meekness of one who is ready to serve. Of a quiet and gentle spirit, he was nevertheless energetic and steadfast. Integrity, fidelity, and the love and fear of God were his, and in the humble round of daily toil he gained strength of purpose and nobleness of character, constantly increasing in grace and knowledge. While co-operating with his father in the home-life duties, he was learning to co-operate with God.

“By faithfulness in little things, Elisha was preparing for weightier trusts. … He learned to serve; and in learning this, he learned also how to instruct and lead. The lesson is for all. None can know what may be God’s purpose in His discipline; but all may be certain that faithfulness in little things is the evidence of fitness for greater responsibilities.” Prophets and Kings, 218.

2 THE CERTAINTY OF GOD’S CALL

  • As with every servant of God, what factors did Elisha have to consider when the divine call came to him? I Kings 19:20, 21; Luke 14:28.

Note: “Elisha must count the cost—decide for himself to accept or reject the call. …

“The call to place all on the altar of service comes to each one. We are not all asked to serve as Elisha served, nor are we all bidden to sell everything we have; but God asks us to give His service the first place in our lives, to allow no day to pass without doing something to advance His work in the earth. … God accepts the offering of each. It is the consecration of the life and all its interests, that is necessary. Those who make this consecration will hear and obey the call of Heaven.” Prophets and Kings, 220, 221.

  • What was Elisha’s only request at the end of his association with Elijah? II Kings 2:9.

Note: “Elisha asked not for worldly honor, or for a high place among the great men of earth. That which he craved was a large measure of the Spirit that God had bestowed so freely upon the one about to be honored with translation. He knew that nothing but the Spirit which had rested upon Elijah could fit him to fill the place in Israel to which God had called him.” Prophets and Kings, 226, 227.

  • What can we lose by neglecting our duties, our abilities, and our opportunities? Mathew 25:28, 29, last part. What will happen, on the other hand, if we are diligent in the faithful and honest use of the “capital” we already have received from God? Verse 29, first part.

Note: “Jesus has pointed out the way of life, He has made manifest the light of truth, He has given the Holy Spirit, and endowed us richly with everything essential to our perfection.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 218.

3 ELISHA’S WILLINGNESS TO LEARN

  • What should we learn from Elisha’s willingness to perform menial duties? II Kings 3:11, last part.

Note: “It was no great work that was at first required of Elisha; commonplace duties still constituted his discipline. He is spoken of as pouring water on the hands of Elijah, his master. He was willing to do anything that the Lord directed, and at every step he learned lessons of humility and service. As the prophet’s personal attendant, he continued to prove faithful in little things, while with daily strengthening purpose he devoted himself to the mission appointed him by God.” Prophets and Kings, 222.

  • What must a servant of God demonstrate before he can be promoted to carry higher responsibilities? Luke 16:10–12.

Note: “None can know what may be God’s purpose in His discipline; but all may be certain that faithfulness in little things is the evidence of fitness for greater responsibilities. Every act of life is a revelation of character.” Prophets and Kings, 218.

  • How does the thinking and acting of many resemble the attitude of the slothful servant who had received only one talent? Matthew 25:14, 18, 24–28.

Note: “Because they are not connected with some directly religious work, many feel that their lives are useless, that they are doing nothing for the advancement of God’s kingdom. If they could do some great thing how gladly they would undertake it! But because they can serve only in little things, they think themselves justified in doing nothing. In this they err. A man may be in the active service of God while engaged in the ordinary, everyday duties—while felling trees, clearing the ground, or following the plow. The mother who trains her children for Christ is as truly working for God as is the minister in the pulpit.” Prophets and Kings, 219.

4 MINISTRY INCLUDES TRAINING YOUNG MEN

  • What is one of the most important duties of a competent and faithful minister? II Timothy 2:1, 2.

Note: “Ministry comprehends far more than preaching the word. It means training young men as Elijah trained Elisha, taking them from their ordinary duties, and giving them responsibilities to bear in God’s work—small responsibilities at first, and larger ones as they gain strength and experience. … Young, inexperienced workers should be trained by actual labor in connection with these experienced servants of God. Thus they will learn how to bear burdens.

“Those who undertake this training of young workers are doing noble service. The Lord Himself co-operates with their efforts. And the young men to whom the word of consecration has been spoken, whose privilege it is to be brought into close association with earnest, godly workers, should make the most of their opportunity. God has honored them by choosing them for His service and by placing them where they can gain greater fitness for it, and they should be humble, faithful, obedient, and willing to sacrifice. If they submit to God’s discipline, carrying out His directions and choosing His servants as their counselors, they will develop into righteous, high-principled, steadfast men, whom God can entrust with responsibilities. …

“For several years after the call of Elisha, Elijah and Elisha labored together, the younger man daily gaining greater preparedness for his work.” Prophets and Kings, 222–224.

  • What points did the apostle Paul stress in the training of Timothy? II Timothy 1:5; 3:14–17.

Note: “The piety and influence of his [Timothy’s] home life was not of a cheap order, but pure, sensible, and uncorrupted by false sentiments. The moral influence of his home was substantial, not fitful, not impulsive, not changeable. The Word of God was the rule which guided Timothy. … His home instructors cooperated with God in educating this young man to bear the burdens that were to come upon him at an early age.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 918.

5 TEACHING AND LEARNING; LEARNING AND TEACHING

  • How was Elisha’s faith tested while traveling with Elijah? II Kings 2:5, 6.

Note: “The schools of the prophets, established by Samuel, had fallen into decay during the years of Israel’s apostasy. Elijah re-established these schools, making provision for young men to gain an education that would lead them to magnify the law and make it honorable. Three of these schools, one at Gilgal, one at Bethel, and one at Jericho, are mentioned in the record. Just before Elijah was taken to heaven, he and Elisha visited these centers of training. The lessons that the prophet of God had given them on former visits, he now repeated. … He also impressed upon their minds the importance of letting simplicity mark every feature of their education. Only in this way could they receive the mold of heaven and go forth to work in the ways of the Lord. …

“As Elisha accompanied the prophet on his round of service from school to school, his faith and resolution were once more tested. … And now the tried servant of the man of God kept close beside him.” Prophets and Kings, 224, 225.

  • What lesson can we all learn from the successful collaboration of these two faithful and diligent workers of God? I Corinthians 3:8, 9.

Note: “The angels of God will be much better pleased and will be attracted to us when the servants in the field can come together, and bow down together, and pray with tears and contrition of heart; when they can talk about the work, no matter whose that work will be.” Sermons and Talks, vol. 2, 15.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 What did Elisha ask Elijah immediately before his ascension?

2 Explain the peril of neglecting opportunities.

3 How much can we gain by using well what we have already?

4 What must we reveal before receiving greater responsibilities?

5 What can we learn from the collaboration of Elijah and Elisha?

© 2014 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – Tempted to Doubt

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October 18, 2015 – October 24, 2015

Key Text

“It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” I Kings 19:4, last part.

Study Help: Prophets and Kings, 155–176.

Introduction

“A fugitive, far from the homes of men, his spirits crushed by bitter disappointment, he [Elijah] desired never to look upon the faces of men again.” The Review and Herald, October 16, 1913.

1 ELIJAH’S FAITH SEVERELY TESTED

  • When Jezebel, the idolatrous queen, heard of the slaying of the false prophets, what message did she send Elijah? I Kings 19:1, 2.

Note: “Jezebel, hardened and impenitent, became infuriated. She refused to recognize in the events on Carmel the overruling providence of God, and, still defiant, she boldly declared that Elijah should die.” Prophets and Kings, 159.

  • After revealing undaunted courage in the contest on Mount Carmel, how did Elijah show human weakness? I Kings 19:3.

Note: “Elijah should not have fled from his post of duty. He should have met the threat of Jezebel with an appeal for protection to the One who had commissioned him to vindicate the honor of Jehovah. He should have told the messenger that the God in whom he trusted would protect him against the hatred of the queen.” Prophets and Kings, 160.

  • To what admonition should every worker in the cause of God give serious consideration? I Corinthians 10:12.

2 DISCOURAGED

  • Utterly discouraged, what did Elijah request in his prayer to God? I Kings 19:4. What must every witness in the cause of God expect to endure? II Corinthians 4:8, 9.

Note: “Into the experience of all there come times of keen disappointment and utter discouragement—days when sorrow is the portion, and it is hard to believe that God is still the kind benefactor of His earthborn children; days when troubles harass the soul, till death seems preferable to life. It is then that many lose their hold on God and are brought into the slavery of doubt, the bondage of unbelief.” Prophets and Kings, 162.

“The servants of the Lord must expect every kind of discouragement. They will be tried, not only by the anger, contempt, and cruelty of enemies, but by the indolence, inconsistency, lukewarmness, and treachery of friends and helpers. … Even some who seem to desire the work of God to prosper, will yet weaken the hands of His servants by hearing, reporting, and half believing the slanders, boasts, and menaces of their adversaries.” Christian Service, 239, 240.

  • What is the remedy for discouragement? Luke 21:36; I Thessalonians 5:8, 17. How did the apostle Paul fight off discouragement? II Corinthians 12:10.

Note: “For the disheartened there is a sure remedy—faith, prayer, work. Faith and activity will impart assurance and satisfaction that will increase day by day. Are you tempted to give way to feelings of anxious foreboding or utter despondency? In the darkest days, when appearances seem most forbidding, fear not. Have faith in God. He knows your need. He has all power. His infinite love and compassion never weary. Fear not that He will fail of fulfilling His promise.” Prophets and Kings, 164, 165.

  1. Instead of granting the thoughtless request of His servant, how did God show him that his work was not yet finished? I Kings 19:5–8.

3 A POINTED QUESTION

  • What did the Lord ask Elijah after he took refuge in a cave? I Kings 19:9. What rebuke was contained in the question?

Note: “ ‘I [the Lord God of hosts] sent you to the brook Cherith and afterward to the widow of Sarepta. I commissioned you to return to Israel and to stand before the idolatrous priests on Carmel, and I girded you with strength to guide the chariot of the king to the gate of Jezreel. But who sent you on this hasty flight into the wilderness?’ ” Prophets and Kings, 168.

  • In bitterness of soul, what complaint did Elijah make? I Kings 19:10. What lesson do you think God was teaching His servant through this experience?

Note: “He [God] desired to teach Elijah that it is not always the work that makes the greatest demonstration that is most successful in accomplishing His purpose. While Elijah waited for the revelation of the Lord, a tempest rolled, the lightnings flashed, and a devouring fire swept by; but God was not in all this. Then there came a still, small voice, and the prophet covered his head before the presence of the Lord. His petulance was silenced, his spirit softened and subdued. He now knew that a quiet trust, a firm reliance on God, would ever find for him a present help in time of need.” Prophets and Kings, 168, 169.

  • How had Elijah expected the Lord would reveal His power? I Kings 19:11, 12. What did Elijah finally understand when he considered the way of the Lord to convert souls? Zechariah 4:6.

Note: “It is not always the most learned presentation of God’s truth that convicts and converts the soul. Not by eloquence or logic are men’s hearts reached but by the sweet influences of the Holy Spirit, which operate quietly yet surely in transforming and developing character. It is the still, small voice of the Spirit of God that has power to change the heart.” Prophets and Kings, 169.

4 THE BEGINNING OF A DECIDED REFORM

  • What question did the Lord repeat to Elijah, and what complaint did Elijah repeat to the Lord? I Kings 19:13, 14. How did God assure Elijah that the unrepentant rebels in Israel would be punished? I Kings 19:15–17.

Note: “The Lord answered Elijah that the wrongdoers in Israel should not go unpunished. Men were to be especially chosen to fulfill the divine purpose in the punishment of the idolatrous kingdom. There was stern work to be done, that all might be given opportunity to take their position on the side of the true God. Elijah himself was to return to Israel, and share with others the burden of bringing about a reformation.” Prophets and Kings, 169.

  • Who, among others, was chosen to help Elijah promote the reformation that had commenced? I Kings 19:19–21.
  • What parallel can be drawn between the apostasy prevalent in Israel in the days of Elijah and the apostasy which is spreading in the world today? II Peter 3:3–5.

Note: “The law of God, the divine standard of righteousness, is declared [in this age] to be of no effect. The enemy of all truth is working with deceptive power to cause men and women to place human institutions where God should be, and to forget that which was ordained for the happiness and salvation of mankind.

“Yet this apostasy, widespread as it has come to be, is not universal. Not all in the world are lawless and sinful; not all have taken sides with the enemy. God has many thousands who have not bowed the knee to Baal, many who long to understand more fully in regard to Christ and the law, many who are hoping against hope that Jesus will come soon to end the reign of sin and death. And there are many who have been worshiping Baal ignorantly, but with whom the Spirit of God is still striving.

“These need the personal help of those who have learned to know God and the power of His word. In such a time as this, every child of God should be actively engaged in helping others.” Prophets and Kings, 170, 171.

5 OUR EVANGELISTIC RESPONSIBILITY TODAY

  • When Elijah complained that he alone was left, what did the Lord reveal to him? I Kings 19:18.

Note: “What strange work Elijah would have done in numbering Israel at the time when God’s judgments were falling upon the backsliding people! He could count only one on the Lord’s side.” Prophets and Kings, 189.

  • What is our duty in view of the fact that “God has many thousands who have not bowed the knee to Baal” and “with whom the Spirit of God is still striving”? Matthew 28:19, 20.

Note: “Among earth’s inhabitants, scattered in every land, there are those who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Like the stars of heaven, which appear only at night, these faithful ones will shine forth when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. … God has in reserve a firmament of chosen ones that will yet shine forth amidst the darkness, revealing clearly to an apostate world the transforming power of obedience to His law. … The darker the night, the more brilliantly will they shine. …

“Then let no man attempt to number Israel today, but let everyone have a heart of flesh, a heart of tender sympathy, a heart that, like the heart of Christ, reaches out for the salvation of a lost world.” Prophets and Kings, 188, 189.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How did Elijah show spiritual cowardice after demonstrating great moral strength?

2 What admonition should be seriously pondered by every believer—as each of us has been called to witness for Christ?

3 What is the remedy for discouragement?

4 When Elijah complained of being alone, what did God declare?

5 What is our duty to all who have never bowed the knee to Baal?

© 2014 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – Reformation in Elijah’s Time

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October 11, 2015 – October 17, 2015

Key Text

“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” James 5:17, 18.

Study Help: Prophets and Kings, 119–154.

Introduction

“God was seeking to free the people [of Israel] from their delusion, and lead them to understand their accountability to the One to Whom they owed their life and all things.” The Review and Herald, August 21, 1913.

1 A CALL FOR REPENTANCE AND REFORMATION

  • What mission did God entrust to Elijah when Israel was controlled by the priests of Baal and Ashtoreth? What did he say to Ahab, the king? I Kings 17:1.

Note: “God’s message to Ahab gave Jezebel and her priests and all the followers of Baal and Ashtoreth opportunity to test the power of their gods, and, if possible, to prove the word of Elijah false.” Prophets and Kings, 124.

  • As God sought to speak to the king, the leaders, and the people through judgments—calling for repentance and reformation, how did the heathen priests seek to keep the nation deceived?

Note: “The people were urged by their leaders to have confidence in the power of Baal and to set aside as idle words the prophecy of Elijah. The priests still insisted that it was through the power of Baal that the showers of rain fell.” Prophets and Kings, 123.

2 A SAVOR OF LIFE OR OF DEATH

  • When they met face to face, with what question did the king try to rebuke Elijah? I Kings 18:17. What must God’s messenger expect from those who refuse to receive the truth?

Note: “The prophets of God were hated by apostate Israel because through them their hidden sins were brought to light. Ahab regarded Elijah as his enemy because the prophet was faithful to rebuke the king’s secret iniquities. So today the servant of Christ, the reprover of sin, meets with scorn and rebuffs.” The Desire of Ages, 587.

“As men see that they cannot maintain their position by the Scriptures, many determine to maintain it at all hazards, and with a malicious spirit they assail the character and motives of those who stand in defense of unpopular truth. It is the same policy which has been pursued in all ages. Elijah was declared to be a troubler in Israel, Jeremiah a traitor, Paul a polluter of the temple. From that day to this, those who would be loyal to truth have been denounced as seditious, heretical, or schismatic.” The Great Controversy, 458, 459.

  • What can we expect from the vast majority, even when the truth is presented to them? Isaiah 59:14, 15; II Timothy 3:10–12. How is this to affect us?

Note: “Multitudes who are too unbelieving to accept the sure word of prophecy will receive with unquestioning credulity an accusation against those who dare to reprove fashionable sins. This spirit will increase more and more. …

“In view of this, what is the duty of the messenger of truth? Shall he conclude that the truth ought not to be presented, since often its only effect is to arouse men to evade or resist its claims? No; he has no more reason for withholding the testimony of God’s word, because it excites opposition, than had earlier Reformers. …

“The great obstacle both to the acceptance and to the promulgation of truth is the fact that it involves inconvenience and reproach. … But this does not deter the true followers of Christ. These do not wait for truth to become popular. Being convinced of their duty, they deliberately accept the cross.” The Great Controversy, 459, 460.

3 THE DANGER OF SMOOTH SERMONS

  • When King Ahab accused Elijah of being a troubler of Israel, how did the prophet respond? I Kings 18:18.

Note: “Standing in conscious innocence before Ahab, Elijah makes no attempt to excuse himself or to flatter the king. Nor does he seek to evade the king’s wrath by the good news that the drought is almost over. He has no apology to offer. Indignant, and jealous for the honor of God, he casts back the imputation of Ahab.” Prophets and Kings, 140.

  • What kinds of sermons are needed in calling for repentance and reformation? Isaiah 58:1. What is wrong with smooth sermons?

Note: “The smooth sermons so often preached make no lasting impression; the trumpet does not give a certain sound. Men are not cut to the heart by the plain, sharp truths of God’s word.” Prophets and Kings, 140.

“Those ministers who are men pleasers, who cry, Peace, peace, when God has not spoken peace, might well humble their hearts before God, asking pardon for their insincerity and their lack of moral courage. It is not from love for their neighbor that they smooth down the message entrusted to them, but because they are self-indulgent and ease-loving. …

“God calls for men like Elijah, Nathan, and John the Baptist—men who will bear His message with faithfulness, regardless of the consequences; men who will speak the truth bravely, though it call for the sacrifice of all they have.” Ibid., 141, 142.

  • When will the accusations of Ahab be repeated against the servants of God? Revelation 13:15–17.

Note: “As the wrath of the people shall be excited by false charges, they will pursue a course toward God’s ambassadors very similar to that which apostate Israel pursued toward Elijah.” The Great Controversy, 590.

4 A CONTEST BETWEEN TWO POWERS

  • After rebuking Ahab, what did Elijah demand? I Kings 18:19, 20.

Note: “[I Kings 18:19 quoted.]

“The command was issued by one who seemed to stand in the very presence of Jehovah; and Ahab obeyed at once, as if the prophet were monarch, and the king a subject. Swift messengers were sent throughout the kingdom with the summons to meet Elijah and the prophets of Baal and Ashtoreth.” Prophets and Kings, 143.

  • What challenge did Elijah put before the people? I Kings 18:21, first part.

Note: “Facing King Ahab and the false prophets, and surrounded by the assembled hosts of Israel, Elijah stands, the only one who has appeared to vindicate the honor of Jehovah. He whom the whole kingdom has charged with its weight of woe is now before them, apparently defenseless in the presence of the monarch of Israel, the prophets of Baal, the men of war, and the surrounding thousands. But Elijah is not alone. Above and around him are the protecting hosts of heaven, angels that excel in strength.” Prophets and Kings, 147.

  • What answer did Elijah get from the assembled multitude? I Kings 18:21, second part.

Note: “The Lord abhors indifference and disloyalty in a time of crisis in His work. The whole universe is watching with inexpressible interest the closing scenes of the great controversy between good and evil. The people of God are nearing the borders of the eternal world; what can be of more importance to them than that they be loyal to the God of heaven? All through the ages, God has had moral heroes, and He has them now—those who, like Joseph and Elijah and Daniel, are not ashamed to acknowledge themselves His peculiar people.” Prophets and Kings, 148.

5 THE TEMPORARY PROTECTION OF ISRAEL

  • When Elijah proposed that, in the impending contest, “the God that answereth by fire, let him be God,” what did the people say? I Kings 18:22–24.
  • After the people had seen that the heathen priests were deceivers, what did Elijah do? I Kings 18:30–34. And then, what happened when he prayed to the Lord to manifest Himself? Verses 36–38.
  • At the end of the contest, when the people saw the fire from heaven consuming the sacrifice and the water, what did they do and say of the true and only God? 1 Kings 18:39. What order did Elijah give concerning the false teachers? Verse 40.

Note: “The priests of Baal … would still remain the prophets of Baal. Thus they showed themselves ripe for destruction. That repentant Israel may be protected from the allurements of those who have taught them to worship Baal, Elijah is directed by the Lord to destroy these false teachers.” Prophets and Kings, 153, 154.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Describe the operation of the great controversy as it related to Ahab against Elijah.

2 Explain our duty when facing the unbelieving multitudes.

3 Why are smooth messages especially perilous today?

4 When, in the near future, will the accusation of Ahab be repeated against the servants of God?

5 How are we warned against false religious teachers?

© 2014 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – God’s Sentinels

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October 4, 2015 – October 10, 2015

Key Text

“O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel.” Ezekiel 33:7.

Study Help: The Desire of Ages, 355.

Introduction

“The stewards of the mysteries of God should stand as watchmen upon the walls of Zion. …

“Ambassadors of Christ should take heed that they do not, through their unfaithfulness, lose their own souls and the souls of those who hear them.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 403.

1 WATCHERS ON THE WALLS OF ZION

  • What is the difference between a faithful and an unfaithful watcher? Ezekiel 33:2–6.

Note: “In ancient times, sentinels were often stationed on the walls of cities, where, from points of vantage, they could overlook important points to be guarded, and give warning of the approach of an enemy. Upon their faithfulness depended the safety of all within. At stated intervals they were required to call to one another, to make sure that all were awake, and that no harm had befallen any. The cry of good cheer or of warning was borne from one to another, each repeating the call till it echoed round the city.” Gospel Workers, 14.

  • Why do we as individual Christians need to be concerned about the souls of those who are without God and without salvation? Ezekiel 33:7–9.
  • Does the Lord seek to destroy—or to save? Ezekiel 33:11.

2 CERTAIN OR UNCERTAIN SOUNDS?

  • What happens when the watcher blows the trumpet but does not give a distinct sound? I Corinthians 14:8.

Note: “Let the watchman beware lest, through his hesitancy and delay, souls shall be left to perish, and their blood shall be required at his hand.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 716.

  • Under the symbol of an evil servant, how did Christ describe a large class of unfaithful sentinels? Matthew 24:48–51.

Note: “The evil servant says in his heart, ‘My lord delayeth his coming’ (Luke 12:45). He does not say that Christ will not come. He does not scoff at the idea of His second coming. But in his heart and by his actions and words he declares that the Lord’s coming is delayed. He banishes from the minds of others the conviction that the Lord is coming quickly. His influence leads men to presumptuous, careless delay. They are confirmed in their worldliness and stupor. Earthly passions, corrupt thoughts, take possession of the mind. The evil servant eats and drinks with the drunken, unites with the world in pleasure seeking. He smites his fellow servants, accusing and condemning those who are faithful to their Master. He mingles with the world. Like grows with like in transgression.” The Desire of Ages, 635.

  • What warning did the apostle Paul give us about these sentinels? I Thessalonians 5:3.

Note: “The advent of Christ will surprise the false teachers. They are saying, ‘Peace and safety.’ Like the priests and teachers before the fall of Jerusalem, they look for the church to enjoy earthly prosperity and glory. The signs of the times they interpret as foreshadowing this. But what saith the word of Inspiration? ‘Sudden destruction cometh upon them’ (1 Thessalonians 5:3). Upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth, upon all who make this world their home, the day of God will come as a snare.” The Desire of Ages, 635.

3 CHARACTERISTICS OF INCOMPETENT SENTINELS

  • How can we identify a disqualified watcher? Isaiah 56:10–12.

Note: “Some who occupy the position of watchmen to warn the people of danger have given up their watch and recline at ease. They are unfaithful sentinels. They remain inactive, while their wily foe enters the fort and works successfully by their side to tear down what God has commanded to be built up. They see that Satan is deceiving the inexperienced and unsuspecting; yet they take it all quietly, as though they had no special interest, as though these things did not concern them. They apprehend no special danger; they see no cause to raise an alarm. To them everything seems to be going well, and they see no necessity of raising the faithful, trumpet notes of warning which they hear borne by the plain testimonies, to show the people their transgressions and the house of Israel their sins. These reproofs and warnings disturb the quiet of these sleepy, ease-loving sentinels, and they are not pleased. They say in heart, if not in words: ‘This is all uncalled for. It is too severe, too harsh. These men are unnecessarily disturbed and excited, and seem unwilling to give us any rest or quietude.’ ” Testimonies, vol. 2, 440.

  • What warning should we bear in mind regarding the work of spiritually-blind watchers? Matthew 15:14. How does the servant of the Lord describe one such sentinel in the history of Adventism?

Note: “Some have been so blinded by their own unbelief that they could not discern the spirit of Brother B. … He has refused to walk in the light of truth which God has given His people, and those who would walk in the light he has hindered.

“He feels that it is an honor to suggest doubts and unbelief in regard to the established faith of God’s commandment-keeping people. The truth that he once rejoiced in is now darkness to him, and, unless he changes his course, he will fall back into a mixture of the views of the different denominations, but will agree in the whole with none of them; he will be a distinct church of himself. …

“Satan is surely leading him, as he has led many others, away from the body in a course of deception and error.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 441.

4 CHARACTERISTICS OF QUALIFIED SERVANTS

  • Describe the characteristics of a faithful servant of Christ. I Timothy 4:12–16; Titus 2:7, 8.

Note: “It is the privilege of the watchmen on the walls of Zion to live so near to God, and to be so susceptible to the impressions of His Spirit, that He can work through them to tell sinners of their peril, and point them to the place of safety. Chosen of God, sealed with the blood of consecration, they are to rescue men and women from impending destruction. Faithfully are they to warn their fellow-men of the sure result of transgression, and faithfully are they to safeguard the interest of the church. At no time may they relax their vigilance. Theirs is a work requiring the exercise of every faculty of the being. In trumpet tones their voices are to be lifted, and never should they sound one wavering, uncertain note. Not for wages are they to labor, but because they cannot do otherwise, because they realize that there is a woe upon them if they fail to preach the gospel.” Gospel Workers, 15.

  • What work has Christ entrusted to us individually? Matthew 24:45; II Timothy 4:2, 5.

Note: “Among earth’s inhabitants, scattered in every land, there are those who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Like the stars of heaven, which appear only at night, these faithful ones will shine forth when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. In heathen Africa, in the Catholic lands of Europe and of South America, in China, in India, in the islands of the sea, and in all the dark corners of the earth, God has in reserve a firmament of chosen ones that will yet shine forth amidst the darkness, revealing clearly to an apostate world the transforming power of obedience to His law. Even now they are appearing in every nation, among every tongue and people. … The darker the night, the more brilliantly will they shine. …

“Then let no man attempt to number Israel today, but let everyone have a heart of flesh, a heart of tender sympathy, a heart that, like the heart of Christ, reaches out for the salvation of a lost world.” Prophets and Kings, 188, 189.

5 WHAT REJOICING THERE WILL BE!

  • When the redeemed get to heaven, will they recognize each other? I Corinthians 13:12. What will they hear from the mouth of those whom they led to Christ?

Note: “The redeemed will meet and recognize those whose attention they have directed to the uplifted Saviour. What blessed converse they have with these souls! ‘I was a sinner,’ it will be said, ‘without God and without hope in the world, and you came to me, and drew my attention to the precious Saviour as my only hope. …’ Others will say: ‘I was a heathen in heathen lands. You left your friends and comfortable home, and came to teach me how to find Jesus and believe in Him as the only true God. I demolished my idols and worshiped God, and now I see Him face to face. I am saved, eternally saved, ever to behold Him whom I love.’ ” Testimonies, vol. 6, 311.

  • What will Christ declare to them? Matthew 25:34–40.

Note: “Others will express their gratitude to those who fed the hungry and clothed the naked. ‘When despair bound my soul in unbelief, the Lord sent you to me,’ they say, ‘to speak words of hope and comfort. You brought me food for my physical necessities, and you opened to me the word of God, awakening me to my spiritual needs. You treated me as a brother.’ ” Testimonies, vol. 6, 311.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Differentiate between faithful and unfaithful watchers.

2 What is Christ’s description of unfaithful sentinels?

3 How are many in danger of the trap of “Brother B” in 3T 441?

4 How can we reflect more closely the characteristics of faith?

5 Relate the tremendously rewarding words of gratitude that will be expressed in Heaven.

© 2014 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – God’s Missionary Program to the World

by

September 27, 2015 – October 3, 2015

Key Text

“And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.” Isaiah 2:3.

Study Help: Prophets and Kings, 17–22; The Acts of the Apostles, 14–16.

Introduction

“It was God’s purpose that by the revelation of His character through Israel men should be drawn unto Him.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 290.

1 A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY BEFORE GOD’S PEOPLE

  • Which was the first great nation that Heaven wanted to bless with the knowledge of the true God? Psalm 135:9.

Note: “The descendants of Abraham … were brought down to Egypt that … they might reveal the principles of God’s kingdom. The integrity of Joseph and his wonderful work in preserving the lives of the whole Egyptian people were a representation of the life of Christ. Moses and many others were witnesses for God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 286.

  • What evidence shows that the king, his courtiers, and the people in general had chosen to remain in spiritual darkness? Exodus 5:1, 2.

Note: “The Lord would give the Egyptians an opportunity to see how vain was the wisdom of their mighty men, how feeble the power of their gods, when opposed to the commands of Jehovah.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 263.

“If we sow pride, we shall reap pride; if we sow stubbornness, we shall reap stubbornness.” Lift Him Up, 266.

2 GOD’S PLAN FOR ISRAEL

  • What important mission was entrusted to the children of Israel when they numbered over 2,000,000—and the time of their deliverance from Egypt had arrived? John 4:22; Deuteronomy 4:6–8.

Note: “God chose Israel to reveal His character to men. He desired them to be as wells of salvation in the world. To them were committed the oracles of heaven, the revelation of God’s will.” The Acts of the Apostles, 14.

  • For what purpose did God establish Israel in a strategic place, “in the midst of the nations”? Ezekiel 5:5.

Note: “God had designed that His people should be the light of the world. From them was to shine forth the glory of His law as revealed in the life practice. For the carrying out of this design, He had caused the chosen nation to occupy a strategic position among the nations of earth.

“In the days of Solomon the kingdom of Israel extended from Hamath on the north to Egypt on the south, and from the Mediterranean Sea to the river Euphrates. Through this territory ran many natural highways of the world’s commerce, and caravans from distant lands were constantly passing to and fro. …

“Placed at the head of a nation that had been set as a beacon light to the surrounding nations, Solomon should have used his … influence in … directing a great movement for the enlightenment of those who were ignorant of God and His truth.” Prophets and Kings, 70, 71.

  • How did the powers of darkness work to thwart the plan of God? I Kings 11:1, 2; Ecclesiastes 2:8, 9; 10:1.

Note: “The missionary spirit that God had implanted in the heart of Solomon and in the hearts of all true Israelites was supplanted by a spirit of commercialism. The opportunities afforded by contact with many nations were used for personal aggrandizement.” Prophets and Kings, 71.

3 GOD’S MERCY AND JUSTICE

  • Why were other nations disqualified for evangelizing the world? Leviticus 18:24, 25; Deuteronomy 9:4. What lesson did the inhabitants of the world gradually forget after the Flood? Genesis 6:5, 11, 17.
  • What conditions prevalent among many heathen nations demanded their destruction? Romans 1:19, 21, 23–25.

Note: “In many nations parents were abandoned or put to death as soon as age had rendered them incapable of providing for themselves. …

“By perverted conceptions of divine attributes, heathen nations were led to believe human sacrifices necessary to secure the favor of their deities; and the most horrible cruelties have been perpetrated under the various forms of idolatry. Among these was the practice of causing their children to pass through the fire before their idols. …

“The most licentious and abominable rites were made a part of the heathen worship. The gods themselves were represented as impure, and their worshipers gave the rein to the baser passions. Unnatural vices prevailed and the religious festivals were characterized by universal and open impurity.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 337, 338.

  • Does God send destruction without first sending warnings and calls for repentance? Ezekiel 18:21, 23; Amos 3:7. What happens to those who have exhausted the patience of God and are considered incurable? II Peter 3:5–7.

Note: “Could those whose hearts are filled with hatred of God, of truth and holiness, mingle with the heavenly throng and join their songs of praise? Could they endure the glory of God and the Lamb? No, no; years of probation were granted them, that they might form characters for heaven; but they have never trained the mind to love purity; they have never learned the language of heaven, and now it is too late. A life of rebellion against God has unfitted them for heaven.” The Great Controversy, 542, 543.

4 GOD’S MERCY AND JUSTICE (CONTINUED)

  • How do we know that the mercy of God was still extended towards the various nations that had not reached the point of no return? What was still granted to the Amorites under this plan? Genesis 15:16.

Note: “In the early days of Israel the nations of the world, through corrupt practices, had lost the knowledge of God. They had once known Him; but because ‘they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, … their foolish heart was darkened’ (Romans 1:21). Yet in His mercy God did not blot them out of existence. He purposed to give them an opportunity of again becoming acquainted with Him through His chosen people.” The Acts of the Apostles, 14.

  • What lesson can we learn from the way that God dealt with Nineveh? Jonah 3:10; 4:10, 11. What kind of missionary spirit did Jonah have?

Note: “When Jonah learned of God’s purpose to spare the city that, notwithstanding its wickedness, had been led to repent in sackcloth and ashes, he should have been the first to rejoice because of God’s amazing grace; but instead he allowed his mind to dwell upon the possibility of his being regarded as a false prophet.” Prophets and Kings, 271.

  • What encouraging message does God send to every missionary working in the cities? Acts 18:9.

Note: “God’s messengers in the great cities are not to become discouraged over the wickedness, the injustice, the depravity, which they are called upon to face while endeavoring to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation. … Let those engaged in soul-saving ministry remember that while there are many who will not heed the counsel of God in His word, the whole world will not turn from light and truth, from the invitations of a patient, forbearing Saviour.” Prophets and Kings, 277.

5 GOD’S JUDGMENTS STILL MINGLED WITH MERCY

  • Specify the two main effects of the judgment reserved for the time of the end. Isaiah 24:4–6; 26:21, 9.

Note: “The time is at hand when there will be sorrow in the world that no human balm can heal. The Spirit of God is being withdrawn. Disasters by sea and by land follow one another in quick succession. How frequently we hear of earthquakes and tornadoes, of destruction by fire and flood, with great loss of life and property! Apparently these calamities are capricious outbreaks of disorganized, unregulated forces of nature, wholly beyond the control of man; but in them all, God’s purpose may be read. They are among the agencies by which He seeks to arouse men and women to a sense of their danger.” Prophets and Kings, 277.

  • What does God say while His merciful hand is still held out to save those who want to be saved? Isaiah 55:6, 7.

Note: “In every city, filled though it may be with violence and crime, there are many who with proper teaching may learn to become followers of Jesus. Thousands may thus be reached with saving truth and be led to receive Christ as a personal Saviour.” Prophets and Kings, 277.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Why did God bring the descendents of Abraham out of Egypt?

2 What are we to learn today from the way God strategically established Israel “in the midst of the nations”?

3 How did the powers of darkness work to thwart God’s missionary plan?

4 How does the book of Jonah teach that God is happy to save rather than destroy wicked people?

5 What does the Lord want us to realize about those around us?

© 2014 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.