Keys to the Storehouse – Get Past Those Frustrations!

To strive means to make an earnest effort with deep heartfelt words and actions. Strive to get past frustrations.

Jesus said, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate …” (Luke 13:24). This gate is narrow, and many times it will contain difficulties and distresses. “A strait gate means a gate difficult to enter. … how hard it is for men and women to leave the world and the attractions it holds, and heartily and lovingly obey the commandments of God. The wide gate is easy to enter. Entrance through it does not call for the restrictions which are painful to the human heart. Self-denial and self-sacrifice are not seen in the broad way. There depraved appetite and natural inclinations find abundant room. There may be seen self-indulgence, pride, envy, evil surmisings, love of money, self-exaltation.” That I May Know Him, 304.

Strive to get past the frustrations of this world of pride, envy, jealousy, and similar faults.

“The belated traveler, hurrying to reach the city gate by the going down of the sun, could not turn aside for any attractions by the way. His whole mind was bent on the one purpose of entering the gate. The same intensity of purpose, said Jesus, is required in the Christian life. …

“The Christian life is a battle and a march. But the victory to be gained is not won by human power. The field of conflict is the domain of the heart. The battle which we have to fight—the greatest battle that was ever fought by man—is the surrender of self to the will of God, the yielding of the heart to the sovereignty of love. … The hereditary tendencies, the former habits, must be given up.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 141.

“Strive by prayer without ceasing. At all times, in all places, lift up your heart to God. Give Him no rest till you, like the psalmist, ‘awake with God’s likeness’ (Psalm 17:15) and are satisfied with it.

“Strive to enter in at the narrow gate. Strive, not only by this agony of soul, of conviction, of sorrow, of shame, of desire, of fear, of unceasing prayer.

“Strive, likewise, by putting in order all your conversation, your whole life, by walking with all your strength in all the ways of God—the way of innocence, of piety, and of mercy. Shun all the appearance of evil. Do all possible good to all people. Deny your own will in all things, and take up your cross daily.

“Be ready to cut off everything that would hinder, and to cast it from you. Be ready and willing to suffer the loss of possessions, of friends, of health—of all things on earth—so you may enter into the kingdom of heaven.” The Best of John Wesley on Prayer, 17, 2007 by Barbour Publishing, Inc. [Emphasis added.]

Strive today! Make that earnest effort today to walk with God. Soon it will be too late to strive. The invitation to walk with God will cease. Strive now!

Heavenly Father: Give me the courage right now to make that earnest effort to be in your kingdom, to strive with all of my heart and soul and to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). There is no future here. Through Jesus you have reserved in heaven my inheritance. Please keep me in the narrow way, out of the worldly stressors and in Thy presence where my peace may be found and my heavenly future secured. Amen.

Current events – Pope Francis Calls Rigid People Sick

A person who is rigid in many cases conceals a “double life”, lacks the freedom of God’s children and needs the Lord’s help, Pope Francis said recently, during a morning homily at Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican.

Pope Francis again returned to the theme of rigidity, saying those who unbendingly follow the law of God are “sick” and in need of the Lord’s help. He drew on the Gospel reading from Matthew in which Jesus’ healing of a crippled woman angered the Pharisees, leading him to denounce the leaders of the synagogue as “hypocrites.”

“He once called those who try to unbendingly follow the Law of God people as having “weak hearts” whom he confessed he would like to trip up with banana skins so they would know they are sinners.”

“It is not easy to walk within the Law of the Lord without falling into rigidity” the pope added. While that is true, keeping God’s law in Christ is vital to the witness of God’s true people. The standard is clear.

The Pope views the church as composed of pilgrims, or seekers, who who are above any institutional classification, regardless of the church’s requirements.

“A supposed soundness of doctrine or discipline leads instead to a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism,” he believes, “whereby instead of evangelizing, one analyzes and classifies others, and instead of opening the door to grace, one exhausts his or her energies in inspecting and verifying.”

He further believes that “in neither case is one really concerned about Jesus Christ or others” and argues it is “impossible to think that a genuine evangelizing thrust could emerge from these adulterated forms of Christianity.”

www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/pope-francis-rigidity-is-something-pathological

Pope Francis does not want a definite teaching on every social or theological question but to be able to interpret God’s law in light of the social circumstances of our time. This is classic Jesuit approach that leads to the end justifying the means.

“When we reach the standard that the Lord would have us reach, worldlings will regard Seventh-day Adventists as odd, singular, strait-laced extremists.” Fundamentals of Education, page 289.

“Those who are conscientiously observing the original Sabbath are styled heretics, deluded fanatics. But who are thus regarded in God’s sight? Whom will he rebuke and punish–those who have kept the day that he blessed and sanctified; or those who, trampling upon the holy commandment, have accepted the institution of the papacy?” The Review and Herald, March 18, 1884.

Discerning the Spirits

The true definition of understanding is directly connected with obedience to God. “Disobedience has closed the door to a vast amount of knowledge that might have been gained from the Scriptures. Understanding means obedience to God’s commandments. The Scriptures are not to be adapted to meet the prejudice and jealousy of men. They can be understood only by those who are humbly seeking for a knowledge of the truth that they may obey it.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 112.

The Holy Scriptures tell us that “The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:130).

Rightly stated the word of God illuminates the mind of the receiver. The Hebrew word for light as used by the Psalmist in this verse is ore which means illumination or luminary which involves enlightening, happiness, etc. It also means bright, clear, etc.

It would be correct for me to say that most human beings desire or crave enlightenment. We want to be illuminated to the level whereby we can achieve happiness, perfect peace of mind, complete understanding of ourselves and the mysteries of the world and the universe around us. The problem is that the greater number of those seeking enlightenment are seeking it the wrong way, through the wrong path. There is only one way to be truly enlightened, to attain a correct understanding of ourselves and the mysteries of the world around us, to gain perfect peace and happiness!

Examples of Man’s Quest for Enlightenment Throughout the Ages

Throughout the centuries many people have sought enlightenment in the religion known as Buddhism and many today are still pursuing that path. Buddhism, history tells us, started with Siddhartha Gautama. Born a prince in Nepal (581–501 B.C.), he gave up his possessions and set out to search for a solution to human suffering, the riddle of life, when he was twenty-nine years old.

The record tells us that Gautama first joined five Hindu holy men who believed the way to learn the truth was to starve the body. He starved himself until, pressing his stomach, he could feel his backbone. But this taught him nothing. Soon he began to eat normally again, and the holy men left him in disgust.

That was one extreme. The other extreme, the life of pleasure and richness, he knew well. And it had left him hungry for truth. So he decided to try the Middle Way. He ate enough so that hunger did not occupy his thoughts. Then he sat down quietly under a tree—the sacred Bodhi tree.

For 49 days he meditated. In a vision he saw the armies of Mara, the evil tempter of the world. Mara and his three daughters attacked him with storms, rain, rocks and blazing weapons. And Mara himself offered the wealth of the world if he would give up his search for truth. But Gautama sat unmoved. The armies of Mara fled.

After 49 days of meditation under the tree and after a night of spiritual struggle with the evil one, Siddhartha Gautama overcame him and his evil forces, became awakened, and achieved the enlightenment he was seeking, and entered a transcendental, eternal realm of being. Thereafter he was known as the Buddha, or “the Enlightened One.” He spent the remaining forty-five years of his life proclaiming the Dhamma, the eternal truth into which he had “awakened,” making converts to his beliefs and organizing a formal religion.

In his first address, which centered on the core of his teachings – the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path – he taught: “There are two extremes to be avoided by those who have renounced the world. What are they? Everything to do with passion and luxurious living …, and everything to do with torture of the self and useless pain.”

Avoiding those two extremes the Tathagata (a title of the Buddha indicating that he has gone before into complete Truth) has reached the Enlightenment of the middle Way. (The term “Middle Way” was used in the first teaching that the Buddha delivered after his awakening. In this sutta, the Buddha describes the middle way as a path of moderation, between the extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification. This, according to him, was the path of wisdom). This enlightenment brings perfect insight and knowledge, and it leads to peace, higher knowledge, enlightenment and Nirvana.

Millions of people throughout time immemorial have sought enlightenment by pursuing the Hindu path. Hinduism has one god, Brahman, who is the eternal spirit. But it also has 330 million lesser gods—enough so that each family can have a favorite to honor at its household shrine. Most important of the gods are the trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The three of them are but three aspects of the supreme god, Brahman.

Hindus teach that “the sublime objective of Hinduism is to leave behind this harsh, material world and to be united with God. This union is reached not only through prayers and rituals but through the ideals of Hindu living: purity, self-control, detachment, truth, nonviolence, charity and the deepest of compassion toward all creatures.” The World’s Great Religions (by Life), 1958 edition, p. 15.

For Hindus, Brahman is present within humans as the inner self or soul. The material body and world are obstacles preventing the achievement of oneness with Brahman. Therefore, when this enlightenment and oneness occur the “Self is Brahman,” “pure Consciousness is Brahman.”

It is out of this desire to be enlightened and attain to oneness with Brahman—chief god, that yoga (yoking, joining, union) becomes significant in the spiritual experience of Hindus. “The aim of yoga is the achievement of true insight through the liberation of the soul. The means of achieving this are renunciation, abstinence and asceticism, rejection of all comforts and possessions, the killing of desires and through this the attainment of spiritual serenity and inner gentleness, expressed as inner retreat in contemplative meditation.” The Story of World Religions, Markus Hattsteih, 2005 edition, p. 14.

Dr. John Bowker in his book The Message and the Book, page 177, gives an even deeper understanding of the role of yoga in the life of an Hindu. He states that “Yoga is often associated outside India with techniques, exercises and postures that lead to calmness or other new states of consciousness, but that is only a small part of Yoga and of no importance on its own.”

He clearly reveals “The point of Yoga is that it leads to a transformed understanding of the cosmos and of human nature within it, and on the basis of that transformed understanding it teaches the way in which through practice one can attain extraordinary powers (siddhi) and the state known as Samadhi. The word Samadhi has various meanings, such as concentration, contemplation and altered consciousness of a trancelike kind. In its strongest and ultimate meaning, it is a state of complete and blissful stability far beyond the seething turmoil of ideas and events.” Ibid.

Geoffrey Parrinder in his analysis of the philosophy, mythology and ethics of Hinduism affirms in his book World Religions pages 214, 215, that “The yoga known to western enthusiasts is a late elaboration of these earlier practices, with heavy emphasis on more difficult physical postures and a physiological theory according to which the yogi in meditation seeks to raise the kundalini. This is a spiritual force conceived as a dormant snake lying coiled at the base of the spine, up the central vein (sushumma) which lies in the vertebral column, through six ‘circles’ of psychic power along the column to the ‘lutus’ at the top of the head, by accomplishing which he wins salvation (Laya Yoga).”

Kundalini Awakening

  • Kundalini means “the coiled one.”
  • Kundalini is described as lying “coiled” at the base of the spine, represented as either a goddess or sleeping serpent waiting to be awakened … Kundalini awakening is said to result in deep meditation, enlightenment and bliss.” Wikipedia
  • One Hindu author argues, “You may hear it called many things. Like Kundalini-Sakti, Serpent Power, Goddess (Devi) Kundalini, Shakti, The Holy Spirit or just plain Kundalini. She is the Divine Cosmic Energy in the body. Her movement is serpentine so it’s often described as snake-like. All the Yogas are methods to help awaken the Kundalini. The goal is to have the Kundalini to rise through the seven Chakras (Energy Centers) and obtain Enlightenment. When the Kundalini passes the Seventh Chakra (Crown Chakra), she unites with Siva which is the masculine part of the Universe. You become one with the cosmic consciousness while still in your living body. You become one with your Higher Power … You have reached Enlightenment.” (Article: What is Kundalini Awakening?)

Justin O’Brien, in his book Christianity and Yoga: a Meeting of Mystic Paths, states that “Yoga is a systematic science, a set of techniques, and while yoga itself is not a religion, its practical teachings are an integral part of the great religions of the world … . Its central teaching is that man’s essential nature is divine, perfect and infinite … . Through the meditative methods of yoga one can dispel the darkness of ignorance, and become aware of his essential nature, which is free from all imperfections.” p. xi.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN POSTURE?

The “Lotus” Position

“Eastern meditators take very seriously the preparation for meditation and physical positions. They begin by relaxing their bodies and minds. They seek out a quiet place, where they sit down, usually in what the Hindus call the ‘lotus’ position. The lotus position involves sitting cross-legged on the floor with torso held upright and eyes closed. This position is the most common meditative posture used … as facilitating communion with the spirits.” The Danger Within, Manuel Vasquez, p. 66.

Dr. Cathy Burns’ records of the “lotus”: “You will sometimes see strange little Chinese gods or Oriental Buddhas sitting on the blossom of a Lotus. In fact, if you look carefully you will find nearly all the Oriental gods are so depicted. This means that they have opened within themselves that Spiritual Consciousness which they call the Kundalini. One of the emblems of Isis is the lotus, which is a symbol of the resurrection. Of course, in Egyptian mythology, the idea of resurrection means rebirth or reincarnation. The lotus was also associated with sun gods.” Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated, 271.

The Hand Signal

“A Dictionary of Mysticism notes that the mudra is a ‘mystic seal’ of Oriental occultism; a series of occult signs made with the fingers, and considered to have magical effects.” Ibid., 231.

“In addition to mantras (form of enchantment) and yantras (instrument, means or emblem), the third way of representing deities is through gestures (mudra). There is a large number of symbolic gestures used in rituals and believed to evoke supernatural beings. Many of the mudras through which a deity can be evoked are also used in sacred dance. The fingers are formed into circles. This is called a mudra.” Ibid., 231, 232.

Mystical Meditation

In his book The Danger Within, page 58, Pastor Manuel Vasquez argues that “Although meditation has always been a legitimate part of Christianity, there appears to be a ‘meditation movement’ in Christian circles today that incorporates New Age concepts and that is adversely affecting some sincere Christians. Take for instance, Joey Orman, who was introduced to mystical meditation by a deacon in her church. He promised her ‘astro travel’ and a closer walk with the Lord. But soon the cosmic energy forces she received overwhelmed her and caused a disorder in her central nervous system. Joey ended up in a psychiatric ward.”

Pastor Vasquez states further that “Some Christian leaders today are teaching, through seminars and books, questionable meditation techniques and such dangerous elements as ‘guided imagery’ and ‘visualization.’ Christians are instructed to conjure up the image of Christ, dialogue with Him in their minds, and equate His messages (“given through an inner voice”) with those of Scripture.” Ibid., 58, 59.

In answering the question of Why the interest in meditation? Pastor Vasquez shows that “Eastern mystics, especially Hindus and Buddhists, have practiced meditation (yoga) for centuries as a part of their religious, spiritual exercises. They also engage in ‘inner listening’ or ‘inner communion.’ …

“Some Christians believe that Hindu meditation techniques such as hatha yoga are a practical way of handling daily stress, with the added bonus of increasing spirituality and intimacy with God … . But perhaps the most prominent reason Christians become involved in meditation is for spiritual enrichment.” Ibid., 61, 62.

What about Spiritual Formation?

Pastor Rick Howard, a retired Seventh-day Adventist pastor, addresses the relevant subject, Spiritual Formation in his book entitled The Omega Rebellion. Beginning on page 25 he shows the history of this doctrine by highlighting Martin Luther and Ignatius Loyola. He wrote that “Martin Luther and Ignatius Loyola were contemporaries. Both were drawn to God by His Spirit; both were convicted of the sin in their lives and both sought a way of escape from their guilty consciences through the power of God. Finding God and His power to bring them victory was at the core of their search.

“For reasons that will only be revealed in the judgment, they looked for that victory in different places. Martin Luther searched the Holy Scriptures and found the God of creation, while Loyola searched the world of ‘spirits’ and believed he found God in His creation. … Loyola chose to suppress his guilty conscience, refusing to think any more of his sins. Instead of searching the Holy Bible, he sought enlightenment through the supernatural world, satisfying his own carnal propensities. He always desired to see God in everything, everywhere, all the time. This was the desire of his heart.

“Loyola longed for supernatural experiences, believing them to be evidences of God’s presence and power. Deceived, he turned to the writings of Roman Catholic mystics and saints, longing for God to reveal himself in everything, all the time. He desired God’s presence on his terms, and Satan made sure he would think he found Him. From these experiences he was profoundly changed and for the rest of his life asserted that God miraculously gave him the enlightenment of a lifetime in just a few moments.” Ibid., 26.

From the autobiography of Ignatius Loyola, Pastor Howard reveals the following concerning Loyola’s hunger for illumination in the spirit world. He wrote, “And he was seated there, the eyes of his understanding began to be opened: not that he saw some vision, but understanding and knowing many things, spiritual things just as much as matters of faith and learning, and this with an enlightenment so strong that all things seemed new to him.” The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola, p. 30. Ibid., 26.

Ignatian Spiritual Exercise Schedule

Furthermore, according to Pastor Rick Howard, “The concept of God as revealed to Loyola in these mystical experiences revealed a God who is pantheistic—His person existing in the things of His creation.” Loyola developed what is called today his “Spiritual Exercises,” which contain all the teachings from which modern spiritual formation was constructed.

This is the type of divine understanding/enlightenment that is being taught to many Seventh-day Adventist leaders who in turn teach it in our churches today to Seventh-day Adventists. As Pastor Howard puts it, “The basic theology behind what is being taught in the very missions and institutes where Seventh-day Adventists have gone to learn spiritual formation is the theology of Loyola: pantheistic, mystical, and Roman Catholic. It includes contemplative/mystical prayer, leading one into an altered state of consciousness believed to be the ‘presence of God.’

“Spiritual formation counterfeits the work of the Holy Spirit that directs our minds to Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary. People are deceived by the teaching that they can come into Jesus’ presence whenever they desire, communicating with Him through the practice of ‘centering’ and ‘contemplative prayer,’ which brings them into the mystical state of the silence. Furthermore, they are taught a false type of pantheism that claims Jesus, in His fullness, can be found in every human being and in all of His creation, everywhere.” Ibid., 30.

Why Many SDA Are So Blind

“In following the path of Satan’s choosing, we are encompassed by the shadows of evil, and every step leads into deeper darkness and increases the blindness of the heart.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 92.

“It is not God that blinds the eyes of men or hardens their hearts. He sends them light to correct their errors, and to lead them in safe paths; it is by the rejection of this light that the eyes are blinded and the heart hardened. Often the process is gradual, and almost imperceptible. Light comes to the soul through God’s word, through His servants, or by the direct agency of His Spirit; but when one ray of light is disregarded, there is a partial benumbing of the spiritual perceptions, and the second revealing of light is less clearly discerned. So the darkness increases, until it is night in the soul.” The Desire of Ages, 322.

The Way to True Divine Enlightenment

“Let the purpose be sincere and unwavering to discern the truth and to obey it at whatever cost, and you will receive divine enlightenment. Real piety begins when all compromise with sin is at an end.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 91.

The One Who Gives Divine Enlightenment

  • “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come” (John 16:13).
  • “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9, 10).
  • The Holy Spirit openeth many dark and deep mysteries. “(Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand My knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit” (Ephesians 3:4, 5).
  • “Thou gavest also Thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not Thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst” (Nehemiah 9:20).
  • “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).

“It is the Spirit itself that teaches and enlightens. The most powerful preaching of the Word, the reading of the Scriptures, will not be able to transform the character and save souls unless the Spirit works with and through the human agents. The planning and devising must not be of a character to draw attention to self. The Word is a power, a sword, in the hands of the human agent, but the Holy Spirit in its vital power is the efficiency to impress the mind. ‘They shall be all taught of God’ (John 6:45). It is God that causes the light to shine into hearts. … The reason why God can do so little for us is that we forget that living virtue in the Holy Spirit is to combine with the human agent.” Sons and Daughters of God, 30.

“Let all humble themselves before God, asking for grace and wisdom, that they may see wherein they have violated His holy law. Unless His Spirit enlightens them, they will never know, even though it is set before them by their brethren.” The Upward Look, 240.

“The Lord speaks to the heart that humbles itself before Him. At the altar of prayer, as the throne of grace is touched by faith, we receive from the hand of God that celestial torch which enlightens our darkness, and convinces us of our spiritual necessity. The Holy Spirit takes of the things of God, and reveals them to the one who is sincerely seeking for the heavenly treasure. If we yield to His guidance, He leads us into all light. As we behold the glory of Christ, we become changed into His image. We have that faith which works by love, and purifies the soul. Our hearts are renewed, and we are made willing to obey God in all things.” The Review and Herald, December 15, 1896.

Those Only Who Will Receive the Knowledge of Divine Truth

“The knowledge of divine truth is promised to those who will render obedience to the light and truth that have been given to them. An entrance into the strait gate is not dependent upon the possession of learning or riches, but it is dependent upon the possession of a teachable spirit. He who appreciates the first ray of heavenly light, and appropriates it, and walks in it, bringing his actions into harmony with that ray, and becoming sanctified through it, will receive yet more light. He will understand that the gospel is the plan of salvation.” Ibid., March 28, 1912.

Only Those Who Acknowledge Christ as Saviour and Lord Will Be Enlightened!

“The Holy Spirit enlightens the mind of the one who depends on the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour, and indites a prayer of confession and repentance that is acceptable to the Lord.” Loma Linda Messges, 51, 52.

Christ promised that the Holy Spirit will illuminate man’s understanding concerning the mysteries of redeeming love.

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: … He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you” (John 16:12–14).

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

Is Religious Liberty Really Under Attack?

The Spirit of Prophecy provides significant warning against the gradual erosion of religious liberty.

“The people of the United States have been a favored people; but when they restrict religious liberty, surrender Protestantism, and give countenance to popery, the measure of their guilt will be full, and ‘national apostasy’ will be registered in the books of heaven.” The Review and Herald, May 2, 1893

The following is quoted directly from www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/current-threats-to-religious-liberty.cfm, the website maintained by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

During his September 2015 visit to the United States, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of religious freedom, saying in front of the White House that religious “freedom remains one of America’s most precious possessions. And, as my brothers, the United States Bishops, have reminded us, all are called to be vigilant, precisely as good citizens, to preserve and defend that freedom from everything that would threaten or compromise it.”

Although Americans generally do not face the kind of violent persecution endured by many people of faith around the world, Pope Francis has recently spoken of a “polite persecution” that many people face, as “when someone is persecuted not for confessing Christ’s name, but for wanting to demonstrate the values of the Son of God.” Religious freedom continues to be threatened in the U.S.:

  • HHS mandate for sterilization, contraception, and abortion-inducing drugs. The mandate of the Department of Health and Human Services forces religious institutions to facilitate or fund a product contrary to their own moral teaching. Further, the federal government tries to define which religious institutions are “religious enough” to merit protection of their religious liberty.
  • Catholic foster care and adoption services. Boston, San Francisco, the District of Columbia, and the State of Illinois forced local Catholic Charities out of adoption or foster care services—by revoking their licenses, ending government contracts, or both—because they refused to place children with same-sex couples or unmarried opposite-sex couples who cohabit.
  • State immigration laws. Several states have passed laws that forbid what they call “harboring” undocumented immigrants—and what the Church deems Christian charity and pastoral care to immigrants.
  • Discrimination against small church congregations. New York City adopted a policy that barred the Bronx Household of Faith and other churches from renting public schools on weekends for worship services, even though non-religious groups could rent the same schools for other uses.
  • Discrimination against Catholic humanitarian services. After years of excellent performance by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) in administering contract services for victims of human trafficking, the federal government changed its contract specifications to require MRS to provide or refer for contraceptive and abortion services in violation of Catholic teaching.
  • Christian students on campus. In its over-100-year history, the University of California Hastings College of Law has denied student organization status to only one group, the Christian Legal Society, because it required its leaders to be Christian and to abstain from sexual activity outside of marriage.

Pope Francis has asked American Catholics to preserve and defend religious freedom, both in the United States and throughout the world.

After reading the above document, one could assume that Rome has changed. One might be inclined to believe that the warnings given in the Spirit of Prophecy are no longer valid, a thing of the past. Indeed, many professed Seventh-day Adventists assert that Rome is no longer the threat to religious liberty that she was during the persecutions of the Dark Ages. However, it is imperative to remember that the great controversy is a battle between Christ and Satan for the souls of men, a battle between principalities and powers.

A review of the admonitions, warnings, counsels, and testimonies given by God to His faithful commandment keepers through His prophet to the remnant should reawaken in us a fearful apprehension of the underlying intent of Romanism.

“And let it be remembered, it is the boast of Rome that she never changes. The principles of Gregory VII and Innocent III are still the principles of the Roman Catholic Church. And had she but the power, she would put them in practice with as much vigor now as in past centuries. Protestants little know what they are doing when they propose to accept the aid of Rome in the work of Sunday exaltation. While they are bent upon the accomplishment of their purpose, Rome is aiming to re-establish her power, to recover her lost supremacy. Let the principle once be established in the United States that the church may employ or control the power of the state; that religious observances may be enforced by secular laws; in short, that the authority of church and state is to dominate the conscience, and the triumph of Rome in this country is assured.” The Great Controversy, 581.

“Had the Reformation, after attaining a degree of success, consented to temporize to secure favor with the world, it would have been untrue to God and to itself, and would thus have ensured its own destruction. The experience of these noble Reformers contains a lesson for all succeeding ages. Satan’s manner of working against God and His word has not changed; he is still as much opposed to the Scriptures being made the guide of life as in the sixteenth century. In our time there is a wide departure from their doctrines and precepts, and there is need of a return to the great Protestant principle—the Bible, and the Bible only, as the rule of faith and duty. Satan is still working through every means which he can control to destroy religious liberty. The antichristian power which the protesters of Spires rejected is now with renewed vigor seeking to re-establish its lost supremacy. The same unswerving adherence to the word of God manifested at that crisis of the Reformation is the only hope of reform today.” Ibid., 204, 205.

“Roger Williams was respected and beloved as a faithful minister, a man of rare gifts, of unbending integrity and true benevolence; yet his steadfast denial of the right of civil magistrates to authority over the church, and his demand for religious liberty, could not be tolerated. The application of this new doctrine, it was urged, would ‘subvert the fundamental state and government of the country.’ He was sentenced to banishment from the colonies, and, finally, to avoid arrest, he was forced to flee, amid the cold and storms of winter, into the unbroken forest.

“ ‘For fourteen weeks,’ he says, ‘I was sorely tossed in a bitter season, not knowing what bread or bed did mean.’ But ‘the ravens fed me in the wilderness,’ and a hollow tree often served him for a shelter. Thus he continued his painful flight through the snow and the trackless forest, until he found refuge with an Indian tribe whose confidence and affection he had won while endeavoring to teach them the truths of the gospel.

“Making his way at last, after months of change and wandering, to the shores of Narragansett Bay, he there laid the foundation of the first state of modern times that in the fullest sense recognized the right of religious freedom. The fundamental principle of Roger Williams’s colony was ‘that every man should have liberty to worship God according to the light of his own conscience.’ His little state, Rhode Island, became the asylum of the oppressed, and it increased and prospered until its foundation principles—civil and religious liberty—became the cornerstones of the American Republic.” Ibid., 294, 295.

“Among the Christian exiles who first fled to America and sought an asylum from royal oppression and priestly intolerance were many who determined to establish a government upon the broad foundation of civil and religious liberty. Their views found place in the Declaration of Independence, which sets forth the great truth that ‘all men are created equal’ and endowed with the inalienable right to ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ And the Constitution guarantees to the people the right of self-government, providing that representatives elected by the popular vote shall enact and administer the laws. Freedom of religious faith was also granted, every man being permitted to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience. Republicanism and Protestantism became the fundamental principles of the nation. These principles are the secret of its power and prosperity. The oppressed and downtrodden throughout Christendom have turned to this land with interest and hope. Millions have sought its shores, and the United States has risen to a place among the most powerful nations of the earth.” Ibid., 441.

“The papal church will never relinquish her claim to infallibility. All that she has done in her persecution of those who reject her dogmas she holds to be right; and would she not repeat the same acts, should the opportunity be presented? Let the restraints now imposed by secular governments be removed and Rome be reinstated in her former power, and there would speedily be a revival of her tyranny and persecution.

“A well-known writer speaks thus of the attitude of the papal hierarchy as regards freedom of conscience, and of the perils which especially threaten the United States from the success of her policy:

“ ‘There are many who are disposed to attribute any fear of Roman Catholicism in the United States to bigotry or childishness. Such see nothing in the character and attitude of Romanism that is hostile to our free institutions, or find nothing portentous in its growth. Let us, then, first compare some of the fundamental principles of our government with those of the Catholic Church.

“ ‘The Constitution of the United States guarantees liberty of conscience. Nothing is dearer or more fundamental. Pope Pius IX, in his Encyclical Letter of August 15, 1854, said: “The absurd and erroneous doctrines or ravings in defense of liberty of conscience are a most pestilential error—a pest, of all others, most to be dreaded in a state.” The same pope, in his Encyclical Letter of December 8, 1864, anathematized “those who assert the liberty of conscience and of religious worship,” also “all such as maintain that the church may not employ force.”

“ ‘The pacific tone of Rome in the United States does not imply a change of heart. She is tolerant where she is helpless. Says Bishop O’Connor: “Religious liberty is merely endured until the opposite can be carried into effect without peril to the Catholic world.” … The archbishop of St. Louis once said: “Heresy and unbelief are crimes; and in Christian countries, as in Italy and Spain, for instance, where all the people are Catholics, and where the Catholic religion is an essential part of the law of the land, they are punished as other crimes.” …

“ ‘Every cardinal, archbishop, and bishop in the Catholic Church takes an oath of allegiance to the pope, in which occur the following words: “Heretics, schismatics, and rebels to our said lord (the pope), or his aforesaid successors, I will to my utmost persecute and oppose.” ’—Josiah Strong, Our Country, ch. 5, pars. 2–4.

“It is true that there are real Christians in the Roman Catholic communion. Thousands in that church are serving God according to the best light they have. They are not allowed access to His word, and therefore they do not discern the truth. They have never seen the contrast between a living heart service and a round of mere forms and ceremonies. God looks with pitying tenderness upon these souls, educated as they are in a faith that is delusive and unsatisfying. He will cause rays of light to penetrate the dense darkness that surrounds them. He will reveal to them the truth as it is in Jesus, and many will yet take their position with His people.

“But Romanism as a system is no more in harmony with the gospel of Christ now than at any former period in her history. The Protestant churches are in great darkness, or they would discern the signs of the times. The Roman Church is far-reaching in her plans and modes of operation. She is employing every device to extend her influence and increase her power in preparation for a fierce and determined conflict to regain control of the world, to re-establish persecution, and to undo all that Protestantism has done. Catholicism is gaining ground upon every side. See the increasing number of her churches and chapels in Protestant countries. Look at the popularity of her colleges and seminaries in America, so widely patronized by Protestants. Look at the growth of ritualism in England and the frequent defections to the ranks of the Catholics. These things should awaken the anxiety of all who prize the pure principles of the gospel.

“Protestants have tampered with and patronized popery; they have made compromises and concessions which papists themselves are surprised to see and fail to understand. Men are closing their eyes to the real character of Romanism and the dangers to be apprehended from her supremacy. The people need to be aroused to resist the advances of this most dangerous foe to civil and religious liberty.” Ibid., 564–566. [Emphasis author’s.]

“Through His servants, God gave the Jewish people a last opportunity to repent. He manifested Himself through His witnesses in their arrest, in their trial, and in their imprisonment. Yet their judges pronounced on them the death sentence. They were men of whom the world was not worthy, and by killing them the Jews crucified afresh the Son of God. So it will be again. The authorities will make laws to restrict religious liberty. They will assume the right that is God’s alone. They will think they can force the conscience, which God alone should control. Even now they are making a beginning; this work they will continue to carry forward till they reach a boundary over which they cannot step. God will interpose in behalf of His loyal, commandment-keeping people.” The Desire of Ages, 630.

The men whom God chose to establish the laws that serve as the very foundation of the government of this country recognized that steps needed to be taken to avoid the sins of the past to the fullest extent possible. That same spirit of caution was instilled in those who fought valiantly for the freedoms from tyranny our forefathers held in such esteem. So adamant were they in their defense of those freedoms that they refused to ratify the Constitution in its original form. They insisted that before they could support a government on which it was based, it must contain assurances of protection of those freedoms.

As a result, what is known as the Bill of Rights was added. They constitute the first ten amendments and begin with these stirring words:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

“… make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof …”

“… it is the boast of Rome that she never changes …” The Great Controversy, 581.

“By the decree of enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 451.

John Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. After retiring as chief financial officer for the Grand Canyon Association, Grand Canyon, Arizona, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, to join the Steps to Life team. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.

Harvest Time

Often Seventh-day Adventist Christians wonder why the coming of Christ has been delayed. Those in Heaven as well as on earth are disappointed because of how long it is taking for the harvest to get ripe. Mark 4:29 says, “But when the grain ripens, immediately He puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Two harvests are mentioned in Revelation 14:15, 18, 19, a harvest of the wheat and the harvest of the grapes of wrath. It says, “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ ”

The apparent delay is because it has taken longer than the pioneers imagined to get the harvest ready.

Jeremiah 8:20, one of the saddest texts in the Bible, reveals that the harvest time is going to be a time of bitter disappointment to multitudes of people. It says, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!” These people could have been saved but they are not, and never will be, because it is too late.

How to Be Ready for the Harvest

All who have claimed to be a Christian have a page in the Book of Life. This records every detail of your life history; every thought, every word spoken, every feeling you have experienced and every action. Things are written on that page that many wish were not there. It is impossible to erase that history personally. It can only be blotted out by the Lord and He has clearly taught how this can happen.

Confession

We read in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” As well as forgiveness, we also need cleansing.

To confess sins means to go to the Lord or someone else that I have wronged or injured and acknowledge what I have done and take responsibility for it. To labor on the reason for my sin is not confession but self-justification. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they justified what they had done by blaming others even to the point where God was blamed, “The woman You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12).

In similar manner, Adam’s descendants have excused themselves ever since that time. Although they have confessed, confession alone is not enough to have your sins forgiven. You need also to take responsibility for them without blaming your husband, wife, children, parents or even the devil himself.

The New Testament gospel is a system that can give you victory over both inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil. Confession is being able to say, “Lord here I am. I take full responsibility for my sin and I am not blaming anybody—I did it—I am sorry and I want to be cleansed and not live that way anymore. I want your Holy Spirit to come into my heart to change me so that I can live a different kind of life.” This will take humility, something that prevents many people from confessing their sins while continuing to blame others for their own actions.

The Lord will hear that prayer. The Bible says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

This is the first step toward getting ready for the judgment, to make sure of a clean slate.

This is another description of “putting on the wedding garment.” Ellen White says that there will be many who come to the wedding supper without a wedding garment. Sadly they will be told: “From lips that never make a mistake come the words, ‘Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment’ (Matthew 22:12)? Those thus addressed are speechless. They know that words would be useless. The truth, with its sanctifying power, has not been brought into the soul, and the tongue that once spoke so readily of the truth is now silent. The words are then spoken, ‘Take them out of My presence. They are not worthy to taste of My supper’ (cf. Luke 14:24).

“As they are separated from the loyal ones, Christ looks upon them with deep sorrow. They occupied high positions of trust in God’s work, but they have not the life insurance policy that would have entitled them to eternal life. From the quivering lips of Christ come the mournful words of regret, ‘I loved them; I gave My life for them; but they persisted in rejecting My pleadings, and continued in sin.’ ” The Upward Look, 301.

Something remained on their record that needed to be removed before the harvest time, but it never came off. Now it is too late.

“Today Christ is looking with sadness upon those whose characters He must at last refuse to acknowledge. Inflated with self-sufficiency, they hope that it will be well with their souls. But at the last great day, the mirror of detection reveals to them the evil that their hearts have practiced, and shows them at the same time the impossibility of reform. Every effort was made to bring them to repentance. But they refused to humble their hearts.” Ibid.

What was their problem? They were not humble enough to set things right. A major temptation of the devil is to tempt people to not confess their sins. He suggests that the Lord loves you so much that He will just turn a blind eye to your faults—but it is a lie of the devil! God will fulfill His word.

Now is the hour of probation. Now is the day of salvation. Now is God’s time. If He is speaking to you right now, just say, Lord, by Your grace I am going to make things right.

When this understanding came to me with force when I was 19 years old, I had to confess some things to people. I was unsure of how in the world I could do this, but I knew I had to do it. I had once gotten out of a ticket by telling a lie. I called the authorities involved and told them what happened and that I was willing to pay any fine.

If the Holy Spirit prompts you, don’t delay. Write down a list or whatever you need to do and tell the Lord that by His grace you are going to make these things right, either by telephone, letter, or some other means.

Salvation was provided at a cost that we cannot comprehend. It is of infinite value, for those who are saved will have everlasting life. They will live as long as God lives. This gift is worth any correction that you may have to make. If you have said or done something that has injured or wronged somebody else, you need to confess to them as well as to the Lord.

Many people will neglect the necessary preparation and are getting ready to have a bitter harvest.

“Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation, and have not been mindful of the Rock of your stronghold, therefore you will plant pleasant plants and set out foreign seedlings; in the day you will make your plant to grow, and in the morning you will make your seed to flourish [things will seem to be going great]; but the harvest will be a heap of ruins in the day of grief and desperate sorrow” (Isaiah 17:10, 11).

By falling for the devil’s lie that someday the Lord will still save you in spite of unconfessed sins, you will be very disappointed.

Jesus said there will be a harvest at the end of the world. However, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’ ” (Matthew 7:21–23)!

Many of these people hold high positions both in the church and in the world. Remember, the higher the position one holds, the harder it is to be humble and make things right.

“Christ tells us how in the last great day ministers, elders, evangelists, physicians, teachers, will confront Him with their claims. They will plead how they have led the singers in their songs of praise, how they have waved the palm branches, how they have spoken of Him before thousands. ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name,’ they say, ‘and in Thy name done many wonderful works?’

“But Christ says, ‘Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. O that you had known, even in the day of your visitation, when like sweetest music, mercy’s voice fell upon your ears, the things that belonged unto your peace. But you were not ready. If you had been faithful to the warnings of the word; if you had dismissed Satan, instead of linking your arm in his; if you had preserved untarnished the principles of right; if you had obeyed My commandments, broken with ungodly advisers, scorned their impious bribes, which tempted you to worldly honor; if you had lifted the cross, and followed Jesus in self-denial, I could have welcomed you into My presence. But you have not cared for My society, and now you have no power to go from the snare.

“ ‘I offered you My saving grace but you refused it, and chose the side of the enemy, even as the priests and rulers did. You refused to be touched by My dying agony on the cross, and mocked at My humiliation. So will I refuse to acknowledge you. I weep for your future, but you have not cared to weep for yourselves. I was pledged to bear you and care for you, even as a father beareth and loveth his own son that serveth him. But you would not harmonize with Me.’ ” Pamphlet 58, 3.

Have you ever met anybody who believes themselves to be so intelligent that they insist that things have to be done their way? It is interesting to read the different categories of people that lack humility because they are wise, intelligent and powerful in this world. Ministers, elders, evangelists, physicians and teachers are just some of those who will self-righteously claim to have taught thousands of people.

What do you do when you hear a “thus saith the Lord” that conflicts with one of your strong-held beliefs? Do you correct your thinking and change direction or do you dismiss the conviction and continue in your familiar path?

“The precious invitation was often given, ‘Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me, and he shall make peace with Me’ (Isaiah 27:5). But you would none of My counsel. You have caused many to follow your sinful ways, and now your punishment has come. You will receive as your works have been. You must lose everlasting life. You have chosen your own ways, and with such ways, such sentiments, such characters, you could not enter the gates of the Holy city.

“What a scene is this! I pass over the ground again and again, bowed down in an agony that no tongue can express, as I see the end of the many, many who have refused to receive their Saviour. Justice will take the throne, and the arm strong to save will show itself strong to smite and destroy the enemies of the kingdom of God. Christ will lay bare the motives and deeds of every one. Every hidden action will stand out as clearly before the doer as if proclaimed before the universe.” Ibid., 4.

Not just what we do but why we did it is taken into consideration in the final account. The unseen watcher sees and records all in the books of record.

The children of Israel were given a special religious service associated with the harvest. Before the Israelites could harvest their grain they had to present the first fruits, which were the pledge of a coming harvest. In 1 Corinthians 15:20 it says: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

The fact that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead is absolute proof that if you die in Christ, you will rise from the dead when He comes again. The resurrection of Christ is one of the most indisputable facts of history. There are very few things that have ever happened in our world that we have as strong a historical record of as the resurrection of Christ. The fact that Christ was raised from the dead is proof that if I die before He comes again, if I am in Christ, I will rise again. The harvest time is going to be a wonderful time if you are saved.

The Latter Rain

What is the latter rain? In Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 506, we are told: “The latter rain, ripening earth’s harvest, represents the spiritual grace that prepares the church for the coming of the Son of man.”

I am sure all would agree that the church is not ready for Jesus to come right now. In Joel 2:23, we are told: “Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down to you—the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.”

This refers to the first month of the Jewish year when the winter wheat was planted. Passover was the 14th day of the first month. The 15th day of the first month was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread and the 16th day of the first month was the day when the wave sheaf was presented, which was the beginning of harvest. The first month was harvest time. Notice, there are people who are approaching the harvest that need more than the latter rain. No one is ready for the latter rain until they have received sufficient of the former rain.

“The latter rain, ripening earth’s harvest, represents the spiritual grace that prepares the church for the coming of the Son of man. But unless the former rain has fallen, there will be no life; the green blade will not spring up. Unless the early showers have done their work, the latter rain can bring no seed to perfection.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 506.

James 5:7 says, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.”

A crop must have both the early and latter rain for an abundant harvest.

The Former Rain

“The work that God has begun in the human heart in giving His light and knowledge, must be continually going forward. Every individual must realize his own necessity. The heart must be emptied of every defilement, and cleansed for the indwelling of the Spirit. It was by the confession and forsaking of sin, by earnest prayer and consecration of themselves to God, that the early disciples prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The same work, only in greater degree, must be done now. Then the human agent had only to ask for the blessing, and wait for the Lord to perfect the work concerning Him. It is God who began the work, and He will finish His work, making man complete in Jesus Christ. But there must be no neglect of the grace represented by the former rain. Only those who are living up to the light they have, will receive greater light. …” The Review and Herald, March 2, 1897.

Are you living up to all the light that you know? The important thing is not how much light you understand, but are you living up to what you understand. If you are living up to the light you understand, the Lord will give you more light. But if you are not living up to the light you have now, why should the Lord give you more?

“Only those who are living up to the light they have, will receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.” Ibid.

The question for each to inquire of themselves is, “Am I living up to the light that I have?” Ask the Lord to help you to live up to the light that you understand. The heathen who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ are better in God’s sight than Christians who do not live up to the light that they have.

At the time of the harvest every plant reaches full maturity and goes to seed and at that time the wheat and the tares are separated. There is a huge misunderstanding by many Adventists world-wide about the separation of the wheat and the tares.

Many people think that the separation of the tares happens when Jesus comes in the clouds of heaven. The harvest is not a one day event but happens over a period of time at the end of the growing season. It is during that period of time that the wheat and the tares are separated.

Ellen White wrote in The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 995, 996, “I see perplexities on every side. As character develops man and woman will take their position, for varied circumstances brought to bear upon them will cause them to reveal the spirit which prompts them to action. Every one will reveal the character of the bundle with which he is binding himself. The wheat is being bound up for the heavenly garner. The true people of God are now bound up for the heavenly garner. The true people of God are now pulling apart, and the tares are being bound in bundles ready to burn. Decided positions will be taken. Satan will move upon minds that have been indulged, upon men who have always had their own way, and anything presented to them in counsel or reproof to change their objectionable traits of character is considered faultfinding, binding them, restraining them, that they cannot have liberty to act themselves. The Lord in great mercy has sent messages of warning to them, but they would not listen to reproof. Like the enemy who rebelled in heaven, they do not like to hear, do not correct the wrong they have done but become accusers, declaring themselves misused and unappreciated. …

“Now is the time of trial, of test, of proving.”

“God has been pleased to show me that men who ought to know the voice of the True Shepherd will be more ready to accept the voice of the stranger and follow in unsafe, forbidden paths because of the stubbornness of their human nature.

“Dark hours of trial are before the church because they have not obeyed the warnings and reproofs and counsel of God. What a bewitching power comes upon human minds to do contrary to the oft repeated will of God.

“Before the great trouble shall come upon the world such as has never been since there was a nation, those who have faltered and who would ignorantly lead in unsafe paths will reveal this before the real vital test, the last proving, comes, so that whatsoever they may say will not be regarded as voicing the True Shepherd. …” Ibid., 1002.

That is one of the most amazing statements in the Spirit of Prophecy. The people who would ignorantly lead God’s people in wrong paths before the great and final test comes are going to reveal their true character. So, if you are a true child of God you will know not to listen to whatever these false shepherds have to say. Remember, those people may be ministers, evangelists, physicians, elders or teachers.

She continues: “The time of our educating will soon be over. We have no time to lose in walking through clouds of doubt and uncertainty because of uncertain voices.” Ibid.

Will you make a covenant with the Lord to receive the former rain? The reception of the former rain occurs as the Holy Spirit impresses upon your mind what you need to do based upon the word of God and you respond by doing it.

Remember, the harvest time is coming soon and it is going to come whether we are ready or not. That is why the Lord has given us this instruction to help us to get ready and be prepared to receive the latter rain. We all need to follow instructions if we are to receive the gift of salvation. Not one who takes the Bible and accepts it just as it reads will be lost. Jesus wants to save you, but He cannot unless a full surrender is made to Him.

(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 – Are You Afraid to Sin?

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

“… now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:26–28).

“It is submission to sin that brings the great unhappiness of the soul. It is not poverty, but disobedience, that lessens man’s hope of gaining eternal life, which the Saviour came to bring him. True riches, true peace, true content, enduring happiness—these are found only in entire surrender to God, in perfect reconciliation to His will.

“Christ came to our world to live a life of stainless purity, thus to show sinners that in His strength they, too, can obey God’s holy precepts, the laws of His kingdom.” The Review and Herald, July 4, 1912.

“Every sin, every unrighteous action, every transgression of the law of God, tells with a thousandfold more force upon the actor than the sufferer. Every time one of the glorious faculties with which God has enriched man is abused or misused, that faculty loses forever a portion of its vigor and will never be as it was before the abuse it suffered. Every abuse inflicted upon our moral nature in this life is felt not only for time but for eternity. Though God may forgive the sinner, yet eternity will not make up that voluntary loss sustained in this life.

“To go forth into the next, the future life, deprived of half the power which might be carried there is a terrible thought. The days of probation lost here in acquiring a fitness for heaven, is a loss which will never be recovered. The capacities of enjoyment will be less in the future life for the misdemeanors and abuse of moral powers in this life. However high we might attain in the future life, we might soar higher and still higher, if we had made the most of our God-given privileges and golden opportunities to improve our faculties here in this probationary existence … .” This Day With God, 350.