Are We Prepared?

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22. What a wonderful promise this is, for we know that God’s promises are sure and that His hand is over all. We know that nature is not going to fail us, and that things are going to go on much the same. If we plant and harvest, God will bless us, but we sometimes fall into the snare of which Peter speaks in 11 Peter 3:4: “Since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation.” Often, however, we pass over the first part of the statement in Genesis that says, “while the earth remaineth.” That very statement should tell us something.

The world is in turmoil. Statesmen are afraid to tell the truth for fear they will not get into office. People are afraid to speak out against homosexuality for fear of losing influence in the community. All the while, Satan is gaining more and more control of the human race.

Signs Fulfilled

The signs spoken of in the Bible, which are predicted to transpire before the Lord’s return, are in the land. Revelation is being fulfilled to the very letter. In fact, the signs of the end of time are happening so quickly that we hardly realize that the great controversy is being fought right in our midst.

What is most baffling and difficult to understand is what is happening in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I dare not try to list all the apostasies that are occurring, but I will mention a few, such as sending a medallion to the Pope, selling out the medical institutions to Catholic organizations, and attending their ecumenical meetings.

What is happening within the historic Seventh-day Adventist movement is even more astounding. When we should be loving one another and upholding each other, what are we doing? We are trying to seek out one another’s faults, dispute the differences in each other’s understanding regarding the Bible and coming events, and criticize each other when something is not just like we would do it—either reading the “wrong” version of the Bible or worshiping in the wrong place or eating the wrong food. Are we really getting ready to meet Jesus, or are we stalling His coming by our self-propelled ideas and discontents—when the world needs to have the Gospel and learn that Jesus is coming soon?

Lessons From the Past

It would be beneficial to contemplate what the Spirit of Prophecy says about the children of Israel: “The trials of the children of Israel, and their attitude just before the first coming of Christ, have been presented before me again and again to illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the second coming of Christ.” Review and Herald, February 18, 1890. Ellen White also wrote that, “Satan’s snares are laid for us as verily as they were laid for the children of Israel just prior to their entrance into the land of Canaan. We are repeating the history of that people.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 160.

When we remember what happened to the children of Israel while they were out in the wilderness, it should cause us to do some serious thinking. Most of them died out there and never reached the Promised Land. When Jesus was born, very few even knew His birth had occurred.

Even at the Door

We are living in the day when we should know that the coming of the Lord is near, even at the door. We should be able to give, with humility and the fear of the Lord, to every man who asks us, a reason for the hope that we have. (See 1 Peter 3:15.) Do we know our Bibles that well? Are we really giving the world the message that Jesus is coming again? In our innermost souls, do we really know what we believe, and are we acting upon that belief?

Get Ready

We have all heard and have probably even repeated many times the words “Get ready, get ready, get ready.” Some day the time will come when we are no longer getting ready—we will have to be ready. How soon that day will be no human being knows, but we do know that it will come as a sudden surprise to those who are not ready to meet their Redeemer. There is no time to lose, if we are going to be saved in the kingdom of heaven. This world is on its final countdown.

Sunday laws are imminent. Men’s hearts are growing so hard that life and death have no sacredness. The morals of people are even lower than the instinct of animals. Homosexuality has circled the earth until the whole world is like Sodom and Gomorrah, which reminds us what Jesus said, in Luke 17:28, 29: “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed [them] all.”

The Spirit of Prophecy is full of instruction for God’s people who are living in these last days of earth’s history. We need to read, study, meditate, and devour this timely instruction. We labor and spend money trying to prolong this mortal life, which is as the grass that fades away in the sunshine, but for our eternal, immortal life, we fail to spend time or money to obtain it. Oh, how sad it would be to hear Jesus say, “I never knew you; depart from me.” Matthew 7:23.

“I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of ‘refreshing’ and the ‘latter rain’ to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets and fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be no time then to do it and no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father. Before this time the awfully solemn declaration has gone forth, ‘He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.’ [Revelation 22:11.] I saw that none could share the ‘refreshing’ unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Let all remember that God is holy and that none but holy beings can ever dwell in His presence.” Early Writings, 71.

I must ask, Are we really in earnest about shaping our lives to fit into the heavenly environment, or are we satisfied with our present condition, too busy to worry about eternity? The day will come when things are finalized, and we will either be in heaven or hell. We are told by the pen of inspiration that we should keep before us the fact that there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. (Review and Herald, January 7, 1902.)

One Probation

No one will enter the pearly gates with cherished sins in his or her heart, and we have been faithfully warned to spend time praying and agonizing with the Lord to overcome. Jesus told Peter to pray, but he went to sleep and consequently denied His Lord. We must ask ourselves, Are we asleep, or are we praying for divine assistance?

We must keep in mind that we have only one probation, and that is now, while we are on this earth. Time passes by very quickly. We have not one moment to lose. “We have but one probation in which to form character, and our destiny depends upon the manner of character we form. Those who on earth have formed characters that through the grace of Christ bear the heavenly mould, will be ripened through the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit for the eternal reward. They become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. It is a realization of the fact that our characters are Christlike, that calls forth the song of praise and thanksgiving to God and to the Lamb. Those who appreciate the goodness, mercy, and love of Christ, and by beholding him become changed into his image, will be partakers of eternal life. The attributes of their character are like those of Christ, and they cannot fail of the rest that remains for the people of God.” The Signs of the Times, July 31, 1893.

Ruth Grosboll is an employee of Steps to Life. A retired, registered nurse, she worked for many years with her husband in the mission field. She may be contacted by e-mail at: ruthgrosboll@stepstolife.org or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Shaken, Sifted, Settled, and Sealed, Part II

Why do we continue to struggle? We find our answer in God’s Holy Word. “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:4. This verse involves more than just trying, for it is true that all of our trying will end with nothing more than frustration and a deep sense of failure and discouragement. The verse goes much deeper in experience than just trying. The word resist means to sit down against or to stand firm against. The other word we want to briefly look at is striving, which means to struggle against, to box, to fight, to war, or to wrestle with. And that is what makes this verse so important.

The shaking, sifting, settling, and sealing are all about standing firmly against the opposition to God so that we cannot be moved. The Spirit of Prophecy tells us about Jacob’s little time of trouble. A study of it shows the connection it has with Hebrews 12:4.

Standing Firm

Those who successfully pass through the shaking will have “resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” This group will have cooperated with the Lord in the wrestling away of their sins, clinging to Him until the promised blessing has been realized. In the simplest language, what we must learn to do is to stay in communion with the Lord until the sin has been overcome. When temptation comes, we must, at that moment, flee to the Lord and stay there until the danger passes and the victory is gained.

The reason we are still struggling is simply that we are not letting the Lord fight our battles. For most of us, it is a matter of not realizing that all we need to do is get in the Lord’s corner and stay there, allowing Him to fight the adversary. We have been fighting him all of our lives, and it is time we realized and admitted that we, in our own power, cannot possibly win. Only then can we enter into the haven of the True Conqueror. Only in this corner is victory found. It is only then that we will find the power to apply the knowledge we have into our lives. This is the greatest need and one that must be recognized.

“It is a knowledge of practical godliness, a daily conversion, that is the great need in our world.” Bible Training School, November 1, 1916.

Settling Process

During this time of shaking, we need to understand that not only is this the process of the Lord, which means there is no other way up the path to the kingdom, but it is a settling process which will affect everyone. It is the work of Satan to divert the attention of those whose keen interest should be focused on this process.

“I [Ellen White] saw that Satan was working through agents in a number of ways. He was at work through ministers who have rejected the truth and are given over to strong delusions to believe a lie that they might be damned. . . .

“Some of these agents of Satan were affecting the bodies of some of the saints—those whom they could not deceive and draw away from the truth by a Satanic influence. Oh, that all could get a view of it as God revealed it to me, that they might know more of the wiles of Satan and be on their guard! I saw that Satan was at work in these ways to distract, deceive, and draw away God’s people, just now in this sealing time. I saw some who were not standing stiffly for present truth. Their knees were trembling, and their feet sliding, because they were not firmly planted on the truth, and the covering of Almighty God could not be drawn over them while they were thus trembling.

“Satan was trying his every art to hold them where they were, until the sealing was past, until the covering was drawn over God’s people, and they left without a shelter from the burning wrath of God, in the seven last plagues. . . .

“I saw that the mysterious signs and wonders and false reformations would increase and spread. The reformations that were shown me were not reformations from error to truth.” Early Writings, 43–45.

Read the preceding quotation again, carefully. Some may say that this applied back in Ellen White’s day, and they would be correct, but take it further. I would say that this bit of inspiration shows that the shaking time will have a snowball effect along with the false reformations that she mentions. We know for certain that this statement is squarely planted in present truth, because it says that this covering of God is for protection from the seven last plagues. This quotation describes the time through which we are now passing. The Seventh-day Adventist movement is being affected by the agents of Satan to an alarming degree—most of it coming from the inside out.

Note the words in the above quotation, “standing stiffly for present truth.” These few words are extremely important and revealing. Take a few moments to consider the implications of this statement. What does it mean to stand “stiffly for present truth”? If we are not taking this stand, what does the quotation say will happen to us? What causes the shaking?

Every individual who is striving to be among the privileged redeemed must address these questions. It will not go well in the judgment for those who are complacent and content, allowing others to stand alone for truth. The voice, which is now silent, will later, at the Second Coming, be heard calling for the rocks to fall. (Revelation 6:16.)

Those who choose not to stand for present truth will fall! This applies to everyone who claims to be a Seventh-day Adventist—not just those who are in conference congregations. I have been alarmed and deeply troubled concerning those who are proving week after week that they are no better off in an independent church than in a conference church. Error has been spoken by some that have claimed leadership in the independent movement. Dishonest methods have been used by some who have claimed to be doing an end-time work. Some who have been considered leaders have abandoned the Bible truths altogether.

Follow Christ, Not Man

What is alarming is the fact that these errors have been open; there is almost no subtlety to them. But either because of the weakness of the people’s emotions or their total lack of personal study and knowledge, they just keep following these leaders as if nothing has happened. We need to realize that every single person, with no exception, who follows a man in the place of Jesus Christ, will be lost! It will not matter how insignificant or how well-known is the congregation, leader, or ministry, if we follow it in the place of Jesus, we will be lost!

As Seventh-day Adventist Christians, it is our duty to seek out truth and stand for that truth no matter what happens or who diverts from it. It is incredible for anyone to take the attitude that individuals who stay in conference churches will be lost for putting up with error and not standing for truth—while at the same time they are doing the exact same thing in their independent churches, thinking they have somehow escaped the wrath that they say will fall on the other people!

Many are in this state of extreme danger. If they do not recognize the reality of the above principles, they will be surprised to learn, too late, that they cannot be admitted into God’s kingdom. If they switch camps for the right reason but cling to their old ways in the new camps, they will suffer the same end that they were trying to escape by switching in the first place!

We desperately need to understand that the shaking, sifting, settling, and sealing process will continue until all of us are in one group or the other. The principles working together in this process fall in line with those stated above. This being the case, as individuals we must go step by step up the path with our eyes firmly on Jesus. Mrs. White’s vision clearly shows that when the people took their eyes off Jesus, they fell. (See Early Writings, 14–20.)

We are also plainly told that, in this last moment of time, many wonderful and terrible things will be happening, and we will need to keep our eyes wide open and be empowered with the eyesalve to discern the events, thereby having wisdom from on high. (Revelation 3:18.) We are told that, in this time, many will come up to one point of faith, draw the line, and go no further, while others will draw the line at a different point. There will be those who are known for their great achievements or knowledge and, at one time, have shone brightly for the Lord, but for whatever reason, in the end, will go out into utter darkness. (See Maranatha, 43.)

There are far too many who are clearly exhibiting their loyalty to man above their loyalty to Jesus! Their actions would have us believe that they know who will end up in heaven and who will not! But this is the same foolishness they claim to recognize in others who say the church, meaning the conference, is going through.

How vitally important it is that people individually study to understand the process through which we are going—to see it as a matter of life and death, as it certainly is.

Exalt Truth

If there is any doubt about the validity of this point, read again how and why Adam made the choice to eat of the forbidden fruit, which threw the whole world into chaos. Consider the next few quotations about the shaking. Understanding them will clarify why we must deal with the above principles.

“I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking among God’s people.” Early Writings, 270.

“When the shaking comes, by the introduction of false theories, these surface readers, anchored nowhere, are like shifting sand. They slide into any position to suit the tenor of their feelings of bitterness.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 112.

Practice makes perfect, not profession:

“You may point to some of our leading brethren who have not accepted and rejoiced in the light given, but have intercepted themselves between the light and the people, that it should not reach them; but they must answer to God for their position. They are certainly working away from Christ, instead of working in harmony with Him; but will their attitude and position excuse you for turning from the light which the Lord has thrown upon your pathway? I am sorry that you are in such great blindness that you are unable to distinguish the voice of God from that of the enemy. I have repeatedly presented before you and others that there would come a shaking time, when everything that can be shaken will be shaken, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. We are now entering upon that time. Your spirit is an offense to God, for you receive not the things that are of God, but range yourself on the enemy’s side to oppose God in the very work He is doing for this time.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 1, 331.

“I [Ellen White] was pointed to the providence of God among His people and was shown that every trial made by the refining, purifying process upon professed Christians proves some to be dross. The fine gold does not always appear. In every religious crisis some fall under temptation. The shaking of God blows away multitudes like dry leaves. Prosperity multiplies a mass of professors. Adversity purges them out of the church. As a class, their spirits are not steadfast with God. They go out from us because they are not of us; for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, many are offended.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 89.

“If we only knew what is before us we would not be so dilatory in the work of the Lord. We are in the shaking time, the time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken. The Lord will not excuse those who know the truth if they do not in word and deed obey His commands.” Ibid., vol. 6, 331, 332.

“The time has come when everything that can be shaken will be shaken. We are in the shaking time. Be assured that only those who live the prayer of Christ for unity among His disciples, working it out in practical life, will stand the test.” Review and Herald, June 18, 1901.

To those who are riding on someone else’s coat tails:

“There will be a shaking of the sieve. The chaff must in time be separated from the wheat. Because iniquity abounds, the love of many waxes cold. It is the very time when the genuine will be the strongest.” Last Day Events, 173.

“Just as long as God has a church, he will have those who will cry aloud and spare not, who will be his instruments to reprove selfishness and sins, and will not shun to declare the whole counsel of God, whether men will hear or forbear. I [Ellen White] saw that individuals would rise up against the plain testimonies. It does not suit their natural feelings. They would choose to have smooth things spoken unto them, and have peace cried in their ears. I view the church in a more dangerous condition than they ever have been. Experimental religion is known but by a few. The shaking must soon take place to purify the church.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 284.

“Our faith cannot be vested in any man. We need Christ’s righteousness. We need Jesus ever by our side. He is our Rock. It is by His might that we conquer, and by his righteousness that we are saved. When I [Ellen White] see men exalted and praised, extolled as almost infallible, I know that there must come a terrible shaking. When God’s lamp of life shines into the heart with clear and steady ray, darkness will instantly be dispelled. Every idol will be dethroned, and the peace of God which passeth all understanding will reign in the heart. Truth, precious truth, will be seen, appreciated, and obeyed. The standard will be elevated, and many will rally round it.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, 91.

Sifting and Settling

The sifting and settling is that part of the process which determines where you and I will end. This process is very closely tied to the shaking, and its progression is brought about by events. Our choices relating to those events determine our status in the sifting and settling process. How sad it will be for some having come so far up the path to glory to find they have traded in the everlasting kingdom for some sentimental offering to a man.

The process of the sifting is one that winnows out the chaff from the pure wheat. We should be very sensitive to and ready for it. It is a continued testing time, which will come to every professor of truth. It will be telling on those who have received the love of the truth, and on those who have not taken the time to study these testing truths for themselves. In this time, which I believe we have already entered, those who have spent precious hours studying to know God’s will, will receive protection and discernment which are vital. Those who receive not of this gift and know not the truth through personal experience will not be protected but will end up on the wrong side, even though they think they are right.

“Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. To all the testing time will come. By the sifting of temptation the genuine Christian will be revealed. Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only? Satan will, if possible, prevent them from obtaining a preparation to stand in that day. He will so arrange affairs as to hedge up their way, entangle them with earthly treasures, cause them to carry a heavy, wearisome burden, that their hearts may be overcharged with the cares of this life and the day of trial may come upon them as a thief.” The Great Controversy, 625, 626.

There are those who may have the inclination to say that this is speaking of the time when Satan will walk the earth. They know the deception in this event, so they think that they could not possibly be deceived. I implore that they honestly and prayerfully consider the part of the quotation that asks, “Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses?”

In these few words, we find a wonderful, and terrible, revelation—one that gives us insight so that we need not be deceived if we choose not to be; one that may challenge our honesty. If we know we could not be deceived by Satan’s appearing, yet we find ourselves following a group, a man, or a ministry, based on an emotional attachment rather than the principles of truth, then, friend, we are already deceived! As incredible as it may seem to our logic, Inspiration guarantees that those who allow their emotions to rule their principles will be deceived, even if they have a head knowledge of the truth. We need to understand that when the Lord withdraws His Spirit from individuals who have simply chosen not to do things His way, they will do whatever Satan tells them to do.

To realize this truth, we do not have to go very far. Just look at who literally wanted to tear Jesus to shreds when He was here! They were not those whom we would have called heathen, but those who claimed to know the truth and who were a part of the ancient Adventist movement!

Good News!

The good news is that it still is not too late to allow the Lord to rule in our lives. If we have made some mistakes, if we have gone our own way, if we have placed another’s influence above God’s, we still can ask for the Lord’s forgiveness, find out what we need to do, and do it. But the precious hours of this testing time are running apace, and we must be making our decisions for God now!

“Do all in your power to gain perfection; but do not think that because you make mistakes you are excluded from God’s service. The Lord knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. As you use faithfully the talents God has given you, you will gain knowledge that will make you dissatisfied with self. You will see the need of sifting away harmful habits, lest by a wrong example you injure others.” Messages to Young People, 226.

“Satan will work his miracles to deceive; he will set up his power as supreme. The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out—the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place. None but those who have been overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony will be found with the loyal and true, without spot or stain of sin, without guile in their mouths. . . . The remnant that purify their souls by obeying the truth gather strength from the trying process, exhibiting the beauty of holiness amid the surrounding apostasy. “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 911.

To be continued . . .

[All emphasis supplied.]

Cathy Summers Timmons, a Steps to Life staff member, a member of LandMarks’ editorial staff, and Director of Pacific Missionary Outreach, writes from her home in Wichita, Kansas. She may be contacted by e-mail at: cathytimmons@stepstolife.org.

Spiritualism, Part I

One thing I have found, as I travel, is that God’s people are the same the world over. They all have a great desire to hasten the day of Jesus’ return. I think this has always been the desire of Seventh-day Adventists. As Adventists came out of the period of the Great Disappointment in 1844, it was a time of struggle for them. With the Millerite movement, there had been a great number of believers looking for the near return of Jesus that was to culminate October 22, 1844. When that day came and Jesus did not return, disappointment took place and thousands fell away. It got to where there were only about 300 believers out of tens of thousands across the land and many more thousands around the world.

James and Ellen White felt the burden to try to gather these believers into some form of unity, because it was not that they were wrong that Jesus was coming; it was the fact that they did not understand the circumstances and the time frame. So the movement began to build, until today there are many Adventists all around the world that are looking forward to Jesus’ Second Coming. We never want to lose sight of that; we want to always have the focus of Jesus ever in our hearts and in our minds, because that is what is going to see us through the times that are yet ahead of us.

The name Seventh-day Adventist declares two facts about our beliefs. First, we observe the seventh day as the day of rest that God outlined in the fourth commandment of Scripture. Second, the other part of the name, Adventist, means that we believe in the Second Coming of Jesus. The interesting part about this is that we have concentrated in these areas almost to the neglect of what has been revealed to us concerning the great controversy between Christ and Satan. We believe in preaching about the Second Coming of Jesus; we believe in preaching about the Sabbath-Sunday issue and how it focuses on the papacy. But, somehow, we do not really understand, as we should, about the great controversy. Indeed, we have a message that is to unfold the work of Satan in this world as well as proclaim the Sabbath and the truth about the Second Coming of Jesus.

Ellen White has written a book entitled The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan. We have a tendency to read certain portions of the last chapters of this book that deal with what is going to transpire relative to the Sunday law and those kinds of things. We neglect to see the connecting theme that goes all through the book that is centering upon the struggles between Christ and Satan for the souls of men and women in this world.

If we are going to make it through these last days, we must have a better understanding of the great controversy—not just an understanding of the Second Coming, as wonderful and as beautiful as that is; not only an understanding of the Sabbath-Sunday issue, as important as that is; but an understanding of how the devil is attempting to make shipwreck of the Seventh-day Adventist faith. If you do not think that the devil is trying to make shipwreck of the Seventh-day Adventist faith, then you are not fully aware of what is going on in the world today. He is doing everything he can to make shipwreck of our faith.

An Express Warning

The last letters we can chronologically put in the perspective of the writings of the apostle Paul are 1 and 11 Timothy. Timothy was a young preacher who was to carry on when the apostle Paul was no longer able to minister because of the sacrifice of his life in Rome, so Paul wrote some very specific counsel to Timothy.

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” 1 Timothy 4:1. As we study this text, we want to see if we can identify what it is that Paul is really saying. Often we have a tendency to read a text and, because we have a certain bias of the word or the words that are found there, we do not really dig much deeper, thinking that the meaning is self-evident. Look at this text a little more deeply.

Paul says, “the Spirit.” Who is the Spirit referred to here? It is the Holy Spirit. For what time frame is the Holy Spirit giving this information? It says, “the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times . . . .” When are those times? They are now. If Jesus would have come in the year a.d. 700, this text would have applied then. “Latter times” always applies to just before Jesus’ return. So if we really believe the prophecies, if we really believe the times in which we are living, Jesus is coming very, very soon.

Some Shall Depart

This text, I believe, applies specifically to the time in which we are living. The Spirit said that in the latter times a warning needs to go out. “Some shall depart from the faith.”

In the last ten years, we have seen a lot of things taking place in historic Adventism. We have seen a lot of things taking place in the mainstream denomination of Seventh-day Adventists. We have seen some, much to my disappointment, who have left the faith. Now let me tell you that anytime you see a person leave the faith, it is not just happenstance. It is through the direct working of seducing spirits. This is what causes those kinds of things to take place.

The devil is not just seated in an office somewhere in a large building, answering the phone once in awhile. He is out, the Bible says, “as a roaring lion.” (1 Peter 5:8.) He is on the track of every person who is trying to be faithful to the precepts of Scripture and inspiration.

Paul says that there are going to be some who are going to depart from the faith. They “depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” I want to emphasize that something like that happens through the process of seducing spirits. This is why we need to constantly be on guard. The only way that we are going to be able to know is through Inspiration. That is the knowledge that we must have to make it through to the time when Jesus comes.

Persuade to Disobedience

Look at the word seduce. Many times, when we hear this word, we have a tendency to use the application of the second definition in Webster’s dictionary—“to entice to unchastity.” That is usually what comes to our minds, but that is not the first meaning of the word, according to Webster. The first meaning is “to persuade to disobedience or to disloyalty.” That is how it is used in this text. That is how the devil works. The whole purpose of seducing spirits is to get people off the track into disobedience and into disloyalty. This is what they are determined to do.

The Bible says that the Spirit of God—that Person of the Godhead that was given after Jesus returned to heaven—is to guide us into all truth. He is to be our Comforter; He is to be our Helper in all things.

The first verse of 1 Timothy 4 says that, in the last days, the devil is going to work in such a way as to do his utmost to persuade to disobedience and to disloyalty. I have been in ministry for over 30 years, and I have to confess that I have not always preached the great controversy as it centers in this text—the devil doing everything he can to persuade to disloyalty and to disobedience. I have come to understand more fully in these last few years that this, indeed, is a reality and that we need to forewarn God’s people, because I believe to be forewarned is to be forearmed.

Speaketh Expressly

Look even deeper into this text, because we have to receive the impact of what is being said here before it really registers with us as to what is taking place. Paul could have written, “Well, you know, just kind of be aware, people, that in the last days the devil is really going to work.” But he chose some very specific words. He says that “the Spirit speaks expressly.” That needs to grab our attention. He is not just talking in small talk. He is trying to get a point across. “The Spirit speaketh expressly.”

According to Webster, expressly means “to set forth, to make clear the meaning of; directly and distinctly stated, explicit, exact, precise.” The second definition says that “it is the dispatch conveyed by a special messenger.”

Do you ever receive an express package? The delivery person usually comes to the door and knocks on the door to deliver an express package. In reality, this is what the Holy Spirit is doing. He is knocking on the door, and He says, “I have an express message for you. I am speaking expressly.”

If you think that I am repeating myself, I am, because I need to get the message across. Seducing spirits are going to do their utmost to persuade us to disobedience. They will try to draw us away from the doctrines of God to the doctrines of devils. The Spirit gives some very explicit warning to this end.

Every Wind

It may be that you, who are not sitting behind a desk at Steps to Life, find this strange. But many of the phone calls I receive day after day consist of people wanting Steps to Life to endorse some strange doctrine. A large amount of my time is spent responding to people who send in manuscripts, full-published books, cassette tapes, and videos. They say, “Please review these things, and then let us know if you can give some endorsement to them.”

I can tell you that every wind of doctrine is blowing. They are blowing, because the devil has his helpers out across the land in every way causing those winds to blow. But those winds are not yet blowing fully. They are giving little gusts here and there, but they are not blowing in full.

I count it a very serious responsibility on my part to review the things sent to Steps to Life. I read everything, and I try to match it with Inspiration. Sometimes that can be very, very difficult. The reason that it is difficult is because the track of truth lies very close to the track of error. The most successful deception is when there is a great amount of truth coupled with a little bit of error. The Spirit gives some very explicit instruction.

We know that God’s true church and Satan’s counterfeit church have been growing side by side for some 6,000 years. The angels are holding the winds so that they do not blow. Once the angels release those winds, the doctrines of devils are going to go out, and the people from all corners of the earth will be gathered into one of two camps—either in the camp of God or in the camp of the devil.

Two Camps

That is why we urgently work to convey God’s truths to the people, so they will be so grounded that they will not be taken in by the devil’s deceptions. There are two camps—one with truth and love as the impelling force and the other built upon lies and deceit, one upholding God’s government and His Law and the other rebelling against it with a malignant hatred.

Good angels have been sent to Adam and all of his descendents to enlighten, to counsel, and to plead with them to look by faith to their Creator and their Redeemer. Satan’s angels have been sent to ensnare these offspring of Adam with innumerable schemes, so they will despise or neglect or ignore the salvation that is made possible by Jesus Christ. In all of this, God spreads out the issues of the great controversy between Christ and Satan in such a way that every individual is to be enlightened so he can choose whom he is going to serve.

If we read this text carefully, we can see that it is a challenge for us to know what is going on and what is going to take place. If we are going to make it through to the end, we are going to have to know what the issues are. Ellen White makes it very plain that this deals with spiritualism. (See Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 951, 952.)

More than Masquerades

I would like to suggest to you that spiritualism is more involved than evil angels masquerading as dead people. It is much more profound than that. It has to do with everything that is devil-inspired. If, indeed, this is the case, then we need to have a firm basis for every decision we make. We need to know with exactness what is going to take place in this area of deception, because this is how God’s Holy Spirit has spoken to us. He has spoken to us expressly to get the point across.

What this text is saying to us is that this is very serious business. It is not something with which to toy. It is not something that we can ignore. The devil has been playing and practicing this game of deception for thousands of years in an effort to try to persuade to disloyalty and to disobedience. That is his whole plan and purpose. We need to have some inside information so we do not get caught up in what the devil is trying to promote. If any-one does get caught up in it, it is because they have not paid clear attention to the counsel God has given.

It is a disappointment to me to hear that the Adventist Book Centers are not carrying Ellen White’s books as they should, because there is no longer a call for them. Supply and demand is what is important. That is the business world. But we are not in a setting where business is to go on as usual. We are here to spread a message.

A Little Con Game

It is easy to be deceived, if we do not have the right information at our fingertips or if we are innocent to circumstances or if we are naive about various issues. A number of years ago, a carnival came to town and set up shop right across the street from where my wife and I lived. We, at that time, were not Christians. Neither of us had been brought up in a Christian home. We were not wicked people, but we did not have a Christian background. So, when the carnival came to town, I went over to it.

I wanted to see all the lights and all the things that were going on. There were many people there. My attention, as I walked through the various booths that were set up, was drawn to one booth that was a con-type gambling game. I will not go into all the details of it, but I got drawn into gambling. The interesting part was that it started out with a dime. Ten cents. Before I knew what was happening, I had $300 sunk into that game.

Forty years ago, $300 was like $1,500 today. Minimum wage back then was $1 per hour. Can you imagine being drawn into some-thing like that? I had taken that money out of our monthly budget, and I lost it. I lost every dime of it. The whole month was yet ahead of me. Do you know what I had to do? I had to go down to the bank and borrow $300, because we did not have any reserve. We were just newly wed. It took me a year to pay back that $300 loan.

Heed the Warning

The interesting thing was that, having lost my money in such a quick, slick con game, I was determined that I was not going to let someone else lose their money in the same way. It was a deception. I knew it was a deception. So I decided that I was going to stand right by that booth and, as people came along, I would tell them what kind of a game it was. I will never forget one lady who came by. She was a waitress, working for $1 an hour, and older than I. She had her whole paycheck with her, which, for a 40-hour week, was a grand total of $32 after taxes. She stood and watched this con artist pour the balls into the little pans that had numbers on the bottoms of them, and as she watched, she was getting into her purse to fish out a dime. I told her, “This is a con game. I just lost $300 here. Do not let him take your money.” I warned her, “Listen to me.” I warned her expressly, “Do not get involved in this kind of con game.” Do you know what? She listened to me and walked on down the fairway. The fellow running the booth called me every conceivable name, but I was determined that I was going to stand there and not let other people get drawn into that con game.

Little did I know that down the fairway and around the corner was another booth exactly like the one where I had taken my stand. It was not too long before I heard a woman’s voice cry, “Oooooooooh! You have taken all of my money.” I could hear it clear across the fairway. So I walked down there, and who do you suppose was there? The very woman whom I had expressly warned. She was crying and weeping that they had taken her whole paycheck. Her whole paycheck for that week was gone. She was raising such a ruckus that a short, fat man came out of a nearby trailer. He tried to talk to this lady, but she would not listen. She was out of control. Finally he reached into his wallet and pulled out a wad of bills. He handed her $32, and told her that it was time for her to leave the grounds. It was really quite pathetic.

I am convinced that there will be many people in the last days who will be just like this woman. They have been given a clear warning, but they have decided, for whatever reason, that they do not want to give heed to the warning. Their hearts have never truly been converted. They may listen to the warning and pass by one of the devil’s traps, only to later disregard the warning. That seems, to a great extent, to be the lot of humanity, but it does not have to be that way—not when the Spirit has given express warning. We need to pay attention. We need to heed the warning.

Two Great Errors

“Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome.” The Great Controversy, 588. I do not know which one is worse. They are both bad news—two great errors that will bring people under deception.

The driving force of Seventh-day Adventists is to get the messages of warning to the world. Not everyone is going to listen, but Jesus says, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness.” Matthew 24:14. He does not say the whole world is going to respond, but the message has to be given for a witness.

This is one of the reasons Steps to Life is on Internet radio, because it has the potential of reaching the entire world. This is why we have a television program. This is why we send out containers of literature. It is in an effort to try to get this witness, this warning, out to the world.

To be continued . . .

Pastor Mike Baugher is Associate Speaker for Steps to Life. He may be contacted by e-mail at: mikebaugher@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Words, Part I

In Hebrews 4:2, the apostle Paul says, “For the gospel is preached to us as well as them, but the word did not profit them, not being mixed with faith.” Friends, I need to forewarn you. What we will be studying in this article could be very discouraging, if you do not have enough faith. But if you realize that for everything God has told us to do or not to do, He will give us the grace and power to do it—if we trust in Him and choose to follow Him—then what we are going to study can be very exciting.

Heaven Talk

Have you ever wondered how people talk in heaven? Do you talk in your home the way people talk in heaven? When do you think you should learn to talk like people talk in heaven? Now? Yes, now!

In the Book of James, we are told that the one who controls his tongue is a perfect man. (James 3:2.) If you are not yet perfect, do not be discouraged. Just take hold of the Lord by faith and say, “Lord, this is the way you want me to speak, and I am determined, by Your grace, to talk the way You want me to talk.” If you follow the principles, the Lord will give you the power and the grace to talk His way. Of course, we need to understand how God wants us to talk.

As I have studied the Spirit of Prophecy writings, I have been interested to discover how much Ellen White wrote on the subject of speech in reference to the family. We are going to look at some of these principles, and I hope they will be as great a blessing to you as they have been to me.

Plan Each Morning

One of the first principles is that we need to plan in the morning what we are going to say.

“The first missionary work is to see that love, light, and joy come into the home circle. Let us not be looking for some great temperance or missionary work to do until we have first done the duties at home. Every morning we should think, What kind act can I do today? What tender word can I speak? Kind words at home are blessed sunshine. The husband needs them, the wife needs them, the children need them.” Review and Herald, December 23, 1884.

What do you suppose, friends, would happen in our homes if every morning, every husband, before he got out of bed, was thinking to himself, “What kind word, what tender word, what kind act can I do today for my wife or for my children?” If every wife was thinking before she got out of bed, “What kind word can I speak to my husband today? What tender act could I do for him or for my children?” If we started making plans the first thing in the morning, like the Lord has instructed us, would that make a difference in our homes?

We need the sunshine of kind and tender words in our homes, but that is going to take some planning. Have you noticed that anything worthwhile does not just happen? Someone has to make plans. If we want our speech to be right, the time to start is before we ever get out of bed in the morning. We need to start making plans then—“What kind and tender word could I speak to my spouse today? What act could I do for my spouse today or for my children?” If we start making plans each morning, like the Lord has told us to do, it will have a tremendous influence in our homes. Who knows? We might even think of something kind and tender to say before breakfast!

How We Should Speak

How should we speak? In The Signs of the Times, November 14, 1911, Ellen White advised that we should “cultivate soft tones.” What is the opposite of soft? Harsh—so we want to avoid all harshness of expression.

Mrs. White also said, “We should accustom ourselves to speak in pleasant tones.” Ibid., February 22, 1905. We all like to be spoken to with pleasant tones. She also told us what to avoid: “Never let a frown gather upon your brow.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 532. That is a high standard! Did you know that people do not frown in heaven? They do not, and we are to cultivate a heavenly atmosphere in our homes.

She continued, “Never let a frown gather upon your brow or a harsh word escape your lips. Harsh words sour the temper and wound the hearts of children, and in some cases these wounds are difficult to heal. Children are sensitive . . . .” Ibid. Are your children sensitive? I have known for a long time that my children are sensitive, but I have learned, as I have studied this subject, that all children are sensitive. “Children are sensitive to the least injustice, and some become discouraged under it and will neither heed the loud, angry voice of command nor care for threatenings of punishment.” Ibid. Some become discouraged and may finally decide they do not care whether they are punished or not; they will do what pleases them. We do not want our children to develop that frame of mind, so we must avoid all harsh words and not let frowns develop on our brows.

Passionate Words

We are all tempted to speak passionately at times. What should we do when we realize passionate feelings are arising, and we are about to really let somebody have it? There are all kinds of expressions for this in our language. Have you heard anyone say that they are going to give somebody “a piece of their mind”? Usually they do not mean a good piece!

What should we do when such feelings start to develop? “When about to speak passionately, close your mouth. Don’t utter a word. Pray before you speak, and heavenly angels will come to your assistance and drive back the evil angels, who would lead you to dishonor God, reproach His cause, and weaken your own soul.” Ibid., vol. 2, 82.

When we are tempted to speak passionately, it is time not to speak. It is time to close our mouths. If we are really heated up, we might even need to seek a private place, get down on our knees, and have a session of prayer, asking the Lord to calm our souls so our spirits will not be chaffed. We cannot avoid speaking passionately if our spirits are chaffed. That irritableness in our spirits has to be taken away. The Lord has to take it away, or no matter what we say, our words will not be right. Friends, if we ask, God will give us victory over the passion of spirit. We must have that. Otherwise, when we open our mouths, no matter how good are our intentions, we will have a lot of apologizing to do, to say the least.

Begins in the Home

“The work of sanctification begins in the home. . . .

“In the home the spirit of criticism and faultfinding should have no place. . . .

“No harsh, passionate word is ever spoken without grieving the Lord Jesus, and hurting the heart of speaker and of hearer. From the Christian home all angry or trifling speeches will be excluded; for in the home above nothing of this character finds place.” The Signs of the Times, February 17, 1904.

We are to avoid all angry, trifling, passionate speeches. In the Christian home, those must be excluded, along with the spirit of criticism and faultfinding. That does not mean we are to close our eyes and not be aware of what is going wrong, but we are not to have a spirit of trying to tear down.

Have you ever noticed how sensitive we are to having our faults exposed? I have been amazed, over and over again, at how sensitive we as human beings are. We may have a hundred things wrong, but to have someone point out even one fault, just about tears us to pieces. Have you ever wondered about your children? Since we as adults are sensitive to having someone point out any fault that we have, do you suppose our children might be sensitive to having their faults pointed out? If you keep that in mind, it will be a great help to you.

We need to do a lot of praying, friends, before we seek to point out a fault in our children. Remember, they are just as sensitive as we are, maybe more so. It takes great tact and love and kindness to be able to point out a fault and have it received in the right way so that the child will be drawn to Jesus and be determined to correct it. Mrs. White talked about this: “When you are obliged to correct a child, do not raise the voice to a high key . . . .” Ibid.

Some of us have this problem. I personally have to do a lot of praying about this. It is easy for me to raise my voice to a high key. What happens when we do that? “Do not raise the voice to a high key bringing into it that which will arouse the worst passions of the child’s heart.” Ibid. When the voice is raised to a high key, what is a natural response for the listener? It is easy for the child to feel like he or she is getting scolded, and that might be exactly what is happening.

Hasty Speech

“Restrain every hasty speech that struggles for utterance. Before you speak that fretful, impatient word, stop and think of the influence which, if spoken, it will exert. Remember that children are quick to hear every word, and to mark every intonation of the voice.” Ibid.

I have tested this out on our dog. I did not want to test it on my children. I have found that I can speak the most severe reproofs, commands, and awful things to our dog, and if I speak softly, with a smile on my voice, she just wags her tail. But if I yell at her, telling her that I love her and that she is a good dog, she starts to cower. Children will respond just as dogs do. They recognize the tone of our voices. That is why we are to accustom ourselves to always speaking in pleasant tones.

Should we not reprove our children? God has commanded us to not allow the faults of our children to pass by without being corrected. Notice what Mrs. White wrote about this: “Under all circumstances reproof should be spoken in love. . . .

“Not one word is to be spoken unadvisedly.” Ibid., February 22, 1905.

Corrupt Communication

The Bible talks about corrupt communication in 1 Corinthians. What is corrupt communication? “No evil speaking, no frivolous talk, no fretful repining or impure suggestions, will escape the lips of him who is following Christ. . . . A corrupt communication does not mean only words that are vile. It means any expression contrary to holy principles and pure, undefiled religion. It includes impure hints and covert insinuations of evil. Unless instantly resisted, these lead to great sin.

“Upon every family, upon every individual Christian, is laid the duty of barring the way against corrupt speech. When in the company of those who indulge in foolish talk, it is our duty to change the subject of conversation if possible.” Ibid.

We do not want corrupt communication in our homes. We cannot have it in our homes if we are getting ready to go to heaven, because people do not talk like that in heaven.

False Witness

Mrs. White also gave the definition of false witness: “We think with horror of the cannibal who feasts on the still warm and trembling flesh of his victim; but are the results of even this practice more terrible than are the agony and ruin caused by misrepresenting motive, blackening reputation, dissecting character? . . .

“God’s Word condemns also the use of those meaningless phrases and expletives that border on profanity.” Ibid., March 1, 1905.

Do you know what an expletive is? An expletive is a word that is not used according to its dictionary definition, but is used to express emotion. Unfortunately, many people use the characteristics of God as expletives, thereby breaking the third commandment. The characteristics of God are listed in Exodus 34:6. “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth . . . .” Those are the characteristics of God.

One of the words used to describe His characteristics is the word merciful. Have you ever heard the word mercy used as an expletive? That is a name for God, friends. It is part of His character. To use that word just to express emotion is to break the third commandment. Part of His Name is the word gracious. To use that word in a flippant way is to break the third commandment.

There are all sorts of words that I do not want to repeat and develop bad habits of speaking by repeating them, but you know what I am talking about. Have you ever heard somebody say, “Oh, _____”? There are several words that could follow that. Some of them men’s names—and they are not used to refer to any man. They are just used to express emotion. Those are expletives. Mrs. White calls them “meaningless phrases.” Jesus never used those. You will not find any expletives that He ever used in the entire Gospel account, and He is our example.

Deceptive Compliments

The Bible condemns the deceptive compliments, meaningless phrases, and expletives that border on profanity. Oh, friends, this bothers me. This is a problem, friends, for Christians. We have a big problem in giving deceptive compliments, trying to make people feel good in saying something to them that we do not really believe. That is breaking the ninth commandment.

“The evasions of truth, the exaggerations . . .” You know, some people have become so used to exaggerating that in their common, everyday speech—whatever they are talking about—they exaggerate. That will not happen in heaven, friends. They do not make understatements or give exaggerations there. Since I have studied this, I am trying to correct my own speech. We need to be careful that our speech is accurate.

“Closely allied to gossip is the covert [hidden] insinuation, the sly innuendo, by which the unclean in heart seek to insinuate the evil they dare not openly express. Every approach to these practices the youth should be taught to shun as we would shun the leprosy.” Ibid.

Friends, if we are getting ready for heaven, we must train our children to not speak the way they hear other people speaking. Other people are not to be our guides. Jesus is our Guide. We must train our children from babyhood that they must not say anything that they hear other people speaking. This is one of the reasons we as parents need to take time to talk with our children. We need to know how they speak and what they are saying. If they are picking up phrases and expressions from someone else that are not suitable, not understanding what they mean, we must correct their speech and teach them how to speak appropriately. This is also a reason for being careful with whom our children associate.

Quarreling Children

What do you do with children in the home who are quarreling? Ellen White gave counsel regarding that. “Parents, do all in your power to keep disagreements out of the home circle. If the children quarrel, remind them that God has said, ‘Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.’ Teach them never to let the sun go down on angry feelings or sin unconfessed. Teach them that harmony should reign in the home, even as it reigns in heaven. . . .

“Repress every harsh word. Remember that fretting and scolding are as injurious to your children as profanity, and that too much management is as bad as no management at all. Be firm, but let no loud, angry words escape your lips. [There, again, are two kinds of speech we are to avoid—harsh words and loud, angry words.] Rule your children with tenderness and compassion, remembering that ‘their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven.’ . . . Work with loving tenderness; for this is the way Christ works.” The Signs of the Times, April 23, 1902.

Of what are we to remind the children? Not to let the sun go down on their wrath. That is a very literal expression from the Bible. (Ephesians 4:26.) We are to tell our children to not let the sun go down before they have made things right—to not let the sun go down on unconfessed sin or angry feelings.

Self-Control

“God looks into every secret thing of life. By some a constant battle is maintained for self-control.” The Signs of the Times, August 23, 1899. Perhaps you have a constant battle with your tongue. God knows that, friend. You may have to keep up a constant battle your whole life, but God will give you the victory. “Daily they [those battling for self-control] strive silently and prayerfully against harshness of speech and temper. These strivings may never be appreciated by human beings. They may get no praise from human lips for keeping back the hasty words which sought for utterance. The world will never see these conquests, and if it could, it would only despise the conquerors. But in heaven’s record they are registered as overcomers. There is One who witnesses every secret combat and every silent victory, and He says, ‘He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.’ [Proverbs 16:32.]” Ibid.

Scolding

A few statements about scolding have already been addressed, but in the following statement, we are given some counsel on dealing with children who are in trouble. Now, children from the earliest ages get into troubles of various kinds. Their feelings are aroused; maybe they are angry or depressed or hurt or discouraged. Children have all of these kinds of problems just as do adults. To them, their trials are just as severe as our trials are to us. How do we deal with these?

“The little ones must be carefully soothed when in trouble. Children between babyhood and manhood and womanhood do not generally receive the attention they should have. Mothers are needed who will so guide their children that they will regard themselves as a part of the family. Let the mother talk with her children regarding their hopes and their perplexities. Let parents remember that their children are to be cared for in preference to strangers. They are to be kept in a sunny atmosphere, under the mother’s guidance. Be careful that you are not rude to your children, either in speech or in temper. Require obedience, and do not allow yourself to speak carelessly to your children, because your manners and your words are their lesson-book. Help them gently, tenderly, over this period of their life. Let the sunshine of your presence make sunshine in their hearts. These growing boys and girls feel very sensitive, and by roughness you may mar their whole life. Be careful, mothers. Never scold; for that never helps.” Ibid., August 23, 1899. We do not want to do something that would never help, do we? That does not mean, however, that we should not be firm. The very next sentence says, “Firmness is ever to be united with love in the home life.” Ibid.

Harmony

How much harmonious speech in the home means to the children! “Allow in the home nothing that savors of cheapness or commonness. You are preparing your children for entrance into the City of God, and nothing that defiles can enter there.

“Be pleasant and cheerful. Remember that love is the power that binds your children to you.” Ibid., September 16, 1903. We should always remember that sentence. It is the power of love that binds our children to us.

“Keep your words and actions free from anger. Do nothing that will destroy the harmony of the home. Let the sharp words [there is another type of word to avoid] that you are tempted to speak die unspoken. Such words wound and bruise the hearts of the hearers.” Ibid.

To be continued . . .

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

The Seven Churches, Part II – The Church of Ephesus

In Revelation, messages are given to the churches, and in these messages, we find that Jesus is the One who is preeminent. Revelation 1:12 says, “Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands.”

We learn in verse 20 that these lampstands represented the seven churches, but notice what was in the midst of the lampstands. There was “[One] like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to his feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.” Verse 13. The remainder of this chapter is about Jesus and His beauties.

Verse 16 tells us that Jesus is walking in the midst of the churches, and He has in His right hand seven stars. Who are the seven stars? The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches (verse 20) or, as some translations say, the messengers of the seven churches.

Purpose of the Church

In 1 Timothy 3:15, we are told what God’s purpose is for the church. This is His purpose for your church and for every church of His throughout the land. Paul, speaking to Timothy, said, “. . . if I am delayed, I [write] so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

The purpose of the church is to be the mainstay of truth. The church is not sent to preserve itself. God can preserve the church. We do not have to worry, as did the Jewish leaders, about somehow preserving the church. What we have to worry about is preserving the truth. The church is the mainstay, the ground of the truth.

Character of Jesus

Jesus is to be preeminent. Verse 16 says, “Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” When Paul speaks of the church, he immediately turns the focus to Jesus Christ and says that He is the One Who is to be manifested in the church.

The church is a pillar of truth on earth. It is to be the mainstay of the truth, and that truth, dear friend, is, in essence, the character of Jesus. The only way the church can be the mainstay and pillar, the ground of the truth, as Paul says it is to be, is to represent the character of Jesus within its members. It is to teach the truth, but more important than teaching the truth, it is to live the truth. It is to have Jesus’ character lived out within us. That is what the gospel to the church of Ephesus is all about.

Gospel to Ephesus

“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.’ ” Revelation 2:1, 2.

Jesus introduces himself in each of these churches in a way that is particularly applicable to the church to which He is writing. The first church, in a special way, applies to the apostolic church—the church that Peter, Paul, and John started—the church that began when Jesus died and continued until the death of John, about a.d. 100.

Jesus is reminding them that He holds the seven stars. Some of these churches were inclined to think that they were somehow special, because John or Paul had started them. Remember, Paul wrote to the people in Corinth and said, “Some of you are in contention because some of you say, ‘I am a follower of Paul,’ and others say, ‘I am a follower of Apollos.’ ” (1 Corinthians 3:4–6.)

The people of that time had the disciples of Jesus Christ amongst them. There were churches the disciples had actually started. It would have been something to have had Matthew as your first pastor! Or to have had Paul starting your church. Thomas and others pastored and raised up churches.

Can you not just hear the members of some church saying, “We were started by Peter himself!” That could be rather prideful. Or, “We were started by Peter; this is Peter’s church.” God reminds them, “I am the One Who holds the seven stars. None of these people belong to anyone except Me. I am the One Who is in control of the messengers. I have sent them, and more than that, I am the One Who is walking in the midst of the candlesticks of the churches. It is not Peter, Paul, or John.”

Stars in His Hands

Let us consider further the stars in the right hand of God. Who is it that the Bible says Jesus is holding in His right hand? In John 10:27, 28, Jesus said that He is holding His sheep—His people—in His hand. The Bible uses many different symbols, but God is holding us in His right hand.

When Jesus last sent out the disciples, He told them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, . . . and lo, I am with you always, [even] unto the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18–20.

Jesus said, “I will be with you; I will hold you wherever you go. I am sending you out as my messengers, my angels. I am sending you out as my representatives; I will hold you, and I will be with you.” (The Greek word, aggelos, is translated as angels and means “my messengers.”)

All of us are to be stars in the hands of Jesus, to be His messengers, but in a special way, He has ordained certain messengers all through the ages. There were first the disciples, and down through the Dark Ages we are reminded of Wycliffe, Martin Luther, and others. The Bible tells us that ordinations were established to set apart elders and ministers as God’s special messengers.

So, the seven stars to the churches are the messengers or ministers to the churches that God holds and that He chooses and ordains. We should understand that not every humanly-recognized minister may be a star in the hand of Jesus, and not every star is recognized by mankind. The stars are held in the hand of Jesus, not in the hand of the church.

Do you think that John the Baptist was one of the stars Jesus held in his hand? Did the church ever recognize him? Never!

I do not think Caiaphas was a star in the hand of Jesus. Do you? Did the church recognize him as being a star? Oh, yes! He was the head of God’s church on earth at that time. It was His church, but Caiaphas was not a star. (See Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 184, 185.)

The stars are held in the hand of Jesus. We need to make sure that each of us is a star. God, of course, has designated certain stars, but that does not elevate any person. God has designated that some should go as missionaries; some should go as teachers, some as evangelists, and some as apostles. He is the One Who must ordain.

Ellen White wrote: “Enoch, Noah, Moses, Daniel, and the long roll of patriarchs and prophets,—these were ministers of righteousness. They were not infallible; they were weak, erring men; but the Lord wrought through them as they gave themselves to His service.” Gospel Workers, 13. She goes on to say that these were stars in Jesus’ hands.

Would you like to be a star in Jesus’ hands? You can be. Every soul who was in the upper room became a star after Jesus’ ascension. Every one of them was filled with the Holy Spirit and went out to give the message. Today, God is preparing stars. They are not all prepared by human universities. They are not all prepared in the same way; many of them may never be recognized, just as John the Baptist was not, but God is preparing stars to shine forth to give the world His message.

Recognize the Stars

Speaking of the church, Ellen White wrote: “The days are fast approaching when there will be great perplexity and confusion. Satan, clothed in angel robes, will deceive, if possible, the very elect. . . . Every wind of doctrine will be blowing. [That is not only in the world but even among God’s people.] . . . Those who have trusted to intellect, genius, or talent will not then stand at the head of rank and file. They did not keep pace with the light. Those who have proved themselves unfaithful will not then be entrusted with the flock. [They will not be stars anymore, you see.] . . . They are self-sufficient, independent of God, and He cannot use them. The Lord has faithful servants, who in the shaking, testing time will be disclosed to view.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 80, 81.

Did John the Baptist come forth with the polish of someone from an Ivy League school? We read that “he was clothed with camel’s hair.” Mark 1:6. That was the common, workman’s clothing. I wonder if I would have recognized him as a star, or would I have gone to inquire of Caiaphas as to whether or not he believed John the Baptist to be a star. Could I have heard the voice of Jesus? Jesus said, in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

Becoming a Star

It should be our greatest desire to be under the control of Jesus, hearing His voice. Along with that, we should want to be His star, being used by Him wherever He may lead us. He has promised to keep us in His hand.

Do you know what education is needed to become a star in the hand of Jesus? In Matthew 20:20, 21, we read of two people who wanted to become stars in the hands of Jesus: “Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. And He said to her, ‘What do you wish?’ She said to Him, ‘Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.’ ”

What did she want? She wanted her sons to be stars in the Lord’s kingdom. She wanted them to be His messengers. Jesus did not rebuke her. There was displayed a little pride, a little rivalry, and a little selfishness that was not good—and God would deal with that, but they wanted to be doing the work of Jesus. That was good!

They wanted to be associated with Jesus, but do you know what it took? “Jesus answered and said, ‘You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ ” Verse 22.

Every star must be baptized with the baptism of suffering. That is why the Bible says, “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” or perfects your character. James 1:2, 3. The trials are what bring out the things that should not be there. They are what cause you to depend upon Jesus and not upon yourself.

We are not to bring trials upon ourselves, for that would be presumptuous. We do not have to do such a thing, because if we are living the Christian life, the devil will bring us all kinds of trials. God allows this, because He loves us, and it is through these trials that our characters are strengthened as steel. That is how Jesus’ character was strengthened.

“I Know Your Works”

Jesus said that it is He who holds the seven stars and walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, and “I know your works.” Revelation 2:1, 2.

Jesus is walking amidst the churches and the first thing He says is, “I know your works.” The churches do not always know their works, but Jesus knows them. This is said regarding every church, every congregation, in the world.

Jesus said, “I am the One Who walks in the midst of the candlesticks [churches], and I know your works.” Not only does God judge individuals and know their individual hearts and the works that they do, but He also looks at them as a body, as a church family, and He says to the church, “I know your works as a family.”

We ought to think about that. What would God say if He came down to our church and said, “I know your church . . .”? What would follow? Someday we will know, because He is going to tell us when He comes. I hope that it is like the church of Philadelphia of which nothing bad is said. (Revelation 3:7–12.) That would be wonderful! I am glad there were two churches about which not a bad thing was said. Sadly, there were two churches about which not a good thing was said.

The First Church

Ephesus was in the middle; there were some good things and some bad things said about it. The first thing is good. God said, “I know your labor.” Revelation 2:2. That is good! They worked!

“I know your patience.” That is good! They were persevering and enduring—that is what the Greek word, hupomone, means there. And they “cannot bear those who are evil.” Verse 2. I do not know if that is good or not! God is saying it in a good sense here; sometimes we come to a place where we think, to be Christians, we should tolerate everything.

God does not say that about Ephesus. He said, “I know your works, that you cannot bear those who are evil.” Of course, they loved the individuals; they could not bear their evil ways, and they would not allow them to take over the church. They could not bear their evil in the church, and God compliments them.

Jesus loved the sinners with all of His heart. In fact, He spent a lot more time with sinners than with righteous people, partly because there were no righteous people. Beyond that, He spent more time with those who thought they were sinners than with those who thought they were righteous.

Testing

“You cannot bear those that are evil.” These are the evil people who thought they were good, like Caiaphas. “You have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars.” Verse 2. These evil people who thought they were apostles is speaking of preachers and leaders.

How I wish that God could say this about the Laodicean church. As I have traveled, I have found that there is one common element in the Seventh-day Adventist Church all over the world. The members are very loyal to the church and to the organization. God wants loyalty. Jesus was loyal. But many people have done so little studying that they do not know anything other than what is taught to them by the leadership. They have not tested.

Do you remember what Paul said to the people of Berea? He said, “These [the Bereans] were more fair-minded than those in Thessalo-nica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily [to find out] whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11. Whatever Paul told them, they searched out to find out whether or not what he was saying was correct. If that was true for Paul, it certainly should be true for the preachers of today!

Today, people are gullible. Put a preacher in a church, and before long, everyone in the church believes just the way the preacher does. Churches are saved or lost depending upon the preacher. That is taking a pretty big chance!

In the Ephesus church, they tested the preachers, and if they did not preach what was truth, they did not let them preach. We would not think of that today! Many would say such an action would be terrible. The Bible says we are all influenced, and if we call evil good, sooner or later we will call good evil. It always goes that way. (See Isaiah 5:20.)

Every Good Thing

Revelation 2:3 says, “. . . you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.” God is emphasizing these characteristics. My, this church must have been ready for translation! They had every good thing going for them.

I wish that verse 3 could be said for every church of the land today. It would be wonderful if we never grew weary of doing good works!

Left First Love

After all these good things, however, in verse 4, Jesus says, “Nevertheless I have [this] against you, that you have left your first love.”

Well, with all those good things, I guess we can have a little bad. I mean you cannot expect anyone or anything or any church to be perfect, can you?

God has just told us numerous good things about Ephesus, and He emphasizes some over and over again. So they do not have quite enough love, but at least they have the purity of the gospel and all the rest, so I guess that is good enough.

He goes on to say, in verse 5, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place.”

We can read over that pretty quickly, but all of a sudden things become very serious. God says, “For all the good things you have done, because you have left your first love, I am going to remove your church unless you come back to your first love.” And I scratch my head and say, “What?” I can think of a lot worse things than losing your first love—but God cannot.

God’s Character—Love

The passage for Ephesus is 1 Corinthians 13. It is one of the most astounding chapters in the Bible; my family and I repeat it every morning at the breakfast table. Read through it prayerfully.

God says we can do it all, but if we do not have love, we have not gained a single thing. So God says to the church of Ephesus, “Listen, you have this and this and this and this, and all these things are good, but you have not represented my character. God is love.”

The church is here to represent God’s character. We can have all the rules and regulations; we can have all the bank accounts; we can have all the fancy buildings and the organization. We can have anything in the world, but unless we have the love of God in our church and in our hearts, we might as well do away with all the rest.

I do not believe in preaching just love, love, love. I believe there is more to the gospel than just love. I believe we should preach the whole gospel, but I want to tell you, we need to preach love, too. Preaching does not do much good, unless it is lived. We need to live the life of Jesus Christ. In the end, that is what it is all going to be about.

We cannot take anything to heaven except our characters. The only thing the church can take to heaven is its members. It cannot take anything else. It cannot take the buildings, the bank accounts, or anything. It can only take to heaven its membership, and the only membership it can take to heaven are those who have the love of Jesus within in their hearts.

What Kind of Love

There are two parts to the love that God wants us to have, and we must have both. The first part of the love is that we must have love for God. We must love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. (Mark 12:30.) Second, we must love one another. (John 13:34; Matthew 5:44.) We have to have both.

There are many people who will do a lot of humanitarian good but who will never learn to love God. They will not be saved. A lot of people have just hidden themselves away from humanity—not taking care of the poor, the needy, the suffering, or anyone else. They are cloistered away in some monastery, supposedly developing love for God. They are going to have a difficult time getting to heaven, too.

Jesus came down and showed us love for God by obeying God. He said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15. And Jesus said that the first and great commandment is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37. He also told us that we are to love others. In 1 John 4, we are told that if we do not love our brethren, we do not love God, because our brethren were made in the image of God, and that is whom Jesus came to save.

Matthew 5:44 tells us to “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

We can talk about love all we want and have all these sentimental feelings inside, but it is not all that easy. It is not easy to love those who hate you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you. (Matthew 5:11.)

“That you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?” Verses 45, 46. That is not the love of God. “Do not even the tax collectors” and publicans and sinners—everyone—do that? Even Hitler loved those who loved him! He did not love the Jews, but he did love a few people; he loved those who carried out his orders.

Everyone loves someone, but that is not the love about which Jesus is talking. The love that the Bible talks about is loving those who hate us and persecute us and say all manner of evil against us falsely.

“If you greet your brethren only, what do you more [than others]? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Verses 47, 48.

Truly Converted

Ephesus had left their first love; they had become very concerned about the gospel, which they should have. They worked very hard, which they should have, but somehow they failed to be truly converted. The church of Ephesus, started by the apostles, was like some kids that are raised in Christian homes who grow up thinking they are Christians because their mothers and fathers are Christians, because they go to Sabbath School and church every week, and they have learned to pay their tithes. They have learned to do all the right things, but they do not realize that they have to be converted themselves.

The church of Ephesus grew up hearing Paul and Peter, and they thought, “We have heard it all, and we have followed it all. Certainly we are converted.” They did not realize that they had to be changed in the innermost self.

I can preach the gospel, if God helps me. I can do everything for the Lord that He asks me to do, but if I do not develop within my heart a love for those who mistreat me or whatever else they may do to me, I am not yet ready to take to heaven. I do not yet represent the character of Jesus.

Today, God is looking for a church that preserves the true gospel, a church that is very careful that a false gospel is not taught in it. He is looking for a church that tests everything that comes along, but beyond all that and with all that, they have a love in their hearts that is like the love that Jesus demonstrated when He was on earth. He is looking for a church that represents Him in their characters.

So the message to the church of Ephesus ends: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7.

What was it that Ephesus had to overcome? They had to overcome their feelings toward one another—feelings of indifference, of being perturbed. They had to become converted.

I pray that your church might be a church that preserves the gospel, one that hates the deeds of the Nicolaitans, “which I also hate,” as it says in verse 6. The Nicolaitans were those who believed that, as long as you had faith, it did not matter what you did. The Nicolaitans had a pseudo love; they believed that as long as you professed love to God, it did not matter whether or not you kept His commandments. May your church preserve the truth and also be filled, not only with love but with the first love—the love of Jesus, love for one another, love for God, and love for the world.

When we have that love within our hearts, we will have the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When all of the churches have the same experience, then we will find Jesus coming, because we are told that “When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 69.

To be continued . . .

Pastor Marshall Grosboll, with his wife Lillian, founded Steps to Life. In July 1991, Pastor Marshall and his family met with tragedy as they were returning home from a camp meeting in Washington state, when the airplane he was piloting went down, killing all on board.

Editorial – 1843, Pt. III

In the September 2004 issue, four points were presented regarding the interpretation of prophecy given in Daniel 8:13, 14:

  1. Who and what is the little horn in Daniel 8?
  2. Daniel 8:12, 13 speak of two separate rebellions, first the continuance in rebellion and second the desolating or depopulating rebellion.
  3. This is a time prophecy.
  4. This is a time prophecy having to do with end-time events, because the angel said to Daniel, in regard to the 2300 days, that the vision dealt with the time of the end.

Discussion was given on points 4 and 3 and started on point 2. We continue with point #2.

In Daniel 12:11, we see that after the continuance in rebellion is removed and the desolating rebellion is set up in its place, another time period of 1290 days will follow. Any interpretation of the two rebellions in Daniel 8:13, 14 must, in addition to explaining a 2300-day interval between a beginning and a closing event, also be able to explain a 1290-day interval between the time that the continuance in rebellion is removed and the desolating rebellion is set up. When we look at the context of this time prophecy in Daniel 12:4–13, we see that this time prophecy extends until the time of the end. (See especially Daniel 12:4, 6–9, 13.) Thus, for a third time, we see facts from the Scriptures that make it completely impossible for the prophecy to refer to Antiochus Epiphanes in the second century b.c. Incidentally, the services in the Jewish sanctuary could never be truly called the “continuance in rebellion,” which is the way the “daily” is described in Daniel 8:12.

Finally, we will look at point #1. Who is the little horn in Daniel 8? Our critics have proclaimed that this little horn is Antiochus Epiphanes, one of about 20 kings of a division of Alexander’s empire in the second century b.c. We will give the characteristics of this little horn from the book of Daniel and let our readers decide if Antiochus Epiphanes fits any of these or not. This little horn is not only greater than the Medo-Persian empire but it is even greater than Alexander the Great! Notice Daniel 8:4, which says literally that the ram (Medo-Persia) was great (or magnified himself), and then Daniel 8:5–8, which shows that the goat (the empire of Alexander the Great) became exceeding great. This is talking about a worldwide power—“the whole earth.” Verse 5. In describing the little horn, the prophet said that it became great beyond measure. (Verse 9.) But this is just the beginning. This little horn power (2) was victorious against some of the army of heaven and cast some of them to the ground. (3) It fought against the commander of the army of heaven. (Verse 11.) (4) It was the power responsible for removing the continuance in rebellion and setting up the desolating rebellion in its place. (Verses 11, 12.) (5) He will destroy many while they are at ease. (Verse 25.) (6) He will be broken or shattered or destroyed without hand, that is without human agency. (Verse 25.)

Was Antiochus Epiphanes destroyed without human hand, that is without human agency, or in other words, by divine intervention? The historical record simply states that he died while on an expedition against the Parthians in 164 b.c.

However, if we look at the Roman power, it fits every single specification of the prophecy.

  1. It was greater than Alexander the Great and the empire he set up.
  2. It was victorious against some of the army of heaven. (God’s people are described as His army. See Exodus 12:41.)
  3. It fought against the Commander of the army of heaven—it was the Roman power, for example, who crucified Jesus.
  4. The Roman power was responsible later for removing the continuance in rebellion and setting up the desolating rebellion.
  5. The Roman power has not yet come to its end, but according to Bible prophecy, it will come to its end by divine intervention and not by any human hand.