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The Loud Cry

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Of all the subjects we like to hear and study, it is the Second Coming of Christ that brings us the most thrilling joy of anticipation. The next most exciting subject, I believe, is the Loud Cry. It stirs our hearts for the climax of victory. Surrounding the Loud Cry is a cluster of events that begin with the national Sunday law and end with the close of probation.

Revelation 18 contains the Loud Cry, which is to be given to the whole world. “And after these things, I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” Revelation 18:1–5.

This most powerful message of the Loud Cry will begin as soon as the United States enacts the national Sunday law. Immediately, every nation on earth will be forced by Rome to follow the United States and declare Sunday the universal day of worship.

“Foreign nations will follow the example of the United States. Though she leads out, yet the same crisis will come upon our people in all parts of the world . . . All nations and tongues and peoples will be commanded to worship this spurious Sabbath. This is Satan’s plan to make of no account the day instituted by God, and given to the world as a memorial of creation. The decree enforcing the worship of this day is to go forth to all the world.” Maranatha, 214.

It is at this time that the loyal Sabbath-keepers will face the crisis of their lives and make the final decision that they would rather die than sin. By refusing to worship the beast and accept the mark of apostasy, this small remnant will receive the seal of God, and the Holy Spirit will be poured out upon them in the latter rain, enabling them to give the Loud Cry quickly to all the world.

The sealing is a progressive work, and as men and women throughout this planet come to understand what is taking place in the Loud Cry, they will make their decisions in response to the Three Angels’ Messages to accept or reject God’s final appeal. A divine power will be in their lives by words spoken. It will be at this time that Satan will also manifest himself by appearing as though he is Christ returning to the earth. “Satan sees that he is about to lose his case. He cannot sweep in the whole world. He makes one last desperate effort to overcome the faithful by deception. He does this in personating Christ. He clothes himself with the garments of royalty, which have been accurately described in the vision of John. He has power to do this. He will appear to his deluded followers, the Christian world who receive not the love of the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness (transgression of the law), as Christ coming the second time.

“He proclaims himself Christ, and he is believed to be Christ, a beautiful, majestic being clothed with majesty and, with soft voice and pleasant words, with glory unsurpassed by anything that mortal eye had yet beheld. Then his deceived, deluded followers set up a shout of victory, ‘Christ has come the second time! Christ has come! He has lifted up His hands just as He did when He was upon this earth and blessed us.’ ” The Last Day Events, 164.

I believe this to be Satan’s attempt to counterfeit the mighty work of the fourth angel. First, comes the national Sunday law, which is followed by a universal Sunday law. Then come the sealing and the latter rain, which make possible the Loud Cry that Satan tries to counterfeit with his satanic manifestations. But God sends the fourth angel to empower the Loud Cry so that nothing on earth can stop it. Babylon is revealed as fallen, her sins are unmasked, and God calls His people to come out of her that they receive not of her plagues.

Let’s look carefully at eleven points I have compiled about the Loud Cry.

  1. “The Lord has His representatives in all churches. These persons have not had the special testing truths for these last days presented to them under circumstances that brought conviction to heart and mind; therefore they have not, by rejecting light, severed their connections with God.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 70.

“Notwithstanding the spiritual darkness and alienation from God that exist in the churches which constitute Babylon, the great body of Christ’s true followers are still to be found in their communion.” The Great Controversy, 390.

We are not to be discouraged, when we see so many within Adventism being captivated by false teachings. Though they may leave the truth by the millions, there are millions in other churches who will heed the Loud Cry and come out of Babylon to take their place on God’s side with His people.

  1. How are God’s people to react to this Sunday law? First, we must never give the impression that we are resting on Sunday in honor of the Sunday sabbath. We may quietly work within our home on Sunday. We may quietly rest during part of Sunday, as we do on any other day, remembering that it is a workday as God has spoken, “Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work.”

We should spend most of Sunday visiting and giving Bible studies. “We must take a firm stand that we will not reverence the first day of the week as the Sabbath, for it is not the day that was blessed and sanctified by Jehovah, and in reverencing Sunday we should place ourselves on the side of the great deceiver.” Selected Messages, vol. 3, 388.

“The people will soon find out what you believe about Sunday and the Sabbath for they will ask questions. Then you can tell them, but not in such a manner as to attract attention to your work. You need not cut short your work by yourself laboring on Sunday . . . Refraining from work on Sunday is not receiving the mark of the beast . . . In places where the opposition is so strong as to arouse persecution, if work is done on Sunday, let our brethren make that day an occasion to do genuine missionary work.” Last Day Events, 139.

“At one time those in charge of our school at Avondale inquired of me, saying: ‘What shall we do? The officers of the law have been commissioned to arrest those working on Sunday.’ I replied: It will be very easy to avoid that difficulty. Give Sunday as a day for doing missionary work. Take the students out to hold meetings in different places, and to do medical missionary work. They will find the people at home and will have a splendid opportunity to present the truth. This way of spending Sunday is always acceptable to the Lord.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 238.

We may conduct Sunday Schools for the children on Sunday, but never a worship service on Sunday. There is a vast difference between these two programs. “When the practices of the people do not come in conflict with the law of God, you may conform to them. If the workers fail to do this, they will not only hinder their own work, but they will also place stumbling blocks in the way of those for whom they labor, and hinder them from accepting the truth. On Sunday there is the very best opportunity for those who are missionaries to hold Sunday Schools, and come to the people in the simplest manner possible, telling them of the love of Jesus for sinners, and educating them in the Scriptures.

“The light that I have is that God’s servants should go quietly to work, preaching the grand, precious truths of the Bible—Christ and Him crucified, His love and infinite sacrifice—showing that the reason why Christ died is because the law of God is immutable, unchangeable, eternal. The Sabbath must be taught in a decided manner. But be cautious how you deal with the idol Sunday. A word to the wise is sufficient.” Maranatha, 177.

Counsel has been clearly given to us about how we are to relate to the human laws of the earthly government and to God’s Law. “The people of God will recognize human government as an ordinance of divine appointment and will by precept and example teach obedience to it as a sacred duty so long as its authority is exercised within its legitimate sphere. But when its claims conflict with the claims of God we must choose to obey God rather than men. The Word of God must be recognized and obeyed as an authority above that of all human legislation. ‘Thus saith the Lord’ is not to be set aside for a ‘Thus saith the church or the state.’ The crown of Christ is to be uplifted above all the diadems of earthly potentates.” Last Day Events, 142.

  1. The Loud Cry is the Three Angels’ Messages of Revelation 14:9–12. It warns of a fearful judgment to come upon those who will worship the beast and his image. This test is to prepare a people to obey God in the final conflict. “This warning is brought to view in Revelation 14. Here is a threefold message represented as proclaimed by heavenly beings and immediately followed by the coming of the Son of man to reap ‘the harvest of the earth.’ ” The Great Controversy, 311.

Please notice what makes the Loud Cry so different from what the men of God had preached for years. “Heretofore, those who presented the truth of the Third Angel’s Message have often been regarded as mere alarmists. Their predictions that religious intolerance would gain control in the United States, that church and state would unite to persecute those who keep the commandments of God, have been pronounced groundless and absurd . . . But as the question of enforcing Sunday observance is widely agitated, the event so long doubted and disbelieved is soon to be approaching, and the third message will produce an effect which it could not have had before.

“Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them. The sins of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results of enforcing the observance of the church by civil authority, the inroads of spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid progress of the Papal power—all will be unmasked. By these solemn warnings the people will be stirred.” The Great Controversy, 605, 606.

  1. The Loud Cry is a mighty appeal to the message of obedience to the Law of God, made possible by the enabling grace of Christ. It is a message of righteousness by faith and justification by faith. Revelation 14:12 says, “Here is the patience of the saints. Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

“The time of test is just before us, for the Loud Cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 363.

The message is to be a revelation of how God’s love can lift a man out of the pit of sin and give him complete victory over every sin. “The last message of mercy to be given to the world is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 415.

“The message of Christ’s righteousness is to sound from one end of the earth to the other to prepare the way of the Lord. This is the glory of God, which closes the work of the third angel.”Testimonies, vol. 6, 19.

  1. When will this glory of God be manifested? Revelation 18 tells us it is when the sins of Babylon have reached unto heaven. “When do her sins reach unto heaven? When the law of God is finally made void by legislation.” Last Day Events, 198. This clearly reveals that this is the result of the universal Sunday law.
  2. Now is the time for God to act in which He will commission the fourth mighty angel to join with the Third Angel’s Message. “Then I saw another mighty angel commissioned to descend to the earth, to unite his voice with the third angel, and give power and force to his message. Great power and glory were imparted to the angel, and as he descended, the earth was lightened with his glory. The light which attended this angel penetrated everywhere, as he cried mightily, with a strong voice, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.’ ” Early Writings, 277.
  3. The Loud Cry will penetrate the deepest darkness. “Amid the deepening shadows of earth’s great crises, God’s light will shine brightest, and the song of hope and trust will be heard in clearest and loftiest strains.” Education, 166.
  4. “During the Loud Cry, the church, aided by providential interposition of her exalted Lord, will diffuse the knowledge of salvation so abundantly that light will be communicated to every city and town.” Evangelism, 694. “In every city in America the truth is to be proclaimed. In every country of the world the warning message is to be given.” Last Day Events, 208.

“In heathen Africa, in the Catholic lands of Europe and South America, in China, in India, in the isles of the sea, and in all the dark corners of the earth, God has in reserve a firmament of chosen ones that will yet shine forth amidst the darkness, revealing clearly to an apostate world the transforming power of obedience to His law.” Prophets and Kings, 188.

  1. The whole earth is to be enlightened. “Servants of God with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of voices all over the earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the believers. Satan also works with lying wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of men. Revelation 13:13. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand.

“The message will be carried not so much by argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of God. The arguments have been presented. The seeds have been sown, and now it will spring up and bear fruit. The publications distributed by missionary workers have exerted their influence, yet many whose minds were impressed have been prevented from fully comprehending the truth or yielding obedience. Now the rays of light penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness, and the honest children of God sever the bands which have held them. Family connections, church relations, are powerless to stay them now. Truth is more precious than all besides. Notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth, a large number take their stand upon the Lord’s side.” The Great Controversy, 612.

  1. The results will be enormous. Conversions will be by the thousands. “The time is coming when there will be as many converted in a day as there were on the day of Pentecost, after the disciples had received the Holy Spirit.

“The safeguards which false shepherds had thrown around their flocks will become as nought; thousands will set out into the light, and work to spread the light. Heavenly intelligences will combine with human agencies. Thus encouraged, the church will indeed arise and shine, throwing all her sanctified energies into the contest; thus the design of God is accomplished; the lost pearls are recovered.” Evangelism, 692.

“When the storm of persecution really breaks . . .many who have strayed from the fold will come back to follow the Great Shepherd. The people of God will draw together and present to the enemy a united front.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 401.

  1. The Loud Cry message will be given rapidly. “The bright light going among the living creatures with the swiftness of lightening represents the speed with which this work will finally go forward to completion.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 754. “When divine power is combined with human effort, the work will spread like fire in the stubble. God will employ agencies whose origin men will be unable to discern; angels will do a work which men might have had the blessing of accomplishing, had they not neglected to answer the claims of God.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 118.

The prophet Amos describes the finishing of the work like this: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth the seed.” Amos 9:13. “These conversions to the truth will be made with a rapidity that will surprise the church and God’s name alone will be glorified.” Selected Messages, vol. 2, 16. “The final movements will be rapid ones.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 11. This is just what God said in Romans 9: 28, “For He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.”

There is a reason for this wonder. The Loud Cry comes with ten times the power of the Midnight Cry that was given in 1844. “I saw the Latter Rain was coming as the Midnight Cry with ten times the power.” Spaulding Magan Collection, 2.

“Souls that were scattered all through the religious bodies answered to the call, and the precious were hurried out of the doomed churches, as Lot hurried out of Sodom before her destruction.” Early Writings, 279. But the vast majority will reject the message. “Some will listen to these warnings, but by the vast majority they will be disregarded.” In Heavenly Places, 343. There will be opposers of the message who will try to persuade the people not to accept the message. “The popular ministry, like the Pharisees of old, filled with anger as their authority is questioned, will denounce the message as of Satan and stir up the sin-loving multitudes to revile and persecute those who proclaim it.” The Great Controversy, 607.

What a thrill to our souls is the knowledge that the laymen of faith and prayer will be largely used to finish the work of the Loud Cry. “As the time comes for it to be given with greatest power, the Lord will work through human instruments, leading the minds of those who consecrate themselves to His service. The laborers will be qualified rather by the unction of His Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them.” The Great Controversy, 606.

Uneducated men and even children will finish the work. “Many . . . will be seen hurrying hither and thither, constrained by the Spirit of God to bring the light to others. The truth, the Word of God, is as a fire in their bones, filling them with a burning desire to enlighten those who sit in darkness. Many, even among the uneducated, now proclaim the words of the Lord. Children are impelled by the Spirit to go forth and declare the message of heaven. The Spirit is poured out upon all who will yield to its promptings, and casting off all man’s machinery, his binding rules and cautious methods, they will declare the truth with the might of the Spirit’s power. Multitudes will receive the faith and join the armies of the Lord.” Evangelism, 700.

“Let me tell you that the Lord will work in this last work in a manner very much out of the common order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human planning. There will be those among us who will always want to control the work of God, to dictate even what movements should be made when the work goes forward under the direction of the angel who joins the third angel in the message to be given to the world. God will use ways and means by which it will be seen that He is taking the reins in His own hands. The workers will be surprised by the simple means that He will use to bring about and perfect His work of righteousness.” Testimonies to Ministers, 300.

“Those who receive Christ as a personal Saviour, will stand the test and trials of the last days. Strengthened by unquestioned faith in Christ, even the illiterate disciple will be able to withstand the doubts and the questions that infidelity can produce, and put to blush the sophistries of scorners. The Lord Jesus will give the disciples a tongue of wisdom that their adversaries can neither gainsay nor resist. Those who could not by reasoning overcome satanic delusions, will bear an affirmative testimony that will baffle supposedly learned men. Words will come from the lips of the unlearned with such convincing power and wisdom that conversions will be made to the truth. Thousands will be converted under their testimony.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 187.

We are told that the angels of God will join with us in giving this message to men. “There are many men in our world who are like Cornelius. As God worked with Cornelius, so He worked for those true standard bearers. They will obtain a knowledge of God as Cornelius did through the visitation of angels from heaven.” Last Day Events, 207.

Praise God, the work will be finished and Jesus will come! The question is, will you and I be a part of giving the Loud Cry? Today God is calling you—will you answer?

 

John’s Message; Our Message

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In contemplating the mission of John the Baptist, a striking parallel came to view that arrested my attention.

Considering what he was to do, and what it meant to the world, it struck me that the event he was foretelling was the greatest event in history, not only of this world but the universe. What was that event? And what was John’s mission? “In him [Jesus], was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” John 1:4–9.

John was no less than the messenger to prepare the way for the Lord. He prepared the way for the Son of the living God. He announced the coming of the Creator of the Universe to live among men. He had the privilege of being the forerunner of the One, the only One, who could and would save men from sin as the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8. What a privilege! What a responsibility!

Actually, as I thought about it, it seemed that the whole world would be looking forward with intense interest, with longing and inexpressible gratitude for that event. This event made possible a life of eternal happiness and bliss with their Creator! For four thousand years either through the patriarchal sacrificial system or the temple services, the great, compassionate, loving God of the universe had been telling the world of a Redeemer to come who would save it from the pit of ruin into which it had fallen. He had even chosen a special people and bestowed upon them tremendous blessing and care, a people commissioned to tell the world of a coming Saviour. He had given this special people prophecies pointing to the very time of His coming. The God of the universe, the Creator of all in heaven and earth, a Being who was worshiped and adored, with all power, He was coming to this tiny planet. He was coming to “take away the sins of the world.” What other message, what other matter could begin to compare?

Let’s look at this event from another perspective, the perspective of the heavenly universe, from the time before there was sin. Perfection, beauty, perfect harmony reigned. The inhabitants didn’t even realize there was law. They were so perfectly in harmony with the will of God there was nothing but perfect joy, peace, happiness and unity. Then, sin made its entrance. Then, sorrow, pain, and worst of all, they learned about separation from their most beloved Commander, the One they lived to worship, love, and obey. All this was interrupted and destroyed by this little speck of a world. And now the time had come for that separation, for the Father to send His Son to give His life to this world so it could be redeemed.

The entire universe watched with intense interest. To them there was no greater event than the advent of Christ to this one world that had marred God’s entire creation. Would not those for whom this great sacrifice was being made, welcome Him with joy unspeakable? Would not the great and mighty of the earth be the first to welcome and proclaim with joy this greatest of all events in the history of the earth? What a joy John’s life and mission would have been had that been the case. But, sadly, inexplicably, few were even aware.

Just what was the condition of things when the time came for John to begin his ministry? “In the time of John the Baptist, greed for riches, and the love of luxury and display had become widespread. Sensuous pleasures, feasting and drinking, were causing physical disease and degeneracy, benumbing the spiritual perceptions, and lessening the sensibility to sin.” The Desire of Ages, 101.

“He saw his people deceived, self-satisfied, and asleep in their sins. He longed to rouse them to a holier life. The message that God had given him to bear was designed to startle them from their lethargy, and cause them to tremble because of their great wickedness. Before the seed of the gospel could find lodgment, the soil of the heart must be broken up. Before they would seek healing from Jesus, they must be awakened to their danger from the wounds of sin.” Ibid., 103, 104.

Remarkably, this is speaking of the chosen people of God, the very people who were entrusted with the most wonderful message ever given to this world.

Friends, is there a parallel today? Is there an event pending today of immense and eternal import? The answer is a resounding YES!

After six thousand years of sin and misery, pain and alienation, this world is about to be freed, rescued, healed and restored. The one blot in the great, beautiful creation of God is about to be removed, no, remade; remade into what God, in His bounty and love created it to be in the first place. Yet is this tremendous event the one consuming topic of today? Is the world today absorbed in preparing and proclaiming this most wondrous and important truth? Or is it better described by the paragraphs above describing the condition of the world at Jesus’ first advent?

What a message we have to share; what a responsibility. Again I ask, is there a parallel today? Again, the answer is a resounding YES! I am inadequate in my knowledge and speech to share from my own words the message and its importance, so I quote from a book I believe God, in His providence, gave to His people of today just as much as He gave the Scriptures to prepare the world for His first advent. It says, “We are now living in the great day of atonement. …

“Those who would share the benefits of the Saviour’s mediation should permit nothing to interfere with their duty to perfect holiness in the fear of God. The precious hours, instead of being given to pleasure, to display, or to gain seeking, should be devoted to an earnest, prayerful study of the word of truth. The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge of this subject for themselves regarding the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill. Every individual has a soul to save or to lose. Each has a case pending at the bar of God. Each must meet the great Judge face to face. How important, then, that every mind contemplate often the solemn scene when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, when, with Daniel, every individual must stand in his lot, at the end of the days.

“All who have received the light upon these subjects are to bear testimony of the great truths which God has committed to them. The sanctuary in heaven is the very center of Christ’s work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living upon the earth. It opens to view the plan of redemption, bringing us down to the very close of time and revealing the triumphant issue of the contest between righteousness and sin. It is of the utmost importance that all should thoroughly investigate these subjects and be able to give an answer to everyone that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them.” The Great Controversy, 488, 489.

“The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. By His death He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven. We must by faith enter within the veil, ‘whither the forerunner is for us entered.’ Hebrews 6:20. There the light from the cross of Calvary is reflected. There we may gain a clearer insight into the mysteries of redemption. The salvation of man is accomplished at an infinite expense to heaven; the sacrifice made is equal to the broadest demands of the broken law of God. Jesus has opened the way to the Father’s throne, and through His mediation the sincere desire of all who come to Him in faith may be presented before God.” Ibid.

Friends, these are not my words. These are the words of inspiration. Is there any message at this time that can compare with this? Is there any other message that actually brings salvation to a soul? Let’s not repeat the history of the first advent. Let’s study, with humility and sincerity and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and not only be ready for this event, but also to be the instruments God would have us to be in proclaiming this most important and wondrous message to the world.

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

Our Past History – The Times of the Second Angel

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In the book Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 196, she says, “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.” With this in mind, we began to study a subject that is very broad and complex, namely, the Three Angels’ Messages. In part one [LandMarks, July, 2011] we reflected upon the first angel’s message of Revelation 14:6, 7. We learned that the first angel’s message proclaims the hour of God’s judgment. This message was proclaimed by William Miller in the early 1830s. The movement that followed became known as the Millerite movement and later on as the Advent movement. The Millerites discovered that God’s judgment was to begin in A.D. 1844. Now this is the first angel that proclaims the everlasting gospel, but it is not the last. The message of judgment was to be followed by another message, and both messages were to be proclaimed together. Here we will study the second angel’s message.

“And there followed another angel …” Revelation 14:8. Before we continue reading, I want to emphasize the word “followed.” The Greek word for follow means to accompany. It means to go with someone as an associate or companion. For example, in Mark 1:17, 18, we read, “And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.” Notice, they followed or went along with Jesus. They accompanied Him. So, the second angel accompanied the first angel. That means that the first angel was joined by the second angel, and both were to fly in the midst of heaven together. What is the message that was to accompany the first angel?

“And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Revelation 14:8. Notice, the second angel follows or accompanies the first angel with the message that Babylon is fallen. What is Babylon depicted as in the Bible? Revelation 17:3, 5 says, “So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast. … And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” Here we see that Babylon is depicted as a woman, and in Bible prophecy what does a woman represent? Let’s examine three passages. “I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.” “And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.” “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” Jeremiah 6:2; Isaiah 51:16; II Corinthians 11:2. Notice, the Bible depicts God’s church as a woman. Therefore, in Bible prophecy a woman symbolizes the church.

So the message that Babylon is fallen reveals to us a church and her daughters that are fallen. In II Thessalonians 2:3, the apostle Paul prophesied about this. “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” We understand this falling away to apply to the great apostasy of the Church of Rome in the third century. As soon as the Roman church adopted pagan practices, she, as a religious system, fell from the grace of God. However, the message of her fall was not widely proclaimed until the early 1840s when her daughters rejected the first angel’s message of God’s judgment. Remember, Revelation 17:5 says that Babylon is the mother of harlots. Therefore, she has daughter churches that are also corrupt. By the 1840s, as the first angel’s message was gaining strength and converts, Babylon’s daughters, which refer to the various Protestant churches, began to greatly oppose the advent message. As that opposition grew, the people who believed the message of reform were forced to either leave the advent movement and remain with their respective churches or leave their churches and hold fast to their advent beliefs.

Francis Nichol, the author of the book The Midnight Cry (Review and Herald Publishing Association, Washington, D. C., 1945) writes about the development of the second angel’s message. “There comes a time in the history of almost every religious movement when the distinctive teachings or convictions that set it in motion, result in friction and opposition in the church or churches from which it sprang. …

“In many instances the believers in Miller’s teachings were not permitted to express themselves on the subject in any way in their own churches. They felt repressed and spiritually suffocated. In the Millerite meetings they had found their hearts strangely warmed and their spiritual natures quickened as they listened to the prophecies expounded, and pictured in their minds the stimulating thought of the soon coming of Christ. To go from such a series of meetings back to their own churches and find there an atmosphere of coldness toward the whole subject of the advent, could not fail to lead many to question the wisdom of remaining in those churches. Some felt that to stay in their church would really be to deny their faith. Others were not quite sure.” Ibid., 145, 147. So, as a result of rejecting the first angel’s message of judgment, the Babylonian churches fell, and the believers were forced to leave the fallen churches.

The prophetic Scripture that was laid at the foundation of the first angel’s message was Daniel 8:14: “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” The early Adventist Christians believed that the earth was the sanctuary and that the year 1844 was the end of the 2,300 symbolic days. Therefore, they thought that Jesus was going to return in 1844 and bring an end to sin. But after the passing of October 22, 1844, the Adventist believers became greatly disappointed when Jesus did not return to this earth to cleanse it as they expected. Hiram Edson, one of the Adventist lecturers, gives an account of the grief felt by those who were expecting Jesus to come in 1844. He said, “Our fondest hopes and expectations were blasted, and such a spirit of weeping came over us as I never experienced before. It seemed that the loss of all earthly friends could have been no comparison. We wept, and wept, till the day dawn. I mused in my own heart, saying, My advent experience has been the richest and brightest of all my Christian experience. If this had proved a failure, what was the rest of my Christian experience worth? Has the Bible proved a failure? Is there no God, no heaven, no golden home city, no paradise? Is all this but a cunningly devised fable? Is there no reality to our fondest hope and expectation of these things? And thus we had something to grieve and weep over, if all our fond hopes were lost. And as I said, we wept till the day dawn.” Ibid., 247, 248.

Now this is only a glimpse into the grief experienced by the advent believers in 1844. It was a time of gloom and sadness; a time when all hope seemed hopeless. However, Psalm 30:5 tells us, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” And on the day after the disappointment, Hiram Edson received a vision that revealed the real event that transpired on the day before. The following is his own account of the vision: “After breakfast I said to one of my brethren, ‘Let us go and see, and encourage some of our brethren.’ We started, and while passing through a large field I was stopped about midway of the field. Heaven seemed open to my view, and I saw distinctly and clearly that instead of our great High Priest coming out of the Most Holy of the heavenly sanctuary to come to this earth on the tenth day of the seventh month, at the end of the 2,300 days, He for the first time entered on that day the second apartment of that sanctuary; and that He had a work to perform in the Most Holy before coming to this earth. That He came to the marriage at the time [as mentioned in the parable of the Ten Virgins]; in other words, to the Ancient of days to receive a kingdom, dominion, and glory; and we must wait for His return from the wedding.” Ibid., 458.

Notice what Inspiration says regarding the great disappointment and the hope that followed: “Jesus did not come to the earth as the waiting, joyful company expected, to cleanse the sanctuary by purifying the earth by fire. I saw that they were correct in their reckoning of the prophetic periods; prophetic time closed in 1844, and Jesus entered the Most Holy Place to cleanse the sanctuary at the ending of the days. …

“… and He sent His angels to direct their minds that they might follow Him where He was. He showed them that this earth is not the sanctuary, but that He must enter the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary to make an atonement for His people and to receive the kingdom from His Father, and that He would then return to the earth and take them to dwell with Him forever.” Early Writings, 243, 244.

Hope began to swell once again in the hearts of the believers. They received a better understanding of the experience they had just passed through. Instead of coming to this earth in 1844 as they expected, Jesus entered into the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary to begin His last intercessory work for humanity. This brings us to the last angel of the three. So far we have two angels flying together—the first angel accompanied by the second angel. Two messages are proclaimed at the same time—a message of judgment and a message of a fallen church. However, these angels were not to be alone. In Revelation 14:9, it says, “And the third angel followed them.” In our final part we will reflect upon the third angel. But for now remember, “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.”

Demario Carter is currently working as a Bible worker for Steps to Life. 

Inspiration – The Third Angel’s Message

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As the ministration of Jesus closed in the holy place, and He passed into the holiest, and stood before the ark containing the law of God, He sent another mighty angel with a third message to the world. A parchment was placed in the angel’s hand, and as he descended to the earth in power and majesty, he proclaimed a fearful warning, with the most terrible threatening ever borne to man. This message was designed to put the children of God upon their guard, by showing them the hour of temptation and anguish that was before them. Said the angel, “They will be brought into close combat with the beast and his image. Their only hope of eternal life is to remain steadfast. Although their lives are at stake, they must hold fast the truth.” The third angel closes his message thus: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12). As he repeated these words, he pointed to the heavenly sanctuary. The minds of all who embrace this message are directed to the most holy place, where Jesus stands before the ark, making His final intercession for all those for whom mercy still lingers and for those who have ignorantly broken the law of God. This atonement is made for the righteous dead as well as for the righteous living. It includes all who died trusting in Christ, but who, not having received the light upon God’s commandments, had sinned ignorantly in transgressing its precepts.

After Jesus opened the door of the most holy, the light of the Sabbath was seen, and the people of God were tested, as the children of Israel were tested anciently, to see if they would keep God’s law. I saw the third angel pointing upward, showing the disappointed ones the way to the holiest of the heavenly sanctuary. As they by faith enter the most holy, they find Jesus, and hope and joy spring up anew. I saw them looking back, reviewing the past, from the proclamation of the second advent of Jesus, down through their experience to the passing of the time in 1844. They see their disappointment explained, and joy and certainty again animate them. The third angel has lighted up the past, the present, and the future, and they know that God has indeed led them by His mysterious providence.

It was represented to me that the remnant followed Jesus into the most holy place and beheld the ark and the mercy seat, and were captivated with their glory. Jesus then raised the cover of the ark, and lo! the tables of stone, with the ten commandments written upon them. They trace down the lively oracles, but start back with trembling when they see the fourth commandment among the ten holy precepts, with a brighter light shining upon it than upon the other nine, and a halo of glory all around it. They find nothing there informing them that the Sabbath has been abolished, or changed to the first day of the week. The commandment reads as when spoken by the voice of God in solemn and awful grandeur upon the mount, while the lightnings flashed and the thunders rolled; it is the same as when written with His own finger on the tables of stone: “Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God” (Exodus 20:9, 10). They are amazed as they behold the care taken of the ten commandments. They see them placed close by Jehovah, overshadowed and protected by His holiness. They see that they have been trampling upon the fourth commandment of the decalogue, and have observed a day handed down by the heathen and papists, instead of the day sanctified by Jehovah. They humble themselves before God and mourn over their past transgressions.

I saw the incense in the censer smoke as Jesus offered their confessions and prayers to His Father. And as it ascended, a bright light rested upon Jesus and upon the mercy seat; and the earnest, praying ones, who were troubled because they had discovered themselves to be transgressors of God’s law, were blessed, and their countenances lighted up with hope and joy. They joined in the work of the third angel and raised their voices to proclaim the solemn warning. But few at first received it; yet the faithful continued with energy to proclaim the message. Then I saw many embrace the message of the third angel and unite their voices with those who had first given the warning, and they honored God by observing His sanctified rest day.

Many who embraced the third message had not had an experience in the two former messages. Satan understood this, and his evil eye was upon them to overthrow them; but the third angel was pointing them to the most holy place, and those who had had an experience in the past messages were pointing them the way to the heavenly sanctuary. Many saw the perfect chain of truth in the angels’ messages, and gladly received them in their order, and followed Jesus by faith into the heavenly sanctuary. These messages were represented to me as an anchor to the people of God. Those who understand and receive them will be kept from being swept away by the many delusions of Satan.

Early Writings, 254–256.

Insights from the Book of Isaiah (1) – A Message for Today

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December 17 – 23, 2017

Key Text

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1).

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 2, 24–37; vol. 5, 298–302.

Introduction

“I cannot too strongly urge all our church members, all who are true missionaries, all who believe the third angel’s message, all who turn away their feet from the Sabbath, to consider the message of the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 265.

Sunday 

1              TO WHOM IS THIS MESSAGE ADDRESSED?

  • What must we carefully keep in mind when seeking to promote the message of Isaiah, chapter 58? Isaiah 58:1.

Note: “[Isaiah 58:1 quoted.] This message must be given; but while it must be given, we should be careful not to thrust and crowd and condemn those who have not the light that we have. We should not go out of our way to make hard thrusts at the Catholics. Among the Catholics there are many who are most conscientious Christians and who walk in all the light that shines upon them, and God will work in their behalf. Those who have had great privileges and opportunities, and who have failed to improve their physical, mental, and moral powers, but who have lived to please themselves and have refused to bear their responsibility, are in greater danger and in greater condemnation before God than those who are in error upon doctrinal points, yet who seek to live to do good to others. Do not censure others; do not condemn them.

“If we allow selfish considerations, false reasoning, and false excuses to bring us into a perverse state of mind and heart, so that we shall not know the ways and will of God, we shall be far more guilty than the open sinner. We need to be very cautious in order that we may not condemn those who, before God, are less guilty than ourselves.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 243, 244.

Monday 

2             THE WARNING OFTEN SILENCED

  • What is often the reaction faced by earnest believers seeking to “cry aloud, spare not” (Isaiah 58:1)? John 3:19–21; compare Numbers 16:1–4. What was the Lord’s messenger shown concerning the state of God’s professed people?

Note: “Many were cherishing idols in their hearts and were practicing iniquity which separated them from God and caused them to be bodies of darkness. I saw but few who stood in the light, having discernment and spirituality to discover these stumbling blocks and remove them out of the way. …

“Some who occupy the position of watchmen to warn the people of danger have given up their watch and recline at ease. They are unfaithful sentinels. They remain inactive, while their wily foe enters the fort and works successfully by their side to tear down what God has commanded to be built up. They see that Satan is deceiving the inexperienced and unsuspecting; yet they take it all quietly, as though they had no special interest, as though these things did not concern them. They apprehend no special danger; they see no cause to raise an alarm. To them everything seems to be going well, and they see no necessity of raising the faithful, trumpet notes of warning which they hear borne by the plain testimonies, to show the people their transgressions and the house of Israel their sins. These reproofs and warnings disturb the quiet of these sleepy, ease-loving sentinels, and they are not pleased. They say in heart, if not in words: ‘This is all uncalled for. It is too severe, too harsh. These men are unnecessarily disturbed and excited, and seem unwilling to give us any rest or quietude. “Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them” (Numbers 16:3). They are not willing that we should have any comfort, peace, or happiness. It is active labor, toil, and unceasing vigilance alone which will satisfy these unreasonable, hard-to-be-suited watchmen. Why don’t they prophesy smooth things, and cry: Peace, peace? Then everything would move on smoothly.’ …

“The people have not erected graven images, yet their sin is no less in the sight of God. They worship mammon. They love worldly gain. Some will make any sacrifice of conscience to obtain their object. God’s professed people are selfish and self-caring. They love the things of this world, and have fellowship with the works of darkness. They have pleasure in unrighteousness. They have not love toward God nor love for their neighbors. They are idolaters and are worse, far worse, in the sight of God than the heathen, graven-image worshipers who have no knowledge of a better way.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 440, 441.

Tuesday 

3             THE TRUMPET MUTED

  • What factors make the task difficult for all who would seek to give the warning trumpet a distinctive sound? Isaiah 58:2; Ezekiel 2:1–7.

Note: “It is not the wicked world, but those whom the Lord designates as ‘my people,’ that are to be reproved for their transgressions. He declares further: ‘Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God’ (Isaiah 58:1, 2). Here is brought to view a class who think themselves righteous and appear to manifest great interest in the service of God; but the stern and solemn rebuke of the Searcher of hearts proves them to be trampling upon the divine precepts.” The Great Controversy, 452.

“The Lord says of these people: ‘They seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness’ (Isaiah 58:2). Here is a people who are self-deceived, self-righteous, self-complacent, and the minister is commanded to cry aloud and show them their transgressions. In all ages this work has been done for God’s people, and it is needed now more than ever before. …

“God always has men to whom He entrusts His message. His Spirit moves upon their hearts and constrains them to speak. Stimulated by holy zeal, and with the divine impulse strong upon them, they enter upon the performance of their duty without coldly calculating the consequences of speaking to the people the word which the Lord has given them. But the servant of God is soon made aware that he has risked something. He finds himself and his message made the subject of criticism. His manners, his life, his property, are all inspected and commented upon. His message is picked to pieces and rejected in the most illiberal and unsanctified spirit, as men in their finite judgment see fit. Has that message done the work that God designed it should accomplish? No; it has signally failed because the hearts of the hearers were unsanctified.

“If the minister’s face is not flint, if he has not indomitable faith and courage, if his heart is not made strong by constant communion with God, he will begin to shape his testimony to please the unsanctified ears and hearts of those he is addressing. In endeavoring to avoid the criticism to which he is exposed, he separates from God and loses the sense of divine favor, and his testimony becomes tame and lifeless. He finds that his courage and faith are gone and his labors powerless.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 299.

Wednesday 

4             FOR WHOM AM I REALLY MOURNING?

  • How are God’s professed people in Isaiah 58 expecting Him to respond to their service toward Him—and what does He answer? Isaiah 58:3; Malachi 3:14, 15. What factors should we consider to­day about our own attitude in this regard—both toward God and toward others?

Note: “[Isaiah 58:1–3 quoted.]

“The prophet presents before us a people who are finding fault with the Lord because He does not give them all that they selfishly desire. The Lord in His answer to their complaints shows that they do not deserve all that they require at His hands; for they have not dealt righteously.” The General Conference Bulletin, May 31, 1909.

“The fasts observed by these worshipers [in Isaiah 58] are a mere pretense, a mockery of humility. They retain all their objectionable traits of character. Their hearts are not cleansed from defilement. They have not received the softening showers of the grace of God. They are destitute of the Holy Spirit, destitute of the sweetness of its influence. They manifest no repentance, no faith that works by love. They are unjust and selfish in their dealing with their fellow men, mercilessly oppressing those whom they regard as their inferiors. Yet they complain because God does not exalt them above all others because of their righteousness.” The Review and Herald, June 25, 1901.

“The people whom the prophet [Isaiah] is commanded to warn … have a form of godliness, and regard themselves as entitled to special favor and blessing, because they make a high profession and keep up a round of religious service. This nourishes their self-complacency, and they feel as the young man felt who came to Christ, claiming to have kept all the commandments, and asked, ‘What lack I yet’ (Matthew 19:20)? … This young man flattered himself that he was keeping all the commandments of God; but was he?—No. He did not love God supremely; for he loved his wealth, which was given him only in trust, more than he loved God; and he did not love his neighbors as himself; for he was not willing to distribute his riches among them. He loved his property more than he loved the souls for whom Christ was ready to sacrifice his own life.” Ibid., October 13, 1891.

“We need to beware of self-pity. Never indulge the feeling that you are not esteemed as you should be, that your efforts are not appreciated, that your work is too difficult. Let the memory of what Christ has endured for us silence every murmuring thought. We are treated better than was our Lord.” The Ministry of Healing, 476.

Thursday 

5             THE MOTIVE BEHIND THE ACTION

  • In Isaiah 58, what was the real motive behind the fasting of God’s people? Isaiah 58:4. How must we avoid the spirit of this practice? Luke 7:33–35.

Note: “The world’s Redeemer cannot honor the fasts observed by the Jewish nation. They fast in pride and self-righteousness, while Christ eats in humility with publicans and sinners.

“Since the fall, the work of Satan has been to accuse, and those who refuse the light which God sends, pursue the same course today. They lay open to others those things which they consider an offense. Thus it was with the Pharisees. When they found something of which they could accuse the disciples, they did not speak to those whom they thought to be in error. They spoke to Christ of the things which they thought to be so grievous in His disciples. When they thought that Christ offended, they accused Him to the disciples. It was their work to alienate hearts.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1088.

“When our prayers are offered in self-confidence, when we fail to watch, and bring our actions into harmony with our prayers, we are not accounted worshipers in the sight of heaven. We are destitute of the faith that works by love and purifies the soul; for genuine faith will lead the possessor to mortify the deeds of the flesh, and crucify selfishness, self-love, impatience, and self-righteousness. Those who would truly follow Christ must daily learn lessons in meekness and lowliness of heart, that they may speak guardedly, manifest courtesy and kindness, have tender hearts, and bring sympathy and sunshine into the home. All strife, all debate, all smiting with the tongue and the fist of wickedness, must be put away. The overbearing will must be subdued, and gentleness and a disposition to be easily entreated must be cultivated.” The Review and Herald, June 5, 1894.

Friday 

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1              What Bible principle determines our level of accountability toward God?

2             Why does a straight testimony reproving sin meet with opposition?

3             If we are serious about eternity, how will we feel about principles?

4             What was wrong with the fasting of the Jews in Isaiah 58?

5             Whether with fasting or not, what kinds of attitudes hinder prayer?

Bible Study Guides – Our Message

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March 12, 2017 – March 18, 2017

Key Text

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2:8).

Study Help: The Desire of Ages, 100–108.

Introduction

“God’s plan is not to send messengers who will please and flatter sinners; He delivers no message of peace to lull the unsanctified into carnal security. But he lays heavy burdens upon the conscience of the wrongdoer, and pierces his soul with sharp arrows of conviction.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 178.

Sunday

1 A WATERED-DOWN MESSAGE

  • How is it possible to weaken, or make of none effect, God’s message? I Corinthians 1:17; Mark 7:13.
  • Instead of a faithful message, what is often told to the people? Jeremiah 6:14, 15; Ezekiel 13:10.

Note: “People venture to commit sins that are grievous in the sight of God, and think that they are not to be called to task for them, because they say they are due to nervousness, to a peculiar temperament; but this is simply soothing the conscience, and crying, ‘Peace, peace, when there is no peace’ (Jeremiah 6:14). Sin is sin, and it is the delusion of Satan to look upon it in any other light than that it is grievous.” The Review and Herald, August 1, 1893.

  • How does God regard flattery? Psalms 5:9; 12:3. What does flattery achieve? Proverbs 26:28; 29:5.

Note: “Praise, flattery, and indulgence have done more toward leading precious souls into false paths, than any other art that Satan has devised.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 304.

Monday

2 OUR LIFESTYLE

  • What was John’s diet, and what was said of his character? Matthew 3:4; Luke 1:80. In what ways was his lifestyle a rebuke to the people of his time?

Note: “In the time of John the Baptist, greed for riches, and the love of luxury and display had become widespread. Sensuous pleasures, feasting and drinking, were causing physical disease and degeneracy, benumbing the spiritual perceptions, and lessening the sensibility to sin. John was to stand as a reformer. By his abstemious life and plain dress he was to rebuke the excesses of his time. Hence the directions given to the parents of John—a lesson of temperance by an angel from the throne of heaven.” The Desire of Ages, 100, 101.

“For years the Lord has been calling the attention of His people to health reform. This is one of the great branches of the work of preparation for the coming of the Son of man. John the Baptist went forth in the spirit and power of Elijah, to prepare the way of the Lord, and to turn the people to the wisdom of the just. He was a representative of those living in these last days, to whom God has entrusted sacred truths to present before the people, to prepare the way for the second appearing of Christ. John was a reformer. The angel Gabriel, direct from heaven, gave a discourse upon health reform to the father and mother of John. He said that he should not drink wine or strong drink, and that he should be filled with the Holy Ghost from his birth.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 70, 71.

  • Compare John’s dress with that of Elijah’s. Matthew 3:4; 2 Kings 1:8. What lesson does this have for us?

Note: “John’s singular appearance carried the minds of his hearers back to the ancient seers. In his manner and dress he resembled the prophet Elijah. With the spirit and power of Elijah he denounced the national corruption, and rebuked the prevailing sins. His words were plain, pointed, and convincing. Many believed him to be one of the prophets risen from the dead. The whole nation was stirred. Multitudes flocked to the wilderness.” The Desire of Ages, 104.

“Puritan plainness and simplicity should mark the dwellings and apparel of all who believe the solemn truths for this time.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 189.

Tuesday

3 PRIDE, VANITY, EXTRAVAGANCE HAVE NO PLACE

  • What should be our attitude toward worldly things? I John 2:15–17. What is the basic principle behind dress reform, and what is its purpose? I Timothy 2:9, 10; Numbers 15:38–40.

Note: “The children of Israel, after they were brought out of Egypt, were commanded to have a simple ribbon of blue in the border of their garments, to distinguish them from the nations around them, and to signify that they were God’s peculiar people. The people of God are not now required to have a special mark placed upon their garments. But in the New Testament we are often referred to ancient Israel as examples. If God gave such definite directions to His ancient people in regard to their dress, will not the dress of His people in this age come under His notice? Should there not be in their dress a distinction from that of the world? Should not the people of God, who are His peculiar treasure, seek even in their dress to glorify God? And should they not be examples in dress, and by their simple style rebuke the pride, vanity, and extravagance of worldly, pleasure-loving professors?—God requires this of His people. Pride is rebuked in His word.” The Review and Herald, January 23, 1900.

  • What is often the case when God’s people forsake Him, and what is our responsibility toward these brethren and sisters? Proverbs 28:4; Romans 1:32.

Note: “When those who are uniting with the world, yet claiming great purity, plead for union with those who have ever been the opposers of the cause of truth, we should fear and shun them as decidedly as did Nehemiah. Such counsel is prompted by the enemy of all good. It is the speech of timeservers, and should be resisted as resolutely today as then. Whatever influence would tend to unsettle the faith of God’s people in His guiding power, should be steadfastly withstood.” Prophets and Kings, 660.

“There are times when apostasy comes into the ranks, when piety is left out of the heart by those who should have kept step with their divine Leader. The people of God separate from the source of their strength, and pride, vanity, extravagance, and display follow. There are idols within and idols without; but God sends the Comforter as a reprover of sin, that His people may be warned of their apostasy and rebuked for their backsliding.” Christian Education, 95.

Wednesday

4 UPHOLDING THE STANDARD

  • How can we lift the standard of truth today? 2 Peter 1:10–12; 2 Timothy 2:15; Romans 12:9.

Note: “All who join the church should reveal a transformation of character which shows their reverence for holy things. Their whole life should be molded after the refinement of Christ Jesus. Those who join the church are to be humble enough to receive instruction on the points wherein they are remiss, and wherein they can and must change. They must exert a Christian influence. Those who make no change in words or deportment, in their dress or in their homes, are living unto themselves and not unto Christ. They have not been created anew in Christ Jesus, unto the purifying of the heart and the outward surroundings.” Testimonies to Southern Africa, 87.

“I am charged to say that there is need of a reformation in every church, in every family. We have no time to devote to pleasure-loving, no means to invest in buying the pictures of human faces. Invest your means in the cause of God. Guard carefully your example. It is of the greatest consequence to every soul to love and fear God, to obey His commands. We all need to become better acquainted with the laws of God’s Kingdom, lest we lose our eternal life insurance policy (2 Peter 1:10–12) and fail to find entrance into the city of God.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 409.

  • What are our standards to be based upon? Isaiah 59:19; 8:20; Ecclesiastes 12:13.

Note: “God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority—not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain ‘Thus saith the Lord’ in its support.” The Great Controversy, 595.

Thursday

5 ADDING POWER TO THE MESSAGE

  • When can the Holy Spirit work to forward the final message of truth? Acts 2:1, 4; Revelation 2:26.

Note: “When the reproach of indolence and slothfulness shall have been wiped away from the church, the Spirit of the Lord will be graciously manifested. Divine power will be revealed. The church will see the providential working of the Lord of hosts. The light of truth will shine forth in clear, strong rays, and, as in the time of the apostles, many souls will turn from error to truth. The earth will be lighted with the glory of the Lord.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 46.

  • When can we expect the power of God to be manifested in a marveled manner to heal the sick? Matthew 17:19–21; I Corinthians 10:31; 9:27.

Note: “You may say, ‘Why not, then, take hold of the work, and heal the sick as Christ did?’ I answer, You are not ready. Some have believed; some have been healed; but there are many who make themselves sick by intemperate eating or by indulging in other wrong habits. When they get sick, shall we pray for them to be raised up, that they may carry on the very same work again? There must be a reformation throughout our ranks; the people must reach a higher standard before we can expect the power of God to be manifested in a marked manner for the healing of the sick.” Medical Ministry, 15, 16.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 What is flattery, and why should Christians not use it?

2 How did John rebuke the intemperance prevalent in his time? What does this imply for us?

3 What has happened to those who exhibit pride, vanity, and extravagance?

4 How do we reveal that we have been created anew in Christ?

5 In order for the message to go forward with power, how must we live?

Copyright © 2016 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.