time of trouble

Bible Study Guides – The Final Remnant

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December 23, 2012 – December 29, 2012

Key Text

“The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” I Peter 4:7.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 5, 711–718; The Great Controversy, 613–634.

Introduction

“We need to pray as we never have prayed before for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, for if there was ever a time when we needed this baptism, it is now.” The Upward Look, 346.

1 A SUBJECT OF PRAYER

  • What is truly our most pressing need at the present hour? I Peter 4:7; Zechariah 10:1.

Note: “It is a part of God’s plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith, that which He would not bestow did we not thus ask.” The Great Controversy, 525.

“A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first work. There must be earnest effort to obtain the blessing of the Lord, not because God is not willing to bestow His blessing upon us, but because we are unprepared to receive it. Our heavenly Father is more willing to give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him, than are earthly parents to give good gifts to their children. But it is our work, by confession, humiliation, repentance, and earnest prayer, to fulfill the conditions upon which God has promised to grant us His blessing. A revival need be expected only in answer to prayer. While the people are so destitute of God’s Holy Spirit, they cannot appreciate the preaching of the Word; but when the Spirit’s power touches their hearts, then the discourses given will not be without effect. Guided by the teachings of God’s Word, with the manifestation of His Spirit, in the exercise of sound discretion, those who attend our meetings will gain a precious experience, and returning home, will be prepared to exert a healthful influence.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 121.

2 PERILS OF TODAY

  • As we near the end, why must we pray for ourselves and others to be fortified against the deadly deceptions of spiritualism? Revelation 13:11–14; 18:21–23.

Note: “There are few who have any just conception of the deceptive power of Spiritualism and the danger of coming under its influence. Many tamper with it merely to gratify their curiosity. They have no real faith in it and would be filled with horror at the thought of yielding themselves to the spirits’ control. But they venture upon the forbidden ground, and the mighty destroyer exercises his power upon them against their will. Let them once be induced to submit their minds to his direction, and he holds them captive. It is impossible, in their own strength, to break away from the bewitching, alluring spell. Nothing but the power of God, granted in answer to the earnest prayer of faith, can deliver these ensnared souls.” The Great Controversy, 558.

  • How are we to escape today’s intense dangers? II Corinthians 3:18; 11:3, 4.

Note: “We are in continual danger of getting above the simplicity of the gospel. There is an intense desire on the part of many to startle the world with something original, that shall lift the people into a state of spiritual ecstasy, and change the present order of experience. There is certainly great need of a change in the present order of experience; for the sacredness of present truth is not realized as it should be, but the change we need is a change of heart, and can only be obtained by seeking God individually for His blessing, by pleading with Him for His power, by fervently praying that His grace may come upon us, and that our characters may be transformed. This is the change we need today, and for the attainment of this experience we should exercise persevering energy and manifest heartfelt earnestness. We should ask with true sincerity, ‘What shall I do to be saved?’ We should know just what steps we are taking heavenward.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 187, 188.

  • How does God illustrate His help to us? Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:11, 12.

3 OPPRESSION SOON TO COME

  • How are we to prepare for the coming crisis? Revelation 7:1–3; 13:11, 13–17.

Note: “We are not ready for the issue to which the enforcement of the Sunday law will bring us. It is our duty, as we see the signs of approaching peril, to arouse to action. Let none sit in calm expectation of the evil, comforting themselves with the belief that this work must go on because prophecy has foretold it, and that the Lord will shelter His people. We are not doing the will of God if we sit in quietude, doing nothing to preserve liberty of conscience. Fervent, effectual prayer should be ascending to heaven that this calamity may be deferred until we can accomplish the work which has so long been neglected. Let there be most earnest prayer, and then let us work in harmony with our prayers. It may appear that Satan is triumphant and that truth is overborne with falsehood and error; the people over whom God has spread His shield, and the country which has been an asylum for the conscience-oppressed servants of God and defenders of His truth, may be placed in jeopardy. But God would have us recall His dealings with His people in the past to save them from their enemies. He has always chosen extremities, when there seemed no possible chance for deliverance from Satan’s workings, for the manifestation of His power. Man’s necessity is God’s opportunity. It may be that a respite may yet be granted for God’s people to awake and let their light shine. If the presence of ten righteous persons would have saved the wicked cities of the plain, is it not possible that God will yet, in answer to the prayers of His people, hold in check the workings of those who are making void His law? Shall we not humble our hearts greatly before God, flee to the mercy seat, and plead with Him to reveal His mighty power?” Testimonies, vol. 5, 713, 714.

“Especially should we, with unwavering faith, seek God for grace and power to be given to His people now. We do not believe that the time has fully come when He would have our liberties restricted. … [Revelation 7:1, 3 quoted.] This points out the work we have now to do. A vast responsibility is devolving upon men and women of prayer throughout the land to petition that God will sweep back the cloud of evil and give a few more years of grace in which to work for the Master. Let us cry to God that the angels may hold the four winds until missionaries shall be sent to all parts of the world and shall proclaim the warning against disobeying the law of Jehovah.” Ibid., 717, 718.

4 THE TIME OF TROUBLE

  • How will God’s people experience the time of trouble? Jeremiah 30:5–7.

Note: “The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger—a faith that will not faint though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time. Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His victory is an evidence of the power of importunate prayer. All who will lay hold of God’s promises, as he did, and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as he succeeded. Those who are unwilling to deny self, to agonize before God, to pray long and earnestly for His blessing, will not obtain it. Wrestling with God—how few know what it is! How few have ever had their souls drawn out after God with intensity of desire until every power is on the stretch. When waves of despair which no language can express sweep over the suppliant, how few cling with unyielding faith to the promises of God.” The Great Controversy, 621.

“Though God’s people will be surrounded by enemies who are bent upon their destruction, yet the anguish which they suffer is not a dread of persecution for the truth’s sake; they fear that every sin has not been repented of, and that through some fault in themselves they will fail to realize the fulfillment of the Saviour’s promise: I ‘will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world.’ Revelation 3:10. If they could have the assurance of pardon they would not shrink from torture or death; but should they prove unworthy, and lose their lives because of their own defects of character, then God’s holy name would be reproached.

“On every hand they hear the plottings of treason and see the active working of rebellion; and there is aroused within them an intense desire, an earnest yearning of soul, that this great apostasy may be terminated and the wickedness of the wicked may come to an end. But while they plead with God to stay the work of rebellion, it is with a keen sense of self-reproach that they themselves have no more power to resist and urge back the mighty tide of evil. They feel that had they always employed all their ability in the service of Christ, going forward from strength to strength, Satan’s forces would have less power to prevail against them.

“They afflict their souls before God, pointing to their past repentance of their many sins, and pleading the Saviour’s promise: [Isaiah 27:5 quoted]. Their faith does not fail because their prayers are not immediately answered.” Ibid., 619, 620.

5 POINTS TO REMEMBER

  • When will prayer no longer be needed? I Corinthians 13:12. Until then, what should we always keep in mind? John 15:14–16; II Thessalonians 3:1–5.

Note: “Those who, through faith in the merits of the blood of Christ, have clean hands and a pure heart, will receive the white robe, the crown of righteousness, and the life that will run parallel with the life of God. There is no limit to the blessings that we may receive in answer to sincere, fervent prayer. The love of God to fallen man is measureless, and if our Father sees that we will not be lifted up with the blessings He has power to bestow upon us, but will receive them with humble and grateful hearts, He will abundantly grant unto us our requests. He says: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened’ [Matthew 7:7, 8].” The Signs of the Times, December 23, 1889.

“We are sometimes tempted to think that the promise, ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you,’ is not fulfilled unless the answer comes immediately when the request is made. It is our privilege to ask for special blessings, and to believe that they will be given us. But if the blessings asked for are not immediately granted, we are not to think that our prayers are not heard. We shall receive, even if the answer is delayed for a time. In carrying out the plan of redemption, Christ sees enough in humanity to discourage Him. But He does not become discouraged. In mercy and love He continues to offer us opportunities and privileges. So we are to rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” The Youth’s Instructor, April 6, 1899.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 What is necessary in order to receive the promised Holy Spirit in fullness?

2 Why do we need to pray about some dangers intensifying in these last days?

3 How can prayer make a difference with regard to the inevitable Sunday crisis?

4 What do the remnant’s prayers in the time of trouble reveal about priorities?

5 Is there a time when prayer is not necessary?

© 2003 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Current Events – Union Trouble

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“The time is fast coming when the controlling power of the labor unions will be very oppressive.

“The trades unions will be one of the agencies that will bring upon this earth a time of trouble such as has not been since the world began.” Country Living, 9, 10.

“The trades unions and confederacies of the world are a snare. Keep out of them, and away from them, brethren. Have nothing to do with them.” The Adventist Home, 136.

“These unions are one of the signs of the last days. Men are binding up in bundles ready to be burned. They may be church members, but while they belong to these unions, they cannot possibly keep the commandments of God; for to belong to these unions means to disregard the entire Decalogue. …

“Those who claim to be the children of God are in no case to bind up with the labor unions that are formed or that shall be formed. This the Lord forbids.” Maranatha, 182.

Utility crews from several states East of the Mississippi River hit the road this week to volunteer their time and talents in Northeastern states hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. But crews from Alabama got the shock of their lives when other workers in a coastal New Jersey town told them they couldn’t lend a hand without a union card. Crews in Seaside Heights, New Jersey turned them away, saying they couldn’t do any work there because they’re not union employees. Electric repair work for public utilities in New Jersey is dominated by the International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers, a unit of the politically powerful AFL-CIO. www.dailycaller.com/2012/11/02.

A New Jersey power company denied Friday that it is turning away nonunion volunteer crews who want to travel great distances to help reconnect power supplies severed by Hurricane Sandy. But an Alabama utility is clarifying that it was the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers [IBEW]—not the company—that turned them away. www.dailycaller.com/2012/11/04.

“Amid Sandy’s devastation, a Long Island union sent written demand to Florida utilities: Pay dues or stay home. In a two-page October 29 contract, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) local 1049 demanded union dues, pay hikes and benefit contributions from Florida electric utilities before its workers would be permitted to help reconnect power to Long Island communities. The demand came as Hurricane Sandy was bearing down on the Northeastern United States, stranding tens of millions without electricity.

“The unions, steeped in international socialism, need to be controlled. In normal times, they hold citizens and their children hostage to their demands. They corrupt politicians and force the taxpayer away from the bargaining table. If they don’t get their evil ways, children suffer and we find criminals being released into the public. But now, in a time of grave emergency, unions are demanding tribute from volunteers and workers who are paid by other utilities. Outrageous. Time to purge the democrats and their unions—return America to prosperity and eliminate political extortion, blackmail and corruption.” www.onecitizenspeaking.com/2012/11/04.

Are You Ready for the Time of Trouble?

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I believe that the time of trouble is right around the corner for God’s people. God’s people should not be afraid of the time of trouble. When I was a little boy, I used to have nightmares about the time of trouble. I have found out since, that when you know the Lord Jesus Christ, you do not need to worry about the time of trouble. It is during this time that Michael is going to stand up to protect God’s people.

We are going to study about the persecution of God’s people. Second Timothy 3:12 tells us that, “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Is persecution of God’s people something new? No, it has been going on for thousands of years, but there is going to be a time of trouble that is going to come upon God’s people that is going to be worse than any persecution that has ever taken place. Have you heard about what happened to God’s people during the Dark Ages, about how the early Christians were fed to the lions?

“In every age since the fall of Adam the opposition of evil agencies has made the lives of those who would be loyal and true to God’s commandments a continual warfare. Those who would at last be victorious must meet and conquer the forces of Satan, who with fierce determination opposes every step of advance. They must meet a vigilant foe, a crafty enemy who never sleeps and who tries untiringly to undermine the faith of God’s servants.” In Heavenly Places, 260. Do you know what it means when it speaks of undermining the faith of God’s servants? It means to discourage them. If that does not work, then there is an effort to undermine the work God’s servants are doing.

I believe that one of the master strokes of Satan in recent memory has been the Waco tragedy. Because that fanatical group had a tie-in with the Seventh-day Adventist Church some sixty years ago, the structure is now trying to show them to be an example of what takes place when groups separate from the organized structure, thereby casting reproach upon all independent ministries. I believe this was a master stroke of Satan to tie in anyone who dares, in 1993, to stand for the truth, with the group in Waco. Perry Parks, the president of the Montana Conference, immediately following the disbanding of the Troy, Montana Church said that the only difference between the Troy Church and Waco is that the Troy group had no guns.

Let me tell you; any man who would be so vile and low, who would stoop to compare the Historic Adventist independent ministries with the fanatical group in Waco, is absolutely devoid of all honesty. Cyril Miller, the Southwestern Union Conference president made the statement that the independent ministries and those responsible for the billboards have the potential of being more dangerous than the group in Waco had.

Satan has worked though his agents to agitate, to bring reproach upon the cause of God. We have been told that this is exactly what we are to be faced with in the last days, and we have not seen anything yet. There will be more reproach brought upon the truth and those who dare to stand for truth, than anything we have yet seen.

Let me assure you that there is no peace between truth and error. “The antagonism that exists between the spirit of Christ and the spirit of Satan was most strikingly displayed in the world’s reception of Jesus. It was not so much because He appeared without worldly wealth, pomp, or grandeur that the Jews were led to reject Him. They saw that He possessed power which would more than compensate for the lack of these outward advantages. But the purity and holiness of Christ called forth against Him the hatred of the ungodly.” The Great Controversy, 506. This is why Jesus was hated, for no other reason. “His life of self-denial and sinless devotion was a perpetual reproof to a proud, sensual people. It was this that evoked enmity against the Son of God. Satan and evil angels joined with evil men. All the energies of apostasy conspired against the Champion of truth.” Ibid.

What is apostasy? When you hold to a religious belief and later backslide from it and renounce what you once believe, that is apostasy. So, in the last days, we see that Satan is going to use the energies of apostasy. Now, does this mean that he is going to use people of other churches against Seventh-day Adventists? In order to be an apostate Adventist, you must have once been an Adventist and have backslidden. This does not necessarily mean you will no longer call yourself a Seventh-Day Adventist, because if you did that, you could not do as much damage. No, these people will still call themselves Seventh-day Adventists. They will still attend Seventh-day Adventist churches, but they will be suing people they do not like, and they will not believe what true Seventh-day Adventists have believed for one hundred and fifty years.

“The same enmity is manifested toward Christ’s followers as was manifested toward their Master. Whoever sees the repulsive character of sin, and in strength from above resists temptation, will assuredly arouse the wrath of Satan and his subjects. Hatred of the pure principles of truth, and reproach and persecution of its advocates, will exist as long as sin and sinners remain. The followers of Christ and the servants of Satan cannot harmonize. The offense of the cross has not ceased. ‘All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.’ 2 Timothy 3:12.” The Great Controversy, 507

Please do not waste your time, folks, calling me and suggesting a meeting with the conference men to try to reconcile. Can we reconcile? Folks, I am sorry. When the Waldensian Christians were persecuted, when God’s faithful people down through the ages who have been persecuted were approached by those who wanted to work out a compromise, they responded by telling them that when they would forsake their false doctrines and separate from sin, they would gladly embrace them; but as long as they insisted on being joined to falsehood, there was no purpose in talking.

Friends, do not think that some of the independent ministries are unwilling to reconcile. Oh, we are! We want to be reconciled with the corporate structure, and if they would be willing to get the Pentecostalism, the New Age spiritualism and the Neuro-linguistic programming of our pastors out of the church and ask for forgiveness, we would get on with preaching the three angel’s messages together. There cannot, however, be reconciliation over falsehood.

“All who in that evil day would fearlessly serve God according to the dictates of conscience, will need courage, firmness, and a knowledge of God and his word; for those who are true to God will be persecuted, their motives will be impugned, their best efforts misinterpreted, and their names cast out as evil.” The Acts of the Apostles, 431. We cannot be timid in the last days. We can no longer warm the pews. “No longer consent to listen without protest to the perversion of truth.” Selected Messages, book 1, 196. You are not going to obtain courage and firmness unless you are reading and studying.

God always divides His people up into two groups, and this is happening right now. There are no longer any gray areas; things are becoming black and white.

“He [Satan] is now preparing for his last campaign against the church. All who seek to follow Jesus will be brought into conflict with this relentless foe. The more nearly the Christian imitates the divine Pattern, the more surely will he make himself a mark for the attacks of Satan.” The Great Controversy, 510

Have you heard of the carrot and the stick routine? First of all, the person trying to conform you to his idea hangs the carrot out—something you like—and an attempt is made to entice you to conform to his idea. If you do not go for that, then the stick is brought out; and if you still do not conform, he will hit you with the stick. It is a method of Satan.

“As the movement for Sunday enforcement becomes more bold and decided, the law will be invoked against commandment keepers. They will be threatened with fines and imprisonment, and some will be offered positions of influence, and other rewards and advantages, as inducements to renounce their faith.” Ibid., 607

I do not know how the devil will try to use the carrot on you, but just as he offered to Jesus all of the kingdoms of this world if He would but bow down and worship him, he will come to you, offering you advantages to be gained by compromise. Just as the alternative to accepting the bribe was death, so in the last days, if you remain faithful, expect betrayal from your fellow Adventists. “Those who apostatize in time of trial, will, to secure their own safety, bear false witness, and betray their brethren. Christ has warned us of this, that we may not be surprised at the unnatural, cruel course of those who reject the light.” The Desire of Ages, 630

I believe that The Great Controversy does more to prepare God’s people than any other book.

“When He leaves the sanctuary, darkness covers the inhabitants of the earth. In the fearful time, the righteous must live in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor.” The Great Controversy, 614

Now what does it mean to live without an intercessor? It mans that we must have allowed Christ to give us victory over all sin in our life.

“The restraint which has been upon the wicked is removed, and Satan has entire control of the finally impenitent. God’s long-suffering has ended. The world has rejected His mercy, despised His love, and trampled upon His law. The wicked have passed the boundary of their probation; the Spirit of God, persistently resisted, has been at last withdrawn. Unsheltered by divine grace, they have no protection from the wicked one. Satan will then plunge the inhabitants of the earth into one great, final trouble. As the angels of God cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion, all the elements of strife will be let loose. The whole world will be involved in ruin more terrible than that which came upon Jerusalem of old.” Ibid.

Do you realize that in A.D. 69, when Cestius had surrounded Jerusalem problems were encountered in the homeland and the Romans suddenly withdrew? This was a sign that had been given by Jesus nearly forty years earlier. The Christians, following Jesus’ instructions, fled from the city and not one lost. The following year, Titus, another Roman general, again surrounded the city. Rather than attack the city, Titus resolved to starve the people out. Eventually things got so bad that people would try to slip out of the city gates at night just to find some grass to eat. If they were caught by the Romans, they were crucified in the area surrounding the city. It finally became so bad that the Roman soldiers had difficulty moving among the crosses, they had become so numerous. And, if they managed to escape the Romans and get back into the city, the people were killed by their own countrymen for the grass they had risked their lives to obtain.

Here, we read, however, that when God’s presence is finally withdrawn from the earth, it is going to be more terrible than that which came upon Jerusalem of old. Can we really fathom how terrible this world will be?

But even though God’s presence is withdrawn from the world, it is not withdrawn from His people. His presence is never withdrawn from His people.

“Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.” Revelation 18:8

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” Matthew 24:22, This means that it will be worse than any other persecution that has ever come upon this earth. Are we really ready for this? It comes right down to your Christian experience and how much you depend upon the Lord Jesus Christ, because if you depend upon Him enough, then you will be able to stand, and this is the only way that you will be able to stand.

Do God’s people suffer during this time?

“The people of God will not be free from suffering; but while persecuted and distressed, while they endure privation and suffer for want of food, they will not be left to perish. That God who cared for Elijah will not pass by one of His self-sacrificing children. He who numbers the hairs of their head will care for them, and in time of famine they shall be satisfied. While the wicked are dying from hunger and pestilence, angels will shield the righteous and supply their wants. To him that ‘walketh righteously’ is the promise: ‘Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.’” The Great Controversy, 629

“Some were denouncing God and cursing Him. Others rushed to the people of God and begged to be taught how they might escape His judgments. But the saints had nothing for them.” Early Writings, 281. Why are the saints unwilling to help? It is because probation has closed. “The last tear for sinners had been shed, the last agonizing prayer offered, the last burden borne, the last warning given. The sweet voice of mercy was no more to invite them. When the saints, and all heaven, were interested for their salvation, they had no interest for themselves. Life and death had been set before them. Many desired life, but made no effort to obtain it. They did not choose life, and now there was no atoning blood to cleanse the guilty, no compassionate Saviour to plead for them, and cry, ‘Spare, spare the sinner a little longer.’” Ibid.

We hear about the time of trouble, and then we hear about a special part of this time of trouble know as Jacob’s time of trouble. During Jacob’s night of wrestling, through the entire time he was struggling, he feared that his sin had not been forgiven. Though he had confessed and repented, he feared that he had not obtained forgiveness. During this time of trouble, God’s people realize that there is no more forgiveness for sins. There is the awful realization that they are either saved, or lost, and that the plan of salvation is over. They will also be concerned as to whether they failed to do anything during the time of salvation. They will realize that should they fail, God will be dishonored, and this will bring a torture of mind we do not now comprehend. Though it is a terrible ordeal for God’s people, it is a time for them to look up in faith. The person who has in these times of relative peace and prosperity developed perfect faith in God, will not then be as severely tried as those who have failed to gain this experience.

Right now the Lord is allowing trials and troubles to come to us to develop the faith we will need to stand in the final time of the great test. God wants us to learn to live moment by moment in perfect peace because of our confidence in Him.

“When Christ shall cease His work as mediator in man’s behalf, then this time of trouble will begin. Then the case of every soul will have been decided, and there will be no atoning blood to cleanse from sin.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 201

Friends, we must get our eyes off of the things of this world and no longer allow the things that people are saying against us, or the problems that come against us in our daily lives, to bother us, but to turn them over to the Lord. We have to give up the concern that we have, that if we turn it over to the Lord, it may not turn out as we want it to.

“As Satan influenced Esau to march against Jacob, so he will stir up the wicked to destroy God’s people in the time of trouble. And as he accused Jacob, he will urge his accusations against the people of God. He numbers the world as his subjects; but the little company who keep the commandments of God are resisting his supremacy. If he could blot them from the earth, his triumph would be complete. He sees that holy angels are guarding them, and he infers that their sins have been pardoned; but he does not know that their cases have been decided in the sanctuary above. He has an accurate knowledge of the sins which he has tempted them to commit, and he presents these before God in the most exaggerated light, representing this people to be just as deserving as himself of exclusion from the favor of God. He declares that the Lord cannot in justice forgive their sins and yet destroy him and his angels. He claims them as his prey and demands that they be given into his hands to destroy.

“As Satan accuses the people of God on account of their sins, the Lord permits him to try them to the uttermost. Their confidence in God, their faith and firmness, will be severely tested. As they review the past, their hopes sink; for in their whole lives they can see little good. They are fully conscious of their weakness and unworthiness. Satan endeavors to terrify them with the thought that their cases are hopeless, that the stain of their defilement will never be washed away. He hopes so to destroy their faith that they will yield to his temptations and turn from their allegiance to God.

“Though God’s people will be surrounded by enemies who are bent upon their destruction, yet the anguish which they suffer is not a dread of persecution for the truth’s sake; they fear that every sin has not been repented of, and that through some fault in themselves they will fail to realize the fulfillment of the Saviour’s promise: ‘I will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world.’ Revelation 3:10. If they could have the assurance of pardon, they would not shrink from torture of death; but should they prove unworthy, and lose their lives because of their own defects of character, then God’s holy name would be reproached.” The Great Controversy, 618,619

When Moses saw the great apostasy of the people of Israel in the wilderness when they worshipped the golden calf, he chose rather to die himself than to have the people destroyed and bring reproach upon God. This is the concern that people of God will have for the honor of God’s name in these trying times.

“Those who exercise but little faith now, are in the greatest danger of falling under the power of satanic delusions and the decree to compel the conscience. And even if they endure the test, they will be plunged into deeper distress and anguish in the time of trouble, because they have never made it a habit to trust in God. The lessons of faith which they have neglected they will be force to learn under a terrible pressure of discouragement.” The Great Controversy, 622

Are you ready to give God every portion of your life? Are you ready to say, “Lord, prepare me for the time of trouble. Help me to be willing to give these little things that happen to me every day, over to You and to learn to trust You implicitly”? If we cannot in confidence do this now, we will not be able to stand in the time of trouble which all of God’s faithful must soon meet.

The End

Another Ark to Build

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Jesus says that “as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37). Has He given a message to the world today like the message of Noah? The world is going to be destroyed and God has sent some people into the world to preach as Noah preached. In fact, all Christians are called to give a message similar to Noah’s message, in no uncertain tones.

However, Noah’s preaching is not the subject of this article, but rather Noah’s ark-building.

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house” (Hebrew 11:7).

Noah not only preached, He worked. He worked with his hands. Mighty trees had to be brought down to the ground, made into timbers, and then put together to build that great boat, which was quite a piece of engineering.

God’s purpose in telling Noah to build the ark was to provide a way of escape, a refuge from the storm that was coming. The only people who survived the flood, survived as a result of Noah’s ark-building.

The time in which we live is as the days of Noah and the world is not preparing for what is coming. As in the days of Noah, they ate and drank, they planted and they builded, they married and were given in marriage (Luke 17:26, 27). So today this country is in the greatest spending spree of history. The feeling is, “People never had it so good.” That is the way it was in the days of Noah.

Today the labor unions are coming into the picture larger and larger. In 1955, the two great branches of the labor movement, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Committee for Industrial Organization (CIO), combined to form one great union. When that happened, we read over the prophecies and said, “This will mean something in the history of America and the world. Here is an enormous new factor—a political power—13 million working men and women welded into one great movement. Things can happen now that couldn’t have happened here before.”

We didn’t have to be profound thinkers to predict that something might happen. You and I have been given special light from heaven that it is largely through the labor unions that the persecutions, Sunday laws and boycotts of Revelation 13 are going to be fulfilled. (See Selected Messages, Book 2, 141–144.) We saw this great new power – the AFL – CIO – come onto the scene, and we began to look for results. Some of those results are here already—politically, legislatively, industrially, financially.

One hundred and fifty years ago the Lord’s messenger pointed forward to the time when in all our great cities there would be a binding up in bundles by the confederacies and unions formed. The lives of those who refused to unite with these unions would be imperiled. And then she said that the same binding up in confederacies that exists today, existed in Noah’s day.

Although Noah faced these same problems, by following God’s directions, he was led to safety through every one.

Is there need for an ark today? At the coming of Jesus we know that we will be taken away from every danger and go up to heaven. We are going to leave the world. We won’t need any ark to get through that experience.

There is a great time of trouble just before that when the plagues will be falling, when many of God’s people will be in the caves and the rocks of the mountains. How are we going to get along then? We are told that the angels are going to feed us. (See Early Writings, 56). How we are going to live through that awful time of trouble and get out of the world I think we all understand. But there is a time before that called the “little time of trouble” that occurs before probation closes, a time of peril and persecution that follows swiftly after the national Sunday law is passed. How will we get through that?

Revelation 13:16 speaks of the actions of the two-horned beast, the symbol of the United States: “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.”

Verse 17 tells what will happen to those who refuse this mark: “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

God says in the 14th chapter of Revelation that you must not take this mark or you will drink the wine of the wrath of God. In Revelation 15:2 John sees in heaven the company of saints who have gotten the victory over the beast, and his image, and his mark, and the number of his name.

If there is coming a time before the close of probation when you cannot buy anything to eat, of what help is it going to be to you to have a promise that angels will feed you at some later time in a cave, if you starve to death before that? Is that a practical question?

There was a rainbow on the other side of the flood, but the great thing when the rain began to fall was how to get through that flood! There is a storm coming, just ahead, and many people have little idea how they are going to get through it. The attitude of some is, “Well, the Lord will take us through somehow.” In other words, they just expect to get through that great time of trouble when the plagues are falling, without any preparation of their own.

Now suppose Noah had gone about preaching and saying, “There’s a flood coming! Get ready for it!” And suppose the people had said, “If a flood is coming, what are we going to do?” Just suppose that Noah had answered, “Oh, the Lord will take care of us somehow.”

And picture him saying to his sons, “We just haven’t any time to build a boat, because it is so important to get out and preach and tell the people that the flood is coming.” That would not have been logical, nor would it have been obedient.

It was God who told Noah that the flood was coming. He told him to preach and warn the people and He also said, “Build an ark.” Noah was to practice what he preached. He was to preach what he was practicing. It was all tied up together.

Hear this wonderful statement from The Story of Redemption, page 63: “He was not only to preach, but his example in building the ark was to convince all that he believed what he preached. …

“Every blow struck upon the ark was preaching to the people. Noah directed, he preached, he worked, while the people looked on in amazement and regarded him as a fanatic.” You see, Noah preached with his hammer as well as his vocal cords!

Now, I wonder if God has given you and me any hammering to do while we are preaching and warning people about that storm of persecution that is coming. Is there some practical work involved in preparing for that awful boycott when thousands will be confronted on the one side with the seal of God and on the other with the mark of the beast? I believe there is an answer to that. I find part of it in Selected Messages, Book 2. On page 141 the servant of the Lord says, “The time is fast coming when the controlling power of the labor unions will be very oppressive. Again and again, the Lord has instructed that our people are to take their families away from the cities, into the country, where they can raise their own provisions; for in the future the problem of buying and selling will be a very serious one.”

I am glad that is put in such simple language that anybody can understand it. Let’s start with the last thing it says. “The problem of buying and selling will be a very serious one.” We won’t be able to do it, the Bible tells us, unless we take the mark of the beast. And page 142 of this book tells us that the labor unions are going to have much to do with it.

In view of that fact, Inspiration says we ought to get out of the cities and move into the country and raise our own provisions—our own food.

On pages 310, 311 of Medical Ministry it says, “To parents who are living in the cities the Lord is sending the warning cry, Gather your children into your own houses; … Get out of the cities as fast as possible.

“Parents can secure small homes in the country, with land for cultivation where they can have orchards and where they can raise vegetables and small fruits. … God will help His people find such homes outside of the cities.

“As far as possible, our institutions should be located away from the cities. … It is not God’s will that His people shall settle in the cities. …

“The Lord desires His people to move into the country, where they can settle on the land and raise their own fruit and vegetables.”

Friends, you see, this is how the Lord plans for us to get through this preliminary time of trouble. This is the way He plans for us to have something to eat when we cannot buy or sell, a place of refuge in that time when our lives would be in danger in the cities.

God has three ways of caring for us in three different stages of the final events. At the very end, He will take us clear away from the world. Before, that, in the great time of trouble, angels will feed us. But in this first time of trouble we are to get our food by growing it ourselves on the land.

There is a little tract entitled “The Nashville Agricultural and Normal Institute”—that’s the Madison school—published by the Pacific Press in 1908. It was gotten out by Elder W. C. White. On page 11 Professor Magan says: “At first we felt that the school farm was too large. We had planned, in our own minds, an ideal school farm which should be small, but kept so clean and orderly that it would be a model. … When we told Sister White our objections to the size of the farm, she said that the time would come when many that are now living in the cities would be forced to leave, in order to live the truth, and that we should make the farm a place of refuge, where some of these could stop for a while and be taught how to make a living from the soil. Then they would have courage to go out into the country where they could find land, make a home, and educate their children in harmony with God’s law.”

That is the “ark,” friends. There it is! When the storm breaks, when the national Sunday law is passed; when the labor unions are carrying on their oppressive, coercive work; when the Loud Cry is being given and the saints are being hurried out of Sodom, they will need “a place of refuge.” O, let’s build an ark for these dear people!

Let me ask you, do you think this preliminary time of trouble is going to last for more than a few days or weeks? Why, you cannot even grow carrots and harvest them in just a few days and it takes several months to grow sweet potatoes. It takes longer than that to grow strawberries and other small fruits.

Noah’s message was practical. God help us to see that, and if we have a Bible in one hand, to have a hammer or a hoe in the other hand. And we had better know how to use them all—the Bible and the hoe and the hammer! That is the only way we can “make the farm a place of refuge, where some of these could stop for a while, and be taught how to make a living from the soil.”

“A place of refuge.” The Lord wouldn’t tell us to make a place of refuge if there were no refugees going to come to it. Friends, it seems to me that we need to do all our work with that view in our minds—the coming of the refugees. They’re coming. God knows, they’re coming whether we get ready for them or not.

It must have been a wonderful feeling for Shem and Ham and Japheth, as they saw those two elephants come walking up the gangplank. Can’t you hear Noah saying, “Boys, here come the elephants!” And they could answer, “Right this way. We’ll put them right down here!”

And what was there, waiting for them? Why, of course there was hay. The ark was stored with provisions, for they were expecting their guests.

When the refugees come, will you have a place for them? And will there be something in the garden and in the granary for them to eat? Or will you say, “Oh, I’m so sorry! I just don’t have any place to take anybody and we don’t have anything ready to feed them.” Oh, we had better be ready, because the One who knows says they are coming.

Now notice, it takes more than merely living in the country to meet this problem. These refugees are coming out of the cities, and they are coming out to these farms in the country because of a serious problem. They cannot buy anything. They cannot sell.

The time of trouble isn’t here yet. … It is not only making room to house the refugees; it is planting gardens and berry patches and corn and sweet potatoes, not only that we may have some food, but that we may have the “know how” to teach the folks who come.

Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing if some morning the manager would say to you, “Brother, last night some refugees came in from Chicago, and we would like you to take Brother Smith out—he has been working in a factory—he doesn’t know anything about the land—we would like you to show him how to get a living from the soil.”

What would you say? “I don’t know anything about growing food. I just eat the stuff, that’s all!”

Oh, let’s build the ark, what do you say? Let’s remember that the refugees are coming. If we plant a garden or an orchard, remember the refugees, because the Lord has told us they are coming.

Friends, if you and I ever act upon this instruction … we will act upon it by faith, in advance of the storm. There were millions, remember, who were convinced of Noah’s wisdom when it was too late. I thank God that the Holy Spirit is moving upon us to build this ark before it is too late.

But, what kind of an ark is this that we are building? Where do we get the blueprint and the orders? What is it going to look like when we get it done? You can look in the book Medical Ministry and see the whole picture, pages, 308 and 309. The “ark” is a complete little program that God gave our people to establish outside every city. A farm, a school on that farm, a little sanitarium connected with it, an evangelistic center. It is all there.

And God is calling, not only for little institutions but He wants every home to be a place of refuge. Read The Ministry of Healing, pages 192 to 194. You farmers, there is a work for you. You who are builders, mechanics. You who know how to cook, how to sew, how to nurse. Read it. Let God fill your souls with the determination to make your homes places of refuge in the coming crisis.

Do you remember how the allied armies got off the beach at Dunkirk when the enemy seemed to have every way of escape cut off? The big ships were under fire and it looked like doom for those thousands of men, but God had an ark of safety for those men—the little yachts and fishing craft of England. Some could take ten men; some could pack in fifty or more. Every size and speed and capacity was there, little boats plying back and forth in the fog. They moved an army, friends! Those little boats, hundreds of them, saved the lives of an army. That is the picture of how God works.

But those boats had to be there when the crisis came. They had to be seaworthy and loaded with fuel for the voyage and ready for the rescue. That preparation cost something, didn’t it?

It cost Noah to build the ark. In Patriarchs and Prophets, 95, it says, “He gave the world an example of believing just what God says. All that he possessed, he invested in the ark.” How much? “All that he possessed.” Did there come a time when he had to call the family together and say, “Listen, folks, we are going to have to draw out that last money we have in the bank to get another keg of nails”? All that he had he invested.

Furniture, carpets, houses and land—all that he had he invested in the ark. The people of that time were sure that he was a crazy man, that “religion had gone to his head.” But when the rain began to fall, and the waters began to rise, and men were throwing their money everywhere in wild desperation as the flood rose around them, Noah did not have the sorrow of seeing any green-backs that belonged to him floating on those billows. Not one. There was not anything that belonged to Noah that perished in the flood. None of his property; nothing.

We can confidently believe that because it says, “All that he possessed, he invested in the ark.” Noah was right there with everything he possessed, right there in the ark!

O let us concentrate on getting the ark built, if it takes everything we have. Getting all the parts together according to the plan. If you want to help, God needs you, with your own particular talents. Just tell Him, “I want to help build the ark, and the thing that I am most concerned about is not what happens to me—what I get out of it—but what happens to the ark and the people who are going to find refuge in it in a little while.”

And if you say that, and if you will do that, you may find, as Noah did, that the ark you build to save others will be the ark that God will use to carry you and your family safely through the storm!

“This article originally appeared in Another Ark to Build, A Chapel Talk, Sunset Series–1. Although some of the references in the article refer to the specific situation at the time it was written, the principle Elder Frazee expresses is certainly appropriate for today.”

Elder W.D. Frazee studied the Medical Missionary Course at the College of Medical Evangelists in Loma Linda, California. He was called to Utah as a gospel medical evangelist. During the Great Depression, when the church could not afford to hire any assistants, Elder Frazee began inviting professionals to join him as volunteers. This began a faith ministry that would become the foundation for the establishment of the Wildwood Medical Missionary Institute in 1942. He believed that each person is unique, specially designed by the Lord, of infinite value, and has a special place and mission in this world which only he can fill. His life followed this principle and he encouraged others to do the same.