Archive for May, 2024

A World Wide Stir and Its Results

May 19, 2024

I shall read from The Mount of Blessing beginning on page 183, the last paragraph. 

M.B. pg. 183 — If Christ is in you the hope of glory you will have no disposition to watch others to expose their errors. Instead of seeking to accuse and condemn it will be your object to help to bless and to save. In dealing with those who are in error you will heed the injunction Consider thyself lest thou also be tempted. You will call to mind the many times you have erred and how hard it was to find the right way when you had once left it. You will not push your brother into greater darkness but with a heart full of pity will tell him of his danger.

He who looks often upon the cross of Calvary remembering that his sins placed the Saviour there will never try to estimate the degree of his guilt in comparison with that of others. He will not climb upon the judgment seat to bring accusation against another. There can be no spirit of criticism or self-exaltation on the part of those who walk in the shadow of Calvarys cross. 

From this we see that our need is to pray for Christ to abide in us so that instead of watching for opportunities to accuse or to condemn others and to expose their errors we shall seek every occasion to help them to bless them to save them. We should pray for a deep realization of our own sins pray that the spirit of criticism and self-exaltation be forever banished from us. Then we shall not feel free to mount the judgment seat and accuse anyone. 

TEXT OF ADDRESS BY V.T HOUTEF,
MINISTER OF DAVIDIAN 7TH-DAY ADVENTISTS
SABBATH, FEBRUARY 1, 1947
WACO, TEXAS

This afternoon we shall continue our study of the book of Micah. Let us turn to the fifth chapter and begin with the first verse. 

Micah 5:1 — Now gather thyself in troops O daughter of troops: He hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. 

You will notice that besides introducing a number of pronouns — he us they this verse also introduces several different topics: first a daughter of troops then the judge of Israel and a rod. Other subjects are introduced further along in the chapter. 

Now to gain the vision and the lesson that Inspiration is anxious that we should from this scripture it is necessary that we study one subject at a time. And in order to do this we must group the verses according to subjects. Since the subject of verse one is the same as of verses 10-15, we shall quote them connectively: 

Mic 5:1, 10-15 — Now gather thyself in troops O daughter of troops:…and it shall come to pass in that day saith the Lord that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee and I will destroy thy chariots: and I will cut off the cities of thy land and throw down all thy strong holds: and I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: thy graven images also will I cut off and thy standing images out of the midst of thee and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen such as they have not heard. 

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These verses present a group of people — good and bad commingled — whom God is to cleanse. Then the scripture closes with Gods promise to execute vengeance upon the heathen. The mixed group of people wheat and tares very obviously constitute the church that is approaching the time of the harvest (Matt. 13:30) the time in which all idolators are to perish. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just…. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear let him hear. Matt. 13:49, 43. 

We now come to the last part of Micah 5:1. The antecedent of the pronoun He is found in the preceding verse — chapter 4, verse 13. There quickly we see that it is the Lord Himself. Plainly then by the pronoun us Micah means himself and his people — Judah and Israel the church. 

Clear it is that while the Lord with His message of warning and reproofs makes a siege against His people the adversaries gather together in groups to oppose. Such has been the case at the introduction of each newly-revealed Truth. 

The church is logically called daughter of troops because her mother the Jewish church at the time of the introduction of the gospel of Christ gathered together in troops to oppose the Lord. 

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Moreover being smitten in the face rather than in the back the Judge of Israel (Christ) must have been squarely facing them — speaking to them — the reason for which the Jews crucified Him. The verses that follow verse one again confirm the fact that the Judge is Christ. They that smite Him are of course His adversaries His enemies. Concerning them Inspiration says: 

Mic 5:9 — Thine hand shall be lifted up upon Thine adversaries and all Thine enemies shall be cut off. 

According to Christs parables the time His adversaries His enemies of progressive Truth are cut off is at the commencement of the purification of the church at the harvest time. Then according to Ezekiels prophecy the Lord commissions the men with slaughtering weapons in their hands saying Go ye after him through the city and smite: let not your eye spare neither have ye pity: slay utterly old and young both maids and little children and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark and begin at My sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. Ezek. 9:5, 6. The Spirit of Prophecy confirms this by saying: 

Here we see that the church — the Lords sanctuary — was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men those to whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of Gods power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief and they say The Lord will not do good neither will he do evil. He is too merciful to visit his people in judgment. Thus peace and safety is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show Gods people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men maidens and little children all perish together. — Testimonies Vol. 5, pg. 211. And through the apostle Peter Inspiration declares: 

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 1 Pet. 4:17. 

Mic 5:2 — But thou Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel Whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting. 

There is no doubt that this verse predicts the birth of Christ the Judge of Israel Whose goings forth have been from everlasting. 

Mic 5:3 — Therefore will He give them up until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of His brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. 

Crucifying Christ and their refusing to return to the Lord there was nothing that could have been done for the Jews at that time but to give them up until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth. 

The pronoun she points to the daughter of Zion (Mic. 4:10). She is to bring forth her children while in the field while in the Gentile lands. Then the time of her sojourning is to end and she is to be delivered. In that day saith the Lord will I assemble her that halteth …and I will make her that halted a remnant…and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from henceforth even for ever. Mic. 4:6, 7. 

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Mic 5:4, 5 — And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God and they shall abide: for now shall He be great unto the ends of the earth. And this man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces then shall we raise against him seven shepherds and eight principal men. 

When the children of the daughter of Zion return to Mount Zion they are to abide forever. Never again are they to be cast out among the Gentile nations. Never are they to be given up. The Lord is thus to make Himself great unto the ends of the earth. When she that travaileth shall have brought forth then the saints are to raise against the Assyrian seven shepherds and eight principal men that is all Gods shepherds and all His principal men including Christ the eighth. 

Mic 5:6 — And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian when he cometh into our land and when he treadeth within our borders. 

The kingdom of Israel that was destroyed by Assyria and also the kingdom of Judah that was destroyed by Babylon even all the twelve tribes of Israel are to be delivered. –

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And I will declares the Lord make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols nor with their detestable things nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places wherein they have sinned and will cleanse them: so shall they be My people and I will be their God. And David My servant shall be king over them and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes and do them. Ezek. 37:22-24. 

Mic 5:7 — And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord as the showers upon the grass that tarrieth not for man nor waiteth for the sons of men. 

After the Judgment in the house of God takes place then it is that the remnant those that are left are to finish the work of the gospel. 

Those who have trusted to intellect genius or talent will not then stand at the head of rank and file. They did not keep pace with the light. Those who have proved themselves unfaithful will not then be entrusted with the flock. In the last solemn work few great men will be engaged. They are self-sufficient independent of God and he cannot use them. The Lord has faithful servants who in the shaking testing time will be disclosed to view. — Testimonies Vol. 5, pg. 80. 

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Then it is that they the remnant of Jacob are to be gathered into their homeland after which they are sent as missionaries to the Gentiles that have not heard of Gods name and of His fame. Thus it is that those who escape alive from the Judgment of the Lord the remnant shall be as dew from the Lord as showers upon the grass. They shall wait for none in their missionary work. They shall bring all their brethren out of all nations for an offering unto the Lord. Isa. 66:15, 16, 20. 

Mic 5:8 — And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces and none can deliver. 

While Gods people are as dew and as showers to the righteous (Mic. 5:7) they are to the wicked as lions among beasts and flocks of sheep. In other words their gospel will save the penitent but destroy the impenitent. 

Mic 5:9-14 — Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries and all thine enemies shall be cut off. And it shall come to pass in that day saith the Lord that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee and I will destroy thy chariots: and I will cut off the cities of thy land and throw down all thy strong holds: and I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: thy graven images also will I cut off and thy standing images out of the midst of thee and thou shalt no more worship the work of thy hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. 

These verses can mean only one thing and that is that God will thoroughly purge His floor. He will take the fan in His hand and blow out the chaff He will destroy the sinners that are among His people. In thus purifying His church He will create a clean people a united and zeal-filled ministry. Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice He declares with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion. Isa. 52:8. 

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Mic 5:15 — And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen such as they have not heard. 

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 1 Peter 4:17, 18. 

That we miss no part of the lesson in this study let us recapitulate the main points. 

To begin with a group of people — good and bad commingled — are brought to view. They as we have seen constitute the church that is approaching the time of harvest in which the wicked are to be severed from among the just. (Matt. 13:49). 

While the Lord with a message of warnings and reproofs makes a siege against His people the adversaries gather together in groups ( troops ) to oppose. Then they are to be cut off. The horses (leaders) shall be cut off (discharged) and the chariots (gathering places) destroyed. Gods people are to be thoroughly purged of sin and sinners and only the penitent are to be left. They are the remnant of Jacob who shall not do iniquity nor speak lies neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down and none shall make them afraid. Zeph. 3:13. They are to be gathered into their homeland from thence to go as missionaries to the Gentiles. To the penitent they are to be as dew and as showers but to the impenitent as lions among beasts and flocks. 

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So the stir caused by Truths siege of the church and Its adversaries warring against It that is already beginning to arrest the attention of the world is to result in the cleansing of the church temple. Mal. 3:1-3

Thus is the Lord to finish His work on earth gather His people destroy the sinners and the heathen alike. Necessarily …the days of purification of the church are hastening on apace. God will have a people pure and true. — Testimonies Vol. 5, pg. 80. Depth of mercy can there be Mercy still reserved for me? Can my God His wrath forbear Me the chief of sinners spare? 

I have long withstood His grace Long provoked Him to His face Would not hearken to His calls Grieved Him by a thousand falls. There for me the Saviour stands Shows His wounds and spreads His hands God is love I know I feel Jesus weeps and loves me still. 

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Holy Spirit Report

May 4, 2024


In this report we will look at the Holy Spirit from 3 sources. The Bible, The Spirit of Prophecy, and The Elijah message ( Shepherd’s Rod). Before we start we are told from SOP the following —

“The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery. Men cannot explain it, because the Lord has not revealed it to them. Men having fanciful views may bring together passages of Scripture and put a human construction on them, but the acceptance of these views will not strengthen the church. Regarding such mysteries, which are too deep for human understanding, silence is golden.” (AA, p.52)

So despite our striving to know all we want on the Holy Spirt, it will remain a mystery until it is revealed at God’s time. Things such as — does the Holy Spirit have a bodily form, why is there no throne spoken of in the Bible for the Holy Spirit to sit upon, like the Father and Son, etc.?

But we do have sufficent evidence from Inspiration to make, according to our finite understanding, a good idea of who and what the Holy Spirit is. God did not withhold light on this subject.

THE BIBLE:

What did Christ say about the Holy Spirit?

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” (John 15:26)

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17)

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Notice something clearly. Jesus continually referred to the Holy Spirit as “He” and “Him”. Now, there are some who make the argument that Jesus is talking about Himself in the third person. For example in John 17:1-5 it says —

“These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”


But let us now show from the Bible that the Holy Spirit a separate and distinct Being.

” “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.” (John 8:54)

Now let’s compare that to John 16:13-14.

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authourity, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

As Jesus won’t glorify Himself, this shows someone else (a separate being) as able to glorify Him.

Next look at how The Father and Son are within each other.

“Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me”(John 14:11)

“Abide in Me and I in you.” (John 15:5)

“At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”(John 14:20)

“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me.” (John 14:10)

Now, because the Father is in Christ, and Christ is in the Father can we now say the Father or Christ is not a separate and distinct Being? Likewise when we read that the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and Son and lives in us, we cannot say He is not a separate distinct Being. As they all exist within each other, we that are limited in human understanding, must accept the fact that the Triune Godhead exists. This is an example of the “mystery” spoken of in Spirit of Prophecy.

So scripture such as follows —

“And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”(John 20:22), cannot prove the Holy Spirit is not a separate distinct Being. Again, this is part of the mystery of the Holy Spirit.

“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit: and these three are one.” (1 John 5:7)



SPIRIT OF PROPHECY:

“We have been brought together as a aschool, and we need to realize that the Holy Spirit, who is as much a person as God is a person, is walking through these grounds, unseen by human eyes, that the Lord God is our keeper and helper.”(Letters and Manuscripts 14, MS 20, 1899)

” The Holy Spirit has a personality, else He could not bear witness to our spirits and with our spirits that we are the children of God. He must also be a divine person, else He could not search out the secrets which lie hidden in the mind of God.” (Evangelism, p.616-617)

“In Co-operation with the Three Highest Powers –We are to cooperate with the three highest powers in heaven,– the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and these powers will work through us, making us workers together with God.” (Special Testimonies, Series A (1897)

THE ROD: (Micah 6:9 and 7:14)

We as Davidian SDA know that our Fundamnetal Beliefs are our core doctrines of faith, a summary of what we believe. In them we find FB no. 2 on page 4 of FB Tract, the following —

“2. That the Godhead, or Trinity, consists of the Eternal Father, a personal, spiritual Being, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, infinite in wisdom and love; the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, through whom all things were created and through whom the salvation of the redeemed hosts will be accomplished; the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, the great regenerating power in the work of redemption. Matt. 28:19.

Some try to explain away the meaning of “person”. This leads to confusion and down a road of doubtful faith in what the clear obvious meaning of words are. The prophet viewed it as a person, a living separate distinct person, so should we.

How do we know this? God revealed to him, and now to us, the meaning of Ezekiel 4 prophecy (the grains). In this revealing, it is shown that John Knox’s teaching brought the “Truth of the Holy Spirit” from God. Knox clearly taught that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. A Triune Godhead consisting of God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In closing let us stand firm on our fundamental beliefs, remembering this about our arch enemy —

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”(1 Peter 5:8)

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