That Which Shall be in the Last days (Part 2 of 2)

January 14, 2017

Continuation of the sermon by brother Houteff concerning Isaiah —

The sinners in Zion are first to cry to the rocks and to the mountains, then will the proclamation of the great and dreadful day of the Lord go forth far and wide saying: “Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge My might.” Isa. 33:13.

   Now is the time to quit fooling ourselves, to make up our minds to wholeheartedly serve the Lord, and Him alone.

   How do I know that the great day of the Lord is almost here? — I know it because the announcement of it is here already, and because the message of the marking that is foretold in Ezekiel’s chapter nine, the work of the Judgment, is already making its way throughout the Adventist world.  I know it also because the material for the glory that follows immediately thereafter (the material that is to lighten the earth with the glory of the angel, the Loud Cry — Rev. 18:1) is all ready and waiting.

   And what happens then? — the cry goes out to the whole dominion of Babylon, “saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Rev. 18:4.  God’s people come out of Babylon to join His purified sin-free church, His guileless servants, the 144,000, the first fruits of the mountain of the Lord’s house.

   Then it shall come to pass that from all nations will the saints flow into it.  “For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee [upon the church purified, the mountain of the Lord], and His glory shall be seen upon thee.  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.  Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 

Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.  The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord. 

All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on Mine altar, and I will glorify the house of My glory.   Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?  Surely the isles shall wait for Me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because He hath glorified thee. 

And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in My wrath I smote thee, but in My favour have I had mercy on thee. Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.” Isa. 60:2-11.

   Then it shall come to pass that

Isa. 2:11 — “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.”

   Man has long been exalting himself; so much so, in fact, that there are perhaps only a few Christians in the world that are really following “the light of the Lord.”  Most of them are following sparks of men, following uninspired interpretations of the Scriptures, — devisings of men, men who scoff at the idea of Inspiration; they see no need of more Truth or of prophets, although they well know that the only Truth that has ever come has been through chosen servants of God. 

Even present Truth believers have not as yet fully awakened to this startling revelation, many of them are carried away with every wind of doctrine, much of which is created by impostors such as Korah, Dathan and Abiram (Num. 16:9-11) coveting Moses’ office — usurpers of Inspiration’s Throne — taking sides, one for Paul and another for Apollos, as it were!  Inspiration’s eye focusing to this day and message, reveals that much of this self deception is the result of what the Spirit describes, a double face hypocrisy, saying:

“Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord.   And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. 

And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.  And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.” Ezek. 33:30-33.  We need to be doers of the Word not merely hearers.

Isa. 2:12, 13, 15, 16 — “For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: and upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,…and upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.”

   These are of course figurative expressions, referring to proud and self-sufficient men who in the people’s eyes are as the cedars of Lebanon, and as the oaks of Bashan.

Isa. 2:17-20 — “And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.  And the idols He shall utterly abolish.  And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth.  In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats.”

   What idols are to be abolished? — Idols that walk.  They are, therefore, men whom the people idolize.  They, and those who idolize them will run into “the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth.”  Only those that cast out the idols shall be spared.  In these verses three kinds of idols are mentioned: (1) works of men’s hands, (2) men that are revered, (3) gold and the silver that are worshipped.  These shall be abolished, there are to be idols no more.

They and their worshipers are;

Isa. 2:21 — “To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth.”

   If we do not now voluntarily cast out all our idols, we shall be forced to cast them later, but what good will it do us then?

Isa. 3:1 — “For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water.”

   The time is at hand when the sinners in Jerusalem and in Judah — the General Conference men and the church as a whole, will not have a drop to drink or a bite to eat.  Who are among them?

Isa. 3:2-4 — “The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, the captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.  [Having taken away the men that have been exalting themselves, and thus having freed His people, the Lord puts children and babes, so to speak, humble ones to rule over His people.]  And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.”

   The signs of the times are to be recognized by the conditions revealed in

Isa. 3:5 — “And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: thechild shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.”

   Since these things are now taking place, we need not be ignorant of the fact that the “great and dreadful day of the Lord” is at hand.  The unruly and disrespectful shall not survive the day.

Isa. 3:6 — “When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand.”

   To say “come and rule over us because you have clothing,” is perhaps equivalent to saying, “If you rule over us you can at least give us something to wear, and this ruin shall be under your control, you can remedy the situation.”

   The people’s way of thinking and acting in this soon-coming time of trouble, ruin, and adversity of all kinds, clearly reveals that they are not taking God into consideration, — no, not at all.  They are trusting in men and goods.  They hope that someone can yet remedy the situation, can save them from ruin.  Thus by their calling on men to help instead of calling on God, they are acting as if God has forsaken the earth.

Isa. 3:7 — “In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.”

   The one that is called to rule, also shares the people’s attitude.  He declares that he is not able to heal the evil, that he, too, is poor.  God, though, makes clear the cause of the trouble: Let us read

Isa. 3:8 — “For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of His glory.”

   Not the world, but Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen.  Why? — Because their doings and their tongues are against the Lord; that is, they are against His Judgment Truth.  What are the eyes of His glory?  According to Isaiah 62:3 and 4:5, His glory is the ever-living Zion, His Truth- enlightened church.  The depository of His revealed Truth is, therefore, His glory, His seers are His “eyes.”  See I Samuel 9:9.  That is, God’s Spirit-filled servants who lead into all Truth, are the eyes of His glory whom the sinners shamelessly provoke.

   You know for a fact that there is not one who names himself a Christian that talks outright against God.  What professed Christians really do, is say things against God’s revealed Truth, without realizing that they are talking and sinning against the “Holy Ghost,” and thus against God Himself, too.

   Even some present Truth believers now and then drop a word of criticism, saying things by which to bolster their own reputation and down another’s or to win someone to their way of thinking at the expense of God’s cause!  These kinds of sins are the most insidious.  And the greater the ability of the one that is engaged in such practices, the greater the damage.

   Are these tongues of ours not given to us to glorify God through His Truth, or are they given to us to use God’s revealed Truth in a way to exalt self, to get others to think our own way?

   Perhaps most destructive of all are the unjust criticisms that are often spoken in the hearing of the children and youth, or in the presence of the inexperienced and uninformed.  These are damages that can never be altered! Parents on the one hand work hard to save their children, and on the other hand by unwise conversation they drive them away from God and His Truth.

Isa. 3:9 — “The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not.  Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.”

   The sins that are committed, are not the kind that people as a rule do in secret, but rather the kind that people are proud of, for they hide them not, they sin openly and their shamelessness continues to witness against them.  The very men who could have been a great help to Moses, were a great hindrance, creating trouble and discontent.  Even the Lord Himself could not bring them to their senses so the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them all.  (See Num. 16:26- 33; Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 400-405.)

   The time has come for us to get out of our childhood, to be stable men and women — fully grown in the faith.  The time has come for us all to take “strong meat,” and to fully realize that the work we are doing would have gone into the “dumps” ere this, if it had to depend on human wisdom.

Isa. 3:10-12 — “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.  Woe unto the wicked!  it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.  As for My people, children are their oppressors [rulers], and women rule over them.  O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.”

   God Himself cannot rule over the proud, self-important, and self-sufficient.  But as to His people, even children and women rule over them.  Thus they are now being warned that the proud who now rule over them are causing them to err, destroying God’s plan for them.

   A certain brother said, “I hope the Lord will soon take the reins in His Own hands to deliver Israel.”  Even after coming to the Red Sea, the multitude did not know that God had taken the reins in His Own hands.  They, too, thought everything was in Moses’ hands.  Though by miracle they passed through the Sea, and though they sang the song of deliverance, and understood that God’s hand had delivered them, yet soon after, they forgot, and again began to accuse and to condemn Moses for bringing them into the desert wastes.  They bogged even at the borders of the promised land, and as a result had to spend forty years in the desert.

   Even the manna coming down to earth daily could not convince the multitude that God had taken the reins in His Own hands.  So it was that their carcases fell in the desert, but the children whom they thought would never reach their goal possessed the land (Num. 14:1-3, 27-32; 26:63-65).

   There is a certain element whom even God Himself cannot convince that He has taken the reins in His Own hands.  They never take orders from any but themselves.  Such independent ones will continue to question and criticize everything in which they themselves have no part.  So regardless of their profession, of what they think or say, they are not God’s people.  His real people, He declares, are able to take orders even from women and children.

   God’s people take orders from anyone whom God appoints because they walk in the light of the Lord, not in the sparks of men.  He plainly states that those who now rule over them, are causing His people to err, and are destroying the way of their right path!

Isa. 3:13, 14 — “The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.  The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of His people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.”

    This scripture emphatically declares that the Lord is pleading while He stands to judge the people, showing that the Judgment of the Living begins after this announcement of it has sounded throughout Laodicea.  The charge against the ancient and the princes (leaders and ministers) is that they have eaten up the vineyard, that they have consumed the entire income, and that they have robbed His people to enrich themselves. 

It is a known fact that not only the tithe (the only lawful allowance for the ministry) but also the offerings (the portion for the poor) and all else are consumed by the ministry, and that they have turned even the Sabbath and the house of worship into institutions of money raising, using all kinds of means and devices in the name of religion by which to make the poor poorer and themselves richer. 

Not I, but the Lord is the One Who says so.  It is no exaggeration, therefore, to say that the house of God is become a house of merchandise, run by thieves, that the dwelling places of the ancients and the princes thereof are used as pack rat nests, and that the Sabbath day has been turned into a market day.

  “Who can truthfully say, ‘Our gold is tried in the fire; our garments are unspotted by the world’?  I saw our Instructor pointing to the garments of so-called righteousness.  Stripping them off, He laid bare the defilement beneath.  Then He said to me: ‘Can you not see how they have pretentiously covered up their defilement and rottenness of character?’  “How is the faithful city become an harlot?”  My Father’s house is made a house of merchandise, a place whence the divine presence and glory have departed!  For this cause there is weakness, and strength is lacking.'”–Testimonies, Vol. 8, pg. 250.

   Seeing that nearly all are overcome by the Enemy of souls, we should, therefore, so much the more fear God and walk closer with Him, else we, too, fall into the Devil kidnapping bag.  We should be careful and considerate shepherds, not cruel grafters.

   You will find that the Devil will fight for life and violently contest this Judgment message, and will try to convince all that these prophecies will not be fulfilled.  God’s true people, though, will see the importance of their fulfillment at this special time, and will gladly take what God’s Word’s says.

   We are called to be reformers, not deformers, gatherers with God, not scatterers with Satan.  Let’s be what we profess to be, and thus stand faultless before the Throne of God, without guile in our mouths and eventually without sinners in our midst.

Isa. 3:15 — “What mean ye that ye beat My people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor?  saith the Lord God of hosts.”

   What an awful charge for one to be taking advantage of the poor.  It is too bad that our brethren have fallen down so low.  And still worse it is that they do not pay any attention to these Heaven-sent messages, and rather than to welcome them, they are doing all to dodge them and to keep the laity away from coming in contact with them.

   May their mistakes become our stepping stones to success. That where they grind the faces of the poor, may we make them happy, and may we realize that to receive one of the least of God’s people, is to receive God Himself.  How thankful we ought to be for this great privilege.”

(Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 5 , page 12-23)

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That Which Shall be in the Last days (Part 1 of 2)

January 7, 2017

Come now and let us enjoy of that “extra oil” we spoke of a couple posts back. If the following does not thrill you with deep truths, then please check your spiritual pulse because something is amiss.

OPENING PRAYER THOUGHT   Before engaging in prayer and Bible study, I shall read from The Mount of Blessing, beginning with the first paragraph on page 151.  The chapter is based on the Lord’s Prayer.

   M.B. pp. 151, 152 — “The Lord’s prayer was twice given by our Saviour, first to the multitude in the sermon on the mount, and again, some months later, to the disciples alone.  The disciples had been for a short time absent from their Lord, when on their return they found Him absorbed in communion with God.  Seeming unconscious of their presence, He continued praying aloud.  The Saviour’s face was irradiated with a celestial brightness.  He seemed to be in the very presence of the Unseen: and there was a living power in His words, as of one who spoke with God.

   “The hearts of the listening disciples were deeply moved.  They had marked how often He spent long hours in solitude, in communion with His Father.  His days were passed in ministering to the crowds that pressed upon Him, and in unveiling the treacherous sophistry of the rabbis, and this incessant labor often left Him so utterly wearied that His mother and brothers and even His disciples, had feared that His life would be sacrificed.”

   What did they fear?  They feared that Jesus was doing too much, and that if He thus continued to overtax His strength, He would not live long.  They felt sure He would soon take sick and pass away.

   Did their expectations come true? — No.  The opposite of what they feared took place.  What made Him equal to His task?  Was it not prayer?  If Jesus could receive sufficient strength in prayer to perform His daily duties, why cannot we?  Let us kneel and pray to this end.

THAT WHICH SHALL BE  IN THE LAST DAYS
 
TEXT OF ADDRESS BY V.T. HOUTEFF,
MINISTER OF DAVIDIAN 7TH-DAY ADVENTISTS
SABBATH, SEPTEMBER 7, 1946
MT. CARMEL CHAPEL
WACO, TEXAS

   Our study for this afternoon is to be from Isaiah, chapter three.  But since the story, or prophecy, of this chapter begins in the preceding chapter we cannot profitably study the third chapter independently of the second.  No one by beginning to study a subject from the middle, backward or forward, can learn its continuity and know what it is all about.  If one is to learn the full truth of a subject, he must study it in its entirety.  Dogs and cats, not civilized human beings, start eating the slice of pie from the center out.   As intelligent human beings, as God’s people, we ought to eat the pie correctly.

   How do I know that the prophetic subject of chapter three begins with the second chapter? — The very first word of chapter three, the preposition “for,” points out that something has gone before.  To pick up the continuity of Inspiration’s burden, and also to get the background of the subject, we are compelled to start our study with the very verse Isaiah was led to commence the prophecy:

Isa. 2:1 — “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.”

   What was Isaiah led to reveal? — Things concerning Judah and Jerusalem, the church.  We need to know, though, the exact generation of that people, because if the prophecy is concerning our generation, then it will have greater meaning to us.  Its teachings will then be especially adaptable to our present and dire needs — will be “meat in due season.”  For this very reason we need to ascertain who are the people that Inspiration is addressing.  Let us read

Isa. 2:2 — “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.”

   Not a man, not a people or a nation, but the Lord Himself so declares.  The prophet was shown things concerning the Lord’s house (church), “in the last days,” — not in Isaiah’s days.  The statement “last days,” in itself leads us to the “time of the end.”  As we were shown last Sabbath that the time of the end began in the 18th century, obviously then, the time is here for this marvel of the ages to take place.

Isa. 2:3 — “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

   Since no such gathering as here predicted has as yet taken place, the subject becomes exceedingly obvious that it is still future.

   Some years ago in my interest of Isaiah 2, I interrogated a well-informed preacher, who also was an eloquent speaker.  He answered as emphatically as he could, by saying, “That will never be fulfilled.”  At that time I did not know, and his answer to my question did not help me one way or another, but now that the scroll has unrolled God Himself declares that His Word never fails, and Him we must trust, for if this prophecy cannot be fulfilled, then what assurance have we that any of the prophecies will be fulfilled?

   Moreover, if this prophecy is not to be fulfilled, then consequently the gospel work will not be finished either, for this prophecy tells the way the work is to be finished– that the law of the Lord during the judgment day of the living is to go from Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem, — not from Takoma Park, not from Mt. Carmel Center, and not from some other place either.

   After the judgment work in the house of God (1 Pet. 4:17) is completed and the 144,000 guileless servants of God, the first fruits (Rev. 14:4) take their high and exalted post with the Lamb on Mt. Zion (Rev. 14:1), then commences the ingathering of the second fruits.  Finally the world’s eyes will come open to the situation, and as one nation invites another nation, the gospel work will intensely speed up. Many will then say, “Let us go up to the mountains of the house of the Lord, to the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we wall walk in His paths.” All the prophets have spoken of this great and marvelous event, but for brevity’s sake I shall quote only from one chapter — Zechariah 2.

    “And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein.  For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her…. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord.  And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be My people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee.  And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the Holy Land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.  Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord: for He is raised up out of His holy habitation.” Zechariah 2:4, 5, 10-13.

Isa. 2:4 — “And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”

   Not the nations, but Inspiration Itself declares that in the day God judges the living, then those nations who go to the mountain (Kingdom church purified) of the Lord “shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks” — they will go farming instead of spending their strength in war.  The nations that do not accept the Lord’s “rebuke,” in that day, though, will madly arise against the “mountain” of the Lord, as forecast by the prophet Joel, saying: “Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.  Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.  Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.” Joel 3:9- 12.

 Since Inspiration has dedicated these publications to the announcement of this most important event in connection with the gospel — the climax and the triumph of it, the separation of the good from the bad (Matt. 13:30, 47, 48), the goats from the sheep (Matt. 25:32); and the establishment of the mountain of the Lord’s house; there is therefore no escaping the conclusion that these chapters of Isaiah were penned especially for the church today.  Now that we are the forerunners of this great and glorious event, we must give special heed to what these chapters have to say.  This we must do if we are to prepare the way of the Lord (Matt. 3:3; Isa. 4:3-5).  This message to the church, you plainly see, is to prepare her members for the Judgment before the “great and dreadful day of the Lord” begins (Mal. 4:5).  For this very reason the Scriptures at this time are unsealed.  Let us now hear the Lord’s plea.

Isa. 2:5 — “O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.”

   Because the church greatly needs this light, the light that now illuminates the Judgment Day, the Lord makes the foregone plea to the antitypical “house of Jacob,” the house in which are the 144,000 Jacobites, the descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel, who down through the ages became assimilated by the Gentile nations, and thus lost their racial identity.

   The Lord’s concern, that the church walk in the light of the Lord (in Inspiration’s light for today) definitely implies that she is not now walking in His light; and His command, found in the last verse of Isaiah’s chapter, clearly reveals that she is walking in the sparks of uninspired men.   The Lord, therefore, commands:

Isa. 2:22 — “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?”

   The reason that her members should immediately cease from men is told in the verses that follow:

Isa. 3:1-4 — “For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water, the mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, the captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.  And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.”

   For over a century we as Seventh-day Adventists have been preaching the work of the Judgment for the Dead, and should now with ease see that when the Judgment for the Living begins it is to separate the saints from the sinners — the wheat from the tares (Matt. 13:30), the good fish from the bad fish (Matt. 13:47, 48), the sheep from the goats (Matt. 25:32-46), the wise virgins from the foolish ones (Matt. 25:1-13).

   Plainly then, Isaiah 3:1-4 reveals that among those who are found wanting, are some of the mighty men, men of war, judges and prophets (teachers of religion), prudent and ancients, captains and honorables, counsellors and cunning artificers and eloquent orators, and that God is not a respecter of persons, but only of penitent sinners; that He is not dependent on so-called great men.

   Those who have been exalting themselves and who have thus caused His people to follow learned men instead of Inspiration and thus the Lord’s advancing Truth, are all to be carried away as chaff!

   The brethren who for years have been preaching the Judgment for the Dead have gone spiritually blind and foolish, do not even expect a message of the Judgment for the Living and are insultingly saying. “These prophecies are never to be fulfilled!”  Now is the hour for them to ponder over this light along with the statement: “In the last solemn work few great men will be engaged.” — Testimonies, Vol. 5, pg. 80.

   Let us go back to chapter 2.

Isa. 2:6 — “Therefore Thou hast forsaken Thy people the house of Jacob, [those men that are causing the people to follow them], because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.”

   At the time the great ingathering here projected is about to take place, His professed people, He declares, please themselves among the unconverted and are charged with being soothsayers, ably explaining away God’s revealed Truth for this time rather than to magnify and to proclaim It.

Isa. 2:7 — “Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots.”

   The house of Jacob to which God is here speaking is again identified by the fact that it dwells in a land that is full of silver, of gold, and of chariots, that there is no end to the number of them.  Since there is no land in all God’s world that is as rich with silver, gold and motor vehicular traffic as is this land of the United States of America, very obviously America, the land where the headquarters of the gospel is, is the land to which God refers.  He is, therefore, this day, Brother, Sister, in a special way talking to you, to me, to the whole denomination and particularly to the General Conference (the house of Jacob) in newly revealed Truth, and in unmistakable language.  Shall you, shall I, gladly comply with the Lord’s wishes?  is the great question before us.  Soon the Judgment will begin and we must make sure that our cases will stand.

Isa. 2:8 — “Their land also is full of idols [He declares]; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.”

   The land from which the gospel now eminates is also full of idols, He declares, the kind their own hands have made; that is, they are proud of their idolatry, and their accomplishments they worship as if they were their God.  Both the mean and the great practice hypocrisy.  Forgive them not He exclaims, except they repent.

Isa. 2:10 — “Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty.”

   Here we are plainly told that the sinners will eventually find themselves unprepared for the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and when God thus manifests His Power they will indeed be terrified.  They will as wild men run to the rocks and the mountains there to hide themselves.  The event of this particular verse runs parallel with that of The Revelation:

“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains.  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Rev. 6:15-17.

   Very evidently Isaiah’s prophecy meets its fulfillment in the time of the sixth seal, the time in which the Lord sits on the Throne of His Glory, not on the clouds, the throne before which gather all nations, whereupon the Judgment work begins: the separation takes place, the saints (sheep) are then put to His right and the sinners (goats) to His left (Matt. 25:33).  The prophet Joel declares the day in these words:

   “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.  Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.  The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.  The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.” Joel 3:13-16.

   It is the time in which shall be said,

   “The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites.  Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire?  who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?  He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; he shall dwell on high; his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.  And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.” Isa. 33:14-16, 24. (Timely Greetings, vol.1, no. 5, p. 1-12)

Posted in Elijah Interpretations, End times | 2 Comments »

Our Christmas Attitude

December 31, 2016

christmas

Now that another Christmas has come and gone, we thought it would be good to reflect upon this season and how, we as present truth believers, should view it from Inspiration’s point of view. Due to some circumstances that occurred, we saw the necessity to clarify some important aspects of this season.

Let’s face it, Christmas has caused a great deal of happiness, frustration, envy, bitterness, disgust and a myriad of other human feelings among us as Christians.Many are no doubt aware that it is most likely not Christ’s birthday, yet, the season and Christ is brought up through out the world for approximately 30 -45 days.

We basically see 4 categories of SDA views as to how we react to the season known as Christmas.

1) SDA worldlies. These are just as Inspiration said “steadily retreating back to Egypt”(Testimonies vol. 5, p.217) And they indulge in this season just as if they were not in the least a “peculiar people” (1 Peter 2.9).

SOP describes them– “By the world the holidays are spent in frivolity and extravagance, gluttony and display…. Thousands of dollars will be worse than thrown away upon the coming Christmas and New Year’s in needless indulgences.” (AH, p.480)

2) SDA Lukewarms. This probably is by far the majority. They are careful not to show any outward display of too much “Christmasy” things yet if they see a brother or sister with their house all light up or the many worldly presents set neatly under the tree–they wink and smile. Santa and reindeer post cards may even be sent. They do not correct their brethren in the least. These are they who, again, Inspiration describes–

“If wrongs are apparent among His people, and if the servants of God pass on indifferent to them, they virtually sustain and justify the sinner, and are alike guilty and will just as surely receive the displeasure of God; for they will be made responsible for the sins of the guilty. In vision I have been pointed to many instances where the displeasure of God has been incurred by a neglect on the part of His servants to deal with the wrongs and sins existing among them. Those who have excused these wrongs have been thought by the people to be very amiable and lovely in disposition, simply because they shunned to discharge a plain Scriptural duty. The task was not agreeable to their feelings; therefore they avoided it.” (Testimonies, vol. 3, p.266)

3) SDA Present Truthers and haters of Christmas.  These are perhaps the ones most confused. While the above two groups carry on in their ignorance, not knowing present truth for the most part, these know the Elijah message well, yet have taken a “Pharisaical” position against any Christmas celebration and even the name “Christmas” is an abomination to them. They are in real jeopardy of neglecting what God’s word says —

“..but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Esp. 4:15-16)

4) SDA  Present Truthers who stay in the middle of the road.   These as we will attempt to point out should be the ones who we should desire to be. Based on the “whole” word of the Truth we shall see that we cannot pit our two last prophets against each other, rather the last message of Elijah gives us advice–

“Inspiration, moreover, always brings the messengers of God into perfect harmony, never into division…we see that God not only never delegates one agent to alter, to reset, or to countermand the message with which He has charged another agent without His first making the matter known to both..” (Answerer, vol. 1, Q-3)

So the Pharisaic SDA’s should understand that we cannot use brother Houteff’s words on Christmas and throw out Ellen White’s or vice versa. We must attempt, upon prayer, to understand the right attitude to take in regards to Christmas by studying BOTH to see the clear light.

Yes, in Tract 13, brother Houteff goes into the folly of celebrating the heathen Christmas. But the balance from the two prophets is to be seen and can be if we do not neglect either.

The Lord impressed upon me to discuss this situation  because of what happened on a recent photo we posted. The following is the photo that went up —

img_2431

Let me briefly explain the background of this picture and our motivation. As we got to church, soon my wife whispered  over to me that she would like to get a picture near the podium after services. I readily agreed.

After service we found one of the deaconesses who was standing up front and asked her to take a picture of us. She did and we thanked her for her help. Later when we got home my wife downloaded it to our computer. I reviewed it with her and agreed it came out satisfactorily.

Later, we thought it would be a good idea to share it on Facebook along with a note to say “thanks” to all our FB friends and relatives for being our FB acquaintances. More importantly it also gave us an opportunity to encourage all of them to strive to make it to the kingdom. I said ” I want to see each and every one of you in the upcoming kingdom.”

But, later after we took the picture, I did notice that unbeknownst to me at the time, we were standing in front of a big sign on the wall, as well as the Christmas ornaments. This was a couple of weeks before Christmas.

The sign as shown said, “Thank you for celebrating Jesus with us today, Merry Christmas and may God bless you and your loved ones.”

By way of disclosure, my wife and I do not celebrate  Christmas due to the overwhelming pagan customs attached to it. We did a post showing more clearly our position in regards to Christmas.https://godsloveandlaw.com/2013/12/14/christmas-a-christians-perpective-2/

The photo generated a good reception (many likes and comments) but there was one comment that really struck me. I had been warned by the Spirit that this photo would bring some “anti- Christmas” responses, so it did not really surprise me. Actually I was expecting more of those type of comments than we got.

But let us look at this issue closely, especially in regards to the all too common “Pharisaical” attitude that some can have. First, let’s look at the comment made by a proclaimed present truth believer (by way of disclosure we know this woman and her profession in the Elijah message) .

“We don’t celebrate Christmas. That’s Idolatry. The reason to celebrate xmas is money and worshiping diablo. Idolatry worshiping.”

Now to be frank, if my wife and I had posted a picture of us under our Christmas tree with presents then I would certainly understand the public perception inference made by it.

But as I read this, frankly I was quite amazed .  First, this person assumed that because we had this picture taken with the words on the church wall and the decorations, we were “worshippers” of Christmas. She ignored our main point and that was to thank all our friends for being with us during the year and to encourage them to strive for the kingdom–all ignored!

As I mentioned to one of the comment responders who also rebuked her, this situation reminded me of the Pharisees, who would ever have their eyes open for any wrongdoing such as those who would walk one more foot than the long string measured out for the distance to walk to the temple. This would be considered “working” on the Sabbath.

She obviously knows very little about our views on Christmas, but preferred to shoot first and ask questions later. I strongly rebuked her in the comment section for such assumptions, claiming us as “idolaters”.

Let us take a look at the following picture–

Image result for picture of ellen white's gravesite

Ah, Ellen White was a freemason and pagan worshiper, she has an obelisk on her grave! Yes brethren this is a perfect example how we as present truth believers can falsely fail to see the whole picture and make foolish assumptions. If one was to take a picture standing on this site, and post it to your fellow believers, would some also accuse them of worshiping freemasonry?

Ok let us look at some SOP quotes regarding Christmas.

“..it is our privilege to depart from the customs and practices of this degenerate age; and instead of expending means merely for the gratification of the appetite or for needless ornaments or articles of clothing, we may make the coming holidays an occasion in which to honor and glorify God. ” (AH, p.480)

What a powerful statement! What we can see is that this so-called “pagan festival” can be turned around! That’s right, it can be “an occasion in which to honor and glorify God.” A worthy example is the set up of the nativity set in the living room, instead of the tree. This was shown with the post we did about the Smith family.

They turned this whole season around from the lights to the music to the presents. God was indeed glorified! If we have children , this can certainly be a “God honoring” inspired alternative.

“Now, brethren, let us on Christmas make special efforts to come before the Lord with gifts and grateful offerings for the gift of Jesus Christ as a Redeemer to the world. Let nothing now be spent needlessly, but let every penny that can be spared be put out to the exchangers. Satan has had his way in managing these occasions to suit himself. Now let us turn the current heavenward instead of earthward.” (Review and Herald, December 9, 1884)

“While there may be some who will turn these occasions into seasons of careless levity, and whose minds will not receive the divine impress, to other minds and characters these seasons will be highly beneficial. I am fully satisfied that innocent substitutes can be devised for many gatherings that demoralize.” (Review and Herald, Dec. 9, 1884)

Posted in Brotherly love, Christmas | 5 Comments »

The “Extra Oil” in our Vessels

December 24, 2016

five-virgins

One of the greatest and most spiritual lessons our Lord gave is the parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. We know that only those virgins who had the “extra oil” in their lamps made it to  eternal life. The Elijah message tells us this parable has a direct application to His end time SDA church. Let us read the parable,

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

We shall go over this lesson closely and see today’s application which we must heed if we are to get to the Kingdom. The message describes the parable as follows–

“Here is Truth that should not be lightly passed by any: The oil can but represent revealed prophetic Truth, Truth that lightens the path ahead. Oil in a vessel, before being put into a lamp, however, cannot lighten the path of anyone. Hence the oil in the vessels of the five virgins must represent an extra supply, extra Truth, that came to them during the period of slumber and sleep.

For when the call was made, “Behold the Bridegroom cometh,” all ten virgins found the oil in their lamps consumed. The vessels of the wise, however were full and so they could refill their lamps. In contrast, the foolish found that not only were their lamps out, but their vessels were empty, too. They then went to obtain the oil, but it did them no good, for they found the door closed to them.

They had been satisfied with what they had in their lamps, presuming that there was no need for more. Contrary to their assumption though during the period of slumber and sleep they suddenly saw their lamps go out. Finding themselves in spiritual darkness and confusion they were then anxious to get oil.

Here is seen that the message which the Church has during the period of slumber and sleep is not sufficient to carry her members through to the end. They need an extra message.

Now what is the difference between the oil in the lamp and the oil in the vessel? — Just this: The oil that is in the lamp, that already lightens the traveler’s path toward the Master’s mansion, must represent Truth in progress. But the oil in the vessel, must represent Truth that is to lighten one’s path after the former Truth has accomplished its work.

For example, after the harvest (Investigative Judgment) of the dead is past, other truths even more important must be introduced for the harvest of the living. I say more important truths because they are concerning the living themselves, concerning those whose own cases are to be weighed in the balances, those who personally are to be judged either as “wheat” or as “tares,” either as good “fish” or as bad “fish.”

Moreover, after the judgment of the dead which the Church has been preaching for a number of years, is over, if the Church does not then receive a new message, the message of the judgment of the living, she will have no message, no oil, for the time of the judgment of the living.

As the oil was available to all ten virgins, the parable makes clear that the message of the judgment of the living is brought to the Church, but that only half the virgins availed themselves of it. When the judgment of the living begins and the cry is made, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh: go ye out to meet Him,” they will all arise, but only half of them will gain admittance. The other half will have sinned against the Holy Spirit, will have rejected His Truth! Consequently when they knock on the door, the Bridegroom’s answer will be, “I never knew you.” What foolishness! and what a disappointment that will be!

This, you see, is not man’s theory, Brother, Sister. It is God’s plain Truth. How sad the case, then, for those who are not only neglecting their own vessels, but are even preventing others from getting the extra oil now while it is dispensed to all. Indeed, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth unless all the lukewarm Laodiceans now at their first opportunity change their minds about being rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing.” (Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 11, page 12-14)

This present Truth oil is what makes the difference! Let us give a clear example that shows why we need this prophetic extra oil.

Nearly all SDA are saying “We are waiting for Jesus to come in the clouds.” In fact just yesterday we received an Amazing Facts Magazine, with the bold headlines, “Preparing for the Return of Jesus” meaning the coming in the clouds of glory.

This present Truth oil has specific knowledge for us, to light our path. And this extra oil tells us that Jesus’ next coming shall not be in the clouds. What? some may ask. Yes, the Scriptures foretell of this false idea of expecting the Lord’s coming when we should know , from the Elijah message , that the secretive unseen coming into His churches (Mal. 3:1-5)  is His next coming!

“Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! To what end is it for you? The day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? (Amos 5:18-20)

Now wait a minute! The “day of the Lord” is the great coming in the clouds, with all light and glory yes? No. That is the next “visual” coming for the world’s redeemed (which includes the SDA who survive the judgment in God’s house, the resurrected, and those brought out of Babylon –great Multitude).

There must first come His judgment bound yet unseen Chariot as explained in Ezek. chapter 1, and then comes the beginning phase of judgment upon the living right in our churches as explained in Ezek. 9. Then in Ezek. 10 we see that the Loud Cry begins (coals of fire scattered over the city-outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit to the purified church).

All of this knowledge the wise virgins possess in their vessels right now. The foolish are not concerned with this “extra” supply of oil, they are covered to make the trip to the kingdom, they think. “What pre-millenial Kingdom?” they ask. But it will be too late then.

You see my brethren, God will soon go through our church and see those with their forehead illuminated with present truth. They have in their foreheads the knowledge (seal) of where they are going. We read,

“As the sealed of God we are Christ’s purchased possession, and no one shall pluck us out of His hands. The seal given in the forehead is God, New Jerusalem. “I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God” (Manuscript Releases, vol. 15, p.225)

As those who have studied the Elijah message well know, the kingdom does start in it’s pre-millennial form here on earth, established in Israel. This will be a glorious time for the righteous virgins, those who took the time to get the extra oil before their trip started (back to Israel). They knew keenly where they were going and the purpose (give the final Loud Cry).

seal-in-forehead

“Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3)
We read more from the message —

“When finally the judgment passes from the dead to the living, thus outmoding by expiration the initial phase of the First Angel’s Message (the judgment of the dead), what timely Truth will the church then have for herself and for the world?  What, indeed, if she does not now accept and practice the message of very present Truth, the final phase of the First Angel’s Message, which is presently announcing the stealthy approach of judgment upon the living, and which is knocking at each heart’s door?

   Tragically, those who now fail to fill their vessels (Matt. 25:1-4) with this extra oil (the additional truth — that of the judgment of the living) flowing from the golden bowl (Zech. 4) will finally see their lamps flicker out forever like a gutted candle.  O, in what consternation then will they search for the precious golden oil!  And with what infinitely greater anxiety than they now search for gold and for prestige! 

But, alas, then like Esau, though they seek it “carefully with tears,” they shall find “no place of repentance”: they purchase their oil too late.  The door is closed when they reach it.  And to their frantic knocking at it comes the terrifying reply, “I never knew you.” Matt. 7:23.  Then is the harvest of the first-fruits past, the fruits garnered in, and the tares shut out unto destruction, there in agony to wail and to gnash their teeth: “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” Jer. 8:20.

 

   “The time of the Judgment is a most solemn period, when the Lord gathers His own from among the tares.  Those who have been members of the same family are separated.  A mark is placed upon the righteous.” — Testimonies To Ministers, p. 234.

   “…The pure ore and the dross will no longer commingle.” — Testimonies To Ministers, p. 236.

   “…The church is to be fed with manna from heaven, and to be kept under the sole guardianship of His grace.  Clad in complete armor of light and righteousness, she enters upon her final conflict.  The dross, the worthless material, will be consumed, and the influence of the truth testifies to the world of its sanctifying, ennobling character….” — Testimonies To Ministers, p. 17, 18.  (The White-House Recruiter, p.37-38)

The Lord is all encompassing and foreseeing and do you remember that Zech. 4 showed us how to get this oil? The specific prophets (two pipes) gather it from the Bible (two trees) and place it in the Golden Bowl (Inspired writings), so that the 7 ministers ( the seven tubes from the bowl, the true ministers of God) can get the oil out of the bowl and give to the church (seven candlesticks). Again for a refresher look at this original chart draw by the prophet, brother Houteff.

zechariah-4-picture

In closing, let us now, as we have time, stock up on this extra oil, for we shall need it when the Lord “suddenly comes to His Temple” (Mal. 3:1).

“Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.”

That messenger, the Elijah to come, has provided for any and all who wish to partake, a great supply of oil (present Truth) will you not take some and fill up? Below is a link to 15 Tracts of extra oil. Enjoy!

http://shepherds-rod.org/Tracts/tracinx.html

 

Posted in Elijah Interpretations, Parable studies, Present Truth, Proper teachings | 2 Comments »

The Roman Catholic and Russia Focus

December 17, 2016

 

 

Image result for pictures of the roman catholic church  Related image

When we were kids many of us can remember a brother or sister, even a playful parent saying, “Watch out the bogey man is going to get you” when we turned off the lights. Teasing us as to a mysterious monster lurking in the background. Incredibly Satan has/is doing this same trick yet he’s not fooling around. For the heathen, he has made the Russian nation the big bad bogey man, for us the Lord’s remnant church, he’s made the Roman Catholic church the sinister bogey man almost ready to get us!

Both of these nonsense ploys are really a snare and should be exposed for what they are–Satan’s tricks.

Let us first look at the Russia situation. For present truth believers it is well-known that Russia along with China/Iran/Syria form the basis  for the counter force that will soon put an end to the “Assyrian”world rulership, which the Word describes as  the white Christian english speaking nations. This is portrayed in many angles such as the “King of the North” coming to his end in Daniel 11 and Revelation 17 and 18.

Briefly, after the gigantic war happens over the middle east (Zeph. chapter 2) and the Holy land is made desolate and cleared out for the return of His 144,000 servants as He promised through out Scripture, the victorious aforementioned nations shall then capitulate, as the word says,

“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.” (Rev. 17:17)

Russia and their partners shall give to the “beast” , the false religious world system, their victory for a short time.

But let us see what is happening right now with the King of the North’s grand schemes. As many know we have just witnessed a truly remarkable USA election. The long shot came home for the victory. Yet the powers that be are not happy. In order to get a little background on these powers that be see this post–https://godsloveandlaw.com/2016/10/01/the-king-of-the-north-daniel-prophecy/

So Satan, as we all know hates “right doing”. Anyone or nation that stands up for justice and peace and order Satan will certainly attempt to disrupt or portray in the worst light possible. But we as the masses, are fed daily propaganda and this comes through the King of the North’s vast media network. The one world agenda is being played out right now and there is one big roadblock– Russia.

So what is Satan doing through his earthly servants?  Provide a false narrative on the big bad bogey man Russia. The 9th Commandment says,

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)

Keep in mind this is the heathen bogey man, we as SDA aren’t so much aware of this as we should be. The other bogey man, the Catholic Church, has got much of our attention.

For example, recently in the besieged city of Aleppo, Russia set up on the outskirts several small tent hospitals to help the injured and dying. This was bombed and lives were lost including innocent doctors and staff. But  hardly not ONE WORD of condemnation was said about it through out the King of the North’s media empire (ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, FOX, CNN. etc.)! This innocent blood shed will not be allowed much longer. Just as Abel’s blood came up to God’s presence, we can be assured this blood is up there.

“If God abhors one sin above another, of which His people are guilty, it is doing nothing in case of an emergency.” (Testimonies, vol. 3, p.281)

We as mainstream mass media readers are told the narrative that Syria has bad government and needs to be brought down. This same story worked in bringing down Iraq, Egypt, Libya and so on.So why stop there?

Some may wonder how is it that one can know what really is happening over in Syria? It is because one must look at “both sides” of the story. The other side which the main stream media does not want people to know about, we have found quite humble and honest in showing real and verifiable “proof” of the real story of the Syria conflict. The site is called RT Today. https://www.rt.com/news/

We suggest that one get prepared by viewing “real news” around the world because, the middle east is very soon to be the new world focus. Russia will be a main player in end time events so it’s good to get familiar with this nation and it’s goals and policies. To be sure Russia now is threatening the King of the North’s plans.

In Daniel 11:44 it says-

“But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.”

Russia is this north country (from the Holy Land perspective) and China is the east country. These two countries trouble the King of the North and as such we have witnessed much blatant country destroying (via their surrogates –Nato led by the UK and USA, and now particularly ISIS and the other terrorists) in the middle east and surrounding areas. Now you can see why the King of the North is troubled. Russia and to a lesser degree, China, are upsetting his one world domination plans.

Now let’s look at Satan’s other bogey man–the Catholic Church. All one needs to do today is just review some SDA YouTube prophecy videos and you’ll see Walter Vieth, Doug Batchelor, Stephen Bohr and a host of other SDA leaders promoting the idea that the big bad Catholic Church is about to dominate the world and cause untold havoc everywhere by enacting the dreadful Sunday law!
But the Lord knew all about this way back, and He told His Elijah prophet to update us about this trick, let us read–

“Question: The Shepherd’s Rod teaches that the shaking is to be caused by a message to the church (“Early Writings” p. 270), but the denomination teaches that the shaking will be caused by the “Blue Sunday Law.”  If the denomination is right, as we believe she is, then The Shepherd’s Rod is certainly wrong on the subject of the shaking.”

“Answer–

….As the “Blue Sunday Law” is to be enacted by Satan’s own will, not by God’s, then such a method to purify the church would not only be contrary to every inspired statement but also to Satan’s determined purpose, for his aim is not to bring the tares and then pluck them out, but rather to choke out the wheat by their continued presence. Neither is his intention to fulfill the prophecies, for that is what he would be doing if he should enact blue Sunday laws, but rather defeat them. Therefore, if the church is to be purified by Satan’s laws he would be doing the work which God has assigned to His servants and which He is to do Himself.

   Is Satan working for God’s and His church’s interest or against? If against, he will never do one thing to purify the church or to fulfill the prophecy.

   The only thing that would compel him to pass blue Sunday laws and go “to make war with the remnant of her seed” (with those that are left, Rev. 12:17) is the purity of the church when God by the slaughter weapons of Ezekiel Nine takes away the tares which received not the mark, and even then Satan will not enact “blue Sunday laws” until after he has exhausted every other weapon against the church.

Therefore, as long as the church remains in her present Laodicean condition, there will be no blue laws or “war” against her, but a bluff only to make her members believe that they are free from his snares and that he is still trying to cause them to fall. But the worst of it all is in that they are sound asleep, which is shown by the fact that they still think Satan is working terribly hard to fulfill God’s word by trying to pass blue laws and are not aware that he is only playing with them as a cat with a mouse, and the brethren “to whom the Lord has entrusted the spiritual interests of the people” (“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. 5, p. 211) instead of sounding the alarm to arouse the church are determined to even silence the voice of the Rod, and thus rocking her to a more sound sleep!” (Sym. Code, vol. 2 no.1 , p.9-10)

The Spirit of Prophecy also tells us that the RCC will not be the final world power.

“I saw that the two-horned beast had a dragon’s mouth, and that his power was in his head, and that the decree would go out of his mouth. Then I saw the Mother of Harlots; that the mother was not the daughters, but separate and distinct from them. She has had her day, and it is past, and her daughters, the Protestant sects, were the next to come on the stage and act out the same mind that the mother had when she persecuted the saints. I saw that as the mother has been declining in power, the daughters had been growing, and soon they will exercise the power once exercised by the mother.” (SpM, p.1 -copy of three early visions)

The Protestant churches are the real movers and shakers soon to take the stage. Yes, they follow the beast’s image (Sunday worship) but they do not get their calling orders from Rome. “She has had her day” as Inspiration says, but Satan has led many of us to think her day is about to now come!

So there is now a two-fold deception going on from our adversary based on false witness. One to the world and one to the church. Both are leading their surface readers and studiers down a false path. As we have shown repeatedly my SDA brethren, we are accountable for the Lord’s light and if we truly keep pace with it, we will clearly discern the Truth from falsehood. We are guaranteed to know Truth when we do His will.

“If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself.” (John 7:17)

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)

Posted in End times, Final Events, Satan, Sunday law | Leave a Comment »

Meeting Them Where They’re At

December 10, 2016

shaking-hands

Imagine a professor going into a 3rd grade class and attempting to teach them algebra. Or a pilot professional teaching a layman how to fly a plane in one day. Such occurrences would be extremely difficult if not impossible. Yet we as present truth believers and proclaimers try to do the same thing sometimes in getting the message of Elijah to our listeners.

Our Lord showed us that we are given the ability to understand, depending on how well we want to.

“And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?” (Luke 10:25-26)

How do we read it? Well, that depends on where we’re at spiritually. Let me relay my own personal experience briefly.

Back in the beginning of 2009 I came into the truth of the Lord’s Commandment, specifically the Sabbath. Once I learned this , my life changed. A true metamorphosis occurred and I began to experience the following —

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Cor.5:17)

But the first couple years my knowledge of the Scriptures consisted of the basics, the Commandments and my daily walk. Prophesy did not mean much nor did I seek it much.  Sure I read some things on it but it was not my focus.

Now, imagine if after just 6 months or a year, some SDA brethren would have come up to me and said, “Hey brother do you know that Christ’s next coming is not in the clouds but into our church to begin the judgment for the living?” I would have be dumbfounded and probably worried for that brother or sister who said those things. Because I had been taught and believed that we all know the next coming is Jesus in the clouds.

But not to worry because we are promised a special gift IF we do the will of God, let us read–

“If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” (John  7:17)

“However when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.(John 16:13)

So we see that each of us are on God’s path for us. Just where we are at and just when we are ready, will He guide us into the next phase of Truth. In other words , we should call Him the Perfect Timer.

But He does “Knock” on our door–

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:20)

What is He knocking with? His Truth! We are led into it when we are ready and if we open the door He comes in and “sups” with us, meaning He tells us more Truth and we acknowledge and love it.

“The sanctified soul will not be content to remain in ignorance, but will desire to walk in the light and seek for greater light. As a  miner digs for gold and silver, so the follower of Christ will press from light to greater light, ever increasing in knowledge. He will continually grow in grace and in knowledge of the truth -2 Peter 3:18 ” (RH, June 17, 1890)

But let us now look at “meeting them where they are at”. We shall go over some examples.

1-    Sister P seems a sincere seeker of the Truth. We have given her several CD’s, DVD’s and literature on the Elijah message. She has gladly received them and looked into them. But we have not been able to gauge her progression as she has not asked many questions (a great way to know if they are learning). Yet we ran into her recently and she told us that we missed their great Thanksgiving service (especially the lunch). I asked what was so good about the lunch.

She explained that there was very good “Turkey”. “What???” I responded? “Turkey? Don’t you know that we are counselled by SOP to give up meat and especially by the Elijah message?”  She did not know anything about this counsel.

Wowsa I thought. Here I was giving her strong meat (present truth) and yet she was not even advanced on the basics of our SDA principles!

Scripture has the plain truth–

“I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready.. ” (1 Cor. 3:2)

So this shows that this sister is not ready for strong meat but of milk. She asked about the references showing we should not eat meat so the next week I sent her several quotes showing what SOP said about meat eating.

2-   Brother T is a very serious student of the Lord’s Elijah message. But over the years the Lord has warned me about him. Something did not click. He gave me reports to read on certain prophecies , yet when I looked at them they were at odds with what our last prophet interpreted. But I continued to study with him and some interesting discussions were had.

Later, and more recently, I was instructed by the Lord to inquire about His beliefs in Tithe paying. Sure enough and as I had suspected, he believed that there are no worthy storehouses today because of problems with each and every one. In other words his own home was to be the storehouse.

I did not mince words and showed him what the Elijah message said concerning this on Answerer, vol. 4, Q-97, p.44-45. This shows that this is a serious no-no and those who do such things are fooling themselves. But I was met with fierce opposition. Many excuses were brought forth attempting to destroy the clear word of the Lord.

So after this, I received confirmation that unless repentance is made I am not to have further studies with him, lest I seem to encourage him in his deadly course. This is tough and when we see that they are at a place of pride and no need to correction, well, SOP minces no words–

“I have been shown that the greatest reason why the people of God are now found in this state of spiritual blindness is that they will not receive correction. Many have despised the reproofs and warnings given them.” (Testimonies, vol.3, p.255)

3-  Brother G has been a good church friend for several years. Something about him and I has caused us not to lose track of each other. Despite his witnessing my change of direction, following the narrow path of the Lord’s Elijah message, he has remained a faithful friend (unlike many other former SDA friends/acquaintances).

Over the last year or so brother G has inquired more and more about the Elijah message. He has shown a real desire to know more. Recently we had a good study on the pre-millennial Kingdom. So he is no doubt being nudged by the Spirit of Truth to get into the “Noah Ark” for us today– our present truth. So I am not wasting any time and corresponding with him regularly.

So this brother is at a place where he is desirous of Truth and once we see this from a friend or relative we must not neglect our duty to help out.

So we see some specific requirements needed to reach the three people. Sister P needs milk of the word, not deep prophecies. Once she shows advancements then the Spirit will guide into the strong meat. Brother T needs firm medicine. He is not in a good place. His Pharisaic attitude makes it all the more harder to reach him. Prayers are what is needed most. Brother G is ready for more meat and we are to not let go and stay with him as he seeks greater light.

In closing we are to know where they are at, prayerfully asking for discernment and watching their fruit to know how to respond. This last message is too important to carelessly banter around. The Lord sent His last prophet “Elijah” and we are to be Elijah messengers after learning of the message. We can’t give this message properly unless we know whom we are dealing with.

“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matt. 7:20)

 

 

Posted in Elijah, Proper teachings, Witnessing | Leave a Comment »

The Church of the Routine, Part 2

December 3, 2016

 

church-asleep

Back in May of 2010 we did a post called, “The Church of the Routine.” In it we pointed out how , unfortunately, our church service is so lacking in the Spirit of God that it truly is a–  show. There is a old saying that says–“All show and no go.” Or another saying made famous by the adorable grandmother Clara Peller, “where’s the beef?”

The Lord has impressed upon me to revisit this area again with more information. Let us look at our Church service yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

The above picture is not meant  to be funny, yet sadly that is what our church service looks like (or at least feels like) more often than not today. But how did we get to where we’re at? First lets go back to the beginning, the times of our church founders the Apostles.

“What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and let one interpret; but if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God. And let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;  for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” (1 Cor.14:26-33)

We can gleam many things from the above. There were:

1.Scripture readers

2. Teachers

3. Revelators (Those who shared what they received in dreams or visions)

4. Tongue speakers

5. Interpreters

We also see that Inspiration deems order as very important yet when the Spirit moves, they were to respect It. “But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, let the first keep silent.”

What this means is that when the speaker was up front speaking, the Spirit sometimes moved upon someone seated in the place of worship and the first speaker was to remain silent and listen to the revelation that came to that one seated. This shows that the Spirit moved among the house of God. This one important area kept the service from being routine and added the Spiritual excitement and unpredictability.

We also notice that many in the assembly prophesied (relating the Biblical prophecies) and the intention was to –learn. There was clear evidence of the Spirit moving in His house by the fact that the gift of tongues was active as well.

Let us look at our typical SDA service today. We stick to a pre-made schedule usually. The first service is usually the Sabbath school lesson. But these are cookie cutter Scriptural readings which more often than not contain no present truth but old truths. The lesson goes into stories and all sorts of lessons, yet fails to deliver the one message the Lord wants given–His Elijah message!

So right off the bat in our first service we are taken down a road that goes into a direction that we aren’t being guided to by the Spirit   –old truths without any present truth.

Question No. 131:

   Should the subjects contained in “The Shepherd’s Rod” publications or those contained In other works, be studied in our Sabbath meetings?

Answer:

   If The Shepherd’s Rod contains the message of the hour, then it takes precedence over every other truth for the Spirit of Prophecy says, “It is ‘present truth’ that the flock needs now.”–Early Writings, p. 63. “‘These things [the sealing of the saints] should engross the whole mind, the whole attention.’“–Early Writings, p. 118. “Advance new principles, and crowd in the clear-cut truth.”–Testimonies to Ministers,p. 118. (Answerer, vol.5, Q-131, p.52)

“In every age there is a new development of truth, a message of God to the people of that generation. The old truths are all essential; new truth is not independent of the old, but an unfolding of it. It is only as the old truths are understood that we can comprehend the new. When Christ desired to open to His disciples the truth of His resurrection, He began “at Moses and all the prophets” and “expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Luke 24:27. But it is the light which shines in the fresh unfolding of truth that glorifies the old. He who rejects or neglects the new does not really possess the old. For him it loses its vital power and becomes but a lifeless form.” (Christ Object Lessons, p.127-128)

Because we as SDA, for the most part, ignore or reject the new truth, we have old truth that becomes a “lifeless form”.

Then we sometimes see commotion from kids running up and down the isles or people talking loudly in His sanctuary.  Our prophetess said the following about our service —

“From the sacredness which was attached to the earthly sanctuary, Christians may learn how they should regard the place where the Lord meets with His people. There has been a great change, not for the better, but for the worse, in the habits and customs of the people in reference to religious worship. The precious, the sacred, things which connect us with God are fast losing their hold upon our minds and hearts, and are being brought down to the level of common things. The reverence which the people had anciently for the sanctuary where they met with God in sacred service has largely passed away.”(Testimonies vol.5, p.491)

“Because of the irreverence in attitude, dress, and deportment, and lack of a worshipful frame of mind, God has often turned His face away from those assembled for His worship…When a church has been raised up and left uninstructed on these points, the minister has neglected his duty and will have to give an account to God for the impressions he allowed to prevail.

Unless correct ideas of true worship and true reverence are impressed upon the people, there will be a growing tendency to place the sacred and eternal on a level with common things, and those professing the truth will be an offense to God and a disgrace to religion. They can never, with their uncultivated ideas, appreciate a pure and holy heaven, and be prepared to join with the worshipers in the heavenly courts above, where all is purity and perfection, where every being has perfect reverence for God and His holiness.” (Testimonies, vol. 5, p.499-500)

A while back in our own church we observed the sanctuary turned into a meeting room for church business (the election of officers). My wife is newly Adventist and was perplexed. How can it be called “worship” when business is being conducted where God sits in His house? There is no doubt that the reasoning is because the church is all together in one place and because of the convenience, we degrade His sanctuary for our sake, our needs.

“These things you did, and I kept silent, because you assumed that I was like you. But now I am going to rebuke you, and I will set forth my case before your very own eyes.”(Psalms 50:21)

Even the church which we have often spoken against, the Catholic Church, prophetically teaching  it as part of the Beast in Rev. 13, has a silent reverence within their sanctuary. Being raised Catholic, I vividly remember the silence and respect I felt in their churches. This reverence continues to this day in many of their churches! What does that say about us, with greater light?

The Lord’s word warns us–

“Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies– I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.” (Isaiah 1:13)

“I hate all your show and pretense–the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings.Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”(Amos 5:21-24)

We have boxed ourselves into a routine corner. Our service today is one of man’s ideas and works, not the Spirit’s. But perhaps the greatest folly occurring in His house week after week is the preaching of peace and safety. SOP explains–

“Many regard the threatenings of the Bible as designed merely to frighten men into obedience, and not to be literally fulfilled. Thus the sinner can live in selfish pleasure, disregarding the requirements of God, and yet expect to be finally received into His favor. Such a doctrine, presuming upon God’s mercy, but ignoring His justice, pleases the carnal heart and emboldens the wicked in their iniquity.” (GC, p.537)

“A carnal security and ease in Zion prevail. Peace, peace, is sounded in her borders, when God has not spoken peace. They forfeited the terms of peace; there is reason for an alarm to be sounded in all “my holy mountain.” The sinners in Zion should be afraid…” (Review and Herald, 12-23-1890)

Only if we would change it back to the days of the early Church, then we could experience a holiness and God’s Spirit inside His sanctuary. A  Spiritual refreshing would occur in His house! Do not despair, this WILL HAPPEN in the  very near future, now let us look at the church tomorrow.

Isa. 2:2 — “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.”

   Not a man, not a people or a nation, but the Lord Himself so declares.  The prophet was shown things concerning the Lord’s house (church), “in the last days,” — not in Isaiah’s days.  The statement “last days,” in itself leads us to the “time of the end.”  As we were shown last Sabbath that the time of the end began in the 18th century, obviously then, the time is here for this marvel of the ages to take place.

Isa. 2:3 — “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

   Since no such gathering as here predicted has as yet taken place, the subject becomes exceedingly obvious that it is still future.

But if you truly desire to be in His kingdom , do not despair there will be a pure church and great gladness and joy abounding. (1 TG, no. 5, p.3)

God’s church shall be exalted in the “last days” and based from Jerusalem. This shows that His church shall no longer be fused with hypocrites who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. All such shall no longer be in the church.

“..the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” (Psalms 1:5)

This end time church will be so great and powerful — a testimony to the Lord , let us read His words as to the prophetic plans–

“For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.  Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 

Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.  The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord. 

All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on Mine altar, and I will glorify the house of My glory.   Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?  Surely the isles shall wait for Me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because He hath glorified thee. 

And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in My wrath I smote thee, but in My favour have I had mercy on thee. Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.” Isa. 60:2-11.

The church’s purity is so widespread that the “forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.” The Loud Cry will do its work, the great multitude (Rev. 7:9) will come in.

This is what the LORD Almighty says: “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.”(Zech.8:23)

So we can indeed have great hope. Our true desire, to worship the Lord as we should, giving Him honor and reverence as we should–will become reality! No more of the weekly show called “church services”be performed by a cookie cutter routine. Instead we will behold His glory and power in His house and exalting Him to His rightful place–King of the Universe, amen!

 

Posted in Church | Leave a Comment »

Satan’s Last Deception

November 26, 2016

satan-deception

A couple weeks back, I was having the church lunch and my wife and I happened to sit by a brother we’ll call brother P. He is a well studied SDA brother and even holds a class after Sabbath services. Over the years I have provided him with much material in the form of CD’s, DVD’s and Tracts. But during our lunch it became apparent that the following prophecy from the Spirit of Prophecy is truly being fulfilled right now.

The Last Deception of Satan

Satan is … constantly pressing in the spurious—to lead away from the truth. The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God’s remnant people in the true testimony.—Letter 12, 1890. 1SM 48.3

There will be a hatred kindled against the testimonies which is satanic. The workings of Satan will be to unsettle the faith of the churches in them, for this reason: Satan cannot have so clear a track to bring in his deceptions and bind up souls in his delusions if the warnings and reproofs and counsels of the Spirit of God are heeded.—Letter 40, 1890.

I was familiar with these words of Inspiration but sometimes you witness an experience that reminds you of the clear truth of it. Such was the case with brother P. We started out discussing some Scripture, specifically about the woman of Revelation 17. We went into it and he was quasi convinced (not thoroughly) that the woman could not be the Roman Catholic church solely, but a composite of the world’s history of false religion.

But the conversation soon turned to the subject of how we are saved. He mentioned that we are saved by grace, which I totally agreed with. However I mentioned that we must not have one spot or stain upon our character or we’ll not make the Kingdom. He said , “where do you get that?” I responded from the Testimonies, vol.5, p.214. I didn’t have the Testimonies with me but for explanation it reads–

“Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the Day of Pentecost.” 

He responded, “we are to use the Bible first and foremost.”  I concurred but said that SOP was God’s Truth as well and it was under Inspiration. It’s light was a compliment to the Bible and helped us know more of God’s will.

But he genuinely did not appear comfortable agreeing with me that SOP was God’s word. His attitude was if it’s not in the Bible, it’s not worth knowing about. And that is when the aforementioned Inspired words came back to me. I thought  –how true!

Then he proceeded to explain more on how we are saved. He basic ideas were that Christ’s sacrifice covers our sins. This of course is true but as the ol saying goes –“we are saved FROM our sins not IN them.”

I again pointed out that if one has an habitual sin (drinking coffee or tea for example)then that one has a “spot or stain” upon one’s soul and thus is in direct opposition of God’s word as explained by SOP(See Counsel on Diet and Foods, p.425) . Further the Bible is clear on this point I said —

“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” (Hebrews 10:26-27)

Satan is pulling out all stops right now as he knows his time is almost over. And the Testimonies give us much guidance on our walk and our ways that will please God. But if one has some sins he cherishes then it will be clear that any Inspired words that exposes them (such as the Testimonies) , are not welcomed.

“..be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23)

To help explain how the SOP writings are needed to help clarify certain areas that the Lord wanted clarified, I asked him –where in the Bible does it say that Ezek. 9 and Rev. 7 sealings/markings are one and the same? He did not know and then I pointed out that this knowledge was given us through Testimonies to Ministers, p.445.  This did not seem to make any important point to him and again, I was brought back to further truth from God’s word–

“.. they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” (2 Thes. 2:10)

We have pointed this out time and again, we MUST love the truth even if it goes against what we have been taught or think. For the Truth is –Christ

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”(John 14:6)

In our closing moments of our SDA probation we must remember that we, as His remnant church will be the “first”  to be judged , when the Lord begins the Judgment for the Living (See Testimonies vol. 5, p.211)

So where would we stand if we disregarded the Testimonies (SOP) ? We wouldn’t know that Ezek.9 and Rev. 7 are one and the same sealing , and that the SDA church is the first to experience God’s judgments. God does not bring His messengers for no reason. His message is to be heeded. SOP explains more about people like brother P–

“If we do our very best to present the truth in its stirring character, crossing the opinions and ideas of others, it will be misinterpreted, misapplied, and misstated, to those who are entertaining error, in order to make it appear in an objectionable light. There are few to whom you bring the truth, who have not been drinking of the wine of Babylon. It is hard for them to comprehend the truth, therefore the necessity of teaching it as it is in Jesus.”—(Review and Herald,  June 3, 1890)

Let us remember that we are under assault from the Satanic forces emerging from all angles.And as we have learned their very last deception is ongoing right now–unbelief in the Testimonies. Many are telling us “forget about SOP.” Ok what if we do? The following is just a small smidgen of what we would not know.

  1. As mentioned the sealing of Ezek. 9 and Rev. 7 are one and the same. John described the sealing, Ezekiel described what happened to those not sealed. Both angles are shown us.(Testimonies to Min. p.445)
  2. What “virgins” mean in Rev.14:4. (Christ Object Lessons , p.406)
  3. What the winds mean in Rev. 7 (Testimonies vol. 5, p.152)
  4. Coffee and Tea drinking is a sin (Counsels on Diet and Foods, p.425)
  5. And hundreds of other Truth nuggets

God’s truth is progressing and for us as SDA, we must know who He has spoken through as His vision of Zech. 4  pointed out last week. Two prophets in the last days are sent–Sister Ellen White and Brother Victor Houteff. Don’t be fooled that their message is  irrelevant and not needed, that’s what Satan wants you to think. God says of those He sends “Listen”. Satan and his workers say, “No need to listen”.

 

 

Posted in Present Truth, Proper teachings, Satan | 2 Comments »

Who is Abaddon and Apollyon, Satan or Christ?

November 19, 2016

Image result for picture of satan as angel of light         Image result for picture of Christ coming in clouds of glory

One of the most noted long running Biblical controversies involves the question — who does Abaddon and Apollyon represent? Generally speaking there is a majority opinion among Bible scholars that it is Satan or one of his angels. Our historical SDA belief is not clear and not much help here.

One of the end time prophecies revealed to us, His remnant church, was the understanding of Zech. 4, the two olive trees (old and new Testament) , the two pipes (God appointed two end time interpreters), seven tubes (ministers) going from the Golden Bowl (the Inspired writings) down to the seven candlesticks (the churches of God). In this symbolism we learn how the Lord’s system of Biblical truth is conveyed and passed down to His people and exposing the path of usurpers and false prophets. For those who wish to review our post on this very important subject , click here- https://godsloveandlaw.com/2014/07/12/zechariah-4-gods-method-of-revealing-truth/

Because Zech. 4 was not properly understood until the Lord sent His last prophet to our church–Victor Houteff, many could not truly know subjects like our study subject. In other words , there are all kinds of man-made ideas floated around as–truth. But let us now sink the mine shaft of truth way down and get some pure golden nuggets of glistening gold from the Golden Bowl.

First, let’s look at the specific Bible verses–

“And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.” (Rev. 9:1)

“And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.” (Rev. 9:11)

The following is generally the prevailing opinion concerning Abaddon and Apollyon.

“In Revelation 9:11, Abaddon is described as “Destroyer”,[6] the angel of the abyss,[6] and as the king of a plague of locusts resembling horses with crowned human faces, women’s hair, lions’ teeth, wings, iron breast-plates, and a tail with a scorpion’s stinger that torments for five months anyone who does not have the seal of God on their foreheads.[7]

The symbolism of Revelation 9:11 leaves the identity of Abaddon open to interpretation. Protestant commentator Matthew Henry (1708) believed Abaddon to be the Antichrist,[8] whereas the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary (1871) and Henry H. Halley (1922) identified the angel as Satan.[9][10][11] Latter-Day Saints believe that the use of “Abaddon” in Revelation 9 refers to the devil.[12]

In contrast, the Methodist publication The Interpreter’s Bible states: “Abaddon, however, is an angel not of Satan but of God, performing his work of destruction at God’s bidding”, citing the context at Revelation chapter 20, verses 1 through 3.[13][page needed] Jehovah’s Witnesses as well cite Revelation 20:1-3 where the angel having “the key of the abyss” is actually shown to be a representative of God, one from heaven, and, rather than being “satanic”, is the one that binds Satan and hurls him into the abyss; concluding that “Abaddon” is another name for Jesus Christ after his resurrection.”[14] (Wikipedia)

As we can see there is a variety of opinions. But generally throughout Christendom the belief is that these two titles describe Satan. The noted exceptions are the Methodists ,Jehovah Witnesses and Davidian SDA. However, such ideas most likely are arrived at by thinking that “a star fell from heaven” means Satan and his fall. And then because he falls he now has the symbolical key to hell. Sure seems plausible if one surface reads.

But as we mentioned we are going to go beyond surface reading and understandings into an understanding that is all-encompassing, just as the Lord’s promised restoration shows us (Matt.17:11).

To understand the meaning of the “star” and “bottomless pit” mentioned in Rev. 9:1,  we read–

Rev. 9:1-4. “And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.  And He opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.  And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.  And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.”

   Taking in order the parts (the “star,” the “key,” the “pit,” the “smoke,” the darkness, and the locusts) of this fifth trumpet symbolism, we come first to

The Star.

   Just as did the star of the third trumpet, so this  fifth-trumpet star descended from heaven to earth.  And as the third-trumpet “star” has been conclusively identified as representing the advent of the Bible then this latter one, since it is similar to the former must stand for something the equivalent of It.

   The Bible and Christ being complementary affinities, each the Word of God (John 1:1-14), then the fact that the descent of the first “star” is symbolical of the advent of the Bible, compels the conclusion that the descent of the second star is symbolical of the first advent of Christ.  Moreover, the star is personified as “Him” (masculine in gender), thus being limited to a male person.  And finally Christ Himself gives testimony that He is “the bright and morning star.” Rev. 22:16.  To Him, be it remembered, was given

“The Key of the Bottomless Pit.”

   “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.” Rev. 20:1, 2.

   As Christ is the one who secures Satan’s captivity, thereby ushering in the millennium, He alone can be fittingly symbolized by the “angel…having the key of the bottomless pit,” and by the “star” to whom the “key” was given.  And as the “giving” of a thing to any certain one must precede the having” of it by that one, the verbs “given” (Rev. 9:1) and “having” (Rev. 20:1; 1:18)  point, of course, to two different times.  Obviously, therefore, Christ received the “key” at the sounding  of the fifth trumpet — sometime before the millennium.  Hence at the commencement of the millennium He already has it.

   Christ’s mission being to bring deliverance from the prison house of sin and of death (the bottomless pit), and to do so through the preaching of the gospel,  the key, therefore, must be figurative of the gospel,  the only power that is able to set free those who are  imprisoned in

The “Bottomless Pit.”

   Since the “bottomless pit” of Revelation 20:3 is symbolical of the earth as a prison house during the millennium, then the “bottomless pit” of Revelation 9:1, being identical, must likewise be symbolical of the earth as a prison house at another time.

   This implicitly Biblical interpretation of the “star,” the “key,” and the “bottomless pit,” reveals  that the earth, at Christ’s first advent, had become a prison house (a pit) for God’s people and that Christ came to open it in order to save them.

   The very fact that God’s people are vested with the power to keep open the bottomless pit, then should they be defeated, the pit would be shut and would become a prison house from which there would be no escape unless it be reopened.  And so Satan in the latter days of the Jews, as sacred history records, attacked them, took them captive, and thus shut the pit.  And knowing that when the Saviour should come, He would open it, the dragon therefore stood ready to devour the “child as soon as it was born.” Rev. 12:4. 

But losing sight of the infant Christ, he incited Herod to slay “all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under” (Matt. 2:16), in the hope of making rid of the Saviour.  Under the protection  of Providence, however, Christ was kept from the  bloody hand of Herod.  Then subsequently with the  gospel key, He opened the “pit” and freed His people.  This, He Himself avowed:

   “The Spirit of the Lord,” He declared, is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering  of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18, 19. (Tract 5, p.58-61)

To the names and their meaning we read–

“Rev. 9:11. “And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.”

   Genuine Christians, as subjects of the kingdom of Christ, have over them Christ, their King.  Ruling over them in Old Testament time (1 Cor. 10:1-4)  as well as in New Testament time, He is therefore King over them in both periods.  Consequently the Old Testament Scriptures being originally written  in the Hebrew tongue give Him the name Abaddon, whereas the New Testament Scriptures, being originally written in the Greek, give Him the name Apollyon.

   In the blazing light of this symbol, intensifying the illumination from the whole series of symbols of which it is a part, and which no human mind could either have devised or thus rightly interpreted, Christ is clearly seen to be King of His people in both the Old and the New Testament periods, and Author of the Scriptures in both the Hebrew and the Greek.  And from this fact it follows that as He is “the Word” (the Bible in human form), His Hebrew name, Abaddon, is also the name of the Old Testament Scriptures, and His Greek name, Apollyon, is also the name of the New Testament Scriptures.

   Showing that he recognized Christ’s sovereignty over the church not only in the New Testament  period but also in the Old Testament period,  Paul, in his epistle to the Corinthians, declared:  “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were…baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea:…and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” 1 Cor. 10:1-4.

   Woe to him who accepts the one Testament and casts aside the other, pays no attention to either, or exalts tradition above both!

   Abaddon, Christ’s name in the Hebrew, signifying Him as a “destroyer,” shows that in the Old Testament period He simply destroyed many of His enemies; whereas Apollyon, His name in the Greek, signifying Him as an “exterminator,” shows that in the New Testament period He will exterminate all the wicked. (What beautiful precision  of connotation in these symbolic appellations!)  And this exterminatory work is vividly pictured in the climactic scene:

   “And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.  And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.” Rev. 19:15-18.

   To those, therefore, who accept Christ as their King, He is a Saviour, while to those who refuse to have Him rule over them (Luke 19:14), He is a destroyer.  Hence, accordingly, the curses, or judgments, fall (as the trumpets reveal) upon those who reject the teachings and the authority of the Bible, and who as a result do not have the seal.

   These solemn facts gravely admonish us not to forget the Bible’s warning that our treatment of It will bring one of two results — death or life. (Tract 5, p.69-72)

Christendom has a hard time calling Christ “Destroyer”and “Exterminator”, they cannot fathom the vengeance of Christ to justify His Truth. The Bible calls Him this and we must accept and acknowledge it. Let us not be on the losing end of the soon to come Destroyer/ Exterminator, rather with Godly fear and hope keep living everyday to do as the Word says–

“He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” (1 John 2:6)

 

Posted in Elijah Interpretations, Righteous Anger, Satan | 1 Comment »

Make America Great Again?

November 12, 2016

trump

The world has just witnessed a political phenomenon. A seemingly tremendous long shot has now been elected to one of the most powerful positions in the world–President of the United States. This is like a 150:1 long shot winning the Kentucky Derby. Donald Trump has emerged as our president, the 45th of our nation’s history.

Mr. Trump has repeatedly used the slogan “Let’s make America great again.” He implies that “we” as the citizens of our nation, under his leadership can make this nation great and powerful again. Yet there is One who truly holds in His hands , not only man’s destiny but the world’s destiny.

“Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain.” (Psalms 127:1)

We all should know that any “king” (ie. president)  that is set up is not happenstance for we read-

“And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.” (Daniel 2:21)

Many understand Mr. Trump’s clear passion for righting the ship as it were. The so-called “establishment”  has been so entrenched in our political structure that we have become accustomed to large-scale corruption such as politicians getting our national debt into the stratosphere, crime gone amuck in our larger cities, media agendas from the elite, bribes and political favors done without regard for the principle of law and fairness, etc.

So it is only natural to those who have left God out of the equation to look for a type of savior, someone who they think can make our nation’s problems lessen or disappear. In fact Mr. Trump ,along with many others we believe, truly sees himself as that type of savior. He has declared time and again, that “he” can do this and that for our country.

But the Lord’s word has something to say about today’s final events which they don’t know or consider. First, the world’s turmoil is being restrained by four angels, upon the Lord’s command (Rev. 7). This means that it is only because God has not said “release the hold” that the time of trouble such as never was (Dan. 12:1) is not upon the world right now. No politician, world leader, or anyone can bring peace except the Lord Himself.

“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people–everyone whose name is found written in the book–will be delivered.” (Dan. 12:1)

“Him who alone can give life, who can inscribe upon the foreheads the mark or inscription, to whom shall be granted immortality, eternal life. It is the voice of this highest angel that had authority to command the four angels to keep in check the four winds until this work was performed, and until he should give the summons to let them loose.” (Testimonies to Ministers, p.444)

You see brethren, what we are witnessing right now, upon the new excitement of a new president is the age-old human weakness of “making flesh our arm” of strength. God MUST be our leader if we are to have peace and strength both individually and nationally.

We are counselled —

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.”(Jer. 17:5)

The Elijah message also says–

“All seem to think that peace and prosperity depend upon the man they put in the White House. Upon the authority of the Word, though, I stand to tell you that regardless who is put in office there will be no peace and desirable lasting prosperity, for God is left out of the plans which have been devised although He alone can give what we are after.” (2 TG no.41 p.4.)

I happen to personally like the leadership capabilities I see in Donald Trump, yet am reminded by the Spirit time and again that we are on the verge of a world war over Israel. Therefore the idea that our nation is on the verge of a comeback both in world business, leadership and status is a mirage.

How soon could this world war break out over Israel? Simply put the pieces are all in place there right now, Russia, USA, China, Nato, and all the major Arab nations are armed and loaded right now. No one should be asleep now as things are just waiting for the Lord’s command , His “decree”. God’s hand is directing the upcoming fast closing events, not Donald Trump.

Scriptures point to the next end time event–

“Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’S anger come upon you. Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.”(Zeph. 2:1-5)

Gaza, the well-known area of Palestine here is spoken of and shown to be the center of the Lord’s anger. Ashkelon was also near Palestine, on the northern tip.All this area is foreseen by the Lord to be a “desolation” amid the gigantic war to be fought soon in Israel. So Donald Trump or any of the other world leaders are basically puppets in the Lord’s plan.

The world does not know all this , of course , because they do not know the prophetic Word of God. Their carnal passions and love of the things of the world all cause them to focus on their own human understanding. many right now see Donald Trump as a sort of pied piper who can lead the USA into some kind of “Great America”. But as mentioned this is not what the word of the Lord says.

For us Seventh-day Adventists, we have one of two choices, jump on board the Lord’s prophetic word and plan, declaring belief in his Truth as spoken by His final messenger (present truth), or think and believe like the world by following the current events clueless and not ready for the Great I Am’s “sudden” appearance (Mal. 3:1-5) into His remnant church to begin the final Loud Cry Gospel proclamation.

Donald Trump will soon fade into history as a cog in the Lord’s final plans, let us keep focused on the “Thus sayeth the Lord” and not “thus sayeth man”.

“The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.” (Psalms 94:11)

It is easy to get caught up in all the current political challenging atmosphere, and admittingly I’ve been intrigued as well. However, we should feel a perfect detachment from this scenario, knowing that our Lord has work for us to do and when we engage too much time in all the political hoopla will only serve to waste our precious time instead of preparing God’s people for the very soon approaching church judgement and Kingdom setup in Israel.

“Being ministers of the gospel, with our time completely preoccupied with the spiritual interests  of the people, we ourselves are not able to give attention to their political interests also, just as the people’s political representatives are not able to give proper attention to their spiritual needs also. And therefore rarely, if ever, do we see our way clear to vote.” (Answerer, vol. 5, Q-145)

The current president-elect is simply a cog in the Lord’s machinery. We are to be found working in His “vineyard” not absorbed in the heathen things of this world which lead to a dead-end. 

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matt. 25:23)

 

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