Advent Movement Survey 9

Transcription

1 Advent Movement Survey 9 The 1882 Crisis Study given by W. D. Frazee - February 21, 1962 Our key text in this class has been Deuteronomy the eighth chapter and the second verse: And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee Deuteronomy 8:2 Through Moses, Israel was reminded again and again of how God had led in the exodus movement. So today, God wants us to review the history of this denomination. For over a hundred years now, God has been leading His people. Do you remember that wonderful statement in Life Sketches, page 196? We have nothing to fear for the future except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history Life Sketches, page 196. Now if that is true, then the converse is true. That if we do forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history, we have something to fear. Right? So the purpose of this course in survey of the Advent history is not just to acquaint us with some historical facts in the past; some dates of when this happened or that happened, but it is to study God s teaching in our past history, especially as it bears upon the future, the very near future, the immediate future. Of all the things that we have studied and will study in the history of this denomination, none is more full of meaning than the crisis that came in our educational work in Battle Creek in 1881 and You remember the setting of it. Battle Creek College had been established in 1874 and 1875; established in the edge of Battle Creek rather than out in the country, as the divine blueprint called for. Nevertheless, the Lord s messenger did all she could to make it a success. And it continued with varying problems until 1881, when James White died. Sister White went to Colorado, and later to California. Certain things developed there that brought a crisis. Brownsburger, who had been the principal, gave up his work on account of health. McLearn, who had only recently come into the message, was put in because he was a university graduate. Brother Bell, who had no college degree, but who believed in the principles of Christian education as outlined by the Spirit of Prophecy, found himself relegated to the background. Issues arose within the college over the question of standards, over the matter of what emphasis should be given to this course and that course, to this subject and that subject in the college, and other things having to do with Christian standards of deportment, of education, and of the relationships of Παγε 1 οφ 16

2 the students with the teachers, students with their parents, and so forth. You remember, as we have studied, that there were those in the church and on the college faculty, who chose to side with the worldly popular element headed by McLearn. Among these was a man who had been very prominent, was very prominent in our church, a minister of long experience, at this time head of the Bible department, and one of the leaders in the Battle Creek church. To him Sister White wrote this message which we have been studying, Important Testimony in Volume 5, beginning on page 45. Sister White asked that this be read to the church. But since it definitely condemned him and others who were opposing Brother Bell and supporting McLearn, for some time he withheld it from the church. He took the position, you remember, that while Sister White was a prophet, not everything she wrote was divinely inspired. It was on this issue that the crisis developed. For he and others said that this letter of Sister White was not an inspired testimony. Those who sided with him said We believe Sister White s testimony - but, but, but. And so the crisis developed more and more. Finally, Bell was forced to resign and McLearn and his group were apparently the victors. I was very much interested in what Sister White said here: Peace has come because the students have had their own way Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 54. That s a very interesting statement. Peace has come because the students have had their own way Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 54. Is peace always, then, a helpful and reassuring sign? No. In another crisis Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 54, Was this a crisis? Yes, she says so. In another crisis they will be as determined and persevering as they have been on this occasion; and, if they find as able an advocate as they have found in Brother Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 54. (This man who was the head of the Bible department.) They may again accomplish their purpose. God has been speaking to teachers and students and church members, but you have cast His words behind you. You have thought best to take your own course, irrespective of consequences Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 54. Now, on page 58, there is another very interesting thing, and remember, in all this we are getting a preview of our study for today, where we see these issues focused upon the crisis of Παγε 2 οφ 16

3 the future, during the loud cry and the persecution, over the mark of the beast. After speaking of the way they were persecuting Brother Bell - this teacher who, although he had made some mistakes in being rather stern and even harsh at times, was nevertheless sincerely standing for high standards in study and in deportment, and in following out the Lord s counsels - but you remember that they had even encouraged the students in their backbiting and their gossiping and bringing reports, talebearing against this teacher - notice this statement: Have you no compunctions of conscience? I fear not. The time has not yet come for this satanic spell to lose its power Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 58. If you have a new edition you may find that the word not has been inadvertently omitted there. If you want it accurate, just put the word not in front of yet. It is just a printer s mistake. That s all. All the old editions have this: Have you no compunctions of conscience? I fear not. The time has not yet come for this satanic spell to lose its power Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 58. Now, of course, the sentence in the new is correct in the sense, of course, it should have lost its power. Time is always here, in the sense that people ought to wake up from the satanic spell. But she was making a statement of fact: Have you no compunctions of conscience? I fear not. The time has not yet come for this satanic spell to lose its power Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 58. What clutches they were in, the deceptions of the enemy, that they actually thought that they were doing God s service when they were persecuting the man who was standing for the standards of God. In fact, they had driven him away, driven him away and they had peace, but this peace was interrupted by the prophet. She was troubling Israel, like one of old troubled Israel, you remember? She was troubling Israel. After studying this Important Testimony chapter, we came to the next chapter, The Testimonies Slighted, beginning on page 62. This is the one that the Lord s messenger wrote from Healdsburg some time after the other one, when it had been delayed, in which she followed up the former testimony with a clear denunciation of the position of this elder, and others, who were taking the position that Sister White s testimonies were to be accepted only when they came through direct vision, and that anything else was just her opinion. And their opinion in this case, they felt, was better than hers. She says at the bottom of 64, that that insulted the Spirit of God. She speaks on page 65, of the fact that some of them were acquainted with the fact that on certain occasions, she had written, at midnight, letters that had gone across the continent and, arriving at a crisis, saved great disaster to the cause of God. Only a short time before this, an occasion of this kind had happened. Many years later, many Παγε 3 οφ 16

4 years, as I came along as a young man, I was the associate pastor of our church in San Francisco, where this experience had happened long before. In the early days, in starting our work in California, it had started up around Petaluna and Santa Rosa, and then, not long after, the work was started in San Francisco. The church was finally organized and a church was erected on Laguna street. It was in that church that I began my ministry, years later. Well, in these earlier days when the work was starting, there were two ministers there. You will be interested in this little experience, which, doubtless, is one of the things she is referring to here. These two ministers were working along there together, but one of them began to make himself a problem. It was a matter involving a bit of indiscretion on his part with a certain woman. Nobody claimed he was doing anything wicked, but he was making himself an object of talk. But he claimed the right, when certain ones labored with him, to walk around with whom he pleased. There were certain ones that took his part in the church and there were others that felt greatly burdened over it. So Elder Loughborough, who was leading out in the work there, was indeed burdened, and the time finally came when it was to be brought to a meeting, on a Sunday morning. His case was to come up. It looked like it was going to split the church. There didn t seem to be anything else to do. Well, the Saturday night before the meetings, Elder Loughborough came across this man, or rather I think this was Sunday morning. Sunday morning on the way to the church, he came across this man. The man was weeping. The man said to Elder Loughborough, I won t be at the meeting this morning. Elder Loughborough said, Well, brother, he said, You know the meeting concerns your case. Yes, He said I know it, but I won t be there. But he said, Take this and read it, and then you will understand. The night before, when after the Sabbath, he got his mail and read it, there was a letter from Sister White that had come all the way across from Battle Creek. Mail was not very fast in those days, in the1870s. That letter condemned him for the course he was taking. And some of the things in that letter, concerned matters that had transpired after the letter was postmarked in Battle Creek. Of course, He recognized it and it brought him around. It brought him to his senses. So, of course, when that was read to the church, and the man s confession and statement was presented, why, instead of the church being split, the whole church rallied, and the thing was saved. Well, now on the other end of the line, the case was very interesting. Sister White had been awakened at an early hour. The angel had instructed her to write immediately that vision on San Francisco, which she had had before. So she got up and wrote quickly to this man. Then she gave the letter to her son, Willie, and she said, Willie, don t put this in the post office, but carry it down to the railroad station, so that it will get on the train that goes West. And he did it. Thus it arrived at the very hour necessary to save disaster. Παγε 4 οφ 16

5 Now look at this situation. Suppose it had come some weeks before. Why, some of the things she wrote about hadn t yet happened. The man could say, Well, Sister White is all disturbed over things that I don t know anything about. She doesn t need to be bothered. I find that true on that subject particularly, that only God knows when the time to speak is. Because so many times if anything is done to correct a situation like that, someone says, Oh, there s nothing to it. But then pretty soon it s too late to say anything. But the Lord knew right to the minute when to bring the pressure. Suppose it had been twenty-four hours later. Why, the crisis would have come and the church would have been split. But right to the minute, the Lord had it timed. So it is experiences like this that she is speaking of when she says: I have been aroused from my sleep with a vivid sense of subjects previously presented to my mind, and I have written at midnight letters that have gone across the continent, and arriving at a crisis have saved great disaster to the cause of God. This has been my work for many years. Is this work of the last thirty-six years from above or from beneath? Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 65. You see, she makes it very clear, it was either from God or the devil. And remember, friends, in every study of religious phenomena, whenever there are miracles, you ve either got God working through His mighty angels, or you ve got the devil working through his powerful angels. So, Sister White is appealing to this leading minister that she is writing to at this time, in Battle Creek. Now, she says, You know my work. You know what I ve been doing all these years. You ve witnessed some of these things. And then she says, Is that from above or from beneath? And will you acknowledge it as being from God (which he had taught), will you acknowledge it when it comes close and puts its finger on your sins and your mistakes? That was the crisis. Well, in our study last week, we got up to page 77, but before we pick up there again this evening, I would like to call your attention to a beautiful and wonderful assurance: The spirit of worldliness may contaminate the many and control the few; the cause of God may hold its ground only by great exertion and continual sacrifice, yet it will triumph finally Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 71. Now, isn t that wonderful, friends? Is the church going to triumph finally? Now, that must be kept in mind clearly all the way through this study, or else we miss the whole point of it. And to strengthen that, turn over now to 81. Notice at the bottom of page 81, speaking of the coming time of crisis when the loud cry is being given, and the mark of the beast is being urged upon us: The deeper the night for God s people, the more brilliant the stars. Satan will sorely harass the faithful; but, in the name of Παγε 5 οφ 16

6 Jesus, they will come off more than conquerors. Then will the church of Christ appear fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 81. What is it that s going to appear, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, in that time? The church, the church of Christ. Yes, friends; the church doesn t go down. She doesn t fall. She may appear as about to fall (as Selected Messages says), but she doesn t fall. The church remains while the sinners in Zion are sifted out. This wonderful chapter which we are studying here, reveals, as perhaps no other chapter in the writings in the Spirit of Prophecy, the causes underlying the coming sifting, and shows the relationship between problems of that crisis in Battle Creek in 1882, and a far greater crisis coming to the church, as a whole, during the closing up of this work, when persecution is upon us and the loud cry is being given. There will be then the full results of sowing of the good seed of true Christian education on the one side, and sowing the tares of worldly education on the other. For did that stop back there in 1882? Was McLearn the last one that ever tried to lead us to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? And was Bell the last one that ever led us to the fountains of living waters? No, thank God, no. From that day to this, my friends, the issue has been ever with us. I am going to bring that in very clearly by evidence tonight, that those issues that were back there in Battle Creek, before any of us here tonight were born, have been with us in one way or another all the way through, and are still with us. Now, that is proved by the chapter itself. As the prophet saw that crisis there, and urged upon them certain principles, her mind was led in vision to the outworking of those principles, and led on to the coming loud cry and crisis over the mark of the beast. Was that future then? Is it still future? Yes! And if there was no connection between the crisis back then, and the coming crisis in the church, then she was in error in linking them together. But if there was a real connection, then it was vital that that connection be seen. That is the reason we are spending the time studying this chapter. It isn t just a matter of the history of what happened back then. Those people are all dead, everyone of them. But, you and I are alive, and God s church is alive and it s on the move to the final crisis and the final victory. But in the crisis some will be swept overboard as McLearn was back then. He left, you remember; apostatized after seemingly leading a victorious movement that pushed Bell out. He, himself, left the church and became militantly opposed to Seventh-day Adventists, and went off working for some other denomination, all within a few months, my friends. So, looking forward to a similar sifting on a far greater scale down here today, page 81 says: The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. Those who have, step by step, yielded to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs, will not find it a hard matter to yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. The contest is Παγε 6 οφ 16

7 Now notice the next: between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. In this time the gold will be separated from the dross in the church. True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 81. Many a star that we have admired for its brilliancy will then go out in darkness Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 81. Oh yes, McLearn was neither the first nor the last to do things of this kind. I remember a number of years ago, when I was a young minister, a man that was filling one of the highest positions in this denomination, on the eve of sailing overseas to assume a position of leadership in a large division, was discovered by our brethren in a place where a Christian would have no business being, doing things that a Christian would have no business doing. He, of course, was relieved of his responsibilities. I remember another experience that with shocking force brought this page to the minds of some of us. Our conference president told us about the experience. A man that was leading out as the head of the Bible department in one of our largest colleges, was found teaching certain things in his classes that had a tendency to undermine faith in the Spirit of Prophecy. He, with two of his associates in the Bible department, were asked by the board to give up their work. Within two weeks of the time that man laid down his responsibilities as head of the Bible department in this college, he was installed as the rector of an Episcopalian church less, than fifty miles from that college. He came and moved out his things from the college campus on the Sabbath. Now, those things don t happen every day nor every year, that isn t what I am talking about. But those things, when they happen, are a merciful warning, a preview of what this is talking about. The foundation of God stands secure. The movement goes right on. The church of God doesn t fall because men fall. Judas may deny his Lord and sell Him for thirty pieces of silver. Poor Peter may deny Him with cursing and swearing. But, ah, my friends, the church, God s church, is built upon the eternal Rock, Christ Jesus, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Did the church that Jesus established survive that awful sifting back then? Yes. And, oh, out of it came the glorious triumph of Pentecost. And when the church is sifted again, during the days of persecution just ahead, while multitudes, as it says, will be going out, there will be multitudes coming in. And from all these other denominations the true sheep will hear the true Shepherd s voice within the true fold. While Zion will be purged of those who trouble her, the children of God that are scattered all through the fallen churches, will rally to the standard, and every one of God s true sheep will be in the true fold when Jesus comes. Is that right? Is that the picture? Παγε 7 οφ 16

8 It is a glorious picture when you think of the triumph, a sad picture when you think of many a star that we ve admired for its brilliancy will then go out in darkness. But the thing that I want you to notice in this chapter, friends, is that inspiration lays its finger on the root cause of the problem, and that is worldly education and the attempt of introducing it into our own schools and churches. That s what this chapter clearly teaches. Let s go back and notice a statement or two that will help us to see this: The patience of God has an object, but you are defeating it. He is allowing a state of things to come that you would fain see counteracted by and by, but it will be too late Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 77. Let s stop there for a minute. Did the very men who were acting a part in that crisis at Battle Creek, did they see the full results of what they were doing? No, they didn t; that is what this shows: He is allowing a state of things to come that you would fain see counteracted by and by, but it will be too late Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 77. Ah, many a man has sown a crop and when harvest time comes says, Oh, I wish I hadn t sown that. But can you change it in harvest time? No. When we sow worldly education, my friends, we sow a crop, and I tell you: nobody s going to be happy to harvest. And then she makes a most interesting statement, after saying this: He is allowing a state of things to come that you would fain see counteracted by and by, but it will be too late. God commanded Elijah to anoint the cruel and deceitful Hazael king over Syria, that he might be a scourge to idolatrous Israel. Who knows whether God will not give you up to the deceptions you love? Who knows but that the preachers who are faithful, firm, and true may be the last who shall offer the gospel of peace to our unthankful churches? It may be that the destroyers are already training under the hand of Satan and only wait the departure of a few more standard-bearers to take their places, and with the voice of the false prophet cry, Peace, peace, when the Lord hath not spoken peace. I seldom weep, but now I find my eyes blinded with tears; they are falling upon my paper as I write. It may be that erelong all prophesyings among us will be at an end, and the voice which has stirred the people may no longer disturb their carnal slumbers Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 77. Now, looking at that last point first. Has that last point been fulfilled? Has there come a time in the history of this movement when the living prophet s voice has been stilled? I hesitate to comment on that. There are some things here that are deep, soul-searching. I recommend that you study this paragraph on your knees as you talk to God about it, or more important, let Παγε 8 οφ 16

9 Him talk to you about it. Some things there I would hesitate to render a human opinion on, they are deep, deep, soul-searching. But, now, going back up there, there s a statement about Hazael that I want you to notice, in this setting: God commanded Elijah to anoint the cruel and deceitful Hazael king over Syria, that he might be a scourge to idolatrous Israel. Who knows whether God will not give you up to the deceptions you love? Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 77. You remember the setting. Elijah was down there in the cave on Horeb. He finally got back in gear with God and God said to him, Now Elijah, go back and anoint three men. Anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. Anoint Jehu to be king over Israel. And anoint Elisha, the son of Shaphat to be prophet in your stead. Three men were to be anointed. Now, it is easy to see why the Lord would have another young man to be training as prophet when Elijah would be called away. That s easy. And we may, perhaps, be able to understand why the Lord would call in Jehu, who while he was far from being a loving, kind, Godlike man, nevertheless he was used to root out Ahab and Baal worship out of Israel. But what did Hazael have to do with it? Why would God send His prophet to anoint a cruel, deceitful man to be king over Syria? Why, this says, it was that he might be a scourge to idolatrous Israel. Did God use heathen Nebuchadnezzar to scourge Jerusalem? Yes. It s amazing all the instruments God uses, friends. He has quite a few in his tool kit. And Hazael was one back then, that certainly whipped and lashed and scourged idolatrous Israel. Hazael. Now, what s the application down here today? She says, brings it right in as something that we are to learn, a lesson from it in this connection. Now turn over to page 79. You will get the key to it: God has shown me that these men are Hazaels to prove a scourge to our people. They are wise above what is written Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 79. Oh, she doesn t leave us in doubt then, as to who she means by the Hazaels. These men, now, who are they? We ll go up the paragraph and we ll read and we ll find out. But, she puts the finger of the vision right on the point. In 1882 there were certain conditions in our educational work that she said were fulfilling this prediction. But remember, this is in the setting of carrying it on right down to the Loud Cry time. All right, now let s see who Hazael is: The prevailing spirit of our time is that of infidelity and apostasy - a spirit of pretended illumination because of a knowledge of the truth, but in reality of the blindest Παγε 9 οφ 16

10 presumption. There is a spirit of opposition to the plain word of God and to the testimony of His Spirit Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 79. Was that what the issue was there in Battle Creek at that time, in the college? Why, yes. McLearn and his group were exalting human science, human education. Those who were supporting him were choosing to ignore or even to reject the testimonies of the Spirit of God that cut across that pathway of worldly education. She puts the label right on. That of what? Hazael. I read on: There is a spirit of idolatrous exaltation of mere human reason above the revealed wisdom of God. There are men among us in responsible positions who hold that the opinions of a few conceited philosophers, so called, are more to be trusted than the truth of the Bible, or the testimonies of the Holy Spirit. Such a faith as that of Paul, Peter, or John is considered old-fashioned and insufferable to the present day. It is pronounced absurd, mystical, and unworthy of an intelligent mind. God has shown me that these men are Hazaels to prove a scourge to our people Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 79. Is it clear who Hazael is, then? Hazael is any man among us who dares to exalt human reason above the Bible and the Testimonies. And if he is in a responsible position, as some were back then, that gives him an opportunity to do what? To scourge. Had Bell gotten a good scourging there? Several. In fact, finally he had been lashed and scourged so much that he had to resign and leave. And as we read on an earlier page, peace has come because the students have had their own way. The worldly element had driven away those who were standing most for the Testimonies of the Spirit of God. Peace is come because the students have had their own way, but the prophet of God comes in, in that area of seeming peace, and disturbs the whole thing with these burning denunciations from the throne of God. Hazaels, wise above what is written, exalting human science, human reason, human philosophy, human opinions, above the Bible and above the testimonies of the Spirit of God - that s the issue, friends, that s the issue. That was the issue back there at Battle Creek in Let s see how that same issue, on a far wider stage, is pictured here in the closing work, Volume 5, page 80 and 81. The chronology is not difficult to determine. Page 81 plainly states that it s the time when what is urged upon us? The mark of the beast. What is the mark of the beast? The national Sunday law. Past, present, or future? Future, still future. It was future in 1882, still future. Παγε 10 οφ 16

11 The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be urged upon us Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 81. All right. So with that chronology established, let s take the preceding page: But the days of purification of the church are hastening on apace. God will have a people pure and true. In the mighty sifting soon to take place we shall be better able to measure the strength of Israel Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 80. What was there ahead of the church back there? A mighty sifting. Is it still ahead? Yes. The signs reveal that the time is near when the Lord will manifest that His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 80. Now watch! And get the implications of the educational angle of this, as we read the next paragraph. The days are fast approaching when there will be great perplexity and confusion. Satan, clothed in angel robes, will deceive, if possible, the very elect. There will be gods many and lords many. Every wind of doctrine will be blowing. Those who have rendered supreme homage to science falsely so called will not be the leaders then Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 80. There are two or three things implied there that I want you to notice. What does that then put in there imply? That they might be leaders previous to that. This man that I was telling you about, this McLearn, was the president, the leader in Battle Creek College, but a few months after this was written he was out, working for another denomination, and fighting our people and our message. He was one that was sifted out. I ve mentioned a few other cases. Think of Canright, who at one time was a leading preacher among us and went out and fought us. Think of Conradi, and others who could be mentioned. But, all that, as I have said, is a little prelude of what s ahead. The point is there are men, who at one time had an influence, who go out in the crisis, but Sister White is putting her finger on the root cause of some of this apostasy. They are men who have learned to trust to what, this says? Science, falsely so called, human education, human wisdom, human philosophy instead of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. That s the issue. That s why they go out when the crisis comes. Every wind of doctrine will be blowing. Those who have rendered supreme homage to science falsely so called will not Παγε 11 οφ 16

12 be the leaders then. Those who have trusted to intellect, genius, or talent will not then stand at the head of rank and file. They did not keep pace with the light. Those who have proved themselves unfaithful will not then be entrusted with the flock. In the last solemn work few great men will be engaged. They are self-sufficient, independent of God, and He cannot use them. The Lord has faithful servants, who in the shaking, testing time will be disclosed to view Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 80. Then notice, as we get into the shaking time, will there be some who have been bright lights that will go out? Will there be others, that hitherto have been unnoticed that will shine out? Yes. Let no one twist what is written here, or what is being said. Let no one make a misapplication of it. There is nothing in this chapter to indicate that the church is going down and some new movement is going to appear. No. There is nothing to indicate that God is going to set aside the leadership of this church and bring in a new crowd. That is a misapplication. But while it s very clear that the church is going to triumph when this movement goes through, it is also very clear, as we read here in plain language, the church is going to be sifted, purified, purged. All that is said here. And those who have trusted to science, falsely so called, instead of the Bible and the Testimonies are going to do what? They are going to go out. What happened on the narrow stage at Battle Creek in 1882 is going to happen on the wide stage of this whole movement in the closing crisis hour. On page 82, notice how having called attention to Hazael and the parallel down here today, she picks up again the experience of Elijah, and draws a lesson from the experience of Elisha. Where did Elijah find Elisha? Where was Elisha when Elijah found him? He was plowing. Where? On his father s farm. That s right. I want to ask you something. If you were looking for a prophet, would you go out to a farm to find him? Maybe Elijah wouldn t, if God hadn t told him. But God told him right where to look, didn t He. It is true that he had much to learn, but God saw in him one who would be humble and willing to learn from the Spirit of Prophecy manifested through Elijah. Now watch as the lesson is made, not by me, but by the messenger of the Lord: Elijah took Elisha from the plow and threw upon him his mantle of consecration. The call to this great and solemn work was presented to men of learning and position; had these been little in their own eyes and trusted fully in the Lord, He would have honored them with bearing His standard in triumph to the victory. But they separated from God, yielded to the influence of the world, and the Lord rejected them. Many have exalted science and lost sight of the God of science. This was not the case with the church in the purest times. Παγε 12 οφ 16

13 God will work a work in our day that but few anticipate. He will raise up and exalt among us those who are taught rather by the unction of His Spirit than by the outward training of scientific institutions. These facilities are not to be despised or condemned; they are ordained of God, but they can furnish only the exterior qualifications. God will manifest that He is not dependent on learned, self-important mortals Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 82. There s the lesson. Then as we come to the crisis, will God have some people like Elisha, that He has been getting ready? Oh, my friends, the only way you and I can have a part in this closing work is to get the experience that Elisha got. First, of being faithful in the little things of everyday life and having an experience with God in everyday life, and then, shall I say, following the prophet around from day to day. And by that I mean simply this, taking the books of the Spirit of Prophecy, along with the Bible, and studying them and letting those directions guide our lives hour by hour just as Elijah guided Elisha hour by hour as he went around with him. That was what prepared Elisha to act his part. It is the men and women that do that, that God will use in His closing Loud Cry work. While those who have received the mold of worldly education and have learned to exalt human science, human reason, above the revealed wisdom of God, will be sifted out when the crash comes, when the crisis comes. That s the issue, friends, that s the issue. Oh, that God may help us to be warned in time and do something about it. What do you say? I want to give you, friends, for the next few minutes in closing, some words that have been written in more recent years by some of the strong spiritual leaders in this denomination. I want you to see that God has had men all down through the years that have tried to help our people to turn away from worldly education and take what God has given us through the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. I want you to see that they recognize that it has been a battle, and still is. From many, many such statements that I have in my files I ve picked just a few. This one is from The Review and Herald of November 21, Now you see, this is fifty years after this Battle Creek crisis that we have been studying, well on into this century. This statement is from Elder Watson, who was the president of the General Conference at this time, a dearly beloved man, a great spiritual leader. Hear him as he speaks as the president of the General Conference: There is setting in on this people a tide of worldliness to which we are surrendering. I do not mean to imply that we are not resisting these influences at all, but I believe that the measure of resistance that we are putting forth is not holding us. We are gradually being swept backward and should be alarmed about it. Our resistance of worldly influences is seriously diminishing. I am troubled by the direction that our educational and training work is definitely taking. I am concerned by the more and more obvious fact that in the Παγε 13 οφ 16

14 education and training of our workers we are inquiring more of the world and less of God than formally Elder Watson, Review and Herald, November 21, That was from the president of the General Conference. And my dear friends, you will permit me to say humbly, I believe he spoke the truth. But anyone who believes it, can t help but sigh and cry, isn t that right? Now one of two things, friends, either since Elder Watson wrote these words there has been a tremendous revival and reformation that has changed all this worldly trend he is talking about, or else there is at least as much need for concern and heart burden today as there was then. Correct? All right. Now I picked up another statement. This is from Elder J. L. McElhany, the president of the General Conference who followed Elder Watson, and who for fourteen years was the world leader of this church. This is from The Review and Herald of October 14, This is a report in the Review of a sermon that Elder McElhany gave at the world educational convention over here at Blue Ridge, North Carolina. And what subject do you suppose this servant of God, this leader of the world church, choose as his subject at the Sabbath sermon at the meeting of all our college presidents, all our educational superintendents, academy principals, the leaders of our educational work. What subject do you suppose was burdening his heart to present to those educational leaders? The peril of worldly trends, the peril of worldly trends. I select just a few sentences from this sermon: I tell you solemnly that there are forces and influences at work which, if unchecked, will render us just as unprepared for the second coming of Christ as was Israel for His first coming. Make no mistake about it. I see those influences at work. I summon you all to engage in the fight against the spirit of Sadduceeism, the spirit of worldly conformity, the spirit which, if allowed to go unchecked, will subvert and change the whole spirit and purpose of this movement. Is this movement today the same as it was when it passed from the hands of the pioneers over into our keeping, to our leadership and guidance? Do we have the same aims and objectives today that they had, or have we allowed worldly contacts and policies to subvert the movement? This is no ordinary time. I want to stand here before you today as one who believes, and believes deeply, seriously, and earnestly, that the whole purpose and objective of this movement today is in the balance. Do we believe in the Spirit of Prophecy? We say we do. Are we among those to whom Christ said, Ye say, and do not? I tell you, my friends, in all seriousness, that today many of our young people are confused, and their faith is broken down by Παγε 14 οφ 16

15 what they see and hear. Oh, may God help us to come back to simplicity and faith, to obedience and right practice. I do confess, my friends, to having a heart longing to see something come to us today that will change the whole drift of things, for I believe the time has come when there ought to be such a change Elder J. L. McElhany, Review and Herald, October 14, Then he speaks of the need of bringing the Bible into the classrooms, not merely the Bible classes but the other classes in our schools. He speaks of the danger in worldly amusements and in the social life: Too many of our young people are today being led into worldly conformity by some leaders who are themselves adhering to forms of worldly amusement and pleasure. My friends, I wish our young people could be kept away from all the beach parties and nudity parades and moving picture shows, and other questionable places where they ought not to go, but where they are sometimes led by their leaders. I believe it is the duty of every school board and every school faculty to take steps to change things. Just how far can we go in this matter of worldly conformity? Let us be done with the spirit of compromise Elder J. L. McElhany, Review and Herald, October 14, I want to ask you a question. Do you think the President of the General Conference had definite things in mind when he talked to all our educators about these? Well, do you think he had a right to be concerned? Then I ask you another question: should the things that concerned him that day concern you and me tonight? I read on: Would the pioneers know this movement today if they should awaken? Would they recognize the movement that they started in this world and handed over to their successors? Would they really recognize it? To me that is a very appealing and important question. Oh, some may say, They were a lot of old fogies. They were out of date. They were entirely behind the times. Today s standards have changed. That is a favorite expression with some, but I do not believe it. My friends, really, I am concerned about the trends and the tendencies. I confess a great anxiety about them. I believe what we need today, as a group of educators and leaders, more than anything else, is something that cannot come to us from any committee on resolutions, and that is a revival of primitive godliness Elder J. L. McElhany, Review and Herald, October 14, Παγε 15 οφ 16

16 What do you say, friends? Well, I had other things to share with you, but the hour is closing. And so I leave you with this solemn appeal from Elder McElhany ringing in our ears. And it s been echoed by others from time to time. So as we read these stirring things and these heart burdening things in Volume 5, let us thank God that in His church today God is continuing to echo that trumpet call to revival, and reformation. Let us see to it that in our own heart of hearts, we enter into the experience of Elisha rather than that of Hazael. Παγε 16 οφ 16