OUR SECURITY IN THE CRISIS AHEAD Now the great work from which the mind should not be diverted is the consideration of our personal safety in the sight of God. Are our feet on the rock of ages? Are we hiding ourselves in our only refuge? The storm is coming, relentless in its fury. Are we prepared to meet it? Evangelism p. 199. No thinking believer in the Third Angel s message needs to be reminded that we are living in an unprecedented time of political and religious crisis. Everything in our world seems to be in agitation. In the church we see terrible abominations and apostasy from the truth and a determined struggle between light and darkness, and right against wrong. And the world is keeping pace with the developments in the church. There we also see terrible abominations, deception, violence, turbulence and wickedness of every kind. In a time like this, God s people cannot depend on earthly governments to protect them from a dangerous society that has developed all about us. And as we read in the opening passage from Evangelism, a storm is coming, relentless in its fury. So where is the safety and security of God s people? Note the following: In a vision given in 1880 I asked, "Where is the security for the people of God in these days of peril?" The answer was, "Jesus maketh intercession for His people, though Satan standeth at His right hand to resist Him " Testimonies to Ministers p. 465. We have the assurance of security in the intercession of Jesus for His people. As long as Jesus is in the sanctuary, the four angels of Revelation 7 will restrain the winds of strife and turbulence until God s people have all been sealed in their foreheads. But that doesn t mean there will be peace and calm on the earth. Before the sealing takes place there will be great abominations in both the church and the world. We need to be aware of what will be transpiring just before the loud cry and sealing begin so we will not be surprised or discouraged when we see it happening. We are living in the last days of this earth's history, and we may be surprised at nothing in the line of apostasies and denials of the truth 2 Selected Messages p. 147. In 2 Timothy 3:1 5 we read, This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,... Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. And in 5 Testimonies p. 523 we read, There is a period of time just before us when the condition of the world will become desperate, when that true religion which yields obedience to a "Thus saith the Lord" will become almost extinct. Many believers have been shocked at the reports of what is happening in our church. There are terrible evils existing among us that no one would have imagined ten or twenty years ago. It is as the apostle Paul wrote, For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret Ephesians 5:12. But we have been warned that the greatest abominations will exist in the church just before the sealing angel of Ezekiel nine passes through among God s professed people, placing the seal of God upon their foreheads. The faithful who are about to be sealed are represented as sighing and crying in agony because of all the evils in the midst thereof. However, Inspiration tells us that The abominations for which the faithful ones were sighing and crying were all that could be discerned by finite eyes, but by far the worst sins, those which provoked the jealousy of the pure and holy God, were unrevealed. The great Searcher of hearts knoweth every sin committed in secret by the workers of iniquity. These persons come to feel secure in their deceptions and, because of His long-suffering, say that the Lord seeth not, and then act as though He had forsaken the earth. But He will detect their hypocrisy and will open before others those sins which they were so careful to hide 5 Testimonies p. 211. 1
We are seeing many things coming to light recently which men in responsible positions have in the past been able to keep away from public view, but in the providence of God they are being exposed. Christ warned For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops Luke 12: 2-3. What we are witnessing at the present time was prophesied in 5 Testimonies p. 212. No superiority of rank, dignity, or worldly wisdom, no position in sacred office, will preserve men from sacrificing principle when left to their own deceitful hearts. Those who have been regarded as worthy and righteous prove to be ring-leaders in apostasy and examples in indifference and in the abuse of God's mercies. Also on page 77 of the same book we read, 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. But there is a bright side to the current situation. Christ has a chosen means by which the abominations will be purged out of the church. Ellen White saw the purification that will take place and she exclaimed, Oh, that every lukewarm professor could realize the clean work that God is about to make among His professed people 1 Testimonies p. 190. Christ s method of purifying the church is through allowing the mark of the beast test to separate the chaff from the wheat. The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be urged upon us... True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many a star that we have admired for its brilliancy will then go out in darkness. Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the wind, even from places where we see only floors of rich wheat. All who assume the ornaments of the sanctuary, but are not clothed with Christ's righteousness, will appear in the shame of their own nakedness 5 Testimonies p. 81. The test of the mark of the beast also has another positive effect. It will also open the way for the loud cry to go forth. In 2 Selected Messages p. 370 we read, The Lord has permitted the enemy of truth to make a determined effort against the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. He designs by this means to awaken a decided interest in that question which is a test for the last days. This will open the way for the third angel's message to be proclaimed with power. This is what we have been waiting for. At a time like that, we can trust our lives in the hands of our loving Savior. To those who forsake their sins and put their trust in God, the promise is But when the world makes void the law of God, what will be the effect upon the truly obedient and righteous? Will they be carried away by the strong current of evil? Because so many rank themselves under the banner of the prince of darkness, will God's commandment-keeping people swerve from their allegiance? Never! Not one who is abiding in Christ will fail or fall. His followers will bow in obedience to a higher authority than that of any earthly potentate Ibid. p. 368. We have this precious assurance for the time of crisis found in Isaiah 26:20. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. And in the Inspired comment on this passage we read these encouraging words. When tempted to sin, let us remember that Jesus is pleading for us in the heavenly sanctuary. When we put away our sins and come to Him in faith, He takes our names on His lips, and presents them to His Father, saying, "I have graven them upon the 2
palms of my hands; I know them by name." And the command goes forth to the angels to protect them. Then in the day of fierce trial He will say, "Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast." What are the chambers in which they are to hide?-- They are the protection of Christ and holy angels 4 Bible Commentary p. 1143. Psalm 91 assures us that His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict Great Controversy p. 593. Inspiration tells us that God will draw a covering over His people to shelter them in the day of trial. Satan is now using every device in this sealing time to keep the minds of God's people from the present truth and to cause them to waver. I saw a covering that God was drawing over His people to protect them in the time of trouble; and every soul that was decided on the truth and was pure in heart was to be covered with the covering of the Almighty. Satan knew this, and he was at work in mighty power to keep the minds of as many people as he possibly could wavering and unsettled on the truth Early Writings p. 43. Our only security for the time of crisis is to forsake every sin and then trust our cases wholly into the merciful hands of Christ. If Christ dwells in us richly through His Word, we have the assurance that not one who does that will falter or fail. The fear of the Lord will take away the fear of man, so that we can say with the Psalmist, The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me Psalm 27:1, 56:11. And when Christ makes His final intercession for His people and blots out their sins, they will be given a double guard of heavenly angels to protect them from then on and also through the time of trouble when intercession has ceased. Early Writings p. 270 tells us that The company of guardian angels around them had been doubled, and they were clothed with an armor from their head to their feet. They moved in exact order, like a company of soldiers. Christ will be nearer to His people then because there is no more sin to separate them from Him. The covering of the Holy Spirit drawn over them will be their great armor to protect them from all the dangers surrounding them in the time of trouble. And even though the saints do not feel it, they are eternally secure from all that the hosts of darkness may throw at them. They will come off More than conquerors through Him that loved us Romans 8:37. 3
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