Our Saviour’s Highest Honor

And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. Zech. 13:6.

“I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.” Revelation 21:1. The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the curse is swept away. . . . 

One reminder alone remains: Our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought. Says the prophet, beholding Christ in His glory: “He had bright beams coming out of his side: and there was the hiding of his power.” Habakkuk 3:4, margin. That pierced side whence flowed the crimson stream that reconciled man to God—there is the Saviour’s glory, there “the hiding of his power.” . . . And the tokens of His humiliation are His highest honor; through the eternal ages the wounds of Calvary will show forth His praise and declare His power.

The cross of Christ will be the science and the song of the redeemed through all eternity. In Christ glorified they will behold Christ crucified. Never will it be forgotten that He whose power created and upheld the unnumbered worlds through the vast realms of space, the Beloved of God, the Majesty of heaven, He whom cherub and shining seraph delighted to adore—humbled Himself to uplift fallen man; that He bore the guilt and shame of sin, and the hiding of His Father’s face, till the woes of a lost world broke His heart and crushed out His life on Calvary’s cross. That the Maker of all worlds, the Arbiter of all destinies, should lay aside His glory and humiliate Himself from love to man will ever excite the wonder and adoration of the universe. As the nations of the saved look upon their Redeemer and behold the eternal glory of the Father shining in His countenance; as they behold His throne, which is from everlasting to everlasting, and know that His kingdom is to have no end, they break forth in rapturous song: “Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His own most precious blood!”

The Immortal Inheritance

Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Col. 1:12, R.S.V.

The ransom has been paid, and it is possible for all to come to God, and through a life of obedience to attain unto everlasting life. Then how sad it is that men turn from the immortal inheritance, and live for the gratification of pride, for selfishness and display, and . . . lose the blessing which they might have both in this life and in the life to come. They might enter into the palaces of heaven, and associate on terms of freedom and equality with Christ and heavenly angels, and with the princes of God; and yet, incredible as it may seem, they turn from heavenly attractions.

The Creator of all worlds proposes to love those who believe in His only-begotten Son as their personal Saviour, even as He loves His Son. Even here and now His gracious favor is bestowed upon us to this marvelous extent. He has given to men the gift of the Light and Majesty of heaven, and with Him He has bestowed all the treasures of heaven. Much as He has promised us for the life to come, He also bestows princely gifts upon us in this life, and as subjects of His grace, He would have us enjoy everything that will ennoble, expand, and elevate our characters. It is His design to fit us for the heavenly courts above.

But Satan is contending for the souls of men.... He would not have them catch a glimpse of the future honor, the eternal glories, laid up for those who shall be inhabitants of heaven, or have a taste of the experience that gives a foretaste of the happiness of heaven....

Those who accept Christ as their Saviour have the promise of the life that now is, and that which is to come.... The lowliest disciple of Christ may become an inhabitant of heaven, an heir of God to an inheritance incorruptible, and that fadeth not away. O that every one might make choice of the heavenly gift, become an heir of God to that inheritance whose title is secure from any destroyer, world without end! O, choose not the world, but choose the better inheritance! Press, urge your way toward the mark for the prize of your high calling in Christ Jesus.

Think on Heavenly Things

These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Rev. 7:14.

John, while in vision, saw a company clothed in white robes. . . . They were seen in the temple of God. This will be the result for all who will lay hold of the merits of Christ and wash their robes in His blood. Every provision has been made so that we can sit with Christ upon His throne, but the condition is that we be in harmony with the law of God. . . . 

We cannot afford to lose heaven. We ought to have our conversation on heavenly things. There there is no death nor pain. Why are we so reluctant to talk of these things? Why do we dwell upon earthly things? The apostle exhorts us to have our conversation in heaven. “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). . . . Christ will soon return to gather those who are prepared, and take them to this glorious place. “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Heb. 9:28).

Do we love to think of this event or do we want to put it off? . . . The more we talk of Jesus, the more we shall reflect His divine image. By beholding we become transformed. We need to bring Christ into our religious experience. When you assemble together, let the conversation be on Christ and His salvation. . . . The more we talk of Jesus the more of His matchless charms we shall behold.

Those who take no pleasure in thinking and talking of God in this life, will not enjoy the life that is to come, where God is ever present, dwelling among His people. But those who love to think of God will be in their element, breathing in the atmosphere of heaven. Those who on earth love the thought of heaven will be happy in its holy associations and pleasures. . . . “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads” (Rev. 22:3, 4).

Courage Is Action

Many people speak brave words when they are not faced with danger or when they are not facing defeat.

When our best efforts fail, some begin to question God, whose help they have sought. Some get so discouraged that they do not want to make a further effort. To be discouraged is to be shorn of courage. Courage is not solely in the domain of the victor. Victory seems to incite the need to roar in some people.

Sometimes true courage is just a quiet voice at the end of the day or at the finality of the failure of a great effort that says, "I will try again tomorrow." Many deeply courageous people have simply determined that they will try again. Not quitting requires a great deal of courage. The action of courage is not always a loud roar. It can be a still and quiet voice. A righteous man gets up seven times (Proverbs 24:16
). When you see a person fall and get up, you have met a person of courage.

We Shall Recognize Each Other

Then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Cor. 13:12.

We shall know our friends, even as the disciples knew Jesus. They may have been deformed, diseased, or disfigured, in this mortal life, and they rise in perfect health and symmetry; yet in the glorified body their identity will be perfectly preserved. . . . In the face radiant with the light shining from the face of Jesus, we shall recognize the lineaments of those we love.

The redeemed will meet and recognize those whose attention they have directed to the uplifted Saviour. What blessed converse they have with these souls! “I was a sinner,” it will be said, “without God and without hope in the world, and you came to me and drew my attention to the precious Saviour as my only hope. . . .” Others will say, “I was a heathen in heathen lands. You left your friends and comfortable home and came to teach me how to find Jesus and believe in Him as the only true God. I demolished my idols and worshiped God, and now I see Him face to face. I am saved, eternally saved, ever to behold Him whom I love. . . .”

Others will express their gratitude to those who fed the hungry and clothed the naked. “When despair bound my soul in unbelief, the Lord sent you to me,” they say, “to speak words of hope and comfort. You brought me food for my physical necessities, and you opened to me the Word of God, awakening me to my spiritual needs. You treated me as a brother. You sympathized with me in my sorrows, and restored my bruised and wounded soul, so that I could grasp the hand of Christ that was reached out to save me. In my ignorance you taught me patiently that I had a Father in heaven who cared for me. You read to me the precious promises of God’s Word. You inspired in me the faith that He would save me. My heart was softened, subdued, broken, as I contemplated the sacrifice which Christ had made for me. . . . I am here, saved, eternally saved, ever to live in His presence and to praise Him who gave His life for me.”

What rejoicing there will be as these redeemed ones meet and greet those who have had a burden in their behalf! And those who have lived, not to please themselves, but to be a blessing to the unfortunate who have so few blessings—how their hearts will thrill with satisfaction!

The General Resurrection of the Righteous

Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Isa. 26:19.

The King of kings descends upon the cloud, wrapped in flaming fire. The heavens are rolled together as a scroll, the earth trembles before Him, and every mountain and island is moved out of its place. . . . 

Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He looks upon the graves of the righteous, then, raising His hands to heaven, He cries: “Awake, awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!” Throughout the length and breadth of the earth the dead shall hear that voice, and they that hear shall live. And the whole earth shall ring with the tread of the exceeding great army of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. From the prison house of death they come, clothed with immortal glory, crying: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Corinthians 15:55. And the living righteous and the risen saints unite their voices in a long, glad shout of victory.

All come forth from their graves the same in stature as when they entered the tomb. . . But all arise with the freshness and vigor of eternal youth. . . . The mortal, corruptible form, devoid of comeliness, once polluted with sin, becomes perfect, beautiful, and immortal. All blemishes and deformities are left in the grave. . . . 

The living righteous are changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” At the voice of God they were glorified; now they are made immortal and with the risen saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the air. Angels “gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

As the little infants come forth immortal from their dusty beds, they immediately wing their way to their mothers’ arms.

Friends long separated by death are united, nevermore to part, and with songs of gladness ascend together to the City of God.

Crying Wolf: The December 2012 Apocalypse

The story is a familiar one. Way up in the Alps an impulsive young shepherd boy guarded his flock of sheep.

Bored with his task he decided to shake things up a bit, and sounded the wolf alarm. The townspeople came running to defend the flock, and the shepherd boy laughed up a storm at the hubbub.

Though reprimanded, he remained unrepentant.

Another dull moment and the scene was repeated. The townspeople resolved to ignore further warnings from this young man.

Suddenly a hungry, snarling pack of wolves crept out of the forest. The shepherd boy saw the moment for action.

He sounded the alarm loud and long, but no one came running.

Depending on your version of the story the wolves ate the sheep...or in more dire circumstances they ate the shepherd boy.

Lesson learned: Don’t lie.

But how does the 2012 Apocalypse fit in?

December 21 will come and go without an apocalyptic end to civilization, and more people will scoff at these predictions—rightfully so, when they are lies. If constantly claiming that the world will end imminently leads to unfulfilled promises then how will people react when the warning is valid?

Just last year a preacher named Harold Camping predicted the return of Christ. But it wasn’t the first such forecast of its kind. About 168 years ago another date was set for the return of Jesus Christ. As usual the time came and He didn’t arrive. The Great Disappointment, as it became known, crushed a lot of hopes and re-routed an entire religious movement.

In 2000 the Y2K crisis cropped up and the world was going to be destroyed by a computer glitch. Every so often, when news is slow, asteroids are calculated to crash into the earth and change life as we known it.

All have passed, all have failed. So what’s the real disaster here?

The problem is let-down and familiarity. Let-down because things don’t happen the way they’re predicted for the very simple reason that they are lies. A culture of lying becomes familiar. Then, like the shepherd boy on the alp, when the real warning comes, no one hears it and if they hear, they don’t care because these “end of the world” warnings never came true in the past.

At another time in history when the southern house of Israel, better known as the kingdom of Judah, had reached the peak of its sins God instructed his prophet Ezekiel to proclaim disaster and destruction to that nation.

The people didn’t want to hear this and they had a saying, “The days are prolonged, and every vision fails” (Ezekiel 12:22
). We don’t believe it!

God replied, “The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision” (Ezekiel 12:23
). The time has finally come—the end is here!

And it did come. In 586 B.C. the Kingdom of Judah failed, was invaded by the Babylonians and the survivors were carried off to Babylonia (modern-day Iraq).

Ultimately the world as we know it will end, and Jesus Christ will return. As for the day and the hour, well, God has that covered.

Angelic Protection in the Time of Trouble

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. Isa. 26:20.

In the day of fierce trial He [Christ] 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. The people of God are not at this time all in one place. They are in different companies, and in all parts of the earth.

I saw the saints leaving the cities and villages, and associating together in companies, and living in the most solitary places. Angels provided them food and water, while the wicked were suffering from hunger and thirst.

During the night a very impressive scene passed before me. There seemed to be great confusion and the conflict of armies. A messenger from the Lord stood before me, and said, “Call your household. I will lead you; follow me.” He led me down a dark passage, through a forest, then through the clefts of mountains, and said, “Here you are safe.” There were others who had been led to this retreat. The heavenly messenger said. “The time of trouble has come as a thief in the night, as the Lord warned you it would come.”

In the time of trouble just before the coming of Christ, the righteous will be preserved through the ministration of heavenly angels; but there will be no security for the transgressor of God’s law. Angels cannot then protect those who are disregarding one of the divine precepts.

In the closing period of earth’s history the Lord will work mightily in behalf of those who stand steadfastly for the right. . . . In the midst of the time of trouble—trouble such as has not been since there was a nation—His chosen ones will stand unmoved. Satan with all the hosts of evil cannot destroy the weakest of God’s saints. Angels that excel in strength will protect them, and in their behalf Jehovah will reveal Himself as a “God of gods,” able to save to the uttermost those who have put their trust in Him.

What Will Be Left at the End of the World?

Life is complicated, right? There are so many facets; so many things to do. When I get overwhelmed by it all, I try to think about what’s really important. But when I think about God’s plan, the simplicity of this physical life overwhelms me more! Very few things in life seem to matter in light of God’s coming Kingdom. I still find it hard to give priority to the things that will continue to be important when God’s Kingdom is established though.

As we all know, the end of the present world is coming. I’m not talking about December 21, 2012. The end I’m talking about won’t be anything like the hyped up 2012 end of the world scare. That is clearly not going to happen. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10
).

This end is coming soon. Only the Father knows the day and the hour, but we must be on watch for Christ’s coming. We need to be watching the world around us for the signs. But more importantly we need to be preparing ourselves for God’s Kingdom after the great tribulation. Jesus talks in Luke 17:26-30




about the state of the world in the days of Noah shortly before they were destroyed. They were eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting and building. Even though these times were very wicked, Jesus talks about them in this scripture going about their regular business.

The question is, will we be ready for Christ’s coming? Or will we be like the foolish virgins who were too late to prepare when the Bridegroom came (Matthew 25:1-13












)? We have to make sure we aren’t so consumed in our day-to-day lives that we miss what’s important: character building, using our talents, our relationship with God and our neighbors. These are the things we will also need at the end of this world.

A Generous Heart

Scripture: "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. " (Luke 6:43-45)

Have you ever thought about how the condition of your heart could be connected to how generous you are and what you are generous with?

A couple of weeks ago, I started to notice a few things about myself: I was getting angry a lot easier than I usually do. I was feeling irritated or even sad for no reason. Instead of “light-hearted” I was feeling “heavy-hearted”. I was impatient. I was dwelling on things that made me upset.

I started noticing these things about myself because I had just finished reading a journal entry I wrote a long time ago. It was about how I was grateful and blessed that it was not hard for me to be joyful and happy, even in very difficult circumstances. I even wrote that I was so optimistic about things, sometimes to the point that it would drive some people crazy! But, I truly felt that there was always something good to find in the things that were not so good. After I read that, I asked myself “Why don’t I feel that way anymore?” I couldn’t figure it out. I asked God about it, but I didn’t get an answer right away.

That weekend at church our pastor preached about generosity. He said that the way we are generous determines the condition of our heart. And he wasn’t talking about just being generous with money or resources. In fact, he didn’t talk about money at all. He talked about things like our time, our words and our prayer.

Prayer is the one that stood out to me the most. I thought about the things I pray for and noticed two things: I don’t pray as much as I thought I did during the day, and when I do pray it’s usually for myself. I began to feel that I wasn’t praying for others enough on a regular basis. Prayer is kind of like having a conversation with God, and the more we pray, the more we keep God involved throughout our daily lives, relationships, decisions, and the list goes on. Since I have been intentionally praying for others more lately, I can definitely say that my heart feels lighter and my negative emotions have been triggered less frequently. I’m positive it’s because I’m spending more time talking to God and thinking about the ways He might be using me to do good things. But, I know that God does still want me to pray for myself and ask Him to be continually transforming me so I can be more and more like Jesus. So, I’m praying that God will also show me where else in my life I can be generous because I want Him to use me any way He can to bring others closer to him (even strangers that I meet!).

Are you being generous with your prayer? Maybe there are other ways you can be more generous in your life. It could be through the type of words you chose to use or the way you spend your time. Think about it and ask God to show you how He wants you to be generous so that your heart can be more like His.

The Sealing and the Latter Rain

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 2 Tim. 2:19.

Before the work is closed up and the sealing of God’s people is finished, we shall receive the outpouring of the Spirit of God. Angels from heaven will be in our midst.

Our heavenly Father claims not at our hands that which we cannot perform. He desires His people to labor earnestly to carry out His purpose for them. They are to pray for power, expect power, and receive power, that they may grow up into the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.

Not all members of the church are cultivating personal piety; therefore they do not understand their personal responsibility. They do not realize that it is their privilege and duty to reach the high standard of Christian perfection. . . . Are we looking forward to the latter rain, confidently hoping for a better day, when the church shall be endued with power from on high and thus fitted for work? The latter rain will never refresh and invigorate the indolent, who do not use the powers God has given them.

We are in great need of the pure, life-giving atmosphere that nurtures and invigorates the spiritual life. We need greater earnestness. The solemn message given us to give to the world is to be proclaimed with greater fervency, even with an intensity that will impress unbelievers, leading them to see that the Most High is working with us, that He is the source of our efficiency and strength. . . . 

Are you using all your powers in an effort to bring the lost sheep back to the fold? There are thousands upon thousands in ignorance who might be warned. Pray as you have never prayed before for the power of Christ. Pray for the inspiration of His Spirit, that you may be filled with a desire to save those who are perishing. Let the prayer ascend to heaven, “God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations” (Ps. 67:1, 2).

Rest for the Weary

Scripture: "Jesus said, 'Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.' " (Matthew 11:28)

If you’ve ever played an instrument in an orchestra or concert band or sung in a choir, you know how valuable measures (or periods) of rest can be. If musicians have to continue at their notes for long periods with no breaks, it can be exhausting; their music might not be as good if they are tired, and the performance of the whole group might suffer. Composers know what they are doing when they write in rests for their players.

Original Day Of Rest

Similarly, God knew what He was doing when He ordered periods of rest for His people. God had Moses write number 4 of the 10 Commandments. "Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day, no one in your household may do any work." (Exodus 20:8-10). Those are some excellent, nice traits; they are also some evidence of our allowing God to work in our lives.

God chose that seventh day because in the Creation narrative, we read how God had six distinct periods (or days) of creating all things. But "On the seventh day, God had finished His work of creation, so He rested from all his work" (Genesis 2:2). God Himself rested from (or ceased) His labor of building our universe, after He'd had a time of work. In Jesus' time, the Pharisees tried to use Sabbath rules to get Jesus in trouble. But Jesus explained, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Lord God has set an example for us, and He gave us the gift of prescribing and requiring rest.

Bodies Like Instruments

God wrote rest periods into our lives as a composer writes rest measures for his or her musicians. A composer uses musicians to bring his or her musical vision to life. Again, without having some musicians rest while others are highlighted, and vice-versa, the musicians would all tire, and the group’s musical output would be poor. Besides, all the instruments constantly blaring away would not be musically attractive; the work would be compromised.

God's Promise of Rest

We should to take time to honor God, who said through the prophet, "I gave them My Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and Me. It was to remind them that I am the Lord, Who had set them apart to be holy" (Ezekiel 20:12). We want to be God's holy people, set aside from the sin of the world, with Him at the center and as the Leader of our lives. We can take joy in His promises; He wants to take care of us. In the Old Testament, we read the promise "Blessed are those who honor My Sabbath days of rest and keep themselves from doing wrong" (Isaiah 56:2). And in the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews wrote that God will always save His faithful: "God's promise of entering His rest still stands... this good news -- that God has prepared this rest -- has been announced to us... we who believe can enter His rest" (Hebrews 4:1-3). We should honor God’s rest time and keep it set apart -- that means taking time to be with God and family, resting to rejuvenate our bodies and spirits. By doing this, we help further God's work in the Church, the Body of Christ.

A Character the World Will Recognize

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. Phil. 2:15.

It is God’s purpose to manifest through His people the principles of His kingdom. That in life and character they may reveal these principles, He desires to separate them from the customs, habits, and practices of the world. . . . By beholding the goodness, the mercy, the justice, and the love of God revealed in His church, the world is to have a representation of His character. And when the law of God is thus exemplified in the life, even the world will recognize the superiority of those who love and fear and serve God above every other people in the world.

Seventh-day Adventists, above all people, should be patterns of piety, holy in heart and in conversation. To them have been entrusted the most solemn truths ever committed to mortals. Every endowment of grace and power and efficiency has been liberally provided. They look for the near return of Christ in the clouds of heaven. For them to give to the world the impression that their faith is not a dominating power in their lives is greatly to dishonor God.

Because of the increasing power of Satan’s temptations, the times in which we live are full of peril for the children of God, and we need to learn constantly of the Great Teacher, that we may take every step in surety and righteousness. Wonderful scenes are opening before us; and at this time a living testimony is to be borne in the lives of God’s professed people, so that the world may see that in this age, when evil reigns on every side, there is yet a people who are laying aside their will and are seeking to do God’s will—a people in whose hearts and lives God’s law is written. . . . 

Their thoughts are to be pure, their words noble and uplifting. The religion of Christ is to be interwoven with all that they do and say. They are to be a sanctified, purified, holy people, communicating light to all with whom they come in contact. It is His purpose that by exemplifying the truth in their lives, they shall be a praise in the earth. The grace of Christ is sufficient to bring this about.

A Crisis Ahead

Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. Joel 1:15.

The prophecies which the great I AM has given in His word, uniting link after link in the chain of events, from eternity in the past to eternity in the future, tell us where we are today in the procession of the ages, and what may be expected in the time to come. All that prophecy has foretold as coming to pass, until the present time, has been traced on the pages of history, and we may be assured that all which is yet to come will be fulfilled in its order.

Today the signs of the times declare that we are standing on the threshold of great and solemn events. 

Everything in our world is in agitation. Before our eyes is fulfilling the Saviour’s prophecy of the events to precede His coming: “Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. . . . Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”

The present is a time of overwhelming interest to all living. Rulers and statesmen, men who occupy positions of trust and authority, thinking men and women of all classes, have their attention fixed upon the events taking place about us. They are watching the relations that exist among the nations. They observe the intensity that is taking possession of every earthly element, and they recognize that something great and decisive is about to take place—that the world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis.

The Bible, and the Bible only, gives a correct view of these things. Here are revealed the great final scenes in the history of our world, . . . the sound of their approach causing the earth to tremble and men’s hearts to fail them for fear.

Today men and nations are being tested by the plummet in the hand of Him who makes no mistake. All are by their own choice deciding their destiny, and God is overruling all for the accomplishment of His purposes.

Christians should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise, and this preparation they should make by diligently studying the word of God and striving to conform their lives to its precepts.

A High Standard

And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine. Lev. 20:26. 

I also saw many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.

I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of “refreshing” and the “latter rain” to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. Those who . . . fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth . . . will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be . . . no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father. Before this time the awfully solemn declaration has gone forth, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”

I saw that none could share the “refreshing” unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Let all remember that God is holy and that none but holy beings can ever dwell in His presence.

We are today to watch that we offend not in word or deed. . . . We must today seek God and be determined that we will not rest satisfied without His presence. We should watch and work and pray as though this were the last day that would be granted us. How intensely earnest, then, would be our life. How closely would we follow Jesus in all our words and deeds.

God’s Judgments in the Land

Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth. Luke 21:26. 

O that God’s people had a sense of the impending destruction of thousands of cities, now almost given to idolatry! . . . 

Not long ago a very impressive scene passed before me. I saw an immense ball of fire falling among some beautiful mansions, causing their instant destruction. I heard someone say, “We knew that the judgments of God were coming upon the earth, but we did not know that they would come so soon.” Others said, “You knew? Why then did you not tell us? We did not know.” On every side I heard such words spoken. . . . 

Soon grievous troubles will arise among the nations—trouble that will not cease until Jesus comes. As never before we need to press together, serving Him who has prepared His throne in the heavens and whose kingdom ruleth over all. God has not forsaken His people, and our strength lies in not forsaking Him.

The judgments of God are in the land. The wars and rumors of wars, the destruction by fire and flood, say clearly that the time of trouble, which is to increase until the end, is very near at hand. We have no time to lose. The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecies of the eleventh of Daniel have almost reached their final fulfillment. . . . 

Last Friday morning, just before I awoke, a very impressive scene was presented before me. I seemed to awake from sleep but was not in my home. From the windows I could behold a terrible conflagration. Great balls of fire were falling upon houses, and from these balls fiery arrows were flying in every direction. It was impossible to check the fires that were kindled, and many places were being destroyed. The terror of the people was indescribable.

Strictly will the cities of the nations be dealt with, and yet they will not be visited in the extreme of God’s indignation, because some souls will yet break away from the delusions of the enemy, and will repent and be converted, while the mass will be treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath.

He Shall Reign Forever

The seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. Rev. 11:15.

The coming of Christ to usher in the reign of righteousness has inspired the most sublime . . . utterances of the sacred writers. . . . The psalmist sang of the power and majesty of Israel’s King:...”Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad . . . before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.” Psalm 96:11-13.

Said the prophet Isaiah:…”He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth; for the Lord hath spoken it....” Isaiah 25:8....

When the Saviour was about to be separated from His disciples, He comforted them in their sorrow with the assurance that He would come again: “Let not your heart be troubled....In my Father’s house are many mansions....I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself.” John 14:1-3....

The angels who lingered upon Olivet after Christ’s ascension repeated to the disciples the promise of His return: “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11. And the apostle Paul, speaking by the Spirit of Inspiration, testified: “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Says the prophet of Patmos: “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him.” Revelation 1:7.

About His coming cluster the glories of that “restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” Acts 3:21. Then the long-continued rule of evil shall be broken; “the kingdoms of this world” will become “the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 11:15.

The Keynote of Scripture

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. Job 19:25. 

One of the most solemn and yet most glorious truths revealed in the Bible is that of Christ’s second coming, to complete the great work of redemption. To God’s pilgrim people, so long left to sojourn in “the region and shadow of death,” a precious, joy-inspiring hope is given in the promise of His appearing, who is “the resurrection and the life,” to “bring home again His banished.” The doctrine of the second advent is the very key-note of the Sacred Scriptures. From the day when the first pair turned their sorrowing steps from Eden, the children of faith have waited the coming of the Promised One to break the destroyer’s power and bring them again to the lost Paradise. ... Enoch, only the seventh in descent from them that dwelt in Eden, he who for three centuries on earth walked with his God, was permitted to behold from afar the coming of the Deliverer. “Behold,” he declared, “the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all.” The patriarch Job in the night of his affliction exclaimed with unshaken trust: “I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:... in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.”

May the God of all grace so enlighten your understanding that you may discern eternal things, that by the light of truth your own errors, which are many, may be discovered to you just as they are, that you may make the necessary effort to put them away, and in the place of this evil, bitter fruit may bring forth fruit which is precious unto eternal life.

Humble your poor, proud, self-righteous heart before God; get low, very low, all broken in your sinfulness at His feet. Devote yourself to the work of preparation. Rest not until you can truly say: My Redeemer liveth, and, because He lives, I shall live also.

If you lose heaven, you lose everything; if you gain heaven, you gain everything. Do not make a mistake in this matter, I implore you. Eternal interests are here involved.