Secure with Jesus through End Times
Adapted from Last
Day Events, pp. 63-74
A
Life of Thought and Action
In this age, just prior to the second
coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven, such a work as that of John [the
Baptist] is to be done. God calls for men who will prepare a people to stand in
the great day of the Lord. . . . In order to give such a message as John gave,
we must have a spiritual experience like his. The same work must be wrought in
us. We must behold God, and in beholding Him lose sight of
self.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, pp. 332, 333 (1904).
Communion with God will ennoble the
character and the life. Men will take knowledge of us, as of the first
disciples, that we have been with Jesus. This will impart to the worker a power
that nothing else can give. Of this power he must not allow himself to be
deprived. We must live a twofold life--a life of thought and action, of silent
prayer and earnest work.--The Ministry of Healing, p. 512
(1905).
Prayer and effort, effort and prayer,
will be the business of your life. You must pray as though the efficiency and
praise were all due to God, and labor as though duty were all your
own.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 538 (1881).
No man is safe for a day or an hour
without prayer.--The Great Controversy, p. 530 (1911).
He who does nothing but pray will
soon cease to pray.--Steps to Christ, p. 101 (1892).
Firmly Rooted In Christ
The storm is coming, the storm that
will try every man's faith of what sort it is. Believers must now be firmly
rooted in Christ or else they will be led astray by some phase of
error.--Evangelism, pp. 361, 362 (1905).
It would be well for us to spend a
thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take
it point by point and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the
closing ones.--The Desire of Ages, p. 83 (1898).
The only defense against evil is the
indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness. Unless we
become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects
of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad
habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital
connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by
moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and
a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his
bidding in the end.--The Desire of Ages, p. 324 (1898).
Christ and Him crucified should be
the theme of contemplation, of conversation, and of our most joyful
emotion.--Steps to Christ, pp. 103, 104 (1892).
Molded By The Holy Spirit
Never will the human heart know
happiness until it is submitted to be molded by the Spirit of God. The Spirit
conforms the renewed soul to the model, Jesus Christ. Through its influence,
enmity against God is changed into faith and love, and pride into humility. The
soul perceives the beauty of truth, and Christ is honored in excellence and
perfection of character.--Our High Calling, p. 152 (1896).
There is not an impulse of our
nature, not a faculty of the mind or an inclination of the heart, but needs to
be, moment by moment, under the control of the Spirit of God.--Patriarchs
and Prophets, p. 421 (1890).
The Spirit illumines our darkness,
informs our ignorance, and helps us in our manifold necessities. But the mind
must be constantly going out after God. If worldliness is allowed to come in,
if we have no desire to pray, no desire to commune with Him who is the source
of strength and wisdom, the Spirit will not abide with us.--Our High
Calling, p. 154 (1904).
The Necessity of Bible Study
No renewed heart can be kept in a
condition of sweetness without the daily application of the salt of the Word.
Divine grace must be received daily, or no man will stay converted.--Our
High Calling, p. 215 (1897).
Let your faith be substantiated by
the Word of God. Grasp firmly the living testimony of truth. Have faith in
Christ as a personal Saviour. He has been and ever will be our Rock of
Ages.--Evangelism, p. 362 (1905).
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.--Prophets and Kings, p.
626 (c. 1914).
None but those who have fortified the
mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great
conflict.--The Great Controversy, pp. 593, 594 (1911).
Only those who have been diligent
students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be
shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive.--The Great
Controversy, p. 625 (1911).
Our people need to understand the
oracles of God; they need to have a systematic knowledge of the principles of
revealed truth, which will fit them for what is coming upon the earth and
prevent them from being carried about by every wind of
doctrine.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 273 (1885).
Commit Scripture to Memory
Several times each day precious,
golden moments should be consecrated to prayer and the study of the Scriptures,
if it is only to commit a text to memory, that spiritual life may exist in the
soul.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 459 (1880).
God's precious Word is the standard
for youth who would be loyal to the King of heaven. Let them study the
Scriptures. Let them commit text after text to memory and acquire a knowledge
of what the Lord has said.--My Life Today, p. 315 (1887).
Build a wall of scriptures around
you, and you will see that the world cannot break it down. Commit the
Scriptures to memory, and then throw right back upon Satan when he comes with
his temptations, "It is written." This is the way that our Lord met the
temptations of Satan, and resisted them.--Review and Herald, April 10,
1888.
Hang in memory's hall the precious
words of Christ. They are to be valued far above silver or
gold.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 81 (1900).
Keep a pocket Bible with you as you
work, and improve every opportunity to commit to memory its precious
promises.--Review and Herald, April 27, 1905.
The time will come when many will be
deprived of the written Word. But if this Word is printed in the memory, no one
can take it from us.--Manuscript Releases, vol. 20, p. 64 (1906).
Study the Word of God. Commit its
precious promises to memory so that, when we shall be deprived of our Bibles,
we may still be in possession of the Word of God.--Manuscript Releases,
vol. 10, p. 298 (1909).
Revelation 14 an Anchor to God's People
In these last days it is our duty to
ascertain the full meaning of the first, second, and third angels' messages.
All our transactions should be in accordance with the Word of God. The first,
second, and third angels' messages are all united and are revealed in the
fourteenth chapter of Revelation from the sixth verse to the
close.--Manuscript Releases, vol. 13, p. 68 (1896).
Many who embraced the third message
had not had an experience in the two former messages. Satan understood this,
and his evil eye was upon them to overthrow them; but the third angel was
pointing them to the most holy place, and those who had an experience in the
past messages were pointing them the way to the heavenly sanctuary. Many saw
the perfect chain of truth in the angels' messages and gladly received them in
their order, and followed Jesus by faith into the heavenly sanctuary. These
messages were represented to me as an anchor to the people of God. Those who
understand and receive them will be kept from being swept away by the many
delusions of Satan.--Early Writings, p. 256 (1858).
Educate the Mind to Believe God's Word
Those who feel at liberty to question
the Word of God, to doubt everything where there is any chance to be
unbelieving, will find that it will require a tremendous struggle to have faith
when trouble comes. It will be almost impossible to overcome the influence that
binds the mind which has been educated in the line of unbelief, for by this
course the soul is bound in Satan's snare and becomes powerless to break the
dreadful net that has been woven closer and closer about the soul.
In taking a position of doubt, man
calls to his aid the agencies of Satan. But the only hope of one who has been
educated in the line of unbelief is to fall all helpless upon the Saviour and,
like a child, submit his will and his way to Christ that he may be brought out
of darkness into His marvelous light. Man does not have the power to recover
himself from the snare of Satan. He who educates himself in the line of
questioning, doubting, and criticizing strengthens himself in infidelity.--Ms
3, 1895.
Preparation for Future Trials
The servants of Christ are to prepare
no set speech to present when brought to trial for their faith. Their
preparation is to be made day by day, in treasuring up in their hearts the
precious truths of God's Word, in feeding upon the teaching of Christ, and
through prayer strengthening their faith; then, when brought into trial, the
Holy Spirit will bring to their remembrance the very truths that will reach the
hearts of those who shall come to hear. God will flash the knowledge obtained
by diligent searching of the Scriptures into their memory at the very time when
it is needed.--Counsels on Sabbath School Work, pp. 40, 41 (1900).
When the time of trial shall come
there are men now preaching to others who will find, upon examining the
positions they hold, that there are many things for which they can give no
satisfactory reason. Until thus tested they knew not their great ignorance. And
there are many in the church who take it for granted that they understand what
they believe, but, until controversy arises, they do not know their own
weakness. When separated from those of like faith and compelled to stand singly
and alone to explain their belief, they will be surprised to see how confused
are their ideas of what they had accepted as truth.--Testimonies for the
Church, vol. 5, p. 707 (1889).
Control the Moral Powers
The ability to give a reason for our
faith is a good accomplishment, but if the truth does not go deeper than this,
the soul will never be saved. The heart must be purified from all moral
defilement.--Our High Calling, p. 142 (1893).
Few realize that it is a duty to
exercise control over their thoughts and imaginations. It is difficult to keep
the undisciplined mind fixed upon profitable subjects. But if the thoughts are
not properly employed, religion cannot flourish in the soul. The mind must be
preoccupied with sacred and eternal things, or it will cherish trifling and
superficial thoughts. Both the intellectual and the moral powers must be
disciplined, and they will strengthen and improve by exercise.--Our High
Calling, p. 111 (1881).
We greatly need to encourage and
cultivate pure, chaste thoughts, and to strengthen the moral powers rather than
the lower and carnal powers. God help us to awake from our self-indulgent
appetites!--Medical Ministry, p. 78 (1896).
The Example of Enoch
Enoch walked with God three hundred
years previous to his translation to heaven, and the state of the world was not
then more favorable for the perfection of Christian character than it is today.
And how did Enoch walk with God? He educated his mind and heart to ever feel
that he was in the presence of God, and when in perplexity his prayers would
ascend to God to keep him.
He refused to take any course that
would offend his God. He kept the Lord continually before him. He would pray,
"Teach me Thy way, that I may not err. What is Thy pleasure concerning me? What
shall I do to honor Thee, my God?" Thus he was constantly shaping his way and
course in accordance with God's commandments, and he had perfect confidence and
trust in his heavenly Father, that He would help him. He had no thought or will
of his own. It was all submerged in the will of his Father.
Now Enoch was a representative of
those who will be upon the earth when Christ shall come, who will be translated
to heaven without seeing death.--Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, p. 32
(1886).
Enoch had temptations as well as we.
He was surrounded with society no more friendly to righteousness than is that
which surrounds us. The atmosphere he breathed was tainted with sin and
corruption the same as ours, yet he lived a life of holiness. He was unsullied
with the prevailing sins of the age in which he lived. So may we remain pure
and uncorrupted.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 122
(1868).
Remember God's Past Blessings
In reviewing our past history, having
traveled over every step of advance to our present standing, I can say, Praise
God! As I see what the Lord has wrought, I am filled with astonishment, and
with confidence in Christ as leader. 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 of Ellen G. White, p. 196
(1902).
A
Time for Serious Reflection
If there ever was a time when serious
reflection becomes every one who fears God, it is now, when personal piety is
essential. The inquiry should be made, "What am I, and what is my work and
mission in this time? On which side am I working--Christ's side or the enemy's
side?" Let every soul now humble himself or herself before God, for now we are
surely living in the great Day of Atonement. The cases even now of many are
passing in review before God, for they are to sleep in their graves a little
season. Your profession of faith is not your guarantee in that day, but the
state of your affections. Is the soul-temple cleansed of its defilement? Are my
sins confessed and am I repenting of them before God, that they may be blotted
out? Do I esteem myself too lightly? Am I willing to make any and every
sacrifice for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ? Do I feel every
moment I am not my own, but Christ's property, that my service belongs to God,
whose I am?--Ms 87, 1886.
We should ask ourselves, "For what
are we living and working? And what will be the outcome of it all?"--Signs
of the Times, Nov. 21, 1892.
Living With Reference to the Judgment Day
I have questioned in my mind, as I
have seen the people in our cities hurrying to and fro with business, whether
they ever thought of the day of God that is just upon us. Every one of us
should be living with reference to the great day which is soon to come upon
us.--Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, p. 25 (1886).
We cannot afford to live with no
reference to the day of judgment; for though long delayed, it is now near, even
at the door, and hasteth greatly. The trumpet of the Archangel will soon
startle the living and wake the dead.--Child Guidance, pp. 560, 561
(1892).
Ready for Christ's Return
If we find no pleasure now in the
contemplation of heavenly things; if we have no interest in seeking the
knowledge of God, no delight in beholding the character of Christ; if holiness
has no attractions for us--then we may be sure that our hope of heaven is vain.
Perfect conformity to the will of God is the high aim to be constantly before
the Christian. He will love to talk of God, of Jesus, of the home of bliss and
purity which Christ has prepared for them that love Him. The contemplation of
these themes, when the soul feasts upon the blessed assurances of God, the
apostle represents as tasting "the powers of the world to
come."--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 745 (1889).
If you are right with God today, you
are ready if Christ should come today.--In Heavenly Places, p. 227
(1891). |