Sunday August 1, 2010
Continuing with our look at the Shaking. Think back with me over the years you have known, do you remember meeting someone who was quite in earnest? someone who was not “indifferent and careless,” who was resisting the darkness? I’ll bet that you can remember at least one.
Some, I saw, did not participate in this work of agonizing and pleading. They seemed indifferent and careless. They were not resisting the darkness around them, and it shut them in like a thick cloud.
Now tell me how many people you know, in the church, who seem to be happy, may even blest by God, yet, they have not converted anyone to the faith; they can not tell you just what the Advent message is all about, they know not what true conversion is. Their religion is composed of something, somewhere, in their past. Their present is composed of “happy” things, good stories, good friends, good events, good sermons, good, good, good.
It is a good thing to keep things positive and in the light, but, how do you define “light?” Here is where many fail. They do not really know what it is that they believe and why. They blindly support the church “as if” “it’s all good.”
The angels of GOD left them, and went to the aid of those earnest, praying ones. I saw the angels of GOD hasten to the assistance of all those who were struggling with all their energies to resist those evil angels, and trying to help themselves by calling upon GOD with perseverance. But the angels left those who made no effort to help themselves, and I lost sight of them. p. 184, Para. 1, [GC58].
Calling upon God with perseverance is secret prayer. Prayer made while you are working, commuting, all activity and especially prayer, vocal prayer alone with God. I thought it was useless because God is inside your brain all the time anyway, right? Wrong. It is called “spiritual exercise.” We will get into it from time to time, for now you can read this. No. 20, p. 189, Para. 2.
As these praying ones continued their earnest cries, at times a ray of light from JESUS came to them, and encouraged their hearts, and lighted up their countenances. p. 184, Para. 2, [GC58].
This is especially meaningful to me as it shows the perfect harmony within the body of the authentic Spirit of Prophecy. Come with me now to The DayStar, and Ellen’s first vision.
I turned to look for the Advent people in the world, but could not find them, when a voice said to me, Look again, and look a little higher. At this, I raised my eyes and see a strait and narrow path, cast up high above the world. On this path the Advent people were traveling to the City, which was at the farther end of the path. They had a bright light set up behind them at the first end of the path, which an angel told me was the Midnight Cry. This light shone all along the path and gave light for their feet so they might not stumble. And if they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, who was just before them, leading them to the City, they were safe. But soon some grew weary, and said the City was a great way off, and they expected to have entered it before. Then Jesus would encourage them by raising his glorious right arm, and from his arm came a glorious light which waved over the Advent band, and they shouted, Hallelujah!
Notice the intense similarities between the two passages. It is a work of God, pure truth, harmonous truth, truth you can anchor your soul to, for the storm we enter, as the loud cry goes forth.
God Bless