IAUA End Time Ministry
Preparing for the End of Time
The Lord is Coming! Are you ready?
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IAUA End Time Ministry |
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Preparing for the End of Time | |
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The Lord is Coming! Are you ready? | |
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in
IAUA
(ee-ah-oo-ah) our Father,
For the sake of those who do not have ready access to this material, I am posting the quote from Selected Messages Book 1, Chapter 23, Beware of Any Time Setting. ----- "Christ gave to His disciples truths whose breadth and depth and value they little appreciated, or even comprehended, and the same condition exists among the people of God today. We too have failed to take in the greatness, to perceive the beauty of the truth which God has entrusted to us today. Should we advance in spiritual knowledge, we would see the truth developing and expanding in lines of which we have little dreamed, but it will never develop in any line that will lead us to imagine that we may know the times and the seasons which the Father hath put in His own power. Again and again have I been warned in regard to time setting. There will never again be a message for the people of God that will be based on time. We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the coming of Christ. {1SM 188.1} "I was searching through my writings, before coming to this meeting, to see what I should take with me to Australia, and I found an envelope on which was written, "Testimony given in regard to time setting, June 21, 1851. Preserve carefully." I opened it, and this is what I found. It reads: {1SM 188.2} "A copy of a vision the Lord gave Sister White, June 21, 1851, at Camden, N.Y. The Lord showed me that the message must go, and that it must not be hung on time; for time will never be a test again. I saw that some were getting a false excitement, arising from preaching time, that the third angel's message can stand on its own foundation, and that it needs not time to strengthen it, and that it will go with mighty power, and do its work, and will be cut short in righteousness. {1SM 188.3} "I saw some were making everything bend to this next fall; that is, making their calculations, and disposing of their property in reference to that time. I saw that this was wrong for this reason: instead of going to God daily, and earnestly desiring to know their present duty, they looked ahead, and made their calculations as though they knew that the work would end this fall, without inquiring their duty of God daily.--E. G. White. {1SM 188.4} ----- There was also another reply which is very well written. Perhaps others have already explained these paragraphs in Selected Messages, Book I, to your satisfaction, and what I am about to write is not needed. But I, not knowing that for sure, will proceed. There are key words which focus us on the main idea of each paragraph. Key words are essential to comprehend, for they determine, to a large extent, the tone, the negative or positive context, and the theme, or message to be gained. Often a single sentence in a later paragraph will bring clarity to a former obscure section. That is the case in these paragraphs. By analysis of paragraph four, we can gather clarity on paragraph 1. Note: In paragraph 4, Ellen White gives the effect of giving too much attention to dates and events and time lines. She says, it is "wrong for this reason" so we may know that what comes after is the reason. Namely, that we will be in danger of losing sight of our duty and dependence daily upon the Holy Spirit's guidance. In paragraph 3, we gain more details to add to the picture: By focusing on calculation of the time prophecies and how near is near, we produce a "false excitment" which we know produces a false or shallow experience. The message of the third angel, "Come out of her, My people," should stand on the character of faith, not stimulated excitement. Now, as we read paragraph 1 (page 188), the faithful follower of our Saviour may understand, I believe, that Sister White is warning us to stay away from time setting, for it arrouses a false sense of urgency that is not based upon a genuine daily walk of faith, a deep abiding commitment to others, nor a empting of self for the glory of God. Instead, there is danger of works, and self, rewards, and irresponsibility toward family members. There was some of that in the Great Disappointment. Where ever truth is preached, fanaticism attaches is flamboyant fingers. Therefore, focus upon the heart condition rather thanthe calendar completion. Nonetheless, it should be noted that the passage does not say that God's people will not know the time (day and hour). The Bible tells us that the "not knowing" is a characteristic of the "lost." But that day and hour should not come upon us as a thief (1 Thes. 5:2-5) for we are among those who watch. When we are told from heaven the day and the hour, in the last fragment of earthly time, it will be too late for anyone to make a decision based upon it. ----- May you find peace in the name of Yahushua (Ee-ah-oo-shoo-oh) Messiah the son of God.
Frank T. Clark
Next: 2005-01-21 Fishing |
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Revised 2005-01-21 |