| Make No Hasty, Rash Moves |
Today's Text:
Ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. Acts 19:36
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The Message:
Let Christ be seen in all that you do. Let [all] see that you are living epistles of Jesus Christ. Let the soft fillings in the life of character appear. Be lovable. Let your life win the hearts of all who are brought in contact with you. There is too little done at the present time to render the truth attractive to others. There have been some who have, in speaking to the people, felt like making a raid on the churches. They sour minds by their censoriousness. We want our hearts mellowed by the love of Jesus. That is in God's order. If not presented in the most pleasant, acceptable form, truth will be unpalatable to many. While we must present the truth in contrast with error, let it be presented in a manner that shall create as little prejudice as possible....
While we cannot bow to an arbitrary power to lift up the Sunday by bowing to it, while we will not violate the Sabbath, which a despotic power will seek to compel us to do, we will be wise in Christ-Christ's wisdom-and not in our own spirit. A consistent, substantial, lovable Christian is a powerful argument for the truth. We must say no words that will do ourselves harm, for this would be bad enough, but when you speak words, and when you do presumptuous things that imperil the cause of God, you are doing a cruel work, for you give Satan advantage. We are not to be rash and impetuous, but always learning of Jesus how to act in His Spirit, presenting the truth as it is in Jesus.
Do not, in this critical time, mark out ways for God's people, for how do you know what God designs to do with and for His people? He means to make exhibitions of His power before our enemies. The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord, and His wisdom and His strength are their present and sufficient help in every time of need. He can work for them whatsoever seemeth good in His sight, and nothing can be done for or against them, other than His providence shall permit to be done. The children of light are wise and powerful, according to their reliance upon God, and the wisdom and help of men may defeat the very purpose of God.
The world is against the disciples of Christ but they will obtain help of God, and then, God working for them, they will enlighten and bless those who are not in the truth. In all ages the righteous have obtained help from God, and the enemies of His people can never put down those whom God would lift up. How often has Satan sought to destroy those whom God is leading and guiding. The faithful disciples of Jesus need not be terrified by the rulers of darkness of this world, because the power of the enemy is limited and beyond his limits he cannot go.
Great and precious promises are to be kept before God's people, that they may have every confidence in God. Then let no decision be made by this conference to get in the way of the work of the Lord, [or] give Satan's agents a chance to be provoked and present the rash ones as the representatives of our people. They will have power to present these matters in an exaggerated light, that in the place of these persons removing prejudice and enlightening minds, the prejudice is strengthened and deepened, and the case of God's people made far worse, and our means of bringing the truth before the people who are in darkness is cut off.
One indiscreet, high-tempered, stubborn-willed man will, in the great question introduced before us, do much harm. Yes, he will leave such an impression that all the force of Seventh-day Adventists could not counteract his acts of presumption because Satan, the arch deceiver, the great rebel, is deluding minds to the true issue of the great question, and its eternal bearings. He is an accuser of the brethren. Then let everyone be careful and not step off from the ground where God is, on[to] Satan's ground. Many did this in the ranks of the Reformers of past ages. Luther had great trouble because of these elements. Rash persons stepped out of their place, when God did not send them, and rushed heedlessly forward to do a very objectionable, impulsive work. They ran ahead of Christ and provoked the devil's wrath. In their untimely, misguided zeal, they closed the door to great usefulness of many souls who might have done great good for the Master.
We have all kinds of material to deal with. There are those who will, through hasty, unadvised moves, betray the cause of God into the enemy's power. There will be people who will seek to be revenged, who will become apostates and betray Christ in the person of His saints. All need to learn discretion; then there is danger on the other hand of being conservative, of giving away to the enemy in concession. Our brethren and sisters should be very cautious in this matter for the honor of God.... The two armies will stand distinct and separate, and this distinction will be so marked that many who shall be convinced of truth will come on the side of God's commandment-keeping people.-Manuscript 6, 1889.
*Note: I have added in the parts that were left out by the compilers for what ever reason, that the true sentiment of the author may be seen.
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Commentary:
My friend, the true followers of Christ will take their instructions from the Lord. They will not act rashly or say things that will hurt the cause of Christ. All those who have truly surrendered their lives to Christ will be guided and directed by the Spirit of Christ, for He is the head of the church.
Yet sadly today, man has supplanted himself in place of the Spirit of Christ, holding that by church authority all must follow after them. This happened to Israel when they desired to have a king set over them. At the time God was leading His people through judges and prophets. They were His spokespersons to His people and each was accountable directly to God, for He was their leader. In desiring a king to reign over them they subjected themselves to the kings rule rather than the rule of God. In doing this they had rejected God as their leader. "And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them."
Today, the same has happened to the church today. Through the leadership of the church, they have set themselves in place of God. The hierarchical structure of the church has supplanted the authority of God for the authority of man. It has placed a human king, the president of the General Conference, in place of the Spirit of Christ. The work that is supposed to be guided and directed by Jesus, is now being guided and directed by the leaders of the church. In this structure the people no longer look to God for guidance but unto the church. As in the time of Israel as the king was corrupted, so too were the people.
In these last days, the denominated churches are under the control of the secular powers, and as such they will bow to their demands and lead the people to do likewise. But this is not as God would have it. He would have a people that are guided and directed from above. As He leads them, they follow. These are the true followers of Christ and are the true church of God. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20).
My friend, the time is upon us that we must follow the dictates of our conscience's rather than the dictates of man. We must study our Bibles that we may know the will of God in all things. We cannot submit our lives to the directions of man, even though they hold positions of leadership within the church. We must demand a thus sayeth the Lord over a thus sayeth the pastor or church.
May you "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15).
God bless,
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Video of the Week
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| The Glory of Jesus - David Clayton |
A sermon from the 2018 Roan Mountain Camp Meeting
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