Motivation and Preparation for Mission

Sabbath Afternoon, November 4

Sunday, November 5

To Share the Good News

“Early in the morning before it was yet light, the holy women came to the sepulchre, bringing sweet spices to anoint the body of Jesus, when lo! they found the heavy stone rolled away from the door of the sepulchre, and the body of Jesus was not there. Their hearts sunk within them, and they feared that their enemies had taken away the body. And, behold, two angels in white apparel stood by them; their faces were bright and shining. They understood the errand of the holy women, and immediately told them that they were seeking Jesus, but he was not there, he had risen, and they could behold the place where he lay. They bid them go tell his disciples that he would go before them into Galilee. But the women were frightened and astonished. They hastily ran to the disciples who were mourning, and could not be comforted because their Lord had been crucified; they hurriedly told them the things which they had seen and heard. The disciples could not believe that he had risen, but, with the women who had brought the report, ran hastily to the sepulchre, and found that truly Jesus was not there. There were his linen clothes, but they could not believe the good news that Jesus had risen from the dead. They returned home marveling at the things they had seen, also at the report brought them by the women. But Mary chose to linger around the sepulchre, thinking of what she had seen, and distressed with the thought that she might have been deceived. She felt that new trials awaited her. Her grief was renewed, and she broke forth in bitter weeping. She stooped down to look again into the sepulchre, and beheld two angels clothed in white. Their countenances were bright and shining. One was sitting at the head, the other at the feet, where Jesus had lain. They spoke to her tenderly, and asked her why she wept. She replied, They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 1SG 71.2

“And as she turned from the sepulchre, she saw Jesus standing by her; but knew him not. Jesus spoke tenderly to Mary, and inquired the cause of her sorrow, and asked her whom she was seeking. She supposed he was the gardener, and begged of him, if he had borne away her Lord, to tell her where he had laid him, and she would take him away. Jesus spoke to her with his own heavenly voice, and said, Mary. She was acquainted with the tones of that dear voice, and quickly answered, Master! and with joy and gladness was about to embrace him; but Jesus stood back, and said, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God. Joyfully she hastened to the disciples with the good news. Jesus quickly ascended up to his Father to hear from his lips that he accepted the sacrifice, and that he had done all things well, and to receive all power in heaven, and upon earth, from his Father.” 1SG 73.1

Tuesday, November 7

Waiting and Mission

“The disciples were anxious to know the exact time for the revelation of the kingdom of God; but Jesus tells them that they may not know the times and the seasons; for the Father has not revealed them. To understand when the kingdom of God should be restored, was not the thing of most importance for them to know. They were to be found following the Master, praying, waiting, watching, and working. They were to be representatives to the world of the character of Christ. That which was essential for a successful Christian experience in the days of the disciples, is essential in our day. “And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” And after the Holy Ghost was come upon them, what were they to do? “And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:7, 8). 1SM 185.2

“This is the work in which we also are to be engaged. Instead of living in expectation of some special season of excitement, we are wisely to improve present opportunities, doing that which must be done in order that souls may be saved. Instead of exhausting the powers of our mind in speculations in regard to the times and seasons which the Lord has placed in His own power, and withheld from men, we are to yield ourselves to the control of the Holy Spirit, to do present duties, to give the bread of life, unadulterated with human opinions, to souls who are perishing for the truth.” 1SM 186.1

“God is our Father, who loves and cares for us as His children; He is also the great King of the universe. The interests of His kingdom are our interests, and we are to work for its upbuilding. MB 107.2

“The disciples of Christ were looking for the immediate coming of the kingdom of His glory, but in giving them this prayer Jesus taught that the kingdom was not then to be established. They were to pray for its coming as an event yet future. But this petition was also an assurance to them. While they were not to behold the coming of the kingdom in their day, the fact that Jesus bade them pray for it is evidence that in God's own time it will surely come.” MB 107.3

Wednesday, November 8

“Whom You Crucified”

Never before was the doctrine of miracles, especially of tongues and of healing, so variously agitated, urged, and practiced as it is throughout Christendom today. Yet never was there greater doubt as to the genuineness of the manifestations. And when confronted by the agitators of these miracles, those who do not believe in or accept them, nor possess their power, resort to saying just about anything and everything they can think of in their effort to counter the phenomena and to comfort themselves with their limited spiritual attainments. To clear away the smoke which has resulted from this fiery issue between these two hostile camps of Christians, and to expose the truth on the subject, which the master enemy has so completely covered up, is Inspiration’s purpose herein. 

Basic to a right understanding of the entire subject is the fundamental fact that on the day of Pentecost the disciples truly spoke in all the languages of the people that were then present. 

From this pivotal point, no one can diverge, and yet believe the record, or know the truth it contains: 

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.” Acts 2:1-11.

Although this subject is confounded by controversy, yet there stands forth out of it the indisputable fact that, regardless of anyone’s claims, no other sect of people, since the miracle- endowed disciples passed away, have possessed the gift which all of the 120 received on the Pentecost. Hence the plain truth is that that gift subsequently lifted it’s wings, as it were, and departed from among men, as verily as did the disciples themselves, and that never since that day has it remanifested itself. 

Would any take issue with this assertion, then all that is necessary to discredit it is for them either to open their mouths and speak the languages of us all today, as the apostles spoke the languages of the people in their day, or to produce historical record of such a manifestation since then. But in the continued absence of such evidence, what then? Will this gift ever remanifest itself? If so, when? Why not now? 

In order satisfactorily to answer these questions, we must first consider the conditions upon which the early disciples of Christ received the gift of miracles, for only similar conditions will bring similar results. First of all, everyone of the disciples, it will be remembered, came to one accord (Acts 2:1) before they received the gift. Before the Pentecost, though, they were jealous of one another and were desiring to excel one another in position, prestige, and all else. Christendom today is even worse off; in fact, it is worse than at any other time. Never before has there been such controversy, such wrangling, such accusing and damning, in trying to exalt self and down the other. This is not, in particular, with regard to the fact that one sect disagrees with another, for all know that were there no differences, there would be no sects. Rather, what is of special concern is the fact that scarcely even two individuals within one sect agree on all points of teaching and practice. And besides being rife with dissensions, divisions, and bigotries of every kind, every denomination in Christendom is, in addition, shot through and through with every other spiritual ill. And who can deny it? 

Long before these sad conditions developed, the Lord forewarned that men would fall asleep and let the Devil sow his “tares” among the “wheat” (Matt. 13:25, 28). For how long? – “Until the harvest.” And “in the time of harvest,” saith the Lord, “I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” Matt. 13:30. 

Since it is therefore strictly Biblical that God will not bestow the gift of miracles upon a people other than those who as a group come to one accord, who come to “see eye to eye” (Isa. 52:8), and since the Spirit cannot effect this unity and harmony now while the tares are commingled with the wheat, then all might as well reconcile themselves to the educative and redemptive discipline of waiting on the Lord until “harvest” – till the tares, the discordant or false ones, are purged out. Those who will not wait, but are impatient to possess the power right now to work wonders, will beguile themselves with a spurious gift. Bent on having the gift of miracle-working power that is being acclaimed rather than the gifts made available for the hastening of the harvest, they satisfy themselves with the counterfeit which is current, just as Pharaoh satisfied himself with the counterfeit serpents which his great men brought forth against the serpents of Moses (Ex. 7:10-12). If these counterfeit miracle-workers and miracle-hunters of today will not repent themselves of this folly, then they will have to pay the penalty for playing the fool. 

What then is the truth about this gift? Are we to understand that the gospel work will close without it? Inspiration does not remain silent on the question, but, as we shall see, makes plain that the gospel work will never close, “the harvest” never be garnered in, without a world-wide manifestation of the gift of Miracles, including the gift of tongues.

But, you may say, if the Angels, not men, are to separate the good from the bad, and thus end “the harvest,” then of what use and benefit will the gift be to mankind, if there are no more souls to save after that? It is precisely here at this clouded point in the way, that the church needs light lest she blindly plunge on and lose her way in the dense darkness ahead.

To get into the full beam of light, we must first face the fact that the pre-pentecostal harvest took place in a self-deceived church, the Jewish; and through miracle-working power manifested by Christ Himself, it yielded the 120 disciples, the first fruits of those who are to be resurrected. Whereas the post-pentecostal harvest took place among the nations; and through miracle-power manifested by the Spirit-filled 120 disciples, it yielded an innumerable multitude of converts to Christianity (Acts 2:41, 47), the second fruits of those who are to be resurrected.

Now to summarize the types before the Pentecost: (1) the first fruits were numbered; (2) they came exclusively from the church itself; (3) the miracles then wrought were by Christ Himself.

Now coming to the types after the Pentecost: (1) the second fruits were not numbered; (2) they came from the nations; (3) the miracles then wrought were by the numbered ones (the 120), the first fruits. 

Accordingly, the antitypical Pre-pentecostal harvest takes place in a self-deceived church, the Laodicean, “the house of God”; and through miracle-working power manifested by Heaven itself in the angels (Matt. 13:39), it yields the 144,000, the first fruits of those who are never to die. Whereas the antitypical post-pentecostal harvest takes place among the nations; and through miracle-working power manifested by the Spirit-filled 144,000, it yields the great multitude which no man can number (Rev. 7:9), the second fruits, of those who are never to die.

Friday, November 10

Further Thought

“Clad in the armor of Christ’s righteousness, the church is to enter upon her final conflict. ‘Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners,’ she is to go forth into all the world, conquering and to conquer.” – Prophets and Kings, p. 725.

“Clad in complete armor of light and righteousness, she enters upon her final conflict. The dross, the worthless material, will be consumed, and the influence of the truth testifies to the world of its sanctifying, ennobling character.” – Testimonies to Ministers, p. 17-18.

“Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish: yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.” Isa. 60:11, 12.

The church described in these passages is obviously not the church in her Laodicean state – “neither cold nor hot,” and about to be spued out (Rev. 3:16)…