« In heaven, will we follow God’s calendar? - Or that of the Pope? ÎNTREBĂRI ŞI RĂSPUNSURI »
Most Profitable Revival Meetings
Posted by: DeepWaters | Sat, Jun 30, 2007 1:48 pm | Tag(s): Testimonies | Permalink |
While driving through Nashville, TN, I spotted a billboard advertising “The Call”, which is convocation to take place at the stadium built for the Titans NFL team. It is to take place on July 7, 2007. I did some research and found this website: http://www.thecall.com/vision.php
When I mentioned this to a friend of mine, he told me that he had been watching Pentacostal programming on SkyAngel and had heard preachers telling people to pray for the Seventh-day Adventist churches that they will receive the Holy Spirit just as they have received it. That brought the following passages to mind:
“But many of the revivals of modern times have presented a marked contrast to those manifestations of divine grace which in earlier days followed the labors of God’s servants. It is true that a widespread interest is kindled, many profess conversion, and there are large accessions to the churches; nevertheless the results are not such as to warrant the belief that there has been a corresponding increase of real spiritual life. The light which flames up for a time soon dies out, leaving the darkness more dense than before.
“Popular revivals are too often carried by appeals to the imagination, by exciting the emotions, by gratifying the love for what is new and startling. Converts thus gained have little desire to listen to Bible truth, little interest in the testimony of prophets and apostles. Unless a religious service has something of a sensational character, it has no attractions for them. A message which appeals to unimpassioned reason awakens no response. The plain warnings of God’s word, relating directly to their eternal interests, are unheeded….
“Notwithstanding the widespread declension of faith and piety, there are true followers of Christ in these churches. Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children. At that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for God and His word. Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed at this time to prepare a people for the Lord’s second coming. The enemy of souls desires to hinder this work; and before the time for such a movement shall come, he will endeavor to prevent it by introducing a counterfeit. In those churches which he can bring under his deceptive power he will make it appear that God’s special blessing is poured out; there will be manifest what is thought to be great religious interest. Multitudes will exult that God is working marvelously for them, when the work is that of another spirit. Under a religious guise, Satan will seek to extend his influence over the Christian world.” Great Controversy, pp. 463, 464.
“Some of these persons have exercises which they call gifts and say that the Lord has placed them in the church. They have an unmeaning gibberish which they call the unknown tongue, which is unknown not only by man but by the Lord and all heaven. Such gifts are manufactured by men and women, aided by the great deceiver. Fanaticism, false excitement, false talking in tongues, and noisy exercises have been considered gifts which God has placed in the church. Some have been deceived here. The fruits of all this have not been good. ‘Ye shall know them by their fruits.’ Fanaticism and noise have been considered special evidences of faith. Some are not satisfied with a meeting unless they have a powerful and happy time. They work for this and get up an excitement of feeling. But the influence of such meetings is not beneficial. When the happy flight of feeling is gone, they sink lower than before the meeting because their happiness did not come from the right source. The most profitable meetings for spiritual advancement are those which are characterized with solemnity and deep searching of heart; each seeking to know himself, and earnestly, and in deep humility, seeking to learn of Christ.“ Vol. 1, Testimonies for the Church, p. 412.
We need to watch and pray. We need to be certain that it is a true sanctification we are submitting to, a Biblical sanctification, or we will be subject to the deception Satan is preparing to unlease just before the true outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the power of the Latter Rain.
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
5 Responses to “Most Profitable Revival Meetings”
claudine_michel | June 30th, 2007 at 3:09 pmThank you very much for those insightfull passages; I especially needed to read the last one about searching inside yourself!
Thank you.
God bless you!
PowerOfChoice | June 30th, 2007 at 3:49 pmYes, those passages are full of meaning, aren’t they?! A most pertinent warning message indeed!
Let’s each do our part in making certain that we do not contribute of our strength towards a reality corresponding to those words of warning!
Let’s remember always that it is not the name on the facade, or in front of the church, that makes a difference. It’s the reality of what is actually happening inside and in each of our lives, is it not?
PowerOfChoice | July 1st, 2007 at 6:29 amConsider this thought:
Let’s say I have a Parrot at home and that I read aloud daily from the bible and from the Spirit of Prophecy. Let’s assume that the Parrot correctly learns certain phrases and words from that which I have read.
Is the parrot being saved by correctly parroting those phrases over and over again to itself?
What if any is the difference between such language of the Parrot as described above and another Parrot who has similarly learned certain phrases of “speaking in tongues” while in the home of a devout Pentecostal zealot?
If I, being a devout Seventh-day Adventist, learn to do as did the first Parrot above - while understanding or applying but little of the message in my daily life - How am I different from a true and honest zealot from any Pentecostal church?
May I suggest that there may be a need here, not only for applying the parroted words in each our lives, but also for better learning to understand the correct dictionary meaning of such words, and then for sharing in our own words our experiences after so doing?
Or isn’t that what a firsthand witness must always do?
And, isn’t that what the great commission of Matt 28:18-20 is all about?
Compare these passages:
“for a witness unto all…” Matt. 24:14
“The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.” John 1:7-8
“John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake…” John 1:15
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.” Joh 3:11
Black Sheep | July 2nd, 2007 at 8:15 pmI think it is absolutely wonderful to have preachers from other faiths petitioning prayers on our behalf. Think about it! God has essentially announced Operation: Global Rain on SkyAngel. It doesn’t matter how they believe an answer to our prayers should manifest itself. The fact remains; others are praying prayers of intersession to our God in our behalf and God hears and answers all prayers.
Consider this quote:
The Lord has His representatives in all the churches. These persons have not had the special testing truths for these last days presented to them under circumstances that brought conviction to heart and mind; therefore they have not, by rejecting light, severed their connection with God.–6T 70, 71 (1900).
Among the Catholics there are many who are most conscientious Christians and who walk in all the light that shines upon them, and God will work in their behalf.–9T 243 (1909).
In the eighteenth chapter of the Revelation the people of God are called upon to come out of Babylon. According to this scripture, many of God’s people must still be in Babylon. And in what religious bodies are the greater part of the followers of Christ now to be found? Without doubt, in the various churches professing the Protestant faith.–GC 383 (1911).
Notwithstanding the spiritual darkness and alienation from God that exist in the churches which constitute Babylon, the great body of Christ’s true followers are still to be found in their communion.–GC 390 (1911). (Last Day Events – 197-198)
Praise God for His believers everywhere!
I wonder how many of the SkyAngel viewers have googled “Holy Spirit” + “Seventh-day Adventist”.
ingrid wijngaarde | July 4th, 2007 at 9:28 pmBlack Sheep (not a nice name to give one self. You should look upon yourself how God sees you, not how people see you),
What a profound insight. I shared your comment in the OGR prayer session tonight.
We Adventist tend to forget that we have also received our much cherished Truth (1 Cor. 4:7)! But the truth does not come natural to us. Freely we received, and freely we must give. Jesus said: he that is not against us is for us. Thank you for your meaningfull comment. Today I have grown a little further!
(ingrid wijngaarde, The Netherlands)
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.