My Dear Brothers and Sister in Christ,
In my life, God has been very close to me. This ministry was set up by God to teach people how to draw closer to Jesus. It is easy to feel like a failure. However, today (08-22), Joe, my contractor, came to begin the work of putting in a new bank of solar panels. Joe is the person I can call on, and count on, to do the work for the ministry. He became a Christian after a few years of wild living and now owns his own contracting business.
Today he called me over and shared with me that since working for the ministry he has become very interested in the Sabbath. God is working on his heart. He then told me that he wanted to get baptized. God has a great work for Joe. It was amazing how the Lord led him to the ministry to be our contractor. There is still work that needs to be done here, but we need to pay off the debt for this building project before moving forward with the next.
I want to thank all of you for your faithfulness in supporting this little ministry. Your faithfulness is being “heard” all around the world.
Ephesians 1:15 to Ephesians 2:22
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, . . .
In a nutshell, that is Christianity: “Love toward all the saints.” So many claim to be Christians but withhold their love because a person may not be from the same church or culture or belief or in prison. Jesus loves everyone. He died for everyone. His love and death won’t save one person, but it did open the door for anyone who is willing to walk through that door for salvation. We choose our eternal destiny.
I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, . . .
I understand that. I give thanks five or six times a day for each of you, remembering you in my prayers. I lift each of you up to God. It is the longing of my heart that we shall meet one day in Heaven.
. . . that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, . . .
That knowledge isn’t a set of beliefs or doctrines. That revelation and knowledge is infinite. However, if you will continue every day, many times a day, reading your Bible and/or the Spirit of Prophecy books, you will find yourself growing in “the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him”. What knowledge? A personal knowledge.
having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, . . .
That concept isn’t just for the future life; it is also pertaining to our present life. God wants you to live so close to Him that your eyes and hearts will be enlightened to what He wants you to do moment by moment. He has a work for you to do. Let Him guide you.
. . . and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, . . .
In the Bible there are “trigger” words. Words which much of Christianity do not understand. For example, the word “gay” up until about the 1960’s meant, “‘joyful’, ‘carefree’, ‘bright and showy’, and the word was very commonly used with this meaning in speech and literature. . . . It was apparently not until the 20th century that the word began to be used to mean specifically ‘homosexual’, although it had earlier acquired sexual connotations.” (Wikipedia).
There is a “Woke” movement dedicated to destroying history and all biblical morality. They want to distort the meaning of words in order to confuse people. They want destroy the fabric of society in order to destroy the work of God.
The same distortion has happened with certain words in the Bible, such as, “believe”, “grace”, “faith” and “law”. Today, the original concepts for those words have been misapplied. They have all be perverted by the churches, universities, theological schools, pastors and denominations.
Let’s start with “believe”. In Paul’s day to believe in a philosophy, person or institution was to live in obedience to that philosophy, person or institution. As Paul said, “Through whom we received grace and apostleship, unto obedience of faith among all the nations, for His name’s sake.” Romans 1:5.
. . . according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
To be blunt, Paul is saying that God is giving us the power to live His perfect, sinless and Ten Commandment keeping life. The power that raised Him from the dead is the same power that can keep us in His glorious inheritance: perfection of character.
And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Precisely! He is to fill all of us. We are His body. Not a denomination. Not a church. We, individually, those who live in obedience to Jesus are to be filled with Jesus, not the world. Unfortunately, too many who call themselves Christian are filled up with the world. Christ has no place in their lives. “Christian” is only a word and a church, not a life.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— . . .
Who are those who are dead in trespasses and sins? Those who live in disobedience to the teachings of Jesus to be perfect, stop sinning and to keep the Ten Commandments for their eternal life. If you are not living the life of Jesus, you are following the prince of the power of the air. It doesn’t matter what church or denomination you belong to or what pastor you follow or what day you go to church on; you do not belong to Jesus if you are not living as He commands.
. . . among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
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- Living in the passions of our flesh.
- Carrying out the desires of the body and the mind.
- Children of wrath.
Selfishness! That is what creates so many problems in our lives. Coveting! Letting your passions and desires control you. We deserve nothing but death. God cannot let one person into Heaven who lives by his/her passions and desires of the body and the mind. Therefore, we must change if we wish to live in Heaven.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— . . .
Here is where churches wander from the Way. They think “by grace you have been saved” means they can go on sinning and still get to Heaven. Not so! God kicked Lucifer out of Heaven because of his sin and He won’t let any sinners back into Heaven. Grace does not save us eternally! It saves us from immediate death. The wages of sin is death. We are to die the moment we sin. Why are you still alive? Because of God’s grace. He keeps us alive so we can learn how to change our lives from sinners of death to saints of eternal lie.
. . . and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, . . .
Yes He did, but not now. We are raised up with Him in a new spirit, a new mind, new passions, new feelings and new desires. As Jesus was seated with His Father while walking on Earth, so we may also be seated with Him in Heavenly places through the new character Jesus wants to give us.
. . . so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
The riches of His grace keep us alive so we can learn of His “kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” and change our lives from death to life. Throughout eternity, the “coming ages” the “immeasurable riches of His Grace” will be our song.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, . . .
Let us put the comma where it belongs in that sentence to make sense. As the churches teach this verse it makes a lie out of the rest of the Bible, Jesus and Paul. Now read it again. “For by grace, – you have been saved through faith.” Grace saves us from immediate death, our wages for sinning, in order for us to be saved through our faith in Jesus which produces obedience to the teachings of Jesus.
. . . not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Alright, stay with me, Paul knew the truth, he wasn’t brainwashed. Most who are Christians today have been brainwashed and it is hard for them to wrap their minds around the truth as the whole Bible teaches it. Works! There are two kinds of works:
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- Man-made works such as church. (Ego and Pride Producing)
- God’s works of keeping the Ten Commandments. (Character Producing)
Man-made works produce pride, boasting and ego within us. You don’t go to church because you are humble. You go to show off your new this or that. To gossip about this or that. To hear the pastor tell you how good you are for coming to church. But to go to learn how to stop sinning, be perfect and to keep the Ten Commandments for your eternal life, I don’t think so. Therefore, we should read the text as Paul intended it: “not a result of your works, so that no one may boast.” Your man-made works for eternal life will never get you eternal life. Jesus is the only Way to the only Truth to the one and only eternal life. Paul now clarifies what he meant from what we have just learned.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
The first was “a result of (your) works.” The opening of salvation is not a result of “our” works. The offer of salvation has been offered free of charge. We could never work off our past sins: justification. We could never open the door for salvation. Only Jesus could do that. But now that it is open we have a “work” to do: sanctification. Not to open the door, but to walk through that door. That is why Paul says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.” We were created in Christ Jesus, in the image of God, to live the perfect, sinless and Ten Commandment life. The Ten Commandments are the works which “God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” That “beforehand” was at the creation of the world. Now it all makes sense. So simple!
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— . . .
Stay with me, Paul now is enumerating on the works that won’t get you into heaven or open the door for salvation. Circumcision! The church taught that circumcision saved you. No different than today when the churches run around claiming you have to be baptized for salvation. NO! Keep in mind, “circumcision” was another “code word” for everything that related to church activities. If you were circumcised, then you had to keep the holy days, feasts days, rites and rituals and services of the church. Now you were justified and “saved”! Not so! By doing those you were making them more important than keeping the Ten Commandments. Remember what Jesus said to the Jews? “Why do you also disregard the commandment of God because of your tradition?” Matthew 15:3.
. . . remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
The church was so involved in its rituals, services, traditions and rites that it felt superior to the “Gentiles” and refused to take the message of salvation by obedience to the Gentiles. Therefore the Gentiles were shut out of God’s free salvation. The church required the Gentiles to become members of their church before sharing the Ten Commandments with them. They had built up a wall of partition between the two.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Keep in mind, this wasn’t a new thing. They were able to be brought near to Jesus by His blood in the Old Testament. The sacrificial lamb represented the blood of Jesus. Any Old Testament Gentile who accepted the blood of Jesus as the future Messiah was “brought near” to God. The Israelites, by the time of their Babylonian captivity had forgotten that. By the time of Jesus, it was simply abhorrent to think that Gentiles could be loved and accepted by God.
For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, . . .
The key words are “hostility” and “ordinances”. The Israelites became hostile with pride, ego and arrogance towards anyone who wasn’t a Jew and obeying the ordinances. Abraham wasn’t “hostile” towards his neighbors. He even made alliances with them and taught them about the true God and how to serve and worship Him. They didn’t have to be circumcised or adhere to any traditions, rites or rituals. All they had to do was live in obedience to the Ten Commandments as Abraham did. “Because that Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” Genesis 26:5. The whole purpose of the Old Testament was to show us how to turn people from sin. “True teachings were in his (Levi) mouth, and falsehood was not found on his lips. He walked with me peacefully and righteously, and he turned many from sin.” Malachi 2:6.
. . . that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
Finally! Paul and many of the Jewish converts got it! They realized that God was the God of all the world and not just the Jews. Every human being on the face of the earth belonged to God. He loved all. But His love could not save a Gentile any more than it could save a Jew. All were to live in obedience to the Ten Commandments as Jesus did, even if it led to a “cross”.
And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.
In the Old Testament the Gentiles who were far off were invited to serve and worship God by keeping the Ten Commandments. They were taught to let go of their idols and false gods that did nothing for them. Therefore, you have the stories of Ruth and Rahab who gave up their gods for the God of Israel.
For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
They understood that both had access to the Father by simply living in obedience to the Ten Commandments.
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, . . .
Before there was an Israelite or Jew, from Adam to Noah, all who accepted the life of the Ten Commandments were “members of the household of God”. But the world wandered far from God and His Ten Commandments and God destroyed the world by flood. God then called Abraham and his decedents to keep alive the Ten Commandments on the face of the earth. But eventually the decedents became like the world while professing obedience to the Ten Commandments. It became a show, but the heart was not in it. Traditions, rituals, rites, feast days and services became all important.
. . . built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
Correct. The apostles and prophets are a part of our foundation. Not just the apostles of the New Testament. Not just the prophets of the Old Testament. Since Jesus Christ is the God of both the Old and New Testaments, therefore, it is all one structure and always has been. It was man that tore them apart.
In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Yes you are, if you are building on the Ten Commandments as Jesus did. Get out of your church and denomination. Stop listening to those who claim you can’t keep the Ten Commandments and are saved by grace. Go to Jesus, the Corner Stone, and build on Him by reading the Bible and listening to Jesus through His Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles. That is all you need.
INMATE LETTERS
JCPM,
I came across the “Change Your Life Biblically” and I’m interested in the workbook. I recently became a believer and I don’t have a sense of guidance as to how to understand the Bible. I feel like this workbook will give me that guidance and understanding to grow in faith.
Alfredo, Federal Prison
JCPM,
I received your postcard in the mail last week and was wondering what this certificate is. I have never done anything like this. I have always challenged anything and everything that has come my way. I am done doing that. How do I start this new part of my life?
Jesse, UT
Hey,
I would like to start off by saying, “Thank you” for taking the time out of your day to read this letter. I am a 26-year old Latino male from Chicago. As most people, I’ve had a pretty hard life. Been in and out of jail since I was a kid. Dropped out of school since I was 14 years old and never looked back. I am a person who keeps everything bottled up inside and keeps to himself. It’s crazy to me to even share this much with you now. To be honest, I am fighting a spiritual war inside me right now. I don’t know who may be reading this, but I hope and pray that you may understand me enough to realize that I am not a bad person, just made a lot of mistakes in my life. But I’m ready to change. I love my Lord Jesus with all my heart. I would like to find a nice study group once I am released from here. I have lost everything and I am broken inside, filled with sadness. I’ve never done this before, but I’m ready to open up and let Christ take over my life.
Jose, IL
Hello,
I am writing you in response to some mail that I got from you. It said that after receiving a certificate from you that I can send in poems, artwork and drawings to be published on the ministry’s website and Facebook. I heard it was great for pen-pals and meeting good positive people. That sounds great to me. I’m definitely in need of having someone to have my back.
Patrick, KY
JCPM,
I’m 28 years old and I don’t know what kind of resources you provide to inmates, but I’m reaching out to you for help with spiritual guidance. I’m doing everything I can to better myself. Without good Christians in this world, it would be a very dark and dreary existence.
Joshua, ID
Hello,
A fellow inmate that is here with me gave me the information and I think it’s a beautiful program. If you could please send me more information that would be amazing. I’m looking to change my life and build a new relationship through Jesus Christ.
Robert, ID
JCPM,
I had seen a bookmark my buddy had with your ministry on it. It said “Free Bible Studies”. I would like to enroll. Thank you for your services and hope to hear back from you soon. I have two years left to do and want to learn as much as I can about God.
Tommy, AZ
Dear JCPM,
I received an Introduction Booklet from you guys in the mail about a month ago. But I just read over it for the first time today. I saw that you are offering a Bible study course and I was interested in taking it, if it is still available. I am 24 years old and I have recently started reading the Bible every day. I am interested in learning more.
Kirk, TX
TESTIMONY FOR GOD’S CHILDREN
My Dear Family in Christ,
I have failed so many times when brought into the “Testing Process”. The Lord is patient. He continues to bring me around and around to the same testing until I am able to resist and come out victorious. Step by step. Little by little. The ways of the Lord are beyond our comprehension. Let us continue the struggle against sin until we become Overcomers.
The Testing Process
Dear Brother (Church Member),
I feel very anxious that you should accept light and come out of darkness. You have been greatly tempted of Satan; he has used you as his instrument to hinder the work of God. He has thus far succeeded with you; but it does not follow that you should continue in the path of error. I look upon your case with great trembling. I know that God has given you great light. In your sickness last fall the providence of God was dealing with you that you might bear fruit to His glory.
Unbelief was taking possession of your soul, and the Lord afflicted you that you might gain a needed experience. He blessed us in praying for you, and He blessed you in answer to our prayers. The Lord designed to unite our hearts in love and confidence. The Holy Spirit witnessed with your spirit. The power of God in answer to prayer came upon you; but Satan came with temptations, and you did not close the door upon him. He entered and has been very busy. It is the plan of the evil one to work first upon the mind of one, and then, through him, upon others. He has thus sought to hedge up our way and hinder our labors in the very place where our influence should be most felt for the prosperity of the cause.
The Lord brought you into connection with His work at —– for a wise purpose; He designed that you should discover the defects in your character and overcome them. You know how quickly your spirit chafes when things do not move according to your mind. Would that you could understand that all this impatience and irritability must be overcome, or your life will prove an utter failure, you will lose heaven, and it would have been better had you never been born.
Our cases are pending in the court of heaven. We are rendering our accounts there day by day. Everyone will be rewarded according to his works. Burnt offerings and sacrifices were not acceptable to God in ancient times unless the spirit was right with which the gift was offered. Samuel said: “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” All the money on earth cannot buy the blessing of God nor ensure you a single victory.
Many would make any and every sacrifice but the very one they should make, which is to yield themselves, to submit their wills to the will of God. Said Christ to His disciples: “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Here is a lesson in humility. We must all become humble as little children in order to inherit the kingdom.
Our heavenly Father sees the hearts of men, and He knows their characters better than they themselves know them. He sees that some have susceptibilities and powers, which, directed in the right channel, might be used to His glory to aid in the advancement of His work. He puts these persons on trial and in His wise providence brings them into different positions and under a variety of circumstances, testing them that they may reveal what is in their hearts and the weak points in their characters which have been concealed from their own knowledge. He gives them opportunities to correct these weaknesses, to polish off the rough corners of their natures, and to fit themselves for His service, that when He calls them to action they will be ready, and that angels of heaven may unite their labor with human effort in the work that must be done upon the earth. To men whom God designs shall fill responsible positions, He in mercy reveals their hidden defects, that they may look within and examine critically the complicated emotions and exercises of their own hearts, and detect that which is wrong; thus they may modify their dispositions and refine their manners. The Lord in His providence brings men where He can test their moral powers and reveal their motives of action, that they may improve what is right in themselves and put away that which is wrong. God would have His servants become acquainted with the moral machinery of their own hearts. In order to bring this about, He often permits the fire of affliction to assail them that they may become purified. “But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.”
The purification of the people of God cannot be accomplished without their suffering. God permits the fires of affliction to consume the dross, to separate the worthless from the valuable, that the pure metal may shine forth. He passes us from one fire to another, testing our true worth. If we cannot bear these trials, what will we do in the time of trouble? If prosperity or adversity discover falseness, pride, or selfishness in our hearts, what shall we do when God tries every man’s work as by fire, and lays bare the secrets of all hearts?
True grace is willing to be tried; if we are loath to be searched by the Lord, our condition is serious indeed. God is the refiner and purifier of souls; in the heat of the furnace the dross is separated forever from the true silver and gold of the Christian character. Jesus watches the test. He knows what is needed to purify the precious metal that it may reflect the radiance of His divine love.
God brings His people near Him by close, testing trials, by showing them their own weakness and inability, and by teaching them to lean upon Him as their only help and safeguard. Then His object is accomplished. They are prepared to be used in every emergency, to fill important positions of trust, and to accomplish the grand purposes for which their powers were given them. God takes men upon trial; He proves them on the right hand and on the left, and thus they are educated, trained, disciplined. Jesus, our Redeemer, man’s representative and head, endured this testing process. He suffered more than we can be called upon to suffer. He bore our infirmities and was in all points tempted as we are. He did not suffer thus on His own account, but because of our sins; and now, relying on the merits of our Overcomer, we may become victors in His name.
God’s work of refining and purifying must go on until His servants are so humbled, so dead to self, that, when called into active service, their eye will be single to His glory. He will then accept their efforts; they will not move rashly, from impulse; they will not rush on and imperil the Lord’s cause, being slaves to temptations and passions and followers of their own carnal minds set on fire by Satan. Oh, how fearfully is the cause of God marred by man’s perverse will and unsubdued temper! How much suffering he brings upon himself by following his own headstrong passions! God brings men over the ground again and again, increasing the pressure until perfect humility and a transformation of character bring them into harmony with Christ and the spirit of heaven, and they are victors over themselves.
God has called men from different states, and has been testing and proving them to see what characters they would develop, to see if they could be trusted to keep the fort at —–, and to see whether or not they would supply the deficiencies of the men already there, and, seeing the failures that these men have made, would shun the example of those who are not fit to engage in the most sacred work of God. He has followed men at —– with continual warnings, reproof, and counsel. He has poured great light about those who officiate in His cause there, that the way may be plain before them. But if they prefer to follow after their own wisdom, scorning the light, as did Saul, they will surely go astray and involve the cause in perplexity. Light and darkness have been set before them, but they have too often chosen the darkness.
The Laodicean message applies to the people of God who profess to believe present truth. The greater part are lukewarm professors, having a name but no zeal. God signified that He wanted men at the great heart of the work to correct the state of things existing there and to stand like faithful sentinels at their post of duty. He has given them light at every point, to instruct, encourage, and confirm them, as the case required. But notwithstanding all this, those who should be faithful and true, fervent in Christian zeal, of gracious temper, knowing and loving Jesus earnestly, are found aiding the enemy to weaken and discourage those whom God is using to build up the work. The term “lukewarm” is applicable to this class. They profess to love the truth, yet are deficient in Christian fervor and devotion. They dare not give up wholly and run the risk of the unbeliever, yet they are unwilling to die to self and follow out closely the principles of their faith.
The only hope for the Laodiceans is a clear view of their standing before God, a knowledge of the nature of their disease. They are neither cold nor hot; they occupy a neutral position, and at the same time flatter themselves that they are in need of nothing. The True Witness hates this lukewarmness. He loathes the indifference of this class of persons. Said He: “I would thou wert cold or hot.” Like lukewarm water, they are nauseous to His taste. They are neither unconcerned nor selfishly stubborn. They do not engage thoroughly and heartily in the work of God, identifying themselves with its interests; but they hold aloof and are ready to leave their posts when their worldly personal interests demand it. The internal work of grace is wanting in their hearts; of such it is said: “Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”
Faith and love are the true riches, the pure gold which the True Witness counsels the lukewarm to buy. However rich we may be in earthly treasure, all our wealth will not enable us to buy the precious remedies that cure the disease of the soul called lukewarmness. Intellect and earthly riches were powerless to remove the defects of the Laodicean church, or to remedy their deplorable condition. They were blind, yet felt that they were well off. The Spirit of God did not illumine their minds, and they did not perceive their sinfulness; therefore they did not feel the necessity of help.
To be without the graces of the Spirit of God is sad indeed; but it is a more terrible condition to be thus destitute of spirituality and of Christ, and yet try to justify ourselves by telling those who are alarmed for us that we need not their fears and pity. Fearful is the power of self-deception on the human mind! What blindness! setting light for darkness and darkness for light! The True Witness counsels us to buy of Him gold tried in the fire, white raiment, and eyesalve. The gold here recommended as having been tried in the fire is faith and love. It makes the heart rich; for it has been purged until it is pure, and the more it is tested the more brilliant is its luster. The white raiment is purity of character, the righteousness of Christ imparted to the sinner. This is indeed a garment of heavenly texture, that can be bought only of Christ for a life of willing obedience. The eyesalve is that wisdom and grace which enables us to discern between the evil and the good, and to detect sin under any guise. God has given His church eyes which He requires them to anoint with wisdom, that they may see clearly; but many would put out the eyes of the church if they could; for they would not have their deeds come to the light, lest they should be reproved. The divine eyesalve will impart clearness to the understanding. Christ is the depositary of all graces. He says: “Buy of Me.”
This is so sad. I will use the word “all” in this instance. All the churches, denominations and religions of the world have fallen. None are teaching their people to put away their sins and live the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life. I do not know of any pastor who has called out individual members over their sins. What church is helping their members be overcomers?
Some may say it is exalting our own merits to expect favor from God through our good works. True, we cannot buy one victory with our good works; yet we cannot be victors without them. The purchase which Christ recommends to us is only complying with the conditions He has given us. True grace, which is of inestimable value, and which will endure the test of trial and adversity, is only obtained through faith and humble, prayerful obedience. Graces that endure the proofs of affliction and persecution, and evidence their soundness and sincerity, are the gold which is tried in the fire and found genuine. Christ offers to sell this precious treasure to man: “Buy of Me gold tried in the fire.” The dead, heartless performance of duty does not make us Christians. We must get out of a lukewarm condition and experience a true conversion, or we shall fail of heaven.
I was pointed to the providence of God among His people and was shown that every trial made by the refining, purifying process upon professed Christians proves some to be dross. The fine gold does not always appear. In every religious crisis some fall under temptation. The shaking of God blows away multitudes like dry leaves. Prosperity multiplies a mass of professors. Adversity purges them out of the church. As a class, their spirits are not steadfast with God. They go out from us because they are not of us; for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, many are offended.
Let these look back a few months to the time when they were sitting on the cases of others who were in a condition similar to that which they now occupy. Let them carefully call to mind the exercise of their minds in regard to those tempted ones. Had anyone told them then that notwithstanding their zeal and labor to set others right, they would at length be found in a similar position of darkness, they would have said, as did Hazael to the prophet: “Is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing?”
Self-deception is upon them. During the calm, what firmness they manifest! what courageous sailors they make! But when the furious tempests of trial and temptation come, lo! their souls are shipwrecked. Men may have excellent gifts, good ability, splendid qualifications; but one defect, one secret sin indulged, will prove to the character what the worm-eaten plank does to the ship—utter disaster and ruin!
Dear brother, God in His providence brought you from your farm to —– to bear the tests and trials which you could not have where you were. He has given you some testimonies of reproof, which you professedly accepted; but your spirit was continually chafed under rebuke. You are like those who walked no more with Jesus after He brought close, practical truths to bear upon them. You have not taken hold in faith to correct the defects marked out in your character. You have not humbled your proud spirit before God. You have stood at warfare against the Spirit of God as revealed in reproof. Your carnal, unsubdued heart is not subject to control. You have not disciplined yourself. Time and again your uncontrolled temper, your spirit of insubordination, has gained complete mastery over you. How can such an impulsive, unsubdued soul live among the pure angels? It cannot be admitted into heaven, as you yourself know. If so, you cannot begin too soon to correct the evil in your nature. Be converted, and become as a little child.
Brother, you are proud-spirited, lofty in your thoughts and ideas of yourself. All this must be put away. Your relatives have learned to fear these outbreaks of temper. Your tender, God-fearing mother has done her best to soothe and indulge you, and has tried to remove every cause that would produce this self-rising, this uncontrollable disposition in her son. But coaxing, pleading, and seeking to pacify have led you to consider that this impulsive temper is incurable and that it is the duty of your friends to bear with it. All this petting and excusing has not remedied the evil, but rather given it license.
You have not fought with this wicked spirit and conquered it. When your way has been crossed you have felt the provocation sufficiently to forget your manhood and that you were created in the image of God and after His likeness. You have sadly defaced and marred that image. You have not had self-control nor power over your will. You have been headstrong, and have yielded to the power of Satan. Every time that you have given up to passion and self-rule, and let your feelings run away with your judgment, it has strengthened that set, uncontrolled will. The Lord saw that you did not know yourself, and that unless you saw yourself and the sinfulness of your course in the true light; unless you saw how aggravating in the sight of God were these outbreaks of temper which strengthened at every exhibition, you would surely fail of gaining a seat by the side of the suffering Man of Calvary.
God calls upon you, Brother (church member), to repent and be converted, and become as a little child. Unless the truth has a sanctifying influence upon your life to mold your character, you will fail of an inheritance in the kingdom of God. The Lord in His providence selected you to be more directly connected with His cause and work. He took you, like an undisciplined soldier, new to the army, and brought you under rules, regulations, and responsibilities, and through the drilling process. At first you did nobly and tried to be faithful at your post. You bore trial better than ever before in your life. But Satan came with his specious temptations, and you fell a prey to them. The Lord pitied you and laid His hand upon you to save you. He gave you a rich experience, which you have not profited by as you should have done. Like the children of Israel, you soon forgot the dealings of God and His great mercies. Brother (church member), you were raised up in answer to prayer, and God gave you a new lease of life; but you have let jealousy and envy into your soul, and have greatly displeased Him. He designed to bring you where you would develop character, where you would see and correct your defects.
There was a decided failure in your education and discipline during childhood and youth. You now have to learn the great lessons of self-control which ought to have been mastered in earlier days. God brought you where your surroundings would be changed and where you could be disciplined by His Holy Spirit, that you might acquire moral power and self-control to make you a conqueror. It will require the strongest effort, the most persevering and unfaltering determination, and the strongest energy to control self. Your spirit has long chafed under restraint, and your temper has raged like a caged lion when your will has been crossed. The education which your parents should have assisted you to obtain must now be gained wholly by yourself. When young and small the twig might have been easily bent; but now, after it has grown gnarled and crooked and strong, how difficult the task! Your parents permitted it to be thus deformed; and now only by the grace of God, united with your own persistent efforts, can you become conqueror over your will. Through the merits of Christ you may part with that which scars and deforms the soul, and which develops a misshapen character. You must put away the old man with his errors and take the new man, Christ Jesus. Adopt His life as your guide then your talents and intellect will be devoted to God’s service.
Oh, if mothers would only work with wisdom, with calmness and determination, to train and subdue the carnal tempers of their children, what an amount of sin would be nipped in the bud, and what a host of church trials would be saved! How many families that are now miserable would be happy! Many souls will be eternally lost because of the neglect of parents to properly discipline their children and to teach them submission to authority in their youth. Petting faults and soothing outbreaks is not laying the ax at the root of the evil, but proves the ruin of thousands of souls. Oh, how will parents answer to God for this fearful neglect of their duty!
Brother (church member), you are willing to stand at the head and dictate to others, but you will not be dictated to yourself. Your pride fires in a moment at the attempt. Self-love and a haughty spirit are unruly elements in your character, hindering spiritual advancement. Those who have this temperament must take hold of the work zealously and die to self, or they will lose heaven. God makes no compromise with this element, as do fond, mistaken parents.
In my last vision I was shown that if you refuse reproof and correction, choose your own way, and will not be disciplined, God has no further use for you in connection with His holy work. If you had commenced the work of setting your own soul right with the Lord you would have seen so great a work to be done for yourself that you would not have spent so much time over the supposed wrongs of Brother (church member), dwelling upon them behind his back. The work of the last thirty years should inspire confidence in the integrity of Brother (church member). “Honor to whom honor is due.”
Men in responsible positions should improve continually. They must not anchor upon an old experience and feel that it is not necessary to become scientific workers. Man, although the most helpless of God’s creatures when he comes into the world, and the most perverse in his nature, is nevertheless capable of constant advancement. He may be enlightened by science, ennobled by virtue, and may progress in mental and moral dignity, until he reaches a perfection of intelligence and a purity of character but little lower than the perfection and purity of angels. With the light of truth shining upon the minds of men, and the love of God shed abroad in their hearts, we cannot conceive what they may become nor what great work they may do.
I know that the human heart is blind to its own true condition, but I cannot leave you without making an effort to help you. We love you, and we want to see you pressing on to victory. Jesus loves you. He died for you, and He wants you to be saved. We have no disposition to hold you in —–; but we do want you to make thorough work with your own soul, to right every wrong there, and make every effort to master self, lest you miss heaven. This you cannot afford to do. For Christ’s sake, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 4T 83 – 93