"Evaluating Witnessing and Evangelism"

Sabbath School Today

With the 1888 Message Dynamic

Evangelism and Witnessing

Lesson 12: "Evaluating Witnessing and Evangelism"

  

How does God evaluate our witnessing and evangelism? Over and beyond all the Reformers and Protestant denominations, God raised up the Great Second Advent Movement to be a second-in-time Pentecost. The first Pentecost was the early rain of the Holy Spirit. The disciples and early Christians were united because they appreciated what Christ had accomplished on His cross on behalf of sinners. Their hearts were reconciled to God and repentance was its manifestation. This was the result of Christ's first apartment ministry in the heavenly sanctuary and He blessed those believers with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which initiated the growth of the early church.

For eighteen hundred years the world was blessed by the first apartment ministry of Christ. But there never was a Reformer or church or body of believers that was fully mature in their reconciliation with God that they could stand side by side with Christ as a final demonstration of the truth that the gospel not only forgives sin but removes sin completely. All pre-1844 believers in Christ were prepared to die and come up in the first resurrection at His second coming.

In other words, pre-1844 believers witnessed and evangelized making their appeal on the basis of individual repentance for sin. Individual repentance for sin is a good thing if one is preparing to die.

However, since 1844 we are living in the cosmic Day of Atonement (Daniel 8:14). And Heaven's sanctuary cannot be cleansed until the hearts of God's people on earth are cleansed and they cease to send their sins to heaven for pardon. This means a special work of cleansing the taproot of sin--the heart motivations--"that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19).

The root cause of sin is the "old man" of self. What formerly passed for faith as motivated out of self-interest--a fear of hell and a hope of reward--is now transcended by a stronger motivation. Justification by faith is no longer self-centered (individual repentance so that I can go to heaven), but it is an ever-deepening heart appreciation of what it cost Jesus to die on His cross. Jesus reveals the truth of the cross in such high-fidelity that the heart is reconciled to God. And if the heart is reconciled to God then "faith works by agape" (Gal. 5:6) and is inevitably reconciled to God's law including the seventh-day Sabbath.

This necessarily involves corporate repentance. Corporate means of the body. The body of humanity has one common denominator and that is "the flesh." As descendants of the first Adam we inherit through our parents a "carnal mind" which "is enmity against God ... not subject to the law of God" and "the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:7, 8). The Holy Spirit is sent by Jesus to reveal our unconsciouscorporate sin, which is common to all humanity.

So justification by faith before 1844 was understood as solely a legal pardon for sin, so that sinners could go on sinning not recognizing the necessity for the cleansing of the taproot of sin, which is selfishness. However, the post-1844 understanding of justification by faith is not only a legal pardon for sin, but contemplates the complete eradication of sin from its source, which is the heart cleansing.

Satan has set up his false high priestly ministry in order to deceive the self-centered heart that it can receive a legal pardon for sin and yet never have a heart completely cleansed from the taproot of sin. Satan wants evangelism and witnessing to be based on this kind of understanding of justification by faith--an individual repentance for sin. [1]

God raised up the Seventh-day Adventist Church to proclaim the sanctuary truth--"the foundation of our faith." [2]

The "everlasting gospel" in high-fidelity is the sacrifice of the Lamb for the world which reconciles alienated hearts to God. This is the evangelistic message which produces the quality of fruit manifested in obedience to God's law. [3]

"Another gospel" has crept in derived from the popular evangelical "church growth" movement sponsored by such organizations as Fuller Theological Seminary; Bill Hybels' Willow Creek Church; Rick Warren's Saddleback Church per The Purpose Driven Church. It's called the "Empowered Church." Its objective is: "Evangelism is the only reason the church exists." Everything is evaluated on the basis of "How are we doing in this particular ministry?" [4] The church is told that "we exist to win souls for the kingdom." [5] "How can we be more effective?" [6]

These are old covenant questions reminiscent of how ancient Israel bound themselves to a "yoke of bondage" at Mt. Sinai (Gal. 5:1; 4:24) when they promised, "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do" (Ex. 19:8). The self-centered motivation of we is firmly in place in this evangelistic strategy.

If evangelism and witnessing are the sole reason for the existence of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, then we are no different than any other Protestant or evangelical church. Furthermore, evangelism and witnessing as the first priority would invalidate the Second Advent Movement since 1844 based on the pioneer's understanding of the cleansing of the sanctuary truth which they believed was to be proclaimed to the world.

"We exist to win souls for the kingdom" is a Biblically incorrect statement and principle that undermines and eliminates the need of Jesus to have a Bride who has fully grown up in His agape. This philosophy is in direct opposition to the central Adventist doctrine related to the "cleansing of the sanctuary." This teaching ultimately negates the Adventist understanding that explains the "Great Disappointment" of 1844 and invalidates the Advent Movement altogether.

The underlying philosophy of all churches that are involved in the Church Growth movement and Evangelicals is that they exist to win souls to the kingdom. It is "another Gospel" (Gal. 1:6).

Based on the criteria of how many souls are won to the kingdom, does this determine when the Lord Jesus will return? Is there a quantum level of baptisms that must be reached in order to trigger God's command to that "angel" to unleash Jesus the Harvester to return? In other words, is it on the basis of how well we are doing in witnessing and evangelism that determines the nearness of Jesus' coming? If that is the case, then it is salvation by works or soul-winning. If a billion souls are won on the basis of individual repentance in order to save their own selfish souls, will that bring Christ's coming any nearer?

We've all heard the story of getting the cart before the horse. In other words, is it the cart that pulls the horse or is it the other way around? Of course, it's the horse that pulls the cart.

Likewise, what pulls or drives the "cart" of evangelism and witnessing in the church is "the truth of the gospel." It is the message of Jesus' cross that converts souls and turns them to God and His commandments. The message produces the fruit. More precisely, the clearer we comprehend the everlasting gospel in all its high-fidelity, the Holy Spirit can effectively reach the heart without human distortion or interference.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church exists as its number one priority to faithfully proclaim the sanctuary truth which is the message of Jesus' unparalleled sacrifice for the sins of the world. This is the criterion upon which Jesus evaluates Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-21). To the degree that she is faithful in proclaiming that truth, the maturity of souls will testify as to the quality of a truly converted harvest at Jesus' coming.

--Paul E. Penno

Endnotes:

[1] Early Writings, pp. 55, 56.

[2] Evangelism, p. 221; cf. 222, 225.

[3] Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, pp. 91, 92.

[4] "Evangelism and Witnessing," Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide (April-June 2012), Sunday, June 17, p. 138 Teachers' ed., p. 97 Standard ed. (emphasis added).

[5] Ibid., Thursday, June 21, p. 142 Teachers', p. 101 Standard (emphasis added).

[6] Ibid., Thursday, June 21, p. 138 Teachers', p. 97 Standard (emphasis added).

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SS Lesson 12: Evaluating Witnessing and Evangelism: Pastor Paul Penno.mov

Fwd: Fw: Sabbath School Today, Lesson 11, Quarter 2-12

Sabbath School Today

With the 1888 Message Dynamic

Evangelism and Witnessing

Lesson 11: "Let the Church Know"

 

"In most areas of life, effective communication is the key to understanding" (quoted from Monday's lesson). In today's world, we can experience communication "overload" through reports we receive via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, TV, magazines, newsletters, newspapers, and the Internet in general. On days when there is a big news event, so many reports are issued by so many agencies that we wonder which is true.

Our beloved Seventh-day Adventist Church has experienced many events that have been worthy of "news," but there is one in particular that has been talked about, written about, and discussed for more than a century. And instead of bringing the unity into the church that the Lord intended, division comes in because of those who reject it. That event? The 1888 General Conference Session.

Do we have our own "Wailing Wall"? One area of contention revolves around the "latter rain." Ponder the never-ending stream of appeals and calls to prayer that come in the annual Week of Prayer readings, the campmeeting sermons, the General Conference sessions, and Annual Councils, calling on faithful Seventh-day Adventists to pray that the Lord will keep His promise, that He will open the windows of heaven to pour upon His people the refreshing showers of the latter rain, which would consist of an ultimate gift of the Holy Spirit to ripen the gospel grain for the "harvest" of souls. It will lead to the loud cry of the third angel's message--the final glorious enlightening of the world. We were told in 1850 that "time is almost finished." [1] In truth, the honor of the God of the pioneers is involved. Is He faithful? Is He even alive?

But like the Jews, our forefathers failed to recognize a heavenly gift, as did those who rejected their Messiah two thousand years ago. Just like a slender crack in the earth at Qumran hid the presence of fabulous manuscript riches in a hidden cave, an unpretentious entry in The Review and Herald of November 22, 1892, stated:

"The time of test is just upon us, for the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth" (emphasis supplied). [2]

From the time of the 1888 Conference and for years that followed, Ellen White seemed obsessed that we were re-enacting the tragedy of the Jews, and "reported" on this theme in talks and in articles in the Review. By 1890 she dared to take the case to the people themselves:

"We should not be found quibbling, and putting up hooks on which to hang our doubts in regard to the light which God sends us. When a point of doctrine that you do not understand comes to your attention, go to God on your knees, that you may understand what is truth, and not be found, as were the Jews, fighting against God." [3]

But there was also good news in her "reporting." In a report of a campmeeting at Ottawa, Kansas, Ellen White wrote: "In every meeting since the [1888] General Conference, souls have eagerly accepted the precious message of the righteousness of Christ. We thank God that there are souls who realize that they are in need of something which they do not possess--gold of faith and love, white raiment of Christ's righteousness, eyesalve of spiritual discernment. If you possess these precious gifts, the temple of the human soul will not be like a desecrated shrine. Brethren and sisters, I call upon you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, to work where God works. Now is the day of gracious opportunity and privilege." [4]

Again: "Those who were at South Lancaster last winter [to hear Jones and Waggoner] know that the church and the school were moved upon by the Spirit of God. ... Light is flashing from the throne of God, and what is this for?--It is that a people may be prepared to stand in the day of God." [5]

On February 4, 1890 Ellen White reported to the brethren assembled in Battle Creek: "I considered it a privilege to stand by the side of my brethren [Jones and Waggoner] and give my testimony with the message for this time. ... Suppose that you blot out the testimony that has been going during these last two years proclaiming the righteousness of Christ, who can you point to as bringing out special light for the people? This message as it has been presented, should go to every church that claims to believe the truth." [6]

Robert J. Wieland once related a life-changing experience resulting from a mission report:

"This unworthy servant was sent by a church missionary board to East Africa back in the almost prehistoric era of 1945. One reason he was eager to go: our church paper was reporting enthusiastically that the 'latter rain' of the Holy Spirit was falling in Ruanda, evidenced by large accessions of adherents by baptism. There were photographs of people covering hillsides at 'camp meetings.' Also, mass conversions were reported in the Lake Victoria area of Kenya. The people, many of them, were only recently from paganism; they had difficulty distinguishing economic development (which they naturally wanted) with being 'Christianized.'

"However, I was appointed to neighboring Uganda where there was a rich history of martyrdoms going back to the 1880s. The people were literate; they had history of kingdoms going back to the 16th century, and a high level of sophistication. The Protestant Christians loved the Bible and regarded it as the only rule of faith. Our particular mission was regarded as an interloper, and 'conversions' to the church were slow.

"When I learned the language and came to know the people, it became painfully evident that the mass conversions in Ruanda were not the biblical 'latter rain,' the miracle stories notwithstanding. They were the 'former rain.' The knowledge of the gospel was superficial; … the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, which Jesus enjoined upon us all to 'understand,' were almost unknown; yet people flocked into 'church' membership.

"Also perplexing was the famine for understanding justification and righteousness by faith in Romans, Galatians, etc. The 'gospel' should produce purity of living, transformed characters, a people raised up to welcome Jesus Christ when He returns at His second advent.

"We all await that final 'everlasting gospel' that will 'lighten the earth with glory.' The 'latter rain' will prepare its way; but let's remember that when the Lord 'pours out' the Holy Spirit, His first work will be to ferret out and convict of sin (John 16:8), a comforting message, for it reconciles us to God, at last." [7]

In "reporting" there is a danger in giving details about what "we" have done or are doing. All glory should be given to God. As our lesson tells us: "God is glorified by faithful reporting" (Thursday).

 

"Be cautious of believing ill, but more cautious of reporting it"

(Ellet J. Waggoner, The Signs of the Times, May 25, 1888).

 

--Compiled by Carol A. Kawamoto

Endnotes:

[1] Early Writings, p. 64; emphasis supplied.

[2] Ellen G. White; see also Selected Messages, book one, p. 363.

[3] The Review and Herald, March 11, 1890.

[4] Ibid., July 23, 1889.

[5] Ibid., March 4, 1890.

[6] Ibid., March 18, 1890; The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, p. 545.

[7] Excerpted from "Dial Daily Bread," July 22, 2007.

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SS Lesson 11: Let the Church Know: Pastor Paul Penno.mov

SS Lesson #10: A Love Response: Pastor Paul E. Penno, Jr.

Lesson 10: "A Love Response"

Sabbath School Today

With the 1888 Message Dynamic

Evangelism and Witnessing

Lesson 10: "A Love Response"

When "the Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders Waggoner and Jones" in the 1888 era, its basic thrust was soul-winning in preparation for the second coming of Christ in that generation.

Specifically, it was "to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world." [1] Thus it was far more than a mere theological game for the church members to play. Ellen White's definition of presenting the message to the world was the language of Revelation 18. It was what we speak of as the Loud Cry of the third angel's message. She recognized that the message of Jones and Waggoner was its "beginning." [2]

All during the years while she uttered her 300-plus endorsements of the message, Ellen White's heart-burden was to give the message to the world. She was sorry that in the end of the era human opposition to the message resulted in its being "in a great degree kept away from the world." [3] The message itself was built-in "evangelism." It couldn't be stopped once it started unless "the brethren" succeeded in paralyzing it.

At the end of the era, her principal expressed disappointment was not that more money had not come in for "public evangelism," but that our ministers and people had not grasped the message itself. What occupied her mind at that time of the Loud Cry was not so much what we call "public evangelism" where one or a few individuals proclaim the message and many come to listen to it (that came later), but personal evangelism on the part of members of the church who came to understand the message. She saw a one-to-one method of proclaiming it as highly efficient to the point of success in finishing the world gospel commission in that one single generation. She saw that as Heaven's intention for us.

But the power behind her vision needs to be understood: it was "the truth of the gospel" as contained in the actual 1888 message itself. It was not theological conundrums unraveled; it was not Conference-administered "efforts" held in tents or meeting halls; it was simple truth grasped by ordinary people which they had never seen so clearly before. It gripped their souls as Good News that met their heart needs. It included fresh views of the new covenant. It never before had been so clearly proclaimed. It inspired people to share the ideas.

It included fresh views of the justification that Christ accomplished by His sacrifice "for the sins of the whole world." Calvinist and Arminian views had functioned like spiritual cataracts that blinded people; they were now removed. The resultant clarity was a powerful motivation to share the message.

It included fresh views of the understanding of what faith is. It came into focus as a heart appreciation of what it cost the Son of God to save the world. Let the heart be moved with "the truth of the gospel," let the Savior be uplifted on His cross and nothing can stop the one who believes from sharing!

It included fresh views of obedience to the law. In the wake of the proclamation of the 1888 message, obedience became a joy. "Thousands of dollars" in back tithe flowed into the church without pressure being applied simply because the message of "faith which works by love [agape]" gripped souls.

Returning tithe to the Lord became a joy because now it was seen that Christ's "yoke is easy, and [His] burden is light." Love of money was eclipsed by love of the gospel.

It included fresh views of the nearness-of-the-Savior truth. This brought Jesus so close that "we" saw Him as being real, "a Savior nigh at hand and not afar off." The confusion in "our" idea of Christ's personality was resolved. Biblical ideas replaced the dimness of Protestant fog inherited originally from Roman Catholicism. Ellen White said that young people were brought face to face with Christ as though they turned a corner and there He was.

At last the boring sanctuary doctrine came alive. "We" discovered a reason for living that constrained "us" with new zeal. We could cooperate with Christ in His closing work as High Priest. Each individual suddenly acquired a self-respecting importance, someone who could help hasten the return of Jesus because we could actually help Him in His final task.

And on and on, the 1888 truths caused many to exclaim, "I never saw the Bible so clearly before!" They just had to tell others! No one could hold believers back.

That was "evangelism," pure and simple. The power was not in a Conference-promoted campaign, but in truth itself. It was seen how Paul was right when he said, "The love of Christ constraineth us." You couldn't sit still! (Power-pointed Conference-promoted campaigns are fine if the distinct and unique elements of the latter rain/loud cry truths are in the message. That's where the real power is that converts people and holds them faithful until the Lord comes.)

Ellen White's dream was that the message should be proclaimed in "every church," and then it would spill out to the world beyond, where millions would find precious truth in a teaching of the cross which they had never seen before.

The cold fact is that multitudes of Protestant and Roman Catholic Christians, utterly sincere, have never understood the cross of Christ! The reason is that their commonly held belief in natural immortality had been a dense fog that hides the truth of what happened on the cross from their view. Seventh-day Adventists have taught the non-immortality of the soul for nearly two centuries, but their confusion over the two covenants has kept them, too, from seeing clearly what happened on the cross. So the proclamation of the cross of Christ became the essence of the 1888 Loud Cry message that "we" had looked forward to for decades, and yet we had never known what it would be.

Jesus proclaimed this same truth which later is "evangelism" in the 1888 message. It was at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem just before His crucifixion:

"On the last and most important day of the festival Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice [was this a precursor of the "loud cry" we look forward to?], 'Whoever is thirsty should come to Me and drink. As the scripture says [Song of Solomon 4:15], 'Whoever believes in Me, streams of life-giving water will pour out from his heart" (John 7:37, 38, TEV).

This is a profound statement of the method of evangelism that Jesus loved. He is not putting pressure on us to do this or that; He is not making us feel guilty for not doing more "evangelism." He is guaranteeing that if we truly believe in Him, the purest evangelism will be flowing out of our hearts as from an overflowing fountain. Of course, no one can truly "believe" if he doesn't understand the message. Therefore the proclamation, the teaching, of the "most precious" truths is utterly essential.

This is the idea that Ellen White and Jones and Waggoner saw in the 1888 message. The love for the message that is awakened by one's first discovering it, never dies. You long somehow to share it with every soul you meet. It's a replay of what motivated the early Christians. Youth catch the vision readily once they understand the message clearly.

Ellen White told us that we" would be surprised by "the simple means" that God will employ in the final proclamation of the third angel's message: this message of 1888 was it. It took everybody by surprise in 1888, including Ellen White herself. When the message itself in its pure strength is undiluted with Babylon's concepts that compromise it, will it not be proclaimed as Heaven intended, to "every Seventh-day Adventist Church" and then to the world? (It will, yet, in the providence of God!) The final blaze of gospel glory will illuminate the world, and for the first time since Pentecost the word "evangelism" will at last come into its own.

--Paul E. Penno

Endnotes:

[1] Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 91.

[2] Review and Herald, Nov. 22, 1892.

[3] Selected Messages, book 1, p. 235.

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Sabbath School Today

With the 1888 Message Dynamic

Evangelism and Witnessing

Lesson 9: "Releasing Into Ministry"

God calls upon those who serve Him to minister to others in need. He told Abraham that his descendants would be a blessing to the world: "Thou shalt be a blessing, ... and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:2, 3). Jesus saw that His mission was to help depressed people: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel [good news, glad tidings] to the poor [those who can't afford medical treatment]; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised" (Luke 4:18). These "poor" may be in India, Pacific Islands, South America, Indonesia, yes, in our inner cities, perhaps among our teens in high school, who knows, maybe your next-door neighbor whose tears you cannot understand.

Each of us who realizes his/her debt to the "Saviour of the world" will want to be ready to "know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary" (Isa. 50:4), because the Lord has sent us to do the work that He would do if He were here in person.

Realize that the Holy Spirit has been trying to communicate that good news to you all your life: as Paul says, "How shall they hear without a preacher? ... How beautiful are the feet of them, that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! ... Have they not heard? Yes, verily, ... Their words [went] unto the ends of the world" (Rom. 10:14-18). "Every man" (and woman) has been "lightened with that Light" (see John 1:9). At the point where every person stands, there is a Good Shepherd who has found him, who has a message of encouragement and hope for him, even though he has fallen and has wandered far away.

Church papers postulate what things might look like in the year 2020 A.D., a church and a movement vastly different from that of our pioneers. It will lay less stress on "truth" and greater stress on "relevance," in other words, frankly proclaim a message of "what's-in-it-for-me?" Colleges where mission service was once the ideal now advertise for students by touting "98.8 percent job placement," with graduates getting lucratively to "the top" at their "first stop."

Where is the self-sacrificing devotion of those who endured the Great Disappointment and gave their all to spread the good news message? One can't escape the conviction that those who do finally see Jesus return will be people of similar total dedication to truth as embodied in Christ.

The 2020 A.D. future looks much like a "me-too" image of the popular Evangelical churches. What has made us distinctly "Adventist" has been a firm belief in the soon return of Jesus, a life-changing belief in the Most Holy Apartment ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary on this Day of Atonement, and confidence in the prophetic gift of Ellen G. White. With lessened confidence in such doctrinal truths, the impact of the 2020 A.D. church is described in terms like the Salvation Army and the Red Cross in that a great proportion of our capability will be absorbed in relief work around the world--all being very good work, and certainly our Christian duty to perform. But continuing disasters, moral degradation, and economic distresses will make sure that an ever-increasing need for a social gospel will go on and on as long as the world stands.

Rather than speculate on what we will do with the church, or how the world may re-shape it into another image, let us inquire what the Lord says He will do. He is the Head of the church. Not all the demons in hell can stop what He purposes to do:

"He will send revival and reformation. As surely as His character is love, He will visit His people: 'The times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord' (Acts 3:19). 'In visions of the night, representations passed before me of a great reformatory movement among God's people. ... A spirit of intercession was seen, even as was manifested before the great Day of Pentecost. ... Hearts were convicted by the power of the Holy Spirit, and a spirit of genuine conversion was manifest. ... The world seemed to be lightened with the heavenly influence. ... there seemed to be a reformation such as we witnessed in 1844'" (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 126).

He will accomplish this objective through a special message. "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come" (Matt. 24:14; the gospel is "truth," Gal. 2:5, 14). "Amid the confusing cries, 'Lo, here is Christ! Lo, there is Christ!' will be borne a special testimony, a special message of truth appropriate for this time, which message is to be received, believed, and acted upon" (Review and Herald, Oct. 13, 1904). As surely as day follows night, such a message will come. Repentance for the 1888-era rejection of such a message will bring a whole-hearted acceptance of its renewal.

This message will be the outpouring of the latter rain. It will bring spiritual refreshment and prepare the church for the final issue of the mark of the beast: "Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you--the former rain, and the latter rain. ... So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten" (Joel 2:23-25). "I heard those clothed with the armor speak forth the truth with great power. ... All fear of their relatives was gone, and the truth alone was exalted to them. ... I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered, 'It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel'" (Early Writings, p. 271).

The latter rain will be a clearer revelation of the gospel of righteousness by faith than we have yet discerned. The meaning of the Hebrew phrase in Joel 2:23 is "a teacher of righteousness," linking the latter rain to the message of righteousness by faith. Here is the key truth that is almost totally overlooked today--the initial showers of the latter rain were manifested in the "most precious message" of righteousness by faith which the Lord sent to this people in 1888 (seeSpecial Testimonies, Series A, No. 6, p. 19). Further showers of the latter rain must include a recovery of that message, because Heaven's intent can never be defeated.

This true gospel revelation will be so powerful that it will polarize the church into those accepting it and those rejecting it. Thus the final shaking will result from the "straight testimony" of pure gospel truth, as opposed to every semblance of legalism. "'Yet gleaning grapes will be left in it, like the shaking of an olive tree, two or three olives at the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in its most fruitful branches,' says the Lord God of Israel" (Isa. 17:6). The brilliant light of the gospel that is to lighten the earth with glory will cause the "covetous ones [to become] separated from the company of believers" (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 126).

With this recovery of the pure gospel of Christ, the shaken and purified Seventh-day Adventist Church will be ready to bear a final witness to the world. Through God's providence this will become the loud cry of the angel of Revelation 18: "I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory" (vs. 1). This final message will be of grace, grace which much more abounds than all the abounding sin that hell can devise in the last days.

The climax of world history will be "the marriage of the Lamb" (Rev. 19:7). This glorious climax of the gospel will prepare the church to grow up to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, prepared to be His Bride. Christ's agenda for this church includes that spiritual growth and maturity--the fruition of His final ministry in the Most Holy Apartment. "I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying 'Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready'" (vss. 6, 7).

The factor that makes her ready, which has never been fully effective previously, is a true understanding of righteousness by faith. The next verse reads: "And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints," made possible only by a clearer, brighter, more mature faith. This is Christ's agenda for His church. She is to accomplish the task appointed for her by the One who died for her. His vindication requires that she overcome even as He overcame. This scenario is the much better good news that must emerge!

--From the writings of Robert J. Wieland

Compiled by Paul E. Penno

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