ARTICLES - HOT OFF THE FAGGOT

10 The Little Horn and Its Wound

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10 The Little Horn and Its Wound

The Consummation of the Everlasting Covenant

Study 10

By Paul Godfrey

Did you hear the news? Jesus is coming. Do we want to be ready for his coming? The 144,000 are not defiled with women. It was also written they follow the lamb whithersoever he goeth. Jesus is coming, we need to follow him as he leads the way to victory over the world. For thousands of years since the whole world has been in sin, the devil that rules this world has been trying to kill God’s people right from the beginning, right from when God put enmity between the woman and serpents seed. Enmity is what makes war. As this enmity is placed, it was placed for our salvation because if it wasn’t there we would love the devil so much. As Adam and Eve sinned their mind became the mind of the evil one perfectly so they were estranged with God and God was their enemy and they ran from him instantly and they were friends with the devil. To put man on neutral ground again, God had to do something. He had to make them and the devil enemies. Man was now at enmity with both of them. That put man in the position to choose which one he wanted. There was an inclining to good and enmity gave man the power of choice. In order to give man the power of choice it also opened up a walk which otherwise wouldn’t have been because the devil and his angels are somewhat united as a house divided cannot stand.

This whole controversy has been over the souls of men and women, of you and me. As the first children were born, they both made their decisions of who they were going to serve. As they made their decisions that enmity between the two seeds became manifest between the two brothers and Cain killed Abel. Cain would have killed everyone else if God didn’t send him away because the devil just wants to wipe out Gods people altogether. He doesn’t want or care about them, he just wants them destroyed. If you want to be ready for heaven, you are going to have a war on your hands. What is the difference between a fight and a war? A fight is generally between two individuals one on one but a war has much more involved. More arsenal. A war is very extensive. Whether it is a war or fight it is still a combat. In the book of revelation it gives a picture of the dragon becoming wrath with the woman and making war with the remnant of her seed. That war has always been there. You will see the difference of what you and I have to face today which is different from anyone else on this whole planet. Satan has been trying to find a device that can devour God’s people. He has been working on a system that can destroy God’s people. As he has been inventing different things he has come up with a beast like lion and that kingdom came through Jerusalem and captured boys and girls and mums and dads of God’s people and killed many of them and chained them and took them to Babylon. A lion is a killing machine. That is what Babylon was. As Babylon captured the people of God, God intervened. It was by this capturing that one of God’s people became prominent in that kingdom and by them the king himself was converted. So Satan was scratching his head thinking I didn’t kill Gods people in fact they converted the king of my killing machine so he had to come up with another beast and that was a bear as bears are also for killing.

The destruction that Greece did to the Jewish nation under certain kings is quite horrific. Probably worse than any others before it. This Greek nation conquered the world and as it conquered the world, it set up colleges and prominent educational centres and one was in Alexandria Egypt named after Alexander the Great. Some of the Greeks of this kingdom decided to take the Old Testament and translate it into Greek and the Greeks came and said we would see Jesus. The Greeks translated the bible into a world language and Satan scratched his head and said we didn’t get rid of God’s people. He devised a different beast and this one was very cruel. He took out the Jewish king and installed king Herod who tried to kill Jesus. As this killing machine tried to destroy God’s people it came to crucify Christ and lo and behold Pilates wife believed. They took the apostle Paul to Rome to execute him before Nero and his soldiers believed and ever while it tried to kill Gods people other people still believed so the devil scratched his head again. How am I going to kill Gods people? That is his only objective, to kill Gods people and Gods objective is to save his people and that is it. A very simple situation of this world. You see in Revelation 12 a picture that the dragon was there to devour the man child as soon as he was born. That dragon tried to persecute the church, the woman.

The Woman

She fled into the wilderness and as this rampage went on to kill Gods people, it came to the point where the earth was opened up to help the woman and so it was on July 4 1776 the independence of America was declared and America was a land to hold truth but then it says the dragon was wrath and really angry. Can you see why he was angry? He couldn’t kill the people, they still existed. The dragon was wrath with the woman. As the Roman nation couldn’t wipe out Gods people but found their own people being converted to Christianity as it was in the generation of the apostles that they turned the world upside down. Christianity the seed of the woman was expanding before his eyes and he said what shall I do and so we have Revelation 13. He was wrath.

Revelation 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

See what the devil made up? The lion didn’t work, neither did the bear, neither did the Leopard and neither did the dragon so he said I’m going to take the best of them all. I’m going to take the body of the leopard, the feet of the bear, the mouth of the lion and the dragon is going to give it its power and now we are going to make war with these people.

Revelation 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

This is the same beast as before but it has a different description because while ever the evil one took the best of all nations, he wanted to have even more than that.

Revelation 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

17:5 And upon her forehead [was] a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

He took these killing machines and put them together but he introduced a woman because he knew that nothing tempts a man like a woman. He knew that Adam fell because of his woman who was tempting him so he thought this was a great plan. We are going to make these beasts and all their power but we are going to add the feminine touch of a harlot. The Scripture says a harlot is a deep pit and anyone that falls in it will not escape, it is tragedy. As he was making this beast and adding this woman, he thought how can I get these killing machines to have a feminine touch to seduce. Where can I get a woman from?

Isaiah 1:21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

1:22 Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:

1:23 Thy princes [are] rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

Where can I get a woman from? I’m going to get that woman and I’m going to take her and pollute her and make her the harlot because the seed of the woman was to carry on the purity because the dragon was wrath with the woman but went to make war with the remnant of her seed. Ecclesiastical history of the seven churches describes how Satan got his masterpiece of a killing machine and put a woman on top of it. Note the process involved in how Satan used her to seduce the people of God.

Revelation 2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

Right there the mystery of iniquity already worked. There were people in the church at the time that said they were apostles but they weren’t but the apostles of the day found them liars.

Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Here is a process in the first Christian era because the time of the first church was from 33AD to 100 AD. More than one generation lived in that time.

During the lives of the apostles the church remained comparatively pure. But “toward the latter end of the second century most of the churches assumed a new form; the first simplicity disappeared, and insensibly, as the old disciples retired to their graves, their children, along with new converts, . . . came forward and new-modeled the cause.” {GC 384.5}

There were false apostles and those apostles tried and found them liars but at the end of their church the love was dropping off and there was a different manifestation in the church.

Revelation 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

Right in that time period was a relaxing of the holding fast of the faith once delivered to the saints and at the same time amongst the people of the time there was a doctrine held which the apostles despised and this was the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes a writer has said was a branch of Gnostics. A sect living in Asia who denied the divinity of Christ and boasted of their being able to restore to mankind the knowledge of the true and supreme being. This belief is that all matter is evil. Ellen White comments and says;

The doctrine is now largely taught that the gospel of Christ has made the law of God of no effect; that by “believing” we are released from the necessity of being doers of the Word. But this is the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which Christ so unsparingly condemned (ST Jan. 2, 1912). {7BC 957.6}

This according to Stephen Haskell was a mixture of Greek and oriental philosophy – Gnosticism which all matter is evil. Therefore the air I breathe is evil, my body is evil, there is nothing I can do, I am going to sin till Jesus comes as everything is evil. Just have a mind exercise and that is all that is required because all matter is evil. Therefore the spiritual mind connotations and thoughts and imaginations is fine enough for salvation. It was a mix of Greek philosophy. As the church went on, we read in the church of Pergamos. In this church they were lifted up. Pergamos means elevation and gamos means by marriage. There was a marriage taking place.

Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.

Do you see what transpired? In the first church there was the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes which the apostles hated and by the time they came to Pergamos they had in their church the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes. Over the years there was philosophy entering and as it was entering, it brought in the doctrine of Balaam. What was the doctrine of Balaam? Fraternise with the Moabite women and to commit fornication and it was under a good guise as the prophet Balaam was telling the people you can witness to the Moabite people, it’s a great witness to involve them in your society. As they took that, who got leavened? The people of God. So it is today that there is a mentality around that believes we need to become worldly to attract more people. Especially for the youth. The youth just want to enjoy life and we can’t to be too religious or hard line as the youth won’t come to the church but if we lower the standards and bring the Moabites people in, we might get more people in and thus the world comes into the church. You have a transition of philosophy coming in rationalising the doctrines away and as you do that it in turn leads to the doctrine of Balaam. The call to this church was to repent or I will come quickly or I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. This church of Thyatira had a different element.

Revelation 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

The same ingredients of what Balaam was teaching but now it was a woman because what happened in the ecclesiastical history of the church, when the church got elevated through the marriage of Constantine to the church, the church then lowered the standard and brought in paganism in order to get more recruits into the church. As they did that those that had the name of the church carried on but there were some that opposed them. The faithful martyr anti-pas, anti-papa, those who were opposing the bishop of Rome opposed and became martyrs and were put out. They then were then Thyatira church and God talks to them and says that woman Jezebel which was the Pergamos church which developed into the Catholic church today. It had the practise of Jezebel. There you have it. You have the church of the apostolic times implemented with the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes to undermine the doctrine and that brings in the doctrine of Balaam to bring in the world and then comes in the doctrine and practise of Jezebel. Would you like to know the doctrine and practise of Jezebel is?

1 Kings 18:4 For it was [so], when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

Jezebel cut off the prophets and the prophets had to hide where? In Obadiah. You can see the doctrine and practise of Jezebel this woman that would seduce all the men of the Lord. Who did Jezebel marry? Ahab and who was Ahab? He was a leader of the Jewish church.

1 Kings 21:5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?

21:6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee [another] vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.

21:7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, [and] eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

What did Jezebel say? You are the king? Be happy, I will get it for you. You govern this place.

1 Kings 21:8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed [them] with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that [were] in his city, dwelling with Naboth.

She wrote letters in Ahab’s name as she must have had his signature stamp.

1 Kings 21:9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:

21:10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And [then] carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.

21:11 And the men of his city, [even] the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, [and] as it [was] written in the letters which she had sent unto them.

21:12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.

21:13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, [even] against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

21:14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

21:15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.

21:16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

This is the practise and the doctrine of Jezebel. Here it was that the king asked a lower class person for something and the lower class person said no so the king walked away and was sad about that. But Jezebel said to Ahab, aren’t you the king? Don’t you govern this land? Jezebel turned the switch of authority on and then she on behalf of the king called that there would be liars that would go out to all the people and tell everyone that Naboth blasphemed God and the king, he spoke against the order and what did the people do? Did they believe or did they say maybe not I think Naboth is quite a nice man. Was Naboth a man of the Lord? Absolutely he was. He was a just man. As this just man was there he had no defence because the lies and twisting and the truth was presented to the common people and the common people supported the practise of Jezebel in what she had planned in the letter and they stoned him. The people stoned him. They didn’t stand up or help him, they stoned him and he died. The devil has this really good killing machine because now it is not just the beats of the field that everyone knows is out to kill them, now it is a woman that sits on top of the beast to control it. This essentially is the down fall of Babylon. Babylon is fallen is fallen. It fell in 538AD and it ruled for 1260 years this killing machine but God stopped it. In February 1798 the armies of Napoleon came into Italy and took that woman, that beast, the pope and captured him and put him in prison and he died in prison. That beast received the deadly wound did it not? That deadly wound was given when America the land of the free was being opened up. Praise the Lord for America because there were two principles in America that allowed the woman to flourish again. What two principals were they?

Republicanism and Protestantism

The government had no affairs in the church. Praise the Lord. Satan was scratching his head saying I have made this powerful killing machine and now it’s broken down on me. So slowly he called the mechanics out and they started fixing the machine and the deadly wound was healed. Revelation 12 is all about how angry Satan is at the woman but chapter 13 is all about what the dragon is doing to catch the woman. Revelation 14 is the woman with the victory. I saw a lamb stand on mount Zion and with him 144,000. That is the beginning of Revelation 14. Can you see the Bible and how its connected? In Revelation 13 we see some killing machines now because he hasn’t finished it received the healing wound in 1780. Satan was out to make another plan. This beast that came up and while ever it came up and had some good points, it was a beast and this beast deceived the nations.

Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

These were the positive things. Out of all the beastly elements they are all killing machines but these two horns are horns of what? A lamb. Is a lamb a killing machine? These two principles of separation of church and state was the best thing the world ever did. When they wrote the constitution it was commented that it was the most intelligent constitution that ever came out of the minds of men is what the commentators said I heard. We know where it came from the Lord was in that constitution but nevertheless it was still a beast although it had two good points in it.

Revelation 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

Now we have two beats. We have the original beast that he had very successfully dominated this world for so long and if God didn’t bring in this deadly wound it was written no flesh would be saved. It was a masterpiece of the evil one, very clever. Praise the Lord that the deadly wound gave time for the rise of the Advent faith in America but then this beast exercised everything the first one did so now how many beasts do you have? Two. You still have the four, you still have the lion, leopard, bear and dragon and now you have another set that exercise the same power.

Revelation 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

When did America become acknowledged as a super power? When it dropped the nuclear bomb. Before that it wasn’t a super power but the day it dropped the bomb she rose to the top.

“Before the war, the U.S. was a world power but the superpower of the time was arguably Great Britain with a global empire upon which “the sun never set.” Of all the combatants in World War II, the U.S. suffered little or no war damage (apart from a Japanese balloon attack in the Pacific Northweat which did little damage). Hawaii was not yet a state so the Pearl Harbor attack doesn’t “count.” The only American territory occupied by a foreign army was an island in the Aleutians, which the Japanese seized hoping to lure the American fleet north. The U.S. didn’t take the bait but let the Japanese have the island (which was ultimately recaptured). With the country intact and the economy thriving, the U.S. emerged as the dominant postwar power. And for a time, it enjoyed a nuclear monopoly, giving it extra clout. Britain, on the other hand, had been devastated by constant air attacks, and after the war it was a shadow of its former self as its vast empire began to disintegrate.”

“Although not well-prepared for either World War (in 1914 and in 1939), the country rapidly expanded its armed forces for each of the conflicts. Finally, the development of nuclear weapons in 1945 marked the final ascension to world superpower status.”

It was a wonder, wow.

Revelation 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

Which image is the beast of? The first beast. We have an image of this killing machine. We don’t just have the governments and the armies of America, but we have the religious system now of America which had the image. It had a woman involved. It had a church involved.

Revelation 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.

What took place after 1798? That beast got set back but in every day that rolls on the evil one is polishing his killing mechanisms. He started off with a fight between two brothers. It wasn’t a war, it was a fight. Then he came with one beast and that failed and he brought more beasts and they failed. So then he culminated them all together with a woman and that succeeded and that failed so now he wants to get two of them (beats). See what he is doing? Now he has two of them but also the dragon as the dragon gave its authority to the first beast and the image and so you have the first beast with all those powerful creatures plus the image which is the same thing plus the dragon himself. Now we have some serious arsenal that has occurred just recently and thus it is written;

Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

As a war involves arsenal, he has highly refined the way he is going to destroy the saints. Do you think you and I are safe? We are in a time that is more dangerous than any other time on this planet. We look at the time of the Babylonian empires and we think wow that was tough and all the other beasts that ruled and we think that was tough, it is tougher today and we don’t even know it is tougher. The reason why we don’t know it is tougher proves it is tougher. He has this woman, the man of sin, the beast, the Catholic empire which it is, but he has more than that now because it says;

Isaiah 4:1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own (JEZEBEL COSTUMES) apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Seven of them. How many beasts are going to come out of the field? If you had one lion coming at you and you looked around and there was another beast and then you just melt, oh no. Today, oh no. William Miller was one of those persons born in the 1700′s just as the time when the deadly wound was healed and there was a little space for the woman to rally again. In this little space this man William Miller started preaching.

In all my labors,” said Miller, “I never had the desire or thought to establish any separate interest from that of existing denominations, or to benefit one at the expense of another. I thought to benefit all. Supposing that all Christians would rejoice in the prospect of Christ’s coming, and that those who could not see as I did would not love any the less those who should embrace this doctrine, I did not conceive there would ever be any necessity for separate meetings. My whole object was a desire to convert souls to God, to notify the world of a coming judgment, and to induce my fellow men to make that preparation of heart which will enable them to meet their God in peace. The great majority of those who were converted under my labors united with the various existing churches.”–Bliss, page 328. {GC 375.2}

As his work tended to build up the churches, it was for a time regarded with favor. But as ministers and religious leaders decided against the advent doctrine and desired to suppress all agitation of the subject, they not only opposed it from the pulpit, but denied their members the privilege of attending preaching upon the second advent, or even of speaking of their hope in the social meetings of the church. Thus the believers found themselves in a position of great trial and perplexity. They loved their churches and were loath to separate from them; but as they saw the testimony of God’s word suppressed and their right to investigate the prophecies denied they felt that loyalty to God forbade them to submit. Those who sought to shut out the testimony of God’s word they could not regard as constituting the church of Christ, “the pillar and ground of the truth.” Hence they felt themselves justified in separating from their former connection. In the summer of 1844 about fifty thousand withdrew from the churches. {GC 376.1}

When the churches spurned the counsel of God by rejecting the Advent message, the Lord rejected them. The first angel was followed by a second, proclaiming, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” [Revelation 14:8] This message was understood by Adventists to be an announcement of the moral fall of the churches in consequence of their rejection of the first message. The proclamation, “Babylon is fallen,” was given in the summer of 1844, and as the result, about fifty thousand withdrew from these churches. {4SP 232.1}

When did Babylon fall? 538AD. Jezebel was the beast. What was on Jezebels head? Babylon the great, the mother of harlots. Why is it then in the second angels message the proclamation is Babylon is fallen, is fallen? Because that second beast had its woman on its head, America. The protestant churches of America forced their members not to listen to the preaching of brother Miller and brother Miller didn’t want to upset anybody, didn’t want to ruffle any feathers but wanted people to be ready for Jesus to come and that’s all I want. I don’t want to ruffle any feathers, I don’t want to upset anybody’s apple cart but I want people to be ready for Jesus to come. Can anyone tell me what the fourth angel’s message is? Babylon is fallen, is fallen. Wasn’t Babylon fallen in 1844 in the second angels message? Wasn’t Babylon fallen in 538AD? Why does Revelation Babylon is fallen is fallen? Babylon the great had fallen a long time before. Something happened that caused the fourth angel to spring forth. What was it? The Seventh Day Adventist faith introduced the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes and as they introduced this doctrine then they introduced the doctrine of Balaam which is worldliness and it is sorry and sad to say that the Seventh Day Adventist church is worldly. As the world came in, the doctrine and practise of Jezebel came in did it not? So it was under the administration of A G Daniels that he disfellowshipped faithful souls.

How many bad words have been around the denomination against those faithful men? So many. No different than the practises of Jezebel. We have a church gauntlet to run. The first beast still exists and its captured millions of souls and destroyed them under the traditions of men and false doctrine and then there has been other churches that have come out and they have come out so far and they stopped. Do you know the history of the Lutherans? They stood up for righteousness by faith, the just shall live by faith. That was their message and they were persecuted by the Catholic Church. Then in turn there were others that advanced further and the Lutherans persecuted them and then the next church came through the reformation persecuted the next. What did the puritans do in America before America read its constitution? They persecuted. I hope you can see what the devil did. In the Old Testament he was refining all his mechanisms of how to kill. He didn’t do much killing before that, he was the arch angel in heaven. He has had to master his plan of destroying and when he came across the culmination of bringing the apostolic church into a fallen state and he saw how successful that was, he thought brilliant, I’m going to do this on every level and so every time there is a people that stand out differently he comes in and starts given them the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes. That in turn brings the world in and then they start doing the same thing that was done to them. The people that came out were stuck in that next catch but there were some faithful people and they came out again and they get caught in another catch. Do you see what he did?

Matthew 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not.

24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

This is how strong it is. You have seen people that have stood up for the truth on a certain topic and they carry that flag and when there is another truth on top of that, they don’t want to receive it. They think the reform cart they have pushed is far enough. How far are you willing to push the cart of reform? All the way? Or will you get caught again? The dragon was wrath with the woman.

As the light and life of men was rejected by the ecclesiastical authorities in the days of Christ, so it has been rejected in every succeeding generation. {DA 232.2}

This is why there are so many churches.

Again and again the history of Christ’s withdrawal from Judea has been repeated. When the Reformers preached the word of God, they had no thought of separating themselves from the established church; but the religious leaders would not tolerate the light, and those that bore it were forced to seek another class, who were longing for the truth. In our day few of the professed followers of the Reformers are actuated by their spirit. Few are listening for the voice of God, and ready to accept truth in whatever guise it may be presented. Often those who follow in the steps of the Reformers are forced to turn away from the churches they love, in order to declare the plain teaching of the word of God. And many times those who are seeking for light are by the same teaching obliged to leave the church of their fathers, that they may render obedience. {DA 232.2}

Do you want to be a reformer? If we would follow in the reformers steps, we have to follow the lamb whithersoever he goeth. Do you know what is said of the 144,000? It is said they are not defiled with women. What does that mean? Jezebel. The 144,000 must push the cart of reform all the way and hence be not defiled with women as there is more than one today. In doing that they must follow the lamb whithersoever he goeth. Where ever he is, I will be there. If we want to be among these people, we must strive to follow this example of what is written of them. It is written in the future, we haven’t finished this war, we are entering the most darkest period of this earth’s history. Don’t think that man has become more sensible and that the moral worth of man is risen over the years and we wouldn’t kill as they used to. Don’t be fools. Satan has polished his machines up.

As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel’s message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popular side. Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. {GC 608.2}

What are the opposition doing? Killing. The people that had been advocating the truth Satan wants them to be part of his deception machine because the devil has learnt that his best agencies is a half-hearted Christian as they can do a work that Babylon, Medo Persia, Greece and Rome couldn’t do. He is soliciting people to be part of his arsenal and where does he want to get them from? From Buddhism? No. he wants to get them from right here in this church. He wants you and me to persecute God’s faithful people as he knows if he can get us to do it. That is more polish on his machine. These people that were once in the three angels messages they become the bitterest enemies of their former brethren.

They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren. When Sabbathkeepers are brought before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are the most efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false reports and insinuations to stir up the rulers against them. {GC 608.2}

They have blasphemed against God and the king, stone them. That is what Jezebel said, that is what the people said. Are you prepared for that? Think of the dearest person in your heart in the faith and that person to turn against you and tell lies about you, they might be half true, they might be 99% true with a twist. All the people around say is he that bad? What a bad man. I better tell everyone else to stay clear of this man or people. This is what Satan is doing. Do we know that? The deadly wound is healed.

In this time of persecution the faith of the Lord’s servants will be tried. They have faithfully given the warning, looking to God and to His word alone. God’s Spirit, moving upon their hearts, has constrained them to speak. Stimulated with holy zeal, and with the divine impulse strong upon them, they entered upon the performance of their duties without coldly calculating the consequences of speaking to the people the word which the Lord had given them. {GC 608.3}

As I was studying I scratched my head to think maybe I shouldn’t share anything or preach because if I would coldly calculate the words spoken in this sermon and trace them to the ear drums of certain people and the words that came out from their mouths to their eardrums and if I traced it to all the brains in the world, I would find that those words would come back and kill me. But we don’t coldly calculate it like that. If the Lord burns in my or anyone else’s heart to preach a thus saith the Lord, what else can we do? We are not trying to make enemies, we are trying to bring friends to Jesus.

They have not consulted their temporal interests, nor sought to preserve their reputation or their lives. Yet when the storm of opposition and reproach bursts upon them, some, overwhelmed with consternation, will be ready to exclaim: “Had we foreseen the consequences of our words, we would have held our peace.” They are hedged in with difficulties. Satan assails them with fierce temptations. The work which they have undertaken seems far beyond their ability to accomplish. They are threatened with destruction. The enthusiasm which animated them is gone; yet they cannot turn back. Then, feeling their utter helplessness, they flee to the Mighty One for strength. They remember that the words which they have spoken were not theirs, but His who bade them give the warning. God put the truth into their hearts, and they could not forbear to proclaim it. {GC 608.3}

Are you prepared for that or not? You want to count the cost before you build the tower because if you start building the tower and you are half way through it and you stop, you will get mocked. You will have worst embarrassment than if you ever started. Do you know what it is like when you see someone that wants Bible studies yet you wonder if they can go through with it? You think, should I even share with them? It may break up their household or church up. Why would I want to do that? I don’t want to do that. Like Jeremiah he said I am not going to talk anymore and so he zipped his mouth and as he zipped his mouth that fire burning in his bones was itching him until he had to unzip and do it. He couldn’t help it. There was a reluctance because if people don’t follow through with the truth there is more bitterness and more woe upon those who have light and reject it so you think perhaps don’t give them light as it is written;

Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

10:36 And a man’s foes [shall be] they of his own household.

10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

We are in this war and it is written that there will be martyrs in the little time of trouble. Will you sacrifice your life? Because if you lose your life you will find it. If you really want eternal life then we need to follow the cross. The path of the Christian goes over Calvary’s hill.

The 144,000

It is written of the 144,000 they have to go through a war and trouble and follow the lamb where ever he goes. In the reformation, if you pass where Jesus went in the different denominations, would you have gone there with him or would you have been caught? Will you follow the lamb where ever he goes because if you do here on earth, you will in heaven.

Revelation 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, [being] the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

Revelation 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, [and] over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous [are] thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true [are] thy ways, thou King of saints.

Do you want to be among these people? Strive.

Amen.

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