Now Is the Time

How could it be possible for a student of prophecy to live in these challenging times and not be alive to the importance of this hour? Paul reminds us that we know the time. What sedative can the enemy of souls use to lull people of God to sleep? Time it­self is such a narcotic. The parable says, "While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept." This will cause the neglect­ful servant to say in his heart, "My Lord delayeth his coming." Then will follow the works of darkness. Time conditions us even to stirring events, until the shocking and challenging lose their edge.

The Peace and Safety Cry

We are getting used to the idea of the frightful possibilities of the nuclear age. There is something about the human or­ganism anism that tends to accustom itself to im­pending danger over a period of time. It also tends to evade unpleasant reality. These factors are evident today. The world is full of signs of the impending conflict—the troubles in Southern Asia, China, Af­rica, South America, Europe, et cetera. But as the leaders of great nations counsel with each other, the slightest straw of hope fills the horizon and, for many, blots out all the signals of distress. It is wonderful to be optimistic as long as the optimism is realistically based. But knowing the time as we do we should be alert to the dangers. We are reminded, "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruc­tion cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness" (1 Thess. 5:2-5).

Ezekiel's reference to this "peace" cry says, "They have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace" (Eze. 13:10). The other day I looked

up the "peace and safety" cry in the Spirit of Prophecy and found seven references. Five of them were attributed not to the world but to the church. God is con­cerned for His people. When His people are ready, the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit will come and the work will be speedily finished. However, time is running out and God cannot wait much longer.

Blow the Trumpet

"Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand" (Joel 2:1). The trumpet is a symbol of war. The sound of the trumpet is a call to arms. We are engaged in a mortal com­bat and never let us forget it. The devil is marshaling his forces for the last great bat­tle. The signs are clear, the spirit of law­lessness is evident in our own land and across the world.

At the same time the enemy will attack through spiritual error. "Through the agency of Spiritualism, miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and many undeniable wonders will be performed. And as the spirits will profess faith in the Bible, and manifest respect for the institu­tions of the church, their work will be accepted as a manifestation of divine power." —The Great Controversy, p. 588.

"Through the two great errors, the im­mortality of the soul and Sunday sacred­ness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foun­dation of Spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome. The Prot­estants of the United States will be fore­most in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of Spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the in­fluence of this threefold union, this coun­try will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience."­Ibid.

Satan is also busy inciting the military forces of the world to prepare for the last great struggle. We read: "Satan delights in war; for it excites the worst passions of the soul, and then sweeps into eternity its vic­tims steeped in vice and blood. It is his object to incite the nations to war against one another; for he can thus divert the minds of the people from the work of preparation to stand in the day of God."­Ibid., p. 589.

Against the forces of darkness the Chris­tian is called to wage total war. The ur­gency of time is coupled with this total com­mitment. Not much longer can the Lord stay His hand in destroying these evil forces. What has to be done must be done very quickly.

The End Is Near

"We have no time to lose. The end is near. The passage from place to place to spread the truth will soon be hedged with dangers on the right hand and on the left. Everything will be placed to obstruct the way of the Lord's messengers, so that they will not be able to do that which it is pos­sible for them to do now. We must look our work fairly in the face and advance as fast as possible in aggressive warfare. From the light given me of God I know that the powers of darkness are working with in­tense energy from beneath, and with stealthy tread Satan is advancing to take those who are now asleep, as a wolf taking his prey. We have warnings now which we may give, a work now which we may do; but soon it will be more difficult than we can imagine. God help us to keep in the channel of light, to work with our eyes fastened on Jesus our Leader, and patiently, perseveringly press on to gain the victory."—Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 22.

What can we do? The answer is given clearly. "Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light" (Rom. 13:12). This is exactly where we tend to go astray. We may sense the urgency of the time and the greatness of the task and then begin to blame others. We may say, the work is not done because the ministers, or the conferences, or the leaders, or maybe the church, has not done its part. This is not the truth, and we should know it. The application is a per­sonal one. The message is God-given, the organization is God-directed, the question is one of personal preparation for this tre­mendous hour. We need to search our own hearts.

The story is told of a farmer who went to camp meeting one year. He went home miserably disappointed. He felt the meet­ing was a failure. He criticized the brethren, the meetings, everything about the session. The next year he was reluctant to go. After the meeting he returned home full of joy­ous enthusiasm. "It was wonderful," he said. His friends asked him what made the difference, "Well, last year I took the wrong implement. Last year I took a pitchfork. When something good came through I would pitch it over to someone else. I would say to myself, I hope Brother____________  is listening to that; he needs it.

Then later, I hope Sister _________  is getting that point. At the end of camp meeting I had nothing that had helped me. This year I changed all that. I took the rake. When the points were made, I raked them into myself. It did my soul good. I needed them." So it is with the urgent call to action. Let us make a personal application. I need to awake out of sleep, I need to do more in self-sacrifice and devotion to the cause.

Revival and Reformation

The threats from without the church, the impending wrath of the enemy of souls against God's people should drive us into the closest unity. "In unity there is a life, a power, that can be obtained in no other way. There will be a vast power in the church when the energies of the members are united under the control of the Spirit." —Testimonies, vol. 7, p. 237.

"Christians should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an over­whelming surprise, and this preparation they should make by diligently studying the word of God and striving to conform their lives to its precepts. . . . God calls for a revival and a reformation. The words of the Bible, and the Bible alone, should be heard from the pulpit. But the Bible has been robbed of its power, and the result is seen in a lowering of the tone of spiritual life. In many sermons of to-day there is not that divine manifestation which awakens the conscience and brings life to the soul. ... There are many who are crying out for the living God, longing for the divine presence. . . . Let those who have heard only tradition and human theories and maxims, hear the voice of Him who can renew the soul unto eternal life."—Proph­ets and Kings, p. 626.

In surrendering the heart and life to Christ we receive the power to finish the work. "When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatu­ral element into human nature."—Sons and Daughters of God, p. 23.

This same surrender makes one brother­hood in Christ. "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples in that we have love for one another." "The children of God, the world over, are one great brother­hood. Our Saviour has clearly defined the spirit and principles which should govern the actions of those who, by their con­sistent, holy lives, distinguish themselves from the world. Love for one another, and supreme love to their heavenly Father, should be exemplified in their conversa­tion and works."—Testimonies, vol. 3, pp. 52, 53.

Brethren and sisters, we know the time, we know the need for personal prepara­tion. He is near, even at the door. It is im­portant that we be ready and we must see that others are ready also, so that when He comes we shall greet Him with, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him."