A Thorough Reformation

The time has come for a thorough reformation to take place. When this reformation begins, the spirit of prayer will actuate every believer and will banish from the church the spirit of discord and strife. Those who have not been living in Christian fellowship will draw close to one another. One member working in right lines will lead other members to unite with him in making intercession for the revelation of the Holy Spirit. There will be no confusion, because all will be in harmony with the mind of the Spirit. The barriers separating believer from believer will be broken down, and God’s servants will speak the same things. The Lord will cooperate with His servants. All will pray understandingly the prayer that Christ taught His servants: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

As I hear of the terrible calamities that from week to week are taking place, I ask myself: What do these things mean? The most awful disasters are following one another in quick succession. How frequently we hear of earthquakes and tornadoes, of destruction by fire and flood, with great loss of life and property! Apparently these calamities are capricious outbreaks of seemingly disorganized, unregulated forces, but in them God’s purpose may be read. They are one of the means by which He seeks to arouse men and women to a sense of their danger.

The coming of Christ is nearer than when we first believed. The great controversy is nearing its end. The judgments of God are in the land. They speak in solemn warning, saying: “Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44).—Testimonies for the Church 8:251, 252.
Ye Shall Receive Power p. 285
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Prayer Requests
—-Pls pray for my 2 days old granddaughter, she in on oxygen in hospital. Peggy
—-Please pray for several people I know who need prayer. Anon
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Dear Friends,

Some years ago, I was attending a concert when I noticed so many of the choir members were not watching the conductor. Those who were looking elsewhere simply were not ready to start in time and in harmony with their leader.

It reminded me of a Bible story of another group some of whom were not earnest in their work for God and their leader Gideon. You can read the entire story in Judges 6 and 7. Because of the Israelites’ idolatry, God had allowed the Midianites to conquer them. They were in abject poverty and distress. Many cried unto the Lord for help. Our Merciful Redeemer’s Great Heart of Love was touched with their distress. He sent His angel to Gideon, a young man who was secretly threshing wheat. While working, Gideon was thinking about the plight of his people and the miracles God had done in the past. How he longed for God to work in behalf of Israel again. When bidden to be the one through whom God worked, he felt unworthy, but after several signs that God would be with him, he called his and the surrounding tribes to his aid. Thirty- two thousand came. “And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place. So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley. And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand. . . .And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath. And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.”

Just like the choir members who were watching and ready for the conductor’s signal to start, it was only those Israelites who were ready to give of themselves wholeheartedly to the service of the Lord that were used to bring deliverance from the enemy of God. Those three-hundred men kept their eyes on Gideon, keep their ears open for his signal. Their entire focus was on their leader. Through them, God delivered the Israelites from their enemies.

So today, our eyes must be focused upon our Heavenly Leader Who pleads, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” Isa 45:22 Moment by moment, our heart must be in tune with His Great Heart of Love. We must, every moment, look upon Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, that we may ready for His leading. (Heb 12:2) How vital it is that we keep our attention on Him Who gave Himself for us, that we might gain the victory over sin and become fit to dwell with Him on High. How careful we must be that “the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in” cause us to look away from Jesus. If we do, we will not be ready for His call.

May we give turn our eyes away from the things of this world and keep our focus and attention on the Lord Jesus Christ. May we heed the words of our Great Leader Who calls, “give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” Prov 23:26 May we so live that we may be able to declare as did Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” 2 Tim 4:7, 8

Rose