The Judgment-Hour Message

An upright, honest-hearted farmer, who had been led to doubt the divine authority of the Scriptures, yet who sincerely desired to know the truth, was the man specially chosen of God to lead out in the proclamation of Christ’s second coming.10The Great Controversy, 317.

God sent His angel … to lead him to search the prophecies…. He saw that the inhabitants of the earth were living in the closing scenes of this world’s history, yet they knew it not…. God called him to leave his farm…. With trembling, William Miller began to unfold to the people the mysteries of the kingdom of God, carrying his hearers down through the prophecies to the second advent.

Thousands were led to embrace the truth preached by William Miller, and servants of God were raised up in the spirit and power of Elijah to proclaim the message…. And as the solemn warning to flee from the wrath to come was sounded, many who were united with the churches received the healing message; they saw their backslidings, and with bitter tears of repentance and deep agony of soul, humbled themselves before God.11Early Writings, 229, 230, 233.

The special blessing of the Lord, both in the conversion of sinners and the revival of spiritual life among Christians, … testified that the message was of Heaven.12The Great Controversy, 391.

With clearness the believers … gave the reasons why they expected their Lord in 1844. Their opposers could bring no arguments against the powerful reasons offered.13Early Writings, 237.

The announcement, “The hour of his judgment is come,” points to the closing work of Christ’s ministration for the salvation of men. It heralds a truth which must be proclaimed until the Saviour’s intercession shall cease, and He shall return to the earth to take His people to Himself.14The Great Controversy, 435, 436.
The Faith I Live By p. 283
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for my supervisor in her grief. Her best friend was shot and killed yesterday. Pray for his wife and young child. Maggie
—-Please pray for the family of the young woman who was killed by taking a pill laced with a deadly substance.
—-Please pray for travelling mercies for Esther and her children. Rose
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Dear Friends,

This morning, I was listening to a conversation between two church members regarding several others that disagreed with certain others. As I tend to think of our church’s being in total harmony, it made me sad that the evil one was causing division.
How I hate conflict! It makes me think of my children when they were in grade school. The nearest neighbor with children was a quarter of a mile away and most of the time the children got along well, but other times they fought like cats and dogs. Many were the times when they had to be separated for a few days when their fighting became too rough. They were friends and enemies all rolled into one.

When our church went to Fort Spokane for a campout one year. Everyone enjoyed this time of fellowship together out in the woods. Having these social times drew us all together, so we felt like one big family. Things were going happily until Esther and Travis, our neighbor and fellow church member, began to quarrel as Travis was doing all that he could to upset her.

Some time later, Esther began looking for a snake to play with. She loved snakes. Finally, she found a large bull snake and proudly came to show me. I looked at the frightened creature and told her to find a safe place to put it down. I was afraid that someone might harm it for .

Esther carried it around for awhile longer until she thought of an ideal place—Travis’ sleeping bag. This seemed like a good way to get even for his tormenting her most of the time. All went well until he crawled into his sleeping bag that night…….

How often we retaliate when someone upsets us, just as Esther had thought of a plan to get even with her playmate and “obey” me at the same time. Of course, one can never really “get even,” as that person will also think of a way to retaliate. On and on this back and forth meanness continues until it becomes like a snowball rolling down the side of a mountain—bigger and bigger and more dangerous. Feelings are hurt. Friends become enemies. Harmony vanishes. (May that not happen in the case I heard this morning.)

How much we need true harmony, heartfelt harmony. The Psalmist exclaimed, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Ps 133:1 Just before going to the Garden of Gethsemane, our Dear Saviour prayed that His followers have this unity. He prayed, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. . . . And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:21-26

“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:8,9

Rose