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About The Latter Rain
#43979
02/24/01 03:31 AM
02/24/01 03:31 AM
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ABOUT THE LATTER RAIN Here is the record of it as found in the 1893 General Conference Bulletin with A.T. Jones as the speaker. But first, in order to help us realize how important these lectures are to us, let us consider the words of Sister White in regard to them: "There have been things written to me in regard to THE MOVINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD at the last Conference (1893), and at the College, which clearly indicate that because these blessings were not lived up to, minds have been confused, and THAT WHICH WAS LIGHT FROM HEAVEN has been called excitement. I have been made sad to have this matter viewed in this light. We must be very careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in pronouncing THE MINISTRATION OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT a species of fanaticism. How shall we understand THE WORKINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD if it was not revealed IN CLEAR AND UNMISTAKABLE LINES." 1 SM 130. We turn now to Elder A.T. Jones: "Well, the latter rain is the loud cry of the third angel's message; it is the beginning of that message of glory that lightens the earth. But the latter rain is the teaching of righteousness. When did that message of the righteousness of God, as such, come to us as a people? (Congregation: "Four years ago.") Where? (Congregation: "At Minneapolis.") Yes. This point was brought up the other night, and can be read on page 183 of the Bulletin. I do not know that we can state it any more clearly than we did that night. Now, that message of the righteousness of Christ is the loud cry. It is the latter rain. We have been praying for the latter rain here at this Conference already, haven't we? Have you? (Congregation: "Yes sir.") What were you looking for when your prayer was answered? Are you ready now to receive the latter rain? We have been praying here for the latter rain. Now there is the connection. The testimonies tell us what it is and Joel tells us what it is. I simply ask now, Are you ready to receive the latter rain? That is, are you ready to receive God's message of righteousness, according to righteousness? Let us look at it a little further. Joel says, according to the margin, that it is a teacher of righteousness, that which brings the teaching of righteousness according to righteousness. Whose idea of righteousness? (Congregation: "God's.") No, mine. (Congregation: "No.") Yes, mine will do! (Congregation: "No.") Why? If I receive the righteousness of Christ according to my idea, is not that enough? Is not that receiving the latter rain? Is not that receiving the righteousness of Christ? (Congregation: "No sir, it is your own righteouness.") But that is what is the matter with a good many people who have heard this message of the righteousness of Christ. They have received the message of the righteousness of Christ according to their own idea of what His righteousness is, and they have not the righteousness of Christ at all. Now, let us ask again, how are we to receive that? How is that to be given?--'According to righteousness.' How, then, is it to be received?--'According to righteousness.' It is given 'according to righteousness,' and we must receive it 'according to righteousness.' We must receive it as it is given. But let us dwell further upon that thought; and I am in no hurry to get away from it, either. When we receive the teaching, that teaching of righteousness 'according to righteousness,' we must receive it according to God's idea of righteousness, and not according to our own measure of it. And he who thinks of receiving that message of Christ's righteousness according to his own idea of it, will miss it entirely. We are to receive it according to God's idea of it, and nothing else than God's idea of righteousness. Nothing else than that is righteousness. There is a thought again that we had the other night, that when it was presented four years ago and all along since, some accepted it just as it was given, and were glad of the news that God had righteousness that would pass the judgment, and would stand accepted in His sight. A righteousness that is a good deal better than anything that people could manufacture by years and years of hard work. PEOPLE HAD WORN OUT THEIR SOULS ALMOST, TRYING TO MANUFACTURE A SUFFICIENT DEGREE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS TO STAND THROUGH THE TIME OF TROUBLE, AND MEET THE SAVIOR IN PEACE WHEN HE COMES; BUT THEY HAD NOT ACCOMPLISHED IT. These were so glad to find out that God had already manufactured a robe of righteousness and offered it as a free gift to every one that would take it, that would answer now, and in the time of the plagues, and in the time of judgment, and to all eternity, that they received it gladly just as God gave it, and heartily thanked the Lord for it. Others would not have anything to do with it at all; but rejected the whole thing. Others seemed to take a middle position. They did not fully accept it, neither did they reject it. They thought to take a middle position, and go along with the crowd, if the crowd went that way. And that is the way they hoped to receive the righteousness of Christ and the message of the righteousness of God. Others deliberately discounted the message about fifty per cent, and counted that the righteousness of God. And so, all the way between open and free deliberate and positive rejection of it,--all the way between--the compromises have been scattered ever since; and those who have taken that compromising position are no better prepared to-night to discern what is the message of the righteousness of Christ than they were four years ago." A.T. Jones, 1893 General Conference Bulletin, p.243,244. __________________________________________ RECEIVING THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD AS GOD GIVES IT, ACCORDING TO HIS OWN IDEA OF IT!
[This message has been edited by adventbeliever (edited March 05, 2001).]
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Re: About The Latter Rain
#43980
02/24/01 03:33 AM
02/24/01 03:33 AM
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The continuation of "the workings of the Spirit of God in clear and unmistakable lines," (1SM130) through Elder A.T. Jones at the 1893 General Conference: PART 2 A remark: If you have noticed, in the previous post, Elder Jones touched briefly on the fact that the subject of the latter rain had been discussed in a previous meeting as recorded on page 183 of the General Conference Bulletin. I thought I would make this available to you. I find it quite interesting and very thought provoking. Starting on page 182 of the Bulletin: "The time has come when Christ's friends should be known. And if it is a Seventh-day Adventist that is called in question for his standing in Christ and the message, let your friendship in Christ be known by standing by Him. Now we have a few minutes to talk upon how we got into this position, how these dangers came upon us. You remember the other evening when I was reading that second chapter of Joel, that one of the brethren, when I had read that 23rd verse,--Brother Corliss--called attention to the margin. Do you remember that? And I said we would have use for the margin at another time. Now all of you turn and read that margin. The 23rd verse says: 'Be glad, then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for he hath given you the former rain, moderately." What is the margin? "A teacher of righteousness." He hath given you "a teacher of righteousness." How? "According to righteousness." "And he will cause to come down for you the rain;" then what will that be? When He gave the former rain, what was it? "A teacher of righteousness." And when He gives the latter rain what will it be? "A teacher of righteousness." Then is not that just what the testimony has told us in that article that has been read to you several times? "The loud cry of the third angel," the latter rain has already begun, "in the message of the righteousness of Christ." Is not that what Joel told us long ago? Has not our eye been held that we did not see? Did not we need the anointing? Brethren, what in the world do we need so much as that? How glad we ought to be that God sends His own Spirit in the prophets to show us, when we did not see! How infinitely glad we ought to be for that! Well then the latter rain--the loud cry--according to the testimony, and according to the Scripture, is "the teaching of righteousness," and "according to righteousness," too. Now brethren, when did that message of the righteousness of Christ begin with us as a people? (One or two in the audience: 'Three years or four years ago.') Which was it, three or four? (Congregation: 'Four.') Yes, four. Were was it? (Congregation: 'Minneapolis.') What then did the brethren reject at Minneapolis? (Some in the Congregation: 'The loud cry.') What is that message of righteousness? The Testimony has told us what it is; the loud cry--the latter rain. Then what did the brethren in that fearful position in which they stood, reject at Minneapolis? They rejected the latter rain--the loud cry of the third angel's message. Brethren, isn't it too bad? Of course the brethren did not know they were doing this, but the Spirit of the Lord was there to tell them they were doing it, was is not? But when they were rejecting the loud cry, 'the teaching of righteousness,' and then the Spirit of the Lord, by His prophet, stood there and told us what they were doing,--what then? Oh, then they simply set this prophet aside with all the rest. That was the next thing. Brethren, it is time to think of these things. It is time to think soberly, to think carefully." A.T. Jones, 1893 General Conference Bulletin, p.182,183. ___________________________________________ THEY REJECTED THE LATTER RAIN, THE LOUD CRY OF THE THIRD ANGEL, THE TEACHING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS ACCORDING TO RIGHTEOUSNESS. Here is one of the Testimonies which was sent to warn them not to reject the latter rain message: "I would speak in warning to those who have stood for years resisting light and cherishing the spirit of opposition. How long will you hate and despise the messengers of God's righteousness? God has given them His message. They bear the word of the Lord." T.M.96,97.
[This message has been edited by adventbeliever (edited March 06, 2001).]
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Re: About The Latter Rain
#43981
02/24/01 03:37 AM
02/24/01 03:37 AM
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The continuation of "the workings of the Spirit of God in clear and unmistakable lines," (1SM130) through Elder A.T. Jones, at the 1893 General Conference: PART 3 "Now I want to ask a few questions on what we have gone over. What is the latter rain? (Congregation: 'The teaching of righteousness according to righteousness.') What is the Loud Cry? (Congregation:'The message of the righteousness of Christ.') The Loud Cry has already begun in the message of the righteousness of Christ. Where does the latter rain come from? (Congregation: 'From God.') All of it? (Congregation: 'Yes.') What is it? "The Spirit of God." Now let us just put two things together. The teaching of the righteousness according to righteousness--that is the Loud Cry; that is the latter rain; that is the righteousness of Christ. Is that so? (Congregation: 'Yes.') The latter rain comes down from Heaven. How much of that latter rain comes out of me? (Congregation: 'None of it.') How much of it can I manufacture? (Congregation: 'Not any.') Now is that so? (Congregation: 'Yes.') I cannot manufacture any of it? None of it springs from me at all? Where does it come from? (Congregation: 'Heaven.') Will you take it that way? Will you receive it from Heaven? (Congregation: 'Yes.') ("In the work of God humanity can originate nothing." C.O.L.418) Now that is where we came to the other night. Are you ready to take it from Heaven? (Congregation: 'Yes.') Is everybody in this house to-night willing and ready to take righteousness from Heaven? (Congregation: 'Amen!.') According to God, without asking that God shall get some of it from us? Are you? (Congregation: 'Yes.') Whoever is willing to take righteousness from Heaven can receive the latter rain (Congregation: 'Amen!'); whoever is not, but wants the Lord to get some of it out of him, he cannot have the latter rain, he cannot have the righteousness of God, he cannot have the message of the righteousness of Christ. What is the latter rain? (Congregation: 'Righteousness.') Are we in the time of the latter rain? (Congregation: 'Yes.') What are we to ask for? (Congregation: 'Rain.') What is it? (Congregation: 'The teaching of righteousness according to righteousness.') Where is it to come from? (Congregation: 'Heaven.') Can we have it? (Congregation: 'Yes.') Then the latter rain being the righteousness of God, his message of righteousness, the loud cry, it all being that, and that to come down from Heaven, we are now in the time of it, we are to ask for it, and receive it. Then what is to hinder us from receiving the latter rain now? (Congregation: 'Unbelief.')" A.T. Jones, 1893 General Conference Bulletin, p.358,359. __________________________________________ ARE WE WILLING TO RECEIVE THE LATTER RAIN AS GOD GIVES IT?
[This message has been edited by adventbeliever (edited March 06, 2001).]
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Re: About The Latter Rain
#43982
02/24/01 03:40 AM
02/24/01 03:40 AM
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The continuation of "the workings of the Spirit of God in clear and unmistakable lines," (1SM130) through Elder A.T. Jones at the 1893 General Conference: PART 4 "But not all are following the light. Some are moving away from the safe path, which at every step is a path of humility. God has committed to his servants a message for this time... I would not now rehearse before you the evidences given in the past two years (four years now) of the dealings of God by His chosen servants; but the present evidence of His working is revealed to you, and you are now under obligation to believe." E.G. White quoted by Elder Jones during lecture # 15 in 1893. Believe what? What message is there referred to that God has given to His servants for this time? (Congregation: 'The message of righteousness.') The message of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. This is a Testimony that had been despised, rejected, and criticised for two years, and two years have passed since that time. But now the present evidence of His working is revealed, and now what does God say to every one of us? 'You are now under obligation to believe" that message. Then whoever does not believe it simply has to answer to God, does he not? That is all. Well, then, let us begin. There is, however, another word to which I wish to call attention. You will remember that I read Isa.59:6 in the last lesson; it was about those people who were trying to cover themselves with their works. In the fourth verse we have these words: 'None calleth for justice.' After the lesson Brother Starr called my attention to the German translation, and that, he says, is: 'None preacheth righteousness.' I looked at the revised version and that has it: 'None calleth for righteousness.' I looked at Young's literal translation, and that likewise reads: 'None calleth for righteousness.' So you see the thought as expressed in this verse, 'None sueth,' that is to say, to court, to ask for, to beseech, 'for righteousness.' None calleth for that. The same idea is conveyed in the German, only it is put in other words, 'None preacheth righteousness.' Well, is not that what the Lord says? They are trying to cover themselves with their works, and that is not righteousness. Isaiah 54, last sentence of the chapter: 'This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.' Their righteousness is of whom? of themselves? (Congregation: 'Of the Lord.') Their righteousness is of their works? No, 'their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.' What do you say? (Congregation: 'Amen!) Than any man who expects, looks for, or hopes for any righteousness that does not come from God, what then? What has he? (Voice: 'Filthy rags.') It is no righteousness at all. Even those who want to get it out of their works, will it work that way? (Congregation: 'No.') Is that of God? (Congregation: 'No sir.') A.T. Jones, 1893 G.C.B. p.359. _________________________________________ WE ARE NOW UNDER OBLIGATION TO BELIEVE! [This message has been edited by adventbeliever (edited March 06, 2001).]
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Re: About The Latter Rain
#43983
02/24/01 03:43 AM
02/24/01 03:43 AM
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The continuation of "the workings of the Spirit of God in clear and unmistakable lines," (1SM130) through Elder A.T. Jones at the 1893 General Conference: PART 5 "The only way that God can get into our works is by having Him to start with, and having His righteousness to begin with; and our only ground of hope is in the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and in that wrought in us by His Holy Spirit. Do you see it is Christ in us, that living presence that does the righteous work, and that is by the Holy Spirit. That is what the Holy Spirit brings; that is the outpouring of the latter rain, is it not? You see we cannot study anything else. That is the message for us now. One interest will prevail, one subject will swallow up every other, Christ and His righteousness. Matt.6:33. Shall we receive the message? When we receive the message what do we receive? (Congregation: 'Christ.') When we receive Him what have we? (Voice: 'The Holy Spirit. The latter rain.') This will come more fully afterward. Now another thing, brethren. I do not want you to put off until after the meeting, your receiving of it. You do not need to do that at all. What the Lord wants is for you and me to come here each evening and sit down and receive that just exactly as He gives it. Just exactly as He says it. You just open your mind and heart to the Lord, and say, 'Lord, that is so.' (Congregation: 'Amen.') 'Well,' says one, 'are we to sit down here and take everything that is said without any question at all?'--No, not in that sense. But we are to sit down here and have such a measure of the Spirit of God that we can see what He gives through that word which is the truth, and then take it because it is the truth of God. (Congregation: 'Amen.')" A.T. Jones, 1893 G.C.Bulletin, p.360. __________________________________________ WE CANNOT STUDY ANYTHING ELSE! [This message has been edited by adventbeliever (edited March 06, 2001).]
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Re: About The Latter Rain
#43984
02/24/01 03:45 AM
02/24/01 03:45 AM
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The continuation of "the workings of the Spirit of God in clear and unmistakable lines" (1SM130) through Elder A.T. Jones at the 1893 General Conference: PART 6 "Elder D.C.Babcock.--Brother Jones, please read Job 29:23. Elder Jones.--Very good, 'And they waited for Me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.' All right. What shall we do? What does the Lord want us to do? Wait for His Spirit as for rain. Open your mind; wait as for the latter rain. What did He say to David? 'Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it.' Brethren, let us sit down here and open our mouths just like little birds; you know how they do;--it looks as though the mouth was all the bird there was. That is what He wants us to do. Can we not trust God to give to us what He wants us to have? Brethren, there is a question in that that I want to ask: When we come into a place like this, come with hundreds of people who are seeking the Lord, come asking the way to Zion, with our faces thitherward, do we need to sit here suspiciously looking cross-eyed at the Lord as though we did not dare to trust Him for what he would give? Is that honest? (Congregation: 'No.') Is that fair? (Congregation: 'No.') No sir. I believe this much in the Lord; that when we come together with our hearts seeking Him, every one that lays his heart wide open to receive what the Lord has to give, will not receive anything but what God gives. And the man who comes into such a place as this, with his suspicions aroused and with a readiness to look askance at the Lord--that man is not treating the Lord as a person ought to treat the Lord: he is treating the Lord just as a person might fairly treat the devil. Is he not? Now, brethren, let us treat the Lord honestly; let us be honest with Him, and He will be honest with us. 'To him that showeth himself froward the Lord will show himself froward.' If you and I treat the Lord honestly, He will treat us just exactly like God treats people. So I say, we need not come into this house with a particle of suspicion as to whether the Lord is going to give us things straight. He will do it; and I am going to expect He will do it, and so I am going to receive lots of blessing out of this thing. That is settled. Now put those two things together: 'Their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.' He who receives it, what does he receive? (Congregation: 'A gift.') He who receives it as the gift that it is, receives what? (Congregation: 'Righteousness.') According to what? God's idea of righteousness. Will He give us anything than that which is righteousness in His own sight, and according to His own will? (Congregation: 'No.') Do you see that point? Then he who does not receive the righteousness of God as the free gift of God, does he have it? (Congregation: 'No.') and he cannot so have it, you see, because it is a gift. It is of God. It comes from God by the precious gift that it is. And therefore it being of God, and He giving it of His own gift, it is left to me to get it in His own way. He gives what is His own and He gives it according to His own idea. That is the genuine article; that is the righteousness of God alone. Then don't you see in that there can be no room for a single thread of human invention? We cannot get it in there at all. Don't you see what ample provision the Lord has made that we may have the perfect robe which He Himself hath woven, which is the righteousness of God itself, and which will make us complete now, and in the time of the plagues, and in every other time, and throughout eternity? Brethren, I am glad that that is so. I am just as glad as I can be." A.T. Jones, 1893 G.C.B. p.360,361. _____________________________________________ THERE IS NO ROOM FOR A SINGLE THREAD OF HUMAN INVENTION!
[This message has been edited by adventbeliever (edited March 08, 2001).]
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Re: About The Latter Rain
#43985
02/24/01 03:47 AM
02/24/01 03:47 AM
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The continuation of "the workings of the Spirit of God in clear and unmistakable lines," (1SM130) through Elder A.T. Jones at the 1893 General Conference: PART 7 "A sister told me not long ago that before that time four years ago (1888) she had just been lamenting her estate, and wondering how in the world the time was ever going to come for the Lord to come, if He had to wait for His people to get ready to meet Him. For she said the way she had been at it--and she had worked as hard as anybody in this world, she thought--she saw that she was not making progress fast enough to bring the Lord in any kind of reasonable time at all; and she could not make out how the Lord was going to come. She was bothered about it; but she said when the folks came home from Minneapolis and they said, 'Why the Lord's righteousness is a gift, and we can have it now.' 'O,' said she, 'That made me glad; that brought light; for then I could see how the Lord could come pretty soon. When He Himself gives us the garment, the clothing, the character, that fits us for the judgment and for the time of trouble, I could then see how He could come just as soon as He wanted to.' 'And,' said she, 'it made me glad, and I have been glad ever since.' Brethren, I am glad of it too, all the time. Now there is sense in that thing to-day. You know we have all been in that same place. You know the time was when we actually sat down and cried because we could not do well enough to satisfy our own estimate of right doing; and as we were expecting the Lord to come soon, we dreaded the news that it was so near; for how in the world were we going to be ready? Thank the Lord He can get us ready. (Congregation: 'Amen.') He provides the wedding garment. The master of the wedding feast always provided the wedding garment. He is the Master of the wedding supper now; and He is going to come pretty soon; and He says, 'Here is clothing that will fit you to stand in that place.' Now there will be some folks that cannot attend that feast, because they have not on the wedding garment, but the Lord offers it as a free gift to all, and as to the man who does not take it--who is to blame?" A.T. Jones, 1893 G.C.B. p.361. ____________________________________________ HE HIMSELF GIVES US THE CLOTHING! If you please, I would like to quote the words of Ellen White which I believe are most appropriate at this point: "Some seem to feel that they must be on probation and must prove to the Lord that they are reformed, before they can claim His blessing(His righteousness). But these dear souls may claim the blessing even now. They must have His grace, the Spirit of Christ, to help their infirmities, or they cannot form a Christian character. Jesus loves to have us come to Him as we are--sinful, helpless, dependent... He who will lay hold of Christ's righteousness need not wait one moment that he himself may blot out his own sins. He need not wait until he has made a suitable repentance before he may take hold upon Christ's righteousness. We do not understand the matter of salvation. It is just as simple as ABC. But we don't understand it." F.W38,64. ____________________________________________ WE BELIEVE THE WORD OF GOD AND IT IS COUNTED UNTO US FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. [This message has been edited by adventbeliever (edited March 07, 2001).]
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Re: About The Latter Rain
#43986
02/24/01 03:49 AM
02/24/01 03:49 AM
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"I saw that Jones and Waggoner had their counterpart in Joshua and Caleb. As the children of Israel stoned the spies with literal stones, you have stoned these brethren with stones of sarcasm and ridicule. I saw that you willfully rejected what you knew to be truth. Just because it was too humiliating to your dignity. I saw some of you in your tents mimicking and making all manner of fun of these two brethren. I also saw that if you had accepted their message, we would have been in the kingdom two years from that date, but now we have to go back in the wilderness and stay forty years." E.G. White, Melbourne, Australia, May 9, 1892. "The true religion, the only religion of the Bible, that teaches forgiveness only through the merits of a crucified and risen Savior, that advocates righteousness by the faith of the Son of God, has been slighted, spoken against, ridiculed, and rejected. It has been denounced as leading to enthusiasm and fanaticism." T.M.468. "It is quite possible that Elders Jones and Waggoner may be overthrown by the temptations of the enemy; but if they should be, this would not prove that they had had no message from God or that the work that they have done was all a mistake." Letter 24, 1892, p.5 (To Elder Uriah Smith, Sept.19, 1892) [This message has been edited by adventbeliever (edited March 06, 2001).]
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Re: About The Latter Rain
#43987
02/24/01 03:50 AM
02/24/01 03:50 AM
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Ready for some more of the continuation of the latter rain message by Elder A.T. Jones? Before we proceed, I would like to remind you, since "we are slow to learn and ready to forget" (D.A.98) that these lectures were a repeat of the 1888 message, "in special measure," (1893 G.C.B.494) and that Sister White referred to them as being "the operations of God," "the ministrations of the Holy Spirit of God," "the movings of the Spirit of God," "the workings of the Spirit of God," "heavenly illumination," or "light from Heaven," all in the same paragraph! (1SM130, 143)
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Re: About The Latter Rain
#43988
02/24/01 03:52 AM
02/24/01 03:52 AM
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The continuation of "the workings of the Spirit of God in clear and unmistakable lines," (1SM130) through Elder A.T. Jones at the 1893 General Conference: PART 8 "Another thing: Do you believe now--let us have that settled before we go any further. I want to know how many people in this house actually believe, right down honestly in their hearts, that God is able to say what He means when He says it? (Congregation: 'Yes.') What the Lord asks of you and me is stated in 2 Tim.2:7, and it is the key of all Bible study; it is God's directions for Bible study; 'Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.' The only things He asks of you and me to consider is what He says; and if we have to consider it for ten, fifteen, or twenty years to find out what it means, we will find that it was worth twenty years of waiting; we need not be disappointed at all. Bear in mind that the longer you have to consider a text to find out what is in it, the more it will be worth when you get it. So there is no place for discouragement, ever. Therefore if I cannot measure the depths of it, I am going to be glad that it is so deep that when I do get it, I shall rejoice as long as I live. All we have to do in these lessons is to consider what He says, and depend upon Him to give us the understanding. Luke 24:45. That is all. That is all I can do, and every one that will do that will get more out of it than the one who does not consider what He says. Then 'their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord,' That is what He says. (Congregation: 'Yes.') It is a gift of righteousness; it is a gift; is that so? (Congregation: 'Yes.') Now how do we receive a gift? 'Their righteousness is of Me;' He gives it, a free gift; how do we get it? (Congregation: 'By faith.') By faith. Let us bear in mind also the definition which we have studied, of what faith is: not a satanic belief; that is not faith at all; but a submission of the will to God, a yielding of the heart to Him, the affections fixed upon Him,--there is faith. That is God's idea of faith. And when we read of faith, and get His word of belief which He has spoken in His word--that is what He means. Mark this: it is received by faith; it is known by faith: but let us read the text and see that it is so. Rom.1:17. The 16th verse is talking about the gospel. 'For therein is the righteousness... revealed from faith to faith.' What alone can obtain it, then? (Congregation: 'Faith.') Not from faith to works; but from faith to faith. But what is faith? Submission of the will to Him; yielding of the heart to Him, the affections fixed upon Him. That is surrender of self, and takes what God says as the fact; in other words, faith is just simply this: that when God says a thing, and you and I read it, we say, 'That is so.' That is faith. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom.10:17. What is the source of faith, then? (Congregation: 'The word of God.') How does faith come to us? (Congregation: 'By hearing the word of God.') Faith comes to us by the word of God. That is the source, the fountain of faith. Then when that word is read, you yield to that and say, 'That is so.' I take that as it says; with no attempt to explain it even to myself. I take it as God says it; I receive it just as He says it; I rest upon it just as He says it; He giving me understanding of it,--then I want to know whether I do not receive in that word and from it just what He has in it to give to me. Assuredly. That also precludes our getting any thread of human invention into it. Then it is of faith; it comes by faith; we receive it that way. Then don't you see, that with the man who does not understand, who begins to question righteousness by faith alone, the trouble is that his soul is not submitted to God, his heart is not yielded to God, the affections are not fixed upon Him? That is the difficulty. All the trouble that ever comes to anybody in this world over justification by faith is in the heart; in the refusal to submit to God; and that is the carnal mind; as we read the other night, the carnal mind cannot comprehend it; does not know it." A.T. Jones, 1893 G.C.Bulletin, p.361,362. _____________________________________________ I TAKE THAT AS IT SAYS! THAT IS FAITH! FROM THE HEART MEN BELIEVE UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS.
[This message has been edited by adventbeliever (edited March 06, 2001).]
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Here is the link to this week's Sabbath School Lesson Study and Discussion Material: Click Here
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