Daryl, your last post made me think of this quote. It contains a pretty solemn thought. For me, I'm thankful for every ray of light God has sent to us through the Spirit of Prophecy (pleasing or not pleasing).

quote:

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I saw that the judgments of the Almighty were speedily coming, and I begged of the angel to speak in his language to the people. Said he, "All the thunders and lightnings of Mount Sinai would not move those who will not be moved by the plain truths of the Word of God, neither would an angel's message awake them." {EW 50.3}

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Daryl, I thought of another quote. I don’t want to take it out of context or read into it more than it says, but it seems to shed light on your question.

(I just pray that God will help me to put all the pieces of the puzzle together correctly.)

quote:

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“Circumstances cannot work reforms.” {Counsels on Diet and Foods 35}

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I prefer to see more than just one sentence, therefore, here is the whole quote below in which this sentence appears:

quote:

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True Reform Is Heart Reform

(1896) Special Testimonies, Series A, No. 9, p. 54

39. Those who would work in God's service must not be seeking worldly gratification and selfish indulgence. The physicians in our institutions must be imbued with the living principles of health reform. Men will never be truly temperate until the grace of Christ is an abiding principle in the heart. All the pledges in the world will not make you or your wife health reformers. No mere restriction of your diet will cure your diseased appetite. Brother and Sister ----- will not practice temperance in all things until their hearts are transformed by the grace of God. {CD 35.2}

Circumstances cannot work reforms. Christianity proposes a reformation in the heart. What Christ works within, will be worked out under the dictation of a converted intellect. The plan of beginning outside and trying to work inward has always failed, and always will fail. God's plan with you is to begin at the very seat of all difficulties, the heart, and then from out of the heart will issue the principles of righteousness; the reformation will be outward as well as inward. {CD 35.3}

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This quote surrounding the sentence Allen posted says alot.

The problem is that all these events (like hurricanes) will do is reveal character; they don't produce it. What will turn things around is the truth. For example:

quote:

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An unwillingness to yield up preconceived opinions, and to accept this truth, lay at the foundation of a large share of the opposition manifested at Minneapolis against the Lord's message through Brethren {E.J.} Waggoner and {A.T.} Jones. By exciting that opposition Satan succeeded in shutting away from our people, in a great measure, the special power of the Holy Spirit that God longed to impart to them. The enemy prevented them from obtaining that efficiency which might have been theirs in carrying the truth to the world, as the apostles proclaimed it after the day of Pentecost. The light that is to lighten the whole earth with its glory was resisted, and by the action of our own brethren has been in a great degree kept away from the world. (1SM 234)

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God sends messages of truth for the purpose of preparing the way for Christ's coming, to lighten the earth with glory. But if the messages are resisted, and ignored, can something like hurricanes do the work designed for messages of truth?

It makes me think of back in 1844, even then, when the end of the world was being preached and outwardly believed by so many...when it didn't come to pass, many of those who claimed to be true followers, gave up the faith and went back to their sins. Pretty sad....