Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursues but the righteous are bold as a lion.
There are several characteristics that Christ is trying to develop in His people, as we prepare to launch out into the deep, referring to the final conflict of the ages. On of those qualities that we would need is bravery, for it will require, a deep abiding trust in God to deliver the third angels message, under what would be the most foreboding circumstances.
Thus, the history of Elijah must be carefully studied and thoroughly understood, so as to get a glimpse of the pitfalls, risks and threats that would multiply against those who are sent to preach the very last message of mercy, and how they are to successfully navigate the minefields that would be set for their feet by the forces of darkness.
In speaking of that time, both the Scriptures and the servant of The Lord describe it as being beyond our wildest imagination, for according to Daniel, there is no other period of this earth’s history that it can be compared to, making it a one-of-a-kind, and indeed, very severe and dangerous, for folks who would live through that trying time.
Now, as we stated before in one Bible study, we are not to be overwhelmed by the threats, for we are to keep Christ ever before our faces, yet there cannot be any sugar-coating of this said time, because even God describes it as being a time of deep trouble.
In words that do not flatter, the prophets describe it as a man travailing with child, and groaning as it is customary for a woman to do when in labor pain. In another instance, the Bible says that satan will then be permitted to pull out all the stops, and will level his entire arsenal against those who refuse to bow. So, yes, that time will require a ton of bravery. Let’s read:
Jeremiah 30: 5 For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.
6 Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.
Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 24: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
[The Great Controversy pp 622] It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. In that time of trial, every soul must stand for himself before God.
Therefore, we must reiterate, that one of the very important characteristics that would be needed at that time is bravery. The bravery that we’re speaking of is not of the man-made kind, where dare-devils or wannabe heroes presume to do the unthinkable.
It is not the kind that you would find in Hollywood, where Clint Eastwood, chewing on his cigar, smokes out a rival cowboy with his rifle.
This bravery will be rooted and grounded in Christ alone, and will be fortified by the literal experiences of the remnant, which they can then fall back on for renewed courage as they move forward. Thus it was with the prophet Elijah, as he was commissioned by God to go, on what would have otherwise been a fatal mission.
In days of old, and even currently, no one was allowed to barge into any palace without prior authorization, let alone bring a message of doom to the monarch. The security guards would have swiftly disposed of such a person who presumed to do so. Yet Elijah was sent by God, and thus, his bravery and confidence came from the fact that he was running God’s errand.
In our day, persons are never to presume to deliver the third angel’s message without being directed by God to do so, because it could trigger a tsunami of persecution, prematurely, and it could potentially open the flood gates of hell before the appointed time.
Let those who are called to preach the third angel’s message be directed by God to do so, just as Elijah was directed by God, to go to king Ahab. Let’s read:
1st Kings 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
[Prophets and Kings pp 120>121] The prophet set out at once, and traveled night and day until he reached Samaria. At the palace he solicited no admission nor waited to be formally announced.
Clad in the coarse garments usually worn by the prophets of that time, he passed the guards, apparently unnoticed, and stood for a moment before the astonished king.
Elijah made no apology for his abrupt appearance. A Greater than the ruler of Israel had commissioned him to speak; and, lifting his hand toward heaven, he solemnly affirmed by the living God that the judgments of the Most-High were about to fall upon Israel.
It was only by the exercise of strong faith in the unfailing power of God's word that Elijah delivered his message. Had he not possessed implicit confidence in the One whom he served, he would never have appeared before Ahab.
Like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, the message of impending judgment fell upon the ears of the wicked king; but before Ahab could recover from his astonishment, or frame a reply, Elijah disappeared as abruptly as he had come, without waiting to witness the effect of his message.
Thus, from this experience it becomes quite obvious to all, that one of the byproducts of faith in God is bravery. That is why our first passage states that the righteous are as bold as a lion.
Another byproduct of faith in God is confidence, for those who trust in God live by the blessed assurance that God would be with them through thick and thin and in every situation where trials may come in as a flood, or where such persons may be called upon to pass through the fire.
A clear conscience, void of offense before God and man is a critically important and indispensable asset to having confidence during turbulent times. A guilty conscience has the tendency to weaken faith, since the person in particular is aware of wrong-doing.
If this is currently the case with anyone listening to the study, such a person should make haste to seek God’s face in confession and repentance, thereby clearing the way and the conscience so that one’s confidence may be well founded.
This specific point is to be understood fully by those who are preparing for prime time, because there is a counterfeit confidence, cooked up by devils which savors of presumption. For instance, if a person is knowingly, and deliberately indulging in sin without regret or remorse, that person should not presume to have confidence in God.
God stands ready to forgive and forget, if we would turn from our sins and seek His face, but until such time, confidence in God for deliverance while one is willfully sinning is an absolute non-starter.
In other words, wherever there is a deliberate and cherished sin, the appropriate first prayer must be for repentance and forgiveness, as this would clear the way for renewal of one’s relationship with God, and would reset the stage for such a person to have renewed confidence.
When one is sinning willfully, God may at such times extend mercy in protecting that person, because it is His prerogative to show mercy where He sees fit but this is not to be understood as a format that anyone should reasonably expect to be entitled to. It simply does not work that way. Let’s read:
Psalms 66: 18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.
2nd Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
[The Great Controversy pp 202] Had not Jacob previously repented of his sin in obtaining the birthright by fraud, God could not have heard his prayer and mercifully preserved his life.
So, in the time of trouble, if the people of God had unconfessed sins to appear before them while tortured with fear and anguish, they would be overwhelmed; despair would cut off their faith, and they could not have confidence to plead with God for deliverance.
There were instances in David’s experience when he exhibited both bravery and confidence. For instance when he went up against Goliath he manifested that type of confidence that is a natural byproduct of faith in God, that is coupled together with a clear conscience. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 17:32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine…..
That’s confidence and bravery in real time, born of a childlike trust in God, backed up with experiences in the physical realm, and cemented and confirmed by a clear conscience, void of offense before God, and man.
But if he were to tackle Goliath, just after sleeping with Bathsheba, he most likely would have entered into a presumptuous mode of thought, because he could not then, reasonably expect to vanquish the giant, with blood on his hands, and with unforgiven sins at his doorstep. Let’s read:
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 723] Heretofore God's providence had preserved David against all the plotting of his enemies, and had been directly exercised to restrain Saul.
But David's transgression had changed his relation to God. The Lord could not in any wise sanction iniquity. He could not exercise His power to protect David from the results of his sin as He had protected him from the enmity of Saul.
However, even when in his innocence, David, like so many of us do at times, allowed fear to overwhelm him, on account of a series of serious threats made by king Saul against his person. And as he became consumed with fear for his life, he was found to be doing some very strange things.
One of the byproducts of fear is lying, especially in dangerous situations, where one loses sight of God. David had barely escaped with his life from Saul, and in his own words, he concluded that it was just a matter of time before misfortune would catch up with him. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 20: 3 And David swore moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knows that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the Lord lives, and as thy soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.
Thus, with this conclusion that David has drawn, the door is swung wide open as he decides that he must do whatsoever it takes to avoid being slain by Saul. When it comes to the preservation of life, persons can at times do and say things which they might not do and say under more favorable circumstances.
Lying under any circumstance is not encouraged or endorsed by God even though He takes into account the specific situation that may have obtained.
When Christians who would live through the time of trouble will be shaken inside out, and upside down, only the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth will come out, because the truth would have become dearer than life itself. But in the interim, a fear for one’s life, often produces the byproduct of lying. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 21:1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why are you alone, and no man with thee?
2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know anything of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
Whenever one has decided to go the route of lying, because of fear, various strains can emerge which to some persons may not seem as a big deal. But God desires that we deal in the currency of heaven at all times, hence the reason why He makes plain His will on the matter, so that persons could cultivate clear concepts of truth and duty. Let’s read:
Psalms 120:1 In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.
2 Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
3 What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?
4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
Proverbs 12: 22 Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 309] False speaking in any matter, every attempt or purpose to deceive our neighbor, is here included. An intention to deceive is what constitutes falsehood.
By a glance of the eye, a motion of the hand, an expression of the countenance, a falsehood may be told as effectually as by words. All intentional overstatement, every hint or insinuation calculated to convey an erroneous or exaggerated impression, even the statement of facts in such a manner as to mislead, is falsehood.
However, as was stated before, lying is one of the by products of fear and poor David, having left God out of picture, finds himself resorting to stratagem, and cunning, tools that are often to be found in arsenals of God’s enemies.
One of the very grave mistakes that David made, on account of his fear of Saul, is that he turned to God’s enemies for help, something that folks should never, ever do, because that will greatly compromise one’s ability to exercise living faith in God, in addition to which, dealing, and speaking truthfully could also become much more difficult, as David soon found out. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 21:10 And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
What the servants of Achish are declaring must be understood in the proper context, because they are directly referring to the slaying of Goliath by David, and the consequent routing of the Philistines, over whom Achish ruled as king. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 18: 6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, {Goliath} that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music.
7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
Thus, what David is hearing from the philistines as they speak to their king, is not only bad news, it is very bad news, the gravity of which drove David to do the unthinkable, that which he would never ever have thought of doing and that’s because resorting to falsehood is one of the major byproducts of fear. In fact, there is not another instance in the Scripture where any prophet of God, pretended to be a mad man; no, not one. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 21:12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13 And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
Here it is again as Abraham fears for his life. He too resorts to lying as a way to mitigate the potentially volatile situations he may encounter and as he limits the power of God in his behalf the only other logical option on the table is to lie his way out.
God is not showing us these things just to highlight the weaknesses of His servants; He is revealing to us our dire need of cleansing as Laodiceans so that the byproducts of fear could be permanently removed from our characters, while there is still opportunity to do so, for we cannot come up to the testing times ahead, whilst still being driven by the byproducts of fear. Let’s read:
Genesis 12: 11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold, now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon.
12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
Another byproduct of fear is the tendency to make excuses. Some persons are afraid of exercise since it carries some level of risk. Others are afraid to get a diagnosis, for fear that some cancer or tumor may be revealed, and still others are afraid to make any investment, for fear of loss, especially with the likes of Sam Bankman and Bernie Madoff on the rise.
In fact, in the parable of the stewards, the man who did not invest His Lord’s goods did not mince words, for he came out and specifically stated that he was afraid of loss, and therefore, his actions and excuses were the byproduct of fear. Let’s read:
Matthew 25: 24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord I knew thee, that You are an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed.
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
Again, when Moses was called by God to go down to Egypt for the deliverance of the Hebrews, it was fear for his life that drove him to make the excuses that he kept coming up with. As we review his own episode it’s indeed amazing the amount and varying excuses that we are capable of coming up with. Let’s read:
Exodus 3:10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
Exodus 4:1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.
10 And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. (In other words, send anybody but me, please)
After his numerous excuses, God addressed Moses’ unspoken fears, for he dreaded going back to Egypt to face the music, after having slain an Egyptian task master. In the heat of the moment, Moses’ anger had gotten the better of him, and he then resorted to a strategy that was not God-ordained. Let’s read:
Exodus 2: 11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren.
12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore, do you smite thy fellow?
14 And he said, Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely, this thing is known.
15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
If God had given Moses the assurance up front, we most likely would never have heard of any excuses on his part, for he was being driven by fear, which produces a natural byproduct of making excuses. In fact, after God allayed his fears, his excuses come to an abrupt end. Let’s read:
Exodus 4:19 And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.
Persons who will be tasked with delivering the third angel’s message would need to be as “bold as a lion” because the import of the message states in no uncertain terms, that life as we know on planet earth will to come to an end permanently, and that against everything which science and philosophy are saying.
Persons will need a ton of bravery and a confidence born of God to stomach the fallout from preaching the third angels’ message, for it essentially predicts that the judgement in heaven is soon to be closed, and as such, it will bring civilization, as we know it to an end.
Not many heads of state in their right minds would be happy to hear this, because this news could only be received in the positive, if it is accompanied by a change of heart, and a radical turn-about to join the ranks of God’s commandment-keeping people.
So yes, it would call for the convergence of all the byproducts of faith in God, including bravery, and confidence on the part of those who will be tasked with delivering the final message.
The message also states that God will do His act, His strange act, by doing that which the prophets of the day have hardly ever portrayed, or even mentioned to the people as being one of God’s characteristics.
For the most part, God has always been portrayed as a God of love, and He absolutely is. But His love moves Him to administer justice when it becomes overdue. However, for all intents and purposes, God has, in most instances been presented as feeble, or weak when it comes to the administration of justice. Let’s read:
2nd Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Lamentations 3:22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
However, harboring a one-sided view of God would cause the 3rd angels message to received with great consternation, and alarm, because it would seem so far removed from the God of man’s own making.
Yet, those who will be giving the last message would not be left to depend upon themselves, for they are to immerse themselves in the promises which God has given for this very time. Christ has promised to be with us till the end of the age, and as it’s drawing closer, He would take steps commensurate with the rising emergency. Let’s read:
[Early Writings pp 270] I was shown those whom I had before seen weeping and praying in agony of spirit. The company of guardian angels around them had been doubled, and they were clothed with an armor from their head to their feet.
They moved in exact order, like a company of soldiers. Their countenances expressed the severe conflict which they had endured, the agonizing struggle they had passed through.
Yet their features, marked with severe internal anguish, now shone with the light and glory of heaven. They had obtained the victory, and it called forth from them the deepest gratitude and holy, sacred joy.
The things that are occurring upon the earth daily tell us that it won’t be long before the third angels’ message would become due. The continuing mass murders, the endless wars, and the relentless, and ever evolving strains of different viruses, signal to us that the prophecies pertaining to the last days are now converging on our doorstep.
Let us then ask God to develop the byproducts of faith in us, so that we may be readied to meet the coming challenges. As our relationship with Christ deepens, so will our love, confidence and bravery, to the point where we will not panic if and when the carpet is pulled out from under our feet.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which certifies this truth, and it’s our hope and prayer that the soldiers of the cross will be built upon the Rock, for this is what will make all the difference when the winds of strife begin to blow. Let’s read:
1st John 4: 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear hath torment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.
God Bless!