I want to ask you a deeply personal and very important question—‘Does this paragraph describe you? Does it tell of what you are becoming through the Grace of God, as day-by-day you become more and more dead to self and alive to the Lord?

Or do these sentences more accurately portray your real self, the thoughts you dwell on?

I want to show you a text in Revelation 21:8:

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

Well friend, His Word says the fearful will perish. I think it is very important that we understand why, and what we can do about heeding this warning, don’t you?

Come back with me to some of the very early instruction given by our Saviour to His chosen messenger for these last days. More than 150 years ago, this instruction was given to us from the pen of inspiration. We find it in "The Present Truth", issue 08-01-1849. We are going to comment on each section. The quote itself will be in italics.

You know friends, there is such a tendency among us to dismiss these early writings as ‘only for back then’, and to say things like, "Oh, she thought the Lord was coming back right then; she didn’t understand the real situation." No doubt she did not understand the future—BUT, and it is a big BUT, God did know all about the future. The Holy Spirit gave to His messenger the views He saw were most important!

I want to tell you a fact about prophetic writings: Always, the early visions and writings of a prophet contain the full story that the prophet is given. Like the plant in the seed, it may be in condensed form, and yet it still will contain the whole message of that prophet. The writings that follow later, build on this first revelation.

Look at Daniel 2, and then the rest of the book of Daniel—it all just builds on and adds detail to that first prophetic interpretation of the King’s dream. So with the early visions of Ellen White, the whole Great Controversy, end time message is found condensed there. However, just as the following chapters of Daniel give us vital understanding, so do all the writings of God’s messenger for the rest of her life, add precious insight into the End Time Message. Let us begin:

First question; does this apply to us? Are WE in the ‘sealing time’? We assuredly are in the sealing time! In fact, we are in the very last moments of the ‘sealing time’. Is Satan using devices to distract us and keep us from present truth? I could write a series of books on the answer to that one! Never before in history was there so much to distract the mind, busy us, eat up our time, dull our minds, destroy our spirituality. We may be flippant about it, but Satan is in deadly earnest!

Now look at the next statement: "I saw a covering that God was drawing over his people:" A covering? Why? "To protect them in the time of trouble", Now isn’t that the answer to a huge amount of our worries and questions about how a God of Love, can allow His people to be persecuted? A COVERING; to PROTECT them; have you ever hid under a blanket when you were little and scared? Seemed so safe under there—didn’t it?

This is certainly what we need, a covering to protect us! But notice; this is not a literal blanket, or even a literal place we can hide in. What is this ‘covering’, how is it to be pulled over us? Here is the answer: "every soul that was decided on the truth, and was pure in heart" was to have the covering.

Oh, friends, these are serious, solemn words! ‘DECIDED on the TRUTH and PURE in HEART’. There are many, including most pastors and leaders today, that will tell you the CHURCH, meaning the official denominational organization, is the ‘ARK of safety for us in the last days. Friends, this is a lie! The only ark of safety is under the ‘covering’ of the Almighty God, and who ONLY are to have that covering? "Every soul that was decided on the truth, and was pure in heart." Nothing said about groups or organizations here; this is an individual matter, between your soul and your God!

We will say more about this later but now let us continue:

Here we see some more of Satan’s dirty work and distraction schemes. What is he determined to do? "Keep the minds of as many as he possibly could unsettled, and wavering on the truth." Remember, being decided on the truth and pure in heart is how we get the covering. So how do Satan’s schemes seek to prevent this? There is only one way anyone can become settled and solid on truth, and that is by spending MUCH TIME studying and seeking in the scriptures and inspired writings—FOR OURSELVES, and only when we are settled and solid on truth can we tap into the mighty POWER available to us to become ‘pure in heart!’

Satan sows doubts, he sows distractions, he sows ‘higher criticism’ of the scriptures, he sows rotten insinuations and wicked lies about the volumes of material the Lord has provided for us to use to become settled and solid on truth— the Spirit of Prophecy, and he bombards us with current events so startling and confusing that, he gets us disconnected from our power source.

Now notice the next part; even more serious! "clothed in a religious garb"; what! He will clothe his ‘stuff’ in religious disguise! He will bring it into the church, into all religious activities.

What will he bring in? Things ‘to lull the deceived to more security’. Security! And that is just what people who are fearful are screaming and crying for—security. And Satan is going to promise it to them. Through false teachings and preachings of ‘peace and safety’ messages, and lovey dovey sentimental nonsense, he is going to make the unsaved and unready feel so secure, that they make no attempt to get what they need to REALLY be secure. Let’s face it—you don’t rush to get ready if you already are sure you are ready, do you?

The Bible has an interesting verse to describe these people and those who listen to them:  "Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:" Isaiah 28:15

Hey, did you catch that? They think they HAVE a covering! They are hiding under it. But what is it? It is lies and falsehood! Why do they not know it is lies and falsehood? Because they are not taking the time and effort to use the inspired writings and MAKE SURE it is truth they are being taught!!!

The Bible goes on with a warning, terrible in its solemnity:  "And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it." Isaiah 28:18

It doesn’t matter how earnestly they believe the lies, it doesn’t matter if they stand shoulder to shoulder in perfect unity with the lying teachers and unite as one under their cover of lies; they’re going to perish!! They’re going to find out too late, what they could have known, if they had only taken the trouble to seek and find out for themselves.

What is it that is among the things these people are going to doubt and question? "the teachings, and power of the Holy Ghost". It is most interesting that there is among us a great movement of many facets that is denying the Third Person of the Godhead. This is serious, because it is through the Holy Spirit that we are saved and made ready to stand; He is really what the ‘covering’ is all about. Is He not called the ‘Comforter’? So If I throw Him out, I throw away the only means available for me to be sealed and saved.

What about these people and their false ‘comforter’? The Bible says:  "For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it." Isaiah 28:20. See? They can’t hide under that blanket; it is a false comforter!

But there is more than one way to doubt the Holy Spirit. What is the job of the Holy Spirit? Well, let’s not guess—what does the Word say? What is His job description? "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." John 16:8-11

What is He to do? He is to ‘Reprove of Sin!’ He is to show us what true Righteousness is, and He is to remind us and convict us of the Judgment! Now that is not a very popular job in these days, is it? Pointing out people’s sins, making them feel very insecure with their own righteousness, showing them the true standard, warning them that time is running out and their destinies will soon be sealed forever!

So what do you do when you feel this terrible dread and fear of being lost come over you? When you shudder with dread at anything that warns you that Jesus is Coming and the Close of Probation is at the door? What do you do when the sins that cling to your soul like cockleburs, loom like mountains before your eyes and you loath yourself?

Well, too many of us grab the phone and call up the pastor, or run to see some sympathetic friend or a counselor, and they comfort us with the false covering. They tell us it is Satan that makes us feel this way and that we must resist his suggestions. They assure us that we are forgiven and it was all done at the cross. God understands, God wants you to be happy, and God doesn’t expect… and all this stuff. We feel better then, and go seek some entertainment or busy-ness to ‘take our mind off it.’ But it keeps coming back.

Now I am going to say something that is going to shock a good many of you, but if you don’t believe me, you just go read that job description of the Holy Spirit once again. This is Bible Truth, friends! You are blaming Satan for what the Holy Spirit is doing to try and save you!

Do you know why it finally came to the point that Jesus could do no more for the Jews in His day? It was because they made up their minds that what Jesus was doing and telling them and what the Holy Spirit was convicting their hearts of, was from the devil! Now if the Holy Spirit is showing you that you are NOT in a saved condition and He is ‘putting the fear of God’ into your soul, and you resist Him and believe that He is the devil—How is God going to be able to reach you?

If you receive strong warning messages from those that are ‘sighing and crying’ these days about the wickedness among God’s people and urging all to repent, and you accuse them of being ‘troublers of Israel’ and doing the work of Satan—how is God going to warn you?

Notice this:

"In rejecting Christ, the Pharisees placed themselves where darkness and superstition closed around them, until, continually increasing in hatred and unbelief, they were ready to imbrue their hands in blood to accomplish their unholy ends, and would even take the life of one whom Infinite power had rescued from the grave. They placed themselves where no power, human or divine, could reach them; they sinned against the Holy Spirit, and God had no reserve power to meet their case. Their rebellion against Christ was settled and determined; he was a stumbling-block and a rock of offense to them; they would not have this man Jesus to reign over them." The Signs of the Times 10-09-79

There is a popular saying that ‘Jesus throws our sins into the depths of the sea but Satan goes fishing and brings them up again’. Cute—but totally untrue! Jesus covers confessed and forsaken sins with His blood—when do they get thrown into the sea?

 "He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." Micah 7:19

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;" Acts 3:19

This is at the final sealing time, the time when Jesus announces, "Let those who are holy remain holy; and those who are unjust be unjust still"; the covered sins are blotted out then, cast away forever. But what sins are covered and blotted out? Only the ones confessed and forsaken; if you are clinging to any sin at that time and God throws it out—you will be thrown out with it!

There is a type of darkness and discouragement that Satan does bring upon us, it usually centers around the idea, "It is no use for you to pray to God, you might as well give up!" Satan sows doubt, discouragement and tries to keep you away from seeking the Lord.

But the fear and dread that the Holy Spirit brings to the soul always has hope connected with it. It urges us to fall on our face before the One altogether gracious and let Him cleanse and heal with His blood and cover us with His own life. It leads to our realizing that there is no good thing in us at all, it mortifies our ‘self esteem’; finally if we yield to this deepening conviction, we will truly die to self and the flesh, and be born again to Christ and the Spirit.

Next time you feel this conviction of sin, this fear of the future, this dread of judgment to come—don’t head for human help—instead fall on your face and cry to the Lord, repent, surrender all, plead until you find the answer. Then grab the Word of God and let Him begin personally to teach you truth!

Jesus and the Holy Spirit are engaged in one task, getting rid of sin forever. The Holy Spirit lays conviction hard and heavy on us, because He wants us to seek the remedy while it is still available. Then when you respond He leads, teaches and comforts as tenderly as any parent does with a repentant child. As Ellen White states in Christ’s Object Lessons, "It is easy living once you are dead!"

We could write volumes on this, but let us continue:

Whoa! Wait a minute—Satan is at work through MINISTERS! Ministers who have rejected truth, and they have been given over to Strong Delusions. How does a Strong Delusion affect you? Well you can be very zealous when you have a strong delusion—very enthusiastic. So much so, that many will look at you and say what a godly person you are—so religious! Enthusiasm always has an effect on listeners; unless shielded by the knowledge of the truth, these enthusiastic false speakers will convince many and they will follow them saying, ‘This man is the great power of God!’

Read some more and notice there is often supernatural power with these people, a force that causes people to have wonderful feelings, even collapsing to the floor in euphoria. Why? It tells us, ‘Satan breathed upon these agents and through them to the people’. Then it goes on to tell us something even more horrible. It warns that these are Advent ministers that have rejected Present Truth! And they use mesmerism—that is Ericksonian hypnosis and NLP to convince people!

And what do the people think? "The people would rejoice in this influence, for they thought it was the Holy Ghost." And it also says that the ones doing this devil-devil work will be so deceived that they will really believe it is the Power of God when it is Satanic entirely! How did they get so deceived? By rejecting Present Truth.

"They had made God altogether such an one as themselves; and had valued his power as a thing of naught." You know one of the ways you can spot these people? They always exalt themselves and their colleagues and their organizations, and play down, either openly or subtly the Spirit of Prophecy and the King James Bible. In fact some of them almost go rabid at the mention of either of these instruments of God’s Spirit. They always turn people to self or to lean on other people or the organization. They will never tell you to get into the School of Christ for yourself—sit down at His feet—and be taught personally by His Holy Spirit. Never! They pooh-pooh the idea of the mighty Power available to us through the Word and the Holy Spirit. Power that can free us from sin and re-create us, the very Power that made the universe!

Please, please, for your soul’s sake, if you are listening to anyone, and you pick up on any one of these warning signs, do not push that conviction aside, do not explain it away by saying, "Oh I am sure he doesn’t mean it that way." The Holy Spirit’s voice is a gentle voice, He will not knock you down and yell in your ear, and if you keep explaining away every warning He sends your way, finally the time will come when He will leave you forever. Continuing:

Here is another strong warning to us—these ministers who have rejected Present Truth, whether they are aware of it or not, are agents of Satan, and evil angels accompany them when they stand before the people and when they visit homes or when you visit them in their offices. Devils can and do work through them to deceive and draw away minds from God’s truth. And notice what else! They CAN affect the bodies of saints who they cannot deceive! Friends if you allow yourself to be in the company of such people, when the Lord has not specifically sent you to stand like Elijah before Ahab—the demonic powers with them can harm your body—they can make you sick!

I have had many say, "Oh, I know the truth, these guys won’t bother my faith." Yah? Well what about your body?? God does not protect us when we go to where error is being pressed home with hypnotic methods. You should run out of there and take as many as possible with you! If they are in your home, ask them to leave, if they refuse—leave yourself!

Here we are back to the covering, the ‘comforter’, and we see a perfect description of most SDAs today: "…not standing stiffly for present truth. Their knees were trembling, and their feet were sliding; because they were not firmly planted on the truth". There they are, fearful, trembling, slipping and sliding from one man’s opinion to another. Nothing solid about them; nothing to anchor them; nothing to give them the real security. They are afraid of what is coming, and so they hide behind pastors, organizations, entertainment, excuses, busy-ness, education, appetite, indulgence, anything and everything that can give momentary relief from the terrible dread of the future that the Holy Spirit impresses on their hearts whenever He gets a chance, because He is trying to get them to wake up and seek the only true shelter—before it is forever too late!

God can’t cover them with His Comforter—because they are not planted on truth, not standing stiffly for truth! Why does it say ‘stiffly? Well if you have ever taken a stand for Bible/SOP truth against a New Theology pastor, and been ridiculed and mocked and derided before the whole congregation—you know what ‘stiffly’ means. Sometimes it isn’t the most comfortable place, but when God is with you, you can stand. Like Luther, you say, "Here I stand and I can do no other! God help me!"

Only then can you have the Covering, the Comforter, the place Under the Wings of the Almighty.

Friends, I want to say something here—it is much more scary NOT to stand for God’s Truth than to stand for Him. The whole world may oppose the people of God; but under His wings it is safe, forever safe. What if man can take your belongings, what if he can imprison you or even kill your body? All that happens is you fall asleep in your Father’s arms for a while and when you wake up—you go home.

What are earthly things that we should worry about them? They are soon to pass away. The ‘great men’ of this world that fight against God, will soon be carrion for the buzzards. Even Satan himself trembles before the weakest saint on their knees! Even a child who trusts fully in Jesus can stand against the hosts of darkness.

Friends, stop running from truth; stop pushing away the convictions of the Holy Spirit and calling them the devil; stop bustling about like a stirred-up anthill and quietly seek the Lord while there is still time to find Him!

All who are going to have a shelter in THAT terrible day! Isn’t that what you really want? Stop listening to the lying words of those who promise you a false comforter—a covenant with death—which will fail you when you most need it! In God’s shelter we can stand—no matter what comes against us. Even the weakest saint can stand—because we don’t stand in our strength, but in the Power of the Creator—We will be holden up!

Have you not seen people all thrilled about some new idea and it seems such a wonderful new concept; then it just fizzles out and in a while there is another fad or idea and off the people go again—all excited? But what happens? People just get more and more hardened so that when—"Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein." Jeremiah 6:16

No, they will not walk therein, that is ‘old-fashioned’; they must have exciting new concepts promising salvation that doesn’t cost anything; victory with no surrender; the crown with out any cross. They want to be wafted to heaven on beds of ease and indulgence.

Why do these false theories abound? "Those who professed a change of heart, had only wrapt about them a religious garb, which covered up the iniquity of a wicked heart." Anyone who wants to excuse sin, or find some theory that tells him he is saved, while he still follows the promptings of his carnal heart—is still a lost soul. He has never fallen on the Rock and been broken. We must die to self and be born again—There is no other way!

Once you are born again, and keep surrendering and being born again continually; you will not ever want to excuse sin, you will hate it with the same intensity that you once loved it. The power of the Spirit changes you—really changes you. It doesn’t just make you feel good for a while.

I want to show you a SOP quote and a Bible text that you may not have seen together before. "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." John 14:30. This is Jesus speaking; why did Satan have nothing in Him? Because there was no sin in His life. Satan only has a handle on those with sin in their lives. Now notice this description of God’s faithful DURING the time of trouble:

The numbers of this company had lessened. Some had been shaken out, and left by the way. The careless and indifferent who did not join with those who prized victory and salvation enough to agonize, persevere, and plead for it, did not obtain it, and they were left behind in darkness, and their numbers were immediately made up by others taking hold of the truth, and coming into the ranks. Still the evil angels pressed around them, but they could have no power over them. Second Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 12-31-57

Did you get the picture? Evil angels had no power over them, just like Satan had nothing in Jesus. Why? Because they now have the character of Jesus, no sin for the devils to get hold of them with. Oh, friends, don’t hang onto anything that would allow Satan to keep a hold on you! If he has even a thread on you, you will perish with him. It is Jesus we want—living His life instead of ours; it’s the only way!

Some have criticized this passage saying she believed probation was closed back then in 1848; but this is not the case; she is going through a sequence here, first the sealing, the time of trouble and finally the time will come when there is no more message of mercy for the sinner. The time is past: "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." Jeremiah 8:20

What is a sinner? It is one who is sinning right? A sinner who is saved is among the redeemed; so if he is still a sinner, he is still sinning. So if you believe you can go on sinning, and then ask Jesus to forgive you, and hop into bed, and wake up the next day, and sin some more—what are you going to do when Jesus isn’t forgiving any more? What are you going to do when the intercession has ceased, and the King comes in to see the guests?

Friends, this message that we will sin until the Second Coming and then be changed automatically is a rotten, deadly lie! Don’t fall for it! All the powers of heaven are there available for you today so you can, in the power of Jesus, crucify self and allow Jesus to live His life in you. This is for real—not just some deal made in the books of heaven—it is to be done in your heart, now—and it will be, if you will seek it and want it and allow the Heavenly Power to do it in you.

Then you will have the covering pulled over you, you will be under the Comforter, and you need not fear what man can do to you, or that you will not have all the help you need. If God is for us—who can be against us?