A guardian angel is appointed to every follower of Christ. These heavenly watchers shield the righteous from the power of the wicked one. This Satan himself recognized when he said: “Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not Thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?” Job 1:9, 10. The agency by which God protects His people is presented in the words of the psalmist: “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.” Psalm 34:7. Said the Saviour, speaking of those that believe in Him: “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father.” Matthew 18:10. The angels appointed to minister to the children of God have at all times access to His presence.
Thus God’s people, exposed to the deceptive power and unsleeping malice of the prince of darkness, and in conflict with all the forces of evil, are assured of the unceasing guardianship of heavenly angels. Nor is such assurance given without need. If God has granted to His children promise of grace and protection, it is because there are mighty agencies of evil to be met—agencies numerous, determined, and untiring, of whose malignity and power none can safely be ignorant or unheeding.
“Satan uses the listless, sleepy indolence of professed Christians to strengthen his forces and win souls to his side. Many, who think that though they are doing no actual work for Christ, they are yet on His side, are enabling the enemy to preoccupy ground and gain advantages. By their failure to be diligent workers for the Master, by leaving duties undone and words unspoken, they have allowed satan to gain control of souls who might have been won for Christ.
We can never be saved in indolence and inactivity. There is no such thing as a truly converted person living a helpless, useless life.
It is not possible for us to drift into Heaven.
No sluggard can enter there…those who refuse to co-operate with God on earth would not co-operate with Him in Heaven. It would not be safe to take them to Heaven.”
Christ’s Object Lessons pg.280
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
“We need [not] look for no outward evidence of the blessing. The gift is in the promise, and we may go about our work assured that what God has promised, He is able to perform, and that the gift, which we already possess, will be realised when we need it most.”
Satan well knows that all whom he can lead to neglect prayer and the searching of the Scriptures, will be overcome by his attacks. Therefore he invents every possible device to engross the mind.
“As soon as you are washed in Christ’s blood and clothed in His righteousness, you must begin to hew your way through a lane of enemies, right up to the Eternal Throne. Every foot of the way will be disputed; not an inch will satan yield to you.“
“A familiar acquaintance with the Scriptures sharpens the discerning powers, and fortifies the soul against the attacks of Satan. The Bible is the sword of the Spirit, which will never fail to vanquish the adversary. It is the only true guide in all matters of faith and practice. The reason why Satan has so great control over the minds and hearts of men is that they have not made the Word of God the man of their counsel, and all their ways have not been tried by the true test. The Bible will show us what course we must pursue to become heirs of glory.
As the heart is opened to the entrance of the Word, light from the throne of God will shine into the soul[Psalm 119:130]. That Word, cherished in the heart, will yield to the student a treasure of knowledge that is priceless. Its ennobling principles will stamp the character with honesty and truthfulness, temperance and integrity.”
“The glory of God, the perfection of Christian character, is to be the aim, the purpose, of our life. Christ’s followers must imitate Christ in disposition….Jesus is our helper; in Him and through Him we must conquer…. He will give you grace and strength as you need it if you ask Him….The Spirit of Christ in the heart will be revealed in the character, will develop noble qualities and powers. “My grace is sufficient” (2 Corinthians 12:9) says Christ…Look not at those around you. Look instead at the only perfect pattern, the man Christ Jesus. Beholding Him, you will be changed into the same image.” Our High Calling pg. 29
“…I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
John 8:12 KJV
As the small seedling breaks forth from the soil and strives to find the rays of the sun that it may grow up into a mature plant bearing fruit for the farmer, so must the Christian strive to walk in the light as Christ is in the light, for He is the “Sun of Righteousness” Malachi 4:2 KJV . By following the light of Christ day after day, shall we grow up “unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ”, Ephesians 4:13 KJV, and by this work of transformation and daily sanctification that takes place in us by the Holy Ghost, shall we bring forth fruit for the Husbandman of the vineyard, Isaiah 5:1-3,7; Matthew 21:33.
Scripture teaches us that “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” and if we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, engaging in the works thereof, then “we lie and do not know the truth.”1 John 1:5-6. Furthermore, Christ has said to us, His Church, that we must follow His example. As He was the light of the world while he dwelt here, working the works of the Father, so are we now called to pick up the baton which He has passed onto us, to work the works of Him that sent us into the world to proclaim the everlasting gospel & His soon return to all men.
Ye are the light of the world…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14,16 KJV
Christ Himself, veiled His divine nature, and took on human flesh and blood when He came to this earth. He was part of humanity like you and I, the Son of Man, tempted in all points such as we are, yet He committed no sin, Hebrews 4:15. He walked in the light of the Father, and came to reveal to mankind the glory and character of God, because no man can see or shall see the face of God and live, for He dwells in light unapproachable, Exodus 33:20; 1 Timothy 6:16.
Following this example of Christ, we are now called to walk in the light, that we may also reflect His character and His glory to the world. We are to walk as Christ walked, and live as He lived and by doing this, the world shall see Christ in us “the hope of glory” and shall also be led unto Him. 1 John 2:6; Colossians 1:27.
O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.
Isaiah 2:5KJV
He that followeth after Christ, shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life. His Word shall be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, leading us and directing us into all truth. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. John 8:12; Psalm 119:105; 2 Corinthians 4:6.
But this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, through Christ and through His faithful, obedient followers, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. For everyone that doeth evil deeds, hates the light, neither do they come into the light lest their deeds be rebuked. John 3:19-20. Satan has covered this world in darkness and has covered the minds of its inhabitants in gross darkness. They refuse to heed the light of Christ and as a result they remain captives of the enemy. Therefore as a plant, because of its inability to receive light for a prolonged period of time and is thus covered in darkness, dies, so do all who refuse to walk in the light of Christ die spiritually.
But to those who heed the call of the Spirit and receive the Word of God in their hearts the Prophet Isaiah says, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”Isaiah 9:2. Paul in agreement with this also says that we “are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”1 Thessalonians 5:5. We are children of the light for we are children of God, for “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” , “Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called the sons of God.”
Therefore let us continue to strive towards the light as the plants of nature strive to follow the direction of the sun’s rays, for it is only by this that they shall grow up into their full stature producing fruit. Likewise, as we keep following the light of Christ, pressing on and persevering despite the conditions of life, so also shall we grow up unto the fulness and stature of the True Light, Jesus Christ, bearing fruit for the Master, for by beholding, we become changed.
Jesus is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. His children are the children of light. They are renewed in His image, and called out of darkness into His marvellous light. He is the light of the world, and so also are they that follow Him. They shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The more closely the people of God strive to imitate Christ, the more perseveringly will they be pursued by the enemy; but their nearness to Christ strengthens them to resist the efforts of our wily foe to draw them from Christ.
Testimonies for the Church, Volume 1, page 405, paragraph 2
Throughout the Scriptures, we always find that before God pours out His judgments upon the wicked, He always sends a message of warning, that the wicked may have opportunity to turn from their wicked ways and be saved.
Whether it be Noah preaching to those living before the Flood, Lot warning the inhabitants of Sodom & Gomorrah, Moses admonishing Pharaoh before the great Exodus, Nahum warning those of Nineveh, or the Prophet Jeremiah, warning the children of Judah before their fall to Babylon, God is the same yesterday, today and forever more; He never changes.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Hebrews 13:8 KJV
With that being said, do we not expect the God of all the universe, to proclaim a message of warning to this final generation? Will not God have a faithful people living upon the earth in these last days who shall proclaim the present truth for this time, as He had with the Patriarchs and Prophets of old?
Of course He will! For He never changes His ways of working. Therefore, it behooves us to find out what is this message of warning that God has given to us and to heed its call, for “the great day of the LORD is near, it is near and hasteth greatly.Zephaniah 1:14 KJV
By a careful study of the Old Testament, one would observe the way in which God operates when He gives a message of warning to wicked. He first gives the message to His faithful people, who in turn share that message with that particular sinful nation; it is usually always a message of repentance. Generally, we find that the people refuse to repent except a small remnant and God then brings destruction upon the unrepentant whilst saving that remnant who did heed the message and turn from their ways.
We are told that Noah was a preacher of righteousness, 2 Peter 2:5 KJV. He proclaimed to the world a message of repentance in his day, admonishing them to turn from their sinful ways and to seek refuge in the ark because destruction was imminent. However, unfortunately only seven others apart from Noah heeded the call and God destroyed all the others by a global, catastrophic flood. 2 Peter 3:20 KJV.
But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 24:37 KJV
Likewise, as it was in Lot’s day, so shall it be in the day when Christ is revealed and the unrepentant receive their reward. Luke 17:28-30KJV. Lot was sorely perplexed by the apostasy that surrounded him day by day as he dwelt in Sodom. 2 Peter 2:7-8 KJV. He preached unto those that dwelt in the land, including his family members, Genesis 19:14 KJV, yet they heeded not the call. Therefore, “the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all“Luke 17:29 KJV, only Lot and his two daughters were saved.
And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly…
2 Peter 2:6 KJV/Jude 1:7 KJV
Did not Moses give countless warnings to Pharaoh to let God’s people free from bondage or else He would destroy them?
Did not the Lord send countless Prophets, time after time unto the children of Israel, warning them of their harlotries and to turn from their sinful lives? But they rejected the call and even killed many of the Prophets that were sent unto them.
Says the Lord ” O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee…” Matthew 23:37 KJV.
God is merciful and long suffering with us all. He does not wish that any of us should perish but that we all should turn from our unrighteous deeds and be saved through His Son Christ Jesus, For He is the way, the truth and the life. It is for this reason, that He sends countless messages of warning to mankind, throughout all generations.
Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
Ezekiel 18:23 KJV
One may say that yes, God warned those in the past, but what about us today? Where is the message to this final generation? Friends, God does not change.
This message is found in the Book of Revelation. It is the final message of warning given to mankind before Jesus comes to harvest the wheat and to uproot and destroy the tares (weeds). It is one message with three parts, found in Revelation 14:6-12 KJV. It is the three angel’s messages, a message which must go to all the world, to “every nation and kindred and tongue and people”, Revelation 14:6 KJV.
It is a message of love, for God wishes that we should all accept salvation in His Son and be saved, yet it is also a message of justice because all who refuse to heeds its call, will, like the ancient people of old, be destroyed.
The first message calls us to the time of judgment. It points us to the final work that our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, is doing for us in the Most Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary. He is blotting out our sins and examining the Books to see which of us are fitted for the Kingdom of Heaven, for He says, “Behold, I am coming soon and my reward is with me to give to every man according as His work shall be” Revelation 22:12 KJV. It is quite evident that if Christ is returning to reward every man, both righteous and unrighteous, then there must be a work of investigation before hand. That work of investigation is quickly coming to a close as we can see that Christ’s Second Coming is soon upon us.
This message also points us back to God’s title as the Creator of “heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of waters”, and all that is in them, Revelation 14:7 KJV.
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves.
Psalm 100:3 KJV
What better way to remember the Creator than by observing that day which He has sanctified and made holy, “because that in it He had rested from all His work” He created and made, Genesis 2:3 KJV.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God… For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it (made it holy).
Exodus 20:8-11
After heeding the first message, we are directed to the second. It warns us of the moral fall of Babylon, that great harlot, who commits fornication with the kings of the earth and by whose trade the merchants of the earth wax rich and the inhabitants of the world are deceived by her false teachings. Revelation 17:1-5 KJV. The warning message goes forth, “Come out of her my people” , Revelation 18:4 KJV. It must be then that God has many people in Babylon, and as result, when His people shall hear the call to come out which shall be preached by His servants, they will then heed the message and come out.
I would suggest a read of our Beginners Bible Study Guide on The Harlot which is free for download. This guide will help to give a better understanding on who is Babylon in our day.
The final message goes forth, warning the inhabitants of the earth not to bow the knee in submission to the beast and its religious laws which shall be set up, for if any do this, then they shall receive the mark of this beast and ultimately shall be destroyed as the wicked inhabitants of the pre-flood world were also destroyed.
The first message calls us to worship God, the third warns us against worshipping the beast & his image for we are to have no other gods apart from the one true God, Jehovah.
Trying times are about to come upon all of God’s people. A time of trouble such as never was, since there was a nation is to come upon all of us that dwell upon the earth, Daniel 12:1 KJV. The serpent is wroth with God’s people and will seek to make war with them to destroy them, Revelation 12:17 KJV, but we must keep our eyes on Christ. No matter the circumstances, let us remain faithful by God’s grace, and give the message of warning to this dying world, which God has given to His faithful servants to give to all mankind.
When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
Loud Cry Compendium 