Seperation of the Wheat and Tares....

Matthew 13:30
Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

I am seeing more and more members picking up strange philosophies, private interpretations or letting go of the truth and the attributes seems to be letting go of the Sabbath, and stop believing in the testimonies given through the Spirit of Prophecy, and then a hardening of the heart against the truth that they once loved. So I believe the seperation or 'shaking' is on us full force, with many not even aware or with any understanding of its destructive purpose......Here are some points that I came across..

1 - False theories to destroy truth.

"When the shaking comes, by the introduction of false theories, these surface readers, anchored nowhere, are like shifting sand. They slide into any position to suit the tenor of their feelings of bitterness. . . Daniel and Revelation must be studied, as well as the other prophecies of the Old and New Testaments. Let there be light, yes, light, in your dwellings. For this we need to pray. The Holy Spirit, shining upon the sacred page, will open our understanding, that we may know what is truth."-Testimonies to Ministers, 112:1.

"The enemy will bring in false theories, such as the doctrine that there is no sanctuary. This is one of the points on which there will be a departing from the faith." -Evangelism, 224:3.

2 - The shaking occurs when the truth is refused.

"There is to be a shaking among God's people; but this is not the present truth to carry to the churches. It will be the result of refusing the truth presented." -2 Selected Messages, 13:1.

"The Lord is soon to come. There must be a refining, winnowing process in every church, for there are among us wicked men who do not love the truth or honor God."-Review, March 19, 1895.

"Not having received the love of the truth, they will be taken in the delusions of the enemy; they will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils and will depart from the faith."-6 Testimonies, 401 :0.

3 - The rejection of the straight testimony brings the shaking.

"I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking among God's people. "-Early Writings, 270:2.

"The Lord calls for a renewal of the straight testimony borne in years past. He calls for a renewal of spiritual life. The spiritual energies of His people have long been torpid, but there is to be a resurrection from apparent death. By prayer and confession of sin we must clear the King's highway." -8 Testimonies, 297:5-6].

"One thing is certain: Those Seventh-day Adventists who take their stand under Satan's banner will first give up their faith in the warnings and reproofs contained in the Testimonies of God's Spirit." -3 Selected Messages, 84:3.

"The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. 'Where there is no vision, the people perish,' (Proverbs 29:18). Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God's remnant people in the true testimony. "-1 Selected Messages, 48:3.

"The enemy has made his masterly efforts to unsettle the faith of our own people in the Testimonies. This is just as Satan designed it should be, and those who have been preparing the way for the people to pay no heed to the warnings and reproofs of the Testimonies of the Spirit of God will see that a tide of errors of all kinds will spring to life." - 3 Selected Messages, 83:3-4.

"It is Satan's plan to weaken the faith of God's people in the Testimonies. Next follows skepticism in regard to the vital points of our faith, the pillars of our position, then doubt as to the Holy Scriptures, and then the downward march to perdition. When the Testimonies, which were once believed, are doubted and given up, Satan knows the deceived ones will not stop at this; and he redoubles his efforts till he launches them into open rebellion, which becomes incurable and ends in destruction,"-4 Testimonies, 211:1.

4 - Disobedience brings the shaking.

"The history of the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram is being repeated, and will be repeated till the close of time. Who will be on the Lord's side? Who will be deceived, and in their turn become deceivers?" -Letter 15, 1892.

"The shaking of God blows away multitudeslike dry leaves."- 4 Testimonies, 89:2.


Now here is something that really left me thinking.............

In the last solemn work few great men will be engaged. They are self-sufficient, independent of God, and He cannot use them. The Lord has faithful servants, who in the shaking, testing time will be disclosed to view. There are preciousones now hidden who have not bowed the knee to Baal. They have not had the light which has been shining in a concentrated blaze upon you. But it may be under a rough and uninviting exterior the pure brightness of a genuine Christian character will be revealed. In the daytime we look toward heaven but do not see the stars. They are there, fixed in the firmament, but the eye cannot distinguish them. In the night we behold their genuine luster.

"The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. Those who have step by step yielded to worldly customs will not find it a hard matter to yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death." -5 Testimonies, 80:1- 81:1.


"As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel's message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position, and join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popular side. Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren. When Sabbathkeepers are brought before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are the most efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false reports and insinuations to stir up the rulers against them."-Great Controversy, 608:2.


"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 perseveringly plead and agonize for it, did not obtain it, and they were left behind in darkness, and their places were Immediately filled by others taking hold of the truth and coming into the ranks,"-Early Writings, 271:1

Pseudepigrapha?

Hmmmmm, 16 or so EGW quotes to support/interpret a snippet of Bible text?? Not sure what your point is!!

This brings out a question from the snippet King ...

Do people prefer snippets or long long lists of long quotes?

I've received much trouble for my snippets. But perhaps we should have a vote ...

Snippets or Verbose?

How about a third option? "....as the Spirit moves"

"For no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it [to do so--it never came by human impulse], but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled) by the Holy Spirit."
2 Peter 1:21 AMP
Regards!

I for one agree with you completely and also agree with all the quotes. As far as I'm concerned, we all need to study both the Bible and the Spirit of prophecy a lot more.

Snippets are fine except when they are used to support one's position but the context is in fact opposite to what the snippet is being used to support.

Gerry

So you are saying that this is not happening in Adventism today....

"It is Satan's plan to weaken the faith of God's people in the Testimonies. Next follows skepticism in regard to the vital points of our faith, the pillars of our position, then doubt as to the Holy Scriptures, and then the downward march to perdition. When the Testimonies, which were once believed, are doubted and given up, Satan knows the deceived ones will not stop at this; and he redoubles his efforts till he launches them into open rebellion, which becomes incurable and ends in destruction,"

Good Point Gerry. I would agree with this. But what is one man's context ... is another man's deception. The Bible and the SOP are both used this way. This is why we have so many Christian churches. Context.Context.Context. What we need to do is to pray when we are determining context/truth. If more of you did that ... you would be agreeing with me more often!!!.

One problem with making context the only way God speaks through any particular scripture is that makes the context the carrier of Truth instead of the Word, which then would be inconsistent with these two verses.

"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4 KJV

"....be diligent to present thyself approved to God -- a workman irreproachable, rightly dividing the word of the truth..." 2 Timothy 2:15 YLT

A Truth, a proper Truth can be seen when context is taken into consideration, especially for that particular contextual circumstance. However when we can see only one Truth based upon a particular context we eliminate ourselves from all Truth but the one in that context and we probably cannot see even that Truth clearly since our perspective is separated from context usually by centuries of time and information long ago forgotten and not included in the written record.

Many don't wish to accept Truth in any other setting than it's original context since they are not immediately in that context and it makes it easier to avoid the voice of the Spirit convicting the individual soul.

An easier method to obtain Truth, if that is the goal desired, is to reach for consistent application which leads to focused spiritual vision, as opposed to context, of which one context always applies to every man reading the Word___

"Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives."

"And we are as unclean -- all of us, And as a garment passing away, all our righteous acts; And we fade as a leaf -- all of us. And our iniquities as wind do take us away." Isaiah 64:6 YLT

And when it comes to separating the wheat from the tares, this seems to me to meet the need.

"Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. " Revelation 1:4-6 NKJV
Regards!