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Come Quickly, Lord, July 8
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch
unto prayer.
1 Peter 4:7
.
The end is near, and we must be prepared for what we will have to meet.
Our lives must be hid with Christ in God. We need the education of the Holy
Spirit.
It is our privilege to be cheerful. At times I have been tempted to feel a
depression of soul, as I see how blind and mistaken many of our brethren are.
It makes my heart ache to think of the men who are unsettled, and who have
lost their bearings. May the Lord work to remove the cloud of uncertainty,
that truth and righteousness may prevail. It seems scarcely possible that the
power of deception can be so strong. I pity these men, but the impression they
have made on other minds is so strong that it makes me tremble. A stormy
future is before us, but we have with us One who is mighty to prevail.
At times as I see a cloud in the sky, I involuntarily exclaim, “Come, Lord
Jesus, and come quickly.” Such times as this will reveal character. I long to
see the deceptive power of the enemy broken. But we will not let our faith fail.
The only real comfort I find is to look beyond this conflict, and see the final
triumph, the glory of God reflecting brightness on the overcomers. Prophecy
points out the sure result of the conflict, and by faith we may see it. I long to
realize the experiences opened before me in the visions the Lord has given to
me.
The restraining power of the Spirit of God is being withdrawn from the
earth. Our work must be done quickly. We must put forth every effort in
our power to save souls from death. Soon the Lord God of heaven will set
up His kingdom, which shall never be destroyed. Now is the time for us to
develop a pure, heavenly character. The work will increase more and more
in earnestness and intensity until the end. We need an increase of faith. We
must watch unto prayer.
For weeks I have been as a cart beneath sheaves, not because I have the
least question regarding the work God has given me to do, nor because of
any desire to shun the responsibilities He has placed upon me; but my heart
aches for those who are walking in the blindness of error, who have lost their
discernment, and who cannot distinguish truth from error—
Letter 226, July
8, 1906
, to Elder G. I. Butler, a longtime associate in the work and president
of the Southern Union Conference.
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