Arrow Of Prophecy (1970s)

L second was [Music] God saw his children down here on Earth God sent an angel to tell of Christ birth he spoke through His prophets of things to come Redemption for all who believed on his son and he told all the nations would come and go and all the people would run to [Music] and through dreams and through symbols he spoke to men an arrow of Prophecy pointing to him prophecy has always captivated the imagination from the beginning of time men have tried to Extra the future from something in the present or the past you will find people today Consulting mediums Ouija boards Rings dangling over a glass of water cards the Polynesians have studied the flight of birds for some clue to the Future the Chinese look to the turn of two pieces of wood to tell them whether the future holds happiness or evil gypsies will read the of your hand or predict the future in the positioning of tea [Music] leaves the Aborigines of Australia find a key to tomorrow in the patterns left in the Sands during World War II even Statesmen of highly civilized lands paid clandestine visits to Spirit mediums in an effort to know the outcome of the war and how they might best guide their Nation history has demonstrated that such sources of information cannot be trusted there is one source that history supports that Source has opened Windows to tomorrow down through the centuries one example of its reliability may be found in the history of the Jews their future and the future of those who conquered them were foretold by prophets as long as500 years before the words are still recorded in the Bible for all the world to read read discovering the future was of great concern to the ancient Middle East rulers when a king dreamed or some unusual portent occurred hurried conferences of the Court wisemen were called to determine the meaning centuries before Christ the ruler of Babylon saw the future in a dream of a great image made of varied Metals a captive Jew Daniel told him the meaning of his dream the image he said represented a succession of Nations history has confirmed his interpretation the Babylonian Empire depicted by the head of gold was overthrown by the Persians some 60 years after the dream in 538 BC the era of the breast and arms of silver had begun then in 331 BC Alexander the Great conquered Persia fulfilling the third part of the prophecy and introducing the Greek era represented by the images thighs of brass around 200 BC Rome the great iron Empire became the dominant power of the world for nearly 500 years Rome ruled until through her own corruption she fell apart under the attacks of the Barbarian hordes from that day to this no single King no one Emperor no one nation has so dominated human history and this is just what this ancient prophecy declared these feet of clay and iron which do not mix indicated separate Nations which would never combine into one peaceful Nation the arrow of Prophecy zeroed in on future targets with fantastic accuracy Daniel's explanation did not stop at the feet of the image in the King's dream a great Stone crashed against the feet destroying the image Daniel explained it in the days of these Kings shall the god of Heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed according to prophecy handed down Through the Ages we are approaching the day of the stone around the middle of the 19th century in Many Lands Bible students focused on the great time prophecies Manuel Luna a Roman Catholic priest in Latin America interpreted them as indicating the second coming of Christ was at hand in Germany Johan Petri a Reformed Church Minister broadcast his feelings that the scriptures pointed to the second coming of Christ in 1843-44 Joseph Wolf of England traveled extensively giving the message of a sooncoming Christ in Germany Holland Switzerland India Africa and other lands men of many faiths Roman Catholic Presbyterian Episcopalian Baptist Methodist felt an awareness of some impending event foretold in Prophecy in the United States a New York farmer left his plow convinced after months of close study of Bible prophecy that the scriptures pointed to the end of the world the second coming of Christ William Miller took his message of warning to the pulpits and lecture Halls throughout the Eastern United States more than 100,000 men and women from all churches accepted his belief that the world would end in 1844 [Music] but there was [Music] nothing a few turned again to their Bibles there they discovered parallels between the ancient Sanctuary service of the Jews and the ministry of Christ in heaven instead of marking the return of Christ to Earth Earth 1844 they saw marked the beginning of a special judgment period in heaven they understood that through his death on the cross Christ had paid the Redemption price for all who in faith would Place their lives in his hands for such he was now interceding before God the Father asking for them forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life many of these Bible students were young in their 18 teens and early 20s perhaps the youngest of all was Ellen Harmon who with her parents had come out of the Methodist Church in Portland Maine in response to Miller's teaching Ellen Harmon shortly to become Mrs James White was a woman of unusual perceptivity and an Earnest Christian though by Nature timid and retiring she was to be used of God to give guidance to a developing New Movement a church called into existence to point as an arrow to the words of scripture and their prophetic application to this age some have called Ellen Harmon white a prophet she called herself the messenger of the Lord and urged constantly the study of the Bible as the only guide book to heaven and the basic source of spiritual Direction when through Bible study the significance of the fourth Commandment became plain to her she quickly began keeping the seventh day Sabbath and urged others to do the same at the creation when the foundations of the earth were laid the sons of God looked with admiration upon the work of the Creator and all the Heavenly hosts shouted for Joy it was then that the foundation of the Sabbath was laid God rested on the seventh day and blessed and hallowed it I saw that the Sabbath Never will be done away but that the redeemed Saints and all all the Angelic host will observe it in honor of the great Creator to all eternity driven by an impelling need to share the news that had come to them these early Adventists spared nothing to carry their message from one corner of North America to the other it was their work to proclaim the historic Christian Gospel in the setting of The judgment hour message frequently it was James and and white Who Bore the brunt of this endeavor at the same time rearing a family of sons the message spread through great personal sacrifice The Messengers often misunderstood often living on very scanty rations often bone tired a church had begun to grow a church that had its roots in the individualists of all ages men and women who who refused to have their consciences dictated the early Christians the Wald danians 7eventh day Sabbath Keepers down through the ages in Scotland Norway Ethiopia India Sweden Finland England France Germany it was a church with an urgency that would not rest it had come into existence as God's Great prophetic clock had struck the hour it had a special commission the first house of work ship was at Washington New Hampshire it was here that the people who had discovered the Wonder of Prophecy and applied it to their day first took their stand for the seventh day Sabbath of the Bible they later became known as 7eventh day Adventists from this Pulpit many of the leaders of those early days spoke courage and spiritual blessing to the small congregation here too Ellen White spoke often beginning as a frail timid woman as the spirit of the Lord Came Upon her her voice would strengthen and her sermons rich in Bible quotations would come through clear and to the point at times she would be interrupted by Vision even while she spoke always she would write out in letters or articles what God had revealed to her her letters to individuals contained words of comfort and encouragement some carried r rebuke urging the forsaking of some secret sin for the foundling church her councils were the essence of the spirit of Prophecy and her guidance was sought and accepted and always carefully checked with the Bible in the course of 68 years Ellen White wrote more than a 100,000 pages of manuscript one of her early Visions dealt with a matter of publishing it was at a meeting in Dorchester Massachusetts in 184 that message for you saw the need you must begin to print a little paper and send it out to the people from this small beginning it was shown to me to be like streams of light that went clear around the world [Music] today the church operates more than 40 publishing houses printing its message in 273 languages and reaching all types of [Music] people to the pr page the church has added the use of radio and television in its World Outreach such programs as the voice of prophecy on radio and Faith for today on television our Pioneers in religious broadcasts and about 5,000 other programs are aired by the church every week to Compass the entire Earth believing the words of scripture describing the body as the temple of God the church early concerned itself with helpful living many of the people of the 19th century suffered from poor health habits it was an ERA when Foods swam in grease or surrendered their vitamins in prolonged cooking and people often sealed themselves away from dangerous night Vapors women pinched their waists with breath defying corsets and resorted to medications often more deadly than the [Music] disease one of the first of what was to become an international chain of more than 200 Hospitals and Clinics was the world famous Battle Creek sanitarium opened under the inspired guidance of Ellen [Applause] [Music] White here the quiet experimentation of Dr John Harvey Kellogg and his brother will ignited the spark which exploded into the breakfast food Revolution and here too the church began its search for a better all-around diet for natural foods that would make possible the elimination of meat from the menu without losing the protein essential to life its persistence in this search has resulted in meatless protein foods produced in church-owned plants in many parts of the World products now being studied carefully by the Giants of the Food Industries the church's health program has has grown to embrace Hospitals and Clinics in all parts of the world sometimes healing and health are brought to remote areas and isolated peoples by floating clinics or medical launches behind the efforts large or small are the councils of Ellen White councils strange to her day but now recognized by Health authorities as fact as early as 1864 this remarkable woman said tobacco is a slow Insidious but most malignant poison that was how I heard about Ellen White when I was attending a 5-day plan to stop smoking Adventists have sponsored thousands of these stop smoking clinics for people who like me have wanted to quit smoking I must admit the first few days were rugged but boy what a difference it made in my life to be able to smell a sweet fragrance and taste delicate flavors again you know the Seventh Day Adventist Church has always banned the use of tobacco or alcohol by its members in fact at the time of the SLO kering studies on smoking and cancer Adventists were used as a control group of people who did not smoke the extremely low incidence of lung cancer in this group and contrast to much higher incidents among smokers contributed to the Surgeon General report or warning that report shook one of the world's largest Industries the cigarette manufacturers Ellen White pegged the cause of cancer as a germ back there in 1864 no one knew anything about cancer people knew very little about the nutritional values in foods and the relationship ship of diet to health today the news is full of concern about the loss of minerals and vitamins in refined cereals and flour which are not added back in the enrichment process as early as 1863 Mrs White warned fine flour white bread is lacking in nutritive elements to be found in bread made from whole wheat long before the term poly UNS saturated fat became a household word she wrote the oil as eaten in the olive is far preferable to animal oil or fat dentists and nutritionists Bemo the average diet's high sugar intake here is what she said in 1890 before people got around to thinking of such things the free use of sugar in any form tends to clog the system and is not infrequently a Cause of disease Medical Science has come to place considerable emphasis on the electrical currents that control the body in 1869 Ellen White wrote Whatever disturbs the circulation of the electrical currents in the nervous system lessens the strength of the vital powers and the result is deadening of the sensibilities of the Mind I know her that is I know what Ellen White said about today and people you know there's a great thing about the social gospel all the churches are in there wanting to do good but Mrs White long long ago pointed out the importance of caring for folks in need upon your faithfulness in this work she said not only the well-being of others but your own Eternal Destiny depends pretty strong words since its beginning the church has operated a program aimed at relieving need admitting the distresses of disaster victims nearly every church has its Health and Welfare organization Aven disaster raid Vans will be found dispensing food blankets clothing and other necessities wherever people are cold and hungry homeless or deprived of the essentials of life whether that need is in the ghetto in the United States or Peru or Australia or Africa or the lands of the Far East Archie Moore puts his religion into practice former light heavyweight champion Moore spends his spare time trying to get through to the kids around him with a message of clean living the champ says Mrs White speak strong words there are even stronger Words which have been spoken to the church words touching on the widespread ecumenical sweep that has become popular today in a frantic search for peace Ellen White at the turn of the century predicted that Christian churches would seek to unite she explained they will see in this Union a grand movement for the conversion of the world and the ushering in of the long awaited Millennium the result she said said would be the trampling on the right of conscience the church points with deepening concern to the unfolding of Bible prophecy on the closing days of Earth's history the trauma of the age brings not just the responsibility of explaining its significance but also of showing men the way to Christ and preparing them for his return for men must know how to live for God as the Earth grows old and time Runs Out Bible prophecies concerning the days just before the second coming of Christ read like the headlines in today's newspapers this know also that in the last days perilous times shall come for men shall be lovers of their own selves Covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unth thankful Unholy without natural affection truce Breakers false accusers incontinent fears despisers of those that are good traitors heady high-minded lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof hold it just a stick up get your hands up get your hands up and you won't get hurt let me have your bill you too L lovers of their own selves Covetous blasphemers disobedient to parents Unholy without natural affection unthankful proud boaster truce Breakers incontinent despisers of those that are good lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased and the nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the Dead that they should be judged and that thou should give reward unto thy servants and should destroy them which destroy the Earth [Music] and this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the End come Christ spoke these words long ago in the hills of old Judea as he looked down on the scenes he loved he looked beyond them to our time he traced for his disciples and for us the Flight of The Arrow of Prophecy piercing the events of today and pointing to his return he spoke that we might know and comprehend the meaning of the times in his words the church finds guidance warning against false christs or secret comings and hope hope for a world in deep trouble with its people and its environment if they shall say unto you behold he is in the desert go not forth behold he is in the secret Chambers believe it not as Lightning cometh out of the East and shineth even unto the West so shall also the coming of the son of man be the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord God has given man many other prophecies pertaining to our day they may be found in the sacred book for an understanding of the meaning of our times the 7th Day Adventist Church recommends for your study the Holy Bible [Music] word his word is peace his word is is love