Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

Be Zealous and Repent 139difficulties between themselves and their brethren to remove. Othershave evil tempers, selfish covetousness, to remove before they canopen the door. Others have rolled the world before the door of theirheart, which bars the door. All this rubbish must be taken away, andthen they can open the door and welcome the Saviour in.Oh, how precious was this promise, as it was shown to me invision! “I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.”Oh, the love, the wondrous love of God! After all our lukewarmnessand sins He says: “Return unto Me, and I will return unto thee, and willheal all thy backslidings.” This was repeated by the angel a number oftimes. “Return unto Me, and I will return unto thee, and will heal allthy backslidings.” [144]Some, I saw, would gladly return. Others will not let this messageto the Laodicean church have its weight upon them. They will glidealong, much after the same manner as before, and will be spewed outof the mouth of the Lord. Those only who zealously repent will havefavor with God.“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne,even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in Histhrone.” We can overcome. Yes; fully, entirely. Jesus died to make away of escape for us, that we might overcome every evil temper, everysin, every temptation, and sit down at last with Him.It is our privilege to have faith and salvation. The power of God hasnot decreased. His power, I saw, would be just as freely bestowed nowas formerly. It is the church of God that have lost their faith to claim,their energy to wrestle, as did Jacob, crying: “I will not let Thee go,except Thou bless me.” Enduring faith has been dying away. It mustbe revived in the hearts of God’s people. There must be a claiming ofthe blessing of God. Faith, living faith, always bears upward to Godand glory; unbelief, downward to darkness and death.I saw that the minds of some of the church have not run in the rightchannel. There have been some peculiar temperaments that have hadtheir notions by which to measure their brethren. And if any did notexactly agree with them, there was trouble in the camp at once. Somehave strained at a gnat and swallowed a camel.These set notions have been humored and indulged altogether toolong. There has been a picking at straws. And when there were no realdifficulties in the church, trials have been manufactured. The minds of