1888 Message Conferences & Seminars

Conferences and Seminars

Where the 1888 Message Will Be Presented

 

 

May 25-27 (note change of date)

(Thursday evening – Saturday night)

Meadow Vista Seventh-day Adventist Church

1461 Meadow Vista Road, Meadow Vista, California

 

“The Elijah Message and 1888”

 

Speakers: Paul Penno, Robert J. Wieland, Dan Peters, Arlene Hill, and others

 

Thursday, May 25

7:00 p.m., “How Elijah Is in Our Future,” Paul Penno

 

Friday, May 26

9:30 a.m., “How I Discovered this ‘Most Precious Message,’” Mike Rich

10:30 a.m., “The 1888 Message and Elijah,” Robert J. Wieland

2:00 p.m., “The Hearts of the Fathers,” Dan Peters

3:00 p.m., “Limping Between Two Opinions,” Paul Penno

7:00 p.m., “Coming! Elijah Is on the Agenda,” Robert J. Wieland

 

Sabbath, May 27

10:00 a.m., Sabbath School, “The Christian’s Guide,” Robert J. Wieland

11:00 a.m., “Elijah and the New Covenant,” Paul Penno

2:00 p.m., “The Outcast Women and 1888,” Dan Peters

3:00 p.m., “The Triumph of the 1888 Message,” Robert J. Wieland

4:00 p.m., “Why Did God Send the 1888 Message?,” Arlene Hill

7:00 p.m., Roundtable discussion: “‘Bread’ for a Famishing Church:
Answers to Tough Questions”

 

Q & A Sessions, Book Sales; Some Meals will be Provided

For more information: (530) 477-0390; e-mail: kawamoto@1888message.org

 

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July 23-27 (each afternoon)

Redwood Camp Meeting

2437 Dyerville Loop Road, Redcrest, California

Workshop on the 1888 Message

Speaker: Paul Penno

 

July 25-29 (Tuesday evening-Saturday night)

1888 Message National Conference

Columbia Union College

7600 Flower Ave., Takoma Park, Maryland

Theme: Lighten Your World With His Glory: Studies in the Book of Ephesians

Speakers: John W. Peters, Gerald L. Finneman, Robert J. Wieland, Joe Gresham, Edgar Vyhmeister, and others

Programs for Children and Youth

For information: (269) 473-1888

 

September 1-3 (Friday evening-Sunday noon)

Valley Center Seventh-day Adventist Church

14919 Fruitvale Road, Valley Center, California

Speaker: Robert J. Wieland

For information: (909) 824-5046

 

September 15-17 (Friday evening-Sunday noon)

Northstar Camp, Anoka, Brainerd, Minnesota

Speaker: Robert J. Wieland

For Information: (765) 506-0436
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Sabbath School Insights No. 7, Qtr 2-06

Special Insights No. 7

Second Quarter 2006 Adult Sabbath School Lessons

“The Holy Spirit”

(Produced by the Editorial Board of the 1888 Message Study Committee)

“Gifts of the Holy Spirit”

 

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:1, 4).

 

Our memory text presents an important juxtaposition: diversity and unity. The Bible speaks of many gifts from the same Spirit. God gave these gifts of the Holy Spirit to perfect the saints and come to the unity of the faith (Eph. 4:12, 13). Yet history has shown that many see these two elements differently. The harsh reality is that diversity is too often exploited by the sinful heart to isolate and hurt, whereas unity is seen as another word for manipulation and the desire for power. God’s love and care for His church is misinterpreted as the character of the enemy.

 

The Bible promise is that in these last days during the work of the third angel, we are expecting the Holy Spirit to burst upon the scene in Latter Rain power and restore that which has been broken and distorted by sin. What is the method the Holy Spirit will use? The answer is simple: the gifts of the Holy Spirit! When they are appreciated for what they are, God’s blessings will truly accomplish the work He intended them to do.

 

Let’s review the gifts of the Holy Spirit:

 

Romans 12:4-11:

Prophesying, ministering, teaching, encouraging, exhorting, leadership, mercy.

 

1 Corinthians 12:7-11:

Wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, interpretation of tongues.

 

Ephesians 4:7-13:

Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers.

 

Notice that these gifts, taken as a whole, describe Christ’s work with Israel as a nation throughout the Old Testament, as well as His personal ministry while on earth. Also described is the work of the Holy Spirit as promised in John chapters 14-16. The purpose of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is to:

 

“... prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:12, 13, NIV).

 

So that we might learn to cherish these gifts, it’s important to explore what they are, how they function, and what the results might be if a gift were missing from the body of Christ (the church). So you might wish to try the following:

 

1. Take out your commentary and find the meaning of the each gift (i.e., “mercy”).

a. “Mercy” to help one who is afflicted; to have compassion.

 

2. Are there examples of Christ illustrating such action? What did He say about being merciful?

a. See John 5, the cripple; John 8, the woman caught in adultery.

b. Jesus spoke of “mercy” (Matt 9:13; 12:7).

 

3. Describe how a person would think and act if they were shown mercy.

a. They might be surprised that someone would step out and notice their need, they’d be grateful, thankful.

 

4. What would be the effects if the body of Christ did not have this gift?

a. People would be defensive, suspicious, and fearful that others would not respect their vulnerabilities, and as a result would only able to develop shallow, unfruitful relationships.

 

You might add other considerations for your study. In using this type of exercise, especially #3 and #4, we begin to comprehend the power that the Holy Spirit will bring to those who share their gifts with others. When we fully appreciate these gifts we become caught up in the work of God in these closing days of earth’s history.

 

Perhaps Ellen White had this in mind when she wrote:

 

“The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders Waggoner and Jones. This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world..... Many had lost sight of Jesus. They needed to have their eyes directed to His divine person, His merits, and His changeless love for the human family. All power is given into His hands, that He might dispense rich gifts unto men, imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent. This is the message that God commanded to be given to the world. It is the third angel’s message, which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, and attended with the outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure” (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, pp. 91, 92, emphasis added).

 

The 1888 message was the beginning of the loud cry and latter rain. It came at a time when the church was in need of a fresh view of Jesus Christ and His character. Such a message is needed today. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are simply Heaven’s way of writing God’s law in the hearts of men.

—Robert Van Ornam

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Sabbath School Insights No. 6, Qtr 2-06

Special Insights No. 6

First Quarter 2006 Adult Sabbath School Lessons

“Families in the Family of God”

(Produced by the Editorial Board of the 1888 Message Study Committee)

“The Baptism of the Holy Spirit”

 

In reviewing thoughts on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Wednesday’s lesson brings out a very good point. God is not inconsistent with Himself. The Holy Spirit will not contradict the Son in His work. Jesus says in John 6:28 and 29 that the work of God is to believe. And in Galatians 5:5 and 6, Paul tells us that believing (or faith—the same Greek root) works by agape. So, since God’s voice has within it inherently, the power to do what it says (Gen. 1:3), we can expect and rely upon that Word of God (only) to accomplish what He says in us who are nothing without Him (Rom. 4:17, Heb. 11:3), resulting in the Christian actually doing the works of God and possessing His righteousness dwelling within. This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the indwelling of the power of God bringing the new birth experience to the Christian. (Caveat: be careful how you refer to being born again because of what 1 John 3:9 says that means. The same can be said about claiming to being baptized by the Holy Spirit or being indwelt by God.)

 

And it is God’s Word that accomplishes His work in us. In Galatians 3 Paul tells the Galatians that they have made a shift in their thinking. They have apparently begun to rely on their “own merits,” to try to accomplish the works of God through their own initiative. We can do that today. In fact it is called Laodicea (Revelation 3). It is the fabric of a people who have become complacent in their own accomplishments, taking credit for themselves as if the accomplishments of the past were of their own doing and leaving God in the dust as they try to accomplish more on their own. And like peter we look back into the boat as if to say, “see what I am doing?”—while we begin sinking into the depths of self-righteousness. This is probably the greatest danger we have as a church.

 

And it is God’s Word only that accomplishes His work in us. It behooves us to remind ourselves constantly what we would be without God. Those reminders are everywhere. Just look at the newspapers—full of bad news. What we see in the news is what each of us would be doing without the word of God to hold us as He holds the worlds in space. Yes, God will hold us with His word as He holds the rest of the universe together—with a hand that will never let go. Let us remind ourselves of that constantly.

 

“Consider Abraham: ‘He believed, and it was credited [NIV] to him as righteousness” (Rom. 4:3, James 2:23). What did he believe? He believed the Word. He believed the word of God—and because he claimed God’s promise to make him into the Christian he needed to be to inherit the new earth—something he was not before—he was able to go forth each day with full confidence that today was going to be the best day yet, because God was in control of his life. How about you? Will you let God do that for you? Believe His Word. Believe that God’s word only can do what it says. Expect God’s word only to do what it says. And depend on God’s word only to do what it says—in you! Today! Right now! We can do this too because Galatians 3:8 reminds us that God had told Abraham that all nations would be blessed through him—and when God credits or accounts something, because His word is in it, and because it is the Word that has the power inherent within itself to create what it says—you are blessed today because you are a member of “all nations.”

 

The “works of the law” are only man’s attempt to accomplish God’s “work” in his own way and in his own strength—that old covenant experience of “All that you say we will do.” We need, rather, to fall on our knees and claim God’s promise to us as Abraham did. We need to tell God something like this: “I don’t know how you are going to make a Christian out of me because, from my perspective and from the perspective of what you have for me to do, it looks impossible. But you have promised to do it. And I claim your promise and hold you to your word. Now I go forth acting as if you have, are, and will complete your promise in me. Thank you for your power.” —This is the prayer of faith.

 

Now, Paul did not have a word for legalism, so he called this the “works of the law,” as in keeping the letter of the law, but not the spirit of it. But believing, expecting, and depending on God’s word is keeping the Spirit of the law, for this is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, who, by the way, keeps both the letter and the spirit of the law as only God can. Let Him do it in you. As Galatians 3:5 says, “He therefore.... ministereth to you the Spirit.” Go ahead, let Him do it. The just shall live by faith. You have been justified (made just or righteous; see Romans 5), and it will come true in your experience when you believe God’s promise—His Word.

 

In Galatians 3:1 and 2 Paul tells us how to receive the Holy Spirit. “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

 

Let’s let A.T. Jones, one of the 1888 messengers, have the final word:

 

“Again he spoke: ‘And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament in heaven..... and it was so,’

“Again he spoke: ‘And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature,....  and it was so,’

“Thus it was that ‘by the word of the Lord’ all things were created. He spoke the word only, and it was so: the word spoken, itself produced the thing.

“Thus it was in creation. And thus it was in redemption: he healed the sick, he cast out the devils, he stilled the tempest, he cleansed the lepers, he raised the dead, he forgave sins, all by his word. In all this, also, ‘he spake, and it was.’

“And so he is the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever. Always he is the Creator. And always he does all things by his word only. And always he can do all things by his word; because it is the very characteristic of the word of God, that it is possessed of the divine power by which itself accomplishes the thing which is spoken.

“This is why it is that faith is the knowing that in the word of God there is this power, the expecting the word itself to do the thing spoken, and the depending upon that word itself to do what that which the word speaks..... Are you cultivating faith?” (Lessons on Faith, p. 18; pp. 9, 10 new ed.).

—Craig Barnes

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Sabbath School Insights No. 5, Qtr 2-06

Special Insights No. 5

Second Quarter 2006 Adult Sabbath School Lessons

“The Holy Spirit”

(Produced by the Editorial Board of the 1888 Message Study Committee)

“The Promise Fulfilled”

 

In Luke’s first recorded letter to Theophilus (Luke 1:3), he wrote the words of Jesus concerning God’s Promise of power. This was just before Christ ascended to heaven 40 days after His crucifixion (Luke 24:49). In Luke’s follow-up letter to Theophilus (Acts 1:1) he continued with this same thought. The promise of power was to come with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which happened on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1:8; 2:1-4).

 

Ten days had elapsed between the ascension of Jesus into heaven and the outpouring to the Spirit on Pentecost. During that ten-day period the disciples repented and made things right between themselves. The sacrifice of Christ, the great center of attraction, reconciled His disciples to each other. While this was occurring on earth, the inauguration of Christ was proceeding in heaven according to God’s everlasting plan.

 

The inauguration of Christ as Priest, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the unity of the disciples was foreshadowed in the typical ceremony of Aaron as he was inaugurated into the priesthood. This is recorded in Psalm 133:1, 2 (see also Wednesday’s note from The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 38, 39).

 

On the Day of Pentecost, Sivan 6, 31 A.D., the power of the Holy Spirit was first exhibited in the gift of languages. There were at least 16 different language and dialect groups of Jews at the Feast of Pentecost, who lived in various countries of the world. These Jews attending the Feast of Pentecost heard the gospel spoken with power in their own language (Acts 2:3-11). Those who heard were moved by what they heard. Some believed, but some accused the apostles of drunkenness (vss. 12-13). Peter denied this and said this was a manifestation of God’s power and that it was a fulfillment of Joel 2:28-32 concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit under the figure of the former rain.

 

This promise of power was to reside with God’s people until the second advent of Jesus. For most of the intervening time between Pentecost and the return of the Lord the Holy Spirit was shut out of the Christian church as history records. There were times, however, when He broke through to those who hungered for righteousness. These times are also recorded in sacred history. We have read of the work of the Holy Spirit among the Wandensians, in the various Reformers, and in the Millerite Movement when that message went to every missionary station in the world (see The Great Controversy [GC], p. 611).

 

Joel also spoke of the promise of the power of God under the figure of the latter rain. A.T. Jones, in comparing the power of 1844 with the latter rain message, cited Ellen White as follows: “... this will come as suddenly as it did in '44, and with ‘ten times the power’” (1893 General Conference Bulletin,  “The Third Angel’s Message, No. 7,” Feb. 5, 1893).

 

In September of 1852, Ellen White wrote, “I saw the latter rain was coming as the midnight cry, and with ten times the power” (Spaulding and Magan Collection, p. 4).

 

Just as the former rain announced the beginning of the gospel under the mediatorial work of Jesus in the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, so the latter rain will announce His closing cleansing work in the second apartment. This message will prepare those who believe it to face and to live through the time of trouble, and to stand in the presence of Christ when He returns.

 

God’s fulfilled promise will be fulfilled again. Both the former rain and the latter rain will be poured out upon earth in superhuman streams of mercy from the springs of heaven. A worldwide work of proclaiming the everlasting gospel is presented in Revelation 14:6-12; 18:1-4. This gospel will go to “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.” (14:6). For this to be accomplished, the gift of tongues or languages will again be manifested among God’s people for the express purpose of proclaiming with power the “everlasting gospel” to the various language groups of the world.

 

“The angel who unites in the proclamation of the third angel’s message is to lighten the whole earth with his glory. A work of world-wide extent and unwonted power is here foretold” (GC 611).

 

“In this illumination [of Revelation 18:1], the light of all the three messages is combined”  (The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, p. 804).

 

“John saw ‘Another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the whole earth was lightened with his glory.’ Rev. 19:1 [18:1]. That work is the voice of the people of God proclaiming a message of warning to the world. Has God, through John, given us light relating to the things which are to transpire in the remnant of time just at the end? Then with pen and voice we are to proclaim that very message to the world, not in a tame, indistinct whisper” (Ibid., pp., 926, 927).

 

All this would have been fulfilled within a few short years after the Minneapolis meeting in 1888. In heaven we will study this, and that which would have been had the “Loud Cry” message been received fully at that time. Are we any more prepared than they? Has the reconciling message of the gospel reconciled us to one another? Are we prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in both former and latter rain power? God is ready to fulfill His Promise of power. The world is ready, for it is about to self-destruct. The only element that remains to be readied is God’s people. Are you “willing to be made willing” for God’s will and promise to be fulfilled in you?

—Gerald L. Finneman

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