I Chapter
(The First Notebook, August 2001)
PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD, O ISRAEL
FOREWORD
Moved by the irrepressible might of the Holy Spirit, with a full confirmation of the need that those experiences and revelations become accessible to the God's people, I respond to the call of the One, who embedded a command into every part of my being: »Do write!«.
In the morning of 18th July 2001, while I was praying, the Spirit Almighty came upon me like never before and pressed into my mind the following command with the seal of His might. I utter those revelations by His will and in His name, because it was shown to me that there can not be and must not be any delay. What I must stress in the introduction of these testimonies – since I received such a command – is the fact that the proclamation of these revelations and, at the same time, the God's ultimate appeal to awakening and reformation of all our churches, from the General Conference to the smallest church in the world.
I was shown that we are at the very end of this civilization's history and that saint and eternal God SHALL NOT POSTPONE HIS ARRIVAL ANY MORE. I wish and must point out that the life of everyone of us will depend on the response to the God's appeal, because there will be no more time left for preparations.
»Like the tidings of the Saviour's birth, the message of the Second Advent was not committed to the religious leaders of the people. They had failed to preserve their connection with God, and had refused light from heaven; therefore they were not of the number described by the apostle Paul: »But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are neither of the night nor of darkness.« 1. Thessalonians 5,4.5
The watchmen upon the walls of Zion should have been the first to catch the tidings of the Saviour's advent, the first to lift their voices to proclaim Him near, the first to warn the people to prepare for His coming. But they were at ease, dreaming of peace and safety, while the people were asleep in their sins. Jesus saw His church, like the barren fig tree, covered with pretentious leaves, yet destitute of precious fruit. There was a boastful observance of the forms of religion, while the spirit of true humility, penitence, and faith which alone could render the service acceptable to God was lacking. Instead of the graces of the Spirit there were manifested pride, formalism, vainglory, selfishness, oppression. A backsliding church closed their eyes to the signs of the times..« (GC 315. 316.)
»AND YOU WILL SEEK ME, AND FIND ME...«
I waited patiently for the Lord,
and He inclined to me,
and heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
out of the miry clay,
and set my feet upon a rock,
and established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth,
praise to our God.
Psalms 40,1-3
It happened at the end of 1998, when I finally got an answer to the question, I used to ask myself in vain for almost 26 years: why? Why shall I have to disappear one day, why that what I love so much is going to vanish one day, and why nobody consults me about it? Whenever I had thought of that my heart filled with fear, but I often consoled myself with the knowledge, that sprang out of the depths of my soul and told me that the answer will arrive one day indeed.
That same year, as an introduction into what I am going to describe, I happened to go through the death of perhaps the only person I used to feel a real and spontaneous love. My mother died suddenly and silently, taking with her a part of me too.
In a cold November night I was awoke by silent, unsteady steps of a man who stopped at my door. Every step of his made me realize more and more that it is late at night and that she had to be back a long time ago. When my brother entered, he uttered only one word – no more was needed. Everything was understood: she was gone. As never before the same question echoed through my mind: why?
Less than two months afterwards, like an answer to my cry, I held a book in my hands. It was a »Great Contraversy between Christ and Satan«. When the last page had been turned, a new love got born in my heart, a love towards the One who waited patiently during all the years of my life for the moment when I shall be ready to receive that what I was seeking. »For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks find, and to him who knocks it will be opened.« (Matthew 7,8)
O, what a joy I had felt when I realised that there is a meaning indeed, that even death has its end, and that the day is close when it will not exist any more. For »the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only TRUE God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.« (Romans 6,23; John 3.16; 17,3.) Since that moment my life has changed and every new day brought to me the stronger wish to get to know the One who had created me and had given Himself for me on the Golgotha’s cross.
I got a wish to have a copy of the Holy Bible, so in February 1999 I went to the Adventist library here, in Belgrade, where I got two wonderful books as a present, thanks to God's providence. One of them was »Steps to Christ«. The same day, after I came back from a theological lecture, I started reading. While I read, I could feel mild, nourishing power in every word, which sounded as if they were meant for me. My heart was filling with the warmth of God's love, that Holy Spirit brought into my heart, breaking every resistance of my sinful nature with the awareness that there was Somebody who loves me unconditionally, Somebody who died so that I could live. Yes, my sins caused suffering and brought death to Him who is the spring of life and eternal love. Pain stroke my heart as like an arrow in flame. I set and bent my head down in the manner that we were thought on that lecture, while tears went out of my eyes. »...For he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.« (Hebrews 11,6) Then I said my first prayer: »God«, I said, »forgive me, please, everything I did in my life, all my sins and bad doings«. While I thanked to God for His forgiveness, the Holy Spirit overcame all my being and filled me with a divine peace, with the peace that only He can give.
Two days later I took part in a sacred churching service to our Heavenly Lord for the first time in my life. At the very entrance to the church’s hall I gathered with one glance everything that was going on there and I discovered a fact that fills me even now, when I am writing these words, with the feeling of joy, but also sadness. I realised two things then: this is the real church, this is the house of the living God, but those people do not know Him. Seventy days later, on 8th May 1999, I made covenant to God on the sacrifice of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and my name has found its place in the heavenly books.
By the plan of His God’s providence, only several days since my covenant to Him, in the night between 16th and 17th May, God visited me with His Word, appearing to me in my dream. In a short conversation I was told what to do, so that the next day already I had an opportunity to execute the task, of which I shall not write now, because there is no need for that in this moment. The reason that I have described this event is the real understanding of the nature of the service to which I was drawn, and which I realised only later, when the Holy Spirit led me in the studying of His Holy Word and showed me the text from Numbers 12,6: »If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision, and I speak to him in a dream.«
I may say today that I am sorry that I did not write down the time when Heaven honoured me with the first vision, because than I did not have as yet the real understanding of the value of what had been presented to me. What I know for sure is that the vision I am going to describe I accepted shortly after baptism, sometime between May and July.
That day, after I went out from work, I set for a while to rest. While I was sitting and thinking of the events that marked the day, my eyes suddenly stopped and I saw: the One and eternal God, Jesus Christ, stood in the most holy place, while His right arm lay on a big book that stood on a stand in front of Him. It was the »Book of life« in which Jesus Himself with His own hand writes down the names of us, who baptised in His name. Although He had stood with His back towards me, His appearing made me believe that every part of His being was watching me. In a moment Jesus turned towards me, while on His face spread unbelievably mild smile which seemed to tell me: »Do not fear, because I AM with you«. Like without breath I watched the subdued glory of the Almighty, while all my being was filled with irresistible tide of His eternal and nourishing love, the love that might be given to us only by Him who has created us. While I watched this scene like bewitched, I was almost unconscious of the divine, mild music, which sounds were interwoven with a joyful angels’ song, that in thanking ascended toward the One who is the Way, Truth and Life.
Today, while the pages of the past turn in front of my eyes, bringing me back the memories of this event, and while I am trying to describe that which is not possible to describe in all the words of this world, I can not help not to say: »What is a man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?« Oh, if only people once directed their look upward towards Golgotha to get lighted by the eternal glory of the God's sanctuary, those words would not be written today, nor would be any more tears or cries... The words: »He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still«, would have already been pronounced, and the joyful song of the redeemed would echo through the streets of the heavenly Jerusalem. Instead of this, sin still governs this world, which is covered with the darkness of atheism, and Jesus still knocks on the heart's doors of those who are called by His name.
»Heavenly angels are still working in co-operation with human agencies. The Holy Spirit is presenting every inducement to constrain you to come. Christ is watching for some sign that will betoken the removing of the bolts and the opening of the door of your heart for His entrance. Angels are waiting to bear the tidings to heaven that another lost sinner has been found. The hosts of heaven are waiting, ready to strike their harps and to sing a song of rejoicing that another soul has accepted the invitation to the gospel feast.« (COL 237)
Will you accept this call, God's people? Will you open your heart to let enter the One who has given Himself for you, the One who loves you »with an everlasting love and draw you with loving-kindness«?
that Israel would walk in My ways!
I would soon subdue their enemies,
and turn My hand against their adversaries.
The haters at the Lord would pretend submission to Him,
but their fate would endure forever;
He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.
Psalms 81,13-16
»TO THE LAW AND TO THE TESTIMONY...«
Through all centuries, from the becoming of the world up to today this rule was the only criterion which served the heaven to try loyalty of the members of its people and the only criterion which the eternal Judge used in order to judge His people now, when the doing of the investigative court in the most holy place is being finished. Jesus Christ Himself has said: »Do not think that I come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfil. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one title will by no means pass from the Law till all is fulfilled.« (Matthew 5,17.18.)
The truth, that the law and testimony are the only true mark of His people God also reveals to us by the description of His last church, which is found in the twelfth chapter of »Revelation«, where it says: »And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.« (Revelation 12,17.)
In this chapter, which is now historical, the saint God's Word notes the sad experience of the Christian church during the dark ages of the pope's Roman Catholicism, which lasted for 1260 years, when it had its most difficult days up till now. With the fall of popery in 1798, when the prophecies from the book of the prophet Daniel 7,24-26 and Revelation 13,3 were fulfilled, the period mentioned above had started, when – as the prophesy says – the remnant of the God's people would appear, who respects His command and holds the »testimony of Jesus Christ«. Time has shown that the Seventh Day Adventists church with full right is being called the rest of the God's people because it accepted all Ten Commandments together with Sabbath, which is the characteristic of the undisputed God's authority, and because of the gift of prophecy, which found its expression in the life of Ellen G. White.
It was shown to me that of the right understanding of the text from Revelation 12,17 would depend salvation of the many of us, who did not lighten their hearts with truth and thus allowed different prejudices to cover this subject with a veil of darkness and misinterpretations. It is true that the notion »the remnant« is applied to the whole church of Seventh Day Adventists, but it is important to understand that only those will be saved who really adhere to the God's commandments, those who came to know the living Saviour Jesus Christ, who every day live giving themselves to Him from moment to moment. The remnant, therefore, make only those who are ready to submit and reject any sin, REQUESTING FROM JESUS TO CHANGE THEM by the continuous flow of His creative power, which shall bring them to the perfection of their character - to » the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.« (Ephesians 4,13) »Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. For by grace you have been save through faith; as it is written: the just shall live by faith« (Romans 11,5; Ephesians 2,8; Romans 1,17.)
The adherence to all God's commandments, the acceptance of the Spirit of prophecy, which the God's word calls »the testimony of Jesus« (Revelation 19,10.), appears to be the necessary condition for salvation, hence it is written that »there is no light« for those who reject it.« (Isaiah 8,20 ).
»The last big deception of Satan will be his attempt to annul the influence of the testimony of the God's Spirit. 'Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.' (Proverbs 29,18) The Satan will work cleverly, in different ways and with different tools to undermine the trusting of the remnant of God's people in the real Testimony.« (1 SM page 48 – 1890.)
The record of the whole history of Church on the pages of the saint Old and New Testament shows undoubtedly that the gift of the Spirit of prophecy had been almost always inseparable companion of the God's people, that God used to investigate and guide His people with a firm hand, guarding it against going completely astray. »By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved.« (Hosea 12,14.) In the God's divine plan the exodus of the Israel people from Egypt is a symbol of the last exodus of His people from contemporary world order, and as physical Israel had been guided by the Prophecy Spirit, so spiritual Israel would be guided on his way to the heavenly Canaan. The God's word says about the last days: »And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.« (Joel 2,28)
Like a living witness of this prophecy and like the one in whom they found their ultimate application, I write down those experiences by God’s will, being conscious of the value of every written word, since it had been shown to me clearly that this writing shall be translated and sent to the many as a testimony. This announcement, as one of the last ones in the row, came that morning when the divine inspiration led me into writing.
»AND TO THE ANGEL OF THE CHURCH OF THE LAODICEANS WRITE...«
»For the lips of a PRIEST should keep knowledge, and people should seek the Law from his mouth; FOR HE IS A MESSENGER# of the Lord of hosts.« (Malachi 2,7)
Hence Lord speaks in this way: »When you brought in foreigners uncircumcised in heart... and you have not kept charge of My holy things, but you set OTHERS# to keep charge of My sanctuary for you..., therefore the Lord said: Inasmuch as these people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men. Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder, for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden. Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, and their works are in the dark; they say 'Who sees us?' and, 'Who knows us?'. For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon that He may do His work, His awesome work, and bring to pass His act, His unusual act. Now therefore, do not be mockers, lest your bonds be made strong, for I have heard form the Lord of hosts, a destruction determined even upon to whole earth. Give ear and hear my voice, listen and hear my speech.« (Ezekiel 44,7-8; Isaiah 29,13-15; 28,21-23)
The fear that fills my heart is unspeakable, while I see in the revelation of the Holy Spirit the might of God's anger that lays on the Church because of the terrible sins that we commit among each other. It was shown to me that a special amount of God's anger is directed towards the steps of our leading brethren. The Lord said: »Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, and their works are in the dark; they said: 'Who sees us?' and, 'Who knows us?'« Oh, if only you were aware of the look of the One whose eye nothing escapes while the holy heavenly angels take careful note of every hidden thought of the heart! The time is close when many of you, who had been lighted by the great light, which influence you did not subdue, not listening to the voice of God, who turned to you day by day, you will be stricken by the punishments deserved for all the evil doings and misdeeds which you have done. Your responsibility for many lost souls, for the whole generations that vanished from the face of the Earth and went to eternal destruction without any hope. Do read the following words: »Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. So they began with the elders who were before the temple.« ( Ezekiel 9,1.5.6.)
Do you believe in these words, dear brethren? Can you believe that those are the words of the living God and that He will rise to give everyone according to his doings? A great rebuke is upon you, who managed the God's work up till now, and there are many questions to which you shall have to answer before the saint heavenly court, if you do not humiliate in a total and sincere repentance. It was shown to me that the holy cause of the reformation, that you were to do, was taken away from you because you could not value the advantages and blessings, which had been given to you plentifully, but the God's caring hands are still outstretched to save those who want to be saved. »Those who place themselves under God's control, to be led and guided by Him, will catch the steady tread of the events ordained by Him to take place. Inspired with the Spirit of Him who gave His life for the life of the world, they will no longer stand still in impotency, pointing to what they cannot do. Putting on the armour of heaven, they will go forth to the warfare, willing to do and dare for God, knowing that His omnipotence will supply their need.« (7T 14)
»HE WHO HAS AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS TO
THE CHURCHES...«
In these last days, when the work of preaching the three angels’ messages should come to the long awaited for glorious culmination, the Creator of the earth and sky calls to His own people to repent totally and sincerely and to return to their primal godliness, so as to be worthy of standing before His holy face when He soon comes in all His glory. Hence the Lord speaks thus: »The message to the church of the Laodiceans is a startling denunciation, and is applicable to the people of God at the present time. And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write: These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that you art neither cold nor hot: I could wish you were cold or hot. So then because you art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth. Because thou say: I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing; and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.' (Revelation 3,14)
The Lord here shows us that the message to be borne to His people by ministers whom He has called to warn the people is not a peace-and-safety message. IT IS NOT MERELY THEORETICAL, BUT PRACTICAL in every particular. The people of God are represented in the message to the Laodiceans as in a position of carnal security. They are at ease, believing themselves to be in an exalted condition of spiritual attainments. "Because you say: I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing; and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.' What greater deception can come upon human minds than a confidence that they are right when they are all wrong!
The message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception. They know not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God. While those addressed are flattering themselves that they are in an exalted spiritual condition, the message of the True Witness breaks their security by the startling denunciation of their true condition of spiritual blindness, poverty, and wretchedness.
I was shown that many are flattering themselves that they are good Christians, who HAVE NOT A RAY OF LIGHT from Jesus. They have not a LIVING EXPERIENCE for themselves in the divine life. They need a deep and thorough work of self-abasement before God before they will feel their true need of earnest, persevering effort to secure the precious graces of the Spirit. God leads His people on step by step. The Christian life is a constant battle and a march. There is no rest from the warfare. It is by constant, unceasing effort that we maintain the victory over the temptations of Satan. As a people we are triumphing in the clearness and strength of the truth. We are fully sustained in our positions by an overwhelming amount of plain Scriptural testimony. But we are very much wanting in Bible humility, patience, faith, love, self-denial, watchfulness, and the spirit of sacrifice. We need to cultivate Bible holiness.
Sin prevails among the people of God. The plain message of rebuke to the Laodiceans is not received. Many cling to their doubts and their darling sins while they are in so great a deception as to talk and feel that they are in need of nothing. They think the testimony of the Spirit of God in reproof is uncalled for or that it does not mean them. Such are in the greatest need of the grace of God and spiritual discernment that they may discover their deficiency in spiritual knowledge. They lack almost every qualification necessary to perfect Christian character. They have not a practical knowledge of Bible truth, which leads to lowliness of life and a conformity of their will to the will of Christ. They are not living in obedience to all God's requirements.« (3 T 252 – 254)
The message of the True Witness, which is directed first of all towards the leaders in all the branches of the God's work today, not the less applies to the whole God's people, who sink deeply in treachery and sin. The holy principles of the God's law, that are being broken all the time by those who declare it only with their mouths, while in their hearts they are far away from Him, will be defended very quickly when the cup of His just anger fills over the brim and will poor onto the hearts that did not repent and subdue.
Do you believe in those words, brethren and sisters? Will you and can you believe that here comes the time of such a trouble as have not existed since the beginning of the world, and that the last days of the time of mercy are passing by? ALL THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS ARE STANDING BEFORE THEIR ULTIMATE DECISION, the decision on which the earthly, but also the eternal life will depend. »For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God!« (1. Peter 4,17) It is very important that we should remember that this appeal, which Jesus Himself has sent to us by His holy Word, is the last call for a reform which has ever been turned towards the God's people and that its acceptance or rejection will also mean a big shaking among our members. It is up to us to decide whether we shall serve the One who gave His life so that we could live, or we shall stay in our sins, lost for the eternity. The Lord appeals to His people to start a radical reformation, which will prepare our hearts for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in a power of a late rain, when the God’s work will finally be done. »In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists have been set in the world as watchmen and light bearers. To them has been entrusted the last warning for a perishing world. On them is shining wonderful light from the word of God. They have been given a work of the most solemn import--the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels' messages. There is no other work of so great importance. They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention. The most solemn truths ever entrusted to mortals have been given us to proclaim to the world. The proclamation of these truths is to be our work. The world is to be warned, and God's people are to be true to the trust committed to them.
God cannot forbear much longer. Already His judgments are beginning to fall on some places, and soon His signal displeasure will be felt in other places. There will be a series of events revealing that God is master of the situation. The truth will be proclaimed in clear, unmistakable language. The message that means so much to the dwellers upon the earth will be heard and understood. Men will know what is truth. Onward and still onward the work will advance until the whole earth shall have been warned, and then shall the end come.« (9T 19.96.97.)
At the end of April this year during a night vision I was shown one of the last events in the process of preaching the three angels’ messages that is in front of us. In the vision I was in a big room that had been filled with tv cameras while all the present carefully listened to what I was saying. The Holy Spirit came upon me in the power of the late rain, giving the strength to the messages of the three angels, which I forwarded to a big number of people, who watched the transmission of this event by satellite. It was shown to me in the vision that only in that occasion almost three billion people will hear the message of warning. The great speed in which this work will be soon driven to its end will surprise many. The time of preparation for the arrival of our Saviour is slowly running out. Those will stay without salvation who continue to reject the appeals of God's mercy. »He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches...«
»More and more, as the days go by, it is becoming apparent that God's judgments are in the world. In fire and flood and earthquake He is warning the inhabitants of this earth of His near approach. The time is nearing when the great crisis in the history of the world will have come, when every movement in the government of God will be watched with intense interest and inexpressible apprehension. In quick succession the judgments of God will follow one another--fire and flood and earthquake, with war and bloodshed.
God has always given men warning of coming judgments. Those who had faith in His message for their time, and who acted out their faith, in obedience to His commandments, escaped the judgments that fell upon the disobedient and unbelieving.
The word came to Noah, "Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before Me." Noah obeyed and was saved. The message came to Lot, "Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city." Gen. 7:1; 19:14. Lot placed himself under the guardianship of the heavenly messengers, and was saved. So Christ's disciples were given warning of the destruction of Jerusalem. Those who watched for the sign of the coming ruin, and fled from the city, escaped the destruction. So now we are given warning of Christ's second coming and of the destruction to fall upon the world. Those who heed the warning will be saved..« (9T 97; DA 634)
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