By John Thiel

Those who are under the three angel’s messages, must be found among the 144,000. It is more now than at any other time since 1844 that this predominating thought must be governing us. I must be among the 144,000. I must be among the church triumphant. 

And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty [and] four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. Revelation 14:1

What was so specific about them? They had their Father’s name written in their forehead. What does that mean? What was in the name that was in their forehead?  When Moses was eager to behold God and to see His glory, God answered himand said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory.

 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. Exodus 33:18-19

And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation]. Exodus 34:6-7

LORD here refers to the name of God. Here is what is in the name. Bible names were given to describe character. Jacob means supplanter. His name was changed to Israel which means conqueror. He prevailed in hand to hand combat with the Angel of God.

A name describes a character. Here were the 144,000 with the Father’s name in their forehead, with God’s character in their forehead. The descriptions that God gave of Himself there, of His glory and character, there was something else in that character that wasn’t spelled out but it was contained in the word ‘longsuffering’. Longsuffering encompasses a dimension of God as it is expressed in Malachi in reference to the time in which the 144,000 will live.

But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he [is] like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:

And he shall sit [as] a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in [his] wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger [from his right], and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

 For I [am] the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Malachi 3:2-6

“I am longsuffering, I change not”. He is speaking to us in this period of time, the time of judgment in which we find ourselves. The day of His coming into the most holy place is the time in which He sits as a refiner, purifying His sons and daughters. Because He is a God who is merciful and patient and kind with us and by no means clears the guilty, at the same time He says I haven’t consumed you because I change not.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Hebrews 13:8

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

This is God, this is His character. He is always the same. There is reliability. The way He was in the time of Adam and Eve, He is still the same today. That’s what gives you a sense of security, that there is something you can depend on. That dimension of God’s name is also in the forehead of the 144,000. They are sealed with the Father’s name in their forehead.

The seal of the living God will be placed upon those only who bear a likeness to Christ in character. {FLB 287.2}

 As wax takes the impression of the seal, so the soul is to take the impression of the Spirit of God and retain the image of Christ. {FLB 287.3}

 It is obedience to the principles of the commandments of God, that molds the character after the divine similitude. {FLB 287.4}

Here we are clearly talking of the sealing of God’s people, it is the impression of God’s character in the human being.

Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads–it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved–just as soon as God’s people are sealed and prepared for the shaking, it will come. Indeed, it has begun already; the judgments of God are now upon the land, . . . that we may know what is coming. {FLB 287.7}

What is the most important point for our meditation today? What is the seal? It is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth both intellectually and spiritually so that they cannot be moved. What is that? Unchangeable. It’s the very character of God, that you cannot be moved any more. You will always be the same. That the image of Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever, is to be sealed in God’s people by receiving the truth both intellectually and spiritually. If I want to be among that people, it is absolutely imperative that I will focus my full attention on the truth and settle into that truth intellectually. But not only in, I must appropriate what I have grasped intellectually into my character, into my spiritual life. Then it becomes sealed there, it becomes part of the immovable characteristic of God Himself.

In the Forehead

Praise the Lord that we have this precious privilege to appropriate God Himself into my personality. This is what I have been sharing. We must have a personal relationship with God through His word. To just get the intellectual knowledge is only a portion of the exercise. We must not diminish the importance of intellectual learning, but the intellectual learning is only lodged in a part of the brain. The frontal lobe is not yet engaged, we are to be sealed in our foreheads, which is the frontal lobe. The truth has to transfer from the intellect into the heart, which is your frontal lobe. This is where the spiritual part of our being is exercised. That’s why it says His name is in the forehead. It’s not on the forehead, it’s in the forehead. It is the physiological fact that there is the spiritual part of the man of God. For any human being, that is where the spiritual part is.  The same yesterday, today and forever is to be embedded in my frontal lobe, in my heart.

 Jesus was a perfect pattern of what we should be. He was the strictest observer of His Father’s law, yet He moved in perfect freedom. He had all the fervour of the enthusiast, yet He was calm, sober, and self-possessed. He was elevated above the common affairs of the world, yet He did not exclude Himself from society. He dined with publicans and sinners, played with little children, and took them in His arms and blessed them. He graced the wedding feast with His presence. He shed tears at the grave of Lazarus. He was a lover of the beautiful in nature and used the lilies to illustrate the value of natural simplicity in the sight of God, above artificial display. He used the occupation of the husbandman to illustrate the most sublime truths. . {HP 54.3}. .

He was separate from the ways of the world yet He was close to the people of the world.

   His zeal never degenerated into passion nor His consistency into selfish obstinacy. His benevolence never savored of weakness nor His sympathy of sentimentalism. He combined the innocence and simplicity of the child with manly strength, all-absorbing devotion to God with tender love for man. He possessed commanding dignity combined with winning grace of humility. He manifested unyielding firmness with gentleness. May we live daily in close connection with this perfect, faultless character. {HP 54.4}

To be consistent is often displayed in selfish obstinacy. I am going to stay pure and right no matter what you do, you can jump on your head, that’s too bad, I’m going to stay like I am. That is selfish obstinacy. Whereas remaining consistent and remaining as we read of Jesus, ever so kind, ever so gentle, ever so giving, I am always the same but I am not obstinate We are to live daily in close connection with Him.

When you live with someone long enough what happens? You become like them. I marvel when a young couple starts in marriage. They’re quite different, but then after a while you see one and you see the other, and it is often said to one, haven’t you got a mind of your own? You don’t have to do exactly what your husband says. They rubbish that sort of thing but that is exactly the principle. Live with somebody long enough and you become like them. This is the way it’s meant to be.

Hasn’t that been said about some of us in the past? You’re all like a lot of tin soldiers. You all do exactly the same. Of course, praise the Lord, we are all following Jesus. Live with Him long enough and you become like Him. Let’s become like Him not only in the things that we do outwardly, but also in these beautiful characteristics. Here is a study of grasping hold of His spirituality, His nature which is consistent in kindness and firmness at the same time. We need to look upon Jesus and abide in that appreciation and let our imagination ponder the manifestation of these kinds of things.  The 144,000 have a calling. They are to have the name of the Father in their forehead. The truths that unfolded in God’s church through developing years of true Adventism, back from 1884 to 1905 where Sr White writes that the truths that the Lord has been giving us over the last fifty years is our only safety. So that we have this true appreciation, this true calling that we respond to, that we remain solidly in tune with and unbendingly in harmony with that which the Lord has been giving His people, we are to appropriate it and consistently live by these principles in a world that has changed around us. The kind of modesty that existed in the time of Sr White, how is that today? They didn’t even go mixed bathing in those days. Why? At the beaches where they were swimming the women were on one side of the beach and the men at the other and they didn’t even wear sparse clothing, they had their full bodies clothed in those days. What is it like today? That’s just a little touch of how the world has changed.

In this changing world with its various aspects of life being totally Sodom and Gomorrah around us, how has the church changed? Has it changed? Indeed it has. It has changed from that which it had been given clearly to live by. Many reasoning’s are put across You must keep up with the times. etc. But what was it? With Him there is no shadow of turning. With Him, He was the same yesterday, today and forever. The principles of His commandments have not altered the slightest. He does not change. I am the LORD, I change not. God’s faithful people have that perspective in their forehead.

In the name of progress we are told we must not live in the past. We are told don’t be so old-fashioned. Shall we become apologetic for being old-fashioned? I am a child of the Ancient of Days. What does that mean? Old-fashioned. He says in the Scriptures go and ask your fathers, ask for the old paths. For us to remain on the old paths and remain consistent while the world is changing around us, this is the identification of the church triumphant. This is the church that is part of the 144,000.

What then is the life of a true Christian? He is a true follower of Jesus. That’s why the word Christian was given to the people because they were following Christ.

 There is in true Christian character an indomitableness that cannot be molded or subdued by adverse circumstances. We must have moral backbone, an integrity that cannot be flattered, bribed, or terrified.–Ministry of Healing, pp. 497, 498. (1905) {Ev 480.1}

As the world is worked upon systematically to be molded after the mentality of worldly manipulators, God’s people are not touched. They will be the same in 1844, in 1888, in 1914, in 2011. They are our brethren who lived then. We live exactly the same with them. So it is that if we would be members of the church triumphant now, we must triumph over present forces that are changing, that are moulding to receive such a worldly mould that they will finally receive the mark of the beast. That’s how it’s happening.

Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. {5T:216}

We must triumph over present forces that are designed to remove faithfulness to the old paths.

Because we are surrounded by these forces, iniquity abounds around us. If you are surrounded by atmosphere, the very same principle of if you live with somebody long enough you become like them, if you live in surrounding atmospheres long enough it begins to mould you.

So what was Jesus? He was totally aloof from the world and yet He was social. If I am going to be social and yet not be molded by the world, what must I do? I must dwell constantly in the presence of Jesus. Can you see the importance of the deep relationship that we must maintain? If we do not maintain a personal close walk in the presence of my Lord and Saviour every moment of the day, what is going to mould me? The world.  There is a hymn going through my mind just now. O Jesus the world is ever near me, both around me and within, but Jesus draw thou nearer, and shield my soul from sin. The Lord wants to be closer to us than our circumstances. Everything I have shared over the previous weeks is imperative for our inclusion among the 144,000.

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.  Matthew 24:12

The love of their intimacy with Jesus grows cold.

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Matthew 24:13

Here is the reason why it’s only 144,000. Many people have said to me, if it’s only 144,000 that means you and I don’t make it. Why? If you are going to put that reasoning up before the people that they can’t be saved, what sort of a scriptural mentality is that? If it’s only 144,000 and I want to be among them, what’s the simple answer? Walk with Jesus. Simple. If you walk with Jesus consistently, then although iniquity abounds, you will be as Jesus was.

 Jesus was a perfect pattern of what we should be. He was the strictest observer of His Father’s law, yet He moved in perfect freedom. He had all the fervour of the enthusiast, yet He was calm, sober, and self-possessed. He was elevated above the common affairs of the world, yet He did not exclude Himself from society. He dined with publicans and sinners, played with little children, and took them in His arms and blessed them. He graced the wedding feast with His presence. He shed tears at the grave of Lazarus. He was a lover of the beautiful in nature and used the lilies to illustrate the value of natural simplicity in the sight of God, above artificial display. He used the occupation of the husbandman to illustrate the most sublime truths. His zeal never degenerated into passion nor His consistency into selfish obstinacy. His benevolence never savored of weakness nor His sympathy of sentimentalism. He combined the innocence and simplicity of the child with manly strength, all-absorbing devotion to God with tender love for man. He possessed commanding dignity combined with winning grace of humility. He manifested unyielding firmness with gentleness. May we live daily in close connection with this perfect, faultless character. {HP 54.3-4} . . .

Gaze upon Him in His beautiful character. He was elevated above the common affairs of the world. Don’t let them get under your skin, don’t let them fascinate you. You can be consistently in tune with the Lord and not be obstinate.

In the love-sick sentimentalism of the society of today, He came close to the people, He touched the children, He lifted them up in His arms. Today you dare not take a child in your arm any more if you’re not the father of the child. You dare not get too close to any body any more today because you might be judged. All those stupid things that exist in the world around us, you can’t be a Christian, you can’t be like Christ. Yes, you can, without being influenced by corruption because your mind is focused on a relationship with God, and that is all you are interested in.

He possessed commanding dignity combined with winning grace of humility. Humility in commanding dignity? How can you marry that? These are for us to explore and to behold and by beholding you become changed. Don’t behold the world, be aloof from the world. Behold only Christ, and in the world you will not be polluted. How do we reveal the opposite to that of the love of many growing cold?

But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Hebrews 3:6

For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; Hebrews 3:14

Do you remember your first intimate fellowship with Christ? It was everything, nothing mattered any more. Jesus was everything. That intimate fellowship with Christ, that joy, that warmth, that fellowship in which the world mattered not, that is to be held firm unto the end. That is consistency.

I saw a company who stood well guarded and firm, giving no countenance to those who would unsettle the established faith of the body. God looked upon them with approbation. I was shown three steps– the first, second, and third angels’ messages. Said my accompanying angel, “Woe to him who shall move a block or stir a pin of these messages. The true understanding of these messages is of vital importance. The destiny of souls hangs upon the manner in which they are received.” EW 258.3

What was that? A consistency. A company standing there who are consistently on the path of the old Adventist message truths, all of them. No alteration in doctrine, in practice and life style. All the same. I often smile to myself when people say, you look like people who have come from the 1840’s. Praise the Lord. That’s exactly the way we should be, because the fashions have changed and the way the sisters and brethren wear their clothes today are built on the principles that were given there in Ellen White’s time. What a let down for ministers to reason like that and say that to God’s company who would not countenance those who would unsettle the established faith of the body.

 I was again brought down through these messages, and saw how dearly the people of God had purchased their experience. It had been obtained through much suffering and severe conflict. God had led them along step by step, until He had placed them upon a solid, immovable platform. I saw individuals approach the platform and examine the foundation. Some with rejoicing immediately stepped upon it. Others commenced to find fault with the foundation. They wished improvements made, and then the platform would be more perfect, and the people much happier. Some stepped off the platform to examine it and declared it to be laid wrong. But I saw that nearly all stood firm upon the platform and exhorted those who had stepped off to cease their complaints; for God was the Master Builder, and they were fighting against Him. They recounted the wonderful work of God, which had led them to the firm platform, and in union raised their eyes to heaven and with a loud voice glorified God. This affected some of those who had complained and left the platform, and they with humble look again stepped upon it. {EW 258.3}

Are you on the platform? You will be consistent, you will not alter although surrounded by fashions and practices of the world around you. Aren’t the Adventist circles, independents and all beginning to question any or all of some of the points of early Adventism? If you are consistent you will be like what we read from Christ what He was like. There are Christians out there who think, no, you people are old fashioned. Like my father said to me, give it ten years and you will change. Well I’ve changed all right, more into the arms of the Lord than I was then. If you stand on this platform, you will become more like God, unchangeable. The genuine people out there will look at the company and say, I know they’re right. Then although they complained and had left the platform, because they had been affected by the faithful ones, they with humbly look again stepped upon the platform.

Brethren, sisters and friends, let us learn to be consistent. While people are under such pressure, they keep on folding up under that pressure. When they see a company of people who are not folding up under the pressure, they say, that’s genuine Christianity. They will recognise it. So move on faithful. Are you among the company that Sr White saw? That’s the question. The company that stands on the platform, a little company. That we might prove to be identified with them, the 144,000. To be among them we are told is a great miracle.

A consistent life in Christ is a great miracle.{DA 407}

So indeed it is a miracle to remain consistent on the old truths, the old paths, the old frame of mind that stood firm in defence of the truth when we are living in such modern, powerful influences around us today. It’s a miracle, isn’t it? Let the miracle of God continue to work among us. I thank God for the wonderful miracles He is performing among us. It was a miracle for Sr Josephine to stand there this morning, a total miracle and we have seen many others. Why are they given us? Because the Lord wants us to exercise our faith to live a miracle of faithfulness under the most obscure circumstances.

Let us assess our position. Any among us, have we slipped back from our faithfulness of the past? Examine yourself brethren and sisters. Have you changed away from what you were convicted of? Take a good look at yourselves. When you first came and you embraced this beautiful standard, have you been affected negatively? Have there been some changes away from what you have actually been convinced of? Slipped back on some point of faithfulness because the pressure of society has made you change from our stable position that we enjoyed in the past? Has that become unstable? Whatever doctrine that we have embraced, whether it be the marriage institution, faithfulness to the marriage institution, whether it be the dress reform, whether it be the health reform. Whatever it is, have we altered from the things that I was convinced of because there’s been pressure? The way I wear my hair, sisters, the way I dress. Remember the convictions and remain consistent Don’t change. We are being watched. People are watching us. We want to proclaim the Loud Cry, do we not? Is the Loud Cry coming up ahead of us or is it already here?

In our studies of the three angels messages we remember that the latter rain has already begun in 1888 and continued through to this point in time and following the latter rain comes the opposition of the people who don’t like to hear and appreciate these things, so the pressure comes on and we stand faithful. A consistent Christian life speaks louder than what? The Loud Cry.

There is an eloquence far more powerful than the eloquence of words in the quiet, consistent life of a pure, true Christian. What a man is has more influence than what he says. {MH 469.1}

People today think that the Loud Cry is to tell the world, look at the papacy. They think that by attacking the papacy, that this is the Loud Cry. That’s exactly what they believe. But what is the Loud Cry? The eloquence of a quiet, consistent and pure life of true Christianity.

  It is our own character and experience that determine our influence upon others. In order to convince others of the power of Christ’s grace, we must know its power in our own hearts and lives. The gospel we present for the saving of souls must be the gospel by which our own souls are saved. Only through a living faith in Christ as a personal Saviour is it possible to make our influence felt in a skeptical world. If we would draw sinners out of the swift-running current, our own feet must be firmly set upon the Rock, Christ Jesus. {MH469.3}

   The badge of Christianity is not an outward sign, not the wearing of a cross or a crown, but it is that which reveals the union of man with God. By the power of His grace manifested in the transformation of character the world is to be convinced that God has sent His Son as its Redeemer. No other influence that can surround the human soul has such power as the influence of an unselfish life. The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian. {MH470.1}

It’s the character of God inside of me that is going to influence others and be the dimension of the Loud Cry. You are to be the Bible to the people around you, you are to communicate the gospel not by words only. Yes we are in a sceptical world but remain sober and calm in your enthusiasm. The people will scratch their heads and say, these people are bizarre. I’ve just rubbished them and they are ever so kind. I experienced that when I was brick laying. After a consistency of about ten weeks or so they left me alone and they respected me and they began to ask questions because I didn’t react to their attacks upon my person. In fact, I laughed with them about the funniness of eating bugs bunny’s food. Yes, that’s right, healthy bugs bunny. That’s the way I spoke to them. I want to be a healthy bugs bunny. They couldn’t beat such a social interaction that is acknowledging them and at the same time not being part of them. If you want to save someone from the current and you jump into the swift current, what will happen to you? If we would draw sinners out of the swift-running current, our own feet must be firmly set upon the rock, Christ Jesus. It is our need to enter into a communion with Jesus.

 To live such a life, to exert such an influence, costs at every step effort, self-sacrifice, discipline. It is because they do not understand this that many are so easily discouraged in the Christian life. Many who sincerely consecrate their lives to God’s service are surprised and disappointed to find themselves, as never before, confronted by obstacles and beset by trials and perplexities. They pray for Christlikeness of character, for a fitness for the Lord’s work, and they are placed in circumstances that seem to call forth all the evil of their nature. Faults are revealed of which they did not even suspect the existence. Like Israel of old they question, “If God is leading us, why do all these things come upon us?” {MH 470.4}

It’s hard because the world is strong. I must follow in the footsteps of Jesus, I must be prepared to suffer as He suffered. What’s it been like in your family? Have you had an easy road to continue with this message? Even among those of you who have been faithful together as husband and wife as best as you can, has it been easy? Satan throws everything at you. You even start becoming urky about your husband or your wife. The marriage institution is to be respectful to your husband or your wife. We think it is following Christ’s example when we lash at each other? Not at all. No matter how faulty another person is, how gentle was Jesus with them? That’s how we are to be with one another in the home. If I’m not like that, I am not like Jesus. People have reasoned with me, They did such and such to me. No. Jesus had many things done against Him, did He falter? Is He your Saviour? He is. He wants to walk with us through the most miserable circumstances. He will help us, trust Him. Walk with Him, remain consistent.  Why do all these things come upon us? Because God is leading us, that’s why. He is trying to show us the thing that we are not even conscious of in our nature. As it comes out, we say, that is despicable Or we think it’s because somebody else has made me do it. No, don’t do that. He is showing you what is actually there. It’s there. If it wouldn’t be there, you wouldn’t show it.

We like to have a good opinion of ourselves. We like to imagine that we are Christlike. My motive is – I want to be like Jesus. When I am not, we say that was not my motive, I’m not really like that. Yes, you are. Yes, I am. The only time I made progress in my life was when I recognised that I’m a German and I admitted that I was an arrogant, German, harsh human being. When I realised I was like that, then the Lord could start working with me. It was with bitter tears that I discovered that. It was crying in the middle of the night, like I’ve never cried before, that I was such a terrible German. The very thing I despised in my father as a child, I discovered I was. But it was because the Lord was leading me, that He showed me that. May God help us to accept God’s leading in our life. While others are stumbling around and under the pressure of God’s leading in their life they finally say its too hard, while others are stumbling around and realising that they cannot achieve, let us remain steadfast Le us continue to hold on tight to this beautiful message. It’s a miracle. Of course it is. To be a consistent Christian is a miracle, because it’s not humanly possible. But all things are possible to who? To those that are in Christ Jesus. It’s a miracle. Why don’t we appropriate these things and move on regardless keeping our eyes focused on Jesus? This is the Loud Cry in consequence of the latter rain. The Holy Spirit comes in the latter rain to take of Jesus and show Him to us. As I surrender to the latter rain in all its purity, it will change me.  Here I conclude under the message of the ten virgins, the five wise and the five foolish. What were the foolish virgins doing? What were the five wise virgins doing?

  We need not think that because we are only a tiny light, that we need not be particular about shining. The great value of our light lies in its consistency in shining amid the moral darkness of the world, in shining not to please ourselves and glorify ourselves, but to honor God with all there is of us. If we are doing service for God, and our work is corresponding with the ability God has given us, that is all He expects of us. . .We know that the lamps which give us light have no light in themselves. They cannot fill themselves. So the holy appointed ones must empty the golden oil into the golden tubes. And the heavenly fire, when applied, makes them burning and shining lights. Our hearts cannot reflect light until there is a vital connection with heaven. This alone can make them burn steadily with holy, unselfish love for Jesus, and for all who are the purchase of His blood. And unless we are constantly replenished with the golden oil, the flame will die out. Unless the love of God is an abiding principle in our hearts, our light will go out. . .It is the golden oil that the heavenly messengers empty into the golden tubes, to be conducted into the golden bowl, that creates a continuous, bright and shining light. It is the love of God continually transferred to the human agent that keeps him a bright and shining light for God. Then he can communicate light and truth to all who are in darkness and error and sin. The golden oil is not manufactured by any human skill. It is the unseen power of the holy messengers who wait before the throne of God to communicate to everyone who is in darkness that they may diffuse heaven’s light. Into the hearts of those united to God by faith, His golden oil of love flows freely.– . {TDG 98.2, 3, 5}

She saw just a little company, tiny little people here and there. The churches say, what can you do? Who are you? You have no church institutions; you can’t do the things we are doing. Yes, like you are doing, like the world. The point is, if you remain consistent even one person in one place shining consistently in the midst of moral darkness of the world, what will happen? It will affect the people and your influence will be wide.

I was surprised, I never expected to be an influence in the world myself, never. Now I’m travelling and I’ve never wanted to travel. It’s impossible to describe. The oil, the Holy Spirit was in the vessels of the five wise virgins. When the lamp goes out, the oil was put back and it could continue to glow.

A wonderful conclusion to the messages I shared with you in reference to a close relationship with God. It is the continual relationship with God that is the oil flowing in. Then the Holy Spirit and the messages can ignite it and it keeps on burning. What did the priest do in the sanctuary on earth? He kept the lights burning. So it is that our High Priest in heaven is keeping us burning if we will submit to His high priestly work in my life.

Let us determine to refresh our hearts in our message today by the power of the Holy Spirit and lighten our taper to shine with consistent light. If we have slipped and let the light go out somewhere, get the light again and let it change whatever we have slipped in, so that we will continue as a little company and have a loud cry impact in the world around us is my prayer.

Amen.