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The Shaking and Sifting

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THE SHAKING and SIFTING GET READY GET READY GET
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Page 1: The Shaking and Sifting

THE SHAKING and SIFTING

GET READY GET READY GET READY

Page 2: The Shaking and Sifting

The shaking has already begun (EW 50; 4BC. 1161), and we are now in it (1T 429; 6T 332), but erelong it will swell into a purification of the church (2SG 284). The sieve is already moving (1T 100), and the sifting is now taking place (1T 99; 4T 51). A mighty sifting is soon to occur (5T 80).

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CHRIST once said to Peter, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not (Luke 22:31-31)." Shall we not believe that in this sifting, in this tossing about, which Peter experienced, he was strengthened by the consciousness that Jesus had prayed for him? Certainly. But Peter is not the only one of Christ's followers whom Satan has desired; he is not the only one who needed to be sifted as wheat; and, far better than this, he is not the only one for whom Jesus has prayed. Notice, he did not pray for Peter that he might escape the sifting, he prayed that his faith should not fail, while being sifted. Peter needed the sifting, so do we. He needed the faith to endure it, so do we. He had the prayer of the precious Saviour that his faith might not fail, so have we. {September 9, 1886 A T. Jones, SITI 554.2}

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"'God is sifting his people. He will have a clean and holy church. We cannot read the heart of man. But the Lord has provided means to keep the church pure. A corrupt people has arisen who could not live with the people of God. They despised reproof, and would not be corrected. They had an opportunity to know that their warfare was an unrighteous one. They had time to repent of their wrongs; but self was too dear to die. They nourished it, and it grew strong, and they separated from the trusting people of God, that he was purifying unto himself. We all have reason to thank God that a way has been opened to save the church; for the wrath of God must have come upon us, if these corrupt individuals had remained with us. {1880 James White, LIFSK 316.1}

"'Every honest one that may be deceived by these disaffected ones, will have the true light in regard to them, if every angel from Heaven has to visit them, and enlighten their minds. We have nothing to fear in this matter. As we near the Judgment all will manifest their true character, and it will be made plain to what company they belong. The sieve is moving. Let us not say, Stay thy hand, O God. The church must be purged, and will be. God reigns; let the people praise him. I have not the most distant thought of sinking down. I mean to be right and do right. The Judgment is to set and the books be opened, and we are to be judged according to our deeds. All the falsehoods that may be framed against me will not make me any worse, nor any better, unless they have a tendency to drive me nearer my Redeemer.' {1880 James White, LIFSK 316.2}

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Sometimes “shaking” and “sifting” are synonymous in the Spirit of Prophecy, sometimes “sifting” is the more severe of the two terms. Either way, a separating process is involved. Shake sand and gravel in a pan, and they will separate within the pan; drill holes in the bottom and continue shaking; now you are sifting, as the sand falls out and only the gravel remains. Throughout the history of our church, many superficial believers have been shaken out. (Our problem today is that the church is so lukewarm, that the superficial feel very much at home - and those faithful to our historic beliefs are instead being crowded out; a reverse shaking!) But the shaking/sifting process in our church will climax in the crisis brought on by the enactment of the national Sunday law. That crisis will powerfully affect every soul living - but it will have an especially immediate and terrific impact on every Sabbath keeper. What more powerful means of sifting out false believers from the true-then when, by government law, it is a criminal act to remain a Seventh-day Adventist!

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“It is a solemn statement that I make to the church, that not one in twenty whose names are registered upon the church books are prepared to close their earthly history, and would be as verily without God and without hope in the world as the common sinner.” -Christian Service, 41:1.

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THINGS THAT CAUSE THE SHAKING: False theories produce a shaking. “When the shaking comes, by the Introduction of false theories, these surface readers, anchored nowhere, are like shifting sand. They slide into any position to suit the tenor of their feelings of bitterness. . . Daniel and Revelation must be studied, as well as the other prophecies of the Old and New Testaments. Let there be light, yes, light, in your dwellings. For this we need to pray. The Holy Spirit, shining upon the sacred page, will open our understanding, that we may know what is truth.”-TM, 112:1. “The enemy will bring in false theories, such as the doctrine that there is no sanctuary. This is one of the points on which there will be a departing from the faith.” -Evangelism, 224:3.

As the church nears the end, this sifting will be more and more pronounced. The prophet Amos says of it, "I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve." Amos 9.9. Ezekiel calls it "a great shaking in the land of Israel." Eze. 38:19. Nor do these prophecies apply only to ancient Israel, for referring to our own time, we read that it is a "mighty shaking," "when everything that can be shaken will be shaken." EW 50; 6 T 352.

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The shaking occurs when the truth is refused.

“There is to be a shaking among God’s people; but this is not the present truth to carry to the churches. It will be the result of refusing the truth presented.” -2 Selected Messages, 13:1. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils (1 Timothy 4:1) “The Lord is soon to come. There must be a refining, winnowing process in every church, for there are among us wicked men who do not love the truth or honor God.”-Review, March 19, 1895. “Not having received the love of the truth, they will be taken in the delusions of the enemy; they will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils and will depart from the faith.”-6 Testimonies, 401 :0.

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The rejection of the straight testimony brings the shaking. And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:4) “I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking among God’s people. “Early Writings, 270:2.

“The Lord calls for a renewal of the straight testimony borne in years past. He calls for a renewal of spiritual life. The spiritual energies of His people have long been torpid, but there is to be a resurrection from apparent death. By prayer and confession of sin we must clear the King’s highway.” -8 Testimonies, 297:5-6]. “One thing is certain: Those Seventh-day Adventists who take their stand under Satan’s banner will first give up their faith in the warnings and reproofs contained in the Testimonies of God’s Spirit.” -3 Selected Messages, 84:3.

“The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish,’ (Proverbs 29:18). Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God’s remnant people in the true testimony. “-1 Selected Messages, 48:3.

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“The enemy has made his masterly efforts to unsettle the faith of our own people in the Testimonies.

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:17). This is just as Satan designed it should be, and those who have been preparing the way for the people to pay no heed to the warnings and reproofs of the Testimonies of the Spirit of God will see that a tide of errors of all kinds will spring to life.” - 3 Selected Messages, 83:3-4. “It is Satan’s plan to weaken the faith of God’s people in the Testimonies. Next follows skepticism in regard to the vital points of our faith, the pillars of our position, then doubt as to the Holy Scriptures, and then the downward march to perdition. When the Testimonies, which were once believed, are doubted and given up, Satan knows the deceived ones will not stop at this; and he redoubles his efforts till he launches them into open rebellion, which becomes incurable and ends in destruction,”-4 Testimonies, 211:1.

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Disobedience brings the shaking. “The history of the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram is being repeated, and will be repeated till the close of time. Who will be on the Lord’s side? Who will be deceived, and in their turn become deceivers?” -Letter 15, 1892.

“We are in the shaking time, the time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken. The Lord will not excuse those who know the truth if they do not In word and deed obey His commands. “-6 Testimonies, 332:0.

…..every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation (Hebrews 2:2-3)

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Acceptance of false science brings separation.

“Science, so-called, and religion will be placed in opposition to each other because finite men do not comprehend the power and greatness of God. These words of Holy Writ were presented to me, ‘Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them’ [Acts 20:30]. This will surely be seen among the people of God.”-Evangelism, 593:1.

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THE WHEAT WILL BE SEPARATED FROM THE CHAFF

1 - The wheat and the tares grow up together. “Divisions will come in the church. Two parties will be developed. The wheat and tares grow up together for the harvest.” -2 Selected Messages, 114:0. (Matthew 13:24-30)2 - The sieve will eliminate the chaff. “There will be a shaking of the sieve. The chaff must in time be separated from the wheat. Because iniquity abounds, the love of many waxes cold. It is the very time when the genuine will be the strongest.” - Letter 46, 1887. 3 - Adversity does the purging. “Prosperity multiplies a mass of professors. Adversity purges them out of the church. “-4 Testimonies, 89:2.

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The sifting climaxes;“The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. Those who have step by step yielded to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will not find it a hard matter to yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. The contest is between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. In this time the gold will be separated from the dross in the church. True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many a star that we have admired for its brilliancy will then go out in darkness. Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the wind, even from places where we see only floors of rich wheat. All who assume the ornaments of the sanctuary, but are not clothed with Christ’s righteousness, will appear in the shame of their own nakedness.{PH117 63.2} And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Revelation. 13:16-17) ..........and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (Revelation. 13:15)

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God will be with His faithful ones to the end. “I am encouraged and blessed as I realize that the God of Israel is still guiding His people, and that He will continue to be with them, even to the end. “- General Conference Bulletin, May 27, 1913, p. 165. “The church, soon to enter upon her most severe conflict, will be the object most dear to God upon earth. The confederacy of evil will be stirred with power from beneath, and Satan will cast all the reproach possible upon the chosen ones whom he cannot deceive and delude with his satanic inventions and falsehoods. But exalted ‘to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins,’ will Christ, our representative and head close His heart, or withdraw His hand, or falsify His promise? No; never, never.” - Testimonies to Ministers, 20:1.

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"The blood of Jesus Christ . . . cleanseth us from all sin." I John 1:7. Since 1844, now more than a century, the inhabitants of earth have been living in the great antitypical day of atonement. Today, the Judgment is set, and the books are opened. Today, the cases of the dead who have professed to love and serve God, and whose names have at some time been written in the Book of Life, are coming in review before the great Judge. Small and great stand before Him, and are being "judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." Rev. 20:12.

We are nearing the end of the journey. We are in the time when "there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel." Eze. 38:19. Amos says of it, "I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve." Amos 9.9. For many, probation is now closing. Only those who are sanctified can be accepted. All others will be shaken out and finally destroyed, cut off from among God's people. "Cut off" or "cleansed" - which shall it be for me? Which shall it be for you? PTG

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Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for [it is] nigh at hand, Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where [is] their God? (Joel 2:1, 15-17)


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