Especially for SdAs but good for all to understand. Even though this was written some 17 years ago, it is timely in particular for today and rivetting to read. Please make yourself comfortable and read all of it for it can breath new willingness and new life in you if you do.

How was it then?

Faith in the soon coming of Christ is waning. `My Lord delayeth His coming' is not only said in the heart, but expressed in words and most decidedly in works. Stupidity in this watching time is sealing the senses of God's people as to the signs of the times. The terrible iniquity which abounds calls for the greatest diligence and for the living testimony, to keep sin out of the church. Faith has been decreasing to a fearful degree, and it is only by exercise that it can increase." {3T 255,256}

This evaluation was given 140 years ago. But how descriptive of today's conditions is it? Some years ago I attended an afternoon in the Washington D.C., area entitled `Second Coming, Fervent Hope or Faded Dream?' A distinguished panel of ministry and laity had been selected for this important dialogue. As I listened to the discussion I was amazed. To a person, the panel members presented a confusing and disillusioning discussion. It was obvious that Christians, once strongly motivated by the return of Jesus, were now less certain, and were even bewildered by His nonappearance. There was no longer a certainty that the return of Jesus was imminent.

I had decided to say nothing during the discussion time that I knew would follow. But in the end, I had no alternative but to stand up and express the fervent hope that burns so fully in my heart.

There is no doubt that there has been a delay. When I was seven years old my mother startled me by predicting that there would not be another seven years before the return of Jesus. Fourteen seemed young even to a seven-year old. I remember thinking, `I wish Jesus would not come until I am 30.' I then imagined that 30 was old, and it would be easy to be good by then. I would be ready for Jesus to come.

In 1941, Australia was embroiled in the Second World War. The United States had not yet joined in the conflict, and the rapid success of the Nazi and the Fascist forces in Europe made a grim outlook for the future. Not long afterward, Singapore fell to the Japanese. With our father, we listened to the English broadcast from Radio Japan. The broadcasts talked of the British claims to Singapore's invincibility. The Japanese Army took only two days to capture this island fortress. Then came the chilling prediction, "Soon we will conquer the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), and then Australia." My heart missed a beat. I did not understand the full implications, but I could not mistake the anxiety of our parents.

In quick succession our father built an air-raid shelter in the side year. At school we were practicing running, in response to the sound of the school air-raid siren, to the prepared trenches just outside the school fence. There were instruction to fall flat on the ground whenever a plane, any plane, flew overhead. And there was the command to run home from school in order to ascertain the time it would take to reach our destination. We will never forget our mother's words, `No matter what the school says, you boys run home. I want to know where you are.'

We awoke one morning to learn that two Japanese shells had exploded in the east end of our city, Newcastle. Our anxiety grew when two submarines found their way through the network of defenses into the Sydney harbor. Before the battle had ended, twenty-eight had died, including the twelve crew members of the two Japanese submarines.

Second Coming Seemed Afar Off

The second coming of Jesus was naturally central in our thoughts. We longed for a world in which these tragedies could never again be possible. Reared in a home where both parents were deeply committed Christians, I heard much talk about the second coming of Christ. Both our father and mother spoke often about it. It had the reality of imminence. There was much stress upon the subject of the return of Jesus by the ministers of the day.

Our mother was 28 years of age when she made her prophetic statement about `the return of Christ.' She was full of life, vivacious, talented, and athletic. We never thought it possible that our family could be separated by death, but in 1974 our beloved mother was suddenly laid to her rest. Then with sorrow we wished her expectation of Christ's return had been realized.

The months have passed to years, and the years into decades. We have sensed that the impact of the near return of Jesus has been forgotten by many. Have we been crying "wolf" too long? Is the return of Jesus a myth, or at best the far-off event of the future? Ever since His ascension to heaven, the focus of Jesus' return has been a dynamic force in history. As His spellbound disciples watched Him ascending heavenward, they were reassured by the words of the angels:

"This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:11

The expectation of Jesus' return was the hope around which all other hopes gathered. Paul declared:

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first." 1.Thess. 4:13-16; see also 1.Cor. 15:51-54.

"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." 2.Tim. 4:8.

Peter added these words:

3:4 "And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2.Peter 3:4-13, see also 1.Peter 1:3-5.

There is a wonder in the words of Paul to Titus:

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus 2:13.

The blessed hope was enshrined in the greeting used by the Greek-speaking believers - Maranatha, the Lord is coming.

From the Apostles to us

Many of the first-century Christians clung to the words of Jesus in His dialogue with Peter. In his discussion Christ indicated that Peter would die by crucifixion, John 13:36. Peter, ever inquisitive, inquired from Jesus the eventual fate of John. Jesus answered,

"Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me." John 21:22.

Because John realized that some were reading too much into the words of Jesus, he clarified what Jesus had said:

"Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" John 21:23.

After the death of the apostles, it became increasingly difficult for the Christians to focus on the near return of Jesus. The problem was aided as second, third, and subsequent generations of Christians, not imbued with the intense commitment to Christ of their forebears, adopted a formal faith. Subsequently primitive godliness gave way to theological debate, pagan infiltration, power struggles, bitter controversy, and the emphasis upon forms and ceremonies. More and more Christian commitment of the masses became judged by loyalty to the priests, the potentates, and the fulfillment of the so-called `seven sacraments.' For the majority, the blessed hope was barely a flickering thought in the minds of the believers. The fading hope of the return of Jesus made the uniting of the faithful with their Saviour vague. At best, the Second Coming was a dim vision, likely to take place only in the unforeseeable future. This confusing situation was tailor-made for the introduction of the most ancient pagan errors - the immortality of the soul. Slowly and un-evenly over the Roman Empire, the error of immediate life after death penetrated the Christian church.

Did God Raise up a soso People?

But it was the Seventh-day Adventist Church that was raised up at a special time to do a special work, to give a chosen message, and to reawaken the inhabitants of earth to the nearness of the return of Jesus Christ. So important was the Second Coming to the pioneers of the SdA Church that it was enshrined in their denominational name. The pioneers of the SdA Church never doubted that Jesus would come in their lifetime. Those years have not only turned into decades, but we are now halfway through the second century of waiting for the return of Jesus.

Today the skeptics abound. Many in boldness and unbelief within our own beloved church are declaring these sentiments.

"And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation." 2.Peter 3:4.

Such unbelief and faithlessness are the grounds of continued delay for the return of Jesus. There is one thing certain, that Jesus will not return until He has people so deeply committed to Him that they can be trusted with the latter rain, and under that power, tale the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

What is necessary for Jesus return?

1. Jesus will not come until the everlasting gospel of Revelation 14:7 has been proclaimed to the whole world. The SdA Church has done a commendable work in spreading its message to almost all the countries of the world. But we would be deluded if we believed that this work has fulfilled the promises and the prophecies of Revelation 14:6 or of Matthew 24:14.
   Certainly the return of Jesus is not predicated upon having better or newer ideas and programs, which fact brings us to the second issue:
   
2. The gospel will not be taken to every tongue and people until God's children have been invested with the latter rain. Surely now is the time to pray for the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit. "Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field." Zech, 10:1. - But this prayer alone will not prepare God's people to receive the latter rain.
   
3. Jesus will not return until the gospel has gone unto the whole world. It will not be effected until God's people have received the latter rain. The latter rain will not fall upon a divided and schismatic people. There must be a unity in which all hearts pulsate in total harmony.
   
4. This unity will not come until God has a perfected people. "Unity is the sure result of Christian perfection." {SL, 85}
   The reason why God as yet cannot entrust humans with the Holy Spirit is that they are still living in sin and their lives have corners of selfishness. If God's Spirit-filled messengers were perfected, terrible destruction would take place. Myriads of people would turn away from the final invitation, not because of the message, but because of the messengers. Therefore perfection of character is essential for hastening the return of Jesus Christ.
   When the spaceship Columbia was launched, it had awesome power. But since it was defective, what should have been a great mission became a tragic disaster. That surely is an example of what would happen if God invested unconverted people with the Holy Spirit and with Pentecostal power. But no one will be sanctified apart from truth.
   
5. "There is no sanctification aside from the truth." {FE 432.3}This truth is wholly reflected in Jesus' prayer for unity.
   "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." John 17:17,19.
   Paul also addresses this subject: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." Ephesians 4:11-15. These principles are confirmed in 1.Peter 1:22-23.
   When God's people wholly accept the three angel's messages and allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify them through the truth, they will be fully united in truth and righteousness. Only then can the gospel go to the whole world, and Jesus can return.

The facts are that in the 170 year pilgrimage of the SdA Church, God has never yet had such a group. We often think back fondly to the "good old days" of the past, and there is a tendency by faithful SdAs to refer to themselves as "historic SdAs." I recoil from such an identification, for there is every evidence that God's people have never been ready for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; that the pioneers of the early Adventist Church were far from the kingdom of heaven. We cannot long for the past, for the Lord is calling for a totally different level of commitment to Him than was seen among our people in the 19th and in the 20th century.

On December 25, 1895, Sister White had a vision in Rochester, New York. She was shown ". . . ministers and people are unprepared for the time in which they live, and nearly all who profess to believe present truth are unprepared for this time. In their present state of worldly ambition, with their lack of consecration to God, their devotion to self, they are wholly unfitted to receive the latter rain and, having done all, to stand against the wrath of Satan, who by his inventions will cause them to make shipwreck of their faith, fastening upon them some pleasing self-deception. They think they are all right when they are all wrong." {1T 466}

Two words sum up the reason for the delay, "insubordination" and "love,: Insubordination is man's reason for the delay, and love is God's reason for the delay. The messenger of the Lord explains:

"We may have to remain here in this world because of insubordination many more years, as did the children of Israel; but for Christ's sake, His people should not add sin to sin by charging God with the consequence of their own wrong course of action." {Letter 184, 1901; Ev 696.3}

Failure to Obey

Because we have failed to render total obedience to God and to His commandments, Christ cannot return. There is a tremendous need for true, wholehearted surrender of the will to Christ, which in turn will lead to faithful commandment keeping, thus enabling us to have the character of Jesus and preparing us for the return of our Lord.

On the other hand, God's great love to His people is the reason why He has not cut off many now by closing probation.

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2.Peter 3:9.

In reality, those who claim to be the children of light are frustrating the purposes of God by their disobedience and their faithlessness in this most critical age of earth's history.

What are some of the causes of our insubordination?

1. "As a general thing, the Lord did not provide His people with flesh meat in the desert, because He knew that the use of this diet would create disease and insubordination. In order to modify the disposition, and bring the higher powers of the mind into active exercise, He removed from them the flesh of dead animals." {1BC 1112.8}
   So today the call of God is to remove all encumbrances from the preparation of our lives for the kingdom of heaven. Surely dietary reform brings spiritual reform and prepares the heart and mind to receive the moving of the Holy Spirit.
   
2. Dealing with the training of children, the servant of the Lord indicates that murmuring is one of the greatest causes of insubordination. She says: "The spirit of murmuring against reproof has been taking root and is bearing its fruit of insubordination. While the parents are not pleased with the characters their children are developing, they fail to see the errors that make them what they are." {4T 199.2} - This fruit is one of the curses of the age. Murmuring results from faithlessness. In reality many of us do not believe. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Rom. 8:28. - If we did experientially believe God's promises, even the most adverse circumstance would not bring these murmurings and complainings from our lips. They show that we are still earthly, rather than being "partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." 2.Peter 1:4.
   
3. God's messenger placed a heavy responsibility for the delay of Christ's coming upon the leaders of God's church:
   " The spirit of domination is extending to the presidents of our conferences. If a man is sanguine of his own powers and seeks to exercise dominion over his brethren, feeling that he is invested with authority to make his will the ruling power, the best and only safe course is to remove him, lest great harm be done and he lose his own soul and imperil the souls of others. "All ye are brethren." This disposition to lord it over God's heritage will cause a reaction unless these men change their course." {TM 362.1}
   When men in authority demand unquestioned loyalty from the members of the church, then men are taught to lean upon men rather than upon God. In so doing, they lose their eternal salvation, for men are sure to lead their fellow men astray if they are not directing them to God and to His Word as the only safe guide to heaven.

Our hearts cry out with anguish and yearning, "Lord, how long, how long?" as we weep at the arrival of the sesquicentennial (150th anniversary - he wrote in 1994), beginning the final phase of Christ's ministry for the redemption of mankind, yet the answer is within our own hands. We have not seen the delay because of the wickedness in the world, desperate though that is. But the delay of Christ's coming is due to the wickedness and apostasy in the church.

God has raised up the SdA Church to be His peculiar people at this time, to have the most precious message ever entrusted to human beings. Not long after the presentation of the message of Christ our righteousness at the 1888 Minneapolis GC, the servant of the Lord plainly revealed that in a very few short years God's people could be home in the kingdom. That decade after decade has passed bears a tragic testimony to the rejection of that message.

"This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. 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." {TM 91.2}

This is the message that will lead God's people, for it will bring them to unwavering faith in the sacrifice and ministry of Jesus Christ. It will lead them to recognize that Christ died that they might be pardoned and that they might be cleansed. It will prepare a people free from sinful practices, a people who will reflect the perfect life of their Saviour: a people who are perfectly united in truth and righteousness: a people who can be entrusted with the latter rain, and who, under a power greater that that which the apostles received at Pentecost, will take the glorious truth of the everlasting gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

I believe this is happening today all around us and yet many are hardly aware of it. It is accomplished through faith driven individuals in organizations such as Maranatha, ASI, building ten dollar churches worldwide through volunteers from various churches, through 3ABN, and other ministries, through literature and many individuals who have consecrated themselves to bring the 3AM into all the world. - Dear reader, if you are under employed but have a love for God's work, you can be employed till Jesus comes again helping people around the whole world as long as you are willing to role up your shirt sleves and help where ever help is needed and live the clean life committed to follow Jesus to where ever He goeth. As you pray and study the Word you will experience God's guidance and blessings.

We invite all readers to join with us in prayer and fasting that God will prepare our own personal lives and the lives of God's faithful people for that perfect unity. This unity alone will herald the finishing of the gospel commission and hasten the return of our long-looked-for and desire Redeemer.