| And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy." |
|
Doubting Dreams |
 Ellen White was told by doctors that she was having
dreams and revelations from the devil. Leaders of the church who did not
like their sins pointed out told her she was having dreams from the devil.
Many of her "friends" told her the dreams she was having were
from the devil. One day, when the Holy Spirit came to her to reveal
something, she doubted.
Immediately she was struck dumb for less than twenty four hours. Being unable to speak, she asked for something to write on so she could explain what happened in vision. She was told to write up what she was given in vision. She called for a pen to write up what she had seen. God knows our thoughts. When He reveals things to us, we need to believe and move ahead quickly in faith. I have placed these texts at the end of this story. They are recorded in her book "Early Writings." Fifty texts were given to her on a card written in gold. She immediately asked for a Bible and looked up every text.
|
 I was warned 3 times that my planned trip to India was
to be delayed. It made sense because of the attack on the trade tower.
Yet, I was tempted to doubt. I prayed that God would strengthen
my faith. The rest of those planning to go kept on planning.
Information was that the general conference and India church leaders
believed all was safe. The days were ticking away. It was time to board
the plane. I was urged to borrow funds for the trip. I knew that was wrong
because God always provides. My faith was sorely tried. |
 People were asking me when I was leaving. They had
followed along as I prepared for this mission trip into India. I had a new
and strange emotion. I had been asked to DELAY. There were no reasons given. It was not easy to answer the questions
of my own heart let alone the questions from other people. |
 I stored all the packed bags in a friends garage, and
prayed often. How I wanted God to tell me how much time before departure,
I wanted Him to tell me if I had offended or grieved the Holy Spirit to
cause Him to cast me aside. I was assured this was not the case.
At church I heard verses and songs which spoke to my heart. I took notes and saved them in my Bible. Believe that God does not lie. Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 2 Chronicles 20:20 I
John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world. 1 John 4:4 Numbers 23:19 God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Then for special music a man sang a song on the same theme. Over and over in the chorus of his song were the words that God cannot lie. "The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way." Psalm 25:9. |
| With those texts, I was comforted and had a new
assurance.
On October 8, I received word that a group who had just arrived in India to do evangelism were not allowed to do their work. They were requesting prayers that God would intervene. I was told it probably was not the group I was scheduled to go with. I prayed for the courage of the group.
I had told God that when I saw this sign, I would finish preparations for departing to India, expecting to leave in 7-10 days. I understood God's orders to me that I was on DELAY but did not know how long of a delay. When I saw my answer, I finished getting ready for the journey and waited some more. Within those 7-10 days, I continued to pray. Then God helped me understand. Word came to me on the twenty fifth of October that the team was still having trouble. Because of the war security problems were encountered. Borders were later even closed in December as tension mounted. The team was under heavy guard. They were spending much time in their hotel rooms. They were in a hotel that was a three hour trip from the planned villages we were to give the gospel to. India pastors delivered messages that the Americans had planned to give. God brought people to the truth anyway. "It is not by might or by power but by God's Spirit" that the work is done.
Instead of wasting our time in a hotel room, we were home working for God. Revelation and Daniel studies were re uploaded for our web site. We had more visits to our site than we would have if we had gathered a crowd in India. God knows what He is doing. We want to be right where He can use us best.
"We need to have more distinct views of Jesus and a fuller comprehension of the value of eternal realities. The beauty of holiness is to fill the hearts of God's children; and that this may be accomplished,
we should seek for divine disclosures of heavenly things. {SC 99.3} |
Texts Ellen saw in vision when she was struck dumb for doubting can be found in Early Writings
|
WHY DID GOD DELAY MY INDIA PLANS FOR EVANGELISM? Three times God said yes, He wanted me to go work in India. Money was not coming in as planned for ticket purchase. Leader was saying he was worried I would make it hard for him and the rest to get through customs. Daily I asked God to consider each breath I took to be a request for the Holy Spirit for wisdom in planning items to take to India, for wisdom in preparing the lessons and for all that I needed. I need a projector, and many other items. Isaiah
30:20 And [though] the
Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet
shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes
shall see thy teachers: Isaiah 30:21 And
thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This [is] the way, walk
ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Psalms
25:9 The meek will he
guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
Jeremiah 1:6
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I [am] a
child.
1:7 But the LORD
said unto me, Say not, I [am] a child: for thou shalt go to all that I
shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
1:8 Be not
afraid of their faces: for I [am] with thee to deliver thee, saith the
LORD.
1:9 Then the
LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me,
Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. I
Cor. 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:
but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye
are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye
may be able to bear [it].
“Believe in the
Lord your God, so shall ye be established.” 2 Chron. 20:20 “God has dealt
to every man the measure of faith.” Ro. 12:3 “And blessed is
she that believed; for there shall be a performance of those things which
were told her from the Lord.” Luke 1:45 “Thou shalt
compass me about with songs of deliverance.” Ps 32:7 Hebrews 6:18
That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God
to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to
lay hold upon the hope set before us:
6:19 Which
[hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast,
and which entereth into that within the veil; Hebrews 12:25 See
that you refuse not him that speaks. For if they escaped not who refused
him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, The Lord is my
helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Heb. 13:6 Joshua 1:9 Be
strong and of a good courage. 1:9
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not
afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee
whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:5 I
will not leave or forsake. Numbers
23:19 God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son
of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or
hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Deut
31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be
afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee;
he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
31:8
And the LORD, he [it is] that doth go before thee; he will be with
thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be
dismayed. 1 Chronicles 22:13
Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfill the statutes
and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel: be
strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.
Lamentations 3:23
[They are] new every morning: great [is] thy faithfulness.
3:24
The LORD [is] my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in
him. 3:25
The LORD
[is] good unto them that wait for him, to the soul [that] seeketh
him. 3:26
[It is] good that [a man] should both hope and quietly wait for the
salvation of the LORD. Psalms
27:14 Wait on the LORD:
be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, according
as God hath dealt to
every man the measure of faith.
WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to please Him. Heb.
11:6 “Belief
in Him is essential to spiritual life. Those who feast on the Word
never hunger, never thirst, never desire any higher or more exalted good.
MS 81, 1906) Romans 8:31 8:31
What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who
[can be] against us? Mark
9:24 And straightway
the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe;
help thou mine unbelief. Isaiah
45:11 Thus saith the
LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come
concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
Deut
10:12 And now, Israel,
what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God,
to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God
with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
on the LORD. Romans12:3
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is
among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think;
but to think soberly, Micah 6:8
He hath showed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD
require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly
with thy God?
God
never leads His children otherwise than they would
choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning,
and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as
coworkers with Him. Not Enoch, who was translated to heaven, “When men
submit entirely to God, eating
the bread of life and drinking the water of salvation, they will grow
up into Christ. Their characters are composed of that which the mind
eats and drinks. Through the WORD of life, which they receive and
obey, they become partakers of the divine nature. Then their entire
service is after the divine similitude, and Christ, not man is exalted.
Letter 64 1900 p. 1123 Study
Bible John 14:14 ASK anything in my name and I will do it. |
I
asked God to give me a sign of several rainbows in the sky when it was about time for me to go to India. I wanted the rainbows to intersect. On
October 15, He made 7
intersecting rainbows. I knelt on the ground with my children and asked
the Lord to direct us in HIS ways. We committed again all our talents,
time and interests to HIM. 
Why
did I ever doubt? I must remember all that He has done in the past for me
to guide and protect. More faith, and more information will be granted me
if I do this.