WHAT WILL IT TAKE

TO FINISH THE WORK? by David Dence

Does Jesus ever ask us to do something impossible?

The standard answer is no. However, I would like to re-evaluate this question. This can be best
illustrated with a simple story:

Daddy was sitting in his easy chair reading his Bible when Junior came toddling into the room.
Junior loved his Daddy very much and Daddy loved his 18 month old son very much. Daddy
noticed a heavy telephone directory on the floor next to the coffee table. “Son,” Daddy gently
asks, “please pick up that directory and place it on the coffee table.” Instantly Junior bends over
and tries to lift the directory. He grunts and strains with all his might. But the directory is much
too heavy for him. Daddy, of course, is amused and pleased with his son’s efforts. Daddy now
lays aside his Bible and comes to the aid of his little red faced son. With Daddy’s help the
directory is easily lifted onto the table. They smile at each other with mutual satisfaction. Now
what was it that Daddy really wanted? What Daddy really wanted was fellowship with his son. He
wanted to do something together. He wanted to build a relationship with his son. And this exercise
nicely served that purpose. Had Daddy in fact asked his son to do something impossible? Yes he
did. Why? Well, this provided an opportunity for Daddy to come to the aid of his son and show his
strength. The son learned that the task was easy with Daddy’s help.

With this story in mind let’s take a look at what Jesus asked His disciples to do:

Matthew 28 (New Living Translation)

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am
with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Surely you will agree that giving such an enormous task to such a small and inexperienced bunch
of men was preposterous. Had Jesus just asked them to do something impossible? Yes. But they
did it!

From the introduction to The Acts of the Apostles found on the White Estate website we read:
“Peter, Paul, James, John, Luke, Barnabas, Stephen, Mark, and the other early apostles carried the
wonderful news of the gospel to all of the then-known world.”

Then again in the last chapter of the book the author confirms, “The apostles did a work that
shook the world. To every nation was the gospel carried in a single generation. The commission
that Christ gave to the disciples, they fulfilled.”--page 593

So how did they do it?

I have been burdened with the urgency of “finishing the work.” I have asked several evangelists
what they thought it would take to “finish the work.” The standard answer is, “bigger evangelism
budgets, better equipment, more participation by the members, and more enthusiasm for the
work.” Of course they will concede that a generous helping of the Holy Spirit would be nice.

What if everyone in the world was a Seventh-day Adventist? Would that really result in the
immediate return of Jesus? What if every synagogue, every church and masque and temple in the
world was converted into a Seventh-day Adventist Church? Would Jesus consider the work
finished? So just how well are we coming along? Are we really making progress? The greatest era
of evangelism was back in the late 50s and early 60s. Those were the golden years of Fordyce
Detamore. Since then per capita conversions to the church have fallen. We seem to be getting
farther behind each year. The prospects of finishing the work any time soon seem slim. So what is
the problem? Oh, you say, we need the Latter Rain. Exactly! That is the correct answer. Doing
evangelism without the Latter Rain is like trying to dig a ditch with our bare hands. When the
Latter Rain is poured out evangelism will go like fire in the stubble. It will be like digging a ditch
with a high-powered Ditch Witch. So, what shall we do? Pray all night for the Latter Rain? That
certainly would not hurt. But hasn’t that already been tried? Hundreds of times? Has the latter rain
been poured out yet? The answer is no. In answer to earnest prayer the Early Rain has certainly
been bestowed on God’s people at certain times and in sundry places, but as for the Latter Rain, that is another
matter altogether. The Latter Rain will be poured out “without measure.” That has not happened yet! We have
never seen anything like it yet. It will truly be awesome. Furthermore, the Latter Rain is time sensitive. It will
only be poured out when the 144,000 are ready. And, to begin with at least, only the 144,000 will receive the
Latter Rain. Why? They are the only ones who will know what to do with it. Remember, Laodicea has just been
spewed out. They would not know what to do with the Latter Rain, anyway. Please do not be offended. Every
member of the church has an equal opportunity to be a member of the 144,000. If during the Loud Cry someone
does not receive the Latter Rain, it is solely because they chose not to participate.

When we truly understand these principles we will want to regroup, refocus, and wait for the
outpouring of the Latter Rain. It is our most urgent need. Our emphasis will be to seek the Lord
for a preparation for the sealing and the outpouring of the Latter Rain. I am not advocating that we
neglect the lost masses of the world. Believe me, their turn is coming. But let’s not go out half
cocked.

Let’s say you are lying out on a long pier soaking up some rays when suddenly you hear a frantic
cry for help. You bestir yourself and look out across the waves to see someone about to drown.
You scramble to your feet and shout down to the desperate soul, “Wait for a moment until I buckle
on my life vest.” Jumping into the water to rescue a drowning person without first putting on your
PFD (personal floatation device) would not have been wise. Do you think the drowning person
begrudged you the few seconds it took to get properly prepared? Of course not. More than once I
have heard of a drowning person pulling his rescuer down with him. Jumping into the furrow of
lost humanity without first putting on the whole armor of God is not going to work very well
either.

“Without the Spirit and power of God it will be in vain that we labor to present the truth.”--
Amazing Grace 219

Zechariah 10
1Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain;
Please notice that the Latter Rain is time sensitive! The Lord will pour out the Latter Rain only
when it is time, not before, no matter how much I ask. So when I pray for the Latter Rain, I am
praying for the conditions that bring on the Latter Rain. And what are those conditions? These
issues are covered in other chapters, but briefly, the Latter Rain cannot fall until the 144,000 have
been numbered and “His bride has made herself ready,”(Rev 19:7) and Laodicea has been spewed
out (Rev 3:16). And God will not grant me the Latter Rain ahead of the other 143,999. We are all
in this together. Thus we see the importance of discipleship and unity. Did you realize there is so
much involved?

1 Corinthians 14:15
I will pray in the spirit, but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding;

So how did those few disciples accomplish such a grand work? What lessons can we learn from
their experience?

“The time had now come. The Spirit had been waiting for the crucifixion, resurrection, and
ascension of Christ. For ten days the disciples offered their petitions for the outpouring of the
Spirit, . This was the occasion of his ascension and inauguration, a jubilee in heaven. He had
ascended on high, leading captivity captive, and he now claimed the gift of the Spirit, that he
might pour it out upon his disciples. The Spirit was given as Christ had promised, and like a
mighty rushing wind it fell upon those assembled, filling the whole house. It came with a fullness
and power, as if for ages it had been restrained, but was now being poured forth upon the church,
to be communicated to the world.”--SW, November 28, 1905

“To us as well as to the disciples, Christ has given the work of carrying the truth to the world. But
before engaging in this great and aggressive warfare…..In accordance with the directions given,
Christ invites all to count the cost. He assures them that if they take hold of his strength, , and
obtain supernatural assistance, that will enable them in their weakness to do the deeds of
Omnipotence. If they go forward with faith in God, they will have the assurance of infallible
success.”--RH, March 15, 1898

“By the power of the Holy Spirit the disciples were fitted for the work of representing Christ.”--
RH, March 15, 1898

Luke 24:49-53
"I am going to send you what my Father has promised. But for now, stay in the city. Stay there
until you're equipped with power from on high. They returned to Jerusalem bursting with joy.
They spent all their time in the Temple praising and extolling and honoring God.”

Acts 2:
1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the
house where they were sitting.
3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit
gave them utterance.
“What was the result of the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost? The glad tidings of a
risen Saviour were carried to the uttermost parts of the inhabited world. . The church beheld
converts flocking to her from all directions.”--AA48

“One interest prevailed. One object swallowed up all others. Every pulse beat in healthy concert.
The only ambition of the believers was to see who could reveal most perfectly the likeness of
Christ's character, who could do the most for the enlargement of his kingdom "The multitude of
them that believed were of one heart and one soul." The Spirit of Christ animated the whole
congregation.”--Southern Watchman, November 28, 1905

We have been given the Gospel Commission:

Matthew 24 (King James Version)
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations;
and then shall the end come.

Our evangelists actually believe this is possible. And they are spending great sums of money
trying to accomplish it. Instead of the emphasis being placed on personal piety, a life of victory is
buried under a flurry of evangelism. Until we recognize that what Jesus has asked us to do is
humanly impossible, we will continue to struggle in vein. As the disciples waited for the
outpouring of the Early Rain, we must wait for the outpouring of the Latter Rain. That is not easy
to do. We would much rather rush out and DO something.

“We are to present the last message of mercy to the world,. We shall need more than finite wisdom
in doing this work. We must have divine power connected with our efforts. It is our privilege to
take God at his word. As Jesus was about to leave his disciples to ascend into heaven, he
commissioned them to bear the gospel message to all nations, tongues, and peoples. He told them
to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. This was essential to their
success. The holy unction must come upon the servants of God. All who were fully identified as
disciples of Christ and associated with the apostles as evangelists, assembled together in
Jerusalem. They put away all differences. They continued with one accord in prayer and
supplication, that they might receive the fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit; Christ had
promised them a special blessing, which would qualify them to go forth to proclaim His gospel to
the world. They were waiting in expectation of the fulfillment of His promise, and were praying
with special fervency. This is the very course that should be pursued by those who act a part in the
great work of proclaiming the coming of the Lord in the clouds of heaven; . Those who are now
engaged in the solemn work of preparing a people for the coming of the Lord, should also
continue in prayer. The early disciples were of one accord. . They were one in faith and spirit.
They were agreed. The disciples of Christ should become one with Him, and one with each other.
All differences should disappear. Soul should blend with soul. No strife should be permitted to
sway the soul; no love of supremacy, no thought of self, should be cherished; we should be one in
Christ.”--ST, March 31, 1890

“We are altogether too indifferent in regard to the Holy Spirit. We cannot rightly estimate the value of
the gift of the Holy Spirit. No one is safe in attempting to work without the Holy Spirit. The most
powerful sermons may be preached, but the word spoken will be valueless unless it is accompanied by
the Holy Spirit. Yoked up with Christ, men will become more precious than gold,.”--RH, July 30, 1901

“Let us seek most earnestly for the heavenly anointing, the Holy Spirit.”--Reflecting Christ 219

Next we must have a thorough understanding of the duties and privileges of the 144,000. We must
know without question whether Jesus is waiting for a literal number or just something close. What
are the qualifications for the 144,000. Are they chosen at random by God from the ranks of
Adventists and other fairly good Christians? Are they draftees or enlistees? Is it possible that the
reason the Latter Rain has not been poured out yet is because, as of today God cannot find
144,000 holy people anywhere on the face of the earth? 144,000 people to whom He can entrust
the Holy Spirit without measure?

“The Lord does not now work to bring many souls into the truth, because of the church members who have
never been converted and those who were once converted but who have backslidden. What influence would these
unconsecrated members have on new converts?”--6 Testimonies 371

But when God finally has His army of 144,000 Spirit-filled first-fruits, look out! The message will
go very quickly. Thousands will be converted in a day. THEN Matt 24:14 will become a reality.

So what is our part? Enroll in the school of Christ and learn at His feet. He will personally direct
our training and preparation. Oh, did you think that the 144,000 would be miraculously endowed
with knowledge, skill, and wisdom? That might happen in rare cases, but it is definitely out of
character. You will recall that Jesus spent 3½ years training the 12 disciples, not 3½ seconds.
Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness learning under the hand of God the lessons he would need
over the next 40 years. William Miller studied for 13 years before giving his first public lecture.

“The latter rain will never refresh and invigorate the indolent, who do not use the powers God has
given them.”--Heavenly Places 338

Next we must enlist in His elite army of 144,000 trusted servants. How do we do that? Since we
have already been called and chosen, we must simply accept the call. And how do we do that? By
getting on our knees and sincerely committing to the challenge of vindicating Jesus before the
watching world and universe. I like the motto seen on the Marines posters: We don’t accept
applications. Only commitments.

And what is God’s part? He will set the world stage. How? By arresting the attention of all living
beings. As you are painfully aware, folks today simply are not interested in spiritual things. Life is
too comfortable. But that is about to abruptly change forever. God is about to “arise and shake
terribly the earth.” Isaiah 2:19 and 21 and Rev 8:5 and onward. And please be aware that a
symbolic earthquake is not going to get the world’s attention. A figurative sea turning to blood is
not going to be of any concern to worldlings.

“Last night a scene was presented before me. I may never feel free to reveal all of it, but I will
reveal a little. From place to place rose the cry, "The Lord has come! The Lord has come!" Many
were unprepared to meet Him, but a few were saying, "Praise the Lord!" "Why are you praising
the Lord?" inquired those upon whom was coming sudden destruction. "Because we now see
what we have been looking for." "If you believed that these things were coming, why did you not
tell us?" was the terrible response. "We did not know about these things. Why did you leave us in
ignorance? Again and again you have seen us; why did you not become acquainted with us, and
tell us of the judgment to come, and that we must serve God, lest we perish?”--Reflecting
Christ243

“I have seen the city of San Francisco, and what a scene of devastation it presents. We were an
hour and a half riding through the ruins. As we looked at such complete destruction, we could
hardly realize that the largest city in California was in ruins. Looking at the tall buildings in San
Francisco, some of them having one side still standing, it seemed to say, The touch of the Lord's
finger will lay in ruins the most costly and the highest of buildings. One of the standing walls of
these high structures came down with a crash as we were looking at it. The completeness of the
ruin cannot be described. . . . We know not what may come next to arouse the people to
investigate Bible truth. The day of the Lord will come unlooked for, as a thief in the night. If these
awful calamities do not make an impression on our minds, what will?”--Paulson Collection 215

“After the terrible storm there was a great calm. Not a Seventh-day Adventist was to be seen. Then
the Adventists arose like a great flock of sheep without a shepherd. They all united in earnest
prayer for help and wisdom, and the Lord answered them by helping them choose leaders among
them, who had never sought positions before. They prayed earnestly for the aid of the Holy Spirit
which was poured out upon them, making them fully ready for service. They then went forth fair
as the moon, clear as the sun and terrible as an army with banners to give the message to all the
world.”--1908 Statement by Ellen White to Sister McInterfer, Elder D. E. Robinson (her grand-
daughter’s husband) and Will Ross at Loma Linda Station while waiting for the train.

“God will use ways and means by which it will be seen that He is taking the reins in His own
hands. The workers will be surprised by the simple means that He will use to bring about and
perfect His work of righteousness.”--TM300.

As you can see, we must face some tough questions. Is Jesus really waiting for us? The answer is
yes. How long will He wait? As long as necessary. We are currently in a holding pattern. We are
just going round and round. We have not been given clearance to land. God is waiting for us to get
our act together. And at this point in time it has little to do with evangelism! May God help us to
realize that world evangelism without the Latter Rain is an exercise in futility. It is simply
impossible. Furthermore, until God arrests the attention of the world, they are not interested in
listening to anything we have to say, anyway. Yes, the gospel will once more be heralded around
the world, but it will be accomplished AFTER the Latter Rain is poured out. “And he said unto
me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” Rev
10:11

We have been convinced that there are some things that we cannot know and shouldn’t know.
Friend, this notion is the kiss of death. This is how Satan keeps us sleeping.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will
also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me:” Hosea 4:6

“It is the privilege of every Christian not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord.
Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the
character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them
as His own.”--COL 69

So what shall we do? Recognize that we are unfit for the job. Stop everything and fall on the Rock
and be broken. Encourage other Adventists to do the same. Secondly, it is imperative that we
understand the order of events. Without this knowledge it will be impossible to cooperate with
Jesus. If we are pulling while He is pushing, or pushing when He is trying to pull, we will be
useless. The sum total of all the wisdom of all the ages is to know which way God is going, and to go with
Him. Thirdly, we must have a clear understanding of the role of the 144,000. If we have the idea that they are just
a pretty exhibit of holiness, standing on a mountain side dressed in suits and ties, waiting for Jesus to come, or if
we think they are sealed sometime toward the end of the loud cry, we do not rightly understand why they are
called first fruits.

1 Timothy 5 (21st Century King James Version)

24Some men's sins are open beforehand, going on to judgment; and in some men they follow
after.

The 144,000 will have sent their sins into judgment beforehand.

We must understand that the loud cry cannot commence until the 144,000 are ready. The training,
sealing, and empowering of the 144,000 is critical. This is where we should focus our attention.
Everything else can wait. Friend, if we do not give this our full attention, our generation may also
pass off the scene, and God will have to wait for the next generation or perhaps the next. Solemn
thought. Did you think Jesus was going to come on some predestined date ready or not? Not so.
Jesus is waiting for YOU and will wait as long as He must for you to make up your mind. Friend,
you have all the time you need, but you need all the time you have. “Now is the day of Salvation.”
(2Cor 6:2)

Some folks busy themselves with silly pursuits such as trying to ascertain just exactly when the
earth will be 6000 years old. I am sure God is not waiting for that. Neither is He waiting for the
world to get wickeder. It is plenty wicked enough. He is waiting for His church to get holier. Some
promote the idea that the Latter Rain will fall on a day of Pentecost. Others have created charts
showing that closing events will commence on certain dates. This is dangerous and misleading.
Jesus is waiting for only one thing: the development of the 144,000. As soon as He has His
number the curtain will rise on the final drama of the ages. Can you think of any reason why He
would want to wait any longer? Hasn’t He been waiting long enough?

“Many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord…through the time
of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble
must reflect the image of Jesus fully. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be
purified from sin... Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort, they must be
conquerors in the battle with evil, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of
sin, among God's people upon earth. I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful
and were looking to the time of "refreshing" and the "latter rain" to fit them to stand in the day of
the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter!
They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all
must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. Those who refuse to be hewed by the
prophets and fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe
that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the
plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. I saw that none
could share the "refreshing" unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride,
selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be
drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to
enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Let all remember that God is holy and that
none but holy beings can ever dwell in His presence.”--Maranatha 254

“Oh, that self may be subdued in each one of us who profess to believe in Jesus! Oh, that pride
may be laid in the dust! Oh, that we may more fully reflect the image of Jesus! As never before we
should pray not only that laborers may be sent forth into the great harvest field, but that we may
have a clear conception of truth, so that when the messengers of truth shall come we may accept
the message and respect the messenger.”--MR No. 1152 (Written September 19, 1892, from North
Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia, to Elder Uriah Smith.)

This is a work in progress. Let’s learn together. I covet your input. Perhaps God has revealed to
you something He has not yet shown to me.

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