Witnessing Before the Great Men of the Earth

[devotional at egwlists.whiteestate.org]

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Ellen G. White Estate, Devotional for September 2
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Witnessing Before the Great Men of the Earth

And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a
testimony against them and the Gentiles. Matt. 10:18. 


The time is not far off when the people of God will be called upon to
give their testimony before the rulers of the earth. Not one in twenty
has a realization of what rapid strides we are making toward the great
crisis in our history. . . . There is no time for vanity, for trifling,
for engaging the mind in unimportant matters. 

Kings, governors, and great men will hear of you through the reports of
those who are at enmity with you, and your faith and character will be
misrepresented before them. But those who are falsely accused will have
an opportunity to appear in the presence of their accusers to answer for
themselves. They will have the privilege of bringing the light before
those who are called the great men of the earth, and if you have studied
the Bible, if you are ready to give an answer to every man that asketh
you of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear, your enemies will
not be able to gainsay your wisdom. 

You now have an opportunity to attain to the greatest intellectual power
through the study of the Word of God. But if you are indolent, and fail
to dig deep in the mines of truth, you will not be ready for the crisis
that is soon to come upon us. O that you would realize that each moment
is golden. If you live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
God, you will not be found unprepared. 

You know not where you may be called upon to give your witness of truth.
Many will have to stand in the legislative courts; some will have to
stand before kings and before the learned of the earth, to answer for
their faith. Those who have only a superficial understanding of truth
will not be able clearly to expound the Scriptures, and give definite
reasons for their faith. They will become confused, and will not be
workmen that need not to be ashamed. Let no one imagine that he has no
need to study, because he is not to preach in the sacred desk. You know
not what God may require of you.

>From Maranatha - Page 253