Builders, Not Destroyers

[Thompson, Darryl]

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Ellen G. White Estate, Devotional for March 26
Visit us at http://www.whiteestate.org
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Builders, Not Destroyers

And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou
shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be
called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
Isa. 58:12.

Has God no living church? He has a church, but it is the church
militant, not the church triumphant. We are sorry that there are
defective members. . . .While the Lord brings into the church those who
are truly converted, Satan at the same time brings persons who are not
converted into its fellowship. While Christ is sowing the good seed,
Satan is sowing the tares. There are two opposing influences continually
exerted on the members of the church. One influence is working for the
purification of the church, and the other for the corrupting of the
people of God. . . . 

Although there are evils existing in the church, and will be until the
end of the world, the church in these last days is to be the light of
the world that is polluted and demoralized by sin. . . . 

There is but one church in the world who are at the present time
standing in the breach, and making up the hedge, building up the old
waste places; and for any man to call the attention of the world and
other churches to this church, denouncing her as Babylon, is to do a
work in harmony with him who is the accuser of the brethren. . . .The
whole world is filled with hatred of those who proclaim the binding
claims of the law of God, and the church who are loyal to Jehovah must
engage in no ordinary conflict. . . Those who have any realization of
what this warfare means, will not turn their weapons against the church
militant, but with all their powers will wrestle with the people of God
against the confederacy of evil.

Those who start up to proclaim a message on their own individual
responsibility, who, while claiming to be taught and led of God, still
make it their special work to tear down that which God has been for
years building up, are not doing the will of God. Be it known that these
men are on the side of the great deceiver. Believe them not. 

>From Devotional: Our Father Cares, pp. 84, 85.