We have come to the last days of this world. We have gone through many experiences. We have had trials, sorrows, and many difficulties, and we are still on the way to heaven. Some have fallen out of the way, and some have turned back. God has been helping us, and encouraging us to continue forward. Angels have been leading us, and urging us to climb higher and higher every day. The road on which we travel is getting narrower, and harder to climb, and more stumbling stones are on the way.
Sometimes our road ends at the foot of the mountain, what do we do now? Or our road leads us to an ocean shore, what do we do then? Many would stop, or turn back, and look for another road.
In our Christian life these things happen. The mountain is too high and the ocean is deep and wide. The Bible calls these mountains and oceans stumbling stones. “But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.” Romans 9:31–33. All who tried to climb the mountain in their own strength, or tried to cross the ocean without faith, they all stumbled.
Words that are so common even among professing Christians are, “I cannot do it,” “I do not know how,” “I could not help it,” “it is too hard.” Human wrecks and failures are seen everywhere, and people pass away from this life unsaved. Something was too difficult for them to do. There was some condition for salvation they could not fulfil, therefore they fell off the road, some sooner, others later, almost at the end of their journey. Without the power of God we cannot get over these stumbling stones, or the mountains. In the plains and level roads we all seem to make it somehow, but when the road becomes difficult, and humanly impossible, then all who are traveling in their own strength will fall away from it.
But, thanks to God, help is offered to us. It was the Christ’s Righteousness message that was given in 1888 as a help to the people, to prepare them for the crisis that came upon them twenty-six years later. In the year 1914 the road came to a mountain and all who were self-righteous fell off and stumbled, but a little remnant, in the power of Christ’s righteousness, were able to climb over the mountain.
As we are nearing the end, these stumbling stones become bigger and bigger. In the chapter, “Traveling the Narrow Way,” Sister White writes, “As we traveled, the cord moved along with us. The path finally became so narrow that we concluded that we could travel more safely without our shoes; so we slipped them from our feet, and went on some distance without them. Soon it was decided that we could travel more safely without our stockings; these were removed, and we journeyed on with bare feet.
“We then thought of those who had not accustomed themselves to privations and hardships. Where were such now? They were not in the company. At every change, some were left behind, and those only remained who had accustomed themselves to endure hardships. The privations of the way only made these
more eager to press on to the end.
“Our danger of falling from the pathway increased. . . . At length we came to a large chasm, at which our path ended. There was nothing now to guide the feet, nothing upon which to rest them. Our whole reliance must be upon the cords, which had increased in size, until they were as large as our bodies. Here we were for a time thrown into perplexity and distress. We inquired in fearful whispers, ‘To what is the cord attached?’ My husband was just before me. Large drops of sweat were falling from his brow, the veins in his neck and temples were increased to double their usual size, and suppressed agonizing groans came from his lips. The sweat was dropping from my face, and I felt such anguish as I had never felt before. A fearful struggle was before us. Should we fail here, all the difficulties of our journey had been experienced for naught.” –Life Sketches of Ellen G White, p. 191–192
It is a miracle of God to get over these stumbling stones, mountains and oceans. Many will fail; they come to a standstill and start falling back. The Holy Spirit will lead us step by step into perfection and holiness. If in one point we refuse to advance, the Holy Spirit will strive with us for a while. Then He will finally leave us alone since we voluntarily and wilfully turn back because the road becomes impossible to continue in human strength alone.
Can this happen to us? Can we stumble and fall off the road? We all will have these stumbling stones, mountains, and oceans. Are we able to endure them all?
“And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” 1 Peter 2:8. This is the first stumbling stone, the word of God.
The next one we find in Malachi. “But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 2:8. Many stumble at the law of God, the Ten Commandments, especially the fourth commandment, of keeping the Sabbath day holy.
The next stumbling stone to many is health reform. “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” Philippians 3:19
The first sin was of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden food; and today, six thousand years later, almost the whole world still eats food that is forbidden and unhealthy. “And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them.” Romans 11:9. An uncontrolled appetite has caused many to stumble and to lose their salvation.
Many stumble at the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” Exodus 20:13. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Matthew 5:44. Even Christian churches send their young men to join the army, and to take a gun, and kill the enemy. The true church of God refuses to send their young men to war.
Idol worship is a stumbling stone to many. “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?” Ezekiel 14:3
Iniquity is a sin that many practice, this includes dishonesty, selfishness, love of pleasure, love of amusements, love of competitive sports, and many other practices that have become idols for the people.
The love of money is a stumbling stone to many. “They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.” Ezekiel 7:19
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:10. Judas coveted money, but in the end he cast it on the floor.
Another stumbling stone we find in Revelation. “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.” Revelation 2:14
Balaam taught Balak how to cast a stumbling stone before the children of Israel. He told Balak to make a great feast and invite Israel’s young people to it, and introduce them to idol worship and fornication; Balak did so, and the result was that 24,000 Israelites died.
These are the sins that make the world today as was Sodom and Gomorrah. Only the pure in heart can see God; those who pollute their bodies in sensual gratification will perish with the wicked world, even they that profess religion.
Another stumbling stone is that of being offended. “Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!” Matthew 18:7. We will be hurt, misunderstood, neglected, rejected, persecuted, ridiculed, and condemned; all these offences will come upon us. “Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” Matthew 13:21
Jesus spoke about the last days, “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.” Matthew 24:10
How can we overcome these stumbling stones? “He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.” 1 John 2:10
Who brings these stumbling stones on our way? “Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” Ezekiel 3:20
“Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.” Jeremiah 6:21
These stumbling stones are necessary. It was the Lord who led the people of Israel to the Red Sea. They had the sea in the front and the Egyptian army behind. But it was also the Lord who provided the escape, the way out. He opened the way for them through the sea. They did not need to turn back, neither did they even have to stop.
“Then He answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and He shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.” Zechariah 4:6–7
These stumbling stones, the mountains and seas, have a purpose. “For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” Hebrews 12:10–11
“If received in faith, the trial that seems so bitter and hard to bear will prove a blessing. The cruel blow that blights the joys of earth will be the means of turning our eyes to heaven. How many there are who would never have known Jesus had not sorrow led them to seek comfort in Him!
“The trials of life are God’s workmen, to remove the impurities and roughness from our character. Their hewing, squaring, and chiseling, their burnishing and polishing, is a painful process; it is hard to be pressed down to the grinding wheel. But the stone is brought forth prepared to fill its place in the heavenly temple.” –Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 10
In the midst of trials, offences, and afflictions, we must still have faith in God, that He knows the way. “There is no sin greater than unbelief.” –My Life Today, p. 14. For this sin of unbelief, the people of Israel perished in the wilderness.
What we are experiencing today is nothing compared to the trials that we have to go through in the future. “If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?” Jeremiah 12:5
Stumbling stones bigger than ourselves will be on our way, mountains are before us, we must cross the Red Sea. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.” James 1:12. The love of Jesus will carry us through; what is humanly impossible can be done in the power of God.
Joshuas and Calebs will make it to the end, when many others will fail. The only things today that are important are, “Am I ready to meet my God? Have I confessed all my sins? Is my name written in the book of life?” If these are taken care of, then we will meet each other in heaven. Amen.
Timo Martin