Ordinarily, when the Spirit of God leads us deeper into the Person and will of Christ only a few people will respond. The majority remain with the previous movement.

The devout saint recognizes that Jesus works with two or three individuals. The Spirit-filled believer rejects the need to be popular, to be recognized and accepted by the majority. He knows the danger of the large, friendly assembly in which the people are occupied with one another rather than with the Lord.

It is better to have ten disciples who are serving God than ten thousand who are in love with one another.

The need in the Sardis-type assembly is for the people to return to what they had been taught in the beginning, to prayer, to repentance, to the reading of the Scriptures, to sincere, cross-carrying discipleship. If they do not, the Lord Jesus will come to them as a thief and they will suffer punishment and great loss of inheritance.

Sardis apparently was a large assembly that had been built by human talent and effort. But of the multitude of believers, only a few had kept their garments clean. Only a few were worthy to walk in white with Christ. The remainder were in danger of having their names blotted out of the Book of Life (Revelation 3:4,5).

What good is it to have a huge assembly if the people are not disciples of Jesus? The saint who would press forward to the rest of God, to the spiritual fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles, is content to be with a handful of fervent saints who are obeying the commandments of the Lord Jesus.

Philadelphia was offered the "key of David," the keys of the Kingdom of God. This is true of the present age, we believe. An open door is being set before us. The Lord Jesus is judging and preparing a number of believers to go forth to all the nations of the world, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The Lord will work with them, confirming the Word with signs and wonders.

We think the Spirit of God is testifying that God is ready to give to individuals the various powers of God—gifts of glory never before seen on the earth.

We believe also these extraordinary powers will be entrusted to the humblest, the lowliest, of the members of the Body of Christ.

These powerfully endued servants of Christ will not build monuments to themselves. They will remain as simple members of the Body of Christ, kindly, gentle, unassuming. They will be the most approachable of people, and yet separated to the Lord with a purity and intensity that are utter!—total!—final!

This "latter-rain" revival will take place during an hour of temptation, during a period of great deception and sin. Those who attend patiently upon the Lord Jesus will be kept by Him from being destroyed by the deceptions of sin. But many "Christians" will behave arrogantly. They believe they are "Jews," that they are worshipers of the true God. But their behavior shows they are of Satan. In the end, they will worship God at the feet of the despised remnant.

Those who overcome during the age of power and deception will be installed as pillars in the eternal Temple of God.

To be continued.