What is the straight testimony?

[Gail]

What is the straight testimony that brings on the shaking?

[debbym]

i live yet not i, but Christ liveth in me who loved me and gave himself for me,

Of myself i can do nothing. 

we stand in Christ alone.

this strikes at the root of every form of false religion and false Christianity and self righteousness,

 Philippians 3:9 King James Version (KJV)

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

romans 8 

2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,[c] he condemned sin in the flesh, 

4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

[debbym]

their are myriads of texts, which give the message.  the straight testimony is a combination of the Spirit filled life behind the living word.

i believe the straight testimony has been being given and will continue and will shine brighter and brighter till the day Jesus comes.

I believe Noah gave the Straight Testimony in his time.  Moses gave the straight testimony in his time. Joseph gave the straight testimony and Isaiah and Jeremiah and David... to name just a few.

every experience of encountering the Holy Spirit in the word of God that cleanses and refines and cuts deeper and ... is experiencing the shaking and the straight testimony. everything that can be shaken will be shaken.  What did Isaiah say?  i am become a man of unclean lips in the midst of an unclean people.  this is the working of the straight testimony.  Isaiah was shaken by this experience.

from Hebrews 12. 25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

[Kevin H]

Jesus told Nicodemus that he was looking for heavenly things but did not understand earthly things and that the only message that has come from heaven is

¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

¹⁵ That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

¹⁸ He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

²⁰ For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved [fear that God is going to get them].

²¹ But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. [or those who end up coming to God instead of finding a condemning God find that their lives change.]

This indicates to me that the straight testimony deals with God and his relationship with the world and us and our relationship with God and the world.

This can lead into 1 John 2 15 to 17:

¹⁵ Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

¹⁷ And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Now most of us do an excellent job with 1 John 2:15. We run into trouble with verses 16 and 17. Most of us think we are for ourselves by making less of the outside world. Much of religion has been where we can use it to control others and for us to think "At least I'm not like..." and we have our list of does and don'ts. Some have a very long list of does and don'ts others have a very short list "All you have to do is say the magic words about accepting Jesus as your Lord and savior and you are saved, there is nothing else [except become a militant far right Republican and throw your energy into getting the law to push our views on to others.]

Verse 16 tells us that what it is in the world we are not to love is not the world out there, but something inside of each and every one of us that wants things to be exactly the way we want them to be and how we manipulate others instead of cooperating with what reality has to offer. Most people either want a religion where there is no change in our lives, and others where the changes tend to be controlling others and to interpret reality in a way that soothes our ego instead of really reaching out and loving the world as God has loved it. This will shake others out because you will have those who don't want to change who just wants to say the right words to get into heaven and they want to be saved in their present sins. And you will have another group who wants to see the gospel as the good news that everyone else is going to hell in a hand basket, and where they can have headship and control. They don't want the changes the Bible calls for.

[Gail]

Many believe the straight testimony is to berate people for their non-compliance in matters such as dress and food.

I am really liking the comments here!

[CoAspen]

Quote

This indicates to me that the straight testimony deals with God and his relationship with the world and us and our relationship with God and the world.

[JoeMo]

I believe that a big piece of the "straight testimony" (at least for the present time) that brings on the shaking is prophecy - especially eschatology.  It is avoiding the  "straight testimony" given in biblical study of the end-time events and how we are to respond to them that will shake many out of the Kingdom. While I admit that eschatology is someone confusing and intimidating at times, by studying it we at least be able to discern end-time events and how Jesus recommends that we respond to them. 

What would "shake" you more - knowing what is coming, how to recognize it, and how to respond to it; or having the end come upon you suddenly (like a thief in the night) and finding yourself clueless and unprepared?

No matter what your thoughts are about the straight testimony and the shaking, the best way to be "shaken into" Christ is to be ready for His coming, no matter what the scenario.  To not be ready probably means to be "shaken out".

[Gail]

Ahh... an eschatological tie!   For me that would be the everlasting gospel

[8thdaypriest]

I sounds to me, from the message to the Laodiceans (the last church) that they had too much invested in the world.  They hesitated to let go of it all (possessions, positions, careers, entertainments, etc. etc. etc.). 

That's a lot like LOT's WIFE.  The angels were dragging them out of a city on fire, and she just wasn't ready to let it all go. 

There are messages to SEVEN churches.  To FIVE the Lord says, "repent" or "I will remove your candlestick from it's place". 

7 minus 5 = 2.  The TWO last WITNESSES, Smyrna and Philadelphia.  The martyrs and those with brotherly love. 

The straight message IS:  "Love the LORD your God, with all your heart and soul and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. 

You CANNOT hang on tightly to the "the world" and fulfill this requirement.

[Gary K]

On 1/6/2017 at 10:29 PM, The Wanderer said:

This is only a small part of what the Bible says about "the straight testimony."  My heart sinks every time I see someone emphasize, as you just did in yellow high light, in regards to "calling sin by it's right name." I don't think thats where the Bible places the emphasis. Nor do the writings of EGW place THE MOST emphasis on this point.

Hi Wanderer,

I seem to recall that the Old Testament prophets spent a lot of time telling the COI and the Jews about their sins and what was coming upon them if they did not repent.  Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, Hosea, Amos, Malachi, and others all pointed out the sins of the people in a very straightforward manner.  So did Paul and Jesus in the New Testament times.  Paul told the Corinthians to kick someone out of the church for their behavior and asked them what their problem was.  He asked the Galatians who had bewitched them.  Peter called both Annanias and Sapphira liars and they dropped dead on the spot.  Jesus told people they were hypocrites, white-washed sepulchres, etc... and told the common people to beware of them and what they had to say. 

Now, that EGW quote given here does not say that people were going to give the straight testimony, but that God would.  If God gives that message don't you think it is apropos for people to talk about it?  I'm not saying talk about as in, talk about others behind their backs, but talk about what God is telling them through the Holy Spirit.  Emphasize what God is emphasizing to them.  I know my conscience is pretty active and Bible truths are brought to my mind quite often relating to my behaviors.  I consider that to be the straight testimony.  Should my response be to be disheartened, or to be rejoicing because God has not given up on me and is disciplining and chastising me as a loving father should do with his children? 

It seems to me that the straight testimony is often rejected because it steps on our toes.  Notice that I included myself in that sentence.  Don't we need our toes to be stepped on to wake us up?  We are told that we are asleep.  Do we not deserve to be woken up in any way possible?  Do you think God is going to not use any and all means possible to wake His people up?  Aren't we the ones at fault for being asleep?  Notice once again the we. In reading the Bible I have never seen God send soft soothing messages to His people.  He says, obey Me.  I will give you the ability to obey me, but you must obey me.  I have never seen anything in the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy where God says, Oh, a little sin is OK with me.  Can you point that text or quote out to me?