The Good Driver
September 4, 2010
By Ernie Knoll
www.formypeople.org
In my dream, I am standing along a road that is straight, flat, and has wide lanes. As I look to the left, I notice a very small town not more than a half-mile away. As I look to the right, the road is straight as far as I can see. The area is flat; I do not see any trees close to the road, which is made up of one lane coming into town and one going out of town. At the end of the town and to the right, I notice a sign that shows “Speed Limit 25.” I now see four young men jump out of the grass along the road. They are laughing and joking as they run over to the sign, remove it, and replace it with one that shows “Speed Limit 80.” I hear them laughing again as they take the old sign with them and disappear into the tall grass.
I now turn to the left and see the driver of a car leaving the town. Suddenly, in the quiet I hear a voice state, “He is going out to take care of things he knows he is supposed to be doing.” I turn to see the Herald, who continues by explaining that the person has been awarded the safest driver award many times. He always stops completely at a stop sign and at right turns with a red signal, waiting to proceed on. He is always courteous to the other drivers and invites them to go ahead at an intersection. He stops at pedestrian crosswalks, and does not proceed until the person in the crosswalk has stepped off the road. He always obeys the speed limit. The Herald states, “He is a good driver. Observe as he leaves town. Notice his driving and how he tries to make no mistakes.”
Even though I know that the Herald and I are standing as observers, neither of us can be seen. We watch as the good driver goes past us at a slow speed. A little further down the road, I clearly see him observe the “Speed Limit 80” sign. He presses the accelerator and instantly his car is traveling at that speed. The Herald and I now travel down the road a short ways when we see the good driver coming toward us at 80 miles per hour. I notice behind him a policeman with his red lights flashing. After the good driver pulls over, the policeman issues him a ticket and explains that he was going 80 in a 25 miles per hour zone. The good driver explains that he was observing a sign a couple miles back that displayed “Speed Limit 80.” He asks the policeman to return with him to see the sign, and the policeman agrees to follow. The Herald and I are now instantly by the sign, and the young men are returning the “Speed Limit 25” sign. I hear them laugh as they quickly disappear into the tall grass.
I now see the good driver and the policeman return to the speed limit sign. The driver gets out of his car, walks over to the sign, points up to it and states, “Here is the sign with the 80 miles per hour speed limit.” As he points up to it, he is shocked that the sign now says “Speed Limit 25.” The policeman tells the driver that he will need to return with him to see the judge.
The Herald and I are now in the courtroom where the driver stands before the judge, who states that he was found to be going 80 in a posted 25 miles per hour zone. The driver receives a large fine, all his awards had to be returned, and he is now known as the worst driver.
Word soon travels around the small town of how the driver cannot be trusted as a good driver. Rumors spread that he has killed people while driving. Someone states that if people see him driving down the street, they should get off the sidewalk, since he will try to run over them. Some state that he should have his driver’s license taken away.
Calling me by my heavenly name, the Herald tells me that the driver was driving at what he thought was the posted speed limit and that he did what he thought he was supposed to be doing. However, he was not given an opportunity to confess before seeing the judge. {1}
Walking along with the Herald, he now explains, “This is how it was with you. Many did not and still do not understand that you were simply observing what you thought was the correct speed limit. While you were made to stand before earthly policemen and judges who condemned you and declared you an unsafe driver, you went before the only One who has the right to listen—the Great Judge—and asked for forgiveness. He forgave you, and you returned to being a good driver in God’s eyes.”
The Herald continues by explaining that there are many who have decided to wear a uniform and eagerly hand out tickets. They have decided to serve as policemen, even though they have not been called to serve. They are eager to point out the transgressions of others, yet ignore their own. There are others who call themselves to serve as judges, even though they have not been called by the Great Judge. They wear the robe of a judge and ask people to refer to them as judges. They walk with a righteous appearance. They make their own laws and condemn those who transgress those laws. This is also the way it is in God’s Church. There are judges who walk in robes and place a sentence on those whom they do not have a right to judge. These are not God’s judges. {2} Those who serve on their own behalf are teaching errors. They conduct their services in a way that is not reverent and holy. They have allowed themselves to be led by the one who is the great deceiver.
As we walk along, the Herald states, “Soon the Holy Spirit will be made clear. Those who have walked in the right path and have asked for His counsel on all things will be guided directly by the heavenly Father.” The Herald stops, calls me by my heavenly name and says, “Each day you have asked for His direction and have witnessed His divine hand over you. He has heard the many silent, private prayers that you only want to serve Him. He has heard your prayers and knows your heart.”
The Herald now points to an open field and says, “Soon this will be His guiding.” I see what resembles a long playground slide that reaches from the ground to a window in the sky. The window slowly opens upwards, and falling from the opening is what looks like gold coins that slide down and create a mound on the ground. As these continue to fall, the mound grows larger.
Next the Herald says, “Now look over here.” I look to the left at what appears to be a large photo in the sky, except it moves as if it is alive. It is a framed photo of Ellen White. On the bottom of the frame is a placard that reads, “Ellen White, God’s chosen end-time prophet.” The Herald explains that all things are possible through the Great Judge who sits on His heavenly throne. He forgives all, and those who are willing to do His bidding are enabled through Him. {3}
The Herald now says to look to the eastern sky. He kneels on his right knee and bows his head in reverence. I hear a voice that rolls through the flat countryside like thunder, yet has that distinct sound of a powerful rushing waterfall, a small stream of water, and the faint sound of a tranquil stream all at the same time. The voice is heard saying, “I have watched as My Church has degraded from My blueprint. I have watched as the services to worship Me have become irreverent, and every possible form of evil has been brought into My earthly court. Many no longer worship Me but him who rules the earth. This Earth-ruler rules those whom he has deceived into worshiping in an unholy manner.” I am told, “I have heard your prayers. I know your heart and your desire to serve. I commit to you as a promise that all that you have seen I will provide and more. Because many seek me in worship and are unable to understand how to find me, I will provide to you my promise as written in Jeremiah 3:15.” I now see writing in the sky as I have seen before, except I hear the same Great Voice speak as the words appear. “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” {4} The voice continues, “In the halls of heaven is a great clock that shows the Master’s time. Watch for when these things will happen, but know that it will be according to when the great clock displays the time of My own choosing. The pastors I will send will do My bidding. They will teach according to My own heart. My earthly sanctuary will be a holy and reverent place to all of those who seek Me.”
All is now quiet. The Herald stands up and instructs. “Watch and know that all is according to the great holy clock controlled by Him who controls time. All will be according to His time, as HE IS.”
- Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 268
God will bear long with some, He will test and prove all; but His curse will surely follow the selfish, world-loving professor of truth. God knows the heart; every thought and every purpose is open to His eye. He says: “Them that honor Me I will honor, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.” He knows whom to bless and who are deserving of His curse. He makes no mistakes, for angels are keeping a record of all our works and words.
- 1 Samuel 16:7
The LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
- Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 300
Let me tell you that the Lord will work in this last work in a manner very much out of the common order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human planning. There will be those among us who will always want to control the work of God, to dictate even what movements shall be made when the work goes forward under the direction of the angel who joins the third angel in the message to be given to the world. God will use ways and means by which it will be seen that He is taking the reins in His own hands. The workers will be surprised by the simple means that He will use to bring about and perfect His work of righteousness.
- Gospel Workers (1915), p. 437
Men should not be encouraged to go into the field as ministers without unmistakable evidence that God has called them. The Lord will not entrust the burden for His flock to unqualified individuals. Those whom God calls must be men of deep experience, tried and proved, men of sound judgment, men who will dare to reprove sin in the spirit of meekness, men who understand how to feed the flock. God knows the heart, and He knows whom to select.
