A Little Bit
By Dallas Roberts
Early one morning in 1871, a Chicago housewife went to the barn to milk the family cow. She carried with her a hurricane lantern. It was just a little thing, only one single little lantern. The cow kicked over the lantern, and the overturned lantern caused a fire that burned down the barn, then spread to the nearby buildings. In the end, that one little lantern had destroyed some 17,000 buildings and left 100,000 people homeless and cost the city over $200,000,000.
It only takes a spark, to ignite a fire that can burn 1,000’s of acres of forest and grassland.
James 3:3-5 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
In August, 1943, a glider crashed in St. Louis, killing ten people. In the investigation which followed, authorities discovered that a defective support in the right wing had given way, allowing the wing to fold up and break loose from the fuselage. The defective part was just 90/1,000 of an inch below air force requirements for thickness, but that small detail made the difference between life and death for ten people.
In the aircraft industry, everything is measured, not in 10th’s, but in 100th’s and 1000th’s of an inch. Quality control personnel are trained to examine every little detail of the aircraft. If even the smallest of flaws (a wrinkle, a crack, an oval hole instead of a round hole, a dimension that is out of tolerance) is found in a part, - that part is scrapped and a new part is made.
In June of 1942, the leader of a squadron of 90, heavy, British Galentine tanks took a reading on his compass, but he took a wrong bearing. It was only a little mistake – just a small detail. On that day, those 90 tanks rumbled into a Nazi minefield, and only 19 of the 90 tanks survived – all because of one little detail.
So what happens to us – if we take a wrong bearing on our compass – the Bible?
In this time, as we are approaching the final events, when people are preaching “Peace and Safety”, and telling us that we do not need to look at the “little details”, we should just look at the “big picture”; What are we to be doing? What are we to be studying?
You know, if you look at a picture – that picture is made up of “little details”. The picture of a corn field is composed of 1000’s of stalks of corn that are covered in 1000’s of ears of corn that are composed of millions of corn kernels that are composed of billions of cells that are composed of even more atoms.
If you hold the opinion that little details are not important, then you do away with the atoms – which in turn does away with the cells – which does away with the kernels – which destroys the ears – which makes the possibility of growing stalks null and void – and now you have no “Big Picture”! Just ask an artist – if the little details (the individual brush strokes) are unimportant.
Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Just look at the detail and workmanship that God puts into a little snowflake – yet no two are alike!
Meteorologist, Vincent J. Schaefer, has calculated that it takes more than a million crystals to blanket a two-foot square area with snow ten inches deep. Snowflakes are little things; but when accumulated they can bring all modernized machinery to a standstill. Remember: An avalanche can bury a village and stop a train. The Gospel According to a Snowflake Terry McComb p.22
Look at Gen 3:6 “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”
Now this phrase of the fruit comes from 2 words [per-ee'= fruit / min-nee'= a part of]
It is interesting that the word for “a part of” is pronounced “mini”.
In other words, Eve only took a little bit. It only took one bite to bring sin into the world!
2Cor. 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
2SM 15
“As we near the time when principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places will be brought into warfare against the truth, when the deceiving power of Satan will be so great that if it were possible he will deceive the very elect, we must have our discernment sharpened by divine enlightenment, that we may know the spirit that is of God, that we may not be ignorant of Satan's devices.”
So Satan has devices that he uses to deceive and destroy God’s people.
Special Testimonies A01b p.37
“Those who have no time to give attention to their own souls, to examine themselves daily whether they be in the love of God, and to place themselves in the channel of light, will have time to give to the suggestions of Satan and the working out of his plans. Satan will insinuate himself by little wedges, that widen as they make a place for themselves. There will be a gradual adoption of worldly policy. The specious devices of Satan will be brought into the special work of God at this time.”
“For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Ps. 91:11,12 KJV
“He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Matt. 4:6 KJV
“He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Luke 4:10,11 KJV
Did you catch the difference?
Notice that Satan left out the phrase “in all thy ways” and he added the phrase “at any time” – In other words – his quote to Christ was changed just a little bit. Most people nowadays would say “Oh, that is not very important,” or “that’s just a small detail” or “that’s an incidental comment”.
Why would Satan leave out “in all thy ways” and add “at any time?”
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Pro 3:5,6
DA 125
“When Satan quoted the promise, "He shall give His angels charge over Thee," he omitted the words, "to keep Thee in all Thy ways;" that is, in all the ways of God's choosing. Jesus refused to go outside the path of obedience. While manifesting perfect trust in His Father, He would not place Himself, unbidden, in a position that would necessitate the interposition of His Father to save Him from death. He would not force Providence to come to His rescue, and thus fail of giving man an example of trust and submission.”
In other words, Satan, by just tweeking the scripture a little changed the meaning from the Bible teaching that you must obey and have faith to have the protection and guidance from God – to the popular teaching that it doesn’t matter what you do or how you live, God is going to protect you anyway. That is Presumption!
The Devil knows that he could not stand in front of a congregation and present bold, blatant, 100% error because people would recognize it. So he sends his agents to infiltrate and destroy God’s people from the inside. He did it with the Israelites, he did it to Christ through Judas, he did it with the Waldensians, he did it with the reformers, and now he is doing it to the Seventh-day Adventist church. His agents, whether laypeople or leaders, insert little doubts, little comments, little wedges – little pieces of error into a whole presentation full of truth and by so doing – God’s people, if they are not alert, are gradually led away from the track of truth. Remember, it only takes one little switch, to redirect a large train onto a side track.
RH, August 25, 1885
“The Lord tells us if it were possible they would deceive the very elect. The sheep's clothing seems so real, so genuine, that the wolf can be discerned only as we go to God's great moral standard and there find that they are transgressors of the law of Jehovah.”
Satan does not want us to realize how important little details are. The reason is because, Satan counterfeits what God does. Think about it. Before sin, there was a beautiful picture of Truth. But when sin entered, that picture was shattered into many many pieces. But God in His wisdom, has taken all those pieces (kind of like puzzle pieces) and hidden them throughout His Word, both nature and the Bible. He has done this so that in the end, He can reassemble the picture and restore what was lost by sin.
Now Satan counterfeits what God does. He knows that he would not be very successful if he tried to get you to drink liquor and do cocaine, but he has more success if he breaks up the picture into many pieces and hides them where you will not be suspicious. This way he can entice you to utilize the individual pieces and the end result will be the same. So he gets you to like ketchup, taco sauce, mayonnaise and other foods that contain vinegar, which has the same effect on the frontal lobe of the brain as alcohol - and cheese, chocolate, and sodas which contain alkaloids same as illicit drugs.
He knows that he could not get you to watch a rated R movie filled with pornography and foul language, but he can entice you to watch a pg rated movie that only uses a bad word every now and then, and has women wearing low necklines or short skirts. It is interesting to me how nobody seems to mind if a woman is wearing a low neckline or if she is wearing a short skirt, or some other immodest apparel. It doesn’t seem to be a problem as long as it is either or. But if she wears both of them together, then she is recognized as wearing the clothing of a prostitute. And if you take all the foul words that are interspersed throughout a pg rated movie and put them all into one sentence, people suddenly think that movie is vulgar.
Satan specializes in hiding his “little wedges” in carefully selected places so that you will not catch on to his tactics.
Look at Lev 10:1-2 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
Now that was definitely just a little detail, - they were still offering the incense, it was still in the censer, and they still used fire. The only difference was that they used “strange” fire.
Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
So what is God saying to us? He is telling us the same lesson that He teaches in nature! That the “little things” are vitally important. The “little details” come first, and that enables you to see the true “Big Picture”.
Ministry of Healing p.490
“Life is chiefly made up, not of great sacrifices and wonderful achievements, but of little things. It is oftenest through the little things which seem so unworthy of notice that great good or evil is brought into our lives. It is through our failure to endure the tests that come to us in little things, that the habits are molded, the character misshaped; and when the greater tests come, they find us unready. Only by acting upon principle in the tests of daily life can we acquire power to stand firm and faithful in the most dangerous and most difficult positions.”
PP 452
“Both Balaam and Judas had received great light and enjoyed special privileges, but a single cherished sin poisoned the entire character and caused their destruction. It is a perilous thing to allow an unchristian trait to live in the heart. One cherished sin will, little by little, debase the character, bringing all its nobler powers into subjection to the evil desire. The removal of one safeguard from the conscience, the indulgence of one evil habit, one neglect of the high claims of duty, breaks down the defenses of the soul and opens the way for Satan to come in and lead us astray.”
Mat 13:31-32 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
Now a mustard seed is a very very small detail. But Christ compares the kingdom of Heaven to it.
Counsels to Parents, Teachers, & Students p.60
“In order that the earthly tabernacle might represent the heavenly, it must be perfect in all its parts, and it must be, in every smallest detail, like the pattern in the heavens. So it is with the characters of those who are finally accepted in the sight of heaven.”
DA 208
“When Moses was about to build the sanctuary as a dwelling place for God, he was directed to make all things according to the pattern shown him in the mount. Moses was full of zeal to do God's work; the most talented, skillful men were at hand to carry out his suggestions. Yet he was not to make a bell, a pomegranate, a tassel, a fringe, a curtain, or any vessel of the sanctuary, except according to the pattern shown him.”
1MR 54
“Listen not a moment to the interpretations that would loosen one pin, remove one pillar, from the platform of truth. Human interpretations, the reception of fables, will spoil your faith, confuse your understanding, and make of none effect your faith in Jesus Christ.”
Try taking just a few little bolts out of the support column for a high-rise office building. How important were those “Little Details”?
2 Peter 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
Who is this text referring to? This text is talking about evolutionists. Those who refuse to accept that God designed and created this world.
Do you realize what the theory of evolution does? It takes the attention off of the little details and just focuses on the big picture. When confronted by the little details, evolutionists do not have any answers! If you ignore the Little Details and only focus on the Big Picture – you lose the foundation for the Big Picture and you can give the Big Picture any definition that you want. The Little Details are what define the Big Picture.
Just ask one of the victims of the Holocaust, if little details matter! Hitler was focused on the Big Picture!
So the next time someone tells you that little details don’t matter – that you should just focus on the big picture – you can know that you are talking to an Evolutionist – whether they realize it or not.
In Roger Morneau’s book “A Trip into the Supernatural”, he relates what the satanic high priest told him about the plans of his master (Satan) to take over the world. Here is part of that conversation.
“The third part of Satan’s plan would destroy the Bible without actually doing away with it. Satan would drive the thought of God out of the minds of millions through the theory of evolution.”
We must understand that God is a God of Little Details!!
Traveling at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second), it takes 1.3 seconds to reach the moon; it will take 8 minutes to reach the sun – 34 minutes to reach Jupiter – 1 hour and 11 minutes to reach Saturn – 1,500 years to reach the Orion Nebula – 25,000 years to reach the center of our own galaxy. But our galaxy is only 1 out of billions of galaxies. To reach the galaxy Centaurus A would take 15 million years – to reach the Whirlpool galaxy would take 31 million years – and to reach the cluster of galaxies known as the Local Group would take a staggering 8.8 billion years traveling at the speed of light.
Christ Object Lessons p.190
By the lost sheep Christ represents not only the individual sinner but the one world that has apostatized and has been ruined by sin. This world is but an atom in the vast dominions over which God presides, yet this little fallen world--the one lost sheep--is more precious in His sight than are the ninety and nine that went not astray from the fold. Christ, the loved Commander in the heavenly courts, stooped from His high estate, laid aside the glory that He had with the Father, in order to save the one lost world.
This world is just an atom. Can you see an atom with the naked eye? An atom is a very small detail. Yet Christ came to die for the salvation of this one lost atom! And we are told that He would have died to save just one person – that’s even smaller than an atom!! Thank God, that He believes small details are very important!
Signs of the Times, July 14, 1881
“We have our standard of reckoning, and by it we pronounce one thing great, and another small; but God estimates not according to the standard of men; he does not graduate his scale by theirs. We are not to suppose that what is great to us must be great to God, and what is small to us must be small to him. He who upholds the unnumbered worlds throughout immensity, at the same time cares for the wants of the little brown sparrow that sings its humble song without a fear. He cares for everything and sustains everything throughout the universe that he has created.”
8T p.260
The God of heaven is constantly at work. It is by His power that vegetation is caused to flourish, that every leaf appears and every flower blooms. Every drop of rain or flake of snow, every spire of grass, every leaf and flower and shrub, testifies of God. These little things so common around us teach the lesson that nothing is beneath the notice of the infinite God, nothing is too small for His attention.
Matt 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Mat 10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
We are made in God’s image, and we are supposed to reflect His character – we had better be paying attention to the little details.
The other day, I was standing at the foot of a mountain that was covered in a mixture of trees and rocky outcroppings. I was looking at a dirt bank that was covered in patches of green moss. As I got up close to the mossy patches, I saw the little details of the moss. It was like tiny little trees interspersed throughout ledges of dirt and rocks – just like a miniature representation of the mountain looming above me. As I backed away, I could no longer see all those little details – I could only see the dirt bank (the big picture)
That is when I realized that God had a spiritual lesson it that. God wants us to study the little details. As you draw closer to God, you will see more and more little details in His Word – but if you move away from God, you will only be seeing the “big picture”!
In the article “Expiration Date” in 3ABN World Sept. 2011 by John Lomacang, he tells this story,
“I once handed an American Airlines representative the wrong boarding pass and wondered why he was examining it so long. Finally he said, ‘Sir, this ticket has expired.’ Even though I held elite status with the airline, an expired boarding pass superseded my standing. The boarding pass looked perfectly legitimate to me, but not paying attention to the expiration date delayed my departure. What’s the point? If we ignore the small details hidden in the end-time signs we will certainly hinder our preparedness – and we may not be ready for departure when Jesus returns!”
Little details – are vitally important. They can mean the difference between life and death. Little details are the deciding factor between those who are saved and those who are lost!