By Camron Schofield, Audio: 

The year is closing and a new year is about to open upon us. One year’s worth of probation is passing behind us and before us we have one more year. One more year, we can only hope that God will grant us one more year. Perhaps it will not be a full and complete year. Perhaps it will be only a few weeks, we don’t know and because we don’t know, we are to realise that we live in a very solemn time.

Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders [and] all the inhabitants of the land [into] the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD.

Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD [is] at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. Joel 1:14-15

This verse tells us that this time is indeed a solemn time in this Day of Atonement when Jesus is finishing up His work in the sanctuary. When a man is on his deathbed, is he is full of joy and exuberance? It is a very solemn time because no one knows how his or her case stands before God. As we are in a great sense upon our own deathbeds, will we be partakers of the resurrection or will the Almighty destroy us when it comes? We are called to sanctify a fast.

In the margin for the word fast it says ‘a day of restraint’. We are to be careful how we live our lives and to call a solemn assembly, because Jesus is coming very soon to give according to that which man has done in the flesh.

Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye [even] to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he [is] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

Who knoweth [if] he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; [even] a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?

Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:

Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where [is] their God? Joel 2:12 -17

This day in which we are living is a fearful time. God says to bear it in mind, gather the people, assemble the elders, and let the bridegroom go forth out of his chamber and the bride out of her closet. What are our priorities in life? Are we making family, building a family, seeking a husband, seeking a wife, seeking companionship in this world our priority? Or are we seeking to have a sanctified heart to give to God? In verse 15 it says, “Blow the trumpet in Zion”. Why? Because people’s priorities are wrong.

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Isaiah 58:1

This verse tells us why the trumpet needs to be blown. We are to sound, to blow the trumpet because God’s people are transgressing His law, because the house of Jacob is sinning. God says “blow the trumpet, sound the alarm”, but more than that, He says, let the priests, the ministers of the Lord weep between the porch and the altar, saying, “Spare thy people, O Lord”.

We live in a terrible time when God is soon to come and yet we, His people are filthy with iniquity. The ministers are to be pleading as priests before the Lord that God will spare His people, that He will work in a mighty way and cleanse them of their iniquity so they will not be destroyed.

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and [your] joy to heaviness. James 4:9

Not only is the minister to be weeping, but likewise the congregation because of their sins.

He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man [with] his destroying weapon in his hand.

And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them [was] clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar.

And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which [had] the writer’s inkhorn by his side;

And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:

Slay utterly old [and] young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom [is] the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which [were] before the house. And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city. Ezekiel 9:1-7

It is a solemn time indeed. Who will receive the mark, the seal of God? It is those that are sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the church. Those that are weeping and mourning because of the iniquity that is still existing in the ranks of professed believers. Are we professed believers? We are. Then the mark, the seal of God will be placed only upon those who are mourning over the sins in our church, amongst our own people, in our own ranks.

Are you weeping? Are you mourning? Or are you getting your priorities wrong? How often are we found to be laughing when we should be mourning? How often are we found to be joyful when the Scriptures say we should be in heaviness? We should be afflicting our souls day and night; mourning, weeping, pleading with God, saying, “Spare thy people, O Lord”. Do we do this, as we ought to do it? It’s for each of us to examine. The reality is that Jesus has not come yet because there is sin in the camp.

Sin in the Camp

To sin, wherever found, “our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:29. In all who submit to His power the Spirit of God will consume sin. But if men cling to sin, they become identified with it. Then the glory of God, which destroys sin, must destroy them. Desire of Ages 107

Any church which suffers sin to exist in its midst becomes identified with that sin. Sin, my own, your own, personal sin, is not an individual thing. There is nothing in our life, which will not have an effect on others. It might be tempting to think I can go home and close my door, and when no one is around I can do whatever I want. I can cherish and practice my secret sin, whatever it may be, but brothers and sisters; it will affect the whole church.

Some have just been at a conference and the testimony has been that the Spirit of God was poured out in a large measure; it was a blessed time, God’s presence was there. Could there have been more of a blessing from God? How much greater could the outpouring of the Holy Spirit have been? God can only give according to the capacity to receive. Should there have been room for more? In the day of Pentecost, that was an outpouring of the former rain. There was a mighty rushing of wind, there was a manifestation of God in their midst and thousands were converted in a day. It is written that under the latter rain, a far greater work will take place.

And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. Revelation 18:1

This angel will come with such great power that it will lighten the whole earth with its glory. God has a lot more that He is still waiting to give, that His people are not yet ready to receive.

Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own. {COL 69.1}

Why has He not yet come to claim them as His own? They are not yet perfectly reproducing His character. There is sin in the church. It might be just one individual cherishing one little sin which can spoil it for everyone.

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. Romans 14:7

We do not live to ourselves. Every single individual exerts some kind of influence in this world. What you are will be exerted upon others. If you cherish one little sin, brothers and sisters, you are a sinner and you will exert the influence of a sinner. We want to look at an illustration of how it is that one individual sin cherished by one individual can mean defeat for God’s people. The story of Achan is written for us in these last days for our admonition. We profess to love each other, that we love each other’s fellowship and want to help each other get to heaven, but there is only one way we can do it, by letting go of our sins.

And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which [is] beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.

And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; [and] make not all the people to labour thither; for they [are but] few.

So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.

And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them [from] before the gate [even] unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. Joshua 7:2-6

They wept between the porch and the altar, wanting to know why God’s blessing did not rest upon His people. Why was this defeat?

And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!

O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!

For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear [of it], and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?

Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put [it] even among their own stuff.

Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, [but] turned [their] backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, [There is] an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. Joshua 7:7-13

Does this not describe what we read in Joel? The ministers are weeping between the porch and the altar saying, “Spare thy people, Lord. We need your blessing to rest upon us, yet we feel so heavily accursed.” The people were to sanctify themselves by a fast because they are accursed.

And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.

And the city shall be accursed, [even] it, and all that [are] therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that [are] with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.

And ye, in any wise keep [yourselves] from the accursed thing, lest ye make [yourselves] accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.

But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, [are] consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.

So the people shouted when [the priests] blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. Joshua 6:16-20

Sin cherished means that the individual becomes identified with that sin. Their warning was to keep themselves from the accursed thing, lest they make themselves accursed.

Sin equals a sinner. They are the one and they are the same. If we are cherishing sin, if we have anything in our lives, which is accursed, we are accursed.

As we read in Joshua chapter 7, not only is that individual accursed, but also in consequence he will curse the whole congregation. We know that there was just one individual. This individual Achan, took some gold and silver and a Babylonish garment, things which seemingly appeared to be of such little consequence, yet it cost the lives of thirty-six men, and the people of God became a reproach amongst the heathen. It is so easy for us to reason and think that it is so small a matter, how can it have such a big effect? This is a perfect illustration that shows us that the slightest little transgression in our lives can have a big effect.

In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, [that] the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families [thereof]; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man.

And it shall be, [that] he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:

And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:

And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide [it] not from me.

And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:

When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they [are] hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, [it was] hid in his tent, and the silver under it.

And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.

And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.

And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Joshua 7:14-26

I have been shown that God here illustrates how He regards sin among those who profess to be His commandment-keeping people. Those whom He has specially honored with witnessing the remarkable exhibitions of His power, as did ancient Israel, and who will even then venture to disregard His express directions, will be subjects of His wrath. He would teach His people that disobedience and sin are exceedingly offensive to Him and are not to be lightly regarded. He shows us that when His people are found in sin they should at once take decided measures to put that sin from them, that His frown may not rest upon them all. One sinner may diffuse darkness that will exclude the light of God from the entire congregation. When the people realise that darkness is settling upon them, and they do not know the cause, they should seek God earnestly, in great humility and self-abasement, until the wrongs which grieve His Spirit are searched out and put away. 3T 265.1

Have we had remarkable manifestations and exhibitions of His power? Did we have a beautiful conference? We have a new year before us. Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, let everyone search their own hearts and consider why is this blessing from God not being poured out upon us as he has promised?

While he is rejoicing in his ill-gotten gain, his security is broken in upon; he hears that an investigation is to be made. This makes him uneasy. He repeats over and over to himself: What does it concern them? I am accountable for my acts. He apparently puts on a brave face and in the most demonstrative manner condemns the one guilty. If he had confessed he might have been saved; but sin hardens the heart, and he continues to assert his innocence. Amid so large a crowd he thinks he will escape detection. Lots are cast to search out the offender; the lot falls upon the tribe of Judah. Achan’s heart now begins to throb with guilty fear, for he is one of that tribe; but still he flatters himself that he will escape. The lot is again cast, and the family to which he belongs is taken. Now in his pallid face his guilt is read by Joshua. The lot cast again singles out the unhappy man. There he stands, pointed out by the finger of God as the guilty one who has caused all this trouble. {4T 492.2}

If when Achan yielded to temptation he had been asked if he wished to bring defeat and death into the camp of Israel, he would have answered: “No, no! is thy servant a dog that he should do this great wickedness?” But he lingered over the temptation to gratify his own covetousness; and when the opportunity was presented, he went further than he had purposed in his heart. It is exactly in this way that individual members of the church are imperceptibly led on to grieve the Spirit of God, to defraud their neighbors, and to bring the frown of God upon the church. No man lives to himself. Shame, defeat, and death were brought upon Israel by one man’s sin. That protection which had covered their heads in the time of battle was withdrawn. Various sins that are cherished and practiced by professed Christians bring the frown of God upon the church. In the day when the Ledger of Heaven shall be opened, the Judge will not in words express to man his guilt, but will cast one penetrating, convicting glance, and every deed, every transaction of life, will be vividly impressed upon the memory of the wrongdoer. The person will not, as in Joshua’s day, need to be hunted out from tribe to family, but his own lips will confess his shame, his selfishness, covetousness, dishonesty, dissembling, and fraud. His sins, hidden from the knowledge of man, will then be proclaimed, as it were, upon the housetop. {4T 492.3}

What I do at home is no business of the church and what I do behind closed doors they don’t need to know. It doesn’t affect them; I am not accountable to them. If you knew that your sin would destroy the whole church, wouldn’t you say, “No, no, am I a dog that I would do that?”

Do we need a protection covering our heads in this time of battle? It takes just one man’s sin to cause it to be withdrawn. Are you an inconsistent professor of Christ, a hypocrite who says I will do, but doing not, telling others to do, but not doing yourself? This influence is more to be feared in our church than the entire world arrayed against us. When Jesus told the disciples that one would betray him, what was their reaction? “Lord, is it I?” Do you know your heart? The Bible says that you don’t, it is desperately wicked, and it will deceive you quicker and faster than the devil himself. Could I be the one keeping back the blessing from God? Is it I?

Why have we not yet gone to heaven? Could it be me? Maybe others in the church could be racing forward if I wasn’t a stumbling block, if I wasn’t cherishing darkness in my heart, which is preventing them from receiving the light? Why is probation still lingering? Is God waiting for me to get it right? While He is waiting for me to get it right, how many souls will I destroy? Why do we have so many empty seats in our church? We are very quick to say, “They’re a poor and afflicted people. There will just be a small remnant.” Who is to say what number that remnant is? It might be a few more than we have in our midst. How many more ought there to be that I have kept out or that I may have driven out? How many have come through those doors and then walked back out again? How many have walked through those doors and sat down and then after a while got up and left? Why have there been those who still linger on the outside, who don’t want to come in, even though they love the message and want to reform their life and yet they don’t want to come through that door? Are they offended by the word, or do I offend them?

Closely examine your own heart as in the light of eternity. Hide nothing from your examination. Search, oh! search, as for your life, and condemn yourself, 2T 81

In His promises and warnings, Jesus means me…..The experiences related in God’s word are to be my experiences. Prayer and promise, precept and warning, are mine. DA 390.5

That is saying that when Nathan comes to David, God comes to us and says, “Thou art the man.” Who is the offence in this church, brothers and sisters? Thou art the man it is I.

Jesus means me.

Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16

A healthy and happy church will follow this instruction. The blessing of God will only come as we do this, as we will be honest and confess our faults. If our sins are of a private nature we are not to confess those openly.

If you now repent of your sin, if any of you can see that in any instance you have walked contrary to the light given you of God and have neglected to give honour to the body, the temple of God, but by wrong habits have degraded the body which is Christ’s property, make confession of these things to God. Unless you are wrought upon by the Holy Spirit in special manner to confess your sins of private nature to man, do not breathe them to any soul. MCP 776

If God shows you where you are not right, confess it. If you have offended a brother, don’t put your offering in that offering box for God will not accept it until you have clarified the matter. If your sin is of a secret nature, something you do at home behind the closed doors, even though it may affect the whole church, some things are never to be confessed to the congregation or to any man, because man can’t understand. Jesus knows that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, He will accept your confession. Don’t wait like Achan did until God searches you out and exposes you. In some instances, God will actually do that by working through his providences to expose people who are creating destruction in the church. Jesus is soon to come. Confess now.

It is an honour to confess a wrong as soon as it is discerned. 4T 239

As soon as we see we are going wrong, thank the Lord for it. Say, “Lord, it is sin. I am sorry.” It is an honour to do that.

You have thought that if you should confess your sin you would lose your honour–your life, as it were. You thought that your brethren would have no confidence in you. You have not viewed matters in the right light. It is a shame to sin, but always an honour to confess sin. 2T 300.2

Have you ever felt that you are making some pretty big errors in this church, but don’t want to own up to it because people will lose respect for you? You may thing that the next time the election of officers comes around they will make sure your name is not in that role. You have not viewed matters in the right light. We can own up to it. In our church we need to have a sense of safety to be able to own up to it, to be able to trust each other. Don’t worry about what your brethren might think. Isn’t a clear conscience before God better than a clear conscience before man? If they want to judge you, they will make themselves to be the accursed one, for wherein they judge another they condemn themselves.

And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Romans 2:3

We have our own garden to weed. We should be occupying our time weeding our own garden. If we don’t weed the garden, it sends out its feelers into all the other gardens. Everybody’s garden has weeds in it and it started with me. One man’s sin, one individual transgression cherished, can destroy an entire congregation. It can hold us back from receiving the latter rain. What do we have to lose in confessing? Do you want to lose your own soul? Do you want to be the cause for others losing theirs? What is there to gain by confession?

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

There is a lot to be gained. By confession of sin there is an eternity to be gained. If we will be honest enough to say, “Lord, it is sin”, God will take it away. If we confess our sins He IS faithful and just, He will forgive you that sin, yea more, He will cleanse you from it.

Closely examine your own heart as in the light of eternity.2T 81

Am I the stumbling block? Jesus means me I am the man.

Hide nothing from your examination. Search, oh! search, as for your life, and condemn yourself, pass judgment upon yourself, and then by faith claim the cleansing blood of Christ to remove the stains from your Christian character. Do not flatter or excuse yourself. Deal truly with your own soul. And then as you view yourself a sinner, fall, all broken, at the foot of the cross. Jesus will receive you, all polluted as you are, and will wash you in His blood, and cleanse you from all pollution, and make you fit for the society of heavenly angels, in a pure, harmonious heaven. There is no jar, no discord, there. All is health, happiness, and joy. 2T 81.1

Do you want to be there? This is the message of 1888 as we launch into a new year.

Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: Jeremiah 3:13-14

What must I do to be saved? Only acknowledge thine iniquity, believe that Jesus will take you. He is married unto you. As we enter this new year, may it be our resolve, our new year’s resolution, to fulfil the prayer of Jesus Christ, that in our own individual lives we will get our priorities right. That we will stop getting caught up in me and my own little experiences; that the Lord will anoint our eyes with His eye salve that we may see the broad effects of a lack of a relationship with Jesus Christ. As we plunge into this New Year, will we plunge into it with honesty with our hearts open before the Lord, acknowledging that within my own nature is the full liability to every transgression? Therefore, Jesus means me.

If we will come before the Word of God with an honest heart like that, then God will baptise us anew day by day. As the earth closes and the fires are about to start, that dross that sin will be washed away from us and we won’t need to burn with it. May the Lord help us to this end.

Amen.