By John Thiel, Prophetic Sketches of the Remnant Church Seminar, Study 7

1 Corinthians 1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where [is] the wise? where [is] the scribe? where [is] the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

The Lord has chosen and bypassed those who are prudent and controlling, the leaders of each generation.  The foolishness of preaching, not disputing is the element by which God is saving souls.  Do you feel foolish?  The Lord is calling you.  The foolish don’t rely on their own opinion but listen to God.  Apostle Paul knew what he was talking about.  He was a strong proponent of the church that was the professed church of God.  He said all that he was proud of, he relinquished, he let it go.  Now he tells us what it is all about in principle and he regards it as dung what he used to have.  All that he had laid his dependence upon is now dung.  The off casting of the body, are we prepared to understand what this man is talking about?

1 Corinthians 1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

The Spirit of Prophecy tells us we have more to fear from within the church than without.

Now is the time for God’s people to show themselves true to principle. When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, when His law is most despised, then should our zeal be the warmest and our courage and firmness the most unflinching. To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few–this will be our test. At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason. The {5T 136.2}

Can you hear the call when we have more to fear from the prudent and the wise from within the church than from without?  That we will have to stand faithful to the simplicity to the call of God as we have studied through the ranks of the remnant people that now at this time we are receiving the call, to stand then.  This is a very strange paradox.  How can you get enthusiasm when everything is going down around you?  In such a time you can say, yes we are there.  Now this the time to stand in perfect harmony with all of the remnant of the past because we are nearly there.  All the negativities the others have experienced are heaped upon us.  Why?  Because Satan has the world on his side and there is only very few that cry. The wise and the prudent in the church are brought to nought.

The steady progress of our work, and our increased facilities, are filling the hearts and minds of many of our people with satisfaction and pride, which we fear will take the place of the love of God in the soul. Busy activity in the mechanical part of even the work of God may so occupy the mind that prayer shall be neglected, and self-importance and self-sufficiency, so ready to urge their way, shall take the place of true goodness, meekness, and lowliness of heart. The zealous cry may be heard: “The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are these.” “Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord.” But where are the burden bearers? where are the fathers and mothers in Israel? Where are those who carry upon the heart the burden for souls and who come in close sympathy with their fellow men, ready to place themselves in any position to save them from eternal ruin?  {4T 535.2}

When we lose this, we begin to feel afraid because all that mechanical work we have depended upon is starting to fall around us. As everyone is upholding this structure, where does this happen?  I know what it means this very work of getting close to the people and the dilemmas.  I do not see the organisations doing that anymore.  I haven’t seen it anymore.  They just come and teach you the doctrines and then bang, you are left to swim.  Where is the burden bearer?  Where is the real work?  It doesn’t exist anymore.  Because people are busy saying the temple of the Lord are these.  Not the real thing anymore.  The proud are being turned by God into foolishness.

In the work of God no kingly authority is to be exercised by any human being, or by two or three.  The representatives of the Conference, as it has been carried with authority for the last twenty years, shall be no longer justified in saying, “The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are we.” The men in positions of trust have not been carrying the work wisely. {ChL 26.2}

This is not Gods way.  The pride is going to be laid low.  We know God is doing that because he is sending his angel with the writers ink horn by his side.  The others follow on and what will they do with it? Start at my sanctuary with my six men with slaughter weapons.  The time we have spent researching the past, present and future, in regards to the remnant church, what have we found? Now is the time for you to assess what you have actually gained in reference to the remnant.

The Identify Of the Remnant

Who were the remnant in past present and future?

• In every successive generation we had people such as, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, disciples.

We need to identify all of them.  What was their nature?   They were acceptable with God, they clang to the plan, they loved not their life till death. There was no guile in them. They had brotherly love, they touched no unclean thing, they suffered, they bruised Satan’s head and they pleased God.

What were they like in themselves?

• Poor contrite spirit
• Faithful
• Teachable
• Rejoiced in tribulation
• Sighed and cried for the abominations done in Israel

Because they were like that, how did they relate to the official church?

Interaction with Church Militant

• Despised
• Cast out
• Killed/persecuted
• Witnesses against the church militant
• Rendered unto them their tithe
• Oppressed
• Scattered
• Forsaken
• Not recognised

Practical Lesson

• Copy them
• Adopt authority
• Counsel with them
• Except same treatment
• Joy in tribulation

The successive generations have been in trouble with the ecclesiastical authorities and that remnant people that went through all those experiences, the lesson we want to take home now is that with the exact same scenarios, are they going to be the same today?

Ecclesiastes 1:9 The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] under the sun.

1:10 Is there [any] thing whereof it may be said, See, this [is] new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

1:11 [There is] no remembrance of former [things]; neither shall there be [any] remembrance of [things] that are to come with [those] that shall come after.

All that has been is all going to come exactly the same and the only reason why it looks like its new is because the people have forgotten what it looked like in the past.  The people today can see we are going to have the same. This is the testimony of Jesus to us if we will be Gods triumphant church.

The greatest want of the world is the want of men–men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.  {Ed 57.3}

What is meant by the heavens falling?  Everything that you have relied upon, you still remain true even if you lose everything.  This is the call.

The Lord abhors indifference and disloyalty in a time of crisis in His work. The whole universe is watching with inexpressible interest the closing scenes of the great controversy between good and evil. The people of God are nearing the borders of the eternal world; what can be of more importance to them than that they be loyal to the God of heaven? All through the ages, God has had moral heroes, and He has them now–those who, like Joseph and Elijah and Daniel, are not ashamed to acknowledge themselves His peculiar people. His special blessing accompanies the labors of men of action, men who will not be swerved from the straight line of duty, but who with divine energy will inquire, “Who is on the Lord’s side?” (Exodus 32:26), men who will not stop merely with the inquiry, but who will demand that those who choose to identify themselves with the people of God shall step forward and reveal unmistakably their allegiance to the King of kings and Lord of Lords. Such men make their wills and plans subordinate to the law of God. For love of Him they count not their lives dear unto themselves. Their work is to catch the light from the Word and let it shine forth to the world in clear, steady rays. Fidelity to God is their motto.  {PK 148.1}

What was this?  He is looking for men who will not be swerved from their straight line of duty but will enquire who is on the Lords side.  A decision has to be made, no dilly dallying, not waiting when we know we have to act.

Would that every minister might realize the sacredness of his office and the holiness of his work, and show the courage that Elijah showed! As divinely appointed messengers, ministers are in a position of awful responsibility. They are to “reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering.” 2 Timothy 4:2. In Christ’s stead they are to labor as stewards of the mysteries of heaven, encouraging the obedient and warning the disobedient. With them worldly policy is to have no weight. Never are they to swerve from the path in which Jesus has bidden them walk. They are to go forward in faith, remembering that they are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. They are not to speak their own words, but words which One greater than the potentates of earth has bidden them speak. Their message is to be, “Thus saith the Lord.” God calls for men like Elijah, Nathan, and John the Baptist–men who will bear His message with faithfulness, regardless of the consequences; men who will speak the truth bravely, though it call for the sacrifice of all they have.  {PK 142.1}

God is calling for ministers.  Jesus called the disciples.  Who were they?  The common people.  He pours his Holy Spirit and he works in a manner outside of the common order things at this time.  He can’t work in any other way as everything been bound up in ecclesiastical authority.  He worked with john the Baptist and the disciples.  He ordains them, he gives them credentials and that is the way he is going to function today.  The recognition is in the eyes who are the recipients of those servants.

God calls for men and women of stability, of firm purpose, who can be relied upon in seasons of danger and trial, who are as firmly rooted and grounded in the truth as the eternal hills, who cannot be swayed to the right or to the left, but who move straight onward and are always found on the right side. There are some, who, in time of religious peril, may almost always be looked for in the ranks of the enemy; if they have any influence, it is on the wrong side. They do not feel under moral obligation to give all their strength to the truth they profess. Such will be rewarded according to their works.  {4T 75.1}

What is God calling for?  Men and women who are as firm as steel, a rock, as those solid gems and will not be swayed by any bewildering circumstances.  They know the truth and they pursue it.

Few who are professedly of Israel, and whose minds have been enlightened by the revelations of divine wisdom, dare to come boldly forward, as did Caleb, and stand firmly for God and the right. {4T 155.2}

The whole organisation of people under Moses were against Caleb and Joshua.  They were going to stone them.  Few people today will do that while they are under this beautiful bright light of truth.

Because those whom the Lord has chosen to conduct His work will not be turned from the course of integrity to gratify the selfish and unconsecrated, they become the target for hatred and malicious falsehood. Satan is wide awake and working warily in these last days, and God calls for men of spiritual nerve and stamina to resist his artifices.  {4T 155.2}

We’ve just studied about all his sly ways and God is calling for men and women who will be of strong nerve and who will not be altered in their path of standing meekly and firmly of what they know is written in God’s word. Here is the amazing call under the voice of heaven.

The word came to Noah, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before Me.” Noah obeyed and was saved. The message came to Lot, “Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city.” Genesis 7:1; 19:14. Lot placed himself under the guardianship of the heavenly messengers, and was saved. So Christ’s disciples were given warning of the destruction of Jerusalem. Those who watched for the sign of the coming ruin, and fled from the city, escaped the destruction. So now we are given warning of Christ’s second coming and of the destruction to fall upon the world. Those who heed the warning will be saved.  {DA 634.1}

The question of most vital importance for this time is, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Who will unite with the angel in giving the message of truth to the world? Who will receive the light that is to fill the whole earth with its glory?” Those who cherish the light that they have, will receive more. Increasing light will shine about the souls who yield to the softening, subduing grace of Christ; and those who love the light, will be saved from the delusions of Satan.  {RH, November 5, 1889 par. 12}

Who?  The question of vital importance when the spirit of God tells us this, it is of vital importance.  Who will unite with the angel in giving the message of truth to the world? We look at the stories of the past and we think yes, if I had have been there I would have done this and that.  But today we have nothing new.  Now is a chance to do what we claim we would have done back there.

Those who heed the call at this time, those who will respond to this call of the Lord will not be led to apostatise again because it’s the last call.  If this call if we are responding to it in exactly the way we understand it in the way it was written, those people will enter the church triumphant, and there will be no other following company.  Here is this company where there will be no more falling away. Ellen White saw the whole world on these cars and she asked where the others were as she was worried.

I asked the angel if there were none left. He bade me look in an opposite direction, and I saw a little company travelling a narrow pathway.  {EW 88.3}

Are we a company?  Are we letting the Lord bind us together?

All seemed to be firmly united, bound together by the truth, in bundles, or companies. {EW 88.3}

This company is the last company.  They are travelling the narrow pathway.

The remnant church will be brought into great trial and distress. Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, will feel the ire of the dragon and his hosts. Satan numbers the world as his subjects; he has gained control of the apostate churches; but here is a little company that are resisting his supremacy. If he could blot them from the earth, his triumph would be complete. As he influenced the heathen nations to destroy Israel, so in the near future he will stir up the wicked powers of earth to destroy the people of God. All will be required to render obedience to human edicts in violation of the divine law. –Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 231.  {ChS 157.1}

How much more do we need to read?  We have no need to fear that we are going to go the wrong the way.  No need to fear that because we are simply following the instructions of God.  Like John the Baptist and Elijah when Jonah were called to do that, what did he do?  He did it.  He found himself vomited out of a fish.  He still had to go and do what het Lord wanted him to do.  The remnant of Israel, here is the remnant of her seed.  Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

Here are they that have opened their hearts to the knocking of Jesus and have overcome.  They have washed their robes and they have overcome.  They shall shine as the stars. As we have so vividly seen, Gods remnant people throughout the ages and those prophetic sketches by which we can see precisely how we are to stand, in the light of these prophetic sketches, has it been your experience that the day star has arisen in your heart?  If it has, then listen to the call, follow me.

Amen.

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