By John Thiel, The People of the Loud Cry Series, Study 1, mp3

The Nature of the People

Scripture reading: Jeremiah 9:23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise [man] glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty [man] glory in his might, let not the rich [man] glory in his riches: 24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I [am] the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these [things] I delight, saith the LORD.

These words reveal a challenge to all who make a profession of which they can be proud, to be the people of God, to be wise. We live at the present moment of time in a culture of preeminence in the religious world. The churches and the companies that exist today, especially among Adventism, are flaunting their preeminence. “We uphold the pure truth, we are the right ones. We are the true representatives of God’s truth.” You see this throughout the planet at this time.

There is a glorying in this, a tendency to parade boastfully. This is the natural turn of mind of every human being who feels they’ve got it right. But as we function together, I wish to lay upon our hearts something completely different to this mentality, to not enter into this culture of preeminence. What does God say to the people who are glorying in their pre-eminence?

Jeremiah 9:23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise [man] glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty [man] glory in his might, let not the rich [man] glory in his riches:

These are things that people glory in. “Look what I know, look what I have. I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, because I know the truth. And I am, and we are, and this church, and this company, is it.” Thus saith the Lord, Let not any many glory. The only thing that we may glory in is this:

Jeremiah 9:24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me,

This almost sounds like a contradiction. Are we not right, then, to display a glory that we are the ones that understand Him? But the next few words display a different mentality. We should glory in Him, that we understand and know Him,

Jeremiah 9:24 …that I [am] the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these [things] I delight, saith the LORD.

The church of Laodicea is thwarted by the pride of verse 23. What does it say in Revelation 3:17? You say you are rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; but while you are glorying in that, you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

The true glory that verse 24 expresses is to understand and know the Lord, that He exercises loving kindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth. This is the true glory. This is what the Lord delights in – the people that are of this mentality:

Isaiah 66:2 For all those [things] hath mine hand made, and all those [things] have been, saith the LORD: but to this [man] will I look, [even] to [him that is] poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

To glory in the God that exercises loving kindness is a different glorification than what we imagine by reading those words. Here there is an ingredient, here is a people that glory in God, which means they appreciate that they are sinners. They are of a poor and of a contrite spirit; why? Because they are broken. And they glory in the understanding that God is merciful to them, that He exercises loving kindness upon them, as well as righteousness and judgement. And this is not a glorying of the condition of Laodicea. This is a glorying in the humble awareness of my depravity and of His wonderful character. It is this kind of people that God approves of.

Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name [is] Holy; I dwell in the high and holy [place], with him also [that is] of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

What does contrition mean? It means that you break because you see your sinfulness and you confess. And this is the opposite to a sinner; because a true sinner who doesn’t want to have God, is a proud being, and he is as Lucifer revealed himself: I want to reach to the throne of God. That is the true sinner. But the contrite sinner is the one who is content to just be accepted with the Lord, and that’s it, and just amazed that God would accept him. But God says, I sit in a high and lofty place with such a person. In other words, the exact opposite to the mentality of a proud sinner, is the lofty One. Because if you examine this scripture very carefully, it actually says that God is like that. Because if He sits in a high and lofty place with him that is of a humble and contrite heart, what does that make God? Humble and contrite. Because that is the throne upon which He sits, a throne with those that are humble and contrite.

The Mind of the One upon the Throne

Who was the first man that ever demonstrated this on earth in its completeness, from the beginning to the end? Here is the mind of that which sits on the throne:

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation,

He didn’t glory in anything.

Philippians 2:7 …and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Is this where it stopped? No; when He found Himself in fashion as a man,

Philippians 2:8 …he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Even the death of the cross. What was that? It was the death of an abject sinner. That was the death of the cross. And that is the true nature of the One who sits upon the throne. And because this man did that, when He humbled Himself as a man on the cross,

Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

The remnant people of God, the remnant church, the remnant of the woman’s seed of Revelation 12:17 are identified by this mind. You see, the Laodicean people who thought that they were it, that they were the true church of God, they had Jesus standing outside the heart’s door. He wasn’t in there. He says,

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

So many people have an emotional picture of what this means, and they are way off the mark. To sup with Jesus is to be broken and contrite – to eat and drink of the brokenness of the cross, to sup the bitter cup with Jesus. To such people it says:

Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

You’re not sitting on the same throne; you’re sitting in the throne. Did you notice the language? I misquoted that a few times in the past. I said, We sit on the throne of Christ. No; we sit in His throne. God says, I sit in a high and lofty place with him also that is of a humble and contrite spirit. It is the position, not the throne itself, that we are in together with the Father and the Son. This is the nature of those who come through as the remnant of her seed. They are a people who overcome as Christ overcame and are in His shoes, in His experience, in His throne. When Christ did what is written in Philippians, He came down and down to the very depths of human depravity to lift us up; and unless we are of the same mind, we cannot be lifted up.

James 5:16 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 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and [your] joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,

And what?

James 4:10 …and he shall lift you up.

Didn’t Jesus do that? He came down, and we are called to come down with Him; to come down from the glory of my own imagination. He that glorieth, let him not glory in his own glory. Let his laughter, his glory, his joy be turned to mourning and heaviness. Then he may be lifted up. These are the remnant people of God. There is only one way of understanding God.

Only he who sees his own sinfulness can discern the preciousness of the Saviour. {DA 494.4}

If you want to see and understand God you must see your own sinfulness. Then you will see and discern the preciousness of the Saviour.

The nearer we come to Jesus and the more clearly we discern the purity of His character, the more clearly we shall discern the exceeding sinfulness of sin and the less we shall feel like exalting ourselves. {COL 160.1}

This glorying that “we are God’s people” will be melted out of our mind.

Those whom heaven recognizes as holy ones are the last to parade their own goodness. The apostle Peter became a faithful minister of Christ, and he was greatly honored with divine light and power; he had an active part in the upbuilding of Christ’s church; but Peter never forgot the fearful experience of his humiliation; his sin was forgiven; yet well he knew that for the weakness of character which had caused his fall only the grace of Christ could avail. He found in himself nothing in which to glory. {Ibid.}

Can you see how this qualifies the words of Jeremiah 9:23-24? If anyone will glory, let him glory in what? That he understandeth and knoweth Me; that there is nothing in myself to glory, but I see Jesus’ amazing glory, His character; that He loves me even though I’m such a wretch. It leaves you spellbound just to see this God in the light of yourself.

Where and who is God’s remnant church today, to whom He can entrust the loud cry? What follows is a direct assistance to us in reference to the nature of these remnant people through Jesus.

Zephaniah 3:11 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.

“We are God’s people; we are God’s holy mountain.” He says, You will no longer be haughty. You will no longer be part of that people that glory and rejoice in your pride.

Zephaniah 3:12 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. 13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make [them] afraid.

Can you say that you have never been deceitful? Can you say that you’ve got a perfectly clean tongue and that you haven’t said anything sinful? Have you always said everything right? You can only be assured that you do when you acknowledge that you haven’t. Then you don’t have a deceitful tongue.

“I am God’s people, we are God’s people; I’m rich and increased with goods.” That is guile. That is deceitful.

But God’s people understand how sinful they are. And they will even preach against themselves; they will preach things that condemn them. As it says, Let God be true, but every man a liar. They acknowledge that.  And because they are liars, they will stop lying. They will acknowledge that they are liars, and that is not a lie. These are the depths of a people that I have puzzled over that for years. The 144,000 are without guile in their mouths and they have no fault before the throne of God; but where did they come from? They came

From the Twelve Tribes of Israel

If you study the twelve tribes of Israel and see their evil natures, you can identify somewhere with them. And I am going to be among the 144,000 who are perfect and have no fault before the throne of God? It is only possible when there is an activity of humble, broken contrition, when one recognises that we are not worthy to be that people. Heaven approves this kind of people that tremble at His word. Why do they tremble at His word? Because it reveals themselves to themselves and they tremble. What is the contrast between the two classes at the end?

Isaiah 66:2 …but to this [man] will I look, [even] to [him that is] poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

These people are a people who will no longer be proud that they are the mountain of the Lord. These are a people who are treated in this fashion by those who claim to be the mountain of the Lord:

Isaiah 66:5 Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified:

They glory in the Lord. They don’t like those that tremble at His word. They are of a different nature and of a different spirit. They say, “We are rich and increased, and have need of nothing; and who are you?” But what does the Lord say?

Isaiah 66:5 …but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

So why is it that these people who glory in their wisdom and riches and think they have need of nothing and parade it, are not accepted before God? Because they do not understand by experience the whole exercise of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They have a theory which may be truth, but they do not have that theory as it is in Jesus.

The people that He does acknowledge, who tremble at His word, they know by experience what they need to do and their task. Here are these people who are lifted up by the Lord, who are in a broken state. Remember when Jesus cited these following words and what they did to Him in Nazareth? He said, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears; and what did these proud people do?

Isaiah 61:1 The spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion,

They are trembling, they are mourning; their joy was turned to heaviness and their laughter to mourning. Jesus was sent

Isaiah 61:3 …to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

There is the glorying. But what will these people be and do that have been so aware like Peter became aware of his true condition? He never forgot; he always trembled along the way, just like all these people do.

Isaiah 61:4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

This is the very description of the people of the last days. This is qualified through the Man who came down and was that meek and contrite person who releases those who are in a state of sin and brings them into a position so that they can be those who are the repairers and the reformers and the restorers.

Isaiah 58:12 And [they that shall be] of thee shall build the old waste places:

Here is the nature of the true reformers, the true restorers, those who are going to give the loud cry. Here is the admonition of what God’s church is meant to be doing:

Bible religion is not to be boastfully paraded, but quietly practiced in good words and works. {VSS 30.3}

Is there a paradox here? It’s a loud cry. The religion of God’s true people is going to give a loud cry, but quietly. Their religion will be quietly practiced in good words and works. You’ve got to have a changed mind to understand this. And hopefully we will appreciate this and adopt it and embrace it so that we may be among that people. To be the people that will give the loud cry, how on earth can such a people do it who do it quietly, unobtrusively, not boastfully parading; a people who are a poor and afflicted people, who are a very small remnant?

In my ministry I’ve been up against this time and time again. I found myself outside of the Seventh-day Adventist organisation and I met some people, some ministers whom I knew, and they said, “How you going, John? How many people have you won over the last few years?” “Yeah, I’ve had some wonderful experiences, yes.” “How many??” “Hmm, I don’t know…” “How many?” “It wasn’t many, but it was some beautiful gems.”

“How can you few people evangelise the world?” This is what was thrown at me. “You can’t do it. It’s only the Adventists people; you’ve got to be part of the whole organisation to be effective to give the loud cry.” That is what the ministers of the Adventist church tell me. But the word of God tells me something different. The word of God says a poor and afflicted people, a very small remnant that quietly practice in word and works the purity of the truth. How on earth can such a people impact the whole earth with the loud cry? God sees to that. It’s not our problem.

Now we seem to be unnoticed, but this will not always be. Movements are at work to bring us to the front, and if our theories of truth can be picked to pieces by historians or the world’s greatest men, it will be done. {Ev 69.1}

We will be brought in front of the the world’s greatest men. Movements are at work to bring these poor little fragile people to the front.

We must individually know for ourselves what is truth, and be prepared to give a reason of the hope that we have with meekness and fear, not in a proud, boasting, self-sufficiency, but with the spirit of Christ. We are nearing the time when we shall stand individually alone to answer for our belief. Religious errors are multiplying and entwining themselves with Satanic power about the people. There is scarcely a doctrine of the Bible that has not been denied. {Ev 69.2}

Where can you find today the old Adventist message in all its entirety? Satan has managed to entwine the errors into Adventist doctrine, and there is scarcely a doctrine of the Bible that has not been denied. So how are these poor little people going to do it? If they have it right in Jesus as they really should have it, they will be a poor and afflicted people, and movements will be at work to bring them to the surface.

An Obscure People

The saints then will be an obscure people, little known to the Catholics… {SpM 1.5}

An obscure people, yes, those who are doing quietly the work, not parading boastfully their position as God’s church. They are a humble and a contrite people, little known to the Catholics. Do the Catholics know all the organisations today? Absolutely. Every registered organisation is known by the Catholics. You want to be sure of that. But these people are little known to the Catholics. Think about it. How is it possible that these people little known can evangelise the world? Do you remember the story of the plain of Dura? How many men evangelised the whole Babylonian empire? They were only three on the plain of Dura. They really trembled at the Word. While all the other Jews around them went down with the whole crowd, they stood up, just the three. God only needs a tiny little company. He knows how to evangelise the world. The loud cry is coming. Do we wish to be counted among the little company? Then we need to understand our present mission; and our present mission needs close attention. The gaining of such a condition is our mission. Many times we think in missionary work we have to go out there and stir up the people. Our priority is to gain a condition that will constitute us as that company.

While we are out there doing missionary work and we are not gaining that condition, we will not be that company. In this series of four studies we shall study the exposing movements. Movements will be afoot that will expose God’s people. And finally we will consider the true nature of the loud cry.

May God help us to become touched by His words when He says, Don’t glory in anything else but that you understand and know Me; and to understand what that really means. May God help us to carry this with us and to assimilate it and understand it and look closely to make sure of what we must do that we may be such a people.

Amen.