Godsloveandlaw's Blog

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

The above word of God is too plain for us to misunderstand. This crying aloud has been a Biblical trait from the people of God since ancient times. The prophet Amos knew all too well that this crying out the straight forward warning is not readily accepted by many, and often by those today who proclaim themselves as Christians, even some advanced Elijah messengers. But why is this faithful act so often misunderstood? Let’s take an in depth look at it.

“They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.” (Amos 5:10)

We as Seventh-day Adventists  hardly ever see or hear of someone warning others in a straight forward way, just as they did back in Amos’ day.

A little history of what “rebuking in the gate” was,  from Biblehub. com–

“The gate” is the well-known place of concourse, where just or, in Israel now, unjust judgment was given, where all was done which was to be done publicly . Samaria had a large area by its chief gate, where two kings could hold court, and the 400 false prophets and the people, in great numbers, could gather and a market could be held . Josiah broke down an idol-shrine, which was in one of the gates of Jerusalem. The prophets seized the opportunity of finding the people together, and preached to them there.

So it was even in the days of Solomon. “Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets; she crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates, in the city she uttereth her words, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?…” and again, “She standeth in the top of high places, by the way, in the meeting of the paths. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors; Unto you, O men, I call, “Pro 8:2-4.

Jeremiah mentions two occasions, upon which God bade him reprove the king and people in the gates of Jerusalem . There doubtless Amos and Hosea reproved them, and, for reproving, were “hated.” As Isaiah says, “they lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate”. They sinned publicly, and therefore they were to be rebuked publicly. They sinned “in the gate” by injustice and oppression, and therefore were to be “rebuked before all, that others also might fear”. 

We can gleam much from the above short synopsis. We see that the prophets found gatherings as an opportune place to rebuke “open sin” and to place warning in front of all, that the honest and God-fearing among them may be set straight, hopefully repenting. Their conscience needed to be aroused.

A while back a fellow present truth believer said to me ” our people are in a coma”. I could not have said it better. So I thought, “how can they be awakened?” One of the ways is the straight testimony from the pulpit. But how often do we see that? Not frequent.

Let me tell you of another way, a way that hearkens back to the “old days”, a way that clearly shows the rebukers lifting their voice “like a trumpet” at the “gate”, a place where the people of God gather.

Her name is sister Patricia. Her and her two children have a ministry where they travel to different SDA churches around the country and world. They bring with them Tracts, CD’s and DVD’s. They also carry signs of warning. For instance , during Christmas, they may have signs warning against the pagan practice of Christmas.

Recently they traveled to Michigan to Doug Batchelor’s seminar at a church in Lansing. I had been in contact with her prior to the event and she let me know she would look into it and possibly make the trip (she’s from Michigan). So they soon went to the event.

The first night they were able to get inside and see Doug speak. But as present truth believers , their love for souls just could not sit back and “enjoy” a seminar of basically peace and safety. As we are surely aware, the Lord through His prophecies show that the Lord “will suddenly come to His temple.”(Mal. 3:1). There is warning message now to be given.

“Our message must be as direct as was that of John. He rebuked kings for their iniquity. Notwithstanding the peril his life was in, he never allowed truth to languish on his lips. Our work in this age must be as faithfully done..” (Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p.1184) 

“Our message is not to be one of peace and safety. As a people who believe in Christ’s soon appearing, we have a definite message to bear,—“Prepare to meet thy God.” (BC, vol. 4, p.1184)

With the next event, the solemn church judgment about to take place, we have no time to be whistling Dixie while the iceberg is straight ahead! So they decided to do what they call a “siege”. This is their act of love, their way of arousing the conscience of the “sinners in Zion.”

They follow Inspired counsel–

“Christ’s ambassadors have nothing to do with consequences. They must perform their duty and leave the results to God.” (GC, p.609-610)

During their last siege, their signs included “S.D.A Does Abortions Just Like Planned Parenthood” and  “We Love You”. They recorded it and later placed it on their YouTube channel for wider distribution.

The Spirit of Prophecy confirms their approach–

“The true people of God, who have the spirit of the work of the Lord and the salvation of souls at heart, will ever view sin in its real, sinful character. They will always be on the side of faithful and plain dealing with sins which easily beset the people of God. Especially in the closing work for the church, in the sealing time of the one hundred and forty-four thousand who are to stand without fault before the throne of God, will they feel most deeply the wrongs of God’s professed people.”(Testimonies, vol. 3, p.266)

“In the case of Achan’s sin God said to Joshua: “Neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.” How does this instance compare with the course pursued by those who will not raise their voice against sin and wrong, but whose sympathies are ever found with those who trouble the camp of Israel with their sins? Said God to Joshua: “Thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.” He pronounced the punishment which would follow the transgression of His covenant.” (Testimonies, vol. 3, p.267-268)

“Some will not receive the testimony that God has given us to bear, flattering themselves that we may be deceived and that they may be right. They think that the people of God are not in need of plain dealing and of reproof, but that God is with them. These tempted ones, whose souls have ever been at war with the faithful reproving of sin, would cry: Speak unto us smooth things. What disposition will these make of the message of the True Witness to the Laodiceans? There can be no deception here. This message must be borne to a lukewarm church by God’s servants. It must arouse His people from their security and dangerous deception in regard to their real standing before God.” (Testimonies, vol. 3, p.259)

“Satan trembles when the voice of God speaks through his instruments, giving cautions and warnings, and rebuking sin.” (RH, June 20, 1882)

The Lord’s last message of Elijah says this about our issue-

“Speaking of those who indulge in criticizing those who reprove at the gate, we read: “They will question and criticize everything that arises in the unfolding of truth, criticize the work and position of others, criticize every branch of the work in which they have not themselves a part. They will feed upon the errors and mistakes and faults of others, ‘until,’ said the angel, ‘the Lord Jesus shall rise up from His mediatorial work in the heavenly sanctuary, and shall clothe Himself with the garments of vengeance, and surprise them at their unholy feast; and they will find themselves unprepared for the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ Their taste has been so perverted that they would be inclined to criticize even the table of the Lord in His kingdom.” — “Testimonies for the Church.” Vol. 5, p. 690. (Sym. Code, vol. 1, no.15, p.4-5)

The Scriptures point to the people of God each having a specific duty to perform.

“For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free–and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 

And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.

If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. Now the eye is not able to say to the hand, “I have no need of you.” Or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” But much rather, those members of the body seeming to be weaker are necessary, and the parts we consider less honorable, we treat with greater honor.

And our un-presentable parts are treated with special modesty, whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, that there should be no division in the body, but the members should have the same concern for one another.

And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.” (1 Cor. 12:13- 27)

So we see that all of us , who proclaim to know Jesus and desire to work for Him and His kingdom, must respect what God has called another to do. We all cannot be the “hand”. Likewise we all cannot do the type of work sister Patricia and her family are called to do. But we do not call it wrong or misplaced work, because it is God’s work from long ago. His true “rebuking at the gate” work!

Some may ask–What motivates people to do this straight forward work? Again Inspired counsel tells us-

“While others try to throw a cloak over the existing evil, and excuse the great wickedness everywhere prevalent, those who have a zeal for God’s honor and a love for souls will not hold their peace to obtain favor of any. Their righteous souls are vexed day by day with the unholy works and conversation of the unrighteous. They are powerless to stop the rushing torrent of iniquity, and hence they are filled with grief and alarm.

They mourn before God to see religion despised in the very homes of those who have had great light. They lament and afflict their souls because pride, avarice, selfishness, and deception of almost every kind are in the church. The Spirit of God, which prompts to reproof, is trampled underfoot, while the servants of Satan triumph. God is dishonored, the truth made of none effect.”(Testimonies, vol. 5, p.210-211)

In closing, the Scriptures tell us that we all have our work to do. Some work successfully from within some from without. Some, as sister Patricia and her ministry attests, are called to do the reproving at the gate. Let us pray for and support people like them that do a work that requires courage and fortitude to –

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

For their website-click here http://siegesda.wix.com/ministry

This entry was posted on October 24, 2015 at 3:13 am and is filed under Courage, Sighing and Crying, Witnessing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.