21.0 The Loud Cry Message
by Hubert F. Sturges, www.144000.cc, January 25, 2010
Topics:
A Loud Cry to the World
Nineveh
Elijah
John the Baptist
Come out of Her My People!
But how can we make the message a Loud Cry?
First lets look at the message
More Fully
The Messengers
A Loud Cry to the World
"Yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown" (Jonah 3:4). Jonah was called by God to preach to Nineveh about 800 bc. Assyria was the major power in the mid-east at this time, and its capital, Nineveh, on 1700 acres was huge. Jerusalem by comparison was just 80 acres!
Jonah was a remarkably successful evangelist! The whole city responded with repentance, and God spared the city from destruction. Assyria did not invade Israel for another 80 years. Tradition has it that Jonah stayed in Nineveh and labored there the rest of his life. Even today there remains in Nineveh the mound of Nebi Yunus thought to be the tomb of Jonah. Today Assyrians will tell you that Assyria was the first to become Christian as a nation.
How was Jonah so successful in his effort? There was no amplification in those days, so one must assume that Jonah had a loud voice. AND in early societies, a foreigner with strange clothes and a strange accent would immediately attract a crowd of small boys. And if I were Jonah, I would send those boys home with the urgent message that every person must get ready. In 40 days Nineveh would be destroyed!
"There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." 1 Kings 17:1
Elijah was a rough man. He was plain spoken, and he had a startling message. Ahab, king of the northern kingdom, did more to provoke the Lord than all the kings before him. Elijah "prayed earnestly that it might not rain" (What can be done about Israel?) (James 5:17,18) He confronted Ahab on his throne in Samaria. In a loud voice, he cut through the turmoil around his throne with his message. Before Ahab and his attendants could recover from their surprise, Elijah was gone.
His message was followed by the fact: Israel suffered a drought that lasted three and a half years.
"Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2). John the Baptist 26 ad
John the Baptist preached from the banks of the Jordan. He had no amplification and no acoustic auditorium. Yet "there went out unto him all the land of Judea,... and were all baptized of him in the river" (Mark 1:5). John the Baptist had a loud voice and stirred the whole nation; preparing the way for Christ.
He gave what we call the Elijah message, a message which will be given again. God’s people must once again give a "Loud cry message" to all the world. That message is found in Revelation 18:1-4:
"Come out of her my people!"
This message must lighten the earth with the glory of God (Revelation 18:1). The Holy Spirit will be poured out without measure. The message will be given with great power. It will be given in a time of general apostasy and evil. God’s people must no longer stay in any church but where the truth of God is taught.
"And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
"And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. Gluttony, greed, drugs, abuse, corruption
"For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues" Revelation 18:1-4.
Every committed child of God wants nothing more but to have a part in this message!
"Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen" Why was this said twice?
(1) The popular churches rejected God’s message in the 1840's
From that time the popular churches have downgraded the authority of the Bible and have turned to tradition and to accepting strange doctrines. Heresies in many such groups (not all) today include:
(a) Atonement at the Cross only, with no heavenly ministration as Jesus applies His grace to change the life.
(b) Judgment at death, with the soul going immediately to heaven or hell. Why then do we need a resurrection?
(c) Faith and Grace are taken as abstract principles, with no connection to God and with no change in the life.
(d) The Ten Commandment law denied, especially the Sabbath command leading to permissiveness and a worldly lifestyle.
(e) The hypothesis of macro-evolution which downgrades, even destroys authority of the Bible.
(f) The Secret Rapture theory from a false interpretation of just two texts, and ignoring other very clear passages describing Jesus’ soon return. With a belief in a "second chance" this gives a fatal false security.
(g) Associated with the Secret Rapture are a cluster of false doctrines such as belief in rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem, conversion of the Jews as a nation, and an unbiblical belief in an Anti-Christ as a person. Jesus told us in Matthew 24, "do not be deceived."
(h) Belief in the Immortality of man leads to Spiritism and the cruel belief of the wicked suffering eternal hell fire.
Much more can be said about each of these items, and there are other false beliefs that may be added to the list. But these are given to show doctrines that have crept into popular religious belief. Not all churches and not all people in those churches believe all these beliefs. God still has His seven thousand (and many more) who have not bowed the knee to Baal (1 Kings 19:18).
(2) The second fall comes when the popular church use the power of the state to support their man-made rules (keeping the first rather than the 7th Day). See Revelation 13
If your eyes have been open to the news, you will note that Germany has recently (December 1, 2009) officially legislated that Sunday be set aside as a day of rest and religious refreshment.
But how can we make the message a Loud Cry?
Do we need to get better amplifying equipment? Rent auditoriums with better acoustics? Hire evangelists with louder voices? To ask these questions borders on foolishness, but it does help us to focus on what we need to do.
Our Evangelists have been presenting the message with power for 165 years.
We present the Seventh-day Sabbath as the seal in the midst of the holy Law of God.
We present the Sabbath as the seal by which God’s people are known before Christ Comes.
We present Jesus ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary to prepare His people for His Coming,
On these doctrines Seventh-day Adventists hold a minority position.
On these doctrines the popular churches have slowly moved to non-biblical positions.
At the end of time a line will be drawn (Revelation 13); the division between God’s people and the world at that time will be sharp. The test of loyalty to God will be as black and white.
First lets look at the message:
Ellen White makes some very interesting comments:
"At the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the SABBATH more fully." Early Writings, 85
"Ministers need to have a more clear, simple manner in presenting the truth as it is in Jesus. Their own minds need to comprehend the great PLAN OF SALVATION more fully." Review and Herald, Feb 22, 1887
"At present Sunday-keeping is not the test. . . . the TRUTH must be presented more fully before the people as a witness. . . . God's servants should preach Christ and Him crucified, His love and infinite sacrifice – showing that the reason why Christ died is because the law of God is immutable, unchangeable, eternal. The SABBATH must be taught in a decided manner, but be cautious how you deal with the idol Sunday." Maranatha, 177
"It is essential that we be much in prayer to God, that his voice and his power may be manifested in behalf of his people, and that the angels may hold the four winds until the TRUTH is more fully proclaimed," Review and Herald, Jan 1, 1889
More fully
She did not say we needed more doctrines. Nor better equipment or better methods. She did not say even that we needed better evangelists, or more educated evangelists. Just that we must preach --- more fully !
How can we preach the Sabbath, the truth, the plan of Salvation – more fully?
We cannot fault the SDA church for not knowing what the Bible says.
We cannot fault the SDA church for not trying to tell the world of Jesus’ coming.
So, HOW can we preach these messages MORE FULLY?
I believe that we need to learn how to preach these messages centered on the love of God.
And in preaching the Sabbath, we ourselves need to learn more about how to keep the Sabbath
THEN we can tell others what the Sabbath means to us.
Men are to find their life’s purpose in their love and praise to God.
"In His ministry for all created beings: through the beloved Son, the Father’s life flows out to all; through the Son it returns, in praise and joyous service, a tide of love, to the great Source of all. And thus through Christ the circuit of beneficence is complete, representing the character of the great Giver, the law of life." White EG: The Desire of Ages, p. 21.
God created this earth in six days. They He gave us the Sabbath. Twenty four hours each week in which men would fellowship with Him and learn the meaning of that Creation.
The Messengers
What do WE, the SDA church need? Revelation 3:17 tell us that we are "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." We must BUY gold, a faith that works by love; white raiment, the robe of Christ’s righteousness; and eye salve: to enable us to see our need and confess our sins (afflict our souls).
Who among us does not desire that gold, robe of Christ, and eye salve? If we must BUY it, what does it cost? It is not money. You cannot exchange anything earthly of value to buy it. We humans have only ONE thing of value to Christ. That is, our loyalty, our commitment to serve Him, a life that demonstrates to the world that He did not die in vain.
Who among us does not desire that gold, white raiment, and eyesalve?
Who is there in the world who would not also desire these gifts if only they could see them?
"His tender compassion fell with a touch of healing upon weary and troubled hearts. Even amid the turbulence of angry enemies He was surrounded with an atmosphere of peace. The afflicted ones who came to Him felt that He linked His interest with theirs as a faithful and tender friend, and they desired to know more of the truths He taught. Heaven was brought near. They longed to abide in His presence, that the comfort of His love might be with them continually." White EG: The Desire of Ages, 255
If people felt the presence of God in the church, they will come back to be in His presence again!
Two carpet layers came to my home to repair our carpet. I noted that one of the men had a peaceful reverent atmosphere that you could feel as he worked. He really did not say anything, until I spoke to him. I found that he read the Bible every day. Nothing else. He just read the Bible.
Then two weeks ago I had a dizzy faint spell in church. I had my pacemaker checked. Then I went to the Urgent Care Center to get a blood test. The doctor there had a cheerful, very pleasant approach. He showed a special atmosphere of peace. We didn’t have a chance to talk about it. He rapidly asked me the necessary questions and was on his way to see more patients. But I was impressed.
Do I project an atmosphere of peace, reverence, joy, and love? Even if I did, does my life project the grace of God and all it means -- more fully?
I have committed my life to spending an hour each day in devotional Bible study and prayer. The Bible study is not to do the Sabbath School lesson, not to do the Bible year, not to give Bible studies. It is for one purpose and for one purpose only. I study the Bible slowly, without pressure, examining and meditating on each verse, listening to the voice of God. Conversing with Him and making application to my life.
Whatever else I need in my spiritual life, will come out of these Bible study and prayer sessions. Do I have time to spend an hour each day this way? NO! Absolutely not. Something has to give way. I learned long ago to "give my schedule to Christ" and let Him handle the days events.
The elders of our church have made the same commitment. We want to make our church a place where people will feel the presence of God, and will want to come back so that they can be in His presence again!