S59; The Shepherd’s Rod, Volume 1

The 144,000 of Revelation 7 — Call For Reformation
By V.T. Houteff; Mart 19, 2018 on Monday;

Taskmasters

“Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:…Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew….And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor:…And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field.” Ex. 1:8-13. {SR1: 77.3}

“The children of Israel,” said Pharaoh, “are too strong and mightier than we. Let us deal wisely and reduce their strength.” So they (Israelites) were drafted from the sheepfolds to the brick yards, and the field, but this did not reduce their strength. Said Pharaoh, “Let us set taskmasters over them to wear them out.” Note the application. Pharaoh is the king, the one who rules. The taskmasters in this case could be none other than a class of ministers referred to in Volume 5, page 217: “Doubt and even disbelief of the testimonies of the Spirit of God, is leavening our churches everywhere. Satan would have it thus. Ministers who preach self instead of Christ would have it thus. The testimonies are unread and unappreciated.” {SR1: 78.1}

No longer is the by-word of Seventh-day Adventists, “every Seventh-day Adventist a missionary; every missionary a preacher,” as what it used to be. But, how much per capita? or, have you made your budget? instead of, Have you brought any souls to Christ? Are your church members nearer to Him? It is not meant here that Christians ought not to give for the support of the cause. We ought to give, and give more liberally than we have given in the past, but our gifts ought to come from a willing heart, and not from the result of lashes. The people should be fed with spiritual food so that they would feel the need of giving without overbearing on the subject. {SR1: 78.2}

When Moses was about to build the sanctuary in the wilderness, God commanded him, saying: “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering: Of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take My offering.” Moses was commanded to take offerings only from those who willingly gave from their heart. We are told by the Spirit of Prophecy that ministers should not put all their efforts and time with the church. Members are not to expect a sermon every Sabbath. Ministers should rather engage themselves in working for outsiders. Read Volume 9, page 140. Have we taken heed to this instruction? For example, we have scores of ministers in Los Angeles and immediate vicinity, but how many public efforts have we? It was announced just a short time ago that there were only two. Thus it has been for some years. What are these ministers doing day after day, and week after week? It seems they are doing nothing but preparing a sermon during six days of the week to preach on Sabbath, and then it is either something to sell, or some particular budget to raise. {SR1: 78.3}

How many sermons preached do we read of in the Bible urging people to give money, or to buy something to support the cause? Not one. We have polluted the house of God with merchandise even on Sabbath morning, which hour is dedicated as a day of rest to worship God. Volume 1, pages 471, 472: “A great mistake has been made by some who profess present truth, by introducing merchandise in the course of a series of meetings, and by their traffic diverting minds from the object of the meetings. If Christ were now upon earth, He would drive out these peddlers and traffickers, whether they be ministers or people, with a scourge of small cords, as when He entered the temple anciently….Ministers have stood in the desk and preached a most solemn discourse, and then by introducing merchandise, and acting the part of a salesman, even in the house of God, they have diverted the minds of their hearers from the impressions received, and destroyed the fruit of their labor….Their time and strength should be held in reserve, that their efforts may be thorough in a series of meetings. Their time and strength should not be drawn upon to sell our books when they can be properly brought before the public by those who have not the burden of preaching the word [colporteurs]. {SR1: 79.1}

” ‘It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves.’ These traffickers might have pleaded as an excuse that the articles they held for sale were for sacrificial offerings. But their object was to get gain, to obtain means, to accumulate.” Volume 1, page 472. {SR1: 79.2}

Our conference is not ignorant of the instruction here given, and the evil which is practised in the churches. At the Autumn Council held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1923, the question of book sales on the Sabbath day was brought forth in connection with other matters, and the following resolution was passed and published: “That all campaigns for the promotion of periodicals or book sales on the Sabbath day be eliminated, and that those responsible for the promotion of these campaigns be directed to the method of house to house solicitation by visiting committees in connection with campaigns for literature sales: {SR1: 80.1}

“That we invite our publishing houses to exercise caution circularizing our people on behalf of publishing house projects, and to refrain from sending to church officers matters to be presented on the Sabbath, with previous arrangements with the Local, Union, and General conferences.”–Milwaukee Autumn Council, Oct. 9-17, 1923. Review and Herald of Nov. 22, 1923. Read Volume 9, page 260. {SR1: 80.2}

We read in Testimonies to Ministers, page 477: “A Strange Thing has Come into our Churches. Men who are placed in positions of responsibility that they may be wise helpers to their fellow workers, have come to suppose that they were set as kings and rulers in the churches, to say to one brother, Do this; to another, Do that; and to another, Be sure to labor in such and such a way.” Thus Pharaoh has drafted the people from the sheepfold to the brickyards, or the field. The taskmasters, being commanded to oversee the work, urge the bricks (budgets), and wear out the people. The existing sins in the church are passed over and no one cares. Those who do reprove wrongs incur their displeasure. In Volume 3, page 266, speaking of the condition in the church at the time of the sealing (marking) of the 144,000, and the slaughter in the church, we read: {SR1: 80.3}

“Those who have excused these wrongs have been thought by the people to be very amiable and lovely in disposition, simply because they shunned to discharge a plain Scriptural duty. The task was not agreeable to their feelings, therefore, they avoided it.” {SR1: 81.1} Thanks my LORD JESUS & Thanks Prophet E.G.White the 3^rd massage of 3^rd Angel Rev.14:9 & Prophet V.T.Houteff the 4^th massage of 4^th Angel Rev.18:1 !

Symbol 147; 258; 369; 138; 1+8+3+1=13=1+3= 4; 47+38=85=8+5=13=1+3= 4; 25+69=94=9+4=13=1+3= 4; 444=12=3 is GOD the FATHER & GOD the SON & GOD the HOLY SPIRIT;