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An article for sharing with your
fellow Seventh-day Adventists
Written by a fourth generation SDA
__________________________
Preface
This web page is dedicated
to calling the
conference leadership to depart from its
ecumenical, politically correct direction
At a time when we are
awaiting the soon return of Christ, when the investigative judgment is taking place,
many of the laity and various leaders claim it does not matter
what direction the organization is heading, or what is happening at the top of their organization, apostasy does not matter.
With so many differences between the
conference of the 1800's to the conference of today, the question arises . . .
IS THERE A NEW CONFERENCE ORGANIZATION?
DOES THE CONFERENCE HAVE A DIFFERENT SPIRIT FROM ITS
FORMER BRETHREN?
Preface
We are dedicated to proclaiming the historic doctrines held by God's
true people in all ages. Although we are not associated with the
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Maryland, we are
attempting to uphold the historic doctrines espoused by the Seventh-day
Adventist pioneers in the nineteenth century. We wish only to unite
God's remnant people to press together, holding high the banner on which
is inscribed "the commandments of God and the faith of
Jesus." Because the powers of darkness have attempted to take
control of God's last-day people through infiltration and false signs and
teaching, which if possible would deceive the very elect; we are attempting
to help those believers who are standing up for the truth here in these
last days of earth's history. Many historic believers around the
world have established home study groups where they can bring new
interests and converts to hear the Three Angels' Messages instead of the
New Theology. We only wish to help defend the faith and expose the
flood of false doctrine by which the truth is being assailed.
Because the laity in the conference is not fully aware of what is
taking place in the ministry they support, we see a need to point out the
sin and apostasy in the camp as a means of correcting the problems. Because of the gross apostasy from the
truth, the faithful "independent" ministries around the world
have chosen to follow God instead of man, and are actively protesting the
sins of the conference while giving the three angels' messages to the
world.
_______________________________________________________________
Should We Support a New
SDA Organization?
"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 SLAUGHTER OF
MOST ADVENTISTS WAS PREDICTED BY
ELLEN G WHITE, TO HAPPEN DURING THE
TIME OF
TROUBLE AS OUTLINED IN EZEKIEL CHAPTER 9
WHY IS GOD UPSET WITH THE
ORGANIZATION?
WHAT ARE WE DOING WRONG AS A PEOPLE
TO DESERVE THIS COMING SLAUGHTER?
"Study the 9th chapter of Ezekiel. These words
will be literally fulfilled; yet the time is passing and the people are
asleep. They refuse to humble their souls and to be converted. Not a
great while longer will the Lord bear with the people who have such great
and important truths revealed to them, but who refuse to bring these
truths into their individual experience. The time is short. God is
calling; will you hear? Will you receive His message? Will you be
converted before it is too late? Soon, very soon, every case will be
decided for eternity." Letter 106, 1909, 5,7
[The prophet Ezekiel was shown a vision of the slaughter of the remnant
of Israel, or Adventists, in the last days. This slaughter begins
with the leaders in Israel and finishes with almost all Adventists being
killed. The number is so large, the prophet cries out to his accompanying angel
asking if
all Adventists are will to be killed!]
Ezekiel 9 "Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice,
saying, 'Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with
a deadly weapon in his hand.' And suddenly six men came from the
direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his
battle-ax in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen and
had a writer's inkhorn at his side. They went in and stood beside the
bronze altar. Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the
cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He
called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer's inkhorn at
his side; and the Lord said to him, 'Go through the midst of the
city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads
of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done
within it.' To the others he said in my hearing, 'Go after him through
the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women;
but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My
sanctuary.' So they began with the elders who were before the
temple. Then He said to them, 'Defile the temple, and fill the
courts with the slain. Go out!' and they went out and killed in the
city. So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone;
and I fell on my face and cried out, and said, 'Ah, Lord God!
Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on
Jerusalem?' Then He said to me, 'The iniquity of the
house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land
is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say,
'The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see!' 'And as
for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I
will recompense their deeds on their own head.' Just then, the man
clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and
said, 'I have done as You commanded me.'"
This slaughter takes place among the leaders and laity of Adventism,
due to their unfaithfulness. Why then do we hear SDA's say that large
numbers of our group will be saved when Mrs. White says the opposite? Why do we hear SDA's say the conference is
acceptable when it is not? Friend, will you follow the easy, broad, ecumenical
path in Adventism, or will you choose the straight and narrow way? Will
you defend our precious truth handed down from generation to generation,
or will you follow the leaders of the conference and their new-age, ecumenical ideas
that exempt the three angels' messages?
Many years ago the conference was obedient to God, as it would adhere to the
TRUTH which originated in the Advent movement of the nineteenth century.
Does the conference today promote the original messages from the historic
Adventist movement of the 1800's? Is it attempting to promote our same beliefs espoused
by our pioneers which were based on a biblical foundation? Let us analyze the messages the conference
promotes, in order to determine if it is faithful. Perhaps this way
we can understand why God is so upset with this ministry.
FIRST ANGELS' MESSAGE OF 1844 AND THE ATONEMENT
The conference is not giving the first angel's message to the world. They are not broadcasting our unique view of the investigative judgment
which started in 1844. In failing to give this sanctuary message to the
world, they are making light of removing sin from our lives, of preparing
for the latter rain. The conference does not promote a message which says
you must remove sin from your life, instead they say you can be saved in your
sins. The law of God in the sanctuary, in the Ark of the Covenant, is
treated too lightly. This mindset is part of the new theology doctrine which says
the atonement was finished at the cross and there is no literal sanctuary
in heaven where Christ is ministering. The conference is not willing
to defend this doctrine as it will cause them to appear to be different or
odd when compared to
the world.
"Adventists do not hold any theory of a duel atonement.... When,
therefore, one hears an Adventist say, or reads in Adventist
literature--even in the writings of Ellen G. White--that Christ is making
atonement now, it should be understood that we mean simply that Christ is
now making application of the benefits of the sacrificial atonement He
made on the cross." Questions on Doctrine, 390, 354
"There is no veil at all in heaven--and all of heaven is a Most
Holy Place!" Garry Williams, in a sermon at a major Seventh-day
Adventist church, Landmarks, April 2000.
"In the future, [today] deception of every kind is to arise, and
we want solid ground for our feet. We want solid pillars for the building. Not one pin is to be removed from that which the Lord has established. The
enemy will bring in false theories, such as the doctrine that there is no
sanctuary. This is one of the points on which there will be departing from
the faith." RH, vol 5, 137
SECOND & THIRD ANGELS' MESSAGES
The conference is not broadcasting the identity of Babylon or the beast
to the world. It does not want to "offend" the churches of the
world, so the second and third angels' messages are not loudly proclaimed
to the world. It is not heard on It is Written, Adventist World Radio, or
included in mass mailings to the world.
If a partial second and third angels' message is given regarding
Babylon and the papacy, it is done so by a local church, after several
weeks in a satellite Revelation seminar, with only a few non-Adventists in
attendance at that point. Most local churches are not actively proclaiming
the three angels' messages through the media they have available such as
radio, television or newspaper. These media tools could be utilized
to spread the truth, but they are not.
The world is not warned to avoid worshipping the beast, and the pope is
not identified for what he is. Kenneth Cox, possibly tutored by Florida
Conference leaders, appeared live on Orlando television to denounce a
billboard campaign by "independent" ministries which identified
the pope as the beast. He answered questions from viewers concerning
Adventist beliefs. One question asked was, "Is the pope the
Antichrist?" His answer was "no." He said we should all
just love Jesus. This same attitude is throughout the conference
today where the laity is told that it is hateful to identify Satan's false
system or the man of sin. Friends, if we truly love Jesus, and truly
love those in Babylon, we will give His truth to the world and tell them
who the Antichrist is. Instead, the conference wishes to
please men, not God.
The Vice President of the Conference, Neal C. Wilson, verbalized the
conference position regarding the papacy, "Although it is true that
there was a period in the life of the Seventh-day Adventist Church when
the denomination took a distinctly anti-Roman Catholic viewpoint...that
attitude on the church's part was nothing more than a manifestation of
widespread anti-popery among conservative Protestant denominations in the
early part of this century, and the latter part of the last, which has now
been consigned to the historical trash heap as far as the Seventh-day
Adventist Church is concerned." Merikay McLeod lawsuit, Docket entry
#84: EEOC vs PPPA, c-74-2025-CBR. Feb. 6, 1976
Notice these statements in the conference publication Review, May 2,
1991, Roy Adams said, "The Eucharist, turning the communion bread into the
literal body of Christ, fits into the circle of the three angels'
messages." Also in the Review, September 19, 1993, Miriam Widmer
said, "We
praised the pope for sounding like an Adventist or protestant preacher,
and suggested God was using this pope to bring the gospel to the
Catholics."
At the 1990, General Conference Session in Indianapolis, a Catholic
priest spoke and prayed from the pulpit. The conference communications
director told a local newspaper that we no longer believe what we did a
hundred years ago concerning comments in the Great Controversy about the
papacy. A condensation of "The Great Controversy" was handed out
in Indianapolis by an independent group. "Shirley Burton, a spokesperson for the
denomination, told the Indianapolis Star Daily newspaper the tract was
'trash.'... The main body of the Church has moved away from an
anti-Catholic position. The new position of cooperation with the Catholic
Church was exemplified by the invitation from the Seventh-day Adventists
to the Vatican to send an official observer to the conference."
Arkansas Catholic 7-29-90. The following are further comments found in
The
Indianapolis Star, July 14, 1990, "Though Adventist officials
conceded the history of the denomination has an anti-Catholic bent, they
said the modern church is trying to move from that stance. 'They (the
dissidents) want us to be like we were 100 years ago.' said Herbert Ford,
news director for the 6.2 million-member church. 'But, the church has to
move not away from the eternal principles of God, but things do have to
change. 'These people are a thorn in the flesh, but the church tolerates
them. United States in Prophecy [Great Controversy] which was sponsored by
Adventist Layworkers Affiliate of Tennessee, calls Catholicism a pagan
religion and refers to the pope as a beast. Adventists who want to cling
to the church's historic anti-Catholic beliefs represent only about 1,000
in the North American division of 750,000 members, Ford said."
At the 1995, General Conference Session in the Netherlands, the Vatican
flag was carried through the meeting hall in a singular fashion amidst an
unusually
loud ovation when it appeared. At the Session, the conference released a statement
saying they endorsed the "United Nations Declaration on Religious
Intolerance," "...the Church supports the United Nations
proclamation of 1995, as the Year of Tolerance and says Christians need to
develop sympathy for beliefs or practices that not only differ, but even
conflict with their own." Does this mean that we should join the
ecumenical movement and avoid identifying false systems of worship?
How can the conference give the third angel's message when it is in
partnership with the beast? The Adventist and Catholic hospitals in
Colorado have joined together and have become one entity. These Adventist
hospitals will be controlled by the Catholics, as the Catholics
contributed the largest percentage of assets. We received nothing in
return for turning our hospitals over to them. This is also happening at
Madison Hospital, or Tennessee Christian Medical Center. "Two
Colorado health care providers, one Catholic and one Adventist, have
joined forces to become one of the state's largest health care systems and
employers." Our Sunday Visitor, January 7, 1996
Dick Duerksen, director of creative ministries in the Columbia Union,
was mocking those who were saying, "The pope's stand on abortion, his
book lifting up the gift of God's grace, his words praising family values
and all his travels are but a smokescreen behind which he is building a
world-wide power base. He will be taking control of the world any
day." Columbia Union Visitor
In the announcement of a new "Signs of the Times," the new
editor, Marvin Moore, appeared to be saying that the beast will not be
identified: "These articles will avoid attacking people and churches
that disagree with us, including the Catholics. We win by drawing, not by
pushing people away.... Signs keeps the three angel's messages front and
center, but speaks the language of the 1990's, not the 1890's."
So we have Mr.
Moore, like the conference, refusing to participate in the three angels'
message as they consider it to be "attacking."
In the conference book by Mr. Moore, The Antichrist and the New World
Order, the "official book for sharing" with the world, he says
Satan is the man of sin instead of the pope: "...Satan will be
the Antichrist in the one-world government that is coming upon the world
in the near future" p19. Mr. Moore then quotes 2 Thessalonians
2:3,4, which Mrs. White says refers to the pope, but he indicates it is
Satan. Other quotes also try to change the papacy into something different
from what it really is: "It's important to understand that
today's Roman Catholic Church regrets the excesses of the
Inquisition" p41 ["Excesses" is an interesting term for killing
50,000,000 people and attempting to destroy the word of God.] "...I also recognize that the Catholic Church
has changed in many ways from what it was during the medieval period of
history." p45. Mrs. White said in The Great
Controversy that it has not changed, but is still attempting to take
over our country and our freedom to worship.
Friends, we must identify the pope as the beast, the man of sin, and
warn people to come out of this false system of worship before it is too
late!
Mitchell Tyner, the associate general counsel for the General
Conference wrote an article in the Columbia Union Visitor stating,
"...the Pope and I descended from the same Father, that makes us
brothers who should not go around making personal attacks on each
other.... differences, no matter how legitimate, would not justify the
alienation of a member of the family....After all, the Pope and I are
brothers." Visitor, June 1, 1995
In 1997, Bert B. Beach was sent apparently as a representative of the conference
to meet with ten other churches at a World Council of Churches assembly,
where they worked out an agreement for all churches around the world to
celebrate Easter on specific Sundays. "The churches need to address
the renewal of …the recovery of the meaning of Sunday…" World
Council of Churches, Faith and Order, Towards a Common Date for Easter,
item 3. Read this internet document: www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/faith/easter.html
Why doesn’t It Is Written proclaim the Sabbath and
the three angels' messages over television? Why
aren’t the papacy and Babylon exposed for what they are? Why aren’t
local churches loudly proclaiming the truth to the world on a regular
basis? It is because
the conference has chosen to become a new organization from what it was
originally established?
An example of the change in character of the
conference was on the occasion when the pope visited St. Louis in 1999.
A Seventh-day Adventist pastor was shown on television greeting the pope,
calling him "your holiness."
Click on photo to enlarge.
When the pope visited St. Louis in January of 1999, he held a Vespers
Service where there was an ecumenical gathering. Representatives of
many faiths came together to meet the Pope and welcome him to
America. The Dayton Daily News of January 28, 1999, recorded this
event. "The pope continued the theme of unity at his final ceremony
Wednesday evening at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, where
representatives of many faiths - Judaism, Hinduism, Seventh-day Adventists
- joined him in prayer." This description only touches the tip
of the iceberg, friend. The conference had a representative there,
pastor B.T. Rice of the Northside Seventh-day Adventist church, who
spoke and made a presentation to the Pope! Before he and other
religious leaders spoke, a Catholic representative made the statement,
"For many people outside the Catholic community with willingness and
graciousness, our brothers and sisters of the ecumenical and
inter-religious community, have accepted the invitation to come together
this evening with your holiness." A little later, pastor Rice
spoke, "Pope, your Holiness [!]. Your historic visit to St.
Louis Missouri has served as a catalyst in the creation of this program
[ecumenical program?] and it transforms your presence into a lasting
legacy for our region. Today, we present to you, this proclamation,
announcing the creation of Faith Beyond Walls, your commitment to
improving inter-faith relations has fostered an environment wherein the
spirit of collective faith positively action can thrive. In
addition, we also present you with this banner, the emblem of Faith Beyond
Walls. We hope and pray it will inspire inter-faith communities
around the world. To focus their efforts on improving health and the
quality of life for all humanity. Again, we welcome you to our
region." He then approached the pope and shook his hand. This
was covered on television with 2,800 members of the press covering the
event and can be seen in the video Victory in St. Louis produced by the
ministry Modern Manna. Modern Manna had 40 volunteers in St. Louis
at that time to hand out 100,000 Is Mary Dead or Alive books.
"And soon, after the Holy Spirit had been poured out and their
mission completed, an apology would be offered by the General Conference
of Seventh-day Adventists to the Pope of Rome, '...begging pardon for
their [Modern Manna's] bigotry.'" Victory in St. Louis
video.
Click on photo above. Conference "representative"
meets the pope after speaking and making his presentation.
One cannot say this act of greeting the pope was the
work of one man, as there was no disclaimer or clarification in the
Review or newspapers to disassociate the conference from the actions of this pastor.
It is obvious that the conference was reaching out to the papacy. The
world viewed this incident as the Seventh-day Adventist Church joining
with the
papacy as brothers.
This type of union was prophesied in Revelation
17:13, "These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto
the Beast."
Notice how those who are loyal to God will promote the pure truth and
will not be ashamed of it: "This is the message given by God to
be sounded forth in the loud cry of the third angel. Those whose faith and
zeal are proportionate to their knowledge of the truth will reveal their
loyalty to God by communicating the truth, in all its saving, sanctifying
power, to those with whom they associate." 8T 118
Those who refuse to give the third angel's message to the
world are as guilty as those who commit open sin: "And through lack
of zeal for the promulgation of the third angel's message, many others,
while not apparently living in transgression, are nevertheless as verily
lending their influence on the side of Satan as are those who openly sin
against God. Multitudes are perishing; but how few are burdened for these
souls! There is a stupor, a paralysis, upon many of the people of God,
which prevents them from understanding the duty of the hour." 8T 119
666 IN REVELATION
As we should know, the pope's title on his tiara headdress basically says he is god on
earth, and the numerical value of the letters add up to 666 in Greek,
Hebrew and Latin. The Bible and Spirit of Prophecy both indicate 666
represents the pope: "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath
understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a
man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six" Rev.
13:18. "I saw that the number (666) of the Image Beast was made
up; [Rev. 13:18] and that it was the Beast that changed the Sabbath, and
the Image Beast had followed on after, and kept the Pope's, and not God's
Sabbath." WLF 19
In the November, 1994, "Adventist Review" a supplement titled
"The Saints Victory in the End Time" states, "Any
explanation of the cryptic number will have to be tentative." Our
historic Adventist view of the number 666 tied to the inscription on the
papal tiara is termed "flimsy." The article
continues to say the number is
"The code for the name of the sea monster, which is
blasphemy." In the same article, they doubt apostate
Protestantism in the United States will become the image to the beast.
Mark Finley in the Net 95 and Net 96 evangelistic series, said the
number 666 represents a human system of religion. The number three equals
the Trinity. The number seven is perfection or completeness. The number
six is imperfection, and a basis of Babylonian calculation. The number 666
represents the triumphant of error, a triple union of error, a union of
the dragon beast and false prophet, a religion of man, not God.
Pastor Finley never associated the papacy with this number.
Friends, the conference has money, resources,
buildings and people it could be using the spread this message to the
world. But it chooses not to use these resources to tell the world
the truth. Instead they
sit idle while the truth is not communicated to the world.
"Preachers should have no scruples to preach the truth as it is
found in God's word. Let the truth cut. I have been shown that why
ministers have not more success is, they are afraid of hurting feelings,
fearful of not being courteous and they lower the standard of truth, and
conceal if possible the peculiarity of our faith. I saw that God could not
make such successful. The truth must be made pointed, and the necessity of
a decision urged. And as false shepherds are crying, 'peace,' and are
preaching smooth things, the servants of God must cry aloud, and spare
not, and leave the results with God." Spiritual Gifts Vol 2 283
"It is a backsliding church that lessens the distance between
itself and the Papacy." ST vol 3, 99. Friend,
could it be any clearer than that? If we are friends with the
papacy, we are demonstrating that we are in a backsliding condition.
Is this not what we see in the conference today?
SANCTIFICATION UNNECESSARY-YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REMOVE SIN FROM YOUR
LIFE
In the conference book "Issues" page 109, the conference
tells us sanctification is not important, and is basically a moot point. Many articles in the Review, or books sold in our ABC's, promote this same
viewpoint. They are saying it is not necessary to obey the law of
God to gain salvation. Mrs.
White says this type of logic is the wine of Babylon:
"True sanctification is found in yielding the will to the will of
God, in rendering obedience to His commandments, and in making His
standard of righteousness the aim of our life. If men would consent to
follow the Lord fully, if they were not confused with the wine of Babylon,
they would see that to tamper with the Lord's standard, to depart from His
commandments, is the worst species of rebellion. This is well represented
as the wine of the wrath of the abomination of Babylon, the cup which she
has presented to all nations to drink.... How is it that you think
yourselves at liberty to cancel the decisions of Jehovah, to remove the
ancient landmarks, and substitute in place of the true guideboards false waymarks that will lead men to follow the path of the first great apostate
in place of following Jesus Christ?" Signs of the Times 11-14-95
The conference view on sanctification is similar to that of the world. It has been called the Augustinian Doctrine of Original Sin. Every man is
born accursed with guilt and sin, so this rationalizes our law breaking,
we can't stop sinning, as we were born with a sinful nature unlike Christ. The conference implies you may continue sinning right up until Jesus
returns.
In the conference book Sealed Saints and the Tribulation,
sanctification is not important, "God has only one criterion for
salvation, faith in the merits of a crucified Savior. Justification alone
is our title to heaven." Whatever happened to living the
sanctified life, drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord? Through this
process we become more like Christ.
Soon when Christ leaves the sanctuary in Heaven, those who have sin in
their life will be found wanting, they will be forever lost, as Christ can
no longer atone for their sins. We must strive for sanctification on a
daily basis by allowing Jesus to come in to our heart and take over our
life, thereby enabling us to become over-comers.
FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS CHANGED
The original 25 Fundamental Principles published in 1879,
has the man of
sin, the papacy identified in its own fundamental belief. But today, in
the conference baptismal book In His Steps, which covers "the
principles of faith," and the official conference Internet site
www.Adventist.org , the conference omits this important biblical belief.
Friend, this is positive proof that the conference is part of a new
organization or belief system.
THE 144,000
Why does the conference promote a theory in the Review, that the
144,000 is a symbolic number, and those people who comprise this group
will "number as the sands of the sea," when the Spirit of
Prophecy tells us the 144,000 is a literal number?
"Soon we heard the voice of God like many waters, which gave us
the day and hour of Jesus' coming. The living saints, 144,000 in number,
knew and understood the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder and
an earthquake." 1T 59
In Rev. 7:9 it speaks of a "great multitude" which are the
resurrected saints, "Only by falling into the ground to die could He
[Jesus] become the seed of that vast harvest--the great multitude that out
of every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, are redeemed to
God." DA The conference would have you
believe the great multitude and the 144,000 are one and the same.
In Rev. 19:6,7 it speaks of this great multitude.
Mrs. White says this great multitude will sit down at the marriage supper
of the Lamb, and this group represents everyone that was saved, both the
living saints and the resurrected saints. But the conference
says this great multitude are the 144,000, thereby making the 144,000 a
symbolic number representing a larger group. The conference is in essence
saying, the number of living that are saved and translated will be so large, you do not have to remove sin
from your life, virtually everyone will be saved. Unfortunately friend, the fact is, the vast,
vast majority of those in the world and in Adventism will be lost. "I was
shown the startling fact that but a small portion of those who now profess
the truth will be sanctified by it and be saved. Many will get above the
simplicity of the work. They will conform to the world, cherish idols, and
become spiritually dead." 1 T 608
THE SABBATH LIGHTLY REGARDED
The world has noticed how the Sabbath versus Sunday issue has not been
broadcasted to the world, as noted in the non-Adventist book Seeking a
Sanctuary: "For most of Adventist history, no discussion of the
Sabbath was complete without consideration of 'the seal' and 'the mark of
the beast'. But although the connection is maintained in some popular
writing, it is absent from recent theological studies."
The conference supported the Shops Bill in England which dealt with
closing business on Sunday. Seeking a Sanctuary noted: "Church
leaders have felt able to modify the theology of the Sabbath, believing
that they should not be preoccupied with the boundaries of the
denomination but should rather draw on the Adventist tradition for the
benefit of the wider world."
In the conference printed book Changing The World through Prayer, an ADRA
prayer Journal, it states, "Prayer: Father, give our pastors boldness to
proclaim the gospel on Sunday...." (emphasis supplied)
The Sunnyside Seventh-day Adventist Church in Portland, Oregon, had a
newsletter which contained the following: "Is the Sabbath Biblical? This will be the topic of our next Town Hall meeting scheduled for October
14. Recently, several prominent Adventist pastors and evangelists have
decided the Sabbath is not biblical and is part of the Old Covenant. Pastor Bretsch will lead a discussion on this topic as well as open the
floor for various interests to be discussed."
Why do some conference churches conduct work-bees, play softball,
conduct business meetings, etc, on the Sabbath?
Some conference churches are now meeting on Sunday
morning! The Pacific Union
Recorder boasts the creation of the "Adventist Sunday Church" in
their February 2000 issue. Worship service is held in a casual
format Sunday morning, and is geared to bring the community to the
church. Those in the church say, "they hope that this model can
be replicated in other cities across the country." Friend, this
is a lowering of the standards, where liberal Adventists meet the world
where they are. More on this later.
The Spirit of Prophecy told us of further Sabbath apostasy that would
be
promoted by the leaders of the majority of Adventists in the near future: "The Lord has a controversy with His professed people in these last
days. In this controversy men in responsible positions will take a course
directly opposite to that pursued by Nehemiah. They will not only
ignore
and despise the Sabbath themselves, but they will try to keep it from
others by burying it beneath the rubbish of custom and tradition. In
churches and in large gatherings in the open air, ministers will urge upon
the people the necessity of keeping the first day of the week. There are
calamities on sea and land: and these calamities will increase, one
disaster following close upon another; and the little band of
conscientious Sabbath-keepers will be pointed out as the ones who are
bringing the wrath of God upon the world by their disregard of
Sunday." R & H 3-18-1884
Earlier we read Ezekiel chapter nine, where Mrs. White said the slaughter of Israel, or
Adventists, will be literally fulfilled at the end of time. Ezekiel saw
almost all Adventists killed by the destroying angel, as they had received
the mark of the beast. The slaughter takes place because of all the
apostasy in Adventism today, which is noted in Ezekiel chapter eight. The last apostasy
mentioned in chapter eight is sun worship.
SPIRIT OF PROPHECY IGNORED
The conference is ignoring the spirit of Prophecy counsel on many
topics. They quote from the Spirit of Prophecy while ignoring the majority
of her counsel. Mrs. White said this would be Satan's last deception: "The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the
testimony of the Spirit of God. 'Where there is no vision, the people
perish.' Proverbs 29:18. Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways
and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God's
remnant people in the true testimony. There will be a hatred kindled
against the testimonies which is satanic. The workings of Satan will be to
unsettle the faith of the churches in them, for this reason: Satan cannot
have so clear a track to bring in his deceptions and bind up souls in his
delusions if the warnings and reproofs and counsels of the Spirit of God
are heeded" SM 1, 48.
In 2008, David Gates said that in Germany, if a
pastor quotes from the Spirit of Prophecy from the pulpit, they are in
danger of being fired by the conference.
In rejecting the spirit of prophecy, we reject God: "While at
-----, the Lord came to me in the night season and spoke precious words of
encouragement concerning my work, repeating the same message that had been
given me several times before. With regard to those who have turned from
the light sent them, He said: 'In slighting and rejecting the testimony
that I have given you to bear, it is not you, but Me, your Lord, that they
have slighted" 5T, 688.
THE NATURE OF CHRIST
The conference lunged forward in apostasy during the year 1957, with the publishing
of Questions on Doctrine which presented a new view on the nature of
Christ which was similar to the world's. The historic SDA view which
portrays Christ's nature similar to yours and mine, where He came to this
world with a sinful nature yet without sin, where He came with 4,000 years
of degraded sinful flesh, was thought to label us a cult. To prevent us
from being called a cult, some of the leaders chose to change our view on
the nature of Christ, to a view similar to that of the world.
Today, in the conference book Seventh-day Adventists Believe page 49 we
read: "The Bible portrays Jesus' humanity as sinless.... Jesus Christ
took upon Himself our nature...but He was free from hereditary corruption
or depravity...."
The conference has tried to promote both sides of the issue, so as to
appease everyone, including the world. Some conference pastors have been told to
remain neutral on this issue.
Mrs. White tells us "That He might by His own example condemn sin
in the flesh, He took upon Himself the likeness of sinful flesh."
Signs 09/03/02 "He took upon His sinless nature our sinful
nature." Med. Miss. 181, 1902 "For four thousand years the
race had been decreasing in physical strength, in mental power, and in
moral worth; and Christ took upon Him the infirmities of degenerate
humanity" Desire of Ages 117.
How important is the nature of Christ? If Christ's humanity was
different from ours, we have no hope for salvation for He could not have
been our substitute. If we believe Christ had a type of superior humanity, we
would believe He had an advantage in overcoming sin, and was unlike us. We
would feel distant from Christ's experience. We would tend to give
up in our battle with sin. This is what Satan desires, is for
us to feel distant from Christ's experience and thus embrace a sinful
lifestyle.
(For more info on the truth of this topic see the
book The Word Was Made Flesh
by Ralph Larson. All of Mrs. White's quotes on the nature of Christ are in
this book.)
WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
In 1968, the conference became a non-voting member of the World Council
of Churches, World Confessional Families. Today the conference will tell
you it is not a member, when in fact it is. The World Council of Churches
produced the Dictionary of the Ecumenical Movement, 1991. In this book,
the conference leader Bert B. Beach tells how the conference is part of
the World Council of Churches, "The SDAC [Seventh-day Adventist
Church] is regularly represented through observers or advisors at WCC and
other church meetings. For many years, a SDA has been a member of the WCC
Faith and Order commission in a personal capacity. The SDAC has
participated in dialogues with the WCC and various religious bodies and
since 1968 has been represented at the conference of secretaries of
Christian World Communions. More recently, the SDAC has been represented
at the annual conference of US church leaders. Christian World Communions
and various churches have responded to the SDA invitation and sent
observers to the quin-quennial general conference sessions." p 919
Please go to the WCC web site which lists the members of the Christian
World Communions, which includes the General Conference of Seventh-day
Adventists:
www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/links/church.html
A GOLD MEDAL PRESENTED TO THE POPE (THE MAN OF
SIN)
The World Confessional Families met in Rome, with B. B. Beach the
secretary of the Northern Europe-West Africa Division representing the
conference, where he met with the Pope in a private ceremony. Why is the
conference a member of the WCF? Beach presented the Pope with a
conference-issued gold medal. The 8-11-77 Review said it was a
"symbol of the Seventh-day Adventist church." Today, the
conference is not ashamed of its presentation to the papacy, and is
defending the gold medal presentation via a detailed description of the
meeting. "It was felt that it was of interest to meet with the
man who is the religious leader of some 700 million people....[Beach] gave
him one of the medallions that...are given from time to time to
statesmen...."
There are several items on this gold medal which are designed to please
the pope. 1. Christ is in a Catholic stance, like the Vatican
painting by Francis de Assisi, and idols. 2. He is standing on
earth like Satan will when personating Christ. 3. There is a cloud
with lightning bolts extending from it, just as mystery religions and the
medieval papacy used. It was a symbol of Satan in the
mysteries. 4. There are eight angels. Eight is the
symbol of the sun day. 5. The Maltese cross is a Vatican
symbol. 6. THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT IS CHANGED TO READ THE SAME
WAY THE PAPACY ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE IT.
NEURO LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING
Conference N. L. P. instructors use the "Spiritual Exercises of
St. Ignatius," the founder of the Jesuits, in their training of
pastors and local church leaders. These concepts include mysticism and
imagination to surrender your will. Another technique is subtle hypnotism
of local church members by the pastor. By doing so, the pastor will meet
less resistance from his congregation to his new ideas.
Jan Marcussen gave an example of N.L.P. in his August 1996, newsletter. "On June 15, 1996, at the Rocky Mountain camp meeting, [conference]
President Jim Bauer...came out on the platform to speak at that meeting,
he was dressed as a Catholic monk, with the scull cap, the crucifix, the
rosary beads, and the whole Catholic regalia... The broken, fragmented
thoughts throughout much of the talk is one element of NLP. It is
calculated to cause mild confusion to the listeners--but within those
fragments are statements which the speaker (A) knows are against the
beliefs of the listeners, (B) wants the listeners to start getting
acquainted with, and start unconsciously accepting, so he states them in
broken, fragmented thoughts, which cannot be easily connected - which
bypass the logical reasoning of the human mind, and lodge in the
subconscious to be more easily accepted later. An example of this were his
words, 'Have you ever heard on the radio people praying the rosary?' Then
disconnected thoughts, then, 'there is so much merit attached to it. And
so by going all the way around here [while fingering the rosary] I receive
some extra merit. Somehow I overcome what I know I'm doing wrong. And so I
pray." He also used fogging, and pacing,...to break down any
barriers, and win the confidence of the audience....Some direct quotes
from his talk are: 'there is a sect within the Adventist church.' After
using the word 'logical' in a good way, then more disconnected thoughts,
he said, 'Now, see, Roman Catholicism is logical.'"
By conference pastors using Neuro Linguistic Programming, they are
revealing to us their true condition: "I saw that Satan was
working through agents in a number of ways. He was at work through
ministers who have rejected the truth and are given over to strong
delusions to believe a lie that they might be damned.... While preaching,
praying, or conversing, some professed Adventists who had rejected present
truth used mesmerism to gain adherents, and the people would rejoice in
this influence, for they thought it was the Holy Ghost. The time has
come when even in the church and in our institutions, some will depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.
But God will keep that which is committed to Him. Let us draw near to Him,
that He may draw near to us. Let us bear a plain, clear testimony right to
the point, that hypnotism is being used by those who have departed from
the faith, and that we are not to link up with them." 3SM 411,412
CONFERENCE LAWSUITS
The conference filed a large lawsuit during 1999-2000,
against Pastor Rafael Perez and the Eternal Gospel
Church of Seventh-day Adventists, P.O. Box 15138, West Palm Beach, FL
33416. See www.eternalgospel.com
What was their crime? They have published full-page advertisements
in major newspapers or magazines around the country to identify the
beast. Using quotes from the Great Controversy they are able to draw
public interest to the truth. Unfortunately the conference is
ashamed of our truth and pursued the course of using the courts to
persecute those who would dare to proclaim the truth to the world. The conference is going
out of its way to communicate to the world that they filed a lawsuit
against the Eternal Gospel Church. Kermit Netteburg, Assistant to
the President for Communication, was quoted as saying "For more than
two years, the Seventh-day Adventist church has been asking the Eternal
Gospel Church to cease its inappropriate identification with the
Seventh-day Adventist Church, to no avail...the matter is under
litigation." Catholic Times 8-29-99. The
court hearing was held in March 2000, and a decision was handed down by the
judge in favor of the conference. In
the trial, the judge asked a witness for the defense if there wasn't a
verse in the Bible that asks brethren not to go to court against each
other? As a result of this lawsuit, independent ministries may not
use the name Seventh-day Adventist as the church has copyrighted the name,
much like a corporation. Their desire is to stifle the spread of the
truth and disassociate themselves from those promote the truth. The
conference is ashamed of our message.
The conference trademark lawsuits, against those who have not received
permission from the conference to call themselves Seventh-day Adventists,
are a sign of their true condition: "Those church members who
appeal to the courts of the world show that they have chosen the world as
their judge, and their names are registered in heaven as one with
unbelievers. How eagerly the world seizes the statements of those who
betray sacred trust! This action, of appealing to human courts, never
before entered into by Seventh-day Adventists, has now been done. God has
permitted this that you who have been deceived may understand what power
is controlling those who have had entrusted to them great
responsibilities." 3SM 302,303
The conference sued a faithful nine-member church in Hawaii in the
1980's, which was independent of the conference, but had a simple sign
nailed above the entrance to their church, "Congregational
Seventh-day Adventist Church." The conference hired a Roman Catholic
lead attorney and his firm, paying them allegedly over $750,000.00 of your tithe
money, as admitted by the conference. The pastor was eventually thrown
into jail to the pleasure of the conference.
CONDONING HOMOSEXUALITY
Walla Walla College had a school structured, gay support group which
helps students to live with their guilt and overcome it. "Many homosexuals 'want to
be reconciled to God, in spite of what is viewed as a sinful nature of
choice." Gay Support Group Forms, WWC Collegian, November 30, 1995. "The Gay and Lesbian Christian Alliance, an organization made up of WWC staff and students, seeks to give support to homosexuals and to inform
students on issues surrounding homosexuality." ibid. "The GLCA
is advised by a student and faculty board which include chairman Dr.
Nelson Thomas, vice president of Student Affairs...Douglas Taylor,
financial aid counselor...Dr. Ernie Bursey, theology professor...."
ibid. For more info write Pilgrims Rest, Beersheba Springs, TN 37305 and
ask for WM 676-679.
THE UNFAITHFUL LEADERSHIP
The Jewish people looked to apostate leaders for direction, and thus
they did not accept Christ: "Peter urged home upon the
convicted people the fact that they had rejected Christ because they had
been deceived by priests and rulers; and that if they continued to look to
these men for counsel, and waited for them to acknowledge Christ before
they dared to do so, they would never accept Him. These powerful men,
though making a profession of godliness, were ambitious for earthly riches
and glory. They were not willing to come to Christ to receive light."
AA 43,44
Notice how faithful ministers will be removed from us if we embrace false
teachings: "Many will stand in our pulpits with the torch of
false prophecy in their hands, kindled from the hellish torch of Satan. If
doubts and unbelief are cherished, the faithful ministers will be removed
from the people who think they know so much." TM 409,410
"Those who have not been in the habit of searching the Bible for
themselves, or weighing evidence, have confidence in the leading men and
accept the decisions they make and thus many will reject the very messages
God sends to His people if these leading brethren do not accept
them." TM pp 106, 107
The founder of the Jesuits, Saint Ignatius, promoted several methods
for controlling the people. First, the laity must obey the hierarchical
church (conference leaders) and surrender their private judgment. In other
words, you cannot think for yourself, but you must follow the commandments
of the leadership. Second, if the hierarchical church tells you black is
white, then you must believe them. This is the Catholic philosophy, to
submit to the order of the church. One example of this would be the
conference church manual which is placed above the Bible. If you violate
the conference church manual, and not the Bible, you may be disfellowshiped.
THE ALLEGED MISUSE OF GOD'S MONEY
In the lawsuit filed against the conference by the former Director of
Internal Auditing of the General Conference, David Dennis, the theft of
God's money is alleged. Those at the head of the conference are accused of
stealing God's money. Here are a few examples of the misuse of funds
alleged in the lawsuit:
1. In 1980's, charitable funds were used (in violation of I.R.S.)
to pay above market interest earnings and "finders" fees to
church officials for obtaining church investments. These investments
collapsed resulting in a loss close to $40,000,000.
2. In 1987, Harris Pine Mills, a large furniture manufacturing
business, donated to the church in the 1960's, went bankrupt. "Poor management practices" were "covered up by a
refusal to allow the records to be audited. The Chief Financial
Officer at the time of the collapse", was the father-in-law of
Robert S. Folkenberg. The conference would not allow the head auditor to conduct an
audit, and millions of dollars were lost.
3. "In 1988, the church took action to provide virtually
unlimited salaries to administrators and business office personnel for
the church's numerous hospitals...." Dennis wrote a letter to
Neal C. Wilson expressing concern over this and union presidents who
were receiving personal benefits and financial favors from the health
system. In 1990, Folkenberg allegedly attempted to have Dennis voted
out of office for writing Wilson about the misuse of funds. The
nominating committee elected Dennis anyway, allegedly frustrating Folkenberg.
4. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) receives
funding from the U.S. government. Dennis filed reports detailing
non-compliance to U.S. guidelines on handling the funds. Pressure was
applied to Dennis to "not write negative reports, or to avoid
audits where there is significant non-compliance." It is alleged
that Folkenberg was protective of ADRA because he received
unauthorized benefits from it.
5. In 1991, the conference solicited donations to a "Worthy
Student Fund". It is alleged that Folkenberg and McClure used
these funds for personal benefits. Salaries were paid to their spouses
who performed no work. Also it is alleged that an interest-free home
loan was provided to McClure in the amount of $140,000. Dennis
reported the misuse, even though Folkenberg and McClure pressured him
to ignore it. It is alleged that McClure then sold his home, above
market value, to a board controlled entity.
6. It is alleged that Folkenberg has refused to allow Dennis to
audit funds diverted for use by "Global Mission" in Europe.
7. Dennis performed a study of the unions and determined their work
to be redundant. He suggested they be eliminated in order to save
$35,000,000.00 annually. In the lawsuit it says that the Conference
leaders did not want Dennis revealing this to the laity, because they
wished to keep the unions.
8. In 1994, it is alleged that Ronald Wisbey, who had arranged
previous benefits for Folkenberg and McClure, was given a pay-off when
appointed liaison with the Health System and earning six times a
normal church salary. He is only trained in pastoral and clerical
work. It is alleged that his wife was appointed secretary at a salary
twice her previous wage at the General Conference. It is alleged that Folkenberg and McClure attempted to have this covered-up.
9. It is alleged that ADRA has routinely provided free lawn and
garden care at Folkenberg's home.
It is said in the Dennis lawsuit that in 1992, in order to take control
of the internal auditing unit, and thus the entire conference funds,
Folkenberg created an "operating board" over auditing. All
auditing staff would then serve by appointment. Dennis was the only
elected auditor. In order to remove Dennis, it is alleged conference leaders coerced a
woman to sign a statement alleging sexual misconduct by Dennis. (She later
denied anything ever happened according to Pilgrims Rest documents.)
Dennis was then immediately fired in late 1994.
For the documentation on the lawsuit filed against Folkenberg in 1999,
which resulted in his resignation, see the web site www.sdadefend.com.
In some other non-related issues:
We mentioned earlier about the conference allegedly used $750,000 in tithe money
to pay legal fees to a Catholic lawyer to sue a nine member, former
conference, commandment keeping, "S.D.A. Congregational Church"
in Hawaii for using the name Seventh-day Adventist. Where does the
litigation funding come from? "You inquired whether tithe is
used to pay church litigation. The treasury informs me that all
litigation is paid from the annual appropriation made at the Annual
Council, and that appropriation comes from tithe." Robert W.
Nixon, Associate General Council, letter of April 10, 1989, a letter which
we have seen.
Each year the conference receives $500,000,000 in tithe money from the
North American Division. How much of God's money will be spent
properly? How much of this money will be used to spread the three
angels' messages?
The conference incorrectly pronounces itself as the only storehouse,
contrary to Mrs. White's counsel: "Do not worry lest some means shall
go direct to those who are trying to do missionary work in a quiet and
effective way. All the means is not to be handled by one agency or
organization." SMC, 421
"The Lord has not specified any
regular channel through which means should pass." Spalding Magan
Collection, 428
We must keep in mind that only those ministries that are faithful,
can be considered God's storehouse.
CELEBRATION CHURCH SERVICE
The celebration church service was created by the Catholic Church in
Vatican II to lower the standards of the protestant churches and bring all
churches together through the ecumenical movement.
Why has the celebration church service been promoted by the Conference? They say it will bring in back-sliders and new converts, but while
bringing them in, our historic doctrines are ignored, our religion
changed. Mrs. White said this movement would come into the professed
church just before the close of probation:
"The things you have described as taking place in Indiana, the
Lord has shown me would take place just before the close of probation. Every uncouth thing will be demonstrated. There will be shouting, with
drums, music, and dancing. The senses of rational beings will become so
confused that they cannot be trusted to make right decisions. And this is
called the moving of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit never reveals
itself in such methods, in such a bedlam of noise. This is an invention of
Satan to cover up his ingenious methods for making of none effect the
pure, sincere, elevating, ennobling, sanctifying truth for this time. Better never have the worship of God blended with music than to use
musical instruments to do the work which last January was represented to
me would be brought into our camp meetings. The truth for this time needs
nothing of this kind in its work of converting souls." 2 SM 36
"Some are not satisfied with a meeting unless they have a powerful
and happy time. They work for this and get up an excitement of feeling. But the influence of such meetings is not beneficial. When the happy
flight of feeling is gone, they sink lower than before the meeting because
their happiness did not come from the right source. The most profitable
meetings for spiritual advancement are those which are characterized with
solemnity and deep searching of heart; each seeking to know himself, and
earnestly, and in deep humility, seeking to learn of Christ." 1T 412
In the latter part of 1997, it stated in the Review that one-third of
all conference churches have gone celebration, much to the delight of the
leaders.
THE HEALTH MESSAGE
Why have the eight natural laws of health used years ago in our
sanitariums, been discarded in favor of the popular, worldly, acute care
hospitals? Can God bless our institutions when the right arm of the
message is ignored?
"Our health institutions are of value in the Lord's estimation
only when He is allowed to preside in their management. If His plans and devisings are regarded as inferior to plans of men, He looks upon these
institutions as of no more value than the institutions established and
conducted by worldlings." 7MR 212
Our acute care hospitals are not unique to the world, and are thus in
financial trouble. If they had been practicing the eight natural rules of
health, they would have an overflow of patients and would be thriving,
while at the same time they would be providing a much needed service to
their fellow men.
ABC'S - ADVENTIST BOOK CENTERS
These stores sell some books which are written by men of Babylon. Most
of the major Babylonian leaders have their books front and center at the
ABC stores, while Mrs. White's books are few in number and in the back of
the store. The conference is endorsing many, many books on new theology.
The majority of books printed by our publishing houses contain new
theology, different from that promoted by our pioneers. The Review
contains many elements of the new theology in every issue it publishes.
Friends, we need to guard the avenues to our souls by reading only from
those authors whom we know we can trust, those authors whom we know preach
100 percent truth. Also, what is wrong with reading the Spirit of Prophecy
and the Bible? One of the main reasons why new theology is accepted is
because Adventists don't know our historic truths. Mrs. White said
there would be "books of a new order would be written," and that is what
we see today.
ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT
The conference is participating in the ecumenical movement, where all
churches come together, laying aside their differences.
Conference churches across the country are holding ecumenical
meetings: "...The Yucaipa Valley Ecumenical Association has
chosen the Yucaipa S.D.A. church as the church to present the Community
Good Friday Service.... Pastors from the Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic,
Baptist and Christian Churches will be present to lead our community in
our Lord's 'Seven Last Words' from the cross." Y.S.D.A. PR committee.
"Festival of Christian Unity--Where will you find a Catholic
priest speaking in a Baptist church with music being performed by
Seventh-day Adventists and members of a Church of Christ? --at the
Festival of Christian Unity for the Great Jubilee service. The
Christian community will gather for a time of worship and praise at the
First Baptist Church on Sunday, Jan. 23, for an interdenominational
gathering that organizers and participants hope will be the beginning of a
new ecumenical movement here... It will feature music from...the Oakwood
College Aeloians...the R__. Phil O'Kennedy, pastor at Good Shepherd
Catholic Church, will be the speaker.... The R__. John Nixon, pastor of
Oakwood College Seventh-day Adventist Church, said he is 'excited' about
the role his denomination will play in the event." Huntsville
Times, January 15, 2000
DISFELLOWSHIPPING THE FAITHFUL
If you dare to speak out in defense of the truth in your local
conference church, you are placing yourself at risk. In many cases around
the world, the true and faithful have been disfellowshiped by the
conference from their local church, when there has been no wrong
committed. In doing so, those who are disfellowshiped are actually
members of the church militant and hopefully the true church, but those
who have done the disfellowshiping, the local church and the conference,
thereby give the whole universe evidence that they are not on the same
side of God's true and faithful people--His true church.
APOSTASY IS THE ISSUE
The conference is on a planned agenda to apostatize from the truth.
Month after month, there is additional error purposefully brought in to
this professed church, this ministry. Month after month, there are no
apologies for the hundreds of errors previously endorsed. The apostasy is
deliberate and well planned. It is not caused by a momentary lack of
defending the faith, but rather a planned agenda to change our religion
from that of our pioneers, to one of a new-age, worldly, generic church.
The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Inc., is a ministry
which professes to proclaim the Adventist message. The conference is one
of many Adventist ministries, and has no greater right to commit open sin
than any other ministry. God holds all individuals and ministries
responsible to obey His Word. God's allegiance to any individual or
ministry is contingent upon their obedience to Him. All Adventist
ministries, the independents and the conference, are judged individually
and must meet God's criteria of obedience, to be a assisting His True
Church, Church Militant, etc. If a ministry promotes error and clings to
it, then it is not
assisting God's church. If several ministries are faithful to the Advent
message and God's word, then they are all part of His organized Advent
movement. The conference does not hold a monopoly to be God's
organized work.
THE SIN OF ACHAN
"God would teach His people that disobedience and
sin are exceedingly offensive to Him."
"In the case of the sin of Achan, God has shown how He regards sin
among those who profess to be His commandment-keeping people. Those whom
He has especially honored with witnessing the remarkable exhibitions of
His power, as did ancient Israel, and that will venture to disregard His
express directions, will be subjects of His wrath. God would teach His
people that disobedience and sin are exceedingly offensive to Him, and not
to be lightly regarded. He shows us that when His people are found in sin,
they should at once take decided measures to put the sin from them, that
His frown should not rest upon all His people. But if those in responsible
positions pass over the sins of the people, His frown will be upon them,
and the people of God, as a body, will be held responsible for the sins
that exist in their midst. God, in His dealings with His people in the
past, shows the necessity of purifying the church from wrongs that exist
among them. One sinner may diffuse darkness which will exclude the light
of God from the entire congregation. When the people realize that darkness
is settling upon them, and they do not know the cause, then they should
earnestly seek God in great humility and self-abasement, until the wrongs
which grieve God’s Spirit are searched out and put away from among them.
"If wrongs exist among the people, and the servants of God pass on
indifferent to them, they virtually sustain and justify the sinner, and
are guilty alike with the sinner, and will receive the displeasure of God
just as surely as the sinner, for they will be made responsible for the
sins of the guilty. Those men who have excused wrongs have been thought by
the people to be very amiable, and of lovely disposition, simply because
they shunned to discharge a plain and scriptural duty. The task was not
agreeable to their feelings; therefore they avoided it.
"The spirit of hatred which has existed with some because the
wrongs among God’s people have been reproved, has brought blindness and
a fearful deception upon their own souls, making it impossible for them to
discriminate between right and wrong. They have put out their own
spiritual eyesight….
"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 the 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. This is forcibly set forth by the prophet’s illustration of the last
work under the figure of the men, each having a slaughter weapon in his
hand. One man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn
by his side. ‘And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the
city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of
the men that sigh and that cry for the abominations that be done in the
midst thereof.’
"Who are standing in the counsel of God at this time? Is it those
who virtually excuse wrongs among the professed people of God, and murmur
in their hearts, if not openly, against those who would reprove sin? Is it
those who take their stand against them, and sympathize with those who
commit wrong? No, indeed! These, unless they repent, and leave the work of
Satan in oppressing those who have the burden of the work, and holding up
the hands of sinners in Zion, will never receive the mark of God’s
sealing approval. They will fall in the general destruction of all the
wicked, represented by the five men bearing slaughter weapons. Mark this
point with care; those who receive the pure mark of truth, wrought in them
by the power of the Holy Ghost, represented by a mark by the man in linen,
are those ‘that sigh and cry for all the abominations that are done’
in the church. Their love for purity and the honor and glory of God is
such, and they have so clear a view of the exceeding sinfulness of sin,
that they are represented as being in agony, even sighing and crying. Read
Ezekiel, chapter nine." R & H 9-23-1873.
GOD'S PROPHET WARNED US OF A NEW ORGANIZATION
OF SDA'S! THANK YOU LORD FOR THE WARNING!
"The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a
great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists, and that
this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as
the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place, what would result? The principles of
truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church would be
discarded. Our religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that
have sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as
error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new order would
be written. A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced. The
founders of this system would go into the cities, and do a wonderful work.
The Sabbath of course, would be lightly regarded, as also God who created
it. Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the new movement. The
leaders would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being
removed, they would place their dependence on human power, which, without
God, is worthless. Their foundation would be built on the sand, and storm
and tempest would sweep away the structure." Series B No. 2 54,55, or
1 SM 204, 205
* Let's look at each of the elements of this prophecy:
- 1. "Principles of truth discarded & religion
changed." The conference is removing the three angels'
messages, attacking the pillars of our faith.
- 2. "Fundamental principles and truth of 50 years discarded as
error." Again, this is the conference changing our religion
to that of the world.
- 3. "A new organization would be established." God
has had an organization since the beginning of time. A new
organization has been started by men and is based on truth and error.
- 4. "Books of a new order would be written." Walk
into an Adventist Book Center and see the error sold and promoted by
the conference. Adventist new theology error and books of the world
are promoted, while Mrs. White's books are rarely promoted, and God's
council ignored.
- 5. "A system of intellectual philosophy would be
introduced." The conference will take the spirit of
prophecy or the Bible and totally misinterpret God's message through
beautiful, sophisticated manipulation of the English language to
promote their new theology.
- 6. "Founders of this system would go into the cities and do a
wonderful work." Evangelism through celebration is bringing
in partially converted new members or backsliders, which on the
surface appears to be a wonderful work.
- 7. "The Sabbath of course, would be lightly regarded, as also
God." See the previous section on the Sabbath apostasy.
- 8. "Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the new
movement." Anyone standing up against the error in
conference churches, will be silenced through church offices being
removed, and/or disfellowshiping. Lawsuits against faithful
independent ministries, designed to silence them, will begin again
soon. Firing of faithful head auditor, etc. etc.
- 9. "The leaders would teach that virtue is better than
vice." Lip service is given to the truth by the conference. They say they are giving the three angel's message to the world when
they are not. They say our hospitals are fulfilling our health work
when they are not. They say our schools are based on the advice given
by Mrs. White when they are not, etc.
- 10. "They would place their dependence on human power."
The conference has trademark lawsuits against commandment keeping
independent Adventist ministries and individuals, and have asked the
courts to punish them. The church manual is placed above the Bible. Commandments of men are promoted.
- 11. "Their foundation would be built on the sand."
The conference now has a foundation based upon error, new theology,
new age, and not upon God's total, pure truth.
- 12. "Storm and tempest would sweep away the
structure." Soon, this new, apostate organization will be swept
away.
Without a doubt, the conference is this new organization. For many
years it promoted the truth and was used by God, but it has started a
new organization separate from Him:
"We cannot now step off the foundation that God has established. We cannot now enter into any new organization; for this would mean
apostasy from the truth." 2SM 390. Has the
conference apostatized from the truth? We should definitely say,
"yes." Then we have to conclude they have entered into a
new organization, independent from God's work. The conference is in reality, the
largest "independent" ministry.
God's organization is comprised of all faithful ministries or groups
which promote the truth. It includes individuals and ministries who are
broadcasting the truth to the world. If an organization embraces error and
truth, refuses to repent, promotes error and truth just as the world does,
it cannot be part of God's organization.
WHAT IS THE CHURCH THAT DOES NOT FALL?
Often we hear the Conference calling itself "THE CHURCH"
while using a quote from Mrs. White to prove it will never fall, "the
church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall, it remains,
while the sinners in Zion are sifted out." In that quote she was
referring to the church militant being purified, leaving only the faithful
souls. If we compare the conference to the professed church, the church
militant, and the true church, we can determine of which church the
conference is assisting. The Spirit of Prophecy has given us descriptions
of each church that we can utilize today.
Mrs. White mentions the church that will not fall: "The
church may appear as about to fall, but is does not fall. It remains,
while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out--the chaff separated from the
precious wheat." 2 SM 280
The book Second Selected Messages contains most of the original letter
from which the above quote was taken. The complete original is found in
letter 55, 1886. The following quotes are among those that were omitted
from 2 SM, and mention a church which may become unfaithful and fall:
"I think of His great sorrow as He wept over Jerusalem,
exclaiming, 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and
stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy
children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye
would not'! God forbid that these words shall apply to those who have
great light and blessings. In the rejecting of Jerusalem it was because
great privileges were abused, which brought the denunciation upon all who
lightly regarded the great opportunities and precious light that were
entrusted to their keeping. Privileges do not commend us to God, but they
commend God to us. No people are saved because they have great light and
special advantages, for these high and heavenly favors only increase their
responsibility...
"When Jerusalem was divorced from God it was because of her sins.
She fell from an exalted height that Tyre and Sidon had never reached. And
when an angel falls he becomes a fiend. The depths of our ruin is measured
by the exalted light to which God has raised us in His great goodness and
unspeakable mercy. Oh, what privileges are granted to us as a people! And
if God spared not His people that He loved because they refused to walk in
the light, how can He spare the people whom He has blessed with the light
of heaven in having opened to them the most exalted truth ever entrusted
to mortal man to give to the world?" Letter 55, 1886; RH 8-1-93.
In this letter 55, Mrs. White was referring to two different churches. In the very first quote Mrs. White was referring to a church not falling,
which is the church militant and true church. For that to apply to the
conference, it would have to meet the obedience criteria of those
churches. In the two subsequent quotes she was referring to another church
which could fall, the professed church. Many Adventists are not familiar
with applying one of the specific church descriptions to certain "church" quotes. Individuals
and ministries must meet certain criteria to become members or
facilitators of each church. Mrs. White would often use the word
"church" while inferring one particular church, and she would
assume we knew of which church she was speaking. If we do not clearly
understand the definition of these churches, we could read quotes and
totally misinterpret the message.
THE TRUE CHURCH
Individuals must meet each of the criteria mentioned below to be a part
of the true church. Man-made organizations and ministries must meet the
same criteria to be assisting this church.
"The church is God's fortress, His city of refuge, which He holds
in a revolted world. Any betrayal of the church is treachery to Him who
has bought mankind with the blood of His only-begotten Son. From the
beginning, faithful souls have constituted the church on earth. In every
age the Lord has had His watchmen, who have borne a faithful testimony to
the generation in which they live." AA 11
"God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it
the national establishment, neither is it the various denomination; it is
the people who love God and keep His commandments. 'Where two or three are
gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them' [Matt. 18:20]. Where
Christ is even among the humble few, this is Christ's church, for the
presence of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone
constitute a church." The Upward Look 315
"Those who keep God's Commandments, those who live not by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, compose
the church of the living God." 1MR 296
"To the end of time, the presence of the Spirit is to abide with
the true church." CS 251
"Jesus sees His true church on the earth, whose greatest ambition
is to cooperate with Him in the grand work of saving souls." HP 284
"God calls the church His body. The church is the bride, the
Lamb's wife. God is the Father of the family, the shepherd of the flock.
But a mere outward connection with any church will not save a man. It is
personal faith in a personal Savior that brings the soul into spiritual
union with Christ." 16 MR 277
"And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make
war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and
have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12:17
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one
hope of your calling." Ephesians 4:4
"And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head
over all things to the church which is His body, the fullness of Him who
fills all in all." Ephesians 1:22,23
Paul says in I Corin. 12:13, that we become part of the body of Christ
(the true church) when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit.
God's true church is made up of faithful individuals who have the
spiritual qualifications. An organization or ministry must also be
faithful, if it is to be considered an instrument used by the true church.
THE CHURCH MILITANT
Individuals, organizations or ministries must meet certain criteria to
be helpful to the church militant. Members of this church, the wheat and
tares, both appear to be good on the surface. Open sinners are not part of
this church, as they are obviously disobedient to God and must be
separated from the church.
Note how the truth will be given to the world through this church:
"The work is soon to close. The members of the church militant who
have proved faithful will become the church triumphant [144,000].... We are
now a strong people, if we will put our trust in the Lord; for we are
handling the mighty truths of the word of God. We have everything to be
thankful for. If we walk in the light as it shines upon us from the living
oracles of God, we shall have large responsibilities, corresponding to the
great light given us of God. We have many duties to perform, because we
have been made the depositories of sacred truth to be given to the world
in all its beauty and glory. We are debtors to God to use every advantage
He has entrusted to us to beautify the truth of holiness of character, and
to send the message of warning and of comfort, of hope and love, to those
who are in the darkness of error and sin." GCD 1/29/93
God leads a commandment people who have the truth
and are obedient to Him. Off-shoots which
teach error, ignoring the commandments and teaching untruths, are not led
by God: "God has a church upon the earth, who are his chosen
people, who keep his commandments. He is leading, not stray off-shoots,
not one here and one there, but a people. The truth is a sanctifying
power; but the church militant is not the church triumphant. There are
tares among the wheat. 'Wilt thou then that we gather them up?' was the
question of the servant; but the master answered, 'Nay; lest while ye
gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.' The gospel net
draws not only good fish, but bad ones as well, and the Lord only knows
who are His." RH 9-12-93
The church militant and the true church will promote the pure
truth: "...The house of God, which is the church of the living
God, the pillar and ground of the truth." I Timothy 3:15. If we
are not promoting the truth, then we are not assisting the church of God,
we are not appearing as wheat, nor doing the Lord's work.
Personal faults are found among some of the individuals in the church
militant: "Let every one who is seeking to live a Christian
life, remember that the church militant is not the church triumphant. Those who are carnally minded will be found in the church. They are to be
pitied more than blamed. The church is not to be judged as sustaining
these characters, though they are found within her borders. Should the
church expel them, the very ones who found fault with their presence
there, would blame the church for sending them adrift in the world; they
would claim that they were treated unmercifully. It may be that in the
church there are those who are cold, proud, haughty, and un-Christian, but
you need not associate with this class." RH 01-16-94.
Open sinners are not part of the church militant, and should be
removed, but tares should remain and are not to be judged:
"Christ has plainly taught that those who persist in open sin must be
separated from the church, but He has not committed to us the work of
judging character and motive. He knows our nature too well to entrust this
work to us. Should we try to uproot from the church those whom we suppose
to be spurious Christians, we should be sure to make mistakes. Often we
regard as hopeless subjects the very one whom Christ is drawing to
Himself, it would perhaps extinguish their last hope. Many who think
themselves Christians will at last be found wanting. Many will be in
heaven who their neighbors supposed would never enter there. Man judges
from appearance, but God judges the heart. The tares and the wheat are to
grow together until the harvest; and the harvest is the end of
probationary time." COL 71. If an organization or individual is
participating in open sin, it is not part of God's church.
Organizations and individuals must see if they are guilty of open sin
in refusing to give the third angel's message. If one does not pass this
test, they are not part of the church militant:
"And through lack of zeal for the promulgation of the third
angel's message, many others, while not apparently living in
transgression, are nevertheless as verily lending their influence on the
side of Satan as are those who openly sin against God. Multitudes are
perishing; but how few are burdened for those souls! There is a stupor, a
paralysis, upon many of the people of God, which prevents them from
understanding the duty of the hour." 8 T 119
The church militant is made up of individuals and groups who are
appearing to do good things for the Lord. Both the wheat and the
tares appear to be good on the surface. Open sinners who are not
cooperating with God in a visible fashion are not part of this church. The
pure truth will be given to the world by the church militant. The
question then arises, is the conference part of the church militant?
Does it appear as wheat, or is it an open sinner, thus excluding itself
from the church militant.
THE PROFESSED CHURCH
The conference is an organization or ministry which professes to be an
assistant to God's Adventist Movement/Church on earth.
"Independent" Adventist organizations or ministries also profess
to be assistants to God's professed Adventist Movement/Church. Individuals
who claim to be Adventists are a part of the professed Adventist
Movement/Church.
Organizations and individuals must experience what they profess
in order to be genuine.
When they become obedient, they will become a member of the true church
and church militant.
Most Adventists have the misconception that a professed Adventist
ministry can never fall, it will go through, "safely into port"
no matter what apostasy that professed church or ministry embraces. Those
who "safely" go into port are only those individuals who comprise
God's spiritual true church and church militant. The Advent movement is
going through to the end, but only those individuals who love and obey the
truth will comprise the true church that will go into port.
Here are some quotes which indicate God has a limit to the amount of
apostasy He will bear:
"The professed church of God may be possessed of wealth,
education, and knowledge of doctrine, and may say by her attitude, 'I am
rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;' but if its
members are devoid of inward holiness, they cannot be the light of the
world." Signs of the Times, 9-11-93
"Not by its name, but by its fruit, is the value of a tree
determined. If the fruit is worthless, the name [Jew, Christian or
Seventh-day Adventist] cannot save the tree from destruction. John
declared to the Jews that their standing before God was to be decided by
their character of life. Profession was worthless. If their life and
character were not in harmony with God's law, they were not His
people." Desire of Ages 107.
"Even the professed church of Christ, with their exalted
privileges and high professions, discerned not the image of Christ in this
self-denying child of God because they were so far removed from Christ
themselves that they reflected not His image.... They were rich and
increased with goods, and had need of nothing.... Thus also with the
church. They had been in such spiritual blindness they had lost the sound
of the voice of the True Shepherd...." 2 Testimonies, 141
"After a professed church has begun following Satan by practicing
disobedience, the Lord sends messengers to them to turn them from this
disobedience and bring them back into harmony with the law of God and the
testimony of Jesus. If the reproofs and rebukes of God are listened to, a
revival and reformation can happen and the lost sheep of the house of
Israel can be reclaimed. If nobody will listen to messages of warning,
then the last resort God has is to send judgments and finally mercy makes
her last plea". DA 587
"The sin of ancient Israel was in disregarding the expressed will
of God and following their own way according to the leadings of
unsanctified hearts. Modern Israel are fast following in their footsteps,
and the displeasure of the Lord is as surely resting upon them." 5T
94
The professed church may change leaders while embracing apostasy:
"If when the Lord reveals your errors you do not repent or make
confession, His providence will bring you over the ground again and again. You will be left to make mistakes of a similar character, you will
continue to lack wisdom, and will call sin righteousness. The multitude of
deceptions that will prevail in these last days will encircle you, and you
will change leaders, and not know that you have done so." RH 12/6/90
Notice the largest class in Adventism will abandon the truth:
"As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith
in the third angel's message, but have not been sanctified through
obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the
opposition. By uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, they
have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is
brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popular side. Men of talent
and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers
to deceive and mislead souls." GC 608
A professed church is comprised of individuals or organizations who say
they are part of God's church. Anyone can make a profession if they
choose. One should strive to most importantly, become part of the church
militant and the true church. If we are only a member of the professed
church, we will be lost.
WHICH CHURCH IS SPOKEN OF IN EACH OF THE FOLLOWING
QUOTES?
"Satan will work his miracles to deceive; he will set up his power
as supreme. The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out--the chaff
separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but
nevertheless it must take place. None but those who have been overcoming
by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony will be found
with the loyal and true, without spot or stain of sin, without guile in
their mouths. We must be divested of our self-righteousness and arrayed in
the righteousness of Christ. MR 12 324-325 2SM 380 Answer: The church
militant
"But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought
to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living
God, the pillar and ground of the truth." I Timothy 3:15 Answer: The
church militant
"If the church pursue a course similar to that of the world, they
will share the same fate. Nay, rather, as they have received greater
light, their punishment will be greater than that of the impenitent."
5T 100 Answer: The professed church
"Let us have faith that God is going to carry the noble ship which
bears the people of God safely into port." 2SM 390 Answer: The true
church
"God calls the church His body. The church is the bride, the
Lamb's wife. God is the Father of the family, the shepherd of the flock. But a mere outward connection with any church will not save a man. It is
personal faith in a personal Savior that brings the soul into spiritual
union with Christ. This truth Christ plainly teaches in the sixth chapter
of John." 16 MR 277 Answer: The true church
"Jerusalem is a representation of what the church will be if it
refuses to walk in the light that God has given. Jerusalem was favored of
God as the depositary of sacred trusts. But her people perverted the
truth, and despised all entreaties and warnings. They would not respect
His counsels. The temple courts were polluted with merchandise and
robbery. Selfishness and love of mammon, envy and strife, were cherished.
Everyone sought for gain from his quarter. Christ turned from them,
saying: 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how can I give thee up? How often would I
have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens
under her wings, and ye would not!' Matthew 23:37 So Christ sorrows and
weeps over our churches, over our institutions of learning, that have
failed to meet the demand of God." 8T 67,68 Answer: The professed
church
"I had an impressive dream last night. I thought that you were on
a strong vessel, sailing on very rough waters. Sometimes the waves beat
over the top, and you were drenched with water. Y ou said, 'I shall get
off; this vessel is going down.' 'No,' said one who appeared to be the
captain, "this vessel sails into the harbor. She will never go
down.'" 5T 571 Answer: The true church
"We are in danger of becoming a sister to fallen Babylon,
of
allowing our churches to become corrupted, and filled with every foul
spirit, a cage for every unclean and hateful bird....I tell you the truth,
Elder Butler, that unless there is a cleansing of the soul temple on the
part of many who claim to believe and to preach the truth, God's
judgments, long deferred, will come." Letter 51, 1886.
Answer: The
professed church, it may become unfaithful.
"I am afraid for our
churches. I tremble before God on their account. We have light on the
Scriptures, and we shall be held accountable for all the light not
cherished." RH 2-28-99 Answer: The professed church
"I am instructed to say to Seventh-day Adventists the world over,
God has called us as a people to be a peculiar treasure unto Himself. He
has appointed that His church on earth shall stand perfectly united in the
Spirit and counsel of the Lord of hosts to the end of time." 2SM 380 Answer: The church militant
"We should remember that the church, enfeebled and defective
though it be, is the only object on earth on which Christ bestows His
supreme regard. He is constantly watching it with solitude, and is
strengthening it by His Holy Spirit." 2 SM 396 Answer: The church
militant (Wheat and tares promoting the truth, but not open
sinners.)
"Nothing else in this world is so dear to God as His church.
Nothing is guarded by Him with such jealous care." 6 TM 42 Answer:
The church militant and the true church.
"The church will be weighed in the balances of the sanctuary. If
her moral character and spiritual state do not correspond with the
benefits and blessings God has conferred upon her, she will be found
wanting. The light has been shining clear and definite upon her pathway,
and the light of 1882 calls her to an account. If her talents are
unimproved, if her fruit is not perfect before God, if her light has
become darkness, she is indeed found wanting." 5T 83,84 Answer: The
professed church
"The eye of Jesus, looking down the ages, was fixed upon our time
when He said, 'If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day,
the things which belong to thy peace!' It is still thy day, O church of
God, whom He has made the depositary of His law. But this day of trust and
probation is fast drawing to a close. The sun is fast westering. Can it be
that it will set, and thou not know the things that belong unto thy peace? Must the irrevocable sentence be passed, 'But now they are hid from thine
eyes.'? I tell you there is need to be alarmed." RH 11-2-86 Answer:
The professed church
ONE ORGANIZATION IS NOT THE ALL
ENCOMPASSING "CHURCH"
God's organization is any ministry which is spreading the pure truth.
God accepts all those ministries which do a faithful work, but an
organization, no matter how large it is, is not the all encompassing church. It can assist the true church
or church militant if it
is faithful. Is a corporation God's church? Are buildings
God's church? NO. People who are faithful to God comprise His
church. An organization is a tool used to assist those who are doing
the work. Organization is very necessary in conducting the Lord's
work. By our coming together and joining forces we can be a ministry
with checks and balances, accountability and strength, united to follow
through in conducting the Lord's work.
Order and discipline must be among God's faithful people:
"We sought the Lord with earnest prayer that we might understand His
will, and light was given by His Spirit, that there must be order and
thorough discipline in the church, --that organization was essential. System and order are manifest in all the works of God throughout the
universe. Order is the law of heaven, and it should be the law among God's
people on the earth." RH 1905/10/12
God's organization will bring the truth to the world:
"Someone must fulfill the commission of Christ; someone must carry on
the work which He began to do on earth; and the church has been given this
privilege. For this purpose it has been organized.... They have entered
upon a work of organizing those who will cooperate with them in bringing
the truth of the gospel before many who are now in vice and iniquity, that
they may be redeemed from a life of dissipation and sin." 6T 295
The truth is to be communicated through human beings: "'Send
men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter.' Thus God
showed His regard for the Gospel ministry, and for His organized church. The angel was not commissioned to tell Cornelius the story of the cross. A
man, subject, even as he himself, to human frailties and temptations, was
to tell him of the crucified, risen, and ascended Savior. In His wisdom
the Lord brings those who are seeking the truth into touch with fellow
beings who know the truth. His appointed way is to communicate truth
through human beings. Those who have received light are to reveal it to
those in darkness." ST 04/06/04
God's organization is made up of all faithful man-made organizations. There is not just one man-made organization or ministry: "From
country to country and from city to city Paul went, preaching of Christ,
and establishing churches. Wherever he could find a hearing, he labored to
counter-work error, and to turn the feet of men and women into the path of
right. Those who by his labors in any place were led to accept Christ, he
organized into a church. No matter how few in number they might be, this
was done." ST 07/20/04
The organized church is not buildings: "The first step was
now to be taken in the organization of the church that after Christ's
departure was to be His representative on earth. No costly sanctuary was
at their command, but the Saviour led His disciples to the retreat He
loved...the beauty of mountain and vale and sea." RH 01/11/12
There are many agencies working for the organized church, and God's
blessings will come through them: "Christ here gives all His
people an example of the manner of His working for the salvation of men. The Son of God identifies Himself with His organized church. His blessings
are to come through the agencies [notice here she uses the plural term] He has ordained, and He desires
men to connect themselves with this channel of blessing." ST 11/10/98
What will happen if an organization is not kept by the power of
God? "Organizations, institutions, unless kept by the power of
God, will work under Satan's dictation to bring men under the control of
men; and fraud and guile will bear the semblance of zeal for truth, and
for the advancement of the kingdom of God. Whatever in our practice is not
as open as day, belongs to the methods of the prince of evil. His methods
are practiced even among Seventh-day Adventists, who claim to have
advanced truth." SPTA09 23
Was Madison College in Madison, Tennessee part of God's organized work? It was independent of
the conference, but espoused our Seventh-day Adventist message. Mrs. White
saw the land on which this institution was to be built in vision, and it
was to be purchased to conduct the Lord's work. It was part of
God's organized work as it supported the
truth and was faithful to Him. The same can be true today. If
an organization supports the truth, the true Adventist message, it is part
of God's organized work. The opposite can also be true. If an
organization is unfaithful, if it promotes a message that is contrary to
the distinct word of God, it is not part of God's work.
God's organized church is not one man-made organization. It is any
group organized to spread the truth to the world. So once again, an organization is NOT
an all encompassing church, but can assist the true church.
GOD'S DENOMINATION
One organization cannot claim to be THE denomination, as this title is
placed on those people who are following God's commandments.
Keeping the Ten Commandments, including the fourth, makes us a
denomination: "As I was considering this matter in the night
season, it seemed as if One stood up in the midst of us and pointed us
back to the Israelites as an illustration of a distinct people,
denominated of God. That which made them denominational was the observance
of God's commandments." 19MR 38
"We are Seventh-day Adventists. This is a fitting name, for we
keep the seventh-day Sabbath, and look for the second advent of our Lord
in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. Even with respect to
the name indicating some of the peculiar points of faith distinguishing us
from other Christians, we are denominational. In keeping the Sabbath that
God declares should be kept holy as a sign between Himself and His people,
we show to the world that we are His peculiar, chosen people--a people
whom He has denominated." 19MR 40
A corporation is not the denomination. It is our observance
of the Sabbath that makes us a denomination. Thus all organizations
which align themselves with the truth, with observing the Ten
Commandments, become part of God's denomination. The question
arises, is the ministry you support, faithfully following the Ten
Commandments or is it rejecting God?
IS THE CONFERENCE ASSISTING THE PROFESSED CHURCH?
Yes, the conference is assisting the professed church as it proclaims
to be God's church, specifically the Seventh-day Adventist church. The
main question is, does the conference meet the criteria to be helping the
church militant and the true church, or is it merely associated with the
professed-only church. Let's take a look.
IS THE CONFERENCE ASSISTING THE CHURCH MILITANT?
To be assisting the church militant, it must be a a good looking tare or a wheat,
looking good on the surface, but not participating in open sin. Does the
conference participate in open sin? Yes it does. It bears false witness
when it says it is proclaiming the three angels' messages to the world
when it is not. We learned that by failing to give the three angels'
messages, we are guilty of open sin. It is giving a new theology, ecumenical movement,
pope-promoting, anti-Christ-loving message, which is open sin. Is it also
guilty of stealing God's money, misusing God's money? The apostasy section proves the conference
is not a Ten Commandment keeper. Has the conference ever repented of any of
its open sins? The sins of the conference become greater and greater each
year, and yet there is not any sign of repentance, only further and
further apostasy.
IS THE CONFERENCE ASSISTING THE TRUE CHURCH?
In order to be assisting this church, we must first be members of the
professed church and the church militant. Since the conference is guilty
of open sin, and not a member of the church militant, it cannot be
assisting the true church. The true church promotes 100 percent truth and
is faithful, not apostatizing. The conference does not meet the criteria
to be an assistant to the true church, as it is unfaithful to the truth
that God so graciously handed to her.
IS THE CONFERENCE PART OF THE TRUE ADVENT MOVEMENT?
Those who are part of the Advent movement are described in Revelation
12:17, 14:12, 19:10, as keeping the Ten Commandments and the faith of
Jesus, which is the Spirit of Prophecy. The conference is not keeping the
Ten Commandments so it fails in that test. Secondly, it is not
following Spirit of Prophecy counsel. The conference fails to meet
the criteria of belonging to the remnant at the end of time. It is
not assisting the true Advent movement. It has started a new organization apart from
what God designed. Only those who cling to the truths of the pioneers in
Adventism, and are faithful to the Ten Commandments, can claim to be part of the Advent movement today.
Earlier we mentioned the conference leadership have
used this quote,
"The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not
fall...." We have established that the conference is not part of the
church militant of which this quote is referring. It is improperly
applying this Spirit of Prophecy quote to their ministry in order to
prevent the laity from questioning their apostasy. They are conditioning
the laity to support all changes in Adventism which they implement.
OBEDIENCE....
Ancient Israel thought they would always be God's people, but they
failed to realize they must be obedient. "Their [Israel's]
calamities did not come because they kept the law of God, but because they
disregarded that law. God had told them that if they did not obey His
commandments, He could not keep His covenant with them. The history of the
Israelites is portrayed for our warning. They had great light and exalted
privileges; yet they did not live up to that light nor appreciate their
advantages, and their light became darkness. They walked in the light of
their own eyes, instead of following the leading of God. Their history is
given for the benefit of those who live in these last days, that we may
avoid following the same example of unbelief." ST 7-19-99
ARE THE FAITHFUL INDEPENDENT MINISTRIES BEING CRITICAL, OR CALLING
FOR PURITY?
The conference says the independent ministries are criticizing the
conference and preventing unity. By making such statements, the conference
is attempting to draw attention away from their apostasy and cast blame on
the truth-supporting organizations who only desire obedience to God.
The conference wishes to maintain its apostasy while stomping out those
who dare question their authority to do as they please.
"Sins exist in the church that God hates, but they are scarcely
touched for fear of making enemies. Opposition has risen in the church to
the plain testimony. Some will not bear it. They wish smooth things spoken
unto them. And if the wrongs of individuals are touched, they complain of
severity, and sympathize with those in the wrong." SG vol 2
283 "God calls for men of decided fidelity. He has no use
in an emergency for two-sided men. He wants man who will lay their hand
upon a wrong work and say, 'This is not according to the will of
God.'" 2SM 152,153
IS THE CONFERENCE THE VOICE OF GOD?
Some Adventists believe the conference will always be the voice of
God. In the early years Mrs. White described the opinions handed
down by the conference in session as "the voice of God." If we
look at later statements by her, we will find she changed her opinion over
time as the conference changed and became less obedient to God. If the conference was a faithful
organization, making Bible-based decisions, not popularity-based
decisions, not following the world, we would be able to consider it to be the voice of God:
1899 "Let those in America who suppose the voice of the General
Conference to be the voice of God, become one with God before they utter
their opinions." Testimony to Elder S.N. Haskell 11-16-99
1899 "It has been some years since I have considered the General
Conference as the voice of God." GCD 2-24-99
1901 "That these men should stand in a sacred place to be the
voice of God to the people as we once believed the General Conference to
be, that is past." GC Bulletin 1901, 25
1901 "It is working upon wrong principles that has brought the
cause of God into its present embarrassment. The people have lost
confidence in those who have the management of the work. Yet we hear that
the voice of the Conference is the Voice of God. Every time I have heard
this, I have thought that it was almost blasphemy....We have reached the
time when the work cannot advance while wrong principles are
cherished." Man. 37, 1901
1901 "Year after year the same acknowledgment was made, but the
principles which exalt a people were not woven into the work. God gave
them clear light as to what they should do, but they departed from that
light and it is a marvel to me that we stand in as much prosperity as we
do today." GC Bulletin, 1901, 23
1909 "Every individual soul has a responsibility before God, and
he is not to be arbitrarily instructed by men as to what he shall do, and
what he shall say, and where he shall go. We are not to put confidence in
the counsel of men and assent to all they say unless we have evidence that
they are under the influence of the Spirit of God." RH 7-1-09
We know the conference has become more rebellious
since Mrs. White's day, so we can be assured they still are not the voice
of God today.
Just as Mrs. White said repeatedly, we are repeating
the history of ancient Israel in our rebellion. Why would we think
the conference has a license to commit this sin and ancient Israel did
not?
SATAN TOLD US HIS PLAN OF ACTION
In Testimonies to Ministers the "Snares of Satan" chapter,
Mrs. White gives us a direct quote from Satan, planning his attack while
speaking to his angels:
"...I will influence popular ministers to turn the attention of
their hearers from the commandments of God. That which the Scriptures
declare to be a perfect law of liberty shall be represented as a yoke of
bondage. The people accept their ministers explanations of Scripture and
do not investigate for themselves. Therefore, by working through the ministers, I can control the people according to my will.
"But our principal concern is to silence this sect of Sabbath
keepers....When death shall be made the penalty of violating our Sabbath,
then many who are now ranked with commandment keepers will come over to
our side.
"But before proceeding to these extreme measures, we must exert
all our wisdom and subtlety to deceive and ensnare those who honor the
true Sabbath....
"...Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God will be our most
effective helpers. Those of this class who are apt and intelligent will
serve as decoys to draw others into our snares. Many will not fear their
influence, because they profess the same faith. We will thus lead them to
conclude that the requirements of Christ are less strict than they once
believed, and that by conformity to the world they would exert a greater
influence with worldlings. Thus they will separate from Christ; then they
will have no strength to resist our powers, and erelong they will be ready
to ridicule their former zeal and devotion." TM 472-474
A HOSTILE TAKEOVER
The conference has been taken over by some leaders who are not true
spiritual Adventists. They say they are Adventists, they profess to be
Adventists, they attend Adventist churches, but the doctrine preached and
the truth ignored, proves they hate the Adventist faith. They have made
calculated decisions to ignore the Spirit of Prophecy, the Bible and the
three angels' messages. It is these "non-Adventists" whom the laity are
blindly following with their attendance and financial contributions. These leaders
promote error and denounce those faithful "independent" ministries
or individuals which
promote the truth, thus aligning themselves with darkness.
"We can see from this scripture [Rev. 12:17] that it is not the
true church of God that makes war with those who keep the commandments of
God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. It is the people who make void
the law who place themselves on the side of the dragon, and persecute
those who vindicate God's precepts." ST 4/22/89
"Romanists have persisted in bringing against protestants the
charge of heresy and willful separation from the true church. But these
accusations apply rather to themselves. They are the ones who laid down
the banner of Christ and departed from 'the faith which was once delivered
unto the saints.'" GC 51
"We are not to spend our time in controversy with those who know
the truth, and upon whom the light of truth has been shining, when they
turn away their ear from the truth to turn to fables. I was told that men
will employ every policy to make less prominent the differences between
the faith of Seventh-day Adventists and those who observe the first day of
the week. In this controversy the whole world will be engaged, and the
time is short. This is no time to haul down our colors. A company
was presented before me under the name of Seventh-day Adventists, who were
advising that the banner or sign which makes us a distinctive people
should not be held out so strikingly, for they claimed it was not the best
policy in securing success to our institutions....I saw some reaching out
their hands to remove the banner, and obscure its significance." 2SM
385
REPENTANCE BY THE CONFERENCE OR A LITERAL SLAUGHTER OF LEADERS?
Some Adventists believe the conference will repent eventually, so we
should continue to support their apostasy until that happens. If the
conference is to repent, then why does the Bible say there will be a
slaughter of the leaders and laity where almost every Adventist will soon
be killed by God's destroying angel after the close of probation. The
slaughter is brought about because of the abominations of Israel or
Adventists as noted in Ezekiel chapter eight. Mrs. White tells us the
slaughter of Ezekiel chapter nine will be a literal slaughter of professed
Adventists. Ezekiel sees the slaughter beginning with the leadership, and
he frightfully watches the destruction and asks the destroying angel if
all Israel or Adventists will be killed.
"Study the 9th chapter of Ezekiel. These words will be literally
fulfilled; yet the time is passing and the people are sleep. They refuse
to humble their souls and to be converted. Not a great while longer will
the Lord bear with the people who have such great and important truths
revealed to them, but who refuse to bring these truths into their
individual experience. The time is short. God is calling; will you
hear?" Letter 106, 1909
This slaughter will begin with the leadership and then proceed to the
laity. Ezekiel saw virtually every Adventist killed. There will be a
remnant of the remnant as stated in the ninth chapter. Notice in chapter
eight, there are abominations committed by Adventists which cause the
slaughter in the next chapter. Those abominations are taking place this
very moment. They "hold the branch to their nose," meaning they
are mocking God. Who is openly committing the abominations in Adventism
and refusing to obey God? The largest AND most apostatizing ministry is
the conference.
Please read the "Seal of God" chapter in the fifth volume of
the Testimonies, p 207. The slaughter of Adventists and the abominations
in Adventism are outlined. Only those who are "sighing and crying for
the abominations in the church" will receive the Seal of God.
The size of this faithful group is termed a "little company."
REPENTANCE BY CONFERENCE OR EMBRACE SUNDAY WORSHIP?
If the conference is to repent, then why will it promote Sunday worship
in the Little Time of Trouble as Mrs. White prophesied? The conference
will continue in its apostasy and will embrace sun worship. There are some
conference churches that have Easter Sunday sunrise services, which is not
denounced by the leadership. The following quote predicts virtually every
Adventist will follow the leadership in sun worship. This means the vast
majority of Adventists will receive the mark of the beast:
"The Lord has a controversy with His professed people in these
last days. In this controversy men in responsible positions [leaders] will
take a course directly opposite to that pursued by Nehemiah. They will not
only ignore and despise the Sabbath themselves, but they will try to keep
it from others by burying it beneath the rubbish of custom and tradition. In churches and in large gatherings in the open air, ministers will urge
upon the people the necessity of keeping the first day of the week. There
are calamities on sea and land: and these calamities will increase, one
disaster following close upon another; and the little band of
conscientious Sabbath-keepers will be pointed out as the ones who are
bringing the wrath of God upon the world by their disregard of
Sunday." RH 3-18-84
Notice in the previous quote, that only a little band in Adventism will
remain faithful to the Sabbath amidst the threat of death, amidst the
encouragement of sun worship from the Adventist ministers. A terrible
sentence will be declared: "Then I was shown a company who were
howling in agony. On their garments was written in large characters, 'Thou
are weighed in the balance, and found wanting.' I asked who this company
were. The angel said, 'These are they who have once kept the Sabbath and
have given it up." RH 8/1/49
In Ezekiel chapter 8, the apostasy of the conference is outlined, with
the final apostasy being sun worship. You may say that Sunday
worship is not possible in the conference, but it has already begun.
The Pacific Union Recorder of February 2000, reported in an upbeat
fashion, the Sunday morning worship service sponsored by an Adventist
church in Las Vegas. The Sunday church is named Higher Ground
Community church and utilizes a school auditorium and contemporary band.
Pilgrims Rest covered this topic in their March 2000 newsletter, "Our
largest union paper boldly published and praised the fact that one of our
local congregations is doing it [Sunday worship]! This adds greatly
to the significance! Some of our high-placed church leaders do not
see anything wrong with our holding Sunday morning worship
services!... There is one special prohibition [for Sunday]: We are
not to attend Sunday morning worship services! Read the Spirit of
prophecy writings.... This Pacific Union Recorder article is extremely
significant--and in nine ways: We are told of at least one local
Adventist congregation which is now beginning to hold Sunday morning
worship services. We are told that it is being done at Andrews
University, to train our young ministers to do it when they go out into
the field. We are told that it is a good thing to do, since other
churches in Las Vegas are also doing it. Adventists are inviting
non-Adventists to attend their Sunday services(!), thinking that is a good
thing to do. What a way to 'teach the truth!' Our largest
union paper has published an article on it, praising the activity and
recommending it to other local congregations in Pacific Union Conference
territory.... This Sunday-keeping congregation has repudiated the name,
'Seventh-day Adventist.' On their church sign, they call themselves
the 'Higher Ground Community Church.' They declare that attending
regular church services is like 'a sentence to prison.' they divide
the worship service between a song service with drums and mike-amplified
guitars, followed by a sermon. This strange 'Adventist Sunday
Church' is another sampler of the 'church planting program,' which our
North American Division is urging our people to conduct in every
conference in America." The fact that the conference leadership has
not rebuked this practice is evidence that the leadership approves of this
"worship."
Why is the conference ashamed of the name
Seventh-day Adventist when describing the church? They are eager to
instead use the term Adventist to describe the church to non-Adventists.
They are routinely dropping Seventh-day when speaking to non-Adventists because they are not proud of the
day on which we worship. They feel it will make us appear to be
different if we use the title Seventh-day, and they don't want to be different from the world. At an
evangelist meeting for a local Seventy-day Adventist church, they told all
the SDA attendees to only describe themselves as Adventist, not
Seventh-day Adventists, so the visitors would not question our unique day
of worship. Friend, why are we so timid to tell the truth to
the world? God gave us this church name and we should not be ashamed
of it.
Mrs. White says that the conference leaders of the last days will be
following the voice of Lucifer: "In His Word the Lord declares
what He would do for Israel if they would obey His voice. But, the leaders
of the people yielded to the temptations of Satan and God could not give
them the blessings He designed them to have because they did not obey His
voice, but listened to the voice and policy of Lucifer. This
experience will be repeated in the last years of the history of the people
[SDA's] of God ,
who have been established by His grace and power, men whom He has greatly
honored will in the closing scenes of this earth's history pattern after
ancient Israel, because they are converting the truth of God into a
falsehood. Many heresies will come from Lucifer, that will bewilder if
possible the very elect." MS 5, Jan. 20, 1904
The vast majority of Adventists will join the world in the last
days: "As the storm approaches, a large class who have
professed faith in the third angel's message [SDA's], but have not been
sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position, and
join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and partaking
of its spirit, they [SDA's] have come to view matters in nearly the same
light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy,
popular side. Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the
truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They [SDA's]
become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren." GC 608
"Our greatest trials will come from those who profess Godliness. It was so with the world's redeemer; it will be so with His
followers.... The opposition which Christ received came from His own nation
who would have been greatly blessed had they accepted Him. In like manner
the remnant church [the faithful] receive opposition from those who
profess to be their brethren." RH 8-28-83
SHAKING & UNITING IN ADVENTISM....
We are in the midst of the shaking today. The shaking will end at the
time of the Sunday laws. We are NOW, individually making choices for truth
or error, for Jesus or self. The straight testimony of the
truth will divide Adventism and create two camps.
"I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown that
it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel
of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the
heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour
forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They
will rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking among God's
people." EW 270
We are to attend God's true churches that preach the truth and are
organized on the truth, but we are not to unite with the professed-only
churches which teach error: "The different parties of professed
Advent believers have each a little truth.... I was shown the necessity of
those who believe that we are having the last message of mercy, being
separate from those who are daily imbibing new errors. I saw that neither
young nor old should attend their meetings; for it is wrong to thus
encourage them while they teach error that is a deadly poison to the soul
and teach for doctrines the commandments of men. The influence of such
gatherings is not good.... While false doctrines and dangerous errors are
pressed upon the mind, it cannot be dwelling upon the truth which is to
fit and prepare the house of Israel to stand in the day of the Lord" EW, 124,125
"We have a testing message to give, and I am instructed to say to
our people, 'Unify, Unify.' But we are not to unify with those who are
departing from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of
devils." 3SM 412
"Christ calls for unity. But He does not call for us to unify on
wrong practices. The God of heaven draws a sharp contrast between pure,
elevating, ennobling truth and false, misleading doctrines.... I urge our
brethren to unify upon a true, scriptural basis." 1SM 175.
"'Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain'.... We
should improve every opportunity of placing ourselves in the channel of
blessing. Christ has said, 'Where two or three are gathered together in My
name, there am I in the midst.' The convocations of the church, as in camp
meetings, the assemblies of the home church, and all occasions where there
is personal labor for souls, are God's appointed opportunities for giving
the early and the latter rain." TM 508
"Jesus prayed that his followers might be one; but we are not to
sacrifice the truth in order to secure this union, for we are to be
sanctified through the truth.... Men would try to effect unity through
concession to popular opinion, through compromise with the world, a
sacrifice of vital godliness. But truth is God's basis for the
unity of
his people." 2RH 560
The faithful independent ministries who point out error in the
conference are accused of causing disunity: "When controversy is
awakened, the advocates of truth are accredited with causing a
disturbance." ST 10-17-95 If you promote the
truth in your church, and call sin by its right name, you too will encounter
ridicule and persecution, and will be considered a trouble maker.
OUR PROPHET SAID THE PROFESSED CHURCH [CONFERENCE] CAN BECOME A
HARLOT
"The world must not be introduced into the church, and married to
the church, forming a bond of unity. Through this means the church will
become indeed corrupt, and as stated in Revelation, 'a cage of every
unclean and hateful bird.' Through association with the world our
institutions will become unsubstantial, unreliable; because these worldly
elements, introduced and placed in positions of trust, are looked up to as
teachers to be respected in their educating, directing, and official
position, and they are sure to be worked upon by the spirit and power of
darkness; so that the demarcation becomes not distinguished between him
that serveth God and him that serveth Him not. In the balances of
the sanctuary the Seventh-day Adventist church is to be weighed. She will
be judged by the privileges and advantages that she has had. If her
spiritual experience does not correspond to the advantages that Christ, at
infinite cost, has bestowed on her, If the blessings conferred have not
qualified her to do the work entrusted to her, on her will be pronounced
the sentence: 'found wanting.' By the light bestowed, the opportunities
given, will she be judged." 8T 247
The Jewish church rejected the truth and became allied with the
world: "It was by departure from the Lord, and alliance with
the heathen, that the Jewish church became a harlot." GC 382
The professed Adventist church can also become a harlot: "It
is now the duty of God's commandment keeping people to watch and pray, to
search the Scriptures diligently, to hide the word of God in the heart,
lest they sin against him in idolatrous thoughts and debasing practices
and thus the church of God become demoralized like the fallen churches
whom prophecy represents as being filled with every unclean and hateful
bird." RH 5-17-87
GOD'S TRUE CHURCH AND CHURCH MILITANT WILL NEVER FALL
God will always have a faithful people through the end of the world,
who will not follow the commandments of men, but will follow the narrow
path where only a few have tread. Out of His church militant will come His
True Church, the wheat, which is composed of faithful souls, who will then
become the Church Triumphant and the 144,000.
INDIVIDUALS will be the ones promoting the truth during the Time of
Trouble, not churches. There is no evidence that SDA churches will be centers
for preaching
truth, hosting Sunday keepers during the Sunday Laws, as this is never
noted in Mrs. White's writings. We are now, and will be later, the angels of Revelation 14 warning the world not
to receive the Mark of the Beast. Nowhere in
Mrs. White's writings does she say SDA churches will be hosting groups of
hungry truth seekers, contrary to what I have heard in conference Sabbath School
classes. We need to be ready to stand on our own
spiritual feet now, and during the Time of Trouble.
DOES GOD HOLD US RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SINS OF THE CONFERENCE?
If we blindly support the conference no matter what sins it commits, does God
hold us responsible for the sins we know are taking place at the head of
the work or at the local level? Mrs. White tells us we are not to vote for
politicians, as we will be held accountable for the sins they commit while
in office. Wouldn’t supporting the conference no matter what it does be the same
thing? If we support a ministry we know is sinning against God, He will
hold us responsible for those sins (Jer. 26:15), as we have chosen to
"vote" for apostasy.
The sin of Achan, and the sins of Hophni and Phinehas [Story of
Redemption, p183-193] which caused 34,000 men to die and the Ark to be
taken from the Israelites, is a further example of sinful leaders causing
the destruction of those in the camp. Purity must be found in the
organization we support, and most of all, among the leadership! These
leaders would like you to believe they can do anything, drive the church
off the cliff of perdition, and we are to stand back and say nothing since
they are behind the controls of the church.
I have heard many conference leaders, even
the leader of the independent ministry Amazing Facts, tell us that we are not
to criticize the conference leaders. Many will liken this criticism to
criticizing fellow church members, but that is incorrect. The word
of God tells us we are supposed to stand up against error and demand
purity in the church. "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 God is telling us to protest
the rebellion we see in the church. If we do not, we are condoning
sin and pleasing the devil. How can sins be corrected or addressed
if no one says anything? We have every right to demand purity in the
church, as that is God's desire.
CONCLUSION
The seventh church is still in existence. There is no need for an
eighth church, as the Advent movement, made up of individuals, will continue through to the end,
because God is not dependent upon a particular corporation to fulfill His
plan. There are still faithful Adventist ministries outside the
conference, and individuals within and without the conference, which
comprise God's people who will be fearless in standing for the pure
truth.
Some local conference churches are our only alternative to
attend in many areas. But in the past twenty years, there have been hundreds of Adventist home
groups or independent churches organized across America and around the
world. Most follow our historic Adventist
message and are structured under the New Testament church organization. These groups minister to their communities and financially support
other faithful ministries who are giving the true Adventist message to the
world. There has been an explosion of independent ministries in
Adventism for a reason: God is determined that the pure truth will go to
the world, whether or not the conference leadership wishes to participate.
You may be able to start a local church group in
your area that will be faithful to the word of God. A group could
meet in a home, a rented meeting hall or rent a Sunday church for Sabbath
service. By extending invitations to those in your area, a vibrant
new organization could come to life. Then your group could conduct
evangelistic meetings in your area to grow the church and spread the three
angels' messages. (Steps to Life, mentioned below, has resource
tools for operating your church,
https://www.stepstolife.org/html/home_church.html )
One of my personal favorite ministries is Steps to Life (1-800-THE-TRUTH) P. O. Box 782828, Wichita, Kansas,
67278, which is part of God's organized work, assisting the true church, as it
preaches 100 percent truth based upon the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy
only. It produces a monthly magazine titled Historic Adventist Land Marks
which gives our true historic Adventist message. It produces
evangelistic television programs to give the three angels' messages to the world. It sponsors
churches, schools and clinics in Africa. Please see
www.stepstolife.org
and take a look at the Land Marks Magazine articles and sermons.
Please support
www.gospelministry.org which is the ministry of David Gates.
They have hundreds of missionaries around the world and many television
networks.
Pilgrims Rest, Box 38A, Beersheba Springs, TN 37305, produces a
monthly, 16 page newsletter which exposes some apostasy in Adventism and
the latest news. See their
their website at www.sdadefend.com
which tells of conference apostasy, including the Folkenberg resignation.
The conference would have you think that independent
ministries are of the devil since they are not part of the conference.
The Bible tells us "By their fruits ye shall know them."
One would think this is the best way to determine which
ministries are of God or of the forces of darkness.
God desires your support to proclaim "the most exalted truth ever
entrusted to mortal man to give to the world."
Friend, will we take a stand for God's pure Truth? We have to become
focused on Jesus, and ask Him to give us the power to follow Him no matter
what may happen. We have to wake-up from our slumber and join the
army of truth found in the historic Advent movement that is battling the
forces of darkness. Friend, align yourself with local and national
organizations that are part of God's true organized work. The world
needs to hear the three angels' messages. The Latter Rain is
starting to fall now. Are you receiving it and broadcasting the
truth to the world?
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