Apostasy

No Place to Go

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“And the Lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that My house may be filled.” Luke 14:23.

Some time ago, I received a phone call from Indiana. One of God’s true saints seemed to have a very serious problem. “Pastor,” she began, “I have no place to go. What am I going to do?” For a moment I was speechless. I was not sure I was hearing this woman correctly.

So I asked this lady, “What do you mean you have no place to go?” She explained what she meant. The church where she attended had gone full celebration. The music was horrible (in her words), syncopated by the beating of drums. No longer did she feel the spirit of divine worship, but rather that of another spirit. She continued: “And during the eleven o’clock service, drama has filled God’s house with the spirit of excitement and entertainment. The pastor’s message is nothing but psychology and New Theology.”

She wanted to hear the simple preaching of the Word of God and to feel God’s divine presence in the worship service, but it was not there. She felt that she could no longer attend her local home church. So she decided to look elsewhere. Can you imagine how surprised she was, after visiting other churches in the city where she lived, to discover that these, too, were all caught up in the fervor of celebration?

Then someone told her of a small country church some twenty miles out of the city. The next Sabbath, with her family, she drove to this little church, thinking that they would find a place to worship God in a pure Seventh-day Adventist atmosphere, a place that would be distinct from the world. As they arrived at this little country church, a nice looking gentleman kindly greeted them. But on entering the church sanctuary they noticed banners hanging on the chapel walls and displayed on the pulpit, the same kind that you would see in the churches of Babylon. She was disappointed to see ladies leading out in the Sabbath School who had large earrings dangling from their ears. However, a bigger surprise awaited them, for suddenly they noticed that many of the ladies in the audience were wearing gold necklaces with sizeable gold crosses attached to them. She and her family began to wonder if they had entered the wrong church. Perhaps this was a Sunday keeping church. But then they remembered that this was indeed the Sabbath day.They felt so out of place and so disappointed that they walked out.

As they left, the man that had greeted them, upon their arrival, approached them and asked, “Why are you leaving? You just came in.” Politely they began to explain, when he broke in with the words, “Oh, the members of this church pride themselves on being very liberal. I know that you are leaving because of the jewelry. I, too, am very much concerned.”

Then the lady said, “Why do you not speak up and do something about it?” But he just shrugged his shoulders as if nothing could be done. So the lady and her family drove to a nearby hill. There in the midst of nature they spread a blanket and listened to one of my tapes for a Sabbath sermon. Once more she lamented, “Oh, pastor, how I miss my good old Seventh-day Adventist Church. I long to attend where I know God’s blessing is waiting. But, pastor, I have no place to go!”

That just broke my heart. What happened to this lady and her family is happening in other places. I am getting calls from the north, the south, the east and the west with like experiences. It is certainly a tragic situation.

Some time ago, in a nearby church, the Conference speaker began his tirade by belittling God’s last day prophet with these words, “This little old lady.” As he continued his antics, he stated that Sister White was not inspired by God, and that he was opposed to God’s last day prophet. My wife and I walked out, and so did a number of others. Later my wife told me that she became so depressed that week that she did not want to go back there any more. And I felt the same.

Shortly after this experience, I happened to meet a man who had been baptized recently by the pastor of this church. I asked him why he did not go to that church anymore. He answered, “When I joined the church, I thought I was joining a church that had left Babylon. But last Christmas I found paganism in the church and the sermons my pastor gives, week after week, were exactly the same as I used to hear in the church that I left to join the Adventist Church. I want to go to a church where the pastor is preaching a spirit filled message from God’s word that helps me to get ready for the coming crisis.” My mind began to recount how God has told us that such things would happen within our church in the end time. Two parties would be found within a church that was once united. One group would cry and sigh for the abominations seen within the church. The other would stress the need to compromise so that we could be more attractive to the surrounding churches.

 

What Are We to Do?

 

What are the faithful historic Adventists to do, for more and more of those who are crying and sighing over the abominations so prevalent within Adventism are being disfellowshipped? Perhaps God is trying to tell His faithful few that we are nearing the time of trouble when we shall be forced to go from door to door with our Bibles in our hands. We will visit our neighbors and those in the surrounding countryside to explain to them our peculiar faith and to study the Scriptures with those who are interested.

This is to be done in preparation for a soon coming Sunday law, when this will be the only way in which we can obey the law of the land and still be faithful to our God. God is shutting the door of mercy upon a compromising church. He is opening the door to His faithful few who are lamenting the abominations of celebration. It is time for us to begin the long awaited house-to-house missionary work to our surrounding neighborhoods on Sabbath afternoon in preparation for Sunday missionary work. The church has failed to do this in a time of ease, on the Sabbath day, and soon it will be more difficult.

I believe there are thousands upon thousands just waiting to hear the truth of the Three Angels’Messages. What an opportunity to start Branch Sabbath Schools and Bible studies as we used to do. We can personally visit the needy with packages of love and start being concerned for those who are sick. We can obtain necessary training for medical missionary activity. Perhaps God is just waiting for you to start a Branch Sabbath School of new believers without any celebration and drama. Then you will never say that you have no place to go! A great soul-winning program needs to be initiated by historic Adventists.

 

A Feast Without Guests

 

In Luke 14, Christ told a parable that is very appropriate for our situation. In this parable, a king invites many people to attend the wedding feast he has prepared for his son. Sadly, all of those invited make excuses and do not answer the invitation. “The master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.” Luke 14:21. This master was deeply concerned. This is a very serious crisis. The king has spent a fortune for this supper. The truth is that the stability of his kingdom is involved. The refusal to accept this invitation is rebellion, for this invitation involves the wedding of the king’s son. To refuse to attend is looked upon by the king as treason.

Now what will the king do about this? He is a godly king, with his rulership based on love. So he executes a plan to solve the problem. He will reveal his mercy, his longsuffering and his loving care. Since the first effort failed, he will try again. The supper must be attended by guests. His determination is amazing. His attitude should electrify all who bear his name. He gives this challenging command, “Go out quickly into the streets and the lanes of the city, and compel them to come in that my house may be filled.” This is God’s command for you and me today.

Why is the command so urgent? Why does the master say, “Go quickly?” It is because “all things are now ready.” Luke 14:16, 17. The feast is prepared: the food is cooked and everything is in order, all that is missing is the guests. Likewise, God also predicted a list of conditions that must take place here on this earth so it could also be said of the world, “All things are now ready.”

Consider the following areas and how they are being fulfilled before our eyes.

  • Increase in knowledge: Eighty percent of all the scientists that ever existed on the face of this world are alive today. Technology increases by quantum leaps every day. New discoveries continually change the way we live and work.
  • Destruction: You may be startled to know that Russia still has over a thousand nuclear warheads pointed at some of our larger cities in America. If these were all launched, the effects would be so complete as to destroy every living being in the United States.
  • Famine: This world has now reached a population of between six and seven billion inhabitants, and experts predict a massive famine in the Orient and in Africa in the near future.
  • Employment: One out of every four workers in the world is unemployed today.
  • Diseases: There are scores of new outbreaks of terrible diseases. One hundred million will die of AIDS. One out of every thirty college students test positive for the HIV virus.
  • Disasters: We hear so much about disasters today, that we have almost become hardened to the daily entourage. Often, the news that hundreds or thousands have been killed in still another catastrophe initiates little more than a moment of pity.
  • Divorce: When I was a boy, one out of three marriages ended in divorce. Today it is one out of every two. I am sure that you will agree that this is terrible. But consider Russia, where divorce is twenty-six percent higher than it is in the United States.
  • Morals: We now have ten million homosexuals in America. But when you look at the small country of Holland, it boasts of thirteen million homosexuals!

 

“Go” Means You!

 

This world has indeed become like Sodom and Gomorrah. Surely the earth is ready for Christ to come and destroy the sinners and the supposed saints. “All things are now ready,” but the guests have ignored the invitation. There is much to be done by you and by me. No wonder God says, “Go.” That word taken to heart and put into action has great power. “GO” scattered the disciples abroad after the Savior’s crucifixion and they finished their task in just one generation. Today, we have come to a place where we like to juggle the wording of Scripture or change the spelling of Inspiration. Some would spell “GO” with the letters LOOK, WRITE, GIVE or SEND, for they believe it best to work by proxy. After all, the preacher gets paid for it. Let him do the work. He is better qualified.

When God says, “GO,” He is speaking to every member of His church. He means GO into the streets and the lanes—to wherever there is a soul to be found, into the huts of poverty, the camp of sin, the abode of outcasts, into the castle of the rich or down the street to our neighbors. Preach the gospel to every creature. Go out to where you find the unregenerate heart. This is our personal missionary field. Often I hear people say, “But, I do not know what to say.” If this is the case, you need to check your own heart, because inspiration tells us that, “Everyone who is connected with God will impart light to others. If there are any who have not light to give, it is because they have no connection with the source of light.” Historical Sketches, 291.

I well remember a preacher giving a message in which he made the statement that every

Christian can win someone to Christ. There was a poor seamstress in his church who worked early and late to feed her fatherless children. She remained after the service to talk to the pastor.

She said, “This is the first time, Pastor, that I have ever heard you say something that I felt was unfair.” The pastor listened. Then he said, “A word to the wise is sufficient.” And he left her. She began to think and to pray about it. She had no transportation. But she thought about her sewing customers. Then she thought about the milkman. So the next morning she was up bright and early and when she heard the rattle of the empty bottles at her door, she opened it and stammered a bit.

The milkman thought that she had just gotten up and he began to leave when she finally said, “Wait. Do you know Christ?” The milkman almost dropped the empty bottles. For two nights he had been despondent over his sins. Yes, he would love to come to her home and have Bible studies. Do you know, one year later she presented her pastor with seven people for baptism. I personally met a young man who lived in a large community, in the Ozarks, who had visited every home within fifteen miles of where he lived. He was giving a Bible study every night of the week, and he still held a regular job in a factory working five days a week. Where is your mission field?

 

Have You Passed Your Neighbor By?

 

“A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves. And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.” Luke 10:30–37.

This man fell among thieves. Those who are without Christ are being robbed. The world offers tinsel pleasures but they soon lose their appeal. The devil robs and strips them, revealing their nakedness, just as he did to Adam and Eve. Sin is a cruel master. The man in Christ’s parable was in a pitiful condition. Bruised and badly beaten, he was half dead.

That is what Satan does to his victims. The Scripture says we are dead in trespasses and sin. Christ, in telling this story, is teaching us that sinners are spiritually dead in sin but alive in the body. In other words, they are half dead. Only the Great Physician can resurrect them to new life.

What about the Levite and the priest? “And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.” Luke 10:31, 32. The priest was on his way to the temple when he came near to this dying man. He looks, but he does not stop. How can he determine if this man is worthy of his help. He decides to report the matter when he gets to Jerusalem. Perhaps the Dorcas will help him. So he passes by.

Next comes the Levite, a servant of God. His business is to conduct worship and ceremonies. He had better not get his robes dirty helping this poor wretch. After all, this man was at fault. He came down this road of sin, and the law had warned him not to engage in sin. How could love be extended to such a man?

The case seems hopeless. Already, two men have passed by the wounded man, leaving him to die. But wait, there is someone else coming. “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.” Luke 10:33. The wounded man could not come to Jesus, for he was about to die. So Christ came to the wounded man and He was prepared to help. “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10. Paul further states: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15.

 

The First Aid Kit

 

Notice that Christ was carrying a medical First Aid Kit. “And [he] went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.” Luke 10:34. Nothing soothes and heals like the oil of the Holy Spirit. The wine is a purifying remedy, the cleansing blood of Jesus. This First Aid Kit contained bandages, emollients, antiseptic, oil (the Holy Spirit) and wine (the blood that cleanses from sin). The kind man exchanges places with this poor man. For the wounded man is placed on the Master’s donkey to be carried to a hospital (the church). Jesus sees the man’s terrible condition, caught and wounded by sin. So He comes down to earth and takes on humanity. He travels down the road to Jericho looking for sinners that He might save. Who do you know who is half dead, discouraged and whose religion does not answer their need? What they need is the touch of the Great Physician and God wants you to go and bring these individuals the good news of the Saviour. “Go and do thou likewise.” Luke 10:37. Christ says, “Go!” Go out into the streets and the lanes of the city. Go where the lost are to be found.

“Love for God, zeal for His glory, and love for fallen humanity, brought Jesus to earth to suffer and to die. This was the controlling power of His life. This principle He bids us adopt.” The Desire of Ages, 329.

Christ says to you, “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:23. If your first effort fails, try again. You are offering a compelling force of love. God will stand by you and help you, for He has promised, “Go thou and do likewise.” We must go and fetch them and bring them to the remnant church.

But now I hear someone say, Brother Nelson, I cannot invite individuals to my present church. It has become too much like Babylon. Then start a home church by personal visitation and Bible studies until you have a group where the Spirit of God is manifested. Remember, dying men cannot come to the inn by themselves. Do not leave your work to the minister, the radio or the TV. God has given you the means you need—the two pence. “And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.” Luke 10:35. What is the two pence? It is the provision by which you have access to every power that Christ possessed. And any effort you put into the work will be rewarded. Christ promised, “When I come, I will repay.” And you know that He is coming soon. So be true to your Saviour. Keep the faith. Obey His command, “This do and thou shalt live.” Luke 10:37.

If you are truly converted, if you are washed in His blood, filled with the oil of His Spirit and bathed in His love, then go out into the streets and the lanes and compel them to come “that My house may be filled” and Christ may come. Do not stand around and cry, I have no place to go. Start a Branch Sabbath School that will eventually become a place of worship.

“God requires everyone to be a worker.” Bible Echo, 1901. “God demands that every soul who knows the truth shall seek to win others.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 103. “God expects personal service from everyone.” Ibid., 30. “We must participate in His labors for their redemption.” The Desire of Ages, 142.

So, GO, go out quickly into the streets and the lanes of the city and compel them to come in.

 

Thanks to Ecumenism

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For the past several months, we have looked at the long history of the apostasy, which has been with us since the earliest times. The majority, who were in apostasy in each generation, never wanted to face their own stubbornness and rebellion. Those who revealed their apostasy have always been mocked, insulted and rejected, because they wished to remain faithful to God’s plan and not man’s. As we continue to bring this history forward, we think it wise, along the way, not to let all the evidence of the present slip away as we look at the past. With this in mind we break from our progressive path and stand on present-day soil as we take a look at the lay of the land around us.

Thanks to Ecumenism we have a frightening drop in conversions. Thanks to Ecumenism the entire concept of the “Church Militant” has been practically obliterated. Thanks to Ecumenism we are one giant step closer to a One World Church. Thanks to Ecumenism we are one giant step closer to a One World Government. Thanks to Ecumenism we have the demonic New Age Movement making inroads into the Church, manifesting itself primarily in the absurd teaching: “Jesus did not know that He was God until He was baptized by John the Baptist and received the Christ consciousness.” Thanks to Ecumenism we have prayer gatherings with Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and Moslems, all who deny the Divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Thanks to Ecumenism we have downplayed the Social Kingship of Jesus Christ which acknowledges that all governments and all authorities ultimately receive their power of government and jurisdiction from Christ, and are therefore answerable to Him and His Divine Law. Thanks to Ecumenism we have practically every heresy that ever existed within the very bosom of the Church. Thanks to Ecumenism we may ask ourselves, how will our Church ever be in a position to condemn new errors when it has become so buddy-buddy with the old ones? Thanks to Ecumenism we have an “emperor’s new clothes” situation where fraudulent tailors have adorned the Church in the apparel of ecumenism, and there are no dignitaries to be found who will admit “the Church has been stripped naked.”

Before we move on I want you to know that the long paragraph above is not of my own creation. Certainly the words above are true and whoever wrote them is very concerned about what is going on within their church. Cathy and I have been making the claim for a long time that what is

happening within the structure of the Adventist movement and its devastating effects are felt now by all mainline churches around the world. We will continue with “Thanks to Ecumenism” for a further demonstration of this point. Hang on to your hat though, because the words will shortly give the secret of the source away, and you will be surprised!

Thanks to Ecumenism we have a Protestantized liturgy. Thanks to Ecumenism we have Protestantized sacraments. Thanks to Ecumenism we have more and more Catholics leaving the Faith to embrace Protestantism. Thanks to Ecumenism we have Communion-in-the-hand and lay-ministers of the Eucharist, both considered sacrilegious and totally unthinkable only twenty-five years ago. Thanks to Ecumenism we have our Church leaders holding “prayer-services” with non-Catholic religions of all sorts . . . baptizing and canonizing the predominant heresy that “one religion is as good as another,” and causing great scandal and bewilderment among the faithful. Thanks to Ecumenism we have the dilution of essential Catholic dogmas necessary for salvation. Thanks to Ecumenism we have the Charismatic Movement within the Church, having its roots in Protestantism and Spiritualism, and always considered antithetical to Catholics.

Thanks to Ecumenism we have Protestant ministers and Jewish rabbis lecturing from our once Catholic pulpits and universities. Thanks to Ecumenism by the devotion to our Blessed Mother has been discouraged. Thanks to Ecumenism devotion to the Saints has been down-played. Thanks to Ecumenism the Rosary and many other traditional Catholic practices of piety have been falsely labeled “outmoded,” clearly a trick of Satan to keep us from receiving the great graces these devotions acquired. Thanks to Ecumenism our Holy Church has become more Protestantized and secularized, along with the fact that the Protestants are as Protestant as always, and the secular are more secular than ever!

Thanks to Ecumenism we have a great crisis of Faith among our priests and laity. Thanks to Ecumenism we have the “Spirit of Vatican II,” an evil and deceptive spirit employed to turn the Catholic Church upside down. [I hope you are paying attention!] Thanks to Ecumenism we have the 1962 Vatican-Moscow Agreement, whereas in order to be assured that observers of the Russian Orthodox Church would attend the Second Vatican Council, an agreement was made between Rome and Moscow that the Council would contain “no explicit condemnation of Communism.” This policy of “no direct condemnation of Communism” is still in force to this day.

Thanks to Ecumenism we no longer have offertory prayers which stress the sacrificial nature of the Mass, but new ecumenical offertory prayers offensive to no non-Catholic, and bearing a closer resemblance to a Jewish table blessing. Thanks to Ecumenism we have removed the altar rails. Thanks to Ecumenism we now stand for Holy Communion. Thanks to Ecumenism there has been a change as to what is the Mystery of Faith, whereas in the Old Liturgy, the “Mystery of Faith” clearly referred to the Transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of our Lord. In the New Liturgy, however, the “Mystery of Faith” is proclaimed as “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again”. . . a doctrine, unlike Transubstantiation, which is acceptable to Protestants. In the new liturgy, there is actually a choice of five mysteries of Faith, all of which are a little different . . . is there any wonder there is now so much doctrinal confusion?

Thanks to Ecumenism the tabernacles in many of our Churches have been taken off the main altar and placed on the side. Is the Holy Eucharist only a sideline of our Faith? Thanks to Ecumenism we have voided the interiors of our Catholic Churches with the sense of reverence and awe, strikingly present in all Catholic Churches before Vatican II. Thanks to Ecumenism “the Church is in a state of auto-demolition.” Thanks to Ecumenism the Catholic church has been placed on the same footing with every false religion on the face of the earth.

Thanks to Ecumenism the dogma that Outside the Church there is no salvation has not only been ignored, but sometimes vehemently fought against by “Catholic” priests and theologians. Thanks to Ecumenism we have Diocesan bishops “lending out their cathedrals” for the installation of Protestant bishops. Thanks to Ecumenism we have the humanistic “religion of reason” infiltrating our Faith, manifesting itself in sad sermons and insipid catechisms. Thanks to Ecumenism we have widespread rejection of many Catholic teachings of Faith and Morals. If pluralism is condoned outside the Church, what then is wrong with it within the household of Faith? Thanks to Ecumenism faithful Catholics who rightly criticize the catastrophic effects of modern ecumenism are labeled “disrespectful,” “dissident,” “rebellious” and “disobedient.” Finally, Thanks to Ecumenism we have indeed very little to be thankful for in the devastated vineyard of the Post Vatican II Church.

Yes, friends, some of us have been bringing forth mounds of evidence that the face of organized churches are changing around the globe. The above article is quite surprising as you consider it comes from a fully Catholic source! This paper was written and distributed by the Benedictine Monks of Most Holy Family Monastery. I was totally unaware, and perhaps you are too, that there is a “Remnant” within the Roman Catholic community who are screaming their heads off about how ecumenism is nothing more than a deception to gut historical Catholicism! Did you catch that? Now take just a moment and think about what is going on here. The Historic Catholic Remnant is calling this new movement of “Christian unity” and contemporary church phenomena exactly what it is—a sham! They are making the claim that all of this pluralism and lowering of the standards and buddying up with the different religions is eroding “true” Catholicism!

I did not even know that there was this kind of split in the Catholic Church. However, in the last few months we have learned that there are Catholic Churches that are now independent and who have priests that are openly preaching that the Pope is the man of sin and the anti-Christ! I know, because one of these little churches is located just three miles from our ministry. I also know that the priest preaches to his congregation that Pope John Paul II is the anti-Christ and he tells them that it is the apostasy plan of Vatican II that brought in the apostasy and caused this whole mess. He openly says that Vatican II is the selling out of the true Catholic Church to the Protestant world.

Brothers and sisters, this is quite amazing! Although we as Adventists have more specific details through inspiration than this priest does, he has recognized many truths about what the Ecumenical Movement is designed to do. It is high time we understand that if Roman Catholics can see these deceptions for what they are, then maybe we had better start taking life very seriously and get fully into the business of salvation—not only for ourselves but for others as well. I praise God that He is trying to show His people through many different avenues of evidence that the agenda of apostasy is just what a few of the historic Adventist ministries have been claiming it is.

I must point out something here that is very important for your consideration. I will do it in the form of a question. If the agenda of apostasy is what we and others have claimed it is, then what will happen to those who are running back to the churches that have an unsanctified unity? We must realize that nothing lies at the end of that road, but a dead end, and I don’t mean the end of the pavement, I mean an end of life! God is trying to make it easy for us through the gift of the eye-salve and the multitude of evidences which have been and will continue to be brought forth. We must be willing to use that which God has given us and take Him at His Word. Nothing else can or will save us. All the knowledge in the world and in God’s Word will not save a single soul who is merely trying to escape the fires at the end of the millennium. It just will not happen. As in baptism, we must allow the Lord to fully immerse us in the life of His heavenly family. True Christianity, and true Adventism are not something we do, it is who we become.

“The Ecumenical Movement is basically the movement toward reunion of all Churches into a single Church, one in body, but not necessarily holding the same religious tenets . . . spotlighting things we have in common, hush-hushing those things which divide us. Should you ask, however, ten different theologians of ten denominations for a definition of ecumenism, chances are you would receive ten slightly different replies. This is the great weakness of ecumenism. It is a slippery, sloppy expression devoid of any solid orthodox definition. It thus avails itself of ambiguity and double talk—as do subversive movements in general. The Second Vatican Council had a great deal to say about ecumenism, without ever giving the definition of the word! “Prior to 1960, the Catholic Church had always kept the Ecumenical Movement at arms length from the mystical Body of Christ, now and then touching it with the proverbial ten-foot pole, but never taking an active part.

“Any student of ecclesiastical history will tell you that the Roman Catholic Church’s particular charisma was to clarify the truth in time of confusion and, to counter what was novel or erroneous by clinging to and defining what she has always believed since the time of the Apostles. Thus when Martin Luther denied so much of what the Roman Church held true, she took care of this problem at the Council of Trent . . . defining in detail each one of the Seven Sacraments, indulgences, justification, etc. The Church does not invent new doctrines at these councils, but defines and clarifies in a solemn and official manner what she has always believed. The Councils of the past took the Church and the world from a time of confusion, into a period of theological stability. Unfortunately, Vatican II is the first council in the history of the Church that did not help in this regard. As a matter of fact, we must regretfully admit that all evidence clearly shows she only made things far worse.” —Excerpt from the Catholic periodical “Crying in the Wilderness Newsletter.”

Brothers and sisters, do you realize what is being said in the few short words taken from this Catholic newsletter? It tells us plainly that Historical Catholics believe that the burning of heretics is part of the solution toward anyone who would cry against her dogma. This was in fact part of the solution at the council of Trent, but usurped by the hand of God to save Luther.

You can clearly see that true Roman Catholics believe that the Church is not to “invent” any new doctrine, but to continue to keep the sanctity of their established doctrines, which go back clear to the Apostles and “what she has always believed.” This is exactly what The Great Controversy says about the Roman Catholics. Sister White describes the mess we are in and the mess these Historic Catholics say they are in. They do not know the details as we do, but they do know that deception of every kind is taking place.

“The papal church will never relinquish her claim to infallibility. All that she has done in her persecution of those who reject her dogmas she holds to be right; and would she not repeat the same acts, should the opportunity be presented? Let the restraints now imposed by secular governments be removed and Rome be reinstated in her former power, and there would speedily be a revival of her tyranny and persecution . . .

“But Romanism as a system is no more in harmony with the gospel of Christ now than at any former period in her history. The Protestant churches are in great darkness, or they would discern the signs of the times. The Roman Church is far-reaching in her plans and modes of operation. She is employing every device to extend her influence and increase her power in preparation for a fierce and determined conflict to regain control of the world, to re-establish persecution, and to undo all that Protestantism has done. Catholicism is gaining ground upon every side. See the increasing number of her churches and chapels in Protestant countries. Look at the popularity of her colleges and seminaries in America, so widely patronized by Protestants. Look at the growth of ritualism in England and the frequent defections to the ranks of the Catholics. These things should awaken the anxiety of all who prize the pure principles of the gospel.

“The Roman Church now presents a fair front to the world, covering with apologies her record of horrible cruelties. She has clothed herself in Christlike garments; but she is unchanged. Every principle of the papacy that existed in past ages exists today. The doctrines devised in the darkest ages are still held. Let none deceive themselves. The papacy that Protestants are now so ready to honor is the same that ruled the world in the days of the Reformation, when men of God stood up, at the peril of their lives, to expose her iniquity. She possesses the same pride and arrogant assumption that lorded it over kings and princes, and claimed the prerogatives of God. Her spirit is no less cruel and despotic now than when she crushed out human liberty and slew the saints of the Most High.

“The papacy is just what prophecy declared that she would be, the apostasy of the latter times. 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4. It is a part of her policy to assume the character which will best accomplish her purpose; but beneath the variable appearance of the chameleon she conceals the invariable venom of the serpent. ‘Faith ought not to be kept with heretics, nor persons suspected of heresy’ (Lenfant, vol. I, 516), she declares. Shall this power, whose record for a thousand years is written in the blood of the saints, be now acknowledged as a part of the church of Christ?” The Great Controversy, 564, 565, 571.

My friends, there are some fantastic admissions in the articles above. If we observe what the Traditional Catholics are saying, then we can see that they are even (albeit from a different point of view then ours) giving testimony to both the deception of the great “revival” of the ecumenical movement and the validity of The Great Controversy in its claims that true Catholicism has never changed. It is obvious that Rome is even willing to give the appearance of selling out their own people, at least for a time, in order to regain the ecclesiastical power she has lost. This program of apostasy is so important to those in the Vatican that they have not even let some of their people know that it’s all a show in order to be of the utmost success in the end. But we, as true Adventists, have an advantage that none other has in the entire world! What precious and good news this is. Therefore, let us praise God, not only with our tongues, but with our whole beings through the acts of our lives. It is high time that we got on with the work that has been set before us. That work includes building the breach in the wall and tearing down the walls of hell that God’s arch-foe has erected. God has proven over and over that He can save by many or a few. Let us not search for the popular path which only leads to the DEAD END; let us no longer be willingly blinded by popular views and the dictates of men’s policies and creeds, but let us with the help of our mighty God, with the banner of His precious Son, Jesus Christ, take the battle on to victory!

 

Non Prophet Institutions

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Within the system of the Israelites, to forward the education that heaven counts most profitable, God established the schools of the prophets. Thereby, God’s wisdom could be passed along through His messengers. As long as those who professed the truth believed and followed the counsel, their spiritual prosperity would be sure. God loved, and still loves, His children so much that He is willing to oversee all aspects of their lives. He cares not alone for their spiritual well being, but also their mental and physical health. For these reasons, the schools of the prophets were raised by God’s guiding hand. These institutions were not only an expression of God’s guidance but would also build the faith of His people. God had purposed to educate His people about His loving care through these schools and through the parents and grandparents in every Hebrew home. Thus, He planned to pass on the gospel from a converted people to their children and then out into the rest of the world. It was never God’s purpose that strangers with strange theories should be entrusted with the education of His people or their children. This would, and has always, proved disastrous to the faith of God’s people.

Within the providence and avenues of God’s Word, history, personal testimony and nature, God’s people can find a better way of education. By searching these paths of God’s grace, we are ever to learn additional and deeper truths.

But as true as this is, there is also one who is bent on bringing death and disaster to all that God has pronounced good. That which is good he means to make bad. That which is lovely he means to make vile. That which builds faith he destroys by presumption. In other words, he has one thing in mind. To make of none effect the testimony of God.

In the days of Samuel things were much different in the educational system than they are today. “The chief subjects of study in these schools were the law of God, with the instructions given to Moses, sacred history, sacred music, and poetry. The manner of instruction was far different from that in the theological schools of the present day, from which many students graduate with less real knowledge of God and religious truth than when they entered. In those schools of the olden time it was the grand object of all study to learn the will of God and man’s duty toward Him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 593.

In contrast here is a small sample of what is important to those getting their education at what is considered the top Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary on earth. “It is high time that our church consider that ‘Category A’ sex (known as solo sex, self sex, or partnerless sex) might be a reasonable sexual alternative for today’s singles. The best sexologists and medical experts now agree that solo sex is not physically harmful, and even conservative Christians . . . suggest that since scripture is silent on the matter, occasional self stimulation is no big deal.” Andrews University—John Berecz, Professor of Psychology.

Does this shock you the way it shocked me?! I sure hope that it does. But as alarming and blatantly false as this is, it is being brought to bear on the belief system of the youth who go to Andrews and other “official” SDA institutions around the world. Can one imagine this sort of counsel ever coming out the mouth of any of God’s prophets?

For this professor to make the claim, or try to, vicariously through other “conservative Christians,” that God has remained silent on this subject is pure heresy and falsehood. Here are just two of many, many inspired quotations. “His case was shown me in vision. I saw that he was deceived in regard to himself, that he was not in favor with God. He had practiced self-abuse until he was a mere wreck of humanity. This vice was shown me as an abomination in the sight of God.” Child Guidance, 70. [All emphasis supplied.]

The faculty in educational employment would do well to give special attention to this next inspired quotation: “Steady industry upon a farm would have proved a blessing to these children, and constant employment, as their strength could bear, would have given them less opportunity to corrupt their own bodies by self-abuse, and would have prevented them from instructing a large number in this hellish practice.” Special Testimony for the Battle Creek Church, 19, 20.

Today many are seeking a knowledge that is not from God, but from popular circles of men. This is just where the trouble started in the ancient system. The Israelites could not be content with being peculiar unto the Lord. They had to be like everyone else—like the other nations. This has always proved ruinous to God’s people. It has never been a blessing to seek the approbation and accreditation of men not of our faith.

It is obvious that those who are going to these schools and universities, which have already compromised our distinctive calling and faith, are being polluted by the open encouragement to do those things which God has plainly stated are an abomination in His sight! How can anything good come of such blatant counter-productive education when inspiration clearly declares: “Satan deceives many with the plausible theory that God’s love for His people is so great that He will excuse sin in them; he represents that while the threatenings of God’s Word are to serve a certain purpose in His moral government, they are never to be literally fulfilled. But in all His dealings with His creatures God has maintained the principles of righteousness by revealing sin in its true character—by demonstrating that its sure result is misery and death. The unconditional pardon of sin never has been, and never will be. Such pardon would show the abandonment of the principles of righteousness, which are the very foundation of the government of God. It would fill the unfallen universe with consternation. God has faithfully pointed out the results of sin, and if these warnings were not true, how could we be sure that His promises would be fulfilled? That so-called benevolence which would set aside justice is not benevolence but weakness.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 522.

To an alarming degree, the people at these universities of “higher learning” are educating the “future of Adventism” to believe that sin is acceptable with heaven. It is amazing that they can continue to openly operate in this fashion with virtually no cry of “foul” from within the organization! Where are those who claim to be the “leaders” in this denomination? What is being demonstrated is not faith, which understands the importance, sanctity, and security of God’s combination of mercy and justice, but presumption that encourages flagrant sin.

Dear friends, we may wish that we could gratify ourselves any way we choose. We may want to “have our cake and eat it too” as the saying goes. Certainly we all have struggled with these things because of our sinful natures, but to encourage others to sin and commit abominations against God is to succumb to the “cheap grace” theories of the popular masses that make claim to Christianity. This is not only without honor but is self-destructive. We need to know that genuine faith is built on a “thus saith the Lord,” and anything short of this is its satanic counterpart—presumption. Surely, the agenda of apostasy moves forward from within and nothing will be allowed to stand in the way of the movement. (See Selected Messages, vol. 1, 204.)

“Like Israel, Christians too often yield to the influence of the world and conform to its principles and customs, in order to secure the friendship of the ungodly; but in the end it will be found that these professed friends are the most dangerous of foes. The Bible plainly teaches that there can be no harmony between the people of God and the world . . .Satan works through the ungodly, under cover of a pretended friendship, to allure God’s people into sin, that he may separate them from Him; and when their defense is removed, then he will lead his agents to turn against them and seek to accomplish their destruction.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 559.

Because we, as a people, have gone to the world to seek their applause and accreditation, and in so doing have lowered our distinctive standards, we are filled with the “mixed multitude” and are paying severely for it. It is sadly all too true that: “The justice and mercy, the beauty of holiness and the sure reward of right doing, the heinous character of sin and the certainty of its terrible results, are not impressed upon the minds of the young.

“Are there not some lessons which the educators of our day might learn with profit from the ancient schools of the Hebrews? He who created man has provided for his development in body and mind and soul. Hence, real success in education depends upon the fidelity with which men carry out the Creator’s plan.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 595.

And what else are our students learning in the modern-day “school of the prophets?” Let us look at the kind of music our young adults are being “educated” with. The following is a quotation from the newspaper at Andrews University: “On a late September morning, this past fall, I sat at a large wooden table in the Little Bakery with Ice, Tim Gillespie (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Mike Knecht (lead guitar) and Jeff Wright (bass). These four men were all students at Andrews University at one time or another . . . Over this summer, they continued rehearsing and defining their sound, an interesting mix of rock-n-roll, acoustic textures and a bit of funk. “Gillespie, Ice and Knecht are youth pastors and Wright is an anthropologist.” Andrews University Student Movement—Mark Feldbush, 1/29/97 page 10.

Next from Adventist Today: “Most of the five hundred or so who attend the two worship services [at Grace Place SDA Church] each Sabbath are former or inactive Adventists. Attracted by the warm-hearted fellowship they encounter and a worship service planned with them in mind, many non-Adventists also attend. The two Sabbath morning services are ‘very contemporary’ . . . According to Aldo Ramos of Grace Place, the debate is not about Grace Place, ‘This debate is not about Grace Place, but about the denomination as a whole.’ ” [He goes on to say that the traditional style of the SDA Church is outdated and needs to be overhauled in many ways.] Adventist Today, May-June 1997, 12, 13.

By now, many of us understand what “contemporary” worship services or “contemporary Christian music” means. It is another way of saying music that is upbeat and has strong elements of Rock-N-Roll, Jazz, or Pop. In the devil’s attempt to ruin Adventism, he is too smart to come right out and say, “I don’t care what your books say, I’m coming to your church next Sabbath and we’re having Rock -N- Roll music,” at least not at first. The fact though, that these things are becoming more blatant and not being challenged in the official organization should tell us something about how far the agenda of apostasy has advanced.

Several years ago when Cathy and I were bringing forth the agenda of apostasy, for the first time, we exposed a document which was written by an Adventist pastor entitled “Selling the Celebration.” This five-page letter outlined the plan for getting the “Celebration Style of Worship” into the local churches. It clearly states that being subtle about things is very important to the success of establishing these programs.

The Conference, world-wide, has disfellowshipped many people for standing against these abominations and we know of not one single case where God’s Word was used as a basis for these excommunications. It has always been the Church Manual which has been the chosen decree of abuse.

What you read next should tell you at least two things: 1.) The movement of apostasy is going forward no matter what and 2.) The Church Manual is completely worthless even in the eyes of these leaders who are bringing the apostasy in. In their thinking the Church Manual is only valuable as far as it has control over the common laity. By their actions, not by what they say, they show the real worth of the Church Manual. Here is one proof: “Music is one of the highest arts. Good music not only gives pleasure but also elevates the mind and cultivates the finest qualities. Spiritual songs have often been used of God to touch the hearts of sinners and lead to repentance. Debased music, on the contrary, destroys the rhythm of the soul and breaks down morality.

“Great care should be exercised in the choice of music. Any melody partaking of the nature of jazz, rock, or related hybrid forms, or any language expressing foolish or trivial sentiments, will be shunned by persons of true culture. Let us use only good music in the home, in the social gathering, in the school, and in the church.” SDA Church Manual, 1990 edition, page 146.

You can see that, even to the church leadership, the Church Manual is worthless, because they don’t even follow it. It is worthless except for one very large group. Please allow me to demonstrate. All of us know that a Rooster’s claw severed from its owner and dipped in blood has no real power to place a curse on anyone. But try and tell that to the one who has allowed himself to believe that the Rooster’s claw of the witch doctor has power over him! Why does it have power over some and not over others? The reason is a matter of belief or unbelief. I hope you see the point. The only reason the Church Manual holds any power over the vast majority who profess Adventism is because of their unbelief in God’s counsel and their unholy belief in the power of men!

In the closing hours of this earth’s history and the Adventist movement, we must realize that the only institutions which will retain their value in the sight of a holy God are those which follow the prophet. Those institutions, no matter whether they are Independent or Conference, which are non-prophet (reject the Spirit of Prophecy) will not stand in the very end. The only element which gives any religious institution value is God’s presence.

Brothers and sisters, if God has left the building then it has absolutely no value. Far too many today are forgetting that “if they speak not according to the law and testimony then there is no light in them” Isaiah 8:20.

It has been very amazing and disturbing to see the number of people, who make claim to a higher understanding of God’s truth, that follow after men who mix truth and error. Friends those who continue to give support to these will be lost in the end. They will fall on the wrong side in the judgment. It is not charisma that will save, but the Word of God. It is our continued wish and prayer that we all seek only those things which are indeed “prophetable” for our eternal welfare.

 

Apostasy, Why It Must Be Exposed

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Just to sit and contemplate what has happened in the last several years and what tomorrow will surely bring is enough to make one mentally exhausted. We will be sorely tempted to just throw our “helpless” hands in the air and give up. In fact this is exactly what the majority are being programmed to do and what they will do. In reality our very continued existence depends on how we deal with the issue of apostasy both in our calling to Adventism and the question of eternal life or death. As we understand this we will better appreciate what Jesus meant when He had John write, “Here is the patience of the saints,” in Revelation 14:12, and why He had this verse placed at the end of the Three Angels’ Messages.

Over the last several years I have heard it all—all the reasons why we should not even talk about the apostasy that has become thick. Even more I have heard why it is “sin” to expose it, especially if it is in high places, although the Bible plainly tells us that we must. I have heard statements made, as have all those who are standing firm, such as “Jesus never offended anyone.” This not only demonstrates the point, but exposes the success of the very apostasy that most are unwilling to deal with on any level. The majority which claim to be Adventists are actually and factually defending apostasy, knowingly or unknowingly, both in word and action. It is difficult to put into words the mental anguish this causes the few leaders who are trying to stay the poisonous tide of confusion and apostasy as wave after wave continues to break upon the house which has been built on the Rock. Many times the passion and pity displayed in the messages of warning, by these messengers, are labeled hate and anger. The deception perpetrated on them is so deep that many do not realize that there is appropriate as well as inappropriate types.

The good and everlasting news about Adventism and the house built on the Rock is that it may appear as about to fall, but it does not!! In these few words lies the key, the secret, the hidden treasure which promotes health, happiness, peace and salvation, in the context of exposing apostasy. And although God knows that the overwhelming majority (yes, even in the Adventist community) will be lost, He has set these truths forth for the few who seek and shall find them.

These truths invite and warn us that we must understand our calling to Adventist Christianity in the total sense, and we must be willing to accept it in its total sense, or be lost. We must realize that what we are facing in the experience of Adventism, as it pertains to apostasy, is perhaps shocking to our generation, but certainly nothing new. In fact, what is happening, in and to this movement, is a continuation of a six thousand year history.

My brothers and sisters, we have the golden opportunity to witness the victory that all the Bible writers spoke of for the last generation in these final hours. Whether we realize it or not, we are writing history as it pertains to the eternal record both individually and collectively. Those who make a profession of Adventism, who will be saved in the end, will come to the realization and understanding of the necessity of dealing with the apostasy. They will end up being most appreciative that Jesus and all heaven have untiringly worked to bring us the “eyesalve,” or spiritual discernment, we must have in this final great struggle, in the controversy between Christ and Satan.

As our understanding is sanctified by our Lord, the mighty Captain of the Lord’s host, we will become aware that this study and the reality it portrays is both horrible and fascinating. Dear friends, we will also realize what it means to be a Seventh-day Adventist, the price paid, and the extreme privilege given to us who have been called, which none deserve or merit. We must understand by that experimental knowledge that builds the faith of Jesus. We must understand and experience the hymns, “Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross,” “Onward Christian Soldiers,” and “Soldiers of Christ Arise,” not just sing them. This must become who we are, and not just a fanciful wish or hope, but a Christ empowered reality. We do not “do” Adventism, Adventism is something we become, it is who we are.

 

Motives

 

The motive for dealing with apostasy, in the way that Christ did, and with the same intent, is the love of souls and the hatred of sin. The passion generated both in Christ and in His followers does not come from a hatred of people, but rather a proper understanding of, and hatred for, what sin did to our Lord and His creation, the human race.

In dealing with the subject of apostasy and the principles surrounding it, we are obliged to be straightforward and accurate. But also, rightly understood, the same unwavering principles dictate that our motive must be one of salvation, not destruction. Here is where many are deceived from two different points of view. One group believes that we can hate the enemy along with the apostasy he is promoting. This is totally false, but the dilemma lies in the fact that we can only come to understand this in practical terms as we give ourselves over to the One who loves us even when we are wicked. It is very natural to hate the enemy. Why? Because he does not agree with us and is working to undermine what we believe and who we are. But one who is caught in this trap, although perhaps in “the work of the Lord,” is in reality in the business of using the Word of God to further his own cause. This has and will continue to prove to be fatal. Clean water poured into a dirty glass pollutes the water, it does not clean the glass. Right words out of a hateful heart will bring undesirable results and will not save the unclean vessel.

The other conclusion is just as deadly, both to the one who is infected and to those who are influenced wrongly by the polluted witness which follows. This comes from one who wrongly believes that because we are to love the sinner, then we are obligated to accept and tolerate (in the spiritual sense) open sin and apostasy in the church, and we are “sinning” if we expose this wrongdoing. Herein lies one of the biggest problems of Christianity in general, and certainly the plight of current Adventism. Our people are so immersed in the deception of this satanic mind set that much of their energy is used to defend wickedness and our “right” to do as we please instead of witnessing for God’s honor and defending His pure law and character.

To add to this, we have been set up to fail on all fronts since birth, through an agenda which is almost universally demonstrated in those who hold the power in the structure—the recognized organization of Adventism. This agenda surfaced in the mid-fifties, and I believe, for the last time, is coming into full bloom, not only in the Adventist movement, as we will discuss later. It will bring the whole world into the reality of what was once prophecy, now fact, found especially in the books of Daniel and Revelation and in the Spirit of Prophecy. These are the reasons we see a unified open war on God’s Word and the writings of Ellen G. White within the organized structure of Adventism today.

 

Sick of Hearing About Apostasy

 

With all of this in mind, with much more to come, we humbly, but seriously and most sincerely invite all who will, to take a hard, critical look, based on a thus saith the Lord, with much prayer and the spirit of a true student of God, and to join us in this study, of why we must deal with and expose apostasy until the job is finished and the battle over.

Frankly, it does not matter that “we are sick of hearing about apostasy.” We neither write the rules of the warfare nor does it matter how we feel, but it is eternally important to understand that the value lies in what God says and how He directs. May we be compelled through our love for Jesus, the love of His truth, and the sanctification this brings, to stand properly in our lot as Seventh-day Adventists.

We plan not only to retrace our past to establish a foundation and platform for why exposing apostasy is vital, but we hope, along the way to keep demonstrating with clear evidence that the agenda to tear every waymark of true Adventism down is fully alive and at work in the ranks of the leadership within the structure.

We will also make the bold assertion, define, and prove it, that the power of the structure has been captured by these leaders who are promoting and pressing their agenda of apostasy. Included will be some of the reasons why these leaders are not really Adventists at all, and how this complicates the warfare from the perspective of the true Adventist.

In doing this delicate but bold work the writer is aware of what many will say. This very work is what caused the death of Christ, and virtually all those who stood firm, that we would know by name, either in the Biblical account, or the historical time of the dark ages. But this is to a large degree why we must investigate it! For if Jesus and His followers thought it worthy of dying for, and if the rejection of this aspect of the work (exposing the apostasy among the professed people of God) drove the majority to become their murderers, then we must know why and be in the right relationship with the facts, no matter how it makes us feel.

May the Holy Spirit attend every article with love, clarity, boldness and balance; and every reader with honesty, discernment, a love for the truth, and the mind of Christ, is our prayer.

 

The Rise of the Papacy

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In the previous article it was shown that the Waldenses and their rule of faith go back at least to the fourth century, and their beliefs are derived from those of the apostles. Now we will trace the history of the church and see that there came a dividing of ways and two distinct paths are evident. One path leads into the wilderness church while the other brings us to the papacy which persecuted that church (Waldenses, Albigenses, et. al.).

“The spread of Christianity during the first three centuries was rapid and extensive. The main causes that contributed to this were the translation of the Scriptures into the languages of the Roman world, the fidelity and zeal of the preachers of the Gospel, and the heroic deaths of the martyrs. It was the success of Christianity that first set limits to its progress. It had received a terrible blow, it is true, under Diocletian. This, which was the most terrible of all the early persecutions, had, in the belief of the pagans, utterly exterminated the ‘Christian superstition.’ So far from this, it had but afforded the Gospel an opportunity of giving to the world a mightier proof of its divinity.” History of Protestantism, vol. 1, 3 by J. A. Wylie.

 

Great Beginnings in History

 

Throughout history there are evidences of great beginnings followed by the great majority giving into terrible apostasy. Great leaders under the guidance of God appeared, bringing a renewal of faith and obedience among God’s professed people only to be followed by the majority going back into gross wickedness. Examples are: Noah and his warning of a coming flood and call for repentance, see Patriarchs and Prophets, 95; Moses and his leading Israel out of Egypt toward the Promised Land, see Hebrews 3; and finally Christ and His call for Israel to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand, see John 6. In all three of these experiences there came a time when the great majority turned away from truth into rebellion against the God of heaven. The Lord has always had a remnant to serve Him. His purposes have, and are, moving steadily forward, although, the great majority have many times gone into such deep apostasy that it appeared that the progress to truth was halted or even reversed.

Christ established the early church with His apostles. The purity of that church was maintained as long as they lived. However the beginnings of apostasy were evident in Paul’s day. “The apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, foretold the great apostasy which would result in the establishment of the papal power. He declared that the day of Christ should not come, ‘except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.’ And furthermore, the apostle warns his brethren that ‘the mystery of iniquity doth already work.’ 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4, 7. Even at that early date he saw, creeping into the church, errors that would prepare the way for the development of the papacy.” The Great Controversy, 49.

 

Lamp of Truth Burns Dimly

 

“All through, from the fifth to the fifteenth century, the Lamp of Truth burned dimly in the sanctuary of Christendom. Its flame often sank low, and appeared about to expire, yet never did it wholly go out. God remembered His covenant with the light, and set bounds to the darkness. Not only had this heaven-kindled lamp its period of waxing and waning, like those luminaries that God has placed on high, but like them, too, it had its appointed circuit to accomplish. Now it was on the cities of Northern Italy that its light was seen to fall; and now its rays illumined the plains of southern France. Now it shone along the course of the Danube and the Moldau, or tinted the pale shores of England, or shed its glory upon the Scottish Hebrides. Now it was on the summits of the Alps that it was seen to burn, spreading a gracious morning on the mountain-tops, and giving promise of the sure approach of day. And then, anon, it would bury itself in the deep valleys of piedmont, and seek shelter from the furious tempests of persecution behind the great rocks and the eternal snows of the everlasting hills.” The History of Protestantism, 3.

 

Corruption Creeps In

 

Corruption made marked and rapid progress in the early church, beginning with the fourth century. The Bible was being taken away from the people and, as the true light, which was a sure guarantee of liberty, began to fade, the clergy exercised more and more authority over the church members. “Little by little, at first in stealth and silence, and then more openly as it increased in strength and gained control of the minds of men, ‘the mystery of iniquity’ carried forward its deceptive and blasphemous work. Almost imperceptibly the customs of heathenism found their way into the Christian church. The spirit of compromise and conformity was restrained for a time by the fierce persecutions which the church endured under paganism. But as persecution ceased, and Christianity entered the courts and palaces of kings, she laid aside the humble simplicity of Christ and His apostles for the pomp and pride of pagan priests and rulers; and in place of the requirements of God, she substituted human theories and traditions.” The Great Controversy, 49. Canons of councils were set up in place of the infallible Rule of Faith. The clergy took upon themselves titles of dignity and extended their authority into the realm of temporal matters. Often the minister was asked to arbitrate in disputes between members of the church.

 

Patterning After The World

 

The next step was to pattern the church organization after that of the state. Under the emperor Constantine, in the fourth century, the empire was governed by four prefects, therefore the Christian world was divided up into four dioceses over which were four patriarchs, each one governing the whole clergy in his domain. Where there had been a brotherhood now there was a hierarchy. Now there was pomp and ceremony of rank and subordination of authority and office. Now there was greatness of rank in place of the fame of learning. With the desertion of the study of the Bible came the institution of rites and ceremonies. These were multiplied to such a degree that “Augustine complained that they were ‘less tolerable than the yoke of the Jews under the law.’ ” History of Protestantism, 4. Now the Bishops of Rome began to speak with authority and demand obedience from all the churches. “This compromise between paganism and Christianity resulted in the development of the ‘man of sin’ foretold in prophecy as opposing and exalting himself above God. That gigantic system of false religion is a masterpiece of Satan’s power—a monument of his efforts to seat himself upon the throne to rule the earth according to his will.” The Great Controversy, 50. Because the spiritual condition of the Roman church was nearly extinct there was nothing to stem the tide of paganism into the church as the northern nations began to enter the empire. The fact that the high standards of true Christianity were nonexistent, the barbarians were accepted into the church just as they were. They were taught the rites and ceremonies of the apostate church and some of their pagan beliefs and practices were taken into the church. “The new tribes had changed their country, but not their superstitions.” History of Protestantism, 4.

The removal of the seat of the empire from Rome to Constantinople left a void in the city of Rome paving the way for the Bishop to take over the western seat of rule not only ecclesiastical but civil as well. By the fifth century when the western empire fell, the Bishop of Rome was substantially supreme over all bishops. By the year 606 the Roman Bishop’s pre-eminence was decreed in the imperial edict of Phocas. After the fall of the empire the Roman Bishop claimed to be the successor of Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, and the Vicar of Christ, and finally the vicar of the Most High God.

 

Pope Becomes Supreme

 

“In the eighth century there came a moment of supreme peril to Rome. At almost one and the same time she was menaced by two dangers, which threatened to sweep her out of existence, but which in their issue, contributed to strengthen her dominion. On the west the victorious Saracens, having crossed the Pyrenees and overrun the south of France, were watering their steeds at the Loire, and threatening to descend upon Italy and plant the Crescent in the room of the Cross. On the north, the Lombards who, under Albion, had established themselves in Central Italy two centuries before—had burst the barrier of the Apennines, and were brandishing their swords at the gates of Rome. They were on the point of replacing Catholic orthodoxy with their creed of Arianism.” Ibid. 10,11. By 774 these two tribes were vanquished and the territory of these tribes were ceded to the pope.

At this point in time the Pope has reached two of his objectives; bishop of bishops which he received in the seventh century and temporal sovereignty in the eighth. The final goal to be reached was the title king of kings, that is, to be supreme over all kings of the earth. This Pope Innocent III realized in the thirteenth century. The papacy was now enjoying its noon, but the noon of the papacy was the midnight not only for Christendom but also for the world. “Popery had become the world’s despot. Kings and emperors bowed to the decrees of the Roman pontiff. The destinies of men, both for time and for eternity, seemed under his control. For hundreds of years the doctrines of Rome had been extensively and implicitly received, its rites reverently performed, its festivals generally observed. Its clergy were honored and liberally sustained. Never since has the Roman Church attained to greater dignity, magnificence or power.

“But ‘the noon of the papacy was the midnight of the world.’—J. A. Wylie, The History of Protestantism, b.1, Ch. 4. The Holy Scriptures were almost unknown, not only to the people, but

to the priests. Like the Pharisees of old, the papal leaders hated the light which would reveal their sins. God’s law, the standard of righteousness, having been removed, they exercised power without limit, and practiced vice without restraint. Fraud, avarice, and profligacy prevailed. Men shrank from no crime by which they could gain wealth or position. The palaces of popes and prelates were scenes of the vilest debauchery. Some of the reigning pontiffs were guilty of crimes so revolting that secular rulers endeavored to depose these dignitaries of the church as monsters too vile to be tolerated. For centuries Europe had made no progress in learning, arts or civilization. A moral and intellectual paralysis had fallen upon Christendom.

 

People Destroyed For Lack Of Knowledge

 

“The condition of the world under the Romish power presented a fearful and striking fulfillment of the words of the prophet Hosea: ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee . . . seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.’ ‘There is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.’ Hosea 4:6, 1, 2. Such were the results of banishing the word of God.” The Great Controversy, 60. Having gained all the power that it sought, the Papacy began in a greater measure the persecutions of the followers of God’s Word in an attempt to eliminate all “heretics.” Now the leaders of the papal power could devote its energies to remove all those who would not bow to their wishes. In our perusal of this history we have been made painfully aware that “Righteousness exalteth a nation,” Proverbs 14:34, and this applies to people and institutions also. Someone has said “He who does not learn the lessons of history is bound to repeat it” and the Lord does not desire us to repeat the history of the papal church. Jesus said, “All ye are brethren.” Matthew 23:8. Unless we maintain our steadfast faith and confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ, we will fall into the same trap into which we have seen the papal church fall and repeat her history. May God help us to go forward in faith not looking back. In the next article we will delve into the activities of the papal power relating to the Waldenses and their development. The Papacy attempted to destroy this hated people and everything they stood for.

 

Getting Physical

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Recently, a historic Adventist minister was visiting believers in another historic Adventist church in a nearby city in Papua New Guinea. Before he left some members of a mission church connected with the union, division and General Conference) said they wanted to speak with him. He consented to this, but when he went to speak with them, instead of speaking with him they began to beat him up, slugging and kicking him. Fortunately he escaped without mortal injuries and went to Australia. I talked with him on the telephone while he was recovering.

Let us ask some simple, basic questions. Are people in the New Jerusalem going to invite you to talk with them and then to beat you because you do not understand something the way that they do? That is unthinkable isn’t it? If I have invited another Adventist to talk to me and instead I kicked and slugged him, will I be allowed to go through the pearly gates? The whole angelic host would stand up to bar my entrance. They have gone through this before and will not tolerate it again. (See Revelation 12:7–9.) People who do this sort of thing are manifesting who their real ruler is and it is not Jesus Christ. Is there any way for individuals who do things like this to be saved? There is only one way. Peter said to those who were guilty of killing Jesus, to repent and be converted (Acts 2 & 3). (These people were professed Sabbathkeepers, they were the true church by profession but their character proved them children of the devil, John 8:44.) To repent means to have a change of heart, to be sorry enough for your sins, to quit. My dear friend in structure Adventism, nobody can be saved in sin. To be forgiven of the guilt of stoning or any violence first must come repentance, then confession. (“If I have sinned against my neighbor in word or action, I should make confession to him.” Review and Herald, February 9, 1897.)

You can never be saved just by having your sins forgiven. You must overcome—quit sinning—that is the fruit that shows the repentance was real (Matthew 3:8). No doubt other differences will arise, we will again have opportunity to demonstrate to the universe how we will behave when somebody else sees the evidence entirely different than we do—we will have more opportunities to demonstrate that we are at last overcomers. The universe is watching to see which of us will finally overcome—quit sinning and thereby prove our repentance to be more than profession.

 

An Adventist’s Problem

 

There are other perspectives to this incident that we need to ponder. If a brother stones or beats up another brother, are the rest of us who profess the same faith innocent if we do not protest? If we are silent when somebody is injured, if we put off the day of doom and “cause the seat of violence to come near,” if we go on singing, eating and drinking, being anointed with the best ointments and not being grieved for the “affliction of Joseph” eternal destruction will result (Amos 6:3, 6).

What if somebody says in his heart, “I feel really bad about it,” but is silent?

“Silence gives consent.” 1888 Materials, 1298.

Structure Adventists cannot say that “we” are not involved because that person is in a different family or church or conference or union or division because in reality they are a part of the sisterhood of churches throughout the world that are part of the same general conference—the people who did the beating up are part of the same General Conference that you are a part of if you belong to a mission or conference church. If you do not protest evil you will be accounted part of the evil that you supported by your money, membership and influence. “We are to be our brother’s keeper, not his destroyer.” Review and Herald, May 29, 1894. Every professed Adventist church and institution and minister in the world who remains silent is implicated in this crime. It is very serious to support those who are fostering an evil work. “There are fearful woes for those who preach the truth, but are not sanctified by it, and also for those who consent to receive and maintain the unsanctified to minister to them in word and doctrine.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 261, 262.

We cannot say before the recording angel that we did not know. Could you say, I did not know that any Adventists were stoning one another or beating up one another or seeking the arm of the state to enforce the rules of the church? Can any Adventist not know of even one of these things? Are you sure that you want to claim ignorance to the judge at the end of the world? Do you want to explain to Him why you were silent and did not protest iniquity among God’s professed people? Surely you would acknowledge that people who belong to mission or conference churches are God’s professed people. Surely you do not believe that God’s professed people can take other Adventists with whom they disagree about religion and beat them up or stone them. Pertinent Ellen White statements: “When he [Nehemiah] saw wrong principles being acted upon, he did not stand by as an onlooker, and by his silence give consent. He did not leave the people to conclude that he was standing on the wrong side. He took a firm, unyielding stand for the right.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 3, 1135

“We need men who will not hold their peace when they see evils coming in and wrongs being done. We need men who will refuse to give consent by silence to unjust actions.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, 156.

I have decided by the grace of God to be one of those men, how about you? “I shall no longer hold my peace. I am bidden to cry aloud, and spare not. I have tried in every way to bring about the needed reformation, and save the souls of those who are following a wrong course. But I cannot go on as I have been going. When every effort has been made to save their souls, and yet all is in vain, we must cry aloud and spare not, lest our silence be interpreted to mean consent. The time has come when each one must stand in his lot and place, prepared to call sin, sin, and righteousness, righteousness.” Loma Linda Messages, 48.

 

 

Letter from Australia

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7th November 1996

Dear Pastor Grosboll,

I have just completed reading your article “A Lesson from Australia” in the September 96 issue of Land Marks. I have found this article very interesting.

It was in the late 1980’s when my husband Peter and I began to get interested in what was happening in Seventh-day Adventism in Australia. We were concerned about what our children were being taught at Avondale College and of some of the student activities happening there. From 1984-90 our five children attended Avondale. At first we neither realized the seriousness or implications of what was happening. We spoke to some about the concerns we had, but were told “not to be critical.”

Then Ron Spear and Marshall Grosboll (and their wives) came to Albury. We asked them to stay with us, and organized a meeting at our home. I can still remember how Ron quoted SOP by memory—it was amazing to us. Marshall took a talk on the Nature of Christ.

After they left we started searching. We soon found ourselves unpopular with our local church Pastor. We searched for truth in our local church and found emptiness. At this time there was a group of about 30 in our church who were meeting with us who were also searching for truth. We knew that we couldn’t stay in a church that was not preparing us for Christ’s soon coming, so we decided to run our own church. We tried to become a Branch Sabbath School and applied to the Conference, but were ignored because we did not go through the “right channels.” We knew that we couldn’t take any new converts to our local Conference Church.

So in 1990 we decided to become a Congregational Church. We ran Sabbath School, Church and Outreach programmes, preaching and teaching the True Advent Doctrine. Then when my husband Peter baptised someone, our local conference church used this as an excuse to disfellowship him and two other men who were also leading out at our church because they did not follow properly constituted church authority, and belonged to a divisive movement.

We continued to meet as a church and had different speakers come to us from America. This caused us problems as they were telling us to go back to the church. Some of our people became confused and went back to the Conference church. After this happened a few times we decided to stop having any visiting preachers and our local men did all the preaching.

We were amazed at these preachers. They were not working for the conference, they were brought to Australia by Independent Ministries, yet they were saying “go back to the church.” At this stage I had only just started hearing about Independent Ministries. Most Australians had the belief that if one was not under the conference, they were not real Seventh-day Adventists. Yet many of these visiting speakers ran or worked for Independent Ministries in America. If they would be doing their same work in Australia, they would not be accepted here.

So much confusion has been caused because our people do not understand what God’s true church is. They mistakenly keep thinking it is the “conference”. We have seen countless people stop attending Independent Camp Meetings—they feel they must go back to “the church,” or if they cannot face the apostasy in their conference church they would sooner stay at home alone rather than worship with us because we have “formed a new church.” We have seen attendance dwindle from hundreds down to small groups.

Not only did we face this confusion, but our pulpit has been used by people with strange theology who see a ready made audience for their way off theology. This has caused us problems when some of our members were influenced by them. It seemed as soon as we gained a few more members, someone would come along and they would leave. We have had issues of separationism, pictures as idols, futurism, corporate responsibility and many more.

Currently we are at our lowest membership for quite some time with a few families leaving. About 20 attend each Sabbath. Yes, Satan has been at work in our church but we also see God’s great blessings. We hear wonderful sermons about being prepared for Christ’s coming. My husband Peter is the original preacher left and he preaches most of the sermons. He finds it difficult to find the time to prepare these as he holds down a full time job in the workforce.

There is much more I could write but time does not permit me to do this. I am so grateful that at long last other people can see the problem in Australia. We have seen the gradual change over years, of some of the visiting ministers, as apostasy deepens in the SDA church. They seem to understand our position and we are not now dismissed as “offshoots.” We are very grateful of the support of Russell Standish, Tom Turner and O.K. Anderson.

Thank you for your magazine. I enjoy the articles and appreciate the effort that goes into these.

May God continue to bless you,
Name Withheld

The Little Company Who Are Sighing and Crying

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The following thoughts are derived from what Ellen White wrote about the little company who would be sighing and crying toward the end of time. The main source of these statements is in volume 5 of Testimonies for the Church pages 207–216.

We are living in that period of time described by the prophet when the great crisis of the ages is fast approaching, when the rapidly increasing wickedness shows that God’s visitation has about come, when every one of the Lord’s children must do his duty to labor diligently to save others. The danger and depression of the church are hastening toward their greatest point and at this time it is predicted that there will be a little company who are standing in the light and will be sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the land. The land where these awful abominations are done is the land of the church.

What we want to know is (1) who is this little company and what are their identifying characteristics and (2) what is this sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the church.

First we must understand that the church which Ellen White speaks about here is not the true church in reality but the professed people of God, most of whom are not living out the truth they profess. This can easily be shown. Just as there was an Israel according to the flesh and a true Israel of the promise (Romans 9:6-8) so there is a modern Israel according to the profession and there is within this a true Israel whose character lines up with their profession. Notice during this time, “But the glory of the Lord had departed from Israel; although many still continued the forms of religion, His power and presence were lacking.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 210. God’s power and presence were lacking from the church (the professed church) but concerning the true church the prophet writes, “To the end of time the presence of the Spirit is to abide with the true church.” The Acts of the Apostles, 54, 55.

So there will be a large professed church (those who profess the Seventh-day Adventist faith) and within this large group there is a little company. As we will see, this little company will emerge as the church triumphant at the end. We now turn our attention to this little company. What qualifications must one have to be a part of this group?
The little company has the following characteristics:

  1. They keep the commandments, including the Sabbath. They have come out from the world and stand in defense of God’s law.
  2. They are standing in the light—they are obeying the counsels of God’s spirit to the remnant church. They are bound together by the truth. They have preserved the faith in its purity. (They are Historic Adventists!)
  3. They are sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the land. They will have a soul anguish, expressed in lamentation and weeping, reproofs and warnings.
  4. More especially their prayers are arising in behalf of the professed church whose members are doing after the manner of the world.
  5. They have kept themselves unspotted from the world.
  6. They have reproved, counseled and entreated, holding forth the words of life to the professed church.
  7. They will not hold their peace to obtain favor of any.
  8. They are filled with grief and alarm because they are powerless to stop the rushing torrent of iniquity (in God’s professed church).
  9. They mourn and lament because religion is despised in the homes of God’s professed people and pride, avarice, selfishness and deception of almost every kind are in the professed church.
  10. The spirit of God which prompts these people to reprove is trampled underfoot. The servants of Satan triumph, God is dishonored and the truth is made of none effect.
  11. They receive the seal of God.
  12. They make God their defense in the deadly conflict with the powers of earth who command them to worship the beast and receive his mark or die.
  13. Their character defects are remedied by the grace of God and their own diligent efforts. They do not yield to circumstances but engage in the conflict of overcoming.
  14. They are distrustful of self and are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth, they are being purified, overcome worldly ambition, love of the world and a false tongue and a deceitful heart—they are without spot before God.

In the same articles where Ellen White describes the true church (the little company) who are obeying the truth, she describes a much larger group. This group, though professing the Adventist faith, (they are the true church by profession) their character does not agree with their profession. They lose their souls at the end even if they have been Adventists all their lives! Here is the inspired description of them.

 

  1. They are contaminated by the prevailing iniquity.
  2. They lose their reverence for God’s law.
  3. They live after the manner of the world.
  4. They continue the forms of religion.
  5. They throw a cloak over the existing evil and excuse the great wickedness everywhere prevalent. (When you are listening to sermons telling you to go back where you were disfellowshipped or forced out for conscience sake, remember who this group is described in #5.)
  6. This group triumphs over the little company.
  7. This group does not feel grieved over it’s own spiritual declension.
  8. They do not mourn over the sins of others.
  9. This group includes leaders who stand as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people.
  10. They take the position that we need not look for miracles and marked manifestation of God’s power as in former days. They say that “times have changed.”
  11. They cry peace and safety and talk about the mercy of God. (They overlook His justice.)
  12. They do not show God’s professed people their transgressions and sins.
  13. Those who have been regarded as worthy and righteous will be discovered by God as leaders in apostasy and examples in indifference.
  14. They have been used powerfully by God in the past but they have departed from God and led others into error.
  15. They link in sympathy with the world.
  16. Many among the leaders of God’s people will be in this category and will not receive the seal of God in their foreheads.
  17. These leaders understand every point of our faith (they are not heretics in the usual sense of the word) but had not corresponding works.
  18. They failed to reach a high religious standard by their lack of devotion and piety.
  19. Those who followed them did not see that in patterning after these men (these leaders in the big group of professed Adventists) they will surely endanger their souls.
  20. They yield to circumstances rather than engage in the conflict of overcoming.
  21. They are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast.

 

From the context of the article it is clear that the small group described first are the Historic Adventists and the large group described last are the vast majority of those professing the Adventist faith. At first reading, this thought is so imponderable as to escape reflection—certainly such a thing seems impossible, yet it is the truth of prophecy.

It is not pleasant to contemplate the destruction of the majority of God’s professed people but many prophecies clearly predict this. (See for example Testimonies, vol. 1, 608, 609; Testimonies, vol. 5, 136.) How can such a thing happen? Do not these people expect to be ready to meet Jesus when He comes and go home with Him? Of course they do. So why will many be bitterly disappointed? Part of the reason is described in the quotations below. We must go to our closet and plead with God to be delivered from self-deception—thinking we are saved when we are not.

Our great danger today is the same danger that the Jews had—the danger of being self-deceived. In crucifying Christ they thought that they were doing God service. (See Signs of the Times, January 10, 1900.)

“The Jews pursued their course of rejecting Christ until, in their self-deceived, deluded state, they thought that in crucifying Him they were doing God a service. Thus it will be with all who resist the entreaties of the Spirit of God, and persist in doing what they know to be wrong. The Spirit once resisted, there will be less difficulty in resisting it a second time. If we maintain the independence of the natural heart, and refuse the correction of God, we shall, as did the Jews, stubbornly carry out our own purposes and ideas in the face of the plainest evidence, and shall be in danger of as great deception as came on them. In our blind infatuation we may go to as great lengths as they did, and yet flatter ourselves that we are doing work for God. Those who continue in this course will reap what they have sown. They were afforded a shelter, but they refused it. The plagues of God will fall, and He will prevent them not.” Review and Herald, July 27, 1897.

“If the worldly element is allowed to take possession of the heart, things that are not approved of God will seem right, and the religious life will be mixed with error. The perceptions will not be clear and distinct to understand the word and will of the Lord. There is danger of pursuing this course of disobedience until the wrong is gilded over, conscience is blunted, and the self-deceived one believes himself on the highway of holiness when he is on the downward road to perdition.” Signs of the Times, August 6, 1885.

“It is difficult for us to understand ourselves, to have a correct knowledge of our own characters. The Word of God is plain, but often there is an error in applying it to one’s self. There is liability to self-deception and to think its warnings and reproofs do not mean me. ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?’ (Jeremiah 17:9). Self-flattery may be construed into Christian emotion and zeal. Self-love and confidence may give us assurance that we are right when we are far from meeting the requirements of God’s Word.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 332, (1885).

The same events that happened in Jesus’ day are to happen again by those who must have their own way and as a result deceive not only others but themselves:

“Some who profess righteousness will, like Judas, betray their Lord into the hands of His bitterest enemies. These self-confident ones, determined to have their own way and to advocate their own ideas, will go on from bad to worse, until they will pursue any course rather than to give up their own will. They will go on blindly in the way of evil, but, like the deluded Pharisees, so self-deceived that they think they are doing God’s service. Christ portrayed the course which a certain class will take when they have a chance to develop their true character: ‘And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.’ ” Testimonies, vol. 5, 690, 691.

Our only chance of avoiding self-deception is to become humble and teachable like a little child, casting away all pride of opinion and choosing to follow the way of the Lord with humility and patience. (See Testimonies, vol. 5, 214.)

“There is danger, great danger with all men of becoming self-deceived.” Manuscript Release, vol. 13, 28.

“From the light that God has given me, I know that men’s great danger is in being self-deceived. Satan is watching his chance. He will come to men in human form, and will speak to them most entrancing words. He will bring against them the same temptations that he brought against Christ. Unless their minds and hearts are filled with the pure, unselfish, sanctified love that Christ revealed, they will fall under Satan’s power, and will do and say and write strange things, to deceive, if it were possible, the very elect.” Upward Look, 295.

We have been warned. The shaking taking place now, which will indeed intensify, was predicted and described by God’s messenger to the remnant in the most graphic terms. Unless you are a diligent student of inspired writings, unless the study of the Word of God has resulted in filling your heart with the love of Jesus and the faith of Jesus, if you are looking and trusting to the arm of flesh or anything that you can see or perceive in the flesh, not walking by faith alone, the snare will sweep you off your feet—you will be deceived with the majority and not know it until it is too late.

“Some who have been deceived by men in responsible places will repent, and be converted. And in all our dealings with them, we must remember that none of those who are in the depth of Satan’s snares know that they are there.” Battle Creek Letter, 125.

Bible Study Guides – Beware!

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January 23, 2011 – January 29, 2011

Key Text

“Ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Jude 3.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 518–530; The Acts of the Apostles, 346–358.

Introduction

“I saw a company who stood well guarded and firm, giving no countenance to those who would unsettle the established faith of the body.” Early Writings, 258.

1 What prophecy is now being fulfilled as never before? Job 24:12, 13; Amos 2:12; II Chronicles 36:16. Why is Satan working so intensely to throw discredit on the Testimonies through unfaithful leaders? Proverbs 29:18.

Note: “Soon every possible effort will be made to discount and pervert the truth of the testimonies of God’s Spirit.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 41.

“The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. …

“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.” Ibid., 48.

2 On the other hand, what snare is Satan trying to lay for those who profess to believe in the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy? Jeremiah 14:14.

Note: “There will be those once united with us in the faith who will search for new, strange doctrines, for something odd and sensational to present to the people. They will bring in all conceivable fallacies, and will present them as coming from Mrs. White, that they may beguile souls.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 41.

3 How and through whom are many souls being led astray? Acts 20:28–30; Jude 11–13.

Note: “False theories will be mingled with every phase of experience, and advocated with satanic earnestness in order to captivate the mind of every soul who is not rooted and grounded in a full knowledge of the sacred principles of the Word. In the very midst of us will arise false teachers, giving heed to seducing spirits whose doctrines are of satanic origin. These teachers will draw away disciples after themselves.” The Review and Herald, January 7, 1904.

“Never, never was there a time when the truth will suffer more from being misrepresented, belittled, demerited through the perverse disputings of men than in these last days.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1064.

“There are those today who will present falsehoods as testing truths, even as the Jews presented the maxims of men as the bread of heaven. Sayings of no value are given to the people of God as their portion of meat, while souls are starving for the bread of life. Fables have been devised, and men are trying to weave these fables into the web. Those who do this will one day see their work as it is viewed by the heavenly intelligences. They choose to bring to the foundation wood, hay, and stubble, when they have at their command the word of God, with all its richness and power, from which they can gather precious treasures of truth.” The Review and Herald, June 18, 1901.

4 Who will contact some of these leaders personally, and what will be the result? II Corinthians 11:14.

Note: “Satan is watching his chance. He will come to men in human form, and will speak to them most entrancing words. He will bring against them the same temptations that he brought against Christ. Unless their minds and hearts are filled with the pure, unselfish, sanctified love that Christ revealed, they will fall under Satan’s power, and will do and say and write strange things, to deceive, if it were possible, the very elect.” The Review and Herald, June 30, 1910.

5 What attitude is being taken against the pillars of our faith, and why does it cause separation? Psalm 11:3.

Note: “The truth for this time is precious, but those whose hearts have not been broken by falling on the rock Christ Jesus, will not see and understand what is truth. They will accept that which pleases their ideas, and will begin to manufacture another foundation than that which is laid. They will flatter their own vanity and esteem, thinking that they are capable of removing the pillars of our faith, and replacing them with pillars they have devised.

“This will continue to be as long as time shall last. Anyone who has been a close student of the Bible will see and understand the solemn position of those who are living in the closing scenes of this earth’s history. They will feel their own inefficiency and weakness, and will make it their first business to have not merely a form of Godliness, but a vital connection with God. They will not dare to rest until Christ is formed within, the hope of glory. Self will die; pride will be expelled from the soul, and they will have the meekness and gentleness of Christ.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 389.

“After the truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, every conceivable power of evil will be set in operation, and minds will be confused by many voices crying, ‘Lo, here is Christ; lo, He is there. This is the truth, I have the message from God, He has sent me with great light.’ Then there will be a removing of the landmarks, and an attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 985.

6 How do God’s faithful few respond? Jude 3, last part.

Note: “God’s servants are not to be easily discouraged by difficulties or opposition. Those who proclaim the third angel’s message must stand bravely at their post, in the face of detraction and falsehood, fighting the good fight of faith, and resisting the enemy with the weapon that Christ used, ‘It is written.’ In the great crisis through which they are soon to pass, the servants of God will encounter the same hardness of heart, the same cruel determination, the same unyielding hatred, encountered by Christ and the apostles.” Gospel Workers, 264.

7 Name some of Satan’s favorite weapons. Jeremiah 23:21.

Note: “Formality, worldly wisdom, worldly caution, worldly policy, will appear to many to be the very power of God, but when accepted, it stands as an obstacle to prevent God’s light in warnings, reproof, and counsel from coming to the world. …

“If Satan sees that the Lord is blessing His people and preparing them to discern his delusions, he will work with his master power to bring in fanaticism on the one hand and cold formalism on the other, that he may gather in a harvest of souls.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 19.

8 What distinction are those led astray by fanatical movements unable to see? Leviticus 10:10; Ezekiel 22:26.

Note: “Some zealous ones who are aiming and straining every energy for originality have made a grave mistake in trying to get something startling, wonderful, entrancing, before the people, something that they think others do not comprehend; but often they do not themselves know what they are talking about. They speculate upon God’s Word, advancing ideas that are not a whit of help to themselves or to the churches. For the time being, they may excite the imagination; but there is a reaction, and these very ideas become a hindrance. Faith is confounded with fancy, and their views may bias the mind in the wrong direction. Let the plain, simple statements of the Word of God be food for the mind; this speculating upon ideas that are not clearly presented there, is dangerous business.

“The danger that threatens our churches is that new and strange things will be brought in, things that confuse the minds of the people, and give them no strength, at the very time when they most need strength in spiritual things. Clear discernment is needed that things new and strange shall not be laid alongside of truth as a part of the burden of the message to be given at this time. The very messages we have been giving to the world are to be made prominent.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 13, 14.

“There will always be false and fanatical movements made by persons in the church who claim to be led of God—those who will run before they are sent.” Ibid., 84.

9 What warning applies wherever there is open apostasy? Matthew 15:14.

Note: “Christ calls for unity. But He does not call for us to unify on wrong practices.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 175.

“Let the watchmen on the walls of Zion not join with those who are making of none effect the truth as it is in Christ.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1141.

“To yoke up with those who are unconsecrated, and yet be loyal to the truth, is simply impossible. We cannot unite with those who are serving themselves, who are working on worldly plans, and not lose our connection with the heavenly Counselor.” Ibid., vol. 5, 1086.

“Even if they [those who follow the Lord] have to walk as did Enoch—with God alone—his children must separate from those who do not obey Him.” Ibid., vol. 2, 1037.

10 Upon which platform are God’s people to unify? John 17:17–21; I John 1:7.

Note: “I urge our brethren to unify upon a true, scriptural basis.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 175.

“Christ calls upon His followers to come into unity on the pure gospel principles which are plainly revealed in the word of God.” Gospel Workers, 391.

“The present truth is not difficult to be understood, and the people whom God is leading will be united upon this broad, firm platform.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 326.

Review and Thought Questions

1 What attack has been made on the Spirit of Prophecy?

2 What are the fruits of heresy?

3 Describe the two conflicting standards that can be observed among believers in the third angel’s message.

4 What harm will befall God’s people from “those who will run before they are sent”?

5 What are the conditions for unity among believers?

©2005 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

A Lesson From Australia

by

In 1888 our church leaders and a large proportion of the Seventh-day Adventist church rejected the message that God sent to us through A.T. Jones and E.J. Waggoner at the Minneapolis General Conference. Ellen White, A.T. Jones, and E.J. Waggoner traveled all over the United States preaching and teaching our people, attempting to reverse the tide that had been set in motion by our leaders, but it did not work. The majority of Adventists flessonsdid not accept the message of righteousness by faith. The General Conference leaders decided they needed to get Ellen White out of the way, so they suggested that she go to Australia. She had no light from the Lord that she should go, but she said at one time when she had no light from the Lord, she followed the counsel of the brethren (see appendix part A). This statement has been quoted all over the world, but she made another statement later that she believed that she had made a mistake in going to Australia. Later the General Conference brethren wanted to get her even farther out of the way so they suggested that she go to Africa, but she would not go (see appendix part B).

She came back to the United States in 1900, just in time for the greatest crisis that the Seventh-day Adventist church would go through, up to that time. It is reported that Ellen White said in Australia in 1896, that if we had accepted the message in 1888, we would have been in the Kingdom by then. It was during the 1890s, after we had rejected the message of righteousness by faith, that we started on the long way home to the Kingdom. The long way involved the building up of many institutions.

If you look at the history of Adventist institutions, you will find that most of our colleges started in the 1890s. The college at Keene started in the 1890s; the one at Lincoln and Walla Walla started in the 1890s too. Shortly afterwards, we had two crisis General Conferences in 1901 and 1903. After the 1903 General Conference, which Ellen White said was one of the deepest disappointments of her life, the Lord chose to institute another plan for finishing His work.

Ellen White, through Divine inspiration, authorized Dr. Sutherland and Magan to begin Madison College, a self-supporting institution which she said was not to be under the control of the conference (see appendix part C). God authorized self-supporting work, work that was not under the control of the conference, and it has been under attack by the devil ever since. When Ellen White was in Australia, she was instrumental in helping them start a model school. There were two schools that were established in Ellen White’s lifetime which she spoke of as model schools. One of them was the college at Avondale; the other one was Madison College.

I recently visited Avondale College with Elder O. K. Anderson. His father was very well acquainted with Ellen White. Elder Anderson showed us around the college and showed us the place where Ellen White saw a furrow in vision and knew that this was the sight that they needed to purchase. Elder Anderson’s father was contacted and he went and investigated this property. People thought that it would not grow anything, but it became a very fertile farmland in just a few years.

Ellen White directed them to plant an apple orchard, where today they have a ball field. They had a high-producing apple and persimmon orchard on this farm. Ellen White lived at Cooranbong, just a stone’s throw from where this college was established, from 1896 to 1900. Under her direction this college was established, and the Austral-Asian Division became a flagship division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The work progressed very rapidly; Ellen White visited both Australia and New Zealand and taught them that they had the responsibility of taking the Gospel to all of that region of the world. From Australia and New Zealand we sent missionaries to Fiji, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and to New Guinea. In addition to that, there are many small islands scattered throughout the Pacific. Before World War II, we had mission boats and our missionaries would travel from island to island.

The work was established in these islands at great sacrifice. Many of the missionaries that first went there lost their lives. We lost one of our missionaries in 1920 from Blackwater Fever. In 1966 there was a new convert to Adventism who wanted to take the Gospel to the islands, so he and his wife went to the islands. He was there for only eleven days when he was speared and lost his life. In 1988 we had a missionary who was shot and lost his life. Taking the gospel to these islands has not been without cost.

As the work progressed in these islands, everyone looked to Austral-Asia as a flagship division—a place where the Adventist work was progressing rapidly in purity. We had no idea what was going to happen, that this would be the division that would be the first to come under a tremendous attack through the new theology.

At the General Conference Session in 1980, H. M. S. Richards, Sr. referred to the possibility of losing a whole division. This attack began when Desmond Ford began to teach our ministers and theology students at Avondale College. A fight developed between Desmond Ford and many of our leading evangelists and pastors in Australia. These pastors and evangelists in Australia said that Desmond Ford was preaching heresy and something needed to be done about it. The interesting thing was that our organization would not do anything about it. Anyone in the Austral-Asian division that went to school after about 1960 was trained in this new theology. Ministers that were experienced said, “This is heresy!” But the church would not listen to them. However, it finally got so bad that something had to be done, so this is what was done:

People said, “He is just a big fish in a little pond over here in Australia. We’ll just ship him off to the United States and then he’ll be a little fish in a big pond and he won’t cause so much trouble.” So they transported the problem to the United States, and within a matter of months it became a worldwide problem. At that time Desmond Ford was “defrocked.” However, it was a situation in which outwardly he was defrocked, but actually instead he got control of a large portion of the Adventist church. New theology had already taken hold—it had taken hold in the 1940s and 1950s among some of the leading men in our seminary. In the mid 1950s we published the book Questions on Doctrine, and by the 1960s it was starting to take hold of the men who were teaching our ministers in the United States. By the 1980s it was everywhere, not just with the ministers, but all through the ranks of Adventism.

Let me just mention a few of the cardinal teachings of the new theology. The first and the main one is the teaching that you cannot keep the law of God perfectly. You can keep it, but you cannot keep it perfectly. Desmond Ford was grilled on this by his opponents; he would say, “Yes, I believe that you can keep the law of God.” So he was finally asked, “Do you believe that you can keep the law of God perfectly?” He said, “No, I don’t believe that you can keep the law of God perfectly.” That understanding is based on a certain understanding of the nature of Christ, original sin, what happened at the cross, and the meaning of the sanctuary. New theologists do not think that the Adventist doctrine concerning the sanctuary has any real relevance.

In 1979 Desmond Ford made the statement that he did not think that 1844 was relevant. If 1844 is not relevant, then our Sanctuary teaching from Daniel 8 and 9 and the book of Hebrews is not relevant. If that is not relevant, then you do not have any rational reason to be a Seventh-day Adventist, you might as well be a Seventh-day Baptist or something else. Of course, Ellen White would be a false prophet. Desmond Ford was forced to take a position on all of those things. He said that he did not believe that Ellen White had canonical authority (whatever that is)! He said that she had pastoral authority. That’s the same as denying the prophetic gift! A prophet has Divine authority!

This controversy exploded all over the United States, and we had a tremendous shaking in which we lost members from all of our large churches in the early 1980s. The effects of this liberal theology are still being felt in our conferences, institutions, and in the structure of the Seventh-day Adventist church today.

But this attack came first in Australia, and it has been there longer than any other place. The very same thing that happened there could happen in the United States if we are not thinking correctly. In Australia, as this fight between Historic Adventism and the new theology went throughout the churches, there were many ministers and laymen who were concerned, so they began to fight this liberal theology.

Colin Standish, Ron Spear, Marshall Grosboll and a number of other Historic Adventist preachers went throughout Australia preaching against this new theology. They preached about things like the nature of Christ, the Sanctuary, the Spirit of Prophecy, and all of these things that pointed out the difference between Historic Adventism and the new theology. They would get crowds of people—over a thousand—at these different meetings. By the time I was there in 1988 you were not getting crowds of over a thousand, but you could get crowds of several hundred sincere, Christian people.

But a terrible thing happened in Australia. I want to describe to you as briefly as I can, without mentioning any names, what happened. Preachers went around Australia preaching about this terrible apostasy. They preached the doctrines of Historic Adventism, and the people believed it. But there was one fatal flaw, and if we do not learn our lesson, the same thing that is happening there will happen in other places. Here is what many preachers were telling the people: “In spite of all this apostasy, in spite of this new theology, the church is the church.” Have you ever heard that expression? “The church is the church.”

What do people mean when they say that “the church is the church?” This organized church, this conference structure—that is the church, and you have to stay in there and fight it out. Let us just think this through a little bit. Suppose that you are in a mental and a spiritual battle with the forces of darkness. You are supposed to fight it out, but when you go to fight it out, all you can do is sit in the pew—you cannot say anything! The other side has the pulpit and control of who speaks all the time. Who do you think is going to win?

In Revelation 3, what is the big problem among the people of God in the last days? They think they are all right! People got the idea, “I’m not part of the new theology, I believe the Historic Adventist doctrines, but I’m going to stay here.” So they stayed; they kept going to church. And over a period of time their convictions, their fervor, their zeal, their burden for lost souls just seemed to disappear. Why? Because of the preaching they were listening to. Don’t you ever let anybody tell you that where you go to church and what kind of preaching you listen to has no affect on your soul’s salvation. It does!! If you go listen to people that are preaching the new theology or easy-going sermons, it is going to have an affect on you. God is not going to work a miracle to cover up or take away the effect of your presumption, when you go and listen to that kind of preaching.

Do you know what has happened in Australia today? I have talked to some very concerned people who have been there and watched this whole thing develop, some have even lost their own children! They decided that they needed to keep going to these churches. The new theology people had control of the pulpit, and as they kept going there year after year after year, finally they got calmed down. And at the same time they got calmed down, the apostasy got worse.

There are still some today who are trying to tell the people that they need to stay in the conference churches. They have had evangelists come in from the United States who have had evangelistic meetings, and they have had twenty to twenty-five people get ready for baptism. But they said, “We’ve got to keep these people in the church structure; take them to a conference church.” And after a few months, they do not have anything to show for. Either the people leave the church, or what is even worse, they become Laodicean, they get calmed down. There is almost no protest going against the apostasy.

I spoke at three different places in Australia, and in every place that I spoke, it was a place that just happened to have a home church, and so people came. These people were still alive spiritually, they were not totally asleep. The places that are still alive are the places where there are home churches. We need to pray for a miracle in Australia; it used to be one of the strongest divisions in Adventism, and, at the present time, it is one of the weakest.

I do not want to see what happened in Australia happen here in the United States. We are going to have to tell everyone, “You cannot keep going where the new theology is being preached and people say, Just believe in the Lord, trust Him! Everything will be all right.” If you go and listen to that, you will get calmed down and will go to sleep. Jude 3 says that we are to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. The word contend literally means fight. There is a time to fight; there is a worldwide battle going on in Adventism. If you just sit and get calmed down, the devil will put you to sleep and the end result will be that you will lose your soul.

Here is what has developed in the Austral-Asian Division. Eight years ago, when all this was going on in Australia that I described, I was over there for the first time. I was told that all of these awful things that are going on in Australia and New Zealand had not gotten out to the islands. How long do you think that would last if things keep getting worse in Australia, which calls the shots in the islands? It should not be impossible to figure out that the time is coming when the same thing that is going on in Australia and New Zealand is going to start up in the islands; it did in the early 1990s. The same thing that has happened in Australia and New Zealand is now taking place in the islands.

But there is one difference: Evan Sadler has been up to these islands and they have figured out that they have to stay together as a church. You have to have a church of people that believe the same way, you have to meet together, exhort one another, and help one another get to Heaven. You cannot stay in an apostate church! We are hoping that we will have a completely different outcome in the islands. There has been an effort to crush the revival and reformation movement in all the islands, but it has not been possible. God has raised up people to proclaim the Adventist message in Fiji, Vanuatu, in the Solomon Islands, and in Papua New Guinea.

In Papua New Guinea, when Livingston Kul was raised up by the Lord to preach, he did not intend to be a preacher. He already had a very good job, a nice home and was better off than most of the people on the island. He left his good job and went to get trained to be a minister. Not too long ago, Livingston Kul got in trouble with the conference because he was preaching the Three Angels’ Messages on the street. There were so many Roman Catholics that were listening to him that one of the Catholic clergy went and talked to one of the leaders of the Adventist mission. The president of the Adventist mission called Pastor Kul into his office and told him, “We want you to quit preaching on the street.” Livingston Kul was convicted that he was doing what the Lord wanted him to do, so he said, “I will never, never, never quit!” A short time afterwards the Adventist mission did not have any money to pay him anymore.

Now he was without a job and he did not know what to do, so he started praying. The Lord led him to start teaching laymen how to be street preachers, and he has organized a force of street evangelists. Seventeen people were disfellowshipped because they were supporting Livingstone Kul and all these street preachers. When they were disfellowshipped, eight churches said, “We’re going with them.” Now the revival and reformation movement has about twenty churches. These lay preachers are going out and they are shaking Papua New Guinea.

Right now they are going through a similar experience to what Australia went through fifteen years ago. I hope that the outcome will be much different. What is it that will make the outcome different? You must gather all the people that want to do the Lord’s will and organize. You need to have regular meetings and organize for evangelism.

One of the things I learned when I visited Australia was that if I want my religious experience to stay hot, I have something to do. I need to be part of a church that has regular meetings, that is organized and has discipline, where we help each other get to heaven.

The purpose of the church is two-fold. 1. We are to send out a warning message to a lost world in an organized way. 2. We are to help those inside the church get ready for heaven. Where you are going to church is either helping you get ready for heaven or for hell—one or the other. It would be better to be in a little home church with six or eight people and be helping each other get ready for heaven, than to be in a great big church and just sit down and warm the pew and lose your Christian experience. Ellen White said that it was difficult to maintain a high level of Christian experience in large churches. The small churches are where the action has always been.

It is the little home church where people meet together regularly to pray and to study the word, to encourage and help each other get ready for heaven, to send out the warning message to the world—that is the places where people are going to be ready for heaven. I want to be in a place like that, do you? I want to take advantage of all the spiritual opportunities the Lord gives us, to help each other to have discipline and order, and to be ready for heaven.

 

Appendix

PART A – Australia

I have not, I think, revealed the entire workings that led me here to Australia. Perhaps you may never fully understand the matter. The Lord was not in our leaving America. He did not reveal that it was His will that I should leave Battle Creek. The Lord would have had W.C. White, his mother, and her workers remain in America. . . There was so great a willingness to have us leave, that the Lord permitted this thing to take place. Those who were weary of the testimonies borne were left without the persons who bore them. Our separation from Battle Creek was to let men have their own will and way, which they thought superior to the way of the Lord. . . . It was not the Lord who devised this matter. I could not get one ray of light to leave America. 1888 Materials, 1622, 1623

PART B – Africa

Elder Olsen, I wish to say to you, You must not make any calculation for me to go to Africa, I see no light and consistency in such a move. . . . I have not the slightest inclination to go to Europe or to visit Africa, and I have not one ray of light that I should go. I am willing to go where ever the Lord indicates my duty, but I am not willing to go at the voice of the Conference unless I see my own way closer to do so. 1888 Materials, 1263

PART C – Madison

The Lord has instructed me that, from the first, the work in Huntsville and Madison should have received adequate help. But instead of this help being rendered promptly there has been long delay. And in the matter of the Madison school, there has been a standing off from them because they were not under the ownership and control of some Conference. This is a question that should sometimes be considered, but it is not the Lord’s plan that means should be withheld from Madison, because they are not bound to the conference. The attitude which some of our brethren have assumed toward this enterprise shows that it is not wise for every working agency to be under the dictation of conference officers. There are some enterprises under certain conditions, that will produce better results if standing alone. Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 202

The Lord does not set limits about His workers in some lines as men are wont to set. In their work, Brethren Magan and Sutherland have been hindered unnecessarily. Means have been withheld form them because in the organization and management of the Madison school, it was not placed under the control of the conference. But the reasons why this school was not owned and controlled by the conference have not been duly considered. Madison School, 31, 32

The Need for Union Conferences

There is need of a most earnest, thorough work to be carried forward now in all our churches. We are now to understand whether all our printing plants and all our sanitariums are to be under the control of the General Conference. I answer, Nay. It has been a necessity to organize union conferences, that the General Conference shall not exercise dictation over all the separate conferences. The power vested in the Conference is not to be centered in one man, or two men, or six men; there is to be a council of men over the separate divisions. Manuscript Releases, vol. 14, 279

The End