Chapter 9 Desire of Ages — Chapters 76 & 77

PROPHETIC PARALLELS
The Church “Then”. . . . . .and the Church Now

by Terry S. Ross

DA 716: “The history of Judas presents the sad ending of a life that might have been honored of God. Had Judas died before his last journey to Jerusalem, he would have been regarded as a man worthy of a place among the twelve, and one who would be greatly missed. The abhorrence which has followed him through the centuries would not have existed, but for the attributes revealed at the close of his history. But it was for a purpose that his character was laid open to the world. It was to be a warning to all who, like him, should betray sacred trusts.

“… Through becoming the slave of one vice he gave himself to Satan, to be driven to any lengths in sin.”

The testimony of Judas is a solemn warning left for all to understand that we may fool all around us for a time, but we cannot fool God. I know that I take the experience of Judas very seriously. It tells me that all people, especially pastors whether Conference or Independent who continue to break sacred trusts will in no wise enter God’s kingdom. It also tells me that although it is right to support those whom God has raised up to lead, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ and not man.

How solemn to realize that one cherished sin will keep us out of heaven. How many of us have clung to some cherished idol knowing deep inside that we need to let it go and telling ourselves that we will, tomorrow? But tomorrow never comes, Brothers and Sisters. Letting go of our sin will never get any easier than it will be today. Now is the time to make this resolve and cling to the Rock of Jesus Christ. The Lord loves us, but be certain that no matter what we may think we have accomplished in this life, if we cling to one vice He will not make exception for us. Either we will make Jesus bigger than our sin or our sin will become bigger in our life than Jesus.

DA 717: “He felt in his own person the evidence of Christ’s power. He recognized the teaching of Christ as superior to all that he had ever heard. He loved the great Teacher, and desired to be with Him. He felt a desire to be changed in character and life, and he hoped to experience this through connecting himself with Jesus. The Saviour did not repulse Judas. He gave him a place among the twelve. He trusted him to do the work of an evangelist. He endowed him with power to heal the sick and to cast out devils. But Judas did not come to the point of surrendering himself fully to Christ. He did not give up his worldly ambition or his love of money. While he accepted the position of a minister of Christ, he did not bring himself under the divine moulding. He felt that he could retain his own judgment and opinions, and he cultivated a disposition to criticize and accuse.”

Of course, the above principle applies to each soul, but the specific lesson in this paragraph is regarding a pastor. Pastors have been given a broad scope of influence because of the position they hold and, therefore, that position is a serious one. With this position comes all the dangers that were the end of Judas. A large number of pastors will share the fate of Judas because they have abused their sacred trust and brought others, not to Jesus, but to their own perverted teachings. And let us not forget that Judas was an Independent Leader.

DA 720: “At the reproof from Jesus his very spirit seemed turned to gall. Wounded pride and desire for revenge broke down the barriers, and the greed so long indulged held him in control. This will be the experience of every one who persists in tampering with sin. The elements of depravity that are not resisted and overcome, respond to Satan’s temptation, and the soul is led captive at his will.”

These few words that you just read are full of instruction and warning that we all must reflect upon. We must plead with the Lord to help us to be honest with ourselves and to be open with our weaknesses in our dealings with Him. Please notice that it doesn’t say that this might be the experience of every one who persists… but this WILL be the experience!

Pride is a dreadful killer. It stalks its prey slowly, its danger undetected at first until it finally consumes its possessor. I have taken stock of what some of the attributes of pride are and one thing that is most scary is that pride is what I’ll call super- self protecting. Even when you recognize that you have the problem, when it raises its ugly head and is in control, it can take total possession. Pride, it almost seems, has a life of its own. I believe it to be a most dangerous vice. Another problem is, when the Lord allows a man to accomplish much, we human beings must be extremely guarded, for pride is a natural tendency of the human heart. Pride spoils the best of blessings and can ruin a life that otherwise would have been full of glory as demonstrated in the life of Judas. Even if someone has preached the straight truth for years, pride is so bad that those who cling to it will finally lose all reason and seek to literally annihilate those who dare to expose their sins. I have personally seen this in action. Everything goes along smoothly and it’s fine to expose the sins of others, but when you point out a concern for the one who is cherishing pride, although you thought this person to be a good friend, he can turn on you with a vengeance. This turning is for no other reason than pride that is filling the heart. Pride is why the church of two thousand years ago killed God. We must recognize it for what it is and give it to Jesus. He alone can cure this cancer.

DA 721- 22: “As the trial drew to a close, Judas could endure the torture of his guilty conscience no longer. Suddenly a hoarse voice rang through the hall, sending a thrill of terror to all hearts: He is innocent; spare Him, O Caiaphas!

“The tall form of Judas was now seen pressing through the startled throng. His face was pale and haggard, and great drops of sweat stood on his forehead. Rushing to the throne of judgment, he threw down before the high priest the pieces of silver that had been the price of his Lord’s betrayal. Eagerly grasping the robe of Caiaphas, he implored him to release Jesus, declaring that He had done nothing worthy of death. Caiaphas angrily shook him off, but was confused, and knew not what to say. The perfidy of the priests was revealed. It was evident that they had bribed the disciple to betray his Master.

“ ‘I have sinned, ’ again cried Judas, ‘in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. ’ But the high priest, regaining his self- possession, answered with scorn, ‘What is that to us? See thou to that. ’ (Matt. 27: 4.) The priests had been willing to make Judas their tool; but they despised his baseness. When he turned to them with confession, they spurned him.”

This will be the fearful experience of many a pastor who has falsified his sacred obligations. Even the devil, although he uses these people, hates a coward. The experience of Judas’ terror will be replayed by every pastor and all in positions of influence, no matter what “group” they are in, who choose not to let go of their pride. Pride is the ultimate lie about oneself. It says to its lover that he is something he is not. It strokes the ego of man until man forgets that NOTHING good can ever be accomplished by any person unless God sees to it. No man deserves anything but death, yet pride robs God of His goodness and perverts man into thinking God’s glory belongs to himself. The true Christian understands and realizes that if the Lord gives him anything good to do, it is a privilege and nothing else. This realized privilege, in turn, melts the heart of its receiver and the glory continues to be returned to the rightful owner — God.

DA 722: “Judas now cast himself at the feet of Jesus, acknowledging Him to be the Son of God, and entreating Him to deliver Himself. The Saviour did not reproach His betrayer. He knew that Judas did not repent; his confession was forced from his guilty soul by an awful sense of condemnation and a looking for of judgment, but he felt no deep, heart- breaking grief that he had betrayed the spotless Son of God, and denied the Holy One of Israel. Yet Jesus spoke no word of condemnation.” In this act of “repentance” is a future scene brought to light which can be found in Revelation, chapter 3, verse 9. At that time it will be seen that these people do have a church. But the church they belong to is the synagogue of Satan.

DA 723: “In the judgment- hall of Pilate, the Roman governor, Christ stands bound as a prisoner. About Him are the guard of soldiers, and the hall is fast filling with spectators. Just outside the entrance are the judges of the Sanhedrin, priests, rulers, elders, and the mob.

“After condemning Jesus, the council of the Sanhedrin had come to Pilate to have the sentence confirmed and executed. But these JEWISH OFFICIALS would not enter the Roman judgment- hall. According to their ceremonial law they would be defiled thereby, and thus prevented from taking part in the feast of the Passover. IN THEIR BLINDNESS THEY DID NOT SEE that murderous hatred had defiled their hearts.”

In parallel terms, who were the judges of the Sanhedrin, priests, rulers, elders, and the mob? They were none other than the Conference Committee, pastors, Conference workers, and elders or otherwise the acknowledged “Adventist Church” of their day. It certainly doesn’t take a degree to figure out this simple truth. Another truth is that we are repeating the history of our spiritual forefathers! The same spiritual pride is blinding the majority so that they do not know who and what the church is. In reality just as it was two thousand years ago, most will not see the truth until it’s too late! Run to the Lord, friend, and plead with Him not to let this happen to you. God’s people must understand what it means to be let go to a reprobate mind. The strong delusions and the deception to come upon the unconsecrated mind will be total.

DA 724: “Again Pilate asked, ‘What accusation bring ye against this man? ’ The priests did not answer his question, but in words that showed their irritation, they said. ‘If He were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up unto thee. ’ When those composing the Sanhedrin, the first men of the nation, bring to you a man they deem worthy of death, is there need to ask for an accusation against him? They hoped to impress Pilate with a sense of their importance, and thus lead him to accede to their request without going through many preliminaries. They were eager to have their sentence ratified; for they knew that the people who had witnessed Christ’s marvelous works could tell a story very different from the fabrication they themselves were now rehearsing.”

What is happening to Historic Adventists across this nation and around the world (within the structure) not only mirrors what happened between Pilate and Christ, but what will happen in the courts again. The Apostate Adventist Leaders could not bear up under honest scrutiny and this is why they pressed their own authority instead of the authority of God’s Word. Many today are being brought either under censure or disfellowshipped on a charge that is the same — not respecting properly constituted church authority. This charge, the same tactic used by the ancient forefathers, is now being utilized by the modern- day Sanhedrin. For a time it may seem that they have the upper hand, but in reality their authority will be short- lived.

DA 725: “The priests were in a dilemma. They saw that they must cloak their hypocrisy under the thickest concealment. They must not allow it to appear that Christ had been arrested on religious grounds. Were this put forward as a reason, their proceedings would have no weight with Pilate. They must make it appear that Jesus was working against the common law; then He could be punished as a political offender.”

Now, why do you suppose the Ancient Adventist Conference was trying desperately to keep the focus away from religious grounds? They knew that this exposure would show their true purpose and reveal them for who they really were. Their type of argumentation has already been seen today in the modern Adventist structure and will be seen in the courts soon enough.

DA 726: “With noisy cries, priests, scribes, and rulers demanded that He be sentenced to death. The cries were taken up by the mob, and the uproar was deafening. Pilate was confused. Seeing that Jesus made no answer to His accusers, Pilate said to Him, ‘Answerest Thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against Thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing. ’

“Standing behind Pilate, in view of all in the court, Christ heard the abuse; but to all the false charges against Him, He answered not a word. His whole bearing gave evidence of conscious innocence. He stood unmoved by the fury of the waves that beat about Him. It was as if the heavy surges of wrath, rising higher and higher, like the waves of the boisterous ocean, broke about Him, but did not touch Him. He stood silent, but His silence was eloquence. It was a light shining from the inner to the outer man.”

God speaks to each heart so we know when we are defending self, even in the midst of a religious battle. The spirit of Jesus shines brightest when we refuse to defend self during those times when we are being abused for His name’s sake.

DA 727: “Christ affirmed that His word was in itself a key which would unlock the mystery to those who were prepared to receive it. It had a self- commending power, and this was the secret of the spread of His kingdom of truth.”

Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. If the message we bear, either verbally or physically, is not a continual self- commending message (an understanding of soul value), it is not of Christ. Those who see Jesus will discern whether or not a man is walking with Christ. Those who live by heavenly principles, keeping their eyes firmly fixed on their Leader, will be able to rightly judge what is the truth about that man. Remember, it is not so much what is preached but what is lived that is the factor which determines whether or not a man is converted. Those who are convinced merely by the words that a man preaches can be fooled as those same people would have been in their opinions of Judas. In thus being fooled, they place themselves in a position of disadvantage with Satan. He then has an opportunity to have some control of the person who places confidence in the one preaching who is not truly converted.

DA 727: “These words from a heathen judge were a scathing rebuke to the perfidy and falsehood of the rulers of Israel who were accusing the Saviour. As the priests and elders heard this from Pilate, their disappointment and rage knew no bounds. They had long plotted and waited for this opportunity. As they saw the prospect of the release of Jesus, they seemed ready to tear Him in pieces.”

Be not fooled! Even today there are those of us who realize the Conference is plotting to “do in” certain individuals and certain Independent Ministries. The true reasons and the arguments starting to surface are strangely similar to those of long ago. We are not blind to the forecast on the horizon. There are many who may be unwary of these things, but be certain that not everyone is. The Lord has left us these plain Testimonies for serious contemplation and not everyone will forsake the Word of the Lord. While the majority are literally “dumping” the Spirit of Prophecy, there are others who are praising God’s Holy Name for this extended blessing.

DA 728: “Angry voices were now heard, declaring that the seditious influence of Jesus was well known throughout the country.”

Sedition — conduct or language inciting to rebellion against the authority of the state.

The ancient leaders were, in fact, worried about Christ causing rebellion but not against the state! They are still worried today about the same thing. It will be seen in the future that this concern for the overthrow of their own apostate power will be transferred to the state level in order that testimony might be brought against God’s true people. Our own books reveal out how it will all end as in the trial of Jesus we can clearly define our own future, whether we are faithful or among those who are not.

DA 729: “Herod questioned Christ in many words, but throughout the Saviour maintained a profound silence. At the command of the king, the decrepit and maimed were then called in, and Christ was ordered to prove His claims by working a miracle. Men say that Thou canst heal the sick, said Herod. I am anxious to see that Thy wide- spread fame has not been belied. Jesus did not respond, and Herod still continued to urge: If Thou canst work miracles for others, work them now for Thine own good, and it will serve Thee a good purpose. Again he commanded, Show us a sign that Thou hast the power with which rumor hath accredited Thee. But Christ was as one who heard and saw not. The Son of God had taken upon Himself man’s nature. He must do as man must do in like circumstances. Therefore He would not work a miracle to save Himself the pain and humiliation that man must endure when placed in a similar position.”

If we could but understand what Christ was willing to do because of His love for us while we were yet His enemies. I have heard not a few claim that Christ had an advantage in His overcoming sin that we don’t have. I shudder to think what many of us would have done if we had the power that was Christ’s, which He chose not to use for our sakes. The statement above shows that in many ways Christ had a decided disadvantage which made His journey as an overcomer all the more difficult. Jesus took no “advantage” that we cannot take if we choose to have it. The problem is not with any advantage or disadvantage but with people who murmur about wanting to go to heaven while clinging to their cherished sins. We can’t have it both ways.

DA 730: “Again the priests and rulers, in great anxiety, urged their accusations against Him. Raising their voices, they declared, He is a traitor, a blasphemer. He works His miracles through the power given Him by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils.”

When people credit Lucifer with the work of God or the other way around, they are the ones guilty of blaspheming. It would be wise to understand that not all claimed miracles are such nor are they from the Lord. Another point to ponder is the true works of God, done by the true and the faithful, will be misaligned by those who wish to discredit the influence of the servant. We should know that this will be the lot of those who choose to stand on the side of the Lord. When these events come about (it’s already started), we cannot afford to allow them to discourage us. We must take a firm resolve as did Job and stay on course no matter who brings us a discouraging report, even if it be our “friends.”

I think I’ll take an opportunity here to mention the subject of gossip in the church. Please understand, gossip is a form of murder. When rightly understood, it will be detested by God’s people. Reporting that which is true within the framework of God’s principles is proper, but in many cases these principles are not followed. A gossiper is one who reports without verifying the truth of the matter. A gossiper is one who reports publicly the shortcomings of one who is truly not rebellious or in open sin but who is struggling to overcome. A gossiper is one who is more interested in the destruction of the one being spoken of than in his salvation. I can assure you that no gossipers will be found in heaven. Before we go reporting on someone, let’s consider our own motivation and let’s make sure we have followed Biblical principle.

Having said that, let’s also understand and accept the fact that the majority have no interest in what is written above and therefore gossip will continue and get worse. It happened to Jesus and He told His disciples that it would happen to them. As we follow God’s principles as true followers, it will save us much grief in at least two ways. We ourselves will not be gossipers and when we hear gossip, if we follow God’s principles, will find out the truth before we believe what was said or pass it on. I believe if this one evil was overcome, it would be a great blessing to us. A gossiper literally invites the devil to dine at his table.

DA 731: “No sooner were these words spoken, than a rush was made for Christ. Like wild beasts, the crowd darted upon their prey. Jesus was dragged this way and that, Herod joining the mob in seeking to humiliate the Son of God. Had not the Roman soldiers interposed, and forced back the maddened throng, the Saviour would have been torn in pieces.” Once again I ask the question, who made up the crowd that made Jesus a prey? Who was the crowd that the Roman soldiers had to stop? If it had been left to the “church” two thousand years ago, it would have torn Jesus to bits! There is indeed a future fulfillment of this scene and the players represented at the trial of Christ will all be in their places to act out their parts.

DA 731- 2: “He had declared that Jesus was innocent, yet he was willing for Him to be scourged to pacify His accusers. He would sacrifice justice and principle, in order to compromise with the mob. This placed him at a disadvantage. The crowd presumed upon his indecision, and clamored the more for the life of the prisoner. If at the first Pilate had stood firm, refusing to condemn a man whom he found guiltless, he would have broken the fatal chain that was to bind him in remorse and guilt as long as he lived. Had he carried out his convictions of right, the Jews would not have presumed to dictate to him. Christ would have been put to death, but the guilt would not have rested upon Pilate. But Pilate had taken step after step in the violation of his conscience. He had excused himself from judging with justice and equity, and he now found himself almost helpless in the hands of the priests and rulers. His wavering and indecision proved his ruin.”

The principles of action displayed by Pilate are a sad testimony of how many are acting, right now. Rather than taking a stand for the truth as it is in Jesus, many pastors and laity alike are swarming to the popular side. This fatal mistake can be changed but only by taking a firm stand for what is right and leaving the consequences with God. Those who cannot bring themselves to trust totally in the Lord will have no place with Him.

An example of this in today’s Adventist society is that many times of late I have heard complaints about placing such books as the Great Controversy in the forefront. The comments generally go something like this: “You are bringing on a time of trouble before it is time.” These comments are coming from the laity and Conference folks alike. At the same time these comments are being made, we have clear testimony in numerous places that tells us that God could have come over a hundred years ago if we would have done our part. To the unbelieving, the comment of bringing on a time of trouble prematurely will ALWAYS be valid. What is really being stated, however, to the discerning mind is that we want to live out our lives in peace and wish not to be disturbed. In this generation, the evidence is clear that everyone’s peace will be disturbed. The Lord is convincing many that it’s time to go into the promised land. I firmly believe that no matter what the complaint, this work is on its way to completion and nothing will stop it this time. It was the murmuring of Israel which kept them out of the promised land and it will be murmuring that will keep out the majority this time. Let’s pray that we will stop our murmuring and place our trust and confidence in our Guide and go home!

DA 733: “He was confused by his own conflicting emotions. But while he had been delaying to act, the priests and rulers were still further inflaming the minds of the people. Pilate was forced to action.”

The “church” played on the emotions of Pilate. These pastors and administrators knew how to apply the pressure and they seized this opportunity with success. Pilate was FORCED into action because his emotions ruled his principles instead of the other way around. This is why the big push on the mushy love that’s been pouring from the pulpits for so long. True love is a combining balance of mercy and justice. The laity are being force- fed the mercy without the justice which is nothing more than what we blame other churches for, but with a different name — cheap grace.

DA 736: “ ‘Speakest Thou not unto me? Knowest Thou not that I have power to crucify Thee, and have power to release Thee? ’

“Jesus answered, ‘Thou couldst have no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from above; therefore he that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin. ’”

An extremely important lesson which we need to ask the Lord to help us to learn has to do with God’s sovereign power. As we enter into our own experience of persecution, we must understand what Jesus always knew. What gave Him the faith to be victorious? He knew that nothing could happen to Him except as His Father would allow. He knew that His Father wouldn’t betray Him in His hour of need. This solid belief allowed Jesus to leave events and consequences fully in His Father’s hands. This is how to have the faith OF Jesus Christ.

DA 737: “ ‘He that delivered Me unto thee, ’ said Jesus, ‘hath the greater sin. ’ By this Christ meant Caiaphas, who, as high priest, represented the Jewish nation. They knew the principles that controlled the Roman authorities. They had had light in the prophecies that testified of Christ, and in His own teachings and miracles. The Jewish judges had received unmistakable evidence of the divinity of Him whom they condemned to death. And according to their light would they be judged. “THE GREATEST GUILT AND HEAVIEST RESPONSIBILITY BELONGED TO THOSE WHO STOOD IN THE HIGHEST PLACES IN THE NATION, THE DEPOSITARIES OF SACRED TRUSTS THAT THEY WERE BASELY BETRAYING. Pilate, Herod, and the Roman soldiers were comparatively ignorant of Jesus. They thought to please the priests and rulers by abusing Him. They had not the light which the Jewish nation had so abundantly received. HAD THE LIGHT BEEN GIVEN TO THE SOLDIERS, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TREATED CHRIST AS CRUELLY AS THEY DID.

“Again Pilate proposed to release the Saviour. ‘But the Jews cried out saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend. ’ Thus these hypocrites pretended to be jealous for the authority of Caesar. Of all the opponents of the Roman rule, the Jews were most bitter. When it was safe for them to do so, they were most tyrannical in enforcing their own national and religious requirements; but when they desired to bring about some purpose of cruelty, they exalted the power of Caesar. To accomplish the destruction of Christ, they would profess loyalty to the foreign rule which they hated.”

Those at the top who are betraying their sacred trust will be condemned the most — not by men, but by God!

I want to point out an insight here and I pray that you grasp it. You will notice that the ancient Jews hated the Romans but when they needed them, they would exalt them. Today we hear the Conferences making the claim that they would never enter into league with the Roman power. But I ask you this: do you really think that the makeup of the human brain has changed? If you do, you are sadly mistaken. History has been and is being repeated because the minds of men have not changed. So, will an apostate conference go into league with the Roman power? The answer is seen in the trial of Christ. Jesus is trying to show us the truth in these matters. IT IS ONLY THOSE WHO ACCEPT THESE TRUTHS WHO WILL JOIN HIM ON HIS THRONE.

DA 737- 8: “… by choosing a heathen ruler, the Jewish nation had withdrawn from the theocracy. They had rejected God as their king. Henceforth they had no deliverer. They had no king but Caesar. To this the priests and teachers had led the people. For this, with the fearful results that followed, they were responsible. A NATION’S SIN AND A NATION’S RUIN WERE DUE TO THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS.”

By choosing the programs of Babylon and using the courts of the land against other Seventh- day Adventists, the Conferences have left the theocracy and chosen a king other than God. We are told in the book Great Controversy that the religious leaders of this nation will bring about national ruin. The guilt of this disaster will not rest upon the leaders of other Protestant churches alone but upon apostate Adventist leaders as well. As a matter of fact, the guilt of these Adventist leaders will be the greater because of their greater claim to the truth of Adventism.

DA 738: “Pilate longed to deliver Jesus. But he saw that he could not do this, and yet retain his own position and honor. Rather than lose his worldly power, he chose to sacrifice an innocent life. How many, to escape loss or suffering, in like manner sacrifice principle. Conscience and duty point one way, and self- interest points another. The current sets strongly in the wrong direction, and he who compromises with evil is swept away into the thick darkness of guilt.”

Many professed Christians, not excluding Seventh- day Adventists, will share in the feelings of Pilate because they are living by the same compromise he did. We must remember that it is the law of the universe that for every cause there is an effect. Whatever we choose to do will have its consequences somewhere down the line. For those of us who have made our share of mistakes, now is the pristine time to give our shortcomings to the Lord that the effect of our bad choices might be minimized and not be held on our account for eternity.

DA 738- 40: “When Pilate declared himself innocent of the blood of Christ, Caiaphas answered defiantly, ‘His blood be on us, and on our children. ’ The awful words were taken up by the priests and rulers, and echoed by the crowd in an inhuman roar of voices. The whole multitude answered and said, ‘His blood be on us, and on our children. ’

“The people of Israel had made their choice. Pointing to Jesus they had said, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas. ’ Barabbas, the robber and murderer, was the representative of Satan. Christ was the representative of God. Christ had been rejected; Barabbas had been chosen. Barabbas they were to have. In making this choice they accepted him who from the beginning was a liar and a murderer. Satan was their leader. As a nation they would act out his dictation. His works they would do. His rule they must endure. That people who chose Barabbas in the place of Christ were to feel the cruelty of Barabbas as long as time should last.

“Looking upon the smitten Lamb of God, the Jews had cried, ‘His blood be on us, and on our children. ’ That awful cry ascended to the throne of God. That sentence, pronounced upon themselves, was written in heaven. That prayer was heard. The blood of the Son of God was upon their children and their children’s children, a perpetual curse. “Terribly was it realized in the destruction of Jerusalem. Terribly has it been manifested in the condition of the Jewish nation for eighteen hundred years, — a branch severed from the vine, a dead, fruitless branch, to be gathered up and burned. From land to land throughout the world, from century to century, dead, dead in trespasses and sins!

“… Those who mocked and smote Him will be there. The priests and rulers will behold again the scene in the judgment- hall. Every circumstance will appear before them, as if written in letters of fire. Then those who prayed, ‘His blood be on us, and on our children, ’ will receive the answer to their prayer. Then the whole world will know and understand. They will realize who and what they, poor, feeble, finite beings, have been warring against. In awful agony and horror they will cry to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of His wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? ’” (Rev. 6: 16, 17.)

To claim to be spiritual Israel but not to follow Christ’s instructions is to share in the curse of “let His blood be upon us and our children!”

Copyright © 1999 Servants of the Saviour
Terry & Cathy Ross

Table of Contents
Acknowledgements and Forward
Chapter 1 Desire of Ages — Chapter 63
Chapter 2 Desire of Ages — Chapter 64
Chapter 3 Desire of Ages — Chapter 65
Chapter 4 Desire of Ages — Chapters 66 & 67
Chapter 5 Desire of Ages — Chapters 68 & 69
Chapter 6 Desire of Ages — Chapters 70, 71 & 72
Chapter 7 Desire of Ages — Chapter 73
Chapter 8 Desire of Ages — Chapters 74 & 75
Chapter 9 Desire of Ages — Chapters 76 & 77
Chapter 10 Desire of Ages — Chapter 78

Sin in the Church

Let Christ’s methods be followed in dealing with those who make mistakes.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 266.

Ellen White explains: “A sister for whom I had a testimony that she lacked discretion and caution, and did not fully control her words and actions, came in with her husband and manifested feelings of great unreconciliation and agitation.… Her pride was touched as I brought out her faults in so public a manner. Here was evidently the main difficulty. But why should she feel thus? The brethren and sisters knew these things were so, therefore I was not informing them of anything new.…Her husband seemed to feel unreconciled to my bringing out her faults before the church and stated that if Sister White had followed the directions of our Lord in Matthew 18:15–17 he should not have felt hurt: ‘Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone.…’ My husband then stated that he should understand that these words of our Lord had reference to cases of personal trespass, and could not be applied in the case of this sister. She had not trespassed against Sister White. But that which had been reproved publicly was public wrongs which threatened the prosperity of the church and the cause. Here, said my husband, is a text applicable to the case: 1 Timothy 5:20: ‘Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.’” Testimonies, vol. 2, 14, 15.

Are We to Openly Rebuke Sin?

“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.

One, Glorying in Sin, Leavens the Whole Body of Believers

“Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” 1 Corinthians 5:6. “The history of Achan teaches.…Sin is corrupting in its nature.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 2, 996. “Disobedience…tends to corrupt the faith of others. That which looked very wrong to them at first, gradually loses this appearance by being constantly before them.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 146.

Purpose of Open Rebuke — Teaches Others to Fear and Stops the Leaven

“Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.” 1 Timothy 5:20. “Open rebuke is necessary, to prevent others from being ensnared.” Series B, 26. “Sin and sinners in the church must be promptly dealt with, that others may fear God.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, 105.

“Put away the evil from among you. And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you.” Deuteronomy 19:19, 20 NKJV.

Open Rebuke is to be as Broad as the Injury Done

“If the wrongdoer only were concerned, and the work reached no farther than him, he alone should have the words of warning; but when his course of action is doing positive harm to the cause of truth, and souls are imperiled, God requires that the warning be as broad as the injury done.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 152.

Are Only Prophets and Leaders Called to Rebuke Sin?

“It is the duty of every faithful servant of God, to firmly and decidedly withstand these perverters of the faith, and to fearlessly expose their errors by the word of truth.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 192.

“It is the duty of both watchmen and laymen to give the trumpet a certain sound.” Home Missionary, February 1, 1890. “It is not enough to merely profess to believe the truth. All the soldiers of the cross of Christ virtually obligate themselves to enter the crusade against the adversary of souls, to condemn wrong and sustain righteousness.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 254. “The church members that are awake will rise to the emergency, manifesting greater diligence as iniquity abounds. The very manifestations of satanic power are to be presented in their true light before the people.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 15, 310. “No longer consent to listen without protest to the perversion of truth. Unmask the pretentious sophistries.…” Selected Messages, Book 1, 196.

Are Leaders to be Openly Rebuked?

“When he [a servant of God] begins to work against the truth, and make his disaffection public, declaring things untrue which are true, these things must be met. The people must not be left to believe a lie. They must be undeceived.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 7, 332. “When men stand out in defiance against the counsel of God, they are warring against God. Is it right for those connected with such ones to treat them as if they were in perfect harmony with them…? Though they be ministers or medical missionaries…Open rebuke is necessary, to prevent others from being ensnared.” Series B, 26.

God is No Respecter of Persons

“Men of courage and energy are needed to expose fashionable sins. Iniquity must not be palliated and excused. Those who lead the church to follow the customs and practices of the world, are not to be lauded and exalted. No regard for family or position will hinder the faithful servants of Christ from guarding the interests of His people. God is no respecter of persons.” Southern Watchman, July 12, 1904. “It is no time now to tolerate sleepy watchmen, and they never should have been tolerated.” Review and Herald, March 24, 1896. “In the work of reform to be carried forward today, there is need of men who, like Ezra and Nehemiah, will not palliate or excuse sin, nor shrink from vindicating the honor of God.…[Those who] will not hold their peace when wrong is done, neither will they cover evil with a cloak of false charity. They will remember that God is no respecter of persons.…” Conflict and Courage, 269.

Like John, Expose Plainly and Pointedly the Sins of Individual Leaders

“The message we bear must be as direct as was the message of John. He rebuked kings for their iniquity.…And our work in this age must be as faithfully done. Selected Messages, Book 2, 151. “The work of John was to expose the character of the works of the Pharisees, to set their traditions and heresies in their true light before the people.” Review and Herald, April 3, 1894. “Kings and rulers came to the wilderness to hear the prophet, and were interested, and deeply convicted as he fearlessly pointed out their particular sins.” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, 48. “God requires His people in this age of the world to stand for the right as unflinchingly as did John in opposition to soul-destroying errors.” The Acts of the Apostles, 555.

Should We Just Pray—For the Sins of the Church?

“Zimri, a prince of the chief housein the tribe of Simeon.…publicly appeared before the people leading a Midianitish harlot, one of high standing, a daughter of a chief house in Midian, in the sight of Moses and the congregation. He thus showed open contempt of God. He gloried in his shame; for wine had perverted his senses.…Moses and the people who had taken no part in this great departure from God’s law, were weeping and lamenting at the door of the tabernacle for the sins of the people, and the plague that had begun.…The priests were weeping between the porch and the altar, crying, ‘Spare Thy people, O Lord, and give not Thine heritage to reproach.’ Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, and rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin, and went after the man of Israel into the tent, and killed them both. This staid the plague.…The point to be marked is, that Moses’ prayers were not heard, neither his weeping nor the sorrow and prayers of those who had maintained their integrity, until justice was executed upon that demoralized, God-defying prince. God says of Phinehas, He ‘hath turned away My wrath from the children of Israel.’ It was the greatest mercy that Phinehas could do to Israel, to deal promptly and decidedly with the guilty, and thus be instrumental in turning the wrath of God from the congregation of Israel. Something besides prayers and tears are needed in a time when reproach and peril are hanging over God’s people. The wicked works must be brought to an end.” Review and Herald, May 17, 1887.

“The sin of one man caused Israel to be beaten before the enemy. Something more than prayer was required. They were to get up and cleanse the camp of Israel.” Conflict and Courage, 120. “There are conditions to the fulfillment of God’s promises, and prayer can never take the place of duty.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 143. “Many are longing to grow in grace; they pray over the matter, and are surprised that their prayers are not answered. The Master has given them a work to do whereby they shall grow. Of what value is it to pray when there is need of work?” Youth’s Instructor, February 3, 1898. “We entreat those who have a connection with God to pray earnestly and in faith, and not to stop here, but to work as well as pray, for the purification of the church.” Review and Herald, June 3, 1880.

Is it “Christlike”— to Show God’s People Their Sins?

“Jesus…never purchased peace by covering iniquity, or by anything like compromise.…He was never indulgent to their sins. He was too much their friend to remain silent while they were pursuing a course which would ruin their souls.…” The Upward Look, 220.

“Christ, at the very beginning of His ministry, openly rebuked the super-ficial morality and ostentatious piety of the Jews.” Redemption, vol. 4, 33.

“Then spake Jesus to the multi-tude,…saying,…Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!…Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers…” Matthew 23:1, 2, 13, 33. “Christ, who knew their hearts, held up their religious pretensions as God viewed them. He stripped from them their robe of apparent righteousness, laying bare their hypocrisy.” Signs of the Times, February 10, 1898. “The Lord did not permit the sins of His people to pass without rebuke.” Ibid., June 2, 1881. “Jesus did not let the matter drop without administering a rebuke to His enemies.” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, 197.

Is it Love—to Show God’s People Their Sins?

“‘You must have charity,’ is the cry heard everywhere…But true charity is too pure to cover an unconfessed sin.…The apostle teaches that while we should manifest Christian courtesy we are authorized to deal in plain terms with sin and sinners; that this is not inconsistent with true charity.” The Acts of the Apostles, 555, 556.

“Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor.…” Leviticus 19:17.

“To practice the principle of love will not prevent us from dealing plainly with our brethren, in kindness pointing out wrongs and shortcomings when it is necessary to do so. Manuscript Releases, vol. 15, 156.

“The hearts of God’s servants will overflow with love and sympathy for the erring…but they will have no soft words for sin. They show the truest friendship who reprove error and sin without partiality and without hypocrisy.” Evangelism, 368. “True love is a love which seeks first the honor of God and the salvation of souls. Those who have this love will not evade the truth to save themselves from the unpleasant results of plain speaking.” Review and Herald, October 22, 1901.

“Those who have the true love of God in their hearts will not teach that sin should be handled with
gloved hands
.” Signs of the Times, April 21, 1881.

Is it Critical or Negative—to Show God’s People Their Sins?

“The office of a messenger whom God has chosen to send with reproofs and warnings, is strangely misunderstood at the present time.” Review and Herald, July 25, 1893.

“Should a case like Achan’s be among us, there are many who would accuse those who might act the part of Joshua in searching out the wrong, of having a fault-finding, wicked spirit.” Ibid., June 8, 1886.

“Opposition has risen in the church to the plain testimony.…If the wrongs of individuals are touched, they complain of severity, and…are ready to…overlook the wrong which made it necessary for reproof and rebuke. When the church depart from God they despise the plain testimony, and complain of severity and harshness. It is a sad evidence of the lukewarm state of the church.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 283, 284.

“Let none…charge the servants of God with being too zealous in endeavoring to cleanse the camp…” Prophets and Kings, 416.

“The salvation of sinners demands that every Christian shall act his part, and put forth a certain measure of positive power. ‘Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.’ The word must be spoken in season and out of season to those who are beguiled by Satan, and led to do evil things. Satan is working through his agents, and shall the soldiers of Christ exert no positive influence to save souls that are walking in the broad road to death?” Review and Herald, December 12, 1893.

Are We to Focus on the Sins of the Church?

“God requires His servants to walk in the light and not cover their eyes that they may not discern the working of Satan. They should be prepared to warn and reprove those who are in danger through his subtlety.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 196.

“If defiling sins are cherished…the displeasure of God rests upon the church,…until the members do all in their power to show their hatred for sin, and their determination to cast it out of the church.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Messages, 144 . “When the people realize that darkness is settling upon them, and they do not know the cause, they should seek God earnestly,…until the wrongs which grieve His Spirit are searched out and put away.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 265.

“It is a sin in any church not to search for the cause of their darkness…in the midst of them.” Ibid., vol. 3, 520.

Warn Sinners of Their Sins Continually

“Keep the warning message of truth before the people.…We are to cry aloud and spare not.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 174. “Ministers should be faithful watchmen, seeing the evil and warning the people. Their dangers must be set before them continually and pressed home upon them.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 515. “There is constant need of earnest, decided messages of warning.” Reflecting Christ, 32.

“The natural heart does not enjoy this constant reproving of sin and continual exalting of righteousness.” Signs of the Times, November 5, 1894. “Some…think the trouble is with the ones who…point out the sins of the people and correct their errors.…They think that the labors…would be acceptable if they were not continually condemning wrong and reproving sin.…These poor souls, I saw, were deceived by Satan.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 258, 259.

“Listen to hear them [Israelites] respond, ‘We do not wish to be continually reminded of our sins. Speak to us words of peace, encouragement, and hope, but do not keep ever before us . . . our backslidings.’” Signs of the Times, June 23, 1881.

“They were then decided…He [Moses] was not the right kind of man. He was too unyielding and kept their sins continually before them, warning, reproving, and threatening them with God’s displeasure.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 300.

Are We to Remain Neutral and Say Nothing?

“If God abhors one sin above another, of which His people are guilty, it is of doing nothing in a case of emergency. Indifference or neutrality in a religious crisis is regarded of God as a grievous crime; and equal to the very worst type of hostility against God.” Review and Herald, September 30, 1873.

“Arduous and unpleasant duties have to be performed. None are to place themselves where they will sanction wrong by silence. They aid and abet the schemes of the enemy by keeping their lips closed when they should speak decidedly.…” The Upward Look, 206.

“Those who, in an effort to be neutral,…may think that they are rendering a service to God, but such a thought is delusive.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, 10.

“Many have tried neutrality in a crisis, but they have failed in their purpose. No one can maintain a neutral ground. Those who endeavor to do this will fulfill Christ’s words, ‘No man can serve two masters’…[they] will at last be found enlisted on the enemy’s side.” This Day With God, 240.

Those Who Are Indifferent—Neutral Are Spewed Out

“‘If wrongs are apparent among His people, and if the servants of God pass on indifferent to them, they virtually sustain and justify the sinner, and are alike guilty and will just as surely receive the displeasure of God; for they will be made responsible for the sins of the guilty.’” Testimonies, vol. 5, 676.

“Those who by their carelessness or indifference permit God’s name to be dishonored by His professed people, are numbered with the transgressor,—registered in the record of Heaven as partakers in their evil deeds.” Signs of the Times, April 21, 1881. “Because thou art lukewarm,…I will spue thee out of My mouth.” Revelation 3:16.

Organizational Unity

It is the work of the Christian to mend, to restore, to heal. This healing process saves many a soul and hides a multitude of sins. God is love; God is, in Himself, in His essence, love. He makes the very best of what appears an injury, and gives Satan no occasion for triumph by making the worst appear and exposing our weakness to our enemies. The world must not be introduced into the church, and married to the church, forming a bond of unity. Through this means the church will become indeed corrupt, and as stated in Revelation, ‘a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.’ ” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 265.

Who is Babylon?

Do you understand the significance of this statement? If the world is introduced into and married to the church, it will become Babylon. She does not place it in a time frame, but she says it will happen. Our danger, as Seventh-day Adventists, is that we will be reading the statements Ellen White wrote in the 1893 Review and Herald (August 22, 29; September 5, 12), which say that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is not Babylon, and saying, “See, this proves everything.” It does not prove everything at all, friends. You have to look at all of the inspired statements before you draw your conclusions. Do not take one group of statements that were addressed to a specific situation in 1893 and then forget everything else that was written and assume that you know it all.

Who ever thought up this terrible heresy that has gone around among God’s people that professed Israel can never become Babylon? There are two cases in the Bible where Israel became Babylon, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. By the introduction of the world into the church, it can become Babylon. We have been inclined to believe that it is only the acceptance, and promulgation of such false doctrines as Sunday sacredness and the immortality of the soul that constitutes Babylon. But Ellen White is very clear that while these do clearly mark a church as being part of Babylon, it is the acceptance of these, and kindred heresies, and “the rejection of the truth,” which convert the church into Babylon. (See Selected Messages, Book 2, 68.) This should cause every Seventh-day Adventist great concern.

“Unsanctified ministers are arraying themselves against God. They are praising Christ and the god of this world in the same breath. While professedly they receive Christ, they embrace Barabbas, and by their actions say, ‘Not this Man, but Barabbas.’ Let all who read these lines, take heed. Satan has made his boast of what he can do. He thinks to dissolve the unity which Christ prayed might exist in His church. He says, ‘I will go forth and be a lying spirit to deceive those that I can, to criticize, and condemn, and falsify.’ Let the sin of deceit and false witness be entertained by a church that has had great light, great evidence, and that church will discard the message the Lord has sent, and receive the most unreasonable assertions and false suppositions and false theories.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 409.

Sin of Deceit

Friends, we have accepted false witness and been engaged in the sin of deceit for a long time.

One of the greatest shocks I have experienced came a few years ago when I was reading the book The Word was Made Flesh. (Ralph Larson, Cherrystone Press, Cherry Valley, California, 1986.) Toward the back of the book is a section that shows how some material is used in the book Questions on Doctrine. (Prepared by a Representative Group of Seventh-day Adventist Leaders, Bible Teachers, and Editors, Review and Herald Publishing Association, Washington, D.C., 1957.) The material used is a collection of statements by Ellen White, put together by a group of scholars or theologians. I had done some research in my life, and as I was studying over this material, I started comparing the sources and how it was put together. In just minutes I was in a state of shock. I said to myself, “No honest man could do this.” (See The Word was Made Flesh, Section 4, 219–275, especially pages 249–264.) You can disagree with me, but I do not believe that it is possible that anyone who is smart enough to do research could do this with an honest mind.

This took place a number of years ago, but have you ever noticed any public declaration that says we repudiate Questions on Doctrine and appeal to God and all of humanity to forgive us for publishing it? There are four steps that have to be taken before historic Adventists can ever be in harmony and unity with the world structure. They are repentance, confession, restitution, and a willingness to get back on and stand on the platform of truth. The only way to have unity is if we are all willing to repent, confess, make restitution, and stand together on the platform of truth.

“Infidelity has been making its inroads into our ranks; for it is the fashion to depart from Christ, and give place to skepticism. With many the cry of the heart has been, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ Baal, Baal, is the choice. The religion of many among us will be the religion of apostate Israel, because they love their own way, and forsake the way of the Lord.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 467, 468.

The word Baal or Baalim in Hebrew means lord. When you are worshiping Baal, you are obeying and following a different lord. You think you are doing your own thing, following your own way, but the devil really has control of you, and you do not know it.

Be a Disturber

We are at a time when the trumpet must give a certain sound. We are to show people that there can be no unity between truth and error and that there can be no unity between those who are standing under Satan’s banner and those who are standing under the banner of the Lord.

“Evil must be assailed; falsehood and error must be made to appear in their true character, sin must be denounced; and the testimony of every believer in the truth must be as one. All your little differences, which arouse the combative spirit among brethren, are devices of Satan to divert minds from the great and fearful issue before us.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 3, 1014.

If you are a believer in the truth, you must stand against evil and apostasy. If you do not, you cannot be accounted today as one of God’s children. It is just that simple.

“All who live a conscientious life, who bear testimony of the claims of God, of the evil of sin, of the judgment to come, will be called the disturbers of Israel. Those whose testimony awakens the apprehension of the soul, offend pride, and arouse opposition. The hatred of evil against good exists as surely now as in the days of Christ when the multitudes cried, ‘Away with him!’ ‘Release unto us Barabbas.’ ” Ibid., 1013.

Anyone whom God commissions to do this kind of work is going to be accused of being critical. People are going to speak evil of them and try to destroy their influence.

Have you ever met someone who said, “I want peace; I just cannot stand all of this conflict”? Do you know when we will have true peace? “The true peace will come among God’s people when, through united zeal and earnest prayer, the false peace that exits to a large degree is disturbed.” Ibid., 1014.

There is a false peace in Adventism today, and we are out to disturb it! We want to shake people up right down to their shoes so that they no longer feel secure and make them realize that, if they do not do something different, they are going to go straight to destruction. We have to go through the steps of repentance, confession, restitution, and standing together on the truth.

“While we cannot fellowship with those who are the bitter enemies of Christ, we should cultivate that spirit of meekness and love that characterized our Master—a love that thinketh no evil and is not easily provoked. . . .” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 504.

Those who are followers of Christ cannot fellowship with those who are His bitter enemies. If you can fellowship with people who are enemies of the cross of Christ and are not teaching historic Adventism, there is something seriously wrong. You are not headed in the direction you think you are.

Unity in Diversity

Before Jesus comes, God’s people are going to have a true and perfect unity with one another. The question is not whether or not it is going to happen; it is a matter of prophecy. If those whom God has commissioned to have this unity do not come into line, He will raise up others who will. Those refused to be united will lose their souls.

Even when we do have unity, we will not have the type of unity that many people expect. We are not going to come to the point where we all have the same identity or have absolute uniformity. That is not what we are talking about when we talk about unity. Ellen White describes this with the phrase “unity in diversity.” (See Review and Herald, November 9, 1897.) We are all still going to be individuals. Like branches that are part of a vine, all are different and yet they are all united to the vine.

One of the problems that even historic Adventists are having today is that many people believe that in order to have unity, other people have to think the same as they think, sing the same, play the piano the same, preach the same way, and right on down the line. If this idea is a reflection of your thinking, not only are you never going to experience the type of unity you are hoping to achieve, but you are actually going to become a roadblock to true unity. In order to obtain unity, you are going to try to get everybody else to be like you are, and that is not the unity about which we are talking. All will, however, think the same with regard to the platform of truth. We will all agree on all the truths that God has given us.

Church Organization

“God is leading a people out from the world upon the exalted platform of eternal truth, the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. He will discipline and fit up His people. They will not be at variance, one believing one thing and another having faith and views entirely opposite, each moving independently of the body.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 29.

Notice, if we are going to have unity, we are not going to have theological views that are absolutely contradictory to one another, each one of us moving independently from the body. How can you not move independently from the body and still have unity and not compromise any truth? If you do not understand who the true church is versus the professed church, you will never make it. You have an absolutely impossible situation.

“Through the diversity of the gifts and governments that He has placed in the church, they will all come to the unity of the faith.” Ibid. [Emphasis supplied.] Did you notice that coming to the unity of the faith has something to do with the governments that God has placed in His church?

In a book written by a person whom I used to consider a very close friend of mine, the author totally reinterpreted prophecy. The problem with the total reinterpretation is that some of the reinterpretations contradict the Spirit of Prophecy, so I cannot accept that. I am not saying this to criticize that person, because anyone can make a mistake. Fields of secular endeavor are not the only areas in the world where mistakes are made. You can make a mistake in theology, even if you are sincere. How am I going to keep from going off on a tangent independent of the body? Sister White points out that one of the purposes of governments in the church is to help us keep from going off on a tangent.

“If one man takes his views of Bible truth without regard to the opinion of his brethren, and justifies his course, alleging that he has a right to his own peculiar views, and then presses them upon others, how can he be fulfilling the prayer of Christ? And if another and still another arises, each asserting his right to believe and talk what he pleases without reference to the faith of the body, where will be that harmony which existed between Christ and His Father, and which Christ prayed might exist among His brethren?” Ibid., 29, 30.

If I am really going to find out the opinion of my brethren in some organized way, we must have some kind of church organization. That has to do, Sister White says, with the organization, the governments that God has placed within the body of Christ—so, unity in diversity. This unity can happen if I have regard to the opinion of my brethren and I am willing to keep myself from going off independent of the truth of the body.

“When ministering brethren come together in council, let deference be shown to the expression of intelligent principles, let intellectual freedom be freely accorded to all. There should be unity and love and freedom in communicating one with another. It should be a pleasure to consult one with another, to compare ideas and to review plans. An atmosphere of goodness, confidence, and love should be diffused; for this is the assurance of the presence of the Holy Spirit. The presence of God should be felt, and the soul should be humbled in acknowledging the condescension of God in planning for every soul for whom Christ has died, and thus hearts would be softened and broken.” Manuscript Release, No. 311, 30.

Harmony

I may not be in harmony with the professed church, but I must be in harmony with the true church. That is not optional. I must not go off independently on my own, out of harmony with the body. But I cannot be sure that I am in harmony unless we have communication, and that requires some type of association or “government.”

It is in the order of God that people who are widely different in character, disposition, background, and thought should get together to counsel and talk. This is one of the greatest safeguards of unity and the organization of God’s church.

“Perfection of character means perfection in unity.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, 179. We will never have perfection of character until we have perfection in unity.

“An army in battle would become confused and be defeated if the individual soldiers should move according to their own impulses instead of acting in harmony under the direction of a competent general. The soldiers of Christ also must act in harmony. A few converted souls, uniting for one grand purpose under one head, will achieve victories in every encounter.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 139.

This is a wonderful promise. It is a statement that all of the people in home churches ought to learn. If you are united, if you have harmony and are organized, you are going to have victory at every step.

No New Organization

We have written a booklet entitled No New Organization. (Available from Steps to Life.) Do not get the idea that we are forming some new organization. We absolutely are not. The new organization has already been started, but we did not start it.

Do you remember that the early Adventists did not intend to start any kind of an organization? They were just going to work through the organizations that already existed. But as they began preaching the first angel’s message, they were thrown out of their churches. In the days of John Wesley, these Protestant churches were spiritual Israel. They did not have all of the truth, but they were living up to all of the light that they had. When they disfellowshipped the true body of Christ, they became Babylon.

You who belong to the Adventist world structure, please consider this. The Protestant churches in Ellen White’s day disfellowshipped the true body of Christ and rejected the first angel’s message. As a result of that, they became Babylon.

After these Adventists had been disfellowshipped, they were widely scattered, yet they resisted the idea of becoming organized. They knew that the churches they had just come out of were Babylon, and they did not want to be like them. Ellen White said that the Adventists were afraid to organize, because they were afraid they would become Babylon if they organized. But the churches in New York, because of their lack of organization in 1861, were already Babylon. (See Testimonies, vol. 1, 270.)

We have had the same problem of late. People have twisted statements, like the one about no new organization in Notebook Leaflets, vol. 1, 51 [“The Lord has declared that the history of the past shall be rehearsed as we enter upon the closing work. Every truth that He has given for these last days is to be proclaimed to the world. Every pillar that He has established is to be strengthened. We cannot now step off the foundation that God has established. We cannot now enter into any new organization; for this would mean apostasy from the truth.—Manuscript 129, 1905.”], until historic Seventh-day Adventists are afraid to organize. If you do not want your home church to become Babylon, you are going to have to organize it.

Ordained Leaders

If you have a home church and you are going to be organized, you need to have one or more elders and deacons in your church so that you can be organized. Read the first part of the book of Acts, and you will find there the job of the elders and deacons in the church.

The first step in the organization of the Christian Church was in the ordination of the apostles. (See The Acts of the Apostles, 18.) We have had many letters and phone calls in which people say, “Well, couldn’t you do the same work if you did not ordain someone, because then it wouldn’t stir up so much controversy?” Well, that is just about the same as saying, “Couldn’t you be a Christian without getting baptized?” Listen, when God teaches you to do something, if you are not in harmony with divine counsel, you are an apostate. There is no other way about it. We do not ordain to stir up controversy, but because the Bible teaches it. We do it to be true to our conscience.

There are people who are saying, “You do not believe in organization.” The fact that we ordain people ought to prove the falsity of this accusation. If we did not believe in organization, we would not ordain anyone.

Unless we can learn to associate together and be able to call councils where we can get together and discuss what we need to do, as the apostolic church did, the devil has a very good chance of destroying us. This is one of the reasons why we are studying the subject of unity. We are determined that we are going to follow all of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy counsel in this matter. Are you willing to follow all of the counsel in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy? If you are, we must become more organized and, by the grace of God, we are going to do it.

Reprinted from LandMarks, November 1993.

Pastor Grosboll is the director of Steps to Life Ministry and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas.

Good News for Pharisees and Sadducees

Have you ever played the game called follow-the-leader? Boys and girls have played it for years. I can remember leading the other children in the neighborhood through the swimming pool with their clothes on, through the mud, off the highest steps of the porch, and in, through, or off any other ridiculous place I could think of. They came right along behind, because we were playing follow-the-leader.

Even though follow-the-leader is considered a childhood game, most of us continue to play it in one way or another. The entire advertising industry is built on this tendency of human beings to follow the leader, to do what they see someone else, some leader, doing.

Sheep are notorious for following the leader. At a slaughterhouse in New York City, New York, a goat was trained to jump into the chute as soon as the gate opened. The sheep always followed. Just before the slaughtering section, there was a little side door. When the goat reached that point, he jumped out, the side door slammed shut behind him, and the sheep kept going to their death. The goat went back for another group of followers. The people at the slaughterhouse had come up with an appropriate name for the goat—Judas! The game of follow-the-leader repeatedly ended up tragically, at least for the sheep.

Following Religious Leaders

At the time of Christ, people followed religious leaders. There were two main groups, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The leaders were off course, and the people followed. Both leaders and people went astray. Jesus told a parable about this follow-the-leader syndrome, perhaps one of the shortest parables He ever told. It is found in Luke 6:39, 40. “He also told them this parable: ‘Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.’ ” Perhaps we could paraphrase it this way: “The followers will invariably be like their leaders, and rarely will a follower rise above his leader.”

We could mention one name—Hitler—to give a classic example of the danger of people blindly following the leading of other people. And the German people are no more gullible than the rest of us. All of us are prone to follow leaders. Sometimes the most self-centered leader is the one who attracts the most self-centered followers.

The tragedy in the days of Christ was that a whole nation perished because they went blindly following their religious leaders instead of studying Scripture for themselves. The great danger we face as a church today is that we will depend upon other people. This is one of the primary reasons for disunity. We are not in the habit of studying Scripture for ourselves. Many study a lot of the teachings of various leaders, but not so many study the Scripture for themselves.

I would like to assure you that this is not an attack on organized church leadership. People often choose for leaders those who have no official leading position in an organized church structure. This is rather a warning against following anyone, regardless of his occupation. We are to be followers of Christ. No leader is to be followed blindly, even though most people who do so would not admit to blindness. The proper function of a leader is to help people to see for themselves.

We need leaders. God believes in leadership. According to Scripture, even heaven has its system of leadership. But the function of the leader is to lead the people to know Jesus for themselves. The purpose of leadership is not to hand truth to people for them to accept without any further investigation. There is an old adage that says, “You can give a man a fish, and you will feed him for a day. You can teach a man to fish, and you will feed him for a lifetime.”

Paul was a mighty leader in the early church. He was not blind, and he taught the truth he received from God. But the Bereans checked it out for themselves. They had the perfect combination. Their lesson to us is this: If we are in the habit of checking truth for ourselves, we will not be misled.

Who They Were

The Pharisees and Sadducees at the time of Christ were only representatives of the entire nation. The people who followed the Sadducees became like their leaders. The people who followed the Pharisees became pharisaical. We are not just having a history lesson when we look at these religious leaders from the time of Christ. Their characteristics are still present in the church today, both in leaders and followers, for those on every level of the church who are spiritually blind.

In terms of behavior, the Pharisees were the conservatives and the Sadducees were the liberals. The Pharisees observed many more rites and ceremonies and traditions than did the Sadducees. But both groups were legalists, because both had their attention on their performance instead of upon God.

The Pharisees were traditionalists, according to Mark 7 and Matthew 15, and were very loyal in their support of that which had been handed down from the fathers. The Sadducees were the intellectuals who loved to discuss hard questions, such as the status of marriage in heaven. The Pharisees were perfectionists. The Sadducees were imperfectionists.

The Sadducees did not believe in resurrection from the dead, physically or spiritually. They did not believe in the power of God worked out in the life. They did not accept the judgment and believed that only the first five books of the Scriptures were inspired. Among the Sadducees were some of Jesus’ worst enemies.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were violently opposed to each other. The Jewish nation at the time of Christ had much theological discord. The people lined up behind the leaders, some following Pharisees, some following Sadducees.

Neither the Pharisees nor Sadducees were converted to the teachings of Jesus. Neither group could offer a realistic hope of salvation to the weak person. Neither group had time for the harlots and thieves and publicans. Both groups misinterpreted Scripture, misinterpreted the law, misinterpreted prophecy, and misinterpreted the kingdom of heaven that Jesus taught. The principle that man can save himself by his own righteousness was the principle of both groups, even though they had a great theory of justification, and the blood of the lambs flowed freely at their sacrificial services.

Jesus called both groups hypocrites because of their external religion. The essence of Jesus’ teaching, which was self-surrender, found no acceptance in their thinking or experience. Neither group had experienced the supernatural work of the Spirit upon the heart. They had never experienced the new capacity for knowing God, which is not even present in the unconverted heart. That is why there was so little meaningful Scripture study, so little truly private prayer, so little relationship with God. The capacity was not even there. While these hypocrites were meticulous Sabbath keepers and tithe payers and health reformers, there was so little on the inside that responded to the truths of God’s Word, that they ended up tying the Scriptures to their wrists and foreheads in an attempt to substitute for what they lacked on the inside. There was no room for God’s Word in their hearts. Self was the center of their focus. Nobody is more selfish than a Pharisee. And the new birth, which would have brought about the death of the Pharisee, because it changes the heart, was threatening to those who were interested only in changing the outside.

Reasons They Disliked Jesus

The religious leaders did not like Jesus because He received sinners, the open sinners whom they despised.

They did not like Jesus because He was more interested in the true meaning of the Sabbath than in the external regulations they had invented.

They did not like Jesus because He did not observe their traditions, fasts, washings, and ceremonies.

They did not like Jesus because He was not impressed with their external goodness.

They did not like Jesus because of His teaching of self-surrender, the very thing they feared more than anything else.

They did not like Jesus because He did not live up to their expectations as the Messiah.

They did not like Jesus because He did not treat them with the respect they craved.

And, most of all, they did not like Jesus because of the condemnation they felt in His presence.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were victims of salvation by works, and, in spite of the meticulous appearance they tried to maintain before the crowds, they all had their hidden problems. This made them uneasy in the presence of Jesus, whose purity was a rebuke to their sins. They did not like Jesus because they did not want to give up on the idea of saving themselves.

Another reason why they did not like Jesus was the manner of His coming. They had expected that the religious leaders would be the first to herald the coming of the Messiah. To be passed by, to be informed of His birth by ignorant shepherds and heathens from another country was more than their pride could take. They refused to accept that God could be trying to communicate to them through these channels. Once they had made their position public, they were too proud to retract it and continued to the end to deny the testimony of their own senses.

Their motivation for being religious was an attempt to gain the temporal blessings that came as a result of moral living. They liked to see the grasshoppers stopped at the fence line when they had paid their tithe. They liked the respect of the people. And although they were at swords’ points with one another, they finally united in the end at the crucifixion of Jesus. Both groups were legalists; both groups were against Jesus, and both groups were wrong.

It is true that they had a limited acceptance of Jesus. They did not reject Him altogether, in spite of the fact that they did not like Him. They believed Him to be a prophet. They accepted Him as a miracle-worker and healer. They accepted Him as a great teacher. But they did not accept Jesus as Saviour, Lord, and God. Lordship is where they drew the line. And their limited acceptance led to total rejection in the end. The people, who were following blindly along, also ended up rejecting Jesus, in spite of the tremendous evidence that He was exactly whom He claimed to be. The people were sometimes astonished at the lack of acceptance Jesus found with their leaders, but they continued in the end to follow the leaders they had chosen.

Could it be possible to be in the camp of the Pharisees or Sadducees today? Is it still possible to be a conservative legalist, who hopes to get into heaven by his own works? Is it possible to be a great defender of the traditions that have been handed down from the fathers and still to miss recognizing and accepting the living Christ? Or is it possible to be a Sadducee today, who finds his security in a liberal standard of conduct, who does not believe in the resurrection from being spiritually dead, and who does not accept that God has power for him to overcome sin? Is it possible today to join those who discard their belief in the judgment and who are selective as to which of the inspired writings they will accept? Is it possible to hold a theory of righteousness by faith in Jesus when it comes to justification, but to reject the righteousness by faith that is worked out in the life, in favor of trying hard in your own strength?

Whether you find yourself a Pharisee or Sadducee today, the picture looks pretty black. It looks like bad news right down the line. But there is good news for the Pharisees and Sadducees of today, just as there was good news for the Pharisees and Sadducees in the days of Jesus.

Jesus Loves Pharisees Too!

The good news for Pharisees and Sadducees is that they are loved by Jesus just as much as every other sinner in this world is loved. “While Jesus ministered to all who came to Him, He yearned to bless those who came not. While He drew the publicans, the heathen, and the Samaritans, He longed to reach the priests and teachers who were shut in by prejudice and tradition. He left untried no means by which they might be reached.” The Desire of Ages, 265. Christ is able to save Pharisees and Sadducees and all of the people who have been followers of these leaders and have partaken of their spirit. Jesus is still seeking to bring each one to know Him personally, to come to Him personally, and to accept personally His gift of salvation.

What is the good news for the Pharisees? The good news is that being a Pharisee is not the unpardonable sin. The disease of hypocrisy is not incurable. Jesus has the power available to change even the Pharisee and Sadducee so that they are righteous inwardly as well as outwardly. You can join the exceptions to the rule. You might join one of the leading Pharisees who came for a nighttime visit with Jesus to discuss the subject of religion, but who went away to experience the new birth of which Jesus told him in their interview. He found the vital relationship with God and gave of his riches to support the early church after the crucifixion of Jesus.

You might join a man named Simon, who held a feast to pay Jesus back for healing him of his leprosy. But he ended up accepting Jesus at his own feast and became a follower of Jesus.

You can join the friendly scribe who came to Jesus for the purpose of trapping Him and humiliating Him before the people, but who saw in Jesus’ words a wisdom beyond his own. And Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Mark 12:34.

At the end of Jesus’ ministry here on earth, when the Pharisees and Sadducees had finally united in their enmity against Him, the Sanhedrin was gathered together to determine how to rid themselves of this Jesus. After the discussions had continued for some time, Caiaphas rose to his feet. With a sneer on his face, he said to the leaders who were assembled there, “ ‘You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.’ He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation, but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.” John 11:49–52.

That is the good news for Pharisees in one sentence: It is better for you that one man die for the people. Listen, friendly scribe who comes to ply Jesus with questions, It is better for you that one Man die for the people. Listen, Nicodemus, who comes under cover of darkness, It is better for you that one Man die for the people. Listen, Simon, the leper, It is better for you that one Man die for the people.

Listen, Pharisee and Sadducee, wherever you are today. You can give up on the double life, give up your external performance covering your inner emptiness, and come to Jesus for the free gift of salvation. It is expedient for you, it is good news for you, that one Man should die for the people.

And one Man did die. Ever since that time, it has been good news. If you are playing follow-the-leader, you will miss the good news. But you can be an exception and follow Jesus today.

Domingo Nunez is Director of Outreach Ministry for Steps to Life. He may be contacted by telephone at: 316-788-5559, or by e-mail at: domingonunez@stepstolife.org.

The Seal of Apostleship, Leaders Ordained of God

While Christ is the minister in the sanctuary above, He is also, through His delegates, the minister of His church on earth. He speaks to the people through chosen men, and carries forward His work through them, as when in the days of His humiliation He moved visibly upon the earth. Although centuries have passed, the lapse of time has not changed His parting promise to His disciples: ‘Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ [Matthew 28:20.] From Christ’s ascension to the present day, men ordained of God, deriving their authority from Him, have become teachers of the faith. Christ, the True Shepherd, superintends His work through the instrumentality of these undershepherds. Thus the position of those who labor in word and doctrine becomes very important. In Christ’s stead they beseech the people to be reconciled to God.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 393.

“Paul [a minister who was not on the payroll of the church organization but, rather, was what would be called, today, a self-supporting minister or a minister working in pioneer evangelistic work] further disproved the accusations of his enemies, by showing that his position as an apostle of Christ had been acknowledged by the council at Jerusalem, and that in his labors among the Gentiles he had complied with the decisions of that council. Those who were seeking to destroy his influence, professed to acknowledge Peter, James, and John as pillars of the church. They were constantly extolling these apostles, and endeavoring to prove them superior to Paul in position and authority. But Paul showed that his enemies could not justify their course by a pretended regard for these apostles. While he honored them as faithful ministers of Christ, he showed that they had not attempted to instruct him, neither had they commissioned him to preach the gospel. They were convinced that God had called him to present the truth to the Gentiles, as he had designated Peter to go especially to the Jews. Hence they acknowledged before the council Paul’s divine commission, and received him as a fellow-laborer of equal position with themselves.

“It was not to exalt self, but to magnify the grace of God, that Paul thus presented to those who were denying his apostleship, proof that he was ‘not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.’ [11 Corinthians 11:5.] Those who sought to belittle his calling and his work were fighting against Christ, whose grace and power were manifested through Paul. Hence the apostle felt that he was forced, by the opposition of his enemies, and even by the course of his brethren, to take a decided stand to maintain his position and authority.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 193, 194.

“Men are deceived in thinking they are serving God when they are serving themselves and making the interest of the cause and work of God a secondary matter. Their hearts are not consecrated. The Lord takes no pleasure in the services of this class. From time to time, as the cause has progressed, He has in His providence designated men to fill positions at Battle Creek. These men could have filled important positions if they had consecrated themselves to God and devoted their energies to His work. These men of God’s selection needed the very discipline that a devotion to His work would give them. He would honor them by connecting them with Himself and giving them His Holy Spirit to qualify them for the responsibilities they were called to bear. They could not gain that breadth of experience and knowledge of the divine will unless they were in positions to bear burdens and responsibilities.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 468, 469.

“But what are the members of the church doing that they should be designated “laborers together with God”? 1 Corinthians 3:9. Where do we see travail of soul? Where do we see the members of the church absorbed in religious themes, self-surrendered to the will of God? Where do we see Christians feeling their responsibility to make the church prosperous, a wide-awake, light-giving people? Where are those who do not stint or measure their loving labor for the Master? Our Redeemer is to see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied; how is it with those who profess to be His followers? Will they be satisfied when they see the fruit of their labors?” Ibid., vol. 6, 423.

“O that this experience might be understood in all our ranks! Were children and parents converted, and did they but unite in using all their intrusted talents for the Master, and by using them double them, what a work might be done. Never was there a time in the history of the world when there was a more urgent demand for workers than at present. The seeds of truth are to be sown, and the reapers are to follow after to gather in the sheaves. If the members of all our churches did but have the love of Christ, and the love for souls which his indwelling presence would impart, they would be aggressive workers, and would lay aside their busy activities upon unimportant things, and would put out to interest their talents, and invest in that which would bring treasure throughout eternal ages. In the service of the Master, they would have increased strength and light. O then, why not study as to how you may reach souls who are out of the ark of safety? Let your work be proportionate to your advantages and privileges, and trade on the talents you have at your command, and you will have a living experience in the things of God. Some excuse themselves, saying they do not know how to do the kind of work that is called for in the missionary. You ought to have known how to do the work from the very beginning of your religious life. Will you be content to rest in ignorance and indifference? Will you venture to be a slothful servant to the end of the chapter? Or will you now seek most earnestly after God, and know what it is to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of man, and become laborers together with God? ‘Ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.’ [1 Corinthians 3:9.] You must render an account to God as to how you build; for every provision has been made that you may be successful in your work. Will he who with his divine finger drew the boundaries of Judea, who designated the exact spot where the temple should stand, who wrought out designs for the Jewish church and for the service of the sanctuary, leave his people, his chosen people, who keep his commandments, to a chance experience, to accident, to stumble along in darkness? Shall those to whom he has committed most precious light, to whom he has intrusted the third angel’s message, have less of his providential leading than had his ancient people?” Review and Herald, February 21, 1893.

“The Lord has designated his people as ‘the light of the world,’ and to them he has committed the sacred trust of preaching the gospel in all the world. In order to do this, how great need there is of bringing our wants within the least possible scope, that we may give ourselves and our all for the fulfilling of our divine commission. We should all learn to economize in the use of means. God does not require that his people should deprive themselves of that which is really necessary for their health and comfort, but he does not approve of wantonness and extravagance and display. In no sense should we abuse the gifts of God; for we shall be called upon at the last day to give an account of our stewardship. Let us look at the precept and example of our divine Lord, regarding economy, and making the most of the blessing of heaven. When Jesus had worked a notable miracle, and had fed five thousand people, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.’ [John 6:12.] This command had a double meaning; for it not only showed that every morsel of bread given through the miracle of Christ was sacred, but that those morsels, imparted to others, multiplied and extended the blessing to those who had need. From this circumstance we may learn a lesson in spiritual matters. As the bread was carefully saved to be given to others in need, so we should carefully treasure up all that God gives us, in order that it may be again imparted to those who have need.” Ibid., December 19, 1893.

“This large work and its sure results are plainly presented to me. I am so sorry that sensible men do not discern the trail of the serpent. I call it thus; for thus the Lord pronounces it. Wherein are those who are designated as departing from the faith and giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, departing from the faith which they have held sacred for the past fifty years? I leave that for the ones to answer who sustain those who develop such acuteness in their plans for spoiling and hindering the work of God.” Testimonies for the Church Containing Messages of Warning and Instruction to Seventh-day Adventists (1906), 61.

“Would that every minister might realize the sacredness of his office and the holiness of his work, and show the courage that Elijah showed! As divinely appointed messengers, ministers are in a position of awful responsibility. They are to ‘reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering.’ 11 Timothy 4:2. In Christ’s stead they are to labor as stewards of the mysteries of heaven, encouraging the obedient and warning the disobedient. With them worldly policy is to have no weight. Never are they to swerve from the path in which Jesus has bidden them walk. They are to go forward in faith, remembering that they are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. They are not to speak their own words, but words which One greater than the potentates of earth has bidden them speak. Their message is to be, ‘Thus saith the Lord.’ God calls for men like Elijah, Nathan, and John the Baptist—men who will bear His message with faithfulness, regardless of the consequences; men who will speak the truth bravely, though it call for the sacrifice of all they have.” Prophets and Kings, 142.

“A dignified looking personage, who had been repeatedly presented to me in my dreams as making one in our council meetings, and who seemed to have authority, was listening with the deepest interest to every word. He spoke with deliberation and with perfect assurance. ‘The whole world,’ he said, ‘is God’s great vineyard. The cities and villages constitute a part of that vineyard. These must be worked, and not passed by. Satan will try to interpose himself, so as to discourage the workers, and prevent them from giving the message of light and warning in the more important as well as in the more secluded places. Desperate efforts will be made to turn the people from the truth of God to falsehood. Angels of heaven are commissioned to work with the efforts of God’s appointed messengers. The preachers of the truth must encourage faith and hope, as did Christ, your Living Head. Keep humble and contrite in heart before God. Maintain an unwavering faith in the promises of God.’ ” Special Testimonies for Ministers and Workers, — No. 7 (1897), 3.

“If we are the Lord’s appointed messengers, we shall not spring up with new ideas and theories to contradict the message that God has given through His servants since 1844. At that time many sought the Lord with heart and soul and voice. The men whom God raised up were diligent searchers of the Scriptures. And those who today claim to have light, and who contradict the teaching of God’s ordained messengers, who were working under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, those who get up new theories, which remove the pillars of our faith, are not doing the will of God, but are bringing in fallacies of their own invention, which, if received, will cut the church away from the anchorage of truth, and set them drifting, drifting, to where they will receive any sophistries that may arise.—Manuscript 75, 1905, pp. 2, 3. (“Building the Waste Places,” May, 1905.)” Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 247.

THE APPOINTED WATCHMEN

“You are at this time passing through a trying experience. Stand strongly linked with My appointed messengers, and let not any evil words prejudice your minds or be as seed sown in your hearts. Your strength now is not in keeping silent and allowing fables to be brought in and taught as truth. My word will go forth as a lamp that burneth. I will work through messengers who will not yoke up with Dr. Kellogg, who will not endorse his methods and plans, but who will reprove them. He has refused to wear My yoke, and unless he is converted I will separate from him and from those who sustain him in his self-exaltation.” Ibid., vol. 21, 175.

“From the beginning, faithful souls have constituted the church on earth. In every age the Lord has had His watchmen, who have borne a faithful testimony to the generation in which they lived. These sentinels gave the message of warning; and when they were called to lay off their armor, others took up the work. God brought these witnesses into covenant relation with Himself, uniting the church on earth with the church in heaven. He has sent forth His angels to minister to His church, and the gates of hell have not been able to prevail against His people.” The Acts of the Apostles, 11.

“The watchmen anciently placed upon the walls of Jerusalem and other cities, occupied a most responsible position. Upon their faithfulness depended the safety of all within those cities. When danger was apprehended, they were not to keep silent day nor night. Every few moments they were required to call to one another, to see if all were awake, and no harm had come to any. Sentinels were stationed upon some eminence overlooking the important posts to be guarded, and the cry of warning or of good cheer was sounded from them. This was borne from one to another, each repeating the words, till it went the entire rounds of the city.

“These watchmen represent the ministry, upon whose fidelity depends the salvation of souls. The stewards of the mysteries of God should stand as watchmen upon the walls of Zion; and if they see the sword coming, they should sound the note of warning. If they are sleepy sentinels, if their spiritual senses are so benumbed that they see and realize no danger, and the people perish, God will require their blood at the watchmen’s hands.” Gospel Workers (1892), 21.

“Sinful and worthless creatures though we are, through a vital connection with Christ we yet may be renewed in knowledge and true holiness, and thus reflect the glory and image of our Creator and Redeemer, and be qualified to care for His sheep and lambs. Not only have the sheep and lambs been dealt with in hardness, but even the shepherds themselves have been treated with reckless disregard. They have been spoken of in a way that shows that many in high and lower positions have little courtesy to give to God’s ordained ministers. The churches themselves have been educated in such a way that they have had too little respect for those who preach the Word of God, and who for years have given full proof of their ministry. But this way of dealing with the ministers and with the members of the family of God must be changed. The blessing of God cannot rest upon those who manifest little respect for the workers together with Him.” Review and Herald, October 24, 1893.

“These ordinances are regarded too much as a form, and not as a sacred thing to call to mind the Lord Jesus. Christ ordained them, and delegated His power to His ministers, who have the treasure in earthen vessels. They are to superintend these special appointments of the One who established them to continue to the close of time. It is on these, His own appointments, that He meets with and energizes His people by His personal presence. Notwithstanding that there may be hearts and hands that are unsanctified who will administer the ordinance, still Jesus is in the midst of His people to work on human hearts. All who keep before them, in the act of feet-washing, the humiliation of Christ, all who will keep their hearts humble, and keep in view the true tabernacle and service, which the Lord pitched and not man, will never fail to derive benefit from every discourse given, and spiritual strength from every communion. These ordinances are established for a purpose. Christ’s followers are to bear in mind the example of Christ in His humility. This ordinance is to encourage humility, but it should never be termed humiliating, in the sense of being degrading to humanity. It is to make tender our hearts toward one another.” Review and Herald, May 31, 1898.

“Jesus is the sinner’s friend, His heart is ever open, ever touched with human woe; He has all power, both in heaven and upon earth; but He respects the means which He has ordained for the enlightenment and salvation of men. He directs Saul to the church, thus acknowledging the power that He has invested in it as a channel of light to the world. It is Christ’s organized body upon the earth, and respect is required to be paid to His ordinances. In the case of Saul, Ananias represents Christ, and he also represents Christ’s ministers upon the earth who are appointed to act in Christ’s stead.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 433.

“Matters of grave import come up for settlement by the church. God’s ministers, ordained by Him as guides of His people, after doing their part are to submit the whole matter to the church, that there may be unity in the decision made.” Ibid., vol. 7, 263, 264.

“The ministers have their appointed work. The importance of the ministry is to be understood and appreciated. The preaching of the word is one of the means by which the Lord has ordained that his warning message shall be given to the people.” Australasian Union Conference Recorder, September 1, 1900.

“The gospel ministry is a high and sacred calling. Properly done, the work of the gospel minister will bring many souls into the fold. ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth,’ Christ said. ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.’ [Matthew 28:18, 19.] This commission is given to every ordained minister. The minister who is merely a speaker, who does not labor as Christ labored, putting his whole soul intelligently into the work, needs true conversion.” Review and Herald, October 6, 1904.

LOCAL CHURCH OFFICERS TO WORK WITH ORDAINED MINISTERS

“The forces for good among the lay members of the church cannot be developed and brought into proper working order without careful planning and systematic training. And as these workers are developed, they must be given the wise, helpful supervision of experienced leaders. They should not be left to struggle along alone, unaided. While it is true that the responsibility of leadership rests heavily upon the officers of the local churches, yet this responsibility is to be shared by the ordained ministers and by conference officers. Those in positions of trust in the General Conference and in union and local conferences cannot overlook their responsibility toward every church member, however humble may be the work in which he is engaged. All lines of service are to be bound together in one united whole.” Ibid., October 22, 1914.

“The ministers whom you condemn God has ordained to do a work for which He has not qualified you. Money cannot supply your deficiency. Your prejudices, preferences, dislikes, your sweeping condemnation of both the Healdsburg College and the Health Retreat, have been active influences in encouraging fault-finding, jealousy, evil surmising throughout all the churches. When your ideas and expectations are not met, you have talked out your dissatisfaction, but God has not prompted you in your independent spirit, in your accusation of His instrumentality. There can be no unity where such things exist. Confidence cannot live amid suspicion and evil surmisings.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 20, 97.

WARNINGS TO ORDAINED MINISTERS

“It is a truth which should make every one of us weep, that those living in these last days, upon whom the ends of the world are come, are far more guilty than was Belshazzar. This is possible in many ways. When men have taken upon themselves the vows of consecration, to devote all their powers to the sacred service of God; when they occupy the position of expositors of Bible truth, and have received the solemn charge; when God and angels are summoned as witnesses to the solemn dedication of soul, body, and spirit to God’s service—then shall these men who minister in a most holy office desecrate their God-given powers to unholy purposes? Shall the sacred vessel, whom God is to use for a high and holy work, be dragged from its lofty, controlling sphere to administer to debasing lust?” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 434.

CLARIFICATION OF THE MINISTER’S WORK

“The powers of every minister of the gospel should be employed to educate the believing churches to receive Christ by faith as their personal Saviour, to take Him into their very lives and make Him their Pattern, to learn of Jesus, believe in Jesus, and exalt Jesus. The minister should himself dwell on the character of Christ. He should ponder the truth, and meditate upon the mysteries of redemption, especially the mediatorial work of Christ for this time.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 187.

“Our churches are in need of those to minister in holy office who shall be men of honor, of piety, of purity; who shall be sanctified by the Spirit and by the word.” The Signs of the Times, February 2, 1882.

“Let your sanitariums be conducted by physicians and ministers who are in harmony with the light God has been giving to His people for the last half century. Place not men in positions of holy office who will not listen to God’s counsel concerning His way and His will. There are influences working mightily against the very work God requires to be done. The time has come when the Lord’s name is to be magnified in all your camp meetings. Every soul must now draw in even cords. Unbelief has taken possession of men who have been warned in regard to the seducing influence of Satan’s working and the methods of his work, yet who have taken no heed. They are of the party that will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. Where is this party that will depart from the faith? Consider this. Do not place in charge of your important work or even of the less important enterprises, those who will lead minds away from the truth which is to decide the destiny of souls.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 91.

“The work of the minister represented by the seven stars is a high and sacred work. When he entertains the idea that his work is comprehended in sermonizing, he overlooks, and is sure to neglect, the work devolving upon a shepherd of the flock. It is his work to have care, to oversee the flock, to so arrange the elements of the church that each may have something to do.” Review and Herald, May 31, 1887.

“The light that has been given me for the past fifteen years has been a representation of the great responsibility which is attached to the work of the ministry. The work of the minister should be regarded in a far higher light. It is the low estimate placed on this work that leaves our Conferences in such a weak, feeble condition. We can not afford this. Those ministers who place a low estimate on the work intrusted to them neither do justice to themselves or to the church. Just as long as our ministers fail to feel a sense of responsibility proportionate to the greatness of their work, there will be a deficiency in our Conferences.” The General Conference Bulletin, April 16, 1901.

“We do not want to lose sight of the peculiar sacredness of this mission of ministering in word and in doctrine to the people. It is the work of the minister to speak the words of truth to the people, solemn, sacred truth.” Review and Herald, February 22, 1887.

“The ceremony of the laying on of hands added no new grace or virtual qualification. It was an acknowledged form of designation to an appointed office and a recognition of one’s authority in that office. By it the seal of the church was set upon the work of God.” The Acts of the Apostles, 161, 162.

“The circumstances connected with the separation of Paul and Barnabas by the Holy Spirit to a definite line of service show clearly that the Lord works through appointed agencies in His organized church. . . . And now, when the divine commission given at that time was to be more fully carried out, the Holy Spirit, again bearing witness concerning Paul as a chosen vessel to bear the gospel to the Gentiles, laid upon the church the work of ordaining him and his fellow laborer. . . .

“God has made His church on the earth a channel of light, and through it He communicates His purposes and His will. He does not give to one of His servants an experience independent of and contrary to the experience of the church itself. Neither does He give one man a knowledge of His will for the entire church while the church—Christ’s body—is left in darkness. In His providence He places His servants in close connection with His church in order that they may have less confidence in themselves and greater confidence in others whom He is leading out to advance His work.

“There have ever been in the church those who are constantly inclined toward individual independence. They seem unable to realize that independence of spirit is liable to lead the human agent to have too much confidence in himself and to trust in his own judgment rather than to respect the counsel and highly esteem the judgment of his brethren, especially of those in the offices that God has appointed for the leadership of His people. God has invested His church with special authority and power which no one can be justified in disregarding and despising, for he who does this despises the voice of God.

“Those who are inclined to regard their individual judgment as supreme are in grave peril. It is Satan’s studied effort to separate such ones from those who are channels of light, through whom God has wrought to build up and extend His work in the earth. To neglect or despise those whom God has appointed to bear the responsibilities of leadership in connection with the advancement of the truth, is to reject the means that He has ordained for the help, encouragement, and strength of His people. For any worker in the Lord’s cause to pass these by, and to think that his light must come through no other channel than directly from God, is to place himself in a position where he is liable to be deceived by the enemy and overthrown. The Lord in His wisdom has arranged that by means of the close relationship that should be maintained by all believers, Christian shall be united to Christian and church to church. Thus the human instrumentality will be enabled to co-operate with the divine. Every agency will be subordinate to the Holy Spirit, and all the believers will be united in an organized and well-directed effort to give to the world the glad tidings of the grace of God.” Ibid., 162–164.

“Words were spoken by One of authority, and I will try to repeat in finite words the instruction given regarding the work to be done. The heavenly messenger said, The ministry is becoming greatly enfeebled because men are assuming the responsibility of preaching without gaining the needed preparation for this work.

“Those who give themselves to the ministry of the Word of God enter a most important work. The gospel ministry is a high and sacred calling. Properly done, the work of the gospel minister will add many souls to the fold. Many have made a mistake in receiving credentials. They will have to take up work to which they are better adapted than the preaching of the Word. They are being paid from the tithe, but their efforts are feeble, and they should not continue to be paid from the tithe. In many ways the ministry is losing its sacred character.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, 304, 305.

“It was at the ordination of the Twelve that the first step was taken in the organization of the church that after Christ’s departure was to carry on His work on the earth. Of this ordination the record says, ‘He goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto Him whom He would: and they came unto Him. And He ordained twelve, that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach.’ Mark 3:13, 14.” The Acts of the Apostles, 18.

“After choosing His disciples, Christ appointed them as His representatives, and gave them their ordination charge, their commission. They were to go forth as His witnesses, to declare what they had seen and heard of Him. Their office was the most important to which human beings had ever been called, and was second only to that of Christ Himself. They were to be workers together with God for the saving of the world.

“He who called the first disciples is still calling men to His service. And He is just as willing to manifest His power through us as through the first disciples. However imperfect and sinful we may be, the Lord holds out to us the offer of partnership with Him, of apprenticeship to Christ. He invites us to come under the divine instruction, that, uniting with Christ, we may work the works of God.” Pacific Union Recorder, December 4, 1902.

A LITTLE ADVENTIST HISTORY IN REGARD TO ORDINATION OF MINISTERS

“The resolution [Resolved, That we recommend to the churches in the State of Michigan to unite in one conference with the name of the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists] was quickly adopted. Then the ministers and delegates from the churches were declared members of the Michigan Conference. Appropriate officers and a conference committee were elected. The chairman, Joseph Bates, and the clerk, Uriah Smith, were voted in as the officers for the current year, and the time for the first session was set for October 5 to 8, 1862. There was one more important question, and that was ‘ministers’ papers.’ Here is the action:

“Resolved, That our ministers’ papers consist of a certificate of ordination, also credentials to be signed by the chairman and clerk of the conference, which credentials shall be renewed annually.” White, Arthur L., Ellen G. White: The Early Years, Volume 1, 1827–1862, Review and Herald Publishing Association, Washington D.C., 1985, 455.

“The minutes of this conference session set forth some interesting items of business that Elder Sanborn brought from Illinois and Wisconsin, calling for the opinion of the conference:

“1. How shall we treat divorced marriages?

“2. Shall preachers from other denominations embracing the message preach and baptize among us, on the strength of their former ordination and standing as ministers?

“3. Shall young preachers, before being ordained, be allowed to baptize? . . .

“After satisfying themselves to the full intent of the first question—and ascertaining that what was involved was the accepting into church membership those couples comprised of individuals who had been divorced on grounds other than the violation of the seventh commandment, actions were taken as follows:

“1. Resolved, That the matter of divorced marriages be referred to the conference committee. [Diligent search fails to disclose any report on this perplexing item.]

“2. Resolved, That ministers of other denominations, embracing present truth, should give proof of being called to preach the message, and be ordained among us, before administering the ordinances.

“3. Resolved, That no person, young or old, should administer the ordinances before being ordained.” Ibid., 478, 479.

“1868: James White reported concerning their eastern tour:

‘We have, in this time [nearly three months], traveled by railroad 3,200 miles, and by private conveyance 600. Have held 140 meetings, and preached 60 times, and have spoken more or less in nearly all these meetings. Mrs. White has spoken from half an hour to two hours in more than 100 of these meetings. We have assisted in the ordination of four ministers, and the dedication of one house of worship. Have presided in the examination of 150 candidates for baptism, and have baptized 18. . . .’ ” White, The Progressive Years, Volume 2, 1862–1876, 220.

WAKE UP

“We are certainly living in the closing days of this earth’s history. We need to devote much time to our spiritual interests, if we would experience the spiritual growth that is essential in this age. We are to make decided reforms. The Voice said: The watchmen need to awake, and give the trumpet a certain sound. The morning cometh; and also the night. Wake up, My watchmen. Voices that should now be heard presenting the truth are silent. Souls are perishing in their sins, and ministers and physicians and teachers are asleep. Wake up the watchmen!” Pacific Union Recorder, February 20, 1908.

“The message of the third angel is to go forth with a loud voice. Wake up the watchmen; leave them not to settle back in their death-like slumber.” Review and Herald, July 23, 1908.

A Call for Reformation

In these last days there is a great need for consecrated leaders who will not compromise on godly standards of worship. Sadly, many of those leading out and holding positions in the church today are neither spiritually nor mentally prepared for such responsible positions. Where there is a lack of consecration to God, a wrong impression is given both in the church and in the community about true Christianity and the result is a weakened church.

This crisis is evident as I travel around ministering to the people. I truly believe that we are living in the end of time and it is critical that we sincerely examine our own hearts to “see if there be any wicked way in me.” Psalm 139:24. Never was there a more urgent time to completely surrender to the Lord and allow Him to develop a spiritual maturity than right now. Now is the time to be ready to meet the Lord when He comes.

The same condition prevailed when Isaiah said, “For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water. The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counselor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.” Isaiah 3:1–3.

Because of the inadequacy of the leaders, God said that children would rule over them in Judea and Jerusalem. Some of these young rulers are listed in II Kings 15:32, 33. It says that Jotham, a good ruler, was 25 years of age when he took the throne to be ruler. Aza, an evil ruler, was only 20 years old when he became king (II Kings 16:2). Then Hezekiah, who was a good ruler, was only 25 years old when he began to rule (II Kings 18:2). But Azariah, also a good ruler, was only 16 years old when he took the throne (II King 15:2). Manesseh, an evil ruler, was only 12 years of age when he became a ruler and Josiah, a good ruler, was only 8 years old when he became a ruler (II Kings 22:1). These rulers were aged from 8 to 25 years old. Precisely what Isaiah prophesied about children came true.

The Lord said He would take the mighty men out, the intellectual men; the judges and children would lead the nation. There was not a man in that nation who was able to stand up and take the position and lead out a nation; therefore, the Lord used children.

These rulers represented a lack of maturity and experience, but the biggest lack of all was that of their relationship with God and lack of consecration in their lives. What we often see today around the world is exactly what happened back then—a lack of maturity, lack of consecration, lack of holiness and lack of humility. There is a lack of desiring to develop qualities for the honor and glory of God and to be able to lead a congregation and the churches today to reflect the spiritual level of those church leaders, the elders and those people who are holding positions in the church.

God has said that His people will be holy. He has said that they will keep His commandments and have the faith of Jesus and do His will. In other words, they will apply the principles and statutes that are in the Word of God and in the Spirit of Prophecy to their lives and be able to lead, to represent, to teach and preach the Word of God to the people.

Many today are living a relaxed and comfortable lifestyle and are so wrapped up in working many hours in the secular world, not even thinking upon spiritual things. Some who are holding positions in the church do not have time to do the work of the Lord, to come to prayer meeting or to visit a brother in need. How then can these people lead others?

The church today is embracing a lifestyle that is of the world and foreign to God’s ways. Leaders should themselves be connected to the Source of Light and be able to lead others to Jesus.

The reality is that the closer the walk with the Lord and the closer the connection with God, the further away from the world we will become. It is the duty of every leader to know the way and what it takes to inherit the kingdom of heaven so their lives, their behavior and attitude, will reflect that relationship with God.

There are many who want to hold positions in the church for their own personal agenda and to implement the same into their churches, which causes conflict with the ones who want to do God’s will and to implement a program to God’s glory.

The illustration in Isaiah is relevant today because we also are in need of men who will exhibit these godly characteristics. There are too many who are devoid of the characteristics necessary but who are still holding positions for which they are not qualified according to God’s requirements. However, the Lord does allow people their free choice of who to put into offices even though He knows that they have no relationship with Him.

For example, the people in Samuel’s day were not satisfied with God ruling over them and wanted a king like the other nations. God then sent Samuel to anoint Saul. See I Samuel 10:1. Saul was selected to be king; however, he did not perfect a relationship with God. It was not God’s choice that they have a king, but because the people insisted, Saul was selected. It becomes an individual responsibility to examine oneself to know whether he/she is spiritually ready to hold a position. It might be well to recognize that a person may desire to serve in that position when their heart and mind is ready and they realize that they need to spend some time with God before serving in that capacity.

We are living in the last days of this earth’s history and there is a battle raging. There are two sides in this war and some people are making choices daily to do things God’s way and others are deciding that they would do things man’s way. This war has also crept into the Christian church where genuine reverent worship has been replaced by a superficial worship style that pleases the senses instead of glorifying God. In Isaiah 5:7 the vineyard represents the nation of Israel. Keep in mind that we are spiritual Israel. The civil and the religious leaders were the keepers of the vineyard. The religious leaders were supposed to lead the nation but instead they ate away at the vine. In their self-interest and in their own selfish ways they did not take the time to motivate themselves or others to worship in the way that appealed to God. We have a similar situation today.

Today there are still two divisions of authority, the civil and the religious. Civil authority governs the secular side of things and the church governs the Christian field. One works man’s ways and the other works God’s ways.

However, today the popular teaching around the world is that we should embrace man’s ways and forget about God, that it is impossible to overcome and we will be sinning all the way until the Lord comes. That is worldly philosophy! It is a lie!

Unfortunately, most have embraced this lie which has caused a tremendous crisis in the churches and why we are declining spiritually. If the leaders, whether they be pastors, elders or deacons, are not connected to God and do not encourage the people to lift the standards, the vine will be eaten and eventually destroyed.

In Isaiah chapter 3 we read that it was the leaders, lacking in maturity, knowledge, understanding and wisdom that caused the ruin of the nations. The same will happen again and we are going to be spiritually destroyed if we do not keep constantly elevating ourselves toward God. The devil is ready to devour whoever is wandering from God’s protection and to destroy them. As a result of the lack of consecration, the devil is walking around like a roaring lion seeking whom he will devour (I Peter 5:8).

The leaders have a holy responsibility to do God’s will and not to do their own.

“God has not changed toward His faithful servants who are keeping their garments spotless. But many are crying, ‘Peace and safety,’ while sudden destruction is coming upon them. Unless there is thorough repentance, unless men humble their hearts by confession and receive the truth as it is in Jesus, they will never enter heaven. When purification shall take place in our ranks, we shall no longer rest at ease, boasting of being rich and increased with goods, in need of nothing.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 250.

God wants to send showers of blessings to His people but we are not prepared to receive them. We are so consumed in such a lifestyle of business and self-importance that we are in danger of losing our connection with God. We have a serious crisis today and need to start listening to what God is saying to each one of us.

“With unerring accuracy the Infinite One still keeps an account with all nations. While His mercy is tendered with calls to repentance, this account will remain open; but when the figures reach a certain amount which God has fixed, the ministry of His wrath commences. The account is closed. Divine patience ceases. There is no more pleading of mercy in their behalf.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 208.

What does this mean, that He will close the account? It means that we have refused to become obedient and remain disobedient. We are not willing to cooperate with God and not willing to invite God into our hearts and to cleanse us. We hear the Word, but it is not being applied to our daily life. God will shut the door on those who refuse to apply it.

A call for reformation is being sounded now. There was a time when Moses was leading the people that he could no longer handle the situation by himself so the Lord sent his father-in-law, Jethro, to instruct or advise him.

“The time and strength of those who in the providence of God have been placed in leading positions of responsibility in the church, should be spent in dealing with the weightier matters demanding special wisdom and largeness of heart. It is not in the order of God that such men should be appealed to for the adjustment of minor matters that others are well qualified to handle. ‘Every great matter they shall bring unto thee,’ Jethro proposed to Moses, ‘but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.’

“In harmony with this plan, ‘Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.’ Exodus 18:19–26.

“Later, when choosing seventy elders to share with him the responsibilities of leadership, Moses was careful to select, as his helpers, men possessing dignity, sound judgment, and experience. In his charge to these elders at the time of their ordination, he outlined some of the qualifications that fit a man to be a wise ruler in the church.” The Acts of the Apostles, 93, 94.

Jethro told Moses that the whole package was too big for him. Select individuals who have wisdom and who have the right character. Why not select people who have a relationship with God, who have a union with God and who by their own behavior give glory to God? People who do not possess those characteristics should not be selected, regardless of their seniority or social status in the church. By choosing the wrong people to lead is the very reason the situation today is out of control. There is need to rebuke sin, to call it by its right name. Time is running out! We need to ask people to stand up for the Lord and to consecrate themselves to the Lord through His Word and the blood of Jesus Christ.

There is a great work to be done in the churches and in the communities where we live. What are we doing today to hasten the Lord’s coming? Are we applying ideas and principles of the world and not using the Word of God? The Lord says that if you love me, you will keep my commandments (John 14:15). We have been blessed by the gift of the Spirit of Prophecy where we can look for counsel from Sister White, but most continually fall into the trap and go to secular materials. Philosophies written by doctors or professors, etc., are promoted, forgetting the light shown in the Spirit of Prophecy.

The only way to establish leadership in our churches today, the only way to have the right team for the Lord is by personal consecration to the Lord. We do not want to bring any shame upon our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today many look for positions in the church, but before accepting any position, a self-examination should take place to see if God wants us in a particular position. We should ask the Lord what part of the vineyard we are to labor in and then serve Him with our whole heart.

“King David, toward the close of his reign, delivered a solemn charge to those bearing the burden of the work of God in his day. Summoning to Jerusalem ‘all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men,’ the aged king solemnly charged them, ‘in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the Lord, and in the audience of our God,’ to ‘keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your God.’ 1 Chronicles 28:1, 8.

“To Solomon, as one called to occupy a position of leading responsibility, David gave a special charge: ‘Thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off forever. Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee: … be strong.’ I Chronicles 28:9, 10.” The Acts of the Apostles, 94, 95.

David gathered them all together and said, you know your responsibilities and know that every thought that comes into your mind the Lord knows. Keep that in mind, for we are going to give to God an account of every thought and feeling. David told Solomon that God knows his heart. He knows the way of every man. If you honor Him, God will honor and protect you. But if you will not honor Him, He will pull Himself from you and you will no longer be under the protection of God.

We have a responsibility today in the churches to make sure that we daily prepare ourselves, our heart, mind and soul for God. Pray for the Spirit that will make us grow more like Christ every day and pray especially for those who are holding responsible positions in the church. They must have a connection to God, for all are going to give an account to God for neglected responsibilities.

I have heard people say that their job as a deacon or an elder is no big deal. Their job every Sabbath is to read the Scripture and participate in the service and then it is over, but it is much more beyond that. In Ezekiel, chapter 3, God said unto those people who hold positions, You are the watchmen of my people. You are to sound the trumpet when the enemy is approaching the tent or the camp. If you don’t, you are responsible for their blood. You are responsible to tell them what they are doing wrong and if they refuse it, then their blood will not be on you.

We can do that today by becoming true Christians and having a relationship with God, by being disciplined and applying every principle from the Word of God to our lives so that we may be worthy to hold a position to the honor and glory of God and to lead others to the kingdom of God. We want to be able to say to the Lord that we will serve Him and do all we can according to His will.

Those who take church offices lightly should consider the two sons of Aaron and how they presented themselves into the presence of God (Leviticus 10) with their clothes not even fixed right. They presumptuously went into the Holy Place with strange fire and God struck them both down. The strange fire was not approved by God. These same principles are applied today to the leaders of God’s churches. We need to be clear on this issue and acknowledge that God requires holiness. God requires a pure heart and a pure mind in those who serve and hold a position in the name of the Lord and to rebuke self and the world. Those people will serve the Lord according to His purpose.

Jesus said, “Father, Thy will be done.” Matthew 26:42. Are we willing to say that today? “Father, Thy will be done in my life.”

Pastor Domingo Nunez is Director of Outreach Ministry for Steps to Life. He is involved in the coordination of world mission projects and he travels extensively, encouraging the many home churches supported by Steps to Life. He can be contacted at: (316) 788-5559 or by email at: domingonunez@stepstolife.org.

Where God is Working

The third chapter of I Corinthians is rapidly becoming one of my favorite books in the New Testament. It is really one of the great chapters in the Bible about who and what the church is. Verse 2 of the first chapter says, “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus.” We see that the church in Corinth were those people in that city who were sanctified in Christ Jesus. I Corinthians 3:9, I believe, is the most astounding verse in the whole Bible: “For we are God’s fellow workers.”

If you study the Spirit of Prophecy writings carefully, you will see that this verse is also one of Ellen White’s favorites and she used it over and over again to show how we become workers together with God. There is no higher privilege that any person could have than to actually be a fellow laborer—a fellow worker with God!

Ever since the beginning of time, God has been working. As you study the inspired writings, they always focus the attention on where God is working. It is important to know this to be one of His fellow workers.

When I studied ancient history, I found out that there were many things going on during Abraham’s time. Inspiration does not go into any of these things, but focuses all the attention on where God is working. Even though Adam had many children, inspiration focuses only on a holy line of men through whom God worked. Seth had a son named Enos, and in his time, the Bible says that men began to call on the name of the Lord. That is where God was working. Then, in the seventh generation from Adam, Enoch was born. That is where God was working, and the people who chose to be fellow workers with God worked in cooperation with Enoch. After Enoch, there was Noah; and if you had been living in Noah’s time and you wanted to be a fellow worker with God, you would be working with Noah.

By the time there had been twenty generations, the whole world had rejected God twice. God looked over the world and found a man whose name was Abraham. He said to Abraham, “I am going to fulfill the plan of salvation through you and through your seed [Christ].”

As you study the Bible record, you will find a certain characteristic in common among all those through whom God was working. In speaking of Abraham, God clearly identified what qualified a person to be a colaborer with Him. “Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” Genesis 26:5. Abraham was obedient.

When God brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, He made them a wonderful promise: “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.” Exodus 19:5.

This promise had conditions. God made a covenant with them. He said, “If you do this, I will do this for you; you will be My special people.”

Some say that there are unconditional promises, so in checking this out in the inspired writings of Ellen White, she says all of God’s promises and threatenings are conditional. See Maranatha, 61.

Israel wandered in the wilderness for thirty-eight years longer than they had to because they were not obedient and they rebelled. Finally, when they entered Canaan, they went into apostasy again and started worshiping idols which lasted for hundreds of years. During this time the tabernacle was still with them, and they continued to keep the yearly feast days.

During the period of the judges, the tabernacle was located in Shiloh, in the land of Ephraim. Many people have almost forgotten that Ephraim was the center of Divine worship for over three hundred years and the people of that time thought that it would always be that way.

Look what it says about this in the Psalms: “Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved.” Psalm 78:67, 68.

Why did God reject Ephraim and remove the tabernacle from Shiloh? “The ark remained at Shiloh for three hundred years, until, because of the sins of Eli’s house, it fell into the hands of the Philistines, and Shiloh was ruined.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 514.

As a result of the leaders of God’s people falling into apostasy and sin, the Lord told Eli, “You are not going to be a priest for Me. Your descendants are not going to be My priests forever.”

They were descendants of Aaron—God’s people; but the Lord said, “You are no longer going to be priests” and Ephraim was rejected as the religious center—something that was thought could not happen, happened. “The sanctuary service was finally transferred to the temple at Jerusalem, and Shiloh fell into insignificance. There are only ruins to mark the spot where it once stood. Long afterward its fate was made use of as a warning to Jerusalem.” Ibid.

A few hundred years later the people of Jerusalem thought the same thing. The temple there was the center of Divine worship, and they believed that this was where God was working. Hundreds of years after the worship had been transferred from Shiloh, the Lord, through Jeremiah, said, “ ‘Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, “We are delivered to do all these abominations.” ‘Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,’ says the Lord. ‘But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. And now, because you have done all these works,’ says the Lord, ‘and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer, therefore I will do to this house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to this place which I gave to you and your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren—the whole posterity of Ephraim.’ ” Jeremiah 7:9–15.

As we look at history, we see that God cannot work with people who are living in sin. If you want to be a fellow worker with God, you cannot link up and work with people who are living and working in sin. With God, character is what counts; and God works with people who listen to His voice and who obey.

We are told of Israel:

“Their calamities did not come because they kept the law of God, but because they disregarded that law. God had told them that if they did not obey His commandments, He could not keep His covenant with them. The history of the Israelites is portrayed for our warning. They had great light and exalted privileges; yet they did not live up to that light nor appreciate their advantages, and their light became darkness. They walked in the light of their own eyes, instead of following the leadings of God. Their history is given for the benefit of those who live in these last days, that we may avoid following the same example of unbelief.” The Signs of the Times, July 19, 1899.

Where was God working in the time of Jesus? When Jesus was brought to the temple to be dedicated, Ellen White says that the priest did not recognize anything unusual. Commenting on this experience she says, “So it is still. Events upon which the attention of all heaven is centered, are undiscerned, their very occurrence is unnoticed, by religious leaders, and worshipers in the house of God.” The Desire of Ages, 56.

While the attention of all heaven was focused on Christ’s birth, in this world the people who claimed to be God’s true people did not even know it had taken place. How can you be a laborer together with God if you do not even know where God is working?

While on earth, God worked through His Son to bring salvation to a lost world. If you wanted to be a laborer together with God then, you had to connect yourself with Jesus and work with Him.

The New Testament writers predict that a terrible change is going to take place among those who profess to be Christians. Paul speaks, addressing the elders from the church of Ephesus: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves [church leaders] men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.” Acts 20:28–30.

Speaking of this same great apostasy, Paul wrote: “Let no one deceive you by any means: for that Day [the day of Christ] will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” II Thessalonians 2:3, 4.

Peter talked about this apostasy, too. “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destructive ways … because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.” II Peter 2:1, 2. [Emphasis supplied.] The word blasphemy means to speak evil of something. As a result of this new teaching, the real way of truth will be evil spoken of.

Notice that both Peter and Paul say that false prophets will secretly bring in destructive heresies. Whenever you find a book that is written to which the authors do not want to put their name, you ought to remember these texts.

Paul identifies this element as the mystery of lawlessness. This apostasy will, therefore, involve the breaking of God’s law and result in the way of truth being evil spoken of. Did this happen?

“The history of God’s people during the ages of darkness that followed upon Rome’s supremacy is written in heaven, but they have little place in human records. Few traces of their existence can be found, except in the accusations of their persecutors. It was the policy of Rome to obliterate every trace of dissent from her doctrines or decrees. Everything heretical, whether persons or writings, she sought to destroy. … Before the invention of printing, books were few in number, and in a form not favorable for preservation; therefore there was little to prevent the Romanists from carrying out their purpose.” The Great Controversy, 61, 62.

If you were living in that time and you wanted to be a fellow worker with God, it made all the difference in the world whether or not you understood that God was working with people who were keeping His law. If you did not understand this principle, you could not be a fellow laborer with God. Do you realize, friends, that there have been millions of people who have believed that they were working with the Lord but were working with the devil the whole time?

We find that all of the sixteenth century Reformers upheld God’s law. They did not all understand the binding claims of the fourth commandment, but they did not reject it. There is a great difference between not understanding truth and rejecting it. Martin Luther, as well as John Huss, preached a great deal on the Ten Commandments and believed in them. God was leading a people on step by step.

When you study sacred history, you find that in the latter part of the eighteenth and the early part of the nineteenth century, simultaneously, all over the world, God started raising up people from all the various Christian churches with the message that Jesus was coming soon. Out of that great Second Advent Movement emerged a group of people known first as Millerites. Later, they became known as Adventists and finally, Seventh-day Adventists.

As this group studied, they discovered the messages of the three angels of Revelation 14. Having learned the meaning of the sanctuary message in the books of Hebrews and Daniel, they realized that the Day of Judgment was to begin on October 22, 1844. This is not a message that the apostle Paul preached, because it would not have been true during his lifetime. The apostle Paul taught that the Judgment was still in the future. See Acts 24:25. Martin Luther did not preach it either. But here is a message that the hour of God’s Judgment has come. You cannot preach that the hour of God’s judgment has come unless you know it has started. But how do we know for sure that it has started? There is only one way that I know of how you know that the hour of God’s judgment has started, and that is from Daniel 8 and 9.

Now, do you understand why the devil has made our understanding of Daniel 8 and 9 a focal point of attack? If he can destroy a person’s confidence in that truth, that person can no longer preach the first angel’s message. Remember, the second and third angels’ messages are built upon the first. You cannot preach the third unless you preach the second, and you cannot preach the second unless you preach the first and if you do not understand Daniel 8:14 about the twenty-three hundred days, you are no longer a Seventh-day Adventist.

God is working today with the people who are proclaiming the Three Angels’ Messages. If you want to be a fellow laborer with God today, you have to join up with the people who are doing this.

The second angel’s message cannot be preached if you do not know who Babylon is according to Revelation 18:1–5.

The third angel’s message is a warning against the beast, his image, and his mark. Notice how the message concludes: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12. If you are not even sure that you can really keep the commandments of God, how can you be a fellow laborer with God and preach Revelation 14:12? Have you noticed that it does not say that here are those who are trying to keep the commandments? It says they keep them. You cannot be a fellow laborer with God and be involved in His last work for the world if you cannot proclaim the message, and you certainly cannot proclaim the message if you do not believe it is true. The idea that “you are going to keep sinning until Jesus comes” is very dangerous.

If you want to know where God is working, look for a group of Seventh-day Adventists who really keep the commandments and do not play around and say, “Well, we are doing the best we can.” Listen, friends, the best you can do is not good enough, unless you are keeping the commandments by the power of God. If you give your life to the Lord, He has the power to give you so that you can keep them. If we fail to keep them when Jesus comes, He will be able to show us millions of people who had the same besetting sins that we had, and He will say, “I gave all of these people power to overcome.” There will be no satisfactory excuse then.

The people described in Revelation 12:17 not only keep the commandments but they have the testimony of Jesus. Revelation 19:10 says that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Seventh-day Adventists believe that Ellen White fulfilled this prophecy of giving the gift of prophecy to God’s remnant people. If you want to find the people through whom God is working, you want to look for a people who have, believe and obey the spirit of prophecy. That eliminates the large portion of those who make a profession of waiting for the Lord to come.

Revelation 14:12 points out that God’s people not only keep the commandments but they have the faith of Jesus. You will never find somebody who has the first qualification and does not have the third one because you cannot keep the commandments unless you do have the faith of Jesus. People who have the faith of Jesus will be a sanctified people.

There is another characteristic that, unfortunately, disqualifies many who qualify according to the first three characteristics. Revelation 14:6 tells us that God’s last people will be giving His last message to the world. “Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.” If you want to find the people through whom God is working and if you want to be a fellow laborer with God, you need to find the people who are determined to take the Three Angels’ Messages to every single person in the world.

When you find those people, you will know what group to work with; you will know how to be a co-laborer with God, because that is where God is working. He is working with the people who have these four characteristics: they keep His commandments; they have the spirit of prophecy and live by it; they have the faith of Jesus; and they are out to take the gospel to every single person in the whole world.

The catastrophe that I see taking place in Adventism today is that the great majority of Adventists are going to destruction, and when given a warning they say, “You say that we are in total apostasy.” Looking at the destruction of Jerusalem, we get just a little idea of what is ahead for Adventism. The only way to avoid being part of that destruction is to be a coworker with God, working where God is working, obedient to his law.

The gospel is not a halfway business. Either you have to get into it all the way or you might as well get out. Soon time will be no more, and when it is all over, I want to know that I have given it everything I have. I want all of my money, my time, my talents, everything I have, to be in the finishing of God’s work. How about you?

Pastor John Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@
stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: (316) 788-5559.

Bible Study Guides – Beware!

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.