spiritualism

Question & Answer: Who makes a “covenant with death and with hell”?

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“Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves” (Isaiah 28:15).

“In the class here described are included those who in their stubborn impenitence comfort themselves with the assurance that there is to be no punishment for the sinner; that all mankind, it matters not how corrupt, are to be exalted to heaven, to become as the angels of God. But still more emphatically are those making a covenant with death and an agreement with hell, who renounce the truths which Heaven has provided as a defense for the righteous in the day of trouble, and accept the refuge of lies offered by Satan in its stead—the delusive pretensions of spiritualism.

“Marvelous beyond expression is the blindness of the people of this generation. Thousands reject the word of God as unworthy of belief and with eager confidence receive the deceptions of Satan. Skeptics and scoffers denounce the bigotry of those who contend for the faith of prophets and apostles, and they divert themselves by holding up to ridicule the solemn declarations of the Scriptures concerning Christ and the plan of salvation, and the retribution to be visited upon the rejecters of the truth. They affect great pity for minds so narrow, weak, and superstitious as to acknowledge the claims of God and obey the requirements of His law. They manifest as much assurance as if, indeed, they had made a covenant with death and an agreement with hell—as if they had erected an impassable, impenetrable barrier between themselves and the vengeance of God. Nothing can arouse their fears. So fully have they yielded to the tempter, so closely are they united with him, and so thoroughly imbued with his spirit, that they have no power and no inclination to break away from his snare.” The Great Controversy, 560, 561.

“Thus saith the Lord God … Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it” (Isaiah 28:16–18).

Bible Study Guides – Signs and Lying Wonders

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January 2, 2011 – January 8, 2011

Key Text

“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.” II Thessalonians 2:9.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 461–478; Prophets and Kings, 210–212.

Introduction

“Satan also works with lying wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of men. Revelation 13:13.” The Great Controversy, 612.

1 How is ecumenism described in prophecy? Revelation 16:13, 14. What will be the consequences of this threefold union?

Note: “Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome. The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience.” The Great Controversy, 588.

2 How has God warned of this confederacy? Revelation 18:4. What prophetic description of the 144,000 demands complete separation from the fallen denominations? Revelation 14:4, first part.

Note: “We are not to confederate with worldlings, lest we become imbued with their spirit, lest our spiritual discernment become confused and we view those who have the truth and bear the message of the Lord from the standpoint of the professed Christian churches.” Last Day Events, 84, 85.

3 What warning should we heed when we see that those who profess the truth are uniting with the world and getting involved in the ecumenical movement? Isaiah 8:12, 13; Nehemiah 6:1–4, 10, 11.

Note: “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. Let them not join the confederacy of infidelity, popery, and Protestantism in exalting tradition above Scripture, reason above revelation, and human talent above the divine influence and the vital power of godliness.” The Review and Herald, March 24, 1896.

“When those who are uniting with the world, yet claiming great purity, plead for union with those who have ever been the opposers of the cause of truth, we should fear and shun them as decidedly as did Nehemiah.” Prophets and Kings, 660.

4 How will spiritualism affect the world? Isaiah 8:19; 28:15.

Note: “As spiritualism more closely imitates the nominal Christianity of the day, it has greater power to deceive and ensnare. Satan himself is converted, after the modern order of things. He will appear in the character of an angel of light. Through the agency of spiritualism, miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and many undeniable wonders will be performed. And as the spirits will profess faith in the Bible, and manifest respect for the institutions of the church, their work will be accepted as a manifestation of divine power.” The Great Controversy, 588.

5 What lamentable example of spiritualism is given in the Bible? I Samuel 28:11–14; I Chronicles 10:13, 14. How does this same danger exist today?

Note: “Many will be confronted by the spirits of devils personating beloved relatives or friends and declaring the most dangerous heresies. These visitants will appeal to our tenderest sympathies and will work miracles to sustain their pretensions. We must be prepared to withstand them with the Bible truth that the dead know not anything and that they who thus appear are the spirits of devils.” The Great Controversy, 560.

6 What history is being repeated today? II Kings 1:2.

7 How do many fall prey to more pleasing forms of spiritualism?

Note: “There are many who shrink with horror from the thought of consulting spirit mediums, but who are attracted by more pleasing forms of spiritism. … Still others are led astray by the teachings of Christian Science, and by the mysticism of theosophy and other Oriental religions.

“The apostles of nearly all forms of spiritism claim to have the power to cure the diseased. They attribute their power to electricity, magnetism, the so-called ‘sympathetic remedies,’ or to latent forces within the mind of man. And there are not a few, even in this Christian age, who go to these healers, instead of trusting in the power of the living God and the skill of well-qualified Christian physicians.” Evangelism, 606.

8 Why is it so dangerous to consult “faith healers”? II Corinthians 11:13–15. What tragic scenario often occurs?

Note: “Angels of God will preserve His people while they walk in the path of duty; but there is no assurance of such protection for those who deliberately venture upon Satan’s ground. An agent of the great deceiver will say and do anything to gain his object. It matters little whether he calls himself a spiritualist, an ‘electric physician,’ or a ‘magnetic healer.’ By specious pretenses he wins the confidence of the unwary. He pretends to read the life-history and to understand all the difficulties and afflictions of those who resort to him. Disguising himself as an angel of light, while the blackness of the pit is in his heart, he manifests great interest in women who seek his counsel. He tells them that all their troubles are due to an unhappy marriage. This may be too true, but such a counselor does not better their condition. He tells them that they need love and sympathy. Pretending great interest in their welfare, he casts a spell over his unsuspecting victims, charming them as the serpent charms the trembling bird. Soon they are completely in his power, and sin, disgrace, and ruin are the terrible sequel.” Evangelism, 607, 608.

9 How will Satan show his power through modern religionists? Matthew 24:24; II Thessalonians 2:9. How are we to build up immunity against this deception?

Note: “Miracles will be performed in our sight. Are we prepared for the trial when the lying wonders of Satan shall be more fully exhibited? Will not many souls be ensnared and taken? Forms of error, and departure from the plain precepts and commandments of God and giving heed to fables are fitting minds for these lying wonders of Satan.” Messages to Young People, 61.

“Let not the days pass by and precious opportunities be lost of seeking the Lord with all the heart and mind and soul. If we accept not the truth in the love of it, we may be among the number who will see the miracles wrought by Satan in these last days, and believe them. Many strange things will appear as wonderful miracles, which should be regarded as deceptions manufactured by the father of lies.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 53.

“So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures.” The Great Controversy, 593.

10 For what purpose did Satan work miracles in the days of Moses and Aaron? Exodus 7:10–13. In what danger are those whose faith is based on the working of miracles?

Note: “The man who makes the working of miracles the test of his faith will find that Satan can, through a species of deceptions, perform wonders that will appear to be genuine miracles. It was this he hoped to make a test question with the Israelites at the time of their deliverance from Egypt.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 52.

11 What will be the great climax in the drama of deception? Matthew 24:23. How can we be on the safe side?

Note: “Satan will not only appear as a human being, but he will personate Jesus Christ; and the world that has rejected the truth will receive him as the Lord of lords and King of kings.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1106.

12 Before the latter rain is poured out, how will Satan introduce a counterfeit? Matthew 7:22.

Note: “God has honest children among the nominal Adventists and the fallen churches, and before the plagues shall be poured out, ministers and people will be called out from these churches and will gladly receive the truth. Satan knows this; and before the loud cry of the third angel is given, he raises an excitement in these religious bodies, that those who have rejected the truth may think that God is with them. He hopes to deceive the honest and lead them to think that God is still working for the churches.” Early Writings, 261.

“In those churches which he can bring under his deceptive power he [Satan] will make it appear that God’s special blessing is poured out; there will be manifest what is thought to be great religious interest. Multitudes will exult that God is working marvelously for them, when the work is that of another spirit.” The Great Controversy, 464.

13 How can we distinguish the work of God from the work of Satan? Matthew 7:20, 21.

Note: “If those through whom cures are performed are disposed, on account of these manifestations, to excuse their neglect of the law of God, and continue in disobedience, though they have power to any and every extent, it does not follow that they have the great power of God. On the contrary, it is the miracle-working power of the great deceiver.” The Review and Herald, November 17, 1885.

14 What test will soon come upon the world? Revelation 13:13, 14.

Note: “Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the believers. Satan also works, with lying wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of men. Revelation 13:13. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand.” The Great Controversy, 612.

Review and Thought Questions

1 What is the basis of the threefold union now underway?

2 Why is spiritualism gaining in power to deceive?

3 Name some of the modern forms of spiritualism.

4 How are minds being fitted for Satan’s lying wonders?

5 What is Satan’s goal in the charismatic movement?

Additional Reading

“The time is coming when Satan will work miracles right in your sight, claiming that he is Christ; and if your feet are not firmly established upon the truth of God, then you will be led away from your foundation. The only safety for you is to search for the truth as for hid treasures. Dig for the truth as you would for treasures in the earth, and present the Word of God, the Bible, before your heavenly Father, and say, ‘Enlighten me; teach me what is truth.’

“And when His Holy Spirit shall come into your hearts, to impress the truth into your souls, you will not let it go easily. You have gained such an experience in searching the Scriptures that every point is established. And it is important that you continually search the Scriptures.” Faith and Works, 56.

“Do not allow yourself to be led to think that you will live in heaven while in this fallen world. Those who think this keep their minds on the strain for some wonderful experience that will waft their souls into a refined, spiritual atmosphere. But this is not the true science of Christian experience. When they suppose they have reached spiritual heights of refinement, Satan, in the garb of an angel of light, presents to them indulgences in which he makes it appear there is no sin.

“I would warn you against these apparently refined doctrines, which say that sin is not sin, and teach the possibility of living a spiritualistic life above the grossness of sin. I write this because there are minds entering into temptation in regard to this refined science of spiritualistic attainments. You will meet this science, and you will hardly know how to handle it.

“We have reached the perils of the last days, when some, yes, many, shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. Be cautious in regard to what you read and how you hear. Take not a particle of interest in spiritualistic theories. Satan is waiting to steal a march upon everyone who allows himself to be deceived by his hypnotism. He begins to exert his power over them just as soon as they begin to investigate his theories.” Medical Ministry, 101, 102.

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

Pen of Inspiration – Burning the Magical Books

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In the days of the apostles, the city of Ephesus was famed for the worship of the goddess Diana and the practice of magic. …

In this city, the very stronghold of superstition and sorcery, the apostle Paul labored for several years. Here the power of God was mightily displayed through his servant. The sick were healed, and evil spirits were cast out.

The miracles wrought by Paul in the name of Jesus, created great excitement in Ephesus. Among those who practiced magic arts were certain Jewish exorcists, who claimed to possess the same power exercised by Paul. Believing that the name of Jesus acted as a charm, they determined to cast out evil spirits by the same means which the apostle had employed.

An attempt was made by seven brothers, the sons of Sceva, a chief priest of the Jews. Finding a man who was possessed with an evil spirit, they addressed him, “We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth” (Acts 19:13). But the evil spirit answered with scorn, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” (Acts 19:15) and the man who was possessed attacked them with such violence that they fled out of the house, naked and wounded.

The discomfiture and humiliation of those who had profaned the name of Jesus soon became known throughout Ephesus, by Jews and Gentiles. It furnished unmistakable proof of the sacredness of that name, and the peril which they incurred who should invoke it, while they had no faith in Christ’s divine mission.

Many dared not breathe aloud the name, on which they had hitherto heaped reproach and blasphemy. A large number were convinced that Christ was all that Paul claimed him to be, and they determined to receive the gospel. These openly renounced the practice of sorcery, and acknowledged their secret arts to be deceptive and Satanic. They brought together the manuals of enchantment, the costly books containing the mystic symbols of Diana, and the secrets of their art, and burned them in the presence of all the people. The sacrifice thus made was estimated at fifty thousand pieces of silver, equal to about ten thousand dollars.

The conversion of these Ephesians was attended with the results that always follow genuine conversion. When convinced that their magical books were false and pernicious, they were unwilling to sell them and thus place temptation in the way of others. They promptly burned the records of divination, at a great personal sacrifice. The power of truth triumphed over men’s prejudices, favorite pursuits, and love of money.

Those magical books contained rules and forms of communication with evil spirits. They were, in fact, the regulations of the worship of Satan; directions for soliciting his help, and obtaining information from him. The system of magic or sorcery then extant was in reality the same as that which is now known as modern Spiritualism. Many were deceived in Paul’s day by this Satanic delusion, and many are deceived today by the same power. “Magical books” were not confined to the apostolic age, or to nations that are called heathen. The sorcerers of our time are taking advantage of the freedom of the press to spread abroad their baleful literature. Could all the productions of modern Spiritualism be treated as were the magical books of the Ephesians, one of Satan’s most successful avenues to destroy the souls of men would be cut off.

Witchcraft and sorcery are practiced in this Christian age and Christian nation, even more boldly than by the old-time magicians. Satan is finding access to thousands of minds by presenting himself under the guise of departed friends. The Scriptures of truth declare that “the dead know not anything” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). Their thoughts, their love, their hatred, have perished. The dead do not hold communion with the living. But Satan—true to his early cunning, when in the form of a serpent he deceived the mother of our race—employs this device to gain control of the minds of men.

Paul warns his Corinthian brethren of the deceptive power of their great adversary. He declares, “I fear that by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (II Corinthians 11:3).

He writes to his son Timothy, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils” (I Timothy 4:1).

In his second epistle to the Thessalonians, he warns them that the second advent of our Lord will be preceded by the working of Satan, “with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie” (II Thessalonians 2:9–11).

Because the children of men reject the plainest teachings of his word, and trample upon his law, God leaves them to choose that which they desire. They spurn the truth, and he permits them to believe a lie. They refuse to yield to the convictions of the Holy Spirit, and Satan, transforming himself into an angel of light, leads them captive at his will. If men were but conversant with the word of God, and obedient to its teachings, they could not be thus deceived; but they neglect the great detector of fraud, and the mind becomes confused and corrupted by the deceptive arts of men, and the secret power of the father of lies.

Men of intelligence are infatuated with Satanic sorcery as verily today as in the days of Paul. Thousands accept the opinion of the minister or obey the injunctions of the pope or priest, and neglect God’s word and despise his truth. God would have his people learn their duty for themselves. The Bible declares his will to men, and it is as much our privilege and our duty to learn that will as it is that of ministers and popes and priests to learn it. What they can read from God’s word, we can all read.

When the Ephesian converts burned their books on magic, they showed that they hated what they had once loved, and loved what they had once hated. The light of truth, shinning into their minds, had convinced them of the unlawfulness of their arts, and had stirred their souls with abhorrence of their unholy deeds. Such a change is the best evidence of true conversion.

A person may not be able to tell the exact time or place, or to trace all the chain of circumstances in the process of conversion; yet this does not prove him to be unconverted. Said Christ to Nicodemus, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth. So is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). Though the work of grace is silent and almost imperceptible, it may be fully as effective as when its operations are more apparent. But if the heart has been renewed by the Holy Spirit, the life will bear witness to the fact. “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20). Light and darkness are not more distinct than are the state of the converted and the unconverted. A change will be seen in the character, the habits, the pursuits. The contrast will be clear and decided between what they have been and what they are.

The Signs of the Times, May 18, 1882.

Editorial – Apocalyptic Times, part 2

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The closing chapters of Revelation outline significant world developments that will bring about the end of world history. A number of these developments can be seen in their embryo form already. Let us consider just a few of these developments.

During the time of the seventh trumpet, the nations will be angry (see Revelation 11:18); and as a result of the worldwide dissemination of the teachings of spiritualism, the world will enter the most general and deadly war of all time—Armageddon. (See Revelation 16:13, 14.) The Word of God explicitly states that the whole world will be involved (see Revelation 16:14), and that more people will die in this struggle than in any battle in recorded history. (See Revelation 19.)

We must recognize that for the whole world to be gathered together, there would have to be some unifying forces that would unite the nations in the interest of obtaining common objectives. This would require that treaties or international agreements be in place that would outline the plans for cooperation. We believe that we see this taking place today.

The Scriptures reveal that this unity among the nations will result from the uniting of three major forces. One uniting force, according to Revelation 16:13, 14, will be spiritualism. Spiritualism is the basis for the Eastern religions that are experiencing world-wide resurgence today. Within western society, spiritualistic teachings invaded the educational system decades ago and are now found throughout the business world and even within the professed churches of Jesus Christ. Over one hundred years ago Ellen White predicted that in the last great crisis, Satan would appear as an angel of light, work many undeniable wonders and miracles, and even profess faith in and respect for the Bible and the institutions of the church. (See The Great Controversy, 588.) In modern refined forms of spiritualism, one person’s mind seeks to gain control over another person’s mind. In this spiritualistic practice, the devil is actually able to take control of both minds. (See Medical Ministry, 114.) Sadly, many Seventh-day Adventists do not recognize this demonstration of spiritualism, even when it occurs in their own church. This is a most startling evidence that we are getting ready for Armageddon whether we realize it or not.

“We would lose faith and courage in the conflict if we were not sustained by the power of God. Every form of evil is to spring into intense activity. Evil angels unite their powers with evil men, and as they have been in constant conflict and attained an experience in the best modes of deception and battle, and have been strengthening for centuries, they will not yield the last great final contest without a desperate struggle. All the world will be on one side or the other of the question. The battle of Armageddon will be fought, and that day must find none of us sleeping. Wide-awake we must be, as wise virgins having oil in our vessels with our lamps.” 1888 Materials, 761, 762.

A second uniting force will be a great international religious peace movement. (See Isaiah 2; Micah 4: I Thessalonians 5:1–3.) This peace movement will include a campaign against intemperance, but will also be of a religious nature, supporting Sunday laws. (See The Great Controversy, 587.) In the midst of the bloody conflicts of the twentieth century, the human heart naturally longs for peace. The devil will take advantage of this desire, and men will feel that they are entering a time of world-wide universal peace as they enter the time of Armageddon. The element that will appear to ensure this peace is a world-wide religious revival and a “returning to God.” In a desperate bid to meet the problems facing the world, men will demand that governments enact religious laws so that morality might again prevail. “Even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance.” The Great Controversy, 592.

Spiritualism is not the only unifying force. The beast and the false prophet also have a part to play. In the developments taking place in the religious world today, this cooperative effort is very apparent.

“Four mighty angels hold back the powers of this earth till the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. The nations of the world are eager for conflict, but they are held in check by the angels. When this restraining power is removed, there will come a time of trouble and anguish. Deadly instruments of warfare will be invented. Vessels, with their living cargo, will be entombed in the great deep. All who have not the spirit of truth will unite under the leadership of satanic agencies. But they are to be kept under control till the time shall come for the great battle of Armageddon.” Maranatha, 257.

But a little time remains. May God help us all to be making the necessary preparations while the four mighty angels continue to hold.

The Quiet Place

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The Bible has very specific marks for identifying the Roman Catholic Church as the anti-christ of Bible prophecy. In II Thessalonians she is referred to as the mystery of iniquity. There are some very interesting things written about this from history, the Spirit of Prophecy and the Bible of how she could deceive people, Protestants and Adventist groups alike, into praying the rosary.

In the book, Last Day Events, 164, are three paragraphs that are not in the public domain. The entire document, called “The Personation of Satan,” is available from the White estate on request.

Referring to right near the end of the probationary period, it says, “Satan sees that he is about to lose his case. He cannot sweep in the whole world. He makes one last desperate effort to overcome the faithful by deception. He does this in personating Christ. He clothes himself with the garments of royalty which have been accurately described in the vision of John (Revelation 1:13–16). He has power to do this. He will appear to his deluded followers, the Christian world who received not the love of the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness (transgression of God’s law), as Christ coming the second time (II Thessalonians 2).

“He proclaims himself Christ, and he is believed to be Christ, a beautiful, majestic being clothed with majesty and, with soft voice and pleasant words, with glory unsurpassed by anything their mortal eyes had yet beheld. Then his deceived, deluded followers set up a shout of victory, ‘Christ has come the second time! Christ has come! He has lifted up His hands just as He did when He was upon the earth, and blessed us.’ …

“The saints look on with amazement. Will they also be deceived? Will they worship Satan? Angels of God are about them. A clear, firm, musical voice is heard ‘Christ is come. Christ is come!’ ” How could they say such a thing unless they had previously seen Christ? I believe they have, and I will show here from the Spirit of Prophecy and the Bible that they have seen him many times, just not in this appearance. Those who stubbornly retain even one cherished sin will say, “Christ is come, Christ is come!” and be deceived. Sin, in its very nature, is deceiving.

There is a type of prayer that seems to bring Christ down from heaven into your mind so that you can actually converse with Him personally. About 500 years ago this method was called, “The Spiritual Exercises of Loyola.” Today it is called “Contemplative Prayer.”

Ellen White says, “Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.” The Signs of the Times, June 18, 1902. The reverse of this is, I can bring God down to me any time I want, just as long as I’m in this state of mind. The deluded followers of Christ can say, “Christ is come, Christ is come,” because they have seen Him or who they think is Him many times right here in their own lives.

There are some important principles about prayer that we need to take into account:

In I Kings 8:46–49 is the story of Solomon when the temple he built was dedicated. He said, “If they sin against Thee, [he said if] (for there is no man that sinneth not), and Thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto Thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; and so return unto Thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto Thee toward their land, which Thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which Thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for Thy name then hear Thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven Thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause.”

The condition for God hearing and answering prayer is confession, repentance, and turning away from sin. (See Psalm 55.) The devil would like to develop a method of prayer that allows you to converse with him and have a religious experience while still living in sin.

God can reach down to us no matter where we are but raises our prayer to Him in His holy temple. Jonah was in the belly of a fish with seaweed wrapped around his head and said, “When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto Thee, into Thine holy temple.” Jonah 2:7. His prayer was directed to heaven. He wasn’t asking God to come down in the belly of the fish with him; he said, “My prayer ascended up to heaven.” Prayer does not bring God down to us; it lifts us up to God.

It would be wise to realize that the devil is a student of Bible prophecy. In fact, we are told in the Spirit of Prophecy that the devil knows the Bible better than anyone. His intelligence far exceeds that of men, and only by a diligent study of the Word can he be beat. In the sixteenth century, two movements were raised. Martin Luther, born in 1483, grew up in a home that was very, very strict. He completed his college studies, but during those years he began to feel that his soul was not right with God. His father wanted him to be a lawyer, so after he graduated from college he went on to the university to further his study in that field. He was a very bright and intelligent man and the monks wanted him to join them. After a short time in the university he dropped out of law, and searching for a way to find peace in his heart and to be right with God, he joined the monastery. But he found no peace there. He beat himself, and sometimes so severely that he would go unconscious and lose much blood. He also fasted for many days on end in his search for peace.

Finally a man came to Martin Luther and said, “Martin, God loves you. You don’t need to go through all these strict austerities to try to find peace in your heart with God. Accept His love into your heart.” Martin Luther began reading a Latin Vulgate on the wall of his monastery and began to find the love of God. He began to discover that God would supply the grace to enable him to be forgiven and find that peace he so desired. Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation, the reformation that you and I need to complete.

Another man was born eight years later in 1491, Ignatius Loyola. He also struggled with the same burden that Martin Luther had in his own life, going through the same rituals, whipping himself, fasting and living in monasteries to try to find the peace that he desired. These two monks were destined to follow entirely different paths. Ignatius, instead of feeling that his remorse was sent to drive him to the foot of the cross, persuaded himself that these inner reproaches proceeded not from God, but from the devil, and he resolved never more to think of his sins. He erased them from his memory and buried them into eternal oblivion.

Luther turned towards Christ; Loyola only fell back on himself. This is very interesting. One falls upon Christ, the other falls upon himself. If you don’t like your sins and you try to erase them, as Loyola did, the devil is going to give you an experience. Visions came along to confirm Loyola in the conviction to which he had arrived. His own resolves had become a substitute for the grace of the Lord. His visions had become his substitute.

His own imaginings had supplied the place of God’s word. He had looked upon the voice of God in his conscience as the voice of the devil, and accordingly the remainder of his history represents him as given up to the inspirations of the spirits of darkness. One day Loyola met an old woman, as Luther in the hour of his trial, was visited by an old man. But the Spanish woman, instead of proclaiming remission of sins to the penitent, Manresah predicted visitations from Jesus. Such was the Christianity to which Loyola had recourse.

Loyola did not seek truth in the Holy Scriptures, but imagined in their place immediate communication with the world of spirits. He soon lived entirely in ecstasies and contemplation. These numerous apparitions had removed all his doubts. He believed he was right with God because of the experiences that he was having. He believed, not as Luther believed by faith what is written in the word of God, but because of the visions he had seen. This is very fascinating history as we look at what is happening in modern-day times. This is not old stuff buried in history; this is new stuff, resurrected for Christianity today.

Just about 40 or 50 years ago Vatican II, which was called the ecumenica, had a specific agenda of how to bring the Roman Catholic Church and all the Protestant churches, and all the Muslem churches, as well as everybody else, into union with one another.

Notice a statement found on their website: “The theology of the church forged at Vatican II provided the relationship of the church with the other Christian traditions in more positive terms than had hereto been the case. The council gave the green light for full participation of the Catholic Church in a search for Christian unity which had already been under way for over 50 years.” www.vatican2voice.org/4basics/themes.htm

Not too long ago there was a segment on the news about the importance of Vatican II, because it was an anniversary. It was reported that the theme of the documents of Vatican II was reconciliation, and they allowed for Catholics to pray with other Christian denominations and encourage friendship with other non-Christian faiths.

It’s very interesting that they would mention prayer as a means to bring Christian unity. Now I ask, “Could the Roman Catholic Church teach Protestants and even Adventists to pray rosaries?” The Roman Catholic Church went on a quest to evangelize the world, including Protestants, because you and I are considered separated brethren, separate from the Mother church. Notice this apostolic letter, which was written in 2002, and its reference to the rosary.

John Paul II, Apostolic letter, 2002:

“It can be said that the rosary is in some sense, a prayer-commentary on the final chapter of the Vatican II Constitution. To recite the rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ. I desire that during the course of this year, the rosary should be especially emphasized and promoted in various Christian communities [not just Roman Catholic!] But the most important reason for strongly encouraging the practice of the rosary is that it represents a most effective means of fostering among the faithful that commitment to the contemplation of the Christian mystery which I have proposed in the apostolic letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte, as a genuine training in holiness.”

Do you have holiness of heart when you pray to God while you are still living in sin, and you know it? No.

“What is needed is a Christian life distinguished above all in the art of prayer.” Remember, Roman Catholics were given permission to pray with other Christian denominations. What are they teaching us? “We should not be surprised that our relationship with Christ makes use of a method. God communicates Himself to us respecting our human nature and its vital rhythms. Hence, the Christian’s spirituality is familiar with the most sublime forms of mystical silence in which images, words, and gestures are all, so to speak, superseded by an intense and ineffable union with God.”

What is this mystical silence he is talking about? It is contemplative prayer, a spiritual exercise of Ignatius Loyola, which teaches you to pray through meditation. Meditation is mentioned in the Bible, but it’s much different than the meditation you see nowadays. In contemplative prayer, you empty your mind of all your thoughts and activities, and you enter into a quiet place, and there, you empty your thoughts and focus in on one of the mysteries he is speaking about, and that’s the only thing you focus in on. Keating, who is a Jesuit, has written many books that are used in our Seventh-day Adventist universities today.

He describes this silence you come to, and in the meditative process of prayer you repeat words over and over again, as in the rosary, which is why it has been emphasized. As the rosary is repeated, your mind comes into a state of quietness, and there you see in your mind the face of Jesus, or the face of the Father or you see Mary, and you go in and you can converse with one of them, one on one. Remember, prayer does not bring God down to us; it lifts us up to God. Most religions have engaged this system of prayer, and it is willingly accepted among many groups today.

This is a mystical silence. In the book, The Secret History of the Jesuits, by Edmond Paris (Chick Publications, Chino, California, 1975), is a statement that Loyola made that sounds very similar to John Paul II’s statement. In talking about the methods of prayer in his life, he states, “The third way of praying is by measuring the words and periods of silence.” In reference to the rosary you will see this word mentioned over and over again, entering into this quiet place, this stillness, this silent time, in your own mind, and there you have an experience with God within you.

Continuing the John Paul II Apostolic Letter 2002: “A discovery of the importance of silence is one of the secrets of practicing contemplation and meditation. Just as moments of silence are recommended in the liturgy, so too in the recitation of the rosary, it is fitting to pause briefly after listening to the word of God, while the mind focuses on the content of a particular mystery.” You can see this official letter on the Vatican website, www.vatican.va.

While in Africa, I walked by a Muslim with beads in his hands. Like Catholics, Muslims pray on beads. He was about ready to go to prayers, and I asked him what was in his hand. He told me that they were his prayer beads. There were 90 beads on the string and he prayed every single one of them, rolling them through his hand. I calculated in my mind that 90 beads prayed the five times each day that Muslim’s are required to pray, add to 450 times per day praying the same prayer. Continual repetition of the same phrase causes a hypnotic state. Statistics show that of a population of around 7 billion in 2013, there are 1.6 billion Muslims and 1.2 billion Roman Catholics in the world. Add to this number the non-Christian religions, Buddhists and other Eastern religions that embrace this same method of prayer or trance using prayer beads or sticks of incense and you find that it numbers in excess of half the population.

The devil is preparing the world for something big. When you see him coming as Christ and everybody is saying, “Christ has come, Christ has come,” you can know that they have seen this person before in their own minds and they recognize him, for they have been hypnotized. The spiritual exercises of Loyola have been resurrected in these last days, especially after Vatican II, evangelizing the world through this method. Today it is called centering prayer—bringing the mind into the center and entering into the quiet place!

On the website, www.centeringprayer.com, Thomas Keating says: “Centering prayer is a method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God’s presence within us.”

Eve was told the same lie in the Garden of Eden. “Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” This same thing is happening here in contemplative prayer. It says this presence of God is within us and it says, “closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself is God in us.”

Looking at what is going on, the following text in Matthew 24:23, 24 is very fascinating: “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” They are going to show us “great signs.” The Greek word is semeion, which means miracles or wonders, something to wonder at. These wondrous signs from the devil are going to be so hypnotic that even the elect could be deceived.

Then verses 25 and 26 say: “Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” Who are these personators? They are false christs and false prophets, and if they tell you Jesus is in the desert or secret chambers, do not believe.

In the desert I can understand, but what does it mean by “the secret chambers”? This expression is often translated as inner rooms. The original Greek word for inner rooms means a dispensary or magazine. This is a chamber on the ground floor or interior of an Oriental house (generally used for storage or privacy, a spot for retirement)—secret chamber, closet, storehouse. A dispensary or a magazine is an old term. Gun shells like bombs and things were put in what we call a magazine, a holding place, a storehouse of some sort. If you were to go to this place, you would be given something in this secret chamber.

The text says that this could deceive even the elect. How could this be if God’s elect are studying their Bibles, or has something else been substituted for the study of God’s word, an experience maybe?

Could these secret chambers or inner rooms where we retire and go to pray, entering into these silent meditations to find Christ, the deception that Jesus warned about? The devil will love to give an experience to all who seek God but refuse His cleansing power. “I turned to look at the company who were still bowed before the throne; they did not know that Jesus had left it. Satan appeared to be by the throne, trying to carry on the work of God. I saw them look up to the throne, and pray, ‘Father, give us Thy Spirit.’ Satan would then breathe upon them an unholy influence; in it there was light and much power, but no sweet love, joy, and peace. Satan’s object was to keep them deceived and to draw back and deceive God’s children.” Early Writings, 56.

“Satan determines to unite them [church members] in one body and thus strengthen his cause by sweeping all into the ranks of Spiritualism.” The Great Controversy, 588.

Spiritualism is the uniting factor that joins all the churches together, regardless of religion. “Papists, who boast of miracles as a certain sign of the true church, will be readily deceived by this wonder-working power; and Protestants, having cast away the shield of truth, will also be deluded. Papists, Protestants, and worldlings will alike accept the form of godliness without the power and they will see in this union a grand movement for the conversion of the world and the ushering in of the long-expected millennium.” Ibid.

Paul says, “Even him [the lawless one], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth.” II Thessalonians 2:9, 10.

Why didn’t they love the truth? They loved the experience that they were having more than they loved God and His word. “They received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Verses 10–12.

To be saved in sin is a very attractive lie, one that the devil loves to promote. I John 5:17 says, “All unrighteousness is sin” and I John 3:4 says, “sin is the transgression of the law.” People are going to come to a point in earth’s history where they are going to love breaking God’s law, while claiming Christ and having a “form of godliness” (II Timothy 3:5).

The devil is working to sweep the entire world into one mind by using these methods of prayer. Revelation 17:13 says, “These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.” The beast is the papal power. It is going to have the lending hand of Protestants and worldlings alike.

“The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country [America] will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience.” The Great Controversy, 588.

I believe that hand is already extended, and we are welcoming the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church into our communion. There are people who do not have a love for the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness, in breaking God’s law. God is going to send them strong delusions. That powerful delusion of Satan coming as Christ is going to sweep in the whole world except for a little group of people, the remnant, who have put away sin in their life.

The devil is going to give an experience to people who won’t put away sin just like he did with Ignatius Loyola. He will give visions, dreams, and all kinds of experiences. He is a master at trickery.

“Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive the world. The foundation of his work was laid by the assurance given to Eve in Eden. ‘Ye shall not surely die.’ ‘In the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil’ (Genesis 3:4, 5). Little by little he has prepared the way for his masterpiece of deception in the development of spiritualism.” The Great Controversy, 561.

His coming as Christ is the masterpiece of his deception.

“They must have some means of quieting their consciences, and they seek that which is least spiritual and humiliating. What they desire is a method of forgetting God which shall pass as a method of remembering Him.” Ibid., 572. Loyola wanted his conscience to be quiet, so he cast his sin off into oblivion and the devil supplied him with visions and ecstatic experiences.

The new spirituality is teaching that we can have an experience with God while living in sin. When you come into this quiet place where you see these apparitions in your mind, it is the devil speaking to you, not God. Prayer does not bring God down to us. We are viewing the enemy himself. And when he appears as this majestic being from heaven, like in Revelation chapter 1, the majority will say, “Christ has come. Christ has come!” They will know him because they have seen him over and over again in their experience.

Our only defense is God’s word. The true method of prayer is to get on your knees and confess your unworthiness, your sinfulness, and ask God to search your heart. When you cooperate with the heavenly agencies, by God’s grace, sin will be eliminated from your life.

If you don’t have a real experience with the only true God, the devil will certainly give you one, a method of forgetting His word, but at the same time passing as a Christian.

These new methods of prayer are deluding many people. We need God’s grace to enable us to put sin out of our lives. May our hearts and minds continue to be lifted up to heavenly things.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the King James Version.)

Mike Bauler was ordained into the ministry in 2005 and serves as pastor of the Historic Message Church in Portland, Oregon. Prior to locating in Portland, Pastor Bauler served as a Bible worker for Steps to Life Ministries. His goal is to help give the gospel to the greater Portland area with an emphasis in helping his Bible students discover the truths in Bible prophecy, which are so often neglected today. His wife, Amanda, a family nurse practitioner, and their daughters Hannah, Esther and Abigail assist him in his ministry.

Current Events – Spiritualism about to take world Captive

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Various forms of Spiritualism are about to take the world captive.

Or have they already?

“Spiritualism is about to take the world captive. There are many who think that Spiritualism is upheld through trickery and imposture, but this is far from the truth. Superhuman power is working in a variety of ways, and few have any idea as to what will be the manifestations of Spiritualism in the future.”

Evangelism, 603.

  1. K. Rowling’s fictional wizard, Harry Potter, has been so successful that a commercial empire has been built on Ms Rowling’s creation. The masses are far more interested in fairy tales than reality. Toys, games and movies have been produced and now the “Wizarding World of Harry Potter” is about to get a little bigger with the second fun-park being built in Florida based on the book’s theme.

Some of the features of the new park are advertised in the following manner:

“Hang with animatronic goblins, purported to be not the friendliest of creatures. If you ring their bells, they look right at you. Creepy!”

“If hunger strikes you while wandering Diagon Alley, don’t fret. The Leaky Cauldron (an eatery) awaits you.”

“If the, ahem, ‘darker arts’ are more your thing, head over to Knockturn Alley and check out Borgin and Burkes and the creepy ‘Hand of Glory.’ “

Two wand shops are situated at the parks “so you can double up on all your wand-related needs to get your hands on an interactive wand and make some magic.”

This is described as “totally and completely magical.”

The Harry Potter books may be seen as a high-water mark in the industry but there have been fresh surprises since their publication. The books now being devoured on buses and trains concern a romance between a young woman and a vampire. Like the Harry Potter books, Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight first became popular in a place on the fringes of Hollywood’s consciousness: not Britain this time but America. The four-book series by Ms. Meyer has sold half as many copies in America as the Harry Potter series, according to Nielsen BookScan.

Sources:
www.universalorlando.com/Theme-Parks/Wizarding-World-Of-Harry-Potter.aspx; www.economist.com/node/15108711

Discerning the Spirits

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The true definition of understanding is directly connected with obedience to God. “Disobedience has closed the door to a vast amount of knowledge that might have been gained from the Scriptures. Understanding means obedience to God’s commandments. The Scriptures are not to be adapted to meet the prejudice and jealousy of men. They can be understood only by those who are humbly seeking for a knowledge of the truth that they may obey it.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 112.

The Holy Scriptures tell us that “The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:130).

Rightly stated the word of God illuminates the mind of the receiver. The Hebrew word for light as used by the Psalmist in this verse is ore which means illumination or luminary which involves enlightening, happiness, etc. It also means bright, clear, etc.

It would be correct for me to say that most human beings desire or crave enlightenment. We want to be illuminated to the level whereby we can achieve happiness, perfect peace of mind, complete understanding of ourselves and the mysteries of the world and the universe around us. The problem is that the greater number of those seeking enlightenment are seeking it the wrong way, through the wrong path. There is only one way to be truly enlightened, to attain a correct understanding of ourselves and the mysteries of the world around us, to gain perfect peace and happiness!

Examples of Man’s Quest for Enlightenment Throughout the Ages

Throughout the centuries many people have sought enlightenment in the religion known as Buddhism and many today are still pursuing that path. Buddhism, history tells us, started with Siddhartha Gautama. Born a prince in Nepal (581–501 B.C.), he gave up his possessions and set out to search for a solution to human suffering, the riddle of life, when he was twenty-nine years old.

The record tells us that Gautama first joined five Hindu holy men who believed the way to learn the truth was to starve the body. He starved himself until, pressing his stomach, he could feel his backbone. But this taught him nothing. Soon he began to eat normally again, and the holy men left him in disgust.

That was one extreme. The other extreme, the life of pleasure and richness, he knew well. And it had left him hungry for truth. So he decided to try the Middle Way. He ate enough so that hunger did not occupy his thoughts. Then he sat down quietly under a tree—the sacred Bodhi tree.

For 49 days he meditated. In a vision he saw the armies of Mara, the evil tempter of the world. Mara and his three daughters attacked him with storms, rain, rocks and blazing weapons. And Mara himself offered the wealth of the world if he would give up his search for truth. But Gautama sat unmoved. The armies of Mara fled.

After 49 days of meditation under the tree and after a night of spiritual struggle with the evil one, Siddhartha Gautama overcame him and his evil forces, became awakened, and achieved the enlightenment he was seeking, and entered a transcendental, eternal realm of being. Thereafter he was known as the Buddha, or “the Enlightened One.” He spent the remaining forty-five years of his life proclaiming the Dhamma, the eternal truth into which he had “awakened,” making converts to his beliefs and organizing a formal religion.

In his first address, which centered on the core of his teachings – the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path – he taught: “There are two extremes to be avoided by those who have renounced the world. What are they? Everything to do with passion and luxurious living …, and everything to do with torture of the self and useless pain.”

Avoiding those two extremes the Tathagata (a title of the Buddha indicating that he has gone before into complete Truth) has reached the Enlightenment of the middle Way. (The term “Middle Way” was used in the first teaching that the Buddha delivered after his awakening. In this sutta, the Buddha describes the middle way as a path of moderation, between the extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification. This, according to him, was the path of wisdom). This enlightenment brings perfect insight and knowledge, and it leads to peace, higher knowledge, enlightenment and Nirvana.

Millions of people throughout time immemorial have sought enlightenment by pursuing the Hindu path. Hinduism has one god, Brahman, who is the eternal spirit. But it also has 330 million lesser gods—enough so that each family can have a favorite to honor at its household shrine. Most important of the gods are the trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The three of them are but three aspects of the supreme god, Brahman.

Hindus teach that “the sublime objective of Hinduism is to leave behind this harsh, material world and to be united with God. This union is reached not only through prayers and rituals but through the ideals of Hindu living: purity, self-control, detachment, truth, nonviolence, charity and the deepest of compassion toward all creatures.” The World’s Great Religions (by Life), 1958 edition, p. 15.

For Hindus, Brahman is present within humans as the inner self or soul. The material body and world are obstacles preventing the achievement of oneness with Brahman. Therefore, when this enlightenment and oneness occur the “Self is Brahman,” “pure Consciousness is Brahman.”

It is out of this desire to be enlightened and attain to oneness with Brahman—chief god, that yoga (yoking, joining, union) becomes significant in the spiritual experience of Hindus. “The aim of yoga is the achievement of true insight through the liberation of the soul. The means of achieving this are renunciation, abstinence and asceticism, rejection of all comforts and possessions, the killing of desires and through this the attainment of spiritual serenity and inner gentleness, expressed as inner retreat in contemplative meditation.” The Story of World Religions, Markus Hattsteih, 2005 edition, p. 14.

Dr. John Bowker in his book The Message and the Book, page 177, gives an even deeper understanding of the role of yoga in the life of an Hindu. He states that “Yoga is often associated outside India with techniques, exercises and postures that lead to calmness or other new states of consciousness, but that is only a small part of Yoga and of no importance on its own.”

He clearly reveals “The point of Yoga is that it leads to a transformed understanding of the cosmos and of human nature within it, and on the basis of that transformed understanding it teaches the way in which through practice one can attain extraordinary powers (siddhi) and the state known as Samadhi. The word Samadhi has various meanings, such as concentration, contemplation and altered consciousness of a trancelike kind. In its strongest and ultimate meaning, it is a state of complete and blissful stability far beyond the seething turmoil of ideas and events.” Ibid.

Geoffrey Parrinder in his analysis of the philosophy, mythology and ethics of Hinduism affirms in his book World Religions pages 214, 215, that “The yoga known to western enthusiasts is a late elaboration of these earlier practices, with heavy emphasis on more difficult physical postures and a physiological theory according to which the yogi in meditation seeks to raise the kundalini. This is a spiritual force conceived as a dormant snake lying coiled at the base of the spine, up the central vein (sushumma) which lies in the vertebral column, through six ‘circles’ of psychic power along the column to the ‘lutus’ at the top of the head, by accomplishing which he wins salvation (Laya Yoga).”

Kundalini Awakening

  • Kundalini means “the coiled one.”
  • Kundalini is described as lying “coiled” at the base of the spine, represented as either a goddess or sleeping serpent waiting to be awakened … Kundalini awakening is said to result in deep meditation, enlightenment and bliss.” Wikipedia
  • One Hindu author argues, “You may hear it called many things. Like Kundalini-Sakti, Serpent Power, Goddess (Devi) Kundalini, Shakti, The Holy Spirit or just plain Kundalini. She is the Divine Cosmic Energy in the body. Her movement is serpentine so it’s often described as snake-like. All the Yogas are methods to help awaken the Kundalini. The goal is to have the Kundalini to rise through the seven Chakras (Energy Centers) and obtain Enlightenment. When the Kundalini passes the Seventh Chakra (Crown Chakra), she unites with Siva which is the masculine part of the Universe. You become one with the cosmic consciousness while still in your living body. You become one with your Higher Power … You have reached Enlightenment.” (Article: What is Kundalini Awakening?)

Justin O’Brien, in his book Christianity and Yoga: a Meeting of Mystic Paths, states that “Yoga is a systematic science, a set of techniques, and while yoga itself is not a religion, its practical teachings are an integral part of the great religions of the world … . Its central teaching is that man’s essential nature is divine, perfect and infinite … . Through the meditative methods of yoga one can dispel the darkness of ignorance, and become aware of his essential nature, which is free from all imperfections.” p. xi.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN POSTURE?

The “Lotus” Position

“Eastern meditators take very seriously the preparation for meditation and physical positions. They begin by relaxing their bodies and minds. They seek out a quiet place, where they sit down, usually in what the Hindus call the ‘lotus’ position. The lotus position involves sitting cross-legged on the floor with torso held upright and eyes closed. This position is the most common meditative posture used … as facilitating communion with the spirits.” The Danger Within, Manuel Vasquez, p. 66.

Dr. Cathy Burns’ records of the “lotus”: “You will sometimes see strange little Chinese gods or Oriental Buddhas sitting on the blossom of a Lotus. In fact, if you look carefully you will find nearly all the Oriental gods are so depicted. This means that they have opened within themselves that Spiritual Consciousness which they call the Kundalini. One of the emblems of Isis is the lotus, which is a symbol of the resurrection. Of course, in Egyptian mythology, the idea of resurrection means rebirth or reincarnation. The lotus was also associated with sun gods.” Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated, 271.

The Hand Signal

“A Dictionary of Mysticism notes that the mudra is a ‘mystic seal’ of Oriental occultism; a series of occult signs made with the fingers, and considered to have magical effects.” Ibid., 231.

“In addition to mantras (form of enchantment) and yantras (instrument, means or emblem), the third way of representing deities is through gestures (mudra). There is a large number of symbolic gestures used in rituals and believed to evoke supernatural beings. Many of the mudras through which a deity can be evoked are also used in sacred dance. The fingers are formed into circles. This is called a mudra.” Ibid., 231, 232.

Mystical Meditation

In his book The Danger Within, page 58, Pastor Manuel Vasquez argues that “Although meditation has always been a legitimate part of Christianity, there appears to be a ‘meditation movement’ in Christian circles today that incorporates New Age concepts and that is adversely affecting some sincere Christians. Take for instance, Joey Orman, who was introduced to mystical meditation by a deacon in her church. He promised her ‘astro travel’ and a closer walk with the Lord. But soon the cosmic energy forces she received overwhelmed her and caused a disorder in her central nervous system. Joey ended up in a psychiatric ward.”

Pastor Vasquez states further that “Some Christian leaders today are teaching, through seminars and books, questionable meditation techniques and such dangerous elements as ‘guided imagery’ and ‘visualization.’ Christians are instructed to conjure up the image of Christ, dialogue with Him in their minds, and equate His messages (“given through an inner voice”) with those of Scripture.” Ibid., 58, 59.

In answering the question of Why the interest in meditation? Pastor Vasquez shows that “Eastern mystics, especially Hindus and Buddhists, have practiced meditation (yoga) for centuries as a part of their religious, spiritual exercises. They also engage in ‘inner listening’ or ‘inner communion.’ …

“Some Christians believe that Hindu meditation techniques such as hatha yoga are a practical way of handling daily stress, with the added bonus of increasing spirituality and intimacy with God … . But perhaps the most prominent reason Christians become involved in meditation is for spiritual enrichment.” Ibid., 61, 62.

What about Spiritual Formation?

Pastor Rick Howard, a retired Seventh-day Adventist pastor, addresses the relevant subject, Spiritual Formation in his book entitled The Omega Rebellion. Beginning on page 25 he shows the history of this doctrine by highlighting Martin Luther and Ignatius Loyola. He wrote that “Martin Luther and Ignatius Loyola were contemporaries. Both were drawn to God by His Spirit; both were convicted of the sin in their lives and both sought a way of escape from their guilty consciences through the power of God. Finding God and His power to bring them victory was at the core of their search.

“For reasons that will only be revealed in the judgment, they looked for that victory in different places. Martin Luther searched the Holy Scriptures and found the God of creation, while Loyola searched the world of ‘spirits’ and believed he found God in His creation. … Loyola chose to suppress his guilty conscience, refusing to think any more of his sins. Instead of searching the Holy Bible, he sought enlightenment through the supernatural world, satisfying his own carnal propensities. He always desired to see God in everything, everywhere, all the time. This was the desire of his heart.

“Loyola longed for supernatural experiences, believing them to be evidences of God’s presence and power. Deceived, he turned to the writings of Roman Catholic mystics and saints, longing for God to reveal himself in everything, all the time. He desired God’s presence on his terms, and Satan made sure he would think he found Him. From these experiences he was profoundly changed and for the rest of his life asserted that God miraculously gave him the enlightenment of a lifetime in just a few moments.” Ibid., 26.

From the autobiography of Ignatius Loyola, Pastor Howard reveals the following concerning Loyola’s hunger for illumination in the spirit world. He wrote, “And he was seated there, the eyes of his understanding began to be opened: not that he saw some vision, but understanding and knowing many things, spiritual things just as much as matters of faith and learning, and this with an enlightenment so strong that all things seemed new to him.” The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola, p. 30. Ibid., 26.

Ignatian Spiritual Exercise Schedule

Furthermore, according to Pastor Rick Howard, “The concept of God as revealed to Loyola in these mystical experiences revealed a God who is pantheistic—His person existing in the things of His creation.” Loyola developed what is called today his “Spiritual Exercises,” which contain all the teachings from which modern spiritual formation was constructed.

This is the type of divine understanding/enlightenment that is being taught to many Seventh-day Adventist leaders who in turn teach it in our churches today to Seventh-day Adventists. As Pastor Howard puts it, “The basic theology behind what is being taught in the very missions and institutes where Seventh-day Adventists have gone to learn spiritual formation is the theology of Loyola: pantheistic, mystical, and Roman Catholic. It includes contemplative/mystical prayer, leading one into an altered state of consciousness believed to be the ‘presence of God.’

“Spiritual formation counterfeits the work of the Holy Spirit that directs our minds to Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary. People are deceived by the teaching that they can come into Jesus’ presence whenever they desire, communicating with Him through the practice of ‘centering’ and ‘contemplative prayer,’ which brings them into the mystical state of the silence. Furthermore, they are taught a false type of pantheism that claims Jesus, in His fullness, can be found in every human being and in all of His creation, everywhere.” Ibid., 30.

Why Many SDA Are So Blind

“In following the path of Satan’s choosing, we are encompassed by the shadows of evil, and every step leads into deeper darkness and increases the blindness of the heart.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 92.

“It is not God that blinds the eyes of men or hardens their hearts. He sends them light to correct their errors, and to lead them in safe paths; it is by the rejection of this light that the eyes are blinded and the heart hardened. Often the process is gradual, and almost imperceptible. Light comes to the soul through God’s word, through His servants, or by the direct agency of His Spirit; but when one ray of light is disregarded, there is a partial benumbing of the spiritual perceptions, and the second revealing of light is less clearly discerned. So the darkness increases, until it is night in the soul.” The Desire of Ages, 322.

The Way to True Divine Enlightenment

“Let the purpose be sincere and unwavering to discern the truth and to obey it at whatever cost, and you will receive divine enlightenment. Real piety begins when all compromise with sin is at an end.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 91.

The One Who Gives Divine Enlightenment

  • “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come” (John 16:13).
  • “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9, 10).
  • The Holy Spirit openeth many dark and deep mysteries. “(Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand My knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit” (Ephesians 3:4, 5).
  • “Thou gavest also Thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not Thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst” (Nehemiah 9:20).
  • “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).

“It is the Spirit itself that teaches and enlightens. The most powerful preaching of the Word, the reading of the Scriptures, will not be able to transform the character and save souls unless the Spirit works with and through the human agents. The planning and devising must not be of a character to draw attention to self. The Word is a power, a sword, in the hands of the human agent, but the Holy Spirit in its vital power is the efficiency to impress the mind. ‘They shall be all taught of God’ (John 6:45). It is God that causes the light to shine into hearts. … The reason why God can do so little for us is that we forget that living virtue in the Holy Spirit is to combine with the human agent.” Sons and Daughters of God, 30.

“Let all humble themselves before God, asking for grace and wisdom, that they may see wherein they have violated His holy law. Unless His Spirit enlightens them, they will never know, even though it is set before them by their brethren.” The Upward Look, 240.

“The Lord speaks to the heart that humbles itself before Him. At the altar of prayer, as the throne of grace is touched by faith, we receive from the hand of God that celestial torch which enlightens our darkness, and convinces us of our spiritual necessity. The Holy Spirit takes of the things of God, and reveals them to the one who is sincerely seeking for the heavenly treasure. If we yield to His guidance, He leads us into all light. As we behold the glory of Christ, we become changed into His image. We have that faith which works by love, and purifies the soul. Our hearts are renewed, and we are made willing to obey God in all things.” The Review and Herald, December 15, 1896.

Those Only Who Will Receive the Knowledge of Divine Truth

“The knowledge of divine truth is promised to those who will render obedience to the light and truth that have been given to them. An entrance into the strait gate is not dependent upon the possession of learning or riches, but it is dependent upon the possession of a teachable spirit. He who appreciates the first ray of heavenly light, and appropriates it, and walks in it, bringing his actions into harmony with that ray, and becoming sanctified through it, will receive yet more light. He will understand that the gospel is the plan of salvation.” Ibid., March 28, 1912.

Only Those Who Acknowledge Christ as Saviour and Lord Will Be Enlightened!

“The Holy Spirit enlightens the mind of the one who depends on the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour, and indites a prayer of confession and repentance that is acceptable to the Lord.” Loma Linda Messges, 51, 52.

Christ promised that the Holy Spirit will illuminate man’s understanding concerning the mysteries of redeeming love.

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: … He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you” (John 16:12–14).

Pastor Ivan Plummer ministers through the Emmanuel Seventh Day Church Ministries in Bronx, New York. He may be contacted by telephone at: 718-882-3900.

Is the Virgin Mary Dead or Alive? Chapter 3

by Danny Vierra

Is the Virgin Mary Dead or Alive booklChapter 3 – Modern Day Spiritualism– a Masterpiece of Deception

So why the deception? Because spiritualism lives! As long as there is a devil, there will be spiritualism. And as long as spiritualism lives, the lie— that in death there is continuing life— will be perpetuated! And this bias will often affect the work of otherwise well- meaning translators. Have you not noticed how more and more movies and their plots are being centered around the dead communicating with the living? Satan is working with added enthusiasm in these last days, because he knows that his time is short and that one of his best tools for bringing the world under his deceptive control is spiritualism, based on his great lie that there is in man an immortal spirit that continues on after death and that it is possible for the living to receive vital light and benefit by communicating with the spirits of dead loved ones. These cherished dead can be convincingly impersonated in form, feature, sound of voice, and factual information unknown except by the living participant( s) and the “dead” communicant, as well as by Satan and his fallen angels, who are constantly seeking to cause the multitudes of earth to follow a demonic agenda in direct opposition to Christ’s great gospel commission to prepare the world for His coming and the final end of Satan and his kingdom.

Thus, “the doctrine of man’s consciousness in death, especially the belief that the spirits of the dead return to minister to the living, has prepared the way for modern spiritualism. If the dead are admitted to the presence of God and holy angels, and privileged with knowledge far exceeding what they before possessed, why should they not return to the earth to enlighten and instruct the living? If, as taught by popular theologians, the spirits of the dead are hovering about their friends on earth, why should they not be permitted to communicate with them, to warn them against evil, or to comfort them in sorrow? How can those who believe in man’s consciousness in death reject what comes to them as divine light communicated from glorified spirits? Here is a channel regarded as sacred, through which Satan works for the accomplishment of his purposes. The fallen angels who do his bidding appear as messengers from the spirit world. While professing to bring the living into communication with the dead, the prince of evil exercises his bewitching influence upon their minds.

“He has power to bring before men the appearance of their departed friends. The counterfeit is perfect; the familiar look, the words, the tone, are reproduced with marvelous distinctness. Many are comforted with the assurance that their loved ones are enjoying the bliss of heaven; and without suspicion of danger, they give ear ‘to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. ’

“When they have been led to believe that the dead actually return to communicate with them, Satan causes those to appear who went into the grave unprepared. They claim to be happy in heaven and even to occupy exalted positions there, and thus the error is widely taught that no difference is made between the righteous and the wicked. The pretended visitants from the world of spirits sometimes utter cautions and warnings which prove to be correct. Then, as confidence is gained, they present doctrines that directly undermine faith in the Scriptures. With an appearance of deep interest in the well- being of their friends on earth, they insinuate the most dangerous errors. The fact that they state some truths, and are able at times to foretell future events, gives to their statements an appearance of reliability; and their false teachings are accepted by the multitudes as readily, and believed as implicitly, as if they were the most sacred truths of the Bible. The law of God is set aside, the Spirit of grace despised, the blood of the covenant counted an unholy thing. The spirits deny the deity of Christ and place even the Creator on a level with themselves. Thus under a new disguise the great rebel still carries on his warfare against God, begun in heaven and for nearly six thousand years continued upon this earth…. Many will be ensnared through the belief that spiritualism is a merely human imposture; when brought face to face with manifestations which they cannot but regard as supernatural, they will be deceived, and will be led to accept them as the great power of God.” (The Great Controversy, pp. 551- 553).

Therefore, Satan, in his efforts to deceive the very elect in these last days, will use his demons to impersonate our departed loved ones in the form of familiar spirits : boyfriends and girlfriends, grandfathers and grandmothers, uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers. So why not a masterpiece of deception— a demon impersonating the mother of Jesus Christ!!!

Go to Chapter 4 ⇒

All emphases in this article are mine.
Published by Modern Manna Ministries

Counterfeits

by

An Adventist is somebody who believes in the imminent return of Christ to this world. We are Adventists because of Bible prophecy, which opens to us things that are going to happen in the future.

In the book of Revelation, we are told that in the last days there will be counterfeits. Generally, counterfeits precede the genuine. Jesus also predicted counterfeits in Matthew 24 and history proves that the devil has continually used counterfeits to further his evil ends.

In Egypt, Aaron was told to cast his rod down and it became a serpent. The devil, attempting to demonstrate his power, enabled the magicians to cast their rods down and they also became serpents. There was just one little difference – the devil is unable to create life, so Aaron’s live serpent devoured the counterfeits. Aaron grabbed the tail of the serpent and it became a rod again. However, the rods of the magicians had been eaten.

The devil knew that at the time of the judgment, God was going to send a special Elijah prophet message. Therefore, he set in motion many counterfeits. Around the 1830s to 1840s there were other people claiming to have the gift of prophecy. Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormanism and Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science are just two of them.

To cause confusion is a very successful tool of the devil. There were also counterfeits during the first advent of Jesus. One significant counterfeit was Barabbas. According to at least some of the New Testament manuscripts his first name was Jesus. Bar is the Aramaic word that means son. Abba means father. So, Jesus Barabbas would be translated, Jesus, Saviour, the son of the father.

Pilate asked the Jews whom to release according to the custom of the feast, Jesus Barabbas, the Saviour, the son of the father, or Jesus of Nazareth, the Saviour from Nazareth. Barabbas was a counterfeit. Both had a name that claimed to be the son of the father. The only way to tell the difference was by the actions of each life. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and had said, “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him” (John 10:37, 38).

Jesus said if you do not believe Me, look at what I have done. From that you should be able to believe. The sum of a person’s works is his character and the way to tell the difference between the true and the counterfeit is by the character.

The Bible records a marked difference between the character of Jesus Christ and Barabbas. Their names were the only similarity. Though Barabbas also claimed to be a savior, the Bible records that he was a thief and a murderer. A person who is a thief and a murderer cannot be the Messiah. Yet it was he who was set free and the true Saviour was crucified.

Before the second coming of Jesus there are going to be many counterfeits. The crowning act will be Satan’s impersonation of Christ but let’s consider some of the others.

There are some things that people have speculated would be counterfeited, like Armageddon and the seven last plagues. However, there is no solid evidence to substantiate that. We do know that in addition to the second coming there is one other counterfeit mentioned often in the Spirit of Prophecy that we need to remember.

Ellen White wrote, “I saw that God has honest children among the nominal Adventists and the fallen churches, and before the plagues shall be poured out, ministers and people will be called out from these churches and will gladly receive the truth. Satan knows this; and before the loud cry of the third angel is given, he raises an excitement in these religious bodies, that those who have rejected the truth may think that God is with them. He hopes to deceive the honest and lead them to think that God is still working for the churches. But the light will shine and all who are honest will leave the fallen churches, and take their stand with the remnant.” Early Writings, 261.

Today there seems to be more nominal Christians than honest people in both the Adventist as well as in the Sunday keeping churches. These will be the targets of Satan, who will raise a religious excitement among them to cause in them a false sense of security.

In the book, The Great Controversy, 464, the same event is described. “Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. … At that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for God and His word. Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed, at this time, to prepare a people for the Lord’s second coming. The enemy of souls desires to hinder this work; and before the time for such a movement shall come, he will endeavor to prevent it by introducing a counterfeit. In those churches which he can bring under his deceptive power he will make it appear that God’s special blessing is poured out; there will be manifest what is thought to be great religious interest. Multitudes will exult that God is working marvelously for them, when the work is that of another spirit. Under a religious guise, Satan will seek to extend his influence over the Christian world.”

This counterfeit will occur first. Satan knows that this is his last chance and will go to battle to prevent the people from accepting the final invitation to come out from the churches that are described as Babylon. During this time, something is going to happen in the world, and especially in the United States, that is going to make it possible for the counterfeit to be accepted by the majority of the population.

“By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy, in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 451.

We are told that at the time of the passing of a national Sunday law, there will already be excitement among the religious bodies, but when the national Sunday law is implemented, we can look for the marvelous working of Satan. This is something that most Adventists cannot imagine right now. Suddenly, this false revival is going to explode and the devil will attempt to take in the entire world. For a little while it will look as if he is going to succeed.

To understand how this deception is going to be so persuasive, look at Revelation 13:3, which says, “… I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.”

“Then another beast came up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived” (verses 11–14).

Notice that he is going to deceive the earth by “signs which he was granted to do.” The Greek word used here for signs or miracles is semeion. Signs is the most literal translation. However, when a supernatural being is going to give a sign, he gives it by doing something supernatural. In other words, by working what people would call a miracle.

There are going to be real miracles. Some people believe that all the devil’s miracles are counterfeit. The Bible does call the devil a liar and a deceiver and there is no question that he works miracles that are counterfeit, but a careful examination of this text shows that there are going to be genuine signs and wonders performed by devils that you will not be able to deny or explain away as simply a sleight of hand. There are going to be real miracles. Just how far the Lord will allow the devil to go we do not know, but we do know that he cannot create life.

Many years ago, a Pentecostal lady told me about the wonderful things that were happening in her church. She shared how a person had died somewhere in the South Pacific and when the mourners prayed, the dead person began to wiggle his toes. A short time later he could wiggle his feet, and then his whole body could move. Finally, he sat up and was alive again. She was convinced that the Lord had raised this person back to life. We can be sure that the devil cannot raise people back to life, but he can deceive you into thinking that he can.

What are you going to do when miracles are worked right in front of your eyes? You cannot deny it. Most people immediately assume that it is performed by the power of God. However, we just read in the Bible that in the last days it will be evil spirits that are working these miracles. These same people who are deceived by the miracles will refuse to believe when they are shown truths from God’s word. A person like that is preparing himself or herself to be deceived.

The Bible predicts that the whole world is going to be deceived. This will not take very long once the miracles begin. One of the most common miracles that will be performed is the healing of the sick. Whether it is a counterfeit or real, you will not be able to tell the difference.

For deception to be successful, it must be as close as possible to the real. Evil spirits are going to claim to be Christians with respect and reverence for the ordinances of the church. These spirits will claim to be Christians and to have reverence for the churches and its institutions. You will see miracles of healings and tongues, among other things, that you will be unable to deny.

“It is true that spiritualism is now changing its form and, veiling some of its more objectionable features, is assuming a Christian guise. But its utterances from the platform and the press have been before the public for many years, and in these its real character stands revealed. …

“As Spiritualism more closely imitates the nominal Christianity of the day, it has greater power to deceive and ensnare. Satan himself is converted, after the modern order of things. He will appear in the character of an angel of light. Through the agency of Spiritualism, miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and many undeniable wonders will be performed. And as the spirits will profess faith in the Bible, and manifest respect for the institutions of the church, their work will be accepted as a manifestation of divine power.” The Great Controversy, 557, 588.

These spirits will say that you need to respect the government. Seventh-day Adventists should always respect and obey the laws of the land in whatever country they live, unless these laws conflict with God’s law.

Most Christians keep Sunday instead of the seventh-day Sabbath. When the government enacts a national Sunday law and the explosion of miracles begin, Adventists will be accused of disaffection of the government by not going along with the law and of disrespecting the community of faith. The Catholic church often uses this terminology that you should respect, and that conscience should be in subjection to the community of faith.

We are Protestants. We believe in the community of faith, but we do not believe that our conscience should be in subjection to a false community of faith. Adventists are going to be accused of being lawbreakers and of disaffection toward the government.

“Communications from the spirits will declare that God has sent them to convince the rejecters of Sunday of their error, affirming that the laws of the land should be obeyed as the law of God. They will lament the great wickedness in the world, and second the testimony of religious teachers, that the degraded state of morals is caused by the desecration of Sunday. Great will be the indignation excited against all who refuse to accept their testimony.” Ibid., 591.

Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 will be quoted. “They will lament the great wickedness in the world, and second the testimony of religious teachers that the degraded state of morals is caused by the desecration of Sunday. Great will be the indignation excited against all who refuse to accept their testimony. …

“Under the rule of Rome, those who suffered death for their fidelity to the gospel were denounced as evil-doers; they were declared to be in league with Satan; and every possible means was employed to cover them with reproach, to cause them to appear in the eyes of the people, and even to themselves as the vilest of criminals. So, it will be now. While Satan seeks to destroy those who honor God’s law, he will cause them to be accused as law-breakers, as men who are dishonoring God, and bringing judgments upon the world. …

“Those who honor the Bible Sabbath will be denounced as enemies of law and order, as breaking down the moral restraints of society, causing anarchy and corruption, and calling down the judgments of God upon the earth.” Ibid., 591, 592.

During this time, God’s judgments will be in the land. When the United States passes a national Sunday law “… the limit of God’s forbearance is reached, that the measure of our nation’s iniquity is full, and that the angel of mercy is about to take her flight, never to return.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 451.

Those who continue to regard God’s commandments will be accused of disaffection against the government of being lawbreakers, the cause of anarchy, and bringing on the judgments of God on the land. For this reason, it is so important now to live in an honest way so that nobody should ever be able to accuse us of breaking the law. We must dare to be a Daniel, that as it was with him, there will be nothing in our lives that could be used to accuse us of breaking the law. Jesus also was accused with false accusations.

Among Christians during this time, every wind of doctrine will be blowing and there will be fanaticism. Satan, clothed in angel robes, will try to deceive the very elect. He will use human beings as teachers to try and take control of the church by bringing in false teachings. Unless you know what the Bible says, you will be deceived without realizing it.

“None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict.” The Great Controversy (1888), 593. “God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines, and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority—not one, nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain ‘Thus saith the Lord’ in its support.” Ibid., 595.

Without this we will be deceived. If we are alive during this period, we will probably have a number of meetings with the devil and evil spirits in human form, even as believers. “He (the devil) and the angels who fell with him, will appear on the earth as men … .” Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 399.

“Evil angels in the form of believers will work in our ranks … . These powers of evil will assemble in our meetings … .” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 504.

The devil knows how to preach better than most. He can quote Scripture and knows how to persuade. He attempted to deceive Jesus in the wilderness with his perverted Scripture. The Spirit of Prophecy teaches that the time is coming when the path of truth and the path of error will be so close together that without the Holy Spirit, you will not be able to tell the difference. We need to study our Bibles and know what is in it and pray for the Holy Spirit to protect us from all deceptions.

“All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).

For further study …
Five Crucial Bible Truths to Know

1. The Ten Commandment Law – This is a single law written on two stones. It was written by the finger of God and cannot be changed. What happened to the commandments at the cross and what did the apostles say about the law decades later?
2. The Difference Between the Two Laws – Which law was nailed to the cross and abolished?
3. The State of the Dead – What does the Bible teach about what happens when you die?
4. Obedience to Civil Authority – When is it appropriate and in fact required that Christians disobey civil authorities? Although we should be impeccable law keepers, is there a time when it is right to disobey authority of both the church and the state?
5. Second Coming – What instruction does the Bible contain regarding exactly how and what is going to happen when Jesus comes again in the clouds of heaven? Cannot the devil counterfeit the Second Coming?

Study and pray for the Holy Spirit to avoid being taken in by the worldwide deceptions that are coming.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)