truth

Water As A Flood!

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“And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.” Revelation 12:15 The devil could not scare us. He tried.

There was an attempt to remove from church and Sabbath School offices all church members who were defending the truth. There was a barrage of maledictions and false allegations from church officialdom. These allegations have ranged from comparing us the butchers of Auschwitz and Dachau, who murdered millions of Jews, to describing us as a cancer on the body of the church which must be cut out. There has been disfellowshipping of both independent ministry leaders and church members.

How have the Historic Adventists reacted?

Quite calmly. There has been no panic, no indication of fear. Some have been moved to take an even more active role in defense of our faith than they had previously taken. Others have greatly increased their financial support of ministries that they believe to be teaching the truth. Most have made a thoughtful and firm decision that if they are forced to make a choice between surrendering their church membership or surrendering the truth, they will cling to the truth. They are fully confident that the God of truth will preserve their names in the records of heaven.

The devil could not scare us. It just did not work. So what weapon does he have left? Confusion.

If he cannot scare us, his best hope is to confuse us. He is casting out of his mouth water as a flood for the purpose of confusing us.

Since waters sometimes represent people, as in Revelation 17:15, the prophecy in Revelation 12 has at times been understood to represent people with weapons of persecution in their hands. May we suggest that it might also mean people with weapons of deceit in their hands? As we are presently learning, deceit and persecution often go together.

The Historic Seventh-day Adventists have taken alarm at the flood of false Calvinistic teachings that have invaded the church. (We do not refer to the teachings of John Calvin himself, but rather to the corrupted Calvinism of our day, which teaches, among other things, the Satanic doctrine that it is impossible, even through the power of God, for anyone to stop sinning.)

In order to escape from this false teaching, Historic Adventists have sought security and safety by gathering together in camp meetings, seminars, and independent worship services. This has been effective and successful, and the Historic Adventist movement is growing very rapidly.

But now a new danger is threatening us, a new flood from the mouth of the serpent. It is a flood of new interpretations of prophecy and doctrinal challenges. Ellen White was right. She wrote of this period as a time when “every wind of doctrine will be blowing.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 80

Within the last few months, I have been called upon to answer questions about:

  • A revived Brinsmead theology.
  • A revived doctrine of Arianism that Christ is not God fully.
  • Arguments that we must keep Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles.
  • Two different pronunciations of the name of God, each alleged to be vital to our salvation.
  • The judgment of the living and the “five angels’ messages.”
  • A revived doctrine of perfectionism (not to be confused with the true doctrine of sanctification).
  • Reinterpretations of prophecies that seem to go on forever.

 

There are times when I grow weary of the tedious labor of pointing out the problems in the various arguments, but I have gained comfort and encouragement from this counsel: “Faith grows by conflict with doubt and difficulty and trial.” Our High Calling, 361

So—let us not complain about all of these challenges to our faith, but think of them as learning opportunities. When we see how our beliefs can successfully meet attacks from every side, our confidence will be more firmly established and our faith strengthened.

In this article we will examine one of the oldest challenges—Arianism. The name cones to us from a certain Arius who lived from A.D. 256 to A.D. 336 and was a presbyter (elder) in Alexandria. He taught that Christ was not co-existent with the Father but was a lesser, created (or begotten) God.

The doctrine has reappeared at various times in the history of Christianity. It was advocated for a time by certain of our pioneers who brought it into Adventism from their previous religious backgrounds. These included J.N. Andrews, Uriah Smith, and apparently James White; but the Arian doctrine was firmly rejected by Ellen White.

The Biblical evidence in favor of our position shows that early references attributed to God are found in the plural form:

  • Genesis 1:26: “Let us make man in our image.”
  • Genesis 3:22; “Behold, the man has become like one of Us.”
  • Genesis 11:7: “Come let Us go down.”

In Isaiah 48, the One who identifies Himself as the Redeemer and the First and the Last (compare revelation 1:11) says in verse 16: “The Lord God, and His Spirit, have sent Me [the Redeemer].”

Here we find, unmistakably, three. The three appear again in Matthew 3:16-17 where we read that Jesus was in the water, the Holy Spirit was descending upon Him, and the voice of God spoke from heaven.

In Ephesians 3:14, Paul mentions the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, and in verse 16 he adds a reference to the Spirit.

Some may respond at his point that they are not challenging the idea of three persons but are only denying that Christ always co-existed with the Father in full equality with Him. We may find help with this question by looking at such Scriptures as these: “For in Him [Christ] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Colossians 2:9 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” Philippians 2:6 KJV In John 8:58, we find Jesus testifying to the Jews: “Before Abraham was, I am.”

The Jews understood Him. We cannot doubt that. They recognized the words with which God had announced Himself to Moses: “And God said to Moses, I am that I am.” Exodus 3:14 KJV

And so they took up stones to stone Him. They knew what he meant. We may use this a convenient point of transition from the biblical evidence to the Spirit of Prophecy evidence by considering Ellen White’s comment on John 8:58: “Silence fell upon the vast assembly. The name of God, given to Moses to express the idea of the eternal presence, had been claimed as His own by the Galilean rabbi. He had announced Himself to be the self-existent One, he who had been promised to Israel, ‘whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.’ [Micah 5:2, margin.]” The Desire of Ages 469,470

Before leaving the Desire of Ages, let us turn to page 530: “In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived.”

Returning to the language of John 8:58, we add further comments form Ellen White found in Evangelism, 615: “Christ is the pre-existent, self-existent Son of God….In speaking of His pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God. He to whose voice the Jews were then listening had been with God as one brought up with Him.

“He was equal with God, infinite and omnipotent….He is the eternal, self-existent Son.”

“He is the eternal, self-existent Son, upon whom no yoke had come.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 12, 395

“It was the Source of all mercy and pardon, peace and grace, the self-existent, eternal, unchangeable One, who visited His exiled servant on the isle that is called Patmos.” Manuscript 81, 1900

“From all eternity Christ was united with the Father.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1115

“Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity, God over all, blessed forevermore.” Review and Herald, April 5, 1906

“The world’s Redeemer was equal with God. His authority was as the authority of God. He declared that he had no existence separated from the Father….He assures us that He and the Father are one. Review and Herald, January 7, 1890

In a profound description of the three members of the Godhead, Ellen White writes: “The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight.

“The Son is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested.

“The Comforter that Christ promised to send after he ascended to heaven is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead. There are three living persons of the heavenly trio. These powers will co-operate with the obedient subjects of Heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ.” Special Testimonies, Series B, no. 7, 62, 63 [All emphasis supplied.]

So the fullness of the Godhead is in each of the three, although each relates to us in a different manner. In Evangelism, page 616, we read: “The eternal heavenly dignitaries—God, and Christ, and the Holy spirit—arming them (the disciples) with more than mortal energy,…would advance with them to the work and convince the world of sin.”

And in Evangelism, 617, we read: “We are to cooperate with the three highest powers in heaven,—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,—and these powers will work through us, making us workers together with God.”

The opponents of our doctrine of the Trinity advance arguments such as these:

1. The word trinity does not appear in the Bible. We are not aware that anyone has made such a claim. Neither do the words advent, Adventist, moral law, ceremonial law, millenium, incarnation, etc., appear in the Bible. Trinity simply means three, and there are certainly three members of the godhead mentioned in Scripture. The word is not important.

Why does the Bible often refer to the one true God?

God does not always tell us His reasons for what He says or what he does. We have the fact before us that the same Bible which clearly refers to the three persons in the Godhead also insists on their unity in references to the one true God. That is the “given” with which we have to do, whether or not we can explain it.

There are explanations that do occur to us. The Israelites lived among people who believed in a vast number of gods who not only disagreed with one another but often committed crimes and even waged war against one another. This could well be the reason for the biblical statements about the unity, the oneness, of God. There may be other reasons as well.

In any case, we had best accept the Scripture testimony as it is given to us and recognize that there are three persons in the Godhead who function in total agreement as one.

3. But Jesus often spoke of His subordination to and dependence on the Father. True, but these are references to His earthly condition, when He walked on earth as a man, having laid aside all of His godly powers.

“Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:6, 7

The words “made himself of no reputation” in verse 7 are, in literal Greek, “He emptied Himself.” Thus, He did not work miracles while on earth by means of His own divine powers but with power supplied to Him from the father. We must not take words that describe his earthly pilgrimage and project them either into His past or His future.

4. Why does Paul, in Colossians 1:15, call Him “the firstborn of every creature”? Does this not mean that He was born first?

Not necessarily. This is how Strong’s Concordance defines the Greek word protos that Paul used in this verse: “Foremost in time, place, order, or importance….best, chief.”

We may understand this to mean first in importance, without doing any violence to Scripture.

5. Why do the Scriptures refer to Christ as the “only begotten” Son of God?

Because He was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary and began His life in earth by the normal birth process. No other individual was “begotten ” as He was. Thus the word only is relevant and appropriate.

6. Is not a trinity concept found in paganism?

Of course. Let us remember that Satan had been exiled from heaven and knew about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He knew that his counterfeit needed to be complete. And does not the existence of the counterfeit strongly imply the existence of the genuine? Men counterfeit $5.00 bills and $10.00 bills but not three or seven dollar bills because there is no genuine. Would Satan counterfeit a trinity if no trinity existed?

We complete this study with a heightened awareness of the principle set forth by Ellen White:

“Faith grows by conflict and doubt and difficulty and trial.” Our High Calling, 361

Every comparison of truth with error adds to the luster of the truth. Our message—the historic Seventh-day Adventist message—is a body of truth revealed to us by the Creator-God; and it can successfully meet every test and every challenge that is brought to bear upon it. But will we, personally and individually, stand as firmly as the truth stands?

In order to do so, we must not only be familiar with the truth but also have an awareness of the methods most commonly used by those who, either through ignorance or guile, are seeking to introduce error among us.

Mingling truth with error.

We are much more likely to swallow poison if it is not clearly labeled as poison but rather mixed with wholesome food. (See The Great Controversy, 587.)

The papers on my desk which are challenging our faith seem to have a common factor. They typically begin with Scriptures and Spirit of Prophecy quotations that are wholesome and good but have little or no relevance to the idea being promoted. Thus we are disarmed, and our minds are prepared to accept error.

Confusing statements and interpretations.

A statement tells us the thought of the writer. An interpretation tells us the thought of the interpreter. Some seem to feel that a multiplicity of interpretations can become equal to a statement. This is not correct. Ten, one hundred, or one thousand times zero is still zero.

The Greeks had a word for it, eisegesis. To study a phrase, having due regard for both its immediate and its general context, until we can hear everything that the passage is saying to us is exegesis. The opposite is eisegiesis, which is putting our own thoughts into the Scriptural passage. In the material before me, I frequently find statements made and either Bible or Spirit of Prophecy references given to support them. But when I examine the quotations, they do not say what is claimed for them. We must carefully and systematically check every reference and take nothing for granted.

Exegetical blindness.

This is the opposite of the “reading into” problem of eisegesis described above. This is a stubborn refusal to accept the obvious meaning of a statement. We see this problem in the attempts that are made to explain that Ellen White’s words, such as original, unborrowed, underived, self-existent, etc. actually mean the opposite of what they say. Using similar methods, we could prove that Sunday is the true Sabbath, that tithe is 50% of profits, that pork is a wholesome food, etc. We cannot place confidence in such methods.

Describing contradictions as new light.

We read in Selected Messages, book 1, 161: “When the power of God testifies as to what is truth, that truth is to stand forever as the truth. No after suppositions contrary to the light God has given are to be entertained.”

And in Testimonies, vol. 5, 295: “Men and women will arise professing to have some new light or some new revelation whose tendency is to unsettle faith in the old landmarks. Their doctrines will not bear the test of God’s Word, yet souls will be deceived.”

The Messiah Complex.

This is a term used by psychologists to describe persons who yearn to be spiritual leaders but are not necessarily qualified for that work. In evangelism, we become well acquainted with them. They attend the meetings, see the audience, and are consumed with desire to give that audience some message of their own. Some of the messages are too bizarre to be believable. Others are more sophisticated and deceptive. We have to explain to all with this particular complex that (1) they did not hire the auditorium nor put out the advertising, and (2) the people did not come to hear them. The people came to hear the advertised speaker.

We sometimes have the same problem in our seminars and camp meetings. Persons come with agendas of their own. When time is given for the audience to ask questions, these persons seize the opportunity to make long speeches, or by a succession of questions try to lead the people into a subject other than what has been presented from the desk. This is, at best, discourteous and at worst, unchristian. Some are so aggressive that we have no choice but to deal with them firmly, reminding them that the meeting was not appointed for purposes of debate, nor yet for the purpose of providing them with an opportunity to make speeches.

We have here studied only one of the strange theories that are presently being urged upon us. We have previously examined others and will no doubt have to examine more. The apostle Paul warns us not to be ignorant of the devil’s devices. Satan’s purpose in promoting these concepts should be clear to anyone. He did not succeed in frightening us, so he is trying to confuse us and make us appear ridiculous in the eyes of others.

Let us not let him get away with it. We can escape the “waters as a flood” if we give heed to Paul’s counsel in 2 Timothy 2:15, 16: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.”

The End

Called From the Plow

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Brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, I want to place before you the urgency of the hour in which we are living. Time has almost run out, and we are now to be urgently going about our Father’s business. We are living in a time when the Lord Himself, as He did when on earth, “will call men from the plow and from other occupations to give the last note of warning to perishing souls.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 170

Satan knows his time is very short, and he is actively seeking to deceive the whole world, but especially the elect. God’s last day messenger tells us: “I saw that the remnant were not prepared for what is coming upon the earth. Stupidity, like lethargy, seemed to hang upon the minds of most of those who profess to believe that we are having the last message. My accompanying angel cried out with awful solemnity, ‘Get ready! Get ready! Get ready! For the fierce anger of the Lord is soon to come. His wrath is to be poured out, unmixed with mercy, and ye are not ready. Rend the heart, and not the garment. A great work must be done for the remnant.’” Early Writings, 119

Do we understand what it means to be ready, having put on the whole armor of God? Do we know by experience what it means to be a laborer with Christ?

Christ, when calling His first disciples, said, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” These common men straightway left their nets and followed Jesus. If we are truly living for Jesus every day, we will be willing to leave all for Him. Or, have we become caught up in the things of this life?

If we are not earnest and sincere about our salvation and the salvation of others, if we have not made Christ and the vindication of God’s character first in our lives, can we really say that we want to see Jesus return? Christ tells us: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

The things of this earth will very soon pass away. We need to focus all of our energy and attention on proclaiming the three angels’ messages.

Our present situation finds a close parallel in the experience of Israel at the Jordan River. “And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.” Joshua 3:13. Today we are standing on the very edge of the Jordan, and the promised land is just before us.

Just as the soles of the priest’s feet had to be placed in the water for the water to part, opening to them an entrance into the promised land, so we cannot stand back and fail to exercise faith in God while expecting to have Jesus receive us into His kingdom at His return. We must go forward in faith, with strong, unyielding determination to finish the gospel commission.

Speaking of the Laodicean church, Christ said, “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth.” Revelation 3:16. It is time to become hot. We are in the final reformation and the only difference between this reformation and those that have preceded it is that heaven is in sight, and we are soon going home. It only remains for us to step by faith into the Jordan, as it were, putting all of our energies into finishing the work that the Lord has placed before us to do.

“Those who are truly converted are called to do a work that requires money and consecration. The obligation that binds us to place our names on the church roll holds us responsible to work for God to the utmost of our ability. He calls for undivided service, for the entire devotion of heart, soul, mind, and strength. Christ has brought us into church capacity that He may engage and engross all our capabilities in devoted service for the salvation of souls. Anything short of this is opposition to the work.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 447

Have we contemplated the cost that our precious Saviour paid that we might have eternal life? If we are truly converted, will we not be willing to lay all on the altar, giving Him our undivided service? When we do this, everything we have, soul, mind, strength, and finances will then be put unreservedly into the finishing of this work.

“There are only two places in the universe were we can deposit our treasures—in God’s storehouse or in Satan’s, and all that is not devoted to God’s service is counted on Satan’s side and goes to strengthen his cause….

“He whose life consists in ever receiving and never giving, soon loses the blessing. If truth does not flow forth from him to others, he loses his capacity to receive. We must impart the goods of heaven if we desire fresh blessings….And if men, and women as well, will become channels of blessing to other souls, the Lord will keep the channels supplied.” Ibid. 448, 449

There is a special need at this time to present the message that God has given to us in clear, sharp lines, putting it before the people in such a way as to leave no doubt in the hearer’s mind as to what God requires of them.

“The truth must be published far more extensively than it yet has been. It must be defined in clear, sharp lines before the people….

“‘Those who do not arouse will be passed by, and God will move upon men who will respond to His call, and carry His work forward and upward.’” The Home Missionary, February 1, 1890

“All who will be saved must cooperate with the agencies of heaven to arouse the inhabitants of the earth to the solemn truths for this time.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 140

In this work, however, we are not called to work alone. The angelic host is waiting for you and me to arouse to the call to become laborers together with them. “All heaven, if I may use the expression, is impatiently waiting for men to cooperate with the divine agencies in working for the salvation of souls.” General Conference Daily Bulletin, January 28, 1893

“The Lord has given his church a special work of personal service to do. God could have sent angels to work for the reformation of man, but he did not do this. Humanity must touch humanity….

“Christ’s commission is to be received and acted upon. We are to go forth in faith, with earnest prayer for the promise of One who has said, ‘Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.’ With the promise of such companionship, we are guilty of great unbelief and disobedience if we refuse to take up the cross of self-denial and self-sacrifice….

“As we communicate the light that has found entrance to our souls, the Holy Spirit gives increased light, and our hearts are filled with the precious joy of the Lord….

“We have a crucified, risen Saviour to present to the people. All who have come to Jesus for pardon have found Him ever ready to take their sins, and to impute His righteousness to them. He who has come to Christ, and has been truly converted, will have a longing to save the souls that are out of Christ. He who loves God supremely and his neighbor as himself cannot rest content with doing nothing….

“God will use humble men as His instruments. Even though they have but one talent, if they trade upon it, it will increase. The great fault in the church is that the work of saving souls is so limited that the advancement of the kingdom of God is slow. A backslidden church is the sure result of a selfish church,—a church that does not use her talents in cooperating with Jesus to restore the image of God in men. We are to minister to every creature. A responsibility is laid upon us to work for all,—our friends, our acquaintances, those who are bound up with the world and alienated from God. The apparently amiable and agreeable are to come into the sphere of our labors. The truth is for them as much as for us, and we must say, ‘Come.’” Review and Herald, April 26, 1898

Do we long for heaven? Do we really want to go home to be where Jesus is? Jesus tells us that when this gospel of the kingdom is preached to all the world, the end will come. (See Matthew 24:14.) There is no time to be lukewarm Laodiceans.

“The solemn, sacred message of warning must be proclaimed in the most difficult fields and in the most sinful cities, in every place where the light of the great threefold gospel message has not yet dawned. Every one is to hear the last call to the marriage supper of the Lamb. From town to town, from city to city, from country to country, the message of present truth is to be proclaimed, not with outward display, but in the power of the Spirit.” Maranatha, 261

We are about to enter upon a time when we will have to work to proclaim the gospel under much less favorable circumstances. “The work which the church has failed to do in a time of peace and prosperity she will have to do in a terrible crisis under most discouraging, forbidding circumstances. The warning that worldly conformity has silenced or withheld must be given under the fiercest opposition from enemies of the faith.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 463. Perhaps, as the Waldenses did, we will find that we are only able to spread the truth by concealing the Scriptures and truth filled pamphlets in our clothing. We do know however, that eventually we will only be able to keep and share what we have stored in our minds.

The crisis is right upon us. We must now, by the Holy Spirit’s power, proclaim the truth contained in the first, second, and third angel’s messages. We must go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, bringing light to the darkness of every corner of the earth.

“Our watchword is to be, Onward, ever onward! Angles of heaven will go before us to prepare the way. Our burden for the regions beyond can never be laid down till the whole earth is lightened with the glory of the Lord.” Maranatha, 261

If we are Christians, it will be the desire of our life and our delight to work with Christ for the saving of souls. Sadly, however, “There are those who for a lifetime have professed to be acquainted with Christ, yet who have never made a personal effort to bring even one soul to the Saviour….

“There are many who need the ministration of loving Christian hearts. Many have gone down to ruin who might have been saved, if their neighbors, common men and women, had put forth personal effort for them. Many are waiting to be personally addressed. In the very family, the neighborhood, the town where we live, there is work for us to do as missionaries for Christ. If we are Christians, this work will be our delight.” Desire of Ages, 141. Let us not be mere professors of historic Adventism, but by your fruits my we proclaim that we are workers with Christ.

These are exciting, yet solemn times in which we live. It is exciting to know that we will soon be able to look up and see Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven with all of the holy angels. Our hearts thrill with the thought that we are about to walk with Jesus in the promised land. But before we will be prepared for this great event, there is a solemn and great work before us—the giving of the three angels’ messages to a dying world. And beyond that, a time of trouble such as never was.

Are you tired of this world? Do you really want to go home where Jesus is? Then let us move as a mighty army, with Jesus as our Captain, to finish giving the gospel message, loudly proclaiming and boldly standing under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel. I challenge you today to put the sole of your feet in the Jordan. Let us possess that promised land. Let us, with Joshua, boldly proclaim, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

We have this promise: “A true missionary spirit will be imparted to those who seek earnestly to know God and Jesus Christ, whom He hath sent.” Medical Ministry, 321

“Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.” Revelation 2:10

The End

Come Into Line

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In previous articles we have been studying the importance of unity. We have seen that if we do to have unity, when the storm comes and the crisis breaks, we are going to be destroyed. It is absolutely essential that we stand unitedly to face the foe.

In John 17, we have recorded the prayer that Jesus prayed just before he went into the Garden of Gethsemane. In this prayer, Jesus expresses His will that we all come into perfect unity of spirit and doctrine. Ellen White tells us that we should make a special study of that prayer because if we understand the principles contained in it, we will understand how unity is to be achieved.

“The true peace will come among God’s people when, through united zeal and earnest prayer, the false peace that exits to a large degree is disturbed.” Selected Messages, book 3, 20

A major obstacle to real unity is a false unity that many mistake for true unity. As long as this condition exists, there can be no progress in achieving real unity. It is God’s plan to disturb the false peace that we have among us today. Though truth does not bring dissension, the presentation of truth does disturb the false peace because of the resistance that rises against it. This is not to say that we all have to believe everything exactly the same, but there are certain foundational pillars of the advent message that we have to agree on if we are going to have unity.

In the Scriptures, Jesus is not only described as a lamb, but as a lion. (See Revelation 5:5.) He is a General who makes war. (See Revelation 19:11.) He is the Commander in Chief of the celestial forces, and very soon, He is coming back to this world to conduct a battle. The message we want to consider here comes form the Person who is the Commander in Chief—the General. It is not from a lamb; it is from the Lion.

These orders can be expressed in just three words and are given in the following paragraph.

“In vision I saw two armies in terrible conflict. One army was led by banners bearing the world’s insignia; the other was led by the blood-stained banner of Prince Immanuel. Standard after standard was left to trail in the dust as company after company from the Lord’s army joined the foe and tribe after tribe from the ranks of the enemy united with the commandment-keeping people of God. An angel flying in the midst of heaven put the standard of Immanuel into many hands while a mighty general cried out with a loud voice: Come into line.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 41

For a long time, we have been treating this order as advice, thinking of it as something that sounded good but failing to realize what it means. But when the General says, “Come into line!” you and I must obey if we are to be saved.

What does a banner mean in a war? When you pick up a banner, it declares on which side you are going to fight. In picking up the banner of Prince Emmanuel, you are declaring to the whole universe that you are going to war and that you are going to fight.

Today there is a lot of apostasy because people do not have enough backbone to hold up the banner and go to war. They do not want to fight but prefer to go to heaven sitting down. They want to just pray, read, and study, and expect the Lord to save them. If, however, you are not willing to take up the banner and fight, you are not going to heaven.

“‘Our work is an aggressive one, and as faithful soldiers of Jesus, we must bear the blood-stained banner into the very strongholds of the enemy.” Review and Herald, May 8, 1888

The first principle we have to understand is that if we are going to take hold of the banner and come into line, we have to be willing to fight. There is little use of an army even coming into line if you are not going to fight.

“Those who stand under the blood-stained banner of Prince Immanuel, should be faithful soldiers in Christ’s army. They should never be disloyal, never be untrue. Many of the young will volunteer to stand with Jesus, the Prince of life. But if they would continue to stand with Him, they must constantly look unto Jesus, their Captain, for His orders. They cannot be soldiers of Christ and yet engage with the confederacy of Satan, and help along his side, for then they would by enemies of Christ. They would betray sacred trusts. They would form a link between Satan and the true soldiers, so that through these living agencies the enemy would be constantly working to steal away the hearts of Christ’s soldiers.” Youth’s Instructor, March 30, 1893

You need to realize that there are people who say that they are Seventh-day Adventists, but they have united with the world. They have formed a link with Satan. In a war you cannot be on both sides; Satan and the Lord do not work together.

“My message to you is: No longer consent to listen without protest to the perversion of truth. Unmask the pretentious sophistries which, if received, will lead ministers and physicians and medical missionary workers to ignore the truth. Everyone is now to stand on his guard. God calls upon men and women to take their stand under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel. I have been instructed to warn our people; for many are in danger of receiving theories and sophistries that undermine the foundation pillars of the faith.” Series B, no. 2, 15

If we are going to hold the banner of Emmanuel high, it is our job to unmask those sophistries and teachings that are undermining the pillars of the faith. Have you noticed, however, that whenever anyone does this work, there are always some people who will say, “Oh, that is not Christ-like.” That is Christlike! Christ is not only a lamb, he is a lion. He is a general and he says you are to unmask those false doctrines and deceptions. You are to take the mask off so people can see the truth, while exposing the error. There is no sitting on the fence; you are either going to hold up the banner of Prince Emmanuel or, if you are ashamed of it, someone else is going to place another banner in your hands.

“There is to be no compromise with the powers of darkness. Individually we must take our stand. If we are not at enmity with the prince of darkness, the serpent, his folds encircle us and all our power; his sting is in our hearts. All who range themselves under the blood-stained banner of the Prince of life will henceforth count Satan as a foe, and will in God’s strength oppose him as a deadly enemy.” In Heavenly Places, 48

The second principle that is involved in this warfare is that we must break with the devil’s force. You cannot hold two banners; you cannot fight for two armies at the same time.

“And everyone who will break from the slavery and service of Satan, and will stand under the blood-stained banner of Prince Immanuel, will be kept by Christ’s intercessions. Christ, as our mediator, at the right hand of the Father, ever keeps us in view, for it is as necessary that he should keep us by His intercessions and that He should redeem us with His blood. If he lets go His hold of us for one moment, Satan stands ready to destroy.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 15, 104

If you are going to hold up the banner, you need to break from the slavery and service of Satan. What is the slavery and service of Satan? In John 8:44, Jesus is speaking to the leaders of His day and he accuses them of being children of the devil. These people were lying and contemplating murder—breaking God’s commandments. Because of this, they had a character like the devil. Jesus said to them, “Your spiritual father is the devil.” It is true that they were the professed church of God, but their spiritual father was the devil. The same principle still holds today. No matter what the profession may be, if the character and life are not in harmony with God’s law, the person is in slavery to Satan, a member of his army. You may know with certainty that if a person is living like the devil, practicing unrighteousness, and without love for his brother, he is of the devil. It is just that simple. He can profess anything he wants, but he is under the black banner of Satan.

The third step we must take is that we must develop a character like our Leader.

“What is it to serve God?—it is to resemble Him in character, to imitate Him. To serve God is to obey Him, to keep His commandments, to make an open confession of standing, not under the black banner of the great apostate, but under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel. Those who serve God strive earnestly to obey His will. Thus they show to what army they belong.” Signs of the Times, February 1, 1899

Fourth, we must be organized as an army of soldiers. No army can win a war unless they are organized. The people who are going to win this war are going to be perfectly organized. They are not just going to be a group of independent ministries or separate groups of Historic Adventists with everyone doing whatever he thinks best. We are going to be in perfect unity.

“God’s people are called upon to rally without delay under the blood-stained banner of Christ Jesus. Unceasingly they are to continue their warfare against the enemy, pressing the battle even to the gates. And everyone who is added to the ranks by conversion is to be assigned his post of duty.” Review and Herald, January, 13, 1903

When a person becomes an Historic Seventh-day Adventist in your home church, he is to be assigned a post of duty. The church is not just a club where everyone meets together to congregate. We are an army, and everyone is to be assigned his post of duty.

“Everyone should be willing to be or to do anything in this warfare. When church members put forth earnest efforts to advance the message, they will live in the joy of the Lord, and will meet with success. Triumph always follows decided effort.” Ibid.

We are either going to conquer or be conquered, and we must have perfect order among us in order to prosecute the war that we are in.

“They have lifted the cross, separating from opposing friends and relatives, and have taken their stand under the blood-stained banner of Christ, to be loyal to all the commandments of God….Now this little flock are babes in Christ, and need to be taught and led along, step by step, into faith and assurance; they need to be educated and trained to do the work of soldiers in the army of the Lord, and to bear hardness, that is, trials and opposition, contempt and scorn, as good soldiers of Jesus Christ.” Paulson Collection, 134

If we are going to hold high that banner, we must (1) be involved in the war, (2) forsake the slavery and service of sin and Satan, (3) develop a Christlike character, and (4) be organized—just as organized as a group of soldiers.

“Many have received all the evidences of truth that God will ever give them. They have permitted and encouraged false sentiments; and they have practiced deception to cover up their apostasy.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 7, 194

Part of the battle is to unmask these sophistries, but there are people who are working to cover up the apostasy with deceptive statements. This is why we have to have videos and print tracts to unmask it.

“I am instructed to say to those who desire to return to God, ‘Cleanse your hands, and purify your hearts. Break loose from the spell of the enemy.’” Manuscript Releases, vol. 7, 272

This is the problem with many Adventists. They are under the spell of the enemy. When my parents were missionaries in Burma, I remember going to a place where they showed snakes. The cobra starts weaving back and forth and can actually hypnotize its prey. This is the situation we are in in Adventism right now. The serpent is trying to hypnotize Adventists and get them all calmed down. Oh, friend, go to your closet and pray:, “Lord, take the blinders off of my eyes and help me to see what is going on.”

The problem with a large number of Adventists today is that they have fallen into error, but they cannot comprehend it unless the Lord works a miracle in their heart. Friend, we need to pray for ourselves and for each other and say, “Lord, give me a new heart, please. Open my eyes so that I can see.”

God is appealing to people to close up the ranks and to come into line! We have to be willing to be involved in the battle. We have to break from Satan’s banner, keep the commandments, develop a character, and become as organized as an army of soldiers. In the past we have worked in a much too haphazard way, and it is not pleasing to the Lord. This is why we must be organized. We need to counsel with each other; that is part of gospel order.

Who are we to counsel with? Somebody might say, “Oh, there are plenty of people to counsel with.” No there are not. We have been forbidden to counsel with anybody who does not give evidence that they are under the control of the Holy Spirit. That severely limits the people with whom you can counsel.

“When all our ministers and physicians come into line, taking their stand under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel, we shall see an army of men and women going forth to work for Christ, speaking the word with holy boldness and power.” Review and Herald, February 16, 1905

Friends, we are never going to finish God’s work if we do not come into line. It is a Divine command that we must be organized in everything we do. Do not think that just because you have a home church, you have been cast out and that you can forget about organization. It is more important now than ever before. Every Historic Adventist needs to belong to an organized body that is working for the Lord to finish His work.

I want to make an appeal to you. Very soon there will no longer be another opportunity. We are either going to be organized and in unity or we are going to be destroyed. It is just that simple. I am not asking you to do anything rash. In fact, I am not asking you to do anything at all; it is the Lord who has given the order. As the General of the armies of heaven, he says, “Hold up the banner and come into line.”

Are you willing to make this commitment with the Lord? You may not understand everything that is involved, and Jesus does not ask you to do what you cannot understand. The question is, Are you willing to say to the Lord, “Lord, I am willing to come into line, to do your will. Lead us into that line that You want us to be in so that we will have a united front against the foe”? Let us ask the Lord to help us to come into line and to be ready for the final crisis.

The End

Editorial – As We Draw Near the End

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As we draw near the close of the age of grace, it becomes ever more important to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, for it is only in this way can we be prepared for the crises that is so rapidly approaching. “You now have an opportunity to attain to the greatest intellectual power through the study of the Word of God. But if you are indolent, and fail to dig deep in the mines of truth, you will not be ready for the crisis that is soon to come upon us. O that you would realize that each moment is golden. If you live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, you will not be found unprepared.” Our High Calling, 355

Secondly, there is no other avenue, or process, by which we are enabled to be overcomers. “Jesus endured the temptations of Satan in our behalf, that in His name we might come off more than conquerors. But we can overcome only by believing in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. We must know what is written in order that we may not be defeated by the sophistry and enchantments of Satan. The wily foe will work upon our minds in such a way that he will lead us to follow in the way he has gone, and cause us to dream of greatness, worldly honor, and distinction.” Signs of the Times, September 18, 1893

Thirdly, there is no other way to obtain success in our religious experience. “God prescribes the terms, and specifies every condition upon which we may receive His gifts. With the one party there is infinite power, wisdom, mercy, and goodness; with the other party is weakness, and ignorance, and helplessness and sin. Even the faculties and resources of men, which God will accept in cooperation with the divine, are ours only in trust. In the great condescension of God to admit human finite beings as co-laborers in the saving of the world, He makes it a condition that the human agent shall receive counsel from God, diligently obeying every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. And our success in the religious life will be according to the integrity and thoroughness with which these conditions are fulfilled.” 1888 Materials, 1103

Fourth. This is the only way to avoid being deceived. “There is no need of any soul being deceived. The teaching of priest and rabbi cannot make the word of God of no authority. It is the duty of each man to know what the Scriptures teach and to take his position in harmony with the truth. The Lord has commanded us to ‘search the Scriptures.’ We are instructed to ‘prove all things,’ to ‘hold fast that which is good.’ God has given us an unfailing test to apply to every man’s life and doctrine. Says the prophet, ‘To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.’ We are not to live by the doctrines of men, not by a fragment, or a perversion of the truth; but by ‘every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’” Signs of the Times, March 30, 1888

Fifth. There is safety in no other course. “How many are betrayed into sin, because they have not, through prayerful study of the Word of God, realized the sinfulness of sin, and found out how they may steadfastly resist it. When temptation comes upon them, they seem to be off guard, and ignorant of the devices of the enemy. We are living in perilous times, and as we draw near the close of earth’s history, there will be no safety for those who do not become familiar with the Word of God. I would warn the disciples of Christ of the impending days of peril, and beseech you to prepare for the time of test and trial; for everything that can be shaken, will be shaken. Do we now obey the Word of God, and live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God?” Youth’s Instructor, May 18, 1893

Sixth. It is the only way to be saved. “To believe in Christ, we must come to Christ and follow Him. Repentance toward God means the confession and forsaking of all sin. It means the confession and forsaking of all sin. It means laying hold of Christ as a personal Saviour, and continuing to hold fast to Him as the chief good. He is our Prince, our Saviour. Only through Him can we approach the Father. Loving Him day by day and hour by hour, eating His flesh and drinking His blood, taking Him as the man of our counsel, living by every word that proceedeth out of His mouth,—only thus can we reach heaven.” Review and Herald, August 13, 1901

Only those who actually live by every word proceeding out of the mouth of God are acknowledged by the Spirit of Prophecy to be part of the church. “Those who keep God’s commandments, those who live not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, compose the church of the living God.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 949

The church militant is marching onward toward the heavenly Canaan from faith to greater faith, from obedience to a more perfect obedience, from light to a brighter light.
If the Lord wills, next month we will look at the most dangerous religion in the world.

Where God is Working

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The third chapter of 1 Corinthians is rapidly becoming one of my favorite books in the New Testament. It is really one of the great books in the Bible about who and what the church is. Verse 2 of the first chapter says, “To the church of God which is at Corinth to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus.” We see that the church in Corinth, were those people in that city who were sanctified in Christ Jesus. If you turn to chapter 3, you will find one of the most astounding verses in all of the Bible. In fact, verse 9 was the verse that my brother Marshall used for his very last sermon. It says, “For we are God’s fellow workers.” If you study the Spirit of Prophecy writings carefully, you will find out that this is one of Ellen White’s favorite verses and that she used it over and over again to show how we become workers together with God. There is no higher privilege that any person could have than to actually be a fellow laborer—a fellow worker with God! If you want to be a fellow worker with God, do you think it might be important for you to find out where God is working? Ever since the beginning of time, God has been working. As you study the inspired writings, they always focus the attention on where God is working.

When I studied ancient history, I found out that there were many things going on during Abraham’s time, but inspiration does not go into any of that. It focuses all the attention on where God is working. If you want to be a fellow worker with God, you need to find out where God is working.

Even though Adam had many children, inspiration focuses only on a holy line of men through whom God was working. Seth had a son named Enos, and in his time, the Bible says that men began to call on the name of the Lord. That is where God was working. Then, in the seventh generation from Adam, Enoch was born. That is where God was working, and the people who chose to be fellow workers with God worked in cooperation with Enoch. After Enoch, there was Noah; and if you had been living in Noah’s time and you wanted to be a fellow worker with God, you would be working with Noah.

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

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

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

Did this promise have conditions? God made a covenant with them. He said, “If you do this, I will do this for you; you will be My special people.” There have always been conditions.

Have you ever heard people say that there are unconditional promises? I decided to check this out in inspired writings; and when I looked in the writings of Ellen White, she says that all of God’s promises and threatenings are conditional. Do not let anyone tell you, unless they can show you from inspired writings, that any promise is unconditional.

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

Do you know where the tabernacle was located during all the period of the judges? It was located in Shiloh, in the land of Ephraim. Many people have almost forgotten that Ephraim was the center of divine worship for over three hundred years. The people of that time thought that it would always be that way.

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

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

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

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

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

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

We are told of Israel:

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

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

The attention of all heaven is focused on Christ’s birth! And down here in this world the people who claim to be God’s true people do not even know it has taken place. How can you be a laborer together with God it you do not even know where God is working?

So, during the time when Jesus was here, where was God working? God was working through His Son to bring salvation to a lost world, If you had wanted to be a laborer together with God, you had to connect yourself with Jesus and work with Him.

So, during the time when Jesus was here, where was God working? God was working through His Son to bring salvation to a lost world. If you had wanted to be a laborer together with God, you had to connect yourself with Jesus and work with Him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When you study sacred history, you find that in the latter part of the eighteenth and the early part of nineteenth century, simultaneously, all over the world, God started raising up people from all the various Christian churches with the message that Jesus was coming soon. The great second advent movement emerged. We are not able in our limited space here to go into detail about what happened in the second advent movement, but out of that movement there was a group of people that eventually formed who were called Millerites, Adventists, and later Seventh-day Adventists.

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

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

Where is God working today? God is working today with the people who are proclaiming the three angels’ messages. That is where God is working today. If you want to be a fellow laborer with God today, you have to join up with the people who are doing this.

Let me ask you this question. How can you preach the second angel’s message if you do not know who Babylon is according to Revelation 18:1-5? The second angel’s message is going to be a fellow laborer with God today, you have to know this message.

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

If you want to know where God is working, the first thing you want to look for is a group of Adventists who really keep the commandments and do not play around and say, “Well, we are doing the best we can.” Listen, friends, the best you can do is not good enough, unless you are keeping the commandments by the power of God. If you give your life to the Lord, He has the power to give you so that you can keep them. If we fail to keep them, when Jesus comes He will be able to show us millions of people who had the same besetting sins that we had, and He will say, “I gave all of these people power to overcome.” What are you going to say then? I want to tell you, you are going to be speechless.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The End

Go Stand in the Temple

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Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ‘Go stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.’” Acts 5:17-20 NKJV

When we think of the temple, we visualize, first of all, Solomon’s Temple. Though it was later destroyed by Babylon, Ellen White tells us that it was the most magnificent building the world had seen at that time.

Then we think of the second temple, which was rebuilt after the captivity. It was beautiful, but it did not compare with the original. But this was the temple that Haggai the prophet prophesied about, “’ I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of all nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of host.” Haggai 2:7 NKJV

This building, enlarged and rebuilt by Herod, was glorious, and as the prophet had promised, the Desire of all nations did come. He came as a baby to be dedicated there. We would expect that there would be a glorious celebration, but there was not anything like that. Those who were in charge of the affairs of the temple did not see or feel anything unusual. They saw only a husband and a wife, clothed in the garments commonly worn by the poorer people, bringing the offering of the turtle doves that was the offering prescribed for those who did not have money enough to bring something more. They concluded that it was a matter of no consequence, another poor child.

But the Lord of heaven was not going to let the event pass unnoticed. He caused someone to be there who was spiritually tuned in. Simeon, who had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would see the Lord’s Christ before he died, came in by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Seeing the baby, he knew He was the One. Although the priest giving the baby back into the arms of Joseph and Mary did not have any awareness of what was going on, Simeon did. Simeon took that baby and made a prophecy about it, while the priest looked on in wonder.

So it is still. Events upon which the attention of all heaven is centered are undiscerned and their very occurrence is unnoticed by religious leaders and worshippers in the house of God. What a tragic thing, but history does repeat itself.

The prophecy was fulfilled; the Desire of all nations did come. He went first of all to those who should have been foremost in recognizing Him, but something was wrong. They were not in harmony with the Spirit of God. They were desperately confused and did not know what was happening. Nevertheless, He came, fulfilling the promise and witnessing to the leaders of Israel. He witnessed to them several times and, of course, indirectly many times. Finally, He had to give up on the leaders of Israel, but He never gave up on the people.

There seems to be a law of diminishing returns, a point beyond which the Lord recognizes that there is still a little bit of good being accomplished; but the evil being done is so much greater, that it does not justify the continuance of the system.

“The people whom God had called to be the pillar and ground of the truth had become representatives of Satan. They were doing the work that he desired them to do, taking a course to misrepresent the character of God, and cause the world to look upon Him as a tyrant. The very priests who ministered in the temple had lost sight of the significance of the service they performed. They had ceased to look beyond the symbol to the thing signified. In presenting the sacrificial offerings they were as actors in a play. The ordinances which God Himself had appointed were made the means of blinding the mind and hardening the heart. God could do no more for man through these channels. The whole system must be swept away.” The Desire of Ages, 36

But God does not give up on people, so, though the priests had put the apostles in prison for preaching in the temple, the angel brought them right out the same door they went in and said, “Go back; go right back and stand in the temple and preach to the people all the words of this life.”

It was the time of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, probably one of the greatest, if not the greatest occasion which drew people to the temple. They were gathered from far and near, and in the sheltered area in Solomon’s porch they gathered to hear messages of the kind the apostles were going to give them. So, that is where the apostles went to speak to them. God had to give up on the leaders of the church, but He never gives up on the people. This has been manifested ever so many times in the history of religion.

We read in The Great Controversy about the experience of Wycliffe, the Morning Star of the Reformation. That very brilliant man, whose work was not exceeded by those Reformers who followed him, even a hundred years later, took his message to the people.

“Wycliffe, like his Master, preached the gospel to the poor. Not content with spreading the light in their humble homes in his own parish of Lutterworth, he determined that it should be carried to every part of England. To accomplish this he organized a body of preachers, simple, devout men, who loved the truth and desired nothing so much as to extend it.” The Great Controversy, 87

These ministers of the gospel were called Lollards. As nearly as we can learn from the records, the word lollard is a bit of an extension of a Dutch word which means to speak or sing softly. These simple, humble preachers went with such success that the new faith was accepted by nearly one half of the people of England. It is interesting to note that the organized church rose up against these humble ministers, these men called from their walks of life, charging them with heresy.

Have you ever noticed that no matter when in the history of religion that heresy appears and heretics embrace heresy, they invariably accuse the faithful of being the heretics.

Zwingli also took his message to the people.

“Another class received with gladness the tidings of redemption through Christ. The observances enjoined by Rome had failed to bring peace of soul, and in faith they accepted the Saviour’s blood as their propitiation. These returned to their homes to reveal to others the precious light which they had received.” The Great Controversy, 175

Calvin took his message to the people. Of him we read, “His work began with the people at their homes. Surrounded by the members of the household, he read the Bible and opened the truths of salvation. Those who heard the message carried the good news to others, and soon the teacher passed beyond the city to the outlying towns and hamlets. To both the castle and the cabin he found entrance, and he went forward, laying the foundation of churches that were to yield fearless witnesses for the truth.” Ibid., 222

As you know, Wesley preached at the entrances to coal mines, in the fields and in the streets. All of the Reformers had to take their message to the people when they were forced to give up on the leaders of the church. A tragic situation but a very constantly reoccurring thing.

In 1888 Ellen White did the same thing. She found such resistance among the leaders of the church to the message of righteousness by faith, that she and A.T. Jones, as well as others, took their message to the people. In response, in 1891 the leadership sent her to Australia to get rid of that problem.

The lesson for us is that God never gives up on the people, and true reformers never give up on the people. True reformers may have to give up on the leaders, but never on the people.

Right after the angel had brought the apostles out of the prisons, he said to them, “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.” Acts 5:20 NKJV

I think that three and a half years earlier they would not have been able to handle that command; their childhood training would have been too strong. They would have said, “We cannot disobey the leaders of the church.” But after three and a half years, during which time they had seen the church leaders’ attitude of indifference harden into an attitude of opposition, then into an attitude of bitter hostility, finally ending in the crucifixion, they had no illusions about church leadership. They knew that church leadership can be led of God, but it does not necessarily have to be so. And so, without hesitation they made their decision: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29 NKJV

Now, may I suggest that our problem today is not greatly different. We have been told to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Added to that is the mandate to take the three angels’ messages to every nation, kindred, tribe, tongue and people. As a people, we have made it our first work—so much so, that in our own Adventist cultural jargon, to speak of “the truth” means simply one thing: we are talking about the three angels’ messages. To speak of “the work” means simply the work of spreading the gospel all around the world, This has been our all-encompassing concern, but in our time, we are seeing the uncaring indifference of church leaders hardening into opposition and open hostility. Now they are declaring that you and I are cancers in the body of the church, which must be cut out. So, we ought to lay aside all of our illusions, beloved, and look very carefully at this in the light of the question, What do we do under these circumstances?

We do not have to guess; we do not have to speculate; we are told very clearly what we should do. “The angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, ‘Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.’ We see here that the men in authority are not always to be obeyed even though they may profess to be teachers of Bible doctrine.” Testimonies to Ministers, 69 [Emphasis supplied]

Well, what does “not always” mean? When is it all right not to obey the leaders of the church? “Because those who were once the depositaries of truth became unfaithful to their sacred trust, the Lord chose others who would receive the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and would advocate truths that were not in accordance with the ideas of the religious leaders.” Testimonies to Ministers, 69, 70

That is pretty clear, isn’t it? When those who were once the depositaries of sacred truth become unfaithful to their sacred trust, they have no authority. Where there is no truth, there is no authority.

“Unless the truth is enthroned in the heart, and a thorough transition takes place from darkness to light, those who handle sacred responsibilities are ministers of darkness, blind leaders of the blind.” Ibid., 81

O that God’s people would open their eyes! How many times I have tried to explain to people who question me that in the Seventh-day Adventist church today, you have three groups of people. On the one side you have one group of people who know very well what they are doing; they are trying to change our doctrines and destroy our historic faith. On the other side you have a group of people who know very well what they are doing; we call them Historic Adventists. They are trying very hard to resist and oppose those unauthorized, ungodly changes. But in the middle, we have the vast majority who do not know what is going on. O that God’s people would open their eyes!

“If a brother is teaching error, those who are in responsible positions ought to know it; and if he is teaching truth, they ought to take their stand at his side.” Ibid., 110

I want to give credit where credit is due, but if any of our modern leaders have ever taken their stand at the side of an Historic Adventist, that has not been reported to me.

We can go on from there to take some examples illustrating the principle that there is no authority higher than the authority of truth, that position without truth has no authority whatsoever. We read here of Caiaphas, “Though clothed with a gorgeous dress, he was acting under the inspiration of Satan.” The Youth’s Instructor, June 7, 1900

“God has made His people the depositaries of His law. They must uphold the claims of that down-trodden law against the opposition of ministers of the gospel, against men of learning, position, and authority.” Sketches From the Life of Paul, 279

So we are not giving blind respect to authority.

“However great the confidence reposed in any man, whatever the authority given him by his position….His position and authority depend upon his connection with God, upon the discernment and wisdom he receives from above.” Review and Herald, May 14, 1895

The fact that a person has an office does not mean that he has authority from God. He may have authority from man but not from God. Wycliffe faced this problem, as did Huss, Luther, Wesley and many others.

According to the apostle Paul in Galatians 1:6, the position of an apostle is not enough if that person is not preaching truth. He must preach the truth, and so must we.

But how shall we handle our problem? In our time, those who have brought apostasy into the church are accusing the faithful of apostasy. When we say, “Would you please point out our heresy to us,” they say, “We will not discuss theology with you; we are only here to talk about authority.”

“Because those who were once the depositaries of truth became unfaithful to their sacred trust, the Lord chose others who would receive the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and would advocate truths that were not in accordance with the ideas of the religious leaders. And then these leaders, in the blindness of their minds, give full sway to what is supposed to be righteous indignation against the ones who have set aside cherished fables. They act like men who have lost their reason.” Testimonies to Ministers, 69, 70

When they are looking at a problem which is theological from the first word to the last, when they are looking at relationship in the church of tension and stress that is entirely theological and they say that it has nothing to do with theology, have they not lost their reason? When they take heroes of the gospel of Christ and disfellowship them from the temple, are they not acting like men who have lost their reason? When they accuse us of being the cancer in the body of Christ, when they exalt their rules above the Scriptures and above the Spirit of Prophecy, are they not acting like men bereft of reason? When they have taken the policy of credentials, which was established for the purpose of keeping falsehood out of the pulpit and keeping truth in, and prostituted and turned it around to keep falsehood in the pulpit and truth out, are they not acting like men who have lost their reason? But most of all, beloved, when they fantasize that they can destroy the historic faith of the Adventist people, have they not gone stark raving mad? God is going to protect His truth. This truth is going to survive.

In the fall of the year 1977, Jean and I took a public stand against apostasy at Loma Linda, California, and we were so alone. We thought that we would never again have fellowship with anyone else in the same frame of mind. But God is calling out His people. When there is a crisis, God will raise up men and women to meet that crisis. This truth will survive! It will never be destroyed, because it is God’s truth!

I remember Marshall Grosboll once making a statement in the state of Washington. When a certain problem was arising about the ones who wanted to follow the truth faithfully and those who did not, Marshall said, “You will be surprised when the dust has settled how few will stand.” That is sad is it not? We have our determination, our purpose, our intentions, and that is all very well, but we must have the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ if we will be among those who stand in the hour of trial.

The End

Unity and the Waymarks

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The servant of the Lord has told us that we must have unity or in the storm that is coming, we will be destroyed. In two previous articles, we have studied two of the prerequisites for unity—repentance and confession. “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

One of the reasons Historic Adventists all over the world are in trouble now is that there has been sin in spiritual Israel. But as soon as someone stands up and says: “To have a clear conscience, I have to speak out on this,” that person gets into trouble.

If we are going to be in harmony as a people, we are going to have to quit covering things up and repent of all sin. If there is lying or stealing or other forms of dishonesty, this must be repented of, confessed and forsaken. Departure from Bible truth must also be repented of, confessed and forsaken. When the early Adventists first learned the truth of the Sabbath, though they had been breaking it ignorantly, they were very sad. They not only repented and confessed it, but they started to live differently. Whenever anyone becomes involved in error, when it is pointed out, he must go to the Lord, repent, confess and forsake it. If others have been hurt by their teaching, they need to go to them and confess and tell them that they have forsaken their erroneous belief. If the offending person does not confess it, he must be separated from God’s professed people.

In this article we are going to consider the remaining two points that must be met in order for there to be unity between Historic Adventists today and the Seventh-day Adventist world church structure.

The third requirement is that there must be a reformation in the life of the person. See Desire of Ages, 555. After confession, as far as is in their power, they must make restitution. Ezekiel 33:15 says, “If the wicked…gives back what he has stolen…he shall surely live.” Full restitution is then the third step.

The fourth thing that must be done to prepare the way for unity is that there must be an agreement to stand together on the pillars of the truth that the Lord has given us. Unless all four of these things take place, there can never again be unity and harmony.

“If your faith in the Word of God is strengthened; if you will fully accept the truths that have called us out of the world and made us a people denominated by the Lord as His peculiar treasure; if you will unite with your brethren in standing by the old landmarks, then there will be unity.” Manuscript Releases, vol.11, 319 [Emphasis supplied] Notice that it is these truths that have brought about unity.

In Adventism in the last days, it is only those who stand by the landmarks, on the platform of truth, who can be truly united. The people who reject the Spirit of Prophecy and preach new theology are all confused. Though they may have an outward union, they will never have true unity.

“God is leading out a people to stand in perfect unity upon the platform of eternal truth.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, 311

“We are one in faith in the fundamental truths of God’s Word. And one object must be kept in view constantly; that is, harmony and cooperation must be maintained without compromising one principle of truth. And while constantly digging for the truth as for hidden treasure, be careful how you open new and conflicting opinions. We have a worldview message. The commandments of God and the testimonies of Jesus Christ are the burden of our work.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 79

Notice that in giving counsel in how we may have unity, she says, “Be careful how you introduce new and conflicting opinions.” We are to be united on the fundamental truths of God’s Word, and if we have new light, there are ways that the new light can be introduced to the church. In Historic Adventism, we must get back to gospel order or the devil is going to destroy us. There is a right way and a wrong way to introduce new light. We are never going to have unity if we all go off on our own ways.

Some people think that we just preach on anything that comes into our mind. That is absolutely not true. There are many things that we use great restraint in preaching or teaching because we want to move in harmony and unity with the body of God’s people. There are many scriptures that I have studied and I am very interested in understanding, but that I do not preach about. They are not the scriptures of primary importance for the world to understand right now. The messages that are critical for the world to understand at this point in time are the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation and especially the three angels’ messages.

When we find some precious new light in scripture, we should not be sending it all over the world before we have sought counsel. If you are going to an Historic Seventh-day Adventist Church, even if you are absolutely sure that what you have found is truth, until you have counseled with some other experienced brother, prayed about it and come to a unity of opinion, you should not present it publicly. Suppose that after you have presented it to the brethren, the brothers say, “Well, I just don’t know.” Then you might want to talk it over with some leaders or minister in historic Adventism.

There are many scriptures that are interesting to study which we do not have unity of opinion on right now. I can continue to enjoy studying them and, if the Lord wills, one of these days soon maybe we can have a Bible conference or two on some of these scriptures. We need to get together like they did in the Bible conferences in 1848 and kneel down, pray and study the Word and come to unity of understanding among the brethren before we introduce something, even though we may be very sure of opinion.

To have unity in Historic Adventism, we must be united on what the Bible calls “present truth.” See 2 Peter 1:12. One of the great reasons for the lack of unity in Adventism today is that some people who call themselves Seventh-day Adventists have gotten away from present truth.

“The oneness and unity of God’s truth-believing remnant people carries powerful conviction to the world that they have the truth, and are the peculiar, chosen people of God. This oneness and unity disconcerts the enemy, and he is determined that it shall not exist. The present truth, believed in the heart and exemplified in the life, makes God’s people one, and gives them a powerful influence.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 327

There are some timeless truths. Since the Fall, it has always been true that if you are going to be saved, you can only be saved through the blood of Christ’s sacrifice. But there are other truths that are present truth—truth for a certain time. There was a present truth in the time of Noah; there was a present truth in the time of Christ and the apostles; and there was present truth in Martin Luther’s time. There has been present truth in every generation of God’s people—and there is present truth today.

What is present truth today? How about the three angel’s messages? Were the three angel’s messages preached in the time of the apostle Paul? No, that prophecy was not even given yet. Were they preached in the time of Martin Luther? No, they were not. It was not present truth then. The three angel’s messages began to be preached in the 1840s. Since then, and all the way to the close of time, the three angel’s messages are present truth.

Now, to understand the three angel’s messages, there are some other truths that we could also call present truth. In the three angel’s messages in Revelation 12:14 it says, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God.” Can you be called a commandment keeper if you break one? No, you cannot because it says in James 2:10, if you keep the whole law but you break one, you are guilty of all. So, you cannot be called a commandment keeper unless you keep all of God’s commandments. Is the Sabbath part of present truth? Yes, it is.

Then you have in the fist angel’s message that the hour of God’s judgment is come. What information do you have to know to be able to say to the whole world with a loud voice that the hour of God’s judgment has come. You have got know that the judgment has already started. How do you know for sure that it has started? There is only one way that you can determine that for certain, and that is from Hebrews 8 and 9 and Daniel 8 and 9.

Daniel 8 tells you that the judgment will begin in 1844. Here you have the subject of the sanctuary. You cannot understand that the hour of God’s judgment has come without an understanding of the sanctuary. If you forsake the doctrine of the sanctuary, you have forsaken present truth. When this happens, unity is impossible. The only people who are going to be united at the end of time are the Historic Adventists who hang on to present truth. Everybody else is going to be in all kinds of confusion. They can call themselves Seventh-day Adventists or anything they choose to, but if they do not hold to present truth, there can be no unity. When you start forsaking present truth, you lose the unity. That is why we have confusion now, and we will never, never have unity again until we come back and stand on present truth.

“Unity is the strength of the church. Satan knows this, and he employs his whole force to bring in dissension. He desires to see a lack of harmony among the members of the church of God. Greater attention should be given to the subject of unity. What is the recipe for the cure of the leprosy of strife and dissension? [She gives the simplest of answers.] Obedience to the commandments of God.” Selected Messages, book 2, 159

If we would all make the decision that when God commands something, that would be the end of all controversy, we would have unity.

Ellen White says that historically God sent a message to Christendom that would have brought unity, if they had accepted it.

“The first angel’s message of Revelation 14, announcing the hour of God’s judgment and calling upon men to fear and worship Him, was designed to separate the professed people of God from the corrupting influences of the world and to arouse them to see their true condition of worldliness and backsliding. In this message [preached in the United States by William Miller and his cohorts], God has sent to the church a warning, which, had it been accepted, would have corrected the evils that were shutting them away from Him. Had they received the message from heaven, humbling their hearts before the Lord and seeking in sincerity a preparation to stand in His presence, the Spirit and power of God would have been manifested among them. The church would again have reached that blessed state of unity, faith, and love which existed in apostolic days, when the believers ‘were of one heart and one of soul,’ and ‘spake the Word of God with boldness,’ when ‘the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.’ Acts 4:32,31; 2:47.” The Great Controversy, 379

Do you realize what this statement is saying? If the first angel’s message had been accepted, it would have brought the church back to the condition it was in the days of the apostles. Do you suppose that this message could still bring unity in the 1990s?

The people who are destroying the unity in the Seventh-day Adventist Church are not the Historic Adventists. It is the people who are trying to change our doctrines! It is the people who no longer believe in the two apartment sanctuary, who no longer believe in 1844, who no longer believe that you can overcome sin and who no longer know who Babylon is. If you do not understand these things, how can you even call yourself a Seventh-day Adventist?

Satan has a goal for Seventh-day Adventists, and I leave it with you to decide whether or not he has had any success.

“This is intended as a warning to the people of God living in the last days. If they follow after righteousness and true holiness, if they keep all the commandments of God, Satan and his agents will not be permitted to overcome them. All the opposition of their bitterest foes will prove powerless to destroy or uproot the vine of God’s own planting, Satan understands what Balaam learned by sad experience, that there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither divination against Israel, while iniquity is not cherished among them; therefore his power and influence will ever be employed to mar their unity and defile the purity of their characters. His snares are laid in a thousand ways to weaken their power for good.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 599

If we will cling to the truth and live the truth, if we will follow after righteousness and true holiness, there is no way that the devil can overcome us. The devil understands this much better than we do. There is no divination against Israel, there is no enchantment against Jacob, there is no way that he can overcome the people of God, and he knows this. That is why he is laying traps and snares to try to get us to trip up into sin so that our unity will be marred and our characters defiled so he can destroy us. This is one of the reasons why at Historic Adventist meetings there is so much emphasis on how to overcome sin. When God’s people understand how to overcome sin and they are standing on the truth and are united, the devil knows that there is no way that he can overcome us. He is trying to divide us up, split us up into all kinds of factions, get us arguing or quarreling over anything imaginable so that our unity can be broken up and our characters defiled so that he can destroy us.

There are many people today who are separationists. I want to share with you who the real separationists are. I want you to see how important this is.

Speaking of those who forsake the historic Adventist teaching on the sanctuary, Ellen White said, “But on no other platform than that which the Lord has laid can we unite with them. Never could we combine on any other basis. The foundation has been laid and all who will take their stand upon this platform, uniting wholeheartedly with the Lord’s people, will be made welcome with rejoicing. But we cannot unite with those who choose to take their stand upon another foundation.” Manuscript Releases vol. 760, 5

“There is to be a decided change in those who have kept up their warfare against the principles delivered to us by the Lord. Truth is truth, and righteousness is righteousness. To those who have separated in principle from true believers, choosing their own course, the word is spoken, ‘Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.’ There is to be unity, but it is to be on the right basis.” Ibid.

Now, who are the real separationists? She calls them the people who have separated in principle from the true believers—the people who have forsaken the true doctrines, the present truth, the fundamental doctrines, the platform which God has made for His people. In Early Writings, the three angels’ messages are called a firm platform and the angel pronounced a curse upon anyone who tried to move a pin or a block in those messages. The people who leave the truth—the three angels’ messages, the sanctuary and the commandments of God and the ability to overcome sin through the grace of Christ—are the separationists.

It is time to think straight, friends. You need to recognize that it is those people who have separated from the truth who are in the business of labeling those who have stayed with the truth, separationists, when just the opposite of what they say is true.

There are some times and situations in which God has forbidden us to attempt to unify with others. I would like to mention three situations.

  • We are not to unify with those who are departing from the faith.
  • We are not to unify on wrong practices.
  • We are not to attempt to unify on a platform of error.

Are we willing to have unity with the entire world church? Absolutely, but there are four requirements—repentance, confession, restitution and a willingness to stand together on the truth, the truth that God has given to Seventh-day Adventists.

Ellen White has told us that this unity cannot occur in a moment. It takes prayer, time, and discussion together. When unity comes, however, it will give more force to our evangelistic preaching than anything else we can do. When we come into perfect unity, we are going to see miracles, the sick healed among us and many wonderful things. Is it worth working toward?

Like a great sweeping tidal wave, there are people around the world who are recognizing that we must get together and work together as Historic Adventists to finish the work—we must have perfect unity. The will of God demands it. The sacrifice of Jesus demands it. For the work to be finished, it must happen. If it is your desire that there be perfect unity in God’s people, let the prayer of your heart be, “Lord, any change that there has to be in my mind, my body, my spirit or anything about my life, show me what it is and give me the grace to do it.”

Inspiration – Mingling Error With Truth

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In the days of King Josiah a strange appearance could be seen opposite the temple of God. Crowning the eminence of the Mount of Olives, peering above the groves of myrtle and olive trees, were unseemly, gigantic idols. Josiah gave commandment that these idols should be destroyed. This was done, and the broken fragments were rolled down the channel of the Kedron. The shrines were left a mass of ruins.

But the question was asked by many a devout worshiper, How came that architecture on the opposite side of the Jehoshaphat ravine, thus impiously confronting the temple of God? The truthful answer must be made: The builder was Solomon, known as the wisest king that ever wielded a scepter. These idols bore testimony that he who had been honored and applauded for his wisdom, became a humiliating wreck. He was thrice called the beloved of God. Pure and elevated in character, his piety and wisdom were unexampled. But Solomon did not go on from strength to strength in the pure and true life. It was his ambition to excel other nations in grandeur. To do this, he allied himself by marriage with heathen nations, and in the place of keeping loyal to the true and living God, he allowed his wives to draw him away from God. To please them, he built altars where they might worship their idols. Thus the leaven of idolatry became mingled with Solomon’s religious principles. Tares were sown among the wheat.

Solomon knew that God had chosen Israel, and had made them the depositaries of the true and sacred faith. God had erected a wise barrier between them and the rest of the world, and only by jealousy guarding the ancient landmarks could they preserve their high and distinct character. Why, then, did Solomon become such a moral wreck? He did not act on correct principles. He cultivated alliances with heathen kingdoms. He procured the gold of Ophir and the silver of Tarshish; but at what a cost!

Solomon mingled error with truth, and betrayed sacred trusts. The insidious evils of paganism corrupted his religion. One wrong step taken, led to step after step of political alliance. The polygamy so common at that time was directly opposed to the law of Jehovah. But this evil was tolerated in Palestine, and the Israel of God mingled in marriage with Phoenicia, Egypt, Edom, Moab, and Ammon, nations that bowed at idolatrous shrines, practising [sic] licentious and cruel rites, greatly dishonoring to God. These Solomon countenanced and sustained. His once noble character, bold and true for God and righteousness, became deteriorated. His profligate expenditure for selfish indulgence made him the instrument of Satan’s devices. His conscience became hardened. His conduct as a judge changed from equity and righteousness to tyranny and oppression. He who had offered the dedicatory prayer when the temple was consecrated to God, he who prayed for the people, that their hearts might be undividedly given to the Lord, was in his later years following a course entirely contrary to right. The life once wholly dedicated to God, had been given to the enemy.

Solomon tried to incorporate light with darkness, Christ with Belial, purity with impurity. But instead of converting the heathen to the truth, he allowed pagan sentiments to be incorporated with his religion. He became an apostate. God was no longer to him the only true and living God, a ruling Providence. Solomon was a religious wreck.

In the days of Christ, the ruins of the groves erected by Solomon for his wives might still be seen. By the true-hearted in Israel this place was named the Mount of Offense. Solomon little thought that those idol shrines would outlast his reign, continuing even till Shiloh came and looked upon the melancholy sight.

This case is placed on record as a warning to all who profess to serve God. Let those who know the word of the living God beware of cherishing the errors of the world. These Satan presents in an attractive guise; for he seeks to deceive us, and destroy the simplicity of our faith. If these errors are introduced, they will obscure the precious landmarks of truth.

God has given men and women talents. None of these gifts are to be perverted to Satan’s service. We need to guard jealously the simplicity of our faith. Let none who know the truth employ their mental faculties in any work that leads away from right principles. Thus they prostitute their powers, which are gifts from the Heavenly Father, and bring upon themselves spiritual weakness and inefficiency. We can not with safety tamper with the leaven of false, dishonoring doctrines. Think of Solomon’s history, and do not mingle error with the truth.

The safeguards of our peace are to be preserved by watchfulness and much prayer. Great care is to be shown in the choice of associates, lest instead of leading them, we are led into evil, and imperil our souls. We must do nothing to lower the standard of our religious principles. Let there be a decided reformation. Let nothing be done to weaken the faith or mar the soul. Let our reward be the clean hands, the pure heart, the noble purpose.

The Review and Herald, March 10, 1910.