It's Okay NOT to be a Seventh-day Adventist

Revelation Today--SDA Pastor John Bradshaw's Series

2012-01-30T15:45:00.000-05:00

Ah, this ongoing series brings back so many childhood memories--as this is exactly the same Revelation Seminars the SDA church has always put on. I thought something would be new, something other than the newest world tragedies.

This is the exact same program format and topics, the same its-so-obvious-and-Biblical--no-question-about-it-delivery as has been done all over the SDA world for the last fifty years. Same world-toppling scare tactics, same bogey-man. The only thing missing is the Seventh-day Adventist name. But, interestingly, the name of the church sponsoring on the program has been missing for several of the last Revelation seminars.

I will spare you all the observations I had about the down-undah enthusiastic Pastor John Bradshaw, (they were all good) and Yves Monnier the host at the Las Vegas Cashman Center (I’m sure he is a nice guy).

Let’s be honest. The whole thing is about the Sabbath in these seminars, all else is just the golden halo around it. The Sabbath doctrine, if wrong, is where Adventism stands or falls. For them it is the cornerstone of their theology. Without it all their raison d’etre would be crying “Jesus is coming again, soon” along with every other denomination out there.

Why not just tackle that subject and be done with it.

You see, Adventists very subtly set up false premises then prove the false premises wrong and shout victory. For those not educated in scripture and who don’t ponder what is being taught, it is all shivers and good bumps awaiting the end of time when Adventists become top billing in the cosmic horror show, Armageddon.

Yet if we examine what is taught, seeing where a little is added here and there to scripture, a slight shift in the direction, a tiny misinterpretation--we will see how that shift can lead you completely off the road into a theological ditch. And a dark scary one too!

Watch how it is done:

1st wrong premise: The Church claim is that the “Everlasting gospel” of the Third Angel’s Message in Revelation is a different gospel, a different end time message than that of Christ and the Apostles.

Wrong: The Greek word agonies (everlasting) means “since the beginning, without beginning and end” so this is not something new. The word for gospel is eujaggevlion and is the exact same word used throughout the New Testament for the gospel proclaimed by Jesus Christ and the Apostles. This isn’t anything different. It means The Messiah is God and came as a human to suffer, die and be resurrected for our sins. Nothing anywhere at all about Sabbath in that.

This new and everlasting gospel (different from what the Apostles passed on) was given to the Seventh-day Adventists alone. They claim that in the last days there will be a divide between those who worship God the Creator and those who worship the creation. Well enough, okay on the idea that Christians and non-Christians will divide on how creation occurred. But then they add something outside of anything in scripture.

2nd wrong premise: Then the church links this true and false worship of the creation back to the story of Genesis claiming that on the seventh day God gave us a day rest as an eternal commandment.

There is nothing in the Genesis story that says the 7th day was a literal day. Please go back and read a fascinating fact. All the other days had an evening and morning. Not so with the seventh day as it was supposed to be an eternal day of rest. The idea of the day being a weekly day of rest is an addition to the text.

Little shifts, little shifts set them on a totally wrong course!

3rd wrong premise: Then Pastor Bradshaw jumps to the Ten Commandments. And claims that because they were written on stone means it is an eternal covenant for all time.

Another false assumption. If you do a word search you will find that throughout the Old Testament, many times, stone and rock symbolize God himself, not an eternal covenant.

Also if they writing them on a stone was supposed to mean how eternal they were, why would Moses smash them after leaving the presence of God? God wasn't upset with him for doing it either. I would think if the stones had that kind of symbolism, God would have mentioned to Moses to care for them a little better.

4th wrong premise: The weekly Sabbath was an eternal sign. (Bradshaw uses Ezekiel 20: 12 for proof.)

Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.

But please note that the sabbaths are a sign--the high annuals sabbaths as well as the weekly sabbaths. (See Deu. 6: 1, 8; 11: 18; 28: 46)

These sabbath signs for Israel absolutely including Passover:

Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to Jehovah.... And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thy hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the law of Jehovah may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath Jehovah brought thee out of Egypt. Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year. Ex. 13: 6-10

So if the sabbaths are a sign for everyone, then we should be keeping all the sabbaths, the annual, monthly and weekly.

5th wrong premise: That the Sabbath was not just for Israel alone, but all of us, even today. Again, the Bible would disagree with the SDA church on this claim.

Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily ye shall keep my sabbaths: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am Jehovah who sanctifieth you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that profaneth it shall surely be put to death; for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to Jehovah: whosoever doeth any work on the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. Ex. 31: 13-17

There are some important things to note about this. Though God reckons the Sabbath back to creation, He also does not include anyone else in the sabbath requirement making it between God and the children of Israel forever.

The fact that God sanctified a day at creation doesn’t mean it was meant to be universal. And keep in mind that anyone who profanes the day is to be put to death. If Adventists really believed that the sabbath requirement was for Christians today, they would then have to impose the death penalty.

Bradshaw quipped that “they weren’t Ten suggestions.” Well Pastor Bradshaw, we have to be honest with the text, the commandment to put to death anyone who profanes the sabbath is not a suggestion. It is a direct command.

6th wrong premise: Then Pastor Bradshaw jumped to the New Testament and reminded us that Jesus didn’t come to destroy the law, but fulfill it.

And that is exactly what He did at the cross.

For the SDAs to teach that we are still required to keep Sabbath is saying that Jesus didn’t fulfill the law at the Cross. Hebrews tells us that the Sabbath was a shadow fulfilled in Christ.

But, he asks, “Are we now allowed to kill? Steal? Jesus didn’t do away with the Ten Commandment law.

Right, and wrong.

Jesus expanded the Old Covenant at the same time He fulfilled it.

The Temple sacrifice--with all its rituals and ordinations--wasn't done away with, but replaced by a much better, in fact, perfect one-time sacrifice of God's only Son. God didn't get rid of them, He fulfilled them. The Ten Commandments were, like the sacrifices, pointing to a permanent, eternal Covenant with a new and better set of laws.

Look at Jesus’ words. “You have heard it said” These are not the words of someone reiterating the gravity of the law--Jesus didn’t even source it as God’s! He just spoke, “You have heard it said, ‘you shall not...’ But I SAY.” This is Jesus taking authority over His Ten Commandments and changing them, reforming them, making them into the more perfect law of the New Covenant. They are better--expanded. But different.

How did Jesus expand the fourth? Adventist might claim that He didn’t say anything about that one. Yet he didn’t say anything about stealing either, but it was expanded. Now we are to give rather than receive. Now we are to give our cloak instead of our shirt when someone tried to rob us of what is rightfully ours. Later Jesus will say “come all ye who are weary and I will give you rest.

Hebrews tells us that the sabbath shadow was fulfilled in Christ. Sabbath hasn’t disappeared but our Sabbath rest is Christ, the day has expanded to a forever day--an eternal day of rest from the Creation account itself. The curse has been lifted and the original creation plan of an eternal rest with a 7th day without an "evening and morning” has finally been fulfilled in Christ.

It isn’t wrong to keep a day that is a rest once a week. That is fine. In fact Paul says:

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days. Col 2:16

One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [alike]. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. Rom. 14: 5

7th wrong premise: Then Pastor Bradshaw makes the false assumption that since the Apostles went to the synagogue, they were keeping sabbath. This is just full of erroneous assumptions.

The Apostles worshipped everyday and preached daily. Being in a synagogue on Sabbath isn’t keeping the Sabbath commandment to rest. It is showing up where Jews will be.

Adventists draw a direct line between a Sabbath rest and someone going to a synagogue on Sabbath (as if worshipping and resting are one in the same). This is a non-sequitor.

There is not one shred of evidence in the Bible post resurrection that the Apostles rested on Sabbath or commanded anyone to rest on Sabbath. The 4th commandment is a requirement for Israel to rest, not worship.

8th wrong premise: The pastor claims that Jesus' warning to pray that the Hebrew’s flight out of Jerusalem in the last days not be in winter or the sabbath (Matt.24:20) is a slam dunk for proving sabbatarianism post-Cross. Yet, this is hardly proof. Christ knew that His followers would be preaching in the Temple every day (Acts 2:46). The slaughter the Romans could acheive would be most devastating on Sabbath because so many Jews would be there too. It is a prayer for Jews because it would be especially hard for them to flee if caught inside the Temple on Sabbath, in winter or if they were pregnant.

It isn’t calling on his disciples to keep the sabbath as a perpetual sign. We know the Apostles were in the temple daily! So the warning wasn’t pray to keep from being attacked on an obligatory sabbath service, but as intercession for their brother Israel.

End of Part I-

Babylon Has FALLEN--COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE

2012-01-30T09:19:00.000-05:00

“I am a very special to God. I am part of a small group of children who have divorced their parents. They were corrupted, therefore, I was told by an angel to leave them. After all Jesus said,

For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law: and a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household. Matthew 10: 35, 36

I was told that everyone who truly loves Jesus will one day leave their corrupted families. The mark of true love for Jesus is to divorce your parents and “be ye separate.” One day, beloved children, one day a great deception will befoul the true waters of Christianity that claims that unity is of God. The host of heaven weep for sorrow at the deceptive promise of Christian unity. For that was never the intention of God, and will one day come from the mouths of the fallen stars.

Prepare your hearts for this great deception. Divorce is truly godly. Family unity, no matter how sweet and loving it may appear is only a terrible false Christianity. A Scarlet Whore from the Babylon of the family unit is going to one day arise and proclaim my words are from the evil one. This will be a terrible test.

No matter how your parents plead that they love you, their words are from the darkest abyss, do not listen. Flee the fallen Babylon which is the family unit.”

SEE, as you look around the very evidence of Babylon! Babylon has fallen! Flee from her. The family is corrupted beyond measure. She is drinking the draughts of the foretold prophecy of John. The angel’s message is FLEE from Babylon.

“But, but...” came another voice of hysteria, “but how can you say that?! Where is that in scripture!? You are preaching something that Jesus never preached you are distorting the gospel! Jesus told us that the world will know we are Christians by our love one for another. He also prayed for that we all may be one.”

Calmly the child, with a great look of righteous pity and a wide-eyed glance at the woman’s pearl earrings, responded, “But true Christians ARE the ones who divorce, don’t you see dearest? Jesus meant that we are to be unified in our HEARTS about being separated!

Has God so blinded you of truth that you cannot see the plain Biblical teaching? Only those who have divorced and fled from the home of their corrupted parents will be marked with the seal of God in the last days.”

“You are teaching falsehood!! No one listen to this! It is evil!” the woman cried out.

Obviously, by your tone and unchristian attitude, you give yourself away as the very people I was warning those who love the Lord about. You are one of those fallen angels I predicted--and you are aligning yourself with the Whore of Babylon. You prove me correct by your very accusation! Wouldn’t it be safer just to flee from the Babylon of the family and be separate? Why risk it?

The Biblical revelation of Christ, the message of Revelation, speaks of the last days great apostasy and disregarding of God’s commandments. At the very heart of Christ, the first thing He did after creation, on the sixth day, was create man and woman. It was only AFTER sin entered the world that man took the woman and slept with her. Look it up! The Bible, in Genesis clearly says that Adam knew his wife Eve AFTER they fell in sin.

At Sinai, Moses told the men to refrain from intimacy with their wives before coming into His presence. This clearly shows that the golden thread between creation, Sinai and the last days is the evilness of marriage.

Therefore the very act of marriage--the act of family and its coming corruption will be the test of Christianity. COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE! Those who preach the importance of the unity of the family, may seem good now, but it will be clearly shown in the last days that they are of their father the Devil. He is the father of lies and scripture warns that on this point, “even the very elect will be deceived!”

“But what about love!? What about family!? We’ve always taught that as Christians! The covenants of God with His people are to unify us, not separate us!”

Yes, but in the last days, we know a great falling away will happen, and those of us who wish to remain faithful to Christ, who want to worship God as the remnant who keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus, will worship as Jesus worshipped the Father--as a single man--rejecting his parents. It is by His example we must live--no family ties. We must be separate, a unique remnant who reject all those who claim Christianity but will never hold to the truth.

The GREAT DEBATE: Worshiping on Sunday: the first 3 Centuries

2012-01-19T13:08:00.014-05:00

I would like to invite Seventh-day Adventists or any Christian to enter this debate.

CALLING ADVENTIST APOLOGISTS! Come and post your evidence for this important topic. It is silly for me to be arguing your side. We want to be fair to you....! Since Doug Batchelor just wrote a book having a debate with himself, I thought we would invite him here to debate another person.

If it is not against God's will for us to worship on Sunday today, what scriptural evidence can you bring to the debate that backs up your prophecy that one day worshipping on Sunday will be against God?

That is your claim. Defend it Biblically.

The topic/proposition being debated is:

Christians worshipped on Sunday for the first three hundred years of Christianity before the time of Emperor Constantine

To avoid confusion, two generic names will head each side:

Non-SDA Christian Apologist

The Proposition/Positive side (Non-SDA) should attempt to prove this statement.

vs.

Adventist Apologist

The Opposition/Negative side (Adventist) should attempt to disprove this statement.

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RULES:
Sources that will be accepted are:

The Bible: (Catholic and Protestant) mainstream translations such as ASV, KJV, NIV, NASB, RSV, etc. No paraphrases.
Primary sources: Sacred and secular writings of the first three hundred years.
Secondary sources: Generally accepted ecclesiastical histories such as written by Eusebius, Bede, Schaff, etc.

Only sources accepted by mainstream Christian churches will be allowed. Sources, when possible, should be easily available for referencing. Internet links are encouraged.

All comments will be reviewed before posting and those with clear, logical arguments will be posted. Sarcasm, insults or rude comments or comments that are deemed irrelevant or illogical will not be posted. Please be clear and concise, keeping all comments related to the topic. Editors may cut your comments if too wordy or redundant and correct spelling and grammatical errors.

We will attempt to give equal time (space in this case) for both sides.
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All are welcome to post in the debate. Questions will come at the end, so as you watch the debate be thinking of questions you wish to ask of either side.
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OPENING STATEMENTS

Non SDA Christian Apologist:
The proposition of the debate is to prove that the early Christians worshipped on Sunday.

Why is this debate important? Because the Seventh-day Adventist Church teaches that the only day of corporate worship that God approves of is the seventh day, Saturday. Their last-day prophecies include a test of Christianity based upon what day you worship God. They predict a law will be passed that forces everyone to go to church on Sunday. Those who attend church on Sunday will receive the Mark of the Beast and will not be saved. Seventh-day Adventist who remain true to God's appointed Sabbath will be imprisoned, tortured and even killed by those who go to church on Sunday.

This elitist doctrine that teaches Sunday is the wrong day to worship wounds us all, permanently cleaving the Body of Christ in direct disobedience to Christ's command that we unite as Christians.

The proposition is not about a sabbath rest day. It is a debate to prove that Sunday has always been a day of worship for Christians. There is no Biblical evidence, no prophecy, that worshipping on Sunday was, is or ever will be wrong.

We will be looking at historical evidence to prove that indeed, the early Christians from the time of the Apostles up until the time of Constantine worshipped corporately as a body of Christ on Sunday.

If the early church worshipped on Sunday before the time of Constantine then:

Worshipping on Sunday will never be a sign of disobedience to God’s laws nor will those who worship on Sunday receive the Mark of the Beast.

The SDA Sunday law prophecy is not from God and causes a unchristian elitism and disunity in the Body of Christ.

Again, we remind those reading that this is not a debate about Sabbath, so please keep all comments within the structure of the debate topic. This is about worshipping on Sunday. Thank you.
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Adventist Apologist:

Since there have been no counter introductory statements, I will attempt to write one for the SDA side. I will happily remove mine and insert an Adventist Apologist side when I receive one.

This is indeed, for the Adventist, a very important subject. And since you have narrowed the field of debate considerably, I feel we cannot get at the heart of the matter. For, as an Adventist, the heart is a rejection of the Sabbath, not worshipping on Sunday. No Adventist believes it is wrong to worship on Sunday or any day of the week.

There are differing opinions within Adventism about when Christians began to worship on Sunday, and there are differing opinions about how trustworthy primary sources are when using historical accounts outside of scripture.

So, defending the SDA position, I will point rather to scripture instead of early Christian writings. What man wrote just doesn't really matter, it is what God thinks that is important. Just because the early church practiced something, doesn't give it positive proof that it was of God.

The SDA side will attempt to prove that there are two faulty lines that you have drawn:

1. You presume, Teresa, that even if the early church celebrated the Lord's Day on Sunday, that they did so in obedience to God. It is very possible they worshipped on Sunday to avoid persecution or as a concession to Rome.

2. You also presume that if the early church did worship on Sunday that it somehow negates an end-time scenario where a day of worship is the test for Christians. Your assumption is a non-sequitor.

As an Adventist Apologist, I will attempt to prove that:

First, there is no definitive Biblical proof that the early church worshipped on Sunday. That interpretations of certain texts that may give that impression are debated even among non-SDA theologians.

Secondly, there is Biblical proof that a rejection of the Sabbath commandment (the 4th commandment) as a last day test of Christian fidelity to Christ is firmly rooted in scripture.

Thank you and we are looking forward to a vigorous, logical and Christian debate.

[We will be keeping this Opening Statement available for an authentic Adventist Apologist.]

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SECTION ONE: Presenting of the Evidence

Non-SDA Christian Apologist:

Mr. Adventist Apologist, I think you have made two very good points and one of them I must address in my evidence. I agree that I should prove that the early church went to church on Sunday, not out of fear, not out of coercion or compromise, but as a part of following the Apostle's directive. I think we can do that. And I think I can do that with scripture alone, even if I will add to that evidence plenty of primary sources of individual Christian historical accounts.

Your second point, that it is a non-sequitor to assume just because the early church attended church on Sunday does not automatically negate an end-time prophecy pivoting upon a day of worship. Good catch.. you are correct.

But then I must point out to you that it will be your responsibility to prove that the scriptures do indeed specifically indicate a day of worship as a last day test. You cannot base such a monumental and divisive doctrine on a whim--you will have to prove such a test with direct biblical evidence.

Okay to begin, I must start with the Old Testament because it builds a foundation of worshipping God on Sunday that is used by the Apostles when they meet for worship. Remember at that time the early church was mainly Hebrew. They carried forth a lot of the elements of worship into Christianity. Even worship on Sunday.

The Hebrews in Jerusalem did not have one day a week they worshipped corporately. They worshipped daily at the temple. We know this not only from Old Testament sources, but new. The writer of the book of Hebrews recorded:

Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship. Hebrews 9: 6

Please note that divine worship is happening daily! (See also Heb. 7:27 and 10:11)

Every Sunday there was worship going on. All day long people would be coming to worship and give offerings and sacrifices. Everyday worship occurred. Every Sunday worship was going on in the Temple. Once in the Promised Land, only three times a year was there a mandatory holy assembly for all Israel and they would often fall on Sunday.

Exodus 12 and Leviticus 23 record the Feast of the Unleavened Bread (Passover) and specifically called a “memorial” and a holy assembly. It is commanded to be kept as a permanent ordinance. On the first day is a “holy assembly, and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person, that alone may be prepared by you.” (v. 47) “All the congregation of Israel are to celebrate this.”

Leviticus records the seriousness of this, “any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.” The holy convocation of Passover can occur on Sunday. The last one being 2008.

And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath [Sunday] the priest shall wave it. Lev. 23:11

The day of Pentecost, another holy assembly can occur on Sunday. Leviticus 23 requires

On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day.

You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath [Sunday], from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath [Sunday]; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord.

Sundays as well as Saturdays were considered holy assemblies. One was not pitted against the other. See also Number 28:18.

This year, in 2012, the Jews will celebrate the two holy convocations of Pentecost on Sunday.

There has never been a time that worshipping on Sunday would be considered going against the commandments of God. God would not have required His holy assemblies of all Israel to occur on Sunday if this were wrong.

There is no indication anywhere within the pages of scripture that would suggest that any day is a wrong day to worship God. Or that there would be a last day test on a day.

Now we go to the New Testament. Does the New Testament specify a day, and only one day we should worship God? No!

Where is He who has been born King of the Jews ? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him. Matt. 2: 2

This does not specify a day. Would Joseph have sent them away if they arrived on a Sunday?

Nothing Christ did can be dismissed as accidental. Everything He did and when He did it was significant. Jesus went to the Temple daily to teach. (Mark 14: 49). If worshipping on Sunday were somehow wrong, wouldn’t Jesus have cleansed the Temple specifically on that day and explained to everyone that Sunday was the wrong day to worship God?

On Sunday, Jesus conquered death by rising and showed Himself to His followers as the Divine God! (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2, 9; John 20:19) On Sunday, Thomas worshipped Him! (John 20:27-28). That evening, on Sunday, Jesus worshipped with them at the Communion meal (Luke 22:19; Luke 24:31) and gave them His Holy Spirit and His peace then commissioned them to be the leaders of His Kingdom by forgiving sins (John 20).

The church was born on a Sunday at Pentecost. (Acts 2: 41)

And if this isn’t enough, these two text alone should wrap up this subject:

Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, Acts 2: 26

And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. Acts 5: 42.

Every single day the disciples came together to worship, including Sundays. How do you think there were souls being added to their number, being baptized daily? (Acts 2: 4, 47) These early Christians were very Jewish in their rituals and worship of God would be included in all of these baptismal rites. They worshipped every single day including Sunday. There is no evidence anywhere that they avoided worship on Sunday if it were wrong.

Paul worshipped God by having a communion service and preaching on Sunday. (Acts. 20:7)

Then we go to early historical accounts by Christians:

In the early part of the second century, maybe as early as the lifetime of the Apostle John (c.100-130), a Alexandrian Christian leader named Barnabas wrote a letter to an unknown audience. Although the letter was not considered inspired; it was widely read among Alexandrian Christians as authoritative and historically accurate. In this letter, the presbyter acknowledges that, “we keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead.” This letter shows how early the church was celebrating the Lord’s Day, Sunday.

Scholars are confident about dating Ignatius’ letter to AD 107. As the third bishop of Antioch who was taught by the Apostles, he was held in great respect for his courageous martyrdom. He clearly shows the early church’s ideas about worshipping on the day of “new hope,” Sunday:

...living in the observance of the Lord's Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him...let every friend of Christ keep the Lord's day as a festival, the resurrection-day, the queen and chief of all the days [of the week]" "Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians,"

Justin Martyr was a second generation Christian and one of the earliest known Christian apologists. He wrote, in the mid second century less than fifty years after the death of the last apostle (First Apology, ch. 67):

And on the day called Sunday all who live in cities or in the country gather together in one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read....But Sunday is the day on which we all hold a common assembly, because it is the first day of the week on which God...made the world; and Jesus Christ our Savior on the same day rose from the dead.

The Apostolic Constitutions, dated sometime in the second century commands that “On the day of the resurrection of the Lord--that is, the Lord's Day--assemble yourself together without fail, giving thanks to God and praising Him for those mercies God has bestowed upon you through Christ.”

Bishop of Lyon, also a mid 2nd century Christian leader, also tells us that the church worshipped on Sunday--all the way in Gaul, “The Mystery of the Lord's Resurrection may not be celebrated on any other day than the Lord's Day, and on this alone should we observe the breaking off of the Paschal Feast.”

Going down south to Greece, we find the Bishop Dionysius writing in AD170 to the church in Corinth that they pass Sunday, “this holy Lord's Day, in which we read your letter, from the constant reading of which we shall be able to draw admonition.” Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Bk. 4, Ch. 23

At the end of the 2nd century, we travel farther south to Egypt where Clement, the Bishop of Alexandria, records that the Christian, “keeps the Lord's day.” Bk 7, Ch. 12. And Bishop of Africa, Tertullian records this in his Apology, “We solemnize the day after Saturday in contradistinction to those who call this day their Sabbath.” He even refutes the pagan claim that the early church worshipped the sun, because they worshipped on Sunday, “[It is supposed] that the sun is the god of the Christian, because it is a well- known fact that we pray towards the east, or because we make Sunday a day of festivity.” The Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 3, p. 123.

All you have to do is type in the person into google and you can easily find the original source.

Israel was called by God to corporately worship on Sunday. The early church met to "break bread" or hold communion worship services on Sunday--in fact every singe day. There is no indication anywhere in any writings that they were compromising their beliefs. There is no evidence anywhere, no cry from a prophet or pastor that condemns Christians for worshipping on Sunday.

Therefore I cannot find a shred of evidence anywhere that God would, all of a sudden, 1800 after the dawn of Christianity suddenly give a new reading of scripture and a new vision of Christianity to a small group of Seventh-day Adventists condemning worshipping on Sunday.
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First presentation of evidence for Adventist Apologists is open for anyone now....please send in your position comments now.

Celebrating the First Ten Years

2012-01-17T12:34:00.001-05:00

The first decade of living and worshipping with mainstream Christianity is now behind us and life after Adventism deserves some honest reflection and even a celebration. Though we had been harboring doubts for decades before our official resignation letter, we didn’t really plunge full-hearted into the complete body of Christ, in all its various denominations, until 2001.

But when we plunged, we plunged with gusto and embraced all the wonderful Christians out there by visiting every mainstream Christians church we could fit into a week. With careful planning often we could get to three different services on Sunday and at least one Wednesday night. There were even services on Saturday evening at some churches. We spent eight years worshipping and researching every denomination from Assemblies of God (Pentecostal), Disciples of Christ, Methodist, Lutheran, Calvinist--and all their different liberal and conservative branches to Anglican, Orthodox and Catholic. It was gloriously freeing!

What an adventure it has been! Even referring to ourselves as “former SDA” seems alien now since today our life as Adventists seems a blurry distant dream.

Yesterday, Arthur and had a conversation about life after Adventism that I would like to share with those of you who are thinking about leaving or have left. I pray you will follow God’s faith journey and will find true peace and joy. I tried to type the conversation as close as it was to being actually said. Sorry about the grammar and stream-of-consciousness.

Extravagant Transformation

We asked each other a pyramid of five questions, starting with the bottom up. Here are our answers. In the past decade since leaving Adventism:

How has your relationship to other Christians changed?

Arthur: There isn’t that us against them attitude we all experienced in the Adventist culture. There is no more fear of those who go to church on Sunday. And I think I was shocked to find out that non-Adventists didn’t really care about us. Nobody was focusing on Adventists, planning our demise. No one else in mainstream Christianity has the remnant-hood complex. Lutherans accept Methodists and Presbyterians don’t look at Baptists like they are lost. They have their differences, but they are all accepting of each other as real Christians. There is no paranoia.

There is freedom to love without fear. There is freedom to have vehement disagreements and still love each other.

Teresa: I just love that now I can feel in unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ in all churches. There is no more elitism or pride. The freedom I feel is so wonderful because now I don’t have this subconscious fear and judgmentalism against other Christians. If they go to church on Saturday or Sunday or any day of the week, I know God is pleased. He wants our worship any day, anytime. No more lines in the sand.

And the weird thing is as liberal as we are now--we drink wine and I wear jewelry, we dance together and you occasionally have a cigar, we are much more conservative than we ever were! Even though we are relaxed in our faith, we understand the horrors of what is truly sin much clearer than before. Now we know that real sin is about hurting others and failing to love. It is not about drinking coffee or coke. The New Covenant doesn’t have things like “touch not this or that.” In the New Covenant those are man-made traditions. Knowing what is actually sin--what God requires of us--is so much more clear and merciful now. And that makes my relationship to other Christians based on love and not fear.

Arthur: Going to church... I just didn’t do it after leaving my parents’ house. I was a SDA atheist really. Church to me had been a confusing weaving and bolstering of remnant teachings. To me, it was much more than just what was said. It was this unspoken body gestures--eye brow raising--oh, you know, those unspoken threats of alienation and death if you didn’t do things their way. Now I feel like I have a very good healthy view of church. I went from the SDA plastic-kid’s-pool church to jumping into the Mariana Trench which is bottomless and deep--that type of church experience.

Teresa: I guess I didn’t have that... because I always loved church. But I did notice, after leaving our Dallas First SDA church that when our family moved to Keene there was this strange Adventist subculture that was very different than the Adventism I had known. I also saw it in other predominately Adventist towns we have lived in. Adventists are afraid to have pain or admit their sufferings to others. There is this pretense of trying to look more together than others in a spiritual sense. To be honest I still see a little bit of that in other denominations, but it is really predominant in Adventism.

In Keene, there is this need to be cool and if kids and leaders don’t reject Adventism all together and leave, then there is this contest to see if they can be “cool, edgy” about their beliefs. They make a big deal about rejecting certain old-fashioned beliefs--such as the Investigative Judgement and legalistic Sabbath keeping. They will eat shrimp in front of you, but they want to make sure everyone knows that they are still the remnant, just the hip, culturally-relevant and liberal SDA.

Arthur: Yeah, that wasn’t me at all. A decade ago--I think I knew even as a kid that Ellen White had a mental imbalance that was transferred to the entire church. I saw that they were trying to reach out and grab a piece of immortality by being the remnant. I think the whole church is still mentally ill--I think that even more so today as I look at them. Adventism creates crazy people or closet atheists who show up to church. Those are the ones trying not to be crazy.

You become panicked because you know something is sick here, desperately wrong, but you can’t identify it. You hear all the arguments for Adventism and you walk away feeling like they outsmarted you, but you aren’t convinced. God is pulling you on the other side but you don’t know how to clearly articulate it.

Now the panic is over and there is no fear of their intimidation. I can love them confidently knowing the clear reasons I left. They can’t trip me up because I know scripture now and I know why I left.

I can tell you that any distance you get from Adventism you begin to experience peace and you will quickly see that their doctrines become non-issues in your Christian life.

Adventism is like a narcotic high, you know,-- being the “chosen remnant.” It is a kind of a psychotic paranoia. Once the narcotics wear off you can see clearly and that locked room of logic is opened up and fresh air gets in and you clean it out..... and then peace.

Adventism made me anti-church before, for a long time I was a religious anarchist. But today going to mass, I cannot wait! Celebrating the Eucharist (the Lord’s Supper) means I am perfect, I am forgiven! Before going to church was about a good sermon, which for me were always boring, or about socializing and I didn’t particularly want to socialize with Adventists. Now the focus is totally on Christ, we celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection that saved mankind. Now it is about the power of the Cross. Church isn’t play to me now.

Leaving the SDA church, it turns out Ellen White’s predictions were the opposite. Instead of leaving the truth and then giving up sabbath and then becoming atheist, I was an Adventist who found out the doctrines were crazy, found out that Christ is our Sabbath and we live in it everyday when we are in Christ. It made me ecstatic--it made sense. That you could read the Bible and believe what it said. You didn’t have to read the Bible and then do all this conjuring in order to make it make sense. So it was the complete opposite. I went to Christ leaving Adventism.

How has your relationship with your extended family changed?

Arthur: All spiritual conversations have ceased with my Adventist family and friends. There is this 800 lbs. spiritual gorilla in the room. They don’t want to get into any discussions about us leaving because they don’t know how to defend what they believe in. Adventists aren’t trained to be apologists.

It is cold and distant. I feel like anything we do out of love for them is inspected, they are suspicious that we are trying to proselytize them.

It’s hard because we do not relate to them, there is so much change. It has been exhausting and shattering to go through all this change, but it is exhilarating too.

Teresa: My family wasn’t orthodox like your Arthur, so, I think even though they are hurt and can’t understand, we still talk. We just avoid talking about certain subjects.... We stick to something far less polemical---politics! I do feel like you do. The changes we have been through--fundamental worldviews and theology.... It is so distancing and that it hard. We don’t think alike anymore.

How has your relationship with your children changed?

Arthur: It’s more relaxed. Before I wasn’t really a father--It was kind of a neutral position. I feel like a father now. I am able to love them now.

Teresa: I don’t think my relationship with the kids has changed. They all left Adventism too and they are so glad for it. We left as a family and we now are so free. You have these awesome male-bonding nights where you go out with the boys (who are now men) and drink a glass of port and smoke a cigar and philosophize--a kind of Beem Inklings night, which I think is so amazing. I love to see how our whole family has grown and spiritually matured together. We have so much fun as a family now. I am not at all worried about our kids spiritually. It is so peaceful--no more paranoia of world events and coming persecution (no matter how peripheral it was in my thinking....).

In a way, and our kids might never fully understand it, we are their heroes. We had the courage to get them out of all of that convoluted thinking. More than anything--that alone is worth all the trauma of the change. Our kids will not have to be confined to living a false belief. We led them out like Moses!

How has your relationship with your spouse changed?

Arthur: Only one word can describe it: miraculous. More than any other person on earth, that relationship has changed the most. This is where the difference going from Adventist to Catholic is the most dramatic.

In Adventism I was taught that sex was a necessary evil, maybe something to “hee hee” about and feel guilty about. Catholicism celebrates sex and children and the unity of God the Trinity and men and women and children. God commanded us to go out and be fruitful and multiply. Marriage is good and children are good.

There is a true intimacy that goes way beyond physical contact.

Sex is to marriage as the Eucharist is to the salvation of all mankind. It is declared through God throughout the universe. Sex was commanded, declared from the moment of creation, and the Eucharist (the Lord’s supper) is declared every time you go into mass. It is the living Christ. It is so counter cultural.

We are living in this culture of death that demonizes having sex the right way and having kids. The Lord violently punished Israel when they practiced the evil of the nations around them--and their culture of death. The SDA church is pro-choice and they make abortion an irrelevant issue. There seems to be no pity. In the end, they don’t really care about any non-SDAs because they are “out there--the unsaved.” Just proselytize them not for love but religious obligation.

Off topic, but I didn’t have a conversion experience until I rejected Adventism. And there would never, ever be any temptation to return. Absolutely none. It is not biblical. It is confusion and convoluted. Ellen White knew if you escaped you’d see how disturbed the SDA doctrine is. You can’t be brothers with other denominations because they would refute you by logic, the Bible and history and there would be no chance then you would return to the Adventist church.

Teresa: Since we are drifting from the question and you already answered it better than I could, let’s go on to the final one:

How has your relationship with God changed?

Arthur: Well, I’m not afraid of science. I am not afraid to question anything about Him. The SDA church intimidated you into never questioning as if questioning the religion was dangerously playing with hell. Now I know God is omnipotent. Truth can be challenged, openly questioned. It is wonderfully freeing to question even the Bible and God. It is okay to question. There is logic in the Bible, God is logical. Adventism isn’t logical.

My perfectionism is gone. Look at St. Peter’s mistakes in front of Christ himself! I always thought that if you were in the presence of Christ, you wouldn’t sin. Now I can admit my faults, repent and ask forgiveness then grow from them. I don’t have any of that puritanical thinking that is in Adventism. If you are keeping rules for salvation you are not inclined to admit your are in pain. You have this idea that you should always say your happier and healthier than everyone else. Even if your bodies are healthier, (your spirit and mind aren’t.)

When I was Adventist I thought the idea of God was good. You know, it was a good idea on paper--like Santa Claus. Now I know God is a living-breathing eternal God that saves all men who chose Him. My heart has been opened up. It is an exciting way of thinking. God has gone from hard-hearted to a Lord who has poured out so many miracles on me--and I am like a sponge! Miracles and things I didn’t even know that I needed to know. He is a God of power now, a God I respect. He isn’t a good idea, He is the great I AM.

Any final thoughts?

Arthur: There are no final thoughts. For the first time, there are just beginning thoughts. We’re allowed to think--no, we are expected to think. It is wonderful when we look at the things that Christ expected us to look at--not invented things.

And something else:

People always go astray and mess up and people do good things. Don’t look at people. Look at the doctrines. Look at what the church stands for. Nobody is questioning whether Adventists are nice or not. There are lots of nice people who are willing to slit your throat because of their doctrine. Look at doctrine.

Where does Adventist doctrine lead you to. To Daniel and Revelation, the health message, the sabbath. Everything about Catholicism leads you straight to Christ.

Teresa: I am ready to never think about Adventism again. I don’t want to have a 20-year after-Adventism celebration. I want that whole way of thinking to disappear from my memory and I can ask “Adventism, what’s that?” But that is really not being thankful to God for where He has brought me. We were born into her for the purpose of glorifying God just like the blind man was born blind so that the world could see God’s miracle of healing. There was a purpose that we were taken through Adventism, but I am so so endlessly thankful that God gave us the grace to continue our faith journey into a fuller understanding of His salvation, His Cross and His Kingdom.

Reclaim Your Faith- Review of Doug Batchelor's Series

2012-01-15T09:39:00.002-05:00

Reclaim Your Faith, live from Maryland, is Doug Batchelor's attempt to bring inactive SDAs back to church.

Actually, I love Doug Batchelor, even if I dislike his preaching style, his serpent-like hisssing of his "s's", his geriatic humor and I am convinced that his self-deprecating humor masks some serious arrogance issues, amen? Yet, I mean it genuinely when I say that watching him in his own fantasy world is endearing, like a little boy with pillowcase tied around his neck as a cape playing Superman.

SO: If you are a fan of Doug Batchelor and enjoy his speaking techniques, his humor, his style of preaching,

If you are an Adventist who believes in the doctrines of your church,

If you are an Adventist who has become bitter against God BECAUSE someone in the church hurt you,

If you are actually watching the Hope Channel and therefore, must be right on the edge of coming back anyway,

THEN you might think about coming back to church as you listen to this series.... The problem is that Doug either really doesn't understand why people leave or he has deliberately chosen only to address that very minute group that are already tipping towards the SDA side of the fence. Up front, he states that those who have doctrinal issues need to go to the SDA website and sign up for Bible study classes. He knows none of us are coming back, so he doesn't waste his time. Which is smart.

I am now about to finish the third sermon in the series and so far no one had mentioned this being a SDA production. There have been a couple references to Sabbath, and I must admit I fast forwarded during the music, so it is possible I missed something... But in general--no SDA specific sermon--only come back to Jesus.

It is extremely doubtful that anyone will return to the SDA church from this series who isn't already making their way back, and where Doug goes very wrong is in his trivialization of why people leave WHEN they leave because they have been hurt. He tells this story about a dementia-sick grampa who yells ugly words at a guest and compares that to why people leave. Is Doug really thinking that trivializing the trauma some Adventists go through with their church going to win them back? Doug needs to address the incest, the clerical sexual abuse, the abandonment issues kids have from absentee parents who gave all to their church, serious religious abuse... (there are some deeply wounded SDAs out there); if you really wanted them to come back BECAUSE they left on issues of interpersonal relationships then deal with the hard stuff....

The SDA church and its privately-owned affiliates are spending a ton of money to recapture wandering members. Unfortunately, Doug resembles an ER doctor tending a hemoragging car crash victim by an entertaining chorus of "put on a happy face" (with an occasional Adventist-appropriate body sway). This is just the wrong medical procedure.

So far, the series has only fought the departing with an emotional appeal. I suppose that will work for those who quit attending because of superficial emotions. Judging from the loud, defensive "amens" coming from the audience when Doug points out that we who left are angry, bitter at God or hurt over things such as music or money issues--I wonder if this isn't an elaborate show for them. Show the church members that we are really trying to get our lost ones back, without dealing with the issues that will actually get them to return.

This series is definately a kinder and gentler Doug Batchelor, carefully edited of all SDA references and doctrines, as if blurring the church's identity gives all of us formers spiritual amnesia. In the end, I should be glad that the SDA church isn't persuasive, logical nor intelligent in its call for us to return. Less pigs returning to their own vomit, I guess. However, I really wished that the church would tackle the real reason we leave.

Imagine if, instead of playing the spiritual heroes by conquering their own designed strawmen, they would courageously dialogue and listen to former Adventists? Imagine if they would be open to hearing a pure Biblical message untainted with Ellen White and see us who now live in Christ's freedom.

Sigh.

Now I am playing in my own fantasy world. So, I will keep praying and hope....

A Cruel Silence

2012-01-13T11:32:00.002-05:00

Heaven Now

I have always had this incredible peace about God’s merciful sovereignty.

Most of my life, I have not worried about my salvation or that of my family’s. Sure, for a year or two in Adventist elementary school when we studied last-day prophecies and the teachers read terrorizing fiction, I would be afraid that one day I would break under the torture of bamboo shoots thrust up my fingernails as my little sisters and brother were sliced into pieces before my pried-open eyes to get me to renounce the Sabbath and go to church on Sunday...and then I would be eternally obliterated. You know, the average Adventist fears. But my parents always downplayed SDA prophecy and told me not to worry about it. So I trusted them and didn’t.

For the vast majority of my life, I have believed God is incredibly good and powerful and has the world in the palm of His hand. Shoot, I even think God is going to be really merciful towards atheists. I am simply not worried about heaven and whose going to spend eternity in hell. The thought doesn’t enter my spiritual radar system.

My heart is for the here and now (Of course I want everyone saved, so don't take that wrong). In a sense (I am not referring to a personal doctrine but wondering...) but in a general sense, I think heaven and hell are going on at this moment. The seeds of heaven and hell, anyway.

When a person is full of joy in the Lord and their life is at peace, I figure they are already inside heaven. They have “made it” and I am not worried about what happens to them after they die. I don’t have this need to make someone think like I do doctrinally, believe the way I do in specific theology. I trust God will bring them along the path to where they need to be--including me!

Now, I am utterly convicted, convinced and on fire that the Catholic Church is the kingdom on earth and I am passionate about sharing the beauties of Christ I find within her. But I do not think if you reject Catholicism, Protestantism, Christianity or even God that you are necessarily going to hell.

Absolutely, Christ has commissioned us to go and spread the gospel. And I believe that if we have faith in Him, God is going to save us. But I also think God has mysterious ways of saving that He alone knows and its none of our business. He is sovereign. We have a job to do in spreading the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven and that is that. God saves and He alone saves and if He gives someone salvation outside of the system He gave us, we are not to question it but rejoice! After all, if billions of aborted babies couldn’t have a personal faith that saves, I doubt they are all going to an eternal hell. God has His ways of saving through Christ Jesus that He doesn’t explain to me and I am so happy He does! For it gives me great hope, for what seems in my eyes, hopeless.

Catholicism teaches us that we can always have hope. Always.

Back onto my point that I am having a hard time getting to:

A Cruel Silence

The truth--the truth--is important, not just because of an eternal home in some nebulous future, but for us--right here, right now. Truth sets us free from sin. We Christians seem to have it all backwards. Christians today are afraid of speaking truth because of this whole idea of being nice and tolerant. Making people feel bad seems to be the ultimate sin in our society. That is the very opposite of what is real.

The truth is what actually makes our lives worth living. It is lies that oppress us and enslave us. People are miserable because they have fallen for lies. We are certainly not being nice by keeping quiet. That fear of being judged “mean” or “bigoted” is a bullying spirit of the ultimate slave master--our greatest enemy--Satan. He is attempting to swallow us up in misery. His strategy is to seduce us, addict us to sin, exploit, tyrannize and dominate us. Satan’s plan is to reduce us to beggars, make our souls disappear into the cosmic nothingness and convince us nothing has meaning.

Christ, on the other hand, wants to bring us to the point where we are towering saints and princes of the universe. His desire is that we are perfect, like His Father in heaven is perfect--where we have the capacity to endure beauties beyond our imagination. Where we can fly into the sun and not be burned. Our immortal bodies, shed of their restrictive sin, will bi-locate, hover, time-travel, raise the dead--right now. Saints have done this and more! The cartoon superheroes are shadows of what God has placed deep within our psyches, the craving to be saints!

The lie is that we can’t get there in this life or that we can get to a facade of it by wielding the power of money, or in fame or influence. We falsely believe in an immortality brought on by being successful on human terms. God has something vastly better.

The truth is being kept from us so that in this life we can begin the eternal hell, living a miserable damnation of confusion, chasing ephemeral pleasures, searching for heaven within the doorless, windowless prison of hell itself.

I continue to speak against lies because they darken our path and eventually blind us. The Father of Lies reduces us to beggars, and makes us love our filth, cling to that which is slaughtering us and defend with screeching shrieks that which is eradicating our very existence.

The Father of Lies has convinced a world of Christians that life is not worth fighting for and has brainwashed us into an assembly-line, zombie existence of silently waiting for death. Don’t look, don’t see for it is too painful, too ugly. So we put our calloused hearts on auto-pilot, watch the inflight movie and hope heaven comes soon.

Satan has so cruelly beaten us with his lies that we have, as a Christian culture submitted to his loathing of true authority, consented to Satan’s despising of God’s rituals and rites that keep us focused on Christ and unify us. Our enemy has glutted our churches with untrustworthy leaders so that we will hated religion itself. He has puffed us up with an arrogant and false self-righteousness that lustfully craves the rights and freedoms to sin!

And God help anyone who dares to voice that our Christian appetite for sin is evil.

So, we play nice and stand firm on the false premise that as a Christian we must fight for the rights of others to kill their souls in sin. Or equally bad, we say nothing-- trying to make sure people like us.

Make no mistake--Lies demand a cruel silence.

Truth cuts us free from the bondage of sin, awakens us and makes us sensitive, painfully sensitive to wickedness. There is this strange and mysterious, harmonious contradiction of Truth that overwhelms us with joy and can, at the same time, sear our hearts with the tragedy of sin. Our capacity to experience life expands till we think we cannot bear either the ecstasy of God living with us, within us in our current human flesh nor bear the sorrow we see. Yet miraculously, we as behold the Lamb of God in humble obedience, He gives us the grace to press on from glory to glory! And we taste the goodness of the Kingdom. We become like Him!

My soul’s desire is that we all can experience heaven now, today, this minute. But it cannot be reached when our lives have accepted hell and sin and lies.

Joining the Battle for Truth

Though the war for the Kingdom has been won with Christ, the battle for your eternal home and your earthly joy is fiercely waging as you make daily decisions about what you will read, what you will watch, what you will think, what you will say and do.

There is no passive Christianity, no conscientious objection status in this, all Christians, every single one within the body of Christ has been drafted into this battle of living as saints today so that you will influence the souls of your neighbor. The demonic excuse, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” are words from the abyss that are sucking precious souls into her bosom of fifth. Pornography, fornication, adultery, sodomy... The list is endless to the seductive, vulgar entertaining comedy-of-abominations that intimidate us into silence.

It is a great and glorious act of mercy when someone loves you so much they are willing to reach out and sear you with truth.

It is a great and glorious act of mercy when you love someone so much that you are willing to reach out and sear your brother in Christ with truth.

Christians will tell me to lighten up, but when you don’t courageously confront the sins you protect, that are polluting your own soul, you will be too cowardly to condemn the wickedness of our culture.

So you will allow your light to dim. You will become so small in your thoughts, so self-deceived that you will brush off the responsibility of love as if it were dandruff on your shoulder.

There are those who do want to get involved in the battle against the culture of death, and they don’t know what to do. So they get involved with a political candidate (which I am completely for, mind you--get politically involved for the sake of our country!) But in the end, political victory will only stem the tide. It cannot do what a country of Christians can do as individual saints--which is save our youth from a life of pride, self-centeredness, immaturity, disobedience, confusion, isolation, loneliness, divorce and misery.

Battle Gear

We must become saints. Saints who have conquered sin, not for the salvation of our own souls, but to give a reality to Christ--right now. To bring the power of Christ to a nation that is hungering for truth and authenticity.

Love others enough to become a saint for them.

Cast away your own selfishness and desires, place your rights at the foot of the Cross and be Christ to the world so that they can feel His love, His concern, His nearness.

You will not receive love in return, you will receive pain. But some of those Roman soldiers who scourged Christ, some of those who screamed out the loudest “crucify Him!” were the very ones who fell to their knees at the feet of the Apostles and would later stand, head held high, while a colosseum of scoffers giddily watched them being torn to bits for their faith.

And some of those watching the martyrs in the colosseum would themselves be crushed by the weight of the cross and later join them in facing down death for their Lord. This is the story of the early church. Saints overcoming in the face of terrible slaughter, so that others will find the strength to overcome.

This is not about a work-based salvation, this is about love. Loving others enough to boldly proclaim the truth, to be truth, to live truth so that others will look at the strength of our love and have the audacity to repent and be saved--to live as someone saved.

Fighting sin in our lives is not about a self-centered fear of hell, but to save others from the doom of today, the agony of the results of their sins they commit, the wrong choices they make that ruin the gift of life God has given them as they walk this earth!

Our silence is a crime against our children, blinding them, enslaving them to make the same mistakes and lead the ruinous lives we see all around us. And if you don’t see the sin in the insidious little lies we tell and hear daily, the arrogant flouting of wickedness, the collapse of our culture, then may God have mercy on your soul. You have closed your heart to the cries of God’s creatures.

Many will agree with my assessment, many of you disagree but almost all will read this and then click back to your jobs and your life with an impenetrable apathy, the church of Laodicea, and will draw back into a victimhood mentality and lament about how evil the world is getting.

But I know there are those of you already in the epic battle doing amazing things for God and pressing onward to perfection out of love for your neighbor. Your prayers will avail much and the heavens will open one day, clearing away the rubbish of lies and you will receive endless blessing from those who your fight for the right gave them the courage to choose a better life here. Your courage to face down the tsunami of lies, though it left you alone, battered and bleeding, was watched by at least one pair of innocent, little eyes--who stood against temptation and made the right choice and saved him or herself from being enslaved by sin-- because they saw God in you.

Faith

2012-01-12T08:46:00.000-05:00

You have finally arrived in Heaven, having lived a life of total obedience and commitment to Christ. You run up with rapturous joy to who you recognize as St. Peter standing outside the pearly gates. He is luminous and has an ethereal gaze of love on his face.

“You, my dear, may of course enter into the Kingdom, for you loved the Lord with all your heart, soul and strength and you loved your neighbor as yourself.” St. Peter glances past your name on the book of life he is holding and his face grows grim. He hesitates and then informs you.

“I do have something to ask of you,” he purses his lips. “If I were to inform you that your beloved daughter’s name is not on this list...” He stopped and then continued, “We do have a substitution option available. Would you be willing to give up your place in heaven for your daughter and take her place in.... well...?” St. Peter didn’t continue.

“Oh of course, of course! Oh please let my daughter take my place.” You respond anxiously, even though you are deeply disappointed at not being able to see Christ face to face. You never even think twice about what you will suffer for your daughter.

“Actually, I am going to have to ask you another question.” St. Peter tapped his pencil against the tablet he was carrying.

“There was a man that lived about a thousand years ago in China and never heard of Christ. He actually was a really good guy and he’s been kept out of heaven for quite a while. If God were to ask you a special favor, and maybe...” the saint faltered for a moment. “If you could give him your place, would you be willing to do that?”

“Is this some kind of charity test to get into heaven?” You think. Surely God would not ask this of you, but to say “no” would seem so selfish, so unchristian. So your face turns grave and you whisper, “I guess” with a gulp. “Really? No heaven?” You can’t believe what you are hearing. This was supposed to be an auto ticket because of your faith. You didn’t prepare yourself for this substitution thing.

Evidently that still wasn’t the end of the questioning, and St. Peter looks you straight in the eye and whispers. “Dearest, there is a man who was a serial killer of children and a pedophile. He is, in the eyes of the Host of Heaven, one of the most despicable people who ever lived. Would you give your place in heaven to him?”

You are confused. What kind of question is that? For a moment you silently stare into St. Peter's face trying to figure out if he is tricking you. You are unable to answer. And the saint doesn't retract the question. He awaits... patiently.. for your reply.

“No, no, no, no, no,” you think in despair as your heart breaks. God could not possibly be asking this of you. This just isn’t how it works. This goes against all your basic beliefs about justice and mercy and God Himself. Why would God even ask such a dreadful, horrible thing of you? You had faith, just like you were supposed to. You played by God’s own rules and even were a very good person while on earth. Oh God, Oh God, you panic, this couldn’t be a real question, could it?

You are unable to answer yes, and you sink to the feet of Peter sobbing with inconsolable wretchedness. You beat your breast and you cry out in immortal agony. You cannot fathom why God, a God of mercy and love would ask this of you and then, confused, you answer the only words available to your lips. An answer of mysterious faith.

“Not my will, but thine.” You are breathless and weak.

At that moment, you are taken back to the garden of Gethsemane and you feel the sweat of blood trickling down your face, the suffering blows of each of Jesus’ heartbeat against your chest. A torment unendurable to earthly flesh tears though your spirit. You experience a tiny taste of the bewilderment and abandonment of Christ as He is asked to take on the sins of the world by His Father.

You suddenly realize that if you had said, “yes” to St. Peter’s question of allowing a sinful maniac into heaven, you would have answered incorrectly--as well as if you had said “no.” For if God had asked us to take this man’s place, we should be willing.

Neither yes nor no would not have been an answer of love, for love demands both justice and mercy. You spoke the same words of Christ when He was asked this of God.

“Not my will, but thine.” The perfect answer.

It was a true answer born of faith. Faith in God, when all human possibilities are dark and unfathomable.

Then all is opened to you, you see with new eyes. We are not God and cannot grasp the end from the beginning as He can. The ultimate faith is a faith born of total surrender when all our control and understanding is darkened. When there is no answer but to give it all to Him--a surrender of our will and sacrifice of self to Him.

The blessed saint grabs you in his arms and lifts you gently from your faint and revives you. You see the door opened and bright light, golden and warm beckons you inside. A deep penetrating voice, lovely and strong calls:

“Enter into the eternal paradise. Your faith has saved you.”

Seventh-day Adventist to Roman Catholic: Sunday's Coming?

2012-01-06T11:47:00.000-05:00

Seventh-day Adventist to Roman Catholic: Sunday's Coming?

The Virgin Mary and Miracles

2012-01-02T07:38:00.000-05:00

After watching this Adventists must ask themselves, if the miraculous signs of Ellen White, seen by a few prove her authenticity, what about this?

This Is My Body, Broken For You

2011-12-29T13:58:00.001-05:00

And when he had given thanks, he brake it and said,

Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you:

this do in remembrance of me.

I Cor. 11: 24

Mighty Creator, the Everlasting did something He had never done, nor would again ever do in human history. Yahweh, Lord of Lords, touched stones and inscribed His thoughts.

Man writes, but God doesn’t. God speaks. “Let there be light, and there was light.” Yet, for a great and profound mystery God reached down from above the stars and with his fingers carved into two rocks the Covenant between Himself and His son, Israel.

After communing with the face of God for forty days, Moses embraced those precious stones understanding their eternal significance then walked down the mountain to give the law of the Covenant to His people.

The tablets were God's work, and the writing was God's writing engraved on the tablets. ...It came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing ; and Moses' anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. From Ex. 32: 16-19

What had Moses done! How could Moses have been so enraged as to fling down and shatter the miracle entrusted into his hands?

†††

Seventh-day Adventists teach that the significance of the Ten Commandments being written in stone rather than upon vellum was that they should, from generation to generation, stand as a witness to the perfect law of God.

However, what the Adventist theologian does not fully understand is that these tablets were not displayed to verify the accuracy of Moses, subsequent leaders and scroll copyists in teaching God’s law. The stones were never even to be read by the individual Hebrew. These tablets would soon be buried within the protective heart of the ark, placed inside the Holy of Holies and disappear from human eyes forever. A wholly unseen holy relic.

Moses was instructed by God to record His words in a book that would be spoken to God’s people at their holy assemblies--the Torah would never be copied and given out to the masses like published books are today.

There is a nuance within SDA teaching that by recording something on stone, Israel could remember what God spoke. The eternalness of rock would prevent the Hebrews from forgetting His commandments.

This too is a misunderstanding of the sovereign power of God. Engraving rock neither ensures permanence (we know this by the fact that Moses destroyed them) nor safeguards His people from forgetting. God’s word. In no sense is it more secure because it is written. God’s Word stands when He speaks, the words eventually written down and even those never written.

Then what would be the purpose of God, Yahweh, writing the Ten Commandments on stone?

Notice that Moses was not punished for defacing the irreplaceable Holy Stones touched by the very hands of God (when later he would be bitterly punished for angrily striking the rock that brought forth living water). The reason for this was because Moses had acted according to God’s will by breaking the tablets of law.

The Lawgiver placed within Moses the righteous wrath that took the tablets held them high within the sight of the wickedness and broke the stones.

This was a foretaste and prophecy of the Savior.

For that Rock was Christ. One day, Christ would be raised upon a tree, taking upon Himself the grievous sins of the world and the eternal consequences.

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53: 4, 5

Millennia later, just as Moses held up the rock before Israel and split it beneath him, our Savior Jesus Christ sitting with His disciples at the last meal lifted up the bread of life...

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. I Cor. 11: 24

Jesus became the broken one, the manna from heaven and the rock of our salvation.

Today, we observe this same eternal sacrifice in our worship. Our priest, as the New Covenant Moses, lifts high the Body of Christ, the eternal Bread of Life who because of love, healed our brokenness by being broken.

As we gaze upon the suffering passion of infinite mystery, of Emanuel, God-with-us placed upon a tree of curse and suffering:

We behold the Alpha and the Omega

We behold the enraged Dragon of deception thrown from Heaven,

We behold the Light of Creation dawning upon a dark and desolate world,

We behold Adam and Eve awakened and roused from their sleep,

We behold the crushing moment when Abram lifts the knife upon his son,

We behold swirling white Manna, like pure snowflakes falling from Heaven,

We behold angered Moses throwing down and shattering the Ten,

We behold the repentant King David rise from his knees with a clean heart,

We behold Nebuchadrezzar shedding his beastly and confused mind,

We behold Elijah fade as John is revealed in the desert,

We behold the Ave Maria, gratia plena becoming the New Eve,

We behold the Revelation of Jesus Christ,

We behold a new heaven and new earth, a universe washed clean.

We are beholding the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world

Behold Him who is broken for thee!

Another Apologist Refuting the Pagan Origin of Christmas

2011-12-23T16:45:00.001-05:00

http://www.crisismagazine.com/2011/christmas-pagan-romans-frodo-baggins

NICE PEOPLE

2011-12-20T14:15:00.000-05:00

Why are you an Adventist?” I ask my family and friends who are progressive or liberal SDAs.

I give them the “progressive” label because of their undying fidelity to the Sabbath even when they reject the legalisms of their doctrines of diet and sabbath keeping. Also because they have no more attachment to Ellen White than Christian pop vocalist Amy Grant. SDA prophecies about the last days? “Whatever”....they will shrug smugly. “Most Adventists don’t believe that other stuff anymore,” they claim defensively.

“Then become Messianic Jew or Seventh-day Baptist or some other mainstream church you agree with and who offer Sabbath services? Even better, come to Saturday mass with me at my Catholic church?”

They become uneasy at my question.

“No, I’m not going to change churches. I’m okay being SDA because it really doesn’t matter what sabbatarian church you go to as long as you love Jesus.” And that statement really means: It’s not just the Sabbath doctrine that is important to me. Because if it was just about Sabbath, they would easily slide into a different church that aligns more with what they believe.

Liberal Adventists are comfortable with their unique lifestyle and aren’t going to change churches even if other denominations do hold Sabbath services. It simply comes down, for them, to the SDA people. Most Adventists will stay in the pew no matter how much they disagree with some of their church’s teaching because they like their family and friends.

Many of the more liberal Adventists don’t want to be pinned down with doctrinal structure. They don’t think doctrines are as important as people. And frankly I think some confuse doctrines with people. Let me back up and explain:

Nice People

In a general sense, Christians today perceive doctrines as sterile statements of belief. Okay, they will admit to a few vital essentials--like the progressive SDA who picks the Sabbath issue and sticks with it. But other than the bare essentials, American Christians embrace that deep, philosophical theory of KISS and wear it as a badge of humble, spiritual sincerity. Or they give up, confused, and assume that truth is unknowable.

Therefore, since the importance of doctrine has been minimized, Christians look to people to fill that theological vacuum. Holiness by means of obedience to God’s truth (expressed in doctrines) has been replaced by righteousness via niceness. You discover a nice Christian leader? Well, he’s got to be right. He couldn’t possibly lead you astray.

So Christians rest comfortably in the bosom of “nice” leaders. However, there is a problem with nice people. Affable, unpretentious, enjoyable preachers who satisfy our inspirational and entertainment needs... could be wrong--dangerously wrong. Nice and right aren’t synonymous. So a sweet, affable shepherd is substituted for one who teaches correct doctrine.

When I point out to an Adventist that the Investigative Judgement isn’t biblical nor been taught by historic Christianity, they will look at me like I just hit their warm and compassionate pastor and they respond “... but Adventists are so kind” as if the two are linked in some way. I am constantly being accused of being critical of Adventists when I refute their sabbatarian doctrine!

And this is true for many Christians today. Nice has become our litmus test for truth. Nothing else seems to matter. Good-natured, pleasant, well-meaning and likable people somehow equal good people. Nice is the new righteousness.

The dilemma is that almost ALL people are nice. Bad people don’t know they are bad, they see themselves as humble, kind-hearted understanding and often they ARE! Nobody sees themselves as wearing the black hat and they go about in life acting in a way in which people cannot see their thoroughly evil doctrines that produce a life of sin.

These people didn’t begin with the intent of leading people astray. Their intent was benevolent and sincere. But without true doctrine, we each believe we can create our own doctrine and often that nullifies God’s truths. And the people falling for it are sometimes even more caring and more sincere, more zealous than those who rigidly and even coldly remain within true doctrine. Nice is not rigid like truth. Nice is like a loose gas that expands to fit any space.

People assume true godliness looks, sounds and feels unassuming, neighborly, hospitable, attentive, modest, tolerant or nonjudgemental. The insidious notion that we can trust nice leaders completely ignores scripture and history. Anything, the worst of human atrocities can be spun by clever propaganda to appear big-hearted, benign. And those doing the manipulating the propaganda sincerely believe what they are doing. They think they are being honorable and heroic.

And even if they air their sins openly, they are so personable, mild and meek and sympathetic, so friendly that everyone thinks they must not be such a bad guy. When in reality--a reality based upon the laws of God--they are living in open defiance of God’s commandments and are acting wickedly. They may have the appearance of being good, these people feel lamb-like, think polite thoughts, but they have no business shepherding God’s flock. They are false shepherds.

Reviewing the 2,000 year history of Christianity, I will make a bold statement. All the wolves in sheep clothing, all the arch-heretics of all time were nice. No one follows a jerk. It is the gracious and friendly charismatic charmer that wins hearts and leads people down the wide path to destruction. Spiritual wolves think they are good shepherds. They are as self-deluded as their followers. They are the blind leading the blind and they are utterly unaware that they are blind. False shepherds, very gently and with what they believe to be sincere love, enthusiastically drive their flock off a cliff. They wear a white hat. They project a born-again relationship with Christ, they claim sola scriptura and a deep understanding of the Bible. They often have Ph.Ds in some Biblical studies or theology. They talk the talk. They are agreeable, congenial and people follow and look the other way at their idiosyncrasies that may not match with what our Lord, Jesus Christ as well St. Paul demands of a true shepherd.

I can still see many of your wide-eyed, credulous response:

“But they are pleasant, amiable, soooo nice!”

And to many that is all that counts.

Now let us broaden it to a people group and return to our SDA friends. Because Adventists are so deferential, docile, kind, industrious, helpful--it is assumed that this alone makes them safe to reside within its culture. Progressive Adventists cannot see past people to doctrine. They don’t even know why one would need to do such a thing. Doctrine just isn’t a top priority. Nice people trumps true doctrine.

Did you know that the word “nice” isn’t found in the KJV, ASV, ESV, RSV, NRSV nor the NIV. The only place I could find it in the NAS version is in Jeremiah 12: 6 and it is a warning:

For even your brothers and the household of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you, Even they have cried aloud after you. Do not believe them, although they may say nice things to you.

We are people who naturally close our eyes and our hearts to difficult truths. But our Lord was very clear that we must worship in both spirit and truth. And truths found in doctrine spoken in love, may make us seem... not nice.

Former Adventist Survey Summary

2011-12-17T11:18:00.000-05:00

Former Adventist Survey Summary
November 2011
By Sandy Snelling Whetmore

Summary of Results
Over two hundred former Adventists participated in an anonymous online survey. Respondents were amazingly honest, open, and clear about their opinions and experiences.

Characteristics of the Respondents:

More than two thirds (68%) of those who took the survey had been members of the Seventh-day Adventist church for over twenty years. This would seem to imply that their knowledge of the doctrines, culture, and organizational system was quite extensive.

“The primary reason I left the Adventist church,” according to an overwhelming 86% of the respondents, was, “Doctrinal differences: disagreement over what the church teaches.” A smaller group (5.5%) reported leaving over, “Hurt feelings/anger with another person or group.” The remaining respondents (8%) said they, “Just didn‟t care anymore.”

Female respondents (56%) outnumbered males (44%). Over 80% were between the ages of 30 and 60 years of age. Most (71%) were married. There did not appear to be any clear political affiliation or conviction which included a predominant group, although 41% described themselves as “conservatives.”

Most participants (83%) were former members of the North American Division, while 6% were from the Southern Asia-Pacific Division and 9% from the South Pacific Division. However, several were not sure in which division they reside (see comments to Question #25).

Participants reported that 74% of them became members of the church when they were 13 years old or younger. Only 13% joined the church when they were older than twenty.

Probably related to the age at which they joined the church, 46% reported that, “I was too young to really make an informed decision about church membership.” Another 15% agreed that, “I probably didn‟t really understand all the aspects of becoming a Seventh-day Adventist when I joined the church.” Also, 22% said, “At the time, I thought I understood the doctrines, but it turned out there was a lot more to it that nobody told me about until after I joined the church.”

Because they were only able to choose one of the offered Adventist education options, there was some confusion over how best to respond to this question. However, it is interesting to note that only 12% of those answering the question had never attended an SDA school of any kind.

The educational level of the group of respondents was clearly above average: over 87% had attended college. Participants included 25% with a bachelors degree, 14% with a masters degree, and 6.5% with a doctoral degree.

Most of the respondents left the church as adults: 26% in their twenties, 24% in their thirties, and 24% in their forties.

Only 10% reported that one of their parents had been a member, but was now a former Adventist. Some of the respondents said that their parents were paid employees of the SDA church (15%), a pastor (8%), or a teacher (9%).

Asked about their level of participation in their local church six to twelve months prior to leaving, over half (52%) reported they, “Attended church regularly,” and 40% said they, “Regularly paid tithes or made other financial contributions.” This should be balanced with the report that 20%, “Rarely attended church,” and 11%, “Rarely contributed any financial gifts.”

Participants included a group of 30% who, “Were involved in a leadership position,” in their local church, some (4.3%) who, “Were involved in a leadership position,” in their conference or union, and others (7%) who were church employees when they left the church.

71% of those taking the survey said their decision to leave the Adventist church was influenced by intensive Bible study. Other influencing factors included, “Online information site or blog,” (42%), “A book I read (besides the Bible),” (33%), “A conversation with a friend or family member,” (32%), and “Studying with others,” (26%).

Over half (52.5%) confirmed that their name is still included on the books as a member of the Seventh-day Adventist church. Respondents‟ comments indicated frustration with trying to have their name removed and a reported great reluctance by the church to remove names from membership lists (see comments under question #9).

A few respondents (6%) reported that, “The church voted me out as part of „cleaning up our records,‟ and I was fine with that.” 53% just stopped attending. However, 35% wrote a letter asking for their membership to be removed.

Over 61% said that when they left the church their family and friends, “Were fearful for my salvation.” Other reactions included: “They tried to get me to change my mind,” (45%), “They felt betrayed,” (29%), “They really didn‟t care,” (28%), “They were shocked,” (28%), “They were embarrassed,” (23%) and “They „shunned‟ me,” (24%).

Many of the participants describe their “current religious beliefs” as “active Christian” (68%.) The largest portion of those attend, “A nondenominational Christian church,” (30%.) There did not seem to be any one religious organization which included more than 5% of the respondents. Another 45% reported they currently attend, “No church.” Seven per cent described themselves as atheists and 12% as agnostics.

Former Adventists appear evenly divided on their views regarding church membership. 40% “Do not believe being a member of a local congregation or denomination is necessary.” 27% are currently members of a church. 23% “Do not want to be a member of any church ever again.” 23% “Have not yet found a church where I wish to become a member.”

When reporting on their level of participation in the church they currently attend, only 40% say they, “Attend church regularly.” Another 43% attend church rarely or not at all.

Respondents described their initial emotions related to leaving the Adventist church in many ways: “Relief” (71%), “Joy” (41%), “Sadness” (40%), “Frustration” (25), “Anger” (22%), “Guilt” (20%), and “Fear” (20%).

However, participants described their current emotions related to not being associated with the Adventist church as: “Relief” (70%), “Joy” (63%), “Sadness” (14%), “Frustration” (7%), “Anger” (4%) “Fear” (3%), and “Guilt” (3%).

Comment Sections
The question which generated the most comments, #57, was about jewelry and adornment. 161 respondents expressed an opinion. Most of those comments, though, were statements that the topic was irrelevant. Many people took time to mention that, “The Bible says nothing that leads me to believe that there is anything wrong with wearing jewelry or adornment.”

The other three questions which generated a large number of comments were #59, “Music in church,” (156 comments); #63 “The role and writings of Ellen White,” (157 comments); and #65, “What to consider when choosing a church,” (153 comments).

Comments under the question about, “Cultural inclusiveness in church,” reflected views including apathy, general frustration with a lack of acceptance for those with different political views or sexual orientation, and disgust over separate conferences for racial groups.

Doctrinal Disagreement
The doctrines with which former Adventists disagreed the most were:
#45 “The gift of prophecy:” 80% strongly disagreed.
#51 “The investigative judgment:” 75% strongly disagreed.
#47 “The Sabbath:” 68% strongly disagreed.
#40 “The remnant and its mission:” 67% strongly disagreed.
#46 “The law of God:” 61% strongly disagreed.
#27 “Overall fundamental beliefs:” 59% strongly disagreed.
#56 “Concluding doctrinal statement: fundamental beliefs:” 59% strongly disagreed.
#35 “The great controversy:” 55% strongly disagreed.

Note: Comments provided by respondents have not been included in this summary. You may view those in a similar document entitled, “Full Report.”

FullReport.FormerAdventistSurvey.pdf

GOING ON SABBATICAL TILL CHRISTMAS

2011-10-01T06:48:00.004-04:00

I will be taking a break from cyberspace to work on a novel I am writing. This is my last post until then. Feel free to comment, but no comments will actually show up till I get back and can review them, sorry!

This story has nothing to do with Adventism, but with the idea of just how religious views can "coexist." Keep me in your prayers as I am gone.... God bless you all. Teresa Beem

**************************************************************

Oh the delicious irony, so dear to the heart of a writer and I was right in the middle of it.

In my agnostic youth, I was a fiery columnist for a university journal, affably titled, “It’s All Good.” It cerebrally embraced multiculturalism as a panacea for the world’s ills. We cried out that people were victims of damnable doctrine which was, by its nature, competitive. Tolerance seemed especially difficult with imperialistic religious dogma, especially the ideas of sin and salvation.

Later, as contributor to the “Pen Mightier Than Sword” an international writers-for-peace blog dedicated to helping all religions co-exist, I realized that as long as one group claims some superiority of truth or morals, there can be no compromise and peace is impossible. With competing ideas one wins and one loses. So we better come up with a good idea that will win against all these religious beliefs or the world will be perpetually at war. This propelled me into embracing ardent anti-theism.

Recently, I was hired by the UN to promote the agenda that there is one tolerant idea, “COEXIST” that will bring peace and will peacefully silence all other intolerant ideas. The soul of the movement is respect; respect each other’s gods, each other’s beliefs and moral values.

With the upcoming COEXIST: Looking Forward Conference being held in Brussels, I was given the task of updating the words for the opening song, sung by an interfaith children’s choir. So, my atheistic pen--wielded for decades--began rewriting “Jesus Loves Me” Laughable, but easy enough since the COEXIST committee accepted, “Being” as the universal name for God, Allah, Gaia, Buddah, etc... (inching out the anglo-centric “Providence.”) I scribbled:

“Being loves us, this we know,

For ancient writings tells us so.”

Horrific. I shuttered on so many levels. I was relieved to find the committee decided it should be sung in French and the task was passed on to the Paris branch. My new project was to write the history of the United Nations COEXIST movement from an American perspective to be part of the conference’s resources.

Again, the irony struck me as I recalled the first time I wrote about the movement. I was just a kid, already used to being jetted all over the world as a peace-demonstration reporter. Held in the desert of Sedona, Arizona, the rally was much larger than expected. COEXIST4Peace, the American branch of the movement, had encouraged all religions to participate.

Unfortunately, a group of men with JN3:16 tattooed on their forearms got into a debate with some neo-pagans about how one is saved. This particular branch of neo-pagans believed they alone lived after death, evidently no Christians were allowed. When the Christian insisted that all are saved through Jesus alone and began singing the hymn, “Jesus Saves” a fight broke out where several were hospitalized.

Smugly, I reported that doctrines about who saves can get you killed.

After similar incidences--including one skirmish about the reality of an ever-burning hell, all debate was banned from the rallies. Then distributing tracts that promoted a religion was banned. Because of that the Mormons must have decided they couldn’t co-exist anymore, because I never again saw a visible presence of their church.

Then at another event in Boston, a lesbian bishop was asked to offer a blessing over an ecumenical communion and when the Catholic priests did not participate, the LGBT group was insulted and formally boycotted the next few events. After the UN strong-armed the U.S. bishops to offered a pathetically weak apology, the group became even more inflamed and began protesting during the COEXIST rallies worldwide. Homophobes began counter-protesting and again, casualties became common.

The following weeks, I began a full frontal assault on the cancerous position that there is something called “sin” that can be universally identified. To authentically co-exist that bloodthirsty belief must be evolved out of us, by compulsion if necessary.

By far, the worst rally was in Cairo when the speaker went long and conflicted with the evening Moslem prayer. As the speaker paused while the worshippers placed their prayer rugs on the ground and prostrated themselves, two well-meaning American Jewish women, caught in the ecumenical moment, knelt beside the Moslems and placed their hands on the men’s back to pray with them. They didn’t know that their behavior not only invalidated the Moslem’s prayers, but the fact that their female bodies were not fully covered was an insult to Allah. When this was reported on Al-Jezeera, the Middle East cascaded into bedlam, synagogues were torched, fighting broke out in the streets and dozens of people were killed.

Eventually, after a year to calm down and regroup, the UN prepared for a new wave of the COEXIST campaign. This time, with a more aggressive platform for peace.

A small think-tank was brought in and their COEXIST stealth plan was approved. We watched it unfold all during the early part of this century without even realizing it.

Their first step advanced the idea of a voluntary PRBS--Personalized Religious Beliefs System. This international campaign promoted the idea that to COEXIST all religion should be a private matter between you and your god (now, Being).

The PRBS committee retained some celebrities to star in a reality show about how to create your own “designer religion” based upon your private covenant with your Being. American forefathers’ writings were misquoted or even fabricated to seem as if they encourage a patriotic, individualized spirituality. PRBS was suggested as the perfect solution to preserved the sacred separation of church and state.

As an incentive, the PRBS would allow one to voluntarily register one’s personal moral code with the government to be kept in an international data file so that the person could gain a tax-exempt status as his or her own religion. (Of course that status was revoked later.) The fine print stated that you could only hold one religion at a time and all non-PRBS religious affiliations must be relinquished.

The brilliant second step was this: during a presidential campaign, a “Fair Speech” bill was passed that required political advertising to give equal time to the opposition. A religious clause was added at the last minute that required the same from religious advertising. That discouraged fundamentalist billboard ads when they realized they would have to pay for another billboard nearby with the opposite view.

Simultaneously, a “Truth in Advertising” law was passed that demanded fact-checking at every presidential speech, commercial and financial disclosure. Again a clause slipped in also demanded this of religious organizations. Since churches had no way to prove their doctrinal positions, they could no longer publicly advertise in any way.

But to show good faith to all the religious Americans who had been growing unnerved with what they perceived as these new anti-religion laws, The Golden Rule was quickly sent through congress and signed by the president, as seen in internet photos, with a back drop of grinning clergy.

Then celebrities went public alongside well-known religious leaders to promote The Golden Rule as a brilliant resolution to achieve peace through a respectful citizenship. It was a kumbaya moment as clerics and movie stars linked arm-in-arm to spell out the word COEXIST.

The details later revealed that The Golden Rule meant a ban of religious hate-speech including proselytization--touted as terribly discourteous and a public annoyance. It outlawed divisive speech about an actual heaven or hell; as well as public prayers as discriminatory indoctrination. Oral and written speech could not denigrating anyone’s sincerely held values; the most legally protected being those registered at the PRBS.

In a Green Initiative a proviso was slipped in that outlawed new permits to build churches, renovate or add additions to existing church structures.

COEXIST’s next step was to foment (in reality, employ) zealots to vandalize opposing churches. When the crimes were against major religions, it was reported as understandable actions from frustrated and victimized minority believers. When violence was against the minority religions, it was reported as expected considering the long history of inexcusable, abusive domination of religion itself.

International commercials aired deriding public religion. Some will recall the famous black and white mock Victorian-era commercial where friends sharing tea in a parlor blushed over religious comments as if they were shameful, sexually-explicit jokes.

In recent memory, COEXIST4Peace sponsored The Anti-Simony Act. Nicknamed “Religion Must be Free,” by a large group of people claiming to have very conservative and generous PRBS’s. The act made it illegal for anyone to profit from religion in any way. No earning a living from book sales, religious publications or materials.

Soon after that all citizens were required to have a PRBS licensed by the state.

The government anticipated a backlash to these laws and prepared for religion to go underground. A new branch of the feds was discreetly created to root out subversive charismatic leaders who might brainwash a gullible and uneducated public.

The feds arrested some young men with illegal religious downloads on their computers. Clearly bigoted passages from the Bible inferred that marriage is a monogamous relationship between one man and one woman subverting the COEXIST Marriage Act which legalizes all relationships as long as one entity (of any species) is judged able to maintain a stable commitment for at least one month.

Coexist international issued resolutions that encouraged countries to enact laws denouncing circumcision as child abuse and banning clothing such as head scarves, veils, Hassidic curls and skull caps. Nothing could be publicly displayed to identify one’s religious, so in defiance some young Jewish men were jailed when they sewed the Star of David on their jackets.

For almost a decade COEXIST4Peace held back from any more legislation to give society time to adjust to this new privatized religion.

We encountered pockets of religious prejudice as local Taiwanese illegally banned together and kidnapped child prostitutes in order to “rescue” them. Reporters suggested these religious outlaws believed that paying for sex with a child was immoral. This moral stance had not been stated in their PRBS, and even if it had, no moral beliefs can go beyond the person.

Their unregistered belief clashed with attitudes that have historically been lax towards the practice. Since COEXIST legally protects all beliefs equally, the Taiwanese outlaws were eventually apprehended and jailed.

No matter how much effort went into educating the populations about peaceful co-existence of religious views, the UN was shocked when a international poll revealed that 87% of people still considered religious views other than their own as false or even evil; 34% conceded that they secretly belonged to a religious-oriented organization that proselytized.

Almost all of the group polled acknowledged that history books had influenced their decision to believe a doctrine other than the ones they originally registered in their PRBS. Some admitted they believed religious organizations were busy preparing for a public resurgence.

Because COEXIST was run primarily by educated atheists and anti-theists whose philosophy is based in objective, scientific realities, we were not prepared to encounter the ignorance ingrained into the vast human population. Cultivated beneath the idea of right and wrong, good and bad, heaven and hell, morals and “sin” religion had programmed this deep bigotry into brain synapses in such a way that it was virtually impossible to reverse the thinking patterns.

History supports this idea when we look at the Middle East. The religious wars that have plagued that region for a millennia can be blamed on an unfiltered ingestion of their sacred scriptures. This generational bigotry must be defused before and during the formative years. So the implementation of an international child-rescue effort was initiated.

Almost immediately, a resolution was brought before the UN international panel of religious scholars, to stop the false and distorting historical referencing in children’s education about religion.

UN Bill H6843 “Getting History Right” passed unanimously. It was introduced by the COEXIST chairman reading a quote from Napoleon, “History is a set of lies agreed upon” and urged the international community to begin the process of reconstructing an authentic history, rather than the lies we have accepted through the years.

All sacred writings must have clearly on the cover a warning that nothing contained therein is historically verifiable and it is a fictitious work of hate speech written to promote intolerance and invoke hostility against the Golden Rule.

All upcoming educational books were to erase references to religion.

At the UN announcement, there was a standing ovation when Mein Kampf and Luther’s The Jews and Their Lies was placed on the “Stupid People Read This Book” list.

There was tentative scattered applause when Foxe’s Books of Martyrs, as well as books about the Inquisition, and the Jewish holocaust were included in the list. These, again, promoted a false history that incites religious bigotry.

The panel assured everyone that the legality of the list of banned books was based not upon censorship, which they were absolutely, strongly against, but because readers assumed the works were part of some legitimate history. Once the new history books had been written and taught, at some future date, these books would again be released under the heading of fiction.

**********

The only legislation that met a great deal of resistance was the “Children’s Right to Free Thought” act that required all parents to obtain a license to teach their children religion. Parents had to undergo rigorous training and supervision so that children would have the same access to all perspectives. No child would be allowed to be baptized or claim a religious preference till voting age, and at that time they would undergo an anti-indoctrination course before being allowed to legally register their Personalized Religious Belief System.

For a time, personalized religious beliefs were registered by the state under the name of the person, for example, registered: Jane Lois Doe PRBS. Descriptive names (such as Jehovah believer, Aryan, Zen) were deemed too divisive. Parents then began to name their boys Calvin, Mohammed, Buddah, Christian, Moses; girls were named Grace and Faith. Even the attempt at being enigmatic naming offspring “Tulip” or Bjornagain” failed and the UN issued a list of acceptable names for children. To prevent a person feeling his private, personalized religious rights ha been violated, a clause was added that allowed a monthly rental for non-approved names, the fee going into an anti-discrimination fund.

From then on Personalized Religious Belief Systems were issued by random lottery number--as it was now illegal to name your religion.

*****

Whew, a few concentrated notes about the last fifty years of the movement--at least what I can remember at the moment, jotted down in a hurry. And now, I am caught up to today.

Pondering my reply, if asked how I would take COEXIST forward (which certainly will never happen). Here are my initial thoughts anyway:

Universal tolerance will be an eternal, yet necessary human-rights struggle. Peace can be maintained through the equal protection of all multicultural beliefs.

The overwhelming success of the Personalized Religious Belief System has proven a good solution to keep out of the public sector an imperialistic and dogmatic morality.

Threatening expressions such as “evil” and “sin” have no place in a civilized world. Combative faith that claims salvation exclusively through one god or truth must be vigilantly contained until eradicated.

COEXIST is convinced that our sacred Being-given rights are best expressed by not expressing them. Indeed my only suggestion for another further step would be to convince people that religion is, in fact, no more than personal thought and that any real god would be private, unspoken thought itself. For eternal peace, “Being” must never leave the confines of the individual. This is the only way that I can see COEXIST remaining successful in the future.

Note: There is a huge difference between the idea of coexisting and unity. The coexist movement divides us into little units of fearful silent neutrality, which supports the tyranny of Relativism and all gods equally. Coexisting uses the veil of respect and tolerance to intimidate and silence its opponents. It's inevitable that the coexist movement become dictatorial.

Unity brings us together under ONE truth and one God.

You must choose which you will submit to, for we will have to submit to one. Anarchy, autonomy and freedom is promised in one--but after entering that deceptive facade, it enslaves. Obedience is required of the other--but it brings joyful citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven. One brings death, the other brings life. It isn't about you and your rights. The Devil doesn't care. And he sets out the bait of liberty and freedom to catch you.

Anarchy

2011-09-21T09:33:00.003-04:00

A RC H Y RULES!!

I AM A TOTAL ANARCHIST!!

And what I mean by that is that I am a devoted Roman Catholic who promised faithful submission to God’s appointed leaders the pope and Catholic tradition and their authoritative interpretation of the infallible written Word of God.

Hey, this is America and I have a right to believe anything I want and call myself anything I want. Being a Total Anarchist words have no other meaning than what I personally recognize. And being a Total Anarchist, words should never have a consistent meaning because that would be too structured, so tomorrow I’ll probably define Total Anarchist as a Fundamentalist Baptist who is faithful to the pope.

Being a Total Anarchist, I don’t care if this makes any sense to anyone else but me. Indeed that is a fundamental principle of anarchy. Chaos. Duh mooooor kayyyoss zee butter. Shoot, that was way too clear, let me try again--”me no love chaos, you Jane.”

Huh? you react? Yep, then I’ve done my duty.

Okay, here’s my point:

In today’s culture we all consider it our right to self-label no matter how far from the traditional meaning a label is. We create our own personalized dictionary and we don’t care whether it remotely resembles how society takes it.

“I am a Calvinist,” he casually tosses out. But really that person is meaning that he was baptized a three point, neo-Dutch Calvinist, but he neither attends church and knows more about Calvin Klein underwear than Calvin’s doctrine.

“I’m a Seventh-day Adventist” another person claims and then the hearer assumes that the speaker’s beliefs resemble something of the 28 Fundamentals and then puts a check mark in their brain such as, “do not ask this person to join me in a shrimp cocktail at the fashion show next Saturday.”

Yet, actually it is a Progressive Adventists who would love to join the hearer in a shrimp cocktail next Saturday at the fashion show.

Very confusing.

Words have lost their meaning. Faith, salvation, grace, born-again, law--all these terms have radically different meanings to different religious traditions. Communication is hard enough without creating an anarchy within our religious terms. And yet that is exactly what has happened.

Being a Catholic means that you submit your opinions, your interpretations and your rights to God’s appointed authorities in Rome. So why are so many Catholics out there claiming you can be pro-choice, pro-same-sex marriage when the church has always been clear on both points for its 2,000 year history? Being pro-life and pro life-long monogamous marriage between one man and one woman is a dogma that can never change no matter who is sitting on the pope’s seat. People who claim they are Catholic or SDA or any other religion but don’t agree with the basic tenets are creating their own mental church and labeling it anything they want.

It would be much simpler if we would all just call ourselves what we really are. If you are not in agreement with the 28 fundamental beliefs of the SDA church--say, perhaps you don’t believe Ellen White was a prophetess, why not just call yourself a sabbatarian or a levitical law sabbatarian. Why label yourself as SDA and confuse everyone?

You have a right to label yourself anything, but why not label yourself where others can know what you believe. Otherwise you’re technically an anarchist.

Why Adventism is Prophetically Wrong

2011-09-17T09:24:00.001-04:00

My dearest Seventh-day Adventist friends and family, please believe I am humbly writing our of the sincerest love for God and you. For just a moment, sheathe your fear and defensiveness and open your hearts to my words. If I am wrong, have faith that God will not allow you to be deceived. God is good and all powerful, and when you are with Him, He promises not to let anyone snatch you from His hands.

I appeal to your faith in God as sovereign and I willingly, happily pray that if my words are not of Him, may He show them to be deceived and of the Devil. I am not afraid of being wrong. I am more afraid of being right and not writing this to you:

********

Look at the world. You, you dear SDA have spent your life looking for signs of Jesus‘ glorious second return. I know the devotion of your heart. You are such a good people, so kind, so zealous for God--so earnestly wanting to see the end of the world and Jesus' reign.

Whether or not that moment is near is not given to us to know, but the signs of our society’s apocalypse is imminent. Evil has taken over and we are about to plunge into a dark ages of sin and chaos the world has rarely seen. America and Western culture are on the very precipice of moral destruction.

Satan’s forces are strong and God’s people, His Beloved Bride, is the only thing that is going to stand between the utter destruction of mankind--not only perhaps physically, but more importantly, I am directly speaking of spiritually. Sin is no longer spoken about. Sin has taken over and is strangling our innocent children. The world is crying out for Salvation and its only hope is the Body of Christ.

That is why I ask each and every one of you to really think about Jesus’ command to His disciples to stay unified. Satan knew the moment of his triumph could only happen if he could combine the forces of evil and divide God’s people. Please take the time to read the last prayer of Jesus before He went to His death. He prayed for unity--not divisions. We are to be ONE people.

No one, no Christian cares if you worship on Saturday. God is pleased when we worship any day and all days of the week. Do not use this issue to break the commandment of Christ that we should stay unified. “What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.” “A house divided will fall.”

Time to jettison all things that truly divide us as children of God and join together that we may be a witness to the world of our love. The power of a unified Christianity (and unity with His people Israel) to show the world a God of love, mercy, forgiveness and righteousness.

Any prophecy that encourages us to fear each other, to stay “separate” from other Christians is not of God. You must deny us as Christians in order to remain separate. God calls to unify even more as his second return is closer:

...not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:25

There will be no voice powerful enough to show a Good God if we are all maintain a stubborn and prideful suspicion of each other. We are infighting with each other as the world is being enslaved to the Devil and his tyranny of relativism.

I beseech you, my brothers and sisters in Christ!

Your prophecy pits us against each other. It makes us--Christians who are not SDA--the potential enemy, so you withdraw from unity in fear. Can this prophecy really be of God, who has commanded unity? Can this fear of us produce the love required of God for each other?

Dearest Adventists, open your hearts and minds to the possibility that your last-day prophecy was not of God. Those people of God outside Adventism will not judge you nor ridicule you if you join us. We will embrace you and feed you and then when you are able to stand, we will hand you the sword of the spirit to join us in battle.

I assure you, I am aware that Christianity seems hopelessly shattered into many different camps and even if you did come out, we wouldn’t be unified out here. I know, it certainly looks like that. But God will never forsake His Bride. Do not look at the outer appearance. Miracles happen all the time.

Darkness is growing, we must join our little lights together so that we can illumine the way for all the lost souls wishing an escape from sin. We need you Adventists and you need us. A prophesy that divides is not of God.

Colleen Tinker--one of my heroes!

2011-09-14T06:56:00.000-04:00

Does the Sabbath Continue in the New Covenant?

2011-09-14T06:48:00.001-04:00

This is a presentation at the FAF Weekend by Pastor Dale Ratzlaff:

http://youtu.be/2Es9xJutiwo

7, 77 and 70 X 7: How Christ fulfills the prophecy of Daniel

2011-09-10T08:30:00.002-04:00

From :

http://newtheologicalmovement.blogspot.com/2011/09/seven-seventy-seven-and-seventy-times.html

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.”

While Peter was already being fairly generous in offering to forgive his brother seven times, our Savior insists that forgiveness must be unconditional – and this was the meaning of his words: And if he sin against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day be converted unto thee, saying, I repent; forgive him. (Luke 17:4)

In response to Peter’s question, the good Jesus uses the number “seven” to convey the totality of forgiveness. While Peter considered “seven” solely as according to the letter, the Savior raises our hearts and minds to the recognition of the true spirit of his words. Many translations render our Lord’s words not as seventy-seven times, but as seventy times seven times (i.e. four hundred ninety times).

There is a great mystery hidden in these numbers.

Seven times, meaning totality

St. Peter had understood our Lord’s words narrowly, as though “seven times” were the limit of forgiveness. However, the Savior makes it clear that “seven” signifies not so much the literal number, but rather the figure of totality.

Just as there are seven days in the week, so too all of time is included in the number seven. And in the recurrence of the seven day week, so too is included also all the sins that could fill those seven days. Hence, when our Lord had said, If he sin against thee seven times (Luke 17:4), he meant, “Whatsoever your brother may do against thee and howsoever he may sin against thee.”

Fr. Cornelius a’ Lapide offers this comment: “But Peter did not clearly understand whether seven times were to be taken definitely for the precise number seven, or whether it were to be taken indefinitely for as often as might be needed. He asks therefore Christ to explain His meaning, and to tell him exactly how often he was to forgive his brother his trespasses. Peter’s breast was narrow as yet carnal, and bounded by the flesh. He could not understand the infinite abyss of mercy which there was in the Divine nature of Christ.”

...Seventy times seven times, the prophecy of Daniel

If our Savior said, seventy times seven times (i.e. four hundred ninety times), this signifies “times without number” – for not only must we forgive every type of sin, but we must forgive every sin any number of times.

St. Hilary sees an allusion to Lamech (whose sins were great so as to incure the divine wrath), Sevenfold vengeance shall be taken for Cain: but for Lamech seventy times sevenfold. (Genesis 4:24) Thus, though the sins of men have mounted on and on without number, the Lord continues to forgive all those who are contrite and beg his mercy.

There is another mystery hidden in the number “seventy times seven”.

[21] As I was yet speaking in prayer, behold the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, flying swiftly touched me at the time of the evening sacrifice. [22] And he instructed me, and spoke to me, and said: O Daniel, I am now come forth to teach thee, and that thou mightest understand. [23] From the beginning of thy prayers the word came forth: and I am come to shew it to thee, because thou art a man of desires: therefore do thou mark the word, and understand the vision. [24] Seventy weeks are shortened upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, that transgression may be finished, and sin may have an end, and iniquity may be abolished; and everlasting justice may be brought; and vision and prophecy may be fulfilled; and the saint of saints may be anointed. [25] Know thou therefore, and take notice: that from the going forth of the word, to build up Jerusalem again, unto Christ the prince, there shall beseven weeks, and sixty-two weeks: and the street shall be built again, and the walls in straitness of times. (Daniel 9:21-25)

From the Douay-Rheims commentary:

[21] "The man Gabriel"... The angel Gabriel in the shape of a man.

[23] "Man of desires"... that is, ardently praying for the Jews then in captivity.

[24] "Seventy weeks"... Viz., of years, (or seventy times seven, that is, 490 years,) are shortened; that is, fixed and determined, so that the time shall be no longer.

[25] "From the going forth of the word"... That is, from the twentieth year of king Artaxerxes, when by his commandment Nehemias rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, 2 Esd. 2. From which time, according to the best chronology, there were just sixty-nine weeks of years, that is, 483 years to the baptism of Christ, when he first began to preach and execute the office of Messias.-- Ibid.

[25] "In straitness of times"... angustia temporum: which may allude both to the difficulties and opposition they met with in building: and to the shortness of the time in which they finished the wall, viz., fifty-two days.

[26] And after sixty-two weeks Christ shall be slain: and the people that shall deny him shall not be his. And a people with their leader that shall come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary: and the end thereof shall be waste, and after the end of the war the appointed desolation. [27] And he shall confirm the covenant with many, in one week: and in the half of the week the victim and the sacrifice shall fall: and there shall be in the temple the abomination of desolation: and the desolation shall continue even to the consummation, and to the end. (Daniel 9:26-27)

Again, from the Douay-Rheims Bible Commentary:

[26] "A people with their leader"... The Romans under Titus.

[27] "In the half of the week"... or, in the middle of the week, etc. Because Christ preached three years and a half: and then by his sacrifice upon the cross abolished all the sacrifices of the law.-- Ibid.

[27] "The abomination of desolation"... Some understand this of the profanation of the temple by the crimes of the Jews, and by the bloody faction of the zealots. Others of the bringing in thither the ensigns and standard of the pagan Romans. Others, in fine, distinguish three different times of desolation: viz., that under Antiochus; that when the temple was destroyed by the Romans; and the last near the end of the world under Antichrist. To all which, as they suppose, this prophecy may have a relation.

The Joys of Humility

2011-09-07T07:30:00.010-04:00

Little Sister Kathryn Ann told me she was praying for me, that I was filled with pride.

That struck me deeply. She had no idea what she was talking about. My entire life had been satiated with tormenting insecurities and self-hatred. How dare she judge me? She didn’t know me. To rise to the occasion, I forgave her. After all, she was Catholic and I was Protestant and she didn’t know better.

I had joined RCIA, the adult education classes for those inquiring about Catholicism--and I was there just to verify if what some of my Catholic friends were telling me--no more. The elderly old woman had been chosen for my sponsor and things didn’t start out well. I wasn’t especially grateful that this nun took time out of her extremely busy schedule as teacher to sit next to me in all the classes with her head bowed praying for me. I didn’t understand the point. And then to insult me? Yeah, I was so not impressed with Catholicism at that moment.

I had entered purgatory and my life would never be the same. And I am not talking about theology.

***********

What I have been learning ever since is that as weird as it may seem, as counterintuitive, pride and self-hatred are mated together. Pride and insecurities feed off each other and are always found together for pride is parasitic.

Psychiatrists and counselors wouldn’t dare breathe the truth about the matter--if they are aware of it. Society recognizes the self-esteem catastrophe within our youth and have ingrained in all the teachers' training courses how to build children’s self-confidence. When, in the end, it is impossible to teach people to love themselves. They cannot do it.

As Christians, our response is that we can learn to love ourselves when we experience and know how much Christ loves us. But often, those words don’t plunge deep enough to repair us, for it is not just a head knowledge, but a heart knowledge that cannot be forced by mantras or worship.

I found worth in the strangest place. Totally unexpected.

We can’t get at at self-acceptance without going through the eye of the needle, or maybe I should say the fires of purgation.

The last two years, God has shown me that Sister Kathryn Ann was right. I have been full of pride. I wrestled with God over this one, for there hasn’t been a day in my life that I didn’t hurt dreadfully because I felt I wasn’t good enough, that I needed to try and impress everyone around me, for fear I would be lost in a cosmic nothingness. I had to dress nicely, put myself out there with singing and being involved, leading, accomplishing. All for fear that if I was quiet, I’d disappear.

Somehow with all this fear, pride slipped in and began leeching off this need to be noticed, this need to be pretty, this need to be better. The vampire of pride drains you and dehydrates you of true love for self and others and even God.

There is no self-help book or advice that is going to work. No classes, no Stuart Smalley mental repetitions of, "I'm good enough I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me," and no Zig Ziglar is going to repair the inherent sin of self-hatred. Humility is the only healer.

*******

Catholicism has done a great deal to humiliate me. It hasn’t felt good to know that I have been wrong my whole life. Catholicism has forced me to my knees in confusion and brokenness. It has shown me that I have my place and I need to humbly submit to it. It has ripped away my self-confidence and shredded my feelings of control.

That isn’t easy.

But attached to all these subconscious and internal safeguards I was clinging to, was pride and the terror of self-doubts. Not to say they are totally healed as this is a process I am sure will take the rest of my life. But my insides have been gutted by God and a new person is emerging that I simply don’t recognize.

There is a rich, intense and mysterious peace that comes from humility. A security I had never expected.

For the first time in my life, I am letting compliments saturate me instead of flinging them off with pride. I believe and trust that others are telling me the truth, while before I thought so little of other’s opinions. My opinion was the only one worth trusting.... and I hated myself because I didn't look like Lana Turner and that was that.... I wasn't Heddy Lamar so I was nothing.

As counterintuitive as it appears, pride keeps one from feeling worthy. Self-confidence is a huge lie.

When we humbly submit to God and recognize that He is in charge--when we sacrifice our self-esteem and rights and understanding at the foot of the Cross---when we accept that He is ruler and Lord and we are but mere servants who obey Him, all of a sudden, the gift comes. The gift of grace that flows heavenly upon a soul parched from pride.

Instead of looking at women more beautiful than me and feeling defeated, unloved, I can now look upon them with such admiration. Beauty is a wonderful gift from God, even in other women. It was pride that made me hate them. Their beauty killed my self-esteem. Now, I can see the beauty in myself. God has shown it to me. And somehow through His eyes, I can see it!

Now, I don’t compare myself with others, I lavish and enjoy the gifts God has given them. I love that others are successful and smart. Their success, their intelligence doesn’t make me fear anymore.

I only write this because I know hundreds of young girls out there feel just as I have. I don’t want them to learn this when they are gray-haired. I want so badly to spare them years of heartbreaking searching for self-esteem and self-worth.

God is the answer. You must learn to let go of trying to be better, prettier, smarter, more successful than other people. Not just in praying for God to show you how great you are. You aren’t going to learn it through bucking yourself up. You will learn it through humility, through submissive obedience to God and the knowledge that He is the only opinion you can trust.

Prepare yourself. Wrenching pride and self-hatred from your soul is going to hurt. I'm sorry about that, but I can tell you when you are on the other side of humility--it is going to feel better than you can imagine. For it is only when the veil of pride is ablaze and we can see clearly the goodness of God, we can see ourselves. And that is going to shock and awe you.

BREAKING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

2011-09-02T11:37:00.001-04:00

I don't mean to be harsh in this post. I just want to show Adventists that they--AS AN ORGANIZATION--their doctrines actually break the Ten Commandments. All of us fall short and we all must rely on God's grace. But within the actual system of Adventism, their doctrines and lifestyle actually TEACH the breaking of the commandments. For example:

1. The Seventh-day Adventist Church breaks the first commandment when they teach that the TEN Commandments were above God. This is part of the vision their prophetess Ellen White claimed an angel told her-- that the Father and the Son were not in the Holiest place until 1844. That put the Ten Commandments in the Holy of Holies, higher than God Himself. The SDA claim is that God was not in the universe's most holy place--in a LESS holy place, for almost 2,000 years. They place the Ten Commandments above God Himself and claim that God is subject to His own laws.

Before the throne I saw the Advent people, the church and the world. I saw a company bowed down before the throne, deeply interested, while the most them stood disinterested and careless. ....And I saw the Father rise from the throne, and in a flaming chariot go into the, within the vail, and did sit. [Into the Holy of Holies] Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and the most those who were bowed down arose with him: and I did not see one ray of light pass from Jesus to the careless multitude after he arose, and they were left in perfect darkness. ....And I saw a cloudy chariot, with wheels like flaming fire, and angels were all around it as it came where Jesus was. He stepped into the chariot and was borne to the Holiest where the Father sat. From the chapter: "A View of Events Occurring at the End of the 2300 Days" {ExV 43.1}

2. The Seventh-day Adventist Church breaks the second commandment by serving the false gospel of sabbatarianism and the Three Angels' Message. The writings of Ellen White claim the new SDA "everlasting gospel" is the highest and most important message of all time. That supersedes the coming of Christ and the cross. This is idolatry.

In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists have been set in the world as watchmen and lightbearers. To them has been entrusted the last warning for a perishing world. On them is shining wonderful light from the word of God. They have been given a work of the most solemn import—the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels’ messages. There is no other work of so great importance. They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention. The most solemn truths ever entrusted to mortals have been given us to proclaim to the world. The proclamation of these truths is to be our work. {3TT 288}

3. The Seventh-day Adventist Church breaks the third commandment when they call themselves the sole remnant denying all other Christians called by His name. That is taking His name in vain.

Fundamental # 13. Remnant and Its Mission: The universal church is composed of all who truly believe in Christ, but in the last days, a time of widespread apostasy, a remnant has been called out to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. This remnant announces the arrival of the judgment hour, proclaims salvation through Christ, and heralds the approach of His second advent. This proclamation is symbolized by the three angels of Revelation 14; it coincides with the work of judgment in heaven and results in a work of repentance and reform on earth. Every believer is called to have a personal part in this worldwide witness.

4. The Seventh-day Adventist Church breaks the fourth commandment by working on lunar sabbaths (as this is how they knew the sabbath day in ancient Israel.) They also fail to keep the sabbath by lighting fire and they do not kill people work on Sabbath. Do any gather food, bake or boil it? (Ex. 16: 23)

Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, "These are the things the LORD has commanded you to do: For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it must be put to death. Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day." Ex. 5: 1-3

Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people. Ex. 31: 14, 15; 35: 2, 3; Lev. 16: 31; Num. 15:32;

5. The Seventh-day Adventist Church breaks the fifth commandment by encouraging children to become SDA against their parents wishes. (Remember all those mission stories in Sabbath school?)

6. Adventism breaks the sixth commandment when it allows the murder of innocent unborn children in its hospitals.

http://arthurandteresabeem.blogspot.com/2011/01/from-washington-post-jan-24-2011.html

7. The Seventh-day Adventist Church breaks the seventh commandment when it allows SDA leaders who have been divorced for other reasons than unfaithfulness to remain as leaders. Their fundamental beliefs state that when a person divorces for anything other than fornication, they commit adultery. So, according to their own understanding of the commandment, they knowingly allow adulterers as leaders in their church.

SDA Fundamental # 23. Marriage and the Family: ".... Regarding divorce, Jesus taught that the person who divorces a spouse, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery.

8. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has broken the eighth commandment for they have stolen for decades through its ingathering practices of begging for money for the "poor and needy" and the money ending up paying for SDA schooling and other denominational projects.

9. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has broken the ninth commandment when it bears false witness against its Christian neighbors by distorting the facts of history by claiming Constantine changed the sabbath, that worshipping on Sunday is wrong, by claiming that the early church didn't worship on Sunday, and teaching the papacy is the antichrist. It's entire message is based upon falsification of its Christian brothers and sisters beliefs and history.

(see Great Controversy.)

10. The Seventh-day Adventist Church covets its neighbor's media attention, its mainstream status, its Christians (as Adventism's proselityzing leeches off of other Christian denominations), and its Bible--for it stole the words and distorted them in the Clear Word.

Please feel free to add your own observations!

Former Adventists' Journey

2011-08-31T17:34:00.003-04:00

Lately, some of my former SDA friends have expressed concerned about me (as my journey with Christ is made public in my blogging and facebook). They believe I am falling back into strident legalism because of my new emphasis on behavior. I can see how they would think that.

Let me clarify by pointing out some stages that most people leaving the Adventist church go through and maybe this will explain my sudden “return” to behavior. This is a lengthy explanation but will also help those outside looking in on how to help former SDAs (killing two birds with one stone.....) So, contrary to all writing standards, this is written to two audiences--formers and never-been Adventists and is really about two different topics: (One day I’ll break it into two posts, for clarity sake. But today I am very tired!)

PART ONE

AUDIENCE: ADVENTISTS, FORMER ADVENTISTS, and INQUIRING CHRISTIANS

Stage One: The SDA Refugee

Most Christians misunderstand the needs of an Adventist newly thrown ashore from the theological shipwreck of their church. These Christians are not babes in the faith, they are fully grown and believe in the Bible. They are more stunted by theological abuse, twisted and deformed by false doctrine. They have heroically, daringly jumped ship of a sinking vessel and have endured a terrible emotional trauma of being cast out to sea without food and water.

Many new former Adventists have suffered severe trauma and are in desperate need of 911 Christian help when they are found face down washed up on the beach of mainstream Christianity. They do not, at the moment, need to be “educated” about the Bible. Mostly, they need to feel accepted and nurtured by Christians in other denominations. They are not stupid, nor ignorant, nor scary. They do not have leprosy. They need support and healing.

Many former SDAs have given all to escape what they experienced as a theological prison and often when they walk into another denomination, they are looked at with suspicion or with a total lack of understanding. This of course, is understandable, and I am not criticizing Christians. They just need some education about how to deal with an ever growing situation of discovering former Adventists at their doorstep.

Christians need to listen with love to a former SDA.

There are some Christians who assume that this person was so spiritually mature in order to leave Adventism, that they are ready to pick up the spiritual sword and get into the Christian battle. No, actually, most former SDAs need a nice long vacation from spiritual battles and don’t even need to be aware that there is one. They need to feel the peace of God and the assurance of His love and salvation.

Their entire world has ended, and they need a great deal of time to readjust to a different reality. They need nurture and prayers to heal from the traumatic fear and prejudice indoctrinated into them.

Most former SDAs will go through all the stages of grieving such as denial and isolation. Many SDAs will become atheists, agnostics and shun religious institutions. (Just in case you meet one at the store, rather than in a church setting.) Attempting to “convert” them is not the best thing. Be God to them, love and serve them, do not pressure them to think like you do. Trust that if God lifted the veil of Adventist error that He is leading them in the right direction. Often they will be angry, bitter or depressed. (Not necessarily at people, but at Adventist doctrines.)

The transition, no matter how close they are in their personal relationship to Christ, is difficult and this grieving is going to cause a lot of stress. Be gentle, understanding. Often the former SDA will be experiencing spiritual elation and the joy of an exodus from enslavement and at the same time feeling the trauma of their worldview crashing around them. Patient listening is crucial.

Every former SDA goes through this stage in different time frames. It took my husband about ten seconds. The stage was in the rearview mirror before he even had time to experience it. For me, I loved being an Adventist and put my whole soul and heart into it, so it took me a couple years. For those who experienced abuse within Adventism, this stage may be a lifetime of struggle.

Christians who have never been through this need to be very careful not to say to a former, “just get over it and get on with your life.” Spiritual abuse leaves deep wounds, especially if someone were raised within the Adventist school system. Just consider it a miracle that anyone ever escapes and know that where ever a person ends up, it is going to be healthier than where they were. If you see a former not “progressing” in the faith as quickly as you think they should be, pray for them and keep your mouth shut. Again, for people spiritually abused, don’t tell them about God, be God to them. Be love, be mercy, be the humble servant. Spiritually abused people need actions, not words. They do not trust words.

Stage Two: Citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven

At some point, the former SDA will acclimate to a new reality and the fear will subside. Often formers will seek a new identity. Not all will be convinced that Christianity has the right answers. Many become Jews or a Jewish hybrid. Some will give up on religion and spirituality. But the majority will join a mainstream Protestant denomination.

Surprises, wonderment, awe fills these new citizens of heaven. They will often be so excited about their newfound freedom that they will want to tell their SDA family and friends about this heaven they are living. Which will probably hurt.... for they will be perceived as the enemy and deceived by their former family and friends. (This can cause temporal confusion--maybe even panic attacks, and at this stage, formers will run back to scripture--just to make sure they read it correctly.)

Most former Adventists are in the beginning of feeling spiritually healthy, or at least on the road to recovery. Their theological footing will become more secure in their relationship to Christ and their salvation. They will probably read the Bible with renewed interest and joy.

Stage Three: Responsible Citizenship

By this stage, Formers Adventists who transitioned into mainstream Christianity are at peace with their background. They realize that being SDA was a step in their journey used by God to help them be better Christians. They can see both the good and bad in their former church. They are able to distinguish between the SDA people and the doctrine and are able to see that there is some truth in Adventism without detonating an internal theological explosion. But they also are now leaving their defensiveness and gaining utter confidence in truth and they are at ease discussing the dangerous and unbiblical doctrines of Adventism too. They feel the distance between themselves and their former church and can calmly rationally see the distinguishing marks between their old church and the Bible. In short, they are theologically confident. They are becoming educated about other Christians and now have a grasp on whether they are four-point Calvinists or are Pentecostals and why.

Now, former Adventists don’t like to be called former Adventist. They now identify with their new denomination. They are ready to do more than just receive God’s goodness and love. They are now spiritually filled--healthy enough to give back and contribute to other Christians and to the gospel.

Now they can see the Bible for more than just ways to discredit their old beliefs. And, secure in their salvation, can begin looking without fear at the process of sanctification. Sin, true sin (not the sins paraded out by Adventists--such as drinking coffee or breaking sabbath or eating pork)--sins of the New Covenant are understood. Now it is about responsible citizenship inside the Kingdom.

PART TWO

SWITCH AUDIENCE: FORMER SDAs

I am in this third stage. There are other stages that I have not yet reached, so I really can’t speak with much authority on those more spiritually mature than myself. I’ll let you know when I get there and I will be keeping my ears open for those of you who can advise me on road conditions ahead.

But let me tell you the when this stage dawned upon me--the exact moment. Arthur, my husband, and I were high upon Mt. Rainier in Washington, with white snow melting all around our feet when we paused in our hike to catch my breath (as I was always the one needing it, not Arthur).

God sent a young park ranger to ask us how we were doing, as there were still some dangerous conditions on the slopes with ice and avalanches. We got to talking and he told us that he was a former Mormon, now agnostic.

What he said dropped down into my soul and clicked into position. Yeah, he was right on. His words pulled together some things that just hadn’t really made sense before.

He told us that Christianity made no difference in anyone’s life. His parents had gotten a divorce, lived perfectly self-centered lives and were no more moral than any atheist he knew. What’s the point? If you are going to say that Christianity makes your life better, where was the evidence? No, to this guy, Christianity was an empty suit. Just a bunch of people trying to get more people to join them in being hypocrites.

For a second, my defenses were up. Hey, we are at least saved aren’t we? Come on.... don’t be so judgmental. We’re all sinners....

He shrugged off my attempts at explaining grace and the gospel to him. He’d heard it all before. What was the point of trying to be good, when you can’t? What’s the point of trying to get people into a religion that just puts a lot of restrictions on you that you can’t keep and just makes you feel guilty. He didn’t like the Christians he’d encountered. Who wants to be like them?

That conversation make me think in a new way. It opened up to me with stunning clarity the fallacy of theological legalism. And I realized the confusion of those who preach righteousness by faith and reject the works of genuine sanctification.

My generation has thrived in a type of ego-centric spirituality. We think Christianity is all about getting saved and then telling others about how to get saved. But our methods have fallen on deaf ears because we have remained in ego-centric spirituality. We spread a theoretical Christianity that we don’t actually live.

We live that we are saved without works, we live faith alone, we live that the sins in our lives really don’t matter because we have assurance. That has become the needed foundation for our generation. While that may make us feel happy and at peace, it doesn’t tell the world about the merciful and powerful Jesus we serve.

In the end, when our sins don’t matter, when our sanctification by grace has no power to change us and make us holier, we can’t give anyone else anything but an empty religion.

When we have been justified by faith, we need to then press on to sanctification so that the world can see some Christian heroes. Our sanctification is primarily for others, not for ourselves.

When we live a Christianity that is apathetic to sin, when we take living holy casually, we are saying sin isn’t really a bid deal. In the end, if we convince each other that our actions, our behaviors don’t matter, we are saying that people don’t matter.

When Christians fornicate, live together, divorce, have abortions, lie, steal, covet, live for wealth, live selfishly, then there is nothing to Christianity. It isn’t real. It has no power. So, for the youth who looks at us, what is the point of being Christian? An afterlife? Hell? They really don’t care. They need something now, something tangible that makes sense in this life. They need some proof and we are not giving them any.

From the Stage Three Perspective

What you are seeing in my writings is stage three. And it would have really freaked me out to have read someone writing this in stage one and two. I have not changed from my belief that we cannot earn our way to heaven. I am not teaching works. Actually, the New Testament spends a whole lot of time on behavior and surely you do not think they are saying we earn our way to heaven by works of the law? No way. I just now am better understanding the necessity of behaving like Christ for the sake of others. I am learning to step back from the narrow me-centric obsession with my salvation and dwell on the sacrifices I should now willing make so that others may see Jesus.

Sorry if I have been writing from the confusing perspective of stage three when so many of my former SDA friends are entering stage one, where I am probably needed most. And I also may be speaking from a very different perspective from many of you who may be in stage seven or eight. I’ll get there.... pray for me.

And one more apology. I know this will seem arrogant, thinking I am saying--”hey, you’ll progress spiritually like me one day...” However, I am not seeing any stage as better or closer to Christ than the others, more like a markers on a hike where different points-of-interest lay.

It is just nice to be aware of the healing process of former SDAs... so we can be there for each other with an understanding heart.

2011-08-26T11:01:00.003-04:00

This man worked for Dr. Walter Martin. As an Evangelical, he has an interesting take on the SDA church from an outsider's view.

Posting this is not an endorsement of all he says, but it is worth listening to and pondering.

Candidly Speaking.....

2011-08-25T11:49:00.005-04:00

Sometime in 14th-century England, a red-blooded Anglo Saxon must have been drinking beer at a pub, when he spotted a noble dabbing his nose with a handkerchief (recently invented by King Richard II) and made a loud comment something like,

“Aye, whatcha doin’ there? Snottin’ up your mum’ French lace braccae?” (Medieval term for knickers.) To which, the lord strode over to the bloke and “offended” him across the jaw with his fashionable long, leather riding glove.

Hence, we have the word “offend” in our language.

Through the centuries, it has nuanced into meaning striking someone with words rather than fists or gloves; usually, feeling insulted over something said rather than done. And in the 21st century, we have become so civilized that offending tops the list of our society’s greatest sins. Now, we have crossed beyond churlish “your mama” insults to fashionable pop-offenses. Even calm, rational statements of truth, reality and even simple facts can be considered bigoted or disrespectful. Woe to those who cause the offense in a world of squeamish, hyperventilating communication prudes. For the frail-eared are always perceived as heroic for surviving the trauma of being offended, no matter how innocuous or true the statement said.

In fact, lying is a virtue when used to shield someone’s delicate feelings from being offended. After all, reality may potentially injure a person’s psyche--regardless of the benevolent, kind-hearted motivation inspiring the declaration of facts. Our villains and fiends are those who verbally challenge the lies that make us all feel comfortable and nice. The anti-offense thugs eagerly police and expose all politically-incorrect wording so as to rid the world of public-nuisance number one: truth.

Most educated people scrupulously sculpt their verbiage as not to make anyone around them feel uncomfortable. (Really, so that someone being judgmental about them won’t accuse them of being judgmental!) They see lynch mob forms if someone dares publicly suggest that parents need to discipline their children. They cower when feminists call for castration of a man who takes the authoritarian role in the family. Politicians know that one ill-placed word and media headsmen will guillotine their careers and thrust their decapitated métier at a cheering worldwide audience.

Crying out that we are offended has become the greatest power tool in building a prison for our enemy’s free speech. The world’s mouth is gagged by the self-righteous intimidation tactics of bullies who feign “offense” at anything they want silenced.

Bowing to the god of Pleasing Words

Western civilization prostrates itself to, protects and defends emotions as if they are gods. Our divine right not to be affronted by another’s words has become so powerful that we no longer care if something is true, as long as it is said as not to upset us. I witness nice people transfigure into dragons when anyone dare to violate their tranquility with unpleasant truths.

I have come to believe, “viva la offense!” So, I will be offensive. Gentle ladies prepare your smelling salts. Manipulators of the power it wields, put on your prefabricated indignant expressions....

Demanding that we not be offended, in most cases, is nothing more than a petty, childish, intimidating passive-aggressive trick. Be an adult and deal with it. It is only an emotion! Don’t place yourself in a victimhood position over what comes out of other’s mouths. It’s really as simple as the old “sticks and stones” truism.

Might I go even farther and suggest that being offended can be spiritually cathartic. It is good when we feel offended and it should be done frequently. (And I am not referring to people being mean-spirited and nasty. There is a difference between truthful words that offend and deliberate spitefulness. I am writing about people being offended by truth.)

Positive Offense

First let’s examine the positive feelings caused by something offensive--our reaction towards injustice, abuse or lies. When we are confronted by sin, we need to feel offended. It is a God-given principled reaction. It brings to a boil our discomfort or horror at behaviors repugnant to the Savior and harmful to society. It is a hellish notion when our culture tells us sin doesn’t matter. Evil should offend Christians. Be offended and use that to propel you to become holier and help the world around you to be more righteous.

We just have to be certain that our offense is not tainted with pride. Make certain we are offended for God and not for ourselves. If the power of “offense” is used, it should not be used selfishly but in honor of God. Test your feelings by love. If love for God and others causes the offense, your feelings are correct. If you are upset by someone challenging your beliefs, your intelligence, your emotional stability, anything personal, drop to your knees for God’s grace to overcome pride. Only a fervent humility and passion for Christ can overcome the darkness of injustice, abuse and lies. Let your spirit be hot with holy anger, but sin not in pride, so that your feelings of offense will be used to God’s glory and His Kingdom of Heaven.

Negative Offense

Western Christendom has consecrated the freedom from feeling moral discomfort, so we can shriek when our egotistical, self-absorbed rights are slighted or questioned... oh, the indignity of it all. I want their words to stop because they hurt. So we join a church of passive, nice people who teach only nice, pillowy things--so no one knows how to accept criticism.

When a Christian is confronted by a brother for living with someone before marriage or wearing immodest clothing or teaching an unbiblical doctrine, often the Christian becomes defensive. When we feel insulted or embarrassed, pride emerges from the abyss of our souls, much like Tolkien’s ferocious orc warriors birthed in Middle-earth. We should thank God when this happens so we can clean out our hearts.

Christians who are offended by truth have a critical problem. If Christians feel insulted when challenged by glaring inconsistencies in their walk with Christ, those internal feelings of defiance and unwillingness to submit to God’s truth should send up a red flag to their conscience. This points to a character defect in need of healing. These prideful or rebellious emotions are a type of moral line drawn in the sand for us and demand a reaction. This can work greatly to one’s benefit.

That spirit brings to the surface subconscious pride or rebellion crying out in need of repentance, confession and reconciliation with God. In the end, when we enthrone and pamper disobedient and narcissistic emotions, we are derailing our own sanctification.

We are called to perfect holiness. Let us employ the use of “offense” to bring each other to the Cross that we may be changed into His likeness.

The Sword of the Spirit Against False Prophecies

2011-08-19T09:57:00.001-04:00

I was pondering, this morning, Adventism. As I often do, for it is my ministry from God.

Reminding myself, "It is against spiritual, dark forces we fight as Christians, not people." Oh, my soul cries out for help to God, “Maranatha, Lord, Maranatha!” The world is plummeting into a true Dark Ages as never known before.

People, in general, are sheep. With every ounce of my body I try to remember this, so as never to draw the sword of the Spirit against my fellow humans. I fervently pray everyday that I may intercede for others and draw away the Devil's attempts to spiritually strangle them. I pray to drown others with a flood of God's love and grace and mercy.

Yet at the same time, I pray for courage to speak truthfully, boldly and storm the gates of theological hell. For, I see certain doctrines as destroying the unity of God's Body and setting up pride and fear. It is plain to most Christians that certain false beliefs terrorize and hold a Christian hostage. It is not okay for us to walk by without attempting to rescue those enmeshed in false doctrines.

It can be quite a tightrope to walk, to see Christ in everyone and truly love them for who they are and at the same time, desire with all your heart to strike the tight chains enslaving them. For it is the Father of Lies who stands there with his angelic grin holding onto the chains-- frightening the poor soul by rattling them with his despairing prophecies (and slyly blaming you for the fear!). What is unthinkable for most of is is that the people seem all too happy to be enslaved.

My enraged posture, with sword drawn high above these vassals of demons awaiting the moment I can slash through the chains and release them, is always misunderstood as wanting to strike them! And I can certainly understand their perspective.

**************

“Lord God Almighty, break the lying wretched siren song of demons that has lulled so many of us into soulless corpses. We have been sedated in a troublesome nightmare that we cannot awake from. Open our eyes Lord, open our ears Lord, open our heart Lord that we may be obedient. That we may stand together and fight the last battle raging unseen.”

The abominable loathing that the Devil has for Christian unity-- that he would so cunningly slice the Body of Christ up into little factions that fear each other-- with such a horror show of a prophecy vomited and spewed forth by Ellen White.... AH!

To take the precious Body of Christ and set it against each other by teaching that Christians who worship God on Sunday will one day turn on their Best Friend and Savior and on Adventists! That one day, ME and YOU (if you are a non-SDA Christian) WE who love Jesus with all our hearts and souls, who pray and study scripture, who have a vibrant and close relationship with Jesus will one day turn on our most beloved of family and friends to torture and kill them. This is the anti-Christ. This is the abomination of desolation WAY before the day you go to church.

That my SDA nieces and nephews are being brought up in a church that would have them fear me and believe I will one day willingly accept the Mark of the Beast and will turn and persecute them--that is more than the heart of a believer can bear.

If you bring this up to an SDA, they will look at you with a blank stare. They cannot imagine the depth of hurt it can cause the heart of Jesus in HIS WHOLE Body of believers, to teach such a reckless, anti-biblical doctrine.

They may try and comfort me saying that they believe I will return to the truth--attempting to assure me they don’t think I will be deceived, but that is not the problem. It is the doctrine that is evil, not judgment of specific people. It is in no way more godly to cull out certain members of the family of God from a prophecy while retaining the original doctrine of demons.

They cannot see past their own church. They do not understand why it is a big deal. The do not understand the darkness of teaching that Christ's disciples-- innocent people--are guilty. They do not see the horror of a prophecy that turns righteousness into evil and evil into righteousness. They are biblically comatose, poisoned by a little group of 19th-century New England illiterates.

That is why I pray for them. That is why I pray for us. For we Christians have abandon those struggling on the outer periphery of Christianity. We have given precious souls enough theological rope to hang themselves under the excuse of political correctness. And we are responsible for the chaos that is now Christianity and Christian relativism. The blood of the souls of all those murdered by SDA doctrines cry out from the grave. I can even hear Ellen’s too! She is crying out for us to undo the damage she unknowingly did.

I don’t think all are summoned to this battle against theological lies, but some are. We should pray for them. Fight for them on our knees and fasting.

In the end, I pray that God will miraculously open Adventists' and our eyes so we can fully see the outrageous savagery of teaching that Christian brothers and sisters will one day morph into the Devil and hunt SDAs down to kill them. How utterly self-centered, paranoid and against all that Jesus taught. It is a shameful doctrine.

Have mercy Father on us all! May we use as the sword of the Spirit, as Christ taught us, with the wisdom of serpents and harmlessness of doves. (Matt. 10: 16).

Worldwide Readership

2011-08-18T18:18:00.046-04:00

Greetings

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I just mentioned the top hits, if I didn't mention your country I am sorry! Isn't it exciting to have such an international readership?

The Christian Guard and Comforter

2011-08-17T11:50:00.004-04:00

I have seen these two types of Christians in all the denominations I have visited. Of course, I have generalized in my labeling of them as Guards and Comforters, but you will recognize the stereotypes anyway.

These two types of Christians play important and complementary roles in the Body of Christ. And often they become leaders in the different churches.

Something I have noticed. No matter WHAT the doctrine being taught--whether it be the terrors of hell or the great mercy of the Cross these types will present it in an opposite way.

The Guard:

These Christians tend towards wanting clarity at the expense of anything else. Clearly give them the rules, the boundaries, the doctrines and that is what makes them feel safe. St. James' epistle seems to indicate that he was a guardian.

When Guards are in charge of children, they can spend more time dealing with the negative consequences of the wrongdoing than the positive, (as often, when they were young, they tried to get away with things). So they can be suspicious and feel that the way you keep other's in line is to tell them the worst case scenario. While they are excellent at clarity and actions, if you give them the sweetest doctrine on the planet, they can then turn around and make it sound stern. They are often mislabeled "legalists" because they need structure. They are often misunderstood as not comprehending the gospel.

However, when you get to know the perspective and motivation of Guards, they are really trying their best. They fear loved ones not making it to heaven and truly believe that "scaring the hell out of them" is the most effective way of getting through to other's hardened hearts.

Many guardians are in their late fifties and older and grew up in a Guard authoritarian culture. Guards worry a lot about young people not taking sin seriously enough. (Although after the laxness of the 1960 and 1970's, there are many countercultural Guardians in this upcoming generation!)

The Comforter:

These Christians can make hell look like a blessing. They don't focus on any boundaries and always encourage and sympathize with people. They preach grace, grace, grace and that God is good and nothing more. They are often mislabeled as those who preach "free grace." If you tried really hard as a kid and were conscientious, my guess is you grew up to be a Comforter.

They believe everyone is nice and trying their best. They are sensitive and discourage easily with criticism or confrontation. They are the type that do not work well under the threats of the Guards and fear never motivates them. Because of this this, are voracious advocates for the underdog. They want all people to just get along.

Whether an Adventist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic.... any of these, your view of your church was shaped by one of these types. Usually, those raised or taught by a Comforter will not understand the negativity of their church by someone raised or taught by a Guard.

That is why there are Adventists who can look at Ellen White's writings and see nary a thing wrong. Because she was presented to them by a Comforter. Everything was in the context of love and mercy. These people do not understand Former SDAs. They actually believe that the doctrines of Adventism are faith-oriented and merciful. And if you had been taught by the same people you probably would too! I know I was brought up in this context. They can't imagine seeing anything within Ellen's writings that might be negative. Their Comforter teachers gave them rose-colored glasses.

These Comforters are in every single denomination and religion. So, if your religious instruction was from these people, my guess is that you love your religion. One of the problems with this is that you can't test the doctrines for biblical accuracy, because you were taught to see them in a very positive light.

If your teachers were the Guards, then you might always associate oppression and darkness with even the most positive of beliefs. Nuns could have rapped you on the hand and told you that you were going to hell if you missed Sunday mass. You could have had a Calvinist Grandmother who was as mean as a snake and when she read the Bible, her interpretation made you shake in your boots. Sabbath might have been the day from hell for you because your parents were Guards.

In fact, as Christians we need both Guards and Comforters to balance each other out. However, we need to recognize which type raised us and take off the glasses--either pinky positive or dark and look at the doctrines themselves.

Be aware that night vision googles given you by Comforters can make even the darkest doctrines look clear and bright. Also, some of the most luminous and precious doctrines can be clouded by welding googles given by the Guards.

WAR ROOM STRATEGY for FORMER SDAS

2011-08-13T12:08:00.009-04:00

So, God has called you into the spiritual battle to rescue Adventists. You feel it in your bones. You know God placed you into an Adventist family so that one day you would be an effective warrior for Him in defeating the anti-biblical prophecies, the anti-gospel doctrines of the church you were raised in. You are all in for the Lord and excited to join the battle against the demonic spirits holding Adventists hostage.

God has called you to fight on a tough front. The conditions on other fronts--such as saving the whales, feeding the hungry, helping abused animals, standing up for those who are oppressed (see Bono)--these fronts are clearer. Those fighting there are seen as heroes from all sides. However, you cannot expect to be rewarded here on earth for theological battles.

This front is misty and dark. Those you are called to seek and rescue claim they are rich and are in need of nothing, for they are the remnant. They are oblivious to their wretchedness, misery, blindness and nakedness.

Like, at the bottom of Mt. Sinai when Moses called Israel to turn their swords on their own brothers; it is terrifying to be called to battle your beloved family and friends. But they are standing in enemy territory taking up for the anti-christ, so you are obligated to fight, not them but the doctrines.

It is horrifying to see the Devil convince your family that they must fight you in return. It is confusing to even the most experienced warrior of the Lord, when an entire church suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, cry out that those coming to their rescue are deceivers.

Better have a good battle plan!

Do not expect that other Christians will fully understand your struggle. Yes, the majority of Christians today understand that Adventists are hanging on the very periphery of Christianity, but they will often believe that all one really needs to do is open scriptures and Adventists will see their errors. They do not understand, as you do, the depth of the deception and veil over Adventists’ understanding. They do not realize that the Devil has sung sweet-sounding and insidious lullabies to Adventists leaving them in a spiritually disoriented stupor.

Always be clear of who your enemy is. This is a rescue mission God has sent you on. Adventist are not the targets to fight, they are the victims to release from their slavery.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Eph. 6: 12

So, time to put on the armor of God...

that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast-plate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which ye will be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching for this purpose with all perseverance and supplication for all saints... (see 2 Cor. 6:7; Eph. 6: 7- 18)

*******************

Let’s go over some practical war strategies against the Devil who has caught Adventists in his trap.

After much prayer and bible study, you feel scripturally competent to discuss SDA doctrine. First a couple of very practical discussion tips.

When you bring up biblical passages that discredit some Adventist doctrine, remember that generally, people remember the last thing you say or write, so never end a refutation with anything other than the primary argument. Restate the premise of your argument at the end, it will direct the attention to your main point. (As people love to go down irrelevant rabbit holes.)

Here are some common responses you will encounter from Adventists in discussions about their unbiblical doctrines. You need to understand the underlying premise and how to combat it. (Please note that these are common excuses used by all people, not exclusive to Adventists.):

“We’re nice people!”

Faulty premise: Understand what “we’re nice” means. This is defensive posturing instructing us that because they have a nice facade, their institutions should be able to get away with demonic doctrines that often lead to sexual abuse, coverups, religious abuse, dysfunction and paranoia.

This is a red herring, do not even acknowledge it with more than a “Of course you are nice. What I am focusing on is your doctrine.”

People who cannot tolerate a challenge retreat into a position of victimization. It is easier to feel oppressed than to face what the person is really saying. They will try to drag the conversation off topic into feelings, which cannot be logically argued.

Or you can clarify your position with a gentle, "Oh, did you wish to talk about the SDA people? Well, we certainly can talk about them, but that is a different subject. Could we first finish the conversation we are having about doctrine?" This shows the Adventist that the clear difference between what Adventists believe and Adventists.

In general don't argue the faulty premise of "we're nice", but at the same time, recognize that the SDA church would never accept this answer as legitimate for other Christians. Adventist have no qualms about having world-wide prophecy seminars spitting historical distortions and fomenting distrust against other Christians---against other “nice people.” They call it giving the truth in love. Do not make the mistake of expecting that they will give you the same benevolent motivation they demand from you when they point out that you are going to church on the wrong day. You, in their eyes, have become the enemy and enemies cannot have charitable intensions.