I will say the following plainly, because I could think of no other way of saying it. At the risk of bringing the readership of this blog to zero, at the risk of having to wade through dozens of less than friendly e-mails, the following must be stated, and clearly so.
If the gospel messages you’ve been hearing lo’ these many years have never once made you feel uncomfortable then you’ve never really heard the true gospel message. If the gospel messages you’ve been hearing lo’ these many years have never once challenged you then you’ve never really heard the true gospel message. If the gospel messages you’ve been hearing lo’ these many years haven’t accentuated Christ and the cross in perpetuity then you’ve never really heard the true gospel message. If the gospel messages you’ve been hearing lo’ these many years have never once stirred you to repentance, prompted inward introspection, humbled you, caused you to weep and truly see the enormity of your sin, then you’ve never really heard the true gospel message, but a neutered version wherein God is always smiling, the sun is always shining, the birds are always chirping and no matter what you do, God’s holding onto you so tight that you’ll never be able to get away.
In this brave new world of ours, pastors have redefined their roles and become life coaches, no longer preaching a crucified Christ, but rather playing the part of guidance counselor to scores of individuals that can be likened to overactive, petulant, and overgrown children who will not accept being accountable to anyone, be they God or man.
Preachers too have redefined their roles and rather than be concerned about the spiritual wellbeing of those to whom they are ministering they play the therapist, speaking soothing words, in a soothing tone, ensuring anyone within earshot that everything’s going to be alright, that God has mellowed over the centuries, and as long as they ‘bring the tithe into the storehouse’ God will overlook everything else.
It is an understatement when I say that there is enough blame to go around for the farce of a faith many are presenting, living and promulgating today, and the sheep are just as much to blame as the shepherds. In the end these so called shepherds are just giving the people what they wanted aren’t they?
If you preach the truth, if you preach the unadulterated Word of God, wherever you happen to be, you are bound to hear those famous words that seem to be on everyone’s lips nowadays: ‘That’s not the god I serve!’
Adventist Todayhas been predicting for several years that the General Conference presidency was Ted Norman Clair (Ted N.C.) Wilson’s to lose. He had excellent name recognition, a carefully cultivated resume and international circle of political allies, and he very much wanted the job.
So we were not taken by surprise when the General Conference Nominating Committee brought his name forward that early Friday morning of June 25. There is little question that Wilson is politically in tune with a majority of the world divisions, most of which are schooled in traditional Adventism and prefer its administrative predictability and hierarchical orderliness.
The alacrity of the delegates in confirming Wilson’s name, however, did little to inform the general body of the nature of a Wilson administration, and even after Wilson delivered a pointed sermon on the final Sabbath, calling for a return to traditional-style Adventism (with special emphasis on a literalist exegesis of Genesis 1 and 2) there remained some doubt that he would (or even could, at least in North America) actually implement a program designed to Adventism back to its fundamentalist heyday.
Among Adventist Today reporters and researchers, focus turned to a search for indicators from Wilson’s track record. On the positive side, he is apparently a “good listener,” and a “straight-shooter.” But he also appears to have the will and commitment to back up his conviction that unity in Adventism can come only when members hold uniform beliefs.
We have received some energetic phone calls lately. “What do you think about the General Conference Session in Atlanta?” “Have you listened to the sermon that so-and-so preached?” “Did you read the Spectrum article about Starbucks?” “Can you believe anyone would go so far as to …?” Apparently the session will be remembered for some clearly-drawn lines in the sand!
For one thing, Mission Catalyst has no General Conference session. Our leaders get together once in a while for encouragement and learning (usually at a Willow Creek Summit or a Catalyst Conference), but our resources are devoted exclusively to building up the local church. We are convinced that the Advent movement consists primarily of healthy local churches bringing more and more people to Christ.
Second, when the Atlanta meetings ended, some Adventists found themselves in an awkward position. One retired administrator shared his view that, “it took only a few days for the church to regress fifty years.” Is that a good thing? Some are delighted with the embrace of traditionalism, while others are alarmed. (If you haven’t already, read the Sabbath sermon delivered by the new GC president.)
When it comes to standards and traditions, Mission Catalyst takes more of an Acts 15:10 approach. “Why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear?” Peter asked. The room fell silent.
“For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.” (Isaiah 9:16).1
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On September 16, 2001, I was ministering in one of the western states of the USA when I received a vision of a sinking ship. It was then the Lord spoke to me and said, “The ship is sinking. Some have seen the danger and have taken to life boats, but they are still too close to the ship. When it sinks, they will sink with it.” He said the ship is the system that many of the plain people and a few of the other more conservative denominations are following. Some of the people have come out from the system, but are still trying to hold on to some of the unscriptural doctrines and commandments which they have been taught. In some cases, they resist what they know to be truth and are suspicious of anyone who would reveal to them the truth. If someone comes to them with partial truth, for the most part, they will accept it.
The Lord said to me, “Some people will get mad and say, ‘This is not the word of the Lord. God does not speak through prophets today.’ Many of them will stop their ears to the truth and will reject any messenger who dares to try to correct their traditional system. If they were honest, they would have to admit something is wrong. I have warned them, but they do as the Pharisees — make the Word of God of none effect through their tradition. Many of them will mock and become enraged. Others will conclude that it doesn’t apply to them. Fear them not. Give the word as I have given it to you.”
In this vision, it became clear to me that there is some good in the conservative churches. This is an overall message for the church, rather than all churches being guilty of all the things that the Lord has spoken against this system. ((Note: The Lord made it clear to me that I should not open myself to discuss this matter with anyone who would try to criticize, condemn or cause an argument concerning this message. I have given this message as clearly as I know how as the Lord has delivered it to me. By no means, do I have any prejudice or hard feelings toward this people. I have delivered this message by the grace, mercy and love of God. It is my prayer that those who read this message will be very careful how they respond to it. The Lord has deeply impressed upon me that those who will not obey this word and turn from their wicked ways will find themselves sinking with the ship. I, in no way, consider this message to be infallible or equivalent to the inspired Word of God, but I must warn that the over all message is a word of the Lord and must be heeded.
Denominations cause people to think, “I can’t go to that church, because I’m this [denomination].” Ephesians 2:19-22: “19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. ”
We are really out not to witness to unbelievers about Christ, but to convert other Christians to our way of thinking. If someone disagrees with you, doctrinally speaking, bear with them in love “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” [Ephesians 4:13]. The same Spirit that is in the Baptists, is in the Pentecostals, in the Adventists, in Methodists, etc. “There is one body and one Spirit” (Ephesians 4:4).
Have you ever heard about a book “White Lie” by Walter Rea?
We will talk about Ellen today. Ellen White. Some of us grew up with Ellen.
“NIV Hebrews 11:1-2, 39-40: “1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”
I want to throw the name “Ellen” into that mix of those ancients who were commended for their faith and tell you that only together with us can Ellen be redeemed perfect. And we are the ones who will have to redeem her. You know why? Because we crucified her. We created an Ellen White of our own choosing. Between her death in 1915 and the time I was born in 1952 something caused the church to make her into a hammer used to pound people into submission, to control people. If you got into discussion all you needed to do to quote Ellen White and conversation stopped. She is a final word. Remember those days? We made her infallible, a Pope. We created Pope Ellen.
Today many SDA college students do not know who she is.
The pendulum slowly is going to swing back into a healthy place. Worshiping Ellen White is not healthy. Totally ignoring her as she never existed is not healthy either.
There is a reason why I seldom quote her. Because she said not to. So I’ve taken her at her word.
When the criminal justice system has difficulty convicting an individual of a specific crime, they may turn to the criminal conspiracy code. The rules for conviction of conspiracy to commit a crime are less stringent than to convict a person of the actual crime. These rules were devised to discourage people from encouraging criminal behavior and planning crimes with others.
Most conspiracies in the Old Testament were against local rulers. I find it significant that God has also accused people of conspiracy against Himself and against His people.
I was stunned when God told me to confront a church leader with the message that he was a leader of a conspiracy against the Holy Spirit. This was a difficult and most unpleasant message to give and it was not well received. Jeremiah and Ezekiel both had to deliver such messages from God. Their messages were not well received either.
I grew up in a church where they talked about “truth” all the time. They even said, “we have the truth”. Then they would say we have “the testing truth for the world”. We professed to base all our practices and beliefs on the Bible. It was only after years of teaching what I had been taught that I discovered that we have much to learn and much to unlearn before we will really measure up to the standards of God and His word.
I find it still is emotionally difficult to examine everything I believe according to the Bible. This is a continuous and present need for all true Christians. Jesus warned us that deceptions would increase until the end of all things as we know them. Why is this warning so prominent? Jesus began is answer to the disciples with, ” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you”. (Mat 24:4 NAS)
God does not have to have a lot of people to accomplish His purpose, as in case with Gideon. Faith is based on wisdom. You cannot base faith on stupidity. Nature itself teaches us to be ready at all times. The earth is shaking, things are getting worse. People see it happening, but they say, “It is not happening.”
God did not remove Noah out of the hard times, He showed Him how to live through it. God delivered three Hebrew boys in the fire. (more…)
Throughout the centuries Christians have speculated about the meaning of “the Mark of the Beast” and “the Number “666″ of the Beast” mentioned in Revelation 13. Today the interest continues unabated for this apocalyptic endtime Antichrist who will control the economic, political, and social life of mankind by placing a mark and a number upon people.
The panel was composed of scholars from La Sierra and Loma Linda Adventist Universities: Professor Fritz Guy and ProfessorKendra Haloviakfrom La Sierra University School of religion, Larry Christoffel, Pastor of the Loma Linda campus Hill church and ProfessorJon Paulien, Dean of the School of Religion at Loma Linda University, the moderator of the discussion.
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Jon Paulien, PhD:Let me introduce our members. We’ll be going a little less than an hour, and around 5 o’clock written questions will be delivered to me and by some magical system I will choose a few of those to share with the panel. …
We haveFritz Guywho is with us from La Sierra University - a systematic theologian, philosophical theologian, and one of my Professors at seminary, for which I will always be grateful.
We haveLarry Christoffel, who is one of the pastors here at the campus Hill church. He will bring us, I think, a bit of a perspective of practical pastoral theology.
To my right isKendra Haloviak, who I was deeply privileged to have as a student at the seminary. And sometimes your students go beyond you, and Kendra would be one of those who I’m very proud of. And she is at La Sierra University, and we share a specialty in the New Testament and in the book of Revelation in particular.
To my left of course in the man of the hour [Dr.Desmond Ford] and I’d like to open this discussion with a short testimony. We have hardly ever met, I think just in passing a couple of times. So this is really our closest acquaintance. And I would like to tell you that growing up as a Seventh Day Adventist I was one of those weird children who spent a lot of time in the Bible, and kind of knew the Bible back and forth. I was even in New York City on some Bible quizzes and came out very successfully over the radio as a small child. But there were two books of the Bible that always troubled me. They were not Daniel and Revelation, they were Romans and Galatians. And it just seemed to me, if somehow those could be left out of the Bible, the Adventism I knew could be perfectly defended [laughter in the audience].
There are lots of things in the Kingdom of God that are available to us that are really beyond all comprehension and we don’t grasp them for a lack of knowledge. Things that you can comprehend you can trust in, or get a hold of. You have to get rooted and grounded in love. You are going to get your strength from your love.
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen (Ephesians 3:17-21).
If you have felt impatient in the last half hour, I know someone much more sinful in that respect. He is talking to you.
None the less, it is a joy to be here. As a matter of fact at my age, it is a joy to be anywhere [laughter].
I beg of you not to be put off by the title assigned me for this lecture. It could just as easily have been “What Is The Bible’s Chief Metaphor On How To Get Right With God Right Now Despite Sinfulness, Failures And Follies?”
The word “forensic” sounds so metallic impersonal, cold. But it just means “according to law”. And law is codified “love”. Law is not God’s creation, it’s God’s nature. Law is alive on God’s throne, sways His scepter, basks in His glory. Without it you and I could not survive 5 seconds. Law tells us, that the universe is not haphazard. Law tells us of the secret of lasting joy is obedience to law - physical, mental and spiritual.
Loma Linda’s Hill Church on Sabbath, September 6, 2008, hosted Dr. Desmond Ford, the most significant theologian produced by the Adventist church. The hot topic of the afternoon was his presentation on the Forensic Atonement Theory In Light Of the Christian Gospel.This was probably the first time D. Ford was given an opportunity to speak at an Adventist Church in North America since Glacier View.
Desmond Ford was introduced by the executive director of the Adventist Today Foundation, Dr. Ervin Taylor:
“On behalf of the Adventist Today Foundation who is the publisher of the journal “Adventist Today” I would like to welcome you to this 2008 Richard Hammill Memorial lecture. This lecture series honors the late Richard Hammill, the scholar, who had a long and distinguished carrier as a Seventh-day Adventist educator, University administrator and a senior churchman. In the early and mid 1990-s in active retirement at Loma Linda Dr. Hammill became involved in discussions, which contributed greatly to the advancement of progressive approaches to various traditional Adventist theological understandings. Today, we honor the memory of Dr. Hammill by seeking through open dialog a better understanding and appreciation of the range of views on important theological and other issues that are currently being discussed by scholars both within the Adventist faith and within a larger Christian community.
This was no minor firefight between the Blue and Red armies. It was all out war. On the first day the Blue army took heavy casualties. Its generals saw how badly they were losing and decided it was time for the nuclear option. They had to win big the next day. Another day of heavy casualties could demoralize their troops.
There was no way the Blue army could lose with this weapon in their arsenal. When it arrived in camp, they cheered loudly. The noise they made got the attention of the Red army, and Red scouts soon discovered the presence of the weapon of mass destruction.
As we progress in this study I hope you will see how much attention and detail God has focused in His desire to be very close and friendly with you. You may be timid in developing your closeness to God, but stay with us in this journey.
Moses didn’t think he’d be able to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. At the burning bush God persuaded him to try. For years while reading this story, I used to miss a very significant item. But Moses said to God,
“Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”
(Exodus 3:11).
Most Christian and Jewish readers may think I am asking a crazy question. After all, for centuries they have understood that the “sanctuary” is either the tabernacle or a room in the tabernacle. As we progress you will see that this question is relevant to a correct understanding of the entire plan of Salvation.
Why would I bother to suggest that the popular, well-know answer might be wrong? As I was reading in the Torah/Books of Moses, I came on a most interesting verse. It is found in Numbers chapter 10. This chapter is describing the orderly way the camp of Israel was to move from one place to another. It spends most of the chapter listing the various tribes and where they were to be during the travel. Hidden in this story are some important verses.
NAU Numbers 10:17 Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were carrying the tabernacle, set out.
The text continues with more tribes setting out on the trip and then this astounding note.
KJV Numbers 10:21 And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and the other did set up the tabernacle against they came.
In the 1860’s the early “Adventists” chose a special name as the religious institution I belong to was being organized. They chose this name because it directly pointed to the two most important doctrines they had learned from Scripture.
Those two doctrines were and are the Seventh day Sabbath and the soon return [Advent] of Jesus to complete His redeeming of our bodies. All other doctrines were considered secondary to those two doctrines. While the church may have shifted focus in many areas, but these are still the two key identifiers of believers.
Until the death of Ellen White in 1915 Seventh Day Adventists were clearly known as the people of the Book, referring to our teaching doctrines from Scripture. Gradually, laziness and ignorance crept in as we began to use the writings of Ellen G. White to explain the meaning of Scriptures. (more…)
It has always amazed me how important non-wage benefits are to many people. They complain that they can’t take care of themselves because they don’t have Dental Insurance or Health Insurance.
The insurance companies have perpetrated a great fraud on the American people. They teach you to think you can’t get their benefits if you don’t wait for them to tell you how much they will pay for. This causes many people not to have treatment they would be benefited by because by the time they find out how much the Insurance company will pay, they no longer see the importance of the treatment and often don’t get the treatment. This is a demonstration of how people have been brainwashed into thinking that they are not responsible for themselves. (more…)
-Michael Boldea Jr.
