Exposing the Shepherd's Rod

Non-Adventist Speakers

Recently there has been much controversy about the invitation of T.D. Jakes to speak at an Evangelism Council taking place this December, 2011, at Oakwood University. There is truly no need for this controversy.

First of all, this particular event has more than likely come under such scrutiny because of a very popular YouTube video where pastor T.D. Jakes attacks the Sabbath, which has placed him on the Seventh-day Adventist radar. But, truth be told, this event is not unique (aside from the controversy it has caused) because there are many non-Adventist speakers invited to churches, colleges and other Seventh-day Adventist institutions every year.

Secondly, God has given extremely clear and unambiguous light about this subject through His prophet, Ellen White. So, without further ado, God's thoughts on the matter at hand:

"If God has any new light to communicate, He will let His chosen and beloved understand it, without their going to have their minds enlightened by hearing those who are in darkness and error.

I was shown the necessity of those who believe that we are having the last message of mercy, being separate from those who are daily imbibing new errors. I saw that neither young nor old should attend their meetings; for it is wrong to thus encourage them while they teach error that is a deadly poison to the soul and teach for doctrines the commandments of men. The influence of such gatherings is not good.

If God has delivered us from such darkness and error, we should stand fast in the liberty wherewith He has set us free and rejoice in the truth. God is displeased with us when we go to listen to error, without being obliged to go; for unless He sends us to those meetings where error is forced home to the people by the power of the will, He will not keep us. The angels cease their watchful care over us, and we are left to the buffetings of the enemy, to be darkened and weakened by him and the power of his evil angels; and the light around us becomes contaminated with the darkness." - Early Writings, pp. 124, 125.

Stay Focused On That Which Is Essential For Our Salvation

"I have been shown that it is the device of the enemy to lead minds to dwell upon some obscure or unimportant point, something that is not fully revealed or is not essential to our salvation. This is made the absorbing theme, the 'present truth,' when all their investigations and suppositions only serve to make matters more obscure than before, and to confuse the minds of some who ought to be seeking for oneness through sanctification of the truth." - 14 MR

One of Satan's great deceptions is to divert our focus from that which truly matters to that which is not essential. Let us all beware of these deceptions and heed Ellen White's counsel. Let us focus on our Lord, Jesus Christ.

‎"Satan beguiles men now as he beguiled Eve in Eden by flattery, by kindling a desire to obtain forbidden knowledge, by exciting ambition for self-exaltation. It was cherishing these evils that caused his fall, and through them he aims to compass the ruin of men." - GC p. 554

There is a measure of pride associated with going off after fanatical doctrines and with feeling like you are privy to some exclusive, private or secret knowledge or interpretation of the Bible or, more specifically, prophecy.

This can be seen all around us with such groups as the "Shepherd's Rod" and the "Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement," as well as those who promote such things as the 2520 "prophecy," the keeping of feast days, the pronouncing of the Father and Son's names in Hebrew only, the lunar Sabbath, the idea that God won't destroy anyone in hell, the idea that Jesus was created, the idea that the Holy Spirit is not part of the Godhead, the idea that it's a sin to shave your beard...and the list goes on and on and on.

The devil is working...but God is also working. No one is being deceived against their will. But when they've made the decision to persistently turn away from truth that God is impressing upon their hearts...He will allow them that which they wish. The end will be as follows:

"The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." - 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

Once someone has lost a love of the pure truth, they will be blown about by every wind of doctrine. So hold fast the anchors of truth which have been given to us by God. Such is also the advice of God through Paul:

"Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle." - 2 Thessalonians 2:15

You Go Girl!

By: Rob Peralta

For several years there has been a catchy slogan "You go girl" describing women who got their stuff together or are doing something noteworthy. Nowhere in the history of mankind, or in this case womankind, has that phrase ever been more fitting than describing one Ellen G. White. God took a very weak and frail girl and turned her into the "summation" of all the prophets. He would even the score, as before He typically used "men," but now it was time to show what a lady could do!

If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. God, being the righteous and fair God, would wait till the last days of earth's history to bring out His best. His word says (2 Cor. 12:9) "...My strength is made perfect in weakness". For this young girl would go on to surpass ALL the prior Prophets in spreading God's truths. Her two best sellers "The Great Controversy" and "The Desire of Ages" stand out as two of the greatest works of all time. I can honestly say, apart from the Bible, her truths can sometimes "wear me out" lol.

One of the most fascinating things about her life was her "supernatural" abilities. Her ability to go into her visions WITHOUT BREATHING was captivating! It is well known that SEVERAL certified doctors (who were non-believers) witnessed this and each could NOT deny it! In fact, one was so amazed that he started visibly shaking and bolted for the door saying, "Get me out of here!" So we must then ask-- Could this have been from the devil? Of course not. He could never have used a "Commandment Keeper" for they would only go about spreading God's truth!

God's word was directly shown in her life (John 14:21) "He (or she) that has My Commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves Me and shall be loved by the Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him." Her many signs, dreams and visions all attest to this "revealing." Like I say SO MANY TIMES: Commandment keeping is THE KEY to Him revealing Himself to you. We must do as Ellen did, learn them completely and keep them in our hearts, so that our daily walk is guided by them as we ponder them in what we do and say. Ellen's walk experienced HIS LOVE AND POWER. Her life SHOWED that He is alive. Our Lord is just waiting to show us things (dreams, signs, visions) if we'll only believe and walk righteously according to His Commandments.

Her writings are so packed with truths! For example, let's look at a snippet of Ellen's work in regard to prayer. You businessmen can really relate to the this! (Christ's object lessons P.143)

"Those who bring their petitions to God, claiming His promise while they do not comply with the conditions, insult Jehovah. They bring the name of Christ as their authority for the fulfillment of the promise but they do not those things that would show faith in Christ and love for Him. Many are forfeiting the condition of acceptance with the Father. We need to examine closely the deed of trust wherewith we approach God. If we are disobedient, we bring to the Lord a note to be cashed when we have not fulfilled the condition that would make it payable to us."

As inspiring as Ellen was, we must never do what a friend of mine recently told me. She said an elder in her church got one of the brothers kicked out of church because the brother said he didn't want to put Ellen's writings before the Bible! As the old saying goes, Ellen would have turned over in her grave if she'd heard that. A Prophet or Prophetess should never be viewed as exalted above God's first and foremost word-- The Holy Scriptures.

In summary, let's thank God for giving us a truly wonderful and inspiring lady. One who was faithful and solid to the end! You GO GIRL!

Reflecting His Light (reboot)

I think a Christian's only job in this world is to spread the Gospel, to lead people to Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Am I doing everything to the glory of God? Far from it! Are you? Are we keeping our eyes always on Christ? Is He the center of our thoughts at every moment? Do we walk day by day, hour by hour, as if He is walking beside us? He is, you know. You know, the Bible says Enoch "walked with God," and also that Noah "walked with God." This is an experience we need.

1 Corinthians 3:3 says, "Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart."

We are Christ's letter to the world, are people reading about Him through us? Certainly I am an utter failure as a revelation of Jesus' character of love. Surely I have wrought mightily in my own strength and fallen well short of the mark.

So much knowledge and yet it is no help. There is no grace in knowledge. It does me no good. There is only my will. All that is left is for me to choose to obey Christ and let Him work through me. I've tried so many other things, learned so many ways. They've all failed. Truly the only way is to submit to Him and say, "He must increase, and I must decrease." John 3:30

"Many are inquiring, "How I am I to make the surrender of myself to God?" You desire to give yourself to Him, but you are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel that God cannot accept you; but you need not despair.

What you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him." - EGW

I believe the way to truly win souls is simply to reflect Christ's character. If we lift Him up, all souls will be drawn to Him. Luke 15:7 says, "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance." How precious is every single soul to all of heaven! Shouldn't it be our overpowering focus to bring people to Christ.

Is it good to witness for Jesus? Is it a good thing to dedicate our life to telling people there is a Saviour? Surely it is the ultimate good.

James 4:17 says, "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."

Am I sinning by not constantly reflecting the character of Christ? I believe I am. For, if we are not reflecting the love of Jesus, we surely are not abiding in Him. If we are not abiding in Him, we surely aren't believing in Him. At least, not the type of "belief" the Bible speaks of when it says that "whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life," and again, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." John 3:16 ; Acts 16:31

Sometimes being a Christian seems impossible to me. I truly have only the faith of a mustard seed. But I know that "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13

And I know that even though being a Christian is impossible for a mere man, Jesus said, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

Though I lose confidence in myself, and certainly I should, yet there is hope for me, "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

It is in reflecting upon myself that the darkness begins to overwhelm the light. It is in reflecting upon Christ that the light shines brighter and brighter.

Proverbs 4:18, "But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day."

May God bless you and keep you!

Continued Discussion on Vegetarianism

The following is part of an email conversation I was having with a friend.

My Response:

It is very clear from those statements that God's people will not be eating meat...and again, I believe it. But I cannot come to a place where I say to eat meat is a sin because Christ ate meat. And I cannot say that Christ was anything less than perfect in any age. He is our example, our only perfect example, and we are to walk even as He walked, according to His Father's will. And I know that it is His will for His remnant people now to abstain from eating flesh...not because it is a sin in itself, but because it is now become altogether harmful to us to eat meat.

What I'm saying is that I think you are right...very very right. But I cannot call meat-eating a sin in itself, because I cannot say that Jesus did something sinful or that He allowed His people to do something sinful...

The reason we are not to eat meat now is not that the act is sinful, but because "Disease is accumulating rapidly. The curse of God is upon the earth, because man has cursed it. The habits and practices of men have brought the earth into such a condition that some other food than animal food must be substituted for the human family." {CD 384.5}

Because of how we have defiled the world the animals are no longer safe for us.

Conclusion:

I've heard before that God's people will eventually stop eating meat sometime before the end. It was over a hundred years ago when we first heard that message and began saying, "Yes, eventually..."

If what we teach is true, then the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is close, even at the door. Yet we are still saying, "Yes, eventually..." I believe the time is now...give it up if you haven't already. What would stop you?

Christians Should Be Animal Lovers

Recently I saw one of those YouTube videos that exposes the unfathomable cruelty and torture we humans inflict on God's precious creatures. It is extremely difficult for someone like me to watch videos like that and I usually cannot bring myself to do it. It is a very painful and heart-breaking experience.

Anyway, in the comments to that video there was a passage from the pen of inspiration which spoke to my heart and which I will share below. Let it be a grave warning to those who would dare to bring such pain to the animals over which we have been given dominion.

"God, who created man, made the animals, also. They were to minister to man’s comfort and happiness, to serve him, and to be controlled by him. But this power was not to be used to cause pain by harsh punishment or cruel exaction.

Yet some are as reckless and unfeeling toward their faithful animals as though the poor brutes had not flesh and nerve that can quiver with pain. Many do not think that their cruelty will ever be known, because the poor dumb beasts cannot reveal it. But could the eyes of these men be opened, as were the eyes of Balaam, they would see an angel of God standing as a witness to testify against them in the courts above. A record goes up to Heaven, and a day is coming when judgment will be pronounced against men who make themselves demons by their dealings with God’s creatures.

If animals could speak, what deeds of horror would be revealed—what tales of suffering, because of the perversity of man’s temper! How often those creatures of God’s care suffer pain, endure hunger and thirst, because they cannot make known their wants. And how often is it determined by the mercy or the caprice of man, whether they receive attention and kindness, or neglect and abuse.

Punishment given in passion to an animal is frequently excessive, and is then absolute cruelty. Animals have a kind of dignity and self-respect, akin to that possessed by human beings." - Signs of the Times, November 25, 1880.

Unless you think such a sentiment can not be found in the Bible...

"A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." - Proverbs 12:10

If you do not regard the life of your animals...God says you are not a righteous man.

"And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?" - Jonah 4:11

Can you see in that Scripture that God cares for animals?

"Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day." - Genesis 1:26-31

"Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him." - Genesis 2:19, 20

Can you see in those Scriptures that God has placed His creatures into our care, just like He's placed His planet into our care? It is a divine privilege...and a divine responsibility.

"For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine." - Psalm 50:10, 11

Take a guess what the foundational principle is on which we build our doctrine of how we should relate to animals? Of course...love.

God is an animal lover, shouldn't we be?

Brethren of Experience?

Those That I Recommend

There are those teachers whose concrete trust in God's Word and the word of His prophets coupled with their willingness to accept and practice every plain truth revealed in the Bible or Spirit of Prophecy, even when such a truth cuts decidedly against their own nature, and whose level-headedness being not bent toward fanaticism or undue excitement lends themselves toward being used by the Holy Spirit as a teacher.

But even the most powerful recommendation cannot be taken for truth, for we are admonished in 1 John 4:1, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

And further, by the Apostle Paul in Acts 17:11 we are told of the Bereans: "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."

So, here are some teaching spirits to test:

Eugene Prewitt

Dave Fiedler

Randy Skeete

You would do very well to take the time to look through the sermons available by these gentlemen and having looked, to listen, and having listened, to see whether these things are so...for if what they teach is true, the state of our church is largely slumbering and in dire need of a great awakening. This especially effects the younger generation of Adventists who are being pulled very strongly to the side of unbelief by those in our faith who are found "having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" - 2 Timothy 3:5

NKJV Remnant Study Bible with E.G. White Comments

This is the most beautiful Bible I have ever owned. The craftsmanship is superb! The text is a very readable size and spaced nicely both vertically and horizontally.

The Ellen White comments are beautifully included within the text, and the chain references for various study-topics is top-notch!

Chain-Reference system:

Concordance:

Below you can see the only problem I had with this Bible: a couple pages that weren’t cut correctly…but that problem is very minor and easily fixable. It is just luck of the draw.

A quick snip and bingo, all fixed:

The full-color study helps are AMAZING!

This Bible includes:

-Read Your Bible Through In A Year reading plan.

-Each book of the Bible prefaced with a brief description, Author information, Date information, Christ in the book, Keys (key word, key verse, key chapter), and an Overview.

-Prophecies of the Messiah Fulfilled in Jesus Christ

-Prayers of the Bible

-The Parables of Jesus Christ

-The Miracles of Jesus Christ

-How Sin Began

-Biblical Timeline (6,000 years)

-Nothing to Fear Except We Forget (A detailed look at the Sanctuary)

-Prophecies of Daniel (The Four Kingdoms of Daniel 2 and 7, The Sanctuary to Be Cleansed – 2,300-Day Prophecy/70-Weeks Prophecy)

-Bible Symbols and Their Meanings

-Monies, Weights, and Measures

-The Jewish Calendar

-Chain-Reference Bible Topics with instructions.

-Concordance (183 pages)

-10 Maps

This Bible is available is multiple colors/styles…to purchase your own from Remnant Publishing, click here.

CONTEST: All Facebook followers of this blog will be entered to win one of these Bibles for FREE! A winner will be randomly chosen on May 1st, 2010. (This one is mine, you can choose which you'd like at the above link)

How Does Ellen White Measure Up?

Below is information I pulled from http://www.ellengwhitetruth.com/, where they put Ellen White through the prophetic tests. I'm posting this article as a response to some of the other anti-Ellen White posts that have gone up recently by those who jump to conclusions in the absolute worst possible time to do so...while evaluating a prophet. Regardless, the biblical account of how prophets have been treated is plain: "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:11,12

Unfortunately, no DNA testing for prophets exists. But there are the biblical criteria that have been outlined for us. Let us now turn our attention to testing the ministry and gifts of Ellen White with our biblically based testing process.

A true prophet’s predictions will “come to pass” (Jeremiah 28:9).

The fulfillments of this test in the ministry of Ellen are many, but one of the most startling may be the 1906 San Francisco/Oakland earthquake. Having received warnings of impending judgment upon the city for many years prior, she had her final and most detailed vision regarding its destruction on April 16, 1906. She saw houses “shaken like a reed in the wind” and buildings falling to the ground. “Pleasure resorts, theaters, hotels, and homes of the wealthy were shaken and shattered. Many lives were blotted out of existence, and the air was filled with the shrieks of the injured and the terrified. … It seemed that the forbearance of God was exhausted, and the judgment day had come.”

Historical accounts reveal that two days later there was no sign of impending doom until 5:12 a.m., when the San Andreas fault slipped over nearly 270 miles, crumbling the very foundations of the city. In its wake, the quake left 490 city blocks in a state of total devastation and more than 225,000 homeless people, along with over 800 dead and 1,500 injured. Several insurance companies went bankrupt trying to meet the claims.

If this was the only example of a prediction fulfilled, we could chalk it up to a lucky guess. But consistently, Ellen’s predictions concerning political, religious, and personal affairs were fulfilled. The exception to this are conditional prophecies, which we will discuss a little later. We’ll also share many more of her incredible visions later too.

For now, what about the other tests?

A true prophet will glorify God rather than himself (John 16:13).

The central theme of Ellen’s writings was The Great Controversy between Christ and Satan. Her efforts were always aimed at bringing people to the matchless grace of Christ. Her famous Conflict of the Ages books begin and end with the phrase “God is love.” She said, “We must gather about the cross. Christ and Him crucified should be the theme of contemplation, of conversation, and of our most joyful emotion.” She added, “Make Christ first and last and best in everything.”

Few communicators of her caliber refrained from taking credit and glory for themselves. In spite of her great accomplishments, Ellen felt a perpetual sense of dependency upon God. Of public speaking, she said, “When I am about to speak to the people … I have such a sense of weakness that it seems like an impossibility to stand before the congregation.” She would then pray, “Jesus, I hang my helpless soul upon Thee; Thou will not suffer me to be brought into confusion.”

A true prophet does not give his own private interpretation (2 Peter 1:20, 21).

Ever a servant of God and man, a true prophet relates information received through revelation, then submits that information to the scrutiny of the body of believers. These believers are to take the prophet’s word and compare it with the Word of God, as did the Bereans of Acts 17. These students both “received the word with all readiness of mind,” and “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Proving the message of Paul by comparing it with scripture was part of the process of incorporating his teaching into the church.

Similarly, Ellen called believers to a decision concerning her writings: “My work … bears the stamp of God or the stamp of the enemy. There is no halfway work in the matter. The Testimonies [“the testimonies” was the term she often used for her writings, especially counsels to the church] are of the Spirit of God, or of the devil.” She went on to admonish believers to apply the same test to her messages as they would apply to any: “If the Testimonies speak not according to the word of God, reject them.” Truly Ellen’s ministry bears the evidence of accountability toward both God and man.

A true prophet points out sin (Isaiah 30:10).

In a warning to Judah, Isaiah pointed out one of their sins. “The rebellious people ... which say … to the prophets, Prophecy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.” It is our natural bent to want to hear soothing assurances from the lips of religious leaders. Paul told Timothy that the time would come when [even church members] will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3,4).

From the outset of her ministry, Ellen knew that she would be asked to deliver messages of reproof to many. Not only did her shyness make this an excruciating task, but she was often estranged from those who preferred denial. It was such times she said, “The unpleasant duty has been laid upon me to reprove wrongs and to reveal hidden sins.”

A true prophet warns of coming judgment (Isaiah 24:20, 21).

Not only did Ellen White warn of the destruction of San Francisco and Oakland, but other large cities such as Chicago. She also warned of judgments on her own church’s institutions for unchristian practices, such as publishing degrading literature.

A true prophet edifies the church (1 Corinthians 14:3, 4).

A perusal of her writings reveal that the bulk of them were counsels for the church. Her 5,274 page, nine-volume series called Testimonies for the Church consist of “advice, visions and counsel dealing with institutional development, church organization, home and foreign mission endeavors, social and health reforms, etc.”

Teaming her gifts with the administrative knowledge of her husband, she helped nurture a denomination that grew in her lifetime from a handful of scattered followers to a total of 136,879 members attending 3,876 churches.

A true prophet’s message harmonizes with the Bible (Isaiah 8:20).

Each of her books has literally hundreds of scriptural references. The Scripture Index to 77 of her principal books, not counting periodical articles, contains approximately 30,000 references. Her writings are to the Bible what a state map is to a national map. They agree with the Word without merely reiterating it. In some areas, her writings provide additional detail for present-day application. This is done in such a way as to reinforce, rather than detract from, the message of Scripture.

Another helpful analogy of her writings flows from her own pen. She called her writings “a lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light.” This analogy has been experienced by countless seekers who are led to understand and revere the Word of God through her writings.

A true prophet teaches that Jesus came in the flesh (1 John 4:1-3).

Of Jesus’ incarnation, Ellen’s own words are: “[God] gave [Jesus] not only to bear our sins, and to die as our sacrifice; He gave Him to the fallen race. To assure us of His immutable counsel of peace, God gave His only-begotten Son to become one of the human family, forever to retain His human nature.”

A true prophet has a Christian character (Matthew 7:16-20).

The New York “Independent” published the following at the time of Ellen White’s death in 1915: “She was absolutely honest in her belief in her revelations. Her life was worthy of them. She showed no spiritual pride and she sought no filthy lucre. She lived the life and did the work of a worthy prophetess.”

A coworker of 23 years described her thus: “Mrs. White’s life far transcends the life of anyone I have ever known or with whom I have been associated. She was uniformly pleasant, cheerful and courageous. She was never careless, flippant, or in any way cheap in conversation or manner of life. She was the personification of serious earnestness regarding the things of the kingdom. I never once heard her boast of the gracious gift God had bestowed upon her, or of the marvelous results of her endeavors.”

A true prophet is obedient to the will of God (Deuteronomy 18:18).

Before Ellen White received her first vision, Hazen Foss was called to the prophetic ministry. Foss hesitated to obey, dreading the ridicule and rejection such a life would entail. His disobedience persisted through a second vision from God. Fearing that he had grieved away the Spirit, he called a meeting to relate the first vision, but his mind was blank. Finally he said, “It is gone from me; I can say nothing, the Spirit of the Lord has left me.”

Some time later, Mr. Foss was witness to Ellen’s ministry and recognized that the gift had been passed on to her. He pled, “The Lord gave me a message to bear to His people. And I refused after being told the consequences; I was proud; I was unreconciled to the disappointment.” He went on to say that he believed he was a lost man.

Ellen’s willing obedience to the call of God wasn’t without a struggle. When first called to travel, she said, “It seemed impossible for me to perform this work … the trials attending it seemed more than I could endure … I coveted death as a release from the responsibilities that were crowding upon me … despair again pressed upon my soul.” Finally, through prayer and counsel, she surrendered to the will of her heavenly Father, and began her lifework as God’s messenger.

How to Test the Prophets...Biblically

Below is an article by Angel Manuel Rodriguez at the Biblical Research Institute. I'm posting this article as a response to some of the other anti-Ellen White posts that have gone up recently by those who jump to conclusions in the absolute worst possible time to do so...while evaluating a prophet. Regardless, the biblical account of how prophets have been treated is plain: "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:11,12

Prophets, True and False
Ángel Manuel Rodríguez

How does one tell the difference between true and false prophets?
It is good to look at a Bible topic such as this in order to realize how little we can say about it. The Old Testament highlights the constant conflict between false prophets and the prophets of the Lord. Distinguishing between them in the past was difficult, but it had to be done. The Israelites asked the Lord, "How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?" (Deut. 18:21). John wrote to the church, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1). Since this topic is very important, the Lord gave His people some guidance.

1. Fulfilled Prophecies: Moses told the Israelites: "When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken" (Deut. 18:22; cf. Jer. 28:8, 9). At first glance this is a good test, yet it is often difficult to apply. In order to know whether someone is a true prophet, we have to wait for the fulfillment of the prophecy he or she spoke about. In order to help their hearers, prophets sometimes gave within their long-term prophecies a short-term one that was quickly fulfilled (Jer. 28:16, 17). Yet the predictions of a false prophet could also be fulfilled (Deut. 13:1, 2). This suggests that this test is not sufficient, in itself, to know whether a prophet is from God.

2. Correct Theology: This test assumes that people had already received messages from the Lord and that they were able to use them to grade new revelations. For example, since God's law prohibits worshipping idols, a prophet who led others to worship other gods would be a false prophet (Deut. 13:2). The message from a new prophet had to agree with God's former revelations (Isa. 30:8). The people hearing the new revelation had to have a deep personal knowledge of God's Word. This allowed them to use that knowledge to test the truthfulness of the new revelation. In the New Testament God's revelation through Jesus became the central test, with the written Word, to show whether a prophet was true (1 John 4:2, 3; John 17:17). Although this test is more difficult to falsify, it can be falsified. The apostle Paul wrote about "false apostles . . . transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:13, 14). Yet those who know the truth as it is in Jesus will not be deceived.

3. Ethical Test: False prophets do not live up to the God's laws and do not clearly speak out against sin. The prophet Ezekiel accused false prophets, "You have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life" (Eze. 13:22). False prophets were also arrogant (2 Peter. 2:18), deceitful (Acts 13:6-10), and often preached only for pay (2 Peter. 2:3, 13). Their lives were not in line with God's revealed word. People can give the impression of being holy, even saying all the right things, yet Jesus said they are like wolves dressed in sheep's clothing (Matt. 7:15).

4. By Their Fruit: Jesus Himself established this test. He said: "You will know them by their fruits. . . . Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit" (Matt. 7:16, 17). It is close to the third test, but it goes beyond it by asking, What are the results of the ministry of a person who claims to be a prophet? Does his or her ministry build up the church? This test requires time, but lies and deception are sooner or later revealed. We have to be open to the possibility that God still speaks to us through His prophets. But in order to identify a true prophet we should know and understand the Scriptures. We should use God's inspired Word to test the teachings and the lifestyle of the person who claims to be a true prophet. Finally, we should not hastily accept somebody's claims. We must allow time for the actions of the new prophet to show what kind of person he or she is. Testing the spirits takes time, prayer, and knowledge of what God has already revealed to us.

"Adventist World" Letter

The following letter appeared in the Adventist World magazine, March 2009 NAD edition.

"I am both surprised and appalled that there is still an element in our beloved church that refuses to accept the decision voted twice by the General Conference world leaders, that we as a body will not ordain women. There has been local leadership that has ignored the decision. However, it was and is a policy that should not be ignored. Rather, it should be adhered to and put behind us so we may be focused on our mission, spreading the three angels' messages and not disintegrating from within, as several of the other denominations are doing today.

I was not surprised that the contributor failed to mention that Ellen White refused ordination. She must have had a very good reason. It is high time we got it right and got focused on our real work and quit challenging the work of our leadership!

Ed Meyers
Boise, Idaho"

You said it, Ed! I'll be featuring a post in the near future regarding ordination of women. It's a hot topic and I hope everyone will continue to show Christ's love to me even if they don't agree.

Desmond Ford and Questions on Doctrine

As you may already know I have only been a Seventh-day Adventist for 4 years and so I am not "in the know" about all of the wars that have been fought within the confines of the Adventist church.

The Saints Aren't All Saints...

As is the case with many people who come into the Adventist church after God revealing such an enormous amount of truth in their lives, when I came into the church I sort of expected that members of the remnant church I was joining would be these bright shining super-Christians, all full of truth and love and sanctification. After all, any group that was aware of all these profound and beautiful Bible truths must certainly be full of saints. But, as Jim Hohnberger says, "Not all the saints are saints." I have to smile as I write that quote, for what I found when I joined the Seventh-day Adventist church was that it was like any other church in regards to its members, with plenty of knit-picking, criticism, gossip, divisions, sects, etc. etc..

...But They're Still The Remnant

Yet, there is still one thing that sets the Adventist church apart from all other churches: the Truth. The pure, unadulterated, unabashed, naked truth. A truth not come upon by happenstance or by the study of a single man or woman. Instead, the truth as revealed by genuinely God-led study of the Bible by a group of Christians from various denominations who all put their doctrines on the altar of Scriptures to examine them together. What emerged from these series of Bible studies, around 24 sessions in a 2 year period after the great disappointment, was plain Bible truth. God was creating His remnant church, for the end-times had begun. As perhaps the ultimate sign, the gift of prophecy was given to this inspired movement in the person of Ellen White, who confirmed and clarified many of the truths the group had come to through their many lengthy and in-depth Bible studies.

My Introduction To Controversy

Oh yeah, back to the point. Some time ago I had happened upon a set of sermons by a late pastor named Frank B. Phillips. They were very interesting and focused mainly on one grand theme: Righteousness by Faith. Somewhere in his sermons he referenced a book by A.G. Daniells called Christ Our Righteousness which explored the light God revealed to the 1888 Conference in Minneapolis. This message had a very mixed reception by Adventists. Some were indifferent and said, "That's old news, we already know about righteousness by faith," while others were threatened by the message and said, "We cannot remove our focus from the Law of God," and still others accepted the message with their whole heart. Ellen White herself commented a number of times that this message was present truth and should be preached and taken to heart.

Anyway, I was curious about the details of what happened at that 1888 Conference and purchased the book. This was my first introduction to controversy within the church.

The Plot Thickens

Recently, I had downloaded a couple sermons by Herbert Douglass from Audioverse because he left a comment on this blog and I wanted to hear what kind of a message he had. I was thoroughly blessed by his messages, one of which mentioned Desmond Ford and the battle that took place in the early 80's (?). So I did a quick Google search of Desmond Ford and found a little of the story, but not much. I intended to look into the controversy more at a later time.

Then I was listening to a sermon by Stephen Bohr, also downloaded from Audioverse, in which he mentions this guy named Dale Ratzliff whose sole purpose in this life is to destroy the Adventist church he was once a part of. So I did a quick Google search of Dale Ratzliff and found a whole lot of wrong theology attacking Adventist doctrine. This guy's story isn't worth looking at for me since it's just another "Came out of _____ church and now spend all my waking moments attacking that former church instead of focusing on Christ." What is interesting about Dale Ratzliff's story is the chain of events that led up to it. He, and those like him, are the "fruit" of what started with the book Questions on Doctrine, and progressed to the apostasy of Desmond Ford, and ends with the worldliness we see permeating every level of the Adventist church today. Those who apostatize and the doctrines they hold (which are also held by some who remain in the church) are the inevitable result of the very subtle errors introduced by the book Questions on Doctrine.

Long story short there is a new sermon on Audioverse entitled The Apostasy of Desmond Ford which I saw and downloaded. Good stuff! The guy who gave the sermon, Norman Mcnulty I think was his name, gave much more of the unbelievable Desmond Ford story and also some reference to this book that came out in the 50's (?) called Questions on Doctrine, which apparently caused huge theological shifts away from fundamental Adventism. Anyway, I'm going to download the other sermon by this guy where he talks specifically about The History of Questions on Doctrine.

So there's two things I'd like to investigate further to make sure I have the full story:

1.) Desmond Ford's overt attack on Adventist doctrines, and
2.) The book Questions on Doctrine's more subtle attack on Adventist doctrines.

After I get through with a little more research on this subject I'm going to put together a post or two about Desmond Ford and Questions on Doctrine. It's pretty interesting stuff.

Since landing on the Adventist blogosphere a few months ago I have been constantly surprised by the departure from fundamental Adventist theology that I had learned before I joined the church...now it's starting to make a little more sense. Truly, the shaking must be near at hand.

Steps To Christ, Ch. 1

God's Love For Man

Nature and revelation alike testify of God's love. Our Father in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature. Think of their marvelous adaptation to the needs and happiness, not only of man, but of all living creatures. The sunshine and the rain, that gladden and refresh the earth, the hills and seas and plains, all speak to us of the Creator's love. It is God who supplies the daily needs of all His creatures. In the beautiful words of the psalmist--

"The eyes of all wait upon Thee;
And Thou givest them their meat in due season.
Thou openest Thine hand,
And satisfiest the desire of every living thing."
Psalm 145:15, 16.

God made man perfectly holy and happy; and the fair earth, as it came from the Creator's hand, bore no blight of decay or shadow of the curse. It is transgression of God's law--the law of love--that has brought woe and death. Yet even amid the suffering that results from sin, God's love is revealed. It is written that God cursed the ground for man's sake. Genesis 3:17. The thorn and the thistle--the difficulties and trials that make his life one of toil and care--were appointed for his good as a part of the training needful in God's plan for his uplifting from the ruin and degradation that sin has wrought. The world, though fallen, is not all sorrow and misery. In nature itself are messages of hope and comfort. There are flowers upon the thistles, and the thorns are covered with roses.

"God is love" is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green -- all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy.

The word of God reveals His character. He Himself has declared His infinite love and pity. When Moses prayed, "Show me Thy glory," the Lord answered, "I will make all My goodness pass before thee." Exodus 33:18, 19. This is His glory. The Lord passed before Moses, and proclaimed, "The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." Exodus 34:6, 7. He is "slow to anger, and of great kindness," "because He delighteth in mercy." Jonah 4:2; Micah 7:18.

God has bound our hearts to Him by unnumbered tokens in heaven and in earth. Through the things of nature, and the deepest and tenderest earthly ties that human hearts can know, He has sought to reveal Himself to us. Yet these but imperfectly represent His love. Though all these evidences have been given, the enemy of good blinded the minds of men, so that they looked upon God with fear; they thought of Him as severe and unforgiving. Satan led men to conceive of God as a being whose chief attribute is stern justice,--one who is a severe judge, a harsh, exacting creditor. He pictured the Creator as a being who is watching with jealous eye to discern the errors and mistakes of men, that He may visit judgments upon them. It was to remove this dark shadow, by revealing to the world the infinite love of God, that Jesus came to live among men.

The Son of God came from heaven to make manifest the Father. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." John 1:18. "Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him." Matthew 11:27. When one of the disciples made the request, "Show us the Father," Jesus answered, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?" John 14:8, 9.

In describing His earthly mission, Jesus said, The Lord "hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." Luke 4:18. This was His work. He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by Satan. There were whole villages where there was not a moan of sickness in any house, for He had passed through them and healed all their sick. His work gave evidence of His divine anointing. Love, mercy, and compassion were revealed in every act of His life; His heart went out in tender sympathy to the children of men. He took man's nature, that He might reach man's wants. The poorest and humblest were not afraid to approach Him. Even little children were attracted to Him. They loved to climb upon His knees and gaze into the pensive face, benignant with love.

Jesus did not suppress one word of truth, but He uttered it always in love. He exercised the greatest tact and thoughtful, kind attention in His intercourse with the people. He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave needless pain to a sensitive soul. He did not censure human weakness. He spoke the truth, but always in love. He denounced hypocrisy, unbelief, and iniquity; but tears were in His voice as He uttered His scathing rebukes. He wept over Jerusalem, the city He loved, which refused to receive Him, the way, the truth, and the life. They had rejected Him, the Saviour, but He regarded them with pitying tenderness. His life was one of self-denial and thoughtful care for others. Every soul was precious in His eyes. While He ever bore Himself with divine dignity, He bowed with the tenderest regard to every member of the family of God. In all men He saw fallen souls whom it was His mission to save.

Such is the character of Christ as revealed in His life. This is the character of God. It is from the Father's heart that the streams of divine compassion, manifest in Christ, flow out to the children of men. Jesus, the tender, pitying Saviour, was God "manifest in the flesh." 1 Timothy 3:16.

It was to redeem us that Jesus lived and suffered and died. He became "a Man of Sorrows," that we might be made partakers of everlasting joy. God permitted His beloved Son, full of grace and truth, to come from a world of indescribable glory, to a world marred and blighted with sin, darkened with the shadow of death and the curse. He permitted Him to leave the bosom of His love, the adoration of the angels, to suffer shame, insult, humiliation, hatred, and death. "The chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5. Behold Him in the wilderness, in Gethsemane, upon the cross! The spotless Son of God took upon Himself the burden of sin. He who had been one with God, felt in His soul the awful separation that sin makes between God and man. This wrung from His lips the anguished cry, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" Matthew 27:46. It was the burden of sin, the sense of its terrible enormity, of its separation of the soul from God--it was this that broke the heart of the Son of God.

But this great sacrifice was not made in order to create in the Father's heart a love for man, not to make Him willing to save. No, no! "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son." John 3:16. The Father loves us, not because of the great propitiation, but He provided the propitiation because He loves us. Christ was the medium through which He could pour out His infinite love upon a fallen world. "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself." 2 Corinthians 5:19. God suffered with His Son. In the agony of Gethsemane, the death of Calvary, the heart of Infinite Love paid the price of our redemption.

Jesus said, "Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again." John 10:17. That is, "My Father has so loved you that He even loves Me more for giving My life to redeem you. In becoming your Substitute and Surety, by surrendering My life, by taking your liabilities, your transgressions, I am endeared to My Father; for by My sacrifice, God can be just, and yet the Justifier of him who believeth in Jesus."

None but the Son of God could accomplish our redemption; for only He who was in the bosom of the Father could declare Him. Only He who knew the height and depth of the love of God could make it manifest. Nothing less than the infinite sacrifice made by Christ in behalf of fallen man could express the Father's love to lost humanity.

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son." He gave Him not only to live among men, to bear their sins, and die their sacrifice. He gave Him to the fallen race. Christ was to identify Himself with the interests and needs of humanity. He who was one with God has linked Himself with the children of men by ties that are never to be broken. Jesus is "not ashamed to call them brethren" (Hebrews 2:11); He is our Sacrifice, our Advocate, our Brother, bearing our human form before the Father's throne, and through eternal ages one with the race He has redeemed--the Son of man. And all this that man might be uplifted from the ruin and degradation of sin that he might reflect the love of God and share the joy of holiness.

The price paid for our redemption, the infinite sacrifice of our heavenly Father in giving His Son to die for us, should give us exalted conceptions of what we may become through Christ. As the inspired apostle John beheld the height, the depth, the breadth of the Father's love toward the perishing race, he was filled with adoration and reverence; and, failing to find suitable language in which to express the greatness and tenderness of this love, he called upon the world to behold it. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." 1 John 3:1. What a value this places upon man! Through transgression the sons of man become subjects of Satan. Through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ the sons of Adam may become the sons of God. By assuming human nature, Christ elevates humanity. Fallen men are placed where, through connection with Christ, they may indeed become worthy of the name "sons of God."

Such love is without a parallel. Children of the heavenly King! Precious promise! Theme for the most profound meditation! The matchless love of God for a world that did not love Him! The thought has a subduing power upon the soul and brings the mind into captivity to the will of God. The more we study the divine character in the light of the cross, the more we see mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness blended with equity and justice, and the more clearly we discern innumerable evidences of a love that is infinite and a tender pity surpassing a mother's yearning sympathy for her wayward child.

Ellen White to Adventists

In a statement that should surely be a reproof to those Adventists out there who can quote Ellen White statements as a reason for their various beliefs, but have a difficult time recalling the Bible texts which prove their doctrine, she spoke these wonderful words:

"Lay Sister White right to one side: lay her to one side. Don't you ever quote my words again as long as you live, until you can obey the Bible. When you take the Bible and make that your food, and your meat, and your drink, and you make that the elements of your character, when you can do that you will know better how to receive some counsel from God. But here is the Word, the precious Word, exalted before you today. And don't you give a rap any more what 'Sister White Said' —'Sister White said this,' and 'Sister White said that,' and 'Sister White said the other thing'. But say, 'Thus saith the Lord God of Israel.' " - EGW

Paul Harvey, Asleep in Christ

On Saturday, February 28, 2009, Paul Harvey died at age 90 in Phoenix, Arizona. A spokesman for ABC Radio Network said he died in his winter home surrounded by family. I've heard it said by some that he was the "most trusted person in America."

According to www.adherents.com, Paul Harvey was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist church around the year 2000 and regularly attended the Camelback Seventh-day Adventist church in Arizona.

It's been said that he oftentimes quoted from Ellen White on his radio broadcast even before he became an Adventist. Harvey stated: "Ellen White: You don’t know her? Get to know her!”

He will be missed.

Regarding Death: An Adventist Response to Critics

I have heard many Christians profess that the Adventist teaching on the state of the dead is a new doctrine. This post is to clear up that misconception.

Below is an exchange between myself and a visitor to Our Sword named Dennis Fischer, a former Adventist, who responded to an Adventist Review article I posted by Clifford Goldstein entitled "Seventh-day Darwinians."

Dennis Fischer's Original Comment-

"Seventh-day Adventist biologists (primarily science teachers in their school system) have for a long time already ignored Ellen White's mandated six-thousand-year view of the age of the earth. With their amazing cognitive dissonance (believing in two opposing views simultaneously), Seventh-day Adventists have learned to pick-and-choose their favorite doctrines while still warming the pews on a regular basis.

Interestingly, SDA dogma about the state of the dead reinforces the notion that man is basically an animal--they even die just like animals they insist. The only difference being that they are in the remembrance of God like a fallen sparrow. Moreover, one cannot await anything when nonexistent--much less a resurrection. Official Adventism needs to become consistent in its teachings."

My Response-

"My point is not that we need to be able to make sense of our own beliefs, or even to reconcile them, for I could clarify your statements about dying like animals and awaiting the resurrection. My problem is when Christians try to intertwine the plain meaning of Scripture with ideas that contradict those Scriptures.

I don't care if one tries and succeeds at believing both creation and evolution, or that we go straight to heaven or hell when we die yet there's still a future resurrection and judgement. As stand-alone philosophies, it doesn't matter what we conclude, because they are our own human ideas. What bothers me is when people in the church try to force their own human philosophies onto Scriptures so plain even a little child could understand them.

Check out my post "are the dead really dead" for a lot of Bible verses about the subject, clearly indicating that the dead are not in heaven or hell, but in the grave. I'd be honestly interested to hear how you explain these verses. I will listen with an open mind."

Dennis Fischer's Counter-Response-

"Todd,

For believers death means being "away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8). That is why our Lord said at his death, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Lk. 23:46). That is why he promised the penitent dying thief, "Today you will be with me in paradise" (Lk. 23:43). That is why Paul described departing the body to be with Christ as "better by far" than remaining in the body (Phil. 1:23). And that is why Scripture speaks of deceased human beings as souls "under the altar" (Rev. 6:9) and as "the spirits of righteous men made perfect" (Heb. 12:23).

If Jesus the God-man ceased to exist between his death and resurrection, then the Trinity only consisted of two persons during that period of time. The Trinity would have been reduced to a Binity, or the resurrection of Jesus meant the re-creation of the second person of the Trinity. In that case, the second person of the Trinity would be a created being. Such conclusions are ruinous for the Christian faith because they compromise the doctrine of the Trinity. The SDA view of death is the heritage of their Arian founders. Moreover, the investigative judgment alibi cannot allow saints to be in heaven before its final verdict.

Adventist apologists also insist that Moses was resurrected from dead and taken to heaven without any biblical support for their claim. Obviously, their belief system cannot reconcile the fact that Moses and Elijah appeared together on the Mount of Transfiguration representing the law and the prophets. If Moses was resurrected from the dead, as Adventists claim, then it negates the NT teaching the Jesus is the "firstfruit from the dead." This is yet another instance where SDA theology diminishes the glory that belongs to Jesus. All in all, the traditional view of death coheres well with other biblical teachings in contrast to the extinction/re-creation view.

Both Christians and SDAs acknowledge that in the Scriptures the word "sleep" (as applied to death)is imagery, or figurative language. The division comes over what, exactly, is the REALITY of which sleep is apt imagery. In real sleep, there is a real, living person present; one's existence, thoughts, and emotions continue from the waking state, through the sleep state, and back again into the waking state. One's mind is not totally inactive during sleep. Even more important, one's actual existence is not interrupted."

My Final Response-

"So there are 6 Scriptures you've mentioned as proof of your view regarding the state of the dead.

I have heard many preachers, and I have myself, explained these texts in their context to show they do not, in fact, teach that the dead go straight to heaven or hell when they die.

More importantly, those who believe that the dead rest in their graves until the resurrection have easily 10 times that number of Scriptures to back up their view, to which I have never heard a proper response and explanation.

Please don't believe everything you read or hear, I'm not too familiar with these arians you talked about, but I can tell you that even the reformers believed, or at least allowed the possibility, that the dead remain in the grave until resurrection.

Martin Luther: "We shall sleep, until He comes and knocks on the little grave and says, "Doctor Martin, get up! Then I shall rise in a moment, and be with him forever."

Martin Luther: "But we Christians, who have been redeemed from all this through the precious blood of God's Son, should train and accustom ourselves in faith to despise death and regard it as a deep, strong, sweet sleep."

Martin Luther: "We should learn to view our death in the right light, so that we need not become alarmed on account of it, as unbelief does; because in Christ it is indeed not death, but a fine, sweet and brief sleep, which brings us release from this vale of tears, from sin and from the fear and extremity of real death and from all the misfortunes of this life, and we shall be secure and without care, rest sweetly and gently for a brief moment, as on a sofa, until the time when he shall call and awaken us together with all his dear children to his eternal glory and joy. For since we call it a sleep, we know that we shall not remain in it, but be again awakened and live, and that the time during which we sleep, shall seem no longer than if we had just fallen asleep. Hence, we shall censure ourselves that we were surprised or alarmed at such a sleep in the hour of death, and suddenly come alive out of the grave and from decomposition, and entirely well, fresh, with a pure, clear, glorified life, meet our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the clouds."

William Tyndale: "And ye, in putting them [the departed souls] in heaven, hell, and purgatory, destroy the arguments wherewith Christ and Paul prove the resurrection.... And again, if the souls be in heaven, tell me why they be not in as good case as the angels be? And then what cause is there of the resurrection?"

William Tyndale: "Nay, Paul, thou art unlearned; go to Master More, and learn a new way. We be not most miserable, though we rise not again; for our souls go to heaven as soon as we be dead, and are there in as great joy as Christ that is risen again." And I marvel that Paul had not comforted the Thessalonians with that doctrine, if he had wist [known] it, that the souls of their dead had been in joy; as he did with the resurrection, that their dead should rise again. If the souls be in heaven, in as great glory as the angels, after your doctrine, shew me what cause should be of the resurrection."

William Tyndale: "And when he [More] proveth that the saints be in heaven in glory with Christ already, saying, "If God be their God, they be in heaven, for he is not the God of the dead;" there he stealeth away Christ's argument, wherewith he proveth the resurrection: that Abraham and all saints should rise again, and not that their souls were in heaven; which doctrine was not yet in the world. And with that doctrine he taketh away the resurrection quite, and maketh Christ's argument of none effect"

The list goes on of others who chose to let go of the traditions of men handed down to them and take hold of the Scriptures as their sole source of truth.

I believe there is a root of pride in those who cling to a select few Scriptures to prove their belief instead of searching the Scriptures daily to see whether those things are so.

Also, it seems rather unChristian to slander a church and declare "you got that belief from this bunch," when in truth, we arrived at our beliefs from deep, earnest, unprideful study of the Holy Bible."

A Response To Adventist-Bashing

The following is a response I posted on a blog I found criticizing the Seventh-day Adventist church. As usual, there were a lot of erroneous statements as well as much undue focus on Ellen White. You may find it interesting to see what some misinformed people believe about the Seventh-day Adventist church. The original post can be found by clicking here.

Wow, this is one of the most inaccurate posts I've ever seen about Adventists. I hope you did this unknowingly and are not intentionally lying.

1. "The SDA church also publishes two of their own Bible "translations": The Study Bible and The Clear Word Bible." - NOT TRUE.

Any "Study Bibles" out there are regular translations such as NKJV, KJV, etc, which have study NOTES in them. They are not translations. "The Clear Word Bible" is a paraphrase from one man done as a personal devotional for himself, and is NOT endorsed by the Seventh-day Adventist church. Most SDA preachers use the NKJV, with some using NIV and KJV, etc.

2. "according to SDA's dogma, if an SDA does not accept Mrs. White as infallible, they have no salvation!" - NOT TRUE.

I have never met an Adventist who believes or teaches this, and it is certainly NOT the official position of the church. That is ridiculous. Whether one believes or disbelieves the counsel of Ellen White has nothing to do with salvation.

3. "SDAs believe that one can have immortality only on the condition that he comes to Christ through Ellen G. White; i.e., a works program, following salvation by grace with light of revelation through Ellen G. White as the infallible guide to Holy Scripture, apart from which one cannot have immortality.3 Then, at resurrection day, the body will be re-created (necessary because of soul sleep) for all those who believe in White's guidance and teachings (while non-SDAs will remain in "soul sleep" forever; i.e., will cease to exist [annihilated] and will not suffer everlasting torment). " - NOT TRUE.

SDAs teach that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, and not of works, lest anyone should boast. Christianity 101. Again, Adventists do not teach that salvation has anything to do with accepting Ellen White's counsel. Adventists do not believe that non-SDAs will remain in in the graves forever. First of all, Adventists teach that most of those who are part of what Jesus called the "resurrection of life" will not be Adventists at all. Secondly, those who did not accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour (notice it has nothing to do with Ellen White) will not just stay in the grave forever. Adventists teach that "the rest of the dead lived not again until after the 1000 years" - Revelation, and that they will "have their part in the lake of fire (hell)", and will be in the "resurrection of damnation" according to Jesus Christ.

4. "Christ. Mrs. White: "Christ took upon His sinless nature our sinful nature"...According to SDA, then, Christ acquired a sinful nature! Of course, if this could have been so, there could have been no sinless sacrifice, no hope for sinners, and no Savior." - NOT TRUE.

The Bible says "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." - 2 Cor 5:21

So yes, Adventists believe what the Bible teaches: that Christ took our sins upon Himself to save us. He took what we deserve, and gave us what He deserves. Again, Christianity 101.

5. "Therefore, one must keep Old Testament dietary and ceremonial laws, paying particular attention to keep the Saturday Sabbath and the Ten Commandments, and most importantly, making sure to faithfully pay the tithe." - NOT TRUE.

Adventists do not teach that salvation comes by keeping ANY law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. Adventists teach that we should follow the dietary laws because God made our bodies and knows what is best for them, and studies have shown that Adventists live longer and have less diseases than the rest of the world. (check articles about the "Adventist Health Study" by ABC News, Good Morning America, National Geographic) Adventists teach the very opposite of what your post says about the ceremonial laws. Adventists teach that ceremonial laws pointed forward to Christ, were a shadow of things to come, and were nailed to the cross. Adventists also teach that paying tithe is between you and God, and they do not meddle in the finances of their members.

6. "SDAs are not "allowed" to experience assurance of salvation, because then there would be no pressure on them to keep the Old Testament law, as interpreted by Ellen G. White, and especially no pressure to pay the tithe" - NOT TRUE.

Adventists teach we can have assurance of salvation. They do NOT teach the false doctrine of "once saved always saved." Adventists teach what the Bible teaches, that we have free will and can choose to walk away from Christ and away from heaven.
"For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins"
"Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul." Heb 10:26, 38, 39.

7. "Many rank-and-file SDA members deny that their organization any longer decrees Ellen G. White a God-inspired prophet." - NOT TRUE.

Most Adventists do, and should, believe that Ellen White was inspired by God. It is indeed the official position of the church. Most Adventists do, however, understand that believing Ellen White is NOT salvational.

8. "Yet EGW made numerous false prophecies: that "Old Jerusalem never would be built up" (Early Writings, p. 75), that she would be alive at the Rapture (Early Writings, pp. 15-16), that Christ would return before slavery was abolished (Early Writings, pp. 35, 276), that Adventists living in 1856 would be alive at the Rapture (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 3, pp. 131-132), and many more." - NOT TRUE.

The Bible is clear that God makes conditional prophecies. Jonah is not a false prophet, yet he prophesied: "And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”, but they repented and, "God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it." - Job 2:4,10.
Many of Ellen White's prophecies concerning the return of Christ were also conditional upon God's people repenting and turning to Him, and fulfilling the great commission.

9. Ellen White quotes teaching salvation by works: ""Our acts, our words, even our most secret motives, all have their weight in deciding our destiny ... though ... forgotten by us, they [our works] will bear their testimony to justify or condemn"" - NOT TRUE,

If that statement is teaching salvation by works, then so is the Bible and Jesus.

Eccl 12:14, "God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil."
Rom 2:15 "who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them"
Matt 12:36 Christ speaking, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment."

10. Ellen White quote teaching salvation by works: ""When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life ..." - NOT TRUE.

1 Jn 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
We must repent of our sins to be forgiven and cleansed. If we don't, and they are not forgiven and cleansed, then we know the "wages of sin is death." This is not teaching salvation by works, but is again Christianity 101.

11. Ellen White quote teaching salvation by works, ""Each one of you needs to ... [be] working with your might to redeem the failures of your past life. God has placed you in a world of suffering to prove you, to see if you will be found worthy of the gift of eternal life"" - NOT TRUE.

Certainly Christians believe in the concept of restoration. If we become Christians, shouldn't we pay back anything we've stolen, or try to make right any wrongs we've done to people in our past lives?
Works do not save anyone, but they do prove that their conversion is genuine. As James says, "Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.", "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.", "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." - Ja 2:18,24,26. Was James teaching salvation by works?

And as the reformer William Tyndale said: "The fruit that grows on a tree does not make the tree good or bad. It only makes known whether the tree is a good tree or a bad tree. Works do not make a man good or bad. They only make it plain to other men that he who performs those works is good or bad. The man is reconciled before God by faith alone and works are only to make this justification known before men." Was Tyndale teaching salvation by works?

And as Christ said, "By their fruit you shall know them." and "He who abides in Me bears much fruit." Was Christ teaching salvation by works?

Please, I beg you to consider carefully when presenting your views about the Adventist church...take the time to actually learn what Adventists really teach and believe instead of taking the words of other people.

Let's make sure the Bible is used as our sole source of truth.