Ted Wilson Addresses German Adventists

After reading an article by Lothar E. Träder, a retired Adventist pastor and teacher in Germany, in which he decried Ted Wilson's series of sermons (five so far) preached to the German churches since he became the General Conference President, I was moved to comment.  It is immediately apparent, if you read the entire article, that Seventh-day Adventism in Germany is suffering the same trials as the church in the United States, Australia, and most likely around the world.  Namely, the widening gap between those who desire to embrace the world, and those who desire to surrender to Christ.
 

A few impressions after reading the article:

"So when Ekkehard Müller denounces German-speaking churches as being “deeply polarized”, many feel that such generalized statements are of little help and accuracy."

- Many of your own statements later in the article testify to the accuracy of Muller's that "German-speaking churches (like all Adventist churches) are 'deeply polarized'" (e.g. "They insist on a more rigid traditional form of Adventism, fighting against a more supposedly liberal brand of Adventism.")

"Don’t misunderstand me: the majority of the churches in Germany are theologically healthy, mission-oriented, living harmoniously their faith."

- Nothing could be further from the truth. This statement exemplifies the Laodicean state that our church is characterized by in the book of Revelation. We are NOT "theologically healthy, mission-oriented and living harmoniously our faith" any more than we are rich, increased in goods and have need of nothing.

"First, I noticed a dangerous version of endtime theology. He never ceased to emphasize the imminence of the Second Advent. Taking as a starting point the somewhat peculiar and overemphasized notion of the latter rain."

- It saddens me to hear someone in the Adventist church speak of an emphasis on the soon-coming of Jesus and the latter rain as a negative.

"What will happen if next year in all the pastors’ conventions around the globe ministers are called to preach this message, but the longed-for cosmic event will not materialize? Wouldn’t that create something like a second great disappointment among Adventists?"

- Would the world and church be better served by avoiding speaking of Christ's soon coming, thus affirming our Laodicean attitude? Nay, it is our mission to spread the message of His soon coming and that His judgment is already come!

"Deeply convinced in Mannheim that Christ’s return would be imminent, in Friedensau he dared to formulate that it is of little relevance whether Christ will return in five or fifty years."

- That one can look at these two points of Ted Wilson's sermons and conclude that "perhaps his visits to the places of the reformation had deeply impressed him" and that "Ted Wilson is a learner like all of us and perhaps he should come back to Germany more often to discuss issues with our fine theologians in Friedensau" shows just how deep the schism has become between the two groups in Adventism. Ted Wilson's theology has not changed, nor does his emphasis on the imminent return of Christ in one sermon and proclamation that it is of little relevance whether Christ returns in 5 years or 50 in the next present a conflict or evolution of belief.

We DO believe in the imminent return of Christ, and we ALSO believe that we are called to live the same life whether He comes in 5 years or 50. That is why the date of His return is of little relevance to the life of the believer...unless you believe that if we know Christ isn't coming for 50 years we can then "relax" and live a more worldly life, not spending so much time thinking about the things of heaven and spreading the Gospel?

Exposing the Shepherd's Rod

Last Day Events: Seal then Destruction

Revelation 7:1-3...

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

Ezekiel 9:3-6...

And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; and the LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple.

Early Writings, page 36...

I saw that the four angels would hold the four winds until Jesus' work was done in the sanctuary, and then will come the seven last plagues. These plagues enraged the wicked against the righteous; they thought that we had brought the judgements of God upon them, and that if they could rid the earth of us, the plagues would then be stayed.

Early Writings, page 43...

Satan was trying his every art to hold them where they were, until the sealing was past, until the covering was drawn over God's people, and they left without a shelter from the burning wrath of God, in the seven last plagues. God has begun to draw this covering over His people, and it will soon be drawn over all who are to have a shelter in the day of slaughter. God will work in power for His people; and Satan will be permitted to work also.


The Great Controversy, chapter 39: The Time of Trouble, page 613...

When the third angel's message closes, mercy no longer pleads for the guilty inhabitants of the earth. The people of God have accomplished their work. They have received "the latter rain," "the refreshing from the presence of the Lord," and they are prepared for the trying hour before them. Angels are hastening to and fro in heaven. An angel returning from the earth announces that his work is done; the final test has been brought upon the world, and all who have proved themselves loyal to the divine precepts have received "the seal of the living God." Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts His hands and with a loud voice says, "It is done;" and all the angelic host lay off their crowns as He makes the solemn announcement: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." Revelation 22:11. Every case has been decided for life or death.

What is a very important message given in Revelation?

By: Rob Peralta

The last book of the Bible was not put there by happenstance. It was because God gave His "final" word for who will be saved. Alot of times we as Christians make things much more complicated than we need to. Even distorting scripture when we shouldn't. As I have posted many times, many Christians say "Oh, I have Jesus, I don't want to hear about the Commandments of God". But we'd do well to read God's word more clearly.

In these latter days many lay preachers have sprung up via the internet and elsewhere. Telling people "you must pronounce God's name correctly, or you must know the Godhead clearly to be saved. The Holy Spirit is not part of the trinity, etc. etc." let's look at what Revelation says about just who will be saved.

In (Rev. 14:11) it talks about the last day "mark of the beast" and who get's it. Then right after in (Rev 14:12) it shows who "escapes" this mark saying "Here is the patience of the saints, they that KEEP the Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus" Now, we don't have to be a genius bible scholar to see the clear and simple meaning. It plainly tells us that the last day people of God, won't be holding on to this doctrine or that, but simply KEEPING the Commandments of God. And it doesn't say "keep the ones you want" or "keep 9 of 10, and leave out the Sabbath".
This simple truth needs no "addition", it's ALL we need to be saved, period! As Jesus said (John 15:10) "If you keep my Commandments, ye SHALL abide in my love, even as I have kept my Fathers Commandments, and abide in His love". Jesus kept the Holy 10 Commandments and so should we.

God wants us to know his "last days" message, are we understanding it correctly? More importantly are we DOING it? I am constantly coming across "Christians" who say "Well, we just can't keep them, Jesus knows this and still loves us". You are then saying God's word is misleading in Revelation. Why would he save those who keep the Commandments if we couldn't do it? Infact the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to empower us to keep them.(1 John 5:3) "For this is the love of God, that we keep His Commandments, and His Commandments are NOT BURDENSOME". And I would add, it's because of the help of the Holy Spirit we CAN do it.

In Revelation 22:14 God gives His FINAL word on "who" it is who will be saved. "Blessed are they who DO his Commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" And oh what a city it will be! So we see clearly what requirements God asks of us to be saved. Many will say "Lord, Lord" but they will have failed to heed God's final warning and instructions in Revelation. Do not be deceived, as scripture says (1 John 2:3-4) "This is how we KNOW we know Him, IF we keep His Commandments, he that says 'I know Him', and does NOT keep His Commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him"

So do not be lead astray by the many last day teachers, who make things difficult to understand your salvation. They say "you must do this or that, believe this or that, you can ignore this or that"". No, we must read and believe God's SIMPLE and straight forward words! Christ be with you.

We Can Have Victory Over Sin!

Do you believe that we can overcome sin in this life? Do you believe God is powerful enough to keep us from sinning? Do you believe that it's possible to keep the commandments of God while we have a fallen nature?

Most of Christendom doesn't. Most Adventists have come to believe what Desmond Ford believes...that we will never be fully sanctified until Jesus Christ returns and gives us unfallen natures. But what does the Bible say?

What does God call His followers to be?

1 Peter 1:15-16, "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

God grants us to live how, all the days of our life?

Luke 1:74-75, "That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life."

Of what does God say that His followers will not serve, are reckoned dead to, that it shall not reign in their mortal body, that they shall not obey, that it shall not have dominion over them, and that they are free from?

Romans 6:2, 6, 7, 11-15, 22, "God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ... Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. ... Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. ... But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."

What are given by Christ to His followers that they may partake of the divine nature and escape corruption?

2 Peter 1:4, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

What does the Bible say about those who abide in Christ and who are born of God?

1 John 3:3, 6, 9, "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. ... Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. ... Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

What effect do God's promises have on Christians?

2 Corinthians 7:1, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

What is it that will cause the heathen to know that Christ is Lord?

Ezekiel 36:23, 26, 27, "And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. ... A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."

How much does God sanctify His followers?

1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."

How does God describe His true church?

Ephesians 5:27, "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

What does God tell His children not to do?

1 John 2:1, "My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

What is it that enables us to live as Christ lived?

Philippians 2:5, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."

What does the Spirit of God do to those who follow Him?

1 Corinthians 6:7, "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

What does faith in God do to His followers?

Acts 26:18, "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."

What type of person will followers of Christ become?

Ephesians 4:13, "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."

What is God able to keep His followers from doing?

Jude 1:24, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy."

How much can followers of Christ do?

Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

What does the Lord know how to do?

2 Peter 2:9, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations."

What does God make sure comes with every temptation?

1 Corinthians 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

We are to follow Christ's example...how did He walk?

1 Peter 2:21, 22, "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth."

Who does Christ grant to sit with Him on His throne?

Revelation 3:21, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

What should be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ?

2 Corinthians 10:5, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

What will not be fulfilled by those who walk in the Spirit?

Galatians 5:16, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

How do the 144,000 stand before the throne of God?

Revelation 7:2-4, 14:1, 5, "And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed, and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. ... And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. ... And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God."

What do the remnant keep?

Revelation 12:17, "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."


The Bible is crystal clear that it is possible to keep the commandments of God, and that those who follow Christ will do just that. It's a question of God's power. Either God is more powerful than sin, or sin is more powerful than God. So, how powerful is your God?

Passage of Healthcare Reform Bill Indicative of Something Worse

The majority of Americans are opposed to the Healthcare Reform Bill that Congress just passed. The vast majority of Americans believe that Congress is doing a poor job. But the politics aren't the real issue, in my estimation.

Here is the issue: We are beginning to see a government that is growing more emboldened by the day with their belief that they have the right to decide, and force conformity to, what is "best for the people."

The lamb-like beast is beginning to speak like a dragon. (Rev. 13:11)

The U.S. government (that should be focused on protecting the people and passing only laws that prohibit actions which are harmful to others and not laws that compel certain actions that benefit oneself) is beginning to take the initiative in telling people not only what they can't do but, now, what they must do.

If its citizens do not act as the government decrees they should, which in this case is obtaining health insurance, there are economic consequences. By the year 2016, anyone who has not purchased health insurance will be penalized $695.00 or 2.5% of their income, whichever is greater.

Does any of this sound familiar?

Read Revelation 13:11-17...it won't be long until we see these very words come to pass right in front of our eyes.

Please don't take my word for it...study the books of Daniel and Revelation. They are companion books and fit together like a hand and glove.

Go through this quick Bible study and tell me what you think:

Amazing Facts - The USA in Bible Prophecy

The Cloak of Zeal and Garments of Vengeance

It's interesting that when Paul admonishes the church to put on the whole armor of God, he leaves out two items.

Paul was no doubt drawing his analogy from Isaiah 59:17 which reads, "For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak."

So we see here two of the articles which Paul used in referring to the Armor of God, namely, the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation.

But there are two additional articles that Paul didn't include: the garments of vengeance and the cloak of zeal.

Now we know that vengeance belongs to the Lord (Deut. 32:35, Heb. 10:30, Rom. 12:19) so that explains why the garments of vengeance are not ours to wear, but Christ's alone.

But we as Christians are commanded by Christ to put on the cloak of zeal!

Revelation 3:19, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent."

Galatians 4:18, "But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you."

Titus 2:14, "who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."

But there's another side to zeal...a darker side. Perhaps Paul, wanting to keep on the safe side, left out the cloak of zeal because of it's counterpart, the cloak of ignorant zeal. About this dangerous form of zeal, with which he was sadly very familiar, Paul writes:

Acts 22:3,4, "I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,"

Romans 10:2, "For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge."

Galatians 1:14, "And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers."

So, Christians, when putting on the Armor of God, don't forget your cloak of zeal! But be sure it's a zeal according to knowledge.

The Sabbath and Revelation

These are some thoughts I scribbled down yesterday...tell me what you think.

Why isn't the Sabbath specifically mentioned in the book of Revelation?

Some people make a big deal out of this fact. Consider this: If the Sabbath was mentioned in Revelation, Satan would use a different issue to deceive the world.

Even IF the Sabbath wasn't the main issue in the last days, the Bible is still crystal clear that Christians should be obedient in its observance.

Of all the main issues God could have pointed to without specifically mentioning by name, He couldn't have chosen a simpler and more easily understood issue.

The issue has to do with choosing God instead of the beast, right? So that narrows it down to commandments 1-4. Let's look at the options.

What if the first commandment was the issue. How ambiguous and vague can the logic of people make that commandment? What does it really mean to have other gods before God? One could easily confuse the issue.

What about the second commandment? What about idols? Any image of anything? What about pictures? Only if we bow down and serve? What does it mean to serve?

What about the third commandment? Take God's name in vain? His literal name, or any reference to "God"? What does "in vain" mean? Can we take the name of "Christian" in vain?

But the fourth commandment, the Sabbath...simple. Keep it holy! Work six days but don't work on the Sabbath.

Thank God that the issue Satan uses in the last days to try to deceive the entire world, is so simple if we're honest with ourselves.