Click on each Photo to Enlarge | The Churches Unite
On March 16th, 2007 an ecumenical coalition of churches organized an event, Christian Peace Witness for Iraq, to protests the War in Iraq. This event began with an interfaith prayer and worship service at the Washington National Cathedral, followed by a candlelit procession to the White House and a late night prayer vigil. About 3,000 church leaders from pews and pulpits all across the United States descended upon Washington DC. to join forces with other religious groups and participated in singing, prayers, meditations, and in calling upon the holy name of God to bring true, lasting peace and unity to this nation and to the rest of the world.
Participants included: Seventh-day Adventists, Baptists, Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, Disciples of Christ, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Mennonites, the National Council of Churches, the World Council of Churches, and others.
As a minister of the Gospel for more than 50 years, I’ve longed to see our people revived and reformed. Many other faithful Seventh-day Adventists have also desired to see our people revived and reformed. But how can we revive and reform our people when we have leaders participating in these apostate worship services? What has happened to our beloved remnant church? Have we become Evangelicals in thinking and preaching? Is it possible that we have reached over the gulf and clasped hands with the Evangelicals and the Catholic Church? It was prophesied by our prophet Ellen White:
“When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 451.
When did such a liberal evangelical movement begin among us in the Seventh-day Adventist Church? We turn in our history to 1955-1957, when Elder Unruh, President of the Pennsylvania Conference introduced Barnhouse and Martin, and Eternity magazine to the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. These meetings started a trend by our leaders to be accepted by the Evangelical churches.
Then appeared a book, Questions on Doctrine. This book was 90 percent correct, but 10 percent deadly. Leroy Froom, R. A. Anderson, and Elder Reed were chosen by the General Conference committee to lead out in our evangelical attempt, and were responsible for the book, Questions on Doctrine. In the papacy’s masterful attempt to bring the Protestant Churches back under their domination, next came Vatican II. Then a gold medallion was presented to the Pope by one of our General Conference leaders in the religious liberty department.
Elder Maxwell, editor of the Signs of the Times, went as an observer to Vatican II in 1962. He returned from that meeting and gave a glowing report of the papacy and how it had changed. All these coming together, Vatican II has been most successful. We now in every one of our General Conference sessions have the Vatican flag marching down the aisle with the flags of the rest of the countries.
In the recent General Conference session held in St. Louis, two priests had a booth with the other booths. They represented the Vatican. Have the Seventh-day Adventist Church really reached across the gulf and clasps the hand of the papacy with the Evangelical churches? I leave the reader to make the decision. But there is one more that must be added. The Protestant world and Catholic world have reached across the gulf and clasps hands with spiritualism, Are Seventh-day Adventists ready to do this? For many years we have been clasping hands with Pentecostal music and worship. We have sent one thousand pastors to Saddleback and Willowcreek to train in the ideology of Pentecostalism. In many of our churches around the world we have an orchestra playing Pentecostal type of music and the rising of arms and clapping of hands.
Worship With a Bedlam of Noise
“It is impossible to estimate too largely the work that the Lord will accomplish through His proposed vessels in carrying out His mind and purpose. The things you have described as taking place in Indiana, the Lord has shown me would take place just before the close of probation. Every uncouth thing will be demonstrated. There will be shouting, with drums, music, and dancing. The senses of rational beings will become so confused that they cannot be trusted to make right decisions. And this is called the moving of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit never reveals itself in such methods, in such a bedlam of noise. This is an invention of Satan to cover up his ingenious methods for making of none effect the pure, sincere, elevating, ennobling, sanctifying truth for this time. Better never have the worship of God blended with music than to use musical instruments to do the work which last January was represented to me would be brought into our camp meetings. The truth for this time needs nothing of this kind in its work of converting souls. A bedlam of noise shocks the senses and perverts that which if conducted aright might be a blessing. The powers of satanic agencies blend with the din and noise, to have a carnival, and this is termed the Holy Spirit’s working.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 36.
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How could this fall have taken place in God’s remnant church? Where did it begin?—It began in 1932. The General Conference voted accreditation for our colleges, which demanded that we had so many PhD’s in our schools. This has paved the way for our attempt to become Evangelicals. As a result, our schools have adopted the world’s curriculum and the attitude of many of our leaders and pastors have placed Ellen White our prophet in the 19th Century. They claim she was a nice little old lady for that time. Also, they have placed the three angels’ messages, the sanctuary message, and the 2300 day prophecy in the 19th Century. What is to be the end of all of this apostasy?
The Fatal Choice
“Unsanctified ministers are arraying themselves against God. They are praising Christ and the god of this world in the same breath...Let the son of deceit and false witness be entertained by a church that has had great light, great evidence, and that church will discard the message the Lord has sent, and receive the most unreasonable assertions and false suppositions and false theories. Satan laughs at their folly, for he knows what truth is...Many will stand in our pulpits with the torch of false prophecy in their hands, kindled from the hellish torch of Satan. If doubts and unbelief are cherished, the faithful ministers will be removed from the people who think they know so much.” Testimonies to Ministers, 409.
When the wrath of God comes down on the confused Protestant and Catholic Churches, what will happen to the leaders and pastors of the Seventh-day Adventist Church who have participated in this terrible apostasy?
“The people turned upon their ministers with bitter hate and reproached them, saying, ‘You have not warned us. You told us that all the world was to be converted, and cried, Peace, peace, to quiet every fear that was aroused. You have not told us of this hour; and those who warned us of it you declared to be fanatics and evil men, who would ruin us.’ But I saw that the ministers did not escape the wrath of God. Their suffering was tenfold greater than that of their people.” Early Writings, 282.
Sunday laws are coming
Sunday Laws hang ominously over the horizon of our confused world today. The evidence is overwhelming that America is preparing to enforce the image to the first beast of Revelation 13. How?—through these ecumenical, interfaith worship services which are a combination heathen rites and customs, devoid of the true Spirit and power of God. By our participation in these services we are helping to set up the Image of the Beast here in America.
“But what is the ‘image to the beast’? and how is it to be formed?...When the early church became corrupted by departing from the simplicity of the gospel and accepting heathen rites and customs, she lost the Spirit and power of God; and in order to control the consciences of the people, she sought the support of the secular power. The result was the papacy, a church that controlled the power of the state and employed it to further her own ends, especially for the punishment of ‘heresy.’ In order for the United States to form an image of the beast, the religious power must so control the civil government that the authority of the state will also be employed by the church to accomplish her own ends.” The Great Controversy, 443.
The Last Deception of Satan
“Satan is . . . constantly pressing in the spurious—to lead away from the truth. The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish’ (Proverbs 29:18). Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God’s remnant people in the true testimony—Letter 12, 1890.
“There will be a hatred kindled against the testimonies which is satanic. The workings of Satan will be to unsettle the faith of the churches in them, for this reason: Satan cannot have so clear a track to bring in his deceptions and bind up souls in his delusions if the warnings and reproofs and counsels of the Spirit of God are heeded—Letter 40, 1890.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 48.
Ellen White was chosen by God to be the prophet of this final generation. God inspired her to write 25 million words to direct His church so that it would not follow in the steps of apostasy of the Old Testament Church and the apostasy of the New Testament. Many of our people want to leave her in the 19th century when it is our duty to bring her writings to the 21st century.
Have we done worse than the Jews?
“ ‘Ye have done worse than they.’ I saw that God has given His servants the truth so clear, so plain, that it cannot be resisted. Wherever they go, they have certain victory. Their enemies cannot get round the convincing truth. Light has been shed so clear that the servants of God can stand up anywhere and let truth, clear and connected, bear away the victory. This great blessing has not been prized, or even realized.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 129.
Ellen White’s inspired writings, along with the 2300 day prophecy, the three angels’ messages, and the sanctuary message must again be brought before the church and the world. These messages make us the true remnant church of God. All the loyal and obedient pastors, teachers, laity, and leaders are challenged now to bring Ellen White the prophet of God before the church. This should be a privilege not just a duty.
Israel Became A Curse
“Israel was a cumberer of the ground. Its very existence was a curse; for it filled the place in the vineyard that a fruitful tree might fill. It robbed the world of the blessings that God designed to give. The Israelites had misrepresented God among the nations. They were not merely useless, but a decided hindrance. To a great degree their religion was misleading, and wrought ruin instead of salvation.” Christ Object Lessons, 215.
There were so many promises and blessings to Israel which are today applicable to spiritual Israel. But we must never forget that those promises were based on obedience.
“A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.” Deuteronomy 11:27, 28.
Obedience brings blessings, disobedience brings cursings. And today our theology has become a curse to the world. We have not obeyed God in education, in medical missionary work, in evangelism, and in the publishing work. And when we don’t obey we are under a curse.
The Finishing of the Work
Many leaders are standing in the way of God’s work. They are keeping the true message from being presented to the world. Therefore God is forced to take the reins into His own hands.
“God will use ways and means by which it will be seen that He is taking the reins in His own hands. The workers will be surprised by the simple means that He will use to bring about and perfect His work of righteousness.” Testimonies to Ministers, 300.
“As the time comes for the loud cry to be given, the Lord will work through humble instruments, leading the minds of those who consecrate themselves to his service. The laborers will be qualified rather by the unction of his Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them.” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 424.
The reason why Seventh-day Adventists are still in this earth is because we have been preaching the Evangelical gospel and engaging in their interfaith worship services which is causing us to loose our peculiarity. The Evangelicals and Roman Catholics are determined to destroy the three angels’ messages, destroy the sanctuary message, destroy the 2300 day prophecies, and destroy our opportunity to be the Remnant people. And the end will never come as long as these encounters with the Evangelicals and Catholics continue. What we need is a powerful encounter with God and His Holy Spirit so that with boldness we can live up to the high and holy standard of God’s Word.
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:11-14.
Let us not be like the Jews of old who refused to acknowledge God’s call for renewal and regeneration: “Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?” Malachi 3:7.
—Pastor Ron Spear |
