Day: September 4, 2008

blending compromise

Leave a Comment / sigh and cry / September 4, 2008


The following is from the Pacific Union Recorder about the retirement of the Southeast California Conference president back in i believe 2004. Notice how nothing is said about the truth or Jesus, just that this president’s solutions “have not split the church”. Sure doesn’t sound like Jesus’ way of doing things. Notice too that men and women pastors carry the same credential. Who will speak up to stop this blasphemy?

http://www.pacificunionrecorder.com/104/5/18444.html
Several hot topics in Southeastern could have erupted like volcanoes elsewhere. Strong opinions swirled around churches that adopted contemporary music and worship styles, a request to establish a Black conference, the debate on women’s ordination, and selling San Pasqual Academy, the conference’s only boarding school.

Solutions—arrived at through a process of inclusiveness and discussion—are a blend of compromise and creativity. “They don’t satisfy everybody, but they have not split the church,” one administrator pointed out.

Today, a broad spectrum of worship styles coexist in SECC. Men and women pastors carry the same credential, identifying them as “ordained-commissioned.” The conference executive committee voted to support churches that preferred to become a Black conference (though the proposal was later rejected by the Pacific Union Conference as a whole). And several million dollars from the San Pasqual sale have been turned into endowments that will benefit schools for decades to come.

adventist extraordinary tithe compromise

4 Comments / sigh and cry / September 6, 2008


http://news.adventist.org/data/2008/1207597266/index.html.en
“Not only have tithes and offerings increased,” Lemon said, “but the church was blessed to receive a multimillion dollar ‘extraordinary tithe.’ Lemon’s April 6 financial report at the church’s spring business meeting reflected about half of that extraordinary tithe, which was first announced at the church’s fall 2007 business meeting.
….
Finance officers also addressed the church’s investments in light of the fluctuating market. Commenting specifically on the church’s retirement funds, world church associate treasurer Roy Ryan said because the church’s holdings are long-term, diversified and conservative, risks are “manageable.”

Given the volatile markets, “no one is expecting a robust financial year in 2008,” Ryan added, “but the strength of international and emerging markets are encouraging to United States-based investors.”
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What is this “extraordianry tithe” thing? If just a one-time large amount – very good….

How can anyone possibly donate funds to the Seventh-day Adventist church knowing that they are doing this with the funds? Can you just imagine at all Jesus calling his disciples together and saying “The risk to our money-bag is ‘manageable’. Sure am glad we have some funds invested in Roman gold. Judas, you might want to look into investing in emerging European economies.” ???

I do remember around 20 years ago seeing that some SDA church funds were invested in Wendy’s Hamburgers!
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http://news.adventist.org/data/2007/1192473066/index.html.en
Lemon also presented a special report on an extraordinary amount of tithe the church’s world headquarters received earlier this year. Council delegates voted to receive it and have it used for the church’s worldwide work.
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“We have consulted with many on this issue and we want it clearly understood that there is no change in our position that tithe … should be turned into the local conference through the local church,” Lemon said.

“It would have to be an extraordinary amount for us to consider this again.”
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Aah, now we see what this “extraordinary tithe” thing is. Someone sold off some multinational company for many millions of dollars, and gave 10% to the church. Since the amount was so large, they gave it directly to the General Conference. Now the rules the GC officials themselves have made, state that all tithes must go thru the local church. Notice how easily these men are bot off – “It would have to be an extraordinary amount for us to consider this again”. Satan must be laughing as he sees God’s church’s leaders so easily sell their rules and/or priniciples for extra zeroes in a bank account. What a farce.
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Update September 6.
http://www.adventistworld.org/article.php?id=249
Finally i found the quote i knew i had read in some Adventist World magazine about this issue, it is by president Jan Paulsen telling us that this extraordinary tithe is “funds that were given very specifically for the mission work of the church.” This is not just a farce of the church-generated rules, this is a slap in the face of God that we would allow someone to SPECIFY where their TITHE monies go. President Paulsen, what about the 3 dollars and 50 cents of tithe given by the illegal immigrant? Can they come to the GC headquarters and hand it over to the financial officers and SPECIFY where they want it to go? Repent.

sigh and cry

Leave a Comment / sigh and cry / September 4, 2008


This is something you absolutely must do if you wish to receive the mark of God in your forehead (and thus not receive the mark of the beast in your forehead).

Ezekiel 9:4
And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

Jerusalem represents the people of God, and perhaps more closely interpreted, would be the absolute heart of the work – ie: Where the leaders of God’s people are. The Mark itself may also have some kind of outward manifestation, but that is unlikely. It is mostly referring to a “settling into the truth”.

Now notice WHERE the people who receive the mark are, and WHAT they are doing.
Are they outside of Jerusalem? In Egypt or Rome? No, they are all INSIDE Jerusalem. This is the most powerful point that has kept me inside the Seventh-day Adventist church all these years. Even when the church looks to be all headed to hell in apostasy, i know that to receive the mark of God, i must be INSIDE this church.

WHAT are the people doing who receive the mark? Are they excusing wrongs among God’s people? Are they compromising with the world? Maybe they are not even going along with the wickedness in the church, but maybe just keeping their mouths shut? NO! They are “sighing and crying”. About what? This is the most controversial part of the whole “sighing and crying” interpretation.

Some people just plain like to complain about everything. They are happiest when complaining. This is because of the “root of bitterness” which they have not allowed Jesus Christ to dig up and throw out of their hearts. If you don’t see exactly like them in everything – “You’re Lost!”. This type of “sigher and crier” gives a bad name to the whole group – of course making Satan happy.

Some people refuse to say anything bad about anyone’s sins. But these people haven’t a shred of support from Ezekiel 9 for their position, and they know it. They try to make up for the deficieny of inspired support in Ezekiel 9 by quoting unrelated Bible texts saying we should “love” and “be kind” and “don’t gossip” and “don’t judge” etc. etc. These texts tho must be understood to not negate what Ezekiel 9 so clearly says. As always, the Bible must be read in context. Otherwise, you start baptising for the dead, and believing that Satan will be in heaven (because all who believe are saved, and Satan believes!).

So the proper heart attitude must be present to “sigh and cry” in the manner that God wants so as to receive the mark in your forehead. We must not be haughty, “holier than thou”, or gleeful when we point out the sins in the church. The whole purpose of this is to wake up people, to show them their sins, so that they will repent and come to God, so that God will have a clean church when he returns. Of course the sighing and crying helps cleanse our own hearts too.

Hopefully in the future i will be able to post some things in our beloved Seventh-day Adventist church that make one “sigh and cry”.

Following are some Spirit of Prophecy quotes by Ellen White about “sighing and crying”. We must all be doing it. Get ready! Get ready! Get ready!

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