The Adventist News Network has an article quoting SDA President Jan Paulsen while in Africa. There are two things he said that are very troubling. Jan Paulsen in East Africa
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Paulsen also spoke at Sabbath worship services in Mombasa, where he emphasized the value of unity within both the church and the broader community. Adventists in largely Muslim Mombasa should live in peace and harmony and avoid criticism, he told the congregation.
“We worship one God … so I am coming to Mombasa to worship with my family,” Paulsen said, adding that religious convictions should not stir tension in the community.
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With due respect to the leader of Christ’s body on earth – The Muslims and Christians DO NOT worship the same God.
Secondly, Christ himself brought on criticism and tension in his community.
God said thru Ellen White: “But when they make special efforts to accommodate themselves to the peculiar ideas and feelings of their hearers, in order to avoid criticism, they will weaken their own testimony, and fail of the object they wish to secure. They will do injustice to their mission, injustice to themselves, and also to those who criticize them.” STMW(1897).
God said thru Matthew: 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Brother Paulsen, please repent and give the trumpet a certain sound.
I think there is a time and a place to make the truth do the cutting.
To say we worship the same God is not true at all and this takes Jesus out of the equation. Many of the higher ups feel we must be politically correct and do these things for PR purposes.
2Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
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There is one sure way to avoid persecution – to be neutral in a crisis.
That is the Laodicean condition!
I was happy to see this morning that my comment to the ANN article was posted. May our leaders repent and get hot for Jesus 🙂
do you have a link?
Sure, the link is 3rd line down in this post where it says “Jan Paulsen in East Africa” 😉
okay thanks… I did not read all the way through and did not see your comment… now I do… I agree with you.
We should stand up for truth – absolutely. But should we actively seek controversy? How should we evanglise – confrontational like street preachers or as a friend, and which is likely to be more effective?
What is Paul’s advice in 1 Cor. 9:20 about being a Jew to the Jews? What did Paul do when there was a riot in Ephesus – did he insult their pagan gods – no, stayed quiet and left the city.
Yes, Christ did not avoid criticism – but with his own leaders within Judaism, not with the pagan-Roman authorities. In fact, Christ showed much respect and deference to those pagan authorities. How did Christ tell us to evangelize – like a bull in a china shop? No, as cunning snakes (Matt. 10:16), or as crafty servants (Luk. 16:1-13).
On that basis, what Pastor Paulsen said was entirely reasonable advice for a Muslim majority country – because it is what works. After all, he was there. If you have other ideas how to do evangelism in Islamic societies, feel free to go over and become a missionary yourself.
Did you read the entire post, Simon?
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Of course i understand that we are enjoined to be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. I also understand that we are to reach the people where they are, and not put up unnecessary walls blocking the spread of the gospel.
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Please note tho, that Jesus did not go with “what works”. By that criteria, we should all be Roman Catholics, or Muslims, or Evolutionists, as those religions have the largest followings in the world today.
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Sin must be called sin. When God’s remnant’s president tells his flock that Muslims worship the same God we Christians do, i must raise my voice in protest, or else i am complicit in his sin.
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Thank you for your advice to become a missionary myself. I have lived probably close to 1 year of my life in Muslim countries, and have done missionary work there too 🙂