call it s.i.n. and land in jail
Street preacher in England lands in jail for referring to the Bible to show that homosexuality is a sin:
calling it sin is a crime?
sigh and cry
describing areas of concern in God’s church – the Seventh-day Adventist church
no need to keep sabbath?
In the March 2010 edition of Adventist World, there is an article by Dennis Meier, a pastor of a SDA church in Hamburg, Germany.
He writes these words:
“I do not believe that you have to keep the Sabbath in order to be saved.”
My response to the Adventist World editor is:
Does the same apply to “You shall have no other gods before me”?
The Bible Story by Arthur S. Maxwell is???
Now i grew up with these blue books, and i have many good memories of my parents reading them to me before going to bed at nite. I believe many have been blessed with developing a love for the Bible thru this series of 10 books, but recently, reading them over to find stories for little ones i am staying with, i see some big problems. The number one problems is the philosophy of “unconditional love”. No, it is not said in so many words, as that phrase doesn’t seem to be used by hardly anyone in the 1950s when these books were published, but the language is clearly pointed in that direction.
Just a few examples from the book in front of me now – Volume 8, Part 2. Yesterday i saw a bunch of fish in a huge tank by the river, so my eyes caught the title of Story 10 “Money in a Fish”. In talking about the temple tax money, it says: “It seems that the tax at that time was half a shekel, and Jesus, while willing to pay it, didn’t have that much money.” But the Bible says: Matthew 17:27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them… So Jesus did not want to pay the money, as he was above the temple. Plus, it is highly likely that his disciple who kept the funds for the group had at least this much money, but no, Jesus wanted to show Peter a miracle to increase his faith it seems.
Chapter 11 says: No matter what anybody says or does to us,we will go on loving him just the same.” But the Bible says: Hosea 9:15 … I will love them no more… The next chapter says of Jesus’ kingdom: “In his kingdom love, and love alone, ruled”. But the Bible says: 2Samuel 23:3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
This is just a small, almost random sample, showing serious error in theology in these Bible Story books. I pray that anyone having this series of books vets it very carefully, and changes the wording in places before reading it to your children!!!
Speaking of children, one of Arthur Maxwell’s sons – Graham Maxwell – is the man who wrote a book called “Servants or Friends” which is very firmly in the camp of “unconditional love”.
we are responsible for sins we see, but do not reprove
We must rebuke sins when we see them in God’s people. This must be done in love for their souls, and done very carefully, just as Jesus would.
****************************************
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald Vol.3
06-08-1886
Faithfulness in Reproving Sin
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The true people of God, who have the spirit of the work of the Lord and the salvation of souls at heart, will ever view sin it its real, sinful character. They will always be on the side of faithful and plain dealing with sins which easily beset the people of God. Especially in the closing work for the church, in the sealing time of the one hundred and forty-four thousand, who are to stand without fault before the throne of God, will they feel most deeply the wrongs of God’s professed people. This is forcibly set forth by the prophet’s illustration of the last work, under the figure of the men, each having a slaughter weapon in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side. “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 the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.”
Who are standing in the counsel of God at this time? Is it those who virtually excuse wrongs among the professed people of God, and murmur in their hearts, if not openly, against those who would reprove sin? It is those who take their stand against them, and sympathize with those who commit wrong?–No, indeed! These, unless they repent, and leave the work of Satan in oppressing those who have the burden of the work, and in holding up the hands of sinners in Zion, will never
receive the mark of God’s sealing approval. They will fall in the general destruction of all the wicked, represented by the five men bearing slaughter weapons. Mark this point with care; those who receive the pure mark of truth, wrought in them by the power of the Holy Ghost, represented by the man in linen, are those “that sigh and cry for all the abominations that are done” in the church. Their love for purity and the honor and glory of God is such, and they have so clear a view of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, that they are represented as being in an agony, even sighing and crying.
But the general slaughter of all those who do not thus see the wide contrast between sin and righteousness, and do not feel as those do who stand in the counsel of God and receive the mark, is described in the order to the five men with slaughter weapons: “Go ye after him through the city, and smite; let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity; slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary.”
God said to Joshua (in the case of Achan’s sins), “Neither will I be with you any more except ye destroy the accursed from among you.”
…..
God holds his people, as a body, responsible for sins existing in individuals among them. If there is a neglect with the leaders of the church to diligently search out the sins which bring the displeasure of God upon his people as a body, they become responsible for these sins. But this is the nicest work that men ever engaged in, to deal with minds. All are not fitted to correct the erring. They have not wisdom to deal justly, while loving mercy. They will not be inclined to see the necessity of mingling love and tender compassion with faithful reproof of wrongs. Some will ever be needlessly severe, and will not feel the necessity of the injunction of the apostle, “And of some have compassion, making a difference; and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire.” There are many who do not have the discretion of Joshua, and who have no special duty to search out wrongs, and to deal promptly with the sins existing among them. Let not such hinder those who have the burden of this work upon them. Let them not stand in the way of those who have this duty to do. Some make it a point to question, and doubt, and find fault, because others do the work that God has not laid upon themselves. These stand directly in the way to hinder those upon whom God has laid the burden of reproof, and of correcting the sins that are prevailing, that his frown may be turned away from his people. Should a case like Achan’s be among us, there are many who would accuse those who might act the part of Joshua in searching out the wrong, of having a faultfinding, wicked spirit. God is not to be trifled with, and his warnings disregarded with impunity by a perverse people.
……..
Those who work in the fear of God to rid the church of hindrances, and to correct grievous wrongs, that the people of God may see the necessity of abhorring sin, and that they may prosper in purity, and the name of God be glorified, will ever meet with resisting influences from the unconsecrated.
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1PH
The love of Jesus for blood-bought souls will manifest itself in tenderness to the lost, and will grow by exercise: He will sink self in his interest for the work. He will have many straight and plain words to address to those who need them; for when God commissions men to do his work, he lays upon them the burden of watching for souls as they that must give an account. When needed, warnings are to be given, sins are to be rebuked, errors and wrongs are to be corrected, not only in the pulpit but by personal labor. This is divine work; and although it is not congenial to the natural inclinations, the minister must proclaim the straight truth, which will make the ears of them that hear tingle; he must lay before those who are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, the dangers and perils that are around them, and the doom that awaits the impenitent.
Wang Fue false “SDA” prophet in Thailand
Wang Fue is the name of a man in northern Thailand who says he has had visions from God for the last 7 years. I believe him to be a false prophet, but since some of my close friends believe him to be a true prophet, i write this post.
According to what has been told me, he was an ordinary farmer. He wanted a deep experience with God, and something happened and he was in a rice field for days, about to die, when God gave him a vision. Even tho he is basically an illiterate farmer, he started writing out what he received from God. He started writing things about biocips being connected to the Mark of the Beast, some of the personal sins of the leaders of the Thailand Adventist Mission, and other things that it would seem to be impossible for him to normally know. Up to this point everything sounds to me too, like he is a true prophet except that i have now found out that he used to be not just an idol worshipper, but an actual sorcerer, being used directly by the devil. This raises a big yellow flag, as i can found no one in the Bible who after being demon-possessed, later became a prophet. Yes, i know the demon-possessed man whose devils went into the pigs later became an evangelist for Jesus, but he did not become a prophet who is directly speaking for God himself.
But this man predicted a huge flood in Thailand that would occur in 2006, one that would submerge half the country after large earthquakes. Well, over 300 people gathered for year-end meetings that year to see it happen. When of course it didn’t happen, over half of the group fell away from the Seventh-day Adventist faith altogether. I heard of a few others who tried to show how “global warming” really did cause floods around the world in 2006, but even they have now rejected this prophecy as false, and have left this false prophet.
But there is still a group of people who believe this man to be a true prophet even after all this. Wang Fue explains that even he didn’t realize the true meaning of the 2006 flood prediction, the true meaning being that there would be “political” earthquakes and floods in the year 2006. Very convenient.
Now i enter the picture when i ask my friend if i can come to Thailand to do the 1858 Great Controversy animation, and help start a homeschool. She asks Wang Fue, and on the very day i arrive in Thailand the answer comes from him: “We are so near the end, that we should not do either project”. Now i can understand if the animation project is out, but to tell people not to start little schools to train up children in the Lord? This is not what any true prophet does.
He is also predicting, according to his dream of 3 cows, that three years of famine will start this year, so we should stock up on rice and cooking oil. This again is against what God had Ellen White write about not stocking up food for the Time of Trouble. He says that this famine will continue until Jesus comes. He is also saying that it is not good to have baptisms or the Lord’s Supper on the Sabbath, as the Sabbath is supposed to be a day of rest. This can be easily disproved by looking at the Spirit of Prophecy, but really, it just goes against common sense too. The Sabbath is to be a “high day” to be with Jesus, and what could be higher than baptisms or the Communion service? Some of the followers have been so diswrought about their being baptized on the Sabbath, that they have asked Wang Fue if they need to be rebaptized. He has told them “no”.
…
sda church gives gold medal to the pope in 1977
Here is a link giving detailed background information on this very serious corporate sin of our beloved Seventh-day Adventist church:
http://www.calltorepent.com/beach-1977
The corporate action of awarding the pope with a gold medal was the deciding one which prompted my mother to have her name removed from the Seventh-day Adventist church books in 1977. I do not agree with her decision, but have seriously considered for myself twice in my life if i should remove my name also. However, both times, the inescapable conclusion based on Revelation 3:14-22, and Ezekiel 9, is that this Seventh-day Adventist church is God’s only beloved church.
Jesus is calling his bride to repentance. We will heed the call?
adventists officially promote animism
The May 2009 Adventist World magazine came into my line of sight last week at church. What was this – a picture of a Japanese Shinto shrine’s torii gracing the cover? And on top of that, the place where the torii is located is at the only institution of higher learning operated by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists – Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies!!
Wikipedia says about the torii:
Torii gates mark the entrance to sacred space in Japan. A shrine may have many torii, and the first of the torii is called the ichi no torii, or “first torii”.[4] Torii that are found farther into the shrine represent increasing levels of holiness as one nears the inner sanctuary of the shrine.[4] Passing underneath a torii on the way to visit a shrine is, along with washing one’s hands and mouth with water, an act of sanctification and purification before approaching the kami to pray.
For this reason, people who are in a state of uncleanliness are not permitted to approach a Shinto shrine for prayer as their uncleanliness would defile the ground. Examples of uncleanliness in the Shinto tradition include a woman who is menstruating or anybody who has lost a relative in the past year. When a Japanese person suffers a death in the family, he or she will go to Buddhist temples instead of a Shinto shrine to offer prayers for one year, including for the essential first visit of the new year, Hatsumōde.
God, please may our leaders repent, for surely they know not what they are doing.
bryan gallant believes the christian God and the muslim god is the same
I’ve had contact with Brother Gallant a couple of times over about a 3 year span, and thot he was honestly trying to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Muslims. Today tho, i read an article by him that explodes that idea, and shows his feet are firmly planted on the “Christian God and Muslim god are the same” sinking sand platform.
The short article is here:
http://www.thequiethour.org/images/
echoespdf/echoes0109.pdf
Near the beginning of this article is the most powerful statement that this is gross error from Satan: “Muslims worship the Creator God. This would be the same Creator God referenced in the Bible as the God of the Jews and Christians.” There is one more egregious error: “Based on this simple answer the first step in building a bridge is to recognize Muslims as fellow people of faith who are looking to the God of all grace and mercy to bring about ultimate peace in a world racked by sin and war”.
Sounds good, doesn’t it? But it is all wrong – horribly wrong. The Allah spoken of in the Qur’an says over and over “I have no son”. The God spoken of in the Bible says “This is my beloved son, hear him.” Allah likes to doom unbelievers to a place where they will suffer forever, where they “will neither die nor live”. God destroys unbelievers in the lake of fire, and then creates a new earth. Allah says not to make friends of the Christians, to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, to pay money to atone for your sins, to wash your body in a certain way etc. etc. etc.
If Allah is God, then please leave me out of that heaven where he says he will feed us fowl meat. Gross. I love chickens, not eat them.
For a comparison i made between the Qur’an and Bible, look here:
http://www.timeoftrouble.com/quran/
quotes-from-quran.html
Why would any Seventh-day Adventist ever be confused about WHO God is? Please Bryan Gallant, please repent, and return to the Lord your God, and stop spreading lies that some hateful god who says to “Fight until all is for Allah” is the same as the God who sent his only Son to die for us.
Thank God we do have the pure word of truth, and that sin and sinners will one day be no more, and there will never again be anyone in all the universe who denies that Jesus is the Son of God.
stephen dickie “islam, god’s forgotten blessing” video review
F
I went to a seminar held by Jack McNeilus at Southern Adventist University on the last Sabbath of March. It was titled “Islam, God’s Forgotten Blessing”. There was a book of the same name being promoted there, authored by Stephen Dickie.
Now i’ve had contact with the Adventist/Muslim Relations director – Jerald Whitehose, and know that he is not promoting Christianity. So i was intrigued that perhaps this would be a Biblically-based approach to Muslim evangelism. But i was destined to be disappointed again.
The main point of the meeting i attended, was that the Muslims fit into God’s plan in the 7 trumpets of Revelation. That point was brought out by a nicely-done chart. While there were no overtly false things said, there were a few subtle things that made me wonder, but i kept my peace until the end of the seminar. When it was down to just 4 of us left, and i had heard quite a bit, i was mostly satisfied that this man was trying his honest best, in the fear of God, to promote the truth to the Muslims. The last of my 2 or 3 questions/statements, was something like: “AMR people are trying to make SDA Muslims, but you seem to be trying to make SDA Christians”. His reply was along the lines of “There is no saving value in any name”. I left, mostly dumbfounded that he had so misinterpreted my statement, to make it mean something so common and worldly, rather than taken in a spiritual sense. But wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt, i wrote it off, and told the people around me that this group was trying to do something far better than what the AMR people are currently doing. (oh yes, he said the AMR leaders are going to be shunted elsewhere soon).
I followed up my interest by looking for info on Stephen Dickie, and found several of his videos on Better Life tv. Islam, God’s Forgotten Blessing is here:
http://betterlifetv.tv/media/video/st372.wvx
While mostly sounding good, there were the little, almost passed-by type of comments that really worried me, so i sent Brother Dickie a email. Below is our exchange.
—————————————————–
From: earlysda@hotmail.com
To: sdickie@hotmail.com
Subject: questions about presentation on betterlife tv
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 2009 08:25:20 +0900
Hello Brother Stephen Dickie,
Last week i attended one meeting of a 3-part seminar given by Jack McNeilus at Southern Adventist University, Tennessee. He promoted your book, and as i am very interested in spreading the gospel to Muslims, i have been looking for more information on the internet about what you are teaching in that book.
While i have not been able to find the contents of the book on the internet, i was able to find a video presentation you gave on Better Life tv. I have some questions about comments you made on that video, but first, some background on myself —
I have read the Qur’an, and in comparing it to the Bible, saw that it is clearly a book inspired from Satan. I made some web pages showing some of the more egregious errors here:
http://www.timeoftrouble.com/quran/quotes-from-quran.html
Around 1 1/2 years ago i met Jerald Whitehouse at one of his seminars in Bangkok. He said some things that showed he is more a promoter of Islam than of Christianity.
So i am quite interested in how to reach Muslims, and your new method looked to possibly be the best tool today to do that, but in viewing this video, i am quite worried about your approach too.
Some concerns:
1. You said “Allah is the same god that you and i pray to.”
Actually, the Allah of the Qur’an is Satan, as you well know, so i’m trying to understand in what sense you mean this.
2. You said “Islam’s reformation is in front of them today”
But Islam never was a true religion. It was founded by Satan, so what good will a “reformation” do?
3. You said “The Qur’an teaches that when you die, you’re dead”.
Surely you have read the Qur’an, like in 20:74 where it says the people neither live nor die in hell???
4. You said “Mohammed was the star that fell”.
You are probably very close in this one, as Mohammed was one of the most effective agents of Satan ever.
These are large concerns, and i pray that you will answer them in an honest manner.
May the Holy Spirit work on the hearts of the Muslims today.
May we uplift Jesus always,
Daniel Winters
———————————————
This is the reply i received from Brother Dickie:
———————————————
From: sdickie@hotmail.com
To: earlysda@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: questions about presentation on betterlife tv
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 2009 00:13:47 +0000
Mr. Winters:
Your reputation precedes your email letter. My book is not on the internet for a purpose, I have chosen not to put it on, as it would not sit well with the world of Islam as it is only a book for SDAs. I have other things for Islam. You can find my book at the Collegedale ABC or you can order it from our web site at www.StrawberryMeadowAssociation.com .
It is interesting to see how you have already judge my work without reading it. Years ago I was told you were a very sharp person, but I would think you would at least read it first then bring your concerns or go public with your findings. I would read what I am saying first and not take what someone is saying I say.
May the Lord lead you and in your search.
Stephen Dickie
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And my reply:
—————————————————
Brother Stephen Dickie,
The concerns i raised were your EXACT words taken from your video. I’m not taking what someone is saying you say. And i’m not quoting from or judging your book at all.
Do you stand by what i have quoted you on in the videos on Better Life tv?
Look to Jesus,
Daniel Winters
—————————————————-
As of today, April 23rd, there has been no reply to this last email.
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stephen dickie “islam, god’s forgotten blessing” video reviewRead More »
samuele bacchiocchi passes to the grave – rejoice!
Proverbs 11:10
When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
Psalms 58:6-11 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD. (7) Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces. (8) As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. (9) Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath. (10) The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. (11) So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
I believe that Samuele Bacchiocchi was one of the 10 most effective agents for Satan to ever name the name “Seventh-day Adventist”. I base that on his disdain for the Word of God – claiming that parts of the Bible are inspired and parts are not. In fact, that is precisely why i have quoted Psalms chapter 58 above, because that was one place in our email exchanges where he said was “just David speaking his own words”. Well sir, you are now dead, yet the words live on. And they will live on forever, because they are God’s words.
How could anyone have hired you to teach theology in our premier SDA seminary is beyond me, but shows the terrible results of desiring to be like the world and laud the degrees the world lauds. May everyone desiring to get a Bible-based education avoid Andrews University, and as far as i know, all other SDA seminaries like the plague. May we repent as a people, and never hire unconsecrated teachers ever again.
stock market “blessings” for sda church?
Recently the Seventh-day Adventist church of which i am a member, held its annual council. Yes, i know the church has invested in stocks, even in hamburger companies etc., things that make a total mockery of God, but here is fresh information that we must repent, from our GC president down, if we wish again to have the favor of God. Oh Lord, please don’t punish us according to our sins, or there would be none of us left.
———————-
“Our budgets are not built on the dollars we have,” Lemon noted, “but on the blessings we anticipate.” This means “we don’t know what effect the markets will have” on future income, he said.
….
A major portion of the Oct. 13 Annual Council discussion surrounded the world church’s operational funds equity investments. Some of these have taken a 30 to 40 percent “hit” in recent days, but they represent a very small portion of overall operating funds for the world church. Associate treasurer Roy Ryan said the purpose of most equity investments is to generate sufficient returns to compensate for inflation and to preserve purchasing power. Ryan said it is not prudent to attempt to “time the market.”
World church president Jan Paulsen agreed, saying the church “is as conservative as possible” with its investments.
heppenstall most influential?
Another sigh-and-cry abomination for this Sabbath afternoon’s reading.
Today i read the August 2008 Adventist World magazine. There are usually a few uplifting articles, and a few discouraging ones. Sadly enough, usually the higher the writer’s position in the SDA church, the worse they are. Today’s read was no exception.
The article is titled “Help Along the Way” by our president, Jan Paulsen.
This sabbath afternoon i read the August 2008 Adventist World magazine. There are usually a few uplifting articles, and a few discouraging ones. Sadly enough, usually the higher the writer’s position in the SDA church, the worse they are. Today’s read was no exception.
The article is titled “Help Along the Way” by our president, Jan Paulsen.
http://www.adventistworld.org/article.php?id=365
He says the usual – his mother and his elementary school teacher were among the most influential in his life, then he introduces one more person in this category. The man is none other than Edward Heppenstall! This is the man who (as documented below, said:
The old creature or the old man remains with us until the day of our death or the day of Christ’s coming; but as long as we look at Christ the author and the finisher of our faith, sin and self cannot prevail. … The Christian believes that there still remains in the regenerate man a fountain of evil, that sin always exists in the saints till they are divested of their mortal bodies.
Here is Pastor Paulsen’s personal experience with the man:
I remember going to his office one day midway through the term and saying, “Dr. Heppenstall, you have destroyed everything I have believed about the sanctuary and you’ve given me nothing in place of it.” It was probably an arrogant thing for a student to say, and yet it was provoked by honest frustration. He replied, “Jan, remember—the sign of a mature mind is waiting until all the evidence is in.” And he was right. As the term wore on, more started to fit together. Not everything he said I could accept in exactly the way he stated it. But I honor him for the fact that he took his students down difficult paths of study—paths that are necessary for those who wish to function effectively as a minister.
Here was an instructor who “destroyed everything” Jan Paulsen believed about the sanctuary, and yet these paths are “necessary for those who wish to function effectively as a minister”???? OK, but i don’t want to listen to that kind of minister, and certainly will not support them with my tithe!!!
Edward Heppenstall was a very influential man, not only with Pastor Paulsen, but with all the SDA theologians.
http://spectrummagazine.org/files/archive/
archive16-20/18-1bull.pdf
In a survey done in 1985 which tried to define “The Intellectual World of Adventist Theologians”, Edward Heppenstall came out #1in the category of “Most influential SDA writers” – almost double that of the runner-up Ellen White!!! None of the under-39 group considered Ellen White as an “influential writer” – so it is no wonder where we are today in 2008 – with very few pastors who really read and believe Ellen White.
As a side note, it is interesting that of the respondents who had gotten their education from within the SDA educational system – 35% considered the Great Controversy theme as a major theological contribution, while only 11%of those educated outside the SDA system said so….Please notice that Jan Paulsen got some of his education outside of the SDA system, as nearly all the top PhD educators do nowdays.
To read some more reference material about Heppenstall,
…
blending compromise
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
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.”
================================
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!
================================
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.
….
“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.”
================================
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.
————
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
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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