Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2002 3:03 pm Post subject: Obsessive Cries Against Superstition and Heresy
It seems to me that there are some very loud people on this forum claiming great light. They are continually crying, “And here arises this superstition, and there arises that heresy.”
I have a thesis. I believe that there are many so-called “Seventh-day Adventists” with the above-mentioned profile who are not drawing believers together with cords of truth and love. I think that they are working to divide and separate God’s people one from the other.
If my judgment is correct, the theological repercussions are disastrous. It seems that Ellen G. White has prophesied of their appearance and labels them agents of Satan. See Matthew 24:23. Ellen White’s prophetic insight suggests that their mission is to create confusion and to distract the faithful from doing their appointed work. Please be alert to the following testimonies.
Quote:
After the truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, every conceivable power of evil will be set in operation, and minds will be confused by many voices crying, “Lo, here is Christ, Lo, he is there. This is the truth, I have the message from God, he has sent me with great light.” Then there will be a removing of the landmarks, and an attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith. A more decided effort will be made to exalt the false Sabbath, and to cast contempt upon God himself by supplanting the day he has blessed and sanctified. This false Sabbath is to be enforced by an oppressive law. Satan and his angels are wide-awake, and intensely active, working with energy and perseverance through human instrumentalities to bring about his purpose of obliterating from the minds of men the knowledge of God. —Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, December 13, 1892.
The third angel’s message must go over the land, and awaken the people, and call their attention to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Another angel unites his voice with the third angel, and the earth is lighted with its glory. The light increases, and it shines out to all the nations of the earth. It is to go forth as a light that burneth. It will be attended with great power, until its golden beams have fallen upon every tongue, every people, and every nation upon the face of the whole earth. Let me ask you, What you are doing to prepare for this work? Are you building for eternity? You must remember that this angel represents the people that have this message to give to the world. Are you among that people? Do you really believe that this work in which we are engaged is truly the third angel’s message? If so, then you understand that we have a mighty work to do, and that we ought to be about it. We must sanctify ourselves by a strict obedience to the truth, placing ourselves in right relation to God and his work. As the truth goes forth, Satan intensifies his zeal to defeat its progress by presenting pleasing delusions. As we urge the truth, he urges his errors. He will stir up his agents, in view of the coming of the Lord, to go out and cry, “Lo! here is Christ, and lo! there is Christ. And here arises this superstition, and there arises that heresy. And tell me, what are we to do about it?” I will tell you: we can become familiar, with the Bible, and read what saith the Lord. Not only the ministers but all who love and fear God are to do the Master’s work; and that is to let the light that he has given you shine before all. Here are two companies; one of them is being bound in bundles to burn, the other is being bound by the cords of truth and love. Satan is binding his followers with the work of iniquity; Christ is binding together his people in love and faith in the keeping of his commandments. And this work will increase more and more, and Satan will work to divide and separate God’s people one from the other. And while he is doing this kind of work, be careful that none of you are found helping him. We want to put away our cold-heartedness, and let love, tender compassion, true courtesy, and the spirit of tenderness come into our midst. Here we are in the waiting time, in the day of God’s preparation. Here in this world we are to fit up for these great trials that are soon coming upon us. And yet some of us act as though we had a whole millennium before us in which to accomplish the work. But, says the text, “Watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is.” And what Christ said to his disciples, I say unto you, “Take ye heed, watch and pray,” that when the Master comes to reckon with his servants, you may receive from him the crown of life laid up for the overcomer, and rejoice with him in his kingdom. —Second Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, August 18, 1885.
"And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the lord, that he did for Israel...And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel." Judges 2:7,10.
"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." (Isa. 58:1)
The "cries" that are being heard. Are they the heresy or the Lord calling his people? How does one tell the difference?
Spiritual discernment can’t be taught. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned.
Quote:
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14.
I can recognize false prophets by their fruits (Matthew 7:15-20).
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2002 5:19 pm Post subject: Here’s the fruit I see
What are you saying? If we apply all the tests of a prophet, that could somehow exonerate anyone with the profile sketched in the opening post?
The fulfillment of Ellen White’s prophecy is the fruit I see.
Quote:
Minds will be confused by many voices crying, “Lo, here is Christ, Lo, he is there. This is the truth, I have the message from God, he has sent me with great light.”
Many false prophets are crying, “Lo, here is Christ, Lo, he is there.”
These false prophets aren’t saying that the presence of Christ is literally here or there. The phrase conveys their enthusiasm for their message. Their message is Christ to them. (Try to imagine all the zeal and devotion that will accompany the appearance of Satan masquerading as Christ). Their reverential loyalty is equally great for their own delusions. “This is the truth, I have the message from God, he has sent me with great light.”
Quote:
As the truth goes forth, Satan intensifies his zeal to defeat its progress by presenting pleasing delusions. As we urge the truth, he urges his errors. He will stir up his agents, in view of the coming of the Lord, to go out and cry, “Lo! here is Christ, and lo! there is Christ. And here arises this superstition, and there arises that heresy. And tell me, what are we to do about it?”
In the SDA church the fulfillment began with the Shepherd’s Rod movement and perhaps even before. The most astounding fulfillment began with the virtual eruption that took place in the 1950s over the publication of the book, Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine. False prophets from everywhere declared the tiniest imperfections in the book to be heresy and proof of apostasy. See my review of QOD.
This same spirit is present on this forum in many obsessive cries against Trinitarianism.
No I'm not saying that anyone is exonerated. I'm saying that we should "prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (1Thess 5:21)
Ellen White says,
"The path of error often appears to lie close to the path of truth. It is hardly distinguishable from the path that leads to holiness and heaven." (8T 290)
Eugene wrote:
These false prophets aren’t saying that the presence of Christ is literally here or there. The phrase conveys their enthusiasm for their message. Their message is Christ to them.
I disagree that enthusiasm alone is a criteria for these false prophets. I believe that they actually have a false message. Therefore we apply all the test. We should also note that the test apply to the messages of the the prophet primarily. There are instances in the Bible where bad people gave true messages (e. g. Balaam). We should all be enthusiastic about our message (e. g. David bringing the ark back 2Sam. 6:20-22)
Would you not agree that since truth sometimes seems to lie so close to error that it would be prudent to apply more than one test in order to "prove all things"?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2002 7:32 pm Post subject: What kind of interview is this?
Steve,
I did not say that enthusiasm alone is a criteria for these false prophets. I do not deny that they actually have a false message. By necessity, “false prophets” who promote “delusions” have a false message. Every specific of the prophecy has been fulfilled.
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