Five More Recent Blasphemies Being Taught By Seventh-day Adventists

Any professing Seventh-day Adventist who will not protest the following heresies being taught by fellow SDA's, will be held responsible for such teachings:

"The plain straight testimony must live in the church, or the curse of God will rest upon His people as surely as it did upon ancient Israel because of their sins. God holds His people, as a body [corporately], responsible for the sins existing in individuals among them." Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 269.

BLASPHEMY # 1: The denial of the verbal inspiration of the Bible (i.e. the Bible is not fully inspired by God); certain events in the Bible never even happened; there are mistakes and contradictions in the Bible; and that some of the Bible (if not all of it) is fallible. (These ideas are being taught by people such as Alden Thompson, a teacher at Walla Walla College; Robert Folkenberg, former president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists; and MANY others!)

THE TRUTH: "ALL scripture is given by INSPIRATION of God"--2 Timothy 3:16 KJV. "The scribes of God wrote as they were dictated by the Holy Spirit, having NO control of the work themselves. They penned the literal truth, and stern, forbidding facts are revealed for reasons our finite minds cannot fully comprehend."--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, page 9.1.

The word "dictation" does not mean that the Holy Spirit actually stood beside the writers and dictated to them out loud word-by-word what to write (although He did do that sometimes, especially certain times where the Bible says He did), but rather the writers let Him control them (and their whole lives) so that the outcome (every single WORD, every single LETTER [every "jot" and "title" (Matt. 5:18)]) was EXACTLY what God wanted it to be; thus the Bible is the WORD OF GOD. (This is why E.G. White says that the writers were God's penmen, not His pen, and that they were "under the influence of the Holy Ghost"--Selected Messages, book 1, pg. 21.)

THE BIBLE IS AS INFALLIBLE, INSPIRED, TRUSTWORTHY, ACCURATE, AND AUTHORITATIVE AS IF GOD HIMSELF HAD PHYSICALLY WRITTEN EVERY WORD WITH HIS OWN HAND!!!!!!!!

Jesus Christ Himself said in Matthew 5:18 that EVERY SINGLE LETTER IN THE BIBLE (EVEN THE SMALLEST GRAMMATICAL MARK) IS INSPIRED!: "For VERILY I say unto you . . . ONE JOT OR ONE TITTLE SHALL IN NO WISE PASS FROM THE LAW."

E.G. White says: "Skeptics who read the Bible for the sake of caviling may, through an imperfect comprehension of either science or revelation, claim to find CONTRADICTIONS between them; but rightly understood, they are in perfect harmony."--Mind, Character, and Personality, Volume 2, page 743.1.

The following will answer the heresy of "certain events recorded in the Bible never happened": "The lives recorded in the Bible are authentic histories of actual individuals. From Adam down through successive generations to the time of the apostles we have a plain, UNVARNISHED, account of what ACTUALLY OCCURRED and the genuine experience of real characters." "Had our good Bible been written by uninspired persons, it would have presented quite a different appearance and would have been a discouraging study to erring mortals. . . But as it is, we have a CORRECT RECORD of the religious experiences of marked characters in Bible history."--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, page 9.1, and page 10.2.

If the exodus didn't happen the way the Bible says it did (or at all), then how do we know other things in the Bible are true, like that Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead? Or how do we know that there is a God, and that the writers didn't make a mistake by saying that there is? How far are you willing to go? Where will you draw the line? If Isaiah made a mistake when talking about the four corners of the earth, how do we know that Moses wasn't wrong when saying that God created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh? How do we know all of the Ten Commandments are correct? To question any of the preceding teachings of the Bible (or anything the Bible says) is BLASPHEMY!!! "The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, INFALLIBLE, revelation of His will." "He [Ulric Zwingle] submitted himself to the Bible as THE WORD OF GOD, the ONLY sufficient, INFALLIBLE rule."-The Great Controversy, page VII.1, and page 173.2. "The Bible presents a perfect standard of character; it is an infallible guide under all circumstances"--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, page 264.2.

"Will they reject GOD'S WORD, as the Jewish leaders rejected Christ? The result of Israel's sin is before us. Will the Church of today take warning?"--Christ's Object Lessons, page 306.

To learn more about this subject, read Receiving the Word, by Samuel Koranteng-Pipim, Berean Books, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan. (This book may be purchased at your local Adventist Book Center.)

[BLASPHEMY # 1 is the reason for all of the following blasphemies and heresies. These heresies exist because of the denial of the full inspiration and authority of the Bible.]

BLASPHEMY # 2: God doesn't know the future, God sometimes changes, we can change His mind through prayer, and all other heresies of the "open" view of God (neotheism). (This is what Richard Rice, a teacher at Loma Linda University, teaches, along with others.)

THE TRUTH: This is BLASPHEMY!!! E.G. White says: "The Lord knows the future." "God knows the future. He is the One to whom we are to look for guidance."--The Spalding-Magan Collection, page 366.5, and Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, page 232.5. "His [Jesus] constant prayer for them [His disciples] was that they might be sanctified through the truth; and He prayed with ASSURANCE, KNOWING that an Almighty decree had been given BEFORE THE WORLD WAS MADE. He KNEW that truth armed with the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit, WOULD CONQUER IN THE BATTLE WITH EVIL, and that the bloodstained banner WOULD one day wave triumphantly over His followers.

"As Christ's earthly ministry drew to a close, and He realized that He must soon leave His disciples to carry on the work without His personal supervision, He sought to encourage them and prepare them for the FUTURE. He did not deceive them with false hopes. AS AN OPEN BOOK HE READ WHAT WAS TO BE. He KNEW He was about to be separated from them, to leave them as sheep among wolves. He KNEW that they would suffer persecution, that they would be cast out of the synagogues, and would be thrown into prison. He KNEW that for witnessing to Him as the Messiah, some of them would suffer death. And something of this He told them. In speaking of their FUTURE, HE WAS PLAIN AND DEFINITE, that in their coming trial they might remember His words and be strengthened to believe in Him as the Redeemer." --The Acts of the Apostles, page 21.1.

"God had a KNOWLEDGE of the events of the FUTURE, even before the creation of the world. He did not make His purposes to fit circumstances, but He allowed matters to develop and work out. He did not work to bring a certain condition of things, but He KNEW that such a condition WOULD exist."--SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, page 1082.1, or 7ABC, page 306.1.

If God doesn't know the future, then that means that the Jews had no assurance that the Messiah was going to come. And it would mean that we have no assurance of our deliverance from evil at the second coming!!!! God doesn't know that He is going to conquer evil?!!!! What BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!! (See the above quote, where E.G. White says that Jesus KNEW He WOULD conquer in the battle with evil!) If God doesn't know the future, how could He make Messianic prophecies (or ANY prophecies) in the Bible?!!

How could Jesus have died to save us from ALL of our sins if He didn't even know what sins we were going to commit?!!!! If God doesn't know the future, then Jesus might not even be coming again!!!! Even though Jesus said He is coming again, He didn't have the authority to say that, because He didn't know the future?!!!!!!!!! This is BLASPHEMY!!!!!!! We know that Jesus WILL COME AGAIN!!!!!!!, because the Bible says, "God cannot lie" (Titus 1:2, KJV). And if you don't believe the Bible, WHICH IS THE WORD OF THE LIVING GOD, there is no hope for you, AT ALL, until you repent.

God never changes. He says: "I AM THE LORD, I CHANGE NOT." (Malachi 3:6, KJV.) To learn more about this subject, read Creating God in the Image of Man?, by Dr. Norman L. Geisler, Bethany House Publishers. This book may be purchased at your local Christian bookstore. Receiving the Word, by Samuel Koranteng-Pipim, also talks about this subject.

BLASPHEMY # 3: "god" the "father" recreated "jesus" as sin, literally, in the Garden of Gethsemane, by the same power that called the universe into existence; that "jesus" was literally reincarnated as sin in the Garden of Gethsemane; that the "father" injected a lethal dose of our sin into "jesus"; and that we should not try to intellectualize it. While "jesus" was in the Garden of Gethsemane, light and darkness mixed inside of "him". [This is what Gary Venden teaches, as Senior Pastor of the Glendale (Arizona) Seventh-day Adventist Church.]

THE TRUTH: THIS IS BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!!!!!! E.G. White says: "All through His life of humiliation and suffering, FROM THE TIME THAT HE WAS BORN AN INFANT IN BETHLEHEM TILL HE HUNG ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY, AND CRIED IN A VOICE THAT SHOOK THE UNIVERSE, 'IT IS FINISHED', THE SAVIOUR WAS PURE AND SPOTLESS.

"CHRIST WAS WITHOUT SIN, ELSE HIS LIFE IN HUMAN FLESH AND HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS WOULD HAVE BEEN OF NO MORE VALUE IN PROCURING GRACE THAN THE DEATH OF ANY OTHER MAN."--E.G. White, Questions on Doctrine, page 665.4-666.

"It is only through faith in Christ that sinners may have the righteousness of Christ IMPUTED unto them, and that they may be made 'the righteousness of God in Him.' [2 Cor. 5:21] OUR SINS WERE LAID ON [NOT IN] CHRIST, PUT AWAY BY CHRIST, IN ORDER THAT HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS MIGHT BE IMPUTED TO US, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ALTHOUGH SIN WAS CHARGED TO HIS ACCOUNT ON OUR BEHALF, YET HE REMAINED PERFECTLY SINLESS."--E.G. White, Questions on Doctrine, page 672.2.

"CHRIST HAD NO SINS TO WASH AWAY, BUT IN CONSENTING TO BECOME A SUBSTITUTE FOR MAN, THE SINS OF GUILTY MAN WERE IMPUTED TO HIM. 'FOR HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN; THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.' [2 COR. 5:21]"--E.G. White, The Youth's Instructor, February 1, 1874.

"'For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, WHO TROUGH THE ETERNAL SPIRIT OFFERED HIMSELF WITHOUT SPOT TO GOD, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause He is the mediator of the New Testament , that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.' 'And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; AND IN HIM IS NO SIN.' 'FOR HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN; THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.' [2 COR. 5:21]"--E.G. White, The Signs of the Times, November 25, 1897. Judas Iscariot said (after the Garden of Gethsemane): "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the INNOCENT BLOOD."--Matthew 27:4 KJV.

If Jesus had had sin injected into Him, His blood would not be innocent. Pilate's wife said (after the Garden of Gethsemane): "Have thou nothing to do with that JUST MAN."--Matthew 27:19 KJV. Pilate said (after the Garden of Gethsemane): "I am innocent of the BLOOD of this JUST PERSON"--Matthew 27:24 KJV. [The TRUE Jesus was still a PERSON!! (NOT "SIN")] THE ONE TRUE JESUS CHRIST DID NOT HAVE ANY SIN IN HIM AT ALL, AT ANY TIME, NOR WAS HE SIN AT ANY TIME, AT ALL!!!!!!!

If Venden's "jesus" was literally sin, then "he" wouldn't have been God (Who is perfect and CANNOT have sin, much less BE sin), and "he" wouldn't have even been a human being. And, a non-human (especially "sin") cannot speak and pray to God to "forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34 KJV.) And I don't want "someone" who was not God (or even a human) to be my "lord" and "savior". I certainly don't want "sin" to be my "master".

To learn more about this subject (and for more of an answer to 2 Corinthians 5:21), read Christianity in Crisis, by Hank Hanegraaf (Harvest House publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 1993). This book may be purchased at your local Christian bookstore.

"Do not try to intellectualize this": It is true that some things are beyond human comprehension, but something as bizarre as this is not! Any individual who opens up their mind and thinks about this logically (with deeply studying the Bible and E.G. White), can see that this (the previous statements about Jesus being sin) is BLASPHEMY!!!! Scripture tells us: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord"--Isaiah 1:18 KJV. E.G. White says: "Our faith must be an intelligent faith"--Selected Messages, book one, page 256.2.

"Light and darkness mixed inside Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.": "But light and darkness cannot harmonize. Between truth and error there is an irrepressible conflict. To uphold and defend the one is to attack and overthrow the other."--The Great Controversy, page 126.3. "Light and darkness cannot be mingled and harmonize."--E.G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, May 27, 1890. LIGHT AND DARKNESS CAN NEVER EVER MIX UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!!!

BLASPHEMY # 4: That Jesus did "Christian" (transcendental) meditation when He was on this earth; and that we should do it, and that it is a type of praying (not just talking to God, but listening to Him, too, sitting there with a blank mind, because it should be a two-way conversation).

THE TRUTH: This is New Age and occult!!!!!! This is BLASPHEMY!!!!!! JESUS NEVER DID SUCH A THING!!!!!!!! AND WE SHOULDN'T EITHER!!!!!!!! This occult "meditation" is being taught to SDA children through television, martial arts (karate, etc.), and their friends. This "meditation" is also being promoted by our SDA pastors!!!!

To learn more about this subject, read Deceived by the New Age, by Will Barron. This book may be purchased at your local Adventist Book Center. Counterfeit Revival, by Hank Hanegraaf ("The Bible Answer Man"), also talks about this and other things being done by the Counterfeit Revival (which has gotten into the S.D.A church*). (Word Publishers, Dallas, Texas, 1997). This book may be purchased at your local Christian bookstore.

BLASPHEMY # 5: That Jesus had self-esteem, self-love, and self-image, and that He gave the "gift" of self-esteem and self-love to everyone He met; that we don't have enough self-esteem and self-love, and that we need more self-esteem, and that we need to love ourselves, and esteem ourselves, and not hate ourselves. That we cannot love God or others until we love ourselves first. That "love thy neighbor as thyself" means that we should have self-love. That the cross sanctifies our self-esteem, and that if we look to the cross we'll have more self-esteem. And the teaching that we need pride, that we need to be proud of ourselves, that we need self-image/self-esteem/self-love/self-confidence.

This New Age movement is being taught throughout the Seventh-day Adventist church and the following are just a few examples:

SDA churches host workshops on self-esteem. Doug Batchleor taught (during the "Storacles of Prophecy" satellite series) that God created man with a free will in order to boost God's self-esteem. Self-esteem, self-love, etc. is also promoted in SDA periodicals (Adventist Review, Signs of the Times, Insight, etc.), books (including 2000 and Beyond, by Mark Finley), and Net '96 with Pastor Mark Finley.

THE TRUTH: This is BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! E.G. White says: "SELF-ESTEEM SHOULD BE GUARDED AGAINST AS YOUR BITTEREST ENEMY"--The Upward Look, page 250:3.

Jesus NEVER EVER had ANY self-esteem, self-love, self-confidence, or pride, whatsoever, nor will He EVER have any!!!! He was, is, and will forever be, "meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29 KJV), the opposite of self-esteem and self-love. Self-esteem and self-love are sins, and Jesus NEVER sinned! Self-love, self-esteem, and pride are all the EXACT same thing, and all have the EXACT same meaning. E.G. White says: "Meekness will not satisfy self-esteem and pride" (The Great Controversy, page 542.1), and Jesus had meekness, so He could not have had self-esteem, pride, self-love, and self-confidence. E.G. White says: "If you harbor pride, self-esteem . . . you have not Christ abiding in your heart, and the evidence shows that you have the mind and character of Satan, NOT of Jesus Christ, who was MEEK AND LOWLY IN HEART."--Testimonies to Ministers, page 441.2.

"SELF-ESTEEM should be guarded against as your bitterest enemy. But how easily self finds opportunities to exhibit itself. And how Satan exults at the exhibitions, and how sorrowful and ashamed are the angels of God of man's foolishness. HOW UNLIKE JESUS CHRIST; in what contrast to the example He has given us in His own life. How far removed from His requirements, to crucify self"--The Upward Look, page 250.3.

And Jesus did NOT give self-esteem or self-love to ANYONE! "The self-denial, the condescension, the infinite compassion of Him who was highly exalted in heaven puts to shame human pride, SELF-ESTEEM, and social caste."--Gospel Workers, page 330:1. "Self-esteem, which is HATEFUL TO GOD, has been nourished and strengthened by many of our brethren"--The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, page 390.2.

"As Christ the Pattern is constantly kept before the mind's eye . . . self-esteem will be laid in the dust"--Our High Calling, page 99.3. "CHRIST TEARS AWAY . . . THE SELF-LOVE"--Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, page 42.2.

"If you appreciated the value of the work that is to be done in the workshop of God, you would welcome the blows of the ax and the hammer. Your self-esteem will be hurt, your high opinion of yourself will be cut away by the ax and the hammer"--Sons and Daughters of God, page 319.3.

"In learning in Christ's school, ambition, pride, SELF-ESTEEM, will all be SUBDUED [NOT raised!], self will be hid in Christ, and you will find peace and rest to your soul."--Manuscript Releases, Vol. 20, page 94.3. "They must PUT AWAY their SELF-ESTEEM and self-importance, and PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST."--Gospel Workers, page 256.2.

"Christ would receive the service of the learned, and of the great men, if they would join themselves to Him, but Christ could not join Himself to them; for they [the Rabbis] were not right. They were filled with self-sufficiency and SELF-ESTEEM"--E.G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, July 19, 1887.

"Sometimes THE LORD makes His path to the soul by a process painful to humanity. HE IS COMPELLED TO FORTIFY THE SOUL AGAINST SELF-ESTEEM"--Our High Calling, page 315.4.

NO HUMAN BEING SHOULD HAVE ANY SELF-ESTEEM, SELF-LOVE, SELF-CONFIDENCE, SELF-IMAGE, OR PRIDE, AT ALL, AT ANY TIME, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, WHATSOEVER!!!!!!!! Although it is impossible to get rid of it completely before we get to heaven, we should be striving to get rid of it, not to cultivate it! E.G. White says: "Every one of us must fall on the Rock and be broken. Will there be anyone who will retain his stubbornness? Will there be one who will cling to his self-righteousness? Will there be one who will not catch sight of the preciousness of Christ? Is there a heart here that will not be subdued by the love of Jesus? WILL ANY RETAIN ONE PARTICLE OF SELF-ESTEEM?"--Faith and Works, page 60.2.

"The Spirit of God cannot work effectually in ANY HEART WHERE PRIDE AND SELF-ESTEEM EXIST."--E.G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, April 11, 1893.

We SHOULD hate ourselves. Jesus said, "If any man come to me, and hate not his. . .own life. . .he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26). E.G. White says: "Not to hate ourselves in sin, is not to love Jesus."--E.G. White, The Signs of the Times, July 21, 1890.

The commandment "love thy neighbor as thyself" is not telling us to love ourselves or to have self-love. It commands us to love who? "Thy neighbor". Nowhere does it say to love ourselves. This text is saying to love our neighbor IN PLACE OF OURSELVES, as if they were ourselves [because we already love ourselves too much, we don't have to be told to do that (Ephesians 5:29)], INSTEAD OF OURSELVES. E.G. White says: "CHRIST TEARS AWAY . . . THE SELF-LOVE."--Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, page 42:2. "The Pharisee expressed his self-commendation in the form of thanksgiving. 'God, I thank Thee,' he says, 'that I am not as other men are.' But there was no real gratitude in his heart. His SELF-LOVE had excluded every such generous principle. He NEITHER loved God supremely or his NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF; yet before God and men he could boast loudly of his own goodness."--E.G. White, The Signs of the Times, February 19, 1885.

"They [the Jews] did not discern the relation of Jesus to the Father, NEITHER DID THEY know by experience the paternal character of God, or UNDERSTAND THAT HIS LAW REQUIRES US TO LOVE GOD SUPREMELY, AND OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELVES. IF THEY WOULD HAVE EMPTIED THE SOUL OF selfishness, PRIDE, and SELF-LOVE, and humbled their hearts to be instructed by the greatest Teacher the world ever knew, they would have recognized the grace of God in the gift of Jesus to our world to save those who are were ready to perish."--E.G. White, The Signs of the Times, November 23, 1891. "He who loves God supremely will LOVE HIS NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF. Pride lifts itself up unto vanity, leading the human agent to make a god of himself. THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST SANCTIFIES THE SOUL, EXPELLING SELF-LOVE."--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, page 211.4.

The cross of Calvary does not sanctify self-esteem and self-love; it expells it!!! When you look at the cross, you will not be filled with self-esteem, but will be humbled, and will be filled with meekness and lowliness of heart. E.G. White says: "PRIDE AND SELF-ESTEEM CANNOT FLOURISH IN THE HEARTS THAT KEEP FRESH IN MEMORY THE SCENES OF CALVARY."--Testimonies of the Church, vol. 2, page 212.1.

"While from the light of the cross of Calvary you obtain a view of the great love of God for man, do not build yourselves up in SELF-ESTEEM; but in humility of soul stand before God as prisoners of hope."--Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, page 157, paragraph 5.

"By beholding Christ, you will become changed, until YOU WILL HATE YOUR FORMER pride, your former vanity and SELF-ESTEEM, your self-righteousness and unbelief. You will cast these sins aside as a worthless burden, and walk humbly, meekly, trustfully, before God."--Selected Messages, book 1, page 388.1.

Bob De La Torre