Will Sin be Cleansed
From
The SDA Church
Militant Camp?
23 And the word of the
LORD came unto me, saying, 24 Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the
land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. 23
And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 24 Son of man, say
unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of
indignation. Ezekiel 22: 23, 24.
There are many who are calling for a cleansing of the SDA church. There
are many who believe the new SDA General Conference president will do the job.
How realistic is this expectation? Ellen White called for a cleansing of the
camp in her day. That was before the church committed unpardonable sin by
rejoining the associations, counsel/councils and confederacies of Babylon. That
was when pardon was obtainable.
"We
must as a people arouse and cleanse the camp of Israel. Licentiousness,
unlawful intimacy, and unholy practices are coming in among us in a large
degree...We are in danger of becoming a sister to fallen Babylon, of allowing
our churches to become corrupted and filled with every foul spirit, a cage for
every unclean and hateful bird, and will we be clear unless we make decided
movements to cure the existing evil? E. G. White, Manuscript Releases No.
449, pp. 17, 18. (Letter 51, 1886 to Elder Butler) Testimonies on Sexual
Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, p. 193.
Given all
the facts in this document, is it a given that the omega of apostasy SDA new
movement church is irretrievably a sister to fallen Babylon? Is it a given that
all who remain in her body (membership), will be held corporately responsible
for her sins? If God says it is impossible to unite with the corrupt and
remain/become pure, can those who remain for the purpose of warning others
remain pure? If so, why did Jesus gather out those who would take the gospel to
the world in His day? Desire of Ages, 232? Why
were separate home churches established for the faithful “gathered out” remnant
of the Jews?
"It is IMPOSSIBLE for you to unite with those
who are corrupt, and still remain pure. (II Corinthians 6:14-15 quoted). God
and Christ and the heavenly host would have men know that if he unites with the
corrupt he will become corrupt." E. G. White, Review and Herald, Vol. 4, p. 137.
How do those who say they remain united to warn
others, escape the corruption mentioned above? Is it really necessary to join
Babylon in order to warn it? Must we join the other fallen churches in order to
warn them? If we must remain members of the SDA fallen sister to Babylon in
order to warn its members, why would this not be the same requisite for warning
the other sisters—the other fallen churches of
Babylon? It does not make sense does it?! Nay! Why didn’t the Protestants
remain with the Catholic church in order to warn them?
This is akin to the same foolish reason SDA leaders give for joining Babylon’s
associations, counsels/councils, and confederacies. They say they do it in
order to warn them. Is that God’s plan? And does it work? I asked Dr. B. B.
Beach if he could name one person who had joined the SDA church as a result of SDA
leaders being joined to such associations. He could not name ONE. But the first
SDA representative from Andrews University to the ecumenical movement, Dr.
Earle Hilgert, became a Presbyterian minister. Was
God right when He said it is impossible to unite with the corrupt and remain
pure? Of course He was, but some SDA’s who know better than God, evidently
think that they are going to prove Him wrong!
In The Great Controversy, Chapter 1, Ellen White
relates the story of a person who thought he was going to remain in the
apostate camp to warn the people. He roamed the streets of Jerusalem for seven years
sighing and crying for its woes and abominations. But was he spared when the
Ezekiel 9 slaughter came? No. He perished in the calamity he prophesied. This
account was given as a warning to all who think they will do just as that man
did—that they will stay to warn the others.
Some think they must remain to be sealed by the man
in linen—Ezekiel 9. Was ONE Christian sealed by the apostate church in the last
literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9? The sealing was at Pentecost. Where were the
disciples around that time? They were hiding from the Jews in the upper room of
a home. There was no virtue in an apostate Temple church to seal anyone. Christ
had long before departed. When a people confederate (form a
conspiracy) with God’s enemies, He departs, Jeremiah 11:9-15. He then
asks—What hath my beloved (bride) to do in mine house
(church) since she hath wrought lewdness with man? Jer. 11:14, 15. Thus, an
apostate church has no virtue to seal anyone just as all true Christians are
not sealed in the fallen churches of Rome and those of her daughters—
rather, they are called out.
But what is God’s final verdict
concerning the new movement SDA church? Will its leaders prove God and Ellen
White errant in the following edicts concerning that omega of apostasy new
movement?
Begin
at My Sanctuary -- "Here we see that the church--the Lord's sanctuary--was
the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to
whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual
interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position
that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God's power
as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief,
and they say: The Lord will not do good, neither will
He do evil. He is too merciful to visit His people in judgment. Thus 'Peace and
safety" is the cry from men who will never again lift
up their voice like a trumpet to show God's people their transgressions and the
house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who
feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children
all perish together." E. G. White, Testimonies, Vol. 5, 211.
How would the church get cleansed if the leaders will NEVER
AGAIN, show the house of Jacob its sins? Are those who believe Ted Wilson will
cleanse the church, directly contradicting Scripture and Ellen G. White?
God
and Ellen White testify that the ancient prophets wrote more for us (as an
ensample) than for the Jews? Does that mean that the following words apply to
the professing new movement SDA church?
23 And the word of the LORD came
unto me, saying, 24 Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that
is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. 25 There
is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening
the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious
things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. 26 Her
priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put
no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference
between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. 27 Her
princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood,
and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. 28 And her prophets
have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto
them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD
hath not spoken. 29 The people of the land have used oppression, and
exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed
the stranger wrongfully. 30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap
before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. 31
Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them
with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads,
saith the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 22:23-31.
"The Bible for
Our Time.--Never are we absent from the mind of God. God is our joy and our
salvation. Each of the ancient prophets spoke less for their own time than for
ours, so that their prophesying is in force for us. 'Now all these things
happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon
whom the ends of the world are come' (1 Cor. 10:11). 'Not unto themselves, but
unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them
that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from
heaven which things the angels desire to look into' (1 Peter 1:12).'" E.G.
White, Selected Messages, Bk. 3, p. 338.
Prophets Wrote for Their Own and Our Day.—“The
last books of the Old Testament show us workers taken from the laborers in the
field. Others were men of high ability and extensive learning, but the Lord
gave them visions and messages. These men of the Old
Testament spoke of things transpiring in their day, and Daniel, Isaiah, and
Ezekiel not only spoke of things that concerned them as present truth, but
their sights reached down to the future, and to what should occur in these last
days.”--Letter 132, 1898. {3SM 419.5, 420}
"In
the very courts of the temple, scenes will be enacted that few realize. God's
people will be proved and tested, that He may discern 'between him that serveth
God and him that serveth Him not.' Vengeance will be executed against those who
sit in the gate, deciding what the people should have and what they should not
have. These take away the key of knowledge. They
refuse to enter in themselves, and those who would enter in they hinder. These
bear not the seal of the living God. All who now occupy responsible positions
should be solemnly and terribly afraid lest in this time they shall be found as
unfaithful stewards." E.G. White, Manuscript 15, 1886, Paulson
Collection, p. 55.
Is all of the above just some of the reasons why Ellen White wrote the
following requiem concerning the SDA church militant?
"Jesus
sends HIS PEOPLE a message of warning to prepare
them for his coming. To the prophet John was made known the closing work in the
great plan of man's redemption. He beheld an angel flying 'in the midst of
heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the
earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a
loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him for the hour of his Judgment is
come and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the
fountains of waters [Rev. 14:6, 7.].
The
angel represented in prophecy as delivering this message,
symbolizes a class of faithful men, who, obedient to the promptings of
God's Spirit and the teachings of his word, proclaim this warning to the
inhabitants of earth. This message was not to be committed to the religious
leaders of the people. They had failed to preserve their connection with God,
and had REFUSED THE LIGHT FROM HEAVEN therefore they WERE NOT of the number
described by the apostle Paul: 'But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that
that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and
the children of the day we are not of the night nor of
darkness' [1 Thess. 5:4, 5].
“The
watchmen upon the walls of Zion should be the first to catch the tidings of the
Saviour's advent, the first to lift their voices to proclaim him near, the first to warn the people to prepare for his coming. But
they were at ease, dreaming of peace and safety, while the people were asleep
in their sins. Jesus saw HIS CHURCH, like the barren fig-tree, covered with
pretentious leaves, yet destitute of precious fruit. There was a boastful
observance of the forms of religion, while the spirit of true humility,
penitence and faith--which alone could render the service acceptable to
God--was lacking. Instead of the graces of the Spirit, there were
manifested pride, formalism, vainglory, selfishness, oppression. A
BACKSLIDING CHURCH closed their eyes to the signs of the times. God did nor
forsake them, or suffer his faithfulness to fail but they departed from him, and SEPARATED THEMSELVES from his love. As they REFUSED TO COMPLY WITH THE CONDITIONS, his promises
were NOT FULFILLED to them.” E.G. White, The Spirit of Prophecy,
vol. 4, pp. 199-200 [The 1884 edition of The Great Controversy, NOT TO BE
CONFUSED WITH TESTIMONIES, VOL 4].
Scripture on Home Churches
Act
16:32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord,
and to all that were in his house.
Act
16:34 And when he had brought them into his house, he
set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
Act
16:40 And they went out of the prison, and entered
into [the house of] Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted
them, and departed.
Act
18:7 And he departed thence, and entered into a
certain [man's] house, named Justus, [one] that worshipped God, whose house
joined hard to the synagogue.
Rom
16:5 Likewise [greet] the church that is in their house. Salute my well beloved
Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
1Cr
1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my
brethren, by them [which are of the house] of Chloe, that there are contentions
among you.
1Cr
16:15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the
firstfruits of Achaia, and [that] they have addicted themselves to the ministry
of the saints,)
1Cr
16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and
Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
“I was shown the necessity of those who believe that we are having the
last message of mercy, being separate from those who are daily imbibing new
errors. I saw that neither young nor old should attend their meetings; for it
is wrong to thus encourage them while they teach error that is a deadly poison
to the soul and teach for doctrines the commandments of men. The influence of
such gatherings is not good. If God has delivered us from such darkness and
error, we should stand fast in the liberty wherewith He has set us free and
rejoice in the truth. God is displeased with us when we go to listen to error,
without being obliged to go; for unless He sends us to those meetings where
error is forced home to the people by the power of the will, He will not keep
us. The angels cease their watchful care over us, and we are left to the
buffetings of the enemy, to be darkened and weakened by him and the power of
his evil angels; and the light around us becomes contaminated with the
darkness. {EW 124.3}
I saw that we have no time to throw away in listening to fables. Our
minds should not be thus diverted, but should be occupied with the present
truth,..." EW p. 125.
"Even though you may not be able to speak a word to those who are
working on wrong principles, leave them. Your withdrawal and silence may do
more than words. Nehemiah refused to associate with those who
were untrue to principle, and he would not permit his workmen to associate with
them. The love and fear of God were his safeguard-Dare to be a Daniel, Dare to
stand alone. Thus as did Moses,
you will endure the seeing of Him who is invisible. But
a cowardly and silent reserve before evil associates, while you listen to their
devices makes you one with them Come out from among them and be separate, saith
the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be
a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty." Review &
Herald Vol. 4, p. 42.
----- Original
Message -----
From: PH
To: RB
Sent: Friday, September
03, 2010 7:56 PM
Subject: Re: SDAs:
Fornicators and the sexually immoral - Cleanse the Camp!
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FYI: This article has been updated and amended
(mainly in the last 7 paragraphs). "I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with
sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with
the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to
go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company
with anyone named a brother, who is a fornicator, or covetous, or an
idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not
even to eat with such a person." —1 Corinthians 5:9-11 KJV:
Yet not altogether with the fornicators
of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners,
or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to
keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or
covetous, or an idolator, or a railer,
or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat."
Ellen White also
confirmed the Biblical principle of corporate responsibility for sins in the
Church: "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, responsible for the sins
existing in individuals among them" Testimonies, vol. 3, 269. "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 wicked, faultfinding spirit...God's displeasure is upon
His people, and He wil not manifest His power in
the midst of them while sins exist among them and are FOSTERED BY THOSE IN
RESPONSIBLE POSITIONS." Testimonies, vol. 3, 270. Remember, Achan's
whole family was lost because of Achan's secret
sin and Rahab's whole family was saved
because of her secret act and faithfullness.
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