SDA Church Versus Government
by
Kevin
Straub
"Those church members who appeal to the courts of the world
show that they have chosen the world as their judge, and their names are
registered in heaven as one with unbelievers." 3SM 302.
"They cast aside the inspired counsel God has given, and in
the face of the message He gives they do the very thing He has told them not to
do. Such men may as well stop praying to God, for He will not hear their
prayers. They insult Jehovah…" 3SM 302.
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Our Lord teaches that
matters of difficulty between Christians are to be settled within the church.
They should not be opened before those who do not fear God. If a Christian is
wronged by his brother, let him not appeal to unbelievers in a court of
justice. Let him follow out the instruction Christ has given. Instead of
trying to avenge himself, let him seek to save his brother. God will guard
the interests of those who love and fear Him, and with confidence we may
commit our case to Him who judges righteously.” {COL 248.5}
This
is an issue which has been ongoing for some time. Again, there is nothing new in this but it
is a current manifestation of the spirit of that which calls itself the
church, which lends opportunity to set the matter before the people in its
true light. I concur fully with P’s
assessment, below. We have the word of
God to tell us straight that to take a brother to law is wrong. That is relying on the arm of flesh and
employing the carnal weapons of the world.
It is not entering into His Rest.
Those of this mindset and mode of operation have nothing of
Sabbathkeeping in them, themselves broken cisterns that can hold no
water. They are no better than the
Jews taking Jesus before the Earthly Authorities, yelling, “Crucify Him!” I am no longer a member of
the Corporation that calls itself Seventh-day Adventist because I don’t
believe that they truly are Seventh-day Adventist. I took my name off the books because I am a
Seventh-day Adventist. And I will
always be one, by God’s grace. I will
claim the name, but always with clarifications. Men do not own the name; it was given by
God. They can no more take it from me
through their apostasy than they can take away from me the name “Christian.” I do not speak as I do because
I think I am better than everyone else.
This is what the whisperers like to say. Let them say it. As we continue along, eyes will be opened
in some and eyes will be blinded in others (the majority, I’m afraid). I am content to let the Spirit of God do
its work. It cuts and divisions are
the result. I am not afraid to have
said of me, “Don’t listen to that guy, he causes divisions.” So be it.
That is what truth does. Some
say He has a devil. Others say He is
the Son of God. Is it any different
today? When troubles assail, do not go
for help to lawyers not of our faith. God would not have us open church
difficulties before those who do not fear Him. Let God's people agree as
touching the thing they desire, and then let them unite in offering prayer to
God, persevering in asking for deliverance. God would not have us depend for
help upon those who do not obey His requirements. They have not that wisdom
that cometh down from above. Those who trust in such counselors show that
they have not faith in God. They dishonor Him by appealing to unbelievers to
settle difficulties in the church. What do they think they will gain by
opening to lawyers the supposed wrongdoings of their fellow church members? .
. . {5MR 416.4} I just have to insert some commentary here, before I finish this quote
from 5MR. It is apparent that the
card-carrying Seventh-day Adventist in law (member of the corporate
denomination, “new movement” Adventist) considers this to be “the
church.” These do not understand that
man does not set the bounds around what is the church. God’s church is not set up in the laws of
men.
evidence that they believe that one must be a member of
the legally incorporated denomination to truly be a brother, a Christian, a
child of God. If one is not such, they
are apparently considered to be evil and heathen. Much pride of heart has been revealed by
the professed people of God. Many selfish opinions have been cherished. It
has been regarded as justifiable to appeal to lawyers to adjust difficulties.
Thus God's people have shown, as did ancient Israel, that notwithstanding He
has led and prospered them, they will dishonor Him by seeking help from
unbelievers. . . . {5MR 417.1} From this we see that the Lord requires
His people to be particular in carrying out right principles. When they are
in trouble He would have them call upon Him, in the place of betraying the
cause of God into the hands of unbelievers. It is a betrayal of sacred trust
to open before unbelievers the working of God's institutions. In this way
false statements are made, and these statements are reported to others. Those
who do this counterwork the cause of God. They are adversaries of the
truth.--Manuscript 72, 1898. ("Shall Not God Avenge His Own Elect?"
June 14, 1898.) {5MR 417.2} How can men to whom have been committed
the living oracles of God appeal to lawyers who are disloyal to God, to
settle matters relating to the cause of God? Can we be surprised that more
souls are not convinced of the truth when pride, self-love, and
self-exaltation make those who claim to believe the truth more like men who
have lost their first love than like the children of God?--Manuscript 75,
1898. ("Come Out From Among Them, and Be Ye Separate," June 16,
1898.) {5MR 418.1} The saints are to judge the world. Then
are they to depend upon the world, and upon the world's lawyers to settle
their difficulties? God does not want them to take their troubles to the
subjects of the enemy for decision. Let us have confidence in one
another.--Manuscript 71, 1903. ("To Every Man His Work," June 18,
1903.) {5MR 418.2} To lean upon the arm of the law is a
disgrace to Christians; yet this evil has been brought in and cherished among
the Lord's chosen people. Worldly principles have been stealthily introduced,
until in practice many of our workers are becoming like the
Laodiceans--halfhearted, because so much dependence is placed on lawyers and
legal documents and agreements. Such a condition of things is abhorrent to
God.--Manuscript 128, 1903. ("Wrongdoing to Be Condemned; Righteousness
to Be Exalted," October 4, 1903.) ~KS ******* From: P Sent: Thursday, February 18,
2010 8:44 AM Subject: RE: Is the Time of
Trouble Here? Dear brothers and sisters in
Christ, It is with a saddened heart
that I share with you this horrible news.
It is sad for the people on both sides of the issue. Please watch these interesting
news videos from ABC - Channel 7 News in Tennessee. Feb 11, 2010 news. http://www.wbbjtv.com/Church%20Name%20Controversy.html Feb 16, 2010 news http://www.wbbjtv.com/Church%20Signs%20Come%20Down.html There are two ways that these
news videos will make you feel... one is a feeling of "good,
satisfaction, justice is being served", the other is "we are close
to the end, of all the protestant churches to make an image to the beast, why
did it have to be that one? Oh Lord
forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." "With rapid steps we are
approaching this period. When the Protestant churches shall unite with the
secular power to sustain a false religion, for opposing which their ancestors
endured the fiercest persecution: when the state shall use its power to
enforce the decrees and sustain the institutions of the church,--then will
Protestant America have formed an image to the Papacy, and there will be a
national apostasy which will end only in national ruin." {ST, March 22,
1910 par. 9} As a Seventh-day Adventist
believer... I believe that the name "Seventh-day Adventist" is a
name that Jesus gave all of us to bear until the close of probation. Ellen White says that it is the banner
under which all members of the body of Christ will bear until He comes again. I believe that the "Church"
and/bride of Christ will not persecute and go after their
"enemies". The
"Church" of Christ will never employ the powers of the world or
make an alliance with the governments of the world to persecute and even
possibly imprison "Christians".
This is the spirit of popery and is from satan himself. May God give us His Spirit of
Truth. P Conclusion by Ron The two Spirit of Prophecy
quotes in the heading were added by me. I don’t think Kevin would mind. CONFERENCE LAWSUITS The conference filed a large
lawsuit during 1999-2000, against the Eternal Gospel Church of Seventh-day
Adventists, West Palm Beach, FL 33416. What was their crime? They have published full-page
advertisements in major newspapers or magazines around the country to
identify the beast. Using quotes from
the Great Controversy they are able to draw public interest to the
truth. Unfortunately the conference is
ashamed of our truth and pursued the course of using the courts to persecute
those who would dare to proclaim the truth to the world. The conference is going out of its way to
communicate to the world that they filed a lawsuit against the Eternal Gospel
Church. Kermit Netteburg, Assistant to
the President for Communication, was quoted as saying: "For more than two
years, the Seventh-day Adventist church has been asking the Eternal Gospel
Church to cease its inappropriate identification with the Seventh-day
Adventist Church, to no avail...the matter is under litigation." Catholic Times 8-29-99. The court hearing was held
in March 2000, and a decision was handed down by the judge in favor of the
conference. In the trial, the judge
asked a witness for the defense if there wasn't a verse in the Bible that
asks brethren not to go to court against each other? As a result of this lawsuit, independent
ministries may not use the name Seventh-day Adventist as the church has
copyrighted the name, much like a corporation. Their desire is to stifle the spread of the
truth and disassociate themselves from those promote the truth. The conference is ashamed of our message. The conference trademark
lawsuits, against those who have not received permission from the conference
to call themselves Seventh-day Adventists, are a sign of their true
condition: "Those church members
who appeal to the courts of the world show that they have chosen the world as
their judge, and their names are registered in heaven as one with
unbelievers. How eagerly the world
seizes the statements of those who betray sacred trust! This action, of appealing to human courts,
never before entered into by Seventh-day Adventists, has now been done. God
has permitted this that you who have been deceived may understand what power
is controlling those who have had entrusted to them great responsibilities."
3SM 302,303 The conference sued a
faithful nine-member church in Hawaii in the 1980's, which was independent of
the conference, but had a simple sign nailed above the entrance to their
church, "Congregational Seventh-day Adventist Church." The conference hired a Roman Catholic lead
attorney and his firm, paying them allegedly over $750,000.00 of your tithe
money, as admitted by the conference.
The pastor was eventually thrown into jail to the pleasure of the
conference. —rb |
