Should Membership be Cancelled When Leaving the Apostate New Movement SDA Church?

 

 

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Dear Reader,

 

What follows is a letter to me regarding our duty when resigning membership in the new movement Seventy-day Adventist church and my response. It is hoped that this will provide insights into some of the important reasons why we should indeed removed membership from the church roster.

 

----- Original Message -----

From: (Names Withheld)

To: DefendEGW@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 4:14 AM

Subject: [DefendEGW] Re: Corporate Responsibility for Apostasy

 

Dear brother Ron,

   My wife and I were baptised in a local SDA church from our country (Romania).Reading and studying the Bible and the mails received from this group especially this mail regarding corporate responsibility, we realized the actual apostasy of the church. So we ceased to attend the Sabbath services in the church, and instead we read the Bible at home and pray.

   Our questions are: should we ask the church to erase our names from the role books to be in accordance with God's will?

Aren't we already separated through the fact that we don't attend their services? Are you still a member of the church?

   Please answer because we really need to know what to do especially in the times that we are living.

May God Bless us all in the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Sincerely your brother and sister __________ and__________.

 

 

My response:

 

Dear __________ and ___________,

 

Thank you for your questions. They are most important in light of the responses I provide below. If you still have questions after reading this response, please feel free to ask. Ron

 

You asked: "Our questions are: should we ask the church to erase our names from the role books to be in accordance with God's will?
Aren't we already separated through the fact that we don't attend
their services? Are you still a member of the church?" 

 

1.    Yes, you should remove your names from any association, council, girding and confederacy that is not in accord with the will of God, and the new movement SDA church has removed God (1SM 205), so you should remove your membership in that omega of apostasy Synagogue of Satan. Jesus called the apostate Jewish church the Synagogue of Satan. Were I to ask you if it was okay to join the Synagogue of Satan and have my name on the books there, I don’t think you or God would approve. Right? There are other important reasons for removing your name which I will enumerate in this document.

 "Christ speaks of the church over which Satan presides as the synagogue of Satan. Its members are the children of disobedience. They are those who choose to sin, who labor to make void the holy law of God. It is Satan's work to mingle evil with good, and to remove the distinction between good and evil. Christ would have a church that labors to separate the evil from the good, whose members will not willingly tolerate wrong-doing, but will expel it form the heart and life." E.G White, Review and Herald Articles, Vol. 4, 243, cf. Signs of the Times, March 1, 1910.

2.    No you are not separated by merely not attending. Your name on the books adds to the membership rating of the new movement. But it gets far more serious than that. Ellen White said that we should become obscure (quote furnished below). Having your names on the books would not comply with that instruction.  Also, all MEMBERS are corporately responsible for the apostate sins of 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 [corporately], responsible for the sins existing in individuals among them." Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 269.

 

3.    When the financial crunch comes upon the world, all SDA members could be held corporately responsible for any debt of their respective churches and/or the General Conference. Vance Ferrell has warned of this as well. In a church organized as a hierarchy, as the SDA church is, the members can be held corporately responsible for any debt in case of a financial failure. Get your names removed as soon as possible. Banks are already beginning to fail in the U.S.A.

4.    All those who join with an organization that is under corporation status accept the debt of that organization, and become subject to that debt of another. I do not need to tell you what scripture tells us about this debt. Borrowing money, for expansion, from the ungodly bankers, is not a biblical principle and, as such, cannot be blessed by God.” This quote is taken from this link: http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/501-church.html

5.    It is imperative that you request a letter stating that your membership has been removed because some churches will leave your name on the books in hopes your decision is only temporary.

6.    Yes, I removed my name from the church roster in 1986.

7.    When you leave, you should give a testimony as to why you leave. Write a letter and give it to all the members of your church if possible. This is a powerful witness as the following statement attests:

 

"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.

 

"If God has any new light to communicate, He will let His chosen and beloved understand it, without their going to have their minds enlightened by hearing those who are in darkness and error. {EW 124.2}

 

“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.

 

The Apostate Church Says:

 

"Regardless of the pretext, or how righteous the cause may appear, separation from the visible remnant [the SDA church] is apostasy from the body of Christ." Messenger, October, 1994, p 2.  

 

Yet this Catholic teaching is so firmly entrenched in their minds that even after they have discovered that the SDA church is in apostasy, and have decided to physically leave the corrupt SDA church, some still retain their names on the corporate membership roll. They still retain a foot in the door of the church, still holding on to "Mother's" apron string, still touching or remaining connected with the corrupt church just in case the corporate church, with all its listed members, does indeed make it to heaven in the end!

 

But is this position acceptable in God's sight? Does your name on the membership rolls of an apostate church of Babylon, who has rejected the light from heaven, mean anything?

 

"My [Ellen White's] brother continued to fail rapidly. If he felt a cloud shutting Jesus from him, he would not rest until it was dispelled, and bright hope again cheered him. To all who visited him, he conversed upon the goodness of God, and would often lift his emaciated finger, pointing upwards, while a heavenly light rested upon his countenance, and say, ‘My treasure is laid up on high.’ It was a wonder to all that his life of suffering was thus protracted. He had a haemorrhage of the lungs, and was thought to be dying. Then an unfulfilled duty presented itself to him. He had again connected himself with the Methodist church. He was expelled in 1843 with the other members of the family, on account of his faith. He said he could not die in peace until his name was taken from the church-book, and requested father to go immediately and have it taken off.

 

"In the morning father visited the minister, stating my brother's request. He said that he would visit him, and then if it was still his wish to be considered no longer a member of their church, his request should be granted. Just before the minister arrived my brother had a second haemorrhage, and whispered his fears that he should not live to do this duty. The minister visited him, and he immediately expressed his desire, and told him he could not die in peace until his name was taken from the church-book; that he should not have united with them again if he had been standing in the light....Soon after this my brother fell asleep in Jesus, in full hope of having a part in the first resurrection." Spiritual Gifts, vol 2, p 163-164.

 

There is nothing written in the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy that is not for our edification. So this testimony has significance for us today! Removing our names from the membership rolls of a church which has apostatized from God, rejected and changed the truths of the three angels' messages into falsehood, and has become Babylon fallen, is called "an unfulfilled DUTY." And this duty was carried out before Ellen White's brother had "full hope of having a part in the first resurrection"! Hence, there is a duty to leave any church which has rejected the three angels' messages. And especially is this the case with the Seventh-day Adventist church. What other church has had, and has rejected, greater light than the SDA church? It is true that we are not saved by being members of a church, but we can be lost by remaining members in a Babylonian one! A statement by Robert Sessler.

 

Ellen White said how the church could become a sister to fallen Babylon, and the apostate SDA church has more than fulfilled her stated conditions:

 

"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.

 

False Revivals  - “I saw that God has honest children among the nominal Adventists and the fallen churches, and before the plagues shall be poured out, ministers and people will be called out from these churches and will gladly receive the truth. Satan knows this; and before the loud cry of the third angel is given, he raises an excitement in these religious bodies, that those who have rejected the truth may think that God is with them. He hopes to deceive the honest and lead them to think that God is still working for the churches. But the light will shine, and all who are honest will leave the fallen churches, and take their stand with the remnant.” {EW 261.1} 


1. Many might think this quote applies to the past only (1848), but we have several questions: 
2. Are we still living in a time “before the plagues are poured out?”  If so, then could this statement still be just as valid as the day it was written?  We believe that it is.
3. Others might say this quote only refers to other churches.  But remember there is a distinction drawn between the nominal Adventists and the fallen churches.  Remember that even some Seventh-Day Adventist churches and pastors will apostatize near the end.
4. Yet others say this was written for “Adventists” that were not keeping the Sabbath at that time.  Are there any Seventh-Day Adventists today who are failing to keep the Sabbath from being trampled underfoot?  We would submit there are many baptized Seventh-Day Adventists who have the same problem today.
5. Here is another question: Do we have any nominal Adventists today?
6. “Nominal” Definition 3a - “existing or being something in name or form only”  –Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
7. Sounds like lukewarm churches doesn’t it?


Sister White says the Remnant will LEAVE the GC SDA...  

In the Appendix of Early Writings, p. 299, we find the following definition of nominal Adventists:

 

"Nominal Adventists.--"Those who united in sounding the first and second angels' messages but who rejected the third angel's message with its Sabbath truth, but nonetheless continued to espouse the Advent hope, are referred to by Mrs. White as the 'nominal Adventists.' or those who 'reject the present truth' (p. 69), also 'different parties of professed Advent believers (page 124)...those who 'reject the present truth.." Early Writings, p. 299, Appendix.

 

The New Movement omega of Apostasy SDA church has surely rejected present truth since 1955-7, by fulfilling all the specifications of Selected Messages, Vol. 1, pp. 204-5, plus removing the Sanctuary and Atonement messages by removal of pillar doctrines and the adoption of the Trinity Doctrine in the early 1930's. In the Alpha, Ellen White saw the Sanctuary and Atonement GONE, and so it is in the Omega.

 

Sanctuary Gone Atonement Gone -- "In a representation which passed before me, I saw a certain work being done by medical missionary workers. Our ministering brethren were looking on, watching what was being done, but they did not seem to understand. The foundation of our faith, which was established by so much prayer, such earnest searching of the Scriptures, was being taken down, pillar by pillar. Our faith was to have nothing to rest upon--the sanctuary was gone, the atonement was gone." E.G. White, The Upward Look, 152.

 

 "I saw the nominal church and nominal Adventists, like Judas, would betray us to the Catholics to obtain their influence to come against the truth. The saints then will be an obscure [hidden] people, little known to the Catholics but the churches and nominal Adventists who know of our faith and customs (for they hate us on account of the Sabbath, for they could not refute it) will betray the saints and report them to the Catholics as those who disregard the institutions of the people that is, that they keep the Sabbath and disregard Sunday.

 

Note: It is now time to become obscure for obvious reasons. A word to the wise is sufficient. End note.

 

“Then the Catholics bid the Protestants to go forward, and issue a decree that all who will not observe the first day of the week, instead of the seventh day, shall be slain. And the Catholics, whose numbers are large, will stand by the Protestants. The Catholics will give their power to the image of the beast. And the Protestants will work as their mother worked before them to destroy the saints. But before their decree bring or bear fruit, the saints will be delivered by the Voice of God. Then I saw that Jesus' work in the sanctuary will soon be finished. And after His work there is finished, He will come to the door of the first apartment, and confess the sins of Israel upon the head of the Scape Goat. Then He will put on the garments of vengeance. Then the plagues will come upon the wicked, and they do not come till Jesus puts on that garment, and takes Hs place upon the great white cloud. Then while the plagues are falling, the Scape Goat is being led away. He makes a mighty struggle to escape, but he is held fast by the hand that leads him. If he should effect his escape, Israel would lose their lives. I saw that it would take time to lead away the Scape Goat into the land of forgetfulness after the sins were put on his head.

The great white cloud I saw was not the holy place, but entirely separate from the holy and most holy place, entirely separate from the sanctuary.

 

Then the angel repeated these words, and said, 'This is the time spoken of in Isaiah. He saw that there was not man, and wondered that there was no intercessor. He had no mediator between God and man, and these plagues could be withheld no longer, for Jesus had ceased to plead for Israel, and they were covered with the covering of the Almighty God, and they could live in the sight of a holy God, and those who were not covered, the plagues fell upon them, for they had nothing to shelter or protect them from the wrath of God." E.G. White, Dorchester, Maine, October 23, 1850, Spalding--Magan's Unpublished Mss. Testimonies, pp. 1, 2.  

 

“I saw that God has honest children among the nominal Adventists and the fallen churches, and before the plagues shall be poured out, ministers and people will be called out from these churches and will gladly receive the truth. Satan knows this and before the loud cry of the third angel is given, he raises an excitement in these religious bodies, that those who have rejected the truth may think that God is with them. He hopes to deceive the honest and lead them to think that God is still working for the churches. But the light will shine, and all who are honest will leave the fallen churches, and take their stand with the remnant -Early Writings: p. 261.

 

"At Oswego, New York, September 7, 1850, the Lord showed me that a great work must be done for His people before they could stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. I was pointed to those who claim to be Adventists, but who reject the present truth, and saw that they were crumbling and that the hand of the Lord was in their midst to divide and scatter them now in the gathering time, so that the precious jewels among them, who have formerly been deceived, may have their eyes opened to see their true state. And now when the truth is presented to them by the Lord's messengers, they are prepared to listen, and see its beauty and harmony, and to leave their former associates and errors, embrace the precious truth and stand where they can define their position."  -Early Writings 69.2  

 

"I saw a number of companies that seemed to be bound together by cords. Many in these companies were in total darkness; their eyes were directed downward to the earth, and there seemed to be no connection between them and Jesus. But scattered through these different companies were persons whose countenances looked light, and whose eyes were raised to heaven. Beams of light from Jesus, like rays from the sun, were imparted to them. An angel bade me look carefully, and I saw an angel watching over every one of those who had a ray of light, while evil angels surrounded those who were in darkness. I heard the voice of an angel cry, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.'

 

  "A glorious light then rested down upon these companies, to enlighten all who would receive it. Some of those who were in darkness received the light and rejoiced. Others resisted the light from heaven, saying that it was sent to lead them astray. The light passed away from them, and they were left in darkness. Those who had received the light from Jesus joyfully cherished the increase of precious light which was shed upon them. Their faces beamed with holy joy, while their gaze was directed upward to Jesus with intense interest, and their voices were heard in harmony with the voice of the angel, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.' As they raised this cry, I saw those who were in darkness thrusting them with side and with shoulder. Then many who cherished the sacred light, broke the cords which confined them and stood out separated from those companies. As they were doing this, men belonging to the different companies and revered by them passed through, some with pleasing words, and others with wrathful looks and threatening gestures, and fastened the cords which were weakening. These men were constantly saying, 'God is with us. We stand in the light. We have the truth.' I inquired who these men were, and was told that they were ministers and leading men who had rejected the light themselves, and were unwilling that others should receive it."  -Early Writings 240.1&2.

 

 

“The Spirit is poured out upon all who will yield to its promptings, and casting off all man’s machinery, his binding rules and cautious methods, they will declare the truth with the might of the Spirit’s power.  Multitudes will receive the faith and join the armies of the Lord…The safeguards which false shepherds have thrown around their flocks with become as naught; thousands will step out  into the light, and work to spread the light.” -Review and Herald, vol 3, p 272-275 (July 16 & 23, 1895). 

 

“In the representations the Lord has given me, I have seen those who follow their own desires, misrepresenting the truth, oppressing their brethren, and placing difficulties before them.  Characters are now being developed, and men are taking sides, some on the side of the Lord Jesus Christ, some on the side of Satan and his angels.  The Lord calls for all who will be true and obedient to His law to come out of and away from all connection with those who placed themselves on the side of the enemy.” -Letter 256, August 1, 1906 & Last Day Events from the Letters and Manuscripts of E.G. White, p 94 & This Day With God, p. 222. 

 

“Of those who are constantly working to undermine faith in the message God is sending to His people, I am instructed to say, ‘Come out from among them, and be ye separate’  [2 Corinthians 6:17] Come into light, brethren, and lead others to the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Those who in faith accept the leadings of the Spirit of God will see where their dangers lie, and will make decided moves in the right direction.” -Review and Herald, vol. 5, p 435 (July 23, 1908).

 

“We shall be called to meet those who notwithstanding definite reproof and warning through the Testimonies have gone on in an evil course.  We are bidden of God to hold ourselves separate and distinct from these men who have not given heed to His warning… For they deceive, if possible, the very elect. -Letter 330, November 11, 1906 & Manuscript Releases, vol. 7, 196.

 

“Now those who have had years in this same experience, know not God nor Jesus Christ whom He has sent, and should such go forth as representatives of Jesus Christ?  These men will never give the right mold to other minds; they have grown up to the full stature of men and women in Christ.  They simply have the name of Christians but are not fitted for the work of God, and never will be until they are born again, and learn the A.B.C. in true religion of Jesus Christ.  There is a little hope in one direction: Take the young men and women, and place them where they will come as little in contact with our churches as possible, that the low grad of piety which is current in the day shall not leaven their ideas of what it means to be a Christian.” -Letter 16f, May 9, 1892 & Manuscript Releases, vol 12, pp. 332-333. 

 

Sister White said of these people that stay in such a church...

It is impossible for anyone to become a true follower of Jesus Christ, without distinguishing himself from the worldly mass of unbelievers. If the world would accept of Jesus, then there would be no sword of dissension; for all would be disciples of Christ and in fellowship one with another, and their unity would be unbroken. But this is not the case. Here and there an individual member of a family is true to the convictions of his conscience, and is compelled to stand alone in his family or in the church to which he belongs, and is finally compelled, because of the course of those with whom he associates, to separate himself from their companionship. The line of demarkation is made distinct. One stands upon the word of God, the others upon the traditions and sayings of men. -Review & Herald, July 24, 1894, para. 3.

 

QUESTION:                     

        

Christ’s followers must be found spending their time, effort, and money on spreading the Three Angels’ Messages, not in the courts of the land fighting for a name of a church which they have chosen to separate from. Brethren, let us be about our work for God in spreading His truth, and not be sidetracked by Satan into spending our time, effort, and money in trying to cling to an idol. (the NAME) There is no valid Biblical reason why God would desire any of His separated people to defend their right and waste precious time and money to call themselves "Seventh-day Adventist." I would like  ask those that believe it is time to leave the SDA church, and at the same time feel we must "keep the name" Seventh-day Adventist to respond to the following Scripture and SOP facts.

 

"I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts...And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord God shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name." Isaiah 65:2, 15.

 

"God calls upon this church to make a change. They had a name to live, but their works were destitute of the love of Jesus. Oh, how many have fallen because they trusted in their profession for salvation! How many are lost by their effort to keep up a name! If one has the reputation of being a successful evangelist, a gifted preacher, a man of prayer, a man of faith, a man of special devotion, there is positive danger that he will make shipwreck of faith when tried by the little tests that God suffers to come. Often his great effort will be to maintain his reputation." -7BC: p. 958.

 

"Not by its name, but by its fruit, is the value of a tree determined. If the fruit is worthless, the name cannot save the tree from destruction." DA p.107.

 

"We are not saved as a sect; no denominational name has any virtue to bring us into favor with God. We are saved individually as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ."  -RH 02/10/1891

Truth is, Scripture does address such a problem as this. If you feel you must claim the SDA name think about what you're really doing. Are you claiming the name simply because you want the NAME? Or is it because you embrace the SDA theology of old? Prayerfully the latter is your reason. Now see this...

 

Romans 2:29, "But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."

 

I too embrace original SDA theology as truth and as I look into my heart I see that I am an "SDA" inwardly as the Christian is of Israel inwardly. But because of that which Rome has openly done to this church, I must stand with truth and proclaim I am a Seventh-day Remnant outwardly. 

 

"A virtuous woman represents a pure church, a vile woman an apostate church. Babylon is said to be a harlot;" 4sp p. 232

 

The fruits of the SDA church speak volumes unto it being BABYLON.

 

Who can truthfully say: "Our gold is tried in the fire; our garments are unspotted by the world"? I saw our Instructor pointing to the garments of so-called righteousness. Stripping them off, He laid bare the defilement beneath. Then He said to me: "Can you not see how they have pretentiously covered up their defilement and rottenness of character? 'How is the faithful city become an harlot!' My Father's house is made a house of merchandise, a place whence the divine presence and glory have departed! For this cause there is weakness, and strength is lacking." 8T 250.2.

 

QUESTION:                   

           

As a Seventh-day Adventist, do you evangelize Catholics? Difficult isn't it? I know it is, I have been doing it over 21 years now. They insist on staying in the church even though they have documented evidence that proves they are in apostasy They admit they know their leaders are in sin and open apostasy, yet they stay in that church. Do you share these verses with the Catholic the Lord has placed in your path?

 

  •  Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
  • 2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
  • 2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
  • Revelation 18:1-5, "And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.  And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."
  • If you evangelize Catholics you already realize they have a mindset that is strange. They know their leaders are in sin, yet they allow them to lead them no matter what. So my question to you dear Seventh-day Adventist is...

 

Why do YOU stay in the Seventh-day Adventist church?

 

In the above document I have added statements that appear in a document from the following link. Ron

 

http://www.sdaapostasy.org/remnantout.htm

 

 

All His blessings,

 

 

Ron Beaulieu