How
quickly we forget. Time and time again, we simply choose to forget. Some might
deem it a safety mechanism, and they might be right to some extent. We want to
forget bad things, we don't want to dwell on the horrors of our lives. We are
grateful for the passing of time which eases the vividness of fresh emotional
and physical wounds. We encourage the thinking of good things, and the pushing
aside of the bad, and for the most part this is a recommended position. Doesn't
the Bible tell us this-
Php_4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if
there be any praise, think on these things.
The Bible
does tell us to think on things that are lovely, things of good report,
virtuous things, praiseworthy things. That same verse also says this- we are to
think on things that are TRUE. We are to think on things that are HONEST. We
are to think on things that are JUST. We are to think on things that are PURE.
And we all know that the truth isn't always lovely. The honest, isn't always
lovely. The just and the pure are NOT ALWAYS LOVELY. So do we shove aside the true, the honest,
the just, the pure so we can focus on the lovely? Do we ignore the bad so that
we can follow these dictates? Does loving God and our fellowman mean ignoring
the painful truth? Were we given prophecies such as the seven last plagues only
to ignore them because they are far from lovely?
I'll tell
you what I think and either take it or leave it, we all ultimately have to make
the decisions for ourselves based on the truth we hold through the Holy
Spirit. I think my Savior is truth, my
Savior is honesty personified, my Savior is just and pure, my Savior is lovely,
my Savior is of good report and virtuous, praiseworthy and it is HE I should
think on. I should NEVER lose sight of my Savior and the salvation He offers,
never. I think my Savior told me to watch and pray and when He told me that, He
meant I had to watch the signs of the times He gave to me. The watching must go
hand in hand with the praying because if I get caught up in watching and
neglect praying, then I am no longer thinking on my Savior. I think I must hear the truth, I must know
the truth, I must study the truth always with the love of the Holy Spirit
guiding me.
Should I
ignore the atrocities of history, personal history and world history, prophetic
history? If I'm to ignore the atrocities then why did my Savior use the
scriptures - the only scriptures available to Him at the time - what we deem
the Old Testament- why did He point to them for us to study and realize the
truth of His existence? He pointed to all the Old Testament prophecies that
predicted His path. The Old Testament completely filled with the horrors of
wars, of godless people and their lives filled with sin sickness, is it all
something we should forget? Do we ignore
the bad choices some of the famous patriarchs and heroes of the Old Testament
because they aren't lovely? No. We can't
ignore any history, good or bad- because it is truth. What we aren't to do, is dwell on the history
to the exclusion of its relation to our Savior, to our salvation.
I want to
never forget the truth, preferring blindness because it's so much more
comforting to me. I do NOT want the blinders upon my eyes so that I am left to
follow the multitude to eternal destruction. The path to that eternal
destruction will be an easy one, a broad one, a welcoming, feel good,
deceptively lovely path. The narrow path that is hard to find, that path is the
one I desperately want to walk upon. I want to walk upon that path with my
SAVIOR in me, with HIM as the sole source of my light, my life, my joy, my
lovely thoughts. I want to know the truth, never forgetting the truth. I want
to watch the prophetic signs unfold safe from the stronghold of the Holy
Spirit. I do not want to stand upon the
bulwark of a crumbling, lovely, lie filled, sand built castle ignoring history,
ignoring truth, ignoring prophecies of horrors to come all because my faith
cannot sustain me through the darkness.
May we
never give up truth, but holdfast to the hope in that truth- no matter how
horrific life was, is, or will be.
All
through our SAVIOR, our LORD, JESUS CHRIST, now and forever our HOPE!!!!!!!
*******
(Excerpt)
HAS ROME
CHANGED?
As a
result of Vatican II Council, the impression gained acceptance in the minds of
the Protestant world that Rome has changed. This concept has also been voiced
within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Attending the Vatican II Council as
observers were M. E. Loewen of the Religious Liberty Department, R. F. Cottrell
of the Review, B. B.. Beach
from the Northern European Division, who has been prominent in ecumenical
discussions with the World Council of Churches, and the late Arthur S. Maxwell
who at the time was editor of the Signs.
The latter gave voice to his Impressions in a sermon delivered at the
University Church in Loma Linda.
After
mentioning the new "friendliness" of the atmosphere at the Vatican,
Elder Maxwell stated there was another aspect revealed in the Pope's opening
speech of the final session -love. Here are his words:
It was a
beautiful speech. ... Do you know what his subject was? Love. I quote one
paragraph: The council offers to the church
and especially to us a panoramic view of the world. Can the church, can we, do
anything but look upon it and love it? Such a contemplation was one of the
chief activities of the present session. Again and above all, love - love to
all men today, whoever they are, wherever they are. While other currents of
thought and action proclaim other principles for building up human civilization
such as power, 'wealth, science, struggle, self-interest, and the like, the
church proclaims love. This council is a solemn act of love for humanity.
I thought
of offering this whole speech to our president -that is to the new president if
there is one. You know, that speech of the pope's could have been given at a
General Conference Session. It might be better than some we've had. You know
the whole thing was a picture of the church loving humanity. Now, we've got to
adapt our thinking a bit. There was no condemnation here of Protestants, no
suggestion of a persecution of anybody,
p 2
but love,
unfeigned love for everybody -the separated brethren and people who don't
belong and all people of all faiths and religions. Very, very wonderful change
and a very, very significant change.(1)
While
admitting that the Roman Catholic Church "on matters of faith and doctrine
has not changed," (2) Maxwell considered the Declaration on Religious
Liberty by the Vatican Council "a tremendous change" in setting
"itself alongside Protestants in declaring that every man has the basic
human right to choose his own religion and follow the dictates of his own
conscience." (3) And what conclusions did he draw from this? Read
carefully what he said:
Whether
the church will stay by that forever, I don't know. No, I'm not predicting the
future - I couldn't say -but it does alter the situation in the Catholic Church
and should alter our own attitude towards that church ... (3)
What
suggestion did Elder Maxwell make? Note:
We must
rethink our approach to our Roman Catholic friends. How can we reject an
outstretched hand and be Christians? (4)
We have
restructured our concepts of Roman Catholicism. In the second brief filed by
the legal counsel for the officials of the Church in the Merikay. Silver v.
PPPA case, we clearly indicated "there was a period in the life of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church when the denomination took a distinctly anti-Roman
Catholic viewpoint," - but all of this "has now been consigned to the
historical trash heap so far as the Seventh-day Adventist Church is concerned.
(5) Further we have stated that "for a period in its history, the
Seventh-day Adventist Church had an aversion to Roman Catholicism and
especially to the papal form of church government -an aversion shared by
virtually all Protestant denominations." But now "it is not good
Seventh-day Adventism to express. .. an aversion to Roman Catholicism as
such.,. (6)
Can we
really say with Elder Maxwell -we cannot predict the future in regard to the
Roman Catholic Church, and therefore, our attitude toward Roman Catholicism
should be altered as has been done by our church leadership? Do we have no
light?
Is it not
time to open the book - Great
Controversy - and reread the chapter,
P 3
"Aims
of the Papacy"? Note the very first paragraph of the chapter:
Romanism
is now regarded by Protestants with far greater favor than in former years. ...
The time was when Protestants placed a high value upon the liberty of
conscience which had been so dearly purchased. They taught their children to
abhor popery, and held that to seek harmony with Rome would be disloyalty to
God. But how widely different are the sentiments now expressed. (7)
And can we
know what the future will be? The papal church
will never relinquish her claim to infallibility. …Let the restraints now
imposed by secular government be removed, and Rome be reinstated to her former
power and there would speedily be a revival of her tyranny and persecution. (8)
We might
ask why has this new attitude toward Rome come about - not only among
Protestants in general, but also In the legal pronouncements of the Seventh-day
Adventist church? Again the servant of the Lord has clearly stated:
It is not
without reason that the claim has been put forth in Protestant countries, that
Catholicism differs less widely from Protestantism than in former times. There
has been a change; but the change is not in the papacy. Catholicism indeed
resembles much of the Protestantism that now exists; because Protestantism has
so greatly degenerated since the days of the Reformers. (9)
When we
enter upon "the track of Romanism" (10) and seek to coerce men into a
mold, and control the religious experience and activities of all the members of
the church, then we see very little difference between the hierarchical
patterns of the Catholic church, and our own "orders of clergy." Why
then should we have an aversion toward Roman Catholicism? We shouldn't - for we
have become like them!
The
tragedy of all of this change is that it is being brought about under the cloak
of "love", and "ChristIikeness." The Roman Church now
presents a fair front to the world, covering with apologies her record of
horrible cruelties. She has clothed herself in Christlike garments; but she is unchanged. Every principle of
the papacy that existed in past ages exists today,(9) Why should we be so
deceived? There are two reasons. 1) We have stepped off the
platform of truth, and have altered our basic doctrines. 2) Our
hearts are not being renewed by the Holy Spirit.
P 4
We are
devoid of the Spirit of God. (12) These are the very two essentials that would
make us foolproof against the stealthy but rapid progress of the papal power.
Note:
None but
those who have planted their feet firmly upon the foundation of truth, and
whose hearts are renewed by the Spirit of God, are proof against her [papal]
influence. (13)
While
blindness covers the sight of "Israel", there are voices out in what
we term, "Babylon" who sense what is taking place. Eric Gurr, who on
October 1, 1975, was installed as Pastor of the Jarvis Street Baptist Church In
Toronto, Ontario, Canada commented in an interview relative to Billy Graham
-"What worries me about his [Graham's] stance is that the ecumenical
movement is being gradually taken over by Rome." The reporter, Tom Harpur,
Religion editor of the Star,
noted that "Gurr is convinced that the growing friendliness among the
churches will end In one worldwide super-church ruled from Rome." "In
spite of the current renewal in the Roman Church, [Gurr] believes that Rome is
farther from the principles of the Protestant Reformation today than 400 years
ago."(14)
Does this
not concur with the prophecies of the book of Revelation? Will not the woman in
scarlet ride again? While Rome through its Vatican II Council seemingly opened
the Bible for Catholics to read and study, we who have had the light of those
Scriptures are closing our Bibles, -especially those books which warn us of the
coming resurgence of the Papacy - Daniel and Revelation. The seventh chapter of
Daniel still states the same things it always has. Revelation 13 still sounds
the warning it did when the church was first organized. The lines are drawn
clear and distinct. There are only two women in the book of Revelation -one in
white, and the one in scarlet. There is none in either brown, nor gray. There
is no reaching over the abyss to clasp the outstretched hand of Romanism.
However,
there is a picture in Revelation of a coming union of religious forces -the
dragon, the beast, and the false prophet send forth their spiritual power to
unite the world in one great confrontation against God. (15) Would we know what
"love"
P 5
and
"Christlikeness" will be manifest? Let us read:
If the
reader would understand the agencies to be employed in the soon coming contest,
he has but to trace the record of the means which Rome employed for the same
object in ages past. If he would know how papists and Protestants united will
deal with those who reject their dogmas, let him see the spirit which Rome
manifested toward the Sabbath and its defenders. (16)
Is it not
time to recover from the "trash heap" where our church leaders have
"consigned" our "anti-Roman viewpoint", and clean off the
soiled truth, and let the faith of our fathers shine forth once more in its
genuine luster?
(1) A. S.
Maxwell, "Impressions of Vatican II". A sermon delivered in the
University Church, Lorna Linda, Calif., transcribed in Present Truth, No. 3, 1968, pp. 3-4
(2) Ibid. p. 6
(3) Ibid., p. 11
(4) Ibid., p. 13
(5)
Merikay Silver v. PPPA, Second Brief of Deft (C-74-2025 CB~4) March 3, 1975 p.
4, Footnote. Legally filed as Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v.
PPPA;(&)
General
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
(6) Ibid p. 30
(7) Ellen
G. White, The Great Controversy,
p. 563
(8) Ibid., p. 564
(9) Ibid., p. 571
(10) Ellen
G. White, Testimonies to Ministers,
p. 362 (1962 edition)
(11) See
"No 'New Organization'" , Watchman,
What of the Night, November, 1973
(12) See
Ellen G. White, Testimonies for
the Church, Vol. 5, p. 210: -"But the glory of the Lord had
departed from Israel; although many still continued the forms of religion, His
power and presence were lacking." Vol. 8, p. 250 - "My Father's house
is made a house of merchandise, a place whence the divine presence and glory
have
departed."
(13) Ellen
G. White, The Great Controversy,
p. 567
(14) Tom
Harpur, "Fundamentalism Thrives at Jarvis Street Baptist Church",
Toronto,
Star,
March 6, 1976
(15)
Revelation 16:13-14
(16) Ellen
G. White, The Great Controversy,
p. 574
P 6
NOTES AND
COMMENTS
A Storm
Breaking
There is a
storm brewing in the Adventist sky, darker and as devastating as any tornado
which has swept through the land. The controversy over righteousness by faith
in Australia has reached our headquarters in Washington. This not only involves
Brinsmead's present emphasis but also the theologians at the Australian
College. We had planned to pursue the present subject as found in this and
recent past thought papers. But it is becoming evident that we must reconsider
for our readers the basic historic faith of the Adventist Movement in the light
of the coming storm. So while more research is being made as to our prophetic
thinking as revealed in legal briefs, we will begin in the next thought paper
to lay the ground work for a consideration of our historic faith, which was to
make us a unique people to accomplish a special purpose that God designed that
we should fulfill.
1967
Again
"Since
1967, gold has been walking a tightrope. Since that day the U. S. has continued
to press for the excommunication of gold from the monetary system. It has
threatened repeatedly during the last nine years to demonetize the metal. It
has taken very strong steps in this direction." Myers Finance & Energy. April 23, 1976.. p. 1.
Would you know more about the significance of 1967? Be sure to obtain and read
and study - The Times of the Gentiles Fulfilled -a monograph published by the Foundation.
p 7
DJ
pressing hard at 1000?
We do not
know, but will report as soon as authoritative information is available. We do
believe the best comment we have read to date on the article, appeared in
Letters (Review, Feb. 26, 1976,
p. 3) where Frank Lang of Chattanooga, Tenn., wrote - "I was disappointed
in the vagueness of Elder Pierson's discussion of stocks, bonds, and
denominational policy." The rest of the letter was also excellent. BUT the
question is - what kind of "lively stones" are being built in the
church membership today as contrasted to the 1930's?
June
1976 -
"Watchman, What of the Night? " Thought Paper. Adventist Laymen's Foundation. (Excerpt)
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