In this issue:
Foundationists or Fundamentalists
Arusha Missionary Report (Tanzania)
Standing for The Truth
Sally Specht
Dear Pastor ………,
Thank you for your nice letter and for your concern. Thank you for the
article by George R. Knight. It was not new to me, I had read it
before. And I read it again. I have also read the papers by Jerry Moon.
Like I told you I have been studying the history of the development of
this transformation in our church, for the last ten years. I have really
read a lot on it.
But the important thing for me was to read on this whole subject of
God, that which is found in the Bible. So I read the entire Bible three
times during this period, looking for a Trinity doctrine and cannot find
anything that would convince me there is such a doctrine. I have read
the New Testament even more times. The Gospel Writers were very explicit
as to who God is, who the Son is and what the holy spirit is. In fact, I
have found that the entire Bible is really trying to get us to know who
God is. Certainly this was the main thrust of Christ’s life here on
earth. He spoke constantly about His Father, even in the parables.
Many say that the doctrine of God is a “mystery”, but Deut. 29:29 says;
The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever.
George Knight quotes many statements from the book Evangelism, which
was actually a compilation done by Leroy Froom and others, for the chief
purpose of convincing the SDA church that sister White believed in a
Trinity. I’m not sure Ellen White ever really had in mind that her books
would be used as compilations. They can be very one sided and
unbalanced and many things can be ‘taken out of their connection’ as she
puts it. But then much has been done to her writings as well as Uriah
Smith’s and others that is really totally illegal. I have also noticed
these men seldom quote the Bible for proof.
Sister White says in the Spalding and Magan Collection, Page 174
‘But don’t you quote Sister White. I don’t want you ever to quote Sister
White…. until you get your vantage ground where you know where you
are. Quote the Bible. Talk the Bible.’
And yet in all the documents that prove a Trinity, it is almost always
Sister White’s quotes that are used. The Bible just cannot be used to
prove a Trinity. There are a few texts to allude to it, but that is not
Bible proof. The Sunday keeping churches, say the same things on the
state of the dead, the sacredness of Sunday etc. That is, “the Bible
alludes to it.”
When God brought the early pioneers together right after the Great
Disappointment, He wanted a church that was in perfect harmony with His
plan of redemption and the Gospel.
Would God bring a people together forming Bible based doctrines in
those early years, doctrines that we hold today, and not be very
specific about the foundational doctrine of who God is?
In ‘A Call to the Watchmen” pg. 14 sister White speaks of the basis of our foundation.
“They gather together a mass of Scripture, and pile it as proof around
their asserted theories. This has been done over and over again during
the past fifty years. And while the Scriptures are God’s Word, and are
to be respected, the application of them, if such application moves one
pillar of the foundation that God has sustained these fifty years, is a
great mistake. He who makes such an application knows not the wonderful
demonstration of the Holy Spirit that gave power and force to the past
messages that have come to the people of God.”
If the church at that time had been wrong on the doctrine of God, the
foundational doctrine, why wouldn’t Sister White have corrected her
husband and other leaders for teaching against the Trinity? It must have
been because she was in agreement with them.
Why would God have let His church for fifty Years believe in One God,
and then finally let them know the “truth” of the Trinity after sister
white was dead? It is because there is no truth in a Trinity doctrine
because it is a man made doctrine, concocted by the Catholic Church. The
Adventist church has changed it somewhat, but in some way, even made
things worse, because now they believe in three gods, which is
Tritheism. You probably know that the Trinitarian doctrine is the
‘Central Doctrine of the Catholic Church and upon it all other doctrines
are based’. That is found in the Handbook for Todays Catholic, page 16.
The Bible teaches there is only one God. The Bible teaches that God
sent His Son. If He did not have a son to send, how could He have sent
Him? Some say He only became His Son when he was born of Mary. But the
New Testament writers say forty one times that He sent His Son. John
alone says it 27 times. The Father Himself said Jesus was His Son. Jesus
said he was the Son of God. Even the devils said he was His Son, and
even a heathen King, Nebuchadnezzar, spoke of God’s son when the three
worthies were in the Fiery Furnace and Jesus was with them.
“The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great
reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists, and that
this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as
the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization.
Were this reformation to take place, what would result? The principles
of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church would be
discarded. Our religion would be changed. The fundamental principles
that have sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted
as error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new order
would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy would be
introduced. The founders of this system would go into the cities, and do
a wonderful work. The Sabbath, of course, would be lightly regarded, as
also the God who created it. Nothing would be allowed to stand in the
way of the new movement. The leaders would teach that virtue is better
than vice, but God being removed, they would place their dependence on
human power, which, without God is worthless. Their foundation would be
built on the sand, and storm and tempest would sweep away the structure.
Who has authority to begin such a movement? We have our Bibles. We
have our experience, attested to by the miraculous working of the Holy
Spirit. We have a truth that admits of no compromise. Shall we not
repudiate everything that is not in harmony with this truth? (Ellen
White – Special Testimonies, Series B, no. 2, pp. 54,55)
The Arian belief is that Jesus was a Created being. The Bible says he
was born. Jesus had one Parent, who is the God of the Universe. This
puts Christ as the Son of God in the highest position in the universe,
next to His Father. He has no other genes than His Father’s in Heaven;
therefore He is exactly like God in every way. He even looks like Him.
He said, if ye have seen me ye have seen the Father. He was our perfect
example while He lived on earth. His words are powerful; they always
lifted up His Father. He also called him ‘My God’ John 20:17 “…. But go
to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your
Father; and to my God, and your God.”
To believe in Christ, God’s only begotten son;
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that
whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have everlasting
life.”
This is necessary for everlasting life. If we do not believe that Jesus was God’s son, we are ‘antichrist’. See l John 2:22,
“Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.”
One version of the Trinity belief common in Adventist circles is that
there were three gods in heaven who, when planning the salvation of
mankind, took on roles as to who should be the Father, who the Son and
who the Holy spirit. These roles played out in the life and death of
Jesus, all of which was only an act. We are supposed to believe that
Jesus was not really God’s son. Jesus did not really die. The Holy
Spirit is the main person on earth today. God and Jesus reside in
heaven.
Since it was all just play acting, perhaps my salvation is just an act
too. This is such a scary belief that it makes me sick to think a whole
church has been deceived by it.
I was asking my daughter, Becky a year or two ago, if she thought
Jesus was God’s true Son. She said, not really, but that he was just
called his Son because we know what that relationship is. So my own
daughter was taught these things in our schools. I was sick to think of
it. Since I was baptized in 1948, I knew nothing of a Trinity. I really
have never believed in a Trinity. When in the late 50’s I heard more of
this word mentioned I asked why we had begun to think there is a
Trinity. I was told, it is just the belief in God, Jesus His son and
their Holy Spirit. “Ok,” I thought, “I guess that is alright.” But I did
have doubts about it. I just did not know the full impact of this
belief and I think a lot of Adventists today do not know this either.
I’m just so sorry this has happened to my church. But I cannot be a
member of a church that believes in three gods. I’m sorry I have to take
my name off the records. I still am God’s child, Jesus is my Savior and
my King and I want their spirit to rule in my life. I want more than
anything to be ready to meet my Savior when he returns. I guess you
might say that I belong to Christ’s invisible church on earth. I believe
many people belong to that church.
I love the people in the PUC Church. I have always enjoyed this
church, but as it becomes more and more Trinitarian, praying and singing
praises to a god who they call the holy spirit, it frightens me, I
cannot join them. I will praise God and Jesus and when I praise them I
am in their spirit. But I cannot in any way believe their spirit is
another person. I have a spirit, you have a spirit, but our spirit is
who we are; our mind and character. The Bible says
“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which
is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of
God.”
This says to me that the spirit of God is God himself, but it is that
spirit of God that can be everywhere in the world. Christ’s spirit is
the same spirit. Our goal is to have their spirit, the Holy Spirit in
us.
I know this is a big subject, but I hope I have shown you some reasons
why I cannot belong to a church whose first and central doctrine is the
belief in a God whom I do not believe in.
This is not a personal choice or opinion as to what music we listen
too, how we dress and act. This is WHO WE WORSHIP! THIS IS EVERYTHING TO
THE CHRISTIAN!
Like I told you, I will visit the church from time to time. I just
cannot have my name on the books, as it is telling the world that I
believe in what the Mainline SDA church believes. I don’t!
Sincerely and in Christian Love,
Sally Specht
Why I became a Christian
Marie Peart
As far back as I can remember,
ever since I was a child I used to happily attend regular church
meetings at the S.D.A. churches, under the direction of my parents.
I enjoyed these gatherings tremendously; so you could say that I was
reared with good basic Christian principles and had been built up on a
steady Christian foundation. At age ten (10) I was baptized, at my own
request, and this made me very happy. In spite of this however, up to
this point, I had never really experienced or understood what salvation
means and the total joy that true conversion brings, since I had never
been converted but had just been following the custom of the young
people in my church.
Since then, I have come to understand what true Christianity is (after
a few years of backsliding experiences and being caught up in worldly
affairs) and why choosing the way of salvation is so much more safer,
sweeter and longer lasting than the way of the world.
The years between the time of my early baptism, and the time when I
really understood Christ’s sacrifice were quite a few. In that space of
time, I tried to get from life what I thought I had been missing or
deprived of when my parents (who had been very strict) had not allowed
me to experience or learn things for myself. During those exploratory
years I didn’t feel the need or urge to seek for, or to lead a Christian
life. When I was eighteen years old and fulfilling my second year as a
teacher in the National Youth Service Programme (which was then a pet
project of the Jamaican Government for high school graduates who wanted
to be trained for future careers in various fields), my brother David,
who had at that time reconsecrated himself to God came to visit me in
the district where I was teaching, and he started to discuss with me
(very briefly) some of the pros and cons of Christianity. I listened to
what he had to say, but it seemed to go through one ear and out through
the other, because I made no concrete move or effort towards God after
this visit. I just did not feel the need to become a Christian, I didn’t
see why I should; especially since my interests were otherwise
occupied. There must have been some seed sown there however, because a
few months after that visit from David, I finished my final year of
National Youth Service and returned to my parents home, and that was the
beginning of a serious change in my life where I became convicted of
the need to obey my heavenly Father.
It was in the year 1977, that I returned to live with my parents
again. At that time David used to have regular worship services with us
(the family) and I always felt obliged to sit in and be a part of the
whole setting. One day while David was reading from an inspired book
(Early Writings), something caught my interest in what he was saying and
for the first time I began to realize that there are events taking
place in heaven which I knew nothing about, and also the fact that Jesus
has this unutterable love for us, no matter how wretched our situation
is. After that day, every opportunity that I got, I took that book, and
every other spiritual book I could find, and read it from the beginning
to the end. The book that really convinced me of the issues at stake in
the fight for the universe was “The Great Controversy.” This book gave a
historical background of the conflict between good and evil down
through the ages, and then climaxed in promises of great things ahead
for God’s people, and an insight of the final closing events before the
day of the coming of our wonderful lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
From that moment on, there were no more doubts in my mind as to what I
wanted to do and what life was all about. I decided then that I wanted
to live a Christian life and made certain changes in accordance with
this decision. I was so bubbling over with the joy of my new discovery
that I just couldn’t refrain from sharing it with others around. I
wondered how I could have been so blind all these years, and not come to
the knowledge of the truth before that moment. I changed my mode of
dress, my way of thinking, threw away some of the valuables that I had
obtained and never felt a twinge of regret after having done so. When I
thought about the gay, carefree life that I had been living before, and
the one that I would be called upon to live hereafter, I felt that there
was absolutely no comparison because salvation was sweet.
Even with this conviction and joy taking place in my heart, I was
still just a babe to this sort of experience and was yet to understand
the deeper richer experience that comes from walking hand in hand with
Jesus and feeling His love embalming you through the power of the Holy
Spirit. This enlightenment was not possible until after my marriage in
1978 to a person who would indirectly and probably even unknowingly
drive me even closer to the Lord.
I underwent some harassing experiences during those years of marriage,
which really served to teach me about the love of God. At that time I
felt so stressed, cornered and helpless that if I had not understood the
meaning of life, I would probably have harboured suicidal
thoughts. However, I thank my Heavenly Father, that He thought it
necessary to put me through that ordeal in order to teach me to depend
on Him totally. It was during those times of great emotional and
physical stress that I was led to run to my Saviour and weep on His
shoulder, then become really wrapped up in His life day after day. That
was when I really fell in love with Jesus and felt His rejuvenating
power and His sweet peaceful spirit in my heart. There were nights and
days of time alone with Him (my true loving Friend, Brother and
Husband), when I would agonize and yearn to be totally filled with His
Holy Spirit.
Since that time and through those years of learning about the Lord, I
have been more sure than ever, that there could be no other life for me
and no matter how many trials and darts the devil has thrown my way, I
have NEVER, EVER regretted giving my heart to the Lord and I NEVER
will. Although I’ve hurt Him so many times (not deliberately), He still
stretches out His loving arms in forgiveness and love because He knows
our frame and remembers that we are dust and I do not think it would be
presumptuous of me to say that I will never leave Him and I will never
be lost as long as I don’t. the beauty of salvation is that one can
receive a calm assurance that one will be saved as long as one truly
loves Him and trusts in His power. As long as you do not desire to leave
His presence you are always assured a place in His kingdom.
The choice of our soul’s security is in our hands. I have tasted both
sides of the coin in my experience in life and I will freely say to
anybody and will freely quote the words of the songwriter ‘No turning
back! No turning back.’ My friend, PLEASE PLEASE , make the Saviour your
Friend and Confidante today. Please choose the road that will lead to
everlasting happiness, endless peace and the unutterable love that will
never let us go. Learn the secrets of having a friend whom you don’t
need to call on the telephone or drive a car to His residence in order
to see Him. He’s ever always at your side and yearning for you to call
upon Him and invite Him into your heart. Believe me brethren and
especially young people, there is NO OTHER LIFE BUT THIS! You can never
be truly happy in pursuing life’s pleasures because there will always be
an empty spot in your heart which needs to be filled and only our
matchless Saviour can fill that spot.
Love is the Reason
Chris Walega
In comfort while others die
Job once complained thus about his friends:
“He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.” (Job 12:5)
In this complaint, there are implied two parties. The one, a people
whose feet are poised to slip, whose lamp, neglected, is all but
extinguished, bewail their condition. Why are they in such a
condition? It really doesn’t matter. Neither Job nor his friends
knew. If we thought we knew, we might just as soon be tempted to scold
them as Job’s self-righteous friends scolded Job. Job didn’t curse God
like the devil had hoped, but he did get snagged in the volley of rebuke
from his “miserable comforters.”
But God, as my good friend puts it, is a God of solutions. God
restored Job and His righteous indignation fell upon those friends of
Job, those men who comprise the other party; a people who are “at
ease.” A people who can talk a fine line, who are comfortably secure in
the delusion of self-righteousness, and watch unfeelingly as their
“friend” Job’s lamp flickers out. Their best efforts at helping Job were
a few statements that were, even according to poor Job, theologically
sound. However, those speeches were worthless because there was
something manifestly lacking. Their words were as “sounding brass or a
tinkling cymbal.”
I think of those hard sayings of Jesus:
“For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have
abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that
which he hath.” (Matthew 25:29)
But God is a God of solutions which He gave us in Christ Jesus! Thank
God evening and morning and at noon, because I was surely of those who
had nothing, and even the nothing that I had was going to be taken from
me! I mean, of course, that I had nothing just as Job’s friends had
nothing and were seemingly unaware of it. All I had was a great need,
and God was gracious enough to have compassion on a beggarly wretch like
me. And now, now, if I sit back at ease…if I recline into such
indifferent comfort…woe, woe is me.
Saved to save others
There is a slow train coming. Yes, it’s slow, but it’s
determined. It’s slow, but it will be here right on time. It’s chugging
along when we’re sleeping, it’s chugging along when we’re frivolously
spending the day on our comforts. When we’re at college, the wheels are
turning. When we’re attending to our secular concerns, the smoke is
billowing out of the stack. When we’re sitting at ease, the blasting
whistle is heralding the approach of that train sent for the Peculiar
People. It will be here…will we be ready?
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great
God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might
redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people,
zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:13,14)
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a
peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath
called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: which in time past
were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained
mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9,10)
When I analyse these descriptions of the Peculiar People I find that
they are a people of God’s love. They have received upon themselves the
love of God, and are now conduits for such love in their
communities: “as he is, so are we in this world.” They have obtained
mercy, and thus have become merciful. As long as they abide dependently
in the vine, they are the children of God, for whom the whole creation
yearns with groaning anticipation.
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the
manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to
vanity, not willing, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in
hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the
bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of
God. Fore we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in
pain together until now.” (Romans 8:19-22)
A world in agony
The whole world is groaning. At every moment, prayer from this
bewildered and sin-intoxicated earth ascends up as painful groaning. Can
you hear it from the nursing homes? Can you hear it from the alleys of
the big city? – it’s the sound of a junkie’s needle piercing the
skin. Can you hear it from the barroom? – it’s the lamentation of
disappointed love, and the stench of an unesteemed life smoldering out
in a den of iniquity. Can you hear it from the shopping mall? – it’s the
clanging of a million cash-registers; it’s the urge to purchase
something that satisfies, and the disappointment at never finding
it. Can you hear it from the rock concert? – it’s the noise of youthful
angst. Can you hear it from the church? – it’s the sounding brass and
tinkling cymbal that has yet to learn the love of God. Can you hear it
from the morgue? – it’s the desperate scrawl of a suicide note. All
these are the misdirected prayers to “the unknown God” and comprise the
symphony of groaning and travailing that will continue until “the
manifestation of the sons of God.”
Paul was there, and he made the “unknown God” known. John was there
and he made the “unknown God” known. Jesus was there, and as the Son of
man, made the “unknown God” known. Christ made the “unknown God” known
to me. Praises to Him I wallow no longer in that old ignorance!
A work for all of us
Since learning the truth about God and His only begotten Son, Christ
Jesus, a number of precious things have become real for me:
1. God is a loving God.
2. Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God.
3. God loves us to such a magnitude that He really gave His only begotten Son to redeem us from our sins.
4. If Jesus did something, it’s not impossible.
That’s right. If Jesus could live His life wholly devoted to God, and
showing people the “unknown God,” so can we, because we have the promise
that He will live in our hearts. Christ did not do ministry like it was
His second job, He didn’t even treat it like it was the most important
thing in life, His ministry was His life. He set His face like a flint,
He was focused, He lived and breathed the grace of God and promised that
His disciples would do the same!
“But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected:
hereby know we that we are in Him. He that saith he abideth in him
ought himself also to walk, even as he walked.” (1 John 2:5,6) “Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do
shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go
unto my Father.” (John 14:12)
I recognized this as being true, and I wondered if it applied to
me. Is God trying to tell many of us an important message, that He is
calling and consecrating to Himself a people, a Peculiar People? Are we a
people that have been nourished with the wondrous love of God? Are we a
people that God has blessed with the knowledge of the unadulterated
Gospel? Yes! Does God have a work for everyone of us? Can every one of
us serve God as lovingly, devotedly, and constantly as did Christ? Yes!
He promised it so! So then, shall we be a people with a peculiar
understanding of the Gospel, or shall we heed the call to be a Peculiar
People of the Gospel?
Jesus’ brethren
You know, Christ had a certain conversation that went like this:
“And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together
and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the
greatest commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, the first of all
the commandments is, Hear O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and
thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength :this is the
first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than
these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the
truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: and to love
Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all
the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as
himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when
Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, He said unto him, thou art not
far from the Kingdom of God.” (Mark 12:28-34)
Those of us who have examined this verse in light of the Trinity
debate, have seen how Christ testified that there is only one God by
commending the scribe for his answer. Among many other, and even better
scriptures, we use this as a proof against the Trinity, arguing that, if
the Trinity were in fact the truth, Christ would have corrected the man
at such a perfect opportunity as this one. Christ consistently taught
the singular personhood of God, Our Father.
I’ve been long sure about the falseness of the Trinity, but something
else about this passage began to puzzle me. Christ mentioned only two
focal points of love: God and our neighbours. And this seems quite
reasonable. God, by the very nature of things ought to be our first and
primary focus of love, because we derive our life from Him, and as
intelligent and grateful beings who can recognize this fact, it is
evident that our first love must rest upon God. Secondly, our next focus
of love should be on those around us who also partake of this life from
God, knowing that they too are, at the very least, as precious in the
eyes of the God of all life as we ourselves. Christ mentioned these two
focuses of love only: God and neighbours, only two brackets. The ten
commandments are also neatly divided into these two classes.
Now, what puzzled me was determining where Christ stood in this. I was
tempted to think He erred in His presentation. Didn’t He really mean
this: first is God, second is God’s Son, and neighbours are third? I
wondered how might I do Christ honour? Surely, I thought that to put Him
in the “neighbour” bracket would be dishonour. Yet He didn’t give us
three brackets and I don’t have the nerve to dare to think I can add to
His words and still do Him honour, nor do I suppose that at one instance
I can understand this verse to deny the Trinity, and in the next
instance do the very opposite by blending God and Christ into one Being
or Person in order that Christ may stand in a more exalted focal point
of love than that of the neighbours – I would be a hypocrite.
I wondered, which bracket does Christ want us to have Him in? Then one
day, the answer became clear: Christ wants us to have Him in the
neighbour bracket! Now don’t get me wrong, I mean no insult by this, for
I know very well that Christ is exalted above every creature, and we
are in no way worthy of having Him in our ranks. But Christ insists
clearly on being in the neighbour bracket!
“….For both he that santifieth and they who are sanctified are all of
one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” (Hebrews
2:10,11)
“And He stretched forth His hand towards His disciples, and said, Behold
my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father
which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
(Matthew 12:49)
Jesus identified Himself as the “Son of Man” more than anything
else. Why? Because that was the religion that He taught, that was the
way that He lived amongst us. He called them not servants, but
friends. He revealed Himself to be the very Son of God, yet taught the
people that they were also the children of God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
“….But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you,
do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use
you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which
is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the
good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love
them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans
so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)
Jesus taught that the only way we could serve and love Him is to love
the people He died for, and that encompasses the whole world.
“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35)
Love them as we love Christ
How much does He want us to love them? I believe that if we don’t love
our neighbour as much as we love Christ, then we don’t love Christ
enough! Is this not what Christ taught? Is this not what Christ
demonstrated in dying for every person?
“When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels
with Him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him
shall be gathered all nations:….Then shall the King say unto them on
his right hand, come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred,
and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a
stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and
ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the
righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed
thee? Or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and
took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or
in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto
them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the
least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say
also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursted, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angles: For I was an
hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not:
sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer
Him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athrist, or a
stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto
thee? Then shall he answer them saying, verily I say unto you, inasmuch
as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me….”
(Matthew 25:31-46)
This is heavy. I feel as if all of us Christians in every nation need
to hear it. If we search our hearts and know that we don’t love the
“least of our brethren” as much as Christ Himself, then the fact is, we
don’t really love Christ. We haven’t grasped what it is He lived and
died for. We are not His friends nor His brethren. If we, (God forbid)
are partakers of that second resurrection, the resurrection unto
damnation, we will know why. We have been bathed in God’s love, we have
confessed to have enjoyed superior understanding and privileges, yet sat
“at ease” while our brothers were poised to fall into destruction.
God is bidding us to go forth. Have we revealed Christ to the world?
Have we cried aloud and lifted up our voice as a trumpet? Have we
proclaimed it upon the house-tops? If not, it is not only because we
don’t love our brethren, but more so because we don’t love Christ. We,
of course, can do nothing of our selves, but the promise has been
given. God and Christ are with us! Has God called us “out of darkness
into his marvelous light” for nought? God forbid! If we would only heed
the call, there is something right this moment that God would have us
do.
Love is not simply a warm, benevolent emotion to be enjoyed, it is a
principle, a conviction; and one that stands though the entire world
crashes, one that suffereth long and is kind, one that seeketh not her
own, one that beareth and endureth all things, and one that lays down
its life for its friends.
Christ says to the Peculiar People:
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose
it: but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save
it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose
himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my
words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in
his own glory, and in his Father’s and of the holy angels.” (Luke
9:23-26)
There will be some who will hear the call and will follow Christ, and
“He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” We must abandon everything at
once that should think to stand between us and Christ. In yielding up
His beloved Son, God has paid an incalculable price to redeem every
sinner. It is impossible for us to make such a sacrifice in terms of
flat value, however we can, by casting in our two mites, gratefully
reply with the same sincerity and totality of conviction.
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” (1 John 4:11)
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may
be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for
the manifestation of the sons of God…” (Romans 8:16-19)
Let us prayerfully pursue that more than our next breath! May all the Peculiar People be ready for that slow train!
Foundationists or Fundamentalists
P.D. Clayton
If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psa 11:3)
There can be no more suitable time than now to which this rhetorical
question of David can be addressed, because the destruction of its
foundations – nothing less – seems to be the aim of the onslaught now
being launched on the Christian faith by both friends and enemies alike.
In earlier times believers were strongly urged to study and store
biblical truths against the day when “our Bibles will be taken from us.”
But while not minimizing the benefits which will reward the diligent
Bible student, I would like to alert God’s people to steps being taken
by satanic forces to overthrow this fortress on which we hope to rely.
One of the earliest targets of the humanism which spread over Europe
as, the Renaissance was the Bible. The shift of focus from God to man
demanded that the book which proclaimed, “In the beginning God,” should
be dethroned from its influence on popular thought and behaviour, and a
rash of “free thinkers” climbed on the wave of intellectual enthusiasm
intent on figuratively killing God. The high-point of this radicalism
came in France, with the enthronement of a slatternly ‘goddess of
reason’ and the horrendous Reign of Terror which followed.
Although France recovered from this carnage to more sober behaviour
and although no civilized nation has in modern times attempted to
duplicate the excesses of the French revolution the Bible has been
degraded to the level of a compendium of Hebrew folklore, superstitious
myths, mysterious symbolic forecasts, and ethics founded largely on
culture practices and not necessarily applicable to present day conduct.
“The church” is not without blame for this largely intellectual drift.
The compilers of the Bible named the book of the Hebrew Scriptures as
the Old Testament (Old Covenant) and the other half as the New
Testament, and this has resulted in treatment of the former as obsolete
in mainline church worship. Learned clergy today speak glibly of the
“creation myth” and easily identify the biblical story of the flood as
an adaptation of the Assyrian Epic of Gilgamesh. Those still so
“ignorant” as to believe the Biblical version of the world’s beginnings
are branded with the label of “fundamentalists” – and O how our modern
prophets dread that classification.
Until recently, however, anti-religion aimed mostly at the exacting
requirements of the Hebrew mosaic code and the tyrannical stranglehold
of Catholicism on the masses of people worldwide. Jesus the Christ, the
Galilean, the Nazarene or however He was acknowledged stood out for both
friend and foe as a unique phenomenon on the highway of history. Even
Voltaire, self sworn to the destruction of the Christian religion
stepped back in awe from the grandeur of the life of its founder.
Now all this is changing. The history channel is unveiling a flood of
purportedly hidden eyewitness testimony regarding the “real” Jesus and
none of it is leaving a fragrant memory of Him.
For those without the benefit of, or interest in Cable TV, interest
was first created by a C.N.N. programme in early December last year in
which it was stated that research into the hidden gospels of Phillip,
Thomas and Mary had established their credibility and discrepancies
between them and the four biblical gospel stories were highlighted.
Shortly after, Dr. Orville Taylor, a senior lecturer in Sociologist at
the University of the West Indies, quoted some of the disclosures on the
history channel such as that Jesus as a child had pushed a playmate
from a roof top, killing him, and then brought Him back to life, warning
Him not to relate the experience to anyone. Another disclosure was that
Mary (presumably the Magdalene) had been either the concubine or wife
of Jesus during His Palestinian sojourn. These snippets were part of Dr.
Taylor’s column in the Sunday Gleaner.
Topping this shock exposé sequence came Ian Boyne’s parade of
scholarly deflation of story after story in New Testament gospel
narration. His sources even ripped into St. Paul as a liar in his
account of his miraculous conversion on the road to Damascus. Boyne’s
article appearing in the Focus section of the Gleaner where he
customarily writes, was so glaringly biased in its criticism of the
Christian fundamentals and lacking in journalistic balance that we are
left to wonder where he as a professing Christian really stands.
What is the implication of all this for the would-be servants of God in these last days?
First, I would sense real danger for those who are moving away from
reliance on divine revelation to dependence on “scientific discoveries”
and speculative analyses. The strong delusions predicted in 2
Thessalonians 2:11,12 could come in disguises which we little suspect.
Then there is the more general picture which shows Satan in a last desperate counter attack against his perennial foe.
1 John 3:8 says, “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the
devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was
manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
So now on the edge of Christ’s final destructive blow against Satan,
the devil sets out to destroy Jesus representing Him as the greatest
hoax since man set foot on the planet, and his religion as a two
millennial fraud.
Thus the whole gospel story is meaningless;
Its soul is a lying pretender;
Its ethics fall short of even Buddhism where the author is true to his precepts.
The upsurge of this new infidelity provoked a second look at
Revelation 17 where the final doom of Babylon is predicted. Ten horns on
the all blasphemous scarlet coloured beast are slated to effect the
destruction of this apostate church system. Their work, says Rev.
17:16,17 has been divinely dictated, but verses 12-14 tells that they
shall also make war against the Lamb.
Can we be seeing the beginnings of the operations of that ten horn
alliance? Is it without significance that the Roman Catholic church is
being blamed for suppressing the publication of these contra-gospels
which give a negative side to the reputation of our Lord?
Whatever the explanation, we cannot miss the wake up call coming to us
from the history channel. Demonism is striking at the roots, the
foundations of the Christian hope and “if the foundations be destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”
Yes, we can engage in exhaustive contradictory debate, but who will be
profited besides our intellect? Church history is littered with the
arguments of theologians trying to measure divine realities by human
reasoning.
If the people of God will stand in the face of ill-intentioned dogma
and the compromise apologetics of misguided leadership, they must hook
up individually with the power-the gospel of Jesus Christ.
May all who read this make sure that we can confidently say,
“My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus blood and righteousness.”
“On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand.”
One God
Daniela Lloyd
(Perspective of a twelve year old)
1 Corninthians 12:4-6 says,
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there
are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are
diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in
all. (1 Cor 12:4-6)
Some have read this passage and concluded that it refers to three
separate persons of a Trinitarian God. However, the text does not mean
that. A similar passage is found in Ephesians 4:4-6 which says,
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope
of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father
of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Eph 4:4-6)
Notice there is one God, only one Person, the Father and nobody
else. This goes with the rest of Paul’s writings on this subject.
Earlier in his letter he wrote,
To us there is but one God, the Father (1 Cor. 8:6).
Paul knew that there is one God, the Father and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:6).
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 is talking about the diversity of the members
of the church and their gifts, pointing out that there is only one God
who designed that it should be so. Verse 13 says,
(1 Cor 12:13) For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have
been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Paul is pointing out that we are all united by the same one spirit
that fills us all and gives each of us different gifts to minister to
the body. Verse 18 says,
But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. (1 Cor 12:18)
God the father is the one who gives these gifts to men by his own holy spirit.
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your
children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit
to them that ask him? (Luke 11:13)
The spirit of truth … proceedeth from the father (John 15:26)
This one spirit is the spirit of your Father (Matthew 10:20). Not a separate person from Him.
Loving Hands
David Wilson
Since its inception the Restoration Ministries Worship Group has
operated without an organized charitable ministry. Recently the brethren
recognized the necessity of organizing such a ministry with the
expectation that it will, under God, administer to the needs of those in
and out of the fold. Subsequently meetings were held where the ministry
was organized and a committee put in place to see to its proper
establishment and smooth operation. The committee consists of:
· Brother David Wilson – Director
· Brother Conard Howard – Assistant Director
· Brother Durvin Henry – Counsellor
· Sister Jill Clayton – Counsellor/ Secretary
· Sister Tracey Wilson – Treasurer
· Sister Naomi Morris – Assistant Treasurer
November 6, 2004 was a beautiful Sabbath afternoon at the Restoration
Worship Chapel. This was the evening when we had the dedication and
inauguration of the Loving Hands Ministry. The brethren were happy as
those in attendance were in full harmony with the establishment of this
new outreach program and those who participated in the evenings
activities did so with reverence and with commitment. The new ministry
was presented to God and to the congregation. Its function and purpose
were outlined and a special offering was collected to initiate the
ministry’s accounts. This amounted to $11,799.42. (JA). A special prayer
was offered as the ministry was dedicated to the cause and full
management of God.
Loving Hands, a sub-ministry of Restoration Ministries is poised to carry out the following functions.
1. To tactfully seek out and administer to the needs of believers and
non believers alike starting with the household of faith first.
2. To constantly depend on God for the needed resources to keep this ministry alive and effective.
3. To be skillful and accountable to God in the management and administration of resources.
4. To be equipped with the spirit of God to be able to meet the needs
of others which might be emotional, physical, financial, social, and
most important of all, spiritual.
5. To reach humanity for God in a global context.
6. To give a quarterly report.
All needy cases will be investigated by the committee which will under
God administer to such needs as urgently as possible and without bias.
An added aspect of this ministry will be a loan system that will be
operated without the requirement of the payment of interest. All that
will be required by the borrower is a businesslike attitude with regards
to pay-back time. A proposal for the financing of this aspect of the
work is that it would be financed by persons who, having money in hand
which they might not need immediately, could entrust it to the ministry
which would in turn make it available for lending, with the strict
stipulation to proposed borrowers that it must be returned at the
specified time.
The general funding of Loving Hands is dependent on God and the
instrumentation He uses. Loving Hands has opened an account at the
Mandeville branch of The First Caribbean International Bank bearing the
number 1001227487. Should you be impressed to contribute to the cause of
Loving Hands, you may direct your communications to,
Loving Hands
C/O Restoration Ministries,
P.O. Box 23, Knockpatrick
Manchester. Jamaica W.I.
May God bless and prosper his people and his work in the closing efforts of restoring humanity to righteousness and harmony with Himself and all the universe.
New Truth or Renewed Truth?
The natural stubbornness of the human heart resists the light of truth. Its natural pride of opinion leads to independence of judgment and a clinging to human ideas and philosophy. There is with some a constant danger of becoming unsettled in the faith by the desire for originality. They wish to find some new and strange truth to present, to have a new message to bring to the people; but such a desire is a snare of the enemy to captivate the mind and lead away from the truth. . . . The Lord would have those who understand the reasons for their faith rest in their belief of that which they have been convinced is truth, and not be turned from the faith by the presentation of human sophistries. . . . In these last days we need a large and increasing faith. We need to be established in the faith by a knowledge and wisdom not derived from any human source, but which is found only in the riches of the wisdom of God. . . . (In Heavenly Places – 349)
Arusha Missionary Report (Tanzania)
K.A. Kitomari
Grace mercy and peace be with you from the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:3).
After I returned from the campmeeting at Dar-es-Salaam we made an
effort and started with a meeting here just near to my home area. It was
held from 18th Nov. to 24th Nov. 2004. We had very good
results according to the lessons which were being given out.
The news about this meeting spread almost all over Arusha town. A
group known as S.D.F came out from the Seventh day adventist church here
in Arusha. Their leader who is known as Riya kitimbo wanted to see me.
He listened to what we had to say and he received our message. We
arranged for another day which was Nov. 4, 2004. We had a very short
time and since he did not have enough time we arranged to meet again on
Nov 9.
On Nov 14 I received a phone call. A group from the Reform
Movement which meets in Manyara, wanted me to come there. They called me
almost three times to insist that I should come. I left on Thursday
Nov. 18 and arrived on the 19th. I gave several presentations and they
gave me time to run my lessons from morning to evening. On the Sabbath
evening before we closed the Sabbath they decided to join with
Restoration Ministries Church of God. Those who accepted the message
are, a secondary teacher who has a wife and six kids. Others are, a
primary school teacher, a mechanic, a farmer, his wife plus the kids.
There were also present six students, four from the secondary school and
two from the primary school but they didn’t decide anything although
they remained to learn with that group.
On November 21, before I left Manyara Region I received a call from
Riya Kitimbo the leader of the SDF group who had been given
several lessons. He informed me that on the 27th of November he would
come together with all their believers so that we could join and worship
together. He told me that the group had originally had 80 people but it
was demolished by the Seventh day Adventist church and only about 25
people remain, who worship every Sabbath day.
On the 22nd I went to Moduli district. Before I returned home I
visited our believers, a wife and husband with 5 kids. On that day I
arrived at Mto wam bu town. There I saw a magazine which is known as
“Nyakati” (meaning “times”) which contains various articles concerning
churches. I saw a headline which said, “Seventh day Adventists argue
about Trinity.” The article spoke of an interview with Pastor Paulo Tula
and questioned him about the controversy which came up about the
Trinity in the Seventh day Adventist Church in Usa River near Maji ya
chai. He expressed himself very well. In his explanation he stressed
that the Trinity is a Pagan doctrine and not a Christian one. This
magazine is known, and many people read it in almost the whole of our
country and in our neighbouring country, Kenya.
On the 23rd I returned to Arusha from Monduli. I met with Riya Kitimbo
and arranged for our meetings on the Sabbath. I gave them our message
every week, speaking to two groups, one in Arusha town and another one
in Usa river at a place known as Ngongongare.
I thank God for this wonderful miracle in bringing us in contact with
these two groups. I have nothing to say except, “praise the Lord.” When I
reached home I looked for Paulo Tula to ask him about his interview
with that magazine (Nyakati). He told me that he has prepared a way for
me to start preaching in many Sabbath keeping churches in all areas
because now they are separated, therefore they will need our message. It
should be remembered that pastor Tula received our message took it to
his churches and it has brought the differences.
NEED FOR BOOKS
People have taken all the books from me and they need more books. They
have really insisted that I should order more books and they are ready
to buy. We need 200 copies of each book as follows:
1. The formulation of the Doctrine of the Trinity
2. God’s love on trial
3. The spirit of antichrist
4. The mystery demystified
5. This is the church
6. The foundation of our faith
7. The return of the fourth angel
8. Who is telling the truth about God
9. Upon this rock
TRACTS
1. God of the Bible
2. Love of God
3. Holy Spirit
I also need one set of “1888 Materials,” to assist me in teaching and
preaching. Please also remember me in your prayers because I have a lot
of hot wars now with the Reform movement and Seventh day Adventist
Churches.
K.A. Kitomari
Open Face is published bi-monthly and is sent free to all who desire to receive it.
David Clayton: Editor and Publisher
P. O. Box 23 Knockpatrick
Manchester, Jamaica W.I.
Phone: (876) 904-7392
email: david@restorationministry.com
