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August 13, 2011

THE HERETICAL LEGACY OF CHARLES FINNEY

Charles Grandison Finney (1792-1875), the inventor of the so-called "anxious bench" or altar call, is rightly a very controversial figure in biblical Christianity today.  His outright denial of the substitutionary atonement of Christ makes him a notable heretic instead of a pious saint.  The following linked articles written by Dr. Michael Horton and Dr. Phillip Johnson expose, in factual detail, the many heresies of Charles Finney that still deceive and influence the Christian community in our day:




May 08, 2011

TRINITARIAN HERESIES

Modalism (i.e., Sabellianism, Noetianism, and Patripassianism)


This view teaches  that the three persons of the Trinity are different "modes" of the Godhead,  Adherents believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not distinct personalities, but rather different modes of God's self-revelation.  A typical modalist approach is to regard God as the Father in creation, the Son in redemption, and the Holy Spirit in sanctification. In other words,  God exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in different eras, but never  as triune.  Stemming from Modalism, Patripassianism believed that the Father suffered as the Son. Modalism is akin to the teaching of Mormonism.


Tritheism


Tritheism confesses the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three independent divine beings; three separate gods who get along well together and have a similar purpose. This is a common mistake because of misunderstanding the use of the term "persons" in defining the Trinity.


Arianism


Arianism teaches that the preexistent Christ was the first and greatest of God's creatures but denied His fully divine status.  The Arian controversy was of major importance in the development of Christology during the fourth century, and it was addressed definitely in the Nicene Creed.


Docetism


This view taught that Jesus Christ was a purely divine being who only had the "appearance" of being human.  Regarding His suffering, some versions of this view taught that Jesus' divinity  abandoned or left Him upon the Cross while others claimed that He only appeared to suffer (much like He only appeared to be human).


Ebionitism


This view taught that while Jesus was endowed with particular charismatic gifts which distinguished Him from other humans but nonetheless regarded Him as a purely human figure.


Macedonianism


This view believed that the Holy Spirit is a created being.


Adoptionism


This view taught that Jesus was born totally human and was only later "adopted"  --either at His baptism or at His resurrection--by God in a special (i.e., divine) way.


Partialism


This view taught that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together are components of the one God.  This led them to believe that each of the persons of the Trinity is only part God, only becoming fully God when they come together.




NOTE:  Seventh-day Adventism was founded upon Arianism, and they openly teach Tritheism today.  In biblical Christianity, each "person" of the Godhead is fully God. Jesus said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9 NASB).  When Jesus declared that "the Father is greater than I" (verse 28), He was not admitting inferiority to the Father (after claiming equality repeatedly),  but was saying that if the disciples loved Him, they would not be reluctant to let Him go to the Father because He was returning to the realm where He belonged and to the full glory He gave up.  


He was going back to share equal glory with the Father that would be greater than what He had experienced in His incarnation.  He will in no way be inferior in that glory, because His humiliation is over. Ellen White, the revered SDA prophetess and their infallible interpreter of Scripture, referred to the Godhead as the "three living persons of the heavenly trio," "the three great Worthies," "the three great powers," and other Tritheistic descriptions that Mormonism teaches as well. Sadly, Ellen White never got the Trinity doctrine right. For an in-depth, factual study of this topic, simply log unto: www.cultorchristian.com .




courtesy of

DENNIS FISCHER MINISTRIES
Worldwide Chaplaincy Services
E-mail:  dfministries@gmail.com







May 01, 2011

THE HISTORICAL AND REDEMPTIVE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EIGHTH DAY

By Dennis J. Fischer

  • Eighth day was when the wave offering was presented to the Lord (Lev. 23:11).
  • Eighth day was when Pentecost was observed (Lev. 23:15-16).
  • Eighth day was a holy day of rest during the weeklong festival of booths (Lev. 23:36,39: Num. 29:35).
  • Eighth day was when circumcision was performed on Hebrew baby boys.
  • Eighth day was the consecration of the firstborn (Ex. 22:30; Lev. 9:1).
  • Eighth day was the fulfillment and conclusion of the priestly ordination (Lev. 9:1).
  • Eighth day was the day of offering in the cleansing of lepers, Nazarites, and those with a  discharge (Lev. 14:10; 15:14, 29; Num. 6:10).
  • Eighth day was when Christ arose as the firstfruit of the dead (1 Cor. 15:20).
  • Eighth day was the day the Christian Church was born with the fullness of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday (Acts 2:1).
  • Eighth day was worthy of mentioning by the Apostle John as the "Lord's day" (Rev. 1:10).  A day that the early believers clearly understood as the Resurrection Day (the greatest event in redemptive history). Already in about A. D. 100, the Didache confirms the Resurrection Day as being the  corporate day of worship for Christians.

Like a birthday celebration or other special event, Sunday is not another holy day like the festal, weekly Sabbath was, but rather it is a very special day for Christ-followers around the world as a weekly Easter.  Only the first day of the week (historically the Eighth Day) can be the "Lord's day."  Since our Lord's resurrection is a historical and redemptive event  in biblical Christianity, believers honor it with weekly, special assembly and contemplation of the Christ Event.  Truly, not just any day could be this special!
      Christians begin every week by honoring their risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Obviously, our awesome and sovereign God predestined (foreordained) the resurrection of our Lord to occur on Sunday.  God's sovereign selection  of Sunday, as the Resurrection Day, had absolutely nothing to do with any religious or political leadership nor any cultural factors. Furthermore, Jesus repeatedly chose to specifically meet with His disciples on the eighth day following His resurrection.  Therefore, it is of monumental importance to understand the historical and redemptive significance of the "eighth day" that culminated into being the Lord's Day  or Resurrection Sunday.

      April 30, 2011

      Should Christians Observe the Sabbath?


      Christians who worship on Sunday are sometimes asked, "Why don't you observe the Sabbath as commanded in the Ten Commandments?" The answer is simple.  The Sabbath  began before the commandments and outlived them. Let me explain.

      It was only when God finished the work of creating the heavens and earth that He rested.  The Sabbath, the rest of God, implies perfect satisfaction in what He had accomplished ("it was very good").  The seventh day was fixed by God to be a time of rest and joy for Himself and all creation. Since no more work had to be done, God rested.  It was not because He was weary, but because He was finished.

      God blessed the Sabbath and sanctified it, setting it apart from the days of His labors.  What's more, God made man on the sixth day, so that the first day that dawned upon Adam was the Sabbath of God. Man immediately entered into the enjoyment of the Creator's rest. When God finishes His work, we benefit by entering into rest with Him.

      But that rest was quickly destroyed by man's sin. The Sabbath was destroyed. The tempter came, man rebelled against God and the rest was broken.   In the ages that follow man appears to have forgotten that the Sabbath was "made for man" not man for the Sabbath. It took Jesus to straighten out man's thinking (Mark 2:27-28).  He is Lord of the Sabbath, and still some thinking appears to be confused about what the Sabbath means.

      The Law entered when man sinned.  The Law was a moral code, a schoolteacher to bring men and women back to God.  The Law was designed to point men to Christ, God the Son.  Therefore, the Ten Commandments specifically ordained, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy" (Ex. 20:8). As long as man lived apart from God, He lived under the Law. But if we remember the law of the Sabbath without remembering the purpose of the Sabbath, we only remember the code and not the Christ.

      Of all the Ten Commandments, the only one not repeated in the New Testament, the only one not germane to living under grace instead of law, was the Fourth Commandment—remember the Sabbath day, keep it holy, do no work, rest the seventh day. There's good reason for this omission. When God finished the work of creation He rested. When God finished the work of redemption again He rested (John 19:30). Jesus finished the work (John 17:4). He put away sin;  the work of redemption was complete, and it was very good. The rest that existed from Creation to the Fall was now restored.  Jesus said, "Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28).

      As Adam entered into God's rest after creation, we enter into His rest after redemption. Between these was the Law and labor. Keeping the Law never brought salvation, but it never brought rest either. Jesus is our Sabbath.  The Christian worships the Lord on the first day of the week, the day Jesus rose from the dead, because that resurrection day was the day mankind again could rest in the joy of the Lord. The Sabbath pre-existed the Law and He lives again today in hearts unfettered by the Law.

      SOURCE:  The preceding  Bible-based  article was written by Dr. Woodrow Kroll, CEO and radio broadcast speaker of Back to the Bible International Ministries in Lincoln, Nebraska USA. Also, don't miss reading or listening to Dr. John MacArthur's sermon entitled, "Understanding the Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-3)" that was recorded live at Grace Community Church on September 20, 2009 (https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-379/understanding-the-sabbath).


      FURTHER COMMENTARY 


      Are all of God's declaratives in the Ten Commandments of a moral stature? Seventh-day Adventist apologists continue to arbitrarily make such an unbiblical assumption.  Is there not a mixture of ceremonial and moral elements within the Decalogue itself?  After all, the Decalogue has been historically considered to be a basic summary of the 613 laws of the Torah. If the Decalogue had no ritual aspect in any manner, then it could not have been a true summary.

      What about the extra sacrificing by the priest (two male lambs without blemish) on every Sabbath, the meticulous showbread display in the Holy Place, and the male circumcision (the eighth day circumcision ritual always trumped the weekly Sabbath) requirements under the Fourth Commandment? Importantly, if the Mosaic Sabbath was actually a moral directive, then it would not have been consistently surpassed or infringed upon by ceremonial laws (i.e., circumcision, extra sacrificing, etc.).  The other nine commandments in the Decalogue, being obviously of a moral stature,  were never trumped by a ceremonial law for any reason. 

      Truly, it is impossible to properly observe the festal, weekly Sabbath without the Levitical system being fully in place (the same holds true for tithing as well). Since devout Sabbatarians reluctantly admit that there is a dominant ceremonial element in properly observing the Fourth Commandment, the fact that the Jews were commanded in the Decalogue to keep the seventh day as a Sabbath cannot prove it to be a moral law. The weekly, festal Sabbath is listed as one of the seven convocations given to the "people of Israel" in Leviticus 23:1-3 (ESV). Why did God often criticize the Gentiles through the prophets for moral violations, but never criticized any Gentiles for not keeping the weekly Sabbath? Moreover, if the Sabbath is a moral law, why did Jesus break the Sabbath (John 5:17-18) without incurring sin? Why is Sabbath-breaking never listed as a sin in the New Testament? Interestingly, Jesus never compared the weekly, Mosaic Sabbath to any moral laws—only to ceremonial laws.

      A moral law, unlike a ceremonial or ritual law,  is in effect 24/7 (every nanosecond of time) and not merely once a year, season, month, or week. Also, moral laws are never trumped by any ceremonial laws (i.e., ritual circumcision on the eighth day, priestly sacrifices, weekly showbread placement, etc.), and they never allow any exceptions due to works of charity, mercy, or necessity for proper compliance. Surely, there is never a valid excuse to worship another god, to murder someone, to steal something, to commit adultery, et cetera. The Ten Commandments, as written by the hand of God, were only ten short and brisk commands (literally the "Ten Words" in Hebrew).

      Inadvertently, many well-meaning people have often confused Moses' exposition of these commands with the commands themselves.  For example,  the Tenth Commandment according to the Apostle Paul in Romans 13:9 is, "You shall not covet." This is very short and simple. It was Moses who later gave several examples (Ex. 20:17) of the type of things that we should not covet (i.e., our neighbor's wife, house, servants,  animals, nor anything else belonging to him). Moreover, due to the dominant male culture among the Hebrew people, the prohibition against coveting a neighbor's husband is noticeably absent, although one can reasonably argue that it is definitely implied.

      Furthermore,  when Moses explained to the Israelites why they should keep the Sabbath, he gave a different reason in Deuteronomy 5 than what he quoted God declaring in Exodus 20. While Moses in Exodus 20:11 referred to the creation week, in Deuteronomy 5:15 he omits any reference to the creation week and instead refers to the Exodus out of Egypt as the reason for Sabbath observance.  If God Himself had literally written all the words (including the commentary) in Exodus 20:11 about the creation week on tables of stone with His own hand, Moses would not have edited or substituted them with a reference to their Egyptian slavery in Deuteronomy 5:15. Moreover, unlike the Jewish ritual laws, moral (ethical) laws never changed throughout the centuries, but the Sabbath and tithing laws differed in various Old Testament time frames. Lastly, but certainly not least in importance, it is geographically impossible for all men to keep the Sabbath.  What would those in cold climates do without heat (Ex. 35:1-3)?  Is it not true that a moral law can be kept anywhere?

      Obviously, the Sabbath cannot be kept everywhere throughout the world due to lengthy periods of darkness and light in the polar regions. How can astronauts living on a space station, visiting an asteroid, or landing on the moon observe the Sabbath? What about astronauts orbiting the earth in various spacecraft? How can they faithfully observe the Jewish Sabbath when witnessing multiple sunrises and sunsets in a short period of time? How can the redeemed of all ages observe the festal, weekly Sabbath in the Holy City that "has no need of the sun or moon" (Rev. 21:23 ESV)? The Apostle John declared that "there will be no night there" (v. 25) "and night will be no more" (Rev. 22:5 ESV). Consequently, as the Bible affirms, there cannot be a weekly Sabbath without a daily sunset. There will certainly be no need for sunset calendars in heaven. Moreover, the inhabitants of heaven will no longer yearn for the ritual laws of Moses to intensely gaze upon the fading shadows of the sun twice every week, but they will instead cast their eyes upon God the Son because their "lamp is the Lamb" Rev. 21:22 ESV).

      Eternal bliss is beyond the constraints of time and space that we are familiar with in this sin-cursed world. Unlike the reward of the redeemed in heaven, God has reserved agonizing, stark darkness for those cast into the "gloomy dungeons" of hell (2 Peter 2:4 NIV). Close your eyes for a few seconds and ask yourself, "Do I want to have a light-free existence throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity?" On the other hand, there is nothing even remotely dark, dim, fading, or shadowy in heaven. No form of darkness or dreariness would be appropriate for the holy, splendid atmosphere of heaven. The sober, biblical truth is that we will all spend eternity somewhere—in either heaven or hell (very limited choices). Additionally, the fact remains that the International Date Line is purely a man-made imaginary line weaving through the Pacific Ocean. In Samoa, for example, map makers (cartographers) have recently re-drawn the curvy International Date Line for economic reasons, and the weekly Sabbath (Saturday) has now become Sunday without any Popes or Emperors involved. 

      These are issues that Sabbatarians will have to face increasingly in the future. In this digital age, willful ignorance and misinformation will no longer suffice for the facts. Moreover, it is economically and technologically impossible to shut down modern industrial society and major utility companies every Saturday.  If, for example, the steel mills turned off their furnaces one day out of the week, it would be impossible to produce steel, for it takes a week for them to heat up sufficiently to begin production. The Ten Commandments, devoid of commentary and illustration,  are as follows:

      THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

      You shall not have any other gods before Me.
      You shall not make for yourself any idol.
      You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain.
      Observe the Sabbath day.
      Honor your father and mother.
      You shall not murder.
      You shall not commit adultery.
      You shall not steal.
      You shall not bear false witness.
      You shall not covet.

      Although the Christian calendar has no actual "holy" days, the Lord's day (Resurrection Day) is a very "special" day for Christ-followers around the world. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest event in redemptive history and the epicenter of the Christian faith. Truly, not just any day could be this special.   After all, God Himself precisely planned (foreordained) the exact day of the week that Jesus would raise from the dead. Moreover, our sovereign God foreordained (predestined) the exact day that the Christian Church would be born (Pentecost Sunday). Our awesome God did not allow the slightest margin of error for these historic and redemptive events. However, Sunday is not a holy day in the sense of being actual holy time like the weekly, festal Sabbath was. When Jesus died, the Sabbath died. Those who still insist upon observing any shadow pointing to the cross are actually denying the glory, majesty, and reality of Jesus Christ. Indeed, it is high time for well-meaning people to stop Judaizing Christianity and to start Christianizing the world instead.

      "The weekly Sabbath, i.e., Saturday, is not the real Sabbath.  The true Sabbath is a rest; the Jewish Sabbath is a shadow, a picture of that rest. All the Old Testament shadows pointed to Christ...These Old Testament shadows were looking forward to the coming of the One who would fulfill these and thus end them. When the work of Jesus Christ was finished the shadows were no longer needed." (Excerpt taken from The Seventh Day, by Ray C. Stedman, 12-10-67, THE BEGINNINGS:  Commentary on Genesis)

      "O Lord God, grant us thy peace--for thou hast given us all things. Grant us the peace of quietness, the peace of the Sabbath, the peace without an evening. All this most beautiful array of things, all so very good, will pass away when all their courses are finished--for in them there is both morning and evening."

      "But the seventh day is without an evening, and it has no setting, for thou hast sanctified it with an everlasting duration. After all thy works of creation, which were very good, thou didst rest on the seventh day, although thou hadst created them all in unbroken rest—and this so that the voice of thy Book might speak to us with the prior assurance that after our works—and they also are very good because thou hast given them to us—we may find our rest in thee in the Sabbath of life eternal." (Excerpts from St. Augustine; Bishop of Hippo Regius, 354-430 AD; My Confessions, page 328)

      Someone aptly stated that "Adventists aren't even observing a shadow. They're honoring a literal day, not a shadow of reality but as the reality itself. They have made a creation into a holy icon." Interestingly, around the year A. D. 100, the Didache (the first known church manual) instructed Christians to "gather together on the Lord's day." In A. D. 155, Justin Martyr wrote a letter to the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius mentioning that the early Church celebrated communion together on Sundays in honor of our Lord's resurrection.

      The following pungent statement from the pen of Ellen White, the revered SDA co-founder and prophetess, reveals yet another scare tactic to convince her readers not to forsake observing the Mosaic Sabbath: "Then I was shown a company who were howling in agony. On their garments was written in large characters, 'Thou art weighed in the balance, and found wanting.' I asked who this company were. The angel said, 'these are they who have once kept the Sabbath and have given it up.'" (Medical Ministry, page 123) "When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him" (Deut. 18:22 ESV). Furthermore, God's Word declares that "...the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die" (v. 20). Indeed, it is a very serious offense to falsely claim to be a specially-chosen mouthpiece for our awesome, holy God.

      All in all, both the Bible and Church history repeatedly attest to the fact that Christians assembled on the Lord's day beginning shortly after the resurrection of Jesus. The early Christians, by no longer observing ritual laws, wanted to show forth the true meaning of the Sabbath, which achieved its full purpose in the New Covenant of Jesus Christ, in whom we find our perfect, ultimate rest. "Come to me, all you who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest! Put on my yoke and learn from me. For I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30 Phillips NT). The good news remains that there is an extraordinary Sabbath rest or "sabbatismos" (the only occurrence of this Koine Greek word in the NT) "for the people of God" (Heb. 4:9 ESV).

      In addition to the well-known New Testament passages found in Colossians 2:16-17, Matthew 11:28-30, Galatians 4:9-11, Hebrews 4:9-10, Revelation 1:10, and Romans 14:5-6, here are three additional noteworthy Early Church quotes on the weekly Sabbath as well:

      "If then, those who had lived in antiquated practices came to newness of hope, no longer keeping the Sabbath but living in accordance with the Lord's day, on which our life also arose through Him and His death..." (Early 100s AD)

      "But Sunday is the day which we all hold our common assembly, because Jesus Christ, our Saviour, on the same day rose from the dead."  (Justin Martyr, 140 AD)

      "Christians must not Judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honouring the Lord's Day; and, if they can, resting then as Christians.  But if any shall be found to be Judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ."  (Canon 29, Synod of Laodicea, 384 AD)

      Centuries later, the renowned Protestant Reformer, John Calvin wrote: "However, the ancients did not substitute the Lord's Day (as we call it) for the Sabbath without careful discrimination.  The purpose and fulfillment of that true rest, represented by the ancient Sabbath, lies in the Lord's resurrection. Hence, by the very day that brought the shadows to an end, Christians are warned not to cling to the shadow rite." (Institutes of the Christian Religion; Book 2, Chapter 8)

      Since millions of people live in Northern habitats, places where the "Sabbath" can be 3 months long during the summer and no "Sabbath" for 3 months in the winter, what should Sabbath-keepers do? Ellen White, the SDA prophetess, gave the following answer to this perplexing dilemma: "God made His Sabbath for a round world; and when the seventh day comes to us in that round world, controlled by the sun that rules the day, it is the time, in all countries and lands, to observe the Sabbath. In the countries where there is no sunset for months, and again no sunrise for months, the period of time will be calculated by records kept. But God has a world large enough, and proper and right for the human beings He has created to inhabit it, without finding homes in those lands so objectionable in very, many, many ways." (Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases; Vol. 12 [Nos. 921-999], page 159) 

      By the way, according to the Apostle John, heaven will have no sunsets forever (an "objectionable" environment for Adventist Sabbatarians). Should all the Russians, Norwegians, Canadians, Greenlanders, Swedes, and Alaskans living in these Northern regions (within or near the Arctic Circle) mass migrate to more moderate climates in order to live morally-acceptable lives? Adventism's ironclad solution? Just don't live there!  Moreover, as would be expected, official Adventism does not waste its tithe money in a vain attempt to somehow publish weekly, sunset calendars for those regions of the world.  However, unlike the ritual shadows pointing to the incarnate Christ (Col. 2:16-17), is it not true that God's moral laws can be observed even on the moon or on a space station?


      Resting in Jesus, the true Sabbath Rest,


      Dennis Fischer
      Web Chaplain




      A UNIQUE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

      When my wife and I were driving to church on the first Sunday morning after officially leaving Seventh-day Adventism in 2000, we were most surprised to discover a policeman directing the congested traffic at an intersection about a half mile from the church. Moreover, a policeman directed traffic out of the church parking lot after the worship service as well. We had no idea that so many people in our community were active Christ-followers. We were further delighted to see church-goers entering Sunday School rooms and the worship center with Bibles in their hands. Strangely, we were taught that all non-Adventist churches were merely "synagogues of Satan."

      While still devout Adventists, we seldom had any reason to be driving around early on Sunday mornings. We are blessed to have scores of churches  in our city that serve  the spiritual needs of many believers among its 250,000 residents. Truly, as Adventists, we were living in a self-imposed isolated bubble—unaware of the heavy, bumper-to-bumper traffic in some major intersections every Sunday morning. Indeed, every Sunday morning, when we gather our families together and get into our cars and head off to church, we are announcing anew to our friends and neighbors that we love and worship our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As indicated earlier, we need to stop "Judaizing" Christianity and start "Christianizing" the world.




      courtesy of

      DENNIS FISCHER MINISTRIES
      Worldwide Chaplaincy Services
      E-mail:  dfministries@gmail.com
      Facebook: www.facebook.com/dfministries










      April 23, 2011

      TEN LINES OF EVIDENCE FOR THE DOCTRINE OF PARTICULAR REDEMPTION

      By Robert Reymond

      Universal atonement without universal salvation is a cold, gloomy doctrine.  Jesus Christ sacrificially died to fully pay the penalty for the sins of all men, for the sins of some men, or for some sins of all men. What is the Biblical answer? Simply click here for an in-depth study on this important, salvific topic by Robert Reymond.   Truly, getting the Gospel right should be our top priority. Thanks for stopping by!


      Dennis Fischer
      Web Chaplain





      courtesy of

      DENNIS FISCHER MINISTRIES
      Worldwide Chaplaincy Services
      E-mail: dfministries@gmail.com

      April 16, 2011

      WHAT ABOUT SDA SOTERIOLOGY?

      In the case of Seventh-day Adventism, their soteriological stance is most accurately defined as semi-Pelagianism (not Arminianism nor Calvinism).  Semi-Pelagianism was a compromise between Pelagianism and Augustinianism (the latter akin to "Calvinism"  whereby salvation is understood as the free gift from God alone). Semi-Pelagianism was formally condemned as a heresy by  the Christian delegation at the Second Council of Orange in 529 AD.  Moreover, in semi-Pelagian thought, the sinner cooperates or partners with God for his salvation.


      In their view, salvation is not a free gift given by Jesus Christ alone. Sadly, Adventism does not embrace even one of the five doctrines of grace.  Thus, their man-centered theology, in which faith is an act of the fallen will of man, ultimately results in man saving himself with God's help.  Man thereby proudly becomes the captain of his eternal destiny by having the final word about his salvation.   This heresy actually puts God at the mercy of fallen man instead of the other way around.  Jonah, the reluctant prophet, declared: "For my salvation comes from the Lord alone" (Jonah 2:9 NLT) It's all about Him!  Soli Deo Gloria (to God alone belongs all the glory).





      courtesy of

      DENNIS FISCHER MINISTRIES
      Worldwide Chaplaincy Services
      E-mail:  dfministries@gmail.com
      Facebook: www.facebook.com/dfministries

      April 06, 2011

      POST-PENTECOST

      In Old Testament times, only certain selected  "anointed ones" such as judges, kings, and prophets were filled or permanently indwelt with the Holy Spirit.   Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant.  Moses truly stood between the people and God.  That is no longer the case under the New Covenant. "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world" (Heb. 1:1 ESV).  We no longer need prophets to stand between God and His people  to dispense truth to them.  That role is now filled by the Holy Spirit  in the life of each believer.


      Therefore, the prophecy  is fulfilled that "It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;  and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions" ( Joel 2:28 NASB).  In 1 Chronicles 25:1-7, we learn that to "prophesy" includes singing praises, playing musical instruments, and giving thanks to God in  public.  In the truest sense, New Covenant believers are all priests and prophets.   Moreover, authentic Protestantism upholds  the priesthood of all believers.

      March 12, 2011

      THE BODY OF MOSES

      "The body of Moses:  Moses died on Mount Nebo in Moab without having entered the Promised Land and was secretly buried in a place not known to man (Deut. 34:5,6).  It would likely be that this confrontation took place as Michael buried Moses to prevent Satan from using Moses' body for some diabolical purpose not stated. Perhaps Satan wanted to use it as an idol, an object of worship for Israel.  God sent Michael, however, to be certain it was buried.  This account was recorded in the pseudepigraphal Assumption of Moses. Rather than personally cursing such a powerful angel as Satan, Michael deferred to the ultimate sovereign power of God following the example of the Angel of the Lord in Zechariah 3:2.  This is the supreme illustration of how Christians are to deal with Satan and demons. Believers are not to address them, but rather to seek the Lord's intervening power against them." (Excerpt from The MacArthur Bible Commentary, page 1983)


      POINTS TO PONDER FOR ADVENTIST READERS:  God didn't allow Moses to enter the earthly land of Canaan because of his blatant disobedience, but then God supposedly (according to SDA apologists) turned right around and took him to heaven instead. What punishment is this for his disobedience?  Truly, such reasoning greatly belittles the consequences of sin.  The only reason why Adventists do this amazing twist is to somehow get around the fact that Moses appeared with Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration. Adventists rely upon the legendary, pseudepigraphal account known as the "Assumption of Moses" to teach that Moses was resurrected from the dead and taken to heaven.  Primarily, however, they ascribe to this unbiblical view because their revered prophetess affirmed it.  The Bible nowhere even alludes to the notion that Moses' body was resurrected and taken to heaven.


      Since Adventists don't believe in the dualistic nature of man, consisting of both material and immaterial entities (body and spirit), they are in a dilemma to figure out how Moses could appear with Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration.  Of course, if Moses was resurrected from the dead then Jesus would not have been the "firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Cor. 15:20).  This theological logjam clearly reveals that if we don't get Genesis right, it clouds our understanding of the entire Bible.  The Bible is God's voice speaking to us.  Any heretical thought superimposed upon Scripture creates immeasurable confusion.


      Moses was such an icon in the mind of the Hebrew people that they couldn't bear the thought of him being dead and buried.  Likewise, after 33 days from her third funeral, Ellen White was finally interred at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Battle Creek, Michigan.  They just couldn't bear the thought that their acclaimed prophetess had actually died. After all, she was supposedly an "inspired" health instructor—although an often ailing one—who insisted that being sick is a sin.


      Adventists had been so proud of having an actual living prophet in their midst, but now she had entered the state of nonexistence.  She was "gone, gone" like Adventists speak of the deceased.  She was now merely in the memory of God like a fallen sparrow. There was supposedly no continuation of her personhood, and she could not even "await" the call of the Lifegiver.   Truly, not even God can resurrect someone who doesn't exist in any form. The very meaning of the word "resurrection" cannot  denote being somehow restored from  nothingness. The inherent miracle of the resurrection, as defined in Scripture,  is certainly not a cloning process nor some form of  re-creation/transmigration from extinction and/or nonexistence. 


      Moreover, in multiple statements, she had predicted that the second coming of Christ would be only a few weeks or months away at the longest. Consequently, Ellen White's death in 1915 became yet another disappointment in their  time-setting pattern.   This was the direct result of  a few Millerites who were unable to bear the thought that they were actually wrong about October 22, 1844. Therefore, they invented an alibi (an exclusive "investigative judgment" theory) to still maintain their time-setting error and to save face at the same time.





      courtesy of

      DENNIS FISCHER MINISTRIES
      Worldwide Chaplaincy Services
      E-mail:  dfministries@gmail.com
      Facebook: www.facebook.com/dfministries

      February 27, 2011

      ASK THE CHAPLAIN


      QUESTION:  Are Seventh-day Adventists allowed to surf the Internet from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday?


      ANSWER:  Since the Internet is a fairly new innovation or form of media, the SDA hierarchy has not yet forbidden its use from sunset on Fridays to sunset on Saturdays. Seventh-day Adventists are not supposed to watch TV or listen to secular radio on the weekly, festal Sabbath.  As we already know to our dismay, there are far worse things to see on the Internet than a typical family can see on TV or listen to on the radio. Legalism is never consistent. Like in Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism apparently needs an ongoing living voice to address their unique, current issues. 


      Fortunately, however, many Seventh-day Adventists are discovering the true Gospel of Jesus Christ for the very first time while surfing the Internet on the Mosaic Sabbath.  Many have found Jesus to be their true Sabbath Rest (Mt. 11:28-30; Col. 2:16-17; Heb. 4:1-10). Truly, Christians steadfastly focus upon the unsurpassing glory of God the Son and not upon the fading shadows of the sun. Moreover, in the truest sense, the information age is a detriment to the growth of Seventh-day Adventism in the industrialized areas of the world. Seventh-day Adventism and other cults thrive largely in areas of the world with limited or no access to the Internet. In other words, overall ignorance provides the ideal environment for cults to gain new followers.


      The arrival of online religion is as consequential as when the printing presses brought the written word to medieval Europe. Cyberspace affords us the priesthood of all believers in being an equal playing field. Information technology is a tool that empowers and enriches the lives of even the lowest social class in our society. Consequently, SDA students can readily fact check the claims of religious lectures in their classrooms without anyone else knowing about their quest for biblical truth.


      QUESTION:  One of my colleagues, a former Seventh-day Adventist, insists that Paul is teaching the abrogation of the moral law in Romans 10:4. However, it seems to me that his interpretation ignores the overall view of Scripture—including many other Pauline statements. In context, what is Paul actually saying?


      ANSWER:  Just because the law is not a way to salvation doesn't mean that it is not a guide to conduct for believers. As former legalists who suffered intense spiritual abuse, former Adventists sometimes find various forms of antinomianism very appealing and attractive. However, such ruinous conclusions are an overreaction to their painful past. 


      Although the Greek word translated "end" can mean either "fulfillment" or "termination," this is not a reference to Christ having perfectly fulfilled the law through His teaching (Matt. 5:17,18) or through His sinless life (2 Cor. 5:21). Instead, as the second half of the verse shows, Paul means that belief in Christ as Lord and Savior ends the sinner's futile quest for righteousness through his imperfect attempts to save himself by efforts to obey the law.  In other words, Paul is saying that Christ is the end focus or goal of the law for righteousness.


      The Apostle Paul adds:  "Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means!  On the contrary, we uphold the law" (Rom. 3:31 ESV). Moreover, in Romans 7:12, Paul declares that the law is "holy, and just, and good" just like God Himself is.  Truly, the ethical directives in both the Old and New Testaments are a reflection of His divine character and holiness. Obviously, Jesus would not have bothered to further explain or expound upon the moral laws of the Old Covenant if they were abrogated or nullified in any way.  God's divine will for His people is changeless.  Indeed, all exhortations in Scripture are a form of law.


      Even without the law, death was universal.  All people from Adam to Moses were subject to death, not because of their sinful acts against the Mosaic Law (which they did not yet have), but because of their own inherited sinful nature. However, the moral law as delivered on Mount Sinai was not something unfamiliar to Adam, Noah, and other patriarchs. Clearly, the Bible reveals that murder, lying,  envy, revenge, wrongful worship, jealousy, and other acts of treason against our holy God were considered sinful long, long before Sinai.


      Importantly, the law was never given to save people, but rather to lead them to the One who would. "Christ redeemed us from the CURSE of the law" (Gal. 3:13) and not from our duty to obey His righteous standards. As Charles Spurgeon aptly and rightly declared, "The grace that does not change your life will not save your soul."  Similarly, it is biblical to say that the faith that does not change your life will not save your soul.


      QUESTION:  What does the gift of  prophecy, in 1 Cor. 12:10, precisely mean?  Does this indicate that the presence of prophets is still valid among believers  today?


      ANSWER:  "Long ago, at many times and in  many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world" (Heb. 1:1-2 ESV).  The meaning of "prophecy" is simply that of "speaking forth" or "proclaiming publicly" to which the connotation of prediction was added sometime in the Middle Ages.


      Since the completion of Scripture, prophecy has not been a means of new revelation, but is limited to proclaiming what has already been revealed in the written Word.  Even the biblical prophets were preachers, proclaimers of God's truth, both by revelation and reiteration.  Old Testament prophets  like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel spent lifetimes proclaiming God's Word.  Only a comparatively small amount of what they preached is recorded in the Bible as God's direct revelation. They must have continually repeated and re-emphasized those truths, as preachers  today repeat, explain, and re-emphasize the Word of God in Scripture.


      The best definition for this gift is found in 1 Cor. 14:3 (ESV) as "the one who prophesies speaks to people for  their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation."  Moreover, according to 1 Chronicles 25:1-2,  publicly performing music is a form of  "prophesying" as well. This is a notable example of how the etymologies  of various words  have changed  down through the centuries.


      QUESTION:  Where was the "paradise"  located that Jesus promised the penitent dying thief in Luke 23:43?


      ANSWER:   The word "paradise" literally denotes a "park" or "garden." The Septuagint uses this word literally in Ecclesiastes 2:5 and Song of Solomon 4:13, although the term also refers to the Garden of Eden (see Gen. 2:8). However, Revelation 2:7 indicates that the location of "paradise" is synonymous with "heaven" where the tree of life is located.


      Paradise was also described as the place for righteous spirits in Sheol who awaited the Messiah (Luke 16:19-31). When Jesus spoke to the penitent dying thief on the cross, He assured him that he would that very day reside with Him in paradise (Luke 23:43). Obviously, their reunion occurred within just a few hours or minutes.  Although Bible scholars are divided about the exact location (heaven or Sheol) that Jesus referred to, it is my studied conclusion that this reunion took place in Sheol when Jesus went to bring the good news that the Old Testament  saints  would be relocated to heaven within a very short time.   The context  seems to indicate that the word "paradise" refers to a pleasant abode for the righteous among the dead (one of two compartments in Sheol).    


      Interestingly, Jesus precisely promised to be with the penitent dying thief in a place called "paradise" on that very day. Grammar is always an important hermeneutical tool.  If heaven itself was in view that very day, it seems that Jesus would have said so. After all,  Jesus often talked about a literal place called heaven. In Koine Greek, a very precise biblical language, there are separate words for heaven and paradise.   All in all, however, we should not be overly dogmatic when the biblical data is less than clear on a topic. Historically, Christians have believed that Jesus descended into the two-compartment Sheol (i.e., creedal statements designed to validate doctrinal consensus and orthodoxy). However, it is not entirely clear from creedal statements if Jesus' visit was to the righteous or unrighteous sector of Sheol or both.  


      On the other hand, some biblical scholars favor Jesus' words to the penitent dying thief as referring to heaven as being the same place as paradise. In a figurative sense, they further view "hell" as the earth itself that Jesus descended into. Therefore, in the careful exegesis of Luke 23:43, there emerges a consensus that the spirits of Jesus and the penitent dying thief were reunited in a far better place called "paradise" on that very day. Truly, we can always trust the words of Jesus.


      QUESTION:  What was the rationale of the late Harold Camping (founder of Family Radio), to predict Judgment Day to occur on May 21, 2011 and the complete annihilation of this planet five months later?


      ANSWER:  CNN recently had a special report on doomsday predictions (scenarios) throughout Christian history. A video clip was shown of the devout followers of Harold Camping excitedly handing out literature in public intersections while still others had signs on their cars predicting judgment day to occur on May 21, 2011.  Like the Millerites in the 1840s, Harold Camping was basing his time-setting upon an arbitrary starting date in history to calculate the supposed exact date. The primary difference in their eisegesis is that William Miller proclaimed a day equals a year principle whereas Harold Camping was using a day equals one thousand years as a principle of prophetic interpretation.


      Interestingly, a Seventh-day Adventist friend expressed compassion for Harold Camping and was hoping that he would be right this time. However, based on the SDA prophetic timeline, how could Camping have been right without the National Sunday Law having become a reality?  Moreover, these repeated failed predictions make a mockery of Christianity.  Although these repeated failed time-settings are anti-Gospel, the time-setters have often benefited in a financial way from their deliberate deceptions.


      Furthermore, the late Harold Camping and other time-setters seem to have taken their alibis and excuses for their failed prophecies directly from the JW-SDA playbooks—saying that although nothing happened physically on earth, it somehow happened spiritually in heaven instead. This warped strategy apparently removes their need for a public apology, and it somehow lessens their need for heartfelt contrition. After all, alibis for disobedience started immediately after the Fall in the Garden of Eden. Consequently and unfortunately, fallen human beings have become highly-experienced experts in the area of providing alibis.


      QUESTION:  What is the meaning of Jesus' statement to Mary Magdalene: "...Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God'" (John 20:17 ESV)?


      ANSWER:  Mary was expressing a desire to hold on to His physical presence for fear that she would once again lose Him. Jesus' reference to His ascension signifies that He would only be temporarily with them and though she desperately wanted Him to stay, He could not.  Jesus was with them only for forty more days, and then He ascended.  His ascension was both material and immaterial as "the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (I Cor. 15:20 ESV).   His ascension was in contrast to only His spirit ascending to heaven at the point of His physical death on the Cross.


      After He went to the Father in both body and spirit, He sent the Holy Spirit ("the Helper") so they would not feel abandoned. Interestingly, this was Jesus' first reference to His disciples as "brothers" instead of friends or servants because of Jesus' work on the Cross in place of the sinner. Consequently, this new relationship to Christ was made possible.


      QUESTION:  Please explain Matthew 10:28 when Jesus said, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."


      ANSWER:  God is the one who destroys (Lit. Gk. "delivers up to eternal misery") the ungodly in hell (Luke 12:5).  Persecutors can harm only the body.  The physical body must also be punished in hell due to the fact that the flesh had a significant role in sinning.  Importantly, the words translated "destroy" and "kill" in this passage are not  the same words  in Koine Greek. Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon defines the Greek word "apollumi" (commonly translated into English as "destroy" or "ruin") as "to be delivered up to eternal misery."  This scholarship is significant since Joseph Thayer himself, a Unitarian, did not believe in eternal punishment.


      "In every instance where the word "apollumi" is found in the New Testament, something other than annihilation is being described...The wicked are "cast" or "destroyed," i.e., delivered up unto eternal misery (Lit. Gk.), in Gehenna in the sense of being delivered up to eternal torment.  The use of "ballw" as the synonym for "apollumi" makes annihilation an impossible interpretation." (Dr. Robert A. Morey; Death and the Afterlife, pp. 90, 153)  


      Fortunately, Koine Greek (c. 300 BC to 300 AD) was a very precise language or dialect spoken by the common people on the street. Truly, as the ultimate author of the Bible, God speaks with one voice on any given topic. Therefore, any confusion, misinterpretation, mistranslation, or honest misunderstanding of any biblical text is due to the fallible nature of man. Indeed, the Bible is God's voice speaking to us.


      QUESTION:  What did the Apostle Paul mean when he admonished  believers to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" in Philippians 2:12?


      ANSWER:  The Greek word rendered "work out" means "to continually work to bring something to fulfillment or completion (cf. Rom. 3:21-24; Eph. 2:8,9). It refers to the believer's responsibility for active pursuit of obedience in the process of sanctification.  The phrase "fear and trembling" denotes the attitude with which Christians are to pursue their sanctification and thus to bring glory to God on a daily basis (cf. Prov. 1:7; 9:10; Isa. 66: 1, 2).  


      QUESTION:  On what day of the week did October 22, 1844 occur?


      ANSWER:  You can certainly enter heaven without knowing the answer to this trivia question. However, October 22, 1844 was on a Tuesday as verified by Henry Emmons, a Millerite, who wrote: "I waited all Tuesday [October 22] and dear Jesus did not come; I waited all the forenoon of Wednesday, and was well in body as I ever was, but after 12 o'clock I began to feel faint, and before dark I needed someone to help me up to my chamber, as my natural strength was leaving me very fast, and I lay prostrate for 2 days without any pain--sick with disappointment." (Quoted in George R. Knight, Millennial Fever and the End of the World, Pacific Press, Boise, ID,1993, pp.163-164)


      Indeed, those who ignore the clear warning of Jesus against time-setting (Matt. 24:36,42) will sooner or later experience intense disappointment, immeasurable shame, devastating guilt, and the loss of their credibility. Therefore, it is not surprising  that some ardent Millerites ended up in  the lunatic asylums of that day with clinical cases of so-called "Millerite madness."


      QUESTION:  Is it possible to somehow celebrate the Lord's Supper online as cyber-Christians?


      ANSWER:  It is entirely feasible to celebrate the Lord's Supper  among believers with HD video conferencing,   with three or more believers creating a conference call with inexpensive webcams, or just between two believers who utilize their webcams.   Many monitors and laptops now come with built-in webcams. Sometimes a remote location and/or laws against Christian assembly in some parts of the world would necessitate an alternative to corporate worship.  The arrival of online religion is as consequential as when the printing presses brought the written word to medieval Europe. 


      With religious literacy dramatically on the upswing, cyber-Christians find new appreciation for personal freedom in Christ. Cyberspace affords us the priesthood of all believers--an equal playing field.  While cyberspace is no equal substitute for in-person relationships, it does avail us of meaningful, worldwide Christian fellowship.  I have never had the privilege to meet the vast majority of my online Christian friends in person.  However, through God's saving grace, we are looking forward to meeting in the earth made new.


      QUESTION:  After her third funeral, why was Ellen White's interment delayed for 33 days?


      ANSWER:  On March 22, 1999,  William Fagal from the White Estate office at Andrews University, sent me an e-mail with the following message:  "Thank you for contacting the Ellen G. White Estate. Her funeral took place on Sabbath, July 24, 1915.  She was not actually interred, however, until Thursday, August 26.  (How's that for funeral trivia?).  Yes, I know what you are wondering, but I don't know why the interment was delayed so long."  


      Even after her death, Ellen White continued to be highly controversial. Very few Seventh-day Adventists are aware that their revered prophetess had a mysterious, 33-day delayed burial. There is speculation that SDA leaders feared that Dr. John Harvey Kellogg might exhume her body and perform  a brain autopsy on her if buried immediately after her third and final funeral. Instead, her body (in casket) was stored in a vault, owned by the funeral home, during the 33-day delayed burial. Moreover, Ellen White's body was encased in ice during the long trip by train from California to Michigan. Finally, on August 26, 1915,  at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Battle Creek, Michigan, her coffin was once again briefly opened by a few close friends and her youngest son prior to burial.


      QUESTION: What does Jesus' phrase "this generation" refer to in Matthew 24:34?


      ANSWER:  This cannot refer to the generation living at the time of Christ, since "all these things" such as the abominaton of desolation (v. 15), the persecutions and judgments (vv.17-22), the false Christs and prophets (vv.23-26), the signs in the heavens (vv.27-29), Christ's return (v. 30), and the gathering of the elect (v.31) did not take place in their lifetime.  Moreover, this view would fit with the lesson of the fig tree (v.32), which emphasizes the short span of time in which these things will occur.


      QUESTION:  Muslims, atheists, and others  like to cite the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:34 that He did not come to bring peace but a sword.  They thereby insinuate that Jesus' words are no better than Muhammad's in regard to teaching violence.  What was Jesus referring to in this passage?


      ANSWER:  Though the ultimate end of the Gospel is peace with God, its immediate result is frequently in conflict.  Conversion to Christ can result in strained family relationships, persecution, and even martyrdom.  Following Christ presupposes a willingness to endure such hardships. 


      Though He is called the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6), Christ will have no one deluded into thinking that He calls believers to a life free from conflict, torture, harassment, imprisonment, etc.  All in all, Jesus is certainly not teaching any violence  in this passage, but instead He is   referring to the violence often perpetrated against His followers.


      QUESTION:  Did Noah engage in evangelism on behalf of the antediluvian world?


      ANSWER:  According to the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 2:5, Noah is identified as a "preacher" or "herald" of righteousness.  Thus, this description clearly denotes a public influence and/or outreach on the part of Noah.  It is impossible to be a believer without sharing one's faith. Ultimately, only  Noah and his family were saved, but there may have been others who  believed and  died before the universal Flood occurred.  Interestingly,  in both  Old and New Testament biographical accounts, our sovereign God repeatedly saved entire families or households of faith.  This encouraging fact certainly depicts the special regard that God has for the family unit.


      QUESTION:  Who is the angel of the Lord?


      ANSWER:   Numerous passages, especially  in the  Old Testament, speak of the "angel  of the  Lord" in a way that suggests that he is God Himself (a theophany and/or Christophany) taking on either an auditory or visible manifestation to appear briefly with various people.  For example, the experiences of Hagar, Sarah, Abraham, Jacob, and  Moses distinctly reveal instances where God took on an angelic  or human form for a short time in order to communicate directly to various human beings.  


      These Christophanies further reveal that the pre-incarnate Christ was truly an active, central figure in Old Testament times.     Moreover, these  bold appearances make Christ the indisputable central focus of the entire Bible. Indeed, these unique appearances  served as a precursor of the Incarnate Christ that were typically temporary in nature.  A permanent manifestation like the incarnation of Christ made theophanies less necessary and accounts for their diminished importance in the New Testament.


      Passages that mention "an angel of the  Lord" (e.g., Luke 1:11) usually refer to an angel sent by God.  The existence of angels constantly remind us that there is an unseen world that is very real (i.e., 2 Kings 6:17 depicting a great angelic army to protect Elisha from the Syrians). Furthermore, when we come before God in corporate worship, we are joining not only with the great company of believers who have died and come into God's presence in heaven, "the spirits of just men made perfect," but also meet with a great throng of angels, "innumerable angels in festal gathering" (Heb. 12:22-23) whom we do not see, but whose presence should fill us with both awe and joy.  


      Though we do not ordinarily see or hear evidence of this heavenly worship, it  certainly enriches our sense of reverence and joy in God's presence if we appreciate the fact that angels join us in the worship of God.  While unfallen angels rejoice over even one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10), they will never be able to share the same testimony as human beings who have been brought from death to life through miraculous conversion or regeneration. Just like we cannot give birth to ourselves physically, we cannot give birth to ourselves spiritually.  Both are done  for us--a gift from God alone.  It's all about Him!  Soli Deo gloria!


      QUESTION: My Seventh-day Adventist friends insist that the word "hastening" in 2 Peter 3:12 indicates that God's people can actually "hasten" our Lord's return (making it happen before its sovereignly-appointed time). What is the actual etymological meaning  of the word translated as "hastening"?


      ANSWER:  As a respected theologian and Koine Greek scholar, Dr. John MacArthur gives the following answer:  "One of  the motives for holy conduct and godliness is expectation. Hastening means "eagerly desiring" that something will happen. Christians are not to fear the future day of God, but eagerly hope for it (cf. 1 Cor. 1:7; 16:22; 1 John 2:28; 3:3)." (MacArthur Bible Commentary, p. 1942)


      The  SDA  interpretation of "hastening" is that believers can accelerate the day of the Lord by their diligence, perfection, and witnessing (human effort). Ellen White,  the Seventh-day Adventist prophetess , stated that "Christ is waiting with a longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church, and when the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own." (COL, page 69)  


      In other words,  she inaccurately implied that since the spiral toward acquiring perfection and sinlessness in this life is impossible by any human  effort or merit, Jesus will therefore NEVER return.  Obviously, the first perfect or sinless Adventist has not  been identified. Indeed, it is a bogus, guilt-producing, works-oriented, unbiblical claim for fallen mankind to be able to accelerate or delay the second coming  of Christ. Salvation comes from the Lord alone (Jonah 2:9), and it is a rescue operation  from  start to finish. Thankfully, God never goes on a rescue mission that fails. 


      Only by the divine imputation of the merits of Christ can sinful humans be declared to be holy, righteous, and perfect.  Truly, fallen  humanity does not have the authority nor the ability to manipulate God's sovereign plans in any manner.  Moreover, we cannot give birth to ourselves. We are totally—not merely mostly or partially—dependent upon God's mercy for our salvation (Rom. 9:16,18). We can only appreciate God's saving  grace to the  extent that we understand the depth of His divine wrath. It's all about Him!


      QUESTION:   Does Titus 2:11 tell us that everyone will be saved?


      ANSWER:  The Apostle Paul declared that "the  grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people" (Titus 2:11 ESV). This Pauline passage does not teach universal salvation.  Mankind is translated as "man" in Titus 3:4 to refer to humanity in general, as a category, not to every individual.  Jesus Christ made a sufficient sacrifice to cover every sin of every one who believes or is given the gift of faith.  Paul makes it clear in the opening words of this letter to Titus that salvation becomes effective only through "the faith of God's elect" (1:1).  Out of humanity, only those who believe will be saved (John 1:12; 3:16; 5:24,38,40; Rom.10:9-17).


      Moreover, in theological parlance, the grace that appears to all men is referred to as the "common grace" that accompanies the proclamation of the  gospel.  In this life, the ungodly commonly receive the same amenities and/or blessings as the godly (i.e., sunshine, rain, cars, homes, jobs, money, etc.).  Our awesome, sovereign God makes friends (saints) out of His enemies by providing "saving grace" according to His divine mercy (Romans 9:16,18). Paul adds:  "Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of  the  same lump  one vessel for honorable use and another for  dishonorable use?" (v. 21). 


      QUESTION: My Seventh-day Adventist friends interpret the Pauline passages of 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 as referring to our physical bodies. How should we understand these passages?


      ANSWER: The key to interpreting these two passages correctly lies in its grammatical structure.  Here is a severe warning to any who would try to interfere with or destroy the building of the church on the foundation of Christ. Importantly, the Koine Greek for "you" is plural in verses 16 and 17.  Since Seventh-day Adventism is a very physical religion, it does not surprise me that they would prefer to interpret these passages as relating strictly to the physical human body.  Indeed, these passages do not teach the so-called "health message" embraced by Adventism. Moreover, Jesus said, "It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man" (Matt. 15:11 NASB).


      QUESTION:  Is there a biblical mandate that only a minister can baptize people?


      ANSWER:  The Bible nowhere teaches that only a minister can baptize. Any male, born-again Christian is qualified to baptize (i.e., friend, uncle, father, pastor, teacher, etc.).  The idea that only ministers are authorized to conduct baptisms reflects their intent of self-importance and to create dependence upon clergymen for all religious rites and services. Under the New Covenant, however, there is a priesthood of all believers. With the indwelling Spirit and a closed canon of Scripture, believers no longer need prophets and priests to dispense truth to them.  


      Biblically, it is God's design for men to be the spiritual leaders of their home and church. Since all human beings are created equal, this is only about gender role and not an equality issue.  For example, God did not have women serve as priests and rabbis under the Mosaic Covenant, and the disciples and apostles were all men.  The Apostle Paul also indicated that men should be the key leaders in the church after some women were causing problems at the church in Corinth.


      Moreover, studies have revealed that those churches who have women pastors and elders are usually liberal theologically (i.e., Seventh-day Adventism in America that ordains women as local elders and has licensed women pastors is largely pro-abortion, teaches that a place called "hell" does not exist,  no separate spirit entity in human beings, humans die just like animals and birds and become nonexistent as secular evolutionists and atheists believe as well, some are now even advocating a painless annihilation for the ungodly, etc.).  


      I am grateful that my church requires men to teach Sunday School classes to those above the age of about 10.  With many women struggling to raise their children by themselves, it is essential for these young people to have spiritual influence and guidance from both men and women. Truly, a nation is only as strong as its family units are.

      QUESTION:  What does I Timothy 2:4 mean when it says that God "desires all men to be saved"? Is this Pauline passage teaching universalism?

      ANSWER:  The Greek word for "desires" is not that which normally expresses God's will of decree (His eternal  purpose), but God's will of desire.  There is a distinction between God's desire and His eternal saving purpose, which must transcend His desires.  God does not want people to sin.  He hates sin with all His being (Ps.5:4;45:7); thus, He hates its consequences—eternal wickedness in hell.  God does not want people to remain wicked forever in eternal remorse and hatred of  Himself.  Yet, God, for His own glory, and to manifest that glory in wrath, chose to endure "vessels...prepared for destruction" for the supreme fulfillment of His will (Rom. 9:22).  

      In His eternal purpose, He  chose only the elect out of the world (John 17:6) and passed over the rest, leaving them to the consequences of their sin, unbelief, and  rejection of Christ (cf. Rom. 1:18-32). Ultimately, God's choices are determined by His sovereign, eternal purpose, not  His desires. Moreover, in Matthew 20:28, Christ's own statement tells us of "a ransom for many."  Clearly, the Bible teaches that not all will be ransomed.  The all is qualified by the many. Jesus did not pay a ransom only; He became the subject of God's just wrath in the believer's place.  He died his death and bore his sin. 

      Christ's death was fully sufficient (efficacious) to cover the sins of all people. Yet, the substitutionary aspect of His death is applied to the elect alone.  Christ's death is therefore unlimited in its sufficiency, but limited in its application. Because Christ's expiation of sin is indivisible, inexhaustible, and sufficient to cover the guilt of all the sins that will ever be committed, God can clearly offer it to all.  Yet, only the elect will respond and be saved, according to His eternal purpose.

      QUESTION:  I have noticed that prominent Seventh-day Adventists are increasingly saying that the Muslim god "Allah" is the same as God the Father. Are they really the same God or are they entirely different from each other?

      ANSWER: The Adventist Jesus,  being less than equally God from his supposed created beginning, is a distinct Being from the Father and from the Holy Spirit. Seventh-day Adventism teaches that Jesus was actually "derived" from the Father. In other words, Jesus has not been fully God in His own right from eternity. Furthermore, according to SDA dogma, the three persons of the Trinity are one only in the sense that they work together in agreement and have a common purpose (this so-called "heavenly trio" get along well together). However, official Adventism notably omits the fact that the three persons of the Godhead are the same in having a co-eternal, indivisible Divine essence or substance. The God of Christianity and of the Bible is One Being yet three distinct persons (each person being fully God). Jesus said, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9 ESV).

      Seventh-day Adventists have been indoctrinated from an early age to insist that the Trinity isn't that important and that no one can fully understand God so we shouldn't be too concerned about the details. Sadly, such soothing indoctrination is part of their strategy of keeping inquiring members from leaving the fold.  Ellen White, the revered SDA prophetess,  was all-over-the-road on this topic. Consequently, without clear guidance from their infallible interpreter of Scripture, official Adventism still has not reached a consensus on the nature of God. Being strikingly blasphemous and heretical, they further believe that Jesus inherited the post-Fall, sinful  nature of Mary instead of Adam's pre-Fall nature. 

      The biblical truth is that Jesus was born spiritually alive unlike fallen humanity. Consequently, Jesus did not need regeneration or to be born again as fallen man does. Their flawed views about the nature of God is why so many prominent Adventists can say that the Muslim Allah and God the Father are the same God. Etymologically, "Allah"  is  the only Arabic word for God. This fact confuses many people into thinking that the Muslim Allah is the same as God the Father. If God is three distinct Beings (a tritheism), you could worship and follow one apart from the others. But if God is One Being, as Christians believe, you can't worship the Father and deny Jesus as Lord and Savior.  

      Importantly, the Christian Jesus died on a cross, but the Muslim Jesus did not.  When you deny the divinity of Jesus Christ (the God/man), you have also denied the one and only Triune God. Indeed, theology matters when it comes to who precisely is our Savior and Substitute! The Islamic religion does not allow their "Allah" to be even remotely considered as a Savior and Substitute (meaning "stand in"). Islam regards Jesus as merely one of many prophets. The substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ is  non-negotiable in biblical Christianity. Serious Bible students should log unto www.cultorchristian.com for in-depth, factual details on this salvific topic.

      QUESTION:  Will my pet be in heaven?

      ANSWER:  Is there an afterlife for pets? The Bible doesn't really teach that, but it also doesn't teach against it. There will be many happy surprises in heaven for the saints of all ages. However, I don't really know, but you will definitely not see your pet in heaven if you don't go there yourself.

      QUESTION:  Of all the religious groups in the world, why do you primarily scrutinize Seventh-day Adventism?  

      ANSWER:  The answer is simple. Collectively, my wife and I have more than 100 years of active experience in Seventh-day Adventism (both here and overseas).  I was never an employed minister of any other church, and I have never had the extensive experience in any other religious group than I have had with official Adventism.  

      My scrutiny of Seventh-day Adventism is based solely on first-hand experience and biblical research.  Both my wife and I grew up as Adventists, and we are products of their educational system. Although I know a lot about many different religious organizations, I know a lot more about Seventh-day Adventism.  Teaching sound doctrine is a biblical commandment (Galatians 1:8-10; Titus 1 & 2).

      QUESTION:  As a former Adventist for many years, I have been told by my pastor's wife that I must eat meat now to somehow "prove" that I am a Christian. Is this biblical?

      ANSWER:

      No! Having been indoctrinated in the legalistic stance of avoiding the consumption of all flesh foods while a Seventh-day Adventist, you certainly do not have any need for additional legalism to prove to anyone, by your diet, that you are now a Christian. With the exception of being a drunkard or glutton, Jesus declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19) and to be enjoyed to the glory of God. Jesus further stated, in the same chapter, that only the sinful deeds of the flesh defile us, not the food we eat. There is nothing wrong with being a vegan or vegetarian if not done in an attempt to reach a point of spiritual perfection.

      Furthermore, with the holiday season upon us, many former Adventists are entertaining SDA friends and relatives at their dinner table. It is merely common sense hospitality to not be an insensitive and impolite host or hostess to your Adventist guests by blatantly indulging in eating pork, etc. in their presence. Moreover, if your guests are your SDA parents, you would actually dishonor them and thereby violate a moral directive by your thoughtlessness as they see you eating something totally taboo to them. Why not instead make your menu a pleasant experience for all who sit around your table and make Jesus the unseen guest?

      QUESTION: Since Ellen White authored many embarrassing, false, foolish, harmful, inaccurate, unbiblical, and unscientific statements, what is your personal choice of her most bizarre theory? 

      ANSWER:  Wow, you really know how to ask a difficult question. There are literally dozens of "bizarre" statements that supposedly came directly from the throne of God. Although official Adventism teaches merely thought inspiration in regard to the Bible, their apologists teach verbal inspiration in regard to the writings attributed to Ellen White, their revered prophetess, messenger, and infallible interpreter of Scripture. "When writing these precious books, if I hesitated, the very word I wanted to express the idea was given to me" (Selected Messages, vol. 3, pp. 51-52). The preceding statement certainly implies verbal inspiration. Moreover, in regard to her "precious" books, she added that "The instruction they contain is not of human production" (EGW letter 339, 1904). Clearly, Seventh-day Adventists claim a higher standard of inspiration for the writings attributed to Ellen White than for the Bible.

      Most of Ellen White's top embarrassing statements are published elsewhere, but the following quote is less known. Referring to those who masturbate, she unashamedly stated that "Such are just as surely self-murderers as though they pointed a pistol to their own breast, and destroyed their life instantly" (An Appeal to Mothers, 1864). Thus, according to EGW, masturbation is equivalent to committing suicide. "I have since thought that many inmates of insane asylums were brought there by experiences similar to my own" (Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, p. 454). How can we believe in a person who admits such a thing?

      QUESTION:  What is worse than a wolf in sheep's clothing?

      ANSWER:   A fierce wolf in shepherd's clothing (Acts 20:29-30).

      QUESTION: I have often noticed that Seventh-day Adventist congregations enjoy singing the well-known gospel song entitled "It is well with my soul." How can they honestly sing an inspiring hymn like this when they don't even believe in having a soul (human spirit entity) to save nor a literal hell to shun?

      ANSWER:  The real truth is that Adventists cannot honestly sing popular hymns like "It is well with my soul" and "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine" and be even remotely consistent with their aberrant belief system that vigorously opposes such thoughts. This is another example of their ingrained cognitive dissonance (having the unique ability to believe in two opposing views simultaneously). 

      Without their defensive cognitive dissonance, Seventh-day Adventists would likely suffer a mental breakdown and experience utter spiritual despair. Sadly and unfortunately, it is not inconsistent with their usual stance of deceiving others by talking out of both sides of their mouth. After all, their revered prophetess and co-founder, Ellen White, did that routinely by spoken word and pen. It would actually be sacrilegious for Seventh-day Adventists to sing "It is well with my breath" in order to accurately uphold their cultic dogma. Many people prefer to believe what they prefer to be true—even when inherently nonsensical and contrary to biblical teaching.

      QUESTION:  What does the word "sabaoth" refer to in Scripture?

      ANSWER:  The plural noun "sabaoth" means "armies" or "hosts" (the Greek term for the Hebrew "tsebaoth"). Thus, we find OT English Bible versions commonly using the phrase "the Lord of  hosts").  However, the etymology of the word "sabaoth" is not related to the weekly, Mosaic Sabbath.  The word "sabaoth" also appears occasionally in our hymnody.

      QUESTION:  In just a few words, what is at least one reliable indicator of a religious cult?

      ANSWER:  One significant red flag is any religious group teaching that there is no literal hell to shun and no soul entity to save (i.e., Armstrongites, Christadelphians, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Seventh-day Adventists). Indeed, getting the Gospel right should be our highest priority.

      QUESTION: 1 Timothy 6:16 tells us that God alone has immortality. Does this somehow infer that God does not share His absolute immortality with His created beings?

      ANSWER:  This Pauline passage must be taken to mean that God alone is immortal absolutely. Angels and human beings participate in the immortality that God alone possesses in a strict sense. Unlike angels and men, God has no beginning nor end. However, angels and human beings have a beginning by virtue of their creation. As "ministering spirits," angels do not have physical bodies like human beings have.  In contrast, human beings were fashioned into a two-part dichotomy consisting of body and soul. The human soul or spirit has no ending. Soli Deo Gloria!

      QUESTION: In regard to the Five Solas of the Protestant Reformation, if sola means "alone" why are there five of them?

      ANSWER: We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as revealed in Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone.