Two enslavements within the Advent movement

The post from June 21, 2014, Two enslavements, I wrote,

“How is it that Satan has the power to control the world? What is the evil one’s methodology?

He has used the modified-crayfish method. To catch a crayfish one must put the trap behind the creature, and then approach it from the front. It flees the frontal threat and runs backward into the trap.”

It spoke of the way the papacy presents its terrorizing harassments to the world in order to move the world to need the pope’s avowed blessing and prayers. In other words, the masses run from terroristic Baal, and flock to gracious Ashtoreth. Then she soothes their minds and hearts and souls, and from then onward they can never need or repent to Jesus and come to Him. And heaven allows for such destruction and deception. God unfetters Satan to open his bottomless pit of consuming violence because otherwise the masses’ focus is stuck on the goodness of the world. Therefore, the Godhead uses the earthly master’s plagues and wicked violence to help us need our Creator and Redeemer who has suffered eternal punishment for our eternal forgetfulness of Him.

Today we are seeing a similar scenario happening within Adventism. Heavy-handed, zealous, Jehu-prophets are arising to whip Seventh-day Adventism into shape. Maybe they believe they are filling the role as a John the Baptist or an Elijah, but they are actually playing the role of Jehu. Jehu so zealously killed the worshipers of Baal, that when he finished his “mission for God” he reestablished Baal worship. And God is allowing these Jehus their work so that in the end, after the dust has settled, the honest in heart will recognize the difference between the Jehu and the actual John and Elijah who Jehovah will send to deliver His people from enslavement to sin and unbelief.

Jesus told us that in the very last days “many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” (Matt. 24:5). Who would suspect a handsome married couple to be deceivers? Yet, it seems that false messiahs of every brand always rise up when danger is on the horizon. And we should expect the same thing today, when the enemy of peace and truth on earth is building his extensive bulwarks for his ultimate besiegement of the human race. “Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.” (Jer. 4:13).

When “ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars” (Matt. 24:6) spurious voices come to the fore. But Jesus counsels, “See that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Matt. 24:6).

Yes, for sure we are seeing definite signs of the end. It may be the beginnings, but the full reality is surely on the way. “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.” (Matt. 24:7-10).

Then amidst the dangers we have this reminder from Jesus of a common reaction to dangerous times, “Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” (Matt. 24:11).

These folks come in Christ’s name, on His business. But, are they sent by God? They sound like they are. Or are they the other trap that Satan is putting behind our crayfish, unfortified, vulnerable lack of spirituality? And out of stark terror, all who never got grounded in reliance on Jesus and on His world will follow them.

Weren’t there similar voices crying out before Jesus came the first time? Theudas, and Judas, and Barabbas?

Listen to the counsel of Gamaliel, a theologian of the Sanhedrin. Ellen White wrote of him, that he “recognized the voice of God” (Acts of the Apostles, p. 83). He was of “good reputation and a man of learning and high position” (ibid.). He had “clear intellect” and “reasonableness” (ibid.). He “well knew the elements” of the minds he was dealing with. (ibid.).

And he “spoke with great deliberation and calmness” (ibid.) when he reminded people that not far in the past violence among them arose that resulted from the arrival of violent enemies, which subjugated their land. Said Gamaliel, “Before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.” (Acts 5:36,37).

I can’t tell anyone what to do with such people who are gathering multitudes around them. But I have the duty to recommend the Bible’s counsel, if I have anyone’s ear.

Certainly, the people of the Lord are presently in a sad spiritual condition, as these prophets say. Surely, unbelief has left us sitting ducks; we are mortified at the approaching enemy from the Dark Ages. Certainly, we have before us another Hitler Germany in America, a revival of the SS troops, and their juggernaut military machine. Yes, what is coming is another dictatorship and totalitarian authoritarian. And what is worse is that destroyer/controller will be a pretending, ethical authority, i.e. it will be arrogating to itself divine worship, “vile” (Dan. 11:21), “earthly, sensual, devilish” (Jas. 3:15).

“Lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs. They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves. Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat. They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.” (Hab. 1:6-10).

But, what these prophets will never accept is that we all, including the prophets, deserve what is coming.

“Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod [of God’s punishment] of an almond tree.

Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten My word to perform it.

And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot [the wrath of God]; and the face thereof is toward the north.

Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

And I will utter My judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken Me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.” (Jer. 1:11-16).

“Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.” (Jer. 25:9).

Nevertheless, we must have “clear intellect” and “reasonableness”. We must think with “with great deliberation and calmness” when we choose who we will allow to lead us in these desperate times. Our leaders must be moderate and Christlike. If the Lord is at hand, and we are seeking to be as pure as He is, then we will eskew extremes. “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.” (Phil. 4:5).

Gamaliel’s counsel regarding extremist leaders is, “Now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone” (Acts 5:38).

Were the Jews any less “bitter and hasty” (Hab. 1:12) than were the Romans who accosted them and taxed them? Did the Jews have peace through the Spirit any more than did their oppressors? Do the Protestant Americans know peace with God after having abrogated the Law of God? It’s not possible to know peace through their lawless religion.

“He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” (Prov. 28:9). Unless the Law of God has humbled us and made our sin to appear unpardonable, we cannot have the gift of repentance that God requires of us. “But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.” (Rom. 7:13). And without repentance and justification no one can have peace with God because the “chastisement of our peace” was never laid “upon Him” (Isa. 53:5). Do we as Adventists have peace with God and certainty of salvation? If not, the lack of peace and certainty can have only one cause. Lawlessness. Haven’t many of us also abrogated the Law of the Lord after the pattern of the Protestants? Haven’t we turned our ear away from hearing the Spirit of Prophecy like they did the Ten Commandments? God has good cause for bringing us troubles, gigantic troubles to wake us up to our rejection of the gifts from His loving counsel.

“From Healthy Living, 1169-1173, p. 280, 281

“The Modern Church Repeating the History of Ancient Israel. The trials of the children of Israel, and their attitude just before the first coming of Christ, illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the second coming of Christ Review and Herald, 1890, No. 7.

“Satan’s snares are laid for us as verily as they were laid for the children of Israel just prior to their entrance into the land of Canaan. We are repeating the history of that people Testimony, No. 31, p. 156.”

Jesus gave us what was most precious to Him. When He gave us His testimonies through Ellen White, He gave from His heart. “And I gave them My statutes, and shewed them My judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. Moreover also I gave them My sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.” (Eze. 20:11,12). From Him whose meat and drink is to do the will of His Father, giving His people the Law of His Father meant more to Him than daily bread. The Law was the same expression of love that David and Jonathan had when Jonathan gave David his regalia as the natural expression of love.

“Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.” (1Sam. 18:4). Why did Jonathan do that? “Because he loved [David] as his own soul.” (verse 3). It was love that drove Jonathan to give, and it was love that drove Jesus to give to Protestantism us His most precious things—the transcript of His Father’s character from His personal voice through Ellen White. But, what have we done with her counsels? Sent her as far away as a round earth can put her, Australia. Her generation politely rejected her, and she felt the rejection severely. But, she left and made the best of her rejection. She had grace—the grace of Jesus.

That’s why she could be “troubled on every side, yet not distressed; …perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in [her] body.” (2Cor. 4:8-10). And what have we done with the voice of Jesus since Mrs. White passed away? Slowly but surely, Jesus’ voice through her pen has been marginalized and neglected. We have shut it away in lieu of more modern writers. We are repeating the history of Israel. “They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.” (1Sam. 8:7).

So, we deserve the coming troubles. Not only are the troubles discipline, but also a gift from the God of love. If nothing else will help us prepare for His return in power, He will send us catastrophe. Somebody will wake up to love for His counsels. Somebody will respond. There will be a group, a remnant. Even before the behemoth tide of evil hits, they were already sighing and crying for the abominations overspreading the church. They were striving to serve the Lord while surrounded by discouraging unbelief from hearts and mouths all around them. The hearts of these wise virgins will wake up with a reserve of faith that won’t exist in the foolish unbelievers of the Testimony of Jesus.

“Surely in the floods of great waters they will not come nigh unto Him.” (Ps. 32:6).

Only when it’s too late to see the goodness of God in His instruction of righteousness will the unbelievers flock to the bitter and hasty voices of false prophets because the foolish unbelievers will be as bitter and hasty. They never knew the calm peace that Jesus brings with Him when He draws near and makes Himself known to the human heart.

I don’t recommend following Andrew Henriques. He is not the fatherly John the Baptist or Paul that we must look for. Andrew and his wife have not the parental voices of James and Ellen White. Though this pastor and his wife may fight against apostasy, their influence will be as baleful as the Spiritual Formation rebels that they fight. The lawless faction of Adventism looks different from the Henriques’ form of rebellion; but, both are still rebellion. We are called to obey not only the Law of God, but also the gospel.

The Pharisees of Christ’s day sought to defend the faith of their fathers. Their sect’s name may have been taken from Pharez, the son of Judah who was the progenitor of their tribe. Jealous for God’s honor and zealous for the Law, these sons of Pharez, the Pharezim, touted their status of holding fast to the present truth. But they threw out the baby with the bathwater. They didn’t know mercy, repentance, and faith. Saul of Tarsus perfectly exemplifies their “holiness” and “commandment-keeping”. “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.” (Acts 8:3). “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.” (Acts 9:1,2). It could not be said of the Jewish leaders, “Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for My people that have sought Me.” (Isa. 65:10). And the answer they get from heaven will be, “I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:23). They didn’t know dependence on Jesus; therefore their defense of the Law was not of the Lord. Thus, the Law left them dry as the hills of Gilboa, which have neither dew nor rain. The only fruit that could grow in the soil of their arid hearts was briers and thorns, anger and hatred.

“For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: but that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.” (Heb. 6:7,8).

But, all who will not only obey the Law, but also the gospel of “mercy, and faith” (Matt. 23:23), which is the “righteousness of God [outside] the law… being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe” (Rom. 3:21,22), they will be blessed in their work.

“The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy, and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (Jas. 3:17,18).

“The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek Him: your heart shall live for ever.

All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee.

For the kingdom is the LORD’s: and He is the governor among the nations.

All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship.” (Ps. 22:26-29).

We need a John the Baptist and a Paul, those godly fathers who fore and aft flanked Jesus, the Everlasting Father and Wonderful Counselor. Like Aaron and Hur holding up the hands of Moses, John and Paul buttress the Lord Jesus like the giant mountains that form the dwarfed bodyguard of gigantic Mt. Rainier. John had a warmth and depth of  character that made him worthy of being Christ’s forerunner.

“Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying.

And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, He that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to Him.

John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him.

He that hath the bride is the Bridegroom: but the friend of the Bridegroom, which standeth and heareth Him, rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:25-30).

 And likewise Paul His greatest apostle. A John the Baptist and a Paul are what we need today. A group is rising today who claim to be the last protectors of “present truth”. But, that doesn’t mean they have present truth anymore than the Pharisees had the truth of the Law. Jesus proved to them that the doctrine He taught, and which they hated, was the true Law of God. Present truth comes with the Spirit of truth. It can’t come from the spirit of bitterness. The Latter Rain will be full of butter and honey. But, sadly, because of hardened hearts, many will not receive the powerful Spirit of Christ. His butter and honey, Law and grace blend will appear to be heresy to those whose diet has been briers and thorns, and whose hearts have been vexed with gall and wormwood. We need a diet not of constant accusation and criticism, but of the butter and honey doctrine that Jesus ate everyday. Then we can feed the same butter and honey to the soul hungry for truth.

“And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.” (Isa. 7:22).

But, everyone who rejects the Latter Rain’s butter and honey beautiful presentation of Law and Spirit, because it doesn’t fit their minds that are led by the spirit of sowing discord, will find only spiritualism’s gall and wormwood permanently disconnecting them from Jesus. Except for a few, “all the land” will produce a bumper harvest of thistles and cockle as well. To them the coming tribulation will only exacerbate their thorny hearts and minds. They will burn with fire and smoke and brimstone, and “they have no rest” (Rev. 14:11). “The people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.” (Jer. 51:58).

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand [pieces of silver], it shall even be for briers and thorns. With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.” (Isa. 7:23,24).

Only the hearts that have fallen on the Stone, and have had their “fallow ground” broken up, will not sow “among thorns” (Jer. 4:3).

“And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.” (Isa. 7:25).

Please watch out for Mr. Henriquez and the like.

“Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.” (Mic. 2:10).

His movement that is gathering momentum has the spirit of Jeroboam and Jehu.

“My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.” (Jer. 50:6).

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” (Matt. 7:15,16).

The words of Jehu say much to Mr. Henriquez’ thrust against worldly Adventism. “Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.” (2 Ki. 10:18).

And that he did when he had the power.

“Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, ant that were in Dan. And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou has done well in executing that which is right in Mine eyes, and hast doen unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in Mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.” (2 Ki. 10:28-31).

That will be the end of Andrew’s movement. His followers have never received the milk and honey of surrender to God and His beloved Son. Their diet has been only briers and thorns. A bumper crop of aggravation and internal conflict will disperse that movement. The Spirit of Ellen was not the spirit of Andrew.

“Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.

But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.

But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.

And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.

And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.” (Judg. 9:7-15).