Miscellaneous Correspondence

1-21-97

Dear Pastor Mark Finley,
          I know you are a very busy man, but please take the time to read this letter and respond to my very important questions. Thank you for your consideration!
          I sent an email a couple of months ago with a question that is very heavy on my heart and mind. I have not received any reply. Please reply ASAP! Unfortunately, I have lost the copy of the email I sent previously, but I will try to restate my question. Thank you for your prompt answer to this email!
          My question has to do with a subject discussed during the Discoveries in Prophecy Seminar. I attended several meetings, which I found very factual. One of them was "The United States in Bible Prophecy". This was very nicely done, but the information presented, which I do believe, is inconsistant with what I see the Gen. Conf. of SDAs doing. Maybe you can explain this to me.
          When we believe in religious freedom and that every man is accountable to God alone for his religious opinions, when we believe that a church who uses the state's power to persecute those who believe anything differently than they do, when this action is the same action the beast took, how can the G.C. SDA Church take the kind of action and not be an imitation of or the image of the beast?
          The action I am referring to is when the G.C.Corporation takes to court sues other SDA churches, who believe - like Ellen White says - that it is important to keep and uphold the name, Seventh-Day Adventist, but are not part of the G.C. for one reason or another. The way I see it is that the G.C. SDA Church joined with the state in trademarking its name (seeking the state to protect its name instead of trusting to God to protect it). This in itself made an 'image' of the beast. Then when it began using the state's power to persecute (beginning in 1981 suing other SDA churches), the image came to life. The deadly wound was inflicted for awhile while the 'appeal' of the trademark was in process in court. But, it has come back to life again!
          The G.C. has began again, in this country, to approach SDA churches about giving up the name, SDA. (This has been going on abroad during the appeal here in the U.S.)
          Is the G.C. SDA Church still the true church? How can it be when it shows itself to be the image of the beast? Rev. 13 warns about the image of the beast. Jesus also responded differently when His disciples told Him of someone who was casting out demons in Jesus' name, but was not part of them. They wanted this person to cease. But, Jesus said to them "Leave them alone!" Shouldn't we take the same attitude? Should we not listen to Jesus' instruction and leave others alone who are using the name SDA, but not part of our 'group' and let whether they are SDAs or not be between God and that individual or church? The Bible also has instructions about how to protect one's name - and it isn't by taking others to the courts of law - See Acts 19:13-17 and also 2T page 562.
          Please prayerfully consider an answer to this. I know that you are a very very busy man, but this is important to me. Maybe you have been so busy that you have not been aware of the G.C. has been doing. If not, please take some time to find out! It is important! If you need documentation, let me know.
          If you prefer to write by mail, send to: P.O. Box 284, Spring City, Tn. 37381-0284.