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Last week, we were looking at the importance of unity and agreement among Yahweh’s people, not only as a testimony, but because this is the way the Holy Spirit speaks, and leads the Church. Even though Yah has people skilled in understanding the Bible, and people who can speak for Him prophetically, it is the Church that ultimately decides on the interpretation and application of divine wisdom. We saw that, regarding New Testament prophets, the instruction is to “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.” (1Cor 14:29) It is the Church, collectively, and not any individual person, that is consistently revealed to be the voice of Yahweh on the earth.

This is what allows the balance between individuality and the organization of apostles, prophets, and teachers that the Bible describes in relation to the Church structure. This allows the Holy Spirit of Yahshua that dwells in every believer to have a part to play in the way that the Body functions. Think about it… it is impossible for anyone in whom the Spirit of Yahshua dwells to be controlled by the mind of another. I am sometimes asked if a born-again Christian can be possessed by a demon. I always reply, “No. One who is filled with the Holy Spirit does not have room for any other spirit.” But this also applies to people; one who knows who he is in Christ cannot easily be controlled or manipulated by another human being. Every one of us is a receiver of the gift of the “mind of Christ,” and while we each have different roles, some the eyes, some the ears, some the hands, (1Cor 12:14-22) all are subject to the Head, which is Yahshua.

What has happened, in the counterfeit Churches, is that there was no true Head. Without being genuine messengers of Heaven, these false Brides are not truly connected to Yahshua. Without an actual head, there is a vacuum, a place to fill at the top of the hierarchy, and so someone has to fulfill that role. We would see one man, or inner circle, making decisions on behalf of the Body, and by pretending to be the Head, they indeed gained control over those who did not have the discernment, the “mind of Christ,” to either stop it, or separate themselves from the organization.

This is ultimately what resulted in the papacy, leading to people either being controlled by a human’s will or removing themselves through the work of the Reformers. Unfortunately, Satan has used this prototype again and again in the Churches of the reformation, leading many to conclude that the pattern is inevitable. No matter how well-intentioned a Church movement begins, they think, eventually it collapses in on itself, so that one individual ends up in control. Churches, they believe, will always go corrupt after a while. In their dejection, they turn away from the very thing that would bring them to eternal life.

This is the situation in which we find ourselves today. This process has been repeated so many times that people have lost the knowledge of what it looks like, and what it feels like, to truly be “in the Church.” They imagine either cold formalism, where order and organization have become idols unto themselves, or just the opposite, a discarding of the disciplined structure that best promotes sanctification.

All Church discipline, in its proper place, is entirely voluntary. We freely choose to remain where we are spiritually “fed,” where we grow, and where, when necessary, we are rebuked and corrected. Of course, by perverting the concept of “authority,” some Churches have gained civil and political power, and they have used it to intimidate dissenters, and punish those whom they have deemed heretics. But the Church as described in the Bible is entirely a Body of believers united by a common Spirit, a voluntary union, with each remaining connected because of a desire to be connected to the Father, the Son, and Their People, and for no other reason.

What, then, is the reason to join a Church, or to join the Church of these final days? It can be for no other reason than desire. There are many reasons two people might get married… family arrangements, financial benefits, carnal lust, and so on. But the only reason that is sanctifying is a genuine desire to share one’s life with a partner whom he or she loves, and to glorify Yahweh by that union. This is the nature of every true Covenant. The only legitimate reason to join a Church cannot be for the fulfillment of social needs, for financial help, or even for a fear of judgment. If one feels he is “obligated” to join the Church to avoid God’s wrath, he has misunderstood what the Church is, and he has also misunderstood God’s wrath.

A successful marriage is the result of mutual, enthusiastic consent to become one. A successful relationship between an individual and a Church is, likewise, the result of mutual, enthusiastic consent to be one. It cannot be the result of coercion, or the belief that the Church has any arbitrary “authority” over the judgment of individual souls. No, in fact, when one is baptized and enters the Church, his voice, his Spirit in Christ becomes a part of the chorus, a part of the harmony. There is no authority over, only agreement with, one’s fellow believers, regardless of whether they are a pastor, a teacher, or anyone else.

When we read Paul’s letters, what is the authority on which he calls? He says, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (1Cor 11:1) He says, “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.” (2Cor 5:11) This is a very important idea. Paul does not appeal to force. He does not say, “Obey me, or there will be consequences. I am the Apostle that raised you up.” Yes, it is true that a violator of the spirit and character of Christ may result in someone being removed from membership, but this is a decision of the Body, not the individual, and it is rarely even mentioned across Paul’s epistles. His interest is in persuading, in appealing to the conscience, so that the covenant may continue in mutual consent.

I emphasize this, because recognizing it is the means by which we identify the true Bride from the counterfeits. It is the way we recognize the Spirit of Yahshua dwelling within a people, so that those who are seeking for truth will not be misled or deceived. There are many deceivers out there, most of whom do not know they are deceivers… but if the sinners who are called by Christ can see the essence of the Church, the heart of the Kingdom, then they will find their way to Yahweh’s true messengers.

I do not wish to give the impression that because the covenant must be freely entered into, and freely maintained, it is casual, or trivial. We remember Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) who, having entered into the covenant feely, and having consented to being a part of the Body, violated it to their own fatal detriment. They were not forced to vow anything; they were not pressured into making any commitments beyond their relationship with their brethren. However, Yahweh requires integrity. He requires honesty, and when this is violated within the context of His covenant, at such times He may act directly.

Human beings must put differences where Satan has tried to unlawfully blend concepts together, and must understand the close connection between things that He has tried to unlawfully separate. They overcome His deceptions when they recognize that no, freedom is not the opposite of unity. Mutual agreement is not the same thing as irreverence. Rejecting papal principles does not mean rejecting “organized religion,” which has only become a “dirty phrase” very recently in one of Lucifer’s most nauseating victories. In the freedom to genuinely worship, that is where we find reverence.

But it is by persuasion, it is by appealing to the spiritual desires, that the covenant is made attractive, and draws men to willingly participate.

Last week, I described wisdom and its applications as the “Keys to the Kingdom” that Yahshua had given to Peter and the other apostles. We read, “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is every one that retaineth her.” (Pro 3:13, 18) That is not a coincidental phrasing. Wisdom and eternal life are closely linked together in the Scriptures, for without wisdom, one cannot enter into the gates of New Jerusalem.

But what happens when one has entered the gates? What happens when we get in the door? What lies at the heart of Yahweh’s Kingdom? What is its essential nature, that makes the covenant with the Father and Son an attractive thing? If we could explain that, if we could express it, then we would be able to teach others the difference between a true Church, that represents that Kingdom, and the fallen and false ones that represent other principles, and that have different essential operating principles.

We often accuse independent ministries, especially Adventist independent ministries, of trying to set up their own kingdoms. We accuse them, and I would say rightly so, of “kingdom building,” of trying to set up a group of people over whom they have authority and influence. What is at the core of these efforts? We have sometimes pointed out money as an obvious motivator, and I think that is generally true, but I don’t think it often begins that way.

Those who become the heads of independent ministries, I believe, often start out with a good motive. Their conscience was pricked by some error, and through their experiences trying to either reform the Church or warn the believers of the danger, found themselves at the head of a movement. I think there is some sincerity in that, because nobody wakes up one morning and says, “If I become an independent SDA minister, I am going to become rich and have an easy life.” But not being educated about the true Covenant, once their pet theory gains some traction, some success, the conscience becomes diverted, and the movement descends into zealotry and hypocrisy.

As I have said, where there is no true connection to the Head, something must take the place of the Head, and we see a repeat of the pattern that began with the papacy.

Independent ministries must, first and foremost, establish their reason for existence. They have to distinguish themselves from the crowd, and I am not sure if many people realize how powerful a factor that is in preventing the teaching of truth in a balanced, sanctifying way. Against the noise of every other denomination, movement, or teacher, each ministry must anchor itself in some doctrinal truth that it either uniquely champions, or shouts about louder than anyone else. If it didn’t do this, who would find them? Who would join them? Who would give them any attention?

The heart of such a kingdom is greed, if not greed for actual money, then greed for the fulfillment of the founder’s convictions. And notice that the “true doctrine” that they teach, that they focus on, is never just the Gospel, just the Three Angels’ Message, because if they said that this is what they were all about, people would ask them, “So, what makes you different from the corporate SDA Church?” And really, because they are not connected to the Head, because they are not actually serving Christ with their ministerial efforts, they will not be able to answer this question.

I’ve asked Adventists over the years, since I have become a CSDA, “What do the Three Angels’ Message mean? Explain it to me very simply.” They will typically read Revelation 14. I reply, “I know what it says, but what does it mean?” Often, I don’t get a clear explanation of anything outside of the history of the SDA Church and the prophecy of the Sunday Law. None of those things, on their own, build character. None of those things kill sin in the heart, or lead to an overcoming of death. Of course, it is important to understand the history of Adventism to see where it fits into the Plan of Salvation, and it is important to understand the principles of the Sunday Law in order to recognize the Mark of The Beast now that it has appeared.

But what builds character is the set of Keys to the Kingdom; it is the wisdom that comes from understanding what those three messages actually mean. We have described it very simply here, because we can. Because we are connected to the Head, we do not need to fight to establish our reason for existence, or to focus on some startling new doctrine. We simply are, as everlasting as the Father who created us. Because the message was given to us, for us then to share with the world, we can explain why the First Angel, in announcing the judgment, is calling all men to repentance, to the putting away of all sin, to believe in, claim, and experience righteousness by faith, or the Victory message. It is so simple a child can understand it, but the churches of the world, and the ministries that are fighting for the attention of the crowds, cannot be the angels that bring this message. They do not understand it, and if they did, they would not see it as important as their foundational doctrinal distinction.

Because we exist to prepare the saints for everlasting life, and not for any earthly purpose, we can understand and teach that the Second Angel brings clarity of thought, purity of beliefs, and an understanding of the Father and Son that allows us to discern truth from error. There is no confusion, no Babylon, in the mind of Christ… but those who call on a god to save them from morning until night while receiving no reply are the Priests of Ba’al, not of Yahweh. Yahshua said to His disciples, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15) For the nominal Churches, for the social congregations, for the papal corporations, for the independent ministries…. because they have a central reason to exist other than the Gospel, the pure, unadulterated Gospel, they disobey Yahshua’s instruction, they violate His trust, and they reject His headship. There is nothing but confusion for those who do this, because someone else has stepped in, pretending to be the Head that they need.

And of course, because we know the Father and Son, because we hear Their voice, we know the truth about the Mark of The Beast. We are neither vague about what it means, nor are we tied to a specific interpretation that makes us inflexible. Satan knows the Book of Revelation better than any human being. He knows how to quote it, and how to distract and deceive even with words of truth.

Those with the mind of Christ have proper understanding, and overcome these deceptions. We are able to teach the Third Angel’s Message, to say that the Beast and His Image will attack the Church, not the people of the world that are already under Satan’s control. It is the Church, small, apparently helpless, for which those words were written, and the power of the state will be used by the fallen former Bride in order to try and wipe her out. The independent ministries and corporate churches have absolutely no clue about any of this beyond the traditional Sunday Law prophecy, and even when we try to explain it to them, and to say, “Come and unite with us in order to sound the warning against ever union of Church and state that follows that exact pattern,” it sounds like nonsense to them. They have told us so directly, many times. But it is the Third Angel that unites the people into this one, final protest against the Church/State union that Satan employs in his final attack. Those who do not have a desire for unity, or the discernment to recognize Satan’s character in the behavior of individuals and groups, those who have something more important to preach, some distinguishing doctrine to promote, will be taken with the flood of deception and destroyed. They did not go into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature and so, being dried branches, they are cut off and thrown into the fire.

One cannot preach the Gospel with sincerity and skill unless he loves the one to whom he is speaking. I do not mean direct, brotherly love for that specific person, although that is important. No, it is the love of mankind generally, without favoritism, without discrimination… that is the true and divine love that we call agape. In many of my studies, I do not translate it into love, but leave it in the Greek original. The reason why is because I do not want it to be confused with other things that “love” can mean. The King James’ Version of the Bible translates this, not as love, but as “charity,” and that is actually quite accurate.

Charity is not reserved for those whom we love according to familial or romantic motivations. Charity may just as easily be given to a stranger as to a friend. Charity, like the concept of grace, is freely giving to others; is not earned, nor is it deserved. It is simply given. Agape that is given as a result of an action, or in the repayment of a kindness, is not the true agape, for God extended agape to us before we knew how to love Him. Indeed, our own concept of agape began as a child’s would: “We love Him, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) But when we truly mature in love, when we have been sanctified by this love, then we love others before they love us, just as our Father has done. We become the righteousness of Yahweh in Christ, because we express the love of Yahweh, to those who do not love us… to those who cannot love us. Nevertheless, we have agape toward them, and that is the perfection of the Gospel.

If the doctrine that you have heard, and that you have accepted, does not kill sin in the heart… no, let me put it this way, a new way: If the doctrine you have heard, and that you have accepted, does not teach you how to love others, even those that do not love you, then it is not a teaching from Heaven.

If the doctrine you have accepted does not lead you to hating sin with a perfect hatred, because sin causes pain to those whom we claim to love, then it is not a doctrine you need, even if its words are true. If the doctrine you have accepted does not lead to a rejection of false ideas about the Godhead, and I mean Their character, not Their nature…. Their love for us, and how They have taught us to honor Them, then that is not a sanctifying doctrine. If the doctrine you have accepted does not allow you to discern the Beast, the spirit of Satan in human organizations and activities, and if that doctrine does not drive you to unite with Yahweh’s People who are called to resist this Beast as One People, then that doctrine is not teaching agape, and is not the Gospel that Christ instructed us to teach to the world.

The Key to the Kingdom is Wisdom. The Heart of the Kingdom is agape. It must be that, it must only be that, or it is some other Kingdom that is not of Yahweh.

The Heart of the Kingdom drives us to share the Gospel, because it is impartial, but consuming, love. There is an error that is sometimes encountered when people read older SDA writings, in which the love of Yahweh, the agape of Yahweh, is described as “disinterested.” To modern ears, this makes it sound less passionate, less fervent, because it sounds like “uninterested,” or somehow less than romantic or fraternal love. But disinterested simply means that the love has no special “interests,” no need for reward, no need for reciprocity, no need for even acknowledgement. There is no motive for the love other than to love, and that will cause us to go to any length, even to the sacrificing of ourselves like Yahshua did, because the love, though disinterested, is the most powerful motivator that we can know. This is the foundation upon which Yahweh’s Kingdom has always stood.

Familial and romantic love are not inferior to agape in quality. It is Yahweh who created these, and the primary visible characteristic of the triumphant Church of the last days is “Philadelphia,” brotherly love. But the demands of agape may be higher than that of the other two. Men and women have left the company of their brothers, and sisters, and friends, to become missionaries in various parts of the world. Husbands and wives have been separated, sometimes for long stretches of time, for the sake of the Gospel. Agape permits us to act, not out of self-interest, but on behalf of those who benefit the most from our efforts. We are, after all, living sacrifices for the Father and Son.

But as I have said, this is a covenant that can only be entered into willingly. It can only be maintained by ongoing and zealous consent. It appeals, the unity of this membership, to those who are able to put away Satan’s deceptions, and who are willing to labor in the field of souls for the final harvest, no matter what the cost. We are hard on independent ministries and self-sent reformers, yes… because they are destructive presences in the world. From the perspective of the Gospel, Yahshua said, “He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad.” (Mat 12:30) Now, He also said, “For he that is not against us is on our part.” (Mark 9:40)

There is a time and a place for both of these ideas. Those who are not “with us” may do good works. The Roman Catholic Church has raised up schools and hospitals that have benefitted others greatly. So have the Methodists, and Anglicans, and Baptists, and Conference SDAs. It does not mean that, because of their works in this regard, they have been saving souls. It just means that they are, at least to some degree, a source of blessing to others. On the other hand, with regard to the Gospel, their teachings would go directly contrary to what Yahshua would have the people of this generation know, and so in that sense they are “against” us, because they counteract the Gospel, and scatter abroad, rather than gather. They would certainly gather all to themselves, of course… any religious organization or group would like to have more members coming in, but because they have some heart to their kingdom other than agape, that is not the true storehouse into which they are seeking to gather.

The essential nature of a Church, or ministry, reveals its character. It may be monetary gain. It might be a zealous commitment to a particular doctrine. It may be a misguided attempt to “fix a religion.” These are all the hearts of various spiritual kingdoms that one may find on earth.

But there is only one that is founded on agape love, on charity. There is, and can be, only one that teaches the Gospel in its purity, in fulfillment of Christ’s instructions, for there is only one Head, and attached to that Head there can be only one Body. It is not an invisible, segregated people connected only by loose spiritual concepts. Yahshua is already in Heaven; why would He desire a Body on earth that is just as invisible as He is? That… would defeat the entire point of an ekklesia, of a people called out of obscurity in order to do a great work. Again, the Church of Yahshua is not a global scattering of people unaware of one another’s existence. It is not a haphazard set of groups with differing beliefs on critical spiritual matters. No, that is the very definition of “Babylon,” which has fallen for those who are drawn to the Gospel and its messengers.

But the Church of Yahshua has no motivation other than the love and worship of Yahweh, while preparing its members for the glory of judgment. The Church of Yahshua has no identifying doctrine, no reason for existence other than the Gospel. The Church of Yahshua has no leadership that considers itself above any other member, or that seeks to control the consciences of their brethren. The Church of Yahshua has the love of the Father, disinterested, impartial and unconcerned with reward, but driven by that love to heal the injuries of fallen humanity. The Church of Yahshua honors men’s free will, just as the Father does; and it reveals the principles and guidelines of righteousness, just as the Father does.

Our Father has given us the Keys to His Kingdom. He has revealed the heart, the essential nature, of that Kingdom. It is for Yahweh’s people to contemplate these things, to examine ourselves and motivations, to grow in love and maturity, to honor the Father and Son in the sanctifying way that They desire we honor Them. In this, we will do the work of the divine will, and gather into the genuine storehouse that harvest of souls that will satisfy the travail of the soul of our Father and our Savior. (Isa 53:11)

David.

An Enduring Witness

“Self-righteousness is not true righteousness, and those who cling to it will be left to take the consequences of holding a fatal deception. Many today claim to obey the commandments of God, but they have not the love of God in their hearts to flow forth to others. Christ calls them to unite with Him in His work for the saving of the world, but they content themselves with saying, ‘I go, sir.’ They do not go. They do not co-operate with those who are doing God’s service. They are idlers. Like the unfaithful son, they make false promises to God. In taking upon themselves the solemn covenant of the church they have pledged themselves to receive and obey the word of God, to give themselves to God’s service, but they do not do this. In profession they claim to be sons of God, but in life and character they deny the relationship. They do not surrender the will to God. They are living a lie.” [Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 279]

“Those who are sent by God to do a special work will be called to rebuke heresies and errors. They should exercise Bible charity toward all men, presenting the truth as it is in Jesus. Some will be most earnest and zealous in their resistance to the truth; but while their faults must be exposed unflinchingly and their evil practices condemned, long-suffering, patience, and forbearance must be exercised toward them.” [Evangelism, p. 368]

“Remember your church covenant, in which you have agreed to walk in all the ways of the Lord, made known or to be made known unto you. Remember your promise and covenant with God and with one another, to receive whatever light and truth shall be made known to you from his written Word.” [The Great Controversy (1888 Edition), quoting Puritan Pastor John Robinson, p. 292]

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