Why did I leave Adventism? I'll give you two good reasons...

When I was Adventist, I always believed that my family and I belong to the true remnant church of God. I was somewhat proud of having the "truth" and I never missed an opportunity to share the message with other Christians and even with Muslims and atheists. I was all great, until the beginning of 2008 when I actually started studying the bible on my own without the help of SDA guides or quarterlies. I was in for a huge surprise. The deeper I got into the covenants and the gospel, the more inconsistencies I found in the SDA doctrines, which encouraged me to study and research even more. There is allot to write about, but I'll focus on two major topics, which I believe form the foundation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Investigative Judgment

Ellen G. White endorsed a false prophecy by William Miller that Christ would return, first in 1843 and then 1844. Miller repented when Christ didn't show up on this date, but Ellen didn't want to be viewed as a false prophetess for endorsing him through her visions. The idea was concocted by one of her followers that the date was right, but the event was wrong. Ellen eagerly accepted this "out", and this explanation was offered to cover up the false prophecy: Christ didn't come visibly to earth, but He, invisibly, in heaven, changed compartments from the Holy to the Most Holy in 1844 and began the work of "investigative judgment" (IJ).

During the IJ all believers (dead and alive) are being judged and their sins are either blotted out or their names are removed from the Book of Life. The end of IJ which marks the “close of probation” is the time when Jesus has done His atoning work in the sanctuary and after which no sins will be forgiven. This type of teaching obviously requires a perfect obedience and character on our own effort and those Christians who are still living would have to stop sinning completely in order to make it to Heaven. Ellen White says: "Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil.” – The Great Controversy, chapter 24. SDA Fundamental belief #24 says "...keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore, are ready for translation into His everlasting kingdom.” There is a huge problem with this teaching. It contradicts the gospel which teaches that those who believe in Christ are saved by grace alone. Mrs White says the believers must add “their own diligent effort” in order to be saved. So ultimately, SDA formula is GRACE + WORKS = SALVATION. The bible on the other hand says that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was sufficient and final. There is nothing more we can add to it, we ether accept it or reject it. There will be no judgment for the believers in 1844. In John 5:24 Jesus says: "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." 1 John 5:13 "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." Ephesians 2:9 says "Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." Galatians 3:11 says "So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” IJ teaches Christians to exercise perfect obedience to the 10 commandments by “their own diligent effort”, to use Ellen White's own words, before the "close of probation" or they are lost forever. This goes against the gospel which teaches that Christ sacrifice is enough and in order for us to receive the free gift of salvation we simply have to believe in Him, no more no less.

Ellen White's status of a prophetess and her authority in the church

Statement Ellen White made: "Although I am dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord in writing my views as I am in receiving them, yet the words I employ in describing what I have seen are my own." --Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, Oct. 8, 1867. This statement leaves no room for any plagiarism or "borrowing" from other authors. It is now proven that Ellen White "borrowed" heavily from books previously written. Dr. Veltmen who was hired by the SDA church to study the book “Desire of Ages”, after 8 years of careful research concluded that the copy work could be as much as 90% in some chapters and averaged out 34% for all 15 chapters of the book. This is not the only book in which she plagiarized. Mrs White copied whole paragraphs from other books and anyone who is interested can see the texts and compare for themselves. The bible says: "Therefore," declares the Lord, "I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me." Jeremiah 23:30.

Everything that was written by Ellen White and published by the SDA church is considered “inspired by God”. Mrs White in her own words states that every article she writes on paper does not contain her own ideas, but is what the Lord has presented to her: “God was speaking through clay. You might say that this communication was only a letter. Yes, it was a letter, but prompted by the Spirit of God, to bring before your minds things that had been shown me. In these letters which I write, in the testimonies I bear, I am presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me. I do not write one article in the paper, expressing merely my own ideas. They are what God has opened before me in vision --the precious rays of light shining from the throne…” (letter to Dr. Paulson; St. Helena, California, June 14, 1906, Selected Messages pp 24—37)

According to prophetess own words that everything she writes on paper or publishes comes from God through vision. Then how can we explain the false prophesies:

In 1850 Mrs White tells us that Jesus is coming in few months: "My accompanying angel said, 'Time is almost finished. Get ready, get ready, get ready.' . . . now time is almost finished. . . and what we have been years learning, they will have to learn in a few months." (Early Writings, pp. 64-67) In context what she means is new converts will have to learn the doctrines in a "few months" because "now time is almost finished”, that is the time before our Lord returns. It is now 159 years later… FALSE

Ellen White made this statement at a church conference in 1856 regarding the Lord’s soon return: "I was shown the company present at the Conference. Said the angel: 'Some food for worms, some subjects of the seven last plagues, some will be alive and remain upon the earth to be translated at the coming of Jesus.'" Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 131. Everyone at this conference meeting passed away long ago. None of them were "alive" and "upon the earth to be translated at the coming of Jesus."... FALSE

Mind you the bible says that no one knows the time of Jesus' return except the Father. Ellen White's attempts to predict the coming of Christ contradict the bible.

Mrs. White made this statement in 1864, predicting the population of the Earth is decreasing: "The human family was presented before me, enfeebled. Every generation has been growing weaker, and disease of every form visits the human race.... Satan's power upon the human family increases. If the Lord should not soon come and destroy his power, the earth would soon be depopulated." Testimony #8, p.94, in Spiritual Gifts III-IV By 1900 the earth's population was 1.6 billion people. Today’s population is over 6 billion... FALSE

Mrs. White predicted that slavery will be back in the South: "Slavery will again be revived in the Southern States; for the spirit of slavery still lives. Therefore it will not do for those who labor among the colored people to preach the truth as boldly and openly as they would be free to do in other places. Even Christ clothed His lessons in figures and parables to avoid the opposition of the Pharisees." (Spalding & Magan Collection, page 21 and 2 MR #153, page 300) No need to comment on that one.... obviously FALSE

She said in Testimonies for the Church, Volume 1, p. 259, that the United States would be "...humbled into the dust" by England during the Civil War... FALSE

This is what Ellen White said regarding human races: "But if there was one sin above another which called for the destruction of the race by the flood, it was the base crime of amalgamation of man and beast which defaced the image of God, and caused confusion everywhere." Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 3, p. 64. "Every species of animal which God had created were preserved in the ark. The confused species which God did not create, which were the result of amalgamation, were destroyed by the flood. Since the flood there has been amalgamation of man and beast, as may be seen in the almost endless varieties of species of animals, and in certain races of men." Ibid., p. 75. This is probably one of the most shocking statements EGW have ever made. It’s actually embarrassing for the church. This statement was definitely NOT inspired by God. First of all it’s not possible for human and animal to produce offspring, science tells us. Secondly, this is such an offensive statement to all people of different race. The ironic thing, it comes not only from a godly woman but a “prophetess” of God.

Here's the bible test for a prophet: "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that [is] the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, [but] the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:22)

Truth is, prophets are not infallible, but God is infallible and when a prophet makes a statement of their own, God can correct that if it’s not according to His will, but when a prophet makes a claim such as Ellen White made that every article she published is “what God has opened before me in vision”, these writings should be infallible because it is God Who is speaking, not Mrs. White.

Whether one believes or not that Ellen G White was a prophetess, if they are a Seventh-day Adventist and they profess the church doctrines, indirectly they’re admitting that this person has authoritative role in establishing the SDA teachings, because number 18 of the fundamental beliefs of the SDA church states “As the Lord's messenger, her writings are a continuing and authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction.”

The official organ of the Adventist church published the following: "Our position on the Testimonies [EGW’s writings] is like the keystone to the arch. Take that out, and there is no logical stopping place till all the special truths of the message are gone. ... Nothing is surer than this, that the message and the visions belong together and stand or fall together." Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Aug 14, 1883.

Based on the facts above and there are many more not mentioned here, there is no doubt in my mind that Ellen G White is NOT a prophetess of God. I can no longer be a member of a church supporting such a view and as a result teaching doctrines contrary to the gospel of Christ.

Replacement theology used by Seventh-day Adventist church. Is there such a thing as "spiritual Israel"?

For those of you who ever had an opportunity to discuss theology with a Seventh-day Adventist, you'll immediately know what I'm talking about. There are two major answers that always come to the rescue of every good Adventist, that is when you give them enough bible verses to make them feel like they are on a slippery slope and their doctrine is this tiny branch they're holding, but it's now starting to slip through their white knuckles.

The first statement is "God's Law contains two parts, ceremonial and moral (the 10 commandments). When the bible says we're not under law we're under grace, it means the "ceremonial" law..." If you manage to show them more bible verses proving there's no ground to split the 613 commandments given to Israel on Mount Sinai and they are all considered "The Law" or "Torah", your Adventist friend will move to the next and final lifeline: "We should still keep the 10 commandments, because we are Spiritual Israel today, therefore I keep the Sabbath, which shows I love God." This is also known as "replacement theology" and it's a hard one to deal with. It's drilled deeply into every Adventist's head and there's no way you can convince them that the gospel puts an end to this separation and brings down all walls: there's no slave, no free..., no man, no woman..., no Jew no Gentile... Your Adventist friend (if you still have a friend) will walk away convinced in his own beliefs and will leave you with feeling of frustration and sadness. The truth is you and I cannot change anyone's heart, but the The Holy Spirit can. It happened to me, it happened to 4th generation Adventists, it happened to Adventist pastors who left the SDA church after years of service and faced unemployment and hardship, but you know what...? When God speaks to you, it's hard to play deaf.

I pray for all Adventists who might read this, so they don't shut the door on The Holy Spirit and let God speak to their hearts.

Below is a short article by former Adventist Dr. Philip Moreno, dealing with the topic of "Spiritual Israel." Hope you enjoy it.

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The SDA church – A true Biblical entity

It is of utmost importance that the Christian church is a true representation of the Kingdom of God . This could be determined by the scriptural soundness of its doctrines.

Some churches however, in their bid to be Biblical, have based the name of their denomination on some phrases in the Bible like Jehovah’s Witnesses, Church of Christ , etc.

The SDA church with a name far from any Biblical truth has resorted to using slogans to make it look like they have the ‘franchise’ of heaven. These slogans are the selling points in their proselyting activities.

“Spiritual Israel ,” “ Remnant Church ,” and “A Prophetic Church” are the titles that this church has gleaned from the Bible in a bid to sound like a true Biblical entity. But do these slogans really speak the truth regarding God’s Kingdom as taught in the Bible? Let’s check out the Bible.

Spiritual Israelites:

It was God who established the Israel Nation by a promise to Abraham regarding the “Seed” (Gen26). This nation is known in Christian circles as the Ancient Israelites.

Who established or gave the SDA church the name “Spiritual Israelites?” Ellen G. White, and is it found in the Bible? No. What you will find in the Bible is the truth that after the establishment of the gospel God no longer considers mankind in two separate entities of Jew or Gentile (Gal3:28).

This shows that by calling their church the Spiritual Israelites the SDA church have reestablished the wall that Jesus tore down with his death (Eph2:14,15), and which now separates them from the rest of Christianity who they consider as Gentiles. Any Adventist would vouch for this fact as they are taught that Sunday Christians are Gentiles.

This fact is proof that this church cannot be a Biblical entity by the use of such a slogan. Rather it stands out as a blatant contradiction to God’s Word.

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Published with the permission of Dr. Philip Moreno

Are Seventh-day Adventists God's people?

If you are a Christian, what gives you the assurance that you follow and share the true gospel? If you answer is "the church" or "my pastor" or "I've been going to this church since I was a child and my grandparents went to the same church... few generations surely can't be wrong"... you could be deceived and not even know it. The true test of doctrine and belief is the bible itself. Before you make a conscientious decision to follow certain teachings and pass them on to others, it is your obligation to test them to the Word of God.

Having been a victim of doctrinal deception myself, because of blind trust and pure laziness, I made it my mission to encourage people to study their bibles. If you are willing to spend the time with the Word, inevitably you will have some questions at certain point. When this happens you can go ask your pastor for assistance, but don't let this be your only resource. This is the mistake most people make. Instead, research the topic as widely as you can, don't limit yourself to the opinion of one person or the interpretation of one denomination. And whatever claims you find, test them to the bible, the ultimate indicator of truth.

I pray that the Holy Spirit prepares your heart as you read the following article by Dr. Philip Moreno, who is my brother in Christ and partner in preaching the gospel.

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The SDA church - A Jesus people

by Dr. Philip E. J. Moreno

Many Seventh-day Adventists pride in declaration that they are the true followers of Jesus, and this is mainly to give credence to their stand regarding their adherence to the Jewish 10 commandments in general and the Sabbath commandment in particular, which they say was upheld and taught by Jesus.

The well worn and over-quoted verses like John 14:15 and Matthew 5:17-18 are their proof that Jesus taught that these laws still exist notwithstanding the fact that these verses reveal a different truth from what they claim.

Does this group of Christians really adhere to everything that Jesus said and taught or does their claim stand on these two verses only but disregards the other truths that Jesus taught? Let’s check Jesus’ “commandments” and compare them with the SDA church doctrines.

"Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.)" (Mk7:18,19)

Do the SDA believe and obey this teaching of Jesus? No. Instead they would argue that Jesus was referring to the tradition of washing dishes and insist that there are unclean foods that can keep one from being saved. At this point I am starting to believe that their exegesis is a desperate move to keep their doctrine on food credible.

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged; he has crossed over from death to life.” (Jn5:24)

Do the SDA believe Jesus regarding this truth about the judgment? Again, no. They have an incredible doctrine that states that at present there is an investigative judgment going on in heaven, which is specifically for God’s professed children.

^“The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.” (Luke16:16)

The SDA’s believe that the law and the prophets are still binding and are part of the gospel, hence they still proclaim it and make more of a fuss of it than the true gospel [Jesus’ death and our salvation].

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” (Matt7:1)

This commandment from Jesus is ignored in the many doctrines of the SDA church. They have judged that those who worship on Sunday, eat ‘unclean’ food, wear jewelry, drink alcoholic beverages, go to movie houses, etc will not be saved. They have a church manual that is full of judgments for every conceivable sin and erring members are either kicked out of the church or placed under probation. A very judgmental people indeed.

The verses above plus many more are proof that the SDA church has doctrines that actually contradict Jesus’ commandments, and in a sense can be considered anti-Jesus Christ. Are they truly a Jesus people?

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Published with the permission of Dr. Philip E. J. Moreno

Can Seventh-day Adventists have the Holy Spirit?

by Dr. Philip (Sunni) E. J. Moreno

As a third generation Seventh-day Adventist and employee of the church, I had a longing for an experience with the Holy Spirit. I read about it in the Bible and I prayed for it, but a genuine and convincing experience with the Holy Spirit eluded me. I asked around the Adventist circles, including my pastor colleagues, and they too couldn’t tell how it is to have the Holy Spirit. All they did was quote Bible verses about the functions of the Holy Spirit or say is that God will send his Spirit after the Investigative Judgment to empower the saints for the final time of trouble, but they obviously lacked the experience to relate to it, just like me. I thank God for his patience and goodness, and for giving me His Spirit and the wisdom that has taught me the answers to my questions. Here is what I have learned about the Holy Spirit and the Christian:

1. No one could be a true “saved” Christian and gain entrance into heaven unless he is “born again” in the Holy Spirit. (Jn3:3)
2. The Holy Spirit leads us to all truth, which includes understanding the Bible, among others. (Jn16:13)
3. The Holy Spirit is proof that we are God’s children. (Rom8:16)
4. The Holy Spirit is God’s seal and is a guarantee for our salvation. (Eph1:13,14)

The facts mentioned above have opened my eyes to the reasons why as an Adventist I didn’t and couldn’t have the Holy Spirit:

1. As an Adventist I gave credence to the Sabbath as God’s seal and thus denied the Holy Spirit the chance to seize and seal me. [God’s seal is the Holy Spirit. Eph1:13]
2. My attempts to acquire the Holy Spirit were through my obedience to the 10 commandments. [Paul corrected this in Gal3:1-5]
3. As an Adventist I insisted on being under the 10 commandments and therefore I couldn’t be led by the Holy Spirit. [Gal5:18]

I praise God for these truths that have brought me to a higher level in my Christian life, and for giving me the opportunities to share these facts with the other members of my church who are sincere in their quest for the Holy Spirit. I now can say with sincerity and truth that the Adventist can NEVER acquire the Holy Spirit unless he lets go of his beliefs on the Sabbath doctrine as God’s seal and his obedience* to the 10 commandments/the Law in his attempts to please God.

*Explained in the next discourse on the Holy Spirit.

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The Limits of the Holy Spirit

It looks like I’m embarking on a discourse where I’m going to fence in the Holy Spirit or determine where it should be and where it shouldn’t be. I’ll make it clear at the start that the sole aim of this piece is to enlighten the Adventist regarding Holy Spirit matters, knowing from my own experience that there is widespread ignorance in the SDA church regarding this third god-head.

Here are some Biblical facts that will define the boundaries of the Holy Spirit:

1. The Holy Spirit was present during the creation. (Gen1:2)
2. It was given to certain key personalities [leaders, prophets] in the Old Testament era, but there is no record that it was available to everyone as a common currency in this covenant. (Num24:2; 1Sam11:6)
3. The Holy Spirit was prophesied in Jeremiah 31 that it would replace the previous covenant.
4. It was prophesied in the Old Testament more than once that the Holy Spirit would be “poured out” on God’s people, which means that it was not available yet. (Joel2:28)
5. Jesus promised it. (Jn16)
6. The Holy Spirit is the Covenant of the Christian and Paul explicitly says that it replaced the 10 commandments. (2Cor3)
7. It initially came to the believers in the upper room. (Acts2)
8. It is available to anyone who believes in the gospel. (Eph1:13)
   

These facts will tell us the following truths:

1. Anyone who insists on adhering to the 10 commandments is inadvertently adapting the Old Covenant as his covenant with God. There is no empowerment of the Holy Spirit here.
2. Obedience to the 10 commandments is a blatant denial of the Holy Spirit. It is either you get the Holy Spirit and allow it to bear its fruit in you or you stick to the 10 commandments and bring forth 10 fruits by your self-righteous efforts.
3. The Holy Spirit and the 10 commandments don’t mix, they cancel each other.
   

This verse says it all: “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.” (Gal5:18)


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Published with the permission of Dr. Philip Moreno

The Remnant Church

by Dr. Philip (Sunni) E. J. Moreno

The Seventh-day Adventist church lays claim to this title and they give 2 verses to support their claim.

“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev 12:17)

“At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Rev 19:10)


They say that they are the remnant church because of the following facts from the two verses above:

1. They keep the 10 commandments, most specifically the Sabbath.
2. They have the gift of prophecy, which they say manifested through Ellen G. White.
   

By this declaration they eliminate by default all Christian believers outside their doctrinal walls, and in a sense claim sole heirs to salvation.

Incredible! Anybody can organize a church and quote scripture to say that they are God’s true church. But can their claims stand the Bible test?

What is the testimony of Jesus?

• It is the gospel that saves all men and it is about the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus (2 Cor 15). In essence, it is the spirit of the Old Testament prophecies manifested as the New Covenant.

What is the Spirit of Prophecy?

• It is the Holy Spirit that was prophesied in Jeremiah 31 and Joel 2. This Spirit is the Seal of God and gives identity to the saved (Eph 1:13,14)

The Bible teaches about salvation and this is based only on the gospel which in itself is the “Commandments” of the New Covenant. It also teaches about an identifying mark of God - the Holy Spirit. These all will tell us that the saints will stand before God in the last days because:

1. They believed the gospel [the testimony of Jesus], and
2. They have the seal of God – the Holy Spirit [the spirit of prophecy].
3. They keep the New Covenant commandments – the Royal Law (James 2:8) and the Law of the Spirit (Rom 8:2)
   

As mentioned earlier the SDA church’s claim to the title – the Remnant church, is based on two things: Obedience to the 10 commandments and the presence of a prophet by which most of the church’s doctrines were defined.

Does the Bible teach that obedience to the 10 commandments or the presence of a prophet in a church have a part in the salvation of the Christian? NO.

Reasons why the SDA church cannot be the Remnant Church:

1. They deny that the Holy Spirit is the seal of God by proclaiming that God’s seal is the Sabbath.
2. They bind themselves to the 10 commandments to define their ethical standards and thus reject the Holy Spirit to work out God’s ways in their lives.
3. The New Covenant rendered the 10 commandments as obsolete (Heb 8:13), only until John the Baptist (Luke 16:16), replaced by the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 3), has nothing to do with salvation (Gal 2:16), was put to an end by Jesus (Rom 10:4), etc. and therefore the word “commandments” in Revelation cannot possibly mean the 10 laws engraved on stone.
4. Their gospel is tainted, impure and condemnable. They combined the Old Testament and the New Testament to produce their gospel, which is far from Paul’s gospel.
5. Ellen G. White is not a spirit and therefore cannot be called the spirit of prophecy.
6. Ellen G. White’s prophecies are not only non-biblical, they also contradict the Bible in many points.
7. The Bible is sealed and the added prophecies of E.G. White regarding the last-day events are condemned in the book of Revelation.

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Published with the permission of Dr. Philip Moreno

Seventh-day Sabbath and Creation

Many believers are taught that the seventh-day Sabbath was instituted at creation. I want to share some bible verses which will hopefully shed light on the topic. Whether we are obligated to keep the Sabbath as Christians is another question, I will discuss at later time. The purpose of this article is to make clear when was the Sabbath first mentioned in the bible and if God really established it as a day of rest for all creation in the Garden of Eden.

Notice what Genesis 2:3 says: "Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." You can read Genesis up and down all you want, but you won’t find any scripture indicating that God instructed Adam or Eve to keep the seventh day. It’s not even called Sabbath. Keep in mind the book of Genesis was written by Moses who is very familiar with God’s Law. If Sabbath was really given at creation, don’t you think Moses would have felt it is important to write about it in Genesis? Not one word was said about keeping the day. One would say “but Got sanctified the seventh day”, this is not evidence at all, as many things were sanctified by God and this doesn’t make them a law.

On the account of Genesis 2:3, God ceased from His work and Adam entered into continuous rest with Him, it wasn’t just for one day, it was meant to be forever. Notice that all six days of creation were described by having a morning and an evening except the seventh day on which God rested, where we see no such description, which indicates to me that our rest in the Lord was intended to last forever.

Did you ever ask yourself the question why God ceased from work on the seventh day? Here’s why - the work was COMPLETED, it was DONE, it was FINISHED. He saw there was nothing more to add, it was PERFECT. So God rested and Adam, who didn’t do a thing, entered into a continuous rest with God.

Now let’s make a parallel to what Christ accomplished on the cross. It was the PERFECT sacrifice, substitution for the penalty awaiting us sinners, it was DONE, it was COMPLETED, "It is FINISHED" He cried (John 19:30). Once again there is nothing more to add, we couldn’t do a thing to “help” Him accomplish the plan of salvation. Now those who profess faith in Christ can rest from the works of the Law, accept the gift of salvation by faith and enter into continuous rest in Him. Jesus is our Sabbath!

There is no mention of the Sabbath for the first 2500 years of human history. Nowhere in the bible will you find evidence suggesting that anyone who lived in this period of time kept the Sabbath. Job was a righteous man, but when he makes his protest of innocence before God, he said “I did this, I did that in your honour,... or I didn’t do that in obedience”, but he never once said “I kept your Sabbath”. There’s no indication that Abraham, Isaac or Jacob kept the Sabbath. The first time bible speaks of Sabbath is one month before the Law was given to Israel on Mount Sinai. Moses simply prepares the children of Israel who are about to receive the Law:

“On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much as usual—four quarts for each person instead of two. Then all the leaders of the community came and asked Moses for an explanation. He told them, “This is what the Lord commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the Lord. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.” (Exodus 16:22-23) NLT

Notice that the leaders of the people are unfamiliar with the Sabbath, they are confused and they came to ask Moses. If they always kept the Sabbath, would they be wondering why is there twice as much manna on the ground on the sixth day?

Consider the following few verses:

"You came down also on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments. You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, and commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, by the hand of Moses Your servant" (Nehemiah 9:13-14).

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down all these instructions, for they represent the terms of the covenant I am making with you and with Israel.” Moses remained there on the mountain with the Lord forty days and forty nights. In all that time he ate no bread and drank no water. And the Lord wrote the terms of the covenant—the Ten Commandments—on the stone tablets.” (Exodus 34:27-28)

“The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel.” (Exodus 31:16-17)

“When the Lord finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, written by the finger of God.” (Exodus 31:18)

“He proclaimed his covenant—the Ten Commandments —which he commanded you to keep, and which he wrote on two stone tablets.” (Deuteronomy 4:13)

“This happened when I was on the mountain receiving the tablets of stone inscribed with the words of the covenant that the Lord had made with you. I was there for forty days and forty nights, and all that time I ate no food and drank no water.” (Deuteronomy 9:9)

The Sabbath being one of the 10 Commandments is inseparable part of the Old Covenant which God made with Israel on Mount Sinai. According to the scripture, Sabbath was not given to all humankind at Creation and anyone who teaches the opposite is in contradiction with the Word of God. I encourage the reader to open their bibles and study more on this topic.

The Law a.k.a. the 10 Commandments, the Old Covenant

While Dr. Philip E.J. Moreno was still employed by the Seventh-day Adventist church in the Philippines, he was facing a huge dilemma - preach the true gospel of Christ and as a result find himself jobless... or continue to follow wrong doctrinal teachings and enjoy job and pension security as well as good status in the SDA community. This reminds me of a scripture found in Galatians 1:8-10:

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. (NIV)

Bellow is a short article on the law of the Old Covenant (The 10 Commandments). Considering the situation Dr. Moreno was in at the time he wrote it, you will find more bible verses and less comments on his part. He tried to let the Word of God speak to the reader at the same time he didn't want to engage in unnecessary debates with church officials. Of course this was inevitable and later this dear brother lost his job and many friends along with it, because of his decision to stand for the true gospel of Christ.

Enjoy the reading and I encourage you to study more. I pray that the Holly Spirit speaks directly to your heart.

The Law a.k.a. the 10 Commandments, the Old Covenant *
by Dr. Philip Moreno

Down through the ages the truth about this set of laws has been taught and debated, while some groups have twisted and restructured the circumstances surrounding its original setting in an attempt to give support to their stand as a church.

For those who seek the truth about the Law that God gave on Mount Sinai, here is a presentation of the facts surrounding the 10 commandments. I will leave out my own interpretation to give room for your own assessment of the facts, and I pray that you will rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you to the truth.

It was a covenant between God and his chosen people, the Israelites.
“Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments." (Exodus 34:27-28)

“…the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.” (Romans 9:4-5)

It was not given to anyone before the Mount Sinai episode.
“The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. It was not with our fathers that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today.” (Deuteronomy 4:2-3)

It was only given four hundred and thirty years after God made a covenant with Abraham.
“The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.” (Galatians 3:16-17)

It was not given to the non-Israelites/Gentiles.
“He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. Praise the Lord.” (Psalm 147:19-20)

“Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law…” (Romans 2:14)

“Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised"… remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:11-12)

God said through the prophet Jeremiah that it would be replaced.
"The time is coming," declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt…” (Jeremiah 31:31-32)

With the establishment of another covenant – the New Covenant, these set of laws became obsolete.
“By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.” (Hebrews 8:13)

It had an end.
“Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:5)


Here are some facts regarding the Christian in relation to the Law.

“For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)

“Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” (Galatians 3:25)

“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.” (Galatians 5:18)

“Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.” (Galatians 2:16)

“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (Galatians 2:21)

“You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” (Galatians 5:4)

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*Published with the permission of Dr. Philip E.J. Moreno

"Integrity of the Prophetic Gift" – commentary on the commentary

I have to admit Pastor Doug Bachelor was my hero, when I was a member of the SDA church. No doubt he is a charismatic preacher who seems to relate to his listeners in a special way, using simple language and easy to understand life examples. This is one of the reasons why Pastor Doug “can do no wrong” in the eyes of his audience. Many of my SDA friends quote him constantly when we discuss certain doctrines, they use his materials such as CDs, books and online media to reaffirm and defend their own beliefs.

There is a big danger in all this and I’m speaking from experience. People are generally lazy to study on their own. It’s much easier to have someone “chew” the spiritual food for you and then all that’s left to do is digest. I held a membership in the SDA church for almost 5 years, but I’ve been familiar with their doctrines for about 12 years. All this time the only bible study I ever did was through the Adventist guidelines and interpretations of scripture. Other words, they point a verse to you and they explain what it means. It all made perfect sense. I didn’t only study this way for myself, but I started giving bible study to others in the same manner. Truth is I didn’t know my bible… Let me try to illustrate. If I ask you to hold a colored glass in front of your eyes and look around, the world will look normal, but with a tint of the same color as the glass. After a while your eyes get adjusted to the color and you don’t notice the tint anymore. What you see through the glass becomes reality to you and no one can convince you otherwise. The moment I started studying the bible outside of SDA guidelines, the veil was lifted, I started seeing clearly and realized how little I knew. I take no credit for this at all; I believe it is the Holy Spirit who took me there.

A concerned friend sent me a link last night to Doug Bachelor’s commentary on the “Integrity of the Prophetic Gift” – this week’s lesson in the Seventh-Day Adventist quarterly booklet (bible study guide). The lesson deals with some issues associated with the “prophetess” of the SDA church, Ellen G White. My opinion on Mrs. White without a doubt is that she is a false prophet. I’m not alone in this. Increasing number of believers, both SDA and non-SDA share the same opinion and they base their conclusion on criteria set by the bible. I am not surprised at all that lately the Adventist church makes extra effort to defend their “prophetess”. Their brainwashing methods work well on the majority of members, but there are those not afraid to search the internet, read the opposition and ultimately make up their own mind on the topic.

Here’s how Doug Bachelor teaches the lesson:

He points out through examples in the bible how prophets were not popular and many times unjustly attacked by others. Devil hates God’s prophets, he says, and people who are against God’s prophets are really representing the interests of Satan. In doing this Pastor Doug is trying to make two points: the message of prophets in the bible was often unpopular, Ellen White’s message was unpopular, therefore she must be a prophet also, so here is your proof… secondly all who oppose EGW are agents of the devil. Beware!

Then the common excuses - EGW wrote so many books, sure if one is searching purposely, they would find some areas where she didn't express herself clearly. After all it's a miracle she wrote so much and so well with only 3rd grade education... There was never lawsuit against her for plagiarism (implying there are no grounds for one).... Borrowing was accepted back then... We find borrowing in the bible: 2 Peter 2:12-15 from Jude 1:10-11, much of Revelation comes from OT, Jesus in His words repeats about 10% of the OT...

Very few people know that Mrs. White kept professional writes and editors on staff, people like Fannie Bolton or Marian Davis. This is known fact. Some of them left because they could no longer stand the deception of writing materials that Mrs. White would sign as product of her own “visions”. These editors were also aware of the “borrowing” from previously written books.

And of course most people Bachelor is preaching to don't know of this statement Ellen White made: "Although I am dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord in writing my views as I am in receiving them, yet the words I employ in describing what I have seen are my own." --Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, Oct. 8, 1867

Dr. Veltmen, another expert who was hired by the SDA church to study the book “Desire of Ages”, after 8 years of careful research concluded that the copy work could be as much as 90% in some chapters and averaged out 34% for all 15 chapters of the book. Just because there was never a lawsuit against Ellen White or her estate regarding plagiarism, this doesn’t mean she didn’t plagiarize.

Do you see what’s happening? Doug Bachelor is taking the attention away from the actual problem. The issue here is not plagiarism, even though EGW is clearly lying about it according to the quote from “Review and Herald” above, but the claim that the visions came from God.

What else...?

The prophet Daniel admits that he understood a prophecy through the writings of Jeremiah. Other words, it's ok if prophets use other prophets to gain understanding. I’m sure everyone would accept that, because it is in the bible, however I'm not aware of EGW ever admitting to doing such a thing.

Amalgamation of men and beast - Pastor Doug used only the first part of the quote (before the flood), plus he twisted it so it means amalgamation of animals with animals and the same for people... Here is the full quote by Ellen White, you be the judge:

"But if there was one sin above another which called for the destruction of the race by the flood, it was the base crime of amalgamation of man and beast which defaced the image of God, and caused confusion everywhere." Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 3, p. 64.

"Every species of animal which God had created were preserved in the ark. The confused species which God did not create, which were the result of amalgamation, were destroyed by the flood. Since the flood there has been amalgamation of man and beast, as may be seen in the almost endless varieties of species of animals, and in certain races of men." Ibid., p. 75.

There’s simply no way to twist this around, I don’t care how smooth of a talker you are, this statement is a clear cut and can not be misinterpreted. These words are actually so shocking they even raised some questions immediately after being published in 1864. Because of this controversy, four years later another Adventist leader by the name Uriah Smith published a book in defence of Mrs. White. He states that amalgamation of man with beast had created "such cases as the wild Bushmen of Africa, some tribes of the Hottentots, and perhaps the Digger Indians of our own country".* James White, Mrs. White's husband must have reviewed the book prior to it's publication, because he endorsed it in the official SDA magazine "Review and Herald" with the following statement: "The Association has just published a pamphlet entitled, 'The Visions of Mrs. E.G. White, A Manifestation of Spiritual Gifts According to the Scriptures.' It is written by the editor of the Review. While carefully reading the manuscript, I felt grateful to God that our people could have this able defense of those views they so much love and prize, which others despise and oppose."** The publication of Uriah Smith's book and the endorsement made by James and Ellen White clearly show that the meaning behind the words "amalgamation of man and beast" is simply sexual union which produces offspring.

And finally prophets are not infallible, they are people, they make mistakes, they go wrong sometimes... and not everything a prophet speaks is a prophecy. He gives verses like 1 Chronicles 17:2-4, 1 Samuel 16:6-7, 1 Cor 7:6, Gal 2:11, James 5:17... I wonder what Doug’s listeners would think of the following quote from EGW: "I do not write one article in the paper, expressing merely my own ideas. They are what God has opened before me in vision --the precious rays of light shining from the throne…"*** What? Pastor Bachelor, sure a prophet can be wrong if they speak on their own authority, but can God be wrong?

Truth is prophets are not infallible, but God is infallible and when a prophet makes a statement of their own, God can correct that if it’s not according to His will, but when a prophet makes a claim such as Ellen White made that every article she published is “what God has opened before me in vision”, these writings should be infallible because it’s God Who is speaking, not Mrs. White. Yet many of these writings are false prophecies, contradictory to each other and to the bible. Make your own conclusion where EGW inspiration comes from.

Of course Pastor Bachelor didn’t even mention the most important verse in the bible when it comes to testing God’s prophets. It’s found in Deuteronomy 18:21-22 ” You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD ?" If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”

Ellen White openly says her visions, which she published in her books come from God. There are many failed prophecies such as slavery will return in the Southern States, England will attack and humble the United States to the ground, Jerusalem will never be rebuilt before the return of Christ, Earth will soon be depopulated, Christ will return in Ellen’s lifetime, and many more…, when you add the ridiculous statements, the inconsistencies within her own writings, the contradictions with the bible... You get the picture, now do the math. God is infallible.

In bible times Ellen White would have been stoned to death. “But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death." Deuteronomy 18:20

Let everyone look at the facts and follow their own conscience on this matter. I pray for each person who reads these words.

"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.” Hebrews 1:1-2

Dear friend, I don’t know about you, but in these last days I rather stay focused on Jesus and follow Him instead of so called "modern day prophets" like Ellen G White. Prophecy is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit even today, but before we give someone the title, let us be sure they pass the biblical test for a prophet.

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Notes

* Uriah Smith, The Visions of Mrs. E. G. White, A Manifestation of Spiritual gifts According to the Scripture, p. 103

** James White, Review, Aug. 15, 1868.

*** (letter to Dr. Paulson; St. Helena, California, June 14, 1906, Selected Messages pp 24—37)