Take A Stand! Ministries

Transcription

1

2 Take A Stand! Ministries

3 With all Due Respect to Ben Carson What Every Christian Should Know About Seventh-Day Adventism and Israel in the Last Days By Eric Barger I have been an admirer and a fan of Ben Carson since his bold address at the National Prayer Breakfast nearly 3 years ago. You remember, don't you? That was when he, with cool and brains, skillfully sliced and diced, among other liberal ills, Obamacare - the signature issue that Obama firmly hangs his legacy hat on. He also conducted that bit of bold ideological surgery with BHO sitting just an arm s length away. Dr. Carson is real. Authentic may be the best way to describe him. He seems the same when conversing with friendly pundits or bantering with less than amiable reporters. He keeps his calm and collected persona when political opponents attempt to undermine his positions - usually by claiming he's too low-key. Conservatives have much to agree with Ben Carson about. He's also on record that an orthodox Muslim should not be elected president because their views (particularly on sharia law) would be in conflict with the U.S. Constitution. Carson is 1

4 Take A Stand! Ministries pro-life, pro-second Amendment, and a staunch adversary of the thought and speech police, believes our educational system is slanted far left, and typifies what it means to be antithetical to political correctness. He holds values and morals desperately missing in American life today and offers common sense ideas concerning steps to take in confronting the downhill slide across our culture. Political liberals often resort to referring to him in the most unflattering manner, using phrases such as throwback and nut case. I understand just how he feels. There are several pages on Right Wing Watch dedicated to denigrating my views, too. Bible-believing Evangelicals have even more to love about Ben. For example, he believes in both the literal six-day creation by God and in Noah s flood, found in the Book of Genesis. He s for traditional marriage and family values and believes that homosexuality is a sin. He's willing to call it like it is and often cites biblical passages, and when told he probably shouldn't invoke the name Jesus Christ at the National Prayer Breakfast in 1997 (attended by both Bill and Hillary Clinton), he went right ahead and did so. Yep. I love Ben Carson. We need more Ben Carsons in this world. But as I write this, the famous neurosurgeon s presidential bid has recently hit increasingly stormy seas. It appears this cooling of support is due, in part, to the media s focus concerning his longtime association with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Some members of the secular media, with their usual eye-rolling, anti-religious attitude, have raised questions concerning Carson s Adventist beliefs and have aided in his poll numbers dropping substantially over the past few weeks. Is this the liberal 2

5 press doing their perceived duty to spin some dirt and gin up some controversy in hopes of doing a leading conservative damage? Perhaps it s just an effort to paint Dr. Ben as foolish, gullible, or a religious fanatic? After all, his public accomplishments and clean private life haven t given those anxious to expose faults much fodder to work with. Regardless of the methods or motives of those reporting on his campaign, the fact that Ben Carson is a Seventh-Day Adventist does indeed open the door for questions about what that affiliation means to him and about Adventist beliefs and practices themselves. PLEASE HEAR ME CLEARLY To those outside Christianity, the only thing understood by even a few is the fact that Adventists meet together on Saturdays instead of Sundays. Even other Christians usually don't know much about the Adventists. But once we peel the Adventist onion back a bit, clear differences with other Christian groups begin to stand out. Without too much investigation, one finds those differences to be many and major. Now if this is beginning to sound like a hit piece against Ben Carson, that is absolutely not my intention though Carson s supporters might bristle. Also, I full well understand that in discussing some of the differences with orthodox Christianity, Adventists may take exception with me. But please hear me clearly. What I write here is NOT necessarily intended to dissuade anyone from supporting Dr. Carson in any way. This is not to question Carson s sincerity or his salvation. Nor is it to paint all Adventists with a broad brush. I believe there are authentic born-again believers in the SDA Church, but in examining just a few issues of doctrine, there are also substantial 3

6 problems that should be discussed. For the sake of souls and for understanding within the Body of Christ, we need to take this opportunity to shine a light on the teachings of at least some Seventh-Day Adventists, particularly the top leadership. Considering the theological quagmire present across the width and breadth of Christianity in this day, I pray that all readers, in particular Adventists, will understand the crucial need for clarity. A LITTLE BACKGROUND Seventh-Day Adventism was established in 1863 as a result of the "Great Disappointment" of William Miller, who had predicted the Second Coming of Christ would take place between March of 1843 and March of Miller came to this conclusion because of an erroneous calculation in dating that transpired from his misunderstanding of Daniel chapter 8. 1 When March1844 passed with no event, Miller then declared that the Lord would come on October 22 of that year. This was "The Great Disappointment" and from the disillusioned followers of Miller came the Seventh-Day Adventists

7 DOCTRINES Some Adventists hold to the belief that Jesus is in fact the Archangel Michael in human form. This is an error concerning one of the essential doctrines of Christianity and, though this teaching is not uniform across Adventism, it is an absolute in the other sect Miller s teaching gave rise to: the Jehovah s Witnesses. Some Adventists are aware of the Jesus is Michael teaching and how it puts those who believe it outside the pale of orthodox Christianity. After all, if you have the identity of Jesus Christ wrong, then you re going to be wrong on many other issues and doctrines, foremost of which is eternal salvation. 2 I remember speaking at a few Adventist churches and at least one SDA academy in the early days of our ministry. I recall pulling up to a church on one occasion and being greeted by an Adventist pastor who literally shook my hand in greeting and simultaneously told me that no matter what you might have heard about us (SDA), I believe that Jesus is God incarnate. Scripture clearly communicates that Jesus was God incarnate, indeed fully man yet also fully God. See John 1:1 and 14, Hebrews 1:5-8, II Peter 1:1, Matthew 20:28, John 10:30-39, and When the Watchtower Knocks 3 for more evidence that Jesus and God the Father are one. 2 See II Corinthians 11:3-4 and The Real Jesus vs. The Counterfeits, DVD, Eric Barger, 2010, Take A Stand! Ministries, Spanaway, WA

8 On the question of the Sabbath, the Apostle Paul told the Galatians (4:8-11) to reject religious rules the likes of which Adventists are best known for, e.g., mandatory Sabbath- and Law-keeping. (Also see Col. 2:16-17.) Led by the erroneous teaching of their less than reliable prophet, Ellen G. White, Adventists have, since their foundation over a century and a half ago, insisted that worship on Saturday and adherence to other parts of the Old Testament Law are required. In clarifying his beliefs as being the same as normal Christianity, Ben Carson told CNN's Jake Tapper on "The Lead," Monday, January 4, 2016, There isn t anything that s non-mainstream Christian about Seventh-Day Adventists -- the one exception may be that they believe that Saturday is the Sabbath, simply because that s what the Bible says. Carson continued, That doesn t mean that people who worship on Sunday are evil people or doomed; I don't believe that. I m glad Dr. Carson doesn t believe that, but exclusivity concerning Sabbath-keeping and the future coinciding penalty Adventism teaches is ahead for those who worship on Sunday are indeed central points in SDA beliefs, though one has to dig fairly deep to uncover the latter. More on that in a moment. On the topic of hell, Carson told CNN, I personally don t believe in a situation where there s this dungeon and there s a bunch of little minions poking people forever and ever and burning them. 6

9 That s inconsistent with the character of God, and that s not what the Bible says. 4 He s right that the Bible doesn t describe hell in the way he did in this answer. But the Bible does describe such a place called hell and it is completely in concert with the character of God, Who is a loving and yet a just God. Adventists generally believe in annihilationism of the lost but passages such as Matthew 25:31-46, Revelation 20: and 22:14-15 not only affirm a glorious eternity awaits believers but cautions of an indescribably dreadful eternity for those without Christ. It is also interesting to note that a survey of the four Gospels indicates that Jesus spent more time warning about hell during His earthly ministry than He spent extolling the beauty of heaven. ESCHATOLOGY A TEXTBOOK CASE Next, Seventh-Day Adventism presents a textbook case illustrating how eschatology is perhaps the most important of the Bible s so-called peripheral theologies. From the date-setting disaster of William Miller 5 to the sometimes plagiarized personal prophecies of Adventist matriarch Ellen G. White 6, prophecy of one sort or another has dominated the theologies that continue to shape the Adventists beliefs to this day. For over 150 years, Adventist followers have for the most part apparently failed to test by simply using the pages of God s Word (I Thess. 5:21-22) what their leaders have fed them

10 On the question of the Rapture of the Church, Ben Carson told CNN s Jake Tapper, I don t believe in a secret rapture, where people just, he s just sitting here one minute and he disappears, Carson said, pointing to a friend who was beside him. I believe what the Bible says... where he will come, everybody will see him, people will be raised from the dead, called up. 7 THE MARK OF THE BEAST HUH? Perhaps most shocking is the Adventist teaching that Sunday worship represents the Mark of the Beast from Revelation 13! That s right. If you worship on Sunday and have been warned of what Adventists contend, then you are destined to be a part of the Antichrist s system. This idea is taught in the SDA s live prophecy seminars and originated with Ellen G. White herself. The sign, or seal, of God is revealed in the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, the Lord's memorial of creation... The mark of the beast is the opposite of this the observance of the first day of the week (Ellen G. White, "The Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast"). 8 Many Adventists do not appear to know their church indeed holds to the idea that those who worship on Sunday are eventually doomed. Some Adventist folk, such as Ben Carson, simply may not know what their church teaches on this because of the obscurity of where it is taught. Others may

11 blindly not want to believe it. And others may simply not want to admit it. Someone might say, Yes, but the SDA Church of today surely doesn t hold to the teaching that those who worship on Sunday are lost, does it? For anyone who doubts, here are two statements from the Seventh-Day Adventist Amazing Facts media website that summarize this teaching. In Lesson 20, The Mark of the 9 Beast, several pictures are captioned. One states, Following Jesus must include keeping His seventh-day Sabbath holy. Another says, Sunday as a holy day is the beast's mark, or symbol of authority. This article goes on to outline that the Catholic Church takes credit for instituting Sunday worship. The Amazing Facts page states that Catholics admit they are wrong and then lists prominent Protestant denominations who admit to the error as well! Since Adventist eschatology is so convoluted, it s easy to understand how one error breeds another. SDA teaching claims that the Catholic Church is the Beast of the book of Revelation and, since Adventists contend that the Catholic Church began the pagan practice of Sunday worship, they then conclude that the Beast s mark is binding, unholy Sunday worship. Case closed, they think. Not so fast though. In reality, the Catholic Church had absolutely nothing to do with beginning the tradition of Christians meeting together on Sunday. That practice was 9 9

12 taking place long before the time of Emperor Constantine and the advent of Roman Catholicism. Following is some evidence. First, it is obvious that Acts 20 describes a church service taking place on Sunday. Verse seven reads: And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. Next, 1 Corinthians 16 seems to indicate that Paul is instructing in his letter that the Church was to collect an offering on a Sunday so that it didn t have to be gathered up later. Back then, it wasn t as easy as writing a check or giving electronically, as we do today. (What, no cash machines in Corinth?!!) Verse two says: Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. The writings of the Early Church Fathers also confirm that Sunday worship was the accepted practice long before Constantine. Remember, these were either co-workers with or first and second generation disciples of the Apostles themselves. The Epistle of Barnabas (100 AD) Wherefore, also, we keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead. Epistle of Ignatius to the Christians at Magnesia (110 AD) If therefore, those who were brought up in the ancient order of things have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord's 10

13 Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death. Justin Martyr in his First Apology of Justin (147 AD) On the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read as long as time permits. Sunday is the day on which we hold our common assembly, because it is the day Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead. Tertullian in An Answer to the Jews (around 200 AD) The observance of the Sabbath is demonstrated to have been temporary. 10 The point is that official Adventism - to this day - weaves together Sunday worship and the Mark of the Beast and blames Catholicism. They are wrong on all counts

14 ON RADIO Seventh Day Adventism & Israel It s just a fact of human nature that many Adventists quickly become distressed when hearing that their leaders have been misled and are in turn now misleading them. This was evidenced when we dissected a few major points of Seventh-Day Adventist theology for two segments on Understanding The Times radio, January 2, Jan Markell, Jill Martin Rische and I were kind but factual and stated that many Adventists are more closely aligned to orthodox biblical truths than apparently some in top leadership within the Seventh-Day Adventist hierarchy. Regardless of our charitable tone, calls, letters, and s expressing outrage rolled in, challenging what we said on air. However, as far as I know personally as of this writing, none provided any solid, documented rebuttal for the research and conclusions we d offered, only that we were wrong. Sadly, we are used to taking that kind of flack. In today s world, the messenger often becomes the target when those opposing his message can t find a leg to stand on. Sadder still is that, akin to Mormonism and Joseph Smith, many Adventists continue to hold to Ellen G. White s prophet status - regardless of how discredited she has become. 11 When A Prophet is a False Prophet Understanding The Times Radio, Jan. 2, 2016, listen here: r20.cf2.rackcdn.com/otm2016_01_02.mp3 12

15 REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY Another troubling conclusion of Seventh-Day Adventists eschatology is that it teaches Replacement Theology, with Adventists, not Israel or the Jewish people, holding biblical significance in the Church Age. Adventism teaches that they have become spiritual Israel - another reason why SDA teachers, in particular those on radio and television, go out of their way to lampoon evangelicals, especially dispensationalists. Not only do we radically disagree with them on eschatology, but the vast majority of prophecy teachers align behind Israel as well. Replacement Theology first teaches that God has withdrawn His covenant blessing from the descendents of Abraham. Next, Replacement Theology emphasizes that the Church has replaced the Jews when it comes to God s kingdom and future blessings. And since the vast majority of Christians worship on Sunday (and in so doing have acquiesced to the coming Beast system), Adventist teaching indicates that only they represent the embodiment of God s chosen people in New Testament times. Officially, Adventist theology eliminates Jews, Protestants, and, of course, Catholics from any current or future place in God s plans. The Adventist Wiki eschatology summary page says, Adventist hermeneutics categorically rejects preterism, futurism and idealism as proper hermeneutical systems of interpretation of Bible prophecy. 12 Though a debate 13 about theological methodology exists between factions within

16 Adventism concerning both preterism 14 and so called duel fulfillment teaching, the end result is clear. Of course, Replacement Theology also indicates that God must have changed His mind on, among other issues, what His Word states clearly is an everlasting covenant with Abraham and his lineage (see Genesis 12 and 15). Adopting this theology also demotes to simple allegorical status the various end-time events and scenarios outlined in both the Old and New Testaments. This view concludes that instances such as Israel returning to their land in 1948 or recapturing Jerusalem in 1967 are insignificant and only mere coincidence. Adventist author and spokesman, Steve Wohlberg, makes clear his intense dislike of a literal interpretation of prophetic Scripture, referring to such teaching as delusions and fables built on false theory. He writes, If you have been led to believe that the prophecies in the book of Revelation apply to an Israel in the flesh, these lies must be unmasked. If you have been taught that Revelation s statements about Jerusalem, Mount Sion (sic), the temple, Gog, Magog, Babylon, and the Euphrates River apply to those literal places in the Middle East, these errors must be shattered. If you have accepted the idea that the Antichrist will one day walk into a rebuilt Jewish temple during a final sevenyear period of tribulation, this false theory needs to be blown up. If sincere people have convinced you that Armageddon centers around Russian (sic), China, and the modern State of Israel, then someone must push the button which reads: Destroy Global Delusions. It is now time to flee from all frogs and fables! Steve Wohlberg, Exploding the Israel Deception, Endtime Insights, 1996, page

17 BACK TO DR. BEN Seventh Day Adventism & Israel Dr. Carson has made favorable statements about Israel and it sounds as though he supports their right to exist as a nation state. 16 While this is good, we still need to go deeper. - Does Carson s support for Israel extend beyond his political recognition of Israel as a nation and key democratic ally of the United States in the Middle East? For the biblical Christian, however, more pertinent questions remain. - Does Dr. Carson - or any politician desiring our vote - believe that the Jews have an unbreakable and truly everlasting covenant with God? Painfully, Carson CANNOT believe that if he ascribes to the teaching of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Other questions politicians should answer are these: - Do the Jews have rightful ownership of the land (that God gave their ancestors millennia ago) or has God permanently divorced Israel? - Next, should Israel be forced into a so-called two-state solution, giving up control of configurations of land to the Palestinian Authority, thereby leaving Israel literally unable to

18 defend itself militarily and in so doing ostensibly jeopardizing Israel s right to exist? - Lastly, has the Church (or, in this case, have the Seventh-Day Adventists) replaced the Jews, excluding them from God s future plans? The troubling reality is that one cannot believe that Israel is the centerpiece of the biblical end-times or that the Abrahamic Covenant (including rightful ownership of its land) is still in place and also hold to Seventh-Day Adventism's problematic, even abhorrent, eschatology. We all know that compromise and expediency are too often the duel paths politicians take when faced with pressure and opposition. However, conviction of one s spiritual views is usually not waffling territory when we re talking about a man like Ben Carson. One could only hope that somehow, someway, someone could bring Dr. Ben to embrace a truly biblical position on Israel, but if that happened I seriously doubt that he could remain a part of the SDA church. While I realize we are talking here about electing a president and not calling a pastor for our local church, I believe the concerns I ve raised need to be answered, and not just by Ben Carson but by anyone desiring our vote, particularly those running for president or for Congress. In the changing geopolitical atmosphere, where politics, position, and compromise often lead to disastrous real-world conclusions, candidates should have their feet held to the fire concerning just what they mean when 16

19 they say they support Israel. Since the eyes of the world are on that tiny sliver of land situated between numerous adversarial forces bent on their national destruction, the leader of the free world and his or her alliance with Israel is a paramount issue with possible prophetic implications in the coming election. The next president will be faced with hard decisions about America's foreign policy concerning Israel. We who understand the importance of this issue must determine which politicians will actually go the distance when the chips are down, lending steadfast support to Israel, and which politicians are really just trying to garner votes with Israel happy talk rhetoric. I still love you, Dr. Ben, but you and the other candidates need to tell us where you stand. Copyright, 2016, Eric Barger 17

20 18

21 Apologetic Discernment Cults Bible Prophecy Discerning the Times in the Light of the Word Since 1983! Who is Eric Barger? After spending two decades immersed in the world as a record producer, rock musician, drug addict, and practicing New Ager, Eric Barger (pronounced Bar-jer) is now widely recognized in the area of Christian Apologetics and Discernment Ministry. He is the author of numerous books, including the best-seller From Rock to Rock, Entertaining Spirits Unaware: The End- Time Occult Invasion (with co-author David Benoit) and Disarming the Powers of Darkness. He has produced dozens of videos detailing various aspects of the Cults, the Occult, World Religions, Current Events, Bible Prophecy, and today s Entertainment Industry all in the light of a biblical worldview. After hosting his own weekly radio program heard nationally, Eric now serves as the co-host of Understanding The Times with Jan Markell heard currently on over 800 stations. Through the years Eric has been a featured guest on hundreds of Christian and secular programs, such as Southwest Radio Ministries, Christ in Prophecy with Dr. David Reagan, Point of View with the late Marlin Maddoux, and many more. Eric has written for USA Today and has been interviewed by numerous print and electronic media outlets, including Time Magazine and Fox News. His articles are now syndicated on dozens of biblically-based prophetic and apologetics websites and blogs. 19

22 Through his writing, video productions, and the Take A Stand! Seminar series, Eric has sought to refute unscriptural ecumenism, universalism, the curious normalization of Mormonism, Islam, New Age philosophy, and other aberrant religious systems inside Christianity. However, no matter what the topic, the goal has been as our mission motto declares: to see the Lost Saved and the Church Changed by the Power of Jesus Christ! October, 2015, marked the beginning of Eric Barger s 33 rd year of full-time apologetics and discernment ministry. Each year he travels extensively across the US and Canada presenting his multi-media teaching and evangelistic "Take A Stand!" Seminars in conferences, churches, and Christian schools. Eric Barger is an ordained minister with United Evangelical Churches. He serves on the executive and advisory boards of ministries such as Jan Markell s Olive Tree Ministries, Columbia River Fellowship, and the apologetics group, Saints Alive in Jesus. Eric and his wife, Melanie, have two grown daughters and four grandchildren. To schedule Eric Barger s seminars for your church or community, for media interviews, or for more information, please visit or call Take A Stand! Ministries - POB Spanaway, WA (253) Website ebminmail@gmail.com 20

23 21

24 22