Growing up in the fifties, I was blessed to be raised by two deeply committed Seventh-day Adventist parents. Their lives were centered around living in harmony with the teachings of Scripture, and we were blessed with the guidance and inspiration found in the Spirit of Prophecy. These two anchors – Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy – shaped my childhood and formed a foundation for our family’s beliefs and values.
The Bible is a holy and unchanging book, it’s trustworthiness and reliability secured by the Holy Spirit, throughout time. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, it is the inspired Word of God, profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. Yet, throughout the years, the practical and personal application of God's Word has often posed challenges. During my youth, the Seventh-day Adventist Church seemed to struggle with understanding and applying the message of Righteousness by Faith. This sometimes manifested as a strict adherence to rules without a deep, heartfelt connection to God’s grace and love. Even today, there are those who still feel as though "working" their way into heaven is a valid approach. On the other hand, modern movements like "Love Reality" emphasize God's grace, leaving out the necessary transformation that comes through faith in Christ.
Two distinct camps seem to emerge. One group advocates for a passive approach, focusing solely on claiming God’s grace and forgiveness without an active pursuit of a Christ-centered life. The other group clings to a legalistic checklist of behaviors, striving to earn salvation. Both perspectives miss the mark. What we truly need is an intimate, personal love for Jesus, where our actions are motivated not by obligation but by gratitude for His sacrifice. We should be compelled to live in harmony with Him because we are overwhelmed by the love demonstrated through His priceless blood at the cross.
My parents made the provision for each of us kids to get an Adventist education. Reflecting on those years, I now see that even within our educational system, teachers sometimes struggled with confidently presenting God's message of love and truth. Many students, including some of my classmates, merely went through the motions, graduating from our academies and universities without a deep connection to Christ. Sadly, a significant number of those individuals later left the church, choosing to pursue their own ambitions, often excluding Jesus from their lives.
It breaks my heart to think about my classmates and many of my relatives who no longer seem to have a place for Jesus in their lives. Every day, I lift them up in prayer, asking God to touch their hearts. Many Adventists today seem to view God as an associate, rather than recognizing Him as the King of their lives. This shift in perspective has profound implications for how one lives. When self becomes the primary focus, the desires of the flesh take priority over the call to honor and glorify God.
As some of you may know, I left both God and the church when I was eighteen. A large part of my decision was due to my struggle with same-sex attraction, for which I couldn’t find answers in the church. My feelings persisted, and I felt disconnected from God. For forty years, I lived in the LGBT+ culture, catering to my fleshly desires. But ultimately, I came to realize that this lifestyle could not fulfill me. It was only when I began to reconsider Jesus and His ways that I found true hope and satisfaction.
For the past fifteen years, I have been involved in discussions surrounding homosexuality and the church, and I continue to wrestle with difficult questions. What happened to the church? How did we lose our first love? Is the church thriving today, or has it become a melting pot of conflicting emotions, compromised beliefs, and worldly influences? Where can we look for trusted counsel in these confusing times? And how far up the church’s structure has this desolation of holiness reached?
After decades of searching for happiness and personal satisfaction outside of Christianity, I eventually realized that Jesus remains my only hope. Only He can truly satisfy the longings of my heart. I began a journey to rediscover who Jesus is, and I found that His fairness, His justice, and His desires for His people are vastly different from the desires of the world. His call to live as a set-apart people is still relevant today.
In my youth, it seemed all I recognized were rules and regulations. Today, I see the need for a balanced, Christ-centered application of the gospel. We need a message that speaks of God’s love and grace but also calls us to live transformed lives in response to that love. We stand at a pivotal moment, facing either eternal life or eternal loss.
Have you considered God’s intent and commission for you as His representative? What does it mean to be a "soldier of the cross"? How can we faithfully carry out our calling in these last days?
I vividly remember my father reading about biblical prophecies concerning the end times. He often reflected on how God's people, throughout history, would grumble and complain, despite God's gracious provisions for them. Despite being surrounded by evidence of God’s love, many became self-absorbed and spiritually blind. Are we at risk of making the same mistakes today?
This world will not continue indefinitely. We are part of its history, and prophecy clearly shows that we are living in the final days. As I search for truth and answers, 2 Timothy 3 stands out as a powerful warning about the perilous times that are to come,
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3: 1-7).
While no individual or institution is without fault, I find it concerning that I have rarely heard any acknowledgment of mistakes from church leadership. Recently, in a presentation by Mark Finley, there was a reference to errors made at the leadership level in response to Conrad Vine. But what exactly are those mistakes? Shouldn’t they be specifically addressed? At such a high level, wouldn’t it be appropriate to ask for forgiveness and seek reconciliation?
When I was younger, I held Adventist leadership in high regard, second only to Scripture. However, a couple of years ago, while being filmed for a television program, I expressed that I no longer had the same confidence in church leadership. The recording was stopped, and I was told that I couldn’t make such a statement.
Today, society and even the church seem increasingly focused on issues of culture and social justice. In the process, truth is often redefined. Many now regard God’s Holy Word as outdated and irrelevant to today’s societal and governmental dilemmas. This redefinition of truth has left many confused and uncertain about where to find solid ground.
When I returned to the church in 2009, I needed answers. I needed to understand how we ended up in this confusing state where feelings are equated with truth. My search took me back to the war in Heaven. Lucifer successfully baited a third of the angels into following their own feelings and desires rather than submitting to God’s sovereignty. This deception worked then, and it continues to work now. Today, we find ourselves as the subjects of those fallen angels, who know our weaknesses and exploit them to turn us against God, accusing Him of being unfair and unjust. Can we see it happening, or have we become spiritually blind?
One troubling trend within the Adventist Church is the implementation of speaker bans. Churches and conferences are blacklisting certain speakers who don’t fit within a specific framework. But what is the basis for these bans? Are they biblically sound? Or are we compromising the truth for the sake of accommodation?
In all honesty, I’ve observed many in leadership who seem to disagree with God’s clear instruction, particularly when it comes to the LGBT+ issue. Instead of clarifying the truth, inviting repentance, and seeking redemption and restoration, we have turned to accommodation. Meanwhile, there seems to be no restriction on those who promote a "different gospel," even though Paul warned in Galatians that such messages are not truly the gospel.
"Satan will work with all power and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness, and if it were possible, he would deceive the very elect. And his deceptions will increase and grow stronger until the very close of time" (The Great Controversy, p. 625).
Is our persecution now coming from within the church? Are we beginning to exchange the truth for lies? Have we become victims of Satan’s "bait and switch"?
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed how easily societal control can take hold. Government mandates, especially those concerning vaccinations, quickly filtered down to the medical community, creating an environment where liberty of conscience was threatened. People blindly placed their trust in the government and corporate mandates, rarely stopping to question whether it was wise. Religious institutions, too, were caught up in the rush, with leaders supporting mandates without fully considering their implications or whether they aligned with biblical counsel.
The fallout from these events is still felt today. Churches and conferences remain divided, and faith in the church structure has been shaken. This also results on a term corporate Adventism doesn’t like to discuss. “Federal Funding.” Yet, even as confidence in institutions wavers, our faith in God must remain strong.
Research on the escalating mortality rate of those experiencing vaccine complications are gaining momentum. Cause and effect appear to be under more scrutiny in hindsight, instead of cautious and thorough pharmaceutical trials which precludes the release of medications years prior to their marketed use.
Haven’t we been robbed of making such a personal decision regarding our wellbeing? And perhaps more concerning, is a religious institution stepping in and making proclamations that don’t coincide with biblical counsel?
Faith in the structure is being shaken. And with good reason. However, our faith in God, is far more crucial.
What does your personal walk with God look like? Is it built on a firm foundation?
Satan is pulling out every weapon in his arsenal to divide and conquer God’s people. Issues such as women’s ordination, the LGBT+ topic, debates over the Trinity, and now health crises are being used to bring division and destruction. Instead of uniting, we are separating—often over minor differences. What will it take for us to come together in unity, as we are counseled to do?
The shaking is well underway, and yet the call to "press together" is more urgent now, than ever. The final message to the world must reflect the true character of God. His love and His truth will carry us through the storm.
"God is leading out a people. He has a chosen people, a church on the earth, whom He has made the depositaries of His law. He has committed to them sacred trust and eternal truth to be given to the world. He would reprove and correct them. The message to the Laodiceans is applicable to Seventh-day Adventists who have had great light and have not walked in the light. It is those who have made great profession, but have not kept in step with their Leader, that will be spewed out of His mouth unless they repent. But the counsel of the true Witness does not represent those who are lukewarm as beyond hope. These persons may yet obtain gold tried in the fire, white raiment, and eyesalve. God does not despise His people because they are tempted and tried. The tried, the tempted, the wretched and failing ones are surrounded with His love and care. Now is the time to press together, to seek unity, to strip ourselves of everything that would separate us from one another and from God" (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 610).
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Wayne Blakely is the Director of Know His Love Ministries. www.knowhislove.org. After living in the LGBT+ culture for nearly forty years, he surrendered to Jesus ten years ago and today seeks humility in Jesus, sharing His “love in truth” message.