Martin Luther is credited with several noble things in history, not the least of which is launching the Protestant Reformation in 1517. He spoke truth to power during a time when speaking the truth could get a man killed. He was a man for his time.
While we Bible-believers owe much to his efforts, there came a time when his supporters went too far. Within five years of the nailing of the 95-theses to the Wittenberg Church, the first Iconoclastic Riot erupted in Wittenberg, as peasants toppled images and threw rocks through stained-glass windows. Then followed a period of about 30-40 years of peasants revolting against the Roman Church, and destroying many works of art in their misguided zeal. This caused Luther to speak those historic words "Lord, save me from my friends."
Unity 2017
On June 15-17 this year (2017), ten Union Conferences from four world Divisions will meet in London to discuss their response to the Unity Document that was voted in at the Fall Council Meeting in October, 2016.
The meeting will be held at the Heathrow Crowne Plaza Hotel in London.
Topics include:
- Justice and Equality: Is God Interested?
- Issues in Church Policy
- Towards a Theology of Unity
- Ellen White and Her Understanding of Unity
- The Church's Reformation Legacy
- History of Authority in the Adventist Church
- Ellen White's View of Hierarchy and Authority
- Implications of Early 20th Century Restructuring
- Speaking Truth to Power - Coercion and the Church
- Liberty of Conscience and Freedom
- Responding to GC Unity Documents
If you are considering attending this meeting, please know that attendance is restricted to Church administrators, theologians, and academics. Ninety percent of these people will be church employees. In other words, church employees will meet to discuss how best to insubordinate themselves to their employer (the Seventh-day Adventist Church). Seriously.
Did you notice a recurring theme in the topics to be discussed? "Reformation, speaking truth to power, hierarchy, and liberty of conscience and freedom." This is a Martin Luther complex, friends. They see themselves as modern-day Reformers standing up to the mean ol' Popish General Conference. But there are huge differences!
- Martin Luther was willing to die for the reintroduction of righteousness by faith, accompanied by faithful adherence to the Holy Scriptures. These Unions are determined to ordain women, even if contrary to the Scriptures.
- Claims that the General Conference is tyrannical because the world church is committed to biblical fidelity & unity, is like complaining that the silverware is the wrong kind when you are a cannibal. You pretend to be proper while eating people.
- This delusional Martin Luther complex also raised its head in 2012, when another employee of the church wrote an article for Spectrum titled "What would Ellen White say to Church leaders?" The article, channeling Martin Luther, closed with these unruly words "We will NOT submit!" This is open rebellion convincing itself that it is noble. And moral. Strange blindness.
- Elder Ted Wilson, who probably feels like he has drawn a thankless task at times, has demonstrated grace and dignity in the face of this relentless liberal insurrection. I am humbled and inspired by his example. Sincerely. Pray for him and Nancy.
- On the other hand, progressives who are determined to get their way on WO, have little compunction about fracking the church in the process. They simply don't care, or they are blind to the consequences that always follows the wrong revolution. Instead of revolution, they should be seeking repentance, revival and reformation.
- Dear friends, if we want reformation, we must abide by the principles of reformation. Reformation calls people back to something--to humility and to a greater commitment to the Word of God. It is the voice of Zechariah "Return unto Me, and I will return unto you." When liberals claim that pushing WO on the World Church is true reformation, they are violating the principles of reformation. They are running on the empty fumes of a compromised Judeo-Christian worldview.
- To the church's discredit, we did crack the door open to this mess by allowing female elders without simultaneously establishing a doctrine on male leadership (which should have been easy to do because the Bible is clear on it). They allowed the camel to stick its wet nose partially in the tent, and then had three votes on whether the camel could come the rest of the way inside, when they should have had one vote on whether the camel should be permanently pushed back outside (by affirming the biblical principle of male leadership).
- Pray that these Union leaders, will humble themselves and repent. Failing that, pray that our church leaders have the mettle to discipline rebellion with love and with firmness. Some of these people need to be thanked for their service, and then fired.
Were Martin Luther here today, I believe he would take a long look at the people pushing WO in his name, and say "Lord, deliver me from my friends."
"Because they rebelled against the words of God, And despised the counsel of the Most High, Therefore He brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help" (Psalm 107:11).