The emerging church and the one project part 4

 “But Jesus-following and God-pleasing--not people-
pleasing--can sometimes lead me up a hill, often carrying a
cross. It can mean being silent when accused, even refusing
to defend myself or push back when my faith or character is
unjustly attacked by brothers and sisters in the faith. …”
 “I take my commitment to those whom I may influence by
my ministry very seriously. And it is for this reason that I
pause now to address some issues of faith that are dear to
my heart and important to the many followers of Jesus who
look to me for guidance, hope and inspiration as we journey
together in the path of Christ. …”
 “[L]et me now take the opportunity to address some of these
accusations----to correct where misunderstandings have
occurred, to concur if called for, and to adamantly restate
when gross inaccuracies have altered the meaning of my
writings and evangelism.”
3

 “Let me say first of all that for me, New Age rhymes
with sewage. I have such a low threshold for Gaia
worship that in the middle of the movie „Avatar‟ I had
to take a break, so severe was my attack of Gaiarrhea.
…”
 “„The Secret‟ of the universe is not that you can have
life your way. „The Secret‟ is that Jesus is The Way
(Colossians 3). Jesus did not come to make us divine.
Jesus came to show us how to be authentically what
God made us to be--human.”
4

 “I wrote a book 20 years ago called Quantum Spirituality, ... Back
when „New Age‟ was a movement, I was inspired by the brilliance
of the Apostle Paul in evangelizing pagans, to show how even
New Agers, like atheists or other non-Christian groups, could be
evangelized for orthodox Christianity if only we learn how to
speak to them. For example, the recovery movement language of
„higher power‟ or „higher consciousness‟ can be turned into „Christ
consciousness.‟ Instead of „New Age,‟ we might adopt and adapt
the „New Light‟ language of Charles G. Finney….”
 “Would I write the same book today? No. Would I say some
things differently? Yes. … But this was the first book to examine
the challenges confronting Christianity as it entered into the
uncharted waters of a new post-Gutenberg, post-
Christian, postmodern culture, and I quoted and referenced New
Age thinkers who seemed to „get‟ this cultural transition better
than the church did while I outlined avenues of approach to their
minds and hearts.”
5

 “By quoting and referencing people outside the faith, I am
doing nothing more than Peter, Paul and Jesus himself did.
… speaking their language to get their hearing, yet not
compromising the gospel at the same time. Because I quote
someone does not mean I agree with everything that person
ever wrote. Paul quoted pagan philosophers in the Book of
Acts. … The key consideration to whether I quoted someone
was not „Do I agree with them?‟ but „Does this quote
energize the conversation?‟ „Guilt by association‟ is
intellectually disreputable and injurious to the whole body
of Christ.”
 “It is doubly ironic that I am under attack for being
Emergent or a leader in the „emerging church‟ movement
when I am known in emerging church circles as one of its
severest critics.”
6

 “The „emerging church‟ is a young movement grown
old very quickly because:
1. It is prone to cause political ruckus when it should be rocking
the world for Christ;
2. It is missing a hunger and longing for the salvation of others, a
passion for others to fall in love with Jesus and the sense that
there are things at stake here that have both earthly and
eternal consequences . . .
3. It appears more and more to be a new evangelical form of the
old 70s liberation theology
4. It makes the mistake of separating the Person of Jesus from
His teachings
5. It deconstructs everything, including the historic creeds of the
church and the divine inspiration of the entire biblical canon
6. It revels in spreading doubt more than faith.”
(http://www.leonardsweet.com/response.php)
7

 “So his theology hasn‟t changed despite what
he said in his rather patronizing „A Response to
Recent Misunderstandings‟ filled with
postmodern Humpty Dumpty language; the
truth is, … nothing [Sandy Simpson] quotes
Sweet as saying … has been retracted.”
(http://apprising.org/2010/09/13/giving-leonard-sweet-a-nudge/)

 “Evangelism is about reaching out to others. Really?
You think? Brace yourself. In Nudge, author Leonard
Sweet sets out to revolutionize our understanding of
evangelism. He defines evangelism as „nudge‟ –
awakening each other to the God who is already there.
Sweet‟s revolution promises to affect your encounters
with others, as well as shaking the very roots of your
own faith. So brace yourself.”
 (http://www.amazon.com/Nudge-Awakening-Other-Already-
There/dp/B004HB1BLU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=134812
0188&sr=1-1&keywords=nudge+leonard+sweet)
12

 “In his newest book … Leonard Sweet makes the case that there is
something fundamentally wrong with the way Christians conduct
evangelism in today's society. His central assertion is that, like a
door-to-door pots and pans salesman, we view our mission to
convey the message of the gospel as using fear tactics to convince
people of a problem they previously didn't know they had for
which we just „happen‟ to have the solution. The author's vision of
what post-modern evangelism should look like is quite different.
He spells this out in his concept of nudging people toward Jesus.”
 “However, it is in the explanation of what Nudge is that we see the
first subtle touches of Sweet's panentheistic worldview and the
waters of the River of Life begin to get muddied. In his own
words, Sweet writes, „Evangelism is NOT bringing God to people
or taking Jesus to the unsaved.‟ His core assertion is that, „Nudge is
NOT bringing people to Jesus or introducing someone they don't
know but should. Nudge is introducing people to the „Jesus in
them‟, to the God they already know, but don't know it.‟” cont.
13

 “To the casual reader, these may seem like innocuous phrases; but
to any believer with a fundamental understanding of the
supernatural transformation worked inside of us at the moment of
salvation [conversion] as outlined in the New Testament - the very
core of the Gospel message - these quotes reveal the crevasse-like
fractures in the foundation of Sweet's worldview, and as a result
his concept of evangelism.”
 “Let me be clear, however. Sweet is NOT incorrect in his premise
that the church's traditional means of evangelizing is flawed. By
and large, the ubiquitous „salvation message‟ … is a watered-
down version of the scriptural too-good-to-be-true news Jesus and
the apostles preached. … This easily packaged gospel is so
prevalent in our western culture that the vast majority of
Americans have come across it at least once in their lives. As a
result it does serve as a vaccine against the reality altering, miracle
working power of God unto salvation that Jesus came to perform
in our lives. In other words, people have a „been there, done that,
bought the T-shirt, played the Burger King scratch off game‟ view
of Christianity.“ (http://www.amazon.com/Nudge-Awakening-Other-Already-There/product-reviews
/B004HB1BLU/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_one?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addOneStar&showViewpoints=0)
14

 “There is but one power that can break the hold of evil from the hearts of
men, and that is the power of God in Jesus Christ. Only through the blood of
the Crucified One is there cleansing from sin. His grace alone can enable us to
resist and subdue the tendencies of our fallen nature. This power the
spiritualistic theories concerning God make of no effect. If God is an essence
pervading all nature, then He dwells in all men; and in order to attain
holiness, man has only to develop the power that is within him.”
 “These theories, followed to their logical conclusion, sweep away the whole
Christian economy. They do away with the necessity for the atonement and
make man his own savior. These theories regarding God make His word of
no effect, and those who accept them are in great danger of being led finally
to look upon the whole Bible as a fiction. They may regard virtue as better
than vice; but God being removed from His position of sovereignty, they
place their dependence upon human power, which, without God, is
worthless. …”
 “Those who continue to hold these spiritualistic theories will surely spoil their
Christian experience, sever their connection with God, and lose eternal life. The
sophistries regarding God and nature that are flooding the world with skepticism
are the inspiration of the fallen foe, who is himself a Bible student, who knows the
truth that it is essential for the people to receive, and whose study it is to divert
minds from the great truths given to prepare them for what is coming upon the
world. I have seen the results of these fanciful views of God, in
apostasy, spiritualism, and free-lovism.” (Ellen G. White, Testimonies, vol. 8, pp.
291-292) 15

 “Immersed in a society that worships success, we have succumbed
to a trendy fixation with leadership. In I Am a Follower, author
Leonard Sweet explains how Christians in a twenty-first-century
corporate-obsessed culture have shifted away from a Jesus art of
following toward a popularized form of leading.”
 “Through a colorful mélange of practical applications, imaginative
metaphors, and probing biblical exposition based in gospel truth,
Sweet reveals that the summons of Jesus and the message of the
New Testament point clearly to an emphasis not on imitation but
on incarnation, not on leading but on following.”
 “Join Sweet on an exciting and intentional journey from
leadership cult to followership culture.” (http://www.amazon.com/Am-
Follower-Truth-Following-Jesus/product-reviews/0849946387/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_
one?ie=UTF8& filterBy=addOneStar&showViewpoints=0)
17

 Sufi poet Kabir: “„Tell me, What is God? God is the breath inside the
breath.‟”
 “True followers of the way of Jesus are always aware of their
breathing. They are not only in touch with the external ways of the
world but also in tune with the internal sounds of life breathing
around them and inside them. They are tuning forks for others to
follow their respirations. All of creation is made alive with the holy
breath of the Creator.”
 “Breathing Yahweh breath is breathing the holy breath of life.
Yahweh. … our breathing and heartbeat are in tune with the name.
Breathe in „Yah‟ and breathe out „weh‟ … I guarantee you will relax.
The fact that we breathe the breath of God means our identity is also
in him.”
 “In the Hebrew texts, the name Yahweh … is expressed as the
tetragrammaton, the four letters yud hey vav heh, or YHWH. And
while the name itself is without gender, the letters vav and heh
represent the male and female forces of Providence.[4]”
18

 “A Spirit-filled church is a praying church. It is a church with big
Upper Rooms where followers pray without ceasing, attentive to
the movements of the Spirit. It is not a church filled with program
and agenda rooms but an Upper Room church in touch with both
its roots and its wings. In prayer, followers are aware of breathing.
When we are breathing Yahweh breath, the air between me and
you is sprayed with prayer. . . .”
 “Life in the Spirit involves not only breathing but also moving,
seeing, and listening. The Spirit breathes within us, moves among
us, reveals to us. As God moves us through life and his(story), we
sail as pneumanauts on the edges of the wind. . . .”
19

 “Our lives need to be moving with Jesus and gyrating in the winds of
his gospel. Only by untaming our minds can we hope to see and hear
the truth within the world. . . .”
 “Life in the Spirit is a lectio dvina life. These words refer to a
traditional Catholic practice usually translated at “holy reading.” It is
often defined as “praying the Scriptures,” but the discipline is actually
more tied to careful listening for the voice of God. When we listen
and look for the animations, ruminations, and illuminations of the
Spirit, we engage in a prayer that tells God we are ready to receive the
divine revelation.”
 “Lection divina is one example of spiritual discipline that allow us to
tune in to the reverberations and waves of the Spirit of Christ, the
Spirit of love and life. There is nothing more immodest than lectio
divina, for it leaves the participant exposed, standing naked before
God. The process is traditionally practiced in four phases. …The Irish-
Belgian monk Dom Columba Marmion (1858-1925) gave these four
phases their classic expression.” (I Am A Follower, pp. 235-237).
20

 “The longer I read, the more the author seemed to distrust
or disapprove of church leadership in general, and I‟m not
sure if much of his philosophy in the topic is entirely
biblical. Much of the discussion seems to ignore or gloss
over examples of Church leadership in Acts, or descriptions
of leaders in New Testament epistles.” (Alexis Wisniewski)
 “In the midst of these ramblings, Sweet rails against
clergy, suggesting that „we have come to believe that most
Christians cannot follow Christ on their own‟ (180), yet he
not only quotes several members of the clergy throughout
the book, he himself by virtue of the written word is
functioning effectively as a member of the clergy and
making the very same assumption that his readers cannot
follow Christ on their own.” (cont.)
21

 “It's difficult to miss the irony of someone who‟s authored nearly
50 books attacking clergy for having „come to believe that most
Christians cannot follow Christ on their own.‟ Moreover, the meat
of Sweet's meditations, seems to be lost in the pendulum-like
swings between overly casual language (e.g. calling the Holy
Spirit „Coach Ghost‟ and excessive use of the term „first follower‟)
and technical jargon (e.g. „semiotics‟ and „solipsistic‟).”
 “Sweet shares extensive meditations on the three metaphors of
Jesus in his well-known saying recorded in John 14:6, „I am the
way and the truth and the life.‟ Unfortunately, these meditations
read more like stream-of-consciousness ramblings than carefully
thought-out ruminations on these metaphors. It is not uncommon
for Sweet to make startling assertions for which he provides little
if any warrant,…” (Keith Clark) (http://www.amazon.com/Am-Follower-Truth-
Following-Jesus/product-reviews/0849946387/ref=cm_cr_pr_hist_2?ie= UTF8&showView
points=0&filterBy=addTwoStar)
22

25
 “The Voice™ is a faithful dynamic equivalent translation
that reads like a story with all the truth and wisdom of
God's Word. Through compelling narratives, poetry, and
teaching, The Voice invites readers to enter into the whole
story of God with their heart, soul, and mind, enabling them
to hear God speaking and to experience His presence in
their lives. Through a collaboration of nearly 120 biblical
scholars, pastors, writers, musicians, poets, and artists, The
Voice recaptures the passion, grit, humor, and beauty that is
often lost in the translation process. The result is a retelling
of the story of the Bible in a form as fluid as modern literary
works yet painstakingly true to the original manuscripts.”
 (http://www.amazon.com/The-Voice-Bible-Story-Scripture/dp/1418549010/
ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348955039&sr=8-1&keywords=the+voice+bible)

27
 “The essence of Methodism‟s genius resides in two famous
Wesleyan mantras: “heart strangely warmed” (inward
experiences with a fire in the heart) and “the world is our
parish” (outward experiences with waterfalls of cutting-
edge intelligence). For Wesley, internal combustion, the
former, led to external combustion, the latter. “
 “In the 18th century, Methodists in general (and in their
younger years, the Wesley brothers themselves) were
accused of being too „sexy.‟ What else could all those „love
feasts‟ and „strangely warmed hearts‟ be about? Why else
were all those women in positions of leadership? With this
book the author hopes to bring back to life some of
Methodism‟s sexiness so that our current reproduction crisis
can be reversed.” (http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Story-Never-Told-
Revive/dp/1426740328)

29
 “Biographies of Jesus generally have been written by
those trying to investigate the historical Jesus with little
attention given to the grand narrative of Scripture. On
the flip side, those interested in tracing the theology of
Scripture are typically disinterested in historical Jesus
studies. These two approaches have yet to
converge...until now.” (Book Description)
 “I also really appreciated the appendix on Post-
Apostolic Witness, including pronouncements by
Aquinas, Wesley, Bonhoeffer, and Wright among many
others.” (Book Review)
(http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-A-Theography-Leonard-Sweet/dp/0849947022/ref=sr_1_
1?ie= UTF8&qid =1348959042&sr=8-1&keywords=jesus a+theography)

31
 “George Fox was a leader in a 17th-century Christian awakening from
which came the Quaker movement (now known as the Society of Friends
or the Friends Church). During civil strife between royalist and
parliamentary forces, the movement spread rapidly across England and
in American colonies, … Many early adherents were drawn from Seeker
communities of Northern England. These Christians, disillusioned with
monopolistic state religion, whether Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, or
Independent, had been meeting informally for Bible study and prayer.
George Fox forcefully articulated their criticism of the institutional church
for its secondhand faith, sin-excusing doctrine, hireling ministry, and
compromise with political powers.” (http://www.georgefox.edu/about/history/namesake.html)
 “Fox lived in a time of great social upheaval and war. He rebelled against
the religious and political authorities by proposing an unusual and
uncompromising approach to the Christian faith. He travelled
throughout Britain as a dissenting preacher, for which he was often
persecuted by the authorities who disapproved of his beliefs.”
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Fox)
 “[Quaker‟s] founder was George Fox who at that time suffered severe
spiritual depression from the spectacle of human suffering and from the
doctrine of predestination he heard preached from Puritan pulpits.”
(Howard Peth, The Dangers of Contemplative Prayer, p. 50)

32
 “Friends believe that there exists element of God's spirit in
every human soul. The Patheos website states: „Friends
don't teach that human nature is inherently sinful. On the
contrary, the heart of Quakerism is the belief in an Inner
Light, a part of God's spirit that dwells in every human
soul.‟ … There is a strong mystical component to Quaker
belief.”(http://www.religioustolerance.org/quaker2.htm )
 “Quakers believe that there is something of God in
everybody and that each human being is of unique worth.
… The light of God is in every single person… Fox got into
political trouble because of his idea that there was
something „of God in every person‟”. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion
/religions/christianity/subdivisions/quakers_1.shtml)

33
 “Though Fox used the Bible to support his views, Fox reasoned
that, because God was within the faithful, believers could follow
their own inner guide rather than rely on a strict reading of
Scripture or the word of clerics.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Fox)
 “Many do not regard the Bible as the only source of belief and
conduct. They rely upon their Inner Light to resolve what they
perceive as the Bible's many contradictions. They also feel free to take
advantage of scientific and philosophical findings from other sources.
… Their religion does not consist of accepting specific beliefs or of
engaging in certain practices; it involves each person's direct
experience of God.” (http://www.religioustolerance.org/quaker2.htm )
 “Quakers seek religious truth in inner experience, and place great
reliance on conscience as the basis of morality.… Most Quakers
regard the Bible as a very great inspirational book but they don't see it
as the only one, and so they read other books that can guide their
lives. … Reasons for disliking theology include: Theology distracts
people from looking for the „inner light‟ and responding to it.”
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions /christianity/subdivisions/quakers_1.shtml)

34
 “Fox also made no clear distinction between Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Fox)
 “They believe that God grows and changes with his creation and
believe that God continues to tell human beings what they should
do.”
 “Worship: Quaker communal worship consists of silent
waiting, with participants contributing as the spirit moves them.
 Are Quakers Christian? Although outsiders usually regard the
movement as a Christian denomination, not all Quakers see
themselves as Christians; some regard themselves as members of a
universal religion that (for historical reasons) has many Christian
elements. Tolerance is part of the Quaker approach to life, so
Quakers are willing to learn from all other faiths and churches. …
 Quakers welcome diversity: A written list of beliefs is considered
inappropriate. Quakers feel people should follow their „inner
light‟ rather than external rules.” (http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/
christianity/subdivisions/quakers_1.shtml)

36
 Book Description: “Perhaps no other religious philosophy is as
simple and inclusive as pantheism. What is, right now, is divine;
there is no god apart from the universe itself. In Standing in the
Light, Russell explores the history of this tradition from the Stoic
philosophers to the Transcendentalists while reflecting on her own
life. … With a humane heart, an inquisitive mind, and luminescent
prose, Sharman Apt Russell invites skeptics, scientists, and seekers
everywhere to join her in her exploration of the soul of
pantheism.”
 Editorial Review: “As she tracks the profound influence
pantheism has had on diverse religions, deep ecology, the
romantic poets, and the transcendentalists, Russell recounts her
decision to become a Quaker and her realization that she is, at
heart, a scientific pantheist. Ultimately, Russell‟s probing and
illuminating inquiry into pantheism renews our appreciation for
the complexity and wonder of life.”

37
 Customer Review: “As a Quaker seminarian and fellow New
Mexican, I'm more than a little partisan to Russell's latest book,
but I'd recommend her beautiful lively writing to all who sense
something delightful and disturbing in their experience of nature
and spirit. [The book] is a walking meditation, faithful in its
survey of pantheistic thought. … „Standing in the Light‟ is a
Quaker phrase that captures both the immediacy of religious
experience and the difficulty of its explication.” (http://www.amazon.com/
Standing-Light-My-Life-Pantheist/dp/0465005179)
 “The book follows several different but interrelated threads: On a
personal level, she describes her experiences as an on and off and
on again Quaker. … Sharman traces the history of pantheism
from pre-Socratic Greeks … to Epicurus and the Stoics. … The
next hero of Pantheism was Baruch Spinoza in the 17th Century.
He was excommunicated by the Jewish establishment as well as
rejected by both Protestants and Catholics. Spinoza attended
Quaker meetings, … and his writings had some influence on
Quakerism.” (http://ecouke.wordpress.com/2010/06/08/quaker-pantheism/)

39
 “Through a combination of academic seminars and field trips,
students interact in-person with scholars from the host location
and leaders from churches and faith-based nonprofit
organizations engaged in significant ministry, humanitarian,
community development, social justice, missional, and church
planting efforts. Additionally, students meet with their advisors
and research course instructors to discuss the progress in their
research.”
 “Through a series of real-world experiences in a variety of global
venues students engage with Christian leaders from around the
world, who are making a difference. They join a network of like-
minded leaders who are transforming lives, empowering
communities, or engaging in social entrepreneurship as a witness
to the love of Christ. They explore ministry leadership at the
global and local intersections of church, world and culture with
Dr. Clark in a flexible, online learning environment.“
(http://www.georgefox.edu/seminary/programs/dmin-lgp/index.html)

40
 “[This] program operates out of the conviction that leadership in
the kingdom of God only occurs through lives that are rightly
related to Jesus Christ. The program features an approach to
academics that focuses on enriching both your leadership skills
and spiritual life. As such, it fosters a learning atmosphere that
encourages personal transformation in order to become an
effective spiritual leader. …”
 “Students meet face to face for a retreat of 10 days in each module.
This contact time is intended to allow sufficient space for
spiritually formative experiences, not just academics. While
students meet for class with each of their instructors, they also
follow a daily rhythm of prayer with their cohorts under the
direction of the Spiritual Director, fellowship around meals, and
time away for reflection.”
 (http://www.georgefox.edu/seminary/programs/dmin-lsf/index.html#program_overview)

41
 “Anticipate change. Proactive leadership in Google
Culture with Len Sweet.”
 “The Leadership in Emerging Culture Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
tracks explore the character and shape of effective Christian
leadership in the emerging culture. The … program with Dr.
Leonard (Len) Sweet prepares an advance guard of Jesus
semioticians, leaders adept at seeing signs of Jesus' work in the
world. These followers of Jesus are not afraid of the future but are
excited about its possibilities and promises, while aware of its
perils and pitfalls.”
 “The approach is an ancient-future one of MRI
(Missional, Relational, Incarnational) discipleship, using an EPIC
(Experiential, Participatory, Image-Rich, Connective) interface.
Students explore how to transition the church from its current
default of APC (Attractional, Propositional, Colonial) to MRI, and
play with a variety of EPIC interfaces.”

42
Advances
 “Students participate in three face-to-face 'advance' experiences in
Portland, OR, Oxford, UK, and Orcas Island, WA. They meet for a
research course, visit in-person with their advisor, and join
Leonard Sweet for a number of learning sessions. Learn more....”
Online and Hybrid
 “The delivery system for the track utilizes a hybrid delivery
model. Students participate in several conferences, receive
personal mentoring from Dr. Sweet and select faculty advisors,
engage in ongoing online interactivity with cohort members and
professors, and engage in reading, reflection, research, and
writing. Students meet weekly with Len Sweet for synchronous
chats in SpotOn3D at an island online learning community called
„Mag Mell‟.” (http://www.georgefox.edu/seminary/programs/dmin-sfs/index.html)

 John 15:18-20 “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me
before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love
his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen
you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember
the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his
lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if
they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”
 1 John 2:15-17 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in
the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not
in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he
that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”
 1John 3:1 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed
upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the
world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”
43

 2 Timothy 3:10-13 “But thou hast fully known my
doctrine, manner of
life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, persecut
ions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at
Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of
them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live
godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men
and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and
being deceived.”
 2 Timothy 4:2-5 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out
of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and
doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure
sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to
themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall
turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto
fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do
the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”
44

 “Little by little, at first in stealth and silence, and then more
openly as it increased in strength and gained control of the minds
of men, "the mystery of iniquity" carried forward its deceptive and
blasphemous work. Almost imperceptibly the customs of
heathenism found their way into the Christian church. The spirit
of compromise and conformity was restrained for a time by the
fierce persecutions which the church endured under paganism.
But as persecution ceased, and Christianity entered the courts and
palaces of kings, she laid aside the humble simplicity of Christ and
His apostles for the pomp and pride of pagan priests and rulers;
and in place of the requirements of God, she substituted human
theories and traditions.”
 “The nominal conversion of Constantine, in the early part of the
fourth century, caused great rejoicing; and the world, cloaked with
a form of righteousness, walked into the church. Now the work of
corruption rapidly progressed. Paganism, while appearing to be
vanquished, became the conqueror. Her spirit controlled the
church. Her doctrines, ceremonies, and superstitions were
incorporated into the faith and worship of the professed followers
of Christ.” (cont.)
45

 “This compromise between paganism and Christianity
resulted in the development of „the man of sin‟ foretold in
prophecy as opposing and exalting himself above God. That
gigantic system of false religion is a masterpiece of Satan's
power--a monument of his efforts to seat himself upon the
throne to rule the earth according to his will.”
 “Satan once endeavored to form a compromise with Christ
[temptations in the wilderness]…. But Satan meets with
greater success in presenting the same temptations to man.
To secure worldly gains and honors, the church was led to
seek the favor and support of the great men of earth; and
having thus rejected Christ, she was induced to yield
allegiance to the representative of Satan--the bishop of
Rome.” (Great Controversy, pp. 49-50)
46

 “There is but one power that can break the hold of evil from the hearts of
men, and that is the power of God in Jesus Christ. …His grace alone can
enable us to resist and subdue the tendencies of our fallen nature. This power
the spiritualistic theories concerning God make of no effect. If God is an
essence pervading all nature, then He dwells in all men; and in order to attain
holiness, man has only to develop the power that is within him.”
 “These theories, followed to their logical conclusion, sweep away the whole
Christian economy. They do away with the necessity for the atonement and
make man his own savior. These theories regarding God make His word of
no effect, and those who accept them are in great danger of being led finally
to look upon the whole Bible as a fiction. They may regard virtue as better
than vice; but God being removed from His position of sovereignty, they
place their dependence upon human power, which, without God, is
worthless. …”
 “Those who continue to hold these spiritualistic theories will surely spoil
their Christian experience, sever their connection with God, and lose eternal
life. The sophistries regarding God and nature that are flooding the world
with skepticism are the inspiration of the fallen foe, who is himself a Bible
student, who knows the truth that it is essential for the people to receive, and
whose study it is to divert minds from the great truths given to prepare them
for what is coming upon the world. I have seen the results of these fanciful
views of God, in apostasy, spiritualism, and free-lovism.” (Ellen G.
White, Testimonies, vol. 8, pp. 291-292) 47

 “The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a
great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day
Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up
the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging
in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place
what would result? The principles of truth that God in His
wisdom has given to the remnant church would be discarded. Our
religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have
sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as
error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new
order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy
would be introduced.
 The founders of this system would go into the cities, and do a
wonderful work. The Sabbath, of course would be lightly
regarded, as also the God who created it. Nothing would be
allowed to stand in the way of the new movement. The leaders
would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed
they would place their dependence on human
power, which, without God, is worthless. Their foundation would
be built on the sand, and storm and tempest would sweep away
the structure. “ (Battle Creek Letters, pp. 79-81) 48

 “As the storm approaches, a large class who have
professed faith in the third angel's message, but have not
been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon
their position, and join the ranks of the opposition. By
uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, they
have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and
when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the
easy, popular side. Men of talent and pleasing
address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their
powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become the
most bitter enemies of their former brethren.” (Great
Controversy, p. 608)
49

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