HOME / PROCLAMATION! MAGAZINE / 2009 / JANUARY/FEBRUARY / LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009
VOLUME 10, ISSUE 1

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D E P A R T M E N T S

LETTERS to the Editor

 

Thanks for your offer

Thank you for your offer of a free subscription. We received two of your magazines from my wife's brother. I read both of them last night and found them to be very intriguing. My wife and I left the Seventh-day Adventist church in 1984 over the very doctrinal discrepancies that you describe in your publication.

Fairborn, OH

 

God bless all of you

Please continue in your great work among the Adventists. I read with humor some of the mail you receive—I know at times it must hurt, but some are so hurtful—at least the writer thinks they are—that they turn out funny. How misguided some have become. God bless all of you and your families.

Mountain Home, AR

 

Death, heaven, and Chris Lee

I read your article about being with Jesus when I die (see "What Happens When We Die?" by Chris Lee, May/June, 2008). Unfortunately, you are playing God. You see, when one of those gang "brothers" died, the priest said that he was now in heaven with Jesus. If you were to die, should I say that you went to be with Jesus, too? Who gave you the authority to judge who should be with Jesus and who should not?

Somehow, determining who will be there is difficult. Some years ago, Dr. ___, the president of [an Adventist] University, was doing a good job. Anyone would have said that he would have gone to heaven when he died—except that he was found in a [gay] bar in the city. How can we judge? Will Colleen Tinker or Lyn Behrens go to heaven? How about Saddam Hussein or Paul Newman ?

Maybe the very religious types we could be sure will be there, and the really wicked, in our eyes, will not—but how about the in-between types like some church members I know, or John Travolta's son ?

Will Chris Lee be in heaven when he dies?

Fortunately, only God can judge, and that is why there is an investigative judgment now going on in heaven to determine who will and who will not [qualify].

If I were to be the judge, what standard would I apply to those I know? Would it be Standard 2465 for you and Standard 666 for Pope John Paul ?

Scrap your theory; it is too dicey. Let God the Almighty be the Judge.

Via email

 

Chris Lee's answer:

Thank you for reading Proclamation! magazine, and thank you for taking the time to write. It might be helpful to clarify the perspective from which the article "What Happens When We Die" was written. The article was written by a believer to believers and specifically focused on what happens when those who are in Christ die. Nothing, not even death, can separate the believer from love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. For the believer, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

No attempt is made in the article to judge who is truly in Christ and who is not. I am certainly not qualified to do so. What I can say, on the basis of Scripture, is that there is only one standard which is applied to determine who will be with the Lord at death. That standard is whether that individual has believed in God's one and only Son, confessed Him as Lord, and believes that God raised Him from the dead. The person who has come to true saving faith in Jesus is in Him and will never be parted from Him.

The article was written to those people who know they are in Christ. I am not qualified to see beyond the external person, but Jesus knows those who are His and they know Him. I cannot answer your questions about others, but the one question I can answer is, "Will Chris Lee be in Heaven when he dies?" The answer to that question is a very assured "Yes, absolutely!" How can I be so sure? Because I have quit depending on anything at all about myself to qualify me for Heaven. I have fully and completely put my all my hope, trust, and faith in Jesus as my Substitute. I am putting my full trust and dependence in Jesus' perfect life in place of my own imperfect life. I am putting my full trust and dependence in Jesus' perfect sacrifice as the full and complete payment for every sin I have ever committed or ever will commit. I am putting my full trust and dependence in Jesus' righteousness covering my own filthiness. I am putting my complete trust and dependence in Jesus' bodily resurrection as the promise and guarantee of my bodily resurrection. I know I will be with Jesus always and forever, not because of anything I have ever done or ever could do, but because of what He has already done. He is completely sufficient and because of that I have great assurance and confidence.

Angels of a different gospel

I would like to have Proclamation! sent to my daughter-in-law as I cannot witness to her. I come across as attacking her church, but I would like to see her come out of the chains of condemnation and guilt because she cannot live up to the teachings of EGW. I would also like to have a list of questions to challenge her father (pastor of their SDA church) that he could not prove without using commentary outside the KJV Bible. He might be up to a challenge to prove his so-called truth if I had questions he could not back up with Scripture; only then could I see him yielding to the power of Holy Sprit. If he came out, many others might also. He will not look at anything against EGW.

I find it strange that anyone who studies the Bible could believe anyone claiming to be visited by angels (EGW and Joseph Smith). But I believe now that, if they were visited, Galatians 1:8 indicates they bought into a different gospel, not the gospel of the Word of God. Paul said not to listen to him or angels from heaven if they preached a different gospel.

Via email

 

Jesus keeps the Sabbath

There is much I could say about my 7th Day (sic) Adventist faith. I thank God each day for it.

The cover feature "Protect the Faith Given To Us" by Chris Badenhorst (Nov/Dec, 2008), is so wrong. You only need to study the sanctuary truth and you find the Day of Atonement in type and antitype. It is so simple.

The articles about "What Happens When We Die?" (May/June, 2008) are so wrong. The Bible says death is a sleep—so simple.

The idea of God's law being changed or done away with is so wrong. If God could change, He would not have had to die—so very simple.

When I see Jesus in heaven, if He asks me why I keep the 7th Day Sabbath—my response will be simply—"Because You do!"

Fleetwood, PA

 

Comforting

Thank you so much for your ministry. I am always encouraged by reading Proclamation! So many people are not aware of the false teachings of the Adventist Church. It is comforting to know your ministry is trying to educate people.

My husband is very Adventist and unfortunately will not read Proclamation! Please pray for him.

Idaho Falls, ID

 

Partner with Satan

I have not written sooner because I've waited to read something worthy, something truthful, something lovely or a good report or something to point me to God, and haven't found it, so please remove my name from your mailing list. It saddens me that former Adventists who were raised in Christian homes could just turn their backs on their first love and partner with Satan as the accuser of the brethren. There is so much good you could do with your time, energy, and money instead of trying to destroy God's church. His church will stand long after you and I are gone.

You seem to think the Adventist church is the only church that has problems. Believe me, when I was a member of the Baptist church, we had many more problems in Babylon. I will never go back there. The people love each other, but they don't love God.

He said, "If you love me, keep my commandments". I would rather be associated with people who are flawed sinners saved by grace and who love God and His Son Jesus than self-righteous hypocrites who dwell on the faults of God's people. You have no right to judge anybody, for with what measure you judge, God will judge you.

I am honored to be a Seventh-day Adventist Christian and a member of His church that He is coming back for.

It is not too late for you to come back to Jesus. He loves you and is waiting for you to come home.

Henagar, AL

 

On the verge

I am on the verge of leaving the Seventh-day Adventist church after 36 years having been born into it. Your magazine would definitely encourage and give me the support that I need. I am living in Trinidad and Tobago (Caribbean). There is a strong Adventist presence in this part of the globe, and this is partly because of the lingering colonial mentality. I am praying for us!

Via email

 

The work of Satan

It is with so much sadness and regret that I ask that my name be removed from your mailing list for a magazine I thought would be proclaiming the beauty of the gospel. Instead of proclaiming the gospel of love, it is proclaiming the gospel of hate about Seventh-day Adventists. It claims to correct errors in the Adventist Church...but it spends more time telling people why Adventists are cultists, misguided, and away from the mainstream.

For God's sake and for truth, stop leaching on Adventists and their supposed errors of doctrine. If you are in the truth you will survive without bashing on Adventists. Dale should concentrate the preaching of "his gospel" to non-Adventists. To try to work among the "discontented" or innocent among the ranks is not the work of God...but of Satan.

So please take me off the mailing list...at least it will save you some dollars.

Glendale, CA

 

Helped us understand

Thank you so much for your wonderful publication. Our son-in-law was involved in Seventh-day Adventism, and your Proclamation! magazine helped my husband and me understand just what the Adventists believed. Praise God, our son-in-law has since left that group. We still enjoy your articles but now have internet access at home and can read your publication on line. For that reason (only) we would like for you to remove us from your mailing list. Thank you.

Covington, OH

 

Editor's response:

The current issue of Proclamation! magazine, as well as all the past issues, can be read online at www.lifeassuranceministries.org.

 

Really don't understand

I don't get it. I really don't understand why you seem to think you need to leave the Seventh-day Adventist church and its precious doctrines to feel free in Jesus. Every week on Friday night, I am reminded that God created the world in six days and then invited freshly made man to join Him in celebrating God's completed work on the Sabbath. Every Friday as the suns sets I lay aside all my works including anything I am tempted to do to try to earn my way in God's sight and rejoice to rest in His perfect and complete works. It is a weekly reminder that my works will never be sufficient but I can join Him and rest in His. It is so wonderful to set mine aside. Why would anyone ever want to give that up? Please remove our names from your mailing list as we don't find your magazine helpful in our walk with Jesus.

Glendive, MT

 

Editor's response:

"Giving up" the Sabbath was one of the hardest things I had to face. I, too, loved the Sabbath and often said, "I don't understand how anyone can live without it." I realized, however, that if I truly trusted Jesus alone for my salvation, I had to give up "hedging my bets" and risk whatever it might mean to leave behind my Sabbath-keeping. As long as I clung to the Sabbath, I knew I was quieting my deep fear that I could be lost if I gave it up.

When I finally decided to stop holding the Sabbath as "special" and deliberately did the laundry and worked on that day, I experienced the tangible presence of Jesus every day of the following week—and beyond. I was not expecting that response. In fact, I experienced the peace and presence of Jesus throughout the week more profoundly than I ever had on Sabbath. Jesus confirmed that He is enough. He alone guarantees my salvation; He alone fulfills all the meaning of the sign of the Sabbath.

We who honored Sabbath as the sign and seal of our salvation have to be willing to submit ourselves to every word of Scripture, taking Jesus seriously when He says in Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me…and I will give you rest." We have to be willing to trust Jesus alone for our eternal security—without the "insurance" of honoring a day.

I have some questions for those of you who hold tightly to the Sabbath while asserting it is a sign of your trust: can you rest every day of the week, or is Sabbath the one day you can rest? Are you confident of your salvation? Could you be saved if you gave up the Sabbath?

Jesus calls us to risk trusting Him alone. He is faithful; He will not deceive us or confuse us. He cannot lie; He is all we need.

 

Nothing!

You stand for nothing. You are nothing. You don't have anything to believe in, so why can you say you're protecting it? Funny people.

St. Peterburg, FL

 

Heart is longing

I am a baptized and faithful member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church from age seven up to 22, but I have been retreating from much restriction of the church for the past 13 years now. My heart longs to have a true fellowship with God. Now that I found your website, I am curious and wanted to know more about your ministry. Please send me your free Proclamation! magazine. Thank you, and God bless your ministry.

Davao City, Philippines

 

Leading others to eternal death

It is very sad that you have turned your back on God and His last message for a fallen world. Please stop sending your material to me. My brother has been to [Pastor Ratzlaff's] house twice. He wanted so badly to help correct your steps that are leading yourself and others to eternal death.

Osseo, MI

 

Nearly doubted my salvation

I am writing to inform you of a change of address and to thank you for your magazine.

I have been receiving your publication for about four years now, and each one has been a blessing to me. I am an evangelical Christian and was raised in the Baptist church. But I live in a town with a large Adventist university and was exposed to Adventism in a very minor form at a very young age.

All of my life, I thought that there was really no real difference between myself and the Adventists that we knew. They just went to church on Saturday, and I went on Sunday. I was never aware of the true beliefs of the church until I began working with a woman who was Adventist who did her best to convert me. I can tell you that it sent me scrambling to the Word to find out what I truly believed. I thought I knew what my beliefs were and could stand on them based on Scripture, but the constant, daily hounding of this co-worker almost made me doubt my salvation. That was when I found your website and subscribed to your magazine. It has been a true gift.

I no longer work directly with this person, but your magazine has truly helped me to stand firm in my beliefs. I have not yet gotten the courage to share your magazine with this person, but each time I get a new one, I keep it on my desk for several days as I'm reading it in the hopes that the door will open to share it with her.

So, thank you again for all that you do.

Harvest, AL

 

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Send letters to the editor to:

Editor, Proclamation! Magazine
P.O. Box 7776
Redlands, CA 92375

Or email editor: proclamation@gmail.com

Life Assurance Ministries

Mission

To proclaim the good news of the new covenant gospel of grace in Christ and to combat the errors of legalism and false religion.

 

Motto

Truth needs no other foundation than honest investigation under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and a willingness to follow truth when it is revealed.

 

Message

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not of works, that no one should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9

Who gave you the authority to judge who should be with Jesus and who should not?

It saddens me that former Adventists who were raised in Christian homes could just turn their backs on their first love and partner with Satan as the accuser of the brethren. There is so much good you could do with your time, energy, and money instead of trying to destroy God's church. His church will stand long after you and I are gone.

All of my life, I thought that there was really no real difference between myself and the Adventists that we knew. They just went to church on Saturday, and I went on Sunday. I was never aware of the true beliefs of the church until I began working with a woman who was Adventist who did her best to convert me.