“contending for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” jude 3 — vol. 4 no. 2

Seduced Through Ecumenism “It was by associating with idolaters and joining in their festivi-ties that the Hebrews were led to transgress God’s law and bring His judgments upon the nation. So now it is by leading the followers of Christ to associate with the ungodly and unite in their amusements that Satan is most successful in alluring them into sin.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 458.

“God requires of His people now as great a distinction from the world, in customs, habits, and principles, as He required of Is-rael anciently. If they faithfully follow the teachings of His word, this distinction will exist; it cannot be otherwise. The warnings given to the Hebrews against assimilating with the heathen were not more direct or explicit than are those forbid-ding Christians to conform to the spirit and customs of the un-godly.” Ibid., p. 458. Many feel that our historic faith, with its special truths, has been lost or even stolen due to our participation in the ecumenical movement. The ecumenical movement, a forum in which par-ticipants seek to find vague agreements without really facing the realities of fact and fiction, has totally misrepresented Christ, His doctrine, and His mission by turning Him into a non-threatening, non-doctrinal, non-judgmental, spiritual guru who doesn’t proselytize but rather leaves people just as they are. This uniform, ecumenical portrayal of Christ has been em-braced by the whole world. Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, pagans, the New Agers, and even atheists have embraced this non-Biblical view of Christ, all thanks to ecumenism.

The ecumenical gospel, which has gained acceptance by every-one, is a gospel which is completely devoid of all doctrinal is-sues that pertain to the present truth. In fact, many who partici-pate in the ecumenical movement, such as Hinduism and Bud-dhists, view Jesus merely as one of the great teachers or proph-ets. They place him on the same equal footing as Krishna, Bud-dha, or Mohammed. And this universal ecumenical phenomena accepts and respects all people of all traditions from every cul-ture and faith.

Since Adventists have been participants with ecumenical or-ganizations as early as 1957, this has led to a downplaying or in some cases a denial of our distinctive messages. Have we come to a place where doctrinal accuracy has become unimportant to our mission? Can we honestly ignore our fundamental truths and only focus on the points of doctrine that everyone else agrees with, regardless if they are worshiping dumb idols or pa-gan superstitions? This action on the part of the church leader-ship has resulted in an enormous public distortion of the true mission and message of the Seventh-day Adventist movement. Of course we know that no one can steal or misrepresent your own personal faith; that’s between you and God. The problem is in the public arena, where the loudest and most publicized voices claiming to represent our faith, clearly don’t speak for the historic Seventh-day Adventist message. These SDA ecumenical diplomats also misrepresent our heavenly Fa-ther and His holy character, thereby bringing into question any likelihood of speaking for God at all. To portray Jehovah as One who would advocate the ecumenical movement, as we know it today, would be to speak falsely about Him.

“The LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.” Job 42:7.

The ecumenical mind actually stands for the very opposite of the true Seventh-day Adventist faith. God’s loud cry message of Revelation 18:4 that summons everyone to “come out” of Baby-lon is completely contradictory to the ecumenical movement’s call to unite the Babylonian family. In the following statement you will see how the Spirit of Prophecy warns us against adopting an ecumenical attitude: “We are not to make less prominent the special truths that have separated us from the world, and made us what we are; for they are fraught with eter-nal interests.” Evangelism, p. 121.

Adventists Play Host to Babylon with an Interfaith/Ecumenical Lunch

Bert Beach, Jan Paulsen, and Mrs. Paulsen greet the ecumenical guests.

Ecumenical guests eating lunch with Dr. and Mrs. Paulsen and Dr. Beach.

North England SDA Conference [UK] President Pastor Egerton Francis [left] talks with Ecumenical Officer from the Salvation Army, Major Alan Dixon [far right], and Father Robin Fletcher. Behind Pastor Egerton is Dr. Bertil Wiklander [looking away], president of the SDA Trans-European Division.

—continued on page 2

page 2 the eternal gospel herald — volume 4, no. 2

“When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in com-mon, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissent-ers will inevitably result.” Great Controversy, p. 445. Sister White was clearly describing the ecumenical movement. She didn’t call it the “ecumenical movement” because that phrase wasn’t in use in her days; however, she accurately defines that ecumenism is the vehicle to influence a Sunday law and help form the image of the beast. This is how Satan is uniting all the churches . Why can’t Seventh-day Adventists see that today? If we did we would have nothing to do with ecumenism, but rather expose them for what they are.

It’s been Satan’s plan to destroy the faith of Jesus, the three angels’ messages, and our distinctive truths through the ecumenical movement. He has been successful in causing many to lose sight of God’s present truth. Nonetheless, the Lord is taking back the reins of the work into His own hands. He will empower His people to present His message boldly in the public square. His original, authentic, historical Seventh-day Adventist witness will soon sweep across this world, and men will be powerless to hold it back. “I saw that this message will close with power and strength far exceed-ing the midnight cry.” Early Writings, p. 278. “The power which stirred the people so mightily in the 1844 movement will again be revealed. The third angel’s message will go forth, not in whispered tones, but with a loud voice.” Evangelism, p. 693.

Seduced Through a Social Agenda

So many of our people are mistaken on the meaning of our public wit-ness. We seem to be focusing only on the cultural, social, and environ-mental issues of this world while ignoring the weightier matters, such as the moral issues of God’s law and giving the final warning message to the world. Our care, attention, and hopes of transforming the social landscape that surround us seem to occupy the minds of church leaders. This so-called “social awareness” seems to have almost completely eclipsed the work of the third angel. How can we as Seventh-day Ad-ventists fight for social justice in this temporal world and yet ignore or dismiss completely the “moral issues” of eternal life found in the three angels’ messages? It is astonishing that men of great learning, who have studied in the universities, who claim to know God’s views on every issue, seem to ignore the subjects that God cares most about. This problem has plagued Adventists clear back in Sister White’s day. “The Lord has marked out our way of working. As a people we are not to imitate and fall in with Salvation Army methods. This is not the work that the Lord has given us to do. Neither is it our work to con-demn them and speak harsh words against them. There are precious, self-sacrificing souls in the Salvation Army. We are to treat them kindly. There are in the Army honest souls, who are sincerely serving the Lord, and who will see greater light, advancing to the acceptance of all truth. The Salvation Army workers are trying to save the neglected, downtrodden ones. Discourage them not. Let them do that class of work by their own methods and in their own way. But the Lord has plainly pointed out the work that Seventh-day Adventists are to do.” Welfare Ministry, p. 251. It would be a failure for any Seventh-day Adventist to replace our unique, distinguishing faith from our public witness by substituting our message with a social agenda. The Scriptures do not simply endorse a social program. The word of God teaches us that only after the moral truth has been accepted—then we can have some hope of achieving any true, lasting social changes. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14. The social agenda focuses only on outward external reforms. Yet God says that when the church works for the conversion of the heart, for a turning away from wickedness and disobedience to God’s law, then He will bring a healing to our social problems in our land. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Cor. 5:17.

We can never forget that God is getting ready to punish this world for its transgression. There is a terrible crisis coming to this world, a com-plete social and political unrest than no one can avert. And our duty is to warn the transgressors of God’s law and of what is just about to take

place because of the prevailing iniquity in today’s society. “Transgression has almost reached its limit. Confusion fills the world, and a great terror is soon to come upon human beings. The end is very near.” Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 28. “When the day comes when the law of God is made void, and the church is sifted by the fiery trials that are to try all that live upon the earth…”Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1065.

“A great crisis awaits the people of God. A crisis awaits the world. The most momentous struggle of all the ages is just before us.” Testi-monies, vol. 5, p. 711. “We are standing on the threshold of the crisis of the ages. In quick succession the judgments of God will follow one another—fire, and flood, and earthquake, with war and bloodshed. We are not to be sur-prised at this time by events both great and decisive; for the angel of mercy cannot remain much longer to shelter the impenitent.” Prophets and Kings, p. 278.

Notice what is our duty during this time: “We are coming to a crisis which, more than any previous time since the world began, will de-mand the entire consecration of every one who has named the name of Christ.” Gospel Workers, p. 323.

The best possible solution to the social turmoil and disorder that’s soon to come is to call on men and women everywhere to be reconciled to God and receive the seal of the living God so that we all may be pro-tected during that crisis. “Just before we entered it [time of trouble], we all received the seal of the living God. Then I saw the four angels cease to hold the four winds. And I saw famine, pestilence and sword, nation rose against nation, and the whole world was in confusion.” Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 968.

“Those who receive the seal of the living God, and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.” Early Writings, p. 71.

“Our own course of action will determine whether we shall receive the seal of the living God or be cut down by the destroying weapons. Al-ready a few drops of God’s wrath have fallen upon the earth; but when the seven last plagues shall be poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation, then it will be forever too late to repent and find shelter.” Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 212.

Seduced Through Political Power Political power has a tendency to corrupt humans. Both political and religious leaders throughout history have been seduced by it. Satan tried to seduce Christ with political power as he tries with us too.

“And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou there-fore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.” Luke 4:5-7. Moses was also seduced by political power, fame, and fortune.

“Moses was fitted to take the pre-eminence among the great of the earth, to shine in the courts of its most glorious kingdom, and to sway the scepter of its power. His intellectual greatness distinguishes him above the great men of the ages. As historian, poet, philosopher, gen-eral of armies, and legislator, he stands without a peer. Yet with the world before him, he had the moral strength to refuse the flattering prospects of wealth and greatness and fame, ‘choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God’…” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 246.

“The magnificent palace of Pharaoh and the monarch’s throne were held out as an inducement to Moses; but he knew that the sinful pleas-ures that make men forget God were in its lordly courts.” Ibid. Recently, many of our people have been taking photo-ops with political leaders in Washington D.C., the United Nations, the European Union, and other political institutions [As we have documented in previous issues of The Eternal Gospel Herald]. Oh, how much do we love to be in the national spotlight, in front of cameras and microphones, or hav-ing our pictures taken with the lawless rulers of this nation. Have we become blinded by the “magnificent palace of Pharaoh” today? Have we also been mesmerized by the “flattering prospects” of wielding po-litical power? Are we trying to build up a temporal millennium in this world? —continued on page 3

—continued from page 1

the eternal gospel herald — volume 4, no. 2 page 3 Notice Sister White’s caution to us: “The

church cannot measure herself by the world nor by the opinion of men nor by what she once was.” Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 83.

We can never become content when we rub shoulders with political leaders or when the world applauds the great work that Seventh-day Adventists are doing because “the church cannot measure herself by the world nor by the opinion of men...” Ibid. p. 83.

We must never forget that during the early years of our church history, that Seventh-day Adventists were a morally-based people completely dependent on God and politically independent, as was the church in the days of Christ. There was a time during the Sunday law crisis in the latter part of the 19th century when the movement certainly tried to change the political structure and policies of America by protesting Sunday laws, but they operated from outside of the political arena and maintained complete independence from them!

The Great Second Advent Movement’s base for social change was not found inside of politics, but rather at the grassroots level—in the high-ways and byways, the sanitariums, the tent-meetings, the pulpits, the book canvassing, and the printed page. Indeed, it was the movement’s outside strength and moral arguments that proved to be significant to its ultimate success in helping defeat the Sunday laws and change the po-litical policies of its days. However, today, instead of publishing the prophecies of the third an-gel’s message, we are preparing legislative agendas for political lead-ers through the General Conference Office of Legislative Affairs. Why must we entangle ourselves by aspiring to share the gospel to the world in a political context? Is not a moral argument, free from political en-tanglements, a sufficient witness?

The Roman Catholic Church is accused of seducing the world by in-toxicating them with the wine of her fornication—a union of church and state to promulgate her teachings. The so called “Moral Majority,” the Evangelical political force in America, has been corrupted and made blind through its love for political power. Adventists, of all peo-ple, should know that religious leaders never seem to handle political power very well. In fact, religious leaders are the most easily corrupted by power. Tragically, when the church opts for an insider political platform or for political power, the results always end with a loss of its moral witness. Our pioneers proved that when God’s people operate in its spiritual strength and witness then their moral influence will be felt and heard everywhere, both in social and political arenas. Our objective cannot be simply to win a debate over politics or poli-cies. We must make certain that our witness to Jesus and His marvelous plan of salvation effectually calls honest-hearted seekers out of the “Babylonian” system. We must lovingly witness for Jesus and His sac-rifice for sin, His truth, His law, His final warning, and His second ad-vent.

Religious Liberty for Who?

Seventh-day Adventist church leaders claim that their involvement in the political realm is to affirm freedom of religion as a public policy for social justice. But does that freedom that they are willing to defend in-clude the freedom of self-supporting groups to preach the three angels’ message through newspapers, radio, billboards, or any other avenue of public communications? Absolutely not! They have been foremost, along with the Catholic League for Religious Rights, in shutting us out from participating in public evangelism. This has not been seen only in North America but in Latin America where the self-supporting work has been growing. The brethren have been disfellowshipped and in some cases threatened with legal action for distributing the third an-gel’s message in tabloid newspapers. There are many countries where the laity has been active in taking the three angels’ messages to their communities. Church leaders have confiscated literature, destroyed them, and have worked tirelessly to discourage and prevent the work of the third angel’s message through faithful laymen. Is this work the work of religious liberty? Is this defending the right to practice ones religious beliefs? Obviously not. Where are the true reli-gious liberty leaders that should stand up and defend the rights of these small faithful SDA minorities? Where were the religious liberty leaders when the General Conference sued us in federal court? Therefore, we must conclude that the present SDA involvement in poli-tics and ecumenism is just a ploy to get political power for personal

gain and influence. Thousands of dollars are being spent to support and maintain a Religious Liberty Department in every conference at every level, when in reality it is nothing more than trying to establish political clout and power. The sad part is that many conservative Seventh-day Adventist brethren believe and support these “political activities.”

Seduced Through Culture Conformity

Paul speaks of the pagan temples in Corinth, “Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.” 1 Cor. 12:2. He also reminded them that “the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God” (1 Cor. 10:20).” Paul taught that these pagan temples in his day were false churches or false religious assemblies. Later Paul warned them, “What agreement hath the temple of God with idols...Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” (2 Cor. 6:16-17).

He clearly warned against conforming to the culture of his day. More-over, Paul told Titus that elders must “be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers [those who contradict]” (Titus 1:9), and that false teachers mouths “must be stopped” (Titus 1:11).

Jude urged Christians to “contend for the faith which was once deliv-ered unto the saints” (Jude 3).

We must respond to this undertaking and not allow our witness to sim-ply drift into liberalism and ecumenism [new theology]. Liberal Protes-tantism is humanistic, and its approaches are primarily man-centered rather than truth-centered. When the church begins to stray because of the influences of the world, this will be evident not only in the shift of pure doctrine [which almost always is concealed from church members by the use of evasive language] but also in the daily life of the church: its activities, its preaching, its counseling, and even the casual conversa-tions among members. (1) When our message resembles the same message given by the popu-lar churches, (2) when there is less and less emphasis on the direct ap-plication of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy but more emphasis on simply being a caring and sensitive church, (3) when there is a spirit of affirmation to the ecumenical movement and acting in love towards them, with little or no emphasis on doctrine, (4) when there are no ad-monitions to moral reformation, (5) and when all of these humanistic emphases become dominant in the church—then all this is a warning sign that we have truly been seduced by “heathen influences” and we have conformed ourselves to the culture of the world with its “customs, habits, and principles” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 458).

Paul stated that the ministry and mission of the early Christian church was one of “warning every man, and teaching every man in all wis-dom” (Col. 1:28) and in his personal testimony declared “I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God...and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears” (Acts 20:26-27, 31).

Shouldn’t this be our burden too regardless of any threats man may give? At bare minimum, Christian honesty and duty demands that we as Seventh-day Adventists warn the world about what is going to take place. “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of the prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city...” Rev. 22:19. We should praise God that we have been privileged to know these truths. But we must acknowledge that our work of telling others has been too long overdue. If we take away from the word or hide the truth under a bushel, God will take away our part from His kingdom and His wrath will surely be upon us. “When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand.” Eze. 3:18. His message is destined to become a blessing to all who are sincerely looking for truth and righteousness. And if we have not clearly pre-sented the “good news/present truth,” we fear that many people won’t be able to receive the core issues of eternal life. This is our ultimate duty. To share our faith with Roman Catholics, Protestants, and people of all faiths. Do we love the souls enough to tell them the truth? Would we willingly work for those caught up in the antichrist/Babylonian system? It is our prayer that we can. — The Editors

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page 4 the eternal gospel herald — volume 4, no. 2

U.S. President George W. Bush Welcomes Catholic Patriarch at White House WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush met with the patriarch of the Maronite Catholic church, Nasrallah Sfeir, and reaffirmed that Syria must withdraw its troops and intelligence agents from Lebanon. "I assured his eminence that United States policy is to work with friends and allies to insist that Syria completely leave Leba-

non, Syria take all her troops out of Lebanon, Syria take her intelligence services out of Lebanon, so that the election process will be free and fair," Bush said. The 85-year-old Sfeir, a leading figure in the Lebanese Christian opposition, was making his first visit to Bush's White House even as Syria has begun to pull back its roughly 14,000 soldiers from Lebanon. "We are hopeful, as Lebanese, with this effort of their friends around the world we’ll be able to build a better future in a free, independent, plu-ralistic and sovereign Lebanon," said Sfeir. Ordained a cardinal in 1994, Sfeir is seen as the protector of Lebanon's Maronite community, the country's largest Christian group. Of the coun-try's 3.5 million people, 37 percent are Christian and 63 percent Muslim, according to recent esti-mates. "It is important to recall that Lebanon was the first democratic country in the region. Maybe it was not a perfect democracy, but Lebanon re-mains the home and the point of departure for the spread of democracy in the region," he said. "His eminence and I discussed, of course, Leba-non and our deep desire for Lebanon to be a truly free country, free where people can worship the way they choose to, free where people can speak their mind, free where political parties can flourish, a country based upon free elections," said Bush.

U.S. President George W. Bush wel-comes Lebanese Catholic Patriarch Cardinal Pierre Nasrallah Sfeir in the Oval Office of the White House on March 16, 2005.

President George W. Bush talks with Bishop William Skylstad, newly elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, in the White House Monday, March 14, 2005. In November 2004, Bishop Skylstad was elected to a three-year term as head of the USCCB, which serves to promote, coordinate and encourage Catholic activities in the United States.

Bush Meets with Newly Elected USCCB’s President

“So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” Matthew 24:33

Pope Benedict XVI writes a document in the Vatican April 20, 2005. Pope Bene-dict XVI moved swiftly on the first day of his reign on Wednesday to say he would work for dialogue both within the Church and with other faiths.

Recently, two million people have fled their homes in the Darfur region of Sudan to escape the genocide there.

The death toll from Japan's train wreck hit 106 on Thursday, April 25, 2005., which occurred Monday when an express train derailed and smashed into an apartment building.

Thursday June 2, 2005—In central China the death toll in flooding has risen to 68, with an-other 62 missing after torrential rains washed away houses and livestock.

Above: Bolivian protesters demonstrate while its Congress seeks to name a replacement for President Carlos Mesa. Below: A group of pro-government Romanian coal miners beat an opposition protester on the University Square in Bucharest, Romania. Similar violent protests have taken place in 17 other nations during the months of April and May 2005.

Many Faiths Come Together By Steven Sabe, Thursday, May 05, 2005 REDLANDS—Believers from a variety of different faiths came to-gether this morning at the Orton Center on the National Day of Prayer to celebrate faith, diversity and "Promoting Wholeness in Our Commu-nity." The 10th annual Mayor's Prayer Breakfast welcomed local parishioners to discover and fulfill their role in the struggle for universal peace. "This is our own local effort to encourage interfaith gatherings and com-mon goals," said Arthur Gregory, president of the Redlands Area Inter-faith Council. Gregory welcomed those assembled and shared the mis-sion of the Interfaith Council. He said that the council's goal is to bring people of all religions together to work for a better community through mutual respect and cooperation. The morning included several presentations from local youth ministry groups and young parishioners from area churches. The invocation was

the eternal gospel herald — volume 4, no. 2 page 5

Ecumenical Service Sponsored by SDA Church 3/6/2005—An Ecumenical Service was held at the Mount Fortune Seventh-day Adventist Church on Sunday afternoon, May 29, on the eve of Anguilla Day. Actually, May 29, 1967, was the day when the decision was taken by the people at meeting, at the then Burrowes Park, to demand the St. Kitts Po-lice to leave Anguilla the following day, May 30. The service was one of the culminating events of a month-long series of activities to celebrate the 38th Anniversary of the An-guilla Revolution under the theme “Community Mobilization To Build Our Na-tion.” The service, at the request of the Chief Minis-ter’s Office, was organized by the Anguilla Christian Council and the Evangelical Associa-tion. Among the attendees were the Governor and Deputy Governor, Ministers of Govern-ment, the Speaker, other officials and Ministers from various churches. The order of the service included the call to worship by Ursil Brooks of the Anglican Church; the opening prayer by Pastor Doreen Hodge, representative of the Spanish church on the island; selections by the Seventh-day Ad-ventist Church Choir; the Christian Fellowship Church; Faith Evangelical Outreach; and the Methodist Circuit Men’s Choir. The sermon was delivered by SDA Pastor Danny Philip. In his stirring message from the Book of Isaiah, he drew comparisons between Israel of old and Anguilla, noting the chal-lenges they experienced in mobilizing them-selves towards nation-building. He said An-guilla would continue to be successful once it stuck to the vision of its revolution, look to God its sustainer and, like an eagle, it would soar high above the challenges coming its way. The Intercessory Prayers were by Pastor Dexter Welcome of the New Testament Church; the Act of Recommitment was by Superintendent Minister of the Methodist Circuit, Reverend Lindsay Richardson, who led the prayers on behalf of the Elected Representatives and who also played the organ during the final part of the service. Father Ed Herberger of St. Gerard’s Roman Catholic Church gave the Final Prayer and Blessing. The Anguillian, Weekly Independent Newspaper of Anguilla, Address: PO Box 98, The Valley Anguilla, Tel: (264) 497-3823 Fax: (264) 497-8706

Christian Fellowship Church Singers Methodist Circuit Men’s Choir

Seventh-day Adventist Pastor Danny Phillip

Roman Catholic Priest, Ed Herberger, offers closing prayer.

Seventh-day Adventist Church Choir

Faith Evangelical Outreach Singers

Methodist Rev. Lindsay Richardson

delivered by Chaplain John Walsh of the University of Redlands. The Chaplain's Office helps to sponsor the event. The sacred dance youth group from Trinity Evangelical Free Church performed a dance to "I Can Only Imagine." Donning brightly colored costumes, streaming ribbons in their hands, the girls danced in cele-bration of God's love and ended in the shape of a holy cross. Mayor Susan Peppler thanked those in attendance for gathering at the breakfast. "This is a time when we can all come together and share our faiths as one," said Peppler. "This breakfast helps the mayor’s day go a little better." Peppler mentioned the morning's gloomy weather and said that the sunshine of God's love was ever present in the room. She introduced other dignitaries and invited the members of the different churches in the room to stand and introduce themselves. At least 10 different con-gregations were represented, from Catholic to Jewish, Mormon to Adventist. Redlands Daily Facts Newspaper, 700 Brookside Ave., Redlands, CA 92373, Phone: (909) 793-3221

page 6 the eternal gospel herald — volume 4, no. 2

Vatican Wants U.S. to Finish Job in Iraq By VICTOR L. SIMPSON, Associated Press, January 11, 2005 ROME - The U.S. ambassador to the Vatican said Tuesday that offi-cials in the Holy See want the United States to remain in Iraq and pacify the country despite Pope John Paul II's opposition to the war. John Paul strongly opposed what the United States called a "preventive war" in Iraq, urging instead that U.N. weapons inspec-tions be allowed to continue. "We had an honest disagreement between two great leaders and what happened, happened," Ambassador Jim Nicholson, recently nomi-nated by President Bush to be secretary of veterans affairs, said in an interview with The Associated Press. Since then, most Vatican officials have been "forward looking," he said. "I will say that virtually everyone I talk to at the Vatican does not want the United States to pull out of Iraq. They want us to stay in there, solidify and pacify Iraq and help it become a free, stable and democratic country," Nicholson said.

Ten Years of Sunday Shopping By Liam Allen, BBC News, Friday, 27 August, 2004 It is 10 years since shops in England and Wales could open on a Sunday. When the trading laws were changed, campaigners against the move complained it would lead to an "erosion of family life". BBC News looks at the impact of the laws 10 years on. Shopping centers say Sunday is one of the most successful days of business. Consumers, it seems, have thoroughly embraced the Sunday shop-ping culture which began on 28 August, 1994. But the Keep Sunday Special Campaign says its assertion that the laws would lead to an erosion of family life has been proved right. Campaign manager John Alexander told BBC News: "Family life has been eroded in the last 10 years, although Sunday trading is only one factor. "Every day we read about some chief executive giving up a job be-cause of the stress caused by continuous working. "I think a lot of people now realize that we were right about this." Mr. Alexander says that before the 1994 legislation, people would "put the day aside" for their family and generally would not work. "The old tradition was that people had a Sunday lunch or would take part in a leisure pursuit or would go and see their family," he says. "People might go to see friends, they went for walks or they did lei-sure activities." Relationships in society had "taken a heck of a knock" as a result of Sunday trading, he adds. "Some of the organizations are now falling through. With dramatic societies or cricket teams, people no longer have any time." The Catholic church says there had been a 15% decline in Sunday mass attendances between 1994 and 2002 but that there had been "no clear link to Sunday trading". The Church of England says it has seen a shift, in the last 10 years, towards worshippers attending services right across the week rather than just the traditional Sunday service. "Sunday trading is perhaps one of the elements that has had an im-pact on Sunday activity but generally it's not just Sunday trade - it's also sporting activities and other pursuits", a spokesman says. But while many support the freedom of choice to do what they like with their Sunday, Mr. Alexander argues that choice is not available to all. "The fact is there are still people serving behind the counter. "They can't spend the time with their families and many will have been pressured into working."

Protestants Praise Pope Leadership By Jenny Welp, Sioux City Journal April 4, 2005 The late Pope John Paul II was an impor-tant voice for Christians of the world, Protestant pastors in Sioux City said Sun-day. John Paul II was not the only voice, for not all Christians believe the same thing, but he was a voice that could be heard by world leaders, said Roger Madden, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church, 1915 Ne-braska St. "He made political leaders think about what God would want done in-stead of their own agendas," Madden said. And he valued the voices that are least heard by the larger society, said the Rev. Valerie Heller, pastor at Grace United Methodist Church, 1735 Morningside Ave., and Rustin Avenue United Methodist Church, 2901 Leech Ave. She said he reached out to children and ministered to people with AIDS, especially those living in poorer countries. His cooperation with President Ronald Reagan led to the downfall of communism, according to Jerry Tullier, pastor at Sioux City Seventh-day Adventist Church, 3636 Aspenwood St. "That's probably his legacy to me, more than anything else," Tullier said. "It seemed providential at the time. It just seemed like the timing was there; the chemistry was there." But John Paul II never dictated what the world should do; he quietly offered advice, said the Rev. Del Olivier, pastor at Augustana Lutheran Church, 600 Court St. For example, he said the pope blessed the inde-pendent labor movement in communist Poland years ago, and that led to the democratic election of a new leader. "He was a very great man," Olivier said. "The ability for him to go into so many different countries, even countries that were hostile toward religion. Particularly in the communist countries, he was able to come in and be the bearer of the good news." It impressed a lot of Protestants when John Paul II forgave the man who tried to kill him, said the Rev. Jim Scallions, pastor director at the Sioux City Gospel Mission, 301 W. Eighth St. Olivier was touched when the pope apologized to the Jewish people for the events of World War II. "The world's lost a tremendous leader, a loving person, and he's going to be missed by many," Scallions said. "And he's certainly going to be difficult to replace." When asked what qualities would be desirable in the next pope, Tullier said he appreciated the conservative stance of John Paul II, and he would also like the next pope to work with leaders of other Christian denominations as equals. "As a woman in ministry, I would like to see the next pope at least open up a dialogue about the women's role in the leadership of the Ro-man Catholic Church," Heller said. "I would like to see the next pope keep the needs of people in poorer countries as a major priority." Olivier said he would like the next pope to allow women into the priesthood and to allow those who have been divorced to fully partici-pate in the Catholic sacraments. But Madden said he will leave the qualities of the next pope up to God. He said John Paul II seemed to be the right man for the right time. "I just pray for the right man for this time, and God's will be done." Sioux City Journal 515 Pavonia St., Sioux City, Iowa 51105 (712) 293-4210

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Unprecedented Showing of 200 World Leaders to Attend Pope’s Funeral By KENNETH R. BAZINET New York Daily News Tue, Apr. 05, 2005 President Bush will lead more than 200 world leaders from all faiths to Pope John Paul II's funeral at the Vatican. "Laura and I are looking forward to leading a delegation to honor the holy father," Bush said. "It is my great honor, on behalf of our country, to express our gratitude to the Almighty for such a man." The President and First Lady Laura Bush will leave Wednes-day for Rome. Also heading for the Vatican will be British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Prince Charles, French President Jacques Chirac, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. In addition, Poland's President Aleksander Kwasniewski and his wife, Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka and former Polish President Lech Walesa will attend. Heads of state and royalty from Albania to Venezuela will be arriv-ing. It will be an unprecedented showing for the funeral of a pope. "If you com-pare, the funerals of previous popes were all low-key," said a European dip-lomat. The leaders of non-Catholic countries also will be present, including Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and the political hierarchy of Lebanon. The Arab League of Muslim states ordered its flags lowered to half-staff. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is not attending. Instead, he is sending Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and Israeli President Moshe Katsav. Religious leaders traveling to Rome include Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir. The Cuban regime of Fidel Castro, which had a tense relationship with the pope, declared a three-day mourning period and lowered the nation's flag to half-staff. Castro, a former altar boy who embraced the pope during the pon-tiff's 1998 visit to the island, is not expected to attend, a Cuban diplomat said. About 150 House and Senate members, most of them Catholic, were follow-ing papal protocol and waiting to see whether they would get invitations to attend the funeral from the Vatican, a Capitol Hill source said.

In this photo released by the White House, President Bush greets the American Cardinals in Rome, Thursday, April 7, 2005. From left to right are: Cardinal Mahony, of Los Angeles; President Bush; Cardinal George, of Chicago; Cardinal Rigali, of Philadelphia; and Cardinal Keeler, of Baltimore. Bush was in Rome for the funeral of the late John Paul II. (AP Photo/The White House, Eric Draper)

U.S. President George W. Bush (L), U.S. First Lady Laura Bush (2L), former U.S. presidents George Bush (C) and Bill Clinton (2R) and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (R) pay their respects to Pope John Paul II while on their knees in St. Peters Basilica (AFP/Tim Sloan)

An international clergy (below), along with world leaders (above), and millions of mourners attended the funeral Mass for Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Friday, April 8, 2005. An estimated 5 million people were in Rome in one of the largest religious gatherings in modern times. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A Reflection on the Death of Pope John Paul II Review Article, Monday April 04, 2005 By Bert B. Beach

One of the longest papal pontificates in history has come to a close. This marks an end to a Catholic era. The pope had been struggling seriously healthwise for several years, especially during the past year when he was no longer able to perform several of his usual functions. He will be remembered for his strong advocacy of tradi-tional Catholic doctrines, bioethical positions, and un-ceasing devotion to the Virgin Mary. He did, however, break new ground in Catholic theology by opening the

door to the evolutionary theory regarding origins and hell as a state rather than a location. Seventh-day Adventists will have reason to remember his strong advocacy in many statements regarding human rights, religious liberty, and the rights of religious minorities. He also vigorously supported family values and mar-riage, and was an inveterate promoter of life, including the embryonic state, and the lives of even the worse criminals by condemning the death penalty. With the great strides in medical care to sustain life and the lengthening of the life span, it would seem necessary for the Catholic Church to consider making specific and effective provision for the retirement of popes (as it has already done for bishops and cardinals) who are no longer able to fully ef-fectively function.

page 8 the eternal gospel herald — volume 4, no. 2

Subscription: FREE Send inquiries to: The Eternal Gospel Herald PO Box 15138 W.P.B., FL 33416 1-800-769-2150 eternalgospel@att.net Note: Every effort is made to insure the accuracy of the information contained herein.

The Eternal Gospel Herald is published from West Palm Beach, Florida, USA, by the Eternal Gospel Church, a ministry that was founded in 1992 by Seventh-day Ad-ventist believers to bring true, genuine, world-wide revival and reformation by pro-claiming the Third Angel’s Message. It is by the grace of God and the support of each of you that we are able to participate in publishing, radio, newspapers, bill-boards, and foreign missions.

From left to right: Pastor Evan Sadler of Hope International, New Zealand, Pastor Rafael Perez of the Eternal Gospel Church, Pastor Dennis Crystal of Layman United from Truth, and Pastor Mike Baugher of Steps to Life.

Praise the Lord for His answer to prayer in helping us with our recent campmeeting. We truly felt the Lord’s presence in the congregation throughout the meetings. We had the opportunity to hear testimonies, missionary reports, special music, and timely, present-truth messages. It was indeed a wonderful experience.

We would like to thank everyone who at-tended the meetings, all the volunteers, and all who helped us coordinate the meetings together. It was such a blessing to meet old friends and to make new ones. We are in-deed grateful for the wonderful messages that we heard. Everyone was truly blessed and refreshed by the presentations. We want to thank our guest speakers for their labor of love in challenging us to stand up for the truth in these last days.

We’re looking forward to having another campmeeting, October 21-23, 2005. Please pray that the same spirit of fellowship that we recently experienced will continue and grow. We know that the spirit of unity is a process that will only come through effective prayer, the study of God’s word, personal holiness, and genuine love among God’s people. One thing is sure—God has a faithful remnant people who have a burning desire to see the work of the third angel’s message finished in this world, and we were encouraged with their fellowship during campmeeting.

Please pray that we will have an open-air lunch pavilion ready for the next meeting. The Lord has sent us the workers who are eager to start. We are hoping to raise the funds for the building materials. We have been told that campmeetings will be one of the means that God will use to bring revival and reformation (TM 508, 6T 38). —Pastor Raphael Perez

Letters

Pastor Perez, May God bless and protect you for pro-claiming the third angel’s message the way it should be. Thank you for sending me a copy of the Herald. I know we are in the very last days of earth’s history. May God help us to finish His work very soon. Robert & Molly Cruz, California. Dear Brethren of the Eternal Gospel Church, I am grateful for being able to write to you and express my thanks to you for sending me The Eternal Gospel Her-ald. Please send me any information or literature so that I can share our message to the world. May God bless you and know that you are in my prayers. Felicita Ralon, Puerto Rico. To whom it may concern: My name is Ruth Henderson, and I am a literature evangelist. I am saddened and dis-appointed that not enough SDA Christians are fulfilling the Great Commission to “go ye therefore” and witness, try to win souls, and share the precious three angels’ messages with the world. I was a Sunday-keeper for about 30 years. It was through one of your books that I came into the truth. I give out books and tracts for free. I mostly set up my table and sit outside grocery stores all day and give the literature to people. Will you please donate some of your literature to my ministry so that I can distribute them throughout the Atlanta area. I prom-ise not one piece of it will go to waste, but will find its way in the hands of souls. Your Sister in Christ, Ruth Henderson, Georgia. Pastor Perez, Thank you for the message you placed in the Louisville Courier Journal. It has done a lot of good, and the only complaint was from Seventh-day Advent-ists who are ashamed of the three angel’s message. We pray for you always, Schubert & Rena Grimm, Indi-ana. Dear Ones in the Faith, We are writing to say thank you very much for your gift that made Bibles and Spirit of Prophecy books available for voluntary Bible workers in our islands. This is the first time in our life that we are able to have personal copies of the Spirit of Prophecy books. We promise to share the message from these books with our countrymen in the small villages where we live. Remember us in your prayers, Maraming Salamat, Renato Calimlim, Daniel Cordero, Rustico Dela Pena, Luis Nunez, Willie PadillaJessie Paroji-nog, Apolonio Leuterio, Quezon City, Philippines. Dear Eternal Gospel Church, Warmest greetings to our brothers and sisters. We thoroughly enjoyed your latest newsletter. We do so appreciate all the research and work that you put into it. You are the watchman on the walls and few, if any, who are willing to sound the trum-pet. You are in our prayers daily. God Bless you! To-gether for Jesus, Milt and Jo Phelps, Colorado. Hello my name is Jorge Martinez. I am an inmate cur-rently incarcerated here in New York. Recently a fellow inmate shared with me a few Bible studies that you sent to him. If I could somehow participate in these Bible studies I would appreciate it. Thank you very much, Jorge Martinez, New York. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Please put me on your mail-ing list. It would be a real blessing to receive The Eter-nal Gospel Herald. Thank you for your commitment to spreading the third angel’s message. Keep up the good work, Michael Anderson, Washington. Dear Eternal Gospel Church, I thank you for the infor-mation you sent me. It has helped me a lot. I would appreciate if you would send me the correspondence in-formation and the books I have circled. God bless you for taking the time to help others. That’s what the Lord wants you to do and I will also do the same as I grow closer to my Lord and Savior. God bless you, Lionel Thomas, Florida.

Pastor Rafael Perez (left) with Pastor Barry Mellor (right) of Tennessee.