The Seventh-day Adventist Church is God's denominated people.  We are on perilous ground if we split off into thousands of different atoms.

SPTB07
If the ideas presented in this book (Living Temple) were received, they would
lead to the uprooting of the whole construction of the faith that makes
Seventh-day Adventists a chosen, denominated people.
...
The Lord would now have a straight-forward, decided testimony
borne regarding every point of present truth. We are a denominated
people, and we are not to yield up our faith to the science of human
sophistry.

10OM
God has placed in our hands a banner on which is inscribed the
words, "The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." "Here are they
that keep the commandments of God, and have the testimonies of Jesus
Christ," He declares. At all times and in all places we are to hold the
banner firmly aloft. God's denominated people are to take a firm stand
under the banner of truth.

19OM
God's people are to use their talents and means and influence in
doing the work He has given them. His denominated people are to occupy
an important position before those who know not the truth.

10OM
With upraised hand the people here (Sinai) made a solemn covenant with the
Lord; and they became His denominated people, pledged to obey all the
commandments of the Lord.

20OM
God calls upon His people to unify, that the harmony among those
who love Him and keep His law may convince those in the world that He
sent His Son to save sinners. Christ calls upon those who love God and
keep His commandments to unify on the truths that have called us out
from the world as God's denominated people. God is love, and all who
are truly practicing the truth will bear the precious fruit of love.

7RH
1904-8-8
It is a sign between me and the
children of Israel forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and
earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed."
Do not these words point us out as God's denominated people? and
do they not declare to us that so long as time shall last, we are to
cherish the sacred, denominational distinction placed on us? The
children of Israel were to observe the Sabbath throughout their
generations "for a perpetual covenant." The Sabbath has lost none of
its meaning. It is still the sign between God and his people, and it
will be so forever.

8OM
The reasons why we are denominated
people of God are to be repeated and repeated.

It is important to note that Israel became God's denominated people at Mt. Sinai.  Even during the hundreds of years of apostasy and even killing their prophets and being driven into captivity and worshipping idols, they were STILL God's denominated people.  They retained that distinction until they put God on the cross.  SDAs have done very bad things too, but I know of no one that they have outright killed for calling on SDAs to repent.  I know of no leaders who outright worship idols.  The leaders have done some things to put Christ to open shame (like support abortion), but no two people I've ever met can agree on what actually constitutes the supposed SDA falling away from "Laodicea" into "Babylon".

Good topic!

Moses and Aaron stayed with the mixed multitude that was in apostacy...  God cleansed most of those in open rebellion.

Caleb and Joshua also stayed with the 'bunch' for another 40 years...

I think it would be easier to leave than to stay and deal with all the problems there in...

Shireen, how do you see the following, as increasing light or as apostasy.  If you see these as light let us know how you do.

NLP, Lab,1, 2, 3, Emerging church, Spiritual exercises and the new theology saved in sin in all that I know of.  What I've witnessed is the same theology as all the worldly Sunday church structures. 

The Papacy was the great falling away in our past, how about this in what was the Church as it was in Christ's day, the Jews couldn't see it.

Now is it is us who cannot see?

We want to be of these,

1Jo 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

The Bible speaks about helping the Lord's cause or hurting it. 

Hebrews 10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

Judges 5:23  Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.

aren't there 7,000 that have not bowed their knee to Baal?

But Ed, none of this stuff has left the GC and the universities push it and all the ones out of  them go forth.  It was the conference that let in PDC, (purpose driven church), wanted it they did to gain numbers but it all backfired on them but no recant and there is not going to be either.

Ed you need not feel for me as I have stayed in the one and only True Church, the one and only that is for sure Church!  None of the structures men call church are.  Only God can build His Church and He did by His designated builder, Jesus Christ.

Mt16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

It never fell and to say it did one would be calling Him a liar. So since it did not why would we not just better get up and step back into it. I did.

Does not EGW tell us The Church is not any denomination but that is the people only that come and worship in truth and He then is in the midst and His Presence in it constitutes Church!

Just because the Papacy fell off into apostasy don't mean we must try and organize a church structure ourselves which man cannot do.  Man cannot build God His Church, only He can and He did, my advice, it's the true one to get and be in and of.

NB, in the very end I find that beyond the 144,000 the number if more will be but few.  The falling away of the Papal apostasy is minor to what is transpiring now and this is the falling away that is being referred to,

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

1Jo 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Webmaster,

You must have missed this one of her's and she spells out why here,

  God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His commandments. "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." Where Christ is, even among the humble few, this is Christ's church, for the presence of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church. Where two or three are present who love and obey the commandments of God, Jesus there presides, let it be in the desolate place of the earth, in the wilderness, in the city, [or] enclosed in prison walls. The glory of God has penetrated the prison walls, flooding with glorious beams of heavenly light the darkest dungeon. His saints may suffer, but their sufferings will, like the apostles' of old, spread their faith and win souls to Christ and glorify His holy name. The bitterest opposition expressed by those who hate God's great moral standard of righteousness should not and will not shake the steadfast soul who trusts fully in God.  {17MR 81.4} 

     All things shall work together for good to those who love God. "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments." They that will be doers of the word are building securely, and the tempest and storm of persecution will not shake their foundation, because their souls are rooted to the eternal Rock.  {17MR 82.1}

When we are in a congregation where error is set forth Christ has left it and it is no longer Church as it is made very clear that His Presence in it only constitutes Church.

There just is no other Church than the One He Built upon Himself and it had no denominational name.  All the rest in this world are but mere structures of men of which they are it's head, organizer and they ordain the teachers of it.

His True Church can be held anyplace that people gather and the Worship is in Spirit and in Truth. 

Joh4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him "MUST"worship him in spirit and in truth.

It is an erroneous view that any need be in any of the structures men have made called by different denominational names.  There is but one True Church on earth and men are not able to come close to build God His Church.

Only God Himself can build His Church and He did that by His One and Only Able Designated Builder, Jesus Christ who is fully God our Father with us, first in the Body of Jesus Christ and now in Jesus by Spirit.  No imposture, imitation, masquerade, pretense here!

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Webmaster, it once was but in ways somewhat as the Papacy, have fallen out. Men took over God's organization and decided on their own, not of the Word to bring in some things not allowable, not truth and a fallback in some ways to the great pagan Papal fall out. I won't bother here to name them all of which I may not remember them all and one I probably would misspell.

Now, when we step into His Church, really the one and only True Church that ever was that He built and guaranteed would not fall we are not breaking off into thousands of individual atoms.  Each group regardless of size is His Church at that location when the worship is in veritable Truth.

However I cannot express strongly enough that the greatest falling away is happening now across completely all Christendom!

We are definitely in the falling away the scripture is speaking of.

2Th 2:3 ¶ Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

The man of sin to be concerned about is Satan and not the Pope for the simple reason this is who is indicated by scripture and I will show you now,

These two verses tell us who it is,

2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

If we carefully read the above two verses as one, the meaning comes out much clearer,

2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

I find it actually is telling us it is Satan doing the iniquity of verse 6,7, -- 2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

For #1, Wicked is anomos in the Greek and means, the alpha lawless one.

459. anomos

anomoV anomos an'-om-os
from 1 (as a negative particle) and 3551; lawless, i.e. (negatively) not subject to (the Jewish) law; (by implication, a Gentile), or (positively) wicked:--without law, lawless, transgressor, unlawful, wicked.

See Greek 1
See Greek 3551

It tells us to see Greek 1, is Alpha and nomos negatively means lawless and so we see it is the "alpha lawless one."

1. a

a a al'-fah
of Hebrew origin; the first letter of the alphabet; figuratively, only (from its use as a numeral) the first: --Alpha. Often used (usually an, before a vowel) also in composition (as a contraction from 427) in the sense of privation; so, in many words, beginning with this letter; occasionally in the sense of union (as a contraction of 260).

Now we have some that will say Satan is not a man. God sees him as a man.

Eze 28:9 Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee.
Eze 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
Eze 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
Eze 28:18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

He is the man of Re 13:18 also, Read EGW on who is the second beast of verses Re 13:11-18. Note she quotes verses 13-17 and you will find when you read from your Bible verses 11,12, and 18 cannot be separated from them.

"In Revelation we read concerning Satan: "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name" (Revelation 13:13-17). . . . {3SM 393.1}

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

But it has fallen off in apostasy in deep ways that cannot be denied and so that fact nullifies our standing as His denominated people.

It's a terrible thing to have to cope with and to be truly His I cannot no longer be a party in it and so to it.

I have to stand on Sister Whites testimony here, I can not do otherwise!

God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His commandments. "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). Where Christ is even among the humble few, this is Christ's church, for the presence of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church.  {UL 315.5} 

     Where two or three are present who love and obey the commandments of God, Jesus there presides, let it be in the desolate place of the earth, in the wilderness, in the city enclosed in prison walls. The glory of God has penetrated the prison walls, flooding with glorious beams of heavenly light the darkest dungeon. His saints may suffer, but their sufferings will, like the apostles of old, spread their faith and win souls to Christ and glorify His holy name. The bitterest opposition expressed by those who hate God's great moral standard of righteousness should not and will not shake the steadfast soul who trusts fully in God. . . .  {UL 315.6} 

     They that will be doers of the word are building securely, and the tempest and storm of persecution will not shake their foundation, because their souls are rooted to the eternal Rock.--Letter 108, Oct. 28, 1886, to her older sister and her husband who had not accepted the Sabbath truth.  {UL 315.7} 

Satan has plainly stolen the march on all the church structures of men.  The only one guaranteed to not fall to the gates of hell is the one He Himself built and I must choose it without question,

Mt 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1Jo 4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
1Jo 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Thanks but no thanks webmaster, I will stay with the Church that my God has built of which only He can be the builder.

Webmaster, you would need to explain to me how being in Christ's Church is not the one I or anyone would be making a mistake by becoming a member in it, actually a living stone in the building of which is men and women that He is building it with.

1Co 3:16 ¶ Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

He has told us His Church would not fall and it has not.

Mt 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

My dear Brother, Webmaster, I do sincerely appreciate your concern.  My trouble with the SDA denomination is that she has fallen and none of the fallings have been corrected.  My God tells me He must be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and it is clear that He will not be in the midst thereof if error is being entertained and it is His Presence in it that alone can constitute True Church.

As I remember it all began with a great thrust to increase membership and it worked just the opposite right from the beginning.  Why is because God was not in it!  Here in the conference the academy and the church school are barely alive for lack of students.  The ABC had shut down but after a bit a fellow with some means started it back up and now sells some naturals and some publications.  My daughter has been there since but as of yet I have not.  It is not moving fast enough I do not think for him to keep up and I would like to see him keep solvent.  It is located at a main intersection and getting in and out is easily accessible.

I had quit buying things at that store as most you got was way outdated and some things rancid and now I have found a health food store the man really keeps fresh products and anything you might want, he has it all I do believe.  I buy some local produce from a market that the farmers of it are for true organic and is more expensive but much better and I raise as much as I can but at 83 I'm not able to raise what I used to.

The food supply at the big groceries is getting so it is not fit food, we need to be very careful of what we buy in food for sure.

In retrospect, review of past events, I do not find that I have left my God's True Church.

Dear Webmaster,

I just cannot bring myself in where clear error is being put forth, I have to get up and leave, I don't want to be in and of it.

Sister White echoes this too,

 God is displeased with those who go to listen to error, when they are not obliged to; for unless he sends us to these meetings, where error is forced home to the people by the power of the will, he will not keep us. The angels cease their watchful care over us, and we are left to the buffetings of the enemy, to be darkened and weakened by him, and the power of his evil angels; and the light around us becomes contaminated with the darkness.  {ExV54 45.2}

The SDA GC made the church a denomination of the world when they went and had it made a worldly corporation and the True Church cannot be in any way be of the world.

EGW also states His Church is not any of the denominations and this is what the GC has made it.  Emerging church, we are one it is said.  They wanted popularity with the world!

No I am not one with the apostate and cannot be!

No, I will be one only of His Church that He built upon Himself and guaranteed it would not fall.  No need of any church structures of men were ever needed as all any need have done is get into the True one He established that the apostate one fell from and come out of the apostate one and that is valid to this day.

God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His commandments. "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). Where Christ is even among the humble few, this is Christ's church, for the presence of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church.  {UL 315.5} 

     Where two or three are present who love and obey the commandments of God, Jesus there presides, let it be in the desolate place of the earth, in the wilderness, in the city enclosed in prison walls. The glory of God has penetrated the prison walls, flooding with glorious beams of heavenly light the darkest dungeon. His saints may suffer, but their sufferings will, like the apostles of old, spread their faith and win souls to Christ and glorify His holy name. The bitterest opposition expressed by those who hate God's great moral standard of righteousness should not and will not shake the steadfast soul who trusts fully in God. . . .  {UL 315.6} 

     They that will be doers of the word are building securely, and the tempest and storm of persecution will not shake their foundation, because their souls are rooted to the eternal Rock.--Letter 108, Oct. 28, 1886, to her older sister and her husband who had not accepted the Sabbath truth.  {UL 315.7} 

What do you think EGW's testimony of SDAdventism be today?  For me that is not even a question.  We all know they quit hearing her even before 1904!  Her testimony was changing fast also about the church before she passed on.

Yes Webmaster I had intended to drop this discussion but the more I thought about it the more concerned I became.

Are you telling me that error isn't weaved in by the pastor in your congregation?

That would be rare indeed as the first little SDA Church I was in was a very true one and a few times a pastor was sent us and He weaved some error and always some of us would meet him at the door and was told to not come back, and He didn't.

Our little Church was a township church building and we were way out and the conference never assigned us a Pastor thank the Lord and so every now and then they would send one from a big church around 60 miles away and finally one liked our little church and so began to do the long drive every Sabbath and he was true blue with truth.

But very sad the devil got him and he drove down to my place and I was down our steam fishing as the stream was a pure one and nice fish could be caught and he came down the stream to find me and told me his demise. 

A beautiful woman in the big church got him caught up in adultery.  He told me that I was the first to know it except for his wife and he said she forgave him as she saw this woman was a pro at this game and said, let the church know I will pastor no more and I will be in another occupation and he had one in mind if my memory serves me right.

We then moved close to a city and we joined the SDA church there and that did me in.  Love, love, love was preached and the "new" theology that no one can quit sinning and we fought it hard to no avail.  Top pastors of the conference came in and upheld that theology.

Yes we started a home church and it had around 60 members until the great majority broke off as Trinitarians and so our true Church became too small to rent the building and insurance and utility bills so we finally had to disband and some had moved out or we could have continued.

Now I must tell you where I stand and cannot be moved.

No reformation churches of any kind need have been started of men as all seeing the apostasy the Papal break off was into only needed to go into the one it fell out of.

What must be seen and realized is the fact Christ's Church that He built upon Himself absolutely did not fall.  To say it had would be calling Him a liar.  The following verse states it plain and clear!

Mt16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

When I read this verse it hit me like a rock!  Here is the one and only Church that is truly Church and any can be in it regardless of the size of the group as it is His Church at whatever location it is at and many small or large congregations all over the earth are his Church!  No denominational name.  It is called by Him, "My Church" Eklesia in Greek.

Then from what AT Jones along with what EGW wrote I learned that only God can build His Church and here we see He did.

All men can do is build structures and call them church but is not.  There is but ONE true Church, His Eklesia!

I have to be in it, none other will suffice.