Do we make to much of all this Pope business? Yes, to some degree, we do. It is NOT the Pope, or Catholics themselves, that will ultimately pass a National Sunday law, it is the "daughters of the beast", apostate Christianity making an "image" to the beast, NOT the beast itself.
Should we raise awareness by pointing to the system the Pope represents? Certainly! We should point out, to those fine Baptist neighbors of yours, that they are honoring that system of worship and supporting that pope by worshiping on Sunday! The Catholic Church, behind the curtain, thinks those fine Baptist neighbors of yours are idiots who remain unaware of how they are acknowledging and supporting the Pope by their actions. It will be the Mormons, the Baptists, the Evangelicals, all of them, that pass the law. And the Pope will smile and take the credit.
The National Sunday law of 1888, the "Blair Bill", where were the Catholics when that almost passed? Nowhere to be found! They had nothing to do with that "movement", they didn't offer support beyond a letter or two, they let the apostate Christians carry the ball, and patted them on the back and told them they were doing a good job. So it will be again, we rightfully point to the Pope, but its my fine Christian Baptist and "Spirit filled" neighbors that concern me. Those are the ones who will rise up and start a grass roots movement to "take this country back to God" that will result in a Sunday law, not the Pope.
Sometimes, we should have less to say about the Pope and more to say about his apostate daughters, who are the real danger!
It will be a series of events, like Kim Davis getting arrested for refusing to issue a gay marriage license, that will lead to the apostate Christians getting "fed up" with the moral decline of this nation. Fed up to the point where that grass roots movement to demand a Sunday law will kick in.
Is Kim Davis, therefore, merely a tool of the devil? No, not entirely, a "tool" the devil will use to inspire a Christian response! At the same time, the Lord is using Kim Davis to wake up this nation to its moral decline, to bring the conversation around to, "religious freedom". To agitate questions like: Maybe we need a Sunday law and other religious laws to protect those poor, sincere, deeply religious folks, like Kim Davis, from those "bad guys" the radical LGBT crowd.
The LGBT crowd want laws to protect them, well Christians want laws to protect their Churches as well. "Spoiler alert", I read the last chapter, we know how this ends! :)
"I saw that the two-horned beast had a dragon's mouth, and that his power was in his head, and that the decree would go out of his mouth. Then I saw the Mother of Harlots; that the mother was not the daughters, but separate and distinct from them. She has had her day, and it is past, and her daughters, the Protestant sects, were the next to come on the stage and act out the same mind that the mother had when she persecuted the saints. I saw that as the mother has been declining in power, the daughters had been growing, and soon they will exercise the power once exercised by the mother." {SpM 1.4}
Abortion, homosexuality, drugs, breakup of the family unit, the list of moral decay, and its acceleration, is long. At some point, probably after a huge event like fireballs from the heavens that destroy whole cities, America will "come to its senses", but by then, its senses will not be towards God, but towards the new Master it has chosen. And he will appear in person, telling everyone that everything will be OK if we just follow him and do as he says.
While agreed that it will be apostate Protestantism that actually does the grunt work in getting a Sunday Law eventually passed in the US, it is the Great Whore mother that instigates it.
Personally I can't fathom why any Seventh-day Adventist would vilify Kim Davis for standing up for her Christian beliefs. We know that the day will come for us soon, so shouldn't we be at the forefront of trying to protect her? Instead, we are wasting our time and energy trying to protect a woman who wants to wear a hijab to work!
You make a couple of good points Webmaster. Like "fireballs from heaven", well, at least not initially, but the principle is correct. I think so called "natural disasters" will come with increasing frequency and many (Adventists no exception) will blame it on global warming, or fault lines or a "100 year storm", just "nature" in general. Until they increase in such magnitude combined with plagues, pestilence, uh, maybe drought and fires, people finally start to think about a connection between God, sin and disaster. Of course those folks directly impacted with disaster are a little quicker to make the connection. But most of us are simply observers, 15 minutes of awesome destruction and on to the next news event. It may take something on the order of "fireballs from heaven" for folks to wake up.
I see these ever increasing in number and devastation as leading the charge to "take this country back to God" grass roots movement that ends in the people demanding religious laws, in spite of the Constitution. Threaten the career politicians job in a serious and meaningful way and they WILL roll over and push such laws through. In spite of the Supreme Court, or, will it be because of the Supreme Court? It will come one way or another, as they unknowingly or knowingly support the papacy. Both my "fine Christian neighbors" detest Catholicism, and yet they honor that system with their Sunday worship. The irony!! It will begin with my fine neighbors calling for local Sunday laws, in my town, then county, then State, it will grow into a "loud cry" (if I may use that expression). :)
I'm a bit mixed about how to take the Kim Davis issue. Yes, I understand the implications as it concerns religious freedom. Would I protest and actively support her? I don't think so, she could step down from her Government position. Should she? Or should she stand? Go quietly or go kicking, go to jail? Tough call, I'm reminded of Paul's counsel to the Thessalonians who faced persecution from the government: Live a quiet life, work with your hands, mind your own business. Don't put yourself in a position where the state has "cause" to do you harm. That time will come soon enough, when you are left with no choice, as the three worthies, Daniels friends, were left with no choice. Bow or the flames of the furnace.
On the other hand, Kim Davis is bring this to the attention of the nation. In doing so, right or wrong, she MAY be considered Gods servant. That is not always a good thing, Babylon was Gods servant also when they took Israel captive!
******************************************************** db: 8RH pt: Advent Review and Sabbath Herald dt: 11-24-04 at: The Day of the Lord Is Near, and Hasteth Greatly pr: 1 ******************************************************** (Reading for Friday, December 16.)--An Impressive Scene.--Not long ago a very impressive scene passed before me. I saw an immense ball of fire falling among some beautiful mansions, causing their instant destruction. I heard some one say, "We knew that the judgments of God were coming upon the earth, but we did not know that they would come so soon." Others said, "You knew? Why then did you not tell us. We did not know." On every side I heard such words spoken.
In great distress I awoke. I went to sleep again, and seemed to be in a large gathering. One of authority was addressing the company, before whom was spread out a map of the world. He said that this map pictured God's vineyard, which must be cultivated. As light from heaven shone upon any one, that one was to reflect the light to others. Lights were to be kindled in many places, and from these lights still other lights were to be kindled. The words were repeated,--
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is henceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill can not be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
I saw jets of light shining from cities and villages, and from the high places and the low places of the earth. God's Word was obeyed, and, as a result, there were memorials for him in every city and village. His truth was proclaimed throughout the world.
Then this map was removed, and another put in its place. On it, light was shining forth from a few places only. The rest of the world was in darkness, with only a glimmer of light here and there. Our Instructor said, "This darkness is the result of men's following their own course. They have cherished hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil. They have made questioning and faultfinding and accusing the chief business of their lives. Their hearts are not right with God. They have hidden their light under a bushel."
If every soldier of Christ had done his duty, if every watchman on the walls of Zion had given the trumpet a certain sound, the world might, ere this, have heard the message of warning. But the work is years behind. While men have slept, Satan has stolen a march upon us.
================================================== BALLS Of FIRE COMING DOWN UPON THE WORLD CRUSH LARGE HOUSES; THE REACTIONS OF PEOPLE. Last night a scene was presented before me. I may never feel free to reveal all of it, but I will reveal a little. It seemed that an immense ball of fire came down upon the world and crushed large houses. From place to place the cry arose, "The Lord has come! The Lord has come!" Many were unprepared to meet Him, but a few were saying, "Praise the Lord!" "Why are you praising the Lord?" inquired those upon whom was coming sudden destruction. "Because we now see what we have been looking for." "If you believed that these things were coming, why did you not tell us?" was the terrible response. "We did not know about these things. Why did you leave us in ignorance? Again and again you have seen us; why did you not become acquainted with us and tell us of the judgment to come, and that we must serve God, lest we perish? Now we are lost!".... May God help us to stand, like Daniel, in our lot and place during the days of probation that remain. Parents, teach your children regarding the things that are coming upon the earth and lead them to prepare to meet their Lord in peace.--Manuscript 102, 1904, p. 9. (Untitled Manuscript, a sermon preached in Nashville, Tennessee, July 2, 1904.) IMMENSE BALL OF FIRE FALLS On BEAUTIFUL MANSIONS, CAUSING THEIR INSTANT DESTRUCTION; REACTION OF PEOPLE. Night before last a very impressive scene passed before me. I saw an immense ball of fire fall into the midst of some beautiful mansions, causing their instant destruction. I heard some say, "We knew that the judgments of God were coming upon the earth, but we did not know they would come so soon." Others said, "You knew! Why then did you not tell us? We did not know." On every side I heard such words spoken.--Letter 217, 1904, p. 4. (To W. R. Young, .July 3, 1904.) ==================================================
***************************************************** db: 11OM ti: Other Manuscripts Volume Eleven cn: 918 ct: Cities Destroyed by Balls of Fire pr: 1 pg: 362 ***************************************************** In the night I was, I thought, in a room but not in my own house. I was in a city, where I knew not, and I heard expression after expression. I rose up quickly in bed, and saw from my window large balls of fire. Jetting out were sparks, in the form of arrows, and buildings were being consumed, and in a very few minutes the entire block of buildings was falling and the screeching and mournful groans came distinctly to my ears. I cried out, in my raised position, to learn what was happening: Where am I? And where are our family circle? Then I awoke. But I could not tell where I was for I was in another place than home. I said, Oh Lord, where am I and what shall I do? It was a voice that spoke, "Be not afraid. Nothing shall harm you." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
