YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH'S (JESUS CHRIST'S) MESSAGE TO LEADERS OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH.

THIS MESSAGE WAS FIRST SENT OUT IN 2004 . AMENDED 2008


EXCERPT 27 .


THE OFFICE OF THE MINISTRY (IN THE SDA CHURCH)!!

In the SDA Church, many of the pastors in the Ministry are unconverted and are not “born again”. They do not have a living, intimate relationship with Me, Yahushua, or with the Ruach Ha Kodesh. They are very much after the flesh!! Many are in the ministry not because they are called but because it is a respectable and prestigious job; one in which they are highly esteemed and where there is job security.

In the worship service where these pastors should uplift Elohim Yahweh, the Ruach Ha Kodesh and Myself, Yahushua, before the people and where they should exalt and give Us the glory and the honour due to Us; they do not. Instead, they exalt themselves and their families and show what great orators they are and just how learned, eloquent and important they are. Due to the fact that they have been to the colleges and universities and have gained degrees and doctorates; there are those who are very proud, arrogant, dictatorial, insubordinate, lazy and disrespectful. Thus by virtue of their positions they expect to receive the worship that is Ours, the only true Elohim. Like Lucifer, they are puffed up with much pride and are following in his footsteps. To those who are guilty and are imitators of Lucifer, I, Elohim Yahushua, say:

Pastors, unless you humble yourselves, give Us the Elohim of Heaven and Earth Our rightful place; turn your lives over to Me, Yahushua, and seek My face and allow the Ruach Ha Kodesh to do His work; you will receive a similar reward to that of Lucifer. I am Elohim and My Word still stands in which I say:
“I am [Yahweh] the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images”. Isaiah 42: 8.

The sermons preached by many of the ministers from Sabbath to Sabbath are too intellectual and mechanical. They tell more about their knowledge than of Me, Yahushua, Elohim Yahweh, or the Ruach Ha Kodesh. Some of their messages are often boring and dead so that the congregations receive little or no blessings. Some of the ministers use their positions to lord it over the churches which they pastor, and are bloated with their own exaggerated opinions and importance!!

There are pastors to whom the winning of souls and shepherding the flock are not important. Thus apart for preaching on Sabbaths, they do very little to work for souls who are under their care; and far less for those who are dying in sin. There are those who, instead of doing the work for which they are employed and paid a good salary, spend most of their time bringing up their young families or doing what interests them at the expense of the “flock”. Many refuse to visit the sick or minister to the needs of those whom they are employed to minister to. Thus the members of the Church, who are under their care and who need pastoral care, suffer and languish spiritually.

These delinquent ministers please themselves and do the minimum of work because they know their salaries are secure. They know also that if challenged, they have the Law of the land on their sides and are ready to take the Church’s Administrators to the “Cleaners”! Thus they make a mockery of the Ministry once they are employed. Many of them are hateful, proud, envious, jealous, unkind, dictatorial and full of themselves. They show forth the “works of the flesh” and have nothing of Me, Yahushua, Elohim Yahweh, the Father, or Elohim Ruach Ha Kodesh in them. Thus the “fruit” of the Ruach Ha Kodesh is not seen in them, i.e. that of: love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22).

Once in the paid Ministry, each minister, apart from those with interns, works on his own. There is little or no communication with other fellow-ministers, except for the times they meet at the conferences, special sessions, camp meetings and ministerial fraternities. Even at these gatherings many remain lone figures. Ministers are individualistic and do what they consider best for their churches, except for when they attend special days, retreats and conferences organised by the Conferences and Unions and Missions. Thus the life and health and atmosphere of the churches are determined by the ministers. This accounts why there are vibrant churches, and why others languish and are sometimes lifeless because the atmosphere, prosperity and health of the individual church is dependent upon the minister who pastors it.

Among the membership these pastors have their favourite ones who, to them, can do no wrong!! Thus they are allowed to do what pleases them. On the other hand those whom they dislike and despise, are totally ignored. Some of the members in the churches are responsible for the partiality and ungodly behaviour of such ministers. This is due to the fact that these delinquent ones feed the ministers with news, often mixed with lies, in order to gain favour and to be in “the inner circle” with these ministers.

Such ministers, instead of finding out about the true characters and motives of those who seek their friendship, fail to do so. Thus they endear these malicious gossipers to their hearts instead. Sadly the ministers, who are guilty of these things, find out when it is too late that they have started off their ministry on a wrong footing.

There are many churches without residents pastors. In some places around the world, some pastors will each have over 30 churches, companies and branch Sabbath Schools under their care. Although these churches and companies are run by elders, such arrangements do not compensate for the work the ministers should do. Ministers who are so thinly spread can only give token service; as such they are unable to supervise and monitor what is going on in the churches under their supervision. Likewise, little or no shepherding is given to the flock and thus little or no spiritual food is given to them.

SDA CHURCH MEMBERS NEED NURTURING!!

There is far too little nurturing given to new members in the Church. Once baptised, many of the new members are not followed up to see how they are getting on, or to give encouragement to them. Often these new converts are just left to look after themselves. With the exception of the teachings which some receive prior to their baptism, rarely are they given any further Bible studies to strengthen them in their Christian walk. This results in many returning to their former way of life. Those who remain, quickly settle down to the routine in the church and become part of the establishment as many of the other members do.

The majority of members read the Sabbath School Lessons which is often the extent of their Bible reading or Bible study. Many do so without an understanding of what they are reading because there is no one to explain to them what they are studying. Very few follow a Bible Reading Plan apart from the global weekly Sabbath School Lesson Study. This is far from ideal! Every member should be encouraged to follow a Bible Reading Plan, such as the Bible Year so that they can study My Holy Word on a daily basis. This should be in addition to the Sabbath School Lesson. This will enable them to feed upon My Word so that they can grow, develop and mature spiritually.

Each member should also be encouraged to develop a personal prayer life and pray to Yahweh, their heavenly Father, in My Name, Yahushua, at least twice per day. This they can do in the mornings and before they go to bed at night. They should also be made aware that they can pray anytime day or night and wherever they happen to be. In addition, they should be encouraged to attend and participate in the Mid-week Prayer Meetings if their local churches have such meetings. Likewise, they should be encouraged to have prayer partners with whom they can pray together. There should be active programmes going on in the local churches to which members should be encouraged to become active participants so that they can grow and learn to minister to others. There are too many members in the Church who sit back and fall in a rut because those who pastor them, fail to train and encourage them to work for others. Thus many just satisfy the flesh and fail to work for the salvation of their fellowmen.

Due to lack of pastoral care which can lead to spiritual starvation, many members die spiritually. Sadly, many such ones will lose their souls and eternal salvation! However, the blood of many of those who do will be on the shoulders of those who were their shepherds. These pastors will be held responsible for their blood because they refused to care for them and allowed them to die from spiritual malnutrition! Had those pastors done that which was right and taught the people My Word and what I, Yahushua, required of them, they would been nourished and gown strong spiritually. Thus, had the ministers taken time to teach them what it is to be “born again”; teach them the truth about their spirit being; the importance of loving their fellowmen and the need to have a close and daily living personal relationship with Me, Yahushua, Elohim Yahweh, the Father, and the Ruach Ha Kodesh; those who lose their souls and eternal salvation, would have taken their relationship with Me, Yahushua, far more seriously and would thus have made their calling and election sure!

Many of the pastors and especially the evangelists, love to take delight in talking about the number of people baptised by them. Those who boast about the numbers whom they baptise, are not concerned whether the people were converted or “born again”. Such ones are only interested in the large numbers of baptisms they can boast about in order that they can take the glory for themselves. However, nothing is heard or spoken about the large numbers who, soon after their baptism, return to their former way of life.

There are too many Seventh-Day Adventist Church members who just dress and go to Church on Sabbaths and go through the routines week after week without receiving any nourishing spiritual food! Thus they become stunted and fail to grow spiritually because the pastors who should see to it that their spiritual needs are met, fail to do so. Many who come into the Church, come full of expectations to love, serve and follow Me, Yahushua. Instead, they quickly settle down and become comfortable in the cold lifeless atmosphere of the Church. This accounts for the reason why there are so many well-dressed and unconverted and troublesome members in some of the churches.

The SDA Church is in a sad state because many ministers fail to do their duty to shepherd the flock in the way I, Yahushua, intended and to teach them what I have commanded in My Word. Thus MEMBERS ARE JOINED TO THE CHURCH AND NOT TO ME, YAHUSHUA, THEIR SAVIOUR!! This matter must be addressed. New members as well as those who are already in the Church, must be encouraged and helped to grow in the things that are written in My Word and to walk in the light I have laid down. The spiritual growth and health of the members should not be left alone to the Sabbath School Lessons or on the sermons which are preached week by week.