I read an interesting article recently about a church fire in Baltimore. It was a Seventh-Day Adventist church. The church’s sanctuary was destroyed by the lightning-induced fire, and yet some are calling the undamaged cross a miracle. If God was able to protect the cross as a sign of His power, why did He not protect the whole building? In the past, Ellen White pronounced such events as judgement from God for the church’s sins. Today, we are too scared to say such things that are not politically correct.
But, let’s examine this a little further. When you read the account of the story in the Baltimore Sun, you discover that a wedding was to take place just two days after the blaze destroyed the sanctuary. What’s even more interesting is the comment by the bride-to-be. She says she’s not worried about the wedding, because her and the fiance “have been together for 12 years, and we have basically been married.” In whose eyes? God’s reckoning … or in mans? It’s a very interesting statement. Now don’t get me wrong … when people are shacking up and living in sin, I think it is very appropriate for them to correct the situation and get married. That’s what I did … after two years of living in conviction of sin with my wife. But that doesn’t seem to be the case here. In fact, it doesn’t seem that living in sin for 12 years really bothers this couple at all.
Another interesting note is the picture accompanying the article of the bride-to-be and the pastor of the congregation. Notice anything funny? Yes … she is wearing earrings. What’s the big deal? Well, as anyone who is an Adventist should know, the wearing of jewelry is condemned in the Bible as outward adornment, and not in keeping with the simple nature of what a Christian’s outward appearance should be. So now the question comes to mind: Is she an Adventist? If not, why would she be getting married at an Adventist church, and why would the pastor perform such a ceremony? If she is an Adventist, why has the pastor not studied with her regarding the sanctity of marriage, the condemnation of living in sin, and the total surrender to Christ that giving up of jewelry really represents?
It is never popular to call sin by it’s right name. But failing to do so definately has it’s pros and cons. It was also noted that the church has over 300 members … a large church by most Adventist reckoning. Large churches usually occur when the standards of the church are lowered to bring in more people. This could be considered one of the pros. The cons? Well, Ellen White has stated that it’s not the numbers that show true sucess in the church … but the piety and holiness of it’s members. If you lower the standards to get more public acceptance, you lose in the light of eternity.
It is never a good thing when disaster strikes a church congregation. But perhaps it should serve as a wake-up call for repentance and a return to the standards that God himself set for His church.
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