In the recent blog post Secret History: How Adventists Ended the Civil War, we learned the real reason why the United States civil war came to an end in April 1865: because Seventh-day Adventists decided to fast and pray. The civil war began in April of 1861 and the bloody conflict raged for four years claiming the lives of at least 600,000. With each passing year of the war the pressure and challenges facing Adventists grew to such an extent that there began official church wide calls to specific times of prayer and fasting in March of 1865. One church historian writes “Within six weeks Lee had surrendered, and the war was over. With the nation, Adventists rejoiced; many felt they had seen a direct answer to prayer.” The inescapable conclusion from this amazing event is that God can and will intervene in this world to push back a tsunami of evil. But God will only do so if His people will fast and pray. If God’s church in this world neglects times of fasting and prayer the great evils in this world will only grow, magnify, and continue on in their destructive courses. Arguably one of the greatest evils facing God’s church today is pornography. No explanations, citations, or statistics need to be given to support this. It is self-evident. If you are reading this article you are probably very well aware both the nature and effects of pornography. The civil war and porn share many parallels:
Finally, both the civil war and spread of porn can be checked and stopped by the intervention of God. The civil war continued unabated until Adventists decided enough was enough and they prayed and fasted. Well, enough is enough with this cancer of porn. Why do we wait any longer? The increase in ruined youth and families is not a default condition that we must sit down and passively accept. When Phinehas saw how sexual temptation was bringing ruin to the Israelites that man jumped up with a spear and drove that spear through the very heart of the problem. Read Number 25:7-11. He did not sit around like a namby-pamby spineless wet noodle. Lest you think he was too radical or extreme in fighting sexual temptation remember that his act of resistance was greatly rewarded by God. The precedent has been set: God will reward any efforts made to fight sexual immorality. Without delay we must have a conference of Adventist men who will meet for several days of fasting and prayer for the specific purpose of seeking God’s intervention to this great evil. Women also have problems with pornography and sexual addiction and can have a women's prayer retreat (It is not wise to have men and women praying together about sexual issues). What would this conference look like? Ideally, this conference should consist of at least 40 Adventist men who are in good standing in their home church. They may or may not have porn addictions – doesn’t’ matter. We want men who will pray. The location should be a place that people would enjoy visiting. This conference should be as interesting and attractive as possible. (Personally I like the idea of having this at a beach resort with unlimited fruit and juice, or at a place in the mountains to go hiking.) Would you like to drop a nuclear bomb on the porn industry? Would you be interested in cutting the head of this Goliath? Would you like to see God “vex the Midianites, and smite them”? If you are interested in attending this three-four day conference in the future then enter your name and email below. Updates will be sent out with developments.
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Ironically, at the exact same time this couple was pulling a treasure out of their backyard I was completing a course on Seventh-day Adventist History. One day as I was reading from the textbook Light Bearers: A History of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church I came across the section about the civil war. That is when I read that Adventists believe they brought an end to the civil war. Stop! Say What!? Yes, Seventh-day Adventists are convinced that they are the reason that the civil war came to an end. Now someone who has even a rudimentary understanding of the history of the civil war would immediately consider this statement to be totally absurd and preposterous. How did this tiny group of Sabbath keeping Christians have anything to do with stopping what “was incontrovertibly the bloodiest, most devastating conflict in American history”? The civil war presented many dilemmas to the Adventists. The top two challenges being the difficulty of evangelism in a time of war and the challenges of Adventists facing the call to fight. While initially there was optimism that the war would be over quickly, the “tightening coils of war during the next three years” strangled all hope. Every year it was becoming harder and harder. With President Lincoln’s call for 300,000 more soldiers the Adventist church faced certain extinction. Uriah Smith would describe the situation “…The mind of the nation is so absorbed in this dreadful contest that it is almost impossible to call attention to religious subjects…” and with an additional draft of soldiers “The cause would be crushed. We are thus brought, as it plainly appears to us, to a place where if the war continues, we must stop. We repeat it, The war must stop, or our work in spreading the truth, must stop.” During this time of great pain and desperation Adventists were forced to stop and adopt a different strategy: they would fast and pray. On January 31, 1865, James White wrote “…we recommend that the second Sabbath in each month be especially set apart to fasting and prayer in view of the present terrible war…” A month later on February 21 another call was issued by the General Conference Committee for more fasting and prayer from March 1-4. What happened after Adventist humbled themselves and prayed for just four days? Adventist historian Richard Schwarz delivers this amazing statement “Within six weeks Lee had surrendered, and the war was over. With the nation, Adventists rejoiced; many felt they had seen a direct answer to prayer.” Another Adventist historian Arthur Spalding wrote “In His inscrutable wisdom, having permitted the cup of woe to be drained by the nation, having purified His people of selfish thought, and bound their wills to His, God put forth His hand and touched the machine of war, and lo! It stopped, and there was silence. Scarce a month had passed when, on April 9, Lee surrendered at Appomattox, and on April 26 Johnston capitulated at Durham. The war was over.” Wow! What an amazing answer to prayer! Praise the Lord! However, it is impossible to read this story and not ask the following questions
1. What is God not doing today because His people do not fast and pray? 2. What great victories are we missing because we will not spend focused time in prayer? 3. Why are the “prayer warriors” a bunch of old ladies that meet once a week? Why are our youth not trained to pray? 4. Why do we all attend church but do not go to prayer meetings? Why does only %1 of the church go to prayer meetings? 5. Why do people wait until they are in pain and desperation before they fast? Can’t great victories be obtained when we are well and “doing just fine”? 6. Why do many churches have no prayer meetings at all? 7. Why are people that fast often labeled as radicals, weirdos, and extremists? This has to be one of the most amazing stories in Adventist history. That God would respond to a few days of prayer and fasting in such an extraordinary way is very motivating and encouraging. Fasting and Prayer is the Saddle Ridge Hoard of the Seventh-day Adventist church. It is a treasure of immense wealth just sitting in the ground ignored and despised. It looks like an old rusty can with no value but it’s full of gold! Fasting and prayer is a nuclear bomb. It is a weapon of mass destruction that can be used to greatly advance God’s cause in the world. Why is there such resistance to something that is so effective? Daniel, Moses, Elijah, Jesus, Jehoshaphat, Samuel’s mother, Anna, Paul, John the Baptist and many other Bible heroes would testify to the efficacy of fasting and prayer. Do you think that we are not in a time of war? You are wrong. There is a war right now to stop all missionaries from entering unreached areas with the gospel of Christ. There is a war to obscure the gospel so that billions of Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists can never learn of Christ. There is war upon men, a war upon women, and war upon youth. Every day and from every angle the church of Christ is under attack. Many argue that we are losing more ground than gaining and unless there is divine intervention we face certain extinction. But what if Adventists came together for a few days of prayer and fasting? Why does it have to be boring? Why can’t there be a few days of unlimited fruit and juice in a nice setting in the mountains or on a beach somewhere? Where is the rule that says fasting and prayer must feel like hell? Where are the ideas to make fasting and prayer desirable and attractive? What if today we could set aside a time to attack a very real enemy? Can you think of some? I can. Personally, I really hate pornography. I really hate how this worldwide cancer is eviscerating the souls of youth and the bonds of families. Unlike physical enemies on the field of war, porn is everywhere and seemingly impossible to stop. But God can reach his arm down in to this world and cause such destruction to the pornography industry that they should hardly recover. As if God is glad this is happening and we must sit here and accept it! This is a call to arms! Read how Adventists Destroyed the Porn Industry. References: From my ongoing collection: "Prevailing prayer is inseparably connected with fasting" This quote comes from Joseph Bates in reference to some prayer meetings he attended. {August 5, 1851 JWe, ARSH 6.7} This quote is very similar to that of EM Bounds in his book on prayer where he writes “Fasting always accomplishes something.” This is to say that while prayer can accomplish some things there are many things it simply cannot accomplish. Prayer is powerless in some instances. The combination of prayer AND fasting however always has a positive result. "showing plainly the secret of His own never-failing power." EJ Waggoner is describing the scene of Jesus's healing the demon possessed child found in Matthew 17. "As He came down from the mount of transfiguration, a severe case of lunacy, epilepsy, and possession by the devil was brought to Him, which the disciples had vainly attempted to heal. After He had driven out the devil with a word, the disciples asked Him why they could not cast him out, and He replied: "This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting" (Matt. 17:21), showing plainly the secret of His own never-failing power...{June 18, 1903 EJW, PTUK 388.12} Matthew 17:21 is of course the most valuable military intelligence ever spoken in the ear of mortals. If Satan had the opportunity to permanently erase a few Bible texts he would immediately erase every mention of prayer and fasting. He has a kingdom to protect and would not want Christians to have access to weaponry from which he cannot defend himself. "Men are to know that a fast has been held, not by any formal announcement of it, but by the results of it." What a wonderful quote. To my knowledge, no quote so clearly and concisely explains the biblical reasons for prayer and fasting. There is no virtue in fasting by itself. It is a tool that when used properly will have obvious and positive results. It is the results of the fasting and prayer that demonstrate that the fasting and prayer have been effective. If you are in need of better results in your life, it is time to consider incorporating fasting into your prayer life. This quote comes from EGW "What True Fasting Accomplishes for One" {May 3, 1900 EJW, PTUK 274.8} Today we have lots and lots of preaching, but little results. We have lots and lots of books, but little results. We have lots and lots of really smart and educated people, but little results. We have lots and lots of technology, but no results. When we have prayer and fasting, we will see results. It is not by accident that we see very little results today in way of overcoming the obstacles to finishing the Great Commission. The reason is because there is so little prayer and almost no fasting. The book of Acts is filled with so many wonderful results and breakthroughs because the early church spent time regularly in prayer meetings and fasting. "When Adventists fast and pray, it's over." This quote is my own. Jesus will not return until the Great Commission is completed. It cannot be completed because there are so many obstacles big and small, seen and unseen, and both inside and outside the church. There are forces at work both human and supernatural who aim to prevent the finishing of this great work of making Jesus known to all people groups and nations. Those obstacles will not be removed or overcome until Adventists fast and pray. Simple. There are no other options available and other means to overcome those obstacles. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords never intervenes to advance his mission unless his people will fast and pray. Historically, especially from a biblical perspective, only great pain precedes great times of prayer and fasting (or P&F). People simply will not pray and fast when everything is "just fine." However a great shock is coming that will change everything. We know that the Great Commission will be completed (Matthew 24:14) but right now there are too many obstacles, too little progress, and too much indifference to finishing this work. Since it will be completed and the obstacles will not be overcome without much P&F we can conclude that at some point in the future there will be a shock to get people interested in P&F. Quote from Milton Friedman on page 6 of The Shock Doctrine: "Only a crisis - actual or perceived - produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around. That, I believe, is our basic function: to develop alternatives to existing policies, to keep them alive and available until the politically impossible becomes the politically inevitable." Some people stockpile canned goods and some people build bunkers but HeWantsFruit.com stockpiles motivational quotes about prayer and fasting. The time will come.
I hate JoshuaProject.net.
According to the website "Joshua Project is a research initiative seeking to highlight the ethnic people groups of the world with the least followers of Jesus Christ." But I really hate this site. Self speaks:
1. It pops the bubble that I live in. If I am not living so that the glory of Christ is made known among all nations, I am living a lie. My whole life is a lie. A fraud. A self created sin polluted circus of meaningless vanities.
2. It is quiet. If JoshuaProject were loud, obnoxious, and rude I could justify ignoring it but I know the Lord’s voice is quiet and easy to ignore. Truth is easy to ignore because it is quiet. If only I could claim that foreign missions is theologically complicated, obscure, or vague, then I could claim it was beyond understanding. But it is not. It’s simple and easy to understand.
3. It reminds me that I am not dead to the world. Sure I am baptized and attend church. I also read the Bible and pray sometimes. But something inside me gets so irritated and upset when I hear about foreign missions. Every time I see the JoshuaProject website or hear about foreign missions I try to justify my disobedience, look away, claim exemptions, and grasp for flimsy excuses. What I hate is that I am conscious that I do these things! Something about foreign missions elicits rebellion in me. It reminds me that I am not really dead to this world, I am still very much alive and interested in this world rather than actually doing something that will hasten the return of Christ. I know that I’m called to die and not to live. I know that suffering awaits me if I live for Jesus. If I really want to be like Jesus I know that I will suffer hardship and pain. 4. It provides undesirable definition and clarity. I do not like that JoshuaProject.net is actually drawing lines and defining the work to be done. If the Great Commission could only remain vague and abstract it would be easier to ignore, easier to justify indifference. To make it worse, workers at Joshuaproject continue to classify people based on whether they have access to gospel resources! That is disturbing my complacency and I hate it.
6. It ruins my internet browsing time. My internet browsing just became infinitesimally unimportant. I know that five minutes praying for a people group hastens Christ’s return but I was watching funny videos instead. Then I had to check for specials on iphone cases on ebay. Oh how my priorities militate against Christ and his love for the world! To make a concession to my conscience I made the Joshuaproject prayer calendar my home page so that I am forced to look at it everyday. After about a week though I always open a new tab to avoid that unpleasant reality.
7. Every year it will not go away. Why can’t this site just pass like a fad or trend? Why can’t the reached portion of the world just zip up to %100 so that we can be finished? Every year this site remains and the suffering of the unreached continues. Why is technology advancing and scientific papers are being published in abundance but missions seems to be at a dead stop. I hate that there is no shortcut to finishing the work. I cringe when I recognize it will not get easier but probably harder the longer I delay.
8. It testifies against me. It is a witness. It is a sign showing us what to do. But we will not do it. I will be punished for my delay, indifference, and silence. 2 Kings 7:9, Esther 4:14, Ezekiel 33:8. No generation previous to this generation has had the task so well defined, so many unreached people groups so clearly delineated. We are the guiltiest generation. No generation before us has been guiltier. Self screams: Make this JoshuaProject.net site go away! Kill this witness and obscure my guilt!
9. The website is well designed. It actually looks like some intelligent professional web designers put in a lot of time and money to put the website together. It looks like there are people who are actually very serious about the Great Commission and living obediently to Jesus. If the website had been put up in a slipshod and careless manner with single-spaced impossible-to-read-without-becoming-dizzy size 8 font with no pictures, no graphs, no margins, black and white, I could dismiss it. The problem with the joshuaproject website is that it’s easily accessible every day. It speaks. The evidence, stats, graphs, and figures speak.
10. It makes me feel so powerless. Thinking about the great challenges and mighty spiritual forces that must be overcome to reach so many unreached people groups shatters my pride and confidence beyond repair. I can not point to any of my possessions, education, or accomplishments as capable of doing anything worthwhile to even begin to finish the task. JoshuaProject reminds me of how frail and weak I am. “Of my own self I can do nothing.” Nothing. I am humiliated and brought to seek help from God. 11. I have the character of Satan. I am filled with Satan because like the disciple Peter I crave a Jesus with a different mission. Oh that I could say “Jesus let me tell you what your mission will be…” but no, I stand rebuked by Matt 16:23 and Mark 8:33. That I am so troubled by Joshuaproject and seek to expel it from my mind is one of the strongest and clearest evidences that I am more like Satan than Jesus. I have Satan’s mind and Satan’s purposes. This article will give you an outline of three simple and easy to remember questions that you can use to refute and undermine every argument that is against God. Whenever people say that science is all we need or that religion is unnecessary and out-dated, just ask these questions. They work well in any materialistic or secular context. Question #1 What is the objective purpose for life? Can you please provide objective meaning for my life? 24 hours a day 7 days a week we hear proponents of evolution and science demand the need for objectivity. "Evidence Evidence Evidence" is their mantra and battle cry. They take great pride in being objective and determining the truths of life with their objective microscopes and test tubes. The irony is that despite their worship of objectivity, they cannot offer an objective purpose for life itself. It's really easy to prove, just go walk over and ask someone this question and watch their reaction. They cannot give you an objective answer. The only alternative available is to choose a subjective reason for life. For example, a subjective reason to live might be to "be a good mother" or "win the Nobel prize" or "develop a cure for AIDS." However there are several problems with this but I will only address one. What if my subjective reason to live is to be a crack-cocaine-smoking-bank robbing-murderer? Nobody can tell me I cannot smoke crack and rob banks because that is my subjective reason for living. It is subjective and therefore it is up to me to decide. Oh, they say, you can't do that because it is wrong. This leads to Question #2. Question #2 What is the objective source of morality? Can you please tell me where to find an ultimate and objective standard for morality? The real reason for atheism or evolution is so that people can justify their behavior and say good things about their bad habits. Those that promote science and say that there is no God do not want me to rob banks and murder because then that would interfere with their subjective life purpose. They say that robbing banks is wrong but they cannot provide an objective standard that determines right and wrong. It is just their subjective opinion. The problem is that without an objective standard like the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20:1-17 what is right and wrong is completely subjective to those people who are in authority and have power at any given time in any given culture under any given set of conditions. Atheists and evolutionists are in effect promoting a world with no right, no wrong, no good, no evil, and no meaning. If this is such a world, where is the incentive not to smoke crack cocaine and rob banks? it does not matter what I do anyway because in the end I am going to die. This leads to the super question to end all questions: Question #3 What is the answer to death? If we are all going to die then where do we find incentive to live? Death is a problem. Death is the biggest problem that every human must face. However people today would rather not face it and the implications it has for their current lifestyle. Not only will we all die but science says that the earth and the entire universe will eventually die and be destroyed as well. According to the atheist and evolutionist we are suppose to bow down to the fluctuating and fickle trends of our culture and just accept death. What complete foolishness! Where is the objective universal law that states that I must accept death? Who says so? Where is the objective authority that determines this?
Death kills the motivation to do anything. The certainty of death permits the most outrageous behavior because nothing has significance if in the end all is zero. It is impossible for the evolutionist to provide anyone with any objective meaning for life. It is impossible for the secular minded atheist to offer any objective source or morality. Even if such things could be accomplished they are trumped by death. Death takes all, except for Jesus. Conclusion When evolution, atheism, and materialism are boiled down to their essential reality and the curtain is pulled back they are but smoke and mirrors. These exist to turn your eyes from the greatest show that has ever taken place. Only Jesus provides an answer for death. There exists objective evidence of eyewitness accounts to his resurrection. Over 5,000 ancient Greek manuscripts and thousands of ancient manuscripts in other languages offer credible testimony that death is no longer a problem. Jesus alone offers an answer to death. Jesus alone offers an objective source of morality. And Jesus alone offers objective purpose for our lives: the pleasure of knowing Him forever. |