February 6, 2009
Dear Bob,
How are you my friend? How is your health? Long time no hear!
Well, I want to update you from the last time we communicated. Since I last then I have been studying, for hours and hours, an immense amount of material which challenges SDA beliefs and Ellen White’s role in the SDA church and I am now confident in my understanding that the movement has no right of existence and Ellen White, if she had anything from God, it was certainly not as a prophet for she made too many mistakes and taught too many strange and inconsistent things. As I told you last time, this has been a traumatic experience for me. It was not easy, for I had to make sure, absolutely sure, that I was not imbibing error and denying what I had believed to be divine light for the last 33 years. My first doubts came, as you know, when I could not reconcile statements which appear to support a Trinity with statements (which she had made consistently over some 50 years) that clearly supported the Biblical teaching of the Godhead. Next, I purchased and read Walter Rea’s book, The White Lie, Ronald Number’s book Prophetess of Health. The history of her life and evidence of plagiarism presented in both these books showed me that Ellen White simply expressed what was topical in SDA circles at any one time in her history. And what she expressed in her books naturally included error that she picked up albeit unwittingly; hence her introduction of the Trinity in the latter years of her life.
This forced me to reconsider the Sabbath. What did Paul mean when he said in Galatians that ‘the law was ‘added’ because of sin? I started a search and my investigations led me to seek Luther’s understanding of Galations and I found the answer in his famous Lectures on Galatians which I initially read online. I was confident that this man had been led by God. I knew that he, being a lawyer, would have dealt with this issue with rigour. But nothing prepared me for what I was to read. I was stunned. His interpretation cuts right across what SDA’s have taught on ‘the law’. After reading his explanations in the light of Scripture I was persuaded that Christ was truly the end of the law and that Christians have nothing to do with the law in terms of their salvation. Now, for the first time in my years as a Christian I know, with complete certainty the true role of the ten commandment law. The truth is so simple and I have been rejoicing ever since. Now I am free in Christ from the yoke of bondage that had been imposed on me by the legalistic teachings of Seventh-Day Adventists. I know, beyond all reasonable doubt, that ‘the law’ Paul refers to nearly always refers to the first five books of Moses with the entire Old Covenant system of laws which included, what SDAs like to call ‘ceremonial’ and ‘moral’ precepts. That Old Covenant system of laws did, indeed, end at the cross and now Christians are no longer under the authority of that law; the ministration of death. That old system has been abolished and replaced by a New Covenant, a new ministration and and a new law, i.e. the ministry of the Spirit of Christ and the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
Following my initial reading of Luther I purchased a copy of D M Canright’s book Seveth-day Adventism Renounced. Bob, this book explodes the teachings of Adventism. It is a brilliant scholarly expose of the whole question of the law; one which is solidly based on the Bible and one that is in total agreement with Martin Luther. Additionally, this man Canright knew Ellen White, who was still alive when he wrote the book. He knew her personally and its because he was a devoted SDA for over 25 years so that he is well able to explain the differences in SDA teachings with those of mainstream Christianity to former SDA’s like me. Bob, if you don’t have this book I urge you to do so, it’s a must. It is available online at the Ellen White Exposed website. However, Bob you may have already read the book because I suddenly remember you telling me how you were unexpectedly surprised by its lack of hostility toward the SDA Church, given the treatment dished out to Canright by the latter, especially Ellen White. I think that is a fair assessment. I do think the book is a invaluable resource especially for SDAs who are uneasy with the teachings of the SDA church.
Anyway, returning to my story, this book has served to reinforce what I am reading in Luther’s commentary on Galatians and also on Romans. Bob, I cannot begin to describe the overwhelming relief I am experiencing in finally understanding for the first time in my life, the relationship of grace to works. Can you imagine, over the years I have read armfuls of books (all SDA of course) yet I always remained confused about the relation between the church’s teaching about righteousness by faith and what Christ had achieved for us. It always seemed somehow to contradict plain statements of Scripture. The nearest I think I came to the truth of the gospel was in the writings of Waggoner and Jones but, alas, even they could not present the real facts because they believed that they were still under obligation to keep the Old Covenant laws of ten commandments and the Jewish Sabbath. As stated above I now understand from the Bible that in Christ the Law has been fulfilled and through the Spirit of Christ in us we fulfil the eternal law -- the Royal Law of Love. love to God and love to our neighbour. This law is the law of life for the universe; for the converted. It is received by grace through living faith in Christ and it automatically generates spiritual fruit expressed in good works. It is a spiritual law written on the heart by the Spirit of Christ. It is the ministry of life; the New Covenant with God fulfilling the promises. It is not the letter of the Old Covenant law, written in a book or on stone. It is not the ministry of death, the Old Covenant with man trying to fulfil his promises. Christ’s Spirit is not the minister of death but the minister of life. The Law of the Spirit of Life transcends and is infinitely broader in scope than a mere ten commandments. These were truths I refused to listen in any shape or form for years because I was conditioned to be prejudiced against other churches and even, I am now ashamed to confess, even Great Reformers themselves! I have also looked at another book by Geoffrey Paxton The Shaking of Adventism in which the author shows how the SDA church professes to have the Gospel and to be proclaiming the everlasting Gospel at that, when all the time it is deceiving itself because it does not have the Gospel. Oh, my brother,r I could go on but I must finish for now. Whatever, Bob I am now a free man in Christ and I know you must be feeling that way too. I confess I still have a lot of studying to do and that from the Bible alone, and also, I do not know where my journey will take me but I know God will lead me as I submit all things to Him and base my faith on sola scriptura.
So, Bob, I look forward to hearing your news and any discoveries you have made since leaving the SDA church . Take good care and please do keep in touch.
Your brother in Christ who is our ALL IN ALL
Christian Michealson
February 6, 2009
Hello Christian,
WOW!! I listened to your message twice, then while I still could not believe what I had read, with eyesight difficulty, I read the entire message again.
Christian, for some time, I wondered if I would ever hear from you. While I
did think that you were still researching the findings that I had alerted
you of, I also wondered if you had simply gone back to what you had held
on to for so long. So, you can understand how overjoyed I was upon reading
your email!
In short, I have been trying, unsuccessfully in showing others that contact me, some of the Truths and untruths that they hold on to so dearly. One guy recently wrote back that he would not drink from the poisoned cistern that I was giving him. In other words, he would not even check out a single thing that I said against or about Ellen.
Christian, you may know this already, but your message to me, holds a lot of Truth that needs to be shared to fellow SDAs. I say SDAs because of all the Christian religions, I believe them to be the most deceived. And Deception is the one thing that Christ spoke against the most. So, there must be something to be derived from His words.
Can I post your message on the Letter's to the Webmaster section? I also think that in your letter, you mention some areas which may raise people's eye brows in questions. I wonder if you would be willing to write more or possibly enhance some of the points that you bring up in your message? Especially in the obvious areas of legalism, which most SDAs are completely blind to.
I have to wonder if God in His Love and goodness hasn't a mission for you in shedding His Truths in a way that I haven't been able to do with the website. Let me acknowledge that many viewers have stopped coming since I stripped the site of Ellen White materials as well as speakers on the audio pages that rely only on her writings. I haven't done a thorough house cleaning because my eyes are now so bad.
As to my health, It's been rather good. I am now finished with Phase I of the transplant protocol. Next week or so, I begin Phase II, then the transplant is Phase III. Then of course Post recovery is the final phase. The reason these phases are taking so ling is because the blood types that I have with my wife's blood is different and they are taking all the precautions necessary to ensure a positive result. I have more antibodies in my system now than before and since this is my second transplant, everything is double checked and rechecked again. I am going to Cedar Sinai Hospital which is in Beverly Hills and is a recognized center for transplant with incompatible blood types.
I will have to look again for that Canright title on that site. The book by him that I remember reading seemed to have a different title. BUT all the titles on that Site are worth the read.
What have you done with your SDA membership? I took by your message that it was either in limbo or on its way out the door! I will have to reread Matthew 10, because I think it has a lot to say on this and the allegiance we have given to a false prophet.
May the Lord continue to be with you and bless you and your wife as you continue facing the brewing storm and are slaying it's deceptive practices.
Bob
Bob De La Torre
(see www.a4t.org)
Many will be lost because to avoid being deceived
they preferred to believe a lie.
February 9, 2009
Hi Bob,
I chuckled when I read the first sentences of your response to my news and also your response to Canright’s book. Am very glad to know you are rejoicing in what’s happened to me.
Yes, Bob, it will be extremely difficult if not impossible to show some what we now know. But there are always those out there who have an open mind because they are prepared to be led wherever God’s Spirit leads them. They have an essential ingredient and that it is humility. Both of us have had decades in the SDA church and it takes humility to admit you have been wrong when you have held to an ideology for such lengths of time. Those who refuse to open their minds will find a closed door to them one day.
Bob, I think its important to challenge people to check out
exactly what they believe from the Bible and from the Bible alone. If they
cannot support everything
they believe from the Bible alone then clearly it’s a lie, a man-made
invention; an addition to the Bible. We know what the Bible says about those
who add to the words of the Bible. If the fundamental beliefs we uphold cannot
be found in the Bible we have every authority to reject it and do so with a
clear conscience, no matter who has originated the teachings man or angel.
The person who said to you “that he would not drink from the poisoned
cistern” he accused you of giving him, shows, sadly, what kind of spirit
that he has. Chances are that, like myself, he has been conditioned not to
question Ellen White under any circumstances. I see so clearly now that the
SDA church has made an icon of EGW and made her more than she believed herself
to be. That indictment is born out by the
1919 Bible Conference. As Rea points out people build up myths around such
people until they believe things about the person which they didn’t believe
about themselves.
The wall that the church has built around EGW is like the Berlin Wall and
there are plenty of militia present to defend that wall at all costs and they
will execute anyone who tries to climb over or under that wall. The E. G. White
Estate is one such example.
I am glad I took the risk to peek over the wall. It opened my mind to consider
the possibility of whether it really was true that she was not who she or
others claimed her to be. I know that soon I will be accused of having apostatized,
of being controlled by the Devil and of having gone back into Egypt etc etc.
SDA always do that to those who leave their ranks. Let them I say. I don’t
care about what they say about me so much as I do for their souls.
Many SDAs are genuine sincere souls simply deluded like I was.
Bob, you know, I have realized more than ever before that once you take away
Ellen White nearly every doctrine the SDA church upholds (with the possible
exception of the state of the dead) falls like a pack of cards. Its astonishing.
And that shows me that the SDA is cultish because a cult is controlled by one
man, or one woman. And you dare challenge the veracity of that person! Oh,
boy! Then you are in for it.
Bob I now understand for the first time the importance of the priesthood of
believers and that Christ is the head of every man. In this dispensation it
is our conscience as individually informed by the Word through Spirit of Christ
that determines what we should think say or do, not a man or woman or organization.
The SDA church has its own pope, Ellen White, something that she herself fought
against. I don’t blame her so much as I blame the SDA leadership. EGW
has been allowed by the SDA church to usurp the headship of Christ. You don’t
see that power accorded to any of the Old Testament leaders or prophets, nor
those of the New Testament apostles. Nor did they assume that position themselves.
The threat of hell and damnation that EGW made against anyone who dared reject
her testimonies or the source of her writings speaks for itself. None of the
OT or NT writers did that. Christ didn’t do that. He warns us, yes, an
in no uncertain
terms but always in love. He never resorted to threats or used language calculated
to strike terror into the soul of someone who questioned Him. To me EGW’s
threats against those who challenge her authority is spiritual blackmail; a
weapon, we know only too well, that has been used with great effect among cults
like the Roman Catholic Church.
You asked if I would be prepared to post my letter to your Webmaster section.
I am happy if you do that if you think it will help lead someone out there
to take a second look at what they believe. I will edit my email to you and
resend it. You can include this email too if you wish. I have been most careful
how I have written it.
I am uncertain which areas you are referring to which you say may raise people's
eyebrows in questions but, yes, I am willing to write more about these points.
I have already started one article about the Sabbath. And I am happy to write
especially in the obvious areas of legalism, which, as you correctly state,
most SDAs are completely blind to. Bob, if it releases some dear soul from
the same yoke of bondage that was around my neck then it will be worth it all.
I cannot tell you how much I have longed to be used by, to use your words,
God in His Love and goodness to reach out to others with His Truths. Its not
only SDAs who are under this yoke but all church groups who held under legalism.
So if you want me to contribute to your website in reaching out to our brothers
and sisters it will be a great joy to me. Please use the pseudonym Christian
Michealson, at least for the time being. Please remove my article on the Sabbath
and the Biblical
Godhead but if you wish retain my article about Alcohol in the Bible. I will
redo and resubmit my article on the Biblical Godhead minus Ellen White references.
Bob, if you need any help with editing any stuff on your website do let me know because I also think it needs a clean-up and yet I am aware how difficult that must be for you with your poor eyesight and busy schedule around the transplant. At least my eyes are better than yours. I spend hours on the computer mentoring work from my students. Its interesting that you have already stripped the site of Ellen White materials and those of speakers on the audio pages that rely only on her writings. It wasn’t good that people could not explain what they believe without her writings anyway. You know Bob that there are wonderful things in her writings but we know now that most of it didn’t originate with her. What we have been reading has been a paraphrase, (and not always even that), from great writers like Lacey.
Anyway, to return to your health. I am glad for you that’s its been good of late. I didn’t know you have had a transplant before. Was it the same kidney? Well, I wish you every success and may the Great Physician always be at your side. What a blessing you dear wife has been to you.
About your second email in which you state you found and are reading Canright’s book, Do you know that book came my way 32 years ago, the very first year I became a SDA? I refused to read it because I was scared to death of being deceived!! Can you imagine what my history might have been if I had read it then? Canright’s book is brilliant because whatever you believe about him he is a thorough scholar. He leaves no stone unturned and goes the extra mile when examining all the proof texts and stock arguments the SDA church uses to support its doctrines. You will not regret reading his book especially his chapters about the church fathers, the law and the Sabbath. As he says in the book it was the result of 40 years of research.
You’re right my membership with the SDA church is in limbo. I am just about to tender my resignation to the SDA church. I have not been that bothered about it because I know from experience that the pastor will not remove my name even if he knows I have resigned. Pastors daren’t take those off their books who have backslidden or left the church because many would lose their jobs if church membership falls. The GC has, among many of its other sins of internal corruption, been cooking the books for years to sustain image that world membership numbers are increasing year on year. Conferences never carry out proper internal audits of church records because they know full well that if they do they will not be able to support claims that the world membership is 10 to 11 million. It is highly likely to be only a fraction of that number.
Thank you Bob for being an outspoken critic when it comes to testing the truth. Its helped me to take this stand I have now.
I am sure you will not mind me quoting a person we both know very well: we have nothing to fear for the future except we forget the lessons of the past.
God bless and keep you Bob, and greetings to your dear wife.
Christian
(For the moment, the pseudonym, Christian Michealson, is being used)