Comment on An apology to PUC by Johnny Vance.
@Eddie:
Shane, what was the purpose of the “apology†in the first place? Are you feeling smug or contrite about publicly criticising a fellow Christian’s character on the world wide web? Are you proud of what you are doing? Do you honestly feel that this is God’s calling for your life? Are you confident that the leaders of the SDA Church are pleased with your efforts? Are you confident that God will approve of what you have done when the time of judgment comes? (Quote)
How do you suggest the lay people handle such a situation? Ignore it? A popular trend in this age is to condemn those who condemn the sin. I’d like to point out that the judgment is not only going to bring to light the things we’ve done, but also the things we’ve neglected to do. Since you ask Shane about his confidence when standing before the judgment seat of God, I assume that you have likewise examined yourself to see if you’d stand confident before this same judgment for not standing for truth.
When church leadership neglects to do its duty, then the laity become accomplices to this sin if they stand by and do nothing. It takes more courage to stand for truth than it does to accept the status quo. If you have a better way of dealing with the situation, please let us know. But all I’m hearing are excuses and indignation for calling sin by its name. The Lord will not be mocked.
We’d learn more about dealing with apostasy from Biblical precedence, but more and more it seems to me that either people don’t read their Bibles, or they no longer regard God’s word as authoritative. Exodus 32 and 1 Kings 16-18 is a good place to start. God’s word should never take a back seat to our opinion. But when it does, it’s to our own peril. I personally would LOVE to find a better way to deal with the crisis in our church…and I mean to REALLY deal with the issue. We can already see that this crisis of origins is going to reverberate more and more across the church and cause a seismic split. There’s no way to reconcile truth with error; it must separate.
Johnny Vance Also Commented
An apology to PUC
@OTNT and BobRyan: Thank you for the clarification. I see where this argument is going. We will always have opportunities and hooks to hang our doubts on. I suppose you can dig for hooks and hang all the doubts you want on them. It seems like OTNT is focusing on the cup being half-empty argument.
“Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 2 Chronicles 20:20
An apology to PUC
@OTNT_Believer: I’m just curious. What was wrong/mistaken about her visions of the planets?
Johnny Vance, I appreciated your examples of rebuke from John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, and Ellen White. You’re in mighty good company. Who am I to put Matthew 18 in your way? Feel entitled to rebuke anyone you wish. (Quote)
Oh dear. It’s a pyrrhic victory indeed to prove the point but still not gain the heart. I regret that much.
Recent Comments by Johnny Vance
Two Adventist Universities Promote Six-Day Creation
@PUC Student: As a recent graduate of PUC, I strongly disagree with your assertion. Please provide proof to the contrary. If there’s nothing to hide, then providing it in any form should not be a problem 😉
Back to Square One…
On the issue of Harvard’s accreditation: I stand corrected! My apologies for my incomplete understanding of the matter…
Back to Square One…
I don’t understand why our educational institutions have ignored counsels from the Spirit of Prophecy. We are clearly told to NOT seek secular accreditation. Why do we care about WASC? Do we lack in faith to believe that God will uphold the credibility of His institutions?
Let all be reminded that Ivy league schools like Harvard DO NOT have accreditation. Their reputation precedes them. The Lord can do the same for His.
WASC Reviews LSU’s Accreditation
At what point do we stop casting pearls to the pigs? I’m getting weary of this controversy.
Panda’s Thumb: ‘SDAs are split over evolution’
@Professor Kent:
@ Johnny VanceSo, YOU claim to be able to judge from the many student comments their philosophy and spirituality? And YOU can decipher, whilst I cannot, that the vast majority were “postmodern†and “lacking in spirituality?†And I can be deceived while YOU cannot?When you choose to believe the very few, Johnny, you reveal your obvious and very selective bias. You can cherry-pick as well as anyone here. And you’ve proven your arrogance. (Quote)
I’m not offended by Sean’s assertions about faith and evidence. I’m with Sean to a large extent (as far as I can tell). God gives us evidence to believe and back up His word, although there will be some things we’ll just have to take by faith until it’s made clear to our minds (maybe in Heaven?). But don’t try to use me as a pawn in your dislike of Sean.
You also neglect to note that in the great controversy between good and evil, the majority does not constitute the right side, unfortunately. Only 8 chose to enter the ark. Only a minority believed in Christ. Only a minority will resist the popular waves of anti-biblical worship. I can say that your judgment of students’ comments and Dr. Ness’s video are wrong, but how dare I say that you are wrong? I don’t believe it’s arrogant to say you are wrong. I’m not insulting you as you are insulting me. If we’re having an honest and open dialogue about the situation, then you should be able to AT LEAST take back what you dish out without threatening to leave the church because some of us dare to say you are wrong, or this and that is wrong. Don’t try to blackmail people for stating their mind.
I really wonder if you read the same Bible and the same Testimonies to the Church that I read, because I can’t for the life of me figure out how you can come up with such drastically opposed conclusions. I just state the former because you claim to believe in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, and I am truly perplexed by your conclusion.
