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Merry Christmas Kenosha

In August, our WISEN Churches responded to community violence and unrest in Kenosha by bringing worship to the city. We served by cleaning up some of the mess, praying and letting folks know they are loved, and serving free food to volunteers and passers by. Because of this needed outreach that we were able to provide, the Wisconsin Conference and Lake Union wanted to partner with our churches to provide further blessings in the City of Kenosha. Today, Pastor George and Pastor Zack were able to go out and bless three excellent Kenosha organizations with funds so they can continue the good work they do in our community. View pictures and read about these organizations below.

Frank Neighborhood Project: The Kenosha YMCA, Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department, and the Frank Elementary School have partnered to strengthen families through programs and activities that are designed to provide help and hope to Kenosha’s inner-city families who are exceptionally challenged by a lack of economic opportunities and fatherless homes. kenoshaymca.org/community-impact/community-programs/frank-neighborhood-project/

Shalom Center of the Interfaith Network: Their mission is to serve the community by providing emergency food, shelter, and support in ways that meet immediate needs and respect human dignity.

​Through food, shelter, and guidance, they help people maximize their potential for self-sufficiency. shalomcenter.org

ELCA Outreach Center: They show God’s Love by addressing the needs of children, youth, and adults through programs and services that encourage them to become self-sufficient, caring and participating members of the community. elcaoutreachcenter.org

God is doing great things in our area, even during such times or turmoil as these. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

WISEN Crisis Update 04.09.20

2020 has been a tough year so far. Wisconsin winters are always cold and long, but somehow the added loss of physical community has made it seem even colder and longer. For my family and I, the warm day this past Tuesday was a brief reminder that there is light at the end of the tunnel. We opened up the windows to circulate the stale air, we went outside to draw bright chalk messages for the neighborhood, we enjoyed the sun and fresh air and even our neighborhood community, from a distance. It’s good to be reminded that one day our present situation will be over. They are projecting next week to be the peak for COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin and that after that point we may start to see a declining in cases, until eventually the outbreak passes. Those of us working for the Wisconsin Conference are keeping an eye on the situation closely and are planning as if this “shelter in place” will last until the end of May, however we are hopeful that it could be over by the end of April or early May. Whatever happens, we’ll keep you all informed. I’m personally looking forward to a return to normal church services as soon as it is safe to do so. 

In the meantime, I’m trying to promote messages of hope and peace for all of us who have been affected by this pandemic. 

My wife and I got creative and put together an animated sermon that was played for our online service last weekend. The title of the sermon is “Animate!” and the message is about how God wants to and can use us even when we’re feeling at our lowest. You can view that sermon here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqvoXs7tWI0&list=PLFJi70uyc25OHPYNz5LBhbF8-lNrIuY6_&index=37&t=0s. 

In the past three weeks, I’ve also been working with the other Milwaukee area pastors to host over 40 guest devotional talks  specifically designed to give peace, hope, and encouragement to folks in our area during this crisis. Most of them have now been uploaded to our WISEN YouTube channel in the “GMAF Quarantine Collection” playlist. More videos will be added to the playlist as we have time, but you can view all of the videos so far (there are 35) here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFJi70uyc25OHPYNz5LBhbF8-lNrIuY6_. 

It’s also interesting to note that what Pastor Sheldon, Pastor Myoung and myself have been doing to address the crisis has gained nationwide recognition in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Kentucky-Tennessee Conference has started a Facebook page that is modeled after our Greater Milwaukee Adventist Fellowship group. The Illinois Conference is talking about doing the same. We’ve been invited to speak next week to students at Southwestern Adventist University about pastoring in a crisis. Various articles have been written about what we’re doing from a the Conference, Union, and Division levels as well as from other Adventist publications. Below are links to some of those articles.

• Article by Juanita Edge in Wisconsin Conference Blog/Newsletter: https://wi.adventist.org/local-church/ways-wisconsin-churches-are-staying-connected/ 

• Article by Becky St. Clair in the Lake Union Herald/Newsletter: https://www.lakeunionherald.org/archive/articles/the-church-is-still-open-community-in-the-midst-of-covid-- 

• Article by Nicholas Zork in NAD Best Practices Newsletter http://www.nadministerial.com/stories/2020/3/16/live-streaming-from-home-an-interview-with-zachary-payne-from-wisconsins-southeastern-network-of-seventh-day-adventists 

• Article by Loren Seibold in Adventist Today: https://atoday.org/milwaukee-pastors-create-one-multi-district-online-church/?fbclid=IwAR1RZcQc1j2HJzl0xOBhpi4ZU9IVBVmdj7U91NVqGvVhEPir09baw8a1A7U

• Article by Ryan Becker for The Scratch News “Need to Know,” March 29 - April 3: https://thescratchnews.com/briefs/2020/1/17/influencer 

I don’t point these things out to say we’re doing everything right. But I thought you might be interested to know that WISEN, as well as the entire Milwaukee Area of churches is being viewed very positively right now on a national level as an example of a good way to do ministry in times of crisis. Additionally, I hope that your spiritual needs are being met and I care more about what you have to say than anyone outside of our churches: So I hope you will contact me to let me know if there are things you see that are being done well or that could be done better. 

Finally, regardless of when the quarantine is lifted, we are trying to keep local church functions going as normal during this time. The Racine Church Nominating Committee 2020 has been meeting and we hope to have a list of leadership ready to vote on when we’re able to come together and vote again. The Raymond Church recently had a successful board meeting over Zoom where we moved forward on a number of important issues. And the Kenosha Church has been improving their building with a new roof. 

Sabbath mornings have also been another connecting point. I want to thank Pastor George Andrews for the efforts he’s put into having a church-time Bible study over the phone with Kenosha members, and others who would like to join. Efforts like this are helping keep people in touch, though we’re apart. 

For our Greater Milwaukee Adventist Fellowship Sabbath live-streaming services, I know this last weekend presented some difficulties by way of technology issues: But we’ve worked those things out. The problem is that so many churches and other groups are now streaming from Zoom to YouTube and Facebook that these streaming locations are crashing and services are failing. To clarify: The problem is with the servers at Facebook and YouTube, not with Zoom. For those who are interested in continuing to attend these live stream services, we’ll now be sending out information each Friday for joining with us on Zoom Webinar. This way, you’ll actually be viewing the service from within the Zoom video conference, but you will not share video or audio, you’ll simply observe as part of the congregation while only the “platform” participants will share video and audio. There should be no issues this coming weekend, so for those of you who have been enjoying the live video services, we hope you’ll join us again this weekend. 

Anyway, I just wanted to reach out and keep the channels of communication open. I’m missing you all and lifting you up in prayer. Let me know if you need anything, I’m happy to help how I can. 

May you be blessed with grace and peace on this day. 

Warm regards,

Pastor Zack

Fish: The Original Veggie Meat

When I first moved to Wisconsin in 2012, I was a vegetarian. I’d just gotten an apartment in Green Bay and my parents and I were out exploring Door County for the first time. We stopped at a restaurant for lunch and asked if they had any vegetarian options, like a veggie burger or something. They seemed fairly perplexed by the question, and offered: “Well, we have a fish sandwich.” We ended up finding something else on the menu that worked for us, but we couldn’t help but laugh about the equation of fish with vegetables. As we found out by asking various restaurants over the next few days, that would not be the last time we’d ask for vegetables and be offered fish.

As I’ve gotten to know Wisconsin a little better, the reasoning behind this has become apparent. Wisconsin is a state steeped in strong Catholic traditions, one of those being the season of Lent. Lent is a six week period that leads up to Easter, and during this time it is expected that Christians will participate in special prayer and fasting. While Seventh-day Adventists and other various Christian groups do not observe lent, there are many Christian denominations that do. However, only for Catholics is fasting considered compulsory—and specifically, meat is generally part of that fast. However, only the meat of warm-blooded animals. Meat from cold-blooded animals is still on the table. Enter: the fish. Lent is a time that much fish is consumed by Catholics, because it is not on the banned foods list. And since it’s somewhat annoying to have to point out that it’s only warm blooded animal meat that’s off limits, most people have just started saying that “meat” is not allowed during Lent, but “fish” is allowed. Therefore, in the minds of many, fish is not a meat. It’s not really a vegetable either, but hey it’s fine during lent so it might as well be.

Another Catholic tradition is abstaining from eating meat on Fridays during the rest of the year. This is an allusion to Good Friday (the day that remembers Jesus’ sacrifice for us). So aside from Lent, many places with a strong Catholic presence began also to fast every Friday. Thus the Friday Fish Fry was born. Many places have a strong tradition of promoting fish on Fridays, and Wisconsin is one of them. So it’s not just during the six weeks of Lent, but all year that we are reminded that fish is not meat…or at least not like other meat.

Interestingly enough, even in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, we have some ambiguous feelings toward fish. Many Adventists, who are otherwise vegetarian, will eat fish. One reason for this is because Jesus himself ate fish in the Bible (Luke 24:40-43). While some might say (obtusely) that Jesus did not have the “Spirit of Prophecy” (the writings of Ellen White) and so he didn’t know better—it turns out that even if he did, he may not have found that fish-eating was off-limits.

Ellen White says in Manuscript Releases 14, page 330: “Two years ago I came to the conclusion that there was danger in using the flesh of dead animals, and since then I have not used meat at all. It is never placed on my table. I use fish when I can get it. We can get beautiful fish from the saltwater lake near here.”

On page 336, she says: “We have not had a particle of meat in the house since you left and long before you left. We have had salmon a few times..”

We may never know whether this is because of a long tradition that she grew up in, or some insight that she received from her spiritual gift of prophecy and visions. But what we do know is that, even in the writing of Ellen White, fish is not considered meat.

Even more significant to the conversation is the fact that the fish was, during times of Christian persecution, a symbol of the Christian Church. Many people have seen the little fish picture stylized on Christian kitsch, however most don’t know the origins for this secret symbol. It was an acronym. The Greek word for fish is “ixthus,” and each letter stood for a significant word: Iesus Xristus Theos Uios Soter. In English: Jesus, Christ, God’s Son, Savior. So for this reason, the fish has been a significant symbol for Christians for millennia.

Since 2012, I’ve personally been a vegetarian and then a meat-eater, and then a vegan, and back to eating meat. Currently, I’m somewhere in the middle: My wife and I mostly cook vegan at home but we don’t stick to that strictly when we’re out. One thing is for sure though: Our fridge and freezer are often stocked with fish. We’ve also found that Southeastern Wisconsin has some of the best Friday Fish Fries around.

So now, during Lent, I’ll tell you this: Go take advantage of the ambiguity of the fish. Whether you eat meat or not, the next month and a half is a great time to take part in the long tradition of getting your protein from these vegetables with faces. And when you do so, take the spiritual cues that come along with the practice: Remember the sacrifice our Lord and Savior made for us. Remember that Jesus ate fish as a way to show his disciples that he had truly been resurrected. And remember that the fish, as a symbol, is an incredible reminder of who we worship as Christians.

Why "WISEN?"

For a long time, the Seventh-day Adventist congregations found in Racine and Kenosha counties were said to be a part of the “Racine District” of churches. This is typical nomenclature in our church: When there are multiple churches under the purview of one pastor, those churches are said to be a part of a “district” and usually--whether due to size or prominence--one of those churches dictates the name of the district. So while there were multiple churches in these counties, they were (and are still) under one pastor and were considered a part of his district: The Racine District. 

I’ve been the pastor here for two years now, and people still call the congregations here the Racine District churches. However, about a year ago we made the intentional decision (agreed upon by the various church leaderships) to rebrand ourselves as WISEN: Wisconsin’s Southeastern Network. 

Here is the reasoning behind this decision. 

We found the title Racine District to be unhelpful in two ways that we wanted to change. First of all, it was rooted in a very specific location--Racine--when our churches serve multiple communities, and Racine is only one. Using the locational language of Wisconsin’s Southeast not only is a better descriptor of what currently is, but also doesn’t limit if these churches wanted to eventually plant locations in other surrounding cities, towns, or even counties. 

Second, the word “district” is quite formal and governmental sounding. In the same way that an alderman has a district of a city or a congressman has a congressional district, the idea was that a pastor also has a district that he serves. However, we wanted a change that implied less that we just happen to be in a shared geographical area, and we further wanted to send a message that there was an interconnection between the entities being described. So the word “network,” being defined as a group of entities that are connected and work together, seemed more appropriate. 

People still call us the Racine District. We still accidentally call ourselves that. Sometimes it’s hard to break an old habit. The new name, however, is important because of the factors above. 

We want to serve Jesus in our geographical area, but not to be limited by overly-specific language. We want to serve Jesus on our unique campuses, but we don’t want to do so with indifference to--or worse, in competition with--one another. We are on the same team: Christ’s team. 

So when you see the name “WISEN” or see our logo or wonder why we’ve been so seemingly obsessed with our branding, these are the intentions behind these things. We hope the reader takes these things to heart as well. We cannot win victory for Christ if we do not see ourselves as part of something greater than what is going on in our respective church buildings. Especially in an urban and geographically-close context such as ours (our churches are all about a half hour or less apart from each other). Between the counties of Racine and Kenosha, there are around 365,000 inhabitants. Working independently, we can make an impact for Jesus, sure. But imagine the impact we could have if we really get to know the other Seventh-day Adventists--even, less specifically, the other Christians--in the area and learned to work toward the same goals. We do good when one or two gather together, yes. When we all get together in Christ, however, we are unstoppable. In other words, when the Body of Christ works in unison, Christ can do what truly needs to be done.

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” --Matthew 24:14

Raymond Church: Origins

The History of the Raymond S.D.A. Church 1867 - 1868

The Raymond S.D.A. Church was raised up and organized through the evangelistic efforts of Elder John Matteson during the years of 1867-68. Elder Matteson can well be called the “apostle” of our message to the Scandinavian people in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. However, we find that Elder Matteson’s first apostleship for the Adventist message began in the United States.

In 1855, when John Matteson was twenty years old his family migrated to the United States. They settled in the heavily wooded area some distance from Green Bay. John soon became interested in religion and in 1860 went to Chicago to attend a Baptist school. It was here that John prepared himself for ministry. Three years later in 1863 as a Baptist minister, he located in Poy Sippi, Wisconsin. It was here that he came in contact with our Sabbath keepers, especially P. H. Cady, with whom he began to study the Sabbath question. He soon accepted the S.D.A. faith and felt that he was called to teach it to his church members and to his family. Within five months all but one family of his congregation followed his teaching of the Advent Message. This was the beginning of the Poy Sippi Church.

It was at this time that Elder Matteson received the burden to work for the Scandinavian people in the United States. Soon he was preaching to the Danish settlers in Freeborn, Minnesota. Some of these people had relatives and friends living in Raymond, Wisconsin and began sending literature and letters to them. Through these contacts one woman in Raymond began keeping the Sabbath. Who this woman was is not known—but she did feel a burden for the people of Raymond, therefore, she sent a plea to Elder Matteson to come.

And so it was that in the fall of 1867, Elder Matteson came to Raymond to hold meetings in the homes of interested people. Soon they were able to secure the Raymond Schoolhouse where they held their first evangelistic meetings. The attendance was small—only eighteen to twenty-four people came, but those who did were deeply impressed by the message they heard. When the meetings ended nearly all had accepted the S.D.A. belief. So it was on February 28, 1868, the new believers met in the Raymond School where they organized themselves into the Raymond S.D.A. Church consisting of eighteen members.

During the first four years church was held in the homes of the various members. The home of Chris Bertelsen is especially mentioned as a frequent meeting place. This is now the home of Emma Olsen which is located behind our present building.

On March 25, 1872 the following business meeting was held at the Bertelsen home to discuss the need of the church. It was agreed upon to purchase one acre of land of the south-east corner of Oscar Sheldon. Next, the building was to be 24 x 30 feet and that $500.00 [sic] be raised to cover the cost. All agreed to buy materials and haul them to the site in the fall and winter of 1872 and building would begin in the spring of 1873. And now, how to get the $500.00 for the materials. The members agreed that the only possible way was to make pledges and trustees were appointed as follows: H. C. Muller, Anders Sorenson, and Christian Bertelsen.

There seems to be no records of the progress of the construction or of the completion of the church—nor does there appear to be any dedication. However, I have learned that a man named Hans Jacobsen was a carpenter. His wife was a member but he was not. Hans, the carpenter, was killed in a horses’ runaway accident and is buried in our cemetery.

When new ventures are embarked upon, many problems and trials arise. This new company of believers was no exception. About nine years after the church was organized things were not running as smoothly as might be. At a business meeting held May 27, 1877, Elder O. E. Olsen had come to help solve the difficulties which had arisen at the company. According to the records, secretary, Ole Jorgensen spoke of the condition of the church and of the poor spirit that existed among the new believers, and he said that if this state continued the church would go on the rocks. After much prayer it was suggested by Elder Olsen that under the present circumstances it would be best to discontinue the present system and re-organize a new one. After some debate the members seemed to favor his move. All but one voted to re-organize and the meeting adjourned to re-assemble the following Thursday. So it was that on May 31, 1877, the members assembled to organize a new society with specific standards to be held up by the members.

The records show that the following members stayed faithful to the early Raymond Church:

• Ole Jorgensen and his wife Anna

• Ole Hansen and his wife Maren

• Rasmuss Hendrickson

• Elen Christensen

• Louise Rasmussen

• Niels Jensen

• Jens Hansen

• Kiren Poulsen

• Marie Sorensen

• Jorgen Hansen

During the first quarter of a century the Danish language was used almost exclusively in the church services. Gradually English came to be used more and more frequently. The last year that church records were written in Danish was in 1918.

Miss Carrie Nelson was the first church clerk to keep these records in English. The late Milbert Sorensen translated many of the old Danish records into English before his death. These old records tell of the beginning of the church school in 1904. Since that time many families have moved into this area so that their children could attend a Christian school.

- Pete and Ruth Frantz, 1968

A Calling Out

Our theme for September has been Three Angels: Empowering Messages for a Fallen World. We’ve been exploring how God gives us insight into the future, invites us to join Him in the everlasting good news, and calls us out of a fallen system of life, known as “Babylon.” This poem is published in memory of our dear sister, Mary Elizabeth Gordon, who read this poem at our Friday night vespers service only weeks prior to her recent passing. She took her faith very seriously and put tremendous stock in the imminency of the Book of Revelation’s predictions. This particular poem, of course, focuses on Revelation 14:6-12 (as well as Revelation 18).

God has summoned three angels

To give the whole world

A message that each must reveal

So they soar through the heavens

North, South, East and West

As they solemnly make their appeal

Let us reverence our God

And give glory to Him

For He’s carefully judging His bride

Let us honor the one

Who made Heaven and Earth

And the waters, vast and wide

For there once was a city

Known as “Babylon the Great”

Which had fallen for lack of respect

She made all of the nations

Drink the wine of her wrath

But God’s law she did sorely reject

She claims she has power

to change times and laws

She sought men to worship the sun

But God’s Sabbath she tramples

Like dust ‘neath her feet

And proclaims that with God she is one

Now come out lest ye taste

Her unsanctified cup

The wine of her fornication

For God’s wrath will soon follow

And you know you can’t hide

From the Cup of God’s indignation

You’ll be tormented with fire

In the presence of the Lamb

For refusing to obey

And the smoke of your torment

Will ascend up forever

And you’ll rest not by night or by day.

- Mary Gordon

Is Our Prophetic Picture Complete?

Revelation 13: (ESV) 11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has Understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

As time endures it is the tendency of any movement to begin to question its relevancy. Adventism is no different. What is it that will keep our church relevant within the context of an ever-changing society? The Adventism of the past had no problem changing, even to the point of revising some of its previously believed theology and eschatology, to adapt to the surrounding culture, especially as the Holy Spirit provided further light. So, it should force us to examine what we believe, even in an area where we think we have the truth locked. We could even ask the question: "is our prophetic picture complete?" I don't confess to have the answer but in this short message I feel I must at least raise the question and point out some areas that may at least require further thought and study in the context of contemporary culture; that is, the post-modern world in which we live. 

My recent read-through of the New Testament, concluding with the book of Revelation, has led me to ponder this question even more. If we follow Revelation’s model of repeat-expand and enlarge, is it possible to conclude that the Bible is big enough to encompass world events that even our fore-bearers in the faith did not anticipate? Could it be that prophecy is sort of a moving target, at least from the perspective of we who are bound by time and space? Certainly Ellen White leaves room for this possibility: 

Had the purpose of God been carried out by His people in giving the message of mercy, Christ would, ere this, have come to the earth, and the saints would have received their welcome into the city of God. (Selected Messages Book 1, page 82, paragraph 4) 

Ellen White raises the possibility that Jesus could have returned to the earth long ago, had His people been more faithful in proclaiming the message for their time. This should at least raise the question as to whether the return of Jesus is a fixed point on God's timetable or is it possible that we could, based on our own faithfulness or lack thereof, hasten or delay the second coming of our Lord. The apostle Peter addressed this very question: 

2 Peter 3: (NKJV) 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 

Why should we wonder at this? Are there not conditional prophecies in the Old Testament? Would we not expect God to deal with His people similarly in the present as He dealt with them in the past? Could not our understanding of prophecy also be repeated, expanded and enlarged upon, especially as time continues and Christ's coming is delayed? Our nineteenth century pioneers could probably not have imagined us still being here in the year 2018. So it is just possible that they could not have foreseen a prophetic picture other than that which was revealed to them. Does that mean that we in the 21st century are limited by their understanding of the unfolding of prophetic events? Is it possible that God revealed to them just what they needed for their time and He may have something to reveal to us just for our time? 

Let's review where the prophetic picture we hold today originated. The reformers lived in a day when Papal Rome was at the height of its power. It was not difficult for them to image that this power fit all the waymarks of the beast described in Revelation 13. In their day Rome was poised to control the world. This was the perspective of the end time that our Adventist pioneers inherited. In our day does the papacy wield that same power? It might even be reasonable to conclude that the Papacy is actually competing with the United States for global dominance, and losing I might add. If anything, with all the charges of pedophilia, the lawsuits and the many diocese across the world being forced into bankruptcy, the papacy seems to actually be waning in power. In this age of multiculturalism and religious pluralism, is it even reasonable to expect that all the Christian denominations, much less all the religions of the world, would unite under one banner? Which raises the question; if not the Papacy than what? Is there something in a different guise, still functioning like a religion; that already unites these groups? Let's frame the question in the extreme: Is there anything you can think of that the industrial barons of the West, with their patrician Christian roots, already hold in common with the oil sheiks of the East, who are so staunchly Muslim? I'm going to let you ponder that question for a moment and we'll come back to it. I'll say this though, it is a human tendency to keep the beast at arm's length while all the while it may be dwelling in our midst. It is easy for us to point our fingers at the beast "out there" while ignoring the beast within. 

For instance, what is it about our end time eschatology that allows us to go about our comfortable lives of plenty, safety and security while turning a blind eye, a deaf ear, and a stony heart to the poverty, suffering and pain of the vast majority of the world's population? As long as we identify the evil as something external, then we can stay ignorant of the real evil that touches all of us. 

We understand that the beast of Revelation 13: 1-10 represents the papacy. That it had the authority and power to persecute the saints of God for 42 months or 1260 prophetic years is its most compelling identifying mark. We understand that verse to cover a time period from 538 to 1798 AD, when the papacy enjoyed the height of its ascendency. And during that period of time it enjoyed unparalleled political, economic and religious power. But where does the Bible say that it will be restored to that dominance? All the bible reveals is that it's deadly wound is healed. It survives, but that is a far cry from being in charge again. It's clear from our scripture verse that the two-horned beast, which we as Adventists have historically identified as the United States, is the power that gives the image to the beast its authority. It's the two-horned beast that calls the shots from this point forward. We further read in this chapter that this two-horned beast commands all that dwell on the earth that they should make an image of the first beast with the seven heads and ten horns, and that it has the power to give life to that image. It's interesting that all those living who are following after the beast are complicit in creating this image. So, whatever this image represents, ordinary people working together have the power to create it. Now an image is something that closely resembles the characteristics of something else, yet is not that thing. Let me pose a question; if we have determined that the papacy is the beast how can it also be the image to the beast? What, then, is the image to the beast? 

First, I must pose the question; does this image have to be overtly religious in nature? What constitutes a religion anyway? Can something be like a religion if it upholds an object of worship, like an idol? The amalgamation of political, economic and religious, like the papacy, is enough to identify the image, but does it have to declare itself a religion if by its very nature it behaves like one? Case in point, the idol of materialism that is worshiped by most of the western world today and is envied by much of the rest of the world is, in my mind, enough to classify it as a "religion". Jesus words help us define an idol: 

Luke 16: (ESV) 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."

What can we conclude from the fact that one of the few things that Jesus set in opposition to the service and love of God was the service and love of money? Do we have idols today? An idol is something that is worshipped. To worship something is devout your time and energy in pursuit of it. To worship something is to depend on it for your survival and sustenance. To worship something is rely on it for your provision in life. Is it possible that Jesus is identifying an idol for us today? Could he be showing us the thing that we devout our worship to? Does something have to have religious trappings to be worshipped; in the mind of Jesus; clearly not. Jesus also warns us not to give our devotion to just anyone that appears to be working miracles. 

And we don’t have to completely abandon our understanding of what constitutes the mark of the beast, just consider that it may be a bit more nuanced than we once understood. If we can just consider that Sabbath worship and Sunday worship are representative of a deeper reality; Sabbath being a symbol of putting your entire faith and reliance on God and Sunday being a symbol of putting your entire faith and reliance on the corrupt systems of man. 

Matthew 24: (ESV) 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 

Here's a question: if this end-time delusion is so powerful that if it were possible it could deceive those closest to God; how could that delusion be something we've known and preached against for over 160 years? How is it possible for us to be deceived about something that is so obviously clear to us? It leads me to wonder whether the actual delusion could be something else entirely, something we are not so clear on. Something that will take powerful discernment on our part in order to avoid being deceived. Is it possible we are looking in the wrong direction? That is, could it be staring us in the face and we are missing it completely? Another clue in the mounting evidence pointing to this religion is that, according to Revelation, it has a mark associated with it. A mark is an identifying feature. This identifying feature is that it conveys the right to buy and sell. So, one characteristic of this religion is that it seems to control commerce. This mark is defined by the "name of the beast or by the number of his name."(verse 17) We know that name in the Bible refers to a character trait or characteristic. So that participants in this religion will take on the very characteristics of the system itself. This mark comes with the permission to participate in commerce. It just so happens that our modern consumer culture is all about controlling commerce. It is not too much of a stretch to conclude that the mark not only has to do with commerce but is the way that commerce is conducted. People will be compelled to take this mark on pain of death (see verse 15). It should be obvious that if someone cannot even buy food and water, that would be a life-threatening situation. Is it possible that accepting or rejecting this mark will be a matter of conscience? Those who refuse the mark will not, for conscience sake, participate in perpetuating a corrupt economic system based on injustice and inequity. 

If we conclude at least the possibility that modern materialism, consumerism and the corrupt economic system that perpetuates it, could be considered a religion. And if it meets the test of a religion, as well as being political and economic, could we identify it as the image to the beast? What other man-made system has such world-wide influence and power. Remember I asked the question earlier about what the western Christian industrialist and the middle-eastern Muslim oil sheik have in common? They may never agree on a single religion as the one true, but they do agree in their common worship of wealth. Because if the materialism, the culture of consumerism, and the corrupt economic system of the world today is the image to the beast; then we are all a part of it. Could that be why Jesus, referring to Babylon, warns us to: "come out of her my people." Such a revelation would have implications for each and every one of us. Even the last day church of Laodicea has a problem with materialism saying, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked”. One of the signs of the end will be that the end-time church itself will become complicit in the corrupt economic system. 

How can God's people possibly stand in opposition to the prevailing current and the predominant mindset of the culture?

Acts 2: (NKJV) 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. Acts 4: (NKJV) 32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.

I wonder if the early church had any less difficulty standing against the tide of the popular culture. Do you think living under the influence of pagan Rome was an easier than we have it today? And yet the Bible reveals that they "had all things in come, sold their possessions and divided them as anyone had need." I once heard a television preacher comment on this verse saying that one of the reasons the early church failed is because they were practicing communism. That to me is the epitome of arrogance and twisting the scriptures to fit your particular political perspective. Far from painting this as their downfall, these verses are upheld as one of the main virtues of the early church and part of the reason for their phenomenal success. The Book of Acts is full of examples where the apostles are taking collections for those among them in need, particularly orphans and widows. The churches in one area would open their hearts to provide for those of another area whenever the need arose. What this TV preacher failed to understand was the difference between communism and communalism. Under communism people are compelled to share the wealth, which breeds envy and indolence. By contrast, communalism is a spirit of sharing that proceeds from the heart. People give because they are motivated by the love of Jesus and they see Jesus in everyone that is in want. 

The next question is; if all this is true what can we do about it? First, we must be aware of the danger if we ever hope to avoid be entrapped by it. Next, once we have our eyes wide open, we can look for ways to fight against the corrupt system. None of us can do it alone, but a people working together to fight injustice is a powerful force to be reckoned with. We don't have to be complicit in perpetuating the injustice. 

How does the Bible instruct us to live? To what things are we to give the most priority?

Micah 6: (ESV) 8 He has told you, 0 man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

This verse so simply captures God's expectations for His people: do justice, love kindness (mercy) and to walk humbly before God. You'll notice that it does not say that God requires that we emphasize the identity of the antichrist. It does not say that we should warn people about accepting the mark of the beast. Our task, our calling is to seek to promote 

justice on the earth. And if that is true, what does it say that we live in a world where justice and equity are so rare, that kindness and mercy are so absent? That genuine humility is in such short supply? To me, it says we have a lot of work to do. 

In his book Everything Must Change, Brian McLaren issues the following challenge: 

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Jesus is not interested in the geographical rearrangement of mountains. It is the societal map of greed, lust, arrogance, fear, racism, domination, oppression, revenge, and injustice that he wants to redraw. He wants his disciples to move mountains of injustice and make new rivers of creativity and compassion flow... It is interesting—astonishing, really—that Jesus doesn't simply say, "Nothing will be impossible for me," or "Nothing will be impossible with God." Instead he says, "Nothing will be impossible for you." This is our call to action, our invitation to move mountains and so reshape the social and spiritual landscape of our world. Yes, change is impossible through human effort alone. But faith brings God's creative power into our global crises, so the impossible first becomes possible and then inevitable for those who believe. Mountains can be moved and everything can change, beginning with our stories, beginning with faith, beginning now, beginning with us."-Brian McLaren, Everything Must Change (Thomas Nelson, 2007) 

If you think the problems are insurmountable, believe Jesus when He promises:

John 16: (NKJV) 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

-John Schneider, member of the Raymond Seventh-day Adventist Church

Youth Tent 2018

The Wisconsin Camp Meeting is the highlight of the year for many Seventh-day Adventists in our area. It's a week in the great Wisconsin outdoors, playing games, hanging out with friends, singing songs, going on field trips, listening to inspiring messages, and most importantly growing closer to Jesus. The overall theme for the Wisconsin Camp Meeting was Faithful to His Mission and focused on various aspects of mission work in today's world. Pastor Zachary Payne's responsibilities this year included directing the Youth Division, and our theme in the Youth Tent this year was "It's Go Time" because Jesus told us to go out to all the world on a mission to bring them the Gospel. 

We had a great team that worked hard to put everything together. Pastor Robert Machado gave stirring Gospel messages nightly and every Sabbath morning, Pastor Michael Ehm was our MC and held a series of interesting interviews, Pastor Zachary Payne led worship and coordinated activities, and Mrs. Allison Payne was in charge of hospitality and refreshments.  We also had a great team of staff--Robin, Dorcas, Caleb, and Kenny--and an incredible worship team that led out in inspiring worship. Special thanks goes out to Michael Edge, Brian Stephan, Eric Chavez, Vonnie and Darryl Kunz, Sherri and Jerry Hanaway, Karl and Karen Frantz, Brian and Chrystelle Sachse, Enrique Serna, and Wisconsin Academy.  We couldn't have pulled the week off without help from all of these individuals and institutions.  

We had lots of fun with games and activities as well:  Cornhole and Giant Jenga in the tent, Capture the Flag and Water Fight on campus, and Laser Tag and Noah's Ark field trips at the Wisconsin Dells.  

Our theme song, featured in the video below (performed by Citizens and Saints), is entitled "In Tenderness," and it highlights the lengths to which Jesus is willing to go to give us the Gospel message. It is because of His mission to us that we now feel compelled to go on missions to bring that same Gospel message to the world. 

We were blessed this year with wonderful weather, a great team, and record breaking attendance. To God be all the glory! Can't wait to see you all again next year!

It's Go Time! Matthew 28:16-20.

The Giving of God's Law

[Disclaimer: While this writing is my own, I learned the significant detail about the word עלה (alah) from an Old Testament Exegesis class I took with Dr. Richard Davidson at the Andrews University Theological Seminary, and I would be remiss if I did not mention that it was a result of his teaching that I have come to the following understanding of these key chapters in Exodus. - Pastor Zachary Payne]

Often we look at the Ten Commandments as if they were given in a vacuum.  As if God just presented a sterile document, almost a contract if you will, and all God's people have to do is sign on the proverbial dotted line.  But that is not how the story went.  It is a story of epic drama, and it has immense implications for our lives today.  And when we look into this story, not only do we get a vastly different picture than usually pops into our head when we think of the Ten Commandments, but the Law itself comes alive and we see it in a new light.  

In today's article we're going to be looking at the book of Exodus chapters 19, 20, and 32 to take a look at the context--the atmosphere, the intention, the emotion--of that famous moment where God revealed His Law to His people, the response of the people, and the results of that response.

Exodus 19: The Setting

Three months after God led His people out of Egypt, they set up camp in the desert of Sinai, at the base of a mountain (verses 1-2).  Once the camp has been established, Moses goes up the mountain to be with God and God speaks to him the following words:

The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel” (verses 3-6).

God's words here are very important to the rest of the story.  Did you catch the if-then construction?  God tells Moses that if God's people will keep His covenant then they shall be a treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.  Keep that in mind as we move along.

So Moses tells all of the people what God has said, and the people hastily (perhaps a bit naively) respond that they'll do it (verses 7-8).  After all: Who wouldn't want to be a kingdom of priests, and holy nation--God's own treasured possession? But they underestimate their own ability to keep to their part of the deal: Obeying God's voice and keeping His covenant.  

God then tells Moses:

“Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever"....Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman" (verses 9-15).

So the people prepare.  They obey all of these things the Lord asks them to do: They wash their garments, they keep away from the mountain until the appointed time, they fast from sex (which, comparing to God's speech to Moses, may or may not have actually been God's command, but Moses does throw it in there at the end of this passage).  Thus far in the story, we find a people who are faithful to heeding God's words.  However, we're not yet at the third day.

There is also something else that needs to be pointed out. When God says in verse 12 "take care not to go up into the mountain," (ESV) the Hebrew word that has been translated as the English phrase "up into" is עלה (alah), and it is translated accurately in the sense that God is telling the people not to go up the mountain.  However, in verse 13 we find that God says that when the trumpet sounds, the people shall come "up to" (ESV) the mountain--but the word used is the same as in verse 12: עלה (alah), meaning "up" or "up into," not "up to."  While I have used the ESC as an example here, this is a consistent interpretive inconsistency in most if not all English translations.

So, to be clear, after having read the original words in Hebrew, we find that God is indeed calling His people to come up the mountain, but not to do so until they hear the sound of a trumpet blast.  They have been faithful so far: Will they be obedient to this final request?

On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly (verses 16-18).

In verses 19-25 we have a somewhat confusing order of events. Right before the giving of the Ten Commandments, we read that the trumpet sounds. However, we also find God warning Moses not to let the people up the mountain yet.  His specific words from before were "When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain."  Apparently, this trumpeting we're reading about before the giving of the Ten Commandments is not yet the "long blast" that God is talking about.  

Exodus 20: The Giving of the Commandments and the Long Trumpet Blast

In verses 1-17, we find God giving the Ten Commandments to His people (while I will address these verses in a future post, it is outside of the scope of this article to address them now).  This is a very intimate moment, amidst all of the thunder and lightning and fire and smoke and loud trumpeting.  God, in the midst of this grand display of glory and power, is revealing His character to His people.  Ellen White sheds light on this, comparing the revelation of God's character through Jesus Christ to the revelation of God's character through the Law:

Christ came to our world to represent the character of God as it is represented in His holy law; for His law is a transcript of His character. Christ was both the law and the gospel (Ellen White, Selected Messages 2, p106).

So, while this is an awe inspiring--even fearful--scene, something very significant is happening: God is inviting His people to get to know Him better.  He wants them to know Him, He wants them to know how much He cares about them, and finally, He wants to spend time with them.  After the giving of the Ten Commandments, the trumpet is mentioned again--this time, apparently, the long blast God spoke of--and this is God's official invitation for His people to come up the mountain and "meet God" as chapter 19 verse 17 puts it.  But the people are not as enthusiastic as God and Moses are:

Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was (verses 18-21)

The people do not trust God--the God who sent Moses to Pharaoh to demand they be let go, the God who sent plagues on the Egyptians when Pharaoh would not listen, the God who led them out of Egypt as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, the God who split the Red Sea so they could cross safely and then crashed the waves down on their pursuers.  This is the God that the people didn't trust.  Yes, there was a powerful display at the mountain, but they completely missed the point.  God wasn't trying to scare them: He was trying to reveal Himself to them. God in His full glory is impressive, majestic, and perhaps even fear-inspiring. Proverbs 1:7 tells us that the "fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."  So it's not a bad thing to have a healthy fear and respect of God.  But what is happening here is not that.  The people, though God has been good to them, still don't trust Him, and they are terrified to go up the mountain.  So at the end of this chapter, we find Moses headed up the mountain alone while the people stand "far off."  God invited His people, and they rejected the invitation.  

Exodus 32: The Results of Rejecting God's Invitation

In chapter 32, we find a people who are bored, looking for direction, disgruntled that Moses is spending so much time up on the mountain with God.  He's been up there for so long, for all they know he could be dead.  They are restless and decide that they need to take things in another direction.  

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” (verses 1-4).

Because God's people have rejected Him, they are down in the valley while Moses is up on the mountain.  Just to reiterate: This is their fault, not God's.  If they would have trusted God, and if they would have heeded His invitation to spend time with Him, they would not have been restless and disgruntled to the point of apostasy.  They would have been up on the mountain with Moses and with God.  But, as the story goes, they create a calf idol (likely representing Baal, who was often depicted as a calf or bull), they claim that this "new god" is the one that brought them out of Egypt. Not only that, but Baal required a specific kind of worship that entailed violence (1 Kings 18:28), sexual practice (which can be seen in historical accounts of Baal worship and is likely implied by the phrase "rose up to play" [ESV] in verse 6), and child sacrifice (Jeremiah 19:5). Because of their refusal to trust God and spend time with Him, they end up completely violating every aspect of the law right as God was writing it on tablets and giving them to Moses.  When Moses comes down the mountain and sees for himself what the people are doing, he breaks the physical tablets containing the written Law of God, symbolizing how God's people have already failed to keep the Law.  

Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain (verses 15-19).

Those who do stand on God's side are those who are in the Tribe of Levi.  God, through their obedience, consecrates them as a tribe of priests, and from then on out they serve that function in the nation of Israel.  God had hoped, in chapter 19 verse 6, to make priests of the entire nation, but the way things turned out only one tribe had any measure of faithfulness and so it was only that tribe that went forward as priests.  

Conclusions

This story has obvious implications for us today.  God is a God of love!  He wants to free us from oppression and all kinds of evil.  He wants us to know who He, the Creator of the Universe, is and to spend time with Him.  One day He will invite us, not to the top of Mount Sinai, but to the top of His holy Mount Zion.  Do we trust a God like that?  Will we follow Him when He calls us?  When He invites us to spend time with Him, will we do so?  Or in light of all of these positive things, will we choose not to trust?  Will we choose not to spend time with Him?  Will we stand a far way off?  

The result of choosing the latter is clear.  When we don't trust our loving, delivering, protecting Creator, when we decline the invitation to spend time with Him, we actually will find ourselves among the restless Israelites down in the valley: Disgruntled, wondering why God is taking so long, and taking matters into our own hands--to our own destruction.  

My charge to the reader today is this:  When God calls you up the mountain, go up the mountain.  Don't be terrified: Our God wants good for us and has no intention of harming us.  The only harm we stand to face is the harm we bring on ourselves when we choose to reject God.  

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord," plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).

- Pastor Zachary Payne