"Let me tell you that the Lord will work in this last work in a manner very much out of the common order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human planning. There will be those among us who will always want to control the work of God, to dictate even what movements shall be made when the work goes forward under the direction of the angel who joins the third angel in the message to be given to the world. God will use ways and means by which it will be seen that He is taking the reins in His own hands. The workers will be surprised by the simple means that He will use to bring about and perfect His work of righteousness."
— Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, pg. 300 (1885)
The Question of Christian Denominations
Have you ever wondered why there are so many different denominations of churches, and other assemblies of individuals that all refer to themselves as Christians? And, why each one tends to see themselves as the correct one, while everyone else who doesn't bow to their particular brand of religion is a fraud?
In my case, I didn't wonder about the first question for at least the first two decades of my life because my involvement with public school brought me in contact with kids who came from various backgrounds, and upbringings, and we all seemed to get along to some extent, and shared many of the same interests. It wasn't until after being out of school a few years, moving out of state, reading the Bible, and going to a local church on my own recognizance that it became evident that this condition exists quite strongly in the Christian world.
Arriving at the conclusion of these questions took an additional two decades of continuous study. Not only that, it has resulted in a peculiar lifestyle that has prevented me from being able to "settle down" in a conventional sense. It is evident now that all of this has been necessary in order to equip me to present the message that is contained in this document, and to deal with its reception, or the lack thereof.
Understanding Jesus and His Kingdom
When Jesus of Nazareth walked this earth to fulfill the work of revealing His Father's character for three and a half years culminating at Passover in the year 31, no one understood what He was about. They didn't get who He was. Not only was this the case with His disciples, but even His own cousin, John the Baptist, misunderstood the nature of the kingdom that Jesus preached.
Everyone thought that Jesus was going to set up a kingdom that is patterned after the powers of this world, and the disciples spent much of their time vying for supremacy within this imaginary structure. It wasn't until Jesus was arrested, and consequently executed, that their delusions of worldly grandeur were shattered.
After Jesus was resurrected, made various appearances over the next forty days, and departed, the Bible says that the disciples "were all with one accord." Acts 2:1. In other words, they were no longer competing with each other as to who should be in charge. It was after coming to this place of relationship with one another that they could receive the Holy Spirit, and when they did, things would never be the same again for the human race.
The Foundation of True Knowledge
Not only did they now understand who Jesus was in relationship to His Father, they knew who they were in relationship to the Father also, and this knowledge changed them from being disciples (students), to apostles. An apostle is one who has the same power, and authority as the teacher because they have that which the teacher intended on giving to them. Such knowledge is not a product of human invention, but comes directly from the Divine Mind itself.
"When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That though art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
— Matthew 16:13-19
In other words, knowing who God is, and who you are in relationship to God is the difference between those who can only present the Bible as nothing more than a collection of religious fairy tales, and those who have the power to turn the world upside down, which the apostles were accused of doing. Acts 17:6.
The New Commandment of Love
During the last supper with the disciples, Jesus said, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another." John 13:34-35.
Love is a principle which when received, results in a state of being that is not natural to the human heart. "God is love" 1 John 4:8, and man was originally created in the image of God. Unfortunately, that image has been corrupted as a result of our first parents choosing to believe the first lie, and we have had to deal with the effects of that ever since. The confusion surrounding the definition of love is just one of numerous examples.
John is referred to as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" John 21:20 indicating that John was especially astute in the knowledge of this principle. He certainly wrote about it more than anyone else, and with good reason. As the longest living apostle, he witnessed the Church increase with numbers of interested observers, and participants in the following decades, and the sad departure of love among so many.