The Jews in Christ's day were deceived into believing that they were saved, even though they had rejected their Messiah (Jesus Christ), simply because they had their names listed on the church books. And who kept their names on the church books, and who took them off? Their leaders did so, because they "had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the Synagogue" (Jn. 9:22), and have their names taken off the church books. And since Jesus confessed that He was the Messiah, then He, His apostles, and disciples who accepted Him as the Messiah, not only had their names removed from the church books, but they were also cast out! But all the other Jews feared man more than they feared the God they professed to serve, and rather than have their names removed from the books for accepting their Messiah, they trusted their leaders and retained their names, all because they believed in the pseudo magic of church membership; and this made them feel that their salvation was secure. And the Jews disbelieved Jesus' prediction about the temple of Jerusalem that "there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down" (Mt. 24:2). And so it was in A.D. 70 that Titus the Roman general besieged their city, and Jesus' prediction was fulfilled:

"Jerusalem was destroyed, the temple laid in ruins, and its site plowed as a field (Mic. 1:12}. The children of Judah perished by the most horrible forms of death. Millions were sold as bondmen in heathen lands."--Prophets and Kings, pg. 713:0 (bold emphasis, braces added).

What! The Jews were killed, sold into slavery, and lost their kingdom, even though they faithfully obeyed their leaders and kept their names on the church books! What happened to the magic of church membership? It did not save them as they expected. And what about you readers who profess to be Christians. Do you think that if you are disfellowshiped from your church for believing the truth, that this will keep you from being saved? If so, then you must believe that Jesus, the apostles, and His Christian disciples were not saved when they were cast out as members of the Jewish synagogues! And if you think that is true, then you must believe that the Jews were saved by keeping their names on the church books, because Jesus was a false Messiah as their leaders told them, and that Christianity is a fake, and that all Christians are deluded Gentiles!

CASTING CHRISTIANS OUT OF THEIR CHURCHES

Since Jesus Christ and His disciples were not lost when they were cast out of the synagogue, then the Jews who kept their membership there were lost. This fact proves irrefutably that the so-called "saving magic" of church membership is false. And that means if you have membership in any Christian church, don't think that this automatically secures your salvation any more than it did the Jews. But why? you may ask. My church accepts Jesus as the Messiah. True, but Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (Jn. 14:6). And since Jesus is "truth," then as the Jews were lost for rejecting and crucifying their Messiah; so any Christian who crucifies his Messiah "afresh" (Heb. 6:6) by rejecting "truth," because he is afraid that his pastor might cast him out if he accepts it, will also be lost. If, however, any Christian is cast out for accepting or teaching "truth," then he is no more lost than was Jesus our Lord and his disciples were lost when they were cast out for teaching truth.

That is the way it has been ever since "men slept" and the devil sowed his wicked tares (Mt. 13:25) into the Christian church. And since Jesus commanded His servants not to cast out the tares (Mt. 13:28,29), then who is it that has been casting out the saints and killing them by the millions (during the Dark-Age period 538-1798) for accepting Jesus in the form of the truth, if not the wicked tares (Mt. 13:25) whom the devil (Mt. 13:39) put into the Christian church. And if the day should come that you are cast out of your church for accepting Jesus in the form of "truth" (Jn. 14:6), then you should "rejoice" (Lk. 6:22,23; Isa. 66:5), rather than be worried or afraid about having your name removed from the church books. But what if you are a member of the Seventh-day Adventist church (Laodicea), which is symbolized by the last candlestick? Surely they should know better than to cast out their members?

LAODICEA--SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

The church of "Laodicea" is one of the seven candlesticks that John the Revelator saw with the "Son of man" (Jesus) standing in their midst (Rev. 1:13). Jesus told John that the "seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches" (Rev. 1:20). So there is no need for anyone to wonder which churches these candlesticks symbolize, because the "Son of man" (Jesus) is standing in their midst; which proves that they can only be Christian churches! And the fact that there are seven candlesticks, which number means completeness, proves indisputably that they symbolize the Christian churches during the entire New Testament Christian era.

"The names of the seven churches {candlesticks} are symbolic of the church in different periods of the Christian era. The number seven indicates completeness, and is symbolic of the fact that the messages extend to the end of time, while the symbols used reveal the condition of the church at different periods in the history of the world."--Acts of the Apostles, pg. 585:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"The Laodicean church, the last of the seven {candlesticks} churches (Rev. 2, 3), being figurative of the Christian church in her last period, our time, the message on record to her {Rev. 3:14} is therefore the last message to the church."--1 Answerer Book, pg. 8:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"Laodicea may be infallibly recognized amidst the many 'isms' of Christendom {Babylon} by the work she is doing--declaring the judgment. Indeed, this mark of identification is pointed out by the very name Laodicea, compounded of the two Greek words lao and dekei, the one meaning 'people,' also 'speak,' the other meaning 'judgment,' the two in one meaning the people declaring judgment. The church, therefore, which declares, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come' (Rev. 14:7), is evidently the one called Laodicea. And it is almost as well known outside Seventh-day Adventist circles as within, that the Seventh-day Adventist church is endeavoring to carry the judgment message of Revelation 14:7, and is therefore unchallenged in her claim to the title, Laodicea."--1 Answerer Book, pg. 11:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

SDA MINISTERS CAST OUT THEIR MEMBERS

Now what if you are a member of the Seventh-day Adventist church? Do you know that most of them believe in the pseudo magic of church membership? Do you know that your leaders cast out members of their churches? For years since 1929 the leaders have been casting out those members who have become Davidians; becaues they are reformists who teach, and live the true doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist church. And for doing this they are cast out!

"Fundamentally we {Davidians} are Seventh-day Adventists. Ever since the leading brethren of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination rejected the addition to the Third Angel's Message (Early Writings, p. 277) in the same fashion as the Jews turned down the gospel of Christ, and as the popular churches turned down the messages that followed thereafter, we have fundamentally remained Seventh-day Adventists. We are separated {cast out} from the mother church because the 'lukewarm' brethren by majority vote disfellowshiped us {took names from church books}, and put a guard at the church doors to make sure that we could not enter the churches on the Sabbath day. Evidently they did these things in order to force us to renounce the Lord's revealed Truth}, and also to frighten those who were embracing Present Truth and those who might investigate for themselves and accept the message of the hour. There could be no reason for dismissing us."--2 Timely Greetings, No. 10, pg. 17:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"...So now...we find the General Conference {leaders of the church} refusing to let God take the reins in His Own hands (Testimonies to Ministers, p. 300), their attempting to usurp His throne by determining that they are to rule the {Seventh-day Adventist} denomination until the end of this world, and their availing themselves of every chance to cast us {Davidians} out of their midst, in order to safeguard their control of it."--8 Tract, pg. 53:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Jesus said the Jewish leaders were "of the devil" (Jn. 8:44); they had gained control of the Jewish church; so today these leaders have gained control of the Seventh-day Adventist church. But Jesus came to take away their control of the church into His hands by a message of truth (Jn. 14:6) which the Davidians teach. It will cause a reformation in the church and seal the 144,000 saints and those "with" them (1 TG4:27; 2SC5:8). Surely, they know that Jesus told all Christians not to cast out anyone for believing the truth (Mt. 13:28,29). Even their own prophetess, Sis. E.G. White (1 S.M. 34:5), warned them not to do this:

"The Lord forbids us {Seventh-day Adventists--Mt. 13:29} to proceed in any violent way {casting out members} against those whom we {church leaders} think erring,...Finite man {church leaders} is likely to misjudge character {and label others as tares}, but God does not leave the work of judgment and pronouncing upon character to those who are not fitted for it. We are not to say what constitutes the wheat {and give them membership}, and what the tares {and cast them out}."--Testimonies to Ministers, pg. 47:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

The Davidians teach reformation and live it, and this is what the Seventh-day Adventist leaders are afraid of, because they do not want reformation to get started in their churches. They know that most members are tares who do not believe the truth; and they also know that they would apostatize and leave the church if reformation is urged upon the members by the Davidians. And this frightens the ministers, because they know that these departing tares will take with them their money, which the ministers love to collect during church services when the offering plate is passed! Therefore, to perpetuate their control of the church to keep the tares from leaving so they can continue collecting money from them, they have no alternative but to cast out the Davidians to stop their work of reform. Since, however, the true Davidians live the truth, then the ministers cannot cast them out for open sin. And since they know that some members will protest against the forbidden practice of judging their members as tares and casting them out (Mt. 13:28,29), they must find some way to threaten the laity so that they will be too scared to say or do anything. And they do it two ways:

(1) The ministers deceive the laymembers into believing that there is a saving magic in membership.

(2) Then they threaten them with the loss of their magical membership if they listen to the Davidians, by teaching a wrong application of Jesus' words:

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven."--Matthew 16:18, 19 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Some Seventh-day Adventist ministers preach sermons known as "tirades" against the truth of the Davidian reformation on Sabbath morning, which they have been forbidden to do by their prophetess (Sis. E.G. White) who wrote: "no tirade is to be made against the doctrines held by others" (8 Test. 156:0). Their main purpose is to keep their members from accepting the reformatory message taught by the Davidians. And to achieve their ungodly ambition, they preach their forbidden tirades centered on the above text (Mt. 16:18,19), not only to frighten the laity, but also to deceive them into believing that there is a special magic in having their leaders keep their names on the church records as members of the Seventh-day Adventist church, which will save them. To do this they must tell the laity two lies:

The First Lie: They tell them that by keeping their membership in the church, they are bound on earth, andthey are bound in heaven and saved forever.

The Truth: No Christian is guaranteed salvation forever just because he has his name on the church books!

The Second Lie: They tell them that if they lose their membership by being cast out for any reason, then they are not only loosed on earth, but they are also loosed in heaven and lost forever.

The Truth: Not all Christians are lost forever just becaue they have been cast out of the church!

These two lies frightens the laity, even as the false doctrine that the wicked will burn in hell forever, frightens other Christians. This is the same type of fear which the Jewish leaders put into their members to cause them to keep their membership and reject their Messiah (Jesus). By perverting what Jesus said (Mt. 16:18,19), to justify their casting out Davidians from their churches for teaching reformation to their members, these Seventh-day Adventist ministers deceive their laity into believing that they, too, will be lost if they are cast out. Thus, they hope to keep the laity from listening to Davidians by deliberately misinterpreting the words of Jesus (Mt. 16:18,19). By doing this, however, they have unknowingly doomed their own Messiah, His apostles, and many Christian disciples to be lost forever; because they were loosed on earth--cast out of the Jewish Synagogue (Jn. 9:22); which means, according to what these ministers say, they are loosed in heaven! Such blasphemous lies as this makes Jesus a false Messiah for being cast out; which would not only justify the Jews for killing Him, but it would also justify their persecution and martyrdom of Christians, even to this very day. And not only this, their blasphemous lies would make them teach that all Christian churches, including their own Seventh-day Adventist church, is false; because Jesus Christ (the One who founded the Christian church) was cast out of the synagogue as a false Messiah! True Christians would not believe their blasphemous perversion of what Jesus told Peter, because they understand what He meant:

What Jesus Meant: Only those members who commit "open sin" and none others are to be cast out--loosed on earth and loosed in heaven (Mt. 16:18,19). And then, if they do not repent, they will be lost forever, as is stated below:

"Christ has plainly taught that those who persist in open sin must be separated {cast out} from the church, but He has not committed to us {Seventh-day Adventist ministers} the work of judging character and motive {and defining them as tares to be cast out}."--Christ's Object Lessons, pg. 71:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

There is only one reason why a Seventh-day Adventist minister can cast out a member (to loose him on earth and in heaven), and that is for committing an open sin (such as adultery), not for teaching the truth. To teach otherwise, is to deny that Jesus told Peter to cast out only those members who commit open sin, and pervert it (Mt. 16:18,19) to mean that Jesus said to cast out members for any other reason they so choose. Such blasphemous perversion is clearly exposed by what Jesus told the Christians to do when they are cast out:

Jesus did not tell Christians to "rejoice" when they are cast out for committing an open sin! Instead, He said to "rejoice" when they are cast out for accepting or teaching the truth (Jn. 14:6) for "My name's sake" (Isa. 66:5). And since these two irrefutable facts are so important, they should be repeated again separately:

(1) It is blasphemy to say that Jesus told Peter (Mt. 16:18,19) to cast out (loose on earth) the saints for accepting or teaching truth. Instead He told Peter to only cast out members who commit open sin!

(2) It is blasphemy to say that Jesus told the sinners to rejoice when they are cast out of the church for open sin! Instead, He told the saints to rejoice when they are cast out for accepting or teaching truth!

True Davidians obey Jesus' command to rejoice when they are cast out. But the Seventh-day Adventist ministers dare not say they cast them out for what they teach, because they cannot prove it wrong; and that is why they do not want their members to study with them. And since their reformatory message causes the members who listen to reform their lives and put away their sins, the ministers cannot cast them out for committing any open sin! And since these ministers do not want to reform and put away their sins, they have deliberately choosen to pervert what Jesus told Peter, to use it as a deceptive weapon to frighten their members, so that they will not study with the Davidians and start a reformation in their churches. By threathening the laity with excommunication, and by telling them that if they are cast out (but not for open sin), they will be loosed on earth and loosed in heaven to be lost forever, is a deliberate scheme to terrify them into believing that there is a saving magic in church membership.

NAME ON CHURCH RECORDS DOES NOT SAVE

"Just as did the Jews of old, thousands {of Seventh-day Adventists} today dearly believe that there is a certain saving magic simply in membership in the church, thus letting themselves be brought to prize and depend upon it {membership} more than upon the message {of truth}, which demands {a reformation that calls for} repentance of sins and in return lifts the penitent sinner from the dark and miry pit, into the healing, saving light of Present truth."--7 Tract, pg. 61:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

The great majority of the members of the Seventh-day Adventist church believe that there is a "saving magic" in retaining their names on the church books; and that this will secure them a place in heaven forever. It doesn't matter if they are not living up to the truth which they profess; and it doesn't matter if they reject the reformatory message which the Davidians teach; all they have to do is keep their names on the church books at all costs, and, lo, they are magically saved. The Jews believed the same deception. They rejected their Messiah (Jesus) who could have given them the salvation they thought they desired, but they were afraid that if they were cast out of the synagogue for accepting Him, then they would be lost forever. Instead, they were lost forever because they kept their membership! This fact not only proves that the Jews' belief in the saving magic of membership in their synagogues was false, but it also proves that there is no saving magic of membership in any Christian church. This same fear has been put into the hearts of the members of the Seventh-day Adventist church by their ministers, who threaten and scare them with their weapon of excommunication to keep them from studying the reformatory message which the Davidians teach. As a result, the great majority of them are afraid to jeopardize their church membership, and be cast out to be lost forever--loosed on earth and loosed in heaven (Mt. 16:18,19), as their ministers falsely teach. They have forgotten that all the saints down through the ages not only jeopardized their church membership when they accepted new truth, but they also jeopardized their very lives, many of which were killed.

"Every age has had its multitude who, instead of being baptized to follow Christ and His Truth, were baptized to follow man. They joined the multitude in the church {with their names of the church books} instead of the multitude in heaven {with their names in the Lamb's book of life}. Consequently, Christ {in the form of truth--Jn. 14:6} is a stranger to them, and when truth unfolds, they call it error, then follow men and reject the truth. This folly has been repeated again and again, with the result that the few faithful ones who have followed Christ and His truth, have been cast out of the churches and compelled to start all over again."--3 Answerer Book, pg. 40:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"At every upward step in Truth throughout church history and down to this day {in the Seventh-day Adventist church}, those {true Christians} who have ever embraced new, unpopular truths, have in every instance been thrown {cast} out of the church which they helped build {by their labors and tithes}. This has been done only because on the one hand the majority {of tares} have ever ruled, and on the other hand only the minority {the wheat} have ever been susceptible to {accept and teach} present Truth, to 'meat in due season.'"--1 Timely Greetings, No. 42, pg. 7:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

What the laymembers in the Seventh-day Adventist church today do not realize is that their so-called magical church membership is false and it cannot save them; because they have not considered the fact that both "wheat" (saints) and "tares" (wicked) are members of the same church!

BOTH THE SAINTS AND THE WICKED ARE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH

"The class of professed Sabbathkeepers who try to form a union between Christ and Belial, who take of the truth with one hand and of the world with the other, have surrounded their children and clouded the {Seventh-day Adventist} church with an atmosphere entirely foreign to religion and the Spirit of Christ....They desire the Lord to fulfill to them His promises; but they refuse to comply with the conditions on which they promises are based....This class are all professed Christians. Their names are on the church books."--5 Testimonies, pg. 52:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

The Seventh-day Adventist church today (1999) boasts a membership of close to ten million members, but they are far from being all saints! That is the very reason why the above statement identifies the tares, sinners, and hypocrites as "professed Sabbathkeepers," who are members of the Seventh-day Adventist church, and whose "names are on the church books"!

"...the Scriptures make it plain that both the sinners and the saints will be in the {Christian} church until the harvest. No one need brag that the members of his church are all saints, that they are all of one accord. If they really are of one accord, then it must be that they are all tares, that there is no saint among them; that church for a certainty is not the church {Laodicea} of which Christ speaks in His Word (Rev. 3:14). If anything is plain in the Bible this one thing is."--1 Timely Greetings, No. 21, pg. 3:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Now since the ministers of the Seventh-day Adventist church cannot brag that all their members are saints, then they must admit that there is no "saving magic" in church membership, for this obvious reason: If the saints are magically saved by church membership, then all the wicked in their midst are also magically saved, because they have membership in the same church! And that fact proves irrefutably that the great masses of the tares, sinners, and hypocrites are members of the Seventh-day Adventist church, not because they believe its true doctrines, or the writings of its prophetess (Sis. E.G. White), or live its principles in their lives, but because their ministers told them their lies that there is a magical power in church membership, which will save them right along with the saints! The Lord condemned such ministers by His prophet Ezekiel, when He asked them:

"And will ye pollute Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread {bought with the money they collect from the tares}, to slay the souls that should not die {by casting out the saints to be lost forever}, and to save the souls alive that should not live {by giving the wicked membership to be saved forever}, by your lying to My people that hear your lies?"--Ezekiel 13:19 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Not only the Jews and the Christians, but especially the leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist church, are condemned by God through Ezekiel's prophecy for "lying to My people that hear your lies," which is their promise of eternal salvation to the wicked members "that should not live" if they keep their membership by rejecting Jesus in the form of truth. And they are also condemned for casting out the saints "that should not die" as eternally lost people if they accept Jesus in the form of truth! These lies deceive the wicked sinners, the tares, and the hypocrites into believing that because the saints have membership in the same church where they have membership, then when the time of trouble comes and there is a famine of bread (Isa. 3:1; 1 T.G. 5:16:4; E.W. 282:2; G.C. 629:2), they will be delivered right along with the saints. But they are wrong, because God spoke through His prophet Ezekiel and said:

"Son of man, when the land sinneth against Me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off (kill--Isa. 53:8) man and beast from it: though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it {the land}, they should deliver but their own souls by their own righteousness, saith the Lord God."--Ezekiel 14:13,14 (bold emphasis, braces added).

From what Ezekiel wroteabove, the sinners, the tares, and the hypocrites in the Seventh-day Adventist church will not be delivered right along with the saints; even if "Noah, Daniel, and Job" were living in "the land" and their names were recorded in the same church books beside theirs. This irrefutable fact proves that there is no magical saving power in holding membership.

"For in Laodicea they {the tares, sinners, and hypocrites} are made to believe {by their leaders} that they have all the truth there is to be had, that they are rich, increased with goods, and in need of nothing,--their salvation forever secured as long as they hold membership in the {Seventh-day Adventist} church {along with the saints}! "--3 Answerer Book, pg. 66:0 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Thus, the difference between the true Christian and the false one, is that both hold membership in God's church. But the true Christian is not afraid of being cast out and losing his membership for accepting or teaching truth. Whereas the false Christian not only rejects truth because he is worried that he will be cast out and lose his membership, but also because he cannot bear the reproach that inevitably falls upon the saints who are cast out of their church for accepting or teaching truth.

FALSE CHRISTIANS ARE WORRIED BY AND AFRAID OF REPROACH

But why would a Christian worry about having his name deleted from the church records for accepting truth, when Jesus said to "rejoice" when that great event occurs? Well, a true Christian would not worry, much less be afraid. In fact, he looks forward to the day when he can "rejoice" for being identified as a saint by his minister who casts him out; because a tare minister does not cast out tare laymembers. Instead, he knows who is a saint, and he broadcasts this fact (unknowingly or unwittingly) to the other members who identify themselves as tares by agreeing with their minister to cast out of the church those whom they have identified as the saints! A false Christian, however, does worry very much about being cast out, because he is afraid of the reproach that he must bear for accepting truth.

According to Webster's Dictionary, the word "reproach" as a noun means this: "a cause or occasion to blame, to discredit, or disgrace;" and as a verb it means this: "to express disappointment in or displeasure with (a person) for conduct that is blameworthy or in need of amendment." So it has always been down throughout the ages: Whenever a true Christian accepts truth or teaches it to others, the wicked sinners, tares, and hypocrites are the first to "reproach" him; that is, cast "blame, to discredit" him before others, and "express disappointment in or displeasure with" him in public or privately to others behind his back. Isaiah prophesied about these tares who are in all the Christian churches, represented as "seven women" (Isa. 4:1):

WOMEN (CHURCHES) BECOME CHRISTIANS TO TAKE AWAY THEIR REPROACH

"And in that day {latter days} seven women {Christian churches--2 Cor. 11:2; G.C. 381} shall take hold of {profess to accept} one man {Christ}, saying, We will eat our own bread {doctrine}, and wear our own apparel {self-righteousness}: only let us be called by Thy name {Christian}, to take away our reproach."--Isaiah 4:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"So, pointing to the day in which we are now living, to the Judgment day, the scripture figuratively reveals that all (for that is what the Biblical number 'seven' indicates) the churches {women} have arrived at the place where by their actions they are in reality saying to the Lord: 'We want nothing from You {Jesus Christ} but Your name. Just let us be called Christians is all we want from You. We want Your name because it takes away our reproach; that is, if we be called Christians, then what we do {not live as Christians but as worldly heathens} can be blamed on You; You get the credit for it.'"--1 Timely Greetings, No. 30, pg. 17:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"That is, in the last days, the time the daughters of Zion are haughty, then seven women (all the churches of that day) shall in heart say to Christ, the one Man {Jesus}, 'We shall eat our own bread {man's doctrine}, we shall wear our own clothes {self-righteousness}, We shall be entirely independent of Thee. There is but one thing that we want from You: Only let us be called by Thy Name, Christian, so as to take away our reproach {blame for their sins}.' This is the way God sees His church enslaved by the world."--1 Timely Greetings, No. 6, pg. 33:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"It is an admitted fact among Bible students that churches are symbolized by 'women.' Pure woman--pure church, as in Jeremiah 6:2, Revelation 12:1; vile woman--corrupt church, as in Revelation 17:4,5. Isaiah says, there are 'seven' women. The number comprises these same churches. They say, 'We will eat our own bread.' That is, they want to have their own way {according to the doctrines they teach}; they care not for God's way (Word). 'We will wear our own apparel'; that is, they want their own plans in preference to God's plans or His righteousness. Thereby, they clothed themselves with {an apparel or garment of} self-righteousness. Their aim is to be called by the one man's name; that is, by the name of Christ (Christians) to take away their reproach. People {who are worldly heathens} have come to suppose they can do most anything under the guise of Christianity {claiming to be saved because they have membership in a church} and get away with it {bear no reproach}."--2 Shepherd's Rod book, pg. 98:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"It is an admitted fact that the women spoken of here represent churches. The Biblical number 'seven' is used as a symbol, meaning 'all'...Naturally it would include Seventh-day Adventists as well, otherwise it would not be 'all.' While these women {churches} are refusing the instructions of Christ through His Word and His righteousness, symbolized by the bread {Jn. 6:35} and apparel {Mt. 22:11}, they wished to be called by His name (Christians) {to take away their reproach--blame for their sins}..."--1 Shepherd's Rod book, pg. 218:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Isaiah prophesied about these tares in all the Christian churches (including the Seventh-day Adventist church), which are all symbolically represented as "women." They profess to be Christians, not because they truely believe in Christ and want to live as a Christian, but because they are heathens in heart who want to live like worldlings. And they know that there is a reproach to bear if they are worldly heathens, so they profess to be Christians to take away that "reproach" (which blames and discredits them).

You see, readers, the word "reproach" in a spiritual sense means to "blame or discredit" someone who lives contrary to the teachings of the Bible; which, of course, does not apply to true Christians; instead, this reproach applies to worldly people who live like heathens. But the tare ministers in these Christian churches use this "reproach" to frighten these heathens and worldly people to join their churches, by such false doctrines as burning in hell forever. They promise them that if they will become a baptised Christian, and hold membership in their church, then they will no longer have to bear any reproach as heathens and worldly people, becaue they are saved forever. And they flock to their altar calls by the thousands with tears in their eyes, believing that they have been converted to Christ, because they had a wonderful feeling; although they made no changes in their worldly life styles. And then they boast to others, "See, I am a Christian, so you can't reproach (blame) me for the way I live; because I have membership in a Christian church, and, lo, it will magically save me in spite of the worldly life that I live." Yet, they still bear the "reproach" they had before but even worse, because now they have become heathen hypocrites and blasphemers who falsely claim to be Christians! And that proves that they do not really know the true meaning of "reproach," much less its origination.

FOUR KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO MUST SUFFER REPROACH

Many Christians do not know that the word "reproach," which means to blame or discredit someone, can be applied to four different kinds of people:

1. HEATHENS: They are worldly people and heathens who are not Christians and who do not attend any church, and live contrary to the life that Jesus lived as an example for mankind. They make up the great majority of worldly people living right here in America who have no desire to be Christians. But the life of a true Christian condemns the way they live, and also witnesses against them, which is a "reproach" (meaning to blame or to discredit) that these worldly people must bear. And when Christians ask them if they are Christians, they are embarrassed to say "No;" because their answer reveals what they are--unsaved heathens. There would, however, be no "reproach" for these heathens to bear if there was no ten commandment law to condemn them, and if Jesus had not lived that law perfectly without sinning to witness against them.

2. HYPOCRITES: Many of these unconverted heathens and worldly people are associated in life with the true Christians, and they see that the way to be friends and do business with them, is to profess to be like them; as the ancient heathens who wanted to join with Jacob (Gen. 34:13-22) and be circumcised (join their religion) so that they could do business with them (Gen. 34:23). And so it is today, the heathens in America profess to be converted, and became baptised members of the various Christian churches (seven women Isa. 4:1). But no change is seen in their lives, which conforms to the way that Jesus lived. This fact proves that their objective is not to become truely born-again Christians, but is a method they use to take away the reproach of being called heathens, even though they still live like worldly people. This means that they were put into the Christian church by the devil (Mt. 13:25), and they must bear "reproach" (meaning to blame or to discredit) for being hypocrites in the Christian churches.

3. UNFAITHFUL MEMBERS: There has always been unfaithul members in God's church who have willfully committed open sins. In the Old Testament these open sins (such as adultery) was usually punished with death (Deut. 22:22). But in the New Testament they are punished by being cast out of the church. And they must bear the "reproach" (meaning to blame or to discredit) for their open sins.

4. TRUE CHRISTIANS: Many Christians who keep the ten commandments, live the life of Jesus, and accept Him in the form of "truth" (Jn. 14:6), have been unlawfully cast out and their names stricken off the church records. And though they have done nothing wrong (committed no open sin), they must suffer the unjust "reproach" (meaning to blame or to discredit) put upon them by their ministers and laymembers, as well as by those outside the church who heard that they had been cast out.

Of course, it is not too hard to understand why the first kind of people (1. HEATHENS) must bear "reproach," because they are heathens outside the Christian church. Nor is it too hard to understand why the second kind of people (2 HYPOCRITES) must bear "reproach," because they are heathens who are Christian hypocrites. Neither is it too hard to understand why the third kind of people (3 UNFAITHFUL MEMBERS) must bear "reproach," because they commit open sins. But why is it that the true Christians must suffer an unjust "reproach" when they are cast out of the church? The answer to that question is understood by learning the origin of reproach.

THE ORIGIN OF CHRISTIAN REPROACH

"In the beginning" when "God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1), the first two humans were perfect and committed no sins. But after Satan "the Devil" (Rev. 12:9) in the form of a serpent {Gen. 3:1) caused Eve and Adam to sin (Gen. 3:6), then sin was perpetuated in the human race by birth. As a result sin continued, not only when Cain killed Abel (Gen. 4:8), but it became worse throughout the history of mankind. During this time Satan (the devil) went to the angels in heaven to "reproach" (meaning to blame or to discredit) them; especially the saints, when he "accused them before God day and night" (Rev. 12:10). Thus, Satan was not only the originator of sin, but he also originated the evil of "reproach"! Later, when Jesus Christ came to the earth, he tried to tempt Him to sin; but since Jesus never sinned he could not lawfully reproach Him. So he used the Pharisees and Sadducees to call Him a sinner to unlawfully reproach Him.

But inspite of the unjust reproach He suffered, He established the Christian church, and sowed into it the "good seed" (Mt. 13:24)--the saints. And since a true Christian would not cast out another saint, then none of them had to bear any unjust reproach for being cast out. It was later, after some Christian leaders began to backslid and "slept" spiritually (Mt. 13:25), that they allowed "the devil" (Mt. 13:39) to sow his "tares" among them. They are the worldly heathens who, while professing to be Christians, were really hypocrites who still practiced their worldly sins. The true Christians, of course, knew that such sins could not be tolerated in God's church; and they followed the way that Jesus told them how to rebuke these hypocrites, and discipline the open sinners:

"Moreover {Jesus said}, if thy brother trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he shall neglect to hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever, ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall ber loosed in heaven."--Matthew 18:15-18 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"This statement {Mt. 18:18} holds its force in all ages {until now in the latter days}. On the {Christian} church has been conferred the power to act in Christ's stead. It is God's instrumentality for the preservation of order and discipline among His people. To it the Lord has delegated the power to settle all questions respecting its prosperity, purity, and order. Upon it rests the responsibility of excluding {casting out} from its fellowship those who are unworthy, who by their un-Christlike conduct {open sin} would bring dishonor on the church. Whatever the church does {sinners loosed on earth} that is in accordance with the directions given in God's word will be ratified {sinners loosed} in heaven."--7 Testimonies, pg. 263:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"The world's Redeemer has invested great power with His {Christian} church. He states the rules to be applied in cases of trial with its members. After He has given explicit directions as to the course to be pursued, He says: 'Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever, ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever [in church discipline] {only for open sin} ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.' Thus even the heavenly authority ratifies the discipline of the church {on earth} in regard to {casting out} its members when the Bible rule has been followed."--3 Testimonies, pg. 428:1 (brackets [] belong) (bold emphasis, braces {} added).

"If he {a church member who continues to commit open sin} will not heed the voice of the church, if he refuses all the efforts made to reclaim him, upon the church rests the responsibility of separating him {casting him out} from fellowship. His name should then be stricken from the books."--7 Testimonies, pg. 262:4 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Christ instructed the Christians that they have full authority to lawfully cast out any brother or sister who continues to commit an "open sin" (C.O.L. 77:3); and that is the reason why he must also bear a lawful reproach for dishonoring the church. But this has caused many ignorant Christians to look upon everyone cast out of their church "as an heathen man" (Mt. 18:17). And they are the first ones to cast reproach not only upon the sinners who deserve it, but also upon the saints who do not deserve it. That is because they do not know the difference between the lawful reproach and the unjust reproach:

(1) The lawful reproach (blame) which those outside the Christian church must bear, are the heathens and worldly people.

(2) The lawful reproach (blame) which some of the members inside the Christian church must bear, are the heathen hypocrites.

(3) The lawful reproach (blame) which those who are cast out of the church for open sin must bear, are the unfaithful Christians.

(4) The unjust reproach (blame not deserved) which those who are unlawfully cast out for accepting or teaching truth must suffer, are the true Christians.

It is these ignorant Christians that do not know the difference between lawful reproach and unjust reproach, who contend that not only the open sinner, but everyone who is cast out of the church (no matter the reason) should be looked upon as a shameful heathen. But they are ignorant of the fact that Jesus told the Christians to "rejoice" (Lk. 6:22,23) when they are cast out of the Christian church. What! Did Jesus tell those members who commit open sin to "rejoice" when they are cast out of the church! "No, He did not" is the obvious answer; so if it is not the open sinner, then who is to rejoice and why? It is the true Christian who is to rejoice for being cast out, not for "open sin" (C.O.L. 71:3), but for accepting or teaching truth. Peter also agreed that they should rejoice when he wrote this: "If ye be reproached {blamed or discredited} for the name of Christ {by accepting truth}, happy are ye" (1 Pet. 4:14).

Yet, the ignorant Christians think that everyone cast out must be a sinner or a heathen who commits open sin, because he doesn't know that Jesus was also cast out of the Jewish synagogue (Jn. 9:22). What! Was Jesus cast out for committing an open sin? "No!" is the obvious answer, because He knew no sin; which proves that not everyone (Jesus or any true Christian) who is cast out of his church is to be condemned, and they should not have to bear any unjust reproach (blame they do not deserve) for accepting or teaching the truth. The ignorant Christians, however, continue to falsely condemn and accuse the true Christian as an open sinner. And he not only votes to delete his name from the church records, but he also casts unjust reproach upon him and looks down upon him as a shameful heathen. By doing this, he now becomes an open sinner who is an "accuser of the brethren" (Rev. 12:10), and he should be cast out!

It was just such a false accusation against Jesus, unjust reproach (blame He did not deserve), that He suffered from the ignorant Jews who approved of His being cast out of the synagogue by the Pharisees; which Paul noted: "Let us go forth therefore unto Him {Jesus} without the camp {outside of the church}, bearing His {unjust} reproach {for being cast out}." (Heb. 13:13). And so the apostles, the disciples, and the true Christians all down through out the New Testament era, even until today in the Seventh-day Adventist church, have suffered the unjust reproach (blame put on them which they do deserve) by the ministers and laymembers who cast them out. There was, however, one exception--the Philadelphia church who cast out no one.

ONLY ONE CHRISTIAN CHURCH DID NOT CAST OUT MEMBERS

"Plainly, then, the names of 'the seven churches' (representing the successive sections of the Christian church, of which the Laodicean is the last) are not "just names." Take as another example the name of the sixth, "Philadelphia." Its meaning, "brotherly love," being a misnomer of the spiritual condition of any other church organization in the entire Christian era {all of which cast out members}, implicitly fits, however, the state of charity common and singular to the sixth--the Millerite church."--3 Tract, pg. 62:2 (bold emphasis added) (bold emphasis, braces added).

Only this church, "Philadelphia" meaning "brotherly love," did not cast out their own brethren. All the others, the Jewish church, the Catholic Church during the Dark Ages, the reformatory Protestant Churches, and Laodicea the last church--Seventh-day Adventists, are all guilty of casting out their brethren! Even Alonzo Baker, a prominent Seventh-day Adventist writer, rebuked the Christian churches that has "thrown out" (cast out) their members; which also applies to the true Davidians who are cast out of the Seventh-day Adventist church. He wrote:

"Thrown out {cast out} of the {Seventh-day Adventist} church because one {a true Davidian} believes the Bible! Isn't that a sad commentary on present-day religion? No wonder Jesus said, 'When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?'"--Alonzo Baker, Signs of the Times, Feb. 5, 1935, p. 11 (bold emphasis, braces added).

TRUE DAVIDIANS SUFFER AN UNJUST REPROACH FOR BEING CAST OUT

It is this reproach that causes the great majority of unfaithful Christians to refuse to accept Jesus in the form of truth, because they do not want to be cast out of their church and be looked upon "as an heathen man" (Mt. 18:17), and be forced to bear the same unjust reproach which many others in the past had to suffer. And not only back then but even today, the true Davidians are cast out of the Seventh-day Adventist church, and suffer this same unjust reproach for teaching the truth to others. And that reproach is the main reason why most Seventh-day Adventists reject the truth.

"Still others {many in the Seventh-day Adventist church} hold back from openly taking their stand by the side of those {true Davidians} who advocate plain but unpopular truth {message of reformation}, because of the inconvenience, {unjust} reproach, and persecution {being called heathens} which follow in the wake of being cast out of the synagogue."--4 Tract, pg. 53:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"The Davidians are the upshoot from decadent {spiritually dying} Seventh-day Adventism prophetically envisioned in Ezekiel, chapter nine. Its members are in the main those who have been cast out and deprived of the fellowship of their Seventh-day Adventist churches. Thus being separated from their church and denied its name because of their having given heed {accepting the truth} to the voice of the Rod, the voice of the Good Shepherd, they are called by the name imbedded in the work of the Rod, 'Davidian Seventh-day Adventists,' until the time when they shall be 'called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.' Isa. 62:2."--Leviticus, pg. 12:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"Finally, those {Seventh-day Adventist ministers} who cast us {Davidians} out, and who speak evil against us {to reproach us unlawfully}, those {tares} who are desperately fighting to keep the message {of Elijah} from the people, I am sure you now plainly see, are the very ones who are used by the rebel leader to deceive "even the very elect if possible" (Matt. 24:24). They are those who cast us {true Davidians} out of the churches which we helped build {by our labors and tithes}; those who are threatening the laity, forbidding them to read the literature, and commanding them to consign it to the stove in order to keep them ignorant of God's message for the hour. All their efforts, though, will come to naught as verily as did the efforts of the leading Jews against Christ's first advent {who cast out Jesus, His apostles, and His disciples from the Jewish church--Jn. 9:22}."--2 Timely Greetings, No. 43, pgs. 14, 15 (bold emphasis, braces added)

"Some {Davidians} have already had the experience of being carried bodily {cast} out of the churches for no other reason than for having read 'The Shepherd's Rod,' and for having said, 'I believe what It says.' Of course, it is incredible that men should act like demons. It is nevertheless so, and God Himself testifies against their demon practice. We do not pity ourselves, and are not at all angry at our adversaries, but we are sorry about their spiritual blindness, misery, poverty, and nakedness, for we know that the coming joy is to be ours {the true Davidians}, and the sorrow and shame and gnashing of teeth, theirs {Seventh-day Adventist tares}."--1 Timely Greetings, No. 45, pg. 14:4 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Ever since Jesus told His apostle Peter that he had the "keys of the kingdom" to bind the saints on earth and in heaven, and to loose the open sinners on earth and in heaven (Mt. 16:18,19), the tare ministers have not only used what Jesus said as an excuse to cast out the saints, but also to deceive their laymembers into believing that by retaining their names on the church books, even if they reject Jesus in the form of truth (Jn. 14:6), it will magically save them forever. But instead, it is this deceitful lie that has doomed thousands, even millions of so-called Christians to eternal death, because their names were not retained in the Lamb's book of life in heaven.

SAINTS ARE SAVED BY RETAINING THEIR NAMES IN THE BOOKS OF HEAVEN

"At the moment we accept Christ as our personal Saviour through the Word of Truth,--at that supreme moment God forgives us our sins, and the hands bloodstained by Calvary inscribe our names in the Lamb's Book of Life {in heaven}. Then simultaneously the pen of angels begins in the heavenly ledger the life or death chronicle of our Christian experience separate from our past."--3 Tract, pg. 8:4 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"Salvation is not to be baptized, not to have our names upon the church books, not to preach the truth."--2 Selected Message, pg. 381:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

The prophetess (Sis. E. G. White) stated very clearly in the quotation above, to remind the ministers and the laymembers of the Seventh-day Adventist church that they are not saved by having their names registered on their church records. And that is because most of them have forgotten that having their names written in the Lamb's book of life in heaven, not on earth, is what saves them.

"It is the having of one's name in the books, not merely of the {Seventh-day Adventist} church, but of {the books in} heaven, that is the gilt-edged security of salvation."--4 Answerer Book, pg. 37:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

And not only this, Seventh-day Adventists have also forgotten the meaning of the name "Laodicea" (Rev. 3:14), which clearly identifies them as the last true remnant church--the seventh "candlestick" (Rev. 1:20) in these last days. They have been taught erroneously that it means "lukewarm" (Rev. 3:16), which is in reality a word that defines the deplorable condition of the church--"wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Rev. 3:17). Instead, the word "Laodicea" (a greek word) means "people declaring judgment," as already explained (1 Ans. 11:2). And because they are the only people who declares (teaches) that the judgment of the dead began in 1844, then no other Christian church can rightly claim to be Laodicea. The purpose of that judgment is first to cleanse the heavenly books of all the names of the dead people who professed to serve the God of Israel in the Old Testament, and also those who professed to serve Jesus in the New Testament; but who rejected the truth to keep their names on the earthly church books. The judgment, however, does not stop with dead people, it continues with the living people.

CLEANSING HEAVENLY CHURCH RECORDS--JUDGMENT OF THE LIVING

"The judgment {of the dead} is now passing in the {heavenly} sanctuary above. For many years {since the year 1844} this work has been in progress. Soon--none know how soon--it will pass to the cases of the living. In the awful presence of God our lives {those in the Seventh-day Adventist church} are to come up in review."--Great Controversy, pg. 490:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"That the Bible teaches of a coming judgment {for the living} no one can deny. We therefore need only to give the reason for it. The true people of God, we are told, are commingled with the untrue, the 'wheat' with the 'tares.' The judgment {of the living}, therefore, is to determine {by the verdict of Jesus, not by the ministers} who are the 'wheat' and who are the 'tares,' and to designate the future of each {life or death}."--5 Answerer Book, pg. 30:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"That not every name that has been entered in the Lamb's books will be retained there, is born out with sad conclusiveness by the following scriptures:

"'And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book.' Ex. 32:33. 'And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.' Rev. 22:19."--3 Tract, pg. 7:1,2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"According to Jesus' parable, this work takes place in the time of harvest {latter days}, the end of the world (Matt. 13:30, 40) {1 Cor. 10:11; C.O.L. 72:0}. And as the congregation of the dead as well as the congregation of the living are commingled with the good and the bad, the judgment takes place among both, first among the dead {since 1844}, then among the living {soon to begin}. In the judgment the decision is made as to who are {the saints} worthy of eternal life, and who {are the wicked worthy} of eternal death (John 5:28, 29); who are {the saints} to come up in the first resurrection (Rev. 20:6), and who {are the wicked} in the second {resurrection}; also who are {the living saints} to be translated when Jesus comes (1 Thess. 4:16, 17), and who are {the wicked} to perish at the brightness of His coming (2 Thess. 2:8). This is the first aspect of the judgment, and being only a book work (Dan. 7:10), a work that does not disturb either the dead in the graves or the living in the church, it takes place in heaven."--5 Answerer Book, pg. 30:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"Accordingly, the books {in heaven} contain the names of a mixed multitude,--both those {saints} who stood firmly in the faith and continued patiently to the end, and those {wicked} who did not. Said Christ: 'He {the saints} that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.' Matt. 24:13. But those {wicked} who do not endure shall be lost."--3 Tract, pg. 7:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

JUDGMENT OF LIVING ON EARTH KILLS THE WICKED IN THE SDA CHURCH

"And now that the 'time is come that judgment {for the living} must begin at the house of God {the Seventh-day Adventist church}...,' 'thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ' (2 Tim. 2:3), for 'if it [the judgment] {for the living} first begin at us {Seventh-day Adventists}, what shall the end be of them {wicked in the world} that obey not the gospel of God?' 1 Pet. 4:17."--3 Tract, pg. 8:1,2 (brackets [] belong) (bold emphasis, braces added).

"The investigative judgment of the dead consequently takes place in the heavenly temple only {since 1844}, whereas the investigative judgment of the living takes place in the heavenly as well as in the earthly temple {church}."--5 Tract, pg. 109:1 (bold emphasis, braces added)

"With...the judgment of the living {yet future}, the separation {by angels killing the wicked} takes place among the people in the {Seventh-day Adventist} church as well as among their names in the books in the heavenly sanctuary, thus showing that both sanctuaries {in earth and in heaven} will finally be cleansed."--3 Tract, pg. 47:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

But which is cleansed first during the Judgment of the Living? Is the sanctuary (church) on earth (5 T211:2) cleansed first by angels {the reapers Mt. 13:30,39} killing the wicked in the Seventh-day Adventist church? Or is the sanctuary in heaven cleansed first by their names being blotted out of the "Lamb's book of life"? The answer is that the church on earth must be cleansed first by the angels killing the wicked for this reason: If the Lamb's book in the sanctuary in heaven is cleansed first, it would be polluted again by the continuing sins of the wicked still living in the church on earth! But if the wicked in the earthly sanctuary (church) are killed first by God's angels, they can no longer sin. Then when the "Lamb's book of life" is cleansed afterwards, it stays clean forever! The same applies for the judgment of the dead, because the wicked are in their graves and cannot pollute the earthly or heavenly sanctuary with any more sins. So when their names and sins are blotted out, the Lamb's book of life will stay clean forever. [If you want to know more about the slaughter of Ezekiel 9, then click on that study at the end.]

"As the cleansings called for in the parables and in Malachi's prophecy have never taken place, the investigative judgment of the living is obviously, then, yet future. This investigative work is therefore occasioned by the work of separation {killing the wicked by the angels} in the earthly sanctuary (church), as brought to view also in Ezekiel 9:"--Tract 3, pg. 43:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"To His angels He gives the commission to execute His judgments {kill the wicked}....The work of judgment {for the living} begins at the sanctuary {the Seventh-day Adventist church}. 'And, behold, six men {angels} came from the way of ther higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man {angel has} a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man {angel} among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they {angels} went in, and stood beside the brazen altar.' Read Ezekiel 9:2-7 {about the angels who slay the wicked}."--Testimonies to Ministers, pg. 431:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"Foolish it is {for Seventh-day Adventists} to reject Truth in order to retain your name {on the church records} in Laodicea {and be killed by the angels}. Better to accept the Truth {which the true Davidians teach} and retain your name in the Lamb's Book of Life {forever}."--2 Timely Greetings, No. 39, pg. 21:0 (bold emphasis, braces added).

JOY FOR THE SAINTS CAST OUT AND SHAME FOR THE WICKED

"So it is today {in the Seventh-day Adventist church}. But to these outcasts of Zion, comes the solacing voice: 'Hear the word of the Lord, ye {true Davidians} that tremble at His word; Your brethren {SDA tares} that hated you, that cast you out for My name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but He shall appear to your joy {true Davidians}, and they {Seventh-day Adventist tares} shall be ashamed.' Isa. 66:5."--3 Answerer Book, pg. 40:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"If you {Davidians} are cast out for the Truth's sake, do not become angry or discouraged, but rejoice in the divine consolation: 'Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at His word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for My name's sake {truth}, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but He shall appear to your joy, and they {wicked who cast out the Davidians} shall be ashamed.' Isa. 66:5."--13 Tract, pg. 27:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"As one {a true Davidian} witnesses for Present Truth, its enemies in the {Seventh-day Adventist} Denomination will oppose and disfellowship {cast} him {out} if he already holds membership there, but such deprivation must not discourage him. 'Blessed are ye,' says the Lord, 'when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate {cast} you {out} from their company, and shall {unlawfully} reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.' Luke 6:22."--4 Answerer Book, pg. 37:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

But why do some of the Christian ministers and laity in the Seventh-day Adventist church cast out their fellow members? There are several reasons:

(1) They could be ministers that hate the saints, who tell their laity that they have judged certain members to be "tares" (Mt. 13:25) who should be cast out, which Jesus said not to do (Mt. 13:28,29).

(2) The laymembers of the church could also be "tares" like their ministers, or be heathen hypocrites who despise and hate the saints, and who willing participate with their minister to help cast them out.

(3) They could be spiritually weak and sickly members in the church who have no real connection with Jesus. And though they may not hate the saints, they are afraid of their minister and do what he says.

(4) Other members who are sickly may have a desire to accept Jesus in the form of truth, but they cannot bear the persecution that comes with accepting truth and being cast out. And neither can they suffer the shame of being unjustly reproached (blamed), and branded as "an heathen man" (Mt. 18:17).

There are, however, genuine saints in the Seventh-day Adventist church who are vitally connected with Jesus, and they are spiritually strong. They are able, in His strength, to bear not only the persecution of the tares, but also to die for their faith, as millions did during the Dark Age period (538-1798). Today, however, the saints are not to die, but to be delivered (Dan. 12:1) and be "alive" when Jesus appears the second time (1 Thess. 4:17). [If you want to know more about the Davidian saints who cannot die, then click on that study at the end.] Therefore, these saints (true Davidians) are able to suffer the worldly shame of being cast out of the church (as Jesus suffered), and to endure the unjust reproach of being called a heathen (as Jesus endured)!

LET EVERY SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST REPENT OR BEWARE

If you happen to be a member of the Seventh-day Adventist church who has taken part in the unholy work of falsely accusing the true Davidians as the "tares," and unjustly casting them out, then you should repent. You must be like the Jews who crucified their Messiah (Jesus), but did it unknowingly; and that is why Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Lk. 23:34). Then later, on the day of Pentecost, when the apostles received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), Peter preached a sermon to the same Jews. And "they were pricked in their heart" and asked Peter, "what shall we do? (Acts 2:37). "Then Peter said unto them, Repent... every one of you." (Acts 2:38), and "there were added unto them about three thousand souls" who repented (Acts. 2:41). Therefore, you should repent for taking part in casting out those members of the seventh-day Adventist church who are Davidians!

But if you choose not to repent then beware, because the day will come soon when the Davidian saints whom you helped cast out of God's church will be "blessed" (Lk. 6:22) and filled with "joy" (Isa. 66:5). But you will be "ashamed" (Isa. 66:5) for casting them out; and if you do not repent, then you will be punished by the angels (Mt. 13:30,39) of Ezek. 9! God forbid that it should be so for your sake!