IAUA End Time Ministry
Preparing for the End of Time
The Lord is Coming! Are you ready?
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IAUA End Time Ministry |
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Preparing for the End of Time | |
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The Lord is Coming! Are you ready? | |
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in
IAUA
(ee-ah-oo-ah) our Father,
Greetings on this day of preparation for the weekly sabbath. Whew... At last the "holiday" season is over. It has been a very difficult time for me. Remember what I said a month ago? "Harsh criticism and condemnation is not an appropriate response to this situation. I know that my blood boils over this issue and it may for some of you. As hard as it may be we must pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to discern proper action and response to these challenges. Raising a ruckus is not appropriate. Keeping silent is not appropriate. I can identify these two extremes. Only the loving Holy Spirit of God can help us to discern the middle ground." A lot of people have told me that keeping silent is appropriate. Sometimes it may be. I was in California December 11. To my surprise, they had a huge Christmas tree prominently displayed on the platform. I stopped at the door to the sanctuary overcome with emotion. I had spent so much time studying the issues and there I was confronted with it unexpectedly. I retreated to the back of the lobby to collect myself. I decided that since no one there knew me and what I believed, I was not standing up for anything anyone cared about, if I left. I also was there with others who were prepared to stay and they had done the driving. I was very troubled by my decision. The next two weeks I stayed home from the church I usually attended because I knew they had a tree displayed. I returned the week after Christmas, which was New Years day. I was so glad to be back I started greeting people the minute I walked in the door. I was caught off guard when I was greeted with "Happy New Year". I was rattled but quickly replied "Gods New Year started three months ago". I was really rattled, it is three months from now. I told one person that we know when God's year begins from Genesis 21:2. I was still rattled or dyslexic because it is Genesis 12:2. I got it straightened out and we looked it up together. By this time the song service had started, so I scooted to my seat in the front and joined in. I love to sing and was enjoying myself. After a couple of songs I started looking around enough to notice that I was seated ten feet from a Christmas tree still sitting on the platform from the previous week. I was very upset. I told my wife I would not stay. I would return for her at noon. When the song service was over and there was movement to break up for Sabbath School I left. On the way out I was joined by a friend who was also leaving because of the Christmas tree. She invited me to go with her and her husband to another SDA church about four miles away across the river in New Jersey. When I walked up to the sanctuary door it had a window in the door and I could see that they also had a Christmas tree. I told my friends and they walked right in and sat down. I was a bit perplexed because I was not going to leave one church because of a Christmas tree just to go to another. So I walked out the door and decided to walk back to the Easton church to where my car was. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day. As I walked I spent the time meditating on God's words. When I got to the church I sat in the car and started reading Jeremiah 10. I kept reading and found chapter 17 starting at verse 5 very helpful also. I soon felt very happy and spiritually refreshed. People have told me that I am extreme but I call the Christmas tree an idol and it does not belong in the church. I don't care if it is not decorated, it is still an idol. My friend also commented on the little figurines of the nativity scene on the communion table. She referred to them as idols. I had not really thought about that part but I agree that it is true. I also acknowledge that I believe that the display of a cross symbol is idolatry. I believe that the display of the American and/or "Christian" flag in the sanctuary is idolatry. Both of these things are common in our churches. It would be nice if I could find a church to attend that does not practice idolatry. I take the second commandment very seriously. I long for the Second Coming when all of this nonsense will be past. Don't you? May you find peace in the name of Yahushua (Ee-ah-oo-shoo-oh) Messiah the son of God. Shabbat Shalom
Frank T. Clark
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Revised 2005-01-16 |