To be Exact

“Men of the world and men who are Christ’s servants indeed may be alike in outward appearance; but they are servants of two masters whose interests are in decided opposition to each other…’¹

I read the above testimony after an encounter with a leader of the Nicolici Church. * They pitched a tent along the border of the city. A sister was told that I was a Reformer, and she invited me to visit them. After much prayer, meditation, and counsel, I decided to accept the invitation, hoping and believing that they would put forth the same earnest effort to understand the Separation of 1951, as was done while studying the Reformation of 1914.

Their leader and instructor immediately attacked our dear Brother Cholich’s “Report On The Work of Unification of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Reform Movement,” 1996 edition. “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. “² The Report and its author were accused of working against the prayer of Jesus.

The leader was asked to explain to the audience the difference between the two Reformations. He said that there were no differences. “There was no fighting for the Principles of Faith.”³ If there were no differences, then why a separation? After all recording devices were turned off, he said, “there was a man, President of the General Conference Committee, taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?'”⁴ And they agreed; he should have been stoned.

“I only know that Brother Kissener during the war broke the seventh commandment, and that he confessed his sin publicly and openly, repented himself and made a confession of what he had done. The church forgave his sin, and Br. Nicolici knew it.”⁵ “When Br. Nicolici accused Br. Kissener publicly, Br. Kissener declared publicly that he will resign his mandate as delegate and completely withdraw in order not to cause any difficulties.”⁶ “…but brother Nicolici was still not satisfied.”⁷ “Leaving his place in the immediate presence of the Father, Lucifer went forth to diffuse the spirit of discontent among the angels. He worked with mysterious secrecy, and for a time concealed his real purpose under an appearance of reverence for God.”⁸

“Men of the world and men who are Christ’s servants, indeed may be alike in outward appearance; but they are servants of two masters whose interests are in decided opposition to each other..,”⁹ One class is ripening as wheat for the garner of God, the other as tares for the fires of destruction.”¹⁰

The following Sabbath, I apologized to the members and to the interested souls present for what had occurred the preceding Sabbath. In so many words, I was accused of drawing the minds of the people from contemplating the love of Christ, and directing them to behold the works of men. Their teacher was not present.

“And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay as a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.”¹¹ “Let all understand the words that 1 write. Those who are labourers together with God are but His instruments, and they in themselves possess no essential grace or holiness. It is only when they are cooperating with heavenly intelligences that they are successful. They are but earthen vessels, the depositaries in which God places the treasures of His truth. Paul may plant, and Apollos water, but it is God alone that gives the increase.”¹² “He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us His Holy Spirit.”¹³

The next Sabbath, there was a young woman present whose “thoughts” were “accusing or else excusing” her. She stated that she had a male friend who, while visiting her, would steal money from her purse and would take food from her kitchen. She had forgiven him more than four hundred and ninety times, five hundred to be exact. She reasoned that she had fulfilled her requirements to him, and now he is unworthy of her prayers of forgiveness, or of the privilege of coming within her immediate presence. After much discussiori, the leader and the majority of the group sided with the woman.” Hitherto shalt thou come, but no furrther.”¹⁴ So I attempted to break it down for her.

“We are dependent upon the pardoning mercy of God every day and every hour.”¹⁵ Eight hours of each day are prescribed to man to use for sleep. Eight from twenty-four leaves sixteen. For sixteen hours we need the pardoning mercy of God. But is it possible to sin while in sleep? “It is a law both of the intellectual and the spiritual nature that by beholding we become changed. The mind gradually adapts itself to the subjects upon which it is allowed to dwell.”¹⁶ “You may think that there can be no sin in permitting your thoughts to run as they naturally would, without restraint. But this is not so. You are responsible to God for the indulgence of vain thoughts; for from vain imaginations arises the committal of sins, the actual doing of those things upon which the mind has dwelt.”¹⁷ “We need to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit every hour of the day, lest we be ensnared by the enemy and our souls be imperiled.¹⁸

After thirty-one days, one would have accumulated over four hundred and ninety hours, four hundred and ninety-six, to be exact. According to my reckoning, using your references to Matthew 18:22, we would have “passed the limits of divine forbearance – the hidden boundary between God’s patience and His wrath.”¹⁹

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.”²⁰

“Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?’²¹ “We arc not to stand aside from others in a spirit that seems to say, ‘Come not near me; I am holier than thou.’ Do not shut yourselves away from your fellow men, but seek to impart to them the precious truth that has blessed your heart. Let it be manifest that yours is the religion of love.”²²” L’Let your light so shine before men, that they may sec your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matt. 5:16.
Then Brother Lubin said, “But brother, we are human. There is none good but one, that is, God.”²³“‘ I said, Yea. “But we have the mind of Christ.”²⁴ “And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.”²⁵

“Men of the world and men who are Christ’s servants indeed may be alike in outward appearance; but they are servants of two masters whose interests are in decided opposition to each other. The world does not understand or discern the difference; but there is an immense distance, a vast separation, between them.”*”²⁶ “They are as distinct as midday and midnight.”²⁷

“We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”²⁸ “And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.”²⁹

“May the Lord bless His people with spiritual eyesight, to see that the children of God
and the world can never be in co-partnership.”³⁰ AMEN

1. 2Tp. 590
* David Nicoiici’s Church
2. John 17:20 , 2 1
3. ‘Report p. 2
4, John 8:4,5
5 .Letter by s. Gutknecht dated Jan 7Ih, 1988, p.2
6. Ibid, p.3
7. Ibid, p.3
8. PP p.37
9. 2T p. 590
10. SM2 p.127
11. Ezekiel 3:16-21
12. TM pp. 53, 54
13. 1 Thessalonians 4:8
14. Job 38: 11
15. 5T p.170
16. GC p.555
17. 3T p 82
18. TM p. 223
19. PP p. 159
20. Matthew 5:43-46
21. Romans 2:4
22. SM2 PP. 127, 128
23. Mark 10:18
24. 1 Cor. 2:16
25. John 1:16
26. 2 T p.690
27. TM p. 87
28. 1 John 4:6
20. Malachi 3:17, 18
30. TM p. 276