As Rome unites all into a universal confederacy and prepares the world to receive the mark of the beast, our leaders are making inspiring sports movies that make people feel good. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Puerto Rico, with funding from the Puerto Rican Union Conference, Hope Channel Inter-America and the General Conference Communication Department, has produced and screened its first major film in the island’s largest drive-in theaters. The name of the film is called “Spin” and was written and directed by Oscar Sanchez and produced by Jonathan Lopez for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Inter-American Division expressed the following about the new film:
“Filmed entirely in Puerto Rico, ‘Spin’ falls under the category of drama/sports and carries a message of hope for persons who are going through difficult situations, touches on friendship, faith and overcoming hardships. The film, which clocks in at just under two hours, focuses on three main areas that are key in table tennis as well as life: believe, focus and play.” [1]
This sports drama film tells the story of a young woman who is struggling with many problems and meets a table tennis coach who helps her change her life. Table tennis is the vehicle to convey the message of hope throughout the film. The film will not only be seen in Puerto Rico; it will have an international audience. “Spin” has been “forwarded” to the “General Conference to be dubbed into different languages.” [1] The film is also scheduled to be featured on the Hope Channel at the end of October.
Pastor Luis Rivera, President of the Puerto Rican Union Conference, has this to say about the new film:
“The church has already done a good job with radio and television throughout, so this is the first time the church gets into the world of films, and we want to do so with a firm step, led by the Lord so that it can reach all types of demographics that we are not able to reach through radio, television and churches.” [1]
We seem willing to do anything, including sports drama productions, except give the last warning message to the world. This church-funded sports movie is more in line with the hundreds of feel-good films that are inspiring and that can teach you important life lessons; but it certainly does not convey the final warning message against the beast (Rome) that God has ordained to be given at the very moment when “all nations” are drinking of the “wine of the wrath of her fornication” and while the “kings of the earth” commit “fornication with her” (Revelation 18:3).
The sports movie “Spin” is leading us in a direction that is not consistent with the emphasis of the Advent movement during the first 100 years? Do we want to preserve the true mission that Christ gave us for our young people? Or will we allow the faith to be altered and diminished with this new “sports drama” evangelism?
“Revelation 18 points to the time when, as the result of rejecting the threefold warning of Revelation 14:6-12, the church will have fully reached the condition foretold by the second angel, and the people of God still in Babylon will be called upon to separate from her communion. This message is the last that will ever be given to the world” (Great Controversy, p. 390).
“But God still has a people in Babylon; and before the visitation of his judgments, these faithful ones must be called out, that they ‘partake not of her sins, and receive not of her plagues.’ Hence the movement symbolized by the angel coming down from Heaven, lightening the earth with his glory, and crying mightily with a strong voice, announcing the sins of Babylon. In connection with his message the call is heard, ‘Come out of her, my people.’ These announcements, uniting with the third angel’s message, constitute the final warning to be given to the inhabitants of the earth” (Great Controversy, p. 604).
This is true evangelism. This is the goal. This is what the faith will lead us to do. This is the work that must be preserved. You cannot mix the sacred with the secular. You cannot mix the Three Angels’ Messages with sports drama movies. That is called religious syncretism – the blending of two belief systems into one. A new gospel is created and a new emerging Church begins. This results in the creation of a mutant gospel that’s been diluted with the elements of the world.
Notice the Adventist Church and Hope Channel logo at the top of the advertisement.
Ellen White was warned that some would try to do this. The warnings have been given a long time ago and we still see many in the church who want to redefine our doctrine, morality, worship and mission (evangelism). Who is responsible for preserving Adventism? Obviously, it is the duty of church leaders to defend the faith. Tragically, they are directly responsible for promoting, facilitating and financing these new changes.
“In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists have been set in the world as watchmen and light bearers. To them has been entrusted the last warning for a perishing world. On them is shining wonderful light from the word of God. They have been given a work of the most solemn import—the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels’ messages. There is no other work of so great importance. They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention” (Testimonies, Vol. 9, p. 19).
We must stand under the banner of Christ and rebuild the breach made in the law of God (Isaiah 58:12). We must return to the true goal of evangelism. We are praying for the Latter Rain to help us in this work, but we have forgotten what the Holy Spirit will come to empower:
“The ‘latter rain,’ or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give power to the loud voice of the third angel, and prepare the saints to stand in the period when the seven last plagues shall be poured out” (Maranatha, p. 170)
Unless we are vigilant and work to preserve the faith and resist these new changes, we will never receive the Latter Rain or be protected from the seven last plagues. We will perish with the unbelievers. However, if we remain faithful and do the work that God said must be done, we will one day stand before Christ in His kingdom and hear the words, “Well done, though good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).
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Yes. It does appear that the Jesuits have infiltrated/penetrated the SDA Church in Puerto Rico. Why do I say that? Nearly 40 years before the rising of Shakespeare there was “Jesuit Theatre.” The first Jesuit Theatre performance was in Vienna, 1555. In Tupper Saussy’s book, Rulers of Evil, chapter 9, there is a good account of Jesuit Theatre. One can see how theatre acting can be a political statement. The Jesuits are superior at this. After all, they created it during the Reformation to do just that.
Entertain people while they mind-control the public to their way of thinking. Today, it’s sports.
I completely agree with the sentiments presented here. Many of our people will miss the fact that we need to be sharing the 3 angels’ messages, sanctuary message, Revelation 13 and all that it entails… etc, etc! To not just get ourselves ready, but also share with others that they can make an informed choice for Jesus. May God truly help us to stand in the gap for him. To put on the whole armour of God. Stay blessed
It’s me M F – when I say ‘I agree with the sentiment presented here’ I meant the comments made by A Roman in the article itself.
Powerful and true
Well it is a sad day indeed, that our church has become a lover of this world and know it not, we are and have made the same sad mistake as Israel of old, when the desired a king to lead them into battle like the other nations and this is just one of the ways that we have sadly copied the world.
It is interesting to know, that under God and where the Ten Commandments were upheld, there was no form of entertainment or coopetition to be found among the people of God and what many do not know that this project is nothing but in line of the carnival spirit or the celebration of idolatry, something Paul warned the Christians to flee from and of course this film will be watched on The Sabbath Day, tickets to go be it Friday eve or Saturday which goes against the instruction of Sabbath Keeping as found in Isaiah 58, that we ought not to do our own business or seek our own ways.
Yes, it seems that The SDAC wants the best of both worlds, this world and the world to come and we forget Jesus said…We cannot serve two masters…may there be an heaven sent revival with a heavenly earthly atmosphere among the people of God, we will cast away our TV’s our desires to be entertained and look upon the invisible TV found in the word of God and the promise of the world to come, by preparing others and ourselves for the soon return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who shall come with all heaven with Him, Amen.
I’m assuming they want to reach young people by producing this feel good movie. But this is not the way to do it. Young people, or anyone for that matter, doesn’t need more of the same. They need, and some even desire, to hear the clear, sobering truth. That’s what our church is here for. It baffles me as to what our leaders are thinking.
You are telling me, they seem to have lost the plot, becoming more worldly as they are becoming less godly only our God can lead us the right way.
Let there be an heaven sent revival, a heavenly early atmosphere among likeminded believers then we will be no longer worldly as the traditional administration of our SDA church now is, we will be so busy looking for disciples where there are no disciples, finding many by turning them over to Jesus.
Christ did not say…Set up the church to attract new members… but…go and find disciples (among the Christless, worldly and ungodly at heart) and I will be with you wherever you go or find yourselves even to the furthest or most remote parts of the world
We ought to follow the bible and the teachings of Jesus and we are only to follow our church leaders as they follow the example of Christ, Amen.
Many years ago (1970’s) as a new and young SDA, I listened to an older Adventist speak about the Church of an earlier time. He was in 80’s and told how he left the Roman Church and became an Adventist. He had a brother who was a jesuit priest whom he asked if it was true that they had infiltrated all the Protestant churches. His brother told him that was true, but they had not been able to infiltrated the SDA Church.
He said that when he asked why the Jesuits had not entered the SDA Church, his brother answered that, “Its because of that prophet of your church. She always spots us and we are blocked by her. We are waiting until she dies, then we will be in all the churches.”
This is definitely not the same Church I joined years ago.