What does reform look like? If a people, such as ancient Israel for example, are so entwined with idolatry and pagan worship styles that they are literally indistinguishable from the neighboring (denomi) nations, is God’s indignation turned away by the taking away of the tambourines or the costumes that they used during their idolatrous services? Of course not. What lies at the root which must be repented of and eliminated from their practice? The worshiping of idols. All the customs of the heathen must be purged from their life, then the Lord would receive them back unto himself. Did ancient Israel do it, or was God forced to abandon his people to be taken as captives, never again to be a people upon this earth? I wonder if there is any applicability to the modern people of God? What is Jehovah’s instruction?

Deuteronomy 18:9-10 … thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. (10) There shall not be found among you… an observer of times…

To be clear, what God is instructing his people is to not observe the festive times of the heathen nations. Today, this is very clearly embodied in the merry-making season of Christmas, among the many other holidays. God has times during the year that He commands his people to remember. They are a part of his law in that they are statutes. Perhaps it would be instructive for God’s last day people to study them? Perhaps they should see what God’s requirements are for those that would claim to be his? Let’s see what God says. In Malachi 4, He speaks to those that will experience the final events upon the earth, thus the context is a last-days context. In verse 4, He starts it with the same word that He used to commence the 4th commandment… “Remember.” I guess it must be important:

Malachi 4:4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

In the last days, God is calling his people to remember the law of Moses, which includes not only the ten commandments, but specifically also the statutes and the judgments. These statutes and judgments are the safeguard to God’s people in every age so that they might know of a certainly what their God requires of them in their daily practice. We can be assured that in no way and by no stretch of the imagination would it include observing the times of the heathen. The mixing of the holy and the profane is impossible. If in doubt, just ask King Belshazzar.

Because of the sentimentalism associated with modern christmas pagentry, the notion that we, the majority of modern Seventh-day Adventists, are E-X-A-C-T-L-Y like ancient Israel is wildly unpopular. I get it… but that doesn’t make it any less true. Thus, the issue with the video is not the drumming, it’s not the dancing, nor the individuals dressed up like a demon in red; it is that we have systematically, congregationally, and personally adopted the abominations of idolatry, and we are not ashamed. Worse yet, we have attempted to convince ourselves that it is all in the name of Christ. What does Christ say?

Matthew 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Even now there is still time for individuals and even family groups that repent and turn to the Father which is in heaven to do his will. What is his will? That we keep his commandments.

Nehemiah 1:9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

If anyone is interested in learning more, please let me know. TheRemnantHerald@Outlook.com