By Larry Young

If you have been paying close attention to the world news lately, you know that our nation and Israel are “playing chicken” with a full-scale regional war in the Middle East over Iran and its proxies. What makes this war different from most previous wars is that it is essentially a religious war with radical Islam, pushed by a near-genocidal military regime which has been allowed to flourish and grow unabated for nearly 47 years in Iran. They use divisive propaganda and dehumanizing fear tactics to push for destruction of western cultures. This coincides closely with biblical prophecies that predict worldwide times of trouble. As wars escalate, the Christian church is prophesized to be under more focused attacks. At the same time, God will be cleansing, purifying, and unifying His church via a shaking and sifting process, preparing His people for the return of Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Can you sense the soon fulfillment of this happening around us now?

Closer to home, Oregon and northwest churches are facing a series of tough choices and hard realities regards membership, growth, and pastoral support. For instance, it appears that our own church growth is mostly due to transfers from other churches, not because of a significant influx of new believers through baptism. Not having a local pastor puts additional responsibility on each of us to be more loving and a unifying force as we face prophetic shaking in a world gone insane. Can we carry out this mission under our own ‘horsepower’? Certainly NOT. Jesus said: “Apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15: 15)

Perhaps one of the best biblical examples of where love, faith, belief, and unity converged was on the day of Pentecost: “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they [the disciples] were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues [languages], as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2: 1-4)

In EG White’s book, Acts of the Apostles, page 36-37, the disciples humbled their hearts in true repentance, confessing their unbelief: ”…how differently they would act if they could only see the Master again, how earnestly they would strive to show Him how deeply they loved Him, and how sincerely they sorrowed for having ever grieved Him by a word or an act of unbelief in Christian fellowship. Putting away all differences, all desire for the supremacy, they came close together in Christian fellowship. They drew nearer and nearer to God, and as they did this they realized what a privilege had been theirs in being permitted to associate so closely with Christ. Sadness filled their hearts as they thought of how many times they had grieved Him by their slowness of comprehension, their failure to understand the lessons that, for their good, He was trying to teach them.”

This will always be the work of the Holy Spirit who operates within us! So the biggest question really is: Will each of us truly surrender self, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us into all righteousness and to spread Jesus’ gospel to a dying world? When a church feels torn between “being loving” and “being faithful to doctrine” it is often because those values are being viewed as competing or in conflict with each other, but they are NOT! Biblically, doctrine exists “to serve love”, not to override it. Paul said it plainly: “the goal of instruction is love.” (1 Tim 1:5) Doctrine tells us what is right; love tells us how to live it. Love is the fulfillment of what doctrine teaches (Rom 13:10)

I know from personal experience that doctrine and love in the church are “joined at the hip.” I left the Methodist church after high school, because for me it was an empty experience. Years later, with my wife Cheryl at my side, I set foot for the first time in an SDA church in La Mesa, California. The greeter immediately sensed my situation and redirected me away from Sabbath School and sent me instead to a pastors renewal class for those who needed a refresher of their “first love” with Jesus. This was what my empty soul was searching for. That class was full of both new and old church members. I learned there for the first time how much Christ really loved me. That class changed my life! I learned to love Christ first; then the fulfillment of all our doctrines. Thinking back to the Methodist church, I recall how I was presented with their list of doctrines, but the love of Jesus was absent. As a fellow believer told me just last week: “We need more Jesus!!”