“When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” So said Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor who stood for Christ in Hitler’s Germany.
Though he was not thoroughly orthodox, he was courageous enough to resist the Nazi regime, becoming a founding member of the Confessing Church in Germany. He was imprisoned in April, 1943, and was eventually hanged at Flossenberg on April 9, 1945 just weeks before the Allies liberated the camps.
Bonhoeffer’s words are more relevant today than they were when he wrote them. We are witnessing the withdrawal of the Holy Spirit from the minds of men. As this withdrawal progresses, men are left under full control of demons. Violence and death will surely follow. It is that simple.
What other explanation can be given for the recent events in America? The brutal, unprovoked stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a commuter train in Charlotte, NC by a career criminal while other passengers did nothing to stop it is just one example of the senseless violence plaguing our nation. As horrific as it is, this is only one incident. What of the countless victims of crime in the cesspools of lawlessness known as American cities? Worse yet are those who justify and enable the violence. A Black Lives Matter website dared to validate the slaying of Zarutska based on the skin color of the perpetrator and the victim, thus implying that she deserved what she got. This is pure, satanic, rationalization.
Then there are the so-called “progressive” policy makers within American cities who have made it easier for criminals of all sorts to commit even violent crimes and go right back out on the streets to resume their hellish work. This is certainly progress - toward a dystopian French Revolution style hellscape.
And then yesterday came the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA founder. As my wife and I reflected on this tragedy, she said something quite profound and relevant, and that is this: The shooting of Charlie Kirk today sends a message to all bearers of truth for this time. Though he was primarily focused on political issues, he also said a lot about God, and specifically about Jesus Christ during his debates and speeches. We would be remiss if we did not take this into consideration. Was this assassination political, or was it religiously motivated?
I don’t pretend to know the answer to the question. But I do know one thing - as the Spirit of God withdraws from the lost, violence against the saved will become increasingly common and accepted. Have we no understanding of these things? Have we forgotten what Jesus said to His disciples about this on multiple occasions?
“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes” (Matthew 10:21-23 NKJV).
“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:38-39 NKJV).
And this one - “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9 NKJV).
The fact is that in this fallen world we speak out against sin and preach the gospel under constant risk of death. To give the Third Angel’s message - the everlasting gospel - is to take one’s life in his hands. The sooner we all realize this, the better. And we must also recognize this - the Third Angel’s message necessitates the declaration of the sins of Babylon, some of which I mentioned earlier in this short article. All this is part of present truth.
So why have some of our leaders sought to silence voices speaking present truth? The defenders of liberty of conscience, those who cry out against LGBTQ heresy, those who reject the atheistic, secular worldview in our society, and even in our own institutions - these voices are being silenced. Why is this? It is for one main reason. Those who want us silenced are cowards. Cancel culture has them shaking in their boots. They know what lies ahead - possibly a martyr’s death, and they will avoid it at any cost, even if it means compromise.
So in light of the recent events I have chronicled, let me say this: It is high time that Seventh-day Adventists end our love affair with with the progressive left. I’m not suggesting that we should embrace the political right either. The MAGA crowd does not have the answers we seek.
But if we don’t step away from the left, we will have zero credibility to give the third angel’s message. Seriously - how can we preach the perpetuity of the law of God if we extol politicians and organizations who promote abortion, sexual immorality, and lawlessness? That means stop promoting social justice, no more BLM marches, stop participating in Pride month, stop aiding and abetting the deprotestantization of America through mass illegal immigration, stop cooperating with medical tyranny, and any other such nonsense. It’s time to do justice (not social justice), love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). It’s time to really be the people who keep the commandments of God AND the faith of Jesus. It is time to give the loud cry of the Third Angel!
And it is time to let go of every hand except the hand of Jesus Christ, the One who said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23 NKJV)
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Skip Dodson embraced the Advent message as a 25 year old aerospace engineering graduate student. Over the past three decades he has served as a Bible worker, a district pastor, an administrator, and as a college dean and religion chair. He is currently serving as a self-supporting missionary based in Colorado. Skip has been united in ministry for 30 years with his wife Renee. The couple have two adult children, both of whom are partners with them in mission.