Great Controversy Project- The Waldenses

Chapter Title: The Waldenses   Read online

Favorite Quotation: “The persecutions visited for many centuries upon this God-fearing people [the Waldenses] were endured by them with a patience and constancy that honored their Redeemer. Notwithstanding the crusades against them, and the inhuman butchery to which they were subjected, they continued to send out their missionaries to scatter the precious truth. They were hunted to death; yet their blood watered the seed sown, and it failed not of yielding fruit. Thus the Waldenses witnessed for God centuries before the birth of Luther. Scattered over many lands, they planted the seeds of the Reformation that began in the time of Wycliffe, grew broad and deep in the days of Luther, and is to be carried forward to the close of time by those who also are willing to suffer all things for “the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 1:9.” P. 78.

Lessons I’ve Learned:

1. Among the Waldenses of the early Dark Ages, the Bible was the final authority in all of life, including worship, lifestyle, mission and the training of youth. It was studied, copied, and applied to the life even if it meant persecution and death.
2. Young people were taught to

Revive Us Again

I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking,

“What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?”

– Matthew West, “The Motions”

Since we are living in the last days of earth, we cannot afford to just go through the motions, to just play church, to have a dead religion or to be part of lukewarm Laodicea.

The inspired counsel given 125 years ago is even more important today. “A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first work.”[i]

But how do we experience true revival that leads to reformation and transformation[ii] rather than false revival that is simply fascinated by the sensational?[iii]

Why Not Try This? … Take a Closer Look at Revelation

I thought I had a pretty good grasp of the Book of Revelation. But when I took on a special project to study Revelation 12 and see if there was evidence of Historicism, I discovered some amazing things that have given me more confidence than ever in the book of Revelation, the Bible in general, and the Adventist understanding of both. Here is the rather lengthy result of my study [My apologies that some of the Greek words and formatting got lost in the transition from research paper to blog. To read this as a document with original formatting click here].

Historicism in Revelation?  A Case Study of Revelation 12 In Its Immediate and Larger Contexts

By Dan Serns

Introduction

Does the Book of Revelation give a prophetic sweep of history from the days of its author until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? Are there historical markers in the book that help us know where we are situated in the flow of history? Is it possible to faithfully and carefully study the text of Revelation, without superimposing our own presuppositions, and discover patterns of history written in advance from the days of John the Revelator until the return of Jesus?

Wally

The first time I saw him he was lying on the grass in his own vomit.

We had started the “Park Ministry” a few months before. “The Young & the Rest of Us” Sabbath School class had accepted the challenge to do some kind of outreach together. Now we were taking turns preparing a hot meal and sack lunches and handing them out to people on Sabbath afternoons. We set up at Locomotive Park by the bridge that crosses the Columbia River from Wenatchee to East Wenatchee, Washington in the heart of apple-growing country.

There he lay, oblivious to what was going on around him, pants wet from having too many beers. He couldn’t even

Why Not Begin or Add Variety to Your Family Worship This Month?

The single most important factor in helping kids grow up loving Jesus and the Adventist church is Interesting Family Worship.

That is probably the most important and useful finding from the Valuegenesis study, conducted in 1989 of over 13,000 Adventist youth, their parents, pastors and teachers.[i]

When I read a summary of the research about 1990 I told my wife “If we don’t do anything else right as parents, we’ve got to do this right. We have got to ask God to help us have regular and interesting family worship for our little kids.” At that time we had two little boys, ages five and 2 ½, and a couple years later, a little girl.

Children can choose to reject the God of their parents. But out of the 41 factors considered in the Valuegenesis study, it is clear that Interesting Family Worship is the single most effective way of reducing that risk.

The more we can teach these principles to the families in our congregations and communities, the more likely we will see the promise fulfilled that “I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”[ii]

During the past seventeen years our family has found a pattern that works for us, and if you like, you can adapt it to work for you and the families within your circle of influence. Here are some of the key ingredients–

Learn Lessons From the Waldenses

We sat around a giant stone slab table in the cool, dark room. I could hardly believe that my college-aged sons, Jacob and Dustin, and I were here in the Waldensian Valleys of Italy. In the dim light we took turns reading The Great Controversy chapter 4 titled The Waldenses from my PDA.

For centuries Waldensian youth had copied large portions of the Bible by hand in this very room on this very table before the printing press was invented. They had been trained here at the College of the Barbs [uncles, elders, church leaders] to go throughout Europe as merchants or college students to keep Bible truth alive during the spiritual darkness of the Dark Ages.

Challenge Your Students & Their Parents As The New School Year Begins

It was late summer 1993 and I was working with Pastor Vladimir Krupskyi and a team of Ukrainian pastors to plant the second Seventh-day Adventist church in the city of Nikolayev, Ukraine. Communism had collapsed only a few years before but its effects were still evident in many parts of society, including the school system.

Quickly Follow Up Campmeeting & Summer Camp Baptismal Decisions

Recently I met with the Idaho Conference pastors the Sunday morning after Campmeeting. Pastor Brian Yarborough, who led out in the Junior Division, handed out over a dozen cards of young people who had made decisions that week to follow Jesus and be baptized. These are “hot” interests and need a quick response.

Lots of kids are already at summer camp, and many of them will make decisions to follow Jesus and be baptized. These are also “hot” interests. We

Deal With A Church Discipline Issue That Needs Attention

“Pastor, we have a difficult situation.” The first elder and I were out making visits during my first few weeks in the district. “One of our church members brings different men home to go to bed with her and she has her passive husband sleep on the floor at the foot of the bed. What do you think we should do?”

He obviously had my attention. I thought of the verse in 1 Corinthians 5:1 that says the church at Corinth had a case of sexual immorality that

Add a “Local & Global Mission” time to Your Sabbath Morning Service

One of the most difficult things a Seventh-day Adventist pastor or church can do is to change the schedule or order of worship on Sabbath mornings. Somehow many people think there is something sacred about which part of the service comes first, second or third.

With this in mind, I am still going to suggest that you talk with your church board(s) about adding a “Local & Global Mission” time to your Sabbath morning schedule. You see, in the early Adventist church the Sabbath School program had a World Mission segment and emphasis.