In our King’s 9th Commandment we read —
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor”(Exodus 20:16)
Written by the finger of God, these moral laws are SUPREME in our holy walk with our King and Savior! Thus those who flagrantly or carelessly break one of them are truly walking on a dark path, lest they repent. The following post we will delve into a text-book case of a so-called leader of God’s flock giving terrible and deceptive teachings and advice to the flock. Pastor Alden Ho decided to publicly denounce and put out of God’s house a family on truly shocking grounds.
A little background on the brother and his family that Ho called out in the video. They are long time present truth deliverers. The brother has extensive knowledge of the Lord’s Rod message (Micah 6:9) and has one of the closet knit families in the message.
The kids are active in the kids programs and in all aspects represent the Lord (dress, manners, comportment, etc) as well as can be expected of a Seventh-day Adventist family. The credit goes to the parents raising them in the way they should go.
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.(Proverbs 22:6)
Yet Ho took time in a recent sermon address to “warn” the people of a family whose main crime was representing Christ and His Word. Let us look at this disturbing occurrence.
Before we do let us remember this counsel from God’s word —
“Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Tim. 3:12)
This situation hits home because we personally know this brother and his family. We have spent many a conversations about Christ , His Word and His prophecies. There are few who , in our opinion have shown a truly sincere desire to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. So when we heard this , our jaw dropped! How can this be?? We thought!
The family had been going off and on to this particular church for three years and developed friendships within the church. They participated in church activities and did all they could to make the church pleasing to God. But being a believer in the Lord’s Rod, our brother did not shy away when the Spirit led him to spread the “message of Elijah”. Just as we personally have experienced, someone within the church discovered that they were “Shepherd’s Rod” people.
Later this filtered down to the Pastor Ho. Our brother relayed that instead of true concern for him and his family by Ho, by informing him he’d like to discuss an issue with him in the office to get to the bottom of this, he spoke to him in the restroom on a recent Sabbath morning. He asked the brother if he was “Shepherd’s Rod” to which the brother responded, “No… I am a Davidian Seventh-day Adventist”. To which Ho simply walked out of the restroom.
The next thing you know a Constable shows up to escort his family out of the church! No formal discussion one on one with the Pastor, no opportunity to state the brother’s case, nothing!
This is how they do it brethren in God’s house today. Let us now expose the words from Ho for all to see and be amazed. It’s a short 3 and a half minute speech given by Ho on the day the family was put out.
In the video at the 28:20 mark, Ho announces at the pulpit that he needs to let the flock know about something unpleasant that happened “about 45 minutes ago”.
Ho then goes on to tell the flock about the “modes and methods” of Shepherd’s Rod/ Davidians.
“They very lightly come , make friends with people, they don’t ruffle any feathers or anything like that for the first year or two. Then they slowly start making their way and start planting seeds and start doing their divisiveness. I would encourage you to look up Branch Davidians and Shepherd’s Rod. And to see what they are about. They believe in the Spirit of Prophecy, they believe many things that Adventists do.
But they believe that they are part of the 144,000 and they are very much into the health message. Knowing this, um, we have been waiting for them for the last couple months but they have not been around. So I was warned that they were here today, so I texted David Capps immediately, we already had a plan in mind. And David came over from across the street and I approached the gentleman and I asked him point blank, because that’s the only way to know, “are you a Shepherd’s Rod?”
And to which he says, “I believe it”, but I said, “are you”? He said , “No, I believe it.” I said “what does that mean?” Then he said to me he is a Davidan Seventh-day Adventist. It’s basically the same thing. At that point I just stepped away (meaning he stepped out of the bathroom) because if I tried to say anything more, their mode of operation at that point is to create a big chaotic scene. So I stepped away and David Capps gladly stepped in and told him he needed to leave the premises, he and his family, and they were not allowed to step foot back here anymore.
This is not a very pleasant thing to have to do. To turn someway away from church but it is a necessity and must be done in order to protect the sheep. Now, there has not be any rifts from them that you are aware of but we’ve been watching through Sabbath school and other things, that there has been little pokes at things. So I’ve been keeping my eye on that as well as some of the other leaders in the church. And we did talk about this at our past board meeting as well.
So this is just something that I needed to let you know and encourage you , please look them up, study what they are about. It’s very difficult to win them and to correct them because they have almost self-deceived themselves, into thinking that they are the only ones. And, um, I ask that you lift up this family in prayer, that the Holy Spirit would impress upon them what is truth.” (Ended at the 31:53 mark) (bold highlight ours)
Let us now carefully examine what was said. Four points we’d like to make clear.
- Notice carefully that Ho plants his own “seeds” by saying loaded words while explaining that they plant seeds, yet we are left not knowing exactly what their “planting seeds” really means. For example, what does “little pokes” mean during Sabbath school? What is the evil of thinking they are a part of the 144,000, especially when SOP tells us to “strive with all power God has given us to be a part of the 144,000”(Review and Herald, March 9, 1905)? What does “thinking they are the only ones” mean?
- This family was removed from God’s house and their chance of worshiping and fellowshiping removed and forever gone at their beloved church. Does Ho think that a quick 3 and half-minute explanation is all that is needed for such a drastic and profound action, especially when bonds and friendships are abruptly broken at his whim? With vague innuendos and confusing accusations?
- Perhaps the worst of all is the following downright terrible deceptions. Notice that Ho connects the horrible and tragic Branch Davidian history (by calling them Branch Davidians) to the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists, which the brother and his family are not a part of. Those who know the truth know that Branch Davidians are NOT Davidian Seventh-day Adventists, and their history and beliefs are very different. But the key point was that Ho wanted to stick in the minds of the flock, that they were trouble makers, hence the connection with the Branch.Koresh and his followers no doubt seen in the minds of the flock!The other area of falsehood was the implanting of the idea that they will “create a big chaotic scene.” Once Ho established the Branch connection, then his logical next point was to make them out as troublemakers. Thus he completes his unholy work of deception! Again, those who know the truth know that DSDA are all about loving and peace among the brethren. Not once during the whole time this brother and his family worshiped there, were they ever accused of “trouble” of any kind! On the contrary, they showed a true desire to fellowship and worship in love and peace–our Creator.
- Finally, Ho tells his flock to “look them up” , to investigate what they are about. But he deceptively tells them to look up Branch Davidians not Davidian Seventh-day Adventists. Nevertheless, we hope that the flock does indeed look up the Shepherd’s Rod and what it is about. For the Lord’s Rod (Micah 6:9 and 7:14) is what we are told to “hear ye” today.
“The LORD’S voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the Rod, and Who hath appointed it.” (Micah 6:9)
In the dark ages, the Roman leaders systematically persecuted those who they thought were heretics, yet we know as historians that often the “heretics” were just trying to obey God’s words through His holy Word–the Bible. The Seventh-day Adventist church has sunk down to this same low-level by excommunicating those they ‘think” are not in accordance with their teaching–yet they are, and SO MUCH MORE SO THAN THEY REALIZE! Is not Ho showing that instead of sincere love and caring for this family, he chooses to throw them out without a public hearing?!
We as S.D.A have publicly announced to the world we are all for religious liberty, to worship God according to our conscience. In fact we publicly produce the following —
https://www.adventist.org/en/service/religious-liberty/
Yet, away for the gazing eyes of the world, we often remove those who proclaim and desire to study Bible prophecy with deep devotion! This is so wrong and not in Christ’s Word that to defend such behavior is impossible.
For example how about the young kids? What are we showing them with this un-biblical censorship? Do they not say “Dad, what happened?” “Why can’t we go to our church anymore”? What can the parents tell them? Think this through brethren!
SOP is very clear about this issue —
“.. The Lord forbids us to proceed in any violent way against those whom we think erring, and we are not to deal out excommunications and denunciations to those who are faulty.” (Testimonies to Ministers, p.47)
“…The work of separation is given to the angels of God, and not committed into the hands of any man.” (Same, p.47)
In closing, as Pastor Ho advised his flock to search out the Shepherd’s Rod and see what they are about, we’d like to help the flock in this regard. Ho cannot be relied on to know the message truly, based on his deception already, so in order to get to the bottom of what they are really about they should review the actual message for themselves.
We call on Pastor Ho to prayerfully consider what he has done. Ask those within the church what was the family’s crime? Not just the leaders but those who developed friendships with this family, what disturbance and trouble did they cause? Did they show only Christ like comportment in accordance to the Scriptures? Did they force their beliefs upon others?
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” (Jer. 17:5)
“He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him.” (Proverbs 18:13)
“Truth is eternal, and conflict with error will only make manifest its strength. We should never refuse to examine the Scriptures with those who, we have reason to believe, desire to know what is truth. Suppose a brother held a view that differed from yours, and he should come to you, proposing that you sit down with him and make an investigation of that point in the Scriptures; should you rise up, filled with prejudice, and condemn his ideas, while refusing to give him a candid hearing?
The only right way would be to sit down as Christians and investigate the position presented in the light of God’s word, which will reveal truth and unmask error. To ridicule his ideas would not weaken his position in the least if it were false, or strengthen your position if it were true. If the pillars of our faith will not stand the test of investigation,it is time that we knew it. There must be no spirit of Pharisaism cherished among us.” (Testimonies to Ministers, p.107)
The link below is searchable websites that help explain what the message is about.
http://mtccamp.org/local_news_modified_004.htm
https://godsloveandlaw.com/2015/01/17/who-really-is-a-davidian-seventh-day-adventist/
http://shepherds-rod.org/index.html
(actual video, posted July 7, 2018 –YouTube. The speech is 28:20 to 31:53 mark)
Godsloveandlaw's Blog 
September 29, 2018 at 2:52 pm |
“3:4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.
3:5 For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;
3:6 Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.
3:7 But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.
3:8 Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.
3:9 As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.”
We are dealing with a rebellious people. May the lord help us.
September 29, 2018 at 4:23 pm |
Amen my brother! Those Scriptures are now being fulfilled sadly. Let us keep praying for those “who would hinder”.
December 27, 2018 at 12:42 pm |
A friend from my church was dealt with in a similar manner, only no kicking out actually occured. Silently that person was censured without proper manual proceedings by pastor himself. That person requested a hearing but it was done again silently only with elders present and friends from that person’s side. No church board hearing, no business meeting hearing. Even until now only a couple of members know the case. The board was notified only post-factum that that person was censored.
December 28, 2018 at 4:02 am |
Sadly what you say is true in many cases. They have acted as they did in Roman times and censor unjustly nor fairly, Thanks for this report.