Every Municipal City Must Have a Church with a Building – Mission Impossible?

Ellen White says in numerous places that church buildings are to be erected in every place, every city, every village, to stand as memorials of GOD’s Kingdom. I can only conclude that this is a political situation since it pertains to governments; this has led me to believe that GOD must have a memorial in every incorporated city—that that is the standard, since this is the most foundational political unit.

JESUS Is Our Example

“He went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of GOD” (Luke 8:1). These are the same words that Sister White uses in her statement, “I saw jets of light shining from cities and villages, and from the high places and the low places of the earth. GOD’s word was obeyed, and as a result there were memorials for Him in every city and village. His truth was proclaimed throughout the world” (9 Testimonies, p. 28).

There is an incorporated city in my county of less than 50 people, and the cities in JESUS’ day were not all that large, with Jerusalem, the largest in Israel, estimated to be about 20,000 people. Villages were also incorporated, just without walls, unlike cities. There are multitudes of incorporated villages in North America and other parts of the world as well. Every one of these political units need to have a church and memorial planted before JESUS can come. Why? Because it is about establishing His Kingdom on this earth since He will not force Himself on this world. Every city and village will need to have physical evidence of His Kingdom, with the people who worship there representing it in their lives! The following quote really brings this out:

The world needs restoring. It is lying in wickedness and in the greatest peril. God’s work for those out of Christ should broaden and extend. God calls upon His people to labor diligently for Him, so that Christian efficiency shall become widespread. His kingdom is to be enlarged. Memorials for Him are to be raised in America and in foreign countries.

— Manuscript 16, 1901

Is This an Impossible Mission?

With us it is indeed impossible. With those who believe the mark of the beast is just around the corner and thus time-setting in their minds, this is impossible. But, “With men this is impossible; but with GOD all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

Those who are antsy for something big to happen to catalyze the end of the world, instead of waiting for it, need to be part of those who make it happen! They need to get to work in ministry—not making YouTube videos, but going door-to-door in their communities to find the inhabitants and representatives of the Kingdom of GOD here on earth. Here is another quote: “He holds them accountable for not helping to erect memorials for Him in the fields which should be added to His Kingdom” (Manuscript 23a, 1887). It is very clear. GOD wants us to claim the fields of this world, which incorporated cities represent in their respective fields, for His Kingdom; and a church building is the proof He is looking for.

And here is another:

For years the Lord has instructed me that the means He has entrusted to His people should be used to add new territory to His kingdom. In city after city the standard is to be lifted. What standard? The standard on which is inscribed, ‘The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus’. The memorial of creation, which has been torn down, is to be set up. The truth is to be proclaimed and companies of Sabbathkeepers raised up, and in every place where such a company is raised up, missionary work after God’s plan is to be carried forward.

— Letter 42, 1900

What Makes a Memorial

In case you have forgotten, the “commandments of GOD, and the faith of JESUS” (Rev. 14:12) is part of the church covenant that all true Seventh-day Adventist churches hold, not a human creed. A “Seventh-day Advent[ist]” sign on a building is to represent this, for the seventh-day Sabbath is the seal that stands for all the commandments of GOD, and the Advent of CHRIST is the ultimate hope of the faith of JESUS. And when GOD has a designated holy place where He meets with His people each Sabbath in a city, the memorial of Creation and the memorial of the meeting-house become one. This next quote explains it:

There is ever to be in the treasury of the Lord means to be used for enlarging the work, for entering new territory, and building sanctuaries where those who accept present truth may worship Him in the beauty of holiness. God calls upon His people to bring of their means, in tithes and freewill offerings, to Him, that His workers may have wherewith to establish memorials for Him in villages, towns, and cities. These memorials will constantly bear witness that after creating the world in six days, God gave the seventh day to His people as a day of rest, to be a sign between Him and them, that they might know that He is the Lord who sanctifies them.

— Review and Herald, 12/17/1901

The Sabbath Is Key

What I want you to see here is the connection between the Sabbath and the Kingdom. The Sabbath is a memorial of His original Creation Kingdom, and raising up a physical memorial for Him on this same earth, which GOD created in six days, is to build Him His place of rest, that His Kingdom that this earth may be restored to His Kingdom once again, and I believe the following Scripture applies to this:

Thus saith JEHOVAH, “The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: Where is the house that ye build unto Me, and where is the place of My rest?”

— Isaiah 66:1

This Scripture also refers to His living sanctuary made up of every true believer, but there must also be physical, geographical evidence of it being raised up. And it is rest for Him because He bears all sin, and when His Kingdom is established on this earth within His people, and evidenced by buildings of worship where they meet every Sabbath, He can bring an end to sin in this world. Only then can the end come.

The Great Commission

Now, watch what Scriptures Sister White bases this next statement on in regards to memorials:

In every city a memorial for Him is to be established. Are we ready for this work? “Lo”, said Christ, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, speaking the things that I have commanded you”. We are to proclaim to all the world the truths by which every one is to be judged. When this gospel of the kingdom shall have been preached to every nation and kindred and tongue and people, the Saviour will come.

— Manuscript 14, 1903

The Great Commission and the great sign of the end: the preaching to every group of people, which she directly dies to raising up a church building in every city. Here it is written in the Bible:

And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains.

— Matthew 24:14-16

The Order of Events

Notice this universal preaching comes before the abomination of desolation, which, in its final fulfilment, is the mark of the beast in Sunday laws replacing the Sabbath. Those who are preaching imminent Sunday laws are wasting precious breaths which should be breathed in proclaiming the Glad Tidings of salvation to people who have never heard it before. And part of this preaching is through establishing memorial that speak of the Sabbath memorial and even more importantly the living epistles of those who share CHRIST in Christian character and medical missionary work, which we are all called to do.

Does this mean that the church buildings must be within city limits? No. For example, I live 8 miles from a city, but that city is still my address. Townships also often surround cities with the same name here in the United States.

Conclusion

So, in conclusion, the coming of CHRIST’s Kingdom involves us more than we have imagined, and it is also more political than we have imagined. But unlike Mohammedism, which, like the world, uses violence to conquer, we use love to conquer. We do not use force to drive heathen out of a place, but we simply establish ourselves there as a light that dispels darkness; and with the destruction of darkness, Satan has no place left. Wherever there is an existing government, we simply represent the Kingdom of GOD there, and as CHRIST said, we can say, “The Kingdom of GOD is come unto you” (Matthew 12:28).

Accomplishing this in every city is completely doable in a relatively short amount of time by the power of GOD, which we are to have faith in. All doubts of this happening should be dispelled, lest we doubt the power of GOD. If we are revived by spending quality time with GOD each day, living up to the light He is giving us, and if we step out to do the work He has called us to do, using the methods He has given us in the Testimonies, the Holy Spirit will work.

I will do what I can here, but I’m calling on you to do what you can do where you are as well. I believe we will have manifestations of the Holy Spirit and testimonies to share that will inspire others to do the same work all around the world. It will start small, but it must begin. You and I can be the very beginning of it.

The Final Word

I will close with this last quote, and it is self-explanatory:

There is a God-given commandment to exhibit a heavenly government upon earth, making known to all people the virtues of the cross of Christ. The result of this infinite connected with the finite is to demonstrate, through united possession of consecrated fidelity, God’s original design, extending and adding domain, and section after section, through sanctified, constant, united agencies to the approaching universal conquest. God designs this; for “the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High”, and they “shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever”.

— Letter 183, 1901

Further Reading: Jets of Light