A divisive book

My previous few posts have dealt with a letter sent by the author of Feast-keeping and the Faithful and details his findings regarding feast keeping. He closes with this paragraph:

Just as ALL counterfeits are invariably “close” to the genuine, and often rather difficult to see at first glance, this entire feast-keeping movement is a dangerous counterfeit “theology.” The Devil, knowing that his time is short, and fully aware that God raised up the Advent Movement in order to globally proclaim the Three Angels’ Messages, and to prepare a people for the imminent return of Jesus, is seeking to destroy, as well as to distract us from what God has and is calling us to proclaim. Hence, I would encourage all to keep focused upon Jesus, recognizing that He has fulfilled all these ancient feasts, and that He is currently completing His final work in the heavenly sanctuary, before He returns.
May our gracious God continue to bless us, and fill us with the Holy Spirit to accomplish His will.

I am sad that this author fails to understand the purpose of these Holy Days in which God's followers contemplate the blessings He provides for us, His leadings in our past, and the future He has planned for us. Having been a part of the feast-keeping movement for only a few years, I can attest that through these appointed times I have come ever closer to my Savior, and understand the Sabbath and the Sanctuary message more fully. The Three Angels' Messages, in addition to the message of the Fourth Angel, are part of the main focus of what we study and share.

I had thought like he at one point, that the feasts were fulfilled -- and done with. Through my studies I have learned there is more fulfillment to come, and that "fulfilled" does not mean "abolished." However, unlike the author, even in my skepticism (before studying for myself), I never thought that the feast-keeping movement was dangerous -- a waste of time, maybe (I thought), but not dangerous. Setting aside seven more sabbaths a year is a blessing, not something to fear.

It seems this book is being used to raise hysteria among the faithful, further dividing churches that are already struggling over other issues, causing its members who are too busy with the cares of this life to study the Bible for themselves, to instead look in books that use numerous quotations of scholars that bolster the author's viewpoint, books filled with statements which, on closer look, are unsubstantiated. These all cause the eager seeker who believes they can't understand the Word as well as a learned professor to lean on the words of man and not on the words of God.

The only time I have seen feast keeping become dangerous is when a church, filled with fear because of books like Feast-Keeping and the Faithful, learns they have a member or a family who is sincerely determined to follow their Savior, and they make the choice of disfellowshipping those members. That's when it become dangerous -- both to the church and to those they have cut off from their body.

Sometimes, I will admit, a new feast keeper becomes so excited about what they have learned (and I know that it is exciting to learn, for example, that the mysteries behind texts such as Colossians 2, aren't so mysterious after all; to learn that it means exactly what it says and is easy to understand once preconceived ideas and traditions are set aside...) -- that they don't use good judgment in how they share their good news. They may not understand the path it may take for others to open their minds and hearts; they want everyone to understand, and understand NOW! They can cause dissension among the ranks by saying something like, "We've been doing it wrong; we must change."

If these kinds of challenges can bring a church to its knees, to study and pray together to seek and find the way, this is good -- but it is rare. After all, the pastors have read this book, and they know that "this is dangerous," and so they do their best to nip it in the bud. The opportunity for togetherness in earnest prayer and Bible study is lost.