Spirit and Truth Ministries

A MYSTERY SOLVED

August 19, 1998

Don Hawley


A few years ago most Seventh-day Adventists were acquainted with the name John Osborne. Perhaps no one was more disliked by SDA leadership than this man, who mounted endless attacks on denominational corruption by way of print, radio, and television.

While I was still a member of Adventism he visited Portland for a series of meetings, and I went to hear him. I stayed for only one hour and left. He seemed quite arrogant, and obviously was an ultra conservative from the "historical" branch of Adventism. A legalist among legalists, his purpose was to call everyone back into even darker ages of denominationalism.

Handsome and articulate, John had no trouble drawing other SDAs who also were "supersaints," and who hated the corruption in the General Conference. With their generosity he was able to build a multi-million dollar empire, Prophecy Countdown, that boasted an office complex, a $5 million short-wave station, a vegetarian restaurant and health food store, a 12-grade academy, 60 employees, and a church building with 700 members. Osborne seemed unstoppable.

Then suddenly, without prior warning, this leader of many made an abject apology to the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, and asked to be rebaptized! His about face caused him to lose touch with his supporters, and it was only a matter of months until his entire empire crumbled. Along with others, I found this 180-degree turn to be an unfathomable mystery—until yesterday.

 

THE MYSTERY SOLVED

Someone gave me a copy of the Adventist Review for August 1998, and in it I found an article written by John Osborne entitled "A God of Love Brought MeBack." Here Osborne explains his strange actions. The precipitating factor was his rereading of a small booklet by Ellen White entitled, "The Remnant Church." However, the real reasons for such a dramatic turnaround are to be found elsewhere. They are fourfold:

    1. Osborne never did discover the Gospel, salvation by the blood of Christ alone instead of by works.
    2. This all-important omission left him with nothing valid to stand for, only things to stand against.
    3. He never comprehended the Body of Christ, as opposed to an exclusive and ingrown little group calling themselves "the Remnant."
    4. He never realized that the Holy Spirit is doing a new thing in this our day.

John Osborne saw the corruption in the denomination, and even encouraged his followers to "leave Babylon." However, it was never a true call for separation; what he hoped for was reform—after his own pattern, of course. That proved to be a fatal delusion.

For several years now, God has been calling his people out of Egypt (denominationalism), and into Canaan Land (involvement in the present move of the Holy Spirit prior to the Second Coming). The message for our day is OUT and IN.

When people refuse God’s call "come out of her, my people," and still retain denominational ties, hoping for reform instead of moving on with the Holy Spirit, they are left with only two options:

    1. Eventual death in the desert of divided loyalty.
    2. Be sucked right back into corruption and full-blown legalism.

What a sad fiasco from beginning to end. Obviously, John Osborne has been gifted of the Lord, and he was called to use those gifts for the advancement of the Kingdom. He says,"I still have the fire of evangelism in my soul." The article ended with a footnote that John will attend Andrews University this fall, and become an architect.

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