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Goodby: The following article is well worthy of thought. https://adventistreview.org/magazine-article/the-final-good-night/

The John 10:10 Project: Is dedicated to producing short videos of the world that God has created. They are well worth watching. For a listing of such, see: https://thejohn1010project.com/videos/ Note: The following 6.5 minute video is one that you will enjoy watching that honors the creation of God. https://thejohn1010project.com/video/wings-of-wonder/

Adventist education is generally considered to be in crisis on some levels. Fletcher Academy is an independent school, not officially a SDA school. It is doing very well, for a program unique in Adventism. See: https://spectrummagazine.org/interviews/2023/fletcher-academy-leader-shares-his-blueprint-success

The question is: What is God's blueprint for today. I remind you that a dairy farm in California might work, while a dairy farm in Alaska would not work.

I checked and Norton no longer considers your website to be dangerous. Good work on your part.

I didn't blow it off initially. What I stated here was not to worry about it because Bluehost is hosting the site. In the past, when it has gotten attacked, they have shut it down until they got it fixed. What I did yesterday was notify Bluehost and turn the matter over to them. I do pay extra for Bluehost to protect the site and thus far they have done a fine job. Today they notified me the site is clean and was not infected. The issue was with Norton. Norton has been notified and should correct the error on their side. Sometimes even the good guys get things wrong. That has happened where I work too. Our firewall blocks me from accessing sites that are perfectly safe. I have to call the IT support and have them adjust the firewall so those sites are accessible. I think Adventist sites are under even more attack for reasons I have mentioned. We struggle not against flesh and blood.

I feel very comfortable with the official Seventh-day Adventist position on abortion. I also feel very comfortable distinguishing between my religious beliefs and my political beliefs. Some think my religious beliefs contradict my political beliefs but I feel comfortable with both and feel I am being consistent. Statement on the Biblical View of Unborn Life and Its Implications for Abortion

I can post the article here. The website is safe, although apparently there may be a link to an infected website. My antivirus software doesn't flag it on my PC or my phone. Nonetheless, those that want to read the article but don't want to visit the site until Bluehost finishes their scan can read the page I linked to below. Ellen White is one of the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist church. To be clear, there were several founders. Joseph Bates brought the seventh-day Sabbath light to the group. James White (Ellen’s husband) started the first publishing house. John Andrews was the first church president and first overseas missionary. Uriah Smith was the first church secretary and editor of the church’s periodical. Seventh-day Adventists believe Ellen White received the gift of prophecy in a Biblical sense. They believe that God spoke to her directly through visions and dreams and indirectly by sending angels. These visions and dreams can be compared to those believed to be received by St. Patrick. St. Patrick is believed to have had many visions or dreams from God and the conversion of Ireland was certainly miraculous. There were supernatural signs that indicated White’s gift couldn’t have been fabricated. She often went into vision in public, would stop breathing and be unaware of her surroundings. She was examined by medical doctors and skeptics on multiple occasions while in vision and found to have a pulse but not be breathing. Some visions lasted as long as thirty minutes. She was also spared in a train derailment. When a train she was traveling on derailed, her car became disconnected and stayed on the rails. The pin for her car was found neatly removed and laid upon the hitch – as if done by an angel to prevent her railcar from derailing with the rest of the train. Adventists are not in total agreement on how to use White’s writings. They do all agree that her writings do not supersede the Bible. Many use her writings as an inspired Bible commentary. In doing so, they use her writings to interpret the Bible. Others do not agree with that practice. Some believe everything she wrote was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Others believe only when she says “I was shown…” “The Lord told me…” or similar phrases is when she is baring direct testimony from God. Outside of that, she is expressing her personal beliefs and convictions. This disagreement dates all the way back to the beginning of the church. Uriah Smith was one of the founders of the church and one that believed that only what White was shown in vision or dream was to be considered a “testimony” from God. Ironically, modern-day critics of White use a dispute between Smith and White to discredit her (although most do not realize it). Critics often use the following quote from White, which she wrote in a letter to Smith. Most critics are probably not aware of the context. Yet now when I send you a testimony of warning and reproof, many of you declare it to be merely the opinion of Sister White. You have thereby insulted the Spirit of God. You know how the Lord has manifested Himself through the spirit of prophecy. (5T64) The context of this letter tells a lot about the gift of prophecy she is believed to have had. Critics want take the position that in this quote, White is setting herself to be equal with God. Therefore, if you disagree with her opinion, you have insulted the spirit of God. Upon examination, we see that her claim is the role of a messenger and not everything she wrote and spoke was directly from God. The church at Battle Creek, Michigan had a college. The college was focusing more on academics and not on training Bible workers and pastors. White’s letter stated that many parents would stop sending their children to the college if it did not train them for the Bible work of spreading the gospel. She also stated the college needed to teach trades of manual labor and agriculture. From reading the letter, it seems the college was focusing more on academics like math and science and not on religion and vocational skills. When Smith received the letter, he read it as White’s opinion and dismissed it. Even though he believed she had the gift of prophecy. In the quote below, he explains his action to her. The ground of my hesitancy to regard that part of your communication referring to the special school trouble as a “testimony” was the fact that I had always supposed that a testimony was based on a vision, and I did not understand that you had had any vision since the recent trouble in the college commenced; hence I did not see how there could be any “testimony,” in the common acceptation of that term, concerning these special matters. At the same time I said that if you should claim that it was a testimony, I would accept the situation; and so I do. (3BIO 196.3) So basically, Smith says he was unware that God had given White a vision about the matters of the college. Therefore, he considered her letter to be simply her opinion. White not only wrote back, she went to the publishing house and published a pamphlet on the matter. She clarifies that the direction she received from God was in a dream and from an angel. God spoke to her in both dreams and visions. Her visions were often public events that others witnessed. Her dreams were, obviously, private. There were reports of her room being highly lit when angels would visit her at night, I have never read anyone, other than White, claiming to have seen the angel’s form – only the light. “A few weeks since, I was in a dream brought into one of your meetings for investigation. I heard testimonies borne by students against Professor Bell.” (3BIO 198.2) While visiting Healdsburg last winter, I was much in prayer, and burdened with anxiety and grief. But the Lord swept back the darkness at one time while I was in prayer, and a great light filled the room. An angel of God was by my side, and I seemed to be in Battle Creek. I was in your councils; I heard words uttered, I saw and heard things that, if God willed, I wish could be forever blotted from my memory. (3BIO 199.3) After I wrote you the long letter which has been belittled by Elder Smith as merely an expression of my own opinion… the Lord partially removed the restriction, and I write as I do. I dare not say more now, lest I go beyond what the Spirit of the Lord has permitted me. (3BIO 199.5) In the testimonies sent to Battle Creek, I have given you the light God has given to me. In no case have I given my own judgment or opinion. I have enough to write of what has been shown me, without falling back on my own opinions. (3BIO 200.1) White did not consider herself to be infallible, even as a messenger. Dr. David Paulson wrote to White in April 1860, “I was led to conclude and most firmly believe that every word that you ever spoke in public or private, that every letter you wrote under any and all circumstances, was as inspired as the ten commandments.” White responded, “My brother, you have studied my writings diligently, and you have never found that I have made any such claims, neither will you find that the pioneers in our cause ever made such claims” (1SM, 24-26) She also wrote, “God and heaven alone are infallible” (1SM, 37). “The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of His will” (GC, vii). This is what she wrote about using her writings (aka Spirit of Prophecy or Testimonies). “I recommend to you, dear reader, the Word of God as the rule of your faith and practice. By that Word we are to be judged. God has, in that Word, promised to give visions in the ‘last days’; not for a new rule of faith (3SM 29.1) “The Lord desires you to study your Bibles. He has not given any additional light to take the place of his Word.” (3SM, 29.2) “In public labor do not make prominent, and quote that which Sister White has written, as authority to sustain your positions. To do this will not increase faith in the testimonies. Bring your evidences, clear and plain, from the Word of God. (3SM 29.3) [emphasis added]. “Little heed is given to the Bible, and the Lord has given a lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light. (3SM 30.4) “Brother J would confuse the mind by seeking to make it appear that the light God has given through the Testimonies is an addition to the Word of God, but in this he presents the matter in a false light. (3SM 30.6) In summary: There still exists a diverse opinion among Seventh-day Adventists. There are those that believe everything she wrote was inspired by God. There are others that are inclined to think like Uriah Smith – that only when she says “the Lord showed me” is it a testimony from the Lord. Still others do not think much about her. This third group does not read her writings and only reads from the Bible.

The required surgery appeared impossible. A plan was developed. Step by step, over a multi-year period of time, something was accomplished and the next step in surgery was planned. Finally the ultimate surgical step was taken. For the results, see: https://adventistreview.org/profile/what-if-my-son-were-in-that-situation/

@Hanseng As a retailer, I used to bring in specially Made Worthington WHAM rolls (fake Ham) for Buddhist vegetarians who would not eat onion, chives or garlic, I was told that several companies have tried producing deodorant to sell in China. And it has never gone over that well because there is no need unless they eat onion, garlic or chives. I am very interested in your comments on this.

Of course nobody actually communicates with the dead - the dead don't exist.

ADRA Spain Moves to Assist Survivors of Morocco’s Earthquake Volunteers distribute warm clothes and first aid kits across the most affected areas. Read more at: https://adventistreview.org/release/adra-spain-moves-to-assist-survivors-of-moroccos-earthquake/

Methuselah is a 100 year -old (estimated 92-101 age) fish that has lived in San Francisco since 1938. She (may be a male?) loves to be fed figs and enjoys back and belly rubs. See URL below: :NOTE: Granddad is also a 100 year-old lungfish who has lived in Chicago since 1933. https://www.livescience.com/animals/fish/worlds-oldest-aquarium-fish-methuselah-could-be-decades-older-than-we-originally-thought-dna-clock-reveals

(N). Psalm 84:5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.

📷 Jimmy Carter rides again Photo from video: @erikka2ks08/Reuters Former President Jimmy Carter, who turns 99 on Sunday, and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, 96, took a ride through the Plains (Ga.) Peanut Festival this weekend, as spotted in the social media image above. Looking ahead to birthday festivities, the Carter Center said: "We're betting peanut butter ice cream is on the menu for lunch!" Why it matters: Carter, the longest-living president ever, entered hospice care on Feb. 18 — just over seven months ago.

I finished. If you are interested in buying a copy I will post the link below. I am hoping to participate in this forum a little more often now that I finished the novel. I am back in graduate school again but part-time. But, I think I will still be able to post here. I hope to go back full-time in January for a 9-month course. We will see how full-time graduate school works with my full-time job. I will worry about that then. NOT Just Business

I usually get paid on the 25th, and It was deposited today. It's a good thing if the world ends tonight. I already paid the tithe on it. whewwww

(N). Acts 2:39 For the promise [gift of the Holy Spirit] is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

(N) 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. ….

Adventist Risk Managemenet (ARM): The following Review article reports on an important step that the SDA Churchi s taking to prevent the employment of sexual predators. https://adventistreview.org/release/adventist-risk-management-launches-insurability-protocol-to-screen-for-sexual-predators/

(N). Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Hurricane Lee remains Category 3, Hurricane Margot forms as NHC tracks 2 other systems Hurricane Lee has grown back into a Category 3 major hurricane expected to gain some strength this week as Hurricane Margot formed in the Atlantic while the National Hurricane Center keeps tabs on two more systems with a chance to develop. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/09/11/hurricane-lee-remains-category-3-as-hurricane-center-tracks-ts-margot-2-more-systems/?

In 2016 the following article was published in amessage to congregational leaders in North America. https://atoday.org/10-things-pastors-wish-they-could-say-to-their-church-members-2/

🎾 Coco Gauff's triumph Ten minutes before the U.S. Open final, Coco Gauff was on her phone in the locker room, scrolling through social media. The 19-year-old Floridian said later that there were negative comments, "saying I wasn't going to win today; that just put the fire in me," AP's Howard Fendrich reports. Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images Gauff surged to a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over the soon-to-be-No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in yesterday's final at Arthur Ashe Stadium, delighting a raucous New York crowd that backed her from start to finish. Keep reading.

Abortion: According to Melanie A. Howard, what the Bible actually says about abortion, may surprise you. See: https://religionnews.com/2022/07/25/what-the-bible-actually-says-about-abortion-may-surprise-you/

He will replace Derek Morris, who is retiring on October 31 after seven years in the role. Read more at: https://adventistreview.org/news/hope-channel-international-names-vyacheslav-demyan-as-president-elect/

(N). 1 Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye : and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

James and John were the disciples known as the sons of thunder. These men were outspoken, opinionated and hot headed - at least when they were first chosen to follow Christ. The story is recorded of a time they discovered someone casting out demons in the name of Christ but since he was not one of the "chosen" twelve, they told Jesus to cast fire down from heaven and destroy the man. There is all kinds of commentary that can be made on this portion of Scripture. One of the first things that jumps out at me is that these disciples had been so influenced by the Jewish legalistic teaching of their time that they did not know the God of love written about in the Old Testament. One of Jesus' missions was to reveal the love of God. That is not to say God wasn't loving until Jesus came. There are several passages in the Old Testament that show God's love. God is not schizophrenic - He doesn't change. God has always been a God of love. He has, at times, had to punish the wicked but the Old Testament itself refers to such an act as being "strange" for God. Jesus taught that God loves us more than any earthly parent is capable of loving his or her child. The sons of thunder didn't grasp that right away. Anther thing I pick up on in this story is that James and John are telling Jesus what to do. Jesus, part of the Godhead - equal to the Father. James and John tell Him to call down fire and destroy the outsider. Wow!, I thought. I have been guilty of the same thing myself. How many times have I prayed to God and told Him what to do in my life? That is kind of vain isn't it? Who am I to tell God what His will should be? I am invited to present my desires to Him but always with the condition - not my will but Thine. I need to submit to His better judgement and not tell Him what He should do for me. When I do that, I am taking His place which is just what James and John were doing. I need to let God be God and submit myself to His will. I note that James and John had their own concept of how things should be. This outsider casting out demons in the name of Jesus went against how they thought things should be. However when they brought it before Christ, they discovered their ideas were wrong. Again, how often I have thought just like James and John! In my mind I have thought I should have a certain job, or my wife should act a certain way, or my boss should do this or that, etc. All of my concerns and worries I need to bring before God and give them to Him. Through the prophet Isaiah God said, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways." Rather than trying to get God on board with my plans, I need to become willing to get on board with His plan. For me these two concepts are tied together. When I grasp that God is a God of love than it will follow that I can trust His will for me. When I can trust His will for me, I can quit telling Him what He should do for me and instead submit to what He wants for me. (First posted on FaceBook September 8, 2013)

If you are coughing and sneezing, they will act as a protectant against what you are emitting. There is a reason medical folk wear them.

The Ordination of Ellen White: The September issue of Pacific Union Recorder contains an excellent article on the ordination of Ellen white. See: https://issuu.com/pacificunionrecorder/docs/0923recorder The following link takes you to the February 14, 1871 issue of The Adventist Review, which informs that the MIchigan Conference voted the Ellen G. White recieve the credentials of an Ordained minister. This was on page 69. https://adventistdigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/adl%3A349641/%3Fview_only%3Dtrue

Hate the sin but not the sinner.

This has been a busy summer for me. I wrote a novel and put together seminars for PostumCafe.com. PostumCafe.com now has an online counseling clinic. This consists of seminars that include a workbook. The participant must buy the workbook online - like at Amazon. There is a video session at Postum Cafe for each chapter in the workbook. The topics available are Depression, Anxiety, Anger and Gender Dysphoria. There are also several videos for Adventist Recovery and a link to some of David Asscherick's videos. https://www.postumcafe.com/online-clinic

That's really history!! Thanks for sharing.

Their sexual orientation probably would not change when they decided to become celibate. It wouldn't change if they decided to become vegetarian, enter a monastery, or marry a woman. It could change if they decided to accept Christ as their Saviour and were baptized with the Holy Spirit. There is not more evidence of this kind of change because people who experience it are mortified by their previous homosexual debauchery. They are thoroughly ashamed of their past life; consequently, they do not talk about it. People who enter xgay ministry, in general, are making a big mistake. They should be smiting their chests and asking God for mercy, not parading themselves around like a queen, telling others how to be Christians. SDA, for some reason have a penchant for from "trash to treasure" testimonies. They like to hear about the degradation and defilement others have passed through. Not only x gays. Former drug abusers, criminals, adulteresses and adulterers, all like to get their time in the SDA limelight. People are entertained by pastor's wives telling about their affairs with academy teachers, criminals telling their stories of illegal behavior, disrespectful children going on about the shame they brought to their parents, alcoholics rolling around in their vomit, all this before they got "saved." Tales like this appeal to a certain class of people who make up a good part of those who join the denomination. An acquaintance of mine, a physician, told me about his Christian pastor who was a physician in Viet Nam, fled the country, was a refugee, and then repeated medical school in America to continue practicing medicine. Both he and his wife, also a well educated professional, appreciated that kind of testimony. They would be appalled by the stories that some SDA "converts" trade in. They don't want to hear about a guy who sold his rear end on street corners.

I agree that there are some definite issues with Dr. Iskander. I posted the link to that article, not at all to endorse her. Homosexual virtue is most likely a myth in most cases; consequently, I offered the article as a challenge to homosexual sanctification, not an endorsement of her.

Hanseng: So, you are telling us that God has sexual organs, as well as a digestive tract?

Yes, the Bible does use the terms "image" and "likeness." We should be careful and not understand that to tell us that we can observe human beings and attribute what we see in human beings to what we would see if we were to observe the person of God. * Humans have sexuality and are male and female. There is no basis to attribute such sexuality to God. * Exodus 33:20, No person in their present state of humanity can observe the being of God and live. IOW, there is a clear difference between the person that we see in humans and that of God. No one should think that God looks like us. * God is divine. Humans are not. * The word "image" may be understood to reference aspects of God that were given to humans so that humans could fulfill God's purpose for humanity, even if in an imperfect manner.

When your son invites you and his dad and your best friends to dinner in Ohio and you are in MN

John MaCoone, Sr., who was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland around 1625. MaCoone migrated to the American colonies where he was a member of the first Seventh Day Baptist church in Rhode Island. He died in East Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1705. He was a Seventh-day Baptist and settled into a Seventh-day Baptist community in Rhode Island So the Coon Family kept the Sabbath since at least the 1800s. The MaCoon eventually became Coon and decedents eventually moved and settled into the Seventh-day Baptist community of Lincklaen Center NY. Then as I said, the Coon family among others accepted Millerism and were kicked out of the Seventh0day Baptist church. They built their own church and continued to worship on the Sabbath and held to their Millerite beliefs. It appears that it was around the 1880s that this little, long time Sabbath keeping group of Millerites learned about the Seventh-day Adventist church and became a formal part of the Seventh-day Adventist church. But this is a group of long time Sabbath Keeping Millerites and may be representative of other Seventh-day Baptist or other Sabbath Keeping Communities that accepted Miller's message. And this group of Sabbath Keeping Millerites from Lincklaen Center NY did eventually become a part of the Seventh-day Adventist church. This is a history that we must not forget!!!

Gustave said: I agree with the above. I agree that the above is presently taught in Adventism. However, that does not mean that every person teaches it. I would agree that in the early days of the formation of the SDA denomination, some would not have agreed with the above statement.

In my opening post, I listed a link to a website that had a complex listing o the legal actions that were going on. As few people have probably read that in detail. I will summarize what is listed as happening. Everything happening is normal for litigation of this type. 1) Each party to this case is entitled to be represented by an attorney. So, every time a new attorney is hired to represent a party, a formal notice is filed to give all parties notice that this new person is actively involved in the litigation. 2) Everyone has to be notified as to who is the plaintiff in this litigation along with the attorneys who are representing a plaintiff. 3) The alleged defendants and the attorneys representing them have to be identified to all. 4) Each defendant has a right to ask to be dismissed as a defendant from the litigation, and the plaintiffs have the right to object to that dismissal. It is normal to have some dismissed while others remain.

Very thought provoking! "[bin Laden] repeatedly asserted that the only way to drive the U.S. from the Muslim world and defeat its satraps was by drawing Americans into a series of small but expensive wars that would ultimately bankrupt them..." Look at our economy. Look at the financial mess of our Federal government. The growth of the national debt over the last 10 years is almost exactly the amount of money we have spent in Iraq and Afghanistan. Much of the mess in the economy is traceable to our fear/revenge response to 9/11. It seems bin Laden may have been right. And now he does not need to send terrorists to us any more. We are destroying each other. This country is almost as deeply divided as it was in the mid 19th Century. The civil war we fight is the "civility" of democracy run amok.