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"God has withheld His blessings because His people have not worked in harmony with His directions. Test 7 P18. " I know its not a popular message, but he is right. In the fastest growing division of the church, SSD, we have 1 pastor to every 7-9 churches. That district produces at least 100 baptisms per year. Often a new church plant. It is amazing.

The Bible I decided that it might be of value to give a background to the book that we call the Bible. Catholic Bibles mainly differ from Protestant Bibles in that they include some ancient writings, generally called by Protestants, The Apocrypha, that is not included in Protestant Bibles Some other differences are very minor and not significant. Origin: All of the Biblical books began as written documents (Autographs) written well before printed documents existed. We do not have any of those documents. All we have are copies of the original documents. Those documents do contain some scribal errors. But, they are highly accurate and the minor errors are commonly seen in comparison with other copies which we have. Chapters and Verses: As first written, the Biblical books did not have chapters and verses. They were mostly written as one document. L Scholars added the chapters and verses at a later time. The New Testament was written in Biblical Greek (Koine Greek) which differs from the modern Greek language of today. Scholars understand that language very well today. Those documents also contain Individual words from other languages that were spoken in Palestine in the time when the writings were prepared. The Old Testament was mostly written in Biblical Hebrew, which differs ftom the modern Hebrew of today. However, a little bit of the Old Testament was written in Aramaic, which is well understood today. Aramaic is a close cousin to the Hebrew of that time. All those who spoke Hebrew were likely able to understand Aramaic. Translation: The Bibles that you purchase today have generally been translated in one to the following three types: Formal Translation sticks very clsely to the original text. It is commonly used for doctrinal study, preaching and by scholars. Dynamic Translation attempts to esent the authors thinking in a manner that is easly understood in the translated language. Paraphrased translation attempts to present what the translator thinks the author wanted to say, into the translated language. The careful student of the Bible will need to understand the background of the Biblical material and the process of producing the copies and the methods of translation. However, that student can rest assured that the Bibles of today do contain what God wanted humans to know.

The New Testament has one God who's name is: Father, Son and Holy Sprit. The Old Testament has one God in three pictures: El or God as the great unapproachable power ruling the entire universe. YHWH, The Angel of the Lord who turns out to be the Lord, Michael the Prince, Messiah the Prince, the Fire that burned but did not consume the bush, The Captain of the Lord's Host, etc. which is God as personal and approachable. Then there is the Spirit of the Lord where we do not see an objective revelation as we do in the first two, but God working on the heart and leading the life through the subjective, existential situations. We have all of these as one God, and united in the term "Elohim" the singular plural. Yes, The God of the Old Testament who's name is El, YHWH, The Spirit of God; and the one God of the New Testament who's name is God the Father, God The Son, and God the Holy Spirit is the creator of the entire universe.

Norway is my heritage. I've seen him once when he left a church service and went to his car, and three or four times as he stood on the palace balcony for the 17th of May Children's parade. When my Grandma was a child she marched in that parade for his Grandfather King Haakon. And of course I grew up knowing about his Father King Olav. My heart breaks as he falls to sleep. My prayers to his family, his son King Haakon VIII, and to our country. While many royal families are full of scandal, this family has tended to be devote believers. I hope this continues.

I tell this little goat story to show how the Law saves us from harm..... Jesus used parables to explain things plainly so the people could understand, and I was struck as I worked on my fence this morning, by how the fence was like Gods law, and I thought I would share it. I have many animals but none have given me more grief than my goats. When I first got them, they were a few weeks old and I put up a fence to keep them safe from the various panthers, bears, bobcats and other wildlife that share the woods with us. The fence was more of a marker for the goats as they soon learned to go under it and wander out in the woods were dangers lurked. They got out and indulged in all their little goat desires and ate lantana and other things which wasnt good for them, then at night they would come home through the front gate and lay on the warm hood of my car or the top, causing me great grief. Then I lost some of them from bloating from what they ate and to wildlife, so I did everything I could to save them from the real dangers in the woods. I put a second fence around them so they were in sight of the house so I could go get them if they got out. I sank the bottom of the fence deeper and cemented it at the base, but they jumped over it. I made the fence higher, so they stood on top of stumps or logs so they could get over it. I told my wife we would have to get rid of the goats because they would not stay withing the fence, and getting out where the panthers, bobcats and other dangers in the woods took their toll, so she said to let her try. She went and sat with them and gave them alfalfa hay to clear out their tummys of the bad stuff they had picked up. She talked to them and rubbed their bellies when they were sick and gave them charcoal for the bloating. Soon the goats stopped jumping the fence and waited for my wife in their pen, and let her hold them and clean their fur or between their horns as that is the one place they cant reach. Now they listen for her voice and come running when she calls and sit with her and listen to her little goat stories she tells them. Something happened that changed the goats, I couldnt put my finger on it but on one thing I was clear, the fence didnt save them from the dangers. Did it help, yes as far as it delineated the cleared land of the farm and their little goat pen where it was safe. But somehow the goats changed in their little goat desires and behavior and they no longer wanted to jump the fence and leave the farm, but instead to stay within the safety of the fence and share their happiness with someone who loves them......

She certainly had a huge impact on America. Possibly the person with the greatest impact in my lifetime. Here is some things many don't know. -------------------------- ....Still, Steinem’s upbringing was colored by her mother’s financial anxieties and her mother consequently suffered a nervous breakdown. Steinem’s parents then divorced when she was 10 and her father moved to California, leaving young Steinem and her sister, Susanne, to take care of their troubled mother.... Before Gloria Steinem was the face of second-wave feminism, she was an anti-communist operative for the CIA and went undercover with Playboy to expose their misogynistic practices. Gloria Steinem is a journalist and activist who rose to prominence as the stylish frontwoman of the women’s liberation movement in 1970s America..... https://allthatsinteresting.com/gloria-steinem ---------------------------- Some have questioned when she stopped working with the CIA She certainly was not a christian.

Times have changed. Years ago, a young woman gave birth out of wedlock. A group of people from church visited her. They asked her to publicly confess to the congregation and apologize. She agreed, as long as other people who were having illicit affairs did the same. She gave some names. The "concerned" brethren and sisters packed it up and retreated. Another case, different church, a young woman was having an affair. She went to the pastor in contrition. He required her to publicly apologize to the congregation, which she did. Sometime later, the same pastor was caught in an adulterous relationship. An apology couldn't save his job. Can't recall if she was pregnant or not. My recollection is that she was not.

Forgiveness does not require that one escape the penally of their actions. But, sometimes it may require such. I will tell you such a true story in which I was involved. There will be parts of it that you do not understand and I am protecting the privacy of the involved people. But, the story remains true regardless of such. A young, single woman, in the process of committing a crime became pregnant;. No, was was not a prostitute. If she had had an abortion, she likely would not have suffered any consequences. However, she gave birth to the child. The result caused her to be charged with the consequent penalty of being fired from her position. Her Supervisor was a devout Christian. She informed management that she would refuse to testify, and without her testimony the woman could not be convicted.. She simply said that she was willing to be fired herself. She did not believe in abortion and she was wiling to place her job on the line in order to protect a woman who had nor taken the easy way out which was an abortion. A Federal hearing was held before r a Federal Attorney acting as a Judge and with a A Prosecutor. I defended the woman who had been charged. I argued that there was a total lack of evidence of the charged crime, and she cold not be convicted. The Judge agreed and ruled her Not Guilty. Folioing that ruling I had a very specific talk with my client and her Supervisor in which I informed my client of t he debt she owed the woman who had placed her job on the line in standing up for my client. I believe that the result of the trial was what God wanted.

There is no "slipping away" from stealing, which is what you described. Forgiving them is a totally separate issue from their paying back what they took. You have a responsibility to protect other people from thieves, people that you don't even know.

"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us". That being said it doesn't remove the penalty for the trespass. One can be forgiven and still have to pay the price for their sins. I'm certain God forgave Moses for what he did at the rock, but Moses still paid the price for what he did. If a family member stole money from their parents, yes, forgiveness is possible, but that forgiveness doesn't remove the penalty that needs to be paid in all cases.

Her donation funded the critical early stages of development of the Moderna vaccine.[270] In March 2021, Parton was vaccinated against COVID-19 at Vanderbilt University. She labeled social media accounts of the occasion "Dolly gets a dose of her own medicine."[271] Parton strongly encouraged everyone to get vaccinated when eligible and performed a song celebrating her vaccination, set to the tune of her song "Jolene".[272][273][274]

According to these statistics, adverse effects from vaccination are not common: Vaccine Injury Statistics (2026): Latest Data

🌳 New lingo: "Greenbath" Photo: Josh Trent Pic du jour from reader Josh Trent in Cheverly, Md.: "Fantastic morning 'greenbath' as the sun peeks through on the running trail."

Celestial treat The same trio of planets was visible in March 2020, as seen in this photo from Alberta, Canada. Photo: Alan Dyer/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Early risers can spot three bright planets stretching across the morning sky for the rest of the month — and they won't need a telescope to see them, Axios Seattle's Christine Clarridge writes. Why it matters: Saturn, Mars and Jupiter can all be seen, weather permitting, in September's early morning hours, according to EarthSky. How it works: The planets will spread in a long arc along the ecliptic — the path the Sun, Moon and planets follow — like lights strung across the sky. To see all three, head outside before dawn and scan from east to west: Jupiter will be the bright one in the east, followed by reddish Mars and Saturn farther west.

Should be going before a firing squad. A guy kidnaps and sexually assaults a 13 year old girl and gets 3 years in prison? He'll be lucky of he makes it out alive

Because all the manufacturing has moved out of the country, young people have no engineering background. They do not understand physics. So when so many young people publish these stories, there is no counter argument. It all makes sense to them, because they don't see the engineering problems with the official narrative. They don't see the laws of physics being broken in the official report. Fascinating.

Facebook posts don't work for me.

September 11, 2001 The post We Remember appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

I don't know the details, but I heard today that Francisco de Araujo, who developed and directed the Jerusalem Passion Play and the Nativity Play of Bethlehem, two plays performed in Israel with a strong Desire of Ages influence, has died. Working as an actor in these plays were the highlight of my life. (Of course it did not hurt that while there I had some super good friends, including 3 young ladies who were to become 3 of my favorite former girlfriends. Still friends with two of them.) My condolences to his family and loved ones.

When the state decides to medicalize suicide, it rarely stops at permitting the act. The post The Sisters Are Fighting for Life in Court. Where Are the Rest of the Pulpits? appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

ADRA responds to flooding and landslides in Nepal Adventist Development and Relief Agency Nepal is on the ground, working with government officials, other humanitarian organizations, and communities to meet the needs of those affected by the August 26 flooding and landslides. https://adventist.news/news/adra-responds-to-flooding-and-landslides-in-nepal

This is going to be an interesting one.

Just imagine if the children of Israel decided not to listen to the high priest about Leprosy? God had these people isolate themselves from the rest so that the disease might not spread throughout the camp!!

So,, now the question becmes: What shouold a Christian ckongregation do when a single women in the congration g ives birth? [Note: In my professional experience, I have come to believe that such often hapens due to "lDate Rape."] Recenty he senior pastor of the SDA lcongregation that I attend, brought two young, single women to the front. He introduced them as having recently given birth. He called upon the congreation to support them in theier decision to raise the children. I fully agree with his call for support without judgment.

Look at the sheer, tragic absurdity of our modern public witness. The post Trapped in 1888: Reflections on the Adventist Response to the US Religious Liberty Commission appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

Well, this is interesting as it shows there are even older manuscripts than the Codex Vaticanus, considered the oldest written in the 4th century (around 325–350 AD) and used to create some of the Modern Versions being used today. The Alexandrian codices, including Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Vaticanus, and Codex Alexandrinus are among the manuscripts of the New Testament with many changes and their textual reliability is widely contested. The Codex Vaticanus in conjunction with Codex Sinaiticus, form the basis for most modern Bible translations. However, these two manuscripts differ substantially from the text of the bulk of the manuscripts based on the Byzantine based Greek texts (Textus Receptus). Here is what has surfaced which shows the older manuscript: "Long before biblical texts settled into the forms familiar to modern readers, they circulated in several languages and in slightly different versions. Among the most important witnesses to that early period are Syriac gospel manuscripts, including the Curetonian and Sinaitic traditions, which preserve some of the oldest translations of the New Testament. A newly deciphered fragment now adds to that picture, after scholars uncovered a hidden passage from the Gospel of Matthew beneath the writing of an ancient manuscript in the Vatican. Early text layers According to WP Tech and Live Science, the discovery was made by Grigory Kessel of the Austrian Academy of Sciences while studying ultraviolet images supplied by the Vatican Apostolic Library. The results were later discussed in New Testament Studies. Live Science reported that the manuscript contains several overwritten layers, with later texts masking older ones beneath. Rather than discard expensive writing material, scribes often reworked parchment by clearing older script and using the surface again, a practice that has left many ancient texts partially buried. In this case, ultraviolet imaging exposed four layers of writing. One of them turned out to be a previously unknown Old Syriac passage from Matthew, hidden below Greek text and later Georgian writing. WP Tech reported that Kessel dates the surviving copy to the sixth century, while the translation tradition behind it may go back as far as the third century. That makes it part of the earliest known phase of gospel transmission outside Greek. “This fragment is so far the only known trace of a fourth manuscript testifying to the Old Syriac version,” Kessel wrote in New Testament Studies. Why it matters The recovered passage corresponds to Matthew 12:1, where Jesus and his disciples move through grain fields on the Sabbath. In many modern versions, the disciples simply pick grain and eat it. The newly revealed Syriac wording adds another action, saying they “began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them.” Live Science also cited Sebastian Brock, a retired Syriac scholar at the University of Oxford, who called it “an exciting discovery, and a brilliant piece of decipherment.” That difference may appear minor, but textual variants like this help scholars track how the gospels were copied, translated and interpreted across early Christian communities. Kessel has also suggested the fragment may once have belonged to a larger codex, raising the possibility that more pieces of the same manuscript still survive." Sources: WP Tech, Live Science, New Testament Studies https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/other/hidden-bible-passage-discovered-in-vatican-manuscript-using-uv-light/ar-AA1YEvGO?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=6a9408b7639e4390accd4cf1069fead5&ei=16

Dolly Parton may have sung about working “9 to 5,” but the country queen clocked a six-decade shift that leaves behind a massive $450 million empire. Her meticulously crafted estate plan is set to determine who gets the keys to the kingdom — and what happens to the fortune she spent a lifetime building. The music legend’s assets include a 3,000-song catalog estimated at $120 million, an estimated $165 million stake in Dollywood, a sprawling Tennessee property valued at roughly $10 million and, potentially, decades’ worth of personal possessions, including her famously extensive wardrobe and memorabilia. How that fortune will be divided, and who ultimately controls the pieces of Parton’s empire, could remain private for some time. --------------------------------- Seems like a lot of money for a christian singer. I wonder if she left any of it to a church?

Actually it is. If people who refuse vaccination infect others, that would be immoral. One solution would be deporting anti-vaxxers.

Vaccines are not foolproof, especially in the roll out stage. People have different responses. Effective HIV meds took ~ 15 years to be developed. Covid vaccine about 1 year. No HIV vaccine exists as yet, decades after HIV became a problem in the States. My wife and I were both Covid vaxed. She got a mild case, rested a couple of days and was fine. Even though we lived together, I didn't get Covid. Not sure how she got it. Some people, even though exposed to Hepatitis B fight it off and remain essentially immune to it. Others get it, have their liver destroyed and require a transplant. As I said before, anti vaxxers, if they keep to themselves, in effective isolation, are not a problem. If they want to be part of society, get vaccinated, for the sake of others. This is not a moral issue. It's really not even a matter of conscience. A person who owned an animal that was known to be dangerous would be put to death if the animal killed someone. How much moreso anti-vaxxers who infect others.

It's a mistake to use the issues described in Romans 14 to excuse anti-vaxxers. If I refuse to eat food offered to idols because of my conscience, no one is impacted but me alone. If an anti-vaxxer falls ill, others are endangered by that illness. That's a huge difference. This is typical "religious" nonsense. My religion exalts me personally beyond my fellows. If you get Covid because of my conscience, that's your problem. My conscience is clear. Not sure what religion that is beyond "me myself and I."Reminds me of the "What is yours is mine, what is mine is mine" philosophy of life. Contributes to the hatred certain governments manifest towards Christianity.

Both of you, thank you and much appreciated. Your prayers ae welcomed.

I agree. Thank you for the good work you have done through the years.

How American houses of worship speak out on contentious public issues without forfeiting their tax exemption. The post The Pulpit, the Ballot, and the Law appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

Spectrum first issue was in winter 1969 AToday first issue was May-June 1993 Whatever these "magazines" were intended to be, both have embraced the homosexual agenda, as advocated by Kinship or other gay advocates. Kinship has become a militant force in Adventism, promoting, among other things, using the Pathfinders to introduce alphabet sexual expression to young people. Spectrum recommends people learn how to relate to homosexuals by consulting GLAAD. GLAAD is a homosexual advocacy organization "GLAAD – the world’s largest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization – increases media accountability and community engagement that ensures authentic LGBTQ stories are seen, heard, and actualized." About GLAAD | GLAAD I hope the Adventist brethren in Africa will recognize Kinship is actively promoting homosexuality through the SDA church. The gay community has historically distanced itself from pedophilia; nevertheless, Kinship wants to introduce it to young people at Pathfinder gatherings. A report by the John Jay College of Law, released in 2004, concluded that Roman Catholic sexual abuse was greater than 80% man on boy. Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Clergy - PMC Whatever the denominations official position on homosexuality+ might be, as long as SDA institutions and members practice and promote it, the official position is irrelevant.

🏜️ Parting shot: Into the maze Photo: Bill Pearson Reader Bill Pearson of Philadelphia captured this view along White Rim Road in Canyonlands National Park in Utah last year. It's his favorite for its surreal landscape and maze of canyons.

I have give much credit to David Curtis for going over his understanding from SOP and scripture on this and allowing me to use it as well as the many others who added their inputs and hope more can respond with their understanding and we be further edified.

Hobie: The answers to your questions are more complex than the "either or" that you seem to suggest. * Ellen white clearly denied that God had dictated her written material, and she stated that her writings were in her chosen words and manner of expression. Surely, I do not have to give you a citation for that. * Her writings were often specific to an individual and not intended to apply to everyone. She told one woman that she looked good in a red dress and should have such in her closet. It would be foolish to say that such would apply to every woman. In other cases, she gave opposite advice to different people. The bottom line is that after the death of Ellen White, human SDA leaders began to elevate the authority of her writings above what she would have agreed with when she was alive. In many ways EGW was a gift from God to this developing denomination. We would not be what we are today in publishing, medical care, missions and education if it had not been for the guidance that she gave us. But, she was not given to us to determine our theology. She was not given to us to establish our doctrinal understandings. She was not given to us to establish what the Bile taught. In her personal life, over a period of years, she changed her understandings of the Biblical teachings in a number of areas. In short, she was an imperfect human.