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I used to work (at a low end salary) for a high-end art and antiques gallery in Los Angeles. Pieces I worked on were displayed in museums and attracted international attention in the art world. The gallery owner had been collecting art for decades, having been introduced to the art world as a child by his grandmother. Among his holdings was a painting of Philip baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch. He believed it to be an original Rembrandt. In order to validate his belief, he took it to Europe for certification by Rembrandt authorities there. They denied that it was an original Rembrandt, instead consigning it to one of his students or other painter. Disappointed, he returned home to America. Sometime after he returned, he received a letter from the chairman of the art history department of a major university, offering to help him certify the painting for a 10% slice of the sale price. which would have put hundreds of thousands of dollars in his pocket. On another occasion, I bought an inexpensive picture which is still displayed in our home. Several years after the purchase, I saw an identical painting written up in an online news source. The painting was being touted as an original antique painting, a great discovery in the art world. Knowing something about the fakery that goes on, I contacted the gallery advertising it. I never heard back. I did see, however, an article retracting previous claims made regarding the picture. I don't believe my note had anything to do with the retraction. Simply a matter of a "scholar" doing a little homework. Fraud is ubiquitous in the art world, whether it be "antique" furniture, paintings, or whatever. Estate sales are another venue for being duped. Gallery owners routinely "plant" pieces they own to ad some cachet to a piece they haven't been able to sell out of their shop. I once told a client that the piece he was buying was a recent copy rather than an antique. He immediately went to the owner (not the same one that had the non-Rembrandt). He returned and we finished putting the item in his car. The shop owner then reviled me for telling the customer the truth. People want to believe what they want to believe. The religious world is similar, in some respects. I know nothing of the sculpture to which the article refers; however, let the buyer beware

It was interesting hearing the former president’s speak at the funeral.

Gustave, yes, there once was an SDA Church in San Francisco that was more liberal than the typical SDA church. I do not know that it ever allowed such marriages. In any case, that experiment ended some years ago. I once was a member of a large SDA congregation that had a homosexual couple who attended. But, they were not members. I am aware of another SDA congregation that accepted a homosexual couple into membership. The pastor was expelled from ministry. Other action resulted related to another clergy person. But, the couple remained members.

God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His commandments. “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). Where Christ is even among the humble few, this is Christ’s church, for the presence of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church.

Revelation 14:12 tells us: "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."

Extremely well said! I'm going to incorporate this into my knowledge base! Humbling!

When Jesus healed the man/2men, when the pigs ran into the sea; they were pagans. They lived in a city where they were to show others how wonderful Greek life is. This was one of 10 Greek cities on the east side of the sea of Galilee and Jordan river, and the entire area was pagan. This was the "far country" that the prodigal son went to. These men would have been pagan. They would have known little to nothing of the people with a strange religion down south in Judah and pockets here and there in the north, but all across the lake. They knew very little. They would not have known the Bible. Yet, Jesus sent them to be his first missionaries to the gentiles. I wonder how comfortable we would feel if we could go back in time and attend their meetings?

God intends for His church to be comprised of people growing in faith and understanding. From this perspective you can expect to have people who are members who believe to some extent false doctrine.

Reading Ellen white: How to understand and apply her writings, written by George Knight, is probably the best book that has been published on this subject. It can be purchased form Amazon.

I made a post on a social media, which was my opinion, that Israel and friends need to liberate Gazians from Hamas just as the Allies and Russia liberated Germans from Nazis. I still believe that. I do not expect everyone else to. If you befriend a Gasian so they will trust you, most would say the same thing. They are aware that Hamas has paid informants who try to abstract that from Gazians and then remove their remaining family from being alive. They may never trust you enough; they all have heard stories, fictional or not, of such. Back to the topic, many long-term friends blocked me over that. I suspect most of them were left-leaning, but I could be wrong. Has anyone else had that kind of experience? Stan

Very well written, thank you. Israel, as a nation, has some of the best laws for the protection of religious liberty. That is seldom talked about. In the Israeli military, there are Muslims fighting against Hamas to protect their country. That is seldom talked about. We have all benefited from the inventions and innovations of the Children of Israel. That is seldom talked about.

But two years later, on July 4, at the 2025 GC Session in St. Louis, Missouri, out of the almost 2,000 session delegates who had just heard Wilson’s official “President’s Report”—a telling of everything the church accomplished under his 15-year-long leadership—only 188 of the floor delegates voted for him. The vast majority clearly decided that the church can, in fact, survive without him. Wilson was not reelected president, and Erton Köhler succeeded him with over 90 percent approval. In the first 6 months, it appears he is doing what he said he would. More focus on humanitarian efforts and programs. He appears to be reduced intensity. So far he is doing a great job.

The celebration of the Passover is explained by various conversations by the characters in this episode. It informs viewers that do not have a Christian background what was happening during this feast. In one scene the high priest is dining with King Herod. They are discussing Jesus and it is presented in such a way that the high priest is clearly threatened by Jesus while King Herod sees Jesus as harmless. We know that Jesus was not a threat to the civil government of Rome. He was a threat to the Jewish religious leadership. After the resurrection and ascension, the new Christian sect was such a threat to Jewish leadership that they became persecuted. We see in this story the "church" and the "state". Jesus was not a threat to the state but was a threat to the church. The state is all about power and treasure in this world. The church is about power and treasure in the world to come. The episode comes to a climax with the cleansing of the temple. Jesus overturns the tables and runs the livestock and vendors out. It is very forceful. It is noteworthy that the Jewish people were expecting the Messiah to come and free them from Rome. They expected the Messiah to attack Rome. However, the Messiah did not attack Rome. He attacked the erroring Jewish establishment. During the first season, Jesus met with Nicodemus. The light came on for Nicodemus when he realized the Messiah didn't come to free them from Rome but rather to free them from sin. Cleansing the temple is an active illustration of Jesus freeing us from sin. The Jewish religion had become rigid legalism. Rigid legalism traps us in sin. If Jesus was here today, would He be trying to reform civil government or would He be focusing on the church? The reality is that Jesus is here today as He lives in those that believe in Him. Should our focus be on the civil government or on the church? How can we be free from legalism and fulfill the purpose God has for us at this time?

A fundamental error that many Christians engage in, including SDAs, is to consider the main focus of the Sabbath to be that of worship. The purpose of the Sabbath, as it began in Eden, was to spend a day with God and to grow spiritually. It was a day separate from the routine duties that Adam and Eve had in Eden. Rather the focus was on God and getting to know God better in a close association with God. Worship is a small part of that, even if important. Worship can be on multiple days of the week. I have probably conducted more worship services on Sundays, than I have on Saturdays. Adventists often have worship services in a series of meetings that are held on multiple days of the week. There is nothing wrong with either my holding worship services on Sunday mornings, or with SDA clergy holding revival meetings on days other than the Sabbath. The spiritual error occurs with Christians, whether Adventist or otherwise, fail to understand the spiritual blessing that we experience in spending the day with God, on the Sabbath that God has established as a special day to commune with us.

The Apocrypha is little known among SDA members. I am working on an in-depth article in which I will introduce us to the individual writings. I have decided to post my article in parts, as I finish it. I will open this thread for comment when I have finished. The Apocrypha The Bible that Christians use today consists of a selection of writings that were commonly used in the congregations as Christianity spread in the years after the accession of Christ back to heaven. The Old Testament consists Jewish writings thought to be necessary for the Christian faith. The New Testament consists of Christian writings that were produced as Christianity developed in the early years. The Apocrypha is is a group of writings that were produced during the Intertestamental period between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Those writings have been accepted as having value by some Christian groups and therefore included in the Bibles that they use. Some of these are additions to standard Old Testament books. Other parts are complete books that are added to the Old Testament. Many Protestants, to include Seventh-day Adventists do not include them in their Bibles. In this document I will inform you as to the various material included in the Apocrypha. NOTE, Current SDA scholars are giving study to the comments that Ellen White make that are related to this issue. She was favorable. The Pseudepigrapha consists of similar writings that developed in the early years of Christianity. This is a very large collection of material, I will not further comment on those writings. How ever, it is interesting to note that the New Testament book of Jude, the 14tn verse clearly quotes from the Pseudepigraphal book of Enoch.

fraud 4 sentenced in $12.7M Medicaid fraud; NC treatment center shut down ive NEW BERN, N.C. (WTVD) -- Four people have been sentenced to over 14 years combined in federal prison for a $12.7 million Medicaid fraud scheme that paid over $1 million in kickbacks to patients with substance use disorders, federal prosecutors said Thursday. A federal judge also ordered the permanent closure of Life Touch LLC, the Kinston and Goldsboro-based provider at the center of the scheme, along with a $15 million fine and the forfeiture of more than $6 million in cash, cars and real estate. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina "This is shocking Minnesota-Somali-style fraud right here in North Carolina. For too long, government has allowed grifters to steal taxpayer dollars with impunity. Here, these vultures exploited particularly susceptible drug abusers trying to recover their lives and dignity. Shameful abuse, no remorse. They better learn, and everyone should get the message. Cheaters. Never. Win," said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. Prosecutors said Keke Komeko Johnson, Francine Sims Super, Brandon Eugene Sims and Kimberly Mable Sims operated Life Touch and a related lab company, using gift cards to lure Medicaid patients into unnecessary treatment and drug screening services, then billing Medicaid for fraudulent claims. Johnson and Super, who oversaw the kickback payments and falsified records to deceive auditors, were each sentenced to six years in prison. Kimberly Sims received two years, and Brandon Sims was sentenced to 30 months for failing to file federal tax returns and receiving millions in proceeds. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina Agents seized $1.3 million in cash and several luxury vehicles, including a Rolls-Royce Cullinan and a Chevrolet Corvette. Federal officials said the scheme exploited vulnerable patients and siphoned millions from programs intended to support those in need. Live

Lead by example. We are to be the leaders of the house. To do that we need to be deeply involved in weekly bible study. I believe we need to do daily bible study.

How did this turn into an immigration issue? Canada has. much higher % of immigrants.

“It is not earthly rank, nor birth, nor nationality, nor religious privilege, which proves that we are members of the family of God; it is love, a love that embraces all humanity. ” EGW So is she saying we do not have to answer 28 questions?

* The California Democratic Party has failed to narrow the potential Primary Candidates for California Governor. The result is that nine (9) people will be Democratic candidates of Governor in the June Primary. * It is expected that when the Republicans meet they will select from two to five Republican candidates for l\California Governor. * This is expected result in the people voting on a slate of nine to eleven candidates in the Primary election. * Under a system that is unique to California, the two highest candidates will run for the election in the following General Election. IOW, if the two highest candidates are both Republicans, a Republican will be assured of becoming the next Governor. Some think this is quite likely to happen.

My father was a Adventist minister, so I grew up listening to innumerable sermons and Daniel and Revelation prophecy series, and my mother did the various church and health messages, think '5 day plan to stop smoking', and I knew what was coming for each night. But, come to the present as we are getting to the final days, and I sometimes seem to struggle in what sermon to bring before the brethren, as I volunteer for the sermon as a elder. I thought I was the only one, that some weeks I had no idea what sermon for this time to preach about, till almost the day of the sermon. But I have become aware that others also struggle to find what they should preach especially after hitting all the major points and beliefs, especially for the last days and prophecy. It might be that some are between ideas for what the brethren need or just struggling for ideas. If we who preach as lay preachers were all honest, we’ve come across this, or come to the point of asking, ”What do the people need?” So how do you find a message, especially for these last days, from God’s Word that your church needs and you are excited about?

Tradition, any tradition, once something becomes a tradition, it is hard to give up. We are no different, for example: There is a fair amount of evidence that Mrs. White ended up disagreeing with Uriah Smith about the 7 trumpets and that she saw them as corresponding to the plagues and that both the trumpets and plagues are future. I was taught this in college with the evidence presented. In Seminary, they taught the tradition, but most were open to the possibility that the tradition might be wrong and that we may have to place it in the future. Today, you constantly hear Smith's view presented and defended. At the seminary, in my Daniel class the image of Daniel 2 was presented as 7 parts. I noticed that Stephen Haskell's book on Daniel presented it as basically the same 7 parts. It is interesting that these 7 parts happened to correspond to what I was taught as the 7 heads of the beast in Revelation 13 (which is also taught in George McCready Price "the Time of the End.") These 7 parts are: Babylon, Medio-Persia, Greece Rome, the feet of iron and clay (God molds the clay, but here it is being molded by the iron instead of God, a description of a church-state, and the empire we see was in the far east Islam, then Eastern orthodox, Roman Catholic, then within Roman Catholic was the Reformed Roman Catholics i.e. Protestants) then the toes of iron and clay = the deadly wound, no great world empire but independent nations, some more lamblike and more freedom, others more beastlike and controlling, then the toes to join together, the deadly wound is healed. But attend an evangelistic meeting and you hear Babylon, Medio-Persia, Greece, Rome and the Pope. Haskell's book was first published in 1901, George McCready Price in 1967, and in class in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Tradition is always hard to change.

DNA Construction Site A newly fertilized egg builds a 3D scaffold of DNA long before the genome turns on, research on fruit flies revealed yesterday. A companion study on human cells suggests failure of that structure can lead to diseases, including cancer. Researchers studied a fruit fly (drosophila) in the hours after fertilization using a new, highly detailed 3D imaging technology. The goal was to discover what happens before zygotic genome activation, when a genome awakens and the embryo reads its genetic instructions. Until now, the prevailing view has been that the embryo holds a disorderly tangle of DNA. Instead, researchers have learned that the scaffold for DNA—including the assembly of what’s known as chromatin loops—is already happening. Read the full study here. The study was released alongside companion research studying what happens when that scaffolding collapses in humans. Using that same approach, researchers found human cells perceive scaffolding failure as a viral infection, which can trigger changes in gene expression and lead to inflammation, developmental disorders, and cancer. Explore our favorite resources on DNA here.

This is what every leader in every country does. As I have become older, I am not moved by these speeches. Some people think Pres Trump did a great job. Some say the country is back on track. Not me. I am no longer impressed by the speeches no matter who gives them. I have seen so many, in so many countries, I don't get excited either way.

About Church Legal Media News Follow Shop Give Login Pentagon Fires Kindergarten Teacher Who Was Grooming Children Feb 20, 2026 Yesterday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on the social media platform X that a Fort Bragg kindergarten teacher who had subjected children to sexually inappropriate and disturbing behavior has been fired. Following the announcement, the Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA) today sent a letter to Liberty Counsel stating it had “severed the employment relationship” with the teacher and that the “individual no longer has access” to Fort Bragg. The letter is a response to Liberty Counsel’s February 9 demand letter requesting removal of this teacher from any contact with children. Multiple families with children at Fort Bragg’s Mildred B. Poole Elementary School had reported in 2025 and again in January 2026 that school administrators have allowed a trans-identified male substitute teacher/teacher’s aide to identify as a wolf—his sexual fetish animal—and to wear provocative “female” attire, a dog collar, and an animal tail in class while requiring children to howl and address him by false female names and pronouns. The male teacher was also allowed to escort girls to the bathroom. Children reported they were “scared,” “upset,” and “uncomfortable” by the teacher’s personas and behavior. Secretary Hegseth stated Thursday that “the Wolf” was fired two weeks ago. Before the announcement, Liberty Counsel had sent the demand letter to the DoWEA on behalf of concerned Fort Bragg parents whose kindergarten and pre-K children had been subjected to the disturbing behavior from the teacher. Liberty Counsel had demanded that DoWEA immediately suspend this male teacher, remove him from any contact with children pending an investigation, and offer forensic interviews for any little girls this male teacher has escorted to the bathroom. The DoWEA states that parents may contact any of their schools “directly” if they have questions or concerns regarding their children. Liberty Counsel’s Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “We commend Secretary Pete Hegseth for confirming that this male teacher is no longer grooming children at the Fort Bragg U.S. Army post. Exposing military children to this disturbing behavior is harmful, detracts from military readiness by distracting parents, and violates Title VII, Title IX, and numerous other policies. The Department of War Education Activity may want to consider a task force to root out dangerous gender ideology from its schools. There is no place in schools for this gross and disturbing behavior.” Read more details about this story here.

🍷 Parting shot: European wine country Photo: Shane Savitsky/Axios From editor Shane Savitsky, an Axios OG and forever Scranton: a view from the vineyards back in October over Weissenkirchen and the Danube in Austria's most beloved wine region, the Wachau Valley.

Late night television is not what it was. The desks are the same. The bands still play. The applause sign still blinks on command. But the cultural gravity has shifted, […] The post Colbert, the FCC, and the Late Night Equal Time Headache appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

I’ve read that story many times and often wondered what I would have done in that situation. Does anyone else feel the same way? What if the victim actually deserved what happened to him? What if I knew about his past actions? Then I remember that I didn’t deserve the grace I’ve received from God either. This is an ongoing battle I have with myself. What if they did not deserve it? What if I do not? A refresher In reply, Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

By Michael Peabody – “Honoring God Through Science and Scripture” by Alberto Valenzuela, published in the February 2026 issue of the Pacific Union Recorder, reads like a peace treaty. It […] The post A Critique of the Pacific Union Recorder’s Defense of Theistic Evolution appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

The following lengthy article describes the years of Ted Wilson's reign and suggests how Kohler's time in office may differ from Wilson's. https://spectrummagazine.org/views/analysis/is-the-wilson-era-over/

It is my understanding that EGW believed Justification was a process that we went through. An experience.

The typical test for iron levels wont give a totally accurate picture. Most will not be able to jtake iron supplements. Depends on how low your iron is. For me it would have made me deathly ill to take the quantity needed. Epsom salts is a great additive to magnesium or iron. Hot bath with epsom salts works wonders

Great website! My wife also takes Magnesium, but it doesn't seem to help her as much as the iron!!

. There is no cure, they dont know the cause. I have had it for over 20 years. Mirapex,a drug for Parkinsons is very effective in treating the symptoms,. most narcotics will also give temporary relief, I recently was in ICU with Congestive Heart failure the end result of being dangerously low on iron. After tending to the obvious the search started for the cause of other symptoms I was having. One Dr laughed at dangerously close to describing the lack of iron. He said it was more accurate to say I didnt have any iron. The culpert for a whole host of problems was Hep C that I had from a contaminated blood transfusion. I had a iron infusion and that took care of the RLS and chronic insomnia. That was the last day of RLS. Dont know if it is permanently taken care of or if it would come back

These type of videos are not new. They are fear based. Well-meaning, but full of fear nonetheless. I don't find them effective. People are aware of the end times. Even secular people. No need for a fear based message. What is needed is instructions on how to behave.

11 years ago, when the most powerful typhoon ever to move on land, the damage was horrific. Fatalities 6,352 total Injuries 28,781 Missing 1,071 Damage>$2.99 billion (2013 USD) (Costliest in Philippine history) ADRA was there after the typhoon. They rebuilt many badly damaged houses in our area. It was very impressive.

By Michael Peabody – On a Sabbath morning, the story often starts before anyone opens a Bible. It starts in the hallway. People arrive carrying the week on their faces. […] The post Diversity Marks the Remnant, but It Also Tests the Remnant appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

The truth seems that so many in conference leadership do not know how to fill the pews, local elders do not know how, and that list goes on

The need to fill the pews, where they are.

Nailed it!

There may not be a simple answer that applies to all congregations. The answer may lie in knowing the congregation. What are the individual needs of the people who attend? Congregations differ as people differ. Not all are the same. \