Leaderboard

A lot of wisdom there, Shane. I would add the following: I am not the conscience for my spouse. My spouse is directly responsible to God and God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, is responsible for the spiritual growth of my spouse. Yes, I have some responsibility for the spiritual environment that surrounds my spouse.

All the points are pretty basic. The Advenist church has freaquent marriage retreats where things like this are highlighted. Marriage takes work on the part of both parties. One point I do think is often not talked about was the first point in this presentation. I must create an environent that allows my spouse to be happy. I can't make her happy. Her happiness is something she needs to find on her own with God. However I can create an environent that will allow for that to happen. Those are two differnt things but often confused. Creating the environment will not make her happy unless she is right with God and her fellow man. However failing to create that environment can make her unhappy even if she is right with God and her fellow man.

Biggest problem with belief.net, they put a little paragraph of info and make you jump thru 10 pages of stuff to read everything. Everything in this link, as usual for belief.net, could have been put in to one short webpage. However, it was good info.

What exactly should people know about a denomination before they join? Should they know the general history of the church, as well as the beliefs? In talking with some people who have been members of the Adventist church for 50+ years, I found that they have absolutely no clue about the history of the denomination. I found that to be incredibly naive. When I asked why they joined the SDA church, the answer was that they had determined that Saturday was the Sabbath. When I asked if they had looked at other Sabbath-keeping denominations to compare the beliefs, they said they didn't do that. Does this sound odd to anyone else?

It's from the Review and Herald, October 12, 1876, p. 116. you can read the entire article, "The Two Bodies" on p. 116 by James White here: http://docs.adventistarchives.org/docs/RH/RH18761012-V48-15__B.pdf#view=fit

Twins! Or not... "The nesting eggs of eggs" LOL

because miserable people love to be around other miserable people... being around happy people makes miserable people even more miserable...and sometimes it can make them infuriated with happy people..

I had a customer this week who stated a study Bible commentary that Sheol was a real place, a holding place, for the dead for both the good and the wicked. He claimed that this place is where Jesus went before He ascended. I pointed him to Fudge's book and told him this is what one evangelical discovered when he studied the position. I also explained that the idea of consciousness in death is not found in the Old Testament but is an idea that although was widespread by the time of Jesus came into Hebrew society via Hellenistic influence between the testaments. I pray for this customer... He is a very likable guy and he does help me know what exactly is out there in regard to beliefs about the state of the dead.

Love and marriage beyond the superficial materialism... Marital success has nothing to do with education, economics or social status. In fact, if ever there was an even playing field, it is in this area. Read more at: 10 Lessons I've Learned About Marriag From Divorce (BeliefNet)

Sometimes nurturing the spiritual growth in our spouses requires self-denial on our part. Ultimately, as Shane mentioned, the person's happiness depend's on the person. But we can do much to make a heaven on earth. I appreciate your comment, Shane.

One Sabbath a cowboy went to church. When he entered, he saw that he and the preacher were the only ones present. The preacher asked the cowboy if he wanted him to go ahead and preach. The cowboy said, "I'm not too smart, but if I went to feed my cattle and only one showed up, I'd still feed him."So the minister began his sermon. One hour passed, then two hours, then two-and-a-half hours. The preacher finally finished and came down to ask the cowboy how he liked the sermon. The cowboy answered slowly, "Well, I'm not very smart, but if I went to feed my cattle and only one showed up, I sure wouldn't feed him all the hay."

Well, the answer to your question may seen in actual practice. We cannot even agree on the music that we have in our congregational services. We do not agree on a lot of other things that happen in our services. The United States of today is NOT generally considered to be a "melting pot." Rather it is considered to be a mince pie, or as some might say a combination salad. Why should people whose native language is NOT English be required to attend church services in English, even if they do speak English as a 2nd language? Those who have lived in countries outside of the United States know that there are differences in worship practices in other countries. This is one reason why these differences are carried over to those groups when thy come to the U.S. Why should they not be allowed to continue their customary practices?

James White stated openly that he did not want SDA churches planted in area's where there were already SDB churches as he did not want to compete with them and wanted to work with them to preach the gospel.

As you might expect, I hold what I have called the majority view. I, along with the rest of the Seminary students were dumbfounded by what he was telling us. He began speaking to us in English. With the intensity of the questions, he began answering in his native language with a seminary professor translating. I have not presented his view from the standpoint of suggesting that it is correct. Rather the lesion that I learned from this is that God does not demand doctrinal purity in order to use a person to accomplish the will of God. We are all human and imperfect in all aspects of our lives, to include our doctrinal understanding. All to often we relate to others in a manner that suggests that they must conform to our doctrinal understanding in order to be right with God. There are some issues that we must simply leave to God to resolve. This is one of several reasons why I often do not respond to posts made here---although this may surprise some. Speaking frankly, I believe that this is a lesson that we may need to learn as we approach the General Conference Session in July.

I just looked it up. That was what he was known by here. I'm sorry to hear that

I am laughing because I do exactly the same, sometimes. Welcome to being human.

I have to be in a certain mood to read the book of Proverbs, which consists, primarily, of pithy — yet wise, and true — statements in couplet form. Part of me always thinks, “Most of these were written by Solomon, who, although he was the wisest man in all history, managed to make some really foolish marital, spiritual, and financial decisions.” But that’s the beauty of the Bible — it never leaves us in the dark as to Who is all wise, all good, and all knowing, and the very foibles of a righteous man are a lesson in themselves: “Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?” (Isaiah 2:22) Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christianity/Galleries/Christians-Lets-Admit-That-We-Dont-Know-It-All.aspx#rvflB9hXb3XjyxYo.99

Kevin said, in post # 7: I can understand why Kevin would never have heard that term used by SDAs. It is clearly a minority position and in its historic use, it has been mainly used by a group of SDAs from Europe. I was a student at Andrews Seminary at the time that a General Conference was held. A delegate to the GC Session, a high elected official in an European country who had given his life (He is now dead.) for the church, and who played a significant role in the development of the SDA Church in his native country spoke to us. (By the way, his biography has been published in English.) spoke to us Seminary students as to his belief that the soul was independent of the body and upon death went into an unconscious state which was only awakened at the resurrection. That was clearly a minority view. The majority of SDAs would not hold to that position. However, the Baptismal Vows do not (and did not) require any specific belief on this pint. Rather, they only require the belief in the unconscious state upon death with a consequent belief in the resurrection. Our friend, a denominational leader from Europe was in harmony with that basic belief. It is clear that God used that person in a major way in the development of the SDA denomination in that country. The lesson here that we all need to learn is: God does not require the same standard of perfected belief, that we humans may want to force on others, in order to use that person in doing the work of God. God is perfect. Humans are not. Our standard should always be to rise to the call of God as given us in the Bible. We should not expect 100% doctrinal perfection in any human being.

This is a video of an African Girl who has had 10 surgeries so far and needing another. Janet is visiting Canada as part of the 25th Anniversary of A Better World Canada, The Organization has helped about 10,000 children to have a reasonably normal life now. Janet, is one of the most extreme cases. She has her own business, does interior design, and says "disability is not inability" My problems in life are so very small. Thank you Eric Rajah for doing what you have done. http://globalnews.ca/video/1942410/inspirational-story-of-recovery-from-a-better-world-canada http://www.abwcanada.ca

I recognize a couple of names... It has been a tough battle.

Thanks for the post and link. It made great points

Good for you, Bravus! You're starting the second half of your life by getting healthy! Bravo to Bravus!

You're still just a "spring chick!" (I'm 68.)

Yes, the CHURCH MANUAL provides for much leeway. In addition, the local congregation has the right to determine membership. As such, it can decide membership outside of the boundaries of the CHURCH MANUAL. In the event that this happens, the recourse is to expel the congregation from membership in the denomination. Outside of that drastic stop, little can be done other than to advise and/or discipline any denominational employees who may have been involved. Case in point: A well known SDA (whom I will not name) who was expelled from membership by his/her local congregation and later was accepted into membership by a SDA congregation located hundreds of miles from where that person lived and at a time when the local congregational pastor was absent.

I hope that you don't mind if I take advantage of this section to mention that on 1 December 2013 I retired from the Air Force Reserves. I joined active duty Army for 3 years in 1985 then went Air Force Reserves. Have been both enlisted and officer. Was at Desert Shield/Storm, and kept trying to get deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, but never made it. I was deployed to Germany to meet the wounded from mostly Iraq to help them home. I'll write more of my experiences later.

Probably gone for more than a month without a hair cut, maybe even a day of not shaving or actually shaving the night before instead of first thing in the morning. Once we are free from the restraints of government service we go wild!!!