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I liked the article. It opened up a thought that never entered my mind before - the difference between living in a "racist" society and personally being a racist. I have frequently defended my "non-racism" the way the guy in the article did. I may think twice about doing that in the future.

My daughter is looking to start a new entry-level job in the actuarial field. She graduated with her Master's degree in May, but has been having a rough time finding employment and is starting to get discouraged. Please pray for her situation to improve, for an opportunity to open up and for her find that job. When my husband lost his job in 2011, I waited for a year to ask for prayers from other people. (I know others were praying, but I never asked.) The very next day after I'd asked here online, he was offered a job! I'm hoping to have learned my lesson the first go around and am asking now for my daughter. Please pray for God's will in this situation. Thank you!

Will be praying for God's will to be done for your daughter.

We'll be praying, with these promises in mind. 19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.....Philippians 4 16 .....Bread will be given him, His water will be sure....Isaiah 33 God is Love! Jesus saves!

Anne: What you see is the shaking of the S.D.A church. This is when the "sheep and goat" or "Sabbath and Sunday keepers" will be separated. This is what needs to happen and is predicted. As for you, the most important thing to remember is to keep your relationship with Jesus strong, obey all of his commandments, seek forgiveness, make amends to those you've hurt and peacefully and with a light heart await for his return.

Baby Jace was born with a cleft lip 2 and half months ago. Had surgery yesterday.Surgery went beautifully and he responded well until this morning when he stopped breathing. He is now in Nicu .He is not eating or breathing freely on his own.He is so tiny to go thru so much

An Embarrassing Week for Christians Sharing Fake News Don't believe everything you read on the Internet. You embarrass us all when you do. | Ed Stetzer So, here is the deal. We are too gullible. I've done a bit of a series on the "Faux Christian Controversy of the Week" and it just keeps happening. This week, two “news” stories made the rounds. Pastor Arrested for Refusing a Same-Sex Marriage So, what should you do it you see a story like this? Well, first, if pastors are going to jail for a ruling from last month, you should be suspicious. OK, not really, you should be totally incredulous. But, let’s say it is a couple of years from now. If that were the case, it would be EVERYWHERE. It would be on the nightly news. Did you check ChristianityToday.com? How about WORLD, the Christian Century, or Charisma? They'd all have it on their front page. But, you say, “It was at NBC.” Well, if something sounds crazy, check the URL. This particular story was on NBC.com.co. Did you notice the extra .co on the end? That means it's not really NBC.com. Also, click around to the other stories, which literally have text that reads "adfasf weoogsdre gawerags." You just make us all look gullible when you don’t do simple steps like that. By the way, if you are a pastor you should already know that no one can make you officiate anything. In fact, you can refuse to officiate an interracial marriage. You'd be an idiot and a racist, but you wouldn't be arrested. Bible Lawsuit Then, as if we don’t look silly enough, there is the Zondervan lawsuit. Just Google to see how many websites ran recent stories about a guy suing Bible publishers because the verses on homosexuality are offensive. One “news” source includes a column from Rev. Austin Miles. Here is the opening of his “breaking news” story. I’m leaving everything exactly as it was published. This lawsuit could not be the result of the Supreme Court ruling (or President Obama’s polices) because it happened in 2008, while President Bush was still in office and seven years before the gay marriage ruling. The reason you did not hear much about it then is because the courts quickly dismissed it as a ridiculous lawsuit. At five different points in the ruling, the court asserts that Fowler’s claims fail and should be dismissed and rejected. That didn’t stop Christians from sharing this story as if it were new and potentially dangerous. Miles has since retracted his article. It is YOUR job—yes YOURS—to check the facts. Yes, these websites should do that as well, but most are more concerned with gaining your page view than growing your credibility. Remember, Snopes is your friend. Go and check out these stories before you share them on social media. There are real issues about religious liberty right now (and more coming). Posting links to fake ones just makes all of us look (rightly) gullible. How To Fix the False Rumor You Spread So, if you posted the fake story about the pastor, let me ask you to do three things: 1. Post a retraction. Really. Do it. It's not that hard. It will sting a little bit because you'll have to admit you were wrong, but it's good for you. I promise. Just something like this would suffice: "Hey friends, I posted a story about _______ this weekend, and it turns out it wasn't true! Be on guard and don't believe everything you read out there! I’ll be more careful next time." You can both admit you were wrong and look out for your friends, telling them to be alert for more fake stories, because these weren't the first and I’m sure they won’t be the last. Integrity is important for the Christian. The Scriptures are clear, especially in the Proverbs. Proverbs 2:20-21 says: Later, Proverbs 28:18 says: Do the right thing. Protect your friends from being tricked like you were. 2. Don’t excuse it by saying, “Well, it might be true.” Or, “Well, there is something like that." "Or, well, it will be true soon." No, you were wrong. You fell for a hoax. Say it and move on. You were deceived. It's ok to admit that. You don't have to try to cover your tracks and make some sort of lame excuse to make yourself look better. Have some humility, be willing to admit someone fooled you, and move on. Posting a link to a story about a for-profit wedding chapel on public land won't make it any better because even that was resolved—just say you were wrong and move on. Seriously... 3. Be less gullible next time. Wisdom is valuable: "But," you may think, "I'm not wise. I get fooled by this stuff all the time." That's okay, Scripture accounts for people like us. James 1:5 says: Finally, the Bible makes it clear: Lying is wrong. Don't lie, even if you don't mean to. And make it right if you do. Don't Post What You Can't Confirm You may say, "But what if I can’t tell if the story is fake or not?" I've given you several ways to check the veracity of a story, but if that does not work, there is just one solution: don't post it. If you have not, will not, or cannot confirm a story, do not share it. As Christians, we have a higher standard than even the journalist. We aren’t protecting the reputation of an organization or a website, we bear the name of our King. If our friends and families cannot trust us with this type of news, many will not listen when we seek to share the good news of the gospel.

Site will be down for a few minutes.. Gail go ahead and reactivate that. Here is what is being fixed This release primarily focuses on stability. Many bug fixes from both tickets and the bug tracker Some large performance improvements with focus on fetching posts, activity stream, and view new content. Flag as Spammer no longer redirects you to the user's profile. It now just refreshes the page you were on.

I think there is an expectation that if people use the benefits of a Church, they are expected to cover some of the expenses. Same goes with forums like, say clubadventist.com, where there is a link in the upper right to do such. Just sayin' it might be reasonable.

This is an except from a sermon/article by author John Metta, who is Black and has relatives who are multi-racial. I found his thoughts most interesting and thought-provoking.... https://www.popularresistance.org/i-dont-discuss-racism-with-white-people/

I have often found that church going, Christian white people are often harder to talk to than nominal or non believing whites. There's an air of arrogance and self righteousness with an inability to receive, without negative judgement, the experience of another. On the other hand there are many who even if they do not agree will engage and seek to understand.

Amen!! And not just everything in the Holy Bible, but everything.

Not just the shaking of the SDA Church; the shaking of all humanity! Many will be shaken out; but many, MANY others will be shaken in. The end times are ultimately not about the destruction of the wicked; they are about the rescue and salvation and the power given to thesaints.

In healing services, Smith Wigglesworth used to smack people with his Bible all the time. God reportedly healed many people through Wigglesworth using this "technique". But that's not using the Bible as a weapon; that's using it as strong medicine!

Even if the Rocky Mountains don't have a drop of snow on them: I am looking out the window of my home at the Rocky Mountains and I see snow in many places. Last Saturday my wife and I decided to get out into God's great created world. We drove a car from the Eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, over the top and part way down the Western side. We saw snow in many places. Well, technically the statement about a drop of snow is correct. The Rocky Mountains have many drops of snow on them and not just one drop. Also, I suppose, HCH did not say that the Rocky Mountains did not have any snow on them. He just sounded like he said such. Or, who knows, maybe he did not say anything at all about this subject.

In case, I did not thank you for posting this material. THANK YOU.

Is this question relevant? The ministerial credentials indicate that those in authority at the time were satisfied that this woman was an ordained minister in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This is a great quote you posted: If the principle within that quote (the Lord allows men to move after their own imaginings) were rightly considered in the context of male headship and the ordination of Mrs. White, it would do away with a lot of the self-deception.

The Bible as a weapon? Christians have been accused of beating people "over their head" with their Bibles. I read a true report of a man that had been taking a path through a bayou as a short cut to go home from prayer meeting. It was getting dark so he did not see the alligator until it grabbed his leg. He frantically beat it over the head with the only thing he had in his hand: his Bible. He got away and was treated in the ER for what the doctors confirmed to be an alligator bite. That rather unorthodox usage of the Bible probably saved that man's life though the alligator did not think kindly of it.

There is no way to answer the OP in opposition without being labeled a racist. I won't even try. However, AlphonzoRachel might: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eymqa5hF7Xg

It does not suprise me that Ted Wilson would get armed Guards. He certainly has made a lot of enemies in the church. All it takes is one unbalanced person to take a gun and get close to Wilson and well headlines are full of stories of what happens next. I wonder if Wilson is weaing a bullet proof vest. Just wondering.

some interesting facts 1990 vote on womans ordination 1173 NO 76% 377 Yes 24% 1995 vote on womans ordination 1481 NO 69% 673 Yes 31% 2015 Vote 1381 NO 59% 977 Yes 41% 5 Abstains Do you see it. Slowly year by year Womans ordination is gaining acceptance. About 17 percent Gain in 20 years. Just less than 1% gain per year. At this rate in 15 years we will have a majority vote in the affirmity of womans ordination. It is only a matter of time. The young people in Africa coming out of our colleges there are in favor of womans ordination. They will be the upcoming leadership and voters in the GC elections in 15 to 20 years. Womans ordination will happen. We just have to be patient. This issue is NOT DEAD.

Thank you Naomi!!

Yes, Aubrey I have prayed for your daughter and will keep her on my prayer list

Part of the problem in not selecting "non-givers" for a church leadership position is that many people pay their tithe to another church. In my church we have several people sending their tithe to us and they have bever even been to our church and even live very far away. So, I make no assumptions about anyone's giving habits. Tithe does not stay in the church receiving it, so what does it matter where it is given? Now, under the business model of some churches, I can see why they might behave as Mt Moriah does, although I don't agree with their methods.

Thank you, LHC! I'm going to share those with my daughter too!

option 1 is correct. options 2 and 3 seem to skip over the details in the entire discussion. 2 assumes that 1 means "without Christ's power or the power of God". 3 assumes that 1 means "without the indwelling power of God/Christ". Position 1 does not say either of those things - it says no more atoning sacrifice, no more blood to cover sins, no more pleading the blood of Christ for newly committed sin... no more covering for newly confessed - newly committed sin.

Please, indulge my silly questions, since I don't see things so clearly as you do. You're equating seat belts with armed body guards and looking sideways before crossing the street? Are you saying then that in order to have true faith, I should arm myself fully to protect myself? make my house a fortress to make sure that my faith is backed up with works if I expect not to be robbed? Don't you find it incongruent, as Pam pointed out, that the Church's stand is not to bear arms - i.e. not to take life, and then proceeds to hire armed men? If the guards are armed, it can be presumed then that if they are armed, they are therefore expected to go as far as the taking of life if necessary? Your anecdote above is interesting, but apples & oranges, imho. Your example is refusing rescue whereas the issue we're discussing is the president of a religious organization whose stand is as I discussed above actively hiring armed personnel who could take life. -And whatever happened to Jesus' counsel - if someone strikes you in the cheek, turn the other also?

Hard to say. I think he is probably a nominal Christian or Universalist who believes all paths lead to the same God. Whatever he is, God loves him and is just as concerned with his salvation as he is with yours or mine. I'm also reminded of a scripture that says God puts leaders into place and deposes them. I must constantly remind myself about that. Obana is my least favorite president of my lifetime.

Quick software update... Version 4.0.10 of the IPS Community Suite, mostly admin things. This release primarily focuses on stability. Many bug fixes from both tickets and the bug tracker Some large performance improvements with focus on fetching posts, activity stream, and view new content. Flag as Spammer no longer redirects you to the user's profile. It now just refreshes the page you were on.

I can say this, Elder Wilson sat behind me on the united airplane headed to Chicago, there were no body guards or extra security. I did see body guards around him at the Convention, and he should have them.

The SDA Church is not a pacifist denomination. A pacifist would not serve in the military in any position. The SDA denomination, in the U.S. encourages its members to only serve in the military in a position that does not involve the use of weapons. If the SDA church was pacifist, it would not allow its clergy to serve in the military as chaplains.

Hard times are coming to us all... But now is the time to cling to Jesus and pray for His meek spirit. He told us: Some people will go through hard times and become more bitter and Satanic. But for the righteous, the fires of trial and persecution are God's character purifiers.

We don't have to have faith in our church, our church cannot save us, and never has saved anyone. Our faith can safely rest in Jesus, fastened on the all powerful promises of His word. We can look away from all the failures of other's, away from the failures of our church, and the failures within ourselves, and look to Jesus who never failed and who will never fail. He is able to save to the uttermost all who come to the Father in Jesus name, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for Them Hebrews 7:25

Wow! What a story about the frightened mother shooting her children and herself! We just never know a heart, how tortured it may be We live in turbulent times, but God knows it and the Bible has warned us. Acts 20:29 warns us that wolves will enter among our own people. But God has promised never to leave us nor forsake (abandon) us. Jesus said that He will give us rest. You may have to face difficult situations on your own. It is a jumbled up time, with some folk leaving the church and some coming in, but God has all in His hands and you are safe in Him.

You have been given a plethora of good advice. I do believe the most important issue you appear to be facing is those with whom you are dialoging. GIGO ... sure we have issues to be dealt with, so what. Life is filled with issues. It will become even more so before our Lord returns. When we see these things happening in our church, world and personal lives we should take heart because they are indicators that the return of our Creator is drawing closer. The church can't save you, but it can be there to give you courage and a shelter. One day soon we may not be able to gather together in public worship ... let's gleam as much strength from those true Christians and from our Bibles today as possible. Soon we may not have that opportunity. FYI Focus Your faith in God and His holy Word ... not the church.

Quote: all of those who wish to do just all the opposite of what Jesus has taught are a much a greater danger to the welfare and future of human civilization than all tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunami put together. Interesting thought. I read just the opposite in the Bible - like when God would have spared Sodom and Gomorrah if there were only 10 righteous people to be found. It seems like the righteous could have saved the wicked - not the other way around. (Gen. 18:16-33). Didn't Jesus also say that the time of tribulation whould be cut short for the sale of the righteous? (Matt. 24:22 and Mark 13:20). I don't know about the god you serve, but the God I serve is a God of love, mercy and grace. It was the kindness of God that wooed me to salvation; not the fear of His wrath that scared me into it.

Quote: I do apologize for sounding rude and insensitive. Felix - Look at God the father as a real Father; and look at jesus as a real Big Brother. Would a "good" Father and a "good" Big Brotheer bring disaster upon us? I don't think so. Might they let us learn a lesson by suffering the physical consequences of our sins? Maybe ... but I don't think death is part of that lesson.