Leaderboard

Or maybe it was you that missed the point, or to be more precise, misinterpreted and misrepresented the point of the music in question. Let's unpack what you just said. The first assumptive charge that you can sing a song to give glory to God or you can do it for self - has nothing to do with genre of music. A hymn singer can just as easily sing for self as you seem to ascribe to the ones you were observing singing a style of music that you apparently neither understood nor liked. And with all sincerity, a person can sing a modern song with modern instrumental accompaniment making a loud and joyful noise to the Lord all with the purpose and pure motive to give Glory to God. Ones motives in performing any genre of music are not readily apparent. The only person's motive accessibly to you as the nonparticipating observer is yours and yours alone. Think about what your frame of mind was at that moment in time. Was it seeking to praise or honor God or to bring glory to God? Or was it to be a critical spectator, looking to find fault, looking at others with a spirit of murmuring and complaining? Who was in control of your thoughts? Whose carnal nature on the occasion in question was excited and stirred? Were the kids' movements on the stage really crudely sexual as you described it? Really? Do you honestly think they had any sexual motive, excitation or intent in there minds? Or were your adult perceptions and thoughts of the movements of those kids what was crudely sexualized? Seems more than a little creepy and perverted that you would see them that way, don't you think? Whose carnal nature exactly was excited that such ideas so easily came to mind?

Stephen Haskell was sent to the Muncie, Indiana, camp meeting of 1900 to file a report on the music. He wrote: “We have a big drum, two tambourines, a big bass fiddle, two small fiddles, a flute and two cornets, and an organ and a few voices. They have Garden of Spices as the song book and play dance tunes to sacred words.” (Ella Robinson, S. N. Haskell Man of Action, p. 168.) If you look at the Garden of Spices songbook, it has such dastardly hymns as "He Leadeth Me," "Jesus Lover of My Soul," "Holy, Holy, Holy," and "Onward, Christian Soldiers." https://archive.org/stream/gardenofspicesch00nels#page/32/mode/2up I personally enjoy loud booming pipe organ music in church... just can't beat "For All the Saints" or Handel's "Messiah" on the WWU College Church organ with Dr. Melvin West doing his magic!!!

Spiritual Formation is taking over many churches and especially the emerging church movement, in which you will find the same ecumenical pattern all the way back from Vatican II, bring everyone no matter who, when, what and preach acceptance and love. Hide real truth and ignore repentance from sin and iniquity, and unveil easy theories and practices from contemplative Spirituality Mysticism. It claims to provide wonderful new ways for our people to draw close to God and seek higher spirituality; it has, as its foundation, the ancient mystical and pantheistic teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism, and paganism.The techniques used for silencing the mind in Spiritual Formation is identical to classic occultic meditation practices taught in Hinduism, Buddhism, wicca, paganism, etc. Here is Rick Warren on Spiritual Formation: "From time to time God has raised up a parachurch movement to reemphasize a neglected purpose of the church... The Discipleship. Spiritual Formation Movement. A reemphasis on developing believers to full maturity has been the focus ... authors such as ... Richard Foster and Dallas Willard have underscored the importance of building up Christians and establishing personal spiritual disciplines.... [this] movement has a valid message for the church...[it] has given the body a wake-up call. —Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Church, p. 126. And from Willow Creek: "The Practice offers Saturday morning meetings which provide a rhythm of worship, teaching on a particular spiritual discipline and time to experience or "practice" that discipline. This practice time allows participants to get a fuller understanding of how to incorporate the discipline in their daily lives." Spiritual Formation at Willow Creek They are taking over the churches by ignoring or setting aside the church manual and putting in what and who they want to run their methods, and throwing out anyone who gets in their way or tries to protest. They take out all the elders and teachers who try to stop their agenda of Spiritual Formation. Anyone who rejects the Spiritual Formation and Spiritual model they bring in is either accused of 'apostasy' and being 'against the church' or being a trouble maker, stirring up a rebellious spirit. Some are told not to speak of what is happening or are rebuked telling them by their 'dissent' they are causing 'others to fall' or 'stumble' and keeping away potential converts. They came into our church led by the Conference leader who basically made sure it was installed in our church. Our churches original founder was told not to bother to come back in a phone call with no regard to his place on the board or work in building up our church, the elders were forced out, the church board was filled with what can only be deemed as the unknowing or those lacking spiritual discernment, and those who fully knew what was happening and I can only say were purposely pushing it with no thought to the results of their destructive work. Well, they took over and when I went with my wife to the church board meeting to investigate they threw me and my wife out of the church board, luckily they didn't put their hands on my wife or it may have gotten dicey to say the least. They ignored the nomination of leaders voted in the prenomination church vote and the pastor put in his people against what plainly was the wishes of the church, and cancelled the final vote in front of the church when they saw it was going to go against them. When we went to challenge these actions it was too late as they had packed the church board with those the pastor had picked and we had no choice but to leave our brand new church we had worked so hard to raise money to build in the hands of what I can only say to be kind, were not spiritually minded at all. Now sadly our church building has become a empty house of the Lord, few show up for church service to say nothing of Sabbath School, many of those who supported the implementation of the Spiritual Formation by the pastor have left or began to see the problems it has brought. They had told them, as in the church in Miami I had previously attended but had moved before I saw the results, that Spiritual Formation was going to have waves of people join, increase the membership with those who were touched by its power, and bring a deeper spiritual relationship to everyone in the church. Nothing could be further from the truth, it deceived many who had come seeking truth to our doorstep, it destroyed the core believer group, it muzzled any who tried to speak out, they even told the greeters they could not say "Happy Sabbath" or any equivalents on Sabbath morning. I know because they told it to my wife among the other greeters. We sadly made the decision we had to leave our brand new church we had helped build and now meet with others at a rented church. Watch out for Spiritual Formation, in any of its forms, as it soon will come to your church brought by those you would think could be trusted and do its destructive work. I got this reply on the issue of Spiritual Formation from one of the forums..."Every single one of the young pastors here in Minneapolis are promoting Spiritual Formation in their own ways. The way I discovered this was when Pastor Jerry Holt (who laughed as he confessed that he never accepted ordination in the SDA church) as his first public outreach he sponsored a public reading of the books "A Purpose Driven Life" and "A Purpose Driven Church". And in those books are the present day mantra of the Contemplative prayer/ Spiritual Formation movement. This was at the same time that he sold a paid for church out from under the elders of the Northbrook church in Robinsdale MN, he took away the SDA title (No mention anywhere of our denomination on the new building), put the church over 2 million dollars into debt, brought in a rock band and TV cameras and started baptizing homosexuals without the conference permission. Then he asked to keep the tithe for himself and that is when the conference finally stepped in. If that man was not sent by Satan to help destroy the SDA church then I am not an Adventist. Then after he did all that he went right back to the Lutheran Seminary where the main emphasis is on Spiritual formation, contemplative prayer techniques. That book that he spent thousands of church dollars promoting the outreach of reading publicly says that the Spiritual Formation movement has a "vital message for the church," and has "given the body of Christ a wake up call" (p. 127 Purpose Driven Church). How did these guys get so deep into our institutions? As soon as they are discovered they send in reinforcements to persuade others against the ones making waves. The persecution I went through for sounding the alarm I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, yet these men claim to be led by and ordained by God. And guess who is promoting all the change in the church? If you guys are serious about waking up to see how they have infiltrated us, watch carefully those who advocate the changes in our denomination, look at the things they bring in, including the writings of men who are leaders of the Spiritual Formation cause. You will see that these men are in top positions inside our church now. They are everywhere and no one is going to listen to you now because these men are masters at gaining trust. Most of them have degrees in psychology and they are master manipulators. ,,,,The issue of women ordination was brought to the SDA church through those manipulators, and now they have set so many issues into motion our church is not the same as it was even ten years ago.... Ask them about where they were graduating from College. You will find the pattern there. Watch out for those who say things like "Ellen White said Jesus was mystic"... Interesting to say the least.

See: http://spectrummagazine.org/article/2015/10/22/washington-conference-adopts-policy-granting-new-rights-commissioned-ministers

I have a problem with the idea of an unwanted pregnancy. The way I see it, a pregnancy is not the fault of the child neither should be regarded as a bad thing. It is the natural part of certain behaviour. What motivated this rant? I just viewed a comic on the subject of sexualizing young children. The end result of the story was an unplanned pregnancy which was portrayed as a problem. I wish that no pregnancy would be viewed as a problem and that every child could be truly welcomed into the world. *end of rant*

I think it possible, that ISLAM is a counterfeit Beast. Satan is saying to the world, "Look over there. Look over there!" That's the Beast. It fits perfectly with the description of the Beast in Revelation. There will even be a Gog/Magog type Battle, with all those Islamic nations participating. But - they will be defeated, by the REAL Beast power. The REAL Beast will seem like a deliverer.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

I am and for 25+ years have been a member of a very traditional large (1500+) Adventist Church. The music and worship format some might even describe as "high church", or a significant amount of classical religious music or music in that style. The platform is dominated by an impressive pipe organ, a high quality concert grand piano and a full choir loft, all of which are used regularly and on special occasions an orchestra, string or brass ensemble. Congregational singing is traditional hymns. Special music is fairly traditional and is high quality and well performed, often by professional musicians. The program format is fairly traditional. The regular seating seats roughly half the membership and each Sabbath is usually full. I also attend regularly another nontraditional Adventist Church that is a little over half the size (800). It doubled in size under the leadership of the now retired senior pastor that introduced the current worship format. It still leads the conference in baptisms. It has very contemporary Christian music with a lengthy praise service that precedes the sermon. It has the full modern music instrumentation/amplification equipment. They also have praise/worship dancers that choreograph their fluid movements, banners and streamers with the music. (Nothing remotely sexual about it.) The program format is informal. The have a consistent "come as you are, just come" philosophy. The atmosphere is vibrant and very friendly. I often refer to it as "happy church". The congregation and attendees are very diverse on all demographic categories. A unique part of this church is like most Adventist churches, about half of the membership attends week to week, but the actually attendance is always at least equal to the full membership number. That means that half who attend are not even members. Yes, there are the typical Adventists "tourists" checking out this unique Adventist church, but a significant percentage of the regular attendees are not Adventists. I love both churches. I am blessed by each. The music of the contemporary church touches my soul more deeply and more frequently than the traditional hymns and classical religious music of the first church where I am a member. I like both styles of music. On a good week when I attend both services I am most happy. I have a well rounded and richly blessed Sabbath worship experience.

NKJ Hebrews 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, An "express image" is a COPY. It's NOT the original. The Father is the original. Christ the Son - is the COPY. And there is ONLY ONE "Majesty on high". That's the Father.

Micah 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." (NKJ) The words translated "goings forth" mean origin, as translated in the CJB. CJB Micah 5:1 "But you, Beit-Lechem near Efrat, so small among the clans of Y'hudah, out of you will come forth to me the future ruler of Isra'el, whose origins are far in the past, back in ancient times." The Father did not originate. The Son originated FROM His Father. Why call Him a "son" if He was NOT. Was God trying to confuse us? Or did the One who became Jesus, simply take the ROLE of a Son, WHEN He incarnated. That would seem to be the SDA view. Jesus said, "I came forth from the Father and have come into the world." (Joh 16:28 NKJ)

CHRIST IS THE WISDOM OF GOD 1 Corinthians 1:24 "but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (NKJ) 1 Corinthians 1:30 "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- (NKJ) Paul was always referencing the OT. That's where Paul got the concept that Jesus was wisdom. He recognized Christ speaking, in Proverbs 8.

I appreciate your opinion on this subject. I'm sure others agree strongly with you. IMHO, Proverbs 8 DOES refer to Christ. But hey; it's just my personal opinion; not a dogma on which our salvation hangs. How about John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Most reasonable people assume that a Father precedes a Son; and being BEGOTTEN implies a beginning; in contrast with the Father who had no beginning.

Very Very true! in Secular circles it pumps us up and the mind is a washed with feelings of superiority (even for a small moment or longer) in Religious circles it gives a sense of being closer to God or status of arriving Sainthood (superiority again) It is learned in too many Christian circles and feeds itself upon our natural sinful hearts. We have SDA religious sermons based on it. On TV even. Whole Ministries thriving on it. It may feel good to dictate what is right and holy according to our tastes and culture and how we think read into peoples hearts..but JESUS is not lifted up in the process. I could just cry. The Devil sold me a bunch of bads..and told me " this is what it is to be a good little christian " Some still buy into it. Very repugnant..looking back!

Which goes to show you that you really can't satisfy everyone when it comes to subjective matters of taste... I am convinced that some people simply live to judge others experience, to criticize, find fault, no matter what the issue, large or small, important or not.

Inspired: One should note the purpose of the inspiration. The Biblical writers were inspired to produce a record that would record the life of Christ (NT), record the activity of God in human life (OT) and to teach doctrine. Ellen White clearly stated that she was not inspired to do what the Biblical writers were inspired to do. She was not to replace the Bible. She was not to add to the Bible. The purpose of the Bible was unique and functions in a role that no other written document functions. The role of Ellen White was to guide a developing denomination during its formative years. That role was unique and quite different from the Biblical writers.

It would be so much easier and acceptable if they would just stick with the Bible.

Although there is no real Temple Sanctuary at this time where people can come into the physical presence of the LORD, most religions make some sort of attempt to represent it in their church buildings. Now, Jesus had to throw out the merchants who were creating marketplace bedlam in the Temple courts, and perhaps if he walked into one of the church services described above, he might knock over drum sets and guitar amps and stare down the dancers until everything was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, or perhaps not. We should realize that church services were created by men who may or may not FEAR the LORD, but the real Sanctuary points us to the real Kingdom. There might be some mind-blowing music to dance by, and there might not, in the Kingdom of the Stars. Today, maybe some feel closer to the LORD in a party atmosphere while others prefer quiet reverence in their worship. If a person is repulsed by the music and dancing in church, they should find other like-minded individuals and join them for worship in small groups in their homes or in nature. Not to mention the Darth Vader Memorial Organ at the PUC mega-church. (The organ pipe arrangement in the front of the church resembles the head of Darth Vader.) The powerful pipe organ music does tend to catch one's attention. If only all of the sick and starving children and people of the world could listen to the majestic chords of a church pipe organ, then they would feel better.

You too Samie. But before I go, I leave you with this parable. You are God. You call me to play your game. I have free will. I don't want to play your game. I want to play my game or maybe another, or perhaps even another of your suggesting. But you, being God, know when you are flogging a dead horse (me in this parable). So you, being God, and also having free will, move on to call someone else to see if they are more responsive to your calling, in this case Pnatt. But Pnatt is currently asleep/dead to your calling. And unlike God, you do not have the power to wake him. So when he wakes naturally, we look forward to seeing whether he "answers the call".

They are same in terms of character.

I think we should remember that: 1) In no point of time in our human history that police force, in any shape or form, were perfectly exemplifying their ideal behavior. That goes for any public jobs there doing public service, be it teachers, doctors, etc. 2) I actually respect police far more than military, because they are responsible for maintaining domestic order and law. That doesn't elevate them above that law, but it does give them some consideration, because they are in a setting that's different from you and I. You and I get to benefit from their risk. When they do commit error, we tend to interpret it from the POV of our safe environment that police creates in the first place. 3) The real question would be as to how any of us would act given prolonged exposure to certain criminal behavior. What opinions would we form. What reactions would we develop. I think that rather than fear law-enforcement, we should approach the subject with some degree of compassion and understanding for both sides. I don't think that abuse is excusable, but it shouldn't spill into general negative reaction with any given police confrontation to the point that police is associated with negative mishaps which are but a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the wide array of public service that these people perform.

I think it is how people view and use her writings. Sister White herself wanted the Scriptures to be the final arbiter for truth. But yes, you have a point. Many run to her writings for haven when they can't find shelter in Scriptures.

To one person, making a joyful noise unto the Lord and shouting to the Lord seems but a bedlam of noise to those whose hearts are out of tune with what is really happening. Recall the out of tune perception of some at Pentecost... it is a bit hard to know exactly what cacophony of sounds were actually present to result in it being described as a bedlam of noise. Just like we cannot know exactly what the music to which the Psalms were set sounded like. We tend to ascribe our own tastes on such things and make some broad assumptions for our own frame of reference. The description sounded to me like a situation where all kinds things were happening at once and poorly performed without much apparent musical ability. Musical instruments essentially used as noise makers. And, Reddog, it it has hardly become like a Led Zep (sic) or Grateful Dead concert in any sense. Hope you can find a quiet little church to suit your tastes... In the meantime, consider that many do find a very meaningful blessing from contemporary music.

Perhaps within the realm of the reality that life is infinitely nuanced and complex with way more than 50 shades of gray - so much so that simplistic answers and zero sum games with rules just don't fit or work very well in real life.

Not sure who "the enemy" is, but "just to be fair" how many aborted fetuses were willing partners to their premature death?

Did you know that clinical abortions are often done when the baby had died a natural death in the womb? It is either that or the mother facing the thought of delivering the dead fetus at a time and place that could not be predicted. Some women simply do not wish to face that prospect.

Congressman John Lewis Receives Social Justice Award On October 31, Congressman John Lewis, (D, GA) was honored at the Oakwood University Church, receiving the 2015 Social Justice Award. Representative Lewis is well respected for his work in the United States Congress representing Georgia's 5th district. He is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and also serves as a ranking member of the Oversight Subcommittee and member of the Human Resources Subcommittee. During the service, Congressman Lewis was honored for his longstanding work as a civil rights activist advocating for progressive social movements and the human rights struggle in the United States. Congressman Lewis was given a plaque "for your office in Alabama," said Pastor Carlton P. Byrd (left), but "take this to your office in Washington." Byrd was referring to a painting of Representative Lewis, which brought Lewis and many in the congregation to tears. Lewis is best known for his work with the Freedom Rides of 1961, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the March on Washington in August 1963, and the historic march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on March 7, 1965. The local CBS affiliate station, WHNT News19, was one of several media outlets that was present for the service and the press conference which immediately followed. (Photo by Anthony Chornes II) Healthy Campus Week Calorie Burn Challenge Winners On September 21, the Office of Public Safety challenged the entire Oakwood University campus to a "calorie burn" event during Healthy Campus Week 2015. Six teams accepted the challenge, and on October 30, the final weigh-in occurred. With a combined loss of 38.5 pounds, the winners of the "rolling trophy" are members of the team from Student Accounts: (back row, l-r) Waltie Getfield, Paula Wilson, Alton Conwell; (front row, l-r) Racquel McLean, Edrita Dawkins, Shelley Vaughn (team lead), Belita Newby, Anayansi Ramirez, and Lani Sharpe. The trophy is "rolling" because the winning team can be challenged to defend their title and trophy. One of the winning team members said she "went from chicken biscuits to oatmeal" for breakfast. Team leader Mrs. Vaughn also stated that her team began to embrace the STANDOUT principles which made a difference in their lifestyle. The second place team was Campus Safety (Chief Harris, Captain Clark, and Officers Brand, Byrd, Davis, Triplett and Winters). In third place was the Fit for Life team (April Fortune, Monica Gilmore, Faye Hicks, Stephanie Matthews, Cheryl Mitchell, Janet Poles, and Adana Wilson). Social Work Establishes UNICEF Affiliate The Department of Social Work has established a new club under the auspices of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). This club is composed of students interested in assisting disadvantaged children around the world. Their first initiative was to encourage and carry out activities with young people living at the Harris Home for Children. Harris Home for Children is a residential facility that provides therapeutic care and educational services to the children of Alabama. The UNICEF club is sponsored by Samson Chama, Ph.D., MSW. Oakwood's NAACP Chapter Releases Balloons for Awareness, Support by Naomi Coggs, student writer On October 29, Oakwood's NAACP Chapter hosted a balloon release in front of the Monument to Service, as a tribute to victims and survivors of both breast cancer and domestic violence. This event closed out a month of breast cancer and domestic violence awareness, while keeping students informed about risks and prevention. Breast cancer survivor, author, WEUP DJ, and Oakwood alumnus, Micah Logan '04, shared her powerful and encouraging testimony to attendees. "The significance of this event and having a survivor come speak to us comes from the impact that those two causes have had on the black community specifically. According to statistics, black women have a higher mortality rate when it comes to breast cancer than any other race. The leading causes for that are lack of access to adequate mammography centers, lack of usual health care providers, as well as lower incomes. We wanted to support, commemorate, and educate individuals with those statistics as well as to give release to all of those who have been impacted or influenced by domestic violence or breast cancer," explained NAACP Chapter President, Christopher Johnson. The program ended with students writing the names of individuals who have been affected by breast cancer or domestic violence on a pink or purple balloon. After a moment of silence to commemorate the victims, the balloons were released into the air, leaving the sky full of balloons as a sign of support, honor, and hope. (Photo by Julian Magloire) November's STANDOUT Focus The health principle emphasized in the month of November in the 2015-2016 STANDOUT calendar is adequate rest, which is one of the most basic yet essential healers of the human body. It helps the body recuperate while re-invigorating the mind and spirit. Adequate rest also contributes to overall performance by boosting learning comprehension and memory functions. Take time for rest, relaxation, and sleep to achieve optimal health. Ambassadors Head for Season-opener at WAU Alumni Notes Roger Ryan, '88, was supposed to go into medicine, not music. If things had worked out a little differently, he might be in the middle of an accomplished career as a cardiovascular surgeon instead of launching his own record label, AfterTouch Music. Ryan has enjoyed a two-decade career of making music, working as a producer and pianist, ccompanying the likes of CeCe Winans and Wynonna Judd. In recent years, he has focused on producing for artists from multiple genres, especially Gospel, R&B and pop. It was during his production work that Ryan noticed that some of the most talented artists he worked with had trouble getting record deals. He solved this dilemma by launching his own record label. (Photo by Jae S. Lee/The Tennessean) Bruce Bean, '08, (pictured 2nd from left) and Michael Lathon '14, (pictured at the President's left) were selected to be a part of the transportation detail during President Barack Obama's visit to Birmingham, Alabama, in the spring of 2015. About Oakwood The mission of Oakwood University, a historically black, Seventh-day Adventist institution, is to transform students through biblically-based education for service to God and humanity. In This Issue - 11/04/15 Congressman John Lewis Receives 2015 Social Justice Award Healthy Campus Week Calorie Burn Challenge Winners Announced Social Work Establishes UNICEF Affiliate NAACP Release Balloons for Awareness, Support November's STANDOUT Focus Ambassadors Head for Season-opener at WAU Alumni Notes (256) 726-7418 1-844-FRUIT OU STORE #819 5000 Whitesburg Dr. S, #148 Huntsville, AL 35802 (256) 881-7575 STORE #759 6290 University Blvd. Huntsville, AL 35806 (256) 721-7999 Share Love, Support Students Click here to see the Fall 2015 issue of Oakwood Magazine, or visit www.oakwoodmagazine.com Join Our Mailing List insideOakwood is published by the Office of Integrated Marketing & Public Relations Editor: George Johnson Jr. | Managing Editor: Debbe Millet | Student Writer: Naomi Coggs | Student Photographer: Teymi Townsend www.oakwood.edu

New Pacific Press® board voted at NAD Constituency View this email in your browser New Pacific Press® board elects management team for next 5 years Nampa, Idaho, (November 4, 2015). A new Pacific Press® board of directors was elected yesterday at the North American Division year-end meetings in Silver Spring, Md. Shortly afterward, the new board convened to select the management team for Pacific Press®. All five members of the current management team were reelected: Dale Galusha, president Martin Ytreberg, vice president for finance Doug Church, vice president for marketing and sales Jerry D. Thomas, vice president for product development Robert Congleton, vice president for production. The new Pacific Press® board of directors will serve for the next five years. Many of those who had previously served on the board will continue, with the addition of a few new individuals. The board has representatives from each union in the North American Division. Those in attendance at the year-end meetings, which wrap up today, include more than 200 division, conference, and union officials from across the NAD, as well as teachers, pastors and laypeople. Dale Galusha reelected to lead Pacific Press® for another term. The press is a powerful means to move the minds and hearts of the people. . . .Tracts, papers, and books, as the case demands, should be circulated in all the cities and villages in the land. Here is missionary work for all. -- Ellen G. White in The Publishing Ministry, p. 44. Copyright © 2015 | Pacific Press® Publishing Association | All rights reserved. You have received this press release either at your request or because of your position within the Seventh-day Adventist news media. To manage your subscriptions:

November 2, 2015 Day Three NAD Year-end Meeting Summary Terri Saelee, Refugee Ministries Director for the North American Division, reports that the Syrian Refugee crisis is the worst displaced persons crisis since World War II. The report was given during the Year-end Meeting of the North American Division on Sunday, November 1, 2015. ©2015 NAD Communication/Dan Weber November 1, 2015: After a devotional and prayer time, the North American Division started the morning session of the third business day of year-end meetings with a report from the nominating committee. The report brought the names of several department leaders for nomination to elected office by the NAD voting constituency. All individuals named in this partial report were voted into their positions (http://ow.ly/U95IN). The first report of six NAD “Building Blocks,” Refugee and Immigrant Ministries, followed. R. Ernest Castillo, vice president of the NAD, introduced presenters who described four of 14 different ministries under the umbrella of Multi-Ethnic/Lingual Ministries: Jimmy Shwe, Terri Saelee, Gabriela Profeta Phillips, and Dean Coridan. After a question and answer session between Castillo and Shwe, Saelee spoke on the Syrian refugee crisis, and how the church can minister to refugees. “The Syrian refugee crisis is the worst since World War II,” said Saelee. “There are 60 million refugees worldwide; 3.1 million in the United States.” Phillips followed with stories from the Collegedale/Chattanooga local resettlement office, quoting a member of one assisted family: “We didn’t immigrate to the United States, we immigrated to God.” Coridan spoke about a Kurdish family that his church adopted and how they were able to share Jesus with the family. The report concluded with statistics: of the 34,928 baptisms and professions of faith recorded in the NAD at the end of 2014, 23,153 were multi-ethnic/lingual baptisms. Sharon Aka, Associate Director of the Adventist Learning Community (ALC), gives the report of the ALC Building Block and provides a sneak peek at the upcoming web video series, iBelieve, which gives young adults a place to talk about things that are relevant; a place to question what they believe in, to talk about topics that the church doesn't talk about; and to provide an opportunity for discussions and Bible study for themselves. The project will launch on the ALC in the near future at www.AdventistLearningCommunity.org. ©2015 NAD Communication/Dan Weber The second “Building Blocks” report came from the Adventist Learning Community (ALC), an NAD initiative that offers ministerial and educational training designed to “strengthen formal education, enable the sharing of resources, streamline ministerial training, and [disseminate] information to the extended Adventist community and beyond.” Adam Fenner, Sharon Aka, and Larry Blackmer, NAD vice president for Education, detailed what courses are already available, and what projects are in development. Partnerships with many NAD and GC ministries to support educational pursuits of pastors, teachers, and students were highlighted. Plans unveiled included 40 training courses for local lay-leaders; 50 short videos/blogs for young adults who have questions about the church (“iBelieve”); nine continuing education courses for pastors from the 2015 CALLED convention (available by Nov. 4); and a creation documentary. ALC hopes to “take the seminary to the world.” Department reports continued during the course of the day. New Vacation Bible School materials, “Go Fish for Kids,” and Kids Ministry Ideas were just a few of the programs the Children’s Ministries department mentioned in their report. Sherri Uhrig, in the Children’s Ministries report, stated, “We want our children to know Him personally.” Gordon Pifher, Vice President for Media, presents a report on the Adventist Media Ministries during the NAD Year-end Meeting, November 1, 2015, in Silver Spring, Md. ©2015 NAD Communication/Dan Weber Gordon Pifher, vice president for Media in North America, introduced the Adventist Media Ministries report. The report included video accounts and oral presentations from seven media ministries of the division: It Is Written, Lifetalk Radio, Jesus 101 Biblical Institute, Breath of Life, Faith for Today, La Voz de la Esperanza, and Voice of Prophecy. Shawn Boonstra, director of Voice of Prophecy, detailed four areas of emphasis: urban evangelism, local church franchises, “smart” broadcasting, and humanitarian projects. Boonstra stated, “We are no longer a media ministry, we are an evangelistic ministry and use media to accomplish that – and do it well.” Boonstra is excited for the ministry to branch out: “God used the Adventist Church to turn my life around. I’m trying to give back. . . . I’ve never lost sight of the feeling of being out there, of knowing I’m lost – how do you not give this away?” The NAD statement on human sexuality returned for a second day. After approximately 50 minutes of discussion the statement was tabled, and the committee will work on minor revisions before bringing it back to the voting constituency on Monday, November 2. (More on this in a subsequent article.) Two other reports stemming for the 2014 NAD meetings in Dulles, Virginia, were given and after discussion, voted with clear mandates to, as the reports were titled, continue 1) “Advancing the Mission To Contemporary Audiences;” and 2) “Advancing Adventist Christian Education in North America.” (More on these reports in a subsequent article.) The business wrapped for the day shortly after 5 p.m. when Elissa Kido, director of the Center for Research on K-12 Adventist Education at La Sierra University, was presented with an award of excellence for her contributions in education from the NAD Education Department. Accepting the award, Kido emphasized her belief in the importance of Adventist education: “I’m here because of an Adventist aunt who thought I should go to Pacific Union College.” follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend read or subscribe to NewsPoints online © 2014 North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists | 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904 Dan Weber, communication director | Julio Muñoz, associate director

November 1, 2015 2015 North American Division Year-end Meeting — Day Four Election of Department Directors Don King, president of the Atlantic Union Conference, leads out in the caucus of the members from his union during the NAD Year-end Meeting, held in Silver Spring, Md., October 29-November 4, 2015. ©2015 NAD Communication/Dan Weber Arne Nielsen – Associate Director, Education; Director, Secondary/Accreditation Carol Campbell – Associate Director, Education; Director, Elementary/Curriculum Davenia Lea – Associate Director, Education; Director, Early Childhood Education Claudio Consuegra – Director, Family Ministries Pamela Consuegra – Associate Director, Family Ministries Ivan Williams – Director, Ministerial Association Jose Cortes Jr. – Associate Director, Ministerial Association David Gemmell – Associate Director, Ministerial Association Esther Knott – Associate Director, Ministerial Association Elden Ramirez – Director, Office of Volunteer Ministries Melissa Reid – Associate Director, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty; Associate Editor, Liberty John Mathews – Director, Stewardship Carla Baker – Director, Women’s Ministries James Black Sr.– Director, Youth Ministries Armando Miranda Jr. – Associate Director, Youth Ministries Tracy Wood – Associate Director, Youth Ministries Other NAD leadership positions are appointed and those positions will be filled at the first meeting of the North American Division Committee (NADCOM) in the near future. Correction: We apologize that the name of Sharon Mabena, re-elected Associate Treasurer, was spelled incorrectly in the "Election of Officers and Department Directors" report on Friday, October 30. follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend read or subscribe to NewsPoints online © 2014 North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists | 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904 Dan Weber, communication director | Julio Muñoz, associate director | Lynetta Murdoch, sr. editorial assistant

November 2015 Signs of the Times Newsletter November 2015 Signs of the Times Email Newsletter The Signs of the Times newsletter is a collection of stories and quotes from past issues ofSigns and These Times. *************************** Lord Littleton and Gilbert West, two brilliant men of intellect, were once enemies of the Christian religion. They decided to disprove the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ, and explain away the teachings of Paul. So West said, “I will explode the resurrection of Christ.” And Lord Littleton said, “I will explain Paul.” Some weeks later they met again by appointment, to see what their research had produced. Littleton said, “West, what have you to say?” “Littleton, I have something wonderful to tell you! When I came to explode the doctrine that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead on the third day, I had to be candid, I had to be sincere, I had to be honest, I had to search for my evidence. You may laugh at me, Littleton, if you will, but when I looked into it honestly, my mind and my deepest soul were convinced that Jesus did rise from the dead; and I prayed to Him, and He saved me, and I am His friend!” Then Littleton exclaimed: “Thank God, West! I have something just as wonderful to tell you! When I came to explain that man Paul, and get rid of him, I, too had to be thorough and candid. I had to search. I had to be true, and you will rejoice with me, West, when I tell you that after I had searched and studied about Paul, by and by I found myself down on my knees, just as Paul got down on his knees on that Damascus road; and my cry was his: ‘Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?’ And I am a Christian also, West!” Here were two brilliant men, who were won for Christ. Later Gilbert West wrote: “When I looked into it honestly, my mind and my deepest soul were convinced;. . . and I prayed to Him, and He saved me, and I am His friend!” And as Lord Littleton expressed himself in a book in these words: “After I had searched and studied,. . . by and by I found myself down on my knees, just as Paul got down on his knees on that Damascus road, and my cry was his: ‘Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?’ And I am a Christian also.”—By John W. Halliday, Present Truth, Vol. 27, No. 18. Quote: “Some of us could tell of such sweet and singular lessons of trust in this matter of tithing that they are written in golden letters of love in our memory. Of course, there will be trials of our faith in this, as in all else.”—By Frances Ridley Havergal (songwriter), Present Truth, Vol. 27, No. 20. *************************** Don't miss the December 2015 issue of Signs of the Times: To order Signs, call: 1-800-765-6955 or CLICK to order online! *************************** One of the most important dog bites in history is described in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, a colorful sixteenth century history of Christian martyrs. The English Earl of Wiltshire took his spaniel with him when he led a delegation sent by King Henry VIII to try to patch up the serious political differences existing between the king and the Pope. The Earl and his group were received in an audience, and as was the custom, the Earl prostrated himself before the Pope to kiss his toe. When the Pope thrust forth his foot to receive this homage, the spaniel, which had been watching matters closely, misinterpreted this action—and rushing to the aid of his master, bit the Pope on the extended toe! The incensed Swiss guard closed in and quickly killed the dog. This so enraged the Earl of Wiltshire that he refused thereafter to negotiate, and set his mind against any kind of compromise. He returned home, and then King Henry VIII began officially to separate England forever from the jurisdiction of Rome.—By Eugene Kinkead, Our Times, July 1948. Quote: “Sarcasm I now see to be, in general, the language of the devil.”—By Thomas Carlyle, Our Times, May 1948. *************************** NEW from Pacific Press: Never Give Up by Pat “Doc” Nave. “One of the side benefits of having a drug dealer for a father was that word soon got out around the neighborhood, and no one messed with you!” Never Give Up is the true story of a young boy who grew up with a father who was a drug-dealing mobster and an active Seventh-day Adventist. It is a story of redemption and hope reminding us that no matter what our past, God can redeem us for His glory. Never Give Up is on sale during the month of November for 25% off. CLICK to read the first chapter of this book online. CLICK to order online or from your local Adventist Book Center--1-800-765-6955. *************************** An old woman was walking to church with her family. A minister rode past on his horse at a tremendous rate, and the old woman said to her children: “Not the way to be riding, and this the Sabbath day. And, a good man should be merciful to his beast!” Shortly afterward her own minister rode past just as furiously, and the worthy old woman cried: “Ah, there he goes! The Lord bless him, poor man! His heart’s in his work, and he’s eager to be at it!”—From Boston Journal, Signs of the Times, May 15, 1901. Quote: “Success in this world may mean failure in the next.”—Unknown, Signs of the Times, July 2, 1896. *************************** Place this in your church bulletin or newsletter: Signs of the Times helps your friends and neighbors find hope and meaning in these momentous times. Each month it takes on a broken world and directs hearts to Jesus for relevant answers. The result is changed lives! Send a subscription today. Order from your Adventist Book Center. To order call: 1-800-765-6955 or online at: http://www.adventistbookcenter.com/signs-of-the-times-magazine-yearly-us-subscription.html *************************** A little boy was being pushed along a road filled with bicycles, oxcarts, and people on foot, all trying to escape from invading armies. Suddenly he looked up into the faces of those around him. His father and mother were not there! He was lost. Finding himself alone in a frightening world, the boy was filled with panic. For days he wandered, sleeping in holes in the ground, eating scraps of food, always crying for his parents. Then one day the little fellow felt his father’s big, warm hand grasp his cold, thin one. And in that grip he felt all the protection and love that he needed to face life without fear. In a world filled with hatred, suspicion, warfare, and fear, at times we all have the sickening feeling of being alone and bewildered. Destruction lurks overhead, but we find no place to hide. And in every one of life’s great problems, we stand alone. You do not need to walk alone. There is a big Hand reaching down to grasp yours—the hand of God. God will stay by your side through poverty and wealth, sickness and health, sorrow and joy, life and death.—Unknown, These Times, August 1973. Quote: “When you keep someone waiting, remember that you are giving him time to enumerate your faults and deficiencies, as compared with his own glowing virtues, among the first of which is promptness.”—By Sydney J. Harris, These Times, March 1964. *************************** Visit www.AdventistBookCenter.com to find great holiday gifts! *************************** Fred was taking off his shoe and stocking, getting ready to go to bed. His shoe was wet, and five little water-soaked toes, with seams and wrinkles all over their pink faces, looked at him accusingly. If they could have spoken they would have said: “You got us wet, you did. You told a lie; you said you did not step into the brook.” Oh! That beautiful brook, so near the schoolhouse, with such lovely stepping-stones, such pretty little lucky bugs skipping about over the water, such charming mud in which to paddle! Why could it not run in some other part of the town, so little schoolboys would not be tempted? Fred threw his shoes and stockings under the bed, said his prayers, without mentioning the lie, and went to bed. “I know I told a lie about the brook, but I don’t believe I will think of it,” he said to himself, and while he was trying to give his whole mind to some other subject he fell asleep. He dreamed that a beautiful angel stood by his bed, with a bright candle. He said: “This is the candle of the Lord. I have come to search out all the sins that little boys keep hidden away in their hearts, and do not confess. This candle shines right upon them.” Then Fred’s heart was all lighted up, and there was found the lie, unforgiven, unconfessed. “This is very sad,” said the angel. “The good Lord loves him, and is ready to forgive that sin if he will confess it. It grieves him so much to have little Fred cover it up”. And the candle shone very bright and the sin looked very dark. “I hope,” continued the angel, “that now this little boy knows that he cannot hide the lie any longer, he will ask the Lord to forgive him.” Fred woke up with a start, and knelt down and confessed his sin. He went in his nightgown to his mother’s room, and as he clasped his arms around her neck, and told her all about it, he promised with God’s help, never to tell another lie.—By Christie Pearl, Signs of the Times, March 17, 1890. Quote: “And now for the ‘conclusion of the whole matter.’ Here is a very ancient volume, produced by many hands working without concert. In structure it is a masterpiece; its parts, like some beautiful mosaic, are laid together as if according to a preconceived pattern. Its truths, varied and far-reaching, meet the needs of every soul in every land, under every circumstance of life. They are ‘seed to the sower and bread to the eater.’ He who feeds on this bread, exclaims with Israel’s songster, ‘I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey.’ The centuries come and go; times and seasons change; institutions rise and fall; civilizations grow old and perish—but this Book liveth and abideth forever. It leads humanity onward and upward, and at each stage of progress points to better things to come. It is, indeed, a lamp unto the feet and a light unto the path of the toiling millions who seek to know that which is highest and best. What shall we say concerning such a marvelous volume? Is it not the Book of God?”—By James E. Gilbert, Signs of the Times, April 14, 1898. *************************** NEW from Signs of the Times—The Baby Everybody Wanted—a special holiday issue for sharing with friends and neighbors. For a FREE copy, CLICK HERE. (Offer good in the US and Canada through November 30, 2015. *************************** The rough diamond cried out under the blow of the lapidary, “I am content; let me alone.” But the artisan said, as he struck another blow—“There is the making of a glorious thing in thee.” “But every blow pierces my heart!” “Ay; but after a little it shall work for thee a far more exceeding weight of glory.” “I cannot understand,” as blow fell upon blow, “why I should suffer in this way.” “Wait; what thou knowest not now, thou shalt know hereafter.” And out of all this came the famous Koh-i-noor to sparkle in the monarch’s crown.—By David James Burrell, Signs of the Times, July 29, 1903. Quote: “Controversial proposals, once accepted, soon become hallowed.”—By Dean Acheson, Signs of the Times, March 1996. *************************** CLICK to download great Adventist eBooks. Visit: www.AdventisteBooks.com *************************** The Blessings of God MERCY abundantly given, HELP for the difficult place— COURAGE when it’s sorely needed, STRENGTH for the problems we face! COMFORT when grief assails us, LOVE when we need someone to care— These are the blessings of God That He gives in answer to prayer!—By Mary D. Hughes, These Times, September 1966. *************************** Compiled by Dale Galusha. Please pass this newsletter on to others. Copyright © 2015 Pacific Press, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you asked to receive it. Our mailing address is: Pacific Press P.O. Box 5353 Nampa, ID 83653 Add us to your address book

See: http://atoday.org/adventist-leaders-in-italy-protest-vote-on-ordination-at-general-conference.html

The mixing of politics with the purpose and intent of the kingdom of God. Yeah. Shows the state of the church that's for sure.

Bless your heart, Sojourner, cause you just warmed mine :)

It is good to know you are thinking about this as evidenced by the questions you have raised. The idea is a work in progress. While a bit of hyperbole may have been used here to make the point, in practice applying common sense to the concept will be helpful. The biggest bugaboo to be avoided on the original thoughts forum is primarily twofold: 1.) no cutting and pasting from another source to make a point; and 2.) within the context of the immediate thread itself, no cutting and pasting from another post, either as an unedited block of the whole former post or chopping it up dissecting it and feeding it back bit by bit. The objective of the second point is to force the writer to think about it enough to connect the prior thought to his own new added thought in a more conversational or normal writing format that flows more naturally. That might involve a simple reference back by a word or two or simply picking up the train of thought. In normal conversation it would be very annoying to have everyone repeat everything or substantial portions of what had just been said previously before making their own point. The dissecting cut and paste approach easily devolves into an argument. A huge objective of the new thoughts forum is to add something of value to what has already been said not to reduce, rip apart and destroy what others say as is so typical in an argument. Consider it a building process with each person bringing their own bricks to add to the whole discussion as apposed to a demolition project where everyone comes armed with sledge hammers and crowbars to pry apart and smash everyone else's thoughts in order build on the resulting rubble of their defeated opponent. The hope is that it becomes a cooperative process rather than a competitive one. That builds friendship and camaraderie. Argument and debate tends to drive people apart and destroy friendships. The first point above is simply that cutting and pasting is lazy and seldom requires much real personal thought of the poster. They are just regurgitating someone else's idea. Leaving a short reference or link is enough to allow the really interested person to go read for themselves. If someone else's idea conveys what you are really thinking, try to put it in your own words. While my initial thoughts suggested avoiding any paraphrasing, what I meant was that it needs to be enough to pass a typical academic plagiarizing filter. Simply rearranging a few words or changing a couple phrases so that it is technically not a direct quote is not acceptable. But taking the idea, completely putting it in your own words, editing, rearranging order, etc., with some additional thoughts or points makes it new and fresh and your own work product. It is like a basic premise of copyright law. Ideas are not copyrighted, the expression of them is. Doing a real and allowable paraphrase requires you to really think about what was originally said to be able to convey the idea in a new way. Ask Jerry Thomas. To do it well is not easy. Tom