Leaderboard

-stan jensen and jim wallis look together like a pair of twins. What a beautiful mind and spirit Jim has. A healthy mentality and a wonderful way of talking. There is a spirit of healing in his delivery. My Mother and I lived 10 years in poverty after she separated from my father who had the soul development of a violent alcoholic. It got a bit better for her as I was old enough to leave the two-room apartment for my own place as I starting working. But during the poverty time I knew that a loaf of white bread had 26 pieces in it which had to last a week for us two, and that chicken bought was cooked and gnawed on by me for a whole week. She was a dishwasher in a small resturant and could get her main meal there as I could get my main meal at the school's cafeteria. During the period I learned to be frugal and be content doing 'without' many wants. My heart was full of Jesus and singing at church meetings gave me social connection and and outlet to worship God. I have so much to be thankful for during the poverty period of my life in training for being sensitive to poor people and not to get prideful or uppity now that I am in the upper money level of income.

You may want to re-read the parable of the sheep and the goats, if you think it has nothing to do with those less fortunate.

My daughter is now a mommy. She was in the delivery room as Samantha was being born, and was allowed to cut the umbilical cord. In the photo it looks as if my daughter had been crying, and she had, big tears of happiness. She and her husband were unable to conceive for many years, but made a connection in WA with an expectant mother who already had 3 children and definitely didn't want a 4th. My daughter had to suffer through a number of fertility treatments, none of which were successful. Samantha is officially adopted by my daughter and her husband, and was delivered by C-section a day or so ago. My daughter thought that she was perfect, even though Samantha howled during her first bath. She quieted down after she was wrapped up warmly and held by her new parents. The hospital gave the them a room to stay in until the baby is allowed to go home with them, just a day or two after birth. I think she has 1 month of maternity leave from the SDA conference where she works. Samantha.doc

I love astromony.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYeGLaosTg0

We like to blame many (not all) sufferings on sin, our parents, genetics, etc. But the reality is: we cause most of our own problems by the way we eat, think, act, handle stress and hydrate. Almost no one wants to accept responsibility for their disease, but in fact most of the times it's our own fault. Now some of the external influences mentioned by 8thdaypriest are pretty horrific, but with God's grace we can overcome. I believe that if we give ourselves totally to Jesus, he can give us the strength to overcome physically as well as mentally.

Though I know many don't want to acknowledge it, the fact is that many (not all) gays are born with the propensity towards homosexuality, iow, they are "gay"... That's a scientific fact. Though the term "gay Christian" might be an affront to some straight people, it really is a personal preference if a gay person who happens to be Christian wants to use it. It doesn't affect anyone else's faith....at least, it shouldn't. I used to be quite a vigilante for what I thought was "proper" Christianity. I expected people to toe the line, be ultra conservative, and, in short, behave the way I thought God wanted them to behave. Someone who called himself a "gay Christian" probably would have gotten an earful of snarkiness from me, as being "gay" meant the person was obviously *not* a Christian. That's not what Christianity is all about. It's about treating others as you would want to be treated. It's about trying to understand someone else's POV, instead of assuming your POV is equal to God's POV. We aren't God's mouthpiece, nor do we have His perfect understanding of people. The best we can do is to be and to act as we think we should, and to be more concerned with minding our own business rather than urging others to conform to *our* concept of Christianity.

I thought for a bit as to how I might respond to 'Reddog's diatribe. In thinking I came to the conclusion that there is a positive element to what he is saying. His posts will potentially result in some honest people looking deeper into what The One Project really is. They will form their opinions based upon their first-hand knowledge and not what someone has simply copied from others. NOTE: No specific reference here. I am no longer even thinking about Reddogs post. If you want to know what happens in the Boulder SDA Church and what Japhet preaches, watch the video that is streamed over the Internet. You can find it at: https://new.livestream.com/bouldersdachurch The password is: SDA7sda I am reminded of a daily radio program that I once had. A local pastor also had a daily radio program. Every day he would tell his audience what was wrong with what I had said that morning. When the time came for me to leave, I publicly thanked him for the publicity that he had given me and how he had built my audience. After thinking about it, I feel the same way about Reddogs.

TOP may not be for everyone. Personally, I like it and support it. It's time we quit looking for ways to exclude those who don't believe EXACTLY like us; and be inclusive of all who put Christ first - regardless of their indosynchratic denominational quirks. Are we called to make all people disciples of Christ or merely denominational SDA's? I vote for the former. Notice I said "PUT CHRIST FIRST". I'm not saying we as Christians should include beliefs of non-believers; yet we should love and reach out to all ALL people regardless of their faith. Jesus died for all men and women; not just historic SDA's. He wants all to be saved. Once a person falls in love with Jesus and is filled with His Spirit, that same Spirit can lead us into all truth without the help of our specific denomination. Let people develop their own relationship with Jesus rather than forcing our peculiar doctines on them as a condition of salvation.

Congrats to the new parents and grandparents!!! Samantha looks lovely! (and AS, I hope you don't mind, but I made a screenshot from your .doc so those who couldn't open it could see the photo... )

From my observation, worldwide constant SUFFERING is perhaps the greatest reason why believers become un-believers. I have been thoughtfully considering this subject for some time now. I think I was pushed towards this because I myself suffer chronic pain, in the form of very frequent migraines. I have seen miracles - several of them - during my life so far, and I couldn't figure out why the LORD wouldn't heal me. I'm left with the nagging question --- Did it really HAVE to be THIS BAD? I'm reading through Richard Rice's book, "Suffering and the Search for Meaning". He really does a good job, summarizing the different views. My husband was born in Germany. The story of his parents highlights the problem of suffering. His parents were engaged when his father was drafted into the German navy at 18 years old. It was the height of WWII. One month out on a German destroyer, and it was captured by a Russian sub. He spent 4 years in a Russian prison camp, often tortured, and came back home weighing 80 pounds, and bald at 22. He had also decided that there IS NO GOD, because, if there IS, then HE is a monster for allowing this!!! He was abusive as a husband, and as a father to his three boys. He ultimately committed suicide at 72. Of course he was suffering from untreated PTSD. There was no treatment back then. My mother-in-law didn't fair any better. Her biological father was killed in a Brown Shirt riot, and her mother abandoned her to the state. She was often abused in foster care. At 16, she was working at a troupe hospital rear the railway. While walking back to the state owned farm where she lived, she was raped and knifed and left for dead at 16. But she never gave up her belief in God. She remained a believer, and attended church well into her 70's. I never got to visit with her enough to know whether she was just "buying fire insurance" or really believed in the goodness of God. I believe that God feels our pain. "In all their affliction, He was afflicted." Therefore my response is to believe that God would NOT have ALLOWED this horrible mess, if it was not absolutely necessary. It's just difficult for me, when my head is pounding, to think, "THIS is necessary."

Thanks for my first chuckle of the day!

I wonder what type of telescope was needed to get this view!

We are saved by works. Christ's works. Works of faith. We aren't saved by works. Satan's works. Works of the flesh. We can be perfect. If we sin, then we apologize. But the grace we receive from being pardoned makes those who seek love will struggle for the self control that then leads to perseverance. The feeling of guilt is a tool that God uses. Guilt helps us focus on the need to reform. The guilt only becomes self-centeredness if we rid ourselves of it by stepping outside of God's standards. Without denominational doctrines to define a minimum standards, and church governance to maintain it, a denomination will become divided. Congregations and conferences can't ignore those that publicly break those doctrines or teach that it is acceptable to ignore them. Their is a governance process for inspecting new light. Some will decide to not follow the decisions of those in authority above them and to teach others to also rebel by word and action, but they should realize that is what Lucifer did. By this we know Him and love Him, if we keep his commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. The name of Christ isn't just a magical word we pronounce out of our mouths, it is His character. We know we have Christ's promise when we exhibit his character in word and action.

Very cool.

Indeed it will. My prediction: he will no longer be the front-runner by the 5th primary and will be out of the field by the 10th. Let's see how far I'm off by, and in which direction.

Very probing and thoughtful question. Hopefully, this won't get too long. There are two ways people try to relate to their Christian faith - pleasing God, or trusting Him. When we strive to please God,we diligently study His Word for His commandments and do our best to submit to them to the letter. Our denominational doctrines strongly influence the veracity of what we believe we MUST do to be saved. When God doesn't respond as we expect Him to, we start wondering "what more must I do to obtain God's blessing and be assured of my salvation. It tends to be a never-ending pursuit of perfection that we never reach. We spend more time focusing on ourselves and who we are rather than Jesus' works and what He has already done. Focusing on what WE must do is just another form of self-centeredness. We set our own strategy (strongly influenced by denominational doctrine) on how to "get right" with God rather than let Him show us how. On the other hand, if we trust God at His word - that He so loved the world that He gave us His one and only Son that whoever believes that He is who He says He is and did what He said He did will have everlasting life - and live from that viewpoint, we focus on Jesus rather than self. As we focus on Him, we develop an increasingly intimate relationship; and we find that we are changing from the inside. Things that once were nagging problems and besetting sins are just memories. We start to feel God's spirit and "hear" (figuratively) God's voice. Prayer becomes a conversation rather than a one-way wish list. Will we still have issues? Probably; but rather than obsess over our shortcomings, we revel in our trust (belief) that Jesus indeed did a good enough job on the cross to save all of us who desire salvation and trust in His deliverance; and that through that deliverance we are reconciled to God. By trusting Him to show us the way to "get right" with Him, we are pleasing Him and trusting Him to show us His destiny for us rather than choosing our own path to righteousness. So what if they currently go to church on Sunday or eat pork? If they truly trust in Jesus, His Spirit will either change their path in this life, or they will trust His Word and happily grant His wishes as His loving children (rather than submit to his commands as His slaves) in the next. What they do doesn't change the path on which Jesus has led me. I believe that He died to save me and them and all other humans (Christian or non Christian) who ever lived. I can't say this would be true for everyone. It is my own experience coupled with my spiritual world view. IMHO, our job is to persuade people to love Jesus (i.e., put Jesus first) before persuading them to be SDA's. I saw that attitude at at TOP; and I liked it. Gregory, I have only been to one TOP event; and your hospitality greatly enhanced my positive experience. IMO, it was the most positive SDA event I remember attending. If I have misrepresented TOP in any way, feel free to correct me.

Looks like a porcelain doll!

Good question, Scuba. Certainly, we don't need to stop brushing our teeth because "pagans" brush their teeth too. However, if our forefathers brought parts of pagan worship into the Christianity so that we have inherited those practices as "normal", we would do well to tell God we are willing to remove any such elements from our lives, if He wants us to. We can ask God how he wants His holy people to live. Is anyone interested in being holy these days?

Theologically it's easy enough to explain. The world that we currently have is the result of Satan's governance, not God's, and as nice as it would be personally to be relieved of suffering, it would also risk concealing the fact of how terribly mismanaged everything is right now, and the need to put an end to it. That's not necessarily a satisfactory explanation on the personal level, though. No quantity of words written in books can substitute for action. If someone feels like God is refusing to help with something that is genuinely needed, the loss of hope is inevitable.

Speaking as the grandmother of a fertility-treatment-conceived baby, I know something of what you're feeling. God bless you. And the new parents.

Likewise, AS - Congrats to your family! What a great Christmas (or "Winter Holiday") present! Grandkids are alot more fun than kids - you can spoil them rotten, hype them up on sugar, and then give them back to their parents when you are tired.

Every day of the year has an association with a pagan god, holiday, or ritual. What if your birthday fell on Samhain? Should you not have a birthday cake with lit candles because celebrating with fire on Samhain can invoke demons? The important thing in everyone's life is their *mindset*... If someone feels strongly that Christmas or Easter or any other day should not be celebrated, then they shouldn't do so. But it isn't their duty to inflict their cognitive dissonance on others who have no such issues. Don't give Satan more power than he has. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Tim 1:7

You post some of the most interesting stuff. thanks,

When the disciples asked, "Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind", Jesus answered "neither". So suffering is not always the result of sin? I believe the FLOOD of Noah's day brought about great changes in the atmosphere, the soil and in the amount of radiation from the sun (without the firmament as it was originally created). These changes resulted in rapid aging, terrible weather patterns, floods, droughts, etc. etc. etc. They resulted in gradual genetic changes, which have resulted in heritable disorders. Also eating animal flesh brought disease. So the flood was the SOURCE of a great deal of suffering.... WHY would God allow the FLOOD? I don't believe HE directly caused it. Someday, I believe we will learn that God almost LOST the war. He came within a hair's breadth of loosing humanity entirely. The ONLY way to save any humanity, was to wipe out all but a family of 8, and start over.

No replies. Guess no one wants to think about suffering at this time of year. My question is: How do we EXPLAIN all the suffering, to those who are not believers?

December 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. *************************** It was a simple scene. A kindly old man. A plain old desk. Four reference books open to the light of an old-fashioned lamp. And to his left, a tiny flame flickering above the darkening embers on a stone hearth. “I am in my sixty-eighth year,” he murmured, laying his glasses aside. “I have been a member of the church since I was fifteen. I have sensed this thing, for a long time. I have spoken of it many times. Casually. Superficially. Never before have I seen it so clearly. Never in my life has it been so overwhelming.” He turned slowly to the fire. “Our language,” he went on with his musing, “is totally inadequate to express the love of God. Totally inadequate and utterly helpless. So much so that it is virtually dead. So are the Greek and Hebrew. So also every other language of men, ancient or modern.” He sat for a time in silent wonder. “How much of God’s love can sinful, ignorant men comprehend in such terms as ‘attachment,’ ‘affection,’ ‘attraction’? Not very much. Tellingus was not enough. God had to do something else. He had to show us.” God has done everything possible to make Himself known. . . He sent His Son so that we could look at Him and see at last!—By Sanford T. Whitman, Signs of the Times, December 1973. Quote: “Be not a shooting meteor that dazzles the earth with brightness for a moment, and then falls a cumbrance to the ground; but be a twinkling star deeply set to heaven’s blue, that shines through storm and sunshine, through cold and heat, day and night the same.”—By Kenneth Gant, Signs of the Times, September 25, 1917. *************************** Don't miss the January 2016 issue of Signs of the Times: To order Signs, call: 1-800-765-6955 or CLICK to order online. *************************** A little girl and her mother were passing a shop window. It was just before Christmas, and the window was decorated to represent a stable. The familiar scene was complete with plastic oxen, mother and Child, angels and kneeling shepherds. In the background were the three Magi on camels. The little girl was heard to say indignantly to her mother, “Mummy, don’t tell me they are bringing religion into Christmas now!” This year, when again we are tempted to let the glamour of Christmas rob us of its glory, let us remember the quipster’s definition of glamour: “The condition that exists when the value of the package exceeds the value of the contents.” The true value of the genuine content of Christmas is, of course, by our attitudes toward them. And if we attach more importance to the gaudy trappings of Christmas than to the significant fact that “God so loved. . . that He gave” to the world its first and greatest Christmas present, Jesus Christ, we have hidden the glory of Christmas behind its glamour.—By Kenneth W. Sollitt, These Times, December 1962. Quote: “Those who do not read can have nothing to think and little to say.”—By Dr. Samuel Johnson, These Times, December 1965. *************************** NEW from Pacific Press—40 Days: Prayers and Devotions Reflecting on the Cross of Christ by Dennis Smith. The cross of Christ is the greatest revelation of love that ever has, and that ever will be, exhibited in this universe. A love that led our Creator to step down from His throne in heaven, become one of us, and die so our sins can be forgiven. In book five of this series, author Dennis Smith challenges readers to spend forty days reflecting on the cross of Christ and to discover anew that the cross of Christ is some to glory in, to rejoice in, and to proclaim to the world! Order ONLINE or from your local Adventist Book Center--1-800-765-6955. *************************** An old man told me the following incident, which had occurred in his youth and which, he said, had colored his way of thinking for the remainder of his life. “I was traveling around the country in search of some ‘local color and characters’ for the book I planned to write. My characters were to represent an indolent, shiftless people whom I could see in my mind, but whose existence needed to be authenticated. After some days I found myself in a backwoods area which was just what I had dreamed it would be—complete as to ‘color’—the run-down farms, the seedy men, the washed-out women. Now there remained only for me to find the one character who would epitomize the indolence and spiritlessness of the community. “Suddenly I came upon him; he had been made to order. He was a white-bearded old man in a faded blue shirt and overalls. He was hoeing around a little patch of potatoes in a scrubby backyard garden—while sitting in a chair. “I was elated. My eye, trained for detail, took in the whole scene: the unpainted shack, the sagging door, the broken wooden steps of the porch. Here was my background complete, and in the foreground my ‘character’ sitting down to hoe his garden. “I started back to the rooming house where I had put up for a few days; my fingers were itching to get at my typewriter keys. As I made the turn in the dirt road which ran past the cabin, I turned to look back, to see the scene from another angle. “When I did so, I saw something that stopped me cold in my tracks. For from this side I observed, leaning against the chair, a pair of crutches, while one empty overall leg hung limply to the ground. “In that instant the shiftless, lazy ‘character’ I had been looking for was transformed into one of dauntless courage. “Since that hour I have never made a judgment of any man after only one look at him, or one conversation with him. For I know that often the second look, the second word, may prove the folly of so doing. “And I thank God because on that day so many years ago I turned for the ‘second look.’”—By Marjorie Spiller Neagle, These Times, September 1962. Quote: “The ladder of life is full of splinters, but the splinters prick us only when we’re sliding down.”—Unknown, These Times, December 1962. *************************** Place this in your church bulletin or newsletter: The thought of ‘witnessing’ can be daunting but Signs of the Times® makes it EASY. Each monthly issue offers a colorful and interesting presentation of the full gospel message. 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 number of years ago a man named Luther Warren, a mighty power in the pulpit, was invited to give a series of lectures in Jamaica. A large hall was rented in the city of Kingston, and young ministers for miles around were invited in to watch this man in action. On the first night the hall was crowded. The young ministers were there in the front seats. Luther Warren stepped to the desk. But something strange happened. In a few minutes he had covered his announced subject and turned to another. Then another. He had left introductory truth behind and had turned to the most vital issues that claim man’s attention in this last hour. He talked of obedience. He talked of judgment. He talked of decision. As those who had sponsored him watched in amazement from the back of the auditorium, he invited men and women to step to the altar in complete commitment. And the people surged forward under the power of deep conviction. Why had he preached as he did? Why had he touched every challenging truth in one night? No one knew. Luther Warren himself did not know. But the next morning they all knew. For a large part of Kingston lay in ruins at the hand of the great earthquake. There had been only one night. I ask you, isn’t it just like God to send a last warning message?—By Marjorie Lewis Lloyd, These Times, May 1964. Quote: “Death takes no bribes.”—By Benjamin Franklin, These Times, June 1974. *************************** Are you looking for inspiring Christmas stories? Christmas in My Heart, Vol 24 by Dr. Joe Wheeler is now available. CLICK to read the first story FREE online! Order from your Adventist Book Center: ONLINE or call 1-800-765-6955. *************************** Someone asked Dwight Moody, “How is it you can preach so mightily as to lead people out of darkness into light? I should think it would get to be an old story to you.” Mr. Moody was about sixty-two years old. His heart was failing fast, and his life work was nearly over. The doctors had told him: “Mr. Moody, your heart will never hold out for another campaign.” But he went out to Kansas City, and said: “I want to make one more attempt for the Lord Jesus Christ, anyway.” Someone asked him, “Why is it that you can’t stop? What gives you such a mighty earnestness for souls?” He said: “I am grieved for lost souls, and the words of Jesus Christ, ‘I am coming back again,’ give me power to tell the story with greater earnestness than ever before, every time I tell it.” And one day, while holding his last mighty effort, he fell back in a faint, and they carried him home to Norfield, dead.—By Charles T. Everson, Signs of the Times, May 1925. Quote: “When Christians grow in light and knowledge faster than they grow in love and humility, they necessarily become harsh and censorious. They have more sail than ballast. Knowledge is dangerous unless it is well seasoned with humility.”—From Herald of Light, Signs of the Times, August 29, 1911. *************************** The Baby Everybody Wanted is a special issue of Signs of the Times developed especially to share during the holiday season. Order a supply today from your Adventist Book Center—1-800-765-6955. Or CLICK HERE to order online! *************************** Thomas Henry Huxley, agnostic and English biologist, was leaving a Dublin hotel to catch a train. He ordered one of the jaunting coaches for which Ireland was famous, and thinking that the hotel clerk must have told the driver his destination, he directed the man at the reins to drive fast. After some time, the old professor realized that they were heading away from the station. “Do you know where you are going?” asked Huxley. “No your honor,” the driver replied; “but I am driving fast.” That just about sums up our time. Men and women everywhere are running fast, not knowing where they are going.—By John M. Fowler, These Times, September 1973. Quote: “Kindness is the only service that will stand the storms of life and will not wash out. It will wear well, look well, and be remembered long after the prism of politeness of the complexion of courtesy has faded away. When I am gone, I hope it can be said of me that I plucked a thistle and planted a flower wherever I thought a flower would grow.”—By Abraham Lincoln, These Times, August 1961. *************************** Are you looking for GREAT Christian books to give as gifts this holiday season? CLICK here to see gifts under $10 available at your Adventist Book Center! *************************** To get his goodnight kiss he stood Beside my chair one night And raised an eager face to me, A face with love alight. And as I gathered in my arms The son God gave to me, I thanked the lad for being good, And hoped he’d always be. His little arms crept around my neck, And then I heard him say Four simple words I can’t forget— Four words that made me pray. They turned a mirror on my soul, On secrets no one knew. They startled me, I hear them yet: He said, “I’ll be like you!”—Unknown, These Times, June 1979. *************************** Compiled by Dale Galusha. Please pass this newsletter on to others.

I think that one of the keys to understanding the Kingdom is the Temple/Sanctuary system. The Sanctuary system shows us what the Kingdom is like, a place where the sacrifices, feasts, and the laws of the LORD are observed without making excuses. When the LORD is present in the Most Holy Place, he will speak to us and tell us what to do. Most religions of today bypass this earthly demonstration of the Kingdom, and instead create conflicting dogma, doctrine and extraneous "fluff". If we wish to join the Kingdom of YHVH, we should realize that, there, we will be attending the feasts and keeping all of the laws and requirements that govern our behavior.

Here's PROOF that the pyramids were used to store grain, etc..... Last night on the Stephen Colbert TV talk show he revealed this "ancient Egyptian diagram" that shows the pyramids were used for grain & food storage! HA!

I think I already said it a couple of pages ago in this thread: there are far more worrying and important things in his real policy proposals than this side issue. This is interesting only as it shines light on character: and character is everything for a leader.

Bob Ryan seems to be wilfully ignoring the fact that Ben Carson repeated the claim this week. 'Having that thought' in a different context 17 years ago is one thing. Repeating it now, after having plenty of opportunities to inform himself, is a different thing. Sharing 'that thought' with people in antiquity is fair enough... but bringing himself up to date would be more credible. As a private citizen he can have any thought he wants. As someone who is seeking the highest and most powerful office in the land, he needs to demonstrate the ability to temper his thoughts with evidence and reality.

The Secret Doors Inside the Great Pyramid Zahi Hawass The Great Pyramid of Khufu has always fascinated people because it is the only ancient wonder of the world that exists today. It is also possible people are fascinated because Khufu’s pyramid, especially the interior, is very complex. The modern entrance to the pyramid was created in the Ninth Century A.D. by el-Mamoun son of Haroun el-Rhasied. The true entrance is above this one. This passage goes down through the pyramid, and then connects to another corridor that ascends to the King’s and Queen’s Chambers. The original passage continues downwards into an unfinished chamber directly under the pyramid. Discussion about the purpose of these chambers and the complexity of the pyramid is varied and ongoing. ok so that is "interesting" -- but does it allow Dr. Carson to 'have that thought' about Joseph and the grain?? http://www.guardians.net/hawass/articles/secret_doors_inside_the_great_pyramid.htm "Let's vote on it"