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NOTE: The name has been change to protect the innocent. For the past hour, and more, we had been discussing with Paul some services that he might be able to provide us in the home we had recently purchased. As we reached an agreement on the services and the price, I turned to him and said: Please keep in mind that we do no want you providing any of your services on Saturday. Oh, you must be Seventh-day Adventists, he said.. I responded: Yes, we are and I am SDA Clergy. What do you know about SDAs? Paul opened up and shared with us his story, in part. He was raised SDA and graduated rom a SDA college. His wife and children were committed, active, Adventists. His business partner graduated from Andrews and is a former SDA who is presently writing a book on theological issues of interest to Adventists. On an occasional basis, Paula attends a local SDA Church with his family. Somehow, and Paul did not share, hurts happened and Paul no longer considers himself to be a SDA and he does not live by some of the standards. As I looked at Paul, I said: I would never push an agenda on you without your permission. But, I think that you might be interested in a new movement that has arisen in the SDA church. I then shared with him about The On In his response he informed me that it sounded like TOP was focused on exactly the reasons that he had once joined the SDA Church.e Project and how he might find on the Internet information about it. In response I gave him a copy of FOR THE ONE and suggested that he might find it of value. He looked through it for a moment and assured me thtat he would read it. After he had left, my wife and I looked at each other dumbfounded at how God had led.

I was ready to leave the church when I joined CA several years ago after corresponding with one of the Moderators. A person who no longer posts much engaged me privately on why I was leaving. He went through the 28 Fundies with me; and I discovered that I had no reason to leave the denomination; just the SDA subculture culture I had been associated with. I met some of the greatest, most open-minded, balanced SDA's ever on CA. I also met some members of the legalistic subculture from which I was escaping; and found that many of them have great talking points and concerns as well. I have to say that some of you out there saved me from leaving the church altogether. I still wouldn't call myself the world's best Adventist (I have issues with the infallibility [err...I mean freedom from error] associated with EGW and disagree completely with some of her interpretations; and I'm not a Trinitarian. But I feel more "at home" with Adventists than any other group.

This is Robert's "straw man" argument. The Law of God in the Old Testament did not "require" these three things. The Law of God in the Old Testament does not even speak of "eternal life" or the "second death". The Law of God in the Old Testament had effective provisions to take care of non-rebelious sins. If a person followed the instructions pertaining to people who had sinned, they were still following God's Law as it was actually given. The Law of God was never given as a means to earn eternal salvation. The New Testament tells us that John the Immerser's parents "were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord." (Luke 1:6) So "perfect sinlessness" was obviously not a requirement.

And you thought it was another nomination?

Read More Daily Jesus More Sabbath School Resources Sabbath Day Bonus * - Teaching a great Sabbath School lesson - * Scripture: Acts 10:11-16 Starting Question: Have you ever realised that one of your preconceived ideas was wrong? Did it happen quickly or over time? Baptism By Fire ** Continued from Three Visions yesterday ** After sharing their vision stories, Peter explained the good news of Jesus, “The Son of God walked upon the earth doing good, healing the sick, casting out demons and was then killed on a tree by the very people He came to help. But God raised Him up! We saw Him! Lots of people did. He told us to tell His story and preach this message: Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead!” Before he had finished his testimony, Peter was interrupted by the voices of Cornelius and his family. They were proclaiming, in other languages, the greatness of God. The Jewish Christians with Peter were astounded because the Holy Spirit had filled these people before they were even baptised. It’s almost as if Jesus couldn’t wait for Peter to finish the story. “I want to fill these people with my Spirit! I want them to know the fullness of my presence!” Jesus sends His Holy Spirit - often - to people, places and unexpected spaces because He knows the heart of each. If you are part of the unholy rabble discounted by the people who claim to be ‘sent’ to save you, don’t worry about them. God’s Spirit will bring them around. You just follow where He’s leading! If you are part of the ‘sent’ who never dabble with the unclean, it’s time for you to head to Cornelius’ house. And remember the vision… it’s going to get interesting once that door opens! Peter can’t help himself, when he hears and sees the presence of God’s Holy Spirit in Cornelius and his family, he shouts, “Get me some water! You’ve seen what the Holy Spirit just did! We’re getting behind!” Peter joyfully baptised Cornelius and everyone in his household that very day. Faith is a family event - relational in purpose and practice. Clearly, Cornelius had not been keeping his faith to himself but was bringing up his children in the ways of God. They were ready to be made disciples of Jesus that day because of the faithful leadership at home of their father. This story has been used by Christians over the centuries for all manner of things: To prove all food is clean. To justify infant baptism. To decry slavery. To support house-church movements. And yet, its original and intentional message is often overlooked: Humble yourself. There are those whom God is ready to use and He needs you to tell His story without showing judgment of people’s past, prestige or pedigree. Get up! (out of your pious pew) Kill (your righteous pride) Eat (with whomever will listen) What God has made clean, you must not call unworthy. Hurry, they are awaiting your arrival. Beware, the Holy Spirit is excited. Prepare, your story is His story! Reflection Question: Is God putting someone on your heart right now? How will you reach them? Prayer time: Before you pray together, ask: What would you like to say to Jesus today? Further Reading: Sabbath School Lesson - 2016, Q1L9 -x-x-x-x-X-x-x-x-x GET ONE OF DAVE'S BOOKS, FREE! Support this project by clicking here and pledging a small monthly amount. View the full article

How many of you would expect a drinking fountain to pour out Pepsi? That would be kind of strange, right? Or say you were dying of thirst? Which beverage would be more preferable? Pop or water? In Jeremiah 2, we... View the rest of this great article

I am prone to making mistakes. These past couple of months, I have made many that have cost me dearly, and no doubt I regret them. This just calls attention to the fact that I am human, and therefore susceptible... View the rest of this great article

There is a story of a man who lived his entire life homeless, only for it to be discovered shortly after his death that he stood to inherit a $19 million fortune. Apparently, he was a long-lost relative of a... View the rest of this great article

Green, Please refrain from derogatory comments. Neither Joe nor I believe we are "wiser than the Bible". We simply do not accept the interpretation that you believe in. If we must accept the interpretation that you favor, before we can have "an honest Bible study" - with you, then it would probably be best to agree to disagree - and move on. I will participate in discussions concerning the Trinity doctrine, any time they come up at CA. If you do not wish to "study" with me, that's your choice. Just ignore my posts.

Wow, Gregory, that parallels a lot of how I came back to the church — not with TOP, but such a similar situation. I just can't imagine God making an appointment for you and "Paul" that wasn't destined for good. Happenings such as this just reinforce my belief that God has no boundaries or requirements that anyone needs to meet before He intervenes in their lives.

We all love to dream and that’s wonderful. It brings out the best in us, when we envision ideas for ourselves and then are fortunate enough to see them come to pass. It was the renowned poet, Langston Hughes that... View the rest of this great article

In Exodus 33, Moses makes a simple request to the Lord: …”if [your] presence does not go with us, do not carry us there…” Moses ‘ first concern was that the spirit of Christ would be with his people. Before... View the rest of this great article

I don’t know about you, but I am tired. Plain Weary. The more I look around our world today, the more my heart breaks. I think of one of the more recent tragedies; the Charleston shooting, when it was reported... View the rest of this great article

Whoever said “sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you” must have underestimated just how powerful words can be. The apostle James says that with such a small member of the body, many deadly horrors... View the rest of this great article

The parting of the Red Sea; a whale that consumes a man whole; handwriting on the wall; a talking donkey…you name it. No matter the dramatic effect, there was God intervening in the lives of His people so that His... View the rest of this great article

I could say the same thing to you. The conclusion of the matter is that we must agree to disagree. I'm 66 years old; and I spent many years trudging the path of Trying To Please God on my way Being All I Could Be. I spent most of my time frustrated and self-loathing, wallowing in guilt and self-centeredness thinking about what a sinner I was and how I'd better get my act together if I don't want to be roasted in the lake of fire. I wavered between being angry at God for teaching me all this stuff (making me "responsible"); and being afraid that He was angry with me. It wasn't working out well. When I turned around and started down the path of Trusting God on my way to Overcoming Sin Together With Jesus, I actually started on the path to victory - not instantly over everything; but through a process led by the Spirit of addressing one thing at a time. He's still working on me; but we work together. Instead of focusing about how wicked I was, I started focusing on how wonderful, loving, and patient God is; and it gets hard to stop thinking about it once you start. I've had this type of discussion with others here for several years; and the issue is never resolved. Good luck on your path to salvation. I would suggest that if you don't like TOP, don't go to their gatherings. As for me, I was blessed at the one I attended; and given the opportunity I will attend another. Blessings and adios, JoeMo

In California, were we now live, it is legal for a motorcycle to drive between two vehicles driving beside each other! That even scares me ad they zip by me.

Walk to work sounds really good. We live in a small apt two blocks from my job, so I walk to work mostly, except when it's raining. A person might need to get out for some fresh air from time to time while living in a tiny subterranean apt.

I think I would need a window.

Imagine being in the very presence of God. I mean, as in seeing Him face-to-face. Getting a front row seat to behold all of His glory…This picture goes beyond words. When the Lord’s faithful servants were in His presence, they... View the rest of this great article

Your words can either be an influence for good or bad. We have clearly seen the effects of the negative influence of words in our world today. Family Feuds, Divorces, Ended Friendships, Wars, Political Scandals…; all stem back to one... View the rest of this great article

DAVID EDGREN this shows that GOD the FATHER---JESUS---the HOLY SPIRIT love all people and want us followers to offer salvation to all people dgrimm60

There is something good about 'proof texting', when considering all the different beliefs. It shows us that a string of words has limited meaning w/o the full context of the subject mater. That takes a little more studying, ie, time in history, culture, word meanings of the times, etc. Maybe that is what Bible Study is all about?

Thanks for the resources, Kevin. I'm at work right now and can't read them thoroughly; but I will later. If the Trinity is such a central premise of Christianity, why is it not more obvious in scripture? Why does it take professors and theologians and prophets to explain it to us? If I were totally ignorant of the Bible and its contents; and stumbled across one and studied it with an open mind without the input of rabbis, priests, pastors theologians, etc., I don't think I would ever arrive at a "Trinity doctrine" on my own. I am a student of scripture and a believer; and I still don't see explicit evidence of a Trinity in scripture until I read some human's esoteric logic based on extra-biblical sources, mistranslation, and strained assumptions. Other central themes are crystal clear - the sovereignty of God, Jesus' divinity, salvation by grace Jesus as Redeemer, 2nd coming, 10 commandments, etc. I don't fault or judge anyone for being a Trinitarian any more than I would fault them for being Baptist. It's just not part of my belief system based on my study. As a hippie in another lifetime I was taught to "question all the answers". That's what I'm doing here.

What Today's Republicans Don't Get About Reagan by Jacob Weisberg, Feb. 24, 2016 He supported the biggest amnesty bill in history for illegal immigrants, advocated gun control, used Keynesian stimulus to jump-start the economy, favored personal diplomacy even with the country's sworn enemies and instituted tax increases in six of the eight years of his presidency. He was Ronald Reagan. The core beliefs that got Reagan elected and re-elected were conservative: lower taxes, smaller government, and a stronger, more assertive military. By Reagan was also a pragmatist, willing to compromise, able to improvised in pursuit of his goals and, most of all eager to expand his party's appeal. The current field of Republican presidential candidates invokes Reagan as a patron saint, but the characteristics that made him a successful politician seem lost on them. Instead, they've turned his party into a swamp of nativism, ideological extremism and pessimism about the country's future, in direct opposition to Reagan's example. And they've transformed primary season into a reality show of insults, betrayals and open feuds, defying the so-called 11th Commandment that Reagan espoused: Thou shall not speak ill of any fellow Republican. Once in office, Reagan said that anytime he could get 70 percent of what he wanted from a legislature, he'd take it. Today's congressional Republicans won't settle even for 99 percent: Their mentality has shifted away from having policies and governing, toward a kind of bitter-end obstructionism. In the early days of the presidency of Bill Clinton, congressional Republicans essentially went on strike, treating any legislative accomplishment as a Republican defeat, but they came to the table for a budget deal in 1997. With President Obama, they have largely refused to accept the legitimacy of a Democratic president. The tactical obstinacy of the 1990s has curdled into the belief that any compromise constitutes betrayal, a dynamic now playing out in the primaries. The issue that shows the divide most sharply between Reagan and the current crop of presidential hopefuls is immigration. In the past, Republican candidates have been justly criticized for deploying racially coded messages around crime and welfare. But in the main, the party has for decades embraced Reagan's notion of American identity based on immigration, assimilation, and economic opportunity. Every Republican presidential nominee since Reagan has been a moderate on immigration, and has wanted to bring Latinos into the Republican fold. How did the inclusive, forward-looking Republican Party of Ronald Reagan become the crass, xenophobic party of Donald J. Trump and Ted Cruz? The rise of super PACs and the right-wing media has disempowered the party's gatekeepers, while wage stagnation has widened the opening for populist demagogy. This year's primary candidates have learned the lesson not only the exploiting prejudice around immigration and terrorism works politically, but so, too, does defying the party's elders and its official apparatus. Thus, Mr. Trump thrives and the establishment favorite, Jeb Bush, is already out. A more surprising reason for the shift? Money. In economic terms, Republican politicians see increasing returns to extremism. The Citizens United decision has raised the potential financial stakes of presidential elections for media companies, political professionals and candidates alike. The presidential campaign of 2016 will most likely cost upward of $5 billion, more than 10 times the one that elected Reagan in 1980. A lot of people get rich in a $5 billion industry, and some are politicians. Mr. Trump is not the only contender to make the calculation that running for president is win-win, burnishing "brand" value even for the losers. Ben Carson — yes, still in the race — seems more interested in selling books than in attaining higher office. Marco Rubio has already enjoyed years of patronage from a billionaire auto dealer in Florida. The examples of Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee underscore the point that a no-hope presidential run has more upside than downside. A career as a right-wing celebrity — a stint on Fox News, speaking fees, book advances — is more profitable than one in the Senate. These incentives have helped to shift the Republican Party from a party of opportunity to a party of opportunists. The loser could be the party itself. Unless it repudiates the inflammatory rhetoric of the primary, it will lose Reagan's claim to the center and become more like one of Europe's chavinistic right-wing parties. In the 1980s, it was said that the Democrats looked for heretics while the Republicans looked for converts. To watch the spectacle in the 2016 primaries is to see those tendencies reversed. Jacob Weisberg is chairman of the Slate Group and the author of the Ronald Reagan volume in the American Presidents series. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/24/opinion/what-todays-republicans-dont-get-about-reagan.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0 Advertisement Continue reading the main story

I live in a county where the Latino population outnumbers the Caucasians. No, it wasn't that way when Reagan was president, but it was close. I actually have seen no difference in the attitudes of Hispanics today than from 30 years ago. They had their Cinco de Mayo celebrations, they spoke Spanish and some didn't learn English, they needed interpreters, there were gangs and shootings. Many Caucasians were less than enthusiastic about have Hispanics for neighbors. But by and large, the Hispanic population was quiet and friendly. People who are Muslim have been immigrating to the US for over 200 years. Yes, there are bad Muslims...just as there are bad Catholics, bad Baptists, bad Methodists, bad Mormons, and bad Adventists. Asians (Buddhists and Hindu) have been immigrating to the US for eons, as well. And the Caucasian "Christian" population looked upon them with derision and contempt. This happened with to Jewish population in the US, as well. Jews were not welcome in many parts of America. Why? because of their religion and because of the idea that Jews were sneaky and underhanded. (I think jealousy played a big part, in that many Jewish men were brilliant businessmen.) However, the focus of the article wasn't "immigration," though it was mentioned. The focus was how and why the Republican Party has changed into the "swamp of nativism, ideological extremism and pessimism about the country's future." As a Republican, I thought the author brought up some REALLY good points. And the notion that came to my mind when reading the article was that Donald Trump (who many now claim is the face of Republicanism) is the uncanny reincarnation of Archie Bunker.

Green said: This is the kind of a personal attack that is not appropriate in this forum. It appears to me to be the same kind of attack that Green has suggested violates Matthew 7:1, Joe and Rachel are not setting themselves above the Bible. They are simply proposing their understanding of what the Bible teaches.

Not really. It is only different in the twisted rhetoric of politicians.

DAVID EDGREN JESUS---GOD THE FATHER---THE HOLY SPIRIT----- are all looking out after each follower good---even thought we might not see it dgrimm60

Late but hope I can get back to you later. God is Love!~Jesus saves!

Just my opinion, but I believe satan will impersonate Christ before the close of probation. Two reasons: 1. I don't believe that probation closes until the dead in Christ are raised and together with them the living saved will meet with the Lord in the air. There is no one left on earth who is "safe to save", so the 7 bowls of God's wrath fall and destroy the wicked. 2. Why would satan need to impersonate Christ after probation closes? Everyone is on his side; there is no one left to deceive and persecute or receive the mark of the beast.

Before July 4th, 1892, Saturday was understood and known to be the seventh day of the week in Samoa. After the move of the International Dateline (IDL) on July 4th, 1892, Saturday was still understood and known to be the seventh day of the week. Now, in December of 2011, Samoa moves the International Dateline (IDL) back to where it was before 1892 and somehow Saturday is not the seventh day anymore! Samoa always kept Saturday as the seventh day, even on both sides of the International Dateline (IDL). It didn't matter what side of the IDL Samoa was on, Saturday was the seventh day. Why not now? Saturday is the seventh day, regardless of what side of the IDL you are located. You know, people cross the IDL in planes and boats, whether for business or personal reasons. And they know what adjustment to make depending on which direction they are moving when they cross the IDL. Saturday is the seventh day, as known in the USA. Not everyone calls the seventh day Saturday. Remember, it is a dateline, not a day-line. The calendar is the tool to watch as you enter new and different time zones.

When he stopped to see us last year, it was hard to believe he was as sick as he was, yet we knew he didn't have as long to live as we all would have liked. He came in and wouldn't even sit down, because he had a list of people he wanted to see that day on his way home. I guess he wanted to see as many as possible while he had the chance and was well enough to do it, because so much of his time had already been spent in the hospital. While he talked, he just couldn't seem to stop moving. So full of energy, he seemed. We had planned to see him this spring or summer. It'll be a little longer now until we see him, but not too much longer, I'm thinking. LD

DAVID EDGREN we so often look at the problem and say how can i fix this-----when we should say JESUS HELP us dgrimm60

DAVID EDGREN that was a very good thought dgrimm60