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Ben Carson has withdrawn from the GOP race for the presidency of the United States. I'll refrain from saying I told you so. But I guess some people have an urge to help their country, but don't know how to go about it. Dr. Carson is a good man, a good Christian, and has had a full career as a successful neurosurgeon. I guess for him to spend all those thousands of dollars on a futile campaign was something he felt he had to do. And maybe the spent money isn't the biggest issue; maybe giving more citizens the right to speak out for their beliefs was a good result of all this. I wish him well. I'm sure he'll find other ways to use his talents from here on out.

10 for me

In the morning after Super Tuesday, Carson posted on his Facebook page that he was not discouraged and would stay in as long as God continued to open doors for him. In the evening of the same day he announced he was dropping out. Sounds to me like he got a phone call. A recent poll showed that he is the favorite among Republican voters to be a VP choice. Posts about him on Facebook receive more "likes" than any of the other Presidential candidates for either party. In an interview with Katy Couric, when asked what are his future plans, he said he plans to continue helping the nation. When she asked how, he reminded her that before becoming a Presidential candidate, he was working on the speaker circuit and writing articles which he plans to return to doing. I think David is right, Carson's run for office probably has not hurt his bank balance too much. In fact, from what I have read, he didn't run out of campaign donations and still had money to keep going. His books are selling more and he will probably increase his speaking fee now. I am not a conspiracy theorist but sometimes certain events make one scratch his head. The radical right-wingers like Sean Hanity, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh talk about the "establishment" but I am not convinced there is an "establishment". I suspect there are just different groups of allied people. Certainly there are influential people that, when working together, have an incredible amount of power. These groups are made up of currently-elected politicians, members of the media and business people with a lot of resources. They made sure that Nwet Gingrich didn't get the nomination. Such a group is now working to make sure Trump doesn't get it. Grassroots candidates like Carson do not stand a chance because they don't have people in these influential groups pushing for them. It will be an interesting election season this year for sure. Whatever happened to keeping political threads out of Town Hall?

C'mon, Gay, If these guys thought God told them to do something and they acted upon it, they were exercising their faith in spite of the fact that they may have been wrong about God's "revelation". I have frequently acted on my assumed faith in what I thought God was telling me, only to find out in hindsight I was wrong. God bless them for trying; and in doing so just maybe inspired a few people to consider Jesus. Anything people of faith do to publicize the Kingdom can't hurt. Let's face it - the whole idea of what Christians believe sounds crazy to 70% of the world. If these candidates, though their witness in their campaign, touched anyone's heart for the Kingdom, then they did a good thing. Even though I agree that he probably wasn't presidential material this time around, I think Dr. Carson touched a soft spot in many hearts with his campaign. I wish him nothing but the best.

I took another look at Kasich after OReilly said that he was absolutely the most informed on the issues. I was afraid that he would not support laws to protect the rights of business owners who did not want to participate in SCOTUS "weddings", but his comment last night seemed that he might be more supportive of those folks. The LORD gives people the rulers that reflect their own hearts. A lot of folks are voting for him, just so he will "bring back their jobs". They act as if he can do that all by himself. Trump has betrayed two wives. He spent his life making mega-bucks building casinos so folks could gamble and watch shows with half-naked women. I agree. If Trump is the nominee, we will have a choice between a mega manipulator, and another mega manipulator. I just don't know if I can vote for either. I FEAR for this nation. I know Trump would bomb Iran and ISIS in a minute. THAT would bring on the collapse (as in "broken without hand" spoken of Daniel 8's prominent horn on the goat from the West). Hillary might not be as quick to go to war with those powers. We might actually last longer (before the collapse) with Hillary, than with Donald. Never thought I'd say THAT!!

I hope Shelly Quin doesn't see this poll.

Some of Christ's parables about the Kingdom show something small growing into something much larger, with ultimately, the undesirable elements eliminated. Perhaps all humans will fit into one of his categories: weeds or wheat, good soil or poor soil, good fish or bad fish, good loaves of bread or failed ones, or a finding small, extremely valuable gem worth sacrificing everything, including life itself, to obtain. I suppose some of his hearers heard the parables, but since they were unable to understand the meaning behind them, they were only stories. Stories they were, but they reveal to us the nature of the Kingdom of God.

It depends on which parts you believe. Are we talking about micro-evolution or macro-evolution? I personally believe that the theory of evolution exists (as a theory), but I don't believe most of what that theory teaches about the origins of life or the development of species. I don't think that belief in evolution must always lead to apostasy, but it certainly influences people in that direction. Of all the people I know, those who believe that the theory of evolution is true are far less likely to believe that God and the Bible have any legitimate authority over people's lives.

One would hope his 5% of the vote doesn't go to Trump, but there seem to be no guarantees this year.

my thought, exactly. About 5 minutes into the "debate," I went and got myself some popcorn.

The funnels for catching the marbles and the crank are so Seuss-like! I was imagining Cat in the Hat type characters all around

Ten years seems like a long time to a child. It is but a moment when you are over 70.

Gregory, Your last two posts here seem to have contradicted each other. You cannot have your cake and eat it too. Either the people have already heard these things, or they haven't. Neither of your posts, however, properly disengages the church from its duty, according to Mrs. White. What message of the Lord did she give us? She told us nothing was to distract us from preaching the third angel's message. She also said this: "We shall receive the most fierce opposition from the Adventists who oppose the law of God. But, like the builders of the walls of Jerusalem, we should not be diverted and hindered from our work by reports, by messengers desiring discussion or controversy, or by intimidating threats, the publication of falsehoods, or any of the devices that Satan may instigate. Our answer should be: We are engaged in a great work, and we cannot come down. We shall sometimes be perplexed to know what course we should pursue to preserve the honor of the cause of God and to vindicate His truth." {3T 574.2} I guess, by that, I must say I cannot come down from my work to enter this controversy further. I can see that here on an "Adventist" forum, there is opposition to the law of God. This has been foretold, but I wish it were not so, nonetheless. At the One Project meetings, speakers joined the movement in favor of women's ordination. Contemplate the following from Mrs. White in relation to this: "There is an increasing tendency to have women in their dress and appearance as near like the other sex as possible, and to fashion their dress very much like that of men, but God pronounces it abomination. "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety." 1 Timothy 2:9. {1T 421.3} "Those who feel called out to join the movement in favor of woman's rights and the so-called dress reform might as well sever all connection with the third angel's message. The spirit which attends the one cannot be in harmony with the other. The Scriptures are plain upon the relations and rights of men and women. Spiritualists have, to quite an extent, adopted this singular mode of dress. Seventh-day Adventists, who believe in the restoration of the gifts, are often branded as spiritualists. Let them adopt this costume, and their influence is dead. The people would place them on a level with spiritualists and would refuse to listen to them." {1T 421.4} Women trying to be like men. It is an abomination. If people lack the discernment to understand such simple and straightforward matters, how can they be brought to see the more nuanced ones? Consider some of the theologies of the One Project: 1. "Jesus. All." -- But little mention is made of His law, only "love." 2. Women's ordination -- This stands against three separate and clear votes of the General Conference in Session, our church's highest decision-making body. 3. We are saved by grace -- it doesn't matter who we are, it only matters who Jesus is. But this contradicts the Bible. God only saves His children, and one believes and obeys to be God's child. 4. The Investigative Judgment? -- I'm sure they don't take much stock in this belief. Why not? I may be wrong. I've only read online the reports of others who have attended. Please feel free to show me documentation that would counter any of these understandings. And, if you want more information about the One Project, research the backgrounds of its founders. "Him that hath an ear, let him hear." Blessings, Green Cochoa.

nice to see our lord jesus taking care of his health problem.

Hi Ron. Thanks for your input. One thing though; I'm not sure I would summarize Romans 6 as succinctly as you have. What I read is Paul's call to holiness as the logical response in the context of our entering into relationship with Christ through baptism which is symbolic of sharing in His death. He's actually admonishing those who have been baptized to live righteously and holy and adds this statement: Ro 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? It's obvious, at least to me, that there remains a possibility for his reader to chose otherwise and so he informs them of the consequences of such a choice. Your assessment of Romans 7 is spot on. Thank you for very much.