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Back on topic, I do believe there is something to it, Stan. Perhaps they have experienced "first love" in a way that generational Adventists don't - and want to share it, and they know how to talk in ways that reach those in their former walk of life, i.e. not so much Adventistese. Sometimes I wish I could have that first love experience that new Adventists have.

Wow, what a mess It could be that those who have been loved much love much in return. Not that some have been loved less, but like Mary who sat at Jesus' feet realised from what they were being rescued. They had, perhaps more than others, suffered the effects and results of sin and welcomed the sacrifice of sin. I know that is how it happened to me, too.

And offensive on many levels...

If our members have been doing the "one on one" distribution of the book, maybe there would have been no need for the mass mailing.

I was on the original Adventist Forum on Compuserve under Sysop Ralph Blodgett, though I didn't say much while on there. I migrated to Club Adventist when the Adventist Forum faded away, and have been on and off here ever since. I came because I needed adult conversation with people of similar culture and thought processes, after having been teaching kids all week in large schools where I was the only SDA. I try to be a gentle witness when I can, and to help when I can, but I am mainly here for social interaction and to spout my knowledge and opinions! (laughing at myself)

Last weekend was spent at the Calimesa SDA Church Retreat at Pine Springs Ranch in the San Jacinto Mountains of southern California. During the Sabbath School time the teacher was addressing the weekend’s theme of “When Things Don’t Turn Out. . .” He was addressing how we should respond when things don’t turn out the […] The post Disappointment with the San Antonio General Conference Session appeared first on Jon Paulien's Blog. View the full article

Jesus said: "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." If it is right to pray, then it is wrong to be embarrassed about it. If it is right to confess Christ before others, then . . . .

I am a first generation Adventist; and I remember how on fire I was during and after the first Ken Cox Crusade I went to! I couldn't stop thinking about it and talking about it, much to the dismay of my Catholic family. But I didn't care; I had the TRUTH! I was amazed at the lethargy of most of the people who inherited their SDA faith rather than discovered it. Maybe these first generation SDA evangelists still feel that same amazement and passion for the truth that some who have heard it since infancy take for granted. As long as they are preaching Jesus as LORD and Savior and the only Name under heaven by which they can be saved, That's good. The idea is to bring people to a living, thriving, victorious faith in Jesus Christ; not to make them cookie-cutter Adventists. Besides, what is "error"? From the tenacity with which certain subjects are discussed here on CA, many of us SDA's are apparently in "error" according to other SDA's who post here. For example, look at the "who are the 7 heads" topic (not that anything in there is a salvational issue).

I do not want to suggest that I know the answers to what Gov't should do, that will take a miracle to solve, I do know what I need to do in my neighbourhood and community.

I stumbled upon CA and then didn't come back for a long time... i have no idea why at the time. I finally stepped in venturing to experience community... i found incredible diversity which i am very at home with... I have been enjoying participating in and reading if not posting. It really has helped my communication of my faith everywhere i go. God is wherever you find Him.

Good point!

One of the hazards of being human. 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;… Romans 3 God is Love!~Jesus saves!

Follow your heart on this matter... We always pray before eating in restaurants and because my husband is hard of hearing sometimes his voice is louder than need be :/ There is a restaurant in town that we frequent where people not only pray openly but speak openly about religious matters. It is the Bible Belt and religion is the life of these folk. But if you feel that your prayer should not be "on the street corners" but private, that is your choice, too.

A little while ago we went to a Sweet Tomatoes to eat lunch. After getting our food and finding a table, we sat down and thanked God for our food. After the prayer a lady at the next table thanked us for thanking God for the food. She said it was a good example for our grand children to see.

heh. A number of years ago my folks hired a someone to paint their house, specifically because he was an SDA painter. He did okay, since Dad and Mom's house was white, and they just wanted it repainted in white. So, I decided to hire him to paint my house, which was a light pink — I wanted it painted in light blue. Big Time DISASTER!!! The paint job on my house was horrible. The pink wasn't even covered in many places, and in others, the blue coat was so thin that the color appeared to be lavender. My Dad didn't want me to tell the painter to come and re-do the job, because "he's a fellow Adventist".... So, my Dad and I repainted the whole house. Come to find out, the painter was *color-blind* and couldn't tell the difference between light pink and light blue. If someone can't do the job right, they shouldn't offer their services. Still makes me disgusted when I think about it. I would NEVER hire someone simply because that person was SDA.

Again, we are "holy" only "in Christ" and not of ourselves as children of Adam. According to this Catholic apologist "it is fitting that the head of his holy people be called Holy Father". Well, that's a fallacy because the Pope is not the head of the church - Christ is the head. Furthermore Christ warned the Scribes and Pharisees not to call their spiritual leaders "Father" because they had only One spiritual Father who was and is in heaven (see Matt 23:9). Therefore it is blasphemous to refer to a spiritual leader as "Holy Father" no matter what contortions one goes through to justify it.

Human power did not establish the work of God, neither can human power destroy it. To those who carry forward His work in face of difficulty and opposition, God will give the constant guidance and guardianship of His holy angels. His work on earth will never cease. The building of His spiritual temple will be carried forward until it shall stand complete, White, E. G. (1973). God’s Amazing Grace (p. 128). Review and Herald Publishing Association.

JoeMo, I have read many of your posts and suspected that you were new to the faith (not raised an SDA). It is difficult to transition from another religion to Adventism and come to an understanding of what ideas to keep and what ones to leave behind. When White and the early Adventist pioneers searched out Bible truths in the 1800's there were a lot of folks with a lot of ideas that all seemed good to them or they would not have had them. The process of sifting through the different theologies was arduous and painful (for those who cherished the teachings of their youth). But the fourth angel is to sound on time and join with the three angels' to give the right message at the right time. And if there are any that are walking in the sparks of their own kindling, their lamps will go out.

The Obama video was interesting. But The presentation makes it look like a conspiracy theory. After I was interviewed about my book "Put out the Light" the interviewer made this complementary promo video. This was his visual presentation of what I was saying. He took an SDA's biblical view of end time events and put them into the perspective that he understood. Uploaded on Dec 16, 2009 Folks are looking for answers and the Bible has them. But there is a hesitancy among God's professed people to preach the Bible when it points to identifying political figures before they have fulfilled prophecy. When Maxwell was editor of Signs in the 1940's, he put out an issue that predicted Hitler would fail. He based his prediction of his understanding of Daniel 2. But Hitler was sweeping through Europe at an unstoppable rate. The Brethren were irked that Maxwell had promoted that stance when they thought that it looked so wrong. But his view of Bible prophecy prevailed. He was right in the end. But are these new comers that are preaching the SDA truths standing on the Bible or what they have been taught when they joined the church? If they have been taught BIBLE, great! But if some traditions have been mixed with the Bible that they were taught when they came to the truth, they will be less like Maxwell and more like the Cautious Brethren who could not see the truth in God's word until it happened and everyone could see it. It's time for the right message for the right time. And God will send the right messengers to carry it into the world!

My concern is that in our views of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) we often misrepresent their official doctrinal position. We may present what some members believe. But, I would not want to be held accountable for what some of our members believe who actually differ from our actual teaching. Case in point: Take the term "Holy Father" which is applied to the Pope. We often present that as teaching that the Pope is sinless. That may be the belief of some members. But, it is clearly not the official teaching of the RCC, which actually teaches that the Pope is a human who may sin and needs to go to confession as does every member. [NOTE: In fact, the Pope has an official Confessor to hears the Pope's confessions.] The actual teaching of the RCC as to the term "Holy Father" is that is represents that the Pope has committed himself to total dedication to God, even though he may fail at times and sin.

I think the method, time and place of praying should be up to the individual. If some want to close their eyes and bow their heads to say grace at a public restaurant, there's no reason they shouldn't do that. I remember as a little girl, when my family was traveling and we stopped in restaurants along the way, we always had prayer before our meals. But that was back in the 1950s and 60s when people didn't seem to get so offended at what others might do.

I'm in agreement with "Jesus would never win the Conservative Christian vote," but not for all the same reasons that pastor Corey has mentioned!

You can add David Asscherick to that List, I believe??

It's gotten to a point where we are no longer able to follow either of your thoughts and arguments

I just returned from the refugee camps in South Sudan.. about a week ago. there villages swelled to 2-3 time their size. The stories break my heart. Doing a story on one young woman who was at the clinic in her hometown, all was well, security and food were good, as she headed home gun fire erupted and she fled with her 2 month old baby. She had no idea if her other 3-4 children were safe or killed. She walked 68 miles ( maybe 68 kilometres ) to another village, the people there sacrificed, giving up almost 1/2 of what they owned. The miracle to her is this, her children are safe as well as her husband, they landed in the same place. She thanks God for that. The reports coming back from her previous home, is this, all is lost or burned out. The poorest people seem to give the most. I know this is not the same as the issues in the North American or Europe, the timing was the same for me.

Club Adventist is as it's descriptive emblematic picture of being alone with an empty seat glowing with accompaniment from above. It's the last link to human spiritual communities for many. The new practice or regulation of non-qouting has improved Club Adventist a lot from diehard endless circling exchanges. I hope many more are blessed by Club Adventist.

A bit of distraction from the chaos around me in some very remote, lonely places on the planet - oh, and curiosity and nostalgia... First post - but I've had a profile for 3 years. There are some of us (I suspect) who regularly visit this forum (for me, it is in the weekends when I travel - which is about 6-months in any given year). Ex-SDA (35 years now) - but found this forum online when I was out on a humanitarian mission in Ethiopia (that's the nostalgia and distraction reason covered) Curiosity to see if anything has changed since I got up and left my home town and church all those years ago. Seems like an eclectic group of people here, with debates ranging across a spectrum of beliefs and viewpoints. All the best Excaliba

I came to discuss the Bible for these last days. Many do not like the things I present but I don't do it for malice or of any evil intent. I do it for us to look at what is happening today. I ask the questions have SDA become just another denomination or church. Are we really ready for YAHSHUA to come. Have we push the Time of Trouble and the end events far off in to the future. What do we believe and why do we believe it. Why do we think we are the remnant, why have we accept things today like the other Protestant churches, where is our faith. Why do we shy away from dealing with Biblical issues that we have held on to, are they truth or myths. These are things that truly concern me. I want to be saved, I have question my faith and my church and see a lot of errors we are holding on too. Now is the time to take a stand! I pray for all and hope you all will pray for me. Blessings and Happy Sabbath!

You are not the only one for whom this site is their home church. There are members who nearly wrote off Christians in general save for knowing someone they encountered here. I praise God for THEM. The regulars are, like the older brother of the prodigal, here always. But the ones that come back are like having come back from the dead. The hard lesson the younger son learned was humbling that he was changed, but some have not gotten to that point yet. Some are curious, lookieloos. The argument FOR Christ will be not only what you have learned in Scripture, but how your understanding of that has changed your life for better or worse. People will be drawn to Jesus, and if you reflect Him in your dealings with others you will have the attractive appeal that He does.

I joined at the invitation of one of the moderators, who read my posts on another forum. I too was about to jump ship because of the hypocrisy I perceived at all levels of the church; and the problems I had with some of the "cultural" interpretations of the 28 Fundies. A very kind and concerned member of this forum took the time to go through each of the Fundies with me as posted on the official church website. I couldn't find any fault in the way they were actually stated, so I postponed leaving. As I started posting more, I found some wonderful, smart, open-minded people here; as well as those who believe differently than I do. The ones that have mastered the art of disagreeing without being disagreeable have inspired me to study more. I still have issues with the way some of the more traditional folks see things; but I'm sure there are those that have issues with my viewpoint. As long as the differences of opinion inspire spirited conversation and deeper study, that's a good thing IMHO. This actually has sorta become my home church. I spend more time with CA than I do my local congregation. I am blessed to be here.

This is me David also! It does no good to have the knowledge of the great GOD without showing dignity and respect with people who disagree. Our friends and family and enemies of our theology, nation, and morals and family are God's Beloved too. and .. to answer the Question I am here for fellowship and making a point in getting out there Just How Much God really really does love us all. It changes everything once that gets deep inside. It is the Saving GRACE! Oh how I long that for my lovely tribe to catch a glimpse of this REALITY! David Geelan, thank you for echoing many hearts here ! May the JOY of the LORD be your Strength!

I originally joined because I was just about ready to dump the church, and return to witchcraft. C/A literally pulled me back.