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Just FYI - Sunday night I had my second heart attack that required the placement of 2 stents. My first MI happened 8 years ago. Every element of this situation worked perfectly and smoothly, and rapidly, to get me to LLUMC Cardiac Cath Lab in record time, such that there was NO further heart damage from my previous attack. It is obvious to me that God still needs me on this earth for a reason. I am now at home and beginning the recovery process which will take about 6 weeks. As a part of this heart attack situation I have also been given a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes, so I am also having to deal with a much more stringent life style than I was doing even after my first heart attack. But all is well, and I am in good spirits, and fighting back. Here is one of my favorite quotes when I think of all I (and we) have been through while serving the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth: "Here is a test to know whether your mission on earth is finished; if you are alive, it isn't!" (Richard Bach)

Gree3n asked below: Green, I do not equate you to Jesus. I consider both you and I to be subject to error.

Green: Again, the denomination has extensively studied the issue. The official reports of those multiple study groups have been posted on the Internet. They do not agree. You are entitle to your position. I can even understand how your would arrive at it, as I also understand how other people arrive at their position. Your statement to the effect that a child could understand it in the same manner that you understand it reflects an arrogance and an implication that those in the study groups who do not agree with you are less than children in their spiritual understanding. I do not fault you for the position that you have taken on the issue even though I disagree with you on some aspects. But, I will criticize you for the arrogance that you often reflect and the dismissive way in which you often relate to other people. Ultimately, if the SDA denomination is to come together in a common agreement on this issue, it will have to be the Holy Spirit that brings us to a common understanding. I do not hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in the manner in which you often respond on this issue. I find it interesting that the recent study groups that failed to come into a common agreement on this issue, did in fact come into a common agreement on one point. That point on which they agreed was on how they should relate to each other. That relation acknowledged that each side was honest, sincere, seeing the Bible as an authority in spiritual life and all were seeking to understand what the Bible taught. It also acknowledged that each side had some very valid questions. I will suggest that when you can come to this same manner of relating to people you will serve your side much better. You are intelligent and an in-depth student of the Bible. But, the manner in which you sometimes present yourself tends to cause people to dismiss you and not dialogue with you. That does not serve your purpose well.

I've experienced God in my life since my childhood. He's saved my life several times through direct intervention. In the last couple of months God has performed two miracles at my request. Both involve the health of my dog. The first time I had taken my dog to the vet to get his teeth cleaned (small dogs have major problems with their teeth). The vet has to put him to sleep so I have them run blood tests on his kidneys to see if they will take the strain. The test came back that his kidneys were failing and he didn't have long to live. I took my pup home and started praying about it asking God to spare his life because of what he means to me. I took him back to the vet two weeks later and had his kidneys retested. The test came back normal. The second thing involved an injury. I take him up into a wildlife refuge and let him run on a back road where there isn't any traffic. He was stopped messing around out of sight at the right front corner of the car. This road is a two-track road. The right tires in one track the left tires in the other. Grass grows up on each side of tracks and in the middle. I could see the grass moving off to the right side of the track and assumed that's where my dog was. I started the car rolling forward very slowly and suddenly there was a yip from my dog. I got out to see what happened and he was standing in front of the car on three legs. He was holding his right hind leg off the ground. I picked him up and put him in the car with me and started driving forward to a place where I could turn around and my dog was whining to get let out so I figured nothing much was wrong. I opened the door and he got out and trotted on ahead of the car. However, every once in a while he would stop using his right hind leg and let out a little yip of pain. So, I picked him up and put him back in the car and closely examined his leg and paw. I couldn't find anything wrong.. He usually jumps up into my lap when I'm sitting in the house but now he was unwilling to try to jump. I figured something had just gotten wreched(sprained) a little and he'd get over it in a day or two. However, two days later he was worse and unable to use his leg at all, and his tail, which he normally carries curled up over his back was trailing on the ground at all times. So, I got worried and did a physical examination of him. Running my fingers down each side of his spine I found a spot just in front of his hips in which his spine wasn't even close to straight. It was at least a 1/4" out of alignment. Oh, and he was carrying his hips so that they were tucked up underneath him, not his normal way of carrying them. I tried to gently turn his hips back to there normal position and I got bitten before I even knew what happened. It was before my dog knew what happened too because he acted so sheepish afterward that I knew it wasn't something he thought about doing. It just hurt him so bad when I gently tried to straighten his hips that he bit me by reflex. I got really worried now because of that abnomality in his spine. I started praying once again and asking God to heal him. I told God I'd pay for a vet bill if I could but that He knew I didn't have money for surgery. I told Him it was my fault my dog had gotten hurt. I just hadn't been careful enough and I just couldn't stand to see him crippled up because of that. I asked God to please heal him because being a God of love it was unlike Him to see my dog have to suffer for my carelessness. I reminded God that He could heal my dog with just a word, that that was all it would take to relieve his suffering. I thanked Him and went to sleep. The next morning I woke up and my dog was completely back to normal. He jumped off the bed and his tail was curled up over his back once more and his jaunty little trot was back. I checked his spine and it was once again aligned the way it was supposed to be. God has answered so many of my prayers over the years that there is no doubt in my mind that God is real and that he answers prayer.

I have often thought of this verse when reading yours and Green's posts. You limit the evidence you will accept. You offer proof texts and when we encourage you to read studies that show that there are historical, cultural and literary problems with your interpretation you blow it off and refuse to look at the evidence. We have scholars on both sides of the issue but who recognizes different problems, but you and green think they are in apostasy to think that the Bible teaches anything except your thoughts. I want to be careful with this, but I believe that a big part of the investigative judgment is that starting in the mid 1800s the Bible has started to come alive and we can study the Bible deeper than anytime before. But you ignore all this, or when offered to look at the evidence for yourselves you refuse and say that our brief paraphrases is good enough, thus avoiding actually seeing the evidence. And I don't think that Green actually read Tom's post because he was discussing the use of the word in both the verses that Green posted as well as others and Green only made a comment over the numbers of texts quoted.

No, that's not the context. You are making it up. "In Christ" we are a "new creature". That corporate life is in the heavenly places "in Christ". You and I receive this life at the 2nd coming.

Well, SDA above all other Christians should know how it will go down. Maybe not the exact timeline or details, but how it will end up with a political-religious power lording it over the masses.

An example: socioeconomic status determines more of academic achievement than any other variable. That is not to say no other variables - individual child effort, school culture, highly effective teachers - have an influence. But our statistical tools are powerful enough to tell us when one influence is dominant. In the case of mass shootings in Australia, the dearth of semiautomatic weapons is the single variable that explains the largest proportion of the difference between the incidence before and after the buy-back.

In the extensive study that went into this issue prior to SA Texas, The study groups did not agree on this. Perhaps, it is not as obvious as you think.

@Green Cochoa - Speaking of context. Is the context the same in every one of the 25 uses of diakonos that you quote? (By the way, you missed a half dozen more times it was used in the NT, not to mention the 37 times it is used in its verb form.) Is it always translated the same? Why not? How does the context effect the meaning, and/or the translation? Why is it most frequently translated as "minister" when used in a spiritual context? But not always? A few times Paul refers to himself by the word, and it is translated as servant when it is clearly in a spiritual/religious context. In those instances when clearly referring to a man in a spiritual/religious/church context are you saying that it is intended as merely the literal secular meaning of servant? Or does it take on a new and different connotation in that sort of context? How do you make that distinction? And why for Phoebe in a clearly church/religious/spiritual context are you not willing to give it that same meaning, but rather insist because she was a woman that she was just a ordinary helper doing menial tasks for the church? And then there is the 50 or more times that the word translated in English as servant in the NT is yet one of a couple other different Greek words that also mean servant, some of which are used in much the same variety of ways as diakonos. Have you considered and compared those as well? Your post above seems to assume I have not really studied this extensively and in depth. In that, you would be wrong. Your condescension is misplaced. I have been doing so quite seriously for at least 25 years, carefully considering all of the verses and the same resource you reference, plus many more. (What you have linked is a nice starting point...) I would suggest you should take your own advice...

Matt.5:1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. These saying are in order; but I wanted to touch on this one Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Is.52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that #1: bringeth good tidings, #2: that publisheth peace; #3: that bringeth good tidings of good, #4: that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, #5: Thy God reigneth! Jn.13:4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, (why) dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Romans 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! When the "Gospel of Peace and Glad Tidings" is proclaimed with great Power as prophesied by John; The Harlot Daughters of Jerusalem are not going to like it one bit and they will join themselves together as the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducee, Herodians and the chief Priest and elders did to shut up Christ and then the Apostles Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.