Leaderboard

I have shelves and shelves of "books" by different authors - all writing commentary on the Bible. I read those books. Why wouldn't I read EGW? I no longer regard her as an infallible "prophet". I believe some things she wrote are just wrong. But I read things published under her name, because I find much well written commentary on things Biblical, which I can then incorporate into my own thinking. I read her with a filter - that filter being the Bible and science and history. I read her with the understanding that she was NOT infallible. (Swollen heads and deformed limbs resulting from masturbation - just one example).

The following article reflects the doctoral work of a student who chose to take a look at that attitudes of people toward women in leadership positons and how those people related to questions as to the ordination of women. As a critique of the study, it should be clear to anyone who has done graduate work that the study was foundationally flawed, and therefore it should not be used to support any generalized conclusions. However, on the positive side, the author of the study supports that view and considers her work to only be that of a pilot study that should lead to future more comprehensive work. So, the author is making very limited claims related to the study. To me, the value of this work lies in the fact that it suggests that more work needs to be done. See: https://spectrummagazine.org/article/2018/04/21/study-compares-attitudes-toward-womens-ordination-and-women-leadership

Shall see God

Just because I don't believe that EGW was a prophet in the OT sense does NOT mean I don't respect her as an inspired writer, like many other revivalists like Billy Graham and Jonathan Cahn. There are some things EGW states that IMHO are contrary to a plain read of scripture (at least my understanding of it). There are also many inspired insights into scripture in her writings; and I have learned from her writings over the years.

Sacrifice of thanksgiving

But joy cometh

I’ve wondered the same thing about the election of Donald Trump.

I’m so saddened by this story. We graduated together from Southern, but had little interaction because we had different majors. It seems he has followed the steps that comes to mind outlined by the same inspired.person he has disavowed - doubts about the SOP and end up doubting Scripture itself. If absolute assurance is what he craved for, I’m surprised he didn’t join the Baptists. I also wonder how he could have assurance knowing he is breaking one of the 10, assuming he has embraced the full the teachings of the Disciples of Christ.

The belief that "Sons of God" (either fallen angels or created beings from other worlds) had sex with human women who bore offspring, and were then shut up in "the pit", comes mainly from The First Book of Enoch, an Apocryphal book. A very small portion of 1Enoch was quoted by Jude, and Peter alluded to it (or both were using an as yet unnamed source). I very recently read through that book. I prayed earnestly first. Interesting read, to be sure. The Nephillim were 300 cubits tall (450 feet). Really! How could they possibly have sex with women? In First Enoch, (and excuse me for being gross here) The Watchers = fallen Angels = Stars = Sons of God (used interchangeably) , "had penises like horses". (Wonder how large horses were back then.) How could human women possibly give birth to such large babies. The Nephilim would live 500 years? Guess this was their lifespan - or the lifespan of their flesh. Then their spirits leave their bodies, and are confined in the place of conscious torment, until the judgment. The "stars" which disobeyed the Lord are bound in the place "under the earth" "until ten thousand years, the time of their crimes, have come to pass". If they "lived" only 500 years, how did they commit crimes for 10K years? Doesn't make sense. Another place says the spirits of wicked HUMANS go to a place of torment "whose souls are punished and bound there forever. Thus has it been from the beginning of the world." Does not agree with my understanding that the dead are unconscious. No wonder the Catholics teach unending conscious torment in HELL. They include the Apocryphal books in their Bible. Angels are presenting the prayers of the saints before God. I thought we have "one Mediator". Writing with pen and ink was introduced by a fallen watcher named Penemue. This caused many to go astray. Really? Writing with pen and ink was evil? Personally, I believe that God introduced writing to preserve a record of history, of His law, and of His dealings with men. In 60:1, Enoch is 500 years, 7 months, and 14 days old when he has a vision about judgment and sea monsters, etc. etc. Genesis says Enoch was 300 when the LORD "took him" away, and he was never found afterwards. Does Enoch receive this vision after he is in the heavenly realm? Enoch says the year is 364 days. Wrong. It's 365.25 days. If Enoch is passing on what he was "told" by the "angel" named Uriel, who "guides all the seasons and the heavenly luminaries of the sky" then Uriel was wrong. More likely, Enoch was actually written some time after 800 BC. That is the time when the extra days were incorporated into calendars around the world. Most probably a near earth fly by that pulled the earth into an elongated orbit. I believe another one will pull the earth back into a 360day orbit, so the end time prophecies can be fulfilled. If the Book of Enoch was actually written after 800BC, then it was NOT the vision of the original Enoch. 12 "portals of heaven" - the sun is directed through a new one of those 12 "portals" each month. Doesn't fit with science. 81:1 "Enoch, look at the heavenly tablets" This one sounds like Joseph Smith. Sorry. 83:1-11 is Enoch's first vision. He writes about "the abyss". Seems he had heard of it. Wonder where? From demons. 86:1-6, 87:1-4, 88:1-3 The first fallen angel was named Azazel. Raphael cast him into the abyss. Really? I thought Satan was the first fallen angel, and Christ will cast him into the Abyss. There are four archangels. There names are Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Phanuel. In my Bible there is ONE Archangel (chief or head of angels). His name is Michael - the Son of God. I will stop here. So many things seemed inconsistent with the rest of Scripture, or at least with my understanding of the Scriptures.

When God pronounces some to remain righteous and some to remain filthy, that says to me that their reward is fixed and will not change. Something will happen in the righteous that will allow them to remain sinless during the time of trouble. Those are the 144,000. They will have had the character of Jesus as He was on earth fixed in them. While Jesus was on earth, he had to daily live with temptation, but never sinned. I tend to believe His natural self was to not want to sin even if the flesh tempted Him. And that is what the people of God will be like when they are pronounced righteous still. They will live the kind of life Jesus lived. However, Jesus will still be a priest, but no longer a mediator. I also believe that this idea that we can never overcome sin and live without sin to be just about the most dangerous belief that we face in the SDA church. We are frequently exhorted in the Bible to be perfect. Paul says the Holy Spirit will finish that work in us before the great day of the Lord. So, if God can call them righteous, who am I to call them anything else?

Who said there would be less of the Holy Spirit's power? While the Holy Spirit may be leaving those who are choosing to remain wicked, that does not mean the people of God will have less. In fact, they will have more. Exactly what is the "Latter Rain" but more of the Holy Spirit?

Every one who breathes this stuff eventually dies ...