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Basic theme: The Two Groups in Revelation 7 The changes to the Teacher’s Edition of the Adult Sabbath School Study Guide (known popularly as the Sabbath School Quarterly) for January to March 2019 were more significant than in previous weeks. I will review the changes that were interesting or substantive. The introductory paragraph of the […] The post Revelation Teacher’s Quarterly, Week 6, February 2-9 Analysis of Changes Made in the Editorial Process for the Teacher’s Edition appeared first on Jon Paulien's Blog. View the full article

The following article was published January 30, 2019, in the secular press. It addresses a number of issues related to SDA health care. For that reason I am posting it as I believe that is is of interest to people reading posts in this forum. The article makes a very brief statement as to the SDA position on abortion. In the past, we have had an extended discussion of abortion which reached the point where it was not useful to continue to discuss abortion. As a result, we have restricted comments on abortion. My posting of the following article should not be construed as permission to again discussion abortion. Please do not do so as our restriction still stands. https://rewire.news/article/2019/01/30/meet-another-religious-health-system-restricting-reproductive-health-care/

https://atoday.org/what-i-want-to-teach-my-son-about-how-to-treat-women/

for all of us it is a very good thing ?

Hath forgiven you

5 Things You Didn't Know About Albert Einstein You probably know him as one of the most profound geniuses in history and as the physicist behind the famous "E = mc2" equation that helped explain the presence of gravity. But there's a lot more to Albert Einstein than just that. We dug up five things we bet you didn't know about Einstein. Ready? Despite the rumors, Einstein never failed math. Though he did fail his college entrance exam. Sorry kids—no more bringing home a flunked math test and saying, "It's okay, Einstein failed math, too." The truth is, this longstanding legend is totally false. Einstein was an average student in most subjects, but he actually excelled in math while in primary school. At 16 years-old, he did, however, fail his entry exam to the Swiss Federal Polytechnic—a STEM school in Zurich. His test scores were exceptional in math and physics, but he bombed in other areas and therefore failed the test as a whole (don't worry, he got in a year later). An autopsy revealed that Einstein's brain was bigger but lighter than the average person's. And the doctor stole it. After Einstein's death in 1955 from an abdominal aneurysm rupture, an autopsy and several studies were conducted on Einstein's brain. Two interesting discoveries were made: first, Einstein's brain weighed notably less than the average human brain. His weighed 1,230 grams, while the average is 1,400 grams. Second, his parietal lobe (where mathematic thought resides) was 15 percent larger. The pathologist who conducted the autopsy later stole Einstein's brain and was fired from Princeton when he refused to return it (he later did bring it back, but not until 1998). That same doctor stole Einstein's eyeballs, too. Yep, this guy was a real kleptomaniac when it came to Einstein's body parts. The doctor took Einstein's eyes—sealed in a jar of formaldehyde—and gave them to Einstein's friend and ophthalmologist, Henry Abrams. Abrams stored the eyeballs in a safety deposit box in New Jersey. Though frequent rumors bubbled up that the eyeballs were up for auction, Abrams vehemently denied the claims until his death in 2009. The whereabouts of the eyeballs today are unknown, but presumably, they may still be in that New Jersey bank vault. J. Edgar Hoover spied on Einstein and had a 1,400-page file on the scientist. Hoover began spying on Einstein shortly after he fled Germany in 1932 to escape the rising Nazi Socialist party. Einstein was a vocal political activist, who denounced nationalism, racism, and even questioned capitalism. His left-wing views put him on Hoover's radar, who believed Einstein could be a communist or even a Soviet spy. Einstein was, of course, neither, but that didn't stop Hoover from ordering agents to listen in on his calls, read his mail, and even sift through his trash for close to two decades. Einstein hated socks. That's right—the man behind one of the most important scientific discoveries in recent history had a big beef with socks. He once bragged to a colleague about rarely wearing them at Oxford and was said to be annoyed by the constant holes that popped up. Whether it was while out sailing or to a formal dinner at the White House, Einstein went without socks everywhere. To Einstein, socks were a pain because they often would get holes in them.

The only theocracy I am interested in is one led by Jesus Christ. Throughout history, other theocracies - regardless of the faith - have devolved into tyrannical persecutors.

I think we often times get into semantical arguments. So, a look at some of the definitions of a prophet may be in order: Prophet a person who speaks for God or a deity, or by divine inspiration. one of a class of persons in the early church, next in order after the apostles, recognized as inspired to utter special revelations and predictions. 1 Cor. 12:28. <<And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.>> a person regarded as, or claiming to be, an inspired teacher or leader. a weather prophet; prophets of doom. Of all the spiritual gifts, Paul would have one have the skill of prophecy: 1 Corinthians 14:1-5 - Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. ... 3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. ... 5 I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: ... In the OT, there were schools of prophets. Note how the students in one of these schools followed Elijah as he was going to his translation. A person is often said when preaching, to be speaking for God. Technically, a preaching pastor is a prophet. Mrs. White did not claim to be a prophet. However, when someone is humbled by the task they do and guard against self importance, why would you think she would claim the title of prophet even when she was? One of my favorite pastors discusses the great movements that God has raised up. He notes that there have been three great movements in the history of the world. Carefully looking at Bible history, you can easily see it. The first was the Jewish people starting with the calling of Abraham out of Ur. The second was the Christian movement as symbolized by the pure woman in revelation, and the third was the remnant raised up after 1844 and represented by the Sabbath keepers looking for the Second Coming (aka SDAs). All these movements had great prophets (defined as doing the will of God and having the gift of prophecy. Paul is said to have had all of the spiritual gifts). So, I have no problem seeing Mrs. White as a prophet and would expect nothing less than she would decline to claim the title. You will notice in the definitions that a prophet is one "regarded" as a prophet. Another issue is that Mrs. White had many visions, which I believe were from God just like Paul, Isaiah, Ezekial, John, and many others had. In the light of her visions, it seems a stretch to say she is just a good writer. My concern comes when people start trying to chisel away at her work as a messenger. People have attempted in so many ways to diminish what God did through her. And when you attempt to diminish her work, you are really trying to diminish what God has done. Nothing of what I have written should be construed to say she was above the Bible. It seems that people are always ready to read someone else, but oh no, not Mrs White! (I am not against reading others writers.) So, today, we seldom hear what she wrote from the pulpit. Only a small fraction of the SDA church even reads her writings. For that matter, not a lot even read their Bibles.

Sometimes, I think God lets us keep our afflictions to give us an opportunity for others to see how we praise Him and be joyful (not the same as happy) in spite of our trials. I look at paraplegics and quads who are permanently confined to wheelchairs. Although I have seen a couple of them get up and walk at healing services, probably over 99% don't. Nonetheless, some are champions for the Lord regardless of their disabilities. Take Joni Eareckson Tada for example: https://www.joniandfriends.org/joni-eareckson-tada-receives-new-cancer-diagnosis/ May the God who heals take away your pain and give you back your full life, whbae. In Jesus' name.