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Many, many posts here are of a "gotcha" variety or of the practice of oneupsmanship. It may be a standard acceptable practice for debate teams, but seems to be a bit unseemly when it is a Christian discussion group. Jesus said regarding one of the disciples when first introduced that he had no guile in his mouth. Seems to be one of the nicest compliments you could receive. (For the record, I claim no innocence regarding any of the objectionable characteristics listed above. But I do have some goals. )

I believe that we are quickly closing in on the end of time (as opposed to the time of the end) and the soon coming of Christ. With this frame of mind, I can't help but to watch news events and look at potential ties to end-time prophecy. While I disagree with hch's views of the future and the surety with which he presents them, I think he is sincerely trying to be a faithful watchman. I, too am obsessed with end-time prophecy; so I don't dismiss out of hand certain scenarios for end-time events besides EGW's views. I don't dismiss EGW's views either; she presents a very plausible scenario. It's just that I don't find safety in dismissing every interpretation of end-time prophecy - putting on blinders and looking exclusively at Mrs. White's viewpoint. hch, I apologize for seeming to ridicule you are a person due to your interpretation of things. Although I disagree with it, I should nor ridicule (or be seen as ridiculing) you. I feel like I have recently taken a lot of heat for some of my "outside the box" views, and I don't like it. I doubt if you like it others. I In following Jesus' advice to "do unto others ..." I will do my best not to denigrate you in the future, although I may challenge some of your ideas (although I have little hope of changing your mind on anything). Wishing everyone a blessed and peaceful Sabbath.

Many seem to need to disparage Sister White. However, join the long line going back to even when she was working hard for the growth of the church and the spreading of the Gospel. But others also had dreams then. Below is a dream reported to Sister White when she was feeling a bit discouraged regarding the work. After returning from the Conference, a great uncertainty came upon me in relation to the prosperity of the cause of God. Doubts existed in my mind where none had been six months before. I viewed God’s people as partaking of the spirit of the world, imitating its fashions, and getting above the simplicity of our faith. It seemed that the church at Battle Creek were backsliding from God, and it was impossible to arouse their sensibilities. The testimonies given me of God had the least influence and were the least heeded in Battle Creek of any part of the field. I trembled for the cause of God. I knew that the Lord had not forsaken His people, but that their sins and iniquities had separated them from God. At Battle Creek is the great heart of the work. Every pulsation is felt by the members of the body all over the field. If this great heart is in health, a vital circulation will be felt all through the body of Sabbathkeepers. If the heart is diseased, the languishing condition of every branch of the work will attest the fact. – {1T 596.2} My interest is in this work; my life is interwoven with it. When Zion prospers, I am happy; if she languishes, I am sad, desponding, discouraged. I saw that God’s people were in an alarming condition, and His favor was being removed from them. I pondered upon this sad picture day and night, and pleaded in bitter anguish: “O Lord, give not Thine heritage to reproach. Let not the heathen say, Where is their God?” I felt that I was cut loose from everyone at the head of the work and was virtually standing alone. I dared not trust anyone. In the night I have awakened my husband, saying: “I am afraid that I shall become an infidel.” Then I would cry for the Lord to save me by His own powerful arm. I could not see that my testimonies were regarded, and I entertained the thought that perhaps my work in the cause was done. We had appointments at Bushnell, but I told my husband that I could not go. He soon returned from the post office with a letter from Brother Matteson, containing the following dream: – {1T 596.3} “Dear Brother White: May the blessing of God be with you, and these lines find you still prospering and improving in health and spiritual strength. I feel very thankful to the Lord for His goodness to you, and trust that you may yet enjoy perfect health and freedom in the proclamation of the last message. – {1T 597.1} “I have had a remarkable dream about you and Sister White, and feel it my duty to relate the same to you as far as I can remember. I dreamed that I related it to Sister White, as well as the interpretation thereof, which also was given me in the dream. When I awoke, something urged me to get up and write down all the particulars, lest I should forget them; but I neglected to do so, partly because I was tired, and partly because I thought it was nothing but a dream. But seeing that I never dreamed of you before, and that this dream was so intelligent, and so intimately connected with you, I have come to the conclusion that I ought to tell you. The following is all I can remember of it: – {1T 597.2} “I was in a large house where there was a pulpit somewhat like those we use in our meetinghouses. On it stood many lamps which were burning. These lamps needed a constant supply of oil, and quite a number of us were engaged in carrying oil and filling them. Brother White and his companion were busily engaged, and I noticed that Sister White poured in more oil than any other. Then Brother White went to a door which opened into a warehouse, where there were many barrels of oil. He opened the door and went in, and Sister White followed. Just then a company of men came along, with a great quantity of black stuff that looked like soot, and heaped it all upon Brother and Sister White, completely covering them with it. I felt much grieved, and looked anxiously to see the end of these things. I could see Brother and Sister W. both working hard to get out from under the soot, and after a long struggle they came out as bright as ever, and the evil men and the soot disappeared. Then Brother and Sister White engaged again more heartily than ever in supplying the lamps with oil, but Sister W. still had the precedence. – {1T 597.3} “I dreamed that the following was the interpretation: The lamps represented the remnant people. The oil was the truth and heavenly love, of which God’s people need a constant supply. The people engaged in supplying the lamps were the servants of God laboring in the harvest. Who the evil company were in particular I could not tell, but they were men moved upon by the devil, who directed their evil influence specially against Brother and Sister White. The latter were in great distress for a season, but were at last delivered by the grace of God and their own earnest efforts. Then finally the power of God rested upon them, and they acted a prominent part in the proclamation of the last message of mercy. But Sister White had a richer supply of heavenly wisdom and love than the rest. – {1T 598.1} “This dream has rather strengthened my confidence that the Lord will lead you out and finish the work of restoration that is begun, and that you will once more enjoy the spirit of God as you did in times past, yea, more abundantly. Forget not that humility is the door that leads to the rich supplies of the grace of God. may the Lord bless you and your companion and children, and grant us to meet in the heavenly kingdom. Yours in bonds of Christian love. – {1T 598.2} “John Matteson. “Oakland, Wisconsin, July 15, 1867.”

5 Things You Didn't Know About Fidel Castro On February 16, 1959, Fidel Castro is sworn in as prime minister of Cuba after leading a guerrilla campaign that forced right-wing dictator Fulgencio Batista into exile. Here are five things you didn't know about Fidel Castro. Castro Originally Ran for Office in the Pre-Batista Cuban Government Prior to the Batista regime, Cuba was ruled by Carlos Prio Socarras, who had dumped Cuba back into a well of inefficiency and corruption. In 1952, the country was supposed to have an election in June, and Castro began a campaign to be elected president. Before the elections could take place, however, Batista deposed Prio. The elections were called off. Despite Initial Support, the U.S. Slowly Came to Oppose Batista Batista was originally a U.S. ally. While Batista had overthrown the government before his, he was friendly to the U.S. The American government wanted to keep it that way, so they gave Batista support, including initially opposing Castro because of his Communist ideals. It helped that this was actually Batista's second term as Cuban leader; he originally governed form 1940 to 1944 and ran a fairly functional government then. However, over the next few years, Batista's new government slowly devolved into a more violent, oppressive dictatorship that sent turned many Cubans toward opposition leaders and revolutionaries. The U.S. was not happy with what Batista's government was doing, either, and so withdrew support. Castro Was Nearly Killed When He Returned to Cuba After spending time in a Cuban prison, Castro was granted amnesty and went to Mexico, where he remained in exile for a couple of years. This is where he became involved with Che Guevara's revolutionaries, and all of them became involved in a plot to overthrow Batista. In December 1956, the group sent Castro and many armed men to Cuba to begin their attempt, but they were met with very heavy resistance that resulted in the death of most of the participants. Castro and a few others were lucky enough to escape into the mountains. He Was Interviewed by Ed Sullivan The popular narrative about Castro is that he overthrew a U.S.-friendly government and led a Communist country that opposed the U.S. However, because the U.S. was distancing itself from Batista's regime and its increasing violence, Castro was actually kind of welcomed by Americans after he took over. In fact, Ed Sullivan, the TV show host, interviewed Castro in the town of Matanzas in January 1959. Sullivan was apparently impressed and reportedly was very positive about the future that Castro represented for Cuba. Castro Was the Target of Some of the Weirdest Assassination Plots to Be Cooked up in the 20th Century Castro's time as the sweetheart of American international relations eventually ended, and he became a target for assassination. While many of the plots were fairly straightforward, or at least as straightforward as a clandestine plot can be, some of the suggested plans were plain bonkers. For example, Castro liked to scuba dive, so one plan involved planting an explosive seashell at his favorite diving spot. Others involved technology that seemed straight out of the Bond films (or maybe even Get Smart), such as poison delivered with tiny needles that didn't cause any sensation.

So many arguments here on Adventistan would be settled if people would study their Sabbath school lessons! From the Sabbath school lesson for 2/12/19, "When the Angel states that there will "be time no longer," the Greek word chronos shows that He refers to a period of time. … That statement that time will be no longer refers to the time prophecies of Daniel, particularly the 2300 prophetic days of Daniel 8:14. After this period, there no longer will be prophetic time periods. Ellen White wrote, "This time, which the angel declares with a solemn oath, is not the end of this world's history, neither of probationary time, but of prophetic time, which should precede the advent of our Lord. That is, the people will not have another message upon definite time. After this period of time, reaching from 1842 to 1844, there can be no definite tracing of the prophetic time. The longest reckoning reaches to the autumn of 1844." Manuscript Releases, vol. 19 [njos. 1360-1419], p 321. Again and again have I been warned in regard to time setting. There will never again be a message for the people of God that will be based on time. We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the coming of Christ. Ellen White, Selected Messages, book 1, p.188 I agree with these quotes of Sister Whites that there are no more events in Scripture that will tied to a specific time or date. While it is possible that an event such as "prophesied" could occur, there will be many wars and they are more likely when there is "bad blood" between nations. However, get enough of these events and you start prophesying, sooner or later you may get lucky. Throw enough mud at a barn and some will stick sooner or later. However, Iran attacking US ships, not in the Bible. So, where do we go from here. hch seems to be very opposed to what Sister White has written. So, unless hch wants to declare himself as a greater prophet than Sister White, he should repent immediately!

God shall judge ?

What a beautiful story! What a beautiful man. What a witness!