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A comment on the use of a word: People often fail to distinguish between a lie and what is false. To say that something is false, is to say that it is not true. But, in saying that something is false, one is not attacking the motive of the person who said it was false. To say that someone told a lie, attaches a motive to the falsehood that suggests that the person telling the falsehood, both knew that it was false and also intended to deceive the person being told.

When Jesus was here to demonstrate the truth about His Father and the plan of salvation, He spent most of His time healing rather than preaching. While there is influence and value in preaching, healing eloquently illustrates the truth about God and His government and what it would mean to set right everything that has […] The post Jesus the Healer (14:2) appeared first on Jon Paulien's Blog. View the full article

Jack, (not his real name) turned 3 years old recently, and is a shirt-tale relative of mine. He is undergoing some changes in his life, over which he has no control, that no 3 year-old should have to undergo and he does not understand. While he and I have met, we have not been close. But, with these changes, he is seeing me more often. Yesterday (July 4) we met again at a family activity. He recognized me but at first was a little unsure about me. As time passed, he became more relaxed in relating to me. As I was sitting, with an empty place, after eating all that I wanted, he walled up to me, and looking at my empty plate said: * Your plate empty. * Where is your cookie? * I get you cookie. Off he went, and returned with one very large cookie that he had selected for me and placed it on my plate. I found it very meaningful.

The above photo is of Jack and his mother, taken July 4, 2019.

Really bad article. Thought it was written by a college freshman. "Witnessing" has never been, for me, as described in the article. Best times of my life were spent witnessing e.g., doing prison ministry, passing out tracts in interesting places such as rock concerts and other public venues. I'd much prefer an article by someone who actually knows what they are talking about such as John Carter or Pastor Doug. Most companies have goals employees are expected to meet. When Ross Perot worked at IBM, he met his annual goals in a week. SDA clergy continue drawing their salaries for doing what? Baptizing a few children of members every year? A professional degree such as an M.Div or D.Min isn't required for that. As one SDA pastor said, the best way to grow a church is through membership transfers i.e., moving peas under a walnut shell around, riding the coattails of others. I personally baptized 8 people in a ~ year as part of a team with one paid ministerial professional, whose salary did not come from the sweat of church members. Granted, most SDA clergy are failures at evangelism or witnessing. Most simply don't know how to do it, although that's what they should be paid to do. Like what the Bible says "Those who preach the gospel should live of the gospel." Instead of writing books, the author should have been out knocking on doors to discover how he might serve his community. That's how Willow Creek started, a young pastor and his wife visiting their community to discover what the people though they needed. The ICOC attracted thousands of young people through friendship evangelism, including medical students, young lawyers, navy pilots. One young physician mentioned that another physician he worked with was an Adventist and spiritually was one of the most bitter and messed up people he had ever met. This same young doctor was part of a team evangelizing L.A. for the ICOC. He was discipling another medical doctor when I met him. The ICOC, the Mormons, the JW's have few professional clergy in their ranks but do a fair job of growing their churches. If I remember correctly, in parts of N.A., it costs about $100,000 for every new member who joins the SDA church. Get that? The cost of one new member exceeds the salary of a pastor. Those eight new members, many of whom are not even working, in a church with 2 or three pastors, cost nearly a million bucks. Most SDA clergy are being underwritten by the labors of other individuals. I'm not a CPA so it's hard for me to understand how any entity can continue under those circumstances.

Some examples will bring a laugh. Yet, all is worthy of consideration. https://spectrummagazine.org/views/2019/consent-doesnt-stop-i-do

Remember Lot’s wife Luke 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.