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HEY ALL CANADA AND UNITED STATES MEMBERS SEPT 2 2019 is LABOR/LABOUR DAY so if you are off I hope you enjoy the day dgrimm60

See: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-15/sda-church-guilty-over-death-of-teenager-at-fundraiser/11415884 NOTE: To our friends reading this post, this death is associated with an independent congregation that is not associated with the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. The death remains tragic.

We have earlier discussed the meaning of Romans 3:25-26 at some length. Forgive me for putting in my own translation. I just can’t find one that does it right, in my opinion: For God showed Him publicly dying as a means of reconciliation [at-one-ment]. This was to demonstrate God’s own righteousness . . . to […] The post What God Is Really Like (16:5) appeared first on Jon Paulien's Blog. View the full article

September 2019 Signs of the Times Email Newsletter The Signs of the Times newsletter is a collection of stories and quotes from past issues of Signs and These Times. *************************** I thought the sun was blotted out of my sky—that I had so sinned against God that there was no hope for me. I prayed—the Lord knows how I prayed; but I never had a glimpse of an answer that I know of. I searched the Word of God; the promises were more alarming than the threatenings. I read the privileges of the people of God, but with the fullest persuasion that they were not for me. The secret of my distress was this: I did not know the gospel. I was in a Christian land, I had Christian parents, but I did not fully understand the freeness and simplicity of the gospel. I attended all the places of worship in the town where I lived, but I honestly believe that I did not hear the gospel fully preached. I do not blame the men, however. One man preached the divine sovereignty. I could hear him with pleasure; but what was that for a poor sinner who wished to know what he should do to be saved? There was another admirable man who always preached about the law; but what was the use of plowing up ground that wanted to be sown? Another was a great practical teacher. I heard him, but it was very much like a commanding officer teaching the maneuvers of war to men without feet. What could I do? All his exhortations were lost to me. I knew it was said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31), and I did not know what it was to believe in Christ. I sometimes think I might have been in darkness and despair now had it not been for the goodness of God in sending a snowstorm one Sunday morning when I was going to a place of worship. When I could go no farther, I turned down a court and came to a little chapel. In the chapel, there were a dozen or fifteen people. The minister did not come that morning; snowed up, I suppose. A poor man, a shoemaker, a tailor, or something of that sort, went up into the pulpit to preach. He was obliged to stick to his text, for the simple reason he had nothing else to say. The text was, “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 45:22). He did not even pronounce the words rightly, but that did not matter. There was, I thought, a glimpse of hope for me in the text. He began thus: “My dear friends, this is a very simple text indeed. It says, ‘Look.’ Now that does not take a great deal of effort. It isn’t lifting your foot or your finger. It is just ‘look.’ Well, a man need not go to college to learn to look. A man need not be worth a thousand a year to look. Anyone can look. A child can look. The text says, ‘Look unto Me.’ “Aye,” he said, “many of you are looking to yourselves. No use looking there. You’ll never find comfort in yourselves. Some look to God the Father. No: look to Him by and by. Jesus Christ says, ‘Look unto Me.’ Some of you say ‘I must wait the Spirit’s working.’ You have no business with that just now. Look to Christ. It runs: ‘Look unto Me.’” Then he followed up his text in this way: “Look unto Me; I am sweating great drops of blood. Look unto Me; I am hanging on the cross. Look! I am dead and buried. Look unto Me; I rise again. Look unto Me; I ascend; I am sitting at the Father’s right hand. Oh, look unto Me! Look unto Me!” When he had spoken about 10 minutes, he looked at me under the gallery, and I dare say, with a few present, he knew me to be a stranger. He then said, “Young man, you look very miserable.” Well, I did; but I had not been accustomed to having remarks made on my personal appearance from the pulpit before. However, it was a good blow struck. He continued: “And you will always be miserable—miserable in life, and miserable in death—if you do not obey my text. But if you obey now, this moment you will be saved.” Then he shouted, “Young man, look to Jesus Christ!” I did “look.” There and then the cloud was gone, the darkness had rolled away, and that moment I saw the sun: I could have risen that moment and sung with the most enthusiastic of them of the precious blood of Christ, and the simple faith which looks alone to Him. Oh, that somebody had told me that before: Trust Christ, and you shall be saved. It was, no doubt, wisely ordered, and I must ever say: “E’er since by faith I saw the stream Thy wounds supplied for me, Redeeming love has been my theme And shall forever be.”—By Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Signs of the Times, August 1989. Quote: “Mistrust those in whom the impulse to punish is strong.”—By Friedrich Nietzsche,Signs of the Times, October 1994. *************************** Don't miss the October 2019 issue of Signs of the Times: To order Signs, call: 1-800-765-6955 or ONLINE! *************************** The midnight of the soul does come. It came to George B. Lieberman one night in 1947. He was on a train that jumped the tracks and rolled down an embankment. From that night on, this rabbi knew pain—real pain—for his legs were crushed. Then followed the long, lonely, pain-filled hours and days and months when the mental anguish of believing his ministry was at an end compounded his physical suffering. Here is what he said about pain: “There are two ways to conquer pain: either we can try to escape it, or we can try to make it useful. . . . Pain is a cruel master. But can it not be a teacher? “Yes, the first lesson it teaches is faith—religious faith. Of course, there are moments of rebellion when it seems easier to reject, to denounce—and to shake a fist against Heaven. But in the midst of despair and helplessness, the feeling that we can still lift our voices to the Power beyond ourselves, that we can still communicate our torment and our triumph to the unseen Friend and retain a light however dim—that is faith. . . . “So upon its wings of destruction, pain carries a promise. And this is the great lesson it has taught me: the promise beyond pain is life.”—By C. William Fisher, These Times, June 1983. Quote: “A genuine word of kindness is often the best lever to raise a depressed spirit to its natural level.”—By Arthur Helps, These Times, March 1967. *************************** NEW from Pacific Press—Secrets to WELLNESS by Ernestine “Teenie” Finley. Around the world, Teenie Finley has shared health material in conjunction with her husband’s evangelist meetings. The material she has shared in workshops and seminars is now available in this attractive book. Great for personal study, use in seminars and giving as a gift. Read the first chapter FREE online. Order ONLINE or call your local Adventist Book Center--1-800-765-6955. *************************** A terrific storm was raging, and in one home two of the larger children of the household were greatly frightened, both giving way to sobs. A five-year-old lad, who was not in the least disturbed by the storm, soon wearied of the cries of the older children, and blurted out: “Oh, stop your bawlin’! Don’t you suppose God knows His business?”—From Of Such is the Kingdom, Signs of the Times, August 25, 1909. Quote: “God don’t make no junk.”—By Ethel Waters, Signs of the Times, March 1988. *************************** Place this in your church bulletin or newsletter: Want to connect with your neighbor? Maybe a loved one far away? Each monthly issue of Signs of the Times® offers a compelling presentation of the full gospel message. The result is changed lives! Send a subscription today. Order from your Adventist Book Center. To order call: 1-800-765-6955 or online at: http://www.adventistbookcenter.com/signs-of-the-times-magazine-yearly-us-subscription.html *************************** He was much too sickly ever to amount to anything. You could never say he was ever really well. He was quite tall and well-built, with broad shoulders and big hands, but that was about all you could say about his body. That and the fact that he didn’t die—which some of his brothers and sisters did. For he lived back in the days when America was known as the colonies, and almost every family could name a brother or sister or a mother or father who lay out in the graveyard beside the church. The boy’s parents were well-to-do and sent him to college, though nowadays we’d probably call it high school. He graduated at 17, and that’s all the schooling he got. He went into surveying, which meant he had to do a lot of camping, often near swamps. The swamps bred mosquitoes, and the young man came down with malaria. He didn’t blame the mosquitoes, for he didn’t know they carried the germs that made him ill. He called the terrible attacks of shivering he endured “ague” and suffered from them the rest of his life. When he was about 19, the young man came down with smallpox which left scars all over his face. His favorite brother, Lawrence, died. The young man was depressed, embarrassed by the scars, but not discouraged. You had to notice that about this young man. He was not discouraged. Then he got tuberculosis, which kept him at home most of two years. By the time he finally recovered, the colonies were fighting the Indians. The young man volunteered. Nowadays he would be rejected as unfit for army service. But no one told him that then, and, somehow, he didn’t seem to realize it. The way soldiers lived in those days, there was a great deal of illness among them. Disease killed far more soldiers than bullets did. The young man became so ill that he had to be helped onto his horse so that he could lead his men. Notice that—so sick that he had to be helped onto his horse, but onto the horse he got, and, sick or not, he led his men. Maybe he would amount to something yet. When the Indian war was over, he went home. Not long after that the colonies Broke away from England, and this sickly man became one of the leaders in the war for independence. When the war was over, he was asked to be one of the leaders of the new country. He accepted. For a while after that, his leg bothered him so much that he lay in bed for six weeks. Twice during those years he caught pneumonia and nearly died. In spite of everything, he lived to be 67, which was quite old for those days. He outlived his children. Finally, he got a sore throat. The doctor bled him, believing that the body would produce a serum to take the place of the “bad” blood and heal the patient. They crushed some cantharides beetles and applied the juice to his throat, which burned the skin and formed a blister. The doctors hoped this would draw the bad blood out. The treatments were unsuccessful. Born in February of 1732, the patient died at ten o’clock in the evening of December 14, 1799. For a sickly boy, he hadn’t done too badly. We know him today as the Father of His Country, the first President of the United States, George Washington.—By Lawrence Maxwell, Signs of the Times, February 1978. Quote: “It is no argument that Christ is not in the ship because tempests and storms arise.”—Unknown, Signs of the Times, July 25, 1911. *************************** CLICK HERE for everything you need to give a Bible study to a friend! *************************** A little incident, which illustrates the half-unconscious feeling which many people have about depending on divine providence, is related in the memoirs of Mary Somerville. When a girl she and her brother had coaxed their timid mother to accompany them on a sail. The day was sunny, but a stiff breeze was blowing, and presently the boat began to toss and roll. “George,” called Mrs. Fairfax to the captain, “this is an awful storm! I fear we are in great danger; mind how you steer; remember, I trust in you!” He replied, “Don’t trust in me, lady; trust in God Almighty.” In perfect horror the lady exclaimed, “Dear me, is it come to that!”—Selected, Signs of the Times, August 25, 1909. Quote: “There are businessmen who see only things—sales-resistance, charts, profits; there are other businessmen who see faces—the faces of those who work for them, and the faces of those who have no work. There are statesmen who see only things—battleships, voting booths, newspaper headlines; and there are other statesmen who see faces—faces of the poor, faces of little children, and myriad faces slain in war. There are would-be preachers who see only things—church buildings, card indices, yearbook figures; and there are other preachers, ordained by a tenderness beyond the hand of man, who see faces—faces wistful and sin-scarred, lonely and brave. Jesus saw nothing on earth but faces; nothing in heaven but faces.”—By George Buttrick, These Times, September 1961. *************************** To see the most complete list of Adventist eBooks, CLICK HERE. *************************** And I smiled to think God’s greatness flowed around our incompleteness, Round our restlessness, His rest—by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, These Times, January 1961. *************************** Compiled by Dale Galusha. Please pass this newsletter on to others. Copyright © 2019 Pacific Press, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you asked to receive it. Our mailing address is: Pacific Press P.O. Box 5353 Nampa, ID 83653

As Thou wilt ? Matthew 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

5 Things You Didn't Know About Thurgood Marshall_2 On this day in 1967, Thurgood Marshall was confirmed as a Supreme Court justice. He was the first African American to serve on the court and had been nominated by President Lyndon Johnson. Here are 5 things you probably didn't know about Thurgood Marshall... The University of Maryland's Law Library Is Named After Marshall, but Years Earlier, the School Had Turned Him Away Because of His Race. When Marshall first applied to law school in 1930, he tried to get into the University of Maryland Law School but was turned down because of his race. He went to Howard University Law School instead, and in 1935, managed to sue the University of Maryland in another racial-discrimination case, this time for an African American man named Donald Murray. Marshall won his case, forcing the desegregation of the University of Maryland Law School. The law school's library is now named after Marshall. He Was the Chief Attorney for the Plaintiffs in Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. Marshall developed a reputation as a very good lawyer able to pursue civil rights cases with much success. He won the majority of his cases, including the case of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka in 1952. The case actually included five separate cases and, at first, didn't look like it would succeed. The case had gone before the Supreme Court, which in 1952 was led by Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson. Vinson felt that a previous ruling from the 1800s known as Plessy should stand; Plessy gave rise to the concept of "separate but equal," which had been sorely abused and used to justify segregation. However, Vinson died in 1953, before the case was decided. His replacement was Earl Warren, who supported Marshall's arguments. The court ruled in favor of Marshall and the plaintiffs in 1955. He Was Asked By The United Nations and United Kingdom To Help Write The Constitutions of Ghana and Tanzania. After they won independence from European imperial powers, Ghana and Tanzania were in need of a constitution. The UN and UK asked Thurgood for help – they felt that his success fighting for America’s oppressed minority would help protect the rights of the minority white citizens in those nations. Both constitutions are still in use today. Marshall's Confirmation Led to Massive Growth in Law School Application Numbers for African Americans. Marshall's ascent to the Supreme Court really opened the figurative door for the African American community. While African Americans had long applied to law schools before his nomination and confirmation, after 1967 there was a huge spike in applications made by African Americans to law schools across the country. He Was Voted “Least Likely to Succeed” Thurgood’s friends describe him as loud and the life of the party. He joined Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and enjoyed drinking, smoking, and playing cards. After joining the Alpha Phi Alphas, Marshall reveled in fraternity life. He pulled wild pranks on other students and was expelled for a short while when one went too far. His wild and boisterous behavior gave him the reputation as 'apparently the least likely to succeed' among his classmates. But Marshall turned his studies around quickly. He had a knack for debate, shined as an orator, and was known for his energetic football rally speeches.

See: https://conversation.spectrummagazine.org/t/adventist-church-works-to-clarify-its-stance-on-abortion/18928 The above article is informative as to efforts that the SDA Church is attempting to take in regard to abortion. I am posting it here as I wish to inform you. In the past, we have had to close down discussion of abortion in this forum, as it was not productive. This posting is not permission to re-open such discussion. But, I think our members should be informed. Therefore, I am closing this thread from further comment.

The following scientific study may surprise you: https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s10943-019-00888-6?author_access_token=PivkGEgYKVz3jw8Z1ImnQfe4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY69Yvewtxkrp5rNWhmM40pSOosq4J9V-aZjt8H2g0gRTVl2hnsW7qWNLgpMQRV59nDGevLtbUDN_yqrwUMHvnGexiF2LDAv5LQaBAXSfvBJVQ%3D%3D

I have received a response from the elected Conference official, to my request for permission to post his response to me in this forum. He has explained he is free to respond to an individual request for information, as he did to me. However, administratively if the request involved publication in any manner, to include the Internet, that response must go through a more formal process of approval, as it will be seen as an official statement of a Conference position. So, on that basis, he has asked that I do not post his response to me, which I will respect. He has stated that I may state in my words, without a direct quotation, the essence of what he said in responding to me. I may do that in a later post, as I have done in this post. He also suggested that I contact Susan Magitias directly and stated that she would welcome my doing so. I responded that I would do so, if he would give me an e-mail contact for her. He also informed me that the Conference is very busy in preparing for a Consitutancy (sp) Meeting in 2-weeks. From that perspective, I do not believe that it is likely that I will be able to obtain, in the near future, an official statement from the Conference in regard to what Susan has written. The bottom line: I will continue to work on this issue and I will keep you informed as to my progress. My next step will be to contact Susan directly, if I can obtain her e-mail address. Again, remember the 17 hour time difference. As it is the Sabbath in Australia, some may not read their e-mail until after teh weekend.

Heppenstall says Paul's "second use" of the expression "under law" is in his descriptions of the Christian experience. By grace we are not "under the law" - which means that "sin shall not have dominion over you" (Romans 6:12-14). Romans 6:12 "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. (NIV) In this verse (if I'm reading it right) "under the law" means "under the law" of sin - with sin having the dominion. It appears (to me) - in Paul's view, that sin had dominion over men (it controlled men) UNTIL Christ came and died to set us free from that dominion, through the indwelling of His Spirit. That IS the New Covenant Promise - that He would put His spirit within us and then we would keep His Law (not because we are controlled, but because we are enabled to do so). The key might be in Paul's use of the words "another law". The OTHER LAW would be the irresistible law of sin - the dominion of sin over mankind. We are free to choose between the two, and we must choose between the two. There is no in between. No man can serve two masters. According to Paul, without Christ one doesn't really have a choice - one is not able to control one's thoughts or behavior, even when he knows the behavior is killing him, or will soon cut him off from God. Sin is an overpowering addiction. "Who will deliver me from this body of death?" The answer of course - is Christ within. As Paul said, "For me to live is Christ." I had not seen this meaning before - of "under the law". But it does make sense.

I can't agree that the weekly cycle, monthly cycle - from creation, "will become irrelevant". If I read it right, WITHIN THE HOLY CITY there is constant light. So no sun/moon day/night. Everywhere outside the city, there will be cycles of day and night. The new moon will be visible, as will the full moon for the Feasts of Passover and Sakkot. Isaiah 66:23 "From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD. (NIV) When this earth was created, the LORD called it "very good". It turned on its axis. The sun, the moon, the stars, were all part of the "very good" creation. It appears the "new earth" will involve most of the same bodies.