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The following article tells us how the Oakwood University congregation has experienced "church" in the time of the COVID-19 virus: https://spectrummagazine.org/interviews/2020/behind-wall-oakwood-university-church-virtual-ministry-series I am reminded of another congregation of which I am aware. They worship in a building that can seat 500 people. With COVID, they began to live stream their services. This was an experiment done without spending the funds to purchase the ability to do much of what Oakwood University has been able to do. Currently, on some sabbaths they have 1,000+ homes (with an unknown number of people in each home) watching their live-streamed service! Remember, their building can only seat 500 people.

With thanks to the NAD, for information as to how SDA colleges in North America will open, see the following: Advent Health University – Orlando, Florida; Denver, Colorado https://www.ahu.edu/campus/policies-and-campus-safety/campus-safety/covid-19-info/fall-campus-guidelines Andrews University – Berrien Springs, Michigan https://www.andrews.edu/worldchangers/changingworld/index.html Burman University – Lacombe, Alberta, Canada https://www.burmanu.ca/virus Kettering College – Kettering, Ohio https://kc.edu/coronavirus/ La Sierra University – Riverside, California https://lasierra.edu/fall-2020-updates/ Loma Linda University – Loma Linda, California https://home.llu.edu/campus-and-spiritual-life/student-services/coronavirus-covid-19-updates#covid19_alert Oakwood University – Huntsville, Alabama https://www2.oakwood.edu/wp-content/uploads/OU-FALL-2020-RE-OPENING-PLAN-draft4x.pdf Pacific Union College – Angwin, California https://www.puc.edu/academics/preparing-for-fall Southern Adventist University – Collegedale, Tennessee https://www.southern.edu/connect/coronavirus.html Southwestern Adventist University – Keene, Texas https://www.swau.edu/prepared-pursue Union College – Lincoln, Nebraska https://ucollege.edu/covid-19 Walla Walla University – College Place, Washington https://www.wallawalla.edu/news/covid-19-response-information/ Washington Adventist University – Takoma Park, Maryland https://issuu.com/waunews/docs/wau_covid-19_reopening_book_web?fr=sZmI1MDE2OTY0MzU NOTE: As plans may change, please check periodically with individual schools for updates.

For a stimulating discussion group, today see: https://atoday.org/atss-august-1/

Yes, love is the key, but many only speak it, but they do not truly mean it. If ye love ME, keep MY Commandments. John 14:15 We claim to love HIM, but many don't and that is the problem. If all those in the many churches had this type of love it would not take the young people to take to the streets today. Many of these young people have left the churches because they have not found love there. Instead they found confusion and one church believe this way and another a different way. They see gossiping, clicks, adultery, lying, backstabbing, over religious but denying the truth of THE MOST HIGH! So, they left being true to them self and their way of life. However, the Bible said that children shall lead the way. It was the young people who realize that Black lives matter and even during a pandemic they came out and then the mothers, fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers, children of all nationality woke up. YAHWEH allowed a pandemic to strike and it took away all of the varies types of entertainment and bars, restaurants were close, Parents had to stay home with their children and work with them on their school work. They had to sit at the table and eat together and talk to each and not smart phones, computers. Each going their own way. It cause those who realize how they have truly mistreated Black people for four hundred years, also the American Indians, the Asians, the Brown Hispanics. All over the world they saw a black man being choke to death by the police and YAHWEH open their eyes. True love came out and this phenomena really happen because, YAHSHUA appearing is really close. The test for the crown is coming to a close. Those who really love HIM will bring in others and it doesn't matter what color your skin is. It doesn't matter what color YAHSHUA IS, what matter is loving and be obedient to HIS WORD! The Gospel shall be preach into all the world, to every nation, tongue and kingdom. Yes, and then the end will come! Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which THE MASTER, THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love HIS appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8 Happy Sabbath and Blessing to All!

? promise Lord is thy keeper Psalm 121:5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. Happy Sabbath

Amen, amen, and again - AMEN!!! I would further suggest that people here quit responding to existing threads about gays.

Miss Jessie: Certainly this is an issue that is between the individual and God and we should not judge another. Yet, the Bible tells Christians that there is value in fellowship. I will suggest that there is value in people discussing how they have come to a conclusion and understanding. I find that to be personally true for me. People sometimes give me something to think about that I have not previously considered.

That's fine, but lots of people have jobs that require them to be working on Fridays at their employment, and many don't get home until after sundown. I think it's best to let people be convicted in their own minds as to what's good and proper to do on the Sabbath..

Background: My wife and I own (some years ago) two automobiles. One is an 8 passenger vehicle and the other is a 4-passenger small car. We have two sons. My practice is to have both vehicles full of gasoline early on Friday afternoon. But, this weekend, due to not wanting to purchase gasoline near sundown, our small car is full and the other vehicle is running on fumes. Well, the small car is enough for our 4-person family to go to church. Sabbath morning we get a telephone call from a family (Just before we are going to leave for church.) that would like to attend church and need transportation. What do you think that I should do? Well, I could take my family to church, and come back to pick them up. They would miss Sabbath School if I did that. I can't call others and ask them to take them to church as others are already on the way to church. I guess that I could tell to stay home and read the Bible verses on proper Sabbath keeping? I could put a gallon of water in the tank and ask God to convert it to gasoline, and then tell my story in church? Or, I could do what I think a reasonable God would expect me to do, which is what I did.

So sorry, ClubV12, but I have to disagree with this. The true Church is made up of God's people everywhere, in every denomination AND religion, and God alone knows who they are. The "One True Church" heresy leads to all sorts of problems...

Instead of hashing it out with your own opinions, you should all study it out in the Bible to find out what is appropriate, and what is not. And keep in mind these things: 1. In the end, when Christ comes again, it doesn't matter how justified you are in the eyes of others, or how condemned you are in the eyes of others. What matters is whether or not you are justified in the eyes of Christ/God. So you should not be trying to justify your Sabbath activities, or anything for that matter, to the internet world or anyone else. 2. Take it up with the Lord, instead of trying to convince others that your views on this subject are okay. The Lord may not have revealed to you what He has revealed to others, and you may convince others, or give them excuses, to go against what God actually as convicted them of, and it's never safe to go against your God-given convictions, especially if you know they measure up to the Bible. Even if you can do certain things on the Sabbath, other people may not be safe doing the same things. 3. The Sabbath is about acknowledging the creator, as well as spending time with and getting to know Him. He has laid out plans for how His Sabbath should be kept. On top of that, it shouldn't be spent doing anything that takes your mind off of Christ, or your time away from getting to know Him and His words/requirement, as well as witnessing to others, sharing your faith and your relationship with Christ, or doing good for others. It should not be spent in personal gain or personal profit, advertising, business, etc. If you would like to see Scripture and Ellen White sources, please say so. I would be looking for some if I had more time to give a study on it. I, too, am guilty of violating God's Sabbath, so I do not speak as one who is perfect, but as one who is learning, and to whom God has revealed much. 4. There are things God says not to do, and those things we should not do. But besides not doing those things, we should be learning of Him, sharing Him, and helping the less fortunate. 5. There are things that God has not been so specific about. Some things may be "safe" for some, while not safe for others, but these are not things that God has told us specifically not to do. 6. God says to "remember the Sabbath". We should be preparing for the Sabbath ahead of time, and doing what is possible to get done before Sabbath, and laying aside the things that can wait. This does not excuse things that people think can't wait, and surviving and/or preserving your life is not a good excuse to violate the Sabbath. After all, isn't there a law coming where people who do not violate God's law, who prefer to keep God's law, will be in danger of losing their lives? What does the Bible say about how the people should react? They should keep God's law, even at the danger of losing their lives...So if we buy food on the Sabbath now, or work on the Sabbath now, for survival, how will we be able to drop those habits or excuses when our lives really are in danger? Plus, it's also about trust, we should trust God to provide. And people aren't usually going to starve to death over night or even in the morning. They can wait a few hours if you really don't have any food. If they are to the point of dying from starvation, they are most likely also at the point where they need the nutrients pumped directly into their veins and stomach, and need a hospital. If it's about hospitality, I believe it will be a better witness to explain that you hadn't been expecting company, to explain your convictions on the Sabbath, and do your best to put together something for them if you do have food. If you really only had enough for breakfast for yourself, you could try to divide it up. However, if you had enough money to buy food for them on Sabbath, it means you're probably not too poor to have some other food in the pantry. You can dig up something that might not usually be eaten for breakfast, such as a lunch item or something, and get creative. Maybe grilled cheese and tomato soup? Even if such an excuse can be justified in that isolated case, and maybe some other cases, God is the judge, and He may not accept that excuse for others who are not well enough prepared, but who could have been, and this could be made into an excuse for many to willfully violate or not be prepared for the Sabbath. Such thinking can be dangerous. If you need to see supportive Bible verses and Ellen White quotes, I will supply them, but that may take some time. I recommend studying it out yourself, however. God cannot be outsmarted with human logic.