Leaderboard

ABOUNDING GRACE "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”—2 Corinthians 9:8 (ESV) Truly we all need forgiving grace always for everything we do falls short of perfection. Grace also has another facet besides forgiveness which is enabling grace that empowers us to live the life of good works that we are called to live. This grace is imparted to us as we commune with God which includes set apart times for prayer but is also a way of life in which our heart continually cries out to God for His help at all times and and in all circumstances. We have many precious promises that grace always abounds to strengthen and guide us in every time of need. "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”--Hebrews 4:16 (NLT) Praise God! We all can say with Paul that "by the grace of God I am what I am.”—1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV) For more thoughts about grace read LIVING BY GRACE on the link below: http://www.tomdurst.com/journey26living_by_grace.shtml

In his closing sermon at the recent General Conference Ted Wilson presented 25 issues that he considered to be important to this denomination. The following article presents an alternative set of important issues. https://spectrummagazine.org/views/2022/letter-ted-wilson-25-alternatives-hold-fast

For a somewhat jaundiced view of the recent General Conference see: https://atoday.org/east-germany-and-st-louis/

Dick, if you want an in-depth perspective on how divisive the issues of the role of Ellen White in Adventism was during the 60s and 70s, and are willing to read a 456 page book read: Valentine, Gilbert M., Ostriches & Canaries: Coping With Change in Adventism, 1966 to 1979. If you want a much shorter treatment, and from a slightly different focus see: Campbell, Michael W., 1919, The Untold story of Adventism's Struggle With Fundamentalism, 124 pages. Campbell, Michael w., 1922, The Rise of Adventist Fundamentalism, 144 pages. NOTE: All three books may be purchased from Amazon.

(N) Preserveth our way Proverbs 2:8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

On a personal basis, for me to say what it meant to Ellen White, I would need to see a statement from her as to what it meant to her. I do not know of any such statement by her. Therefore, I consider all statements as to what she meant to be speculative and potentially wrong. But such statements could be correct. However, it should be clear that Ellen White could have been wrong in her understanding of amalgamation. I have no problem with that. Ellen White was subject to error. She was not without error. She did not claim to be without error. I have no problem with anyone who states that she was wrong in her statement on amalgamation.

Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God [1Pe. 2:16]. This is said especially to us who have heard about Christian liberty, lest we rush in headlong and misuse this liberty, that is, lest under the name and the pretext of Christian liberty we do everything we please, so that liberty becomes impudence and carnal arrogance, which, as we see, is happening in our day. This began to take place even in the times of the apostles. From the epistles of St. Peter and St. Paul one can note that at that time people did what the great multitude does today. By God’s grace we have now again become acquainted with the truth, and we know that what pope, bishops, priests, and monks have so far taught, instituted, and practiced is sheer fraud. Our conscience has been rescued and liberated from the human laws and all the compulsion they imposed on us, so that we are not obligated to do what they have commanded us to do on pain of losing salvation. To this freedom we must now cling firmly, and we must never let ourselves be torn from it. In addition, however, we must also be very careful not to make this freedom a pretext for evil. The pope did wrong by attempting to force and compel the people with laws. For in a Christian people there should and can be no compulsion, and if one begins to bind consciences with external laws, faith and the Christian way of life soon perish. For Christians must be guided and governed only in the Spirit, so that they know that through faith they already have everything by which they are saved, that they need nothing else for this, that they are not obligated to do anything more than serve and help their neighbor with everything they have, just as Christ helped them. All their works are performed without compulsion and for nothing; they flow from a happy and cheerful heart, which thanks, praises, and lauds God for all the good things it has received from Him. Thus St. Paul writes in 1 Tim. 1:9 that “the Law is not laid down for the just”; for of their own accord they do without recompense and unbidden everything God wants. Luther, M. (1999). Luther’s works, vol. 30: The Catholic Epistles. (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald, & H. T. Lehmann, Eds.) (Vol. 30, p. 77). Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

The official EGW Estate response contains the following statement which is found in the larger document cited below: “The only passages in Mrs. White’s writings that are of interest in this connection are found in Spiritual Gifts, volume 3, already mentioned and republished in Spirit of Prophecy, volume 1, in 1870. The first, in chapter 6, “Crime Before the Flood,” is this: But if there was one sin above another which called for the destruction of the race by the flood, it was the base crime of amalgamation of man and beast which defaced the image of God, and caused confusion everywhere. God purposed to destroy by a flood that powerful, long-lived race that had corrupted their ways before him.—Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, p. 64.” https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/752.8#8 Also see: https://whiteestate.org/about/issues1/unusual/scientific-issues/amalgamation-man-and-beasts/ http://www.adventisthistory.org/2014/03/25/amalgamation-ellen-whites-most-controversial-statement/

Many of the accusations regarding her plagiarizing health writings are unfair. It is plainly stated in "How to Live" that contemporary writers on health topics would be quoted. One writer on the topic says that Sr. White simply lied about not having read other health writers prior to writing her own thoughts. It's not an issue, really. Regardless of the source/s, the health counsel is relevant today and continually being validated by modern research.

THE UNFOLDING OF GOD’S KINGDOM I think we have been very foolish in limiting the power of God so much of the time and using human efforts, pressures, and all kinds of schemes in trying to make God's Kingdom come on earth when it is already here. We just need to bring ourselves into harmony with this already present Kingdom far more than we have ever thought of before. Everything pertaining to the unfolding of God's Kingdom in our consciousness and in the earth must come through the unction of the Holy Spirit, not by any kind of human effort (see Zechariah 4:6). "When you are hungry for God, He will fill you.”--Jentezen Franklin For the complete article from which this excerpt is taken read A LIGHT FROM HEAVEN on the link below: https://advaita.proboards.com/thread/160/light-heaven-revised

Was not aware of the first one. Will check it out. I find that her biggest proponents acts as though whatever Biblical situation she addresses that all study stops because she has spoken.

That is probably the most acceptable answer I have seen an Adventist Minister make.

It would be better if the usual suspects who politicize everything were not criticizing their opponents for politicizing things. To me this article is a written example of what passes for news on TV. Go and find someone with a political axe to grind and then have them comment.

I’ve read all of them. The fact that they have never made a Sabbath School Quarterly in my lifetime says it all. They frankly are indefensible. The best response would be that these are simply uninspired statements and were just that. Genesis 6 gives the reason for the flood and that is good enough for me.

The biggest problem with your response to the amalgamation quote is the fact that you obviously try and obfuscate the horrific nature of the quote. If my memory serves me correctly I think it was Uriah Smith (I could have the name wrong) came out with a pamphlet that did its best to defend the amalgamation statement. The White’s even pushed the selling of the pamphlet. The fact of the matter is the amalgamation statement can’t be defended.