Leaderboard

110 Representatives from 13 denominations attend a SDA religious liberty prayer breakfast. \https://www.nadadventist.org/news/tapestry-faiths-north-american-divisions-fifth-prayer-breakfast-sparks-unity-mission

The following article explores the issue as to how the GC President is elected, and it proposes another method. https://atoday.org/finding-a-better-way-to-select-the-general-conference-president/

Since many people today are struggling to understand the Bible’s teachings in relation to LGBT+, I recently did some further study on this in consultation with some highly regard spiritual and academic leaders in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Having said that, the reflections that follow are my own and represent my current understanding on an […] The post LGBT+ and the Bible appeared first on Jon Paulien's Blog. View the full article

(N). Isaiah 55:13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Legal scholars from law schools around the United States will be meeting at the Caruso School of Law on February 8 and 9 to discuss the future of the Religion Clauses of the U.S. Constitution. The conference will begin Thursday, February 8, 2023 with a presentation by two former U.S. Solicitors General Noel Francisco and...View the full article

Religion in America: For a look at people who are not religious, but may hold to some such beliefs see: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2024/01/24/religious-nones-in-america-who-they-are-and-what-they-believe/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=9851c7913d-Weekly_1-27-24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-9851c7913d-[LIST_EMAIL_ID]

This blog site will be transitioning to a new web host over the next ten days. To facilitate that transfer, I will not be posting any blogs, and comments will be disabled during that time. If all goes well, things will be back to normal by the second week of February. I appreciate all who […] The post Site Alert appeared first on Jon Paulien's Blog. View the full article

$15,000 is the sum of tuition grants and scholarships that the Southwestern Union will award theology and education students who will agree to teach in that Union. This comes due to the fact that the SDA Church is facing a looming crisis in recruiting pastors and teachers. https://www.nadadventist.org/news/southwestern-union-announces-initiatives-support-southwestern-adventist-university-theology

While the Word of God is the foundation of our understanding of God’s will, it does not address all the issues and challenges that a Christian faces in regard to human sexuality. We also gain insight into the realities of human existence through God’s other book, nature. We are encouraged in this approach by Scripture, […] The post The Bible and the Science of Gender and Sexuality appeared first on Jon Paulien's Blog. View the full article

As a congregational pastor in the Potomac Conference, I would visit other Sunday-keeping congregations because I wanted to become better acquainted with the local pastors and their worship. On an occasional basis that resulted in my being asked to preach to their congregation on Sunday, and I would respond by asking their pastor to preach in my congregation on Saturday. NOTE: As an Army Chaplain, I have been asked to preach to a local Sunday congregation and in my sermon to explain to that congregation what SDAs believed and practiced.

Jesus was God the Father's "Son." He existed in heaven prior to being incarnated (by His Father) into human form and nature. He commanded the angels of God, prior to His incarnation. Once incarnated, He was "tempted" to use the authority He held, over the angels. He was tempted to "command" that the stones be made bread. Angels may have the power to do THAT. The angels had been commanded to "serve" Christ. The angels COULD HAVE saved Yeshua if He jumped off the Temple. The angels COULD HAVE rescued Christ from the cross. Satan knew all that. He framed his temptations, to fit the authority that he knew Yeshua held. Does anyone seriously believe that Christ did NOT DESIRE to avoid being crucified? He begged "let this cup pass from me." He was seriously tempted. He bled through His skin, the suffering was so great. But He chose to submit His will to that of His Father.

This is the second blog in a series on LGBT+ and the Bible. The biblical ideal articulated in the previous blog post is, in a nutshell, as follows: Human beings were created in the image of God (Gen 1:26-28). The image of God is introduced in the context of male and female, God’s original ideal […] The post The Bible and Human Reality appeared first on Jon Paulien's Blog. View the full article

The following article contains information about James White of which I was not aware. https://adventistreview.org/magazine-article/in-the-beginning/

Introducing InVerse, a Sabbath School Bible Study Guide by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, focused on religious liberty for young adults. Authored by Pastor Joe Reeves with prophetic interpretations, historical references, and inspired writings. Order physical copies or download online.View the full article

While I may not understand the nuances of your beliefs, I'm absolutely aware you are not a Trinitarian. Throughout Scripture we find many examples of individuals walking away from God's established religious authority. These individuals may have believed in their heart they were right but Sacred Scripture paints them to be heretics. In the end God is the judge and I can no more condemn you to hell than you could condemn me. We can pray for each other however

How should I respond: The response that we make must be grounded in two different aspects of this issue. On the one hand we must understand what Science says about this issue. We do not represent our Lord well when we demonstrate ignorance about basic aspect so this issue. Fundamental to this is the fact that our sexual preference is not an individual choice. Neither you or I chose our sexual preference. In addition we must understand the common terms (words) that are common to discussions of this issue. We fail to communicate when we us demonstrate our ignorance. We also must reflect the love of our Lord and understand both the Biblical teachings and how those teachings are understood by this community. One of the best SDA references devoted to how SDAs should respond to this community is: Guiding Families of LGBT+ Loved Ones, For Adventist Families, Ministry Leaders and All Who Care, Adventist Edition. NOTE: It is a special edition of a work by Bill Hanson of Lead Them Home. The above was distributed by the North American Division in 2018, under tightly controlled circumstances and i do not know if it is still available. contact the NAD to see if it is still available.