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SDA Pay Scale, North America: The following 18-page document provides extensive information related to the salary of denominational employees in North America. in 2024. https://www.nadadventist.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/2024 Remuneration Scale.pdf Under the above, an ordained/commissioned SDA pastor, with five years of experience, would receive a base pay of from $57,670 to $67,614 Plus. possibly, some pay for expenses, such as transportation, educational, medical and high-cost housing?

The SDA pay scale may be compared to the Federal pay scale for chaplains who serve in Federal institutions, such as the Department of Veterans" Affairs. Federal salaries start out with a base salary and then provide additional money for high-cost areas. GS-11 chaplains may be beginning their Federal service, or those who are not employed full-time and are adjusted to an hourly rate. GS-12, include most full-time chaplains. GS-13 lower level supervisory chaplains. Standard Base Rates: GS-11: $62,107 to $80,707. GS12: $74,441 to $96,770. GS13: $88,520 to $15,078 Sacramento Area Rates: GS-11 $80,217 to $104,260. GS-12 $96,148 to 124,988. GS-13: $114,332 to 148,636.

The SDA pay scale may be compared to the pay scale provided U.S. military chaplains. All military start out at a base rate that is adjusted for both rank and years of service. In addition, other payments are made for high-cost areas to live and conditions of military life. For example, people who parachute out of aircraft receive a small monthly payment for doing so. A military chaplain generally enters the military at the O-2 pay level, which will be later increased to the O3 level. If military service is continued, the chaplain will likely be promoted to the O-4 level, or higher. O-2: $52,902.00 to $73,209.60 O-3: $$61,225.20 tO $99,612.00 O-4: $69,638.40 to $116,269.20

SDA turns 100 years old, see: https://patch.com/california/napavalley/napa-valley-man-holocaust-survivor-turns-100

(N) Romans 4:24-25 But for us also, to whom it [righteousness] shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; [25] Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Catholics vs. Adventists relates to the issue of how children should be raised in a family where one adult is a Catholic and the other one is an Adventist. https://atoday.org/aunt-sevvy-my-catholic-husband-insists-on-taking-the-children-to-his-church-and-things-are-getting-tense/

Your priest seems to agree with my position that salvation is a choice that we make as to whether or not we will spend eternity with God.

I recently heard a Priest at my Church say that God doesn't force anyone to do anything and at death God simply gives us "what we love most". If what we love most isn't God, well.... This is a tough teaching - how many of us without exception can say (and live out) that we love God more than our wife, children, etc. Makes me think.

Gustave said: "Obviously our eternal destiny is formalized at the point of our death (not prior) so the idea of a judgement of investigation prior to death seems alien (and odd). " This issue is complex and consists of several parts. * What is sin? Sin might be said to be anything that is in violation of the will of God, whether known, unknown, intentional or un intended. As our spiritual knowledge is limited, it might be said that we are always sinning as we never in this life are fully informed as to God's will for us. We are constantly learning, but never in this life knowing and understanding the totality of God's will for us. This knowledge of God's will for us comes through the agency of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. * God, in my understanding, only charges us with sin when the Holy Spirit has convicted us on that point, and we in rebellion have decided to go against the leading of the Holy Spirit. None of us know how the Holy Spirit has led in the life of other people. The Bible does not indicate that growth in spiritual life comes in a set of uniform steps that is the same for all people. As an example, I consider my friend Gustave to be an honest follower of Christ. I assume that Gustave does not keep the Sabbath in same sense that I do. On the assumption that my understanding is correct, God is not charging Gustave with sin if the Holy Spirit has not convicted Gustave in the same manner that I believe that I have been convicted. * How does this relate to what we call the investigative judgment? It does not show that people have come into a total knowledge of God. That will only come in eternity. Rather it shows to all of the created intelligent beings that: 1) The Holy Spirit has reached out to every person. 2) Every person has been given an opportunity to become a dedicated follower of Christ, wherever that might lead. 3) Every person has made a final decision on whether or not to be a follower of Christ. 4) These are the set of people who have made the decision to spend eternity with God. These are the people who have made the decision not to spend eternity with God. 5) Consistent with the SDA understanding, those who decide not to spend eternity with God will be separated from the life-giving power of God which sustains us today and will therefore cease to exist. * From this perspective, the investigative judgment has a focus on God. It is God who is shown to all created, intelligent life, to be just in the decisions as to giving some eternal life, and it shows that sin will never rise again, as it has been removed from those who have been granted eternal life.

Welcome and thank you for asking this question. I really like what Gregory M. said, and hope that he does not mind repeating the same ideas but in different words that may help. Much of popular religion has it's basic focus on the idea that God does two very separate things to people, one very nice the other horrible torture. This brings up the question of "How can I get God to let me into heaven instead of sending me to hell?" However another, or even complementary approach is asking what God is like. Is God someone who we would want to spend eternity with. God created the universe. The creatures were created to love, and to grow in love into a mature relationship with God. There are three important questions of where did I come from, why am I here and where am I going. To answer these questions we need to ask three more questions: Is God really God or just a more advanced life form? (Where did I come from? God said that I came from Him, that he is the creator and we are creatures. Is he being honest in claiming to be the great infinite God? If he is not then he has no right to place the law of self sacrificing love on us.) If he really is God, are we really free to choose to love or not to love? If so how will God choose to treat sinners. God claims be be both just and merciful; how can God be both? Justice means that God has to take sin seriously, that the sinner needs to meet their punishment. But mercy means that God has to forgive them. If they are forgiven does God not take sin seriously? So why should sin even exist if God does not care and will give eternal life to whoever? As the universe matured, Lucifer was the first to realize these great philosophical and theological questions. Lucifer could have worked with God in studying out these questions, and helped others in dealing with these questions. The mystery of iniquity is why Lucifer, instead of looking for answers to these questions, only congratulated himself for being clever enough to think up these amazing questions. He began worshiping his own intelligence and perceived greatness. He turned these questions into lies about God. The first lie being that God is not God but made of the same essence as the rest of us. That God is a higher life form, but wants to stay on the top of the food chain by imposing upon everyone else the law of self sacrificing love; where I'm too busy caring for you and you caring for me, that we don't have time to look out for numero uno. Thus God used this law to keep us in our place, and God rules the universe simply as a cruel arbitrary tyrant who has no right to impose this law. The second and third lies are based on God's claim to be just and merciful. Since God is a cruel arbitrary tyrant, he will side on justice. Lucifer thus pictures God as putting an arbitrary imposed punishment for things he simply does not like, or at least don't want us to enjoy. If God is just, then it does not matter what you do, you will be saved anyway, so live as you please for heaven is your home. This can be carried over as universalism, or look at what Jesus did on the cross and picture that as being your password to go to heaven no matter who you are. The Bible does not give us much detail, but God worked long with Lucifer and the rest of the created universe; angels and beings on other planets. God is not the kind to sit down and say "Listen to me and do as I say without question." God wants us to think, study and to come to conclusions. There are hints in the Bible that there was something here where angels and other finite creatures were studying these questions. Finally two things happened: What ever what here ended up in total chaos, and the two sides of the great controversy formed. Once these two events happened, God stepped out of the background and finally gave some proof as this world went through a special 7 days showing that God was indeed the creator. While the creation story is focused on the creation of this earth over creation week; there are deeper levels dealing with AT LEAST three different creations: The creation of the universe, the creation of the great controversy, and the creation of earth. When God said "Let there be light" it was not only illumination, but also that the universe was entering a new age of getting light about who God is. Even though two sides formed, it took a while before they became settled in their choices. The story of the great controversy is how God has worked with us choosing for or against him, and how the two sides can settle into their choice. And along with this is how God deals with people who actually became sinners. The investigative judgment is just another step in this. The reason it starts in 1844 is because in heaven it is a review of our lives, have we really accepted the Lord in our lives, and if we did, what difference does he make in our lives. As Gabriel and the other angels and creatures review this in our life it helps them to understand their own salvation better. Meanwhile, around the time of the middle 1800s the world had some amazing changes. Telegraph started to being quick connection between people. The discovery, then study of and final deciphering of the Rosetta Stone opened up the door to study ancient languages. In the 1830s Edward Robinson did the first scientific study of Biblical Geography, which opened the doors for Biblical archaeology, and learning about the historical and cultural issues surrounding the Bible texts. This gives us on earth a chance to investigate the pages of scripture like never before. I hope this helps.

I was educated by Jesuits.

You know Bonnie, I was talking about what you accuse me of saying that you were giving him money. I said also the word "all!" What you see in him had nothing to do with money!!!!! 1. First of all, you do not have to believe me at all. All you have to do is look at what he has done. He cause that uprising at the capitol and people were killed and seriously hurt for life. It has been known that he do not pay people, banks and lawyers. He lies, he cheats, he do not pay taxes. There so many things you can write volumes on this man. He called the Secretary of State in Georgia and wanted him to do an illegal thing for him. The big lie he created, stating that the election was a fraud! There is more don't have time to provide all! 2. Hearing him on recordings or on phone is not second or third hand gossip. General Millie, I hope I got his name correct is not gossip. Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue went before the special council with tons of email. Plus the acting Attorney General was being pressure by Trump. Meadow was also involved. There is a lot more that's why his close staff and including Meadow have been subpoena. Now 11 more lower staff are subpoena. It is not gossip about his foundation and his business. Trump and Clinton was hanging with Epstein. There are ladies who are suing Trump now for sexual things he done. He was heard on tape before he was elected talking about the awful sexual things he do to women. Boy there is more! 3. Did Biden do wrong of course he did. They are putting together a panel to investigate. It was known that the caravan of Haitians were coming because Panama told his people. Now, let me say this Biden did not know all the details but he let those people go back to a broken country. These people had not been to Haiti's since 2010. That's what I constantly tried to tell you! He didn't lie about Afghanistan. See you do not listen. Trump made a deal and got the leader out of jail. He promise and sign the papers that US troops had to get out by the end of August. They did not realize that the Afghanistan troops were going to give up as soon as they did. The reason, the leaders were crooked and the president fled to UAE with millions of the country's money or really our money! Could things have been much better of course and 13 of our soldiers and people of the country died! Biden took responsible of that problem. However, he got over 100+ people out. This is historical! Who said that Biden is perfect? There you go calling people names again. You know nothing about Biden's son but gossip and guess what lies! I leave it there! Yes, you have silly, pathetic and others that I don't remember and really don't care! Now, I have answer your questions and I will watch and see how you will react. I would love to be shock but I know it might not be possible. If so, I will jump for joy! Blessings!

First Joe, let me say that may have been one of the best answers I have ever received on this subject. While it may not convince me, it made good sense. But by the story we were damned. May have been damned with a way out, but still we lost the Garden, we were condemned with death, pain in childbirth etc. For one sin. Yet by the tone of this article and the verses quoted from Ezekial Lucifer had defiled the temple of God a multitude of times. He had sinned over and over, he invented sin. He was given a very very long rope to hang himself with. So when God had enough he eventually fired him so to speak. Amazing severance package tho - "You get to go out and mess with the whole universe. You get to keep your immortal nature, you get to take your buddies with you and I am giving you the chance to prove you are right, that you can do a better job than me" So he ends up here with us. He plays a little game with Eve, who I am guessing had a pretty trusting nature as there was really no reason for her not to. She falls for the prank. Adam, based on his love for the partner God had given him does as well. The result is that they are stripped of everything as is every single person that comes along after them. By the Bible theory yes there is hope to regain it. But consider the suffering that comes along with it. Consider that life here is a hard ride. Consider that in this theology it is because of the actions of two people a very very long time ago. Paying for a decision that given the chance to have been in that position you, me, the other person might not have made (of course we may have done the same who knows). We got the dismissal minus a severance package. Somehow this just not make sense to me.

Quote: Humans sinned once and were damned. I don't know if they were damned. According to the story, they were kicked out of the garden of Eden; primarily (IMO) to prevent them from attaining eternal life by eating from the Tree of Life; thereby perpetuating sin. In the same conversation with God, they (and we) were promised a Redeemer. Just as Adam and Eve were afraid of God after they sinned, man continued to be afraid of God right on through the Exodus; refusing to get "close to" (i.e., "enter into a relationship") with Him. Hence He gave us the Law. IMO, that is where damnation came in. But good news! We have been redeemed! Through Christ, we are reconciled to God! We are advised to boldly approach the throne of grace in our time of need - not to run from it. I read a verse in 1 Peter this weeking that renewed my hope in salvation: Quote: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)I know you don't believe as I do EC; but you are an honest and honorable man who is constantly seeking spiritual truth. I also know you weren't raised with the gospel of grace. Nonetheless, I offer you (and others) these words as a comfort of the love so generously poured on us by a god of grace and mercy.