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Well looks like we are on the road to 'Peace' in the Middle East......... "DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Hamas militant group said Monday it had dissolved its government in Gaza and is preparing to transfer power to a technical committee backed by the United Nations as part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal. Hamas did not say whether it planned to take the crucial step of disarming or handing over security to an international force, but described its decision as evidence of its commitment to Gaza’s reconstruction after years of war. It was unclear if the move, announced by a lower-level official, would lead to any meaningful change on the ground. The Board of Peace, the new entity led by President Donald Trump with the mandate of governing and rebuilding Gaza, said it was aware of the Hamas announcement but said it would assess the impact based on “actions, not promises.” The board stressed in a statement on X that the technocratic committee must control all weapons in Gaza, as laid out in the ceasefire agreement. At a news conference Monday, Ismail al-Thawabta, general director of the Hamas-run Government Media Office, said “only technical and professional staff” would remain in their positions to run the Palestinian enclave’s day-to-day affairs. “All employees working in service provision are ‘state employees’ and are fully prepared to work under the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza,” al-Thawabta said during a press conference in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem called it “a positive step forward on the path to implement the ceasefire deal.” Hamas dissolves its government in Gaza to transfer power to a UN-backed committee

I'm so sorry Bonnie. Prayers for you and your family.

Well that got personal fast... Sorry my brother if my posts did harm or caused any distress.

This episode starts with Jesus eating with His disciples in the house of Matthew with some of Matthew's peers. They are interrupted by a couple of Pharisees expressing their displeasure in seeing Jesus dining with sinners. Then it takes us to Nicodemus and his wife discussing a speech he will give and he brings up Hagar. Hagar is the one God sees. Jesus then talks to Eden and tells her He sees her. The theme of this episode is that God sees us in a compassionate way. In this episode, Nicodemus asks if He calls us. The picture of God drawn in the Bible is a loving God that has a tender heart and sees us. He sees the pain we experience. He sees the mistakes we make and how we are led astray. He isn't a God sitting on high looking at our sins so He can strike us down with a lightening bolt. It is sinners that He seeks to save. It was Jesus walking in the Garden of Eden that called out "Adam, where are you?" He calls us. He called everyone sitting at Matthew's table. He called the Pharisees that came to the door. He called Nicodemus. He called the Samaritan women. He calls you. He calls me. What we do with that calling not only decides our eternal destination but also decides how many we take with us. I posted another thread on this same episode entitled "Season 1 Episode 8 A Pastor's Wife" on April 22, 2023.

The word translated as "likeness" in Romans 8:3 appears 6 times in the NT: Ro 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like <3667> to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Ro 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude <3667> of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. Ro 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness <3667> of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection: Ro 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness <3667> of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness <3667> of men: Re 9:7 And the shapes <3667> of the locusts [were] like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads [were] as it were crowns like gold, and their faces [were] as the faces of men. The word translated as "likeness" in the Sinaiticus of Judges 8:18 is the same word translated as "likeness" in Romans 8:3. It is translated as "resembled" in versions such as KJV, ESV, NASB and NRSV. Brenton's English translation of the LXX reads "And he said to Zebee and Salmana, Where [are] the men whom ye slew in Thabor? and they said, As thou, so [were] they, according to the likeness of the son of a king."

Hobie, I understand EGW in light of what the Bible plainly says. I don't try to interpret Scripture in light of what EGW says. It is not unusual for people to do that, hence the confusion over issues such as this. If you read and thought about the Biblical evidence I presented in the above post and still prefer what you think Sr. White said, I'm sorry for that. The Bible is much easier to understand than what she said on this topic. I wish you well in your journey.

I think you need to reread what Kevin is saying! And also read what Hanseng posted!!

Not sure what you mean by this You can't mean that Jesus had the law of sin working in his humanity. Romans 7 is very clear that it is impossible to not sin when one is comprised of that nature. Paul say in chapter 8 that he had the "likeness of sinful flesh." He looked like every other sinful being. Adam possessed a human nature minus the law of sin, yet he still sinned. He made a choice without a predisposition to sin, something that none of us can do. We are predisposed to sin. As Job put it, we go astray as soon as we are born. Jesus was not like that. If you think that EGW believed and taught that Jesus possessed a nature exactly like ours, subject to the law of sin, either you misunderstand her or she was wrong. Paul, Barnabas, and Elijah had a nature like ours, evinced by the translation "like passions." Scripture does not say that Jesus had "like passions" with ours.

Very sensible way of looking at it. A.T. Jones introduced me to the fallen nature view through his book "The Consecrated Way to Christian Perfection."As I recall, he relied heavily upon this verse to justify his view: 14 ¶ Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Hebrews 2 Most SDA who hold to the view espoused in the Consecrated Way also believe in sinless perfectionism. They reason that since Jesus overcame sin with a nature like ours, we can do the same. Any true Christian hopes to overcome sin. The pragmatists, based on their own experience, recognize total victory over sin with a fallen nature is akin to moving a mountain by faith. Not necessarily impossible but no indication it has ever happened. Sinless perfectionists simply say that this experience is reserved for the final generation. In addition to the text from Hebrews 2, cited above, Romans 8 succors sinless perfectionists. Jesus was sent "in the likeness of sinful flesh." Context indicates that "sinless flesh" is that described in Romans 7. People with sinful flesh are, by nature, captive to the law of sin. We are unable to perform that which is good. We do evil that we don't ant to do. This is the law of sin and death. It works in the being of all born into this world, except Jesus. Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14: 11-15) and Elijah (James 5:17) all possessed passions like every other human. "Like passions" is the way the KJV puts it. Paul refused worship from the Lycaonians due to having a nature like theirs. Even though Elijah shared a nature with every other sinner, he was still translated. He certainly wasn't sinless, nor was he a part of the final generation. There we have an example of a man who was not sinless and was translated. The Greek word translated as "like passions" is not the same word used in Romans 8, which says Jesus was sent in the "likeness of sinful flesh" "Likeness" has a wide range of meaning, including "to resemble," as evinced by Judges 8:18 in the LXX. The Greek word comparing Paul, Barnabas and Elijah to other humans compared oranges and oranges. The word translated as likeness in Romans 8:3 does not. It is also used in Philippians 2:7 Jesus was made in the "likeness of men" [who all have sinful flesh]. Paul refused worship because his nature had passions like ours. Jesus did not refuse worship because he did not share the passions of fallen man, i.e., the law of sin and death was not at work in Him.

Jerome Odenthal, 85 passed away this afternoon. He is survived by wife Bonnie,four sons and wives, numerous grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

You are correct.