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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 have no doubt there love of the Torah and the Tehillim! Mr. Goldberg, my teacher, also loved to study the book of Esther. Daniel was new to him. He was enthralled by the story of the fiery furnace. When the Hebrews said "~ Whether God saves us or not, there is no way we are going to bow to your image," Mr. Goldberg was deeply moved by that statement, as we all should be.

I was fortunate to learn from Jewish teachers who treasured the word of God, especially torah and tehillim, [Psalms]. The torah teacher employed a sort of call and response. He would translate English verses recited back into Hebrew to locate the verse, then respond. If prayers for the dead did any good, he would be way up on my list. The other gentleman who was kind of a tzaddik taught me enough Hebrew that we could read the Bible together. I would read the verse in Hebrew, then he would free translate it into English and we would discuss it. Another great soul I hope to see in heaven. Learning Hebrew from him was a real spiritual experience, not an academic one. As a young man, he learned Yiddish so he could talk with his Polish grandfather.

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.

The Greek word Tartarus appears only once in the entire New Testament. 2 Peter 2:4 Young's Literal Translation 4 For if God messengers who sinned did not spare, but with chains of thick gloom, having cast [them] down to Tartarus, did deliver [them] to judgment, having been reserved, Well, this explains a lot.... "There is one word in the New Testament that comes straight from Greek mythology. Not a metaphor. Not a translation choice. The actual name of the abyss where the Titans were imprisoned. It was written by a Jewish fisherman from Galilee. The letter is 2 Peter, composed in Koine Greek for diaspora communities spread across the Roman world in the first century CE. Verse 2:4 is about angels who sinned and what God did with them. Most translations render the passage simply as "cast them into hell." But the Greek word Peter chose was not Hades. Not Gehenna. Not "the pit." The word came directly from "Tartaros," the deepest region of the underworld in Greek mythology, a place so far below Hades that, in Hesiod's Theogony, a bronze anvil dropped from the surface of the earth would fall for nine days before reaching it. The verb Peter used, "tartarosas," appears nowhere else in the entire New Testament. Every other writer who needed a word for the realm of the dead reached for Hades or Gehenna. Only this one verse goes to Tartarus. In Hesiod's account, written roughly seven centuries before this letter, Tartarus is where Zeus imprisoned the Titans after the war for Olympus. Sealed away from the rest of creation. Absolute confinement. Peter placed fallen angels there. He was writing for people who had grown up inside Greek cultural memory. He did not need to explain what Tartarus meant to them. He needed only to use the word, and they would already understand the weight of it. He did not argue against the mythology. He absorbed its cosmological grammar and refilled it. The prison stayed. The inhabitants changed. Scholars call this kind of move a recontextualization: taking the structural logic of a pre-existing concept and fitting it to new theological meaning. It is one of the more quietly stunning word choices in the entire text. A fisherman. A word borrowed from Hesiod. One verse that most readers have never noticed, because every translation made it vanish back into "hell."....

I can not vouch for the truth of the following story which is being told on the internet. At 3 AM on a winter morning a Minnesota Trooper noticed a car stuck in the snow, with the lights on. He turned his lights on and sloped. The driver was asleep, with a half empty bottle of vodka on the passenger seat. As the driver woke up and noted the flashing lights, he put the car in gear and the spinning wheels recorded 30, 40 and 50 mph. The Trooper stood beside the door, running in place. At 50 mph he ordered the driver to pull to the side of the road and to turn the engine off. The driver did,and was arrested for drunk driving. However, he never figured out that the Trooper was only running in place as the car only spun its wheels.

This could be, and even beyond the crypto currency, we are finding the government working on implementing on governments financial constraints limiting what they can buy and sell. Just start this on an individual basis.

🇨🇦 Parting shot: Oh, Canada! Photo: Amy Stern Copy editor Amy Stern captured Stratford, Ontario's Avon River at dusk on July 8. In the summer it stays light there until 9:30 p.m. Amy writes from Canada: It's been 8 years since I've been back in my beloved Stratford, home of the Stratford Festival. 🎭 I first came in 2000 as part of my quest to see all 38 of Shakespeare's plays performed. I have long since reached that goal, thanks also to the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. During more than 15 visits to Stratford, I've gotten to see one of the best repertory acting companies in North America. And I met my Ballantyne Ave. friends, who put up with my constant refrain: HE'S Canadian? (Neil Young), SHE'S Canadian? (Joni Mitchell). ❤️ Stratford will always have my heart. The Bard drew me here; my friends keep me coming back.

Personally how it looks to me is it will be controlled with crypto currency? Who else will be able to afford to get into this but those who control this form of money?? It seems to be very easy to control, but this is only my opinion!!!

China has 8 different political parties, in addition to various social organizations. One organization is devoted to the assistance of disabled individuals. There is a State approved church known in English as the 3 Self Patriotic Movement. Catholicism has many churches, although there is conflict between the Papal government and the Chinese Communist Party. There is also conflict between Tibetan Buddhists and the CCP. The CCP wisely eschews the interference of foreign governments/leaders, such as that of the Papacy or the Dalai Lama, in their internal affairs. Han Buddhism and Daoism also flourish in China; consequently, the idea that "China" hates any organization" is patently false. There are numerous organizations in China, including Muslim, which get along fine with the government.

Somewhere in the frozen civic imagination of the American progressive there lives a fantasy Scandinavia, a land of free healthcare, free love and free thought, where the state hands out contentment like lozenges and nobody has ever raised his voice in anger. The post The Padded Cell: What Passes for Freedom in Scandinavia appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

There is a difference between traditionalists from whatever faith, and exegetics/ Biblical Theology. I very much respect Jewish teachers who use exegesis, Biblical Theology and archaeology etc. These are indeed brothers and sisters in the faith.

The results of the growth and removal of nodules on her voice box left her with a voice that felt so full of pain, sadness and tears that she was able to sing with power and enters into her listener's ears and flows right to the heart. Such a beautiful voice. Of the three songs of hers I'm familiar with, while all beautiful, my favorite was "It's a heart ache". Loosing her at such a young age is a heart ache.

There is not a problem with respecting the leader of the country and being patriotic. Americans may prefer various immigrants, legal and illegal, marching around with flags of the nation they renounced when they became citizens or guests in America, or just criminals. Citizens of countries such as Thailand and China respect their leaders. Try marching around with a foreign flag, fighting the police, denouncing the country's leader, find out what it is like to be arrested and deported. In a place like China, where the Taiping rebellion took place, authorities have good reason to be wary of Christianity. The leader of the Taiping was reputedly a Sabbath keeper, claimed to be the brother of Jesus. Later, Adventists, in particular, were hated by the communist administration when Mao came to power. Had the SDA preached Christ instead of denouncing Mao as an antiChrist, the history of SDAs in China might be different. Emphasizing with the political implications of Daniel, instead of the purging of the conscience by the blood of Christ has consequences.

We live in a time when clergy of all denominations, including SDA clergy, face accusations of misconduct involving children. I am aware of a number of such accusations involving SDA and other clergy. I thought it might be well to discuss this situation as it applies to North America. I cannot speak for the rest of the world. Insurance: Most SDA institutions are covered by an insurance company that is wholly owned by the General Conference,and only insures SDA interests. Some SDA institutions are covered by Chubb Insurance Company due to the fact that it provides some tort coverage that is not provided by the General Conference company. My position: I may advise the local pastor when I am concerned, but I do not take that concern to the Conference. I can not fill that role. Physical safety: Society has established liability for children endangered by the activities around them. Such are generally common sense. All too often local congregations are not given enforced guidance on this point. Alleged Abusers & Attendance at /services: North American policy requires the following two requirements in order to attend services. * The person must be closely supervised at all times in order to attend services. The problem is that the supervisor may not be p[properly trained and therefore fail to properly supervpse. * The supervised person must agree that interested persons can be fully informed as to the nature of the charges. I do not believe that such always happens. Investigation: SDA organizations may be required to investigate accusations.. This nay involve criminal investigation. I have taught this subject to hundreds of military chaplains. Clergy have a very limited immunity from reporting, which is often misunderstood . I am personally aware of clergy who were convicted in criminal court for not reporting. Conduct that cannot be charged criminally can be investigated by outside agencies,for a fee. SDA organizarions do make use of such companies. I am personally aware of SDA organiztions spending thousands of dollars to fully invesigate such conduct.

The Ju;y 2026 issue of the Recorder contains an article by Darla M. Tucker that mentions that La Sierra University has been rated high in educational quality by the 2026 Forbes Evaluation of U.S. colleges and Universities. The comment was accurate, as far as it went. In short it was selective. It would have been much better journalism if it had more fully reported on the SDA colleges in general, and not confined its reporting to one issue and one school. The following aspects of the Forbes report shows that our colleges are in deep trouble. Our members need to understand and deal with the entire reality. The 2026 Forbes rankings of Adventist institutions from most to least financially healthy: La Sierra University – B+ with a GPA of 3.32 Walla Walla University – B with a GPA of 3.00 Adventist Health University – C+ with a GPA of 2.45 Southwestern Adventist University – C+ with a GPA of 2.35 Southern Adventist University – C+ with a GPA of 2.31 Andrews University – C with a GPA of 2.01 Kettering College – C- with a GPA of 1.97 Union Adventist University – C- with a GPA of 1.79 Washington Adventist University – D with a GPA of 1.57 Oakwood University – D with a GPA of 1.32 Pacific Union College – D with a GPA of 1.30 From a June 12, 2026 article in Spectrum: https://spectrummagazine.org/news/la-sierra-and-walla-walla-universities-top-list-of-us-adventist-higher-ed-finance-rankings/

A study of adults recruited from primary care clinics found that five minutes of in-person prayer was associated with greater reductions in anxiety and pain compared to listening to music, according to a report on the findings. The research tracked participants for six weeks and found that benefits for anxiety persisted at the final follow-up, officials said. The study adds to a body of literature examining how brief, intentional practices may affect emotional and physical well-being, the report stated. Study Methods and Findings Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a five-minute spoken prayer delivered by a trained volunteer or five minutes of listening to music, according to the study. Researchers measured anxiety and pain levels immediately after the intervention, again at two weeks, and at six weeks. The group that received prayer reported statistically significant improvements in both anxiety and pain scores compared to the music group, the report stated. The effects for anxiety remained present at six weeks, while pain benefits diminished but remained notable, officials said. Previous research on prayer has shown similar patterns. A study examining Muslim prayer among mothers with hospitalized children found that those who prayed three times daily for 10 minutes reported lower anxiety scores on a validated inventory, according to a report on that trial [3]. Another analysis found that individuals who engage in meditation, yoga, or prayer reduce their need for health care services by 43 percent, according to a Massachusetts General Hospital study [2]. Mechanisms and Context The benefits of prayer in the recent study did not appear to depend on participants’ prior religious beliefs or intensity of faith, the analysis indicated. Researchers suggested that prayer’s effects may stem from its ability to slow down thinking, foster reflection, and reduce feelings of isolation, the report stated. Feelings of connection and hope have been linked in prior research to improvements in inflammation, immune function, and pain perception, according to the study’s authors. Broader evidence supports these mechanisms. Studies on spirituality and heart health have found that patients who score higher on spirituality or religious scales have lower mortality due to coronary artery disease or cardiac surgery-related complications, according to a review of the literature [4]. Additionally, focusing on gratitude has been shown to alter the brain in beneficial ways, including triggering the release of mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin and inhibiting the stress hormone cortisol, according to research on gratitude [1]. Broader Implications for Emotional Health The findings add to a growing body of evidence that brief, intentional rituals can affect both psychological and physical health, officials said. Longevity researchers have increasingly cited social connection, purpose, and psychological well-being alongside exercise and nutrition as key health determinants, the report stated. The study’s authors emphasized that similar benefits may be available through other practices such as meditation, gratitude journaling, or spending time in nature. The psychology of prayer has been examined across multiple contexts. A comprehensive review of prayer research notes that prayer can serve as a therapeutic tool across various populations and settings [5]. Another study demonstrated that depressive symptoms and perceived stress can be reduced through practices that foster reflection and connection, according to findings on daily rituals [6]. Conclusion The study provides evidence that a five-minute practice of prayer — or potentially other reflective rituals — may offer measurable reductions in anxiety and pain over several weeks, according to the report. Researchers called for further investigation into the mechanisms and the generalizability of the findings across different populations and settings, officials said. The results suggest that incorporating brief moments of reflection and connection could be a low-cost tool for supporting emotional health, the report stated. https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-07-09-five-minutes-prayer-linked-to-lower-anxiety-pain.html

This might be good for hospitalized or non-mobile patients. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Registered dietitian-nutritionist Molly Knudsen analyzed how collagen, vitamin C and vitamin E work synergistically to support skeletal muscle, immune function, vascular health and cognition, challenging the mainstream pharmaceutical narrative. Collagen supplementation provides amino acids that support extracellular matrix remodeling and tendon integrity when paired with resistance training, but is not a substitute for leucine-rich proteins for muscle growth. Vitamin C is an essential cofactor for stabilizing collagen's triple-helix structure and also offers antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties that support vascular function and modulate inflammatory gene expression with exercise. Vitamin E protects cellular membranes and mitochondria from exercise-induced oxidative stress, supporting muscle recovery and vascular health. According to Knudsen's analysis, the synergy of these nutrients, with vitamin C regenerating oxidized vitamin E and collagen providing structural scaffolding, supports redox balance and amplifies exercise adaptations when taken as a preventive strategy. In a world where Big Pharma pushes patented synthetic solutions and the medical establishment dismisses natural interventions as unproven, a groundbreaking new review published in May 2026 suggests that a simple trio of nutrients, collagen, vitamin C and vitamin E, may support healthy aging across multiple body systems in ways that exercise alone cannot match. Registered dietitian-nutritionist Molly Knudsen analyzed how these three compounds work synergistically to support skeletal muscle, immune function, vascular health and cognition. Collagen: More than just wrinkle reduction "Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, forming the extracellular matrix (ECM) that supports muscle, tendons, ligaments and vascular tissue," according to Knudsen's analysis. The review found that collagen supplementation delivers amino acids (particularly glycine, proline and hydroxyproline) that support ECM remodeling and tendon integrity when paired with resistance training. However, the authors were careful to clarify that collagen is not a substitute for leucine-rich proteins like whey when it comes to driving myofibrillar muscle growth. Its true value lies in supporting the connective tissue framework that allows muscle to function, transmit force and recover. Vitamin 😄 The essential cofactor Big Pharma ignores The review highlighted that vitamin C is an essential cofactor for the hydroxylation reactions that stabilize collagen's triple-helix structure. Without adequate vitamin C, collagen synthesis cannot proceed properly, meaning that taking collagen without sufficient vitamin C may limit its effectiveness. Beyond collagen support, the review notes vitamin C's antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties, suggesting it may support vascular function (specifically flow-mediated dilation) and help modulate inflammatory gene expression when combined with exercise. Vitamin E: Protecting cells from exercise-induced damage Vitamin E functions as a fat-soluble antioxidant that works within cell membranes (the fatty outer layers particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage during physical activity). The review describes it as protecting cellular membranes and mitochondria from exercise-induced oxidative stress, supporting muscle recovery and contributing to vascular health. The synergy that Big Pharma doesn't want you to know The key finding is how these nutrients work together. Vitamin C regenerates oxidized vitamin E, keeping it active. Collagen provides the structural ECM scaffolding for muscle, vascular and neural tissue. Together, they appear to support redox balance, reducing excessive oxidative damage while preserving the beneficial inflammation signals that drive exercise adaptation. Exercise acts as the activating force, orchestrating collagen turnover, mitochondrial biogenesis, antioxidant enzyme expression and neuroplasticity. The nutrients support and amplify those processes rather than replace them. Based on the review's findings, the evidence currently supports: Hydrolyzed collagen: 10 to 30 grams per day, ideally timed around exercise Vitamin 😄 500 to 1,000 mg per day Vitamin E: Up to 400 milligrams per day (though the review acknowledges most supplements will (and should) provide a much more modest amount) As noted by BrightU.AI's Enoch, the authors emphasize this is a preventive strategy, best started before significant muscle loss or functional decline sets in and works best as part of a broader lifestyle that includes regular structured exercise. In an age where the medical-industrial complex profits from chronic disease management rather than true prevention, this research offers a rare glimpse into the power of natural, accessible interventions. https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-07-09-three-nutrient-cocktail-outperforming-exercise-healthy-aging.html

There is a trick that has protected failed utopias better than any secret police force. Socialism and communism, the argument goes, are two different things. Every time socialism… The post Socialism Promises. Communism Collects. appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

On June 26, in the Oval Office, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Dr. Ben Carson handed President Donald Trump a 224-page draft report, the product of a year’s… The post The Religious Liberty Commission's 224-Page Report: The Good, the Concerning, and the Wall It Wants Torn Down appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

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

A note before we begin: This story borrows its shape from Edward Everett Hale's fictional short story, "The Man Without a Country," published in The Atlantic Monthly in December 1863. The post The Man Without a Country: A Modern Telling appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

This looks like a witch hunt to me. The man is dead. He cannot defend himself. I don't see he was never convicted of a crime. Nothing but allegations. The media is some of the most ungodly people trying to smear God's people.

Seventh-day Adventist history is a complex tapestry of bold moral courage and institutional compromise. While early pioneers fearlessly engaged in political action, fighting Sunday blue laws and practicing… The post The Adventist Church and Political Pressure: A History of Resistance, Accommodation, and the Call to Justice appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

SAN FRANCISCO – Thick black smoke poured from the roof of the San Francisco Central Seventh-day Adventist Church on Monday afternoon, obscuring the sky over Lower Pacific Heights.… The post Three-Alarm Fire Devastates Historic San Francisco Church Days After Sermon on Triumph Over Loss appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

In a world where it has become fashionable to critique our foundations rather than cherish them, I choose a different path. I am not afraid to love America… The post Happy Birthday America! appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

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."

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

Not a difficult problem to solve. Check numerous versions. Compare them. Look at the context. Unless you have knowledge of Greek to the point of being a textual critic, you are wading into waters way over your head. Even those who are fluent in the original languages can't agree on what the best translation is; consequently, we have so many versions. No Christian doctrine is dependent upon a single text. Some versions, such as the KJV, were intended for public reading; therefore, the translators sometimes chose different English words to translate the same Greek word because it sounded better. This is problematic for serious Bible study. Benjamin Wilkinson created a lot of confusion in SDA land. Jim Arrabito, a great artist and a gracious individual popularized Wilkinson's work in more modern times. The NT writers, including Jesus, quoted almost exclusively from the Greek Old Testament, which is mostly preserved in the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus. There are passages you can read in English translations of the Greek Old Testament which are very different from other English versions. Make things easy for yourselves. Use a KJV and compare it with the NRSV, NASB, ESV, and whatever other translations you like. Depend on the Holy Spirit to lead you into the truth after you have done your best.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, the following essay from my friend Michael Peabody is very informative with regard to the faith that led up to these founding documents. If you enjoy Michael Peabody’s insightful essays, I encourage you to become a subscriber to his web site: RELIGIOUSLIBERTY.TV. His latest essay follows: […] The post The Faith that Informed America’s Founding Documents appeared first on Jon Paulien's Blog. View the full article

Firefighters contain a blustery blaze at the Lower Pacific Heights house of worship as the congregation relies on its recent message of hope. The post Three-Alarm Fire Devastates Historic San Francisco Church Days After Sermon on Triumph Over Loss appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

The legal architecture of the ancient Near East often serves as a proxy battlefield for modern moral debates. Perhaps no text is subjected to this strained anachronism more frequently than… The post Proximate Cause and Proximate Justice: A Legal Assessment of Exodus 21:22-23 appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

TLDR The City of Huntington Beach and several parent-plaintiffs initiated litigation against California officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom, to challenge the constitutionality of AB 1955. This legislation prohibits school districts… The post Ninth Circuit Deals Setback to Governor Newsom: Preliminary Injunction Granted Against AB 1955 Policies on Gender Identity Disclosure appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article