I knew my dad would have been proud of me, as I raced through our town. Timing the traffic lights perfectly and squealing the tires around every turn bore frantic evidence to the desperation of my charge. Was it a matter of life and death, with each passing second ticking away someone’s life? Was it the extreme anxiety of a million dollars hanging in the balance that drove me to such reckless speeds? No, it was much more important than that. I was late for church.
Read MoreThe role of Ellen White's writings
I have found many people are confused about the role Ellen White's writings play in our church. Many times it seems we consider them as an addition to the Bible or on the flip side we brush them aside altogether considering them optional or even as a friend of mine says, act like a stupid angel inspired them.
Read MoreBill Nye vs. Ken Ham
On Tuesday night, popular TV show host Bill Nye the Science Guy and biblical creationist Ken Ham (President of the creationist organization Answers in Genesis) squared off in a public debate on the topic of creationism vs. evolution. (As of today, you can watch a full video of the debate here.) I say “squared off,” but in reality, the debaters were actually very cordial, and to their credit, focused on attacking the arguments of the other person rather than resorting to personal insults.
Read MoreFact or fiction: The Record Keeper misguided
Character from "The Recorder Keeper" played by actor Aris Juson who was also the fight scene coordinator for the series.
Many think "The Record Keeper" is great witnessing tool, a conversation starter and a means to get unbelievers interested in our message. This is an understandable position, and one I can relate to as I am no technophobe and believe in using advancements in technology. My current occupation is in the technology sector and I acknowledge what modern techniques and technology have done in the advancement of truth. I am no cynic and I do not wish to judge the motives or the hearts of the producers, but with this being said I have concerns with this project.
Read MoreWhy you're not praying more
We should pray much. We need to pray much. Jesus prayed much. If He needed to pray much, how much more should we pray? Secret prayer is the breath of the soul, yet many of us are weak and easily overcome by sin because we do not pray much. We will never enter into the fullness of communion with God, understand His Word, or have the power to relieve the woes of sin and Satan all around us, nor will we will make it into God's kingdom, if we do not, "watch and pray" (Mark 13:33).
Read MoreReclaiming the biblical Jesus
Today, our Lord’s quest for the lost is still controversial. There are still those, to all our shame, who—like the older brother in the prodigal son story—would treat the penitent transgressor with contempt merely because of a sinful, embarrassing past. But others, perhaps many more in this age of self-accommodation, seem to profoundly misunderstand our Lord’s practice of receiving sinners.
Read MoreRoundup of divisional reports on female ordination
About a year prior to the first meeting of the Theology of Ordination Study Committee (TOSC), each of the biblical research committees of the Seventh-day Adventist Church's 13 divisions were tasked with producing its own report. Some of the divisions did not have a biblical research committee, and so some committees were formed for this specific project.
Read MoreThe Holy Spirit: What is He, and how to receive Him
“Have your received the Holy Spirit?” What would you say in answer to that question and how would you know how to receive Him? For many Christians, the gift of the Spirit is known through ecstatic feelings and experiences. “Being slain in the Spirit”, having the “Gift of Tongues,” etc. is the epitome of the “receiving the Spirit” experience.
Read MoreThe heart of it all
Most Seventh-day Adventists are aware there are many issues facing our church. Such problems range from women’s ordination to homosexuality in the church, the nature of Christ to the 2520 prophecy, the type of music in church to the emerging church, creation verses evolution to gospel entertainment, and many others.
Read MoreADvindicate Forums: we're expanding the conversation
We're expanding the conversation by introducing ADvindicate Forums. Now readers can converse on more than just the articles. We've created some new forums for discussion, but we're also looking for suggestions, so if you have an idea for a new forum, leave a comment under the suggestions forum.
Read MoreThe Record Keeper may be shut down
Rumors are circulating "The Record Keeper" is being reviewed this week by a committee and could potentially be shut down. ADvindicate has made numerous calls to the Director Jason Sutterlund, Executive Producer and General Conference PR Director Garrett Caldwell and others at the General Conference, but with no reply.
Read MoreBoundaries and binaries
Most proponents of feminist ordination vigorously deny any connection between feminism and homosexuality. It is to them that I dedicate this article, because I believe it is clear that homosexuality and feminism share an ethical trajectory. Feel free to draw your own conclusions after reading.
Read MoreReactions to 'The Record Keeper' world premiere
The General Conference's new web series "The Record Keeper" had its world premiere October 4, 2013 during the Brighter Hope meetings at Emmanuel-Brinklow Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ashton, Md. The series is scheduled to be released Feb. 13, 2014. The first two episodes will be released at the same time online, and then one per week after that, according to director Jason Satterland.
Read MoreFour spiritual trends in people, institutions, churches and schools
In dealing with students over the years, there are several spiritual trends that I have observed that can be extrapolated to describe spiritual human nature in general which I have labeled in the terms of Students A, B1, B2 and C. While it is students that have shown these trends, it isn’t just teenagers that tend to demonstrate these characteristics, but adults, institutions, churches, schools and even the denomination as a whole.
Read MorePUC lawsuit lifts veil of secrecy
Documents in a lawsuit filed by Pacific Union College over a land sale that fell through reveal some secrets regarding the college's prospective land dealings. Save Rural Angwin (SRA), an anti-development group, helped put an initiative called Measure U on the ballot in 2012, which would downzone land south of the commercial center in Angwin to prevent it from being developed.
Read More2520 prophecy delusion targets conservatives
Thanks for taking time for this interview, Steve. I first encountered this theory last year when my wife and I were conducting a marriage & relationship seminar in the Northwest. I found it very puzzling. For starters, what is the 2520 theory?
Read MoreFlorida Hospital ends bacon ban with opening of Panera Bread
Florida Hospital, run by Adventist Health System, has banned a Wendy's restaurant on hospital property from serving bacon for more than a decade due to religious reasons, but a Panera Bread restaurant opened on the hospital's property across from the Wendy's is being allowed to serve bacon and other pork products, the Orlando Sentinel reported Tuesday.
Read MoreRyan Bell shucks Adventism for atheism
For the next 12 months Bell will not pray, read the Bible for inspiration, refer to God as the cause of things or hope that God might intervene and change his circumstances. He says that if God does exist, that he hopes God will not be too bewildered with his foolish experiment. He will be blogging about his experience and writing a book over the next 12 months.
Read MoreNAD Adventist Intercollegiate Association statement: affirmation and concern
Throughout my years in school, from junior high to graduate study, student government was one of my persistent passions. I was honored to serve as Student Association President at Loma Linda University during the final year in which my Master’s degree in systematic theology was finished. Too often, unfortunately, this particular arena of campus life has been maligned both as the province of frivolous popularity seekers and as a soapbox for the allegedly “troublesome young” who—in the words of the late U.S. Vice-President Spiro Agnew---dare to meddle in the grown-up world.
Read MoreADvindicate traffic more than doubles in 2013
ADvindicate is growing and not just by a little. Its first year saw an average of 3,605 unique visitors per month, which isn't too shabby considering it started from scratch. Traffic more than doubled in 2013, with its monthly average for unique visitors jumping to 7,376.
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