The book The Reformation and the Remnant: The Reformers Speak to Today’s Church, penned by a lawyer-turned-theologian currently serving as a professor of church history at the SDA Theological Seminary at Andrews University, seeks to address a cluster of contemporary Adventist issues both from the perspective of Protestant Reformation history and a focus on ideological positioning so far as various convictions in the contemporary church are concerned. References to “liberals,” “fundamentalists,” and “centrists” abound throughout the book with regard to different ideas and their alleged place on contemporary Adventism’s spectrum of thought.
Read MoreA Voice in the Desert
Matthew’s description of John has great significance for the Seventh-day Adventist movement today. We too should be voices in the desert crying “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” Matthew's description of John gives us some clue as to how we, as modern-day John the Baptists, aught to conduct ourselves. I’m going to mention 5 of these descriptions and then draw parallels between John the Baptist and God’s end-time church.
Read MorePresent Truth and Love
God alone can be the source of ultimate goodness and love. God is not an arbitrary being, making laws one day and casually violating them another. God created laws that everything, both spiritual and natural must adhere to or face dire consequences. It is only in the fact that there is an objective Source of moral values do we understand that there is such a thing as love.
Read More“Who can find a virtuous woman?”
At the General Conference Session last summer, a decisive majority of delegates from all over the world voted against women’s ordination—a decision which, I believe, was based on God’s Word. Certain segments of the world field have responded by presuming, against a world church policy that has now been voted three times, that they will presume to ordain women to the gospel ministry anyway.
Read MoreGreat is Thy Faithfulness
I love my house. It was built in 1900 and has a wonderful wall of windows and an incredibly large front porch with outdoor furniture, reading materials, and a porch swing. My wonderful wife has worked very hard to make it a place that’s relaxing and inviting—not only to myself, but to others as well. Many days I sit on my front porch and watch the interesting cast of characters ride, run, walk, and drive by. Trust me, here in small town Plainville, Georgia, the people are anything but…plain.
Read MoreRaising High the Banner of Faith?
Abraham’s life consisted of many episodes of faith (Gen 11:29-25:8), with each episode serving an example to Christians (1Cor 10:11). Among these episodes is one that seems to give him a unique identity perhaps among other Patriarchs. This particular episode has to do with his very name “Abraham.”
Read MoreThe Sabbath More Fully
The Holy Spirit had shown Ellen White the Most Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary. As she looked into the Ark of the Covenant, Jesus opened the tablets of stone that contain the Ten Commandments... the fourth (the Sabbath commandment,) shone above them all; for the Sabbath was set apart to be kept in honor of God's holy name... The holy Sabbath looked glorious—a halo of glory was all around it.”
Read MoreWalk the Talk
Jesus loved (and loves) people, and He served them sacrificially. He gave His life for them so they could spend eternity with Him. People and relationships are important to God. If you and I want to be more like Jesus, then we need to want to care about others!
Read MoreThe False Dichotomy Between Freedom and Righteousness
Over the last two articles in my series on Religious Liberty I emphasized the separation of the spheres of Caesar and God. In this last article of my series of Religious Liberty themed essays, we will explore the importance of freewill.
Read MoreRomans 5:12 and Original Sin
Ever since the 1950s’ dialogue between Seventh-day Adventists and evangelicals and the 1957 publication of the book Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine, there have been a number of huge controversies within Seventh-day Adventism about the nature of sin, the human nature of Christ, and the nature of the atonement.
Read More“There’s Nothing You Can Do To Make Me Stop Loving You!”
“Son, I’m so glad you graduated today,” exclaimed my father as he wiped tears of joy away from his eyes and with anaconda-like strength, bear-hugged me. He hesitated and sighed deeply. I could tell he was working hard to fight back more tears. I remember thinking, What deep words of knowledge and fatherly wisdom will he share with me on this special day?
Read MoreEllen White, Religious Liberty and Prohibition
When confronted with the notion that Church and State must remain separated, the subject of voting against Prohibition is quickly brought. There is no denying the fact that Ellen G. White and the Adventist Pioneers saw the consumption of alcohol as a pernicious evil. There is near unanimity in the condemnation of alcohol consumption in the early stages of the Adventist Church, and for very good reasons.
Read MoreAlleged Ellen White Contradictions: Exploding the Urban Legends, Part 4
In this article, the fourth in our series on alleged contradictions in the writings of Ellen White, we will consider three additional issues in Ellen White’s ministry where critics and revisionists have accused her of contradicting herself—the “daily” in the book of Daniel, the scope of the law as described in Paul’s epistle to the Galatians, as well as some of her statements where a surface reading might lead some to think she wrote inconsistently regarding God’s love for sinners.
Read MoreThe Greatest Revelation of Christ’s Love
It seemed a mystery to me to find no verses that say that Jesus raised Himself from the tomb when John 10:17,18 clearly states Jesus had the power and ability to raise Himself:
"Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." (John 10:17,18 KJV)
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Cookie-Cutter Christian
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (New International Version, Romans 12:1). How can we Christians follow God’s instruction to do that? People today are more selfish, more self-absorbed, more isolated, more busy, more prideful, more broken, more depressed, more lonely, and more hurting than ever before!
Read MoreIn Good Company
We start in the green and golden sunset of Eden. The wind moans through the trees as if to give the earth a voice of mourning, for among the beautiful vistas of nature are the figures of royalty. But instead of standing tall in their territory, wearing the robes that Divinity had gifted them, they are crouched behind bushes, dressed in peasantly garb—inadeqaute, but the only covering that they could put together.
Read MoreModern Bible Translations and the Sanctuary Doctrine
One can discover a disturbing phenomenon by taking a quick look at the online Bible sites that give us access to many different translations. One might think that a few modern translators were simply taking too many creative liberties, but in this article, I will show that they appear to have intentionally altered the Word of God with respect to the Sanctuary Doctrine.
Read MoreThe Longest Trial in History
Not long ago, a friend of mine was relating to me a sermon that he had just listened to where the preacher related a question that someone had asked him. The individual wanted to know why God would allow Satan to be loose after the millennium. In response, the pastor said half-heartedly, “if you can tell me why God let him loose the first time, I’ll tell you why He let him loose the second time.”
Read MoreWhen God Asks You to Give up Your God-Given Dream
This is the story of a guy named Abram. Actually, this is your story…and my story. It’s everybody’s story. Be patient; read on and all be revealed.
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Render unto Caesar, and Render unto God
With the world becoming more inundated with crime and gross injustice, it isn’t surprising that political issues dominate world headlines. The recent tragedy in Orlando, Florida has shown us that there is no security anywhere and that life can be taken at any moment. As we head deeper into the election year we are faced with more political decisions that will affect our temporal disposition.
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