My name is Rory Hall, and I am a Seventh-day Adventist. This sentence summarizes a dramatic change in lifestyle, relationships and habits; in other words it is a summary of the power of God to save and transform lives.
Read MoreForgiving the Unforgivable
C.S. Lewis once said, "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." There is something about forgiveness that makes it one of the most simple concepts to understand, yet one of the most difficult to practice.
Read MoreGYC 2016
The 15th GYC (Generation of Youth for Christ) conference was held in Houston, Texas, from December 28, 2016, to January 1, 2017. There were about 5,000 people in attendance on Sabbath. GYC has grown from just 400 people in 2002 to many thousands in the past few years.
Read MoreSages and Wages
Don’t seek out the sages
Who say, “aim for wages”
Education's sage pages
Say "aim for the ages."
Keep it Holy
“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy…” (Exodus 20:8 KJV). God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, and what God has blessed is blessed forever (Gen 2:3, 1 Chron 17:27). So why did God command us to keep holy the Sabbath day? Since He made it holy, won’t it continue to be holy regardless of how we relate to it?
Read MoreEzekiel's Prophetic Temple
One of the most neglected portions of prophetic scripture is the temple vision recorded in the final chapters of the book of Ezekiel. But this vision is one that the church can no longer afford to ignore because it is also divinely linked to both the Sabbath and the Jubilee. As a depiction of the end-time church it illustrates what the church, spiritual Israel, is to become under the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Read MoreTwo Misleading Premises that can Hinder Reform
For those through the years who have sought to bring revival and reformation to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, two misleading theories—among others we could mention—have tended at critical times to dampen the courage and impede the resolve of the striving faithful.
Read MoreA Missionary Kid Remembers Hacksaw Ridge and Desmond Doss
Okinawa was my home as a teenager. It was the time of the Vietnam War, and on many Sabbaths, 15 to 35 GIs would come to our home for dinner. After dinner, we would often hike the trail along the base of Maeda Escarpment, or drive to the top and enjoy the view.
Read MoreThe Cosmic Conflict
The Super Bowl is about the two best teams in pro football going at it head-to-head. You expect there to be a showdown of epic proportions as each team gives its all to win. This brings to mind the fact that there are two cosmic “teams” currently battling to the death. What they’re fighting for is far more monumental than the Super Bowl trophy; it’s nothing less than the hearts and minds of every human being on Planet Earth.
Read MoreWhere are the Pauls?
We then come to the conclusion of three kinds of relationships at creation: first, between Man and the lower creatures, second, between man and man, and finally, between man and God. Relationship seems to pervade the kingdom of God, an evidence of how particular it is to Him. No wonder God took all the necessary measures to ensure that there could be perfect relationships.
Read MoreRise and Shine! Is punctuality important?
Should a Christian have a habit of arriving late to places? Does punctuality have anything to do with representing God? It is possible there are times where maybe we are doing too much during our days, maybe putting too much on our plates?
Read MoreWho Can Fix the World?
Our world is a vast lazar house, a scene of misery that we dare not allow even our thoughts to dwell upon. Did we realize it as it is, the burden would be too terrible. Yet God feels it all. In order to destroy sin and its results He gave His best Beloved, and He has put it in our power, through co-operation with Him, to bring this scene of misery to an end (Ellen White, Education, 264).
Read MorePress Release
Ellen G. White, in her counsel to writers and editors wrote “ . . . we are now altogether too near the close of this earth's history to keep before the attention of the people a class of books which do not contain the message which our people need. Draw their attention to books treating on practical faith and godliness” (Counsels to Writers and Editors, p.147). Author, counselor, and lay pastor, Omar Miranda has written such a book for people of all ages. The book is titled: Picking the King's Brain: Learning Life Hacks from the Wisest Man on Earth.
Read MoreGod Don’t Make No Junk!
The author went on to observe that many times people make the decision to have plastic surgery without fully considering the outcome. The results, however, are permanent. The author feels that this is a result of a culture that is accustomed to having everything instantly and without much work or sacrifice on their part.
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 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?
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