The fear that religious controversy inside the church holds the potential for distracting its leaders and members from their mission to the world is an age-old concern, especially when the body of Christ finds itself acutely rent by doctrinal or moral divisiveness. As the Seventh-day Adventist Church today confronts a variety of theological and moral disagreements, concern that the church might experience the distraction noted above has become especially serious among thoughtful persons at all levels of denominational life.
Read MoreA Work for the Elijah’s of our Time
As so many today are blind-sided by secular politics, world markets, social media, and a daily dose of negative news, we find a sect of people going against the tide. The events which have impacted our world for the past 5 to 10 years are so immense that it is difficult to appreciate their import.
Read MoreTwo Conflicting Gospels
A recent article in an independent Adventist magazine has drawn attention to the continuing struggle over the scope and the meaning of the Biblical gospel in the Seventh-day Adventist Church (1).The article defines this struggle over the gospel in contemporary Adventism as taking place between what it calls the “gospel of grace” taught by Martin Luther and classic Protestantism, and what it calls the “gospel of character development,” which in the article’s view is a “variation of the Roman Catholic tenet of salvation by works” (2). The article uses both Scripture and the writings of Ellen White to articulate its stance.
Read More“The Eye Must be Single”
Many statements made by Jesus contain a depth of information not to be discerned by the careless reader. One such statement is the potent lesson given by Jesus when he reveals “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light” (KJV Matthew 6:22).
Read MoreThat Dreaded "Proof Text" Method
A popular theological vulgarism just now, in various circles of contemporary Adventism, is what has become known as the “proof text method” of Bible study.
Read MoreCounterculturally Christian
Winston Churchill once said that if you have enemies, it means you’ve stood up for something in your life. Sadly, many Christians view the hatred of the world as something to be avoided. We are afraid to appear too “radical” and thus “scare away” unbelievers. We are all too willing to compromise for the sake of “inclusiveness,” and we are paying the price.
Read MorePersonal and Social Piety: Why Both Matter
The gospel of Holy Scripture embraces the total universe of human conduct, whether personal or social. Where Christians have gotten into trouble at times is when one area of moral responsibility is dwelt upon to the neglect of the other.
Read MoreMeasure of a Man
Recently I decided to click one of those (mostly annoying) suggested links proffered to a user while browsing the web. This took me to a short clip taken from the Start Trek television series. It covers a conversation between Captain Jean-Luc Picard and a character named Data, an android officer aboard the space ship. The captain wishes to convince Data to submit to a procedure which would hopefully allow more androids of his caliber to be created, to the greater benefit of humanity.
Read More"Preparing for the Harvest" coming to Atlanta
Friday, March 31, and Sabbath, April 1, Dennis Priebe, Norman McNulty, Larry Kirkpatrick, Carl Martin, and Matthew Priebe will be speaking at the Advent Hope Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Read MoreLast Generation Theology and the Homosexual Debate
What do LGT (Last Generation Theology) and LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) have in common?
Read MoreFilm Review: Journey Interrupted
On Thursday, February 16, the film Journey Interrupted was broadcasted on 3ABN. On Sunday, February 19, it will be broadcasted again at 3:00 PM Central Time. I highly recommend this film—it is relevant to those who have questions about how Christianity and homosexuality ought to relate to each other, of course, but it is also a ray of light and clarity amidst an overwhelming flood of confusion, and an amazing testament to all sinners of the saving power of the Gospel.
Read MoreMy Testimony: The importance of prophecy in my conversion
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 MoreWhy Conservative Denominations are Still Growing
A recent article in the Washington Post offers continued evidence of the growth in membership experienced by theologically conservative Christian denominations, in addition to the continuing decline in membership experienced by those churches that have embraced theological liberalism.
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 MoreOn Conspiracy Theories
“We should present sound arguments, that will not only silence our opponents, but will bear the closest and most searching scrutiny...” – Counsels to Writers and Editors, pg. 40
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.
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