Nearly 350 Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders, pastors, academics, and human services experts have gathered in Cape Town, South Africa, for a four-day summit intended to help the worldwide Church better address the experiences of homosexuality and alternative sexualities.
Read MoreToo much too hard too fast too quick
As I walked out into the hallway of the ocean-front condo this morning, I saw a USA Today paper lying by the door of our neighbor’s room. Like a downbeat doormat it sat there, its loud headlines easily summed up in two words: Bad, and News. I was reminded of this quote: “The final movements will be rapid ones.”
Those of us who are looking forward to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to earth are probably aware of this ominous warning about the end. Not only is it gonna happen soon, it’s gonna happen fast!
Read MoreBiblical hermeneutics: blest be the tie that binds us
The World Church, in its General Conference (GC), has voted twice not to allow the ordination of women to the office of elder/minister. This was not because the GC saw women and men as created unequal, but because of divine order assigning different roles to the genders. Once again the issue is being urged. So the GC has invited all of its divisions to give input on the matter.
Read MoreKinship, IAGC and Seventh-Gay Adventist sponsor new website
A new website sponsored by Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International, Intercollegiate Adventist GSA Coalition and Seventh-Gay Adventists Documentary claims lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) Adventists are being prevented from sharing their stories at the 'In God's Image:' Scripture, Sexuality, and Society Summit in Cape Town, South Africa, this month. The summit will discuss the challenges the church faces with issues surrounding alternative sexualities.
Read MoreLSU professor: extremists think Bible is church manual
Last Saturday while attending my local church, I read a flyer in the bulletin that invited me to attend a soup and salad study by La Sierra University professors Kendra and Gil Valentine. The flyer said they would be considering "ways of reading the Bible that allow texts to live anew in our contemporary world and in our particular stories. Implications of this approach will be explored for the Theology of Ordination Committee, Ellen White, and the Fourth Gospel."
Read MorePseudonyms welcome
ADvindicate has required commenters to use their first and last name since its conception, but starting now, this policy is no more. After much reflection and research, we no longer believe this policy is enforceable or contributes to our vision for comments.
Read More'Mean' conservatives
A prominent leader in North American Adventism recently stated, during a discussion in which I participated, that the term “nice conservative” has “almost become an oxymoron” in the contemporary church. I countered by acknowledging that while at times needless severity and harshness have certainly attended efforts to defend beliefs and practices peculiar to classic Adventism, one must beware of defining “niceness” pursuant to an agenda of pleasing as many and offending as few as possible. Few if any of God’s heroes through the ages, including Jesus Himself, would qualify as “nice” under such a definition.
Read MoreJudgment granted in favor of church in LSU-3 lawsuit
On March 5, the Riverside County Superior Court granted Summary Judgment in favor of all defendants on all claims in what has come to be known as the LSU-3 lawsuit. The court has ruled that there are no disputed issues of material fact that would need to be decided by a jury, and the undisputed facts are sufficient to allow the court to rule on the case as a matter of law. The court has ruled in favor of the church defendants, including (1) La Sierra University, (2) the Pacific Union Conference, (3) the North American Division, (4) Ricardo Graham, president of the Pacific Union Conference, (5) Dan Jackson, president of the North American Division, and (6) Larry Blackmer, NAD Vice President for Education.
Read MoreOne Project: present or emergent truth?
I had made no plans to attend the One Project scheduled for February 10 and 11 in Seattle, but a mid-morning phone call stirred me from my intended Sunday morning sleep-in. A friend on the phone urged, "I've been given two tickets to the One Project. They’re free! Do you want to go? Let's go! Free tickets!" That got me up and going.
Read MoreDavid danced
In this article we will look at 2 Samuel 6:14-16 and 1 Chron. 15:29. In 2 Samuel 6:14-16 the Hebrew word most often rendered “dance” in English versions for is Karar (pronounced kah-rar) and is only used these two times. In 1 Chron. 15:29, the Hebrew word is Raqad (pronounced raw-kad) and is used nine times in the Old Testament. In order to understand what David was doing in these passages, we must understand what these Hebrew words signify. We cannot impose contemporary meanings onto ancient words which have changed definitions over the centuries. The truism is still applicable: biblical words must be understood and interpreted based on the actual meaning of the terms, and in the contexts in which they are used.
Read MorePope's video fulfills prophecy
By now, I expect many Christians have seen the surprising viral video of Pope Francis’ recent appeal for unity with Protestants, presented at a Kenneth Copeland conference of charismatic leaders this past January.
Read MoreIs the fleur-de-lis a suitable decoration for an Adventist church?
A couple of friends recently approached me, four days apart, complaining of decorations recently added to the Keene Church sanctuary. Someone had placed two fleur-de-lis, separated by an arrangement of candles, on the organ console in the main sanctuary of the church. Both of my friends separately insisted that the fleur-de-lis is completely inappropriate for use as a church decoration in a Seventh-day Adventist Church. Both were very upset.
Read MoreThe right book at the right time
A new GLOW tract was introduced at GYC, Orlando. The tract was written by David Asscherick and titled "The Right Book at the Right Time." Check out the new tracts.
Read MoreHow postmodern Adventists can engage in personal evangelism
I have been working for a few months now on a set of diaries written by a certain Mr. Dortch in the mid-1880's. The diaries are part of the original manuscript collection in the Southwestern Adventist University Library. In this lecture, I focus particularly on Dortch's relations with his rural neighbors in Tennessee; a relatively new convert to the SDA Church, Dortch, and a farmer, regularly socialized and met with his fellow farmers and frequently shared with them the SDA doctrine of the Seventh-Day Sabbath (Saturday) and other doctrines peculiar to Adventists (such as the 'Nature of Man' as in the rejection of the standard Christian belief in the immortality of the human soul).
Read MoreThe final generation
Why will the last generation become the last generation and not any generation before it? Is something missing? I believe we need the latter rain, but what will bring that about? I had heard that we will not receive it until we are completely without sin, so I tried very hard to get rid of all the sin in my life. I’m not the person I was when I started on my Christian journey, but I have not attained perfection.
Read MoreThe human race
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
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).
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