A few years ago I was talking to a head elder, who had rushed to judgment and taken it upon himself to take “executive” action against another church member. I asked him if he had followed the counsel in Matthew 18, and talked to the member first. He boldly told me he did not need … Continue reading –>
As mentioned in the last post, Adventism’s understanding of the covenants is not well known either to us, our inquirers or our critics. Some critics even go as far as to suggest that Adventism’s covenant progression is an unheard-of new heresy. Part of the difficulty in responding to these charges is that, while Adventists have historically written … Continue reading –>
The recent events taking place across the US have been both heart breaking and mind boggling. As a millennial Adventist I can remember a time when I quite comfortably praised the decline of racial tension and looked happily into a future in which such things would be relegated to the basement of civilization. Progress was … Continue reading –>
Back in 1991 my wife and I leased an old red brick building in downtown Nampa, Idaho, as our art studio. For $200/month we got 5,000 square feet of space on the second floor of a 100-year-old building, including a large room we used as our photo studio. After a year we ended up hiring … Continue reading –>
In July the Seventh-day Adventist Church General Conference Session will vote on the much-discussed contentious issue of whether individual divisions should ordain women pastors. Since enough has been written about women’s ordination to fill several terabytes of data space, we are not going to discuss the subject on Sabbath School Net. I am not a prophet … Continue reading –>
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2, NKJV) A few years ago I had baptismal studies with an elderly man named Oscar. He had just … Continue reading –>
People often ask me how old a child should be before they can be baptized. Many are surprised to hear I was just seven when I was baptized. I still remember the night – I was lying in bed, thinking about the cross and Jesus’ love for me. I decided I wanted to be baptized. I … Continue reading –>
It’s hard for us to imagine ourselves in a world where devout men pray every morning on arising, “God I thank You that you did not create me a Gentile, a slave or a woman.” 1 It was in such a society that Jesus ministered. The prominent role played by women in society, as related … Continue reading –>
Probably the image most Adventists have of Elder John Byington is based on the only photograph they’ve ever seen which portrays the aged patriarch as a silver-haired, balding, bearded, wrinkled, scowling preacher in a black frockcoat and white shirt buttoned tightly around the neck. Consequently, they might be surprised to learn that he was a … Continue reading –>
I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment. All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech. Proverbs 8:12-13 NLT It is impossible for a truly wise person to be proud and arrogant. Wisdom is talking in the quoted … Continue reading –>
