On that darkest of all Sabbath nights, Mary cannot sleep. Faith and despair wage a battle in her mind. The numbness of despair threatens to swallow her faith. She has gone through some bad times before, but none like this. She recalls her out-of-wedlock pregnancy and how the neighbors glanced at her and stopped talking … Continue reading –>
In several previous posts we noted that the Investigative Judgment builds on two other Adventist doctrines – Biblical Arminianism and Soul Sleep. Second, we saw that in the Sanctuary, Adventists have a solid basis for assurance. I also shared the rationale behind the Adventist perspective on the Close of Probation. In this article I want to describe a better approach for … Continue reading –>
Jean just passed away at the age of 94. She lost her husband a couple years earlier, and then became ill with cancer. She was telling her daughter she did not even know why she was still living. She felt old and useless. But one day her young health care nurse came for a routine visit. She told … Continue reading –>
If there is a judgment going on in heaven right now and if, when Jesus comes, His reward is with Him, it stands to reason that at some point before the second coming, those who are alive on earth will have to be judged as well. And, in developing this idea Adventists have come to … Continue reading –>
You might think that, although Christians disagree on a lot of topics, they at least agree on the central theme of their religion: the gospel. But no such luck. You have Calvinism on the one side, Arminianism on the other, and an entire spectrum of options in between. And that’s just within Protestantism. The Catholic and … Continue reading –>
The church was organized for service. The church is not a hospital for sinners (I know that goes against tradition). “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” Matthew … Continue reading –>
When we allow the Bible to explain itself, God can use ordinary people to do great things. Years ago, when I worked on the sort isle at UPS, our supervisors would occasionally bring in food to eat, while we worked at four in the morning. One such time, my supervisor, who was also a Protestant … Continue reading –>
After the great disappointment of 1844, a small band of Adventists, unable to deny the presence of God in the Millerite movement, came to the conclusion that, instead of the Second Coming, God had begun what they termed the “Investigative Judgment,” now also known as the Pre-Advent Judgment, as distinct from the Final Judgment. Throughout the … Continue reading –>
Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great … Continue reading –>
We need what Peter had – individually and collectively. And we need it desperately. We readily recall Peter’s boldness in asking his Lord for permission to walk on water. That story is full of encouragement as we face the impossible in our lives. If ever there was a story in the bible that illustrates the success … Continue reading –>
