| Author | Message | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 2030 Registered: 4-2000  |
Joyfulheart, While a minister in the Carolina Conference, I used to be one of two persons to greet incoming cars at campmeeting for several years. I was really shocked to learn that the driver of about every third car requested some type of special parking privileges due to poor health. Dennis Fischer | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 2031 Registered: 4-2000 |
This following link provides additional information about the security team at the GC Session in Atlanta: http://news.adventist.org/2010/06/private-security-det.html Dennis Fischer | ||
| Cloudwatcher Registered user Username: Cloudwatcher Post Number: 99 Registered: 5-2009 |
My husband and I were reading this today and found it fascinating. Maybe you will too. At the GC Session, Scripture and the SOP were affirmed in separate resolutions. Check out the language used for each: ***** BIBLE ***** Since through the power and person of the Holy Spirit the Bible can transform us and develop Christ-like character, we, the delegates of the General Conference in Session, call Seventh-day Adventist believers and fellow Christians everywhere to make the Bible their daily source for personal study. Let Bible study be accompanied by prayer and praise; let it be an open book in our homes to which we listen daily and an open book in our worship places where we collectively seek God’s Word. Let the power of the Bible shape personal life and relationships and empower a witness that points the whole world to the glorious return of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ! ***** SOP ***** We call upon Seventh-day Adventists everywhere to prayerfully study her messages and benefit from the inspiration and instruction found there. We encourage the teachers and administrators of our educational institutions and the leaders of our health-care facilities and publishing houses to review her counsels for their areas of service. We urge pastors to make use of these writings in their sermon preparation and in their planning with the members for the mission of their churches. We appeal to Church administrators at every level to exert their influence in affirming the importance of these writings for the Church and to continue efforts to make these writings available to church members at affordable cost. And we affirm our commitment to “believe His prophets” (2 Chronicles 20:20), that we may prosper in fulfilling our mission to the world and thus hasten the coming of Jesus. **** I don't understand how Adventists who disagree with this approach can comfortably remain Adventists and ignore things like this. This is not just the Adventism of old or Adventism in another country...this happened THIS WEEK in Atlanta, Georgia. I just don't get it. | ||
| Cloudwatcher Registered user Username: Cloudwatcher Post Number: 101 Registered: 5-2009 |
the full text of the resolutions is linked on this page (see the last sentence): http://news.adventist.org/2010/06/new-adventist-church.html | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 2032 Registered: 4-2000 |
Cloudwatcher, The Bible has not been routinely reaffirmed at GC Sessions, and it became an embarrassment to reaffirm Ellen White and not the Bible. Interestingly and sadly, Ellenology is singled out for reaffirmation every five years. This truly reveals the importance of Ellen White in SDA circles today. She remains the apple of the Adventist eye. Dennis Fischer | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 8281 Registered: 3-2004  |
It appears the sda execs have had security before this session. This is is just the first I have heard of it. About being against violence towards women and children, I wonder if that will include the unborn, i.e., abortion. Diana L (Message edited by Flyinglady on June 29, 2010) | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 11356 Registered: 12-2003  |
Ooh--good question, Diana! Yes, Cloudwatcher, you are SO right. This is current and in North America. How can we ignore it? It is what it is. Colleen | ||
| Snowboardingmom Registered user Username: Snowboardingmom Post Number: 595 Registered: 11-2005 |
Not sure if this link will show up, but it's sort of funny and sad... Just saw this posted on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30255588&id=145800607 If you can't see the picture, apparently the GC paid Starbucks to close it during the sessions. As the photographer of the picture wrote: "so it's a good use of our tithe money to pay to shut down starbucks in the convention center?! i think not. how bout you trust the people to make the right decision concerning caffeine and health instead of forcing them to make the one you want them too. plus, last time i checked starbucks has a host of decaffeinated beverages and foodstuffs." | ||
| Yenc Registered user Username: Yenc Post Number: 134 Registered: 6-2008 |
Apparently it wasn't about the money. "They" (GC) probably didn't want any SDA's to be SEEN drinking coffee, thus snubbing their noses at church authority out in the open! I found out that drinking coffee was absolutely the only way I could avoid the frequent (at least once a week), excruciating, debilitating migraine headaches I had suffered for years. A true miracle! Would I take kindly to anyone imposing their distorted ideas of right and wrong on me, causing those headaches to return? I THINK NOT!!! | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 2033 Registered: 4-2000 |
Due to perceived persecution and needless paranoia, the SDA hierarchy has elevated themselves to be somehow suffering for Christ's sake. Like the Pharisees in Jesus' day, they perceive themselves to be much more important than they really are. This is yet another Adventist deception. Notice in the link I provided above, the security team does not want the GC men photographed with a fork or food in their mouth. This is akin to the Queen of England who has the same royalty rules (protocol) to never be seen eating in public. Many Adventists are alarmed at the increasing distance between leadership and laity (read the comments under the security team article). Since the SDA organization is top heavy in leadership personnel, they don't need to mingle much with those in the pew. They have their own social network that includes pastors and departmental directors who yearn to sit next to Conference officials in even a pizza parlor. Everyone wonders who gets to sit closest to the president. Yes, I have repeatedly experienced and witnessed this firsthand. Clearly, the SDA leadership does not want to be considered on par with their laity. After all, reports this week have indicated that God Himself chose Ted N. C. Wilson to be the GC president. These are certainly unique and powerful words for semi-Pelagianists to use. They blame God for everything (smile). Dennis Fischer | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 2034 Registered: 4-2000 |
Admittedly, I regularly patronize the local Adventist Book Center for bargain food prices. I love their premium-wide sesame sticks, etc. Today, while briefly shopping there, I noticed their display of the new Andrews Study Bible. I quickly turned to Daniel 8:14 to see if it was distorted or expanded in any way (like the Clear Word Bible). I found the Andrews Study Bible to be simply the New King James Version with SDA commentary on the lower part of each page. Thus, this Bible has no distortion in its text, but obviously they chose the NKJV to utilize the mistranslation of Daniel 8:14. All in all, it is important to give credit where credit is due. It is not misleading for them to provide their own commentary. However, the commentary itself would be misleading but at least not infused into the actual text. Dennis Fischer | ||
| Javagirl Registered user Username: Javagirl Post Number: 717 Registered: 6-2005  |
The report from some of my relatives attending the sessions is that in the business meetings there is great controversy (sic) about a professor at one of the SDA universities teaching a non literal 7 day creation. This is the huge buzz around the meetings. Wll be interesting. | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 2035 Registered: 4-2000 |
Javagirl, It is my understanding that Jan Paulsen was not planning to retire. Apparently, the nominating committee wholeheartedly voted to replace him. On the other hand, a younger person like Ted Wilson would probably be more aggressive and efficient. I look forward to living in the land where we will never grow old. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQTFdoF-awA) Dennis Fischer (Message edited by Dennis on July 03, 2010) | ||
| Yenc Registered user Username: Yenc Post Number: 142 Registered: 6-2008 |
Javagirl, There is a storm currently brewing at La Sierra over the age-of-the-earth question. (Evolution is the central issue.) A few years ago I attended a meeting at La Sierra in which some professors said they thought the earth was at least double what biblical scholars have calculated (using the Bible's patriarchal geneologies and known historical dates as well as plenty of scientific data). The "new" thinking relies heavily on analysis of ice cores taken from Antarctica, studying sedimentation rates, ash residue from volcanoes, etc. If you are interested in the subject, two very good sites affirming young-earth-creation-dates are Answers in Genesis (AiG) and the Institute for Creation Research (ICR). Neither of these is SDA, but they are biblically-sound and scientifically unimpeachable. Since this is one of my great interests, I find these developments very interesting, wondering whether SDA scientists will crumble under the pressure from atheistic colleagues or if they will stand up with faith in God's Word. Thousands of Christian, Bible-believing, non-SDA scientists at secular institutions are standing firm. | ||
| Javagirl Registered user Username: Javagirl Post Number: 720 Registered: 6-2005 |
Dennis, I hadnt heard that side of the story. The conservative elders I am hearing from are singing the praises of this Mr. Wilson, as very "well groomed for the job" and likely to "protect the status quo, and focus on 'adventist roots'". Yenc, I had heard that they were discussing "removing" the offending professor. Of course my info is 2nd hand. ALso, I was told today that the "adventist message" (not the gospel, note, but the advenitist message) had been preached to all but 6 areas of the world, and thus this could very well be the last GC, as Jesus could come in the next 5 years..... I understood this to mean that I had only a short time to repent of my apostacy and return to the one true church. | ||
| Seekr777 Registered user Username: Seekr777 Post Number: 893 Registered: 1-2003  |
Here is a copy of the address the new GC president gave today. The controlling spirits are surely being turned loose in the SDA church. Richard http://www.scribd.com/doc/33861749/Ted-N-C-Wilson-Sermon-Go-Forward | ||
| Seekr777 Registered user Username: Seekr777 Post Number: 894 Registered: 1-2003 |
I intended to include the following link in the previous post as well. This is a 7 1/2 min clip of what he said. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qkezQcxOSI Richard | ||
| Seekr777 Registered user Username: Seekr777 Post Number: 895 Registered: 1-2003 |
(Message edited by seekr777 on July 03, 2010) (Message edited by seekr777 on July 03, 2010) | ||
| Cloudwatcher Registered user Username: Cloudwatcher Post Number: 104 Registered: 5-2009 |
I watched some of this speech today and was deeply grieved for so many of my close family and friends who were in attendance. I prayed several times for God to use this heresy and distortion of His Word to open the eyes and ears of those I love so much...so they can see the truth about Adventism and the truth of God's Word. It's like it's hidden in plain sight! Why can't they see it? Why will they just make an excuse and justify it or brush it off? I don't know, but it's frustrating. Even when I was comfortably SDA, the things that Wilson said would have made me uncomfortable. So, in that sense, I say, "keep passing him the mic and turn up the volume." If anyone else was watching today, did you notice how the way they repeatedly used the phrase "God's grace" and it made no sense contextually? I know it was the theme of the conference, but it was so forced and nonsensical.... I wish I could ask, "what, exactly, do you mean when you say that?" | ||
| Foofighter Registered user Username: Foofighter Post Number: 130 Registered: 7-2005 |
Cloudwatcher, I watched this speech today. WOW, WOW, WOW!!!!! I knew it would be very conservative, but this was really over the top. I don't think he has a clue about "grace", at least it didn't sound that way with this sermon. I like how he asked for people to respond "with a heartfelt amen, instead of applause". Later in the sermon, I guess some forgot and applauded, so he had to remind them not to do that. What a scold! He had about as much warmth as a snake. Everything was about Adventism. It was all there: Ellen/SOP, Sabbath, Sunday=Mark of the Beast, the three angels message, Adventists are the remnant, the Great Controversy theme, Jesus in the Heavenly Sanctuary, the ten commandments. He actually said that "the Lord has given us one of the greatest gifts possible in the writings of the SOP". It was truly "Ellen-palooza"! Well, I could go on and on about this debacle, but I'll just say that I totally agree about the lack of any knowledge of grace. It was as if they know they should talk about grace, but they don't seem to know much about it. I agree as well, that if Adventism is going to present itself in this way...then surely it will have an effect on some people. So, in that sense, I'm glad to see the real face of the beliefs of Adventism presented. Yes, this would have made me cringe as an Adventist. Can you imagine any non-SDA hearing this abomination? Carol |
