Over the past few days I have been meditating on what it means to be a Seventh-day Adventist. It is obvious to say that being a member of the church means one is willing to support the official teachings of the church as documented in the Statement of Beliefs. However, while the church pushes for … [Read more…]
People tell me over and over again that my beliefs about the Bible are simply a matter of personal interpretation. But that statement assumes truth cannot be known as objective fact. No one agrees 100 percent of the time, yet there are some basic undeniable facts. For example, if a person jumps off an airplane … [Read more…]
I almost do not want to write about this subject. Many times, I have come close to giving up on any attempt to communicate this message. I am not even sure that I completely understand all of the implications that arise because of my conclusions. However, it is an important message to understand in the … [Read more…]
Christianity is not merely a matter of personal interpretation of bible doctrines. Christ commands that we know Him as opposed to false teachers. Christ warned us about being deceived, and Paul proclaimed that people believing in a false gospel were cursed. At the same time, we need only to understand the bare essentials of … [Read more…]
Betrand Russell, a famous Atheist in his day, wrote in his book “Why I am Not a Christian” that Jesus misled the disciples, because He told them that His second coming would happen within their generation. In response to the disciples asking about His second coming, after giving a few signs to look for Jesus … [Read more…]
The simple truth of God’s word has a power all of its own to convince its listeners that it is divine revelation. The essentials of Christianity are easy to understand, and we must present them in a language that is crystal clear for those who are listening. The simple truths, once understood, are the keys … [Read more…]
There are some Christians who believe that the purpose of the Bible is to point them to Christ, and then once they know Christ then they have no more need for a Bible as Christ reveals Himself to them personally. Then there are those Christians who believe that only a personal revelation from Christ can … [Read more…]
Lately, I have been conversing with people from various Christian denominations who all claim to have a proper interpretation of scripture. But logic tells me that there is only one objective truth. If our interpretations contradict, only one of us (or none of us) has the correct answer to many of the puzzling questions of … [Read more…]
Q. Should we study the Bible using proof texts for a particular doctrine of belief, or should we read each book in a more systematic fashion taking into account the literal, historical, and spiritual contexts of each passage? A. The problem with this question is that it divides the two methods of study into an … [Read more…]
I have spent the last 40 years of my life learning the Bible. My mother used to hold me in her lap and sing Bible songs when I was a baby. Today, I still love the word of God. If you want to know the truth about life, death, and eternal life then read the … [Read more…]
SCRIPTURE: The Bible is the inspired word of God. TRINITY: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. ATONEMENT: Jesus bore the wrath of God for our sins as He shed His blood on the cross of Calvary. RIGHTEOUSNESS: God declares us righteous by faith and makes us righteous by the power … [Read more…]