There have been debates over what is included in the “good news” from the simple statement that Jesus died and rose again proving that He was God in human form to the more complex ideas involving the holy spirit and the ability to live a Christian life. While there is much to qualify as good … [Read more…]
When dealing with the writings of Ellen White it is wise to give her the benefit of the doubt unless there is clear biblical evidence to suggest otherwise. Calling her a plagiarist, a hypocrite, or con-artist is an ad hominem attack on her character that says little about the truth of what she wrote. By … [Read more…]
The important thing to remember about judgment is that Christians already have the final verdict. We are “Not Condemned” while the wicked are condemned already because of their rejection of the person and work of Christ. This is a core element of the gospel. “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not … [Read more…]
A question I have been pondering over the past few decades is what are the essential teachings of Christianity? What does a Christian have to believe to be a representative of Jesus Christ? What MUST I believe to be saved? There are Five essential teachings: 1. The Bible is the word of God. If a … [Read more…]
The Belt of Truth Yes, truth exists and it is possible to know right from wrong. Being an expert on the Bible doesn’t grant a person infallibility, but a heart full of the Holy Spirit will have a divine interpreter waiting to guide a person into the truth. (John 16:3) Nothing is more disheartening than … [Read more…]
Controversy is nothing new to me. When one takes a stand on the word of God it is inevitable that someone will challenge what you are saying. If we are to follow the Biblical examples of the early Apostles then we must be bold and proclaim the truth in the face of persecution. There will … [Read more…]
The Gospel of Perfectionism Jesus died on the cross to give us all a second chance at eternal life. Once we put our faith in Christ then He gives us the Holy Spirit who then cleanses us from all sin. Real Christians do not sin. If you do something deliberately you know is wrong then … [Read more…]
Much of my life I have been a student of biblical theology. I was given books to read by my teachers and then I had to write essays, do workbooks, and take exams based on the reading. That covers Bible class for most of my early education grades 1-12. Then I attended chapels, church services, … [Read more…]
Jesus was crucified at 9:00 am and suffered for our sins on the cross until 3:00 pm on a Friday in April. During this time in 31 A.D. the sins of mankind were placed upon the messiah who bore the wrath of God in our place. God satisfied His own law by offering up His … [Read more…]
It is times like these we need to be reminded God is the only one who offers us peace and security. All of the guns in the world cannot stop a deadly virus from spreading throughout the world. However, we can sleep in peace knowing that God loves us and is watching over us. He … [Read more…]
One half of the Seventh-day Adventist church believes the other half is in apostasy. This is sad, sad, sad. If there is a diagnosis for the church it is lukewarm on the gospel of Jesus Christ. They put rules before relationships and commands before compassion. It is high time for our leaders to cast aside … [Read more…]
Messianic Fulfillment of Sanctuary Types and Shadows When Christ was crucified the veil that separated the Holy from the Most Holy Place was torn in two. This meant that the entire sanctuary became the Most Holy Place and there was no longer any barrier to the presence of God. This explains how Christ entered the … [Read more…]
Definitions often play a huge role in a discussion involving theology. For example, the term Jesus Only. For some this means that Jesus is the only way to salvation by grace through faith in His atoning blood. It also recognizes Jesus as the fulfillment of all scripture. All doctrines are there to support Jesus and … [Read more…]
Folks, let us be honest. I have been hearing that the Sunday law is right around the corner for 40 years now. Understandably, there are Adventists for whom all this is still new. Do I believe Jesus is coming soon? Absolutely. His coming is much sooner than it was 40 years ago. Do I believe … [Read more…]
Justification: We are forgiven our sins. We are declared righteous. God looks past our imperfections and sees us as the sinless beings we one day will be in heaven. Salvation is 100 percent based on the work Christ did for us on the cross when He shed His blood and died for our sins. Sanctification: … [Read more…]
We are living in unprecedented times full of nuclear weapons, satellites, space ships, and smart phones. We are living in the last paragraph of the last chapter of earth’s history. We may be alive to see Jesus return. The only way to endure to the end is to focus on Jesus and His death on … [Read more…]
What does holiness look like in everyday life? Is it a monk living in a monastery? Is it taking a vow of poverty? Is it living in a foreign land without the comforts of civilization? Is it giving up television, movie theaters, dance clubs, and fiction novels? What is the mental picture that comes to … [Read more…]
“The present message—justification by faith—is a message from God; it bears the divine credentials, for its fruit is unto holiness.” ~ Ellen White It is almost guaranteed when I mention Justification by Faith in a church setting, I will get one of two reactions. First, some act as if the language I use is beyond … [Read more…]
What does it mean to follow Jesus? Being a follower of Jesus means accepting Him as God, believing He died for your sins, and accepting the gift of His righteousness in place of your own in the final judgement. He also calls you to love others in the same way that He has loved you. … [Read more…]
After 35 years of Bible study, prayer, and reflection, I am more convinced than ever that the message of Justification by faith needs to be taken more seriously. Many pastors and teachers give it lip service, but their hearts are geared towards teaching morality and Christian living. They forget the Holy Spirit is only given … [Read more…]
Being obedient to Christ is not legalism. Keeping Commandments is not legalism. Focusing on the rules over relationships is not legalism. PLACING CONDITIONS ON ETERNAL LIFE OTHER THAN SIMPLE FAITH AND TRUST IN CHRIST IS LEGALISM. Legalism is a curse upon professed followers of Christ who are more concerned with their own righteousness than with … [Read more…]
The relationship between the old and new covenants of the Holy Scriptures have perplexed many theologians over the last 2000 years. Some bible scholars believe the old and new covenants represent two separate plans of salvation. Others have a difficult time separating the mosaic laws from the original covenant God made with Adam and Eve. … [Read more…]
QUESTION: Do I have to believe in all of the 28 Fundamental beliefs to become a Seventh-day Adventist Christian? ANSWER: It is important to make the distinction between the official teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist church as recognized by the General Conference and test of fellowship that is required by new believers when they are … [Read more…]
I wish could exclude myself from this conclusion, but being a former post-graduate student qualifies me to partake of the criticism. Having a degree or two in a particular subject does not make one infallible. There are Atheists with doctoral degrees, there are Pantheists with doctoral degrees, and there are Polytheists with doctoral degrees. The … [Read more…]
My position on the 2300 days prophecy is if the baptism and death of Christ was foretold by this view of prophecy then why not allow it to extend to its logical conclusion: 1844. What Happened in 1844? 1. People awakened to an urgency of the second coming of Christ and the message about the … [Read more…]
Gratitude-Relationships-Intercession-Petition 1. Gratitude: Start your prayers by thanking God for all His blessings. List them one by one and praise Him for being a loving friend. 2. Relationships: Ask God to help you to love Him with all your heart, mind, and soul. Once you have spent some time on this topic then shift your … [Read more…]
1. God is the judge and not man. 2. Jesus is our mediator and not a pastor, priest, or pope. 3. Jesus died once for all–no reoccurring mass as atonement for sin. 4. God judges from the mercy seat where mercy triumphs over condemnation for those written in the book of life. 5. Sins are … [Read more…]
QUESTION: Why do you call yourself a Gospel Adventist? ANSWER: I am a 4th generation Seventh-day Adventist who grew up in the church. As a teenager I thought that the spirit of God would allow us to perfect our characters, if not now, then prior to probation closing. Once probation closed than we would be … [Read more…]
Many Christians still struggle with the relationship between faith and works. Are we saved by our good works? No. Are we saved by our faith and good works? No. Are we saved by faith that works? No. Then How are we saved? We are saved by faith FOR good works. This is a huge paradigm … [Read more…]
“Give me a text from the Bible,” she said. “Okay, how about this one,” he replied. “That doesn’t mean what you think it means. See I told you that you don’t have any scriptures that back up your beliefs.” “How about this one over here.” “You are completely misguided. You don’t know how to read … [Read more…]
As a Gospel Adventist, I believe that the Ten Commandments are the eternal law of God. This is the law by which all human beings are judged. This is the law that condemns us all. The law has never changed, and God still requires obedience to ALL His commandments. What has changed is that we … [Read more…]
Is Doctrine Important to our Salvation? God reveals truth to us through the scriptures. We ignore the essential teachings at our own risk. If bad theology is the result of an innocent error then God may overlook our ignorance. However, if we willfully reject the plain teaching of His word then we run the risk … [Read more…]
Do Gospel Adventists believe in the investigative judgement? Do we believe that God judges both the righteous and wicked prior to the second coming of Jesus to decide their place in eternity? The answer to this question is yes. The problem has never been about whether there is an investigative judgement (IJ), but the real … [Read more…]
Many people wonder how God speaks to me. How can I claim to speak the words of God unless I am able to discern the voice of God? It took me awhile to be able to explain how I am able to separate the word of God from my own inner voice. The simplest … [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 doctrine of justification by faith alone is what sparked the protestant reformation in 1517. On October 31, a Catholic priest named Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of All Saints Church protesting the abuses of the Catholic Church regarding the sale of indulgences. The document was meant to start a local … [Read more…]
Martin Luther, the icon of the protestant reformation, said it best when he proclaimed the doctrine of Justification by faith to be articulus stantis vel cadentis ecclesiae “the article of faith that decides whether the church is standing or falling” (Packer). The doctrine of Justification by faith is not only one out of many church … [Read more…]
The only thing that any minister of the gospel can do is share what we believe is the truth with honesty and conviction. We cannot convince anyone to change their mind unless those people see the need for change. The role of the Holy Spirit is to convict people of their need. Our job is … [Read more…]
What does it mean to be not “Under Law” but “Under Grace”? When the New Testament scriptures state we are not “Under Law” but “Under Grace” it means we are no longer subject to the penalty of the law and are not subject to its condemnation. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who … [Read more…]
“Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.” Luke 6:26, NIV I fear many Christians are afraid to speak their minds about God’s word. They worry that other people will turn against them, or that they might offend someone who is opposed to the … [Read more…]
“ One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God” (Luke 6:12, NIV). One of the major hallmarks of Jesus’s earthly ministry was His personal prayer life. He understood His dependence on the Father for the power to live a perfect life. As a result, He … [Read more…]
“Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law,” ~ Psalm 94:12, ESV Over the past 40 years of my life, I have had some wonderful Bible teachers. I have sat at the feet of countless pastors and evangelists who poured their knowledge into me and taught … [Read more…]
Sometimes I look back over my life and meditate on what might have happened if I had made different decisions in my life. For example, if I hadn’t put in a job application that led to me being hired by a particular company, or if I hadn’t stopped to talk to a military recruiter that … [Read more…]
I have a confession to make that may surprise some of you. I hated school when I was a kid. It wasn’t the English, the Spelling, or the History classes that I hated. But I dreaded Math. Most of the time my homework was only half done in those classes, and I was lucky to … [Read more…]
We are saved by trusting Jesus for the forgiveness of sin; we are blessed and rewarded by obedience to the Ten Commandments. Our salvation depends on simple faith in the blood of Christ, while our rewards in heaven depend upon our willingness to be obedient to God in all things. Without the law there is … [Read more…]
Those who think that it is hateful to call other religions wrong, do not have a problem with religion, but they have a problem with the nature of truth. Truth by definition is exclusive. To call something true means the opposite is false. This is simple logic. If no one has the truth then what … [Read more…]
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” ~ 2 Timothy 2:15, KJV I am concerned about the lack of attention that is being paid to the essentials of the historic Christian faith. I am not talking about the debatable subjects that … [Read more…]
One of the characteristics of an educated mind is that it welcomes competing ideas as a way to force an examination of the basic assumptions about what makes something true or false. There is nothing wrong with a healthy debate! I am concerned about people who want to shut down the free flow of ideas … [Read more…]
Recently, I came across the question that some find hard to answer: What difference does God make? Ultimately, this question is not hard to answer. Those who have had a genuine experience with the Creator of the Universe will tell you that God has made the biggest difference in their lives. But then some might … [Read more…]