A Summary

No. 1 - The Word of God

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:33:45 -0800

The Bible is the source of everything we believe. All of these 28 statements in this list come from these ancient Scriptures. Nothing comes before the Bible.

But the Scriptures are more than a monument -- they are, according to 2 Timothy 3.16,17 “... useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” If we are to know God, know his will for us, and live according to his purpose and calling, then the Bible is going to have to be very central to our lives.

Who wrote the Bible?
Much of Christianity has managed to argue over this topic over the centuries. Seventh-day Adventists can too! But we are comfortable saying that God wrote the Bible through people. David said, “the Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; his word is on my tongue.” (2 Samuel 23.2). Ezekiel wrote, “ the Spirit entered into me”, “the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me”, “the Spirit lifted me up”. (Ezekiel 2.2, 11.5,24)

We believe that God was very involved in the writing of the Bible, and that we can trust it completely and fully. We therefore use it as our authority in all we do and all we say as Jesus followers.

Verses
2 Peter 1.20, 21; 2 Timothy 3.16, 17; Psalms 119.105; Proverbs 30.5, 6; Isaiah 8.20; John 17.17; 1 Thessalonians 2.13; Hebrews 4.12.

Official Language
The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are the written Word of God, given by divine inspiration through holy men of God who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. In this Word, God has committed to man the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are the infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the test of experience, the authoritative revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God's acts in history.

No. 2 - The Godhead

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 17:10:48 -0800

Seventh-day Adventists believe in God. We believe that he exists, that he is involved in our lives and our world, and that he can be known. Right at the very beginning of the Bible, the very first verse -- “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. we see that the Bible does not go about proving God’s existence, but rather it assumes it.

Trinity
As with much of the rest of Christianity, we as Adventists, are very comfortable with the phrase “three in one”. A critic can claim that literally we are therefore not monotheists, that we actually believe in three gods. But it is one God, with the understanding of a plurality of three. Father, Son, and Spirit.

We see the Scriptures consistently describing the Trinity. And the Bible, in describing God, uses all three titles and attributes. It is complicated, and we do not claim to fully understand this, or feel that we can completely describe the trinity of God. However, we do think that God reveals himself to us and that he can be known. Like any relationship, we get to know him better over time.

This Web Site
You are reading fundamental belief number two in this list. There are 26 more. There are so many facets to God - he is vast, all-knowing, all-powerful and ever present. We shall do our best to describe him, but we need the ongoing relationship and ongoing revelation God continuously offers.

Verses
Deuteronomy 6.4; Matthew 28.19; 2 Corinthians 13.14; Ephesians 4.4-6; 1 Peter 1.2; 1 Timothy 1.17; Revelation 14.7

Official Language
There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three co-eternal Persons. God is immortal, all-powerful, all-knowing, above all, and ever present. He is infinite and beyond human comprehension, yet known through His self-revelation. He is forever worthy of worship, adoration, and service by the whole creation.

No. 3 - God the Father

Tue, 5 Jan 2010 16:41:11 -0800

Jesus said, “if you have seen me you have seen the Father” (John 14.9). Jesus, as the son, was the revelation of God.

So as humans, it is understandably easier to build a relationship with Jesus -- leaving the father often misunderstood.

The only literal image we have of God, is that of his back when talking with Moses. Moses, having spent so much time talking with God on the mountain, really wanted to see him. But God informed Moses, that should Moses ever see him, Moses would die. A risk Moses seemed willing to take. The story unfolds in Exodus chapter 33, where we see God coming up with a compromise. Moses could see his back. We often have this image of God turning around and revealing his back, but a better picture of the scenario, is that of God passing by, before allowing Moses to see him “where he was”. Therefore, Moses saw his “afterwards”. It is as close as we’ve got -- and it left Moses glowing for weeks.

God was a deal maker with Noah (Genesis 9.1-17) and Abraham (Genesis 12-22). Looking in the Old Testament we see a God of mercy, a Redeemer, a God of refuge, a God goodness, and a God of faithfulness. As well as a God of salvation and vengeance. We are told that he is a jealous God. He is in every way, a father. In the New Testament, we see a God of all creation, the father of all believers, a God who gives, and a God of love.

Judge
One of the most common roles of God described throughout the Scriptures, is that of Judge. whether it be with the children of Israel, the book of Daniel, the words of Jesus, or Revelation. God, the father figure, seems to be the central character in this role.

Verses
Genesis 1.1; Revelation 4.11; 1 Corinthians 15.28; John 3.16; 1 John 4.8; 1 Timothy 1.17; Exodus 34.6, 7; John 14.9

Official Language
God the eternal Father is the Creator, Source, Sustainer, and Sovereign of all creation. He is just and holy, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. The qualities and powers exhibited in the Son and the Holy Spirit are also revelations of the Father.

No. 4 - God the Son

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 17:08:41 -0800

Jesus is the part of God we know - for he was here.

He was promised many times in the Old Testament, including a speech given in the Garden of Eden - Jesus is the one who will crush the devils offspring ‘s head - while getting his heel struck (Genesis 3.15). Jesus was the promised one. The one who was given over to death.

Some Predictions about this man:
Isaiah says the child will be a male and that he would be both human and divine.
He would preach good tidings to the poor.
He would heal the broken hearted - and proclaim liberty to the prisoners.
He would however suffer rejection.
A close friend would betray him.
None of his bones would be broken.
He would bear our griefs and carry our sorrows.

Jesus beat Death!
Not only would Jesus die on our behalf, but he would beat death on our behalf, and rise from the dead. We believe that this is such a defining moment in the history of the universe.

Great Debate...
For a period of our history, many Adventists have debated the true nature of Jesus. Some have argued his human nature, thus pointing out the fact that we are to become like him, and therefore aspire to the point of goodness, just like Jesus. While proponents of this argument would not readily identify themselves as legalists, it is easy to see how effort and self would play such a big role in salvation. This is why Adventists today are so quick to point out Jesus’ divine nature:

Here is what we point to:
1. He is different from us - his father gave him all authority over heaven and earth - Matthew 28.18 and John 17.2.
2. The works of God are ascribed to Jesus - i.e., he is identified as creator, John 1.3 and Colossians 1.16. And the sustainer of life - “in him all things consist”, Colossians 1.17 and Hebrews 1.3.
3. The sacred Old Testament names of Yahweh, or Jehovah, are applied to him.
4. John, in the beginning of his Gospel, depicts Jesus as the Word that become flesh, John 1.1, 14.
5. Jesus himself claimed equality with God. He called himself the “I Am”, John 8.58.
6. He is worshiped as God - Paul wrote that “at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow”, Philippians 2.10.

His human side is found in the scriptures too:
The Bible refers to Jesus as the second Adam, that is, human as Adam was human, without all the baggage we carry from generation to generation. This way he was able to take the consequences of our sins. He was able to experience suffering as we do, and suffer temptation as we do. He was (is) truly our Savior in every way.

Christ as High Priest
One of the most significant roles Jesus has, and the most talked about and revealed in the Bible, is that of High priest. Our mediator, our go between. Because of Jesus, we can face our God, our Judge. Because of Jesus we not only have salvation from what we have done, but full reconciliation.

Verses
John 1.1-3, 14; Colossians 1.15-19; John 10.30; 14.9; Romans 6.23; 2 Corinthians 5.17-19; John 5.22; Luke 1.35; Philippians 2.5-11; Hebrews. 2.9-18; 1 Corinthians 15.3, 4; Hebrews 8.1, 2; John 14.1-3.

Official Language
God the eternal Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ. Through Him all things were created, the character of God is revealed, the salvation of humanity is accomplished, and the world is judged. Forever truly God, He became also truly man, Jesus the Christ. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived and experienced temptation as a human being, but perfectly exemplified the righteousness and love of God. By His miracles He manifested God's power and was attested as God's promised Messiah. He suffered and died voluntarily on the cross for our sins and in our place, was raised from the dead, and ascended to minister in the heavenly sanctuary in our behalf. He will come again in glory for the final deliverance of His people and the restoration of all things.

No. 5 - God the Holy Spirit

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 16:29:45 -0800

If much of Christianity were to subconsciously rank the God head, the Spirit would often come in third place. But the Bible teaches that the Spirit is both very much part of God while also a literal being.

Statements such as “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and us” (Acts 15.28) and Jesus also speaking of him as a distinct person “He will glorify me, for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16.14) indicate the literalness of the Holy Spirit. A being who:

Strives - Genesis 6.3
Teaches - Luke 12.12
Convicts - John 16.8
Directs church affairs - Acts 13.12
Helps and intercedes - Romans 8.26
Inspires - 2 Peter 1.21
Sanctifies - 1 Peter 1.2

We often talk of having a relationship with Jesus, or even God, but it is with the Spirit that much of this relationship is played out. Hence this part of the Godhead is more than a mere presence, but a person. A person very involved in this world.

First Mention
The Spirit is first mentioned in the second verse of the Bible as part of the very beginning of the creation story. “Life’s origin and maintenance depends on His operation; and His departure means death.” Seventh-day Adventist believe P 71.

Pentecost
While even in the Old Testament the Spirit equipped certain individuals (Numbers 24.2, Judges 6.34 and 1 Samuel 10.6), it is Pentecost that is most connected to the equipping presence of the Holy Spirit. This new era started only when Jesus was in the throne room, standing at the right hand of God - an incredible event which happened 50 days after the crucifixion.

Verses
Genesis 1.1, 2; Luke 1.35; 4.18; Acts 10.38; 2 Peter 1.21; 2 Corinthians 3.18; Ephesians 4.11, 12; Acts 1.8; John 14.16-18, 26; 15.26, 27; 16.7-13

Official Language
God the eternal Spirit was active with the Father and the Son in Creation, incarnation, and redemption. He inspired the writers of Scripture. He filled Christ's life with power. He draws and convicts human beings; and those who respond He renews and transforms into the image of God. Sent by the Father and the Son to be always with His children, He extends spiritual gifts to the church, empowers it to bear witness to Christ, and in harmony with the Scriptures leads it into all truth.

No. 6 - Creation

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 16:26:12 -0800

Over the years Adventists have had various beliefs come under the microscope, where believers from around the world join in a a wide ranging study on a given topic. Lately this has been the belief under scrutiny. The church has been quick to state its firm belief in a literal Biblical creation while being open to the studies of educated people in this area.

We believe that God is revealed in creation, and that he is the source of all life, here on this earth and in the universe. We believe the creation account in scripture, while we do not fully understand everything shared there, is accurate - and applies to the beginning of this world.

We also believe that God spoke things into creation, and that his word is both powerful and significant. And while people often see humanity as the climax of creation week - why wouldn’t we, we are human after all - we see the Sabbath, given here more as a sacrament than a law, as the culmination of an incredible weeks work.

Further Information
Adventists are very open to many forms of learning and revelation, including the world of science. The Adventist church has an official science institute which deals with many things, including much on this topic. You can see this site here.

Verses
Genesis 1; 2; Exodus 20.8-11; Psalms 19.1-6; 33.6, 9; 104; Hebrews 11.3

Official Language
God is Creator of all things, and has revealed in Scripture the authentic account of His creative activity. In six days the Lord made "the heaven and the earth" and all living things upon the earth, and rested on the seventh day of that first week. Thus He established the Sabbath as a perpetual memorial of His completed creative work. The first man and woman were made in the image of God as the crowning work of Creation, given dominion over the world, and charged with responsibility to care for it. When the world was finished it was ``very good,'' declaring the glory of God.

No. 7 - The Nature of Man

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:14:49 -0800

Creative, needy, inquisitive, lonely, blaming, loyal, scared - and this is all in the first 3 chapters of the Bible.

In the Image of God
Toward the end of the creation week, God said, “let us make man in our image, male and female”. We don’t know if this means we look like him, think like him or reason like him. But our ability to interact, love and take care of things certainly surpasses any other creation we know of.

Created for relationships with others - it is not good for man to be alone, so God created companions for us. Perhaps this is why he created man in the first place.

Created to be stewards over the environment - having said let us make man in our own image, God goes on to say that this creation should “have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

The fall
Humanity is embroiled in sin. And this is a very identifying mark of who we are. It raises more questions than answers, for we are here, and know (have knowledge of) both good and evil. It is therefore hard to talk about the nature of man, without talking about the role and effect of sin its self.

Did God create sin? Allow sin? Put up with sin? And what is our role and responsibility under these conditions? Adventist do not avoid these questions, in fact, we’d love very much to know the answers here, but we don’t. The result is, however, that we as humans have a very limited life here, and this certainly affects who we are, and also what we do.

Our nature has changed because of the introduction of sin into our world and our lives. Sin controls us. Infiltrates every pat of us. Therefore, we cannot truly be ourselves. We are identified as much by what we can’t do as much as by what we do and who we are.

Is Sinfulness Inherited, or Acquired?
Paul, in Romans 5.12 says “therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—” there seems to be some argument that we have inherited this condition. We are powerless to get out of it, either by our own efforts, or by producing offspring. Many Adventists enjoy debating the implications of this, but the official position is very much that we are defined as sinners, and apart from Jesus, there is no restoration from this condition. We are by nature, sinful - full of sin.

Verses
Genesis 1.26-28; 2.7; Psalms 8.4-8; Acts 17.24-28; Genesis 3; Psalms. 51.5; Romans 5.12-17; 2 Corinthians 5.19, 20; Psalms 51.10; 1 John 4.7, 8, 11, 20; Genesis 2.15

Official Language
Man and woman were made in the image of God with individuality, the power and freedom to think and to do. Though created free beings, each is an indivisible unity of body, mind, and spirit, dependent upon God for life and breath and all else. When our first parents disobeyed God, they denied their dependence upon Him and fell from their high position under God. The image of God in them was marred and they became subject to death. Their descendants share this fallen nature and its consequences. They are born with weaknesses and tendencies to evil. But God in Christ reconciled the world to Himself and by His Spirit restores in penitent mortals the image of their Maker. Created for the glory of God, they are called to love Him and one another, and to care for their environment.

No. 8 - The Great Controversy

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:15:21 -0800

The devil does not hate you. The devil could not care less about you. The devil hates God. And God loves you. So in order to get at God, the devil comes after you.

The devil is real. Temptation is real, and the battle between good and evil, which started in heaven, is real. And this world is caught in the center of this struggle between God and Satan. We believe that this explains so much of what is going on around us. Revelation, the last book of the Bible, chapter 12, and verse 7 talk about there having been a war in heaven, in which the the devil was thrown out of heaven. God defeated the devil, and all there is left now is to hurt the ones God loves.

Job
And while this now gets played out everyday here on earth, and in our lives, the book of Job gives us a peek into this epic struggle that is bigger than us and our own story. Job starts out (1.6-12) like this:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." 8 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" 9 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." 12 And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

The Cosmic Issue
The devil accuses God of not being fair - hence one of his names, the accuser. The devil is trying to prove his point, while God is demonstrating exactly who he is. We believe this planet is at the center of this universal drama.

There are some significant events in this drama:
Heaven before the history of the earth - Revelation 12 where there is a war in heaven where the devil and a third of the angels were removed.
The Garden of Eden - Genesis 3 where the devil gets humanity to believe him over God.
The Temptations of Jesus - Matthew 4 where the devil goes one on one with Jesus, as human, as one of us. Three specific temptations are mentioned, but we have no reason to think the devil gave up tempting at this point.
The Garden of Gethsemane - Mark 14 where Jesus is contemplating what is coming for him.
Calvary - Luke 23 where Jesus is hanging on the cross, carrying our sin, dying our death, taunted for his actions.
The end of sin - Revelation 20 where Satan is bound for 1,000 years, before being released and leading the lost on the New Jerusalem.

The Central Issue
Jesus asked his disciples, who do you say that I am - and this is a question at the core of all theology, the controversy and argument. Gods reputation, love and sovereignty are at stake, as the devil, who has not been able to defeat God, attacks his very identity before Gods creation.

Verses
Revelation 12.4-9; Isaiah 14.12-14; Ezekiel 28.12-18; Gen. 3; Romans 1.19-32; 5.12-21; 8.19-22; Genesis 6-8; 2 Peter 3.6; 1 Corinthians 4.9; Hebrews 1.14

Official Language
All humanity is now involved in a great controversy between Christ and Satan regarding the character of God, His law, and His sovereignty over the universe. This conflict originated in heaven when a created being, endowed with freedom of choice, in self-exaltation became Satan, God's adversary, and led into rebellion a portion of the angels. He introduced the spirit of rebellion into this world when he led Adam and Eve into sin. This human sin resulted in the distortion of the image of God in humanity, the disordering of the created world, and its eventual devastation at the time of the worldwide flood. Observed by the whole creation, this world became the arena of the universal conflict, out of which the God of love will ultimately be vindicated. To assist His people in this controversy, Christ sends the Holy Spirit and the loyal angels to guide, protect, and sustain them in the way of salvation.

No. 9 - The Life Death and Resurrection Of Jesus Christ

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:46:07 -0800

In reality, it is all about Jesus. The Sabbath, Creation, Salvation, Redemption, Eternal Life... all nothing without the Son of God, and the man Jesus Christ - which for Adventists, and Christianity, are the same thing.

His Life
We often say that Jesus died for us, but let us not forget that he lived for us too. Keeping every dot, every piece of the law. Living as we live here on earth, suffering as we suffer, being tempted as we are tempted. And yet he was blameless and spotless. So we are to recieve his life, his reward, his consequence.

His Death
To fully understand this, we must understand what the Bible describes as the “2nd Death.” The first death, the one we observe here on this earth, is the first death, and not a big deal according to Jesus who called it nothing more than “a sleep”. And as if to prove his point, he told Lazarus to wake up after 4 days of “sleep” and he did.

Jesus did not die the sleeping (1st) death on the cross. He died the 2nd death, the dead death. The one the Bible describes as not being able to come back from (Revelation 20) - except he did. Therefore, we do not have to die forever, Jesus died our 2nd death in our place. He took Adam and Eve’s, and our consequence.

His Resurrection
Jesus did not stay dead, he beat death, and as prophesied, rose again on the third day. We understand this to be the pivotal event not only in this worlds, and universes history, but in our own personal history too. For we can accept Jesus life, and use his death because of his resurrection. It really is ALL about JESUS!

We needed Jesus to live, we needed Jesus to die, and we needed him to rise up again from that devastating death.

Verses
John 3.16; Isaiah 53; 1 Peter 2.21, 22; 1 Corinthians 15.3, 4, 20-22; 2 Corinthians 5.14, 15, 19-21; Romans 1.4; 3.25; 4.25; 8.3, 4; 1 John 2.2; 4.10; Colossians 2.15; Philippians 2.6-11.

Official Language
In Christ's life of perfect obedience to God's will, His suffering, death, and resurrection, God provided the only means of atonement for human sin, so that those who by faith accept this atonement may have eternal life, and the whole creation may better understand the infinite and holy love of the Creator. This perfect atonement vindicates the righteousness of God's law and the graciousness of His character; for it both condemns our sin and provides for our forgiveness. The death of Christ is substitutionary and expiatory, reconciling and transforming. The resurrection of Christ proclaims God's triumph over the forces of evil, and for those who accept the atonement assures their final victory over sin and death. It declares the Lordship of Jesus Christ, before whom every knee in heaven and on earth will bow.

No. 10 - The Experience of Salvation

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:41:15 -0800

Starts with Jesus
Jesus came to this earth to do something for us that we could never have done ourselves.

Is Applied with Confession (Repent)
Acts chapter 2 recounts a story of Peter giving what seems to be his first sermon. Afterwards, 3000 people came forward to accept the ramifications, and implications of this message for their own lives. They wanted to know what to do next. Peter says in verse 38 “Repent, and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” - Motion is implied here, salvation is not static.

It starts with Jesus and his gift.
it is accepted by us through the act of confession.
It is then lived out by the Spirit in and through us.

2 Big Words
Justification - referring the the instant effect of what Jesus has done. It’s miraculous, an amazing gift, and something far beyond our own ability. We get to participate by accepting it.
Sanctification - referring to the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. It’s miraculous, an amazing gift, and something far beyond our own ability. We get to accept it by participating in it.

Repentance Defined
The word repentance is a translation from the Hebrew work nachum - to be sorry, to repent. The Greek equivalent metaneo means to change one’s mind, to feel remorse, to repent. (from the book, Seventh-day Adventists Believe P135 - see left).

Repentance results in life change. For a fuller discussion on how salvation from Jesus is more than saving you from something, but into something, see the next post - No. 11.

From the Book Seventh-day Adventists Believe
Our new relationship with Christ brings with it the gift of eternal life. John affirmed, “he who has the Son has life,; he who does not have the Son does not have life (1 John 5:12). Our sinful past has been cared for; through the indwelling Spirit we can enjoy the blessings of salvation. P139.

Verses
2 Corinthians 5.17-21; John 3.16; Galatians 1.4; 4.4-7; Titus 3.3-7; John 16.8; Galatians 3.13, 14; 1 Peter 2.21, 22; Romans 10.17; Luke 17.5; Mark 9.23, 24; Ephesians 2.5-10; Romans. 3.21-26; Colossians 1.13, 14; Romans 8.14-17; Galatians 3.26; John 3.3-8; 1 Peter 1.23; Romans 12.2; Hebrews 8.7-12; Ezekiel 36.25-27; 2 Peter 1.3, 4; Romans 8.1-4; 5.6-10.

Official Language
In infinite love and mercy God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him we might be made the righteousness of God. Led by the Holy Spirit we sense our need, acknowledge our sinfulness, repent of our transgressions, and exercise faith in Jesus as Lord and Christ, as Substitute and Example. This faith which receives salvation comes through the divine power of the Word and is the gift of God's grace. Through Christ we are justified, adopted as God's sons and daughters, and delivered from the lordship of sin. Through the Spirit we are born again and sanctified; the Spirit renews our minds, writes God's law of love in our hearts, and we are given the power to live a holy life. Abiding in Him we become partakers of the divine nature and have the assurance of salvation now and in the judgment.

No. 11 - Growth in Christ

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:07:42 -0800

John 15 talks about Jesus being the vine, and us being the branches. In this scenario, we all keep growing. We will, Jesus tells us, either grow and bear fruit or die. This is not a threat, and should not be seen as such. It is reality, and comes with a warning (and encouragement) from the Creator himself.

New!!
This is the the newest fundamental belief in this list, and was added officially in the year 2005. Adventists have over the years in large become less dogmatic, and this belief reflects the fact that we admit that we do not know everything, and are therefore, constantly growing.

Life Begins with Death
This is fundamental to a full view of salvation and Christianity. We talk often as followers of Jesus as being saved from something - ie, sin and all its consequences. But we are also saved into something. Saved from sin and its ways, into a full life as given by Jesus - so not just from, but into.

This has lead some Christian commentators to believe that Adventists are on the verge of being legalists. This is why number 11 here is so very important. Adventists are not legalists. There is no where in our beliefs that we say you can earn your way to heaven. Nowhere. And this is so very important.

Rather, it is all about process, and it starts and ends with Jesus. We must die to self, and give ourselves over to the Savior. And then, as is plainly obvious, we do not become perfect as humans, we “grow in Christ” allowing him to take over us, and lead us into full communion with him. This is the ultimate act of grace, and if we ever try and grow on our own, we will fall short.

Verses
Psalms 1.1, 2; 23.4; 77.11, 12; Colossians 1.13, 14; 2.6, 14, 15; Luke 10.17-20; Ephesians 5.19, 20; 6.12-18; 1 Thessalonians 5.23; 2 Peter 2.9; 3:18; 2 Corinthians 3.17, 18; Philippians 3.7-14; 1 Thessalonians 5.16-18; Matthew 20.25-28; John 20.21; Galatians 5.22-25; Romans 8.38, 39; 1 John 4.4; Hebrews 10.25.

Official Language
By His death on the cross Jesus triumphed over the forces of evil. He who subjugated the demonic spirits during His earthly ministry has broken their power and made certain their ultimate doom. Jesus' victory gives us victory over the evil forces that still seek to control us, as we walk with Him in peace, joy, and assurance of His love. Now the Holy Spirit dwells within us and empowers us. Continually committed to Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are set free from the burden of our past deeds. No longer do we live in the darkness, fear of evil powers, ignorance, and meaninglessness of our former way of life. In this new freedom in Jesus, we are called to grow into the likeness of His character, communing with Him daily in prayer, feeding on His Word, meditating on it and on His providence, singing His praises, gathering together for worship, and participating in the mission of the Church. As we give ourselves in loving service to those around us and in witnessing to His salvation, His constant presence with us through the Spirit transforms every moment and every task into a spiritual experience.

No. 12 - The Church

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:52:37 -0800

The word the Bible uses for church is a translation from the Greek ekklesia, which means “a calling out.” The church is supposed to be this places that is different from surrounding culture, a refuge. A place set apart for bigger, greater, higher things.

The Hebrew word for church is qahal, which stood for gathering, assembly, or the word we often use today - congregation.

The New Testament opens the term up and describes the church as:
1 - A place where believers assembled for worship in a specific place - 1 Corinthians 11.18; 14.19, 28.
2 - Believers living in a certain locality - 1 Corinthians 16.1; Galatians 1.2; 1 Thessalonians 2.14.
3 - A group of congregations in a given geographic area - Acts 9.31
4 - The whole body of believers throughout the world - Matthew 16.18; 1 Corinthians 10.32; 12.28
5 - The whole faithful creation in heaven and on earth - Ephesians 1.20-22)

Church History
Seventh-day Adventists feel very much part of the common church history over the centuries. We of course feel along with other Christians in recent times that we have added to this mosaic, but our roots are exactly the same.

Descriptions of Church
The church as a body refers to each varied member becoming part of the serving whole. (See post 17).
The Church as a temple. Christians sometimes are mistaken that God lives at the church. He might, but only because his people are there. Stephen, in Acts 7, paints a wonderful picture to the priests of how God does not live in buildings of bricks and mortar any more - but in us... his people. We can learn a great deal from this - that the physical structure is not to be confused with the church. But the church, it’s people, is where God dwells.
The Church as bride paints a beautiful picture of the relationship between Christ and his people. He loves us, serves us, protects us and hangs out with us. We can also learn a great deal about our role in this relationship from this metaphor.
The Church as family speaks to the fact that we belong. Even when we make mistakes, and do things to hurt the church, we still belong. Family is family. You might be dysfunctional, but you can’t turn family into not family.
The Church as pillar and foundation of truth. We are to bring light into a dark world, and we organize in such a way that we represent, even talk for, God. This role is not to be abused (but has been) or become self serving. But to be taken in the Character of God and we should as far as we understand, act as God would act as we talk for God as God would talk.

Church Membership
Everyone is invited to join - no matter origin, race, background etc... You join the Adventist church by joining in the community of Adventists and accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior, baptism by immersion, and by studying and accepting Biblical scripture, and Biblical commission, for your life. (Matthew 28.20).

Allegiance to God and state
Since the very beginning of the church, its followers have been asked to set their allegiance to God, but have, as far as possible, been part of the communities thy find themselves. The Bible recognizes Gods hand in the establishing of governments, and commits believers to respecting, and obeying civl authorities. Therefore, Adventists will follow Christ’s leading in giving to Caesar the things that are Caesars, and to God the things that are Gods. Should, however, the state interfere with a divine command, our highest allegiance is to God. Acts 5.29 “We must obey God rather than man.” To this end, Seventh-day Adventists are great advocates of separation of Church and state.

Church is for Sinners
Finally, Jesus said about himself, that he did not come for the healthy, but for the sick (Mark 2.17). Churches then ought to be a place for broken people to begin the restoration process. Church is not for the morally good alone.

Verses
Genesis 12.3; Acts 7.38; Ephesians 4.11-15; 3.8-11; Matthew 28.19, 20; 16.13-20; 18:18; Ephesians 2.19-22; 1.22, 23; 5.23-27; Colossians 1,17, 18.

Official Language
The church is the community of believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In continuity with the people of God in Old Testament times, we are called out from the world; and we join together for worship, for fellowship, for instruction in the Word, for the celebration of the Lord's Supper, for service to all mankind, and for the worldwide proclamation of the gospel. The church derives its authority from Christ, who is the incarnate Word, and from the Scriptures, which are the written Word. The church is God's family; adopted by Him as children, its members live on the basis of the new covenant. The church is the body of Christ, a community of faith of which Christ Himself is the Head. The church is the bride for whom Christ died that He might sanctify and cleanse her. At His return in triumph, He will present her to Himself a glorious church, the faithful of all the ages, the purchase of His blood, not having spot or wrinkle, but holy and without blemish.

No. 13 - The Remnant and it’s Mission

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:45:11 -0800

The Adventist church in it’s official beliefs statements stops short of calling itself the remnant, but this church does try and do the things the remnant is specifically described as doing in the Bible.

What is the Remnant?
The Expression means “remaining one”. The Bible portrays a group of people, who through apostasy, wars, rumors of wars and various unpleasant times etc... remain loyal to God. This may seem obvious, but the scriptures seem to be saying that not everyone who claims to follow God actually does.

The Characteristics of the Remnant
John, writing the Revelation of Jesus, the last last book of the Bible, gets quite specific about how the remnant will be identified. Revelation 12.17 - they are those who “keep the commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ.”

The commandments we think are quite self explanatory, referring to the those given on Mt Sinai. This is one reason Adventists insist on keeping the 7th day Sabbath (the 4th commandment). We see this as another New Testament reference to the communication given by God in the Old Testament.

The “testimony of Jesus Christ” could be more open to interpretation however. Except that Revelation itself gets specific on this again - sharing exactly what the testimony of Jesus Christ is - for a few chapters later John writes in Revelation 19.10 - “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”. Adventists see this as direct interpretation.

So we see the remnant as having the faith of Jesus, will follow the commandments of God, posses the spirit of prophecy, (see No. 18), and will emerge in the last days.

While even in the darkest times, God seems to have had a special, and dedicated people that have not fallen away, we see this role has having particular importance in the last days. The last days being after the time of persecution mentioned in Revelation 12.14-17 - a time most Adventists will point to as being around for a couple hundred years now.

The Mission of the Remnant
Adventists see the mission of the remnant given clearly, again in Revelation. In a few verses, of chapter 14 we refer to the “3 Angles Messages” as the role of the remnant people in the last days.

1. Fear God and give glory to Him.
2. Babylon is fallen! - that is sin is not going to win.
3. Those who worship the beast are not with God.

Finally, and importantly...
Adventists do not say that only Adventists are saved or go to heaven. We believe we have a special, and perhaps unique message to give to the world at large, and the Christian movement in particular, but our message is not exclusive.

Verses
Revelation 12.17; 14.6-12; 18.1-4; 2 Corinthians 5.10; Jude 3, 14; 1 Peter 1.16-19; 2 Peter 3.10-14; Revelation 21:1-14.

Official Language
The universal church is composed of all who truly believe in Christ, but in the last days, a time of widespread apostasy, a remnant has been called out to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. This remnant announces the arrival of the judgment hour, proclaims salvation through Christ, and heralds the approach of His second advent. This proclamation is symbolized by the three angels of Revelation 14; it coincides with the work of judgment in heaven and results in a work of repentance and reform on earth. Every believer is called to have a personal part in this worldwide witness.

No. 14 - Unity in the Body of Christ

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:15:54 -0800

Paradox means - a statement or proposition that, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory.

And here is the thing, in the New Testament, and in our church, our unity comes from our diversity.

The disciples did not always get along. As Jesus was about to ascend into heaven, Matthew tells us (28.??) that even then some did not believe. Yet, with the Spirit, as part of their conversion, they had a unity of purpose that spread the Good News of Jesus far and wide.

The Body And Unity
The Scriptures use the Body as an example of how diversity and unity can work in the same unit (1 Corinthians 12.12). And just as the various organs are held together and work together for the common good, so the Spirit holds the various parts of the church together. There are implications for tolerance and working together with people we do not readily understand, but it goes further than this - it is a profoundly spiritual thing, putting God very intentionally at the head.

Practically speaking there is no urim or thummim. There is no Pope figure speaking directly for God in every issue at every time. We trust the voice of God to be heard through the diversity of the body. Hence the title on each of these pages is what Adventists generally believe. For we do not all believe the same thing all of the time - there is diversity there.

Strength in Unity
Vast political movements along with dedicated corporate business know the strength of common purpose. While this strength is easily, and has often been, abused, with the Spirit as the glue, and God as the head, we do well to serve the body over our own needs.

Verses
Romans 12.4, 5; 1 Corinthians 12.12-14; Matthew 28.19, 20; Psalms 133.1; 2 Corinthians 5.16, 17; Acts 17.26, 27; Galatians 3.27, 29; Colossians 3.10-15; Ephesians 4.14-16; 4.1-6; John 17.20-23.

Official Language
The church is one body with many members, called from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. In Christ we are a new creation; distinctions of race, culture, learning, and nationality, and differences between high and low, rich and poor, male and female, must not be divisive among us. We are all equal in Christ, who by one Spirit has bonded us into one fellowship with Him and with one another; we are to serve and be served without partiality or reservation. Through the revelation of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures we share the same faith and hope, and reach out in one witness to all. This unity has its source in the oneness of the triune God, who has adopted us as His children.

No. 15 - Baptism

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:24:26 -0800

There is a widespread belief that Baptism is all about washing your sins away. And while this can be argued, it has nothing to do with the water.

The water is not used as a cleaning agent. The water provides a grave. You go down and you die to your old self. And in the same moment, you are brought back up - Resurrected. only it is not some regular death - obviously, there is an immediate resurrection. It is THE death. The death Jesus died.

So when you are baptized, you are participating in Jesus death. A death he died for you. Only, you get the water, he gets the nails.

What Jesus said. What Jesus did.
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” -Jesus in Mark 16.16. In the early church baptism automatically followed a persons acceptance of Christ. It acted as a confirmation of a believers faith (Acts 8.12; 16.30-34). Baptism is used in Adventist churches in the same way today.

Jesus didn’t just teach baptism. He was baptized himself. Which makes little sense to some people and some faiths, for Jesus did not sin. And if baptism was indeed to wash sins away, then there would have been no need for Jesus to have gone through with this act. But in getting baptized, Jesus was giving us more than an example to follow, he was giving us a foretaste of what was to come. His literal death, and literal resurrection.

Baptism - Immersion
The meaning of the English word to baptize comes from the Greek verb baptize which implies immersion, meaning to dip in or under. And as baptism represents the grave, Adventists opt for a full body immersion in the water. You will not see sprinkling in an Adventist church.

When?
We do not baptize infants, but wait for an “age of consent” - in other words it has to be the baptized’s own personal decision. The age and circumstance for this will be debated with various opinions given. However, a specific time and place is usually chosen between the person and their officiating pastor.

The Holy Spirit Part
There is a fabulous verse in the 2nd chapter of Acts. Peter has just given his Pentecost sermon and some 3,000 people loved it, accepted the message, and wanted to know what to do next. Peter said repent and be baptized. The only qualification given for this act. He then goes on to say in verse 38, that once you are resurrected to a new life through this baptism, the Holy Spirit, God Himself, comes and lives in you.

Baptism is a very big deal!

Verses
Romans 6.1-6; Colossians 2.12, 13; Acts 2.38; 16.30-33; 22.16; Matthew 28.19, 20.

Official Language
By baptism we confess our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and testify of our death to sin and of our purpose to walk in newness of life. Thus we acknowledge Christ as Lord and Savior, become His people, and are received as members by His church. Baptism is a symbol of our union with Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, and our reception of the Holy Spirit. It is by immersion in water and is contingent on an affirmation of faith in Jesus and evidence of repentance of sin. It follows instruction in the Holy Scriptures and acceptance of their teachings.

No. 16 - The Lords Supper

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:56:55 -0800

Every now and then, people come up to me as a result of a further spiritual reawakening, and ask for a re-baptism. This is of course not necessary, as Jesus to a protesting Peter said “the one who has bathed does not need to wash except for his feet.” Of course Peter had not wanted his master washing any portion of him, but if he was going to, he asked for his whole self to be done.

Communion, or the Lords Supper, is one of those services that acts beautifully as a time or rededication, and recommitment. But there is more to it than that. It is a reminder of what has been done, and what will be done.

As Adventists, we take the foot washing part of the John narrative and bring it with the bread and cup into this service. So before the symbolic objects are handed out, participants in an Adventist service will file out and wash the feet of another person - for in John 13.14, Jesus says that “if I your Lord and teacher have washed your feet, you ought to wash each others feet,” before concluding in the verse 17 of the same chapter that “if you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

Adventists point out these benefits and blessings from the foot washing part of the service:
A memorial of Christ’s condescension
A type of higher cleansing
A fellowship of forgiveness
A fellowship with Christ and believers

The Bread and the Cup
The Lords Supper replaces the passover festival - one looking forward, the other looking back. Both events make the sacrifice (lamb/body) and the blood very prominent.

Adventists take very seriously these emblems, but we refer to them as symbols of the body and blood. Here is what we think the bread and cup symbolize:

Commemoration of the deliverance of sin.
This is why we don’t need to keep being baptized every time we see more clearly what Jesus has done for us - for he has already done it, we just need to remember that he has done it! As the passover commemorated Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt, the Lords Supper, or communion as we often call it, commemorates our deliverance, through Jesus death, of our bondage to sin.

Corporate Communion with Christ
There is something very tangible about these symbols that Christians find very comforting. In a world filled with divisive behaviors, and churches following suit in significant, and sometimes insignificant, things, there is nothing like the whole body coming together around what is centrally important.

Anticipation of the second Advent
While we can see this service introduced in the gospels, it is also from Paul in the Epistles that we get some of our direction and meaning for communion. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lords death until he comes.” I Corinthians 11.26.

Just as the passover remembered the release from slavery and yet looked forward to Jesus coming as savior, so we remember his sacrifice on the cross, but also look forward to him coming back again to take us home with him.

So who gets to do this? And what must I do to be involved?
The Lords supper goes hand in hand with baptism (see the previous post). Adventists practice “open communion” meaning, that you don’t have to be an Adventist to participate. Just be a follower of Jesus. Proclaim him as Lord and join in remembering him for who he is, what he has done, and what he is, and will do on our behalf.

This is also perhaps the one service where a bit of old testament irreverence is not at all appropriate. - I Corinthians 11.27 “Whoever eats this bread and drinks this cup in an unworthy manor will be guilty of of the body and blood of the Lord.” This phrase “unworthy manor” could either refer to how we approach the emblems and/or service, or by coming to the table with no active faith over what Jesus has done for them.

Paul says, “examine yourself” before participating in the service (I Corinthians 11.28). So before taking part, check your motives, but don’t be afraid about being good enough - Jesus died so that our lack of goodness is covered. We need to remember that, and communion is the perfect opportunity to remember what Jesus has done.

Verses
1 Corinthians 10.16, 17; 11.23-30; Matthew 26.17-30; Revelation 3.20; John 6.48-63; 13.1-17

Official Language
The Lord's Supper is a participation in the emblems of the body and blood of Jesus as an expression of faith in Him, our Lord and Savior. In this experience of communion Christ is present to meet and strengthen His people. As we partake, we joyfully proclaim the Lord's death until He comes again. Preparation for the Supper includes self-examination, repentance, and confession. The Master ordained the service of foot washing to signify renewed cleansing, to express a willingness to serve one another in Christlike humility, and to unite our hearts in love. The communion service is open to all believing Christians.

No. 17 - Spiritual Gifts and Ministries

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 07:49:28 -0800

For a while, right out of college I worked at the Adventist church headquarters just outside Washington DC. While I was there I realized that a strong value for this organization is unity - keeping a diverse and growing church together.

However, it is this diversity that Paul talks about as valuable in the calling of the church - using the various parts of the body as an example for how we need all types of gifts, skills and talents for the work Jesus Christ has called us to. No part of the body should say to another “I don’t need you!” Each part is dependent on the other and the parts that appear weaker and less significant are indispensable.

The difference between Fruits of the Spirit and Gifts of the Spirit
This is an important distinction - and we get in trouble when we confuse the two. Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5.22) are things that develop in you over time as you hang out with the Spirit in Gods ways. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These “characteristics” or fruit, develop in a believer/follower over time. Gifts of the Spirit are quite different, and can be given suddenly, and for just a period of time in order for the will of God to be done in a specific moment, or for a specific situation:

I Corinthians 12
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

The Value of Peace and Harmony too
In Paul’s third and final discussion of Spiritual Gifts (Ephesians 4.1-3), he urged believers to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient; bearing with one another with love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

Confirmation of Gifts and Call
With such a vital and important mission, and with humanity seeking glory and fulfillment the way we often do, it is important to remember that through the history of the church - and even Jesus’ own ministry - each person has always received confirmation from an outside source. It dos not seem to be enough that anyone stand up and say I have been called to . . . such and such ministry. Of course deception can come through collaboration, but it is still vital to get confirmation (perhaps from outside your inner circle at times) from the body of believers. Jesus himself received two confirmations, one from John the Baptist, and the other in a visible, literal manifestation of the Spirit after his baptism.

Verses
Romans 12.4-8; 1 Corinthians 12.9-11, 27, 28; Ephesians 4.8, 11-16; Acts 6.1-7; 1 Timothy 3.1-13; 1 Peter 4.10, 11.

Official Language
God bestows upon all members of His church in every age spiritual gifts which each member is to employ in loving ministry for the common good of the church and of humanity. Given by the agency of the Holy Spirit, who apportions to each member as He wills, the gifts provide all abilities and ministries needed by the church to fulfill its divinely ordained functions. According to the Scriptures, these gifts include such ministries as faith, healing, prophecy, proclamation, teaching, administration, reconciliation, compassion, and self-sacrificing service and charity for the help and encouragement of people. Some members are called of God and endowed by the Spirit for functions recognized by the church in pastoral, evangelistic, apostolic, and teaching ministries particularly needed to equip the members for service, to build up the church to spiritual maturity, and to foster unity of the faith and knowledge of God. When members employ these spiritual gifts as faithful stewards of God's varied grace, the church is protected from the destructive influence of false doctrine, grows with a growth that is from God, and is built up in faith and love.

No. 18 - The Gift of prophecy

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:58:46 -0700

The New Testament book of Hebrews starts out - “long ago, at many times, and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.” Verse 2 then goes on to say that in these last days God has spoken to us through his Son. We find so much about God through Jesus, and every Christian church, including Adventists, makes this claim.

But the New Testament also says that one of the gifts of the Spirit is prophecy. It seems that God still has a way (and a need/desire) to communicate special messages to his people.

The difference between Fruits of the Spirit and Gifts of the Spirit
This is an important distinction - and we get in trouble when we confuse the two. Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5.22) are things that develop in you over time as you hang out with the Spirit in Gods ways. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These “characteristics” or fruit, develop in a believer/follower over time. Gifts of the Spirit are quite different, and can be given suddenly, and for just a period of time in order for the will of God to be done in a specific moment, or for a specific situation:

I Corinthians 12
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

Seventh-day Adventists tend to emphasize the prophecy gift
There are lots of gifts mentioned in the New Testament - things the Holy Spirit can use and bestow, but Adventists tend to emphasize the prophetic one more than the others (though hopefully not at the expense of the others). Perhaps there are a couple of reasons for this - first, the New Testament does put this one quite prominently. Second, the Adventist church claims a prophet in the early part of its history.

This makes some people, even some Adventists quite uncomfortable. For it puts us in an uncomfortable group of modern day prophets. Some not quite so Christian movements which started up in the same century had prophets too, but there is a really big difference between Ellen White, an Adventist, and Joseph Smith and Mary Baker Eddy etc... while other prophets bring new “light”, meaning they have teachings and information superseding the scriptures, Ellen White in her writings always gives the Bible a place of prominence. This is of vital importance in the Christian world.

The Bible gives some guidelines for identifying a prophet:
1. They assisted in the founding of the church (Ephesians 2.20, 21)
2. They initiated the churches mission outreach (Acts 13.1, 2 & 16.6-10)
3. They edified the church (I Corinthians 14.3, 4 & Ephesians 4.12)
4. They united and protected the church (Ephesians 4.13, 14)
5. They warned of future difficulties (Acts 11.27-30 & Acts 20.23 & Acts21.4, 10-14)
6. They confirmed the faith in times of controversy (Acts 15.32)

Note on the prophetic gift in the last days
God gave a prophetic voice to John the Baptist just before Jesus began his earthly ministry. In a similar way, we see prophecy playing an important role before Jesus returns. In fact, Jesus warns about false prophets (Matthew 24.11, 24) which implies to us that there would be true, good prophets - other wise the warning would surly be just against prophets. It seems God still has specific messages to give to specific times and circumstances in this world.

We as Adventists also put 2 verses in Revelation together to show how prophecy will play a role in the remnant (remaining true) people described in this book.

Revelation 12.17
Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

And Revelation 19.10
Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God." For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Prophecy is not to be taken lightly, and should be tested. Not all Seventh-day Adventists today are completely comfortable with how their church has handled this gift of the Spirit. But one thing we can be very sure of, the role of prophecy is very Biblical, and to eliminate it would mean taking scissors to the Scriptures, and that is something Adventists would be very uncomfortable with!

As this site develops I may well develops this topic somewhat.

Verses
Joel 2.28, 29; Acts 2.14-21; Hebrews 1.1-3; Revelation 12.17; 19.10.

Official Language
One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is an identifying mark of the remnant church and was manifested in the ministry of Ellen. G. White . As the Lord's messenger, her writings are a continuing and authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction. They also make clear that the Bible is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested.

No. 19 - The Law

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 20:34:20 -0700

Real laws are timeless, and cannot be changed. Sure, look around at the laws still on the books in various government houses around the world, and you’ll see some ridiculous leftovers from another time, but those are just made up laws - to fulfill immediate opinions.

Real laws have real consequences. Made up laws have to have made up consequences.

God gave many laws, some of which we don’t readily understand - if at all. But the 10 commandments are a pretty good summary - along with the saying of Jesus:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and the second we are told is like it, “Love your neighbor as yourself”. You can find these words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 22 (verse 37-39) where Jesus says that all the laws and all the words of the prophets hang on these two laws. But the original comes from Deuteronomy chapter 6, and Jesus was reciting these words.

A great deal of Christianity often says that the law was done away with at the cross. And sure, things certainly changed the day Jesus died for us, but Jesus did not die to get rid of the law. Real laws are timeless and cannot be changed. Jesus simply fulfilled the law (on our behalf) - first by living by it, and then, taking our consequences for breaking it, by dyeing.

Jesus himself said “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” Matthew 5.17-19

Jesus also talks about the need to become better than the pharisees, specialists in law keeping, if we are to receive the kingdom. That’s a trick!

Seventh-day Adventists see the cross of Jesus as the pivotal event in our, and our worlds, salvation. But we do also see the importance of the law in this sacrifice. This has opened up Adventists to an accusation of legalism. But this should not imply in any way that Adventists believe that you can earn your salvation. Salvation comes through Jesus. But it comes through Jesus because he did keep the law. Otherwise, this salvation thing could be achieved by anyone. But it can’t. (Hebrews 1).

As a result of this view, Adventists study the Old Testament as much as the New Testament. For in these pages we get to see even more of Jesus. Who he is, and what he has accomplished on our behalf. So we take the 10 commandments seriously, not to earn our salvation, but to simply get to know Jesus, and life, and even love, better. And yes, through the power of the Spirit given by Jesus, we think the law still applies in our lives, world and universe. For real laws don’t change.

So why do we keep the commandments, including the Sabbath etc... but not all the ones over feasts, and where to go to the bathroom while camping with 1,000,000+ people etc..?

The Ceremonial Law
Much of the Old Testament laws dealt specifically with the role of Jesus in the salvation process. Now, looking back, we can see more clearly that we simply cannot earn our own salvation. But that we need Jesus. And these scriptures would have been very useful to people looking forward. These laws and instructions are often referred to as shadows, or reflections, of the reality of Christ.

When Jesus died, an angel tore the curtain containing the inner aspects of the sanctuary, from top to bottom. We see this as the completion of these “shadows” now that they had been filled, and that reality had in fact taken place a few miles away on the cross. Therefore, there was no longer any need for the blood of lambs, for the blood of The Lamb had been shed. The price paid. The law fulfilled, un-dented, standing strong, with authority. The devil crushed and defeated.

Grace
This is in fact a powerful image of grace. The legalism of “if you’re good you go up, and bad you go down” replaced by the love and sacrifice of Jesus, for all who’ll take it.

Quote
Calvin, “we must not imagine that the coming of Christ has freed us from the authority of the law; for it is the eternal rule of a devout and holy life, and must, therefore, be as unchangeable as the justice of God.”

Verses
Exodus 20.1-17; Psalms 40.7, 8; Matthew 22.36-40; Deuteronomy 28.1-14; Matthew 5:17-20; Hebrews 8.8-10; John 15.7-10; Ephesians 2.8-10; 1 John 5.3; Romans 8.3, 4; Psalms 19.7-14.

Official Language
The great principles of God's law are embodied in the Ten Commandments and exemplified in the life of Christ. They express God's love, will, and purposes concerning human conduct and relationships and are binding upon all people in every age. These precepts are the basis of God's covenant with His people and the standard in God's judgment. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit they point out sin and awaken a sense of need for a Savior. Salvation is all of grace and not of works, but its fruitage is obedience to the Commandments. This obedience develops Christian character and results in a sense of well-being. It is an evidence of our love for the Lord and our concern for our fellow men. The obedience of faith demonstrates the power of Christ to transform lives, and therefore strengthens Christian witness.

No. 20 - The Sabbath

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 20:14:18 -0700

It’s actually pretty simple at it’s core - At the end of creation week, Jesus rested on the seventh day, blessed it, and made it holy. Then, when God gave the 10 commandments, the 4th stated that Gods people should remember the Sabbath. And the Jews keep it even today. Jesus kept the Sabbath (it seems, both the letter and the spirit of it), the disciples also seem to have kept the Sabbath. In fact, Adventists will point out that no where in Scripture is the Sabbath changed by God - or changed at all.

We know it makes us different to the rest of the Christian church. But Adventists don’t keep the Sabbath to be different. Rather, we keep it because God gave it to us... and we don’t really, with God being such a great God and all, really feel like saying, “thanks, but I’d like to exchange it for something I’d like better.”

And it is not a works thing. We are not trying to be good, or earn any brownie points. It’s a gift... a gift where we are actually invited to stop working. To enter into God’s rest, his blessing, in what he has made Holy.

Rest (Genesis 2:2)
Rest here in Genesis does not mean sleep. It means stop. God did not take a nap on the seventh day (at least I don’t think He did), he stopped on the seventh day (think of the French word for stop - arrest). So while many Seventh-day Adventists do enjoy a good nap each week, the idea is rather that we simply stop doing what we usually do during the week (Exodus 20.9 “six days you have to do all your work, but the seventh is for the Lord your God”). Sure we could rest (stop) any day. But the seventh day is the day he gave us.

Blessed (Genesis 2:3)
Do you know what the word blessed means? No, neither do I, or I think, does anyone else for that matter. It is a word we get from the scriptures, that because we have nothing really to compare it with we don’t exactly know what it means. But I think it is along the lines of being happy, or in secular terms - lucky. So this is not a legalistic day... it is a day of rest, stopping, to smell the roses, to be happy and joyful.

Holy (Genesis 2:3)
Holy means set apart. It’s Gods stuff. Take off your sandals Moses, you are on Holy, God, ground. Ground that is set apart. The seventh day was set apart. Not the first, not the third, the seventh. It really is not a big trick... Adventists just don’t see any reason scripturally to change something that God set in place (set apart - Moses didn’t say to God, let’s make that ground over there holy...). In fact, we see changing Gods times and laws as something man really should avoid doing.

Nailed to the Cross?
Jesus came to fulfill the law, not do away with the law (Matthew 5. 17-19). With this in mind, the reference nailed to the cross in Collossian’s can’t be “the Law” - unless of course it came back with Jesus at his resurrection! Rather our debt, the laws we broke... yes, they are nailed to the cross - this is the whole point of the cross. This Collossian’s reference does go on to say we should not judge people based on the Sabbath - which many Sabbath keepers would do well to remember. But a shadow of things to come does not mean (especially in a scriptural context) that the shadow disappears just because the One has come.

Further Study
The Sabbath is a very interesting Biblical concept, and is certainly of great importance to a Seventh-day Adventist. As you read through these statement of beliefs, you’ll find that quite a few Seventh-day Adventists will have disagreements on many of them. But this people do love the Sabbath.

It’s too much for this page, but how the day changed is an interesting topic for further study. The role of the Sabbath before sin, (hence before the need of the cross) and the role of the Sabbath after the eradication of sin is also interesting to consider.

Bible Verses
Genesis. 2.1-3; Exodus. 20.8-11; Luke 4.16; Isaiah. 56.5, 6; 58.13, 14; Matthew. 12.1-12; Exodus. 31.13-17; Ezekiel. 20.12, 20; Deuteronomy. 5.12-15; Hebrews. 4.1-11; Leviticus. 23.32; Mark 1.32.

Official Language
The beneficent Creator, after the six days of Creation, rested on the seventh day and instituted the Sabbath for all people as a memorial of Creation. The fourth commandment of God's unchangeable law requires the observance of this seventh-day Sabbath as the day of rest, worship, and ministry in harmony with the teaching and practice of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day of delightful communion with God and one another. It is a symbol of our redemption in Christ, a sign of our sanctification, a token of our allegiance, and a foretaste of our eternal future in God's kingdom. The Sabbath is God's perpetual sign of His eternal covenant between Him and His people. Joyful observance of this holy time from evening to evening, sunset to sunset, is a celebration of God's creative and redemptive acts.

No. 21 - Stewardship

Mon, 6 Apr 2009 10:53:09 -0700

It’s Gods world. In our hands. This part of our beliefs has often been overshadowed by giving money, and this can be part of it, but the idea is that just as Adam was entrusted with taking care of the Garden of Eden, we still have a similar role for this world and its creation.

More than anything else the Christian life means surrendering - a giving up of self and accepting Jesus Christ and his life. This is a tough call for many of us humans, for we like stuff, to be in control, finding that trusting others and our Creator and Savior can be quite a challenge. We think we know best. And taking seems so much more reassuring than giving.

You First
If you struggle with surrender - remember this: Jesus surrendered himself (completely) first. He is not asking anything of you that he is not willing to do first - and this is important in any trust relationship. Jesus also does not make us give him stuff... governments do that - if they need something they just take it. Everything is Gods anyway - so if he wanted it, He could just take it. Our role is simply to take care of things - the world and each other. That is how he has set it up.

So What’s His, What’s Ours, and What Are We To Do?
Money
Let’s start with the hardest... for it’s not like money is everything for most of us, it’s just that we really like what it can buy!

God gave Adam and Eve the garden not only to enjoy but to manage. The same can be said of our money and possessions. We have them, they are ours to enjoy and use, but they are from God (James 1.17 - God is the source of every good gift), given to us to manage on his behalf. If you live like this, you will not be far from Gods calling and ways.

Tithe - this is a very specific instruction in the Bible. Most of it’s teachings are from the Old Testament. And this leads some observers to suggest that since Jesus we do not need to worry about the specific system of tithes. However, while Jesus does make it clear that you can tithe diligently and yet ignore the weightier matters of life (Matthew 23.23), he also seemed to suggest that we can consider the weightier things without giving up tithing. Giving, as a way of life, is at the centre of what it means to be like Jesus - and for Adventists over the years this has included tithing.

The Body
Luke 10.27 has the well known greatest commandment - love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength. By looking after and developing our minds and bodies, we bring honor to God and use well what He has given us.

Abilities
Time is a precious commodity, and what we do with it says a lot about who, and whose, we are. Ephesians 5.15-16 tells us not to behave as fools, but as wise - redeeming time because the days are evil. This certainly does not mean work work work! See the preceding belief... the Sabbath. But in saving us the 7th day as a day of rest, the 4th commandment also says that he gave us the other 6 days to get things done - and how we use those days... for God, his people and our relationships and personal growth, is a way of taking care of what God has given us.

Blessings
God also reminds us of the blessings of giving and taking care of His world and His people - which we as humans can understand. For the more you take care of something, the more useful and enjoyable it shall be. The statement “it is more blessed to give than to receive” is not a threat in anyway, but rather advice for a good life.

Jesus says in Luke 12.15, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Our giving, and taking care of the earth and each other helps root out covetousness and selfishness from our lives. And taking care of only self is at the root the breakdown of love and trust in the world.

Bible Verses
Romans 12.1, 2 - 1 John 2.6 - Ephesians 5.1-21 - Philippians 4.8 - 2 Corinthians 10.5 - 6.14-7:1 - 1 Peter 3.1-4 - 1 Corinthians 6.19, 20-10.31 - Leviticus 11.1-47 - 3 John 2.

Official Language
We are God's stewards, entrusted by Him with time and opportunities, abilities and possessions, and the blessings of the earth and its resources. We are responsible to Him for their proper use. We acknowledge God's ownership by faithful service to Him and our fellow men, and by returning tithes and giving offerings for the proclamation of His gospel and the support and growth of His church. Stewardship is a privilege given to us by God for nurture in love and the victory over selfishness and covetousness. The steward rejoices in the blessings that come to others as a result of his faithfulness.

No. 22 - Christian Behavior

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:46:59 -0800

When I was a kid my Father used to brag about being able to go to the airport to pick up an Adventist, and not need a sign. He would “just know”, he said. I wondered what it was, ... no earrings I was pretty sure, a frowning disposition perhaps, a sense of style that was roughly 5-10 years old... depending on the age of the subject. Right or wrong, my Dad never needed a sign.

Over the years there has been an emphasis on behavior that has been less than attractive. but there is something different about someone who follows Jesus, at least, surely there ought to be. Shouldn’t there?

“In, but not of this world” John 2.15-17

Behavior and Salvation
We quote the words of Paul - “You who are trying to be Justified” (made good) “by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from Grace. Galations 5.4

Extreme’s
It is important to avoid extremes in this discipleship, Jesus following life. As highlighted above their is no salvation value to trying to behave your way into heaven. There is just no value there. On the other side, we do well to remember that Jesus saves us from something, and to something. Speaking to this Paul also says - “You... were called to to be free. but do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature. Galations 5.13. Perhaps Paul is saying, do not use your freedom to bind yourself, or destroy yourself again.

Quote from Seventh-day Adventist believe: “While our behavior and spirituality are closely related, we can never earn our salvation by correct behavior. Rather, Christian behavior is a natural fruit of salvation and is grounded in what Christ has already accomplished for us at Calgary.”

Temples of the Holy Spirit
It might be easy to imagine the church (building and even congregation) as the temple of the Holy Spirt, but Stephen, in his speech to his religious leader accusers made it so clear that things are different now... since Jesus died and rose, and the spirit comes... god doe snot dwell in a house of bricks and mortar any longer - he dwells, lives - abides, in us.

Therefore, we are called to live as god... with God... for God... showing him to the world. We can, in affect, start living eternally with Him now. Sure, we are still under sin, and the Devil still prowls around trying to wrestle you away form God.. and we are weak, and the devil prevails in many circumstances still... but by Gods grace, according to His will, and as part of this on going battle, God lives in us and through us.

For Seventh-day Adventist, this means living a fulfilling, healthy, spiritual vitalized life! So we have emphasis on exercise as well as Bible study. Healthy eating as well as regular prayer. We want balance and health in our reading, watching and talk about using our time money and talents in ways in harmony with God and his calling and mission for this world.

We don’t do this on our own, or for ourselves, but for God and his mission on earth and in our very own lives.

Traditionally . . .
Over the years Adventist have had some pretty defined standards in this area. Adventist abstain from illegal drugs, tobacco, alcohol, adornment and caffeine. In reality, some of this is changing for various reasons. But in all Adventist churches you will find a very big emphasis on healthy, full living.

Sabbath
Other posts in this belief blog will deal more with the Sabbath - but the topic cannot be avoided in this arena. Sabbath is a very big part of this healthy, God filled life... and rest and communion with God on his blessed, set apart day, is very important to our every day life.

Scripture verses to check out:
Romans 12.1, 2 / 1 John 2.6 / Ephesians 5.1-21 / Philippians 4.8 / 2 Corinthians 10.5 - 6.14-7:1 / 1 Peter 3.1-4 / 1 Corinthians 6.19, 20 - 10:31 / Leviticus 11.1-47 / 3 John 2

Official Language
We are called to be a Godly people who think, feel, and act in harmony with the principles of heaven. For the Spirit to recreate in us the character of our Lord we involve ourselves only in those things which will produce Christlike purity, health, and joy in our lives. This means that our amusement and entertainment should meet the highest standards of Christian taste and beauty. While recognizing cultural differences, our dress is to be simple, modest, and neat, befitting those whose true beauty does not consist of outward adornment but in the imperishable ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit. It also means that because our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to care for them intelligently. Along with adequate exercise and rest, we are to adopt the most healthful diet possible and abstain from the unclean foods identified in the Scriptures. Since alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and the irresponsible use of drugs and narcotics are harmful to our bodies, we are to abstain from them as well. Instead, we are to engage in whatever brings our thoughts and bodies into the discipline of Christ, who desires our wholesomeness, joy, and goodness.

No. 23 - Marriage and Family

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:00:49 -0800

Marriage and family is of the utmost importance, because in a world where God is difficult to see, family is the closest we come to understanding the true love we believe God is.

As Adventists, we happily point to the garden of Eden and say there were two things instituted before the advent of sin, Sabbath being one, and marriage, the union of Adam and Eve, being the other. While we see some evidence that Sabbath will also live on after sin, Jesus says very clearly in the gospels that there will be no marriage in heaven. Which is a good thing. Because many of us make mistakes, either in our choice for partner, or how we interact and grow with our partner once we are married. And our mistakes do not need to have eternal consequences.

Four Parts to Marriage
Love
Just as love is the foundation of Jesus’ relationship with us, so love is the bedrock of relationships with each other. However, unlike God, we are not capable, or big enough to love everyone, and so we have the special bond with one person in which humanly speaking experience the true love and relationship possible in our lives.
Sanctity
In the vows we make to our partner, we include the line giving our selves only to the other. For true love to exist, this is a vital aspect. God says he is a jealous God. Loss causes pain, and a true good relationship will avoid this type of pain. In an ideal world anyway.
Permanence
The commitment called for in a marriage is what sets this institution apart from many in our world. Sure, with Gods blessing we have made ways for sour experiences to be avoided (grace), but there is something reassuring, and comforting when we enter into a contract that has the words - “till death do us part” in it. If love is at the center of a relationship, we will not need that contract, for we will always attend to our calling, responsibilities and affections.
Closeness
You can get close to another without marriage. However, with the aid of time, and the commitment and love mentioned above, a level of understanding beyond words and verbal expression can become evident - even in the hardest of relationships.

Family
Beyond the gift of marriage comes the family - a unique opportunity to understand the role of God on this earth and with his creatures. Christians in general, and Adventists in particular think very highly of families. While there are many family structures around the world, all have the responsibility to take care of one another. Young parents taking care of children, and older children taking care of older parents. It is a God given (quite literally on every level) responsibility and opportunity.

Divorce
It is our understanding that divorce was not part of Gods plan... though that can be said for a number of things on this earth. But God provided a way out, a path of grace, even in marriage. This reveals so much about Gods character. Perhaps the same could be said for polygamy at a certain part of earths history.
The Diverse family
Adventists are made up from many cultures around the world. So it is often hard to find agreement for a defined make up of the family. Many Adventists find themselves on different political sides on various contemporary, and historical issues.
Here are some scriptures that mention marriage and family. Genesis. 2.18-25; Matthew 19.3-9; John 2.1-11; 2 Corinthians 6.14; Ephesians 5.21-33; Matthew 5.31, 32; Mark 10.11, 12; Luke 16.18; 1 Corinthians 7.10, 11; Exodus 20.12; Ephesians 6.1-4; Deuteronomy 6.5-9; Proverbs 22.6; Malachi 4.5, 6

Two Important Aspects of the Marriage Journey
Choose wisely. When you select a partner, remember the 4 aspects of a marriage - love, sanctity, permanence and closeness. Remember too the family aspect of the marriage - both the family your partner comes from, and the one you’ll form together. Secondly, the decision of who to marry is just the beginning. You must also choose how your marriage will grow year after year, form one experience and life stage to the next.

Official Language
Marriage was divinely established in Eden and affirmed by Jesus to be a lifelong union between a man and a woman in loving companionship. For the Christian a marriage commitment is to God as well as to the spouse, and should be entered into only between partners who share a common faith. Mutual love, honor, respect, and responsibility are the fabric of this relationship, which is to reflect the love, sanctity, closeness, and permanence of the relationship between Christ and His church. Regarding divorce, Jesus taught that the person who divorces a spouse, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery. Although some family relationships may fall short of the ideal, marriage partners who fully commit themselves to each other in Christ may achieve loving unity through the guidance of the Spirit and the nurture of the church. God blesses the family and intends that its members shall assist each other toward complete maturity. Parents are to bring up their children to love and obey the Lord. By their example and their words they are to teach them that Christ is a loving disciplinarian, ever tender and caring, who wants them to become members of His body, the family of God. Increasing family closeness is one of the earmarks of the final gospel message.

No. 24 - Christ’s Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary

Mon, 8 Dec 2008 11:11:26 -0800

We do not know a great deal about heaven, but we do know a little something about the sanctuary/tabernacle mentioned in the Old Testament. According to Hebrews in the New Testament this was a replica of something in heaven - we refer to it here as the heavenly sanctuary. And just as the priests did their redemptive work on behalf of Israel in former earthly sanctuary, so Jesus, as our High Priest works in does his redemptive work on our behalf.

In a nutshell, everything in the Old Testament services then, points not only forward to Jesus on the Cross, but also upward to what is going on in heaven.

It is important to understand salvation to be more than saving you from something. Salvation certainly is that... but if this was the case, you would have to be continually saved, every time you committed a sin... and judging on our current state as human beings, we would need saving a lot from that. Think of “giving a man a fish.”

but Salvation in Jesus goes beyond saving you from something. Salvation as described in the Bible and given by Jesus saves you to something. You are saved from your old life, and given a new life. Think of “teaching a man to fish.”

If we are not careful, this can quickly become legalism, something many Christian sacks Seventh-day Adventists of. And yes, if Salvation become about being good, and avoiding being bad, or earning our salvation in any way, the legalism label sticks. But in being saved from and into, it is all about what Jesus does. Hence the title of this section - Christ's work in the heavenly sanctuary.

What Goes Into Our Salvation?
Sin is a Big deal and cannot be ignored. Satan has accused God of being unfair, and questioned his way of doing things. Damage has been done, salvation, not a band aid is needed. Romans 6:23 “the wages of sin is death...”

Jesus died that death for us. Before he could do anything else for our eternal life, he had to take away the effect of sin. He did this by taking our death for us. I Corinthians 1.3 “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.”

The priests role in the old testament was to go between us and God. Between the fallen and the almighty. We use the term mediator here. Jesus is our High Priest, he, as human and divine (God) goes between us and His father... yea, loosing you yet? It’s a big deal. I Timothy 2.5 “for there is one God, and one mediator between men and God and that person is Jesus Christ.”

Eyes Wide Open
God does not go into the saving business blind. The las t book of the Bible says there is a book in heaven (Probably in the sanctuary - salvation - area) that is written within and without - in other words this book is so full that they had to use the back of it too. This book is full of your life's records - what you did, what you said, and some even say what you thought. (Yikes!) There is a real reason for this - you see Satan not only accuses God, in one of his last acts he’ll also accuse you, and me of doing terrible things. Ultimately of being unworthy of this salvation. The father, the judge can go “I know, I had an angel there who wrote everything down.” God knows more about us than we know about ourselves. The cool thing is, he does not use that against us!

But Jesus has taken that information, and covered it with his own. He is doing that, in the heavenly sanctuary on your behalf, you just have to want his life rather than your own.

This is real by the way. It’s an actual event. There’s a book, there’s a God. There is Salvation.

It’s Good News.

Getting deeper, getting technical
What actually, literally happens in the sanctuary is for a longer deeper study than what I can do here. But Adventists use the books of Daniel, Revelation and Hebrews as a detailed background for learning a great deal about this man Jesus and God. As time goes on, I also plan on having web pages on these books. For now though, the official language here is good on this topic.

Official Language
There is a sanctuary in heaven, the true tabernacle which the Lord set up and not man. In it Christ ministers on our behalf, making available to believers the benefits of His atoning sacrifice offered once for all on the cross. He was inaugurated as our great High Priest and began His intercessory ministry at the time of His ascension. In 1844, at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days, He entered the second and last phase of His atoning ministry. It is a work of investigative judgment which is part of the ultimate disposition of all sin, typified by the cleansing of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. In that typical service the sanctuary was cleansed with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the heavenly things are purified with the perfect sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. The investigative judgment reveals to heavenly intelligences who among the dead are asleep in Christ and therefore, in Him, are deemed worthy to have part in the first resurrection. It also makes manifest who among the living are abiding in Christ, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore, are ready for translation into His everlasting kingdom. This judgment vindicates the justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus. It declares that those who have remained loyal to God shall receive the kingdom. The completion of this ministry of Christ will mark the close of human probation before the Second Advent.

No. 25 - The Second Coming of ChrIst

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 07:59:29 -0800

While we do not really know too much about heaven from the Bible (it talks more about the “kingdom” than the literal place) there is a lot of information about Jesus coming back.

Perhaps this is because there will be a great deal of disinformation about the return of Jesus - something we are warned about by Jesus himself. (Matthew 24.4 & 5)

These are some of the literal things that will happen before Jesus come back.
The disciples wanted to know when Jesus would come back. They are not the only ones! but Jesus said, that no one knows - not even Jesus himself - only the Father. Matthew 24.36

But Jesus also said that these things must happen first:
There will be false Christ's pretending to be Jesus coming back.
There will be wars and rumors of wars.
Famines
Earthquakes
Tribulation (tough times)
Jesus followers will be hated
Lawlessness
(Matthew 24.6-14)

These are some of the literal things that will happen as Jesus comes back.
Every eye shall see Jesus returning (Revelation 1.7)
He shall return just as he left last time (disappearing/appearing in the clouds -Acts 1.11)
It’ll be really really bright - just like lightening (Matthew 24.27)
A great sound of a trumpet, so loud the dead in Christ will be raised (I Thessalonians 4.16)

A Fanciful idea?
These words and ideas seem a cross between science fiction and religious fanaticism at best. But we would point to the fact that so much of scripture from the past came true - why not this? Old Testament prophecies were extremely exact (as you read the gospel of Matthew in particular, the author goes to great length to demonstrate this) about Jesus’ life and actions.

Official language
The second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the church, the grand climax of the gospel. The Savior's coming will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide. When He returns, the righteous dead will be resurrected, and together with the righteous living will be glorified and taken to heaven, but the unrighteous will die. The almost complete fulfillment of most lines of prophecy, together with the present condition of the world, indicates that Christ's coming is imminent. The time of that event has not been revealed, and we are therefore exhorted to be ready at all times.

The Second Advent
The first Advent is celebrated every Christmas. Jesus came to this earth tot live and die for us. When comes again, he is not going to stay this time - He is coming back to take us to heaven with him. As we read the Bible there are some significant events that will happen at the this time:

1. People will be brought back to life. Those who died within the saving grace of Jesus will be brought back to life at this point. I Thessalonians 4 starting at verse 16 says - The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command - and the dead in Christ will raise first.
2. Those who are alive at Jesus return waiting in his grace will, along with the resurrected, receive new bodies. Paul said “those of us who remain”, but let’s face ti, he was jumping the gun a bit! But I Corinthians says - Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory. O death, where is your sting?"

No. 26 - Death and Resurrection

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 21:05:01 -0700

We believe that Jesus died for us - in our place as we say. It’s pretty common to believe that Jesus did in fact die a literal death - went to the grave - and then on Sunday rose again - yea, from the dead. And he did it for you.

We often limit this thinking to the fact that Jesus suffered for us. He took the whippings I deserved, stood trial instead on me... but then, not guilty of what he was accused (or of anything deserving any form of annihilation) he died... my death. Yep... I don’t have to remain dead forever... he took that away from me by dying in my place.

Cool Words
Immortality - this means never having to die. Or being immune to death.
Indestructible - meaning no one will be able to destroy me. I shall be indestructible - by body will not grow old or wear out.
I Cor 15.51-55 - 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

"Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 "O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"

Jesus says - but they are just taking a nap
I refer again to the first death - napping - and the second death - eternal, gone forever. Jesus would talk of death while he was here on earth as sleeping, and as if to prove his point would go wake someone up. This was pretty impressive to those around him at the time. but there is a death that is very very final - and Jesus died that death for us - so we still might sleep, but Jesus will wake us up... hence the resurrection.

When is the resurrection - well, it’s obviously after you die! For those who died in Christ, it will be at his return (check out I Thessalonians 4.13-18), but should you not desire or require Jesus’ help in this matter, then we are pretty sure that it’ll be closer to the time when the New Jerusalem comes to earth (unless you have the ability to raise yourself, or are counting on someone, or something else other than Jesus). FOr more on this timing - you’ll find Revelation 20.7-10 helpful I would think. Either way, if you have stood by an open occupied coffin, you will know that resurrection is a very, very big deal.

Soul Sleep
Adventist are part of the Christian family that do not believe you go to heaven or hell when you die. We believe that death is very real, and not simply another form of life in the under (or over) world. God, in the Garden of Eden, said that if you eat of this tree then you will die. Satan claimed God was lying and said you would not die if you ate from this particular tree.

The fact that much of the church at large (and religion in general) believes that you never really die, but rather go onto another form of life (and different religions and faiths believe in a variety of forms of this life), makes me think that the devil might be winning this argument. But making the argument - winning or otherwise - does not make eternal life true - eternal life comes from the life giver, not the life taker.

There might be many ways to Jesus, and therefore salvation. But I believe that Jesus is the one who has made it all possible and has demonstrated the power and authority to raise you from the dead. I don’t think it really matters when he does it - obviously the sooner the better I guess! But as I read the Bible, there are a great deal of resurrections when Jesus comes... but don’t take my word for it, check it out for yourself.

Scripture verses
Romans 6v23 - 1 Timothy 6v15, 16 - Ecclesiastes 9v5, 6 - Psalms 146v3, 4 - John 11v11-14; Colossians 3v4; - Corinthians. 15v51-54 - 1 Thessalonians. 4v13-17 - John 5v28, 29 - Revelation 20v1-10.

Official language
The wages of sin is death. But God, who alone is immortal, will grant eternal life to His redeemed. Until that day death is an unconscious state for all people. When Christ, who is our life, appears, the resurrected righteous and the living righteous will be glorified and caught up to meet their Lord. The second resurrection, the resurrection of the unrighteous, will take place a thousand years later.

No. 27 - Millennium and the End of Sin

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 14:40:57 -0700

No matter your view of how old this planet earth is, or how we came to be here, our history as a race is less than 6 thousand years old - our documented history that is. In fact, many would say it is by and large less than 4,000 years old. The Bible reaches about as far back as anything... and its pages talk about how sin entered this world in what seems very near the beginning. Wether you believe it or not it talks about people it claims are real and walked this earth. Go to the end of the book, especially Revelation, and you see a picture of how this world will end.

Again... as there is about how this world started... there is much debate on how it will finish (for foresight is considered much less reliable than hindsight, and we cannot even agree on the hindsight part!).

The Bible talks about this period of 1000 years. And how you choose to believe this fits into the grand scheme of things, will often be the base for you think the world will end. For instance - do you think the 1000 years is leading up to the return of Jesus? Do you think the 1000 years is what the rest of the world enjoys/endures after the rapture.

Seventh-day Adventists believe that the 1000 years (known as the millennium) begins after the earth has been left desolate as a result of the second coming of Jesus. Take a pretty literal reading of Revelation 20 v’s 1-10 and you have a good foundation for where we base much of this.

Part of the beauty of this belief and view, is that Jesus does not come and wipe out sin unchallenged with one wave of the magic wand. He didn’t do that when Lucifer called God and his methods into question in heaven, he didn’t do it when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, and while the scriptures appear to describe a lot of chaos at Jesus second return, he does not wipe out sin (or the devil) at this point either. The point seems to be that sin be allowed to run its course. And sin gets a shout even after the world apparently comes to an end. There is time for feedback, reaction and review.

We have a 1000 years in which to judge the actions of God. You see, this whole thing did not start out with Satan accusing us humans of bad stuff. Satan accused God of bad stuff. So again, Revelation 20 v’s 4-6 give us the beginning of insight into this process. 1000 years to judge the other 6000. Some would point to the symbolism of a week here (6+1=7), but that’s for another web page!

However, sin is brought to an end at the conclusion of these 1000 years. When the New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven (see next).

Let’s Get literal:
Satan gets a time out! Seriously. For we see in scripture that Satan is bound in what is often translated as the bottomless pit/prison/dungeon for the duration of the 1000 years. There is no one here on earth to tempt or perpetrate his plan with. Put into context this is a great deal of time. I know of no reference as to what happens to the other demons (fallen angels) during this time. But Satan has a lot of time to think - and plan events following his release.

Tricky stuff:
Adventists do not believe in the immortality of the soul apart from salvation in Jesus (see our belief on death). That is, we think death is death, not another form of life. We find this fits with scripture easier, however, at first glance, there is a tricky verse here:
And Satan who tricked them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur with the beast and the false prophet. There they will be punished day and night forever and ever (NCV) - There are many instances where forever in the Bible is limited - or for as long as the situation naturally is. Eg, salves serve their masters forever Exodus 21 v 6, or Philemon was to receive Onesimus forever Philemon 15, or Edom was to burn forever Isaiah 34 v9. None of these things are still going on as far as we know.

Simply put, it is the punishment that is everlasting, not the punishing.

Archbishop William Temple (not an Adventist) says this: “One thing we can say with confidence: Everlasting torment is to be ruled out. If men had not imported the Greek and unbiblical notion if natural indestructibility of the individual soul, and then read the New Testament with that already in their minds, they would have drawn from it a belief, not in everlasting torment, but in annihilation. It is the fire that is called everlasting, not the life cast into it.” William Temple, Christian Faith and Life p.81

Reality Check
There are some strange goings on here, we are talking about the promise, and the promise has to do with the future, and the future is speculative even with the best information - for we are reaching beyond our experiance! We do not know everything about the future, and there is a great danger in being literal and dogmatic on these topics. But the promise is that sin will end. There is a fair and just process for this, one we do not understand fully, but have the opportunity to be part of.

Scripture verses to check out:
Revelation. 20v1 Corinthians. 6v2, 3; Jeremiah. 4v23-26; Revelation 20v7 - Malachi. 4v1 - Ezekiel. 28v18, 19.

Official language:
The millennium is the thousand-year reign of Christ with His saints in heaven between the first and second resurrections. During this time the wicked dead will be judged; the earth will be utterly desolate, without living human inhabitants, but occupied by Satan and his angels. At its close Christ with His saints and the Holy City will descend from heaven to earth. The unrighteous dead will then be resurrected, and with Satan and his angels will surround the city; but fire from God will consume them and cleanse the earth. The universe will thus be freed of sin and sinners forever.

No. 28 - The New Earth

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 10:48:29 -0700

Sometimes just for fun, when I am speaking with a bunch of junior high students I’ll ask with a loud encouraging voice - “Who wants to live in heaven forever!?” well trained students will shout back with their arms held high - “me!”. I then intentionally dampen the mood and say - “I don’t”.

Scripture talks about the Messiah returning - or Jesus coming back as we often like to say. And at this incredible, defining, earth changing event, those who “died in Christ”, or who “remain when he comes” will be ushered up to heaven. But not forever if Revelation 21 is to be believed. The Bible does not say as much as you might think about heaven - but it certainly is not a harp playing, cloud sitting kind of place.

For after a period of 1000 years, referred to in Christian circles as the millennium, the earth, this place we call home right now, will be restored. Much like we are as we come out of the grave or when Jesus returns (1 Corinthians 15v52-54) we’ll have a new place to call home - well, same place, very different conditions.

This place is described in the last part of Revelation (21v1-4) as being without pain, death or crying. A place where we get to live with God himself. In fact, many of us who study such things see this very much as a return to conditions that were in the Garden of Eden. In other words, we will have come full circle, having fallen for the lie, being fully restored by the sacrifice of Jesus and ministry of the Spirit and the gift of the Father. We can then live as was intended.

Info to Consider:
New Earth - expresses both and continuity with and difference from. Think about what you’d like to continue, and what you’d like to see different.

The New Jerusalem is seen as the capitol city of this New Earth - or the seat of power - Gods throne. Jerusalem means “city of peace”. Kind of ironic really, yet a great picture of the difference between now and what is to come. The current Jerusalem is hardly a city of peace - but the new one will accurately reflect the reality of the names meaning. What other differences might there be . . ?

Let’s Get literal:
The Bible says, or rather the Bible records Jesus as saying... there will be no marriage in heaven. (Matthew 22v29) What does this little piece of info tell us about marriage here on earth?

Will be recognize friends and family? People recognized Jesus after his resurrection. Oh, it took a while sometimes, but something recognizable came through.

We’ll be smarter than now, have huge potential, and could well be a whole lot taller! We’ll have access to the tree of life (there was one in the Garden of Eden - Genesis 2v9 and there’ll be one in the new earth (Revelation 22:2), but this access will not simply increase the quantity of life (as great as eternal is) but also the quality.

Scripture verses to check out:
2 Peter 3v13 - Isaiah 35, 65v17-25 - Matthew 5v5, Revelation 21v1-7, 22v1-5, and 11v15

Quote:
If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought the most of the next... it is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at heaven and you will get earth “thrown in”; aim at earth and you will get neither. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Official language:
On the new earth, in which righteousness dwells, God will provide an eternal home for the redeemed and a perfect environment for everlasting life, love, joy, and learning in his presence. For here God himself will dwell with his people and suffering and death will have passed away. The Great Controversy will be ended, and sin will be no more. All things, animate and in animate, will declare that God is love, and he shall reign forever. Amen.