If every soldier of Christ had done his duty

In the visions of the night a very impressive scene passed before me. I saw an immense ball of fire fall among some beautiful mansions, causing their instant destruction. I heard someone say: “We knew that the judgments of God were coming upon the earth, but we did not know that they would come so soon.” Others, with agonized voices, said: “You knew! Why then did you not tell us? We did not know.” On every side I heard similar words of reproach spoken.

In great distress I awoke. I went to sleep again, and I seemed to be in a large gathering. One of authority was addressing the company, before whom was spread out a map of the world. He said that the map pictured God’s vineyard, which must be cultivated. As light from heaven shone upon anyone, that one was to reflect the light to others. Lights were to be kindled in many places, and from these lights still other lights were to be kindled.

The words were repeated: “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden underfoot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16.

I saw jets of light shining from cities and villages, and from the high places and the low places of the earth. God’s word was obeyed, and as a result there were memorials for Him in every city and village. His truth was proclaimed throughout the world. 

Then this map was removed and another put in its place. On it light was shining from a few places only. The rest of the world was in darkness, with only a glimmer of light here and there. Our Instructor said: “This darkness is the result of men’s following their own course. They have cherished hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil. They have made questioning and faultfinding and accusing the chief business of their lives. Their hearts are not right with God. They have hidden their light under a bushel.”

If every soldier of Christ had done his duty, if every watchman on the walls of Zion had given the trumpet a certain sound, the world might ere this have heard the message of warning. But the work is years behind. While men have slept, Satan has stolen a march upon us.

Putting our trust in God, we are to move steadily forward, doing His work with unselfishness, in humble dependence upon Him, committing ourselves and our present and future to His wise providence, holding the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end, remembering that it is not because of our worthiness that we receive the blessings of heaven, but because of the worthiness of Christ, and our acceptance, through faith in Him, of God’s abounding grace. 

Testimonies for the Church, Volume 9. 1855 p.28.

Look What's Missing In The Great Hope

 

Published by both Seventh-day Adventist denominational presses, Pacific Press and Review and Herald Publishing Association, The Great Hope lists as its author “E. G. White.” But would the prophet support an “adapted version” of her classical book The Great Controversy that does not include:

 (1) the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary message

(2) the second angel's call to come out of Babylon

(3) the third angel's message exposing Sunday as the Mark of the Beast

(4) 1844 as the hour of God's judgment [part of the first angel's message]

(5) the investigative judgment [part of the first angel's message]

(6) the identification of who and what is Babylon, the harlot woman, and her daughters

(7) the identification of the beast of Revelation 13 and 17

(8) the little horn who persecuted the true church from 538-1798 and will be the chief instigator in these last days  

(9) Luther and all the reformers and their trials and persecution which will again be repeated

(10) the rise of the Advent awakening of the 1840s culminating in formation of the Remnant church and the seed of the woman, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus.

 Notice what the prophet wrote: “I am more anxious to see a wide circulation for this book than for any others I have written; for in The Great Controversy, the last message of warning to the world is given more distinctly than in any of my other books.” Publishing Ministry, 358.         Source

Will the great controversy cause harm?

Back in the 1980s, I was the Church Ministries Director of the Quebec Conference. I was alone at the office when the phone rang. I was instantly startled by the tone of the voice at the other end. An angry man went on the attack: “Is this the headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church?”

I asked who he was.

“I am the police commissioner of Montreal.”

Somewhat frazzled, I asked him the reason of his call and obvious unhappiness.

“We have received numerous complaints about a book entitled The Great Controversy that is being placed in letter boxes in a “wealthy section” of the city. After some research we have identified your Church as the publisher and distributor. A quick perusal has clearly shown that the book is very anti the Catholic Church and thus falls in the category of ‘Hate Literature’ because its content can easily create hatred between communities”.

Then he quoted from an article of law that prohibited such an action and mentioned the heavy fine that went along for distributing material attacking another church.

My mind went numb for a moment, then I explained that our church did not usually do mass distribution of books, only short brochures that summarised who we were and what we believed. I added, that it was very possible that some individuals might be acting on their own and that we would certainly find out who and try to stop the action. He relented and agreed not to proceed with the threat.

Later I reported the incident to the conference president who quickly found out that a church member from another conference had donated $20,000 to some local members for the purpose of purchasing and then distributing the book. They selected the wealthy part of the Montreal. The action infuriated the residents who also had a long history of complaining to the police about Adventist church members who on Saturday mornings caused quite a bit of inconvenience by parking anywhere they could due to a lack of car lots. Of course, the two incidents were not related but together they had exacerbated the hostility of the community.

The saddest part was the reaction of those who had initiated the “evangelistic” dispersal of the book. Upset when the conference asked them to stop, they accused the leadership of cowardice, apostasy, and bowing to the pressure exerted by the “agents of Catholicism that infiltrated the church.” The incident taught me how difficult it was to explain to determined believers that not every action was Biblically timely or wise. Instead they found comfort in their understanding that good people were always going to be persecuted, even by their own church at times. I believe that the action of the conference was instrumental in protecting the Adventist church from what might have been a very nasty court action (we all know the frenzied appetite of the press for such occurrences).

Therefore it was with apprehension that I heard of the General Conference plan to freely distribute The Great Controversy on a large scale. I believe that the book was inspired and I know that Ellen White wrote that it should be placed in all homes, but I find myself wondering if doing so at this time in history is wise.

Did not the Apostle Paul write that we should not treat the prophecies with contempt but test everything and hold on to what is good. Doing so will enable us to avoid every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Not treating the writing of the prophets with contempt is about testing them as to their timeliness and relevance, which will help us to avoid using them in ways that are not good.

Written in the United States of the nineteenth century, The Great Controversy had quite an impact because America was a Protestant country and any writing that depicted in dark overtones the doings of the Catholic Church was bound to be highly popular. Some of the words that Ellen White used to describe the Pope and the prelates of Rome are very harsh but the political, social, and religious contexts made it understandable and facilitated the spread of the book. Today, any publication that dares to use a similar approach is quickly vilified as hate literature. We condemn similar anti-Catholic language used by white supremacists in their rallies, should we be careful not to be perceived as doing the same?

In 1988, I became the pastor of the Ottawa church. After my first sermon I was standing in the foyer greeting the members on their way out. A distinguished looking lady introduced herself, then told me that after being a Charismatic Catholic for years she had recently been baptised into our church. She informed that she had been severely criticised by family and friends but had maintained her relationships. She then invited me to meet with them, which I readily accepted for the following week. When I arrived, the lady greeted me but the ten other people in the room remained withdrawn. I had hardly had time to take my seat when to my great surprise the hostess asked me to justify the publication of The Great Controversy, which she said had almost prevented her from joining our church. Some well meaning Adventists had given it to her. She explained how harsh she had found the author’s statements against her church which, she added, had always been there for her whenever she had gone through some difficult and painful experience. I noticed the nods of the others. Then the dam burst, accusations and feelings of resentment surfaced. They had all read the book and were quoting those passages that referred to the Pope as a monster and also described Satan and the priests conniving to destroy the Truth. The remarkable thing was that they did not question the historical facts but the interpretation of the facts as well as the overall tone and the ‘vitriolic’ words. I must admit that defending the book against these accusations was not easy. I most certainly do not wish to repeat the experience.

Mass distribution, I’m afraid, will cause a similar reaction. I do not believe that having to face irate people and the press and maybe the court, charged with distributing hate literature, is necessarily what Christ had in mind when he said that those who would be persecuted for his namesake should consider themselves as blessed.

Beyond my personal experiences, I have listed below some reasons why I am not sure of the wisdom in mass distribution of The Great Controversy.

The length of the book:

It is well established that reading is no longer the favourite pastime of our contemporaries. Furthermore, reading religious works has been out of fashion for quite a while (even for believers who prefer to watch religious programs on TV). Today, communication must be fast if only to retain the attention. Few people have or take the time to read anything unless it is “texted”, emailed, on Facebook or Twitter. Newspapers are folding because of the decline in readership. I believe that it is much to expect that people would take the time to open a six-hundred-plus-page book, which moreover requires at least a passing interest in European history.

Postmodernism:

The West at best shows a very limited interest in religion and secular Australia and New Zealand show almost no interest at all. Add to this the fact that postmodernism rejects any idea that pretends to gather together clusters of events that have no natural link with one another and interpret them in terms of a common theme and ascribes meaning to them. The Postmodern mind finds it problematic to accept what it calls a meta-narrative defined as the overarching explanation of a state of affairs. The author of The Great Controversy does just that when she gathers historical events covering almost two thousand years and incorporates them into a vast panoramic concept that she identifies as the war between God and Satan. As acceptable as this seems to us as believers, this approach is highly suspicious to most contemporary readers.

Does it contain error?:

Adventist scholars spend quite a bit of time researching our beliefs and practises. Most of the time the research will confirm the doctrine under scrutiny, but sometimes the scholars are lead to acknowledge that added insights shed new light that calls for a re-evaluation of some beliefs. Over time the new understanding becomes part of our system of beliefs. Thus, many scholars and well-informed church members consider somewhat outmoded some prophetic interpretations and beliefs that are presented in the book. Three cases in point are (1) the signs in the sun, moon, and stars dating back some two hundred years are not considered to be indicative of the nearness of the Parousia; (2) the understanding of the investigative judgment; (3) That it is Satan and not God that pours the seven bowls (Revelation 18) over the wicked. The people who might choose to read the book will probably be the kind of readers that will question some of the theological material and, finding it wanting, reject the book altogether.

As a result of all the above, I’m afraid that the rubbish bins of our countries will be filled with discarded copies of The Great Controversy. That would be a tragedy indeed and certainly not what Ellen White intended when it was first published.

—Pastor Eddy Johnson is the director of ADRA Blacktown and pastors two churches in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia.

Commentary:

I agree that we share the truth "in love", yet to now abandon the idea of distributing The Great Controversy is like saying the "great controversy" between Christ and Satan is now finished. Of course the book is extremely controversial, that's why it's called the great controversy. Can we be thankful that Martin Luther did not back down to extreme persecution by influential people. I am from a secular home, then after the service attended Sunday churches, was tired of my life of wondering and lostness, I "found" a copy of The Great Controversy and readily accepted it. Why? Because I finally found out what the story and meaning of the Universe was all about. JESUS! Do we think that the last days will get smoother? Let's not abandon the "Spirit of Prophecy" like Israel of old. Do you see the trend? Does "community consensus" prevail in this world now? Or do we share the truth in love. Do we simply allow the 4th kingdom of Daniel and Revelation to "scare us" through influential rich people?

My Dad was rich, which I rejected because of his tyranny of control. I have an idea of how the rich operate, and its always with soft angry rhetoric, and sophistry of the most clever appeal. Let us love the rich and appeal to them with love, yet let's not let them manipulate us with "group meetings" of displeasure for truth. All the wonderful philosophical arguments to abandon the distribution of The Great Controversy for "community consensus" is amazingly short sited. Of course the masses will be against it. blessings in Christ. John S.              Spectrum

Letting Roman Catholics Off the Hook

Well, fellow Members, this has certainly been an interesting week. Here's another article I received, just today, regarding a VERY significant change in viewpoint.  I think it is remarkable that we just read about how we're going around ripping signs down and dragging people into court on the one hand, but on the other hand we're making nice, lifting up, and even promoting others.  It's like we're cannibalizing ourselves, self-destructing, it seems.  I'm so thankful to God that He's not saving us in groups.  He is saving us INDIVIDUALLY.  You can trust that you will NOT get into Heaven based on the particular church roll your name is on. You will only get there based on the character you've developed, who rules your heart, and whether or not your name is listed in the Lamb's book of Life. PERIOD.  I am so thankful that I've never been one to follow the crowd.  I was always taught to know the Lord and His Word for myself.  So everyone is welcome to believe however they choose.  There is FREEDOM in serving the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:17).  As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord according to His Word, regardless of what man has to say about it.

"Many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians. They do not come to the point of yielding the will to God. They do not now choose to be Christians. The Lord does not propose to save us in companies. Individually we are to make our choice (Faith I Live By 154.7). 

God's people (individuals) can and will be found all over the world, regardless of group.  So while the different groups are waffling back and forth and running along after whatever the particular wind of doctrine of the day is, God's people will be making their calling and election sure.  They will one day be part of the TRUE FOLD.  Just so we're clear.  What we're witnessing is the Church Militant.  May we ALL strive to be members of the Church Triumphant!

"I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." John 10:15-16 Christ is not only the propitiation for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world.  {Signs of the Times, January 22, 1894}

   

Remember, the "old" view that is being spoken against in the article below was based STRICTLY off of the Bible and the Bible alone.  So when we throw that "old" view out, what are really saying?  What do we do with Bible Prophecy?  And if the Bible is wrong, then what do we do about the rest of what we believe?

Martin Luther (who's motto was also Sola Scriptura) identified the Antichrist over 500 years ago! (along with many others):

The quote copied below is from one of Martin Luther's last books. It was titled: "A Prelude by Martin Luther on the Babylonian Captivity of the Church," Page 536, chapter 3.

"Nevertheless, since few know this glory of baptism and the blessedness of Christian liberty, and cannot know them because of the tyranny of the pope, I for one will walk away from it all and redeem my conscience by bringing this charge against the pope and all his papists: Unless they will abolish their laws and traditions, and restore to Christ's churches their liberty and have it taught among them, they are guilty of all the souls that perish under this miserable captivity, and the papacy is truly the kingdom of Babylon, yes, the kingdom of the real Antichrist! For who is " the man of sin" and "the son of perdition" but he that with his doctrines and his laws increases sins and the perdition of souls in the Church, while he sits in the Church as if he were God? All this the papal tyranny has fulfilled, and more than fulfilled, these many centuries. It has extinguished faith, obscured the sacraments and oppressed the Gospel."

Keep in mind that it was NEVER the Roman Catholics who were on the "Hook" in the first place.  It was the Roman Catholic System.  God has precious souls in the Roman Catholic Church and in other denominations all over the world.  So even the topic of the article below is deceptive.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one.  Read it and weep 

Adventist Today Magazine January 04, 2010

Letting Roman Catholics Off the Hook

Posted January 4th, 2010 by Loren Seibold

Editor's Note: This is a preview article that appears on page 22 of our brand-new winter 2010 print issue being delivered to our subscribers this month.

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By Loren Seibold

For over a century, even before the publication of The Great Controversy, we Adventists have regarded the Roman Catholic Church leadership, typified in the first beast of Revelation 13, as our arch-nemesis, our bête noire, the enemy that takes the evil part in the apocalyptic scenario against God's remnant.

Here are seven reasons why it may be time to question them in that role.

1.   More than a hundred years have passed since our prophet approved these prophetic applications. Ellen White expected Jesus to return long before this.1We're not sure why that hasn't happened. But isn't it possible that some details of the apocalyptic scenario set out in the 1890s may have changed by the 2010s? It happened to Israel. Not all of the original Old Testament prophecies about them and their role came to pass. We call it "conditional prophecy."

2.   Principles might be more diagnostic than players. That we oppose those who would legislate matters that should be left to an individual's conscience is a principle I value, and I'm proud of Seventh-day Adventist efforts to protect religious liberty. But if it should happen that someone other than the Roman Catholic Church begins to act like the beast of Revelation 13, we will be more ready to respond if we are watching for a violation of the principle than if waiting for one specific group to offend.

3.   Ellen White fingered Catholicism in a very different world. Historians have shown that 19^th-century American anti-Catholicism grew out of a general anti-immigrant nativism.2 In an era when we have had and could again have a liberty-loving Roman Catholic president, when Catholic immigrants have become our young work force, why can't we preach the gospel without identifying Roman Catholicism as Satan's exclusive tool?

4.   The Roman Catholic Church of today is a much different institution than it was during Ellen White's time.The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican (1962-1965) radically altered that denomination's theology and practices. Vatican II declared the gospel central to church theology, made worship accessible, denied that Roman Catholics only can be saved, encouraged lay Bible study, and affirmed religious liberty. While not quite a Protestant Reformation, today's Catholic Church is not the same Catholic Church referenced in our 19^th-century eschatological studies. Among other things, the Second Ecumenical Council weakened Vatican authority over world Catholics-as evidenced by the 78 percent of American Catholics who oppose their church's ban on contraception.3

5.   By focusing on Roman Catholicism, we may miss more dangerous anti-Christian opponents. Far more Christians have been killed, persecuted, or denied their religious liberty by Communism, military Fascism, and Islamist extremism in the past century than by Roman Catholics; we've let these pass with minimal comment (in the case of Naziism, even offering some pusillanimous cooperation) as we continued to warn against the pope. Today religious liberty still has more dangerous enemies than Catholicism–in the United States, perhaps even some of our fellow conservative Protestants.

6.   God has given us time to become a world church, and that changes the cast of characters in our eschatology. The "antichrists"-opposers of Christ–to many of today's world Christians are radical imams or cruel dictators. One site of Christian persecution right now is northern Nigeria, where Muslims burn churches and killChristians.4 An eschatology that expects only Roman Catholics to initiate religious oppression, only in the United States, and only around the Sabbath question, may fail to speak prophetically should apocalyptic markers appear elsewhere.

7.   Religious liberty has arguably improved in countries where Catholicism has influence. During my lifetime, the papacy has frequently been a force for peace and freedom. Pope John Paul II opened the first breach in the Iron Curtain, and Catholics have been more forthright in speaking against violence and oppression than many of our fellow conservative Protestants. Consider the irony that our evangelists are employing anti-Catholic teachings for soul winning in countries where the papacy helped win them that freedom! (And the even greater irony that some of us still think that calling the Pope the Antichrist is necessary to win souls to Christ.)

Of course, we don't give the Roman Catholic church a free pass; we subject it to the same Biblical scrutiny we would any other influential world power. (And while we're at it, we'd do well always to scrutinize ourselves by the same metrics we use on others–which is Jesus' advice, not mine.5)

But perhaps we needn't single out Roman Catholicism any longer. Ellen White, who was often more flexible than her followers, wrote: "God wants us all to have common sense, and He wants us to reason from common sense. Circumstances alter conditions. Circumstances change the relation of things."6

Roman Catholicism has served us well as an enemy: provocative enough to keep us energized, yet doing minimal actual damage to us. Such an important enemy made us feel significant, "in the know," and in control, while not really disturbing our lives.

Opposing current enemies might thrust us into prophetic roles that take more commitment and action. My friend Bert B. Beach, speaking of Adventist eschatology, once said to me: "I'm suspicious when people are constantly focused on what's going to happen in the future. I think they're trying to avoid dealing with what's going on right now."

I think Bert is on to something. Could we become as enthusiastic in taking on the religious persecution that's happening to Christians right now, in places like Nigeria, as we've been in accusing Roman Catholicism of planning to someday persecute us here? -Adventist today magazine Jan. 04, 2010

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1 She wasn't alone; the apostles expected Jesus in their lifetimes, too (see Matt. 24:34, Heb. 1:1-2, 2 Thess. 1:6-10).

2 See Ernest Tuveson's Redeemer Nation and John Higham's Strangers in the Land: Patterns of American Nativism, 1860-1925.

3 http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/050418/18american.htm

4 And sometimes, sadly, vice versa.

5 "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Matt. 7:2, NIV).

6 Selected Messages, Vol. 3, p. 217.  

Source:  http://www.atoday.com/letting-roman-catholics-hook    Source

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine

1I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

2Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

5But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

6For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

7I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

8Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

9Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:

10For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

11Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

12And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.

13The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.

14Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:

15Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.

16At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

17Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

18And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

19Salute Priscilla and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.

20Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletus sick.

21Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren.

22The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

2 Timothy 4 

Unplugging on the Sabbath: How to rest in a post-religion era

By Naomi Schaefer Riley May 9, 2016 | 8:57pm

The Sabbath is in decline. That’s the unmistakable message from a 1,500-person survey out last week sponsored by the Deseret News. The report compares the way Americans observe (or don’t) the religious day of rest with their counterparts from 30 years ago.

In 1978, almost three-quarters of Americans told Gallup the Sabbath had particular religious or spiritual meaning for them. Today, only half of Americans say that.

Which is unfortunate. Because we may need a day of rest — which is to say, a day with family and friends, a day to give thanks and step back from the day-to-day demands of jobs — now more than ever.

And while 62 percent of Americans agree it’s important for society to set aside a day of spiritual rest, apparently plenty of us don’t follow our own advice, especially among the younger generations. Only 41 percent of millennials consider Sunday (in the case of Jews or Seventh Day Adventists, respondents were asked about Saturday) to have religious meaning, compared with 51 percent of Generation X, 56 percent of baby boomers and 58 percent of the Silent Generation.

Americans often complain they’re busier than ever. While surveys show we don’t actually work more than our parents and grandparents, our multitasking could make it seem that way. Going back and forth between caring for children, running a home and answering to a boss can be exhausting.

It makes taking one day off per week seem both desirable and impossible at the same time. Many Americans do spend their Sabbaths somewhat differently than they spend the rest of the week. Only about 13 percent actually report working at their jobs, a number that has remained virtually unchanged since 1978.

But there are significant changes from then. Only 27 percent say they attend church, compared with 55 percent who said that before. Which is not surprising in an era when religious disaffiliation is on the rise.

But there are other surprises. In 1978, 57 percent reported using their time on the Sabbath to visit friends, family and neighbors. Today, that number is only 40 percent. Perhaps they’re connecting on Facebook instead?

At least some people seem to be taking the Sabbath more for actual rest and relaxation. That number went from 63 percent to 73 percent. Whether that means they took a nap or went for a massage we don’t know.

Meanwhile, the percentage of people participating in outdoor activities or sports declined, while the percentage who went shopping rose. This hardly sounds like a recipe for greater rest or fulfillment.

Laura Vanderkam, author of “I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time,” says she’s “not surprised that fewer people are observing a day of rest each week. It’s generally not practical with the way many modern families spend their weekends, catching up with whatever wasn’t done during the week, and shuttling kids to sports and other activities.”

But Vanderkam says that “Even if you have no religious reason to observe a Sabbath, there’s a lot of wisdom in the concept of taking at least some time out from the usual routine.” Spiritual activities, physical activities and seeing friends and family are all the kinds of things that make us happier people.

Shopping usually doesn’t. And neither does answering emails.

Last month, thousands of people took part in the National Day of Unplugging. Since 2010, a group called Reboot, a hip Jewish nonprofit, has encouraged Jews to unplug from their devices each Sabbath.

Observant Jews don’t use electricity on the Sabbath and so generally don’t use their phones or computers. But even less traditionally minded Jews have started to adopt this practice (plenty of non-Jews have also stumbled onto this idea). While they may not go to synagogue or refrain from other activities prohibited by Jewish law, they’ll gladly turn off their phones for a day.

But it takes some willpower. It’s extraordinarily difficult for many of us to put away our devices for an hour, let alone a day. Indeed, one advantage of a religious Sabbath over a self-imposed one is that a higher power is holding you to it.

Naomi Schaefer Riley is a senior fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum.      NYPost

The bison will join the bald eagle, the national emblem since 1782, as America’s symbolic animal

The bison, an animal once hunted to the brink of extinction in America, is set to become the first national mammal of the US, putting it on a par with the bald eagle as a symbol of the nation.

Congress has passed legislation, the National Bison Legacy Act, which names the hoofed beast as a “historical symbol of the United States” and establishes it as the nation’s landmark mammal.

Once the bipartisan move passes the Senate and receives Barack Obama’s sign-off, the bison will join the bald eagle, the national emblem since 1782, as America’s symbolic animal. America’s flora is represented by the oak, the national tree, and the rose, the national floral emblem.

The designation is a “milestone” in the effort to “prevent the bison from going extinct and to recognize the bison’s ecological, cultural, historical and economic importance to the United States”, said Cristian Samper, president of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

“The bison will serve as a great national symbol for the United States as it is as strong as the oak, fearless as the bald eagle and inspiring as a rose,” Samper added.

The honor doesn’t confer any new protections for the bison but represents a startling turnaround in the fortunes of the animal, also known more informally as the buffalo. The species was virtually wiped out in the 19^th century as settlers moved west across America, slaughtering bison as they went.

The US army had a policy to kill off bison to harm the Native American tribes that relied upon them, as well as to make way for farmland and for food. Although the animals can run at speeds of 35mph and are surprisingly agile, they were easy targets for hunters.

Tourists paid to slaughter the animals and bison killing contests were popular – one person from Kansas managed to shoot 120 bison in just 40 minutes. As many as 30 million bison once roamed as far east as New York, but by the dawn of the 20th century, little more than 1,000 remained in remote pockets of habitat.

A conservation effort pulled the bison back from the brink, led by the newly established Yellowstone national park, which protected an initial herd of just two dozen animals, growing it to around 5,000 today. There are around 30,000 wild bison left in areas of America’s west, with a further 400,000 raised as commercial livestock across all 50 states.

“The buffalo has had a special place in the lives of tribal people since time immemorial and played important roles in our culture, religion and lifestyle,” said Jim Stone, executive director of the Inter Tribal Buffalo Council.

“Now buffalo have become a part of the fabric of tribal life once again, created the foundation for an economic movement based on healthy food choices and provided conservation groups opportunities to expand the habitat for the species.”

Bison have distinctive thick brown fur, long beards and horns. They also have a distinctive hump, which comprises powerful muscles that allow bison to move snow out of its way by using its head as a sort of snowplow. The animals, which can weigh up to 2,000lbs, are migratory and once performed a key role in ecosystems by tearing up vegetation to allow new plants to grow.

The imposing animals prefer eating grasses to humans but can prove risky to careless observers. Last summer, five people were injured by bison in Yellowstone. Three of the injuries occurred when people got close to bison in order to take selfies with the animal, only to be tossed in the air or jabbed by its horns.

Four of the people were hospitalized but none died. The National Parks Service, which prohibits visitors from getting within 75ft of bison, has warned that bison have little patience for unscheduled photoshoots with people who attempt to pose with the beasts.     The Guardian

Note:

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

¹² And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

¹³ And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

¹⁴ And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

¹⁵ And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

¹⁶ And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

¹⁷ And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

¹⁸ Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.     Revelation 13:11-18

A global first Swiss town will accept bitcoin for some payments starting this summer

By jamey keaten, associated press GENEVA — May 11, 2016, 12:29 PM ET

A Swiss town that is billing itself as a hub for the digital currency industry will accept bitcoin for some payments starting this summer, in what proponents call a worldwide first by a government body and a sign that "crypto finance" is growing in legitimacy.

The town council in northern Zug last week approved plans to accept payments of up to 200 Swiss francs (about $200) for municipal registration fees starting July 1, in what Mayor Dolfi Mueller called Wednesday an "experiment" aimed at making the digitally-minded town a pioneer in finance.

Many in Zug tout the town's reputation as part of "Crypto Valley," with some 15 companies linked to the digital currency business. The council's move is designed in part to help those firms, while providing a coming-of-age push to bitcoin, which has been used widely already in private-sector transactions.

Niklas Nikolajsen, CEO of financial services company Bitcoin Suisse AG in Zug, said the city's decision is "the first example of a state entity that accepts bitcoin."

Officials in the city of 30,000 people note that the scale so far is small, and only a few thousand francs' worth of fees are expected to be paid with bitcoin this year. Tax payments, for example, are exempt — for now.

Dolfi acknowledged some hesitancy about what the town's experiment and "small pioneer act," which is due to last initially through year-end, in a generally conservative town. "It's something new. People don't know what it is. People are afraid it's for killers or criminals. It's not that — it's very simple," he said in a phone interview.

Bitcoin is a type of digital currency that allows people to buy goods and services and exchange money without involving banks, credit card issuers or other third parties. The coins are created by users who "mine" them by lending computing power to verifying other users' transactions, and receive bitcoins in exchange.

The coins also can be bought and sold on exchanges with U.S. dollars and other currencies. Their value has fluctuated over time. At its height in late 2013, a single bitcoin was valued above $1,100. Currently, a bitcoin fetches about $450.

Don't expect everyone to start abandoning their Swiss francs just yet, though.

Dolfi and Nikolajsen both pointed to "a dentist" in Zug who is already accepting payment through bitcoin, and it's unclear whether merchants and other service providers in town will jump on the bitcoin train.

"I would be very surprised if you can't buy everything from your Ferrari on down within the next twelve months or so" in Zug, said Nikolajsen. "Acceptance is not far away. It won't be a hard-hitter among people in the second half of their lives, but for younger people it will be common.      ABC News

A Swiss town that is billing itself as a hub for the digital currency industry will accept bitcoin for some payments starting this summer, in what proponents call a worldwide first by a government body and a sign that "crypto finance" is growing in legitimacy.

The town council in northern Zug last week approved plans to accept payments of up to 200 Swiss francs (about $200) for municipal registration fees starting July 1, in what Mayor Dolfi Mueller called Wednesday an "experiment" aimed at making the digitally-minded town a pioneer in finance.
Many in Zug tout the town's reputation as part of "Crypto Valley," with some 15 companies linked to the digital currency business. The council's move is designed in part to help those firms, while providing a coming-of-age push to bitcoin, which has been used widely already in private-sector transactions.
Niklas Nikolajsen, CEO of financial services company Bitcoin Suisse AG in Zug, said the city's decision is "the first example of a state entity that accepts bitcoin."
Officials in the city of 30,000 people note that the scale so far is small, and only a few thousand francs' worth of fees are expected to be paid with bitcoin this year. Tax payments, for example, are exempt—for now.
Dolfi acknowledged some hesitancy about what the town's experiment and "small pioneer act," which is due to last initially through year-end, in a generally conservative town. "It's something new. People don't know what it is. People are afraid it's for killers or criminals. It's not that—it's very simple," he said in a phone interview.
Bitcoin is a type of digital currency that allows people to buy goods and services and exchange money without involving banks, credit card issuers or other third parties. The coins are created by users who "mine" them by lending computing power to verifying other users' transactions, and receive bitcoins in exchange.
The coins also can be bought and sold on exchanges with U.S. dollars and other currencies. Their value has fluctuated over time. At its height in late 2013, a single bitcoin was valued above $1,100. Currently, a bitcoin fetches about $450.
Don't expect everyone to start abandoning their Swiss francs just yet, though.
Dolfi and Nikolajsen both pointed to "a dentist" in Zug who is already accepting payment through bitcoin, and it's unclear whether merchants and other service providers in town will jump on the bitcoin train.
"I would be very surprised if you can't buy everything from your Ferrari on down within the next twelve months or so" in Zug, said Nikolajsen. "Acceptance is not far away. It won't be a hard-hitter among people in the second half of their lives, but for younger people it will be common."


Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-05-global-swiss-town-bitcoin-payments.html#jCp