Sunday, January 29, 2017

Worst wilfires in chile's history


By Jorge Poblete   January 27 2017
Chile’s worst ever wildfires threatened the city of Concepcion and the nation’s wine industry Friday, a day after flames destroyed a town about 200 miles south of the nation’s capital.
President Michelle Bachelet’s office said the fires had killed 11 people, forced the evacuation of more than 5,000 and burned nearly 900,000 acres, mainly forests.
Most of the evacuees come from the town of Santa Olga, southwest of Santiago, which was destroyed Thursday. 
“We are facing a serious situation and can only succeed if we work together,” Bachelet told reporters Friday morning after coordinating relief efforts at a meeting at the La Moneda presidential palace. Earlier in the week, Bachelet said the fires were the worst in the country’s history.
The government said Friday that as many as 65 separate fires continued to burn out of control. 
Felipe Neira, president of Itata Valley winemakers association, said in a telephone interview that the industry, which is mostly concentrated in central Chile, so far had had lost about 100 acres of vineyards to the fires but that 1,250 acres were in jeopardy.       LATimes

First step to ‘designer life’: Biologists breed bacteria with lab-made DNA, adding two extra, artificial letters


An electron micrograph image of E. coli bacteria. The semi-synthetic E. coli microbes are not pictured.
For billions of years, life has danced that same old DNA jig. At some point after Earth’s formation, but before bacterial slime formed the planet’s oldest fossils 3.7 billion years ago, DNA became the system by which virtually every organism stored and passed on its genetic information. No matter how many times mutations or natural selection remixed the tune, four nitrogenous base units always comprised DNA: adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine. This was as true for hairy apes as it was for brewer’s yeast, redwoods and Tyrannosaurus rex.
Now, scientists led by the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, have added two extra, artificial letters to the ancient alphabet of A, C, G and T. And the E. coli living with this unusual six-letter, three-base-pair alphabet are, by the account published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences, capable of surviving tough laboratory conditions.         Read more

The first genetically modified apple will hit US supermarkets

gm-apple.jpg
Peter Walker

The first genetically modified apple will hit US shops after decades of protest, back-and-forth regulation and laboratory development.
The Arctic Apple, which manufacturers claim never goes brown once sliced, could hit Midwestern grocery stores as early as 1 February.
Supporters of GM food are celebrating a landmark moment, while one critic has branded the apple “understudied, unlabelled and unnecessary”.
“We see this as less about genetic modification and more about convenience,” said Neal Carter, founder of Okanagan Specialty Fruits, which made the Arctic Apple.
“I think consumers are very ready for apples that don't go brown. Everyone can identify with that 'yuck' factor.”
GM technology dates back to the discovery of DNA and, more specifically, the use of genetically modified microbial enzymes in the 1980s.
The Flavr Savr tomato was the first commercially grown food product in 1994, which was followed with GM potatoes, canola, maize, cotton and golden rice.
Supporters of GM food hail it as the cure for worldwide hunger, an alternative to pesticides, improved flavour and increased health benefits.
Opponents point to cross-pollination and the subsequent decimation of animal and plant species, the dangers to allergy sufferers and the effect on small farmers.       Independent

Friday, January 27, 2017

The reason why the churches are weak and sickly and ready to die

What kind of faith is it that overcomes the world?—It is that faith which makes Christ your own personal Saviour,—that faith which, recognizing your helplessness, your utter inability to save yourself, takes hold of the Helper who is mighty to save, as your only hope. It is faith that will not be discouraged, that hears the voice of Christ saying, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world, and my divine strength is yours.” It is the faith that hears him say, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
The reason why the churches are weak and sickly and ready to die, is that the enemy has brought influences of a discouraging nature to bear upon trembling souls. He has sought to shut Jesus from their view as the Comforter, as one who reproves, who warns, who admonishes them, saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it.” Christ has all power in heaven and in earth, and he can strengthen the wavering, and set right the erring. He can inspire with confidence, with hope in God; and confidence in God always results in creating confidence in one another.
Every soul must have a realization that Christ is his personal Saviour; then love and zeal and steadfastness will be manifest in the Christian life. However clear and convincing the truth is, it will fail to sanctify the soul, fail to strengthen and fortify it in its conflicts, unless it is brought in constant contact with life. Satan has achieved his greatest success through interposing himself between the soul and the Saviour. RH August 26, 1890, par. 9-11

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Pioneers and the changing of the fundamental beliefs

George R. Knight is professor of church history at the Theological Seminary, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan.
Most of the founders of Seventh-day Adventism would not be able to join the church today if they had to subscribe to the denomination's Fundamental Beliefs. 1

More specifically, most would not be able to agree to belief number 2, which deals with the doctrine of the Trinity. For Joseph Bates the Trinity was an unscriptural doctrine, for James White it was that "old Trinitarian absurdity," and for M. E. Cornell it was a fruit of the great apostasy, along with such false doctrines as Sunday-keeping and the immortality of the soul.2

In like manner, most of the founders of Seventh-day Adventism would have trouble with fundamental belief number 4, which holds that Jesus is both eternal and truly God. For J. N. Andrews "the Son of God ... had God for His Father, and did, at some point in the eternity of the past, have beginning of days." And E. J. Waggoner, of Minneapolis 1888 fame, penned in 1890 that "there was a time when Christ proceeded forth and came from God,... but that time was so far back in the days of eternity that to finite comprehension it is practically without beginning." 3

Neither could most of the leading Adventists have agreed with fundamental belief number 5, which implies the personhood of the Holy Spirit. Uriah Smith, for example, not only was anti- Trinitarian and semi-Arian, like so many of his colleagues, but also like them pictured the Holy Spirit as "that divine, mysterious emanation through which They [the Father and the Son] carry forward their great and infinite work." On another occasion, Smith pictured the Holy Spirit as a "divine influence" and not a "person like the Father and the Son." 4

Such misconceptions during the 1890s a decade in which the work of the Holy Spirit and the indwelling power of Christ were being emphasized by such writers as Ellen White, E. J. Waggoner, and W. W. Prescott helped pave the way for the pantheism that Waggoner and J. H. Kellogg taught around the turn of the century. Those misconceptions also probably helped set some Adventists up for the holy flesh heresy by the end of the 1890s.

1 The fundamental beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists may be found in the annual Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook and in the denomination's Church Manual.

2 Joseph Bates, The Autobiography of Elder Joseph Bates (Battle Creek, Mich.: Seventh-day Adventist Pub. Assn., 1868), pp. 204, 205; James White, "The Faith of Jesus," Review and Herald,
August 5,1852, p. 52; M. E. Cornell, Facts for the Times (Battle Creek, Mich.: M. E. Cornell, 1858),
p. 76. See also Erwin Roy Gane, "The Arian or Anti-Trinitarian Views Presented in Seventh-day Adventist Literature and the Ellen G. White Answer" (M.A. thesis, Andrews University, 1963); Russell Holt, "The Doctrine of the Trinity in the Seventh-day Adventist Denomination: Its Rejection
and Acceptance" (Term paper, Andrews University, 1969). 

3 J. N. Andrews, "Melchizedec," Review and Herald, September 7,1869, p. 84; E. J. Waggoner, Christ and His Righteousness (Oakland, Calif.:Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1890), pp. 21, 22; see also pp. 9, 19, 20.

4 Uriah Smith, "The Spirit of Prophecy and Our Relation to It," General Conference Daily Bulletin, 1891, p. 146; Uriah Smith, "In the Question Chair," Review and Herald, October 28,1890, p. 664.

5 See George R. Knight, Angry Saints: Tensions and Possibilities in the Adventist Struggle Over Righteousness by Faith (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1989), pp. 76,77; Richard W.Schwarz, John Harvey Kellogg, M.D. (Nashville: Southern Pub. Assn., 1970), pp. 184-186; Richard W. Schwarz, Light Bearers to the Remnant (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1979), pp. 446-448.                    Ministry Magazine

Roy Ice teaches to pray directly to the holy spirit


Prayer to God the Holy Spirit

Image result for catholic church praying to the holy ghost
O Divine Spirit, Who have so often enlightened my soul with the light of Your beams, I thank You with all my heart.
O Divine Spirit, who have sent me so many holy inspirations and good desires, I thank You with all my heart.
O Divine Spirit, who sustain my weakness by Your sovereign virtue, I thank You with all my heart.
For the acts of virtue that You have made me accomplish and that are due to Your salutary assistance, I thank You with all my heart.
For the little good that I have been able to do by Your help, I thank You with all my heart.          Catholic.org

The terrestial holy ghost

"Lucifer is divine and terrestial Light, 'the Holy Ghost' and 'Satan' at one and the same time." The secret doctrine by H. P. Blavatsky p. 969, (originally published in 1888)

Some SDA doctrinal beliefs held in common with Catholics

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1. The Godhead

2. The virgin birth (although not the immaculate conception)

3. The necessity of obeying God  

Studying Together Book by Mark Finley,  page 131

Friday, January 20, 2017

The Sabbath lies at the very foundation of divine worship

Image result for J N Andrews
"The importance of the Sabbath as the memorial of creation is that it keeps ever present the true reason why worship is due to God"--because He is the Creator, and we are His creatures. "The Sabbath therefore lies at the very foundation of divine worship, for it teaches this great truth in the most impressive manner, and no other institution does this. The true ground of divine worship, not of that on the seventh day merely, but of all worship, is found in the distinction between the Creator and His creatures. This great fact can never become obsolete, and must never be forgotten."--J. N. Andrews, History of the Sabbath, chapter 27.

I am the Resurrection and the Life


Happy Sabbath!

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Sunday, January 15, 2017

People are not seeing and judging for themselves

Image result for false teachers
Religious teachers read the Bible in the light of their own understanding and traditions; and the people do not search the Scriptures for themselves, and judge for themselves as to what is truth; but they yield up their judgment, and commit their souls to their leaders. Desire of Ages, p.459

Prove all Things

Image result for These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whethe


Thursday, January 12, 2017

Blueberry Pomegranate Grawnola


Christ the Comforter

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Jesus said: "For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself" John 5:26.   -The father is the Source of everything and possesses  eternal, divine and spiritual life. This life He has given to his Son.

Jesus said: "God is a spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth" John 4:24.    -God is a spirit, a Holy Spirit. The Father and the Son each have the same spirit.

"And when he said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost" John 20:22.    -Jesus breaths his own Holy Spirit to his disciples.

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Ephesians 3:14-19.    -Paul recognizes that there is only a Father and a Son in this statement. The spirit of the Lord living in our hearts by faith strengthen our inner soul and guide our thoughts. 

"For I am  crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" Galatians 2:20.   -It's all about Christ as the Son of God living in us. 

"Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" Colossians 1:26-27    -Again Paul states that it is Christ in us and not someone else to whom God has sent to manifest His Glory.

Jesus said: "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you" John 14:18.    -Jesus is not able to come in his humanity anymore, but he is able to come in another form, in the form of a spirit, His own Holy Spirit.

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." 1 Timothy 2:5   

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent" Jonh 17:3

If we look at these texts through God's eyes and let His word interpret itself we will see how simple it is to understand that there are only two beings known as deity, the Father who is God, and his son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Bonus:

"The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ" Manuscript Releases Vol. 14 p.84

"We know that we have the presence of Jesus. The sweet influence of His Holy Spirit is teaching and guiding our thoughts" Testimonies for the Church Vol. 6 p.115

"The impartation of the Holy Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ"  Desire of Ages p.805

"The Lord breathed upon us His Holy Spirit. We felt the presence of God"  Evangelism p.453

"The Lord gave me much of His Holy Spirit" Selected Messages Book 1 p.145

"The Father gave His Spirit without measure to His Son, and we also may partake of its fullness" The Great Controversy p.477

"Jesus will be with you; He will go before you by His Holy Spirit, preparing the way; and He will be your helper in every emergency" Life Sketches p.439 

"Christ by His Holy Spirit will supply the force and the power. This is His work" Christ Object Lessons p.337

"The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent" Manuscript Releases Vol. 14 p. 23

"John 14:16,17. This refers to the omnipresence of the spirit of Christ, called the Comforter"  Manuscript Releases Vol. 14 p.179


I can keep going on an on with this quotes but I will leave it there for now. The bible is clear and the testimonies are clear. No need to add human interpretation. May God help us to prepare ourselves through His grace for His soon return.


"I am instructed to say to our people: Let us follow Christ. Do not forget that He is to be our pattern in all things. We may safely discard those ideas that are not found in His teaching." 8T 296 

Luis

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Romanism is now regarded by Protestants with far greater favor than in former years.

Romanism is now regarded by Protestants with far greater favor than in former years. In those countries where Catholicism is not in the ascendancy, and the papists are taking a conciliatory course in order to gain influence, there is an increasing indifference concerning the doctrines that separate the reformed churches from the papal hierarchy; the opinion is gaining ground that, after all, we do not differ so widely upon vital points as has been supposed, and that a little concession on our part will bring us into a better understanding with Rome. The time was when Protestants placed a high value upon the liberty of conscience which had been so dearly purchased. They taught their children to abhor popery and held that to seek harmony with Rome would be disloyalty to God. But how widely different are the sentiments now expressed!

The defenders of the papacy declare that the church has been maligned, and the Protestant world are inclined to accept the statement. Many urge that it is unjust to judge the church of today by the abominations and absurdities that marked her reign during the centuries of ignorance and darkness. They excuse her horrible cruelty as the result of the barbarism of the times and plead that the influence of modern civilization has changed her sentiments...

The papal church will never relinquish her claim to infallibility. All that she has done in her persecution of those who reject her dogmas she holds to be right; and would she not repeat the same acts, should the opportunity be presented? Let the restraints now imposed by secular governments be removed and Rome be reinstated in her former power, and there would speedily be a revival of her tyranny and persecution.    GC pp. 563,564

Dr. Herold Weiss: "You Can Be a Christian Without Being a Fundamentalist."

As a student at Andrews University at the end of the 1970s, I heard the names Vick, Weiss, and Hilgert mentioned, almost in a whisper, but they had been so effectively airbrushed out of the institutional history that I never learned why they were no longer there. Then Spectrum went online with its blog, and there was Dr. Herold Weiss, first in Spanish, then in English. I began reading his essays and studies in 2008 out of curiosity, and I was immediately fascinated by his ability to drill down to the exegetical bedrock of the biblical texts so that they could speak freely, unconstrained by the fundamentalist mandate that they speak with one voice in support of creed and tradition.

In an essay that I wrote some time back for Spectrum ("Tell Me Why I Should Become a Christian"), I asked the readers if it is possible to come up with a contemporary restatement of Christianity that might resonate with people searching for a meaningful faith, a faith that goes beyond the known facts without requiring you to believe against established facts. Dr. Weiss comes as close to doing that as I think anybody could. Faith to him is a way of living in obedience to the call of God in Christ, not a treasure chest of doctrines.
....

You grew up in a Catholic country, and you spent the greater part of your academic career teaching at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana. What are the greatest misunderstandings about Catholicism that you encounter among Protestants in general and Adventists in particular?

As a young person in Uruguay and Argentina, I grew up with the notion that we Adventists were firmly established on a moral platform high above what any Catholic could ever attain. Catholics, by definition, were people without morals. Since they lived in open depravity, there was no way they could be saved by God. Besides they were superstitious and idolaters. This was surely due to their dependence on the Catechism, where the day of Rest has been changed, rather than the Bible. Obviously, they were in great need to be redeemed from their sins. This view of Catholics was challenged by my friendship with a fellow student on my second year of secondary school. He had transferred to the public school from the Catholic seminary. Our fellow students decided that he and I should have an open debate for their benefit. Our debate proved my self-confidence and sense of superiority totally wrong.

In the USA, I was somewhat astonished to find out two things: One, that Catholics were the largest single denomination in the country and, two, that Catholic bashing was the most popular sport among Adventists and Evangelicals in general. There is a difference between prejudice and bashing. The prevalence of a conspiracy mentality among Adventists in the USA is a lamentable flaw. Few mental disorders are more pernicious than the conspiracy syndrome. That the Bible’s prophesies support or demand Catholic bashing can only be claimed by those who are controlled by a sick ideology rather than the love of Christ (2 Cor. 5: 14). Unfortunately, it is a recurring phenomenon in Adventist pulpits that are open to television audiences, not only the one occupied by Doug Bachelor but even the one commanded by Dwight Nelson. One does not have to be Catholic to abhor such prejudicial preaching. Obviously, we have forgotten that for some time we were just as good at Turkey bashing.     Spectrum Magazine

Ancient Roman theater found in northern Israel may have been used for religious ceremonies


An image of the excavation site

Daniel K. Eisenbud 10 January 2017
A Roman amphitheater discovered during an excavation by the University of Haifa at Hippos, a site overlooking the Sea of Galilee, may support the hypothesis that the facility was used for religious ceremonies instead of entertainment.

Hippos, which is situated on a prominent hill some two kilometers east of the Sea of Galilee within Sussita National Park, is operated by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.  

According to the University of Haifa’s Dr. Michael Eisenberg, who heads the Hippos Excavations Project, the digs outside the city over the past few years “are falling into place like in a detective story.”

“First, we found a mask of Pan, then the monumental gate leading to what we began to assume was a large public compound, a sanctuary,” he said this week at an annual research conference at the school’s Zinman Institute of Archeology. “And now, this year, we find a public bathhouse and theater in the same location – both facilities that in the Roman period could be associated with the god of medicine Asclepius, or with gods of nature, such as Dionysus and Pan.”

During the Roman period, Hippos was an important city in the Golan Heights, and the area east of the Sea of Galilee, or Lake Kinneret. Over the past two years, researchers from the university’s Institute of Archeology have repeatedly been surprised by the unexpected findings uncovered outside the city’s walls.

However, one feature that was missing in the excavated city, until now, was the theater – a public building capable of accommodating thousands of people, which served as the venue for the popular public shows.     JPost

SDA GC files suit over $12M

John O'Connor Jan 10 2017

The General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists has filed a civil case against Department of Revenue and Taxation Director John Camacho in the Superior Court of Guam over alleged non-payment of more than $12 million in back taxes.
According to court documents filed in October 2016, DRT determined that the Guam Seventh-Day Adventist Clinic Pharmacy owed about $12.6 million in business privilege taxes for the years 1991 through 2013. This includes about $3 million in penalties. 
The Guam Adventist Book and Food Center was also assessed more than $350,000 in business taxes, with penalties exceeding $88,000 for the same time period.
Letter from Rev & Tax
An informal hearing with SDA on the tax issue was conducted on Sept. 1, 2016, according to a Sept. 29 letter from DRT. The church claimed that both the clinic and food center were covered under its tax-exempt status through a "blanket exemption" in local law that also applied to unrelated business income. 
However, Camacho contended that Guam law specifically outlined which activities the tax exemption applied to. These included regular activities, a lottery or a carnival, fiesta, dance, athletic performance or other similar entertainment sponsored by the entity.
"There is no legislative history or committee reports to provide examples on the types of activities which would be regular activities of a church under statute," Camacho stated in the letter. "Doubts concerning exemption are to be resolved against the exemption and in favor of taxation."
Camacho ultimately concluded that the SDA clinic and food center were not tax-exempt activities and that the church would be required to pay taxes on those operations.
Exemptions
The law exempts charitable, scientific and educational activities, according to the suit, and the operations of the food center and clinic fall within that purview.
Among its claims for relief, SDA requested a determination from the court that its tax-exemption applies to all subsequent and future revenues of the clinic and food center. 
Legal counsels for SDA and DRT appeared before Judge Alberto Lamorena of the Superior Court of Guam yesterday. A status hearing is set for Feb. 13.     Post Guam

Pope calls for unity in Europe


Image result for vatican
Ben Rosen January 9, 2017
In 1957, six European nations agreed on a single economic market that laid the groundwork for the European Union, bringing together a continent that in the previous decade had been shattered by total war.
On Monday, some sixty years after those six countries signed Treaty of Rome, Pope Francis reminded diplomats of the agreement’s importance as he called for a new European humanism.
“Europe as a whole is experiencing a decisive moment in its history, one in which it is called to rediscover its proper identity. This requires recovering its roots in order to shape its future,” said the pope in the annual papal “state of the world” address. 
“In response to currents of divisiveness, it is all the more urgent to update the idea of Europe, so as to give birth to a new humanism based on the capacity to integrate, dialogue and generate that made the Old Continent great,” he said.
Pope France’s annual foreign policy speech comes, as he noted in his address, at a time when Europe is in the midst of a migrant crisis, the threat of religious-inspired violence, and a shakeup through Brexit. The pope’s speech represents another effort on his part to urge peace and reconciliation in Europe and abroad.    
The process of European unification "continues to be a unique opportunity for stability, peace and solidarity between peoples," he said. "On this occasion, I can only reaffirm the interest and concern of the Holy See for Europe and its future, conscious that the values that were the inspiration and basis of that project, which this year celebrates its 60th anniversary, are values common to the entire continent and transcend the borders of the European Union itself."
The pope’s call for unity in Europe comes just months before Britain is expect to begin the formal process of withdrawing from the EU. Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May has said she will invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty by the end of March.
Speaking in front of diplomats from 180 countries in the Vatican on Monday, the pope also denounced “fundamentalists-inspired terrorism” in 2016, listing attacks by Islamist militants in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the United States.
He called such violence “homicidal madness, which misuses God’s name in order to disseminate death, in a play for domination and power,” and urged religious and political leaders to play their part in stopping it. The pope said such violence is “spiritual poverty” often borne out of material poverty. He said religious leaders should preach God’s message of love and peace and political leaders should ensure economic opportunities for young people.
In addition to safety, “government leaders are also responsible for ensuring that conditions do not exist that can serve as fertile terrain for the spread of forms of fundamentalism.”
Pope Francis’s speech is in line with his past remarks on Islamic extremism, nuclear weapons, and even the proliferation of fake news. Last month, the pope said that both the creation and spread of fake news is a sin, urging the media to do its part to stop it.
"The communications media have a very great responsibility. Nowadays they have in their hands the possibility and the capacity to form opinion: they can form a good or a bad opinion," the pope said in an interview with Belgian Catholic weekly, Tertio. He added, "Disinformation is probably the greatest damage that the media can do, as opinion is guided in one direction, neglecting the other part of the truth."
This warning wasn’t directed at just the media, but also those who post or repost harmful stories through social media.      Yahoo News

White House published a document to save earth from asteroid impact

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Abigail Beall For Mailonline
It is one of the most popular fictional doomsday situations, featured in films like Armageddon and Deep Impact, but the danger of an asteroid destroying life on our planet is a reality.
For years scientists have been trying to work out how to deal with the threat of an asteroid, which could hit us with little or no warning.
Now the White House has released an official document describing the plan if a meteor or asteroid was to head our way, and it shows we are under-prepared.
The White House published its 'National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy'.
The document 'seeks to improve our nation's preparedness to address the hazard of near-Earth object (NEO) impacts by enhancing the integration of existing national and international assets and adding important capabilities that are currently lacking.'
NEOs are asteroids or comets that have an orbit that brings them near or into Earth's orbit.
If one of these was to zoom towards Earth in the future, it would not be the first time.
A 56 foot (17-metre) meteor that struck Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013, injured more than 1,000 people came with no warning.
This is why one of the strategies outlined in the document is to improve on Nasa's methods of detecting NEOs before it is too late.
In seven main goals described in the document, the White House also focuses on improving modelling and predicting where NEOs will travel.
The country also plans to improve it emergency alert systems and invest in hi-tech space probes that could annihilate threats.      Dailymail

Record Cold in Easter Europe


Bilingual people experience the sensory world in a unique way

| January 9, 2017
People with synesthesia experience the sensory world in a unique way — for example, they "taste" words or "hear" colors. Now, new research suggests that people who learn a second language but aren't exposed to that second language very early in life are more likely to have this sensory-switching ability than those who are natively bilingual.
"Groups of people with different linguistic backgrounds have different rates of synesthesia — and quite different rates," said study co-author Marcus Watson, an experimental psychologist at York University in Toronto. "It ranges from 0 percent to about 5 percent depending on what their language background is."
The findings bolster a theory that synesthesia — the bizarre brain phenomenon in which one sensory or cognitive experience is automatically triggered by another — may develop to improve learning in complicated, ruled-based tasks such as mastering reading, music theory and time telling.     Live Science

The rise of the cashless society

A customer uses a credit card to make a contactless payment.
Adam Forrest Monday 9 January, 2017
Scrolling through my online bank statements at Christmas, I was surprised to find I had not removed cash from an ATM for well over four months. Thanks to the ubiquity of electronic payment systems, it has become increasingly easy to glide around London to a chorus of approving bleeps.
As more shops and transport networks adapt to contactless card and touch-and-go mobile technology, many major cities around the world are in the process of relegating cash to second-class status. Some London shops and cafes are now, like the capital’s buses, simply refusing to handle notes or coins.
Could we see a whole city go cash-free? From Seoul to Bergamo, cities big and small are at the forefront of a global drive to go digital. Many of us are happy to tap cards or phones to hop on a bus, buy a coffee or pay for groceries, but it raises the prospect of a time we no longer carry any cash at all.
No spare change for the busker at the station, the person sleeping rough in need of a hot drink, the market trader, the donation box. Although even on-street charity fundraisers are now broaching the world of contactless payments, what might the rise of the cashless city mean for street vendors, small merchants and the poorest inhabitants?
Some experts now fear a two-tier urban realm in which those on the lowest incomes become disconnected from mainstream commercial life by their dependence on traditional forms of currency.
“The beauty of cash is that it’s a direct and simple transaction between all kinds of different people, no matter how rich or poor,” explains financial writer Dominic Frisby. “If you begin to insist on cashlessness, it does put pressure on you to be banked and signed up to financial system, and many of the poorest are likely to remain outside of that system. So there is this real danger of exclusion.”
Ajay Banga, Mastercard’s CEO, has spoken about the growing global risk of “creating islands, where the unbanked transact [only] with each other”.
In India, the question of how the poorest might connect with the digitised world of the middle-class consumer is now of central importance. In November, the prime minister Narendra Modi announced the removal of 500 and 1000 rupee notes from circulation. Part of a wider attempt to jolt the nation into joining the cashless revolution, Modi’s government believes restricting currency and pushing the take-up of electronic payment will help tackle corruption and regulate India’s untaxed, “black” economy.
Saurabh Shukla, the Delhi-based editor in chief at NewsMobile Asia, says he has seen many small “mom and pop” store owners introduce card readers and learn how to use Paytm, a mobile payment platform, over the past two months.
“They realise a big change is here and they are trying to adjust to electronic payment,” he explains. “But they still want to convert back to cash at the end of the working day or the working week. It will be a gradual adjustment. We might not be able to create a completely cashless India, but we can aim to create a low cash economy.”
Modi is encouraging state government to create “smart” cities by connecting their public services with the latest online technology. Officials are aiming to make the Chandigarh – famously designed by modernist architect Le Corbusier – India’s first cashless city by insisting all bills are paid electronically at government offices. And the government of Goa is attempting to turn its capital Panjim cash-free by offering discounts in digitally bought services like train tickets, and by setting up classrooms to teach small traders e-payment technology.
Yet huge queues remain outside banks as many Indians continue to demand cash. Some of the poorest street vendors cannot afford card readers, and have struggled to operate Paytm payment transfers on their mobile phones.
Aires Rodrigues, a human rights lawyer in Goa, says traders in Panjim are suffering. Rickshaw drivers and fish market sellers have been left with no way of accepting payment from middle-class customers now inclined to do everything digitally. “It’s senseless to try to make everyone go cashless,” says Rodrigues. “The government seems to have lost sight of the plight of the common man.”
If India’s urbanites are being forced to undergo digital shock therapy, city dwellers in much of Europe have been moving steadily away from cash. Consumers like convenience. Governments like the idea of tax transparency. And retailers like cutting down on the costs of cash handling.       The Guardian

Chicago and New York in worst financial shape in US

By January 9, 2017

Chicago and New York rank at the bottom of a new analysis of fiscal strength based primarily on data from 2015 financial reports issued by the cities themselves. The analysis includes 116 U.S. cities with populations greater than 200,000. See the full rankings here.
Chicago’s position at the bottom of the ranking is no surprise to anyone who follows municipal finance. The Windy City has become a poster child for financial mismanagement, having suffered a series of ratings downgrades in recent years. Aside from having thin reserves and large volumes of outstanding debt, Chicago is notorious for its underfunded pension plans.
For example, the city’s Municipal Employees' Annuity and Benefit Fund (MEABF) reported $4.7 billion in assets and $14.7 billion of actuarially accrued liabilities at the end of 2015, representing a funded ratio of just 33 percent. The actuarial calculations rely on a controversial practice of discounting future benefits at a rate of 7.5 percent, which is the assumed return on the fund’s portfolio return. If a more conservative assumption was employed, MEABF’s liabilities would be higher and its funded ratio lower.         The Fiscal Times

President Obama referred to himself 75 times in his farewell address

Peter Hasson 10:43 PM 01/10/2017
President Obama referred to himself 75 times in his farewell address Tuesday night, according to a review of his prepared remarks by The Daily Caller.
Obama heavily promoted the speech, penning a blog post about it and appearing in a promotional video in the days leading up to the address. 
Obama said “I” 33 times during the speech, “my” 20 times, “me” 10 times, and “I’m” or “I’ve” 12 times.
The president made a habit of focusing large chunks of his speeches on himself during his eight years in office.           Daily Caller

Monday, January 2, 2017

The Compilation of the Book Evangelism

In order to sustain and give credence to the newly adopted trinitarian concepts being promoted by a few influential persons within the denomination, a compilation of Ellen G. White’s was written which would apparently endorse the new trinitarian position which was now gaining traction. The compilation entitled “Evangelism” (1946) neatly fills this purpose. In the book “Evangelism,” are compiled quotations which give the trinity doctrine just such an apparent prophetic credence. In 1966 Leroy Froom wrote a letter to R.A. Anderson bragging how they both had a part in compiling the E.G. White quotations in “Evangelism” in order to combat the Columbian Union Conference leaders who were still non-trinitarian at the time (1946). Dr Froom stated, “You know what it did with men in the Columbia Union… They either had to lay down their arms, and accept those statements, or else they had to reject the Spirit of Prophecy.” [Letter from Leroy Froom to Roy Allen Anderson. Jan 18 1966].

As can be seen from this letter Elder Froom seemed to have an objective to convince the church membership that Sister White was an ally to his work. It is clear from the book “Evangelism” that the statements chosen to support Dr Froom’s trinity theories are openly man’s devising. Dr Froom has gone to the lengths of using the word “trinity” (Evangelism page 616) in a heading when Mrs White never uses the term. It is clear that the church until after the death of Sister White, did not adhere to a trinity doctrine. This is plain when you read the fundamental beliefs of the church up until 1931. The 1931 statement in the Yearbook although the word trinity is used the essence of the the statement was the same as the 1872 statement and was distinctly non trinitarian in its concept. It seems like the  statement below slipped through without notice as it “undoes” Dr Froom’s argument.

Note this statement from “Evangelism”
Let People Know Our Position – “Our policy is, Do not make prominent the objectionable features of our faith, which strike most decidedly against the practises and customs of the people, until the Lord shall give the people a fair chance to know that we are believers in Christ, that we do believe in the divinity of Christ, and in His pre-existence. {Evangelism p 613 – 1895} 
Remember that these statements were intended to convince some of our church leaders in 1946 that Sister White supports the doctrine of the trinity – Letter from Dr Leroy Froom to R.A. Anderson 1966

Let People Know Our Position – (my comments in brackets) “Our policy is, Do not make prominent the objectionable features of our faith (Mrs White makes it plain that she is speaking about our position on the “divinity of Christ” for she explains this in the latter part of the statement), which strike most decidedly against the practises and customs of the people (why does this strike against the customs and practises of the people? – Because the people of the Christian world almost unanimously believe in the doctrine of the trinity. This would upset them as they believe that Christ was as the Father a being of the Godhead that had eternity of past existence) until the Lord shall give the people a fair chance to know that we are believers in Christ, that we do believe in the divinity of Christ (why would the people not believe that the Seventh-Day Adventist Church believed in the divinity of Christ? - because we did not believe or accept the “customs of the people” who believe the trinity, and therefore this, to them, equals not believing in the divinity of Christ) and in His pre-existence.” {Evangelism p 613 – 1895}

Comments on the above statement
The fact is our Seventh-Day Adventist Church has always believed in the divinity of Christ and in His pre-existence – though we never accepted the “customs and practises” of the people as Sister White describes which obviously, in this context, is the doctrine of the trinity.' (`The God of our Fathers', PDF document, pp. 116, 117.) 
Ellen White wrote this statement at a time when the `objectionable features of our faith' pertained to Trinitarians of her day which were not Adventists. However, it would seem that the wheels have now turned to the point that the `omega' now runs so deeply within our own ranks, that effectively this statement now applies just as much to our own brethren, as it did to non-Adventists when Ellen White was alive.           The God of our Fathers by Kelvin D. Cobbin, pp. 116, 117

Sunday, January 1, 2017

The Trinity in the Book Evangelism

Image result for evangelism ellen white
This paper contains all the quotations of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit that appear in the book Evangelism.   Comments and the context of the quotations are given   below each quotation.  Many Trinitarians take these references in Evangelism to be  the last word, however, when they are analysed carefully and prayerfully, they prove nothing.  Please read the following with a prayer that God will show you the truth.  The heading is as it appears in Evangelism, and all * quotations are from the same book.
 
MISREPRESENTATIONS OF THE GODHEAD
* Let People Know Our Position. Our policy is, Do not make  prominent  the  objectionable features of our faith, which strike most decidedly against the practices and customs of the people, until the Lord shall give the people a fair chance to know that we   are believers in Christ, that we do believe in the divinity of Christ, and in His pre-existence. Testimonies to Ministers p253 (1895)  Evangelism p613.

The above quotation is clear enough as it stands – do not present the objectionable features of our faith, such as the Sabbath, the State of the Dead, the Investigative Judgment etc. before people can clearly see we believe in Christ, in His divinity, and in His pre-existence. There is nothing within  this quote to prove anything other than what it says.
 
However, the non-Trinitarian must also teach the truth about the divinity of Christ and His pre- existence. Trinitarians do not need to prove these, as they are accepted as fact by almost every denomination. Those who believe Christ was begotten of the Father are often called upon to answer these, and usually from a negative standpoint.
 
The charge is always – ‘You believe Christ was created’. But the statement is not true. Christ was ‘begotten’ like the Bible says, and being begotten of the God of the universe, He has every divine attribute of God. Christ is the “express image of His (the Father’s) person”, making Him fully divine.  Hebrews 1:3.    He is “the fullness of the Godhead bodily”.  Colossians 2:9.
 
“And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world”. 1 John 4:14. Did God have a pre-existent Son to send? Trinitarians must answer NO. But non-Trinitarians believe He did, because “…. God so loved the world that he gave His only- begotten Son….”   John 3:16.
 
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent  his  only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins…. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world…”  1 John 4:9.10.14.

* We Shall Have to Meet Erroneous Teaching. Again and again we shall be called to meet the influence of men who are studying science of satanic origin, through which Satan is working to make a non-entity of God and of Christ.  \  The Father and the Son each  have a personality. Christ declared, ‘I and My Father are one’. Yet it was the Son of God who came to the world in human form.  Laying aside His royal robe and kingly crown, He  clothed His divinity with humanity, that humanity through His infinite sacrifice might become partakers of the divine nature, and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. Testimonies Vol 9 p68.  (1909)  Evangelism p613.614.

This quotation does not give the full context, as it fails to show that Ellen White was comparing books similar to ‘The Living Temple’ by J.H. Kellogg, that give what the prophet calls ‘scientific sentiments’ about God. These false ideas are used by Satan to “make a nonentity of God and of Christ”.  This is stated on the   same page as the above. The content of the paragraph directly above the one quoted in Evangelism relates to these sentiments. The paragraph, as shown, is not actually one paragraph;  portion of the one above is joined  to the one below, making it appear as one paragraph, and giving a slightly different slant. (Note the \ where the paragraph ends)
 
If the quotation itself is analysed, one can see that the prophet is comparing (a) the nonentity of God and  Christ (science of satanic origin) with (b) the Father and Son each having a personality. Ellen White is  straight forward on this point, “The Scriptures clearly indicate the relation between God and Christ, and they bring to view as clearly the personality and individuality of each.”  8 Testimonies p268.
 
In this controversy, the Trinitarian can not accuse those who believe God to be the Father of Christ, and  Christ to be the Son of God, with believing satanic sentiments, for these are Bible and Spirit of Prophecy words.  “God is the Father of Christ;  Christ is the Son of God.”   8 Testimonies p268.   Nothing needs to  be added.
 
If the reader wishes to see what kind of satanic sentiments Sr White was referring to, look at the next long quotation in Evangelism.

* Positive Truth Versus Spiritualistic Representations. I am instructed to say, The sentiments of those who are searching for advanced scientific ideas are not to be trusted. Such representations as the following are made: ‘The Father is as the light invisible; the  Son is as the light embodied; the Spirit is the light shed abroad.’ ‘The Father is like the  dew, invisible vapor; the Son is like the dew gathered in beauteous form; the Spirit is like the dew fallen to the seat of life.’ Another representation: ‘The Father is like the invisible vapor; the Son is like the leaden cloud; the Spirit is rain fallen and working in refreshing power.’
 
All these spiritualistic representations are simply nothingness. They are imperfect and untrue. They weaken and diminish the Majesty which no earthly likeness can be compared to. God cannot be compared with the things His hands have made.  These are mere  earthly things, suffering under the curse of God because of the sins of man. The Father cannot be described by the things of earth. The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight.
 
The Son is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested. The Word of God declares Him to  be ‘the express image of His person’. ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only- begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Here is shown the personality of the Father.
 
The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour. There are three living persons of the heavenly trio; in the name of these three great powers – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will co-operate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in  Christ.  Special  Testimonies. Series B. No.7 p62.63. (1905)
 

In analysing this quotation, the same comparison is shown between the supposedly advanced ‘scientific sentiments’ and the clear statements of the Father and the Son. Instead of the Father being (a) “like the dew invisible”, He is (b) all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, a divine Person.   Instead of the Son being (a)   “like the dew gathered”, He is  (b) all the fullness of the Godhead manifested.       Instead of the Spirit being (a) “the dew fallen to the seat of life”, he/it is (b) all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace…   (Spirit ‘he’) John 14:16.17. (Spirit ‘it’) Romans 8:16.26.
 
Most people immediately grasp the description of the Father, the Son and the Spirit, in an attempt to prove   the Trinitarian doctrine of God, but this loses the whole of the prophet’s message.  The comparison shows  that the Father, Son and Spirit are intelligent personalities, not vague philosophical sentiments. That is the point. To try and prove the Trinity from this information is totally wrong.  What we do know from the above is:
 

(a) The Father, Son and Spirit have personalities. (b) They are three living persons. (c) They cannot be compared with things of the earth. (d) The Father, Son, and Spirit are the powers of heaven in whom we are baptised.   (e)  They are the three powers of heaven with whom we must cooperate for salvation. As to the nature of the Spirit, this passage does not say.
 

A case cannot be built for Trinitarianism from these words, neither can it be built for the other view. It may seem to prove the Trinitarian understanding, however, there is another way of seeing the whole subject, but that can only be seen by studying other passages.
 
Another important point to notice is the date of all the quotations. Except for one, they are at the time Ellen White wrote ‘The Desire of Ages’, and when Dr Kellogg was  putting forth his pantheistic, philosophical beliefs about God. Clearly the two previous quotations refer to his sentiments, for the prophet mentions him  in both articles.  Therefore we must remember that her concern was the Kellogg heresy,  and those who  present views of a similar nature. If the reader will study books and articles by most of those who are not Trinitarians, they will notice  a decided lack of anything that hints of such things.  The Persons of the  heavenly trio are certainly not vague entities as shown in the quoted passage – they are as the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy say – a loving Father, a devoted Son, and an intelligent Spirit of God actively engaged in every part of His universe. “The greatness of God is to us incomprehensible. ‘The Lord’s throne is in heaven’ (Ps 11:4);  yet by His Spirit He is everywhere present.  He has an intimate knowledge of,  and a personal interest in, all the works of His hand.”  Education p132.

*    The Pre-existent, Self-existent Son of God. Christ is the pre-existent, self-existent Son of God…. In speaking of his pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God. He to whose voice the Jews were then listening had been with God as one brought up with Him.  Signs of the Times. Aug 29. 1900.  Evangelism 615.

This quotation concentrates on Christ’s pre-existence, saying “there never was a time when….”, but it does  not say He had no beginning. Christ was in close fellowship with His Father from the moment He was begotten. For the angels who remained loyal to God there never was a time when they were not in harmony with their Creator. Does that mean the angels had no beginning?  There is no question Christ  was pre-  existent – He created this earth. He is the self-existent Son of God, begotten with the immortal life of His Father.

 

*    He was equal with God, infinite and omnipotent…. He is the eternal, self-existent Son.
Manuscript 101. 1897.  Evangelism p615.

The above short quotation is under the same heading.  It is the only part of the manuscript most of us have,  but it doesn’t contradict anything the prophet says in other places.  Christ is infinite and omnipotent.  He is  the eternal Son of God, begotten in eternal time, inheriting from His Father, eternal life. And having eternal life makes Him self-existent.       He is equal to the Father in nature, but being a Son, He is not equal in status, however, the Son was given an elevated position to make Him equal in authority with His Father.  The  prophet says, Christ “has been given an exalted position. He has been made equal with the Father.  All the counsels of God are opened to His Son.”   8 Testimonies p268.

* From Everlasting. While God’s Word speaks of the humanity of Christ when upon this earth, it also speaks decidedly regarding His pre-existence. The Word existed as a divine being, even as the eternal Son of God, in union and oneness with His Father. From everlasting He was the Mediator of the covenant, the one in whom all nations of the earth, both Jews and Gentiles, if they accepted Him, were to be blessed. ‘The Word was with God, and the Word was God’. Before men or angels were created, the Word was with God and was God.’   Review and Herald. Apr 5. 1906.  Evangelism p615.616.

Again, there is no question about Christ’s pre-existence, for as quoted, “the Word existed as a divine being, even as the eternal Son of God, in union and oneness with His Father.”
Who says Christ did  not pre-exist Bethlehem? It is certainly not those who believe Him to be the Son of the living God. What  about Trinitarians – Do they believe Christ – the Son of God – pre-existed Bethlehem?  The answer is NO,  not as the Son of God, and this is the issue.  Did God consent for His loving and  willing Son to come to  earth?   Or did a co-equal, co-eternal Being volunteer to take on the role of a Son?
 
Pre-existence is not in question in the current debate; it is whether God had an only-begotten Son at some  time in the days of eternity.
 

*  Christ shows them that, although they might reckon His life to be less than fifty years,  yet His divine life could not be reckoned by human computation. The existence of Christ before His incarnation is not measured by figures.   Signs of the Times. May 3. 1899.  Evangelism p616.
 
The article from which the above is quoted deals with Christ’s discussion with the Jews about His identity as the Messiah. They see Him as still a young man and are nonplussed by His statement “…. before Abraham was, I am”.  Further on in the article Sr White writes, “The Jews were so blinded by the deception of  the enemy that, without any form of trial, they would have stoned Christ to death. They saw that He made Himself equal with God, and because they had no knowledge of God or of Jesus Christ, they thought this to be blasphemy. Had they had a knowledge of God, they would not have rejected His Son, and charged Him with blasphemy.”  Ibid.
 
The Jews knew that Christ’s claim to be the I AM was to equate Himself with God, which to them was blasphemy. But they also accused Him of blasphemy when He claimed to be the Son of God. Luke 22:67-71. Obviously they knew the Son of God had the same nature as God, but clearly saw them as distinct personalities, or they would not have kept asking Christ if He was: the Son -- of -- God. Sr White is simply telling us that the Son’s life cannot be reckoned by human computation.
 
In the quoted Signs of the Times article, another paragraph states the following regarding Christ’s pre- existence, “Through Solomon Christ declared: ‘The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth… When He gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment; when He appointed the foundations of  the earth; then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him; and I was daily His  delight, rejoicing always before Him’.” Signs of the Times 08.29.00.
 
Read this passage carefully, for it tells us that Christ Himself says He was ‘possessed’, ‘set up’, ‘brought forth’ and ‘brought up’. If you study these words in the Hebrew and the writings of our modern day prophet, you cannot come to any other conclusion but that Christ is the Son of God. (Read also the first chapter in Patriarchs and Prophets. Obviously Ellen White believed Solomon’s words dealt with more than just wisdom, and were truly Messianic). But the verses in Proverbs only go back to the creation of the earth. Obviously Christ is older than six thousand years, but even that would have brought forth the charge of blasphemy from the Jews. How old is Jesus Christ?   Is He a million years old?   Ten million years?   Five hundred thousand million years?    Twenty to the power of sixty million? I have no idea. Do you?  Sister  White did not say He had no  beginning, but that His divine life cannot be computed by human beings.

* Life, Original, Unborrowed, Underived.  Jesus declared, ‘I am the resurrection, and  the life’. In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived. ‘He that hath the Son hath life’. The divinity of Christ is the believer’s assurance of eternal life. The Desire of Ages p530. (1898) Evangelism p616.
 
To the Trinitarian, the above quotation is the most important ‘clincher’ statement on the deity of Christ, but is it?  The sentence (that also heads the quote), is originally from an article written the previous year in the Signs  of the Times. The assistant of Ellen White (Marian Davis) used one sentence from a paragraph of Sister White’s article for ‘The Desire of Ages’.  That does not make it wrong, but in its full context, it is clearer   what the prophet was saying.   The full paragraph is shown below.
 
“ ‘In Him was life; and the life was the light of men’. (John 1:4) It is not physical life that is here specified, but immortality, the life which is exclusively the property of God. The Word, who was with God, and who was God had this life.   Physical life is something which each individual receives.  It   is not eternal or immortal; for God, the Life-giver, takes it again.  Man has no control over his life.  But the life of Christ was unborrowed. No one can take this life from Him. ‘I lay it down of myself’. (John 10:18), He said. In Him was life, original, unborrowed, underived. This life is not inherent in man.  He can possess it only through Christ.  He cannot earn it;  it is given him as a free gift if he  will believe in Christ as His personal Saviour.  This is life eternal, that they might know thee the   only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent’. (John 17:3). This is the open fountain of life for the world.”   Signs of the Times April 8 1897.   1 Selected Messages p296.297.
 
What do we learn from this passage? (a) Eternal, immortal, original, unborrowed, underived life is the exclusive property of God. (b) Christ has this eternal,  immortal,  original,  unborrowed,  underived  life because He is also God, the Son of God. Obviously He received this life from His Father when He was begotten. Sister White calls Him the “only begotten Son of the infinite God” in the previous paragraph of the above.  (c)  Man does not have this life.   It is borrowed from God and He will take it from him at His   will. (d) Christ came to this earth as a man (clothing His divinity with mortal humanity). When Christ died, His divinity did not die, however, because His brain was dead, His immortal life was quiescent, dormant until the resurrection. 1 SM 301. If Christ had sinned, He would still be in the grave. (e) Christ is willing to give this eternal, immortal, original, unborrowed, underived life to all who accept Him as their personal Saviour. As a Christian, does that mean I had no beginning?
 
Think about it.  Christ is our  S A V I O U R.  His divinity is our assurance of eternal life.   We can praise  God for that original, unborrowed, underived life.

*    With the Father at Sinai. When they (Israel) came to Sinai, He took occasion to refresh their minds in regard to His requirements. Christ and the Father, standing side by side upon the mount, with solemn majesty proclaimed the Ten Commandments. Historical Sketches p231.  (1866)  Evangelism p616.
There is nothing in this passage but that the Father and the Son stood side by side on Mount Sinai. What does that prove?  It just says the Father and the Son stood side by side on Mount Sinai.   The rest of the article   adds no more detail to prove anything else. The Father was with His Son on the mountain, and it was Christ who spoke the Ten Commandments.  Signs of the Times 03.07.78.    It is the Father’s Law.      Review and Herald. 07.24.88. The Father gave everything into the hands of Christ in the work of redemption. “All the communication between heaven and the fallen race has been through Christ.” That I May Know Him p102.  Patriarchs and Prophets p366.

*    The Eternal Dignitaries of the Trinity*. The eternal heavenly dignitaries – God and Christ and the Holy Spirit – arming them (the disciples) with more than mortal energy… would advance with them to the work and convince the world of sin. Manuscript 145. 1901. Evangelism p616. (*All headings in the book ‘Evangelism’ have been added by the compilers, including the word ‘trinity’ in the above heading. This word was never used by Sister White. The uninformed reader is influenced by the headings, thinking they are part of the inspired text)

This is another one of those so-called clinchers to the Trinitarian. The article from which this portion of a paragraph is taken calls every follower of Christ to go to work, copy the Pattern, and be in harmony with each other. A previous portion of the paragraph reads, “Christ tells them they were to fight in fellowship with  all the children of light; that satanic agencies would combine their forces to extinguish the light of  the life of Christ out of their ranks. But they were not left to fight the battles in their own human strength. The angelic host coming as ministers of God would be in that battle. Also there would be the eternal heavenly dignitaries--God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit -- arming them with more than mortal energy, and would advance with them to the work, and convince the world of sin.” Manuscript Release Sixteen p204.
 
You will see that the Evangelism quotation is not exact, as the sentence does not begin as shown. (The brackets are understandable for clarity) But does the article prove anything?  No, it simply tells us that as Christians, we are in a battle, but we are not in it alone. The holy angels are with us, as well as God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. With these agencies, we will not have to fight satanic agencies in human strength; we will be armed with more than mortal energy.

*    Personality of the Holy Spirit.  We need to realize that the Holy Spirit, who is as much a person as God is a person, is walking through these grounds. Manuscript 66. 1899. (From a talk  to the students at the Avondale School)  Evangelism p616.

This quotation is the most important ‘clincher’ statement to Trinitarians that the Holy Spirit is a co-eternal, co-equal Being in a triune Godhead.  It is supposed to prove beyond doubt that the Holy Spirit is a person  with legs, and able to walk through the ground of Avondale. This is one of those quotations where we need more of the paragraph.  Prior to these words it says, “The Lord says this (we are to present our bodies   as a living sacrifice) because He knows it is for our good. He would build a wall around us, to keep us from transgression, so that His blessing and love may be bestowed on us in rich measure. This  is the reason we have established a school here. The Lord instructed us that this was the place in which we should locate, and we have had every reason to think that we are in the right place. We have been brought together as a school, and we need to realize that the Holy Spirit, who is as much a person as God is a person, is walking through these grounds, that the Lord God is our keeper, and helper. He hears every word we utter and knows every thought of the mind.” Ms 66,  1899, p. 4. (Talk, April 15, 1899). Compare the full quote with the one in Evangelism (bolded here), and you  will see that the sentence is incomplete.
 
In analysing this passage, we must see what instruction the prophet wanted the students to receive when the talk was given.  Was it a lesson on the nature of the Holy Spirit?  No.   There are a number of points, that  when grouped together, give the true message. (a) It is for their own good the students give themselves to Christ. (b)  God wanted to build a wall around them to keep them from sin, so He could bless them.  (c)  That is why a school was established.  (d)   The Lord had revealed that this was where the school should be   located. (e) The teachers and students needed to realise that the Holy Spirit was walking the grounds of the school. (f) And they needed to realise that the Holy Spirit is a person like God is a person.  What lesson  would the children receive about the Holy Spirit from this part of the talk? Obviously it was message to be very careful how they think and speak because God is listening.
 
There is no question, the Evangelism statement alone sounds convincing, however, when the true message of the talk is seen, the other does not have the same impact. Please read the following quotation carefully. “He (Christ) walks in the midst of the golden candlesticks… He is represented as walking up and down among the golden candlesticks. He is in communion with his people. He knows their true state.   He observes their order, their vigilance, their piety, and their devotion; and he takes pleasure in them if he sees these fruits manifest. Although Christ is mediator in the heavenly Sanctuary, yet he walks up and down in the midst of the churches on earth. He goes about from church to church, from congregation to congregation, from soul to soul. He observes their true condition -- that which is neglected, that which is in disorder, and that which needs to be done. He is represented as walking, which signifies unrest, wakefulness, and unremitting vigilance. He is observing whether the light of any of his sentinels, or candlesticks, is burning dim or going out. These under-shepherds may  sleep, but He that keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald. 05-31-87.
 
To use the Trinitarian reasoning – Christ has legs.  He can walk up and down the churches.   But how does   He do that if He is in heaven ministering in the heavenly sanctuary? “Unto the church of Ephesus write: These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks….. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches”. Revelation 2:1. 2:7. “Unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God…. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Revelation 2:18. 2:29.   (Compare all the churches)  Who is speaking?
 
Read also the following, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, ‘I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people’.”  2 Corinthians 6:16.   God wants to walk in His people.   He does this  by His Spirit, not literally with legs, but in a mysterious way we do not understand. As to the nature of the Spirit of God and Christ, “silence is golden”.  Acts of the Apostles p52.

*    The Holy Spirit is a person, for He beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God. When this witness is borne, it carries with it its own evidence. At such  times we believe and are sure that we are the children of God… The Holy Spirit has a personality, else He could not bear witness to our spirits and with our spirits that we are the children of  God.  He must also be a divine person, else He  could not search out the  secrets which lie hidden in the mind of God. ‘For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God’.   Manuscript 20. 1906.  Evangelism p616.617.
 
There is no question the Holy Spirit has a personality, or He could not bear witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. He must also be divine or He could not know the mind of God. But instead of being a third co-equal, co-eternal Being as the Trinitarians believe, there is abundant evidence that the Spirit is the personal presence of God and Christ. And that being so, there is no question it has a personality – the personality of God and Christ.  The Spirit is not just an influence, although it has the power to influence  minds.  The Spirit is not just a power like electricity, it is God’s own Spirit/mind, and as such, able to relate   to them whatever He chooses. As Christ has inherited His Father’s nature and attributes, He also possesses  the same omnipresent Spirit, which is able to indwell His children. When on earth, His fleshly body was limited to be in one place. “Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His Father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present  in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent.”   Manuscript Release Fourteen p23.

*    The Power of God in the Third Person. The prince of the power of evil can only be held in check by the power of God in the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit. Special Testimonies. Series A No.10 p37.  (1897)   Evangelism p617.
 

There is only one comment necessary for this quotation. It is absolutely true.  But obviously the reason for  this portion of the article is because of the term ‘third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit’. Note, it does not say ‘third person in the Godhead’.   This may sound like splitting hairs, but it is important.   There are  not three persons in the Godhead;  there are three persons of the Godhead.  To say ‘in’ would certainly mean   three persons make up a triune Godhead.   But to say the word ‘of’ gives a completely different picture.
 

The Godhead is the Father; He is the Supreme divine Being of the universe; the primary Source.  In His  bodily form, He sits upon the throne  of the universe, and from that position can direct all the affairs of  heaven. But God has a Son who is “next in authority to the great Lawgiver”. Review & Herald.12.17.72. Christ carries out His Father’s will in all things. “In the heavenly courts, in His ministry for all created beings; through the beloved Son, the Father’s life flows out to all; through the Son it returns, a tide  of love, to the great Source of all.”   The Desire of Ages p21.
 

If we understand the relationship between the Father and the Son, and can count to two, it should not be too difficult to realise that God’s Spirit is the third means by which He can operate. Both the Father and Son are able to be everywhere in the universe by the Spirit and personally involved with everything taking place, including the lives of His people. This Spirit is a mystery, no one can explain it. But that it is God’s own powerful and personal Spirit that dwells in you, “if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you”. Romans 8:9. (Please read Romans 8:9.10.11. and notice the interchange of terms – Spirit of God; Spirit of Christ; Spirit of Him who raised Jesus.    And also 2 Peter 1:21. 2 Peter 1:11.  Matthew 10:20.  Mark 13:11)

* In Co-operation With the  Three  Highest  Powers.  We are to co-operate with the three  highest powers in heaven – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost – and these powers will work through us, making us workers together with God. Special Testimonies. Series B. No.7 p51. (1905) Evangelism p617.
 

The above quotation is from a letter of rebuke to Dr Kellogg. “The time will come when I must speak much more plainly, and warn our brethren in plain tones not to be led astray with the false theories of ‘Living Temple’. I have been shown the seductive nature of the sentiments it contains, and that which has been declared over and over again, I need not repeat. These representations are said to be in harmony with the sentiments in Sister White’s published works. Those who make statements such as this are doing my books great injustice. Let all bear in mind that statements from my books may be taken out of their setting, and placed in such connection as to make it appear that the sentiments in ‘Living Temple’ are sustained by Sister White’s very words….
 

Men are to discharge their duty to God. They are to have reverence for, and a knowledge of, a personal God…. He loves us, that He gave us a tangible proof of His love, by sending His only begotten Son to bear the sin of the world, that whosever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life…. If we come into close relation with Christ, we shall have a part to act in carrying forward the work of present truth for this time. We are to cooperate with the three highest powers in heaven – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost – and these powers will work through us, making us workers together with God….”  Special Testimonies Series B No.7 p49.50.51.     Praise God.   Margaretha Tierney