As the saying goes: ‘those who do not learn the lessons of history are bound to repeat its mistakes’, and as partly presented in this related post, the state of our present world today is, pun intended, “rooted” in the course of history. And so, to properly understand today’s world and its various “flashpoints” to try to resolve them, it is important to delve into pertinent history. And the very best way to do this is through the lens of Theological glasses, for ultimately, it is God who is overseeing those developments and no matter how erratic they may get, His long ago perfectly wise plans will come to the Triumphant end that He had always planned. So just to be sure to be on the ‘right side of past, and also future history’, having the correct understanding of world history is indeed fundamentally key to, particularly the believer today. And so the following various succinct, (not-actually-chronologically) growing, commentary on various significant, (at least to me), historical events and/or ensuing developments.[1]
Testimony to the Church 3 - Judgement
The Current Judgement of the SDA Church - “Theological Views” Blog
4T 384-387 = Matt 25:31-46 = Rev 20:11-15
On the morning of October 23, 1879, about two o'clock, the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me, and I beheld scenes in the coming judgment. Language fails me in which to give an adequate description of the things which passed before me and of the effect they had upon my mind.
The great day of the execution of God's judgment seemed to have come. [Rev 14:7] Ten thousand times ten thousand were assembled before a large throne, upon which was seated a person of majestic appearance [Dan 7:10~Rev 5:11/20:11].
The Real Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
The Real Outpouring of God’s Spirit (Acts 1:8)
Especially in recent years, a deliberate emphasis on “Receiving the Holy Spirit” and “Praying for the Latter Rain” has become almost the “catch-exhortation” in SDA circles, and all so that the supposed ‘still impossible mission of the Church can be accomplished.’ It is then believed that the Church will be able to accomplish what it just could not before. Indeed in the Apostolic outpouring of the Holy Spirit, there is a basis for that understanding, however can God’s Spirit accomplish what the Church can do, but does not even try to do? Also whatever God’s Spirit does, it will still defaulty do it directly, and solely, through Church efforts, and more specifically, in complement of faith-based attempts and endeavors. The real issue at hand here is what must be done today to receive this promised gift of the Latter Rain and what will be its results.
(SDA) Woman Ordination Deliberations
First and foremost, at the very top here of the ensuing editorial-journalistic commenting on the SDA Woman Ordination Deliberations, I’ll conveniently, but most succinctly, summarily cite what my arrived at “position” on this issue is, -(and comparatively, see the SDA’s TOSC 3-Position final report; see also final documents from here), by stating my understandings, as more fully discussed/presented in the rest of this post, and linked to postings, of its various underlying elements. So, when applicable, the various many Bible and SOP texts and episode which substantiate this position are not here rehashed in this summary. Therefore on:
Furthering The Fundamentals
Fixing, Furthering and “Finishing” the Fundamentals (Matt 5:20)
[Fundamental Belief titles below links to full online expositions (1st Edition, 27 {1980})] - Full PDF Download [(2nd Edition, 28 {2005+})]
Without fault, at every General Conference Session, a significant part of the Church’s “Official Business” is spent in bringing about corrections to official Church statements as made in the Church’s Manual and in the Fundamental Beliefs. At times much of these corrections are of a tedious, syntactical nature, and not of a purely substantive one. However, as more in depth Bible study shows, the substance of what is presented in particularly here, the Church’s Fundamental Beliefs is in need, where applicable, of a significant Theological revision and expansion, and thus a substantive Fixing, Furthering and “Finishing” of these Fundamentals.
While the general premise of all of the current Fundamental Beliefs (FB) are indeed acceptably Biblically based,[1] many of the particular stipulations in them, or involved in setting them forth, need to better reflect actual Biblical teaching.
Furthermore, “Fundamental Beliefs” should not be a mere expression of formal statements, but should also, Biblically/Spiritually, anticipatively stipulate how they are expected to be “Be-lived” in the lives of those who ascribe to them, as naturally resulting practical applications. (See DA 309.1-310.2ff).
Here are some issues with the current SDA Fundamental Beliefs that are in need of such work (by FB numbers). These issues/ideas have also variously been discussed in further detail in other blog posts:
Theological Views Commentary
Exegetical Theology & Biblical Understandings (2 Pet 3:16)
Special Comments on Statements/Sermons by SDA Preachers (Acts 17:11)
SDA Church Administration (Matt 15:7-9, 12-14; 23:16, 24)
The Sacrifice of Christ
The Sacrifice of Christ - A Deeper Muse {Isa 53:5b, 10a, 11a}
When the Sacrifice of Christ on Calvary is preached upon, it is a commonality to hear being expounded a focus on the concrete/tangible penalty for the “wages of sin”, which is Death (Rom 6:23), and even the “Second Death”, which is the end result of Hell fire punishment (e.g., Rev 20:14-15). It may also be, essentially, glibly said that ‘Christ died of a broken heart’ yet there has yet to be a sound substantiation and/or Biblical defence of this assumption; i.e., can it really be concluded that just because ‘Christ died before the two crucified thieves that it was a result of His heart having been “broken.”’ Such a statement may be commonly viewed as being “poetical”, but is it really Biblical. From what the Bible has to say in relation to this most pivotal topic, we can arrive at the proper Biblical View of the depth/extent of what actually happened at the Cross.
Endtime Reality Check
“Endtime” Reality Check (Matt 24:14)
So ‘the end of the world is soon,’ ‘the signs of the times are rapidly fulfilling,’ and ‘final events will soon unravel’, well even generous estimates would reveal that ca. 7,000,000,000 currently, honestly do not know and/or understand this most crucial message of warning. So, you say, they will soon hear about it and be informed, well how about a little “reality check” (cf. here|here) in specifically this temporal regard.
SDA Racially Divided Conferences
The Lingering Evil in SDA Racially Divided Conferences (Jude 1:18-19)
A more developed statement may or may not be made here on this blatantly ungodly,
unbiblical, and self-evident issue lingering in the Church, however for now it should suffice to say that: since racially divided conference were, due to “hardness of hearts” (Matt 19:7-8; cf. Mal 2:16), ultimately created in order to meet the spiritual, and other various pertinent special needs, of then marginalized and ignored SDA African-Americans (see a most infamous, “watershed” extreme manifestation related here), and certain South Africans (see in SDA Historian, Crocombe’s Blog below), then this cannot possibly still now be a problem/issue/excuse, for either “side,” especially in now 2018 (cf. AR 02-21-08 article...(but AR 07-24-08 opposition by Calvin B. Rock) in here).
The Fallacy of Non-Paid Lay Pastoring
Is Non-paid, Lay Pastoring Really God’s Will? (1 Tim 5:17-18)
Due to common and widespread financial constraints, made worse by the recent economic downturn (a.k.a. “The Great Recession” - see ‘How We Got Here’ [Audio] (Lewis Walton, ASI 2009); see also this (illustrated) presentation by Australian evangelist Herb Kersten), lay pastoring has become more and more popular in some Local Conference policies. Current denominational statistics (p.6) show that as much as 24%-32% of “Evangelistic and Pastoral Employees” who are not “Ordained” or “Licensed”, but classified as “Other”, may be formally recognized/utilized “Lay” Workers.[1] Despite this stance of the Global Church on formal lay “utilization,” there really is no Biblical support for such a plan for the “corporal”/organized work of God. From the times of the Old Testament, the priesthood (i.e., the Levites) were to be “wholly” set apart for the work of ministry. (Num 18:20, 21) They were to be completely taken care of by the tithes and offerings given by the rest of God’s people. In the early days of the SDA Church,
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