Featured Turns out - Ben Carson is a Seventh-day Adventist. news??

Seems like every day over the past week I have seen a half dozen articles in the press about "what is a Seventh-day Adventist" or "what is Ben Carson's religion?".

Something like that.

Pretty interesting times.

I think it was in the 1970's when the SDA church was at about 4 million and the Southern Baptists were about 14.x Million.

Now - in January of this year Christianity Today points out that SDAs are around 18.5 Million and the 5th largest Christian denomination in the world. -
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct...ts-can-ben-carson-church-stay-separatist.html

But that media interest in the SDA church in January 2015 was not even a drop in the bucket compared to what we are seeing today.

Maybe I should tell them that Sonya Carson used to visit my Sabbath School class in Maryland - where I taught for years.

in Christ,

Bob

 

Interesting that a few "name callers" still out there -- (not really "news" for some on the BB -- so nothing new in that regard) - no harm no foul.

Now - in January of this year Christianity Today points out that SDAs are around 18.5 Million and the 5th largest Christian denomination in the world. -
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct...ts-can-ben-carson-church-stay-separatist.html

Prior to the mid 1960's there was a great deal of confusion in evangelical circles about the Seventh-day Adventist church. Walter Martin (founder of the Christian Research Institute) wrote a book on the subject of what is and is not a cult and determined that Seventh-day Adventist beliefs are orthodox Christianity on the key doctrines that define Christianity. Christianity Today named that the book it its "choice books" list for 1965 saying it was "about the best there is on the cults written with an eye to Christian missions" - according to the cover page to Martin's book.

But that media interest in the SDA church in January 2015 was not even a drop in the bucket compared to what we are seeing today.

 

So when the media asks - "What is Seventh-day Adventist" - there is of course a denominational statement on 28 Fundamental Beliefs -

https://www.adventist.org/fileadmin...rticles/official-statements/28Beliefs-Web.pdf

But by way of a short summary -

As for “What is a Seventh-day Adventist” start with “Seventh-day Baptist” (SDB) as the baseline and then describe the differences from there.


Like SDB Adventists believe in
Christ was risen on the first day of the week - Sunday
The Bible Sabbath is the 7th day - Saturday and is part of the still binding moral law of God that includes the Ten Commandments - to be obeyed by all mankind.
The Triune Godhead – God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit,
66 books of the Bible
saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-10),
literal creation week (Ex 20:11, Gen 2:1-3),
literal resurrection of Christ (after the cross) and of the saints (in the future),
literal 2nd coming that is future.
Sabbath remains on Saturday

Like Protestants Adventists believe
· Sola Scriptura testing of all doctrine and tradition,
· Historicist model of prophetic interpretation
· Ten Commandments included in the Moral Law of God binding on all mankind as stated in Eph 6:2, 1Cor 7:10, Mark 7:6-13, “Baptist Confession of Faith” sectn 19, and “Westminster Confession of Faith Sectn 19” – and Dies Domini

· Commandments of God are not editable Mark 7:6-13

Like Calvinists Adventists believe
Sinful nature – depravity of man Romans 3:9-18
Only the supernatural drawing of God can overcome it. John 6:44
God fully knows the future

 

Like Arminians Adventist believe
Free will – obtained via supernatural drawing of all mankind by God John 12:32
A person can lose salvation (Romans 11:17-23, Matt 18:32-33)
Christ died for the sins of all mankind (1 John 2:2)

Like New Testament saints Adventist believe
Spiritual gifts – 1Cor 12:27-31
Prophetic messages – 2Peter 1:19-21 1Thess 5:19-22, 1 Cor 14:1



Distinctives in Seventh-day Adventist Doctrine
Emphasis on pre-advent judgment Daniel 7:9-10, Daniel 7:13-14, 2Cor 5:10
Consistent Prophetic day-year for Daniel 9, Daniel 8, Daniel 7
Contiguous timeline for any/all given Bible prophetic timelines including Dan 9.
Ellen White is an example of one person in modern times who had the 1Cor 12 gift of prophecy 1Cor14:1
Health message – including dietary laws of Acts 15 and Lev 11
Commandments of God are not editable Mark 7:6-13
Christ is our High Priest in Heaven Heb 8:1-6
And the earthly two phase ministry in OT is reflective of the Heavenly Sanctuary service with the most Holy Place phase in heaven having started in 1844.

No Halloween Ghosts, or praying to the dead
So then taking Matt 10:28 as it reads,
Taking 1Thess 4;13-18 as it reads
Taking John 11:7-14 as it reads
Ezek 18:4 – as it reads

End Time Events
Post-Trib Rapture in Matt 24:29-31 "Immediately AFTER the trib... He will gather His elect"
Pre-Millennial 2nd coming in Rev 19:1 – Rev 20:5
Close of Probation before 7 last plagues – Rev 15:8, Rev 22:10-11
United States becomes World Superpower and has Christ like “Lamb Like” government/principles – Rev 13

All the world becomes more chaotic and sinful over time - and religious-freedom will be revoked in all nations before the end of time. Rev 13.

 

That is a case of sad factless accusation that "passes for information" for some folks.




Spiritual Gifts Vol 3 page 75 speaks of confused species of animals before the flood – and also of endless varieties of species of animal after the flood (Page 64 is even more interesting as it talks about amalgamation of man and also of beasts before the flood).


The White estate talks about that here –

http://www.whiteestate.org/issues/faq-unus.html#reference-c1-1

1. Before the flood
   • “confused species” of animals existed – according to Ellen White.
   • GMO pre-flood marred the image of God. EGW
   • Man’s great sin –
   • Bible says “All Flesh Corrupt” Gen 6
2. After the flood:
   • EGW never talks about “confused species of man” either before or after the flood.
   • Ellen White never mentions "Amalgamation between man and beast" producing any "races of man" at all - not even before the flood much less afterwards.
   • Ellen White never mentions "Amalgamation between man and beast" at all.
   • No mention of marring the image of God via amalgamation after the flood.
   • No mention that the many races of man after the flood marred the image of God.
   • No mention of amalgamation of animal species after the flood being sin.
3. Obvious facts from science today.
   • More species of animals today than could have been on the ark.
   • More races of man today than got off the boat in Noah’s day
   • Mixing humans and animals results in new species if it were to happen – not new races of man.
4. Ellen White argues that all races of man are equal in the sight of God.

"Christ came to this earth with a message of mercy and forgiveness. He laid the foundation for a religion by which Jew and Gentile, black and white, free and bond, are linked together in one common brotherhood, recognized as equal in the sight of God." Testimonies, vol. 7. P. 225

How many of those ( 7 Testimony p225 -- "all races of man are equal" ) statements were the Southern Baptists making in 1865?, 1875?, 1885?, 1895??

 

Ellen White's vision showing her the resurrection of Christ -

"The Lord Is Risen"
[This chapter is based on Matt. 28:2-4, 11-15.]

The night of the first day of the week had worn slowly away. The darkest hour, just before daybreak, had come. Christ was still a prisoner in His narrow tomb. The great stone was in its place; the Roman seal was unbroken; the Roman guards were keeping their watch. And there were unseen watchers. Hosts of evil angels were gathered about the place. Had it been possible, the prince of darkness with his apostate army would have kept forever sealed the tomb that held the Son of God. But a heavenly host surrounded the sepulcher. Angels that excel in strength were guarding the tomb, and waiting to welcome the Prince of life.

"And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven." Clothed with the panoply of God, this angel left the heavenly courts. The bright beams of God's glory went before him, and illuminated his pathway. "His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men."

Now, priests and rulers, where is the power of your guard? Brave soldiers that have never been afraid of human power are now as captives taken without sword or spear. The face they look upon is not the face

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of mortal warrior; it is the face of the mightiest of the Lord's host. This messenger is he who fills the position from which Satan fell. It is he who on the hills of Bethlehem proclaimed Christ's birth. The earth trembles at his approach, the hosts of darkness flee, and as he rolls away the stone, heaven seems to come down to the earth. The soldiers see him removing the stone as he would a pebble, and hear him cry, Son of God, come forth; Thy Father calls Thee. They see Jesus come forth from the grave, and hear Him proclaim over the rent sepulcher, "I am the resurrection, and the life." As He comes forth in majesty and glory, the angel host bow low in adoration before the Redeemer, and welcome Him with songs of praise.
An earthquake marked the hour when Christ laid down His life, and another earthquake witnessed the moment when He took it up in triumph. He who had vanquished death and the grave came forth from the tomb with the tread of a conqueror, amid the reeling of the earth, the flashing of lightning, and the roaring of thunder. When He shall come to the earth again, He will shake "not the earth only, but also heaven." "The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage." "The heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll;" "the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." But "the Lord will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel." Heb. 12:26; Isa. 24:20; 34:4; 2 Peter 3:10; Joel 3:16.

At the death of Jesus the soldiers had beheld the earth wrapped in darkness at midday; but at the resurrection they saw the brightness of the angels illuminate the night, and heard the inhabitants of heaven singing with great joy and triumph: Thou hast vanquished Satan and the powers of darkness; Thou hast swallowed up death in victory!

Christ came forth from the tomb glorified, and the Roman guard beheld Him. Their eyes were riveted upon the face of Him whom they had so recently mocked and derided. In this glorified Being they beheld the prisoner whom they had seen in the judgment hall, the one for whom they had plaited a crown of thorns. This was the One who had stood unresisting before Pilate and Herod, His form lacerated by the cruel scourge. This was He who had been nailed to the cross, at whom the priests and rulers, full of self-satisfaction, had wagged their heads, saying, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save." Matt. 27:42. This was He who had been laid in Joseph's new tomb. The decree of heaven had

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loosed the captive. Mountains piled upon mountains over His sepulcher could not have prevented Him from coming forth.
At sight of the angels and the glorified Saviour the Roman guard had fainted and become as dead men. When the heavenly train was hidden from their view, they arose to their feet, and as quickly as their trembling limbs could carry them, made their way to the gate of the garden. Staggering like drunken men, they hurried on to the city, telling those whom they met the wonderful news. They were making their way to Pilate, but their report had been carried to the Jewish authorities, and the chief priests and rulers sent for them to be brought first into their presence. A strange appearance those soldiers presented. Trembling with fear, their faces colorless, they bore testimony to the resurrection of Christ. The soldiers told all, just as they had seen it; they had not had time to think or speak anything but the truth. With painful utterance they said, It was the Son of God who was crucified; we have heard an angel proclaiming Him as the Majesty of heaven, the King of glory.

The faces of the priests were as those of the dead. Caiaphas tried to speak. His lips moved, but they uttered no sound. The soldiers were about to leave the council room, when a voice stayed them. Caiaphas had at last found speech. Wait, wait, he said. Tell no one the things you have seen.

A lying report was then given to the soldiers. "Say ye," said the priests, "His disciples came by night, and stole Him away while we slept"

from: http://www.whiteestate.org/books/da/da81.html

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Compare that to the "low information" reader's explanation of how that information got to Ellen White.

in..err..umm... 1981!!!

Another laughable bit of speculation for the low information reader

Because that writing above looks just like what you see in cases of epilepsy if you are the confused and bewildered follower of Dr. Hodder who was supposedly diagnosing the patient 100 years later..

 

Many evangelicals today rightly affirm the Bible details that instead of the world become more perfect and sinless as we near the time of the second coming - it becomes more chaotic and religious liberty is discarded - persecution of the saints increases in all nations over time.

Another example of Ellen White's writing -

from: http://www.whiteestate.org/books/gc/gc40.html

Book: "The Great Controversy"

CHAPTER 40
God's People Delivered

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With shouts of triumph, jeering, and imprecation, throngs of evil men are about to rush upon their prey, when, lo, a

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dense blackness, deeper than the darkness of the night, falls upon the earth. Then a rainbow, shining with the glory from the throne of God, spans the heavens and seems to encircle each praying company. The angry multitudes are suddenly arrested. Their mocking cries die away. The objects of their murderous rage are forgotten. With fearful forebodings they gaze upon the symbol of God's covenant and long to be shielded from its overpowering brightness.

By the people of God a voice, clear and melodious, is heard, saying, "Look up," and lifting their eyes to the heavens, they behold the bow of promise. The black, angry clouds that covered the firmament are parted, and like Stephen they look up steadfastly into heaven and see the glory of God and the Son of man seated upon His throne. In His divine form they discern the marks of His humiliation; and from His lips they hear the request presented before His Father and the holy angels: "I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am." John 17:24. Again a voice, musical and triumphant, is heard, saying: "They come! they come! holy, harmless, and undefiled. They have kept the word of My patience; they shall walk among the angels;" and the pale, quivering lips of those who have held fast their faith utter a shout of victory.

It is at midnight that God manifests His power for the deliverance of His people. The sun appears, shining in its strength. Signs and wonders follow in quick succession. The wicked look with terror and amazement upon the scene, while the righteous behold with solemn joy the tokens of their deliverance. Everything in nature seems turned out of its course. The streams cease to flow. Dark, heavy clouds come up and clash against each other. In the midst of the angry heavens is one clear space of indescribable glory, whence comes the voice of God like the sound of many waters, saying: "It is done." Revelation 16:17.

That voice shakes the heavens and the earth. There is a

637

mighty earthquake, "such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great." Verses 17, 18. The firmament appears to open and shut. The glory from the throne of God seems flashing through. The mountains shake like a reed in the wind, and ragged rocks are scattered on every side. There is a roar as of a coming tempest. The sea is lashed into fury. There is heard the shriek of a hurricane like the voice of demons upon a mission of destruction. The whole earth heaves and swells like the waves of the sea. Its surface is breaking up. Its very foundations seem to be giving way. Mountain chains are sinking. Inhabited islands disappear. The seaports that have become like Sodom for wickedness are swallowed up by the angry waters. Babylon the great has come in remembrance before God, "to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath." Great hailstones, every one "about the weight of a talent," are doing their work of destruction. Verses 19, 21. The proudest cities of the earth are laid low. The lordly palaces, upon which the world's great men have lavished their wealth in order to glorify themselves, are crumbling to ruin before their eyes. Prison walls are rent asunder, and God's people, who have been held in bondage for their faith, are set free.

...

Thick clouds still cover the sky; yet the sun now and then breaks through, appearing like the avenging eye of Jehovah.

638

Fierce lightnings leap from the heavens, enveloping the earth in a sheet of flame. Above the terrific roar of thunder, voices, mysterious and awful, declare the doom of the wicked. The words spoken are not comprehended by all; but they are distinctly understood by the false teachers. ...

Through a rift in the clouds there beams a star whose brilliancy is increased fourfold in contrast with the darkness. It speaks hope and joy to the faithful, but severity and wrath to the transgressors of God's law. Those who have sacrificed all for Christ are now secure, hidden as in the secret of the Lord's pavilion. They have been tested, and before the world and the despisers of truth they have evinced their fidelity to Him

639

who died for them. A marvelous change has come over those who have held fast their integrity in the very face of death. They have been suddenly delivered from the dark and terrible tyranny of men transformed to demons. Their faces, so lately pale, anxious, and haggard, are now aglow with wonder, faith, and love. Their voices rise in triumphant song: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof." Psalm 46:1-3.

...

It is impossible to describe the horror and despair of those who have trampled upon God's holy requirements. The Lord gave them His law; they might have compared their characters with it and learned their defects while there was yet opportunity for repentance and reform; but in order to secure the favor of the world, they set aside its precepts and taught others to transgress....

continued

 

from: http://www.whiteestate.org/books/gc/gc40.html

Book: "The Great Controversy"

CHAPTER 40
God's People Delivered

640
..
Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a man's hand. It is the cloud which surrounds the Saviour and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness. The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man. In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it

641

draws nearer the earth, becoming lighter and more glorious, until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and above it the rainbow of the covenant. Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror. Not now a "Man of Sorrows," to drink the bitter cup of shame and woe, He comes, victor in heaven and earth, to judge the living and the dead. "Faithful and True," "in righteousness He doth judge and make war." And "the armies which were in heaven" (Revelation 19:11, 14) follow Him. With anthems of celestial melody the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend Him on His way. The firmament seems filled with radiant forms--"ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands." No human pen can portray the scene; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor. "His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. And His brightness was as the light." Habakkuk 3:3,4. As the living cloud comes still nearer, every eye beholds the Prince of life. No crown of thorns now mars that sacred head; but a diadem of glory rests on His holy brow. His countenance outshines the dazzling brightness of the noonday sun. "And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords." Revelation 19:16.

Before His presence "all faces are turned into paleness;" upon the rejecters of God's mercy falls the terror of eternal despair. "The heart melteth, and the knees smite together, . . . and the faces of them all gather blackness." Jeremiah 30:6; Nahum 2:10. The righteous cry with trembling: "Who shall be able to stand?" The angels' song is hushed, and there is a period of awful silence. Then the voice of Jesus is heard, saying: "My grace is sufficient for you." The faces of the righteous are lighted up, and joy fills every heart. And the angels strike a note higher and sing again as they draw still nearer to the earth.

The King of kings descends upon the cloud, wrapped in flaming fire. The heavens are rolled together as a scroll, the earth trembles before Him, and every mountain and island

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is moved out of its place. "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people." Psalm 50:3,4.

"And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" Revelation 6:15-17.

The derisive jests have ceased. Lying lips are hushed into silence. The clash of arms, the tumult of battle, "with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood" (Isaiah 9:5), is stilled. Nought now is heard but the voice of prayer and the sound of weeping and lamentation. The cry bursts forth from lips so lately scoffing: "The great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" The wicked pray to be buried beneath the rocks of the mountains rather than meet the face of Him whom they have despised and rejected....

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And of course that example quoted above could be viewed by the low information reader - as just another example of how people write who have "epilepsy" - according to a somewhat confused Dr. "Hodder" in 1985.

 

???

 

Yes -- and so does Christ in John 3.

It is approved via "sola scriptura" testing.