Puritan Corner - Dancing around the pit

The best course to prevent falling into the pit — is to keep at the greatest distance.
by Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)
... then keep thee from every wicked thing.
Deuteronomy23:9

Mark 16 Commentary Series: Verse 17

And these signs shall follow them that believe;

In my name shall they cast out devils;

they shall speak with new tongues;

Mark 16:17

Adam Clarke
Charles Spurgeon
Matthew Henry

These signs shall follow - Or rather, accompany; this is the proper import of the original word παρακολουθησει, from παρα with, and ακολουθεω, I follow.

Them that believe - The believers, as we express it; i.e. the apostles, and all those who in those primitive times were endued with miraculous powers, for the confirmation of the doctrines they preached.
In my name - That is, by the authority and influence of the almighty Jesus.
Cast out devils - Whose kingdom Jesus Christ was manifested to destroy.
Speak with new tongues - This was most literally fulfilled on the day of pentecost, Acts 2:4-19.
They shall speak with new tongues, which they had never learned, or been acquainted with and this was both a miracle (a miracle upon the mind), for the confirming of the truth of the gospel, and a means of spreading the gospel among those nations that had not heard it.  

Book Review: The Pope and Prophecy

(short) Book Review: A book that may be of some interest.... 
 (Review by Whitehorse Ministries)

The Pope and Prophecy

by Steve Wohlberg

Whitehorse Ministries

Steve Wohlberg’s sharing tract about Pope Francis, his June 18, 2015 papal encyclical on “climate change,” the coming global crisis, and timely prophetic issues in light of God’s prophecy in Revelation 13.

....and all the world wondered after the beast.
Revelation 13:3

Divine Biographer

And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
John 21:25

"It is difficult to understand how it could be literally true that a complete biography of Christ's works would be an earth-filling library. However, we must realize that His works did not end with His return to heaven. The events of His 33 years on earth were only what "Jesus began both to do and teach" (Acts 1:1).

When He prayed, it was not only for His twelve disciples, "but for them also which shall believe on me through their word" (John 17:20).

He also promised to "build my church" (Matthew 16:18) in which each believer becomes a member of "His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all" (Ephesians 1:23).

Thus, the life and work of every believing Christian is, in a very real sense, an extension of the life and work of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and an endless series of thrilling biographies could be written about them.

In fact, the apostle Paul referred to his Christian converts as living books: "Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart" (II Corinthians 3:2-3).

Each of our own lives, therefore, becomes one of "the books that should be written" about the "things which Jesus did." How important it is that the deeds and words we record in our books are worthy of our divine Biographer!" JDM

IN the NEWS - That's fine 'n all, but...

"A trio of Pennsylvania churches have distributed approximately 1,500 signs with the Ten Commandments in response to the removal of a Decalogue display from a regional high school.
In March, officials from the New Kensington-Arnold School

District removed a Ten Commandments display from the campus of Valley High School following an atheist group's legal complaint.
In response, the Immaculate Conception Church of Irwin, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church of North Huntingdon, and St. Agnes Church of North Huntingdon have distributed their own Ten Commandments signs to interested residents." CP

That's fine 'n all, but the QUESTION is---do you keep them, all 10, or just 9?
If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

Missing Ingredient

For unto us was the gospel preached,

as well as unto them:

but the word preached did not profit them,

 not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Hebrews 4:2

IN the NEWS - Jesuits Down Under (toss out God's Word)

Below we see those in Christian leadership caving on LGBT issues: Two things always seem to accompany these moves---1) Older "leaders" hide behind the "youth" as an excuse for turning on Scripture & 2) a desire to be popular with the world as in the below story where this tossing out of God's Word by Jesuits down under just happens to coincide with an upcoming referendum on gay marriage there.
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot;...Luke 17:28

"Two elite private Jesuit schools in Australia have cautiously endorsed gay marriage, citing the teaching of Pope Francis.

In a message to parents, staff and students, St Ignatius’s College in Sydney and Xavier College in Melbourne, while not explicitly endorsing a “yes” vote, urged parents to reflect on Pope Francis’s teaching on love, mercy and non-judgmentalism.
As Australia prepares for a referendum on the issue, the Sydney Morning Herald reports Fr. Chris Middleton, rector of Xavier College, said young people overwhelmingly backed gay marriage.
“In my experience, there is almost total unanimity amongst the young in favor of gay  marriage, and arguments against it have almost no impact on them,” Fr. Middleton wrote."
CatholicHerald

Creation Moment 8/31/2017 - Evolution's Soul Damage

"Through evolutionary beliefs, we can see that our culture is slamming the door on God the Creator while at the same time opening the door to the fallen spiritual realm (the demonic realm).

As a result, people are increasingly embracing Satan’s false promise that they are the masters of their own world.

This lie has become more firmly entrenched as the evolution conspiracy has tried in every way possible to remove God from His rightful position as Creator.
It has done this
*in science,
*in education,
*in medicine,
*and in popular culture by undermining faith in God’s revealed Word, the Bible.

Tampering with the authority and intent of God’s written Word has serious consequences which God severely warns about (see Revelation 22:18-19). The Bible teaches that man was created by God, fell from God’s grace as a result of disobedience, and is desperately in need of redemption. This truth has been a stumbling block to many who choose rather to believe that man was not created by God but evolved and is the end product of some unguided process of chance and time. Man’s pride argues that the biblical perspective of creation is unscientific, without admitting to the unreasonable assumption of evolutionism.

Evolutionism’s attempts to rid man of knowledge and trust in the biblical God of creation cannot curb humankind’s incurable desire for supernatural fellowship and worship. Man was created to worship, and whether he worships the Creator God or other idols including himself, his spiritual drive must be met. In response to such needs, evolutionary thinking has embraced many humanist and New Age concepts. This is nothing short of Satan’s lie to Eve in Genesis 3:4,5: “Ye shall not surely die . . . ye shall be as gods.” LighthouseTrails

Mark 16 Commentary Series: Verse 16

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;

but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Mark 16:16

Adam Clarke
Charles Spurgeon
Matthew Henry

 He that credits this Gospel as a revelation from God: and is baptized - takes upon him the profession of it, obliging himself to walk according to its precepts:
Baptism was appointed to be the inaugurating rite, by which those that embraced Christ owned him but it is here put rather for the thing signified than for the sign, for Simon Magus believed and was baptized, yet was not saved, Acts 8:13.
 

It's NOT Jewish

SABBATH:

It is' not a Jewish institution,

for it was made 2,300 years before ever there was a Jew.

For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Exodus 20:11

IN the NEWS - Hurricane Harvey & Copelands

For I know this,

that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you,

not sparing the flock.

Acts 20:29

"Category 4 hurricane made landfall 30 miles north of Corpus Christi, Texas.  The storm, given the name “Hurricane Harvey”,  brought with it winds of 130 mph.  It was the strongest storm to hit the state of Texas since 1961…and Kenneth and Gloria Copeland did nothing to stop it.  As the storm, now weakening continues to drench Texas in torrential rain, the threat of catastrophic flooding looms.  Federal and state governments are measuring how best they can access and respond to the widespread damage.  The Copeland’s, who claim to be able to control the weather, are watching it all happen.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland are popular Texas preachers who claim to know how to “talk to tornadoes” in order to rebuke them.  They claim to be able rebuke

the weather, to be able stop storms.  Yet, the worst storm to hit their home state in five decades continues to soak Texas as the Copelands stand idly by.  Hurricane Harvey made landfall roughly 400 miles from the Copeland’s home in Forth Worth.  It would have been quite convenient for the Copelands, who have a private jet and millions of dollars of resources at their disposal, to make a short trip to Corpus Christi , rebuke the storm, and save their neighbors from calamity.

Yet they didn’t do anything of the sort.  This should lead observers to one of the following conclusions:

1. The Copelands wanted to stop the storm but couldn’t. Thus, they are liars who claim to possess miracle powers that they don’t really have.  Their “ministry” is therefore not worthy of support.
2. The Copelands could have stopped the storm but didn’t love their neighbors and home state enough to be bothered to save them from the storm. While the Copelands stopped a storm that threatened to spoil their Hawaiian vacation, the one threatening the lives and property of their neighbors didn’t warrant a rebuke.  Since the Copelands don’t follow Christ’s command to love their neighbors, their “ministry” isn’t worthy of support.
3. The Copelands could have stopped the storm but decided it wasn’t best to do so. Certainly God Himself could have stopped the storm but didn’t. God, being omniscient, knows what is best for the universe and thus chooses to stop or not stop disasters as He sees fit.  Perhaps the Copelands possess the same kind of perfect divine knowledge that God does.  They, therefore, know it was best for a waterspout not to upset their Hawaiian vacation but not best for a Category 4 hurricane not to wreck Texas.

The patrons and “partners” of the Copelands’ “ministry”, especially those who are residents of Texas, would do well to consider each of these three conclusions and respond accordingly." Pulpit&Pen

Papal Notes - Bending that Knee

"Leaders of the World Council of Churches have expressed gratitude for a “very constructive and fruitful meeting with Pope Francis” in the Vatican.

The two WCC leaders met privately with the pope and the head of the Pontifical Council for

Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch, focusing on how to deepen relations within the ecumenical movement. They also discussed the challenges of climate change and economic justice, as well as the important role of faith leaders in seeking solutions to conflicts in different parts of the world.

Speaking after the encounter, Rev. Tveit said, “We are living in a time when the purpose and the objectives of the ecumenical movement are highly relevant." He said: “There is a willingness in the WCC

constituencies and beyond, in the Roman Catholic Church, to seek a united witness and a common service” in order to  be a more effective voice in our “divided and fragile world.”
RomeReports
.....and all the world wondered after the beast.
Revelation 13:3

1- Politics: so-called Climate Change
2- Politics: so-called Economic Justice (they mean Socialism)
3- Politics: Global Conflicts
Q: Where's the GOSPEL in all this being discussed? Sounds like just POLITICS.
 

SDA Issues - NAD's Feminism

"I have never in my life seen a feminist promote
*the idea that a woman’s uniquely feminine qualities ought to be used to serve and honor men,
*just as a man’s masculine qualities ought to serve, honor and protect women.  

The Word of God teaches this however, and faithful Bible believers still believe it.  

But biblical complementary gender truth is not a part of the feminist message.  And that is exactly why the NAD's obsession with ‘inequality’ accomplishes nothing of value, it just fashions the church after the world." ChurchMouse 
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ,
so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ also loved the church,
and gave himself for it;
Ephesians 5:24,25

Creation Moment 8/30/2017 Tabby's Star system

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God,...
Hebrews 11:3

"KIC 8462852 (aka. Tabby’s Star) continues to be a source of both fascination and controversy. Ever since it was first seen to be undergoing strange and sudden dips in brightness astronomers have been speculating as to what could be causing this.

The latest suggestion for a natural explanation....have proposed that both the larger and smaller drops in brightness could be the result of a ringed planet similar to Saturn transiting in front of the star. This, they claim, would explain both the sudden drops in brightness and the more subtle dips seen over time.
Basically, the rings would be the first thing to obscure light coming from the star, but only to a small degree. Once the bulk of the gas giant transited the star, a significant drop would occur followed a second smaller drop as the rings on the other side passed by. But since the rings would be at a different angle every time, the smaller dips would be larger or smaller and the only way to know for sure would be to compare multiple transits.
Essentially, they showed how an increase in the depth of a transit signal and the so-called “photo-ring” effect could be interpreted as signs of an exoplanet with a Saturn-like ring structure." UniverseToday

Mark 16 Commentary Series: Verse 15

And he said unto them,

Go ye into all the world,

and preach the gospel to every creature.

Mark 16:15

Adam Clarke
Charles Spurgeon
Matthew Henry

Proclaim the glad tidings - of Christ crucified; and raised from the dead - to all the creation.
The commission which he gave them to set up his kingdom among men by the preaching of his gospel, the glad tidings of reconciliation to God through a Mediator. Now observe,

To whom they were to preach the gospel. Hitherto they had been sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and were forbidden to go into the way of the Gentiles, or into any city of the Samaritans; but now their commission is enlarged, and they are authorized to go into all the world, into all parts of the world, the habitable world, and to preach the gospel of Christ to every creature, to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews; to every human creature that is capable of receiving it. “Inform them concerning Christ, the history of his life, and death, and resurrection; instruct them in the meaning and intention of these, and of the advantages which the children of men have, or may have, hereby; and invite them, without exception, to come and share in them. This is gospel. Let this be preached in all places, to all persons.

Romanism & Modernism vs. Everlasting Gospel

"Those phases of " the everlasting gospel " which demand special emphasis at this time are the closing feature of
*the mediatorial work of Christ in the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary ("the hour of His judgment is come," Rev. 1 4 :7),
*the Sabbath ("worship Him that made," verse 7),
*and the second advent (verses 14-16).

In connection with these positive truths the fall of Babylon will be announced and the warning against the worship of the beast and his image will be given.



Note.-- The great need of such a message is clearly evident now
*when a false mediator system has taken the place of the true; *when a false interpretation of science has set aside a personal Creator and substituted evolution for the grace of God ;
*and then a social gospel whose purpose it is to wake this world a good place to live in, is being substituted for the message of preparation for the coming of the Lord.

Romanism and Modernism are joining hands in making void the the gospel and presenting in its place the teachings of apostasy."
MinistryMagazine1928

French Revolution Repeats Itself Sermon SERIES by Elvis Placer

French Revolution Repeats Itself Sermon SERIES

(by Elvis Placer)

.... which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt,...

Revelation 11:8

Part 1

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bt7V__A-W0k

Part 2

https://www.youtube.com/embed/L0zhkLDMHgI

Papal Notes - Francis is letting who speak?

Look who Francis is going to bring into the Vatican to speak, while he gives lip service against abortion & gay marriage.....

"Chile's socialist president who just helped legalize abortion and is now pushing for same-sex marriage will speak at a Vatican conference on climate change and population control in November.
President Michelle Bachelet, who originally introduced the pro-abortion law that the country's high

court just ruled is constitutional, will speak at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences' "Health of People, Health of Planet and Our Responsibility: Climate Change, Air Pollution and Health" conference on November 2.
The same day Chile's high court ruled in favor of the abortion law, Bachelet promised to formally introduce legislation to make marriage an institution between any "two people, of the same or different sex." 
Bachelet's talk is called "Global Leadership Session I: Call to Action."
Speaking alongside Bachelet at the conference are one-world government-supporting climate activist John Schellnhuber, population control supporters Sir Partha Dasgupta and Peter Raven, pro-abortion activist Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University, and three pro-abortion American politicians.
The American politicians are Rep. Scott Peters, D-California; state Sen. Kevin de León, president pro Tempore of the California State Senate; and California Gov. Jerry Brown. All three vocally support Planned Parenthood, America's largest abortion business. 

The state of California is currently attempting to prosecute and censor David Daleiden, the pro-life activist who uncovered Planned Parenthood's baby body parts trafficking.
Brown, a former Jesuit seminarian, signed California's assisted suicide law in 2015.
Pro-abortion activists have said they hope Chile's legalization of abortion will create a "domino effect" in the six Latin American and Caribbean countries that still outlaw it.
According to Bachelet, same-sex marriage is "not only a demand of the international justice system but a legitimate demand of Chilean society."
Claire Chretien
As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked:
1 Samuel 24:13

IN the NEWS - oh "boy"

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness,.. Romans 1:28,29

"An elite charter school in California has been rocked by scandal since the end of the last school year, when a kindergarten teacher read her class a pair of books advocating transgender ideology, and a male kindergartener was reintroduced to the class as a girl.

Now first-graders at Rocklin Academy Gateway risk a trip to the principal’s office if they refer to their transgender classmate by the wrong name or gender pronoun, said Karen England, executive director of the Capitol Resource Institute, a pro-family group based in Sacramento.

“There was a little girl who had been in class with the little boy all last year,” Ms. England said. “They’re in different classes now, but she saw him on the playground yesterday and called him by his name. The little girl was told ‘you can’t do that, his name is this name,’ and ‘you need to call him a “her.”’ Then she was called to the principal’s office.”

Ms. England said she has been in touch with the girl’s parents and described them as “outraged.” She said they met with school officials to discuss the matter Wednesday.
The controversy at Rocklin is just the latest example of the transgender movement’s increasing emphasis on spreading its ideology through early education." RA

Creation Moment 8/29/2017 - Evolution's Golden Calf

And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold,

let them break it off. So they gave it me:

then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

Exodus 32:24

"There was a time, apparently, when gullible people actually believed in spontaneous generation. Leave meat outside to rot, and miraculously maggots appear -- seemingly from nowhere. Did the maggots spontaneously generate from rotting meat? Aaron knew that his golden calf did not just

come out of the fire fully formed. He left out some missing pieces in the story.

Evolutionists today, out of one side of their mouths, deny the possibility of spontaneous generation, but implicitly affirm it from the other side. Spontaneous generation cannot happen today, but it did happen -- at least once, long ago.

The presumption underlying much evolutionary musing is naturalism, which assumes God had nothing to do with creation. Is it any wonder that such people leave Him out of their present too? As Aaron found, however, there is a time for giving an account. Golden calves do not spring from a fire, and life cannot come from non-life. The Lord Jesus, Life personified, created every living system and maintains them even today.

Later in the passage, Moses contemplated the possibility of atoning for the sin of making a golden calf, but his sacrifice would not do. Creator Christ Himself would have to do that job. Jesus' blood, moreover, was retroactive to the benefit of all Old Testament saints who trusted in Him, and it also covers lies of believers today. May we all trust Him and His Word. PGH

Mark 16 Commentary Series: Verse 14

Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat,

and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart,

because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

Mark 16:14

Adam Clarke
Charles Spurgeon
Matthew Henry

Never were there a people so difficult to be persuaded of the truth of spiritual things as the disciples.

It may be justly asserted, that people of so skeptical a turn of mind would never credit any thing till they had the fullest evidence of its truth.
 As we see how unbelieving these disciples were, and know how wrong their unbelief was, let us not be like them.
The evidences of the truth of the gospel are so full, that those who receive it not, may justly be upbraided with their unbelief and it is owing not to any weakness or deficiency in the proofs, but to the hardness of their heart, its senselessness and stupidity.

Papal Notes - Locusts threaten Little Horn

"ISIS has released a video showing its fighters ripping up photographs of Pope Francis and threatening to come to Rome.
Filmed in the Philippines, where the terrorists have been fighting the government for control of the city of Marawi, the video also shows the destruction the group

have wreaked on a Catholic church.
The jihadists brag about how they have freed inmates from a local jail, with one addressing the camera saying: “Remember this, you kuffar [non-Muslims] – we will be in Rome, we will be in Rome, inshallah [god willing].” CatholicHerald

And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth:

and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

Revelation 9:3

I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn,..

..behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Daniel 7:9

 

Dreamers

It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth;
but he awaketh, and his soul is empty:

or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh;

but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite:

so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

Isaiah 29:8

"The dreamers of this world are not only the utopian idealists and the contemplative meditationists. The really impractical dreamers are those who most pride themselves on being pragmatic

materialists and scientific naturalists, dreaming that by their own efforts they can bring about perfection on earth. The fact is that this world is not the real world, but only a temporary world which, like a dream, will soon fade away in the light of God's eternal day, when we awake in His presence to experience the world as God intended it.

In our text, it is significant that the sleeping men are dreaming only about eating and drinking. In the same manner, those whose interests and desires are centered in this world only, will find all their objectives have turned to nothingness. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever" (I John 2:16-17).

In that great day when the real world which will last for eternity arrives, all the "multitudes" in "all the nations" of the world-those who have ignored the will of God and who have thus, in effect, been "fighting against mount Zion"-will finally awaken, but it will be too late. How urgent it is that men now awake to God's Word and God's will. "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light" (Ephesians 5:14)." HMM

PURIFICATION of MEMORY (Jesuit fingerprints)

Anabaptists & Catholics had dialogue?
BTW-I noticed in reading this online, the Catholics have a ploy of getting Protestants to let their guard down---RE-READING of history together.....Beware of this Jesuit-like trick....


"1. In the spirit of friendship and reconciliation, a dialogue between Catholics and Mennonites took place over a five-year period, from 1998-2003. The dialogue partners met five times in plenary


Witmarsum, 'Koepelkerk'
This protestant domed church is built on the site of a former church,
where the then-pastor Menno Simons left the Catholic Church.

session, a week at a time.

2. This was a new process of reconciliation. The two dialogue partners had had no official dialogue previous to this, and therefore started afresh. Our purpose was to assist Mennonites and Catholics to overcome the consequences of almost five centuries of mutual isolation and hostility.

3. This report is a synthesis of the five-year Catholic-Mennonite dialogue.


4. Three chapters follow the Introduction. The first of these, “Considering History Together,” summarizes the results of our common study of three crucial eras (and related events) of history that have shaped our respective traditions and have yielded distinctive interpretations. These are 1) the rupture of the sixteenth century, 2) the Constantinian era, and 3) the Middle Ages as such. The aim of our study was to re-read history together for the purpose of comparing and refining

1527,
the Anabaptist leader Michael Sattler
 was also tortured and then burned
 at the stake by Catholics in Rottenburg, Germany.

our interpretations.

5. In the second chapter, “Considering Theology Together,” we report on our common and differing understandings of the Church, of Baptism, of the Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper, and of peace. In each case, we state the historic theological perspectives of the Catholic Church and of the Mennonite Churches.

6. Chapter III is entitled “Toward a Healing of Memories.” In a sense, every interchurch dialogue in which the partners are seeking to overcome centuries of hostility or isolation is aimed at healing bitter memories that have made reconciliation between them difficult. The third chapter identifies four components that, we hope, can help to foster a healing of memories between Mennonites and Catholics.

7. The members of this dialogue offer this report, the results of our work, to the sponsoring bodies in the hope that it can be used by Mennonites and Catholics not only within their respective communities but also as they meet together, to promote reconciliation between them for the sake of the Gospel.

A common re-reading of the history of the church has proven to be fruitful in recent inter-church dialogues. The same is true for our dialogue. Mennonites and Catholics have lived through more than 475 years of separation. Over the centuries they developed separate views of the history of the Christian tradition. By studying history together, we discovered that our interpretations of the past were often incomplete and limited. Sharing our insights and our assessments of the past helped us gain a broader view of the history of the church.


First of all, we recognized that both our traditions have developed interpretations of aspects of


Anabaptist Ursel van Essen (1570)

was scourged with rods twice in one day on her bare skin.

She bore all these tortures without complaint.

She was told by the court that she should not say anything on the street

 on the way to her execution.

She said, "And may I not sing a little, and say something now and then?"

They tied her mouth shut so she wouldn't have the chance.

She was burned in a small hut.

church history that were influenced by negative images of the other, though in different ways and to different degrees.
Secondly, both our traditions have had their selective ways of looking at history. Two examples readily come to mind: the interplay of church and state in the Middle Ages, and the use of violence by Christians. We sometimes restricted our views of the history of Christianity to those aspects that seemed to be most in agreement with the self-definition of our respective ecclesial communities. 
The experience of studying the history of the church together and of re-reading it in an atmosphere of openness has been invaluable.
Such acts of repentance contribute to the purification of memory, which was one of the goals enunciated by Pope John Paul II during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. The purification of memory aims at liberating our personal and communal consciences from all forms of resentment and violence that are the legacy of past faults.... a common re-reading of history may help us in purifying our understanding of the past as a step toward healing the often-painful memories of our respective communities."
Holy See-The Roman Curia

SDA Issues - UNNACCEPTABLE

Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling,

but a foolish man devours it.

Proverbs 21:20 ESV

"The new North American Division Headquarters building, under renovation at 9705 Patuxent

Woods Drive in Columbia, MD is scheduled to be completed by August 31, 2017.  The occupation of the new building is scheduled to occur in September, just prior to Annual Council in October.

The new location is approximately 12 miles northeast of the General Conference Headquarters.  The new property was purchased at a cost of 19.5 million dollars, and the subsequent interior renovations will cost another 11 million, including the infill of a previous courtyard into a glass-covered atrium.  As they have done with other Divisions, the GC made a contribution to this building project to the tune of 3 million dollars (roughly ten percent of the total cost).  The size of this building is 120,000 ft².
The move was originally scheduled to occur in April of 2017, a deadline that was pushed back to the end of August.
The reasons offered for the relocation are threefold.  

1. More space (the new building has about 3 times the floor space of the previous headquarters in the GC building).
2. To further the "missional vision" of the Division.
3. "We needed more space to dream, to plan, and to collaborate in order to develop the kind of programs that will impact the local church" (Dan Jackson).

With the August 31 deadline for completion of construction looming, every day and every week counts.  Most every construction project experiences setbacks, and this one is no different.
We are informed that the fire suppression system recently malfunctioned and the NAD lost their computer server when the sprinkler system turned on.  They are hoping insurance will cover the expense." Fulcrum7

Reasons 1&2 are UNNACCEPTABLE...They can do #2 at their old offices & #3 is an INSULT to your intelligence.....their old offices were in the GC building. WHY the move? Because Jackson wants to get away from Ted Wilson's gang they have been butting heads with over WO & other issues......what a WASTE of MILLIONS of dollars...UNNACCEPTABLE-time to fire Dan Jackson..NAD is NOT his personal fifedom.

IN the NEWS - COLD HEARTED

..... the love of many shall wax cold. Matthew 24:12
"Recently re-elected UK politician Colin Brewer has reportedly

compared disabled children to deformed lambs with five legs or two heads that need to be killed. In an interview with Disability News Service, he reportedly said, “We are just animals. He [the farmer] obviously has got a point … You can’t have lambs running around with five legs and two heads. … It [the lamb] would be put down, smashed against the wall and be dealt with.”
His reason apparently is financial. According to Disability News, when asked if there was any difference between killing a lamb or a human being, he reportedly said: “I think the cost has got to be evaluated.”
One is reminded of Hitler’s railing against humans he called ‘useless eaters’." CMI

Creation Moment 8/28/2017 - Theistic Evolution's Damage

" What theological problems are encountered in theistic evolution?Excerpt:  Theistic evolution, the idea that God used the process of evolution to create the world and its creatures over millions and

billions of years, poses serious theological problems.

Sadly, many denominations and churches seem to have accepted this theory.

However, if evolution is real, then the creation account in Genesis is not a true account of our origins. It also means it is not a true account of how sin entered the world. Adam and Eve were not real people. They cannot be blamed for the first sin if they didn’t even exist."
LutheranScienceInstitute
For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
1 Timothy 2:13

Mark 16 Commentary Series: Verse 13

And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.

Mark 16:13

Adam Clarke
Charles Spurgeon
Matthew Henry

Unbelief is not easily driven out of even true disciples; but let none of us ever harbor it in our hearts. As we see how unbelieving these disciples were, and know how wrong their unbelief was, let us not be like them.
These two witnesses gave in their testimony to this proof of Christ's resurrection They went and told it to the residue, Mark 16:13. Being satisfied themselves, they were desirous to give their brethren the satisfaction they had, that they might be comforted as they were.

SDA News - Defending Scripture with Science

"What follows is the last report in a series on the North-American Division Faith & Science Conference “Affirming Creation,” which took place in St. George, Utah, United States, in July 2017.

Seasoned with professional life stories and sound research data, Raul Esperante shared some of his results of years of analyzing fossil whale bones in Spain, Peru, and other places. His conclusions, published in top-notch scientific journals, are based on observations that apply the same methods and techniques mainstream geologists use. Esperante, however, uses them to contest and challenge a

generally-accepted view that calls for long chronologies to explain everything from unearthed fossils to sedimentary rocks.

“Evidence suggests that [the fossil whales’] death must have been massive, catastrophic, and repetitive over some time,” said Esperante. “Accumulative death through a long period would show a very different picture.”

As regards fossil whales, the main roadblock for evolutionists so prone to long chronologies is the abundance of specimens, its occurrence across geological layers, and a similar degree of preservation among them.

“Following [the naturalist geologists’] methods and techniques, a whale skeleton buried across 16-inch (40-centimeter) layers of volcanic ash would have taken 1,242 years to be completely covered,” said Esperante. “This is not consistent with the bones’ impressive state of preservation.”

As a way of corroborating his observations, Esperante has systematically photographed modern whale carcasses under water, showing that they usually decay in a matter of a few months to a few years. “Even before that, they show evidence of bioerosion and degradation,” he said. “How to explain that some of the fossilized whales still have the baleen [their filtering feeding organ] attached, when on a modern day dead whale it usually detaches itself in a matter of weeks, if not days?”

Esperante closed by reminding participants at the conference the role of science for those who trust the Bible.
“Scientific research will never replace faith in the biblical record, but it can certainly underpin it,” he said." AR
.... and exhorting them to continue in the faith,... Acts 14:22

Unfortunate age for the youth

"We are living in an unfortunate age for the young.

The prevailing influence in society is in favor of allowing the youth to follow the natural turn of their own minds. If their children are very wild,

parents flatter themselves that when they are older and reason for themselves, they will leave off their wrong habits, and become useful men and women. What a mistake!

For years they permit an enemy to sow the garden of the heart, and suffer wrong principles to grow and strengthen, seeming not to discern the hidden dangers and the fearful ending of the path that seems to them the way of happiness. In many cases all the labor afterward bestowed upon these youth will avail nothing. 
 
The standard of piety is low among professed Christians generally, and it is hard for the young to resist the worldly influences that are encouraged by many church-members. The majority of nominal Christians, while they profess to be living for Christ, are really living for the world. They do not discern the excellence of heavenly things, and therefore can not truly love them. Many profess to be Christians because Christianity is considered honorable. They do not discern that genuine Christianity means cross-bearing, and their religion has little influence to restrain them from taking part in worldly pleasures." R&H 1912 E.G.W.

 I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,...

Proverbs 7:7