This is probably the first time that I have penned down my personal testimony of coming to be a SDA Christian and how I came to truly know the father and his wonderful Son.  My prayer is that the message in this testimony may be an ornament of blessing upon the reader! The early years of my life were somewhat an unpleasant experience to record, and allot of things that I grew up with are not the kind of things that one would write about.   I was brought up in a broken Family.  My mother left five brothers and myself in…

Placing ourselves correctly in our communities means that we need to identify who are the people and institutions that we are to show respect to as well as identify those who are under our care and that we are to protect and bless. Living in western society has flattened many aspects of the divine pattern and blurred the channel system for many. Even so, most of us can identify two cords of the threefold cord. Most of us can identify our parents or guardians from childhood and the civil authorities in our lives such as government leaders and police are…

In chapter one we noted the following Apart from the direct blessings of joy, happiness and fellowship that flow to us through this divine pattern there is also the protective blessings that we can accrue through the channel. In each case, the one “through whom” things come, is under the protection and possesses the authority of the one “by whom things come”

The Bible tells us that hair is not just a practical covering but also a symbol of being under authority. 1 Cor 11:15  But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. If we look carefully at the symbolism attached to hair we notice something interesting. We see that men in Bible times had long hair hanging from their faces and women had long hair upon their heads. Through the symbolism of hair we see that blessing flows from the male to the female. Psa 133:2  It…

The purpose of this series is to try and draw down some practical implications of what our understanding of the Father and Son relationship does to our families, churches and communities in terms of blessing or cursing. I am trying to show that there is a world of difference between the “Son” in the Trinity and the Son of the living God as revealed in Scripture. Hopefully by now you will have the sense that every aspect of our life experience is touched and affected in some way. In this chapter I want to explore the in close detail the…

A. The Son of God, the Centre of Great Controversy Luk 19:12-14  He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. In this parable Jesus tells the story of a nobleman who went to receive a kingdom. The nobleman of course is Christ. The citizens of the kingdom…

A. Character Identification As a young person growing up, I had the misfortune of being exposed to endless hours of television. One of the programs I watched on a regular basis was a program called “Happy Days”. For some of you, there will be an immediate knowledge of the program I am talking about. The program traced the lives of one particular family and their friends living in the late 1950’s One of the main characters was Richard Cunningham. After watching many episodes of this program I developed quite a connection with this character. I was familiar with his habits…

A. Relational Frame of Reference Crucial for Relationships Reading through the first chapter of Matthew and the third chapter of Luke we find a very significant method of identification for Christ. The use of a genealogy to identify someone is clearly a relational frame of reference. The use of genealogy was critical in Israel to prove rights to inheritance and land ownership.[1]  Genealogy was the key reference point for any person living in Israel. In most cases when a new person is introduced in scripture, they are introduced by a relational reference. Notice: Isa 1:1  The vision of Isaiah the…

A. Questioning the Plain Statements of Scripture From the beginning of time Satan has tried to confuse the human race about the meaning of God’s statements. Satan’s first statement to Eve was not a direct attack on what God had said but rather an insertion of doubt as to what God really meant. “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” The implication and manner of question assumes a completely different framework of understanding. Satan’s question suggests that there must be some kind of mistake here.[1] Satan does not seek to establish any reason…

A. Pioneers Given Great Light Concerning Person of Christ Ellen White describes the Adventists experience as one that was lead step by step onto a solid immovable platform. I was again brought down through these messages, and saw how dearly the people of God had purchased their experience. It had been obtained through much suffering and severe conflict. God had led them along step by step, until He had placed them upon a solid, immovable platform.  EW 259 (1882)

1. A Spiritual view of Father and Son as opposed to Literal Position (Addressed in Chapters 23, 25, 26)  One of the key arguments used against a true Father and Son relationship is that it is too literal and is a superimposing of human concepts onto God. A true Father and Son relationship is seen as diminishing the equality of the Son with the Father. The central flaw of this argument is to fail to define the basis of equality. Power based equality is naturally assumed in exactly the same manner as William Miller assumed the Sanctuary to be the…

E. False Worship Exposes Believers to Destruction.

The `Solidarity' view of the Atonement The New Testament Scriptures – and in particular the book of Hebrews reflect the manner in which the Hebrew people thought – which was totally unlike how the western mind thinks. Whereas we tend to think in terms of individuality, they tended to think in terms of the individual comprising a part of an entire unit, which comprised the summary affection of God’s grace. For instance, the following text reveals that Christ views His people as a Father views a Son: `When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.' (Hosea…

The  afternoon session of the July 6 1919 General Conference Session began with Elder C.S Thompson asking Professor Prescott to define a statement which he had made in the morning session, at which he had stated that `all truth is personality'. Elder Thompson asked Prescott to further define this statement: "C.S THOMPSON: I understood you to say this morning that all truth is personality. I cannot understand the personality of God and Christ, and also of the angels and human beings, but I find myself unable to understand that all truth is personality. Is sunshine a personality? If so, in…

This phrase is the focal point of the Book of Daniel - and the entire gospel, as the following table which outlines the Chiasms of Daniel demonstrates:   A Historical Prologue - Ch 1 Hebrew     a    Prophecy of Four Kingdoms (Image) - Ch 2 Aramaic     b       Trial of God's faithful (Fiery Furnace) - Ch 3       "     c           Prophecy to Pagan King (repentant) - Ch 4       "     d              God gives & rules in the kingdom of men - 4: 25       "     c            Prophecy to Pagan King (unrepentant) -…

From the time that Lucifer (who is also known as Satan, or the Devil), first entertained thoughts of rebellion against God, to when sin is finally vanquished when death is cast into the `lake of fire' with him (Revelation 20: 10, 14), the entire issue of salvation has from eternity hinged upon the principle of the character of God, in contrast to the character of Satan. Philippians 2: 5 - 8 contrasts the selfless mind of Christ (of which we are exhorted to partake of), with the selfish mind of Lucifer, the fallen angel of God:`Let this mind be in…

Our Father in heaven loves to bless His children. One of the most sublime gifts is the sweet presence of God that comes to us in a special very during the Sabbath hours. Our Father magnified His desire to bless through the Sabbath in His special annual Sabbaths. These are special seasons of refreshing with a promise that He will contniue to bless in this way forever, for they will be a precious statute forever throughout our generations. Lev 23:31; 41.

God's people, whom He calls His peculiar treasure, were privileged with a two-fold system of law; the moral and the ceremonial. The one, pointing back to creation to keep in remembrance the living God who made the world, whose claims are binding upon all men in every dispensation, and which will exist through all time and eternity. The other, given because of man's transgression of the moral law, the obedience to which consisted in sacrifices and offerings pointing to the future redemption.