At the recent Bible Explorations Passover/Unleavened Bread campmeeting in Terra Bella California, there were few talks on the Feasts and Statutes of the Lord, but someone gave a quote by Ellen White that struck me hard, and should put this matter to rest:
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Advent Review and Sabbath Herald (6RH), 10-24-1899, Our Example

Christ passed through all the experiences of his childhood, youth, and manhood without the observance of ceremonial temple worship
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In other places, we have Jesus’ direct example that he DID keep the feasts. (Matt. 26:17 etc.)

C-

This is a very timely book, as the subject of keeping the feasts has become fairly “hot” in the past few years among Seventh-day Adventists. Br. du Preez kindly sent me this book free after i contacted him with some questions after watching his 2-hour program on this topic on 3abn (on youtube). He has treated me nicer than any other “scholar” i’ve contacted among offical SDA employees, and if for that reason alone, i have a reason to want to like the book even before opening it. However the plethora of letters after his real name send up a slightly yellow caution flag before i flip the first page. In my brief life, i’ve found that the more letters there are behind someone’s name nearly always equals more arrogance and worldly thinking. And yes, that impression is mostly reinforced by this book. There are many instances where the “opposition” is called “ignorant” and their tool of choice – Strong’s Concordance – is savaged. Many “great scholars” of the world are quoted (which means nothing to me) and their suppositions are quoted as fact. To be fair, there is a lot of digging into the meanings of the words in the Bible, and he does believe in the entire Bible, unlike many of our “top theologians” who pick and choose which parts of the Bible they wish to believe.

The final analysis? He believes that the feasts are part of the ceremonial law, and that law is done away, so we know the feasts are done away also. However, there is no inspired proof given for that position. There are several errors of logic where he quotes some Babylonian author, and then accepts that as fact. He does a good service by showing that some of the Bible and SOP quotes used by feast-keepers to support their position are taken out of context or just false. He comes up with a new interpretation of Colossians 2:16, saying it is referring to pilgrimage, new moon and non-pilgrimage feasts. He shows that he will not accept any evidence in favor of feast-keeping, even dissing Ellen White in one instance. He strives mightily (and in vain) to link the feasts with animal sacrifices. He says to keep the feasts is to deny the atonement, then at the end of the book says it is OK for Jews to observe the feasts “merely as part of their cultural heritage”. This type of cut-and-paste theology is exactly what he accuses the feast-keepers of doing. My final impression is that he wants everyone to toe the official SDA position, whether that position is correct or not – just don’t rock the boat.

I sent him a email giving my “first impressions” on Dec. 26, 2011. After waiting more than a month for a reply, i sent him another email asking if he received my Dec. 26 email, and he replied that he had, and that he had sent a response. Sadly, i did not receive that response, and he did not offer to resend it. He asked me to read the book in detail and then reply again which i did, up to page 185, and sent him a reply to which there has not been a reply for almost 1 month now, so it looks like there will not be more communication between us.

Following are my notes (shown as “my”), things that struck me as either good or bad, but in some way important. Most of the following are actual quotes from the book, but not all. I have not capitalized most of them, as they are quotes taken from parts of sentences.
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There are 2 full pages just listing various translations used.
Br. du Preez has written a whole book to explain the sabbath in Colossians 2:16.
p.13 The Holy Spirit inspired … in their own words
“my”I believe the Holy Spirit dictated it, just as written in chapter 30 of the 1858 Great Controversy, and Testimonies volume26: “The scribes of God wrote as they were dictated by the Holy Spirit, having no control of the work themselves.”

p.22 Br. du Preez writes that we must follow Biblical methods

p.25 one could “mark” (the feasts) without observing them
“my”This starts a very troublesome assertion made several times in this book, one without any biblical support at all. That is – that while we can do something with the feasts to learn from them, we MUST NOT keep them. I fail to see any precedent for this in the inspired writings either.

p.26 The New Testament says these are “Jewish” feasts
“my”The New Testament also says salvation is “of the Jews”. So are we supposed to reject salvation because it is Jewish?!

p.29 disses Strong’s Concordance, completely rejecting it
“my”Strong’s is so vehemently dissed, that i checked the book cover to make sure the subtitle wasn’t something like “and throw away your Strong’s Concordance as fast as you can!”

p.29 Genesis 1:14 Mo’ed here simply means “fixed/appointed time”. Mo’ed is translated “assembly” about 2/3 of the time, and “festival” around 1/4
“my”This is very true. So my question is, how are we really supposed to view it? Is it wrong to view ALL these instances as connected somehow?

Important Facts of Faith, in Connection with the History of Holy Men of Old (SG3)

Before the flood there were immense forests. The trees were many times larger than any trees which we now see. They were of great durability. They would know nothing of decay for hundreds of years. At the time of the flood these forests were torn up or broken down and buried in the earth. In some places large quantities of these immense
trees were thrown together and covered with stones and earth by the commotions of the flood. They have since petrified and become coal, which accounts for the large coal beds which are now found. This coal has produced oil. God causes large quantities of coal and oil to ignite and burn. Rocks are intensely heated, limestone is burned, and iron ore melted. Water and fire under the surface of the earth meet. The action of water upon the limestone adds fury to the intense heat, and causes earthquakes, volcanoes and fiery issues. The action of fire and water upon the ledges of rocks and ore, causes loud explosions which sound like muffled thunder. These wonderful exhibitions will be more numerous and terrible just before the coming of Christ and the end of the world,
as signs of its speedy destruction.

Coal and oil are generally to be found where there are no burning mountains or fiery issues. When fire and water under the surface of the earth meet, the fiery issues cannot give sufficient vent to the heated elements beneath. The earth is convulsed–the ground trembles, heaves, and rises into swells or waves, and there are heavy sounds like thunder underground. The air is heated and suffocating. The earth quickly
opens, and I saw villages, cities and burning mountains carried down together into the earth.

“Nine yeas ago, in January 2003, while serving as a missionary in Beijing, China, Han began copying out these texts, a process he calls ‘transcriptions.’ As of October 2011 he had copied he text of the Bible seven times, as well as a series of the Conflict of the Ages books, and ‘Testimonies for the Church. Han said the hours he spends transcribing are the most joyful moments in his life.”

http://www.savethestorks.com/

If you wish to download the youtube video to your own computer, and cannot, please leave a comment and i will try to help you out.

The music was provided by youtube user DJMichaelOrtega: music by DJMichaelOrtega

Here is the text used in the video:
Seventh-day Adventist Church and Abortion

The Seventh-day adventist church has an official document called “Guidelines on Abortion”. This video is to protest the position my church has taken.
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My Seventh-day Adventist church prides itself on “keeping the commandments of God and having the faith of Jesus” – the 2 identifying marks of God’s church at the end time.

But the sad fact is, we make no pretensions to keeping the 6th commandment. Somehow we think that standing up for the 4th commandment like no other denomination does will make up for the killing of little, innocent children inside their mother’s wombs.
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Many of our church members don’t have any idea that this is going on. We trust our leaders to be guiding the ship in a safe manner, unaware that for the sake of money, we have sold our soul.
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This sad state of affairs started in earnest under the leadership of Neal Wilson in the 1970s, and every succeeding president of the church has condoned it. This is what he said while president of NAD in 1970: “Though we walk the fence, Adventists lean toward abortion rather than against it. Because we realize we are confronted by big problems of hunger and overpopulation, we do not oppose family planning and appropriate endeavors to control population.”
Ministry Magazine August 1991 Abortion: history of Adventist Guidelines

This is a quote from an article in The Weekly Standard titled “U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops: Obama’s Revised Contraception and Abortion Pill Mandate ‘Unacceptable’”:

First, he has decided to retain HHS’s nationwide mandate of insurance coverage of sterilization and contraception, including some abortifacients. This is both unsupported in the law and remains a grave moral concern. We cannot fail to reiterate this, even as so many would focus exclusively on the question of religious liberty.

It sickens and saddens me to see them getting all the spotlight on standing up against the latest government mandate to provide services to kill the unborn. Everybody with any moral character at all knows deep down that they are doing the right thing in this case. My question is where are our Seventh-day Adventist leaders and hospital administrators??? We should have been the ones to get the large free publicity in this situation, showing that we are standing firm for the word of God. But i hear nothing. In going to the ANN website, i see absolutely nothing regarding this even in communications to our own members, let alone to the world. If we do not stand up for the silent today, we deserve to be silenced in the future.

Isaiah 1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it].

So what did our founding fathers have to say about Christianity/religion?

For example: What was one of the first things George Washington did when he was elected president?

“Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789 – President George Washington
“WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLIC THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

“Washington referred to himself frequently using the words “ardent,” “fervent,” “pious,” and “devout.” There are over one hundred different prayers composed and written by Washington in his own hand, with his own words, in his writings….Although he never once used the word “Deist” in his voluminous writings, he often mentioned religion, Christianity, and the Gospel”

“”The Commander in Chief directs that divine Service be performed every Sunday at 11 oClock in those Brigades to which there are Chaplains; those which have none to attend the places of worship nearest to them. It is expected that Officers of all Ranks will by their attendence set an Example to their men. While we are zealously performing the duties of good Citizens and soldiers we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of Religion. To the distinguished Character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to add the more distinguished Character of Christian. The signal Instances of providential Goodness which we have experienced and which have now almost crowned our labours with complete Success, demand from us in a peculiar manner the warmest returns of Gratitude and Piety to the Supreme Author of all Good.” –George Washington, General Orders, (May 2nd, 1778)”

“John Adams: The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God. … The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity and humanity.

Samuel Adams: I [rely] upon the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins. … I conceive we cannot better express ourselves than by humbly supplicating the Supreme Ruler of the world … bringing in the holy and happy period when the kingdoms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may be everywhere established, and the people willingly bow to the scepter of Him who is the Prince of Peace. … We may with one heart and voice humbly implore His gracious and free pardon through Jesus Christ, supplicating His Divine aid … [and] above all to cause the religion of Jesus Christ, in its true spirit, to spread far and wide till the whole earth shall be filled with His glory.

For a limited time Daz Studio 4 pro, Bryce 7 pro, and Hexagon 2.5 are all FREE!. This is an amazing offer. With this software, an enterprising person could literally make graphic art to support themselves. I’m hoping it will be used by God’s children to further the spread of the gospel.

If you have any questions downloading or installing or using, please leave a comment here. I’d love to see other Seventh-day Adventists using this software to hasten God’s kingdom:
http://www.daz3d.com/

There will be many files available for downloading, but you will want 5 files making up around 1.4gb. The 5 files are DazStudio, Hexagon, Bryce, Bryce Content, and Bryce Pro Content. Some of the other files are nice too, like if you have Photoshop (which i don’t), or if you have several computers in a network to cut render times (i don’t).

Mission Emphasis Vespers, Friday, March 2, 7:00 p.m., Loma Linda University Church
Author of “Tattoos on the Heart”
Jesuit priest
Described as the Gandhi of the gangs of LA

llusmaa.org

I can still remember the day around 6 months after i arrived when the stock market crashed. The standard response was “It will come up again.” There were magazine articles explaining how Japan was “unique”, and different from other countries, so the economy would dip a bit, and then come back stronger than ever, and be number one in the world. Of course a few years before that there was a man in America who wrote a book something along the lines of “The Japanese Century”, referring to how the 21st century would see Japan become the dominant power in the world. Funny thing happened tho, that same man is now studying Chinese – ha!

Anyway, very few industries in Japan are really efficient, but the export-driven companies are usually tops in their fields. Especially in electronics and automobiles have they been world-beaters. So they have amassed a huge foreign reserves, second only to China’s. Japan’s reserves

It is a good thing, as that is about the only bright spot in Japan’s financial picture. The demographic problem is the biggest, with the population aging rapidly, and the young choosing not to get married, or married much later, many unborn killed, and a fear of allowing many foreigners in. The 1990s is called even in Japan a “wasted decade”, as the government continued to throw good money after bad on public works projects to somehow “ignite” the economy. Of course that didn’t do much good, as current stories of a huge govt. recreation centers etc. being sold for as little as $1 in some cases, because really no one wants them! So Japanese govt. debt ballooned to where it is now way higher than any other major country’s. Public debt per GDP is twice as bad as America’s, yet there is little angst about it, as most of the holders of the debt are not foreigners, but domestic. list of countries by public debt

Today Japan announced the first red ink in international trade in 31 years. 2011 Japan’s red ink. The stated reasons are the cleanup from the tsunami, tsunami cleanup pics and even bigger – the shutdown of many nuclear plants after the Fukushima problems, with the slack in electricity production being taken up by importing more oil and coal. This is ominous, as the export sector has been propping up the economy, and if Japan loses its reserves, there is basically nothing left financial wise.

Which leads to a big question – what will happen to the yen? The yen has been on a tear over the last few years, rising against all the other major currencies. When i left Japan in 2005, it was around 110jpy/1usd, but now that is 76/1. That is great for earning in yen, and sending to other countries to help people, but what will happen if Japan self-implodes?