Month: June 2009

land of rising sun and kimchi pics

Leave a Comment / travel spreading 1858gc / June 30, 2009

I know this is overdue, but finally i got the pics i took in Japan and Korea up on this site. Look over on the left side column.

I still like Japan very much, but not sure if i love it like i used to. Perhaps that is all God’s will also, to tear my heart away from something i like personally, but doesn’t use my ablilities for God as much as i could elsewhere.

There are pics of the old Country Life Restaurant in Osaka. I worked there from 1989 until its close in December 1996. There are lots of pics of friends and English students – the kids really have grown in 3 years! (of course). There are a few pics of people i was able to study the 1858 Great Controversy with, and also with the people up in Saitama prefecture with a Spanish-speaking school. There is a picture of a Woody Woodpecker airplane in Okinawa, and then lots of pics of Everlasting Gospel Publishing Association people and offices.

I hope to go back to Japan some day, but only if the people there show more of a zeal to want to know the truth.

bulgaria

1 Comment / travel spreading 1858gc / June 30, 2009

Writing this from Sofia bus terminal:
The meeting with the Bulgarian SDA office lasted 15 minutes, and i am quite hopeful that they will approve this project to have the book translated and printed 🙂 The secretary is the main translator it seems, and she also has a theology degree and was teaching hermeneutics of Ellen White last week! I left one English 1858 Great Controversy book, and she will take with the publishing director about translating and printing it. May God work on hearts to his glory.

Now to take another bus over to Istanbul, and then catch another one to T’bilisi…..

romania, moldova, ukraine

1 Comment / travel spreading 1858gc / July 6, 2009

After a restful 10 days in Romania, staying in the countryside with the friend i met in Thailand, we got up early last Monday and drove several hours to meet a SDA printer. He was very kind and showed us his recent works, driving away any remaining fears i had that the quality might not be up to par here. It is amazing to see books printed just 10 years ago that look quite primitive, and see the first-world-class quality they are printing now! He even said that the glue binding was guaranteed by a German company for 50 years.

So now the problem is how to get the Romanian 1858 Great Controversy distributed….

We drove a few more hours to another place, and met a well-known SDA pastor. He talked kindly with us, and then let me stay at his home until the evening. He takes me to the Danube, where we look at the huge river flowing lazily by. His wife comments twice that it is rare to see it so calm. They also remind me how cold it gets here, when they say people come here to ice skate in the winter! They feed me lots of food, then take me to the bus which is parked in front of the Sofil hotel and leaves at 10:30pm for Chisanau, Moldova (costs 30ron – 10usd).

It really looks like the Lord planned it out for me to stay there a while with him and his family, so they could get a feel for what kind of work this is, and be comfortable with supporting this. It took him a while to understand that i just travel around trying to get this one book into the people’s hands, but finally he did understand, and now has agreed to be the main distributor/contact person for this book in all of Romania – praise God!

The bus let me out after a bumpy ride at 5am near the Central Market. I didn’t know anything, and just sat around looking at the pig and cow carcasses being lugged around and dripping on the pavement – pretty gross to see dogs lapping up blood before breakfast.

I had the address for the Moldovan SDA headquarters, but didn’t know quite how to get there. Fortunately a man with a pull-cart shop selling magazines and maps helped me. Actually, he could not figure out how to use the map, but let me look for it, and i found it quickly. Trolley bus number 9 took me there in 15 minutes. The building looks brand new, and includes a seminary.

I had not contacted anyone before arriving, as often i find that people do not understand what i am trying to do, and will not set up an appointment, but if i just arrive, they will take 10-15 minutes to talk with me. After praying, and entering, quickly i find a man who can speak English. He gets the publishing director, and they spend a bit over 5 minutes talking with me out in the lobby. The publishing director asks me twice “so what do you want us to do?” and i explain the same both times – that i’m working at getting this book spread around the world, and it will be printed soon in Romanian, and i just wanted to inform you. He finally seems to understand, and then tells me that the Ukrainian SDA has sent him some of the Russian language ones a few years earlier!

I spend a couple of hours in the toilet trying to sleep, as that was mostly impossible on the bus the nite before, and then take number 9 back to the city center where i stumble around looking like a tourist for a while, eat lunch on a park bench along the “high-fashion” road of Stephen the Great, then walk thru the market again, and down to the Gara de Nord bus center where a bus to Kiev costs around 23usd. There is a big man sitting next to me, and just when i think our legs are going to meld together, he gets up and sits in the back of the bus – whew! But now a new problem presents itself – just across the aisle is a lovely girl wearing not enough clothing. And every time the bus jolts, which is about every 5 nanoseconds, it is a trial. Fortunately, about 2 minutes later, she gets up and goes to the back of the bus too, and i thank God for not allowing me to be tempted above what i’m able 🙂

There is an old tank sitting in front of some bridge, and i think that it is something from some old war, but then see soldiers standing on the bridge with guns – ut oh. Then we go thru lots of border check points. I discover that this is the breakaway region of Moldova, called Trans nitzia or something like that. Ut oh, i read on the internet not to go thru this region, and thot that while the train did pass thru, the bus did not. Not correct. I read that they sometimes ask for large sums of money from foreign travellers, but we go thru lots of checkpoints with no problems.
…

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The Great Controversy Between God and Man. Its Origin, Progress, and End by H. L. Hastings (1861)

Leave a Comment / book and video review / June 14, 2009

“The Great Controversy Between God and Man. Its Origin, Progress, and End” H. L. Hastings (1861)

B

As a book, this work, while clearly showing the biblical truth that God will take vengeance on the earth, is not an extraordinary work. What makes this book so extraordinary, is the title itself.

I first learned of the existence of this book a couple of years ago on the internet, by some people who were disaffected with the Seventh-day Adventist church, and who were trying to show how Ellen White copies her greatest work from someone else (Hastings). What is so striking, is that Hastings came out with his book in the spring of 1858, dating his Preface “January, 1858”, from Rochester N.Y. Ellen White had her “Great Controversy” vision at Lovett’s Grove, Ohio in May of the same year, giving credence to the view that perhaps she copied the title or even the contents when producing her own book.

But the contents of this book are very different from “The Great Controversy Between Christ and His Angels, and Satan and His Angels”. This book is focused on only one thing – showing how mankind has often rebelled against God, and how God has shown mercy in giving warnings to repent, and then, when the warnings go unheeded, how God destroys the rebellious. This one, single point is similar to Ellen White’s book, but her book is so much more comprehensive, showing the total view of sin in the universe before it started to after it is eliminated, that it is difficult to even compare the two. How anyone could believe that somehow Ellen White “copied” anything from this book is beyond rational thot.

The book reviewed here was downloaded and printed for me by a friend who found it in Google Books. It carries a published date of “1861”, and says “third thousand” on the cover, making me think that perhaps this is the third edition. It says it was “Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, by H. L. Hastings” which makes me wonder then if the book was first printed in 1860, as it is unusual for a second or third edition to be entered. Currently, i do not know. I do know that this book has been reprinted and bound together with Ellen White’s book by the above-mentioned disaffected parties, and is available on Amazon.com.

The title itself clearly shows the theme — there is a “controversy” between God and man. Rightly so, even the Bible mentions a controversy God has with the nations in Jeremiah 25:31. And the book stays true to its theme thruout – showing how mankind must repent and turn to God, or God will destroy him – that these are the only two possible outcomes of the great controversy.

The book seems to be written to combat the prevailing error among Christians of his day, that the world was getting better and better and then would naturally usher in a millenium of peace here on this earth. Writing this in 2009, i really doubt that hardly any Christians believe in this error today. It is just too clear that things are not generally getting better morally, but worse. So while the message contained is still correct, the object of writing an entire book showing that, yes, God will destroy this earth one day, is a foregone conclusion among nearly all Christians now.

On the other hand, Ellen White’s book is so much more comprehensive, that it is almost impossible to compare the two. She writes first of Satan in heaven before his fall, the fall of Adam and Eve, how the plan of salvation was devised, Christ’s life, the disciples, the Christian church thru the centuries, the Advent movement, the particulars of the Sanctuary and the 3 Angel’s Messages, Satan’s plans for the end time in making his angels appear before us, the Shaking, how important the Sabbath is, the Loud Cry, the death decree, God delivering his people, the saints going to heaven, returning to this earth after the 1000 years, the last struggle by Satan and his followers, the lake of fire, and the never-ending enjoyment of the righteous in a universe completely free from sin. I’ve read Ellen White’s book 250 times or more, and wish to read more as i find something new just about every time i go thru it, but Hastings’ book is enough with just one reading.
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jeff pippenger’s false prophecy interpretations

54 Comments / christian study / December 29, 2011

The following is an exact copy of comments made over on my earlysda.com forum regarding Jeff Pippenger. Note that “webmaster” = myself.

Name: ep Date: Oct 3, 2006

listen to jeff pippenger sermons online at http://www.theseventhunders.com/gallery/

Name: webmaster Date: Oct 4, 2006

I met Br. Jeff Pippenger in Holland and Germany. He has a few interesting discoveries in the prophecies leading up to 1844. Mostly tho, you can just read Uriah Smith’s book and get most of the same information.

When shown from Ellen White’s second vision that right after the sealing was completed the 7 Last Plagues were poured out, he said i was misapplying that. Sorry to say, it seems that when an inspired writing cuts across his theories, he doesn’t like it too much….

Name: mark Date: Nov 3, 2006

I don’t see any “sermons online” at this site.

Name: Anonymous Date: Oct 3, 2008

I know jeff pretty well, and he supports the biblical view that the 4 angels are going to hold the four winds of strife while probationary time is open for humanity. And that once the close of probation arrives, then and not before the seven plagues are poured out because the 4 angels do not hold the winds from this point on any longer. That´s number one.

And number two, it is also false what you say that Jeff is pretty much saying what Uriath Smith wrote in that book. I wonder why, if you don´t know, you speak as if you knew, and people may get a wrong idea about this good man. He is very logic, very inteligent, with a lot of common sense, and coutious about his conclusions. Jeff has been blessed by God with loads of new light, prophetic truths that concerns us in this present time. But at the same time he defends the forgotten prophetic truths in the Seventh-day adventism, the ones the pioneers held. And building upon that firm platform he advanced in new prophetic light. For example Daniel 11:40-45. The role of Islam in Bible prophecy with the Third woe, the seven churches, the seven thunders, the sealing time, revelation 17,18. Etc…. A lot of people are studying these truths, and are seeing a great blessing, this is the final message for adventism and the world.

Name: Anonymous 2 Date: April 24th

ITS interessting concerning EGW saying about the latter rain starting to fall that no one will say “I belong to Paul”, and “I belong to Kaifas” etc. The very people who endorse Pippenger clearly states we are depended on “his ideas” for salvation.
This doens’t fit with the quote I read.
When people are united the sprinkling will start, when people manifest the love of Christ. Not unified by fear but by love.

Name: Anonymous Date: April 24th

I agree.. when clear statements from egw doesn’t fit with the theory we are claimed to misread those quotes, but when they use unclear quotes to fit with the theory then they are reading them correctly. This isn’t fair.

Name: webmaster Date: April 25th

Anonymous of October 3, 2008 wrote: “And number two, it is also false what you say that Jeff is pretty much saying what Uriath Smith wrote in that book. I wonder why, if you don´t know, you speak as if you knew, and people may get a wrong idea about this good man.”

Sir, as i wrote in October 4, 2006 posting, i met the man in both Holland and Germany in summer 2006. I listened to several of his sermons. Basically he says the 7 trumpets are in the past. When i showed him the inspired word that the sealing of the 144,000 must be in the future, he got riled at me, and said i was taking it out of context. The problem is, IF the sealing of the 144,000 is future to where we are today, then the 5th trumpet CANNOT HAVE POSSIBLY SOUNDED YET.

My blood brother and i just spent over an hour studying Ezekiel 9 along with the Revelation 7, 8 and 9. It is clear that the trumpets happen AFTER the 144,000 are sealed in their foreheads.

Name: webmaster Date: May 7th

Anonymous of October 3 wrote “The role of Islam in Bible prophecy with the Third woe”. How can this be, when the first and second “woes” have not even occurred yet????

Stephen Dickie is promoting the idea that the Muslims were the first “woe” which cannot be right either. Why is it that us SDAs are trying to fit Islam into any of the “woes”?

Name: Sister in Christ Date: May 9th

Because Islam is a hot topic.

“And now, little children, abide in him, that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” 1 John 2:28
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abomination of desolation – future

2 Comments / christian study / June 1, 2009

Daniel 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

I’m really afraid that we Seventh-day Adventists have not been progressing at all in our understanding of prophecy. Yes, William Miller was led of God, but remember, he had to have everything finished by 1843! This too was of God, to get the people to turn to their Bibles and study deeply, like their lives depended on it – which it did. And i posit, that it does for us today too, yet just about all we hear and study, is that basically everything is already over except for the Sunday Law, Loud Cry, Time of Trouble, Close of Probation, Time of Jacob’s Trouble, and the Second Coming.

I humbly urge that we take our self-satisfied blinders off, and re-read the Bible for what it says.

In Daniel 12, is the Abomination of Desolation before or after the 1290 days? This is so obvious, why has most everyone overlooked this, or explained it away from its obvious meaning? Now the important dates in SDA prophetic history are usually said to be 457BC, 31AD, 34, 508, 538, 1798, and 1843(4). The only 1290 year period here is the one from 508 to 1798. But as far as i know, no one is teaching that the Abomination of Desolation was erected in 1798. It defies common sense. One other major setback for the theory that the AOD is in the past, is that after the AOD is set up, those who come to the 1335 are blessed – but the only 1335 according to these dates would be 508 – 1843. Now there is no BC/AD one year miss here, as both of these dates are AD. Who was “blessed” in 1843? Let’s be honest with ourselves – no one.

We have seen just from a very short look at Daniel, that the AOD must be in the future, but what about looking at Matthew 24? Isn’t Jesus talking about the end of the world? Almost every SDA i’ve ever talked to will agree that it is. Then please read Matthew 24 verse by verse. What happens? – many false Christs arise. Has that occurred yet? A little bit perhaps, but not “many”. Then, verse 14 says that the gospel shall be preached in all the world, and THEN shall the end come. Has that happened yet? Almost, but not yet. Then what is the next verse – 15? Beware this Abomination of Desolation! It did NOT happen in 1798. In fact, it has never happened.

I studied this with my Brother in Zurich last week, and he was amazed, and gave this text as another showing what is involved with the AOD:
2Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one deceive you* by any means, because [that Day will not come] unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction [or, the one destined to be lost],
4 the one being in opposition [or, being hostile] and puffing himself up with pride over every [thing] being called god or [every] object of worship, with the result that he sits down in the sanctuary of God as God, displaying himself that he is God.

Who else can this be, except Satan himself? He will appear as god, and will deceive the whole world, except for the elect. The time he is allowed to work, looks to be 1,260 days. Doesn’t that fit in with the same time frame in Revelation 11 & 12? And isn’t the 3 1/2 years of Elijah’s ministry, and even Jesus’ period of working — doesn’t that have a direct bearing for the 144,000? How can these times be exactly the same, and then mentioned exactly again in Revelation, and we throw them away in the “historical fulfilment” trash heap?

I sure don’t have all the answers, but i’m getting more and more light by studying and reading the Bible for what it says. Isn’t it time we all put more energy into studying the prophecies, and coming together on the truths that will lead us thru the end times?

does God “execute” or not?

5 Comments / christian study / June 10, 2009

The following are all quotes from The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan, from the Destruction of Jerusalem, to the End of the Conflict (commonly known today as SOP volume 4)

In talking about the Jews:

Their sufferings are often represented as a punishment visited upon them by the direct decree of God.
………….
God does not stand toward the sinner as an executioner of the sentence against transgression; but he leaves the rejecters of his mercy to themselves, to reap that which they have sown.
…………..
In the presence of the assembled inhabitants of earth and Heaven takes place the final coronation of the Son of God. And now, invested with supreme majesty and power, the King of kings pronounces sentence upon the rebels against his government, and executes justice upon those who have transgressed his law and oppressed his people.

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This is one of the biggest contradictions i can find in material with Ellen White’s name on the cover, after her husband’s death in 1881. The only bigger one i can think of are the quotes that the words in the Bible are inspired, then the one quote in Selected Messages that they are not inspired.

Does anyone have any input on this contradiction?

Someone is not going to relish standing before God in the day of Judgment, as a work that has, and is, destroying many honest souls has been perpetrated by tampering with the words God had his messenger write.

adventists officially promote animism

Leave a Comment / sigh and cry / June 1, 2009

The May 2009 Adventist World magazine came into my line of sight last week at church. What was this – a picture of a Japanese Shinto shrine’s torii gracing the cover? And on top of that, the place where the torii is located is at the only institution of higher learning operated by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists – Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies!!

Wikipedia says about the torii:

Torii gates mark the entrance to sacred space in Japan. A shrine may have many torii, and the first of the torii is called the ichi no torii, or “first torii”.[4] Torii that are found farther into the shrine represent increasing levels of holiness as one nears the inner sanctuary of the shrine.[4] Passing underneath a torii on the way to visit a shrine is, along with washing one’s hands and mouth with water, an act of sanctification and purification before approaching the kami to pray.

For this reason, people who are in a state of uncleanliness are not permitted to approach a Shinto shrine for prayer as their uncleanliness would defile the ground. Examples of uncleanliness in the Shinto tradition include a woman who is menstruating or anybody who has lost a relative in the past year. When a Japanese person suffers a death in the family, he or she will go to Buddhist temples instead of a Shinto shrine to offer prayers for one year, including for the essential first visit of the new year, Hatsumōde.

God, please may our leaders repent, for surely they know not what they are doing.