Month: May 2018

Mark Howard correct on human and divine nature of Christ

Leave a Comment / christian study / May 19, 2018

Mark Howard is a SDA pastor who is head of the Emmanuel Institute of Evangelism. Today I listened to his 2 sermons on the Human Nature of Christ, and can wholeheartedly recommend them.

I’ve written on the human/divine nature of Christ several times on this blog, and have often lamented the fact that very few of us SDAs understand this issue properly. I admit I was spoiled as a child by being taken to Robert Brinsmead meetings when he was still straight in his theology, and as an elementary school kid grasped the fact that Jesus was 100% divine, and 100% human, that he wasn’t born with propensities to sin like we are, and this his temptations were much stronger than anything we will ever be called on to face.

But very few fellow SDAs believe that way. Most of the Liberals don’t believe that overcoming sin is possible in this life, so whatever position they hold on anything is basically pointless. Sadly, fellow Conservatives in the church run the gamut from saying we are all born sinless (because Jesus was), to saying that Jesus was born a sinner (because we are). Neither of those positions is true – because – Jesus was not exactly like all of us born humans in everything! Jesus was born in the moral position of Adam, not needing a Saviour. He was born that “sinless” thing.

Many people quote Hebrews 2:17 ” Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren… “. Of course. Notice however, it doesn’t say that he was made in all things like fallen brethren. That’s why there is no contradiction with 1Corinthians 15:45-47 ” And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. ”

Jesus was the second Adam (see Testimony for the Church no.14 p.37), whose physical body was degenerated by 4,000 years of sin. But while all of us humans who have ever been born (except Jesus), have been born in sin, needing a Saviour to cleanse us from our sins. Jesus did not need that.

Some say this is a tempest in a teapot, but as Mark Howard rightly quotes from the SOP, Christ’s humanity is everything to us. Wrong theology here can lead to people like David Gates saying it is theoretically possible to earn your way to heaven (!!), and Kevin Paulson saying it is possible to go to heaven without ever needing the cleansing blood of Christ (if we never choose to sin). These positions are basically blasphemy.

Many fellow Conservatives accuse me of saying that if Jesus was born different from us, then it is impossible for us to overcome sin. I really don’t know how they come to that odd conclusion, except that they consider Jesus must have had an advantage over us if he was born sinless. I tell them, as Mark Howard does here too, that it was much more difficult to keep his humanity (in other words – to not use his divinity), as it is for us to rise above our sinful natures and grasp hold of divinity. By way of example, I tell people how it was difficult for me to stay in the crazy, nasty places I’ve been too (especially India), when I know at any moment I can instantly get out of there. Fortunately Jesus chose to fulfill his mission, and be the perfect example for us in everything.

So I’m extremely happy and delighted to see a SDA pastor, even a director of an institute for evangelism, preach the truth on this important subject. I wholeheartedly recommend his 2-part audio sermons:
Mark Howard – Human Nature of Christ part1
Mark Howard – Human Nature of Christ part2

Stephen Bohr conflates God’s statutes with “ceremonies”

2 Comments / christian study / May 19, 2018

The following is a response to Stephen Bohr’s video titled: “Hebrew Religious Calendar 20/24 Must we keep the Feasts?”: https://youtu.be/VVI-QoLsY-w

8:10 Pastor Bohr, perhaps you weren’t aware that God definitely DID tell Eve not to touch the fruit? From Ellen White: Spiritual Gifts. Volume 3 pg: 35 In the midst of the garden, near the tree of life, stood the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Of this tree the Lord commanded our first parents not to eat, neither to touch it, lest they die. He told them that they might freely eat of all the trees in the garden except one; but if they ate of that tree they should surely die.

You keep talking about “ceremonial law”, but that is not a biblical term.

Abraham keep the commandments, statutes, and judgments (Genesis 26:5), so there were people keeping the feasts of the Lord before Sinai.

23:00 Trying to make the Statutes of the Lord be something “contrary to us” is unfortunate, as God says they are perfect.

39:23 You talk about “physiology”, meaning that the statutes regarding unclean foods haven’t been done away with, but reject the statutes saying WHEN to have holy convocation days to the Lord?

47:50 “insult to Jehovah” to do the sacrifices and oblations – which were prophesied of in Daniel 9:27 to be done away with. To say it would be an “insult to Jehovah” to keep the feasts after the cross, means that Jehovah insulted himself by pouring out his Holy Spirit exactly on the day of Pentecost!

49:25 You quote where the rites and ceremonies had been going on for 4,000 years, which contradicts what you said earlier that they were started at Sinai…..

Your biggest error seems to be that you have conflated “holy convocations of the Lord” with “rites and ceremonies”, which is unfortunate, as you are calling on people to be lawbreakers.

May you repent, and resolve to keep all of God’s commandments, statutes, and judgments.

Secrets Unsealed, Stephen Bohr, SUMTV

6 Comments / sigh and cry / May 14, 2020

Updated May, 2020: Since this post was written, they now do have a streaming service on many platforms which makes most of my point in this post moot.
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While Stephen Bohr is quite a strong conservative Seventh-day Adventist preacher, one to be commended for standing up against most wrongs in the Church (nothing about abortion tho….), I’ve never been a “fan” of his because of his insistence on interpreting nearly all the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation as being fulfilled in the past (usually called the “historical position).

Recently, his organization, Secrets Unsealed, started a video streaming service called “SUMTV”.
Being interested in what it was about, I clicked on the link to it that came in the email newsletter to which I’m subscribed to.

I was quite surprised to see that it SUMTV is not a project that they do on their own, but is just a live stream on Youtube. Now I understand that there may be more behind their technical processes of making this SUMTV, but the fact that they linked directly to Youtube, makes it look very fishy, like they are trying to pull a quick one. i.e.; they appear to be just having a “live” Youtube channel, and calling it “SUMTV”. That would be deceitful. If they chose to call it “SUMTV Channel”, then that would be truthful. If they said “Watch our Youtube channel”, that would be truthful. But to say “Watch SUMTV” is deceitful, as it is not their own product.

So I wrote several emails to them asking for clarification. Their responses got haughtier and haughtier, until they basically called me “Satan”.

I’ve experienced this before from many, many fellow SDAs – they are completely right about everything, and cannot accept any reproof, no matter how small.

May they repent, and may we all have humble hearts to not only always speak the truth, but to accept reproof where it applies.

UN tries to save the world for globalists – America refuses – praise God!

Leave a Comment / daily rambliniscings / May 13, 2018

The United Nations is at it again – trying to force a one-world government on everybody. This time, it is under the guise of “saving the planet” for climate change.

Of course nearly all the world’s leaders are in on the gig, but fortunately, the United States is having none of it. While past administrations have been suckers for paying out large sums of cash to organizations that weaken America, and chip away at the God-given mandate to have individual nations, this administration is tired of being played for a sucker, and is standing up to the globalist ambitions, and telling them what to do with their plan for world domination in the name of “saving the planet” (of course climate change in itself is bogus).

In September, Macron set out the goals of Global Pact at the United Nations. He said the framework would “establish rights, but also duties for mankind.”

Macron urged quick adoption in his speech, “I very strongly believe that the world is ready for this and that it’s our responsibility.” Guterres also gave his support to the pact at the meeting.

Marc Morano, publisher of Climate Depot, and author of the new book, “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Climate Change,” charged that, “This new global environmental pact will have more teeth and cover more aspects of human civilization than the U.N.-Paris climate pact. This new environmental pact is looking to be the U.N. Paris agreement on steroids because they are making it binding, and it appears even wider in

America tells globalists to pound sand

One more reason to praise God for this time of relative peace and freedom, before the one-worlders get their day in the sun.

liberalism is a religion of virtue signalling

Leave a Comment / daily rambliniscings / May 11, 2018

While Tucker Carlson sometimes has problems, he is right on the money on this issue of what Liberals/Progressives are all about – fighting God, and feeling superior than others for doing that. Partial transcript as follows:

“CARLSON: In the wake of Eric Schneiderman’s resignation as attorney general of New York, some of his long-time friends on the left are professing shock.

You’ve heard them. We just can’t believe it, they say. How can a man so publicly committed to feminism beat women? It just doesn’t make sense.

But, of course, it makes perfect sense. Self-righteousness is always a marker for secret creepiness. The people yelling the loudest are usually hiding the most.

Keep that in mind the next time you hear some Democratic politician lecturing you about your moral inferiority. That’s the guy you need to watch carefully. Chances are he’s up to something awful behind closed doors.

Hypocrisy isn’t just a feature of modern liberalism. It’s the heart of modern liberalism. Ever wonder how people who advocate for abortion can say they stand for children? How a movement that demonizes an entire race can claim to oppose racism? The same way Al Gore can travel by private jet while trying to ban your SUV.

Because consistency does not matter to the left. Only virtue matters. We’re good people; therefore, we must rule. You are not; therefore, you must obey.

Al Gore doesn’t believe he’s a hypocrite. Eric Schneiderman probably doesn’t think he is either. You can’t commit sin if your intentions are pure. And liberals believe their intentions are the purest.

If that sounds like theology, and not public policy, that’s because it is theology. Modern liberalism is a religious movement. It’s a replacement for the protestant Christianity that the left worked so hard to undermine and destroy.

Liberals are speaking the language of faith, albeit a faith without god. This is the main reason that right and left talk past each other. The reason our public debates are so weird and unsatisfying.

One side arrives with facts and stats and arguments. The other brags about its decency. One side is trying to convince; the other is trying to convert.

You can beat the liberal in an argument, but you can never convince them that you won. He cares much more deeply than you do; and, therefore, he knows he’s right. By definition. And nothing can convince him otherwise.

Somewhere tonight Eric Schneiderman is marinating in his shame. Probably unshaven and alone. His career is over. His reputation is destroyed. He faces years of potential legal action. He is a broken man. He is in agony.

And yet, on some level, despite all of that, Eric Schneiderman still knows he’s a better person than you are.”

This is from Breitbart website: Progressives think they are more moral without Jesus

Sadly, many of our own SDA Brethren are Progressives/Liberals too, and that is why many converstaions never go anywhere with them, as they believe they are on the moral high ground, apart from what the Bible and Ellen White’s writings say.