The Secret Terrorists by Bill Hughes

22 Comments / book and video review / March 5, 2014

The Secret Terrorists by Bill Hughes
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reviewed 2002/8/12

This type of book will come back to be used by the enemies of God against those who stand for the truth. My impression was that it’s basically a compilation of conspiracy theories, trying to tie them all to the Jesuits. There may in fact be some truth to it. But is this what those giving the 3rd angel’s message should be involved in? Unfortunately, this kind of book will prejudice many intelligent minds (those who bother to browse it), and prove a stumbling block even for those few who do join the truth because of it. Why? Because they will have to unlearn conspiracy-theory-type thinking before they can find the straight and narrow path.

I used to subscribe to conspiracy theories too. No doubt most of them have some grains of truth in them. But it became especially clear to me in reading Bob Trefz’s material, that i was not be uplifted, not be changed into the likeness of Jesus by reading that. Instead, i was becoming suspicious of everyone, and talking evil of rulers. Fortunately his call to arms was such a departure from the Word that i could see clear enough to break clean away from it. If you notice, Bill Hughes is making a not-so-subtle call to arms in his book also. He who lives by the sword….

To hilite a few problems with this book:
1. “The blood of the Civil War can be traced back to the Jesuit, John C. Calhoun”. But Ellen White writes in original Testimony volume 9: “”Satan was the first great leader in rebellion. God is punishing the North, that they have so long suffered to exist the accursed sin of slavery; for in the sight of heaven it is a sin of the darkest dye. God is not with the South, and he will punish them dreadfully in the end. Satan is at the bottom of all rebellion.”

So you see that the sin of slavery brought about God’s wrath on America, and that Satan, not John Calhoun, was at the bottom of it all. Sure, Satan may have inspired John Calhoun to promote the war, but laying the blame on him for the fundamental reason – slavery – is not correct.

2. There are several factual mistakes regarding how money is created. I too believe the current method is inherently wrong, and a great evil, but is it true that: “the interest on its debt must increase beyond its income, making payoff impossible”? No, not true. Is it true how he says money comes into being, that “the Federal Reserve takes the bond and writes an order to the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing to print the billion dollars’ worth of bills”? haha. This is entirely laughable, and any informed, intelligent person would throw away the book here if not sooner. There is approx. 810 billion US dollars’ worth of currency existing today (source: The Treasury). The national debt of America is approx. 6.1 trillion dollars (source: Bureau of the Public Debt). As you see, there is almost 8 times as much debt as currency!

3. “Down through history, people’s worst enemy has been their own government.” Yet it is God who sets up and takes down kings (Dan. 2:21, 4:17). Are we supposed to speak evil of our own rulers? “Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.” (Jude 8-10).
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nature of christ

6 Comments / christian study / May 21, 2009

Recently a “conservative” Seventh-day Adventist stayed at the place i’m staying. In conversation, he mentioned that Christ had the exact same nature as you and i do, so we must do as he did and overcome all sin in this life. While i agree with the part about overcoming sin now, i disagree about Jesus having the exact same nature we do.

Is this significant, or semantics? Well, i do believe that it could have a great impact on your salvation, so i’ve made up a little study of the subject here.

With the true interpretation given by the Holy Spirit, let’s see what the nature of man and Christ is.

First, let’s define the general positions taken by us Adventists:
1. Jesus and us have the exact same nature.
2. Jesus had sinless nature, and we have sinful nature.

Position one is generally taken by “conservatives”, and position two by “liberals”. As i’ve mentioned elsewhere on this blog, liberals have no foundation, so i identify much more strongly with the “conservatives”, but with differences of opinion on around 4 subjects, including this one.

Let’s look at postion one. There are two possibilities for this to be true – either both had perfect natures, or both sinful natures. Now i’ve heard “conservatives” who have supported both of these possibilities. The possibility supported by my Brother i met last weekend was that “no one is born sinful, as that is the Catholic doctrine of Original Sin.” Others who support the second possibility say that Christ is just like you and me in every detail.

For the first possibility to be true, it would mean two things: 1. If you are not born sinful, then it is within the realm of possibility for anyone who keeps the law perfectly to go to heaven without needing Jesus Christ as their Saviour. This is impossible.

For the second possibility to be true, it would mean nearly the same thing, but from the opposite point of view, that Jesus himself would have needed a Saviour.

So we see even before we show the inspired quotes, that the “conservative” SDA view of the nature of Christ is very flawed. Both possibilities of this view boil down to the idea that it is possible to get to heaven by works.

The “liberal” viewpoint on this issue is much more correct, but even with the correct premise, they come to a false conclusion. Yes, Jesus came as a perfectly-untainted-by-sin human. He took on himself the results of around 4,000 years of physical degeneration, but did not come with a heart with a bent to sin like we do. This is why it can be truly said that he is the “second Adam”. He sure wasn’t close to Adam physically, so for this inspired phrase to have any meaning at all, it must mean morally. And this is what the inspired word attests of.

But this view doesn’t mean that Jesus was “super”, so he could live a sinless life, but we can’t. This conclusion is taught by many in the church who say that “we will be sinning until Jesus comes in the clouds”. No, no. We can, and must overcome sin right here and right now, in the same way that Jesus overcame – by complete submission to the will of his Father.

We all know that Jesus’ birth was miraculous. But in contemplating it, it shows that he was not exactly like us humans today, in that his physical father was heavenly. He was made in the likeness of mankind tho, so the Creator did become like the created.

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
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sub-continent happiness

Leave a Comment / daily rambliniscings / May 21, 2009

Things are looking good for the sub-continent, as the civil war in Sri Lanka is over, and the election results in India favor a secular (as opposed to Hindu) government.

May we use the time wisely to spread the words of the Lord in this period of peace and prosperity.

150million usd 3d animation “up”

6 Comments / 3D animation work / May 18, 2009


Disney is coming out with a new 3D movie called “Up”.
“Up” movie trailer

The cost to produce? – 150,000,000 usd. Do i really think i can somehow make something that people will want to watch for about 0.0005 of that amount? I know the Lord can do mighty things with small amounts, so i will still go forward in faith.

What i’m thinking of now, is getting training in India, and then developing a small Bible-centered training school for young people. Maybe we could have a program where we do say
2 hours agriculture
2 hours Bible study
2 hours medical missionary
rest of time 3D animation training and work

This would provide young people with “industrial education”, along with the fundamental courses necessary to be an effective worker for Christ in these end times. The goal would be to get young people trained to have a heart and desire to use these computer skills in the work of the Lord.

Regarding the movie making itself — I’m thinking more of doing something like the “Two Crowns” vision first, to see what can be done, and then based on reaction to that, and hopefully to a steady progression of skills, and also hopefully of attracting more talented people, we can get to work on making the 1858 Great Controversy movie. My idea for that is more of a “moving picture book”, as i want to avoid all drama.

america

4 Comments / travel spreading 1858gc / May 12, 2009

After a 5 year absence, i thot i would be surprised by many things in America. But actually, there was very little to surprise me. The same huge, wide-open spaces with lots of beautiful greenery, and wildness that is missing in most advanced countries, coupled with a cleanness that is missing in most developing countries. There was hardly any new construction within those 5 years, except for one big area i saw in Murfreesboro, TN. The large people, large cars, large houses, lots of largeness! I guess if i had to say one thing that i hadn’t noticed before, it would be the angriness evident on the radio and tv – they even make tv shows now where people are arguing with each other, and people watch that as “entertainment”!

I spent my first week or so with my cousin’s family in Atlanta. I lived in Atlanta myself from 1983-89, and it was nice to see some old sites. Climbing Stone Mountain nearly every day was pleasant, as was the beautifully blooming Bradford pear trees and red buds and dogwoods. After a couple of days with my nephew and neice, i went up to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to be with my brother and sister who live thereabouts. I stayed several days at my sister’s place, and several at my brother’s place, trying not to wear out either one 🙂 My brother rented a car for me, so i could get some legs and travel. Everything regarding transportation in America is basically done by car or plane, as trains and buses and bicycles are only used by the very few in some of the largest cities.

With the car i went to Uchee Pines where i had the “mountaintop” experience as posted earlier. That, along with the studies of the 1858gc with my relatives and family near Chicago were the highlights of my 6-week stay. It was so nice to know that there ARE some people who are really searching for truth, and still humble. That is an unusual combination in this day and age, as most of us Seventh-day Adventists who are really studying the inspired words think we know it all, and refuse to be humble enough for God to speak to us, especially if it goes against something we “thot” we knew all our life.

The food sat pretty well with me i guess. I had my usual 80% diarrhea, so just had normal energy levels, but was able to gain 2kg during my stay. My salt levels got back over the red line again, probably accounting for 1kg of the 2 gained – ha!
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bryan gallant believes the christian God and the muslim god is the same

3 Comments / sigh and cry / April 30, 2009

I’ve had contact with Brother Gallant a couple of times over about a 3 year span, and thot he was honestly trying to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Muslims. Today tho, i read an article by him that explodes that idea, and shows his feet are firmly planted on the “Christian God and Muslim god are the same” sinking sand platform.

The short article is here:
http://www.thequiethour.org/images/
echoespdf/echoes0109.pdf

Near the beginning of this article is the most powerful statement that this is gross error from Satan: “Muslims worship the Creator God. This would be the same Creator God referenced in the Bible as the God of the Jews and Christians.” There is one more egregious error: “Based on this simple answer the first step in building a bridge is to recognize Muslims as fellow people of faith who are looking to the God of all grace and mercy to bring about ultimate peace in a world racked by sin and war”.

Sounds good, doesn’t it? But it is all wrong – horribly wrong. The Allah spoken of in the Qur’an says over and over “I have no son”. The God spoken of in the Bible says “This is my beloved son, hear him.” Allah likes to doom unbelievers to a place where they will suffer forever, where they “will neither die nor live”. God destroys unbelievers in the lake of fire, and then creates a new earth. Allah says not to make friends of the Christians, to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, to pay money to atone for your sins, to wash your body in a certain way etc. etc. etc.

If Allah is God, then please leave me out of that heaven where he says he will feed us fowl meat. Gross. I love chickens, not eat them.

For a comparison i made between the Qur’an and Bible, look here:
http://www.timeoftrouble.com/quran/
quotes-from-quran.html

Why would any Seventh-day Adventist ever be confused about WHO God is? Please Bryan Gallant, please repent, and return to the Lord your God, and stop spreading lies that some hateful god who says to “Fight until all is for Allah” is the same as the God who sent his only Son to die for us.

Thank God we do have the pure word of truth, and that sin and sinners will one day be no more, and there will never again be anyone in all the universe who denies that Jesus is the Son of God.

man of the year

Leave a Comment / daily rambliniscings / April 27, 2009

This won’t happen again for another 12 years.
In the Chinese/Japanese cycle of things, each year has a special animal assigned to it. As there are 12 animals, your “year” comes up every 12th one. I’m year of the bull, and today is my day.

Let’s see, the very first one (birth) was in Kansas, the 2nd in Tennessee, the 3rd in Georgia, the 4th in Japan, and now the 5th – back in Tennessee.

Sure hope Jesus comes before this cycle rolls around again……

organic farming for the end times

Leave a Comment / daily rambliniscings / April 27, 2009


Homegrown Nutrition Seminar March 22, 2009 Collegedale Community Church Fellowship Hall
Presenters Daniel Parson & Scott Arrington

The first presenter (i believe it was Mr. Arrington) is a Seventh-day Adventist, and quite a “big business is bad” incoherent speaker. The following man is not SDA, and was very calm and collected, and gave the impression that you do not have to be a little crazy to be interested in organic farming.

Following are some pointers picked up at this seminar i attended.

Most consumers will go up to 10 miles extra to buy fresh produce.
You can net 50% of gross.
You need land that is irrigated and deer-proof.

For example, in one project they worked on near Atlanta, they did something called “Community Supported Agriculture”. The basic idea, as far as i could gather, is that a developer will intentionally leave a parcel of land open for farming, and the people who buy into that community will have to pay a certain fee each month for the privilege of having that farm land near them. In return, they get first chance to buy the produce, and can walk their dogs or just relax or whatever in the “community space”.

Their income sources and yearly amounts in USD:
1. One acre Community Supported Agriculture 26,000
2. Once per week Farmer’s Market 13,500
3. Workshops 2,000
4. Farm tours 2,000
Gross Total 43,500

Don’t just throw stuff on soil to make it good, but think about what microbes need.
Throwing nitrogen on the soil makes the crops grow well, but increases nitrates in food.
Insects don’t eat healthy plants (really now?!)
Charles Walters wrote “Eco Farm”
We don’t like vegetarian bugs.
Be careful that your fertilizer doesn’t kill good bugs and fungus etc.
Don’t irrigate the whole field – just where you plant.
For a winter cover crop, buy a “deerfeed mix”.
The less you till the soil – the better.
Weed early and often. Weed shallow. Use a very long hoe with your thumbs pointing up, so you don’t have to bend your back.
If you must buy fertilizer for organic gardens, look for “OMRI” on the bag.
Cut and plow and mulch when the crop starts blooming (cover crops).
Avoid wood chips and straw for mulch because they take up nitrogen.
Mix green and brown matter together to make a good compost. Use leaves for carbon, grass clippings for nitrogen. A good mix is around 80% brown and 20% green.
You don’t need much lime, but if you do use it, get high-calcium lime.
Take soil tests every 2 years.
Have a map of your garden and measure it for crop rotation purposes.
Plant sequence-style. Instead of 100 heads of lettuce now, plant 10 now, 10 the next week etc.
Think of plant families when rotating.
Think of fertilizer, heavy and light feeders.

One of the most interesting things i got out of this seminar, is that we should think of ths soil as being alive, because it is the microscopic bacteria in it that really determines if you have good or bad soil. So instead of just putting something on the soil to make the crops grow fast or big, think first of what the microbes in the soil need to be healthy. When the microbes are healthy, the soil will be good, and you can grow good crops.

stephen dickie “islam, god’s forgotten blessing” video review

26 Comments / sigh and cry / March 12, 2012

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I went to a seminar held by Jack McNeilus at Southern Adventist University on the last Sabbath of March. It was titled “Islam, God’s Forgotten Blessing”. There was a book of the same name being promoted there, authored by Stephen Dickie.

Now i’ve had contact with the Adventist/Muslim Relations director – Jerald Whitehose, and know that he is not promoting Christianity. So i was intrigued that perhaps this would be a Biblically-based approach to Muslim evangelism. But i was destined to be disappointed again.

The main point of the meeting i attended, was that the Muslims fit into God’s plan in the 7 trumpets of Revelation. That point was brought out by a nicely-done chart. While there were no overtly false things said, there were a few subtle things that made me wonder, but i kept my peace until the end of the seminar. When it was down to just 4 of us left, and i had heard quite a bit, i was mostly satisfied that this man was trying his honest best, in the fear of God, to promote the truth to the Muslims. The last of my 2 or 3 questions/statements, was something like: “AMR people are trying to make SDA Muslims, but you seem to be trying to make SDA Christians”. His reply was along the lines of “There is no saving value in any name”. I left, mostly dumbfounded that he had so misinterpreted my statement, to make it mean something so common and worldly, rather than taken in a spiritual sense. But wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt, i wrote it off, and told the people around me that this group was trying to do something far better than what the AMR people are currently doing. (oh yes, he said the AMR leaders are going to be shunted elsewhere soon).

I followed up my interest by looking for info on Stephen Dickie, and found several of his videos on Better Life tv. Islam, God’s Forgotten Blessing is here:
http://betterlifetv.tv/media/video/st372.wvx

While mostly sounding good, there were the little, almost passed-by type of comments that really worried me, so i sent Brother Dickie a email. Below is our exchange.

—————————————————–
From: earlysda@hotmail.com
To: sdickie@hotmail.com
Subject: questions about presentation on betterlife tv
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 2009 08:25:20 +0900

Hello Brother Stephen Dickie,
Last week i attended one meeting of a 3-part seminar given by Jack McNeilus at Southern Adventist University, Tennessee. He promoted your book, and as i am very interested in spreading the gospel to Muslims, i have been looking for more information on the internet about what you are teaching in that book.

While i have not been able to find the contents of the book on the internet, i was able to find a video presentation you gave on Better Life tv. I have some questions about comments you made on that video, but first, some background on myself —

I have read the Qur’an, and in comparing it to the Bible, saw that it is clearly a book inspired from Satan. I made some web pages showing some of the more egregious errors here:
http://www.timeoftrouble.com/quran/quotes-from-quran.html

Around 1 1/2 years ago i met Jerald Whitehouse at one of his seminars in Bangkok. He said some things that showed he is more a promoter of Islam than of Christianity.

So i am quite interested in how to reach Muslims, and your new method looked to possibly be the best tool today to do that, but in viewing this video, i am quite worried about your approach too.

Some concerns:
1. You said “Allah is the same god that you and i pray to.”
Actually, the Allah of the Qur’an is Satan, as you well know, so i’m trying to understand in what sense you mean this.
2. You said “Islam’s reformation is in front of them today”
But Islam never was a true religion. It was founded by Satan, so what good will a “reformation” do?
3. You said “The Qur’an teaches that when you die, you’re dead”.
Surely you have read the Qur’an, like in 20:74 where it says the people neither live nor die in hell???
4. You said “Mohammed was the star that fell”.
You are probably very close in this one, as Mohammed was one of the most effective agents of Satan ever.

These are large concerns, and i pray that you will answer them in an honest manner.
May the Holy Spirit work on the hearts of the Muslims today.

May we uplift Jesus always,
Daniel Winters
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This is the reply i received from Brother Dickie:
———————————————
From: sdickie@hotmail.com
To: earlysda@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: questions about presentation on betterlife tv
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 2009 00:13:47 +0000

Mr. Winters:
Your reputation precedes your email letter. My book is not on the internet for a purpose, I have chosen not to put it on, as it would not sit well with the world of Islam as it is only a book for SDAs. I have other things for Islam. You can find my book at the Collegedale ABC or you can order it from our web site at www.StrawberryMeadowAssociation.com .

It is interesting to see how you have already judge my work without reading it. Years ago I was told you were a very sharp person, but I would think you would at least read it first then bring your concerns or go public with your findings. I would read what I am saying first and not take what someone is saying I say.

May the Lord lead you and in your search.

Stephen Dickie
—————————————————
And my reply:
—————————————————
Brother Stephen Dickie,
The concerns i raised were your EXACT words taken from your video. I’m not taking what someone is saying you say. And i’m not quoting from or judging your book at all.

Do you stand by what i have quoted you on in the videos on Better Life tv?

Look to Jesus,
Daniel Winters
—————————————————-
As of today, April 23rd, there has been no reply to this last email.
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mountaintop

Leave a Comment / travel spreading 1858gc / April 14, 2009

This has really been a “mountaintop” experience Sabbath here at Uchee Pines. It is so encouraging to not only see so many souls hungering and thirsting for truth, but to have the Spirit of peace present among so many members is a very rare, and precious sight. The tornado sirens give a sense of urgency too!

Friday i spent around 5 hours with Sister Thrash, with her showing me the almost-completed Lifestyle Center, then lunch, then around 3 hours of shoveling wood chips (supposed to be chips, but is more like “sticks”) into the pickup, then around the azalea bushes.

During lunch at the cafeteria Friday, a lady came up to me and asked if i had some Ellen White book on audio. Taken aback, i replied “yes” with a wondering smile. She said she had downloaded my 1858gc audio off the internet, and listened to it while doing stuff around the house. (She did make me feel puffed a little when she turned to her husband and said “he sounds better in person than on the audio” – ha!) Seeing their enthusiasm for the book, i asked if they would be interested in translating it into Spanish as she is from Mexico and he is from Panama. They looked at each other, then she said “we had just been talking a while back about whether the Lord wants us to translate something else or not. (They just finished “Creeping Compromise” by Joe Crews). So praise God, they said “Yes”, and didn’t even take my offer to pay a little for translation. She is a dentist, and he is a doctor, but without an American license yet, and have just been at Uchee Pines since the start of the year. What kind of timing is that?! Wow! God is so good.

Then in the evening i was given the time, and we covered chapter 32 of the 1858 Great Controversy Between Christ and His Angels, and Satan and His Angels with about 40 people present.

Now the people who have assembled around this campus are quite well-read, and desiring a deeper experience with the Lord, they have moved to this area. So many of them have already read this book, and it would not be unusual if some/all of them raised their voice to object to something or present differing opinions – — but none of that happened. There was a sweet spirit of harmony and oneness in wanting to dig deeper into the words of the prophet, and following what is written there.

On Sabbath afternoon, at 4:30, is was given the time again, this time to cover chapter 30 – “Spiritualism”. This chapter always causes more discussions/contentions/strife than any other, but i went in with a light heart, seeing how God had preserved the spirit of unity the evening before. And i was not to be disappointed. Even tho about half the members were not at the previous study, and there were more adults and highly-educated people among them, there was still a nice spirit of peace and harmony which made my heart sing.

Even the part about what the apostles wrote was “dictated by the Holy Ghost” did not cause any stir at all. That is a first! But after the meeting, two people approached me and asked why that point should cause any division, and i realized that i had not explained it properly to them. Perhaps a little i was trying to avoid divisions? Yes, but i really thot i had explained it…. Probably something that i have experienced so much i projected onto others, while it was there first time to experience such a thing, so they could not easily grasp the significance of the passage. One of these people said that they had thot too that there were small mistakes in the Bible, unimportant to salvation, but in reading this, could see how that was a very shaky foundation, and they thanked me and thanked me for coming to help strengthen their faith.

Amazing things God has done for us.

The evening closed with a good talk with some of the students in the men’s home about the various editions of The Great Controversy, and then discussed one man’s thinking on the 2nd commandment, about not having pictures of Jesus in books.

Sunday i spent the day mowing grass, roto-tilling the small garden, and watching others pull a huge log a couple of miles by heavy-equipment, wondering if the rope would break (it did, twice), and log rolling into traffic and killing everybody….

This evening i have been asked to do one more study, so am wondering whether to do chapter 34 or 35. What to do? Give me an answer Lord, and may the sweet spirt of harmony still be with us.

1979

2 Comments / daily rambliniscings / May 28, 2009

highland academy class of 1979

That’s my graduating class, at least all of them who came to the 30th reunion last Sabbath at Highland Academy in Portland Tennessee.

I arrived a bit early, and while signing up, was suddenly spirited off by two lively young ladies, one grabbing each arm. Whoops, forget the “young” part. This small gesture tho really made me feel at home, and welcome here in this place where i spent so much of my life growing up.

As usual, many of the people hang around in the foyer talking, while inside only a handful are sitting down. It used to be that the whole church would meet in the gym on Alumni Sabbath, and there would be probably close to 700-1000 people. But this year only the alumni were in the gym, so the number of people attending was much smaller.

One of our own class, Kevin Shelley, gave the sermon about complacency. Then most of the people ate lunch, while i went out searching for more people. I found the old P.E. teacher, one who used to treat us all very harshly, and we had a nice chat. One classmate told me a week earlier that this teacher remarked to her how he was sorry he treated us as he did, and of course i’ve forgiven him in my heart long ago. No doubt he was just doing what he thot best at the time, but to have the humbleness to admit he was wrong – that requires a heart that is rarely seen today.

My old 6th grade teacher saw me, and caused my eyes to water a bit. She told how she always prays to God to take care of her “little lambs”, and as i had been in the first batch, she always had something special for that first group. After answering her question about how people respond to the 1858 Great Controversy book, she confided: “Most people will never understand people like you and me.” That shook my heart to its core….so true, absolutely true. She is planning to retire this May after teaching at Highland for 36 years, and i really thank God for leading her to this place at such a time in my life – when i was just 12 years old.

Most of the time i spent with one classmate who i had gone to one of the junior-senior proms with. She has had a rollercoaster life, but is still wanting to have that deep walk with Jesus. Hopefully i can meet her again in the remaining part of this month while in America.

Around 4pm we all met in Ponce Hall, and went around in a circle explaining what has happened in each of our lives. It started out with a lot of laughter, but got more serious, then dragged a bit long. For some reason i had lots of butterflies in my stomach when i saw my turn approaching, but once started, all those butterflies flew away somewhere, and i had lots of clear thinking (that’s why i didn’t eat lunch) and talking, and could give one of these 1858gc books to everyone. Someone asked me to speak some Japanese, so i said John 3:16. Yes, that felt a little prideful maybe, hehe. Actually, i do still love Japan very much, but God is calling in different directions now…

The evening ended with me giving away some coins from various countries. One classmate has two sons in Pathfinders, so they should enjoy them.

The gravesite of my parents, with my name listed among the children on the back, of course brought tears to my eyes. The place is so peaceful, in an open field, with cows grazing nearby. If Jesus doesn’t come back soon, it would be nice to rest there, but as i won’t know anything anyway, it really doesn’t matter does it?

getting up there…

Leave a Comment / daily rambliniscings / April 3, 2009

Next week i’m scheduled to go to Uchee Pines and give studies of the 1858gc with the people there. Please remember me in prayer.

My plan is to go to my old SDA high school (Highland Academy) for our 30th year homecoming this Sabbath. I hope to introduce these 1858 Great Controversy books to my old classmates.
I’m old!!

happy non-sdarm day

Leave a Comment / daily rambliniscings / March 25, 2009

I just got a email from a man i met in Okinawa for the first time just 3 weeks ago. He was super-supportive of this 1858 Great Controversy book in Japanese, one of the very few people in the whole country who are, it seems to me.

BUT,,,,while he was once a pastor for the SDA church, he is now a member of the Reform Movement. After a study of the 1858gc book on Saturday evening, he asked me what i thot about the Reform Movement. I had them read from Ezekiel 9, and asked “Where are the people who receive the seal, and what are they doing?” They replied: “In Jerusalem, sighing and crying for the abominations done in it”. Then i asked: “What is Jerusalem?” They replied “The Seventh-day Adventist church”. I added: “So if you want the seal of God, you must be IN the SDA church, and must sigh and cry for the abominations it does”.

I then said that while the zeal with the Reform Movement is much greater than in the SDA church, God does not want us to make any new organization – the Seventh-day Adventist church is his last church.

The leader/former SDA pastor, mentioned one man we both know in Korea who came out of SDA to join the SDARM for a couple of years, but has now returned to the SDA fold. He said: “That man told me he could have a better chance to witness to those in the SDA church if he was IN the church.” I agreed wholeheartedly. After being asked what to do, i replied that they must pray, follow God’s revealed will, and could perhaps continue meeting as they were, but as a SDA home-church.

Well just this morning i got a email saying that one member purchased 25 1858gc books, and that several members left SDARM.

Praise God!!!! I’m so, so happy, and hope and pray that the little flock there will be kept from the wolves sent by Satan. Please Lord, watch over your torn and bleeding sheep.

summary of 38 month trip spreading 1858 great controversy

Leave a Comment / travel spreading 1858gc / March 17, 2009

After 3 years and 2 months, i’m finally back in my favorite place on this planet – Japan. I left in October 2005, and returned in December 2008. Thru the careful watchcare of the heavenly angels, i was able to travel to 22 countries with no physical assaults on my body other than that experienced by everyone in those countries – like heat, noise, smells, hideous sights etc. This was no vacation trip, but still there were lots of nice people to meet, new foods to try, wonderful sights, lovely smells, (nothing good about the noise), and did i mention the heat? – i LIKE it (up to about 34C (93F)!

Mostly tho, it was quite enjoyable, especially the times when i could study the 1858 Great Controversy with people, and also when told by someone that i had helped lift them up closer to Jesus.

Was it worth it? DEFINITELY. Seeing the low state of my Seventh-day Adventist Brothers and Sisters in most countries was painful, but the nice thing was finding out that there were nearly always between 1~3 people in every church that are really on fire, and really hungry for the truth as it is in Jesus. The only exception i can think of was at what is probably the richest SDA church in SE Asia. But that was a common thread for everywhere – where the people are rich, they don’t feel much of a need for Jesus, where the people are poor, they do.

Living for extended periods in places where you can’t speak the language or know what’s in the food or much of anything can make one feel pretty small. Seeing how God has been leading me, i realize that there must be a lot of pride in me to make God want to chisel it out this much – thank you Lord!

A list of my travels, in as good an order as i can remember:
Philippines – Malaysia – Thailand – Cambodia – Vietnam – Cambodia – Thailand – Myanmar – Thailand – Malaysia – Singapore – Thailand – Sri Lanka – India – England – Holland – Germany – Switzerland – Italy – Greece – Turkey – Georgia – Armenia – Azerbaijan – Georgia – Armenia – Georgia – United Arab Emirates – Nepal – Thailand – Philippines – Thailand – Cambodia – Vietnam – Cambodia – Thailand – Malaysia – Thailand – Laos – Thailand – Cambodia – Thailand – Cambodia – Thailand – Myanmar – Thailand –

As you might have surmised from the above list, i spent a lot of time in Thailand – nearly half of the total 38 months. I even “settled down” there, renting an apt for 10 months and working as a teacher of 4th grade for 7 months at a SDA-layman-run international school in Bangkok. My next longest-stay place was Malaysia, where i met the most humble, hungry-for-truth, and on-fire people in all my journeys – Sabah Malaysia on the island of Borneo.

Did i learn to speak other languages? Not hardly at all. This travel reinforced what i already knew – that God has prepared things, using even stuff that is looked on as “evil” by Christians (and rightly so), to spread the language that he gave his prophets the words in around 150 years ago. Everywhere you go, especially in the cities, there are people who can speak English. And every church seems to have some too. What if God had given his words to someone in Phnom Penh 150 years ago? Who would ever know? And who would be able to translate those words into other languages today? But thanks to even bad music and movies which God has for some reason allowed Satan to make, he is still working to get his words out to everyone – amazing!

Other amazing things are the technologies that God has given to/allowed man to make: airplanes, telephones, computers, internet etc. It struck me numerous times how God has made it all so easy to be a missionary in these days. But where are the missionaries? For some reason, as things have gotten easier and easier, us SDAs have gotten lazier and lazier. What’s with that? As i write this, i think of the pics of students graduating from Union College in the 1910s or so. Whole groups of them holding signs with names of far-away countries they were going to, to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. A similarly-done pic taken today of graduates from that school (or any SDA school) would probably show them holding up signs of companies or law firms or medical centres that they had gotten hired at.

But while the number of missionaries looks to be much less today, one person can do a lot more than one person could do 100 years ago too. To print a book back then, it took a team of workers: translators, proofreaders, literary assistants, gofers, type-setters, copy-proofers, layout artists etc. etc. Now it can all be done by one or two people using a computer with decent software! And if there is a question? just type it in, and within seconds, all the power of the internet is at your fingers to produce the answer you need. Need funds? send instantly. Need to talk to someone? Very cheap to free now. Even airlines, with their discounts, have made it very cheap and easy to cover vast distances in almost no time at all. Airplanes really are the “time machines” of the 21st century.

So did i accomplish anything? I pray so. I definitely know some people who got a fire in their bones to translate and print more Ellen White books in their language. Also, many people studied this 1858gc with me, and promised to read the whole book. For the numerically inclined:
2000 English printed in Malaysia
10000 English printed in India
1000 Malay
2000 Georgian
4000 Tamil printed in India
1000 Tamil printed in Malaysia
3000 Khmer
1000 Thai
Note: Many books and languages were done/still being printed or translated in northern India and the Philippines. In both of these places i have been sponsoring people for 3 years or more to work full-time spreading this book and/or doing pastoral work.

Translated in Malaysian, Khmer, Burmese, Punjabi, Thai, and Romanian. The Tamil one was retranslated. Translation was started on Armenian but not yet completed. The Chinese and Azeri translations were started, but stopped,

Hmmm, typing this up just now, it makes it look like really i didn’t do hardly anything for 38 months…… Plus, the Malay printing and Tamil printing in Malaysia were not sponsored by myself. But that is one of the really great things – other people have caught a vision to get these book out, even if it means using their own money.

And this is where i find nearly all of us SDAs are failing — We are putting money above God. “Go, make the possessors of lands and money drunk with cares. If you can make them place their affections upon these things, we have them yet. They may profess what they please, only make them care more for money than the success of Christ’s kingdom, or the spread of the truths we hate. ….Crowd all you can around them to attract them, and they will be surely ours. ” Has Satan succeeded? “I saw that Satan carried out his plans well.” While we have the truths, especially the truth that about the state of the dead which will keep us from falling into the trap of spiritualism, we are easy prey for him when it comes to money.

Yes, i realize that in talking about this, some will think: “He’s just upset that he isn’t getting more of it”. No, that’s exactly the heart attitude that i’m warning against. Every morning i wake up and pray Matthew 6:33, and God has never failed to keep his promise. He knows just what we need. And if we don’t make a sacrifice now, we will be found outside the heavenly city one day.

This love of money is all thru our ranks, and i believe is the major cause of a huge problem i see everywhere: we are idolizing the world in our education. Our educational institutions are graduating people who have no inclination to spread the gospel. The main focus is on “getting a high-paying job”. But look at who the SDA schools hire – they try to get those with the highest diploma. So you have “Mission College”, the only higher-level educational institution we have in SE Asia, and how many MISSIONaries are they producing? almost zero.

So now one of my goals is to help start small, Bible-based schools all thruout SE Asia. It can, and must be done. We must get back to basics: Bible-based, agriculture, manual labor, technical training, and a humble heart that is on-fire to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to a dying world.

I doubt i will go back to SE Asia soon, but am thinking about going to India. I do miss my friends in Thailand and Malaysia especially, and people in both places have asked me to come and stay as long as i like 🙂 Thank you! I want to help all that is in my power, but more than that, my dream is to get this 1858gc book into a 3D animated movie, and that looks to be driving me to go to India to fulfill that dream.

Lord, you are so lovely, the desire of all my heart. Nothing can compare to you. When my mind or eyes wander onto forbidden paths, please bring me back to the cross. Why do you love me so much? I’m nothing. Even people with some of the same blood as mine get angry at me for reproving their sins, Lord, but i love them, and want to see them in heaven. Please give me courage to call sin by its right name wherever it is – especially when it enters my heart. Please cleanse me, and make me holy.

All my friends/Brothers/Sisters i made/met on this travel, Lord, please keep them burning brightly for you. May the whole focus of their lives be sacrificing all on the altar for you. May you accept our measly sacrifice Lord, and sanctify it, change it into your likeness, so that when you come our faces will not gather blackness, but will shine with your glory, as Moses’ did when he came down from the mount after talking with you.

Lord, may your words spread thruout the whole earth. May everyone have a chance to prepare for what is going to come on the world as an overwhelming surprise. Thank you so much for choosing me to spread these words. They are life. They are joy. They are my everything – the truth. Because truth is eternal, and the truth is Jesus Christ.

Give me strength Lord to continue working for you. Show me how best to use my remaining energy and funds that you have so lovingly supplied me with. Send your angels to keep me from dashing my foot against any stones of my own making, or stones that others throw in my way.

I love you Jesus.

4 days in korea

Leave a Comment / travel spreading 1858gc / March 16, 2009

I know i really should put up details of my trip to Japan before Korea, but i have 30 minutes before my plane starts boarding to Atlanta, so will put this up quickly.

The place i stayed is the family who printed the Japanese 1858 Great Controversy for me in 2001, and is mostly known for printing SDA literature including the “Study Bible” with the Ellen White quotes at the bottom of the pages. They are doing a great work, with a worldwide impact. Their current project is working together with the General Conference to print 2 million sets of 10 pocket-sized Spirit of Prophecy books.

Incheon airport is very nice, and in waiting for my bus, i thot back over the first time i came to Korea in 1988 – people wearing old-fashioned clothes carrying humongous bags with lots of tape and rope, and the ever-present smell of kimchi – all replaced by people wearing fashionably black clothes pulling fashionable small suitcases rolling along, and the smell replaced by cigarette smoke and Avanti perfume.

But this is still Korea, and things don’t work like in Japan – for better and for worse. The ticket for my bus says to go to 8B stop, but in going there, the driver tells me to go to 8A. My 4:20 bus i’m told will not come, so have to wait for the 4:50 bus. But everything is of much higher quality than i remember it, and soon i’m sped off to KINTEX where my friend comes to pick me up. He shows me his family’s publishing office, and i’m duly impressed. It’s one of the greatest things probably i’ve ever seen to tell the truth, except for the huge presses i’ve seen at a SDA publishing house before, and when i saw books i have ordered being printed.

I’m quite surprised at the house, as it is in the city, because the 2 times i have met them before, they lived out in the countryside. But it is very near their office, which is just next door to the printer they use, so it is very convenient in printing the books and literature. The office is large, and has around 5 or 6 computers and space for workers, with a very large area for displaying books or holding meetings etc.

Sabbath we went to the Northern Asian Pacific Division Headquarter’s English-speaking church. It was amazing to me that the president of the Division in his sermon quoted Ellen White extensively. Yes, Lord, please increase our faith. Several people were very friendly to me, and i could give a short testimony to a very small group in the Sabbath-school lesson time.

In the afternoon we walked up a hill behind the house, and were rewarded with a view extending way-out over the Han river, clear over into North Korea. It was my first time to see North Korea, and it was interesting to notice some of the contrasts with the South – no satellite dishes, no trees, no visible cars, smaller buildings etc. May God help the persecuted Christians there. It made me feel so strange to be able to worship God freely, knowing that just around 5km away, the people did not have that privilege. It was also strange to ride on the expressways seeing the high barbwire fence on the side to keep out anyone trying to infiltrate South Korea.

The family had a mini family-reunion, so there were lots of people, but my friend kindly gave me his bed and he slept on a futon on the floor. The house was very modern, and the food and everything was very good. The best thing, is that Korean houses usually have warmed floors – very nice! The Japanese could learn something there.

Sunday was mostly a computer day, but the highlight, and the highlight of the whole trip here, was in studying carefully chapter 30 of the 1858 Great Controversy with my friend. He was deeply affected, and it affected me too, giving me more energy to want to spread this wonderful book and its tremendous truths to others.

The friend and his father gave encouragement to go ahead with the 1858gc movie, giving me a heart-boost. I heard that the Korean 1858gc that was printed several years ago has gotten out to a few people, but the main translator is now in the Philippines, so i didn’t learn much about the results of spreading the book here in Korea.

So now i’m at the airport, ready to go to America for the first time in 5 years. What awaits me? only God knows. I will “Trust and Obey”, and i’m sure he will keep me “Happy in Jesus” 🙂