A big reason why so many people are leaving the church
6-5-211

I don’t know where the problem is but somehow or other my messages seem to end up somewhat different from what my computer says I sent.

I know I’m getting older (so is my computer) and somewhat prone to make more mistakes so I always type my messages out on my computer first before I send them. I usually read them over several times to make sure they are at least somewhat sensible. Then I copy and paste them–and check them again before I hit the submit button. But periodically they end up being somewhat different than they looked on my computer. (I keep a copy of everything I send and copy and send it when I think it is says what I want it to say. I will add however that the “she” I referred to was EGW–and that was my mistake.)

I’m not going to resend the current one because I think folks can get my points even though they are not exactly what my computer says I sent. I will admit that I have been having a lot of problems with it ever since a tornado went through our area last month and I’m calling in the “doctor” this week to see if it can be cured or if I need to kiss it goodby and get another one. (We had no damage to our property for which we are thankful, while others not far from us were heavily damaged and even some injuries and some deaths occurred so a messed up computer is a small price to pay for what happened. )

However, I have decided to never again to send out a message at almost 2:00 A.M. I’ll wait until the next morning to do my sending. (Your time said my message was received at 10:57 P.M. but I am on the east coast and we are three hours ahead of you folks on the west coast so my time said 1:57 A.M.) Perhaps my computer was as tired as I was.

A big reason why so many people are leaving the church
Bob, I’m not going to argue with you but I still maintain that whatever God revealed to Moses about creation or when He did it, it was still “history” and not “prophecy.” Prophecy is a telling of the unknown FUTURE–not the past. Telling what has already happened is HISTORY–not prophecy.

Only God can reveal the future–and He stakes His claim to being the one and only true GOD by being the ONLY ONE who CAN, and does, reveal the unknown future–sometimes centuries in advance– and have it happen just exactly as He said it would–right on time and correct in every detail.

I am not running true science down. It can and should be studied–but Satan can (and does) twist it to fit his agenda whenever he can so we need to be cautious about what we accept as “fact” and what we don’t (no matter how acclaimed and famous the speaker may be.) And, although he has a far more brilliant mind than any scientist who ever lived, God has never allowed him to meddle with prophecy. As I have mentioned earlier, prophecies are what we need to be giving to the whole world. If these are true (and so far none have failed) then these are the ones that will give people confidence that God is who He says he is and so give us a solid reason to believe what He said He did.
She especially states (over and over and over again) that we should especially preach and teach the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. She says they were especially given for our time in history and that they should be thoroughly studied
and preached to our own people as well as to the world. I have over 30 pages of typewritten messages from many of her different books in which she plainly states that only those who have a thorough knowledge of these two prophetic books will finally receive the seal of God and enter in through the gates and into the city. Satan knows that and for this reason he does everything in his power to prevent them from being studied.

I have a picture that “says it all” as far as I am concerned. It is a picture of a rear view mirror on a car and it shows Jesus second coming. The caption on the mirror says “The image in the mirror is closer than it appears.”

I believe this with all my heart. “Even so, come Lord Jesus!”

A big reason why so many people are leaving the church
BobRyan says:
Lydian – prophecy includes what Moses wrote about creation given that Moses lived about 2500 years after creation. Only divine revelation via dream/vision could have given him such a clear picture of the event.In Romans 1 Paul says that the “invisible attributes of God are clearly seen” in the things that have been made so that those with no Bible at all are “without excuse”.In Romans 10 Paul says “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” and “then” Paul goes on to point out that the “Word of God” that everyone is “hearing” is that which is found in nature.in Christ,Bob

………

My Reply:

Bob, I believe you are onfusing history with prophecy

It is true God revealed these things to Moses in some way–the Bible is silent on just how and when it was done–but when God refers to using prophecy to prove He is the only true God it is my understanding that He is referring to distinct prophecies He gave to Bible prophets telling what things will happen in the FUTURE and roughly when–such as the king’s dream of the great image. Nowhere (that I have found in the Bible) does He indicate that Genesis 1 and on is considered “prophecy” that He claims only He can give. That is all stated as FACT, history, if you will–and nothing can be proven by “time” such as Daniel 2, etc. (And past history can never be called “prophecy!”)

As I understand it, true “prophecy” has a rough date for when it was given and who it was given to and, in some cases, when it would take place. In other cases exact “dates” (as we understand them) were “indicated” but not necessarily actually “given.”

I may be wrong, but I believe it is THESE prophecies that God points to that prove that He, and He alone, is the TRUE GOD.

Anyone can write a “history” of what he says he has done but only the true God can tell what will happen in the future and have it actually happen down to the smallest detail sometimes thousands of years later. It is THESE prophecies upon which He bases His claim to be the only true God–and to date not one has failed!

These are the prophecies we need to be giving to the whole world. If these are true (and so far none have failed) then these are the ones that will give people confidence that God is who He says He is and so give us a solid reason to believe what He said He did.

No amount of “science,” be it good or bad, can do this.

A New Endowment Program for Adventist Education
So here I sit–a “very old lady”–totally confused and not having a clue as to whether to donate or not–or where to donate if I should.

As things stand now I think I will just continue putting my own little amount to my current “missionary out reach” of buying “Steps to Christ” and “Who Do You Think You Are?” and passing them on to the clerks in the stores where I shop or other people I meet that I think would like them.

If and when you folks decide on what, how and where to help in this very worthy project let me know and I’ll do what I can then.

A New Endowment Program for Adventist Education
I just noticed that there is such a program in place in northern California but I would want one that is nation wide. After all, if our kids aren’t already in danger here in the southern union also (as well the rest of the US) it’s most likely only a short matter of time till they will be.

A New Endowment Program for Adventist Education
I am far from a wealthy person who could and gladly would donate large sums of money to such a program but I could and would gladly donate some if such assurances were solidly in place. I’m sure there are many “old folks” like me “out there” who feel the same way. (Is there already such a program in place? If so please post all needed information.)

The God of the Gaps
While browsing my rather voluminous file of articles to “save” I ran across this jewel—I think it is worth saving and thinking about–especially the last statement by Darwin himself:
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Darwin’s Theory of Evolution

While Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is a relatively young archetype, the evolutionary worldview itself is as old as antiquity. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Anaximander postulated the development of life from non-life and the evolutionary descent of man from animal. Charles Darwin simply brought something new to the old philosophy — a plausible mechanism called “natural selection.” Natural selection acts to preserve and accumulate minor advantageous genetic mutations. Suppose a member of a species developed a functional advantage (it grew wings and learned to fly). Its offspring would inherit that advantage and pass it on to their offspring. The inferior (disadvantaged) members of the same species would gradually die out, leaving only the superior (advantaged) members of the species. Natural selection is the preservation of a functional advantage that enables a species to compete better in the wild. Natural selection is the naturalistic equivalent to domestic breeding. Over the centuries, human breeders have produced dramatic changes in domestic animal populations by selecting individuals to breed. Breeders eliminate undesirable traits gradually over time. Similarly, natural selection eliminates inferior species gradually over time.
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Darwin’s Theory of Evolution – Slowly But Surely…

Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is a slow gradual process. Darwin wrote, “…Natural selection acts only by taking advantage of slight successive variations; she can never take a great and sudden leap, but must advance by short and sure, though slow steps.” [1] Thus, Darwin conceded that, “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.” [2] Such a complex organ would be known as an “irreducibly complex system”. An irreducibly complex system is one composed of multiple parts, all of which are necessary for the system to function. If even one part is missing, the entire system will fail to function. Every individual part is integral. [3] Thus, such a system could not have evolved slowly, piece by piece. The common mousetrap is an everyday non-biological example of irreducible complexity. It is composed of five basic parts: a catch (to hold the bait), a powerful spring, a thin rod called “the hammer,” a holding bar to secure the hammer in place, and a platform to mount the trap. If any one of these parts is missing, the mechanism will not work. Each individual part is integral. The mousetrap is irreducibly complex. [4]

Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is a theory in crisis in light of the tremendous advances we’ve made in molecular biology, biochemistry and genetics over the past fifty years. We now know that there are in fact tens of thousands of irreducibly complex systems on the cellular level. Specified complexity pervades the microscopic biological world. Molecular biologist

Michael Denton wrote, “Although the tiniest bacterial cells are incredibly small, weighing less than 10-12 grams, each is in effect a veritable micro-miniaturized factory containing thousands of exquisitely designed pieces of intricate molecular machinery, made up altogether of one hundred thousand million atoms, far more complicated than any machinery built by man and absolutely without parallel in the non-living world.” [5]

And we don’t need a microscope to observe irreducible complexity. The eye, the ear and the heart are all examples of irreducible complexity, though they were not recognized as such in Darwin’s day. Nevertheless, Darwin confessed, “To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.” [6]

Footnotes:
1. Charles Darwin, “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life,” 1859, p. 162.
2. Ibid. p. 158.
3. Michael Behe, “Darwin’s Black Box,” 1996.
4. “Unlocking the Mystery of Life,” documentary by Illustra Media, 2002.
5. Michael Denton, “Evolution: A Theory in Crisis,” 1986, p. 250.
6. Charles Darwin, “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life,” 1859, p. 155.

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I don’t think Sean could have said it better himself!

Walla Walla University: The Collegian Debates Evolution vs. Creation
Sean, I guess I “bit off more than I can chew” when I subscribed to some of your other options.
All I can handle is the ^way it used to be”–like this column still is. Please put me back to this mode of information and I will be very happy. Thanks.