The Metamorphosis of La Sierra University: an eye-witness account
Benjamin Burkhardt;

(Quote)”Satan is no dummy! He attacked Moses as a baby. He attacked Jesus as a baby. And he loves nothing more than to destroy Adventist children before they can ever take hold of and carry the Creator’s message to the whole world.”

Mr. Burkhardt, I couldn’t agree with you more–and your statement agrees with what I have put on this forum several times. “You cannot expect our young people to courageously carry the torch of truth to the world if we haven’t passed it on to them in the first place!”

When I was a child growing up our small little Adventist church (with it’s equally small little two room church school behind it), Bible lessons were strictly “Adventist.” My eighth grade Bible book was entitled “God’s Great Plan” which started with the fall of Lucifer and ended with the “Earth Made New.” We studied Daniel, we studied Revelation–and everything in between. We had workbooks that emphasized each lesson. Of course, at that age we didn’t completely understand everything but our academy Bible lessons enforced those beliefs–and so did our college classes. (Unfortunately, we STILL don’t completely understand everything!)But, with God’s help we did produced great leaders who pioneered both radio and TV programs such as HMS Richards, George Vandeman and others whose names I cannot recall at the moment. Has it registered with anyone that three of our top evangelist today were NOT EDUCATED IN OUR SCHOOLS (Doug Batchelor, Shawn Boonstra, and David Asscherick.)? God found them, as really great “sinners” out in the “world” and led them to this wonderful truth!!

Several times on this site I have told of the young academy girl who was “stunned” to find out (in her senior year academy Bible class) that the story of Daniel in the Lion was a FACT–not a fairy tale like Cinderella. I knew this girl personally and she was also “stunned” when I showed her a copy of my eighth grade Bible book (God’s Great Plan). She looked at me and said, “You studied THAT in the EIGHT GRADE?” Believe me, I was shocked to find out that this girl was reared in an Adventist home and had attended Adventist schools all of her life! Where were her parents? (What were THEY taught in grade school?) Where were her Bible teachers all of that time? What was she being taught about what we as a people claim to believe? Sad to say, she has left the church and no longer believes anything we teach.

At the time I went to our local ABC and looked at the Bible books then being used. They were so watered down as to be acceptable in just about any protestant church school in the country. That was many years ago and I have no idea what the current Bible books are today. But I do know that there are many loyal, dedicated, Bible believing teachers and pastors among us that are struggling to teach what we as a people claim to believe but they need the proper tools with which to work.

There is a great deal of concern over the teaching of evolution-and other departures in our universities–and that concern is sorely needed. Yes, we do need to thoroughly prune out these “dead branches” at the top of our educational tree but, even more importantly, we desperately need to be sure the “roots”–our children and youth–are really being fed the true “fertilizer” of the everlasting truths of the Bible!

Whether we want to believe it or not, we ARE Laodicea! Sin lies at OUR door. (“We have met the enemy and he is us!”) Unfortunately, the “social gospel” has found its way into our churches and many things have crept in that do not lead is to the God we claim to love and serve. When are we going to wake up, quit making excuses, and actually DO something about cleaning up the mess WE have created? The lambs do follow the sheep, you know–and if the lambs are lost what a terrible price we sheep will have to pay! May God give us the wisdom to know what must change and the courage we need to change it.

I take a great deal of comfort from this note from Ellen White: “The work is soon to close. The members of the church militant who have proved faithful will become the church triumphant. In reviewing our past history, having traveled over every step of advance to our present standing, I can say, praise God! As I see what God has wrought, I am filled with astonishment, and with confidence in Christ as leader. We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord had led us, and His teaching in our past history.” General Conference Daily Bulletin, January 29, 1893

One question before us is will WE have so lived and so worked that WE may be found on that “ship” that WILL safely sail into the heavenly harbor? I say only those of us who are willing to accept our OWN responsibilities, and prayerfully ask God to forgive us for OUR mistakes and the strength and courage to do what needs to be done–no matter how distasteful it may be. Yes, our leaders do desperately need our encouragement and our prayers in this time of crisis and we should not withhold this from them. But we as individual members and churches, no matter how small, need to reexamine our OWN policies and practices and see if WE are doing what WE can to help prepare OUR children and youth for the work God has for them to do?

Louie Bishop Testifies, Again, about His Experience at La Sierra University
@Larry:
Larry, don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. Just get rid of those who teach and and support that which is contrary to the 28 SDA fundamental beliefs.

The reality of creation is the basis of our name
This is a wonderful sermon. Due to problems with my Hope Chanel system I was unable to listen to it so was delighted to see it printed on your website. I was able to make a printed copies of it to share with some friends who also were not able to hear it. Thanks so much!

LSU graduate comments on LSU conflict
11-12-10

A short while back a dear friend sent me an email with lots of beautiful pictures showing a garden (somehow I lost the site) in which every bush had been transformed into a bird, an animal–even a child. It was absolutely magnificent!

As I looked at one of the amazing displays I started wondering what would happen if I was actually in that garden and approached a group of people who were also enjoying the beauty it held. And if after a few moments I said something like this:

“This is so beautiful–and to think Nature did it all on her own! It is truly amazing of what she can do if people will just back off and let her do her own thing.”

What would their reaction have been? (I suspect they would have thought I was somewhat deranged and slowly backed away and left before I became violent!)

Obviously that garden had a lot of very talented hands (and minds) behind all of that beauty and I suspect they were there every day clipping away the stray twigs and leaves that started appearing here and there.)

But is my disbelief in evolution unreasonable, and show my lack of knowledge (as some scientists contend), when I question that this beautiful world just “evolved” from chaos with no intelligent mind behind it? Why can’t we see it happening today? Who turned off the switch? And why?

I’m not a scientist but if this isn’t a case of “The Emperor Has No Clothes” I don’t know what one would be. We are often overwhelmed with the many wonderful and useful things humans have come up with that makes our lives more livable but every new invention or other things ALWAYS have a creative mind behind them. Why is it so difficult to recognize that the wonderful world we live in HAD to have an intelligent mind behind it? What ever happened to common sense?

Lydian

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.

LSU graduate comments on LSU conflict
When Man’s wisdom–however intelligent it may sound, or how many “letters” there are behind someone’s name (or even a lot of “someones”) that proclaim it–if it contradicts a single plain “Thus saith the Lord” it is NOT “present truth!” however much it may appeal to the liberal minds of millions who may wish an easier way to get to heaven.

I fear we are a long way from being the “people of the Book” we once were! But, guess what!–God knew this would happen and He called the last of the seven churches “Laodicea.” Truly, we are saying, “I am rich…and have need of nothing.” (After all, folks didn’t have the brilliant scientists such as we have today when You told Moses–and even our Adventist pioneers
–You did it is six literal days and rested the seventh!)

I am NOT against true science or scientists! There definitely is a real place for it (and them) and I truly believe it is “God given.” I have a LOT of respect for true science and true scientists but when someone–anyone–goes against a plain “Thus saith the Lord” they lose me. (Not that these folks really care if a very “ignorant”, very “old lady” doesn’t believe them!) But God does and that’s enough for me!

As Bob said–“All have free will. To each his own.” I agree! (But I still tremble for those who believe ideas contrary to what God says–even if it comes from the mouth of a renowned scientist, an “Adventist” teacher or an “Adventist” preacher. (Please forgive me if I have misunderstood or misjudged anyone.)