Baptized for the Dead

Today I would like to talk to you about a topic that should be familiar to Seventh-day Adventists: the third angel’s message. Many of you know the importance of this message and so you may wonder why I would want to bring this topic before you again. Well notice what Ellen White has to say about the Third Angel’s Message. She says: The third angel’s message is the great sanctifying as well as the testing truth. 25 LtMs, Ms 60, 1911, par. 1. And in another place: When the third angel’s message shall go forth with a loud voice [and] the whole earth shall be lightened with His glory, the Holy Spirit is poured out upon His people. 14LtMs, Lt 96a, 1899, par7. And finally she says: The third angel's message is the gospel message for these last days, and in no case is it to be overshadowed by other interests and made to appear an unessential consideration. Testimonies, Volume 6, 241. Clearly the third angel’s message is incredibly important to God’s people at this time. As a result of thi...

During the time of the reformation beginning in the 1500s the reformers that would go on to form the protestant churches all agreed on the basic methods of prophetic interpretation. From Martin to Luther to John Calvin all the way to John Wesley centuries later the reformers were in agreement about the method that should be used. You see the reformers believed in something that we would identify today as historicism. Now the term historicism has different meanings in different contexts like art and literature. But in the context of prophecy historicism means that the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation and others are being fulfilled throughout history. From the perspective of historicism the prophecies begin in the past and extend through the present to the future. This is the way that the reformers and eventually the members of the early Adventist church understood prophecy.  Now you may say doesn’t everyone understand prophecy this way? Well actually they do not. Some Christian d...

I t has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again only to expect different results. This of course applies to many things in life but perhaps broadly to our struggle with sin as Christians. The apostle Paul wrote: For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. Romans 7:15 NASB How many times have we found ourselves repeating the same mistakes of old? If it is human to err but divine to forgive then God must be really good at forgiving. Why? Because we test Him time and time again. If you’re like me I don’t want to be caught up in this never ending cycle. I want to break free to a new path.  This whole line of reasoning reminds me of a 90s movie entitled Groundhog Day. The premise is simple. A selfish reporter, Phil Conners, played by comic actor Bill Murray finds himself reliving Groundhog Day over and over. At first he tries to exploit the knowledge h...

In 2019 a survey was done by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation in all 50 states. The survey was conducted on 41,000 people. In the survey Americans were asked the the questions that are found on the citizenship test. The results were abysmal. 49 out of 50 states had less than a majority that could pass this test with Vermont being the only exception. Only 40 percent passed the test nationwide and only 27 percent of those under the age of 45 were able to pass the test. Only 15 percent of Americans knew that the Constitution was written in 1787.  It is clear with results like these that Americans don’t know their history and history is important. The writer-philosopher George Santayana is credited with saying: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905. If that is the case it seems like our culture is on a fast track to repeating our history. Is the same true for the church? The bible says: My people a...

Following the untimely death of Matthew Hill from cancer in 2007 the Hill family established what has now become known as No-Shave November. This organization seeks to raise funds and awareness for cancer by encouraging men to refrain from shaving during the month of November. To date the organization has raised millions of dollars to help fight cancer. The organization states that their goal: "is to grow awareness by embracing our hair, which many cancer patients lose, and letting it grow wild and free.” No-Shave November is not the only organization to encourage men to put down the razor to help raise awareness for charity. Movember a similar and even earlier organization encourages men to begin November clean shaven and then to grow a mustache to raise awareness for various charities. Both organizations have created a fun, community oriented approach to raising money for charities by telling men to put down the razor in November. But did you know that these organizations were n...

Nearing the conclusion of the controversy on this war torn and weary world John the Revelator writes about God’s people:   And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation 12:11  Salvation it seems is hard won. After all, it cost the life of God’s own dear Son. Blood, sweat and tears were all shed by our Savior, but it is His blood that makes all the difference. For you see: “…without shedding of blood is no remission.” Hebrews 9:22  Without the spilled blood of Jesus there would be no forgiveness. The Bible says that the life is in the blood and Jesus gave it all for you and me.  The blood of Jesus is emblematic of the sacrifice of Jesus. The rescue of our souls required the purchase of His blood. God had to give so that we might live.  But did you know that when Jesus spilled His blood and poured out His life His blood began to take on new characteristics? As Jesus' li...