W .ncm iragem ent I’m glad God sent you, friend; He knew I needed just that smile O f comradeship and cheer, Just that one touch of helpfulness For someone who was near, And so He sent encouragement By you. I’m glad God sent you, friend; The road seems not so hard today, The way seems not so long, Because I still can feel your smile; The echo of your song. I know it’s God’s encouragement By you.
rom the SDA Church
sins are all upon the record until after the investigative judgment. But in their presentation there was not a single Bible text. Adventism and justification can not live together. At my trial the secretary reasoned thus: “ If Brother Greive is right on justification and no record of a believer’s sins re mains upon the books, then verily there is no investigative judgment; and if there is no investigative judgment then no Adventist move ment of 1844; and if no Adventist movement the whole prophetic interpretation of Daniel 8:13, 14 is gone.” But Seventh-day Adventism must not be dismissed as unworthy of notice. It has an attractive side and a driving force worthy of a better cause. Their members are selfless in their devotion and loyal to its creed and to its propagation. There is personal sacrifice in giving and service that is altogether astonish ing. The expansion of their move ment is phenomenal and their activities world wide. Their mem bers are honorable and lovable in the main. A ll this makes the task of their enlightenment one of the greatest facing Christendom today. And they are stuck in the mud of their pharisaical pride that “ we are God’s very own people. We have a prophetess that no other modem religion has. W e keep the 10 com mandments. We pay our tithes and offerings!” Indeed the task of winning them will be difficult. As an Adventist minister for 30 years, I know there will be no change from within. True, the cruder form of their doc trines is giving way to a more pol ished expression of the same. But the hard core of original Adventist doctrine persists. A few minor changes and modifications will never make Adventism a New Testament church in the Protestant succession. It will have to be re built from the bottom up.
finally.” Consistent with the SDA demand for implicit faith in Mrs. White is a recent article appearing in the Australasian Record titled, “ The Unchanging Unchangeable Truth.” It was written by the head of the Australasian SDA church. Said this learned gentleman: “No fresh pres entation, or clearer outline will ever change or diminish the force of the truth of the foundational doctrines which have made us a distinct peo ple. Unfortunately some of our peo ple have gained the impression that there is developing within the church some change in attitude toward the Spirit of Prophecy [writings of Mrs. White] and also toward the nature of the work of Christ in the cleansing of the sanc tuary. It is even suggested by some that the General Conference [USA ruling body of SDAs] is consider ing the matter of presenting a changed viewpoint to our people on these subjects. W e desire to state unequivocably that such statements are not true; they do not bear a semblance o f truth.'’ The writer of this article then quoted W . R. Beach, secretary of the General Conference, who had written to assure the Australasian division of SDAs that their fears of any impending changes in doctrine were altogether groundless. “W e have made it clear here at the seminary and elsewhere,” said Beach, “ that there is no altering of our position, no new pronounce ment. . . .” The doctrinal and prophetical edifice of Adventism rests not on the Bible alone, but upon Mrs. White and' the Bible. This duality of revelation under interpretation of the “ s e c on d a r y ” revelation creates a freak religion that is in no way related to full-blooded Protestantism. When I was on trial the committee essayed to give me 16 quotations from extra-canonical sources to prove that a believer’s
— ; Bertha H. Pentney (From her new book Songs of a Servant.)
A u b , iding in Him "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” — Heb. 13:8 Christ was the Lord of all my yesterdays, N o matter where I stood: In sad, in stormy, or in sun-lit ways, I found His presence good. Christ is the Lord of my today: The dawn Beyond my morning hill Comes up in glory when the night is gone, And Christ is with me still. So I can trust Him for tomorrow too, Though skies be dark or fair: It will not matter— every sky is blue When Christ, my Lord, is there. — Helen Frazee-Bower O w Thing Remains 2 Pet. 3:10 Matt. 24:35 When heaven is no longer bright and blue, When earth’s small candle has burned out its day; When, like a vesture, God shall take the two And fold them up and put them both away; When all the earth-bound heart is con scious of Shall be no more, but melt with fer vent heat; When there is naught beneath and naught above — Where can a weary pilgrim plant his feet? One thing remains, and only this is sure, On this alone the seal of God is placed: His blessed Word forever shall endure— Not one of all its promises erased, N o cancelled truth. And all shall wake to see, W ho stand on this, a glad eternity. — Helen Frazee-Bower
The King's Business/July 1958
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