Church

Editor’s Note These are unusual times and we have decided in this issue to address two important questions related to the current financial crisis. Some ask how the church is handling its finances during the present global financial turmoil. Though circumstances and practices necessarily differ i...

It is good to remember certain events that took place in the past, for instance, one’s childhood and family, one’s wedding, the birth of one’s children, and one’s baptism. It is easier to remember an event, if a symbol is connected to it or if certain feasts are celebrated. Therefore, we celebrat...

Institution and Goal of Church Discipline It is the task of the Christian church to investigate, proclaim and preserve the contents of its faith, and to keep its standard of conduct pure. This means discharging duty and upholding right at the same time, duty and right in defending/protecting the ...

When people love each other, wanting to spent the rest of their lives together, and are committed to each other, they get married. In the same manner, when people love Jesus, wanting to follow Him as His disciples, and are committed to Him, they get baptized. I. The Meaning of Biblical Baptism Ce...

Western societies are often quite individualistic, missing the importance of a corporate entity. Yet groups of people are very important and can function in ways individuals cannot. Here is an illustration: Think about matches. An individual match can easily be broken. However, if ten or twenty m...

Introduction “Justice” in Micah 6:8 means more than general faithfulness in human relations. It intends strict equity, absolute fairness, and even redress with regard to the rights of all. Succinctly stated, it is the equitable distribution of benefits within a given society, giving to all their ...

The day the two ton Ten Commandments monument was hauled out of the lobby of the Alabama Supreme Court was, for some, a watershed moment. Preachers and politicians across the nation spoke up en masse against the court decision, and the implications they saw in it. Is it any wonder that sexual pro...

This book is a wake up call for Adventist pastors and administrators who have in some way been involved with the church-growth movement in North America and in other parts of the world. That has resulted in what is known today as mega-churches (they have an average of 2,000 worshipers every week)...

1. Doctrinal Illiteracy and a Weakened Sense of Identity In 1988 Neal C. Wilson recognized that “too many of our people are doctrinally illiterate, and as a result they have no firm convictions or commitment to this prophetic movement.” In 2002 Jan Paulsen called attention to the risk that Adven...

Renowned expository homiletician, Haddon Robinson, describes sermon preparation as a “dynamic process” that involves “insight, imagination, and spiritual sensitivity–none of which comes from merely following directions.” Nevertheless, “an awareness of how others approach the task produces confide...