General

Quinoa Loaf

Fiber, protein, and vegetables are all rolled into one in this flavor-packed loaf. Add a leafy salad for an affordable, satisfying dinner.

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons water
8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
1 3/4 cups cooked or canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup rolled oats
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, or 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme, or both
10 sundried tomatoes, soaked in water for 1 hour, drained, and chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion (about 1/2 onion)
Salt
Ground pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly coat an 8-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil.

Put 1 tablespoon of the water and the mushrooms in a large skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Add 2 more tablespoons of the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as it evaporates. Transfer the mushrooms to a large bowl and set aside.

Put the beans, oats, and remaining 1/2 cup water in a food processor and pulse until almost smooth. Combine the bean mixture, quinoa, peas, parsley, tomatoes, onion, and salt and pepper to taste with the mushrooms in the large bowl and stir well. Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan and gently press down. Bake for an hour to an hour and 25 minutes, or until firm and golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Tip: Leftover slices are delectable in sandwiches or stuffed into whole wheat pita bread.

Nutrition Information | Per serving (1/8 recipe):

calories: 172; fat: 2.6 g; saturated fat: 0.3 g; calories from fat: 12.7%; cholesterol: 0 mg; protein: 8.2 g; carbohydrates: 30.4 g; sugar: 3.7 g; fiber: 6.2 g; sodium: 215 mg; calcium: 46 mg; iron: 3.1 mg; vitamin C: 10 mg; beta-carotene: 458 mcg; vitamin E: 0.5 mg

Recipe by Ellen Jaffe Jones from Eat Vegan on $4 a Day

Honesty, Integrity, and Work

Colossians 3:23-25

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

Put your strength, energy, time and heart into your work as it shows your honesty. Even if you are an employee, work hard for your employer and realize you are serving the Lord. Your character that manifests itself in the workplace, with your family and community has more to do with your success in God’s plan than a large back account.

The kind of person you are says volumes about your character. Who makes a powerful witness for Jesus Christ?

Our nation is in a financial crisis right now. Whether we recognize it or not we are stewards. God put us here to work and be productive and be a strong Christian witness. When we seek to find Biblical principles of life management, we are following the best character of the universe.

We may not become wealthy according to the world’s standards. If we follow God’s principles, we will be blessed. Life is more than earning a living. Work is not about just providing an income. As Christians, we are faced with giving a response to the Great Commission of spreading the Gospel of Christ.

Mark 16:15
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

When we work, we are witnessing for Christ. Your job is your mission field. Biblical principles of management are found throughout the Bible and in particular in the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 3:5-10
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
      And lean not on your own understanding;
       6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
      And He shall direct your paths.
       7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
      Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
       8 It will be health to your flesh,
      And strength to your bones.
       9 Honor the LORD with your possessions,
      And with the first fruits of all your increase;
       10 So your barns will be filled with plenty,
      And your vats will overflow with new wine.
      
Lean not on your own understanding. Do not be wise in your own eyes, or proud or arrogant. Pride and arrogance destroy the person and all people around them. Pride destroys institutions and nations. Just look at King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon.

If at all possible, raise a child up on one income and let one parent work and one take care of the child. The children will benefit from not being in day care. The extra income from a two income family increases the families tax burden and once you pay tithe on the additional income, there is not that much more net income in the household.

This was Pastor Korter’s bible study on 14 September 2011 at Bellingham Seventh-day Adventist church.
     

The Inspiration of Words

This is the article written by Dr. Charles Edwards, Jr. in the Disabled American Veterans Magazine for September/October 2011.

The Inspiration of Words

A group of frogs was traveling through the woods and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the unfortunate frogs they would never get out.

The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and simply gave up. He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs  yelled at him to stop the pain and suffering and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs asked him, “Why did you continue jumping. Didn’t you hear us?” The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

This story teaches two lessons:

Number 1: There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.

Number 2: A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say.

Speak life to those who cross your path. The power of words….it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual who will take time to encourage another. Let us continue to encourage each other, my DAV family!

Attitude

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me is more important that the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.

It will make or break a company; a church, or a home. The remarkable thing is you have a choice everyday regarding the attitude you will embrace for the day.

We cannot change our past; we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have and that is attitude.

I am convinced that life is 10% what happened to me and 90% how I react to it so it is with you. You are in charge of your attitude.

Charles Swindol

Making Major Purchases

Luke 14:28
For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it.

Some purchases may require going into debt: a car, a house. Take time and shop around for the best price. Make sure to get the best interest rate on a major purchase. Put as much money down as possible.

You should get a no penalty loan if you pay the loan off early. Make extra payments as you can afford it. Get a fixed interest loan on a home.

If you pay cash for a vehicle, buy used, not new. A used vehicle owner has sustained depreciation on a used vehicle. Do not lease a vehicle as you will lose money.

It is wise to never co-sign a loan for anyone period. If you buy a house, get the lowest fixed interest rate 30 year loan possible. Do not get a 15 year loan.

When you sign the documents on a mortgage, the loan documents will include an amortization schedule. Start paying extra principle payments every month and in 15 years you will have paid off a 30 year loan.

When you start making mortgage payments on a 30 year fixed loan, the $1,500 payment is mostly interest and very little principle. Make a $250 payment every month against the principle and your 30 year loan will be paid off in just 15 years. Make a $500 extra payment towards the principle, and you can pay off a 30 year loan in 7 and 1/2 years.

I Won !

Internet Marketing

I have been working on ways to get more traffic to my websites this summer. Recently Ana Hoffman held a contest and the winner wins a WordPress Thesis Theme. Thesis is a premium theme for professional bloggers. You won’t believe who won! I also get a 30 minute SEO consult with Ana. Her blog has some massive traffic coming to it each day.

Training Children, Money and Marriage, Money and Singles

This lesson was given at Wednesday evening prayer meeting by Pastor Korter at Bellingham, Washington Seventh-day Adventist Church on 24 August 2011.

Philippians 4:11-13
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Stewardship is taught and caught in family relationships. Majority of the reason people have money problems is not that they don’t make enough money. The people don’t know how to manage the money they have and they don’t understand priorities of living.

An example is someone that gets behind on a payment for a house, car or utility bill because they go on a trip they cannot afford.

There are many books and websites about managing, saving and investing money. An adult needs to know how to provide for their family. Singles are recognized as households in God’s word.

Fundamentals from the Adventist Home Pages 15, 18, and 32
    Home Is the Heart of All Activity. –Society is composed of families, and is what the heads of families make it. Out of the heart are “the issues of life”; and the heart of the community, of the church, and of the nation is the household. The well-being of society, the success of the church, the prosperity of the nation, depend upon home influences.

    The elevation or deterioration of the future of society will be determined by the manners and morals of the youth growing up around us. As the youth are educated, and as their characters are moulded in their childhood to virtuous habits, self-control, and temperance, so will their influence be upon society. If they are left unenlightened and uncontrolled, and as the result become self-willed, intemperate in appetite and passion, so will be their future influence in moulding society. The company which the young now keep, the habits they now form, and the principles they now adopt are the index to the state of society for years to come.

    Creating a Pure Atmosphere. –Every Christian home should have rules; and parents should, in their words and deportment toward each other, give to the children a precious, living example of what they desire them to be. Purity in speech and true Christian courtesy should be constantly practiced. Teach the children and youth to respect themselves, to be true to God, true to principle; teach them to respect and obey the law of God. These principles will control their lives and will be carried out in their associations with others. They will create a pure atmosphere–one that will have an influence that will encourage weak souls in the upward path that leads to holiness and heaven. Let every lesson be of an elevating and ennobling character, and the records made in the books of heaven will be such as you will not be ashamed to meet in the judgement.

    Children who receive this kind of instruction will . . . be prepared to fill places of responsibility and, by precept and example, will be constantly aiding others to do right. Those whose moral sensibilities have not been blunted will appreciate right principles; they will put a just estimate upon their natural endowments and will make the best use of their physical, mental, and moral powers. Such souls are strongly fortified against temptation; they are surrounded by a wall not easily broken down.

    God would have our families symbols of the family in heaven. Let parents and children bear this in mind every day, relating themselves to one another as members of the family of God. Then their lives will be of such a character as to give to the world an object lesson of what families who love God and keep His commandments may be. Christ will be glorified; His peace and grace and love will pervade the family circle like a precious perfume.

    Much depends on the father and mother. They are to be firm and kind in their discipline, and they are to work most earnestly to have an orderly, correct household, that the heavenly angels may be attracted to it to impart peace and a fragrant influence.

    The family relationship should be sanctifying in its influence. Christian homes, established and conducted in accordance with God’s plan, are a wonderful help in forming Christian character. . . . Parents and children should unite in offering loving service to Him who alone can keep human love pure and noble.

    The first work to be done in a Christian home is to see that the Spirit of Christ abides there, that every member of the household may be able to take his cross and follow where Jesus leads the way.

    The Christian Home Is an Object Lesson. –The mission of the home extends beyond its own members. The Christian home is to be an object lesson, illustrating the excellence of the true principles of life. Such an illustration will be a power for good in the world. . . . As the youth go out from such a home, the lessons they have learned are imparted. Nobler principles of life are introduced into other households, and an uplifting influence works in the community.

    The home in which the members are polite, courteous Christians exerts a far-reaching influence for good. Other families will mark the results attained by such a home, and will follow the example set, in their turn guarding the home against Satanic influences. The angels of God will often visit the home in which the will of God bears sway. Under the power of divine grace such a home becomes a place of refreshing to worn, weary pilgrims. By watchful guarding, self is kept from asserting itself. Correct habits are formed. There is a careful recognition of the rights of others. The faith that works by love and purifies the soul stands at the helm, presiding over the whole household. Under the hallowed influence of such a home, the principle of brotherhood laid down in the word of God is more widely recognized and obeyed.

    Influence of a Well-ordered Family. –It is no small matter for a family to stand as representatives of Jesus, keeping God’s law in an unbelieving community. We are required to be living epistles known and read of all men. This position involves fearful responsibilities.

    One well-ordered, well-disciplined family tells more in behalf of Christianity than all the sermons that can be preached. Such a family gives evidence that the parents have been successful in following God’s directions, and that their children will serve Him in the church. Their influence grows; for as they impart, they receive to impart again. The father and mother find helpers in their children, who give to others the instruction received in the home. The neighborhood in which they live is helped, for in it they have become enriched for time and for eternity. The whole family is engaged in the service of the Master; and by their godly example, others are inspired to be faithful and true to God in dealing with His flock, His beautiful flock.

    The greatest evidence of the power of Christianity that can be presented to the world is a well-ordered, well-disciplined family. This will recommend the truth as nothing else can, for it is a living witness of its practical power upon the heart.

    The best test of the Christianity of a home is the type of character begotten by its influence. Actions speak louder than the most positive profession of godliness.

    Our business in this world . . . is to see what virtues we can teach our children and our families to possess, that they shall have an influence upon other families, and thus we can be an educating power although we never enter into the desk. A well-ordered, a well-disciplined f
amily in the sight of God is more precious than fine gold, even than the golden wedge of Ophir.

Mark 10:6-9
But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.

When you are one flesh, you need to plan and consult with each other. People should get married when they are prepared for it. Number 1 reason people get divorced is disagreements over money. Teach a child about money early in their life.

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Deuteronomy 6:1-7
“Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, 2 that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. 3 Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’
4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

God is saying we have a responsibility to teach our children about God, work, and money. Family should take care of children and not the government.

1 Peter 2:11-12
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Hillary Clinton said it takes a village to raise a child. That is not a Biblical statement. It takes a family to raise a child. The family should have an influence on the village. What attitude should we as Christians have about this earthly life? Our witness should be honorable, not cheating, lying, or stealing.

When Seventh-day Adventists get audited by the IRS, there is no dishonesty which is a powerful witness to the government about the honesty of Adventists as a faith based people.

Pray for the Holy Spirit

Praying for the Holy Spirit

Not long ago, Pastor heard about a pastor sending in bulletin announcements to the church office. The title of this pastor’s sermon was how to prepare for the spirit’s second coming. When the pastor arrived at church on Sabbath, he noticed in the bulletin that the sermon was titled how to prepare for Jesus second coming. The word spirit was left out.

Why are we not comfortable with the Holy Spirit? The holy spirit has unlimited power, is ever flowing in wisdom, and has the ability to transform our lives and hearts. When we are in trouble and need help, we gravitate to spiritual people that have a connection to the Holy Spirit.

What is happening in our lives? Jesus is coming soon. Are we looking for Him? God wants us to seek out the Holy Spirit.

Turn to Romans 8:26-27.
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Are we wanting to recognize our weaknesses in our lives? Major reason we are not drawn to the Holy Spirit is we think the spirit is not as close to us as Jesus is. We have an awesome promise. There is a very intimate relationship between the two. When we have a relationship with one, we are close to the other also. It is not possible to be close to Jesus and be absent from the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus was dying on the cross HE said, Father, I give my spirit up to you. Jesus felt separation from HIS Father. Please notice that we are never alone. Have you ever felt alone? Feel like you are the only one experiencing the pain or trial you are going through? Jesus and His Holy Spirit is with you. He wants you to tap into the power of His Holy Spirit.

John 14:17-23
The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

Indwelling of the Father and the Son
   
19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”
23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

All three persons of the triune God dwell in us and manifest themselves through us. What comes out of our lives is a reflection of the God we serve. It is a witness to the God we serve. Around 10-20 percent of what comes out of our mouth reflects our relationship with Christ. It is our actions, behaviors and how we spend our time that matters. Do you want to be a Holy Spirit filled people for Jesus today?

What happens in our lives reflects who has control of our lives. We either have Jesus guiding us or another outside spirit. We are weak. We live in a sinful world. We live in a world that doesn’t want to think about sin. People and nations say: “I don’t need any help”. We have to admit we are weak and in great need of Jesus. When we recognize our sinfulness, run as fast as you can to the cross of Jesus.

Claim Jesus blood on your behalf. Admit we are wrong, repent, and be willing to turn away from that which is displeasing to the Lord. Turn from what separates you from Jesus and repent to be forgiven. Jesus told the woman: “Go Mary and sin no more”.

Even through our weaknesses, the Holy Spirit is willing to pray for us, do wonderful work for us, and bless us. The Holy Spirit is the answer to Jesus prayer to God the Father. This is the same Holy Spirit that will guide us, give us direction, prepare us for the second holy coming of Jesus. If we are willing, He will fill us with the power of the Holy Spirit.

We have learned throughout this year that we have two natures. One nature is led by Jesus and the other is not. If we feed the old nature, our heart and mind will move away from Jesus back towards Satan.

The Holy Spirit prays for and with us. He knows the mind of God and how to pray to God for us. Today, ask this question: “Am I willing to have this connection with the Holy Spirit?” Do we want His will to be in harmony with our will? Do we want to be in Harmony with Satan? There are only 2 options.

The Holy Spirit is fervently interceding for us. This is powerful and awesome. We don’t ever need groan alone in this life. Our great comforter is at our side absorbing our pain and problems.

Pastor remembers several years ago he was traveling back to college down I-5. He remembers crossing the Oregon-California border. He saw a terrible car accident. A person was trapped in the car and every bone must have been broken in their body. The person was groaning as they laid there in pain.

God hears the groans of His people. He wants to be the great comforter for all. God today is looking for faithful intercessors that are willing to stand in the gap for others.

Ezekiel 22:30
So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. ( Land here is referring to ‘people’ ).

God wants a people that will stand in the gap. God is passionate about people. God’s desire is to find someone to pray for people. Intercessory prayer comes directly from the heart of God. God is looking for people today who will be intercessors.

There is a powerful book written by Ellen White called the Great Controversy. Pages 611-612
I have no specific time of which to speak when the outpouring of the Holy Spirit will take place-when the mighty angel will come down from heaven, and unite with the third angel in closing up the work for this world; my message is that our only safety is in being ready for the heavenly refreshing, having our lamps trimmed and burning.

Christ has told us to watch; “for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh.” “Watch and pray” is the charge that is given us by our Redeemer. Day by day we are to seek the enlightenment of the Spirit of God, that it may do its office work upon the soul and character. O, how much time has been wasted through giving attention to trifling things. Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

Is God going to come up empty handed today? We can make a choice. What choice will we make. Jesus is coming. Pastor fears today that as Seventh-day Adventist Christians, we know more about what is popular in our society or on the television than they know about Jesus.

Back in February, the Conference Pastors got together and prayed for baptisms, evangelism, increased enrollment in our schools, and for camp meeting. The prayers are being answered by the Holy Spirit as there was $500,000 raised at camp meeting, many people are getting baptized and the enrollment level in our Adventist schools is up.

We are beginning 40 days of prayer on Monday, 22 August 2011. Look in your book and dial the conference line each evening at 9:15 PM pacific time.

Pastor is earnestly asking everyone to participate. Don’t let the things of the world separate you from this nightly meeting over the phone.

Sermon given by Pastor Brandon Korter at Bellingham Seventh-day Adventist church on 20 August 2011.


Eating from the Garden

Sustainable Living

Here is a great video my good friend shared with me. I lived off the fruits and vegetables from my small farm for six years. I am moving south for business purposes and will have to pursue some community gardening in the future. Share this video with others. Americans need to be creative again. Creativity is what made this such a great nation to live in.

Special Agents

There is a story of a woman surviving some awful horrible killings between the Tutsis and Hutus clans in Rwanda back in the 1990’s. A young Hutu male ran in front of this woman and killed her husband. She would have been dead also but something else caught the young man’s attention and he moved on away from her. That young man’s face was burned into this Rwandan woman’s mind.


The woman was a Christian and she began praying for the young man that had just killed her husband.


Exodus 32:30-33
Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. So now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! 32 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”
33 And the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.


This story is one of the most powerful stories of prayer in the Bible. God of heaven is moving powerfully. Moses is implying that the people had been so bad, that Moses is so overwhelmed at the debauchery that had been taking place, and Moses says that perhaps God will forgive them and take them back. Moses is at his wits end. He begins praying and pleading with God. He pours out his heart to God.


Both of these stories are incredible examples of what happens when we pray for other people. This is the most powerful demonstration of God and his mercy for man. Here you have Moses who was a proud man humbling himself and interceding for the people of Israel before the Lord.


Moses was told to speak to the rock but he struck the rock instead. Moses asked God to blot him out instead of the people of Israel. Moses was passionate about the people. He loved them because he sought God for them and prayed for them. Moses is willing to be lost so that the people might be saved.


There are many people today lost in sin and wickedness. God is calling us to reach out to the lost. Jesus is pleading with us to have the kind of heart Moses had. Moses was a sinner, and he had faults and weaknesses. We serve the same God that Moses served.


God is the same today as back in the time of Moses. Jesus went to the cross knowing that there was a possibility of not being raised from the tomb. Jesus loved us so much that he was willing to permanently die so that you and I can be saved. We can be people that have a chance and accept the offer of salvation in our lives. Jesus was very passionate about all of mankind. Jesus wants to save all men.


Moses interceded for people that were unloving, unlikeable, unholy, unthankful people, people that were demanding, rebellious and unworthy. Jesus is in the business of interceding for us today. If Jesus can change Moses, Jesus can change us as well.


Moses was so filled of himself, he was arrogant, proud and puffed up. Moses lived in luxury and was next in line to the Pharoah of Egypt. He was like the Vice President of Egypt. It took God 40 years of Moses herding sheep to humble Moses before the Lord. If God can change Moses, he can change us today. God can move upon us mightily.


If we will let Jesus change us, that is the issue. Maybe you are in trouble, have a rebellious child, problems at work or have relationship issues, pray to God and something mighty will come into your life. We can bring our puny little prayers before God and He will hear them.


The best way to deal with people that cause you problems is to pray for them. Notice that the kind of pleading Moses did for the lost people, changed the lives of the people. That is what the Gospel is about. It is about looking back-this is what I used to be like and this is the way I am now. It is a mystery.


Prevailing prayers are fragranced with the smoke of God’s incense. Jesus Christ mingles His perfect prayers with our unclean thoughts and prayers and then our prayers are acceptable before the Lord God.


Desire of Ages page 667
As yet the disciples were unacquainted with the Saviour’s unlimited resources and power. He said to them, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name.” John 16:24. He explained that the secret of their success would be in asking for strength and grace in His name. He would be present before the Father to make request for them. The prayer of the humble suppliant He presents as His own desire in that soul’s behalf. Every sincere prayer is heard in heaven. It may not be fluently expressed; but if the heart is in it, it will ascend to the sanctuary where Jesus ministers, and He will present it to the Father without one awkward, stammering word, beautiful and fragrant with the incense of His own perfection.


The path of sincerity and integrity is not a path free from obstruction, but in every difficulty we are to see a call to prayer. There is no one living who has any power that he has not received from God, and the source whence it comes is open to the weakest human being. “Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name,” said Jesus, “that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it.”


“In My name,” Christ bade His disciples pray.


Jesus went to the cross for you my friend. He experienced the second death. His name was blotted out of the book so that your name will not be blotted out of the Book of Life. He is asking us to be real Christians-to be Special Agents for Jesus.


Nothing can fill the God shaped void that is in your life like Jesus can.


Acts 7:59-60
And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.


Stephen is being stoned to death because he is preaching the Gospel of Christ. The very people ( Scribes and Pharisees ) that were meant to be serving others and ministering to other people for God killed Stephen by stoning him.


Jesus said on the cross: My God, My God, why have thou forsaken thee. Who crucified Jesus? We are the ones responsible for His death. He was praying for you my friend. He is passionately in love with you. Even today He is still praying for you today.


The Rwandan woman whose husband had been killed knew that praying for others really works. One day there was some prophecy meetings being conducted in her city. She prayed to God for forgiveness. The man that had killed her husband came to the evangelism series of prophecy meetings. The man was moved by what he heard and he was convicted and accepted Christ.


God’s power broke through and the Rwandan woman had forgiveness in her heart. The woman confronted her husband’s killer and when he found out who she was, he was overwhelmed with passion for Christ. The young man was an orphan and the widow adopted him into her family.


Will we be real special agents for God? Are you ready for God to convict you? God will you give you this kind of power in your life today.


On 22 August 2011, we are going to begin doing special prayer for the next 40 days. We will pray for the evangelism meetings that begin on 30 September 2011. We will have daily conference calls for the next 40 days for God to do something mighty in Bellingham. Inside the book that you will get, there will be a place to write down 5 names and pray for them everyday. Jesus is coming soon. Be in prayer like the Rwandan woman and Moses.


This was Pastor Korter’s sermon at Bellingham Seventh-day Adventist church on 30 July 2011.

Come As You Are

Jesus says to come as you are. What does that really mean? It is something that has to do with an incredible relationship with Jesus.

Pastor Korter shares about his trip to Niagara Falls. The falls are an incredible power and magnificent power of God and nature is God’s second great Book!

Jesus wants us to have a powerful experience also. We can have that through Prayer. He wants us to have that mighty relationship with Him.

Jesus prayed constantly to His Father when He was here on earth. He often went and prayed all night while the disciples slept.

Our prayers are like little drops of water and Jesus prayer was like Niagara Falls in comparison.

Revelation 8:3-4
Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.

Get this picture this morning from Pastor. Pastor has felt weak, puny, nothing, and empty. Jesus came and offered prayers with the Saints. There is nothing wrong with admitting how weak we feel. Jesus directs us to not look at ourselves. Look to the Savior.

There are key words in the Bible like censer, altar, incense, throne, and smoke. We are to come to Him just as we are and admit we are completely helpless, weak and in need of Him.

In the most holy place, Jesus stood by the ark, and offered up to God the Saints prayers with the incense. The little droplets of Pastor’s prayers are mixed with the flood of Niagara Falls which is Jesus prayers. This is Christ intercession for us. We can come to Jesus and experience this power.

Jesus wants a partnership with us. God tells us that we can have the perfect righteousness of Jesus and pray to the Father through Him. Our prayers can be radically different with Jesus partnering with us. Our sin and little prayer is woven into the firm fabric of Jesus.

Do you realize the value Jesus is placing on you? Our odorous and smelly prayers tainted with sin and we can go boldly to the throne of grace and be caught up with Jesus perfect intercession for us. Picture the Mercy Seat with God there and accepting our prayer through Jesus.

While God’s people were outside of the sanctuary, the incense was burning and rising up to God. This is why Jesus is the perfect prayer partner. Jesus is asking us to come to Him and be our prayer partner. We need to bring our sin, struggles, and weakness to Him. Come Just as You Are.

Think of how awesome and powerful this is. It is about partnering with Jesus. Having Him be our closest ally, our defender, our friend, partner.

We are promised that answers will come. What is our motive for having a relationship with God? What is our motive for praying to Him? Is it because of what we can get, what will happen, or is it because we want a partnership with Him?

Exodus 30:7-8
Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. 8 And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.

God is saying the ‘type’ is meeting the ‘anti-type’. The perfect righteousness of Jesus goes on and on. The mediation is taking place in the Most Holy Place right now. He is pleading with you right now. He is asking you to partner with Him. Recognize how sinful, puny, and helpless your life is and partner with Jesus.

Jesus says our prayers join with the prayers of Him and He intercedes on our behalf before God. The Devil trembles at the sound of our weak and puny prayers. You want to talk about power. Our weakness is mingled with the perfection and power of Jesus. And the Devil and his demons have no power over us. The righteousness of Jesus is covering us.

Now you understand why it is easier to be saved than it is to be lost. If that is not true, God is weak and the Devil is powerful. Jesus runs after people through His mediation. He stands in the gap. Do you think the devil will do that for us? The devil wants us to stay in the dark and cold and be lost.

This is how we can have awesome power in our lives. The human beings weak and puny prayers mixed with Jesus perfection becomes powerful and the incense burns up to God and Jesus is praying with us and for us. Our little prayer drops mixed with Niagara Falls power of Jesus prayers goes up to God and Jesus continually intercedes for us.

Jesus is painting this picture in the Book of Revelation. You want to talk about Good News! Incredible hope for a future is centered in prayer. Do we really want a future with Jesus? Jesus said the world will go on until the time of the end.

When we pray, there is an incredible thing that happens. We can receive power from Jesus. How can we cherish sin when we have the opportunity to receive Jesus power?

Revelation 20:9
They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

Who is they? They were supposed to be the saints, they were not intended to be destroyed. God did not want to destroy anyone. He did not want to destroy one single human being. The saints made a choice. The refused to partner with Jesus. They gave in to the power of the devil.

When you partner with Jesus, the devil has to leave. The devil cannot stand the brightness of Jesus.

Back in 2003, a year after Pastor was married, they went to visit some relatives in Boston, Massachusetts. They arrived on Thursday in Gloucester. Friday night was coming and the Korters walked out on the beach to read God’s word by flashlight, praying and welcoming the Sabbath.

The sun had set and it was dark now and they were still sitting on the beach. Pastor has a very bright flashlight and they are facing the waves. The pastor has his arms around his wife and he felt something touching on his ear. Pastor thought it was a bug. He swatted it 2 times and after the 3rd time, he turned around and shined his flashlight and there was a coyote’s face. The coyote was stunned and then ran off.

That is the same thing that happens when we pray. We are putting the bright spotlight of Jesus on the devil. The devil will turn and run.

Today Jesus is asking you to make a choice. You can either be deceived or partner with Jesus. You can come just as you are. Come with your weakness, puniness, helplessness, and just ask Jesus for His peace and love.

Come and surrender and talk to God in prayer today. Jesus wants to be your partner in this life.

This message was preached by Pastor Korter at Bellingham, Washington on 16 July 2011.

Where Did the Power Go?

Today as we live near the coming of Jesus, and realize what a privilege it is to know God, there is one thing that God wants us to experience.

We live in a time of turmoil, uncertainty, and trouble. Have you ever thought about the amount of spiritual knowledge that God has given us?

There are many Christians that do not have real genuine power in their lives. People talk about change and what that means. There are few people that do experience that change. It is due to a lack of power in their lives.

Pastor realizes this is not a popular topic. However, as we grow closer to the time of Jesus soon return, we need to carry out the mandate Jesus has given us. We need to carry out the mandate he has given us.

Acts 4:31-35
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Sharing in All Things
   
32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

Do we honestly believe that we can have the same experience today? Does God want us to have this kind of earth shattering experience today? We talk about prayer the most but practice prayer the least.

When they had prayed, the place was shaken. What would it be like to be the disciples. To experience what they went through. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. The place was shaken.

Jesus wants that same experience in His people today. In order for this to happen, the disciples could not have some sin standing in their way. There is a difference in the Christian life between willful sin and unintentional sin. Is Jesus going to take people to heaven that are engaged in willful deliberate sin? NO!

When Jesus went to heaven, He said: “I will send the Holy Spirit”. That was a promise. The disciples had not experienced it yet. But they did and they were looking for it. They said we don’t want anything to stand in between us and Jesus. They received the real evidence-the fruit of the Holy Spirit. They experienced revival. Real genuine revival in their lives. It took place in their lives and spread corporately.

There is one thing that God’s Seventh-day Adventist church needs today and it is real revival. The church that Jesus raised up experienced revival. Earnest, heartfelt intercession before God is needed now.

The sparks of revival begin by going to the altar of prayer. It takes place in prayer. We need to be in prayer. Revival and prayer are totally connected together. We as Christians must have earnest and deep fervent prayer.

Some of you may be saying did I come here today to hear something I already know about? Is that a fair assumption or should we ask ourselves, do I know what revival is like? Have I experienced revival? Do we as a church need to experience revival?

The early Christians united together in world changing prayer. Their prayer is why we are here today. We would not be here today if it wasn’t for the early Christian church. The disciples made such a difference that we are here today because of their prayers.

God worked through the early church. Because they prayed, they experienced revival. We are here today because of their revival. Jesus is coming for a people that have been revived. Listen powerfully this morning. If we don’t make this a big deal, we will come up short.

We live in a culture that doesn’t want to hear this message. God is the same today and we need His Holy Spirit.

Prayer was at the core of the Advent movement. Advent founders spent the entire night in fervent prayer in the nineteenth century. What would be the result if we were great men and women of prayer?

Do you think that God would leave things the way they are? The Book Gospel Workers page 259 says: “The greatest victories gained for the cause of God are not the result of labored argument, ample facilities, wide influence, or abundance of means. They are gained in the audience chamber of God when in earnest agonizing faith, men lay hold of the mighty arm of power.”

Pastor began thinking about the other Advent churches here in the county, the Adventist school we have and the members. What if we all were willing to be vulnerable with the Lord Jesus? What if we were all serious and came to God in humility?

In order for us to be ready for the coming of Jesus, we have to change. God says occupy until I come. But there has got to be a difference. The second coming of Jesus is going to happen. On that day when it happens, if we interceded now before Jesus came and shared Christ with our neighbors, our acquaintances, our friends, there will be a revival that the powers of hell can not stop us from experiencing. Do you want that kind of experience? Do you want revival?

Do you know who is serious about revival? Jesus Christ ! He wants to save all mankind.

What has prayer done in your life? What is it you can dream of that prayer can do in your life? One of the most dramatic events that took place in the world recently was the fall of the Berlin wall.

Few people realize that the event that happened on 9 November 1989 was a result of prayer. Christian Führer, a Protestant Pastor of a church in Leipzig, East Germany, because of the spirit of God, opened the doors of his church for prayers and discussions about freedom on Monday evenings. These prayer sessions grew on Monday nights until October 1989 there were over 8,000 people standing outside the church. A nation wide movement began with fervent prayer.

On that Monday night in October, over one million people were praying for freedom. Those prayers caused President Ronald Reagan to fly to Berlin and say those infamous words: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall”.

A political movement did not cause the freedom. It was because of fervent prayer. A former Communist government official said that we were ready for anything except for candles and prayer. The Berlin Wall could not stand after the power of prayer.

The powers of darkness that have a deep stronghold in this community are ready for anything except for the power of fervent prayer.

Looking back at the verses in Acts, revival happened because of deep prayer. Power and Grace was upon them all.

What would happen if we really did this and prayed like the disciples. They had a deep experience with Jesus. The walls that keep us from a deep experience with Jesus will fall if we have earnest prayer. Walls of pride and prejudice, anger, bitterness, lust, complacency, and materialism. Walls that separate children from their parents.

If you have a lost child or a lost spouse, begin deep prayer to Jesus. If you want to grow close to your spouse, begin praying out loud on your knees together. God will do something for you that is unexplainable. He will put love in your heart like you have never experienced. This will give way to the moving of the Holy Spirit. We should allow the Holy Spirit to X-ray our souls.

Are you willing to be that vulnerable? We open ourselves up to God and He can change anything. If God can change Berlin, He can change, you, your spouse, your children. He can change this church, this school, this city and county for the Lord Jesus.

The only hope we have here is fervent prayer that will change the status quo that we have grown comfortable with for so long. It is possible to live a Godly live. We must pray. When our connection with God is cut off, we are not praying.

1. Would you like to experience a spiritual revival in your life? You
may think you don’t need one. That is a good indication you do need one.
2. Do you desire a new spiritual experience?
3. Are you tired of complacency?
4. Do you long for a spiritual revival in our church?

Pastor can stand up and preach a thousand sermons but nothing will happen without a congregation praying. If you want to see a change happen, take God at His word and get on your knees and seek Him. It is the only thing that will make the difference.

Jesus says if my people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek My Face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.

Sermon preached at Bellingham, Washington Seventh-day Adventist Church on Sabbath, 2 July 2011.

Champions of Truth

No matter how long the relay race is, there is one thing that stays the same: the Baton. In a track meet, the relay races are a competition between teams of 4 runners each. The baton must be passed between the 4 runners to complete the race. The baton has been passed all the way down from Adam to us today. The baton is the good news of Jesus Christ. From century to century the baton has been passed.

The Protestant Reformation brought truth back into our society. The reformation exposed a church that sold out to lies. Truth was brought into the forefront. Did truth stop from the time of Christ until Martin Luther started the reformation?

In 538 AD, God’s true followers entered a tunnel of persecution. The persecution lasted until 1798. God still had his followers all over the world. God moved upon people in Europe and America. The enemy was and is still very angry today.

Revelation 12:17
And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

God wants us to understand today that the devil is very angry. The devil is angry about the church that preaches the truth about Jesus Christ.

The great Advent movement swept across America rapidly. The movement started with a humble farmer named William Miller. He answered a call to preach when the regular pastor was not available. Were the disciples qualified to do ministry for Jesus?

God uses humble people. God is looking today in 2011 for humility in His Church.  He is seeking dedicated and consecrated people to do ministry.

William Miller was a Deist. A deist believes God sets everything in motion and then pulls back and lets things just happen.

William Miller’s uncle was a pastor. People made fun of his uncle. William Miller was full of doubt. One day he was asked to read some texts in church. He did not believe what he was reading however, the sermons had a profound impact on his life until he finally gave his life to Jesus.

William Miller began studying the Bible in Genesis 1 and let the Bible explain itself. He went through the Bible. He let truth unfold. He was very interested in the 1260 year prophecy.

Revelation 10:8-12
Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.”
9 So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.”
And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”
10 Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. 11 And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

The book of Daniel and particularly chapters 8 and 9 made sense to Mr. Miller and he believed that Jesus was due to return in October 1844. Then came the great disappointment when Christ did not return in 1844. People left the church. What happened is similar to a road map giving wrong directions. A mistake was made and the truth is in Revelation 10.

The truth must go forward. All the truth that is taught by Jesus. The enemy says that God cannot be trusted, that God lies, God is judgmental, God is vengeful. This is why many people are in so many different churches.

Many people are afraid of God. The devil wants people to think that it is impossible to keep God’s Law. That is an incredible deception.

We should not be afraid of God but love God like He loves us. For every truth that God has, Satan has created a deception that most people accept as truth. God has raised up a remnant today to expose the truth.

Jesus said: “He who has seen me has seen the Father”. God has always looked for Champions of Truth. He still looks for champions today. He wants us to make a decision today to follow Jesus.

Back in Revelation 12, the Devil is wroth with the woman. After the disappointment, the remnant began its mission of exposing the truth. The mission is the same. God gave us directions in His Word. If you will just follow God’s word, He will bless you. The mission is to share and champion the truth of Jesus Christ.

The baton was passed on to the final runner. The baton is in the hands of the remnant church that has recovered truths of the Bible like the Sabbath and the nature of life after death.

We are to give this message with conviction and witness to others. How privileged we are to be part of this last generation.

Revelation 14:6-9
The Proclamations of Three Angels
   
6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— 7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
8 And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”
9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

First angel to preach everlasting gospel of Christ dying for sinner.

Second angel to come out of Babylon and the confused churches and counterfeit religions.

Third angel is a warning that to linger to long with Bible truth is dangerous and do not receive the Mark of the Beast.

Devil went to make war with the remnant of her seed, those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. It is not always going to be popular in 2011 to be a part of the remnant.

We need to guard against two great mistakes.

Since other churches don’t teach these truths, we should just teach about Jesus and salvation.

All doctrines begin with Jesus. Salvation for the human race.

Every single teaching of the Bible says something about Jesus and what He was about. Not all of God’s true followers are yet part of the Seventh-day Adventist church. Does this mean that some people won’t ever make it to the remnant church? No!

God wants us to realize we are no better than anyone. He is speaking to us in humility. He has given us an incredible responsibility to go to the end of the earth and share the everlasting gospel with every tribe, tongue, and people.

If God says: “Come out of Babylon”, He will also say: “Come into the remnant”. The remnant is a place for God’s loyal followers to gather and become champions of sharing truth with others. Are we champions of truth? Will we stand for truth? Are we embarrassed because of who called us?

God has called us. Are we being arrogant or proud to say: “Come into the remnant”. The remnant must exist so the gospel can go to the world. Jesus is asking us to think of our personal walk with Him.

Are you living as an example of the remnant? Do you have some area of compromise in your life? The devil is enraged with the church. If compromise is taking place in our personal lives?

If we simply start with Jesus and end with Jesus, everything that is in our lives that should not be there will come out and we will find peace and harmony with Jesus and with each other.

This is what life is about. Being at peace with God and in harmony with each other. Jesus is pleading with us. Look at your life. Does your life exemplify what being part of the remnant should be? God cannot pour out His heart on us if we aren’t humble and surrendered.
We need to stand up and not be scared or afraid to share the truth. It is not an accident that you are a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian. You have been called out. God has invited you to take your place. Pick up the baton and run the final leg of the race. Be a Champion of truth.

Be available for God today. Let His voice flow through you to the lost. Look for those divine appointments He has created for you. I want to be a champion for truth.

Sermon preached at Bellingham, Washington Seventh-day Adventist Church on Sabbath, 4 June 2011.

Adventists’ back-to-basics faith is fastest growing U.S. church

Rest on the Sabbath. Heed Old Testament dietary codes. And be ready for Jesus to return at any moment.


If these practices sound quaint or antiquated, think again. They’re hallmarks of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the fastest-growing Christian denomination in North America.


Newly released data show Seventh-day Adventism growing by 2.5% in North America, a rapid clip for this part of the world, where Southern Baptists and mainline denominations, as well as other church groups are declining. Adventists are even growing 75% faster than Mormons (1.4 percent), who prioritize numeric growth.


For observers outside the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the growth rate in North America is perplexing.


“You’ve got a denomination that is basically going back to basics … saying, ‘What did God mean by all these rules and regulations and how can we fit in to be what God wants us to be?’,” said Daniel Shaw, an expert on Christian missionary outreach at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. “That’s just totally contrary to anything that’s happening in American culture. So I’m saying, ‘Whoa! That’s very interesting.’ And I can’t answer it.”


Seventh-day Adventists are asking a different question: Why isn’t the church growing much faster on these shores, which is home to just 1.1 million of the world’s 16 million Adventists? Despite its North American roots, the church is growing more than twice as fast overseas.


“We don’t feel that we’re growing very much, and that is a source of concern, especially for North America,” said Ron Clouzet, director of the North American Division Evangelism Institute at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Mich. Hispanic Adventists are “the one group that is growing very well,” he added. “If we didn’t have that group, we would look even more dismal.”


With Saturday worship services and vegetarian lifestyles, Seventh-day Adventism owns a distinctive niche outside the Christian mainstream. But being different is turning out to be more of an asset than a liability.


Since the mid-19th century when the movement sprang up in New Hampshire, Seventh-day Adventism has had an urgent mission to bring the gospel — with a distinctive emphasis on Christ’s imminent second coming — to the ends of the earth. Adventists find the essence of their mission in Revelation 14:12, where the end of the age “calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.”


The church’s traditional, global focus is now bearing fruit in new ways. Newly arrived immigrants in the United States often come from parts of Latin America or Africa where Seventh-day Adventism has long-established churches, schools and hospitals.


Those who migrate from Brazil to Massachusetts, or from Mexico to Texas, are apt to find familiarity in a local Adventist church led by a pastor who knows their culture and speaks their native language, said Edwin Hernandez, a research fellow at the Center for the Study of Latino Religion at the University of Notre Dame.


Immigrants aren’t the only ones embracing Seventh-day Adventism. Many in the general public have noticed Adventists tend to be superstars of good health and longevity; research shows they tend to live 10 years longer than the average American. With strong track records for success in health and education, Adventists find they get a hearing among skeptics who share those priorities.


Publicized research on Adventists’ health “has helped bring some objective evaluation of Adventism… particularly all up and down the West Coast,” said G. Alexander Bryant, executive secretary for the denomination’s North American division. “So we talk to people about our lifestyle.”


Some newcomers to Adventism also appreciate the church’s clarity about what’s expected of Christ’s followers. Diana Syth of Kent, Wash. attended many types of Protestant churches for years. But she said she “never got the information I needed to know about what it meant to be a Christian” until she and her husband learned of Seventh-day Adventism from a sibling six years ago.


“My (adult) son has seen a change in us,” Syth said. “He sees a new calmness in us. There’s hope where there wasn’t hope before.”


Adventists are also reaping the rewards of their extra efforts in evangelism. Responding to a national initiative, more than 80% of the 6,000 Adventist churches in North America staged weeks-long outreach events in hotels and other settings in 2009.


Bryant said in an ordinary year, one-third to one-half of Adventist congregations put on such events, and North American church growth rates would hover around 1.7% — still high enough to top the rates of other large denominations in North America.


Creativity seems to be paying dividends, too. The church has seen some of its strongest gains come in non-religious regions such as the Pacific Northwest. In Washington, for instance, the denomination has established “Christian cafes,” where people can relax and ask questions without feeling the pressures of church.


“You’re not necessarily inviting them to church,” Bryant said. “You’re just sitting around, talking with people, building relationships — and slowly talking to them about Christ.”


This article was published in the USA Today on 18 March 2011

Change

Shift Happens


Whether these changes are good or bad depends in part on how we adapt to them. But, ready or not, here they come:

1. Post Office. Get ready to imagine a world without the post office. They are so deeply in financial trouble that there is probably no way to sustain it long term. Email, Fed Ex, and UPS have just about wiped out the minimum revenue needed to keep the post office alive. Most of your mail every day is junk mail and bills.


2. Checks. Britain is already laying the groundwork to do away with checks by 2018. It costs the financial system billions of dollars a year to process checks. Plastic cards and online transactions will lead to the eventual demise of the check. This plays right into the death of the post office. If you never paid your bills by mail and never received them by mail, the post office would absolutely go out of business.
 
3. Newspapers. The younger generation simply doesn’t read newspapers. They certainly don’t subscribe to a daily delivered print edition. That may go the way of the milkman and the laundry man. As for reading the paper online, get ready to pay for it. The rise in mobile Internet devices and e-readers has caused all the newspaper and magazine publishers to form an alliance. They have met with Apple, Amazon, and the major cell phone companies to develop a model for paid subscription services.


4. Books. You say you will never give up the physical book that you hold in your hand and turn the literal pages. I said the same thing about downloading music from iTunes. I wanted my hard copy CD. But I quickly changed my mind when I discovered that I could get albums for half the price without ever leaving home to get the latest music. The same thing will happen with books. You can browse a bookstore online and even read a preview chapter before you buy. And the price is less than half that of a real book. And think of the convenience! Once you start flicking your fingers on the screen instead of the book, you find that you are lost in the story, can’t wait to see what happens next, and you forget that you’re holding a gadget instead of a book.  Saving trees, too.


5. Land Line Telephones. Unless you have a large family and make a lot of local calls, you don’t need it anymore. Most people keep it simply because they’ve always had it. But you are paying double charges for that extra service. All the cell phone companies will let you call customers using the same cell provider for no charge against your minutes.


6. Music. The music industry is dying a slow death, not just because of illegal downloading. It’s the lack of innovative new music being given a chance to get to the people who would like to hear it. Greed and corruption is the problem. The record labels and the radio conglomerates are simply self-destructing. Over 40% of the music purchased today is “catalog items,” meaning traditional music that the public is familiar with. Older established artists. This is also true on the live concert circuit. To explore this fascinating and disturbing topic further, check out the book, “Appetite for Self-Destruction” by Steve Knopper, and the video documentary, “Before the Music Dies.”


7. Television. Network revenues are down dramatically. Not just because of the economy. People are watching TV and movies streamed from their computers. And they’re playing games and doing lots of other things that take up the time that used to be spent watching TV. Prime time shows have degenerated down to lower than the lowest common denominator. Cable rates are skyrocketing and commercials run about every 4 minutes and 30 seconds. I say good riddance to most of it. It’s time for the cable companies to be put out of our misery. Let the people choose what they want to watch online and through Netflix.


8. The Cloud vs.Ownership. Today your computer has a hard drive and you store your pictures, music, movies, and documents. Your software is on a CD or DVD, and you can always re-install it if need be. But all of that is changing. Apple, Microsoft, and Google are all finishing up their latest “cloud services.” That means that when you turn on a computer, the Internet will be built into the operating system. So, Windows, Google, and the Mac OS will be tied straight into the Internet. If you click an icon, it will open something in the Internet cloud. If you save something, it will be saved to the cloud. And you may pay a monthly subscription fee to the cloud provider.
In this virtual world, you can access your music or your books, or your whatever from any laptop or handheld device. That’s the good news. But, will you actually own any of this “stuff” or will it all be able to disappear at any moment in a big “Poof?” Will most of the things in our lives be disposable and whimsical? It makes you want to run to the closet and pull out that photo album, grab a book from the shelf, or open up a CD case and pull out the insert.


9. Privacy. If there ever was a concept that we can look back on nostalgically, it would be privacy. That’s gone. It’s been gone for a long time anyway. There are cameras on the street, in most of the buildings, and even built into your computer and cell phone. But you can be sure that 24/7, “They” know who you are and where you are, right down to the GPS coordinates, and the Google Street View. If you buy something, your habit is put into a zillion profiles, and your ads will change to reflect those habits. And “They” will try to get you to buy something else. Again and again.


 


De-industrialization of America


The United States is rapidly becoming the very first “post-industrial” nation on the globe. All great economic empires eventually become fat and lazy and squander the great wealth that their forefathers have left them, but the pace at which America is accomplishing this is absolutely amazing. It was America that was at the forefront of the industrial revolution. It was America that showed the world how to mass produce everything from automobiles to televisions to airplanes. It was the great American manufacturing base that crushed Germany and Japan in World War II.


But now we are witnessing the deindustrialization of America. Tens of thousands of factories have left the United States in the past decade alone. Millions upon millions of manufacturing jobs have been lost in the same time period. The United States has become a nation that consumes everything in sight and yet produces increasingly little. Do you know what our biggest export is today? Waste paper. Yes, trash is the number one thing that we ship out to the rest of the world as we voraciously blow our money on whatever the rest of the world wants to sell to us. The United States has become bloated and spoiled and our economy is now just a shadow of what it once was. Once upon a time America could literally out produce the rest of the world combined. Today that is no longer true, but Americans sure do consume more than anyone else in the world. If the deindustrialization of America continues at this current pace, what possible kind of a future are we going to be leaving to our children?
 
Any great nation throughout history has been great at making things. So if the United States continues to allow its manufacturing base to erode at a staggering pace how in the world can the U.S. continue to consider itself to be a great nation? We have created the biggest debt bubble in the history of the world in an effort to maintain a very high standard of living, but the current state of affairs is not anywhere close to sustainable. Every single month America goes into more debt and every single month America gets poorer.


Nineteen facts about the deindustrialization of America:


1. The United States has lost approximately 42,400 factories since 2001. About 75% of those factories employed over 500 people when they were still in operation.


2. Dell Inc., one of America ‘s largest manufacturers of computers, has announced plans to dramatically expand its operations in China with an investment of over $100 billion over the next decade.


3. Dell has announced that it will be closing its last large U.S. manufacturing facility in Winston-Salem , North Carolina in November. Approximately 900 jobs will be lost.


4. In 2008, 1.2 billion cell phones were sold worldwide. So how many of them were manufactured inside the United States ? Zero.


5. According to a new study conducted by the Economic Policy Institute, if the U.S. trade deficit with China continues to increase at its current rate, the U.S. economy will lose over half a million jobs this year alone.


6. As of the end of July, the U.S. trade deficit with China had risen 18% compared to the same time period a year ago.


7. The United States has lost a total of about 5.5 million manufacturing jobs since October 2000.


8. According to Tax Notes, between 1999 and 2008 employment at the foreign affiliates of U.S. parent companies increased an astounding 30% to 10.1 million. During that same time period, U.S. employment at American multinational corporations declined 8% to 21.1 million.


9. In 1959, manufacturing represented 28% of U.S. economic output. In 2008, it represented 11.5%.


10. Ford Motor Company recently announced the closure of a factory that produces the Ford Ranger in St.Paul, Minnesota. Approximately 750 good paying middle class jobs are going to be lost because making Ford Rangers in Minnesota does not fit in with Ford’s new “global” manufacturing strategy.


11. As of the end of 2009, less than 12 million Americans worked in manufacturing. The last time less than 12 million Americans were employed in manufacturing was in 1941.


12. In the United States today, consumption accounts for 70% of GDP, over half of which is spent on services.


13. The United States has lost a whopping 32% of its manufacturing jobs since the year 2000.


14. In 2001, the United States ranked fourth in the world in per capita broadband Internet use. Today it ranks 15th.


15. Manufacturing employment in the U.S. computer industry is actually lower in 2010 than it was in 1975.


16. Printed circuit boards are used in tens of thousands of different products. Asia now produces 84% of them worldwide.


17. The United States spends approximately $3.90 on Chinese goods for every $1 that the Chinese spend on goods from the United States .


18. One prominent economist is projecting that the Chinese economy will be three times larger than the U.S. economy by the year 2040.


19. The U.S. Census Bureau says that 43.6 million Americans are now living in poverty and according to them that is the highest number of poor Americans in the 51 years that records have been kept.


So how many tens of thousands more factories do we need to lose before we do something about it?


How many millions more Americans are going to become unemployed before we all admit that we have a very, very serious problem on our hands?


How many more trillions of dollars are going to leave the country before we realize that we are losing wealth at a pace that is killing our economy?


How many once great manufacturing cities are going to become rotting war zones like Detroit before we understand that we are committing national economic suicide?


The deindustrialization of America is a national crisis. It needs to be treated like one.

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