SCHNEIDER AND EVANGELISM
I love Don Schneider, and I am blessed every time I see his smiling face or listen to his inspiring words. The interview, "I Just Love Going to Evangelistic Meetings" (Nov. 2003), was no exception. However, I do have one observation. The questioner asked, "Are they preaching the same old stuff about prophecy?"

This question reveals a cynicism on the part of the questioner. The Bible truths Adventists share in evangelistic meetings are not "the same old stuff." They are Spirit-inspired Bible truth. Let's speak more reverently of them, especially in our church journal.

Gerald Cullum
Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

ANNUAL COUNCIL REFLECTIONS
I was touched and encouraged by the courageous and long overdue observations of and statements by the 2003 Annual Council on the sensitive issue of Christian music (www.adventistreview.org/2003-1541/Music.pdf). And the document on Adventist colleges and secularism (www.adventistreview.org/2003-1541/council7.html) brought critically needed insight into the dangers and challenges of Adventist liberal-arts education. Issuing these documents planted precious seed. The silent majority of members will be praying fervently that they bring forth an abundant harvest of reform.

Ron Myers
Archamps, France

BEATITUDES PROJECT
The ideas presented in "The Beatitudes Project" (undated special issue) are enlightening and raise comments.

"Lucky Are the Losers" suggests that to be poor in spirit is to be a "spiritual weakling," to have "no spiritual qualifications." It is those who are proud in spirit, who have need of nothing, that are spiritual weaklings and have no spiritual qualifications.

The poor in spirit are open to Jesus, and the work of God's grace gives them spiritual strength. No matter how they are growing in Christ, they know they have nothing that they have not received. All that they have come from God. That wonder carries them; theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The statement, "Whether this sermon was given by Jesus as it is presented in Matthew 5-7 or whether Matthew collected these sayings from throughout Jesus' ministry (more as we have in Mark and Luke) is debatable," is not acceptable.

Surely Jesus taught the truths of His kingdom repeatedly as He went from place to place; it would only be normal to find them in various accounts. It was the great multitudes present at the time recorded by Matthew, and their ideas about the kingdom, that caused Jesus to so fully speak about the realities of His kingdom.

The occasion reported by Matthew is debatable only to those influenced to doubt the accuracy and authority of the Bible. Among Adventists, it is debatable by those who do not know about, or deny, the ministry of Ellen White.

David Manzano


The first beatitude has nothing to do with poverty of this world's goods. The destitute can ignore or even defy God, just as readily as can the rich. The New English Bible translates Matthew 5:3: "How blest are those who know their need of God; the kingdom of Heaven is theirs."

The first beatitude refers directly to Revelation 3:17, where the glorified Jesus clears away all possibility of misunderstanding: "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods; and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." That is real poverty!

In verse 18 Jesus gives the solution to the situation: "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." In our destitute situation we are to buy gold, white raiment, and eyesalve. These are expensive items.

Isaiah 55:1,2 helps us understand how we buy from God. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness."

God has provided the gold, white raiment, and eyesalve, and the means to buy them. We need only to recognize our poverty and "hearken diligently" to the Source of all wealth and our poverty is relieved.

Robert A. Dexter
Reno, Nevada

CONSUMING FIRE
The article, "The Consuming Fire," by Lauren Schwarz warmed my heart. How delightful to see a young woman, still in college, with a tremendous heart for the environment, the children, and the poor of this world.

I grew up in a third world country to a lower middle class Adventist family, and have learned thriftiness since I was a very small child. It is my dream that Ms. Schwarz will adapt her article to children of all ages and have it printed on our children's papers. What we learn as children stays with us through life. Thank you, Lauren.

Eva Holdridge
Keene, Texas

JUDGMENT DAY
Regarding Leslie Kay's article, "Judgement Day" (Oct. 13, 2003): It seems to me that the part God plays in the death of the wicked will be no different than the part He played in the death of His own Son. There is a fallacy of the assumed premise God did not say to Adam and Eve "if you eat of the tree I will kill you." What He said was, "If you eat of the tree you will die (the second death)." Satan said, "That's a lie, the only way you can die is if God kills you" (the second death). God destroys no one. They destroy themselves. The wage that sin pays is death. God is not the Executioner.

It's not justice that stabilizes the universe–it's freedom. When one does what's right because it is right, based upon evidence that appeals to the reason, we are free to express our own individualitythe freedom to think and to do.

I'm glad that Ms. Kay did not use the word punish in her article. To inflict pain on the way to execution is not punishment, it's torture. For the saints to concur that this is appropriate goes beyond justice.

Clayton Geery
Sturgeon, Missouri

JESUS PRAYS FOR US
The article by Philip G. Samaan, "Jesus Prays For Us" (Oct. 23, 2003), gave me much to think about. I have to admit that at times I feel my prayers go no higher than the top of my head. And Leslie Kay's article, "Judgment Day," brought out some points that I had missed in my recent reading of The Great Controversy. Each article was informative and a blessing. I thank God for the Review.

K. Cote


Philip Samaan's article was intended to provide spiritual solace and encouragement. And it may have succeeded, but at the price of making little sense. The article raises a theological problem that the author entirely overlooks: Who, precisely, is Jesus praying to?

Seventh-day Adventists, after a short flirtation with nontraditional views in the nineteenth Century, have maintained a strongly orthodox position regarding the nature of Jesus that He is both God and man. Jesus is "very God," "fully God" in every sense. As the Nicene/Chalcedonian creeds put it, Jesus is of the "same substance as the father."

How, then, can Jesus, who is fully God, pray "to" God? How can God intercede with God? And if one responds by insisting on a strong distinction between Jesus and the Father, such that intercession by One before the Other would make sense, haven't Seventh-day Adventists thereby abandoned, or at least seriously compromised, orthodox Christology?

While I praise the Review for publishing articles that uplift the church body spiritually, I am occasionally amazed at the theological simplicity of the views expressed in its pages.

Karl W. Kime
Los Angeles, California

WHO NEEDS HILLARY?
I can't believe you need Hillary Clinton's support for anything (adventistreview.org/2003-1544/news.html). Look at Bill and Hillary's background and all the dishonest (saying it mildly) things they've done. I wouldn't want their name on anything I was involved with.

Donna Burkett


How can you believe Hillary Clinton? She's just working to get votes. Why not read the books about the Clintons and what they did while they were at the White House? I can't believe our people believe her.

Let's keep our faith in God, Whom we can believe!

Dorris C. Rutledge

MORE FROGS AND TOADS
In response to "Frogs, Toads, and Church Standards" (Oct. 16, 2003), Greg Brothers addresses the problems our church faces in a unique way. Brothers' point seems to be: Seventh-day Adventists are damned if they do, and damned if they don't.

My take on the subject of church standards is this: The God we serve is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God said "I am the Lord, I change not" (Mal. 3:6).

Why all this agitation for change? Please use the pages of the official church paper to feed our souls; this article surely did not. This article did not "give the trumpet a certain sound."

Ray Kablanow
Coulterville, California