1. The Holy Spirit might convict me to do something outside my comfort zone.

2. If I receive the Holy Spirit, my church leaders might be critical of me (or worse).

Our fears are usually a product of focusing on ourselves instead of on Jesus. Many of our churches are not ready to receive the Holy Spirit. Many of us who claim to want the Holy Spirit don't realize what we are asking for and wouldn't recognize it if we saw it because we just can't think outside our box of traditions.

Carol Allred
San Antonio, Texas

What a blessing Pastor Russell's columns have been! The one, "No Turning Back," is superb. Would to God that all Adventist churches would take heed and stress the importance of not just talking about but receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Lou Ellen Jenkins
Bolton, North Carolina


SOUL STIRRING
Bill Knott's article, "A Journey and a March" (May 26, 2005), was incredible! My heart and soul were with those four young men who moved forward on their convictions and beliefs. My soul ached at the thought of their mistreatment by the "White" church in Huntsville. My soul also aches at the non-participation of several of them in the church today. My wish for these men is that they could find a local Adventist church like mine in Ft. Myers, Florida. Here they would find and know love and acceptance regardless of race.

My husband and I experienced this love and acceptance at the Ebenezer Seventh-day Adventist Church in Freeport, New York, when we were fortunate enough to visit. God loves all, regardless of race; and it would behoove us to do likewise as we prepare for Christ's soon coming, when race will definitely not be an issue.

Judy Hart-Oliver
Cape Coral, Florida


REASON, LOGIC, AND CIRCULAR THINKING
I was appalled as I read "The Bible and Circular Thinking" (May 26, 2005) by Thomas A. Davis.

Responding to the "circular logic" of Christian belief in God, when the primary source of information we have is the Bible, which came from God, is a problem, particularly for some people.

First point: The author states, "There are times when we have to be suspicious of logic." Then he quotes Charles Kettering: "Beware of logic. It is an organized way of going wrong with confidence." Then he admits, "Not that we negate logic. Far, far from it." He spends more time knocking logic as a useful tool.

As Christians in the last days of history, we need to be able to use our minds--or we could end up in Guyana with Jim Jones. The problem isn't logic or reason, as much as what we give reason to work with. God invited us to test Him via outside sources when He said, "I am God, because I created all these things you see around you." Science is a resource for evidence (the part of science that weighs and measures and observes; the other part is not really science, but philosophy). God also said, "I am God, because I can tell beforehand what is going to happen"--history and fulfilled prophecy being another independent evidence. We can see God involved in nations and in the lives of individuals.

Next, the obvious existence of evil and the supernatural is an indication that there must be a good supernatural. Finally, we can know and experience God for ourselves: "O taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps. 34:8). This is important, so that our understanding will not be merely intellectual. Yet personal experience can't be the main evidence, unprotected by a system of checks and balances, or we would end up believing anything--true or not--that might give us a "burning in the bosom." Feeling cannot be a major criterion, or it becomes merely another undependable circularity.

Ellen G. White wrote: "I am afraid of anything that would have a tendency to turn the mind away from the solid evidences of the truth as revealed in God's Word. I am afraid of it; I am afraid of it. We must bring our minds within the bounds of reason, lest the enemy so come in as to set everything in a disorderly way" (Selected Messages, book 2, p. 43). God wants us to think. The mind--"the power to think and to do"--is an important aspect of the image of God, in which He created us.

Of course, the realm of truth is so vast (God Himself being Truth and infinite), no human can ever surround or comprehend it all. Yet there is such a thing as absolute Truth--Reality--and we can know Truth, or God wouldn't hold us accountable for it. It is Truth that makes us free. And the closer we come to that Truth, the better off we will be.

Virginia Davidson
Kennewick, Washington


HOPE FOR HEALING
Bravo! To Atuanya Cheatham and the Adventist Review for publishing the timely, though sensitive, topic: "Healing God's Divided Family: How do we stop racism in the church?" (May 19, 2005). True, all -isms: racialism, tribalism, sexism, classism, etc., will not end completely while we live in this world of sin. However, the steps suggested in the article should help us move forward in the truly spiritual integration that includes integration during the worship hour. It is possible that cultural differences (including language) are overly used as an excuse for maintaining the status quo.

We might not be able to dictate where one can go and worship in our local churches, yet we can make deliberate efforts in integrating personnel in all levels of our administrative structure and still guard diversity. Each of our many institutions around the world could have an office dedicated to address issues related to diversity.

Mishael S. Muze
Birmingham, Alabama

I hope you have received a number of letters relating experiences that are the opposite of this author's. I know of multiple churches that desired to hold evangelistic meetings covering their town. If they all had been from one conference the logistics would have been simple. However, they had to overcome the fact that they represented three conferences and two unions. I find it wonderful that the local church can influence leadership in such a way that all the conferences and unions participated with them and the evangelistic meetings took place. As far as I know they are still united in outreach to their communities. I find these instances encouraging.

When we come across people with the attitude shown in the first three paragraphs of the article, instead of applying secularist solutions to the problem, we need to apply God's solution. The last three paragraphs are God's solution. Jesus was correct when He said love defines God's people (John 13:35). Paul explained that this love is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22). This will smother the "isms" of the world, especially the schisms that divide the church when the saints will not let go of the past.

Jim Garber


JUDGE-FREE ZONE
The article, "Friendly Fire," by Jack Harris (May, 2005), is so appropriate.

If only we could learn to love as Jesus did/does, i.e. the woman at the well, the woman taken in adultery, Mary Magdalene, the thief on the cross, Peter after his denial; and before that, Abraham and David. Instead, so many of us are in the business of judging.

If the antichrist is someone who takes the place of Jesus/God, where does that put someone who takes His prerogative of judging? It's better to love and encourage.

Aileen Saunders
College Place, Washington


SATISFIED BEING SINGLE
Thank you so much for the article by Patty Froese, "The Update: Life From a Singles' Standpoint" (Aug. 19, 2004). I couldn't have said it better myself. Ms. Froese not only has a great, spiritual perspective on her singleness, but she has also given strong and sound encouragement to so many of us--singles of all ages--who hover within that state.

And where Froese talks about "the update" that we encounter from our married college-mates, I went through one of those a year ago. I had gotten an out-of-the blue call from an old college mate I hadn't seen since homecoming 2000. Most of her call consisted of telling me who was courting, married, having a baby, and house-building from our college and graduation years.

When it was my turn to get a word in edgewise, I was upbeat and positive about my non-marital status. Not only that, I stressed my desire to live overseas--again, and continue doing God's missionary work to less-developed countries where people are thirsting for His gospel.

I am glad that through Christ I still have direction and goals for myself. I look forward to seeing additional materials from Ms. Froese.

Rhonda Fagan
Rowland Heights, California