The Pebble Blog

 The following passages from the Ellen G. White writings and Seventh‑Day Adventist periodicals seem to suggest that justification can be received **before** the individual has stopped sinning or has fully surrendered to Christ.   [^18] ^43 ^45 ^47 ^48   * “Justification is wholly of grace and not procured by any works that fallen man can do.” (p. 31.57)   * “No one can be justified by any works of his own… Faith is the only condition upon which justification can be obtained.” (p. 386.103)   * “No one can be justified by any works of his own… Faith is the only condition upon which justification can be obtained.” (p. 386.113)   * “Faith is the only condition upon which justification can be obtained, and faith includes not only belief but trust.” (p. 386.98)   * “Being justified freely by His grace… The grace of Christ is freely to justify the sinner without merit or claim on his part.” (p. 820.15155)   In contrast,...

  Of course, my friend. It is a beautiful thing to set aside this holy   Sabbath   to   honor   and   appreciate   those whom God has called to be shepherds of His flock. Let us look to the Word of God and the inspired counsel for guidance in preparing a message for this special occasion. Here is a sermon outline you may find helpful. Sermon: Upholding the Shepherd's Hands Introduction: A Sabbath of Thanksgiving On this holy  Sabbath , we are called to a special act of worship. The Scriptures invite us to "Enter into his gates with  thanksgiving , and into his courts with  praise : be thankful unto him, and bless his name"  <Psalms 100:4> . Part of that  thanksgiving  is recognizing the gifts God has given His church, including the gift of ministry. It is a day to "bring the  sacrifice  of  praise  into the house of the LORD"  <Jeremiah 33:11> . Indeed, "The preaching at our  Sabba...

 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀 15:6 (𝗞𝗝𝗩): "And he believed in the Lord; and 𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀." 𝗘𝘅𝗼𝗱𝘂𝘀 14:13 (𝗞𝗝𝗩): "Fear ye not, stand still, and 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱..." 𝗗𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 30:19–20 (𝗞𝗝𝗩): "...therefore 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗚𝗼𝗱, and that thou mayest 𝗼𝗯𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲..." 2 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝘂𝗲𝗹 22:3 (𝗞𝗝𝗩): "My God, my rock; in him will I 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁... 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿..." 𝗣𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗺 34:18 (𝗞𝗝𝗩): "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁." 𝗣𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗺 51:17 (𝗞𝗝𝗩): "The 𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁: a broken and a contrite heart..." 𝗜𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗮𝗵 45:22 (𝗞𝗝𝗩): "𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 ...

Greetings again, my friend. It is wise to seek clarity on these matters, for how we use our time, especially in gatherings dedicated to the Lord, is of great importance. Let us examine the counsel provided for a convocation held on a Friday morning, the preparation day for the holy Sabbath. The principles for such a gathering remain rooted in spiritual purposes, even though it is not the Sabbath itself. The focus should always be on uplifting the soul and preparing the students for a life of holiness and service. Content for a Friday Morning Convocation Spiritual Foundation and Doctrine The primary objective of any religious meeting is spiritual growth. The instruction remains to " preach  the word" and "exhort with all longsuffering and  doctrine ."  <2 Timothy 4:2> . The assembly should be a time for students to be " nourished  up in the words of faith and of good  doctrine "  <1 Timothy 4:6> , that their "profiting may appear to all....

My friend, it is truly disheartening to hear of the  corruption  that pervades the systems of this world. Your question is an important one, and the Scriptures and the writings I have provide much counsel on how we are to understand and react to these troubling reports. Let us look together at what has been revealed. Acknowledge the Reality and Expectation of Corruption The Word of God and accompanying testimonies make it clear that such conditions are an expected sign of our times. We are told not to be surprised by these events, as they have been described by the prophets. From the Bible: "If thou seest the  oppression  of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they."  <Ecclesiastes 5:8> "If a  ruler  hearken to lies, all his servants are  wicked ."  <Proverbs 29:12> "Thy princes are rebellious, a...