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September - October 1999 The Sabbath Sentinel

Editoral . . .

Where Have We Been &
Where are We Going?

by Royce Mitchell, Jr., Editor

As we come increasingly closer to the end, not only of this century, but of this millennium, the question was raised, "What about doing some articles about some of our brothers who have been around awhile, as a group, to get a picture of what has happened in the past century, and asking what they hope to accomplish in the next?" Most of this issue is dedicated to answering that question.

Since the election for board members has also just happened, and our President, Rich Nickels has decided not to stand for reelection, he decided to give a "State of the Association" type of letter for us to consider. That letter begins on page 4 for all of us to read. Rich makes some extremely good points that we all need to consider as to the future of The Sabbath Sentinel, and the Bible Sabbath Association.

We also heard from various groups about themselves. Among them is an article from Dr. Sidney Davis, in which he interviews the President of the Joint Church of God Seventh Day. I hope that you will find these brethren as interesting as I did. Also, we heard from a group that I did not know existed until I began looking around, a group of Mormons called "Strangites" who also keep God's Sabbath. They have a long history of Sabbath keeping in this country, and some of their history is included for us to consider. A short article about the founder of that group, James J. Strang, is also included from their web site.

Dr. Bacchiocchi has also provided for us a look at the state of religion around the world, including a comparison between the Americas and Europe. I found the comparisons staggering and sobering.

Mr. Ernest Bergmann provides a look at the process of thought control. It includes a different perspective from the one we normally consider. In considering where we are headed, accessing proper thought control is one topic that we can certainly all find of interest.

Leon Sexton, through the auspices of the Legacy Institute, provides us with some insight into the dangerous state of living currently existing amongst our Kachin Sabbath keeping brethren. Included in that article is a letter from Lazum Brang, who relates the treatment of a Church of God 7th Day minister in his country.

Finally, a report on the history and future of LLT Productions. They offer much historical Sabbath related material, and we wanted to report to you where they plan to be in the future. As many of you know, we provide tapes and other information from them on our BSA website.

I hope all will find this issue as interesting to read as I did in securing the information. My deepest appreciation to those of you who took the time to let us know more about yourselves. I firmly believe that we are indeed in the last days, and that our way of life will shortly come under attack. It is only by recognizing our similarities and our common devotion to the Law of God, including His Sabbath, that we will be able to stand strong together in the face of Satan's final onslaught.

I see the evil hand of Satan slowly, but inexorably, closing around those who keep God's Laws. Laws are being passed all around the world which seek to limit the freedom of worship that is the God-given right of all men. While not specifically focused on His Sabbath yet, we all know that in the end, that is what those laws will be used to control. With that in mind, we ought to consider how we can see each others as the brothers we are.

Next month, the new directors, some pictures, and ideas from them about where BSA will be headed in the new millennium. AND, more articles about God's Way of Life!

TSS

September - October 1999 The Sabbath Sentinel