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
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