Wyatt Ciesielka

The 60th General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist church is set for San Antonio, Texas, July 2–11. A major agenda item is whether or not to allow women to be ordained into the ministry. How did the SDA church get to this point? And, more importantly, what is God’s word on women serving as priests, clergy and ministers?

Ordination of women in the Anglican and Episcopalian churches has become increasingly common over the last few decades. The Anglican Church has been ordaining women since the 1970s. And in 2006 the U.S. based Episcopalian Church appointed a woman as their 26th Presiding Bishop. Now, the Seventh Day Adventist church may be following suit.

War. Terrorism. Kidnappings and killings. Disease epidemics and even pandemics. Drug epidemics. Increasing atrocities around the world cause more and more people to ask, why suffering? Why would a loving God allow kidnapping, rape, torture, murder, and war? Why would He allow death and damage from earthquakes, tsunamis, and other weather disasters? Why the ravages of disease? How could He allow millions to starve? People have long struggled to explain the reasons for human suffering. But the Bible clearly explains both the origin and the future of suffering.

Because of other calamities and disasters making news headlines lately, not as much attention has been given recently to a different problem. This is the problem of drought increasing around the world. Although occasional monsoons, snowstorms and typhoons continue to make headlines, rainfall shortages and worsening drought conditions—from Asia to Australia to the Americas—are affecting once rich agricultural land around the world.

Scripture warns of the sins of lewdness, fornication, and adultery, which God calls “works of the flesh” not fitting for His saints (Galatians 5:19–21). If not sincerely repented of, these sexual sins will lead to death (Romans 6:23)! Yet the Internet today is full of modern-day “works of the flesh,” which many adults and even teens are participating in. What are these Internet works of the flesh? How can you protect yourself, your children, and all those you love?