Des\’ 80th Birthday Book of messages (vi)

Dennis & Pat Tedman…
Hello Des,
What a wonderful milestone in your life, eighty years and still going strong! Happy birthday and we wish you happy years ahead.
Dennis and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for speaking out for Truth as you have been lead by the Holy Spirit. You have been one of many who have not been afraid to bring the light of the Gospel into a world living in darkness. The knowledge of the assurance of salvation has been a great blessing to us over almost thirty years from when we first started to really search the Scriptures, because of questions raised by yourself in the Adventist Church.
God bless you on the 2nd of February and always
Dennis and Pat Tedman

Jane Lawson…
Dear Des,
I know I speak for Peter as well as myself when I say THANKYOU for the encouragement and inspiration you have shared over many years. When you visited us in Rockhampton your message of free salvation was welcomed by all who attended your meetings, not just by the Christians who attended but by those who were searching. We had so many enthusiastic comments after every visit.
On a personal basis you inspired our own children to stay interested through some difficult years. You always remembered them and some of their exploits in spite of the months between visits and gave them a very balanced portrait of God and his grace. Peter was delighted to have time to talk with you
And he looked forward to your visits with eager anticipation.
Congratulations on your eightieth birthday. Congratulations on the courage and commitment you have shown us all in that time.
Kindest regards to you and Gillian,
Jane Lawson

Stuart Tyner…
I was nervous the first time we met. A total stranger. One of those impudent Americans, I was afraid you were thinking, who think they can just call on anyone, anytime they please. Why don\’t they leave me alone, I was sure you were wishing. But the two of you greeted me so warmly, the lemonade was so refreshing, your home so welcoming, the conversation so easy. Des, you asked about La Sierra people you knew, and about my family, and in just moments I was relaxed enough to ask for more lemonade.
And then you asked me why I had wanted to come all the way from Brisbane Camp to your home. You won\’t remember the conversation in the midst of the thousands you have been open to, but I\’ll always remember every word. I told you that I wanted you to know that I didn\’t belong to a church that told me who I could be friends with. You answered with a long description of the Adventist community in Australia, with not one single, negative word about any one! That may have been the most revealing moment in the hour I had with you that afternoon; no criticism, no bitterness, no recrimination, just one man sitting in his chair refusing to say anything but good about others. Thank you for that high standard and shining example.
Two things you have written are cherished by me. They\’re both personal. I couldn\’t begin to chose from the thousands of Christ-centered, grace-oriented words about Jesus being the center and how we Christians are all about sharing the gospel. Those words are standard in my life and ministry. But these two things you said to me. \”To Stuart, With love,\” you wrote inside the copy of \”In the Heart of Daniel\” that you ran upstairs and got for me. That makes the book even more precious to me!
And then you emailed me the best review of my book on grace I\’ve ever read, and coming from you, it\’s even more meaningful. You said my book was \”a treat.\” I\’ve never appreciated a review more than that. Although, for some reason, I couldn\’t get Pacific Press to use it!!!
Thanks for all you are, all you have done and are still doing, all the nudges you\’ve given us to keep being centered on Christ. Your hard work has not been in vain. And don\’t stop now! The inexhaustible theme of Jesus still needs to be explored and expressed. We need you to keep studying and keep writing.
With love and admiration,
Stuart Tyner
(Author: “Searching for the God of Grace,” & “Grace Notes.” )

Morrie & Bernice Kreig…
Message to Des Ford on the occasion of his 80th birthday.
G\’day Des! Congratulations on reaching your eightieth year. A testament to the love and grace of our great God and saviour and also to your willingness to follow the path laid out for you. Bernice and I certainly are honoured to have been invited to this celebration and are very sorry that we are unable to be there with you. It would have been interesting to see if we could have come up with a chocolate flavoured carrot and banana smoothie!!
All jokes aside Des, you have been an inspiration to Bernice and myself for many years. Your focus on the cross and the implications it has in our lives, has lead us to seek a better understanding of ourselves and our beliefs. You opened up another world of study and viewpoints that was hidden from us and for that, we are eternally grateful. A Franciscan monk by the name of Richard Rohr recently said, (and I paraphrase), that a prophet is one who troubles the waters of the status quo and enables people to plot the course through the rapids to the shore. Des, you have done just that. You have constantly upheld God\’s word as the only rule of faith and practice and you have shown the way with the clear light of the gospel.
But you also lived what you taught. It wasn\’t just words from you Des, it was a shining example of living what you taught. Des, all Bernice and I can say is, thank you for being prepared to be God\’s man, to share God\’s word and to be where God wants you to be. To personalise Romans 15:13. \”May the God of hope continue to give you joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit\”. We love you and admire you because you point us to Jesus in word and deed. There is no greater work.
A poet once said,
That person is a success, who has lived well,
laughed often and loved much;
Who has gained the respect of intelligent people
and the love of children;
Who has filled their niche and accomplished their task:
Who will leave the world better than they found it,
Who has never lacked appreciation of earth\’s beauty
Or failed to express it:
Who looked for the best in others
and gave the best they had.
Des, we think that describes you.
With love,
Morrie and Bernice Krieg.

Eric Webster…
Dear Des,
I would like to congratulate you on reaching the milestone of 80 in the journey of life. Thank you for your Christ-centred life and we give thanks to our Heavenly Father for all that has been done through you for the Kingdom of grace. Unto the Lamb be all glory and honour.
God bless you in the next 20 years should we not yet be ushered into the Kingdom of glory.
Your friend and brother in Christ.
Eric Webster

Alan & Florance Jones…
Hi Des,
Congratulations and sincere best wishes for many more happy birthdays. Your life and works have been an inspiration to us. We just wish your gospel emphasis was present in all other sermons we hear. Love to you both
Alan & Florance Jones

Peter & Bobs Williams…
Thank you for your many sermons of hope, encouragement and inspiration over the last half century.
A special thank you for the time taken to write to us when we have had questions we have needed answering. I can remember your letters to my father those many years ago which he shared with us.
May God continue to bless you in every way.
Peter and Bobs Williams

Vivian Lee…
Des, Dear Friend,
Congratulations on surviving all the pitfalls of living on this planet 80 yrs & being in such great form mentally & physically! The personal joys & sorrows, terrors of travel millions of miles & suffering accidents, psychological batterings (such as Glacier View), endless research & writing, preaching & teaching have only made you manifest your “gold”.
Thank you for the privilege of knowing you these past 30 yrs! Harlan & I were so blessed to have been able to commute the 200 mi trip from Reno to Auburn, Ca nearly every weekend when weather permitted. The Sabbaths you taught were the light of our lives for several years. When my work took us much further away, we felt so-o-o lost! Then when you & Gill decided to move back to Australia it was as if we’d lost part of our family.
I shall long remember the wisdom & counsel you gave me whenever I requested your advise. (not that I could always follow it!)
It amazes me how self-disciplined you are and what an example you manifest of Christlike courtesy & tolerance toward everyone—even those who have violently disagreed with/opposed you.
The respect & love you show toward Gill while letting her be a successful professional in her own right; the kindness in making time to share the heartaches & concerns of your family, congregation & friends have not gone unnoticed. Yet you can draw strict boundaries to preserve your physical & mental health; wow! I wish I had been able to do the same!
It is awesome how you are able to devour so much reading material daily, write prolifically & leave such a heritage to society. (I must admit, tho’, that your preaching is much easier for me to absorb than your written works—my weakness!) Just recently I’ve been re-listening to the series you gave on
The Life of our Messiah—marvellous!
Thank you for being a friend, pastor, teacher and example of Christ’s love in action. I sincerely wish I could attend you birthday event in person. May God bless you profusely on you 80th birthday & grant you many more.
With Christian love,
Dr. Vivian Lee

Tom Norris…
Dr. Ford Tribute Today, the mere mention of Dr. Ford\’s name brings instant recognition, and polarization, to the Adventist Community. His exile from the SDA Denomination in 1980 was a tragic mistake that resulted in the greatest of all SDA schisms, – one that is still ongoing to this very day. In fact, since Glacier View, millions have left the SDA church because they agree with Dr. Ford\’s theology and repudiate the legalistic doctrine of the Investigative Judgment. Thanks to Dr. Ford, the vast majority of Adventists now dismiss this silly propaganda associated with Old Covenant, hierarchical Adventism. Although Dr. Ford\’s views were purposefully demonized and misrepresented by the church leaders, many have since came to understand that he was correct. It was the church leaders who were guilty of denying the fundamentals from Historic Adventism, not Dr. Ford. They were the ones fighting against the Gospel as well as against the views of the Pioneers. Thus the leaders presented false testimony from Ellen White against Dr. Ford at Glacier View, even as the White Estate was actively suppressing the facts that would have exonerated his position. At that time, few understood that Dr. Ford\’s controversial position, which interprets the Judgment in the 1st Angels Message as the 2nd Coming, was the unanimous view of the Pioneers. This is what Miller, Bates, and the Whites always taught. In fact, there was never a time in Battle Creek when anyone, including Andrews or Smith, ever claimed that the IJ was located in Rev 14: 7, as the church still teaches to this very day. But few knew these facts, which prove Traditional Adventism impossible, absurd, and very wrong. At Glacier View, Dr. Ford defended the original and genuine version of the Three Angels Messages. He was standing in full support of Ellen White\’s view of the Judgment and the Gospel, as well as Prophecy. But few knew it because the leaders had no idea that the White Estate had been hiding thousands of documents so that they could promote fabrication and fraud to generations of unsuspecting church members. The White Estate deceived the church about the Pioneers view of the Gospel, the Judgment, and hermeneutics. Had it not been for Dr. Ford, few would have realized the difference between truth and error, or that the Takoma Park leaders had gone corrupt and were not to be trusted. In hindsight, Dr. Ford is the most well known, talented, and courageous scholar that the modern SDA church has ever produced. He is a Gospel Reformer that in spite of persecution and slander has stood firm for the truth of the Three Angels Messages, including the Gospel Sabbath. Dr. Ford is a modern day Adventist Pioneer who fits the mould of a Paul or Luther. He can also be compared with men like William Miller or E. J.
Waggoner. Like all these religious reformers, he refused to be manipulated by tradition or fear, choosing instead to be true to the Word above all else.
Speaking as someone who has been researching Ellen White for almost 40 years, there is no doubt in my mind that Ellen White would have supported Dr. Ford at Glacier View. Just as she did with Waggoner. Nor is there any doubt that she would have condemned the dishonest and incompetent leaders that were supporting the many errors of Traditional Adventism. Glacier View was a catastrophe for the Advent Movement. Unless this sad chapter in SDA history is corrected and made right, the Denomination will continue to self-destruct. But all is not lost for the Advent Movement. Dr. Ford has pointed out the correct path. He is a paradigm shifter that has set the stage for the final Advent Message to be developed and proclaimed. His work has paved the way for the Advent Movement to return to the historic view of the 1st Angels Message, which correctly interprets the \”hour of his Judgment has come\” as only the Second Coming, -and never the IJ. Such an admission will represent a return to the genuine version of the Three Angels Messages. It will allow the Gospel to become the primary doctrine for the church, even as the Second Coming once again becomes a featured doctrine of the Advent Movement. In conclusion, Dr. Ford was correct to stand up and defend the original and genuine version of the Three Angels Message. In contrast, the leaders were very wrong to defend the many myths and errors that were being promoted by the White Estate and the Review. The church was even more wrong to later promote \”Pluralism,\” which is an obvious admission of doctrinal confusion. At some point, the Adventist Community must understand that Dr. Ford is owed an apology from those he has been trying to help all these years. More than that, he is owed the greatest of accolades for preserving the Fundamentals that define and empower the great Advent Movement. Dr. Ford is a true Seventh-day Adventist Christian. It has been my privilege and honour to know this great Scholar and Gospel preacher for more than 30 years. He is the father of Adventist Reform, and thus his influence will continue to be felt far into the future. I salute him! Warmest Regards, Tom Norris, for Adventist Reform

Ron & Lenore Los…
Dear Des
We wish you many blessings and many other birthdays. – Many more to proclaim God’s goodness and grace to needy souls around the world. We appreciate your passion and your zeal in teaching us about grace and mercy and salvation in such clear and concise ways. We also are grateful for the effort you have put into studying God’s word and learning from others – you are a great scholar and a good teacher and we have been taught well by listening to your interpretation of God’s messages to us.
We are also glad to call you our friend. May you have a blessed decade and may your words travel across the globe – God bless you and thank you for blessing us and others.
Kindest regards
Ron & Lenore Los

Kevin & Jeanette Dixon…
Congratulations, Des on reaching 80 years. During this time your life has been an open book and an example and inspiration to me individually, and to Jeanette and our family. I will always remember your classes in D&R, Life & Teachings of Jesus, Introduction to Theology, and Public Speaking. Remembered with appreciation too were your inspiring chapel talks & Sermons. Also valued very highly were the personal one-on-one ‘walk/run’ counselling sessions.
Your camp meeting Bible studies, seminars, forum discussions, radio ministry, articles, books, and writings in theology, health and lifestyle, have been transformational for the many lives that you have touched in your global ministry. The one thing that I appreciate above all else for my own ministry was your example in preaching and teaching a Christ-centred message always. We thank God for your continued ministry through GNU which has blessed us personally.
We wish you and Gill a life filled with the sunshine of God’s love as you continue to reside on the Sunshine Coast, and look forward to the continued blessings of you ministry during your golden years. Romans 8:28-39.
Kevin & Jeanette Dixon

Our Tribute to Des
Lyall & Gwen Sutcliffe
In my Christian experience, my doubts were running high
Something didn’t add, I wasn’t satisfied
‘Til the year of 1980 a great scholar overseas
I learned he had a problem, just the same as me.
I never ever questioned the 1844; my faith was in the leaders
‘Cause I reckoned they knew more
Than me who’d never studied enough to find the truth,
Then I heard about the trial over there in Glacier View.
From what I’ve read it was a set up to quieten this man’s voice
They took away his credentials so he had no other choice
Than to go preach all the louder to take the gospel through
So he formed the outreach ministry that we know as G.N.U.
I carried a heavy burden just as many do today
Until I heard the good news in what Des had to say
A great weight left my shoulders, at last I understood
That I didn’t need to be good to be saved
But I need to be saved to be good.
I know you are happy where you are
With all of God’s blessings that you receive
May this 80th year be a great year for you
And may you have many more joyful years in the future
And thank you so much for lifting our souls in the way you use God’s word.
Love, Lyall & Gwen Sutcliffe