Intercer Adventist News

Closer To Heaven
You are here: Home / All articles

Tuesday: Bringing in the Sheaves

By

Daily Lesson for Tuesday 26th of March 2024

Read Psalms 126:1-6. What gives strength and hope to God’s people? What is being said here, in this context, that we can apply to our own lives today?

The Lord’s miraculous deliverances in the past are an inexhaustible source of inspiration for God’s people and their source of hope for the future. The past deliverance was so great that it could be described as a dream-come-true experience (Isaiah 29:7-8). Notice that the generation that praises the Lord in Psalms 126:1-6 for His past deliverance of His people from captivity (Psalms 126:1) is presently in captivity (Psalms 126:4).

Field of Grain Ready for Harvest

Image © Ideals Collection at Goodsalt.com

Yet, the past joy and relief are relived through songs and appropriated in present experience. The new generations keep biblical history alive by counting themselves as present among those who saw the events firsthand. Thus, a living faith cherishes God’s great deeds for His people in the past as something that the Lord has done for us and not simply things that the Lord did only for them (the past generations of believers).

In fact, the memory of the past spurs renewed hope for the present. The image of “the streams in the south” (Psalms 126:4) is a powerful metaphor of God’s acting suddenly and powerfully on behalf of His people. The very south of Judah was an arid desert region. The streams were formed suddenly and filled with rushing waters after heavy rainfalls during the rainy season. The early and late rains played a crucial role in the success of the agricultural year (Deuteronomy 11:14, Deuteronomy 28:12). Similarly, the image of sowing in tears and reaping in joy (Psalms 126:5-6) is a powerful promise of divine leading from a difficult present to a happy future.

The end of the harvest season was the time when the ancient Hebrew pilgrimages brought the fruits of the season to God’s temple in Jerusalem (Exodus 34:22,26). The harvest motif provided a potent spiritual lesson to the people at that time. Just as the hard labor of sowing and caring for the fields, orchards, and vineyards is rewarded with the joy of a plentiful harvest, so the present trials of God’s people will be crowned with the joy of salvation at the end of time. The image of the great harvest points to God’s restoration of His kingdom on earth at Christ’s second coming (Amos 9:13-15, Matthew 9:37). Here, too, however, the theme of waiting arises. As with the harvest, we must wait to see the fruit and results of our labor.

Dwell on some times when you clearly and unmistakably saw the Lord working in your life or in the lives of others. How can you draw hope from those experiences for whatever you might be going through now?

(0)

The post Tuesday: Bringing in the Sheaves appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24a-13-bringing-in-the-sheaves/

God First Your Daily Prayer Meeting – March 25, 2024

By



Matthew 21:22 – "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Tag someone in need of prayer and kindly share your prayer requests here. https://bit.ly/3GdFXpR Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLuAbM9j680

Proverbi 29:18 – Lunedì 25 marzo 2024

By



“Se il popolo non ha rivelazione è senza freno; ma beato colui che osserva la legge!”. (Proverbi 29:18) Meditazione giornaliera “Apri la porta del tuo cuore”.  Rubrica a cura di Anna Cupertino. Speaker: Sally D'Aragona. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNRX6iCTWbk

Lesson 13: Wait on the Lord | 13.2 Peace of a Weaned Child

By

13.2 Peace of a Weaned Child
Resting in God: The Humility of a Quietened Child
Read Psalm 131. What does this Psalm teach us about our relationship with God?
Psalm 131 teaches us about our relationship with God in various ways:
  1. Humility and dependence: The psalmist describes a humble attitude that relies on God rather than human strength or ambition. By comparing oneself to a weaned child who finds rest and security in the embrace of its mother, the psalmist emphasizes our dependence on God and the need to submit to Him.
  2. Trust and peace: The metaphor of the weaned child with its mother conveys an image of trust and peace in the presence of God. This childlike devotion requires letting go of pride and self-centered desires. It reminds us that we can find peace and security by relying on God and trusting Him.
  3. Recognition of our limitations: The psalmist acknowledges his limitations and inability to understand the deep mysteries of God. By not striving for “great things,” he demonstrates his willingness to submit to God and accept His guidance. This reminds us that we cannot know everything and that it is important to trust God even when we do not always understand His plans.
  4. Participation in God’s work: The psalmist shows that those who rely on God and trust Him are able to accomplish God’s work and do His will. This willingness to do God’s will demonstrates a mature faith shaped by life experiences.
Overall, Psalm 131 teaches us about the necessity of humility, trust, and peace in our relationship with God. It encourages us to acknowledge our dependence on Him and to trust Him, even when we do not fully understand the magnitude of His plans.
“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). What is Jesus saying to us here? What does this idea entail?
In Matthew 18:3, Jesus says to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” This statement by Jesus entails several important thoughts:
  1. Humility and dependence: Jesus urges His disciples to be humble and dependent like children. Children have a natural inclination to rely on their parents and trust them unconditionally. Similarly, the disciples are to accept God’s care and guidance without reservation.
  2. Trust and faith: Children have a simple trust and unwavering faith. They do not doubt their parents’ love and provision. Likewise, the disciples are to have a strong faith that trusts in God, even when circumstances are not fully understood.
  3. Innocence and purity: Children are free from prejudice, bitterness, and malice. They are innocent and pure in heart. Jesus encourages His disciples to turn away from the negative influences of the world and instead preserve pure hearts.
  4. Openness and willingness to learn: Children are curious and open to new experiences. They are ready to learn and grow. Similarly, the disciples are to be humble and willing to learn from Jesus, allowing themselves to be shaped by Him.
Overall, with this statement, Jesus emphasizes the need for a childlike attitude of trust, humility, and purity in faith to enter the kingdom of heaven. He encourages His disciples to open their hearts and turn to God in a simple and trusting manner.

The connection between our everyday life and faith is highlighted through these teachings:
  1. Humility and dependency: In daily life, we often encounter challenges that can lead us to recognize our own limitations. The humility emphasized in Psalm 131 and Jesus’ statement in Matthew 18:3 reminds us that we should rely on God and accept His guidance, both in the small daily matters and in the larger life decisions.
  2. Trust and peace: Our daily life may be hectic and stressful, but the teachings from Psalm 131 and Matthew 18:3 encourage us to have trust in God and find peace in His presence. By turning to God like weaned children and trusting Him, we can find inner peace despite life’s challenges.
  3. Innocence and purity: In everyday life, we often face temptations and negative influences that can affect our hearts and minds. The need to maintain pure hearts, as emphasized in the teachings of Psalm 131 and Matthew 18:3, reminds us to turn away from the negative influences of the world and instead strive for purity and innocence.
  4. Openness and readiness to learn: Every day, we have the opportunity to learn and grow, both in faith and in daily life. The openness and readiness to learn emphasized in the teachings of Jesus and the Psalms encourage us to be humble and willing to learn from God and others as we navigate through the challenges and experiences of life.
Overall, these teachings show us that our faith is not separate from our daily lives but is an integral part of it. By being humble, trusting, pure-hearted, and eager to learn, we can experience a deeper connection to God in our daily lives and recognize His work in our lives.

Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/lesson-13-wait-on-the-lord-13-2-peace-of-a-weaned-child/

Can God Use Pigs To Preach His Message? Ep.12

By



Can God Use Pigs To Preach His Message? Ep.12 #AWR #Preach #Message #Evangelism #Jesus #short Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78alDu5hk-A

Un popolo che mangia

By



Meditazione a cura di Bruno Rimoldi Testo: Luca 22:14-18 Registrato presso la comunità di Firenze il 9 marzo 2024 Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5HSz1jGzdI

Humble Thyself

By

Humility…a key characteristic of the christian life. What does it mean to be humble? This week we’ll be looking at several instances where Jesus teaches…Source: https://vimeo.com/926894316

Monday: Peace of a Weaned Child

By

Daily Lesson for Monday 25th of March 2024

Read Psalms 131:1-3. What does this psalm teach us about our relationship with God?

God’s people live in a world that afflicts the faithful, a world full of temptations and hardship for almost everyone. A refreshed conviction that he is a child of God and dependent on God for his life consoles the psalmist and brings him to confess that his pride has no value.

Baby Sleeping

Image © Graham Braddock at Goodsalt.com

The deceitfulness of pride is that it causes the proud to become self-centered and unable to look beyond themselves. The proud are thus blinded to the higher reality of God.

In contrast, the righteous lift their eyes to God (Psalms 123:1-2). The acknowledgment of God’s greatness makes them humble and free from self-seeking and vain ambition. The psalmist confesses that he does not seek “great matters” and “things too high” (Psalms 131:1). These expressions describe God’s works in the world that are beyond human comprehension. Modern science has shown us that even the “simplest” things can be incredibly complicated and far beyond our understanding, at least for now. In fact, there’s a great irony: the more we learn about the physical world, the greater the mysteries that appear before us.

Meanwhile, the metaphor in Psalms 131:1-3:2, “like a weaned child with [its] mother” (NKJV), is a powerful image of one who finds calmness and who is quieted in the embrace of God. It points to the loving relationship a child has with its mother at various stages in that child’s young life.

Through weaning us from insubstantial ambitions and pride, God introduces us to the nourishment of solid food, which is to “do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34, also Hebrews 5:12-14). The childlike trust depicted in Psalms 131:1-3 is mature faith that has been tried and tested by the hardships of life and has found God to be faithful and true to His Word.

The psalmist’s attention at the end rests on the well-being of God’s people. Ultimately, we are called to use our experience with God to strengthen His church. That is, from what we have learned, personally, of God’s faithfulness and goodness, we can share with others who, for whatever reason, still struggle with their faith. Our witness about Christ can even be within the church itself, where many need to know Him for themselves.

“ ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven’ ” (Matthew 18:3, NKJV). What is Jesus saying to us here? What does this idea entail?

(1)

The post Monday: Peace of a Weaned Child appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24a-13-peace-of-a-weaned-child/

God First Your Daily Prayer Meeting – March 24, 2024

By



Matthew 21:22 – "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Tag someone in need of prayer and kindly share your prayer requests here. https://bit.ly/3GdFXpR Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWpL-HBcr6s

About Intercer

Intercer is a website with biblical materials in Romanian, English, Hungarian and other languages. We want to bring the light from God's Word to peoples homes. Intercer provides quality Christian resources...[Read More]

Lucian Web Service


Intercer is proudly sponsored by Lucian Web Service - Professional Web Services, Wordpress Websites, Marketing and Affiliate Info. Lucian worked as a subcontractor with Simpleupdates, being one of the programmers for the Adventist Church Connect software. He also presented ACC/ASC workshops... [read more]

Archives

Categories