by Smuts van Rooyen | 22 October 2021 | Even a life lived in a dysfunctional family can be rewarding and wonderful, although unpredictably so. Some might call that euphoric recall—that is, over-remembering only the good times. Maybe so, but for me dysfunction has not been an unmitigated disaster. Both my father and my mother […] Source: https://atoday.org/a-tumultuous-confusing-love/
Ratings Agency Assigns Adventist HealthCare a Favorable BBB Bond Grade
In Namibia, Adventist Church Reaches 2,000 Households with Godpods
Sabbath: The Stranger in Your Gates
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Mark 12:29-31, Deuteronomy 10:1-19, Psalm 146:5-10, Matthew 7:12, Deuteronomy 27:19, James 1:27-2:11.
Memory Text: “Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:19).
As we read last week, when asked by a scribe about “the first commandment of all” (Mark 12:28), Jesus answered by giving the affirmation of God as one, and then He said: “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30).
However, Jesus continued, talking then about the “second, like it” (Mark 12:31), something that the scribe hadn’t asked about. Nevertheless, Jesus, knowing how important it was, said: “And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:31).
No commandment greater than these? Jesus linked love for God and love for one’s neighbor to each other as the two greatest commandments, and those commandments were the greatest of all.
Again, Jesus wasn’t coming up with something new, something that the Jews hadn’t heard before. Instead, the call to love Him supremely — the idea of loving one’s neighbor and of loving other people as a way to express our love for God was, yes, taken from the book of Deuteronomy.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 30.

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Go Ye
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 28:19.
The gospel commission is the great missionary charter of Christ’s kingdom…. The disciples were to carry their work forward in Christ’s name. Their every word and act was to fasten attention on His name, as possessing that vital power by which sinners may be saved. Their faith was to center in Him who is the source of mercy and power. In His name they were to present their petitions to the Father, and they would receive answer. They were to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Christ’s name was to be their watchword, their badge of distinction, their bond of union, the authority for their course of action, and the source of their success. Nothing was to be recognized in His kingdom that did not bear His name and superscription. When Christ said to the disciples, Go forth in My name to gather into the church all who believe, He plainly set before them the necessity of maintaining simplicity. The less ostentation and show, the greater would be their influence for good. The disciples were to speak with the same simplicity with which Christ had spoken.—The Acts of the Apostles, 28.
We know not in what line our children may be called to serve. They may spend their lives within the circle of the home; they may engage in life’s common vocations, or go as teachers of the gospel to heathen lands; but all are alike called to be missionaries for God, ministers of mercy to the world. They are to obtain an education that will help them to stand by the side of Christ in unselfish service.—Prophets and Kings, 245.
With God at Dawn p. 297
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for David. He has COVID and was admitted to hospital at 2am with breathing difficulties! Ann
—-Huge prayer request for a student’s mom, who has overdosed. I’m praying for a miracle! Tanya
—-Please pray for Annie and her upcoming surgery. Rose
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Dear Friends,
Several years before I retired from the courthouse, as I was making my daily visit to the District Attorney’s office to drop off finished reports and pick up the criminal histories that we needed, I heard something that I wish I had not heard. The woman whose job it was to get these criminal histories gathered together for me, did not seem to understand the importance of being timely. Because of her lack of timeliness, I was always behind. I often stressed the importance of her getting the paperwork to me so the court service officers could get their reports done on time. It seemed that I had to remind her of this nearly every day. I really liked her, though, as she always greeted me pleasantly, and we would sometimes visit for a minute or two about her family or mine.
One day, after I delivered the reports to her cubical and picked up what criminal histories she had ready, I remembered that I needed to speak to one of the assistant DA’s. His office was right by this woman’s cubical. The DA I needed to see was busy on the phone, so I waited quietly by his door until he hung up. This woman could not see me standing on the other side of her cubical because the “walls” of the cubicles were about six feet high and I am only 5’1″. While I was standing there waiting for the DA to get finished with his phone call, another girl and this woman began to talk about me. To my surprise, the woman whom I considered to be nice began to tell the other girl how much she didn’t like me. She said some very negative things about the fact that I expected to get the materials I needed right away, and also some very uncomplimentary things about my physical appearance. I was shocked, saddened, and very hurt. Now I knew her true feelings.
How often we treat our Great Redeemer in the same way. With tears in His voice, He laments, “with their lips [they] do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me” Isa 29:13 How often we break His Great Heart of Love by complaining about our lot in life or becoming so involved in our own little life, that we forget the very One Who gives us our life. How often we take for granted His Great Gift of Salvation. How many times we hear His pleading voice but put off responding to Him because we are so wrapped up in ourselves, our wants, our plans that our heart shuts out our Only Helper as He stands at our heart’s door and knocks. “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in unto him and sup with him and he with me.” Rev 3:20
Think of it! The Great King of the Universe, He Whom all Heaven adores, desires to dwell within us. Our Dear Redeemer longs to have close fellowship with us. “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isa 57:15
May we allow our Dear Saviour full entrance into our heart. May He “grant [us], according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.” May Christ “dwell in [our] hearts by faith; that [we,] being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that [we] might be filled with all the fullness of God” is my prayer. Eph 3:16-19
Rose
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/TZBJDOXp3IM/go-ye.html
Woman Overcomes Breast Cancer Again, and Again, and Again
Katie Smith had been diagnosed with breast cancer twice before, but the third time, in 2013, was different. The cancer had spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes to other parts of her body, p…… Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ann-en/~3/GDkY2PmNRmg/woman-overcomes-breast-cancer-again-and-again-and-again
The President of the Republic of Ghana Joined Celebration of 100 Years of Adventist Church
President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo used Holy Scripture and a quote from Ellen White during his speech on Saturday, October 16, 2021 in Kumasi, Ghana. The speech came after…… Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ann-en/~3/h5E8vxqnsRQ/the-president-of-the-republic-of-ghana-joined-celebration-of-100-years-of-adventist-church
BUC Departmental Changes for the Next Quinquennium
Here is a list of the officers, departmental directors and executive committee members for the next quinquennium
Nominating Committee Report
Administrators:
Pastor Ian Sweeney – President
Pastor John Surridge – Executive Secretary
Mr Wederly Aguiar – Treasurer
Pastor Jacques Venter – Associate Executive Secretary/ Missions Executive Secretary
Pastor Dan Serb – Irish Mission President
Pastor Michael James Botha – Scottish Mission President
Pastor Graham Allcock – Welsh Mission President…Source: https://adventist.uk/news/article/go/2021-10-22/buc-departmental-changes-for-the-next-quinquennium/
BUC Session Administrational Reports
Thursday at Session
‘Be Thou My Vision, O Lord of my heart’ – the opening prayerful 8th century words of the English hymn with an Irish tune, set the tone of the Ninth Quinquennial Session of the British Union Conference (BUC). A session which takes place during incredibly challenging times, postponed and relocated once due to the Covid-19 pandemic, still very much with us.
197 delegates gathered from North and South England, Ireland and Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, to both look back…Source: https://adventist.uk/news/article/go/2021-10-22/buc-session-administrational-reports/
ADVENTIST NEWS NETWORK | October 22, 2021
This week on ANN…
Adventist Health and ADRA partner to send medical supplies to Africa amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Creation Sabbath is October 23– and a new movie “Creation Detectives” has been released just in time …and…
ADRA seeks to minimize COVID-19 risks among migrants in Thailand.
These stories and more coming up.
Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/adventist-news-network-october-22-2021/