Have you ever experienced God asking you to do more than what you can? Have you felt unworthy or inadequate? It might have been the exact sentiment of Jesus’ disciples when He commissioned them for the gospel. In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson tackles reaching the world through church planting. In Matthew 10:5-8, Jesus sent His disciples out on a mission. “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand,’ heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” It must have overwhelmed the disciples, knowing it was far beyond what they could do with their limited strength. Fortunately, Jesus knew it. Hence, He provided everything they would need. In Matthew 10, “He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” As the disciples claimed Jesus’ power, they were more than able to do all He asked them. In our time now, reaching the world may be overwhelming. More so that its population is nearly 8 billion, the mission seems impossible, especially in areas with limited or no religious freedom. Besides, secularism has taken control of most countries. Meanwhile, church planting is not something new. As a fact, it is evident in the early Christian church. For instance, Apostle Paul was one of the earliest church planters. He started small groups of believers in Turkey. He took good care of them, making sure they obtained enough nurturing. Everywhere Paul went, he always had a message of hope from God. It was so urgent that he couldn’t keep it to himself. Significantly, this is how the early church grew and multiplied. Eventually, his legacy continued, paving the way for Adventism to reach the world. Yet, despite this tremendous growth, many people still haven’t heard the Advent message. For instance, two-thirds of the world’s population don’t know Jesus. As such, the Lord is calling us today to go and preach. To reach the world is not an impossible calling. Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 333, says, “As the will of man cooperates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength.” The question is, are you willing to answer God’s call? Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br9_h67kc9I
ADRA Gave Me Hope to Live
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Source: https://www.adventistreview.org/church-news/story16705-adra-gave-me-hope-to-live
Loma Linda University Health: Dennis and Carol Troesh Medical Campus Opens
The campus is home to LLUH’s new 16-story Medical Center and 9-story Children’s Hospital tower. The acute care facility is built upon 126 base isolators to reduce the impact of seismic activity. The Medical Center is the second-tallest hospital in California and has 320 licensed beds, while the Children’s Hospital expansion adds 84 licensed pediatric […] Source: https://atoday.org/loma-linda-university-health-dennis-and-carol-troesh-medical-campus-opens/
Delta Variant Hits AdventHealth Florida Hospitals “Like a Freight Train”
12 August 2021 | The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported recently on the explosion of Delta variant cases that are stressing AdventHealth facilities and other hospitals in Florida to their limits. “This surge has come at us like a freight train,” said Neil Finkler, AdventHealth Central Florida’s chief clinical officer, as quoted by the WSJ. […] Source: https://atoday.org/delta-variant-hits-adventhealth-florida-hospitals-like-a-freight-train/
Hispanic Camp Meeting Helps Members Reconnect as Pandemic Drags On
Tarin’s Amazing Transformation
Something unprecedented is happening right now on the island of Mindoro in the Philippines. In the next few days, more than 100 communist rebels and their families will come out from their hiding places in the jungle mountains to start a new life with Jesus. Adventist World Radio has been working with the Philippine government to negotiate their surrender. They will walk straight into an Adventist church where AWR will be waiting to welcome them, along with the Philippine military and the major news networks from across the country. It will be a historic event! These dear people will remain on the church grounds for a week while they receive counseling, training, and the tools necessary to begin a new life—including funds and an acre of land! The best part is that every night, AWR will hold evangelistic meetings and the military will attend along with these former rebels and their families. I can’t wait to see what God will do next! This is the story of Tarin, one of these former rebels, and his journey from assassin to a follower of Jesus. God is reaching these hardened men even in the most remote mountain jungles—and He’s using Adventist World Radio to do it! —Duane McKey, President MB01V8IS36Z4P8B Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlu_lNcFI90
We Were Hopelessly Lost – A Story
My youngest daughter and I once needed to be saved, because we were Lost— hopelessly lost! We were in the mountains—lost. A blanket of fog had obscured our visibility and we were blind to our way of escape. And then it began to snow! What next? Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTVux3oH1-c
Web Design, Cyber Security Added to Southern Adventist University Programs
Inside Story: Prepare to Meet Thy God
Prepare to Meet Thy God
By Jessica Cebuhar Atwell
My 6-year-old son, Asher, approached me at home in Bangkok, Thailand.
Image © Pacific Press
“Mom, I want to hand out flyers to people,” he said.
After some questioning, I figured out that he wanted to distribute a small Thai-language tract called “A Love Letter From Jesus.” My heart skipped a joyful beat as I realized that my little boy wanted to share his love for Jesus.
Image @ Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
But Friday didn’t seem like a good day. The Covid-19 pandemic was keeping people indoors. In addition, I was preparing for the Sabbath.
During my devotions on Sabbath morning, I remembered Asher’s request and felt impressed to take him out with the tracts. But I didn’t.
That afternoon and evening, I watched Sabbath sermons with a friend. One preacher ended his sermon with an appeal from Ellen White: “As a people who believe in Christ’s soon coming, we have a message to bear, ‘Prepare to meet thy God’ (Amos 4:12).” The passage came from Gospel Workers, page 52. “That’s exactly what I want to tell Thai people!” I thought.
On Sunday morning, I opened the EGW Writings app to read that day’s scheduled devotional message. Guess what I read? A passage that included Amos 4:12: “Prepare to meet thy God.” I was cut to the heart.
At breakfast, Asher gazed at me longingly. I promised that he would hand out flyers no matter what. After he memorized Amos 4:12 in Thai, we left.
My husband, Brian, and I had to make a delivery of fresh bread from a bakery at an urban center of influence that we helped establish after arriving from the U.S. state of Washington in 2014. Usually Asher rides around on his bicycle during deliveries, but he announced that he would be too busy. “I’ll walk and hand all these out,” Asher said, referring to the tracts.
We began the 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) walk to the neighbor who had ordered the bread. Asher chased down everyone he saw. “Prepare to meet thy God!” he exclaimed in Thai, extending tracts to passersby. Despite Covid-19 worries, no one could refuse the earnest boy.
He was ecstatic when we returned home two hours later. He had distributed 100 tracts. “I want to do this every day!” he declared, smiling.
God truly wants the great city of Bangkok — and the people of the other big cities of the world — to be ready. “As a people who believe in Christ’s soon coming, we have a message to bear, ‘Prepare to meet thy God.’”
This story illustrates a key component of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s “I Will Go” strategic plan: “Increased number of church members participating in both personal and public evangelistic outreach initiatives with a goal of Total Member Involvement”(KPI 1.1). Learn more about the strategic plan at IWillGo2020.org.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Find more mission stories at adventistmission[dot]org
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Friday: Further Thought ~ Rest, Relationships and Healing
Further Thought:
“As Joseph was sold to the heathen by his own brothers, so Christ was sold to His bitterest enemies by one of His disciples. Joseph was falsely accused and thrust into prison because of his virtue; so Christ was despised and rejected because His righteous, self-denying life was a rebuke to sin; and though guilty of no wrong, He was condemned upon the testimony of false witnesses.
Image @ Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
And Joseph’s patience and meekness under injustice and oppression, his ready forgiveness and noble benevolence toward his unnatural brothers, represent the Saviour’s uncomplaining endurance of the malice and abuse of wicked men, and His forgiveness, not only of His murderers, but of all who have come to Him confessing their sins and seeking pardon.” — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pages 239, 240.
“Nothing can justify an unforgiving spirit. He who is unmerciful toward others shows that he himself is not a partaker of God’s pardoning grace. In God’s forgiveness the heart of the erring one is drawn close to the great heart of Infinite Love. The tide of divine compassion flows into the sinner’s soul, and from him to the souls of others. The tenderness and mercy that Christ has revealed in His own precious life will be seen in those who become sharers of His grace.” — Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 251.
Discussion Questions:
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