This week, Pastor Ted Wilson talks about the law of God, the subject of the nineteenth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists. Our first fundamental belief states that "the Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are the written Word of God, given by divine inspiration. The inspired authors spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. In this Word, God has committed to humanity the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are the supreme, authoritative, and the infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the test of experience, the definitive revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God's acts in history." In line with this, Psalm 119:105 (KJV) says, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." It is upon God's Word—the Bible—that all our fundamental beliefs are based. Now, let's focus on Fundamental Belief #19: The Law of God. Remember Moses at Mount Sinai, receiving the Ten Commandments written by God's own hand on two tables of stone? These commandments were so important that before writing them down, He spoke them to the Israelites, reminding them that He is the "Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage" (Exodus 20:2). But God's law existed long before it was written upon the tables of stone. It has existed since eternity. In summary, the first four commandments describe how we show our love to God:
1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself any idols.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. On the other hand, the following six commandments describe how we show love to others:
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not kill.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet. Unlike human laws that only regulate outward behavior, God's ten brief yet comprehensive, authoritative precepts go much deeper. "There is not mystery in the law of God. All can comprehend the great truths which it embodies. The feeblest intellect can grasp these rules; the most ignorant can regulate the life, and form the character after the divine standard" (Ellen White, Selected Messages, book 1, page 217). Our Fundamental Belief #19 says: "The great principles of God's law are embodied in the Ten Commandments and exemplified in the life of Christ. They express God's love, will, and purposes concerning human conduct and relationships and are binding upon all people in every age. These precepts are the basis of God's covenant with His people and the standard in God's judgment. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit, they point out sin and awaken a sense of need for a Saviour. Salvation is all of grace and not of works, and its fruit is obedience to the Commandments. This obedience develops Christian character and results in a sense of well-being. It is evidence of our love for the Lord and our concern for our fellow human beings. The obedience of faith demonstrates the power of Christ to transform lives, and therefore strengthens Christian witness." While 1 John 3:4 defines sin as "the transgression of the law" and Romans 3:23 tells us that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God," God's law points out our need of a Savior, Who justifies and sanctifies us through His blood and His Spirit, giving us His power to keep His commandments. "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). Jesus also tells us, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). And the Apostle John assures us that "His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3). God's law is an inspiration to the soul. Psalmist David exclaims, "Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97). "I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold!" (verse 127). "Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, yet Your commandments are my delights" (verse 143). God gave His law to provide people with abundant blessings and to lead them into a saving relationship with Him. Let's thank Him for the incredible gift He offers through His power as revealed in His eternal law of love. To learn more about this fundamental belief, visit www.adventist.org/the-law-of-god. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53Ao3DcwfmA
News Briefs for July 14, 2022
News reports from Barbados, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Trans Pacific Union Mission, United States. To Russia, With Love The Bible Translation Institute at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Maryland, U.S., (with affiliated site at Zaoksky Seminary in Russia) has officially completed the translation of the Bible into modern Russian. The 23-year endeavor began […] Source: https://atoday.org/news-briefs-for-july-14-2022/
Inside Story: South American Division ~ Part 3: Abandoned by Father
Part 3: Abandoned by Father
By Andrew McChesney
Father always seemed to be angry after Mother told him that she was going to the Adventist church. Every little thing irritated him. One night, he exploded with rage when Mother arrived home late from a church event.
The next morning, Mother arrived at the dental clinic, where she worked as a secretary, in Manaus, Brazil, and learned that she no longer had a job. The clinic had closed. All the way home, she wondered how to tell Father. But he wasn’t at home, and he didn’t answer phone calls. Then Mother noticed that his clothes were missing from the closet. He had left home.
Mother didn’t say a word to their son, Junior. The boy, busy at school and the gamers club, only noticed that Father was gone three days later when he received a WhatsApp video message on his cell phone. Father said Adventism and his faith, Candomblé, could not coexist in the same house.
Mother also received a WhatsApp message. Father said he had moved to the Candomblé temple, where he worshiped evil spirits as a high priest.
“I’m never going to give up my religion,” he said. “You have to accept it.”
Mother had never heard about the great controversy between Christ and Satan. But she was worried, and she met with Ricardo Coelho, pastor of Alpha Seventh-day Adventist Community Church. Weeping, she confided that Father worked as a Candomblé high priest and had deserted the family.
Pastor Ricardo comforted Mother and, opening his Bible, said kindly, “Let me share some advice with you.” In 1 Corinthians 7:3, he read, “Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband” (NKJV). In Proverbs 14:1, he read, “The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands.” Looking at Mother, he said, “Be a good wife to your husband, Eduardo, and pray for him.”
The Bible verses encouraged Mother, and she decided to pray even more.
Weeks passed, and Mother ran out of money. She found strength in the Bible and prayed the promise of Joshua 1:9, which says, “Be strong and of good courage … for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
When Grandmother, Father’s mother, learned that the family was low on food, she called Father, and he began to deliver groceries.
One day, Grandmother told Mother that spirits had summoned her and Junior to the temple. When the pair arrived, Father was possessed by an evil spirit who spoke through him in a low, distorted voice. The spirit said Father could go back home but threatened to kill him if Mother or Junior tried to teach him about their religion or invited him to church.
Father returned home that day. He had been gone for two months. Mother prayed even more.
Your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help open eight churches in the South American Division, including four in Brazil, where Father (Eduardo Ferreira dos Santos) and his family live.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Find more mission stories at adventistmission[dot]org
Amen!
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Friday: Further Thought ~ The Birdcage
Further Thought:
Read Ellen G. White, “The Exodus,” Pages 281-290; “From the Red Sea to Sinai,” Pages 291-302, in Patriarchs and Prophets; “The Temptation,” Pages 114-123, in The Desire of Ages.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
“But of old the Lord led his people to Rephidim, and he may choose to lead us there also, to test our loyalty. He does not always bring us to pleasant places. If he did, in our self-sufficiency we should forget that he is our helper. He longs to manifest himself to us, and to reveal the abundant supplies at our disposal, and he permits trial and disappointment to come to us that we may realize our helplessness, and learn to call upon him for aid. He can cause cooling streams to flow from the flinty rock. We shall never know, until we are face to face with God, when we shall see as we are seen, and know as we are known, how many burdens he has borne for us, and how many burdens he would have been glad to bear, if, with childlike faith, we had brought them to him.” — Ellen G. White, “Rephidim,” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, April 7, 1903.
Discussion Questions:
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Amen!(1)
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Are You Asking God for Big Things? [Believe in His Power] #sermon #shorts
Are you asking God for something big in your life? This #short clip from the Global Campmeeting sermon, “What Does God Expect From You?” by Cami Oetman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUV1i9Hd3wE&list=PL-k2Gb-DBYo9tb9fHW_AxGxJ1R8MpNnpa&index=13 encourages us to ask God for the biggest thing we can envision in our lives, knowing that He will provide it to us excessively and abundantly, according to His will. Watch the full video to learn more about how we can think big and ask for greater things to be part of God’s mission in spreading the truth to all the people around the world. ————————————————————————————
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has been an established denomination since 1863. It is a global Christian family with over 21 million members who hold the Bible as the ultimate authority. We are believers who promise to help people understand the Bible to find freedom, healing, and hope in Jesus. Want to learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church? Visit our website at: https://www.adventist.org/ Click the notification bell so that you never miss a new video! Find us on social media by following the links below:
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