“You took Me in”
“For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink;
I was a stranger and you took Me in;….” Matthew 25:35
On Sunday 16 January 2022, One Vision hosted an Afghanistan traditional dinner event at the Stanborough Park Secondary School, attended by over 200 Afghan refugee families.
Just imagine with me for a moment, that you are fleeing your country of origin. The place of your birth has become the place of potential untimely death, so escape is the…Source: https://adventist.uk/news/article/go/2022-01-20/1045/
New NCD Videos for Measuring Your Church’s Spiritual Growth
The Church Growth Department of the South England Conference (SEC) has produced a series of short explanatory videos for assessing the strengths and growth areas of your local church. The first in the series, by Pastor Wayne Erasmus (SEC Church Growth Director), gives a helpful summary of Natural Church Development (NCD) and what you might expect as you engage in the process.
Erasmus says, “we use terms like ‘healthy’ churches or ‘struggling’ churches as descriptions for the ability of any…Source: https://adventist.uk/news/article/go/2022-01-20/1044/
The Godhead [Who is God?] – Pastor Ted Wilson
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson answers the question, "Who is God?" God is a mystery, but He reveals Himself to those who are willing to see through the eyes of faith. He reveals Himself in two ways. One is through Creation. In Psalm 19:1-3, David says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." The Creator's hand is visible throughout nature. From the stars in the heavens to the creatures of the deepest sea, His amazing design can be seen. Now, the second way is through the Scriptures. Through the Word, God's supreme revelation is seen through the life and death of Jesus Christ. Through Him, we can know the Father. 1 John 5:20 says, "The Son of God has come and has given us an understanding that we may know Him Who is true." Also, "This is eternal life that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent" (John 17:3). When we seek to know God from the Bible, we can't place ourselves above Him and treat Him as an object to study, analyze, and quantify. We must submit to the authority of His self-revelation. One way the Bible reveals God is through His recorded names. For instance, the Old Testament names Him El Elohim, which means "God." It also identifies Him as El Elyon, meaning "God Most High," and Adonai, signifying "Lord" or "Master." He also has the name El Shaddai, translating to "God Almighty," and Yahweh, emphasizing His self-existent nature and faithfulness. Meanwhile, in the New Testament, Jesus uses the name Father to bring us into a closer, personal relationship with God. God's activities give us a glimpse into who He is. Hebrews 1:3 shows Him "upholding all things by the word of His power." Isaiah 46:11 and Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that God makes plans. Isaiah 46:10 says He declares "the end from the beginning." Also, He is faithful to forgive our sins if we confess to Him, as promised in Deuteronomy 15:6 and 1 John 1:9. In addition, we read in Exodus 34:6-7, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sins, by no means clearing the guilty…" Indeed, God is a God of mercy and justice. God is self-existent, for He has "life in Himself" (John 5:26). He is omniscient, for He knows the end from the beginning being the "Alpha and Omega" (Revelation 1:8). Also, He is omnipresent, for He transcends space and time and is present everywhere all the time (Psalm 139:7 and Hebrews 4:13). Lastly, He is omnipotent, for He is all-powerful. Nothing is impossible with Him. He is unchangeable and perfect (Malachi 3:6). While there is one God, there is plurality within the Godhead. The second Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief states, "There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three coeternal Persons. God is immortal, all-powerful, all-knowing, above all, and ever present. He is infinite and beyond human comprehension, yet known through His self-revelation. God, Who is love, is forever worthy of worship, adoration, and service by the whole creation" (adventist.org/beliefs). The three Persons of the Godhead were together during the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Here, the Father gave His Son (John 3:16), Christ gave Himself (Galatians 1:4), and the Spirit gave Jesus birth (Matthew 1:18, 20). Another instance where they were all present was the baptism of Jesus. The Father stated, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). Christ gave Himself to be baptized as our example (Matthew 3:13-15). And the Spirit empowered the Son as He descended upon Him in the form of a dove (Luke 3:21, 22). Before His death, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit as the Helper (John 14:6). Also, He commanded His church to baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). Today, the Father and the Son reach out to us through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "When the Helper comes, Whom I shall send to you from the Father, He will testify of Me" (John 15:26). In 2 Corinthians 13:14, we have the beautiful blessing—"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen." Finally, Ellen White tells us, "There are three living Persons of the heavenly trio; in the name of these three great powers—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will cooperate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ" (Evangelism, p. 615). To learn more about who God is, find helpful resources at adventist.org/beliefs. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3wQKwOGFlo
¿Por qué no debemos construir la escatología sobre la historia?
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Source: https://atoday.org/por-que-no-debemos-construir-la-escatologia-sobre-la-historia/Inside Story: Jesus, Miracle Doctor
Jesus, Miracle Doctor
By Andrew McChesney
Sengphet was a highly regarded medical doctor at the largest hospital in one of the provinces of Laos. But he was powerless to cure his son’s disease.
His adult son came down with the mysterious illness while working in Bangkok, Thailand. The young man was treated by Bangkok physicians but did not get better.
Image © Pacific Press
So, Dr. Sengphet (not his real name) brought his son back to Laos and treated him at his hospital. The young man’s condition, however, did not improve. Fellow physicians suggested seeking treatment at a big hospital in Laos’ capital, Vientiane. Dr. Sengphet brought his son to the Vientiane hospital, where he underwent multiple tests.
In the end, the physicians could find nothing wrong with his physical health. They concluded that the problem was psychological and that he had suffered a mental breakdown.
All the medical tests took more than a year. Dr. Sengphet and his wife spent all their money on their son, but to no avail. If they had known the Bible, they would have been able to relate to the story of the woman with the flow of blood who “had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse” (Mark 5:26; NKJV).
They brought their son home and, in a desperation similar to the woman with the blood issue, finally turned to the heavenly physician, Jesus. They prayed in their bedroom for Jesus to heal their son.
As they prayed, their son walked into the bedroom. “What happened?” he said. “Why do I feel peace all of a sudden?”
Dr. Sengphet and his wife kept praying. Then the son had what he described as a vision. He saw an evil spirit leaving his body, saying, “I can no longer stay because Jesus has laid claim over your life. You belong to Jesus.”
That day, the son returned to normal, and Dr. Sengphet and his family started worshiping Jesus. For months, Dr. Sengphet made no secret about his love for Jesus, telling everyone who would listen, “Dr. Jesus Christ healed my son, and my family and I have accepted Him as our Savior.”
After some time, however, Dr. Sengphet stopped worshiping Jesus. He seemed to forget how Jesus had healed his son, and he returned to his former ways. Please pray for him and others who have been touched by Jesus but no longer worship Him. Please pray that they will return to Him again.
This mission story illustrates some of the challenges that Seventh-day Adventists face in fulfilling the church’s “I Will Go” strategic plan, including, Mission Objective No. 2, “To strengthen and diversify Adventist outreach … among unreached and under-reached people groups, and to non-Christian religions”; and Spiritual Growth Objective No. 5, “To disciple individuals and families into spirit-filled lives.” Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will go toward opening an elementary school in Laos, helping to fulfill Mission Objective No. 4, “To strengthen Seventh-day Adventist institutions in upholding freedom, wholistic health, and hope through Jesus, and restoring in people the image of God.” Learn more at IWillGo2020[dot].org.
Amen!
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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/inside-story-jesus-miracle-doctor/
