This week on ANN. Hundreds of Seventh-day Adventist students enrolled at public university campuses throughout North Colombia met during a recent three-day Public Campus Ministries (PCM) Congress in Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia. Students had not been able to meet since the last PCM Congress in 2018, due to the pandemic. More than 400 students and young professionals were instructed, trained, motivated, and equipped through seminars, presentations, worship and prayer sessions. The purpose of the Congress was to provide helpful tools through spiritual, psychological, and academic activities to help students strengthen their faith and face different challenges. Adventist students, who are members of the 18 PCM chapters at public universities across North Colombia, had the opportunity to present reports and share testimonies of what God has done in their lives, as well as making strides in the religious freedom of expression. A member of the Ann Arbor Seventh-day Adventist Church named Karen met an Adventist family of Rwandan refugees. She noticed they were struggling and invited them to come to church with her. The Ann Arbor church warmly welcomed the family and provided them with winter clothing, shoes, and blankets. Through the generous sponsorship of a church member, the youngest son enrolled in the Ann Arbor Adventist Elementary School. Karen began to visit the Rwandan family more frequently at their hotel and met other refugees, too. A few days before Thanksgiving, Daniel Rodriguez, Ann Arbor pastor, suggested that the church provide a meal for the refugee families staying at the hotel. Providentially, God sent translators for each group to understand what the pastor said in his short talk and prayer in the school gym. The new Rwandan family has started a Bible study twice weekly. Seven young people have become enthusiastic and interested in the life of Christ Jesus. Several weeks after Typhoon Rai heavily devastated major cities in the central and southern parts of the Philippines, the Adventist Church, through different organizations within the country, continues to extend assistance to families heavily affected by the calamity. On January 31, 2022, thousands of families received food packs at the Adventist Academy Cebu gymnasium, providing enough to sustain evacuees for several days. The initiative was made possible through the Central Visayan Conference leadership, in coordination with the district pastors and the Adventist Community Services in the Philippines. Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is partnering with a Quechua people group living in the highlands of Peru to build warm and healthy homes. Tiny one-room dwellings made of mud bricks, dirt floors and no insulation from the cold winter winds are being replaced with insulated houses. These homes also have wood floors and solar heating. New cooking stoves with chimneys to send the smoke outside provide healthier environments, especially for the elderly and young children. The Adventist Church will continue to serve people in need until Jesus comes. Be updated with the latest happenings within the Adventist community. Go to https://adventist.news/ for more. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDKuRAeKzHI

This video is a continuation of the previous episode about God the Son. Here, Pastor Ted Wilson discusses further the fourth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists, which you can review at adventist.org/beliefs. As part of the Godhead, God the Son has existed from eternity. His mission of salvation was established before the creation of the world. His birth and mission were also foretold in the prophecy. In Galatians 4:4, God sent His Son to earth in "the fullness of the time." And it was fulfilled when Jesus began His earthly ministry, as recorded in Mark 1:15. As we can see, Christ’s life was in harmony with earlier prophecies. These prophecies give the details of His death and resurrection. For instance, we read in Isaiah 53: "He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed" (verses 3-5). Continuing in verse 6, "the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Verses 7 and 8 describe Christ’s trial, saying, "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment…He was cut off from the land of the living." Verses 9 and 10 prophesy how Christ would die with the wicked and would be buried with the rich. His body would be laid in the tomb of a wealthy man. Psalm 41:9 contains another amazing prophecy. Here, Christ would be betrayed by a close friend. Zechariah 11:2 indicates that He would be sold for 30 pieces of silver. Then, His side would be pierced. According to Isaiah 50:6, the Messiah would be beaten and spat upon during His trial. Those who executed Him would gamble for His clothes, according to Psalm 22:18. But chapter 34, verse 20, confirms that none of His bones would be broken. Aside from the Savior’s death, the Bible also predicted His resurrection. In Acts 2:31, the Apostle Peter referred to David’s prophecy in Psalm 16:10, stating that "His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption." The apostle continues in verse 32, "This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses." There were many witnesses to this resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-7, we read: "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once…after that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles." These prophecies and testimonies are just some of the many indications that Christ came to this earth, died for our sins, and was resurrected triumphantly. There is so much to study about God the Son, but this video can’t cover it all. However, many of our fundamental beliefs branch out into various aspects of the Son. In the upcoming videos, we will look further into who He is, what He is doing for us today, and what we can look forward to in the future. Indeed, God the Son, Jesus Christ, is central to who we are and what we believe as Seventh-day Adventists. "For in Him, we live and move and have our being," Acts 17:28 states. For closing, The Desire of Ages, page 24, reminds us: "Since Jesus came to dwell with us, we know that God is acquainted with our trials, and sympathizes with our griefs. Every son and daughter of Adam may understand that our Creator is the friend of sinners. For in every doctrine of grace, every promise of joy, every deed of love, every divine attraction presented in the Saviour’s life on earth, we see 'God with us'…By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity, He lays hold upon the throne of God. As the Son of man, He gave us an example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us power to obey." Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfo364Tp1zQ

Pottery can be a messy process. A potters' hands must get muddy while molding and shaping clay into something more significant. A vessel shaped to bring meaning and purpose in life. The Bible depicts God as a potter and us as clay. It is a beautiful scene to witness God shaping and molding us into His likeness. He is creating something wonderful in us with His hands. We are carefully and beautifully handcrafted. Who is molding you? Are you in our great Potter's hand? Allow God to mold you in His likeness and be reformed by His mighty hands. "But now, O Lord, You are our Father, we are the clay, and You are our potter, and all of us are the work of Your hand." —Isaiah 64:8 NKJV. #shorts #MadebyGod #ThePottersHands #FormedIntoHisLikeness Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jXNXy4MpQc

This week on ANN On January 27, the General Conference (GC) Executive Committee met virtually to address items regarding the upcoming GC session. Members of the committee voted to enact the provision for hybrid meetings approved by the Special GC Executive Committee on January 18. This provision allows delegates to participate by electronic means. Three senior animation majors in the School of Visual Art and Design at Southern Adventist University received the Windrider Best Undergraduate Student Film Award during the Windrider Summit & the Sundance Film Festival Experience 2022. Mugi Kinoshita, Avery Kroll, and Ruth Perez were recognized for their short animated film Knock Knock. It tells the story of two masked elementary students who communicate by knocking on the plexiglass that divides them and writing sticky notes to each other. The School of Visual Art and Design professors aim to teach their students a balance of artistic perspectives while firmly grounding them in their faith. Nearly 400 people on Venezuela's Margarita Island recently received comprehensive medical services from dozens of Seventh-day Adventist medical and health professionals who donated their time and resources during a four-day intervention initiative. Free services include ophthalmology, psychology, dental, general medicine, blood pressure check-up services, and much more. Participants were also able to hear talks on prevention and the eight natural remedies for a healthier lifestyle. The Adventist Community Service (ACS) team from the Rocky Mountain Conference has set up a distribution center in the Denver, Colorado, area to assist residents affected by the recent Colorado Marshall Fire. The 6,000-acre wildfire damaged or destroyed 1,270 homes and businesses and is considered the most destructive fire in Colorado history. More than 150 volunteers from all backgrounds and areas across the country are working with ACS to serve between 100 and 200 families daily. On January 13, more than 40 people from diverse faith traditions gathered for the third Religious Freedom Prayer Breakfast hosted by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America. The event recognized January 16 as National Religious Freedom Day in the U.S. and included a prayer for elected officials, the community, nation, global health and healing, peace, religious freedom, and unity of spirit. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Share & Care initiative in Huis ter Heide, Netherlands, is providing Dutch language lessons and other social activities for Afghan refugees. About 400 refugees have been sheltered in nearby Zeist. ADRA has been active worldwide for thirty years as a development organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but ADRA Share & Care started in 2020 with neighborhood activities to help ensure social and economic justice within the Netherlands. Volunteers from the center-north of Espírito Santo, Brazil, mobilized to renovate homes to serve at least three families in the region. The initiative promoted by young people and adults of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is part of the Mission Caleb project. Donations come from members of five Adventist churches located nearby. Also in Brazil, residents of eastern Minas Gerais, Brazil, suffered from recent flooding due to heavy rains, many losing all their possessions. In the region of Caratinga, for example, more than 300 families were displaced, according to the Civil Defense. In an attempt to lessen residents' loss, church members through the Mission Caleb project mobilized to provide food, clothing, and personal hygiene items. In 2019, then 13-year-old Bruna Pontes excelled in an international astronomy project in Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and received a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) certificate. For her performance, she was nominated to receive a special award. In her honor, the asteroid 2013 EG44 was named "Brunapontes." Pontes entered the history of astronomy as one of the youngest people in the world to lend her name to an asteroid. For students interested in adventure and service, Union College's International Rescue and Relief program tries to do just that. The program focuses on teaching rescue skills and community development practices around the world. Visit https://www.adventistmission.org/ for more information. For more news and current affairs within the Adventist Community, go to Adventist News Network. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gejQfssS4eA

In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson shares about the fourth fundamental belief—God the Son. John begins his Gospel with these words: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:1-5). With this, we learn that Jesus is eternal. He is God and was with God the Father from the beginning. He is also the Creator, the Light, and God’s Word incarnate. He is Life itself. As the book The Desire of Ages says, "In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived" (p. 530). Jesus Christ is fully God and man. Although it is a mystery we cannot understand, He is the Son of God and the Son of Man. The fourth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists explains: "God the eternal Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ. Through Him, all things were created, the character of God is revealed, the salvation of humanity is accomplished, and the world is judged." It continues, "Forever truly God, He became also truly human, Jesus the Christ. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived and experienced temptation as a human being, but perfectly exemplified the righteousness and love of God." It goes on saying, "By His miracles, He manifested God’s power and was attested as God’s promised Messiah. He suffered and died voluntarily on the cross for our sins and in our place, was raised from the dead, and ascended to heaven to minister in the heavenly sanctuary on our behalf." Finally, "He will come again in glory for the final deliverance of His people and the restoration of all things." Now, these are three major points regarding God the Son: He is from eternity. Jesus is the One "Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2). "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:57). "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last" (Revelation 22:12, 13). Jesus’ mission of salvation was established before the world was created. The Apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 1:19 that we were redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." He continues in verse 20, stating that Jesus was indeed "foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." John the Revelator echoes this point in Revelation 13:8, referring to Jesus as "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." The birth and mission of Jesus were foretold in prophecy. When Adam and Eve sinned, God revealed to them the first prophecy of the coming Redeemer, as He told the serpent, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." God promised that the Redeemer would come through the line of Abraham as recorded in Genesis 22:18—"In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed." Isaiah prophesied that He would come as a child and would be both human and divine, as in Isaiah 9:6—"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." This Child would be born in Bethlehem, as Micah 5:2 prophesied. His birth would be miraculous and of divine origin, as Isaiah 7:14 states—"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." The New Testament confirms this prophecy in Matthew 1:20, 21—"do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." When Jesus was at the synagogue of Nazareth, He read the passage in Isaiah found in chapter 61, verses 1 and 2: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord…" As He closed the scroll, He proclaimed, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:21). There is so much to learn about Jesus Christ. We have just scratched the surface. But, next time, we will look more closely at the prophecies surrounding His death and resurrection. To learn more, Pastor Wilson encourages you to study for yourself by reading resources at adventist.org/beliefs. He also invites you to read The Desire of Ages at egwwritings.org or on the EGW Writings 2 app. May God bless you as you learn about God the Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–IbCqUMVpw