In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson focuses on the wonderful hope that we have in Jesus. We read in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18— "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." What a comfort these words are! As we think of our loved ones who have gone to sleep in Jesus, we can have such hope and peace because we know that one day soon we will be reunited and will never have to say goodbye again! What a wonderful, glorious promise this is! In the meantime, however, we can be at peace, knowing that for this present time, our loved ones are just asleep. No longer are they suffering, no longer are they worried, no longer do they have any struggles. In 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, Paul sets out very clearly how one day, those who die in Christ, as well as those who are living in Him when Jesus comes, will receive the gift of immortality. We read: "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed–in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 'O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?'" Let us never give up hope. For we have the sure word of God that is filled with these very precious promises! What a wonderful thought that our dear ones—young and old—who have died in Jesus, will one day very soon be given a new, immortal life and we will be forever with them and the Lord. May these words give us all hope and courage as we wait for that great resurrection day. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enRmaT7bElQ

How can God allow all pain and suffering if He is good and loving? A war is currently raging between the spiritual forces of good and evil. Evil forces bring pain, but God stands with us and will ultimately bring an end to suffering as He conquers evil. Blog: https://www.ibelievebible.com/theodicy-many-waters/ ___
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Is the Bible literally true, every story, every word? What do we believe as Adventists on how we should read the Bible? What happens when the Bible doesn’t line up exactly with the history and science we understand today? Find answers to these questions and much more in this newest episode of ANN In-Depth. For this episode, we are joined by Ty Gibson. Ty is the Director of Light Bearers and pastor of Storyline Adventist Church in Eugene, Oregon. He teaches on a variety of topics, emphasizing God’s unfailing love as the central theme of the Bible. Learn more about Light Bearers: Website: https://www.lightbearers.org/
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AdventistOrgChurch Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvYMhnj0H30

This week on ANN News: In Mexico, Seventh-day Adventists celebrate the more than 23,000 people who joined the church after a coordinated evangelistic event across the nation. The special week of ‘reaping’ crowned months of evangelistic initiatives across the five unions and major church regions. For the closing week of evangelism, the guest speaker was Alejandro Bullón, who delivered a spiritual message online every evening from Brazil. Under the theme “Hope Beyond Uncertainty,” Bullón’s messages reached an average of 280,000 people each evening. The comprehensive effort was coordinated by the city of Mérida, where the Southeast Mexican Union leaders led the rest of the church regions in Mexico in facilitating the landmark initiative. The feature film ‘Uncertainties,’ produced by the video platform Feliz7Play, was awarded in the Best Foreign Film category during this year’s International Christian Visual Media (ICVM) Crown Awards held on June 23 in the United States. During one of the world’s largest Christian media events, the ceremony took place, at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention. ICVM was created in the 1970s to celebrate films and the work of filmmakers to encourage and inspire creativity by presenting examples of excellence in communicating Christian values. Under its motto, “Justice, Compassion, and Love,” the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Colombia recently distributed 1,100 hygiene kits among Venezuelan migrants in the northern town of Arauquita. The kits distributed by ADRA’s workers and volunteers will benefit families displaced after conflicts broke out in the area and arrived in the 43,000-resident border city looking for shelter. The team traveled to Arauquita to support local lay church members and volunteers in distributing the kits to the families in need. The country of Slovakia has witnessed highest number of COVID-19 cases, with nearly 100 news deaths daily from January to March this year, according to Worldometer, a real-time world statistics database. The death toll has been decreasing, according to local reports. Still, older adults, people without homes, marginalized communities, and people with disabilities remain heavily impacted due to lack of access to COVID-19 resources. The most vulnerable are the elderly, whom the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has been aiding. In Portugal, church and state have been separated by law since 1911. It was not until 2001, however, that the state legally recognized full religious liberty rights. Since that time, with the approval of the Religious Liberty Law, citizens and communities have enjoyed an open and tolerant legal frame to live, practice, and share their beliefs. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of this law, the Portuguese Religious Liberty Commission, an official entity that defends and upholds the law content; and the High Commissariat for Migrations, a governmental agency that promotes inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue, organized a conference detailing the history, achievements, and the future of religious liberty developments in Portugal. The conference included participation by the president of the Republic of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the Minister of State and Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Minister of Justice, and other official entities, religious and academic leaders. The Samoa and Tokelau Adventist Mission launched its first-ever online visual radio station. In the region, the Samoa and Tokelau Adventist Mission president, Sione Ausage, made the first transmission delivering a spiritual message. He emphasized the significance of the Three Angels’ Messages going to all the world. Streaming on weekdays from 6 am to 6 pm on Facebook, knew station includes a diverse range of Bible studies and health programs. According to reports from the Samoa and Tokelau Mission media committee, implementing an online radio has been a priority due to the easy access and ability to reach a much wider audience. The North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church represents more than 1.2 million members spanning from Bermuda over the mainland to Palau. Adventists in North America continue to reach out to and form community with native people groups such as Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and First Nations people in their local communities across the region. More from Adventist Mission. For more current events and inspiring stories, go to News | Adventist News Network Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3BhyB_ciZ4

How can we learn to love a broken world? In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson reminds us of the love that Jesus had for this world and how we can pray for a heart like Him. Sabbath, July 3, is an opportunity to come together as a worldwide church family in a very special way. Under the guidance of the Revival and Reformation committee, the first Sabbath of each quarter has been set aside as a special day for fasting and prayer. Each of these Sabbaths has a special theme, and the theme for the third quarter is: "Praying for a Heart Like Jesus as We Seek to Love a Broken World." Nowhere do we see more clearly the love Jesus had for this broken world than in the book of John, chapter 13. Here, as Jesus is nearing the end of His earthly life, and we read in verse 1: "Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end." In spite of their frailties, in spite of their doubts, He loved them to the end—even Judas. Jesus only had love in his heart for His betrayer and did everything He possibly could to save him. That same love that Jesus had for His betrayer, He longed for His disciples to have for one another, and for us to have as well. He said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34, 35). This love does not come naturally. With our own human hearts, it is far easier to love those who are good to us, and to hate our enemies. But praise the Lord, as it says in 1 John 3:20: "God is greater than our heart, and knows all things." When we surrender our hearts to Him, He transforms us so we love like He loves–longing for the salvation of all, and loving them "to the end." Join the world church this Sabbath in this special day of fasting and prayer, as we seek to become more like Jesus and to carry out the mission He has given to each of us. Many inspiring, helpful materials have been prepared to help guide you as you participate in this special day. They are available for free download now at: revivalandreformation.org. May God bless us as we come together in prayer and fasting, seeking His will and His transforming love so that we will, indeed, have a heart like Jesus to win the world for Him. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEWECv72wv8