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

God plays an important part in the process of our complete transformation. We partner with God to become more like Him. We allow Him to change us, for He is always at work in us. When we dedicate our lives to Christ, our eternal path is changed and life takes on new meaning. God loves us at all stages of our lives. He wants us to grow and continue to mature. God wants to transform us, and He desires to create us new, in His image. Allow God to change you into someone more like Jesus. #shorts #ChangeWithGod #ChooseGod #CompleteTransformation Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upXKru-U_e4

This week on ANN The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) stands ready to respond to needs in Tonga as more details emerge of the extent of the damage caused by a volcanic eruption and tsunami on January 15. Tongan government has issued its first official update, describing the situation as an “unprecedented disaster.” There are three confirmed fatalities, and a number of injuries have also been reported. Some of the smaller islands have suffered the worst damage. On January 19, the Philippine Publishing House officially moved to its new home in Silang, Cavite, Philippines. The inauguration program was held both virtually and onsite. Adventist leadership from the Adventist Church in Southern Asia- Pacific region, the three local administrative fields in the Philippines, Literature Ministry Seminaries, and literature evangelists joined the dedication ceremony of the new publishing facility. In Chiapas, Mexico, Adventist Church recently inaugurated a wellness center. The new facility, Centro de Vida Sana Dr. Filiberto Verduzco Avila, will provide natural remedies and preventative medicine focused on holistic health care for the mind, body, and spirit. ANN sat down with the Health Ministries director for the Seventh-day Adventist, Dr. Peter Landless, to discuss maintaining a healthy lifestyle during COVID-19 pandemic and building up resilience. For more news and current affairs within the Adventist Community, go to https://adventist.news/ Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC80rYDPxj4

Last week, we learned about the Godhead. In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson focuses on God the Father. Jesus addresses the Father on several occasions. For instance, He mentions Him in His prayer in Matthew 6:9, 10: "Our Father Which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." With this, the third Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief states, "God the eternal Father is the Creator, Source, Sustainer, and Sovereign of all creation. He is just and holy, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. The qualities and powers exhibited in the Son and the Holy Spirit are also those of the Father" (adventist.org/beliefs). It is the same God in both the Old and New Testaments Who acts for the salvation of His people. For instance, in Hebrews 1:1, 2, we read, "God, Who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, Whom He has appointed heir of all things, through Whom also He made the worlds." The Old Testament describes the Father in several ways. In Deuteronomy 32:6, Moses referred to Him as their Father, Who redeemed them. Also, God revealed through Jeremiah that He is "a Father to Israel" (Jeremiah 31:9). And in Isaiah 64:8, the prophet cried, "O Lord, You are our Father." In addition, Psalm 103:13 gives us a compassionate picture of God. The verse goes, "As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him." In Malachi 1:6, God states, "I am the Father." And in chapter 2, verse 10, Malachi asks, "Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?" Throughout the Old Testament, God is acknowledged as a gracious and merciful God. David sings, "Our God is merciful," and affirms that "His mercy is everlasting" (Psalm 116:5; 100:5). His mercy cannot be earned. It doesn't blindly pardon but executes by the principles of justice and holiness. Those who reject it will reap His punishment. In addition, we see a God Who longs to be with His people. Exodus 25:8 mentions, "Let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them." Also, He is a redeeming God Who miraculously led a nation of slaves to freedom. Psalms 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Chapter 86 verse 15 adds that He is a "God full of compassion," and He is "gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in mercy and truth." Moreover, He is a God of forgiveness. In Micah 7:18-19, the prophet describes Him as a God Who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage. He "does not retain His anger forever because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us and will subdue our iniquities." And He will "cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." He is a God of goodness, faithfulness, salvation, and vengeance. "Say to those who are fearful-hearted, 'Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance; with the recompense of God; He will come and save you'" (Isaiah 35:4). In the New Testament, Paul distinguishes the Father from the Son. "There is only one God, the Father, of Whom are all things…" He continues, "and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom are all things and through Whom we live" (1 Cor. 8:6). Also, the apostle worships the Father when he writes, "I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named" (Ephesians 3:14, 15). The complete revelation of the Father is given to us through His Son, Who came in flesh. "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son…has declared Him" (John 1:18). Jesus Himself also said, "He Who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). As one of the most well-known verses says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Indeed, God is a God Who gives and loves. He gave us His Son to die so we might reconcile with Him and enjoy eternity. He waits for us to return to Him, longing to place His robe of righteousness around us and welcome us home. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6f8GIeTpIg