What a joy it is to look forward to the Sabbath — a time when God comes to meet with us, wherever we are in the world! It is a universal gift, not limited to any one place, but reaches right around the globe, from sunset to sunset. The Sabbath, a gift given to the entire human race at the beginning of time, is a day like no other. We read in Genesis 2:1-3, “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work . . . Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” As Seventh-day Adventists, we recognize the seventh day is more than just another day of the week—it is the Sabbath, a fact not so well reflected in the English name of “Saturday,” but the idea comes across beautifully in some other languages, such as Sábado in Spanish, Subbota in Russian, Savvato in modern Greek, and so on. One of the joys of the Sabbath is worshipping together with fellow believers. During this past year, however, it's been challenging to meet in person due to the Coronavirus. While this opened the door for a lot of creativity through electronic worship services using YouTube, Zoom, Facebook and so on, we are thankful that in many places, restrictions are now easing and more churches are open for meeting in person, following local guidelines, of course. Wherever we are, God invites us to make the Sabbath a delight–a joyful time of togetherness with Him, a time to remember Him as our Creator and to rest in Him as our Redeemer. Throughout history, God has always had a people who have worshipped Him on His special day, and we know it will be so through the end of time. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it" (Ex. 20:8-11). Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2cA5sn12bc

At the end of time, God is calling for people who are going to let go of everything. By letting go of everything they are enabled and empowered and equipped to demonstrate to the world the power of God in their life. In this video, Pastor Adam Ramdin reminds us to lay aside every weight and the sin that besets us. When we lay down our weights, we will run this race and we won't be disappointed. We won't be disappointed by carrying something that holds us down and prevents us from achieving the finish that God calls us to. God has called us to give the Three Angels Message to the world. This message has been given ever since the beginning of our church and in fact, it predates the official organization of our church. The Three Angels Message is not only verbal, but it's something experienced. Let's share the message with the world! ___
To follow our official social media accounts, just follow the links below:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAdventistChurch
Twitter: https://twitter.com/adventistchurch
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventistchurch/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AdventistOrgChurch #WEEKOFPRAYER2021
#ADVENTISTCHURCH
#PASTORADAMRAMDIN Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3DpdX7978Y

Putting God first can be difficult. What can we learn from Noah that will help us put God first in our lives today? If you have ever felt that people in your city don’t care about God, you know how Noah felt. In fact, it wasn’t only God they didn’t care about. They didn’t care about each other either. The situation became so evil that if they were allowed to continue acting that way, every human being would have been destroyed. It was at that moment that God stepped in to save the world the first time around. Noah was told to put God first and dedicate the next century of his life to building an ark, and call everyone to repent and change their ways. He was mocked and ridiculed by the very people he was instructed to warn, but he didn’t give up. Every day Noah put God first and followed the instructions he was given. All of us are tempted to put our own projects and priorities first. Perhaps you are an administrator of many resources. Or perhaps you are constantly struggling to make ends meet. Like Noah, all of us are challenged every day, every week, every month, to put God’s kingdom first. God has promised that all other things will be added. And God keeps His promises. The flood came and the ark saved Noah and his family from total destruction. Humanity had been saved. Like in the days of Noah, the people God has asked you to warn might mock and ridicule you. But one day soon, God will come back to save us. Those who put God first will see the results of their efforts with every person who will be saved. With every plank and nail, Noah was putting God first. His example compels us to do the same. As the deacons collect the tithe and offerings, we are challenged to put God first today ———————————————————————————————————————-
For more information on the Stewardship Ministries of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, you can head over to https://stewardship.adventist.org/devotional-readings Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWhg-MByZT0

CHAPTER 8 A PLACE OF ETERNAL SECURITY Imagine two young men in their 20s chopping firewood in the days of ancient Israel 3,000 years ago. Let’s call them Ehud and Eli. As they gather wood for the evening’s fire, they share stories, laugh together, and discuss their futures. Then it happens. As Ehud carelessly swings the ax with all his force, he misses his target slightly. The ax handle shatters, and the axehead flies with lightning speed and hits Eli in the throat. He is bleeding profusely, and there is little Ehud can do to save his friend’s life. Although it was an accident, Ehud recognizes that his life will be taken next. Eli’s father and brothers must avenge Eli’s death by taking the life of his killer—that is, unless Ehud can make it to one of Israel’s six cities of refuge. There is no time to waste. Ehud begins to run, and as he picks up speed, he runs faster and still faster. His lungs are burning. He pants, almost out of breath. His legs ache. His heart is racing. Beads of sweat pour down his forehead. He forces himself to run even faster. In the distance he hears the galloping hooves of horses. Eli’s father and brothers are in hot pursuit. He knows that if he does not make it to the city of refuge soon, his life is over. Consumed with guilt for his carelessness, overcome with worry, and filled with anxiety, he rushes on. Book Mark Finley "Hope for Troubled Time" #HopeForTroubledTime
#AdventistChurch
#MarkFinley Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kunfAgllGsM

Putting God first can be difficult. What can we learn from John that will help us put God first in our lives today?
John was the youngest of all the disciples. He loved Jesus with all his heart. When all other disciples scattered following Jesus’ arrest, John stayed close to Jesus through the entire ordeal. Jesus honoured his faithfulness by giving him the mission of taking care of the woman who cared for Jesus the most: Mary, His mother.
After Jesus returned to heaven, John remained faithful until his death, some 70 years later. He eventually became the pastor of the church in Ephesus and wrote many books of the New Testament—the gospel of John and the book of Revelation among them. However, his letters to the churches provide the greatest insight into his conversion. Here are his own words, recorded in 1 John 4:7:
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is from God.” But when he was young, John was vengeful and angry. It was hard for him to feel compassion for those who rejected Jesus. Once he suggested to Jesus that fire should come from heaven and completely destroy the Samaritans who rejected Jesus. Putting God first in John’s life wasn’t a single moment of courage. Instead, it was a life- long commitment to love as Jesus loved.
Sometimes we are disappointed that we still can’t control our temper and our desires. But John went through a profound transformation over a lifetime by putting God first every day of his life. His example compels us to do the same.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————-
For more information on the Stewardship Ministries of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, you can head over to https://stewardship.adventist.org/devotional-readings Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njYM659Rl5A