ANN brings you the latest reports in the Adventist community: After nearly 50 years of ministry, executive secretary of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church, G. T. Ng, announced last week about his retirement effective June 1, 2021. Ng was born and raised in Singapore. God called him to enter the ministry at the age of 18, and he married Ivy in his early 20’s. The young couple had served Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. After working as a chaplain and health educator at Youngberg Memorial Adventist Hospital for several years, he received his doctorate at Andrews University. He then taught for 11 years at the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies in the Philippines until he was elected to be the Southern Asia-Pacific Division executive secretary. In 2005, he was elected to serve as an associate secretary of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. In 2010, at the General Conference Session in Atlanta, he was voted as the General Conference executive secretary. As an executive secretary, his roles include making significant decisions, trouble-shooting, and peace-making, looking after minutes, policies and agendas, and promoting and strategizing world mission. Ng and Ivy have two children and three grandchildren. In Indonesia and Timor Leste, heavy rains on April 2 – 4 caused massive flooding, landslides, and destruction to lives and properties. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) will conduct a rapid needs assessment this week, together with the Civil Protection of Timor Leste. Initial reports from the local government mentioned bedding and cooking equipment as the first needs in evacuation centers. ADRA will be distributing food, water, bedding, and cooking stoves to evacuees in the worst affected area of Tasi Tolu. The Seventh-day Adventist church is requesting prayers for the affected. In Haiti, Seventh-day Adventists rejoice over the release of four church members kidnapped during a live online worship service on April 1. The kidnappers took them from a studio next to an Adventist Church in Diquini, Carrefour, Port-au-Prince. Church members across the country and around the world held prayer vigils, worship programs, and prayer sessions, interceding for the victims. For now, the studio is closed to ensure safety. In North Mexico, ADRA lost no time to assist hundreds of emergency responders from the Nuevo Leon Civil Protection. For more than two weeks, the responders have been risking their lives fighting forest fires in the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains that destroyed many homes and displaced more than a thousand people. ADRA delivered water and hydrating drinks, protein bars, personal hygiene items, instant soups, special shoes, clothes, water hoses and tanks, and clearing tools to firefighters and emergency responders in the region. The organization also works on a specific proposal to continue giving aid on a larger scale. Adventist church leaders are also waiting for the green light from local authorities to deliver food and essential supplies to affected families. For more information, visit facebook.com/adramexico. Meanwhile, Adventist Risk Management, Inc. (ARM) announced on April 1 the appointment of Karnik Doukmetzian as interim president for both ARM and Gencon Insurance Company of Vermont after president and CEO Tim Northrop submitted his resignation. Doukmetzian previously worked for ARM for 12 years. While serving as interim president, he will continue his current role as general counsel for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. A search committee is already formed to find a permanent replacement. Visit and find more Adventist news here. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgWnEqpAk4I

In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson reminds us of a special Sabbath for Hope Channel and why telling the world about God and his plan is so important.
In the book of Hebrews, chapter 13, we read a beautiful description of how Jesus, our Savior, suffered and died for us–a sinless sacrifice that we might live. And then, in verses 15 and 16, we read, "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."
These verses remind us of the importance of communication–praising God, giving thanks to Him, and telling the world of His wonderful plan to give us a more abundant life here on earth, and eternal life when He comes again. And as a movement, Adventists have found ways of communicating this message even before we were officially organized as a church. Starting in 1849 with just "a little paper" called The Present Truth, the Biblical message of truth and hope was spread to eager readers. The publication grew and as it spread more widely and after ten issues became The Adventist Review and is still published today as a monthly magazine.
As technology advanced, new ways of mass communication made it possible to reach more people. In the fall of 1929 in Canada, Pastor Harold Nathan Williams from Battle Creek Michigan founded Voice of Adventist Radio. It originally began as The Bible Study League, broadcasting weather reports to mariners, sermons and music. The radio broadcast, Voice of Prophecy, was also founded in 1929, in California, by H.M.S. Richards, Sr. Faith for Today, Adventism's first television program, was launched by William and Virginia Fagal in May 1950, and by December of that year had spread quickly to become the first national religious telecast in North America. In 1956, It Is Written, founded by George Vandeman, became the first religious program to air in color, and was the first to take advantage of satellite technology. And, of course, since that time, many more wonderful Adventist media ministries have risen up, proclaiming truth for this time.
Hope Channel International, the church's official television network, began operations in 2003. The network currently has 59 Hope Channels worldwide. Broadcasting on multiple platforms, Hope Channel programming can be viewed on every inhabited continent on earth.
This coming Sabbath, April 10, is a special day for Hope Channel, as we remember the importance of communication, and offer our support to this important ministry of God's Church. Let’s work together to reach as many people as possible with God's wonderful message of hope! Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ko0l0xW8UQ

Putting God first can be difficult. What can we learn from Paul that will help us put God first in our lives today?
Paul had always put God first but, as he persecuted the followers of Jesus, Paul could not see what was right in front of him. It was only when Paul fell to the ground, blinded by the light of Jesus, that he began to truly see. For Paul, putting God first meant humbly questioning his assumptions and going back to scripture.
After three years in Arabia, Paul returns with a re- newed conviction that God had not given up on the world. Jesus was the saviour who wanted to reach every human being. Paul continued putting God first as he travelled from city to city and village to village to announce Jesus. Nothing would deter Paul from putting God first, including the many times people tried to kill him.
On one occasion, Paul and his companion Silas had their clothes ripped off in the middle of the city square. They were beaten and put in the inner cell, with their feet clamped in the stocks. Still bleeding and bruised, Paul and Silas did the unthinkable:
instead of complaining, they worshipped Jesus.
If you are at your lowest moment right now and everything seems to have gone wrong, there is no better time to worship than today.
Then God sent an earthquake. Assuming the prisoners had escaped, the officer in charge picked up a sword to kill himself. Paul and Silas remembered the beatings, torture and humiliation that officer put them through. For Paul and Silas to have revenge, all they needed to do was wait for the of- ficer’s body to hit the ground.
But Paul and Silas were the kind of men who put God first. In that split second, they decided to for- give the officer and shouted for him to stop. That officer and his family met Jesus and, by the end of that night, they were also worshipping the King of Kings.
Paul and Silas put God first. Their example com- pels 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=VsN8r9d-eGw

CHAPTER 7 – HOW TO SURVIVE WHEN THE ECONOMY COLLAPSES We are just beginning to experience the long-term economic consequences of COVID-19 on our personal lives and our families. The short-term consequences with thousands dead and hundreds of thousands more sick were bad enough, but there are significant additional consequences that society now faces. The economic impact of the pandemic is hitting many families full force. Many of the unemployed during the crisis are going back to work, but they are still experiencing the effects of lost income from their time off, and the debts they incurred. The stock market plummeted
during the pandemic, with millions of people losing almost all their life savings. The entire world economy is on extremely shaky footing, and we wonder whether life will ever be the same. The economic picture for the foreseeable future is dire. Many of the businesses forced to shut down because of the lockdowns may never recover. In a report to Adventist Church leaders, investment specialist Tim Aka made this astute observation: “Many people are living paycheck to paycheck with little or no savings.” The results of the coronavirus pandemic has thrown them into a financial dilemma. Book Mark Finley "Hope for Troubled Time" #HopeForTroubledTime
#AdventistChurch
#MarkFinley Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j82aojI-vcU

Putting God first can be difficult. What can we learn from Peter that will help us put God first in our lives today?
Peter was one of the oldest disciples Jesus called. He was determined and trustworthy. On a stormy night, Jesus appeared to the group as a ghost walking on water. Peter was the first to speak out in his desire to be with Jesus, even if it meant jumping out of the boat and walking on water. Put- ting God first seemed to come easy for Peter. Until he almost drowned.
Soon after walking on water, Peter doubted. As Peter began to be engulfed by the tempestu-
ous water, he must have felt the shame of public failure. He had asked to come to Jesus and all the disciples could now see that he had failed. Putting God first in our failures isn’t easy. But Peter did it. He shouted for help and Jesus saved him.
This story repeats itself when Jesus is arrested and crucified. Peter had promised to be next to Jesus, no matter what, but Jesus warned him of his betrayal that very night. Peter wasn’t scared. He was ready to die for Jesus. This is clear from Peter’s attack in Gethsemane. Despite the soldiers surrounding them, Peter tries to kill someone.
Thankfully, he was a fisherman, not a soldier. He missed and cut the man’s ear instead.
What Jesus did next confused him. Jesus healed the man and said He didn’t need protection. What could that mean? Peter was ready for conflict and Jesus rebuked him for it. He followed Jesus from a distance and denied knowing him three times that night, as Jesus predicted. Meanwhile, John stayed right next to Jesus throughout the horror of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. Peter had failed again. How could he possibly lead anything after that?
Putting God first in the midst of our failure, confu- sion and shame is impossible. It is only through God’s power that we can accept God’s forgiveness and start again. Later, Peter would become an excellent leader as Jesus trusted him again and again. Perhaps you’ve been unfaithful with your tithe and offerings in the past. Perhaps you’ve failed. Putting God first means asking for and ac- cepting God’s forgiveness today. It means starting again to trust in God with your finances.
Peter put God first. His example compels us to do the same.
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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=4vpUxyZdDLw