Closer To Heaven
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It was another scorching Sabbath morning at Tumbleweed Seventh-day Adventist Church and the air conditioning wasn’t cooperating. Jared, the quintessential introvert, was already perspiring through his shirt by the time the benediction mercifully concluded the service. As the congregation began filing out, Jared’s eyes darted around nervously. He knew that long-winded Deacon Delbert would soon […] Source: https://atoday.org/satire-pastor-horrified-as-childrens-story-features-jael-tale/
Our learning this quarter will show us that
God Is Working His Purpose Out – Hymn 225 so that we will Lift Up The Trumpet because
Jesus Is Coming Again – Hymn 213. You may have two hymns from which to choose for your theme hymn this quarter.
The uplifting introduction to this week of study is that Jesus is returning and He preserves His people:
The Lord Is Coming – Hymn 200,
Christ Is Coming – Hymn 201,
That Glorious Day Is Coming – Hymn 209 and
Jesus Is Coming Again – Hymn 213, all because we
Trust and Obey – Hymn 590.
It is with great pity that as a fallen human race, we have viewed the fact that
Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley – Hymn 151 (Monday).
Even with great persecution when Jerusalem fell in AD 70, people heeded the instructions of
Go, Preach My Gospel – Hymn 378 as we are endeavouring to do even today.
The wonderful Legacy of Love is sung in
Hymn 406 – Love Consecrates The Humblest Act and
Hymn 579 – ‘Tis Love That Makes Us Happy all because of
Thy Love, O God – Hymn 354.
May we be more Christian, that is, more Christ-Like.
To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/
Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org/Search and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.
2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
(0)The post 2: The Central Issue: Love or Selfishness – Singing with Inspiration appeared first on Sabbath School Net.
Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/2-the-central-issue-love-or-selfishness-singing-with-inspiration/
“Dio è il nostro rifugio e la nostra forza, il nostro pronto aiuto nelle difficoltà. Perciò non temeremo, anche se la terra sarà rimossa.” (Salmo 46:1,2) Meditazione giornaliera “Apri la porta del tuo cuore”. Rubrica a cura di Anna Cupertino. Speaker: Abigail Grace Miguel. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh7zNKBPGKk
Back in my literature evangelism days, I was sitting in the Oklahoma Adventist conference president’s office along with 4 or 5 other literature evangelists. We were discussing what one book, in addition to the Bible, we should be promoting for these last days. One person said we should be promoting books warning people about the mark of the beast. I suggested if we promoted books like The Desire of Ages, and encouraged people to fall in love with Jesus, then when the mark of the beast becomes an issue, people will make the obvious choice and follow Jesus. A few of them agreed.
The Great Controversy
Several years later I was in a vespers service at my church, where the group doing the presentations were telling us that instead of preaching the three angels’ message, we should be preaching the gospel. Apparently they did not understand the three angels message is the gospel. The first angel has the everlasting gospel which prepares us for judgment. The second angel warns us against choosing man-made religions instead of God. The third angel warns us against trusting in our own works to save us instead of resting on God’s Sabbath and letting Him save us.
Over the years I have heard people say Seventh-day Adventists should not be preaching about every-day living but should be warning people about last day events. I hope those of you who have been following my contributions to Sabbath School Net the last 13 years have found my articles to be balanced. I have done my best to stay Jesus-focused, and present our Bible teachings and crucial themes like the great controversy and the three angels’ message in the light of the cross. Here is why I believe we need to have a balanced blend of the cross in all our teachings, especially about last day events.
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? Romans 2:4 NKJV
Notice first, our repentance does not lead to God’s goodness. God’s goodness leads us to repentance. Therefore, if we want the world to repent and prepare for the judgment, shouldn’t we be preaching about God’s grace and goodness? The Conflict of the Ages series, which covers the great controversy from start to finish, begins Volume 1 (Patriarchs and Prophets) of that series with one sentence. That same sentence is the very last sentence in the last book of the series. That one sentence is not “Sunday is the false Sabbath.” The author of this series well knew Sunday was not the Sabbath, but that is not the main focus of her Conflict of the Ages series. That one sentence is not, “The Ten Commandments can be obeyed.” Again she well knew that, by God’s grace, we can live in harmony with God’s law. These are important aspects to consider in the great controversy, but the opening and closing sentences in the entire Conflict of the Ages series is, “God is love.” The number one reason the Seventh-day Adventist church was brought into existence is to proclaim the unadulterated truth about Jesus. Jesus came to show us the true character of the Father.
God is love!
When we properly share the three angels’ message and great controversy themes with our friends and neighbors, we are sharing the gospel. The seventh-day Adventist Church was brought into existence to help others see the gospel more clearly. Our Bible teachings about the Sabbath, judgment, the great controversy and the three angels’ messages help us to see God’s love more clearly in a world full of deceptions and lies about God’s loving character.
This is why I believe that, if people see the love of God in all His glory, they will be so in love with Jesus that when the test of the mark of the beast comes, they will not take that mark. Maybe they knew it was coming, maybe they didn’t, but either way, they will love Jesus so much they will not fall for it. After all, throughout earth’s history, people have been tested in various ways. The Sabbath is not always the test that is given. Perhaps on the Titanic people passed the test by putting others first and giving up their place on a lifeboat for someone else. Isn’t that what the gospel is all about?
Knowing that it is God’s goodness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4), how important it must be to show God’s goodness in everyday life. After all, consider this,
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Matthew 25:31-40 NKJV
Consider that in the judgment Jesus did not reward people for what they preached but by what they did to show His love for others. The most crucial theme in the great controversy is if God is love or not. While Satan is busy telling all kinds of lies about God’s character, the Seventh-day Adventist church is to be showing the mercy and goodness of God with those in need. This goodness will lead people to repent from believing Satan’s lies about God’s character. This goodness will also keep people from believing Satan’s lies about Seventh-day Adventists themselves. The great controversy won’t be won by preaching behind the pulpit. It will be won by everyday Adventists loving their neighbors in everyday life.
(0)The post Winning the Great Controversy in Every-day Life appeared first on Sabbath School Net.
Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/winning-the-great-controversy-in-every-day-life/
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