In her darkest moment, she saw no way out. Her heart was broken, and she was ready to give up. Music was her only escape as she planned her final act. Discover how she faced her struggles and found strength. Hit that like button, subscribe for more real-life stories, and leave a comment below! #InspiringStories #MentalHealth #Strength #awr #adventistworldradio Watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRNHlRxi5Q0 #short MB01PU353FQSGEX Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw4spNhvvU8
Salmo 34:8 – Lunedì 23 settembre 2024
“Provate e vedrete quanto il Signore è buono! Beato l'uomo che confida in lui.” (Salmo 34:8 ) Meditazione giornaliera “Apri la porta del tuo cuore”. Rubrica a cura di Anna Cupertino. Speaker: Elisa Ghiuzan Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqOLVmzBRFo
Jesus: The Model Disciple, Part 2
Last week we were looking at how Jesus not only made and taught disciples, He was a disciple of the Father. Jesus gave us the perfect model for being a disciple. Last week we saw Jesus modeled being a disciple by reflecting the image of God, which we saw can only be done by community as God is community.
No wonder why Satan wants to divide and isolate us! Satan knows love is community and the image of God is reflected only through community. It is also by community that we grow into the image of God. In isolation we grow selfish and self-focused. In community we get on each other’s nerves and drive each other crazy sometimes as part of the growth process. During this process it is tempting to want to run away sometimes and be alone, and that may actually be a momentary solution, but not for the long haul. It may be the brother or sister who is rubbing you the wrong way who is actually polishing your character for heaven.
Sometimes it is tempting to pray that the person annoying us would just go away, but consider this: Saul was a humble man when he became king, but later ego got in the way and destroyed him. When Saul became king no one gave him any trouble. Is that why he became proud and finally let his ego destroy him? I ask this, because when David is anointed king he has opposition from Saul, which kept David humble and may have ended up saving his soul. The person we think Satan sent as a curse may be the person God sent to keep us humble in order to save our soul for eternity.
When tempted to pray that those bothering us would just go away let’s keep in mind,
Joseph did not try to get rid of his brothers. His brothers tried to get rid of Joseph.
David did not try to get rid of Saul. Saul tried to get rid of David.
Mordecai did not try to get rid of Haman. Haman tried to get rid of Mordecai.
Jesus did not try to get rid of the pharisees. The Pharisees tried to get rid of Jesus.
In each case it is the unconverted person who is trying to get rid of the converted person, so keep that in mind whenever you are tempted to pray that God would get rid of someone. Discipleship is all about reflecting the character of God, and God is love and love is community. Love is also seeking to save the lost.
for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10 NKJV
Jesus did not spend all his time with church people. He spend His time with some pretty rough sinners. He mentored them, ate with them and taught them to follow Him. I imagine if Jesus were here on earth today His cell phone contact list would be filled with names and numbers of unchurched people. Look at your cell phone contact list. How many unchurched people are on your list? This may give you an idea as to how well you are following the Model Disciple. How many unchurched people do you invite to your home? What is your attitude towards sinners in your church?
A while back I was teaching a new believers Sabbath School class, and a young man showed up who was obviously unchurched. In sharing with us his struggles he used a four letter word. Most all of my class were so tuned in to his feelings that they did not take special note of the four-letter word. One member later talked to me and encouraged me to let him know we don’t use that word here. Which do you find more concerning? A Sabbath school class with an unchurched man who accidentally lets one bad word slip, or a Sabbath school class where you never have to worry about hearing a foul word because that class would never dare allow an unchurched person to attend?
My point is that discipling the way Jesus discipled may not always be pretty. Being pretty is not the goal. Seeking and saving the lost is the goal. There are a lot of difficult unchurched people who are seeking for Jesus.
Often we regard as hopeless subjects the very ones whom Christ is drawing to Himself.-Ellen White, Christ Object Lessons, Page 72
There may be some apparently hopeless subjects in your community that the other churches in your area have spurned and turned away. Is your church ready to pray, “Jesus please send us all the hopeless outcasts the other churches in our community don’t want to deal with. Please send them to us Jesus and let our church love the people the other churches in our community refuse to love.”
Jesus told His disciples,
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV
This means way more than reaching out to our Catholic and Protestant brothers and sisters with the truth about the Sabbath. It means reaching out to a secular society cutting and drugging themselves. It means reaching out to them with the good news about the Savior. To follow our Model Disciple we must reach out to and disciple apparently hopeless people just like our Model Disciple, Jesus did.
(1)Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/jesus-the-model-disciple-part-2/
13: The Risen Lord – Singing with Inspiration
It is wonderful to travel through John Mark’s life and see the beautiful story climax with
Christ The Lord Is Risen Today – Hymn 166, therefore
Go, Preach My Gospel – Hymn 378. These two hymns give us a purpose all during this quarter to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus. May you enjoy these hymns for your theme hymn from which to choose.
Compared to last weeks’ lesson with so much sadness, we have a joyful week with our risen Lord. We rejoice
because
The Strife Is O’er – Hymn 172, in response to
Christ The Lord Is Risen Today – Hymn 166. Now we can report
Look You Saints! The Sight Is Glorious – Hymn 165.
The conclusion of Sabbath afternoon is opened up to us on Thursday to
Go, Preach My Gospel – Hymn 378.
Sunday is the time we sing with gusto
Hymn 166 – Christ The Lord Is Risen Today.
Monday tells of the empty tomb. We are able to rejoice that the stone was rolled away, showing the empty tomb to all:
Hymn 171 – Thine Is The Glory opens this up to us.
As we read of the doubts of the ladies and disciples regarding the empty tomb, we are encouraged to
Come, You Faithful – Hymn 169 seeing as we have all the evidence given to us in the Bible.
Thursday encourages us to
Go Forth, Go Forth With Christ – Hymn 377 and spread the Gospel to the world.
Please continue to search the scriptures this week to be blessed, and to bless many others.
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)Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/13-the-risen-lord-singing-with-inspiration/
Lesson 13.The Risen Lord | 13.2 The Stone Was Rolled Away | THE BOOK OF MARK | LIVING FAITH
13.2 The Stone Was Rolled Away
Testimonies and Evidence of the Resurrection
Read Mark 16:1–8 and 1 Corinthians 15:1–8. What do these passages have in common?
In Mark 16:1–8 and 1 Corinthians 15:1–8, we find central elements of the Christian message: death, burial, resurrection, and the appearance of the risen Christ. Both passages testify to the heart of the Christian faith—that Jesus did not remain in the tomb but was raised from the dead.
The Gospels and Paul’s letters confirm these four essential points: Jesus died, was buried, rose again, and was seen by many witnesses. The empty tomb and the eyewitness accounts, as described in 1 Corinthians 15, strengthen the historical and spiritual foundation of the resurrection.
The stone that was rolled away symbolizes more than just a physical act—it stands for Jesus’ triumph over death and sin. The empty tomb is the key to the Christian hope that we too have new life through faith in Him.
For many people, belief in the resurrection may be difficult to understand. However, as Paul emphasizes in 1 Corinthians 15, the resurrection of Christ is the foundation of the Gospel. If God could create the universe, it is only reasonable to believe that He also has the power to raise Jesus from the dead.
Additionally, there are several pieces of evidence that support the resurrection: the empty tomb, the inability of Jesus’ opponents to produce His body, the numerous eyewitness accounts, and the radical transformation in the lives of the disciples and the Apostle Paul. These individuals were willing to die for their belief in the risen Christ—a strong testimony to their conviction.
Thus, the resurrection is not only a historical fact but also the core of our hope. The stone was rolled away, and with it, the way was cleared for our new life in Christ, full of hope and promise.
What would you answer if someone asked you: What evidence do you have for the resurrection of Christ?
If someone asked me for evidence of the resurrection of Christ, I would point to a combination of historical, logical, and personal aspects:
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The Empty Tomb: Historically, the empty tomb is one of the best-documented aspects of the resurrection. Even critical historians, including atheists, agree that Jesus’ tomb was empty. If His body had still been there, the religious and Roman leaders would have presented it to immediately refute the rumors of the resurrection. But that did not happen.
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Eyewitness Accounts: The Gospels and Paul report that many people saw the risen Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul lists eyewitnesses, including more than 500 people who saw Jesus alive. These reports come from different individuals and groups, making the likelihood of a collective hallucination effect extremely low.
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The Radical Transformation of the Disciples: After Jesus’ crucifixion, His disciples were fearful and hid. But after the resurrection, they experienced an astonishing transformation—from frightened individuals to bold proclaimers of the Gospel, willing to die for their faith. This transformation makes it unlikely that they believed in a lie or fabricated the events.
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The Conversion of Paul: Paul was a determined persecutor of the early Christians. However, after his encounter with the risen Christ, he completely changed his life and became one of the greatest advocates of the Gospel. This dramatic conversion suggests that Paul must have had an overwhelming experience.
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The Rise of Christianity: Within a few decades after Jesus’ crucifixion, Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire despite intense persecution. This rapid expansion was based on the testimony of those who claimed that Jesus had risen from the dead and were willing to die for this conviction.
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Logical Conclusion: If one believes in God as the Creator, the resurrection as a divine act is plausible. The God who created life can also restore it. Thus, the resurrection becomes a reasonable consequence of God’s omnipotence.
In summary: Historical facts, eyewitness accounts, the radical transformation of the disciples and Paul, and the rise of Christianity are strong indications that the resurrection is not a myth but a real historical and spiritual event.
The resurrection of Christ holds not only historical and theological significance but also a deep connection to our daily lives and faith. It offers us a perspective of faith that can shape our daily thinking, actions, and experiences:
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Hope in Daily Life: The resurrection is the central symbol of hope in the Christian faith. The stone that was rolled away signifies that nothing—even death—can separate us from God’s love. This hope helps us cope with challenges, crises, and fears because we know that God has the final word and that we have new life in Him.
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New Life in Christ: Just as the stone was rolled away from the tomb, our old life is left behind through the resurrection. Paul describes this in 1 Corinthians 15 and elsewhere—through the resurrection, we live a new life in Christ. In our daily lives, this means that we can experience changes through God’s power, whether in dealing with our weaknesses, relationships, or decisions.
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Faith in God’s Power: The resurrection shows that God has the power to make the impossible possible. This strengthens our faith in daily life when we face situations that seem impossible. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead gives us the faith that God can work in our life circumstances as well.
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Forgiveness and New Beginnings: The resurrection is proof that Jesus has conquered death and sin. This means that we can live in God’s forgiveness and grace. In our daily lives, this truth gives us the freedom to live in forgiveness—both toward ourselves and others.
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Courage to Be a Witness: The disciples experienced a radical change after the resurrection—from fearful individuals to bold proclaimers. Likewise, through faith in the risen Christ, we are empowered to live out our faith courageously and share it with others. The resurrection assures us that we need not fear, for Jesus has overcome death.
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Living Hope: As stated in 1 Peter 1:3, God has given us a “living hope” through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This hope is not just an idea but a living reality that accompanies and sustains us in every life situation. It influences how we view our future—not with fear but with confidence.
