Discover how to have the profound desire to become the most authentic and exemplary representatives of God that we can be. Join us on this journey of striving daily and be inspired to embrace the call to do the same. Together, let's pursue a life that reflects the perfect work of Jesus in us. Watch this #short clip from the Global #Campmeeting sermon, “The Mission and Focus of the Remnant,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC1Vwnnbads&list=PL-k2Gb-DBYo9tb9fHW_AxGxJ1R8MpNnpa&index=22 as Ryan Day presents for a Virtual Global Campmeeting to help us rediscover our identity, our goal, and our purpose as Seventh-day Adventists. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has been an established denomination since 1863. It is a global Christian family with over 21 million members who hold the Bible as the ultimate authority. We are believers who promise to help people understand the Bible to find freedom, healing, and hope in Jesus. Want to learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church? Visit our website at: https://www.adventist.org/ Click the notification bell so that you never miss a new video! Find us on social media by following the links below:
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Pastors Who Do All The Work Aren’t Doing Their Jobs!
Jesus Said Go Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com]
A while back a lady went into the hospital for a few days. While she was there, a local elder, and deacon came to visit her. However she was released from the hospital before the Senior or Associate pastors of the church could come see her. After her release, she mentioned to me that none of the pastors had come to see her in the hospital. I corrected her, and told her that two pastors came to see her. According to 1 Peter 2:9 the local elder and deacon are both pastors.
The New Testament church was an active church with everyone pastoring and evangelizing. In Acts 8, Philip, a deacon, is evangelizing and baptizing. In Acts 7, we see Stephen, another deacon, being stoned to death – and it wasn’t for taking up the offering or adjusting the Sabbath School classroom thermostat. No, he was stoned to death for preaching the gospel! Wait a minute. I thought preaching was the pastor’s job? Not in the New Testament church! In the New Testament church all the members were ministering and evangelizing.
In the Dark Ages a wide separation was made between the clergy and the laity but that was not the biblical design. As we progress out of the Dark Ages the gap between clergy and laity must be narrowed, in order to get back to being a remnant of the New Testament model church.
Many years ago I moved to Texas to be a Bible Worker. The church had thousands of Bible study lead cards that needed to be mailed out. The pastor asked a lady in our church if she could take them to the post office to be mailed. She responded, “Well if I do that, then what is William going to do?” She felt that since I was the paid “Bible Worker,” I should be doing all the work and should mail them myself. Wrong! Fact is, if I am doing all the work, then I am not doing my job.
My job, now as a pastor is to equip and empower the laity to do evangelism. If I go by myself to give a Bible study, then shame on me! I should always bring another church member with me so they can learn how to give Bible studies and also to bond with the student and be another link to the church family. As well as giving Bible studies I also teach people how to chain reference their Bibles, to give presentations and get decisions for Jesus. Currently I have been working with FC Life, the Lay Institute for Evangelism in the Florida Seventh-day Adventist Conference. .I have traveled around the state of Florida with FC Life training lay people to do evangelism by giving personal and group Bible studies. A small study group is a church within itself. Remember, in New Testament times, churches were in people’s homes. The non-churched small-group Bible study members see those who come to the home of the Bible study leaders as their church family, and they see the Bible study leaders as their pastors. Remember that “pastor” is also a verb and not just a noun. Whoever you are, if you are caring and nurturing others then you are pastoring.
If pastors or Bible workers think of themselves as the ones who are to do all of the preaching and evangelizing, then they are not biblical but are stuck in the Dark Ages. Very few pastors today still want to create a huge gap between pastors and laity, while more and more pastors are like Moses, when he said, “would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!” Numbers 11:29 With this spirit upon our paid clergy, the gospel can spread like wildfire and turn the world upside down, just like it did in the book of Acts when every member was an evangelist! Please keep in mind that if the pastor or Bible worker are doing all of the preaching and teaching, then they are not doing their job. You know the pastor and Bible worker are doing their jobs when encourage and empower you to share the Gospel.
Amen!
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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/pastors-who-do-all-the-work-arent-doing-their-jobs/
Resilience and Faith: The Journey of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Through History
The Seventh-day Adventist Church was born amidst the chaos of the American Civil War in 1863. The Church faced the conflict head-on with its humble beginnings in Battle Creek, Michigan. Today, we explore the resilience and unwavering faith that sustained the early believers, allowing the movement to grow steadily and impact many lives. Throughout the years, the Church confronted various challenges, including social tensions, economic crises, and natural disasters. But through it all, the Adventist Church stood firm in its commitment to healing the brokenhearted, proclaiming liberty, and bringing hope to the oppressed. Our mission expanded beyond borders, reaching remote corners of the world and advocating for religious freedom. From wars and rumors of wars to financial troubles and threats to our health, the Adventist Church has weathered countless storms throughout history. As we navigate a world constantly emerging from crises, we must recognize that these challenges have been a recurring theme throughout human civilization. Watch the video and be enlightened by this quick glimpse at the Church's journey through history. Together, let's witness the grace of God at work, leading us through challenges to save souls for His Kingdom. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has been an established denomination since 1863. It is a global Christian family with over 21 million members who hold the Bible as the ultimate authority. We are believers who promise to help people understand the Bible to find freedom, healing, and hope in Jesus. Want to learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church? Visit our website at: https://www.adventist.org/ Click the notification bell so you never miss a new video! Find us on social media by following the links below:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAdventistChurch
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventistchurch/ Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuzmkYGZRk8
SATIRE: ‘The Lion King’ Approved as Sabbath Movie “Because It Has Animals”
SILVER SPRING, Maryland — Disney’s The Lion King has been officially designated by the Adventist Church as an approved “Sabbath movie.” This means that Adventists will be free to watch the animated classic during Sabbath hours without so much as drawing the curtains. The decision to approve the film was made after it was determined […] Source: https://atoday.org/satire-the-lion-king-approved-as-sabbath-movie-because-it-has-animals/
¿La separación de Iglesia y Estado es cosa del pasado?
¿Se está convirtiendo la libertad religiosa en un derecho en desuso? ¿Está el principio constitucional de separación de la Iglesia y el Estado a punto de convertirse en una página de la historia? Considerado el corazón del derecho constitucional estadounidense en las décadas de 1940 y 1950, el principio de separación entre Iglesia y Estado […] Source: https://atoday.org/la-separacion-de-iglesia-y-estado-es-cosa-del-pasado/
