Closer To Heaven
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For three months, they gathered around the radio at their workplace, listening to hope-filled messages. The transformation that took place was an answer to a family’s prayer. Join us in witnessing the transformation in Mr. Wika. If you would like to make a difference in Zambia and the rest of the world, visit us at giving.awr.org Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7q6709a3NY
Parking at home in the U.S. state of Maryland, Joe Marcellino saw a trail of oil winding up the street from his Isuzu Trooper SUV.
“Oh-oh”, he said to his wife, Susan. “Things aren’t good”.
Image © Pacific Press
Joe, a 33-year-old IT manager at the Seventh-day Adventist world church headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, called a friend for help. The friend, Eric Armer, found oil spewing from the oil filter and warned that engine repairs probably would cost more than $3,000.
Joe and Susan, recently married, had exactly $3,000 in the bank. But Joe was reluctant to spend the money on the SUV because the couple had fallen behind in returning tithe. They owed $1,500 for the past three months.
Susan saw no room for discussion. “We need to give our first fruits”, she said.
Joe and Susan prayed and decided to return tithe rather than repair the SUV.
After the decision, Eric advised Joe to call the filling station that had changed the oil shortly before the spill. The filling station sent a mechanic to Joe’s house and, after an inspection, offered to rebuild the engine for free. Joe, however, wasn’t sure that he trusted the gas station, so he accepted a $3,000 payment instead. Joe asked another friend, Bill Brody a car mechanic, to rebuild the engine. When the repairs were finished, Joe received the bill—for $1,500. To his surprise, the $3,000 from the gas station had been enough to cover repairs and tithe.
Bill cautioned Joe as a friend to sell the SUV quickly, saying it could break down at any time.
Days later, Wayne Calbi, purchasing director at Adventist Church headquarters, asked Joe whether he would be willing to sell the SUV.
“A missionary in Africa has asked specifically to buy an Isuzu Trooper”, he said.
Joe immediately shared the SUV’s history, but Wayne said he was willing to take the risk. He gave Joe a fair price and shipped the vehicle to Africa. The SUV had about 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometers) on it.
About 18 months passed, and Wayne told Joe, “You remember that SUV? Now it has more than 100,000 miles on it”.
“Praise the Lord!” Joe said. “I didn’t think it would last that long”.
A couple years later, Wayne announced that it had passed 200,000 miles. Then 300,000 miles. Joe was amazed.
“It is the Lord who kept it going for this missionary!” he said.
Joe, now 61 and pictured left, said the experience taught him a lesson about mission and tithe. “The Lord met our needs when we sat down as husband and wife to give our first fruits to Him”, he said. “He didn’t only meet our needs, but He also met the needs of the missionary in Africa. The SUV became a blessing that kept on giving year after year after year”.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Find more mission stories at adventistmission[dot]org
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Read Ellen G. White, “The Last Years of David”, pages 746-755, in Patriarchs and Prophets; C. S. Lewis, “Judgment’ in the Psalms”, pages 15-22, in Reflections on the Psalms.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
“The psalms of David pass through the whole range of experience, from the depths of conscious guilt and self-condemnation to the loftiest faith and the most exalted communing with God. His life record declares that sin can bring only shame and woe, but that God’s love and mercy can reach to the deepest depths, that faith will lift up the repenting soul to share the adoption of the sons of God. Of all the assurances which His word contains, it is one of the strongest testimonies to the faithfulness, the justice, and the covenant mercy of God”. – Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 754.
Referring to the wisdom in the book of Proverbs: “These are principles with which are bound up the well-being of society, of both secular and religious associations. It is these principles that give security to property and life. For all that makes confidence and cooperation possible, the world is indebted to the law of God, as given in His word, and as still traced, in lines often obscure and well-nigh obliterated, in the hearts of men”. – Ellen G. White, Education, p. 137.
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Psalms and Proverbs are two books particularly tuned to the challenges of living faithfully amid life’s common experiences and trials. Both offer insights into God’s vision for society and His special concern for the poor and oppressed. The cry of the Psalms and the wisdom of Proverbs are that God does notice and will intervene to protect those too often ignored or exploited. And if that’s what God’s about, it’s what we should be about, as well.
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Release Date: July 25, 2019
SASKATOON, SK- On July 14, 2019 the Board of Directors of the
Manitoba-Saskatchewan Conference elected Michael Collins as the next conference
president after David Ripley’s decision to begin retirement. Collins officially
began his duties as president on July 15, 2019.
Michael Collins has a vast amount of experience at both the local
and conference levels. He recently
served as senior pastor for the Pinehouse Drive Adventist church in Saskatoon.
In addition to pastoral work at several churches in the United States, Collins
has served as general vice-president for the Middle East and North Africa Union
in Lebanon from 2013 to 2017. During his time as vice-president, Collins held
additional responsibilities, including security and crisis management
coordinator, ministerial and stewardship director, acting director of the
Lebanon Section, and acting treasurer of the union.
“I feel very humbled to be asked to take on the
responsibility of leading this conference, but am gratified to know I’ll be
working together with a committed team. Evelyn and I ask for your prayers, and
pledge to serve God’s cause and His people to the best of our abilities,”
Collins shared.
From 2010 to 2013, Collins held the position of president of Gulf
Field in the United Arab Emirates and president of the South Sudan Field in
Uganda from 2006 to 2011.
Pastor Michael Collins was born in Connecticut, U.S., and has been
married to his wife, Evelyn, for 44 years. They have one son, Henry.
“I know Michael and am aware of his service to the church
throughout the world. I believe that he will provide good, effective service to
the church in a timely fashion. I think the committee made an excellent
choice,” remarks Mark Johnson, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in
Canada.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Manitoba and Saskatchewan
comprises approximately 4069 members, 42 churches, and four schools. Their
mission is to carry out the commission of Christ to lead people to salvation in
Jesus, teach them Biblical faith and the Christian lifestyle, equip them to
serve their churches and communities with their God-given abilities, and
prepare them to meet their soon-coming Lord.
For more information, contact:
Stan Jensen, Communication Director
Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada
905-433-0011
Source: https://adventistmessenger.ca/features/michael-collins-elected-new-man-sask-conference-president
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