Closer To Heaven
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by Loren Seibold | 17 October 2023 | In a recent issue of the Adventist Review, author Adam Ramdim wrote about his visit to one of the historical sites of spiritualism: In the United States and Western Europe the birth of modern spiritualism is linked to the Fox sisters from New York State. Mysterious rapping/knocking […] Source: https://atoday.org/is-spiritualism-real-the-adventist-review-thinks-so/
17 October 2023 | The General Conference Annual Council has approved the realignment of three divisions within the church, according to news from the Southern Asia-Pacific Division website. Stemming from years of contemplation and backed by the Mission Refocus Program, this change is expected to intensify mission outreach and strengthen financial stability. The realignment primarily […] Source: https://atoday.org/gc-annual-council-approves-realignment-of-divisions/
16 October 2023 | Ron Halvorsen Jr., formerly the senior pastor at North Cascade Adventist Church in Burlington, WA has been chosen as the next head of the Collegedale Church in Tennessee, according to The Southern Accent. The announcement was made by Gary Rustad, president of the Georgia-Cumberland Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, during the church’s […] Source: https://atoday.org/collegedale-church-announces-new-senior-pastor-after-a-year-of-transitions/
Daily Lesson for Wednesday 18th of October 2023
Read Acts 8:1-4. In the early church, what brought about the scattering of believers beyond their comfort zone?
Until this time, the early church was mainly in Jerusalem (or within the Jewish territory and among the Jewish people). When persecution began—in which Saul, a devout Jew and a Pharisee, was actively involved—the church in Jerusalem was then dispersed all over Judea and Samaria.
Image © Lifeway Collection at Goodsalt.com
Jesus had predicted in Acts 1:8 that “ ‘you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria’ ” (NIV). This statement was fulfilled, as noted in Acts 8:4, that “those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (NIV).
Even after the church began to move out beyond Jerusalem, the believers were still preaching in the regions of the Jews or in the neighborhoods of the Jewish people in other cities. Acts 11:19 indicates that the believers were dispersed all the way to Phoenicia (Lebanon) and Cyprus, but they did not at this stage preach the message to anyone other than the Jews alone. The disciples of Jesus and the early church did not intend to see the Gentiles, but only Jews, come to the Lord. They still had very narrow views on what the mission of the church was to be.
Peter, a disciple of Jesus and one of the leading figures of the early church, was averse to taking the gospel message to the Gentiles, even after Paul had begun to do so. Peter was known as an apostle to the circumcised (meaning the Jews), and Paul an apostle to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:8). Early on, Peter did not even want to be seen with the Gentiles (Galatians 2:11-12). However, God moved Peter out of his comfort zone and changed his heart. He was starting to learn about what the gospel commission really entailed and what Jesus’ death was meant to accomplish for the whole world.
Read Acts 10:9-15,28-29. What was the message that the Lord was giving to Peter, and how must we, in our day and age, apply this principle to the work of mission?
(0)Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/23d-03-the-early-church-and-comfort-zones/
AWR360° Zambia – Mira’s Battle With Spiritual Forces Ep.10 #AWR #Evangelism #Bible #short Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T2ClSYijnE
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