The accreditation of our counselling courses by a peak body recognises students at Avondale receive some of the highest standards of training in the country. Source: https://wp.avondale.edu.au/news/2022/05/12/good-counsel/
Promises Made to Abraham Are Made to Us
I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. Genesis 17:7 NLT
When God made His covenant with Abraham He was making it with all of us. All of the promises that were given to Abraham were given to us.
A member of a church in which I had recently spoken asked me to come to her home. She was very upset because a neighbor claimed to be a witch and put a curse on her home and family. The lady church member believed in God but was afraid of what this curse might mean. When I got to her home I shared this passage with her. It is a promise God made to Abraham.
The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 2:1-3 NLT
The Lord promised to bless those who blessed Abraham and to treat those who cursed him with contempt. I actually think the KJV is a little more powerful on this point when it says, “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee.” Right after this promise was given, Abraham went into Egypt, and instead of trusting God to care for him, he trusted a lie he invented that Sara was only his sister, not his wife. Not only are lies deceitful, they show we are not trusting God. When we trust God we have no reason to make up lies. Pharaoh took Sara to himself, not knowing she was married. Even though Abraham was less than perfect in this situation the Lord still kept his promise like He always does.
But the Lord sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. Genesis 12:17 NLT
Even when Abraham was less than perfect and even had trust issues, the Lord kept His promise to curse those who cursed him. I reminded the lady that Balaam tried to curse Israel but could only bless them! See Numbers 23:11-12. The Lord’s blessing continued for the great nation of Israel the Lord had promised to Abraham. The lady thought that was all wonderful for Abraham, but what did that have to do with her and the curse that was placed upon her? I asked her if she belonged to Christ and, of course, she said she did. I told her I had good news for her.
And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. Galatians 3:29 NLT
The promise to bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you belonged to her just as much it did to Abraham. She claimed this promise, and many months later, the neighbor was gone and there were no signs of any curses.
Once an elder in my area was being slandered by some of the other church leaders. Thank God the church body could see through the other leaders’ lies and stood up for him. When the truth came out, and the elder was exonerated, one of his enemies, who was also a leader, was too proud to recant his lies and accusations. Not long after, the leader who made the false accusations retired to a new area. Soon he had to move far away from the area in which he retired, because of accusations made against him which were much more serious than the one he made against the local elder. Some called it karma, some called it “what goes around comes around.” But I can’t help but think of God’s promise, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.” I hope, too, that this situation led the slandering leader to repentance and salvation.
Now before we start acting all high and mighty when God works in our favor, it’s important to remember that God blessed Abraham because of His own faithfulness, not the faithfulness of Abraham. Even though God cursed Pharaoh, Abraham still had his own lesson to learn about honesty and trusting God instead of lies. I would imagine even when God curses those who curse us, we still need to humbly learn some lessons as well. The promise in Genesis 12:3 goes on to say that all families of the earth will be blessed, as God wants to bless and save all of us – friends and foes, just as he saved faulty Abraham.
Amen!
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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/promises-made-to-abraham-are-made-to-us/
Mission Spotlight for May 14
Support for the mission activities of the Seventh-day Adventist church has always been part of the Sabbath School program. This video is Mission Spotlight for this week.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK7nj9hUDYM&w=560&h=315]
Amen!(0)
(0)The post Mission Spotlight for May 14 appeared first on Sabbath School Net.
Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/mission-spotlight-for-may-14/
Very Close to the Children
And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. Mark 10:13-16.
God wants every child of tender age to be His child, to be adopted into His family. Young though they may be, the youth may be members of the household of faith, and have a most precious experience. They may have hearts that are tender and ready to receive impressions that will be lasting. They may have their hearts drawn out in confidence and love for Jesus, and live for the Saviour. Christ will make them little missionaries. The whole current of their thoughts may be changed, so that sin will not appear a thing to be enjoyed, but to be hated and shunned.
Small children, as well as those who are older, will be benefited by this instruction; and in thus simplifying the plan of salvation, the teachers will receive as great blessings as those who are taught. The Holy Spirit of God will impress the lessons upon the receptive minds of the children, that they may grasp the ideas of Bible truth in their simplicity. And the Lord will give an experience to these children in missionary lines; He will suggest to them lines of thought that even the teachers did not have. The children who are properly instructed will be witnesses for the truth.—Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 169, 170.
Work as if you were working for your life to save children from being drowned in the polluting, corrupting influences of this life.—Child Guidance, 309.
A teacher should be employed who will educate the children in the truths of the Word of God, which are so essential for these last days, and which it is so important for them to understand. A great test is coming: it will be upon obedience or disobedience to the commandments of God.—The Review and Herald, July 2, 1908.
Ye Shall Receive Power p. 140
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Prayer Requests
—-My husband has been diagnosed with vascular dementia, which finally makes sense of the downward slide into insanity that we are dealing with. It’s been horrific to watch this happen, and deal with the rages and verbal abuse. I’ve been praying for wisdom as to how to handle this in the best way possible, even though he considers me his enemy now and say all sorts of horrible things about me and about God. He is not a Christian. I have hoped and prayed that he would be saved before he dies, but he doesn’t have the wherewithall now to make that decision anymore. It is so sad. Please, I need help praying for a good place for him to be taken to. He keeps threatening to kill me, and I may have to move into my parents’ house. The problem is he is disabled from strokes, and I’ve been his caregiver for the last 10 years. I’m not sure what to do. Kathy
—-Please continue to pray that God will guide and protect E and children. R
—-please pray for our dear friend Li. She is a single mother and my sister’s housemate. She came home earlier and complained to my sister that she has a terrible headache and was throwing up. She lost consciousness while talking, my sister rushed her to hospital. And she’s in ICU now. Dr’s has informed my sister that she has massive brain aneurysm. And isn’t looking good. Please pray that she survived. He son is only 6yrs old. Samantha
—-There is a nurse in SC whose 16 y/o daughter suddenly ended up in ICU with septic shock and DIC. Being intubated and put on dialysis, RBC, plasma, etc Hospitalized yesterday. I am asking if you and your group could say prayers for her daughter. Thank you Kathy
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Dear Friends,
Happiness, peace, and love are the three things that people spend most of their life trying to find; and they don’t even realize that they are simply looking in the wrong places! How often we look for these three things in our relationship with those around us. Some spend their lifetime seeking the fleeting pleasures this world has to offer only to find that happiness eludes them. In the end, they suddenly realize that they have wasted their life. Some spend their time and energy amassing fame and fortune but have poverty of soul. Others think if they find the perfect mate, their life would be complete. Too late, they find that there really such a thing as the perfect mate. While it is true, that God has someone special in this world for each of us, but we must find happiness, peace, and love before we try to find these things in that “special someone.”
God’s Holy Word bids us, “Seek peace, and pursue it.” Ps 34:14 Yes, the Bible holds the key to where we can find the happiness, peace, and love we desire. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give you.” John 14:27 Only through the Prince of Peace can we find what we are looking for!
Jesus, the Prince of Peace, experienced no peace when He dwelt upon this sinful, old planet. He was “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” Isa 53:3-11
Praise the Lord for His goodness and His wonderful love and sacrifice. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:17 Think of it! “God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Eph 2:4-10
“If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. . . .My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 1:9-2:2.
Jesus pleads, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Rev 3:20, 21 May we open our heart’s door today.
Rose
Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/very-close-to-the-children.html
Brother of Woman in Abuse Case Resigns in Protest of Adventist Leaders’ Alleged Mistreatment of Family
Attila Erdeg is the brother of Anita Erdeg Trto, who alleged abuse by her ex-husband and mistreatment by church leaders when she reported it to them. Attila Erdeg, who resigned as Media Director for the South-East European Union Conference, said, “The church failed because they just don’t want to face the mistakes they’ve made with […] Source: https://atoday.org/brother-of-woman-in-abuse-case-resigns-in-protest-of-adventist-leaders-alleged-mistreatment-of-family/
