12 July 2021 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, I was interested in your answer to the man in the small church who wanted to give his tithe to his needy congregation rather than to the conference. My question is related, but slightly different. I like my conference, I am happy with my pastor, and I want […] Source: https://atoday.org/aunty-how-can-i-support-my-pastor-without-giving-money-to-the-gc/
Tuesday: Ambition
Studying the last week of Jesus’ ministry on earth prior to His crucifixion is always a source of encouragement and inspiration. It also offers a snapshot of how restlessness and ambition drive people to do and say ill-advised things.
Read Luke 22:14-30 and think about Jesus’ emotions as He hears His disciples argue during this solemn meal over who among them should be considered the greatest (Luke 22:24). Why did the disciples get sidetracked from this momentous occasion and focus on human greatness?
Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com
We seldom discuss with others who is the greatest in our church, our family, or our workplace. We may think about it a lot, but who, really, openly talks about it?
This was not the first time that this question was raised in the community of Jesus’ followers. Matthew 18:1 reports the disciples’ bringing the question to Jesus and framing it in a more abstract way: “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (NKJV). Jesus’ answer involves an object lesson. After calling a child, he sets the child in the center of the group. Eyes are opened wide; eyebrows are raised. Jesus’ action requires an explanation, and in Matthew 18:3 the Master offers that, too: “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (NKJV).
Conversion is foundational for finding true rest in Jesus. We recognize that we need outside help. We suddenly realize that we cannot depend on ourselves but need to rely on Jesus. We experience a transformation of our values and ambitions. Jesus tells His disciples: Trust Me and rely on Me like this child. True greatness is giving up your rights and embracing kingdom values.
Unfortunately, it seems that the disciples had not yet learned this lesson by the time Jesus ate the last supper with them. Their bickering and infighting ruined a moment of perfect communion that was never to be repeated.
All this, even after years of being with Jesus, ministering with Jesus, and hearing and learning at His feet? What a sad example of just how corrupt the human heart remains! On the more positive side, however, think about the ever-present reality of the Lord’s grace, that despite this pathetic discussion among His followers, Jesus didn’t give up on them.
| Why should keeping our focus on Jesus on the cross be a powerful remedy against the desire for self-exaltation, which, as fallen human beings, all of us are prey to? |
Amen!
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Denomination in Haiti Asks for Prayers Amid Escalating Challenges, Uncertainty
The Adventist Church in Haiti is left reeling after the assassination of the nation’s president last week. Many denominational employees who usually work at the church’s union office in Port-au-Prince, are currently working remotely. The Adventist hospital and university in the country continue to operate. 12 July 2021 | An Inter-American Division news story (edited to […] Source: https://atoday.org/denomination-in-haiti-asks-for-prayers-amid-escalating-challenges-uncertainty/
Ask, that Your Joy May Be Full
Hitherto have ye asked, nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:24.
It was represented to me like children asking a blessing of their earthly parents who love them. They ask something that the parent knows will hurt them; the parent gives them the things that will be good and healthful for them, in the place of that which they desired. I saw that every prayer which is sent up in faith from an honest heart, will be heard of God and answered, and the one that sent up the petition will have the blessing when he needs it most, and it will often exceed his expectations. Not a prayer of a true saint is lost if sent up in faith, from an honest heart.—Testimonies for the Church 1:121.
Watch, pray, work—this is the Christian’s watchword. The life of a true Christian is a life of constant prayer. He knows that the light and strength of one day is not sufficient for the trials and conflicts of the next. Satan is continually changing his temptations. Every day we shall be placed in different circumstances; and in the untried scenes that await us we shall be surrounded by fresh dangers, and constantly assailed by new and unexpected temptations. It is only through the strength and grace gained from heaven that we can hope to meet the temptations and perform the duties before us….
Ask, then; ask, and ye shall receive. Ask for humility, wisdom, courage, increase of faith. To every sincere prayer an answer will come…. The prayers you offer in loneliness, in weariness, in trial, God answers, not always according to your expectations, but always for your good.—Gospel Workers, 257, 258.
With God at Dawn p. 195
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for my neighbors chow he has not been able to walk on his leg for several days. his back leg is hurting him he needs surgery and she keeps claiming the promises by His stripes we are healed she is in her 70’s and never had any children lives alone never been married . she is in poor health her self crying her heart out can barely get around. her name is Linda pray for her she was crying so hard
needs healing for her knees she was thank you. M
—-PLEASE PRAY FOR MY THIRD SON. He just found out last night that while he went to work everyday that his wife was having [intimate relations] with his older brother. Now my son is SUICIDAL AND I THINK HE IS HAVING A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN. My youngest son is driving over 200 miles to his house right now to try and help him. And my third son has been working hard trying to support this older brother and his four kids and he was letting them live in his house because they had no where else to go. Connie
—-At 2 weeks old, baby Imogen Rea was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer, congenital Glioblastoma Multiforme Grade 4. Her parents Brad and Christie are asking everyone to pray for Imogen that she survives and lives a long and healthy life. Judy
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Dear Friends,
Some years ago, Ronnie Jay and Eileen went camping in Oklahoma along with the church’s Pathfinder group. Ronnie Jay was one of the counselors at the time and asked his big sister to go along.
As always seems to happen during one of these outings, the first night and next morning they had heavy rains. Sunday there was a planned canoe and rafting trip down the river. Unfortunately, it was now way above flood stage after the previous two days of rain. The bulging river flowed swiftly, but the leader felt that they would be able to go anyway.
Ronnie Jay went on the raft, but Eileen wanted to canoe. The other person in the canoe had never been in one before. Eileen sat in the back in order to be able to steer, and off they went. Since the other person was inexperienced, she was not paddling correctly. Eileen had to compensate for every paddle stroke. It was difficult due to the swollen river, but she was able.
When they returned home that evening, Eileen remarked that she was glad that years before when her father taught her how to canoe, he had paddled in such a way that she had to fight to keep the canoe going in the right direction. It seemed to her that he was really working against her: he was. He wanted her to learn to steer under the most difficult of circumstances. It was very frustrating to her as she thought that he was teasing. However, through that experience, she learned to overcome his odd paddling and steer a canoe correctly. That had been his purpose. She now knew that even though he had appeared to be working against her, he was really helping her to become the type of canoeist that he wanted her to be.
Many times it seems like everything is going wrong in our life. We become confused and frustrated and feel forsaken. We fight against our circumstances, not realizing that God is helping us to become the kind of persons that He longs for us to be. He is using these very unpleasant circumstances to help us to become stronger Christians, to help us stay on His pathway, to help us to rely upon His strength. “Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.” Deut. 8:5,6
Paul tells us, “despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” Heb 12:5-11
Yet, even in the troubles our Heavenly Father allows to come upon us, He mingles His great mercy. He loves us with an everlasting love and draws us ever closer to Himself. (Jer 31:3) “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy….He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” Ps 103:8-14
May we remember that the trials that come our way are given in mercy to strengthen us and help us to overcome the sins that so easily beset us. May we, in times of adversity as well as in the good times, “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb 4:16
Rose
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/MZS0P40POZA/ask-that-your-joy-may-be-full.html
3: The Roots of Restlessness – Singing with Inspiration
Rest. The word used most frequently in our Sabbath School Lesson pamphlet this quarter. “Thou shalt rest, Thou shalt rest!” These are words repeated each verse of
Hymn 387 – Come, O Sabbath Day, our theme hymn for this quarter.
Sunday teaches us to be worthy by choosing Jesus above everything else just as we find in 
Worthy, Worthy Is the Lamb – Hymn 246 and in
Hymn 252 – Come, Let Us Sing “Worthy the Lamb, for he was slain!”.
Our inheritance is requested in verse two of
Hymn 191 – Love Divine to help us expand on the Monday study. We then pray for inheriting eternal life in
Hymn 658 – Heavenly Father Hear Our Prayer.
The greatest ambition (Tuesday) is to know that
Great Is Thy Faithfulness – Hymn 100 O God my Father. It is then that Jesus points us to
Only Trust Him – Hymn 279,
Hymn 590 – Trust and Obey and then we know that
‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus – Hymn 524. We can then state
I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus – Hymn 535. The dialogue then asks why “Sitting at the Feet of Jesus” (our old hymnal number 618) had little effect on this disciples, and remains that way even today with us.
The question is asked in Hymn 113 – As Pants the Hart
that is resounded in Thursday’s lesson “Why restless, why cast down, my soul?”. We see in
Hymn 242 – Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts “our restless spirits yearn for Thee”. These sentiments are echoed in
Hymn 355 – Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life verse 4, and
Hymn 370 – Christ for the World verse 2. All will be better in our hearts and souls asking and knowing
Jesus, Guide Our Way – Hymn 553. We will be elevated to a higher plain when Jesus plants “my feet on higher ground” –
Hymn 625 – Higher Ground.
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 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.”
Amen!(1)
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