From ADRA – 17 February 2020 | Since early January, the COVID-19, the official name given for the coronavirus, has been declared a public health emergency of international concern, as the virus has now made a wider impact and reach than the SARS outbreak in 2003. Within two and a half months, there have reportedly […] Source: https://atoday.org/adra-preps-for-hygiene-and-sanitation-efforts-in-asia-amidst-coronavirus-outbreak/
HopeSS: From the Stormy Sea to the Clouds of Heaven (February 22, 2020)
You can view an in-depth discussion of “From the Stormy Sea to the Clouds of Heaven” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. Click on the image to view:
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You may download an MP4 video file, and audio file or a PDF lesson outline from the HopeSS site.
With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.
Amen!
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(0)08: From the Stormy Sea to the Clouds of Heaven – Discussion Starters
- The vision of Daniel 7. The vision of Daniel 7 expands on Daniel’s vision presented earlier in Daniel 2. Your lesson guide calls this vision “amazing,” so be on the alert for what makes this vision, not just interesting or enlightening, but “highly symbolic” and descriptive of amazing events that will take place “soon” on the horizon of time.
- Four animals. The lion. What city, empire, or country does the lion in this vision represent? Babylon, of course! Since you knew that the lion represents Babylon,
what does the bear represent? That’s right. The Medo-Persian Empire. And the leopard? The Greek Empire. And now the surliest, meanest beast of them all. It doesn’t look like any animal. So who is it? - The little horn. This strange creature, Number 4 in the display, seems to emerge from pagan Rome, and as surely as we are reading about it, what three things does this entity accomplish—or try to do? How long does he (or it) have? And for how long does the little horn continue as a part of Rome? Does the reading of this prophecy and its explanation move you to pray to God for protection and guidance?
- The court was seated. Now there is a judgment scene. The court is in session. Who is being judged? When does this judgment begin? How does the Day of Atonement fit into the drama of this end-time call to justice? What is the purpose of the pre-Advent judgment in heaven? What does the cross of Christ have to do with the final judgment day?
- The coming of the Son of Man. Is it a puzzle to you in any way that the Son of Man is Jesus? The note states that Daniel 7:13 does not refer solely to the second coming as we have imagined it but to the restoration of true worship. How does the false religious leader (the papacy) try to place a human leader as the mediator between God and humanity? Does this attempt succeed?
- The holy ones of the Most High. Do you long to be one of the “holy ones” of the Most High? When does the final persecution of the saints begin and end? Can any effort to persecute and destroy God’s people win the battle? How is the victory achieved? Explain the importance to you and me of our refusal to be separate from the love of God. How can we be sure we have the Saviour on our side?
NOTES from the lesson guide. Suggestion: use this passage as a discussion guide at the end (or beginning) of your class.
Look again at all the characteristics of the little horn power that arises from, and remains part of, the fourth beast, Rome. What power alone arose out of pagan Rome many centuries ago and, besides having persecuted God’s people, remains in existence today? Why should this clear identification help protect us from speculation about its identity, including the idea that the little horn refers to a pagan Greek king who disappeared from history more than a century and a half before the first advent of Jesus? How should these clear identifying marks also protect us from the belief that the little horn is some future power yet to arise?
Amen!(0)
(0)Bringing the Community Together
The Mountain Andrews All Nations Seventh-day Adventist Church seeks to be a blessing to their community of North End in Winnipeg, Man. Thus our outreach as church members stems from the concept that the primary need of each person is to find God through Jesus Christ.
During the summers church members walk the streets distributing faith-based inspirational materials such as books, magazines, Bible study enrolment cards, and invitation flyers for public evangelism. All this effort is accompanied with much prayer and with hope that many in our neighbourhood would be open to know more about Jesus. Our observation is that most people remain distant.
To overcome that distance, our church has been doing what Jesus did and going to where the people are and ministering to them. The Native Ministry Team arranged for a meeting with a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in which she informed us of the issues and needs of the community. One need is healthful food for poverty-stricken individuals. High substance abuse and drug addiction call for a group recovery program. Vacation Bible School (VBS) is needed to minister to the many children with little to do in the summer.
Teams from Native Ministries, Children’s Ministries, and Women’s Ministries, and other volunteers are working together for two specific outreach activities.
First, the VBS events in the two summers 2018 and 2019 succeeded in reaching more than 95 children from the community: 55 percent non-Adventist and 45 percent from Adventist homes.
Second, regular Neighbourhood Pancake Breakfasts were held on Sundays once each month, beginning in April 2019 (omitting July, during campmeeting). The numbers attending ranged from 20 to 140, with the total served being 350.
We are encouraged by people’s responses as the number of attendees from the community grows. One man said, “Thank you very much for the Neighbourhood Pancake Breakfast. This church has not only blessed its members, but the community people as well.”
An
elderly man sent a three-page handwritten letter, from which are a few quotes, “Thank
you for caring … We love you … Food is love, bringing people together … We
are searchers, seekers, and finders …We search for the kindness of strangers …
You exist, you are here, we are alive, you reach out to people … You are the
sunshine that lights other people’s lives … You love our people, you are part
of the Canadian dream … You have made a difference in our spiritual lives.”
Two
men approached Pastor Neil Tagarao after the meal on BBQ Day on Aug. 4. One man
said, “Thank you very much for this
BBQ Day. It is becoming a community fellowship. You see, if not for this event,
the two of us would not be reconciled. I have been wrongly suspecting my
neighbour of dumping snow on my yard, only to find out that it was not him. The
guilty person is already in jail. So, in learning the truth, we are now friends
again. Thank you so much for this event that brings the community together.”
That
same day (Aug. 4), a couple came to Tagarao and expressed their interest in
Bible study, and eagerness to join the First Nation Adventist Training (FNAT)
at Camp Hope, B.C.
While our church is reaching out to the community through providing food and fellowship for their physical and social needs, we also continually offer material for their spiritual needs in our sanctuary. A table at the entrance of the church displays free books, magazines, and DVDs. We pray that the many who take these items will discover the most essential food in life—Jesus, the Bread of life (see John 6:32, 33.)
— Ruby Tagarao, Women’s Ministry Leader, Mountain Andrews All Nations SDA Church
Source: https://adventistmessenger.ca/news/bringing-the-community-together
Sharing Scripture for February 16 – 22
This is a tool for you to use if you lead a Sabbath School (SS) class or small group. It is keyed to the Bible texts used in the current week’s Adult SS Lesson and includes a brief story from current news you can use to introduce the discussion and then a series of discussion […] Source: https://atoday.org/sharing-scripture-for-february-16-22/
