1 January 2020 | In a December 28 letter to the editor in the Minnesota-based Post Bulletin, an Adventist physician has defended his nutritional research and that of other Adventists. John Shin, a hematology/medical oncology fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, fought back at suggestions that dietary research by Adventists should require disclosure […] Source: https://atoday.org/physician-pushes-back-on-suggestion-adventist-research-cant-be-trusted/
Our Better Angels
by S M Chen | 1 January 2020 | “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” —Charles Dickens (1812-1870), British writer and social critic Darkness had fallen by the time I left the place where I routinely fill my car with petrol and headed home after a long work […] Source: https://atoday.org/56753-2/
Thursday: Contemporary Relevance of Daniel
Although written more than 2,500 years ago, the book of Daniel remains profoundly relevant for God’s people in the 21st century. We shall note three areas in which Daniel can be relevant for us.
- God stands sovereign over our lives. Even when things go wrong, God stands sovereign and works through the whims of human actions to provide the best for His children. The experience of Daniel in Babylon resembles that of Joseph in Egypt and Esther in Persia. These three — young people were captives in foreign countries and under the overwhelming power of pagan nations.
Image © Lars Justinen Goodsalt.com
To the casual observer they may have seemed weak and God-forsaken. However, the Lord strengthened them and used them in powerful ways. When facing trials, sufferings, and opposition, we can look back to what God did for Daniel, Joseph, and Esther. We can rest assured that the Lord remains our Lord, and He has not abandoned us even amid our trials and temptations.
- God steers the course of history. At times we feel troubled by a confused and aimless world that is full of sin and violence. But the message of Daniel is that God stands in control. In every single chapter of Daniel, the message is hammered home that God steers the flow of history. As Ellen G. White says: “In the annals of human history the growth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as dependent on the will and prowess of man. The shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be determined by his power, ambition, or caprice. But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, behind, above, and through all the play and counterplay of human interests and power and passions, the agencies of the all-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will”. — Education, p. 173.
- God provides a role model for His end-time people. Daniel and his friends serve as role models for life in a society that holds a worldview often at odds with that of the Bible. When pressed to compromise their faith and make concessions to the Babylonian system in areas that would deny their commitment to the Lord, they remain faithful to the Word of God. Their experience of faithfulness and absolute commitment to the Lord provides encouragement when we face opposition and even persecution for the sake of the gospel. At the same time, Daniel shows that it is possible to make a contribution to the state and society and remain committed to the Lord.
| Read Daniel 9:23; Daniel 10:11-12; and Matthew 10:29-31. What do these verses say about God’s interest in our personal struggles? |
Amen!
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Ugandan President Praises “Oneness” Promoted by Interfaith Council to Which Nation’s Adventists Belong
31 December 2019 | Uganda’s president has praised the “oneness” among religions promoted by an interfaith council to which the nation’s Adventists belong alongside the Catholic Church, Muslim representatives and other religious groups. The country’s Uganda Media Center (UMC) describes the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda as “an indigenous national faith-based organization that strives to promote […] Source: https://atoday.org/ugandan-president-praises-oneness-promoted-by-interfaith-council-to-which-nations-adventists-belong/
01: From Reading to Understanding – Singing with Inspiration
Welcome to 2020.
The hymn that will be used as the theme for this quarter is from “The Church Hymnal, Official Hymnal of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church” which was surpassed by the “Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal” in 1985.In the ‘old’ hymnal,
Number 497 – Standing by a Purpose True, that is, ”Dare to be a Daniel” will be the favourite. I do hope you are able to source this hymn and use it frequently during this quarters Sabbath School study time.
With Jesus Christ as the centre of Daniel, there are many hymns about our Lord from which to choose. The topics of Jesus spoken of in Sunday’s study shows this. Chapter 1 is Christ being confronted by the powers of darkness for us, and His wisdom –
Hymn 274 “O Word of God Incarnate”, “O Wisdom from on high”. “Chapter 3 reveals Christ walking with His faithful servants” as in
Hymn 315 “O for a Closer Walk!”,
Hymn 574 “O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee” and
Hymn 624 “I Want Jesus to Walk With Me”.
Chapter 5 shows
“Jesus Is Coming Again” Hymn 213,
Hymn 201 “Christ Is Coming”, and
“Face to Face” Hymn 206, to name three of the many Second Advent hymns. In Daniel Chapter 8 we see Jesus as our Priest:
Hymn 249 “Praise Him! Praise Him!” Chapter 9 is about the Supreme Sacrifice:
Hymn 157 “Go to Dark Gethsemane”,
Hymn 159 “The Old Rugged Cross”,
Hymn 163 “At the Cross” and
Hymn 328 “Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone”.
Chapter 10 -12 is the victory of Jesus:
Hymn 38 “Arise, My Soul, Arise!”,
Hymn 176 “Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise” and
Hymn 17 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice!” and that Jesus rescues the fallen human race:
Hymn 335 “What a Wonderful Saviour”.
God’s blessings as you enjoy your Singing with Inspiration this quarter.
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!(0)
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