A Teacher’s Prayer

By Andrew McChesney

A school friend told Selinah that she should worship Jesus. “You need to go to church because Jesus is coming and, when He comes, He will take His own,” she said. The friend also said only two churches exist in the world — the Seventh-day Adventist Church and another church. Selinah, whose parents were not particularly religious, chose the other church because it had the larger building in her village in northern Botswana.

Image © Pacific Press

After some time, a relative, a boy around her age, invited Selinah to the Adventist church. Selinah’s friends at the other church cautioned her against going. “Don’t go to that church,” said one. “You won’t come back to your own church,” said another. “Why would I leave my church?” Selinah said.

On Sabbath morning, Selinah walked with the boy to church. The worship service had begun when they arrived. It was so different to Selinah. The preacher talked to God like he was talking to a friend. The handshakes after the worship service surprised her. It was as if the church members had been expecting her. Learning that the preacher would conduct a series of sermons, she came back for what turned out to be an evangelistic series. She listened with amazement as the preacher used slides to show that the beasts of Daniel chapter 7 represented world kingdoms up through Jesus’ second coming. After the meetings ended, she never returned to her former church. She was baptized and joined the Adventist Church.

Selinah Oreneile Nkwae grew up and became a schoolteacher. More than anything she wanted to teach children about Jesus at an Adventist school. But there was no Adventist school, so she taught at government schools for 34 years. After retiring, she prayed earnestly about how to be a good witness for God, and she led several evangelistic efforts that resulted in a number of baptisms. But she couldn’t forget her desire to teach at an Adventist school.

One day, her husband saw a newspaper advertisement seeking teachers for a new Adventist school in Francistown. Selinah applied and was accepted at Eastern Gate Primary School, which was constructed with a Thirteenth Sabbath Offering in 2015. God had answered her prayers. “The daily prayer of all the teachers is for the kids see God’s character in us,” Selinah said.

This mission story illustrates the following components of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s “I Will Go” strategic plan: Mission Objective No. 4, “To strengthen Seventh-day Adventist institutions in upholding freedom, wholistic health, and hope through Jesus, and restoring in people the image of God,” and Spiritual Growth Objective No. 6, “To increase accession, retention, reclamation, and participation of children, youth, and young adults.” Read more: IWillGo2020[dot]org.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Find more mission stories at adventistmission[dot]org

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/inside-story-a-teachers-prayer/

Further Thought:

Read Ellen G. White, “The Law and the Covenants,” Pages 370-373, in Patriarchs and Prophets.

Abraham’s patient and tenacious plea with God on behalf of the people of Sodom (Genesis 18:22-33) should encourage us to pray for the wicked, even though they appear to be in a hopeless condition of sin.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

Furthermore, God’s attentive response to Abraham’s insistence, and His willingness to forgive for the sake of only “ten” righteous men is a “revolutionary” concept, as pointed out by Gerhard Hasel:

“In an extremely revolutionary manner the old collective thinking, which brought the guiltless member of the guilty association under punishment, has been transposed into something new: the presence of a remnant of righteous people could have a preserving function for the whole … For the sake of the righteous remnant Yahweh would in his righteousness [tsedaqah] forgive the wicked city. This notion is widely expanded in the prophetic utterance of the Servant of Yahweh who works salvation ‘for many.’” — Gerhard F. Hasel, The Remnant: The History and Theology of the Remnant Idea From Genesis to Isaiah, 3rd edition (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 1980), Pages 150, 151.

“All around us are souls going down to ruin as hopeless, as terrible, as that which befell Sodom. Every day the probation of some is closing. Every hour some are passing beyond the reach of mercy. And where are the voices of warning and entreaty to bid the sinner flee from this fearful doom? Where are the hands stretched out to draw him back from death? Where are those who with humility and persevering faith are pleading with God for him? The spirit of Abraham was the spirit of Christ. The Son of God is Himself the great Intercessor in the sinner’s behalf. He who has paid the price for its redemption knows the worth of the human soul.” — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 140.

Discussion Questions:

<–Thursday

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/friday-further-thought-covenant-with-abraham/

The book of Genesis offers us so many and vast topics from which to choose a theme hymn. As we are starting at the very beginning, I would like to give praise to our Creator of heaven and earth in singing Hymn 320 – Lord of Creation and Hymn 2 – All Creatures of Our God and King. The stories that follow creation will lean back towards our amazing God and what He has done for each of us in creation .

Just as Abraham had a covenant made to him by God, we also have a covenant with God: Hymn 522 – My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less (verse 3) and Hymn 347 – Built On the Rock (verse 4). We can then say in song The God of Abraham Praise – Hymn 11.

Just as Abraham had a wondrous faith, so too may we:
Hymn 304 – Faith of Our Fathers,
Hymn 523 – My Faith Has Found a Resting Place,
Hymn 517 – My Faith Looks Up to Thee, and
Hymn 608 – Faith Is the Victory.

God took Abram outside in Genesis 15:5 and asked if the stars could be counted, so we may also do this in Hymn 98 – Can You Count the Stars? 
Sunday’s study continues with Abram “reassured and ‘believed in the Lord’ (Genesis 15:6)” Hymn 511 – I Know Whom I Have Believed, and that “Humans are saved by grace”: Hymn 108 – Amazing Grace and Hymn 109 – Marvelous Grace.

In many ways today, we have the Lord speak to us just as He spoke to Abram (Monday and Tuesday) Hymn 541 – Lord, Speak to Me. Tuesday closes with the thought that “Abraham still struggled with living it out in faith and trust”. Having learned from Abraham’s life, are we able to sing with wholeheartedness I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus – Hymn 535?

Ellen G White in Patriarchs and Prophets page 140 asks if we are pleading with God in prayer for the souls around us as the world falls to pieces as in the days of Sodom: Hymn 284 – For You I Am Praying.

God’s abundant blessings this quarter as we study through the first book of the Bible which our gracious God has given. May we be faithful and all say “Come, Lord Jesus, come – very soon” so we are able to go to our new home in Heaven, as We Have This Hope – Hymn 214.

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.”

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/7-the-covenant-with-abraham-singing-with-inspiration/

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.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/promises-made-to-abraham-are-made-to-us/

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]

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/mission-spotlight-for-may-14/