Closer To Heaven
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Local outreach shown to yield positive results for the Church’s Total Member Involvement initiative.
Read more at the source: Laymen in southeastern India become equipped to minister through small groups
Article posted on en.intercer.net from Adventist.org News Feed.
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| Photo by Dreamstime |
You might think Yosemite’s natural beauty would automatically have protected it from exploitation and over development. In reality, from the very beginning, Yosemite has needed active protection. Early entrepreneurs saw the area as a place for making money from hotels, sheep grazing and logging. Later, the Hetch Hetchy Valley was dammed to provide water and power for San Francisco. Today, the park is challenged by the sheer number of visitors and the effects of too many automobiles. Preserving the park’s unique quality requires constant effort. Effort worth making, to be sure.
Sabbath is a time set aside every week for the special enjoyment of God, family and creaton. On Sabbath, we share food and worship together. We avoid the routines of earning a living or a degree. We refuse to be sucked in by the demands of house and car maintenance or the allure of shopping. For us, Sabbath is a park in time, a magnificent open space in our lives where we experience in a special way the presence and grace of God.
As with Yosemite, Sabbath requires determined protection. Given the demands in today’s world that all of us be “available” 24/7, the tranquility and openness of Sabbath can be preserved only by deliberate effort. Just as a weekend in Yosemite erases any doubt about the wisdom of our efforts to try and protect its beauty, so our experience of Sabbath’s tranquility affirms the value of our efforts to preserve it.
Consider this an invitation to savor this magic time, to celebrate the special sense of connection with God, and enjoyment of family, friends and creation that comes with experiencing Sabbath. Find a church that worships on the seventh day Sabbath and sample the blessings that God had in minds when he carved in stone the ancient words, “Remember Sabbath, to keep it holy.” You’ll discover joy, wonder and love in this 24-hour “park in time.”
Read more at the source: Tired of Being Stressed?
Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Spiritual applications.
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| Photo by Erokism, Flickr Creative Commons |
Ultimately, the only thing that matters is Jesus! Seeing and knowing him, following, obeying, sharing, and praising him mean more than money, career, health, beauty, family or friends.
The top and bottom lines of life have to do with Jesus. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end (Rev.1: 8). Everything in-between that we buy, build and work so hard to posses will fade. The things we cherish, hold, and think we can keep forever can be lost in a wink. But Jesus remains.
Jesus matters because he is inexplicably tied to our origin, present well-being and future destiny. Jesus matters because our daily response to his call moves us either closer or further away from finding our way through life’s tangled maze.
While life may grace us with many wonderful relationships, Jesus is the only One we can count on at all times. He is simply always there!
When new beginnings fill us with excitement,
When kneeling over a silent grave,
When hard pressed for money,
When children leave home to find their way,
When words aren’t enough,
When birthdays come and go,
When overwhelmed with joy,
When our best efforts seem wasted,
When our dreams come true,
When retirement begins,
When “friends” betray,
When death beckons,
When religion fails to satisfy . . . Jesus matters!
Jesus is more than a pacifier, emotional crutch, or “sugar daddy.” He is the answer to every question, heartache and human desire. He alone can satisfy our hidden hunger and thirst.
This is why Jesus says: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ” (John 7: 37, 38).
Jesus matters because “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life” (1 John 5:12).
Read more at the source: Jesus Matters
Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Spiritual applications.
First African elected a division executive secretary, was son of a pioneering Nigerian pastor.
Read more at the source: Caleb Adeogun, beloved retired Nigerian Adventist leader, passes at 84
Article posted on en.intercer.net from Adventist.org News Feed.
It is believed to be the first Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America.
Read more at the source: Adventist church for the blind opens in Canada
Article posted on en.intercer.net from Adventist.org News Feed.
Intercer is a website with biblical materials in Romanian, English, Hungarian and other languages. We want to bring the light from God's Word to peoples homes. Intercer provides quality Christian resources...[Read More]
