Editorial by Leona Bange
Seventh-day Adventists have long valued the concept of educating our young people to be the army of youth empowered to hasten the second coming of Jesus. From the earliest years of our church’s history, we have understood the importance of opening schools to educate our children for service in proclaiming the gospel message.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil” (Prov. 3:5–7, NKJV).
This was a verse I loved while I was growing up, however it took me a few years to actually understand it. Some people read it and say, “Oh, it’s just such a complicated passage.” But it really isn’t. The verses hold one message: His way or yours? In other words, do you trust Him?
Story by Jiří Moskala
Amadeo Molnár, one of my favorite church history teachers, once said, “The history of the Christian Church is the history of the interpretation of the Bible.” Unfortunately, many modern problems arise from the misinterpretation of God’s Word. Divisions were created and wars fought because of certain dogmas; millions were tortured, killed or enslaved due to specific ideologies and wrong belief systems by believers. So many atrocities were committed in the name of God. And over the years, the Bible has also been used to justify racism.
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable then they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matt. 6:26–27, NIV).
This is my favorite Bible verse, as it became my mantra in 2017. My husband moved from Iowa to Columbus, Ohio, to take a job at Amazon. One month after he started, he had a stroke while he was at work. The stroke changed every part of our lives. I became the breadwinner. He became dependent on me for basically everything. As my carnal nature is to worry all the time, this verse gave me great comfort, and I felt that God was helping me realize my need to depend on Him always.
“The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them” (Ps. 34:7, KJV).
I love Psalm 34:7 because you can claim it in so many situations. For example, if you’re afraid of the dark, you can declare this promise when you’re scared. I personally claim this promise every night before I go to bed.
“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded” (2 Chron. 15:7, NKJV).
This scripture caused me to reflect on my spiritual condition, and ask, Have I done enough? Have I gone far enough? As Christians, we may do “enough” to satisfy ourselves, or even our pastor. But is it enough to please God?
“Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isa. 65:24, KJV).
My husband and I live in rural Ohio with our two daughters, sons-in-law and five delightful granddaughters. Our family farm is named “Winds of Faith Farm.” One day, God did something incredible.
I was busy in the house in southern Ohio, when all of a sudden my youngest granddaughters, Lydia and Gabrielle, bolted through the front door with terror on their young faces.
They screamed that our beloved mini-horse Dumplin had somehow gotten out of his stall and was galloping toward the road. The thought of what my granddaughters might witness was too much! But what to do?
“This man is My chosen instrument to proclaim My name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15, NIV).
God loves us very much. No matter what we do, He will still forgive us because His love for us is unconditional.
Before the apostle Paul became a follower of Jesus, his name was Saul. Saul thought he knew all about God and that Jesus was a false messiah. He even convinced people to kill Stephen. Saul was angry that the disciples were preaching about Jesus.
Story by V. Michelle Bernard
Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington (ACSGW) is working to assist Afghan refugee families who have recently settled in the Washington, D.C., area.
To help with their transition, the community center, located in Takoma Park, Md., is collecting personal care items, dishes and kitchen items, books, furniture and food to distribute to local organizations like Homes Not Borders.
Story by Gabriel Valez
If someone were to ask me what my definition of Spirit Week was, I would say “unity.”
For this year’s Spirit Week at New Jersey Conference's Lake Nelson Adventist Academy (LNAA), students and staff united to participate in spiritual, physical and brain games. The school was divided into two teams—team gold and team blue. Teachers selected students randomly to play games and earn points for their teams.