Editorials

Photo by summitcheese from flickr

Editorial by Jim Greene

According to Webster’s Dictionary, “hope” has several connotations based on the way you approach the usage of the word. We can “hope” that something will happen—“I hope I can win a new car in the drawing.” Or, we can state with assurance that our “hope” is based on trust and reliance that something will happen—“Jesus is coming again!” The hymn, “We Have This Hope,” is a strong affirmation of our faith and hope in the coming of the Lord, based on the promises found in God’s Word. Every time I sing this song, my spirits are lifted, and I am inspired to share the good news that Jesus is coming again!

Editorial by Diane Gregg

One Sabbath Grandma dropped off her five grandchildren at church. She was familiar with the Seventh-day Adventist Church—and the Grafton (W.Va.) church, in particular—from visiting their food pantry and letting the children attend Vacation Bible School (VBS).

In addition to attending church services each week, the grandchildren participated in the summer Community Picnic and the Christmas program. One of the younger boys joined Adventurers. Whenever there was a social gathering, they were there, mainly because they were hungry. Each Sabbath they stayed for fellowship lunch and took a plate home for Grandma to eat.

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Editorial by Dave Weigley

I admire courageous people. When it comes to courage, we often think of Martin Luther, the Protestant reformer who took a stand to uphold the primacy of God’s Word; Abraham Lincoln, who signed the Emancipation Proclamation to end 265 years of slavery in the U.S.; and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who facing the advances of Nazi Germany during World War II, declared, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”

Photo by U.S. Department of Agriculture from Flickr

Editorial by David Klinedinst

From the beginning, the early New Testament church and the early Adventist church were church planting movements. Members took the commission to “go into all the world” seriously. They understood they had a special mission to take the gospel to the dark areas of the world. Both the apostles and the early pioneers went to unentered cities, raised up churches and trained leaders, then moved on to the next unentered city. It was this method of ministry, blessed by the Holy Spirit, that enabled them to grow so rapidly and turn their world upside down (see John 17:6). This, too, is the calling of the 21st century church.