Month / December 2018

by In Light Of The Cross

Antonio’s Baptism Pictures and Stories

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This time last year, Pastor James and I baptized a family, including the grandmother, mother and all the children. However the father was missing in the baptism. He did not think his family needed to be baptized, much less to be baptized himself, but he reluctantly allowed them to be baptized. However, his family did not give up on him. They loved him way too much!

Adult Bible Study

Antonio was very open minded, and continued to study with us at church, as well as with is brother-in-law Jose in his home. Jose is pictured third from the right. Antonio second on the left. Jose is very faithful as the head deacon at the Plant City SDA Church, and also helps with Spanish/English translations in the Wednesday night Bible studies at church. Jose also has Bible studies in his home with friends and neighbors, and Antonio came to the studies. After a year of continuing Bible studies, Antonio told Jose and me that he wanted to be baptized!

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One year later Antonio joined his family, and even greater, his Lord and Savior in baptism! Antonio wanted me to share his story, so others would decide to follow Jesus too. This Christmas Antonio wanted to give all of himself to Jesus, because Jesus gave all of Himself for Antonio. Antonio opened his heart to the teachings of the Bible at church and around the family table. Antonio has chosen to follow all of Jesus’ teachings and commandments.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV 

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After the baptism Antonio was given the right hand of fellowship, and his baptism certificate containing the Bible teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. When Antonio announced in prayer meeting that he wanted to be baptized, his daughter raised her hands and cheered! The family is complete. With Jesus in the father’s heart happy happy home! 

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Would you like a new start to your life? We can all have a new life through Jesus!

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4 NKJV

I would love to help you as you make your decision to give your life to Jesus! You can contact me at PlantCitySDAChurch@Gmail.com.

 

by In Light Of The Cross

Yes, But….

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I am writing tonight from the beautiful Tampa Bay area. I am sure where you are living is beautiful as well. 🙂

A few years ago I was  visiting family and friends in an Adventist University community. Several different family and friends attend several different Adventist churches in the area. Sabbath, I decided to join a particular friend at his church. The sermon was on how we are not to judge others. As I sat and listened to the sermon, I could not help, but in my mind think of texts that say we are to judge, Like 1 Corinthians 5- 6. I thought the sermon was very much one-sided. Then I believe the Holy Spirit spoke to me. William there are about 20 Adventist churches in the area God could have sent you to this morning, but I sent you to this church so you could hear this particular message. This is the side of the topic that you need to hear! 

Suppose I have a friend in New Zealand who has been battling depression, because she misses her home in South Africa. One morning she gets  up and is trying to look at the bright side of the situation, so she posts a picture of a beautiful New Zealand sunrise on Facebook, with the message, “New Zealand sure has some beautiful scenery.” Then suppose all of her friends in America and South Africa start commenting back about how beautiful their land is too. No doubt South Africa and America are beautiful too, but wouldn’t that distract from the point that is relevant to my friend in New Zealand?  My friend in New Zealand is already aware that America and South Africa are beautiful. But that is not the point. Instead of commenting back with, “Yes, but…..America is beautiful too!” maybe I should just agree, “Yes! That is a very beautiful sunrise. You live in a wonderful land” and just leave it at that! It is not going to help my NZ friend battle depression by totally exhausting the subject of beautiful places to live on her post.

Believe it or not Jesus Himself did not exhaust every subject in every discourse. He spoke words that needed to be heard in that particular situation. Over time and by cross-examining Scripture we get the big picture. Jesus’ sermon in Luke 4 is an example of how Jesus  purposely left out certain points because they were not relevant to the specific group He was addressing.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come. Luke 4:18-19 NLT

Jesus was quoting from Isaiah 61:1-2 which went on to read, “and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.” But Jesus left that part out! Jesus knew the crowd He was talking to would become a little too happy about God’s anger on their enemies, so He left that out. It was totally true but not a truth that they needed to hear!  So when we accuse a preacher or Sabbath school teacher of not preaching truth, because they leave out the morsel of truth we enjoy feasting on,  we are making an unwarranted judgment of “heresy.” We can have unity by listening to what others have to say without constantly bickering and arguing, even with a “yes….but.” Sometimes those “yes….buts” are a distraction from what God wants us to see. Often times the point in the “yes….but” has already been well established, and the other person is not trying to disagree, but just give the topic a proper balance, and if we reply back with a “yes…but,” we throw the topic off balance again.

We can encourage oneness and promote unity by listening to understand instead of just listening to reply with our opinion. We don’t always have to bring up the other side of the topic. Maybe God knows you are already grounded on one side and now need a more balanced understanding of the topic by hearing some other truths on the topic. That is what I realized God was telling me while listening to the sermon in my friend’s church that Sabbath.

You may study this week’s SS lesson here.