Speaker

Dwight K. Nelson

Dwight Nelson served as lead pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University from 1983 to 2023. During his time at Pioneer he spoke on the “New Perceptions” telecast, taught at the theological seminary and has written books, including The Chosen. He and his wife, Karen, are blessed with two married children and 2 granddaughters.

Offering

Saturday, January 26, 2019
Program: 
We Begin
Precious Lord • Roy Ringwald
Praise
Jesus Saves • Indescribable • Total Praise • Amazed
Prayer
Ben Martin
Children's Story
Poor Wayfaring Stranger / Humility • Kenneth Logan
Worship in Music
My Lord, What a Morning • Spiritual / Harry Burleigh
Sermon
"The Last Letter: Wretched (Last Letter for America)"
Dwight K. Nelson
Connect Card, Tithes & Offerings
I'd Rather Have Jesus • 327

"The Last Letter: Wretched (Last Letter for America)"
www.newperceptions.tv

» Laodicea and America (Revelation 3:14-19)

• Parallel #1—

• Ranko Stefanovic: “Because of its favorable location on the system of Roman roads, the city became one of the greatest commercial and financial centers of the ancient world.” (Revelation of Jesus Christ 144)

• Parallel #2—

• Parallel #3—

• Parallel #4—

• Roy Allen Anderson: “Valuable wool was produced in the valley, soft in texture, glossy black in color, but tinged as it were with violet. Black garments were worn almost exclusively by the Laodiceans as evidence of their wealth.” (Unfolding the Revelation 42)

• Parallel #5—

• Parallel #6—

• Jacques Doukhan: “Their mentality is but the symptom of a civilization that prides itself in its secularism and humanism while excluding God. . . . The human has usurped the divine on all levels.” (Secrets of Revelation 46)

• Parallel #7—

• Greek—”a people judged”

» America

•Ellen White: “The Lord has done more for the United States than for any other country upon which the sun shines. . . . Here Christianity has progressed in its purity. . . . But the enemy of all righteousness has designs upon God’s purpose for this country. He will bring in enterprises that will lead men to forget that there is a God. Worldliness and covetousness, which is idolatry, will prevail through the working of the archdeceiver, till the law of God, in all its bearings, shall be made void.” (Maranatha 193)

• James Warren: “[Roger] Williams disavowed the Puritan’s cherished belief that their Holy Commonwealths were in a special covenant with God. There was no ‘chosen nation’ in the seventeenth century, nor had there been once since Moses’ Israel. Williams believed . . . that ‘since the coming of Christ the only way God had contracted with men . . . was through the churches of Christ. . . . Nobody of men who now employed force in defense of religion, whether at home or abroad, could claim the name Christian.’” (God, War and Providence 70-71)

• America is   a Christian nation.

• Martin Luther King, Jr: “The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the of the state.”

• Jonathan Walton: “‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’ are promised by America and God. But they are not the same in origin, practice, or motive. The goals and intentions of the Declaration of Independence sit in opposition to the gospel of Christ. The totality of Scripture does not endorse the marriage of God and country or the establishment, development, or practices of any country in the name of Jesus.” (Twelve Lies That Hold America Captive: And the Truth That Sets Us Free 18)

»So what hope is there for this nation?

•Revelation 14:6-7—”And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, ‘Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.’”

• Facebook now offers gender options: “Last year we were proud to add a custom gender option to help people better express their identities on Facebook. We collaborated with our Network of Support, a group of leading LGBT advocacy organizations, to offer an extensive list of gender identities that many people use to describe themselves. After a year of offering this feature, we have expanded it to include a free-form field. Now, if you do not identify with the pre-populated list of gender identities, you are able to add your own.” (www.facebook.com/facebookdiversity/posts/last-year-we-were-proud-to-add-a-custom-gender-option-to-help-people-better-expr/774221582674346/)

• Jesus is America’s last great hope.

• Acts 4:12—”’Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved [than the name of Jesus].”

• John 4:42—”They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this Man really is the Savior of the world.’”

• Jon Meacham: “‘A bold President who knew himself to be supported by a majority in the country, might be tempted to override the law, and deprive the minority of the protection which the law affords it,’ [James] Bryce wrote. ‘He might be a tyrant, not against the masses, but with the masses.’” (The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels 271)

• America’s thought leaders need Liberty.

God save America—and let me help You!

 

Sanctuary Flower

 The flowers this Sabbath are in honor of Judy and Larry Schalk's 60th anniversary.

Mission and Strategy Statements Town Hall Meetings
Pioneer Youth Chapel

The Elders have finished! After many months of prayerful and concerted work, the draft of Pioneer's potential new mission and strategy statements are ready for your review.  

Please join us at any of the identical Town Hall/Q & A sessions listed below to hear Pastor Shane and our elders present the drafts for your feedback.  Our goal is to take your input, modify the drafts as needed, sent them back to the church board for final review, and begin implementation in the Fall.  

Please join us for any of these important and impactful meetings that will help guide Pioneer's witness for years to come!

May 13, Tuesday, 7:00-9:00 PM

May 18, Sunday, 9:00-11:00 AM

May 22, Thursday, 7:00-9:00 PM (Zoom only)

The Tent

Join us for a special Evangelistic Series presented by the Jr. High Students of Ruth Murdoch Elementary School. We hope you can join us in big white tent near Griggs Hall at 7pm starting Friday May 9 through May 18. There will be no meeting on Tuesday. Come and be inspired as our students share messages of hope, love, and the good news of Jesus. Your presence will encourage them, and more importantly, you can help bring someone closer to Christ. Bring a friend or family member and experience God's message together!

Holding Onto Jesus

Sunday, May 25, 3-5 PM Pioneer Youth Chapel What do we do when our life is shaken by illness, a great loss, or some other devastation? How do we find God when it feels like He isn’t there? Women of all ages are invited to hear Emily Gibbs share her testimony, and explore ways that we can have resilience in the midst of difficult experiences. Register by texting TRIALS to 269-281-2345. Questions? Email women@pmchurch.org.

AdventistGiving Online (AGO) Contributors

 Your faithfulness is very much appreciated.  To ensure that your donations are properly credited to your account, when contributing through Adventist Giving, please log in under your name, instead of contributing as a "Guest."

Adventist Seniors of Michiana Meeting May 18.

Seniors 55 and up are invited to the Adventist Seniors of Michiana program to be held in the PMC Commons May 18. Bring a dish and enjoy the potluck starting at 1 PM followed by a program featuring Ken Denslow, recently retired Lake Union Conference President. His topic will be Project Amigo and Other Missions. For any questions call Cheryl Doss at 269-277-0767

Offering for May 10, 2025

Disaster & Famine Relief

This Sabbath, our church joins many others in collecting a special offering to support ongoing disaster relief efforts. Funds collected today support both Adventist humanitarian organizations, Adventist Community Services and Adventist Development and Relief Agency. Each serves in different geographical areas. Adventist Community Services responds to disasters of all kinds across the North American Division which includes the United States, Canada, Bermuda, Guam, and Micronesia. As we approach Christ’s return, the Bible tells us that crisis events will increase. Emergency Management records have tracked disasters for over 50 years and confirm tornadoes are touching down with greater impact, hurricanes are moving at greater speeds, and violent killings in the form of mass shootings increase with alarming frequency. Adventist Community Services stands ready to serve those affected by these and other tragedies. Some services provided are:

  • open collection centers to receive and sort donations, sending them to areas of greatest need,
  • provide emotional and spiritual care to the distraught,
  • and deliver essential supplies to areas hardest hit by a disaster.

1 John 3:18 tells us to love with action and in truth. Today, we ask that you give liberally, and we thank you for joining the team who extends the hand of mercy to people in crisis. Together we are serving communities in Christ’s name. 

North American Division Stewardship Ministries

Love on the Move

 Would you like to make a difference in our community? God's Hands 4 Kids has ways you can do that. GH4K loves the "True religion way to love the least of these" James 1:27. The Foster Parent Appreciation Dinner is being held on May 16 in a church in our community. We are working with the Berrien County Department of Health and Human Services to put this on.  We are looking for childcare help. Also seeking gift baskets, gifts or gift cards. For more information contact Carol Jordan at Godshands4kids@gmail.com There is a presentation this Friday evening from Unaccompanied Refugee Minors. Ask for more info if interested.

Music Camp at Pioneer!

The Institute of Young Musicians for Christ is excited to be having a music camp at Pioneer Memorial Church! At our music camps young people ages 6-17 are offered an immersive, week-long musical experience. Our quality musical training—combined with fun, friends, and faith-building encounters— provides a truly incredible opportunity. The camp offers tracks for children 6-12 with or without musical experience and a track for teenagers with significant musical experience. To learn more and register, visit iymcsda.org/michigan. We hope to see you there!

Lamson Hall Upgrades with Maranatha

From May 11–June 8, 2025, Maranatha Volunteers International will be working at Andrews University to update the Lamson Hall residential rooms and suite bathrooms. Please consider volunteering and letting your family and friends know of this opportunity. All individuals (including local) should sign up at the Maranatha website: https://maranatha.org/volunteer-opportunities/.