Graduates, family, and friends are invited to attend Sabbath Vespers tonight at 8 PM at the Howard Preforming Arts Center. This beautiful services of tributes and music will be a wonderful way to close the Sabbath.
Galaxy Three: Why What Is Happening a Billion Light Years Away Right Now Matters to You
Galaxy Three: Galaxy Three's Third Cleansing
Resources
Speaker
Dwight K. NelsonSince 1983, Dwight Nelson has served as lead pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University. He preaches on the “New Perceptions” telecast, teaches at the theological seminary and has written some books, including The Chosen. He and his wife, Karen, are blessed with two married children and 2 granddaughters.
Offering
More In This Series
"Galaxy Three:
Galaxy Three’s Third Cleansing"
- French philosopher Paul Ricoeur concluded that the most basic of all human confessions, “reducible to no other,” is this: “I am ; I need from God.” (William Johnsson, Hebrews, 167)
- The Three (katharizo—catharsis) of Hebrews 9:
- #1—Of our
- Hebrews 9:14—“How much more will the blood of Christ cleanse our from acts that lead to death.”
- Psalm 51:1-4, 7
- #2—Of our
- Psalm 51:2—“Wash away all my and cleanse me from my .”
- Hebrews 9:22—“The law requires that nearly everything be with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [of sin].”
- 1 John 1:7-9
- #3—Of our
- Hebrews 9:23—“It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be with these [animal] sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves [to be cleansed] with better sacrifices than these.”
- Peter O’Brien: “ . . . with better sacrifices than these suggests that the heavenly sanctuary had also become defiled by the sin of the people. Sin affects all creation and extends even to the heavenly world. There is a solidarity between ultimate reality in heaven and its reflection on earth. The earthly cultus is inseparably connected to the situation in heaven. Sin is ‘an objective impediment to genuine access to God,’ and so a decisive cleansing was necessary, a cleansing that was ‘comprehensive in its scope, reaching even to the heavenly things themselves.’” (The Letter to the Hebrews 337)
- We as Seventh-day Adventists find in Israel’s somber Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) liturgy in the earthly sanctuary a striking portrayal of God’s strategy to bring the rebellion of sin to an end in this universe.
- Leviticus 16:29-30/Daniel 8:14
- Leviticus 16:30—“Then, before the LORD, you will be from all your sins.”
- Edward Heppenstall: “The living Christ of the heavenly sanctuary presses upon men the need for a spiritual revival to make them ready to stand in the judgment now proceeding. . . . Christ is not saying that His followers are going to have a bad time in this judgment, that the believer’s chances of making it are not good. Christ has no desire to be an accusing judge but a loving, saving friend. . . . He seeks earnestly to arouse in man the urgency to meet God in the judgment. But it will cost something. The Levitical Day of Atonement called upon Israel to make sure of their standing with God.” (Our High Priest 86-87)
- Great Controversy: “Through the grace of God and [our] own diligent effort [we] must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment [the Day of Atonement] is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of of sin, among God’s people upon earth.” (425)
- The cleansing is to be matched by a cleansing .
- Great Controversy: “It is in this life that we are to separate sin from us, through faith in the atoning blood of Christ. Our precious Saviour invites us to join ourselves to Him, to unite our weakness to His strength, our ignorance to His wisdom, our unworthiness to His merits. . . . It rests with us to co-operate with the agencies which Heaven employs in the work of conforming our characters to the divine model.” (623)
“I will see that you get through.”
There will not be a fellowship dinner this Sabbath.
Pioneer Operating Budget
“Ding!” My phone went off again in my pocket. It was just one of those busy days I was having as a college professor, but with deadlines looming, and students waiting to be taught, I did not really want to deal with my phone notifications at the moment.
Can you relate to that feeling? I have found that technology can often be a wonderful blessing, as it allows me to connect meaningfully with my family members who live all over the world. At the same time, it can sometimes disconnect me from the life that is happening right before my eyes.
One thing I decided to do years ago was to take a weekly Sabbath, on the Sabbath, from my devices, as often as I can. That way, when I gather in worship with my family, my fellow believers, and my students, I can be fully in tune with what is going on.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25, NIV). Today’s offering is for the local church budget. This will help provide the resources necessary to allow us to continue to meet together and worship as one!
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
to the Pioneer Evergreens Juniper Team! They earned 1st placed at the 2024 Pathfinder Bible Experience in Colorado. The team thanks the Pioneer Memorial Church members for your prayers.
Are you willing to enjoy a quiet few hours in a Children's Sabbath School room mending Bibles, refreshing the room decor, replenishing table supply kits, or a little deep cleaning? Can you gift one day (or evening) per month to come in to support our awesome volunteers who already do so much on Sabbaths? Email childrenss@pmchurch.org or text 269-845-0178 including your name, what projects you're willing to help with and we'll get you connected soon. Thanks for adding your gifts.
Explore Scenic New England and it's Rich History from September 1-8, 2024
Please see the letter below regarding a Pastoral Staff transition at Pioneer.
Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage.
- April 13- The Tale of Two Brain-Part 1
- April 20-The Tale of Two Brain-Part 2
- April 27-The #1 Key to Incredible Sex
- May 4-How to Stay Married and Not Kill Anybody
Everyone is Welcome Sabbath mornings from 10:30-11:30 in PMC room 141.
Oasis Public School Ministry provides a safe community for real talk, good food, fun activities, and building relationships between students, leaders, and God. This ministry is open to all public middle and high school students and meets Tuesdays 6:30-8:00 PM in the 5th grade Sabbath school room. Bring a friend and check it out! For more information, contact Diane at simplestirrings@yahoo.com.