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The Morning Star Rises

The Morning Star Rises: O Holy Night

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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.

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Part 2 of a 3 Part Series
Saturday, December 08, 2012

More In This Series

12/01/2012
The Morning Star Rises: Silent Night
Part 1 of a 3 Part Series
12/22/2012
The Morning Star Rises: It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Part 3 of a 3 Part Series
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“The Morning Star Rises: O Holy Night”

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Jesus’ gift of the Morning Star—Revelation 2:18-29

  • □  Stipulation #1—You must this.
    •   Revelation 2:18-20
    •   James 4:4-5
    •   The 2nd Commandment: “For I, the LORD your God, am a God.” (Exodus

      20:5)

    •   When Jesus in His letter to His friends in Thyatira warns about “sexual immorality” He talks

      like a wounded Lover who is heartbroken over the spiritual of those who try to have an affair with while they declare themselves children of !

    •   1 Corinthians 10:18-22
    •   Stipulation #1—You must get over this: with the Dark Knight.
  • □  Stipulation #2—You must this.
    •   Revelation 2:24-28
    •   Revelation 14:12
    •   Revelation 2:26 The Message: “‘Here’s the reward I have for every conqueror, everyone

      who at it, to give up.”

    •   Stipulation #2—You must hang onto this: with the Morning Star.
  • □  But how can Jesus give the Morning Star when He is the Morning Star?
    •   Embedded in this letter to Thyatira are two clues that link the Morning Star here to the returning Christ as depicted in the Apocalypse’s most spectacular and detailed portrayal of the Second Coming.
       Revelation 19:11-16
       Clue #1—“eyes like a .” (2:18/19:12)

       Clue #2—“rule them with a .” (2:27/19:15)

    •   Revelation 19:13—“[The returning Christ] is clothed in a robe dipped in .”
      •   The Great Controversy: “In the Saviour’s expiring cry, ‘It is finished,’ the death knell of Satan was rung. The great controversy which had been so long in progress was then , and the final eradication of evil was made certain.” (503)
      •   “. . . when Satan would fill your mind with despondency, gloom, and doubt, resist his suggestions. Tell him of the of Jesus, that cleanses from all sin. You cannot save yourself from the tempter’s power, but he trembles and flees when the merits of that precious blood are urged.” (5T 317)
      •   “Prayer and faith place the sinner on vantage ground, where the hand of faith can grasp firmly the hand of the Saviour. In and through Christ we may come off more than conquerors.” (Upward Look 322)
      •   “When [we are] in fellowship with God, that unswerving purpose which preserved Joseph and Daniel amidst the corruption of heathen courts will make [ours] a life of unsullied . [Our] robes of character will be spotless. In [our] life the light of Christ will be undimmed. The bright and morning Star will appear shining steadfastly above [us] in changeless glory.” (Ministry of Healing 136)

        “O holy night, O holy day!” 

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/.