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

When a young physician undergoes a conversion through the work of the Holy Spirit, he joins forces with a comrade and proceeds to bring about a revolution to point the focus back to Christ. What kind of transformation can the Third Person's Last Rain bring about in our lives today?
Saturday, March 07, 2015
Program: 
As We Begin
Come, God, Creator, Holy Spirit
Johann Sebastian Bach
Praise
Holy Is The Lord
Come Thou Fount
Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)
Let It Rain/Our God Is an Awesome God
Prayer
Rodlie Ortiz
Children's Story
Worship in Music
Blest Be the Tie
Kenneth Logan
Sermon
“Stories in the Rearview Mirror: Why I Believe in the Third Person's Last Rain”
Dwight K. Nelson
Connect Card, Tithes & Offerings
Closing Hymn
My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less • 522
As We Depart
Praise to the Lord • Martin Shaw

More In This Series

02/28/2015
In the 19th century, a young woman was called by God to a ministry that would eventually become a worldwide movement. What does her legacy mean for us today?
02/21/2015
"We entered upon this work penniless, with few friends, and broken in health.” - James White. What does a God who sacrificed all for His children ask of those who wish to follow Him today?
01/31/2015
Deep in the heart of an unknown Asian country lives one of the most explosive spiritual growth movements on the planet. What is their secret and how can we apply it to our own lives right now?
01/24/2015
On Sept. 26, 1874 the first Adventist missionary set foot on the shores of Europe. It was the first step towards building what would become a global movement. What step should we take today?
01/17/2015
In 1832, a man named Joseph Bates decided in the sight of God that he must take a stand for those who were oppressed. The world has changed much since then, but one thing remains: The oppressed are still with us. What can we learn today from the stance taken by that old sea captain so many years ago?
01/10/2015
As we enter into a new year, we see a world still fraught with the troubles and turmoil of the year just ended. Yet if we dig even further into history, we find a small band of devoted Christ followers living in the United States who were willing to sacrifice all for His kingdom. What lessons can we glean from them as we begin a new chapter of our own?

“Stories in the Rearview Mirror:

Why I Believe in the Third Person’s Last Rain”

www.pmchurch.tv

 

  • Waggoner and White
    • EJW: “I was sitting a little apart from the body of the congregation in the large tent at a camp meeting in Healdsburg, one gloomy Sabbath afternoon. . . . All that has remained with me was what I saw. Suddenly a light shone round me, and the tent was more brilliantly lighted than if the noon-day sun had been shining, and I saw Christ hanging on the cross, crucified for me. In that moment I had my first positive knowledge which came like an overwhelming flood, that God loved me, and that Christ died for me. God and I were the only beings I was conscious of in the universe. I knew then, by actual sight, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself; I was the whole world with its sin. I am sure that Paul’s experience on the way to Damascus was no more real than mine.” (Ron Duffield, The Return of the Latter Rain, 45)
    • EJW: “I knew that in the Bible I should find the message of God’s love for individual sinners, and I resolved that the rest of my life should be devoted to finding it there, and making it plain to others. The light that shone upon me that day from the cross of Christ has been my guide in all my Bible study; wherever I have turned in the Sacred Book, I have found Christ set forth as the power of God, to the salvation of individuals and I have never found anything else.” (Ibid)
    • EGW: “I have been instructed [by God] that the terrible experience at the Minneapolis Conference is one of the saddest chapters in the history of the believers in present truth.” (The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials 1796)
    • EGW: “I have had the question asked, ‘What do you think of this light that these men are presenting? Why, I have been presenting it to you for the last 45 years—the matchless charms of Christ. This is what I have been trying to present before your minds. When Brother Waggoner brought out these ideas in Minneapolis, it was the first clear teaching on this subject from any human lips I had heard, excepting the conversations between myself and my husband. . . . [E]very fiber of my heart said, Amen.” (1888 Materials 348)
    • Woodrow Whidden: “In the face of the stiff opposition to Waggoner’s emphases, Ellen White gave strong personal support to his (and Jones’s) basic theological thrust. Her outspoken affirmations of Jones and Waggoner’s Christ- and grace-centered emphasis would be sustained until at least 1896. . . . The Christ-centered focus of Jones and Waggoner was the inspiration for the most concerted emphasis that Ellen White would ever make on ‘justification by faith’ in the ‘imputed [credited to our account] merits of Christ.’ When all that she ever wrote on justification by faith from 1844 to 1902 is surveyed, roughly forty-five percent of the entire mass was written between late 1888 and late 1892.” (The Ellen G. White Encyclopedia 535)

 

  • Jesus and Andrews
    • Jesus: “When the Spirit comes, He will testify of Me” (John 15:26; 16:14).
    • EGW: “The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders Waggoner and Jones. This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. Many had lost sight of Jesus. They needed to have their eyes directed to His divine person, His merits, and His changeless love for the human family. All power is given into His hands, that He may dispense rich gifts unto men, imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent. This is the message that God commanded to be given to the world. It is the third angel’s message, which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, and attended with the outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure [latter rain].” (Testimonies to Ministers 91-92)
    • EGW: “Meetings were held in the College which were intensely interesting. The Spirit of the Lord wrought upon hearts, and there was a precious work done in the conversion of souls. There has been no excitement felt or manifested. The work has been accomplished by the deep movings of the Spirit of God, and [students] have moved intelligently and in faith. . . . He [Jesus] who had been to them as a root out of dry ground, without form or comeliness, became ‘the chiefest among ten thousand,’ and the one altogether lovely.” (Review and Herald February 12, 1889)
    • EGW: “Thursday at 5:00 p.m. I spoke to the college students. The Lord gave me the word which seemed to reach hearts. Professor Prescott [the college president] arose and attempted to speak, but his heart was too full. There he stood for five minutes in complete silence, weeping. When he did speak he said, ‘I am glad I am a Christian.’ He made very pointed remarks. His heart seemed to be broken by the Spirit of the Lord. I invited those who had not accepted the truth, and those who had not the evidence of their acceptance with God, to come forward. It seemed that the whole company were on the move.” (Arthur White The Lonely Years 421)
    • EGW: “The promise [Mt 18:19, 20] is made on condition that the united prayers of the church are offered, and in answer to these prayers there may be expected a power greater than that which comes in answer to private prayer. The power given will be proportionate to the unity of the members and their love for God and for one another.” (Manuscript Releases 9:303)
    • What if the daughter of Battle Creek College asked God to pour out the Spirit of Jesus upon us like He did 127 years ago?

What if we kept asking until He did?

Help Us Welcome New Students

Many new faces will soon join us as they begin their academic journey at Andrews University. We are preparing to welcome them with our traditional Welcome Picnic on Sabbath, August 23. You can support Belong by signing up to be a table host, preparing food, becoming a general volunteer—or all of the above! Text the word “PICNIC” to 269-281-2345

Primary & Junior Sabbath School Relocations

As we begin essential pipe and HVAC renovations in the Primary and Junior Sabbath School (SS) wings, we want to thank you in advance for your patience and flexibility. To ensure all our children and young people continue to have a meaningful Sabbath School experience, several classes will be temporarily relocated beginning Sabbath, July 5, 2025:

New Sabbath School Locations During Renovations Kindergarten 5 & 6 Sabbath School will now include Grade 1 children until the Primary Grade 1 room is ready. Primary Grades 2 & 3 will meet together in the Kindergarten room used by the Something in Common class. Junior Grades 4 & 5 will meet together in the center section of the Commons. Junior Grade 6 will meet in the sanctuary end of the Commons. Young Adults Sabbath School will meet in the Youth Chapel end of the Commons. Something in Common will meet in the Board Room.

Facilities Use During Construction During renovation months, the Commons and kitchen, Primary and Junior SS rooms will be unavailable for reservations, and the central hallway will be closed under the Sanctuary. We are grateful for your continued prayers, understanding, and support during this important project. Your generosity is helping provide a safe and comfortable environment for all ages to worship and grow in faith. 

District Nine Family Camp

Register soon for an uplifting and spirit-filled weekend at Camp Au Sable. The annual District Nine Family Camp is Labor Day weekend, August 29 - September 1, 2025. For the first time this year, registration will be available online at www.midistrictnine.com,  beginning July 20, at 10:00 AM through August 17, at 12:00 PM.

Offering for July 19, 2025

Pioneer Operating Budget

Someone came to their pastor and complained, “Pastor, we can’t afford to give our tithes and offerings. We’re just barely making it from week to week. I wish we just had extra money to give, but we don’t.”

When finances are tight, it requires more faith to return your tithes and offerings. Some will rationalize, “God really does not need my funds.” That’s true, our God is wealthy. But it is especially important to remember that when funds are tight, that is when it is critical that you return your tithe and offerings. We can’t expect to steal from God and be blessed. We all need God’s blessings.

Tough times force us to demonstrate our faith that God as our Partner will come through to provide even when it seems impossible. This is His part of the covenant. Trust in the Lord that He will provide as He promised.

"The more we bring to God's treasure house, the more we shall have to bring; for He will open ways before us, increasing our substance"(Our High Calling, p. 197).

Millions of Christians have put their faith into action with God. Not once has He failed to make it possible. Let’s live in faith so that God can bless us beyond our wildest imagination!

North American Division Stewardship Ministries

God's Hands 4 Kids

 "Love on the Move" is more than just a slogan. It is a way of life. It is at least for God's Hands 4 Kids. We work closely with Berrien County Department of Health and Human Services as well as other area agencies. We extend our caring to other counties as well. There are many ways you as a caring person can make a difference in our community. Today I will suggest two ways you can make that difference. You can do respite, take care of foster kid(s) for a few hours or a few days. No foster license required. Or you could offer to drive someone to an appointment. For more information email Godshands4kids@gmail.com

Hymnsing at The Old Rugged Cross Church

 You are invited to a hymn sing on July 19 from 4:00 to 5:30 PM at The Old Rugged Cross Church, 61041 Vermont St., Pokagon, MI 49047. Please bring your Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal. A freewill offering will help support the church. For more information, please contact Melchizedek Ponniah at 269-876-7476 or melponniah@gmail.com.

Looking for a Prayer Group to Join?

Join us for the Midweek House of Prayer, held online every Wednesday morning from 7:00 to 8:00 AM. We are currently studying the Gospel of Mark. Come and see how your contributions can benefit everyone in the group! The Zoom link is https://andrews.zoom.us/j/9889172131.

Fellowship Dinner
Pioneer Commons

 There will not be a fellowship dinner during the months of July and August, 2025.