Pioneer Women’s Ministries
Easter Reflections 2023
April 1-9
“Who Is This King Of Glory?”
Psalm 24:8-10
This is our third year of Easter Reflections. You will receive a daily email and a text meditation for nine days on the events that happened during the Passion week. Let us reflect on what Jesus did for us. How does it relate to me today? To receive this daily short blessing, text "GLORY" to 269-281-2345
Charmed into Righteousness
The Most Righteous Lord
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
“Charmed into Righteousness: The Most Righteous Lord”
A Story
- Zechariah 3:1-5
- Isaiah 64:6—“ All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
- Isaiah 61:10—“ I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of and arrayed me in a robe of , as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”
- Ellen White: “Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are, weak, helpless, and despairing, our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His of righteousness. He presents us to the Father clothed in the white raiment of character. He pleads before God in our behalf, saying: I have taken the sinner’s place. Look not upon this wayward child, but look on Me. Does Satan plead loudly against our souls, accusing of sin, and claiming us as his prey, the blood of Christ pleads with power.” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing 8-9)
Christ Our Righteousness
- 1 John 2:1 NKJV—“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the .”
- Jeremiah 23:6 NKJV—“Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR .”
- 1 Corinthians 1:30—“It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our , holiness and redemption.”
- Christ is our .
- N. T. Wright: “[God’s righteousness] is an outward-looking characteristic of God, linked of course to the concern for God’s own glory but essentially going, as it were, in the opposite direction, that of God’s creative, healing, restorative . God’s concern for God’s glory is precisely rescued from the appearance of divine narcissism because God, not least God as Trinity, is always giving out, pouring out, lavishing generous on undeserving people, undeserving Israel and an undeserving world. That is the sort of God he is, and ‘God’s righteousness’ is a way of saying, ‘Yes, and God will be true to that character.’” (Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision 70-71)
- Wright: “. . . God’s righteousness is that quality or attribute because of which he his people. His ‘acts of righteousness’ are thus the acts he performs as outworkings or demonstrations of his covenant faithfulness.” (71)
- Wright: “Indeed, it is because God will be true to that outward-facing generous, creative that he must also curse those ways of life, particularly those ways of life within his covenant people, which embody and express the opposite [of his creative love]. . . . and therefore [he] must curse everything that thwarts and destroys the blessing of his world and his people.” (71)
- So what is a loving and righteous God to do now?
- John 3:16—“For God so the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
- 1 Timothy 1:15—“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to sinners—of whom I am the worst.”
- Romans 3:25-26—“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his . . . so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
- How did this loving and righteous God pull it off?
- 2 Corinthians 5:14, 21—“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for , and therefore died. . . . God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the of God.”
- White: “Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. ‘With His stripes we are healed.’” (Desire of Ages 25)
- Romans 5:19—“For just as through the disobedience of the one man [Adam] the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man [Christ] the many will be made .”
- Wright: “The language of ‘righteousness’ in the Old Testament regularly refers to the lawcourt, or quasi lawcourt situations. . . . Let us imagine a fictitious scenario in ancient Israel. Azariah and Bildad go to law before Gamaliel, acting as a judge. Azariah accuses Bildad of stealing a sheep. Gamaliel hears the case and finds in favor of Bildad: the court declares that the accusation is unfounded and that Bildad is innocent. That ‘finding in favor,’ that declaration, is ‘’; its result is that Bildad is now ‘righteous,’ that is, ‘in the .’. . . He is, in other words, the vindicated defendant.” (68-69)
- Romans 5:18—“One righteous act resulted in and life for all people.”
- White: “With His own blood [Jesus] has signed the emancipation papers of the .” (Ministry of Healing 90)
- White: “[Christ] took in His grasp the world over which Satan claimed to preside as his lawful territory, and by His wonderful work in giving His life, He restored the race of men to favor with God.” (Selected Messages 1:343)
A Story
- “The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through [Pastors] Waggoner and Jones. This message was to bring more prominently before the 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 . 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.” (91-92)
- Romans 1:16—“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. . . . For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed.”
- Psalm 33:6, 9—“By the of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the of his mouth. . . .For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”
- John 6:63—“‘The I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.’”
- 2 Timothy 3:16—“All is God-breathed and is useful for teaching . . .”
- E. J. Waggoner: “When the word of God names something, then the thing that is named is formed. Whatever is described by the word, exists in that word. Thus it is impossible for God to lie, for His word makes the thing so.” (Living by Faith 13)
- Hebrews 1:3—“The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful .”
- Waggoner: “The breath of God, which has creative energy in it, is that which gives us the precepts and promises of the Bible. That creative is the power of the Gospel. . . . The power of redemption is the power of , for redemption is creation. . . . To declare is to speak, so when God declares His righteousness in Christ for the remission of sins [Romans 3:25], righteousness is spoken into and on you, to take the place of your sins, which are taken away. And it is not simply a passive righteousness that is declared on you, but real, active righteousness, for the word of the Lord is alive, and God’s righteousness is real and active.” (14-15)
- Hans LaRondelle: “However, justification implies more than a mere legal transaction. The righteousness of Christ is a power, ‘it is a principle of life that transforms the character and controls the conduct.’—The Desire of Ages p 556. Many have too abstract and narrow a view of forgiveness and justification. This led E. G. White to state: ‘God’s forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He sets us free from condemnation. It is not only forgiveness for sin, but reclaiming from sin. It is the outflow of redeeming love that transforms the heart.’—Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing p 114.” (Christ Our Salvation: What God Does for Us and in Us 47)
“My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness.”
The PMC Evergreen Pathfinders want to get to Wyoming next summer for the International Camporee. Your support will help us get 100+ Pathfinders and staff there. Click on the link to order some delicious popcorn from March 27th to March 31st. 50% of your purchase will benefit the Pathfinder club. Thank you so much! https://s.dgpopup.com/6kbld748
In light of the nearness of the Second Coming of Jesus, we need to do everything possible to improve our prayer life. Come hear and see for yourself the "Miracles of Prayer," as presented by Sari Butler, former Andrews Academy Counselor. Bring a friend and a dish or two for the potluck and enjoy Sari's presentation as together we learn what we can do to have an intimate connection with Jesus. The monthly ASM is open to all Adventists in Michiana (age 55 or more) and next meets at 1 PM on Sunday, April 9 in the Village SDA Church Fellowship Hall. We will see you there! --Cleon White, President, 269-471-5553, whitehkaa@gmail.com
Former AU faculty and PMC member, Dr. Sandra Camp, passed away March 9, 2023, in Walla Walla, WA. All 4 of her daughters were with her. She had recently moved to Walla Walla from Berrien Springs. A small family memorial gathering was held in Walla Walla. During her career at AU (1978-1988), Dr.Camp was Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy in the Music Dept. Dr. Camp also taught piano lessons to countless area students for many decades, until her move in June, 2022. There are plans to establish a memorial scholarship in her name. Dr. Camp is survived by her daughters Connie (Ben) Gish, Tonya (Marty) Wessman, Jill (Jeff) Howell, and MerrieLi (Michele) Camp; 6 grandchildren, and 9 great
grandchildren. Messages may be sent to 817 SE Tuscany Dr, College Place, WA 99324.
Celebrate Christ's death and resurrection with the PMC francophone group in a special Easter service at the Seminary Chapel on April 8. Sabbath School is at 10:30am, and the worship service at 11:45am. A simple Agape meal will follow. Tout le monde est bienvenu!
God's Hands 4 Kids is gifting the community with the Christian based trauma training Hope for the Journey from Show Hope - a TBRI (Trust Based Relational Intervention) Virtual Conference. It will be beneficial for anyone who works with kids from hard places such as death in the family, divorce, foster care, adoption. If you are a ministry leader, educator, therapist, foster or adoptive family this is for you. For more information and to register go to GH4K.org.
Our SDA World Service Organization (WSO) at the General Conference ministers to SDA Military Active Duty, Reserves, and National Guard. Also under its umbrella are all levels of Law Enforcement, Firefighters, EMTs, Corrections Personnel, Government Workers, and Military Veterans. All have access to WSO support resources by creating a personal profile at portal.worldserviceorganization.org. Pass the word! Questions-contact James North, Jr., at jamesn@andrews.edu or cell 269-876-2232, your PMC Servicepersons Coordinator.
Easter Reflections 2023
April 1-9 “Who Is This King Of Glory?” Psalm 24:8-10 This is our third year of Easter Reflections. You will receive a daily email and/or a text meditation for nine days on events that happened during the Passion week. Let us reflect on what Jesus did for us. How does it relate to me today? To receive this daily short blessing, text "GLORY" to 269-281-2345 Sponsoring Organization or Ministry Name: Pioneer Women's Ministries
What a blessing! 45 Women attended the “Fellowship Leads To Friendship” event.
Our speaker, Paulette Johnson, Andrews University Dean of Libraries, encouraged us with the many benefits of friendship. Marlene Burt guided us through rounds of “Speed Friendship,” where we became acquainted with one another. And everyone enjoyed the simple lunch we prepared for them. The ladies are looking forward to the next time we can be together again.
Thanks to the continued blessings of the Lord and the ongoing good progress with the Elevator Project--Renovate 2.0--Pioneer's main entrance at the canopy will be closed on Sabbath, March 25, 2023. There will be no access to the Lower Level via the stairs from the reception booth on the main level. (This entrance also remains closed Mondays to Fridays until further notice).
We look forward to having you join us for in-person worship at Pioneer on March 25th and invite you to use the entrance at the Lower-Level Welcome Center and the stairs or the elevator to access the Sanctuary and Earliteen Loft, and to use the entrance opposite Andreasen Wellness Center for access to the Youth Chapel, Media Suite, and Collegiate SS.