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!

 

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MORE than MORE+ Discipleship Experience
Pioneer Commons

What we experienced at the MORE+ Conference was a wonderful start. Reformation/Discipleship is the indispensable follow up to any such revival experience.
Come and fan the flames of revival.

On Wednesday, April 16 we begin a 7-Session Discipleship Journey using an interactive curriculum created with Pastor Don MacLafferty, participants will experience seven principles of discipleship in fresh ways.

Register by April 11

Pentecost 2025
Pioneer Memorial Church

We invite you to join us at Pioneer for an in-person evangelism training event from Friday, April 4, to Saturday, April 5. This is open to all Seventh-day Adventist churches in the North American Division. We encourage every member—pastors, teachers, young adults, and students—to participate. The event will feature keynote speaker Mark Finley. Additionally, there will be breakout sessions available in both English and Spanish. The King's Heralds will provide music during the Friday evening service, both Sabbath worship services, Sabbath afternoon, and the evening concert. Don’t miss this opportunity to be equipped and inspired for impactful evangelistic ministry as you prepare for Pentecost 2025!

Register

Lebanon Mission Vespers
Pioneer Youth Chapel

Our Pioneer Youth Missions team has just returned from Beirut, Lebanon. Come to the mission vespers at 6:00 PM on Sabbath, April 5, to hear the testimonies, see the pictures and be inspired by what God is doing in the Middle East.

Offering for March 29, 2025

Pioneer Operating Budget

Jesus shared the parable of the talents to illustrate our relationship with Him and purpose in life. The three servants were each given talents according to their abilities. In the end, two were commended for investing their talents wisely, and one was not.

The parable teaches us that we need to use the talents we’ve been given to grow God’s kingdom and for God’s glory. We shouldn’t hide or neglect them. God rewards those who act in faith by investing what He has given. He gives us the responsibility to manage our time, talents, treasures, temple, and testimony.

What belongs to God? For time, it is one-seventh of our week; for talents, we must use them and double them; for our treasures, one-tenth; for our health, we must care for our bodies because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit; and for our testimony, we must tell the story of what God has done for us and how he is transforming us.

God has committed these things to us; how we invest them reveals whether we can be entrusted with eternal riches. By using and growing these talents, they develop in us Christ-like characters and He then multiplies what He gave to us.

Why not ask God to help us manage His gifts? 

North American Division Stewardship Ministries

Easter Devotionals

Pioneer Women's Ministries invites you to join us for 10 days of devotionals leading up to Easter (April 11-20). Together, we will consider what various individuals present at Christ's arrest, trial, and crucifixion might have thought and experienced. If you would like to receive daily text teasers and emails with the full devotional insights, please text the word "CROSS" to 269.281.2345.

Help Us Connect by Sharing Your Sabbath School Details

We are creating a master list of all Pioneer Sabbath schools. If you are a teacher/coordinator of a Sabbath School class that meets outside the sanctuary, please email your name, class location and meeting time to Melchizedek Ponniah at melponniah@gmail.com

Howard Series Presents: The Katinas

The Katinas have traveled the globe with the mission of hope and love at the heart of their vision. Who you are, where you’re from, what you believe, it does not matter.  The love of Jesus Christ is a gift for us all. Through their music and their actions, the Katinas strive to embody this love. Please go to howard.andrews.edu to purchase your tickets.

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/.

Master Guide Club

Do you want to complete your Master Guide Program? If so, please consider joining the Master Guide Club that meets weekly on campus to help you complete the requirements.

For more information or to join, please visit cye.org/toolbox