Downers Grove Seventh-day Adventist Church
Saturday: Bible Study - 10 am,
Sabbath Worship - 11 am
5524 Lee Avenue, Downers Grove IL
Church Voices
We celebrate
Exchanging Thoughts & Sharing Ideas
Pastoral Ponderings
Pastor Ira Bartolome
Rays of Hope in Gethsamane
The scenes of Jesus in Gethsemane (Matt 26; Mark 14; Luke 22; John 18) are tragic, sad and dark. Although the powers of darkness weighed heavily on Jesus, He found rays of hope from His hope and trust in God. During our own dark days, we need to accept and embrace the rays of hope demonstrated by Jesus.
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The unwavering prayers of Jesus.
Jesus is consistently yielding to God the Father in prayer. In John 17, He prays for His work of salvation, He prays for His disciples, but He continues to pray. Jesus prays a continuous prayer for you, “Sanctify them by Your truth.... My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message." Jesus prays for you to be set aside for a special purpose.
The encouragement of the angel.
During Jesus' prayers, the angel of God comes to help. The heavenly help is not to take away the “cup”, but to strengthen Jesus to able to take and endure the cup. God stands ready to send help to you; if you are willing, God will strengthen you to endure your trials.
The glory of Jesus.
At the revelation of Jesus’ glory, the great “I Am,” the mob is pushed back. Although you may be suffocating in darkness, call on the glory of God and the righteous character of Jesus, to shine in and through you. Darkness has to step back.
The grace and healing of Jesus.
Jesus is with us to put things back right after mistakes. Peter’s impetuous mistake in drawing his sword misrepresented the mission of Jesus and that mistake hurt someone else. Jesus was there to heal the servant and to give grace to Peter. Receive the grace and healing of Jesus today.
The steadfastness of Jesus.
Jesus does not abandon His mission, Jesus does not abandon you! Jesus will make sure the fulfillment of scripture will come to pass and bring salvation to those who are willing.
As you receive these five rays of hope in your Gethsemane, let it transform you and bless those around you. Pastor Ira Bartolome
Sharing the Spirit of Hope
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by Shirley & Mellissa Newton
As believers in Jesus Christ, we are given the precious gift of hope. This hope ignites our resilience and perseverance even in the darkest of times. These days, it seems so many people are seeking the warmth and safety of hope.
Are there ways we can share the spirit of hope with others? We can look to Jesus as our example. In all he did, he shared hope through his compassion and selfless acts of love. Here are some ideas to bring hope to others:
(1) offer words of encouragement,
(2) perform small acts of kindness, and
(3) live our faith in hope as a light to others.
The key is to demonstrate that hope is not just a concept but a tangible reality that can change the lives of others.Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV) for us to “…encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." When our interactions contribute to strengthening others, we emulate Jesus' example of sharing hope.
Lifting up Family
Scriptures of Hope Norm & Ruby McBride Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to have peace and joy in this life. It doesn’t matter how difficult the road is ahead of our journey, with strong faith in God, we will overcome and He will always provide. Faith is a gift that God gives us that increases as we exercise it. Let’s keep praying and hoping, church family.
Scriptures of Hope:Psalms 25:5; 31:24; 33:22; Psalms 42:11; 119:114; 130:5Romans 5:3-54; 15:13Isaiah 40:31
Scriptures of Hope:
Psalms 25:5; 31:24; 33:22;
Psalms 42:11; 119:114; 130:5
Romans 5:3-54; 15:13
Isaiah 40:31
