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Worship: For Heaven’s Sake Saul who became the Apostle Paul was raised up to take the place of Deacon Stephen, who was stoned at the influence of Saul. (Read more below.)
Wellness: For Health’s Sake Pastor Flemons, a doctor of biblical wellness, says, “Being a vegetarian doesn’t make you anemic.” “Many people who eat meat are anemic. . . There is no advantage to eating meat.” (Read more below.)
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Special Prayer was offered for 5613, who is requesting that God will allow him to recognize his influence and that he will allow himself to be used of God to be a good witness for Jesus Christ. Please continue praying for the young boy with special needs and young adults, especially those with unique challenges like SDA Christians. Also continue to pray for God’s guidance and protection at Bermuda Institute for the academic year. Pray for Paula and Pastor’s mom’s move to Springfield and for the new juice feast group in Indianapolis. Please keep them and last week’s requests in your prayers. Thank you.
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TOPICS THIS WEEK – August 20 – 26
Worship Sunday – Before the Sanhedrin; Monday – The Seven Deacons – Tuesday – The First Christian Martyr; Wednesday – The Gospel in Samaria; Thursday – From Persecutor to Disciple; Friday – Days of Preparation; Saturday, the Sabbath – A Seeker for Truth [All topics per Desire of Ages by Ellen G. White.]
Wellness Sunday – The Blood, Part 3; Monday – Stress, Anxiety, Anemia and Beet Juice; Tuesday – Diet and Anemia
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Words of Encouragement
Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.
Isaiah 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
For Heaven’s Sake…
“Stephen, the foremost of the seven deacons, was a man of deep piety and broad faith. Though a Jew by birth, he spoke the Greek language and was familiar with the customs and manners of the Greeks. He therefore found opportunity to preach the gospel in the synagogues of the Greek Jews. He was very active in the cause of Christ and boldly proclaimed his faith. Learned rabbis and doctors of the law engaged in public discussion with him, confidently expecting an easy victory. But ‘they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.’ Not only did he speak in the power of the Holy Spirit, but it was plain that he was a student of the prophecies and learned in all matters of the law. He ably defended the truths that he advocated and utterly defeated his opponents. To him was the promise fulfilled, ‘Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.’ Luke 21:14, 15. AA 97.1
“As the priests and rulers saw the power that attended the preaching of Stephen, they were filled with bitter hatred. Instead of yielding to the evidence that he presented, they determined to silence his voice by putting him to death. On several occasions they had bribed the Roman authorities to pass over without comment instances where the Jews had taken the law into their own hands and had tried, condemned, and executed prisoners in accordance with their national custom. The enemies of Stephen did not doubt that they could again pursue such a course without danger to themselves. They determined to risk the consequences and therefore seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin council for trial. AA 98.1
“Learned Jews from the surrounding countries were summoned for the purpose of refuting the arguments of the prisoner. Saul of Tarsus was present and took a leading part against Stephen. He brought the weight of eloquence and the logic of the rabbis to bear upon the case, to convince the people that Stephen was preaching delusive and dangerous doctrines; but in Stephen he met one who had a full understanding of the purpose of God in the spreading of the gospel to other nations. AA 98.2
“Because the priests and rulers could not prevail against the clear, calm wisdom of Stephen, they determined to make an example of him; and while thus satisfying their revengeful hatred, they would prevent others, through fear, from adopting his belief. Witnesses were hired to bear false testimony that they had heard him speak blasphemous words against the temple and the law. ‘We have heard him say,’ these witnesses declared, ‘that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.’ AA 98.3
“As Stephen stood face to face with his judges to answer to the charge of blasphemy, a holy radiance shone upon his countenance, and ‘all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.’ Many who beheld this light trembled and veiled their faces, but the stubborn unbelief and prejudice of the rulers did not waver. AA 99.1
“The martyrdom of Stephen made a deep impression upon all who witnessed it. The memory of the signet of God upon his face; his words, which touched the very souls of those who heard them, remained in the minds of the beholders, and testified to the truth of that which he had proclaimed. His death was a sore trial to the church, but it resulted in the conviction of Saul, who could not efface from his memory the faith and constancy of the martyr, and the glory that had rested on his countenance. AA 101.3
“At the scene of Stephen’s trial and death, Saul had seemed to be imbued with a frenzied zeal. Afterward he was angered by his own secret conviction that Stephen had been honored by God at the very time when he was dishonored by men. Saul continued to persecute the church of God, hunting them down, seizing them in their houses, and delivering them up to the priests and rulers for imprisonment and death. His zeal in carrying forward this persecution brought terror to the Christians at Jerusalem. The Roman authorities made no special effort to stay the cruel work and secretly aided the Jews in order to conciliate them and to secure their favor. AA 101.4
“After the death of Stephen, Saul was elected a member of the Sanhedrin council in consideration of the part he had acted on that occasion. For a time he was a mighty instrument in the hands of Satan to carry out his rebellion against the Son of God. But soon this relentless persecutor was to be employed in building up the church that he was now tearing down. A Mightier than Satan had chosen Saul to take the place of the martyred Stephen, to preach and suffer for His name, and to spread far and wide the tidings of salvation through His blood.” AA 102.1
(This study is based on Acts 6:5-15 and chapter 10, “The First Christian Martyr” in The Acts of the Apostles (AA), by Ellen G. White.)
Persons become anemic when they don’t have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the tissues. They are generally weak and fatigued. Pernicious anemia happens when the body cannot absorb enough vitamin B-12, which is needed to make healthy red blood cells. A healthy person, says Pastor Flemons, makes his or her own daily supply of vitamin B-12. The most common anemias are due to iron or folic acid deficiency, however.
Persons with anemia, says Pastor Flemons, should eat largely from dark green vegetables, like spinach, collard greens, turnip greens, kale, asparagus, broccoli, romaine lettuce, beans, peas, lentils, and citrus fruits. These don’t negatively affect the body like eating the flesh of animals and their byproducts. They should avoid sugars, candies, sodas, and the flesh of animals and their byproducts.