Reflections

VITALITY

Matthew 18: 3, 4: "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever becomes little like this child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Accepting Jesus means returning to the vitality, passion and naivety of a child. Jesus, during his earthly life, was enthusiastic, dynamic, joyful and full of life. It is the genuine and sincere love for God that makes us convinced and smiling Adventists. God's love fills us and completes us. God's love is so powerful that it pervades our whole being and involves everyone around us. We are loved by our Father and, as children, we have no choice but to share that love with our sisters and brothers - our neighbour.

Let us become children again and rediscover the vitality, the enthusiasm, the passion of a child.

Our heavenly Father loves us infinitely and wants us to transmit his infinite love to our neighbour. Jesus Christ was the symbol of this powerful love. Jesus' sacrifice redeemed and saved us. Let us smile at life, like a child greatly loved by the Father!

Mission

Matthew 28: 19-20: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Mission is the lifeblood of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Mission is woven into our identity; mission defines who we are and why we exist. Early in our movement, we took the Great Commission (Matt 28: 18-20) as our divine mandate motivated by the vision of the everlasting gospel reaching every nation, tribe, language, and people (Rev 14: 6-12).

The Mission–Seventh-day Adventist mission is centered in God’s loving gift of His Son to be the Saviour of the world. We are to share this good news with all people, telling them that “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12), and that “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

At its core, mission is bearing witness through word and life and in the power of the Holy Spirit. As the Lord commanded Israel of old,” You are my witnesses, . . . and my servant whom I have chosen” (Isa 43:10), so the Risen Lord commands us, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).