There will be a fellowship dinner following the second worship service in the commons.
Gone to the Birds
Lessons from the Divine Ornithologist - Part 1
Speaker
Dwight K. NelsonDwight 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
More In This Series
"Gone to the Birds: Lessons from the Divine Ornithologist"—1
The Eagle
www.newperceptions.tv
- Isaiah 40:31
- "But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."
- Steps to Christ: "'God is love,' is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs . . . all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God, and to His desire to make His children happy." (10)
- Psalm 27:13-14
- "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!"
- Carl Jung: "Hurry is not of the devil. Hurry is the devil!" (Celebration of Discipline 13)
- Joyce Landorf God’s Waiting Room
Let me have my own way, Lord, let me have my own way.
You are the potter, (but don't forget!) I am the clay.
Now mold me and make me—if it doesn't hurt too much or cramp my style.
While I am moving, forging ahead and motor mouth still. - God's Waiting Room—Joseph, Moses, Jesus, Paul, You
- Jim Long: "If the only way to develop patience is to go through difficulty, we'd probably just as soon skip it. Every day brings some exasperation—some need, small or great, that forces us to exercise patience [or impatience, as the case may be]. . . . We struggle with patience because we don't like the circumstances we face. Patience is difficult because things feel out of control. The timing seems wrong; the wait drags on and on."(www.christianitytoday.com/iyf/1998/sepoct/8c5010.html)
- www.pmchurch.org/japanjournal
- Desire of Ages: "Christ rejoiced that He could do more for His followers than they could ask or think. . . . He knew that truth, armed with the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit, would conquer in the contest with evil; and that the bloodstained banner would wave triumphantly over His followers. He knew that the life of His trusting disciples would be like His, a series of uninterrupted victories, not seen to be such here, but recognized as such in the great hereafter." (679)
"You wait . . . I win . . . You win"
Pioneer Operating Budget
You may have heard it said, and it is true that patience is a virtue. What is also true and closely linked to patience is found in the opening verse of the parable of Luke 18:1-8 (NIV). Jesus told his disciples that they should “always pray and not give up” (verse 1). In today’s fast paced, instant, and have-to-get-it-now world, learning to be patient and not lose heart or become discouraged is surely a quality that is desirable. The widow in this parable showed the importance of being patient in one’s petitions and pursuits.
In her attempt to get the judge to defend her against her enemy, who seemed to have been making her life difficult, she kept on asking for his defense. Finally, the judge yielded to her persistence and vindicated her.
The same is true of God. When we are diligent in our prayer life, longsuffering when we are seeking to invoke Christ’s intervention, and faithful in honoring Him in our stewardship, He will move to positive action. Let us remember that unlike the judge we cannot wear out God.
Today, as we worship Him through the return of our tithes and giving of our offerings, let us practice being persistent in honoring Him with our substance and the first fruit of our increase.
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries



