The Sabbath services on March 30, 2019 began with a welcome by Tunda Manji from Wildwood Lifestyle Center in Wildwood, Georgia (all personnel on the program were from Wildwood). Tracy Wakabi led the congregation in singing some songs, accompanied by Victor Pile on the piano and Dr. Ruben Elisee on the cello. The opening song was “Rock of Ages”.
Maria Evia had prayer, and Dr. Kareece Moonasingh showed a video about Wildwood Lifestyle Center. It emphasized the simple health remedies that Wildwood uses. Tunda Manji and Tracy Wakabi led the congregation in singing “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”. Dr. Kareece Moonasingh had a talk on fasting.
The Wildwood group then had a panel lesson study instead of the individual Sabbath School classes. After the lesson study, Tracy Wakabi had the closing prayer.
Following are some notes from the health talk:
- Matthew 5:6 “Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
- Fasting can change your life in a spiritual way but also in physical ways.
- Fasting, abstaining from food, gives the body a physical rest.
- Intermediate fasting involves eating food only within specific hours and abstaining from food the rest of the time.
- Matthew 17:21 “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”
- Ellen White says that when we find a passage of Scripture hard to understand this may be a good time to fast.
- Health benefits of fasting include weight loss, detoxification of the body, delay of aging, reduction of inflammation and oxidation, decrease of blood pressure and heart rates, decrease of glucose levels, increases insulin sensitivity, halts cancer (increases cellular stress resistance and cellular stress adaptation), normalization of gut microbiota, enhances immune system, neuroadaptation of taste (tastes alter to favor plant-based diet), more enjoyment of food.
- Ellen White says that fasting one day a week would really help a lot of people (CD 189). Even half a day of fasting might be of benefit.
- We are living in the Day of Atonement. A simple diet would be less of a distraction as we prepare for the end.
- Joel 2:22 “Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.”
Following are some notes from the lesson study:
- Jesus has many names – “Michael”, “Word of God”, and “Wonderful”.
- Jesus as “Word of God” signifies that He is faithful and true.
- Revelation 19:16 “And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
- The beast comes back from a wound but later is completely destroyed. We shouldn’t base our hope and faith in men but study for ourselves.
- Revelation 1:1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John:”
- The book of Revelation is all about Jesus, His justice and His patience.
- If we are on the right side, we should be happy about judgment because this judgment gets rid of the evil beings in the universe, not those on Jesus’ side.
- Jesus has been waiting on us for 6000 years - what patience!
- Revelation 20 talks about the millennium, the 1000 years the saints spend in heaven. Satan gets to think about what he has been doing and to wander about the desolate earth. He’s on “time out”.
- 1000 years is a long time for us. During this period, the righteous will be judging the wicked and Satan and his angels as well. We should not be judging others now.
- Matthew 7:1-2 “1 ¶ Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”
- 1 Corinthians 4:5 “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”
- Satan will have a thousand year Sabbath to think about what he’s done.
- God is out to destroy sin, not people. At the end of it all, God purifies the world by fire.
- Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” God doesn’t want people to be a part of this destruction. He wants us to be fireproof.
- Revelation still shows a loving God.
- Revelation 22 – Jesus says He will be coming quickly. He longs to be with us.
- Revelation shows how much God paid for us.
- Revelation 22:20 “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
Are you ready to give yourself to the Lord and do the work He has for you?