Fervent Love

True love is priceless.  If a man should give the wealth of his whole house for love, it would be utterly despised.  Love cannot be bought, traded or bargained for.  True love is so precious that it should be guarded with a jealous, holy passion.  The word of God says that true love is like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame and that many waters cannot quench love.  Falling in love was meant to happen only once in a lifetime, but because we live in an imperfect world we are often left disappointed by love. 

True love is a gift to us from the heart of God to us.  If by God’s grace it blooms grab hold of it and treasure it for as long as life shall last.  Hold it close to your heart, guard it as the most precious possession you have.  Because true love comes only from the heart of God, God alone can bestow this gift.

In the beginning God bestowed this gift of love to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  Eve was deceived and ate the forbidden fruit.  Adam was not deceived but his heart broke and bled as the reality set in that Eve must die. Adam could not bear the pain of losing the one he loved.  He could not live without her.  Adam chose death rather than to live without the one he loved.  You see, he was created with a heart that was made in the image of God.

Jesus like Adam couldn't bear the pain and the broken heart that comes from the thought of losing us.  It was just too great to bear.  To sacrifice Himself and die to redeem us was not easy, but I believe that the only thing worse than His sacrifice on that cross was the pain of losing us.  Jesus could endure the pain of dying more than He could bear the pain of losing you and me.  We are the ones He loves!  Jeremiah 31:3, says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you." 

Has true love bloomed for God in your heart?  If it has not, God is waiting for you to ask Him for that most priceless and precious gift from Him.  He is longing for you to fall in love with Him.  Did true love already bloom in your heart for God once upon a time, yet through the trials and stresses of life, the flames of love have not quite been guarded and treasured in a way that keeps love blazing like a mighty flame?  Then as the Word of God says in the Song of Solomon, “Get up!  Go about the city and search for the one your heart loves and when you find him, hold on to him and do not let him go.”  Hold on to God with all your heart and do not let Him go.  Hold onto Jesus and do not let Him go. Pray daily for the Holy Spirit to fill you with this kind of love for God.

For love is as strong as death it's jealously as strong as the grave.  It burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame.  Many waters cannot quench love. This is the kind of love God has for us.  “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God.” (1 John 3:1)  And this is the kind of love we must have for God.

By JeAnn Davis (Central's Bible Worker)

CENTRAL HAPPENINGS & NEWS

This Week (March 30 to April 4): 

Tuesday @ 10:00 AM - Women’s Bible Study with Karen Medeiros (Family Life Room)

Tuesday @ 7:00 PM - Prayer Meeting with Pastor Mike Thompson – “Jesus Loves”

Wednesday @ 7:00 PM - Spanish Group Prayer Meeting

Various L.I.F.E. groups (in-home small group Bible studies) take place across Sacramento. To locate one near you contact our small groups’ coordinator Richard Anger @ (916) 681-3990

Sabbath @ 9:00 AM - Morning Manna – Mike Hayes Testimony

Sabbath @ 9:30 AM - Central Study Hour with Pastor Mike Thompson + Children/Youth/Adult Sabbath School Classes

Sabbath @ 10:50 AM - Worship Service with Pastor Chris Buttery

Sabbath @ 12:30 PM – New Believers Orientation – Family Life Room 

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Greeters Needed! Your Neighbor Thrift Store is looking for upbeat, positive individuals to meet and greet customers on a regular basis. If you’re interested and can donate your time, please contact Teri Harper at (916) 456-6500 for more information.

Membership Directories are always available for the asking. Need to update your info? Just e-mail or call the church office for the latest edition and to update your details! In addition, we can now easily create a picture directory. Just send us a picture and it will be included. All information and pictures are confidential and directories are only given to Central members.

New Believers Orientation will be held on Sabbath, April 4, 2015 from 12:30 to 2:30 PM in the Family Life Room.  Come and hear lively presentations on the following topics: History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Spirit of Prophecy, Adventist Education, Adventist Media, Medical work, and various other ministries and services of our worldwide church. A delicious lunch will be provided. Contact Seymour at morgansr2@comcast.net if you have questions.

Youth Week of Prayer: Join Pastor Michael Butler and the youth ministries team on April 13 to 17 for a week of getting closer to Jesus. Times and location soon to follow.

Preparing for the Harvest: Join us Friday, April 17 @ 6 PM and all day Sabbath, April 18 (until 7:30 PM) for a series of presentations on righteousness by faith. Presenters include Dennis Priebe, Mike Lambert, Larry Kirkpatrick, Christian Berdahl, Allen Davis, and others. Books, CDs, & DVDs will be for sale after Sabbath. There will be a children’s program Sabbath afternoon. For more information call the church office at (916) 457-6511.

Cultural Fair Coming to Central!  Central’s Family Life Ministry is hosting a cultural fair on Sunday, April 19 from 11 AM to 3 PM.  This is a free event and will be open to the community.  Good fellowship and fun for the entire family.  Food will be sold.  There will be something for everyone, so invite family or friends. If you would like more information about the event, please contact Family Life Committee Chair, Tyra Taylor at taylorty15@gmail.com.

The Healthy Plate: Join us Monday, April 27 for a cooking school extravaganza. Learn more about how to reach your ideal weight, how to fight diabetes, and the best way to lower your blood pressure. For more information contact Health Ministries leader Karen Medeiros at k.medeiros@sbcglobal.net. 

Annual Spring Concert: Mark your calendars now for Central’s Spring Concert – Sabbath, May 2 starting at 2 PM. Musicians and performers from northern California will join us, including our own local talent.

Central’s Annual Family Life Retreat is coming up! Mark your calendar and plan now to join us at Leoni Meadows May 29 to 31. Keynote speaker will be Pastor Stephen Bohr from Secrets Unsealed. More information will follow soon.

Youth-Young Adult Vespers continues every 2nd and 4th Friday of each month in the church chapel.  Please join Pastor Michael Butler as he share “The Blueprint” for successfully navigating the world around you, being a victorious young Christian, and recharging your relationship with Jesus!

Your Neighbor Thrift Store (YNTS): Don’t forget to stop by YNTS to pick up all kinds of items for your home and personal needs; paper products, new and used clothing, new and used furniture, and vegetarian food products. Store hours are Monday to Thursday - 10 AM to 7 PM, Friday - 10:30 AM to 4 PM, and Sunday – 11 AM to 6 PM.  The store is located at 6700 Folsom Blvd, Sacramento, CA. Tell a friend or bring a neighbor!

BULLETIN BOARD - An assortment of happenings, announcements, and resources from around the Seventh-day Adventist Church

News & Announcements

100 Days of Prayer for the 2015 General Conference Session began March 25 and will continue through to the end of GC Session on July 11. Pray for the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to be fully experienced by our church members and leaders during the GC Session.

Vanuatu needs your help. A category 5 cyclone hit the island nation of Vanuatu, located near Australia in the South Pacific, killing and wounding many, destroying crops and livelihoods, and collapsing communities. A crisis this severe will require years to recover. ADRA is already on the ground, but needs your financial support now.  Make an urgent donation here, or call 1-800-424-ADRA (2372), or text ADRA at 41444. To learn more, click here.

Adventist Alliance is a new online business directory for our Seventh-day Adventist community (members, friends & family, non-profits, churches, schools, and other ministries) at www.AdventistAlliance.com.  It’s a place to advertise online publicly and also within the Adventist community.  Help them today in gathering resources. (916) 999-1441.  Also contact Cathie Eason at (916) 730-7443 with any questions you may have. Please also check us out at www.facebook.com/SDACommunity. 

The Greater New York Conference held their first conference-wide Disabilities Ministries Symposium last month. Many issues faced by various types of disabled individuals were addressed with the question, "How do we serve persons with disabilities?" This is an especially relevant question for all Adventist churches in the NAD to consider. To learn more click here.

Nearly 2,300 members and pastors from more than 200 Hispanic churches gathered for the Columbia Union Lay Evangelism Festival - "LivEvangelism 2015," held at the Ocean City Convention Center in Ocean City, MD last month. The event focused on the basic means of fulfilling Christ’s mission. The four parts of that mission are: 1) every disciple praying and reaching out in love to five friends; 2) small groups nurturing revival and evangelism throughout 500 houses; 3) reaching out to new territories by planting 15 new churches; and 4) church ministries and departments intentionally focusing on congregation and community needs. To read more, click here.

Notice: Rumors of Pastor Walter Pearson's death have been greatly exaggerated. He is fine! Walter Pearson served as speaker/director for Breath of Life Ministries. 

Resources

Disabilities Ministries Quick Start Guide in English or Spanish is designed to help you begin a Disabilities Ministries in your local church. If you want to show more loving concern for individuals with disabilities, the Quick Start Guide will show you how. Order the Quick Start Guides and related materials by clicking here.

Theology of Ordination Study Committee (TOSC) Third Option. If you want to read a great review of TOSCs proposed third option click here.  This is very important to understand.

Feel free to check out these websites for great resources to aid you and your family in your Christian walk: http://www.adventistbookcenter.com/, http://www.afbookstore.com/, http://remnantpublications.com/, and https://www.orion-publishing.org/