February 2013
magazine
31 Status Lizzie and Blake Young take the world by storm in the movement they created called 31 Status, showcasing the Proverb’s 31 lifestyle.
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* iPress ft. Anthony Hackett & Donnette Roston * Compassion, A Movement of Youth and Young Adults * The Emperor’s New Clothes by Pastor Donald Rolle * Fall of Eden by Aaron Roston * Global Youth Day, March 16
The One Project More than 700 people came together in Chicago, IL to celebrate Jesus in preaching, worship and adoration.
FEBRUARY 2013
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volume 1 | number 8
on the cover 14 31 Status 10 The One Project 6 iPress ft. Anthony Hackett & Donnette Roston 18 Compassion, A Movement of Youth and Young Adults 4 The Emperor’s New Clothes by Pastor Donald Rolle 19 Fall of Eden by Aaron Roston Scan here to visit the website!
Publisher/Editor: Brittany N. Winkfield Contributing Writers: José Cortés, Jr., Japhet J. De Oliveira, Donald Rolle, Aaron Roston Contributing Photographers/Designers: Hannah Banks, CreationSwap.com, Cover photo: Provided by 31 Status Webmaster: Marcus Winkfield Promotions Director: Aaron Roston Check www.back2basicsmag.com for updates. Information is correct at press time. Signed articles do not necessarily reflect the official company policy. Copyright © 2013. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or whole without permission is prohibited. Back2Basics is registered in the United States Trademark Office.
Back2Basics Tip: Prayer changes things. Can you recall a situation where you had a thought to pray on a particular issue and never set aside the time to do so? I’ve experienced moments that I find myself saying “if only I had took the time to pray,” or “how did I forget to pray?” You start to imagine how your situation could be different if only you stopped to have a conversation with God before acting. I think that God teaches lessons in prayer by showing that when we don’t pray, we have no power and that when we do, it changes our end result. It’s a gift that God has given us to communicate with Him and it’s too important to forget. Remember to Ask, Seek, Knock...
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7 (NIV) Brittany N. Winkfield, Founder & Publisher brittany@back2basicsmag.com
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devotion
The Emperor’s New Clothes by Pastor Donald Rolle
Hebrews 4:13-16
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates… nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is naked and laid bare before His eyes. This is the God to whom we must give an account. That is why we have a great High Priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God…For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses…Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and grace to help in the time of need”
Issue
We are naked. Rude in the nude. The passage teaches that God’s eyes are so thorough, so clear, so invasive that he can see our nakedness. And while physical nakedness isn’t a major problem, spiritual nakedness is. Reverse your mental timeline to Gen. 3:21, God supplies clothes/ coverings made of animal skins for ‘naked and ashamed’ Adam and Eve to wear. Something was sacrificed to cover them up. However, before God’s free clothing spree was given, the couple moved quickly making fig leaf outfits for themselves (a faith fashion no-no). Clothes that would not make them presentable before God, but would camouflage them from God. They tried to hide, but God could see them. They tried to cover themselves but were still naked. The sick irony is that we are the same as they, trying to suffice for our poor condition with “fig leaves:” material possessions, approval of peers, good works, relationships, money, success, etc. Compound this dynamic with the realization that “we must give an account,” or explain why we are the way we are, why we refused His grace, why we disobey simple instructions, why, why, why? We got issues. www.back2basicsmag.com | 4
Intervention
Hebrews 4:13 ends with a bleak picture of our story, we are naked and in trouble! And a majority of our Bibles will then place a subheading of some sort, marking that the next subject matter has begun. As if verse 13 and 14 have nothing in common. However, if we take out that subheading and combine these verses we’ll see how verse 14 provides hope to the dilemma in verse 13. I like how the New Living Translation puts it: “That is why we have a great High Priest…” meaning, this High Priest is a solution to our nakedness problem. I love it. Let’s go deeper. A High Priest was a person especially designated to enter into the presence of God on behalf of the people. He took the issues, the problems, the prayers of the people to God. About our High Priest, Jesus, the passage says He can feel what we feel or “empathize with our weaknesses,” and because He’s our representative, He is also our covering for nakedness. With this in mind, the invitation is given to approach the throne with boldness in prayer because of Christ. It’s at this holy spot, the throne room of God, we can pray for mercy (forgiveness) when we’ve messed up, and grace (power) to gain the victory.
We got issues, but we also have an Intercessor! Interaction
Let’s use this day to pray a little more. Three times today let’s go to the throne room of God in different ways. First, have prayer time at home. Second, throw up a prayer wherever you are in public. Third, place a prayer of intercession for something happening around the globe.
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i P r e s s Q & A “Do not give up on doing good, because at the proper time you will reap a harvest if you do not give up.” ~Galatians 6:9
Anthony Hackett Laurel, Maryland | Full time Actor/ Speaker/ Film maker How do you get back to the basics in your walk with Christ?
I believe if The Bible were to have been written within the past 100 years, then Dr. King would be Moses. He loved God, he fought on behalf of people who were enslaved to a society, he made mistakes, he stood up By scaling back everything else that becomes a to people in power who could have him killed, I could distraction from me spending time with God. go on and on, but I think you get the point. Only thing What does the word “success” mean to you? Dr. King had on Moses is that King was a better public speaker! :) Accomplishment in whatever it is you have set out If you had an extra hour every day what to do, and not just “accomplishing something”, but doing it in a way God would approve of, which in turn would you do with it? will give you peace of mind in the end, knowing that you’ve done it and you’ve done it THE RIGHT WAY! I could give you a real nice and thought-provoking answer or I could just keep it real... so I’ll go with just keeping it real... I would probably play basketball or What motivates you? watch the second half of an NBA game (GO HEAT!). The Bible, Music, Movies, and just random messages What would you name the autobiography of God gives me.
Who do you admire as a leader? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
your life?
“It’s Time To Enjoy God Again!”
My focus on ministry is in the entertainment realm. I live by the saying, “It’s time to enjoy God again!” My biggest project I am working on is my first feature film that I wrote and will be directing. It’s called, “Just A Prayer Away” and it’s simply about how satan works to destroy our prayers, and how God works to answer them. It has a powerful message and a great cast God will use to help deliever His message. Outside of that, I am also working on a one-man show entitled “Not Number 1.” I’m also a speaker/ preacher at various churches, youth/ young adult events, and schools. www.back2basicsmag.com | 7
i P r e s s Q & A “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.” ~ George Washington Carver
Donnette Roston Denver, Colorado | 3rd-5th Grade Teacher How do you get back to the basics in your walk with Christ?
her with any questions I have with my work or groups she always seems to have the answers.
Just by going to the core of everything...The Bible
If you had an extra hour every day what would you do with it?
What does the word “success” mean to you?
Sleep :) No really I spend most of my day trying to Success to me is something I feel God would be proud figure out what I can do for young people so I would most likely use it to look for one more thing or have of. Something that I feel He can say a job well done. one more program.
What motivates you?
Seeing the need in the young people. When I see the need it really makes me step up an try to take some kind of action.
Who do you admire as a leader? II know that this is so cliche but I would have to say my mother. Her passion for young people is what motivated me to start what I am doing. I always go to
What would you name the autobiography of your life? “The Amazingly Odd Life of Donnette Roston”
I am currently in the process of starting a girls mentoring program, using the "31 Status" curriculum. Working at a school, I see the struggles that young ladies go through, ladies that are screaming for help, but most people see them as "problem girls." I want to have a program with all types of women that society wouldn't have called them leaders, but God does. Women that have been through teen pregnancies, drug/alcohol addictions and other struggles and showing them they overcame those circumstances. Introduce them to things that we no longer learn in our everyday lives. www.back2basicsmag.com | 9
Celebrating the supremacy of Jesus in the Seventh-day Adventist Church
THE ONE PROJECT
by Japhet De Oliveira, Director for the Center for Youth Evangelism
Abstract
We need to understand the reason we exist and what should drive any model of youth ministry we choose. The purpose of our lives is not to succumb to a middle-class materialistic faith that only works during the early years but to embrace Jesus first in everything we know. We need to detach ourselves from a consumer-driven faith and explore, with renewed passion, the Gospel – Jesus Himself. The foundation of our movement and core of our theology, as the apostle Paul so clearly shares in Galatians 6:14, is in Jesus reclaiming this whole planet one life at a time. “The One” project is youth ministry that will change us personally, affect our local community and claim this planet in the name of Jesus. It is the hope of His soon return and the celebration that Jesus is why we exist, that Jesus is why we will change and that Jesus is the answer.
Almost Christian
The National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR), as analyzed by Kenda Creasy Dean (2010) in her latest work Almost Christian, shares a silent reality already experienced in Europe and now being accepted in North America. There was a time when one was either a child or an adult. However, following World War II there emerged a generation in the middle called teenagers. An adolescent group of 13-16-year-olds with money and free time that has moved into the 21st Century. Twenty-one is the new 16 (Dean, 2010). Youth professionals have started to adopt the term “young adult” as a title to handle this phenomenon. Society has adopted business market trends to extend the adolescent years instead of going against the grain and encouraging maturity. Twenty-five-year-olds who handle million dollar mutual funds during the workweek are not yet seen as adults in their church with maturity and wisdom to lead, but instead are qualified as “young” adults. We are facing a steady conservative loss rate of 50% of this generation, not grasping that the less connected they are with a church, the less likely they will stay with their faith community. www.back2basicsmag.com | 10
Add to the formula an inactive faith expression laced with the lack of authentic joy in the lives of many adults and the results are all around us. The hard truth is that we have passed onto teens “a wellintentioned but ultimately banal version of Christianity” (Dean, 2010, p.15). In Europe, we have to go back to the core of Jesus and realize that the legacy from at least two previous generations has not been passed on. Secularism has taken root and the power and presence of Jesus is missing. We have a generation who are almost Christian but lack vitality in their faith.
Coin, Sheep and Son
Ten years ago, the late Jim Cress, who was then the General Conference Ministerial Director, visited a church I was pastoring and shared a message that helped to focus my personal approach to youth ministry. His insightful understanding of Luke 15 gave me the framework and clarity to shape my practice, revolving around three stories that Jesus told: that of the lost coin, the lost sheep and the lost son. These three stories represent three broad groups that are leaving out the back door of the church. The story of the lady who lost her coin represents those who stay but are disconnected. They attend every week, but are comfortable texting during services. For all intents they look like they are engaged, but in reality they are lost inside the church. They have formal religion, but no heart. They have embraced intuitional customs with no movement and passion. The apathy level is high and the routine is mundane. They are bored and disengaged. The story of the lost sheep represents those who simply wander away. They miss a couple of Sabbath Schools, they skip the occasional youth program, and they accept appointments that take them away from moments of connection. They know Jesus exists, but one day simply forget to listen to His voice and wander away, just like the sheep did. The story of the lost son represents those who have chosen to leave. They have weighed their options and made a choice to leave, to step away in an act of defiance and rejection. Those who remain, those who wander, and those leave are all disconnected from Jesus by some shape or form. And honestly, these characteristics are representative of more than just the millennial generation—they can be applied to all people.
At Our Core
I was stuck clearing customs at Dulles International Airport in Washington DC and had the privilege of talking for two hours with one of Mercedes-Benz’ chief engineers while he was on a world tour for quality control. We discussed the collapse of Mercedes-Benz during the 80s and 90s and their recent return to build the quality they used to be famous for in the 60s and 70s. The most interesting turn in our conversation was that Mercedes-Benz is proud to have one engine for all their cars. This honestly stumped me until it was qualified with a sub thought that the one engine has four hundred plus variations. Fuel quality is different in every country; weather variations and salt levels in the atmosphere affect structure, and government performance requirements shape the outcome. The key is that they all have the same starting point–the one ideal engine, a strong start. Within the Seventh-day Adventist Church youth ministry is often seen as synonymous with Pathfinders. That however is not our one engine . . . that is simply one variation, especially when one sees the global factors that shape our application due to culture, resources and needs. At our core we have one engine. We have one reason we exist and that should shape all of our models. Simon Sinek (2009), in his delightful work Start with Why, explores what he calls the golden compass. Three concentric circles, which start with “why” in the center circle, “how” in the second circle and www.back2basicsmag.com | 11
“what” in the final outer circle. He suggests that businesses that successfully following the law of diffusion and thus gain the early and late majority market share answer the question “why” first. Those that have focused on “what” they produce have invariably had a weaker market presence. Taking Sinek’s theory into scripture and laying it over a fundamental text like John 3:16 (ESV) provides us with this perspective. Why – For God so loved the world How – that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him What – should not perish but have eternal life What does that one engine look like? What is our “why” and ultimate purpose of youth ministry?
For the One
Looking again at Luke 15, we see that it also offers some very practical solutions to work with these three broad groups. For instance, the shepherd would never have noticed one of his sheep was missing unless he counted. In youth ministry we should have accurate records of all our youth. We, as a community, need to know when anyone is absent and find out why immediately. But more interesting than all the tips embedded within this passage is the fact that they are all focused on “one.” That is, for the one person who is almost Christian and for the One Jesus Christ. The character of Jesus is the reflection of God. The entire Great Controversy is about vindicating and lifting up God who believes in the freedom of choice –love. Ellen White (1898), in the opening chapter of her manifesto piece, Desire of Ages, writes that God is with us through Jesus. Through her study of scripture and personal connection she encountered Jesus. She expressed that “Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. ‘With His stripes we are healed’.” (White, 1898, p. 25). Yet that image of God through Jesus is not as beautiful as it should be. The One we follow has been tainted by us. Michael Frost & Alan Hirsch (2009), in ReJesus, A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church, draw our attention to Jesus the One! They argue that for far too long Christianity has portrayed a Jesus alongside KKK, or “Tsar Nicholas II, who oversaw the vicious Bloody Sunday massacre” (p. 4); that the Jesus of old is missing from our lives and that what in fact our church needs is not reformation but refounding, a connection with the founder Jesus Himself (Frost & Hirsch, 2009). For too long now our faith has simply become a “moralistic therapeutic deism” (Dean, 2010, p.29). Frost and Hirsch shared a quip from an archbishop who said, “Everywhere Jesus went there was a riot. Everywhere I go they make me cups of tea” (Frost & Hirsch, 2009, p. 21). At some point we have to recognize that Jesus has a personal, local and global effect on us that is positively and radically against sin.
Options
Granted we might all agree that Christianity has suffered a poor marketing campaign and that as a result, youth ministry in particular faces an uphill struggle with inquisitive critical minds. Is there hope for a generation that is overloaded with information and nuances in truth, who do not trust anyone, are cynical towards any attempt of sincerity, and have not grasped the history of this planet through Jesus? What can we do? www.back2basicsmag.com | 12
In July 2010, five simple Jesus followers (Alex Bryan, Japhet De Oliveira, Sam Leonor, Tim Gillespie and Terry Swenson) got together in room 602 at the Holiday Inn in Denver. We came together for fellowship and prayer. We had planned this gathering for over a year and eventually found the time when all our calendars lined up. After two days of prayer, fasting, communion and reflection we looked across the room at each other and acknowledged again that Jesus was number one. It sounds incredibly simple, but it was our “ah-ha” moment. We spoke in truth and freedom that Jesus should be number one in everything we do. We remembered the energy that started the Seventh-day Adventist Church was a deep desire to see Jesus return. Our movement was led by youth and adults, and like the 12 disciples, burned with a passion to know Jesus and make Him known. We realized as Gabe Lyons (2010) in his new work The Next Christians challenged, that we have “to recover the Gospel, to relearn and fall in love again with that historic, beautiful, redemptive, faithful, demanding, reconciling, all-powerful, restorative, atoning, graveabounding, soul-quenching, spiritually fulfilling good news of God’s love” (p.192), as expressed in Jesus. Our church began as a movement with Jesus as its number one focus. In fact, our denominational name, which just passed its 150th anniversary on October 1, 2010, is about the blessed hope in Jesus returning. What if we gathered together leaders from all over the world to celebrate the supremacy of Jesus in the Seventh-day Adventist Church? What if we gathered and focused on what it would mean for us, on a personal, and then local, and finally global community? What if we had honest conversation about our legacy, heritage and call for our church today? What if we brought leaders, youth and adults, young and old, employed and retired, pastors and members and simply soaked in Jesus again. For too long our focus has been on ourselves. Edwin H. Friedman (2007) in A Failure of Nerve suggests that it is not simply that we fix our methods and all will be well. Rather, it is about being engaged honestly and emotionally in the future. Those explorers who discovered America did so not because they were the most intelligent or capable or had the right stars line up to warrant it, but because they simply were engaged and had the nerve to be first. They were compelled by something greater–a passion unlike anything we have seen. Making Jesus first in our lives will give us the nerve to try something different. With the nerve must come focus, as Erwin McManus (2008) in Wide Awake recounts in the story of the disciple Peter walking on water. Peter, because of his lack of focus, ignored the visible Jesus, embraced the invisible wind and nearly drowned. Our option is to know Jesus and to stay connected with Him daily, in order to see all we believe and do through Jesus. At the end of the day, when I look back on my life, I want to know that I served well, played hard, that my boys and wife are proud of me, and that Jesus inspired my leadership. Honestly, what more is there? Jesus. All.
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"Let it be set before the eyes of every female that this is the God given example of today's
Proverbs 31
Woman. All of this is preferred far above beauty. This is the character of a 31 STATUS."
The Mission of 31 Status is to show women around the world what a Proverbs 31 woman looks like today.
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L
izzie Young and her husband Blake Young (aka Young Chozen) are extremely passionate about youth ministry. Their whole heart is to see young people find their identity in Christ and reach their dreams and destiny without compromising to the standards of the world. If you knew Lizzie and Blake 10 years ago, you'd know that they both came from broken homes. Blake openly shares his story of being sexually molested at a young age while being raised by relatives. Through his life he's looked for acceptance through girls, gangs, parties, drugs, sex, you name it. His life changed when somebody showed him a better way to do life. At age 15, Lizzie explains that she was at the height of her rebellious years. She recalls having a homeless, drug-addicted boyfriend, being self-harming and having suicidal thoughts. It wasn't until the following year that she was saved. Fast-forward 8 years and look where God has positioned them now.
The husband-wife duo created the movement known as 31 Status. The term "31 Status" began at a Christian social club event in Los Angeles hosted by Young Chozen. It became the term to refer to females who were walking out the Proverb's 31 lifestyle. The concept grew into a song released by Young Chozen that he dedicated to Lizzie. When they partnered with Janette...ikz on the "31 to be Exact" Spoken Word YouTube video, their goal was to reach at least 10,000 views. In just one week they reached 200,000 views! "We were able to strike a nerve with the YouTube generation and convey our message in a fast-paced package portraying the gospel to people who may not want to sit through a sermon," says Blake . Since their launch in June of 2011, 31 Status is more than a phrase or a song, it is a lifestyle. Through their ministry, Blake and Lizzie are privileged to be able to travel the nations and see lives touched and changed by God working in and through their lives. The mission of the 31 Status movement is to show women around the world what a Proverbs 31 woman looks like in today's generation. "Young people are swayed by the world. We want to set a new standard of beauty in a world that tells us sex and seduction is the only way to find love." As a couple they believe that true love comes from God, and they want to help young people know Him and know themselves in a greater way. "We want to empower and encourage you to better yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually." Blake and Lizzie want their relationship to be an example to young people. "We are products of people who came before us, says Blake." He remembers on their wedding day that the groomsmen were all older than him and were men of God responsible for him being who he was up until that day. Blake adds, "Mark and Lisa Jacob and Pastors Mark and Kendra Graham are couples of God. The unifying thing is that we all love Jesus." "Blake's mother portrays a proverbs 31 woman and inspires others godly characteristics of a woman," says Lizzie. "Everything we do has flowed from our relationship," states Blake. "This thing would fall apart if it wasn't for Lizzie." In October of 2012, Lizzie and Blake gave birth to their baby girl, Keilani Rae Young. "Having a baby girl has given us a whole new dynamic and new point of view. We both come from homes of distant fathers. Now that we're a mother and a father, it completes the spectrum. You see how crucial it is to instill those senses of value of love and self-worth."
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As the organization grows, 31 Status plans to provide avenues for global outreach and recovery centers. One such initiative is the Royaltea, which has been sitting on their hearts for two years. Royaltea will raise money to build orphanages for girls in India who greatly suffer from the HIV virus. You can join us and become a part of changing these girl's lives by hosting your own Royaltea party or donating to the girl's home. All the proceeds from the event go toward making these girl's dreams come true. Visit www.31status.com for more information.
Messages to young people:
You don't have to perfect to follow Jesus. Get back to the crux of who Jesus is and following Him is the first and foremost decision you have to make. Dismiss thoughts of being imperfect, not good enough and feeling like God can't use you. Understand that Jesus called you exactly how you are. Many of you would be inspired to make that lifestyle change if you had a true understanding of who God is for yourself. Paul praises the Bereans because they studied for themselves. (Acts 17:11) Everything comes down to character. If you have a heart to help people, you're on the right path. Find out who you are and follow the prompting of God. You'll only find obedience if you're following what God designed you to do. Wait on God and wait on His timing. Do your best to present excellence. www.back2basicsmag.com | 16
At the end of April 2013, Young Chozen’s independent album, GLOW will debut. This is a great resource and tool to listen to positive music.
Listen to Beat of your Heart
Compassion, A Movement of Youth and Young Adults
F
or years Adventist youth ministries has been limited to Adventist Youth Society programs, concerts, sermons, talks (on relationships, sex, music, substance abuse, etc.), Pathfinder and Adventurer club meetings, inductions and investitures, Youth Days, friendship and recognition banquets, socials, summer camps, camporees, congresses, conventions, conferences and training retreats, among other events. All of these are good, and many times have a purpose, yet it is time to enlarge the vision and change the paradigm. If Adventist youth and young adults are really going to be a driving force in fulfilling the Great Commission, even more if the Adventist Church will be relevant in the twenty-first century with our message of hope, we need to go beyond meeting, talking, singing, discussing, and praying with ourselves within the four walls of a church building. To finish the work we have been called to do on this earth, we need to place in our vision a greater focus on the priorities of Jesus and His methods. The ministry of Jesus as a young adult on this earth took place mostly outside the walls of the temple and the synagogues. His ministry took place where the people were. Matthew 14:14 (NKJV) says, “And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them.” Jesus’ ministry was repeatedly described as a ministry of compassion. He had compassion for the sick, the whole, the poor, the rich, the well-fed, the hungry, the elderly, the kids, the decent, the indecent, the destitute, the authorities, the sinners, the legalists, the citizens, the foreigners, the women, and the men. When Jesus saw crowds of people, He was moved with compassion. He had compassion for them, He cried for them, ministered to them, touched them, healed them, prayed for them, fed them, got together with them, ate with them, and gave them hope with His actions. He understood that actions speak louder than words. Ellen White, one of the young adult founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, wrote in her later years: “The world needs today what it needed nineteen hundred years ago—a revelation of Christ. A great work of reform is demanded, and it is only through the grace of Christ that the work of restoration, physical,
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Atlantic Union Gleaner, August 2012
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mental, and spiritual, can be accomplished. “Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’ “There is need of coming close to the people by personal effort. If less time were given to sermonizing, and more time were spent in personal ministry, greater results would be seen. The poor are to be relieved, the sick cared for, the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted, the ignorant instructed, the inexperienced counseled. We are to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice. Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot, be without fruit”— The Ministry of Healing, pp. 143, 144. Together with our team of Adventist youth ministries directors from all six conferences in the Atlantic Union, we have decided that it is time to facilitate and lead a movement of compassion that grows through the Northeast United States and Bermuda and expands to the whole world, just like the Adventist movement did after 1844. We envision youth and young adults, who, just like the ones who started the Adventist movement, will take to the streets of our communities, touching people with love and sympathy, ministering to their needs, and winning their confidence. Youth and young adults must preach with their hearts, hands, and feet, and other compassionate actions on a regular basis. This is a paradigm shift for Adventist youth ministries across the Atlantic Union. Youth and young adults who live a life of compassion 24/7, because actions speak louder than words. José Cortés, Jr., is the director of Adventist Youth Ministries in the Atlantic Union. To be continued in the October issue of the Gleaner. For more information on compassion, visit the Adventist Youth Ministries Web site: www.auyouth.com.
Visit the Atlantic Union Web site
The perfect life only joy never strife. Ignorant to death, Because I still feel his breath, Coursing in me. All I knew was love how could I recognize an enemy? Especially when his words sounded friendly, Kind. How was I to pay him no mind? Of all of the beast he was the most pleasant to the eyes. Of all of the beast he was considered very wise. All I knew was truth how could I recognize a lie? His question startled me. How could it be? He gave you all of eden except for this tree? Is it merely because he thinks the fruit is to sweet? No he told us if we eat of the tree death is certain! A response came quick from the serpent. That’s a lie! You won’t surly die! You’ll rise from the created to the place of a god! The creature kept his poise. Not even a hint of deception in his voice. So I used the gift of free will to make my own choice. After all I was offered knowledge power and divinity! I’ve never known death so those incentives were plenty.
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