TAAL SMOG

04/07/2025

Sharing the Seventh-day Adventist's General Conference Session

Join the live stream of the 62nd General Conference Session held in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.You can access the session agenda here:Stay tuned as ANN brings ...

03/07/2025

Today's message: Bad Decisions, Better Solutions
By Claudio Consuegra, DMin

Scripture : And he said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me." Jonah 1:12

We all probably have had a situation at one time or another which we have found almost overwhelming, almost hopeless, we can’t seem to find a clear solution, a way out of it. Some thoughts may have crept in: “I wish I were not here,” “I wish we were not married,” “I wish I were dead.” Many have taken the “easy” way out – divorce, abandoned the family, su***de. But while those steps might have gotten them some relief – maybe permanent relief in death – the results for those left behind are horrendous.

The effects of divorce, the breakup of a family, or su***de can be devastating to the children. I have known older adults who still experience the results of their parent’s su***de while they were children. There is a sense of guilt (Was it something I did?), rejection, (Why did he/she do that if he/she loved me? He/she must not have loved me!), shame (sometimes lying about the cause of death), feeling abandoned, questioning why it all happened, blaming themselves or others.

The wonderful thing about the story of Jonah, is that God does not abandon us even when we reject Him. God gives us not just a second chance but many chances. And God has an answer to our questions, a solution to our problems, a plan for our lives, a promise for our prayers. Even when we make bad decisions, God has better solutions.

Just this morning I read these words again: “Though difficulties, perplexities, and discouragements may arise, let neither husband nor wife harbor the thought that their union is a mistake or a disappointment. Determine to be all that it is possible to be to each other. Continue the early attentions. In every way encourage each other in fighting the battles of life. Study to advance the happiness of each other. Let there be mutual love, mutual forbearance. Then marriage, instead of being the end of love, will be as it were the very beginning of love.” (Ellen G. White, The Faith I Live By, p. 253).

03/07/2025

Today's Message: More Hessedin our Relationships 💗
Claudio Consuegra, DMin

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 136:1

Observation
The words “His mercy endures forever” are a key phrase which occurs 26 times in this poem in reference to God’s goodness. The word translated “mercy” is Hessed, which means, “divine love” “compassion,” or “steadfast love.”

I supposed if we sang this psalm today it would be like a praise chorus or a responsive reading with the same words repeated again and again. There’s probably a good reason for this repetition. Sometimes we forget or take for granted God’s abundant mercy and His steadfast love for us – He simply will not give up on us! The psalmist had experienced God’s overflowing mercy and expressed it repeatedly as a reminder to others, maybe even to himself.

I wonder if the psalmist also had in mind to teach us as married couples, as parents, as children, as families that we need to experience that steadfast love, that overflowing mercy, so that we can then extend it to our spouse, our children, our parents, our family! We seem to find it easier to practice judgment, and are critical and unforgiving with our spouse’s mistakes. We are impatient with our children when they do the opposite of what we want them to do. As our parents age and their health begins to deteriorate we become frustrated – some even become abusive. This psalm speaks to us, urging us to give thanks to God that His steadfast love, His abundant mercy, his overwhelming compassion, and to extend the same to our loved ones When we do, not only do we experience God in our lives but we become the extension of His love toward our loved ones who are also His children.

30/06/2025

Happy First Day of July!

Today's message: Always Burning
By Claudio Consuegra, DMin

Scripture:

(Exo 27:20-21 NKJV) "And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually. {21} "In the tabernacle of meeting, outside the veil which is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening until morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to their generations on behalf of the children of Israel.

Application:

It is important that in marriage and in the home the light always be burning. This light can take on different forms:
1. The light of God must be burning at home by having daily devotional time, Bible study and prayer.
2. The light of love must be burning daily by practicing its manifestations as explained by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13.
3. The light of kindness and patience must burn daily as we experience at times what others do to us, whether
willingly or carelessly.
4. The light of romance must be burning daily as we look for ways to show our spouse through words and actions how much we love them and how much we care for them.
5. The light of forgiveness must burn daily to get rid of the darkness of resentment and hatred.

25/06/2025

Seven Prayer Requests: Hunger to Know God
By Claudio Consuegra, DMin

Increasing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:10

The intent of this prayer is not that we should have a lot of knowledge about facts and information, as if in order to win a trivia contest of sorts. The intent is that we may be not just acquainted with a certain number or all of the Biblical doctrines. The intent, rather is that we may be filled with the knowledge of God Himself. To know Him intimately, not just as a theory or principle.

God wants to have an intimate relationship with each of His children. When each member of the family hungers to know God intimately, their potential for success in life finds daily partnership with the Heavenly Father. How wonderful it is to know each member of the family is growing in intimacy with Christ every day.

Stop right now and pray that each member of your family may have that hunger, that passion to know God, not simply information about Him.

24/06/2025

Today's Message: Seven Prayer Requests: Live Fruitful Lives by Claudio Consuegra, DMin

Scripture: Being fruitful in every good work. . .” Colossians 1:10

“Bearing fruit” is the first manifestation of their “walking worthy of the Lord.”

One of the activities of the saint in the sphere of a behavior which is worthy of the Lord, is fruitbearing. This fruitbearing and increasing is to be, not in the knowledge of God, since the latter is the motivating energy which produces the former, but by means of the knowledge of God.

One of the images we find in the Bible is that of being rooted to illustrate being grounded in God’s Word. A person who is grounded in God is compared to a tree: “He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper” Psalm 1:3 (NKJV). The prophet Isaiah speaks of the remnant of God who are very fruitful because their roots go down deep: “And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah Shall again take root downward, And bear fruit upward” Isaiah 37:31 (NKJV).

We can pray that our spouse and children be successful in life. We can pray for the promotion which for which they have been hoping and toward which they have been working hard. We can pray that the time and effort they have put forth in their studies will pay off in the form of good grades, and that they will graduate, and that they will have employment in the career they have chosen. We can pray that their business venture or their investments will pay off. But most importantly, we must pray daily that they may have a spiritually fruitful life through effort and sacrifice which will ultimately become a blessing to others.

But you don’t have to go to the mission field or outside of the country in order to bear good fruit. There are many people close to where we live, in our neighborhood, at work, at school, who would benefit greatly from the love and service of dedicated Christians. Pray that your loved ones, your spouse, your children, may bear fruit as they relate to these people and that they may see the reward of their work as they see changed lives.