Pastors David and Lynn Ripley of the NSD Ministerial Department led out in a spiritual retreat on the campus of Taiwan Adventist College. On Friday, September 18, and Sabbath, September 19, the college students and faculty met together for this special time of connecting withGod.Several students and faculty members remarked that the small group meetings were the most powerful time of the spiritual retreat.
Pastor David Ripley shared three essentials for a group of Adventist Christians to understand if they are going to connect well with God and go on a mission for Him.
Specialness, Urgency, and Expectancy
1. Specialness: (We are chosen)
We are to remind ourselves that God has already selected us as His special people. We are a special, called-out people to do what no one else can do in our community.
2. Urgency:(It is the end time)
We should constantly remind ourselves where we are in earth’s history. Jesus is coming soon! There are souls in our community to rescue. If we do not share about the soon coming, many will be lost.
3. Expectancy: (God is eager to perform miracles)
God is able to perform miracles so that we can accomplish whatever God asks. We must pray for and expect many more miracles as the church accomplishes things that only God is able to empower.
Pastor Lynn Ripley shared a study on the prayer in Daniel chapter 9. Through the example of Daniel’s prayer we learned four lessons that will help us connect with God.
1. Confess your need to God: We sometimes think that we know everything we need and that we can be independent of God, but we must recognize and confess that we are helpless without Him.
2. Recognize and claim who God is: God is so merciful and forgiving that we can claim Him as our personal Savior and Friend.
3. Claim God’s promise to answer: When we call upon the Lord, He always hears. We are to claim God’s promise even when we do not yet see the results.
4. Anticipate His answer: Because God is so powerful and we know He hears us, we can go on God’s mission with confidence knowing He will answer.
Following each presentation, the college students and faculty divided into eleven small groups to share and study more deeply the concepts presented.
Pastor Lynn Ripley gave some training on how to have successful small groups. Each group chose a leader, assistant leader, and a host/scribe. Also, each group selected a name for their group and a song to represent the mission of the group. Each group had a different color band with “Spiritual Influence” printed upon it.
The small groups were challenged to pray about what mission they would accomplish for God. One group shared how they would go and help the students at the academy know Jesus. Another group decided to give Bible studies on campus. Still a third group decided that they would work to have fifteen Bible studies out in the community around the school. Yet another group determined that they would go on a mission trip outside of Taiwan.
God truly blessed as we met together from early to late. A great feeling of the presence of God was felt by all.