Friday, May 27, 2016

LESSON 10 Jesus in Jerusalem May 28- June 3 2016

Lesson 10May 28-June 3

JesusinJerusalem

Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Zech. 9:9Matt. 21:1-46Rom. 4:13-16Rev. 14:7-12Acts 6:7Matt. 22:1-15.
Memory Text:“Have you never read in the Scriptures:‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’S doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’ ? ” (Matthew 21:42, NKJV).
In Matthew 20:2728 Jesus said, “‘And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many’” (NKJV). Here’s Jesus, the eternal God, the one who created all things, who lived the life of a servant here on earth, ministering to the needs of the lost, the sick, the needy, many of whom still scorned Him. Such self-denial, self-abnegation; we can hardly begin to grasp it!
But as incomprehensible as His servanthood is, the marvel goes even deeper, for He, the eternal God, is now facing the whole purpose of His coming here: to “‘give His life a ransom for many.’” This self-denial, this self-abnegation, will soon climax in a mystery that even “angels desire to look into” (1 Pet. 1:12, NKJV)—and that is the Cross.
This week’s lesson looks at some of the major events and teachings of Jesus as He came to Jerusalem, not to be crowned an earthly king, as so many people had desired and hoped, but to be made “sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21, NKJV).
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, June 4.
SundayMay 29

A Prophesied Coming

Following their 70-year captivity in Babylon, the Jews began to return to Jerusalem. They were excited to be rebuilding their temple, but as the foundation was laid, those who remembered Solomon’s magnificent temple realized that this second temple wasn’t going to be anywhere nearly as nice. Thus, they “wept aloud” (Ezra 3:12, NIV).
The people received some unexpected encouragement from two men standing among them: an old prophet named Haggai and a young prophet named Zechariah. Haggai reminded the people that the true glory of Solomon’s temple didn’t come from what Solomon or anyone else brought to it. It wasn’t Solomon’s temple. It was God’s temple. Haggai said: “‘This is what the LORD Almighty says: “In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the LORD Almighty. “The silver is mine and the gold is mine,” declares the LORD Almighty. “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,” says the Lord Almighty’” (Hag. 2:6-9, NIV).
Things got even more hopeful when the young prophet Zechariah spoke: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zech. 9:9, NKJV).
How do these amazing prophecies apply to Matthew 21:1-11-Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem?

“Christ was following the Jewish custom for a royal entry. The animal on which He rode was that ridden by the kings of Israel, and prophecy had foretold that thus the Messiah should come to His kingdom. No sooner was He seated upon the colt than a loud shout of triumph rent the air. The multitude hailed Him as Messiah, their King. Jesus now accepted the homage which He had never before permitted, and the disciples received this as proof that their glad hopes were to be realized by seeing Him established on the throne. The multitude were convinced that the hour of their emancipation was at hand. In imagination they saw the Roman armies driven from Jerusalem, and Israel once more an independent nation.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 570.
Again and again, we see how Scripture was fulfilled and yet, at the time, the people didn’t understand it. What lessons might we take away for ourselves about how preconceived notions could distort truth?
MondayMay 30

Jesus in the Temple

From the earliest days of fallen humanity, animal sacrifices were God’s chosen means to teach the world the plan of salvation, salvation by grace through faith in the coming Messiah (see Rom. 4:13-16). A powerful example of this truth can be found in Genesis 4, the story of Cain and Abel and the tragedy that ensued over worship, among other things (see also Rev. 14:7-12). Thus, when God called Israel as His chosen people, “‘a kingdom of priests and a holy nation’” (Exod. 19:6, NKJV), He also established the sanctuary service as a fuller and more complete explanation of salvation. From the tabernacle in the wilderness, through Solomon’s temple, and through the temple built after the return from Babylon, the gospel was revealed in the symbols and types of the sanctuary service.
However, despite its divine origins, the temple and its rituals were conducted by fallen human beings and, as with pretty much everything people get involved in, corruption ensued, even here with the sacred service that God had instituted to reveal His love and grace to a fallen world. By the time of Jesus, things had become so terribly perverted by the greed and avarice of the priests (the very ones who were entrusted with administering the services!) that “in the eyes of the people the sacredness of the sacrificial service had been in a great measure destroyed.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 590.
Read Matthew 21:12-17. What lessons are here for us, as worshipers of God?

As in so many other places, Jesus quoted Scripture to justify His actions, more evidence that as followers of the Lord we must make the Bible central to our whole worldview and moral system. Besides His quoting Scripture, there were the miraculous healings of the blind and the lame. All this gave even more powerful and convincing evidence of His divine nature and calling. How tragic that those who should have been the most sensitive and open to all this evidence were the ones who fought the hardest against Him. Fearing for their own earthly treasure and status as the “stewards” and “guardians” of the temple, many would lose out on the very thing that the temple service was pointing to: salvation in Jesus.
How can we make sure that we are not letting our desire to gain or maintain anything here, even something good, jeopardize what really matters: eternal life in Jesus?
TuesdayMay 31

No Fruit

Jesus’ cleansing of the temple was an act of compassion. It was the Gentile courts where the buying and selling were taking place, and Jesus intended His house to be a place of prayer and worship for all peoples.
But the cleansing was an act of judgment also. The priests who ran the temple had ruined their chance to bless all peoples; their day of judgment was near. If, after all that Jesus had done to reveal His divine calling, these men still refused to accept Him, what else could happen but that they reap the results of their doleful choices?
Read Matthew 21:18-22. How does Jesus’ cursing of the fig tree relate to His cleansing of the temple?

Jesus cursed the fig tree as an acted parable about many of the leaders of the Jewish nation who were finally and irrevocably reaping what they had sown. We must remember, though, that this parable wasn’t referring to all the religious leaders. Many did, indeed, come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah. “Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7, NKJV). However, just as the fig tree bore no fruit, neither did the temple ministry, which was soon to be made void.
This action and Jesus’ harsh words must have come as a powerful shock to the disciples, who were still trying to learn the lessons of compassion and inclusion that Jesus revealed throughout His ministry. This was the same Jesus who declared that He had come, not to condemn the world but to redeem it; the same Jesus who claimed that “‘the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them’” (Luke 9:56, NKJV). Every word and deed in His ministry was devoted to restoring fallen humanity, to point people toward the hope and promise of a new life in Him. So for Him to act and speak so harshly, with such finality, surprised them, which is why Matthew wrote that they had “marveled” at what He had done.
No question, sooner or later people totally reject God’s mercy and grace (see Gen. 6:1315:1619:24Rev. 22:11). Why, though, is it so important that we leave those kinds of judgments to God and never make them ourselves, either about others or even our own selves?
WednesdayJune 1

The Stone

If you had just a few days left to live, what would you do with them? One of the things Jesus did was to tell stories that would leave a deep impact on His listeners.
Read Matthew 21:33-46. Who is represented by each of the following?
Landowner:

Farmers:

Servants:

Son:

Notice Jesus’ quotation of Psalm 118:2223. In quoting the prophecy of the rejected stone, Christ referred to an occurrence in the history of Israel. The incident was connected with the building of the first temple. When the temple of Solomon was erected, the immense stones for the walls and the foundation were entirely prepared at the quarry. After they were brought to the building itself, not an instrument was to be used upon them, and no sound of chiseling and hammering was to be heard. The workmen had only to place them in position. For use in the foundation, one stone of unusual size and peculiar shape had been brought. But the workmen could find no place for it, and they would not accept it. It was an annoyance to them as it lay unused in their way. Long it remained a rejected stone.
“But when the builders came to the laying of the corner, they searched for a long time to find a stone of sufficient size and strength, and of the proper shape, to take that particular place, and bear the great weight which would rest upon it … But at last attention was called to the stone so long rejected … The stone was accepted, brought to its assigned position, and found to be an exact fit.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 598.
Read Matthew 21:44 again. Two different ways of relating to the rock are represented: one is falling on the rock and being broken; the other is to have the rock fall on you, and you being crushed by it. What is the crucial difference between the two? (See also Ps. 51:7 and Dan. 2:34.)

ThursdayJune 2

The Cost of Grace

The great news of the Bible is that we were created by a loving God who has provided us all a way out of this mess of sin and death through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. This is a theme that appears one way or another all through the Bible. We can see it here also in the following parable that Jesus told.
Read Matthew 22:1-15. What does this parable teach about salvation by faith?

However harsh this parable might seem, it’s important to remember that crucial issues are at stake: eternal life or eternal destruction for every human being. In contrast, what else really matters?
When we look at the Cross, at what it cost God in order to make a provision for the salvation of humanity, we should be able to see just how vast and deep and incomprehensibly profound the issues are. We are talking about One Person of the eternal Godhead bearing upon Himself the full brunt of God’s own wrath against sin. It doesn’t get more serious than that. If this is a theme that we will be studying throughout eternity, it’s no surprise that we can barely get our minds around it now.
Hence, we have these powerfully uncompromising words in the parable. God had made full provision for everyone to be part of the wedding feast (see Rev. 19:7); everything that was needed had been graciously provided at a cost so deep that no parable could even justly reveal it. So it was bad enough that the people who had been invited to the wedding actually “made light of it” and went about their own business. But some even attacked those who came to give them the gracious invitation. No wonder the uncompromising response.
What is the meaning of the “wedding garment”? See also Rev. 19:8.

The garment represents the righteousness of Christ, a righteousness that is revealed in the life and acts of the saints. The man without the garment represented professed Christians who claim the privileges of grace and salvation but haven’t let the gospel transform their lives and characters. At a great cost, every provision had been made for those who heed the invitation. As this parable then shows, there’s more to entering the kingdom of God than merely showing up at the door.
FridayJune 3
Further Thought: The London newspaper headline read: “Woman dead in flat for three years: skeleton of Joyce found on sofa with telly still on” (www.theguardian.com/film/2011/Oct/09/joyce-vincent-death-mystery-documentary). Dead for three years in a London apartment, and no one missed her? No one called to check on her? How could this have happened, especially in an era of almost limitless communication? When the story first broke, it made international news, though people in London were especially stunned. How could she have been dead for so long and no one knew about it? Yet, without the hope and promise of the gospel, and of the salvation that was so costly to provide for us, we are all doomed to the same oblivion as the poor London woman. But this situation is worse, because there will be no one to find us and even lament over our demise three years or even three billion years after the fact. The current scientific consensus is that sooner or later the entire cosmos will peter out and die in what has been called “The Cosmic Heat Death” or some happy appellation like that. What the Cross tells us, however, is that this view is wrong; instead of eternal oblivion we can have the promise of eternal life in a new heaven and a new earth. With such an incredibly wonderful prospect ever before us, how can we learn not to allow anyone or anything to stand in the way of our getting what we have been offered in Jesus?

Discussion Questions:

  1. Think about just how final and powerful death is and how futile all human endeavors over the millennia have been to defeat it. The best we can do is, to some degree, preserve our corpses, which no more defeats death than a new coat of paint on a car with a burned out engine makes it ready for the road again. No wonder, then, that it took something as intense and as dramatic as the death and the resurrection of the Son of God to conquer death in our behalf. What should this tell us about how central the Cross must be to all our hopes and to all that we believe?
  2. Dwell more on what it means to be covered in the righteousness of Jesus. How can a proper and balanced understanding of this important concept keep us from falling into either cheap grace or legalism, and why is it crucial that we avoid either extreme?
Inside Story~ 

Coming Home-Part 2

I returned to the church I had grown up in, hoping to find it lively, as it had been when I was younger-but I was disappointed. I felt like a stranger. Those believers who used to come visit us if we missed two Sabbaths, now did not even know who I was!
About that time I met a girl who really attracted me. Sara was different from other girls-she was simple and humble. She didn't care that I was well known or a good athlete. I decided to see if she was for real, so I asked her out and took her to my cousin's house-a very simple home with no electricity. I wanted to see what she would say if she thought this was my home. Later she told me, "I didn't come to see what kind of house you live in. I came to see you." I was impressed.
Sara and I lived on opposite sides of Fiji, but I managed to visit her every weekend. Eventually, I asked her to marry me. As we discussed such things as family and religion, I told her that one day I would return to the Adventist Church and that I wanted my children to grow up in the Adventist faith.
We got married, but my worldly habits came into our new home. Some, such as alcohol, even threatened to break up our marriage. After tasting the bitterness of divorce as a child, I was determined to not let my marriage fail. So I gave up all the things that were keeping me from being a good husband. I stopped drinking and partying. I returned to church, the same church I had attended as a teen. I found it boring, but this time I decided to do something about it.
I served as a deacon and later became the assistant youth leader. The time I had spent in sports I now spent working for God. I found great satisfaction in seeing people walk away from harmful lifestyles and come to God.
The balcony of the church had always been the youth's. After the pastor I had loved left that church, the balcony eventually emptied. My goal was to fill the balcony again. I loved working with the young people. I had been blessed by the pastor who mentored me, and now I wanted to mentor other young people. I am thrilled to look at that church balcony today and see it filled with young people!
Michael Sikuri is now an ordained minister working in the Trans-Pacific Union Mission.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.  email: info@adventistmission.org  website: www.adventistmission.org

Friday, May 20, 2016

Lesson 9: Idols of the Soul and Other Lessons from Jesus May 21-27

Lesson 9May 21-27

Idolsof theSoul(andOther Lessons From Jesus)

Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Eccles. 9:10Matt. 18:1-4Matt. 18:21-3519:16-30Gal. 3:2122Matt. 19:27.
Memory Text:“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’” (Matthew 18:1, NIV).
As human beings, we are products of our environment, of our culture. These greatly shape our values, beliefs, and attitudes. Whether you were raised in a big metropolitan area or in a village with no clean water, it makes no difference: the culture, the environment that you grew up in has greatly made you what you are. And even if you are able to go to a new environment, the one you have been raised in will leave its mark on you until the grave.
Unfortunately, to some degree, most of our environments and cultures work against the principles of God’s kingdom. The world, after all, is a fallen world, and its values, morals, and customs often reflect that fallen state. What else would they reflect? It’s just so hard for us to see because we are so immersed in our culture and environment.
The work of God in our hearts is, among other things, to point us to the values, morals, and standards of God’s kingdom. As we will see this week, those values, morals, and standards often greatly differ from what we have been born into and reared in. The disciples had to learn these lessons; we do too.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 28.
SundayMay 22

The Greatness of Humility

Who doesn’t aspire to greatness? That is, who doesn’t want to be great or do great things? This desire doesn’t always have to arise from selfishness or from ego or arrogance. It could simply be doing the very best that you can at whatever you do, hoping perhaps that what you do could even bring blessings upon others. (See also Eccles. 9:10.)
The problem, however, comes in defining “greatness.” How easy for our fallen human minds to understand the concept in a way that vastly differs from God’s view.
Read Matthew 18:1-4. According to Jesus, what is true greatness, and how are we to understand it in a way that we can apply it to our own lives?

To define true greatness, Jesus called a child to stand before Him and said, “‘Whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven’” (vs. 4, NKJV). Jesus didn’t talk about being a great preacher, or a great businessman, or even a great philanthropist. Greatness, in the sight of God, is what we are inside, not what we do externally, though no doubt what’s inside will impact what we do externally.
Notice, Jesus defines greatness in a way that most people in the world don’t. After all, who wakes up one day and decides that the greatness he or she wants in life is to be as humble as a little child? It seems strange to us, to aspire to something like that, but this is only because we are so tainted by the world’s principles, ideas, and concepts.
What does it mean to be humble like a little child? One of the indicators of humility is obedience, putting God’s Word ahead of our own will. If you are on the wrong path in your life, then that’s because you’re on your own path. The solution is simple: humble yourself and get back on God’s path through obedience to His Word. If Adam and Eve had stayed humble, they would not have sinned. It’s interesting to consider that the tree of life and the tree of knowledge were both located in the middle of the garden. Often life and destruction aren’t far apart. The difference is humility.
What are some other attitudes and ideas we hold only because of our contact with the world, attitudes and ideas that are in conflict with the Word of God? Bring your answer to class on Sabbath.
MondayMay 23

The Greatness of Forgiveness

One of the worst consequences of the Fall is seen in interpersonal relationships. From Adam trying to blame Eve for his sin (Gen. 3:12) to this moment on earth today, our race has been ravaged and degraded by conflict between individuals. Unfortunately, conflicts are not just in the world but in the church, as well.
Read Matthew 18:15-35. What does Jesus tell us here? Why, though, do we often not follow His words to us?

Let’s face it: it’s easier to go behind someone’s back to complain about him or her than to go directly to the person and deal with the issue. And that is precisely why we don’t want to do it, despite being told to do it by the Lord. Yet, Jesus teaches us to go directly to someone who has hurt us and to attempt to restore the relationship. If the person is not receptive, then there are additional instructions.
“‘For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them’” (Matt. 18:20, NKJV). Look at the context here; it is about the discipline and restoration of another person. (We tend to apply this verse more broadly.)
Jesus says that the Holy Spirit is present when a small group is attempting to restore a believer. This is the beautiful work of Redemption. And it begins with humbly doing the right thing and talking directly with someone who has hurt you. This, too, would be another example of greatness in those who do it.
Read Matthew 18:21-35 again. What crucial point is Jesus making?

When Jesus says to “forgive seventy times seven,” what He’s really saying is that we must never stop forgiving someone. Jesus is serious about the necessity of forgiveness, not only for others’ benefit but for our own. Look at how strong the parable is that He told to make His point. We can be forgiven a lot of things; that’s what the gospel is all about, forgiveness (see Exod. 32:32Acts 5:31Col. 1:14), but if we don’t forgive others the way we have been forgiven by God, we can face dire consequences.
Why is it so important, then, to dwell upon the Cross, upon the forgiveness that we have been given because of it? If God did this for you, if this is what it took to forgive you, how can you learn to forgive others, no matter how impossible that forgiveness might now appear to be?
TuesdayMay 24

Idols of the Soul

Read Matthew 19:16-30. As New Testament Christians, how are we to relate to this story today? What lessons can we take from it for ourselves?

Though not much is told us specifically about this man, we can pick up a few salient points. He was rich, a ruler (see Luke 18:18), and apparently a very scrupulous follower of God’s law. We can see, too, that he sensed something was missing from his life. It reminds one a bit of the story of Martin Luther; though outwardly a pious monk, inside he was dissatisfied with his spiritual life and he struggled with assurance of salvation. In both cases, the men sensed that the great gap between themselves and God was not going to be filled by their outward works.
“This ruler had a high estimate of his own righteousness. He did not really suppose that he was defective in anything, yet he was not altogether satisfied. He felt the want of something that he did not possess. Could not Jesus bless him as He blessed the little children, and satisfy his soul want?”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 518.
Some people might argue that, in this story, Jesus is teaching that we receive eternal life based on our good works. After all, inMatthew 19:17 Jesus says, “If you want to enter life, keep the commandments” (NIV). If this were the only text on that subject, one could make an argument here. But too many other texts, especially in Paul’s writings, teach that the law does not save but rather points to our need of salvation (see Rom. 3:28Gal. 3:2122Rom. 7:7). Instead, Jesus must have been guiding this man to see his own great need of more than what he was doing. After all, if keeping the law alone could do it, then the man would already have salvation, since he was scrupulous in keeping it. The gospel needs to penetrate the heart, to go right to the idols of the soul, and whatever we are holding onto that’s an impediment to our relationship to God needs to be gone. In this case, it was his money. Jesus notes how hard it is for a rich man to be saved; and yet, shortly after this dialog, Luke records a beautiful story of exactly that happening (seeLuke 19:1-10).
If you were in the position of the rich man, and you asked Jesus the same question, what do you think He would say to you? Dwell on the implications of your answer.
WednesdayMay 25

What’s In It for Us?

Right after the incident with the rich ruler, what happens?
“Then Peter answered and said to Him, ‘See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?’” (Matt. 19:27, NKJV).
Nothing in the text says what prompted this question, but it could easily be in direct response to the rich man’s departure from Jesus. Peter seemed to be implying that, unlike this man and others who either rejected Jesus or stayed with Him a while and then left, he and the other disciples had left all for Him. They were remaining faithful to Him, even at great personal cost. Thus, the question is, What’s in it for us?
From our perspective today, we might see this question as another indication of how hard-hearted and spiritually dense the disciples were (and, to some degree, that’s true). On the other hand, why not ask a question like Peter’s? Why shouldn’t he wonder what he would get by following Jesus?
After all, life here is hard, even for those who have it the best. We are all subject to the traumas, the disappointments, the pain of our fallen existence. In the 1800s an Italian intellectual named Giacomo Leopardi wrote about the overriding unhappiness of human beings, saying that “as long as man feels life, he also feels displeasure and pain.”
Life is often a struggle, and the good in this world doesn’t always even out with the bad. So Peter’s question makes perfect sense.Because life is hard, what advantage comes to us from following Jesus? What should we expect from making the kind of commitment that Jesus asked of us?
How did Jesus respond to the question? (See Matt. 19:28-20:16.)

Notice, Jesus didn’t rebuke Peter for selfishness or the like. He gave him first a very straightforward answer and then the parable regarding the workers and their wages. Though over the centuries a great deal of discussion has ensued over the meaning of the parable, the basic point is clear: you will get from Jesus what He has promised us.
If someone were to ask you, “What will I get by serving Jesus?” what would you answer?
ThursdayMay 26

“We Are Able”

To truly appreciate today’s story about James and John (and their mom) in Matthew 20:20-27, first read Luke 9:51-56. This event occurred when Jesus and His disciples at first set out for Jerusalem, just days before James and John asked if they could sit on Jesus’ left and right in the kingdom.
Read Matthew 20:20-27. What does Luke 9:51-56 tell us about how ready James and John were to sit on the left and right of Jesus in the kingdom?

James and John, the Sons of Thunder, were still clearly more worried about their own future than about the salvation of those around them, even after they had been sent out to evangelize the surrounding areas. In its own way, this story is somewhat like what we looked at yesterday, with Peter’s question regarding what they could get by following Jesus.
Look carefully at Jesus’ answer here. “‘You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’” (Matthew 20:22, NKJV). In other words, to be identified with Jesus’ future glory means, first, to be identified with His suffering and death, something that they had not anticipated and were not ready for. The fact that they immediately answered, “‘We are able’” (Matt. 20:22) shows that they didn’t know what He was warning them about. They would learn, eventually.
An interesting contrast is presented here, one that we need to think about for ourselves. As we saw in yesterday’s study, we have been promised wonderful things, even “eternal life” (Matt. 19:29, NKJV), if we follow Jesus. At the same time, too, the Bible makes it clear that in this world, following Jesus comes with a cost, sometimes a very big one. Jesus Himself later told Peter that he would die a martyr’s death (see John 21:1819). Many believers throughout history, and even today, have paid a great price for following Jesus. In fact, it might be wise to ask ourselves if there is something wrong with our walk if indeed we have not paid a steep price for following the Lord. Whatever the price, though, it’s cheap enough.
What has following Christ cost you? Think hard on the implications of your answer.
FridayMay 27
Further Thought: Through the centuries some people have argued for what is sometimes called “natural law.” Though it comes in many shapes and forms, the idea is that we can derive from the natural world moral principles that can help guide our actions. In one sense, as Christians who believe that nature is God’s “Second Book,” we could accept that there’s some truth to this. For instance, see Paul’s discourse in Romans 1:18-32 about what people should have learned about God from the natural world. At the same time, too, we can’t forget that this is a fallen world, and we view it with fallen, corrupted minds. So it should be no surprise that we could come away with wrong moral lessons from nature. For example, one of greatest mortal minds in antiquity, the Greek philosopher Aristotle, argued for slavery based on his understanding of nature. For him, nature revealed two classes of people, one of which was as “inferior to others … as … a beast to a man.” So for them, a “life of slavish subjection is advantageous.” This is just one of many examples we can find of how worldly principles, values, and ideas conflict with those of God’s kingdom, which is why—regardless of where we were born and brought up—we need to study God’s Word and from it derive the morals, values, and principles that should govern our lives. Nothing else, of itself, is reliable.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Jesus calls us to forgive all who hurt us. This includes our own families. Think about someone close to you who has hurt you. Though your scars might always be there, how do you reach a point where you can forgive?
  2. In class, discuss your answer to Sunday’s questions about the clash between your society’s values and those of the Bible. How are we as Christians to work through these differences?
  3. Dwell more on the idea of greatness as having the humility of a child. What does this mean to us as Christians?
  4. As Seventh-day Adventists we believe in obeying God’s law, the Ten Commandments, and rightly so. What, though, should the story of the rich ruler tell us about why, however important outward obedience to God’s law is, it’s not enough, and that true Christianity, while including obedience to the law of God, includes more?
Inside Story~ 

Coming Home-Part 1

I was introduced to the Seventh-day Adventist Church when my mother married an Adventist. I was in my early teens when I began attending the Adventist Church, and I really enjoyed it.
The two things that kept me going were the Sabbath School and Pathfinder leaders and the great programs they planned. They were so good that we kids never wanted to miss! Besides that, we knew that if we missed a week or two, we would get a visit, sometimes from the whole Sabbath School class!
By the time I was 15 my parents were no longer going to church, but I kept going because I loved it so much.
The Pathfinders were planning a camporee, and I wanted to go. The pastor drove me home so I could ask my stepdad if he would pay my way to go to the camporee. But instead of encouraging me, he told me I should spend my time studying instead of going camping. Then he said if I really wanted to go on this camporee, I could pack my things-right then-and leave for good. I gathered my things together and went home with the pastor.
My mom's marriage failed, and she lost interest in church. But I had found something I wasn't willing to give up. I moved in with my grandmother, where I had lived off and on over the years. Even though Grandma was not an Adventist, she supported me and encouraged me to attend church.
Throughout these difficult teen years, the church pastor and church members were my family. But the pastor left the following year, leaving me feeling as if I had lost my own father. Things weren't the same after that, and in time I attended church less and less often.
My grandmother worked hard weaving mats and making handicrafts to send me to a good school. I hated to see her struggle, so I asked the school for help. The priest who ran the school told me that they would help me attend school if when I finished and got a job, I would pay them back. I decided to do this. I went home and told my grandmother that I had a scholarship. I knew this wasn't really true, but I wanted to help her. I kept my promise, and when I graduated I got a job to repay the school.
But the school wasn't always a good influence on me. Some of the alumni encouraged athletes to drink alcohol. This started me on some bad habits. I was enjoying the benefits of my athletic abilities, but in the back of my mind I knew what was right and wrong, and my conscience bothered me.
To be continued.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Revival and Reformation United in Prayer.

May 15, 2016

World Church Prayer Requests
for May 15-22
  • PRAYER REQUEST: The great Rwanda campaign is now under way. Please continue to pray earnestly that God would work in a powerful way and that the Holy Spirit would be poured out in abundant measure.
  • PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray for the nearly 3,000 presenters that are sharing the plan of salvation during this huge campaign. Pray that God will speak through them!
  • PRAYER REQUEST: Pray for the health of the presenters in Rwanda, for good translation, and for the equipment, projectors and all to work properly. Pray that God holds back bad weather and distractions.
  • PRAYER REQUEST: Pray for those hosting children’s programs for those attending the evangelistic series. Pray that many young hearts would be drawn to the Savior.
  • PRAYER REQUEST: Please continue to pray for the refugees in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. In the current refugee crisis, many refugees have found temporary shelter in existing cities rather than refugee camps. And the camps that do exist are said to be the cities of tomorrow. Please pray for the people in these cities and camps to have their physical needs met and to have opportunity to learn of Jesus!
  • PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray for Trans-European Departmental Advisories taking place this week and for the Euro-Asia Division Ministerial Advisory taking place this coming week. Pray for wisdom for Europe and Asia in reaching out to members and equipping members to reach out to the world around them.
  • PRAYER REQUEST: Pray that we all (that includes who ever is reading these requests) would take “Total Member Involvement” seriously, as the “Great Commission” is for all of us. Help church members all around the world to see how easy and fulfilling it is to share the good news of Jesus soon coming with those they interact with in every day life. Let us not have anyone tell us at the last days, “You knew about what was coming, you knew about Jesus, and you didn’t tell me?” 
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Right on Time!
By Cindy Mercer
I have often heard people say, “God is rarely early, never late, but He is always on time.”

One unforgettable journey started as I drove home from my shift at a surgical center. As I prayed, I felt impressed to turn my car around and go to a nursing home to see an old friend and former co-worker, Cassie.

Cassie was beautiful, petite, and smart.  Her family was well known and wealthy.  She seemed to have it all.

One day I noticed that she was becoming rather friendly with one of the physicians. Then they began to date. However, as weeks turned into months, my friend didn’t seem the same. I inquired how things were going with her new relationship. She said everything was great, but her eyes shared something quite the opposite.

I soon learned that Cassie had become addicted to prescription pain pills prescribed by her new-found romantic interest. She was calling in sick and making mistakes in the days she showed up at work. Eventually, she quit her job, knowing she would be fired soon anyway.

Unfortunately, a horrible storm was brewing as Cassie and the doctor became full-fledged drug users. Moreover, a baby was on the way; Two beautiful, intelligent people ravaged by the destruction of drugs.

I lost complete contact with Cassie for seven years.

Then while driving home from work...
Continue reading testimony…
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