Preparing for Tomorrow Seminar Guest Speaker .

Alex Ambuchi is the Senior Pastor of Nairobi Central Church.The largest Seventh day Adventist Church in Nairobi,Kenya with over 6000 members.He holds a Bachelor of Theology from the University of Eastern Africa and a Masters in Pastoral Theology from the Adventist University of Africa.

A passionate advocate of youth involvement in church, he is married to Mary and blessed with two sons, Ken and Derrick. Ever since being converted to the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a Youth, he has been involved in evangelistic campaigns and youth seminars. He has served in many churches, both rural and urban. Having interacted extensively with the youth and experienced the fears and hopes they nurse, he is now out to remind parents, the church and the youth themselves of the one obligation the three parties have in common—to live a life of reverence to God. That is the most important duty God has placed each one of us in this world for. Let us worship Him! 

Let's invite a friend to hear Pastor Ambuchi Deliver the word.

Lesson Study 5 April 27-May 3 2013

Lesson 5*April 27-May 3

Seek the Lord and Live! (Amos)

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Amos 5:1-15, Heb. 5:14, Isa. 5:20, Amos 7:10-17, 9:11-15,Acts 15:13-18.

Memory Text: “Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and thus may the Lord God of hosts be with you, just as you have said!” (Amos 5:14, NASB).

Key Thought: Amos reminds us that only in seeking the Lord is there life.

“Had Israel been true to God, He could have accomplished His purpose through their honor and exaltation. If they had walked in the ways of obedience, He would have made them ‘high above all nations which He hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honor.’‘All people of the earth,’ said Moses, ‘shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.’‘The nations which shall hear all these statutes’ shall say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ Deut. 26:19, 28:10, 4:6. But because of their unfaithfulness, God’s purpose could be wrought out only through continued adversity and humiliation.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 28.

This week, as we continue to study the book of Amos, we will see even more of the ways in which the Lord pled with His people to put away their sins and return unto Him, the only true source of life. In the end, we all have only one of two choices: life or death. There is no middle ground. Amos shows us a little more about the stark differences between these choices.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 4.

SundayApril 28

Hate Evil, Love Good

Things had become very bad in Israel; the corruption, the oppression, the sin. The point was reached where the very survival of the nation was at stake. For this reason, Amos composed a lament to mourn the coming death of Israel (Amos 5:1-15). Often in the prophetic books, no distinction is made between the word of the prophet and the word of the Lord. Thus, Amos’ lament is also God’s lament over Israel.

The purpose of the funeral song in Amos 5:1-15 was to shock the people into facing reality. If they persisted in their sins, they surely would die. If, on the other hand, they rejected evil and returned to God, they would live. The Lord’s character is such that He expects conformity to the divine will.

Read Amos 5:14-15. How does one learn to “hate the evil and love the good?” See also Heb. 5:14, Rom. 12:9, Prov. 8:36.

Amos invites the people not just to stop seeking evil but also to hate evil and love good. The commands in this section are progressive. The verbs to love (Heb. ‘ahav) and to hate ('sane’) in the Bible often refer to decisions and actions, not simply to feelings and attitudes. In other words, the change in the people’s attitudes will lead to change in their actions.

In this context, what warning is found in Isaiah 5:20?

“All who in that evil day would fearlessly serve God according to the dictates of conscience, will need courage, firmness, and a knowledge of God and His word; for those who are true to God will be persecuted, their motives will be impugned, their best efforts misinterpreted, and their names cast out as evil. Satan will work with all his deceptive power to influence the heart and becloud the understanding, to make evil appear good, and good evil.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 431.

How can we learn to love the good and hate the evil if we can be deceived into calling evil good and good evil? What is our only protection against this deception?

MondayApril 29

Religion as Usual

Read Amos 5:23-24, Hosea 6:6, Matthew 9:13, Psalm 51:17. What are these texts saying? More important, how can the principle here be applied directly to our own spiritual life today, as Seventh-day Adventists? That is, in what ways might we be guilty of doing exactly what is warned about here? (Remember, too, that it is very easy to be self-deceived in this area).

More than most other books of the Bible, Amos focuses on injustice, cruelty, and inhumanity. It also offers the divine perspective on such practices. Amos preached that God despised the empty rituals of the people’s dead formalism, and He called upon them to reform. The Lord was not pleased by outward and empty forms of worship offered to Him by those who at the same time were oppressing others for the sake of personal gain. Their lives revealed that they missed the whole point of what it means to be followers of Yahweh; they also totally misunderstood the deeper meaning of His law.

Indeed, God rejected their religious rituals because they did not flow from lives of faith. The climactic words in Amos 5:14-15 are the command to seek the Lord and live. Seeking the Lord is contrasted with making pilgrimages to the famous religious centers in Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba (Amos 5:5), three cities with their sanctuaries that were destined for destruction.

What God really wanted was justice and righteousness in the land. The command to “seek the Lord” parallels the one to “seek good.” The Lord called on the remnant to distance themselves from evil practices and religious formalism and, instead, to let justice flow like a river and righteousness flow like a never-failing stream. While justice concerns the establishment of what is right before God, righteousness is the quality of life in relationship to God and others in the community. The picture presented here is that of a religious people whose religion had degraded into nothing but forms and rites without the change of heart that must accompany true faith. (See Deut. 10:16.)

How careful we must be.

TuesdayApril 30

Called to Be a Prophet

Amos’ home was Tekoa, in Judah, but God sent him to prophesy in Israel. He had gone to the northern kingdom and preached with such power that the land was not “able to bear all his words” (Amos 7:10, NKJV). Certainly many Israelites looked at Amos with suspicion and rejected him as God’s messenger. In spite of that rejection, he faithfully performed his prophetic ministry.

Read Amos 7:10-17. What familiar pattern is seen here? What other examples can you find in the Bible of the same thing happening? What should we learn from all these examples?

Among those who did not like Amos’ preaching was Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, who accused Amos of conspiracy against Israel’s king. Bethel was one of the two royal sanctuaries, the very centers of apostate worship. Amos had predicted in public that if Israel did not repent, its king would die by the sword and the people would be led away captive. Amaziah ordered Amos to go back to the land of Judah, where his messages against Israel would be more popular.

In his response to the priest, Amos affirmed that his prophetic call came from God. He claimed that he was not a professional prophet who May be hired for services. Amos distanced himself from professional prophets who prophesied for gain.

However, speaking the truth by no means guarantees acceptance, because the truth can at times be uncomfortable and—if it disturbs those in power—it can produce serious opposition. God’s call compelled Amos to preach so openly and so boldly against the sins of the king and the nobility from the northern kingdom that he was accused of treason.

What is our attitude when told that our actions and/or lifestyles are sinful and will bring punishment upon us? What does our answer tell us about ourselves and about, perhaps, the need for a change of heart and attitude?

WednesdayMay 1

The Worst Type of Famine

“‘The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it’” (Amos 8:11-12, NIV). How are we to understand the meaning of these verses?

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In Amos 8, the prophet describes devastating effects of God’s judgment on unrepentant Israel. God will punish the people for their sins by sending famine upon the land. But in verses 11 and 12 the prophet speaks of hunger and thirst for God’s Word. The tragedy that will stand out above all others is a famine of God’s Word because God will be silent, and no other famine could be worse.

Often when the people of Israel experienced great distress, they would turn to the Lord for a prophetic word in hope of guidance. This time God’s answer will consist of silence. A part of God’s judgment on His people will be the Lord’s withdrawal of His Word through His prophets.

If God’s people continue to be disobedient, the prophet says, the time would come when they will be eager to hear the message, but it will be too late to turn to God’s word in hope of escaping the judgment. This is the result of Israel’s persistent refusal to hear God’s message through Amos. Like Saul before his last battle (1 Sam. 28:6), the people will one day come to realize how much they need God’s Word.

An entire population will frantically search for God’s Word, the same word that they chose to ignore in the prophet’s time. Those especially affected will be the young. While the former generations had heard God’s Word and rejected it, the young people never will have the opportunity to hear the prophetic proclamation.

What do the following passages teach about the dire effects of the silence of God? 1 Sam. 14:37, Ps. 74:9, Prov. 1:28,Lam. 2:9, Hos. 5:6, Mic. 3:5-7.

In what ways is it possible to silence the voice of God in our lives? However scary that thought, dwell on the implications. How can we make utterly sure that never happens to us?

ThursdayMay 2

Judah’s Ruins Restored

The prophet turns from the dark picture of the people’s sinfulness and the resulting judgments to the glorious promises of the future restoration (Amos 9:11-15). The day of the Lord, previously described as the day of punishment (Amos 5:18), is now a day of salvation because salvation, not punishment, is God’s last word to His people. However, salvation will come after punishment, not instead of it.

Amid all the gloom and doom, Amos does close his book with a message of hope. Facing the prospect of an immediate exile, David’s dynasty has fallen so low that it can no longer be called a house but a hut. But David’s kingdom will be renewed and united under one ruler. Beyond Israel’s borders, other nations will call on God’s name and enjoy His blessings along with Israel. The book concludes on this happy and hopeful note.

Biblical prophets did not teach that God’s punishment is for punishment’s sake itself. Behind almost all the warnings is the call of redemption. Though the threat of exile was imminent, the Lord encouraged the remnant with the promise of restoration to the land. The remnant would enjoy the renewal of the covenant. Those who experience the judgment would see God acting to save and restore.

What is the ultimate fulfillment of Amos’ promises about the restoration of God’s people? See Luke 1:32-33, Acts 15:13-18.

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Many Jewish teachers regarded Amos 9:11 as a messianic promise given to Abram, reaffirmed to David, and expressed throughout the Old Testament. The new king from David’s line will reign over many nations in fulfillment of God’s promise to Abram (Gen. 12:1-3). The Messiah will reign even over enemies such as Edom. The restored ruins of God’s people never again will be destroyed.

Through the coming of Jesus Christ, David’s greater Son, God upheld His gracious promise. James quoted this passage from Amos to show that the door of salvation is open to Gentiles to enjoy a full share of covenant privileges entrusted to the church. God would offer His redemptive blessings to Jews and Gentiles in the promised Messiah, the offspring of both Abram and David.

The ultimate fulfillment of these promises to everyone who accepts them, Jew or Gentile, will be seen only at the Second Coming. How can we keep that hope and promise alive and not let it fade amid the stresses of life?

FridayMay 3

Further Study: “Our standing before God depends, not upon the amount of light we have received, but upon the use we make of what we have. Thus even the heathen who choose the right as far as they can distinguish it are in a more favorable condition than are those who have had great light, and profess to serve God, but who disregard the light, and by their daily life contradict their profession.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 239.

Discussion Questions:

• As a class, go over your answers to Sunday’s question about learning to hate evil and love the good, as well as the danger of calling evil good and good evil. Why is this danger especially prevalent when culture and society start to change their values in ways that accept certain behaviors, lifestyles, and attitudes that clearly are condemned in the Bible? As individuals, and even as a church as a whole, we are not immune to the cultural and societal trends in which we are immersed, are we? Dwell on the changes that have happened in your own culture and society over the years. For example, what things that were once considered shameful and taboo now openly are expressed and practiced, even deemed good or, at least not wrong? How have these changes impacted the church’s attitudes toward these acts? What can we do in order to protect ourselves and our church from falling into the dangerous trap of calling evil good? At the same time, what cultural changes for the good have impacted the church in a good way, a way that more closely reflects the principles of love and acceptance revealed by Jesus’ life?
• Dwell more on this idea of “a famine” for the Word of God. What is the likely way that could come about? Does the Lord purposely hide truth from people, or is it that people’s attitudes make them totally unreceptive to the Word of the Lord? Or could it be both? Or something else entirely? Discuss.
• As Seventh-day Adventists who live with so much light and have so many reasons to believe in the truths that we have been given, are we not in danger of thinking that our knowledge of these wonderful truths alone is all that we need? How should the truths with which we have been blessed impact the way in which we live and interact with others, not only in the church but in our community? In other words, how can we live out the truths with which we have been entrusted? Why is it so important that we do?

Inside Story~ ESD Division:Moldova

One More Door

Anatoly [ah-nah-TOH-lee] was tired. He had been working for hours to share pamphlets and Bible study cards in his assigned territory with little success. He wanted to go home, but he had promised God that he would visit every home he could, so he continued to work.

Anatoly, 13, lives in Moldova, a small country west of Russia. His shoulders slumped as he approached the last house on the road. He whispered a prayer and knocked at the door. He heard voices inside and thought the family had guests. But before he could leave, the door swung open and a woman invited him in.

She removed some papers from a chair and invited Anatoly to sit down. She offered him some tea and introduced him to her 12 children. Anatoly shook off his surprise and offered the family a book and a Bible enrollment card. The woman seemed pleased to have the booklet. They visited for a few minutes before Anatoly stood to leave. The woman invited him to come again.

As Anatoly walked home, he was glad he had gone to that last house. He decided to visit the family again.

When Anatoly returned to see the family, they seemed cautious. He invited them to attend evangelistic meetings at the church, and Natasha, the eldest daughter wanted to go. But the parents gently refused his invitation. So when Anatoly saw Natasha, and her brother Vania and sister Lena at the meetings, he was surprised. “Did your parents change their mind and let you come?”

“Not exactly,” Natasha said. “We told Mother that we were going for a walk. But I’ve learned so much tonight! I want to come back, but I don’t know whether my parents will allow us.” Anatoly promised to pray that they could attend the meetings.

Natasha, Vania, and Lena attended the meetings, but their parents refused to allow them to attend church on Sabbath. They had learned about the importance of the Sabbath and were determined to keep God’s holy day. Natasha told her parents simply, “God is God. He wants our worship all the time, not just once or twice a year. What He commands, we must do.”

The children worked hard to finish their chores by Friday so they could worship on Sabbath. Natasha asked to be baptized, and Vania and Lena joined Pathfinders. The children were such good examples at home that their parents agreed they could attend church. They even took their younger brothers and sisters.

Anatoly is glad that he did not ignore that last house on the road. Because he was faithful, another family met the Savior. Our mission offerings help provide funds for evangelism at home and around the world. Thank you for giving.

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

The Test of Loyalty Sermon Pastor Victor Dyman

The Test of Loyalty

As you study the Book of the Apocalypses you quickly discover that Chapters 12-14 give some insights into the ISSUES of the final conflict between good and evil. Careful examination reveals that  TWO WORDS—‘Commandments’ and ‘Worship’  that are sort of PROMINENT. That is what you want to do when you study any text—you look for the prominent words. Key words. And one of many way to determine which words are central is to see how often they are used. So, two words are prominent and they are: COMMANDMENTS and WORSHIP.

Let’s look first at the word COMMANDMENTS:

The best place to begin is Revelation 12:17:

“Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”  

These two are the same description of faithful is found in Revelation 14:12: “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.”

Since everyone in the Christian world says that they ARE ‘faithful’ to Jesus, is hard to use as an objective test of LOYALTY at the time of crisis. Obeying God’s Commandments on the other hand is more easily measurable and observable. Text also implies that the Commandments of God will somehow will be an ISSUE between God’s faithful people and those who are deceived.

Another focus of these Chapters is on the word ‘WORSHIP’:

The conflict between the dragon and the remnant centers on another word that appears over and over in Revelation 13-14—“worship.”

·       In Revelation 13:4 “Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast.”

·       Revelation 13:8 “All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast.”

·       In Revelation 13:12 “He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.”

·       Revelation 13:15 “He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.”

·       And so it goes in Chapter 14:6, 9-11.

·       Eight times just in these two Chapters 13 and 14 attention is called to WORSHIP.

It is a crucial word throughout this section of the Book. At the END the TESTING TRUTH for the world is CENTERED on the matter of PROPER WORSHIP.

So TWO words, Commandments and Worship are the CLUES that Bible gives us to understand the Issue of the Final Conflict.

Now, how these two words relate to each other?  Through ‘SABBATH KEEPING’!

Think of this for a moment: Can you come to the Church on the right day, and never really worship?

·       Yes, if you come with the wrong offering, like  Cain(Genesis 4:3-9)

·       Yes, if you worship someone else, like Israel  at the Mount Carmel, (1Kings 18:16-46)

·       Yes, if you want to achieve a good goal (salvation) through bad means like Satan tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:8-10)

There is big difference between keeping the Sabbath and worshipping of Sabbath.

Every genuine Sabbath keeper is Sabbath worshiper. But not every Sabbath worshiper is genuine Sabbath keeper.

Why Would God pick an issue like this (SABBATHKEEPING  as the central focus of the end-time crisis?

I would like to suggest three reasons.

1.     Sabbathkeeping  is the ideal response to the Gospel.

The Gospel tells us that Jesus has earned for us what we could not earn for ourselves—a right standing with God. “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law…  But now righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the prophets testify.” Romans 3:20-21.

We can add nothing to the perfect work of Christ that makes us right with God. All we can do is with the repentant spirit to ENTER into God’s REST. Sabbath is the ideal response to the Gospel because it is founded on the principle of REST after finished work.

It is so natural for humans to try to earn our salvation that we need a regular reminder that first work of the Christian is to REST in what Christ has done.

“There remains, then a Sabbath-rest for people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work… Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest.” Hebrew 4:9-11

At the heart of the Gospel is RESTING IN JESUS’ accomplishments, not mine…

2.     Sabbathkeeping  is the ideal test of loyalty.

The Sabbath command is different from any other nine Commandment. All others have a certain basis in reason and self-interest. The one part of the Ten Commandments that is not ‘logical’ is the command to “keep the Sabbath holy.”  Rather than any other day! After all, no one has been able to demonstrate scientifically a significant difference between Saturday and any other day of the week.  The only difference between Saturday and any other day of the week IS THAT GOD HIMSELF MADE DISTINCTION between them. There can be NO real test of loyalty  where self-interest is involved.

 “Do it just because I ask you to.”

At the END, the Sabbath test becomes the ideal test to see if WE SERVE GOD because of who He is OR because of what we can get from Him.

                                                                                                                

3.     Finally, I believe the Sabbath is important at the END because it is part of following Jesus all the way.

And what is the message of this great heart of the Ten Commandments? “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy.”

 “When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave Him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.” Exodus 31:18 (NIV)

Moses clearly declares here in Exodus that God wrote these Ten Commandments with His own finger on two tablets of stone.

 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, not your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maid servant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.

For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV)

When Jesus was on this Earth, He never kept Sunday; He kept Saturday. He set an example of Sabbathkeeping. If we want to follow Jesus all the way we will follow Him also in His observance of the Sabbath.

When the world is falling apart and every wind of doctrine is blowing, full loyalty to God will prove to be the ONLY SENSIBLE WAY to live…

“If you love Me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15 (NIV)

Pastor Victor Dyman

Lesson Study 4 April 20-26 Lord of All Nations

Lesson 4*April 20-26

Lord of All Nations (Amos)

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Amos 1-2, Isaiah 58, Luke 12:47-48, 1 Kings 8:37-40, Amos 4:12-13, Obadiah.

Memory Text: “A Lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:8, NKJV).

Key Thought: Acts of inhumanity are sins against God and will be judged accordingly. lion in Scripture often represents the king of the animal world. His appearance evokes irresistible strength and majesty as well as ferocity and destructive power. Even when not actively hunting, the lion can be heard, its roar audible for miles. Amos, a shepherd, was sent to the Israelites to warn them that he had heard a lion roar—and the lion was none other than their Lord! Moved by the Holy Spirit, the prophet Amos compared God’s way of speaking to the nations, as well as to His special people, with the roaring of a lion (see Amos 1:2).

Amos was called to prophesy to the nations who committed crimes against humanity. He also was sent to a society where a privileged and religious people lived in peace and prosperity. Yet, this same people oppressed the poor and allowed for dishonest business and bribery in court. This week we will listen to what the Lord has to say about these despicable actions.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, April 27.

SundayApril 21

Crimes Against Humanity

Read Amos 1 and 2. Why does the Lord warn that punishment is coming?

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The first two chapters in Amos’ book contain seven prophecies against neighboring nations, followed by a prophecy against Israel. The foreign nations are not judged because they are Israel’s enemies but because of their violations of universal human principles. Two things stand out in Amos’ condemnation: the absence of loyalty and the absence of pity.

For instance, Tyre was a leading merchant city located on the Mediterranean coast north of Israel. Because of its almost impregnable island fortress, the city boasted of its security. Moreover, the leaders of Tyre secured peace treaties with several surrounding nations, such as the Philistines. The city was allied with Israel by a “treaty of brotherhood” during the reigns of David and Solomon (1 Kings 5:1, 12) and even of King Ahab (1 Kings 16:30-31). It is not surprising to read in 1 Kings 9:13 that Hiram, the king of Tyre, called Solomon “my brother.”

Yet, the people of Tyre had violated the “covenant of brothers.” Tyre was not condemned for taking away the captives, but for handing them over to Israel’s enemies, the Edomites. Thus, the people of Tyre were responsible for the cruelties that these captives suffered at the hands of their enemies. From God’s perspective, the person who assists and supports a crime is as guilty as the person who commits it.

Because God is all-sovereign, He holds the destiny of all the world in His hands. He has purposes and concerns that reach far beyond Israel’s borders. The God of Israel is the Lord of all nations; all human history is His concern. He is the Creator God, who gives life to all, and all are accountable to Him.

Who among us does not bristle in pain at the incredible injustice we see? Were there no God, what hope would we have of justice ever being done? What does the promise, found throughout the Bible, of God bringing justice and judgment to the world mean to you? How can we learn to cling to that promise amid all the injustice that we see now?

MondayApril 22

Justice for the Oppressed

God’s universal judgment is one of the central teachings found in Amos. In the beginning of his book, the prophet announces God’s judgment on several of Israel’s neighbors because of their crimes against humanity. Then, however, Amos boldly declares that God also will judge Israel. The anger of the Lord was directed not only at the nations but also at the people He had chosen. The people of Judah had rejected the Word of the Lord and had not kept His instructions.

At the same time, Amos dealt with Israel much more extensively than even Judah because she had broken God’s covenant and committed so many sins. Israel’s economic prosperity and political stability led to spiritual decay. This spiritual decay displayed itself in social injustice. In Israel, the rich exploited the poor, and the powerful exploited the weak. The rich cared only for themselves and their personal gain, even when it came at the expense and suffering of the poor (Not much has changed in a few thousand years, has it?).

In his preaching, Amos taught that there is a living God who cares about how we treat others. Justice is more than an idea or a norm. Justice is a divine concern. The prophet warned that Israel’s stone houses, ivory-laid furniture, top quality food and drink, as well as the best body lotions—all would be destroyed.

Read Isaiah 58. In what ways does this chapter capture aspects of present truth? In what ways, though, is our message to the world much more than this?

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The Bible clearly teaches that social justice should be a natural product of the gospel. As the Holy Spirit makes us more like Jesus, we learn to share God’s concerns. The books of Moses insist on the fair treatment of foreigners, widows, and orphans (Exod. 22:21-24). The prophets speak of God’s concern about the just and compassionate treatment of less privileged people (Isa. 58:6-7). The psalmist calls the God who lives in His holy dwelling “a father of the fatherless, a defender of widows” (Ps. 68:5, NKJV). Christ showed great concern for those who were rejected by society (Mark 7:24-30, John 4:7-26). The Lord’s brother James calls on us to put our faith into action and help the needy (James 2:14-26). No follower of Christ can do anything less and really be a follower of Christ.

TuesdayApril 23

The Peril of Privilege

Amos’ prophetic message was not intended to be restricted to the historical situation in Israel but to expand the scope of the message beyond Israel and Judah. In the Old Testament, Israel had a unique but not exclusive claim on God.

Read Amos 3:1-2. The Hebrew verb yada, “to know,” which is used in verse 2, bears a special sense of intimacy. InJeremiah 1:5, for example, God says that He “knew” the prophet and set him apart even before his birth. Such was the case with Israel. They were not just another nation among nations. Rather, God set them apart for a sacred divine purpose. They stood in special relationship with Him.

God Himself had chosen Israel and brought it out of slavery to freedom. The exodus from Egypt was the single most important event in the beginning of Israel’s history as a nation. It set the stage for God’s acts of redemption and the conquest of the land of Canaan. But Israel’s strength and prosperity led to pride and complacency in regards to its privileged status as the Lord’s chosen people.

Read Christ’s statement from Luke 12:47-48. In what ways can we understand the principle He taught there: when great privileges in life are abused, they will be replaced by great penalties?

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Under divine inspiration, the prophet warns that because the people of Israel are the Lord’s elect, they particularly will be held accountable for their actions. The Lord is saying that Israel’s unique relationship with God carries obligations, and punishment will result if those obligations are not fulfilled. In other words, Israel, as God’s chosen people, is all the more liable to His judgments, because the privilege entails responsibility. Israel’s election was not just to privileged status; they were called to be witnesses to the world about the Lord who had so blessed them.

“The professed churches of Christ in this generation are exalted to the highest privileges. The Lord has been revealed to us in ever-increasing light. Our privileges are far greater than were the privileges of God's ancient people.”—Ellen G. White, Christ Object Lessons, p. 317. Think about all that we have been given as Seventh-day Adventists. Why should the responsibilities that come with these privileges make us tremble? Do they, or have we simply gotten used to them? Have we even become complacent about all that we have been given? If so, how can we change?

WednesdayApril 24

Israel’s Rendezvous With God

“Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel” (Amos 4:12).

Chapter 4 of Amos begins with the description of Israel’s sins, and it ends with the announcement of the day of reckoning. God makes His people especially accountable for the ways in which they live and treat others.

Amos has listed a series of natural disasters, any one of which should have been enough to turn the nation to God. The list is composed of seven disasters, the full measure of punishments for the breaking of God’s covenant (in accordance with the words of Moses from Leviticus 26). Some of the disasters remind one of the plagues God sent against Egypt, while the description of the last calamity explicitly mentions the total destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

According to Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple, what should disasters normally lead people to do? 1 Kings 8:37-40.

The people of Israel did not behave like normal people anymore, and God found it impossible to get their attention. Moreover, God’s judgments had resulted in the hardening of the people’s hearts. Because the people failed to return to the Lord, Amos presented one last chance for repentance.

The final judgment is impending, but Amos does not specify what the judgment would be. The haunting uncertainty in Amos’ words makes the threat of judgment even more ominous. Israel has failed to seek God, so God goes out to meet Israel. If punishment fails, will an encounter with God save?

Amos 4:12 begins with the words “‘thus will I do to you’” (NKJV), which echo the traditional oath formula. This solemn statement calls for a response from Israel to prepare to meet its God as they did prior to God’s appearance at Sinai (Exod. 19:11, 15).

Read carefully Amos 4:12-13. If, suddenly, you were to hear the warning, “Prepare to meet your God, O [your name here]”—what would be your response? What is your only hope? See Rom. 3:19-28.

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ThursdayApril 25

The Pride That Leads to Fall

Read the book of Obadiah. What important moral and spiritual truths can we take away from this book?

Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, and it reports on the prophetic vision of God’s judgment upon the land of Edom. The message of the book focuses on three issues: Edom’s arrogance (vss. 1-4), Edom’s coming humiliation (vss. 5-9), and Edom’s violence against Judah (vss. 10-14).

The Edomites were the descendants of Jacob’s brother Esau. The hostility between the Israelites and the Edomites goes back to the family feud between the twin brothers, who later became the fathers of the two nations. Yet, according to Genesis 33, the two brothers were later reconciled. Thus, the Israelites were commanded by God not to “‘abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother’” (Deut. 23:7, NKJV).

In spite of this, the hostilities between the two nations continued for centuries. When Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and took its citizens into captivity, the Edomites not only rejoiced but even preyed on the fleeing Israelites and also helped to plunder Jerusalem (Ps. 137:7). For this reason the prophet Obadiah warned that Edom will be judged by their own standard: “‘As you have done, it shall be done to you’” (Obadiah 15, NKJV). The Edomites did not behave as brothers toward the people of Judah in their worst hour but rather joined the enemy forces (Lam. 4:21-22).

The region that was occupied by Edom is located southeast of the Dead Sea. It is a mountainous land filled with high mountain peaks, sharp crags, caves, and clefts in which armies could hide. A number of Edomite cities were located in these nearly inaccessible sites. Sela (also known as Petra) was Edom’s capital city. The nation developed an arrogant confidence summed up in the question, “‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’” (Obadiah 3, NKJV).

God holds responsible those who take advantage of others in their time of distress. Obadiah warned the proud people of Edom that God would bring humiliation upon their heads. There is no place to escape from the Lord (Amos 9:2-3). The coming day of the Lord will bring both judgment and salvation. Edom will drink God’s cup of wrath, while the fortunes of God’s people will be restored.

FridayApril 26

Further Study: Read the following quotations and discuss how they help us to understand the messages from Amos 1-4 and Obadiah in a clearer way.

“From the beginnings of Israelite religion the belief that God had chosen this particular people to carry out His mission has been both a cornerstone of Hebrew faith and a refuge in moments of distress. And yet, the prophets felt that to many of their contemporaries this cornerstone was a stumbling block; this refuge, an escape. They had to remind the people that chosenness must not be mistaken as divine favoritism or immunity from chastisement, but, on the contrary, that it meant being more seriously exposed to divine judgment and chastisement. . . .

“Does chosenness mean that God is exclusively concerned with Israel? Does the Exodus from Egypt imply that God is involved only in the history of Israel and is totally oblivious of the fate of other nations?”—Abraham J. Heschel, The Prophets, pp. 32-33.

“With the defenses of the soul broken down, the misguided worshipers had no barrier against sin and yielded themselves to the evil passions of the human heart.

“Against the marked oppression, the flagrant injustice, the unwonted luxury and extravagance, the shameless feasting and drunkenness, the gross licentiousness and debauchery of their age, the prophets lifted their voices; but in vain were their protests, in vain their denunciation of sin. ‘Him that rebuketh in the gate,’ declared Amos, ‘they hate, . . . and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.’‘They afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.’Amos 5:10, 12.”—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 282.

Discussion Questions:

• It is easy to be friendly with someone who has something to offer you. What about those who are in distress and have nothing to offer you but, in fact, have need of what you can give to them? What kind of attitude must we show toward such people? What kind of attitude do you show toward them?
• Think about that which we have been given as Seventh-day Adventists. Most Christians have no idea of the blessings of the Sabbath (much less its end-time importance); most think that the dead go either immediately to heaven or to the torments of hell. Many do not believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus, nor do they believe in a literal Second Coming. What other great truths have we been given that most other people do not know about? What responsibilities come with having these truths?

Inside Story~ SAD Division:Ecuador

Light in the Jungle, part 2

Juan had found Christ and discovered the Sabbath while reading the Bible in his jungle home in southeastern Ecuador. God led him on a quest to a city several days’ journey away, where he met Adventists and asked to be baptized. But when the pastor asked him to stay in the city, Juan refused.

“I must return home and tell my family and fellow villagers,” he said. The pastor gave him bus fare to return home.

“We have a God who loves us and wants us to meet with Him on His Sabbath,” he told his family and friends. “He has many things to teach us.” At first few people listened to Juan’s message. But little by little some began to accept what Juan said.

Juan realized that he needed help to teach his people. He made the long journey back to the city of Ambato to invite the pastor to visit his village and help teach the people. The pastor agreed to go, and the two men flew to an airport in the rain forest. From there they met villagers who helped carry their equipment through the mosquito-infested jungles and across several rivers in oppressive heat.

The pastor taught them Bible truths and led seminars in health, marriage, and family life. Juan had prepared the people well, and by the end of the week 15 people were ready to be baptized.

After the pastor returned to Ambato, Juan continued sharing God’s word in surrounding villages. Five months later the pastor returned for another week of seminars and baptized 18 more people.

The villagers had built a large church of thatch and wood that was filled with worshippers on Sabbath. ADRA sponsored a literacy program to teach the people to read so they could read the Bible for themselves. Members of the Adventist church in Ambato conducted a large health ministry and Vacation Bible School program. And more people were baptized.

Four years later more than 135 people in Juan’s jungle home have given their lives to God and been baptized into the Adventist Church. Some of the new believers help Juan spread God’s message to those in other villages who are waiting to hear. Today simple chapels stand in several of these villages.

Juan thanks God for leading him to the Adventist Church and helping him share the gospel message with others. Your mission offerings help support Juan as he works among the indigenous people of southeastern Ecuador. A recent Thirteenth Sabbath Offering helped expand the Adventist radio network in Ecuador, making God’s message available to thousands who might not otherwise hear it.

Juan Saant (left) shares his faith in the jungles of southeastern Ecuador.

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