QTRLY Bible Study:

King of the Whole World

Read Zechariah 14. How are we to understand that which is being said there?

In the last chapter of his book, Zechariah describes a day when all unrepentant nations will gather themselves against Jerusalem. At the last moment, the Lord will intervene by liberating His people and establishing His eternal kingdom on earth. After all who oppose Him are destroyed, all nations will worship the one true God. The Lord will be king over the whole world. He will be one Lord and His name will be exalted above all names. The great “I AM” expresses all God is and always will be. Though these things were to have happened had Israel remained faithful, they still will be fulfilled but on a grander scale, during the final redemption of God’s people everywhere.

When Zechariah announced the coming of the Messiah, he did not draw a line of separation between His first and second comings. As was the case with other prophets, he saw the coming kingdom of the Messiah as one glorious future. Only in the light of Christ’s first coming can we now distinguish between the two comings. We also can feel gratitude for everything He accomplished for our salvation on Calvary. So, we can look forward with joy in anticipation of God’s eternal kingdom (see Dan. 7:14).

The closing section of this prophetic book describes Jerusalem in its glory, exalted, filled with people, and secure. The saved from all nations will participate in the worship of the eternal King. The entire city of Jerusalem will be filled with the holiness of the temple.

When these glorious promises are studied together with the overall teaching of the Bible, we come to the conclusion that the ultimate fulfillment of these predictions will take place in the New Jerusalem, where God’s people from everywhere will come together and worship Him forever. This all happens only after the second coming of Jesus. The themes of their perpetual praises will be God’s salvation, His goodness and power, just as the famous Song of the Sea concludes: “‘The Lord shall reign forever and ever’” (Exod. 15:18, NKJV). Ancient prophets and faithful people from the past all looked with eager anticipation toward this climactic event.

Dwell on the ultimate redemption that is promised to us—a new heaven and a new earth with no sin, death, suffering, or loss. What are all the reasons you have for this hope, and how can you keep them before you daily, especially in times of trouble, fear, and pain?

Friday June 21

Further Study: “In the darkest days of her long conflict with evil, the church of God has been given revelations of the eternal purpose of Jehovah. His people have been permitted to look beyond the trials of the present to the triumphs of the future, when, the warfare having been accomplished, the redeemed will enter into possession of the promised land. These visions of future glory, scenes pictured by the hand of God, should be dear to His church today, when the controversy of the ages is rapidly closing and the promised blessings are soon to be realized in all their fullness. . . .

“The nations of the saved will know no other law than the law of heaven. All will be a happy, united family, clothed with the garments of praise and thanksgiving. Over the scene the morning stars will sing together, and the sons of God will shout for joy, while God and Christ will unite in proclaiming, ‘There shall be no more sin, neither shall there be any more death.’”—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 722, 732, 733.

Discussion Questions:

•However much humans have strived to make things better in our world, the world continues to get worse. According to the Bible, only when Christ returns and remakes this world will it be the paradise that we so long for. Though we know this truth, why are we still called to bring as much comfort, healing, and solace to this world as we possibly can?
•Thursday’s lesson pointed out the important fact that many Old Testament prophecies about the coming of Jesus talked about them in ways that seem to refer to one event, not two. What does that tell us about how closely related the First and Second Comings are, in terms of the plan of salvation? Why is that so? Why is it that without the First Coming there could be no Second, and why—without the Second Coming—would the First be of no avail?
•As we seek for revival and reformation among us, what can we learn from the study of Zechariah that can help us, both individually and as a church, to be prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which is vital to the revival and reformation that we so earnestly need?


Inside Story~ SID Division: Madagascar

Facing the Challenge

Sandy and Yolande love working as Global Mission pioneers in the western highlands of Madagascar.

The couple learned their new dialect while working in the fields with the villagers among whom they live. Sammy helped the people plant and harvest their crops, and Yolande braided the women’s hair. Then the couple invited their new friends to learn about Christ.

They started a literacy center to teach the villagers to read and write better. Yolande teaches the younger children and youth while Sandy teaches the adults. They hope that soon the people will be able to read the Bible for themselves. They include worship as part of their literacy program, and they’ve found great interest in getting to know Jesus.

Recently Sandy and Yolande held evangelistic meetings in a village known for its rough gangs. One night they were startled to see a group of gang members who were carrying guns enter the meeting. Sandy knew that the gang would make trouble if they felt that he was imposing on their territory.

Haja, the gang leader, was tough, and it was obvious that the other gang members respected him. But Sandy and Yolande weren’t afraid. “I talked to Haja and asked him to make sure his gang members were there every night,” Sandy said.

And Haja and his 20 gang members did come to the meetings every night. In fact, Haja was one of the 31 people who were baptized at the end of the meetings. He’s no longer the gang leader. Instead he’s preparing to become a Sabbath School leader. He’s still influential among his gang friends and encourages them to come to church.

Sandy and Yolande face many challenges in their work. Dirty water often makes the people sick. Many of the villagers want nothing to do with Christianity. Some believe in witchcraft and fear a woman who is the local witchdoctor. Alcohol is prevalent.

But this Global Mission couple isn’t discouraged. “We love the people God has sent us to minister to,” says Sandy. “We praise Him for the 60 people who have joined God’s family and the two churches we’ve been able to start here. But there’s much more to be done. Please pray that we can overcome these difficulties to bring God’s Word to the people here.”

Your mission offerings help support the work of Global Mission in Madagascar and around the world.

Lest We Forget! (Malachi)

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Malachi 1, Lev. 1:1-3, Malachi 2, Eph. 5:21-33, Malachi 3, Exod. 32:32, Malachi 4.

Memory Text: “‘My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,’ says the Lord Almighty’” (Malachi 1:11, NIV).

Key Thought: Malachi teaches us the extent of God’s commitment to His people but also points to their sacred responsibilities.

Malachi’s name means my messenger. We know nothing about him except that which we can glean from his short book, which brings the section of the Old Testament called the Minor Prophets (or The Book of the Twelve) to an end. His is also the last book of the Old Testament.

The central message of Malachi is that while God had revealed His love for His people throughout their history, that love also made His people accountable to Him. The Lord expected the chosen nation and its leaders to obey His commands. Though open idolatry apparently had vanished (the book appears to have been written for Jews who had returned from Babylonian captivity), the people were not living up to the expectations of the covenant. Though they were going through the motions of religious observance, it was a dry formalism without heartfelt conviction.

May we as a church take heed!

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, June 29.

Read Malachi 1.What problem is the prophet addressing?

How, today, might we be guilty of the same attitude that led to this rebuke?

Malachi contrasts God’s love for His people with the attitude of the priests, whom he charges with the sin of contempt for God’s holy name. When performing their duties in the temple, these descendants of Aaron accepted lame, blind, and sick animals for sacrifices to the Lord. In this way the people were led astray into thinking that sacrifices were not important. Yet, God had instructed Aaron and his sons in the wilderness that sacrificial animals should be physically perfect, without blemish (see Lev. 1:1-3, 22:19).

The prophet then lists three important reasons why God deserved to be honored and respected by the people of Israel. First, God is their Father. Just as children should honor their parents, so the people must respect their Father in heaven. Second, God is their Master and Lord. Just as servants obey their masters, so God’s people should treat Him in the same way. Third, the Lord is a great King, and an earthly king would not accept a defective or sickly animal as a gift from one of His subjects. So, the prophet is asking why the people would present such an animal to the King of kings, the One who rules over the whole world.

What, of course, makes their actions even more heinous in the sight of God is that these sacrifices were all pointing to Jesus, the spotless Son of God (John 1:29, 1 Pet. 1:18-19). The animals were to be without blemish because Jesus had to be without blemish in order to be our perfect sacrifice.

“To the honor and glory of God, His beloved Son—the Surety, the Substitute—was delivered up and descended into the prisonhouse of the grave. The new tomb enclosed Him in its rocky chambers. If one single sin had tainted His character the stone would never have been rolled away from the door of His rocky chamber, and the world with its burden of guilt would have perished.”—Ellen G. White,Manuscript Releases, vol. 10, p. 385. Is there any wonder, then, that the sacrifices which pointed to Jesus had to be perfect?

Loving and Respecting Others

God’s voice, which dominates Malachi’s book, is the voice of a loving father who pleads with His children. When the people raise questions and make complaints, He is ready to dialogue with them. Most of the issues discussed by God and His people have to do with a few basic attitudes.

Read Malachi 2. Though a number of issues are dealt with, for what practice is the Lord especially condemning them? See Mal. 2:13-16.

While all the Jews recognized God as Father and Creator in their worship, not all of them were living as if God was the Lord of their lives. Malachi takes marriage as an example to illustrate lack of faithfulness and commitment to one another. According to the Bible, marriage is a sacred institution established by God. The people of Israel were warned against marrying outside the faith, because by so doing they would compromise their commitments with the Lord and fall into idolatry. (See Josh. 23:12-13.)

God had intended that marriage should be a commitment for life. In Malachi’s time, however, many men were breaking the vows that they had made early in life with, as the prophet said, the “wife of your youth.” Seeing their wives grow older, the husbands would divorce them and marry younger and more attractive women. For this reason, God says, he hates divorce (Mal. 2:16). This strong statement reveals how serious God is about marriage commitments, which so often people take very lightly. The strict rules in the Bible about divorce show just how sacred marriage is.

Because divorce was legal in Israel (Deut. 24:1-4), some men did not hesitate to break their marriage vows. Toward the end of the Old Testament period, divorce appears to have become common, somewhat like many countries today. Yet, in the Bible marriage is consistently presented as a holy covenant before God (Gen. 2:24, Eph. 5:21-33).

Read Malachi 2:17. What warning should be taken from these words, especially in the context of the day’s lesson? Or even in general? How could we be in danger of harboring that same attitude, even subconsciously?

Tithe in the Storehouse
Read Malachi 3:1-10. What is God saying to His people here? What specific elements are found in these texts, and why would they all be tied together? That is, in what ways are these things all related to each other?

With these verses, God restates the basic message of the Minor Prophets: His love remains constant and unwavering. In verse 7 God’s call is heard once more: “‘Return to me, and I will return to you’” (NIV). The people then ask: “‘How shall we return?’” (RSV). This question is similar to the one in Micah 6:6, about the bringing of sacrifices to God. In the case of Malachi, however, a specific answer is given, and, surprisingly enough, it has to do with the question of their tithing, or lack thereof.

In fact, they are accused of stealing from what belongs to God. This happened because they were not faithful in the returning of their tithes and offerings.

The custom of tithing, giving ten percent of the income, is presented in the Bible as a reminder that God owns everything and all that people have comes from Him. The tithe was used in Israel to support the Levites, who ministered in the temple. To neglect the returning of one’s tithe is, according to Malachi, the same as robbing God.

Malachi 3:10 is one of the rare Scriptures in which God challenges people to put Him to the test. At the waters of Meribah in the wilderness, the children of Israel repeatedly “tested” God’s patience, something that He was angry about (Ps. 95:8-11). Here, however, God is inviting Israel to put Him to the test. He wants them to see that they can trust Him in this matter, which, according to the texts, is something of great spiritual significance.

How does the act of tithing (and of giving offerings, for that matter) strengthen you spiritually? In other words, when you cheat on tithe, why are you cheating yourself, not just God?

Wednesday June 26

A Scroll of Remembrance

In Malachi 3:13-18, the people complain that the Lord did not care about the nation’s sins. Those who practiced evil and injustice appeared to escape unnoticed, and thus many wondered why they should serve the Lord and live righteously when evil seemed to go unpunished.

Read Malachi 3:14-15. Why is it easy to understand that complaint?

How does the Lord respond? (Mal. 3:16-18)

It is easy in this world, where so much injustice exists, to wonder if justice ever will be done. The message here, however, is that God knows of all these things, and He will reward those who are faithful to Him.

The expression “a scroll (or, a book) of remembrance” is found only here in Scripture. What do the following passages teach about God’s books in which are recorded people’s names and deeds? Exod. 32:32, Ps. 139:16, Isa. 4:3, 65:6, Rev. 20:11-15.

The bottom line is that the Lord knows all things. He knows those who are His (2 Tim. 2:19) and those who are not. All we can do is, as sinners, claim His righteousness, claim His promises of forgiveness and power, and then—relying on Christ’s merits—die to self and live for Him and others, knowing that in the end our only hope is in His grace. If we place our hope in ourselves, we are sure to be disappointed, one way or another.

The Sun of Righteousness

On a previous occasion the people asked, “‘Where is the God of justice?’” (Mal. 2:17, NKJV). In the beginning of chapter 4, a solemn assurance is given that one day God will execute His judgment on the world. As a result, the proud will be destroyed along with the wicked, just as stubble is consumed in fire. Stubble is the unusable part of the grain, and it lasts only seconds when thrown into a blazing furnace. On the Day of the Lord, fire will be the agent of destruction, just as water was in Noah’s day.

Read Malachi 4. What great contrast is presented here between the saved and the lost? See also Deut. 30:19, John 3:16.

While the fate of the wicked is described in verse 1, verse 2 focuses on future blessings of the righteous. The question “Where is the God of justice?” is answered again, but this time by the assurance of a coming day when the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in its wings (NIV). The rising of the “sun of Righteousness” is a metaphor for the dawn of a new day, one that marks a new era in the history of salvation. At this time, once and for all, evil will be destroyed forever, the saved will enjoy the ultimate fruit of what Christ has accomplished for them, and the universe will be rendered eternally secure.

Malachi closes his book with two admonitions that characterize biblical faith. The first is a call to remember God’s revelation through Moses, the first five books of the Bible and the foundation of the Old Testament.

The second admonition speaks of the prophetic role of Elijah. Filled with the Holy Spirit, this prophet called people to repent and return to God. Although Jesus Himself saw John the Baptist as a fulfillment of that prophecy, (Matt. 11:13-14), we also believe it has a fulfillment at the end of time, when God will have a people who fearlessly will proclaim His message to the world. “Those who are to prepare the way for the second coming of Christ, are represented by faithful Elijah, as John came in the spirit of Elijah to prepare the way for Christ's first advent.”—Ellen G. White, Counsels on Health, pp. 72, 73.

How are we to fulfill this sacred role? How well are we doing in this task?

http://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/media/e/2454/t/seventhday-adventist-christian-or-cult.aspx

Adventist or they an occult

Further Study: “God blesses the work of men’s hands, that they may return to Him His portion. He gives them the sunshine and the rain; He causes vegetation to flourish; He gives health and ability to acquire means. Every blessing comes from His bountiful hand, and He desires men and women to show their gratitude by returning Him a portion in tithes and offerings—in thank offerings, in freewill offerings, in trespass offerings. They are to devote their means to His service, that His vineyard may not remain a barren waste. They are to study what the Lord would do were He in their place. . . .They are to take all difficult matters to Him in prayer. They are to reveal an unselfish interest in the building up of His work in all parts of the world.”—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 707, 708.

Discussion Questions:

Dwell more on the Bible and marriage. Because marriage itself is so sacred, something created by God Himself, it comes with some very strict guidelines about what is biblically permitted to dissolve it. After all, how sacred, how important would marriage be were it easily ended? If you can get out of it for the most trivial of reasons, then marriage itself would be trivial. How do the strict rules against ending a marriage prove just how special it is?
As a class, carefully go over Malachi 2:17. What do we, as Seventh-day Adventists with our understanding of the pre-Advent judgment, have to say to those who might be uttering the same sentiments expressed in this verse?
Malachi 4 talks about the ultimate destruction of the lost. Nothing remains. How does this teaching contrast with the idea of an eternally burning hell-fire? Why is the contrast between these two views a good example of the ways in which false doctrine can lead to a false understanding about the character of God?
In his classic work “The Grand Inquisitor,” Russian writer Dostoevsky depicted the institution of the church in his time as having things so well under control that it did not need Christ anymore. Are we facing that same danger today? If so, how so? How might this danger be more subtle than we realize?
Inside Story~ SUD Division:India

Usha’s Hope

Usha returned home after a long day selling garlic on the streets of Mumbai, India, where she lives. She placed her basket on the dirt floor inside the family’s one-room home. The box where she kept the family’s few clothes was open, its contents strewn about. She knew that her husband had searched it for something to sell to buy alcohol. He had already sold everything else the family had owned—a chair, a blanket, her cooking pot. She folded the remaining clothes and replaced the box top.

Usha worked hard to feed her growing family. Her husband’s meager earnings went to buy alcohol. And when that wasn’t enough, he took Usha’s earnings as well. If she resisted, he beat her. Her hope for a better life spiraled into desperation.

One day she heard singing from a neighbor’s home. She heard singing the next day, too, but she was too shy to ask what was happening. So she listened from her doorway.

When Usha heard singing again, she walked to her neighbor’s home and sat down on the packed earth to listen as the women sang about someone called Jesus. Who is this Jesus? Usha wondered.

A man stood to talk. As he spoke, she felt peace wash over her. She returned the next day to hear more. She found hope and faith amid the despair of her life as she learned about the Savior who loves her. She accepted Jesus as her Redeemer. Life was still difficult, but her heart was at peace.

Usha’s husband became sick from alcohol-related disease and died, leaving Usha and her three young children. The pastor visited her and urged her to send her children to school. But Usha could hardly feed them. How could she pay their school fees?

There’s a way, the pastor said. “If you can pay half of your children’s tuition, a sponsor can pay the rest. They can study at Lasalgaon Adventist School.” Usha allowed herself to hope that her children might have a decent future after all. With no one taking her money to buy alcohol, perhaps she could earn enough to send her children to school.

Usha misses her children, but she knows they are safe and will have a better life. Often she sacrifices her own food to pay the children’s tuition, but she knows that God is caring for her.

A recent Thirteenth Sabbath Offering is helping to build a new classroom block at Lasalgaon Adventist School, where Usha’s children study. Thank you for helping to make it possible for children in northwestern India to prepare for a brighter future and find hope in Jesus.

Quarter 3, 2013

Revival and Reformation

by: Mark Finley

Revival and Reformation

In every generation, God’s Spirit strives to bring revival to the hearts of His people. Revival is an ongoing, daily experience. Each of us should identify with an old hymn that says: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love.” Deep within, we know these words are true.

Our hearts are, indeed, prone to wander. Our minds drift from the eternal to the mundane. Our thoughts turn so easily from the heavenly to the earthly. Too often we seem to be in bondage to deeply entrenched habits. At times our own attitudes and reactions baffle us.

And that’s because, as the result of sin, our natures are fallen (Jer. 17:9). Our natural tendency is to turn from God’s way to our own (Isa. 53:6). With the apostle Paul we cry out, “O wretched man that I am” (Rom. 7:24), and with David we plead, “Revive me, O LORD, according to your lovingkindness” (Ps. 119:159, NKJV).

Revival is all about a God of lovingkindness seeking to deepen His relationship with us. The initiative in revival is His. His Spirit creates longings within us. His Spirit convicts us of our need. His Spirit reveals Jesus’ goodness and grace.

Throughout history, God’s Spirit has moved mightily in revival. When Israel drifted from God’s plan and purposes, God used the young King Josiah to lead the nation back to Him, and a mighty revival followed. At the dedication of the temple, God said to Solomon: “ ‘If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land’ ” (2 Chron. 7:14, NKJV). God’s heart longing was for Israel to meet the conditions of revival, experience the power of revival, and reveal the light of His love to the entire world.

When God’s people responded to His appeals for revival, He worked mightily in their behalf. This was true for the New Testament Christian church, the Reformation, and the Advent Movement. It will also be true for God’s end-time people. His Holy Spirit will be poured out in its fullness and the earth will be “illuminated with his glory” (Rev. 18:1, NKJV).

This quarter’s lessons focus on the varied aspects of revival and reformation. Together we will probe such questions as, What are the conditions that God has given for the outpouring of His Spirit? Is God waiting for some magical moment to pour out His Spirit on His last-day church? What does it mean to live a Spirit filled life? Is there anything we can do to cooperate with God in order to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit now? Where does revival and reformation begin?

Ellen G. White described the importance of revival in these words: “A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs.”- Selected Messages, book 1, p. 121. Heaven places priority on revival. What could be more important? This quarter, as we study such topics as prayer and revival, the Word and revival, witnessing and revival, a finished work and revival, and other related subjects, let us pray that God will powerfully speak to our hearts and draw us closer to Him.

Why not open your heart to the moving of His Spirit right now? Why not ask Him to do something extra special in your life today? He will answer your prayers, and heavenly blessings will flow in ways that you have not yet imagined.

A native of Connecticut, USA, Mark Finley, an internationally known evangelist, was a vice president at the General Conference from 2005-2010. After retiring from full-time employment, he became an assistant to the president of the General Conference to work part-time with the Revival and Reformation initiative. Pastor Finley and his wife, Ernestine, have three children and two grandchildren.

Lesson 1 June 29-July 5
Revival: Our Great Need


SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week's Study: Rev. 3:14-21, Heb. 12:7-11, Matt. 25:1-13, Zech. 3:1-5, Song of Sol. 5:2-5.

Memory Text: “‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me’” (Revelation 3:20, NKJV).

Laodicea is the last church in Revelation’s sequence of seven churches. The name means, “a people judged.” It is also a fitting symbol for God’s last-day people.

Laodicea was located in an open valley in southwestern Turkey. It was an important financial capital, a fashion mecca, and an educational and medical center. Its inhabitants were independent, self-confident, and rich.

The one vital natural resource that the city lacked, however, was water. The water was piped in via Roman aqueducts from a spring five miles south of the city. By the time the water reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm. Jesus used that symbolism to represent the lukewarm condition of His last-day church, described as self-confident, complacent, apathetic, and spiritually indifferent. It is a church that has lost its passion. It is a church that needs a spiritual revival.

Nevertheless, the Laodicean message is filled with hope. Christ speaks to His people in love, offering to meet their heart needs and revive their deepest spiritual longings.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 6.

SUNDAY June 30

Hope for Lukewarm Laodiceans

Jesus addresses each of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 with a title of Himself that is appropriate for their spiritual condition. The titles He uses in His message to the church of Laodicea ring with the assurance of spiritual renewal for all those who will heed His call.

Read the following Bible passages (Rev. 3:14-15; 2 Cor. 1:20; John 3:10, 11; Col. 1:13-17). Why do you think that Jesus used the titles “the Amen,” “the faithful and true witness,” and “the beginning of the creation of God” to address the Laodicean church?

In Revelation 3:14, the Greek word for “beginning” is arche. It can mean “beginning,” in the sense that the one to whom it refers is the beginner of the event or action. In this context, arche refers to Jesus as the Beginner, or the first cause of all creation. In other words, He is the Creator (John 1:1-3; Eph. 3:8-9).

This is extremely significant. Jesus, the One who spoke and worlds came into being, the One who created the earth, the One who spoke life into existence-this same Jesus speaks hope to Laodicea. The all-powerful Creator can create new life. He can recreate new spiritual longings in our hearts. He can transform our spiritual lives.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Galatians 6:14-15. What do these texts mean to you personally?

2 Corinthians 5:17

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Galatians 6:14-15

14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Why is the Laodicean message a message of hope? What is it about the introduction to this message of strong rebuke that encourages you? Which of the three titles of Jesus do you personally identify with the most, and why?

Hope for Lukewarm Laodiceans

Jesus addresses each of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 with a title of Himself that is appropriate for their spiritual condition. The titles He uses in His message to the church of Laodicea ring with the assurance of spiritual renewal for all those who will heed His call.

Read the following Bible passages (Rev. 3:14-15; 2 Cor. 1:20; John 3:10-11; Col. 1:13-17). Why do you think that Jesus used the titles “the Amen,” “the faithful and true witness,” and “the beginning of the creation of God” to address the Laodicean church?

In Revelation 3:14, the Greek word for “beginning” is arche. It can mean “beginning,” in the sense that the one to whom it refers is the beginner of the event or action. In this context, arche refers to Jesus as the Beginner, or the first cause of all creation. In other words, He is the Creator (John 1:1-3; Eph. 3:8-9).

This is extremely significant. Jesus, the One who spoke and worlds came into being, the One who created the earth, the One who spoke life into existence-this same Jesus speaks hope to Laodicea. The all-powerful Creator can create new life. He can recreate new spiritual longings in our hearts. He can transform our spiritual lives.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Galatians 6:14-15. What do these texts mean to you personally?

Why is the Laodicean message a message of hope? What is it about the introduction to this message of strong rebuke that encourages you? Which of the three titles of Jesus do you personally identify with the most, and why?

MONDAY July 1

A Loving Rebuke

Read Revelation 3:15-16. Why does Jesus give the Laodicean church such a strong rebuke? What does it mean to be lukewarm? What other words might Jesus have used in place of “lukewarm”?

Commenting on Revelation 3:15-16, Ellen G. White states: “The message to the Laodicean church applies most decidedly to those whose religious experience is insipid, who do not bear decided witness in favor of the truth.”- The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 962. This is a fascinating statement. An insipid religious experience is one that is lifeless. It has the outer husk of Christianity but lacks the substance. It has the external form but lacks the living power. The Laodiceans are not heretics or fiery fanatics; they are, simply, spiritually indifferent. The Laodiceans appear to be good moral people. They have what Paul calls, “a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:5, NKJV). Jesus speaks of religious people in His day who “draw near to [Him] with their mouth and honor [Him] with their lips, but their heart is far from [Him]” (Matt. 15:8, NKJV).

Read Hebrews 12:7-11; Job 5:17-19; Psalm 94:12; and Proverbs 29:15, 17, and describe God’s purpose in His rebukes.

Our Lord loves His people too much to let them go easily to perdition. He will do whatever it takes to rekindle a spiritual flame in their hearts. His strong rebuke is because of a stronger love. His chastisement is only because of His longing to heal us. The prophet Hosea echoes this sentiment with this call to repentance: “Come, and let us return to the LORD; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up” (Hos. 6:1, NKJV).

Has God ever used painful, even embarrassing, experiences to humble you and draw you closer to Him? What did you learn from these experiences that, ideally, ensures you won’t have to go through them again?

Perception and Reality

There is a gap between what Laodicea says and does. There is an even greater gap between the spiritual experience that Laodicea thinks she has and what she actually does have.

Read Revelation 3:17. What is Laodicea’s evaluation of herself? What is our Lord’s assessment of her? How do you think a people could be so blinded to their true spiritual condition? In what ways might we be blind regarding our own spiritual condition?

One of Satan’s fatal deceptions is to blind us to the reality of our spiritual needs. Some of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were blind to their own spiritual poverty. They were Bible-reading, Sabbath-keeping, tithe-paying “church” members looking for the coming of the Messiah. Yet, many were in darkness regarding the type of spiritual kingdom that He would usher in. Jesus called them “blind guides” (Matt. 23:24). Paul writes to the church at Corinth about those “whose minds the god of this age has blinded” (2 Cor. 4:4, NKJV). This is why Jesus said that He came for the “‘recovery of sight to the blind’” (Luke 4:18, NKJV). Jesus will restore the spiritual eyesight that we have lost if we allow Him. Every time that Jesus opened blind eyes in the New Testament, He was revealing His desire to open the eyes of our minds in order to enable us to see Him clearly.

Read Matthew 25:1-13. What are the similarities between the foolish virgins and the members of the church at Laodicea?

What ways have you found to keep spiritually alert? Why do you think it is so easy to become spiritually indifferent? What are some ways to counteract religious apathy?

The Divine Remedy

There is hope for Laodicea, just as there is hope for all who are afflicted with spiritual apathy and in-difference. Our Lord has the divine remedy. The fact that the Lord speaks to this church shows that hope for the church exists if His people accept and follow His counsel .

Reflect on Jesus’ counsel in Revelation 3:18-19. What does Jesus mean when He talks about “gold refined in the fire,” being clothed in “white garments,” and our eyes being anointed with “eye salve”? (See also 1 Pet. 1:7, Zech. 3:1-5, Rev. 19:7-9, Eph. 4:30.)

“Jesus is going from door to door, standing in front of every soul-temple, proclaiming, ‘I stand at the door, and knock.’ As a heavenly merchantman, he opens his treasures, and cries, ‘Buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.’ The gold he offers is without alloy, more precious than that of Ophir; for it is faith and love.

“The white raiment he invites the soul to wear is his own robes of righteousness, and the oil for anointing is the oil of his grace, which will give spiritual eyesight to the soul in blindness and darkness, that he may distinguish between the workings of the Spirit of God and the spirit of the enemy. Open your doors, says the great Merchantman, the possessor of spiritual riches, and transact your business with me. It is I, your Redeemer, who counsels you to buy of me.”-Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Aug. 7, 1894.

Ellen G. White quotes Revelation 3:20, saying of Jesus, “‘I stand at the door, and knock.’” Jesus knocks; He doesn’t break down the door and force His way in. What this means is that, in the end, regardless of what God is willing to do for us, we must make the choice to let Him in. Ask yourself, “How resistant am I to opening the door to Him?” If you are resistant, ask yourself, “Why?” What is holding you back? What sin, what indulgence, don’t you want to let go of, or what is it that you find so hard to let go of?

THURSDAY July 4

A Relentless Love

Compare Revelation 3:20 to Song of Solomon 5:2-5. What similarities do you find in both instances? What do these passages reveal about God’s love?

The evening meal in the Middle East was and still is extremely important. When the work of the day was over and the men returned from the fields for the evening meal, the entire family gathered around the table. In most instances the extended family lived together. The number at the evening meal often would be quite large. Grandfather and grandmother, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, nephews and cousins, adults and children might be present. In this grand reunion after a hard day’s work, stories were told, experiences shared, and counsel given. It was a time of fellowship. It was a time of warmth and family intimacy. Jesus longs to have fellowship like this with us, as well.

How does Christ’s promise in Revelation 3:21 reveal His heartfelt desire for each one of us?

The book of Revelation mentions God’s throne more than 40 times. This is more than any other book of the Bible. At God’s throne, we join in with the heavenly chorus and joyously proclaim: “ ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing’ ” (Rev. 5:12, NKJV). He promises that we can participate in this grand festive scene of rejoicing once the long saga of sin ends.

Christ uses His greatest motivation for His indifferent end-time people. The greatest motivation to wake us from spiritual slumber is Jesus’ endless love, for He longs to spend all eternity with us. If that is not enough to shake us out of our spiritual apathy, what is? If that is not enough to bring us to our knees, seeking revival, what will?

His love has provided eternity for us. We have royal blood running through our veins. We are sons and daughters of the King of the universe. We can reign with Him, seated upon His throne forever.

Christ longs to be in fellowship with you. How much do you want to be in fellowship with Him? The answer is simple. How much time do you spend in prayer and fellowship with the Lord? What does your answer tell you about yourself and, perhaps, just how lukewarm you might be?

FRIDAY July 5

Further Study: “A revival and a reformation must take place under the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Revival and reformation are two different things. Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from the spiritual death. Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices. Reformation will not bring forth the good fruit of righteousness unless it is connected with the revival of the Spirit. Revival and reformation are to do their appointed work, and in doing this work they must blend.”-Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Feb. 25, 1902.

“The counsel of the True Witness is full of encouragement and comfort. The churches may yet obtain the gold of truth, faith, and love, and be rich in heavenly treasure. ‘Buy of me gold that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.’ The white raiment is the righteousness of Christ that may be wrought into the character. Purity of heart, purity of motive, will characterize everyone who is washing his robe, and making it white in the blood of the Lamb.”-Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, July 24, 1888.

Discussion Questions:

What is so dangerous about being lukewarm? Why can it lead us so easily to spiritual self-deception?
Why do some Christians seem so radiant and others so indifferent? Is it a matter of different personality types, or is there something deeper? If so, what?
Discuss with your class ways in which to avoid becoming spiritually indifferent. How can we keep our spiritual experience vibrant and growing? What are things that we can do as a church body, as a whole, to protect ourselves from becoming “lukewarm”?
Why do you think God would rather have us “cold” than “lukewarm”? Why isn’t being lukewarm better than being flat-out cold? Hint: what’s more comfortable, being lukewarm or being cold?
Inside Story~ ESD : Azerbaijan

Ibrahim’s Question

Ibrahim, 9, lives in the country of Azerbaijan. Most people in Azerbaijan are religious, but they are not Christians. Ibrahim loves going with his mother to do missionary work. Often they take a minibus to a village near their home. Ibrahim likes to sit near the driver so they can talk. One day the driver asked Ibrahim some questions: “How many eyes do two birds have?”

“Four!” Ibrahim said. “Now I have a question for you. How many days did it take God to create the earth?” The driver didn’t know. “It took six days,” Ibrahim said. “If you want to know more about what God does, you should buy a book from my mom. It’s called Only Allah Gives Us Peace.”

Some people on the bus heard Ibrahim talking to the driver. One of them asked Ibrahim’s mother about the book Ibrahim had mentioned. She told them that the book is about people who are faithful to Allah [God]. “How can we get the book?” a man asked. Mother usually sold the book to help pay their bus fare, but she let Ibrahim give a copy to each of the people in the bus for free.

Ibrahim walked down the aisle giving one to each person. The people smiled and said, “sahg-ohl” (thank you).

As Ibrahim and his mother got off the bus, he noticed several passengers reading the book he’d given them. We’ve just arrived at the village, and already we’ve shared God’s Word with many people.

At school, every student takes part in a religion class. One day Ibrahim’s teacher read the story of Noah. Then she quizzed the students about the story. “What did God tell Noah to do?” she asked. Ibrahim raised his hand.

“God told Noah to build a boat,” he answered.

“Yes,” the teacher said. “And how long did it take to build the boat?”

“It took Noah 120 years to build the boat and warn the people about the flood.

Ibrahim answered confidently. “But no one chose to enter the boat except Noah and his family-eight people. So God sent the animals into the boat and closed the door. Then the flood came.”

“How do you know so much about this story?” the teacher asked Ibrahim.

“My mother and I read the sacred writings together,” Ibrahim said.

Prayer: The Heartbeat of Revival

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week’s Study: Acts 1:4, 8, 14; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; Matt. 18:19-20; 2 Cor. 10:3-5; Ps. 50:23.

Memory Text: “ ‘If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!’ ” (Matthew 7:11, NKJV).

God moves powerfully as His people pray. Alfred Lord Tennyson was certainly correct when he said, “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” The great revivals throughout Scripture were bathed in prayer. The Old Testament records the intercession of the patriarchs and prophets as they sought for revival. Moses, David, and Daniel petitioned the Almighty for power. The book of Acts reveals New Testament believers on their knees storming heaven, seeking the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ prayer life reveals a constant dependence on His heavenly Father. The gospels give us glimpses of the source of His spiritual power. It was on His knees alone with the Father that the Savior received His greatest strength.

“A revival need be expected only in answer to prayer.”-Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 121. During this week’s lesson, we will explore the role that prayer played in some of the great revivals in the Bible.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 13.

SUNDAY July 7

Prayer and Revival in Acts

The believers in Acts were filled with power from on high. The Holy Spirit was poured out in a marked way. Hearts were touched, lives changed. The gospel penetrated the most difficult places, and thousands were converted. In Acts 2, three thousand were added to the church (Acts 2:41). Acts 4:4 records that the number of men alone who believed “was about five thousand.” Even many of the religious leaders, who opposed Jesus during His lifetime, became “obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). The story of this phenomenal growth continues in Acts 9, which said that churches throughout “all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria” were “multiplied” (Acts 9:31, NKJV). By Acts 10 to 12 the gospel spanned cultural and geographical boundaries. The Roman centurion and the treasurer of the queen of Ethiopia were baptized. Acts 1 says that about one hundred and twenty believers met in the upper room (Acts 1:13, 15). The best estimates are that by the end of the first century there were at least one million Christians in the Roman Empire. This is remarkable growth by any standard.

What was the secret?

Look up the following texts. What was a major reason for the growth of the New Testament church? Acts 1:4, 8, 14; 2:42; 4:31, 33; 6:3-4.

Pastor R. A. Torrey was a powerful revival preacher in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He conducted revival meetings in Great Britain from 1903-1905 and throughout North America in 1906 and 1907. Lamenting the busyness of Christians, he stated, “We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little; many services but few conversions, much machinery but few results.”

Are you too busy to pray? Who can’t relate to that? How can you slow down enough to take the time you need to pray? Think about all the excuses that you have to put it off, the reasons that you give to do other things. In the end, what is it that you are losing by not spending time in prayer?

Jesus’ Prayer Life

Compare the following texts: Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, 9:18. What three specific things do these passages reveal about Jesus’ prayer life?

“Christ was continually receiving from the Father, that he might communicate to us. ‘The word which ye hear,’ he said, ‘is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.’ ‘The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.’ Not for himself, but for others, he lived and thought and prayed. From hours spent with God he came forth morning by morning, to bring the light of heaven to men. Daily he received a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit. In the early hours of the new day the Lord awakened him from his slumbers, and his soul and his lips were anointed with grace, that he might impart to others.”-Ellen G. White, The Review and Herald, Aug. 11, 1910.

Examine the passages below. Identify each of the things for which Jesus prayed. How do Jesus’ prayers reveal His most important concerns? What is the most distinctive component of each of Jesus’ prayers?

John 17:20-24

Luke 22:31-32

Matt. 26:36-44

Prayer was a vital part of Jesus’ life. It was His lifeline to the Father. Daily the Savior renewed His relationship with His Father through prayer. Jesus’ prayer life gave Him the courage and strength to face the temptations of the enemy. He came from these prayer sessions with a deepened commitment to do the Father’s will. They provided Him with a spiritual freshness and power. Describing one of Jesus’ times of prayer, Luke adds, “as He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening” (Luke 9:29, NKJV). Jesus experienced spiritual refreshing and a renewed experience with the Father each day through His prayer life.

Spend a few moments reflecting on some specific times that God powerfully answered your prayers. How can recalling and reflecting on these experiences deepen your prayer life today.

Praying Together

Although Jesus often spent time alone in prayer, there were multiple occasions when He encouraged His closest disciples to pray with Him. Peter, James, and John accompanied Jesus to the mount of transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-2). He urged them to unite with Him in praying in Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-46). There is unusual power in united prayer.

Carefully analyze Matthew 18:19-20. Summarize Jesus’ statement regarding united prayer?

“The promise is made on condition that the united prayers of God’s people are offered, and in answer to these prayers there may be expected a power greater than that which comes in answer to private prayer. The power given will be proportionate to the unity of the members and their love for God and for one another.”-Ellen G. White, The Central Advance, Feb. 25, 1903.

John Bunyan once commented, “You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.”

As we enter into earnest and heartfelt intercession, the Holy Spirit powerfully works in miraculous ways through our united prayers.

Read Acts 12:1-16. What was Peter’s situation? What was the attitude of the church? What does this passage tell us about the power of united prayer?

No question, in this case Peter had a miraculous deliverance. It was so intense that Peter wasn’t even sure it was real, and that he wasn’t in a vision. Only afterward, did he realize what had happened. It’s important to note that these texts stated twice that people were praying together. Considering the tough circumstances, it is no wonder. There is no question that we should do the same, especially when we face challenges as a community, such as they did there.

Our Freedom

Have you ever wondered why prayer is so vital? Why do we have to ask Him for the Holy Spirit? Isn’t He willing to give the Holy Spirit to us?

The answer to these questions lies in understanding God’s respect for our freedom of choice. He has created us with the ability to make moral choices. God is doing everything He can for us and through us before we pray, but He is limited by our choices (Ps. 78:41-42).

In prayer we freely acknowledge our total dependency upon God and give Him the freedom to intervene in our lives. The more we pray, the more we acknowledge His all sufficiency. When we pray, His Holy Spirit prepares our heart to receive more of Him. The more we pray, the more we allow the Holy Spirit to “crucify” our sinful desires. In the great controversy between good and evil, prayer enables God to work more powerfully in our lives.

Analyze 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. How would you define the expression, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God” (NKJV) ? What are these weapons? What kind of warfare is Paul talking about here, and why would he use that kind of imagery? How are we to understand the battle in which we are engaged?

As Seventh-day Adventists, we understand the reality of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. We know that it is real and that we all are involved in it. Left alone, we would be hopeless against Satan. Our only hope is our connection with Jesus, and central to that connection is our prayer life-a spiritual weapon for a spiritual battle, a weapon that none of us can do without. If Jesus needed to pray, how much more so do we?

“We, too, must have times set apart for meditation and prayer and for receiving spiritual refreshing. We do not value the power and efficacy of prayer as we should. Prayer and faith will do what no power on earth can accomplish.”-Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 509.

In what ways have you experienced in your own life the harsh reality of the great controversy between Christ and Satan? How has prayer aided you in this struggle? Where would you be without it?

Effective Prayer

There are many effective ways to pray. Some people have found it helpful to kneel before God with their Bibles open. Then they read a few verses and commune with God about what they are reading.

The Psalms are particularly inspirational as subject matter for prayer. Try meditating upon a particular psalm during your prayer times. Take one verse at a time. Read it aloud, and then talk to God about what the text is saying to you.

Others have found that their most meaningful prayer times are alone with God in some quiet natural setting. Still others have blended singing and prayer.

What do we learn about effective prayer from the following verses? Ps. 34:1, 50:23, 67:3, 71:6.

David’s prayers were filled with adoration or praise. When we meditate upon God’s goodness and matchless love, our hearts overflow with praise.

Read Daniel 9:8-13. What kind of prayer is this?

What feature does Paul add to an effective prayer life? Eph. 5:20.

What is the meaning of supplication in Ephesians 6:18 and Philippians 4:6, and why is this an important component of prayer?

Though we don’t want to give a formula for prayer, a broad outline could be as follows: we start with praise and adoration, thanking God for His goodness to us. We then confess our faults and shortcomings, and then thank God for His forgiveness. We conclude with supplications, making our requests known to Him, all the while seeking an attitude of submission and trust in His divine power.

Has your prayer life not been what it should or could be? What do you need to do differently? Why not make a more concentrated effort to spend more time in prayer? It can change your life.

Further Study: "Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of your head is not indifferent to the wants of His children. ‘The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.’ James 5:11. His heart of love is touched by our sorrows and even by our utterances of them. Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of His children, no anxiety harass the soul, no joy cheer, no sincere prayer escape the lips, of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest. ‘He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.’ Psalm 147:3. The relations between God and each soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon the earth to share His watch care, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved Son.”-Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 100.
Discussion Questions:

Why do we need to pray if God knows everything? Though many answers can be given, perhaps the most important one is that we have been told, time and again in the Bible, to pray. Even if we don’t understand how it works, those who pray effectively know that it does work. You might take a medicine that helps to bring healing to your body, even though you don’t know how that medication works. It’s the same with prayer. What other reasons can you give for the importance of prayer, especially as we seek revival and reformation?
Read over prayerfully the Ellen G. White quote found in Friday’s Further Study. Look at all the encouragement that is found in there, especially in the last line that addresses the relationship between God and the praying supplicant. What can you do, what choices can you make, to enter into the kind of close communion with the Lord that is described here?
In class, talk about the reality of the great controversy, and how it’s being manifested in your own church community. Talk about how praying together can help you all work through whatever challenges you are facing.
Inside Story~ West Africa Division : Republic of Congo

Show Me Your Church, Part 1

Roger’s stomach tightened as he waited to see the director of his school. I will stay true to God, no matter what this man decides.

Roger was in his final year of secondary school. Soon he would take the national exams that would grant-or deny-him the right to pursue higher education. Roger had taken the exams before, but when one of the exams fell on Sabbath, he had chosen to honor God rather than take the exam. He had accepted the failing grade as a price he could pay for his faithfulness to God. He planned to try again the next year, but civil unrest in Central African Republic forced his family to flee to the Republic of the Congo. He now faced the same problem in a foreign country.

On the first day of classes in his new school, Roger had gone to the school’s director to explain his religious beliefs and ask to be excused from school functions on Sabbath, a regular school day. The director had been polite, but his response was simply “We’ll see how it goes.” Roger could only hope-and pray-that the man would honor his request.

When Roger looked at his class schedule, he saw that nearly every exam was scheduled for a Sabbath. Roger asked the teachers to give him his exam on another day. Some did, but others refused.

“You are just one student among so many,” the director told him. “I am a Christian too. “Show me where God says that we must not work on Saturday.”

Roger opened his Bible to Exodus 20 and began reading the Sabbath commandment.

“I didn’t know that,” the director said thoughtfully. “Why don’t you worship your God in the morning, and come to school after lunch?” It seemed like such a reasonable request.

Patiently Roger explained the Sabbath, which began at sunset on Friday. He read Bible texts to support his explanation.

The director thought for a moment, and then said, “Show me your church.”

Roger sat back. How can I show him my church? he thought. In all of the Congo we have not one church.

Before Roger could answer, the director made another request. “Can you bring me your church pastor?” Roger smiled. He could bring a pastor.

Roger Wazoua is preparing to be a pastor in Africa.

The Word: The Foundation of Revival

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week’s Study: Ps. 119:50, 74, 116; Heb. 4:12; 11:3; John 5:39; Heb. 4:1-2; Acts 20:27-32.

Memory Text: “Plead my cause and redeem me; revive me according to Your word” (Psalm 119:154, NKJV).

Just as serious Bible study spawned past revival movements, we believe that it will happen again in the last days. The Holy Spirit will move upon a generation of committed Adventist Christians who have discovered His will in His Word and are passionate about proclaiming it to the world.

They will have found grace and strength and hope in His Word; they will have come face to face with the matchless charms of Christ in His Word. Thus, God will honor their commitment by pouring out His Holy Spirit in abundance, and the whole world will be lightened with the glory of the three angels’ messages. The Holy Spirit will be poured out beyond measure, and the gospel will be carried to the ends of the earth and Jesus Christ will return (Matt. 24:14).

In this week’s lesson we will study the role of the Bible in revival and how God’s Word can make a life- changing difference in us if we surrender ourselves in faith and obedience to its precepts and truths.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 20.

Psalm 119:50
New International Version (NIV)
50 My comfort in my suffering is this:
Your promise preserves my life.

Psalm 119:74
New International Version (NIV)
74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
for I have put my hope in your word.

Psalm 119:116
New International Version (NIV)
116 Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live;
do not let my hopes be dashed.


Hebrews 4:12
New International Version (NIV)
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.


Hebrews 11:3
New International Version (NIV)
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

John 5:39
New International Version (NIV)
39 You study[a] the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,

Footnotes:

John 5:39 Or 39 Study

Hebrews 4:1-2
New International Version (NIV)
A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God

4 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.[a]

Footnotes:

Hebrews 4:2 Some manuscripts because those who heard did not combine it with faith


Acts 20:27-32
New International Version (NIV)
27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,[a] which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Revived Through the Word

Look up each of the verses below. On the first line write the plea. On the second line write the circumstance that led David to make the plea.

Ps. 119:25 (Plea)

(Circumstance)

Ps. 119:107 (Plea)

(Circumstance)

Ps. 119:153-154 (Plea)

(Circumstance)

In the Psalms, David talks about the blessings of the Word in his own spiritual life. Read the following verses from Psalm 119 and choose a word from each verse that best summarizes the blessings that the psalmist discovered in that Word. (Ps. 119:50, 74, 116, 130, 160, 169-170).

David found courage and strength in God’s Word. He discovered hope and divine guidance in God’s Word. The Word of God brought light to his darkened mind (Ps. 119:130). It nourished his famished heart and quenched his thirsty soul (Ps. 119:81). When Saul threatened to kill him, he clung to God’s promise of deliverance (Ps. 34:4). Plagued with guilt after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba, he clung to God’s promise of forgiveness (Ps. 32:1-2). Perplexed regarding the future, he clung to God’s promise of guidance (Ps. 32:8). David jubilantly exclaimed, “For Your word has given me life” (Ps. 119:50, NKJV). The foundation of revival is all about finding new life in God’s Word.

How can you learn to draw hope, strength, assurance, and light from the Word of God? That is, how can you have a deeper experience with the Lord through coming to know Him as He is revealed in the Bible?

The Word’s Creative Power

Read Hebrews 4:12. The passage states that God’s Word is living, powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword piercing our inmost being. How is God’s Word alive? What does that mean?

In what way is God’s Word different than the intelligent counsel of any other wise teacher, pastor, or counselor? What do the following texts say about the power of God’s Word? Ps. 33:6, 9; Heb. 11:3; 2 Tim. 3:16-17.

There is value in wise human counsel. We have all been helped by the advice of others. The problem is that human counsel does not carry with it the power to accomplish the kind of change that God’s Word can. God’s Word is a living, dynamic, powerful agent of change. The same power that was in God’s spoken word at Creation is in the Written Word of God. Accepting God’s commands and promises by faith, we receive the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish that which Christ commands.

“The creative energy that called the worlds into existence is in the word of God. This word imparts power; it begets life. Every command is a promise; accepted by the will, received into the soul, it brings with it the life of the Infinite One. It transforms the nature, and re-creates the soul in the image of God.”-Ellen G. White, Education, p. 126.

A casual reading of God’s Word very seldom produces spiritual revival. Studying the Bible to prove one’s own position, or to convince someone else of his or her mistakes, does very little good for our own spiritual life. Change comes when we prayerfully read God’s Word, asking the Holy Spirit to give us the power to be more like Jesus. Real transformation takes place when we ask the God of creation to recreate us in His image. Change comes when Jesus’ teachings in Scripture become part of our lives, and we live “ ‘by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’ ” (Matt. 4:4).

In what ways has the power of God’s Word changed your life? In which areas do you need to see more of that change?




Monday – The Word’s Creative Power
Hebrews 4:12 Bible in Basic English For the word of God is living and full of power, and is sharper than any two-edged sword, cutting through and making a division even of the soul and the spirit, the bones and the muscles, and quick to see the thoughts and purposes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 COMMENTARY BY WILLIAM BURKITT There is a piercing power in the word of God, through the energy and efficacious operation of the Godly Spirit; it is here compared to a sword, because it does divide things most nearly united, and discover things most inward and secret, or rather God by the word doth this; he by the word pierces, even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit; that is, the actings of the understanding, and the motions of the will and affections it cuts asunder the most resolute and compacted purposes of the will: yea, it pierces to the marrow, that is, the most secret and close contrivances of the soul, the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Psalm 33:6, 9 Holman Christian Standard Bible 6 “The heavens were made by the word of the LORD, and all the stars, by the breath of His mouth. 9 “For He spoke, and it came into being; He commanded, and it came into existence.”
Hebrews 11:3 Common English Bible By faith we understand that the universe has been created by a word from God so that the visible came into existence from the invisible.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 God’s Word Translation 16 Every Scripture passage is inspired by God. All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God's approval. 17 They equip God's servants so that they are completely prepared to do good things.
2 Timothy 3:17 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES The object is not merely to convince and to convert him; it is to furnish all the instruction needful for his entire perfection. The idea here is, not that any one is absolutely perfect, but that the Scriptures have laid down the way which leads to perfection, and that if any one were perfect, he would find in the Scriptures all the instruction which he needed in those circumstances. There is no deficiency in the Bible for man, in any of the situations in which he may be placed in life.

Jesus and the Word

How are the functions of the Word of God and the Spirit of God similar? Read John 5:39; 16:14-15.

The Word of God bears witness of Jesus. The Holy Spirit also bears witness of Jesus. The Spirit leads us to a deeper experience with Jesus through His Word. The purpose of the Holy Spirit in revival is not primarily to manifest Himself through supernatural signs and wonders but to exalt Jesus through His Word. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not about our power to accomplish great miracles. It is about God’s power to transform our lives-and that’s what revival and reformation are all about.

The Word of God provides the foundation or the basis for all genuine revival. Our experience flows out of an understanding of God’s Word. Our praise and worship spring from minds saturated with the Word. A transformed life is the greatest testimony of true revival.

Positive feelings of praise may accompany revival, but they are never the basis for revival. Any so called “revival” based solely on external feelings or experience is shallow at best, deceptive at worst. It is an illusion of spirituality, not genuine godliness. When revival is rooted in the Word of God, it is an experience that lasts and makes a difference in our lives and in the lives of the people around us.

The story of Jesus’ appearance to the two disciples on the Emmaus road reveals the role that the Bible plays in initiating true revival. These followers of Christ were filled with confusion. Gradually, however, He “expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 4:27, NKJV). He repeated the Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah. Jesus could have worked a miracle to prove His identity or showed the scars in His hands. He did not. Instead, He gave them a Bible study.

Notice their response as they reflected on what happened that day. “And they said to one another, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’ ” (Luke 24:32, NKJV).

What an example of genuine revival!http://bcove.me/83y98skl

Why can’t we trust our feelings? How can our feelings deceive us? What role do feelings have in our walk with the Lord, and what role do they not have?

Revival, Faith, and the Word

Speaking of the time just before His return, Jesus said, “‘Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?’ ”(Luke 18:8, NKJV). Evidently, faith will be in short supply in the last days.

How might we define biblical faith? Is faith believing that God will give us anything we want? Is faith centered in our desires? Is faith about asking God for what we want and believing we will receive it if we only believe hard enough?

We should know the answers to those rhetorical questions, shouldn’t we?

Faith, true faith, is always focused on God’s will, not on our wishes. It is trusting in God, believing in His promises, and acting on His Word. Our faith grows as we listen to God’s Word and put it into practice (Rom. 10:17; James 2:17-18). Opening our minds to the teachings of God’s Word builds faith; and doing what God says-even if it is contrary to our personal desires-prepares us to receive the fullness of the Spirit’s power.

Why do some people receive little benefit from reading the Bible? Heb. 4:1-2.

Our spiritual experience is revived when we accept and claim God’s Word by faith. There is little benefit derived from hastily reading the Bible out of a sense of obligation or duty. We are changed as we internalize what we read, and allow the teachings of the Bible to mold our thoughts and our lives.

Compare the faith of the Roman centurion, the paralytic at Bethesda, and the disciples on the stormy Sea of Galilee (Matt. 8:8-10, John 5:6-9, Matt. 14:29-33). What can we learn from each account?

Faith does not grow merely by reading or listening to God’s Word. It comes as we claim His promises as our own and when we believe that what He said applies to us personally. God has given each one of us a measure of faith. It is one of heaven’s gifts (Rom. 12:3). When we exercise the faith that He has already placed in our hearts, that faith cannot help but grow.

The Word: Revival’s Guardian and Safeguard

The Holy Spirit mightily moved through the teaching and preaching of the apostle Paul as he established the Christian church in Ephesus. Ephesus was a city of approximately two hundred fifty thousand people. It was considered the market place of Asia. As ships brought their wares from throughout Asia, people flocked to Ephesus to buy fine silk, rare jewels, flavorful spices, hand-woven carpets, exquisite art objects, and exotic foods. It was also the center for the worship of the goddess Diana and the future home of the famed Celsus Library, with 12,000 volumes. The city had a magnificent amphitheater seating fifteen thousand people. It was used for massive concerts and theatrical productions. Sexual promiscuity was commonplace. If there ever was an unlikely place for Christianity to take root, grow and flourish-it was Ephesus.

Read Acts 20:27-32. What was Paul’s concern for the believers at Ephesus? What was his counsel to the church members in Ephesus? What role did he give to the Word of God?

Read 1 Peter 1:22-23; James 1:21-22; 1 John 2:14. Summarize the teachings of Peter, James, and John regarding the importance of the Bible in the life of each Christian? Especially notice the disciples’ teaching regarding the impact of the Bible in our spiritual lives.

What similarities do you see in all of the above texts regarding the role of the Word of God? Why, then, must the Word of God be central to spiritual revival, both on a personal and on a corporate level?