Bible Study Guides

Bible Study Guides – The Fifth and Sixth Seals

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June 15, 2014 – June 21, 2014

Key Text

“The great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Revelation 6:17.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 304–308, 333, 334, 640–646.

Introduction

“The righteous cry with trembling: ‘Who shall be able to stand?’ (Revelation 6:17). The angels’ song is hushed, and there is a period of awful silence. Then the voice of Jesus is heard, saying: ‘My grace is sufficient for you’ (II Corinthians 12:9 RSV). The faces of the righteous are lighted up, and joy fills every heart.” God’s Amazing Grace, 356.

1 THE ALTAR ON EARTH

  • When the fifth seal was opened, what was seen? Revelation 6:9.
  • Where is the altar of sacrifice in the gospel dispensation—in heaven or on earth? John 19:16, 17; Hebrews 13:10–13. Where were millions of Christian martyrs sacrificed? Matthew 24:21, 22; Revelation 12:11.

Note: “Persecution opened upon the faithful with greater fury than ever before, and the world became a vast battlefield.” The Great Controversy, 54, 55.

  • Which is the only altar in heaven, and what is offered on that altar? Revelation 8:2–4.

2 LIKE THE BLOOD OF ABEL

  • What were the souls under the altar doing? Revelation 6:10. In what sense can dead people cry? Genesis 4:9, 10; Hebrews 11:4.

Note: “As the blood of Abel cried from the ground, there are voices also crying to God from martyrs’ graves, from the sepulchers of the sea, from mountain caverns, from convent vaults: ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth’ (Revelation 6:10)?” Testimonies, vol. 5, 451.

“Satan and his angels controlled the minds of evil men, while unseen in the midst stood an angel of God, taking the fearful record of their iniquitous decrees and writing the history of deeds too horrible to appear to human eyes. ‘Babylon the great’ was ‘drunken with the blood of the saints’ (Revelation 17:5, 6). The mangled forms of millions of martyrs cried to God for vengeance upon that apostate power.” The Great Controversy, 59, 60.

  • Why were white robes given to these martyrs? Revelation 6:11, first part.

Note: “ ‘[Revelation 6:9, 10 quoted.] And white robes were given unto every one of them [they were pronounced pure and holy]’ (verse 11, first part).” Manuscript Releases, vol. 20, 198.

“God permits the wicked to prosper and to reveal their enmity against Him, that when they shall have filled up the measure of their iniquity all may see His justice and mercy in their utter destruction. The day of His vengeance hastens, when all who have transgressed His law and oppressed His people will meet the just recompense of their deeds; when every act of cruelty or injustice toward God’s faithful ones will be punished as though done to Christ Himself.” The Great Controversy, 48.

“Christ is acquainted with all that is misunderstood and misrepresented by men. His children can afford to wait in calm patience and trust, no matter how much maligned and despised; for nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest, and those who honor God shall be honored by Him in the presence of men and angels.” Sons and Daughters of God, 308.

3 THE SIXTH SEAL

  • What events take place at the opening of the sixth seal? Revelation 6:12. How are the next two events similar to that of Christ’s prophecy given on the Mount of Olives? Matthew 24:29, 30.

Note: “Prophecy not only foretells the manner and object of Christ’s coming, but presents tokens by which men are to know when it is near. Said Jesus: ‘There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars’ (Luke 21:25). ‘The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory’ (Mark 13:24–26). The revelator thus describes the first of the signs to precede the second advent: [Revelation 6:12 quoted].

“These signs were witnessed before the opening of the nineteenth century. In fulfillment of this prophecy there occurred, in the year 1755, the most terrible earthquake that has ever been recorded.” The Great Controversy, 304.

“ ‘Almost, if not altogether alone, as the most mysterious and as yet unexplained phenomenon of its kind, … stands the dark day of May 19, 1780—a most unaccountable darkening of the whole visible heavens and atmosphere in New England.’—R. M. Devens, Our First Century, 89.” Ibid., 306.

  • How did Christ explain the time in which these signs were to be fulfilled? Matthew 24:29, first part.

Note: “What rendered this [dark day of May 19, 1780] more striking was the fact that the time of its fulfillment had been definitely pointed out. In the Saviour’s conversation with His disciples upon Olivet, after describing the long period of trial for the church—the 1260 years of papal persecution, concerning which He had promised that the tribulation should be shortened—He thus mentioned certain events to precede His coming, and fixed the time when the first of these should be witnessed: ‘In those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light’ (Mark 13:24). The 1260 days, or years, terminated in 1798. A quarter of a century earlier, persecution had almost wholly ceased.” The Great Controversy, 306.

4 THE HEAVENS IN COMMOTION

  • How was the prophecy of the stars falling from heaven fulfilled? Revelation 6:13; Matthew 24:29, third part.

Note: “This prophecy [of the last of the signs] received a striking and impressive fulfillment in the great meteoric shower of November 13, 1833. That was the most extensive and wonderful display of falling stars which has ever been recorded; ‘the whole firmament, over all the United States, being then, for hours, in fiery commotion!’ …

“ ‘No language, indeed, can come up to the splendor of that magnificent display; … no one who did not witness it can form an adequate conception of its glory. It seemed as if the whole starry heavens had congregated at one point near the zenith, and were simultaneously shooting forth, with the velocity of lightning, to every part of the horizon; and yet they were not exhausted—thousands swiftly followed in the tracks of thousands, as if created for the occasion’—F. Reed, in the Christian Advocate and Journal, Dec. 13, 1833. ‘A more correct picture of a fig tree casting its figs when blown by a mighty wind, it was not possible to behold’—‘The Old Countryman,’ in Portland Evening Advertiser, November 26, 1833.” The Great Controversy, 333, 334.

  • Whom did the Lord then call to warn people in the United States about the nearness of Christ’s return? What was the result of his work?

Note: “As Elisha was called from following his oxen in the field, to receive the mantle of consecration to the prophetic office, so was William Miller called to leave his plow and open to the people the mysteries of the kingdom of God. With trembling he entered upon his work, leading his hearers down, step by step, through the prophetic periods to the second appearing of Christ.” The Great Controversy, 331.

“Many who did not accept his views as to the exact time of the second advent were convinced of the certainty and nearness of Christ’s coming and their need of preparation. In some of the large cities his work produced a marked impression. Liquor dealers abandoned the traffic and turned their shops into meeting rooms; gambling dens were broken up; infidels, deists, Universalists, and even the most abandoned profligates were reformed, some of whom had not entered a house of worship for years. Prayer meetings were established by the various denominations, in different quarters, at almost every hour, businessmen assembling at midday for prayer and praise. There was no extravagant excitement, but an almost universal solemnity on the minds of the people.” Ibid., 332.

5 SIGNS IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD

  • With what opposition did the work of William Miller meet? II Peter 3:3, 4.

Note: “It was made to appear a sin, something of which men should be ashamed, to study the prophecies which relate to the coming of Christ and the end of the world. …

“While drawing crowded houses of intelligent and attentive hearers, Miller’s name was seldom mentioned by the religious press except by way of ridicule or denunciation.” The Great Controversy, 336.

  • How is the increasing decadence of nominal Christianity described in the end-time prophecies? Matthew 24:12; Luke 18:8, last part; II Timothy 3:1–5.

Note: “Thousands who pride themselves upon their wisdom and independence regard it as an evidence of weakness to place implicit confidence in the Bible; they think it a proof of superior talent and learning to cavil at the Scriptures and to spiritualize and explain away their most important truths.” The Great Controversy, 583.

  • How are the very few faithful ones—the true followers of Christ—distinguished from the rest of the world? Matthew 24:13; Luke 21:34–36; Revelation 3:11, 18, 19.

Note: “We need to repent constantly, that we may be constantly victorious.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 959.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Where—in heaven or on earth—is the altar seen by John at the opening of the fifth seal? In what sense can dead saints cry?

2 What shows that the dead saints are in the grave and that their crying is symbolic?

3 What events take place at the opening of the sixth seal? What happened in 1755, 1780, and 1833?

4 Describe the professed Christian world of today.

5 How can genuine Christians be distinguished from nominal Christians?

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – The Opening of the Seals

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June 8, 2014 – June 14, 2014

Key Text

“I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.” Revelation 5:1.

Study Help: The Acts of the Apostles, 578–589.

Introduction

“Oh, that all could behold our precious Saviour as He is, a Saviour. Let His hand draw aside the veil which conceals His glory from our eyes.” [Emphasis author’s.] “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 967.

1 A PURE ARMY

  • What was seen when the first seal was opened? Revelation 6:1, 2. What does white symbolize in Scripture? Revelation 3:4, 5; 19:8; Isaiah 1:18.
  • Describe the early Christian church and her spiritual conquests. How did persecution gain advantages for the gospel? Acts 8:4; Colossians 1:23.

Note: “In the days of the apostles the Christian believers were filled with earnestness and enthusiasm. So untiringly did they labor for their Master that in a comparatively short time, notwithstanding fierce opposition, the gospel of the kingdom was sounded to all the inhabited parts of the earth. The zeal manifested at this time by the followers of Jesus has been recorded by the pen of inspiration for the encouragement of believers in every age.” The Acts of the Apostles, 578.

“If primitive Christianity could enter the hearts of all who claim to believe the truth, it would bring to them new life and power. The people who are in darkness would then see the contrast between truth and error, between the teachings of God’s word and the fables of superstition.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 580.

2 TRIUMPHS OF THE FIRST CENTURY

  • In what sense were the early Christians a peculiar people? Revelation 2:1, 3.

Note: “The early Christians were indeed a peculiar people. Their blameless deportment and unswerving faith were a continual reproof that disturbed the sinner’s peace. Though few in numbers, without wealth, position, or honorary titles, they were a terror to evildoers wherever their character and doctrines were known.” The Great Controversy, 46.

“The members of the church were united in sentiment and action. Love for Christ was the golden chain that bound them together. They followed on to know the Lord more and still more perfectly, and in their lives were revealed the joy and peace of Christ. They visited the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and kept themselves unspotted from the world, realizing that a failure to do this would be a contradiction of their profession and a denial of their Redeemer.

“In every city the work was carried forward. Souls were converted, who in their turn felt that they must tell of the inestimable treasure they had received. They could not rest till the light which had illumined their minds was shining upon others.” The Acts of the Apostles, 579.

  • How did the early church deal with unfaithful leaders? Revelation 2:2 (compare Acts 20:28–30). Yet sadly, toward the end of the first century, why did the church lose her primitive godliness? Revelation 2:4, 5.

Note: “After a time the zeal of the believers began to wane, and their love for God and for one another grew less. Coldness crept into the church. Some forgot the wonderful manner in which they had received the truth. One by one the old standard-bearers fell at their post. Some of the younger workers, who might have shared the burdens of these pioneers, and thus have been prepared for wise leadership, had become weary of oft-repeated truths. In their desire for something novel and startling they attempted to introduce new phases of doctrine, more pleasing to many minds, but not in harmony with the fundamental principles of the gospel. In their self-confidence and spiritual blindness they failed to discern that these sophistries would cause many to question the experiences of the past, and would thus lead to confusion and unbelief.” The Acts of the Apostles, 580.

3 FIERCE PERSECUTION

  • What was seen when the second seal was opened? Revelation 6:3, 4. What does red stand for? II Kings 3:19–23.

Note: “Great numbers sealed their testimony with their blood. Noble and slave, rich and poor, learned and ignorant, were alike slain without mercy.

“These persecutions, beginning under Nero about the time of the martyrdom of Paul, continued with greater or less fury for centuries. Christians were falsely accused of the most dreadful crimes and declared to be the cause of great calamities—famine, pestilence, and earthquake. As they became the objects of popular hatred and suspicion, informers stood ready, for the sake of gain, to betray the innocent. They were condemned as rebels against the empire, as foes of religion, and pests to society. Great numbers were thrown to wild beasts or burned alive in the amphitheaters.” The Great Controversy, 40.

“Under the fiercest persecution these witnesses for Jesus kept their faith unsullied. Though deprived of every comfort, shut away from the light of the sun, making their home in the dark but friendly bosom of the earth, they uttered no complaint. With words of faith, patience, and hope they encouraged one another to endure privation and distress. The loss of every earthly blessing could not force them to renounce their belief in Christ. Trials and persecution were but steps bringing them nearer their rest and their reward.” Ibid., 41.

  • Why can it be said that “by defeat they conquered” (The Great Controversy, 41)? Revelation 7:14, 17.

Note: “Thousands were imprisoned and slain, but others sprang up to fill their places. And those who were martyred for their faith were secured to Christ and accounted of Him as conquerors. They had fought the good fight, and they were to receive the crown of glory when Christ should come. The sufferings which they endured brought Christians nearer to one another and to their Redeemer. Their living example and dying testimony were a constant witness for the truth; and where least expected, the subjects of Satan were leaving his service and enlisting under the banner of Christ.” The Great Controversy, 42.

4 ENCROACHING APOSTASY

  • What change was taking place under the third seal, at the beginning of the fourth century? Revelation 6:5, 6.

Note: “Satan … laid his plans to war more successfully against the government of God by planting his banner in the Christian church. If the followers of Christ could be deceived and led to displease God, then their strength, fortitude, and firmness would fail, and they would fall an easy prey.

“The great adversary now endeavored to gain by artifice what he had failed to secure by force. Persecution ceased, and in its stead were substituted the dangerous allurements of temporal prosperity and worldly honor. Idolaters were led to receive a part of the Christian faith, while they rejected other essential truths. They professed to accept Jesus as the Son of God and to believe in His death and resurrection, but they had no conviction of sin and felt no need of repentance or of a change of heart. With some concessions on their part they proposed that Christians should make concessions, that all might unite on the platform of belief in Christ. …

“Most of the Christians at last consented to lower their standard, and a union was formed between Christianity and paganism. Although the worshipers of idols professed to be converted, and united with the church, they still clung to their idolatry, only changing the objects of their worship to images of Jesus, and even of Mary and the saints. … As the followers of Christ united with idolaters, the Christian religion became corrupted, and the church lost her purity and power.” The Great Controversy, 42, 43.

  • How was the apostasy predicted by the apostle Paul? II Thessalonians 2:7–9.

Note: “As persecution ceased, and Christianity entered the courts and palaces of kings, she laid aside the humble simplicity of Christ and His apostles for the pomp and pride of pagan priests and rulers; and in place of the requirements of God, she substituted human theories and traditions.” The Great Controversy, 49.

5 CONTROL THROUGH INTENSE PERSECUTION

  • What was seen under the fourth seal? What was the name of the fourth rider? Revelation 6:7, 8. How was papal Rome gaining political control in the sixth century?

Note: “ ‘The noon of the papacy was the midnight of the world’—J. A. Wylie, The History of Protestantism, b. 1, ch. 4. The Holy Scriptures were almost unknown, not only to the people, but to the priests. Like the Pharisees of old, the papal leaders hated the light which would reveal their sins. God’s law, the standard of righteousness, having been removed, they exercised power without limit, and practiced vice without restraint. Fraud, avarice, and profligacy prevailed. Men shrank from no crime by which they could gain wealth or position. The palaces of popes and prelates were scenes of the vilest debauchery. Some of the reigning pontiffs were guilty of crimes so revolting that secular rulers endeavored to depose these dignitaries of the church as monsters too vile to be tolerated. For centuries Europe had made no progress in learning, arts, or civilization. A moral and intellectual paralysis had fallen upon Christendom.” The Great Controversy, 60.

  • What actions of the papacy fulfilled these verses: Matthew 24:21, 22; Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:7; 17:6?

Note: “No other power could be so truly declared ‘drunken with the blood of the saints’ (Revelation 17:6) as that church which has so cruelly persecuted the followers of Christ.” The Great Controversy, 382.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 What is symbolized by a white horse?

2 Since the church is considered an army, and since we are in a spiritual war, describe the victorious experience of the early Christians.

3 How is apostasy seen during the second seal?

4 During the third seal, what further lowering of standards occurred?

5 Why is pale the color of the fourth horse, and how did the papacy try to control the people’s conscience?

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – The Sealed Scroll

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June 1, 2014 – June 7, 2014

The Lord Has Spoken

Key Text

“One of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” Revelation 5:5.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 646–652.

Introduction

“The fifth chapter of Revelation needs to be closely studied. It is of great importance to those who shall act a part in the work of God for these last days. There are some who are deceived. They do not realize what is coming on the earth.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 267.

1 THE SEALED BOOK

  • John the apostle, while in vision, saw God the Father holding a sealed book. Revelation 5:1–3. What are the contents of that book?

Note: “There in His [God’s] open hand lay the book, the roll of the history of God’s providences, the prophetic history of nations and the church. Herein was contained the divine utterances, His authority, His commandments, His laws, the whole symbolic counsel of the Eternal, and the history of all ruling powers in the nations.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, 7.

  • Why are we unable to open the sealed book? Deuteronomy 29:29. How did the prophet react when none was found to open it? Revelation 5:4. What help must we receive from God before we can understand what He wants to reveal to us? John 16:12, 13; I Corinthians 2:12–16.

Note: “As we contemplate the great things of God’s word, we look into a fountain that broadens and deepens beneath our gaze. Its breadth and depth pass our knowledge.” Education, 171.

2 THE SEALED BOOK IS OPENED

  • What does God want us to study—especially today? Revelation 1:1–3.

Note: “Let us give more time to the study of the Bible. We do not understand the word as we should. The book of Revelation opens with an injunction to us to understand the instruction that it contains. … When we as a people understand what this book means to us, there will be seen among us a great revival. We do not understand fully the lessons that it teaches, notwithstanding the injunction given us to search and study it. …

“The veil whose apparent mystery has kept many from lifting it, God’s own hand has withdrawn from these portions of His word. The very name ‘Revelation’ contradicts the statement that it is a sealed book. ‘Revelation’ means that something of importance is revealed. The truths of this book are addressed to those living in these last days. We are standing with the veil removed in the holy place of sacred things. We are not to stand without. We are to enter, not with careless, irreverent thoughts, not with impetuous footsteps, but with reverence and godly fear. We are nearing the time when the prophecies of the book of Revelation are to be fulfilled.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 113.

  • Study alone does not guarantee our salvation. What attitude and experience do we need in order to be on that sea of glass for eternity? Revelation 1:3; Matthew 7:21–27; John 15:1–5.

Note: “What part will you act in the closing scenes of this world’s history? Are you awake to these solemn realities? Do you realize the grand work of preparation that is going on in heaven and on earth? Let all who have received the light, who have had the opportunity of reading and hearing the prophecy, take heed to those things that are written therein; ‘for the time is at hand’ (Revelation 22:10). Let none now tamper with sin, the source of every misery in our world. No longer remain in lethargy and stupid indifference. Let not the destiny of your soul hang upon an uncertainty. Know that you are fully on the Lord’s side. Let the inquiry go forth from sincere hearts and trembling lips, ‘Who shall be able to stand’ (Revelation 6:17)? Have you, in these last precious hours of probation, been putting the very best material into your character building? Have you been purifying your souls from every stain? Have you followed the light? Have you works corresponding to your profession of faith?” Testimonies, vol. 6, 404, 405.

3 THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH

  • Who “hath prevailed to open the book”? Revelation 5:5–7. What two characters are combined in the “Root of David”? And how (or under what circumstances) are these two characters manifested?

Note: “The Saviour is presented before John under the symbols of ‘the Lion of the tribe of Judah’ and of ‘a Lamb as it had been slain’ (Revelation 5:5, 6). These symbols represent the union of omnipotent power and self-sacrificing love. The Lion of Judah, so terrible to the rejecters of His grace, will be the Lamb of God to the obedient and faithful. The pillar of fire that speaks terror and wrath to the transgressor of God’s law is a token of light and mercy and deliverance to those who have kept His commandments. The arm strong to smite the rebellious will be strong to deliver the loyal.” The Acts of the Apostles, 589.

“When we study the divine character in the light of the cross we see mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness blended with equity and justice. We see in the midst of the throne One bearing in hands and feet and side the marks of the suffering endured to reconcile man to God. We see a Father, infinite, dwelling in light unapproachable, yet receiving us to Himself through the merits of His Son. The cloud of vengeance that threatened only misery and despair, in the light reflected from the cross reveals the writing of God: Live, sinner, live! ye penitent, believing souls, live! I have paid a ransom.” Ibid., 333.

  • Why is Jesus called “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”? Revelation 13:8. What was Paul able to proclaim in the light of Romans 5:8? I Corinthians 2:2, 7.

Note: “The plan of salvation had been laid before the creation of the earth; for Christ is ‘the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world’ (Revelation 13:8); yet it was a struggle, even with the King of the universe, to yield up His Son to die for the guilty race. … Oh, the mystery of redemption! the love of God for a world that did not love Him!” Patriarchs and Prophets, 63, 64.

4 A HOLY PRIESTHOOD

  • What are the fruits of the ministry exercised by the true followers of Christ to whom the sealed book has been opened? I Peter 2:5, 9–12; 3:8–17.

Note: “The Lord Jesus is making experiments on human hearts through the exhibition of His mercy and abundant grace. He is effecting transformations so amazing that Satan, with all his triumphant boasting, with all his confederacy of evil united against God and the laws of His government, stands viewing them as a fortress impregnable to his sophistries and delusions. They are to him an incomprehensible mystery. The angels of God, seraphim and cherubim, the powers commissioned to cooperate with human agencies, look on with astonishment and joy, that fallen men, once children of wrath, are through the training of Christ developing characters after the divine similitude, to be sons and daughters of God, to act an important part in the occupations and pleasures of heaven.” The Faith I Live By, 142.

  • What is the greatest joy of Christ, “the Root of David,” and when will He share His joy with the redeemed? Revelation 21:3, 4; Romans 8:16–18; Galatians 3:29.

Note: “The Saviour’s joy is in seeing, in the kingdom of glory, the souls that have been saved by His agony and humiliation. And the redeemed will be sharers in His joy, as they behold, among the blessed, those who have been won to Christ through their prayers, their labors, and their loving sacrifice. As they gather about the great white throne, gladness unspeakable will fill their hearts, when they behold those whom they have won for Christ, and see that one has gained others, and these still others, all brought into the haven of rest.” The Great Controversy, 647.

  • What song will the redeemed, including the 24 elders, be able to sing? Revelation 5:9, 10.

Note: “It will be seen that He who is infinite in wisdom could devise no plan for our salvation except the sacrifice of His Son. The compensation for this sacrifice is the joy of peopling the earth with ransomed beings, holy, happy, and immortal.” The Great Controversy, 652.

5 ETERNAL GLORY AND PRAISE

  • How will the 24 elders and all the redeemed continue praising the Lord for His love and sacrifice? Revelation 5:11–14.

Note: “Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured senses we shall remember that Jesus left all this for us, that He not only became an exile from the heavenly courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal loss. Then we shall cast our crowns at His feet, and raise the song, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing’ (Revelation 5:12).” The Desire of Ages, 131.

  • What will the universe be like when the controversy is ended? Isaiah 11:9; 32:17; Romans 14:11.

Note: “The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love.” The Great Controversy, 678.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Why is the opening of the “sealed book” very important in our days?

2 What help will enable us to understand some of the hidden things in connection with the plan of God?

3 Why is Jesus able to unveil future events?

4 Who is associated with Jesus’ ministration in the heavenly sanctuary?

5 When we have a better understanding of the plan of redemption, how will we express our joy and gratitude to the Lord?

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – Problems to Overcome (II)

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July 20, 2014 – July 26, 2014

Key Text

“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22.

Study Help: Counsels on Stewardship, 133–140.

Introduction

“All money lovers … will one day cry in bitter anguish: ‘Oh, the deceitfulness of riches! I have sold my soul for money.’ ” Testimonies, vol. 3, 544, 545.

1 DECEPTION

  • How does Satan often pervert the heart and the mouth of people who want to take business advantages? Jeremiah 6:13; Acts 5:3, 4.
  • How earnestly did King David struggle against a deceitful tongue? Psalms 52:2, 3; 101:7; 120:2; Proverbs 30:8.
  • As Christian stewards must often be in contact with deceitful people, what prayer should they send up to the throne of grace? Psalm 43:1, last part.
  • How does God often permit a deceitful person to be the victim of his or her own tricks? Psalm 7:14–16.

2 DISHONESTY

  • How is a dishonest person described? Proverbs 6:12, 13, 14, 16–19.
  • How does the Lord consider those who are dishonest in their financial transactions? Deuteronomy 27:17–19; Proverbs 11:1; 20:23.

Note: “The accounts of every business, the details of every transaction, pass the scrutiny of unseen auditors, agents of Him who never compromises with injustice, never overlooks evil, never palliates wrong. …

“Against every evildoer God’s law utters condemnation. He may disregard that voice, he may seek to drown its warning, but in vain. It follows him. It makes itself heard. It destroys his peace. If unheeded, it pursues him to the grave. It bears witness against him at the judgment. A quenchless fire, it consumes at last soul and body.” Education, 144, 145.

  • What will happen to anything that is acquired dishonestly? Proverbs 13:11; 15:27; 21:6.

Note: “This is a question that demands consideration by every parent, every teacher, every student—by every human being, young or old. No scheme of business or plan of life can be sound or complete that embraces only the brief years of this present life and makes no provision for the unending future. Let the youth be taught to take eternity into their reckoning. Let them be taught to choose the principles and seek the possessions that are enduring—to lay up for themselves that ‘treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth;’ to make to themselves friends ‘by means of the mammon of unrighteousness,’ that when it shall fail, these may receive them ‘into the eternal tabernacles’ (Luke 12:33; 16:9 RV).” Education, 145.

3 INJUSTICE

  • How are we warned to avoid partiality in our dealing with others? Leviticus 19:15.

Note: “Do not show partiality to one or more, and neglect other of your brethren because they are not congenial to you. Beware lest you deal harshly with those who you think have made mistakes, while others, more guilty and more deserving of reproof, who should be severely rebuked for their unChristlike conduct, are sustained and treated as friends.” The Review and Herald, March 12, 1895.

  • What does the Christian steward do when dealing with disadvantaged groups? Psalm 82:2–4.

Note: “God requires that His people should not allow the poor and afflicted to be oppressed. If they break every yoke and release the oppressed, and are unselfish and kindly considerate of the needy, then shall the blessings promised be theirs. If there are those in the church who would cause the blind to stumble, they should be brought to justice; for God has made us guardians of the blind, the afflicted, the widows, and the fatherless. The stumbling block referred to in the word of God does not mean a block of wood placed before the feet of the blind to cause him to stumble, but it means much more than this. It means any course that may be pursued to injure the influence of their blind brother, to work against his interest, or to hinder his prosperity.

“A brother who is blind and poor and diseased, and who is making every exertion to help himself that he may not be dependent, should be encouraged by his brethren in every way possible. But those who profess to be his brethren, who have the use of all their faculties, who are not dependent, but who so far forget their duty to the blind as to perplex and distress and hedge up his way, are doing a work which will require repentance and restoration before God will accept their prayers. And the church of God who have permitted their unfortunate brother to be wronged will be guilty of sin until they do all in their power to have the wrong righted.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 519, 520.

4 POOR COMPANY

  • While the Lord is our great Counselor, from whom may we seek counsel on this earth? Proverbs 13:20.

Note: “The only safe course for the youth is to mingle with the pure, the holy, and thus natural tendencies to evil will be held in check. By choosing for their companions such as fear the Lord, they will seldom be found disbelieving God’s word, entertaining doubts and infidelity. The power of a truly consistent example is very great for good.” In Heavenly Places, 172.

  • What happens when we seek counsel from those who are not in harmony with the principles of Christian stewardship? Proverbs 14:7; II Thessalonians 3:6.

Note: “Let the youth choose the influence of, and become associated with, men and women of bad principles and practices … and they are polluted. Silent and unconscious influences weave their sentiments into their lives, become a part of their very existence, and they walk on the very brink of a precipice and sense no danger. They learn to love the words of the smooth tongued, the honeyed words of the deceiver, and are restless, uneasy, and unhappy unless they are carried to the pinnacle of someone’s flattery. … To walk in the counsel of the ungodly is the first step toward standing in the place of sinners and sitting in the seat of the scornful.” In Heavenly Places, 172.

“It is wrong for Christians to associate with those whose morals are loose. An intimate, daily intercourse which occupies time without contributing in any degree to the strength of the intellect or morals is dangerous. If the moral atmosphere surrounding persons is not pure and sanctified, but is tainted with corruption, those who breathe this atmosphere will find that it operates almost insensibly upon the intellect and heart to poison and to ruin. It is dangerous to be conversant with those whose minds naturally take a low level. Gradually and imperceptibly those who are naturally conscientious and love purity will come to the same level and partake of and sympathize with the imbecility and moral barrenness with which they are so constantly brought in contact.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 125.

5 THE FUTILITY OF ACQUIRING RICHES

  • How much of our earthly riches do we retain when we die? Psalm 49:16, 17; Ecclesiastes 5:13–15; I Timothy 6:7.
  • What can we take with us to the great judgment of humanity? Matthew 16:26; Proverbs 11:4; Isaiah 31:7.

Note: “The redeemed will be welcomed to the home that Jesus is preparing for them. There their companions will not be the vile of earth, liars, idolaters, the impure, and unbelieving; but they will associate with those who have overcome Satan and through divine grace have formed perfect characters. Every sinful tendency, every imperfection, that afflicts them here has been removed by the blood of Christ, and the excellence and brightness of His glory, far exceeding the brightness of the sun, is imparted to them. And the moral beauty, the perfection of His character, shines through them, in worth far exceeding this outward splendor. They are without fault before the great white throne, sharing the dignity and the privileges of the angels.

“In view of the glorious inheritance that may be his, ‘what shall a man give in exchange for his soul’ (Matthew 16:26)? He may be poor, yet he possesses in himself a wealth and dignity that the world could never bestow. The soul redeemed and cleansed from sin, with all its noble powers dedicated to the service of God, is of surpassing worth; and there is joy in heaven in the presence of God and the holy angels over one soul redeemed, a joy that is expressed in songs of holy triumph.” Steps to Christ, 126.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 What are the results of a deceptive communication?

2 How does dishonesty affect the one who deceives?

3 How do Christian stewards treat others in their financial dealings?

4 Who is the Christian steward’s financial counselor?

5 What should remind us of the temporal nature of material wealth?

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – Problems to Overcome (I)

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July 13, 2014 – July 19, 2014

Key Text

“For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” James 3:16.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 5, 242–248.

Introduction

“Whether we recognize it or not, we are stewards, supplied from God with talents and facilities, and placed in the world to do a work appointed by Him.” Education, 137.

1 ENVY AND KINDRED SINS

  • Explain the origin of pride, envy, and ambition for position—and its bitter results. Isaiah 14:12–15.

Note: “It was pride and ambition that prompted Lucifer to complain of the government of God, and to seek the overthrow of the order which had been established in heaven. Since his fall it has been his object to infuse the same spirit of envy and discontent, the same ambition for position and honor, into the minds of men.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 403.

  • Describe a carnal mind—a candidate for the second death? I Corinthians 3:3; Romans 8:6, 7; James 3:14, 15.

Note: “If you open your heart to envy and evil surmising, the Holy Spirit cannot abide with you. Seek for the fullness that is in Christ.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 191.

  • How does envy affect your personality and well-being? Job 5:2; Proverbs 14:30; 27:4.

Note: “The envious man diffuses poison wherever he goes, alienating friends and stirring up hatred and rebellion against God and man. He seeks to be thought best and greatest, not by putting forth heroic, self-denying efforts to reach the goal of excellence himself, but by standing where he is and diminishing the merit due to the efforts of others.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 56.

2 COVETOUSNESS

  • In what sense does covetousness violate the commandments of God? Exodus 20:17. What do we learn about this sin from the experience of Achan? Joshua 7:20–26.

Note: “The deadly sin that led to Achan’s ruin had its root in covetousness, of all sins one of the most common and the most lightly regarded. While other offenses meet with detection and punishment, how rarely does the violation of the tenth commandment so much as call forth censure. The enormity of this sin, and its terrible results, are the lessons of Achan’s history.

“Covetousness is an evil of gradual development. Achan had cherished greed of gain until it became a habit, binding him in fetters well-nigh impossible to break. While fostering this evil, he would have been filled with horror at the thought of bringing disaster upon Israel; but his perceptions were deadened by sin, and when temptation came, he fell an easy prey.

“Are not similar sins still committed, in the face of warnings as solemn and explicit? We are as directly forbidden to indulge covetousness as was Achan to appropriate the spoils of Jericho. God has declared it to be idolatry. We are warned, ‘Ye cannot serve God and mammon’ (Matthew 6:24). ‘Take heed, and beware of covetousness’ (Luke 12:15). ‘Let it not be once named among you’ (Ephesians 5:3). We have before us the fearful doom of Achan, of Judas, of Ananias and Sapphira. Back of all these we have that of Lucifer, the ‘son of the morning,’ who, coveting a higher state, forfeited forever the brightness and bliss of heaven. And yet, notwithstanding all these warnings, covetousness abounds.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 496, 497.

  • What should be our relationship with those who are controlled by the spirit of covetousness? Ephesians 5:5; I Corinthians 5:11.
  • Among what other sinners will covetous persons be kept out of the kingdom of God? I Corinthians 6:10.

3 GREED

  • As envy and covetousness take root in the heart, what follows? Job 5:2, 4, 5.

Note: “The Scriptures describe the condition of the world just before Christ’s second coming. James the apostle pictures the greed and oppression that will prevail. He says, ‘Go to now, ye rich men … ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton. Ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you’ (James 5:1–6). This is a picture of what exists today. By every species of oppression and extortion, men are piling up colossal fortunes, while the cries of starving humanity are coming up before God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 170.

  • What often happens when wealth is selfishly retained by their greedy owners? Ecclesiastes 5:13.
  • How do wicked people reveal what is in their heart and mind? Psalm 10:3.

Note: “Men in their blindness boast of wonderful progress and enlightenment; but to the eye of Omniscience are revealed the inward guilt and depravity. The heavenly watchers see the earth filled with violence and crime. Wealth is obtained by every species of robbery, not robbery of men only, but of God. Men are using His means to gratify their selfishness. Everything they can grasp is made to minister to their greed. Avarice and sensuality prevail. Men cherish the attributes of the first great deceiver. They have accepted him as God, and have become imbued with his spirit.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 14, 15.

4 PRIDE

  • The concept of pride is highly valued in this world. How does Scripture describe pride? Proverbs 16:5.
  • What will the Lord do to the proud? Proverbs 15:25; 16:18, 19; Luke 18:14. Describe what the servant of the Lord was shown regarding the outcome of the proud.

Note: “I saw that God hates pride, and that all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 132.

  • Rather than pride, what is seen in the life of the Christian steward? James 4:6.

Note: “All who study the life of Christ and practice His teaching will become like Christ. Their influence will be like His. They will reveal soundness of character. They are established in the faith, and will not be overcome by the devil because of vanity and pride. They seek to walk the humble path of obedience, doing the will of God. Their character exerts an influence that tells for the advancement of the cause of God and the healthful purity of His work. …

“In these thoroughly converted souls the world has a witness to the sanctifying power of truth upon the human character. Through them Christ makes known to the world His character and will. In the lives of God’s children is revealed the blessedness of serving the Lord, and the opposite is seen in those who do not keep His commandments. The line of demarcation is distinct. All who obey God’s commandments are kept by His mighty power amid the corrupting influence of the transgressors of His law. From the lowliest subject to the highest in positions of trust, they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.” Evangelism, 315, 316.

5 THE LOVE OF MONEY

  • What will the love of money bring you? I Timothy 6:10; Ecclesiastes 5:10.

Note: “The Bible condemns no man for being rich, if he has acquired his riches honestly. Not money, but the love of money, is the root of all evil. It is God who gives men power to get wealth; and in the hands of him who acts as God’s steward, using his means unselfishly, wealth is a blessing, both to its possessor and to the world. But many, absorbed in their interest in worldly treasures, become insensible to the claims of God and the needs of their fellow men. They regard their wealth as a means of glorifying themselves. They add house to house, and land to land; they fill their homes with luxuries, while all about them are human beings in misery and crime, in disease and death. Those who thus give their lives to self-serving are developing in themselves, not the attributes of God, but the attributes of the wicked one.” The Ministry of Healing, 212, 213.

  • What is the top priority in the life of every faithful steward? I Corinthians 2:2; Matthew 6:33; Luke 9:25.

Note: “When the sinner reaches the cross, and looks up to the One who died to save him, he may rejoice with fullness of joy; for his sins are pardoned. Kneeling at the cross, he has reached the highest place to which man can attain.” The Review and Herald, April 29, 1902.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How will envy impact your stewardship?

2 What kind of association should you have with persons who do not follow the principles of Christian stewardship?

3 What is the result of living a greedy life?

4 What is the basis of your financial decisions?

5 Explain the danger of becoming preoccupied with material goods.

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – Qualities of Genuine Stewardship

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July 6, 2014 – July 12, 2014

Key Text

“Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep thy words.” Psalm 119:57.

Study Help: Child Guidance, 150–168.

Introduction

“All that we possess, our mental and physical powers, all the blessings of the present and the future life, are delivered to us stamped with the cross of Calvary.” The Review and Herald, December 14, 1886.

1 CONTENTMENT

  • What do Christian stewards realize about all of their earthly possessions? Job 1:21.

Note: “All things belong to God. Men may ignore His claims. While He bountifully bestows His blessings upon them, they may use His gifts for their own selfish gratification; but they will be called to give an account for their stewardship.

“A steward identifies himself with his master. He accepts the responsibilities of a steward, and he must act in his master’s stead, doing as his master would do were he presiding. His master’s interests become his. The position of a steward is one of dignity because his master trusts him. If in any wise he acts selfishly and turns the advantages gained by trading with his lord’s goods to his own advantage, he has perverted the trust reposed in him.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 246.

  • Why are Christian stewards content with their earthly possessions? Psalm 37:16; Proverbs 15:16; I Timothy 6:8.

Note: “We think of Jesus the Creator of all the worlds, and how He came into the world as a poor man. He had not where to lay His head. So poverty is no disgrace. Sin is a disgrace.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 1514.

2 FAIRNESS

  • Since Christian stewards are content with their worldly possessions, how do they treat the earthly possessions of others? Deuteronomy 16:19.

Note: “In the last great issue between Christ’s followers and the powers of darkness, Satan offers his bribes to men and women. Some sell themselves for naught; for what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 243.

“We must feel a special interest in looking upon the things of others—not to covet them, not to find fault with them, not to remark upon them and present them in a false light, but to do strict justice in all things to our brethren and all with whom we have any dealings.” That I May Know Him, 176.

  • What does God want us to realize about the evils of partiality? Deuteronomy 24:17; Romans 2:11.

Note: “No distinction on account of nationality, race, or caste, is recognized by God. He is the Maker of all mankind. All men are of one family by creation, and all are one through redemption. Christ came to demolish every wall of partition, to throw open every compartment of the temple courts, that every soul may have free access to God. His love is so broad, so deep, so full, that it penetrates everywhere. It lifts out of Satan’s influence those who have been deluded by his deceptions, and places them within reach of the throne of God, the throne encircled by the rainbow of promise. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free.” Prophets and Kings, 369, 370.

“The reason for all division, discord, and difference is found in separation from Christ. Christ is the center to which all should be attracted; for the nearer we approach the center, the closer we shall come together in feeling, in sympathy, in love, growing into the character and image of Jesus. With God there is no respect of persons. …

“The Son of the infinite God, the Lord of life and glory, descended in humiliation to the life of the lowliest, that no one might feel himself excluded from His presence. He made Himself accessible to all. He did not select a favored few with whom to associate and ignore all others.” That I May Know Him, 99.

3 HONESTY

  • What blessing is given to all who follow integrity in all their business transactions? Proverbs 10:9.
  • What should link the action, the words, and even the thoughts of the Christian steward? Proverbs 12:5, 17; 14:2.

Note: “By the terms of our stewardship we are placed under obligation, not only to God, but to man.” Education, 139.

  • How does the Lord consider those who are dishonest in business? Proverbs 16:11; 20:10.

Note: “It is neither the magnitude nor the seeming insignificance of a business transaction that makes it fair or unfair, honest or dishonest. By the least departure from rectitude we place ourselves on the enemy’s ground, and may go on, step by step, to any length of injustice. A large proportion of the Christian world divorce religion from their business. Testimonies, vol. 4, 337.

“An honest man, according to Christ’s measurement, is one who will manifest unbending integrity. Deceitful weights and false balances, with which many seek to advance their interests in the world, are abomination in the sight of God. Yet many who profess to keep the commandments of God are dealing with false weights and false balances. When a man is indeed connected with God, and is keeping His law in truth, his life will reveal the fact; for all his actions will be in harmony with the teachings of Christ. He will not sell his honor for gain. His principles are built upon the sure foundation, and his conduct in worldly matters is a transcript of his principles. Firm integrity shines forth as gold amid the dross and rubbish of the world. Deceit, falsehood, and unfaithfulness may be glossed over and hidden from the eyes of man, but not from the eyes of God. The angels of God, who watch the development of character and weigh moral worth, record in the books of heaven these minor transactions which reveal character. If a workman in the daily vocations of life is unfaithful and slights his work, the world will not judge incorrectly if they estimate his standard in religion according to his standard in business.” Ibid., 310, 311.

4 HUMILITY

  • What is the reward for the humble Christian steward? Psalm 37:11; Proverbs 22:4; Matthew 18:4.

Note: “Supreme love for God and unselfish love for one another, this is the best gift that the heavenly Father can bestow. Let all believers draw near to God and to one another, that God may draw near to them. No man is to be exalted as supreme. No man is to suppose that he is infallible because he has been enlightened by God and used by Him in bringing souls to the truth. Our endowments are valuable only as they are used as God’s entrusted talents to magnify the truth. The one through whom God works is never to exalt himself, never to seek to rule. As a wise steward, he is to do his work in sincerity and humility. He is to do God service by imparting what he has received, by speaking the truth in love in a clear, decided manner. Thus he is to enlighten others, remembering always that God only can impress the mind and purify the heart.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 275.

  • What must characterize all who seek to be among God’s elect? Proverbs 29:23.

Note: “Love, compassion, and tenderness are to be revealed amongst us. Put on, as the elect of God, mercy and kindness. The sins that were practiced before conversion are to be put off with the old man. With the new man, Christ Jesus, are to be put on ‘kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering’ (Colossians 3:12).

“Those who have risen with Christ to walk in newness of life are the elect of God. They are holy unto the Lord, and are acknowledged by Him as His beloved. As such, they are under solemn covenant to distinguish themselves by showing humility of mind. They are to clothe themselves in garments of righteousness. They are separate from the world, from its spirit, its practices, and they are to reveal that they are learning of Him who says, ‘I am meek and lowly in heart’ (Matthew 11:29). If they realize that they have died with Christ, if they keep their baptismal vow, the world will have no power to draw them aside to deny Christ. If they live the life of Christ in this world, they are partakers of the divine nature. Then, when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, they also will appear with Him in glory.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 236, 237.

5 OBEDIENCE

  • What characteristics were shown to John the Revelator when he saw the people of God in these last days? Revelation 14:12.
  • Where do we find instructions concerning legitimate business principles? Deuteronomy 5:32; 25:13–15; Luke 11:28.

Note: “There is no branch of legitimate business for which the Bible does not afford an essential preparation. Its principles of diligence, honesty, thrift, temperance, and purity are the secret of true success. These principles, as set forth in the book of Proverbs, constitute a treasury of practical wisdom. Where can the merchant, the artisan, the director of men in any department of business, find better maxims for himself or for his employees than are found in these words of the wise man: [Proverbs 22:29; 14:23; 13:4; 23:21; 20:19; 17:27; 20:3; 4:14; 6:28; 13:20; 18:24 quoted.] …

“How many a man might have escaped financial failure and ruin by heeding the warnings, so often repeated and emphasized in the Scriptures. …

“These are principles with which are bound up the well-being of society, of both secular and religious associations. It is these principles that give security to property and life. For all that makes confidence and co-operation possible, the world is indebted to the law of God, as given in His word, and as still traced, in lines often obscure and well-nigh obliterated, in the hearts of men.” Education, 135–137.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How can you be content with your earthly possessions?

2 How should you treat others in your financial transactions?

3 What blessings will you receive if you are honest in all your transactions?

4 How can humility be manifested in my life in practical ways?

5 Name some benefits pertaining to financial honesty.

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – The Steward

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June 29, 2014 – July 5, 2014

Christian Stewardship

Key Text

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5, 6.

Study Help: The Ministry of Healing, 500–502.

Introduction

“That man might not lose the blessed results of benevolence, our Redeemer formed the plan of enlisting him as His co-worker.” The Review and Herald, August 25, 1874.

1 COMMITMENT

  • What is the basis of Christian stewardship? Psalm 37:4–6.

Note: “If the word of God is cherished as an abiding principle in the heart, and held fast under all and every circumstance, man is brought, with his entrusted capabilities, under [subjection] to the Lord Jesus Christ. His undivided powers, even his thoughts, are brought into captivity to Christ. This is true sanctification. All the parts of the experience blend in complete harmony. He is ‘wanting in nothing.’ He does not keep part to himself, to do with just as he pleases.” In Heavenly Places, 190.

  • Explain the primary motives of the Christian steward and what is the chief asset sought. Matthew 6:33, 34; Philippians 3:8.

Note: “[Matthew 6:22 quoted.]

“Singleness of purpose, wholehearted devotion to God, is the condition pointed out by the Saviour’s words. Let the purpose be sincere and unwavering to discern the truth and to obey it at whatever cost, and you will receive divine enlightenment.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 91.

2 STEWARDSHIP

  • A steward manages another’s property. Name some important things of which we are stewards. I Corinthians 4:1, 2.

Note: “Those with whom God has entrusted His truth, must possess the same beneficent spirit that Christ manifested. They must adopt the same broad plans of action. They should have a kind, generous spirit toward the poor, and in a special sense feel that they are God’s stewards. They must hold all they have—property, mental powers, spiritual strength—as not their own, but only lent them to advance the cause of Christ in the earth. Like Christ, they should not shun the society of their fellow-men, but should seek it with the purpose of bestowing upon others the heavenly benefits they have received from God.” Gospel Workers, 335.

  • Where does the Christian steward accumulate wealth? Matthew 6:19–21, 24, 33.

Note: “God desires us to choose the heavenly in place of the earthly. He opens before us the possibilities of a heavenly investment. He would give encouragement to our loftiest aims, security to our choicest treasure. He declares, ‘I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir’ (Isaiah 13:12). When the riches that moth devours and rust corrupts shall be swept away, Christ’s followers can rejoice in their heavenly treasure, the riches that are imperishable.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 374.

  • How do Christian stewards handle the wealth entrusted to them by their Master? I Timothy 6:18, 19; Proverbs 19:17.

Note: “All should feel that they are not proprietors, but stewards, and that the time is coming when they must give an account for the use they have made of their Lord’s money. Means will be needed in the cause of God. With David they should say: ‘All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee’ (I Chronicles 29:14).” Testimonies, vol. 5, 382.

3 POSITIVE ATTITUDES

  • What should the Christian steward consider in the face of an economic downturn? Philippians 4:13; Romans 8:28.
  • Why is your approach to financial matters important? Proverbs 16:2.
  • What warnings come to Christian stewards with regard to our attitudes and motives? I John 2:15, 16.

Note: “Satan is constantly presenting inducements to God’s chosen people to attract their minds from the solemn work of preparation for the scenes just in the future. He is in every sense of the word a deceiver, a skillful charmer. He clothes his plans and snares with coverings of light borrowed from heaven. He tempted Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit by making her believe that she would be greatly advantaged thereby. Satan leads his agents to introduce various inventions and patent rights and other enterprises, that Sabbath-keeping Adventists who are in haste to be rich may fall into temptation, become ensnared, and pierce themselves through with many sorrows. He is wide awake, busily engaged in leading the world captive, and through the agency of worldlings he keeps up a continual pleasing excitement to draw the unwary who profess to believe the truth to unite with worldlings. The lust of the eye, the desire for excitement and pleasing entertainment, is a temptation and snare to God’s people. Satan has many finely woven, dangerous nets which are made to appear innocent, but with which he is skillfully preparing to infatuate God’s people. There are pleasing shows, entertainments, phrenological lectures, and an endless variety of enterprises constantly arising calculated to lead the people of God to love the world and the things that are in the world. Through this union with the world, faith becomes weakened, and means which should be invested in the cause of present truth are transferred to the enemy’s ranks. Through these different channels Satan is skillfully draining the purses of God’s people, and for it the displeasure of the Lord is upon them.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 550, 551.

4 TRUST

  • What surrounds the true Christian steward? Psalm 32:10.
  • What qualities are present in someone who puts his or her trust fully in the Lord? Proverbs 3:5, 6; Job 23:12.

Note: “The psalmist says, ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed’ (Psalm 37:3). ‘Trust in the Lord.’ Each day has its burdens, its cares and perplexities; and when we meet how ready we are to talk of our difficulties and trials. So many borrowed troubles intrude, so many fears are indulged, such a weight of anxiety is expressed, that one might suppose we had no pitying, loving Saviour ready to hear all our requests and to be to us a present help in every time of need.” Steps to Christ, 121.

  • Describe some lessons from nature that can give instruction to the Christian steward. Matthew 6:25–30.

Note: “Consider, says Jesus, how the lilies grow; how, springing from the cold, dark earth, or from the mud of the river bed, the plants unfold in loveliness and fragrance. Who would dream of the possibilities of beauty in the rough brown bulb of the lily? But when the life of God, hidden therein, unfolds at His call in the rain and the sunshine, men marvel at the vision of grace and loveliness. Even so will the life of God unfold in every human soul that will yield itself to the ministry of His grace, which, free as the rain and the sunshine, comes with its benediction to all. It is the word of God that creates the flowers, and the same word will produce in you the graces of His Spirit.

“God’s law is the law of love. He has surrounded you with beauty to teach you that you are not placed on earth merely to delve for self, to dig and build, to toil and spin, but to make life bright and joyous and beautiful with the love of Christ—like the flowers, to gladden other lives by the ministry of love.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 97.

5 THANKFULNESS

  • What does the Christian steward do upon discovering the truest riches of the universe? Luke 15:8, 9; I Thessalonians 5:18.

Note: “Forgetting our own difficulties and troubles, let us praise God for an opportunity to live for the glory of His name. Let the fresh blessings of each new day awaken praise in our hearts for these tokens of His loving care. When you open your eyes in the morning, thank God that He has kept you through the night. Thank Him for His peace in your heart. Morning, noon, and night, let gratitude as a sweet perfume ascend to heaven.” The Review and Herald, June 2, 1910.

“Have we not reason to talk of God’s goodness and to tell of His power? When friends are kind to us we esteem it a privilege to thank them for their kindness. How much more should we count it a joy to return thanks to the Friend who has given us every good and perfect gift. Then let us, in every church, cultivate thanksgiving to God. Let us educate our lips to praise God in the family circle.” My Life Today, 170.

  • For what does the Christian steward give the greatest thanks? Psalm 119:14, 72, 127.

Note: “The glorious possibilities set before Israel could be realized only through obedience to God’s commandments. The same elevation of character, the same fullness of blessing—blessing on mind and soul and body, blessing on house and field, blessing for this life and for the life to come—is possible for us only through obedience.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 305.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How can you demonstrate commitment to the cause of the gospel?

2 What is the job description of a Christian steward?

3 How does your attitude affect your financial decision-making?

4 What is necessary to put God totally in control of your finances?

5 What do you discover when you count your blessings?

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Insights from the Book of Isaiah (1) – A Mission for Today

by

December 24 – 30

Key Text

“They that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in” (Isaiah 58:12).

Study Help: Welfare Ministry, 29–41.

Introduction

“God’s remnant people, standing before the world as reformers, are to show that the law of God is the foundation of all enduring reform. … They are to be repairers of the breach, restorers of paths to dwell in.” Prophets and Kings, 678.

Sunday 

1              SIGNS OF AN ARTIFICIAL RELIGION

  • How can we avoid false humility? Isaiah 58:5; Philippians 2:3, 14, 15.

Note: “Let no one think that to bow the head as a bulrush will take the place of true humility. Such humility is a sham; for where meekness does not exist in the heart, it will not be manifested in the life. Those who are merely professors of truth and not doers of the word, will break down the family altar, and stir up strife and contention in the home, and there will be dearth of holy and beneficent actions that flow from faith in Christ. The most convincing evidence of the power of the gospel to the world is its effect on the lives of those who believe it. He who is a true Christian will represent Christ, and will cease from all murmuring or complaining of God, or of his fellow-men. …

“Those who are merely surface Christians are no blessing to themselves or others, although they fast and spread sackcloth and ashes under them. The old habits return; quick temper, suspicion, jealousy, judgment of others—all manifest that they are not controlled by the grace of Christ. … When they fail to manifest a Christlike action, they throw the blame and responsibility upon the circumstances which surround them or the people with whom they are brought in contact. Instead of examining themselves to see wherein their inconsistency lies, they bemoan their case, and think that their difficulties are the results of other’s misdeeds.” The Review and Herald, June 5, 1894.

Monday 

2             GOD’S CHOSEN FAST

  • What kind of fast reveals the highest level of Christian piety? Isaiah 58:6.

Note: “The work of beneficence enjoined in this chapter [Isaiah 58] is the work that God requires His people to do at this time.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 265.

“When we present the perfection that there is in His [God’s] requirements, in His commandments, in His law, we are presenting that which will loose the bands of wickedness, and in the place of making men fast, in the place of shackling them with sin, it will loose the bands of wickedness, and those that are oppressed by the enemy.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 5, 38.

“Find out what the poor and suffering are in need of, and then, in love and tenderness, help them to courage and hope and confidence by sharing with them the good things that God has given you. Thus you will be doing the very work that God means you to do. ‘Let the oppressed go free’ (Isaiah 58:6). Do not rest until you break every yoke. It is not possible for you to neglect this and yet obey God.” Pacific Union Recorder, July 21, 1904.

  • What else does God’s true fast involve? Isaiah 58:7.

Note: “[Isaiah 58:6, 7 quoted.] This is the recipe that Christ has prescribed for the fainthearted, doubting, trembling soul. Let the sorrowful ones, who walk mournfully before the Lord, arise and help someone who needs help. …

“The Lord calls upon the church to have a higher piety, a more just sense of duty, a clearer realization of their obligations to their Creator. He calls upon them to be a pure, sanctified, working people. And the Christian help work is one means of bringing this about, for the Holy Spirit communicates with all who are doing God’s service.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 266, 267.

“Remember that there is a world to save. We are to act our part, standing close by the side of Christ as His colaborers. He is the head; we are His helping hand. He designs that we, by doing medical missionary work, shall undo the heavy burdens and let the oppressed go free. Let us not close our eyes to the misery around us or our ears to the cries of distress which are continually ascending. Christ is the greatest missionary the world has ever known. He came to uplift and cheer the sorrowing and distressed, and in this work we are to cooperate with Him.” Welfare Ministry, 118.

Tuesday 

3             OVERHAULING OUR SPEECH HABITS

  • What abundant promise comes to all who, by faith, pursue the joy of practical service to others in need? Isaiah 58:8.

Note: “[Isaiah 58:8 quoted.] …

“… As the members of our churches individually take up their appointed work, they will be surrounded with an entirely different atmosphere. A blessing and a power will attend their labors. They will experience a higher culture of mind and heart. The selfishness that has bound up their souls will be overcome. Their faith will be a living principle.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 267, 268.

  • Why must we completely overcome the unchristian habit of “the putting forth of the finger”? Isaiah 58:9, 10; Matthew 7:1–5.

Note: “The very ones who are blind to their own faults are often quick to note the faults of others, quick to criticise [sic] their words, and condemn them for something they have or have not done. …

“Every unkind criticism of others, every word of self-esteem, is ‘the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity’ (Isaiah 58:9). The lifting up of self in pride, as if you were faultless, the magnifying of the faults of others, is an offense to God. … We have no right to withdraw our confidence from a brother because some evil report comes to our ears, some accusation is made or supposition is suggested that he has done wrong. Frequently the evil report that is brought to us is made by those who are at enmity with God, those who are joining the enemy in his work of accusing the brethren. Those who are unmindful of the Saviour’s words, ‘Take heed therefore how ye hear’ (Luke 8:18), allow their unsanctified ears to hear wrong, their perverted senses to imagine wrong, and their evil tongues to report wrong.

“Many who are accusers of the brethren will not come out openly and talk with those who they think are in error, but will go to others, and, under the mask of friendship for the erring, will cast reflections upon them. Sometimes these accusers will openly agree with those whom they covertly seek to injure. They will state as facts, accusations which are only suppositions, and fail to give those whom they accuse a definite statement of what they suppose to be their errors, so that they give them no chance to answer the charges against them.” The Review and Herald, May 7, 1895.

Wednesday 

4             BUILDING INSTEAD OF DESTROYING 

  • What change will come into our experience as we gain the victory over “the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking van­ity”? Isaiah 58:10, 11.

Note: “Those who might do good service in advancing the cause of Christ, but who use their talents and influence to tear down instead of to build up, will feel the wrath of God. They will experience what Christ suffered in saving men from the penalty of the broken law. The value of man and the measure of his accountability can be known only by the cross of Calvary.” The Watchman, March 31, 1908.

“Doing good is an excellent remedy for disease. Those who engage in the work are invited to call upon God, and He has pledged Himself to answer them. Their soul shall be satisfied in drought, and they shall be like a watered garden, whose waters fail not.

“Wake up, brethren and sisters. Do not be afraid of good works. ‘Let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not’ (Galatians 6:9). Do not wait to be told your duty. Open your eyes and see who are around you; make yourselves acquainted with the helpless, afflicted, and needy. Hide not yourselves from them, and seek not to shut out their needs. Who gives the proofs mentioned in James, of possessing pure religion, untainted with selfishness or corruption? Who are anxious to do all in their power to aid in the great plan of salvation?” Testimonies, vol. 2, 29.

  • Describe our assigned mission and the promise accompanying it. Isaiah 58:12, 13, first part.

Note: “God’s people have a special work to do in repairing the breach that has been made in His law; and the nearer we approach the end, the more urgent this work becomes. All who love God will show that they bear His sign by keeping His commandments. They are the restorers of paths to dwell in. … [Isaiah 58:13, 14 quoted.] Thus genuine medical missionary work is bound up inseparably with the keeping of God’s commandments, of which the Sabbath is especially mentioned, since it is the great memorial of God’s creative work. Its observance is bound up with the work of restoring the moral image of God in man. This is the ministry which God’s people are to carry forward at this time.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 265, 266.

Thursday 

5             PEACE THROUGH THE PRINCE OF PEACE

  • What should we understand about genuine Christian helpfulness as part of true Sabbath keeping? Isaiah 58:13, 14.

Note: “All heaven was represented to me as beholding and watching upon the Sabbath those who acknowledge the claims of the fourth commandment and are observing the Sabbath. Angels were marking their interest in, and high regard for, this divine institution. Those who sanctified the Lord God in their hearts by a strictly devotional frame of mind, and who sought to improve the sacred hours in keeping the Sabbath to the best of their ability, and to honor God by calling the Sabbath a delight—these the angels were specially blessing with light and health, and special strength was given them. But, on the other hand, the angels were turning from those who failed to appreciate the sacredness of God’s sanctified day, and were removing from them their light and their strength. I saw them overshadowed with a cloud, desponding, and frequently sad. They felt a lack of the Spirit of God.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 704, 705.

“Those who have lived, not to please themselves, but to be a blessing to the unfortunate who have so few blessings—how their hearts will thrill with satisfaction! They will realize the promise: ‘Thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just’ (Luke 14:14).” Ibid., vol. 6, 312.

“To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour.” The Desire of Ages, 289.

Friday 

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1              Give some examples of false humility—and of true humility. 

2             What hypocritical type of fast does God condemn?

3             How can I partake of the best type of fasting that God wants for me?

4             What human tendency of tearing down can be turned into building up?

5             Summarize God’s glorious plan for Sabbath keepers today.

Copyright © 2016 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Insights from the Book of Isaiah (1) – A Message for Today

by

December 17 – 23, 2017

Key Text

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1).

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 2, 24–37; vol. 5, 298–302.

Introduction

“I cannot too strongly urge all our church members, all who are true missionaries, all who believe the third angel’s message, all who turn away their feet from the Sabbath, to consider the message of the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 265.

Sunday 

1              TO WHOM IS THIS MESSAGE ADDRESSED?

  • What must we carefully keep in mind when seeking to promote the message of Isaiah, chapter 58? Isaiah 58:1.

Note: “[Isaiah 58:1 quoted.] This message must be given; but while it must be given, we should be careful not to thrust and crowd and condemn those who have not the light that we have. We should not go out of our way to make hard thrusts at the Catholics. Among the Catholics there are many who are most conscientious Christians and who walk in all the light that shines upon them, and God will work in their behalf. Those who have had great privileges and opportunities, and who have failed to improve their physical, mental, and moral powers, but who have lived to please themselves and have refused to bear their responsibility, are in greater danger and in greater condemnation before God than those who are in error upon doctrinal points, yet who seek to live to do good to others. Do not censure others; do not condemn them.

“If we allow selfish considerations, false reasoning, and false excuses to bring us into a perverse state of mind and heart, so that we shall not know the ways and will of God, we shall be far more guilty than the open sinner. We need to be very cautious in order that we may not condemn those who, before God, are less guilty than ourselves.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 243, 244.

Monday 

2             THE WARNING OFTEN SILENCED

  • What is often the reaction faced by earnest believers seeking to “cry aloud, spare not” (Isaiah 58:1)? John 3:19–21; compare Numbers 16:1–4. What was the Lord’s messenger shown concerning the state of God’s professed people?

Note: “Many were cherishing idols in their hearts and were practicing iniquity which separated them from God and caused them to be bodies of darkness. I saw but few who stood in the light, having discernment and spirituality to discover these stumbling blocks and remove them out of the way. …

“Some who occupy the position of watchmen to warn the people of danger have given up their watch and recline at ease. They are unfaithful sentinels. They remain inactive, while their wily foe enters the fort and works successfully by their side to tear down what God has commanded to be built up. They see that Satan is deceiving the inexperienced and unsuspecting; yet they take it all quietly, as though they had no special interest, as though these things did not concern them. They apprehend no special danger; they see no cause to raise an alarm. To them everything seems to be going well, and they see no necessity of raising the faithful, trumpet notes of warning which they hear borne by the plain testimonies, to show the people their transgressions and the house of Israel their sins. These reproofs and warnings disturb the quiet of these sleepy, ease-loving sentinels, and they are not pleased. They say in heart, if not in words: ‘This is all uncalled for. It is too severe, too harsh. These men are unnecessarily disturbed and excited, and seem unwilling to give us any rest or quietude. “Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them” (Numbers 16:3). They are not willing that we should have any comfort, peace, or happiness. It is active labor, toil, and unceasing vigilance alone which will satisfy these unreasonable, hard-to-be-suited watchmen. Why don’t they prophesy smooth things, and cry: Peace, peace? Then everything would move on smoothly.’ …

“The people have not erected graven images, yet their sin is no less in the sight of God. They worship mammon. They love worldly gain. Some will make any sacrifice of conscience to obtain their object. God’s professed people are selfish and self-caring. They love the things of this world, and have fellowship with the works of darkness. They have pleasure in unrighteousness. They have not love toward God nor love for their neighbors. They are idolaters and are worse, far worse, in the sight of God than the heathen, graven-image worshipers who have no knowledge of a better way.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 440, 441.

Tuesday 

3             THE TRUMPET MUTED

  • What factors make the task difficult for all who would seek to give the warning trumpet a distinctive sound? Isaiah 58:2; Ezekiel 2:1–7.

Note: “It is not the wicked world, but those whom the Lord designates as ‘my people,’ that are to be reproved for their transgressions. He declares further: ‘Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God’ (Isaiah 58:1, 2). Here is brought to view a class who think themselves righteous and appear to manifest great interest in the service of God; but the stern and solemn rebuke of the Searcher of hearts proves them to be trampling upon the divine precepts.” The Great Controversy, 452.

“The Lord says of these people: ‘They seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness’ (Isaiah 58:2). Here is a people who are self-deceived, self-righteous, self-complacent, and the minister is commanded to cry aloud and show them their transgressions. In all ages this work has been done for God’s people, and it is needed now more than ever before. …

“God always has men to whom He entrusts His message. His Spirit moves upon their hearts and constrains them to speak. Stimulated by holy zeal, and with the divine impulse strong upon them, they enter upon the performance of their duty without coldly calculating the consequences of speaking to the people the word which the Lord has given them. But the servant of God is soon made aware that he has risked something. He finds himself and his message made the subject of criticism. His manners, his life, his property, are all inspected and commented upon. His message is picked to pieces and rejected in the most illiberal and unsanctified spirit, as men in their finite judgment see fit. Has that message done the work that God designed it should accomplish? No; it has signally failed because the hearts of the hearers were unsanctified.

“If the minister’s face is not flint, if he has not indomitable faith and courage, if his heart is not made strong by constant communion with God, he will begin to shape his testimony to please the unsanctified ears and hearts of those he is addressing. In endeavoring to avoid the criticism to which he is exposed, he separates from God and loses the sense of divine favor, and his testimony becomes tame and lifeless. He finds that his courage and faith are gone and his labors powerless.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 299.

Wednesday 

4             FOR WHOM AM I REALLY MOURNING?

  • How are God’s professed people in Isaiah 58 expecting Him to respond to their service toward Him—and what does He answer? Isaiah 58:3; Malachi 3:14, 15. What factors should we consider to­day about our own attitude in this regard—both toward God and toward others?

Note: “[Isaiah 58:1–3 quoted.]

“The prophet presents before us a people who are finding fault with the Lord because He does not give them all that they selfishly desire. The Lord in His answer to their complaints shows that they do not deserve all that they require at His hands; for they have not dealt righteously.” The General Conference Bulletin, May 31, 1909.

“The fasts observed by these worshipers [in Isaiah 58] are a mere pretense, a mockery of humility. They retain all their objectionable traits of character. Their hearts are not cleansed from defilement. They have not received the softening showers of the grace of God. They are destitute of the Holy Spirit, destitute of the sweetness of its influence. They manifest no repentance, no faith that works by love. They are unjust and selfish in their dealing with their fellow men, mercilessly oppressing those whom they regard as their inferiors. Yet they complain because God does not exalt them above all others because of their righteousness.” The Review and Herald, June 25, 1901.

“The people whom the prophet [Isaiah] is commanded to warn … have a form of godliness, and regard themselves as entitled to special favor and blessing, because they make a high profession and keep up a round of religious service. This nourishes their self-complacency, and they feel as the young man felt who came to Christ, claiming to have kept all the commandments, and asked, ‘What lack I yet’ (Matthew 19:20)? … This young man flattered himself that he was keeping all the commandments of God; but was he?—No. He did not love God supremely; for he loved his wealth, which was given him only in trust, more than he loved God; and he did not love his neighbors as himself; for he was not willing to distribute his riches among them. He loved his property more than he loved the souls for whom Christ was ready to sacrifice his own life.” Ibid., October 13, 1891.

“We need to beware of self-pity. Never indulge the feeling that you are not esteemed as you should be, that your efforts are not appreciated, that your work is too difficult. Let the memory of what Christ has endured for us silence every murmuring thought. We are treated better than was our Lord.” The Ministry of Healing, 476.

Thursday 

5             THE MOTIVE BEHIND THE ACTION

  • In Isaiah 58, what was the real motive behind the fasting of God’s people? Isaiah 58:4. How must we avoid the spirit of this practice? Luke 7:33–35.

Note: “The world’s Redeemer cannot honor the fasts observed by the Jewish nation. They fast in pride and self-righteousness, while Christ eats in humility with publicans and sinners.

“Since the fall, the work of Satan has been to accuse, and those who refuse the light which God sends, pursue the same course today. They lay open to others those things which they consider an offense. Thus it was with the Pharisees. When they found something of which they could accuse the disciples, they did not speak to those whom they thought to be in error. They spoke to Christ of the things which they thought to be so grievous in His disciples. When they thought that Christ offended, they accused Him to the disciples. It was their work to alienate hearts.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1088.

“When our prayers are offered in self-confidence, when we fail to watch, and bring our actions into harmony with our prayers, we are not accounted worshipers in the sight of heaven. We are destitute of the faith that works by love and purifies the soul; for genuine faith will lead the possessor to mortify the deeds of the flesh, and crucify selfishness, self-love, impatience, and self-righteousness. Those who would truly follow Christ must daily learn lessons in meekness and lowliness of heart, that they may speak guardedly, manifest courtesy and kindness, have tender hearts, and bring sympathy and sunshine into the home. All strife, all debate, all smiting with the tongue and the fist of wickedness, must be put away. The overbearing will must be subdued, and gentleness and a disposition to be easily entreated must be cultivated.” The Review and Herald, June 5, 1894.

Friday 

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1              What Bible principle determines our level of accountability toward God?

2             Why does a straight testimony reproving sin meet with opposition?

3             If we are serious about eternity, how will we feel about principles?

4             What was wrong with the fasting of the Jews in Isaiah 58?

5             Whether with fasting or not, what kinds of attitudes hinder prayer?

Insights from the Book of Isaiah (1) – Compassion for the Penitent

by

December 10 – 16

Key Text

“Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57:15).

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 6, 42–44, 119–125, 421–424.

Introduction

“Nothing is more essential to communion with God than the most profound humility.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 50.

Sunday 

1              A REALITY CHECK

  • In order to come closer to God, what do we need to realize? Isaiah 59:1, 2.

Note: “The sin which is indulged to the greatest extent, and which separates us from God and produces so many contagious spiritual disorders, is selfishness. There can be no returning to the Lord except by self-denial. Of ourselves we can do nothing; but, through God strengthening us, we can live to do good to others, and in this way shun the evil of selfishness. We need not go to heathen lands to manifest our desire to devote all to God in a useful, unselfish life. We should do this in the home circle, in the church, among those with whom we associate and with whom we do business. Right in the common walks of life is where self is to be denied and kept in subordination. Paul could say: ‘I die daily’ (1 Corinthians 15:31). It is the daily dying to self in the little transactions of life that makes us overcomers. We should forget self in the desire to do good to others. With many there is a decided lack of love for others. Instead of faithfully performing their duty, they seek rather their own pleasure.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 132.

“We must have a knowledge of ourselves, a knowledge that will result in contrition, before we can find pardon and peace.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 158.

Monday 

2             COMING CLOSER TO GOD

  • How important is humility in the eyes of God? Isaiah 57:14–17.

Note: “If ever a people needed to walk in humility before God, it is His church, His chosen ones in this generation. We all need to bewail the dullness of our intellectual faculties, the lack of appreciation of our privileges and opportunities. We have nothing whereof to boast.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 63.

“All self-exaltation must be seen and put away. Truth and righteousness alone will stand the test for this time. We need to have the Spirit of God daily with us, that we may be kept from all evil thoughts and unwise actions, from lifting the soul unto vanity.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 65.

“The Lord is opening the way for the spread of the Gospel, but we are not ready. Daily we need to be softened and refined by the Holy Spirit’s power. Even our thoughts are to be brought into subjection to Christ. Unconsecrated self is to be crucified.” The Signs of the Times, October 24, 1900.

  • What does God want to do for us through His word? Isaiah 57:18, 19.

Note: “Center your faith so deeply and securely in Jesus Christ that no circumstance of any kind will jostle your faith. Let your life be hid with Christ in God.

“Do not waste your thoughts in dwelling upon the defective characters of others. This will not cure your defects of character. By dwelling upon the wrongs of others, you will be changed into the same image. Whenever you are tempted to talk of others’ follies, or blame them for injuries they have done to you, consider that they have wounded the heart of Christ in the person of His saints. Then take your Bible, and open it before God, and plead with Him for the healing balm of His peace.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 24, 25.

“The Word makes the proud humble, the perverse meek and contrite, the disobedient obedient. The sinful habits natural to man are interwoven with the daily practice. But the Word cuts away the fleshly lusts. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the mind. It divides the joints and marrow, cutting away the lusts of the flesh, making men willing to suffer for their Lord.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 928.

Tuesday 

3             KEEPING ETERNITY IN VIEW

  • In contrast to the comfort for the meek and contrite, what verdict comes to those who reject God’s appeals? Isaiah 57:20, 21. How can we avoid this condition?

Note: “Are you willing to cast down the idols you have cherished? Are you willing to let Jesus enter the heart to cleanse it from all that defiles? Are you at all times and under all circumstances obtaining the mastery over yourself? Can you say, ‘For me to live is Christ’ (Philippians 1:21), I am His? Whatever I have, of time, or strength, or influence, all is His? Are you representing Him by your forbearance, your patience, your unselfishness?” The Signs of the Times, April 9, 1902.

“O for that devotion and humility of heart that will lead God’s people to do those things that Christ has commanded, and still in all humility and truth say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done only that which it was our duty to do! But many, many are swelling with pride and importance, who in God’s estimation are lukewarm. Self-gratification is revealed because of a few things accomplished. Where do we hear the testimony of hearts that are broken in repentance and confession before God? Where do we see professed believers wearing the yoke of Christ? How little time is given to fervent prayer, the result of which would be the possession of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price.” The Review and Herald, September 16, 1909.

“It is not your profession, but your course of action, that will determine whether or not you are Christians. We are nearing the judgment, and we should strive to spend the little time that intervenes between the present and the coming of Christ, in an intelligent manner. We should seek to have the mind filled with valuable knowledge, not with wood, hay, and stubble. By wise cultivation our ability should increase, that we may have growing power to understand the sacred teachings of Christ. We are to become teachers of the mysteries of the gospel.” Ibid., April 19, 1892.

  • What should we always keep in mind in view of eternity? Romans 14:10.

Note: “We are living on the verge of the eternal world. The cases of all are being tried in the heavenly courts, and it is high time to put away sin and to work earnestly to save as many as possible.” Reflecting Christ, 121.

Wednesday 

4             THE HOLY SPIRIT IN ACTION

  • What does Christ identify as evidence that we are becoming im­bued with a greater portion of His Holy Spirit—the promised Comforter? John 16:8.

Note: “The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes; for your vision will be clearer, and your imperfections will be seen in broad and distinct contrast to His perfect nature. But do not be discouraged. This is evidence that Satan’s delusions have lost their power; that the vivifying influence of the Spirit of God is arousing you, and your indifference and unconcern are passing away.

“No deep-seated love for Jesus can dwell in the heart that does not see and realize its own sinfulness. The soul that is transformed by grace will admire His divine character; but if we do not see our own moral deformity, it is unmistakable evidence that we have not had a view of the beauty and excellence of Christ. The less we see to esteem in ourselves, the more we shall see to esteem in the infinite purity and loveliness of our Saviour. A view of our own sinfulness drives us to Him who can pardon. Jesus will accept us; for His word is pledged.” The Review and Herald, February 17, 1885.

  • Explain the contrast between this humility and the opposite atti­tude frequently manifested in the world—and too often even in the church—and what are the consequences of the latter? James 3:13, 14.

Note: “What is lying against the truth? It is claiming to believe the truth while the spirit, the words, the deportment, represent not Christ but Satan. To surmise evil, to be impatient and unforgiving, is lying against the truth, but love, patience, and long forbearance are in accordance with the principles of truth.” That I May Know Him, 185.

“Many are cherishing an unholy desire for the supremacy. Many love to be flattered and are jealously watching for slights or neglect. There is a hard, unforgiving spirit. There is envy, strife, emulation. …

“Few receive the grace of Christ with self-abasement, with a deep and permanent sense of their unworthiness. They cannot bear the manifestations of the power of God, for this would encourage in them self-esteem, pride, and envy. This is why the Lord can do so little for us now.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 50, 51.

Thursday 

5             HUMBLE BEFORE OTHERS

  • How do those who are Spirit-filled react to those who are faulty and erring? Galatians 6:1–3.

Note: “ ‘Forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us’ (Luke 11:4). We cannot repeat this prayer from the heart, and dare be unforgiving; for we ask the Lord to forgive our trespasses against Him as we forgive those who trespass against us. Very few realize the true import of this prayer. If those who are unforgiving comprehended the depth of its meaning, they would not dare repeat it, and ask God to deal with them as they deal with their fellow mortals.” The Youth’s Instructor, December 7, 1899.

“When the laborers have an abiding Christ in their own souls, when all selfishness is dead, when there is no rivalry, no strife for the supremacy, when oneness exists, when they sanctify themselves, so that love for one another is seen and felt, then the showers of the grace of the Holy Spirit will just as surely come upon them as that God’s promise will never fail in one jot or tittle. But when the work of others is discounted, that the workers may show their own superiority, they prove that their own work does not bear the signature it should. God cannot bless them.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 175.

“Before giving us the baptism of the Holy Spirit, our heavenly Father will try us, to see if we can live without dishonoring Him. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Do not think, my children, that you have received all the spiritual help you need. And do not think that you can have great spiritual blessings without complying with the conditions God Himself has laid down. James and John thought that for the asking, they could have the highest place in the kingdom of God. Oh, how far short they fell of understanding the situation! They did not realize that before they could share Christ’s glory, they must wear His yoke and daily learn His meekness and lowliness.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, 178.

Friday 

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1              Through what key can the promises to the overcomers be granted to me?

2             What changes occur in us through wholehearted study of God’s word?

3             In view of the brief probationary time left, what should be our focus?

4             How may we be in danger of lying against the truth?

5             What practical steps can I take towards receiving the latter rain?