Issue: 2018 July

Bible Study Guides – Behold, I Come Quickly — A Personal Relationship with Jesus

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August 19 – 25, 2018

Key Text

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Study Help

The Ministry of Healing, 81–85; Selected Messages, Book 1, 40–48.

Introduction

“When we turn toward the Sun of Righteousness, when we come in touch with Christ, the whole soul is aglow with the brightness of the divine presence.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 40.

Sunday

LIGHT SHINES AMID THE DARKNESS

  • How does Scripture depict our hopeless state? Job 14:4; Romans 3:23; 8:7.

Note: “It is impossible for us, of ourselves, to escape from the pit of sin in which we are sunken. Our hearts are evil, and we cannot change them.” Steps to Christ, 18.

“Many are unhappy because they are unholy. Purity of heart, innocence of mind, only can be blessed of God. When sin is cherished, it can in the end produce nothing but unhappiness.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 53.

  • In His great love and mercy, what has God revealed to us in the last days, and how is it to affect our life in a practical way? Romans 3:24–26; 8:1–4.

Note: “Our Lord and Saviour laid aside His dominion, His riches and glory, and sought after us, that He might save us from misery and make us like Himself. He humbled Himself and took our nature that we might be able to learn of Him and, imitating His life of benevolence and self-denial, follow Him step by step to heaven.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 170.

Monday

GOD’S LOVE FOR US

  • Explain the completeness of the plan of salvation. 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:19–21.

Note: “Christ gave Himself, an atoning sacrifice, for the saving of a lost world. He was treated as we deserve, in order that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. ‘With His stripes we are healed’ (Isaiah 53:5).

“Christ was tempted in all points like as we are, by the one who once stood in loyalty by His side in the heavenly courts. Behold the Son of God in the wilderness of temptation, in the time of greatest weakness assailed by the fiercest temptation. See Him during the years of His ministry, attacked on every side by the forces of evil. See Him in His agony on the cross. All this He suffered for us.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 208, 209.

  • Who can experience the blessings of God’s love? Matthew 11:28; John 6:37.

Note: “Coming to Christ does not require severe mental effort and agony; it is simply accepting the terms of salvation that God has made plain in His Word. The blessing is free to all. …

“In the name that is above every name, the only name given among men whereby men can be saved, claim the promise of God, saying, ‘Lord, forgive my sin; I put my hands into Thy hand for help, and I must have it, or perish. I now believe.’ ” Selected Messages, Book 1, 333, 334.

“A deep sense of our need and a great desire for the things for which we ask must characterize our prayers, else they will not be heard. But we are not to become weary and cease our petitions because the answer is not immediately received. ‘The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force’ (Matthew 11:12). The violence here meant is a holy earnestness, such as Jacob manifested. We need not try to work ourselves up into an intense feeling, but calmly, persistently, we are to press our petitions at the throne of grace.” That I May Know Him, 272.

Tuesday

A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

  • What new attitude and behavior become apparent as we trust in Jesus? 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:6; Philippians 2:12, 13.

Note: “The faith which avails to bring us in vital contact with Christ expresses on our part supreme preference, perfect reliance, entire consecration. This faith works by love and purifies the soul. It works in the life of the follower of Christ true obedience to God’s commandments; for love to God and love to man will be the result of vital connection with Christ.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 334.

“Nothing but divine power can regenerate the human heart and imbue souls with the love of Christ, which will ever manifest itself with love for those for whom He died. . . . When a man is converted to God, a new moral taste is supplied, a new motive power is given, and he loves the things that God loves. …

“But those who are waiting to behold a magical change in their characters without determined effort on their part to overcome sin will be disappointed. We have no reason to fear while looking to Jesus, no reason to doubt but that He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto Him; but we may constantly fear lest our old nature will again obtain the supremacy, that the enemy shall devise some snare whereby we shall again become his captives.” Ibid., 336, 337.

  • What deep desire is to continually fill the heart of every believer, and how is this to affect us on a consistent basis? John 15:4, 5, 10; Romans 6:6, 10, 11.

Note: “Union with Christ, once formed, must be maintained. … This is no casual touch, no off-and-on connection. …

“Abiding in Christ means a constant receiving of His Spirit, a life of unreserved surrender to His service.” The Desire of Ages, 676.

“Through the right exercise of the will, an entire change may be made in your life. By yielding up your will to Christ, you ally yourself with the power that is above all principalities and powers. You will have strength from above to hold you steadfast, and thus through constant surrender to God you will be enabled to live the new life, even the life of faith.” Steps to Christ, 48.

Wednesday

GROWTH IN GRACE

  • When the heart is surrendered to Christ with prayer for His enlightenment, what change occurs in the character? Galatians 5:22, 23; Psalm 119:18.

Note: “By beholding we are to become changed; and as we meditate upon the perfections of the divine Model, we shall desire to become wholly transformed, and renewed in the image of His purity. It is by faith in the Son of God that transformation takes place in the character, and the child of wrath becomes the child of God. He passes from death unto life; he becomes spiritual and discerns spiritual things. The wisdom of God enlightens his mind, and he beholds wondrous things out of His law. As a man is converted by the truth, the work of transformation of character goes on. He has an increased measure of understanding. In becoming a man of obedience to God, he has the mind of Christ, and the will of God becomes his will.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 338.

  • Why is open-hearted study and meditation on the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy an important key in this process? Psalm 119:24–27.

Note: “It is not alone those who openly reject the Testimonies, or who cherish doubt concerning them, that are on dangerous ground. To disregard light is to reject it.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 680.

“Says the psalmist, ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path’ (Psalm 119:105). But this is not the case when it is left unopened and unread.” The Review and Herald, January 4, 1881.

“By looking constantly to Jesus with the eye of faith, we shall be strengthened. God will make the most precious revelations to His hungering, thirsting people. They will find that Christ is a personal Saviour. As they feed upon His word, they find that it is spirit and life. The word destroys the natural, earthly nature, and imparts a new life in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit comes to the soul as a Comforter. By the transforming agency of His grace, the image of God is reproduced in the disciple; he becomes a new creature. Love takes the place of hatred, and the heart receives the divine similitude. This is what it means to live ‘by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4). This is eating the Bread that comes down from heaven.” The Desire of Ages, 391.

Thursday

REFLECTING THE LIGHT

  • What is the most pressing need of this dark world? Matthew 5:14–16.

Note: “It is the privilege of every soul to be a living channel through which God can communicate to the world the treasures of His grace, the unsearchable riches of Christ. There is nothing that Christ desires so much as agents who will represent to the world His Spirit and character. There is nothing that the world needs so much as the manifestation through humanity of the Saviour’s love. All heaven is waiting for channels through which can be poured the holy oil to be a joy and blessing to human hearts.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 419.

  • What is to be the focus of our life, and what results will be achieved through this? Galatians 2:20; Isaiah 60:1–3.

Note: “ ‘Abiding in Christ is choosing only the disposition of Christ, so that His interests are identified with yours. Abide in Him, to be and to do only what He wills. These are the conditions of discipleship, and unless they are complied with, you can never find rest.’ ” Selected Messages, Book 1, 110.

“Through the Holy Spirit, God’s word is a light as it becomes a transforming power in the life of the receiver. By implanting in their hearts the principles of His word, the Holy Spirit develops in men the attributes of God. The light of His glory—His character—is to shine forth in His followers.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 414.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     Explain the predicament of the human race, and what can be done about it.

2    Why is a casual connection with Christ insufficient?

3    What would you tell a person who is disappointed with the gospel?

4    What role do the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy have in our sanctification?

5    Explain how your influence can become a source of refreshment to others.

Copyright © 2017 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – Behold, I Come Quickly — Waiting and Watching`

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August 12 – 18, 2018

Key Text

“He [our Saviour Jesus Christ] gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14).

Study Help

Christ’s Object Lessons, 353–365.

Introduction

“He [Christ] showed what it means to watch for His coming. The time is to be spent, not in idle waiting, but in diligent working.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 325.

Sunday

CALLED FOR SERVICE

  • What parable did Jesus present in connection with His return? Matthew 25:13–15.

Note: “The man traveling into a far country represents Christ, who, when speaking this parable, was soon to depart from this earth to heaven. The ‘bondservants’ (RV), or slaves, of the parable, represent the followers of Christ. …

“Our Lord teaches that the true object of life is ministry. Christ Himself was a worker, and to all His followers He gives the law of service—service to God and to their fellow men.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 325, 326.

  • With what were the talents compared, and how are they significant? 1 Corinthians 12:7–11.

Note: “All gifts and endowments, whether original or acquired, natural or spiritual … are to be employed in Christ’s service. In becoming His disciples, we surrender ourselves to Him with all that we are and have. These gifts He returns to us purified and ennobled, to be used for His glory in blessing our fellow men.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 328.

Monday

A RIGHT USE OF ENTRUSTED GOODS

  • In view of the seriousness of our times, what should we learn from Christ’s parable about the use of the talents entrusted to us? Matthew 25:16–18.

Note: “The question that most concerns us is not, How much have I received? but, What am I doing with that which I have? The development of all our powers is the first duty we owe to God and to our fellow men. No one who is not growing daily in capability and usefulness is fulfilling the purpose of life. In making a profession of faith in Christ we pledge ourselves to become all that it is possible for us to be as workers for the Master, and we should cultivate every faculty to the highest degree of perfection, that we may do the greatest amount of good of which we are capable.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 329, 330.

  • What can be achieved by a right use of our gifts? Matthew 25:19, 20, 22.

Note: “He [the Lord] does not supernaturally endow us with the qualifications we lack; but while we use that which we have, He will work with us to increase and strengthen every faculty. By every wholehearted, earnest sacrifice for the Master’s service our powers will increase. While we yield ourselves as instruments for the Holy Spirit’s working, the grace of God works in us to deny old inclinations, to overcome powerful propensities, and to form new habits. As we cherish and obey the promptings of the Spirit, our hearts are enlarged to receive more and more of His power, and to do more and better work. Dormant energies are aroused, and palsied faculties receive new life. …

“Through faith in the power of God, it is wonderful how strong a weak man may become, how decided his efforts, how prolific of great results. He who begins with a little knowledge, in a humble way, and tells what he knows, while seeking diligently for further knowledge, will find the whole heavenly treasure awaiting his demand. The more he seeks to impart light, the more light he will receive. The more one tries to explain the word of God to others, with a love for souls, the plainer it becomes to himself.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 353, 354.

Tuesday

GRATEFUL OR GRUMBLING?

  • How was the unfaithful servant reproached for having misused his talent, and why is such an attitude a warning for us? Matthew 25:24–28.

Note: “There are many who in their hearts charge God with being a hard master because He claims their possessions and their service. But we can bring to God nothing that is not already His. … All things are God’s, not only by creation, but by redemption. All the blessings of this life and of the life to come are delivered to us stamped with the cross of Calvary. Therefore the charge that God is a hard master, reaping where He has not sown, is false.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 362.

  • How does Inspiration depict our tendency to complain and make excuses for ourselves, and why should we heed the Master’s earnest desire for every one of us before His return? Proverbs 30:15, 16; Isaiah 29:24.

Note: “Fretting, faultfinding, and making strong statements must be given up. What time have you set to gain the victory over your perverse will and the defects in your character? With the advancement you now make, your probation may close before you have made the determined efforts essential to give you the victory over self. You will, in the providence of God, be placed in positions where your peculiarities, if existing, will be tried and revealed.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 341, 342.

“Many decide to serve themselves and Satan by not making determined efforts to overcome their defects of character. While many are petting sinful propensities, expecting to be overcomers sometime, they are deciding for perdition. … In the name of Jesus Christ you may be victorious even now ‘in this thy day’ (Luke 19:42). Do not plan and study for self. You cannot be wholly the Lord’s while encouraging any degree of selfishness. Such great love as the Redeemer has shown you should be received with great humility and continual rejoicing. In order to be happy, you must control your thoughts and words. It will require a masterly effort on your part; nevertheless it must be done if you are to be the acknowledged children of God. Be not weary in your efforts. Satan is battling for your souls, and he must be disappointed.” Ibid., 344.

Wednesday

UNMASK THE DECEPTION AND FLEE FROM IT!

  • How does the Son of God’s example refute the false accusations of the archenemy of our souls? Genesis 3:4, 5; Philippians 2:5–8.

Note: “Satan led men to conceive of God as a being whose chief attribute is stern justice—one who is a severe judge, a harsh, exacting creditor. He pictured the Creator as a being who is watching with jealous eye to discern the errors and mistakes of men, that He may visit judgments upon them. It was to remove this dark shadow, by revealing to the world the infinite love of God, that Jesus came to live among men.” Steps to Christ, 11.

“Satan represents God’s law of love as a law of selfishness. He declares that it is impossible for us to obey its precepts.” The Desire of Ages, 24.

“Could our eyes be opened, we should see forms of evil angels around us, trying to invent some new way to annoy and destroy us. And we should also see angels of God guarding us from their power; for God’s watchful eye is ever over Israel for good, and He will protect and save His people, if they put their trust in Him. …

“Said the angel, ‘Remember, thou art on the enchanted ground.’ I saw that we must watch and have on the whole armor and take the shield of faith, and then we shall be able to stand, and the fiery darts of the wicked cannot harm us.” Early Writings, 60.

  • What reveals God’s eager willingness to help us overcome our defects and slothfulness? Psalms 20:1, 2, 7–9; 94:17, 18.

Note: “Every impulse of the Holy Spirit leading men to goodness and to God, is noted in the books of heaven.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 361.

“The Lord desires His people to reach the highest round of the ladder that they may glorify Him by possessing the ability He is willing to bestow. Through the grace of God every provision has been made for us to reveal that we act upon better plans than those upon which the world acts. …

“Those who have not a large endowment of gifts need not become discouraged. Let them use what they have, faithfully guarding every weak point in their characters, seeking by divine grace to make it strong.” Ibid., 358.

Thursday

VICTORIOUS LABORERS WITH GOD

  • As we prepare for our Lord’s return in full surrender to His service, what is our main interest, and His? Titus 2:13, 14; Luke 17:10; Psalm 145:10–12.

Note: “When the Lord takes account of His servants, the return from every talent will be scrutinized. The work done reveals the character of the worker.

“Those who have received the five and the two talents return to the Lord the entrusted gifts with their increase. In doing this they claim no merit for themselves. Their talents are those that have been delivered to them; they have gained other talents, but there could have been no gain without the deposit. They see that they have done only their duty. The capital was the Lord’s; the improvement is His. Had not the Saviour bestowed upon them His love and grace, they would have been bankrupt for eternity.

“But when the Master receives the talents, He approves and rewards the workers as though the merit were all their own. His countenance is full of joy and satisfaction. He is filled with delight that He can bestow blessings upon them. For every service and every sacrifice He requites them, not because it is a debt He owes, but because His heart is overflowing with love and tenderness.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 360, 361.

“Our heavenly Father requires no more nor less than He has given us ability to do. He lays upon His servants no burdens that they are not able to bear. ‘He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust’ (Psalm 103:14). All that He claims from us we through divine grace can render.” Ibid., 362.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     What is often misunderstood about God’s purpose in giving talents?

2    Although you may be weak and faulty, what is God’s plan for helping you?

3    Compare the servant with one talent to typical human behavior of today.

4    How can we bypass the enemy’s strategy to try to block our sanctification?

5    Explain how we can gain the victory to become real, active agents for God.

Bible Study Guides – Behold, I Come Quickly — With Great Power and Glory

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August 5 – 11, 2018

Key Text

“And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation” (Isaiah 25:9).

Study Help

The Great Controversy, 479–484; 641–645.

Introduction

“The black, angry clouds that covered the firmament are parted, and like Stephen they [the people of God] look up steadfastly into heaven and see the glory of God and the Son of man seated upon His throne.” The Great Controversy, 636.

Sunday

INCREDIBLE WOE, WOE, WOE

  • When Christ arrives, what reveals the fearful reaction to come upon those who have despised His offer of salvation? Revelation 6:15–17; Nahum 2:10.

Note: “Upon the rejecters of God’s mercy falls the terror of eternal despair.” The Great Controversy, 641.

“When sinners are compelled to look upon Him who clothed His divinity with humanity, and who still wears this garb, their confusion is indescribable. The scales fall from their eyes, and they see that which before they would not see. They realize what they might have been had they received Christ, and improved the opportunities granted them. They see the law which they have spurned, exalted even as God’s throne is exalted. They see God Himself giving reverence to His law.”  “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1069.

  • What will actually happen to them, and why? 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10; 2:8.

Note: “The light of the glory of God, which imparts life to the righteous, will slay the wicked.” The Desire of Ages, 108.

Monday

THE SPECIAL RESURRECTION

  • From among all who, throughout history, went to their graves trusting in God, which category of believers will have already been raised just before Christ’s arrival? Revelation 14:12, 13; Daniel 12:1, 2.

Note: “Dark, heavy clouds came up and clashed against each other. But there was one clear place of settled glory, whence came the voice of God like many waters, shaking the heavens and the earth. There was a mighty earthquake. The graves were opened, and those who had died in faith under the third angel’s message, keeping the Sabbath, came forth from their dusty beds, glorified, to hear the covenant of peace that God was to make with those who had kept His law.” Early Writings, 285.

  • Who from among the wicked will be resurrected just prior to Christ’s return? Matthew 26:62–64; Revelation 1:7.

Note: “Those who derided His [Christ’s] claim to be the Son of God are speechless now. There is the haughty Herod who jeered at His royal title and bade the mocking soldiers crown Him king. There are the very men who with impious hands placed upon His form the purple robe, upon His sacred brow the thorny crown, and in His unresisting hand the mimic scepter, and bowed before Him in blasphemous mockery. The men who smote and spit upon the Prince of life now turn from His piercing gaze and seek to flee from the overpowering glory of His presence. Those who drove the nails through His hands and feet, the soldier who pierced His side, behold these marks with terror and remorse.

“With awful distinctness do priests and rulers recall the events of Calvary.” The Great Controversy, 643.

  • How is this special resurrection distinct from the resurrections that take place at the voice of Jesus? John 5:28, 29. Compare with Daniel 12:2 (“many” versus “all”).

Tuesday

UNSPEAKABLE AWE

  • What will be the initial response of all mortals—including God’s faithful few—as they first behold the arrival of the awesome Creator of the universe seated on His throne in majestic splendor? Jeremiah 30:6.

Note: “The righteous cry with trembling: ‘Who shall be able to stand?’ The angels’ song is hushed, and there is a period of awful silence.” The Great Controversy, 641.

  • What heart-warming assurance promptly comforts those genuinely longing for their Lord’s appearing? 2 Corinthians 12:9, first part.

 Note: “Then the voice of Jesus is heard, saying: ‘My grace is sufficient for you’ (2 Corinthians 12:9). The faces of the righteous are lighted up, and joy fills every heart. And the angels strike a note higher and sing again as they draw still nearer to the earth.” The Great Controversy, 641.

  • What will Christ’s followers say at the return of Him in whom their hopes have centered, and how should this motivate us now? Isaiah 25:9.

Note: “To His faithful followers Christ has been a daily companion and familiar friend. They have lived in close contact, in constant communion with God. Upon them the glory of the Lord has risen. In them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ has been reflected. Now they rejoice in the undimmed rays of the brightness and glory of the King in His majesty. They are prepared for the communion of heaven; for they have heaven in their hearts.

“With uplifted heads, with the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness shining upon them, with rejoicing that their redemption draweth nigh, they go forth to meet the Bridegroom.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 421.

“Are we preparing to meet the Saviour in peace, or are we absorbed in worldly business and pleasure? Shall we not strive to be among the number who will welcome Christ?” The Signs of the Times, April 17, 1901.

Wednesday

HONORABLE DISCHARGE FROM EARTH

  • Describe the amazing miracle to occur at the resurrection of the just. 1 Corinthians 15:51–55.

Note: “The Son of God … looks upon the graves of the righteous, then, raising His hands to heaven, He cries: ‘Awake, awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!’  Throughout the length and breadth of the earth the dead shall hear that voice, and they that hear shall live.” The Great Controversy, 644.

  • How does this relate to the investigative judgment that had accounted them worthy of eternity, and what should this make us pause to consider? 1 Peter 4:17–19; Luke 20:35, first part, 36.

 Note: “As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. …

“All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life.” The Great Controversy, 483.

  • What happens to the righteous—both those who are alive when Jesus returns plus those who are resurrected at His voice? 1 Corinthians 15:49.

Note: “At the voice of God they [the living righteous] were glorified; now they are made immortal and with the risen saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the air.” The Great Controversy, 645.

Thursday

THE FIRST AND SECOND RESURRECTIONS

  • Explain the timing of the general resurrection of the just, and describe the joy of it. Revelation 20:1–6 (compare again 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).

Note: “Until that triumphant hour, when the last trump shall sound and the vast army shall come forth to eternal victory, every sleeping saint will be kept in safety and will be guarded as a precious jewel, who is known to God by name. By the power of the Saviour that dwelt in them while living and because they were partakers of the divine nature, they are brought forth from the dead.” The Faith I Live By, 185.

  • b. We studied how the wicked guilty of crucifying Christ are raised up at the special resurrection; but when do the rest of the wicked dead face their Maker before their final destruction, and why is this a sobering thought? 1 Corinthians 6:3, first part; Revelation 20:4, 5, 12–15.

Note: “At the close of the thousand years, Christ again returns to the earth. He is accompanied by the host of the redeemed, and attended by a retinue of angels. As He descends in terrific majesty, He bids the wicked dead arise to receive their doom. … What a contrast to those who were raised at the first resurrection! The righteous were clothed with immortal youth and beauty. The wicked bear the traces of disease and death.” The Faith I Live By, 355.

“Day by day God is testing and proving His people. The inspired Word plainly declares that by our works we are deciding our eternal destiny.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, 278.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     Who is instantly slain when Christ comes in the clouds, and why?

2    For whom is the special resurrection, and what is its twofold purpose?

3    Am I focusing on the Isaiah 25:9-moment, or am I hoping He will delay?

4    Why must the investigative judgment occur before Jesus arrives?

5    Why must the thousand years occur before the wicked face their doom?

Bible Study Guides – Behold, I Come Quickly — Jesus Really Is Coming Again!

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July 29, 2018 – August 4, 2018

Key Text

“I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3).

Study Help

Early Writings, 13–18, 285, 286.

Introduction

“One of the most solemn and yet most glorious truths revealed in the Bible is that of Christ’s second coming to complete the great work of redemption.” The Great Controversy, 299.

Sunday

BEHOLD, HE IS COMING!

  • According to the Bible, what will Jesus’ coming be like? Acts 1:11.

 Note: “The most precious fact to the disciples in the ascension of Jesus was that He went from them into Heaven in the tangible form of their divine Teacher. The very same Jesus, who had walked, and talked, and prayed with them … had ascended to Heaven in the form of humanity. And the heavenly messengers had assured them that the very same Jesus whom they had seen go up into heaven, should come again in like manner as He had ascended. This assurance has ever been, and will be till the close of time, the hope and joy of all true lovers of Christ.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 3, 254.

  • To whom will Jesus’ appearing be visible? Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:30.

Note: “Those who mocked and smote Him will be there. The priests and rulers will behold again the scene in the judgment hall. Every circumstance will appear before them, as if written in letters of fire. Then those who prayed, ‘His blood be on us, and on our children’ (Matthew 27:25), will receive the answer to their prayer. Then the whole world will know and understand.” The Desire of Ages, 739, 740.

Monday

AN AMAZING HOPE

  • What is the purpose of Jesus’ coming, and how should our confidence in this awesome, unsurpassed event be affecting us? John 14:1–3.

Note: “Those who really love the Saviour cannot but hail with joy a message founded upon the word of God, the He in whom their hopes of eternal life are centered is coming again, not to be insulted, despised, and rejected, as at His first advent, but in power and glory, to redeem His people. The proclamation of Christ’s coming should now be, as when made by the angels to the shepherds of Bethlehem, good tidings of great joy. There can be no more conclusive evidence that the churches have departed from God than the irritation and animosity excited by this Heaven-sent message.

“It is those who do not love the Saviour that desire Him to remain away, and such eagerly receive the testimony borne by unfaithful servants, ‘My Lord delayeth His coming’ (Matthew 24:48). While they refuse to search the Scriptures to learn if these things are so, they grasp every fable which will put off the coming of Christ into the distant future, or make it spiritual, fulfilled at the destruction of Jerusalem, or taking place at death.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 216, 217.

  • Describe the sweetness of this hope, and with what it is to be closely connected? Philippians 3:20, 21.

Note: “The truths of prophecy are bound up together, and as we study them, they form a beautiful cluster of practical Christian truth. All the discourses that we give are plainly to reveal that we are waiting, working, and praying for the coming of the Son of God. His coming is our hope. This hope is to be bound up with all our words and works, with all our associations and relationships.” Evangelism, 220.

“Those who have loved Him and waited for Him, He will crown with glory and honor and immortality. The righteous dead will come forth from their graves, and those who are alive will be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air. They will hear the voice of Jesus, sweeter than any music that ever fell on mortal ear, saying to them, Your warfare is accomplished.” The Acts of the Apostles, 34.

Tuesday

A GLORY BEYOND DESCRIPTION

  • What sign in the heavens will indicate Jesus’ coming? Mark 13:26.

Note: “Soon our eyes were drawn to the east, for a small black cloud had appeared about half as large as a man’s hand, which we all knew was the sign of the Son of man. We all in solemn silence gazed on the cloud as it drew nearer, and became lighter, glorious, and still more glorious, till it was a great white cloud. The bottom appeared like fire; a rainbow was over it.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 32.

  • Explain the threefold glory at Christ’s return—noticing where He will meet His redeemed ones. Will His feet touch the ground at His second coming? Luke 9:26, last part; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.

 Note: “On it [the cloud] sat the Son of man, on His head were crowns, His hair was white and curly and lay on His shoulders. His feet had the appearance of fire, in His right hand was a sharp sickle, in His left a silver trumpet. His eyes were as a flame of fire, which searched His children through and through. Then all faces gathered paleness, and those that God had rejected gathered blackness. Then we all cried out, Who shall be able to stand? Is my robe spotless? Then the angels ceased to sing, and there was some time of awful silence, when Jesus spoke, Those who have clean hands and a pure heart shall be able to stand; My grace is sufficient for you. At this, our faces lighted up, and joy filled every heart. And the angels struck a note higher and sung again while the cloud drew still nearer the earth. Then Jesus’ silver trumpet sounded, as He descended on the cloud, wrapped in flames of fire. He gazed on the graves of the sleeping saints, then raised His eyes and hands to heaven and cried, Awake! Awake! Awake! ye that sleep in the dust, and arise. Then there was a mighty earthquake. The graves opened, and the dead came up clothed with immortality. The 144,000 shouted, Hallelujah! as they recognized their friends who had been torn from them by death, and in the same moment we were changed and caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. We all entered the cloud together.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 32, 33.

  • What is different about Christ’s third coming after 1,000 years, in contrast to His second coming? Zechariah 14:4. (See also Early Writings, 17, 18.)

Wednesday

WITH POWER AND AUTHORITY

  • What will happen in nature at Jesus’ second coming, and why? Revelation 6:14; Isaiah 24:1–6.

Note: “God would have His people clearly understand that they will be visited according to their obedience or transgression. Wickedness and disease have increased with every successive generation. The land has labored under the curse which man has brought upon it because of continued disobedience.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 4a, 123.

“The King of kings descends upon the cloud, wrapped in flaming fire. The heavens are rolled together as a scroll, the earth trembles before Him, and every mountain and island is moved out of its place.” The Great Controversy, 641, 642.

  • How does prophecy depict the divine judgments that are soon to fall upon the world at His coming? Isaiah 24:17–23.

Note: “The wicked look with terror and amazement upon the scene, while the righteous behold with solemn joy the tokens of their deliverance. Everything in nature seems turned out of its course. The streams cease to flow. Dark, heavy clouds come up and clash against each other. In the midst of the angry heavens is one clear space of indescribable glory, whence comes the voice of God like the sound of many waters, saying: ‘It is done’ (Revelation 16:17).

“That voice shakes the heavens and the earth. There is a mighty earthquake, ‘such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great’ (verse 18). The firmament appears to open and shut. The glory from the throne of God seems flashing through. The mountains shake like a reed in the wind, and ragged rocks are scattered on every side. There is a roar as of a coming tempest. The sea is lashed into fury. There is heard the shriek of a hurricane like the voice of demons upon a mission of destruction. The whole earth heaves and swells like the waves of the sea. Its surface is breaking up. Its very foundations seem to be giving way. Mountain chains are sinking. Inhabited islands disappear. The seaports that have become like Sodom for wickedness are swallowed up by the angry waters.” The Great Controversy, 636, 637.

Thursday

THE FULFILLMENT OF LONG-HELD HOPES

  • Describe the joy of the holy angels with Jesus at His return. Jude 14.

Note: “With anthems of celestial melody the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend Him [Jesus] on His way. The firmament seems filled with radiant forms—‘ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands’ (Revelation 5:11). No human pen can portray the scene; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor.” The Great Controversy, 641.

  • What task are the holy angels to perform (based on the investigative judgment which will already be over), and what will the earth’s inhabitants ultimately realize? Matthew 13:41, 49; 25:32; Romans 7:12.

Note: “The trumpet of the Archangel will soon startle the living and wake the dead. At that day the wicked will be separated from the just, as the shepherd divides the goats from the sheep.” Child Guidance, 561.

“Christ would have all understand the events of His second appearing. The judgment scene will take place in the presence of all the worlds; for in this judgment the government of God will be vindicated, and His law will stand forth as ‘holy, and just, and good’ (Romans 7:12). Then every case will be decided, and sentence will be passed upon all. Sin will not then appear attractive, but will be seen in all its hideous magnitude. All will see the relation in which they stand to God and to one another.” The Review and Herald, September 20, 1898.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     Explain what groups of people will witness the second coming of Christ.

2    Why is Jesus returning, and what should this event make us consider?

3    Why should we know whether or not Christ’s feet will touch the ground?

4    How will the huge upheaval in creation relate to the moral law of God?

5    With this joyful yet solemn hour ahead, what should we deeply consider?

Recipe – Quinoa Porridge with Warm Blueberry Sauce

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Ingredients

½ cup quinoa

½ cup water

½ cup dairy free milk

1 star anise or 1/2 tsp. anise seeds, crushed

3 green cardamom pods or 1/8 tsp. ground cardamom

1 pinch salt

2 Tbsp. almonds, chopped

2 Tbsp. dried apricots, sliced

2/3 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

coconut flakes for garnish

Process

Rinse quinoa. Bring quinoa, water, and milk to a boil.

Add anise, cardamom, salt, almonds and apricots.

Simmer 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

Remove pods and star (if using).

In separate pan, simmer blueberries until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Spoon quinoa into bowl or glass.

Pour on milk and blueberry sauce.

Sprinkle with more almonds and apricots; add coconut flakes.

Food – July — National Blueberry Month

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July is National Blueberry Month. But by buying, picking, freezing, drying, every month can be Blueberry Month! These juicy, highly nutritious, delicious treasures can be enjoyed all through the year.

Members of the blueberry family are found throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and Southern Canada, as well as England where are grown a distant cousin called bilberries. More than 40 varieties of blueberries are native to North America.

Among the first to appreciate these succulent fruits were Native Americans who consumed them fresh, cooked and dried, adding berries to winter soups and stews. In addition, they used them in dyes, food preservatives and medicines, made a tea from the leaves or bark to ease labor pains, as a tonic after miscarriage, or blueberry syrup as a remedy for coughs and diarrhea. They gave blueberries to the new settlers, enabling them to make it through their first winter. Indians held the blueberry sacred because of its five-pointed star-shaped crown. They believed blueberries were a gift of God to feed their starving children.

“Blueberries provide us with two unique anti-inflammatory and antioxidant phytonutrients belonging to the group of compounds known as stilbenoids. These two members of the stilbenoid family are resveratrol and pterostilbene. … What has been most exciting in recent studies has been the discovery of better bioavailability of pterostilbene than resveratrol in some foods, including blueberries. One study has shown that once absorbed pterostilbene spends as much as five times longer in our body before being metabolized into other compounds. This longer-lasting nature of pterostilbene may give it more time to provide us with its many health benefits. And since few commonly eaten foods are as rich in pterostilbene as blueberries, we may be looking at a fruit that is even more unique than previously believed in terms of its ability to support our health.” www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=8

 

Quinoa Porridge with Warm Blueberry Sauce

Ingredients

½ cup quinoa

½ cup water

½ cup dairy free milk

1 star anise or 1/2 tsp. anise seeds, crushed

3 green cardamom pods or 1/8 tsp. ground cardamom

1 pinch salt

2 Tbsp. almonds, chopped

2 Tbsp. dried apricots, sliced

2/3 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

coconut flakes for garnish

 

Process

Rinse quinoa. Bring quinoa, water, and milk to a boil.

Add anise, cardamom, salt, almonds and apricots.

Simmer 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

Remove pods and star (if using).

In separate pan, simmer blueberries until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Spoon quinoa into bowl or glass.

Pour on milk and blueberry sauce.

Sprinkle with more almonds and apricots; add coconut flakes.

 

Story Time – Robert Bruce and the Spider

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More than six hundred years ago, the people of Scotland made up their minds that they did not want to be ruled by the king of England. They wanted to rule themselves. This led to war between the two countries.

Again and again, the English army defeated the Scotch. At last, Robert Bruce was made leader of the Scotch army. Six times Bruce led his brave little army against the great army of England. Six times he was driven back. Then his army was scattered, and he had to hide in order to save his life.

Sometimes he hid in the woods. Sometimes he hid in the mountains, and sometimes in the huts of poor peasants. The English soldiers tried to find and capture him. He had to flee one hiding place to another.

At last he was almost ready to give up. It seemed to him there was no use trying to do anything more. That night he lay down on a heap of straw in an old hut. But he could not sleep. He was thinking about his failures.

At last morning came. As he lay on his bed of straw, he was greatly discouraged. Would his country ever be free?

Just then he saw a spider trying to swing herself by her thread from one beam of the roof to another. She failed, and the thread swung back to its starting place. She tried again, and again it fell back. She made another effort, only to fall back a third time. But the little spider had started to weave a web, and she never thought of giving up. Six times she tried to throw her frail thread across. Six times it fell short.

For a moment Robert Bruce seemed to forget about his own failures. He watched the little spider with deep interest. He hoped she would not give up. He wanted to see her succeed.

The seventh time she swung herself out on her slender line. Would she fail again? No! This time the thread was thrown safely across, and fastened to the beam.

Bruce was almost ashamed of himself. If a little spider would not give up, why should he?  He, too, would try the seventh time. With new courage he left his hiding place. He got his friends together. He told them of his plans. He sent them out to encourage his soldiers.

Soon another army of brave Scotsmen were around him. Another great battle was fought, and this time the English were completely defeated. They fled into their own country. Scotland was made free, and Robert Bruce was its king. Balloons, True Education Series, 44, 45.

 

Life Sketches – God’s Unchangeable Law

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There is a question that has been argued by antinomians since the time of the apostles: “If you become a Christian, are you then free to break the law of God?” The New Testament addresses this question after the death and resurrection of Christ.

There is a law that is unchangeable, that is unalterable, that will remain as long as this universe remains. Jesus said, “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail” (Luke 16:17). A tittle is a word referring to just a part of a Hebrew letter. Jesus here used strong language, for it says in the New Testament that it was Jesus Christ who created everything in the universe (John 1:1–3; Colossians 1:15–17), and He is the One who upholds everything by the word of His power (Hebrews 1).

Everything—the suns, the galaxies, the solar system and everything in space—is held in position by the “word of His power” and He who created it all said that He would destroy the whole universe and start over again before allowing a part of a letter of His law to fail.

Many years after the cross, the apostle James tells us that this law is the standard of the judgment. Every person in the world must face this law at some time. Notice what it says in James 2:10–12: “Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.”

All will be judged by this law which James calls the law of liberty. If everybody on earth kept this law there would be no need for prisons, no need for locks on your house, or car, or the necessity to store your possessions in some secure place. How wonderful this world would be if everybody kept God’s law. James makes it clear which law people will be judged by because he quotes the sixth and seventh commandments.

It will not be enough to come to the Lord pleading that you have kept part of it and expect a good pass. James tells us that if you break any point of it you are a transgressor and will be judged by it.

God’s people in the last days will be keeping His commandments. John wrote, “The dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17). God’s people are also described in Revelation 14:12: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

Later in his book, John wrote, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral [those who break the 7th commandment] and murderers [those who break the 6th commandment] and idolaters [those who break the 2nd commandment], and whoever loves and practices a lie [those who break the 9th commandment]” (Revelation 22:14, 15). We see here that the commandment keepers will be inside the city and saved while the commandment breakers will be outside the gates of the city and eternally lost.

However, in spite of all these very plain declarations, there are still people who are confused, saying, “Doesn’t the New Testament say that the law was abolished or done away with?” When the law was given in Exodus, it says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them’ ” (Exodus 24:12). There were commandments, a law that God Himself wrote with His finger on tablets of stone. It was God Himself, who spoke and He called it a law. “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me” (Deuteronomy 5:22). In addition to this law, because God’s people had been in slavery for many years, God gave Moses minute instructions so that people would understand the principles of the law that God had written on stone.

You would think it was so plain that nobody could misunderstand. For example, God spoke the 7th commandment, “You shall not commit adultery” and then told Moses to spell it out so that no one would make a mistake as to its meaning. If you read Leviticus 18, and 20, and Deuteronomy 22 you will find that there are people even today who are unwittingly breaking the 7th commandment, not understanding the principle behind it that was explained by Moses in his writings.

Consider the 8th commandment, stealing. There are many ways a man can steal. God wanted to be sure His people understood how abhorrent it was to steal from another human being. He said, if a person kidnaps somebody else and then sells him as a slave somewhere, that person is a thief and breaks the 8th commandment. The penalty is death. (See Exodus 21:16.)

The 5th commandment predicts that in the last days children will be disobedient to their parents  (Exodus 21:17). In ancient times the penalty for cursing your father or your mother was death. The same remains true in the final judgment of souls. Many people will be surprised at the record God has of their lives in that day. Moses wrote in a book the principles surrounding the ten commandment law spelling it out in detail. That book was put in the outside of the ark, which held the tables of stone on which God had written His law.

As well as the explanations of the moral law, Moses also recorded many ceremonial laws that were given to the people and designed to point them to a coming Messiah. Those who are living after Jesus Christ came into the world look back to His birth in Bethlehem, His 33 year life, His crucifixion, death and resurrection on the third day and His ascension 40 days later. However, if you lived before Christ came to earth you would have looked forward in faith to His incarnation.

There is only one plan of salvation. Those who lived before the cross of Christ, that will be saved, are saved by the very same merits of Jesus Christ as those who have lived after the cross. The apostle Paul explains that there were some ceremonial laws that would no longer be in effect after Christ came.

He said, “Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary” (Hebrews 9:1). The first covenant that no longer exists had ordinances of service, religious rituals and services and an earthly sanctuary. Under the new covenant, there is no longer an earthly sanctuary and we look toward what Christ is doing for us as our High Priest in the sanctuary in heaven (Hebrews 8 and 9).

Referring to the old covenant, Paul said, “Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was yet standing” (Hebrews 9:6–8).

“It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation” (verses 9, 10). He goes on to say that it is through the sacrifice of Christ and His mediation in the sanctuary in heaven that the people from Old Testament times are saved (verse 15).

Notice, “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:1–4).

If it were possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins, then Jesus Christ would not have needed to come and die on the cross. But the Jewish people had been practicing this now for fifteen hundred years before Jesus was here. If you have a custom or a ritual or a practice that has been in vogue, and has been practiced not only by you, but by your father, your grandfather, and back for fifteen hundred years, that custom would have become firmly entrenched. Even the apostles, who were also Jews, were slow to learn that these ceremonies did not need to be followed anymore.

This fulfilment and therefore discontinuance of the ceremonial law resulted in a huge conflict within the Christian church in the first century. After Paul had been stoned at Lystra and returned to Antioch at the end of his first missionary journey, a tremendous conflict arose. “Certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved’ ” (Acts 15:1).

There was no argument amongst them about the need of keeping the commandments. In fact, you will not find any argument anywhere in the New Testament about whether or not God’s law must be kept. All were agreeable to that fact. They understood that the commandments are not alterable and will be the standard of judgment for all time. Even in the last days, God’s people will be keeping them as they were written and will be saved while those who break them will be eternally lost.

The argument in the early church was never about the moral law which all will meet again in the judgment. The argument was about circumcision, a ceremonial law. The Jewish Christians believed that unless the Gentiles were to keep all of the ceremonies that were enjoined in the old covenant they could not be saved.

When this happened, Paul and Barnabas had a huge argument with these people. The Bible says, “Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them” (verses 2–4).

“But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, ‘It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses’ ” (verse 5). A big controversy was developing from the sect of the Pharisees who had become Christians. At that time, as a result of the missionary journeys of Paul and Barnabas, many Gentiles were becoming Christians. Certain Jews from Judea had raised this consternation in the church in Antioch about circumcision saying, “Nobody can be saved unless they are circumcised.” Paul and Barnabas opposed this position, which resulted in a great controversy.

There was much discussion and want of harmony in the Christian church; so Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem to the council to see how it could be resolved. However, the Jews were not generally prepared to move as fast as the Providence of God led the way. The Jews saw that the Gentiles would eventually far exceed the number of Jews who were Christians. They believed that if the ceremonies and restrictions they had under Jewish law were not made obligatory upon the Gentiles, then the national peculiarities of the Jews would pass away.

The Jews had prided themselves upon the fact that they had divinely appointed worship services and ordinances. That was true, and nobody could successfully argue otherwise. They thought that which had kept them distinct from all the world would finally disappear from those who are Christians. They concluded that since God had once specified the Hebrew manner of worship, it was impossible that God would ever authorize a change in any of the specifications of divine worship. So, they decided that Christianity must connect itself with Jewish laws and ceremonies.

The Jewish Christians were slow to discern the end of that which had been abolished by the death of Christ and that all of their sacrificial offerings had only prefigured the death of the Son of God in type. When Jesus died on the cross, type had met antitype. So, the divinely appointed ceremonies that were part of the Jewish religion and involved the sacrificing of animals, a human priesthood, and an earthly sanctuary, which were all part of the Jewish religion, were no longer in effect. In fact, Matthew records the events just prior to Jesus dying on the cross that signified the end of the ceremonial services. He said, “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split” (Matthew 27:50, 51).

The veil of the temple was not just like some curtain that you may have in your house. This veil was more like a solid tapestry, thick like a rug. It was something that no human being, unless you were Samson, could ever tear apart. But divine power tore that veil in two from the top to the bottom giving a message to the human race that it was no longer necessary to come with animal sacrifices to an earthly sanctuary for the forgiveness of sins.

That system is no longer in effect, since the veil into the earthly Holy of Holies has been torn in two. We are now able, by a new and living way, to approach God by faith in the heavenly Holy of Holies, in the heavenly sanctuary where our High Priest ministers in our behalf.

We can have a Most Holy Place experience; we can go into the courtyard, this earth where Jesus was crucified, and enter by faith into the first apartment where we partake of the showbread—the word of God and become the light of the world. We offer our prayers to our heavenly Father that are fragranced by the Holy Spirit. We then enter behind the torn veil where we see our Saviour before the throne of God. Now there is a new and living way by which we may approach God.

However, these Jews did not understand that. They were dealing with a custom that had been going on for over fifteen hundred years. Paul himself had been very strict in following all of these customs. He had been a strict Pharisee, but after he met Jesus on the Damascus road and was converted, he understood the significance of the former dispensation of the old covenant and the difference between living faith and a dead formalism. Paul still claimed to be one of the children of Abraham and kept the ten commandments in spirit and letter, just as he had done before his conversion to Christianity.

All of the typical ceremonies and ordinances of service of the old covenant had only shadowed forth something that was to happen in the future. Now the light of the gospel was shed upon the world offering a new and better way.

The big question today is, Do you clearly understand what law was abolished by Christ’s death on the cross? Have you gone by the new and living way and approached Jesus as your High Priest and asked Him to deliver you from the guilt and power of sin, and to make you His child so that you can be saved?

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Health – Just Push a Button

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A thought question: What need have we for brains or muscles?

As I was sitting in our living room looking out the window, my eyes focused on a young man with a leaf blower. I was really fascinated with watching him trying to corral leaves into one pile. After a long while, I began to laugh. I thought about when we were younger and my brothers and sister and I would go out and rake our back yard and end up with a huge pile of leaves and then jump into them or hide under them. Oh, those were the fun times. This person lost out on the exercise of raking those leaves in less time than that machine took to blow them into a pile.

Did you notice I said “rake” those leaves? It is sad that man has created wonder machines that do all the work and rob us of health building exercises. There is a machine for everything that we don’t have time to do ourselves, which means we can add more activities and then need more machines. There is a robot for everything.

Less personal contact with children – Therapy robots are already used in classrooms to help kids with autism learn social skills, but they’re also used to help kids who aren’t on the spectrum learn art and other subjects. Other personal assistant robots currently in use in China can help your toddlers re-read their favorite book for the 100th time. Through a tablet, you can check in on your 3–8-year-old kids with a baby-cam feature.

No need to cook meals – One robotics company is in the midst of developing a robotic cook that can cook with the flair of a celebrity chef, reproducing the dexterity and skill of human cooks and will come with touchscreen controls and a glass enclosure that will protect your kitchen from any stray splashes from the cooking process.

No need to tend your garden – If you don’t have a naturally green thumb, robots can help. One open-source farming robot can do everything but harvest your vegetables: it plants seeds, waters them on a schedule, monitors their growth, and destroys weeds. You just log into the video game-like app and arrange your plants in the desired configuration, and the robot does the rest. On a smaller scale, smart sprinkler systems can monitor weather and soil conditions to figure out just how much water each of the plants in your yard need at any given time, and distribute it accordingly.

No need to carry your groceries – A robot butler that’s part hoverboard, part assistant with facial recognition, speech recognition, autonomous navigation, and more can follow you around the house, or you can ride it around the yard. And unlike smaller personal robots, it can carry things for you, ferrying your grocery bags to the kitchen.

No need to keep people company – For people who can’t get out of the house easily, there are robots, like interactive dogs, cats, and seals that make noise and respond to touch much like real animals would. Other robots specifically designed for older adults who live alone can detect falls, remind users of appointments, and connect to video-chat programs and social media.

No need to keep track of your health – Health robots can keep you feeling your best, even if you’re not great at remembering your medications. One pill-dispensing robot can hook up to your activity trackers and even re-order your vitamins and medications when you’re about to run out. You can ask the cute pill-bot health questions and set it up to recognize the faces of you and the other members of your family.

Excerpts from: http://mentalfloss.com/article/88813/10-surprising-ways-robots-can-make-your-life-easier

The luxuries of this world are destroying us. God has given us bodies that have been designed to work, but the most used part of our body is often the finger which pushes the buttons! Why not

  • have more personal contact with our children/family
  • tend to our own gardens
  • cook our own meals
  • carry our own groceries
  • keep track of our own health
  • visit the shut-ins

Exercise and keep fit the body that God has given you. It is true that if you don’t use it, you will lose the use of it. The devil is trying to destroy us physically, mentally and spiritually. God said in Genesis 3:19: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” There are very many who do not do much sweating!

Do not follow after the world and destroy yourself through the luxuries of living with a button and a finger to push it. Choose to use your own body and strength and not rely on a machine.

Question & Answer – Why did Jesus allow the demons to destroy a herd of swine?

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“And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea” (Mark 5:13).

“Jesus asked, ‘What is thy name?’ And the answer was, ‘My name is Legion: for we are many.’ Using the afflicted men as mediums of communication, they besought Jesus not to send them out of the country. Upon a mountainside not far distant a great herd of swine was feeding. Into these the demons asked to be allowed to enter, and Jesus suffered them. Immediately a panic seized the herd. They rushed madly down the cliff, and, unable to check themselves upon the shore, plunged into the lake, and perished.” The Desire of Ages, 338.

“He [Jesus] allowed the evil spirits to destroy the herd of swine as a rebuke to those Jews who were raising these unclean beasts for the sake of gain. Had not Christ restrained the demons, they would have plunged into the sea, not only the swine, but also their keepers and owners. The preservation of both the keepers and the owners was due alone to His power, mercifully exercised for their deliverance. Furthermore, this event was permitted to take place that the disciples might witness the cruel power of Satan upon both man and beast. The Saviour desired His followers to have a knowledge of the foe whom they were to meet, that they might not be deceived and overcome by his devices. It was also His will that the people of that region should behold His power to break the bondage of Satan and release his captives. And though Jesus Himself departed, the men so marvelously delivered, remained to declare the mercy of their Benefactor.” The Great Controversy, 515.