Sabbath School Lesson for April 13-19, 2024 Overview of Lesson 3, Light Shines in the Darkness Memory Text: “Then Jesus said to them, ‘A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.’ ” John 12:35 NKJV There’s an expression that’s used to describe two very different things. We say they are as “different as night and day”. As we soon discover in looking at the attributes of good and evil, they, too, are as different as night and day. But, thankfully, as Jesus has told us, the light of God is bright enough to guide us out of our spiritual darkness. Darkness often overtakes us gradually. Even nature’s change from day to nighttime may be a slow process, allowing us some hours before the full darkness arrives. In the same way, sin can seep into our lives unknowingly until we suddenly find ourselves totally in darkness, because we listened to the dark messages of God’s enemy, Satan. In addition to the following topics we explore this week, read chapter 3 of The Great Controversy, called “An Era of Spiritual Darkness”. Sunday: Compromise, Satan’s Subtle Strategy–Knowing God through the Scriptures, aided by the Holy Spirit, is key to avoiding Satan’s cunning deceptions. Monday: Savage Wolves–Heresies, deviations from the truth, cause persecution from within the church. Tuesday: Safeguarded by the Word–The truth in God’s word builds us up and sanctifies us. Wednesday: Human Reasoning Apart From Scripture–Human reasoning through science, or even theologians, can’t always be relied on to show us the truth about God. Thursday: Battle for the Mind–Satan’s principal work is to blind or darken our minds, so we will worship him rather than the Creator of light. Sunday: Compromise–Satan’s Subtle Strategy Jesus defined Himself as “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). He also identified Satan as a murderer and a liar (John 8:44). We must choose between an all-knowing, loving God–or Satan, the father of deceitful lies and power-grabbing selfishness. But the choice is not as cut and dry as we might hope. Satan uses subtle compromises with the truth that lead us to doubt our confidence in God’s word, and to ultimately abandon our loyalty to God. In the Garden of Eden, Satan used the serpent to persuade Adam and Eve to disobey God’s clear instructions. He has had centuries now to perfect his deceitful strategies and keep his agenda hidden from unsuspecting members of the human race, including those in the church. The Great Controversy, p. 51, points out that the post-apostolic church, for hundreds of years, prohibited the distribution and reading of the Bible, causing most of the laity to accept the pope when he declared himself viceregent of God on earth and gained “authority over church and state”. We are witnessing today many countries combining church and state, in order to push their apostasies and distorted views of the Bible–combining them, of course, with some truth. These unholy alliances between church and governments can only lead to a renewed persecution and death for many of the faithful. Revelation 13:11-18 reveals how this happens in a powerful way at the end of time. Bible Verses: John 14:6 and 8:44 How does the darkness differ from the light? Why are so many deceived into following Satan’s lies? John 8:32 and 17:17 How do the Scriptures protect us from spiritual darkness? Monday: Savage Wolves The apostle Paul warned the churches to be wary of wolves, who like Jesus predicted in Matthew 7:15, would come into the flock in sheep’s clothing. These were actually savage wolves, Paul declared, who would speak perverse, wrong things to draw the sheep to themselves (Acts 20:27-32). It’s startling to think that our greatest danger, our most unbearable persecution, comes from within the church. But this is just how it has happened in the past. Look at the Dark and Middle Ages and you will find that the Roman church was indeed capable of such atrocities. As a matter of fact, Paul, in his time, perceived that the “mystery of lawlessness”, otherwise known as the Anti-Christ, the “man of sin”, was already at work (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12). Satan was working to secure his supremacy through pagan and then papal Rome. Even in Paul’s day, compromising doctrines were being formulated by Satan and his cohorts to draw people away from the truth of God’s word. Those perverse doctrines included bowing down to graven images (idol worship), the immortality of the soul with the dead immediately being transported to heaven or hell, and the transfer of seventh-day Sabbath worship to another day, namely Sunday. These compromising measures were justified as a way to include pagans and secure the power of the church leaders. Bible Verses: Acts 20:27-32 How were the churches warned about future apostasy and persecution from within the church? 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 How can we avoid the strong delusions that will assault God’s true believers? Tuesday: Safeguarded by the Word The best way to be protected from “savage wolves”, as Paul calls them, is to immerse ourselves in God’s word, the Bible. It is through the Scriptures that God’s love and will for our lives is most clearly revealed. In addition, it exposes Satan’s strategies and goals, giving us ample information and warning about his deceitfully subtle lies. The middle chapter of the Bible is Psalm 117. It’s also the shortest chapter, just two verses that praise God for His mercy and truth. It is shortly followed by the longest chapter, Psalm 119, where we find repeated references to the importance of God’s Word. See Psalm 119:105, 116, 130, 133, and 160. The New Testament supports the value of God’s word, as our eyes are more fully opened to God’s Son, the embodiment of that word (John 1:1, 14). It is through His Word that we are forgiven, sanctified, and at last glorified on Resurrection Morning, when the Lord, with The Teacher’s Notes–Light Shines in the Darkness, Lesson 3 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2024 2Q, “The Great Controversy”“>Read more…

Sabbath School Lesson for April 6-12, 2024 Remember that Bible texts are hyperlinks to take you to the verses! Overview of Lesson 2, The Central Issue, Love or Selfishness? Memory Text: ” ‘ “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” ‘ ” Isaiah 41:10 NKJV After examining the origin of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, it’s logical to explore the destruction of Jerusalem that was foretold by Jesus while He was on earth. After all, He coupled the prediction of that important event with His prophecy of the last days in Matthew 24. We find in Jerusalem’s destruction in about 70 A.D. a foreshadowing of the attempts of Satan to deceive and destroy God’s people at the end of time. Isaiah 41:10, and many other verses like it, remind us that we don’t need to fear those times, as hard as they may be. God has promised to be there with us during it all. He will strengthen and uphold us just as He’s promised. We will look at the central issue in the controversy by studying… Sunday: A Brokenhearted Savior–Our loving Jesus does all He can to save His people. Monday: Christians Providentially Preserved–The faithful church has survived Satan’s attacks in the past with God’s providential care. Tuesday: Faithful Amid Persecution–The early church of the first century can teach us much about having faith despite hard times. Wednesday: Caring for the Community–New Testament believers were noted for their love for each other and their neighbors. Thursday: A Legacy of Love–The Christian church not only survived, but grew because of their selfless care of others. Read chapters 1 and 2 of The Great Controversy, by Ellen G. White. An easy-to-read version in today’s English, called Love Under Fire, is available online at https://media2.egwwritings.org/pdf/en_LF.pdf Sunday: A Brokenhearted Savior Even though “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11), Jesus did everything He could to call His people to repent. He delayed the consequences of their disobedience many times over the years. As Jesus approached God’s city for the last time, His tears flowed freely, showing the love He had for those who would experience the horrific attack upon the city forty years yet in the future. The many people who lost their lives when the Roman general Titus laid siege to Jerusalem was totally the work of Satan. God would have been justified in making it happen immediately after they killed His Son–the final act of their rebellious betrayal. But, out of His mercy, it was delayed another forty years. Christ lovingly gave His followers guidance on how to escape the disaster. By carefully obeying His directive to leave the city as soon as it was totally surrounded, many were able to survive the impending destruction of Jerusalem, which, according to the historian Josephus, killed more than a million people. Bible Verses: Luke 19:41-44, Matthew 23:37, 38, and John 5:40 What do we find here about the character of God, revealed in His Son? Matthew 24:15-20 and Luke 21:20-24 How important were these words to Christians still living in Jerusalem in 70 A.D.? Monday: Christians Providentially Preserved We may wonder how Christians were able to escape the city after they saw that it was surrounded by Roman armies.  Some historians tell us that at some point before their final assault on the city, the Romans mysteriously withdrew, causing Jewish armed forces to pursue them, winning a great victory. It must have been during one of the brief pauses in the siege, when the Jews were able to drive back the enemy, that allowed enough time for Christians to get out of the city. Heeding the words of Jesus, some of them fled to Pella, a city just beyond the Jordan River. Hebrews 11, known as the faith chapter, mentions several times when God intervened and preserved His people. But the chapter also reminds us that  many have fallen victim to intense suffering and even death for the cause of their faith. Thankfully, despite Satan’s best efforts to erase God’s followers from the face of the earth, they continued to grow in numbers, proclaiming the gospel with enthusiastic voices. Bible Verses: Psalm 46:1 and Isaiah 41:10 How does God help us during our trials? Hebrews 11:35-38 and Revelation 2:10 How does God reward the faithful, even those who suffer and are killed? Tuesday: Faithful Amid Persecution One has only to read the first eight chapters of Acts to get a sense of the crushing difficulties of the early church in those years immediately following Christ’s resurrection. They were fiercely threatened and imprisoned, and some were even killed. The death of the first martyr, Stephen, took place only three and a half years after the crucifixion of Jesus, with many others following. This intense persecution, however, led to the spreading of the gospel. Many Christians fled to other parts of the world, carrying with them their supreme desire to share the good news of the Messiah’s coming to anyone who would hear. Because of their fervent preaching, the church in Jerusalem grew by the thousands (Acts 2:41 and 4:4). Many of the Jews, from far and near, were delighted to hear about the Lord’s sacrifice, not just for them, but for anyone who chose to accept His love. The invitation to join God’s heavenly kingdom was more inclusive than they could have hoped for. Those Jews gathered in Jerusalem carried the disciples’ message back to their homelands, planting seeds that later bore fruit for apostles like Paul and Barnabas. Bible Verses: Acts 2:41, 4:4, 31, 5:42 Why did so many respond favorably to these early sermons of the disciples? Acts 4:17, 5:17, 18, 8:1 What kind of trials faced God’s people in the early years after Jesus’ sacrifice and triumphant victory over death? Wednesday: Caring for the Community It wasn’t just The Teacher’s Notes–The Central Issue: Love or Selfishness?, Lesson 2 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2024 2Q, “The Great Controversy”“>Read more…

Jonah knew enough about God to be afraid of success and content with failure, even prepared to die if he could avoid going to Ninevah. His fears of the Ninevites outweighed His fears of God. The Ninevites would torture him or mutilate him and at least God wouldn’t do that. Trouble is, God can be a nag sometimes, more persistent than any human, and that is what Jonah should have feared, God’s persistence, instead of asking to be left alone to drown. Who failed to get the memo here? One of my favorite movies with Paul Newman was Cool Hand Luke. A famous scene in the movie, where Luke, a passive aggressive prisoner that tries to escape several times but fails is called before the warden and the guards. The warden makes a threatening speech. “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” What a line, I get a surge every time I hear it, dripping with understated sarcasm and power. The warden lays down the law, if you inmates won’t listen to what I am saying, you will not last long around here. In a similar fashion, God could say the same thing, maybe with different consequences, of course. He could say, “What we have here is a failure to communicate”, and add, If you fail to hear Me, many will perish. This change in perspectives is key to understanding God’s voice. His plans are not to make me feel safer all the time. His plans are to save more people over time. He’s willing to trade their lives for my discomfort. I admit, God must have been the only one that gave the slightest concern for the Ninevites. By many accounts, they were some of the cruelest people of their time. That’s the thing though, God does care about them. And if He cares about them, just think about who else he cares for. That scares me a bit. You mean God cares about every living soul, no matter how messed up they are? Yea, I guess so. I’m not sure what to do with that except to believe it. Anything else would be “a failure to communicate”. Who does the failure of communication fall upon? You, me, Jonah or God? I think you know the answer to that. Eventually Jonah comes around to God’s plan. He walks into Nineveh carrying his sandwich board, “REPENT or DIE. Can you imagine the attendance at that meeting? What a dream job, walking around shouting gloom and doom to people that would just as soon make sport of you watching you die. My takeaway is simple: Get to know God’s voice and His character behind His voice in the good times. Listen to Him with an open mind when he calls you to serve. Trust him that he has chosen you because He knows what He is doing. Before I showed up for basic training in the army, my father, a WWII and Korean war veteran gave me some advice. “When they call for volunteers, be the first one to step forward.” He survived many missions where he volunteered. I followed that advice for the most part. It never hurt me and as far as I can tell it made me a better leader. The prophet Isaiah had this kind of response, “Here I am, send me.” We don’t always know the difficulties of the mission, but we can know the mission is just and important because we know God has placed a high priority on it as He calls us to fulfill it. Jonah accepts his call, accepts his preaching assignment for 40 days and the people are saved. No failure to communicate in this case. A great success. Jonah may have been hard of hearing, but God got His attention. He knows how to do the same with us.

What I’m feeling on Day 88: When my husband asks me, “Are you sad today?” I still reply, “I’m always sad.” What I’m learning on Day 88:  We can, as humans, experience both peace and pain. We can hold both joy and sorrow. We can be grateful and upset. We can cry out to God in despair and praise Him for His incredible holiness in the same moment, the same prayer. God created us as multi-functional, multi-faceted miracles. While we live, we can do hundreds–thousands–of things at once. While we live, we can love with the very love of God Himself. Like our Heavenly Father, our love doesn’t stop when our loved one dies. It continues on in the way we live, the way we love others, the way we love ourselves. Feelings should not lord over our lives and actions but are part of our miraculous creation. Feelings can be a great gift from the Lord when we lean into them, feel them, and process them. “My cup overflows” doesn’t always mean you’re full of joy and happiness. Sometimes it also means you’re carrying painful experiences as well. Keeping the experience is important. Grief is important, but it doesn’t have to take over. A Prayer for Day 88: Father in Heaven, I have trudged through despair these days and weeks, but I know you are with me now as you have been before. Don’t let me forget your faithfulness to your people throughout history, but also to me, my family, and myself. You are a faithful, loving God Who speaks truth and speaks it into existence. Your Word says, “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NIV). I believe Your Word, and I believe joy will come again. I don’t have to wait for Your soon return. I can have joy now. Fill me with Your Spirit today–every day. Through Your Spirit alone, I can endure this and all things. In Jesus’ name, I pray, ask, and believe. Amen. A scripture for Day 88: I invite you to read a passage of scripture that brings peace to my life. Write it out in your own words with pen and paper. In this way, you will own the words. Once you’re finished, underline, circle, or highlight those verses you want to remember today. Here are mine in my own words, inspired by Psalm 34: I looked for God. I called for Him. He heard me and picked me up out of my fears and troubles. He saved me. The angel of the Lord encircles me because I fear and respect Him. He is close enough to save me. Taste and see. Take Him in and see He is good. He watches me, and He hears me. When I cry out to Him, He knows my heart. Because He is close, He knows my heart is broken and will save me from being crushed under it. He has.