Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, "In the Court of Babylon," pp. 479-490, "Nebuchadnezzar's Dream," pp. 491-502, and "The Fiery Furnace," pp. 503-513, in Prophets and Kings.
"As God called Daniel to witness for Him in Babylon, so He calls us to be His witnesses in the world today. In the smallest as well as the largest affairs of life, He desires us to reveal to men the principles of His kingdom. Many are waiting for some great work to be brought to them, while daily they lose opportunities for revealing faithfulness to God. Daily they fail of discharging with wholeheartedness the little duties of life. While they wait for some large work in which they may exercise supposedly great talents, and thus satisfy their ambitious longings, their days pass away."—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 487, 488.
"The tidings of their wonderful deliverance were carried to many countries by the representatives of the different nations that had been invited by Nebuchadnezzar to the dedication. Through the faithfulness of His children, God was glorified in all the earth."—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 512.
Discussion Questions:
As a class, talk about your answers to the question at the end of Tuesday's lesson. 
The stories in Daniel are powerful lessons of how, by staying faithful to God in trying circumstances, these men were able to witness to others about the Lord. At the same time, how many of us have heard stories of folk doing crazy things in the name of God, even to the point of losing their lives? When faced with a difficult situation, how can we know whether we should stand firm or whether we could be a more effective witness for God by showing our willingness to compromise with the given situation? 
For every Daniel in the lions' den story, there is a story of John the Baptist. How are we to understand these different endings? Summary:
The book of Daniel describes the experience of four young men who, in the face of massive challenges to their faith, remain true to principle and to their God. Their faithfulness is a dramatic witness not only to the people and rulers of Babylon but also to people of surrounding nations. |
| I N S I D E Story | ||
| Terrorist Meets the Savior by VASANTHAKUMAR VETHAMUTHU I was a political activist in my village in India. I worked for justice and fair treatment for the poor of the community. But some politicians didn't like me and wanted me out of their way. So, when a clash between two groups in the community resulted in the death of several people, I was accused of inciting the riot. I had nothing to do with it, but some politicians called me a terrorist and had me put into jail. The judge, however, saw the injustice and gave me probation. However, the accusation made me an outcast in my own village and among the people I had sought to help. My own church disfellowshiped me, so I decided to build my own church on land at the edge of the village where my family and I could worship. As I was building the church, I met an Adventist pastor. When he learned why I was building a church, he said, "That's a good idea. But since you are building a new church, why not make it a true Bible-believing church, an Adventist church?" I was intrigued and listened to this man explain the Sabbath, the state of the dead, and other basic Bible doctrines I didn't know. I agreed to make my church a Sabbath keeping church. I helped the pastor hold evangelistic meetings in the area, though some of my political enemies accused me of political activism again, and we had to stop the meetings. After explaining our position to the police, they finally allowed the meetings to continue. The pastor focused his talks on God's love, salvation, and general topics, but in our private studies, he challenged me to study the Bible to understand the Sabbath and other important doctrines. I did, and I realized they all were true. I began telling people about the Sabbath. I knew that the Christians in the village would not accept it, so I told my idol worshiping friends and invited them to come to meetings in the half-finished church. Following the pastor's meetings, 35 people were baptized, including my wife, my father, and me. The new church members and even some non-Adventist believers worked to finish the new church. Some two hundred people came to the dedication, including some political officials. It was a grand day for the entire village. I have given up my political activity and now work for Christ. I am driven by the love of God rather than social justice. Now I work as a lay evangelist in my area, helping the pastor and going from village to village to teach people about Christ. We now have congregations in eight nearby villages. Your Thirteenth Sabbath offerings provided two of these congregations with simple chapels. Thank you for your gifts to God that support God's work in
VASANTHAKUMAR VETHAMUTHU is a lay evangelist in India. | ||
| Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awareness. email: info@adventistmission.org website: www.adventistmission.org |
No comments:
Post a Comment