View this lesson in a browser and print a "take-away" weekly copy. CLICK HERE (see link below)
Further Study:
Discussion Questions:
| FRIDAY | April 8 |
| Read Ellen G. White, “Why Was Sin Permitted?” pp. 35–43, “The Tabernacle and Its Services,” p. 349, in Patriarchs and Prophets; “The Light of Life,” p. 464, in The Desire of Ages. Read also The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4, pp. 675, 676. “When Satan seeks to cover the people of God with blackness, and ruin them, Christ interposes. Although they have sinned, Christ has taken the guilt of their sins upon His own soul.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 169. “Sin entered the world by the defection of one who stood at the head of the holy angels. What was it that wrought so great a change, transforming a royal, honored subject into an apostate? The answer is given, ‘Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness.’ Had not the Lord made the covering cherub so beautiful, so closely resembling his own image; had not God awarded him special honor; had anything been left undone in the gift of beauty and power and honor, then Satan might have had some excuse.”—Ellen G. White, The General Conference Daily Bulletin, March 2, 1897. |
 Dwell more on the idea of morality and freedom. Can there be true morality apart from freedom? Are actions that are deemed “moral” really moral if they are forced, if they don’t come from free choice? Discuss.  No matter how much Satan had, it wasn’t enough. In what ways do we find ourselves manifesting that same attitude? How can we stop ourselves from following down this ruinous path?  In class, read over Revelation 12:7–12 and discuss what those texts mean in light of how we are to live our lives, particularly verse 11: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”  Dwell more on the idea of how we can make ourselves out to be God. What does it mean? How might this trait be manifested in our lives without our even realizing it?  Read again the first Ellen G. White quote above, about Christ taking our guilt upon Himself. What exactly does that mean? What hope can we take from that promise for ourselves? What will happen to those who refuse to believe that this promise is applied to them personally? |
| I N S I D E Story | ||
| Nagging Questions by DANIEL SAFCIU I grew up in Romania during Communist times. My parents were Seventh-day Adventists, and they risked everything to teach us about their faith and model Christian behavior. But in spite of their efforts and prayers, I chose to believe evolution rather than the faith my parents had taught me. I lost my faith in God and stopped attending church, stopped obeying the Ten Commandments, and stopped keeping the Sabbath. I declared myself an atheist, which broke my mother's heart. I was uncomfort¬able being the only unbeliever in my home, so I left home and set out to escape from Romania. I slipped across the border in hopes of escaping the Communist world, but I failed repeatedly; and each time I tried, I was sentenced to time in prison. Later I was caught stealing cars and was sent to prison again. There I met a doctor who was a political prisoner. I told him I didn't believe in God, and he said, "Why? Even Einstein believed in God." I wondered, Is this man right? Does God really exist after all? I began to wonder how such scientific phenomena as gravity and electromagnetic force could exist unless Someone created them. I prayed, "God, if You exist, help me believe." About this time, Communism fell in Romania. Without warning I was sent to another prison. Two days after I arrived, a guard asked me, "Do you want to attend a small meeting for Christians?" I went, and to my surprise I recognized people I had known from the Adventist church during my childhood. One was my cousin. He gave me some books to read. One was on creationism and science. 1 read them and found answers to my questions. I continued attending the small group, and I felt God changing my life. I surrendered my life to Christ and was baptized after I was released from prison. I joined a group who ministers to prisoners because I understood their situation and their needs. Today I work with former prisoners, helping them adjust to society, find housing and work, and make something of themselves. I'm raising funds to set up a book bindery and other voca¬tional training programs for ex-convicts. God has brought me full circle. I knew the truth but let it go; then I struggled with disbelief until I was willing to listen to God's voice again. Now I am helping others who've walked the same path as I have. Your mission offerings are helping so many people find new meaning in life. I'm one of them. DANIEL SAFCIU is a carpenter. Originally from Romania, he now lives in Belgium. | ||
| Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. email: info@adventistmission.org website: www.adventistmission.org |
No comments:
Post a Comment